by Marlene Berlin It’s budget season at the DC Council, and Council committees are holding performance oversight hearings on DC government agencies through March 7th. What the Council members learn in these hearings will prepare them to respond to the mayor’s fiscal year 2026 budget with their own recommendations, which are then incorporated into the […]
How (not) to deal with a gas leak
by Marlene Berlin This is a long and complicated tale, but I’m going to start with one simple instruction: When you smell gas, call Washington Gas immediately. I say this because it’s what I should have done closer to the beginning of this story, a little over a year ago when I got a new […]
Residents and landlords speak at an apartment-focused Council hearing on crime
by Marlene Berlin The DC Council, for the first time, is considering legislation that seeks to address crime in apartment buildings specifically. And at last month’s hearing on the bill, many of the nearly five dozen witnesses testified in detail about the personal and community impacts. The majority of witnesses at the December 10th hearing […]
Sign up to testify at a Dec. 10 Council hearing on an apartment building security bill
by Marlene Berlin DC apartment residents: If you have something to say to elected leaders about security in your building, now is a good time to do so. The DC Council Committee of the Whole, and the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, are holding a joint hearing on December 10th on legislation drafted and presented […]
In the garden: Researching mulch “volcanoes”
Our friends at Casey Trees are doing research on volcanoes. These volcanoes have nothing to do with lava, or super-heated ash. But they can be harmful to trees. Casey has partnered with Bartlett Trees Research Laboratories to study the dangers of volcano mulching, so-called for the shape the mulch takes when piled up against the […]
Apartment updates: Police calls rise, case managers remain absent, and tenant leaders continue to press for change
by Marlene Berlin We have several updates on the safety and security issues the residents of area apartment buildings have faced for at least the past five years. Sedgwick Gardens – the apartment building that drew attention to the District’s “Housing First” policy for the homeless In 2019, The Washington Post reported: The SWAT team, […]
It’s time to start giving your young trees some extra TLC
by Marlene Berlin Summer, officially, is still a couple of months away. Summer temperatures, on the other hand, will be here soon. Hot and dry are not a good combination for young trees, especially street trees. So it’s time to get into the habit of giving them some extra care. Casey Trees, from April through […]
Plant this, not that: A guide to plants that attract and sustain wildlife as well as beautify your garden
by Kathy Sykes Each Earth Day, we reflect on what we can do for Mother Earth, and meet the challenges that come from the changing climate and landscapes. Fortunately, there is a simple action we can take to respond: plant native plants. A plant is considered native if it occurred naturally in a particular region, […]
A housing survey asks: What do Forest Hills, Van Ness, Cleveland Park and Woodley Park residents think of “Gentle Density”?
Mac Hyde, a Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student and former Cleveland Park resident, asked us to share this survey, created to further his research exploring ways to add more housing units in neighborhoods from Forest Hills south to Woodley Park. In return, we asked him to provide more background. Hyde will also share the survey […]
Is it Housing First? Or Housing Choice? We explain two of DC’s housing vouchers programs
by Marlene Berlin The Ward 3 Democrats, at their meeting Wednesday, December 6th at 7 p.m., are hosting a panel on housing vouchers and their impact on rent-stabilized buildings. This virtual meeting is open to the public, but to watch the panel, you must register in advance. The panelists are Ward 3 Council member Matt […]