Shortly before Council began its recess in July, Councilmember Jim Graham introduced the “Fireworks Neighborhood Safety Act of 2007,"  B17-0325.

Councilmember Wells co-sponsored this legislation, and asked me to share with our community information about the proposal. Enforcement of the current fireworks laws was better this year than previous years, but Tommy believed this legislation might help address ongoing concerns throughout the community and is asking for your comments, suggestions or ideas as this proposal moves its way through the legislative process. There will be public hearings where individuals can come down to the building to testify, but Tommy would like to hear your thoughts now. Below, I have summarized the bill and what it will do and you can leave your thoughts or ideas in the comments section:

Proposed law provides for:

• - Prohibition against use, sale, storage, possession or display of fireworks
• - Exceptions: official duties of law enforcement, fire emergency medical, railroad or transportation agencies for signal purposes; or display with permit
• - Fine for unlawful possession $250.00
• - Fine for sale $1,000

Present Law: 

• - DCMR Title 12H. Fire Code, Chapter 33H Explosives and Fireworks, Sec. 12H-F-3309
• bans the possession, storage, display, sale setting of or discharge of any fireworks listed below: Includes all fireworks that explode, are intended to move after ignition, have side fuses or fuse inserted at any point along the length of the firework, any fireworks that contain any of 14 listed chemicals including mercury, gunpowder sulphur or any highly oxidizing agent, sparklers longer than 20”, and any the Fire Chief bans
• - Allows for inclusion in the ban of any firework found by the Fire Chief to be dangerous to the safety of any person or property
• - Sets any violations as Class One (most serious) subject to $2,000 fine for the first offense up to $16,000 for fourth and subsequent offenses

Changes from present law:

• - Proposed law increases the types of fireworks banned including blank cartridges, toy pistols, toy canes, all sparklers, and unmanned balloons which require fire for propulsion
• - Proposed law increases the number of fireworks that requires fines, but reduces the amount of the fine for some infractions

The New Communities initiative is a District sponsored redevelopment of the physical and human architecture of neighborhoods troubled by concentrations of a high crime and poverty rates.  The project is to fight these conditions by transforming highly concentrated low-income neighborhoods into healthy mixed-income neighborhoods that protect housing for low-income residents with a one-for-one replacement of existing affordable housing around improved community anchors, such as schools, recreation, libraries and health clinics.  It also focuses on the redevelopment of social infrastructure through linkages to job training, asset building, counseling and other supportive human services.  

The Northwest #1 project is guided by a committee representing a full partnership between the Northwest #1 Council and the District of Columbia to for purposes of performing the planning, agenda setting and decision-making for all phases of the initiative.

The Northwest One Council includes leaders from more than 8 properties in the area:  Temple Courts, Sursum Corda Cooperative, Tyler House, Kelsey Gardens, Museum Square, Golden Rule Townhouses, Golden Rule Plaza, Turn Key and K Street Homeowners as well as leaders from the Perry School Community Services Center, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, The Center City Community Corporation, and the Gonzaga College High School. The Council is furthered supported through advocacy from the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), and area churches: Mt.Airy Baptist, Southern Baptist, Mt.Lebanon Baptist, Holy Redeemer and St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Churches.
 
The Northwest Council has a long history of accomplishments, dating back to the 1960s, of providing leadership on pressing affordable housing and community development issues continuously in the Northwest #1 area.  The area is in the Northwest area of DC involving the location of the 8 properties represented on the Council and some additional land to be acquired along the North Capitol street.

The District of Columbia provides leadership through the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, following the role previously performed by the City Administrator under the Williams administration.  The Department of Housing and Community Development and other DC agencies are engaged as needed to ensure the District performance of its responsibilities to this project.

