May 20, 2022
Dear Washingtonians,
Tomorrow, we will close out a very busy Infrastructure Week at our first Open Streets event in Ward 8—and I hope you will join us. Of course, we celebrate infrastructure projects every day in DC, especially at our DC Infrastructure Academy. But this week, we were able to highlight some of the important work happening across all eight wards to build a more connected, resilient, and equitable DC.
On Monday, we launched a new initiative that will give Internet Service Providers free access to District-owned rooftops if they commit to providing high-speed internet connections at reduced or no cost to households eligible for President Biden’s Affordable Connectivity Program.
On Tuesday, we highlighted progress at the DC Green Bank. We were proud to make DC one of the first cities in the nation to create a Green Bank and since its launch in 2018, the DC Green Bank has now committed more than $12 million to community and residential solar projects serving low-to-moderate income residents.
On Wednesday, I was joined by White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu as well as members of the DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force for an infrastructure tour in Ward 7. We highlighted DC Water's project to remove all lead service lines by 2030, checked out the new Parkside Pedestrian Bridge, celebrated the nation’s largest urban streetlight modernization project, and discussed how we can use funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reconnect communities that had highways built through them.
On Thursday, we celebrated new housing and amenities near the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, on both sides of the Anacostia. And I announced the latest round of Food Access Fund grantees, which will bring eight new local food businesses to Wards 7 and 8.
Today, I joined DC residents in celebrating Bike to Work Day and highlighted that DC now has more than 100 miles of bike lanes, including 24 miles of protected bike lanes.
And tomorrow, I'll see you on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE at Open Streets!
Sincerely,
 This District's Heat Emergency Plan has been activated through the weekend. During a Heat Emergency activation, residents are urged to stay cool, check on seniors and other vulnerable neighbors, and to call the shelter hotline at (202) 399-7093 for unsheltered residents in need of free transportation to a cooling center. Learn more HERE.
 Today, Mayor Bowser and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that select spray parks will open tomorrow, Saturday, May 21, at 10:00 a.m., to provide residents with relief from expected high temperatures.
The spray parks will be open on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22, and operate from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day. On Monday, May 23, spray parks will close for final summer preparations and reopen on Saturday, May 28.
Spray parks open this weekend:
Ward 1
- Harrison Recreation Center, 1330 V St NW
- Park at LeDroit, 319 Oakdale Pl NW
- Westminster Playground, 911 Westminster St NW
Ward 2
- Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th Street NW
Ward 3
- Chevy Chase Recreation Center, 5500 41st St NW
- Friendship Recreation Center, 4500 Van Ness St NW
- Macomb Recreation Center, 3409 Macomb St NW
Ward 4
- Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center, 501 Riggs Rd NE
- Takoma Community Center, 300 Van Buren St NW
Ward 5
- Edgewood Recreation Center, 301 Franklin St NE
- Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Ave NE
Ward 6
- Eastern Market Metro Park, 701 Pennsylvania Ave SE
- Potomac Avenue Triangle Park, 1216 Potomac Ave SE
- Watkins Spray Park, 420 12th St SE
Ward 7
- Fort Davis Spray Park, 1400 41st St SE
- Marvin Gaye Park at Division Ave, Division & Foote St NE
Ward 8
- Fort Greble Recreation Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Ave and Elmira St. SW
Learn more HERE.
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 Tonight, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will host its third Late Night Hype 2.0, a teen-focused experience starting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and ending Saturday morning. The event will take place at Barry Farm Rec Center (1230 Sumner Road SE).
The teen night will feature:
- Live Band + DJ
- 360-degree photo booth
- Food
- Indoor Pool Party
- Games
- Video Games
- Recording Studio
Music and art performances/demonstrations will take place between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. After 11:00 p.m., the recreation center will remain open all night including the pool, open gym, and video games.
Additional details are available at latenighthype.splashthat.com.
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 Tomorrow, on Saturday, May 21, at 12:00 p.m., join the DC Public Schools Early Childhood Education team for a Ready for Pre-K! playdate.
Families of young children are invited to come out to the Fort Davis Rec Center (1400 41st St SE) for an afternoon of fun, including children's music and entertainment, face painting, snacks, information from community organizations, giveaways, and more!
Learn more HERE.
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 The Pfizer COVID-19 booster is now available for children between 5 and 11 years old. The booster dose has been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been shown to help prevent getting infected or having severe complications from COVID-19.
DC Health recommends that all eligible children 5-11 receive the booster as soon as possible in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Any child between 5-11 who received their primary vaccine series on or before December 20, 2021 is eligible for the booster. Children ages 5 through 11 who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are eligible for the booster if they received their primary vaccine series on or before February 20, 2022.
Anyone eligible for a booster dose, including children, can get a free booster at any of the District’s eight COVID Centers, no appointment necessary.
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