DC Casineros and the Gerardo Contino. Photo: Folger Library
July 26: Two Free Friday Night Music Events
by Larry Janezicn
Posted Friday, July 23, 2024
Friday Night Live Jazz at Eastern Market Metro Plaza features the Herb Scott Band at 5:30pm.
Scott is a star on the Washington, D.C. Jazz scene. While studying at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the award-winning educator Davey Yarborough, he performed with renowned trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. For more, go here: https://bit.ly/3PzUeCI
The concert series comes to Eastern Market Metro Plaza through the efforts of Barracks Row Main Street and the Department of Parks and Recreation. CM Charles Allen secured funding in the current FY DC Budget to program the performance space at the Plaza.
Free Folger Friday with DC Casineros and the Gerardo Contino Band at 5:30pm.
Join the Folger for a relaxed summer evening with food, drinks, music, dancing, poetry, and more. It’s a chance to discover new artists and performers and explore the Folger’s galleries and gardens.
Join us this Friday, July 26 for free dance demonstrations and lessons followed by live music.
Activities begin at 5:30pm and attendees may enter or leave as needed. Picnics are welcome and drinks will be available to purchase. The Folger is open until 9pm, so stay after the performance to visit the exhibitions; timed-entry passes are recommended. Go here: https://bit.ly/3SmbwH3
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Union Kitchen’s new outlet location at 430 8th Street, SE.
Here’s a photo of the on-going build-out through the obscuring film which covers the windows.
Progress on Union Kitchen Coming to Barracks Row
by Larry Janezich
Posted July 24, 2024
At last, Union Kitchen has posted a sign announcing their prospective arrival on Barracks Row at 430 8th Street, in the space formerly occupied by the Subway shop. There’s no word on an anticipated opening date, but there has been an uptick in build-out activity.
The café/grocery will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and offer specialty grocery items and housewares in the 1400 s.f. storefront space. Owners had hoped to open in the fall of 2022, but the permitting and buildout took longer than expected. This comes as good news for a Barracks Row which has recently seen the closure of Lavagna and As You Are.
Union Kitchen, a local chain which bills itself as a “food business accelerator,” is headquartered at 1369 New York Avenue, (see here: https://www.unionkitchen.com/ ). Neighbors in Northeast are familiar with one of Union Kitchen’s 6 outlets at 538 3rd Street, NE.
The Navy Museum on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard is readying to relocate to a proposed new building at 5th and M Street, SE, outside of the restricted area and open to the public. The new museum will be a showpiece of modern architecture and though it hopes to open in late 2025, the timing – and the cost – appears to be uncertain at present.
Those interested in naval history – especially in armaments – can still book a free tour of the Navy Yard Museum on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, through Eventbrite https://bit.ly/3We9c67 or by emailing the museum at NHHC_NMUSNNavyMuseum@us.navy.mil. There is a morning tour and an afternoon tour, and reservations need to be made a couple of weeks in advance. Access is convenient for Capitol Hill residents – through the O Street Gate off 11th Street, SE.
The tour features armaments, historic buildings, and the museum.
Here’s the National Museum of the US Navy – a former naval gun factory – which opened to the public in 1963.
Nearby is the Cold War Gallery, currently closed. Our guide – Education Specialist Mike Galloway – said that the Naval History and Heritage Command which oversees all of the Navy’s museums was ordered to retract their footprint at the location, so the artifacts from this Gallery were moved into storage or for restoration, awaiting the opening of the new museum.
This is what you see when you walk through the entrance of the Navy Museum.
The first exhibit one encounters is the “fighting top” from the mast of the USS Constitution – the oldest commissioned vessel in the US Navy, which is berthed in Boston. The Constitution’s three masts carry platforms called” fighting tops.” In battle, Marine sharpshooters fired down on the enemy’s decks.
The Corsair fighter bomber was one of the most effective U.S. aircraft used in WWII and the Korean Conflict.
A WWII Japanese kamikaze plane used to attack U.S. warships.
Two .38 caliber turret mounted guns used against enemy aircraft from the USS Reno – an Atlanta-class light cruiser designed and built to specialize in antiaircraft warfare.
The tour continued outside of the Museum. Galloway said that the first mission of the Navy Yard was ship building, but since the 1960s the mission has been administrative – pushing papers – and ceremonial. The Navy Yard has historically been a largely civilian enterprise because of the large number of laborers involved in ship building. In addition, to artifacts and ceremonial functions, the Navy Yard serves as a depot for the storage of armaments.
Here’s a photo showing three types of armaments at the Navy Yard – experimental, historically significant guns, and trophy guns captured by the US Navy during battles. The cannon in the foreground is a trophy gun captured from the Confederate Army during an attempt to blockade the Potomac River. Also pictured is Mike Galloway, our guide.
An anchor from the USS Enterprise – the first nuclear aircraft carrier in the world. It took part in numerous missions and battles from 1961 until 2012.
Galloway says tour members always ask about the high tower at the Navy Yard – the Range Finding Tower and Optical Shop. During the WWII naval gun factory era, the Navy Yard manufactured long range optics – rangefinders – in the building. The gunsights were calibrated at the top of the tower, based on known distances – such as the Washington Monument and the George Washington Masonic Temple in Alexandria.
