ECDC's Refugees First Thanksgiving celebration 2025

The Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) held its thirteenth annual Refugees First Thanksgiving celebration at their headquarters just off Columbia Pike.

This year the new refugees were mainly from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Volunteers from many countries provided and served food, and there was entertainment by a local Indian girls dance troupe, Ukrainian dancers and musicians (note the Ukrainian national instrument, the bandura), Afghan male dancers, an Afghan musician, and an African teen girl on violin. Arlington County Board members Takis Karantonis and JD Spain attended, as did Commissioner of the Revenue Kim Klingler. Remarks were made by African Community Center (ACC) director Sarah Zullo and Dr. Tsehaye Teferra, executive director of ECDC.

The entertainment was provided by the Kuchipudi Classical Dance by Bharatha Mallika school of Kuchipudi dance, the School of Ukrainian Dance by the DC Music Academy, the Afghan traditional dancing was an Afghan Attan, a classical musical performance by Samira Hussein, the Afghan musical performance was by Ahmad Ghulaamiand, and the Ukrainian musical performance was organized by Sribini Dzherella.

Thanks to Lullit Paulos, Kidist Eben Ezer, and Ezana Teferra of ECDC for their help.

Photography by Lloyd Wolf.

Dr. Tsehaye Teferra

Festival Latinoamericano 2025- additional coverage

This year's Festival Latinamerico was well-attended, and featured dancers. music, food trucks, local artists, and numerous civic and business organizations. 

Thanks go to Janeth Valenzuela and the Arlington County Parks and Recreation Department. 

From the Arlington County website: “The 2025 Festival Latinoamericano was held on Friday, October 3 at the Arlington Mill Community Center. Arlington County's Festival Latinoamericano is dedicated to celebrating the vibrant and diverse cultures that enrich our community. Our mission is to showcase the rich tapestry of Latin American art, food, and culture in Arlington County, providing a platform for local artists, chefs, and performers to share their talents and traditions with the public. By supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, we aim to foster economic growth and community spirit. This free event is designed to be inclusive and educational, offering attendees of all backgrounds a chance to experience Hispanic Heritage firsthand.”

Photography by Dewey Tron.

"Young Mongolian woman on the Pike" : Dangers and strengths of AI

As an exercise, CPDP photographer Lloyd Wolf created this picture of a young Mongolian woman on Columbia Pike using AI (artificial intelligence- in this case Google's Gemini).  While the Pike is home to a significant Mongolian community, this woman, nor the scene she appears in, actually exists. 

The ability to illustrate the nature of life of our diverse community is of course expanded, but the perils to truth are clearly obvious in the ability to create such a seemingly realistic, ostensibly documentary, picture. 

This will be the one and only time this sort of picture is presented as part of our long-term project documenting the Pike.

Caveat emptor. 

Career Center | English Learners class

CPDP chief photographer Lloyd Wolf recently presented and did a followup consultation at an English Learners class at the Arlington Career Center. The students are in the process of doing photo-illustrated essays about subjects that are important to their lives.

Thanks to the creative efforts of teachers Amy Langrehr,  Dr. Carolyn Marcille, Dr. Deborah Sanchez, Career Center principal Margaret Chung, and to their hardworking students.

Photography by Lloyd Wolf.