Related: A look at what opened and closed in 2024-- and what's coming soon in 2025
JANUARY
The DC Public Library Southeast Neighborhood Branch closed for renovation Jan 4, 2024. The current library, which is under 9,000 square feet, occupies much of the 6,431-square-foot site. The modernization will expand the library space to nearly 19,000 square feet.
Begun in 2018, the $33 million renovation will continue into 2025 and well into 2026. In the meantime, the Friends of Southeast Library (FOSEL) continued their noted used book sales at both CHAW and in cooperation with the Northeast Library.
Long-time FOSEL President Neal Gregory, who helped make the sales into the fundraising success they now are, moved away from the Hill and we celebrated his contributions to the friends group.
Meanwhile, the first meeting on the renovation of the Rosedale Branch of the DL was held in January. The library was built in 2010 after efforts from the community, many of whom were on hand in January to object to the possibility of relocation. The 5,000 square foot library is currently co-located with the Rosedale Recreation Center and Rosedale outdoor pool; DL wants a full service, 20,000 square foot library and at January appeared to prefer a new site.
But at the second meeting, held in December, DL Executive Director (ED) Richard Reyes-Gavilan said that DL had decided to leave the project on the same site, although the design has yet to be formulated. The project is planned to start in 2028.
In January, our cub reporters welcomed New Ownership at 7-River Mart. New owners Dawit Demissie (pronounced Dah-wee, 35) and his brother Nahom (Nay-home), who goes by Nate (36) purchased the business in December 2023 from Mr. Su “Sam” Ko, who retired to Fairfax, Va after 11 years behind the counter. Both brothers were born and raised in Ethiopia and came to Kentucky for high school. They later attended college in Arkansas.
In January 2024, the District began releasing suggested changes after a re-examination of boundaries for by-right schools and their feeder patterns. That could have meant a re-drawing of the schools kids are entitled to attend based on their address. Changes under consideration in December could have affected Payne, Brent and the Cluster schools (Peabody, Watkins and Stuart-Hobson).
But perhaps the most contentious suggestion was the ed by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), who effectively makes final decisions about the public school system.
The final recommendation was to implement at-risk seats be set aside for Maury. DS is also to launch a Maury-Miner Community Working Group no earlier than School Year 2026-27 to examine the feasibility of a pairing. However, another school boundary study and recommendations are expected to happen after the 2030 census.
FEBRUARY
In February, the Hill Rag hosted a Carjacking is “No Big Deal”, published in December 2023. The two articles looked at the reasons why youth were seemingly the largest demographic committing the crime and the consequences for them if they were caught. The , moderated by Allen, included Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) First District Commander Colin Hall, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, Guns Down Friday Founder Jawanna Hardy, Credible Messenger of Building Blocks DC Reginald Mathis and foster parent and advocate Kevin McGilly.
The took place as the Board of Elections issued petitions in an effort to recall Councilmember Allen from DC Council. Petitioners said that the recall was premised on concerns around public safety, citing a 2023 rewrite of the DC Criminal Code and cuts to police budgets and reforms implemented in 2020 and credited by the petitioners to Allen.
But the heated effort collapsed in August when the Committee to Recall Charles Allen failed to gather enough signatures to get the matter on the ballot. The group was required to collect 6,400 signatures by Aug. 13 deadline. It fell 900 short. “Ultimately, the recall organizers failed to appreciate that Ward 6 residents are thoughtful people looking for real solutions to our toughest problems,” Allen wrote in a statement, “and they don’t respond to the fear and division we see play out every day on the national stage.”
As 2024 opened and students faced gaps in care, parents voiced concerns about School Nurses. A new cluster model implemented in fall 2023 was supposed to address the two issues that officials say encumber school health services: limited staff and limited funds. But parents and the DC Nursing Association said that inconsistently empty offices are endangering the lives of children. As we roll into 2025, parents continue to organize around the issue.
The Secure DC Act ed first reading at DC Council, but with amendments as concerned citizens fought back against provisions around the collection of DNA, face coverings and services provided at designated Drug Free Zones.
