July 29, 2020

Coronavirus Update: New Middle School, the Fall Election, & COVID-19 News

Dear Neighbors,

This is a busy and important week in the District. Yesterday, the Council
held its final vote on the Budget Support Act. And now members, myself
included, are holding our final hearings ahead of the summer recess period,
and on Friday the Mayor is expected to announce the details of her final
student learning plan for the 2020-2021 school year. In my [1]last
newsletter, I noted how disagreement over a proposed 3% advertising tax
resulted in the adjournment of our Legislative Meeting. After examining how
to balance the budget without implementing the tax, the Chairman
[2]successfully introduced a proposal to redirect cash funding from capital
improvement projects, agency reorganization, and a redistribution of
funding from a number of the Council's enhancements to the Mayor's proposed
budget. The Chairman's memo on these funding changes is available: [3]here.

One important development in this year's budget was the opportunity to
purchase the Georgetown Day School's (GDS) Lower/Middle school property.
Just as the new Foxhall Elementary School will help address overcrowding
issues in our neighborhood elementary schools, the GDS property would help
alleviate overcrowding at the middle school level. Alice Deal Middle School
is at 110% enrollment capacity (and growing) and is, for example, forced to
schedule some students to a 10:30 am lunch period in order to accommodate
the student body in the building's limited common spaces. This is a once in
a generation opportunity, and if the government doesn't act to purchase the
property now, it will surely be sold by next year. Notably, the funding
identified for this purchase did not affect the budgets of any other
schools or modernizations (it was generated through borrowing within the
current debt cap) and, importantly, it will enable area middle schools to
continue to welcome out of boundary students. Providing funding for the
purchase of this site is the first step in the acquisition process. Now,
the property experts in the Executive branch must analyze offer options and
determine whether or how to move forward. I will keep residents updated on
this project.

On a final note, I would like to offer my condolences to our Attorney
General Karl Racine who lost his mother, [4]Dr. Marie Racine, earlier this
week. Those of us who have lost a parent know this heartbreak and unique
type of loss, and indeed Dr. Racine's death is also a loss for the broader
District community. Dr. Racine was a loving mother and generous
grandmother, and a beloved professor at the University of the District of
Columbia (UDC) where she taught for 45 years. Please keep Karl, his family
and loved ones, her former students, and the UDC community in your thoughts
and prayers as we celebrate her life and [5]lasting legacy.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [6]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

If you know someone who would like to receive these updates directly, he or
she may sign up through [7]marycheh.com

Honoring Congressman John Robert Lewis

Good Trouble - This week thousands of Americans paid their respects and bid
farewell to Representative John Lewis as he lie in state at the U.S.
Capitol. Today, Representative Lewis was further honored with a ceremony at
the Georgia State Capitol Rotunda. PBS will has [8]broadcast his casket
arrival and the ceremony in Georgia for those who wish to watch his return
to his beloved home state.

More from WJLA - Thousands attend public viewing as Congressman John Lewis
lies in state

"It was a tribute unlike any this nation has seen: a [9]public viewing on
the steps of the U.S. Capitol, during which masks were required and social
distancing was enforced. Yet despite coronavirus concerns and extreme heat,
thousands of people showed up to say goodbye to congressman and civil
rights icon John Lewis."

[10]Read the Full Story & View the Photo Gallery

Vote Safe DC: General Election Update

General Election Update - Yesterday, in coordination with Mayor Bowser, the
Council passed emergency legislation to require a minimum of 80 in-person
polling locations for the November 3rd General Election. This effort aims
to increase in-person voting safety and avoid the long wait times and the
logistical failings of the June 2nd Primary Election. There will also be
early voting options.

In an article by [11]WAMU/DCist, the DC Board of Elections (BOE) announced
some planning details and anticipated challenges ahead of the Fall
election. Below are some highlights summarized from the story:
* Voting by Mail - To address the previous ballot mailing issues, BOE
will contract with a specialized mail house to handle the logistics of
sending out almost a half-million ballots, and plans on placing between 40
and 50 ballot drop boxes around the District for voters who don’t want to
rely on the mail *Please Note: the mailing date for ballots has not yet
been announced
* 80 In-Person Polling Places - There will be a minimum of 80 in-person
polling places available for the General Election. BOE warned that even
with an increased number of polling places available, voters could still
see long lines because of high turnout and social distancing requirements
* Vote Anywhere - Any voter will be able cast a ballot at any polling
place
* Super Vote Centers - BOE is working to open “super vote centers” in
large-scale facilities like the Capital One Arena

For more on the safe elections effort, please read further in
[12]WAMU/DCist.

New Signage & Re-Striping for the Chevy Chase Circle

From NBC4 - Chevy Chase Traffic Circle Gets Safety Makeover

“We’ll be adding new signage that makes it clear where drivers should and
should not enter and exit the circle,” said Jeff Marootian, the head of
DDOT.

The biggest change is that if drivers want to continue around the circle,
they can only do that from the inner-most lane. All lanes can still leave
the circle, so drivers don't have to merge into a different lane to exit.
The design is meant to eliminate drivers from cutting one another off."

[13]Read the Full Story

New Mayoral Order: Self-Quarantine after Non-Essential Travel

High-Risk States Identified - Beginning Monday, July 27th, anyone coming
into Washington, DC from a high-risk area who was not traveling for
essential activities will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
States are determined to be a high-risk area are when the seven-day moving
average of daily new COVID-19 cases is 10 or more per 100,000 people.
Individuals traveling from high-risk states after essential travel or
arriving in the District for essential travel are required to self-monitor
for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days and, if they show signs or experience
symptoms, they are to self-quarantine and seek medical advice or testing.
* Please Note: This order excludes Maryland and Virginia

DC Health will publish a list of high-risk areas [14]online and update it
every two weeks. The current list is valid through August 10th.

