Earlier this week, the DC Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) issued cease and desist orders to two illegal weed shops on H Street, NE: All American Paper at 504 H Street, NE, and Safe House at 335 H Street, NE. On Friday morning, there were no signs of activity around the former. There appeared to be a short line on the sidewalk outside the latter.
These orders, dated Wednesday, July 3, appear to be the first in the long-awaited enforcement effort against illegal weed “gifting shops.”
Two other outlets also received cease and desist orders: Hotbox at 1564 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, and Smoke Island at 1326 Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
Here’s a link to ABRA’s page where the orders reside: https://bit.ly/45VaiZ1 The orders detail the evidence ABRA agents observed while conducting inspections which lead to the board’s finding of illegal activity and the decision to issue the closure orders.
Licensed medical marijuana shops are likely to welcome the strengthened enforcement as will the former illegal “gifting shops” which have taken advantage of the city’s effort to expand the medical cannabis licensing to allow them to convert to legal outlets. Several of these illegal outlets – including Mr. Nice Guys – on Barracks Row, continue to operate illegally, waiting for the hammer to fall, while others such as Mother Blossom across the street have closed their doors.
Capitol Hill Corner asked Commissioner Mark Eckenweiler, Chair of ANC6C where the H Street businesses lie, for comment. Eckenweiler said, “”I welcome this decision by the ABC Board. The over-proliferation of illegal cannabis shops has had significant adverse impacts on the H Street corridor and nearby residents. I look forward to seeing additional enforcement action against these and other illegal cannabis sellers in the area.
Councilmember Charles Allen made these Board orders possible by pushing through Council legislation this spring to clarify and strengthen the agency’s enforcement authority. My constituents and I are deeply grateful for his timely and energetic efforts to address these important issues.”
Asked for comment, Allen told CHC: “I’m very pleased to see the ABCA Board take action. And they need to do more. I wrote the enforcement legislation that they’re now putting into action because while the District has created a thoughtful and successful pathway for licensed, regulated, and legal medical cannabis sales, those businesses that refuse to enter this legal market and continue to thumb their nose at the District’s laws cannot be allowed to continue illegally operating.”
This year’s Barracks Row July 4th Parade was heavily weighted in favor of politicians and civic organizations, giving residents an opportunity to applaud their services to the community. The Mayor, the Marine Band, and the South American dance troupes which have been parade reglulars were otherwise engaged this year, but the crowd was enthusiastic and appreciative.
MPD Chief of Police Pamela Smith and MPD First District Commander Colin Hall led the parade.
City Council Chair and Capitol Hill Resident Phil Mendelson showed up.
The parade brought out a crowd of CM Charles Allen supporters…
… here’s Allen working the crowd.
ANC6B marched in the parade – for the first time in memory. L-R: Commissioners Casey Durkit, Frank D’Andrea, 6B Chair Edward Ryder, and Commissioner David Sobelsohn.
At-Large Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. has been a regular participant, and was back this year.
DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb marched in casual attire.
The Eastern High School band continued their long tradition of participating…
…and the Blue and White Marching Machine never fails to please.
The parade’s largest contingent represented Capitol Hill Village – a civic group that seldom gets credit for the influence they wield as a community organization.
The Capitol Hill BID – The Men and Women in Blue – was there. That’s Founder and President Patty Brosmer on the left.
Guerrilla Gardners – founded by Jim Guckert (waving) – continues to beautify unused or untended spaces across Capitol Hill. Here’s a link to the organization’s website – they are always looking for volunteers. https://guerrillagardenersdc.org/
And finally, the retail business community, as represented by Hill’s Kitchen Leah Daniels, and behind, Kathleen Donahue of Labyrinth Puzzles & Games.
Following the parade, Barracks Row MainStreet organized an effort to break the Guinness World Record for the largest human image of an ice cream cone on the 700 block of D Street, SE. CHC will report on how that went tomorrow.
There were a few demonstrators at the Supreme Court last Thursday but over at the so-called “Senate Swamp Site” across from the Senate steps (named by television crews some decades ago for the muddy ground), several networks were broadcasting live programming. The much-awaited decision on Trump’s immunity claim will come down at 10:00am on Monday.
