Tomorrow-10AM-Rm 500-Full Council meets as Committee of the Whole & in Legislative Meeting https://t.co/dfSXR2VRZ7 & https://t.co/68qeNTeuMW
— Council of DC (@councilofdc) February 29, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
March 1: COW and Legislative Meeting
Data about children, youth, drugs, and Ward 7 coming March 1
The Ward 7 Safe & Drug-Free Communities Coalition is talking child and youth drug use data every day during the month of March. Starting March 1, the Coalition will Tweet (@Ward7sdcc) and post on their website a fact about child and youth drug use in Ward 7.
Lois Callahan, project director, has said, "It's as though youth drug use is just accepted among adults. Maybe if we confront adults with how bad it really is we can build a stronger movement to support our young people."
Full disclosure: I work for the Coalition.
Millenials in DC
Sunday, February 28, 2016
February 29: March 1 leg meeting media briefing
COUNCIL CHAIRMAN MENDELSON TO HOLD LEGISLATIVE MEDIA BRIEFING WHO/WHAT:
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson will hold a Media Briefing to preview the Council’s upcoming Legislative Meeting.WHEN:
Monday, February 29, 2016
10:30 a.m.WHERE:
John A. Wilson Building, Room 120, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004BACKGROUND:
Chairman Mendelson will hold a media briefing to discuss major actions to be taken at the Council’s legislative meeting on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 11:00 am or immediately following the additional meeting of the Committee of the Whole.
Additional information is available by calling (202) 724-8032.
Unable to make it to the Wilson Building? Watch the briefing streaming live on the council website.
TA: Breaking Through: A Communications Skill Share, Mar. 11
The Advancement Project is sponsoring Breaking Through in the Media: A Communications Skill Share Friday, March 11 from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at SEIU (1800 Massachusetts Ave NW).
The event, a brownbag discussion, will highlight successful traditional and digital media strategies to break through in the media and elevate your work. Speakers—Valerie Holford, Communications Consultant, VVH Consultin; Jennifer Farmer, Managing Director of Communications, Advancement Project; Margot Friedman, Principal, Dupont Circle Communications; Andrew Ambrogi, Communications Associate for Digital Media, Advancement Project—will examine tactics and offer tips to garner favorable media coverage especially in a crowded news cycle.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Big news for all registered seniors (62+) living in rent-controlled apartments
Barbara Cline, rent-control expert, has shared the following super important information:
Earlier this month, the Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA) announced that the 2016 standard rent increase for residents age 62 and older in rent-controlled apartments will be 0%. That's right. Zero. Renters of any age with a disability who are registered are also eligible to receive the 0% increase.All other renters in rent-controlled apartments will have a 2% rent increase.
2016 rent increases begin on May 1, 2016 and run through April 30, 2017.
Now to the fine print: Are you registered? Only those 62 and older or those with a disability who have registered with the Rent Administrator's Office will be eligible for the 0%. Register at least 30 days before your next rent increase. Register using Form 6 - Tenant's Notice to Housing Provider of Elderly or Disabled Status (English) (Spanish). Rent-control increases are not retroactive, so registration before May 1 is imperative.
Need help in applying? Call or make an appointment with OTA (202) 719-6560.
Need more information on rent control? See the 2015 rent control article by Barbara Cline.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Follow @councilofdc for #StatehoodSaturday
We're starting a new weekly feature: #StatehoodSaturday. Look for cool stats/pics/facts from our voting rights fight pic.twitter.com/VoEY8nsCGi
— Council of DC (@councilofdc) February 26, 2016
DC Council has added oversight hearings to calendar
Thanks for listening to the community, DC Council!
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Save the date of March 22: Crafting Amazing Stories
Telling great stories is vital to connecting with your organization's audience. How do you go about finding the stories? Once you find a story, how do you craft it in a compelling way that captures and inspires your audience? Join us for an exciting evening of experts sharing storytelling best practices. If you're working on a story, you will also have a chance to share it and get feedback.
The meeting is free but reservations are required as space is limited.
