East of the River Magazine – May 2020 by Capital Community News

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E ast of thE R ivER M agazinE M AY 2020 NEXT ISSUE: JUnE 6 Due to the COVID-19 virus, What’s On Washington, Community Calendar, Kids and Family Notebook will not be running this month.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 06

Expanding Health Care Access in Wards 7 and 8: Two New Hospitals to Be Built by Elizabeth O’Gorek

Changes to Primary Voting Due to COVID-19: All Voters Encouraged to Request Mail-In Ballots by Elizabeth O’Gorek

IN EVERY ISSUE

We Must Accept a COVID Vaccine: An Open Letter to Ward 8 by Philip Pannell

What Would it Take to Reopen the District? With Benchmarks Identiﬁed, An Expert Looks at Data and Testing

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EAST WASHINGTON LIFE 32

The Numbers: Reconsider the Federal “Safety Net” by Doni Crawford and Eliana Golding

Our River: The Anacostia – 10 Ways To Help Our River While Stuck At Home by Bill Matuszeski

Bulletin Board

by Kathleen Donner

Capital Community News, Inc. Publisher of: Capital Community News, Inc. 224 7th Street, SE, Suite 300. Washington, DC 20003 202.543.8300 www.capitalcommunitynews.com www.hillrag.com

Turning Out EMT’s: Eastern High’s Emergency Medicine Services Program by Regina McClure Cleaning – Naturally! by Catherine Plume

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

The Crossword The Classiﬁeds

Buy a Print to Support DCCK: Artist Christine Vineyard Sells Portraits of Iconic Businesses to Raise Funds by Elizabeth O’Gorek

HOMES & GARDENS 37

Changing Hands compiled by Don Denton

ON THE COVER:

“Shrimp Boat Plaza” by Christine Vineyard. www.lidflutters.com / @lidflutters. See more about Christine and her project to paint portraits of iconic DC businesses to raise funds for the DC Central Kitchen on pg. 36

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neighborhood news

We Must Accept a COVID Vaccine An Open Letter to Ward 8

hen I was 20 years old, I spent two weeks in isolation in Bronx Lebanon Hospital with a life-threatening case of hepatitis. I vividly and poignantly recall my tearful mother at my bedside reading to me the passage from the Gospel of John where Jesus speaks to his apostle Philip. Twen-

by Philip Pannell

ty years later a hepatitis vaccine was developed. I pray that science will rapidly develop a vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is disproportionately affecting and killing African Americans in our country. And if it is proven safe, I hope people will take it. A few weeks ago, I contacted some friends in the scientific community to ask where I could apCommunity Activist Philip Pannell

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ply to be involved in the testing of the vaccine. My friends politely told me that given my age and health situation I would not be a desirable candidate for experimentation. The reluctance of some African Americans to embrace vaccines is understandable given what some of our ancestors endured in the name of scientific advancement. But we should be mindful that the medical and ethical obscenity of the infamous “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male” was that it was conducted without informed consent. The subjects were hoodwinked into thinking they were receiving free medical care from the federal government and those with the disease received no treatment. In 1932 the men were told that the study of “bad blood” would last six months but it was conducted for 40 years. The heinous inhumanity of the experiment was most tragically demonstrated by the fact that even when penicillin was proven to be a cure for syphilis, the men received no medicine. In 1994 the victims of that experiment and their immediate families received monetary repara-

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tions from the federal government and a pledge for lifelong medical treatment. In 1997, President Bill Clinton on behalf of the federal government, formally apologized to the victims of the experiment and their families. Let us be clear that the Tuskegee experiment was done with the conscious collaboration of the Tuskegee Institute, a historically Black college. Thus, this was another disgraceful example of some Black people not being the keepers of their brothers and sisters. But that American story starts with some African slave traders booking travel on the Middle Passage for their own people to the current Black-on-Black carnage we witness today in the bloodstained streets of our cities. Although I believe in some holistic health regimens, I also have some trust in western medicine. Of course, rigorous skepticism is part of the scientific method and it should always be employed. However, it is exceedingly dangerous when skepticism in our community becomes so intransigent and intellectually slipshod that some of our leaders and activists encourage people not to do the things that can save their lives and that of their neighbors. This type of ill-informed advocacy is a contributing factor to why most African Americans do not donate blood or are organ donors. Our beloved Marion Barry’s life was extended because an African American woman donated her kidney. The success of organ transplantation is due to years of surgical experimentation and pharmacological advancements. In the 1980’s when I was on the staff of the Howard University College of Medicine Center for Sickle Cell Disease I contributed some blood to the National Institutes of Health. My late mother had sickle cell disease, I have the trait and was glad that I could contribute to finding new treatments and hopefully a cure for an illness that affects a substantial number of African Americans. I am an organ donor and 30 years ago I willed my body to the Howard University College of Medicine for research purposes. However, in case my remains are rejected by Howard University, my will lists the Mortuary Science Program

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of the University of the District of Columbia as my second option. I want to help my people in death as much as I have tried to help the community in life. (To be honest, my body will probably receive more attention in death that it ever did in life.) In the 1980’s with the advent of the HIV/AIDS pandemic it was clear that our nation had to marshal its resources to save lives. In the beginning, an AIDS diagnosis was an immediate death sentence, but due to scientific experimentation and innovative drugs people with that disease are able to live longer and meaningfully. Some people with the disease came forth and volunteered for clinical trials to develop new drugs. Of course, there were conspiracy theorists who said that AIDS was manufactured in a laboratory and urged people not to take the new drugs. I am grateful that those negative demagogues did not prevail and I am still enjoying the friendship of some of those who have been living with AIDS for over 30 years because they take their medicine. As soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is developed and proven safe, please sign me up. I want to be among the first in line because I firmly believe that masks as a fashion accessory for the general public should only be for Halloween and masquerade galas. Philip Pannell is the Director of Community Affairs of ADA, Inc. and the Executive Director of the non-profit Anacostia Coordinating Council. He is a longtime community activist in the District of Columbia in general and east of the Anacostia River in particular. He has received over 100 awards during his nearly four decades of work in DC. In 2011 he received the U.S. President’s Call to Service Award and in 2012 received the D.C. Federation of Civic Associations’ award for the Outstanding President of a Member Association and the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum’s Community Service Award. He has served as the president of the Congress Heights Community Association and the Anacostia/Bellevue/ Congress Heights AARP Chapter #4870. u

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neighborhood news

Expanding Health Care Access in Wards 7 and 8 Two New Hospitals To Be Built

by Elizabeth O’Gorek

s COVID-19 infection and death rates indiSpring 2022 respectively. Universal Health Services is foothospital is completed. In addition, the District is comcate that people in wards 7 and 8 are most ing the $22 million bill for the urgent care centers. mitting $25 million in public infrastructure support and vulnerable, an expansion of healthcare acThe deals come as the District faces a budget shortfall $26.6 million over the next six years. cess to these perpetually underserved areas due to Coronavirus closures. DC Council must approve Negotiations on the agreements took more than a of the District is now underway. the contract, and a vote is expected in June. year, said City Administrator Rashid Young. ”The mayThe District announced an expansion of testing for Construction at St. Elizabeth’s hospital is expected to or’s mandate to us is that we ought to be out of the hosCOVID-19 and that two new hospitals will be built, one cost $306 million. The new facility will include 136 inpapital business,” said Young, “and so it was a really diffion the St. Elizabeth’s Campus in Ward 8 and another on tient beds with the possibility of expanding to 196, Intencult set of discussions to figure out how we could both Georgia Avenue NW in Ward 1. sive Care Unit (ICU), surgery and operating rooms, newfinance a hospital and have a hospital operated by someMayor Muriel Bowser (D) presented the new hospital born delivery and emergency departments for adults and one other than us.” at St. Elizabeth’s as part of the effort towards a more equichildren. It will function as a teaching and research hostable health system. There is an opportunity presented by pital in partnership with the George Washington School Disparities in Health the COVID-19 recovery process to rebuild and address of Medicine and Medical Faculty Associates. The Howard University Hospital will house a Level I issues that have long been a part of the District. The Howard University Hospital will benefit from a Trauma Center, with a Level III Trauma Center at St. Eliz“We have a once in a generation opportunity to reopen $225 million tax abatement. Howard University and its abeth’s. These categories refer to the kinds of resources our city in a way that builds a more equitable DC,” Bowser new operating partner Adventist Healthcare will build the available on-site and the number of patients admitted ansaid, “and we should not let this opportunity pass us by.” new, $450 million, 225-bed, Level I trauma and academnually. A Level I trauma center should provide the highNew Hospitals, Health Services in Wards 7 and 8 ic teaching hospital, with plans to complete by 2026. The est level of care for trauma patients. A Level III center Bowser said these new agreements will help build a current Howard Hospital will remain open until the new does not have the full availhealth care system to address ability of specialists on site the needs of all residents, atbut has resources for emertack disparities, and make the gency treatment of most trauDistrict more resilient for fuma patients, as well as transture challenges. fer agreements with Level I The hospital slated for and II trauma centers. Barbathe St. Elizabeth East camra L. Bass, CEO of the GW pus in Ward 8 will be operMedical Faculty Associates, ated in partnership between said that GW anticipated that George Washington Univerthere would be surgical covsity and the District governerage at St. Elizabeth’s 24-7 ment and is expected to open once the facility opens. in 2024. A new Howard UniHoward University Presversity Hospital will be built ident Dr. Wayne Frederick, on Georgia Avenue NW in who is also a surgeon at the Ward 1. school’s hospital, said that the The packages also include new Howard University Hosa $69 million health services pital would help close health complex at St. Elizabeth’s, disparities in the District. funded by the District and ex“When you look at the numpected to open in Fall, 2023 as ber of black physicians in this well as two urgent care centers county, Howard University in Ward 7 and Ward 8, slatHoward University President and surgeon Wayne A.I. Frederick speaks at the April 30th press conference announcing plans for has produced more than anyed to open in Fall 2021 and two new District hospitals. Screenshot: DC Granicus one else,” Frederick said, say10

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ing that the hospital would increase cultural competency in District health care. The pandemic has laid bare the racial disparities in health and healthcare access for black residents of the District. As of May 2, out of the 251 District residents who lost their lives to COVID-19, 198 or 79 percent were black. People identifying as black also account for 47 percent of the 5,016 positive test results. Asked at an April 30th press conference why the residents on the east end of the city ‘do not deserve’ a Level I Trauma center, City Administrator Rashid Young said that he did not think that being deserving was the issue. Young noted that the District was unusual as it has three Level I Trauma Centers in one jurisdiction. “What we’re trying to do, and what I think is very important to emphasize here, is that we’re creating a system of care for the residents of the District of Columbia,” Young said. “You don’t need to have a Level I trauma center in every neighborhood of the District to provide that level of care to the residents.” Rashid said that what plagues African American communities at a disproportionate level are chronic conditions that should be managed with education, intervention and continuity of care, like hypertension, diabetes and cancer. The District is focused on these issues, he said. Young said that the new hospital would be able to support emergencies on-site with both an adult pediatric emergency center at the facility. If a complex procedure is necessary, patients will be stabilized at this hospital and appropriate resources sought. “So, this really is about creating this system and access and equity, and this initiative does that.”

