memorial

Obituary for Grandmaster Carol Middleton, a 7th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and the founder and director of the D.C. Self-Defense Karate Association

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Lyn for sending:

“Grandmaster Carol Middleton, a 7th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and the founder and director of the D.C. Self-Defense Karate Association (DCSDKA), died on Aug. 11, 2026, in Chantilly, Va. She was 78 years old.

Grandmaster Middleton was a national figure in martial arts and women’s self-defense for almost 60 years, teaching Tae Kwon Do and self-defense to many thousands of Washington, D.C.-area students throughout the school’s history.

DCSDKA was founded in 1976 and classes were held in locations around Northwest D.C., including the Marie Reed Recreation Center, All Souls Church Unitarian, and Bancroft Elementary School in Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant. Later, DCSDKA moved to Georgia Avenue. DCSDKA students were a familiar site at events in Washington, including Take Back the Night March demonstrations and youth performances at community gatherings. (more…)

Sponsored

DC Fresh Finds for September 9, 2026

By Marcus Correll

This article is sponsored by RLAH @properties.

1302 A Street SE
1302 A Street SE

This Capitol Hill rowhome has more than a century of original details—and a separate rental suite and two-car garage: 1302 A Street SE

  • Original woodwork, tilework & built-ins

  • Second-floor balcony overlooking Capitol Hill

  • Separate 1BR/1BA rental or au pair suite

  • Private two-car garage

  • Three sets of original pocket doors

  • Large deck + Zen-inspired garden

Other Notable Fresh Listings:

  • The Most Expensive Home of the Week is a 7BR/6FB/3HB fairy-tale-looking Tudor estate in Forest Hills with 9,200+ total sq. ft. spanning 3 levels on a half-acre lot features 4 fireplaces, a 3-car garage, gorgeous wood library, and a majestic backyard space with a patio, a pool and an accompanying pool house with its own BR/BA—all for $6.45M.

  • “Simply gorgeous two-bedroom, one-bath corner unit in a boutique condominium on tree-lined street. This light-filled home features an open floor plan with hardwood floors throughout the living areas and a beautifully updated kitchen with granite countertops, cherry cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and a gas stove.”

  • “ Welcome to Unit #107 at Le Bourget Condominiums! This spacious condo offers over 1,000 square feet of comfortable living space with two generously sized bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The updated kitchen opens to a bright living space featuring hardwood floors, while an in-unit washer and dryer adds everyday convenience.”

  • Your Bankruptcy Property of the Week is a spacious Woodridge Cape Cod with five full bathrooms, a huge corner lot and some serious expansion potential. The home currently offers four bedrooms plus additional dens and bonus rooms across three levels, along with a fully finished walkout basement.

Post Office

Are the Post Office’s Systems Going Down More Frequently Recently? “Puzzling 14th ST NW Post Office closure”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

The neighborhood Post Office on 14th ST NW just north of S St was locked with no one inside at 11:32 TODAY as three puzzled customers tried to make sense of it outside. No explanation was posted out front. Same scene an hour later.”

Another reader wrote yesterday: (more…)

Announcement

NoMa in Color Returns This September with 16 New Murals and a Colorful Celebration

By NoMa BID

If you’ve ever walked through NoMa and wondered how one of the neighborhood’s colorful murals came to life, this September you can watch it happen.

NoMa in Color, the NoMa BID’s annual mural festival, returns September 11–18, bringing 17 artists to the neighborhood to create 16 new large-scale murals. Throughout the week, visitors can stop by mural sites, watch artists paint, and see the works take shape in real time.

Go to NoMa in Color Returns This September with 16 New Murals and a Colorful Celebration Read more
Event

Girlism Exhibition

Event location

Private Mansion/RSVP for Address

Upper Georgetown Mansion

Washington, District of Columbia 20007

Add to Calendar

The first annual Consortium art show

For one weekend in September, a private mansion in Upper Georgetown becomes the most beautiful room in Washington. Work by women artists, hung salon-style the way Paris did it a century ago: floor to ceiling, frame to frame, every wall alive. Sculpture on the mantels. Paintings up the staircase. Art where art is meant to live, in a home, among people, with a glass in your hand.

Go to Girlism Exhibition Read more
metro

Signs of the Times: New Metro Signage at L’Enfant Plaza – Part of Metro’s “rollout of new, more unified, and user-friendly signage across the system” – Survey Says?

By Prince Of Petworth

An upgrade or downgrade?

All the info from WMATA:

“A new way to find your way

Metro is introducing a new Metro Rail wayfinding system designed to make traveling clearer and more consistent. It has been carefully designed to honor the legacy our region inherited 50 years ago.

The new system begins rolling out with the first signs installed at L’Enfant Plaza in September 2026. By the end of October, customers will see a fully restored station with updated signs and navigation information.

Metro plans to bring the new wayfinding system to five more stations over the next six months. (more…)

Navy Yard

End of an Era: Kruba Thai has Permanently Closed in Navy Yard

By Prince Of Petworth

300 Water St, SE

“Kruba Thai Restaurant Permanently Closed

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers for your support over the years.

It has been our pleasure to serve you, and we truly appreciate every visit and every memory shared with us.

Thank you for being part of the Kruba family.”

Thanks to L. for sending: “Kruba Thai in navy yard bites the dust. I ordered from there as recently as last week I think!!! I had no idea they were closing!” (more…)

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