Smoke and the sound of explosions were heard at Eastern Market Metro Station Feb. 15. No one was seriously injured. WMATA later indicated that the incident was caused by arcing between a third rail shoe assembly on a 7000 series car, which had likely made electrical with the third rail.
On Feb. 26, a DC Housing Authority (DCHA) police officer was shot in a parking garage on the 1200 block of Fourth St. SE. The suspect barricaded themselves inside the building before being arrested on site.
The same day, an RFK bill ed in the House. Co-sponsored by an impressive bipartisan coalistion led by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Republican James Comer (R-KY), the bill transfers istration of the 174-acre RFK Campus to the District fo 99 years. It mandates that 30 percent of the site be used for parkland and adds the proviso that federal funds cannot be used to build a stadium at the site. In a last-minute, overnight vote, similar legislation was ed by the Senate in December, opening the campus up to District-led development —and a high stakes debate about the merits of an NFL stadium in the city.
MARCH
The Hill lost two pillars in March. Hill Restaurant Group (HRG) Managing Partner Tom Johnson died suddenly March 10. Johnson came to the Hill in 2018 to patch together a group of restaurants emerging from bankruptcy, including Lola’s, Playa Ocho, and Opheila’s Fish House; The Hawk and Dove on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; and Boxcar across from Eastern Market. Many of subsequently closed. Johnson quickly became a booster for the neighborhood, ing forces with others in promoting Barracks Row Main Street, Eastern Market Main Street, and as a member of the Washington Business Journal Leadership Trust.
In March, one of the first Drug-Free Zones was established under legislation ed with the Secure DC bill. The epicenter was at the corner of Eighth and H Streets NE; in Sept, another Drug-free zone was established at Eastern Market Metro Plaza Park (EMMP). The provision under the 2024 Secure DC Act allows Chief of Police Pamela Smith to declare any public area inside a square as big as 1,000 feet per side a drug free zone for up to five days, or 15 days per 30-day period.
Although Secure DC legislation wording is intended to prohibit “a group of 2 or more within the perimeter of a drug free zone established pursuant to section 3 for the purpose of committing an offense under Title IV of the Controlled Substances Act,” it allows offers to determine the purpose of a person’s presence in a zone by, among other considerations, when “such person has no other apparent lawful reason for congregating in the drug free zone.” It is also a violation of the law not to obey an officer’s orders to disperse.
Police say a man set fire to his apartment in the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments (900 Fifth St. SE) March 4 three-alarm blaze ripped through the apartments. The 63-year-old man was arrested and charged with arson and threats to do bodily harm.
Although Parkside-Kenilworth Residents Hoped for Development Benefiting Community at the Benning Road Pepco Road site, when the utility sold 10 acres of the 77-acre parcel to real estate and supply chain logistics company ProLogis, only apparently not part of that schedule.
APRIL
bollards at Eastern Market to deter vehicular terrorism was scheduled for November 2023, but cancelled at the last minute. In April, the Eastern market community learned it was due to the increased cost. Security concerns were at the center of discussions at the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) throughout the year. Two MPD Protective Security Division were permanently assigned to the Market effective Oct. 1. The Market has been operating without a police presence since Department of General Services imposed budget cuts during COVID. In November 2024, Councilmember Allen found funds to install the bollards, but the funds are in the FY26 budget, which begins Oct. 1, 2025.
April marked a tipping point in what had been an alarming concentration of shootings centered between 17th and 15th & Independence. (Kyle G. Dragon turned himself in a few days later.
In 2020, East City Books issued t-shirt that read “woman owned, pandemic tested.” Four years later, the independent bookstore celebrated its eighth anniversary, triumphing despite a leak that closed the store to shoppers and took out some of the books and shelving.
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Radici Market closed April 28, citing the rising cost of rent. Despite these purported issues with the landlord, in June, St. George’s signed a lease for the site. Although the French bakery Café concept has applied for liquor licenses and begun renovations, they are not expected to open until Spring 2025. Meanwhile, Hill residents got their taste of Radici for the holidays when the Italian market opened a five-day pop-up in the foyer of 700 Penn.
