Brassard, Lundqvist help Rangers force Game 7 in Washington

New York, NY –  Derick Brassard scored the game's lone goal and Henrik Lundqvist posted a 27-save shutout to backstop the New York Rangers' 1-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday to force a Game 7 in this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Lundqvist, making his 60th consecutive postseason start between the pipes, stopped 12 shots over the final 20 minutes to secure his seventh career playoff shutout and force a decisive Game 7 on Monday in Washington, where the Rangers have yet to win a game in this series.

"I feel like they always come a little harder in their home building, but we can build on this one," Lundqvist said. "From the get-go we did all the things we talked about...forechecked, played physical. It was fun."

Braden Holtby played admirably in defeat, stopping 28-of-29 shots, but the Capitals were unable to solve the reigning Vezina Trophy winner Lundqvist in falling for the third straight time at Madison Square Garden.

"We've been taking too many penalties here on the road," Washington forward Niklas Backstrom admitted. "That's something you can't do if you're going to win a road game."

Washington was whistled for three penalties in the first period, including a pair in a 1:16 span that provided the home team with a 5-on-3, but Holtby turned away all 12 shots he faced in the frame to send the teams into the second locked in a scoreless tie.

The Rangers finally broke through near the midpoint of the second when Brassard fired a shot from the high slot that deflected off Washington defenseman Steve Oleksy in front and slipped past Holtby for a 1-0 lead at the 9:39 mark.

The Capitals hampered their comeback bid with a pair of penalties in the third, including a cross-checking minor on defenseman Mike Green with 6:14 left that forced the visitors to kill off yet another penalty.

Washington finally got back to full strength with just over four minutes remaining and peppered Lundqvist with shot after shot, but the New York netminder was up to the task.

Holtby left the net in favor of the extra attacker with 90 seconds left, but Lundqvist, with the help of some timely blocks from his defensive unit, kept the Capitals off the board to extend the Rangers' season.

Game Notes

This is the fourth time in the past five years the Capitals and Rangers have met in the postseason. Washington took the first two matchups, but the Rangers won a seven-game series in the conference semifinals last year ... Washington has won four of the seven all-time playoff series between the clubs ... Brassard extended his point streak to four games (two goals, five assists) ... New York finished 0-for-5 on the power play, but did not allow the Capitals to skate on the man advantage ... With the win, New York coach John Tortorella moved into fourth place on the Rangers' all-time playoff wins list, passing Mike Keenan with his 17th postseason victory behind the Blueshirts' bench.

View the original article here

Free is good: making the most of Washington, DC

By Eileen Ogintz

Published April 11, 2013

FoxNews.com

• 

• • 

    Free things to do in Washington DC

  • 

    LEGOLAND Hotel opens

There’s nothing worse than forking over a lot of money to take kids to a museum or city attraction only to have them want to leave after 10 minutes.

That’s one reason visiting Washington, D.C. is such a good bet. Thirty of the city’s 50 museums are free.  So are the monuments and memorials and the National Zoo. (Check out those Pandas!)  It also doesn’t cost anything to walk, run or turn cartwheels on the National Mall. 

Don’t forget your umbrella. When we interviewed kids for my just-released Kid’s Guide to Washington, D.C., one suggested going to the National Mall when it is raining “because no one is there,” explained 11-year-old Sean, who is from suburban, Va.  Eleven-year-old Greta, meanwhile, who is from Idaho, told us that seeing the monuments lit up at night was her favorite Washington, D.C. memory.  That’s free too.

Here are five  other  suggestions of free things to do that you might not have thought of:

1. Explore the African American Heritage Trail to learn about both popular and lesser-known sites of significance to DC’s Black history.

2. Catch a free performance at 6 pm at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the Millennium Stage.

3. Run, walk, bike or join a ranger program  in Rock Creek Park—1,754 acres that shows off the best of D.C.’s green side.

4. Bring your future litigators to the Supreme Court of the United States.

5. Let your animal lovers talk to keepers at the National Zoo who care for Zebras, birds, and Great Apes among others.

Eileen Ogintz is a syndicated columnist and writes about family travel on her Taking the Kids blog, and is the author of the new series of Kid’s Guide to NYC, Orlando and the just released Washington, DC  from Globe Pequot Press. 

