News & Politics

Michelle Kingston • April 9, 2012

More than 35,000 lucky guests, chosen by lottery, will flood the South Lawn of the White House on the morning of Easter Monday, April 9, for the 134th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. This year’s theme reflects First Lady Michelle Obama’s physical fitness campaign: “Let’s Go, Let’s Play, Let’s Move.”

In the 19th century, the event was held on Capitol Hill. Children were given a hard-boiled egg which they would push, drag, fling, propel or toss with a long-handled spoon as fast as they could to the finish line. Some in Congress grew tired of the ripped up grass and passed a law that prohibited egg rolling on U.S. Capitol grounds. President Rutherford Hayes was approached by young Americans to host the event in his backyard in 1878, and ever since, the roll has been held at the White House, continuing the tradition.

Year after year, memories are made, but some of the most notable include:

First Lady Grace Coolidge’s holding a pet raccoon named Rebecca, as she walked through the crowds.

First Lady Florence Harding wearing a girl scout uniform to the egg roll.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt showing the evolving sign of the times when she welcomed guests and addressed listeners across the country with the radio.

The first broadcast on the Internet was made by the Clinton administration at the event.

One hundred same-sex couples were accused of crashing when they stood outside with their children to show President George W. Bush that gay families do exist in the U.S.A.

Just a few years later, President Barack Obama welcomed gay families and even distributed tickets directly to gay rights organizations.

This year, the president and first lady have requested all natural and local food. Michelle Obama has even gathered top local chefs to teach children how to cook healthy meals in the White House gardens.

Other activities that will be taking place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue’s largest annual event include arts and crafts tables, storytelling sections, yoga classes and an egg hunt. A main stage is always reserved for pop music stars (Justin Bieber, Willow Smith and the Jonas Brothers are all previous performers), while athletes and celebrities walk around and say hello to the kids and even work the stations. A list of celebrity attendees will be announced on Friday, April 6, at www.WhiteHouse.gov.

Each guest is given a time slot for two hours on the south lawn and then will depart with one free Forest Stewardship Council-certified, U.S. hardwood egg with the president’s and first lady’s signatures (a tradition since 1981 when President Ronald Reagan hosted a hunt for eggs with signatures of famous people). An on-scene report from the Georgetowner on the White House Easter Egg Roll will be in the next Georgetowner newsletter on Monday.

Before heading to the Easter Egg Roll, check out Bo’s announcement of the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll Lottery

Georgetowner •

The Red Cross is synonymous with generosity, support and trust. They have been present to offer their assistance during almost every major tragedy of the last decades. And March is the month in which we honor the Red Cross, and the organization uses this opportunity to promote its services to the American public and for fundraising.

For the first quarter century of its existence, the Red Cross held no regular fund-raising drives. Since Clara Barton created the organization in 1881, it was largely dependent for publicity and funds on the spontaneous support of people who learned of catastrophic events and the Red Cross response to them—mainly through the newspapers and word of mouth.

This rather haphazard manner of operating changed abruptly in 1917, when the United States entered World War I. After declaring war, President Wilson ordered the American Red Cross to raise funds to support its aid to the military as mandated by the Red Cross Congressional charter. In response, the Red Cross held its first national war fund drive in June 1917 and set a goal of $100 million, an astoundingly large sum at the time. Under the circumstances, however, the public response was immediate and overwhelming. Within a few days more than $115 million was raised.

In 1943, amidst the turmoil of World War II, the Red Cross, along with its honorary chairman President Franklin Roosevelt, declared the month of March “Red Cross Month,” and set a fundraising goal of $125 million, the biggest amount ever asked for in one campaign by any American organization. Again, the response was overwhelming. It took less than six weeks to reach the target and by June 1943 donations totaled nearly $146 million. Roosevelt called it the “greatest single crusade of mercy in all of history.”

This success caused the Red Cross to repeat the March drive during the remaining years of the war and then to make it the occasion of its annual membership and fund-raising efforts ever since. (As a historical footnote, the last radio speech President Roosevelt gave, a few days before his death, was in support of the 1945 Red Cross campaign.) As part of the tradition, the President customarily issues a proclamation each year declaring March as Red Cross Month.

Over the years, the Red Cross has helped millions of individuals overcome the effects of natural disasters and emergencies worldwide by providing shelter, food and counseling. Today, we continue to celebrate Red Cross Month to fundraise, contribute and honor the organization that continues to save lives worldwide.

To donate and find blood drive locations, visit the American Red Cross website at RedCross.org.