After a lengthy struggle and public outcry, Pacci’s Capitol Hill (106 13th St. SE) received clearance from the District Board of Adjustment (BZA) to expand to the building’s top floor, a move they said would prevent the Lincoln Park restaurant from closing. The building spent five years under renovation before opening in 2023. Because it is in a residential zone, it requires a use variance to use the top floor as a restaurant rather than as an apartment. But the building had been gutted during the reno; Pacci’s argued making the top floor residential compliant would cost in the range of $200,000, making it infeasible.
DC Assistant Attorney General Jason Jones told ANC 6A about the legal action taken by his agency against George Papageorge for the evasion of District vacant property taxes on his property at 1000 C St. NE. “Anyone who lives in the neighborhood knows about that house and that it has been sitting vacant for some indeterminate amount of time,” Jones said, noting that it has likely been sitting unoccupied for more than 40 years. The lawsuit orders Papageorge to pay the outstanding property taxes in addition to “significant damages, civil penalties and interest” to the District in the amount of $1.8 million. For neighbors, this is a victory, said Commissioner Roberta Shapiro (6A03). The property has been a source of unresolved concern for decades.
On April 17, local personality and well-known clay artist Susan Jacobs turned 80, celebrating an extraordinarily colorful, interesting life with her chosen Capitol Hill family. She was employed at Eastern Market Pottery from 1973 until 2024. Say hello to her if you see her on the street, which you will!
MAY
32-year-old and arrested a 26-year-old Southeast man, who was charged with premeditated murder while armed.
In May, ANC 6B ed a community benefits agreement that would allow Clear Plains LLC to close the alley behind the northern block of 300 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The dead-end alley is located behind the former Capitol Lounge (229 Pennsylvania Ave SE), one of nine properties on the block purchased by the Clear Plains LLC d Conservative Partnership Institute (I) since 2022.The CBA is controversial in part due to politics. I is chaired and was founded by former Senator Jim Demint after stepping down from his role at the Heritage Foundation. Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is a senior partner. In addition to the usual benefits around trash storage and construction management, I agreed to give $100,000 to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation (CHCF) and to provide interior and exterior space for public use and community meetings.
In December 2023, incumbent Councilmember Vincent Gray (D) announced he would not seek re-election to represent Ward 7. The race to succeed him was the most hotly contested, with ten candidates in the Democratic primary set for June 4. It’s the first time Ward 7 will select a leader since the 2020 redistricting process. And it comes at a time of tremendous pressure, as residents of Ward 7 say there needs to be more focus on public safety, education and economic development. The last remains prominent as the future of RFK Campus remains at the forefront of debate even as residents want to see full plans for development at the Fletcher-Johnson development. ANC 7D Chair Wendell Felder emerged victorious from the primaries, going on to win in the General Election.
For their Capitol Hill Community Foundation gala at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on May 22.
Finally, life-saving equipment was installed on the west corner of the North Hall at Eastern Market: a “Save Station”. Inside is an automatic electronic defibrillator (AED). It is a little machine that does a big job: it helps any bystander help save a life in the case of cardiac arrest. It was placed their May 31 in a partnership between non-profit Every Second Counts R, Zoll Medical, Save Station and DC Fire Emergency Medical Services (DC FEMS) and DC’s Department of General Services (DGS), managers of Eastern Market. Just open the cabinet and it will tell you what to do to perhaps save a life.
JUNE
The Folger Library reopened to the public June 21 after an extensive renovation. The $80.5 million renovation project creates a 12,000-square-foot public wing under the Folger’s original Paul Philippe Cret 1932 building. The new Adams Pavilion includes two large exhibition halls, a learning lab, expansive lobbies, a new gift shop, and enhanced accessibility throughout the building. There are also collaborative research spaces, social gathering spots inside and outside the building and new gardens designed by landscape architect OLIN. Much of the building is open to the public; the Café, Quill and the Crumb opened in November.
As the work to improve the water quality of the Anacostia River produced delayed their controlled swim event, Splash! For a third time in June, and then, quietyly, for a fourth, pushing it to 2025. It The initial event, scheduled for July 2023, was delayed to September after heavy rainfall affected water quality. That may also have been impacted by simultaneous work on the new northeast boundary tunnel, which was finally completed in September 2023, delaying the event a second time. The laws in the District mean you need a special permit from the District government for a legal swim; to get the go-ahead from DOEE, E. Coli levels must be deemed to be at healthy levels. Folks at DOEE and Anacostia Riverkeeper have both said that the existence of a swimming ban in the District means that events like this one are held to high monitoring standards, standards that don’t even exist in some other jurisdictions. The water consistently tests at its highest quality in decades. Multiple sites on the river water quality tests most of the time, including the Kingman Island Site.
