News from Muriel, 1-23-2013
District of Columbia sent this bulletin at 01/23/2013 07:16 PM EST
January 23, 2013
Table of Contents:
DC Office of Aging Collaborates with YouthBuild to Announce Program
Save the Date: Chancellors Final Consolidation Plan and Roosevelt SIT meeting, January 24th
Reminder: American Heart Association Get to Goal Health Initiative Launch, January 19
Reminder: Department of Transportation to begin Roadway Improvement Project
On Monday, Inauguration day, I hosted an open house for Ward 4 residents and families. Alongside my community, I witnessed history as President Barack Obama was sworn-in to his second historic term. Like many of you, I’m excited about the many prospects of the next four years and I’m also energized to continue working very hard to serve my amazing Ward 4 community.
As the Council’s new chair on the Committee of Economic Development and through my continuing role as the District’s representative of Metro, I will begin to highlight news pertaining to both in my newsletter. In addition, I will continue to highlight Ward 4 and District-wide events, meetings and information for all my residents and families. Please refer to any neighbors who don’t receive my newsletter to my website, www.murielbowser.com, to sign up.
Lastly, I want to spotlight our District’s Summer Youth Employment Program. The program is integral for our District youth because it provides summer jobs and work readiness training. The application will be made available this Friday, January 25th. For more information, please refer to my “Economic Development News” portion in this newsletter or contact my office at 202-724-8052.
©Muriel Bowser – Ward 4 Inauguration open house alongside the Ward 1 delegation including Councilmember Jim Graham (Left)
Senior Housing Modernization Grant Fund Amendment Act
Councilmember Bowser introduced this bill in order to help improve the lives of seniors in the District by making available home improvement grants for up to $5,000 to help maintain their homes. Eligibility of these grants will be based on age, income and primary residence. The bill primarily transfers the authority of this program from the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development to the Director of Housing and Community Development in order to better ensure implementation.
For more information, please contact the Economic Development at 202-724-8052.
Campaign Finance Training Amendment Act
Councilmember Bowser co-sponsored this campaign finance bill with Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie that will require in-person, campaign finance training for all political candidates and treasurers. The Office of Campaign Finance will develop and administer the training program and all participants will be barred from accepting any contributions and expenditures until its full completion.
For more information, please contact the Economic Development at 202-724-8052.
Fort Totten Square Groundbreaking Ceremony, January 30
Fort Totten Square is a mixed-use development to be constructed near the Fort Totten Metro station in Washington, D.C. Fort Totten Square will bring an exciting shopping, dining, and living experience to the neighborhood for which it is named. The project includes convenient ground floor retail, including an urban-format Walmart with full-service grocery and pharmacy; 350 rental apartments homes, including studios and one and two-bedroom units; and immediate access to the city and suburbs via the Red, Yellow, and Green Lines that converge at the nearby Fort Totten Metro station.
Fort Totten Square will be hosting a Groundbreaking Ceremony on Wednesday, January 30th at 9:30 am. It’s located at 300 Riggs Road, NE. Invited guests include Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, Mayor Vincent Gray, Deputy Mayor Victor Hoskins, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Planning Director Harriet Tregoning and WMATA General Manager Richard Sales.
For more information, please contact Brandon Todd at 202-724-8052 or btodd@dccouncil.us.
Summer Youth Employment Program and Midnight Madness Event. January 25
The 2013 One City Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is a locally-funded program administered by the DOES Office of Youth Programs that provides summer jobs and work readiness training to District youth ages 14-21. On Friday, January 25, 2013 at 12:15 pm, the application for the 2013 SYEP goes live for District residents between the ages of 14 and 21. Applications can be accessed from any computer with a working internet connection by visiting www.summerjobs.dc.gov.
Anyone needing assistance with his or her application or a place to access the internet is encouraged to attend Midnight Madness -- the official SYEP application kick-off event. Midnight Madness will take place on Friday, January 25, 2013 from 12:15 pm until 12:00 midnight at the DOES Headquarters located at 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE (next to the Minnesota Avenue Metro Station). DOES staff will be on hand all night to assist youth and their families, and to answer any questions.
