President's Message
/By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org
Another busy year in our community is rapidly coming to an end as the holiday season approaches. Before the BCA concludes 2018, I would like to alert you to two final events. On Sunday afternoon, December 2, Santa Claus and his helpers will be visiting children around Burleith; and from December 14–19 we will once again sponsor a holiday decoration contest with judging on the 19th. Please check your email for more details as we get closer to the dates. Also, it is not too early to mark your calendars for our first event of 2019, the Winter Gløgg Party, provisionally scheduled for Sunday, February 3, which will take place before the Superbowl starts.
We are always looking for volunteers. Right now, we are in need of a new organizer for the summer picnic, which will likely be on June 15 next year. If you are interested, please email us at bca@burleith.org. Also, I know that the federal tax code has changed, but as the year closes and you are looking for a venue for tax-deductible donations, please consider giving to the Burleith Community Fund (BCF).
The 2018 BCA Annual Meeting was held on Thursday, November 8, at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Everything is in order with the association—our finances are sound and our newly elected board is 12 strong, with in-coming members Alicia Amling, Andrew Dunnaville, Linda Hager Hall, and Michael McDuffie. We continued our tradition of providing certificates of appreciation to supporters of the community. This year, we honored Christopher Murphy, Georgetown University’s vice president of external engagement; Town Hall, which has donated a lot to the summer picnic; and the Washington International School, which has generously opened its space for our meetings and events over the years. A particular highlight of the meeting was Mayor Muriel Bowser’s lengthy remarks on the current state of DC, her first address to a community meeting after her re-election two days before. On that note, congratulations to all of the winning candidates for various offices, in particular, Kishan Putta, who will be the new ANC 2E representative for Burleith and Hillandale. I would like to thank all of the individuals who made the annual meeting such a success with an especial shout-out to Hop, Cask & Barrel, which provided the beverages, and Silver at Cathedral Commons, which generously donated the delicious food.
The BCA will have a full agenda in the new year. We will continue to monitor the impacts of projects such as the green alley initiative, construction at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and other projects such as improvements near the Tot Lot, the soon-to-be opened Trader Joe’s on Wisconsin, and the renovation of Hyde-Addison School (where Burleith children will attend once it re-opens). The BCA will also continue to represent the community in front of the ANC and on the Georgetown Community Partnership.
Moreover, there are some new initiatives that we would like to consider. There is some discussion about making T (going west) and S (going east) Streets one-ways, mainly to accommodate the D2 bus that often snarls traffic on T. Such changes might also allow for the installation of bicycle lanes as well. We will reach out to DDOT and the community via a survey. We will also try to avoid the loss of any parking places if changes are implemented. We are also contemplating ways that the BCA can support our local schools, such as Hardy Middle. Finally, Burleith will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023, so it is not too early to start brainstorming. Please also be on the lookout for a survey where we solicit ideas for the centennial.
To conclude, we are bidding farewell to several board members who have volunteered countless hours over many years for the betterment of the BCA and our community more generally. Stacy Davis has been an amazing editor of the Burleith Bell over the last few years, as well as helping out the BCA in countless other ways. Liane Jones has masterfully cultivated our relationships with advertisers and has assisted with innumerable BCA events such as the summer picnic. Kay Twomey has been a constant and ever-thoughtful presence on the Board for a decade and has done yeoman’s work with events, especially organizing our marquee summer picnic. I wish her all the best with her new position on the board of Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
Finally, Ed Solomon, our ANC commissioner for the last 14 years, will be concluding his tenure at the end of the month. I would like to thank Ed from the bottom of my heart for his years of dedicated service to Burleith. His list of accomplishments is long but highlights include: helping to guide the community through the renovations of Hardy Middle School and Duke Ellington School of the Arts, advocating for the neighborhood in the context of the Georgetown University campus plan, and leading a city-wide coalition to combat the increase in airplane noise from National Airport. He has also helped individual neighbors in myriad ways. For example, years ago, there was an intrusive noise emanating from the AC/compressor units at the recently renovated Hardy Middle School. Ed set up a meeting with stakeholders at midnight one evening to assess the situation and then pressured the contractors until the problem was solved. This anecdote epitomizes Ed’s tireless commitment to neighbors. The residents of Burleith are truly grateful.
Happy Holidays!