Still Life with Robin: Still Frames with Squirrels

Squirrel Photo by Gerardo Noroeiga
via Wikimedia Creative Commons

by Peggy Robin

It wouldn’t be spring in Washington without John Kelly’s annual Squirrel Week, which has just wrapped up its run at the Washington Post for the 9th year. For me the highlight of the week has always been the slideshow of reader-submitted photos. John Kelly knows a great squirrel pic when he sees one. Now here are TWENTY of them:

https://wapo.st/2PkcCl0

Kelly put his favorite at the top of the page, but you will have to scroll all the way down to #12 to find my favorite. That’s the one with the ROBIN, of course!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! The Events Column, April 19 - 25, 2019

Photo by Lesekreis (via Wikimedia Creative Commons)

We wanted to share some events and activities that we thought would be of interest to list members. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 18,100+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, please email us at events @ fastmail dot net.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com     

Friday, April 19 at 12:30 PM, Lunch Bites Lecture: The Loyalist Prisoner Experience. Anderson House Library Assistant Kieran O’Keefe discusses the loyalist prisoner experience during the Revolutionary War, featuring an engraving of the notorious underground prison at Simsbury Mines in Connecticut, published in 1781 in a London periodical. While revolutionaries in New York contended with British forces based in New York City and Canada, they also faced an internal threat from the state's loyalist inhabitants. Fearing that loyalists might undermine the Revolution through insurrection or by aiding the British army, patriot leaders chose to arrest and jail thousands of suspected dissidents. Incarceration became a definitive part of the loyalist experience. This free presentation will last approximately 30 minutes with time afterwards for up-close viewing of the engraving. At the Society of the Cincinnati at Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Avenue NW. More info: https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/events/public 

Friday, April 19 at 1 PM, Eggstravaganza! Bring your baskets and a friend to the Egg-ceptional Egg Hunt at the Dorothy I Height/Benning Library. Seek and you shall find eggs, eggs and more eggs waiting just for you. Free - best for ages 3-8. At the Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Library, 3935 Benning Road NE, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63271 

Saturday, April 20 at 10 AM, Tregaron Conservancy’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Join us for a festive morning at Tregaron! Thousands of candy-filled eggs will be hidden along our paths. We will gather by the Lily Pond near the Klingle Road Entrance. The hunt begins just after 10 AM, so don't be late or you might miss the best selection of hidden eggs! In addition to your basket for collecting eggs, consider bringing along a picnic lunch (and blanket). RSVPs by email to info @ tregaronconservancy dot org are appreciated but not required. Map and directions at: https://www.tregaronconservancy.org/   

Saturday, April 20 from 4 - 6 PM, Brews and Q's: A special Beer Release of "Cabin & Cottage" and Trivia Night at Lincoln’s Cottage. Join us as we raise this special beer high to toast Abraham Lincoln, an honest leader who aimed to forge a nation of equals. History tells us that beer, like Lincoln, has its own distinct way of bringing us to the table. A union seemed only natural. The official DC beer launch happens at President Lincoln's Cottage with a special trivia night with Lincoln and beer history as the focus. Meet the brewers from Powers Farm & Brewery as well as colleagues from the Chicago Brewseum in between trivia rounds. We’ll discuss a bit about the beer, its connection to Abraham Lincoln, and share insight into the unique collaboration. Trivia teams will be made up of 4-6 people, so bring your friends, or we’ll pair you up with smaller groups. Your $10 ticket, available at http://bit.ly/2v6K5pB, includes a pint of "Cabin & Cottage" and additional pints may be purchased throughout the evening. On-site parking is free but limited. This event is recommended for 21+ and guests will need to provide valid ID. President Lincoln’s Cottage is at 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW.

Sunday, April 21 at 8:30 AM. Rosedale Easter Egg Hunt. Meet at the gate on Newark Street (between 34th and 35th Streets) on Easter morning to see what the Easter Bunny has hidden! More info: http://bit.ly/2ImjZrj     

Monday, April 22 from 10 AM - 2 PM, Easter Monday & Earth Optimism Celebration. This year it's double the fun, as the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's Easter Monday event coincides with Earth Day and the Zoo's Earth Optimism celebration. Enjoy egg hunts, live music, food trucks and games while discovering how you can help save species. This free event includes hands-on learning opportunities featuring Smithsonian conservation success stories, special animal demonstrations, keeper talks, and meet and greets with scientists and conservation partners working to protect wildlife around the world. Free. Visitors, please note that due to increased visitation during spring break, security screening measures will be implemented at all Zoo entry points for all bags, backpacks, personal items and strollers. All details of this event are available at: https://s.si.edu/2Um5G7C. The Smithsonian National Zoo is at 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW.

Monday, April 22 at 12 noon, Lecture: Sacred Spaces in the Story of DC's Neighborhoods, by Elizabeth Laird, executive director, Sacred Spaces Conservancy. DC's religious congregations have historically been at the forefront of the most important causes of the day, including the Civil Rights Movement and care for the poor. Sanctuaries provided a place of welcome for the displaced and new immigrants, fed the hungry, and also provided healthcare. In this talk, Elizabeth Laird, executive director of the Sacred Spaces Conservancy, will share the history and social impact of DC's sacred spaces in the city's neighborhoods. Free, no reservation required. At the The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, 701 21st Street, NW, https://museum.gwu.edu/sacred-spaces

Monday April 22 at 7 PM, Lecture: Why Is Earth Day Celebrated on Lenin’s Birthday? If you have used the internet to research this question, you should already have learned about the secret origins of Earth Day, and how a communist and convicted murderer named Ira Einhorn (a/k/a The Unicorn) selected April 22 to show his devotion to Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, whose birthday is today. However, if you’ve been reading the so-called fact-checking site Snopes.com, you’ll see just how desperately some people will try to “debunk” this truth! (Go to https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/earth-day-origins/). For a rousing defense of the Unicorn/Communist connection to Earth Day, come to this fascinating lecture that will tie everything together in a neat bow for you -- and throw in a little dash of the Illuminati, the faked moon landing, and Flat Earth, while we’re at it. Wear your tinfoil hat to this hair-raising talk. To find out the secret location of the meeting, you must register in advance at this link http://bit.ly/cpfakeevent - and once we’ve checked you out, we will tell you where to go.

Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 PM, “Early Gardens in the Chesapeake” - a presentation by garden designer Elin Haaga. This presentation is part of the biannual membership meeting of the Rosedale Conservancy. After a short membership meeting and election of the Rosedale Conservancy’s new board of directors, Elin Haaga will give a slide presentation, “Early Gardens in the Chesapeake.” Elin is a garden designer and teaches History of the Landscape at George Washington University. Non-members of the Rosedale Conservancy are welcome to attend this free meeting. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW. More info: https://www.rosedaleconservancy.org/ 

Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30 PM, Author Talk: Son of the Maya. Local author John McKoy discusses his novel Son of the Maya. A book sale and signing will follow. This event is presented in partnership with the Shepherd Park Friends of the Library. Free and open to all. At the Shepherd Park  (Juanita E. Thornton) Library, 7420 Georgia Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63397

Wednesday, April 24 at 7 PM, Heroes of the Underground Railroad around Washington, DC. In celebration of DC Emancipation Day, join anthropologist and author Jenny Masur as she tells the stories of the unsung heroes of the Underground Railroad who lived and worked in Washington, DC. Men and women, black and white, operatives and freedom seekers--all demonstrated courage, resourcefulness and initiative. Leonard Grimes, a free African American, was arrested for transporting enslaved people to freedom. John Dean, a white lawyer, used the District courts to test the legality of the Fugitive Slave Act. Anna Maria Weems dressed as a boy in order to escape to Canada. Enslaved people engineered escapes, individually and in groups, with and without the assistance of an organized network. Some ended up back in slavery or in jail, but some escaped to freedom. Masur will share their stories and discuss the impact for the DC community. Free. At the Northeast Library, 330 7th St. NE, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/62933 

Thursday, April 25 from 6:30 - 7:45 PM, "The gravity of volcanoes: Using gravity data to probe magma reservoirs" - a talk by Department of Terrestrial Magnetism Staff Scientist Dr. Hélène Le Mével. This talk is part of the Spring 2018 series of Neighborhood Lectures at Carnegie's Broad Branch Road campus, 5241 Broad Branch Rd NW.. These lectures are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served prior to the lecture, when doors open at 6 PM. Can't make it? The lecture will be streamed live at https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieDTM/live. For more information and registration go to: http://bit.ly/2UHDIrU

Thursday, April 25 at 7 PM, Chevy Chase Library Facilities Planning Meeting. DC Public Library is in the process of developing a Facilities Master Plan to help guide the next 10 years of planning for library services across the city. Join your friends and neighbors for a meeting focusing on the Chevy Chase Library. What programs and services do you want from your library? Are there potential partnerships that the community would value? What impact should the new community center have on plans for the library? Learn more about the Library Facilities Master Plan at https://www.dclibrary.org/dclibraryfuture. Free. At the Chevy Chase Library,
5625 Connecticut Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63423    

Still Life with Robin: Name That Shelter!

Help the District name the Ward 3Short-term Family Housing building

by Peggy Robin

The two DC agencies that are building and will be running the new shelter for homeless families in Ward 3 have asked the public to suggest names for the facility. Oh, is this a dangerous little game! Anytime people are solicited to name something via the internet, mischief is afoot. That was most famously illustrated in 2016 when the British public was invited to come up with the name of a research vessel, and the winner was – I’m not making this up! – Boaty McBoatface!

When NASA asked for the public’s help in naming a new wing of the International Space Station, late-night TV comic Stephen Colbert whipped up enough support to make his own name the winner. (NASA declined to honor the results of the poll but put Colbert’s name on a space treadmill instead.)

More misadventures in public naming contests can be found in this enlightening article by Aja Romano of Vox:

https://www.vox.com/2016/5/10/11609192/boaty-mcboatface-internet-naming-poll-fails 

I can only imagine what the residents of Ward 3 can cook up if given enough time to organize a snark vote. How about one of these:

1. Following on the Boaty McBoatface model – Shelty McShelter

2. Or maybe, The Nimby? Or its reverse: In a nod to those in the community who actively supported building the shelter on its present site – The Yimby. That would be a more welcoming name, for sure.

3. How about a name that gives a nod to the Second District police for giving up their convenient surface parking lot? Let’s call it “Former Site of Police Parking”, which can become the acronym, FORSIPP Place.

4. Here’s my final effort: Given the Idaho Avenue location, and thinking of how many off-the-grid survivalists have been known to hole up in cabins in the remote parts of that state, and then considering the common PR practice of loading on several names to a residential building to make it sound fancy (as the developers of nearby McLean Gardens did when they came up with the “Village Tower at McLean Gardens” and “Vaughan Place at McLean Gardens” – I propose: “The Hideaway Cabins of Idaho Towers.”

Of course, we could always wait – as someone on the listserv respectfully and soberly suggested – until the residents are in the building and then ask THEM to come up with a name for their current housing.

But if we stick with the DHS/DGS naming plan, perhaps we will end up with a solid – though perhaps a little dull – but dignified name. That’s been the outcome when this naming process was followed in other wards. The Ward 4 facility has been named The Kennedy"; Ward 7's is now "The Horizon," and Ward 8's is called "The Triumph."

In that spirit, let me put forward one last (and not joking) offering: Call it The Shackleton – in tribute to the late Polly Shackleton, who was the original Ward 3 council member on our first city council formed under home rule. Shackleton also happens to be the name of the intrepid Antarctic explorer, whose ship the Endurance broke up in the ice of the Weddell sea in 1915 but who managed over the course of the next 19 months, by great seamanship, leadership, and courage, to bring all of his crew to safety. The name Shackleton, therefore, is also fitting for a place that offers hope of a happy outcome to those in a precarious situation.

To send in your own suggestion for the name of the Ward 3 facility, go to:

https://jenna100.typeform.com/to/CJovIF

Whatever name is selected by the voting public, I see that DHS has reserved for itself the ultimate choice. So snark away all you like -- there will be no Shelty McShelter Building of Ward 3!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! The Events Column for April 12 - 18, 2019

Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival

We wanted to share some events and activities that we thought would be of interest to list members. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 18,100+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, please email us at events @ fastmail dot net.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com       

Friday, April 12 from 1 - 3 PM, Lincoln Ideas Forum: Voting Rights - presented by President Lincoln's Cottage. In April of 1865, Lincoln proposed offering the vote to black soldiers who had served in the Union Army. It would turn out to be one of his final speeches: it's thought that this proposal is part of the reason Booth accelerated his plans to assassinate the president. This forum will explore the pressing issues around voting rights as our theme for the 5th annual Lincoln Ideas Forum, which will bring together experts, scholars, and the public in an exploration of the historic contexts of citizenship, voting rights, and the Constitution, alongside the contemporary repercussions of debates over who gets elective franchise. This program is free and open to the public. To see the list of speakers and more information about the program and to register to reserve your space, go to: http://bit.ly/2uYFXbf. This program is presented in partnership with the Constitutional Sources Project. President Lincoln's Cottage is at 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW.

