President’s Message
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By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org
I hope you are enjoying the late spring/early summer weather. With all the rain recently, things are growing pretty rapidly. This is great for my garden, but it also means that grass and weeds are taking off. I should remind everyone that homeowners are responsible for maintaining not only their front yards, but also the grassy median between the sidewalk and street. If you are a renter, please contact your landlord about mowing. Perhaps remind them that this is not something that can be done once or twice a year. As I have mentioned before, many of the green trash bins are still in poor shape and are attractive to rats and other vermin. Please contact 311 to request a new lid for free.
And on this note, the semi-annual community clean-up will take place on Saturday, June 4, from 9–11 am. As always, we will meet at the gatehouses of Ellington Field right at 9 am and then fan out across the neighborhood. I’d like to thank Janice Sims for organizing and Georgetown University, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and Lenore G. Rubino (Burleith neighbor and Realtor/Washington Fine Properties) for supporting our efforts to keep the neighborhood clean and safe.
Our most important annual event, the Burleith Summer Picnic is back, taking place on Saturday, June 11, from 4–8 pm at the Green Lot off 37th Street. Our theme is “Happy Days Are Here Again.” As always we will have copious amounts of food (Rocklands) and drink, activities for kids, and a live band (playing from 4:30–7:30 pm). Mayor Muriel Bowser has confirmed her attendance, but unfortunately, Councilmember Brooke Pinto will be unable to attend due to a previous commitment. This is always a great time, so let’s hope for good weather. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
As for other neighborhood issues, there has been radio silence from the Department of Parks and Recreation over their plans to renovate Ellington Field—despite representatives attending the monthly ANC meetings. Preliminary plans were shared a while back, and there is $5 million budgeted with an anticipated start announced for late summer/early fall. Still, there has been no communication since January and a variety of concerns—lighting, usage, parking/traffic—are unaddressed. I have spoken with Councilmember Pinto and folks from Hillandale about this. I will be in touch if there is anything to report. At a minimum, I think we need a significant delay to work out issues and to see if any changes to Jelleff, especially opening it up for local schools to use, will affect the plans.
The project to replace water mains on R Street (and eventually part of 38th Street and Reservoir Road) is proceeding in fits and starts. They appear to be finished with the stretch from Wisconsin to 35th and should be working soon on the portion between 35th and 36th. They estimate completion by August, but there are weather and likely supply delays. I have not heard anything about related disruptions, but please feel free to let us know if you are negatively affected. The team is quite responsive.
Finally, we are always looking for volunteers, especially as we gear up for Burleith’s centennial in 2023. If you would like to volunteer, please email bca@burleith.org. If you are not a member of the BCA or if your membership has lapsed, please consider joining/renewing your membership.
Congratulations to the class of 2022!