On a cold Feb. 20 evening, members and guests of the Georgetown Business Association gathered at the warm Das Ethiopian Restaurant at 28th and M Streets, NW, for its monthly networking reception after its board meeting. Beside earlier discussions on zoning and streetcars, some of the lively biz folks’ thoughts turned to spring and visions of cherry blossoms and Washington’s annual festival. GBA vice president Janine Schoonover said she wants to get a group together for a cherry blossom event in Georgetown. (One of Washington’s biggest annual event — the 101st National Cherry Blossom Festival — starts March 20.)

As for Das, the two-story restaurant provided drinks and heavy hors d’ouevres of the spicy kind that added to the lively conversations. The reception on the second floor prompted an editor of the Georgetowner Newspaper to remind those willing to listen that the very space they stood in was once part of the offices for the Georgetowner, along with another office for Bobby Poe’s music service — to which a few responded: where hasn’t the Georgetowner offices been over the course of seven decades?