Taking It to the Streets
The Downtown BID and the Department of Public Works (DPW) have partnered to initiate a pilot program of public recycling. Beginning later this month, Downtown workers, residents and visitors will be able to deposit glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans and clean paper products into 25 distinctive blue recycling cans located throughout the Downtown BID area.

The pilot program’s goal is to help conserve natural resources and energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution and avoid waste disposal by making it easy for everyone to do the right thing. Thus, lidded recycling cans will be placed in high pedestrian areas next to existing trash receptacles. The program is part of the Downtown BID’s “Greening Downtown DC” initiative, with support from the MD-DE-DC Beverage Association. The move is one small step for DC; one giant leap for the planet.

The Real World
School’s out—but work continues for 10 enterprising summer interns and hospitality aides who joined the Downtown BID last month to experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities in the business world. The students are recruited in partnership with the Department of Employment Services’ (DOES) Summer Youth Employment Program and the DC Chamber of Commerce (1213 K Street).

All DC residents enrolled in colleges along the Eastern Seaboard from Pennsylvania to Georgia, the students have majors as diverse as psychology, forensic pathology and political science. Many are working throughout the BID as office assistants, while others are working with the Downtown SAMs as hospitality and information aides learning customer service skills and building knowledge of their hometown. If you see one of our aides, ask how things are going. Interacting with the public is an important part of their training.

The Downtown BID is proud to give these young people the opportunity to gain skills necessary to compete successfully in today’s labor market. The Downtown BID also benefits from their contributions and is grateful for their service and youthful enthusiasm. This year marks the 10th consecutive summer of the hospitability aide program and a five-year-old partnership with DOES. 

Chock-Full of Arts
The 16th annual Arts on Foot Festival returns September 13. The Downtown BID and the Pennsylvania Quarter Neighborhood Association (1250 H Street) produce this free, multimedia arts festival, which kicks off the fall arts season and showcases Downtown DC as the region’s premier entertainment and cultural destination. The event features visual art, music, theatre, dance, film and creative cuisine and embraces the area’s wide variety of cultural offerings. The celebration includes an art market—a juried bazaar that highlights the work of 70 to 100 local, regional and national visual artists—restaurant sampling area, “cooking as art” chef demonstrations and a cultural corridor where you can find theatre and cultural organizations. In 2007, an estimated 20,000 people visited Arts on Foot.
 
Applications for the art market are now being accepted through July 28. This year’s event also will feature an art market preview on Friday, September 12th, allowing artists two days, instead of one, to participate. Arts on Foot also invites restaurants and cultural organizations to participate, but they must complete a guidelines and participation agreement by August 22. For more information, visit www.artsonfoot.org, or email artsonfoot@downtowndc.org.

Keeping Tabs on the Homeless
Twice monthly, Downtown BID staff join Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers at night to count and identify homeless people at greatest risk of compromised health issues and mental health challenges. As part of this heightened effort, the police also call the Downtown BID’s Homeless Services social workers when a homeless person with an obvious, severe mental health issue is in distress.

MPD’s assistance allows the Downtown BID to track the most vulnerable and fragile citizens in the Downtown BID area and move them into supportive services and housing. “Their commitment to serving the homeless is unique,” says Chet Grey, the Downtown BID’s director of Homeless Services. The Downtown BID has a long-standing relationship with the police, who assisted in moving more than 100 people from the streets into services last year.

Special kudos to the following officers for their diligence with this latest effort: Deputy Chief Diane Groomes, District Commander David Kamperin, Captain Brian Grogan and, on the bicycle patrol for the 1st District Police, Officers Mark McConnell and Mike Hoban.

Cherry Blossoms Gone Wild
The National Cherry Blossom Festival® (NCBF) will be the event backdrop on an upcoming episode of “Dinner:Impossible,” which airs July 16 on the Food Network. Last February, the Festival celebrated its second annual Pink Tie Party at the Madison Hotel (1177 15th Street), where Chef Robert Irvine took on the gritty reality-show challenge to solve a “culinary curveball” thrown his way before time ran out. As they say in TV land, stay tuned.

Meanwhile, the Festival’s 2007 NCBF Annual Review received a 2008 Communicator Award of Distinction from the International Academy of the Visual Arts. Pensare Design Group (1313 F Street) is credited with the winning design, one of many that the talented design house received this year for its work.

