April 19, 2024
Dear Washingtonians,
Thank you to everyone who came out on Sunday to celebrate DC Emancipation Day in Downtown DC. We gathered as a community to recognize the sacrifice of those who came before us, but also to strategize and rally around our future. DC Emancipation Day reminds us that enslaved people in DC were the first to be freed; it also reminds us that we are not fully free or autonomous until we become the 51st state.
It was a busy and beautiful weekend in Downtown DC. In addition to the DC Emancipation Day celebration, we also had the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and the Sakura Matsuri–Japanese Street Festival.
And there is more fun Downtown this weekend! On Saturday, April 20, the Red Bull Showrun will bring the championship-winning RB7 Formula One car to Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Residents and visitors are invited to join British racing legend David Coulthard for an afternoon of motorsports action, food, and fun for people of all ages. The event is free and open to the public. The Fan Zone opens at 1:30 p.m. and the event begins at 4:00 p.m. You can learn more HERE.
We know that we have a beautiful, one-of-a-kind Downtown. It is also the economic engine of our city, and when Downtown succeeds, so does the rest of our city. Next week, I will be out in the community talking about the catalytic investments we are making in the Downtown in my Fiscal Year 2025 budget — investments that will not only bring more people and vibrancy to our Downtown, but support programs and services across all eight wards.
Sincerely,
 View photos from this week on Facebook.
 Residents and businesses in DC can support the work of the Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) new Real-Time Crime Center by registering for CameraConnect DC.
Through CameraConnect DC, residents with doorbell or CCTV cameras can register their cameras with MPD. Once registered, if a crime occurs near that camera, MPD’s Real-Time Crime Center will send an alert requesting any relevant footage that could help MPD’s investigators. Businesses, apartment complexes, and commercial facilities have the option to fully integrate their footage with MPD’s Real-Time Crime, providing MPD instant access to camera footage should a threat or incident occur nearby.
Learn more and register at mpdc.dc.gov/cameraconnectdc.
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Join the Bowser Administration and community members on Saturday, April 27 at the 7th Annual Spring Cleanup. Happening across all eight wards, neighbors will come together to beautify their neighborhoods. Supplies will be provided at the meetup locations. Roll-off bins will be available at select locations for you and your neighbors to dispose of bulk trash.
Register HERE.
Ward 1: Unity Park @ 10:00 a.m.
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1771-1795 Columbia Rd NW
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Roll-Off Included
Ward 2: Kennedy Recreation Center @ 10:00 a.m.
Ward 3: Cleveland Park @ 9:00 a.m.
Ward 4: Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center @ 10:00 a.m.
Ward 5: Bloomingdale @ 10:00 a.m.
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1771-1795 Columbia Rd NW
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Roll-Off Included
Ward 6: Sherwood Recreation Center @ 10:00 a.m.
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640 10th St NE
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Roll-Off Included
Ward 7: Marvin Gaye Park @ 10:00 a.m.
Ward 8: Buena Vista @ 10:00 a.m.
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2455 Alabama Ave SE
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Roll-Off Included
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 The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is inviting District high school students to apply today to jumpstart their college career for free. Dual enrollment empowers DC public and public charter school students in grades 10-12 to delve into college courses at prestigious DC-area institutions, all while accruing college credits at absolutely no cost.
Benefits of Dual Enrollment:
- Students experience the academic rigor of college courses and get a head start on the college experience.
- Students may be able to transfer credits earned to a two-year or four-year institution.
- Dual enrollment is a cost-effective way to earn college credit.
- Students can explore various careers and majors before enrolling in college full time.
In the 2022-23 school year, 625 students seized the opportunity to participate in OSSE's DC Dual Enrollment Consortium Program – the highest enrollment the program has ever seen. The fall 2024 application is currently open and will close on May 3, 2024. Details about dual enrollment opportunities can be found at osse.dc.gov.
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In addition to the Red Bull Showrun, there's a lot happening in the Sports Capital this weekend:
And did you hear? This year, there will be at least 20 chances to see the Mystics at home in the #SportsCapital — now including Mystics vs. Fever game at Capital One Arena on June 7.
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