Before we get into another week of fairly bleak news ... I wanted to say: happy March!
I have a little whiteboard on my fridge where I leave pointless questions for my roommate and me to chat about ("What color of ROYGBIV could you go without if you had to pick one?" etc.) and on March 1 my prompt was: draw a shape that resembles March. I drew a sort of spikey block-ish shape exploding into a cloud of rounded lines and curved edges.
March starts rough, but then we get that first D.C. spring day – when the morning air smells like a field trip, and the sun sets past 7 p.m., and even if it's just for a few minutes, everything softens a little. I hope you can experience the lightness of D.C. spring soon. (And it's looking good: Sunset on Sunday is scheduled for 7:09 p.m.!)
Okay, now that we have something to look forward to, let's get to the news. This week we have:
Keep scrolling for weekend events, a Washrag about a bigwig D.C. restaurateur's latest nonsensical statements, and how to get involved in local happenings.
Thanks to Trump-Musk's (Mump's?) gutting of the federal workforce, D.C.'s Chief Financial Officer has predicted a "mild recession" for D.C., with a $1 billion deficit expected over the next four fiscal years. The sour outlook has scrambled what was already expected to be a challenging budget season at the Wilson Building, where lawmakers have started taking sides in budget battles. Catch up on who wants what and read up on this week's new emergency bill meant to crack down on magic mushrooms.
District Impact Skating Club started at Fort Dupont Ice Arena and is the city's first and only U.S. Figure Skating club. (Tomeka Gueory)
When local moms Sheldonna Harris and Tomeka Gueory first started taking their daughters to ice skating classes at Fort Dupont Ice Arena in Ward 7, they had no idea they'd go on to found the District's first-ever U.S. Figure Skating club. But fast forward a few years and their brainchild — District Impact Skating Club — boasts alumni in Disney on Ice. The 51st contributor Daniella Ignacio talked with Harris, Gueory, and District Impact skaters about what the inclusive, affordable, and Black-led club means for skaters across D.C.
After President Trump won the election last year, Mayor Bowser was asked by a reporter: if Trump requested it, would she consider removing Black Lives Matter Plaza? At the time, the mayor — who ceremonially renamed the 16th and H Street intersection in the summer of 2020 — demurred. But times have changed, and the mayor's approach to Trump has softened from defiant to acquiescent. This week, she got ahead of any presidential requests by announcing she was deciding to deconstruct the installation herself.
As you thaw from winter's freezing temperatures, you might be looking for a quick, easy, and affordable escape. In this week's Arts & Eats column, Eric takes you through a weekend on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Only a two-hour drive from D.C., Cambridge is the birthplace of Harriet Tubman, and full of opportunities to dive into history. Plus, there's great food and wildlife, too.
It's almost time for cherry blossoms. (Flickr/anokarina)
Celebrate the fact that spring is nearly here (at least on the calendar) with a new ARTECHOUSE exhibit, or mark the start of Women's History Month with book talks, film screenings, and art shows.
E Street Cinema's curtains were supposed to close for the last time today, but in a cruel and slightly cinematic twist of fate, the beloved indie theatre shuttered earlier than expected. E Street rolled the credits for the last time on Sunday evening — the same night as the Oscars, and probably at the exact same time as filmmaker Sean Baker delivered "a battle cry" for indie film. Last week, we asked to hear your best E Street moments, and you delivered. From first dates with future spouses to cherished childhood memories, read how D.C. will remember E Street.
Overheard at a D.C. happy hour: "I'm just ready to travel somewhere. Even if it's to New Jersey."
Washrag
Where we highlight and discuss local gossip.
Restaurateur and union-buster-du-jour Stephen Starr is dreaming big. The man at the helm of famed District establishments such as Le Diplomate, St. Anselm, and Pastis — and who is currently accused of intimidating and threatening the organizing workers at those establishments — opened his latest venture this week: The Occidental. His ideal clientele, he tells Washingtonian, is an evil wet dream.
It's another head-scratcher brought to you by the man who, while pontificating on D.C.'s dining culture, said: "Even if you're 30, you don't want to go to the same old hipster Brooklyn places." ... right, thumb on the pulse!
But this all makes some sense with more context: A revamp of the old Willard Hotel, the Occidental has been pitched by Starr, who has seemingly never seen a politician's loafer he doesn't want to lick, as both a return to "Gilded Age" glamour and an embrace of 1950s Cold War nostalgia. Ok, sure. Despite his both-sides-ing — "Everyone's going to come here," Starr told Washingtonian — a restaurant that seeks to emulate the "Gilded Age," an era defined by growth for the few and poverty for the many, is obviously not for everyone! That's literally why Mark Twain first called it the Gilded Age.
So while Bezos and undercover IDF agents christen the Occidental's dining room, you can read the op-ed we published from the newly unionized St. Anselm workers last week on the conditions they've faced at work, and why D.C.'s restaurant industry needs more unions.
(Starr, for his part, has defended his restaurant group against the union's accusations.)
Here's more bleak news you may have missed this week:
Not looking so good: more details on the predictions of a “mild recession” in D.C., spurred on by DOGE's slash-and-burn lay-offs. [DCFPI]
Also not looking so good: for the first time since the pandemic began, D.C. emergency rooms are seeing more flu cases than COVID cases. [Axios]
After being pardoned by Trump, the two D.C. cops convicted in the murder of Karon Hylton-Brown have returned to full duty. [Post]
And one of those cops, Terence Sutton, has been accused by nine young Black men of knocking them off motorbikes and stealing small amounts of cash. [WCP]
Somehow this all gets worse, still: D.C.’s top cop, Chief Pamela Smith, thanked Trump for pardoning Sutton and the other convicted officer, stating the pardons reflect her “core beliefs." [Post]
Need a drink? Well, you won't be able to get a City State brew much longer. [Axios]
But at least it’s about to get warm, right? You can hit up a streetery! JK, I guess we can't have those either? [Popville]
And lastly, when a neighborhood gets white, the buildings get gray. [Post]
Your Civics Download
You’ll find this handy guide to public meetings at the bottom of every edition of The 51st. We’ll refine and improve along the way, so if you think we’re missing resources, please let us know!
It's time to plan, comprehensively. The city is kicking off the process of revamping D.C.'s comprehensive plan for the first time since 2006. It seems boring and dry, but often the important stuff is boring and dry. A comprehensive plan guides how the city's housing, jobs, and public spaces grow over the years. Residents can weigh in on the city's priorities during a series of upcoming public meetings this month. You can register for them here.
Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m. at MLK Library
Tuesday, March 25, 6 p.m. at Barry Farm Recreation Center
Thursday, March 27, 6 p.m. Virtual
Tonight, March 6 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m, D.C.'s Department of Transportation will be hosting a virtual public meeting to discuss the Anacostia Metro Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge Project. DDOT will provide an update on the project, share next steps, and answer residents' questions. You can tune in virtually here.
On Tuesday, March 11 at 10 a.m. the D.C. Council's Judiciary and Public Safety committee will host an oversight hearing for MPD and the Office of Police Complaints. Residents can submit testimony or sign up to testify until 10 a.m. tomorrow (Friday).
On Monday, March 17 at 9 a.m. the D.C. Council's health committee will host a public hearing on a bill that would create a grant program to help fund farmers' markets in low-food-access areas. You can sign up to testify or submit written testimony here.
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