July 28, 2022

Ward 3 Update: Monkeypox and School Readiness


Dear Neighbors,


As you may have seen, the World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global health emergency. Monekypox is a rare but serious disease that is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. It does not spread as easily as COVID-19, but it still requires our attention to stop the spread and keep our community safe. More information about how to identify monkeypox, prevent transmission, and get vaccinated is listed later in this newsletter.

On a lighter note, my annual school readiness tours will begin next week. I'll be touring every school in the ward (and Hardy, which has a high population of Ward 3 students) to ensure our principals, teachers, staff, and students have what they need for a successful start to the school year. The first day of school for DCPS students is on Monday, August 29th.

Regards,

Mary

 

Upcoming Events

 

Monkeypox

The symptoms of monkeypox can begin with:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Backache
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • Exhaustion

DC Health reports that "within 1-3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. The rash can progress from being flat and red, to being a bump, to being fluid-filled, to being pus-filled, and then to being a scab.Symptoms usually appear between 7-14 days after exposure but can range between 5-21 days. The illness typically lasts between 2-4 weeks."

To prevent transmission, DC Health recommends taking the following steps:

  • Avoid coming into contact with people recently diagnosed with the virus or those who may have been infected.
  • Wear a face mask if you are in close contact with someone who has symptoms.
  • Practice good hand hygiene, especially after coming into contact with infected — or suspected infected. For instance, wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Use personal protective equipment when caring for patients with confirmed or suspected monkeypox infection.

There is a monkeypox vaccination available. Here are the eligibility criteria:

  • Gay, bisexual, and other men 18 and older who have sex with men and have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last 14 days); OR
  • Transgender women and nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with men; OR
  • Sex workers (of any sex); OR
  • Staff (of any sex) at establishments where sexual activity occurs (e.g., bathhouses, saunas, sex clubs).

If you meet these criteria, you can preregister for a vaccination appointment here.

 

MPD National Night Out

MPD's Second District will host their annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2nd, from 5pm-8pm at Guy Mason Recreation Center (3600 Calvert Street NW). The purpose of National Night Out is to:

  • Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
  • Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
  • Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
  • Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

For more details, click here.

 

Legislation Introduced before Summer Recess

On July 14th, I introduced three key pieces of legislation on solitary confinement, solar energy, and booting and impoundment. 

The Eliminating Restrictive and Segregated Enclosures (“ERASE”) Solitary Confinement Act of 2022 would prohibit almost all forms of segregated confinement in jails and youth detention facilities. It would strictly limit the use of safe cells and require that incarcerated people with mental health emergencies receive the care to which they are entitled. It would also require the Department of Corrections and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to create a plan to eliminate segregated confinement and report to the Council the effects of doing so. The legislation was co-introduced by Councilmembers Nadeau, Lewis George, McDuffie, Silverman, and R. White.

Patricia Sulton, executive director of DC Justice Lab, said “This bill is extraordinarily important. Solitary confinement is a cruel, inhumane and degrading form of punishment and amounts to torture under international law. Any amount of time in solitary confinement increases the chances of suicide, opioid addiction, death by homicide and recidivism upon release.”

The Local Solar Expansion Amendment Act of 2022 would amend the District's renewable portfolio standards to raise the local solar carveout from 10% to 15% by 2041. It would also eliminate a phaseout of the alternative compliance payment. These two changes will ensure that the Council's policies continue to incentivize local solar development; without them, many residents might instead be discouraged from installing solar panels. The legislation was co-introduced by Councilmembers Nadeau, Pinto, Lewis George, Allen, Gray, Bonds, and Henderson.

The Booting and Impoundment Reform Act of 2022 would provide the Department of Public Works (DPW) with authority to enter private commercial garages and parking lots for purposes of booting boot-eligible vehicles. It would also require DPW to implement a real-time boot crew alert system; to, at times, deviate from pre-determined routes in order to boot or impound eligible vehicles; and to publish an annual report on the agency’s booting and impoundment efforts.

I also plan to have a roundtable in the fall on traffic enforcement including booting and towing, points for ATE violations, and other possible enforcement strategies.

