Washington DC
The Washington Monument is a large, white-colored obelisk at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. . It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed to commemorate George Washington.
The monument is among the world’s tallest masonry structures, standing 555 feet (169.29 m) in height and made of marble, granite, and sandstone. It was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent American architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect’s death. This hiatus in construction was because of a lack of funds and the intervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet (45 m) up, clearly delineates the initial construction from its resumption in 1876.
Its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone was set on December 6, 1884, and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. It officially opened October 9, 1888. Upon completion, it became the world’s tallest structure, a title it inherited from the Cologne Cathedral and held until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was finished in Paris, France.
KENNEDY CENTER
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the name by which it is known, (or, as named on the building itself, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts but, locally called the The Kennedy Center), is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.. It opened in 1971.
It represents a unique public/private partnership, since it is both the nation’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and the "National Center for the Performing Arts", which includes educational and outreach initiatives, almost entirely paid for through ticket sales and gifts from individuals, corporations, and private foundations.
Designed by architect Edward Durrell Stone, it was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain and is administered by a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution. It receives Federal funding each year to pay for the maintenance and operation of the building.
Al has been a Rotarian since joining the Whitehorse Rotary Club, Whitehorse, Yukon in 1987. He is currently a member of the Rendezvous Rotary Club of Whitehorse; is a club past President and has served, in a variety of directorships at the club level, including youth exchange officer, club and community services.
Al has been instrumental in motivating club participation in international humanitarian, and world community service projects including the sponsorship of Rotary Clubs in the Russian portion of District 5010. During the Governorship of PDG Peter Ernst, Al served as the Chair of the District Vocational Committee.
Al was born in Alberta, Canada and spent 17 years in a Police career shared between the Canadian Armed Forces and Edmonton City Police Department. In 1974, a career change resulted in his relocating to the Yukon. At present, he is owner and President of A-Line Buses Ltd. providing charter and school bus services in the Yukon.
Washington Park Polar Panorama
A polar panorama of the Washington Park Lakehouse, with the center focal point on the frozen ice on the center of Washington Park Lake. Photo taken February 15, 2010. Photo by Chuck Miller.
Camera – Nikon D700
Lens – Kiev Mir 24H wideangle (27 exposures, stitched together)
From 1993 on, he has assisted Alaskan governors to administer Rotary business in Siberia and the Russian Far East as Area Representative, Assistant Governor, and Deputy District Governor.Vladimir was the second Paul Harris Fellow in the Russian Federation (after President Gorbachev) and the firt Russian recipient of the “Rotary Service Above Self” Award (1998). In September 2000, he received a very prestigious “Public Recognition” award from the Russian Federation Nation Fund for extending Rotary into his home land.
Vladimir’s wife, Tamara, is a Paul Harris Fellow and a member of the “Inner Wheel” club of Irkutsk.
When Vladimir assumes office as District Governor on July 1, 2004, he will become the first Russian District Governor in Rotary’s first 100 years.