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

Dear Neighbors, This week I’m sharing updates on our DPR Center Readiness Tour, the DC budget, Hellbender, spray parks, booster shots for kids ages 5-11, free COVID tests from the federal government, Metro, the Shepherd Park Garden Tour, Bike to Work Day, and more… Let’s get into it all! Ward 4 News and Legislative Updates Launching the Ward 4 DPR Center Readiness Tour I’m excited to share that this week we kicked off our DPR Center Readiness Tour. I’m visiting every rec center in Ward 4 with DPR and DGS agency staff to help ensure each center is ready for

Last week, the Council gave initial approval to a DC budget that includes a major win we secured for Ward 4 schools. First, allow me to share some background on the problem. Roosevelt High School currently shares its building with Roosevelt STAY, an opportunity academy serving 16-24 year old students in a critical period of their lives. This arrangement worked when STAY was primarily a night school, but DCPS moved them to daytime programming recently. This change led to severe overcrowding for both schools, which has been exacerbated by increasing enrollment. Next year Roosevelt was projected to be the most overcrowded DCPS school with

Dear Neighbors, This week I’m excited to share a major win for our Ward 4 schools secured in the DC budget. Check out the details below, and stay tuned to hear about more of our Ward 4 investments once the budget is finalized in two weeks. It’s a characteristically busy weekend in Ward 4 with community events at Barnard and Whittier, a reunion event for the Lamond Riggs Boys and Girls Club, a Mother’s Day Swap by Ward 4 Mutual Aid, Takoma PorchFest and Community Yard Sale, and our farmers markets back in action. And don’t miss out on our

Dear Neighbors, From supporting DC Circulator workers on the picket line and protesting at the Supreme Court to passing legislation and working to finalize the DC budget, it’s been a wild week! I wanted to report back on our work and other DC services, community resources, and neighborhood events that could be of interest to you. I also want to wish all of our amazing moms in Ward 4 a happy Mother’s Day! You are truly the bedrock of our families and our community. I hope you feel the love this weekend and have the wonderful day that you deserve!

Dear Neighbors, This week the Council has been working on amendments to the proposed DC budget. On Wednesday, we had a marathon budget work session where each Committee explained its proposals and Councilmembers highlighted needs that are currently unmet. If there’s something you believe is important but is not currently included in the budget, the next few days are your last chance to advocate for it to be added. I’m excited that this week I introduced two pieces of Green New Deal legislation: a bill to create social housing in DC, which I believe is the critical missing piece to confronting our