Map of the proposed land swap. The deal involved exchanging a 15 acre parcel of land in the SE corner of the Navy Yard (blue at lower right) for a 6 acre GSA parcel just outside the NW corner of the Navy Yard on M Street SE (red at upper left).
Secretary of Navy John Phelan has withdrawn the Navy from the land swap agreement it forged with the DC city government announced last year to construct a “National Museum of the United States Navy” near the Navy Yard.
This news came from former Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth Braithwaite, who serves as the chair of the Naval Museum Development Foundation, as first reported in Tuesday Tidings, the newsletter of the National Maritime Historical Society. See the October 21, 2025 edition of the newsletter here: https://seahistory.org/education/navyhistory/)
During a Q&A session in last week’s annual “Congress” of the Naval Order of the United States held in Philadelphia, Braithwaite announced that Secretary Phelan has pulled the Navy out of the deal for construction of the long-awaited museum, halting his fundraising efforts pending identification of a new site. The Navy had expected to open the museum by 2030.
Last October, city officials, including DC Deputy Mayor Nina Albert, attended a ceremony at the M Street site to celebrate the construction of the museum, envisioned as “an enduring memorial to honor the service of American Sailors, inspire selfless service, and enhance public understanding of the Navy’s history and heritage.” See here: http://bit.ly/3WSv7jR
No other details were forthcoming, though Tuesday Tidings added that “an overview of previous sites considered for the Navy Museum will be provided in next week’s TT.” During the selection process, 42 potential sites in 18 cities were considered for the location of the museum before the Navy chose DC. Other candidates included San Diego, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Norfolk.
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Marcus Hunt, Office of the Deputy Mayor’s Director of DC Government Operations for the DC National Guard, makes a presentation to ANC6B. Hunt has been billed in local media as “Director of the National Guard.”
Wednesday night, at its hybrid October meeting, ANC6B re-affirmed its decision not to place a discussion of the National Guard on the meeting’s agenda. The genesis of the proposed discussion was an offer from the Guard – via Marcus Hunt, DC’s liaison to the Guard – to help with beautification projects in ANC commissioners’ single member districts. The offer was sent to individual ANC commissioners across the city. Some commissioners suggested that since Hunt’s offer was sent to individual commissioners, the decision should be left to them, and as such, there was no role for the ANC in this matter.
Commissioner David Sobelsohn continued to push to hear from two individuals on the subject. First, from Marcus Hunt, who was billed as the Director of the National Guard, but who is actually an employee of the Office of the Deputy Director of Public Safety. He is the city’s liaison with the National Guard on the issue of beautification efforts. And while he is also a Lt. Col. in the National Guard he did not appear in uniform and is currently not acting “under orders.” Second, from ANC2G01 Commissioner Howard Garrett who authored a letter opposing Commissioners accepting the offer for the Guard to assist in beautification projects because that would “normalize” the Guard for tasks that belong to civilian agencies.
It is routine for the commission to provide a period for “Community Announcements” and it was the consensus of the commission that Hunt and Garrett could use this time to discuss the National Guard. Comments are usually limited to three minutes, but the Commission agreed to a motion to allow discussion at the beginning of the period and then subsequently set a time limit of 20 minutes.
As it turned out, the discussion lasted some 40 minutes, but produced little clarification on beautification possibilities as Hunt discussed his background, history of the Guards and its relation to DC, his job with the Deputy Mayor’s Office and some of the beautification activities the Guard has undertaken. He referred questions regarding the safety activities of the Guard to Master Sergeant Arthur Wright (who was not present), saying he could only speak at tonight’s meeting to talk about beautification.
During the Q&A, the meeting turned confrontational as some of the dozen community members attending in-person challenged the legitimacy of the deployment of the National Guard on DC streets – a subject on which Hunt could not comment. One member of the audience expressed his appreciation for the Guard’s presence in the community. Afterward, Commissioner Howard Garrett, appearing on-line, read a prepared statement reiterating the points of his letter (which many ANC Commissioners have signed) opposing requesting assistance for beautification efforts.
