The Georgetown Metropolitan

1500 block of 33rd St.

Tonight the Citizens Association of Georgetown is hosting a fantastic evening talk with Eastbanc president, Anthony Lanier, and his former employee, BID President Joe Sternlieb. They will be speaking on the status of commercial development in Georgetown. How’d we get here? Where are we going? Why can’t we get a hardware store, etc.?

The last time Lanier spoke for CAG, it was a packed house. He spoke at length about his past, how his vision came about, and what he’d like to see in the future for Georgetown. The crowd ate it up. Continue reading →

Photo by Mark Andre.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GM wrote this update before the election results were in. So YAY WE DID IT!!!/Oh Well, we gave it a good fight.
• BID-initiated non-profit moving ahead with plans to acquire a new canal boat.

3100 block of P St.

It’s that time of year again, when people start to wonder what the hell are those giant grain brain-shaped fruit around Georgetown. As in past years, GM is ready with the answer, as reprinted below:

This time a year, if you wonder around Montrose or Volta Parks you’re bound to find on the ground weird softball-sized green fruit like the one above. People are often so struck by the sight of the fruit, they pick up one or two of them and bring them home. But what are they, you ask?

Despite their green color, they’re oranges. Osage oranges, to be specific. They are grown by Osage trees, which line the Parrot rope walk. These trees are prevalent in the Great Plains states, where they are often planted along hedgerows. Traditionally, the pliable but strong nature of this tree’s wood made it valuable for fence posts and archery bows. Continue reading →

Photo by Jacquesofalltrades.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GO VOTE! And strongly consider giving your vote to David Catania, Elissa Silverman, Tim Krepp and Paul Zuckerberg.
• Dog Tag Bakery is supposed to open today. It’s a great cause, check it out!

1500 block of 33rd St.

Tomorrow is the general election. If you haven’t already voted early (which is a great idea, by the way) tomorrow’s the day for you to do your civic duty. For Georgetowners, if you typically vote at Christ’s Church, you will do so again tomorrow. For the west side, however, if you typically vote at Ellington High School, the voting machines will be at the library due to the school’s construction.

And for what it’s worth, here is who GM thinks you ought to vote for:

Mayor: David Catania

GM detailed the reasons he supports David Catania last month. As the Washington City Paper said in it’s endorsement of Catania: “The city’s recent political history, [Catania] argues sharply, has been marked by a lack of urgency about fixing problems, and now sweeping change is what’s called for.Which, ultimately, sounds more accurate to us.”

Despite the countless construction cranes dotting the skyline and the budget surplus, the city is in a crisis. Affordable housing is evaporating, the federal glut of dollars that has fed our expansion is ending, multiple recent ex-councilmember sit behind bars, and schools across the city are still failing. Catania understands the seriousness of these crises and has the urgency to tackle them. Please give him your vote.

At Large Councilmember: Elissa Silverman

There are two spots available for At Large candidates. Anita Bonds is certain to win one of them. But the other seat is truly a toss-up. GM believes that you should give one of your votes to Elissa Silverman.

A former Citypaper politics writer, Silverman appreciates as much as anyone the corrosive effects of corrupt government, particularly the chummy pay-to-play practices common in DC. As detailed by WAMU, there is an endemic culture of corruption between some councilmembers and the corporations that fund their campaigns. Silverman, on the other hand, refuses campaign contributions from corporations. Period. This goes way beyond the legal standards, even after the new ethics rules kick in next year. It’s a testament to the fact that Silverman is dedicated to the premise that good government means not just avoiding conflicts of interest, but avoid even the appearance of conflicts.

Continue reading →

Photo by Bossi.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Great old view of downtown from Georgetown.
• Christ’s Church reverend signs off.

3000 block of R St.