July 7, 2016 | Volume 2, Issue 25
Dear Washingtonians,
On Monday, we had a blast celebrating the Fourth of July with so many residents at the Barracks Row and Palisades parades!
Independence Day is a time when our country comes together to honor our history and celebrate our freedom. Unfortunately, Washingtonians do not enjoy the benefits of a full democracy. Although we pay our taxes, send our men and women off to war, and do all the other things that Americans do, we still lack a vote in Congress.
As Mayor, I have dedicated myself to setting a bold new path in the fight for statehood. We are making progress. This Spring, the New Columbia Statehood Commission held several community engagements culminating with our Constitutional Convention. On Tuesday, the Council of the District of Columbia will be voting on the advisory Referendum on the State of New Columbia Admission Act Resolution of 2016 which was introduced to the council on June 28. If approved, it will be sent to the Board of Elections to be included on the ballot in November.
Statehood is not a Democratic or Republican issue - it is an American issue. Washingtonians deserve full access to our country's democracy, and we will not stop fighting until our voices are heard.
Sincerely,
ICYMI: On July 1, 2016, the District's minimum wage increased from $10.50 per hour to $11.50 per hour. Last week, Mayor Bowser signed legislation that will increase DC's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020.
Last month, Mayor Bowser asked the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to add DC statehood to its platform. On Friday, her work paid off. The DNC released a draft of their 2016 party platform which states, "Restoring our democracy also means finally passing statehood for Washington, DC, so that its citizens have full and equal congressional rights as well as the right to have the laws and budget of their local government respected without Congressional interference."
Although the draft is not yet finalized, the inclusion of statehood is exciting progress. You can read the draft HERE.
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Last week, Mayor Bowser attended the 34th Annual Senior Fest at the Oxon Run Park in Ward 8. Senior Fest is a free event where the District's seniors can come together to enjoy exercises, dancing, and delicious food.
DC is proud to be home to some of the most active seniors in the country, and one of Mayor Bowser's top priorities is to make DC more age-friendly. Each year, this event is a great opportunity for seniors to have fun while learning about all that our District has to offer.
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Last month, the District recognized Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Throughout June, we honored the families in DC affected by Alzheimer’s and spread awareness about the impacts of the disease. More than five million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s, including 9,000 DC residents.
The DC Office on Aging offers a number of Alzheimer’s-related programs across the District including Saturday Respite, Citywide Money Management, Club Memory, and Behavioral Symptom Management Training. You can find out more about any one of these programs HERE.
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Last Thursday, Mayor Bowser helped honor some of DC's hardest working and most innovative public servants. The George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Service hosted the 15th Annual Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Awards, a program designed to recognize and reward outstanding performance and exemplary service by D.C. Government employees. Five individual winners and an innovative team were recognized for providing outstanding service to the residents of Washington, DC.
The individual award recipients were: Ms. Aurora Delespin-Jones (DCOA), Ms. Cheryl Durden (CFSA), Mr. Charles Jones (DOES), Dr. Liane Rosenblatt (DCPL), and Mr. Brian Van Wye (DOEE). The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Alternatives to the Court Experience (ACE) program was announced as the winner of the Innovation Team Award.
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Summer in the District is off to a strong start and so is the 2016 DC Free Summer Meals Program! The DC Free Summer Meals Program offers free, nutritious meals to youth 18 years old and under. To find out more about the program and to see the list of DC Free Summer Meals Program locations go HERE.
Many young residents are busy in summer camp, summer school, and the 2016 Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. With the Summer Strong DC 2016 programs, however, there is always more to do! To learn about fun, free events in Washington, DC text ‘summerdc’ to 96714 or visit summer.dc.gov. Follow us on Twitter at @SummerStrongDC to stay updated on activities.
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The Department of Public Works (DPW) announced last week that it has wrapped up its first-ever graffiti blitz. Over the course of six weeks, DPW partnered with businesses, community groups, and volunteers to clean more than 700 graffiti markings and remove more than 2,000 posters and stickers from public spaces.
We thank DPW for their commitment to keeping all eight wards graffiti free!
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During the weekend of July 16-17, Capital Bikeshare and REI are teaming up to bring free bike rides to Washington, DC.
In honor of REI's DC Flagship opening this fall, you will be able to get a 24-hour access pass for free. Sign-up HERE to get your free ride code.
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The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the District of Columbia.
MPD has an opening for a Program Support Specialist to join their team. This position supports the sworn and civilian personnel of MPD by ensuring that the fleet of vehicles are available, properly equipped, reliable, and safe to operate at all times. All details
regarding this vacancy, including qualifications, can be found by visiting the job annoucement.
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