Ward 6 resident and community blogger extraordinaire Jacqueline Dupree is the focus of this week’s Distict Extra in the Washington Post. For full disclosure, she’s also an employee of the Post. As it became clear that the near Southeast and Southwest neighborhoods were about to undergo a radical transformation, Jacqueline began her blog to keep the community updated on progress, as well as track the changes taking place around her. Armed with a digital camera, her website has become an amazing resource for the neighborhood. She has patiently documented several before, during and after projects by taking pictures from fixed locations as the development takes place. Frankly, I’ve talked with several District officials and developers that regularly read her blog and cite it as being the most comprehensive, as well as most up to date, information regarding the area’s growth.

We have her blog linked from our website in the Links category and I hope you all check it out. As she says herself, her blog is "a web site that shows what happens when someone armed with a digital camera gets way too interested in goings-on around the neighborhood." Well Jacqueline... we happen to think its a good thing.

The first bill I ever worked on was the Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962 and I continued working on Federal legislation until I retired 30 years later – so would you blame me if I tell you that I  considered myself an expert in legislation when I came to work for Tommy Wells in 2007.

But boy was I was wrong. I may have been an expert in Federal legislation but legislation in the District of Columbia is completely different. The United States Senate works one way; the House of Representatives another; and the process in the D.C. Council has nothing in common with either Federal body. So I had to go back to school to learn the process and style -- elementary school at that.

To start over, I first had to read the basic text – the Rules of the Council  -- and learn how a bill is introduced at Council; what has to be contained in a committee report; what is a first reading of a bill and when does it require a second or a third reading; what notice must be given for a hearing and what is the difference between a public hearing and a public roundtable. For anyone who wants and needs to learn these things, the Council’s General Counsel provides great study aids and also gives a short course for neophytes at Council.

Some of this stuff may seem dull, but if you don’t understand the rules and the process, you can’t get legislation passed here at Council. I am happy to say that I can still pass the first grade and I hope that I will be able to help Tommy pass a lot of legislation that will improve the lives of the citizens of DC.

Councilmembers Tommy Wells and Phil Mendelson and City Administrator Dan Tangerlini were among the speakers at the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative conference, held at the Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University on Tuesday, May 22, 2007.  "Alternative Programs Reduce Juvenile Detention and Arrests," proclaimed the headline in Tuesday's Washington Examiner newspaper. The focus of the conference was on alternatives to secure detention for youth accused of committing crimes, with an emphasis on a structured living, learning environment, and incorporating family and community in the rehabilitation of youth.

Meanwhile, there has been a spate of robberies, some of them allegedly committed by youth, on Capitol Hill in recent days and DC Public Schools are about to let out for the summer.  

Recognizing the relationship between keeping youth occupied during the summer months, keeping kids out of trouble, lowering crime rates, and keeping kids out of the juvenile court system, the Human Services Committee is looking for ways to strengthen youth services in the District of Columbia particularly during the summer months. Tommy has asked Ram Uppuluri and myself, to visit two of our summer youth programs per week to better understand what can be done to engage youth in stimulating activities while they are out of school. As part of this effort, we have collected information on several programs to create the Summer Youth Activities Resource Directory. Several worthwhile summer activities for youth will be funded through the Children and Youth Investment Trust, Corp. - a listing of those summer programs will be available soon. We'd like to know your thoughts and suggestions on ways to improve youth summer programs, and youth services in general in the District of Columbia. 

Given the near universal concern for pedestrian safety on our neighborhood streets, we thought this upcoming meeting would be of interest for a lot folks. It is being sponsored by the Coalition for Smarter Growth and will focus on creating safe streets for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers alike.

What: Designing Complete Streets: How to create safe and efficient streets for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers (with Michael King, Nelson/Nygaard Consulting)
When:  Tuesday, May 29: refreshments at 6:00 pm, program begins at 6:30 pm
Where: 401 9th Street, NW - North Lobby, Suite 500. Nearest Metro stations: Metro Center, Gallery Place, and Archives stations

Here's the forum announcement from the Coalition for Smarter Growth:

Pedestrian safety has risen to the top of the political agenda, as one tragic death after another demonstrates that our region's streets are not safe enough for everyday use. Conventionally, the design and operation decisions for streets and intersections place a priority on moving motor
vehicle traffic swiftly.  Other users - pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders - are often only included as an afterthought.  New thinking among transportation professionals is moving toward complete streets or balanced designs that improve the safe and efficient use of streets for everyone,
including the most vulnerable.

Join us to learn from Michael King, considered one of the country's leading experts on innovative street and intersection design.  Mr. King will share his experience and research from around the world on innovative approaches to safe streets that work for all users.

RSVP (attendance only): 202-244-4408 ext 114, or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This event is free of charge.