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March 2026 Newsletter & Neighborhood Meeting Reminder |
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**PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter was sent from an address that cannot receive replies. Email Commissioner Donohue at tom.donohue@anc.dc.gov.
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I sincerely ask that you take a few moments (it will take a few minutes to complete but please be open and honest!) to complete this survey regarding my service as your Commissioner. While I know your time is valuable, the feedback you provide is essential—it ensures my work remains focused on the specific changes and improvements you want to see in our neighborhood.
If you are able to do only one thing today, please let it be this. Your input directly shapes the priorities for our SMD.
How to Participate:
If you encounter any issues with the link or the form, please let me know so I can assist you. Thank you for helping me represent our community more effectively.
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DC Water will need to perform another shutdown at the intersection of Q St and 16th St SE on the night of 3/16, starting at 7 PM or 9 PM, for approximately 8 hours. This will be last shutdown at this area.
The customers who will be out of water are highlighted in yellow below, and the green highlight shows the location of the work for that night.
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Major Funding Win for Our Schools
I am proud to announce that we have successfully negotiated $10,000 as part of a Community Benefits Agreement from the new residential development on Nicholson Street. This funding will be split equally between Lawrence E. Boone Elementary and Kramer Middle School to provide essential resources, including school uniforms, for our students over the next two years.
New Football Uniforms for Kramer Hornets!
This funding is also expected to fund new uniforms for the Kramer Hornets Football Team! A special "thank you" to Nicholson St. Holdings LLC & Nicholson Street Properties, LLC for helping to set an example that even our privately owned housing developers and owners can invest back into our community. Enjoy the sneak peak of what the new uniforms will look like. Be Proud of our local schools and share this exciting news!
Public Safety & Neighborhood Quality of Life
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Crime Trends: Overall crime in Fairlawn is down 17%, with a significant 67% decrease in violent crime. However, we have seen a recent surge in motor vehicle thefts. I am working closely with MPD to increase patrols, and I encourage all residents to utilize steering wheel locks.
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Aircraft Noise: Following numerous complaints regarding low-flying military helicopters, I have formally engaged the FAA Noise Ombudsman and the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to address the vibrations and noise pollution impacting our homes.
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The full Commission does not meet in April (in order to celebrate Tom's Birthday! - just kidding - they wouldn't do that! They have decided to take a break and not meet in April
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Coming Soon! "There is no Poop Fairy! Please pick it up." signs and others like it by who? Our own neighborhood kids direct from Boone Elementary Scholars themselves! I'm working with Boone Art Teacher Ms. Griffin to hopefully have her students help our neighborhood reduce the amount of irresponsible dog poop all our our neighborhood. Signs like "I play here! Please keep our grass clean." or "Little feet walk here. Please scoop the poop!" Could be coming soon. If you have any kid friendly sayings please email me for consideration.
Infrastructure & Traffic Safety
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Pennsylvania Ave & 25th St SE: DDOT is moving forward with safety interventions to prevent dangerous left turns that have led to high crash rates near the gas station.
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Minnesota Avenue: A new left-turn lane will be added at 23rd Street to improve traffic flow. Please note that this will result in the removal of five parking spaces near the White Building Church.
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Bus Rerouting: Due to the safety changes on 25th St, the D10 bus (Skyland-bound) is being rerouted to 27th and R Streets.
Key Dates & Reminders
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Spring Break: DCPS will be closed from March 23rd to March 27th.
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Upcoming Primary: For the first time, Ranked Choice Voting will be used in the June 2026 primary. Make sure your voter registration is up to date!
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Next SMD Meeting: Join us next week for our 14th Monthly Neighborhood Meeting since taking office (aka Single Member District update)
Its always the 4th Tuesday of each month
Tuesday March 24th 7PM in person at Galilee Baptist Church or virtually at:
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 216 540 821 311 9
Passcode: 6qh7Dn9r
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Neighborhood Updates & Action Items
Keeping Our Streets Clean
The trash along our streets is a significant concern right now, and I could use your help to get it cleared. Please report any issues by calling 311 or using the DC 311 smartphone app.
If you contact me directly, filing a 311 report is the first thing I will do on your behalf—so reporting it yourself is the fastest way to get it into the system! However, if a request remains unresolved, please send me your confirmation code, and I will follow up to get things moving.
Infrastructure & Repairs
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22nd Street Pothole: This has been reported to DDOT. They have inspected the site and added it to their official repair list.
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22nd Street Water Leak: The leak that caused the recent ice buildup has been repaired. After the initial fix left an uneven "speed bump" on Minnesota Ave, I coordinated with DC Water to ensure the pavement was properly addressed.
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Lead Pipe Replacement: We are all looking forward to the completion of the lead pipe project. Please remember that once the underground work is finished, the city will return to repave our streets. Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate these improvements.
Community Events & Volunteering
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Community Cleanup Day: We will discuss this at next week’s meeting. I am looking for a volunteer to take the lead on this initiative, potentially co-planning dates with Ward 8 Woods.
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2nd Annual Party in the Park: I am forming a planning committee for our second annual celebration! If you would like to help organize this event, please join us at the next meeting.
Neighborly Support
Our "spicy" (my word after spending hours with her till 3am in the back of an ambulance) 95-year-old neighbor has unfortunately been displaced from her home again due to the 19th Street fires. While she is safe with family, it would be wonderful if we could come together as a community to cheer her up. I’m thinking of a creative gift basket or a similar gesture from the neighborhood.
If you have ideas or want to contribute, please reach out to me directly.
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