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Friend –

I'm still buzzing from Thursday night's Ward 6 Brickie Awards. Our annual holiday awards celebration is a wonderful opportunity to get together, enjoy some fantastic local food and drinks, and honor the people and places that make this such a special place to call home. I've shared photos and more about our winners below, but a big thanks up front to everyone who joined us for gorgeous rooftop views, amazing food, and friends on H Street NE. In a year of challenges, it was heartwarming and a reminder of how community brings us together.

In the same vein of challenges and the importance of community, and on a more somber note, it's important to also acknowledge the recent tragedy DC experienced with the shooting of two National Guard members the day before Thanksgiving. This was a horrific, targeted attack by someone who traveled across the country to our home to carry it out. Both of those members of the Guard, as well as the many more here, should have been home then and should be home now. I'd ask everyone to keep their families and those of all Guard members in our thoughts now and especially over the holidays.

Miss the last newsletter when we dove into those high electricity prices? Read it here.

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Thanks for a Phenomenal Brickie Awards!

As I mentioned above, I can't share enough how much I enjoy the Brickies every year. This was our 19th annual event, and each year, the Brickie winners remind me just how special our community is. Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a neighbor, organization, or business for a Brickie – we had far more deserving nominations than bricks!

One more time, I want to thank the local businesses that donated all of the food and drink we enjoyed. We can't put on the Brickies without their support:

We filled Skyline 609 on H Street NE to capacity (also generously donated, thanks to Building Creative and Jair Lynch Development!), a stunning venue that gave us space to enjoy a real feast of local favorites. Read more from the Hill Rag.

And finally, for folks who weren't able to attend, take a few minutes to check out this year's honorees, all of whom you can read about in full here, or watch the short video of why they were selected from last night's event below:

Neighbor Award: Rev. Brian Hamilton (video)
Community Organization Award: Capitol Hill Schools Parent Football League (video)
Business Award: Atlas Performing Arts Center (video)
Public Service Award: Maude Holt, Administrator & Health Care Ombuds, Office of Health Care Ombudsman & Bill of Rights, District Department of Health Care Finance (video)
Civic Pride Award: Free DC (video)
Special Recognition: Larry Janezich, Editor, Capitol Hill Corner (video)

Can't wait for next year's 20th annual Brickie Awards!

Ways to Shop Local + Safely This Season, Including Tips from MPD

Right off the top, I want to plug that this weekend is the last weekend to take advantage of the Better Together campaign, where you can support a local business and get a gift card for another (and maybe score some sports tickets I donated to the cause for a lucky shopper!). And even if you can’t make it to a participating spot, I hope you’ll keep your dollars close to home by shopping at your neighborhood businesses whenever you can.

If you're doing any holiday shopping online, make sure to do so in a way that keeps your personal and financial information secure. You can sign up for delivery alerts from the shipper, and keep an eye out for scammers who try to pose as such via text. You can also require a signature for your delivery, so if no one's home, it can't be left on the porch or in a lobby.

Anytime you're doing mobile marketplace exchanges, you can use MPD's Safe Exchange Zone locations, such as at the First District Station (101 M St. SW) or the Special Operations Division’s Harbor Patrol (550 Water St. SW). MPD also has a partnership with Amazon lockers to avoid porch pirates.

You can find more tips here.

My Streateries Bill Passed Unanimously, Reducing Costs and Cutting Red Tape for Restaurants

This week, the Council unanimously passed my emergency legislation to protect DC’s streateries – right at a moment when many are being torn down. The Council made changes to DDOT's onerous rules to make it easier to design a streatery that can be used year-round and make it less costly. This is a huge win for our local restaurants, workers, and neighborhood corridors. What started during the pandemic has become a way to create vibrant sidewalks, thriving small businesses, and welcoming public spaces across the city. We need permanent rules to bring some order to them, but DDOT missed the mark on this one by overcorrecting so much it would have led to many streateries' complete elimination. If we want to strengthen streateries and help grow an attractive outdoor dining scene, change was needed. Plenty of news coverage here if you want to dig into the issue further: Washington Post | Axios DC | WTOP | WUSA 9

There's No Need to Delay Ranked Choice Voting

Sometimes the news with the Council isn't what new laws we passed, but what we didn't do. And thankfully, I can report that an effort to delay the implementation of ranked choice voting was withdrawn.

