Friday, March 12
Head straight from your office to Chinatown.  The National Portrait Gallery is open until 7pm each evening.  They’ve got great exhibits and a beautiful indoor courtyard.  It’s a peaceful place to wind down from a busy week.

While you’re in Chinatown, head over to the Verizon Center to watch the Washington Capitals take on the Tampa Bay Lightening.

Saturday, March 13
Take a bus tour of Washington, D.C.’s television and movie sites.  Start at Union Station at 10am and spend 3 hours exploring the sites featured in films including The Exorcist, The Godfather II, Mission Impossible III,  and many more.  The guided tour takes you on a journey of the timeline of filming in the nation’s capital and is led by actors and actresses who share inside industry information.  If you order through Goldstar, it only costs $24 per person.

If you’d like to pretend you’re a little more “high brow” for your culture, head over to the National Gallery for the “Naked at the National Gallery Scavenger Hunt.” Every tricky question on this two-hour hunt involves nudity in some way, shape or sultry form. Highlights include naughty nymphs, a seamonster surfer, eye-catching codpieces, bathing beauties and the original Adonis. No knowledge of art, or nudity, is required. For adults only.  The adventure starts at 2pm and costs $15.25 if you reserve your spot through Goldstar events.

Saturday night, head over to Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar at 1104 H Street NE to hear DJ Chela starting at 9pm.  The Washington Post called the show “hot hip-hop, Latin and classic sounds from NY mixtape mixtress.”

Sunday, March 14
The Atlas Performing Arts Center hosts “WAM! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” at 3pm.  The Washington Ballet’s Studio Company and In Series take a look at the life of Mozart.

What other activities do you suggest for this weekend?

Hats off to spring--even if it feeds the birds. Eastern Market Pocket Park feeder

“Goodbye ugly boots, helloooo heels,” says my friend Heather. We are talking about the onset of spring-like weather, hopefully heralding the arrival of a season of pretty, diaphanous, sugar-spun days, and how we greet them sartorially, at least.

Because these days will soon greet us with their cherry blossoms, daffodils and tulips all in a row (house), it is high time to dump the water-logged, beaten-down suede and pack away the woolens for the moths (or deserving MOTHs) for  next year’s snow battles.

I saw a woman, apparently so excited for spring this week, in burgundy patent shoes accompanied by a patent bag in bright blue for a stroll.  A few steps later was a toddler outfitted in the cleanest, brightest  pair of miniature green Crocs this side of the Potomac.

“My goal in the next few weeks is to pack up my winter clothes and then get my spring/summer stuff from Pennsylvania,” said the Hill’s lovely Jordan S., who works for the U.S. Army but favors jewel tones and high-definition trench coats over Army greens. “I was walking around Eastern Market after church and you could tell people were ready for spring,” she said.

“People were wearing sun dresses with layers, lots of color, sunglasses, and everyone had their dog with them. People were also carrying their coats and other layers. Plus everyone was out and about…you could just feel the spring fever.”

PTA Vice President Heather S. is looking for lighter-weight fabrics that move, “but not flutter–that’s summer,” she said.  Heather, when not chest-deep in housecleaning or auction-planning, promises her spring-training shirts will be long-sleeved and cotton, while a closet of sun dresses are on the bench, ready and waiting for ever-warmer days.

Kjersten, who catches and freezes wild Alaskan salmon when not on Kentucky Avenue, opts for vests in lieu of jackets for casual days, her favorite  being a lime green vest she bought from Cabela’s, a hunting and fishing emporium in Washington state.

When not opting for a casual look, she goes for colorful little sweater sets, something along the  lines of J. Crew or Talbots, which are very Washingtonian these days — think Michelle Obama, think pearls — with fun ballet flats. This season, you’ll find flats festooned with leather and fabric flowers and bows, in silver and gold and patent and floral, all ready for your feet, even if your feet aren’t ready for them.

If you’re thinking new shoes won’t outlive the mud and the rain (our fair spring’s B-side) a new bag in a pastel such as  mint green, yellow, peach and Tiffany blue is a good bet to brighten a neutral wardrobe without worrying about a scuff, according to local elementary school cheerleading and spirit team coach, Sui Lang Panoke.