Following the discussion, Sobelsohn proposed two more motions. The first asked the ANC’s Public Safety Committee to make a recommendation about what commissioners should do regarding the Guard’s offer to help with beautification projects. When that motion failed for lack of a second, the second motion asked for a recommendation from the ANC’s Parks and Public Spaces Task Force. That motion also failed for a lack of second.
ANC6C meeting on October 8, 2025. National Guard Director Lt. Col. Marcus Hunt is at center. Chair Karen Wirt is top, center.
National Guard Director’s Q&A with ANC6C
by Larry Janezich
Posted October 9, 2025
National Guard Official’s Q&A with ANC6C
Wednesday night, ANC6C heard a short on-line presentation from Lt. Col. Marcus Hunt, DC National Guard Director of Government Operations, on how the National Guard connects to the DC community. The occasion was the ANC’s October meeting, conducted virtually and chaired by Commissioner Karen Wirt.
Hunt is the liaison between the Guard’s commander – Brigadier General Leland Blanchard – and Lindsey Appiah, DC Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and Justice.
In a 20 minute session ANC commissioners Hunt stressed the home-grown character of the National Guard, presenting them as neighbors who like himself live in the community. Commissioners heard how the Guard’s beautification program works, asked questions about what kinds of beautification assistance the Guard could provide and expressed concerns about the Guard’s role as a military presence in the city.
Hunt explained the current mission ordered by the President on August 11, has two components: Task Force Safe and Task Force Beautification. He said he was at the ANC meeting to discuss Task Force Beautification and that any questions on Task Force Safe should be submitted to National Guard Master Sergeant Arthur Wright, whose email he provided.
He said Task Force Beautification has three components: resilience, opportunity, and community and each of these components has two subsets: food/housing, youth/jobs, and help/safe and public spaces. He spent considerable time on the youth/jobs component and the Guard’s efforts to provide opportunities for and mentoring of at risk youth.
With respect to the help/safe and public spaces subset, in September Hunt had sent an email to all ANC commissioners in the city asking about neighborhood beautification projects and offering assistance.
On Wednesday night, Hunt emphasized that community requests for assistance must be filtered through ANC Commissioners (but apparently not through the full ANCs). Upon receipt of the request by his office it undergoes an assessment regarding whether it is something the National Guard can support.
Commissioner Jeremiah Foxwell began the short Q&A by asking about the limits of what the Guard could do, specifically if that would include acting as crossing guards on H Street to provide an element of safety for school children crossing H Street NE. Commissioner Daniela McInerney added to Foxwell’s question expressing resident’s concerns about armed National Guard in battle gear noting that “we have had the National Guard patrolling the streets around Ludlow Taylor Elementary School without the community being notified.”
Hunt replied that he wasn’t trying to deflect the question about patrolling streets but said that any question relating to Task Force Safe should be directed to Master Sergeant Wright. He added that what he could say regarding not notifying the community of a mission operation is that a lot of those are just not shared publicly for operational safety purposes.
Rather than giving Foxwell a specific response to the crossing guard question, Hunt said that “once I receive an email from an ANC commissioner inviting Task Force Beautification into the community to serve side by side with community members – that’s where we kind of lean forward – to go through our process to partner with the community.”
Just how “partner with the community” is defined is somewhat uncertain, but it implies personal interaction. Though not explicitly stated this appears to mean working alongside community members (for example in cleanup and other projects) which allow the Guard to engage directly with community.
Hunt added, “We have been very successful in the safe public spaces subset in responding to invitations from the ANC commissioners…a half dozen Ward 8 commissioners have invited us out…we have an event in Ward 4 this Saturday at Fort Stevens Park…we also have a bit upcoming with Ward 5 to do some community clean up and partnership.”
Commissioner Andrew Hayes addressed the resentment of the presence of the Guard on city streets felt by many residents. He acknowledged that some of the Guard are neighbors…“but at the same time I think it is unacceptable and not appropriate for our streets to be policed by people in military gear and I would really appreciate if you could take the message back that we would only be open – at least I personally would only be able to support assistance from the current beautification if those folks can work in (civilian attire)….”
Hunt replied that if an ANC Commissioner sends an invitation with requirements regarding – for example – community clean up in civilian clothes, “I believe that’s doable.”