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Throughout 2024, Eastern Market celebrated 15 years of operation since the devastating 2009 fire that destroyed the building. A celebration, the Night of the Phoenix, was held in June around the time Eastern Market Main Street (EMMS) released a video celebrating the enduring spirit of the market and community.
In June, we marked the one-year anniversary of Hill Family Biking with an article featuring photos from their May anniversary ride. 200 riders participated in the family-oriented ride around the Hill, capping off the ride with a party on the 200 block of 13th Street NE, complete with a Chalk Riot mural, popsicles, a DJ and an extremely fancy potty from Throne. Now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Hill Family Biking rides are only getting bigger —and so are their plans.
After specializes in pizza but also other southern Italian delicacies to enjoy on their large patio near Union Station.
JULY
The Mary McLeod Bethune Statue was re-dedicated July 13, 2024, on its 50th anniversary in front of a gathering of about 500. The National Park Service (NPS) said the statue was unveiled on July 10, 1974 —what would have been Bethune’s 99th birthday. The event was co-hosted by the NPS, which manages the site, and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), which commissioned the statue, getting Congressional and raising nearly $500,000 to fund the monument to their founder. The 1974 dedication was attended by then-Mayor Walter Washington. He said Bethune “was an integral part of this city, and now she has returned larger than life in this magnificent work of art.”
In 2024, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) reminded the assembled that there were still too few representations of Black women in the nation’s capital. “We’re challenged to make sure that we our history and that we make sure that it is properly reflected in our public spaces, our public buildings, our curriculums, our activities, our events, our officials,’ Bowser said. Pointing to Bethune’s advocacy for voting rights and engagement, the Mayor said these resonate today in the District’s ongoing struggle for statehood. “More than that, what we anticipate is many months to come is an assault on our very autonomy and home rule,” before calling on visitors to statehood for DC.
A woman was tragically and suddenly killed after a tree fell on her early on the morning of July 10 in Garfield Park. Police later identified her as was killed as she walked with her dog and spouse in the park. According to the police report, witnesses told officers they heard multiple loud pops or cracks and then “everyone in the park started to run in all directions.”
DDOT told reporters that it is was not clear why the tree limb fell, as both the limb and tree appeared to be healthy. The tree was completely removed from the park the same day and the remaining roots became a memorial to Noah. As a result of this tragedy, the District Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)and DDOT conducted an examination of all of the trees in the park. NPS also moved up the inspection of trees in Lincoln Park as a result of the tragedy.
After a three month closure, As You Are (AYA, 500 Eighth St. SE), a cornerstone of DC’s LGBTQ+ community and beyond announced they would reopen Thursday, Aug. 1. The building had been extensive renovation and soundproofing of the building and prevent it from closing.
It was another hot, gorgeous July 4th Capitol Hill Parade on Barracks Row this year. The Eastern Marching Band and Lady Gems dance team, both from Eastern High School (1700 E. Capitol St. SE) stepped off, leading the parade north up Eighth Street from Virginia Avenue SE.
Hundreds lined the street, clustering in the shade as they watched their friends and neighbors marched by. This year there was a good representation of District istrative and elected officials; while Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) was at Pallisades instead, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith and First District Commander Colin Hall were the in the vanguard. DC Fire Emergency Medical Services (DC FEMS) Chief John A. Donnelly seemed to enjoy himself as he tossed candy and green balls to the crowd.The parade ended rather early, at around 10:45 a.m. and most attendees found themselves in line for free ice cream as part of the Barracks Row Main Street (BRMS) attempt at the Guiness World Record for Most People to Make the Shape of An Ice Cream Cone.Hundreds received colored plastic ponchos that would delineate differently flavored “scoops” and a cone. But the attempt melted in temperatures that reached into the mid 90s.
