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August 25, 2008 - This year's flu season is coming, and health workers now advise all children, not just preschoolers, get a flu vaccine.
Young children are good at sharing, at least sharing germs. Jeanne Santoli, an immunization specialist at the Centers for Disease Control, says that's why the agency now advises all children from 6 months to 18 years old get a flu vaccine. Vaccines are also recommended for people 65 and older, since they are more likely to have complications.
About 36,000 people die each year from influenza in the United States. A new vaccine is developed each year, since new versions of the flu virus are always evolving. This years vaccine has all new strains. And for those who dont like shots, a nasal spray version is an option.
Kathleen O'Neil reports...
August 25, 2008 - (Aug 26-Sept 28) ACE
Signature Theatre kicks off its season with the musical, ACE, at the Shirlington MAX Theatre tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ACE tells an epic story of a young boy coming to terms with the past just after WW II. Through the eyes of a child, the performance recounts the heroic lives and unforeseen legacies of Americas "Greatest Generation." Theres a free brown bag lunch discussion next Thursday and a "Page to Stage" presentation at the Shirlington Library, the following Monday.
(Aug 29-Sept 1) CLUB GETAWAY
[Club Getaway] (http://thingstododc.com/events.php?show=282) has planned a Labor Day weekend vacation to the Berkshires in Kent, Connecticut. Theyll take off in one giant caravan from the Grosvenor Metro stop at 10:30 Friday morning. 300 acres of mountains await visitors to this quaint New England town. With special events including skydiving, live music and parties on the beach, youll have the freedom to "labor" away, or do nothing at all.
(Through Sept 14) MARIA/STUART The play MARIA/STUART is running at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in downtown D.C. through September 14th. Just as our hero gets his big break as a comic book artist, a German-babbling, soda-guzzling ghost begins unlocking the doors of his family closets. Three generations of fierce female relatives attempt to erase their family's long-forgotten past in an eccentric, humorous and haunting story of warring queens. With a supernatural twist, the show demonstrates just how far a family will go to keep its past dead and buried.
August 25, 2008 - Washington, D.C., is one of the few cities in the country that tests its evacuation plan. This year, the Department of Transportation officials collected detailed information on vehicles and pedestrians leaving the Mall area to help improve traffic flow. As some vehicles were leaving the city, at certain intersections, traffic was moving at less than two miles an hour -- much slower than the posted 30 miles an hour.
Shoumya Dey with DDOT says they'll use the information to create a computer simulation model of downtown D.C. He says the data will help them plan for various scenarios such as delays and changes in signal length, so they'll know ahead of time what to expect. Gathering this information is expensive, and Dey says they're looking into using the tracking system in people's cell phones to map out how they leave the Mall area.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
August 25, 2008 - Governor Kaine and some other Democrats from Virginia are in Denver this week … meanwhile, other state lawmakers have plenty of work to keep them busy in Richmond.
Tommie McNeil has this weekly preview...
August 25, 2008 - Todd Zwillich reports from Denver -- where Democrats are gathering, and occasionally grumbling, at their national convention.
August 25, 2008 - DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee may be working with teachers, students and parents in the District to try to improve local schools, but she is also sharing suggestions and critiques of education nationwide.
Rhee says education in the United States needs -- what she calls -- "dire national attention." At least that was the message she shared at a forum on education in Denver last night. Specifically, Rhee tried to call attention to the achievement gap affecting poor and minority students.
Rhee suggested that the Democratic party should be leading efforts to dramatically improve school systems across the country.
She also offered several questions for educators around the country to consider -- including the role of teachers unions, the school board structure, and how educators are held accountable for student performance.
These are questions Rhee continues to struggle with as she tries to negotiate a contract with the Washington Teachers Union.
Today Rhee is back in the District as the doors open in schools around Washington. Despite gains made in the last year, there is plenty of work left to do: school renovations, teacher contract negotiations and gains in student achievement.
Rebecca Blatt reports...
August 25, 2008 - Young people in the District are flocking to Teen Night. The events, hosted by the Department of Parks and Recreation, are meant to create a safe space for teenagers from different backgrounds. The events are growing in popularity and attracting about 400 teenagers on any given Friday night.
Jessica Forres has more...
August 25, 2008 - Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen speaks with WAMU host Bill Redlin from the Democratic National Convention. He discusses the dynamics of the Maryland delegation, his goals for the Democratic Party and what he hopes to accomplish in his address Tuesday night.
August 25, 2008 - The newest schools superintendent says he and his fellow educators will be writing the next chapter of the story of Alexandria's school system.
The 58-year-old Morton Sherman has given journals to school administrators to encourage them to find time to reflect on their work. He is also surveying the school community in Alexandria to help determine its needs and to set goals. The first day of school in Alexandria is September 2. Sherman replaces Rebecca Perry. He had been superintendent in Tenafly, New Jersey. The administrator has a contract that will keep him in the post through June 2012.
Bill Redlin reports...
August 25, 2008 - Gas prices may have come down, but the numbers are still rising for Metro. Daily ridership on the transit system rail service this month is about seven percent higher than it was last August. The preliminary numbers show Metro is averaging 757,000 riders per weekday. In August 2007, that figure was 707,000.
The increase follows a 5.5 percent increase in ridership from July 2007 to July of this year. The transportation planning director for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments tells the Washington Examiner the numbers may be a sign people are making fairly permanent changes to their commuting habits.
Bill Redlin reports...
August 25, 2008 - D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty appeared at an education forum in Denver at the Democratic Convention. The theme of his talk was holding adults accountable for children's academic achievement and he pointed to Washington as an example. At an Education Challenge for Change Event, Fenty said in the past, the school system "just wasn't working." He said if it were a private business, it would have been shut down. Fenty said there is growing movement demanding accountability in cities such as Chicago,New York, Boston and Washington.
Kavitha Cardoza reports...
August 25, 2008 - Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner is rallying the troops at the Democratic National Convention.
Melinda Wittstock has more from Denver...
August 25, 2008 - MORE THAN FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED IN DENVER THIS WEEK FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTYS NATIONAL CONVENTION AND D.C.’S PUBLIC SCHOOL TAKEOVER PLAN AND THE ONGOING LABOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TEACHER UNIONS ARE AMONG THE LOCAL ISSUES GAINING NATIONAL ATTENTION THERE.
WAMU 88 5S KOJO NNAMDI IS BROADCASTING HIS SHOW LIVE FROM DENVER EVERY DAY FROM NOON TO 2 PM AND HE`LL BE FILING REPORTS FOR US ABOUT THE DC AREA POLITICOS AND DELEGATES WHO ARE ALSO THERE....
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