And, apparently, spring fever can even take root in diaper bag chic on the Hill.

My curiosity piqued by a THIH blogger without a baby on board who coveted the Petunia Pickle Bottom ‘Cake Society Convertible Baby Bag in apple tart cake green, as encountered at Monkey’s Uncle, I went over to see what the deal was.

Co-owner Jay Keegan said he Tweeted the bag’s availability at the children’s consignment shop and within an hour, the Italian cut velvet diaper bag had sold for $175. It retails for $325. Shoes, diaper bag, diaper bag,  new shoes?  Hmm…

Just open up your windows to see which of your fabrics flutter in the breeze, put them on, and go out and enjoy the first blossoms of the season beginning to shimmy up from the ground now.  But be sure to save some money for your Easter hats and parasols, folks!

Uploaded to flickr by Hirata Yasukuki

Things are heating up as the monthly meeting of the DC Charter School Board (DCCSB) approaches. The proposal by the University High Public Charter School (UHPCS) will be discussed, and members of the public will speak during the comment period, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16th. The comment session will begin promptly at 7pm and there are only 20 minutes open for comment, with each of the ten speakers limited to two minutes, so don’t be late. See the details here.

Local neighbors are signing a petition in preparation for the hearings to give voice to their disapproval and show support for those who will represent the disapproval of University High’s proposal to open a high school targeted for at-risk youth in the space formerly occupied by the International Graduate University (IGU). WTOP reporter Mark Segraves, who lives near the proposed site, says various groups have gathered over 300 signatures and anticipate collecting up to 500 by Tuesday. He has agreed to represent neighbors’ vote against the proposal at the hearing, and has collected more than 100 signatures from community members who say he can represent their concerns and disapproval. The petition can be signed at 1241 E Street SE.

Different groups, including a large contingent from the Capitol Hill Cluster School, are circulating petitions, all with similar voices expressing concern about the proposal, concerns about proposed security measures, the track record of the National Graduate University (who would rent campus space to the charter school) and the proposed use of the playing field at Watkins for activities. Not small among their concerns is that there are five shared board members between the UHCS and IGU and that IGU is loaning the school $275,000 at 0% interest for start up fees. There’s also the heavily disputed fact that representatives from the school say they’re aligned with the DC Community College but ANC 6B vice chairman Kenan Jarboe said at last night’s ANC 6B meeting that the college denies it.

At last night’s meeting, ANC 6B votedagainst the charter school, and also against any provisional charter school options on the property as well.  Parents from Watkins school sent out a robo call last night to all  DCPS Cluster School parents asking them to oppose the charter and sign the petition against it.

Meisha Goodhue of the 500 block of 13th Street SE has followed development regarding the school since last fall. She was one of the first people to call for community meetings about the subject , and since then has built a list of 70 neighbors who have asked to be kept in the loop via email and meetings. Detailing concerns raised regarding staffing, leadership and curriculum in the school’s application, she said “We fear the (school) will not meet educational standards. …in essence, the community fears the UHPCS situation will harm students. That harm extends to Watkins Elementary students who will have opportunities taken away from them, as well as any potential UHPCS students who will be deprived of a proper education. We are not against charter schools, but fear that the IGU/UHPCS administration is not equipped to lead such a school.”

Segraves warns that the charter board often errs on the side of giving charter proposals benefit of the doubt, and approve provisional charters rather than reserving public funds and board support until is the proposal and action plans for schools are solid and fully approved. Lawyers associated with the group of volunteers he’s working with have “FOIA”-ed  (Freedom of Information Act) the documentation about prior charter rejections in an effort to see what constitutes a basis for rejection.

He says he’s concerned because individuals involved with IGU have a habit of circumventing normal government process and slipping in the back door through political connections.  He also says the proposal is not so much a proposal that will benefit students of the city, but a desperate effort by the administrators of IGU and associates to save the school’s tax exempt 501c3 status and essential identify an income source for the campus behind the 14th Street Safeway.  Segraves is hopeful the concerted effort will be effective; “I have yet to meet one person not employed by IGU who has spoken in favor of the school,” Seagraves said.

The board’s decision, based on data collected over the last six weeks, will be announced April 19th.