ICYMI. There’s a new public restroom on Eastern Market Metro Plaza. “Throne” is a creation of Thronelabs, the company who DC Department of Public Works has contracted with to launch a public restroom pilot in various locations in the city. There are several ways to access the public restroom:
QR code: Walk up to the restroom and scan the QR code, then press “send” on the pre-populated text message.
Text message: Text “Throne” to the number on the unit, then respond with the code provided.
Mobile app: Use the Throne app to find a nearby restroom, then select and press the open button.
Access card: Some locations may provide access cards for people without cell phones
According to the website, [the] “Throne offers an elevated experience that uses technology and behavioral science to bring bathrooms into the 21st century.’ The company promotes it as “transportable, self-monitoring re-servicing, clean and touchless, sustainable, plumbed and ventilated, and accessible and completely free to the public.” If the test period works out, the contract could be extended to February, 2025. For more, go here: https://www.thronelabs.co/
This is the Arthur Capper Community Center at 1000 5th Street, SE.
The Arthur Capper DC Library TechExpress Reopens Monday, July 1. The Department of General Services (DGS) has completed the major repairs to the HVAC system at the Arthur Capper Community Center. The TechExpress – offering limited library services during the renovation of SE Library – will reopen on Monday, July 1. Patrons may resume placing items on hold for pick-up at Arthur Capper TechExpress.
The Eastern Market Metro Plaza has its troubles – which stakeholders hope will be mitigated by the upcoming appointment of a DGS Plaza Manager. Meanwhile, the splash pad and playground at Eastern Market Metro Plaza have to be considered unqualified successes.
Here’s Triple Candie’s latest installation at their exhibit space in the former Li’l Pub at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Triple Candie is a research-oriented curatorial agency run by art historian co-founders Shelly Bancroft and Peter Nesbett. Their purpose is to create alternative exhibition methods, making those methods the object of critical focus rather than what is displayed (which for the most part does not include original artworks). Go deeper here: http://www.triplecandie.org/
Here’s a photo of the reflecting pool at the easy-to-miss American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol Building. The National Park Service, manages and maintains the first national memorial dedicated to disabled veterans which opened in October 2014. For more, go here: https://bit.ly/3VNkVs1 For more photos, go here: https://bit.ly/4bqG3de
Here’s where the Memorial is located, across the street from the Bartholdi Fountain.
The Week Ahead…
Monday, July 1
ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting* at 7:00pm.
*Note: This meeting date has been adjusted to avoid conflicts with holidays, religious days, or other events.
229 8th Street SE. Historic Preservation Application. Project: TBD.
629 South Carolina Avenue, SE Historic Preservation Application. Project: To construct a three-story with cellar, rear addition, to an existing, attached three-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
629 South Carolina Avenue, SE. Zoning Adjustment Application. Project: To construct a three-story with cellar, rear addition, to an existing, attached three-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
1630 G Street SE. Zoning Adjustment Application. Project: To construct a front porch addition to an existing, semi-detached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
ANC 6C Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
Capitol Hill Corner woult also like you to know about:
July 4th
Barracks Row July 4th Parade kicks off at 10:00am.
July 4th
Free Ice Cream Event:
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® Attempt Event. Barracks Row Main Street is hosting a July 4th attempt to break the Guinness World Record largest human image of an ice cream cone. Participants receive a free scoop of ice cream after the event. 11:00am – 12:30pm, immediately following the July 4th Barracks Row Parade. Location: 8th Street, SE, Barracks Row. For more info, go here: https://www.barracksrow.org/worldrecord
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.
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Barracks Row Retailers Oppose DOT Plan to Reduce Parking
By Larry Janezich
Posted June 27, 2024
Image: DDOT
Barracks Row would lose 18 parking spaces under the current concept for the 8th Bus Priority Project
Wednesday night, Andrew Grinberg, DDOT Project Planner for the 8th Street Bus Priority Project, presented the latest concept for the project to the ANC6B Transportation Committee, chaired by Commissioner Frank DeFontaine. The stated goal of the project is to improve bus service, safety, and access on the 8th Street Corridor from East Capitol to M Street, SE. Wednesday night’s focus was on the changes coming to the portion between Pennsylvania Avenue SE and the 8th Street overpass.