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View the original article here

Three must see neighborhoods in Washington DC

Published April 09, 2013

FoxNews.com

• 

  An aerial view of GeorgetownJason Hawkes

Washington D.C.'s museums, monuments, libraries and National Mall deserve repeated visits, but the city is also a collection of unique, historic and lively neighborhoods. From great shopping and dining to live music, nightlife and the arts, there are many neighborhood's that should not be missed.  Here are three: 

Adams Morgan

Adams Morgan is a culturally diverse neighborhood teeming with bars, restaurants and night spots. Many of these establishments are along 18^th Street, the heart of Adams Morgan’s  thriving artistic community. Here you can find the DC Arts Center, where visual and theater artists showcase their works, and Tryst, a coffeehouse adored by residents

Georgetown

Georgetown, one of D.C.'s oldest neighborhoods, boasts many of the row houses and buildings that help define the city's aesthetic. Lacking a metro stop, the neighborhood is a bit more isolated, but worth the trip. A walk along the Key Bridge offers beautiful views of the Potomac River and the soaring spires of Healy Hall, Georgetown University’s flagship building. To ingratiate yourself in Hoya life, visit the quintessential Georgetown restaurant and bar, The Tombs. The intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue is the center of the neighborhood’s top-notch shopping and dining scene, which stretches for blocks in every direction. Just south, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal offers a tranquil path to take a stroll, taking in the picturesque homes and gardens. Georgetown is also famous for being the setting of the 1973 horror film classic, William Friedkin’s "The Exorcist." The legendary Exorcist staircase can be found at 36^th and M streets.

U Street

U Street has seen a lot of growth over the last decade and the area is home to the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl.  Busboys and Poets is a thriving restaurant, bookstore, and cultural center that has emerged in recent years. The name is a tribute to Langston Hughes who worked at the Wardman Park Hotel as a busboy before achieving literary acclaim as a poet. U Street is also world-renowned for its music history and contemporary music scene. The Black Cat and the 9:30 Club are pivotal punk venues and host some of the most exciting current indie and alternative rock bands. Jazz is central to U Street’s identity and this neighborhood is home to some incredible clubs such as Twins Jazz. Duke Ellington, a U Street native and one of America’s great composers, performed frequently at Bohemian Caverns, a landmark of the American music scene. One of the images most emblematic of U Street is G. Byron Peck’s mural of Duke Ellington on the True Reformer Building -- another reminder that all of Washington D.C.'s greatest American icons are not located on the National Mall.

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View the original article here

Three must see neighborhoods in Washington DC

Published April 09, 2013

FoxNews.com

• 

  An aerial view of GeorgetownJason Hawkes

Washington D.C.'s museums, monuments, libraries and National Mall deserve repeated visits, but the city is also a collection of unique, historic and lively neighborhoods. From great shopping and dining to live music, nightlife and the arts, there are many neighborhood's that should not be missed.  Here are three: 

Adams Morgan

Adams Morgan is a culturally diverse neighborhood teeming with bars, restaurants and night spots. Many of these establishments are along 18^th Street, the heart of Adams Morgan’s  thriving artistic community. Here you can find the DC Arts Center, where visual and theater artists showcase their works, and Tryst, a coffeehouse adored by residents

Georgetown

Georgetown, one of D.C.'s oldest neighborhoods, boasts many of the row houses and buildings that help define the city's aesthetic. Lacking a metro stop, the neighborhood is a bit more isolated, but worth the trip. A walk along the Key Bridge offers beautiful views of the Potomac River and the soaring spires of Healy Hall, Georgetown University’s flagship building. To ingratiate yourself in Hoya life, visit the quintessential Georgetown restaurant and bar, The Tombs. The intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue is the center of the neighborhood’s top-notch shopping and dining scene, which stretches for blocks in every direction. Just south, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal offers a tranquil path to take a stroll, taking in the picturesque homes and gardens. Georgetown is also famous for being the setting of the 1973 horror film classic, William Friedkin’s "The Exorcist." The legendary Exorcist staircase can be found at 36^th and M streets.

U Street

U Street has seen a lot of growth over the last decade and the area is home to the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl.  Busboys and Poets is a thriving restaurant, bookstore, and cultural center that has emerged in recent years. The name is a tribute to Langston Hughes who worked at the Wardman Park Hotel as a busboy before achieving literary acclaim as a poet. U Street is also world-renowned for its music history and contemporary music scene. The Black Cat and the 9:30 Club are pivotal punk venues and host some of the most exciting current indie and alternative rock bands. Jazz is central to U Street’s identity and this neighborhood is home to some incredible clubs such as Twins Jazz. Duke Ellington, a U Street native and one of America’s great composers, performed frequently at Bohemian Caverns, a landmark of the American music scene. One of the images most emblematic of U Street is G. Byron Peck’s mural of Duke Ellington on the True Reformer Building -- another reminder that all of Washington D.C.'s greatest American icons are not located on the National Mall.