Service with a Smile
Cynthia Ruth is the Safety SAM of the Month for May. The mother of eight—seven sons and a daughter—has been a SAM since 2000, starting out on the Maintenance Team and switching over to the Safety Team a year later. SAM life is a family affair for Cynthia, who is also the grandmother of five. Her sister, a member of the Safety/Hospitality Team, first told Cynthia about the SAMs. Four years later, Cynthia’s daughter became a SAM. The most pleasurable and encouraging reward Cynthia receives from work is when patrons seek her out to personally thank her for getting them to their destination or for recommending a place they especially liked. At home, Cynthia enjoys taking her grandchildren on outings, such as shopping or dining at seafood restaurants.

The May Maintenance SAM of the Month is Carlos Acevedo, a SAM for the past two and a half years. Carlos is a team player who has proven to be a real asset to his SAM team and the Downtown BID overall. A native of the Dominican Republic, he has been in the US for five years. Carlos, an avid sports fan, is dedicated to both his family and his job.

Welcome to Charlie Stevenson, recently hired as a SAM Safety/Hospitality supervisor. Formerly a maintenance crew supervisor with the Golden Triangle BID, where he started seven years ago as a zone cleaner, Charlie is definitely a people person. When not at work, he serves as a mentor to troubled and abused children. Charlie also works at the U.S. Navy Memorial (701 Pennsylvania Avenue) to assist with equipment setups for Army and Navy Band concerts. In his new position with the Downtown BID, he wants to orchestrate more structure within the SAMs program to “take it to another level.” Says he: “I believe in T-E-A-M: Together Everyone Achieves More. There are no ‘big I’s and little you’s.’” Sounds as if Charlie will make out swimmingly.

All-Around Champ
The Downtown BID wants to give a huge shout out to Tony “The Tiger” Thompson, a former SAM employee now vying for the world heavyweight boxing championship. One of the Downtown BID’s original SAMs, Tony (31-1, 19 KOs) fights champion Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg, Germany on July 12. No small feat by any measure. The 36-year-old southpaw could walk away with the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles.

And to think, the 6’5” Washingtonian first stepped into the boxing ring at age 27. Now Tony, often called the best-kept secret in the heavyweight division, goes up against Klitschko, “The Steel Hammer.” According to Downtown BID Safety/Hospitality/Host Manager Anna Standard, “Tony is just a good-natured, all-around good person—and quite a character.” The talented fighter, who has TKOed five of his last seven opponents and has won 27 straight fights dating back to 2000, will be cheered wildly by supporters and friends in the Downtown BID area and by fans throughout the nation’s capital. The fight will air on HBO. Go get ‘em Tiger!

In the Green Zone
As part of the Downtown BID’s "Greening Downtown DC" initiative, property managers and building engineers recently heard industry experts and peers speak at two training workshops about making properties more energy efficient and sustainable.
 
At the Energy Star (1310 L Street) training workshop last month, “Benchmarking Your Property with the EPA Energy Star Portfolio Manager,” Leslie Cook, an Energy Star public sector manager, demonstrated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) online energy management tool, Portfolio Manager. The benchmarking tool helps to evaluate a building’s energy performance by measuring and tracking energy use and carbon emissions. Attendees learned how to baseline energy use, prioritize investments, set goals and track energy use improvements over time. Cool Capital Challenge co-sponsored the workshop.
 
“Energy Efficiency Training for Property Managers and Building Engineers,” held in May, featured five separate panels comprised of experts, practitioners and service providers who shared “best practices” for improving energy efficiency. Akridge representatives showed how a one-year program of management and operations improvements allowed the company to cut energy consumption at the Homer Building (601 13 Street) by 34%. Akridge, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, Energy Star, Cool Capital Challenge and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (900 7th Street) co-sponsored the workshop.

For more information, to download the training presentations or to register to receive “Greening Downtown Updates,” visit www.downtowndc.org/green.  
 

International Spice
Nando’s Peri Peri (819 7th Street) opens July 3rd – just in time for the holiday. Known the world over for flame-grilled chicken and Portuguese peri peri sauce, the restaurant will offer fast-casual dining and several Portuguese beers once the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board approves its license. Hours of operation will be Sunday through Thursday, 11 am to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday, 11 am to midnight. For more information, visit www.nandos.com or call 202.898.1225.

Fluttering Away
Butterfield 9 (600 14 Street), the high-end restaurant dubbed “the jewel of 14th Street” has closed after eight years. The restaurant, which reduced the cost of entrees recently, made Washingtonian magazine’s “100 Best Restaurants” list in January and was named “one of the 100 hottest restaurants in the world” by Conde Nast Traveller Magazine. Farewell to a venerable dining destination.

