Newsletter - Summer Recess Edition 2012

7/31/2019 Newsletter - Summer Recess Edition 2012

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Dear Ward 5 Resident,

Our office has been busy the past two months!

We were hit with two severe storms, witnessed repeatedheavy flooding in Bloomingdale after a number of rainstorms,and a fire broke out at Webb Elementary School. Our officeremains fully engaged with residents who continue toexperience difficulties as a result of these incidents.

We have attended numerous civic associations meetings todiscuss the citys response efforts, and we continue to

collaborate with District agencies to create a better actionplan. The goal is to ensure that residents and agencies arebetter equipped in the event that we are hit again with similarweather.

At the Wilson Building, our legislative team has been hard atwork. Leading up to the Councils recess, we hosted an

organizational meeting for the Committee on Jobs andWorkforce Development, adopting the Rules of Organizationand Procedure that govern the committee. I also participated ina number of legislative meetings where we introduced andsupported bills (see page 4) that will have a positive impact onthe quality of life for the residents of the District of Columbia.

Lastly, we appreciate all of the feedback our office has received.At times, we understand that life can be difficult, but as Ward 5residents, we can all embrace the motto, We keep moving

forward.

Sincerely,

Kenyan

Volume 1, Issue 1IRecess Edition

WE KEEP MOVING FORWA RD

From the Councilmembers DeskCouncilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, Ward 5

Councilmember McDuffie co-hosting the 2012 WTU Fund Scholarship

Ceremony (see below).

Kenyan R. McDuffie

Councilmember, Ward 5

John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Suite 410

Washington, DC 20004

(202) 724-8028

[email protected]

Constituent Services Update

2Flooding in Bloomingdale

3Spingarn Car Barn4

WTU Scholarship Ceremony Cont.

5

Legislative News

6

National Guard Youth Graduation7

Meet the Interns

8

Community Engagement Hours

9

Costco Job Fair

10

COUNCILMEMBER MCDUFFIE AND STAFF RESPOND TO

BLOOMINGDALE FLOODINGCouncilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) called for an"all hands on deck effort in response to the recent series offlooding in Bloomingdale after yet another rainstorm on Friday,

July 20.

"We felt the frustration of every resident in Bloomingdale andneighboring communities," stated McDuffie. "We thencoordinated a more robust plan with DC Water and theDepartment of Public Works (DPW) to address a number ofill-effects from the storms."

The Councilmember and his staff joined representatives fromDC Water and DPW to coordinate and get the word outabout available resources for residents in need of assistancewith preventing and reducing flood damage to their homes. Inaddition, many members of Councilmember McDuffie's staffpersonally distributed sand bags to senior citizens and residentswho had difficulty

Article continues on Page 3
https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie/posts/392950187433881https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie/posts/392950187433881https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie/posts/392950187433881


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DERECHO

More than 3.8 million customers werewithout power in the Midwest andMid-Atlantic regions, according to theU.S. Department of Energy. In the DCarea alone, PEPCO indicated that morethan 443,000 customers were withoutpower from the June 29 storm.

Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie and

his staff worked tirelessly through theweekend and 4th of July holiday alongwith crews from PEPCO, the DistrictDepartment of Transportations (DDOT)

Urban Forestry Administration (UFA),Department of Public Works (DPW), DCWater, Fire and Emergency MedicalServices Department (FEMS) and theMetropolitan Police Department (MPD).The Ward 5 team focused on keepingresidents in the loop with updates thatthe office received from partneringagencies, as well as assisting withreporting more than 1,300 tree-relatedservice requests generated from thestorm.

Derecho as well as the preceding storm

were eye-openers for our office,indicated McDuffie. Ward 5 needs to be

better prepared on the ground for futurestorms and I cannot think of a better waythan partnering with not only otheragencies, but with our community

leaders and members of civicassociations.

The Councilmember and his staff aredrafting a plan that will lay the foundationfor storm responses in the future. Theplan will include resources and tipsalready available for residents. Thepurpose of the written plan is to create abetter way to disseminate informationand ensure that residents without

Internet access, particularly seniorcitizens, are equally prepared.

FIRE AT WEBB ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

The Councilmember was saddened tolearn of the fire at Webb ElementarySchool on Monday, July 9. Although the

school has been closed since 2008,indicated McDuffie, I am still concerned

about the safety and health of our

residents in Trinidad, particularly thosewho live on Holbrook Street, which isdirectly across from the damagedbuilding.