Current high-risk areas include:

* Arkansas
* Arizona
* Alabama
* California
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Idaho
* Iowa

* Kansas
* Louisiana
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Mexico
* North Carolina

* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* South Carolina
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Washington
* Wisconsin

Mask Mandate Reminder - Under the new Mayor’s Order on masks, everyone must
wear a mask when outside of the home. Exceptions are listed in the
[15]Mayor’s Order, and common exceptions include: children under the age of
three; a person who is in an enclosed office that no one else is allowed to
enter; a person who is actively eating or drinking; and a person who is
engaged in vigorous outdoor exercise and is maintaining social distance of
at least six feet from other people.

Councilmember Cheh Joins the Ask Rayceen Show

[16]

The Ask Rayceen Show - Last Wednesday, Councilmember Cheh joined Rayceen
Pendarvis and Krylios on the 'Ask Rayceen Show' to discuss LGBTQ+ funding
highlights in this year's budget, coronavirus resources and community
needs, civil rights demonstrations, and the removal of Confederate statues
and renaming efforts.

Click [17]here or on the video above to watch the show.

Updated Summer Testing Schedule

[18]

Summer COVID-19 Testing Schedule - For the rest of the summer, the
Anacostia, UDC-CC Bertie Backus, and Judiciary Square sites will open from
8:00 am to 12:00 pm, Monday through Friday. This schedule is listed in the
top graphic.

Firehouse testing will continue to operate from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Monday
through Friday, and 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Saturday. This schedule is
listed in the bottom graphic.
* Please Note: If the heat index hits 100 degrees, the daytime walk-up
sites will close. If there is inclement weather in the evening, firehouse
testing site closure decisions will be made by location.

Event Thursday: Financing Food

Creating an Equitable Food System - Community development financial
institutions (CDFIs) play a critical role in providing funding, capital,
and other resources to hyper-local District food businesses. Join the Food
Policy Council for a dynamic conversation with CDFIs and local business
owners on local access to funding and financing. The discussion will also
address the new [19]DMV Good Food Fund’s Innovative Response Fund, which is
providing much-needed support during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Moderator: Ona Balkus, [20]Food Policy Director at DC Office of Planning

Panelists:
* Olivia Rebanal,[21] Capital Impact Partners
* Daniel Friedman, [22]Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC)
* Lucien Smith, [23]Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif)

And in conversation with DC food business owners:
* Giuseppe Lanzone, [24]Peruvian Brothers
* Jeff Miskiri, [25]Po Boy Jim

Register for this FREE event here: [26]Financing Food

Resources for Reducing Food Waste in Your Kitchen

From the Washington Post - Your food scraps deserve another shot. Here's
how to use peels, stems, and more in your cooking.

Rachael Jackson, founder of [27]EatOrToss.com, which helps consumers
evaluate “questionable-looking” food and provides recipes for reducing food
waste, details some options for those who wish to reduce their food waste
by re-purposing fruit and vegetable peels, rinds, seeds, stems, and more in
her latest piece for the Washington Post.

Below is an excerpt from the article:

"Bean water.[28] [29]Aquafaba, essentially the liquid left over from
draining a can of chickpeas, is kind of magical. It whips up like egg
whites, making vegan mousse, meringue and mayonnaise as accessible as an
appointment with your hand mixer. However, mastering the liquid can be a
little tricky, which is perhaps why the Facebook group [30]Aquafaba (Vegan
Meringue — Hits and Misses!) boasts nearly 100,000 members. For precise
recipes, Washington Post Food and Dining Editor Joe Yonan notes in “Cool
Beans” (Ten Speed Press 2020) that the water from canned chickpeas is more
consistent than what you might drain off garbanzos soaked and cooked at
home (which is excellent for storing them). When baking, about three
tablespoons of the stuff is equivalent to a whole egg. Try it in
[31]Chocolate, Red Bean and Rose Brownies."

[32]Read the Full Story

Please Do Not Suffer Alone: Mental Health Resources Are Available

Monsanto to Pay D.C. $52 Million Over Chemical Pollution in Rivers

From DCist - "The chemical giant Monsanto will pay the District of Columbia
$52 million dollars, as part of a [33]settlement over toxic contamination
in D.C. waterways. It’s one of the largest environmental settlements ever
in the city.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine [34]filed suit against Monsanto in May,
alleging the company had polluted all 36 waterways in the city with
[35]toxic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. The company knew how harmful
the chemicals were for decades, according to the lawsuit, but continued to
promote and sell them...

...The majority of the $52 million will help fund cleanups of the Potomac
and Anacostia Rivers, per the suit. The District is currently working on a
lengthy and expensive [36]plan to remediate PCB contamination in the
sediment of the Anacostia River."

[37]Read the Full Story

Ending this Update on a Happy Note:

Volunteers Brave the Heat to Help Rock Creek Park

Love Rock Creek - Volunteers have been braving the heat and high humidity
(while safely social distancing and wearing masks) this summer to help
restore and preserve our Rock Creek Park lands. Their efforts have included
litter and discarded personal protective equipment (PPE) clean ups, "social
trail" removal to support vulnerable vegetation, and clearing invasive
species (such as growth) that overtake natural wildlife habitats. A big
'thank you' to all the volunteers who have given your time and efforts to
Rock Creek Park so that we may all enjoy this wonderful natural resource!

To learn about future volunteer opportunities, please see: [38]Love Rock
Creek.

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to reach us via phone through our main line at (202)
724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services
requests.

[39]Facebook [40]Twitter

FOLLOW MARY

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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