The Week Ahead…ZomTum Opens…& Some Photos From Last Week
by Larry Janezich
Posted August 10, 2025
Charles Kia’s New ZomTum Laos/Thai restaurant at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, near Eastern Market opened last Monday. The space was formerly occupied by Joselito. For more about the restaurant and to view the menu, go here: https://zomtumdc.com/about
The Week Ahead…
None of the political, community, or civic organizations regularly covered by Capitol Hill Corner is meeting this week.
One item of interest for the coming week:
Garfield Park- Canal Park Connector work begins on Monday, August 11, 2025. The Garfield Park-Canal Park Connector Project will improve the DDOT Right of Way underneath I-695 that provides access between Garfield Park and Canal Park. It will provide a new ADA-compliant pedestrian path, drainage, and grading improvements. Phase 1 of the work, located in the amenity area beneath the overpass will continue through January 2026. During construction the site will be closed to pedestrian traffic. A pedestrian detour will be in effect from the intersection of H Street SE and 2nd Street SE around Garfield Park using 3rd St SE & F St SE. The view shown above is the construction site seen from 2nd and H Street, SE, looking north into Garfield Park. To the left is the Virginia Avehue spur which deadends after a few hundred yards.
More of the Virginia Avenue spur – formerly the site of a homeless encampment which the city removed. The upgrade to the area under the bridge will incorporate the use of the area into the park. The upgrades will include repaving the existing skate park, the basketball court, and the new pickleball courts.
Virginia Avenue deadends beyond the construction trailer visible in the photo. This will be the site of pickleball courts funded by the DDOT and Washington DC Pickleball.
Here’s the site of the formen basketball court.
Here’s a rendering of the new court.
Here’s a view of the site looking west. Last week, this space held around 30 giant stone blocks each weighing a few tons. They were salvaged from their original purpose when they formed the arched entryway to the origina CSX Railway Tunnel. Last week, they were removed to the vacant cornor in front of Blackbird Salon at Virginia Avenue and 8th Street, SE. It’s unclear what plans the city has for them.
And here’s a rendering of the new skatepark which will lie west of the basketball court.
This project is separate from but is being coordinated with the Department of Parks and Recreation’s just completed renovation of Garfield Park project. Asphalt work and painting are weather dependent, necessitating a flexible timeline – the project could be completed as early as late Fall/early winter or as late at March 2026.
The Mediterranean bakery House of Flatbreads (HOF) is coming to 1116 8th Street, across from the Capital Turnaround, formerly called The Blue Castle. HOF is a carryout which features flatbreads from traditional savory such as the Labne Flatbread – see below.
HOF has a sister carryout in Arlington. Their website is under construction but you can get an idea of their offerings on FB https://bit.ly/4msHoq8 and Instagram https://bit.ly/4l6iDib It’s not certain when they plan to open.
Another one of Garfield Park’s century-old white swamp oaks has fallen. A large branch came down in the storm Friday night, July 25. The tennis court fence was damaged as well a picnic table by the volleyball court. An arborist crew took the rest of the tree down on Monday. Photo and text: Jan Schoonmaker.
Here’s another image of the ongoing renovation of SE Library, this one is of the berm skylight on the South Carolina Avenue side of the building which will light the children’s area on the lower level. Photo: DC Library
And here’s an image of construction workers who appear to be working on the skylight which will – by means of a central light well – illuminate all three floors of the library.
The Week Ahead…
None of the political, community, or civic organizations regularly covered by Capitol Hill Corner is meeting this week.
One item of interest for the coming week:
Saturday, August 9
NE Library Book Sale Saturday-The Friends of the Southeast Library (FOSEL) together with the Friends of the Northeast Library (FONEL) will hold a joint book sale this Saturday, July 9. The sale will be at the Northeast Library at 7th & Maryland Avenues NE.
The sale begins when the library opens at 10:00 am. We begin to pack up around 2:45 pm and are done by 3:00 pm. The sale is on the lower level of the library. Entrance to the sale is through the library (and down the stairs or elevator).