The District and its community partner, Northwest  #1 have worked collaboratively to develop the Northwest One Revitalization Plan under the New Communities Plan that promises to transform the neighborhood into a viable and sustainable mixed-income and mixed-use community.  Work on implementation has now began, and include Phase I activities that required the acquisition of Northwest One properties.  Temple Courts, and NCRC and Gonzaga High School properties have recently been acquired by the city, paving the way for the release of a Request for Proposals for Phase I development of these properties according to the NW #1 Revitalization Plan and the Guiding Principles of their New Communities project.

While one of the guiding principals is to build first, then relocate residents to the new homes, Temple Court residents are being relocated several years before their new homes will be completed.  This decision was brought about because of the progressively deteriorating condition of the Temple Court property and the resulting unacceptable living standards for the residents.  This was a very difficult decision and involved the Mayor and Councilmember Wells.  The DC Housing Authority is playing a major role in assisting residents to ensure that all residents secure safe and sanitary replacement housing in the interim until they can return to their new homes in the New Communities.

We will continue to keep the community updated as progress continues. 

Hello Ward 6 residents! I want to share with you the touching story of a young woman (We will call her Ms. H) who expressed interest in adopting one of the many children in the District of Columbia’s foster care system. Ms. H stated that she had seen the little girl on Wednesday’s Child about 3 years ago. What is Wednesday’s Child?  Well, Wednesday’s Child is a weekly television feature that seeks to assist children who are in foster care and eligible for adoption in finding permanent adoptive families.

Not being a resident of the District but Virginia, Ms. H expressed her frustration in trying to understand and navigate the system in an effort to make her hopes of becoming a parent to the little girl who touched her heart a reality. Almost 3 years later, Ms. H is still working with the Child and Family Service Agency trying to make this hope a reality. Not only for herself but also for the young girl who needs a loving, safe and permanent home.

Ms. H admitted that it would be easier to become an adoptive parent in Virginia and she has been encouraged by family and friends to do so. However, she shared with me, “I’m emotionally attached at this point even though she has no idea that I have been trying for some time to adopt her.” She continued, “I know it might sound strange, but I know in my heart that this child that is suppose to be my daughter.”

A recent Washington Post editorial highlighted that this frustration is not about just a single case but is a systemic issue.  Where does all this frustration come from? It is all about ICPC – the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children – but no matter what you may think, ICPC was, and still is, a sensible approach to an important problem. In some cases, and particularly in DC, it just doesn’t work well.

Let’s step back a minute. Why do we have ICPC? Sometimes it is not possible to find a suitable foster or adoptive home for a child within the State where the child lives. But that State (let’s call it State A) has no authority to investigate whether a home in another State (let’s call it State B) is suitable; so the Interstate Compact provides that the sending State (State A) shall request the receiving State (State B) to determine whether the proposed placement is suitable and for the receiving State to supply that information. A perfectly sensible arrangement – particularly when you consider earlier practice under which one State would put its orphan children on a train and ship them out without any concern as to the kind of homes they would wind up in and with no provision for the receiving State’s approval.

But good intentions sometimes go awry and the ICPC process has become entangled in paperwork and bureaucratic obfuscation so that it now sometimes works against, rather than in favor of, the children for whom it was designed.  For a variety of reasons, this is particularly true in the case of DC children being placed in Maryland or Virgina.

Many efforts have been made to overcome these problems; there have been extensive negotiations between Maryland and DC; there have been proposed revisions of the Compact and the Congress has enacted legislation dealing with the issue. These efforts have been going on for a very long time and Councilmember Wells has decided to use his position as Chairman of the Human Services Committee to take a look at the issue to see if there is something that he can do to resolve this long-standing problem which has been a major impediment to the expeditious placement of a significant number of the District’s abused and neglected children.

We’ll keep you posted about progress, but if you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to let us know. 

Please Join Councilmember Tommy Wells on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 from 6:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M. for a Town Hall Meeting on Education with Chancellor Michelle Rhee.  The meeting will take place at Maury Elementary School, located at 1250 Constitution Avenue, NE.   The purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity to meet the new Chancellor and get information on her plans for the future of D.C. Public schools.  For more information call 202-724-8072.