Recently, Barracks Row merchants have expressed concern to DDOT and ANC6B Commissioners that the plan would have a negative impact on their businesses because it would reduce the amount of 8th Street parking – parking which, they say, is utilized by patrons of their stores and restaurants. The plan would also reduce the space currently available for loading, and in the case of Yes! Organic, eliminate it entirely. Several of the merchants and restaurateurs attended last night’s virtual meeting to express their concerns to the committee and to Grinberg.
DDOT’s PowerPoint presentation showed a total of 18 spaces which would be lost between Pennsylvania Avenue and Eye Street, SE. Much of the eliminated parking will come from converting angled parking to parallel parking. The parking spaces currently being used for streateries would be unaffected.
DDOT is skeptical of the claims that this loss of parking will have a significant effect on the Barracks Row businesses, noting that the 54 parking spaces in the lot under the freeway are underutilized and that there are plans to make the lot more accessible and user friendly.
DDOT is in the process of finalizing the concept which will lead to construction beginning in 2025. The next step is for DDOT to engage in a collaborative process with the Barracks Row stakeholders to establish new curbside regulations. These could include:
Increase or move loading zones
Addition of short term parking in some locations to facilitate turnover
Addition of handicap parking spaces
Moped/scooter parking zones
Here’s a link to the 8th Street Bus Priority Project which has a link to the PowerPoint presentation to the ANC6B Transportation Committee last night: https://buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/8thstse
Ribbon Cutting Reopens the Folger Library. Folger Director Michael Witmore (left) and CM Charles Allen led the ribbon cutting on Friday morning, officially reopening the Folger Library after a four year, $80.5 million renovation. A videotape of the entire ceremony is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S4qaD_ZYiA&t=9s
Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States, reads an address from King Charles III.
The ceremony began with music from the Crush Funk Brass Band.
In another venue on Friday night, the Rock Creek Kings kicked off a weekend commemoration of the anniversary of Eastern Market’s reopening after the 2007 fire. The rock band brought a menu of classic rock & roll to the North Hall …
which brought a crowd to the market…
and despite record heat temperatures, happy feet to the dance floor.
Over on Barracks Row, the past week brought a sign which revealed the name of the new medical cannabis outlet at 727 8th Street: Miel Wellness. The building was formerly the home Soul to Summit sports clothing outlet.
The Week Ahead…
Monday, June 24
ANC6B Public Safety Committee holds a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.
Action: Final Proposed Letter to the USAO Regarding Data Transparency.
Informational Presentation: Presentation and discussion led by Anne Seymour (Resident Member, 6B04) and Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC) regarding victim rights and services.
Discussion or Action (TBD): Input on or consideration of a Joint Resolution with ANCs in support of the full Implementation of the Gun Violence Reduction Strategic Plan.
Community Partner Request for Support Announcements: Open forum for any community partner organizations in attendance to request support from the community.
ANC6A will hold a virtual meeting of the Community Outreach Committee at 7:00pm.
Motion to support Taco Bell’s Zoning Adjustment Application to permit a fast-food establishment use in an existing, attached, two-story commercial building on Barracks Row.
Motion to support Historic Preservation Application for HPA 718 7th Street, SE, Project: Additions and alterations to an existing two-story structure.
ANC6B will hold a virtual Executive Committee Meeting at 7:00pm following the preceding Special Call meeting.
Agenda: To set the agenda for the July 9th monthly meeting of the full Commission. Following this meeting a link will be available for the July 9th, Full Commission Meeting and the monthly agenda for all Committees and Taskforces.
Wednesday, June 26
Wednesday, June 26
ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting a 7:00pm. Note: This meeting date has been adjusted to avoid conflicts with holidays, religious days, or other events.
