Brightly lighted boats by the dozens paraded up the Southwest Channel to kick off the holiday season. A group of boats – led by the Presidential Yacht Sequoia – started at the Alexandria waterfront and joined others from other marinas and our own Southwest fleet.

The Washington Yacht Club at 9^th and Water St. S.W. hosted a celebration at which awards for decorations were announced.

(Photos courtesy of Paul Calhoun/PhotoActiveInc.com)

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Reindeer and sled made a bright decoration in the parade of boats on the Southwest Waterfront.

Winning decoration was in the form of a railroad engine on the Storymaker owned by Paul Lane.

Southwest is again the scene of several weeks of the annual British musical comedy program "Christmas At The Old Bull & Bush," in the Old Vat Room downstairs on the Maine Ave. S.W. side of Arena Stage.

This year it has the same delightful audience participation in singing old favorites, plus puppets with a great sense of humor. Of course, meat pies, tarts, ale, coffee and sodas are available before the show and at intermission.

The web site and phone number of the McLean group that will perform several days a week through January 7, 2001, are www.InteractTheatre.com and 703-848-2632

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Suspenseful drama has returned to Arena Stage’s Kreeger theatre with the revival of "K-2", the story of two mountain climbers marooned on a ledge far up the sheer face of K-2, the second highest mountain in the world.

This photo from the original production in the 1980s is at The Old Vat. The new production – the designers "are approaching the story afresh" - continues through January 28, 2001.

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith has written, "This gut-wrenching story… created a sensation at Arena in 1982…. I guarantee our celebratory revival of K2 will keep you on the edge of your seat."

Thousands of school children will have hands-on experience with water quality and pollution, wild life and vegetation of the Anacostia River at a new training center to open soon at the foot of Half St. S.W. on Buzzards Point.

At a ceremony naming the center after Matthew Henson, who with Robert E. Peary led the 1909 American expedition to the North Pole, the National Geographic Society awarded its highest honor – the Hubbard Medal – to Henson. It was accepted by Henson’s great-niece, Audrey Mebane, a lifetime resident of Washington, D.C.

The society also gave a $50,000 grant to the Earth Conservation Corps for classroom and field equipment, including microscopes, water quality monitoring kits and computers for use in the center.

The center was formerly the Pepco Buzzard Point pumping station. Navy Seabees donated 2,200 man-days to transform the structure into a new educational facility. The Seabees installed a "green roof" of vegetation to filter storm water before it runs into the river.

(caption) Matthew A. Henson, one of the first two Americans to reach the North Pole, is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery side by side with his old explorer companion, Robert Peary. (Photo by Robert E. Peary, courtesy, National Geographic Society).

The new Matthew Henson Earth Conservation Center in the background will be operated by the Earth Conservation Corps, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the environment and helping disadvantaged inner-city young adults.

Members of the Earth Conservation Corps remove discarded tires from an Anacostia River tributary. (Photo © Cameron Davidson)

Community Calendar p. 2

Jazz at Zanzibar p. 3

New Waterfront Assoc. p. 3

Waterside Mall Renovation p. 4

Tae Kwon Do For Kids p. 4

S.W. Parade June 2, 2001? P. 5

Odyssey Hosts Seniors p. 6

New AARP Officers p. 6

New Principals In Southwest p. 7

Pulitzer Prize Photos p. 8

Write-in votes from the Nov. 7 election have been counted and two Southwest men have won seats on the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2D).

Trevor John Saccente won seat 02, which includes residents in the Capitol Park area, and H. Anthony Mapp won seat 03, which includes

Part of the area south of M St. and East of Delaware Ave. S.W.

Sun. Dec. 17 Greening of the Church

Sun. Dec. 24 11 am Service with Carols

Sun. Dec. 24 7 pm Christmas Eve candlelight Service

Friday, Dec. 29 6:30 pm Children’s Program and Carol Sing

The public is invited to a Kwanzaa celebration at Martin Luther King main library, 9^th and G. St. N.W. (Gallery Pl. on the Green Line) from 6 pm to 8:30 pm Tues. Dec. 26 in A-9 on the lower level.

On December 20, 2000, from 6 to 9 pm at Friendship Baptist Church, 900 Delaware Ave. S.W., the Greenleaf Extension resident council will be having a Christmas Program "feastivity," for residents of the complex, which is located from M to I St., Delaware to 3^rd St. SW.

Carols, Christmas Dinner, Christmas stockings, toys and Santa Claus. Contact Person Tracey Hooks 724-2152. Eleanor Woods Sgt. At Arms.

.Help With Care Of Grandchildren

If you are a grandparent taking care of grandchildren full-time, call Emma P. Ward at (202) 484-8476. She has a program that will help you with free science books and time off for yourself while the grandchildren are involved in science activities all day.

