Camberely Homes Unveiled
• June 8, 2011

“The Centennial Collection employs state-of-the-art construction methods and energy-saving features to provide a high performance home that ultimately can save homeowners money and reduces their impact on the environment. By exceeding the International Energy Conservation Code, we believe the Camberley Centennial Collection delivers a luxury home at the leading edge of the home building trend that satisfies the needs of today’s increasingly environmentally conscious consumer.”
– Alan Shapiro, president of Winchester Homes.

Awareness for energy efficiency is rapidly growing. Taking action, Montgomery County sets a precedent by executing a law disclosing energy expenses to new homeowners. Raising the bar to “go green,” Montgomery County showcases it’s benefits on May 9th, 2011 with Camberely Homes’ most cutting edge home design.

In Popular Run’s community of Silver Spring, Maryland,Camberely Homes, a luxury home building division of Winchester Homes, will have revealed the first Building America/Builders Challenge home. Built in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the home is found as a new success,balanced with science and art as it exceeds more than 40 percent of energy efficiency and Winchester Homes’ consumers’ Your Home. Your Way™standards.

The innovative models, named as the Centennial Collection, showcases the U.S. Department of Energy’s effort to push forth for more affordable, environmental friendly homes while encompassing the exact style of its prospective homeowner.

A computer energy model called Residential Energy Service Network (RESNET) Home Energy Rating System (HERS) indexed less than 60 versus compared to the 100 found in a standard home, hence the 40 percent plus savings in energy. While these numbers provide credible statistics, the architectural floor plans construct a design to avoid futile space and more artistic appeal.

Camberley Homes, a winner of the Gala Award Winner for Best Architecture and Design in 2010, welcomes you to be in awe of its Centennial Collection. It’s new, fresh, innovative achievement opens doors for home building pioneers and wilder dream homes.
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The Memorial Days of Our Day
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I imagine that every Memorial Day, especially here in Washington, where we live in the same moonlight and sunshine that falls on Arlington National Cemetery, is the same.

The President comes to say the right things, to lay wreaths, to honor our soldiers. There is a parade, there are speeches, and the Rolling Thunder roars into town. Grizzled Viet Nam vets come again to the memorial wall, tattooed, their wives and families with them, and still hold their breaths at the sight of a familiar name among the 55,000 engraved in the marble.

You can imagine this happening in towns small and large, any town worthy of a city hall and a statue, all over America. This memorializing, this home stand before the long hot summer, accompanied by furling flags, salutes, picnics, noisy cars and furniture sales. These are the customs of our land.

And we are at war, our soldiers in harm’s way, as they put it. The harm now is from roadside bombs, suicide bombers, rifle and mortar fire, the random explosions of fire from across the way.

And since 1983 or so, every Memorial Day is a little different, the picnic smoke, the music of taps, the memories of other years, because the list of the fallen grows every day.

In a commendable service, The Washington Post began an occasional section called “Faces of the Fallen,” which lists the soldiers with their pictures and particulars, and it always runs on Memorial Day. And so the day is different, as the war in Iraq rolls on and continues to do so. These faces are immediate, not terribly long gone, fallen not on the wayside but in places they never imagined to be growing up.

They have military faces in the way military photographs and IDs are taken, dogtags with eyes and ears and a stare. They are from all over, representative of the way we are now, so much more diverse than before, with many Hispanic names among the dead, and the faces and names of women, too.

Looking at the faces, the clichés gurgle up like water in a desert, a kind of relief. To name them is to create an echo: Senft and Locht and Pape, and Ortiz and Holder and Gassen and Harris, Middleton and Buenagua, Ramsey and Robinson, Flannery and Chihuahua, Carver and Carroll, Luff and Finch Lancaster and Cruz and Crouse, Simonetta and Villacis Gandy and Jones.

And to friends, they are Jason and James, Kelly and Ethan, Chad and Austin, Devon and Ardenjoseph, Austin and Buddy, Sean and Amy and Omar and Conrado.

And they come from places that in some other life we all imagined living in America, from Conway, NC, from Marina, CA, from Hutto, TX, from Hagerstown, MD, from Redwood City, from West Palm Beach, from Pittsburgh, from Princeton, from Tell City Indiana, from Derry New Hampshire and Akron Ohio.

And they died, were “killed while conducting combat operations,” from makeshift bombs at the hands of suicide bombers and other service-related causes.

And they are the reason why all the Memorial Days of our day are different.