Here’s a photo of one of the two titanium pressure hulls from the Navy’s submersible – the Alvin – that discovered the wreck of the titanic in 1985. Behind it is the Navy Museum from another angle.
A number of large pieces are found the park which lies between the Museum and the Anacostia River. Here’s a photo of a 16 inch gun – a weapon this size was only mounted on the biggest battle ships.
This is a steel plate test shield used as a target to test how large a projectile from a cannon had to be to penetrate a ship’s hull. Civil War era Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, who founded the Navy’s Ordnance Department, worked at the Navy Yard and was known for inventing a number of large-caliber guns for the Navy. Dahlgren oversaw testing of cannon which afforded entertainment for by-invitation-only Washington insiders. The admiral was a friend of President Abraham Lincoln who enjoyed watching the tests. Lincoln spent the afternoon of April 15, 1865, at the Navy Yard with Dahlgren. Later that evening he attended My American Cousin at Ford’s Theater.
To follow – the proposed designs for the new Navy Museum at 5th and M Streets, SE.
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FOX 5 brought its live television cameras and crews to Eastern Market on Friday for the FOX 5 Zip Trip – the weekly Friday series that highlights the best spots to visit in and around DC. The event includes product demonstrations and interviews to highlight local businesses and the community. The live airing took place 6am -11am.
Mayor Bowser showed up for an interview.
There event merited an unusually large MPD presence, reflecting Eastern Market and DGS concerns that a live television and a large crowd on Capitol Hill increased security risks. Commander Colin Hall, MPD, 1st District, was on hand, maintaining his practice of keeping a high profile in the community. DC Fire Department and EMS was also present.
Barry Margeson, Eastern Market Manager, worked behind the scenes to coordinate logistics and access on behalf of the Department of General Services.
Despite record breaking heat, ANC6B Commissioner and Chair Edward Ryder (far left) and 1st MPD District Commander Colin Powell led a safety walk and talk last Tuesday night in the neighborhood around 13th Street, SE, and Potomac Avenue last. That location is close to the triangle park at 12th and Potomac Avenue which was the scene of a shooting last week which resulted in the wounding of four individuals. Two of the victims were hospitalized with critical injuries. Hall said that “quite a bit of gunfire had been exchanged” and that it was still an active investigation. MPD is seeking the driver of a Blue Nissan.
ICYMI, by all accounts, Boxcar, the neighborhood bar/pub across from Eastern Market, has closed. Boxcar was part of the Hill Restaurant Group, owned by William Sport and managed by Tom Johnson until his death in March. The closure was not unexpected. Johnson’s death came as the Hill Restaurant Group was considering closing some of its Barracks Row spots in the wake of shrinking revenues and lack of foot traffic. Stadium Sports Bar and Smokehouse, the group’s sports bar in Navy Yard, closed last February.
Ophelia’s Fish House – another HRG restaurant – was mentioned back in March as a candidate for closure once the lease runs out. If that happens, it would leave HRG with three operating restaurants on Capitol Hill: The Hawk and Dove, Lola’s, Playa Ocho.
Also ICYMI, Lavagna on Barracks Row at 539 8th Street, SE, quietly closed up shop a few weeks ago.
The Week Ahead…
Monday, July 22
ANC6B Public Safety Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.
Discussion of a new application for a medical cannabis license at Luxury Soil at 775 H Street, NE.
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
Saturday, July 27
Opening reception for Capitol Hill Art League Exhibit “CYCLES”
The Capitol Hill Art League (CHAL) members were invited to submit 2- or 3-dimensional works in any media invoking the idea of Cycles. The resulting work includes repeating patterns, shifting of phases and perspectives, and many notions of the concept of Cycles.
This members-only exhibition, juried by Joren Lindholm, will be on display in the CHAW Gallery at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), from July 23 through August 23, 2024.
There will be an opening reception from 5:30-7:00 pm, on Saturday, July 27th, at CHAW, located at 547 7th Street, S.E. Washington, DC, 20003.
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Tonight – 5:30pm – Friday Night Live Jazz at Eastern Market Metro Plaza features Josanne Francis Steel Pan Band in Concert at 5:30pm.
By Larry Janezich
Posted July 19, 2024
Josanne Francis is known internationally for her mastery of steelpan. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Strathmore Music Center, Times Square, and at the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival. Here’s a link to her website: https://www.josannefrancis.com/
The Friday Night Live concert series will continue through the summer and comes to Eastern Market Metro Plaza through the efforts of Barracks Row Main Street and the Department of Parks and Recreation. CM Charles Allen secured funding for the artists.
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Eastern Market Board Seeks Candidates for Open Seat
The death of Thomas C. Kuchenberg on April 13, 2024 – who served for many years as the community representative on the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) – left vacant the seat assigned by statute to be occupied by an Independent Community Representative. Regulations require the posting of the vacancy and the procedure for filling the seat. Accordingly, below is a copy of the notification issued by EMCAC.
