President's Message

By Eric Langenbacher, langenbe@hotmail.com

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the annual Burleith summer picnic on June 20. I think it was one of the best turnouts in years, as you'll see by the picnic photos. We were lucky that the rain held off—at least until the very end. I’d like to thank all of the volunteers who made this happen, especially Kay Twomey, Liane Jones, Rich Field, Ann Carper, and Linda Brooks. We are also grateful to all of our sponsors—Rocklands, Georgetown University, Lenore Rubino Realtor, Town Hall, Unleashed by Petco—and all of the businesses that donated prizes for the raffle.

As the summer is upon us, many things are winding down. Nevertheless, I would like to mention a few items:

• The Department of Transportation will be extending the bike lanes from New Mexico Avenue/Tunlaw Road in Glover Park all the way down to 37th Street and Reservoir Road. From Calvert Street through Burleith this will not entail any loss of parking spaces to make way for bike lanes. Rather, “share the road” markings will be installed.
• The BCA Board has had several conversations about making our neighborhood more environmentally sustainable. On July 23, at 6:30 pm, we will have an event at the Georgetown Library where various initiatives will be discussed. This should be an informative evening, so if you are in town, please think about attending.
• The call box restoration initiative is progressing rapidly. In fact, contractors are working on the first box at 36th and S Streets. We will provide updates on the website and via email over the summer as things are finished. I think everyone will be impressed with the red, gray/black, and gold colors, along with the handsome zinc plaques.

With so many neighbors on vacation, I would ask that everyone be a little more vigilant regarding suspicious activity. Also, please remember to lock your cars and doors. There is evidence of an increase in thefts in our vicinity. Crimes of opportunity might increase this time of the year.

Finally, with the two recent deaths of pedestrians in nearby neighborhoods—including the horrible accident at Calvert and Wisconsin—I hope that everyone will take more care and attention when driving (or walking). It still seems that many drivers treat stop signs as optional—especially on 35th and 37th Streets. In the fall, the Board will look into additional signage at many Burleith intersections

I hope everyone has a relaxing and productive summer.