Jeff Malet •

It was March 17, and spring hadn’t officially arrived yet, but warm weather has caused cherry tree blossoms to mature much more rapidly than usual around the tidal basin. Hurry down before it’s too late. Click on the photo icons below for our slideshow. (Photos by Jeff Malet) [gallery ids="100562,100575,100576,100577,100578,100579,100580,100581,100582,100583,100574,100573,100572,100563,100564,100565,100566,100567,100568,100569,100570,100571,100584" nav="thumbs"]

Michelle Kingston •

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has released a video tour by general manager Richard Sarles about the Metrorail’s new 7000-series rail car.

The video shows off several upgrades which were designed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company of Japan and built in Lincoln, Neb.

What makes these new cars so special?

1. More comfortable seats

2. More poles for straphangers

3. LCD screens detailing when the train arrives at a station and what can be found at that station

4. Overhead displays showing the location of the train in comparison to the rest of the line to help tourists and Metro newbies know just how many more stops they have until they arrive at their final destination

Keep an eye out during the video for a few errors in the car. The LCD display shows stops along the Red Line at “Farrabut North” and “Woodlley Park” (oops).

Fortunately, Metro has some time to fix the small stuff before passengers step on board. WMATA announced the new 7000 series will be on the rail sometime next year.

Georgetowner •

Benetton Spring Fashion Show

Sunday, March 25, 2012 from 6 to 8 PM | Tel: 202-625-2183

A VIP Fashion Show at the United Colors of Benetton Store in Georgetown. See the new spring collections, enjoy refreshments and shop the spring/summer collection, enjoying a 20-percent discount.

Address

The United Colors of Benetton Store

1200 Wisconsin Ave., N.W,

Washington, D.C. 20007.

Gary Tischler •

Mother Nature has messed a little, this year, with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is celebrating the centennial of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to Washington, D.C. The unusually mild, near-summer weather has caused the blossoms to hit their peak days much earlier than usual — as well as threatening storm weekend weather that might harm the blossoms.

Nothing, however, can dampen the presence of the festival itself which will run through April 27 with its myriad exhibitions, festivals, celebrations, films and performances.

Especially spectacular are the launching of three major and stellar exhibitions celebrating the finest expressions of Japanese art from the Edo period at two noteworthy venues, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The exhibitions are accompanied by a host of special events and programs during the run of the festival and the exhibitions, including films, concerts, performances, lectures, tours, gallery talks and more.

Under the heading of “Japan Spring,” these shows mark the first time any city outside Japan has hosted three major exhibitions of masterworks by distinguished Edo-period Japanese artists.

The National Gallery of Art will host the “Colorful Realm of Living Beings,” a 30-scroll set of bird-and-flower paintings by the renowned Edo-period artist Ito Jakuchu who worked on the scrolls for nearly ten years in the middle of the 1700s.

This exhibition marks the first time that all 30 scrolls have been on view in the United States, but also the first time any of the individual scrolls have been seen here since their six-year long restoration. The scrolls are being lent to the National Gallery for one month by the Imperial House of Japan.

The scrolls—exquisitely detailed and stunning—seem to embrace the larger cosmos of the Buddha nature itself, as they embrace and pull together many strands of East Asian traditions of bird-and-flower painting.

“Colorful Realm” also manages to reunite his masterpiece with Jakuchu’s famous triptych of the Buddha Sakyamuni from the Zen monastery Shokokuji in Kyoto.

“Colorful Realm” will be on view at the National Gallery March 30 through April 29.

The Sackler Gallery will host both “Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples” and “Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji,” both examples of masterworks by two artists whose works reflect and exemplify the interests and identity of 19th-century Edo (now Tokyo).

In “Masters of Mercy,” artist Kano Kazunobo produced a series of phantasmagoric paintings on the theme of the lives and deeds of Buddha’s 500 disciples. The exhibitions includes many paintings from the 100-painting series Kazunobo created over nine years for the Pure Land Buddhist temple Zojozi in the heart of Edo.

These paintings have never been displayed outside of Japan. They imagine the lives of the disciples living in the great wide world performing both mundane tasks and miraculous feats of compassion and mercy. “Masters of Mercy” will be on display through July 8.

Opening March 24 is “Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji,” works by Japan’s most famous artist, Katushika Hokusai and his most famous works, a print series which include some of the best known works of art in the world, including “Beneath the Wave of Kanagawa,” or “The Great Wave,” and “South Wind at Clear Dawn” or “Red Fuji.” Ten prints were added to this series because of the popularity of the art when it was first viewed, leaving us with 46 images in total—all prints of exceptional quality. The exhibition will be on view through June 17.

