Ward 3 Update:

Dear Neighbors,

A COVID Center will soon open in Ward 3 and will serve as a one stop shop for walk-up vaccinations, boosters, PCR testing, and rapid antigen testing. COVID Centers are opening in each Ward, and we will know our site's location and hours of operation once the Executive finalizes lease negotiations with the property owner within the next few days. For now, it looks as though these new COVID Centers are adding to our inventory of coronavirus resources and will not replace the walk-up testing sites at our firehouses and libraries or the pop-up vaccination clinics. On that note, Ward 3 will host three walk-up family vaccination clinics (for children aged 5 to 17 and their caregivers) this week:

January 25th, 3:30-7:30 pm: Edmund Burke School (4101 Connecticut Ave NW)
January 25th, 3:30-7:30 pm: Mann Elementary School (4430 Newark St NW)
January 27th, 3:30 -7:30 pm: Murch Elementary School (4810 36th St NW)

It has been reported to me that there is some confusion with regard to the live test inventory reporting online. To clarify: sites typically report their daily inventory at or just before they open. So, if you checked the Rapid Test Inventory Map at 8:00 am this morning, the DC Library sites would not have been listed as they opened at 10:00 am. As with all our testing and vaccination sites, supply inventory and hours of operation can differ from day to day, so it is important to always check online before heading out to a site:

Rapid Antigen Testing Kits, check the inventory/daily schedule here
Pick Up/Drop Off PCR Testing Kits, check the inventory/daily schedule here
Walk-Up PCR Testing Sites, check the daily schedule here
A new 'COVID Center' tab has been added to coronavirus.dc.gov and will be updated daily with hours of operation for each Ward's COVID Center site

Of course, residents are also welcome to take advantage of our at-home vaccination services and at-home rapid antigen testing by the Ready Responders. To schedule an at-home vaccination, please call 1-855-363-0333. To schedule an at-home rapid test with the Ready Responders, please call 202-602-0814. And, if you haven't done so already, submit your request for the free rapid test kits being provided by the federal government. Orders are being processed through the US Postal Service, to place your order, please click: here.

Regards,

Mary

Used Rapid Test Kits: what is trash & what is recyclable?

Only two items in the rapid antigen testing kits can be recycled: the paper box and the paper instructions.

Everything pictured below is NOT recyclable. The multi-laminate test card pouch is a mix of metal and plastic materials, which renders it unrecyclable. In addition to potentially being contaminated, the swab, plastic packet, test tube, and test strip are all too small to be recycled, so please throw them in the trash.

Thank you to Charlotte Dreizen, formerly with the Zero Waste DC team, for sharing her expertise on the best disposal practices for the District's rapid test kits.

Introducing Ward 3's ANC Redistricting Task Force

ANC Redistricting is Now Underway - With Ward 3's boundaries now finalized, the Ward 3 ANC Redistricting Task Force will begin the process of evaluating/proposing boundaries for our Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) and Single Member Districts (SMDs).

The Ward 3 Task Force has launched a website that includes the upcoming public meeting schedule, instructions on how to join the virtual meetings, and redistricting resources: Ward 3 ANC Redistricting Task Force. If you have any questions or comments to share with the Task Force, please email: [email protected].

Thank you to our Ward 3 Task Force members:

Jerry Malitz, Chair - Chevy Chase
Kamolika Das - McClean Gardens
Jimmy DuBois - Woodley Park
Tricia Duncan - Palisades
Brian Flahaven - Friendship Heights

Corina Garay - Glover Park
Troy Kravitz - Spring Valley
Mary Alice Levine - Tenleytown
Thomas Sneeringer - Wakefield
Bob Ward - Cleveland Park

An Update from the Van Ness Safety Walk

Safety in Ward 3 - Councilmember Cheh, pictured right, joined the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Metro Transit Police, the Van Ness Main Street, and Forest Hills neighbors for a safety discussion and walk along the Van Ness corridor.

To help respond to the increase in business thefts and safety concerns in the area, the Second District has approved Councilmember Cheh's request for a designated officer to conduct daily patrols along Connecticut Avenue (weather permitting).

Ward 3 Quick Reads

Renaming the Chevy Chase Circle Fountain - Two Senators have introduced legislation to remove Francis G. Newlands' name from the fountain at the center of Ward 3's Chevy Chase Circle. Read more on this effort in DCist: U.S. Senators Seek To Remove Segregationist’s Name From Chevy Chase Circle.

Casey Trees Testifies in Support of Councilmember Cheh's "Urban Forest Preservation Authority Amendment Act" - Read more on the latest effort to protect old growth heritage trees and the District's urban canopy: here.

Wegmans is Hiring - The District's first Wegmans is scheduled to open this summer at Ward 3's City Ridge and is in the process of hiring for over 300 positions. For more information on the hiring announcement, please click: here.

An Update on the Wardman Redevelopment - For an update on how the redevelopment of the former Marriott Wardman Park could fit within the context of the Comprehensive Plan and the District’s affordable housing goals, please see Councilmember Cheh's recent community letter: here.

A Call for Cleaning Supply Donations for the Feed the Family Pantry!

Help Our Ward 3 Neighbors - The Feed the Family Pantry not only offers fresh produce and access to healthy foods for neighbors in need, they also provide cleaning supplies and home essentials –and they can use our help!

This Week's Needed Donations: unopened containers of bleach and laundry detergent, high-quality masks, paper towels, sponges, cleaning products, and personal hygiene products of all kinds (including shampoo and body wash).

How to Drop Off Donations: Located at the rear of 4225 Connecticut Ave NW (on Veazey Terrace), the Feed the Family Pantry welcomes donation drop offs every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm.

For more information on how to support the pantry and details on how you can host a cleaning supply drive with your school, workplace, faith group, community organization, or neighborhood, please see: feedthefamily.org.

Climate Resiliency in the District of Columbia

Resilient & Ready - Councilmember Cheh, Councilmember Allen, and Councilmember McDuffie held joint public roundtables on climate resiliency and climate planning in the District. At the hearings, experts and agency planners discussed the efforts currently underway to prepare the District for climate change as well as propose plans for future climate resiliency initiatives.

Click here or on the video above to watch invited experts speak on themed panels at the first resiliency hearing. Use the timestamps below to jump to the beginning of each topic-specific panel:

Climate Change & Resiliency: 16:30
Utility Operations: 1:52:34
Emergency & Floodplain Planning: 3:44:40
Food & Health Policy: 4:32:26
Sustainable Infrastructure: 5:34:38

Reminder: VPP Passes Now Valid Through April 15th

VPP Extension - Due to legislation passed by Councilmember Cheh, residents' hard copy 2020 visitor parking passes are now valid through April 15th, 2022.

The extension was passed in order to provide the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) with more time to fix the many issues identified with ParkDC as well as address the new process problems identified by residents and Council offices.

Ending this Update on a Happy Note:

Councilmember Cheh Joins the AKAs on MLK Jr. Day

Let's Talk Food Policy - Last Monday, Councilmember Cheh joined the Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for a discussion on food insecurity in the District. The panel was part of the organization's Martin Luther King Jr. Community Impact Day of Service and featured a myriad of perspectives and food policy experts, including speakers from the food retail sector, community-based organizations, and the food policy/advocacy field.

Click here or on the video above to watch and listen to the discussion!

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.