It appeared that Hunt had limited his availability to 20 minutes, and Chair Wirt thanked him for appearing. He may not have still been online in the virtual meeting when former ANC6A Commissioner Drew Courtney summed up his own feelings which likely crystallized the mixed feelings many have about neighbors who are Guard members, Guard members sent from other parts of the country and the other federal law enforcement officers deployed in DC.
Courtney said, “I am so grateful for the service of our neighbors in the National Guard and I think one of the saddest things about these recent months has been the way that the politicization of the Guard has undermined some really good efforts. But I don’t think there’s any way right now that we can expect constituents to separate what we’re seeing from Guards who have been sent in against the will of our limited representatives from Ohio and South Carolina and from West Virginia, and the fact that this is so closely associated … with the raids that are really unconscionable being conducted by ICE…. I think we all underscore our gratitude for our neighbors in uniform but the respect for that uniform has been undermined by the political actions that have been taken by the president in this community and I think we have to recognize that.”
Ward 6 Free DC organizers and Ward 6 co-leaders Anjali and Allegra
Ward Six FreeDC Pushes for Community Involvement
by Larry Janezich
Tuesday night some 200 residents turned out for the Ward 6 FreeDC September meeting in Reformation Lutheran Church a block from the Capitol Grounds on East Capitol Street. The purpose of the meeting was to update current and prospective FreeDC members on DC home rule and the occupation of DC by federal law enforcement agents and the National Guard.
The focus of the group has continued to evolve in response to changing circumstances. Initially their goal was to encourage Congress to restore DC’s authority to spend its own revenue by correcting an oversight which dropped that authority from a law which continued spending for agencies whose appropriation bills had not yet been passed. Since then, the Mayor found ways to work around most of that lack of authority.
While that was under discussion, there was a movement in Congress to repeal several DC council-passed laws, including laws on police reform, juvenile justice, and local residents’ voting rights. (Those bills and another 11 bills restricting DC Home Rule passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government on Wednesday afternoon.)
In addition, administration declared a 30 day emergency and moved to takeover DC MPD. Separately, federal agents including ICE and the National Guard were deployed to DC’s streets. The emergency action by which the President took over MPD expired Wednesday night and Congress has no plans to renew that authority. The deployment of federal law enforcement agents including ICE could continue and the National Guard presence in DC could last at least through November given the administration’s extension of the Guard’s activation through December.
In response to these many developments, Free DC has expanded and organized several of its efforts around resistance to authoritarianism. The Congress Working Group has been relentless in personal outreach to lobby members of Congress. (Their other working groups include accessibility, arts and culture, communications, DC local government, popular education, safety, and tabling.)
FreeDC is working to reach a critical number of residents who are willing to participate in “non-cooperation,” an idea based on what is known as the “3.5% rule’ in political theory. Research shows that campaigns which engage at least 3.5% of the population in a sustained, nonviolent protest can be successful. The figure specifically refers to nonviolent resistance because the theory goes, nonviolent movements are more likely to attract and sustain large-scale participation and support. For DC, that number is 24,500 residents, or 3,100 per ward.
FreeDC is providing non-cooperation training sessions. Attendees must attend a FreeDC Orientation session prior to registering. See Events on FreeDC at https://freedcproject.org/events
There is a Ward Six Orientation Meeting on Sunday, October 5, at 1:00pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I Street, SW. Register here: https://bit.ly/3IbChvZ
Since mid-January, when the group’s email list stood at 3,000, it has grown to more than 30,000 today. Sign up for the email list here https://freedcproject.org/ to learn more about upcoming events, actions, and ways to get involved. (The email list does not necessarily reflect the number of those engaging in non-cooperation.)
The presentation included emphasis of FreeDC’s Tenets: Prioritize joy, take up space, i.e., be seen and heard, and organize.
Free DC’s Code of Conduct includes: Respect everyone, refrain from hate speech, provide constructive feedback, and encourage participation.
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.
New Gathering Place at Hill Center – The new construction on the grounds of Hill Center will be seating in the round for community gatherings and the Center’s outdoor activities. According to Hill Center Executive Director Diana Ingraham it will be named in honor of Hill Center visionary John Franzén. Franzén, who died in 2020, was one of the Center’s founding board members and at one time was president of the Old Naval Hospital Foundation which created Hill Center. He was also one of the founders of the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project.