If you don't know, ranked choice voting was approved through a recent ballot measure that was funded by the Council. It's on track to be part of the June 2026 primary elections. And that's a good thing, as it has the potential to strengthen voters' voices and make our politics much less divided. Candidates now have incentives to share popular positions rather than always trying to strike a contrast.

I don't know if there will be more efforts to delay ranked choice voting, but I'll certainly be working closely with the Board of Elections to be sure they're doing everything they can to inform voters about how the new process will work next spring.

Want more details about this week's Council meeting? See my recap here.

Protecting Kids & Strengthening Neighborhood Voices on Medical Cannabis

I've introduced a new bill to address a few real-world gaps in DC’s current medical cannabis law — all centered around keeping kids safe and ensuring neighbors are heard when a medical cannabis shop applies to open.

First, I'm proposing we clear up a shortcoming in the law that limits placement of medical cannabis shops around certain child-serving facilities like preschools, but not "child development centers," which may not technically be licensed the same way. In practice, there's very little difference, but the law currently permits new medical dispensaries near one, but not the other.

Second, we’re giving daycares a stronger voice. Right now, they can technically protest a nearby retailer, but they can’t raise concerns about the impact on kids. That doesn’t make sense. This bill changes that.

And finally, we’re closing a loophole that left ANCs out of reviewing delivery-only cannabis licenses. Even without a storefront, these businesses impact traffic and safety, and communities deserve a say.

We've done a lot to change the cannabis market in DC – starting with shutting down most illegal shops and reducing overproliferation along our retail corridors, supporting the trusted, tested, and legally licensed market, and now amending our laws around medical dispensaries to make more sense.

Hearing on My Bills to Expand Rec Center Hours and Prioritize Youth Sports Access to School Fields

On Wednesday, the Council's Committee on Facilities (which oversees DPR) held a hearing on two of my bills. The hearing was timely, as the Council has taken several votes to extend juvenile curfews (including as recently as Tuesday) that limit where young people can be during certain hours, but the other side of that coin needs to be doing more to create places where kids are welcomed and safe.

The first bill would require DPR rec centers to open on Sundays and maintain longer hours on weekdays. The Department of Parks and Recreation Hours Expansion Amendment Act of 2025 would set consistent, expanded hours at DPR recreation, aquatic, and community centers: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and at least noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. That means more time for homework help, mentorship, recreation, and simply being off the streets in a safe, welcoming space. It also creates a reliable meeting space for ANCs and community groups that often struggle to find somewhere to gather.

Of course, expanded hours aren't all that useful without rec centers with programming (think everything from a basketball tournament to homework help after school to e-sports) and rec centers in good repair. When I look at a rec center like Sherwood, I see a space with so much unrealized potential that needs to recognize what residents want to see. A special highlight of the hearing was the kids who came down and testified about how badly they'd like their local rec center to be open after school and on weekends.

Second, I introduced a bill that would give community-based youth sports groups (basically groups serving DC kids, not holding tryouts or cutting kids based on ability) help with getting access to more field space. Right now, the classic youth sports experience is suffering from a lack of field access, lights that aren't always turned on, and scrambling any time one of our few fields goes offline for repair. My bill puts a thumb on the scale to prioritize the success of these leagues ahead of other uses and gives them access to DCPS fields, which are also funded by taxpayers, but only available at a higher cost and with a much greater burden. We won't be able to build many more fields soon, so let's use the ones we have now!