The ANC6B’s Southeast Capitol Hill Planning and Zoning Committee had a good dose of  drama last week regarding the recently exposed “apparent” plagiarism on the school’s charter application, and was well documented by the Voice of the Hill.

image uploaded by LA Wad on Flickr

If you live along a major artery on Capitol Hill, it’s time to start thinking about street sweeping days again!  Street sweeping resumes Monday, March 22nd.  Tickets, which run $30 a pop, won’t be issued until March 29th, but do our hard working city workers a favor and comply.  Street sweeping helps reduce litter and pollutants which often find their way into the sewers and local waterways.  And don’t forget, those street sweepers are now equipped with cameras (which raised a few questions last year) to make it easier to ticket violators, so pay extra special attention to the signs on your block to make sure you are not on a designated street.

Learn more about the city’s street sweeping and alley cleaning efforts on the Department of Public Works’ Web site.

In my capacity as the Communications Director for the Atlas Performing Arts Center, I have heard this question a LOT since the center opened in 2006. It’s a fair question since in a past life the Atlas was once a movie theater, one of several which graced H Street NE during its mid 2oth century heyday. The 60,000 square foot venue behind the  signature,  Art Deco marquee now boasts two main stage theaters, two Lab theaters, three dance studios,  dressing rooms, cafe space, offices, a green room, a scene shop and a box office but, until two weeks ago, no movies.

Long-time residents of the neighborhood have recounted stories of spending childhood Saturdays in the cool of the air conditioned building watching cartoons, serials and even the original Star Wars.

The building was an empty shell when it was purchased in 2001. The movie theater had been stripped of its screen and seats when the Atlas Theater closed for good in the late 70s.

One of the members of the Atlas Board of Directors, Meredith Ann Belkov, grew up in the neighborhood and has long wanted to see movies return to H Street. So to make that happen she made a donation  dedicated to the purchase of a screen.

The screen was installed just in time for the INTERSECTIONS festival which closed this past Sunday. There were several films shown as part of the multi-faceted festival.

Scott Kenison, Chief Operating Officer of the Atlas was extremely pleased to finally get the screen installed. “We are very excited because this will open up many more oportunities for programming.”

First up will be the Opera and Ballet in Cinema Series. Emerging Cinemas is a national digital distribution chain specializing in independant films as well as the distribution of High Definition versions of operas and ballets from the most reknowned companies in the world.

The ‘Live Opera on the Big Screen’ trend has become popular in recent years with live streaming from the Metropolitan Opera in New York as well as Washington National Opera broadcasting at National’s Park.  “We think opera fans are going to be thrilled with the opportunity to see the work of the best singers in the world without the cost of the plane ticket.” said Kenison.

Opera and Ballet in Cinema makes its debut this Wednesday evening at 7pm with Verdi’s La Traviata performed by Milan’s legendary Teatro alla Scala with a repeat performance Saturday at 2pm. The offerings will change weekly. The full schedule can be seen on the Atlas website.

The Atlas will also be a venue for the upcoming Environmental Film Festival with two Peruvian films showing on March 23rd.

The Atlas staff is currently developing plans for future film series and events they hope will appeal to local audiences.

What sort of series would you like to see? We know what we like but we to hear from you.  Leave your suggestions in the comments!

In mid-March, crews will begin to restore each home’s façade and rebuild each home’s interior—from frame to floors and everything in between.  But don’t think Schmidt and Connell will forget each home’s past.

“The homes will feature an open concept main floor, gourmet kitchen and large master suite,” said Schmidt,  but will be more traditional in terms of design, with “nice moldings, transom lights above the doors, wood floors and marble bathrooms.”

Connell and Schmidt, who met in Wellesley, MA restoring historic properties, started Connell & Schmidt Builders six years ago.

“Our involvement in this profession stems from our interest and passion for building things that last,” said Schmidt, who is originally from the DC area and attended Gonzaga High School. “We believe it is our responsibility to be good stewards with the things we have been given before we pass it on to the next person.”

The pair hope to complete the first home by mid-June.

image uploaded by de² on Flickr

It looks like spring is finally around the corner!  This past weekend the Market was packed, as were every bike and hiking trail in the area…clearly we are all ready to break out of our houses after a very cold and snowy winter.  I’m ready for more of the sun and warmth but seem to also have caught whatever this cold or flu is that’s going around.  There is something truly unfair about being sick when the weather is this nice.  Enough whining and self-pity, time for that morning cup of coffee and a dose of links you may have missed over the last week.

