WI Web Staff
Washington Redskins Inaugural Training Camp Opens July 25
Monday, 06 May 2013 23:05 Published in Sports
RICHMOND, Va. – The Washington Redskins, in partnership with Bon Secours Virginia Health System, the City of Richmond and the Virginia Governor’s Office, announced their 2013 training camp schedule, set to take place at the new world-class Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center from July 25 through Aug. 16 in Richmond, Va. The schedule features a total of 17 days of practice sessions that will be open to the public highlighted by Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Admission is free for all fans. Two practice sessions are tentatively scheduled for each day of training camp. Practice times range between one-to-two hours. Following practice, Redskins players and coaches will be made available to sign autographs and take pictures with fans, schedules permitting.
“Fan interaction is a priority for our team and our new facility is built specifically with our fans in mind. We hope this historic move will set the standard of excellence for training camp experiences in all of professional sports,” Washington Redskins Executive Vice President/General Manager Bruce Allen said. “We are proud that Redskins training camp represents the single largest team sports event to take place within the Commonwealth of Virginia and we are excited to bring this unforgettable fan experience to Richmond.”
The new $10 million dollar state-of-the-art training center will feature two full-size natural grass fields, a natural grass drill field, spectator areas, locker rooms and a high-tech training room. The Bon Secours Virginia Health System will also ensure the facility serves as a valuable year-round resource for the community when camp is not in session. They will operate the facility as a full service sports medicine rehabilitation and men’s health center on the property throughout the year, in addition to offering men’s health, fitness and education programs. The facility will also be home to movin’ mania, Bon Secours’ healthy kids initiative.
The City of Richmond is developing field utilization plans to ensure the facility will also be available for a variety of sporting events and other activities throughout the year. The fields will be available for youth programming, tournaments and other uses that generate revenue and positive exposure for the City of Richmond when camp is not in session.
“We are honored to be the Official Training Camp Hospital Partner of the Washington Redskins and take great pride in this project; it will have such a significant impact on our city, both economically and from a health perspective,” said Peter Bernard, CEO of Bon Secours Virginia Health System. “In addition to promoting overall health and wellbeing, this new facility and partnership will allow us to further our long-established Healthy Communities initiative, which focuses on bringing health-care services and educational programs to Richmond’s underserved areas.”
Among the other noteworthy components of Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center will be a new City park with a multi-tier outdoor amphitheater and walking trails to enhance the benefits for residents, as well as camp attendees.
The City of Richmond will offer a variety of parking options for Redskins fans during training camp. With the exception of City Stadium, which will cost $7 and includes a shuttle, all parking facilities provided by the City will be $5. All fees are flat rates for the day (with no in-out service). Available parking lots provided by the City of Richmond will be announced closer to camp.
"As the official training camp home of the Washington Redskins, we are looking forward to an exciting training camp season at our new state-of-the-art facility," said Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones. "Our optimal location - within a day's drive of over half the United States' population - makes Richmond the destination of choice that will be hard to resist for Redskins fans and for NFL fans looking for a training camp experience nearby."
In addition to the opportunity to watch practice, the Redskins will offer special events, giveaways and other unique fan experience destinations. Fans can also enjoy various interactive tents and purchase their favorite Redskins merchandise at the Redskins Team Store tent. Located behind the Science Museum of Virginia and the Children’s Museum of Richmond, fans can also take advantage of special museum exhibits that will be featured during camp.
Prior to their arrival at training camp, Redskins fans are encouraged to fill out their free Training Camp Fan Invitation, which will be available on www.redskins.com/trainingcamp.
“Last year, fans around the state were thrilled with the announcement that not only would the Redskins expand their headquarters and training facility in Ashburn, Va., but that for the first time they will be holding summer training camp in our capital city. The new Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center will be great for the community and will make for a world-class training camp facility starting this July,” Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said. “The Redskins’ commitment to the community has been seen already in Richmond through the successful Play 60 Challenge and other service-oriented events led by players and staff. Data shows the team also supports 1,832 jobs in the Commonwealth, directly and indirectly, generating nearly $200 million in annual economic activity.”
