Are you taking proper care of your street tree?

In this hot, humid, muggy summer weather, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is asking residents to help care for our 144,000 street trees. Follow these instructions and our street trees will have a better chance of surviving the summer.

Watering
Newly planted street trees need 10 gallons of water each week. The Dupont Circle Citizen Association has a new Tree Watering Rebate Program that provides members with a $10 rebate on the purchase of a "Treegator" - the green bags that wrap around tree trunks that provide an easy way to get water to street trees. Treegator bags can be purchased at True Value Hardware (1623 17th Street, NW) or Logan Hardware (1416 P Street, NW).

Keep trees free
Please do not secure posters or signs to trees with nails as this severely damages them. Locking bikes or scooters to trees can hurt them as well.

Keep tree boxes clean
Pulling weeds and removing trash from tree boxes helps the roots breathe. In fact, DDOT suggests not planting flowers and bushes in tree boxes until the tree is established. These plants cause competition for street trees.

Report health concerns
If you see any changes in leaf color or reduced leaf canopy, please report it to the Mayor's Call Center: 727-1000 and request a tree inspection. Please request pruning or trimming if needed.

For more information, contact Evans' Urban Forestry liaison, Sean Metcalf.

Teenagers take over the DC Council...summer hire program begins

This week, the DC Council welcomed dozens of teenagers to each office for the kick off of the 2007 Passport-to-Work Summer Youth Program, offered through the Department of Employment Services (DOES). Each summer, the DC Council hire youths to work in each office for a period of six weeks to provide them with real-world work experience. This year Councilmember Evans hired, Michael Robinson, a 14-year-old eighth grader, who is planning to attend Deal Middle School.

"This program offers youths work experience and exposure as they convert from adolescent to adulthood," Evans said. "Because of the positive outcome it has had on teens, I encourage the business community to become a partner in preparing our youth for the future."

The summer program offers 11,000 DC youth ages 14-21, an opportunity to participate in a six-week temporary job readiness and academic enrichment curriculum. For those interested in participating next summer, registration takes place at the DOES Office of Youth Programs, at 625 H Street, NE, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Additionally, Ben Berlinder, a 13-year-old seventh grader who attends The Field School, decided he wanted to spend his summer working in the Evans office to fulfill his community service requirement.

For more information, contact Evans' Office Manager, Carolyn Long.

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Vintage furniture store opens along 14th Street corridor

The revival of the 14th Street corridor continues as Hunted House, a vintage furniture store, recently opened at 1830½ 14th Street, NW. This corridor, which boasts the likes of Mitchell Gold, Vastu and Muleh, now plays host to a vintage retailer offering furniture, lighting and home accessories.

"The need for value-priced furniture is very important to residents across the city. I believe merchants must offer goods at a price point that is reasonable," Councilmember Evans said. "Just as we ask for affordable housing within the scope of a development, we must also ask merchants to offer goods and services that are reasonable. Kudos to Mark and Ed for opening in Ward 2 and offering a great deal on vintage furniture."

Hunted House is a case of accidental birth. Ed Rudock, an interior design professional had a true love for furniture having sold it for many years. Mark Johnson, a collector of Art Deco and Mid Century furniture, knew others loved vintage furniture, but wanted to find it at affordable prices. With Mark's eye for period pieces and Ed's knowledge of furniture and design, the two started buying select vintage furniture. With a loyal following and by word of mouth, Ed and Mark's business graduated from Craigslist and DC's Eastern Market to their current location on 14th Street, NW.

For more information, visit Hunted House at 1830 ½ 14th Street, NW, call 549-7493 or contact Evans' Logan Circle liaison, Sean Metcalf.

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DC government closes for Independence Day celebrations

Throughout Ward 2 and the District, celebrations will take place honoring America's independence from Britain and the beginning of American Revolution. In observance, DC government will be closed for business.

The following schedules apply for July 4:

• There will be no trash collection, street cleaning, recycling or parking enforcement. Trash collection will resume regular schedules on Thursday, July 5. For the official schedule of holiday trash collection, click here.
• The Ft. Totten Trash Transfer Station will be closed.
• Department of Motor Vehicles service centers, southwest inspection station and administrative offices will be closed July 4 and will reopen July 5.

For additional information, contact Evans' DMV, DPW and DDOT liaison, Sean Metcalf.

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Is your babysitter certified?

Some residents use nannies, a few seek out day care centers, but the majority of working parents with older children use them to watch their younger siblings. The only problem with this scenario is - how many of the older siblings are certified babysitters? The organization, Because We Care Health Training Center (1426 9th Street, NW), has registered almost 40 youth to participate in their Certified Babysitting Program, but they also have a $10,000 shortfall.

"It's vitally important for the youth in Ward 2 and DC that are babysitting, to have the proper training and become certified," Councilmember Evans said. "We are seeing it time and time again, children ages 13-18 are watching after their younger siblings while the parents are working. I realize this is a way of life, but those looking after children need to know how to care for them and what to do during an emergency. If your company can help with the funding shortfall, please reach out and contact Because We Care, as they are a great Ward 2 organization."

