WI Web Staff
First Lady to Lead Delegation for Opening Ceremonies of Summer Olympics
Saturday, 17 March 2012 00:52 Published in National
First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the Presidential delegation for the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London. Mrs. Obama made the announcement at an event with Samantha Cameron celebrating the Olympic games and Mrs. Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative.
During the event, Olympians and Paralympians -- including Kortney Clemons, Dominique Dawes, Tom Dolan, April Holmes, Lisa Leslie, Lori Ann Lindsey, Dan O'Brien, Becky Sauerbrunn, David Wagner and Mal Washington -- led D.C.-area school children in activities inspired by the Olympic games.
Mrs. Obama emphasized her hope that the Olympic games will inspire more young people to get active and healthy, the goal of her Let's Move! initiative.
"In the months ahead, I'll be talking to Americans all across the country to encourage even more young people to tap into that Olympic spirit and turn their inspiration into action," said Mrs. Obama. "As the Olympic creed states, 'the most important thing ... is not to win, but to take part.' And that doesn't just mean sitting and watching, it means getting up and getting active as well. I hope we use the upcoming games as motivation for all of us to get up and get moving."
"Mrs. Obama's support will only further invigorate the athletes' desire to bring home the gold and motivate all Americans to be active," said Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympic gymnast and co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. "My work on behalf of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition is a way for me to give back to the country that supported me during my Olympic journey."
Peterson vs. Khan II, is a 12-round Unified Super Lightweight World Title fight for Lamont Peterson's WBA World Super Championship and IBF World Championship.
The event takes place Saturday, May 19 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Khan Promotions and Headbangers Promotions. The fight is being sponsored by Corona and AT&T, and will be telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing at 10:45 p.m. ET/7:45 p.m. PT in the United States and live on Sky in the United Kingdom.
Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Saturday, March 10 at Noon PT and will be available for purchase at the Mandalay Bay box office and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino).
To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandaylaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Tickets for fans traveling from the United Kingdom are available for purchase online at www.sportscorporation.com or by calling +44 (0)845 163 0845.
'The Bodyguard' Returns to Theaters for One Night Only
Friday, 16 March 2012 16:49 Published in Arts & Entertainment
For one night only, fans and film supporters alike will be given the chance to see "The Bodyguard" live in theaters again, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., March 28, some 400 theaters across the nation will screen the film in honor of its 20th anniversary.
When it was released in 1992, The Bodyguard became the second highest-grossing film in the world. The soundtrack, which featured several Whitney Houston songs, became the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time — selling more than 42 million copies. Popular songs "I Will Always Love You" and "Run to You" earned Oscar nominations as well.
At Houston's funeral, her Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner said, "A lot of leading men could've played my part. But you, Whitney, I truly believe you were the only one who could've played Rachel Marron at that time. You weren't just pretty, you were as beautiful as a woman could be. And people didn't just like you, Whitney, they loved you."
Houston's final movie, Sparkle, co-starring Jordin Sparks, Tika Sumpter and Mike Epps, will hit theaters nationwide on Aug. 17.
Investigators Target City Officials' Campaign Records
Friday, 16 March 2012 15:53 Published in Local
D.C. City Council Chairman Kwame Brown appears to be the latest among a list of locally-elected officials ordered by federal investigators to hand over their campaign records.
Brown now joins council members Yvette Alexander, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelson whose campaigns have been aligned with well-known campaign donor Jeffrey E. Thompson. As a result, their campaign records have been requested by way of subpoenas sent to their campaign treasurers.
Mayor Vincent Gray's campaign records have also been targeted, but according to a published report, have yet be subpoenaed. However, another report -- which attributed its sources to people directly aligned with Gray's fundraising -- stated that Gray personally showed up at his headquarters one day during the 2010 campaign with as much as $100,000 in contributions from Thompson and his associates.
While council member Vincent Orange has stated that he would encourage a review of $26,000 in money orders his campaign received from Thompson's camp, council member TommyWells has reportedly said he never received contributions from Thompson, and therefore doesn't expect a subpoena. Others members like Marion Barry and Muriel Bowser have yet to deny or confirm if they have been subpoenaed – and none of the officials have been charged with any wrongdoing.
Conflict Holds Up Money for Ward 5 Special Election
Thursday, 15 March 2012 23:57 Published in Local
In the event Mayor Vincent Gray and the D.C. City Council fail to come to an agreement over a spending bill for the May 15 Ward 5 special election, there's a chance the election won't happen.
The Ward 5 election is one of two that the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics is charged with conducting this spring and while the April 3 primary is fully funded, $318,000 is needed to proceed with the election that seeks to fill the seat vacated in January by former Councilman Harry Thomas Jr.
According to a published report, the three-member election board warned Gray and Councilmember Muriel Bowser in a letter this week that if it didn't receive the funds needed to conduct the election in the next week, it risked not being able to meet deadlines for getting ballots and voter notification cards printed in time.
Elections Board chair Deborah Nichols reportedly wrote in the letter that, "If funds are not made available immediately, the Board will be in the untenable position of violating either laws relating to timely public notice and distribution of ballots or the provision of the Anti-Deficiency Act."
The report further stated that Gray spokesman Pedro Ribeiro indicated that the money was included in a $42 million supplemental budget submitted in January by the mayor to cover shortfalls in certain agencies -- and that the City Council just needs to vote on it.
Black Consumers Still Place High Value on Buying Newspapers, Magazines
Thursday, 15 March 2012 23:20 Published in National
African Americans have always consumed media at a greater rate than other segments of the population. But while they watch more hours of TV, and spend more time listening to radio than anyone, black consumers have not abandoned their interest in newspapers and magazines.