Information and names are taken from the Washington Post’s “Faces of the Fallen” section, which ran on Memorial Day, May 30, 2011.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses US Congress (photo gallery)
• June 2, 2011

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses US Congress on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. During the address, Netanyahu reaffirmed the close ties between the U.S. and Israel and once again rejected any suggestion of redrawing Israel’s borders with a future Palestinian state along 1967 lines.
To see additional images in hi res, Click Here. (all photos by Jeff Malet)
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Weekend Round Up May 26, 2011
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Free Summer Saturdays at the Corcoran starts this weekend

May 28th, 2011 at 10:00 AM | Free on Saturdays! | Event Website
Join the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design for FREE Summer Saturdays – back by popular demand! This summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, enjoy free admission to the Gallery, including special exhibitions Chris Martin: Painting Big and Washington Color and Light. Enjoy special programs, Gallery tours, workshops, demonstrations, and performances for all ages.

Kicking off the first Free Summer Saturday this Saturday, May 28 at 2 p.m. is Body, a free performance by interdisciplinary artist ChajanadenHarder, who invites residents in all eight wards of D.C. to respond to the questions: “What do you most desire?” and “What have you lost?” by writing their answers on eight life-size body casts, which are then both performed and collapsed. Come see for yourself all summer!
Address
500 17th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20006

National Sporting Library &Museum Book Fair

Saturday, May 28, 2011, 10 am – 5 pm, the Library will host the NSLM Book Fair. Six authors are scheduled to talk for 20 minutes then sign books, beginning at 11:00. The authors are: Rita Mae Brown, Kate Chenery Tweedy and LeeanneLadin, Tim Rice, Bill Woods, and Norman Fine. Booksellers will be on hand and the authors’ books will be available for purchase. Check www.nsl.org for details in early May.

Address
The National Sporting Library and Museum
102 The Plains Road
P.O. Box 1335
Middleburg, Virginia 20118-1335
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m

Memorial Day Concert

May 29th, 2011 at 05:00 PM | $15 Free for Students | Tel: 202.244.7191 | Event Website
The National Men’s Chorus, with Thomas Beveridge, artistic director, and Paul Skevington on organ, offers our ever-popular Memorial Day concert honoring the brave men and women who served in the American military. This annual event is a day or remembrance and gratitude for our freedom and liberty. Hear the rich tones of an all-male chorus singing America’s favorite patriotic songs, accompanied by organ, brass, and percussion. Stand and be honored as the chorus sings the song of the military branch in which you or a loved one served. Saint Luke Parish, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean VA. Tickets $15, students free. 202.244.7191 www.nationalmenschorus.org
Address
Saint Luke Parish
7001 Georgetown Pike
McLean VA.

Free Memorial Day Weekend Events at the Navy Memorial

May 30th, 2011 at 10:00 AM | Free and open to the public | tkiland@navymemorial.org | Tel: (202) 380-0718 | Event Website
Memorial Day Weekend Events featuring Rolling Thunder, a performance by the Rock Band Fourmanchu, commemorative wreathlayings and a traditional Navajo dance
Address
United States Navy Memorial
Naval Heritage Center
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Find more event on our Calendar

Farewell Free Sightseeing
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As the cradle of U.S. politics, the whole of DC is biding its time and bracing itself for the imminent government shutdown. Although there’s still a chance to avoid the freeze, the odds are slim that Congress will be able to reach a consensus on the allocation of the 2011 federal budget before Friday’s midnight deadline. While it’s clear that a shutdown is looming around the corner, in these days of fractured parties it’s still uncertain how long it would last and how exactly it would affect the lives of DC residents.

Most noticeably, DC’s trash collection, street sweeping services, libraries and the DMV would close. Museums such as the different branches of the Smithsonian Institution along the Mall and the National Zoo would also shut down. Luckily, the animals in the zoo would continue to be cared for, fed and guarded during the shutdown, and private museums such as the Newseum would remain open.

It is currently unsure whether or not the National Cherry Blossom Festival would continue – festival organizers are trying to come up with a plan that will allow the events, such as Saturday’s parade, to take place as planned. Without federal funding, however, the festival must support its own cost of operations.

Because this shutdown is happening during tax season, it will have a larger impact on the IRS than shutdowns have in the past. The IRS will run on minimum staff for the duration of the suspension, meaning that tax returns filed online would be filled but those sent via snail-mail would remain unopened for an indefinite period of time. This does not mean, however, that you can file your taxes late without getting fined – they’re still due April 18.

Money and services from Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the Veteran’s Administration would be given out to those who were receiving assistance before the shutdown. Because of trimmed-back staff, however, new requests to these programs could go unanswered and become backlogged until the governmental hiatus is lifted. A backlog of federal loans could also occur. The Federal Housing Administration stated that federal home loan guarantees would be withheld and it is likely that requests for federals student loans would be postponed as well. Federal funding for unemployment programs could be stopped, leaving state governments to continue providing support for the unemployed on their own. Similarly, the shutdown could delay grants for research and police training.

The police forces that have already been trained would, however, continue to perform their duties as will jail systems and the court system although some cases, such as those concerning child support or bankruptcy, may be stalled. Agencies that protect homeland security such as the U.S. Coast Guard and security guards at airports would also continue their work, although many of their workers would have to go unpaid. Individuals trying to get new passports would also be affected, as they would have to wait until the shutdown ended to register for one.