Here’s a rendering of the finished project – The pavilion was designed by Oehme, Van Sweden and is expected to be completed in June. A grand opening is planned for October. In addition to being remembered as a prominent community benefactor, Franzén had a long career in national politics as a media consultant for Democratic candidates, and progressive environmental groups and education organizations.
CM Charles Allen’s Community Office Hours – Friday morning, CM Charles Allen held community office hours at The Roost on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. A contingent of Hill East residents showed up with questions about RFK. David Wyman (center left), who recently purchased a home near RFK told CHC that the biggest concerns of nearby residents are the parking garages cutting connectivity for the neighborhood to the Anacostia River and having large parking structures cannibalize potential development. He said that retail and commercial businesses and more housing should not come at the expense of parking.” (That’s ANC7D commissioner Ebony Payne in the orange top with back to camera.)
Update on Saint-Georges boulangerie near EasternMarket – A source familiar with the status of the development of the new French bakery told CHC that the project is back on track after getting temporarily derailed by an unreliable architect and a burdensome permitting process. New equipment is scheduled to arrive this week and the owners hope to open this summer – though it would not be surprising to see that slip into early fall.
The Flying Mexican on Barracks Row – The former Playa Ocho at 514 8th Street, SE, Barracks Row, is morphing into The Flying Mexican. The space has been occupied by a series of Mexican food restaurant since its days as the home of Capitol Video Sales.
Consulting Firm Will Move to Barracks Row – Speaking of Oehme, Van Sweden, here is a pair of photos of the landscaping firm’s former offices at 800 G Street, SE, and the status of the conversion into the new headquarters for the DC consulting firm, Capital Group, founded by Curtis Porter in 2011.
Friday Night Live on Eastern Market Metro Plaza – Friday night, dancers performed the Lion Dance on the Eastern Market Metro Plaza as part of Barracks Row Main Streets’ celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Photo: Deborah Hernandez
The Week Ahead…
Monday, June 2
ANC6D will hold an administrative meeting at 7:00pm to set the agenda for the meeting of the full commission on Monday, June 16.
Please contact the office at 6D@anc.dc.gov if you wish to have a link to view the Admin meeting.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
MPD 1st District Community Advisory Committee will hold a virtual meeting, 6:00pm – 7:15pm.
424 7th Street, NE: Zoning Adjustment – Expedited-review application for a special exception from the rear-yard requirements to demolish an existing two-story rear addition and construct a two-story with basement rear addition on an existing semi-detached two-story with basement.
406 7th Street, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application for a special exception from the rear-yard requirements and a special exception from the lot occupancy requirements of to demolish the existing two-story rear porch and replace with an enlarged two-story with cellar enclosed rear addition to a semi-detached three-story with cellar.
605 Constitution Avenue, NE. Historic Preservation for concept approval to construct a third-floor addition to an existing one-story row dwelling with two-story addition.
Thursday, June 5
ANC6B June Planning & Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
MPD 1st District’s Community Advisory Committee met Tuesday night.
MPD’s First District. Blue dots locate the U.S. Capitol and RFK Stadium, respectively.
Crime Report: MPD Commander Colin Hall Reports on District 1
by Larry Janezich
Posted April 3, 2025
MPD 1st District Commander Colin Hall delivered the monthly crime report to the 1st District’s Community Advisory Committee Tuesday night:
He cited several high profile arrests MPD made in the past few weeks.
The 2023 homicide at the Cru Nightclub in 1300 block of H Street, NE, was closed with two arrests.
The ongoing investigation of the flagrant shooting last October at 1900 One-half Street, SW near the Watermark Buzzard Point apartments resulted in a recent arrest. The incident involved adults and juveniles and the expenditure of nearly 100 rounds. Hall said other suspects are being sought. A stray bullet from this incident wounded a pedestrian on Potomac Avenue, SE.
A second arrest was made in Eastern High School shooting of a student last November, closing out the case.
He also reported :
We’re seeing a 31% decrease in violent crime in the first quarter across the city and a 35% decrease in violent crime in the 1st District – that’s over the 15% drop ending 2024.
We continue pushing down robberies – there was a 38% decline in the first quarter in the 1st District, on top of a 47% drop ending 2024.