In general, we have mostly used books of all types, including children’s books, fiction, best sellers, non-fiction, cookbooks mysteries, science, science fiction, romance, religion, history, biography, self-help, classics, travel, etc.
Proceeds benefit local libraries, especially the Southeast Library, the Northeast Library, and the DC Library.
Got the ability to recirculate this message on other lists? That would be much appreciated.
Rendering of some of the six pickleball courts which DDOT recently authorized for the Virginia Avenue spur under the freeway as part of the Garfield Park/Canal Park Connector Project. Source: DDOT
Finding Community in Pickleball – More than a Sport
by Larry Janezich
Posted, August 3, 2025
A sense of community doesn’t just happen – it comes from the contributions of individuals and social/civic organizations to their community.
Washington DC Pickleball (WDCP) https://www.washingtondcpickleball.org/ is a community enriching endeavor that adherents find personally rewarding as well as a vehicle for creating and developing a network that unites its players across a broad swath of the city’s social fabric.
In an interview with Ruth Ellis, Ambassador for WDCP, one word that keeps popping up is “community,” referring not only to the shared interest among players, but also to the reality that they are part of something larger than themselves.
According to the website, “WDCP is a volunteer-led nonprofit that provides on-site equipment, balls, social events, promotional and charitable programs, and pickleball advocacy throughout Washington, DC.” The organization advocates for, increases awareness of, and encourages active involvement in the sport.
As a WDCP Ambassador, Ellis and others have testified before the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) oversight hearing to push for city resources to further the organization’s intertwined vision and sports related goals.
To illustrate the community benefits, she cites the organization’s community programming, including the success of the DC Jail Program. Inspired by a Washington Post article https://wapo.st/3INlJdH about Roger BelAir bringing pickleball into prisons, WDCP proposed doing the same thing at DC Jail. The DC Department of Corrections was enthusiastic about the proposal and weekly play began at the jail in April 2024.
Ellis says, “The pickleball program is no cost to the jail so there’s no economic impact at all….The vast majority (of players) are going to be re-entering our civic life and our civic space and I think it’s safe to say everybody wants them to come home in a way that’s safe and positive and healthy for them and for their families and for their community and for the city.”
Buoyed by positive feedback on the program at DC Jail, Ellis says regarding the oversight hearings, “Testifying shows our commitment to the community – not just for ourselves, but for the broader community and what I’m trying to do now is to expand pickleball into the youth community because the youth community is having some problems that are having a severe impact on the city. Pickleball is a great way to connect and show how you can treat other people with respect while you’re competing with them.”
As a new sport and one that is exploding in popularity, pickleball does not have as many resources as tennis. Ellis says, “We don’t have a permanent net location so every time we go out to play pickleball we have to first of all find a place where we can play go out there, set up nets – do everything ourselves. I mean everything we do is volunteer.”
She says she is trying to fill that gap a little bit – “…which has been challenging – I’ve offered a series free coaching lessons at Anacostia Park. We’ve had an event there on July 4th three years in a row and we have 60 to 80 people coming out to play pickleball. About half of them are from DC east of the river and we had a big group that came from Prince Georges County.”
WDCP’s 2024 Red White & Pickleball July 4th event at Anacostia Park. Photo: Ruth Ellis
Also, in partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the National Capital Area, DCPB hosted a sibling match event at Anacostia Park in October 2024. Every participant learned to play pickleball in a 90-minute coaching session.
Ellis says, “There’s nowhere else in the city where we could do this” but she adds, that next year the National Park Service will put in pickleball courts in the park.
In answer to what kind of assistance from the city she seeks, she said, “DC DPR does not currently have any youth pickleball programming and “We don’t have courts – we don’t have time in the DPR’s recreational schedule.”
