Please join the Government of the District of Columbia, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the National Park Service for a public discussion of the recently released draft CapitalSpace Plan - a joint initiative to improve and unify Washington's park system.

DATE:  Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Meet and Greet:  5:30 - 6:00 pm
Presentation and Q&A:  6:00 - 6:30 pm
Discussion:  6:30 - 7:30 pm

LOCATION: 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
901 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

METRO ACCESSIBLE:  Near the Gallery-Place Chinatown and Metro Center Stations

These entities share responsibility for planning and managing the District’s parks. For the first time in 40 years, they are working together to plan for the challenges and opportunities facing our open spaces.

To learn more about the CapitalSpace initiative, check out this video.

DDOT has sent an update for streetscape construction on H Street NE. Please see below: 

One-Lane-Only Restriction In Effect Oct 26-Nov 16
For Eastbound Traffic On H Street NE from 3rd To 7th Streets

Eastbound traffic on H Street NE from 3rd Street to 7th Street will be restricted to one lane for three weeks – from Monday, October 26th through Monday, November 16th.

The District Department of Transportation will put the restriction into effect at 9:30 am on October 26. The restriction is necessary so construction workers can excavate and repave the north center lane of the 300 through 600 blocks of H Street.

MERCHANTS, PLEASE NOTE: During this period, curbside loading and unloading from the eastbound curb lane from 3rd to 7th Streets cannot be allowed.

The work is part of DDOT’s H Street Reconstruction Project. More information about the project is available on the DDOT website, www.ddot.dc.gov, under the “Major Construction Initiatives” menu selection.

Thank you for your patience.

For more information or assistance, contact: Margaret Gentry, Community Relations Specialist, MACTEC Engineering & Consulting, 202.320.8534 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . MACTEC is DDOT’s construction manager for the project.

Greetings Everyone!!! The Department of Health has announced some helpful information we all can use during this flu season. They will be hosting free vaccine clinics for youth and pregnant women in each Ward. For Ward 6, the clinics will be held at Eliot-Hine Middle School, 1830 Constitution Ave, NE. The Stadium-Armory Metro Station is just two blocks away and there is on-site parking available. Multiple clinics will be held at both daytime and evening hours to ensure better access for all families.

Below are the dates and times:

October 22nd, 5:00 - 9:00 pm
October 27th, 5:00 - 9:00 pm
November 7th, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
November 14th, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

For more information about the H1N1 flu, please visit the Department of Health's website by clicking here.

Last week, we were visited by two stellar employees of the Department of Health Rodent Control Division, Code Enforcement Inspector, Stephanie Artis and Doreen Broomfield, Pest Controller. Both of these employees have provided excellent service to Ward 6 residents on all matters involving unwanted pests and we rely on their assistance to keep our neighborhoods’ rodent population in check.  While we all know rats are a problem and we know the basics on rodent control -- using metal containers with lids for household rubbish, keeping weeds and grass level low, not leaving pet feces in the yard etc. -- we learned something new today that we wanted to be sure and share with our constituents.

It seems that among the many things that attract rats and serve as food sources for them, rats are especially attracted to the lovely orange and red colored mulch that is sold everywhere and all the rage right now.  I think Ms. Artis put it very succinctly when she said “Rats love that dye and pick those yards to burrow in.”  According to Ms. Artis there is something in the dye that is extremely appealing to rats and so much so, that they will go out of their way to seek it out and make those yards their homes, happily munching on an almost endless supply of the delicacy.  Needless to say, when we heard this we were all shocked.  None of us had ever heard this anywhere and we knew we wanted to spread the word.

So as we prepare our yards for the cold winter to come and pack on multiple inches of mulch, it would be wise to follow the advice of our specialists and stick to the traditional dark or naturally colored mulch.  It might not be as appealing to you to use the time-honored mulch but it should please you to know that it doesn’t appeal to the rats either!