AUGUST
At a special call meeting, Navy Yard Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8F asked OANC to Remove Clayton Rosenberg (8F05). Rosenberg pled guilty in August to federal charges of stealing pandemic relief funds. In 2020, Rosenberg and two accomplices created shell companies that claimed benefits worth more than $1.6 million. Rosenberg spent the money on beard treatments and luxury vehicles, court records state. He is currently serving and appealing his federal sentence.
That same month, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. was arrested by the FBI in Navy Yard. US Attorney Matthew Graves charged him with bribery Aug. 19.
T. White, who then chaired the DC Council Committee on Youth and Recreation, with oversight over youth supervisory services, allegedly agreed to take up to $156,000 in payments in exchange for intervening in a contract dispute, according to the federal indictment. DC Council took a first vote to expel T. White, who was re-elected in November, from Council. A second council vote is expected in February, after an expected January appearance in federal court.
In August, we reported on what medical cannabis retailers say is the illegal cannabis can pose to consumers and the public.
On Aug. 24, Shirley Chisholm Elementary at 1001 G St. SE celebrated its official naming day. The school was formerly named John Tyler Elementary. Tyler was a former president who owned slaves, espoused racist theories and ed the confederacy during the Civil War. The school community began the renaming process in 2018 but chose the new name through a collective process throughout 2023.
Shirley Chisholm was an activist who was the first Black woman elected to the US Congress in 1968 and the first Black candidate for the Democratic nomination for President. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2015.
Meanwhile, Capitol Hill Little League celebrated a three-banner year when all three of their little league teams — 10u, 11u and 12u— won the District championships and went on to regional competition. It was the culmination of 12 years of work by the volunteers who built a community of more than 700 players and a softball league.
SEPTEMBER
By September, the decline in violent crime and in carjackings, the subject of ur February , were noticeably declining, a trend that continued into December. We took a look at why crime was declining, a trend that continued to finish out the year.
We looked back to celebrate the success of the Capitol Hill Art Walk, an outdoor art show and sale that has doubled the number of participating artists every year for the three years it has taken place, featuring more than 80 in 2024.
The Blue and White Marching Machine was honored twice as Eastern High School reconvened for classes at the Pride of Capitol Hill. In April, DC Council voted to honorarily designate the stretch of road between North Carolina Avenue NE, and 17th Street NE for the band; the ceremony took place Sept. 23.
Just prior to the ceremony at 1300 A Street NE, Eastern hosted the London officials as they presented the band with a formal invitation to participate in the 2026 London New Year’s Day Parade. While numerous representatives from the US have participated in prior years, this will be the first time the London Parade will feature a representative from the Nation’s Capital.
OCTOBER
In October, the US District Court dismissed a suit filed Sept. 25, 2023 by the owners of the Big Board restaurant (421 H St. NE) against a group of current and former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (ANCs). The suit claimed that the commission protested the renewal of the restaurant’s liquor license ”to punish and harm Plaintiffs, without a valid basis, in retaliation for Plaintiffs’ expressed views.”
In the dismissal opinion issued Sept. 30, the court said the Big Board “failed to plausibly allege a necessary element of a First Amendment retaliation claim,” namely, that the ANC protested an application for license renewal filed by the Big Board in retaliation for First Amendment protected speech made by restaurant owner Eric Flannery. Attorneys for Big Board said they were disappointed the case had been dismissed and that they were exploring legal options.
NPS Family Fall Festival with popcorn, donuts and family activities, including pin the tail on the turkey and a scavenger hunt with prizes. Hill Family Biking timed their Littles ride (a ride designed for preschoolers and early elementary riders) to end at the park for a story time and the festival fun.
On Oct. 21, the 11th Street Bridge Park project announced they are the winners of a $15 million grant from the Department of the Interior Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program (ORLP).
The grant means the bridge project has secured the full $92 million needed for the construction of the 11th Street Bridge Park. The seven-acre bridge features a café, plaza and hammock grove as well as an 11,000 inter-generational play space by Studio Ludo.The Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) will program an Environmental Education Center and a kayaking canoe launch targeting school kids in the day and low cost access evenings and weekends. There will also be an urban farm on the Anacostia park side. The bridge expects to begin to solicit a contractor in January 2025, with construction planned to begin in May 2025. The goal is to complete construction sometime in the fall of 2027.