Update on trail alignment for the Kenilworth Park South Connector of the Anacostia River Trail (David Balick, Trail Planner, DDOT)
Arts in the Right of Way Ground Mural Installation (AROW) at Intersection of 15th and Constitution NE (Kimberly Vacca, Public Space Activation Coordinator, DDOT)
Further Discussion about Alley Naming Suggestions for 16/17 & E Capitol & A NE – Squarw 1084
Thursday, June 27
ANC 6C Grants Committee Meeting will hold a virtual meeting at 7:30pm.
Reminder: Friday Night Live at Eastern Market Metro Features The G.R.E.E.N. Team
by Larry Janezich
Posted June 21, 2024
Tonight’s concert at Eastern Market Metro Plaza features the rap/hip hop band The G.R.E.E.N. Team. 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. Here’s a link to some of The G.R.E.E.N. Team’s music https://apple.co/3xveUbj
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Photos: Folger’s Press Preview of Re-opening on Friday, June 21 – 1pm
By Larry Janezich
Posted June 20, 2024
The Folger Library reopens on Friday after a four-year $80.5 million renovation. Here’s what members of the press who attended a preview of the re-opening saw.
Folger Director Michael Witmore and Communications and Marketing Director Melanie Bender Martin welcomed members of the press to the light-filled Great Hall, now featuring tables and seating for customers of the Quill and Crumb Café. Prior to the renovation, the windows were covered with thick light-blocking drapery to protect rare books and manuscripts on display.
The press was treated to samples of the elegant offerings of the Quill and Crumb Café. The café will be managed by Constellation Culinary group and will offer coffee, lunch, grab-and-go options, and a full-service bar and light bites in the evening. The menu includes English Tea Service for a minimum of two guests with a choice of savory and sweet sandwiches and pastries. Here’s a link to a no-prices teaser menu: https://qr.ourmenu.io/FSLquillandcrumb
After introductory remarks by Director Witmore, some 40 journalists broke up into four groups for a non-linear tour and to hear presentations by library officials. Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels hosted a group in the theater to discuss upgrades to the theater’s infrastructure. The backdrop to her remarks was the stage set for the current production of “Metamorphoses.” The 270 seat theater’s design was based on an amalgamation of Elizabethan Theater designs and was the first Elizabethan Theater constructed in North America. Here’s a link to the Folger’s next season which starts with “Romeo and Juliet” and ends with “Twelfth Night.” https://bit.ly/4cmTOvb
The Reading Room of one of the world’s greatest research library is reserved for serious scholarship but visible through the glass of a doorway off the Great Hall.
The richest experience of the Exhibition Halls comes by descending the ramp from the corner of 2nd and East Capitol to the West Lobby which affords visitors the opportunity to engage one of the three pieces of art commissioned for the renovation. A new a three-part installation featuring one of artist Fred Wilson’s Black Mirrors greets visitors just inside the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall. The piece is entitled “God me such uses send, Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend.” It’s a line from and reflects upon the play “Othello.” Looking closely even from this angle visitors, can see the Black Mirror is positioned to reflect a painting of Elizabeth I, personifying the Elizabethan age. Adjacent to the mirror is a manuscript letter from the Folger collection by Ira Aldrige, the first Black man to play Othello. The piece sets the themes which the curators want visitors to carry with them as they engage the exhibits: diversity, gender, and power.
Witmore: “As you experience the reveal and are rotated around by the reflections, you’re immersed in past and present, power and players – and I think (Wilson) wants us to think about masks and unmasking as part of the history of Shakespeare and how we encounter his plays.”
Witmore says of the Black Mirror, “This is the opening gambit in the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall and we would love for visitors to come and take those terms and come out into the Exhibition Hall’s main area and see all of these pages on the wall representing the diversity of our collection – Shakespeare is just a fraction of the collection.” This Gallery asks visitors what Shakespeare means to them. The walls are adorned with hundreds of reproductions of pages from the Folger’s collection and creates the context which allows visitors to explore how and what Shakespeare has come to represent over the centuries.
The case containing the collection’s 82 First Folios lies in the second gallery – the first time these have been seen by the public. Witmore is credited with wanting visitors to encounter the collection of one of the most collectible books in the world instead of keeping them in a vault beyond public view.