Saturday, April 13 from 10 AM - 4 PM, Sustainability Fair. Looking to learn more about sustainability and how to help the planet? Join us for the first Sustainability Fair focused on making our community more environmentally sustainable and reducing our local climate impacts. Learn more about sustainable living, solar paneling, composting, recycling, "upcycling" and more! Events will include: 10 AM - 4 PM 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.: Informational fair with partners from DC government, local non-profit organizations and more; 12 - 4 PM Family friendly film festival featuring documentaries on environmental topics, as well as a sustainable craft project for children of all ages led by Cleveland Park library staff. The event is brought to you by the Cleveland Park Citizens Association, in partnership with the Cleveland Park Library, For all ages. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. More info: https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63046; register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainability-fair-registration-58681767747?aff=affiliate1 

Saturday, April 13 from 10 AM - 12 PM, National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. One of DC’s largest spectator events, the energy-filled National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade runs for 10 blocks along Constitution Avenue. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and energetic performers burst down the parade route in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The Grand Marshal of the 2019 parade is Anthony Anderson of ABC's "black-ish". From the National Archives to the Washington Monument, spectators are wowed by the pageantry and excitement that is the nation’s premier springtime parade! Ticketed grandstand seats starting at $20 - available at http://bit.ly/2UtGml9 - offer best views of the Parade; standing along the route is free and open to the public. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/351987418915968/

Saturday, April 13 from 10:30 AM - 6 PM, Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival. The largest one-day Japanese cultural festival in the United States, the Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival - is an event for all ages, featuring more than 80 cultural groups, art vendors, food booths and more than 30 total hours of programming. The event is held on Pennsylvania Avenue from 3rd to 7th Streets NW. Tickets $10 (Free for age 12 and under), available here: http://bit.ly/2U7IDNY. Buy in advance to avoid the lines. $1.09 of each ticket purchase goes to the planting of cherry trees in DC. More info: http://www.sakuramatsuri.org/

Saturday, April 13 at 11 AM, Celebrate DC Emancipation Day! Join us for this family fun learning experience and celebration of DC Emancipation Day (the legal holiday in DC is on Tuesday, April 16). This program will feature a storytelling performance by renowned Griot Baba-C. Free. At the Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. For more information about this program, go to: https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63367. For more information about Griot Baba-C, visit: https://www.facebook.com/Baba-C-The-Griot-Travels-324264860939948/ 

Saturday, April 13, 2 - 6 PM, Rhode Island Avenue Main Street PorchFest. An afternoon of music, dance, and poetry that brings together neighbors, business owners, and artists in a casual and fun display of creative expression. Through the years, Rhode Island Avenue NE has been home to a variety of live music venues, including what was once Mr. Y’s Jazz Club at 16th & Rhode Island Ave and the home of Bo Diddley at 26th and Rhode Island. Porch Fest continues that tradition as local porches and stoops are transformed into stages for an afternoon of FREE performance. This is a RAIN or SHINE event that includes performances on porches (business and residential) that are suitable for the entire family. Visit http://riamainstreet.org/porch-fest for the performance schedule and porch locations. And don’t forget to stop by the Woodridge Library at 1801 Hamlin St NE to hear live music on the roof! The schedule of performers at the library is here: https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63485

Sunday, April 14 from 1 - 5 PM, Anacostia River Festival. The 11th Street Bridge Park and the National Park Service present the 5th annual Anacostia River Festival, a premier event and the official closing of the 2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival. For a taste of local DC come celebrate the Anacostia River and the 100th birthday of Anacostia Park. Take a canoe out to explore the River, ride in our bike parade, play lawn games with your family and experience Southeast DC’s local arts scene at this special FREE event. The 11th Street Bridge Park / Anacostia Park is at Good Hope Rd and Anacostia Drive SE. More info: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/anacostia-river-festival/

Sunday, April 14 from 11 AM - 8 PM, Sakura Sunday at National Harbor, MD celebrates the final day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival 2019, with a wide array of free activities including traditional Japanese picnicking with food available for sale, a sake, rosé and beer garden, a Japanese Market and Japanese-inspired music and entertainment. Restaurants and retailers in the Waterfront District will also participate in special offers and a cherry blossom store display window competition and The Capital Wheel will turn pink during the festival. Muse Paintbar will feature cherry blossom art classes and a live painting demonstration. Visit the Zen Garden presented by Complete Landscaping; enjoy performances by DC Kawaii Style (Cosplay and Dance); Capital Area Budokai/Kenkonkai (Martial Arts); Kuro Pop (All-Girl Cover Group from New York.); Nen Daiko (Dance, Performance and Music ); and more! Full details at https://www.nationalharbor.com/event/sakura-sunday/. Free admission. National Harbor is at 165 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD

Monday, April 15 at 12 noon, Lecture: National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism, by Doug Ichiugi, board member, National Japanese American Memorial Foundation. On January 6, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined “freedom from fear” in his historic address to the nation. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt instigated the internment of over 100,000 citizens of Japanese ancestry. The National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism allows us to reflect on the legacy of Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II. Doug Ichiugi will provide insight into the memorial’s design and impact. This program relates to the current exhibition “Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms” at The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum through April 29. Free; no reservations required. At 701 21st Street, NW. More info: https://museum.gwu.edu/japanese-american-memorial

Monday, April 15 at 3 PM, Earth Day STEM Project. Celebrate our planet over Spring break! Learn how our everyday actions can harm our Potomac River water through an interactive story and try to clean up our mess with homemade water filters. We'll have seeds, dirt and pots for you to plant a gift to take home! Free. At the Deanwood Library, 1350 49th St. NE, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63421 

Tuesday, April 16 from 6 - 9:30 AM and again from 4 - 6:30 PM, Play Chicken: A Driving Game on Contested Middle Lanes. April 16 is Emancipation Day, an official holiday for DC government employees….but what does that mean for DC’s reversible rush hour lanes on Connecticut Avenue and other thoroughfares? Today’s the day you can play a death-defying game of Chicken and find out! Are you allowed to drive in that treacherous middle lane? What if someone is coming at you head-on? Will you swerve first - or wait for the other guy to get out of the way? Don’t want to play? Then go to the DDOT website to find out where your car belongs on this day: http://tinyurl.com/oq24h94. Wait, that’s NOT the DDOT website -- it’s The Weekly Fake Event website! Well, we looked for a real webpage at DDOT to tell people where their cars could be on this holiday, and we couldn’t find the information….and that's not a silly, funny thing we made up, either.