If enough Southwest grandparents want to take the four hours of orientation (or have a family member attend) it can be held in Southwest.

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Emma P. Ward

Dec. 20 Wednesday AARP SW Waterfront Chapter #4751, 11:30am

Pier 7 Restaurant, 650 Water Street SW

Dec. 20 Wednesday SW Chamber Music Players Christmas Concert, 7:30pm

St. Augustines Episcopal Church, Maine Avenue and 6th St. SW

Dec. 21 Thursday Police Partnership with Community Workshop 7pm

River Park Mutual Homes, 1301 Delaware Ave., SW

South Commons Room

Dec. 25 Monday Christmas – No School or Work!!!

Dec. 27 Wednesday Fil-Am Toastmasters Club, 6:45pm

Southwest Branch Library, 920 Wesley Place, SW

Jan. 1 Monday New Year's Day No School or Work!!!

Jan. 3 Wednesday SWNA Waterside Mall-Waterfront Task Force, 7pm

SWNA Office, Waterside Mall, 401 M St. SW

Jan. 6 Saturday Komen Toastmasters Club, 10am

SW Branch Library, 920 Wesley Place, SW

Jan. 6 Saturday Saturday PSA 110 Walkathon, 10am, 240 M St. SW

Jan. 10 Wednesday Fil-Am Toastmasters Club

6:45pm SW Branch Library, 920 Wesley Place, SW

Jan. 15 Monday Martin Luther King Holiday

Jan. 17 Wednesday AARP SW Waterfront Chapter #4751

noon St. Matthews Church, 222 M St., SW

Jan. 18 Thursday Police PSA/Partnership

7pm River Park Mutual Homes, 1301 Delaware Ave., SW

Jan. 20 Saturday Komen Toastmasters Club, 10am

SW Branch Library, 920 Wesley Place, SW

Jan. 24 Wednesday Fil-Am Toastmasters Club

6:45pm SW Branch Library, 920 Wesley Place, SW

Jan. 25 Thursday NARFE Chapter 2052 Lunch, noon

Channel Inn, 650 Water Street, SW

Jan. 29 Monday Southwest Neighborhood Assembly Mtg., 7pm

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 222 M St. SW

Please submit calendar items for the next issue by Wed. Jan. 10 to C.W. Hargrave

554-8284.

Jazz pianists Shirley Horn and Lady Byron were two of the dozen acts performing Dec. 5 at Zanzibar on the Waterfront for a charity concert. Zanzibar waived the cover charge and donations were accepted to the Eva Cassidy Foundation in memory of Eva Cassidy, jazz singer who died at the age of 33.

Jazz musicians like Saxman Jacques Johnson also donated their talents, with singer Marjorie Clark bringing down the house.

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Shirley Horn performed at Zanzibar on the Waterfront, singing such favorites as "Fever."

Lady Byron burned up the ivories at Zanzibar.

Jacques Johnson played a strong saxophone and scat singer Marjorie Clark had the audience eating out of her hands at Zanzibar.

Southwest residents living along the waterfront have started a new organization to promote the waterfront. Their flier states, "Living, renting or owning property (marina slips apply) on or within a few blocks of the DC Waterfront (from Georgetown to Anacostia) is the only requirement for eligibility."

Meetings will probably be at the Harbor Police office at 6^th and Water St. S.W. Dues have been set at $10. The name is Washington Waterfront Citizens Association (WWCA). President is Mike Bouchard, 1000 Water St. S.W. Washington, D.C. 20024.

They have a website, www.dcboatnews.com and a secretary, Susan Carpenter at 488.4203. The email address is webmaster@dcboatnews.com.

The Southwester has learned that some candidates, at least, have tried to get their campaign signs down from lampposts in D.C. Council member Jack Evans sent volunteers out to do the job. Anyone spotting an Evans sign they missed should call John Ralls, 265-7005.

Council member Harold Brazil let us have a photo of himself leading the effort to remove his campaign signs.

Thanks.

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Council member Harold Brazil removing his campaign signs from lampposts.

The office and commercial complex that will result from redevelopment during the next few years of Waterside Mall and the two EPA towers at 4^th and M St. S.W. will be called simply Waterfront, corresponding to the name of the Metro station there.

The Kaempfer Company real estate developers, one of the firms involved in the project, is involved in the extensive redevelopment of The Investment Building at 15^th and K St. N.W. , which will begin occupancy in the third quarter of 2001.

(caption) The Investment Building at 15^th and K St. N.W., a 1924 building being restored, is one of the large office projects of The Kaempfer Company, which will be involved in redeveloping Waterside Mall and the EPA towers, although the local renovation will not be as extensive as the Investment Building..

ANC2D executive director Gottlieb Simon points at a drawing of Waterside Mall, as Rev. George E. Holmes, SWNA president, left, and Mark Farrell, SWNA board member, hold the paper. Simon was explaining to a meeting of SWNA the plans for renovating the Waterside Mall, EPA tower complex.