Testing Expanded

The District has also moved to expand access to testing. On April 28, essential workers with known exposure to COVID-19, including government employees and grocery store workers, were added to the list of those who can be tested. Asymptomatic health care workers, first responders and at-risk individuals with a history of exposure had been included a week prior, and those experiencing symptoms already qualified. E ast

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Residents can call the DC Testing Triage Call Center (855-363-0333) to schedule an appointment, which is required. The Ward 8 testing site is located at Unity Medical Center (1310 Southern Ave. SE). Testing is available open Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Despite outlining some testing supply issues, both Bowser and Nesbitt said that the public sites had the capacity to test 300 people daily. That capacity has yet to be fully utilized. “It’s critically important that if you want to be tested, that you know that we have the capacity to test you,” Nesbitt said. Howard University is also working to improve testing in communities east of the river, now offering Coronavirus testing at their Benning Road Clinic (4414 Benning Road NE). Testing will be given to both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients and does not require a doctor’s note or prescription. Howard University Vice President of Clinical Affairs Dr. Hugh E. Mighty said that the goal is to remove obstacles so that more people in the hardest-hit communities can be tested. “Many of our patients travel great distances to come to Howard University Hospital, which makes it challenging to seek medical attention at the first sign of illness,” Mighty said. “Our goal is to meet the community where they live so their access to care greatly improves and hopefully, we can reduce the spread of the coronavirus significantly.” Beginning on Tuesday, May 5, Howard University Faculty Practice Plan will host testing at the new Benning Road Center Free testing will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursday until August. Residents can sign up for an appointment by calling 202-865-2119, option 3. The team will see patients who are showing symptoms or who believe they are asymptomatic. Patients will not need a prescription or a doctor’s referral. Learn more about COVID-19 testing criteria and locations by visiting coronavirus.dc.gov/testing. Read more about the deal on two new hospitals at https:// dhcf.dc.gov/page/new-hospital-st-elizabeths-east u

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Changes to Primary Voting Due to COVID-19 All Voters Encouraged to Request Mail-In Ballots by Elizabeth O’Gorek

ike everything else in the District, the 2020 elections will be affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. The District of Columbia Board of Elections (DCBOE) is encouraging all residents to request a mail-in ballot and vote by mail in the June 2 Primary Elections. Every eligible voter can request a vote by mail. This is especially important because DCBOE will not operate anywhere near the usual number of precincts, or voting places, on election day. For the 2020 June primary election, the usual 144 precincts will remain closed. Instead, DCBOE will operate the 15 Early Vote Centers and five additional, larger vote centers. These 20 voting places will be open from May 22 until primary election day June 2. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. On election day polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting centers will be closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, strict social distancing measures will be in place during line-up, registration or check-in and during actual voting at voter centers. Masks will be required to vote. DCBOE will also implement cleaning protocols on site. Same-day registration will still be available at these voting locations with a valid proof of residence, but DCBOE says these locations should be reserved for those unable to request a mail-in ballot. “These locations, while increasing in number, will adhere to CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 and they should be reserved for those unable to request a mail-in ballot. It’s imperative that we protect our fellow citizens as well as the thousands of DCBOE volunteers and all of our employees,” said DCBOE spokesperson LaDawne White. The Board encourages ALL residents to request a mail-in ballot for the June Primary. Voters can request mail-in ballots: • online at https://www.vote4dc.com/ApplyInstructions/Absentee • via the DCBOE mobile app vote4dc • by calling the DCBOE at 202-727-2525 or 202-7415283, or by calling TTY at 711 • by fax at 202-347-2648 • or by mailing or dropping off in person a ballot request form to: DC Board of Elections, 1015 Half Street SE, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20003. 14

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Forms are available online at https://dcboe.org/Data-Resources-Forms/Forms-and-Resources/AbsenteeBallotRequestForm.aspx DCBOE also mailed request forms to all registered voters in March and will send two forms and a postage-paid envelope in each Voter Guide by May 8. The guide is also available at dcboe.org/Elections/2020-Elections. The last day to request a mail-in ballot for the 2020 June Primary elections is May 26. Mail-in requests must be postmarked by that day, and DCBOE must receive the completed ballot from voters no later than June 9, 2020. You can track your mail-in ballot online at https://dcboe.org/Voters/Absentee-Voting/Track-Absentee-Ballot

Primary Candidates for Ward 7 and Ward 8 Council Seats

The council seats for both Ward 7 and Ward 8 are on the primary election ballot this June. Five candidates are challenging the incumbent Ward 7 councilmember in the race for the Democratic nomination. In Ward 8, there are four candidates, including the current councilmember, seeking the Democratic nomination. There is also a sole candidate for the Republican nomination in Ward 8. The winners of the primary nomination for each party will appear on the ballot in November, but many consider the June Primary Elections the true race-to-watch in the District. Here are thumbnail sketches of the candidates currently registered to appear on the ballot in June: Candidates are listed alphabetically by party, with incumbents appearing at the end of the list.

WARD 7 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Kelvin Brown has lived in the Hillcrest community for nearly a decade. He grew up in a poor, working-class Alabama family where he said he realized early on that education was the pathway out of poverty. He has degrees in criminal law and business administration from Alabama State, where he received a presidential scholarship. Brown served nearly 10 years and was deployed on three different missions as a Sergeant in the United States Army. He received the US Army Achievement Medal and

the National Defense Service Medal. He currently manages an affordable housing portfolio for federal affordable housing financing enterprise Fannie Mae. kelvinebrown.com Twitter: @votekelvinbrown Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kel.Brown02 Instagram: @votekelvinbrown Email: kelvinbrown4dc@gmail.com Anthony Lorenzo Green is a third generation Washingtonian, born and raised in Ward 7 by his grandmother in the Deanwood community. A product of DC Public Schools, he attended Merritt Elementary Extended School and H.D. Woodson Senior High School in Northeast, D.C. He currently serves as Commissioner for Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7C04. Green served as an Unemployment Compensation Adjudicator for the D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES) where he conducted fact-finding investigations to render determinations associated with benefit claims. He also served on the agency’s Integrity Taskforce from 2014 to 2016, a cross-function committee that crafted ideas and solutions to reduce the improper payment rate for unemployment benefits, and expanded access to information for clients. Green received the 2018 Jerry N. Clark “Civic Superhero” Award for being a justice reformer by DC for Democracy, and 2014 “Men of Valor” Award by Angels of Hope Ministries for his contribution to the lives of Southeast families. greenward7.com Twitter: @GreenForWard7 Facebook/Instagram: @GreenforWard7 Email: info@greenward7.com James Leroy Jennings was born in South Carolina but has lived in DC for over 30 years. For the last fourteen years, he has made his home in the Deanwood Neighborhood. A former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, Jennings is also a veteran of the Armed Forces, a retired Metropolitan Police Reserve Officer and a former DC Protective Services Police Sergeant with the DC Department of Mental Health. Before the Coronavirus hit, Jennings was a volunteer barber at nursing homes, giving free haircuts and shaves to res-

Ward 8 Leadership

idents. Jennings has sworn in campaign fliers that he will donate 75 percent of his pay. Twitter: @Vote4Jennings Email: Jenningsfor2020@gmail.com Rebecca J. Morris was born in Washington, DC. After spending part of her childhood in Reston, Virginia she returned home to the District during her teenage years, graduating from the now-shuttered Washington, Mathematics, Science and Technology Public Charter High and then from University of District of the Columbia. Morris is a Ward 7 business owner in the hospitality field and considers herself a voice representing the average workingclass citizen living in Ward 7. “We often have people who represent our voice and struggles who have never even been in our shoes,” Morris said of her decision to run. “We have many politicians who run for office in our area and use us as a career boost. They win and we are left in the same position in which we began.” rebeccamorrisward7.com Facebook: @RebeccaMorris2020 Instagram: @voterebeccaWard7 Email: rebeccamorrisward7@gmail.com

Vote 4 Yaida Ford! June 2, 2020 Primary Election

Ward 8 needs a STRONG ADVOCATE! I will fight for: · A full service hospital. · Responsible and accountable economic development. · Affordable housing solutions to stop the displacement of residents.

· Good paying jobs and apprentice programs to help build stable families and neighborhoods. · Equitable allocation of funding and staffing for Ward 8 schools.

www.yaidaford.com Paid For By Elect Yaida Ford, 224 Malcolm X Avenue, SE, WDC 20032 Wilson Reynolds, Treasurer. A copy of our report is filed with the Director of the Office of Campaign Finance.

Veda Rasheed was born and raised in the River Terrace neighborhood. She graduated from Eastern High School and has a BA from Bowie State University and a law degree from The Catholic University of America. A mother of two, she is an attorney and an activist who has served as Chair of the Ward 7 Young Democrats and as Ward 7 Parent Leader for the My School DC Advisory Council. She worked on community engagement for the DC Office of the Attorney General under Karl Racine and was appointed to the Mayor’s Commission on African American Affairs from 2017-2019. She currently serves as commissioner for Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7E01. vedarasheed.com Twitter: @VedaRasheed Facebook: VedaforWard7 Instagram: @Vote4Veda Email: hello@vedarasheed.com Incumbent Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray was elected to represent the residents of Ward 7 in 2004 and again in 2016. He served as Chairman of the DC Council E ast

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from 2007 to 2011 and as Mayor of the District of Columbia from 2011 to 2015. Gray graduated from Dunbar High School and George Washington University. Prior to entering politics, Gray worked on behalf of District residents in the non-profit sector and in government. As Councilmember, Gray has prioritized issues including healthcare, early childhood education and economic development, including bringing much-needed grocery stores to Ward 7. He has advocated for increased access to healthcare, including the establishment of a new hospital and the development of a comprehensive, modern healthcare system to service residents on the east end of the District. Gray is committed to ensuring that the people of Ward 7 as well as District residents with the greatest needs are not left out when the city rebuilds from the Coronavirus crisis. In addition to representing the residents of Ward 7, Gray currently serves as Chair of the Council Committee on Health. vincegray2020.com Facebook/Instagram: @VinceGray2020 Email: vincegray2020@gmail.com As of May 1, there were no candidates for the Ward 7 Council seat registered in the Republican Primary.