April 30: Prescription Drug Take-back Day
Save the date! Tell your friends! Get those unused prescription drugs out of the house April 30! https://t.co/LSHpbx8A6E
— Ward7SafeDrug-free (@Ward7sdcc) February 24, 2016
May 11: DC Council all-day budget review
Mark your calendars, #DCBudgetNerd! May 11 is the all-day informal Council budget review, televised live from the Chairman's Conference Room
— Council of DC (@councilofdc) February 23, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Oversight hearing schedule updated Feb. 22
February 26: Deadline for Ward 7 Women of Excellence nominations
East River Family Strengthening Collaborative is accepting nominations for their third annual Ward 7 Women of Excellence awards to be celebrated March 31. The deadline for making nominations is Friday, February 26.
If you know a woman who lives in Ward 7 who is exceptional in her life, service and love for the community, nominate (PDF) her for the award.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Fantabulous! DPR summer camp registration is open!
Rolling registration for DPR's 2016 summer camp season went live today. More info: https://t.co/UClV52gaoE
— DCParksAndRecreation (@DCDPR) February 22, 2016
https://t.co/fz4N1YQwEA
Comments needed on Census Commission proposal
Longtime public servant Merrit Drucker has recently taken on the Census in DC. Meaning, he is working with others to encourage the DC government to create in legislation a permanent Census Commission. As drafted, the Census Commission would:
- Ensure a complete count in the decennial Federal Census.
- Ensure the accuracy and validity of the Census conducted in the District of Columbia.
- Ensure that the Mayor and the Council jointly form a Complete Count Committee three years before the decennial Federal Census.
- Ensure ongoing public education about the Census.
- Create a comprehensive history of the Census as implemented in the District of Columbia.
The complete draft is below.
If you have any thoughts on the draft, email them to Drucker.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Interested in pubic policy and programming on the subject of teen sexual health?
Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D. walks listeners through the research about teen sex and sexual health in Communications about Sex in the Nuclear Family and Beyond: How Extended Families Support Teens' Sexual Health. Grossman gave the presentation at Wellesley, as part of the WCW Lunchtime Seminar Series, in April 2015.
The event summary:
Talking with family about sex can protect teens from risky sexual behavior. Parents play a critical role in family sexuality communication, but today's adolescents often rely on nontraditional communities for support, including extended family and "fictive kin," who can serve as core parts of the family unit, particularly among African American and Latino families. Beyond a focus on parents, few studies investigate who in the family teens talk to about sex, why they talk to them, and how these conversations connect with teens' sexual behavior. This talk shared findings from teen surveys and teen and parent interviews to describe the who, what, and why of teens' talk about sex with their extended families as well as how talking with extended family relates to teens' sexual behavior.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Fort Dupont Ice Arena supporters call on city leaders for investment
This Ward 7-based gem is turning up the heat on electeds and appointeds this budget season with a user- and other-supporter-driven push to expand the space to accommodate the increasing demand for services. According to their recent appeal (advocacy tool, survey, general support measurer):
I am a District resident and a user and supporter of the Fort Dupont Ice Arena. I strongly urge the District government to complete full funding for construction and operating support for the new, 2-rink facility in the next city budget so the non-profit rink can expand its community programs for DC residents, both in our community and throughout the city!
For those who are not familiar with the Fort Dupont Ice Arena, the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena (Friends of FDIA)
was formed in the summer of 1996 in response to the pending closure of the ice arena by its former owner, the National Park Service. Parents and friends organized and took over the management of the arena, revitalizing the facility that is located in the heart of Ward 7 in Southeast DC.
There is something for everyone at FDIA, from community free skates to Kids on Ice to special education students learning to skate during the school day.
If you believe Ward 7 and the whole of the city deserve robust programming that builds self-esteem and coordination and is good for people of all ages, email leaders to support FDIA's call for funding in the mayor's FY 2017 budget.
Residents of Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8: Take this survey
Questions should be directed to Tina Fletcher, DMGEO outreach guru, via email, tina.fletcher3@dc.gov, or by phone, (202) 545-3068.