ANCs on the Hill heard about the DC Correctional Treatment Facility Annex Project. Mayor Muriel Bowser has committed $463 million over six years from 2025-2030 just to plan the annex project, which will be constructed in two phases. The first building will be built in the parking lot just north of CTF along an extended Massachusetts Avenue. It will house most of the istrative functions, such as intake and release, re-entry planning, medical services and treatment and spaces as well as facility parking. A portion of CTF will then be demolished and building two will be constructed in its place, containing housing and spaces. The remaining CTF buildings will be renovated to include kitchens, a laundry, an outpatient clinic and a women’s center as part of a separate but simultaneous renovation project.
The project must undergo review from the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), National Capital Planning Commission (NC) and the DC Zoning Commission (ZC).
The team is currently moving into the design phase, which is estimated to last about two years. Construction on building 1 could begin in late 2027 and is expected to take about three years. After a transition and activation process 2030-31 construction of building 2 will begin with demolition of a portion of CDF.
In October, we featured one of the new good places on H Street NE: H Street Thrift and Outreach (1108 H St. NE). If you’re able, you can buy what you want at H Street Thrift —most things have a tag— but those who are unable to do so are welcome to take what they need. Owner Andrew Frenkel Frenkel welcomes donations from the community that he will either sell to fund his work or give away to neighbors in need. The H Street Thrift storefront is the base for Frenkel’s big dream: to help District residents in need and be a galvanizing force in the revitalization of H Street NE. He works with nonprofits to help the unhoused and those seeking employment and medical assistance. Plus, he’s putting together some great fits.
NOVEMBER
The 2024 General Election brought few local surprises. More than 72 percent of voters voted for Initiative 83 (I-83), the ballot initiative creating semi-open primary elections and rank choice voting. Despite federal allegations of bribery, incumbent Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. (D) captured 76 percent of the vote. Ward 7 will be represented by Democrat Wendell Felder, who emerged victorious from the field in the primary. Voters returned incumbents in most contests. The two at-large seats on DC Council will return to the incumbents, At-Large Council Democrat Robert White, Jr. (D) and Christina D. Henderson (I). Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D) and Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D) were both relected. Voters conclusively returned incumbent Ward 7 Representative to the State Board of Education (SBOE) Eboni-Rose Thompson to her seat with 71 percent of the vote.
But there was some ANC Confusion: a congratulatory call sparked confusion in the ANC 8F02 race. Elissa De Souza, a candidate in a three-way contest to represent Single Member District (SMD) 6/8F02, declared victory on Twitter after she received a congratulatory email and several calls from the Mayor’s office at around 1 p.m. on Nov. 8.
The other candidates were Markita Bryant and Antonio Rossi. As of Nov. 8, the DC Board of Election’s (DCBOE) website showed Bryant ahead with a two vote lead. Antonio Rossi trailed by more than a hundred votes. Bryant was declared the winner in January.
It appears several commissioners were ed with congratulations last week by the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS), the Mayor’s constituent services arm.
Asked about it at a press conference on Nov. 12, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) acknowledged the call had been placed erroneously and preemptively by someone in the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM). “A junior staffer got ahead of himself or herself; it’s really that simple,” Bowser said.
Meanwhile, what looked like a settled race to represent Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7D01 was anything but. The sole candidate in the race, both Taborn and the Hill Rag that votes for the withdrawn candidate would not count, Taborn started doing the work rather than campaigning —meaning that he will have to run for the office again in January.
Bowers Fancy Dairy Products celebrated 60 years at Eastern Market as of Oct. 1, and we celebrated in a November article. The Bowers family has owned and operated Bowers Fancy Dairy Products for 60 years, after current owner Mike Bowers’ grandfather, Harris Rockford Bowers purchased the business from Wm. S. Sweeney in 1964. Mike Bowers ed the company in 1969, taking over completely in 2012.