 

Len Oliver

I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Len Oliver, a longtime District resident and soccer enthusiast. Len was a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and served as the director of coaching for DC Stoddert Soccer (now DC Soccer Club) for many years. I actually got my soccer coaching license through his program.

I had previously introduced a ceremonial resolution for Len in 2014, which was passed by the Council, but I plan to introduce another this fall when the Council returns from recess.

Click here to read the Washington Post's obituary.

 

Fort Reno Concert Series

Fort Reno's annual summer concert series is ongoing. Here are the upcoming dates and performers:

The concerts begin at 7pm in Fort Reno Park (4000 Chesapeake St NW). For more information, click here.

 

DCPS Vaccine Requirement

As the beginning of the school year approaches, it's important to remember that the COVID-19 vaccination requirement is in effect for students 12 and older. If you haven't already done so, please make a plan to get yourself and your family vaccinated at a local pharmacy or at one of the District's COVID Centers.

Of course, COVID-19 is just one of the vaccines required to attend school. Make sure you're up-to-date on the following vaccinations as well:

  • Diphtheria
  • Tetanus
  • Pertussis
  • Mumps
  • Measles
  • Rubella
  • Polio
  • Haemophilus influenza type (Hib)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Varicella 

For more information on the vaccination requirement, click here.

 

Report Helicopter Noise

The Eastern Region Helicopter Council and the Helicopter Association International are running a trial helicopter noise reporting system. Residents can submit helicopter noise issues to the trial helicopter noise reporting system via website, mobile app, or by calling 877-209-3200.

 

Tenleytown Main Street Trivia Night

Tenleytown Main Street will host Trivia Night on Tuesday, August 2nd at 7:30pm at Guapo's (4515 Wisconsin Ave NW). It's free, and you can win $25 in Tenley Bucks to spend at local businesses.

 

In the News

Legal Sports Report: Councilmembers Unconvinced GambetDC Can Lead DC Sports Betting

"Councilmember Mary Cheh pulled no punches in her opening statement:

'Like many others on the Council and elsewhere, I’ve been very frustrated by the way sports betting has played out here so far. … Now I hate to say I told you so but I’m going to. I told you so. I opposed this contract from the beginning. … We were told we needed a sole-source compact to hurry up and beat the other jurisdictions and all this other stuff; it was all nonsense.'"

WUSA9: 'Chaos' | DC Council, non-profits call on Mayor Bowser to assist migrants bused from Texas

"Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau, Robert White, Elissa Silverman, Charles Allen, Janeese Lewis George, Mary Cheh, Brooke Pinto, Christina Henderson, Vincent Gray, and Chairman Phil Mendelson sent Mayor Bowser a letter Thursday about the situation at Union Station."

E&E News: Washington set to be 2nd East Coast city with gas ban

"Mary Cheh, a D.C. councilmember and Democratic lead sponsor of both bills, called climate change 'the single most important environmental issue of our time.' She said the legislation would serve as a blueprint for the district’s climate action, particularly since buildings account for about three-quarters of the district’s emissions.

'The technology is there to do this; this bill puts us on a path toward getting it done,' said Cheh in a statement.

One of the Washington bills, known as the 'Clean Energy DC Building Code Amendment Act,' would prohibit the use of fossil fuels for space and water heat in new commercial buildings — a category that includes residences four stories and up — starting in 2027. By that same year, those buildings would need to be considered 'net-zero energy,' meaning they would have to produce or conserve more energy on-site from solar panels or other sources than they consume. . . .

A second bill, called the 'Climate Commitment Act,' contains a similar ban on fossil fuel heat for new district-owned buildings, such as schools, starting in 2025.

Its provisions would also look beyond the buildings sector. By 2026, all vehicles bought or leased by the district would have to be zero-emissions models, while all of the district’s operations would need to be carbon-free by 2040. Five years later, the entire city would have to go carbon-neutral, with a 60 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions arriving in 2030, compared with 2005 levels.

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s top energy official, Tommy Wells, said the mayor supported both bills. . . .

'This is implementing what the mayor said she was going to do,' said Mark Rodeffer, co-chair of the Beyond Gas subcommittee for the Sierra Club’s D.C. chapter, which worked closely with Cheh on the measures. 'So we think it’s really important to make sure these plans are realized.'"
 

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 email or phone through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services requests.
 
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