President’s Message
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By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org
The Burleith Citizens Association would like to share three pieces of information with you about recent donations during the pandemic, cutting grass and weeds, and rodent control.
A. Donations During the Pandemic. The BCA Board solicited our members (join here) for suggestions of causes to which we could make donations during the current coronavirus pandemic. We chose the following recipients:
$500 for Feed the Fight DC. They take donations from the public to pay local restaurants struggling to stay alive to make large numbers of meals. The meals are then distributed to workers at local hospitals. The organization is matching all donations.
$300 for Bread for the City. They are also providing free covid-19 testing.
$200 for the Capital Area Food Bank.
Below is a list of the suggestions from neighbors in case you would like to consider your own, direct donations (compiled on April 24).
Gift cards for Safeway and Trader Joe's workers* (See note below)
Jose Andres’s World Central Kitchen/#ChefsForAmerica
Please also consider supporting our advertiser Rocklands BBQ and other local businesses like Café Divan, and particularly those that have donated to BCA events over the years: Hop, Cask and Barrel, Silver New American Brasserie, and Whole Foods.
*Although many neighbors like the idea of giving to Safeway and Trader Joe's workers, unfortunately, this presents too many challenges currently: 1) Safeway alone has 100+ employees. Thus, each contribution would be rather small; 2) There would be some logistical issues distributing the cards. I talked to a Safeway manager and she agreed. There was an alternative idea of providing doughnuts for the workers. The Trader Joe's manager said they currently have a ban on communal foods; I assume Safeway would/should have a similar policy. For now, we will give them thank you cards. We can think about a more comprehensive way to show our gratitude once the situation normalizes itself.
B. Grass and Weed Cutting. As of May 1, grass cutting season is in effect. Neighbors must keep all vegetation below 8 inches. Please also take care of the grass in the treebox (the area between the sidewalk and street) in front of your house. More information can be found here.
C. Rodent Control. There have been some reports of increased sightings of rats in the neighborhood--perhaps due to the consequences of the shutdown. Out website has information on abatement measures here. Be sure to submit a request through DC's 311 system.
Also, if your green or blue bin is damaged (rats often gnaw through the plastic and create holes), please request a free repair.
Stay healthy!