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28 Years of History… and a Looming Fiscal Crisis for Metro

This is a birthday weekend of sorts for Metrorail. It was 28 years ago this week that Metro opened its first five stations. The red line was but a baby, running between Rhode Island Avenue and Farragut Square. Today, the system comprises 83 stations, 103 miles of track, and, according to officials, a looming fiscal crisis that threatens to turn Metro into a decaying, crowded mess before the end of the decade. Metro is the only major transit system in North America without a dedicated source of revenue. And that, as WAMU’s Jim Rosenberg reports, is precisely the problem.

D.C. Zorastrians

The DC area has one of the largest populations of Zorastrians in North America. Zorastrianism is thought to be among the first monotheistic religions in the world. It originated in ancient Persia, now known as Iran. And today they celebrate their New Year - called Narooz. As WAMU’s Lisa Nurnberger reports, the number of people who follow this religion in the DC region is growing.

Youth Voices

Teenage girls have always pushed fashion to the limit. In the 1960s they bared their legs with the mini-skirt. In the 80s, they bared their stomachs. Nowadays, girls are pushing the envelope again. But this time around, DC teenager and WAMU “Youth Voices” reporter Phenola says, they have more encouragement from the fashion and teen media industry.

Our “youth voices” segments are produced by WAMU’s Sarah Hughes.

Party With The Grandsons

Shrimp the size of your fist… the next door neighbor is a half a mile away… and live music from the hippest rock and roll band. It must be a “Party With The Rich.” And that’s the name of the new CD by DC roots-rockers, The Grandsons… a band that knows plenty about playing lavish affairs in the Washington region.

“Party With The Rich” officially comes out today… and it finds The Grandsons doing what they do best - - it’s an upbeat, eclectix mix of rockabilly, rhythm and blues, country, Latin-flavored grooves and that trademark Grandsons subversive humor. The band joins us in the studio now, Alan MacEwen on vocals and guitar, Chris Watling on saxophone, Matthew Sedgley on drums and Steve Sachse on upright bass.

The band will be at IOTA in Clarendon tonight, 3/26/04. They’ll be playing every Thursday night in April and May at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church.

Commentary by Fred Fiske

WAMU Senior Commentator, Fred Fiske talks about “zero tolerance” policing.

Morris Dancing

For many in the Washington area, the upcoming cherry blossom festival marks the start of spring. But officially, we stepped into spring this past Saturday. And a boisterous group of women folk dancers from the DC area didn’t want the event to go by unnoticed. They donned their dancing shoes, adorned themselves with bells and brightly-colored ribbons… and set off to a local public square to dance, make merry, and help the Washington area shake its winter blues. WAMU reporter Sarah Hughes caught up with this group of revelers - - the Rock Creek Morris Women.

Commentary by Lester Reingold

Authors often entertain the idea that their words will live forever. And if your name was Shakespeare or Sophocles that DOES seem to be the case. But it doesn’t always work out that way. In fact, in another three minutes the words of writer Lester Reingold will be nothing but a memory. (Lester talks about being overwhelmed by the Stone Ridge Used Book Sale.)

Writer Lester Reingold lives in Silver Spring. If you feeling like waking up at the crack of dawn and getting in line for the opening of the Stone Ridge Used Book Sale, it’s happening on Friday, April 2nd and it all starts at 8 am.