Tuesday, April 16 from 12 - 1 PM, Chamber Music Concert at Dumbarton House. Join us for a free chamber music concert in the museum’s Belle Vue Room, which can be accessed through the lower terrace off the parking lot. Groups are welcome. Seats are available on a first come, first served basis. For free tickets, go to http://dumbartonhouse.org/event/concertapril-2019. Dumbarton House is at 2715 Q Street, NW.

Tuesday, April 16 at 2 PM, Emancipation Day Musical History and Dance Program. Please join us for an Emancipation Day Musical History and Dance Program featuring Market 5 Gallery Dance Theater Dancers, presented by Donnie Gooden/Dig Productions. Light refreshments will be served. All DC Public Library programs are free and open to the public. This program will be held in the Large Meeting Room located on the Lower Level of the Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Library, 3935 Benning Road NE, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63182

Wednesday, April 17 at 7 PM, Discover and Connect with Rock Creek Park. Join Erik Taylor as he provides an overview of Rock Creek Park's history and location, its rich natural and cultural resources, and the abundance of opportunities that it offers the DC area community for recreation, relaxation, education and volunteerism. A Q&A session will follow the presentation. Erik Taylor is a volunteer with Rock Creek Park through the National Park Service's Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) Program. Free. At the Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63549

Thursday, April 18 from 5:30 - 9 PM, Dumbarton at Dusk. Come see Dumbarton House in a whole new light. Enjoy free admission, live music, cash bar, light refreshments, pop up exhibits, and the ambiance of Dumbarton at Dusk. Dumbarton House is at 2715 Q St NW. Register at http://dumbartonhouse.org/event/dumbarton-at-dusk-architecture

Thursday, April 18 at 5 PM, Take 5! With Cecily Bumbray. Join vocal artist Cecily Bumbray for a special performance rooted in a deep appreciation for mid-century soul, jazz, ’90s R&B, and reimagined folk music. Known for her sweet soprano, honest lyrics, and pure vocals, Bumbray brings her own vulnerability to each song. With a father who loves Miles Davis and a mother who adores Smokey Robinson, Cecily grew up surrounded by the music of their vast record collection and shares this rich love of music with her audience. Free. At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard, 8th and F Streets NW. Add event to calendar: https://americanart.si.edu/events/take-5-cecily-bumbray-april-18-2019 

Thursday, April 18 from 6 - 8 PM, Brewing in the City: A Look at DC and Chicago 19th Century Brewing History. Over the course of the 19th century, waves of immigrants shaped America, and German immigrants in particular shaped its brewing industry. German immigrants, such as historic DC brewmaster Christian Heurich, were often considered outsiders, but were able to leverage their way into American society through their trade. Over time, they impacted the economy and became enmeshed in political and capitalist systems leaving an important mark on American life. A panel of historians including Heurich House Museum Executive Director, Kimberly Bender, Liz Garibay, Founder and Executive Director of the Chicago Brewseum, Brian Alberts, Beer Historian and member of the National Advisory Board of the Chicago Brewseum, and Kofi Meroe, Co-founder of DC Brewery Sankofa Beer, will discuss how breweries shape the cities they are in. The discussion will be moderated by Jamaal Lemon of The Wayfarer Study, a project that looks at brewery impact on gentrification and immigration, as well as how ethnic identity was shaped by and contributed to the brewing industry. There will be time after the discussion for guests to mingle with the speakers. Beer will be available for purchase. This event is free and open to the public – registration is recommended - go to http://bit.ly/2WYIAFR. At the Heurich House Museum, 1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW.   

Still Life with Robin....and with Cherry Trees in Bloom

Photo by Thomas S Mann

by Peggy Robin

My favorite local gang (not exactly your average local street gang) is the Capital Weather Gang, the Washington Post’s top-flight collection of weather nerds, who usually begin each day’s weather report with an overall rating on a scale of 1 - 10. 

Today's grade was a 9 (https://wapo.st/2G5Ceiz) and yesterday earned a perfect 10 (https://wapo.st/2G3aObU). I suspect today would have gone to 10 as well, if not for a reluctance to give out two perfect grades in a row and appear to be an easy grader. 

Yesterday’s perfect score was illustrated with this retweeted photo:

https://twitter.com/rms5539/status/1114588751278350337

Judging by the photographic evidence, I for one would have awared both days the top score. Which brings me to the subject of photos of the trees in bloom. This year the Post outdid itself in aerial photography of the Tidal Basic at peak bloom seen from space: https://wapo.st/2G6THXN.

But the Official Cherry Blossom Festival Guide’s photographic how-to page took the opposite approach, urging amateur cherry blossom camera-phone picture takers to zoom in for tight close-up of the blossoms this year:

https://dcphotoguide.com/how-to-guide-close-up-macro-washington-dcs-cherry-blossoms/

You’ll still have another week to take some dazzling photos of the trees in bloom, whether zoomed in or out.

Think you’ll never be able to take the sort of photos that make it into the Capital Weather Gang’s annual parade of cherry blossom images? You won’t know till you try – and here’s a gallery of inspiration for you:

https://wapo.st/2UCZkoM

and

https://wapo.st/2G6u5dr

But why confine yourself to the trees of DC when there are cherry blossoms in bloom all over the world? Take a look at this slideshow of spectacular blossoms from around the world, as captured by the lens master of National Geographic:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/features/beautiful-cherry-blossom-photos/

Hope you all enjoyed the weekend. It’s not often we get them like that!

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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland ParkListserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays….and sometimes (like this weekend) on Sundays.  