Ari Post •

Spring has hit us, hard and fast. In Washington, that comes with a lot of baggage: the National Cherry Blossom Festival swells the streets with tourists from across the world, the spring gala season fills our calendars to the brim, our retail districts overflow with throngs of shoppers eager to replenish their warm-weather wardrobe. Our city parks are also rediscovered. Having lain dormant through the whippings of winter, they spring up with joggers, ball players and picnickers about as fast as with dandelions.

For a good many of us, it’s time to pull the bicycles out of storage and widen the horizons of our recreational and commuting potentials. If you talk to a local cyclist, very little can refresh the senses like the rush of cruising through warm spring winds along the Potomac or through the Mall. Whether biking along the Tidal Basin or the Capital Crescent, the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) or Rock Creek Park trails, the very nature of the ride is a signifier of spring.

Unfortunately, those of us who aren’t on bikes don’t always share the elation, and that disconnect can often result in some ugly run-ins—literally. Every spring, bicycle accidents increase significantly, a result of both heightened automotive, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. While it’s easy to blame it all on the cyclists—and in many cases, they are indeed the ones to blame—it is worth trying to understand their situation.

Cyclists are at the bottom of the traffic food chain. Too slow and fragile to share the road properly with vehicles and too fast and precarious to ride along pedestrians on the sidewalk, bikers hunt for safe riding areas in the city like a scavenger: winding around the neighborhood blocks to avoid the congested streets, shooting into pockets of open road when they present themselves, compensating for the cars that never see them and the pedestrians that don’t pay them attention. Even most bike lanes in the city are sandwiched between traffic lanes and parallel parking spots. Bikers are almost constantly at risk when riding through the city.

As a response to the increase of bikers and walkers and runners, the Metropolitan Police Department has kicked off its Street Smart Campaign, an annual mission enforcing pedestrians, cycling and driving laws.

Street Smart is an annual public education, awareness and behavioral change campaign in the Washington area, responding to the challenges of pedestrian and bicycle safety since 2002 through public awareness and law enforcement efforts. The Street Smart program emphasizes education of motorists and pedestrians through mass media as a companion to the efforts of state and local governments and agencies to build safer streets and sidewalks, enforce laws, and train better drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

The program is coordinated by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), and is supported by federal funds made available through state governments and funding from some TPB-member jurisdictions. Throughout the past week, police have been enforcing traffic laws at major city areas and intersections—they were focused on 14th and U Streets last Tuesday and cleaned up good.

Arlington County has also gotten on board with its own campaign, PAL (Predictable, Alert, Lawful).

Whether in your car, atop your bike or on your feet, now is a good time to be aware of the road—not only to avoid citations but to prevent injuries or worse. And for the sake of greater good, let us all agree not to bring back roller-blades.

Robert Devaney •

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, came to Georgetown University March 28, the day after he cut his campaign staff by a third and spoke to a crowd of well-mannered students at Gaston Hall.

In a seemingly new phase of his campaign, Gingrich was forceful, relaxed, passionate and academic — and still under Secret Service protection. He behaved as a happy warrior of ideas transformed into a 21st-century thought leader, as they say in seminars, ready to speak with anyone. Before the speech, he spoke to student journalists about his “steamlined,” not suspended, campaign, according to the Georgetown Voice.

After citing the dysfunctional political life in this “imperial capital,” Gingrich said, “I have not done a very good job as a candidate.”

Nevertheless, Gingrich lit into his list of America’s best ideas and achievements. He took students and others in the university’s historic hall through parts of his stump speech that became a lesson on history, civics and sensibility. He paid homage and mind to America’s versions of value, innovation and exceptionalism.

Drawing first on the very American stories of Captain John Smith at Jamestown and the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, Gingrich exhorted all to solve the problems of our times, as Americans have in the past. We are “smart by doing something, not by tenure.”

He invoked the name of Abraham Lincoln. Read the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address slowly, he softly advised.

Gingrich also ran through an array of improvements to make America better, smarter that made sense to him on the following: a restrained judiciary, Social Security, neurological research, government efficiency, respect for a higher power and more.

“Ideas matter,” he said, “for people . . . and for reporters.” The former House Speaker said he fights the threats of those overly secular and cynical and discerns the “denseness of Washington that resists innovation.”

During the question-and-answer period, a student, who had been a janitor, said he had felt insulted by Gingrich’s remarks about janitors from months ago. The candidate replied that his daughters had been janitors at his church. Another asked Gingrich, “Why aren’t politicians like you?” [gallery ids="100710,120092,120087" nav="thumbs"]

Emma Watters •

Lights across the world will go dark for Earth Hour 2012. Support the
World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s “I Will if You Will” campaign by
saving energy and flipping those switches.

For more information, EarthHour.org