neighborhood news
Photo: Tim Ervin
New Hospital Bill Approved
The Council of the District of Columbia unanimously approved the New Hospital at St. Elizabeths Amendment Act of 2020. The bill and its accompanying agreements approve a partnership with Universal Health Services to establish a new GW Health Hospital and ambulatory pavilion at St. Elizabeths East Campus. The new hospital will be integrated with the existing George Washington University Hospital with physicians, medical students, and research provided by the George Washington Medical Faculty Associates and George Washington University School of Medicine.
I-295 Southbound Exit Closed Permanently
DDOT has permanently closed I-295 southbound Exit 4B to Howard Rd. SE. The removal of the existing Howard Road, SE exit and the creation of a new access point (Exit 4) will provide access to northbound/inbound South Capitol Street SE, Howard Road SE, Anacostia Metrorail Park and Ride Garage, Anacostia Metrorail Station, and Firth Sterling Avenue SE. This closure is a result of the reconstruction of the I-295/ Suitland Parkway interchange, and necessary for construction activities associated with the South Capitol Street Corridor Project which includes construction of the New Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. goDCgo.com.
DHCD Headquarters to Stay in Anacostia
Mayor Bowser has announced that the Department of Housing and Community Development will enter into a new lease in historic Anacostia keeping its headquarters in an east of the river location just steps away from its current location on Martin Luther King Jr Ave. SE. dhcd.dc.gov.
Nationals Announce 2021 Schedule
The 17th season of Nationals baseball will begin with an Opening Day matchup against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 1. Washington’s initial homestand will feature three games against the Mets before welcoming the Atlanta Braves, April 5 to 7. Washington will host 13 homestands--with two of at least nine games--and 14 weekend se20
EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM
ries during the 2021 season. mlb. com/nationals.
Modified Transportation Operations Around Nats Park
New Kenilworth Park Photo Contest Begins
The Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is hosting a series of photo contests highlighting the beauty to be captured at the park. Each month, they will feature a different category, so return often to take, and enter, your photos. And the best part? You choose the winners by voting on social media. Contest rules will be available soon on fokag.org. Categories and deadlines are: Lotus (deadline passed); Abstracts, Aug. 22; Plants & Flowers, Sept. 22; Landscapes, Oct. 22; and Wildlife, Nov. 22. Winners receive bragging rights and their photo at the top of the Friends Facebook and Twitter pages for one month. They are also working to provide winners with unique access to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to take photos and meet the other winning photographers. Questions? Contact Megan at megan@fokag.org or 202-695-0374.
DDOT has announced modified transportation operations plan for the Stadium Event Zone around Nationals Park for the duration of the 2020 baseball season. MLB will play games without fans in stadiums, resulting in dramatic reductions in normal crowd sizes and traffic around Nationals Park. Accordingly, the District is implementing a scaled-down game-day stadium operations plan for 2020. (1) No game-day ForHire Vehicle Pick-Up/Drop-Off Zones. (2) No game-day taxi stand on M Street, SE. (3) No game-day street closures. Resident placards are not required. (4) Game-day parking restrictions will be limited to N Street, First Street, (south of M Street), Potomac Avenue, and M Street, from South Capitol Street, SE to Fifth Street, SE. (5) Parking will be prohibited on the north side of Potomac Avenue, SE 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the 2020 season. (6) Restrictions will be in place one hour before scheduled game start times and one hour after the game ends. (7) Parking regulations in the Stadium Zone will be enforced.
Bowser Extends Public Health Emergency
Mayor Bowser has issued Mayor’s Order 2020-080 to clarify and extend requirements related to wearing masks indoors and outdoors in Washington, DC. Additionally, the Mayor issued Mayor’s Order 2020-079 to extend the state of emergency and public health emergency for DC through October 9. Under the Mayor’s Order, people must wear a mask when they leave their homes if they are likely to come into contact with another person for more than a fleeting moment. Exceptions include: children under the age of
three; a person who is in an enclosed office that no one else is allowed to enter; a person who is actively eating or drinking; and a person who is engaged in vigorous outdoor exercise and is maintaining social distance of at least six feet from other people. The full Mayor’s Order on masks can be found at coronavirus.dc.gov/maskorder.
DC FACES Working Group Formed
Mayor Bowser has announced the creation of the District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions Working Group (DC FACES) to evaluate named public spaces in Washington, DC and provide recommended actions, including removing, renaming, and/or contextualizing the building, public space, or monument. The internal government working group will review the legacy of namesakes of District assets to determine if the individual, in an individual capacity or as part of a group, participated in the oppression of African Americans and/or other communities of color, or contributed to the nation’s history of systemic racism and other biases. mayor.dc.gov/dcfaces.
ESL Conversation Circles
Are you a non-native speaker of English who would like to practice your English language skills or build vocabulary? If yes, join the DC Public Library on Mondays and Wednes-
