Bates Area Civic Association

March 27, 2012

š Mayor Balances FY 2013 Budget with No New Taxes

On March 23, Mayor Gray released his Fiscal Year 2013 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan to the public. The $9.4 billion budget places a premium on fiscal responsibility by closing an anticipated $172.1 million gap between revenues and expenses without raising new taxes or adding new fees, and without dipping into the District’s crucial reserve fund. The plan closes the budget gap with $102.7 million in cuts to expenditures (60 percent of gap) and $69.4 million in revenue initiatives (40 percent of gap). Read more.

š Mayor Gray and Police Chief Lanier Announce Arrest in March 11 Anti-LGBT Shooting at Columbia Heights Restaurant

Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier today announced that a suspect had been arrested in a March incident in which a person was shot after allegedly being subjected to anti-gay harassment.

 

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on March 11, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Third District responded to a reported incident at the International House of Pancakes, located in the DC USA retail complex at the intersection of 14^th Street and Irving Street NW. Upon their arrival, they located a man suffering from a gunshot wound. Personnel from D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment.

 

Detectives from the Third District reached out to the public for assistance and conducted an extensive investigation into this shooting. Today, MPD closed the case with the arrest of 27-year-old LaShawn Carson, who has been charged with Aggravated Assault while Armed.

 

š New Department of Parks and Recreation Headquarters and Announcement of Summer Program of Activities

At last week’s biweekly press conference, Mayor Gray, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Director Jesús Aguirre, DPR Recreation Specialist Santia Jackson and other officials officially unveiled the new DPR central office; announced the upcoming schedule of DPR-sponsored summer events (including DPR Summer Camps, DPR Summer Jobs and the DPR Aquatics Lifeguard Job Recruitment); announced the launch of the 2012 DPR Spring/Summer Guide; and highlighted the agency’s transformation into what officials call “The New DPR,” with the slogan, “Move. Grow. Be Green with DPR.”

 

DPR has recently completed the task of moving its central office to two new locations: administrative functions have been relocated to the U Street site, and program development and management functions are now located at the Columbia Heights Community Center at 1480 Girard Street NW. The move is aimed at providing a better working environment for DPR employees and a place to better serve customers.

 

š Mayor Gray Mourns the Passing of Civil Rights Leader and Former District Corporation Counsel John Payton

Last week, Mayor Gray released a statement on the death of NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund President John A. Payton, a former D.C. Corporation Counsel. Read more.

 

š Grand Opening of Eden Place at Beulah Crossing

On March 22, Mayor Gray, government officials and representatives of the development team celebrated the grand opening of Eden Place at Beulah Crossing – a public-private collaborative project that provides affordable housing for purchase along the northeastern corridor of the historic Deanwood community in Ward 7.

 

Principals from the development partnership, Dix Street Corridor Revitalization Partners, were joined by Mayor Gray, Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development representative Mary Ann Henderson, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins, Washington Interfaith Network leaders, and new homeowner, Juanita Hutchison, to celebrate the grand opening of the townhome community.

 

The project’s first phase was recently completed and five homebuyers have moved into their respective units. When completed, the new construction will contain a total of 63 Craftsman-style townhomes, including three-and-four-bedroom units. The project also includes designated replacement units for Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings residents. Read more.

District Highlights is the weekly snapshot from the Gray Administration of some of the significant happenings in and around DC government. It is intended to informally share with residents and community leaders examples of the outstanding work that the Gray Administration is doing to move the District forward that all too often goes unnoticed. Feel free to forward this information to others so the progress being made can be widely showcased – help spread the word! If you wish to be taken off the distribution list, would like additional people to receive it, or would like to suggest topics, projects, or initiatives to be profiled in future editions, please email Sheila Bunn.