Specifically, the Department of Parks and Recreation Field Priority Access Amendment Act of 2025 tackles one of the biggest headaches for families in youth sports: too few available fields and too many last-minute cancellations. This bill creates a clearer, fairer system between DPR and DCPS so community-based youth leagues get priority access to best practices and game times, and more school fields can finally be used by neighborhood teams when the schools aren't using them.

Metro's Updating How It Communicates Winter Weather Impacts

As we dive into winter, Metro is rolling out an updated way to keep riders informed when snow or ice affects bus service. Riders can now visit WMATA.com/snow for real-time, route-by-route updates. Each bus line will clearly show whether it’s running normally, on a snow detour, or temporarily suspended. If you rely on Metrobus, it’s worth bookmarking.

Just as important, Metro is shifting away from its old four-tiered “service levels.” Instead of waiting for an entire category of routes to be passable, Metro will restore service street by street and route by route as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Metro also shared reminders and tips for winter travel: check the MetroPulse app for real-time arrivals, dress warmly, avoid standing in the street if snow piles up at the curb, and report unsafe conditions. Rail service, as usual, runs normally unless a storm brings roughly eight inches of snow or more.

Standing with Convention Center Workers

I recently spent some time with the people who work behind the scenes at DC’s Convention Center. They're the ones making sure every visitor has a good experience at every event. However, they shared that they're losing shifts, they're understaffed, and they need more investments for a safer workplace. I appreciate Unite Here Local 23 for organizing the visit, welcoming me and my colleagues, and always standing up for workers.

The Tree Is Lit at Eastern Market Metro Park!

The great tradition of kicking off the holiday season was a success at the Nov. 22 tree lighting at Eastern Market Metro Park! A big thanks to the Capitol Hill BID for hosting this community event every year with carols, music, and emcees Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood.

Come to My Last Neighborhood Office Hours of 2025!

The new year will be here before we know it, but before then, I hope to see you at my last neighborhood office hours of 2025! My team and I will start off Friday, Dec. 12, at Tango Pastry (408 H St.), and you're invited to join us. RSVP, and plan to drop by between 8:30 and 10 a.m. See you then!

Upcoming Events

Dec. 6: EdFEST, Grades 9-12: Today, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Eastern High School (1700 East Capitol St. NE)
DC's annual public school fair returns, starting with all the options for high schoolers.
- Save the date for the PK3 – Grade 8 fair on Dec. 13
MVT Santa Celebration: Today, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to noon, at the FRESHFARM MVT Market (499 I St. NW)
Join the Mount Vernon Triangle CID when the market turns into Santa Claus Lane with a visit from the big man himself.
Holiday Boat Parade & Party: Today, Dec. 6, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Wharf (35 Sutton Square SW)
The 33rd-annual Holiday Boat Parade at the Wharf is a great way to kick off the holidays along the Washington Channel. And guess who's going to be judging the winners? Me! Come out and have a great time - I'd love to see you.
DGS Town Hall: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m., online
The Department of General Services hosts a quarterly virtual town hall for people to get a better understanding of how the agency works, what it does, their processes, and how their team supports the District. You'll be able to log in here.
Holiday Lights Ride: Saturday, Dec. 13, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. starting at Watkins Elementary's parking lot on D Street (420 12th St. SE)
Hill Family Biking hosts this event where riders are welcome to adorn themselves and their bikes with lights to tour holiday light displays throughout Capitol Hill.
Capitol Hill Menorah Lighting: Monday, Dec. 15, 6 p.m. at the Church of Reformation (212 East Capitol St. NE)
Co-hosted by the BID and Hill Havurah, this annual lighting of the 9-foot Menorah celebrates Hanukkah on the front steps of Reformation. This year's celebration will take place on the second night of Hanukkah. The BID's "Men in Blue” will serve jelly donuts and hot cocoa, and I'll hopefully see you there!

Wrap Up the Year with the Caps

The Washington Capitals take on the New York Rangers at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31. If you have the day off, why not? Reply to this email for a chance to get two tickets to the game.

See you around the neighborhood,

Charles Allen

Councilmember Charles Allen · 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20004, United States
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