Royal Chefs
Over the next two months, two prominent, award-winning chefs will descend upon DC and set up dining establishments in separate Downtown hotels.

Art Smith, the one-time chef to Oprah Winfrey and proprietor of Chicago’s Table Fifty-Two, will arrive on the scene in August. That’s when he will serve up mid-Atlantic flavored dishes at the new Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia Hotel (415 New Jersey Avenue). Making his first foray inside the Beltway, the two-time James Beard Award recipient will have capable help. Ryan Morgan, most recently with TenPenh (1001 Pennsylvania Avenue), will be the executive chef of Art and Soul, the likely name of Smith’s restaurant, which will seat 221 in the lounge, bar and outdoor patio.

World famous chef Alain Ducasse will open his 23rd restaurant, Adour, in the old Timothy Dean space at the newly renovated St. Regis Washington (923 16 Street) in September. The French-born chef plans to bring a new twist to pairing wine and food at the 3,000 SF restaurant, which will seat 65 in the main dining room and 45 at the bar. Ducasse also is chef at The St. Regis New York restaurant, which opened in January.

Hanging In There
Ristorante Luigino (1100 New York Avenue) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but the owner vows to keep the restaurant, which serves authentic northern Italian cuisine, open. Luigino’s website indicates the restaurant still offers complimentary parking after 5 pm, as well as private cooking lessons and a jazz lounge every Thursday evening from 7 pm to 10 pm. For more information, visit www.luigino.com.

We All Scream For …
The Gifford’s Ice Cream & Candy Co. is offering a summer anniversary promotion at 555 11th Street. The gourmet company is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. As a result, it is offering visitors who wear Washington Nationals paraphernalia 50% off on the Dinger, its gourmet ice cream sandwich. Proceeds from the Dinger sales will benefit the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation, the baseball club’s charity organization. Stay tuned. Gifford’s plans to have promotions all year. For more information, visit www.giffords.com or call 202.347.7755.

A Toast to the Coast
It’s hard to believe that DC Coast (1401 K Street) is 10 years old. To mark the occasion and to thank patrons, the seafood restaurant lavished gifts on hundreds of diners at a one-day giveaway fest. Diners received a range of prizes, including coupons, cocktails and cooking classes. To top it off, pastry chef Lauren Whitledge presented them with miniature chocolate-toffee birthday cakes. Yummy. Visit www.dccoast.com.  

High Fashion and Sweet Scents
Keep an eye out for two new retail stores scheduled to open this month on busy F Street. Peruvian Connection (10th & F Streets), the retailer of high-end women and men’s clothing, will open its first store in the Washington area, selling its mostly original selections of luxury alpaca sweaters, Peruvian pima knitwear and jewelry on the first floor and basement level. Also joining the steady stream of boutique shops popping up along the bustling corridor is L’Occitane En Provence, the bath and body store, which opens its third DC store at 931 F Street on July 11. Check them out at www.peruvianconnection.com and www.usa.loccitane.com. 

Ode to Olsson’s
Farewell to Olsson’s Books and Records and its Footnotes Café (418 7th Street). The hometown bookstore, part of a local independent chain, closed its doors on June 27 after residing for 15 years in Downtown. It will be sorely missed. After all, who will now recruit the big-name celebrities such as Al Gore, Goldie Hawn and Cornell West? Olsson’s had a nationally known reading series that attracted celebrity authors to the pioneering store. But its former landlord had other plans for the space. In fact, Wagamama, the U.K.-based restaurant that specializes in pan-Asian noodle dishes, is slated to replace Olsson’s, which is looking for new space. Wagamama is expected to open in the spot later this year or in early 2009.

Banking on Downtown
With all the retail establishments, restaurants and workers flooding Downtown, banks have ready-made customers. Commerce Bank opened a Chinatown branch at 901 7th Street last month—on the same day that Downtown experienced a huge power outage. Undaunted, Commerce doled out promotional offers and giveaways, including $25 gift cards for checking and savings accounts opened with a balance of at least $250. More impressive, however, are its hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 8:00 pm; Saturday, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm; and Sunday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The bank is closed only four days a year, on Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Easter. For more information, call 202.289.6175.

Bank of Georgetown, Washington’s new community bank, plans to open a branch at 802 E Street in August, its third DC location. A DC chartered bank, Bank of Georgetown specializes in small and medium-sized businesses but welcomes all banking customers.