The first of the First Folio’s (photo from a previous press preview) is the sole source of 18 of Shakespeare’s plays including Julius Caesar and Macbeth. The 900 page volume – printed in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death – is often referred to as the “First Folio.”
Next to the case of First Folios, Folger staff provided a demonstration of the printing press, constructed from a 17th Century printing manual. Each of the folios is unique – printers corrected pages in the print shop. They did not discard previous pages but just kept printing corrected ones. The folios ended up being a random collection of corrected, semi-corrected and uncorrected pages. The Folger website provides an interactive version of the First Folio through which readers can page. Here’s a link: https://bit.ly/3VQj0nZ
This Gallery is devoted to The Plays – Early, Middle, and Late. Again, visitors find hundreds of images from the Folger Collection on the walls. The exhibit endeavors to show the number of ways people look at the plays. One is a fantastical map created by artist Mya Gosling depicting characters of all of the plays organized and localized in a map of Shakespeare Land.
This gallery is kid-friendly, with a “decoder trail” for young Shakespearians aged 5 to 8 who use a decoder to answer riddles to get clues to win a prize at the end. There’s an image-matching feature for younger kids. Staff emphasize that families are welcome.
Across the hallway running the length of the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall lie the three Galleries of the Stuart and Mimi Rose Rare Book and Manuscript Exhibition Hall: “Out of the Vault” featuring early published works such as The Caxton Canterbury Tales from 1477. Stuart Rose: “It’s actually a much rarer book than the First Folio, and it’s the first book printed in England, which helped spark the spread of the printing press off the continent.”
“Into the Vault” (above) features early works printed by groups that formed to finance and print Shakespeare’s First Folios.
The third gallery includes Rose Collection items including the first book printed in English and J.R.R. Tolkien’s hand-written revisions of a proof copy of Lord of the Rings.
Exit through the Gift Shop. An expanded gift shop offers mementos and merchandise inspired by the Folger and its collections.
View from the sunken terrace of the west entry at 2nd and East Capitol. The garden above features plants which refer to Shakespeare plays and a water feature. The third piece of art commissioned for the renovation is a poem by former US Poet Laurate Rita Dove carved into the granite surrounding the garden. Here’s a link to Dove reading her poem: https://bit.ly/4cdWmf2
Mayor Bowser will officiate at a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am on Friday. You can watch it live, here: https://bit.ly/3xhzHPIZYiA The Folger will re-open to the public at 1:00pm. Here’s a link to the re-opening guide: https://bit.ly/4epBXoN
The Saint-Georges boulangerie is coming to 303 7th Street, SE.
New French Bakery to Open Near Eastern Market
by Larry Janezich
Posted June 19, 2024
A new boulangerie/patisserie will open in the space formerly occupied by Radici. The restaurateur – who wants to remain anonymous pending the arrival his business partner in a week or so – told Capitol Hill Corner that together, they operate four restaurants in Paris. The Capitol Hill bakery – which will be named Saint-Georges – will be their first US venture. The opening could be delayed for several months as the interior buildout continues.
The owner says the bakery will feature bread and pastries made by artisans from Paris using flour and butter imported from France. The goal is to produce baked goods as close in quality as possible to what one finds in France. The coffee will come from a company based in Montreal. They will also carry sandwiches, all kinds of soups on a rotating basis, and French wine.
Asked why they picked the location across from Eastern Market, the owner said they had been looking for many years to find the right spot. They found a location in Annapolis, but had to withdraw because of the pandemic. They sought locations in Georgetown and Virginia without success. Then the owner’s business partner happened across the former Radici and they decided this was the place.
This morning, a workman put up signage on the front of the space formerly occupied by Captain Cookie near Eastern Market announcing the arrival of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. The space at 660 7th Street, SE, is adjacent to Peregrine Espresso. Not sure when they’ll open. Before Captain Cookie, the space was occupied by Pitango Gelato. Maybe the third time will be a charm. Nearby ice cream shops include Eastern Market Bakery, Moorenko’s Ice Cream at 720 C Street, SE, and Jen’s Splendid Ice Creams at 526 8th Street on Barracks Row.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 