EHN

Speaking of the Park, I don’t think the fountain is getting fixed anytime soon… Having Said that “Norton Introduces Bill to Expand Mission of National Park Service to Include Active Use of Urban Parks”

By Prince Of Petworth


There was a time… photo from 2007 by Chris Campbell

Rough report from Politico:

“Nearly 780 people were fired at the National Park Service, said one person briefed on the administration’s call with park superintendents. The NPS may have to cancel tours and possibly close visitor centers if they don’t have probationary employees in place on Monday, this person said.”

Don’t think that bodes for finding funding to fix the fountain :(

I guess we better enjoy that new armillary sphere…

From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to expand the mission of the National Park Service (NPS) to include active use of NPS parks in urban areas in addition to preservation. The idea for the bill came from a George Washington University report that examined strategies to create a more activated park system in D.C., which noted that NPS parks in D.C. are “inconsistently managed and inequitably maintained” and “do not meet the needs of people who both live near and experience the park system as a part of their daily lives.”

“NPS’s primary mission is to preserve spaces for the enjoyment of future generations. This noble mission was crafted for the purpose of wilderness preservation, allowing nature to remain untouched by time. However, this mission is ill-suited for the unique needs of NPS neighborhood parks,” Norton said. “This bill would expand the mission of NPS to include the promotion of active use of its parks located in urban areas. Active use prioritizes current enjoyment by people and improves quality of life, including with playgrounds, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure, sports and recreation facilities, community events, and programming for public holiday celebrations.”

Norton’s introductory statement follows. (more…)

“Dedicated public servants are losing their jobs without cause…Norton Statement on Trump Executive Order Attacking Federal Workforce”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by Fritz Myer

From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order to cut federal employees, limit future federal hires to one for every four departing employees, and require federal agencies to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The order says each agency will now have a “DOGE Team Lead.” (more…)

Congresswoman Norton Calls for Support for Federal Employees: “They deserve better.”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by Marci Robles

From the Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following statement today regarding federal employees:

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing, and often illegal and unconstitutional, attacks against our federal workforce. Today’s attempted illegal gutting of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is just the most recent in a long line of attacks on federal employees, now only two weeks into the current Administration. (more…)

RFK Stadium Site – “D.C. has scored a victory in its fight for self-determination just in time for the holidays”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by DCbmyers

From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) celebrated the early morning Senate passage of her bill with Rep. James Comer (R-KY) to transfer administrative jurisdiction over the RFK Stadium campus from the federal government to D.C. for up to 99 years. The bill is now headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

The RFK Stadium bill clears the way for D.C. to use the land where the crumbling old stadium sits for redevelopment, commercial and residential development, or other public purposes. Norton has worked on prior versions of the bill aimed at revitalizing the RFK Stadium campus, which, at 174 acres, is the largest unused tract of land in the District, since 2017.

“D.C. has scored a victory in its fight for self-determination just in time for the holidays,” (more…)

“Norton Writes Postmaster General Requesting USPS Meet with Ward 5 Residents”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the office of Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) wrote Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy after USPS took more than six weeks to respond to her constituent services office’s request for a meeting to address widespread mail delivery problems in Ward 5 in D.C. When the Postal Service did respond, it said no such meeting could be held due to a 45-day election blackout period. In her letter, Norton urged USPS to at least independently meet with Ward 5 residents no later than October 11, 2024.”

The text of the letter follows. (more…)

Still Waiting on the Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Fountain to be filled 2024 edition “who can we talk to, or advocate, to get these fountains back on and this park the attention and care it deserves?”

By Prince Of Petworth

You can see the 2023 edition here.

Update from Rock Creek Park NPS: “We are seeking funding for the repairs to the cascading fountain at Meridian Hill Park. Work needed to be completed before the fountain can operate includes additional rehab of deteriorated concrete & replacement of the variable frequency drive water pump.”

Carter Christensen asks:

“Serious question re: Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park – who can we talk to, or advocate, to get these fountains back on and this park the attention and care it deserves? It’s a shame this space just sits here like this year after year to no avail – the city deserves better.”

citymom92 shares this awesome photo: (more…)

“Norton Introduces Bill To Create Commemorative Coin To Honor Paul Lawrence Dunbar”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by Elvert Barnes

From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced the Paul Laurence Dunbar Commemorative Coin Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 50,000 five-dollar coins, 400,000 one-dollar coins and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition of Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of the first influential African American poets in American literature. (more…)

EHN: “While I recognize the need for helicopters in D.C., the FAA and Congress must do more to mitigate the harm to D.C. residents.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Eric P.

From the Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus and a member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, introduced a bill today to require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to create and implement a platform for sharing helicopter noise complaint data in the National Capital Region and to make the platform accessible to the public online. The House passed the bill last year as part of the FAA reauthorization.

“I hear from D.C. residents almost daily about the negative impact of helicopter noise on their lives, despite the airspace restrictions related to being the nation’s capital,” Norton said. “The noise can be damaging to health and quality of life, and helicopters can even harm the structural integrity of homes. While I recognize the need for helicopters in D.C., the FAA and Congress must do more to mitigate the harm to D.C. residents. I will continue to work with federal agencies that fly helicopters in D.C. and on legislation to reduce helicopter noise for D.C. residents.”

Norton’s introductory statement follows. (more…)

EHN: “This bill would allow the District of Columbia to transform the RFK stadium campus, 174 acres of underutilized federal land in D.C. that primarily consist of parking lots, sports fields and a long-vacant stadium in the process of being demolished, into a thriving mixed-use development.”

By Prince Of Petworth


photo by DCbmyers

From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her floor statement ahead of today’s scheduled debate and vote on her bipartisan bill with Chair James Comer (R-KY) to direct the federal government to transfer administrative jurisdiction over the RFK Stadium campus to D.C. for 99 years, allowing D.C. to use the land for stadium redevelopment, commercial and residential development, or other public purposes. Norton has worked on prior versions of the bill aimed at revitalizing RFK Stadium campus, which at 174 acres is the largest unused track of land in the District, since 2017. This is the first time any version of the legislation has been considered on the House floor. (more…)

“Norton Introduces Bill to Designate D.C. Neighborhoods in Need of Investment as Empowerment Zones”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton:

“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today reintroduced a bill that would add the District of Columbia to the national empowerment zone program to provide federal tax incentives for businesses to locate and invest in low-income areas in the District. This bill would effectively restore many of the federal tax incentives for investment in low-income D.C. neighborhoods that a Norton bill created in 1997, but that Congress let expire in 2011. (more…)

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