Creating a Racket
The Washington Kastles’ temporary, $1.3 million stadium on the Old Convention Center site at 11th and H Streets is complete. The Kastles, the first DC-based team in the World Team Tennis league’s 33-year history, begins its seven game season on July 8 against the Boston Lobsters, featuring Serena Williams. Other marquee matches: John McEnroe on July 15 and Anna Kournikova on July 23. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit www.washingtonkastles.com, or call 202.483.6647.

Ironically, the Kastles were not the first team to break in the new 2,000-seat stadium. That honor fell to 100 homeless athletes from DC and 10 other U.S. cities that competed here June 27 through June 29 for the Homeless USA Cup. The participants were vying for a spot on the US team that will travel to Australia for the Homeless World Cup, an international street soccer tournament that builds self-esteem in homeless people. Other venues likely to come to the stadium include concerts, cultural festivals and performances, movie nights and youth tennis clinics. A documentary about the Homeless World Cup, “Kicking It,” is now showing at Landmark E Street Cinema (555 11th Street).

Edgy Art
Last month’s Downtown Update gave you the skinny on the Capital Fringe Festival running this summer from July 10 through July 27, the longest run yet (18 days!) of this risk-taking, independent performing arts festival. Now, listen up. The Festival has an immediate need for volunteers this week to help with pre-production any time from 9 am to 7 pm at Fort Fringe (607 New York Avenue), the location of the Fringe Box Office. In exchange for help with painting, building, lifting, etcetera, you receive a free ticket voucher for every shift that you work. Each day counts as one shift. Five shifts earn you a free button, which sells for $5 and is required to enter all performances. For more information, call 276.698.4736, or email volunteer@capfringe.org.

In other Fringe news, the Second Annual Fringe Preview took place in the back room of Regional Food and Drink (RFD) at 810 7th Street on July 2. Revelers got a free sneak preview of this year’s festival, including rock operas and swordplay. Be sure to get passes to the Festival—costing $50, $75, $110 and $300—in advance because shows tend to sell out. The Fringe Box Office opens July 7, with pre-fringe hours from Noon to 8 pm. For more information, and to purchase online and browse the list of shows, visit www.capitalfringe.org, or call 866.811.4111.

Who’s on First?
Gregory O’Dell was named CEO and general manager of the Washington Convention Center Authority (WCCA) at 801 Mount Vernon Place last month, replacing Reba Pittman-Walker, who resigned in May. O’Dell, who was already an ex-officio voting member of the nine-member WCCA board, had served previously as CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission for a year. Prior to that, he was chief development officer for the Fenty Administration in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue).

In the hotel world, the Courtyard by Marriott-Convention Center (900 F Street) has a new General Manager, Thomas Penny, who will oversee the recently renovated 188-room hotel, which offers full-service amenities, including a business center, meeting rooms, a restaurant and pool. Penny was hired from the Holiday Inn Capitol in Southwest DC, where he served as the assistant general manager.

Crime Celebration
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue celebrates its 100th anniversary as a national security agency on July 26. Throughout the year, visitors to its website, www.fbi.gov, can visit the new “This Week in FBI History” feature for insights into the organization that was the nemesis of Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger and many, many others.

Get a Job
Destination DC (50 Massachusetts Avenue) launched a local travel and tourism job bank last month that allows members to attract qualified candidates for vacancies within their companies. Members can post and self-administer job listings directly through the member extranet at no charge. Once logged onto the extranet, simply click the “add/update job board” link. Contact Ashley Richards at Ashley.Richards@destinationdc.com for more information.

Dawning of the Aquarium
Those inquisitive souls aware that a National Aquarium exists in the basement of the U.S. Department of Commerce at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue will be delighted to know the 10,000-square-foot aquarium is finishing up a five-year, more than $2 million life support and habitat renovation. The nation’s oldest aquarium also now has a baby loggerhead turtle, new species of seahorses and new eels. A self-tour takes only 45 minutes and costs $5. Special admission rates for seniors and military personnel, $4; children ages 2-10, $2.50; and children younger than 2 get in free. The Aquarium is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit www.nationalaquarium.com.

Late Night Moves
The former site of Platinum Nightclub (915 F Street), which closed in early spring because of several violations and a shooting related to the club, is now up for a one-year lease by Papadopoulos Properties, the commercial real estate broker. No word yet on who might be moving in.