Prior to the Redskins’ move to Richmond, the team hosted training camp at Redskins Park for 11 summers (2000, 2003-12). The move to Redskins Park in 2000 marked the first time the franchise opened the complex to visitors in team history. In the 11 years that the Redskins have trained at Redskins Park, the preseason camp has attracted an average of more than 100,000 fans per summer and has annually had Fan Appreciation Day attendance surpass 25,000-plus fans.
“We welcome football fans visiting Richmond to experience the only urban setting with Class IV rapids, the offerings at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, our award-winning Central Virginia craft breweries, shopping and festivals and more than 900 restaurants,” Gov. McDonnell said. “Richmond and the Redskins are a great match, and we welcome everyone this summer for what will be a great training camp and a great time in Virginia's capital city.”
For detailed information on Richmond sites, attractions, hotels and more, visit www.rvariverfront.com. For logos and photos of the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center, visit http://redsk.in/Zu9cu0. Media interested in attending training camp should apply for credentials online at www.redskins.com/credentials.
For more information on the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center or the Redskins training camp, please visit www.redskins.com/trainingcamp.
-REDSKINS-
2013 BON SECOURS WASHINGTON REDSKINS TRAINING CENTER FAN SCHEDULE
The practices sessions listed below are open to the public free of charge; practice dates are subject to change without notice. Practice times will be released closer to camp. Two practice sessions are tentatively scheduled for each day of training camp. For the latest training camp information, please visit www.redskins.com/trainingcamp.
***DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
PRACTICE SESSIONS CAN BE CANCELED WITHOUT NOTICE***
Thursday, July 25
Friday, July 26
Saturday July 27
Monday, July 29
Tuesday, July 30
Wednesday, July 31
Thursday, Aug. 1
Friday, Aug. 2
Saturday, Aug. 3 (Fan Appreciation Day – Noon)
Monday, Aug. 5
Tuesday, Aug. 6
Saturday, Aug. 10
Monday, Aug. 12
Tuesday, Aug. 13
Wednesday, Aug. 14
Thursday, Aug. 15
Friday, Aug. 16
* Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on during practice, overlooking the practice fields. No bleachers are available on-site. Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center visitors can walk around designated areas outside the practice fields to watch their favorite players.
* For security purposes, all visitors and bags entering the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center grounds are subject to search by team security.
AmeriHealth Serving District's Medicaid Beneficiaries
Thursday, 02 May 2013 20:00 Published in Local
"AmeriHealth District of Columbia is staffed by a local, deeply experienced team led by Karen Dale, who is a talented, proven executive.," said Michael A. Rashid, ACFC president and chief executive officer. "We are excited about the opportunity to combine their District-focused experience with our national expertise in Medicaid managed care, as we work with providers, community partners and the District to improve access to effective and compassionate care for underserved populations living in this vibrant community." "I'm thrilled that such a successful, well-managed and nationally known company will be managing health care for the city's most vulnerable residents," said William P. White, commissioner of the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. "It's been a long road to get here, and it's great to know it turned out so well and that our Medicaid recipients will be under such excellent care."
Art Feeds the Soul!
The Washington Informer Newspaper is truly a treasurer in our community, but when the paper publishes articles such as "Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor," by Michelle Phipps-Evans, April 25, 2013 edition, your paper lifts us to ever greater heights. I've seen the exhibit and it's marvelous.
Everyone should see it, especially our young people. Under the leadership of Dr. Johnnetta Cole, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art continues to bring us exciting, educational and cutting-edge exhibits from the continent of Africa. Somewhere, someone once said, "Art is nothing unless it's viewed." Continue to cover the arts because we need it – art makes a difference in our lives and certainly matters to us.
Malik M. Powell
Washington, D.C.
