Ward 5 Report: #WearOrange -- mentions this year's Bloomingdale Community Day and the upcoming Mobile Art Gallery at the Joe Mamo lot

From: Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie On Behalf Of Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie

Sent: Friday, June 1, 2018 11:19 AM
Subject: Ward 5 Report: #WearOrange

View this email in your browser Neighbors, Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, marking a weekend of national action where citizens are encouraged to #WearOrange and raise awareness of gun violence prevention. I am proud to have worked with the D.C. chapter of one of the groups organizing this campaign, Moms Demand Action. Their chapter has helped advocate for the NEAR Act and worked to ensure that the voices of urban youth are included in the national conversation around gun violence. Sadly, we require no reminders about gun violence after the loss of life we experienced over the past week in the District. I am outraged by this violence and everyone in the city should be outraged. There must be a heightened sense of urgency to address this crisis. While there are statistics to show crime is down, the statistics do not matter to the families and communities that have experienced deaths due to gun violence. Whether violent crime is down is irrelevant to how a city should respond to homicides. We must use all available resources to stem the tide of senseless gun violence—the future of our city, our young people, depends on it. Working with the community, I will continue to do everything I can to address the root causes of violence that plague communities across the District. In Service, Kenyan In this issue of the Ward 5 Report: Legislative Update - D.C. Budget Kenyan in the Community DDOT Meeting on Monroe Street Bridge - June 4 Mobile Art Gallery Opening at Truxton Circle Legislative Update - D.C. Budget When the Council of the District of Columbia passes a budget, it is actually three separate pieces of legislation the federal budget act, the local budget act, and the budget support act. The federal budget act contains the money D.C. gets from the federal government for things like medicare and medicaid. And similarly, the local budget act is the local taxes we raise and spend. The budget support act contains legislative language that directs agencies to use funds in specific ways. The budget is the culmination of months of hearings and hundreds of hours of public testimony, resulting in a budget that invests over $53 million in new facilities for Ward 5 residents of all ages, addresses root causes of crime through continued implementation of the NEAR Act, and supports Ward 5 neighborhoods and small business retail corridors. Check Councilmember McDuffie's website for more detailed information about this year's budget. The federal budget act and local budget act have both had the two required votes before the Council and the budget support act will have its second vote in June. Kenyan in the Community Councilmember McDuffie speaking at an emergency rally and meeting in response to the gun violence that took place over the weekend. The next day at the Council's Legislative Meeting, CM McDuffie worked with his colleagues and the Attorney General to identify and allocate funding for a violence intervention initiative to be implemented this summer. These additional resources will enhance current efforts such as the implementation of the NEAR Act’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. Last Sunday was a beautiful Bloomingdale Community Day at Crispus Attucks Park. Team McDuffie assisted in the beautification of Brown Education Campus. Rain could not dampen the good spirits at Riggs Park Day, which moved indoors to the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation center. Team McDuffie was on hand to help at Seabury Ward 5 Senior Day Out at North Michigan Park Recreation Center. DDOT Meeting on Monroe Street Bridge - June 4 Mobile Art Gallery Opening at Truxton Circle North Capitol Main Street will be hosting CulturalDC's Mobile Art Gallery this summer and you are invited to the community kick-off on June 8. CulturalDC's Mobile Art Gallery is a portable shipping container that has been renovated into a multi-functional space that CulturalDC can use to bring art into neighborhoods in D.C. ensures that communities experience and engage in groundbreaking works. The exhibit, located at the intersection of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue, opens with a community kick-off on June 8 and will close on July 29. Check CulturalDC's website for more details. Community Kick-off Date: June 8 Community Kick-off Time: 6:00 - 9:00 PM Location: 1600 North Capitol Street, NW