The Councilmember and his staff arecontinuing to work closely with theDepartment of General Services (DGS),the agency responsible for Webbs

building, along with the Office of the FireMarshall and District Department of

Environment to ensure the residents wholive in the area are fully aware of thestatus of the building.

To keep residents informed about thestatus of Webb, CouncilmemberMcDuffie joined DGS Director BrianHanlon on Tuesday, July 24 at theTrinidad Neighborhood Associationmeeting to answer any questions andprovide an update on the future of thebuilding.

CONSTITUENT SERVICES UPDATE


WELLNESS CENTER EXTENDED HOURS

D.C. seniors can enjoy extended hours this summer and year round at several of the District's senior wellnesscenters across the city. Extended hours allow more individuals the opportunity to use the state of the art facilitiesand participate in the various programming offered. Skip the gym membership and become a member of a senior

wellness center today!

Year Round

Model Cities Senior Wellness Center (Ward 5)1901 Evarts Street, NEM & W, 5:30 -6:30 pm for fitness classHappy Hour every fourth Friday 5:30-8:30 pm


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finding transportation to RFK Stadium, the originalpick-up location for the sand bags. "Initially, the sand bagswere available at the stadium," noted Jeannette Mobley,Constituent Service Director. "Councilmember McDuffieadvocated for a more convenient way for residents to gainaccess to the sand bags and, as a result, DPW deliveredsand bags to four additional sites in Ward 5."

A meeting took place on Saturday, August 4 at St. George'sEpiscopal Church, 160 U Street NW, to discuss theconcerns of Bloomingdale residents regarding the recurringflooding in the neighborhood. Councilmember McDuffieasked for more details and steps from DC Water's"Bloomingdale Action Agenda," which is a plan produced byDC Water to address the effects of runoff and flooding.Councilmember McDuffie also requested that Mayor

Vincent C. Gray and DC Water explore the implementationof green solutions and other civil engineering options toprevent the flooding from happening in the future. Further,he is asking DC Water to expedite its plan to offer rebatesfor the installation of backflow preventers. You can viewDC Waters presentation from the meeting here.

Councilmember McDuffie continues to work with theMayors office, DC Water and various stakeholders to find

an interim solution and mitigate the flooding inBloomingdale.


BLOOMINGDALE FLOODING RESPONSE EFFORTS CONT.

Jeannette Mobley, Constituent Service Director, coordinating with DC Water on relief efforts in Bloomingdale
http://www.dcwater.com/workzones/bloomingdale/BloomingdaleActionAgenda.pdfhttp://www.dcwater.com/workzones/bloomingdale/Powerpoint_to_Bloomingdale_Community.pdfhttp://www.dcwater.com/workzones/bloomingdale/Powerpoint_to_Bloomingdale_Community.pdfhttp://www.dcwater.com/workzones/bloomingdale/Powerpoint_to_Bloomingdale_Community.pdfhttp://www.dcwater.com/workzones/bloomingdale/BloomingdaleActionAgenda.pdf


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On Monday, June 25, Councilmember McDuffie hosted anemergency meeting on District Department ofTransportations (DDOT) plan to build DC Streetcars

manufacturing/repair facility, also known as a car barn,

on the campus of Spingarn Senior High School.

More than 50 residents attended the meeting, whereDDOTs Director, Terry Bellamy, and the Chief Engineer

Officer explained why the Executive Office of the Mayorselected Spingarn to house the car barn over the otherproposed sites. Residents expressed deep concernsabout placing the car barn on the grounds of a school,particularly with the safety issues and noise associatedwith the day-to-day activities of the facility.

Due to the numerous complaints received by theCouncilmembers office, Councilmember McDuffie wrote

a letter to Mayor Gray requesting an alternative site for

the car barn. As noted in the letter, the Councilmembersupports the streetcar system, however, he asks theMayor to reconsider the decision to place the car barn

at Spingarn Senior High School and to propose another

location.

Councilmember McDuffie recently sent a follow-up letterto the Mayor, citing opposition to the proposed site fromthe Committee of 100 for the Federal City, two advisoryneighborhood commissions, a neighborhood association,and Friends of Kingman Park.

You can read both letters in their entirety by clicking thelinkhere.

