Weekend Round Up May 26, 2011
• June 2, 2011

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses US Congress (photo gallery)
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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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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.

The Battle of the City Budget
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They argued about it some and they fussed about it some, but in the end the much anticipated city council debate over Mayor Vincent Gray’s controversial proposal to raise the DC income tax on earners over $200,000 didn’t really have much of a chance.

Ward 2 City Councilman Jack Evans had said as much a couple of weeks ago, when he described the proposal as “dead” and “not going to happen,” along with several other parts of the mayor’s budget proposal that attempted to bridge an estimated $300 million budget gap for the Fiscal Budget 2011-2012.

While some new tax proposals were part of the 2011-2012 budgets recently, given a preliminary approval by the city council, the income tax raise 0.4 percentage increase (which was expected to raise an additional $18.7 million) did not survive the vote.

With Council Chairman Kwame Brown opposed to the measure along with most of the rest of the council, the council approved the budget minus the income tax raise. Still, several council members—at large councilmen Phil Mendelson and Michael Brown among them—noted that it seemed unfair that a resident making $40,000 was taxed at the same rate as someone making over $200,000. Evans, who voted against the increase, agreed that the council should address the imbalance of the individual rates at some future date.

The council also dropped the mayor’s proposal to initiate a tax on theater tickets, which was heavily lobbied against by local performance arts groups, including the Helen Hayes Awards.

While some of the debate became a little intense, there seemed to be less of a sense of urgency on the budget and its shortfall, with much talk of expected additional revenues that were not specifically identified.

Additional taxes—instead of the income tax increase—were expected to restore funds for homeless shelters, affordable houses and other social services, which had been scheduled for big hits under Mayor Gray’s budget proposals. The vote hearing was heavily attended by housing and homeless advocated and activists from all over the city.

Chairman Brown appeared to be a key figure in the debates. Not only did he vote against the income tax hike and the theater tax hike, but proposed other tax measures to offset the cuts, including a complicated, obscure but very real plan to tax non-D.C. municipal bond. Those are bonds for other jurisdictions held as income by DC residents, including seniors living on fixed incomes. The proposals appeared confusing to many in attendance, and its passage remains in doubt.

A proposal to tax drivers using parking garages appears to remain in the budget, on which the council will hold a final vote

Noticeable in the running commentary on individual issues during the morning discussion of the debate was the profuse praise for Chairman Brown, who has been seen by many observers in the city as being in a weakened leadership position. Agree or disagree, almost every council member praised Brown for his work and effort on the budget and working with the council as a whole and individual members.

Some of the social programs for which funds were found were in Ward 2, which Evans represents. “I worked closely with the Washington Interfaith Network, and fought hard for preservation of the Housing Protection Trust Fund, the Community Benefits Fund and the Neighborhood Investment Fund, “ Evans said. “I am grateful to my Council colleagues for recognizing their importance to my Ward and the city.”

The budget at $11 billion plus, is the largest in the city’s history.

Michael Brown, Councilman at large, said, “I understand the need to balance the budget. But I still feel that when there is considerable pain felt throughout the city because of the economy and the deficit, then it should be shared equally. And the tax rates are not shared equally. It just doesn’t seem right that someone, say, who makes $400,000, should only pay the same rate as someone making $40,000.”

Several council members questioned the bond taxes. Ward One Councilman Jim Graham, who advocated strongly for not cutting programs for “those who have the least,” including the homeless, said that such legislation was passed in other years but never implemented, “So I don’t see any point in doing it again.”

Phil Mendelson also questioned the feasibility of implementing such a tax. “Where’s the infrastructure to do that?” he said. “However, I’m glad we chose to defend and support critical services for the homeless and those in need.” Evans also questioned the tax on the interest on municipal bonds.

For the Love of Fashion
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Sitting smiling, talking on the phone at a desk in the back of Saks Jandel amid racks of stunning Armani creations, Harriet Kassman seems to have shaken off much of the heartbreak the last few months have thrown her way. Flipping through papers
with hot-pink nails that match her lipstick, the Washington legend, renowned for dressing area celebrities and politicians for the last 35 years, looks comfortable amid the luxury labels. Though perhaps not quite as comfortable as she would have looked a year ago, among her own hand-picked designer goodies.

“I’ve come full circle, I’m right where I’ve started from,” says Kassman, looking around Saks Jandel.
Kassman worked at the high-end clothing store for two years when it opened in 1975, but then set out on her own adventure. In 1977 the spunky grandmother, standing just a shade over five feet tall, opened her namesake luxury store: Harriet Kassman.

For 35 years she did business that seemed more like pleasure: perhaps a cool aunt helping to dress friends and family in garments that happened to be stunning couture. But in September of this year, the crumpling economy got the better of Kassman’s revenue stream, and she had to shut the doors. “I didn’t just open a store, I put my whole heart and soul in it,” says Kassman, stopping smiling for a moment, “and when you lose it it’s like losing part of yourself.” Though understandably deeply affected
by the loss of her beloved store, Kassman refuses to wallow. She allows herself only a few moments sadness to ponder the year’s events, a solemn reflection not at all bogged down by self pity. “I’ve learned over the past couple months that you’ve got to go on, that you cant just live in the past.”

And boy has she lived by those words. Instead of moping about past misfortunes, Kassman
has thrown herself into a new venture: consultant for her onetime rival Saks Jandel. The owner of Saks Jandel, Peter Marx, is the same age as Kassman’s middle son Nicholas,
who worked with his mom at the boutique since graduating college. “He’s such a nice human being,” Kassman says fondly of Marx. When he heard that Kassman’s store would be closing, he did something many people would never have even considered. “He walked up to my store and said ‘what can I do to help?’” says Kassman, “And you never hear that from people.” Marx’s generosity
has given the 88-year-old Kassman a new lease on her lifetime in fashion, something
she is deeply invested in.

Kassman’s career in fashion began in her home town of Daytona Beach, FL. Then twenty years old, she began a lifetime among famous designers in her father’s dress shop, and in the intervening decades her desire to work in fashion hasn’t wavered one bit. “Some people just work at their job, and other people have a passion,” says Kassman, looking around at designers whose names have become something like family: “I have a passion. Where it came from, I don’t know, it doesn’t matter. But I like it.” Her love of beautiful clothes has lasted for nearly seventy years, and not even the economic collapse forcing Kassman to shutter the doors on her beloved store has dimmed that passion.

So now Kassman lends her expertise to another renowned boutique in D.C., and so far is loving it.

“I’m so pleased when somebody walks out in something that’s beautiful, and they love it and they get compliments on it,” says the effervescent grandmother of seven, looking around at the Vera Wang bridal boutique in Saks Jandel. Adorned with two long rows of frothy tulle confections and stunning lace numbers in white, ivory and cream, this is one of the most high-end rooms in the store.
But, insists Kassman, there is something at Saks Jandel to fit every price range. “I mean, you can spend $5,000 if you like, but you can also spend $200,” she insists, pointing out lovely autumn cashmere pieces that are a priced quite reasonably. Citing quality as one of the premier factors in deciding which brands to buy, Saks Jandel focuses on stocking beautiful clothes of exceptional quality, regardless of the number on the price tag.

Kassman’s boutique featured many of the same designers as Saks Jandel, and many of the clients she worked with have now come to do business at Peter Marx’s store, which Kassman couldn’t be more pleased about. Pulling a stunning red Valentino cocktail dress off the rack, Kassman looks right at home. It would be unfathomable for her to consider retiring: she simply has too much fun in fashion.

“When the clock runs down, you’re finished,” says Kassman, smiling around, “But I’m not finished.”