She envisions more sports programming in collaboration with the city…”I’d like to partner with the city and help support programming for pickleball. We want pickleball to be more of a regular sport than it is. Tennis players don’t have to fight to get a court built in their community – they just build tennis courts – and we want the same thing for pickleball.”
Ellis sees signs of hope and progress – DDOT has issued permits for construction of six permanent pickleball courts as part of the Garfield Park Connector Project. All funds to pay for the court construction will come from WDCP’s fund raising efforts and the player community. The Capitol Riverfront BID will hold the permit and manage the funds for Garfield courts. WDCP will manage day to day operations including setting hours, permitting, and events, with sign off from the Capitol Riverfront Parks Foundation to ensure courts are sufficiently publically accessible. The project is weather dependent so the projected completion date could be as early as fall of 2025 or as late as spring, 2026.
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Last September, the former Capitol Valet at 801 East Capitol Street was being transformed into the GW Club. A sign – with the George Washington University logo – said, “A private club: Invitation only for members and guests.”
Plans appear to have changed or the club has gone incognito, as evidenced by the disappearance of the signage.
The City Council holds two days of hearings – Tuesday, July 29 and Wednesday, July 30 – on the “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025.” See “Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You to Know” below.
Update on the $33 million renovation of SE Library. Here’s an image of construction underway on the South Carolina Avenue side of the Library.
Here’s a rendering of how it will look upon completion. The Library is scheduled to re-open mid-2026.
Here’s an image of the fill in and new construction on the D Street side of the project.
And the view from 7th and D Streets, SE.
The Week Ahead…
Monday, July 28
ANC6B SE Library Taskforce will hold a hybrid meeting at 6:30pm.
Meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s)
People’s Front of H Street, Sunday Clean-Ups in 6A01
Recruitment and Outreach
Public Safety Discussion
In-Person meeting (during FY26)
Wednesday, July 30
Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm in North Hall, Eastern Market.
Virtual option available: TBA
Agenda: TBA
Thursday, July 31
Councilmember Charles Allen holds Community Office Hours at 5:00pm at Spin Time Records, 613 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 2 upstairs. Note that the shop is on the second floor, which requires being able to walk up one flight of stairs.
Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You to Know About:
Reminder –The Fridge Launches Bid to Reopen – When The Fridge closed in 2023, Barracks Row lost its most interesting business. According to founder Alex Goldstein, the underground gallery helped start the careers of over 1,000 artists in addition to being a gathering space for those often left out of the traditional art world. Now Goldstein – in partnership with Shaymar Higgs of The SPACE Free Art For All – has launched a GoFundMe to make reopening of The Fridge in 2026 a realty. Go here for more information and to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/thefridgedc
This current view of The Fridge features Alicia “Decoy” Cosnahan’s last mural on the walls of The Fridge after it closed. The image is the centerpiece of a larger work by several artists, including Taxi Gang, a tag used by Goldstein.
Thursday, July 31
Library of Congress Event: 8:00pm – 10:00pm.
Summer Movies on the Lawn: “The Muppet Movie” (1979)
Thomas Jefferson Building, Southeast Lawn
LOC hosts a screening of “The Muppet Movie” (1979), starring Jim Henson. It has become a staple in American pop culture.
Part of the Library’s “Summer Movies on the Lawn,” this series showcases iconic films from the Library’s National Film Registry and will be presented on Thursday evenings at sundown on the southeast lawn of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, located on the corner of 2nd Street SE and Independence Avenue.
No tickets are required, but visitors are encouraged to arrive early as space is limited. Visitors must stay with their items on the lawn at all times. Guests may bring their own blankets, chairs, food and beverages, but alcohol is prohibited.
Restrooms are available in the James Madison Building located at 101 Independence Ave SE. Please be advised, visitors must navigate U.S. Capitol Police security screening to enter the building to use the facilities. Restrooms in this building are fully accessible.
Themed snacks and drinks will be available for sale before the movie begins.
Tuesday, July 29, at 10:00am and Wednesday July 30, at 10:00am.