A Different Opinion
Your April 25, 2013 edition is full of very informative articles. But, I would have preferred to see as the front-page story either one of Gale Horton Gay's stories from the Prince George's County section, "Men Making a Difference in Prince George's County," or "Hyattsville School Choir Headed to South Africa."
To me those stories are much more important to the community than the D.C. Council election results. Don't get me wrong, I do understand your position as a city paper and your obligation to report the news. Unfortunately, I don't see the city council as being relevant anymore. The other two stories are positive and uplifting. Those articles provide a fine example of what hard work and a commitment to others can accomplish.
Reuben Jamerison
Washington, D.C.
Italy's First Black Cabinet Minister Criticized
Wednesday, 01 May 2013 21:34 Published in International
Cecile Kyenge's appointment as Italy's first Black Cabinet minister has exposed the nation's ugly race problem, with one politician deriding what he called Italy's new "bonga bonga government," according to a report on Newsone.com.
The report goes on to state that on Wednesday, May 1, amid increasing revulsion over the reaction, the government authorized an investigation into neo-fascist websites whose members called Kyenge "Congolese monkey" and other epithets.
Kyenge, 48, was born in Congo and moved to Italy three decades ago to study medicine. An eye surgeon, she lives in Modena with her Italian husband and two children. She was active in local center-left politics before winning a seat in the lower Chamber of Deputies in February elections.
In addition to his "bonga bonga" slur, Mario Borghezio, a European parliamentarian for the League, warned in an interview with Radio 24 that Kyenge would try to "impose tribal traditions" from her native Congo on Italy.
Kyenge recently responded to the insults, thanking those who had come to her defense and taking a veiled jab at the vulgarity of her critics. "I believe even criticism can inform if it's done with respect," she tweeted.
President Barack Obama said on Wednesday in nominating Congressman Mel Watt (D-N.C.) to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, that selecting him is one of the best things he could do.
Watt, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who has more than 20 years on the House Financial Services and Judiciary committee, would replace acting director, Edward DeMarco, according to a White House official.
"[Mel's] represented the people of North Carolina for 20 years –- every one of them as a member of the committee that oversees housing policy," said Obama. "And in that capacity, Mel has led efforts to rein in unscrupulous mortgage lenders. He's helped protect consumers from the kind of reckless risk-taking that led to the financial crisis in the first place. And he's fought to give more Americans in low-income neighborhoods access to affordable housing."
In the past, Watt has accused white Americans of racism.
He said in October 2005 during a hearing held in Washington, D.C., by the National Commission on the Voting Rights Act, that there would be a substantial majority of white voters who would say that under no circumstances, would they vote for an African-American candidate.
He added that such voters "need to be factored out of the equation because "I've got no use for them in the democratic process."
BSU Foundation Hosts Ashford and Simpson Tribute
Tuesday, 30 April 2013 22:26 Published in Arts & Entertainment
In celebration of the musical achievements of Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson as singers, songwriters, composers and partners, the Bowie State University (BSU) Foundation has established the Ashford and Simpson Endowed Music Scholarship Fund.
Ashford died two years ago at age 70.
A tribute concert honoring the couple's legacy and commitment in providing a platform for aspiring artists will be held beginning at 6 p.m., Friday, May 17 at the BSU Fine and Performing Arts Center, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, MD 20715. Featured performers will include recording artists Jeff Majors and Jean Carnes.
Tickets, which can be purchased by visiting www.bowiestate.edu, are $200 General; $275 VIP.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ashford and Simpson Endowed Music Scholarship Fund for aspiring artists at BSU.
Red carpet "Premiere Night" for the new Giant grocery store, located at 300 H St. in Northeast, will be held on May 2. The highly-anticipated celebration for the 41,000-square –foot, LEED-certified building will feature special activities including live entertainment, gifts, food sampling, and more.
The H Street store, which will create more than 100 jobs, and be open 24 hours a day, is the second Giant in Northeast. It is also one of two new stores scheduled to open this year in the District, with a third store scheduled to open in 2014.