For more information, please contact Shayne Wells at 202-724-8052 or swells@dccouncil.us
Inauguration Day Facts
Monday, January 21 marked a memorable day. Metro hosted nearly 965,000 bus and train riders during the Inaugural activities. Approximately 8,000 operations and maintenance employees worked tirelessly from inception to completion, delivering 17 hours of peak service. About 200 Ambassadors helped in stations to support 781,000 rail riders. Bus ridership topped 182,000 and MetroAccess trips approached 2,000 riders.
In addition to a few hundred 2009 Inauguration SmarTrip® cards, about 90,000 2013 commemorative cards were sold through internet sales, sales offices, and consignments to transit stores.
There were some downtown delays, some station entrances closed due to crowding and troubles getting out of parking lots, but the big take away is that our subway system was able to safely get commuters to and from their destinations and avoid any major mishaps.
Track work - January 25-27
Single tracking on Red, Orange and Green lines. The ongoing effort to rebuild and upgrade the Metrorail system to provide safer and more reliable service will continue over the weekend of January 25-27 on the Red, Orange and Green lines.
Red Line
- From 10:00 pm, Friday through 12:00 pm on Sunday, Red Line trains will single track between Farragut North and Judiciary Square to allow for track maintenance, tie renewal, structural and ceiling repairs.
- During this time, trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 20 minutes.
- Between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm on Saturday, and between 9:00 am and noon on Sunday, additional Red Line trains will operate between Shady Grove and Farragut North, providing service about every 10 minutes between those stations.
- Customers should add about 10 minutes to their travel time while track work is in effect.
- Note: Normal Red Line service will be restored at noon on Sunday.
DC Office of Aging Collaborates with YouthBuild to Announce Program
D.C. Office on Aging has formed an intergenerational collaboration with YouthBuild Public Charter School(YBPCS). YBPCS offers on the job training programs; while helping the students to obtain their GED and learn a viable trade in the process. The students are from age 16 to 24 and they are a part of a volunteer workforce that provides painting and small home improvement jobs to our seniors and persons with disabilities at no cost. During the pilot phase of this program, we helped seven seniors achieve a cleaner, brighter home environment.
For more information, please contact Shayne Wells at 202-724-8052 or swells@dccouncil.us
Save the Date: Chancellors Final Consolidation Plan and Roosevelt SIT Meeting. January 24th
Chancellor Henderson announced last week that MacFarland Middle School will close and consolidate with PK-8 schools in the area. Students will transition to their neighborhood education campus of right or to Raymond Education Campus after this school year. During Roosevelt’s two-year modernization process, MacFarland Middle School will accommodate Roosevelt High School students and faculty.
Councilmember Bowser has held two meetings to discuss the Roosevelt modernization plan. She plans to continue to follow-up with the plan and wants to provide information about the next Roosevelt School Improvement Team (SIT) Meeting. It will be held on Thursday, January 24th from 6:00 pm - 7:30pm in the Roosevelt Library.
For more information, please contact Shayne Wells at 202-724-8052 or swells@dccouncil.us
Reminder: American Heart Association Get to Goal Health Initiative Launch, January 19th
American Heart Association (AHA) will launch their Get to Goal DC program, a health equity and multicultural initiative designed to close the gap in the treatment of high blood pressure. Please join the AHA Get to Goal DC launch and celebration party on Saturday, January 19th from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Takoma Station Tavern located at 6914 Fourth Street, NW.
Please call the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region office at 703-248-1707.
Reminder: Department of Transportation to begin Roadway Improvement Project
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will begin a Road Improvement Project along Missouri Avenue, NW between 13th Street and 14th Street, NW on or around January 23rd. The project is estimated to take approximately three weeks to complete, weather permitting.
The project will involve upgrading of all wheel chair ramps, repair of sidewalks, repair of curbs and gutters and resurfacing pavement within the project limits.
Construction will be conducted from 7:00 pm – 5:30 am, Monday through Friday and Saturday from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm. Throughout the construction period, at least one lane of traffic will be maintained. Curbside parking will be restricted and “NO PARKING” signs will be posted 72 hours prior to commencement of construction.
For more information, please contact Jamal Anwar at 202-497-9044.
Muriel Bowser
Councilmember, Ward 4
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 110
Washington DC 20004
202-724-8052-voice
202-741-0908- fax
mbowser@dccouncil.us
www.murielbowser.com
Please remember to call 311 for all your city service requests such as tree trimming and bulk trash removal. Call 911 for all police, fire or ambulance requests.