• DCist reported that a delivery driver was stabbed in the 200 block of 15th Street on February 27th.
• Young & Hungry is reporting that Dangerously Delicious Pies is opening this week!  Who wants to bring their favorite blogger a pie?
• Urban Turf looked at the continuing growth of the ballpark district and the many offerings the neighborhood features.
• District Tattle is recommending the Opera in Cinema series at the Atlas, opening this Wednesday.
• TheWashCycle offers CSX a bike-friendly recommendation for what to do with the excavation tunnel that is part of their plans to expand the Virginia Avenue Tunnel.

Favors from Punk Rock Bride's party celebrating the new 2010 collection. Photo by Sharee Lawler.

Finally, some white stuff that doesn’t require shoveling …  The local wedding bloggerati descended on Capitol Hill Thursday night to check out the latest collection from Punk Rock Bride.  Wedding gown designer Stephanie Ward’s studio, on 3rd Street Northeast near Massachusetts Avenue, was transformed into a showcase for her newest creations.  The line includes five new dresses replete with the beautiful details and creative mixture of fabrics that has been netting this Hill business lots of attention, the latest coming from the March issue of Bride’s Magazine.

Photo courtesy of Kari Becker Beard of sugarbstudio.com

Bloggers (there are WAY more wedding bloggers than you’d imagine), event planners, invitation designers and all other manner of (primarily) ladies that will provide any detail to make that special day absolutely perfect, mingled in the candlelit space with models holding candy bouquets and showing off the new designs, ranging from a bright white that shows off the shoulders with dainty straps tied as bows, to modern cuts that incorporate a beautifully delicate crochet lace.

Photo courtesy of Kari Becker Beard of sugarbstudio.com.

I caught up with Ward and asked what’s next on her agenda.  “I think I’m going to sleep for a month,” she said.  We’ll see … with these new dresses, she may be too busy to take a break.

Photo by Kyra DeBlaker-Gebhard

It wasn’t long ago that I embarked on a journey that would open the door to my home’s history.  I had a lot of questions about my house on G Street, but I decided to start with the basics: What year was the house built? Who was the original owner and how long did he live in the house? Who designed and built the house we call home?  I answered these questions and more during my first few visits to the Washingtoniana Division located in the District’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. I also learned that I have a long way to go in researching the history of my home and its inhabitants.

It had been some time since I had done considerable research in a library, so I asked the librarian if he could help me get started. He looked up my lot and square number, walked me to the cabinet that held the microfilm I needed, pulled out a reel and sent me on my way. I feed the microfilm into the machine and, using my home’s square number, street and lot number, found the very first building permit for my home.

In 1901, Ada CM Sturges of 103 11^th Street NE, with her agent, submitted an application to build a home on G Street NE, for which she would pay $2,800.

Hmm. A woman was having a home built? Was it unusual for a single woman to have a home built in 1901? I was surprised to see a woman’s name listed as the owner, but it was not as shocking as the home’s appreciation in over 100 years’ time!

There was no architect of record on the Application for Permission to Build, but the permit listed the builders as J.O. Miller and R.E. Murray. They would begin building the single family residence in the summer of 1901 and would complete the project in the winter of 1902. But wait! Among the applications and approvals  there was the 1901 equivalent of a stop work order!

In the fall of 1901, Ms. Sturgess wrote a letter to the building inspector of the District of Columbia apologizing for the error when constructing the home’s steps, which were built a full foot closer to the sidewalk than planned.

“I submit in explanation of this mistake, the facts of the case. Mr. Moxley, who drew the plane and secured the permit, was not permitted to execute his plane, and when the walls were constructed it was found necessary to raise the first floor beyond the height specified in the plane, thus necessitating another change…  which lead to an eight foot projection instead of seven.”

The Commissioners of the District of Columbia ultimately approved the project with the changes and, as far as I can tell, did not charge a fee for building outside of the original permit.

I then set out to determine when Ms. Sturgess moved in to the house and how long she lived there, but I quickly learned, after the fourth reel of city directory microfilm, that Ms. Sturgess never lived in the her house on G Street.