PRESS IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EMCAC – Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee
Election of INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE
The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) will have an election by its members for the seat of Independent Community Representative. This will be done during its scheduled meeting on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 7:00 PM in the North Hall at the Eastern Market.
To qualify for election to a two-year term, the EMCAC Independent Community Representative is required to be a resident of the District of Columbia. Additionally, the individual so selected shall not be an officer, director, or chair of any committee in any of the Capitol Hill Community Organizations represented on the EMCAC, or a sitting Commissioner of ANC 6B. Election is by simple majority of the standing EMCAC members.
If you would like to put your name in nomination, we ask that you submit your name and short resume by September 15, 2024 to EMCAC at Jackie_Krieger@yahoo.com.
EMCAC is the District’s legislatively-established body entrusted with advisory and oversight responsibilities for the operations, management, and renovation of Eastern Market. Current members include representatives from ANC 6B, the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, the Eastern Market Preservation and Development Corporation, Stanton Park Neighborhood Association, Ward 6 Council Office, the Office of the Mayor, a Community Representative, and representatives from the South Hall, the Farmer’s Line, and non-food merchants at the Market.
We cordially invite the community to all of our meetings. They are generally held on the last Wednesday of each month in the North Hall at Eastern Market, 7th Street and North Carolina Avenue, SE. Your comments or involvement on any of our committees is welcomed.
For additional information or questions, please contact: Jackie Krieger, Vice Chair, by text or call at 202-543-1120 or e-mail at Jackie_Krieger@yahoo.com.
New Caribbean/Afro Restaurant Coming to H Street NE
by Larry Janezich
Posted July 15, 2024
Last Thursday night, ANC6A voted to support a restaurant liquor license application for a new restaurant opening on H Street NE. AG Restaurant will occupy the space at 816 H Street, formerly home to Dirty Water, Wasted, and TPK.
Owners Donna Scott-Dadzie and husband Ralph Dadzie are from West Africa and come to DC via NYC and lately from Richmond – where they own the upscale Bellos Lounge and Restaurant serving Caribbean and African cuisine including jollof rice, fufu and curry, soya burgers, jerk chicken wings, and cocktails named for African cities. Donna is executive chef and the couple owns the building. Here’s a link to the Bellos website and menu: https://www.belloslounge.com/
The liquor license application includes a stipulated license, allowing them to operate immediately while the restaurant liquor license is being processed. It also includes an entertainment endorsement – Donna says they may have live entertainment at brunch. The venue has an occupancy load of 166 occupants.
Images from the 50th re-dedication of the Bethune Memorial on Saturday afternoon.
A veil covers the Bethune Memorial. The statue was unveiled near the end of the re-dedication ceremony, following remarks by Dr. A. Lois Keith, Chair of the Board, National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
Some 500 community members and guests attended the ceremony. There were 325 seats in the tent where the first row was occupied by the Bethune-Cookman University Concert Chorale, directed by Karl Van Richards (left end of second row). Another 150 attendees gathered outside the tent.
Among the dignitaries who addressed the crowd was The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, US. House of Representatives.
Mayor Bowser arrived mid-ceremony, and is seen here greeting City Council Chair Phil Mendelson. Mendelson, who appears to be lunging in for a hug is actually in the process of disengaging from one.
CM Charles Allen is more restrained.
Mayor Bowser was introduced at the podium by Mistress of Ceremonies Jotaka Eaddy, Founder and CEO, The Full Circle Strategies.
The Week Ahead…
Wednesday, July 17
ANC6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:30pm.
1351 C Street, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application – to construct a penthouse and roof deck to an existing, attached, two-story, flat in the RF-1 zone. Special exception to the height requirements.
Thursday, July 18
ANC6D Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
Tuesday, July 16,
Safety Walk & Talk. Meet at 13th and I Street, SE in the Triangle Park at 5:30pm. Joining will be officers from MPD’s 1st District and by Councilmember Allen and his staff, and ANC6B Chair Edward Ryder. This will be an opportunity to discuss any concerns with MPD and to hear from them about various initiatives and steps they’re taking to address issues in our neighborhood and the surrounding area.
Friday, July 19
Friday night Live Jazz at Eastern Market Metro Plaza features Josanne Francis Steel Pan Band in Concert.
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Friday afternoon, Northeast Library, circa 1:45pm. Some Friends of the Library finish setting up for tomorrow’s book sale.
Reminder: NE/SE Library Book Sale, Saturday July 13, 10am – 3pm
The Friends of the SE and NE libraries are again having a Second Saturday book sale this Saturday, July 13. The Library is at 7th and 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. We have music CDs as well. We usually have a few books on disk too.
Proceeds benefit local libraries, especially the Southeast Library, the Northeast Library, and the DC Library.
We are accepting donations now and during the sale. The donation bin is in inside the library at the bottom of the stairs on the lower level.
Please, NO text books, NO casebooks, NO magazines, NO foreign language books, NO outdated computer books, NO encyclopedias. CDs are fine, but NO VHS tapes or cassettes. No one seems to want DVDs and we prefer not to get them.
We hope to continue with book sales on the Second Saturday of each month, but we need to see how the sales and especially the donations go.
Got the ability to recirculate this message on other lists? That would be much appreciated.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 