COUNCILMEMBER MCDUFF IE HOSTS AN EMERGENCY

MEETING ON P ROPOSED CAR BARN LO CATION FOR

STREETCAR


Councilmember McDue hosts an emergency meeting on DDOTs proposed location for a streetcar car barn on Spingarn Campus
http://www.scribd.com/CM_Kenyan_McDuffie/shelfhttp://www.scribd.com/CM_Kenyan_McDuffie/shelfhttp://www.scribd.com/CM_Kenyan_McDuffie/shelf


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Councilmember McDuffie and theWashington Teachers Union (WTU)

hosted WTUs annual Scholarship Fund

Ceremony, which awarded $80,000 inscholarships to four DCPS high schoolgraduates who will pursue teachingcareers in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS)after college.

Our students are committed and

passionate about education and we areproud that the scholarship fund isavailable to assist graduating DCPSstudents, said WTU President Nathan A.

Saunders. Since its inception, the fund

has awarded more than 75 scholarshipsworth an estimated $1.5 million dollars todeserving DCPS students. Pastscholarship recipients have gone on topursue teaching degrees at variousuniversities including Yale University,Virginia Commonwealth, and theUniversity of the District of Columbia.

Councilmember McDuffie joined DCPS

Chief of Schools John Davis, WTUScholarship Fund Founder and formerWTU President Bill Simons as scholarshiprecipients Bruce Mann and Angela

Johnson shared their future plans toreturn to D.C. public schools to teach.

I want to be a teacher because without

DCPS I wouldnt be who I am today. I

want to be a part of a school system that

not only cares about the studentseducation, but also the students well-being, said Johnson, who will be

attending West Virginia University in thefall.

Johnson, an aspiring kindergarten teacherand graduate of Roosevelt Senior HighSchool, also explained how hergrandmother made an impact on hereducation by enrolling her in a Head Startprogram at two years old.

Mann, a recent graduate of McKinleyTechnology High School and an incoming

freshman at Bethune-Cookman College inDaytona Beach, FL, will pursue a career insecondary education.

By placing myself in the classroom, I

believe I can encourage students tosucceed and develop them into leaders.I have a goal to create solutions for theDistricts public school system when I

become a teacher, said Mann.

We appreciate the financial assistance

the Washington Teachers Union

provides to our students, said Ward 5

Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, analumnus of DC Public Schools. I wish

the recipients of this years scholarships

the best of luck as they pursue theirdegrees and look forward to workingwith our aspiring teachers to help createan even brighter future for our studentsin D.C. Public Schools.

COUN CILME MBE R MCDUFFIE CO- HOST S WA SHINGT ON T E A CHE RS UNION

FUN D SCHOLA RSHIP CE RE MON Y



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Councilmember McDuffie participatedin several legislative meetings leading upto the summer recess.

Among the accomplishments from themeetings, Councilmember McDuffieintroduced the Heat Wave SafetyEmergency Amendment Act of 2012 withCouncilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward3). The law prohibits PEPCO fromdisconnecting residential electricservice when the forecast for the heatindex in the District of Columbia will be

95 degrees Fahrenheit or above at anytime during a day. The law applies tothe day before and the day of theforecast of extreme temperature andalso has special provisions forweekends and holidays.Councilmember McDuffie deemed thislegislation critical to the health, safetyand welfare of vulnerable Districtresidents and said, At a time when

PEPCO routinely fails to provide eventhe most basic service to residents, it isunthinkable that PEPCO would

proactively disconnect a residentspower during these oppressive heatwaves. I introduced the Heat WaveEmergency legislation to protect ourresidents first and foremost. In light ofthe prolonged difficulty residents haveexperienced with unreliable powerservice, the Councilmember also joinedCouncilmember Bowser (D-Ward 4)and Councilmember Alexander (D-Ward 7) on Friday, July 13, for a specialpublic oversight roundtable onPEPCOs reliability and restoration

efforts following the storm that took

place on June 29.

Other legislative accomplishmentswithin the Councilmembers first

several weeks in office includeintroducing the Career and TechnicalEducationPlan Establishment Emergency

Act of 2012 with CouncilmemberBrown and Chairman Mendelson. ThisAct sets the District of Columbia on apath toward a comprehensiveDistrict-wide strategy for providingcareer and technical education to

District residents. This legislationestablishes a task force to review bestpractices and develop a strategic planfor career and technical educationprograms that we may be able toimplement as early as 2013.

