The following stories are brought to you by the fine folk on the News4 assignment desk.
DOMINGO SAYS HE'S DONE
Plácido Domingo, the tenor, baritone, conductor, and opera administrator extraordinaire, said Monday that he will not renew his contract as general director of the Washington National Opera when it expires in June 2011.
His departure is not entirely a surprise -- Domingo has long been thought to be chronically overextended. But it also means that the company is left without a marquee leader, its most recognizable brand, at a time when nearly every detail of the WNO's future is open to question -- most importantly, whether it will remain autonomous or merge with the Kennedy Center. (Washington Post)
COMMERCIAL TAKEOVER OF THE TORPEDO FACTORY?
Representatives of the Torpedo Factory voiced frustration Saturday with what they see as a commercial takeover of the art center.
In June the Alexandria City Council resolved to establish a board to oversee the management of the art center, a major cultural hub for the city. Tourism and other commerce-oriented representatives would outnumber the artists on the board 2 to 1, according to the Marian Van Landingham, the Torpedo Factory’s founder.
“To our surprise … we found the composition of this board was going to be heavily stacked against artists,” Van Landingham told the mayor and city council at Saturday’s public hearing. (Alexandria Times)
TWENTY-ONE POUNDS OF POT FOUND AT DULLES
A Customs and Border Protection canine unit discovered 21 pounds of marijuana concealed in 20 packages of chocolate that was air shipped to Washington-Dulles International Airport about 9 p.m. Sept. 22.
The marijuana, which was destined to New York, has an estimated street value of nearly $17,000.
Demi, a 5-year-old German Shepherd narcotics detector dog, alerted to a mail bag that arrived from Mexico City, Mexico. One of the five boxes in the sack contained the marijuana. (Loudoun Times)
HOTEL COMING TO 800 FLORIDA AVE NW?
LaKritz Adler, who is bidding to purchase a parcel of land from WMATA at 800 Florida Avenue NW, would develop a 180,000-square-foot hotel and conference center on the site, plus what they promise as "a prominent freestanding restaurant with live entertainment at the corner of 9th and U."
Lydia DePillis pointed us to the rendering of the hotel and conference space, and we've got to admit, it's underwhelming. To this editor, it looks like someone spent a little too much time staring at the Reeves Center down the street, as that's the first thing that pops into mind when I look at the glass-enclosed atrium. (DCist)