Government websites that aren’t “essential” wouldn’t be updated, possibly because government workers in “unnecessary” positions would get an unexpected vacation as they wouldn’t have to go to work during the shutdown. They also, unfortunately, wouldn’t get paid for the duration of time that the hiatus lasts. After the 1995 shutdown these workers were reimbursed, but it’s still unclear whether or not that would happen at this time.

Some things, however, would remain the same. Public schools, for instance, would continue all of their services including providing lunches for students. NASA would continue to prepare for the April 29 launch of Endeavour, the military would continue to perform its duties unfazed and the U.S. Postal Service, true to form, would carry on delivering the mail.

1st Annual Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner 2011
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The 1st Annual Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner, an event long known as the Radio-TV Correspondents’ Dinner, took place at the Walter E Washington Convention Center on March 30th 2011. [gallery ids="99643,105264,105259,105254,105273,105277,105249,105281,105285,105244,105269" nav="thumbs"]

Washington Nationals Close Up
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We took our camera on the field for dramtic close-up images as the Washington Nationals completed their first doubleheader sweep in almost 3 years against the the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-4, and 5-1, before 23,047 at Nationals Park on Sunday April 17, 2011. The win also put the team (8-7) for the first time over .500 since last May. Rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa led all hitters collecting six RBIs, and driving in the go ahead runs in in each game. Espinosa, Ivan Rodriguez, Ian Desmond, Jerry Hairston and Adam LaRoche all hit home runs. The Nationals got good performances on the mound from right-handers Jason Marquis in the opener, and Livan Hernandez in the nightcap. Both lasted seven innings. To see additional images in hi res, Click Here. (all photos by Jeff Malet)
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Obamas Host Annual White House Easter Egg Roll photo gallery
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The First Family hosted 30,000 people from all 50 states on the South Lawn of the White House for the 133rd White House Easter Egg Roll on April 25, 2011 in Washington DC. The theme of this year’s egg roll is “Get Up and Go,” tied into first lady Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity initiative to raise a healthier generation of kids. To view additional photos in high def, Click Here. (all photos by Jeff Malet)
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DC Restaurant Worker Wins $6M in Abuse Case
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D.C. restaurant worker Liana Estona was recently awarded $6 million in damages in her sexual harassment case against her former employer, La Carbonara Restaurant and its owner, Fekeru Bekele, according to the DC Employment Justice Center. Estona (not her real name) “came to our clinic in January 2009 because she had not been paid properly by her former employer,” said Laura Brown, legal services director at EJC. The story of sexual abuse by Bekele came out during the initial interview and the EJC referred Estona’s case to local law firm Arnold and Porter.

After testimony from five expert witnesses, who spoke of the severe physical, emotional, and economic trauma that Estona had endured, the judge awarded Estona $6 million in damages and issued a permanent injunction against Bekele, preventing him from approaching within 100 feet of Estona, her home or current workplace.
According to Brown, the judge decided on a default judgment, after Bekele failed to file an answer. “In most sexual harassment cases, it comes down to a number of things, but this case was different because it got a default judgment; there wasn’t even a trial.”
Brown said they see 1,300 clients a year through their workers rights clinic, though a majority of those clients are referred to other law firms to handle their cases.

EJC sees many clients who claim to have been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, but because harassment often goes on behind closed doors, it’s hard to prove such cases in court. In this case, Estona came forward and had five witnesses testify on her behalf.

“He caught her behind closed doors, anywhere she would go in private: to change or to the storage room. He was there harassing her,” Brown said. “Claimants such as this very rarely have the courage to come forward and go through the process to recover, which included testifying in a criminal proceeding. She’s typical in some ways, but exceptional in others.”

Prince of Petworth, a local blogger covering the NW quadrant, reported the closing of La Carbonara as early as May 17. There windows are now covered and the phone has been disconnected.

Click It or Ticket Campaign Targets Unbelted Drivers After Dark
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The District Department of Transportation is joining forces with the Metropolitan Police Department for the 2011 national Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement mobilization. The enforcement effort runs through June 5.

During the mobilization, officers will be increasing checkpoints to make sure motorists are wearing seatbelts. Unlike many other states, District law allows police to stop a vehicle solely because its drivers and passengers are not properly buckled up. In the District, there is a $50 Fine & two-point penalty for not driving with a seatbelt or having a passenger without a seatbelt. Drivers who fail to properly secure their child passengers face a $75 fine and two points for a first offense, and a $150 fine for fourth and subsequent offenses.

From 1997 to 2010, the percentage of belted drivers rose from 58 percent to 92 percent; the national average in 2010 was 85 percent. In light of the overall high level of compliance, the District and other jurisdictions are turning their focus on night-time hours, when seat belt efforts can make the most difference in saving lives and preventing injuries.