Moving on Up
A new employer moved to the BID last month and took up residence in the National Press Building (529 14th Street). Welcome to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which moved from 1001 Connecticut Avenue to expand from 8,500 SF to 10,500 SF of space.

Fireworks by Metro
If you’re traveling by Metro on July 4th, make sure you have an updated map because they were recently revised. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (600 F Street) delivered free foldout maps/brochures to the area’s hospitality community, but the maps also are available at all Metro stations and through Downtown BID SAMs. The maps show security checkpoints, station closings and free shuttle service locations to the Pentagon, Fairfax County Government Center and Springfield Mall. Before heading to the National Mall, double-check to ensure you’re carrying the right map. We’d hate to see your plans go up in smoke. For more information, visit www.wmata.com.

The Bus Stops Here
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has put its foot on the brakes to halt the sporadic loading and unloading of passengers using the popular DC to NY intercity Chinatown buses. The Department says low-fare bus services such as DC2NY and BoltBus congest streets, disrupt transit and cause safety hazards for pedestrians. So under new regulations, the bus operators must obtain a permit. Existing operators who utilize public spaces for loading and unloading passengers also must submit an application for a permit by July 3. Applications received after July 3 will be given space as available on a first come first served basis. Under the new pilot program, the buses will be funneled to a single “intercity bus zone” on 10th & D Streets SW near L’Enfant Plaza, or face up to a $1,500 fine.

Richard Bradley, executive director of the Downtown BID, applauded DDOT’s engagement on intercity bus management and urged the agency to think holistically. “This decision must take into account the goal of universal access and mobility for a vibrant and sustainable Downtown,” he said.

Bradley noted the ripple effect of unmanaged intercity bus operations in increasingly congested downtown. “Metro and Circulator bus operators are unable to pull up to Downtown bus stops because intercity bus services are illegally occupying them.” More egregious, he said: handicap ramps are unable to land on the curbs to allow access for the mobility impaired. Goods and services deliveries also are stymied at the curb, resulting in double-parked trucks and traffic anarchy.

Moving Money
DDOT is accepting applications to support nontraditional projects funded through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which works to strengthen cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s Inter-modal transportation system. About $2 million is available citywide to fund transportation enhancement projects for Fiscal Year 2009 that relate to surface transportation and meet at least one of 12 eligible activities, such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities and scenic highway programs. Applications will be accepted through August 1st. For online applications, details about the 12 eligible activities and more information, visit www.ddot.dc.gov.  

High Tide Showdown
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has withdrawn plans to expand the 100-year flood zone for Downtown DC and the National Mall. A lawsuit filed against the agency by the city and DC’s promise to spend $2.5 million to improve flood control by 2010 led FEMA to withdraw the plan—and just in time. New flood maps were set to become effective in September. The maps were designed after the Corps of Engineers found that levees to protect downtown were inadequate and that sandbags would not hold during a flood. The corps recommended installing taller, sturdier infrastructure, and the city has agreed to work on more sophisticated flood control barriers. Had the maps gone into effect, insurance companies would have imposed stricter requirements and tougher building codes for both private and government buildings. New buildings already on the drawing board, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, would have faced new review.

Blissful Worksites
How do you define what makes a great place to work? According to the Washington Business Journal, which recently ranked finalists in its 2008 Best Places to Work, it’s more than the benefits or free Starbucks coffee. The best places to work are held together by moments and memories made by people. With that said, here’s how four companies in the BID area made out in the various categories:

Akridge (601 13 Street), a full-service commercial real estate firm with 185 employees -- #1 in Large Companies with Local Headquarters

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group (1101 Pennsylvania Avenue), in lodging, hospitality and restaurants with 350 employees -- #1 in Large Companies with Non-Local Headquarters

Howrey LLP (1299 Pennsylvania Avenue), a legal services firm with 678 employees -- #7 in Large Companies with Non-Local Headquarters

Studley (555 13th Street), a commercial real estate brokerage firm with 96 employees -- #3 in Medium Companies

Artistic Flourish
Do you know that the Washington region has the fourth-highest number of artists among the top 50 metropolitan areas in the U.S., behind Los Angeles, New York and Chicago? This, according to a National Endowment for the Arts study, reflects a trend evident over several years. More than 47,000 people, out of a civilian workforce of 2.7 million, work as artists in the Washington area, including nearly 10,000 in DC, where artists were 2.82% of city workers in 2000 and 3.49% by 2005. Quality of life issues are behind the surge, as well as the growth in the number of museums, theaters, small symphonies and dance companies and popular art schools.

