News from Muriel, 10/30/2013

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Muriel Bowser
@TeamMuriel

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Muriel Bowser Ward 4

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Ward 4 Office

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 110

Phone: 202-724-8052

Fax: 202-741-0908

mbowser@dccouncil.us

 

Chief of Staff:

Joy Holland


Legislative Director:

Robert Hawkins

 

Legislative Counsel:

Judah Gluckman

 

Legislative Counsel:

Kate Kountzman

 

Scheduler / Special: Assistant

Jim Slattery

 

Constituent  Services: Director

Brandon Todd

 

Deputy Constituent Services Director:

Judi Gold

 

Constituent Services Coordinator:

Shayne Wells

 

Receptionist/Constituent Services Coordinator:

Booker Roary

 

Communications Specialist:

Bryan Lozano

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Muriel Bowser

©Muriel Bowser – Keynote Speech at the African-American Real Estate Professionals Gala.

Muriel Bowser

©Muriel Bowser – With my Run with Muriel 5K a month team at the Georgetown Wellness 5k.

Muriel Bowser

©Muriel Bowser – Providing a legislative update at the ANC 4B meeting.

Muriel Bowser

©Muriel Bowser – Hosting DJ from Sharpe Health School on DC Disability Mentoring Day.

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News from Muriel

October 30, 2013

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Letter from Muriel

Dear Neighbors:

Happy Halloween!  I can’t wait to see all of the amazing costumes from families and children all around our neighborhoods.  I want to stress that safety is my most important priority on this holiday.  Please view general safety tips provided in my newsletter, always make sure to be aware of where your children are, and most importantly, if in doubt, throw it out.

This past Monday, the mayor released details on plans to alter school boundary and feeder patterns. The Deputy Mayor released the names of members of the Advisory Committee selected by the Executive that are tasked with making recommendations about how to change the existing framework. This process has generated a great deal of anxiety, especially for neighborhoods and families in the boundary and feeder pattern of Alice Deal Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School. 

My position is clear: Ward 4 families should maintain current access to great schools.

I approach this discussion with the following principles in mind: We should not split our boundaries down the middle of Rock Creek Park, all DC families should have access to quality schools in their neighborhood, and the mayor and the Council should demonstrate that commitment with concrete plans to improve middle schools city-wide.

With these principles in mind, I am fully prepared to advocate for the needs of our communities as this unfolds.

The Advisory Committee and Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education will release a final plan in September 2014, with changes beginning to take effect in the 2015-2016 school year. 

In the meantime, it will be extremely important to participate in this process to emphasize our concerns. There will be opportunities to get involved, including city-wide community and focus group meetings.  I encourage everyone to visit the following website for further information and to sign up for focus groups: http://1.usa.gov/HcgvDE.

The Council’s Committee on Education will also hold a Public Oversight Roundtable on November 15th in room 412 of the John A. Wilson building at 9:00AM to hear from members of the public and District education officials about the current status of plans to revise school boundaries and feeder patterns.  My office will also keep you informed of any updates and pertinent information as the process moves forward.

Muriel Bowser
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Kalmia Road Bridge Important Traffic Advisory Update

Last weekend, Councilmember Bowser provided an update about the expected closure of Kalmia Road Bridge located between East Beach Drive and West Beach Drive in Ward 4’s Colonial  Village.

Yesterday October 29th, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) closed the Kalmia Road Bridge for reconstruction purposes and provided updates about their detour route that can be found in the picture below.

DDOT’s website is also now live and can be viewed here: https://www.kalmiaculvert.com/SitePages/Home.aspx.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact Paul Hoffman at

DDOT at 202-671-4696 or at paul.hoffman@dc.gov or Judi Gold in my office at 202-724-8052 or at jgold@dccouncil.us

Muriel Bowser
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MPD Halloween Event and Safety Tips, October 31st

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), in partnership with the Emory Beacon of Light, Kennedy Street, Brightwood, and Georgia Avenue businesses will host the Halloween Safe Haven Block Party on Halloween, October 31st between 6:00PM – 9:00PM in the 900 block of Quackenbos, NW located next to the Fourth District station.

For more information, please contact Derek Staten of MPD at 202-715-7478 or Derek.Staten@dc.gov.


In addition, MPD has provided some important general safety tips for parents and children for Halloween including:

  • Children should never go into homes - stay on the porch or stoop when asking for treats.
  • Children should avoid homes that don't have their outside lights turned on.
  • Children should never talk to strangers or get into strangers' cars.
  • Children should travel in small groups and be accompanied by parents or an authorized adult chaperone.
  • Children should know their home phone number and their parents' cell phone numbers, when applicable.
  • Children should have their names and addresses attached to their costumes.
  • Children should bring home treats before eating them so parents can inspect them. When children get home, parents should inspect all candy and other treats before they are eaten. Discard all unwrapped or loosely wrapped candy or fruit.
  • Parents should cut into fruit, such as apples, to make sure they do not contain foreign objects.
  • If you have any questions about suspicious looking treats, call 911.
  • Adults should only give and accept wrapped or packaged candy.
  • Adults should keep porch lights on and their driveways illuminated.
  • Homeowners should ensure that their walkways are cleared of debris on which children may trip and fall.
  • If in doubt, throw it out.

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4th Annual Metro Washington Financial Planning Day, November 2nd

The DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking and the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area is co-hosting the 4th Annual Metro Washington Financial Planning Day on Saturday, November 2nd from 11:00AM – 4:00PM at the Columbia Heights Educational Campus located at 3101 16th Street, NW.  The event will feature a series of classroom-style educational workshops addressing key personal finance topics including financial planning for women, real world retirement planning and how to be a smart investor.

For more information and to register, please visit their website at www.financialplanningdays.org/dc.

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Zoning Commission Public Hearing, November 4th – 14 th

The Zoning Commission will hold public hearings from Monday, November 4th to Thursday, November 14th on the proposed text of the new zoning regulations, Zoning Commission Case Number 08-06A.  The hearings will take place in the Jerrily R. Kress Memorial Hearing Room, Suite 220-S at One Judiciary Square located at 441 4th Street, NW. 

For more information, please contact the Zoning Commision at 202-727-6311 or visit their website: www.dcoz.dc.gov.

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DC Health Link Educational Forum, November 6th

The DC Chamber of Commerce and DC Health Link will host a DC Health Link Educational forum geared toward small businesses and non-profit organizations with 50 employees or less.  The event will take place on Wednesday, November 6th from 6:30PM – 8:00PM at the Shepherd Park Library located at 7420 Georgia Avenue, NW. 

For more information and to register, please visit their website at http://washingtondchealthlink.com/events/ or contact the DC Chamber of Commerce at 202-624-0610.

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