WINNER OF THREE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS D.C. AWARDS
Juneteenth Celebrations
Capture the Moment / Page 44
Vol. 56, No. 36 • June 24 - 30, 2021
Post-Pandemic Crime Wave Plagues District and Other U.S. Cities Bowser Takes Proactive Approach to Reduce Violence in District Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer
5 Throughout the District of Columbia Black men and boys were celebrated over the Father’s Day weekend. Martha’s Table hosted Fathers to the Front at their office in Southeast. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer) See photos on Page 45
In May, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department launched the 2021 Summer Crime Prevention Initiative. According to officials, the initiative counts as a coordinated effort to reduce violent crime in specific areas in the District through strategic prevention and collaborative enforcement. “We bring the Summer Crime
Prevention Initiative back each year because the data shows us that it drives down crime in the neighborhoods we target,” Bowser said. “The reason this initiative works is that it’s not just about policing and it’s not just about what MPD is doing – it’s about engaging people, providing opportunity and working across the D.C. government to bring resources and support to residents who need them.”
CRIME Page 18
Early Childcare Advocates Organize for Greater Support, Workers Compensation
Skyland Town Center Begins Phase Two with 263 New Homes and Plenty of Retail Space
The return to normalcy after the pandemic will rely, in part, on the maintenance of a vibrant workforce, especially those taking on jobs in the hospitality and service fields during the evening hours. Many of these employees are parents who will more than likely seek adequate childcare. In response to this pressing need, Bright Beginnings, an early childcare and family learning facility for children and families experiencing housing instability, has attempted to launch programs for infants and toddlers taking place 5 Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray joined Mayor Bowser and project throughout the evening and well into the night. At this point, plans for two classrooms are in the works. developers at the ribbon-cutting of the new Skyland Town Center in Southeast
D.R. Barnes WI Staff Writer
D.C. Mayor Bowser and Developers Agree ‘There’s More to Come ’ to Wards 7 and 8
Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer
which will include 263 new homes and retail space on Monday, June 21.
CHILDCARE Page 46 (DR Barnes./The Washington Informer)
It’s been 30 years in the making for residents in Ward 7 but on June 21, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray, cut the ribbon on Phase 1 and broke ground on Phase 2 of the new Skyland Town Center, the largest housing and commercial construction project in Ward 7.
The Crest, the first residential property at Skyland and located at the intersection of Alabama Avenue and Naylor and Good Hope roads, opened Monday. It features 263 homes, a mix of studio and oneand two-bedroom apartments, as well as a fitness center and courtyard pool and grills. Of the 263 units, 53 have been
SKYLAND Page 27
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