Ward 5 Report - dated Friday, 04-12-2013

The Ward 5 Report: Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie

District of Columbia sent this bulletin at 04/12/2013 05:35 PM EDT

The Ward 5 Report:
Office of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie
April 12, 2013

Ward 5 Highlights:

Mayor Gray Holds Ward 5 Town Hall On FY 14 Budget

This week, Councilmember McDuffie joined Mayor Vincent Gray for his ward-based budget town hall meeting at Luke C. Moore Street Academy, located in Ward 5. The meeting was designed to provide an overview of his proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Budget and Financial Plan and to receive feedback from Ward 5 residents.

“Over the past several months, I have worked with Mayor Gray to outline some of Ward 5’s budget priorities,” stated Councilmember McDuffie. “The Mayor’s proposed $10.7 billion dollar budget addresses many of these requests, including funding for Ward 5 schools and libraries, increasing the city’s investment in affordable housing, promoting economic development, and enhancing job and educational opportunities.”

Click here to see additional information on secured and preserved funding for Ward 5 from Councilmember McDuffie.

Earlier this week, the Council started its rounds of budget oversight hearings, with each Committee hearing from the various D.C. agencies under its jurisdiction. These hearings are set to take place from Wednesday, April 10 – Thursday, May 2. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit written testimony in advance of each hearing. For more information about the budget public hearing schedule, please visit:

http://dccouncil.us/files/user_uploads/event_testimony/FY2014_Updated_Budget_Oversight_Hearing_Notice_3-12-13_.pdf

Councilmember McDuffie Visits the Young at Heart Seniors

This week, Councilmember McDuffie visited the Brentwood Recreation Center to greet the members of the Young At Heart Seniors. During the meeting the Councilmember outlined his agenda and heard input on how his office could better serve the senior citizen community. Young at Heart Seniors is an organization, consisting of seniors from the Brentwood community, which meets weekly at the Brentwood Recreation Center to discuss the practical needs of the senior citizens living throughout the Ward.

“It is important that my staff and I continue to stay engaged with senior citizens in Ward 5,” said Councilmember McDuffie. “This will help us to be more responsive and better advised in matters touching senior citizens throughout the community.”

Councilmember McDuffie Tours Byte Back In the Brookland Community

 Last week, Councilmember McDuffie met with the students in the Byte Back program in Brookland. Byte Back is a nonprofit group that works with local organizations to provide computer access and career ladder computer training to underemployed and unemployed adults.

Through intensive computer literacy courses and employment readiness programs, low-income and unemployed individuals gain the technological skills and confidence to navigate the job market. Byte Back also offers computer classes for senior citizens through a partnership with the DC Public Libraries, a summer program for low-income youth who will learn new computer skills and then teach them to other students, and Office Track for those looking to master Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. For more information on the organization, visit www.byteback.org. 

Councilmember McDuffie Celebrates the Ward 5 Senators/Satchel Paige Little Baseball League

 

On Saturday April 6, Councilmember McDuffie visited Ward 5 youth participating in the Senators/Satchel Paige Baseball and Softball Clinic Extravagenza at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center.

Each year Senators/Satchel Paige Little League continues to advance its mission of teaching the fundamental skills of baseball to the youth in the District. The goal of the Senators/Satchel Paige Little Baseball League is to continue to make a difference in the lives of the youth in our community in education and sports, particularly baseball and softball.

EYA Awards $50,000 to Ward 5 Businesses

This week EYA announced that it will award six Ward 5 businesses with more than $50,000 in grants. The “Chancellor’s Row Small Business Loan Fund” has been established to support local businesses in ANC 5C.

“I applaud EYA for meeting the needs of the small businesses community within ANC 5C,” said Councilmember McDuffie, during a mixer held to award recipients with the grants. “The Chancellor’s Row Small Business Loan Fund will help to enhance businesses in Ward 5 and give locally-based companies an opportunity to expand their reach and improve their services. This in return provides Ward 5 residents with much needed amenities.”

Councilmember McDuffie and Staff Celebrates the 151^st Anniversary of the D.C. Compensated  Act

On April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, ending slavery in Washington, DC, freeing 3,100 individuals, reimbursing those who had legally owned them and offering the newly freed women and men money to emigrate. It is this legislation, and the courage and struggle of those who fought to make it a reality that Washington, DC commemorates every April 16.

Councilmember McDuffie and staff will participate in the Emancipation Day Parade taking place Tuesday, April 16 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. We are commemorating the 151st anniversary of the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act.

