Oprah Pledges $1 Million to N Street Village Women’s Shelter
• June 10, 2016

The Village plans to nearly double in size by opening a short-term emergency-housing facility at a fourth location.

After Malia’s Graduation, Obamas Lunch at Cafe Milano
•

Malia Obama graduated from Sidwell Friends School this morning and decided to bring her family and friends to Cafe Milano …

The Best Job in D.C. New Post Man: Fred Ryan
•

When Fred Ryan was named publisher of the Washington Post Sept. 1, 2014, his role as the architect of the …

Weekend Round Up June 9, 2016
• June 9, 2016

Events at the National Museum of American History, the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and the National Archives. Meanwhile, in Virginia, “The Rape of Lucretia” at Wolf Trap Opera and an adaptation of Richard Thompson’s “Cul de Sac” at Encore Stage.

Born Deaf, 11-Year-Old Arrives in D.C. for the National Spelling Bee
• June 8, 2016

Updated May 26.

Neil Maes, an 11-year-old student from South Carolina, who was born deaf and uses bilinear cochlear implants to hear, is in Washington, D.C., to participate in the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. On May 24, Maes and his parents were the guests of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Volta Bureau, which wanted to help them tell the story of “their challenges and triumphs in their journey with deafness.”

The Maeses could not have included a more appropriate place to visit during their Washington visit. The historic Volta Bureau in Georgetown was built by Alexander Graham Bell as a resource library on hearing and speech. Bell, who invented the telephone, was also a teacher of the deaf. The nonprofit “continues to help people who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, learn and live in the mainstream,” said AG Bell CEO Emilio Alonso-Mendoza.

Christy Maes, mother of the spelling bee contestant, spoke of the shock of first learning of her son’s deafness. Then the family “regrouped,” she said, and was determined to have their son “meet his full potential and have opportunities.”

Maes, who is a nurse, and whose husband Peter is a former Marine and in the South Carolina Air National Guard, said they have held their son “to high standards — and have never felt sorry. Neil has a sister with hearing loss and one hearing sister.”

Also at the Volta Bureau May 24 was Michael Hoa, M.D., of Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. A professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at G.U. Medical Center, Hoa explained how cochlear implants work.

After several interviews, Maes — a fifth-grader at Belton Elementary School and representing the Anderson Independent Mail — moved on to the main event, the national spelling bee competition at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. He has made it to the early May 26 rounds.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee finals are on ESPN2 and ESPN May 26. The champion will be named that evening.

[gallery ids="102220,130558" nav="thumbs"]

Year of SafeTrack, and Cutbacks, for Metro
•

Weekend Metrorail service first pushed past midnight, to 1 a.m., in 1999 (the better to party like it’s 1999). Currently operating until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, the trains will have a midnight curfew seven days a week after the last reveler exits the turnstiles early Sunday morning, May 29.

The earlier closing times are part of a year of service cutbacks as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority attempts to complete three years’ worth of maintenance in less than a year.

WMATA’s revised SafeTrack plan, detailing the work it intends to carry out, was released May 19. The scheduled completion date is March 19, 2017.

Along with plenty of weekday single-tracking — which riders are already experiencing — there will be several periods of service shutdowns on particular lines. Shuttle buses will replace trains to the extent feasible.

• Service on the Orange, Blue and Silver Lines between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue (Orange) and Benning Road (Blue and Silver) will shut down for 16 days beginning June 18.

• Service on the Yellow and Blue Lines between Reagan National Airport and Pentagon City will shut down on the evening of July 5 for a week, with a second week of no service between the airport and Braddock Road.

• Service on the Red Line between NoMa-Gallaudet and Fort Totten will shut down from Oct. 10 to Nov. 1.

• Service on the Blue Line between Rosslyn and Pentagon will shut down from Dec. 7 to 24 (except for Dec. 17).

Clearly, the reduction in late hours has been the most alarming part of the plan for night owls. On an average weekend night, there are about 7,500 riders between midnight and 3 a.m. This number has declined in recent years, in part due to the rise of car services such as Uber and Lyft.

In response to the reduced Metrorail hours, Uber announced that it would expand its ride-sharing service, UberPOOL, to Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in Maryland and to Virginia towns beyond Arlington and Alexandria. However, surge pricing would be in effect, without a cap on the multiplier for the time being.

Georgetown Theater Building to Celebrate Grand Opening June 2
•

After years of planning and work, a classic Georgetown building is reborn — and set to bring a renaissance to a mediocre stretch of Wisconsin Avenue.

