The two letters below were written after the February 1st virtual meeting of the MPD Second District Community Advisory Committee. The CAC gathered police and DC behavioral health officials to discuss “an uptick of complaints” from and about apartment buildings. (We reported on a portion of the conversation, which went over who to call in […]
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Opinion: Take the lawn and garden ‘Hippocratic Oath’ and give leaf blowers the boot
by Kathy Sykes Some good news – the DC ban on gas-powered leaf blowers goes into effect on January 1st, 2022. Until September 30th, 2022, DC is offering rebates for electric leaf blowers purchased: $75 for commercial-sized blowers and $50 for residential ones. However, my hope is that after reading this article you will choose […]
Opinion: Let’s call for a DC ban on chemicals in lawns and landscaping
by Kathy Sykes “Mommy, what does this sign say?” asked a 3-year-old child who was sitting on our lawn, taking a break from gardening with me in the treebox on Appleton Street. Her mother immediately picked her up, whisking her away from the hazardous grass as she read the sign: “Caution, pesticide application. Keep off.” […]
Opinion: UDC will need help from community partners to meet its ambitious goals for its next decade
by Marlene Berlin ANC 3F has an opportunity in the coming weeks to craft a more robust partnership with the University of the District of Columbia, one that will benefit both the university and the surrounding community in the decade to come – and beyond. Every ten years, universities in the District must submit a […]
Opinion: UDC must reinstate public access to the public tennis courts
by John Young On November 17th, ANC 3F will have an opportunity to support a resolution to restore public access to the five tennis courts located at UDC. Over 15 years ago, UDC unilaterally and abruptly terminated public access to these five courts. The resolution is a positive and necessary step in returning a public […]
School updates: Reopening concerns; Teacher attrition, Submit ideas for Wilson High’s new name
Ruth Wattenberg represents Ward 3 on the DC State Board of Education. This is adapted from her October 16th newsletter. Subscribe by contacting her at ruth4schools@yahoo.com. Contents Calendar events SBOE monthly meeting Council hearing on school staff attrition Renaming Wilson News Reopening plans and problems Pressure on principals Getting data on teacher attrition Calendar Events […]
Opinion: Other states provide income tax relief for retired civil servants and other retirees. Why doesn’t the District?
by Barbara B. Cline My husband Robert and I are both financial professionals. I am a licensed certified public accountant and former nonprofit executive. Robert is a former banking and insurance regulator with 40 years of federal service. In 2015, while preparing our DC tax return, Robert noticed a change. The DC Council had revised […]
Opinion: DC can do better for renters than current rent control bills would allow
by Carren Kaston The Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee of the DC Council is holding a series of roundtables and hearings on various aspects of rent control through the rest of September and October. However, it seems to be taking up the subject of rent control and rent control reform piecemeal, rather than from a […]
UDC President Mason responds to Aug. 12 op-ed “UDC is focused on the wrong students”
On August 12th, Forest Hill Connection published the op-ed, “UDC is focused on the wrong students.” UDC President Ronald Mason, Jr. wrote this response: UDC is the state higher education system for the District of Columbia. It serves the same role for the District as the Maryland system does for Maryland. We are responsible for […]
Opinion: UDC is focused on the wrong students
by Marlene Berlin (UDC President Ronald Mason responds here.) In 2010, when the University of the District of Columbia was mapping out its Campus Master Plan for the coming decade, increasing student enrollment was one of its four goals. At the time, around 5,800 students were enrolled in its degree programs. UDC initially set 10,000 […]