WARD 8 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Nate Derenge moved to Ward 8 five years ago and quickly grew fond of the people, parks, and places in Southeast. He knows he is a relative newcomer to the area but hopes his perspective can introduce some new ideas that will be helpful for continued improvements in quality of life in Ward 8. Derenge believes that policies generated by DC Council should encourage legal employment and discourage povertyfriendly services, such as the DC Lottery. He wants to focus on providing kids with District attention that does not come from the judicial system. He also believes licensure requirements are prohibitive for some trades, an issue that especially affects those returning to society from prison. nateward8.com Twitter: @NateWard_8

WARD 8 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Stuart Anderson is a native Washingto-

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Capitol SC is applying for a Certificate of Need to establish an outpatient health care facility. A Letter of Intent has been filed with the District of Columbia State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA). The facility will be located at 2021 K St NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20006. For more information regarding the opening of this facility, contact the SHPDA at 202-442-5875. For exceptional sinus and allergy care, contact 202-888-8365 to schedule an appointment.

nian, the founding director of Family & Friends of Incarcerated People and the Ward 8 representative on the DC Democratic State Committee. He currently works as the family engagement and support specialist for Social Emotional and Academic success for Children And Parents (SEACAP). Formerly the Community Engagement Specialist for the Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC), Anderson holds degrees in Business Management, Legal Assistance and Urban Studies from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). Anderson is a returning citizen who has four daughters and four grandchildren. He was awarded the Port in The Storm Activist Award by the Washington Peace Center in 2013. stuart4ward8.com Twitter: @stuart4DC Facebook: @sanderson4ward8 Instagram: @stuart4ward8 Email: Sanderson.socmedia@gmail.com Michael (Mike) Austin is a fourth-generation Washingtonian, attorney and community servant who grew up in the Bellevue neighborhood of Ward 8. The eldest of four children, Austin graduated from Suitland High School, and holds degrees from the Xavier University of Louisiana and a law degree from Charlotte University in North Carolina. He has served as Legislative Director for former Ward 8 Councilmember LaRuby May and for the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity. He was also Vice President of the United Medical Center (UMC) and is currently the Chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8C, serving the Congress Heights community, where he makes his home. mikeaustin8.com Twitter: @Mike8Austin Facebook: mike8austin8 Instagram: @mike8austin Email: info.mikeaustin8@gmail.com Yaida Ford is currently the managing principal at Ford Law Pros, which handles legal cases in the fields of civil rights, consumer protection, community associations and employment law, among others. Ford has worked with the DC Council Committee for Human Services on issues relating to social services, youth affairs,

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homelessness, and disability services; as well as with the Fair Budget Coalition as a steering committee member representing residents residing east of the river. Ford worked at the Legal Aid Society’s first offices in Anacostia and at The ARC addressing the systematic issues facing clients in Ward 7 and 8. Ford served on the Board of Directors of Ward 8 nonprofit Youth Now! and created a professional development program for teenage mothers in Ward 8. yaidaford.com Facebook: @yaidaford4ward8 Instagram: @yaidaford4ward8 Email: dcward8@yaidaford.com Incumbent Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. was born and raised in Southeast DC, graduating from Ballou High School before completing a business degree at the University of Maryland. In 2008, White founded and served as Executive Director of non-profit Helping Inner City Kids Succeed (HICKS), which creates activities for youth development in some of Washington’s toughest neighborhoods. He received the President Barack Obama Volunteer Service Award in 2010. In 2011, with the support of former Mayor and then Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry, White was elected as Ward 8 Representative on the State Board of Education to complete the term of the late William Lockridge, winning re-election in 2012. White entered the race for Barry’s seat on council in 2015. He lost by less than 80 votes but won in 2016. White has continued his social activism throughout his council term, leading a protest to demand local hiring at a Southeast development. He is the Chair of the Council Committee on Recreation and Youth Affairs. www.trayonwhite8.com Instagram: @trayonwhite Facebook: facebook.com/trayon.white Twitter: @trayonwhite Email: trayonwhite2020@gmail.com u

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What Would it Take to Reopen the District?

With Benchmarks Identified, An Expert Looks at Data and Testing by Elizabeth O’Gorek

e’ve all heard the stories, and some of us are living them. People have lost their jobs, local businesses are worried about paying staff and staying solvent. Restaurants are closing, some temporarily and some for good. People are sick, and people have died. As the COVID-19 crisis continues in the District, the question everyone is asking is: when do we turn a corner? And, who will be at the rudder? Scientists are already trying to map a pathway out of the pandemic. On April 17, experts at Johns Hopkins University released guidance for governors on a phased reopening, which Mayor Muriel Bowser said would guide decisions on the reopening of the District. Most experts agree that the return to something approaching what was once called ‘normal’ will be a slow, phased process.

Slow Phases to Reopening

Right now, the District and most of the nation are in the first phase described in the John Hopkins report, where we try to slow the spread of the disease by staying away from one another, shutting down non-essential businesses and limiting gatherings. District officials say that while there were fewer confirmed cases than expected in late April, with hospitals running at about 75 percent capacity as of April 20, they are still planning for cases to peak in late June. Most experts agree that the District cannot reach the third phase, when restrictions are completely lifted, until there is a coronavirus vaccine. In ear20

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ly March, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci said even under these urgent conditions a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months to develop. In between, there is the second and most uncertain phase, a gradual reopening on the local level. It is an uncertain phase because it is not clear what metrics or data will be used to determine when each jurisdiction is ready to reopen. It is also uncertain because even a gradual lifting of protective measures is likely to eventually trigger a new rise in cases, forcing leaders to reimpose strict measures. Finally, there is question of what will be allowed to reopen and who will be permitted –or compelled—to step outside the restrictions first. If COVID-19 was taking place outside of social and economic concerns, it may be desirable for social restrictions to remain in place until a vaccine was approved. However, even the DirectorGeneral of the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges the real-life conditions that make this impossible. During an April 13th press conference, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus discussed the huge number of people who have lost their jobs and the closure of schools disrupting education for years to come. “This has halted their education, opened some to increased risk of abuse and deprived many children of their primary source of food,” he said.

What to Reopen, and When?

Healthcare Systems Engineer Julie Swann agrees. The A. Doug Allison Distinguished Professor of the Fitts Depart-

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ment of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Universiworkers. A Harvard University report recommends popprovide appropriate care for everyone who needs it. Folty of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Swann was an advisor ulations be able to test between two and six percent of lowing the John Hopkins report, Nesbitt also emphaat the Center for Disease Control and Prevention durtheir population per day before lifting stay-at-home orsized a need to test all those with COVID-19 symptoms, ing the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. She said that the lessenders. Based on District population data for 2019, that is close contacts and those in essential roles, and the abiling of restrictions is primarily about the financial and sobetween 14,115 and 42,345 people. Bowser said that as ity to do contact tracing for all new cases. cial implications. of April 23, DC facilities could run just under 3,700 tests “The disease has had just catastrophic financial imeach day, with testing at the public health lab expected to Challenges to Reopening pact on households and the economy,” she said, “with double to 1,000-1,300 per day over the next few weeks. Bowser has announced that the District is now in the estimates of the resulting unemployment rate as high as With an insufficient number of tests available, testprocess of hiring contract tracers, building the team from 30 percent. Is the federal government going to pay for ing is reserved for at-risk cases, meaning that the true 65 to 200 tracers now, with a goal of around 900 by the food for all of these people?” prevalence of COVID-19 is unknown. Nesbitt, echoing time restrictions are loosened in the next phase. Still, In the next phase, many people would go back to Mayor Bowser, said she was still concerned about how there are a few challenges with assessing and maintainwork and school, under more relaxed restrictions, but to get the type and amount of testing that can demonSwann said large social gatherings, such as strate that the community had reached necesmass sporting events, festivals or concerts, will sary benchmarks. probably still be forbidden. What will open first will vary from state to state, and should probably be dictated by loLocal Information, Local Decisions cal conditions, Swann said. “Maybe we’ll foAnother problem is that while DC will make its cus on businesses where there are fewer vulnerown decisions, it does not exist in isolation. Acable people, there are small sizes of gatherings cording to the federal Office of Personnel Manor there are financial or other implications for agement (OPM), in 2017 there were 141,367 society,” she said. Child-care centers, elementafederal employees in DC and 282,666 in the ry schools and small restaurants might reopen, metropolitan area. Whether or not that popueach with sufficient distancing. lation will be expected to head to the office is a Other businesses that involve close contact decision that will be made federally. The govbetween employees and a number of people, ernors of Maryland and Virginia joined Bowser such as hair salons, would have to develop apin writing a letter April 23 requesting that the propriate policies to prevent transmission, she OPM Director continue stay-at-home policies said, opening the possibility of a waiver-system as they combat the pandemic. for reopening such as Bowser recently created The unity of the three leaders speaks to the for farmer’s markets in the District. jurisdictional concern. While the authors of “I think every sector of our society will need the John Hopkins Report argue that decisions to think about what we have in place to reduce should be made at the state level, calling for the infections,” Swann said. strengthening of data and surveillance systems, The initial timing and length of phase two Swann also argues that some decisions should be depends on multiple conditions, she added, made at the county level, and that effort should such as increased levels of testing, conformibe made to improve local data reporting. ty to social distancing and the capacity of the Swann explained that knowing what is haphealth care system, but she said that if the numDr. Julie Swann, Healthcare Systems Engineer and A. Doug Allison Distinguished Propening in Prince George’s County would be ber of COVID-19 in the District peaks in June fessor of the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Swann was an more useful for District decision-makers than as is currently projected, phase two could last advisor at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the 2009 H1N1 knowing what is happening in the whole state for months. pandemic response. Courtesy M. Culbertson/Signal Group of Maryland. Cases and deaths due to Covid-19 Expert consensus so far seems to be that are being tracked at the county level by The the decision to reopen should be made on the New York Times, but the data is built on inadstate level, a point made in the John Hopkins Report equate testing. Swann said while national data on influing many of those standards. The availability of PPE is and an American Enterprise Institute Report on which enza-like illnesses could point to potential infections, it is one, a problem exacerbated by the fact that many manuis it based. On April 16th, the White House presented a poorly reported on the county level. Too poorly, she said, facturers are located in countries already hard-hit by the three-phase plan for reopening to governors, telling them to ensure that local leaders are making good decisions. virus, in addition to the reluctance of the White House that the states would “call the shots.” The professor said she is surprised that DC has to release nationally-held supplies or invoke executive On April 24, Mayor Bowser announced that she is not reported higher levels of infection. The District, powers over industrial production. forming a ‘Reopen DC Advisory Group’ to guide the she said, has all the hallmarks for the spread of disease, A similar challenge is the availability of the coronaviprocess and monitor progress. But both Bowser and DC including a dense urban population, connectivity rus test. While the District has not specifically identified Health Director Laquandra Nesbitt say that before Diswith other communities and a local population with the ability to test all those showing COVID-19 symptrict restrictions can be loosened, they need to see a conhealth vulnerabilities. toms as a benchmark, it is suggested in the John Hopkins sistent downward trend in new cases over a 14-day pe“People may go into and out of the community durreport, which adds testing of close contacts and essential riod. They also want to be sure the medical system can ing the day, but then their reporting is attributed to a dif22

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ferent state. I think DC may be a hidden hotspot,” Swann said.