Get Out! The Events Column for April 5 - 11, 2019

National Postal Museum Image

We wanted to share some events and activities that we thought would be of interest to list members. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 18,100+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, please email us at events @ fastmail dot net.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com         

Friday, April 5 from 6 - 8 PM, “Japan in America” at the Heurich House Museum. During the month of April, Washington, DC blooms with guests from across the globe coming to view the spectacular Japanese cherry blossom trees. The trees were a gift from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington, DC in 1912, given to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and also celebrate the continued close relationship between the nations. In celebration of Japan in America, the Heurich House Museum, as part of the First Friday Dupont Art Walk [http://www.firstfridaydupont.org/], will feature a DIY origami station. Guests will be welcome to stop by to try their hand at traditional origami folding, enjoy the first level of the Heurich House as well as our Castle Garden, and view our exhibits “Home Brewed: How the Chr. Heurich Brewing Co. Witnessed DC History” and “Scenes of Dupont Festival”. There will be drinks and snacks available for purchase. This event is free and open to the public, there is no registration required! Heurich House Museum is located at 1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW. More info: http://www.heurichhouse.org/first-friday-dupont-april-6th   

Saturday, April 6 from 10 AM - 4 PM, Baseball Opening Day Family Festival at the National Postal Museum. Kick off the 2019 Major League Baseball season and the one year countdown until “Baseball: America’s Home Run” opens at the National Postal Museum! Make your own baseball-themed craft, learn about pioneering deaf ballplayer William Hoy at ASL-interpreted Story Time, watch and learn from 19th century baseball re-enactors, and see live baseball bat-making demonstrations from bat-maker Juan Baret. Fill up with some delicious ballpark grub from local vendors and enjoy! Admission: Free; no registration required; all ages welcome. The National Postal Museum is at 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. More info: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/visit/Baseball-Opening-Day-Family-Festival.html                               

Saturday, April 6 from 11 AM - 3 PM, Orchid Family Day: Amazing Adaptations. Orchids live on every continent except Antarctica. Visit the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and explore how orchids have adapted to variable habitats. Join experts from Smithsonian Gardens, the US Botanic Garden, SAAM, and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) to celebrate orchids. Make a paper orchid while learning about what makes an orchid different from other flowers. See how orchids adapt to their homes and explore homes in various forms in the collections of SAAM and NPG. Free, no pre-registration required. At the Smithsonian American Art Museum Kogod Courtyard, 8th and F Street NW. More info: https://americanart.si.edu/events/smithsonian-gardens-orchid-family-day-april-6-2019 

Saturday, April 6 from 12 - 9:30 PM, Petalpalooza! Throw on a cherry blossom flower crown and head to Petalpalooza on the SW Waterfront. Petalpalooza will feature live music on multiple outdoor stages, a beer garden, all-ages activities, product giveaways, a spectacular fireworks show by Pyrotecnico, and much more. Take in the half-mile-long stretch of The Wharf’s shops and restaurants as the National Cherry Blossom Festival transforms the waterfront community into a one-day-only springtime spectacle! This event is free and fun for all ages. Note: Fireworks show begins at 8:30PM. For visitor details please visit:  https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/petalpalooza/

Saturday, April 6 from  2 - 4 PM, Springtime in DC: Writing Nature, Romance, and Sci-Fic. The DC Regional Authors Guild Chapter in partnership with the DC Public Library will present a panel discussion with three local authors and a staff member from the DC Public Library. Join us as they discuss genre writing, getting published and more. Q & A from the audience will follow the discussion. The discussion will take place in the first floor meeting room. Open for adults. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63267   

Saturday, April 6 from 6 - 9 PM, Spring Opening Reception at Katzen Arts Center. Mix and mingle with artists, curators, and fellow patrons at our Spring opening reception and enjoy five new exhibitions on view: Forward Press: 21st Century Printmaking; Squire Broel; Kenneth Victor Young: Continuum; Testament of the Spirit: Paintings by Eduardo Carrillo; Peripheral Visions (1st Year). Free and open to all, no RSVP required. At American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, https://www.facebook.com/events/345178042874344/  

Sunday, April 7 from 2 - 4 PM, Fairy Garden Workshop. A fairy garden is designed to give your green thumb a place to tend year-round and to lure fairies and good with them, good luck, to your home. It’s a tiny space created and tended with love. With your imagination and guidance from Garden Club member, Stephanie Parkhurst, you will create a miniature world of enchantment. Fairy gardens make great indoor gardens year-round…. and fairies make wonderful house guests! These green places for small spaces work well in any space, making them ideal for anyone, whether you’re downsizing or looking for the perfect centerpiece for a patio table. Included in your admission: Decorative container with potting soil; Three small plants per container; A wonderful array of small decorations and other fanciful materials. Note: You are welcome to bring your own container (it should be 4-5″ deep and 10″ wide) and any miniature items to decorate your garden, or to share. You will need to: Bring a spoon or a small spade to dig in your garden; Wear comfortable clothes for playing with plants and potting soil. Pre-registration is required for this program: $10 for Museum Members; $15 non-members. Go to: http://bit.ly/2FPldYw.  At the Sandy Spring Museum, 17901 Bentley Rd., Sandy Spring, MD 

Sunday, April 7 from 3 - 4:30 PM, Official Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting.Ceremony. Taking place under the cherry blossom trees on the Tidal Basin, this ceremony includes remarks by top US officials and Japanese diplomats, as well as traditional songs and music performed by Toho Koto Society of Washington DC and the Washington DC Choral Society. Free. At Independence Avenue and 17th Street SW. More info: http://bit.ly/2TYymrX      

Monday, April 8 at 12 noon, Lecture: Red Cross in DC. Speaker: Susan Robbins Watson, archivist and manager of historical programs and collections, American Red Cross. During World War II, the District of Columbia Red Cross provided support for the military at home and abroad all while balancing the needs of local residents. Support provided by the DC Red Cross included a blood donor program, production corps, nurse recruitment, and service to military families along with an array of other Red Cross services including disaster response and safety training. Free. No registration required. At The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, 701 21st Street, NW, https://museum.gwu.edu/red-cross 

Tuesday, April 9 at 6 PM, Double Take: One Artwork Two Viewpoints. Explore the influence of mass media on American art and politics during the Vietnam War era in this conversation between Melissa Ho, SAAM’s curator of twentieth-century, and Harry R. Rubenstein, curator emeritus of political history at the National Museum of American History. Presented in conjunction with SAAM’s newest exhibition Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965–1975, Ho and Rubenstein expand on some of the central themes permeating throughout the exhibition. Free. At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Sts NW - meet in the G Street Lobby. More info: https://s.si.edu/2WB7jzK 

Tuesday, April 9 at 7 PM, Tuesday Talks: Kate Lehrer and Susan Shreve. Novelists and neighbors, Kate Lehrer and Susan Shreve, will discuss the writing life – the importance of writing in their lives, how their writing routines differ, and how friendship has played into their work. They also will discuss their latest books and projects. This talk is the 4 of a 6-part monthly series presented in partnership with the Cleveland Park Business Association and the Cleveland and Woodley Park Village. Open to the public and admission is free, but please register at http://bit.ly/2HU5Hhu to reserve your seat. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW. More info: https://www.dclibrary.org/node/62487