The Councilmember also workedclosely with Councilmember Cheh tostrike a compromise on the taxicabmodernization legislation. The TaxicabCommission Service Improvement

Amendment Act of 2012 modernizes the

Districts taxicab fleet while preservingthe ability of Uber to operate legallyuntil the Council has an opportunity toevaluate whether and how Uber shouldbe regulated. As the taxicab legislationis phased in, residents can expect to seetaxicabs with Smart Meter systems thataccept credit and debit cards, GPStechnology, dome lights atop cabsindicating whether they are available,panic buttons to signal an emergency tothe Taxicab Commission, electronicpassenger complaint filing, and

eventually new vehicles that are

uniformly painted. Additionally, alltaxicab companies with 20 or morevehicles must have a 20% wheelchairaccessible fleet that is linked to adispatch system by 2018. Perhaps mostimportantly for residents of Ward 5,the new legislation will make it easier toget a taxi in Ward 5. The residents of

Ward 5 and the hundreds of thousandsof tourists that our city attracts everyyear have been clamoring for a moderntaxicab fleet, stated McDuffie. I amglad that we have joined other major

cities around the country to adopt asystem that will create a safer, morereliable, and more comfortableenvironment for not only ourpassengers, but our drivers as well.

As a member of the Committee onLibraries, Parks, Recreation andPlanning, the Councilmember wasproud to support the District ofColumbia Public Library Hours Expansion

Act of 2012. This legislation, if fundedby the Executive, will extend public

library hours from 9:00am to 9:00pmhours Monday through Thursday,9:30am to 5:30pm on Friday andSaturday, and noon to 5:00pm onSunday.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS


Visitor Parking Passes

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has begun mailing your new visitor parking permits this week to yourhomes. Your current permits, which are red and white, expire at the end of this month on July 31. The new passes, whichare purple and white, will be valid from August 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013. Your guests can use these permitsduring the restricted RPP hours posted on your block, and we stress that these permits are not valid for use during theovernight hours. DDOT says that these visitor permits were originally targeted towards persons such as healthcareproviders, nannies and contractors. Should you need a permit for an overnight guest, please visit the District PoliceStation For more information, visit http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/Services/Parking+Services/Visitor+Parking+Passes/

Visitor+Parking+Passesor call DDOT at 202-673-6813.
http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA3MTUwNCZlbWFpbGlkPXNtYXJ0b25lMjAwMThAYW9sLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9c21hcnRvbmUyMDAxOEBhhttp://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA3MTUwNCZlbWFpbGlkPXNtYXJ0b25lMjAwMThAYW9sLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9c21hcnRvbmUyMDAxOEBhhttp://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA3MTUwNCZlbWFpbGlkPXNtYXJ0b25lMjAwMThAYW9sLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9c21hcnRvbmUyMDAxOEBhhttp://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA3MTUwNCZlbWFpbGlkPXNtYXJ0b25lMjAwMThAYW9sLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9c21hcnRvbmUyMDAxOEBhhttp://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwNzExLjg5NTQ0NjEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzA3MTUwNCZlbWFpbGlkPXNtYXJ0b25lMjAwMThAYW9sLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9c21hcnRvbmUyMDAxOEBh


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On June 16, Councilmember McDuffie attended the National GuardsYouth ChalleNGe Graduation Ceremony. The program is a preventiverather than remedial at-risk youth program, which enrolls unemployedparticipants who have not completed high school and do not possess acriminal or drug record. A number of the graduates are Ward 5 residentswho are receiving a second chance in life.

The stories you hear from the graduating cadets truly touch your heart,

indicated McDuffie. At one point, many of these young men and womenhad given up on looking for a career or continuing their education. Theprogram inspired these young men and women to want a better life for notonly themselves, but their families as well.

Councilmember McDuffie was joined by several decorated men and womenin the military. Among the top officials was Major General Errol R.Schwartz, Commanding General of the Militia of the District of ColumbiaNational Guard, who gave remarks to the graduating class.

C O U N C I L M E M B E R M C D U F F I E A T T E N D S N A T I O N A L G U A R D Y O U T H G R A D U A T I O N


Councilmember McDue with two graduating members of the

Youth ChalleNGe Program


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On Tuesday, July 10, the Council passed a resolution honoring our interns who work so hard to keep our office on top of

every item that comes through the door. We wanted to take a moment and introduce you to our wonderful Ward 5 Interns,

Natasha Amadi, Malik Williams, and Elisha Williams.