Tax Increment financing bonds to build the new Manadarin Hotel at 14^th St. S.W. were increased by $6 million to a total of $46 million by Council action recently.

The loan subsidy is paid off by the city from expected increased tax revenue that will be brought in by the hotel.

A black belt school in Springfield, Va., brought students to Southwest to demonstrate the art of Tae Kwon Do, a martial arts program that originated in Korea.

The students began their demonstration by repeating the non-violence pledge required by the school and are shown doing their routines.

Phil Baroody is the chief instructor of All Star Martial Arts.

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Students of All-Star Martial Arts in Springfield, Va., demonstrated Tae Kwon Do at the November meeting of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly.

As a mother, as a neighbor and as a community leader we need to remind our young people and also some older adults that AIDS is still on the rise. Every hour from the age of thirteen to twenty-one one person is infected by AIDS.

To the young people of this area, you not only are important as an individual, but you are the future.

When you take the responsibility of being with someone else, please remember how many people care and love you and want you around for a very long time. (Please protect yourselves).

This is the season of love. This is the season for giving. If you know someone fighting and living with this disease, reach out and give them some love. Reach out and give them lots of hugs. If they can’t find someone to do this, my name is Gloria Hamilton and I have a big basket of Love and Hugs.

For education and treatment of AIDS the Southwest Clinic is located at 350 Delaware Ave., S.W.. The telephone number is (202) 727-3616.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Gloria Hamilton.

The chance for Near Southwest to have its own parade in a few months is drawing enthusiastic interest. The D.C. Heritage Tourism Coalition has set the date of Sat. June 2, 2001 for each neighborhood in D.C. to have a local event to draw tourists off the mall into the "real Washington, D.C." A parade in S.W. will be our "event."

A Southwest Parade could include marching units from Jefferson Jr., Anthony Bowen and Amidon Elementary Schools; bands from the Army, Navy and Marines; historic floats from churches and synagogues that used to be in S.W. or are still here; parade units from each housing complex, businesses, old-time residents, etc. Club #4 Metropolitan Police Boys & Girls Clubs used to have a Homecoming parade in the fall, so they know how it’s done. Jenny’s Chinese Restaurant has offered to try to get a Chinese dragon for the parade.

All units in the parade will be asked to carry banners or signs showing the year they were started. After the parade a picnic is planned – probably at King-Greenleaf Recreation field.

Margaret Feldman, chair of the S.W. History Task Force which is taking the lead in planning the parade, reports that 60 years ago a big parade was held in Southwest when 4^th St. S.W. was renamed. It had always been called 4 ½ Street.

All people with ideas and offers of help call Margaret Feldman at 554-0242. Her fax number is 554-7714 and email address is mefeldman@aol.com.

A Saturday parade in Southwest will have to

start somewhere and end somewhere and cover a lot of ground in between.

Looking at this aerial photo of Southwest can you suggest a parade route? Should it start at Lansburg Park on Delaware and I St. S.W.? Should it start at Jefferson Jr. High’s field at 7^th and G S.W? Or King-Greenleaf Recreation Center field at Canal and N St. S.W?

What streets might be too narrow for a parade? M St. and Maine Ave. have the most traffic. Should we stay away from them as much as possible?

Send your suggestions to Margaret Feldman, Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, P.O. Box 70792, Washington, D.c. 20024.

Greenleaf Seniors, in thinking about entries in a June 2, 2001, parade in Southwest, wonder Who is the oldest resident in S.W?

Call Berenda Jefferson at (202) 488-8625 or May Sessom, Greenleaf Seniors at 863-0459 (between 10:00 and 3:00). They want to hear from you.

Fifteen sidewalk markers will tell the history of Southwest and permit residents and visitors to take self-guided walking tours of the area.

The History Task Force of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) has received a $15,000 grant from D.C. Heritage Trails to plan and prepare for the neighborhood tour system.

Lisa Bentley of Takoma Park, MD., has been employed by the task force as historian/writer to prepare material for the markers and a tour brochure.

Possible topics for the walking trail and brochure could be: Early names of places, such as Buzzards Point, Greenleaf, The Island.

What is here and what is not here.

Underground RR stops, Churches and Synagogues that are gone. Ft. McNair.

Trolleys, boats, shops.

Organizations like the Cavaliers, Willow Trees.

Architecture – historic and modern.

Hundreds of senior citizens sponsored by Southwest House and other charity organizations were guests of Odyssey for a Thanksgiving Dinner and Cruise on the Potomac River.

Radio and TV personalities and other celebrities were servers and were helped by students from the Marriott Hospitality Public Charter High School.