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View the original article here

Nuclear board warns of Washington tank explosion risk

• 

  March 23, 2004: In this file photo, workers at the tank farms on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland, Wash., measure for radiation and the presence of toxic vapors.AP

YAKIMA, Wash. –  Underground tanks that hold a stew of toxic, radioactive waste at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site pose a possible risk of explosion, a nuclear safety board said in advance of confirmation hearings for the next leader of the Energy Department.

State and federal officials have long known that hydrogen gas could build up inside the tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, leading to an explosion that would release radioactive material. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board recommended additional monitoring and ventilation of the tanks last fall, and federal officials were working to develop a plan to implement the recommendation.

The board expressed those concerns again Monday to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and had sought the board's perspective about cleanup at Hanford.

The federal government created Hanford in the 1940s as part of the secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. It spends billions of dollars to clean up the 586-square-mile site neighboring the Columbia River, the southern border between Washington and Oregon and the Pacific Northwest's largest waterway.

Federal officials have said six underground tanks at the site are leaking into the soil, threatening the groundwater, and technical problems have delayed construction of a plant to treat the waste for long-term safe disposal.

Those issues are likely to come up during confirmation hearings next week for Energy Secretary-nominee Ernest J. Moniz. The fears of explosion and contamination could give Washington and Oregon officials more clout as they push for cleanup of the World War II-era site.

Central to the cleanup is the removal of 56 million gallons of highly radioactive, toxic waste left from plutonium production from underground tanks. Many of the site's single-shell tanks, which have just one wall, have leaked in the past, and state and federal officials announced in February that six such tanks are leaking anew.

"The next Secretary of Energy - Dr. Moniz - needs to understand that a major part of his job is going to be to get the Hanford cleanup back on track, and I plan to stress that at his confirmation hearing next week," Wyden said in a statement Tuesday.

The nuclear safety board warned about the risk of explosion to Wyden, who wanted comment on the safety and operation of Hanford's tanks, technical issues that have been raised about the design of a plant to treat the waste in those tanks, and Hanford's overall safety culture.

In addition to the leaks, the board noted concerns about the potential for hydrogen gas buildup within a tank, in particular those with a double wall, which contain deadly waste that was previously pumped out of the leaking single-shell tanks.

"All the double-shell tanks contain waste that continuously generates some flammable gas," the board said. "This gas will eventually reach flammable conditions if adequate ventilation is not provided."

All of the tanks are actively ventilated, which means they have blowers and fans to prevent a buildup of hydrogen gas, and those systems are monitored to ensure they are operating as intended, Energy Department spokeswoman Carrie Meyer said.

For even greater safety, she said, the agency implemented an improved monitoring system in February.

"DOE is absolutely committed to ensuring the safety of Hanford's underground tanks," Meyer said.

The board also noted technical challenges with the waste treatment plant, which is being built to encase the waste in glasslike logs for long-term disposal. Those challenges must be resolved before parts of the plant can be completed, the board said.

The federal government spends about $2 billion annually on Hanford cleanup -- roughly one-third of its entire budget for nuclear cleanup nationally. About $690 million of that goes toward design and construction of the plant. Design of the plant, last estimated at more than $12.3 billion, is 85 percent complete, while construction is more than 50 percent complete.

The problems identified by the board show that the plant schedule will be delayed further and the cost will keep rising, Wyden said, adding: "There is a real question as to whether the plant, as currently designed, will work at all."

View the original article here

Taking the Kids -- and letting the kids lead the way in Washington, D.C.

• 

  The Tidal Basin and cherry blossoms, Washington, D.C.Washington.org

• 

  Young visitors enjoy story time at the National Air and Space Museumâs Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.Dane Penland

• 

  Learning about Japanese screens at the Smithsonian's Freer Sackler Galleries.Freer Sackler Galleries

• 

  Boy participates in a paper airplane contest in the National Air and Space Museum's How Things Fly gallery.Smithsonian Institution

• 

  The Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.Washington.org

Next Slide Previous Slide

Got your umbrella?

