Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Before we dive into this week's newsletter, I want to share that we've heard from several neighbors and businesses about major power outages in Ward 5 this evening. My team is in touch with Pepco, and we've heard there are two primary outages - one in the Eckington area affecting appoximately 175 customers, and another…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  This week has been full of opportunities to remember that we are stronger when we tackle challenges together. From public safety, to food insecurity, to the work of the new Subcommittee on Libraries and Youth Affairs, we are coming together to build the healthy communities we deserve.  In August, neighbors in Woodridge…

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 3:00 p.m., Councilmember Parker hosted the Ward 5 Monthly Public Safety Call. There was a robust discussion across agencies about school safety, as we welcomed guests from the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice's Safe Passage Program, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT's) Safe Routes to School initiative,…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Do you know where your food comes from? In our modern era, we have become increasingly disconnected from the farms, people, and systems that help put food on our tables. The pandemic revealed how fragile our food system is, and how important it is to have more food grown here regionally. What's more,…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  "Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities." - R. David Lankes (Director of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina)  If you've been to one of DC Public Library's neighborhood locations or the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library,…