Clogged Roads
Many Washington area residents and workers already know traffic in and about the DC metropolitan area is dismal. Now there’s a report to prove it. INRIX, the leading provider of traffic information, reports the Washington, DC, region ranks 4th as the most congested metropolitan area in the U.S., following Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Its National Traffic Scorecard, a comprehensive countrywide perspective and city-by-city analysis of traffic congestion, indicates U.S. traffic congestion increased nearly 2% in 2007 and there appears to be little relief in sight this year, although higher fuel prices and the economy are affecting the rate of growth. For more information, the report is available at http://scorecard.INRIX.com    

Tuesday, July 8, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Monthly Meeting
Calvary Baptist Church
755 8th Street

Residents and workers are invited to this Downtown Neighborhood Association planning meeting to identify the association’s major goals, programs and direction for the coming year and to hear guest speakers from the Metropolitan Police Department, who will address safety concerns and provide a community update. An anticipated appearance by Mayor Fenty will be rescheduled for later in the year. To RSVP, email miles@dcdna.org.

Thursday, July 10, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington
Valuing Energy Enhancement
1050 17th Street

Join the Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) as its hosts the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International’s BEEP, or BOMA Energy Efficiency Program, webinar. Take advantage of this free program to learn about energy efficiency and share success stories with colleagues. For more information, and to register, email jclarke@aoba-metro.org.

Tuesday, July 15, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Sustainable Business Network of Washington and Sustainable Life Media
Eco-Advantage Salon
Willard InterContinental Washington
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue

Learn the strategic advantages of greening your business with Andrew Winston, the best-selling author of “Green to Gold,” who joins the Sustainable Business Network of Washington (SBNOW), Sustainable Life Media and local business leaders to talk about how you can catch the eco-friendly wave and discover what it really means to go green. Local sustainable business panelists include Lori Duvall with Sun Microsystems; Seth Goldman with Honest Tea; John Friedman with Sodexo, Inc.; and Herve Houdre with the Willard InterContinental Washington. The price of this workshop, including breakfast and networking opportunities, is $129. Register with the following code for a 15% discount: sbnWDC715. For more information, and to register, visit www.sustainablelifemedia.com.

Friday, July 18, 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Downtown Neighborhood Association
2nd Annual Charity Happy Hour
UltraBar
911 F Street

Downtown residents and friends are invited to attend this year’s Downtown Neighborhood Association fundraiser to benefit the Mount Carmel House, a transitional women’s home in the Downtown BID area. Door prizes and a complimentary buffet will be available. For more information, contact Jackie Cawthon at jdcawthon@hotmail.com.

Monday, July 21, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Downtown BID
Parking Information Technology Learning Luncheon
DC Bar Association Conference Center – Lower Level
1250 H Street

The Downtown BID invites you to a Parking Information Technology Learning Luncheon with Greg Parzych of TCS International, who will present smart parking technology applications used in other US and international cities that can benefit building owners, property managers and motorists in Downtown DC. District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Associate Director Terry Bellamy will describe the positive impact these systems can have on traffic and air quality, and Laurie McNulty, senior vice president with Boston Properties, will share her experience using this type of asset management tool. For more information, and to register, visit www.downtowndc.org/parking.

Monday, July 21, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
New Urban Research
Mapping DC & Baltimore Community Workshop: Intro to GIS and Community Analysis
Foundation Center – Third Floor
1627 K Street

Learn how to use ArcGIS 9.2, a complete system for authoring, serving and using geographic information, to create thematic maps of your community and map current Census data and addresses of clients, their projects or incidents—such as crime or disease—in this one-day workshop customized for DC (a separate workshop in Baltimore will be held July 23). Participants also will learn to conduct spatial queries, download free shapefiles and create well-designed maps. The registration fee is $495. For more information, and to register, visit www.nur-online.com.

Wednesday, July 30, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Washington, DC Economic Partnership
2008 Small Business Awards
Willard InterContinental Washington – Grand Ballroom
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue

Join the Washington, DC Economic Partnership and government officials as they release the 2008 Doing Business in Washington, DC Guide and recognize outstanding DC-based small businesses whose entrepreneurial spirit is driving the city’s renaissance. Jair K. Lynch, president and CEO of Jair Lynch Development Partners, is the keynote speaker. The event costs $25 per person. To register, visit www.wdcep.com.