City Council hearing on the “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025”
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004
The hearing will be conducted in two parts. The first part will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 for public witness testimony. The second part will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 for testimony from the Executive and representatives of the Washington Commanders football team. To join live coverage of the hearing, go here: https://bit.ly/45v0qW7
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Souk, the boutique bakery and patisserie which opened February 5, 2015, has closed its doors on Barracks Row. The following notice appeared on social media. “Dear Friends. Our time on Barracks Row has come to an end. Look out for news about our new retail location soon.”
Souk Spices & Pastries opened in February, 2015, in the space at 705 8th Street, SE, previously occupied by Hello Cupcake.
Store owner Winnette McIntosh Ambrose also owned The Sweet Lobby, which opened June 2011 and closed in the post-pandemic retail slowdown. Maman Joon’s Kitchen opened in the space last April.
Winnette McIntosh Ambrose and her brother Timothy, both graduated from MIT with degrees in chemical engineering and decided to pursue the development of a bakery sideline into multiple outlets. The decision to expand came after the pair won a first place prize on the reality television series Cupcake Wars.
The Week Ahead…The Fridge Launches Bid to Reopen & Some Photos from the Past Week
By Larry Janezich
Posted July 20, 2025
The Fridge Launches Bid to Reopen – When The Fridge closed in 2023, Barracks Row lost its most interesting business. According to founder Alex Goldstein, the underground gallery helped start the careers of over 1,000 artists in addition to being a gathering space for those often left out of the traditional art world. Now Goldstein – in partnership with Shaymar Higgs of The SPACE Free Art For All – has launched a GoFundMe to make reopening of The Fridge in 2026 a realty. Go here for more information and to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/thefridgedc
This current view of The Fridge features Alicia “Decoy” Cosnahan’s last mural on the walls of The Fridge after it closed. The image is the centerpiece of a larger work by several artists, including Taxi Gang, a tag used by Goldstein.
Celebrating Mary McLeod Bethune – On Saturday, July 12, the National Park Service hosted Mary McLeod Bethune’s 150th Birthday Celebration in Lincoln Park. Mary McLeod Bethune July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955).
This image was not from that event – it’s from July 4th. But it powerfully reflects her spirit and influence as an educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune became the first Black woman to lead a federal agency when she was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as the Secretary to lead the National Youth Association. In 1932, she was appointed as a national advisor and worked with Roosevelt to create the Federal Council on Colored Affairs, also known as the Black Cabinet. The 1974 statue as the first monument to honor an African American and a woman in a public park in Washington, D.C. as the Black Cabinet.
Circling Back to the Former Congress Market – To recap, signage appeared Saturday, June 7, on the former Congress Market at 421 East Capitol SE, which led neighbors to fear the store intended to open as a cannabis dispensary. Neighbors protested to CM Charles Allen and ANC6B. At the request of Allen, ABCA investigated and told the owners that signs depicting cannabis symbols violated city regulations. The business owners claimed it was all a mistake – that their intent was to open a business selling cannabis paraphernalia – however, in the six weeks since the sign was painted over, there has been little evidence of activity at the site.
Here’s how it looks today.
Here’s a Little Library on 4th Street, NE: “Libraries and Justice for All.”
And here’s Triple Candies’ latest installation in the space in the front of the former Li’l Pub at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, featuring a 1972 quote by George McGovern.
DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum will join the committee to discuss H Street Transit Priority, Streetcar plans, sidewalk safety and accessibility and other transportation issues affecting the neighborhood.
Rescheduled: ANC6B’s Parks and Public Spaces Task Force will hold an in person meeting at 7:00pm.
The meeting will be held on the second floor of 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. The entrance is next to the Trader Joe’s.
Among items on the draft agenda:
Dogs Off-leash in Parks.
Open Public School Playgrounds.
Park Identification Process (and “adoptions” by committee members).
Adoption of Mission Statement, Working Procedures.
Rumsey Pool Rebuild.
