March 30, 2025 · 10:28 pm

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 30, 2025

Congressional Cemetery held its Spring Fair on Sunday, March 30, featuring more than two dozen vendors, an Introduction to Green Burial in the Chapel, a tour of historical trees and grave sites, and a presentation on Equinox Gardening. 

Vendors included HCC Gift Shop, Adopt-A-Plot at HCC, The Roving Hare, Republic Restoratives, Chippin Pet, From Here to Home Essentials, Catalyst Hot Dogs, Second Story Honey, Black Radish Handmade, The Witch Wife Crafts & Treasures, Open to Being, Green Garden Vintage, Earth-Worker, Hands Along the Nile, Rough Seas Productions, Slow Drip Refashions, Paloma Vintage Designs, Amaya Accessories, Amethyst Alchemist Art, One Seed Designs, D’Bohomama, Necos Boutique, Great Mothers Garden, Solutions, and Folger Theatre. 

Congressional Cemetery Associate Lily Buerkle presented the introduction to green burial.  It involves, no embalming, body shrouded or placed in a casket of natural material, no grave liner or vault, lowering by hand or by device, a natural marker or a traditional head stone.  This is an alternative burial for those not wanting a typical American funeral.  Those funerals are – according to National Geographic – responsible each year for felling 30 million board feet of casket wood, 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid.  The average cost in the DMV area is around $2000 to $4000.  Green burials are allowed in any plot in the cemetery which is the only cemetery in DC which offers green burials.  A helpful resource is the Green Burial Council:  https://www.greenburialcouncil.org/

Sharon Metcalf, also an Associate, conducted a tour of historical trees and sites of the cemetery.  One of the stops on the tour was at the memorial for Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, dedicated on September 17, 2022.  This is of the back of the Memorial. 

And here’s a photo of the monument’s striking front, surmounted by a sculptured raven and skull, referencing Brady’s photo of Edgar Allen Poe and featuring a selection of Brady’s photos.

A photo of the stop at John Philip Sousa grave.  Sousa, known as the March King, became U.S. Marine Band leader in 1880 and served in that position for 12 years.  He wrote over 100 marches (including the “Washington Post” and “Stars and Stripes Forever”), 10 light operas, and other works.  Bands from around the world come to play at his grave.

The Circle of Life Tree-henge.  The Circle of Life is a recent installation of land art or earth art which celebrates nature’s perseverance.  The site comprises a 60 foot circle of linden trees aligned with the points of a compass and serves as an observation site of the sun’s path during solstices and equinoxes.  It celebrates and pays tribute the natural environment, invites meditation and reflection, and offers an opportunity to record those thoughts in a journal kept on site.  It was created by a group of friends interested in Congressional Cemetery and green burial in partnership with Congressional Cemetery and a testimony to those who choose green burial as a simple and sustainable end to their existence.  For more, go here:  https://bit.ly/42c1D2O

The Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery is a private nonprofit organization established in 1976 and dedicated to the restoration interpretation and management of Congressional Cemetery.  It is a predominantly volunteer based organization relying on over 400 neighbors, history buffs, conservators, dog walkers, and armed forces personnel each year to help restore and maintain this national treasure.  In 1979 Congressional Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and became a National Historic Landmark in 2011.  For info on joining the association or to make a donation to help their cemetery, email staff@congressionalcemetery.org or go here:  www.congressionalcemetery.org

The Week Ahead….

Tuesday, April 1

MPD 1D Community Advisory Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:00pm.

Agenda:

  • Safety Briefing and open dialogue with residents, ANCs, businesses, and other civic and professional organization in the First MPD District.

ANC6B Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm. 

Meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor, Conference Room 1 (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).

Among items on the draft agenda:

  • Bombay Street Food 2, 524 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Aatish On The Hill, 609 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Torai Grill & Sushi Inc t/a Torai Grill & Sushi, 751 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class D Restaurant’
  • Young Chow Asian Restaurant, 312 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
  • The Duck & The Peach/The Wells/La Collina, 300 7th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • I Egg You CH, LLC t/a I Egg You, 517 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Chiko, 423 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • 721 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Little Pearl, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Pineapple and Pearls, 715 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Rose’s Luxury, 717 8th Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Paraiso, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Bullfeathers, 410 1st Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Sanpan Thai Cuisine, 653 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Renewal of Class C Restaurant.
  • Kenneth H Nash Post 8 t/a Kenneth H Nash Post 8 American Legion, 224 D Street, SE; Renewal of Class C Club.
  • Trattoria Alberto, 504 8th Street SE. Renewal of Class C Restaurant.

Wednesday, April 2

ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

Among items on the draft agenda:

  • Pepco Update on the G St Conversion Project and its expected impacts on 6B08 and 6B09 in the coming months.
  • DDOT presentation on the signals design for Potomac & Pennsylvania Avenues intersection rebuild.
  • Watkins Alley: Support Efforts by Residents of Watkins Alley for Bollards or Other Safety Measures to Protect Pedestrians in the Alley.
  • Item from March Full Meeting: letter to DDOT, in collaboration with 6A, regarding Lincoln Park.

ANC6C Planning, Zoning & Economic Development Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm. 

Among items on the draft agenda: 

  • 304-308 K Street, NE.  Revised application of 304, 306, 308 K Street, LLC for a special exception for the residential use of an alley lot and an area variance from the requirements for creation of a new alley record lot, and an area variance from the lot dimension requirements and subdivide an alley record lot into two record lots, and to construct two semi-detached, two story, principal dwelling units in the RF-1 zone.
  • 313 2nd Street, NE.  Historic Preservation Application of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for concept approval for renovation and expansion of an existing carriage house, razing of two structures (the current Parish Center and a single-vehicle garage), and landscape alterations.

Thursday, April 3

ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

Among items on the draft agenda:  TBA

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