Wednesday, April 10 from 5:30 - 8 PM, Panel Discussion: The Ethics of Using Fear in Politics -
A collaboration with GW’s Graduate School of Political Management and its Paul O'Dwyer Lecture Series for Political Ethics. As part of the continuing celebration of the exhibition Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedom, GW's Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) is hosting a panel considering the ideal depicted in Rockwell's painting, Freedom from Fear. While Rockwell suggests that the freedom attending democracy provides people with a sense of security and ensures their right to live without fear, leaders often intentionally use fear to motivate people to take action. But is it ethical for leaders to use fear, and if so,where does one draw the line between motivation and abuse? Join Matt Dallek, GSPM professor and author of Defenseless Under the Night: The Roosevelt Years and the Origins of Homeland Security, and experts from across corporate, military, and political sectors to discuss how our nation has historically used fear in politics and the myriad ways we see fear intersecting within the fields of communications and advocacy today. Free, but reservations are required. RSVP online by Friday, April 5: http://bit.ly/2U9Aj54 . Registration includes complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Schedule: 5:30-6:30 PM: Registration & Reception; 6:30-7:30 PM: Panel Discussion with Q&A; 7:30-8 PM: Post-Panel Networking. At the Elliott School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street NW, City View Room, 7th Floor.

Wednesday, April 10, 6 PM. Urban Beekeeping Information Session. Biologist Natasha Garcia-Andersen of DC’s Department of Energy & Environment will be coming to Mt. Pleasant Library to present a talk and answer questions about the rules and restrictions (and the how-to’s) of urban beekeeping. Free. The Mt. Pleasant Library is at 3160 16th St. NW, (entrance on Lamont St), https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63255

Wednesday April 10 at 7:45 PM, Sweet Honey Without the Beekeeping. This brief program will follow after the Urban Beekeeping information session described above. It’s for those who attended but at the conclusion of the session have decided that urban beekeeping is not for them. We will discuss the various ways in which you can have all the benefits of freshly harvested honey without any of the costs, risks, or hard work of keeping bees. It’s called “grocery shopping”!  Learn how you can walk into any grocery store and buy a jar of very good honey, made by someone else’s bees, just by handing over some money. You can even get honey straight from the beekeeper, if you shop at certain local farmers markets. We will share all the arcane secrets of best honey-shopping practices at this short (5 minute!) practical information session. At the Mt. Pleasant library, 3160 16th St. NW, (entrance on Lamont St). If you can’t make the event, you can watch a live-stream of the program here: http://bit.ly/cpfakeevent

Wednesday April 10 at 7 PM, DC Music Salon: Images of DC Jazz. DC music lovers, join us at Shaw Library to discuss the new book "Images of America: Washington, DC, Jazz" with co-author Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler and Foreword writer Willard Jenkins. "Black Broadway," the Howard Theatre, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Shirley Horn, Bohemian Caverns, One Step Down all make an appearance. If you love DC and/or good music, you'll enjoy spending time with photographers, musicians and some surprise guests. Free. At the Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 7th St. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63416

Thursday, April 11 at 7 PM,  Trump on the Couch. Best selling local author Justin Frank will be discussing his newest book, Trump on the Couch. Dr. Frank's talk will be followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion. Free. At Palisades Library, 4901 V Street, NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63357 

An Important Update from the DC Statehood Movement.

Photo by Djembayz (Wikimedia/Creative Commons)

A Note from the CP Listserv Editors: 

We have been asked to post this important update on behalf of the DC Statehood movement:

DC is making real progress on the road to statehood – as reported by CBS last month: http://bit.ly/2FLRTBY

Having won the support of a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, plans are moving apace to make the District into “Douglass Commonwealth.” (The previously designated state name, “New Columbia” was abandoned in 2016 due to an obvious conflict over the two-letter postal code, with NC already in use for North Carolina, and a strong preference on the part of postal patrons here to retain the initials“DC” for that purpose.)

Having solved the postal code conflict, statehood advocates have taken up the challenge of giving the district many other needed appellations of statehood. First, and most important, a state is made up of cities and towns. That is accomplished simply by taking the names of established neighborhoods and upgrading them so that they will be recognized as the various cities of DC, the state. Here are some prominent examples from across the proposed state, shown as they would be written on postal mail and on shipping labels for online orders:

Adams Morgan, DC 20009

Anacostia, DC 20002

Brookland, DC 20017

Chevy Chase, DC 20015

Cleveland Park, DC 20008 or 20016

Georgetown, DC 20007

Dupont, DC 20016

Mount Pleasant, DC 20010

Petworth, DC 20011

Shaw, DC 20001

Takoma, DC 20012

Citizens of each of the cities and towns of the state will eventually be able to elect its own mayor and town council. To facilitate this process from the start, statehood advocates are calling for current ANC commissioners to be recognized as the first town council members, and the current ANC chairperson will become the Mayor of each. All these new positions will be salaried. Negotiations are already underway to set salary levels. They will be announced once they are final and unchangeable.

The next major task in turning the District into a true State is for each of the eight wards to become the eight counties of Douglass Commonwealth. The following are the proposed county names:

Ward 1 will become Gentry County. (It contains the most gentrified neighborhoods in US - see http://bit.ly/2YGbxba.)

Ward 2 will become Cenbid County, derived from Central Business Improvement District. (An earlier proposal to call it Chambcom, from the DC Chamber of Commerce, was rejected by the Council as just a little too blatant.)

Ward 3 will become Montgomery County - because every state  in the union has to have a Montgomery County.  And under that name, parents of school age children in the city are thought to be more likely to stay put, once they can tell friends and relations that their children are in the Montgomery County School system.

Ward 4 will become Diamondtip County. Just look at it on the map: http://bit.ly/2TNKI18 

Ward 5 will become Duke Georges County. It’s adjacent to Prince Georges County, but being the younger of the two, is given the rank of Duke, not Prince.

Ward 6 will be named Hill County. Because The Hill.

Ward 7 will be named Kingman County. Developers’ plans to build up Kingman Island may not be going anywhere, but giving the island’s name to the entire area could be a way to increase its real estate appeal – the same way parts of Rockville have been rebranded “North Bethesda.”

Ward 8 will be named Barry County. Because the late Mayor-for-Life should definitely get a county. And the alternative was to name the whole state “Barry Commonwealth.”