The mission of the Certified Babysitting Program, which opened its doors in 1995, is to train young teens to enhance lives, educate and to protect the very young. The program trains teenagers on how to provide and maintain a safe, secure and healthy nutritional environment for infants and toddlers. Participants will receive training in childcare protection, CPR, first aid, AED and how to access Emergency Medical Services.

The training consists of two four-hour sessions and upon completion, each student will be certified in CPR, first aid and babysitting and, receives a $50 stipend. The American Heart Association and American Safety and Health Institute grant the certification. This program is the bridge between day care and no care serving all ethnic backgrounds.

For more information, contact Tommie Nash at 332-3091 or Evans' Shaw liaison, Windy Abdul-Rahim.

After four years of studying, TIF comes to a neighborhood near you

Close your eyes and imagine Gallery Place in Wards 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Now open them. This week, the Committee on Finance and Revenue, which Councilmember Evans chairs, held a hearing on PR 17-248, the "Great Streets Neighborhood Retail Priority Areas Approval Resolution of 2007". Submitted to the DC Council by Mayor Fenty, this resolution uses tax increment financing in neighborhoods instead of commercial districts, where it is most common.

This initiative has been a personal priority of Evans and the six designated areas and, their total bonding authority of almost $100 million, are as follows:

• 7th Street/Georgia Avenue, NW, which spans Wards 2 and 1 ($25 million);
• Martin Luther King Avenue SE/South Capitol Street; in Ward 8 ($10 million);
• H Street, NE, which spans Wards 6 and 5 ($25 million);
• Petworth in NW, which spans Wards 1 and 4 ($10 million);
• Minnesota-Benning Road, NE in Ward 7 ($15 million); and
• Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, which spans Wards 7 and 8 ($10 million).

"Our downtown TIF projects have stood up against the critics and proven this is a worthwhile investment," Evans said. "Traditionally, TIF is used in commercial areas, but with the proper guidelines, it can be used successfully in residential zones."

Tax Increment Financing is a financial tool that enables projects to borrow against the tax generation of a property while developing the project. In the residential model, TIF will help us move forward with projects that might be more difficult financially to do outside of the commercial districts.

Evans plans to move this legislation forward very quickly at the DC Council's July 10 legislative meeting.

For more information, contact Evans' Committee Clerk, Jeff Coudriet.

Pangea makes a home in Foggy Bottom

If you're looking for eclectic handicrafts at fair trade prices, you don't have to leave Ward 2! Pangea Artisan Market & Café is now open at the International Finance (IFC) building at 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Pangea offers an array of crafts, jewelry, home décor and accessories made by artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The store is operated under the auspices of the IFC's Grassroots Business Initiative (GBI). GBI works to strengthen innovative social enterprises to create sustainable economic opportunities for the poor. A recent GBI success story is Honey Care Africa, a group of Kenyan honey producers.

In addition to the Artisan Market, Pangea includes a café operated by World Craft and Café, Inc (WCC), a private retail operator owned and managed by entrepreneurs, Sunil and Deepak Shrestha. The café offers a variety of treats from sushi to smoothies. Many cultural events and lectures are held at Pangea. Some of the recent projects featured have been from Brazil, Cambodia, Bolivia, South Africa and Burkina Faso.

"Pangea is an exciting addition to the Foggy Bottom neighborhood", Councilmember Evans said. "Their building has anchored the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st Street and the interior is unique and beautiful."

For more information about Pangea's market and events, please contact Vanessa Ferragut, Event and Outreach Coordinator in the Grassroots Business Department or Evans' Foggy Bottom liaison, Michele Molotsky.

Will valet parking regulations create more residential parking?

It is no secret there is a parking crunch within the boundaries of Ward 2. But, what does seem to keep the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) perplexed is what generates the parking problem and the associated traffic congestion. In response to a public outcry, DDOT has proposed new regulations on valet parking operators and the usage of public space.

"Through several years of studies, it has been determined that much of our downtown traffic congestion is related to motorists circling for on-street parking," Councilmember Evans said. "I'm pleased the DDOT has taken into account all aspects of parking when looking into regulating the valet parking operators. We don't want to use a sledge hammer when it is not needed. I hope the proposed regulations have the desired affects and parking is increased for residents."

The proposed regulations to govern the valet parking operations were originally published on September 8, 2006, but because of the many public comments received, they were revised and republished on June 15. All persons interested in commenting on the current proposed Valet Parking regulations may file comments in writing no later than 30 days after the publication in the DC Register.

Comments may be sent electronically to publicspace.committee@dc.gov, mailed to Public Space Management Administration District Department of Transportation 2000 14th Street, NW, 5th floor Washington DC 20009 or faxed to 202-671-0636.

For questions, please call Alice Kelly at 671-2333 or Evans' DDOT liaison, Sean Metcalf.

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