 The Ward 5 Report: Pride Edition
Legislative & Committee Updates
McDuffie introduces bill to expand employment opportunities
On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, Councilmember McDuffie introduced a bill that will remove hurdles in
obtaining employment for chronically-unemployed District of Columbia
residents.
The “Fair Credit History Screening Act of 2015″ will prohibit an
employer from considering a job applicant’s credit history during the
hiring process, and will restrict an employer’s inquiry into an
applicant’s credit history until after a conditional offer of
employment.
To learn more about the bill, please visit Councilmember McDuffie's website at www.kenyanmcduffie.com.
Hearing on Fire Chief and Administrative Chief Judge nominations, child support guidelines
On June 30, the Judiciary Committee will hold a public
hearing on two nomination resolutions and a bill. The first would confirm
Gregory Dean as the new Chief of the Fire and Emergency Services Department;
the second resolution would confirm Eugene Adams as the new Chief
Administrative Law Judge forthe Office of Administrative Hearings. Finally, Bill
21-0071 would revise and update the District of Columbia’s child support
guidelines.
The hearing will take place in Room 120 of the John A. Wilson
Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, at 1 p.m., or immediately following the
Legislative Meeting. Individuals who would like to testify can sign up by emailing
Kate Mitchell, Committee Director, at kmitchell@dccouncil.us,
or by calling (202) 727-8275.
Expanding language access
On July 1, the Judiciary Committee will hold a joint hearing
with the Committee of the Whole and the Committee on Education on Bill 21-0066,
the “Language
Access for Education Amendment Act of 2015”. The bill would expand the
Language Access Act by requiring the District government to provide training
for staff, teachers, and counselors; have at least one English as a Second
Language certified member on staff at a school if the percentage of English
language learners is ten percent or higher; require that covered agencies
designate an employee whose primary role is language access coordinator; and
provide relief for violations.
The hearing will take place in Room 412 of the
John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, at 11 a.m. Individuals
who would like to testify can sign up by emailing Kate Mitchell, Committee
Director, at kmitchell@dccouncil.us,
or by calling (202) 727-8275.
Announcements from the D.C. Government
Harry Thomas,
Sr. Playground Named One of the 16 Coolest Playgrounds in the World
MentalFloss.com named the DC Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) Harry S. Thomas Sr. playground as one of the 16 Coolest Playgrounds in the World. The unique playspace was named number 6 out of 16, cited for its use of math in the execution of its design.
Mayor Bowser
Kicks Off F.R.E.S.H. Summer 2015
Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off the Families, Recreation,
Education/Employment, Safety and Health (FRESH) Summer initiative. The
initiative provides city-wide summer programming from June through August to
ensure D.C. residents of all ages have a safe, productive, and rewarding
summer. As part of F.R.E.S.H. Summer, the District is offering nine new camp
offerings including coding, engineering, ballet and tai kwon do.
Bonu$ 2 Phone Us: Off Road
"Bonu$ to Phone Us: Off Road” is MPD's new program that offers DC residents the ability to call 911 when they know the location of an illegal ATV or dirt bike in Washington, DC. If the information results in the confiscation of an illegal dirt bike or ATV, the caller will be authorized to receive a $250 reward. In addition, callers can also call in information directly to the CIC and will receive a reward if it leads to a confiscation.
Kenyan in the Community
The Rev. Dr. Morris L. Shearin, Sr. Community Life Center
 On Thursday, June 4, Councilmember McDuffie, Congresswoman Norton and Chairman Mendelson
joined Israel Baptist Church's congregation for the grand opening of
The Rev. Dr. Morris L. Shearin, Sr. Community Life Center. The
Community Life Center will house Unity's Brentwood Health Center, which
will offer comprehensive, full-service health care, including adult,
family and pediatric medicine, dentistry, OB/GYN, podiatry, and other
specialty services. The Brentwood Health Center will serve patients
daily, regardless of their ability to pay.
To see more photos, please visit Kenyan's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie.
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 Sonia Gutierrez Campus Way Designation
On Friday, June 5, Councilmember
McDuffie, Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson, Councilmember Bonds, and
Councilmember Todd unveiled "Sonia Gutierrez Way" in Ward 5's
Eckington neighborhood.
The renaming of the 500 Block of V
Street NE, which was done via legislation authored by Councilmember
Bonds and co-introduced by Councilmember McDuffie, pays
tribute to the contributions that Ms. Gutierrez has made to the Carlos
Rosario International Public Charter School and the District of Columbia
for the past forty years.
To see more photos, please visit Kenyan's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie.
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 Planet Fitness opens in Ivy City!
On Monday, June 8, Councilmember McDuffie joined Mayor Bowser at Planet Fitness to open its 1000th store nationwide, and first in the District of Columbia.
Councilmember McDuffie has been a champion for Ward 5's Ivy City neighborhood. He has successfully advocated for:
-
$1.35
million to create tree boxes and plant trees, and repair sidewalks throughout the neighborhood;
- $2.75 million to repave roads and enhance
public space along New York Avenue; and
- A New York Avenue Clean Team, which will provide the neighborhood with supplemental cleaning and address city service requests.
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 North Capitol Main Street's Annual Meeting
On Tuesday, June 9, Councilmember
McDuffie joined Councilmember Orange, Department of Small and Local
Business Development Director Ana Harvey, residents, and
board members of the North Capitol Main Street for its Annual Meeting.
Councilmember McDuffie championed reviving and funding the North
Capitol Main Street, which stimulates neighborhood-oriented economic development along the commercial corridor.
To see more photos, please visit Kenyan's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie.
For more information about the Main Streets program, please visit the Department
of Small and Local Business Development's website: http://dslbd.dc.gov/node/443942
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Community Bulletin Board
The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development invites you to
share your thoughts about how Parcel 42 located on the east side of 7th
Street NW and Rhode Island Avenue, will be redeveloped. The Our RFP
Workshop will be held at Howard Theater located at 620 T St NW on
Saturday, June 13, from 10am-12pm.
To RSVP for DMPED's Our RFP Public Workshop, please enter your information HERE.
Stay Connected
For more information,
please visit http://www.kenyanmcduffie.com or contact our office at (202)
724-8028. Follow
Councilmember McDuffie at twitter.com/CM_McDuffie and/or facebook.com/KenyanRMcDuffie.
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