July 10, 2026
Dear Washingtonians,
Last weekend was a busy—and very hot—one for our city. I want to thank the thousands of public servants who worked through the weekend to keep people safe. From our public safety teams throughout all eight wards, to the Department of Parks and Recreation and human services teams keeping people cool, and our Department of Public Works crews working around the clock to keep the city clean—it took everyone working together to make it a successful Fourth of July weekend in the midst of a heat wave.
Here’s some of what our teams were up to across the holiday weekend:
More than 250 members of our Go-Teams were out engaging with residents, connecting with youth, promoting safety, and helping create a positive community presence in neighborhoods citywide.
On Saturday alone, nearly 1,000 employees from the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department were on duty across the District. The Department responded to almost 1,500 incidents—one of the highest daily volumes in our history.
Throughout the celebrations, the Metropolitan Police Department was on full activation. Over 3,000 members were patrolling neighborhoods and ensuring every celebration, parade, sporting event, and gathering was safe for residents and visitors.
Our Department of Parks and Recreation stepped up to keep outdoor pools, spray parks, recreation centers, and three indoor pools open during the holiday weekend. And people took advantage of those opportunities, with more than 17,000 visitors cooling off at pools in all eight wards.
Even with the heat, we had fantastic local celebrations at the Capitol Hill and Palisades Parades. Event organizers showed off our DC Values by inviting high school bands from across the country to join the Capitol Hill Parade when their Independence Day celebration was canceled. And, of course, the incredible Eastern High School Marching Band made our whole city proud as they led the way.
So, thank you again to everyone who worked together—in government and community—to make the weekend a success; I know many of the same people will be back at it this weekend.
With gratitude,
 Last week, Mayor Bowser and the DC Office of Planning published the draft RFK Campus Master Plan. The master plan reimagines 180 acres of land along the Anacostia River as a connected series of neighborhoods, parks, and civic spaces serving residents year-round.
The public is invited to review the plan and provide feedback for a 45-day period, ending August 14, 2026.
How you can get involved:
Learn more about the draft and upcoming events here.
The draft plan is available at OurRFK.dc.gov.
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 The DC Office of Unified Communications (OUC) and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) invite you to take part in a citywide series of DC 311 Resident Engagement Sessions to help shape the next generation of the District’s 311 mobile app. These sessions are designed to gather firsthand experience from residents and ANC leaders to ensure that the new 311 app reflects real community needs across all eight wards.
Each two‑hour session will walk participants through the four main steps of submitting a 311 service request, identify where the current app works well, and surface opportunities for improvement.
Session Dates & Locations
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Tuesday, July 14, 6:00–8:00 p.m. | Department of Buildings (1100 4th Street SW, Marion Barry Conference Room)
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Saturday, July 18, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | Barry Farm Recreation Center (1230 Sumner Road SE)
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Wednesday, July 22, 6:00–8:00 p.m. | Department of Employment Services (4058 Minnesota Ave NE)
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Saturday, August 1, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | Columbia Heights Community Center (1480 Girard Street NW)
All sessions are open to residents and ANC leaders. Light refreshments will be provided. Language interpretation and ASL services are available upon request at ouc@dc.gov.
Please register to attend at s.dc.gov/311-app-sessions.
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 The Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services invites all District residents to participate in tomorrow's Roll-Off Day, hosted in Ward 4.
This free event provides a convenient way to dispose of bulky household items while helping keep our neighborhoods clean, safe, and beautiful.
Residents from every ward are encouraged to bring furniture, clothing, old toys, carpet, wrapped mattresses, and other bulk household items to the designated roll-off container.
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When: Saturday, July 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Across the Street from Emery Heights Community Center (Madison Street Side), 1223 Madison Street NW
- Visit for a list of accepted and prohibited items.
By working together, we can reduce illegal dumping, improve our communities, and keep Washington, DC clean.
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 The story of DC sports can’t be told without the fans.
Hail to the Fans: The Spirit of DC Sports, a new exhibition coming to DC Public Library in spring 2027, will showcase the history and culture of Washington’s professional sports teams through its fans. Sports serve as the vehicle for telling stories about community, identity, family, and shared experience across the region. The exhibition will document the memories, rituals, loyalties, and shared moments that connected neighbors, families, and communities to their teams and to each other.
Share your jerseys, photos, and other memorabilia for possible inclusion in Hail to the Fans: The Spirit of DC Sports!
Learn more here.
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