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Sending Money to El Salvador

Over the next few days, many Salvadoran immigrants in the Washington area will pack their bags full of gifts, hop a plane, and head back home for the holidays. There, they'll spend time with family and friends, catch up with old neighbors...and meet with the mayor and make sure the roof on the new community center is structurally sound. Immigrants have been sending huge amounts of money to their families in El Salvador for years, but now many are starting to think bigger. And for the growing number of Salvadorans in the DC region contributing to community development projects back home, these trips are becoming a combination of business and pleasure. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard reports.

Tougher Talk from Metro

Metro is now the second busiest subway system in the country, after New York City. Average daily rider-ship is up from around 475,000 in 2000 to roughly 700,000 today. That means more people packing subway platforms during rush hour, and more jostling to get in and out of trains. And sometimes, in the rush to make it aboard, crowds crush together near the doors of arriving trains, block passengers trying to exit and create human traffic jams. Metro officials don't like the bottlenecks, so they're working on some new tactics to get passengers to move through the system in a more orderly fashion. But Metro riders might not be easy to train. WAMU's Sarah Hughes has more.

Remembering Richard Pryor

Groundbreaking comedian Richard Pryor died last Saturday at the age of 65. He may not have been a District resident, but for writer Reuben Jackson, it felt like losing a big part of his DC childhood.

Reuben Jackson is a writer living in the District.

35th Annual Messiah Sing-Along

Handel's Messiah - maybe you've heard of it? The first performance took place in Dublin in 1742. Since then, it seems there is hardly a church choir or regional choral group that hasn't performed it. And the Kennedy Center has certainly hosted a few Messiahs. When it first opened in 1971, the Messiah was part of a "sing-in" concert at the brand new center. And they haven't missed a year since. This holiday season, the Kennedy Center holds its 35th sing-along on December 23rd - and the free tickets are always in high demand. People lined up in rock-concert fashion the day before tickets were given out, forming a tent city around the marble and gold columns of the Kennedy Center. WAMU's Stephanie Kaye joined the line the next day, when the campers were let inside the center's Hall of Nations. She also spoke with Tammie Ward, assistant director of the Kennedy Center's "Performing Arts for Everyone" program.

And...unlikely as it may seem, you may still have a chance to get into the center's 35th annual sing-along. Returned and unused tickets will be given out immediately before the performance.

The C & O Canal Hits the Coffee Table

If there's one thing that works well on radio, it's a discussion about a coffee table book. The lushly designed visuals really leap out of the speakers. But if you've ever been fascinated with the history and visual beauty of the C&O Canal and the 12-thousand acres of National Park that stretch along its 184.5 miles, there's a new book that captures a lot of the canal's glory. The C&O Canal: From Great National Project to National Historical Park is the latest from photographer and author Dorothy Camagna.

Nightlife with Fritz Hahn

Last year around this time, Nightlife writer Fritz Hahn was here to help us plan our New Year's Eve on the town...and he proved himself to be the ultimate New Year's Grinch! (Let's just say it's not his favorite holiday.) But he's back, he's got his happy face on, and he's ready to give it another try. Fritz Hahn writes about nightlife for the Washington Post and the Washington Post.com.

Saint Lucy's Day

In a month packed with holidays we turn our attention now to one that is mostly ignored in this country. It was observed on Tuesday of this week, December 13th: Saint Lucy's Day. Don't worry if you forgot to send cards...unless you're Swedish you’ve probably never heard of it. But Writer Liam Callanan says he's always been fascinated with the day, and its rituals.

Liam Callanan's first novel is The Cloud Atlas.