On a rainy day, grab an umbrella and go to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. "Nobody's there," reports 11-year-old Sean, who is from suburban Virginia and was one of the local and visiting kids we interviewed for my new "Kid's Guide to Washington, D.C." While you are there, pick up a mini Washington Monument, "The best souvenir from Washington, D.C.!" offers William, 12, who lives in suburban Maryland.

Take time to read the quotes on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial, suggests Hayley, 13, from Fort Worth, Texas. "My favorite place that I visited in Washington, D.C., was the Lincoln Memorial," she said, adding that she especially enjoyed reading the quotes on the walls.

Any parent or grandparent who has traveled with kids knows that if the kids are happy and engaged, everyone will have a good time. It makes sense. No one wants to be dragged along -- especially on vacation -- doing someone else's bidding.

Of course, when we were kids, no one asked us where we wanted to go on vacation or what we wanted to do when we got there. We were told we were lucky to be going anywhere -- I especially remember my dad saying that when he shepherded us from memorial to monument in Washington, D.C. -- and I guess we were. But these days, according to the newest Portrait of American Travelers research, among leisure travelers who have kids at home, six out of 10 surveyed report that their kids actively help with planning what their families will do for fun.

More parents reported that their kids are involved in planning what they do on vacation (57 percent) than what they watch on TV (50 percent). Fifty-five percent of those polled for this major national study said the kids have a role in deciding where to go; more than a third helped decide on the hotel. (Note: Hotel Industry: If you want parents to book, you've got to appeal to their kids!)

Certainly you aren't going to let the kids dictate a trip that is beyond your budget, no matter how appealing the hotel's water playground or how badly they want to ride the London Eye, see a Broadway play or step into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. But once you decide where you want and can afford to go this spring break and summer, invite the kids -- if you haven't already -- to help plan the itinerary. Think of how much that will de-stress the experience for you. The kids can't whine or blame you if they don't like the tour, the restaurant or the theme park attraction they chose.

Park them in front of the computer -- where they live anyway -- and suggest they start planning. (Just make sure each child in the family has an equal say. Parents get a vote, too, and here's a tip: Kids will be more accommodating to your picks when they've had a say in the itinerary.)

This is easier than ever since you can take virtual tours to just about anywhere you might want to go -- from Orlando's theme parks to the Smithsonian, which incidentally, has a terrific website for kids with online activities to prepare them for their visit. (They can try their hand at planetary research before they visit the National Air and Space Museum or check out the traits they share with other mammals before heading to the National Museum of Natural History.)

On the Smithsonian's site, you can also find special activities for families like the Art a la Cart program at The Smithsonian American Art Museum or the chance to meet a Kiwi bird from New Zealand (did you know they don't fly?) at the National Zoo. Let's not forget all the apps that will help kids lead the way in Washington, D.C. There's even a free one from the National Park Service for the National Mall compatible with the Android, iPhone and iPad.

Also check out the FamilyiTrips Washington, D.C., available at the iTunes store for $3.99, which lists more than 250 attractions and is the most comprehensive Washington, D.C. family app around.

One reason Washington, D.C., is a good place to let kids lead the way is because so many of the attractions are free -- the monuments, all of the Smithsonian's 19 museums, including the National Zoo, visits to the Capitol or the Supreme Court, a walk on the African American Heritage Trail or a hike in the enormous (more than 1,754 acres) Rock Creek Park.

Even the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has free daily performances -- at 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage. So what if the kids' pick turns out to be a dud, or they get bored in the museum? Move on! Better yet, go outside on the National Mall and turn cartwheels or fly a kite! Let's not forget we are in the midst of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which lasts until mid-April and includes Family Days (March 23 to 24) and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (April 13).

Come back to view the monuments at night. That doesn't cost anything, either. "They were all lit up beautifully," said 11-year-old Greta, from Boise, Idaho. "My favorite memory from Washington, D.C., was visiting all the monuments in the dark."

Creating those memories, of course, is what family vacations are all about. Just make sure you've got the camera -- and the umbrella.

Eileen Ogintz is a syndicated columnist and writes about family travel on her Taking the Kids blog. Follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.

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View the original article here

Taking the Kids -- and letting the kids lead the way in Washington, D.C.