Weekend Round Up May 26, 2016
•

Jazz in the Garden
MAY 27TH, 2016 AT 05:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-737-4215 | EVENT WEBSITE

From their folk instruments (upright bass, fiddle and acoustic guitars) to their approach to music and performance, the 19th Street Band has followed the traditions of the Carter Family and the Kingston Trio while integrating modern elements of Americana, country and rock and roll.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Constitution Avenue and 7th Street NW

The Great William: Writers Reading Shakespeare
MAY 27TH, 2016 AT 06:30 PM | FREE (REGISTRATION ENCOURAGED) | TEL: 202-547-1122 | EVENT WEBSITE

This event, hosted by University of Maryland English professor Theodore Leinwand, explores how seven renowned writers — Coleridge, Keats, Virginia Woolf, Charles Olson, John Berryman, Allen Ginsberg and Ted Hughes — wrestled with Shakespeare in the very moments when they were reading his work. Leinwand tracks their reading experience through their Shakespeare marginalia, lectures, letters, journals and reading notes.

Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW

Donny McCaslin Group
MAY 27TH, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | $30-$40 | TEL: 301-581-5100 | EVENT WEBSITE

Donny McCaslin is a Grammy-nominated performer known for his superb musicianship and acrobatic phrasing. His work often blurs the line between jazz and electronica, delving into fusion, angular post-bop, polyphonic funk and ethereal balladry.

AMP by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Avenue, N. Bethesda, Maryland

Feed Your Soul Blues and Gospel Brunch
MAY 28TH, 2016 AT 03:00 PM | $25 ($35 ALL-DAY BRUNCH) | TEL: 202-649-0824 | EVENT WEBSITE

Presented by HBC Playback Theater: A full day of live music, vendors, painting and food. Special deals all day from the stores inside the Anacostia Arts Center, including Vintage & Charmed Boutique. Brunch will be prepared and served buffet style by the Art-Drenaline Cafe. A private vending circle will be hosted in the black box theater with an eclectic blend of local brands including jewelry, home decor and holistic wellness and skincare.

Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE

Living the Legacy
MAY 28TH, 2016 AT 07:30 PM | $25 | TEL: 202-727-8764 | EVENT WEBSITE

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts presents its annual spring dance concert. Also Sunday at 4 p.m.

Ellington @ Garnet-Patterson, 2001 10th St. NW

Great Noise Ensemble: ‘Van Gogh’
MAY 28TH, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | $25 | TEL: 202-399-7933 | EVENT WEBSITE

GNE closes its season with Michael Gordon’s incredible opera “Van Gogh,” composed from the texts of letters between the artist and his brother Theo.

Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE

James McNeill Whistler and the Case for Beauty
MAY 29TH, 2016 AT 02:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 202-737-4215 | EVENT WEBSITE

American-born visionary James McNeill Whistler introduced groundbreaking ideas and forms that ultimately thrust him into the first rank of modern artists. Filmmaker Karen Thomas, who created this hour-long profile using dramatic recreations, paintings, graphics and a variety of interview footage, will introduce the film and answer questions at this Art on Film Dialogue. Kevin Kline provides the voice of Whistler and Anjelica Huston narrates.

National Gallery of Art, 401 Constitution Ave. NW

Talk By Choreographer Mats Ek
MAY 29TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | FREE | EVENT WEBSITE

Washington Post dance critic Sarah Kaufman will moderate a talk by Swedish choreographer Mats Ek about his 40 years as a dance rebel. The exhibition “Mats Ek: A Dance Rebel on the Move for Forty Years” will be on view.

House of Sweden, 2900 K St. NW

National Memorial Day Concert
MAY 29TH, 2016 AT 08:00 PM | FREE | EVENT WEBSITE

For over 25 years, this multiple-award-winning television event has honored the military service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform, their families at home and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The program will be hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise. Performers include Renee Fleming, the Beach Boys, Katharine McPhee, S. Epatha Merkerson and Trent Harmon.

West Lawn, U.S. Capitol, East Capitol Street and First Street NW

Arlington National Cemetery Wreath Laying
MAY 30TH, 2016 AT 11:00 AM | FREE | TEL: 877-907-8585 | EVENT WEBSITE

The U.S. Army Military District of Washington will conduct a Presidential Armed Forces Full Honor Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to be followed by an observance program hosted by the Department of Defense in Arlington’s Memorial Amphitheater.

Arlington National Cemetery, State Highway 110 and Memorial Drive, Arlington, Virginia

National Memorial Day Parade
MAY 30TH, 2016 AT 02:00 PM | FREE | EVENT WEBSITE

The National Memorial Day Parade will commence at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street NW. It will proceed west down Constitution Avenue, past the White House, ending at 17th Street.

Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets

SOLE Defined
MAY 30TH, 2016 AT 06:00 PM | FREE | TEL: 800-444-1234 | EVENT WEBSITE

SOLE Defined presents a power-packed show that creates an exciting twist on percussive dance with its dynamic and rhythmic performance, fusing tap dance and body percussion. In this new performance, Soleful Soundz, electrifying performers from area companies, celebrate the rich history of percussive dance in Washington, D.C.

Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW

Does D.C. Count for Hillary Clinton?
•

It was way back in August of 1992, but I vividly remember a brief conversation I had with then presidential …

Overheard at Lunch: D.C. Gossip Girl June 8th, 2016
•

Eric Sommer, who drives around the good old U.S. of A. strumming …