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"Art Beat" with Stephanie Kaye - Weekend Events, January 2-4, 2009
Stephanie Kaye

January 02, 2009 - (Jan 3, 10) DINNER AND A MOVIE The Montpelier Arts Center presents its open house and "dinner and a movie" nights this Saturday and next at , with open artists' studios, Celtic music and a smorgasbord of films with a food focus, including Babette's Feast, based on an Isak Dinesen story set on the bleak Danish coast, and the movie American Beer which will be served up with chili and assortment of brews.

(Jan 4) BOARD GAME TOURNEY A board game tournament takes place Sunday at Brion's Grill in Fairfax at 4:30pm. An afternoon of appetizers and classic board games awaits those who want to wrap up the weekend with some fun.

(Through Sept 20) JUBILEE The exhibit Jubilee: African American Celebration is at the Anacostia Community Museum through September 20th. You can take a historical holiday through the artifacts of African American celebrations, some of which, like the spring festival "Pinkster" and the musical street jamboree "John Canoe", no longer exist.

Ball To Honor Military Personnel and Their Spouses

January 02, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama will have a Commander in Chief's Ball during his inauguration. The event will honor military personnel, their spouses and those wounded fighting in the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officials say that tickets for the Jan. 20 military-only ball will be free to guests. The formal event will be at the National Business Museum in Washington.

Meymo Lyons reports...

Montgomery County Schools Shortchanged Millions by Accounting Error

January 02, 2009 - State officials say an accounting error shortchanged the Montgomery County, Maryland school system by $24 million in lost revenue.

Some of the money ended up going to the 23 other school systems in the state. Gov. Martin O'Malley says he will repay the county through a deficiency appropriation in the fiscal year that begins in July. He says the school systems that were overpaid will be allowed to keep the funds.

The chief administrative officer to County Executive Ike Leggett, Timoy Firestine, says the error occurred when a state employee overvalued the county's real estate by about $16 billion in a so-called wealth formula used to distribute state money to schools.

Bill Redlin reports...

Arlington Teens Binge Drinking At Alarming Levels

January 02, 2009 - Combating binge drinking among teenagers will be a priority for the new chair of the Arlington County Board. Teenagers in Arlington are engaging in binge drinking at a higher rate than the national average. That's according to a soon-to-be-released report on Arlington's health care infrastructure. Barbara Favola is the new Chair of the Arlington County Board. In her inaugural speech yesterday, Favola said that this trend poses a threat to the county's public health.

David Schultz reports...

Weekend Planner: Bolivian Cuisine Inside the Beltway

January 02, 2009 - From Ethiopian restaurants to Vietnamese, the D.C. region can brag about a huge variety of dining choices. On the Weekend Planner we make a resolution to try a local option you might not have enjoyed yet - Bolivian cuisine. Speaking with David Furst, Washington City Paper food writer Tim Carman says he found the perfect 'Saltena' in Arlington.

New Chief to Take Over U.S. Park Police

January 02, 2009 - A new chief of the U.S. Park Police is taking over this month.

In a report last year, the Interior Department inspector general found that the Park Police neglected security at landmarks and was plagued by understaffing and poor leadership. Now officials say they are responding to the report and have named Salvatore Lauro to take over the force.

Lauro began his career as a police officer in Washington in 1978, according to the Park Service Web site. Lauro moved to the the Park Service's New York Field office in 1985, and he later served as a regional specialist in the Southwestern U.S. Lauro returned to Washington in 1997 and has held several positions here. He has been the Park Police's acting assistant chief since March.

Lauro will manage more than 600 officers and oversee law enforcement at parks across the country.

Rebecca Blatt reports...

Lawmakers Call For Virginia to Ignore Real ID Federal Mandate

January 02, 2009 - Some legislators want Virginia to join the growing chorus of states that have defied the federal government by refusing to participate in a national identification program. Two pieces of legislation for consideration when lawmakers return to Richmond Jan. 14 call for Virginia to ignore the federal mandate to come into compliance with the Real ID Act by the beginning of next year. Similar bills went nowhere last year, but supporters say the looming deadline gives the issue a new urgency.

Meymo Lyons reports...

City Leaders Sworn In

January 02, 2009 - Six members of the D.C. Council were officially sworn-in today. But as city leaders look ahead to the new year, there are many familiar challenges on the horizon. Like just about every other city or jurisdiction in the country, the District is learning how to make do with less D.C has already trimmed about 260 million dollars from its budget and the expected shortfall for the next fiscal year is even greater.

After veteran councilman Jack Evans took the oath for the 6th time in his career, he reminded the crowd that tough budget decisions lie ahead. Evans says the District should continue to invest in its schools, its police force, and in public services. But the cuts will have to come somewhere and officials at todays ceremony offered few specifics.

Patrick Madden reports

Fire Survivors Sift through Ashes

January 02, 2009 - Twenty four hours after fire ripped through a home in North East Washington, killing 6 family members, the grim task of sifting through the ashes was left to the survivors. Mana Rabiee reports.