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Gerald Owens, WUSA-TV Ch. 9 personality; Chilli Amar, center, of radio MIX 107.3, and Diana Mayhew, organizer of the Thanksgiving event for Odyssey pose during the cruise.

Odyssey General Manager Tom D’Amato was a celebrity server.

A view of 100 of the 600 Thanksgiving dinner settings aboard the Odyssey.

Hospitality High School students before they donned jackets and aprons for their duties on the Odyssey cruise.

The local chapter has elected James Patton as its new chair. Other officers are Walter Brooks, vice-president; Norma Hunton, secretary; and Neil Halliday, treasurer.

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2001 officers and committee chairs of S.W. Waterfront Chapter AARP 4751 (left to right): Bettye Brown, Lorraine Roberts, Alberta White, Ethel Williams, Marian Coleman, Norma Hunton, Bettye Robinson, Margaret DeBerry, James Patton, Neil Halliday, Mary ann Bailer and Arthuryne Taylor. Not shown are Walter Brooks and Alberta Colbert.

At the end of American Education week the three new principals at Near Southwest schools brought some of their faculty and students to Westminster Church on I St. S.W. Pictures of the event are shown here.

(caption) Jefferson Jr. High Principal Deborah J. Holmes, left is shown with some of her faculty: Dr. Frances Nicol, assn’t principal; Dr. Jerelyn Smith, counselor and Ms. Cheryl Odom, Dean of young women.

Jefferson Jr. students giving speeches were: (left to right) Aaron Strickland, Kelsie Glass, DeMario Greene with Principal Deborah J. Holmes.

New Amidon Elementary School Dr. J. Davis is shown with students Jamila Lee and Joseph McFadden

New Anthony Bowen Elementary Principal Ms. Almeta Hawkins, right, is shown with music instructor James Burrell, left, and the following students: Front: Paul Lewis, Taresha Davis, Tanesha Davis. Back: Quianna Lewis, Jazzmine Staton.

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A computer class at Link & Learn on the second floor of Waterside Mall, is sponsored by the SWNA Youth Activities Task Force.

At the first advisory the following Jefferson Jr. students received all A’s:

7^th Grade: Christina Carroll, Darryl Hunter, Anita Obodo.

8^th Grade: Chanell Autrey, Kimberly Colley, Ava Danville, Nancy Lee, Marquis Turner

9^th Grade:Jian-Feng Chen, Lartisse Lassiter, Judy Li, Chen-Xing Liu, Shanika McBride, Akia Page, Rober Yip, Ya Xin Zhai.

For his lifetime of public service, longtime Southwest resident Dr. Harold Seidman has been named as the first recipient of an award named in his honor. The National Academy of Public Administration and the Johns Hopkins University Center for the Study of American Government joined in establishing the award.

Dr. Seidman has served in many government and faculty positions and is well known as the author of Politics, Position and Power: The Dynamics of Federal Organization, which in 1998 was in its fifth edition at Oxford University Press. He served for 25 years with the U. S. Bureau of the Budget, predecessor to the present OMB.

Of particular interest to D.C. residents, Dr. Seidman served with the Redevelopment Land Agency which handled Urban Renewal in Southwest. He also had a principal role in developing President Lyndon Johnson’s reorganization plan that preceded the 1973 Home Rule Act.

Mayor Anthony Williams’ 28 page report on citywide progress since his Citizen Summit in 1999 and Neighborhood Action Forum in Jan. 2000 includes a sidebar on Southwest, D.C.’s own summit. SWNA President Reverend George E. Holmes is quoted as follows:

"I was inspired by the Mayor’s Citizen Summit. If Mayor Williams was able to bring the entire city together and produce results, I knew that a similar format would work well in my neighborhood. Cooperation with the Mayor’s office and other agencies helped the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA), ANC2D and SW Community House convene their own Summit. On January 24, 2000, over 200 residents met to discuss economic development and ways to increase the quality of life for Southwest residents. At the Mayor’s Neighborhood Action Forum the following week we presented a unified vision for the improvement of our community."

Reverend George Holmes

President, Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, Inc.

The new phone number of the South Washington Collaborative is 202-488-7997.

The fax number is 202-488-7441.

The YWCA at 9^th and G St. NW will start a practical nursing course in March, 2001. Classes will include theory, lab and clinical practice. Title IV Federal Student Aid is available.

To apply call 628-5672 extensions 313 or 309.

PAGE 8

Over 100 famous photos that have won the Pulitzer Prize since 1942 are on display at the Newseum in Arlington until March 11, 2001.

Shown here are the 1945 photo of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal of The Associated Press, and a 1957 photo of a police officer urging a small boy back on the curb at a parade in Washington, D.C. The photo is by William C. Beall of the Washington Daily News.

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Iwo Jima photo courtesy of The Associated Press.

Small boy and police officer photo courtesy of Scripps Howard News Service.