Friday, February 19, 2016
March 6: Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Why participate? There is a dire need for better information on Wikipedia about women by women. At this event, attendees will focus on improving articles related to notable women artists and art-world figures.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Must attend event, February 20: Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity
#Ward7 parent? Learn about language immersion options for your child at this Feb 20 forum: https://t.co/zw1pE6ag2H pic.twitter.com/0BGEkSCPBn
— DCLanguageImmersion (@DCImmersion) February 15, 2016
Thought you might be interested Thursday: "Restoring hope by repairing violins of the Holocaust"
From PBS NewsHour:
At a music shop in Israel, a violinmaker has been collecting stringed instruments once owned by inmates of Nazi concentration camps. Largely silent for seven decades, they now speak for horrors of the Holocaust as part of a project called "The Violins of Hope." Special correspondent David C. Barnett from WVIZ/PBS ideastream reports from Cleveland on a series of concerts and exhibits they inspired.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Let the #dcfy17 budget process begin!
March 5: Rally to Fulfill the Promise
Join Housing for All and The Way Home Campaign Saturday, March 5 from 10:00 am - Noon at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St NW) for a joint rally about building and preserving affordable homes, ending chronic homelessness, and creating new opportunities for home ownership.
DC's black history and heritage
Here is more about the #MakeYourMap project: https://t.co/alR1CoB3YJ
— DC Housing Authority (@DC_Housing) February 16, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
@MoreMicrophones (Joan Shipps) on crime, violence, and the NEAR Act
I wrote about DC's homicide prevention bill, which I support, and about the rightwing media backlash https://t.co/z70Xt8IFLX #DC
— Joan Shipps (@MoreMicrophones) February 15, 2016
Monday, February 15, 2016
Interesting: After Words with Barry Latzer on violent crime in America
Samuel Bieler, Research Associate at Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center, interviewed Barry Latzer, Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, February 2 on C-SPAN's After Words program. According to the event page on the C-SPAN website,
Barry Latzer talked about his book The Rise and Fall of Violent Crime in America, in which tracks violent crime in America from the 1960's through the 21st century and examines the factors behind the surge and downturns in violent crime.
The two talk about violence in the south, the reduction of violence as socio-economic status rises, the crack epidemic, and more.
Check it out: District Dig
What is this thing called the District Dig by Jeffrey Anderson and Andy DelGiudice? Well, according to the journalist and photographer, respectively,
The District Dig is a website, but it’s also an idea, a feeling, a commitment to high quality photojournalism and investigative reporting. It is the brainchild of photographer Andy DelGiudice and reporter Jeffrey Anderson, who met at a D.C. Council oversight hearing and quickly began to collaborate on various projects and investigations.These initial collaborations became the impetus for The Dig, an outlet for stories about the District and its inhabitants. An emphasis on quality over quantity is a core principle of the The Dig and a guide for what is published and presented.
The Dig aspires to be an agent for change, and as founders, Jeff and Andy hope to elevate the conversation about life in our evolving city. We look forward to presenting information and insights that are essential to its communities, and to offering its residents an uncompromising alternative to traditional outlets.
To date, Anderson and DelGiudice have created The District Digs Out and Out To Pasture: The Only Thing Worse Than Living In Barry Farms Is The Threat Of Being Pushed Out.
Be sure to sign up for their email list so you are notified when new stories are posted.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Council updates oversight hearing schedule, again
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Friday, February 12, 2016
A new child and youth mental health services guide
Chapters are:
- Mental Health Services at Home and in the Community
- How Can I Get Services for My Child?
- Help for Kids Involved with Juvenile Justice or Foster Care
- Going to a Hospital
- Legal Rights of Children and their Parents/Legal Guardians
- Where Can I Get Help?
University Legal Services is looking for partners to help distribute the guide. They are also offering trainings for families and/or advocates on District mental health services. For either, contact Francis Nugent at (202) 547-0198 x113 or via email, fnugent@uls-dc.org.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
@WCP journos covering all 'Closing DC General' meetings Feb. 11
The @wcp crew will cover all 8 #dcgeneral meetings tonight (even the Ward 2 one despite the fact that it's not getting a family shelter!).
— Sarah Anne Hughes (@wcpsarah) February 11, 2016
@susiecambria too many handles to tweet! We're going to use #dcgeneral.