• 

  The Tidal Basin and cherry blossoms, Washington, D.C.Washington.org

• 

  Young visitors enjoy story time at the National Air and Space Museumâs Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.Dane Penland

• 

  Learning about Japanese screens at the Smithsonian's Freer Sackler Galleries.Freer Sackler Galleries

• 

  Boy participates in a paper airplane contest in the National Air and Space Museum's How Things Fly gallery.Smithsonian Institution

• 

  The Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.Washington.org

Next Slide Previous Slide

Got your umbrella?

On a rainy day, grab an umbrella and go to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. "Nobody's there," reports 11-year-old Sean, who is from suburban Virginia and was one of the local and visiting kids we interviewed for my new "Kid's Guide to Washington, D.C." While you are there, pick up a mini Washington Monument, "The best souvenir from Washington, D.C.!" offers William, 12, who lives in suburban Maryland.

Take time to read the quotes on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial, suggests Hayley, 13, from Fort Worth, Texas. "My favorite place that I visited in Washington, D.C., was the Lincoln Memorial," she said, adding that she especially enjoyed reading the quotes on the walls.

Any parent or grandparent who has traveled with kids knows that if the kids are happy and engaged, everyone will have a good time. It makes sense. No one wants to be dragged along -- especially on vacation -- doing someone else's bidding.

Of course, when we were kids, no one asked us where we wanted to go on vacation or what we wanted to do when we got there. We were told we were lucky to be going anywhere -- I especially remember my dad saying that when he shepherded us from memorial to monument in Washington, D.C. -- and I guess we were. But these days, according to the newest Portrait of American Travelers research, among leisure travelers who have kids at home, six out of 10 surveyed report that their kids actively help with planning what their families will do for fun.

More parents reported that their kids are involved in planning what they do on vacation (57 percent) than what they watch on TV (50 percent). Fifty-five percent of those polled for this major national study said the kids have a role in deciding where to go; more than a third helped decide on the hotel. (Note: Hotel Industry: If you want parents to book, you've got to appeal to their kids!)

Certainly you aren't going to let the kids dictate a trip that is beyond your budget, no matter how appealing the hotel's water playground or how badly they want to ride the London Eye, see a Broadway play or step into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. But once you decide where you want and can afford to go this spring break and summer, invite the kids -- if you haven't already -- to help plan the itinerary. Think of how much that will de-stress the experience for you. The kids can't whine or blame you if they don't like the tour, the restaurant or the theme park attraction they chose.

Park them in front of the computer -- where they live anyway -- and suggest they start planning. (Just make sure each child in the family has an equal say. Parents get a vote, too, and here's a tip: Kids will be more accommodating to your picks when they've had a say in the itinerary.)

This is easier than ever since you can take virtual tours to just about anywhere you might want to go -- from Orlando's theme parks to the Smithsonian, which incidentally, has a terrific website for kids with online activities to prepare them for their visit. (They can try their hand at planetary research before they visit the National Air and Space Museum or check out the traits they share with other mammals before heading to the National Museum of Natural History.)

On the Smithsonian's site, you can also find special activities for families like the Art a la Cart program at The Smithsonian American Art Museum or the chance to meet a Kiwi bird from New Zealand (did you know they don't fly?) at the National Zoo. Let's not forget all the apps that will help kids lead the way in Washington, D.C. There's even a free one from the National Park Service for the National Mall compatible with the Android, iPhone and iPad.

Also check out the FamilyiTrips Washington, D.C., available at the iTunes store for $3.99, which lists more than 250 attractions and is the most comprehensive Washington, D.C. family app around.

One reason Washington, D.C., is a good place to let kids lead the way is because so many of the attractions are free -- the monuments, all of the Smithsonian's 19 museums, including the National Zoo, visits to the Capitol or the Supreme Court, a walk on the African American Heritage Trail or a hike in the enormous (more than 1,754 acres) Rock Creek Park.

Even the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has free daily performances -- at 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage. So what if the kids' pick turns out to be a dud, or they get bored in the museum? Move on! Better yet, go outside on the National Mall and turn cartwheels or fly a kite! Let's not forget we are in the midst of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which lasts until mid-April and includes Family Days (March 23 to 24) and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (April 13).

Come back to view the monuments at night. That doesn't cost anything, either. "They were all lit up beautifully," said 11-year-old Greta, from Boise, Idaho. "My favorite memory from Washington, D.C., was visiting all the monuments in the dark."

Creating those memories, of course, is what family vacations are all about. Just make sure you've got the camera -- and the umbrella.

Eileen Ogintz is a syndicated columnist and writes about family travel on her Taking the Kids blog. Follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.

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View the original article here