Pendulum Swinging Between Phases

Most experts indicate that the possibility of a return to the strict conditions we are currently experiencing should be built into plans, a sort of pendulum swinging between looser and tighter restrictions. The AEI report says triggers for a return include the number of cases increasing over a five-day period; cases that cannot be traced to other known cases; or if hospitals cannot safely treat COVID-19 patients without going back to crisis mode. “We’ll need to get to the point where we can also make local decisions with local interventions, and we’re not close to that yet,” Swann said. While the standards by which jurisdictions like the District have been sketched out, there remain many questions without clear answers. One thing many experts agree on is that the road out of the current crisis will be a lengthy and bumpy one, and the ‘normal’ we return to may look quite different from the lives we lived before COVID-19 hit. Bowser has said that the reopening of the District will be a process, but that she is confident in the District’s ability to recover, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to rebuild and address issues that have long been a part of the city. “As we think about reopening, we also see this as an opportunity not just to go back to the way things were before, but to do and be better than before,” she said. “We have a once in a generation opportunity to reopen our city in a way that builds a more equitable DC, and we should not let this opportunity pass us by.” Learn more about the District efforts to fight COVID-19 by visiting coronavirus.dc.gov. Read the John Hopkins ‘Guidance for Governors’ at https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/ pubs-pdfs/2020/200417-reopening-guidance-governors.pdf. u

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The Numbers

Reconsider the Federal “Safety Net” by Doni Crawford and Eliana Golding

he C O VID-19 pandemic is devastating families and businesses in the District. In just six weeks, over 72,000 people have filed for unemployment insurance and many businesses have been forced to close their doors. This economic downturn is unprecedented and different from prior recessions because the government is intentionally shutting down parts of the economy to keep us alive. The result is that the nation has lost more jobs in March than during the entire Great Recession. Federal policymakers have been more willing to quickly work together to enact immediate (yet, inadequate and almost entirely temporary) economic relief because this pandemic affects us all—though not equally. Due to racism, inequitable social determinants of health, and medical bias, Black residents disproportionately make up over 75 percent of virus-related deaths and the majority of positive coronavirus cases in the District. In the wake of this crisis, we have a moral obligation to reexamine the structures by which people in America access essential programs. The devastating fallout of COVID-19 has exposed gaping holes in our social “safety net” that, by design, allows millions to fall through. Perhaps the largest flaw in the “safety net” is that it is considered a “safety net” at all. We have come to believe that the federal government’s role is to intervene only in times of crisis, whether that crisis is personal (like the sudden loss of a job) or widespread (like the nationwide economic shutdown). This choice has led to a dangerously inadequate system that leaves many behind. But it did not have to be this way. Federal officials’ rapid response shows us that government has always had the 24

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tools to protect us from economic hardship. What was made to seem impossible—direct, unqualified cash payments with no arduous application processes, mandatory paid sick leave, higher unemployment benefits, etc.—is now reality. What was lacking was not the ability to create real economic security programs, but the political will. The lesson from this pandemic should be that Congress must thoroughly invest in infrastructure and programs to promote wellbeing and economic vitality in all communities.

disinvestment has had a devastating impact on states and residents as they attempt to grapple with the economic fallout of COVID-19. As states face a looming recession, they are left struggling to pick up the tab, a task made even more daunting because they cannot run deficits like the federal government. States’ revenues are plummeting, so they must look to the federal government for assistance, which to date has been substantial, but remains insufficient. In DC, our unique position as a non-state has made this reality even more challenging. The last approved federal emergency package significantly shortchanges DC by giving us less than half of the fiscal aid it provides to other states to address massive, immediate budget problems due to COVID-19. DC is receiving $495 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund for calendar year 2020, while each of the 50 states is receiving at least $1.25 billion. This is deeply misguided as DC is typically treated as a state in federal programs. Our District—like other states, territories, and tribal nations— is incurring huge new costs as we seek to contain and treat COVID-19. Less federal aid means that DC will have to rely more heavily on our reserves to stay afloat in the near future.

The Burden is on State Governments

Opportunities to Make it Right

The system has failed an enormous share of our workforce and it is by design. For decades, the federal government has abandoned its responsibility to provide for the well-being of its constituents by steadily eroding an already flimsy “safety net” with stringent eligibility criteria and insufficient benefits. Inadequate financial support in the form of block grants has made it nearly impossible to massively expand programs in times of crisis. This

What would this pandemic look like if we had robust social programs that did not just meet the need in times of crisis, but were structured to reduce the number of people who are especially vulnerable to crises? And going forward, what responsibility does the federal government have to alleviate the pressure on states to provide equitable access to these programs without the flawed focus on personal responsibility and productivity?

Protections for Workers

While many cities have passed their own version of a paid sick leave law, the United States remains one of very few countries in the world without universal, mandatory paid sick leave. Before the pandemic hit, four out of five food service workers and three out of four childcare providers did not have access to paid sick leave. The ability to stay home when sick should not be a right reserved for high-earning, salaried workers. The fact that the US waited to be hit by a pandemic to implement temporary federal paid leave demonstrates the devastating shortfalls in federal worker protections. While DC will soon be implementing its own universal paid family and medical leave program, it too has incorporated overly prescriptive rules that will exclude tens of thousands of workers from accessing those benefits.

Unemployment Insurance (UI)

COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented spike in joblessness. While many of those who have lost their jobs are able to apply for traditional unemployment insurance, entire classes of workers, including the millions who work in the gig economy, are excluded from this vital economic relief. Seeing the desperate need for financial relief and the limitations of the current UI program, Congress expanded UI benefits and created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. While these actions will blunt some of COVIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic harm, they are short-term fixes, as many of the protections are temporary and most of the federal UI expansions expire by the end of the year. They also exclude undocumented workers. The traditional unemployment insurance system is outdated and does not reflect the needs of workers in a rapidly evolving economy. It will continue to leave millions without financial recourse if it is left unreformed. Unemployment programs must also address the systemic inequities that have privileged some forms of work over others. This crisis reminds that not everyone can work or is expected to workâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and that wages are too low for many households to be financially secure. Perhaps we should be looking toward an expan-

sion of direct cash payments to people in need without intentionally burdensome work requirements and time limits, as a way to ensure that all residents are able to meet their basic needs, in times of crisis or otherwise.

Housing

As millions are unable to make rent, housing security is a challenge looming in the minds of tenants and lawmakers alike. The CARES Act created a federal moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for covered properties, which some jurisdictions, including DC, have expanded on. However, this moratorium is temporary, and does nothing to assist tenants facing financial hardship and eventual eviction if they are unable to make rent. The federal government has the mechanisms to support low-income residents, including through the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Unfortunately, this program is deeply underfunded, meaning that only one in five households who qualify for a voucher will actually receive one. Federal lawmakers have steadily disinvested in public housing infrastructure for decades, resulting in crumbling housing stock and living conditions that are so hazardous that residents are worried about the safety of quarantining in their units. Millions of people were facing housing insecurity pre-COVID-19 and the pandemic has further exacerbated it. The federal government must reassess its chronic underfunding of housing programs and invest in widespread housing stability. Going forward, temporary emergency fiscal relief is not enough. The federal government must reconsider its decades-long disinvestment in collective wellbeing by implementing structural changes that reduce the number of people who are one paycheck away from economic crisis. Doni Crawford and Eliana Golding are policy analysts at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (www. dcfpi.org). DCFPI promotes budget and policy solutions to address DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic and racial inequities and increase opportunities for residents to build a better future. u E ast

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Our River: The Anacostia

10 Ways To Help Our River While Stuck At Home by Bill Matuszeski

e are living in strange times—tied to our homes to escape the pandemic and not sure how safe it is to go out or how safe it will be anytime soon. But that does not say we cannot do good for our community. In fact, many of us are taking advantage of the early and spectacular spring to get out to our gardens and our yards to do things we have only thought about for years. And it so happens that many of those things can be of great benefit to the Anacostia River if we take a little time to discover how. Here are ten ways that our gardening and related outside activities can help Our River:

1. Plant Trees And Ground Covers To Control Erosion

5. Limit Car Use To Reduce Airborne Pollution Deposition

We do not often think about automobile use as having a negative effect on Our River, but the deposition of airborne pollutants is a major source of toxics to urban rivers like the Anacostia. So we can all do our part by conserving energy and using public transit, biking or walking.

Permeable pavers allows rain to seep into the ground.

Much of the Anacostia suffers from too much sediment entering it from the surrounding lands and sewer lines. One way you can help reduce erosion and sediment runoff is to plant trees and replace lawns and bare soil with groundcovers. Try to avoid invasive and non-native groundcovers like English ivy. Trees develop extensive root systems to hold the soil and moderate temperatures with shade to help other plants.

2. Use Native Plants In Gardens

post pile. The rest should be treated or disposed of safely in the trash. The main thing is to keep them from being washed into the storm sewer system where they can end up in the river and affect water quality.

of the fertilizer and other soil benefits with a compost pile of natural material from your garden.