— Sarah Anne Hughes (@wcpsarah) February 11, 2016
Thought you might be interested Thursday: Interesting and useful data
Jeremy Singer-Vine's Data is Plural is a most useful website. Consider, for example, the data sets he has shared recently:
- Cornell Movie--Dialogs Corpus: Contains fictional conversations between pairs of movie characters
- Thenmap: Documents historical borders and allows users, with an open-source API and mapping tool, to show how borders have changed over time
- Refugees, where they are from and where they go: From the Department of State, the data can be manipulated in various ways, such as identifying the country of origin and the state of relocation.
- Side Effect Resource (SIDER): Contains 139,756 side effects of 1,430 medical drugs
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Topher Mathews: The Mandate to Remember Black Georgetown
The Mandate to Remember Black Georgetown https://t.co/qynBH3Nb6Z pic.twitter.com/AzWs6vq0pG
— Topher Mathews (@GeorgetownMet) February 9, 2016
Program your phone NOW with DC Shelter Hotline contact info
The next several days will be frigid according to the National Weather Service. Prepare yourself to help folks out on the street experiencing homelessness by adding the following DC Shelter Hotline information to your mobile phone:
- (202) 399-7093
- uposh@upo.org
- 1 (800) 535-7252 (toll-free from a pay phone)
When you contact the DC Shelter Hotline, be prepared to share the following:
- The time the person was seen
- The specific location where seen
- Description of the person's appearance
- If you know, whether they speak a language other than English
Want to encourage friends and colleagues to help the homeless by contacting the DC Shelter Hotline? Consider sharing one or more of these images.
Marie Cohen on CFSA's evaluation of contractors
Marie Cohen considers the idea of evaluating nonprofit agencies providing child welfare services in Evaluation of Foster Care Agency Should Look Beyond ‘Performance Scorecard’.
Cohen summarizes:
Close to 40 children had to leave their foster homes homes due to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA)'s decision to close a private agency, reports social worker Marie Cohen based on a delayed response to a Freedom of Information Act request. CFSA's response indicated that the decision to close Foundations for Home and Community was based on its "Performance Scorecard" scores. But these scores are influenced by facts that private agencies can't control, like the age and problems of their clients. And Foundations took the oldest and most difficult youth that other agencies wouldn't serve.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
FYI: Updated oversight and budget hearing schedules
An important piece of information to know about the updates from the council's budget office re: FYs 2015 and 2016 oversight and FY 2017 budget hearing schedules: Both schedules receive an update date even if only one of the schedules is actually updated. Take a look at the budget hearing sked linked from the post #dcfy15/#dcfy16 oversight and #dcfy17 budget hearing skeds updated. You'll see that it is dated February 3 but there are no changes listed after the boxed text on page 1 and before the hearing information.
DC Campaign has a new address
The DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has moved. Their new address is:
1101 Fifteenth St NW
Suite 1212-B
Washington, DC 20005
Their phone number and email addresses remain the same.
Monday, February 8, 2016
February 9: Mayor-Council Breakfast
Mayor Bowser and members of the Council of the District of Columbia will pow-wow Tuesday, February 9 at 9:00 am for their regular breakfast meeting. On the agenda: The mayor's plan for closing DC General. The event is open to the press so follow your faves on Twitter for updates. Based on some of the comments in the Storify about reactions to the plans, it will be an interesting discussion.
February 9: Helping Consumers Make Informed Financial Choices Using Interactive Technologies
Dr. Oded Nov will speak Tuesday, February 9 at 12:30 pm at the Princeton University CITP Luncheon Speaker session Helping Consumers Make Informed Financial Choices Using Interactive Technologies. From the event announcement:
In this talk Nov will present three retirement saving studies in which we developed and evaluated HCI interventions for consumer finance decision making. Users in the experimental interventions conditions made better choices and were more likely reach their financial goals. Moreover, the studies shed light on the potential role of policy and regulation: just as certain information is required by law to appear on the packaging of food products, in the future policy makers and regulators may devise policies about the interactive information elements which should be provided to consumers of financial products.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
TA: Free webinars
Get your learning on with these free webinars:
- Tools for More Effective Board Meetings, April 20
- Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign? March 23
- 5 Secrets of Nonprofit Email Marketing Geniuses, February 9
- How to Captivate and Engage Constituents with Your Website, February 23
- Backups and Disaster Recovery for Nonprofits, February 18
- 10 Social Media Strategies That Increase Engagement and Inspire Donors, March 1
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Council makes additional changes to oversight and budget hearing skeds Feb. 4
The council also updated the FY 2017 budget hearing sked (PDF) the same day.