Throne Restroom on Eastern Market Metro Park.
Garfield Park and Underpass Update.
Signage in Garfield Park.
Open Streets Review.
Future agenda items? Thoughts on furthering work of the Committee?
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
CM Charles Allen hosts the annual Ward 6 Week. Join Councilmember Charles Allen from Sunday, July 27, through Saturday, Aug. 2, for a week of fun, free activities highlighting all our community has to offer. Here’s a link to the full schedule: https://bit.ly/3GzHz3J
For Sunday, July 27
CM Allen and his staff kick off Ward 6 Week with a Pop-Up at the Spray Park and Playground: 10 to 11 a.m. at Eastern Market Metro Park (800 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
(Registration Full) – LGBTQ+ Cemetery Tour: 1 p.m. at the Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE).
Cake in the Park!: 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Garfield Park (1-299 South Carolina Ave. SE). Enjoy delicious cake with your neighbors in the park! It’s simple: Sign up to bring a cake of your choosing (bake, buy, or convince a loved one to make one), BYO plate and utensils, and eat your heart out. Thanks to our event partner, Friends of Garfield Park!
Thursday, July 24 – 8:00pm – 10:00pm
Summer Movies on the Lawn at Library of Congress: “Spy Kids” (2001). Free.
Where: Thomas Jefferson Building – Southeast Lawn
Join us for a screening of “Spy Kids” (2001) starring Antonio Banderas as Gregorio Cortez.
Join us on Saturday, for our next “Cocktails and Conversation” with writer, culinary historian, and educator Michael W. Twitty, who has appeared on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmerman, Hulu’s Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, and Netflix’s High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.
Blue placards in the window announce the application for a medical marijuana license for Proper Exotic at 313 8th Street, NE. The location is in a mixed residential/commercial block.
Here’s the view to the north, across the alley from 313 8th.
Directly across the street is the Boneval, a 40 unit condo building.
Neighbors Protest Weed Shop on Kid Friendly Block
by Larry Janezich
Posted July 15, 2025
ANC6A’s July meeting last Thursday night became contentious during consideration of an application for a medical marijuana license for Proper Exotic Dispensary at 313 8th Street, NE.
Proper Exotic originally applied for a license last year and ANC6A voted to protest the application. One of the Proper Exotic partners unilaterally withdrew the application. Subsequently, the other partner retained legal counsel McGowan and Kinner to reinstate the application. The Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) agreed to the appeal which initiated a new opportunity for ANC6A (and ANC6C as an affected party) to protest again.
Community members in attendance at the on-line meeting were overwhelmingly opposed to a medical marijuana dispensary coming to the location. Although the building is zoned for mixed use, it is in close proximity to residences and a day care center and close proximity to other venues providing services for children.
A few residents voiced support for the owner saying effectively that under the law opening a dispensary in a properly zoned location was a matter of right.
Several neighbors expressed concerns over safety issues, with some saying the dispensary will be a target for a potential robbery and that it will become a focus for a gathering of users who will consume cannabis products nearby which the business will be unable to regulate.
Meredith Kinner of Kinner & McGowan suggested because ABCA security requirements for the business, Proper Exotic “will probably enhance the security of the neighborhood rather than detract,” and given the risks presented by a 7-11 which was formerly nearby, a dispensary is “5000% safer and more secure….”
ANC6C Commissioner Jay Adelstein who represents a Single Member District in ANC6C which is across the street from 313 8th Street, added his voice to those of the opponents, adding that ANC6C had voted to protest the application earlier in the week.
ANC6A Commissioner Roberta Shapiro, speaking for temporarily-absent Commissioner Amber Gove, said that proximity to a day care center is not grounds for issuing a license, but is grounds for protesting the application. Kinner said flatly, “That is not correct,” and later offered a link in the chat to support her claim.
Summing up before the vote, legal counsel John McGowan said their goal was to work with the ANC to get a Settlement Agreement to satisfy concerns of the community. The alternative, he said, was to go to protest and if the ANC loses, there will be no Settlement Agreement and the dispensary will open without one. He said he hoped to continue negotiations with the ANC.
