dc diary

Beat the Heat!

By Jack Evans

August 2008

As we go to print this week I have some good news to report – you can go beat the heat (although last week was not bad at all...I kept thinking it was May!) the last two weekends of the summer. I just received word from DC Parks and Recreation that the Volta Park pool will stay open the weekend of the 22nd – 24th and Labor Day weekend of the 29th – 1st. Normally we scale back pool hours sharply the last weeks of August since most of our lifeguards, who are college students, are going back to school. Only one pool per ward – in our case Francis pool in Dupont Circle – stays open during the late summer time period so we are very fortunate to add these dates at Volta Park. Enjoy!

This is one of several successes we’ve enjoyed in Georgetown this past year. This spring, I was particularly glad to have worked with Mayor Fenty to secure $3.5 million as a contribution towards fixing up the Georgetown Waterfront Park. As you may recall, the U.S. Parks Service selected the park as one of its Centennial Challenge projects – which would receive matching funds for monies generated locally.

Our contribution of the $3.5 million, and an additional $1 million raised by the Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park, will leverage $4.5 million from the federal government and move this major renovation forward. Also in the budget this spring I worked very hard with the community to successfully save the Circulator bus and its routes on Wisconsin Avenue.

The reconstruction of the Georgetown Library is well into the design phase and should start work in 2009, and the bookmobile at Jelleff will be replaced by a store-front location on M Street at the old Staples this fall.

The newly made-over Hardy Middle School will have its grand re-opening for students this fall – and I’m hoping to get an advance peek before school starts.

I have to salute the residents of Georgetown for working so hard together to achieve these and many other projects in the neighborhood. 

Over the last several years we’ve rebuilt a significant amount of our infrastructure – above ground we have so many beautiful and historic buildings but underneath the surface we have some of the most modern infrastructure in the city. We’ve rebuilt the P Street, Buffalo and the 170+ year old Wisconsin Avenue bridges, and so much more. 

What should we do next? Ideas and suggestions always welcome.

Jack Evans is Ward Two’s City Councilmember. His column appears in each edition.