If you would like to participate in the parade, please meet the Ward 5 team at 4th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW at 11:00am. It is important that our presence be recognized and that we celebrate this occasion together as Washingtonians and Ward 5 residents.

Click here for additional information about other Emancipation Day activities.

Legislative Updates:

Councilmember McDuffie Introduced Several Legislative Measures to Spark Economic Growth and Improve the Quality of Life for D.C. Employees

During this week’s legislative meeting, Councilmember McDuffie introduced key legislation aimed at promoting economic development throughout the District and improving the quality of life for D.C. government employees.

To capitalize on the economic growth that local handcrafted small-batch breweries and spirit distilleries bring to the District of Columbia, Councilmember McDuffie, along with Councilmembers David Grosso, Anita Bonds, and Muriel Bowser, introduced the “Manufacturer Sunday Tasting Permit Amendment Act of 2013.” The measure will expand tastings to Sundays for these beverage manufacturers.

Additionally, Councilmember McDuffie introduced two bills to improve the quality of life for many of the District’s employees. Currently, employees are guaranteed only one day of leave to make arrangements for or attend the funeral or memorial service of an immediate relative. The “Funeral and Memorial Service Leave Amendment Act of 2013” expands this leave to three days. Councilmember McDuffie also introduced the “District of Columbia Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978 Administrative Review Rights Amendment Act of 2013.” The bill closes a significant legal loophole by allowing District employees to appeal their worker’s compensation claims to the Administrative Hearings Division of the Department of Employment Services in matters where the Office of Risk Management has refused to act after 30 days.

For more information on these key measures, click here.

Announcements:

Reminder: Councilmember Holds His Next Ward 5 Community Engagement Office Hours

This Saturday, April 13, Councilmember McDuffie will hold his next Ward 5 Community Engagement Office Hours. The Community Engagement Office Hours is a tradition the Councilmember started shortly after taking office. These meetings are designed to give Ward 5 residents a venue to voice their concerns and offer suggestions without having to travel to the John A. Wilson Building.

The community engagement office hours will be held at the New York Avenue Recreation Center, located on First Street and New York Avenue, NW, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. For more information, click here.

Councilmember McDuffie Holds a Community Walk-Through in the Gateway Neighborhood

Councilmember McDuffie invites residents to join him, the Gateway Civic Association, and invited representatives from various D.C. agencies for a community walk-through in the Gateway neighborhood. The purpose of the walk-through is to address quality of life issues and give residents the opportunity to engage agencies in the process of building stronger communities.

The walk-through will take place on Saturday, April 13 from 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

Lemonade Day Comes to Ward 5

Lemonade Day, a free experiential learning program that prepares youth to start, own and operate their own business—a Lemonade stand—is launching in DC on Sunday, April 14th, with the support of The George Washington University’s School of Business (GWSB), Gallup, PNC Bank, Arthur & Judith Mintz, and the office of Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie – all of whom are committed to teaching financial literacy to youth.

Over 1,000 young people in DC are expected to participate by operating their lemonade stands and then using their profits responsibly as the Lemonade Day motto teaches: spend a little, save a little, share a little. Spend a little on yourself, save a little and open a savings account, and share a little with a local non-profit.

Locations in Ward 5 include the Turkey Thicket Rec Center, located at 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE and the Arboretum Recreation Center located at 2412 Rand Place, NE. For more information on Lemonade Day visit www.dc.lemonadeday.org.

**Ward 5 Events:

Councilmember McDuffie, or a member of his staff, will attend the following events:

Monday, April 15 –The Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting will take place at the St. George’s Episcopal Church, located at 160 U Street, NW, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 16 – The Ward 5 Council on Education meeting will take place at the Lamond-Riggs Library, located at 5401 South Dakota Ave, NE, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Monday, April 15 –The Brookland Civic Association meeting will take place at the Brooks Mansion, located at 901 Newton Street, NE, beginning at 7:00 p.m. 

Tuesday, April 16 – ANC 5E will hold its monthly meeting at the Summit, located at 116 T Street, NE, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 17 – ANC 5C will hold its monthly meeting at the 5th District Police Station, located at 1805 Bladensburg Road, NE, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 17 – ANC 5A will hold its monthly meeting at the Potomac Lighthouse PCS, located at 4401 8^th Street, NE, beginning at 6:30 p.m. 

Monday, April 28 –The Edgewood Civic Association holds its monthly meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m., Location TBD

** Councilmember McDuffie’s public schedule is subject to change.