The National Cherry Blossom Festival Keeps it Fresh at 96 Years Young
Spring is in the air and the days requiring multiple layers of clothing to walk or bike a few blocks from A to B are (hopefully) dwindling. Several spring-like days in mid-late February had many venturing outside only to discover that District flora was already popping. And starting this month, the National Mall will explode with its own yearly burst of white and pink cherry blossoms from several thousand "gift trees." Like the beautiful but short-lived and fleeting blossoms, the spring renewal heralds the month-long National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Read full storyNASA's Artemis Crew III Visits Local DC Elementary School
NASA administrator Bill Nelson and astronaut Kayla Barron perform experiments for the students.Photo byBy Matthew Koehler. "Would you like to fly in space?" NASA Administrator and former astronaut Bill Nelson asked the packed gymnasium of elementary students. The whole gymnasium obliged him with loud cheers. He followed up asking if space was "cool," then told gathered kiddos, faculty, media, and space nerds that "space is the place." That also garnered an enthusiastic response.
Read full storyUniversoul Circus Is Back in the DMV for Its 29th Season
Death defying dirt bike stunts wow the crowdMatthew Koehler. I walked into a packed house at the Big Tent down at National Harbor to loud, boisterous music while several camels pranced around the ring, then a mini pony. The soundtrack for the night was a mixture of hip hop, jazz, soul, and gospel. Over the course of the night, I saw everything from intense feats of strength and balance, to comedy (be wary of the whistling comedian!), to an allegedly never-done-before triple flip on a human-held balance beam, to death defying stunts that had me asking, "Really though, what if they do fall?" (There were no nets but no one fell.)
Read full storyCommunity Urges City Officials to Put Two Parcels of Land into a Trust
Local activists and neighbors in Southwest DC seek to push city to purchase two parcels for a community land trust. Coy McKinney, one of the organizers behind SW DC Action, takes to the stage to discuss the community land trust option.Matthew Koehler.
Read full storyTen Year Anniversary of MLK Memorial Brings Big Speakers
The 10 year commemoration ceremony drew leaders from across the country, including VP Harris and President Biden. President Biden delivers remarks at the at the Martin Luther King Jr. MemorialMatthew Koehler.
Read full storyArt House in DC Lets You Explore the Universe between Your Ears
New exhibit at Artechouse, DC uses art, technology, and neuroscience to explore the cells that make us human, the neuron. Main exhibit of "Life of a Neuron" explores the life cycle of neurons, from pre-birth to deathMatthew Koehler.
Read full storyBuzzard Point: Dusty Questions Remain
The area of Buzzard Point where the two ready-mix cement facilities sit along side new development and a schoolMatthew Koehler. Last month, I published a story that investigated complaints of pollution and excess dust experienced by long-existing border communities and incoming residents in and around Buzzard Point, in Southwest DC. Our investigation centered around the two ready-mix concrete plants that operate out of the area and delved into whether those plants were continuing to exacerbate health issues and violate environmental protocols.
Read full storyBuzzard Point: A Historic Struggle of Dust and Environmental Racism
Generations of border communities (mostly Black) in Buzzard Point have long suffered the affects environmental racism but with more affluent residents moving in (largely White), the city is taking notice.
Read full storyDigital Cherry Blossom Exhibit Hits Hard on Environmental Destruction and Renewal
Inspired by the climate change, rampant consumption, and a global pandemic, a new art exhibit in DC paints a bleak digital picture and asks us to examine ourselves. Walking into Renewal 2121, masked but amidst a small jubilant crowd of early viewers, I felt lighter than the last time I experienced one of ARTECHOUSE's (DC) cherry blossom-themed interactive exhibits. Much has happened in the past year that has caused intense existential anxiety. Some parts of the world are just starting to stutter-step out of pandemic lockdowns, others reentering.