The ANC subsequently voted to protest the application by a unanimous vote of 7-0.
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Update on St. Georges Boulangerie. Saturday morning, July 5, at the prospective French bakery across from Eastern Market, a French flooring installer puts down a base maybe for a tile floor. The contractor on site says he hopes for completion in two months. Photo and content credit: Paul and Eileen Dougherty
Here’s another angle.
Sharon Kershbaum, Director DC Department of Transportation (far left), meets with ANC6B last Tuesday night to discuss DDOT projects and programs.
Commissioners had questions related to Capitol Hill traffic concerns and Kershbaum shared her thoughts regarding those concerns.
Traffic safety concerns around Lincoln Park? – Lincoln Park is not in a high injury corridor upon which DDOT has to focus. We can tweak conditions and signage to address problems but can’t address concerns in a comprehensive way.
Preparation for increased traffic related to redevelopment of RFK site? – We will have lots of engagement on RFK traffic issues but it’s early in the process and DDOT is just getting started.
What’s the best way for ANC to interact with the kinds of things you need to hear from us? – Continue being our eyes and ears and boots on the ground in the micro environment.
Open Streets? – (CM Allen’s legislation is closing down the Open Streets Program). DDOT is planning for enacting the legislation’s vision for closing select streets in the city for up to 24 hours each week to become pedestrian plazas to create more places like the downtown Holiday Market and Eastern Market in hopes of replicating the Eastern Market’s success in activating street life.
Kershbaum also defended DDOT’s record on sidewalk repairs saying the 270 day repair wait time is a meaningless service level because DDOT responds on the basis of how hazardous the sidewalk conditions are and aims to fix very hazardous conditions within days and less hazardous within 60 to 90 days, whereas much fixing less hazardous conditions can stretch into months.
She also cited development of a pilot program to replace brick sidewalks with stamped concrete sections. She was uncertain about the Historic Preservation aspects of that proposal.
Brent School Renovation. And so it begins. Last week, this heavy equipment was photographed demolishing the playground at Brent School – apparently the first step in the forthcoming renovation. The school is located at 3rd and North Carolina SE. Photo credit: Bob Gellman
Here’s an architect’s rendering of the finished project. Demolition will be complete by the end of the year and construction of the new building will begin thereafter. The raze-and-construction timeline anticipates that the new building will be ready to open in the fall of 2027.
Elbows Up is an expression used in sports like ice hockey and boxing generally meaning someone should be ready for a fight and be prepared to hit back. This message is being displayed at a house on 10th Street, SE. There are plenty of applications, it seems.
This is worthy of your attention. Miracle Theater on Barracks Row is showing what many consider one of the greatest films ever made – Citizen Kane. 7:00pm, Wednesday and Friday night, July 16 and 18.
The Week Ahead…
Highlight: Monday: ANC6B Parks and Public Service Task Force discusses Dogs off-leash in parks and Rumsey Pool rebuild. See below.
Monday, July 14
ANC6B’s Parks and Public Service Task Force will hold an in person meeting at 7:00pm.
The meeting will be held on the second floor of 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. The entrance is next to the Trader Joe’s.
Among items on the draft agenda:
Dogs Off-leash in Parks.
Open Public School Playgrounds.
Park Identification Process (and “adoptions” by committee members).
Adoption of Mission Statement, Working Procedures.
Rumsey Pool Rebuild.
Throne Restroom on Eastern Market Metro Park.
Garfield Park and Underpass Update.
Signage in Garfield Park.
Open Streets Review.
Future agenda items? Thoughts on furthering work of the Committee?
Wednesday, July 16
ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
828 12th Street, NE; The scope of the project is to construct a penthouse with roof deck to an existing, semi-detached, two-story plus basement, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone. The proposed project would remove a turret to allow for the remodeling of the residential property. The relief requested is for a Special Exception.