4. Properly Dispose Of Yard, Hazardous And Pet Wastes

Some of the yard waste can safely be added to your com-

6. Don’t Wash Yard Waste, Chemicals, Oil Or Grease Down The Storm Drains

This is especially important in the areas with separate stormwater and waste-water sewer systems, since the storm sewers empty directly into the river and its tributaries with no treatment. This includes most of Anacostia and the areas west of the river above Benning Road. The rest of the city, including Capitol Hill, downtown and beyond and the commercial area of Anacostia along MLK Avenue, is on the combined system with the new tunnels, but even they can overflow into the river at times. And when they do they bring all the sewage as well.

Native plants help Our River by sending down roots accustomed to our soils and rainfall, thus avoiding the need for additional watering and associated runoff. They also need less in the way of chemical treatments and fertilizers than non-natives. And since they use less water added by hoses from our drinking water system, they avoid putting chemicals added for our health that may not necessarily be good for plants or the river.

7. Don’t Litter Or Dispose Of Trash Into Storm Drains

Some people still think that the way to deal with litter and trash is to sweep it into the storm drain. For a large part of our watershed, that simply means that in a few minutes that cup will be happily floating down the Anacostia and into the Potomac, the Chesapeake and the Atlantic. Even the combined sewers will occasionally add their debris to the river during a storm. Far better to bag it and send it with the trash pick-up.

3. Avoid Chemical Fertilizers, Copper-Containing Fungicides And Synthetic Pesticides On Your Property

There are safer and more nature-friendly alternatives on the market that do just as well and often do not cost more. And you can replace some 26

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8. Install Rain Barrels

Ground cover prevents soil from washing into the sewer system . Photo: Bill Matuszeski

Rain barrels can be readily installed at your downspouts from the roof, serving as a source of free, fresh water without the additives to our drinking water that help humans but not nec-

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essarily plants. It is the best source of water for plants, but it needs to be applied with care to prevent erosion and runoff of sediment.

9. Install Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are another great addition to your property, often also using roof downspouts run out from the house as a source. This can reduce wetness and overflow into basements, as well as provide a place to add a beautiful garden of water-tolerant native plants. And by holding the rainwater onsite, you are reducing the runoff to the Anacostia in a storm.

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10. Install Permeable Pavers

Much of the runoff from your property can come from paved areas where the water cannot be absorbed and simply runs into other areas, often adding to the flow off the property. Many of these areas, including walkways, patios and even driveways can be replaced with permeable pavers, hard materials like bricks that can have spaces between them where the water seeps into the ground and is absorbed on-site. The result is more water for nearby plants and reduced runoff to sewers and the river. Information and partial funding for many of the above improvements is available from the DC Government through a program called Riversmart Homes. It is a joint effort by the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and the non-profit Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. They have various programs that help homeowners understand the options and cover the cost of rain barrels, rain gardens, permeable pavers and other landscape improvements to help Our River. Check out the following: www.allianceforthebay.org/our-work/keyprogram-focuses/reducing-stormwaterrunoff/riversmart-homes/ or: www.doee.dcgov/service/rshapplication/

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Photo: Courtesy of FRESHFARM Markets

Ward 7 Democratic Candidates’ Virtual Economic Vision Debate

FRESHFARM Markets Open for Season

East of the River FRESHFARM markets are at Kenilworth Rec Center, 4321 Ord St. NE, Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (starting June 6); and Minnesota Avenue, 3924 Minnesota Ave. NE, Thursdays, 1 to 4 p.m. (starting June 4). freshfarm.org. In an effort to keep shoppers, vendors, and market managers as safe as possible, FRESHFARM is implementing the following safety protocols at all of their farmers markets. Market managers remind all shoppers to follow these guidelines: Keep your market visit simple and short. Leave your dogs, children, and senior family members at home. Wash your hands. Maintain a distance of at least six feet. No browsing or lingering at market tents. Try to attend the market later in the day. Stay home if you or a family member is sick. Do not eat any purchased food while you are at the market. Wash produce when you get home.

Two New Hospitals to Bring Equity to DC’s Health Care System

Mayor Bowser has announced two agreements to improve health care and address inequalities in health outcomes for District residents. The agreements include the construction of two new, state-of-theart hospitals: a 136-bed hospital at St. Elizabeths East in Ward 8, operated by Universal Health Services in conjunction with George Washington University and George Washington Medical Faculty Associates; and a 225-bed Howard University Hospital on Georgia Avenue NW in Ward 1. With construction funded by the District, the new $306 million hospital at 28

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St. Elizabeths East is expected to open in the fall of 2024 and include 136 inpatient beds, with the ability to expand to 196 beds. The District is also funding the construction of a $69 million health services complex (ambulatory center) at St. Elizabeths that is expected to open in the fall of 2023. Two new urgent care centers in Wards 7 and 8 will open in the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, costing $21 million to be funded by Universal Health Services. This investment will be a part of a $75 million contribution to the project. The full agreement between the parties will be submitted to the Council for approval in June. The current United Medical Center will remain open until the new hospital is completed.

The Ward 7 Democratic Candidates’ Virtual Economic Vision Debate is on Saturday, May 16, starting at 10:30 a.m., via YouTube Live. The debate will be moderated by Saymah Nah, Marshall Heights Civic Association’s Vice-Chair of Economic Development and Fenit Nirappil, a respected local journalist for The Washington Post. Each candidate will sit individually with the moderators for 15 minutes to answer three core questions that they received in advance. The link to watch the debate will be posted on all of MHCA’s social media platforms by Thursday, May 12. Information about how to register to vote, how to request a mail-in-ballot, general community announcements, and a reflection/moment of silence for those impacted by COVID will be delivered by Reverend Andre D. Ivy of the First Baptist Church of Marshall Heights before the debate begins. marshsallheightsdc.org. Marshall Heights Day, originally planned for after the debate, is postponed until fall.

ANC 7D Goes Virtual

ANC 7D May and June meetings are virtual: phone and computer. The commission is on recess in July and August. May’s meeting is May 12, 6:30 p.m. The event’ video address is 470047772@dcnet.webex.com; password is Qgw8TMFTX32. The phone call-in number is 1-650-479-3208 with access code of 470047772. June’s meeting

is June 9, 6:30 p.m. The event’s video address is 477818262@dcnet.webex.com; password is HFmAMF2ch66. Call-in number remains the same with an access code of 477818262. Fall meetings are scheduled for Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. If public meetings are still under quarantine, dial in instructions will be published at least seven days prior to the meeting.

Anacostia Watershed Society Launches Learning from Home

The Anacostia Watershed Society has announced their new Learning from Home portal at anacostiaws.org/what-we-do/ education. With many area schools moving to online classes for the remainder of the year, AWS has put together online resources so K-12 students can keep learning about their local watershed from home. Plus, students have the chance to start a Naturalist Notebook and enter a competition. anacostiaws.org.

Free Groceries

The District has ten school locations that distribute free groceries to residents in need each week at 12:30 to 2 p.m. In Ward Seven, the distribution locations are Kelly Miller Middle School (Tuesdays), 301 49th St. NE; Woodson High School (Wednesdays), 540 55th St. NE; and Kimball Elementary School (Thursdays), 3375 Minnesota Ave. SE. In Ward Eight, the distribution locations are Anacostia High School (Thursdays), 1601 16th St. SE; Ballou High School (Fridays), 3401 Fourth St. SE; and

Stanton Elementary School (Tuesdays), 2701 Naylor Rd. SE. coronavirus.dc.gov.

DC Dream Center Becomes a Community Resource Center

The DC Dream Center, 2826 Q St. SE, has been repurposed and is serving as a Community Resource Center providing over 250 hot meals per day to anyone who is in need of one, and giving out free resources at the Food and Hygiene Pantry, which serves up to 200 people daily. So far, they have served over 7000 meals. They have also become a major food distributor to other food banks, soup kitchens, missions and ministries throughout DC. Items have been donated by the US Senate, World Central Kitchen, Whole Foods, the Salvation Army, Holiday Inn Rosslyn and others. They also distribute daily to senior centers and people experiencing homelessness. They are open daily from noon to 3 p.m. dcdreamcenter.com.

Howard Road SE to Temporarily Close

DDOT has temporarily closed Howard Road, SE between the WMATA Parking Garage Access Drive and South Capitol Street until 5 a.m. on Monday, May 18, weather permitting. A marked detour is in place during the closure. Read more at improving295dc.com.

Monthly Park Volunteer Cleanups Cancelled

Due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, Fort Stanton Park and Shepherd Parkway monthly, Saturday morning cleanups have been cancelled until further notice. For questions, contact Nathan at 301-7585892 or nathan@ward8woods.org. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens’ Saturday morning volunteer events have also been cancelled until further notice. Read more at kenaqgardens.org.

DC Small Business Recovery Microgrants Program Expanded

Mayor Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development have announced more than $8 million in additional support for the DC Small Business Recovery Microgrants Pro-

gram. This program was created by the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 on March 17. The fund was created to provide relief to local small businesses for expenses such as employee wages and benefits, rent, and other operating costs. For more resources and information about the District’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.dc.gov.

Vote Safe DC

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DC Board of Elections has developed the Vote Safe DC campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to ensure that every vote is counted and that everyone, from voters to election workers, is safe. The District of Columbia’s 144 voting precincts, which contain the polling stations where voters cast their ballots, will remain closed on election days in June (June 2 and June 16). Instead, the 15 early voting centers, where early voting typically occurs, will be expanded to 20 to accommodate additional voters. The BOE urges voters to request a mail-in ballot instead of voting in person. If voters do not choose to cast their votes by mail-in ballot, massive lines and delays are expected at the early voting centers. The BOE is developing safety protocols to protect voters and election workers in consultation with the CDC and other leading federal agencies to make early voting centers as safe as possible. However, the safest option for voters to reduce their risk of contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus is to mail in a ballot. Visit dcboe.org/ Request-Your-Ballot-by-Mail.

FREE DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATIONS

FOR AGES 3-5

Do you have questions about your child’s development?

Food It Forward

Help keep DC restaurant jobs and help feed DC families and healthcare workers in need. $13 feeds an individual; $54 feeds a family. Read more and donate a meal at fooditforwarddc.com.

DC Greens Tips to Stay Safe While Shopping

Before you shop: stay home if you are sick; order ahead; make a shopping plan; wash reusable bag before you leave; take a mask, gloves and hand sanitizer; only one person from household shops. While you shop: wipe down your cart or basket; maintain six feet of distance; do not touch food at farm-

202-698-8037 www.earlystagesdc.org

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neighborhood news / bulletin board

Photo: Courtesy of Building Bridges Across the River

by visiting the test site (above) and following the prompts. The demo takes about 15 minutes to complete. User testing is open until May 15. To stay up-to-date on Citizen DJ when it goes live, visit labs.dc.gov. Using some of the Library’s free-to-use audio and moving image collections, Citizen DJ enables users to select short samples to create their own beats and sound mixes. By using the tool, musicians, students, researchers and curious citizens alike can discover items in the Library’s vast collections that they likely would never have known exist. loc.gov.

