Metro Connection

The 12th annual Bethesda Literary Festival kicks off April 15, and this year the celebration of modern literature received a record number of submissions in its Youth Writing Contest. The topic was "A Beautiful Place," and Rebecca Sheir heads to a local bookstore to meet two of the hometown winners.

[Music: "Paperback Writer" by Pickin' On Series from The Fantastic Pickin' On Series - Bluegrass Sampler]

Nearly 3/4 of people in the United States play video games. And with such a high demand, somebody has to teach the next generation of game designers, right?

Enter George Mason University.

This year, the college's Computer Game Design program will graduate its first two students. Education reporter Kavitha Cardoza swung by one of their classes.

Dupont Circle was the site of FRESHFARM Markets' very first producers-only farmers market. Rebecca Sheir visits the flagship market with FRESHFARM's Bernadine Prince, to hear about the "firsts" shoppers will see as spring kicks in, from longer hours... to more space... to on-site services by Compost Cab... to -- provided FRESHFARM can raise $20,000 by month's end -- Double Dollars for low-income shoppers.

[Music: "Fresh Feeling" by The Eeels from Souljacker]

One of the first official signs of spring in D.C. is those cherry blossoms in bloom. And the predictor of the highly-anticipated annual blossom peak is about to call it a day. National Park Service Chief Horticulturalist Rob DeFeo is on the brink of retirement, and as he tells Julia Edwards, he takes very little credit for his role as caretaker of D.C.'s monumental trees.

[Music: "Blossom" by TV Theme Players from TV Themes - Best Of Comedy Theme Songs]

We all know about the Beltway: that six-laned leviathan that encircles our city. But what if there were a second Beltway: i.e. another concentric circle connecting Maryland and Virginia? It may sound far-fetched, but as transportation reporter David Schultz tells us, some transportation advocates say it's the only way to accommodate our region's growth.

[Music: "A to B" by The Futureheads from The Futureheads / "Walk Around in Circles" by Soul Coughing from Ruby Vroom]

Emily Friedman brings us the story of a local artists' collective aiming to change they way we collect art. Without the traditional wine-and-cheese soirees -- and triple-digit price tag -- the artists of Project Dispatch send their art right to your front door.

[Music: "Artists Only" by Talking Heads from Once in a Lifetime - Disc 1]