Wamu: Metro Connection

We'll hear the tumultuous and almost otherworldly tale of the effort to create a memorial to Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. And we'll meet the man who's now calling the shots at the Smithsonian Institution. Plus, we'll imagine what Washington will look, smell and feel like 200 years from now.

This Thanksgiving week, we're digging into the Metro Connection archives, and presenting some of our favorite stories about food, family, and traditions. Enjoy!

We'll meet a lifelong Montgomery County resident who grew up in segregated and unequal county schools, and went on to become a top-notch athlete and beloved coach to generations of students. We'll dive in to the debate over the ethics of an elite private school displacing low-income seniors. Plus, we'll hear about the building, once at the center of the Walter Reed scandal in 2007, and now slated for demolition.

We'll find out why a tiny sliver of land honoring a pop star-turned politico is getting a new lease on life. We'll go inside FreshPAC's decision to shut down the controversial political action committee supporting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. And we'll hear why a proposed bike lane is sparking heated debates about race, economics, and displacement.

We'll visit a Capitol Hill rowhouse that once was home to an influential lesbian separatist collective, The Furies. And we'll meet the woman behind the effort to grant 16-year-olds the right to vote in the nation's capital. Plus, we'll stop in at the Sunday afternoon drum circle that's been a tradition in Washington since the 1960s to hear why some say the beat just isn't what it used to be.

We'll hear from Willard Scott, who co-hosted the wildly popular show, "The Joy Boys," with the late Ed Walker. We'll visit an unusual senior community where retired Foreign Service officers keep up with current events by inviting their ambassador friends to speak. Plus, we'll meet gun enthusiasts in Virginia who buck the stereotype that gun owners are all conservative white men.

This week we're bringing you a compilation of some of our best stories from 2015, plus a story about The Big Broadcast host Ed Walker, who recently announced his retirement.

We'll hear why the former head of DDOT thinks Metro should be run like a bike-sharing system, and we'll ask whether anti-Metro angst on social media can translate to real change. Plus, we'll visit a nail salon in Prince George's County to meet one of the D.C. region's most recognizable Internet celebrities.

We go poking around Metro stations with a botanist, and find out why the Kennedy Center is teaming up with the U.S. Botanic Garden. We also visit a D.C. neighborhood where some residents say the city isn't doing enough to get rid of vacant and blighted properties.

We'll find out why D.C. is selling off some of its public housing -- in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. We'll hear from commuters who are so fed up with service disruptions and delays, they say they're quitting Metro. Plus, we'll talk with people who say they've been victims of predatory car-title lending in Virginia.

As D.C. recovers from pope-mania, we'll hear how Washingtonians welcomed the pontiff this week, from taking selfies with cardboard cutouts to quaffing religious-themed beers. And we'll catch up with '80s pop star Thomas Dolby, and hear how he's helping transform a Baltimore neighborhood.

With the oldest of the baby boomers turning 70 next year, we'll hear from Washingtonians launching new careers in their 50s and 60s... with their 20- and 30-something sons or daughters. Plus, with Pope Francis' Washington visit less than two weeks away, we'll hear how the "Francis effect" is playing out on D.C.'s Catholic campuses. And we'll travel to Russia, and find out why LGBT activists are fleeing homophobia and landing in D.C.

With Labor Day weekend here, we'll hear about a new program dedicated to helping returning citizens get jobs: by teaching them to launch their own startups after coming home from prison. We'll explore what it takes to make it as a tour guide in the nation's capital. And we'll talk with residents across the city about the recent spike in violent crime.

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, we'll hear from a couple who packed up and left D.C. in 2006 to start a new life in New Orleans, helping flood victims rebuild their homes. Plus, we'll ask whether replacing Pepco with a publicly-owned utility might better serve D.C. ratepayers. And we'll hear how one woman became so frustrated by Washington's dating scene, she found a way to crowdsource love.

We're paying homage to the earth with a show about reducing, reusing, and recycling in the D.C. region.

We'll meet Washingtonians with a singular devotion to work, and a passionate dedication to play, as we bring you tales of duty and dedication.

We'll examine the past, present and future or one of D.C.'s most scenic spots, Hains Point, as well as other stories from around the region.

How should we remember Maryland's Confederate history? What would you pay to get from D.C. to Baltimore in 15 minutes? What secrets lie beneath an empty Georgetown lot? We'll seek answers to these questions and many more.

We'll dive in to a new summer series on the history and changing demographics of D.C.'s free public pools. Plus, we'll find out how a local food bank is using technology to find hidden pockets of food insecurity. And we'll hear from a Virginia couple giving away their 35-acre farm for 1,000 words.

Three months before the Baltimore police trial in the death of Freddie Gray, we'll take a walking tour of the city and see how it's faring after the riots. Plus, we'll check in on efforts to curb a critter eating away at our region's ash trees, and visit Virginia's newest charter school.