In fact, a look at data from the Dept. of Commerce reveals that African-American households have maintained a higher rate of purchases of print media than white households. Black purchases of newspapers and magazines grew 9.2 percent between 2006 and 2010, the latest data available. During the same period, whites' purchases of print media declined 14 percent.
White purchases of single copies of newspapers and magazines have dropped every year since 2006, while black purchases dropped only once in four years. Print media subscriptions for blacks and whites have declined steadily over that period, though the rate of decline for whites was much steeper.
This research suggests that print information may be more valuable to African-Americans and they are willing to pay more even as the cost per copy increases. It may also suggest that blacks are not getting all the news and information they desire from free sources on the Internet.
The newest edition of Target Market News' "Buying Power of Black America" report shows that black households spent $402 million on newspapers and magazines in 2010. Of that amount, $202 million was spent on buying single copies versus subscriptions. That represents a 16 percent increase over the previous year.
For more information about the upcoming edition of "The Buying Power of Black America" visit www.targetmarketnews.com.
The ROCKS Inc. bi-annual National Leadership and Training Conference will be held from March 29-31 at the Fort Belvoir's Officers Club.
With the theme "Mentoring Military Professionals for Global Leadership Challenges" the conference includes presentations by senior military and Department of Defense leaders, leadership panels, and small group discussions.
Speakers include Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the Army. The ROCKS' Spring Gala will be held in the same location the evening of March 31, where several scholarships will be awarded to cadets and high school students.
Founded in 1974, The Rocks, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides scholarships, mentorship and professional development to ROTC and Military Academy Cadets, active duty and reserve component officers. The organization also assists retired and former active or reserve component officers. Registration information is available at the website: www.therocksdc.org or by calling 301-856-9319.
Excel Academy Public Charter School Hosts Inaugural Gala
Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:46 Published in LocalD.C.'s First and Only All-Girls' Public Charter School Raises More than $75,000 for Its Music, Arts Programs
Excel Academy Public Charter School recently celebrated its first four years of growth and accomplishment with an evening of music and arts at its inaugural gala.
The event titled, "Dream a Little Dream," was held March 3 at the Organization of American States in downtown Washington, D.C., and brought together more than 230 Friends of Excel for a silent auction and dinner.
The gala raised funds for the Excel's music and arts programs, and both were prominently featured during the evening's festivities. Guests excitedly bid on scholar artwork during the silent auction, which brought in more than $10,500.
During the dinner, guests were treated to a special performance by the Excel Academy Third Grade Scholar Chorus. Joined by their sister-scholars from the Holton-Arms School, they performed with wide eyes and full hearts for the packed room. The students were joined for their finale by professional opera singer, Karin Paludan, who led the girls in a rousing chorus of O Sole Mio. As the guests came to their feet, both they and the girls knew it was a night they would not soon forget. This gala raised over $75,000 for the music and arts programs at Excel.
About Excel Academy Public Charter School
Four years ago, Excel Academy opened its door in the heart of Anacostia to 134 little girls with big dreams. Today, the school serves 401 girls in preschool through third grade, and is moving ahead confidently with plans to grow each year until the school has an eighth grade in 2016. The school's board, management, and faculty are dedicated to ensuring that Excel Academy scholars continue to dream big and believe in a bright future for themselves and their community. The school is located at 2501 Martin Luther King Avenue, S.E. For additional information regarding the public charter school, please visit www.excelpubliccharterschool.org.
Mural to Honor Brown vs. Board of Education
TOPEKA, KANSAS -- Rep. Valdenia Winn (D - Kansas City), chairperson of the Capitol Preservation Committee, is issuing a national call for artists/artistic teams to submit a Request for Qualification (RFQ) to design a mural in the Kansas State Capitol commemorating the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
"The significance of the Oliver L. Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas is known throughout the world and one that has paved the way for the modern revolution for human rights in the United States," said Winn. "The story of the families from Kansas, Virgina, South Carolina, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., must be remembered for the sacrifices that they made so that we all could reach our greatest potentials. This mural will be a legacy for all!"
In 2010, the Kansas Legislature passed Senate Bill 54, which created the Capitol Preservation Committee and authorized the Committee to develop plans for the placement of a mural within the Kansas State Capitol to commemorate the landmark court case that ended the "separate but equal" law across the United States.
Project parameters can be found here:
www.washburn.edu/main/mulvane/files/Brown%20Mural%20Call%20for%20Artists%20RFQ.pdf
The deadline for submitting an RFQ is 5 p.m. CST on May 1. The Capitol Preservation Committee will invite selected artists to provide a Request for Proposal (RFP) to more specifically outline their plan for the mural.
The contact person for submitting an RFQ is Cyndi Morrison at the Mulvane Art Museum. Her e-mail is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;Phone, 785-670-1124.
The mural will be paid for by private dollars, projected completion in October 2014.
Dance Theatre of Harlem Comes to Southeast D.C.
Monday, 12 March 2012 23:02 Published in Arts & Entertainment
The Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble will appear in a rare performance in Southeast Washington.
The event is slated for 5 p.m., Sunday, April 8 at THEARC Theater, 1901 Mississippi Ave.
This is the company's first full show at THEARC Theater after conducting a lecture demonstration to the community in 2011, and it's one of the few professional dance concerts the theater has presented to its community since the campus opened in 2005.
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a performing Ensemble, a leading arts education center and Dancing Through Barriers®, a national and international education and community outreach program.
Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts.
Featured Poll
ADVERTISMENT
ADVERTISMENT
ADVERTISMENT