We had 20 burglaries in the 1st District so far this year – that’s plus 3 over last year. We follow up after every burglary with our outreach team to talk to businesses about cameras and alarms.
We shut down a crew linked to 21 burglaries throughout the city.
Theft from autos is down but increasing with the warm weather.
We are still seeing thefts of unattended vehicles. That was a problem in the cold but we’re still seeing it in warm weather. We urge using wheel locks and air tags.
We’re seeing tire thefts throughout the city and urge residents to be alert and call MPD to report suspicious activity.
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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.
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.
Currently at the Rubell Museum. American Vignettes: Symbols, Society, and Satire.
September 27th, 2024 – Fall, 2025. 65 I Street, SW. 11am – 5pm. You can probably find parking on a nearby side street.
American Vignettes: Symbols, Society, and Satire showcases nearly 100 artworks spanning painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and mixed media by over 40 emerging and established artists, all from the Rubells’ collection of more than 7,700 works of contemporary art. Here’s a selection of some pieces categorized as Symbols which address our and the artist’s relationship to flags, emblems, and slogans.
Piotr Uklanski. Untitled (American Eagle). Styrofoam. 79 X 118 in.
“In an untitled American Eagle Piotr Uklanski depicts the eagle used on the American quarter. The eagle is a symbol with layered implications, emblematic of the United States, Uklanski’s native Poland, and many other countries, while also being associated with the Nazi Party and later appropriated by Neo Nazis worldwide. In engaging with such imagery, the artist challenges viewers to recognize and reinterpret symbols across cultural codes, whether political or historical.”
Natalie Ball. Bang Bang. Elk hide, rabbit fur, oil stick, acrylic, charcoal, cotton and pine. 84 X 124 in.
“Bang Bang came from my solo exhibition in New York at Half gallery titled Bad Lucky Indian. … I was thinking through gesture, materiality, complex narratives, form, assemblage, but mostly humor. In the studio I was looking at the great seal of the United States and I started to think about what that seal and its eagle means to me, what it means for our history, and what it means to be a dual citizen: to be a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, of a sovereign nation, but also a citizen of the United States…..I wanted my own seal. The eagle and its symbolism have been appropriated historically. It has a significance in my culture too, and I wanted to bring that forward and honor it in a different way.
Sterling Ruby. Flag. Bleached and dyed fabric and elastic. 174 X 343 in.
Damian Ortega. Transportable Obelisk. Fiber glass with metal base and wheels. 236 1/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 in.
“I am thrilled by the idea of a work that commemorates an imprecise moment, which could be associated with anything, just by the fact of moving the piece to one place or another. This work is a mobile print of reference. It is a point of departure but also a full stop, even though it could change its position.”
Vaugn Spann. Dark Days Bring New Hope (Never Forget). Polymer paint, pulp, mixed media, terry cloth, canvas on aluminum stretcher bars. 160 x 220 in.
“This painting centers around the idea of hope but also around the idea of gloom or even doom. Dark days bring New Hope (Never Forget) is from Flag series. The series is a postmodern idea of how we might take these symbols, our relationship to these icons, and splice new meanings into them. The totallity of the piece is about the idea of claiming space and holding on to that proximity to the flag to interpret it on my own. In the painting the flag is very dark; it’s a gloomy flag because there’s a lot of darkness and trauma we as a nation are perpetually working through.”
Glenn Lignon. Condition Report D. Iris print and iris print with serigraph, each 35 x 26 in.
“The text displayed on both panels of this diptych derives from protest placards from the American civil rights movement of the 1960s, specifically the Memphis sanitation workers strike in 1968. During this strike, over 1000 African American men went on strike for better pay and safer working conditions. Martin Luther King Junior went to Memphis to march with these workers and make speeches in support of their strike. He was assassinated in Memphis the following day. Ligon first created a painting of the protest placard in 1988, untitled (I Am A Man), which the print on the left directly mirrors. For the right panel, Ligon gave his painting to an art conservator to create a condition report with handwritten annotations, which was in turn made into a print. In addition to the historical depth of the text presented, Ligon allows the object to be reinterpreted in a new context.”
The Week Ahead….