Customers attending "Premiere Night" will meet their new store team and take a tour of the facility before the public opening at 6 a.m. Friday, May 3. Local dignitaries – including D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton -- and community members will join in a 6 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony and Giant will make a donation to the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.
CROWNSVILLE, MD -- The state of Maryland will receive approximately $11 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through HUD's Section 811
Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (PRA Demo).
The PRA Demo program provides rental assistance to extremely low-income persons with disabilities, many of whom are transitioning out of institutional settings
or are at high risk of homelessness.
"In Maryland, we believe in the dignity of every individual and that there is no such thing as a spare American," said Gov. Martin O'Malley.
"Working together with our local, state and federal partners, we've set out to build a strong, multi-faceted approach to combat homelessness in our state and protect the needs of our most vulnerable Marylanders. Thanks to the support of President Obama and our partners at HUD, Maryland now has additional resources to provide rental assistance to our neighbors withdisabilities."
Jane C.W. Vincent, regional administrator of HUD's Mid-Atlantic region, said her office is pleased to support the Department of Housing and Community Development's efforts to offer solutions for persons who might otherwise be homeless or institutionalized.
"Through the combined efforts of federal and state agencies, real progress is being made in preventing and ending homelessness" she said.
The $10.97 million received from HUD will provide five years of rental assistance for 150 units that will serve non-elderly persons with disabilities with incomes at or below 30 percent Area Median Income who receive Medicaid services.
"The Department of Housing and Community Development strives to expand affordable housing opportunities for all Marylanders," said Skinner. "This federal funding will provide critical rental assistance to some of our most at-risk citizens, giving them a safe and stable home and the support services needed to live independently."
Catherine A. Raggio, secretary, Maryland Department of Disabilities, added that Maryland's application for PRA Demo Program funds was a successful collaboration among state and local agencies across the affordable housing and disability services system.
Said Raggio:"The lack of affordable housing is one of the most critical issues facing individuals with disabilities today and these efforts will ensure that many Marylanders with disabilities will be able to live safely and independently in their communities."
Obama Nominates Foxx for Transportation Secretary
Tuesday, 30 April 2013 15:53 Published in National
President Barack Obama has nominated Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, NC, to replace outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Foxx, who was elected mayor of Charlotte in 2009 and re-elected in 2011, has continued to serve as deputy general counsel for DesignLine Corp., a Charlotte-based bus company. Prior to announcing earlier this month, his plans to step down to spend more time with his family, there had been rumors that Foxx, 42, would be tapped to replace LaHood.
"When Anthony became mayor in 2009, Charlotte, like the rest of the country, was going through a bruising economic crisis. But the city's managed to turn things around. The economy is growing. There are more jobs, more opportunity," Obama said this week in remarks delivered from the East Room of the White House. "And if you ask Anthony how that happened, he'll tell you that one of the reasons is that Charlotte made one of the largest investments in transportation in the city's history."
Obama faced criticism early in his second term for a lack of diversity among his nominees, and Foxx the first black nominee among the president's newly-appointed Cabinet members.
Foxx's nomination is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
(Posted by Dorothy Rowley)
David Catania, who chairs the D.C. Council's Education Committee, wants answers from Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson regarding a significant dip in the number of students attending summer school this year, and plans to make the 5-week session available only to students who need a little boost in reading.
The school system is reportedly targeting students who are lagging behind in their reading, rather than those who are reading below grade level.
While there has been a cut in funding for the summer school program, reports state that council member Catania -- who noted a $1.6 billion surplus in city coffers -- believes it's not too late for money to be earmarked in Mayor Vincent Gray's Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
"The notion that we don't have the money to give kids the kind of remedial assistance they need, so they can be on grade level to success, just strikes me as wrong," Catania said in an interview.
Meanwhile, Henderson is scheduled to testify at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 2 during a schools budget hearing that's being held by Catania.
(Posted by Dorothy Rowley)
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