Shopping Angels DC Seeks Volunteers

Free Lunch and Groceries at THEARC

THEARC, DC Central Kitchen, Martha’s Table and World Central Kitchen have partnered to provide free lunch and groceries at THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Ave. SE. DC Central Kitchen provides free lunches for children 19 and younger, daily (except Sunday), noon to 3 p.m. Martha’s Table provides free bags of groceries on Wednesdays, 12:30 to 3 p.m. World Central Kitchen provides free hot lunches Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 12:30 to 3 p.m. bbardc.org. ers markets; use hand sanitizer; pay with credit card or other electronic form. After you shop: discard mask and wash hands; sanitize your groceries; discard plastic bags; wash hands again after putting groceries away. dcgreens.org.

Synetic Theater Announces Storytelling Class for Kids

After collecting feedback from audiences, Synetic Theater has been looking at innovative ways to engage students virtually--and give parents a much-needed break. Consequently, Synetic Theater presents storytelling class for kids, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., through May 22. Read more and sign-up at synetictheater.org/kids.

Library of Congress Needs a Few Citizen DJs The Library of Congress is celebrating its 220th birthday with a present for music-makers and music-lovers everywhere: a chance to play with Citizen DJ, at labs.loc.gov/ experiments.citizen-dj, a groundbreaking project that inspires hip-hop music-making from home and opens new doors into the Library’s extensive audio collections. The public can experience Citizen DJ and provide feedback 30

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Shopping Angels DC is part of an international volunteer program designed to provide services to people deemed especially at-risk for COVID-19. To help ease the uncertainty, anxiety, and fear surrounding this pandemic, they volunteer their time to deliver groceries or other shopping necessities to those who should stay home. Their priority service extends to typically high-risk individuals, including senior citizens, parents of infants, and individuals with heart, lung, or immune conditions. They will deliver to individuals with COVID-19, but this status must be disclosed so that both parties can exercise strict caution during the delivery. Volunteers must complete a form at facebook.com/shoppingangelsinc. For more information, call 202-630-7556 or email shoppingangelsdc@gmail.com.

DCPS (COVID-19) School Status

DCPS schools will continue distance learning for the duration of the 2019-2020 school year which will end on Friday, May 29. School buildings will remain closed indefinitely; summer learning opportunities are being discussed; the city anticipates making announcements about the summer on May 15. For more info and updates on DCPS status and supports, visit dcps.dc.gov/coronavirus. Charter school families will hear from their individual schools for direction regarding the duration of their school years. School operating status and available supports for charter schools are being tracked by the DC Public Charter School Board and posted on dcpcsb.org

Free Internet Access for DCPS Students

You may be eligible to receive 60 days of free Comcast internet service. Check here to apply internetessentials.com.

Coronavirus Contact Tracing Force Established

Mayor Bowser has established the DC Contact Tracing Force to hire hundreds of additional tracers at DC Health. DC Health currently has about 65 contact tracers, and about 70% of confirmed cases have been traced. The Force is in the process of increasing that team to about 200 tracers, with up to an additional 700 tracers to be hired through Phase One of re-opening the District. coronavirus.dc.gov.

#FITDC’s Flatten the Curve Fitness at Home

While you can’t visit your local gym or do a workout class during these challenging and isolating times, exercise is still one of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety and stay healthy. That’s why #FITDC is bringing you free, elevated workouts to do from the comfort of your home. Flatten the Curve Fitness is a series of online adult, senior and familyfriendly workouts. To access them, go to flattenthecurvefitness.spashthat.com.

Uber to Assist Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Uber has announced that it is working with the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence in response to the recent rise in domestic and intimate partner abuse cases during the pandemic. Because survivors and victims typically reach out for help only when they’re away from their abusers, survivors are now left with few safe options to access resources, reach out for help, or plan an exit. Uber is donating 1,000 free rides to the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence. dccadv.org.

Changes in Tenants’ Rights in DC During the COVID-19 Health Emergency

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, both Congress and the DC Council have passed emergency legislation that impacts DC tenants’ rights. These changes will be in effect until the end of the public health emergency. (1) Landlords can still collect rent but may not increase your rent or charge late fees. (2) DC Landlord and Tenant Court is closed until May 15. All evictions are currently prohibited by DC Law. (3) If you need an emergency repair and your landlord has not responded, you can contact the DCRA at 202-4429557, ext. 6 or you can call 311 to request a virtual inspection. (4) To obtain information about Emergency Rental Assistance Program appointments, call 202-667-7339 or email erap@housingetc.org. (5) if you live in HUD-subsidized housing, public housing, have a Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher, or live in a LIHTC building; no eviction proceedings may be brought for nonpayment of rent until August 2020, and only after you’ve received a 30day notice. In addition, your subsidy cannot be terminated during the public emergency. (6) All deadlines related to TOPA are on pause during the public emergency. (7) All gas, water, and electricity shutoffs are prohibited by law. If your water is shut-off, contact DC Water at 202354-3750 or restore@dcwater.com. To discuss restoring electricity call PEPCO at 202-833-7500. (8) If you have any tenants’ rights-related questions, leave a message at 202-667-7426 or tenants@housingetc.org.

Order Soup, Hug a Farmer (virtually)

To help hard-hit local farmers, Soupergirl has partnered with Spring Valley Farm of West Virginia to deliver a fresh and unique selection of early spring fruits and vegetables to DC-area shoppers. Soupergirl is also now deliv-

ering the fresh “Farmer’s Market Box” to the front door of DMV residents. The Market Box is $35 when added to any soup order and can be purchased at thesoupergirl.com/local-dc-options. Typical produce includes whatever is available at harvest time. Soupergirl is selling the Market Box at just over cost, to support area farmers. Consumers can add the Market Box to any Soupergirl purchase, to bring fresh Spring Valley Farm vegetables and fruits to their door. Throughout this crisis, Soupergirl will continue to offer a 15% discount on all orders— use the code, COMMUNITY 15. Soupergirl is a Washington, DC, based soup company with a mission to change the world, one bowl at a time. Soupergirl’s soups are a fusion of modern flavors and old-fashioned cooking techniques that highlight seasonal, fresh ingredients. To order and learn more, visit supergirl.com.

The Kennedy Center Launches Couch Concerts

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces a free, live digital performance initiative, Couch Concerts, to help inspire, uplift, heal, and bring the performing arts from the homes of artists into homes across the country and around the world during these difficult times. For 23 years, Millennium Stage has brought free performances to audiences in person at the Center and virtually through a livestream. The Kennedy Center will now stream concerts direct from artists’ homes on kennedycenter.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/couch-concerts, at 4 p.m., every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while the Kennedy Center remains closed, due to COVID-19.

$500 Cash to Low-Income Families

Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) has launched an innovative non-conditional cash transfer and financial wellness initiative—DC Family Financial Recovery Fund—to provide liquidity to low-income families, regardless of immigration status, who have recently experienced unemployment and/or have had significant reduction in employment hours and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on their financial health. This initiative is supported by a grant from the Greater Washington Community Foundation. For more information and to apply, contact IDAPurchases@caab.org.

Environmental Film Festival Offers Streaming Links

Enjoy over 300 of their past Festival selections (many free) while social distancing. This includes over 60 from their 2020 online DC Environmental Film Festival. dceff.org. The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital is the world’s premier showcase of environmentally themed films. Since 1993 their mission has been to celebrate Earth and inspire understanding and stewardship of the environment through the power of film.

DC Palestinian Film & Arts Festival Call for Entries

The DC Palestinian Film & Arts Festival (DCPFAF) is looking for film entries from Palestinian directors, producers, and writers for their 10th year this October. They accept feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation and experimental works. The DCPFAF showcases the diverse and creative work of Palestinian filmmakers and artists across the globe. Submission deadline is June 1, 2020. Read more and submit entries at dcpfaf.org.

Visit The Social Distancing Festival

The Social Distancing Festival is an online artists’ community that celebrates the work of the many creators around the world who no longer have a showcase. It offers daily live-streamed events, archived videos, and original content that represents a full range of experiences, from art exhibitions in Paris to the new full-length work Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddler and the Drum, from the Alberta Ballet to music from Mexico City. The site’s regularly updated calendar is a feast for international culture lovers of all kinds. socialdistancingfestival.com.

DC Shorts Free Film Festival

DC Shorts presents over 375 films from the past ten years. Sort through the genres or years they were programmed and click to watch. All films may be watched full-screen-and many are in HD. More films are added all the time, so come back often. Enjoy! archive.dcshorts.com.

Social Distancing Delivery and Pickup for DC Medical Marijuana Patients Announced

Adelaide, Australia – Artist Liza Merkalova worked for over a year for the exhibition Apperceptions, which was to be held at Gallery M and feature 30 of her works.

District-registered dispensaries are now allowed to provide medical marijuana to District residents registered as qualifying patients through delivery, curbside pickup, and at-the-door pickup options. The rules can be found at coronavirus.dc.gov/medicalmarijuana. This patientcentric, emergency rulemaking is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of District residents, and is similar to what other states are putting in place to continue access to medical marijuana. Under Mayor’s Order 2020-053, medical marijuana dispensaries are considered essential businesses as healthcare and public health operators.

Bard High School Seeks Applicants

Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC), a new school in Ward 7 at 4430 H St. SE, is recruiting its second class of students. Bard DC is a four-year public school that offers students the opportunity to take a two-year, tuition-free college course of study in the liberal arts and sciences following the 9th and 10th grades. Through the partnership between Bard College and the District of Columbia Public Schools, students can earn a high school diploma and up to 60 transferable college credits and an Associate in Arts degree from Bard College within four years, free of charge. Bard DC is accepting applications from rising 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students who live in Washington, DC. The process includes an interview and a writing as-

sessment. Visit calendly.com/amanda-washington for an admissions interview. Reach out to Bard DC Admissions Coordinator Amanda Washington at amanda.washington@k12.dc.gov with questions. bard.edu/earlycollege.