At the same time, we shared the news that owner Richard glasgow has put Southern Maryland Seafood up for sale. The business has operated at Eastern Market since 1936. The potential transaction could change the balance of the market. But that balance is protected by market regulations. Among the more difficult questions are what kind of business could replace the seafood shop.Under the of its lease with Eastern Market, managed by the District Department of General Services (DGS) the type of business that takes the place of Southern Maryland Seafood will have to be approved. That will be contingent upon having the product assessed as consistent with the purpose of the public market and balanced against offerings from the other South Hall merchants.
Meanwhile, over on H Street wine bar Irregardless reopened as Cynthia Bar and Bistro (502 H St. NE). Owner Phil Coppage said his goal is to give the neighborhood what it wants. Cynthia is a bit simpler, more accessible –but still delicious, he said. Leaning Italian, both interior and offerings are nice, but not too nice –the kind of place you could bring your kids, your friends or a date.
DECEMBER
After a Porsche was lit on fire in early December in an Eastern Market neighborhood, neighbors banded together to identify and locate the suspect. But the identification was insufficeinet, USAO said, for them to prosecute the suspected arsonist.
Photos shared by @OutlawtheCatt after an armed carjacking at the Safeway on 14th Street SE in Capitol Hill DC last night. A white Audi SUV was stolen at gunpoint by two males. #DCCrime #CapitolHillDC @ChuckThies @mrddmia pic.twitter.com/rc2cO3rbth
— DMV News Live (@DCNewsLive) October 31, 2024
Police arrested a 13-Year-Old in the October carjacking that took place in the in the parking garage of the Capitol Hill Safeway. The case caused a stir after photos circulated on social media, purporting to show a very young person , pointing a handgun at the photographer from the enger seat of one vehicle used in the crime. At least one other suspect is still at large.
On Dec. 5, the Ward 6 community gathered at Arena Stage (1101 Sixth St. SW) for the 2024 Brickies. The Brickie Awards are an annual celebration of Ward 6, with actual bricks given as awards to winners in five categories: Neighbor, Community Organization, Business, Public Service, and Civic Pride.
This year’s winners included pedestrian advocates, Waterfront Village, the DC Health Rodent Control Team, Solid State Books, the Shirley Chisholm Elementary Community and The Hill is Home. The neighborhood blog received a special award as they celebrated 15 years of documenting and commenting on daily life for Ward 6 neighbors. The award was accepted by María Helena Carey and Robert Pohl.
Café 8 upped their minimum age to 30 at night shortly after Thanksgiving, citing concerns with crowd control and safety. rCafe epresentative Elif Sam said she was told businesses had discretion in whom they itted by both MPD and the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis istration (ABCA), the decision raised questions about age discrimination.
The Renovation of Rumsey Pool kicked off Dec. 19 with a meeting attended by about 150 residents —a holiday showing that demonstrated the community investment in the project. The William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center (635 N. Carolina Ave. SE) will be completely rebuilt on site, replaced by a two-story building that will include a pool as well as senior services and other amenities. The pool will remain open for at least another year through the design process, then will close for demolition and construction. A ribbon-cutting could come as early as January 2027. But expect four or five additional meetings before the pool closes, including a survey that will circulate sometime in February 2025.
A hit and run driver killed 66-year-old Ronnie Clark in a Christmas Eve Tragedy. Clark was a resident of Hill East for more than 20 years. He was walking with a friend to the store when a vehicle came westbound down C Street NE at a high rate of speed. The vehicle travelled up onto the south side sidewalk, with one tire on the retaining wall to the south of the sidewalk, before coming down onto the sidewalk on top of Clark. Clark died at the scene. The driver fled on foot.
Capitol Hill celebrated the holidays with the Hill Holiday Tree lighting and the lighting of the Community Menorah on Dec. 28, the fourth day of Hanukkah. Christmas and Hanukkah coincided in 2024 for only the fifth time in the past century.
Finally, fencing went up around the Capitol Grounds as the city prepares for certification of the election results Jan. 6, four years after the building was overrun as Congress attempted to certify results from the 2020 election. The District heads into 2025 with much in question, but much to celebrate as you ring in the New Year.
Happy 2025 to all of our readers! We hope to walk with you through the headlines and ledes of the coming year, telling you stories like these celebrating the community’s sorrows and joys together, here in the best village in the District: Capitol Hill.