COUNCIL PASSES RESOL UTION HONORING OUR INTERNS

Natasha Amadi is a 16 year-oldgraduate and recent valedictorian ofWashington Mathematics ScienceTechnology PCHS in Ward 5. In highschool, she was an active member ofthe Student Government Associationand the Yearbook Committee. Shealso volunteered with several non-profits and worked as an advicecolumnist for DC Public Librarys

Youth 202. She has been an intern

with the DC Council since October2011 and joined Team McDuffie in

June 2012.

This fall, Natasha will attend SyracuseUniversity, where she plans to majorin Information Management and

Journalism.

Natasha Amadi

Elisha Williams is a junior at BenjaminBanneker Academic High School, whereshe is currently enrolled in theInternational Baccalaureate program. hasvolunteered for several organizations,including Young Lives Mentoring Programfor Teens, Sisters in Progress Mentoring

Program, The Young Womens Project,

Calvary Christian Academy, Imagine HopeCommunity Public Charter School-TolsonCampus, Porchs Catering, and J.B.

Johnson Nursing Center. Elisha joinedTeam McDuffie in June 2012.

Elisha lives in the Michigan Parkneighborhood of Ward 5.

Malik King Williams graduated fromRoosevelt Senior High School. He tookculinary courses during his senior yearand was an active member of the BoyScouts, where he attained the level ofEagle Scout. He enjoys hiking, camping,and cooking. Malik is also member ofShiloh Baptist Church of Washington,DC, where he serves as an usher. Henow attends Lincoln University inPennsylvania and majors in political

science, with a double minor in businessadministration and black studies. Malik

joined Team McDuffie in July 2012.

Malik lives in the Brooklandneighborhood of Ward 5.

Malik Williams Elisha Williams


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COUNCILMEMBER MCDUFFIE IS COMING SOON TO ANEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU

Councilmember McDuffie has held four community engagement meetings across the ward. These meetings give the community

a venue to voice their concerns and offer constructive suggestions. Constituents who have attended the sessions stated that

they like having the opportunity to have a meaningful dialogue with their councilmember about their concerns without having to

travel to the John A. Wilson Building.

If you haven't had an opportunity to come out, please join the Councilmember at the next meeting:

Community Engagement Office Hours

Tuesday, August 28

6:308:30pm

Israel Baptist Church

1251 Saratoga Ave NE



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Brookland: Building for the

Future.

APanel Discussion on

Brookland Redevelopment

Friday, August 17

6:30 PM

12th Street Gallery

3500 12th Street NE

With the face of Brookland changingdaily, come and take the opportunity to

meet some of the people behind

Brooklands bright new future.

DCPS Beautification Day

Saturday, August 25

8 AM1 PM

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/

Parents+and+Community/

Beautification+Day

This annual DCPS event was established

in 2005 as a citywide spruce up of all

DC public school buildings in preparation

for the first day of school.

Ward 5 Night at the

Shakespeare Theater

Saturday, September 1

810 PM

Sidney Harman Hall

610 F Street NW

Join Councilmember McDuffie for ashowing of William ShakespearesAlls

Well That Ends Well. First 100 individuals

who sign up will receive a free ticket.

RSVP: [email protected] or

(202) 724-8028

Ward 5 Bulletin Board

COUNCILMEMBER MCDUFFIE ATTENDS COSTCO JOB FAIR IN WARD 5

On Saturday, July 28, Councilmember McDuffie attended a

Costco Job Fair at Mount Horeb Baptist Church in Ward 5.

Over 2000 applicants stopped by for one of 150 available

positions slated for the new warehouse in Fort Lincoln.

Costco anticipates opening its newest location in November.

Todays turnout sends a clear message, indicated

Councilmember McDuffie, Chairperson of the Committee onJobs and Workforce Development. We must address the

unemployment rate, particularly in Ward 5, before we can

expect to see the crime rate go down or attract the

community-oriented, economic development we all desire.Councilmember McDuffie (D-Ward 5), right, with ANC Commissioner Bob King
http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Dayhttp://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Dayhttp://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Dayhttp://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Dayhttp://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Dayhttp://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Dayhttp://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Parents+and+Community/Beautification+Day

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Newsletter - Summer Recess Edition 2012

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