Highlights:
Friday: CM Charles Allen holds community office hours at Quill & Crumb at the Folger Shakespeare Library (see below).
Tuesday, Wednesday & Saturday: (See Free DC Events under “Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About” below)
Monday, March 24
ANC7D 7D01 Hold a Special Virtual Meeting to confirm election/voting details for filling Single Member District 7D01 seat at 6:30pm.
Discussion of the renewal of a Class C restaurant license with entertainment and summer garden endorsements at Granville Moore’s, 1238 H Street, NE.
Discussion of a new Class C Restaurant license with extended holiday hours, carry out and delivery endorsements at Tapori 600 H Street NE, located within ANC6C.
Discussion of the status of the application for a new medical cannabis license for Proper Exotic, 313 8th Street, NE.
Friday, March 28
CM Charles Allen holds community office hours at Quill & Crumb at the Folger Shakespeare Library from 4 to 5:30pm. RSVP here: http://charlesallenward6.com/calendar
Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About:
Free DC Event – Tuesday, March 25
Members of Congress Office Visits: Encourage House Reps to pass the DC Local Funds Act – 10:00am to 3:00pm .
Rayburn House Office Building, 45 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC,
Memoirist Kat Chow Discusses Her Bestselling book Seeing Ghosts in Conversation with Jung Yun. Kat Chow is a reporter, teacher, writer and the author of Seeing Ghosts: A Memoir, named a Notable Book by The New York Times.
Sponsored by Hill Center Private Events. Local organizations will be present to share how you can help them meet their mission. Find the right fit for your talents as we build a better community.
More than 100 residents turned out for Wednesday night’s community meeting on the Rumsey Renovation plans which was held in the North Hall of Eastern Market.
City Scales Back Rumsey Aquatic Center Plan
by Larry Janezich
Posted March 13, 2025
Thursday night, DPR and DGS presented design options for renovation of the Rumsey Aquatic Center which were substantially different from the more ambitious plans of CM Charles Allen, who secured additional funding for the project based on those plans.
The boost in $15 million in funds for the Rumsey renovation was intended to support a new second story with community amenities like a senior center with a tech lounge, a business incubator space, and an indoor fitness center. These were in addition to the DPR’s initial budget ($20 million) to expand and renovate the swimming pool which would occupy the first floor of the new building.
That’s not what the designers brought back to the community.
Instead, developers presented to the community three slightly different proposals, all of them without a build-out on the second floor, as well as a host of reasons why the original vision could not be realized. In addition to what they characterized as a limited overall budget of $35 million, the designers cited the cost of LEED/net zero certification as a significant constraint.
Here’s Allen’s reaction:
“Two years ago, I asked DPR and DGS leaders what it would cost to build a second floor to expand services and programs while modernizing Rumsey pool. They gave me an exact number, and I found that exact money – that’s the budget we have. It’s clear from tonight’s meeting there’s not enough space on one floor to meet the needs of the community here, and I’m frustrated how quickly they’re trying to walk away from the fully funded second floor. I will work to get them back on track and believe we will find a solution to deliver the generational project everyone wants.”
ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe, in whose single member district the Rumsey Center falls, said “if you only have three options and no second story that’s a bitter pill to swallow. I didn’t think they were very responsive to the concerns raised and I don’t think that the things they said they couldn’t do because of various restrictions are true. I am sure they could do things differently if they wanted to – exceptions can be made and they didn’t make any. I didn’t like any of the options in particular. It seems they wanted one story.”
Two polls taken during the meeting to which there were 66 respondents showed a clear preference for bigger and better pool space and fewer amenities. Regarding the possible amenities squeezed into the first floor – a hot tub, a yoga studio, and a fitness studio – a 40% plurality chose “none of the above.”
Roy Philips, a neighbor and frequent user of Rumsey Pool who attended last night’s meeting, said that “the presenters didn’t provide options that capture what the community is looking for. In building options they have lots of constraints …. Due to the constraints they said all they can do is build a new structure that is roughly the size and footprint as the current building. They can make the pool about 12 feet wider to accommodate 2 more swimming lanes. There were no options to extend the building into the plaza or with a second floor…It seems like they are focused on all the impediments rather than a vision of what the community really wants.”
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 