CenLamar | Est. 2006

Joe Brocato, Sr., visionary architect and constant champion of Alexandria, passed away on Monday at the age of 91. Mr. Brocato leaves behind an indelible contribution to the built environment of his hometown, and, in many ways, the unique architectural pastiche of Downtown Alexandria is a manifestation of his work. Throughout his life, Mr. Brocato remained a steadfast proponent of improving Alexandria. He was innovative, bold, and industrious– a true civic leader who remained active and involved even at the ripe age of 91. From The Town Talk: During his architectural career, he and the firm earned numerous awards for…

A couple of weeks ago, the blogger Adam B. published a front page post on the DailyKos entitled “Enoluments, Clinton, and that Pesky Constitution” about the potential (though reconcilable) problems facing Hillary Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of State, namely Article One Section Six of the Constitution: No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time…. Enoluments basically means “salaries or other entitlements,” and Senator Clinton, though she…

American activist and actor Sean Penn recently published an insightful and captivating essay on his impressions of Venezualan President Hugo Chavez and the new Cuban leader and brother of Fidel, Raul Castro. A couple of months before the United States Presidential election, Penn, along with author Christopher Hitchens and Rice Professor and historian Douglas Brinkley, traveled to Venezuala to meet with Chavez. Later, they hopped on a plane and headed to Havana, where Raul Castro wined and dined with Penn for seven hours, offering him his first-ever interview since taking the helm. If you have a few minutes, check it…