Anacostia River 101
Get to know your river: #Anacostia 101 https://t.co/0zj9Yu59X1 pic.twitter.com/8ntXQP2CqT
— Anacostia Trust (@AnacostiaWater) February 2, 2016
Thursday, February 4, 2016
#dcfy15/#dcfy16 oversight and #dcfy17 budget hearing skeds updated
The council also updated the FY 2017 budget hearing sked (PDF) the same day. Changes are listed on page 1.
February 4: Former Mayor Vince Gray talks with Kojo Nnamdi
Tune in to WAMU 88.5 FM Thursday, February 4 at Noon for Former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray On The Future Of The Nation's Capital. Want to watch the live video? Click the link and you'll be in the right place!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
ICYMI: Mayor Bowser's first accountability report, event recap
Brenda Rhodes Miller, executive director of the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, attended Mayor Bowser's January 11 accountability report release. She's written a summary of the event for those of us (me included!) who were not able to attend.
Mayor Muriel Bowser released her 2015 Accountability Report last night to an enthusiastic crowd that responded with all the energy of a pep rally and the fervor of true believers at an old fashioned camp meeting.Fourteen months into her administration, Bowser reported that she has already "delivered, launched or prepared to launch 92%" of her commitments from last year's mayoral transition period. A 49-page work plan highlighted the progress city agencies have made in Health and Wellness, Education, the Arts, Jobs and Economic Development, Public Safety, Housing, Good Government and Full Democracy, Transportation and the Environment.
The lively format included moving testimonials from two young women who the mayor has helped get on "the path to the middle class," a video, two panel discussions with cabinet level officials, and of course, a rousing speech by Bowser herself. When she spoke of closing DC General and opening safe, decent family shelters in all eight wards Bowser appeared to be overcome by emotion at the mention of Relisha Rudd's name.
Big plans to increase the amount of affordable housing, put an end to homelessness, strengthen the 60,000 small businesses in the city and connect District companies to increase their capacity to apply for government contracts and benefit from the booming economy brought rounds of applause.
The mayor also pledged to keep city residents engaged in budget discussions to ensure that their priorities are reflected in what the government decides to do.
The event at Gallaudet University's Kellogg Conference Center concluded with a reception where members of the Bowser administration were available to answer questions.
For more information: www.mayor.dc.gov/accountability
Free lead testing kits from @dcwater
Did you know we offer free lead testing kits? Call 202-354-3600 to request one. @kojoshow
— DC Water (@dcwater) February 2, 2016
February 3: CAFR briefing
The Chief Financial Officer released the FY 2015 CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) February 1. The good news:
This is the 19th consecutive year in which the District received a clean audit opinion. Also noteworthy, for the first time the audit found no Material Weaknesses or Significant Deficiencies in the central government. Therefore there is no Yellow Book accompanying this report. (release announcing the CAFR)
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Tips for blogging
Want to start blogging or be a better blogger? Jeremy Porter has some advice; read Six Quick Tips for Writing Short Blog Posts. Porter lists tips and provides link to useful resources.
Monday, February 1, 2016
New leader at WACIF
Retweeted WACIF (@WACIF):@WACIF Announces New Executive Director - Exciting news in the #DC #smallbiz and... https://t.co/hsyVRPtW8P
— Anacostia BID (@AnacostiaBID) February 2, 2016
Privacy: one of the most important issues of our time (and why you should care about it!)
For more information on the documentary, read Review: 'The Power of Privacy'. The takeaway: "with new technological breakthroughs constantly at our fingertips privacy needs to be at the forefront of the minds of both consumers and developers, and not just an afterthought."
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