Could it be that Ada was a real estate mogul, building homes around the city and renting them out?

Stay tuned for the next installment, when you will learn more about Ada Sturgess and the residents of the house on G Street.

image uploaded by Mike Rohde on Flickr

Unless any more major snow storms decide to blow through in the next week, our ANCs should resume their usual monthly meeting schedule again next week.  Here is a list of the next upcoming meetings, which can also be found on our Community Meeting Calendar, as well as some highlights from February’s ANC meetings.

March ANC Meetings:

• ANC 6D will meet on Monday at 7 pm at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, 140 L Street SE, in the 2nd Floor Admiral Rooms.  The agenda can be viewed on their Web site.  Some items of note include an update on The Nationals, Traffic Operations and Parking plan updates, and the addition of time allocations for each item.  The meeting will still last three hours but this will allow residents to come for only the items they care the most about.
• ANC 6B will meet on Tuesday at 7 pm at The People’s Church, located at 535 8th, SE. (note the change of location as this meeting usually takes place at the Old Naval Hospital).  The agenda can be viewed on their Web site — some items of note include a presentation on the DC Streetcar Program, and an update on the zoning application for the University High Public Charter School.  Note, the CSX presentation has been moved to April.
• ANC 6C will meet on Wednesday at 7 pm at the Heritage Foundation, located at 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE.  The agenda can be viewed on their Web site — items of note include the recommendation to ask Tommy Wells to oppose vacant property and a recommendation to opposed a new development project around Union Station.  They have also added time allocations to each item but are aiming to keep the meeting to an hour and a half.  I suspect that the only way to keep an ANC meeting that short is to not allow for any questions or comments from residents, so trust the times in the agenda at your own risk.
• ANC 6A will meet on Thursday at 7 pm at Miner Elementary School, located at 601 15th Street N.E.  Check their Web site next week for an agenda.

Other Upcoming Community Meetings:

• Tuesday, March 9: PSA 102, Trinidad Neighborhood Association
• Wednesday, March 10: PSA 103
• Thursday, March 18: PSA 107
• Tuesday, March 22: The Stanton Neighborhood Association Monthly Meeting and The Barney Circle Park Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Meeting
• Saturday, March 27: PSA 105

Continue reading for highlights from February’s ANC meetings and links to full summaries from The Voice of the Hill and JD Land.

• ANC 6A: Drew Ronneberg was sworn in after winning the special election to fill the seat vacated by former commissioner Joe Fengler; letters to the charter board supporting the location from commissioners Mary Beatty and Kelvin Robinson led Commissioner David Holmes to call their conduct “reprehensible;” he commission voted to protest a tavern liquor-license application for Biergarten Haus and Souk unless the owners sign a voluntary agreement before March 8; the commission voted to support a change to Rock & Roll Hotel’s liquor license to allow a 99-seat roof deck.  A full summary can be found at The Voice of the Hill.
• ANC 6B: The commission voted to support a public space application from Zest American Bistro for sidewalk seating; the commission supported revised plans for updated security measures at the Marine Commandant’s house. A full summary can be found at The Voice of the Hill.
• ANC 6C: The commission voted to support sending a letter to the D.C. Office of Planning opposing the Billboard Blight Removal Approval Resolution of 2010, which would allow the D.C. Department of Regulatory and Consumer Affairs to permit businesses to display “special signs” in return for removing billboards on their property.  Also, Planning committee chair Rob Amos told the commission that the a zoning hearing on creating a new Union Station zone has been postponed, but he did not give a new date for the hearing.  A full summary can be found at The Voice of the Hill.
• ANC 6D: The commission voted to approve a request by the Bull Pen to change to the voluntary agreement between the ANC and the owner to allow the venue to operate until 1:30 am (with alcohol sales ending at 1:00), and to allow the sale of  liquor in non-frozen alongside the already approved beer, wine, and frozen drinks at special events.  There was also discussion about carving out some of the curb space in front of Capper Seniors #1 at 900 Fifth Street, which gets clogged on a regular basis with shuttle buses, vans, trucks, and other vehicles double-parking while at the building.  A full summary can be found on JD Land.