thelastword I Endorse Grasso
Dear Ward 6 Neighbors, I am proud to announce my endorsement of David Grosso to serve as your at-large member of the D.C. City Council. I hope you will join me in giving this proven public servant your support and your vote. David will be an effective champion for a livable and walkable city, and I look forward to working with him on three critical issues: Public Transit Connecting Neighborhoods: David supports building a new generation of public transit that works for everyone, providing safe and reliable access to jobs and amenities. Great Neighborhood Schools: Now that Ward 6 has a quality elementary school in walking distance to almost every family, David will work with me to be sure we have the same for middle schools. The Highest Ethical Standards: At a time when we are experiencing a crisis of ethics in our elected government, David will strengthen integrity and honesty on the Council. To get good government, we have to vote for it. I urge you to cast your ballot for David Grosso on November 6. Sincerely, Tommy Wells Ward 6 Councilmember
Vote Grasso
Dear Friends, We have important votes to cast on November 6th. While interest has been intently focused on the presidential election, we have had little attention directed to critical local races. Here in Ward 6, we will be voting for two At-Large City Councilmembers, as well as a new City Council Chair. We will vote as well for those neighbors who will represent our views on the Advisory 152 H HillRag | October 2012
Neighborhood Commissions. Our city government has been shaken by a cascade of revelations concerning ethical lapses (to put it as kindly as possible) by city officials. Some of these allegations have resulted in criminal sanctions and resignations from office; others remain under investigation. It is time for strong new voices and ideas in city government. It is time to stop the hand-wringing and make some changes. While we don’t have the authority to tinker with our ethics laws, we have the power to change the law-makers. We can vote for honest, smart, hardworking candidates who know what’s right and do it because it is right. I urge you to vote for DAVID GROSSO for City Council AtLarge. David Grosso is running for City Council because he loves our city. David is a DC native who lives in Ward 5, is a member of the DC Bar (Georgetown Law grad), and is ready to move DC forward on its current successful trajectory. David has held a responsible position in the private sector for the past four years, worked for Eleanor Holmes Norton for two years previously to that, and served as a critical member of my Ward 6 City Council staff for six years before I retired. I am very grateful that David Grosso is willing to step up and put his considerable experience and thoughtful commitment to work building a new city government. David Grosso will be a new voice for a new DC. Make your vote count in this election. Study the candidates, attend the forums, talk to your neighbors, check out candidate web sites and pay attention to what folks say about candidates in the social media. I was proud to represent Ward 6 for 10 years as part of a strong and progressive City Council. DAVID GROSSO can help make
Ward 6 and the whole city proud of DC government again. Vote DAVID GROSSO for City Council At-Large. Sincerely, Sharon Ambrose
Of Parks, People and Bridges
Often people see green space in the city and think Sunday picnics, tag football or perhaps enjoying an evening concert. But developers and city officials are seeing a different kind of green. Parks are increasingly viewed as an economic anchor, bringing neighborhood benefits for new and existing residents. In a recent report, the Trust for Public Land suggests using several economic indicators to determine the value of green space: potential health benefits, increased property value, tourist income, the ability to build a community’s social capital, and the value that comes from helping to clean the water with storm water mitigation and the air by planting trees that scrub the air of pollutants. These are the goals for a new 11th Street Bridge Park that will span the capital’s cityscape. As the old 11th Street river bridges that connect Washington, DC’s Capitol Hill and historic Anacostia neighborhoods are being replaced, the District government and a local nonprofit organization, THEARC, are planning to transform the aged infrastructure into the city’s first elevated park: a new venue for healthy recreation, environmental education and the arts. If we are successful, this park can significantly increase foot traffic along both lower 8th Street and historic Anacostia which in turn, can support new businesses along these vital commercial corridors. But noted urban planning author Jane Jacobs tells us “parks are not automatically anything.” For the 11th Street Bridge Park to become a true
destination we need to ensure that the Bridge Park will engage the local community and bring residents together from across the city. Through a series of public meetings, residents of Ward 6, 7 and 8 have shared amazing programming ideas with us. They suggest outdoor performance spaces, playgrounds for all ages and abilities, fruit orchards, classrooms to teach students about watersheds, and kayak and paddle boat launches on the river below. Bound by the Washington Navy Yard on one side and the National Park Service’s Anacostia Park on the other, the Bridge Park will be a destination for some, a pedestrian or bicycle route for others linking to the existing network of riverwalk trails and, for the city, an iconic architectural symbol across the Anacostia River. We are proposing to create a place unlike any other in Washington, DC – one that supports the community’s physical, environmental and economic health. The Danish planner Jan Gehl tells us, “We shape cities, and they shape us.” Let’s work together to shape a more vibrant city by providing economic opportunities, a healthier population and cleaner Anacostia River. If you would like to be involved in leading transformational change in the nation’s capital, join us. Contact Scott Kratz, project director, 11th Street Bridge Park at skratz@ thearcdc.org or by phone at 202669-0951. Scott Kratz is the project director of the 11th Street Bridge Park.
Dangerous Intersection
The intersection of North Carolina Ave, 7th Street, and Independence Avenue, SE is a very dangerous intersection for pedestrians. Speeding cars, red light runners, u-turners, crosswalk parkers, and vehicles purposely going the wrong way on In-