Student Loan Relief Announced

Financial relief options have been expanded for District residents who are struggling to pay private education loans due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. The initiative, launched by the District and several states, will provide qualifying District residents with loan forbearance and other financial protections. Relief options include providing a minimum of 90 days of forbearance; waiving late payment fees; ensuring that no borrower is subject to negative credit reporting; ceasing debt collection lawsuits for 90 days; and working with borrower to enroll them in other borrower assistance programs, such as income-based repayment. To get details on federal loans and servicers, visit the US Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System at nslds.ed.gov, or call Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 or 1-800-730-8913 (TDD). Borrowers with private student loans may check the contact information on their monthly billing statements. u

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Turning Out

EMT’s

Eastern High’s Emergency Medicine Services Program by Regina McClure Bobbi and Alyssa check anchor Wisdom Martin’s blood pressure at the Fox 5 Zip Trip highlighting Eastern Market. Photo: Chief Julius D. Jackson, NREMT

group of seniors from Eastern High School wait patiently for the final fitting of their EMT Student uniform. This occasion is significant as it marks a crucial step in their journey toward EMT licensure—clinical rotations. EMT Student uniforms are an industry requirement for working on an ambulance, a challenge that students are literally gearing up to in the coming months. American Medical Response, Capitol Region (AMR) has established an employment pipeline with Eastern Academy of Health Sciences (EAHS), a Career Technical Education program within Eastern that’s now designated by DC Health as an EMS Educational Institution. East32

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ern’s EMS Program is on equal standing with other local and national postsecondary Allied Health career education programs. This allows seniors who pass the course to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) national certification exam. Those who pass can become licensed and begin working as an EMT. AMR will host “ride-along” experiences so that students can meet the clinical requirement for patient contacts. The program is the result of a community-wide effort over many years and the advocacy of a variety of stakeholders. Our major partners include Eastern’s parents, staff, and Business Advisory Council; Companies

for Causes; MedStar Health; DC Fire and EMS Department; Life Star Response; GW Medical Faculty Associates; Westlink Career Institute, the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, and the Boy Scouts of America National Capitol Area Council. (EAHS students provide 24-hour first aid at DC Scout Camporees.) Through the combined efforts of the DCPS College and Career division and the Office of the State Superintendent, the existing Health and Medical Sciences Academy at Eastern was elevated to a NAF Academy, and rebranded as the Eastern Academy of Health Sciences. NAF (formerly National Academy Foundation), provides career-technical education programs in the District

with an educational framework that ensures students receive a relevant and exceptional learning experience in the career path. Students who opt into the Academy commit to various requirements for career readiness. In addition to the regular sciences courses required to graduate, students must take a Project Lead the Way medical elective each year. Courses are engaging, project-based, and use the Modern Classrooms structure of blended learning to integrate technological literacy into everyday learning.

Paid Internships and Service Learning Paid medical internships are another es-

sential expectation of the academy. Students undergo a rigorous process before they’re placed in their hospital summer internship. They must participate in mock interviews and complete the employability skills and character development curriculum developed by DCPS. Eastern has a special partnership with MedStar Washington Hospital Center, originally established by Ward 6’s Joe Weedon and Tom Raffa’s Companies for Causes. Sophomore Damiyah Brown has found the preparation for the internship invaluable. “The Academy instills traits that students need for success, such as punctuality and leadership. We’re provided support and guidance for our futures,” she said. (continued on pg. 35)

EAHS students Elisa, Jahnay, and Demitri learn how to ready a first response truck for service at the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Dept. Photo: Chief Julius D. Jackson, NREMT

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Cleaning – Naturally! by Catherine Plume

t’s an interesting paradox that while many people are moving towards organic foods, household cleaners—which are often filled with toxins— are kept at the ready in many homes. With everyone, including kids and pets, spending more time at home these days than anyone ever imagined, reducing the number of toxic chemicals in your home makes a lot of sense. But, in these days when hygiene and cleanliness are of paramount concern, which natural cleaners really work?

wood furniture a beautiful glow. Put equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and you’re ready to tackle almost any cleaning project in your home from cleaning windows and mirrors to countertops. Though white vinegar doesn’t have a lingering smell, you can add some citrus peels to some vinegar, set it aside for a couple of weeks, and then add a bit of it to your vinegar and water solution for a clean, citrusy smell. And the addition of those fruit acids to the vinegar will increase the solution’s ability to clear stubborn stains. When you need a bit of grit for your cleaning, baking soda is an excellent light abrasive. I buy it in bulk, so I have it on hand for any project. (You can purchase it online at Ace Hardware and have it delivered to Frager’s for pick up.) Baking soda will bring shine and cleanliness to any number of things – from your kitchen and bathroom sinks, the bottom of your grimy pots and pans and even your grandma’s silver or that old brass doorknob. I use it, or cream of tartar, to get rid of the scratches on my older dishes

White vinegar, water, and baking soda, and you’re ready to clean. Credit: C. Plume

White vinegar is a cleaning staple in our home. Straight white vinegar in a spray bottle will make your stainless steel appliances shine, while a douse in your laundry will work as a fabric softener substitute. I put a half cup of vinegar in my dishwasher and run it on the “quick wash” cycle every few weeks to keep food particles from building up inside the machine. A half cup of vinegar mixed with a cup of water, two tablespoons of oil (grapeseed, olive, coconut, etc.), and a drop or two of your favorite essential oil will give your 34

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from time to time. (It works!) And, it will even work as a stovetop and oven cleaner. Apply a paste in your oven, leave it for a few hours and return for a quick clean up. When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, it becomes two new chemicals - carbonic acid and sodium acetate – a fizzy concoction that kids will love to watch. A one to two ratio mix of these two ingredients will create a mixture ideal for cleaning toilets and keeping drains flowing. Thyme oil – and more specifically “thymol” found in thyme and bee balms among other plants—is proving to be another excellent natural cleaning/disinfecting product that can be used as a cleaning product throughout your home, though research indicates that it is ineffective against COVID-19. It, like neem oil, however, can also be an effective natural pesticide for household and outdoor plants. Sometimes natural cleaners need a bit of a boost to do an effective job. I’ve found that a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol (which is what stores commonly sell), soap, and water can give my granite countertops a shine that a simple vinegar and water mix can’t. Meanwhile a dash of hydrogen peroxide added to a laundry load will make colors brighter, or diluted in water, it can be an effective disinfectant. If you’re trying to disinfect for COVID-19, remember that just like a good soap and water wash will kill the virus on your body, a good soap scrubbing will kill it on any surface. A March 2020 Consumer Reports article reminds us that using or adding anti-bacterial soap to the mix has no added value against the COVID-19 as it is a virus versus a bacteria. And, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, and bleach can destroy the virus when in the right concentrations while vinegar, vodka, and tree oils, can’t. While using natural cleansers will help you minimalize the chemicals in your house, you’ll also save money. A gallon of white vinegar costs less than $3 while baking soda costs around $10 for a 13lb. bag. You’ll be able to get a lot of cleaning done with those quantities, and you’ll have a lot fewer toxins in your home. Catherine Plume is a lifelong environmentalist, a writer, and blogger for the DC Recycler: www.DCRecycler.blogspot.com; Twitter: @DC_Recycler. She is also the Chair of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club, however, perspectives expressed are her own and do not necessarily represent the positions of that organization. u

Citrus peels added to white vinegar will give your cleaning solution a sprite and pleasant smell. Credit: C. Plume

(continued from pg. 33) Service learning is another major part of the Academy’s identity. Look around at Capitol Hill’s 4th of July Parade, Eastern Market’s Hilloween, or Barracks Row Fall Festival and you’ll see Academy students administering free blood pressure readings and demonstrating hands-only CPR. Another key component of EAHS is enrichment. Field trips range from visiting the infectious diseases exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to observing a live thoracic surgery at GW Hospital. Said 11th grader William Harris, “The academy opened me up to things I’d never thought I would experience.” Students attend bi-monthly Lunch and Learns where professionals in the community come to discuss their journey to their career or a topic that aligns to the course curriculum. These sessions often lead to shadowing opportunities for students. Currently, there’s a line of students excited to shadow veterinarian Dr. Matt at H Street’s AtlasVet. These unique offerings build a sense of community among students, even across grade levels. Sophomore Emmanuela Moudga Adiwa explains, “The Academy is structured in a way where everyone’s needs are met. It made me understand the importance of professionalism and good conduct.” Elisa Vizcarrando, one of the seniors lined up to get it her uniform in order to take her test in June, sums up her experience. “These four years in the academy have overall taught me the importance of health care. No matter how much the world evolves, health care will always be needed,” she said. “My experience in the academy has helped me understand and know what I want in life by teaching me the importance of teamwork, patience, stability, good communication skills, most important of all, passion.” The current global public health emergency underscores the vital need for health care professionals and health scientists. Our students are studying today so that they’ll be in a position to save our tomorrows. For more information, or to request blood pressure screening at your event, please contact Eastern Academy of Health Sciences Director Regina McClure at regina.mcclure@k12.dc.gov. u E ast

