President’s Message
/
By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org
Before this extraordinary summer in the midst of a global pandemic and on-going protests, I would like to share some news from the Burleith Citizens Association. First, the Board recently had a chance to speak with our new councilmember, Brooke Pinto. She hit the ground running earlier this week and is in the midst of budgetary negotiations and building her staff. She told us that her immediate priorities include restoring funding for projects like the Jelleff Recreation Center, getting needed grants to local small businesses, and ensuring an orderly re-opening of the schools in the fall. We shared some of our concerns such as ensuring vibrant retail in the vicinity, being part of the discussion about plans for changes to the Ellington Field, and concerns about noise and trash from the institutions in and around Burleith. We also invited her for a walking tour of the neighborhood with local historian, Dwane Starlin, when the conditions will permit it. We were quite impressed and look forward to close collaboration on a variety of issues.
Although the District is slowly re-opening we are still in the midst of the most challenging and extraordinary situation any of us have lived through—the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. In light of all the uncertainty, the BCA Board decided to cancel/postpone the summer picnic as well as the spring community clean-up. We hope to get back to a semblance of normalcy soon so that our fall activities can take place as planned. But, predictions are for a challenging season, so we will likely not be able to do much until the new year.
In April, the BCA Board decided to donate $1,000 (originally budgeted for the cancelled summer picnic) to pandemic-related causes. We solicited our members for suggestions and chose the following recipients:
1) $500 for Feed the Fight DC. This organization takes donations 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 has been matching all donations.
2) $300 for Bread for the City. They are also providing free covid-19 testing.
3) $200 for the Capital Area Food Bank.
Meanwhile, I hope that everyone has remained healthy and safe and that the economic impact is more moderate than many fear. There are a variety of testing sites across the city.
I would also like to heartily thank all of the front-line medical personnel and the essential workers who have literally risked their lives so that we can shop for groceries, ride the bus, or have packages delivered. On that note, please do continue to practice proper social distancing (at least 6 feet), avoid gatherings of more than a handful of people, and continue to wear masks in public. Take care also when you are running or jogging—there have been some reports of unsafe and uncourteous behavior.
Please also consider supporting our advertisers Rocklands BBQ and other local businesses like Café Divan and Fresh Baguette, and particularly those that have donated to BCA events over the years: Hop, Cask & Barrel, Silver New American Brasserie (up by the National Cathedral), and Whole Foods.
The litter and medical waste problems that have affected the neighborhood for quite some time appear to be better (but not solved) thanks to efforts by MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. But, we need to remain vigilant and report any medical waste to trash@burleith.org and mguhcommunitycleanup@medstar.net. I really want to thank all the neighbors who have been on top of this issue over many months, but in particular Michael McDuffie, Janie Sims, and Nan Bell.
Grass cutting season is currently in effect. Neighbors must keep all vegetation below 8 inches. You also need to take care of the grass between the sidewalk and street. More information can be found here. There have been some reports of increased sightings of rats in the neighborhood—perhaps a consequence of the shutdown. We have 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.
I hope that if you are not already a member that you will consider joining the Burleith Citizens Association, which is approaching its 100th anniversary in a couple of years.
Also, the BCA has been running its own listserv for a couple of decades. I understand that there are competing local listservs, but please also post to ours because many neighbors only get local information here. You can join by emailing burleith+subscribe@groups.io. To post, email burleith@groups.io. To unsubscribe, email burleith+unsubscribe@groups.io.
Finally, congratulations to the class of 2020!
Stay healthy and enjoy your summer!