Glover Park OCTOBER 2015 The Monthly Newsletter of the Glover Park Citizens' Association Mad Fox Before and after. Lengthy and extensive renovations were needed to transform the aging 2218 Wisconsin building into the vibrant Mad Fox Tap Room. Renovating on The Avenue Mad Fox, GP Hardware Wrestled with Challenges Randy Rieland ill Madden unveiled his new restaurant, the Mad Fox Tap Now that it’s done, though, he said he’s looking forward to Mad Room, in mid-August. Gina Schaefer plans to reopen Glover Fox becoming part of the neighborhood, which, he says, reminds him BPark Hardware across Wisconsin Avenue later this month. of a DC version of Falls Church. That’s where the original Mad Fox Good news on both counts, but there’s a question both of them have Brewery is located. “We’re here for the long haul.” gotten used to hearing: What took you so long? Madden signed the lease for the space two years ago. Schaefer had A Delayed Reopening talked of getting her store back up and running last spring, just a few So, it would seem, is Gina Schaefer. Her Glover Park Hardware, after 10 months after it lost its lease up the street. But when you need to convert years at 2251 Wisconsin, had become a neighborhood fixture, so when an old building into a new business, well, sometimes you just don’t it became clear the landlord wasn’t likely to renew her lease, she went know what you’re getting into. looking for another location nearby. She found a place below street level, less than a block south Not So Simple of the previous store. And while she knew the new space would need Madden puts it this way: “The more layers we peeled back, the more work—walls needed to come down, carpeting had to come up, light- issues we found.” Those layers had accumulated over many years as ing needed to be replaced—she didn’t think it would take that long one business after another threw up new walls and reconfigured things to reopen. to fit their needs. The building, at 2218 Wisconsin, had, according But there was the matter of a freight elevator. The store would to Madden’s research, been a family home for the first half of the need one, and that, it turned out, wasn’t a simple matter. “There’s a lot 20th century, but then in the 1940s housed a music business, followed of construction in this city, and the people who build elevators are in by one restaurant after another. Since he was moving in after a string of great demand,” explained Schaefer. “And they just kept moving back restaurants, Madden figured he was looking at a simple “turnkey” job. the date.” Not really. “The whole back of the place was unstable.” Madden Clearly, she’s not happy that it’s taken this long. “It’s been almost a explained. “There were all kinds of cracks in the walls. We found that full year of lost revenue. Our staff has been displaced. That’s a bum- in one area there wasn’t even a foundation. When we took down the mer.” But now that the long wait is almost over, Schaefer’s excited ceiling, the thing literally collapsed.” But there were some pleasant sur- about welcoming their old customers to the new space. It will be about prises, too. They found a fireplace upstairs that’s been made a feature of 1,000 square feet smaller than the previous store, but she doesn’t see the restaurant. And now you’re able to recognize decorative elements that as a problem. And it will again have parking in the back, some- of the front of the original house. thing that was lost at the old location due to construction of the apart- Madden says that if he were to do it again, he’d probably avoid ment building upstairs. taking on an old building. He says they spent triple what they “The wonderful thing has been all the support from the Glover had anticipated. Park community,” said Schaefer. “That has been really great.” 2 Join In • Make a Difference Glover Park Participate • Get Involved • Engage Glover Park Citizens' Association (GPCA) President Melissa Lane ([email protected]) Contents 1st Vice President Jack Everett ([email protected]) 2nd Vice President Allen Tomlinson ([email protected]) Treasurer Paul Thrasher ([email protected]) Renovations on The Avenue ......1 Secretary Jarrett Ferrier ([email protected]) Sergeant at Arms Joe Fiorillo ([email protected]) President’s Report .....................3 Federation Reps Patricia Clark, Frank Martorana, and GPCA September Minutes .........3 Karen Sprecher-Keating ([email protected]) Membership Director Allen Tomlinson ([email protected]) ANC3B News .............................4 Glover Park Day Amanda Gant and Cheri Meyer ([email protected] and [email protected]) Business Community Liaison Paul Holder ([email protected]) Babes in the Nabe .....................4 Stoddert Liaison Lisa McCluskey ([email protected]) Glover Park History ...................5 Gazette Staff Editor Sheila Meehan ([email protected]) What’s Up at Stoddert ...............5 Contributor Randy Rieland Design and Production Nora Korc ([email protected]) At Guy Mason in October ..........5 Contacts Advertising [email protected] Commercial Strip Confidential ..6 Editorial [email protected] Delivery Dick & Elaine Sullivan ([email protected]) Parenting in the Park .................7 The Gazette is distributed throughout Glover Park by volunteers. If you do not receive the Gazette and/or would like to volunteer, contact Elaine Sullivan at [email protected]. Georgetown Library Events ......7 Responsible letters to the editor will be published as space allows. Haiku .........................................7 What’s new in Glover Park? Check us out on both Facebook and Twitter! Call us at: 202-379-4824. GP Farmers' Market ...................8 Visit www.gpcadc.org to keep up with community news! If you love living in Glover Park, get involved! Join the Glover Park Citizens' Association today! Generously support the group that takes care of your neighborhood. Preserve the family-friendly quality of our community. Communicate your ideas to improve your neighborhood. Act locally to get things done. 1 Adult / Glover Park Resident = $20 Return form and fee to GPCA, P.O. Box 32268, Washington, DC 20007 2 Adults / Same Address = $35 Make check payable to GPCA. 3 Adults / Same Address = $50 4 Adults / Same Address = $60 1 Senior / Glover Park Resident = $15 Name(s) 2 Seniors / Same Address = $25 1 Adult / Non-Resident / Non-Voting = $20 Address 1 Senior / Non-Resident / Non-Voting = $15 Business / Corporation / Non-Voting = $75 US Military Veteran / Active or Retired = $5 Discount Total Enclosed: $____ / Date:_______ Email Glover Park Gazette 3 President’s Report Glover Park Citizens' Association Neighborhood Watch Update Tuesday, October 6 • 7:00 p.m. GP Community Center at Stoddert Melissa Lane Police Report Karen Pataky, Amanda Gant, and I attended Vote on Joining Coalition to Curb DC Office of Human Rights Services Renaming Athletic Stadium at 38th & neighborhood watch training at the Second Increased Air Traffic from DCA. At our Sep- Reservoir District Police Station in September. It was an tember meeting, we were briefed on current Resolution to Join Community Groups to informative course that provided a lot of ideas efforts to address increased traffic and noise Address Increased Air Traffic on preventing crimes as well as the process from DCA. In late August, a number of nearby Membership Report of starting our own neighborhood watch neighborhood groups and Georgetown Uni- Treasurer’s Report Vote on Software Purchase program. If interested in joining our budding versity filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Secretary’s Report effort, please e-mail Karen (kjpataky@ Appeals to DC to require the FAA to review its New Business comcast.net), Amanda (amanda.gant@gmail. decisions on increasing the number of flights Check www.gpcadc.org and the com), or me ([email protected]). and expanding the timeframe for flights into Glover Park list serv for updates. and out of DCA. We will be considering and October Meeting Preview voting on a resolution to join this Coalition. DC Office of Human Rights. Teresa Rianey, Western High School Playing Field. School now, the school has never used it. Mr. Community Outreach, will join us and Charles Volkman is leading an effort to have Volkman will be asking for our support for provide an overview of OHR services. The the stadium at 38th and Reservoir officially this project. office’s mission is “to eradicate discrimination, renamed “Western High School Stadium” (its Are there topics that you’d like to see increase equal opportunity, and protect historic name) and have responsibility for it covered at GPCA meetings? Please e-mail me human rights for persons who live in or visit transferred to the DC Department of Parks at [email protected] and let me know the District of Columbia.” & Recreation. Although it is part of Ellington your ideas. GPCA September 2015 Minutes Jack Everett President Melissa Lane opened the meeting One attendee noted that her apartment budgets well before the traditional start of at 7:00 p.m. All officers were present with the building, the Eaves, has experienced mul- GPD solicitations. Milt Grossman provided a exception of Secretary Jarrett Ferrier, who was tiple instances of bicycle thefts that have left “heads-up” that Guy Mason is considering the recovering from a broken collarbone. residents feeling insecure. She was encouraged purchase of adult exercise equipment on the Establishing a Neighborhood Watch to organize residents and approach manage- grounds of the rec center; this could have an Program. Samantha Nolan, Citywide Neigh- ment of the building about enhanced security, impact on the GPD layout in 2016.