November 23, 2020

Coronavirus Update: DCPS, ZooLights Express, & Slow Streets

Dear Neighbors,

Earlier this month, I sent a [1]six page letter to the DC Public Schools
Chancellor outlining a number of outstanding questions and concerns I had
on DCPS's reopening plan. The items and recommendations noted in the letter
(including safety and testing protocols, HVAC operations, and data
transparency) were informed by my and my staff's experiences during DCPS's
small group school tours that were held the end of October and during the
first week in November. If there was any degree of certainty to be garnered
from that experience, it was that our local school leadership and staff are
deeply committed to student safety and are putting forth every effort,
often in the absence of assistance from the Central Office, to meeting the
needs of their students.

Last Friday, I received a response to my letter that I would like to share
with parents and the DCPS community. In his [2]letter back to me,
Chancellor Ferebee provided a helpful snapshot of what DCPS is considering
in terms of reopening procedures and basic school operations. Notably, DCPS
has committed to publicly reporting the total number of personnel and
students who test positive and are under quarantine due to COVID-19.
However, it is troubling that, to date, specific guidance for each school's
unique circumstances/needs has not yet been provided, even though DCPS
anticipated that in-school learning would have resumed on the 9th. As
regional coronavirus cases only continue to rise, it is unclear when a
return date will be announced. Until that happens, I'll continue to pursue
my unanswered questions and express my reopening concerns with DCPS and
will keep residents updated of any further developments.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [3]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

All public coronavirus testing sites will be closed on Thursday, November
26th, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday

If you know someone who would like to receive these updates directly, he or
she may sign up through [4]marycheh.com

The Bridge Fund: $100 Million for Local Businesses

From The Washington Post - D.C. launches $100 million grant program for
hard-hit businesses

"The D.C. government has launched a new program that will allocate $100
million in grant funding to local businesses, a fresh injection of cash
officials hope will help carry the city’s hardest-hit industries through
the coronavirus pandemic.

The Business Support Grants Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, passed by the
D.C. Council in July, authorized the city to draw as much as $100 million
of Cares Act funding to support local businesses... The fund targets
restaurants, hotels, entertainment and retail, which will be allowed to
start applying for grants in coming weeks."

[5]Read the Full Story

National Zoo Closing, Woodley Park Business Support & ZooLights Express

Zoo Closure & the Local Business Community - Due to [6]rising regional and
national cases related to the coronavirus pandemic, all Smithsonian
museums, including the National Zoo in Ward 3, will temporarily close to
the public starting Today, [7]November 23rd.

While a responsible decision, this will undoubtedly adversely effect our
local businesses in Woodley Park that traditionally depend on Zoo crowds
and tourism. In the coming months, these businesses will especially need
our support and patronage. To learn more about promotions, holiday
specials, and ways to support local businesses, please see the resources
provided by the [8]Woodley Park Main Street: [9]here.

[10]

New ZooLights Express - ZooLights will not be held on-site at the Zoo this
year. Instead, a 24-foot truck, festively decorated with light displays,
will hit the road from November 27th through December 19th to visit each
Ward across the District. Dubbed the [11]ZooLights Express, the truck will
include a "Panda Claws" mascot and will drive along predetermined routes
from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on designated nights.

Ward 3's [12]ZooLights Express night will be on Friday, December 4th along
the route outlined to the right.

Councilmember Cheh's Experience in the Moderna Vaccine Trial

[13]

From WUSA9 - DC councilmember in Moderna trial says COVID vaccine gave her
side effects, but strongly encourages everyone to get the shot

With Moderna releasing positive preliminary results of its COVID-19
vaccine's efficacy, DC Councilmember Mary Cheh shared Tuesday that she is
participating in the clinical trial through the NIH.

Moderna's Monday announcement that its vaccine is showing a 94.5% efficacy
encouraged Cheh that she helped to make a positive difference...She said
any side effects she experienced pale in comparison to catching COVID — and
are worth the temporary discomfort.

Her message to the public: "Please when the vaccine comes out, please
everybody take it.”

[14]Watch the Segment & Read the Full Story

Combating Animal Cruelty: A Discussion with the Humane Rescue Alliance

[15]

Protecting the District's Animals - Earlier this week, Lisa LaFontaine,
President and CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA), hosted a virtual
discussion with Councilmember Cheh on the [16]Animal Care and Control
Omnibus Act currently under consideration by the Council. The legislation
makes several important changes to the manner in which the District
protects domestic animals and supports HRA's important work, including its
ability to respond to life-threatening animal-related emergencies. HRA’s
vice president of field services, Chris Schindler, joined the discussion
and provided updates on recent Humane Law Enforcement cases that highlight
the need to pass the omnibus legislation.

To watch the discussion, please [17]click here or on the above video.
* If you are interested in receiving future updates about the Animal Care
and Control Omnibus Act and HRA’s other advocacy work, please email
[18][email protected] to be added to the Animal Advocacy
Alliance email list.

Help DDOT Improve the Slow Streets Program

Slow Streets Community Questionnaire - In June of this year, the District
Department of Transportation (DDOT) closed a number of residential streets
to through traffic and created a network of [19]Slow Streets to better
enable residents to safely exercise and enjoy the outdoors while
maintaining a safe social distance from others. These street modifications
have been in place for a few months and just recently received new,
[20]additional signage. However, there have been mixed reactions from
residents concerning the effectiveness and implementation of the program.