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Buy a Print to Support DCCK

have access to Wi-Fi or electricity, or where they do, they often lack the skills necessary to connect all three. That’s a national issue, she said. “They’ve given out devices, but there needs to be a follow-up.” She’s worried about the students at her school. So, about a month ago, with her workload shifted after the closure of school buildings, Vineyard was able to focus some of her attention on her other skillset, art. Vineyard has produced by Elizabeth O’Gorek prints depicting 62 different iconic District. She ill-based artist Christine Vineyard is uslies during this difficult time. She’s started her work by capturChristine Vineyard has taught at The Hill Center, ing her work to promote local business selling prints depicting iconic local ing Capitol Hill Books (657 here depicted behind its iconic gate. Courtesy and raise money for the DC Central businesses to benefit the nonprofit. C St. SE), followed by oththe artist Kitchen (DCCK). Vineyard, who pubDC Central Kitchen (DCCK) ers such as the Hill Center lishes on social media as Lidflutters, combats hunger and poverty through job training (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), where Vineyard somewants to use her work to make a difference for famiand job creation. In response to COVID-19, DCCK times teaches an art class and Labyrinth Puzzles and is serving more than 40,000 emergenGames (645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE). She also has decy meals each week at dozens of sites picted businesses in the wider District, such as Krameracross the city, keeping healthy food on books (1517 Connecticut Ave. NW), Call Your Mother the shelves of corner stores, and sup(3301 Georgia Ave. NW) and Ben’s Chili Bowl (1213 porting Culinary Job Training students U St. NW), posting them online to her Instagram and whose training and careers have been Twitter accounts. disrupted by this crisis. People started noticing, and she started getting reTheir efforts make a difference to quests from current and former residents to do their the kids she misses, Vineyard said. A favorite businesses. Some businesses reached out to trained artist and educator, Vineyard her directly, and it just snowballed from there, she said usually spends her days teaching at (look out for Trusty’s, coming out in art soon). She has McKinley Middle School (150 T St. a queue of 50 requests right now. “Now this is a thing,” NE). The school is a “homeless stashe said she realized, “I need to do something with it.” tus” school, Vineyard said, meaning Starting Friday, April 24, Vineyard is selling the that many students do not have perprints online in the ‘local’ section of her Etsy store and manent addresses. Many live in shelat her website, www.lidflutters.com. She’ll keep enough ters, the hotels retained by the Departto cover the cost of production (about 40 percent, or ment of Human Services (DHS) along $9.50), with the remainder of profits going straight to New York Avenue, in foster care or DCCK. Prospective buyers who wish to increase their even in cars. purchase price or who want a larger format can contact She said DC Central Kitchen is Vineyard and she will try to accommodate requests. Ingreat because it helps everyone. “I creased profits will be increased donations, she said. If know I’m not necessarily helping my her efforts really take off, Vineyard said, she will also kids directly,” she said of the project, contribute profits to Sasha Bruce Youthwork. “but if my efforts help students and Vineyard has donated her work to each business families who are in need across the Disdepicted to do as they wish with the images and has trict, then I’m happy to do it.” received consent from each for the use of their imagHer students aren’t doing their es in the campaign. You can see and purchase Vinebest learning right now, either, Vineyard’s work at www.lidflutters.com or by following @ yard said. DC Public Schools (DCPS) lidflutters on Instagram and Twitter. Reach her with Capitol Hill Books (657 C St. SE) was the first of the District businesses depicted has provided schools and students questions, orders or requests via email at lidflutters@ by local artist Christine Vineyard as part of a collection being sold to profit the with devices. However, many do not gmail.com u work of DC Central Kitchen during the COVID-19 crisis. Courtesy the artist

Artist Christine Vineyard Sells Portraits of Iconic Businesses to Raise Funds

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homes & gardens / changing hands

YOUR DAILY ONLINE NEWS SOURCE

WARDS 7 & 8

Changing Hands Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month. A feature of every issue, this list,based on the MRIs, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms. NEIGHBORHOOD ANACOSTIA

1432 V St SE 2201 Hunter Pl SE #302

ATLAS DISTRICT 1234 Linden Pl NE

BARRY FARMS

1353 Talbert Ter SE 2323 Pomeroy Rd SE

CAPITOL HILL

1205 I St SE 1206 G St SE 1391 Pennsylvania Ave SE #418 23 4th St NE #4 300 8th St NE #107 305 C St NE #209 401 13th St NE #105 418 7 SE #302 420 4th St SE 435 2nd St SE #3 5 Terrace Ct NE 626 Independence Ave SE #101 637 3rd St NE #B4

CAPITOL HILL EAST 1331 K St SE #001 1331 K St SE #102 1331 K St SE #103 1331 K St SE #201 1331 K St SE #202 1331 K St SE #203 1331 K St SE #301 1331 K St SE #401 1331 K St SE #402

CONGRESS HEIGHTS

1147 Bellevue St SE 705 Brandywine St SE #101

DEANWOOD

4009 Blaine St NE 4221 Clay St NE 4929 Foote St NE #3 5321 Gay St NE 6004 Clay St NE

FORT DUPONT PARK 1306 44th Pl SE 1575 41st St SE 3308 B St SE 3312 D St SE 3952 Burns Pl SE 4261 Hildreth St SE

PRICE

$305,000 $189,000

3 2

$740,000

$330,000 $365,000

2 2

$679,000 $554,500 $423,500 $359,000 $579,900 $385,000 $499,000 $505,000 $762,000 $415,900 $685,000 $410,000 $230,000

2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 0

$345,000 $505,000 $457,500 $375,000 $460,000 $535,000 $385,000 $390,000 $475,000

1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 2

$226,500 $165,000

2 2

$389,999 $439,000 $119,000 $350,000 $245,000

3 3 2 3 3

$499,000 $424,000 $240,000 $250,000 $375,000 $430,000

3 4 3 2 3 3

H STREET CORRIDOR 1009a I St NE 1644 L St NE 301 H St NE #403 646 H St NE #502

HILL CREST 3016 M Pl SE

KINGMAN PARK 1917 D St NE 440 20th St NE

LILY PONDS

3313 Clay Pl NE 4240 Meade St NE

MARSHALL HEIGHTS 5022 Bass Pl SE

NAVY YARD

1025 1st SE #1203 1025 1st St SE #814 1300 4th St SE #714

RANDLE HEIGHTS 1909 T Pl SE 3024 Stanton Rd SE 3101 Naylor Rd SE #B

RLA (SW)

300 M St SW #N315 560 N St SW #N406

SOUTH WEST

700 7th St SW #520

SW WATERFRONT 240 M St SW #E613 530 N St SW #S708 560 N St SW #N614

TRINIDAD

1212 Raum St NE #10 1216 Neal St NE 762 18th St NE

WATERFRONT

490 M St SW #W200 395 O St SW 40 G St SW 1101 3rd St SW #403 510 N St SW #N520 723 3rd St SW #414 u

$720,000 $489,000 $429,900 $549,900

2 2 1 1

$430,000

$620,000 $595,000

3 2

$246,000 $475,000

2 3

$260,000

$525,000 $530,000 $485,000

1 1 1

$364,300 $300,000 $90,000

3 2 1

$449,000 $190,000

2 0

$335,000

$247,500 $349,900 $315,000

0 1 1

$300,000 $660,000 $478,000

2 4 3

$310,000 $540,000 $845,000 $330,000 $299,500 $699,000

1 3 4 1 0 2

EAST OFTHE RIVER DCNEWS .COM E ast

of thE

R ivER M agazinE

M ay 2020

www.themecrosswords.com • www.mylesmellorconcepts.com

XWORD “Working Things Out” by Myles Mellor Across:

1. Where trash goes 4. Synchronized 10. One of many written by David 15. ___ general rule 18. Adjutant 19. Chemical salt 20. Adjutants 21. Iranian city 22. Make tough demands 25. ___ Dhabi 26. Dashboard dial, for short 27. Word on a U.S. coin 28. Coq au ___ 29. Heron cousin 30. Mach 1 breaker 31. CD follower 32. Winter coats 35. Space available on a ship 38. College in New Rochelle, N.Y. 39. Gave a fig 40. Sign a contract, say 51. Rogues 52. Classified ad abbreviation 53. “China Girl” director Ferrara 54. Keeps working 55. At a distance 57. Strong and regal 60. Snake sound 61. Gambling game 63. Begun 65. Jaded 69. Very high 73. Of sound mind 74. Uncle ___ 78. Top squeeze 79. Loony 81. Current measures 84. Cozy places to stay 85. Dict. offering 86. “Live and Let Die” Bond girl character 88. Finding agreeable terms 94. Circuit 95. Impending

96. Grads parchment 99. Hair-raising 101. Pixel density 104. Relaxation center promoting good health 107. Bygone time 108. Pair 109. Facilitating both boys and girls 110. Showing fatigue 111. Mrs. sheep 112. Conceding points on both sides 119. Grammy nominee in 2007: Corinne Bailey ___ 120. Parting remark 121. There 122. Expel 123. 1040 entry 124. Make more exciting 125. Top-sider brand 126. Search engine marketing ingredient, for short

Down:

1. Hitchcock horror film 2. Imbecile 3. Calif. neighbor 4. Chopin’s favorite 5. Blah 6. Comedian, Sandler 7. Madam’s mate 8. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Roush 9. Society girl 10. Ms. Hilton 11. A language 12. Boise’s county 13. Neck adornment in Hawaii 14. Google alternative 15. Jordan’s port 16. Edna Ferber novel 17. Interest 18. Bothers 23. Part of E.E.C.: Abbr. 24. “___ Maria”

Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com 29. Gary’s home 32. Type of deer (pl.) 33. Bed and breakfast 34. Wild West 35. Randy’s rink partner 36. “Are you a man __ mouse!” 37. Tennis court divider 38. BBC rival 39. Tech executive 40. Global bank 41. Edible tubers 42. Baseball player for the Giants 43. 7, on a phone 44. W.C. 45. Longer than centuries 46. Location of the opening scene of “The Bourne Supremacy” 47. Late-night name 48. Newspaper column, for short

49. State bird of Hawaii 50. Winter transport 51. 2nd letter addendum 55. It’s often left hanging 56. Dump (on) 57. Fired up 58. Flight board abbr. 59. Omega or flaxseed 61. Opposite of masc. 62. Alias 64. Compass direction 65. Mil. branch 66. Government security agency, abbr. 67. Offense 68. Guardians 69. Mideast chief 70. Bowling alley 71. “Saturday Night Live” alum Fey 72. Proportional

SHOP OUR NEW WEB STORE *Order for Pick Up at Mr. Henry’s or Shipping

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We are closed temporarily through May 15 645 Pennsylvania Ave SE (Steps from Eastern Market Metro)

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NEED MORE HELP? Please e-mail us at team@labyrinthgameshop.com

74. Merci ___coup 75. Daniels of “The L Word” 76. Geeky sort 77. Compass point 80. Prefix with cycle 81. Afr. nation 82. Russian space station 83. Letters at end of page 85. Military rank, abbr. 86. Have ‘em rolling in the aisles 87. “___ the land . . . “ 89. Medical care grp. 90. Technology giant 91. Actress Long 92. CSI evidence 93. German article 96. Colorists 97. Midwest tribe members 98. Dude up 99. First thing in the morning 100. Machine part 101. User 102. War of 1812 hero 103. Altar words 104. Run a card 105. Spanish tree-lined avenue 106. Over 108. “Mon ___!” 109. U.S.N. rank 112. ___-jongg 113. “Much __ about nothing” 114. Hobby shop buy 115. Cries of regret 116. One with a beat 117. Pick __ or the other! 118. Ed.’s pile

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East of the River Magazine – May 2020

Articles inside

Buy a Print to Support DCCK

Cleaning – Naturally

Bulletin Board by Kathleen Donner

The Numbers: Reconsider the Federal “Safety Net

What Would it Take to Reopen the District? With Benchmarks Identifi ed, An Expert Looks at Data and Testing

We Must Accept a COVID

Turning Out EMT’s: Eastern

Expanding Health Care Access in Wards 7 and 8: Two New Hospitals to Be Built

Changes to Primary Voting Due to COVID-19: All Voters Encouraged to Request Mail-In Ballots

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