Thank you to every community member who joined the Ward 4 Summer Safety Strategic Meeting on Wednesday. I’m grateful we had the Office of the DC Attorney General, MPD’s Fourth District, the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, the InnerCity Collaborative, the Department of Behavioral Health, and the Office of Victims Services and Justice Grants all present as representatives of a multifaceted, interagency approach to addressing crime and gun violence in our community. Agencies laid out specific actions they are taking to step up their efforts in Ward 4 over the summer and fielded questions and requests from neighbors on

Dear Neighbors, As we head into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, I wanted to share opportunities to be in community with your neighbors, as well as report back on our Summer Safety Strategic Meeting, the Council’s legislative session on Tuesday, the new Lamond Riggs Library, and many other community resources and events. Ward 4 and Legislative News Ward 4 Summer Safety Strategic Meeting Thank you to every community member who joined the Ward 4 Summer Safety Strategic Meeting on Wednesday. I’m grateful we had the Office of the DC Attorney General, MPD’s Fourth District, the Office of Neighborhood Safety

Dear Neighbors, Once again, I’m writing to you as we grapple with the catastrophic impact of several extremist Supreme Court decisions, including today’s decision eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. And earlier this week, we had rulings that expanded access to guns, compromised our Miranda Rights, and further deteriorated the separation of church and state. I will have more to share regarding our legislative response to these decisions at a later point, but first I want to emphasize that DC remains a safe haven for anyone seeking reproductive health care. There continues to be access to safe and legal

Dear Neighbors, I hope you’re staying cool and making the most of these early days of summer. Thank you to everyone who sent me well wishes while dealing with COVID. I am feeling better and was excited to be back in our community this week! As always, I’m writing to fill you in on everything you need to know about our community, Election Day, Juneteenth, vaccines for children under the age of 5, and more. This weekend will include some great events, including Juneteenth Freedom Festival at Zion Baptist Church, a used book sale from the Friends of Petworth Library,

Dear Neighbors, As I continue to recover from COVID, I feel moved to remind you to get regularly tested, mask up in public indoor spaces, and get your boosters. There’s no fun in being sick or spreading it to others! Instead, take advantage of our great Ward 4 COVID Center. By regularly testing, I found out I had COVID before going into the Wilson Building, where I’d have put others at risk. I’m continuing to quarantine from home, but I still wanted to take some time to update you on everything that’s happening in our community. I’m excited to share updates

Ward 4 is proud to be the home base of DC’s vibrant Caribbean-American community. All throughout June we are celebrating National Caribbean-American Heritage Month and reflecting on the Caribbean-American community’s profound contributions to Ward 4, the District, and the United States. One way to support our Caribbean-American community is to participate in Caribbean-American Restaurant Week on June 12-18! Visit one of Ward 4’s many Caribbean restaurants to support the businesses that preserve Caribbean cuisine and history, provide valuable jobs and entrepreneurship, and serve as a hub for community living. Don’t just visit one Caribbean restaurant; visit several to complete a Ward 4 Caribbean Restaurant

This week the DC Council gave final approval on the DC budget for Fiscal Year 2023. I wanted to share some of key highlights in next year’s budget so you have a sense of how they will impact our Ward 4 community and our city as a whole. If you have any questions about the DC budget, please do not hesitate to email us. I will be sharing more details about each of these investments over the coming weeks to help demystify the budget for our community and help residents understand what these programs do. I will also be detailing the

Dear Neighbors, After months of hearings, deliberations, and votes, the Council is just four days away from finalizing the DC budget and ANC Redistricting. I’ll have a detailed breakdown of both for you next week, but in the meantime I want to share these community updates, resources, and events — including the Ward 4 Summer Safety Meeting on Wednesday and our rescheduled Ward 4 CARE Day in Chevy Chase, Barnaby Woods, and Hawthorne on June 14. Ward 4 News Ward 4 Business Spotlight: Rockstar and Solstice Smiles I always try to lift up our amazing Ward 4 businesses, which do so much for our

Dear Neighbors, I know it has been a very heavy week. Like many of you, I cannot stop thinking about the massacre in Texas and the devastating impact that guns have on our nation and our communities. I hope this update brings some encouragement or respite during a difficult time. Ward 4 and Legislative News Ward 4 Summer Safety Strategic Meeting In Ward 4, we are working collaboratively with our DC agencies and coordinating with residents to help improve safety. We try to be as vigilant as possible throughout the year, but crime tends to spike during the summer months.

The June 21 DC Primary Election has already begun with the first wave of mail-in ballots hitting mailboxes last week. The information below can help you exercise your right to vote and answer many of the questions you may have. Key Points for Voters to Know There’s still time to register to vote. Register before May 31 to receive a mail-in ballot, or register in person at any Vote Center during Early Voting (June 10-19) or on Election Day (June 21). Voter registration and proof of address requirements are here. Voter registration forms in languages other than English are here. Check your voter registration