[21]

On Monday, November 16th, Councilmember Cheh held a [22]Public Roundtable
on the Slow Streets Program (linked to the right) where the DDOT Director
noted that the agency is currently collecting feedback on the program.
Residents are encouraged to offer input and suggestions through the survey
available here: [23][24]Slow Streets Questionnaire

This Week's Public Testing Schedule

[25]

Free Coronavirus Testing - For a larger format of the schedule above,
please see: [26]Situational Report.

Public Input Needed: A New Name for Wilson High School

Vote on a New Name - As noted in previous Ward 3 community newsletters, the
District is in the process of selecting a new name for our [27]Ward 3 high
school. A nomination form released by DC Public Schools (DCPS) in October
received over 2,000 responses, and, from that list, DCPS has narrowed the
names to seven finalists for public input. DCPS has provided the following
descriptions for each candidate:
1. August Wilson (1945 – 2005) - Mr. Wilson was a playwright who
chronicled the African American experience in the 20th century through his
plays. Among the numerous honors and awards that he received for his work
are the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play for
“Fences,” and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Piano Lesson.”
2. Edna B. Jackson (1911 - 2004) – Ms. Jackson was a DC native and
educator. Possibly known best for being the first black teacher at Wilson
HS, she also taught at Cardozo HS and volunteered at River Terrace
Community School upon her retirement.
3. Hilda Mason (1916 – 2007) - As a member of the DC Statehood Party, Ms.
Mason was an advocate for DC statehood and served as an at-large member of
the DC Council for 22 years. She was also an educator who held roles in the
District as a teacher and assistant principal.
4. Marion Barry (1936 – 2014) – Mr. Barry served two stints totaling 16
years as the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and two stints as the Ward
8 Representative on the DC Council totaling 12 years. Prior to his
political career in the District, he was involved in the civil rights
movement, serving as the first chairman of the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
5. Northwest – This is the quadrant of the city where the school sits.
DCPS has other schools named for areas of the city, for example Brightwood
EC, Capitol Hill Montessori EC, and Eastern HS. A number of individuals
submitting nominations expressed that in naming the school for a location
as opposed to an individual, we would be more likely to avoid controversy
in the future as an individual’s legacy could come into question.
6. Vincent E. Reed (1928 – 2017) – Dr. Reed’s career in education saw him
hold a number of teaching and administrative roles. These include being the
first black Principal of Wilson High School, Superintendent of DC Public
Schools, and Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education at
the US Department of Education. He also served as the Washington Post’s
vice president for communications.
7. William Syphax (1825 – 1891) – Mr. Syphax served as the first President
of the Board of Trustees of Colored Schools of Washington and Georgetown.
He was involved in the creation of the Preparatory High School for Colored
Youth which became Dunbar HS, as well as the Lincoln, Stevens, and Sumner
Schools that were the first African American schools considered equally
designed to those built for white students. He was also active in movements
for racial and civic advancement and served as one of the founders of the
Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon for twenty
years.

Feedback provided on these names will be considered by Chancellor Ferebee
and Mayor Bowser in selecting a new school name to propose to the DC
Council.

If you would like to weigh-in on any of the candidates above, please fill
out the following survey: [28]A New Name for Ward 3's High School.

Ward 3 Leaf Collections - Round 1

2020 Leaf Collections - The Department of Public Works (DPW) announced that
the agency has returned the leaf collections program back to vacuum
collections and that residents will no longer be required to bag leaves
this season. Just as in prior years, residents are asked to rake leaves to
the curb or into the tree box in front of their homes (but not into the
street).

Collections will occur twice in each neighborhood during the collections
season that runs from November 9th through January 30th, 2021:

More Electric Charging Stations Coming to the District

From WAMU - The District May Mandate Electric Vehicle Infrastructure In New
And Renovated Buildings

"A Bloomberg report estimates [29]nearly 60% of new car sales will be
electric in the next 20 years, though access to charging is among buyers’
top concerns about electric vehicle ownership.

Cheh said the Council wants to see the District’s population transition to
electric vehicles (and public transit, walking and biking) to help meet its
climate goals, but they hope eliminating the concerns about charging would
help spur more electric vehicle ownership. [30]D.C. hopes to be a
carbon-neutral city by 2050."

[31]Read the Full Story

Ending this Update on a Happy Note:

Ward 3 Business Steps Up for Seniors this Thanksgiving

Supporting Seniors - Medium Rare, a restaurant located in the Cleveland
Park commercial corridor, is providing free Thanksgiving meals for our
seniors who will otherwise be home alone for the holiday.

Many neighbors may be familiar with Medium Rare's previous [32]good work in
the community when they delivered meals to home-bound seniors during the
height of the pandemic. If you know of someone who would benefit, please
send the team at Medium Rare an [33]email with the person's name, address,
and cell phone number.

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.

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References

1. [link removed] School Reopening Tours(1).pdf
2. [link removed] Cheh Reopening Response Letter(1).pdf
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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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