628 15th Street NE; The scope of the project is to construct a new, detached, two-story, accessory dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone. The proposed 2-story accessory structure would accommodate a 2bedroom secondary dwelling at the rear of the property. The relief requested is for a Special Exception Pursuant To The minimum vehicle parking requirements.
916 D Street NE; The proposed project is to add a front porch to an existing single family dwelling in Zone RF-1. The potential applicant is pursuing zoning relief as a Special Exception re Lot Occupancy. The stated maximum lot occupancy is 60%; the potential applicant is requesting 66%.
ANC7D Transportation and Public Space Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
Monday, July 14
Mayor Bowser to Cut Ribbon on Eastern Market Store at Reagan National Airport.
On Monday, July 14 at 11 am, Mayor Muriel Bowser and District leaders will be joined by partners to officially open the first-ever, government-owned Eastern Market retail store at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This event is not open to the public.
The DC Office of Cable Television will provide a live feed of this event. To view the event, visit mayor.dc.gov/live, tune in on Channel 16 (DCN), https://bit.ly/4lzgJrK
Tuesday, July 15
Opening: Capitol Hill Art League Holds Flora & Fauna Show
The Capitol Hill Art League (CHAL) presents its latest Art Exhibition, themed “Flora and Fauna”, at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) located at 547 7th Street, S.E. Washington, DC, 20003. The show will be on display in the CHAW Gallery, from July 15 through August 22, 2025. The selected works of art include a wide range of media, including painting, photography and mixed media.
There will be an opening reception from 5:30-7:00 pm, on Saturday, July 19, at CHAW, where juror Sondra N. Arkin, will discuss the selected artist works and award prizes.
Washington D.C. artist, Sondra Arkin’s work explores space, connections, and boundaries in both paintings and sculpture. Her work is exhibited in galleries, museums, private, corporate and public collections here and abroad. http://www.sondranarkin.com
Update on “Loveful Hands” Eastern Market Plaza’s Public Art Installation
by Larry Janezich
Posted July 12, 2025
Today, ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe informed other ANC6B Commissioners and the members of his Parks and Public Spaces Taskforce, that artist Jay Coleman’s bronze sculpture titled “Loveful Hands,” is back on track for installation late summer or early fall on Eastern Market Metro Plaza.
The elegant, circular platform near the entrance to Eastern Market Metro on the plaza was completed in October of 2022 and has been awaiting the installation of the artwork it was created to display.
Sroufe told his colleagues that “DGS has indicated that a check now has been written to the foundry and that the bronze sculpture for which the pedestal has been designed will be installed with an appropriate ceremony by late summer or early fall.”
Artist Jay Coleman’s sculpture “Loveful Hands,” is a 5’ X 7’ bronze which feature hands arranged so that the fingers and thumbs form a heart, which encourages passersby to take selfies while seated. It was selected from a number of proposals in November, 2020, but the completion of the project and the casting was slowed until now by the city’s approval process.
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The Friends of the Southeast Library (FOSEL) together with the Friends of the Northeast Library (FONEL) will hold a joint book sale this Saturday, July 12. The sale will be at the Northeast Library at 7th & Maryland Avenues NE.
The sale begins when the library opens at 10:00 am. We begin to pack up around 2:45 pm and are done by 3:00 pm. The sale is on the lower level of the library.
Entrance to the sale is through the library (and down the stairs or elevator).
In general, we have new and mostly used books of all types, including children’s books, fiction, best sellers, non-fiction, cookbooks mysteries, science, science fiction, romance, religion, history, biography, self-help, classics, travel, etc.
Proceeds benefit local libraries, especially the Southeast Library, the Northeast Library, and the DC Library.
And remember, NO text books, NO casebooks, NO magazines, NO foreign language books, NO outdated computer books, NO encyclopedias. We are no longer taking CDs or DVDs.
Got the ability to recirculate this message on other lists? That would be much appreciated.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 