As wards become counties, and neighborhoods become cities, so the Mayor will becomes the Governor, the city council will be the state legislature, and all the other elements of a city will take on the trappings of a state. Now all that’s left is to name a capital city of the 51st state. In keeping with the tradition that says it’s wise to keep the seat of state politics away from the center of commerce and wealth – as New York state has its capital up the Hudson in Albany, Texas has its capital off in Austin, away from Dallas and Houston, Illinois has its capital in Springfield out in the plains, and California has its capital Sacramento in the Central Valley - so Douglass Commonwealth will follow suit. Instead of choosing Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Noma, or any other highly urbanized area in the thick of things downtown, the new seat of our state government will be located a little distance "upstate" in a pleasant, leafy, cooler clime - a place once touted as being well suited for the summer homes of the rich and powerful.

Yes, that means that the capital of Douglass Commonwealth will be our own beloved Cleveland Park!

One of the larger and most historic homes on Highland Place will be acquired by eminent domain to become the new Governor’s Mansion. Highland Place will be renamed Governor’s Way.

The state legislature will be relocated from its present home in the District Building to the former Fannie Mae Building at 3900 Wisconsin Avenue NW - view its emblematically stately appearance here:  http://bit.ly/2YFXwdB. The construction, currently underway, which was to transform the old Fannie Mae building into a mixed-used complex anchored by a Wegman’s, will be halted, and that new development will be moved to a suitable site in the new Duke Georges County, where it is most needed and welcomed.

However, for these changes to become reality, we need an immediate show of support by the people of Cleveland Park! Please sign the online petition below urging the Council to adopt the plans as outlined above to turn DC into Douglass Commonwealth, with Cleveland Park as its capital. The online petition is here:

http://bit.ly/petitionclevelandparkcapitalcity  

Please add your name today!

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Still Life With Robin: Dining for Good in DC

Dine Out for Life - Food & Friends

by Peggy Robin

Tired of the rubber chicken circuit? Seen enough of that fat, red slab of overcooked salmon? Those are the choices at most of the benefit dinners you will attend in this town. But when you want to support a cause by paying for a plate at some organization’s annual banquet, you don’t really go for the food, do you? You are willing to pay a ridiculous sum for a meal because you know it will do some good for others. So you sit at your assigned table and you make awkward chitchat with your fellow supporters of the same worthy institution. And you glance discreetly at your watch while you wait for the next course to come out. By 9 PM, if you’re lucky, you may get a lemon cake and a couple of cookies. That’s dining for good in DC.

But what if you could order whatever you really wanted to eat, and pay the normal, non-inflated price, and sit at your own table with your invited friends and family? And at the same time, help to provide others with an enjoyable – and much needed – home-delivered meal? That’s what Dine Out for Life is all about. You pick the restaurant from the list you can find here: https://foodandfriends.org/events/dining-out-for-life-new/#restaurants-and-bars-tab-content. You make the reservation for the time that suits you best. Invite the family members and friends you want at your table. The prices are the same as the restaurant normally charges. When you pay your check at the end of the evening, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Food & Friends meal delivery program, which sends volunteers out in vans, delivering meals to people in our area who are struggling with AIDS, cancer, depression, and other life-challenging illnesses.

If you’d like to stay close to home, here’s the list of the participating restaurants in Cleveland Park, Glover Park, Tenleytown, Forest Hills, and Chevy Chase, DC.(Apologies if I have skipped over any participating restaurant in these areas):

Cactus Cantina (25%) http://www.cactuscantina.com/
Buck’s Fishing & Camping (50%) https://www.bucksfishingandcamping.com/
Blue 44 (25%) https://www.blue44dc.com/
Comet Ping Pong (50%) https://www.cometpingpong.com/
Le Chat Noir (35%) https://www.lechatnoirrestaurant.com/
Matisse (25%) http://www.matisserestaurantdc.com/
Slate Wine Bar and Bistro (fixed donation) http://slatewinebar.com/

But I’d like to give a special shout-out to Annie's Steakhouse in Shaw, which is donating ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the proceeds from Dining Out for Life Night to Food & Friends.

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy dinner on Thursday! Lunch, too!
-----------------------------
Still Life With Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! - The Events Column, March 28 - April 4, 2019

Smithsonian Kite Festival 

We wanted to share some events and activities that we thought would be of interest to list members. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 18,100+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, please email us at events @ fastmail dot net.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com       

Thursday, March 28 at 6:30 PM, Dinos in DC - Craft. Did you know that Washington, DC has an official dinosaur? Yes, dinosaurs once roamed our area, and Peter Kranz, Ph.D. will be here to tell you all about them. Dr. Kranz is the Chief Paleontologist at the Dinosaur Park in Laurel, MD where visitors can help dig up dinosaur fossils, and is the President of the Dinosaur Fund. He will present his findings in this hour-long talk, and he promises to bring dinosaur fossils with him. This program is open to children and adults. This is a drop-in event. The craft will be available from 4 to 5 PM., while supplies last. Recommended for toddlers to age 12 with their caregivers. Free. At Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63283

Friday, March 29 from 1 - 2 PM, Conservation Gallery Talk: Craft Conversation. Join objects conservator Gregory Bailey as he examines the intersections of craft and museum practice through the work of Disrupting Craft artist Stephanie Syjuco. Syjuco’s large-scale installations address contemporary social and economic issues, including political dissent and the legacy of colonialism. Free. At the Location: Renwick Gallery,1661 Pennsylvania Ave NW - meet in lobby. More info: https://s.si.edu/2N9Abf1   

Friday, March 29 from 1:30 - 2:30 PM, 2071: A Space Odyssey. This summer Americans will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first landing on the Moon. Since then, Americans have produced a winged space shuttle, a large international space station, four robotic rovers traversing Mars, grand tours throughout the solar system, four major space observatories (including the Hubble Space Telescope) and the first private companies prepared to provide space transportation services. Professor Howard McCurdy (School of Public Affairs at American University) will examine the likely prospects for the next fifty-two years. Will humans return to the Moon? Will they land on Mars? What types of spacecraft will take humans into space? Will scientists discover life on other spheres and what wonders will new telescopes reveal? This program is a presentation of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at American University. Free, but registration required at http://bit.ly/2WrqAE2. In the American University Spring Valley Building , 4801 Massachusetts Ave. NW, in Room A, 1st Floor.