Read full storyWhy D.C. Should Become a State
Long have the people of D.C., American citizens, fought for equal representation in Congress, and now their fight picks up steam. The House voted in favor of D.C. statehood on June 26, 2020, for the first time in history. It was, and is, a historic vote. A historic vote that ultimately died in the senate, but is part of a movement that has gained momentum in the last decade, ramping up during Trump's presidency, and is now a major democratic plank.
Read full storyConversations on Death with My Daughter
Explaining death is more difficult and traumatic for parents than it is for a 4 year old to understand. Death is never an easy subject to broach, but there were protocols when I was a kid. We had a narrative to fall back on growing up Catholic, and my brother and I were into our middle school years before attending a funeral for anyone we could remember. We were much older when someone really close to us died. By then, I had a firm grasp on the concept of death and what I believed happened afterward.
Read full storyFatherhood: What’s Love Got to Do With It?
That instant, over the moon in-love thing people say they have for their newborn? Fatherhood doesn’t feel that way for everyone. You have a child. You actually saw it happen. Well, some of it anyways.
Read full storyThe Unpaid Work of Stay at Home Parenting and Online Trolls
Even in the 21 century, men who stay home to care for the kids are subjected to sexist sterotypes and reduced economic outcomes. Anyone with a smart device is no stranger to online trolling, and most of it is harmless, even if the words are cutting and mean. Interacting with anonymous people out there in the aether affords you the opportunity to say whatever you want — really release your id upon the world. Not having to look someone in the eyes makes this even easier.
Read full storySpanking Might Be More about Parental Emotions, Not Discipline
Corporal punishment is about satisfying your own anger and fear, not about teaching children. She was standing there slapping her arm with a look that said, “I’m hitting myself but it doesn’t hurt. See? See? See?!?” I was not amused. Then, as if on cue, she laid on the ground, face down and cried, fakely.
Read full storyHappy Holidays: the Case for a More American Holiday
The case for officially ditching Christmas for "the holidays" As the first snowflakes fall, may we recall fondly the holiday that, like Thanksgiving, brings us into a warm house filled with animated family members and friends. Maybe there’s snow outside. If there isn’t, I feel sorry for you. Snow really makes the Holiday of holidays great.
Read full storyDC's Grey Market Cannabis Economy
In 2014, DC legalized recreational cannabis but because the Congress controls the tiny federal district, DC could not regulate and tax the plant. Alternatives emerged... Somewhere along the H Street corridor in DC, a group that will remain nameless put on a good cannabis event. It was the first one I’d ever been too, and it was also the first of its kind in the District.
Read full storyAsking Her to Smile May Be Enforcing Toxic Gender Roles
At four, my daughter was already distinctly aware of her looks and everyone from family to random strangers reminded her of it. I recall one episode where she made alluring faces in the mirror. She rocked her hips back and forth, and then told me how cute she looked.
Read full storyMy Toddler Became an Activist at the Women's March
Reflecting on the different tone of today, Jan. 20, 2021, as compared to 2017, I'm reminded of the spirit of defiance in which my wife and I, toddler-in-tow, marched up to the White House. It was, as I've observed from participating and covering protests, a madhouse. All demostrations, rallies, and protests gain a self-perpetuating momentum when they reach a certain size – they also become uncontrollable.
Read full storyUsing Cannabis Helped Me Stay off Opioids after Major Hip Surgery
A 90 day supply of opioids after hip surgery had me hooked — cannabis helped me kick the pills and manage pain. Chronic pain has been a constant companion since I was 17, when I broke my hip and had to have arthroscopic surgery. The doctor, who worked on professional athletes, said he'd only seen such injuries in football players, and said I would have to live with reduced function for the rest of my life. I would probably need an early hip replacement, too.
Read full storyWhat to Do When Your Kid Goes off to School
For stay-at-home parents, the first day of school opens up a world of opportunities, challenges, and questions. I sat in an empty apartment with an infinite number of things to do and places to go. A lassitudinous silence had descended on my person — the calm was unsettling and tangible. The TV had been off for at least 15 minutes but I continued to stare dully at its subdued reflectivity. The neighborhood chattered away from the partially open balcony door, beckoning.
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