Saturday, March 30 from 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Blossom Kite Festival at the Washington Monument. Spring takes flight at this annual event, where thousands of kites take to the sky on the National Mall. Watch professionals demonstrate tricks and compete for kiting glory. Kites are available for purchase or you can BYOK. Free. Details/schedule of activities here: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/blossom-kite-festival/ 

Saturday, March 30 at 1 PM, Art Conservation 101. Join Amy Hughes, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Paper Conservation at the National Gallery of Art, to learn more about the basics of conservation. You will be introduced to best practices for caring for your personal art through the lens of the conservator by exploring the relationships between artists' materials and techniques, tangible and intangible qualities (value) and everyday use. Practical tips will be provided. This class will last one hour with time for questions. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63077   

Saturday, March 30 at 2 PM, "Dog Parks and Coffee Shops: Diversity Seeking in Changing Neighborhoods" - a Q&A with Dr. Sonya Grier. This program is part of the exhibition film series for “A Right to the City,” a 2014 short film by Sonya Grier, co-directed by Vanessa Perry. The film examines gentrification, consumption and diversity among both old and new residents in Washington, DC neighborhoods including U Street and Shaw. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Grier, professor at American University Kogod School of Business, who conducts interdisciplinary research on topics related to target marketing, race in the marketplace, the social impact of commercial marketing and social marketing. Her current research investigates the relationship between marketing activities and consumer health, with a focus on obesity. Free. At Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW (entrance on Lamont St.) More info: https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63072   

Sunday, March 31 at 2 PM, The Jazz in the Basement Series hosts The Harold Trio for their album release show. After meeting as part of the Washington Women in Jazz and Women in Jazz Sweden exchange, Amy K. Bormet (piano, wurlitzer, voice), Biggi Vinkeloe (alto saxophone/flute), and Tina Raymond (drumset) came together in Los Angeles in May 2016 to record their first album of both live and studio performances. All three women are international performers, working in places as diverse as India, Brazil, Uganda and Sweden. Their music, which is truly spontaneous, defies categorization and draws from the trio's knowledge of western art music, avant-garde jazz and Indian classical music. What makes the Harold Trio compelling is the ease with which Amy, Biggi and Tina merge their deep individual experiences, exhilarating music and personas and sensitive improvised ensemble work. This event will take place at the Goethe-Institut Washington located at 1990 K St. NW (enter on 20th St.). Free | All Ages | First come, first served. Register: http://bit.ly/2Oz4EEh

Monday, April 1 at 12 noon, Book Talk: "Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City" by
Derek Hyra, associate professor, American University. Author Derek Hyra will discuss the causes and consequences of the dramatic racial and economic changes that have taken place in DC’s historic Shaw and U Street neighborhood. For longtime residents, the neighborhood has grown almost unrecognizable in recent years. Where the city’s most infamous open-air drug market once stood, a farmers’ market now sells grass-fed beef and homemade duck egg ravioli. On the corner where AM.PM carryout used to dish out soul food, a new establishment markets its $28 foie gras burger. However, not everyone has benefited from the redevelopment in the neighborhood. Longtime residents and small businesses have moved out or have had to adjust to the arrival of young, relatively wealthy newcomers. In Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City, Hyra unpacks the complexities of gentrification and offers practical policy solutions to facilitate more equitable redevelopment outcomes. Free. At The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, 701 21st Street, NW, https://museum.gwu.edu/race-class-politics   

Monday, April 1 from 4 - 5 PM, Trivia Night at Cleveland Park Library. Come and test your mettle against your friends and neighbors. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, in the First Floor Meeting Room.

Tuesday, April 2 at 6 PM, Bradford Pear Blossom Festival Organizing Meeting. The Friends of the Bradford Pear will come together to seek support and plan the celebration for this much unloved flowering tree, now scorned by most botanists and arborists as an “invasive species.” During the 2019 Cherry Blossom Festival - amid the annual outpouring of over-the-top promotion for the blossoms of these over-planted and over-hyped trees - the Friends of the Bradford Pear feel it's the time to show our appreciation of the neglected blossoms of the Bradford Pear. Once popular in the 1960s and 70s -- and promoted by Lady Bird Johnson as part of her “Beautify America” campaign - the now-forlorn tree has become an object of abuse and discrimination from many sides (see this example:  http://bit.ly/2JQl3Wa and this one, actually urging people to chop them down: https://wellnessmama.com/126975/cut-down-bradford-pear-tree/ ). At this meeting, the Friends of the Bradford Pear (FOBP) will speak out against the blind nativism that seems to be spreading in many horticultural circles. We will also draft a plan to hold a Festival to the beauty of its blossoms to rival that tired, old Cherry Blossom thing! You must register for this event: http://bit.ly/cpfakeevent; due to its highly controversial nature, it will be held at a location disclosed only to those who apply to attend and verify their credentials.

Wednesday, April 3 from 4 - 6 PM, MPC Annual Spring Lecture: Robert Sampson on "Urban Neighborhoods and American Life". Robert J. Sampson is the Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University, founding director of the Boston Area Research Initiative, and Affiliated Research Professor at the American Bar Foundation. His most recent book, published by the University of Chicago Press, is Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect. Great American City is based on the culmination of over a decade of research from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), for which Sampson served as Scientific Director. A reception will follow the lecture. To RSVP, click here http://bit.ly/2UX09Wi. Free. At the American University School of International Service, Founders Room, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW.

Wednesday, April 3 at 7 PM, Author Talk: Stuart Eizenstat on President Carter: The White House Years. The definitive history of the Carter Administration from the man who participated in its surprising number of accomplishments - drawing on his extensive and never-before-seen notes. Stuart Eizenstat was at Jimmy Carter's side from his political rise in Georgia through four years in the White House, where he served as Chief Domestic Policy Adviser. He was directly involved in all domestic and economic decisions as well as in many foreign policy ones. Famous for the legal pads he took to every meeting, he draws on more than 7500 pages of notes and 350 interviews of all the major figures of the time, to write the comprehensive history of an underappreciated president--and to give an intimate view on how the presidency works. Free. At Tenley-Friendship Public Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/63138

Thursday, April 4 from 5 - 8 PM, Free Tax Assistance at the Petworth Library. Meet with a qualified AARP tax aide at your local library to help answer your tax questions and prepare your 2018 income tax filing. For more information and to find other sites offering tax assistance, please visit the DC Library’s tax help page at https://www.dclibrary.org/incometax .The Petworth Library is at 4200 Kansas Ave. NW. More info: https://www.dclibrary.org/node/62571