Local

As part of Back to Basics DC, Mayor Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were out in the community sharing safety tips for preventing vehicle thefts and break ins, including locking doors and keeping valuables out of sight.

Activities for all ages will be available to enjoy, including:

Free food (hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, pop corn, snow cones, etc…)
Moon-bounce
Face painting
DC Water sprayer

Mayor Bowser celebrated the modernization of Kenilworth Recreation Center in Ward 7 and announced that the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Permit Office is transitioning to a new, more user-friendly permit and application process.

The Maryland Department of Commerce and bwtech@UMBC Research & Technology Park recently announced the establishment of an international cybersecurity center, iCyberCenter@bwtech.

The NAACP, America’s oldest and largest national civil rights organization, has announced its 108th annual convention, beginning Saturday, July 22nd through Wednesday, July 26th at the Baltimore Convention Center, One W. Pratt St.

Exelon will host its 2017 Innovation Expo on Tuesday, June 27, showcasing the latest advanced technology products Exelon is developing and using to better meet the needs for safe, reliable and affordable clean energy. Just as Airbnb, Amazon, Netflix and Uber have used technology to transform entire industries, technology is rapidly transforming the way Americans buy, manage and consume energy.

As part of Back to Basics DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off Washington, DC’s second annual “Great Graffiti Wipeout,” an eight-week initiative to remove graffiti and illegal tagging around Washington, DC.

Paddle Second Chance (PSC) has raised over $100,000.00 for Operation Second Chance (OSC) in the last 5 years of fundraising. This year, at PSC’s annual paddle and kayak race and fundraiser on June 24th, PSC is targeting to raise over $40,000.00 for OSC.

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) has been named the 2017 recipient of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Rail Safety and Security Gold Award.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the George Mason High School Environmental Group, a group of 11 students in Falls Church, Va. will receive the 2016 President’s Environmental Youth Award for grade levels 6-12 for their work with healthy and sustainable farming practices.

At this week’s Council Legislative Session, At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds introduced the “TOPA Accessory Dwelling Unit Act of 2017,” to help insure that the 1980 Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) is continuously used as an effective tool to address the District’s affordability crisis of ever escalating housing costs.

Specifically, the Act will exempt owner-occupied, single family homes with accessory dwelling units from TOPA laws under narrow circumstances.

The Hogan-Rutherford Administration recently announced the Department of General Services’ successful implementation of a reverse auction for energy purchases, which will save Maryland taxpayers $25 million over the next four years through 2021. The commodities procurement will provide a significant portion of the state’s electricity supply to state-owned facilities.

Giant Food of Landover, Md. announced the expansion of its Gas Rewards program by adding the Fuel Rewards® program, an innovative coalition program enabling shoppers to earn fuel savings from participating retailers in addition to points earned through Giant purchases. Starting today, customers may earn additional cents off per gallon from Shell and other retailers that participate in the Fuel Rewards program.

Giant Food of Landover, Md. recently announced the 2017 recipients of the Izzy Cohen Memorial Scholarship and the Esther Peterson Memorial Grant. The winners represent a variety of high schools and colleges in the Mid-Atlantic region and were selected based on academic merit, association with Giant Food, school and community service. The scholarships, which total $50,000, will be used to support post-secondary education.

Madame Tussauds Washington, D.C. is celebrating 10 Years on F Street this summer with exciting new wax figures never seen before in D.C., and in town for a limited time only. In addition to the current Music Touring Set: Ed Sheeran, Lorde, Sam Smith and Ross Lynch- in D.C. until the end of June, the attraction will be home to Marvel favorite Thor (Chris Hemsworth) from June until August and celebrate Capital Pride by welcoming the figure of Orange Is the New Black star, Laverne Cox.

Governor Terry McAuliffe recently announced a $935,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Nutrition Service that will provide approximately 9,000 students and their families in nine Richmond schools and eight Southwest Virginia school divisions with increased food security.

As the Atlantic hurricane season gets underway June 1, BGE is prepared to respond to weather-related emergencies and urges customers to take proactive steps to protect their families and properties. While BGE customers are experiencing fewer and less frequent power outages than ever before due to major investments being made in the electric delivery system, customers should always have a plan in place should outages occur, especially during hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial (Friends) will commemorate the 73 years since 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France during a special commemoration and wreath presentation at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 11:00 AM.

Driver and vehicle safety is critical, and the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) has added vehicle recall information to its inspection reports to raise awareness among District residents about their vehicles.

The Junior League of Washington (JLW) is pleased to award Lawrence Cross with the 2017 Meg Graham Scholarship, a $10,000 award honoring a graduating high school senior living in Washington, DC, who has excelled academically and demonstrated commitment toward community involvement.

The Memorial Foundation, Inc., the foundation responsible for building the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have again united to present an inspiring and powerful summer film series at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

(BlackNews.com) — They Speak to Me: Voices From the Past by Bert Cross II is about the pain, struggle, and the price that was paid for African-Americans in the past. There are 153 voices that will speak directly to the hearts and conscious minds of Black people. Bert, who is currently the Coordinator and Music Director of Music Theatre in the Howard University Theatre Arts Department, comments, “Now is the time that African Americans should stand and employ the power of the written word to preserve the voices and the African thought of our ancestors.”

Eastern Market Metro Park is set to receive $4.5 million in funding to begin the planning, design, and implementation of a complete renovation of the two block space surrounding the Eastern Market Metro Station.

The grant comes to Turner Elementary School as a result of its outstanding performance in Giant’s A+ School Rewards Program during the 2016-2017 school year. The school was one of the top 20 earners this year.

This spring, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) customers are continuing to benefit from lower total bills resulting primarily from dropping electric commodity prices and customers reducing their energy use.

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) will offer two weeks of free transit rides June 18 through June 30 as part of the official launch of BaltimoreLink. Free rides will be offered on Local Bus, Express Bus, Light Rail and Metro Subway.

Governor McAuliffe recently announced that Russell County Public Schools will receive $5.6 million in Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds from the VirginiaSAVES program. Established in 2015, the VirginiaSAVES program is the Commonwealth’s first statewide Green Community Program.

The Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) and the Department of Employment Services (DOES) have partnered to develop Solar Works DC, a new low-income solar installation and job training program. To implement the first year of the program, DOEE and DOES have awarded $950,000 to GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic through a competitive grant process.

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is proud to announce its 45th Birthday Bash with a community celebration on June 10th.

CHAW is celebrating 45 years of its mission: building community through the arts by welcoming local business, government, and neighbors to join together in creative activities—all day, all for free, and all open to everyone.

Marcus E. Hopkins (Delaware State University) and Stephanie A. Cooke (Hampton University), both graduated Mother’s Day weekend from HBC Universities.

The Department of Energy and Environment recently awarded 11 grants totaling $208,812 for innovative, community-oriented projects aimed at improving water quality in the District and raising awareness about issues related to stormwater runoff. This is the second year DOEE has offered Community Stormwater Solutions grants. The first cohort included nine grants totaling $156,500 in 2016.

Pepco is making spring cleaning a little easier for customers this spring with their Appliance Recycling Program – one of Pepco’s Maryland Energy Efficiency Programs – by offering a hassle-free way to recycle their old, energy-wasting appliances. Old refrigerators and freezers can consume as much as four times more energy than newer models and could cost customers up to $150 annually in energy usage.

The World Series of Entrepreneurship (WSE) announced the first of their regional high school entrepreneurship competition series will take place in Washington, DC. The competition series, organized in partnership with the David and Mikel Blair Family Foundation, Katherine and David Bradley, amongst others, will feature nearly 30 Washington, DC area high school student entrepreneurs competing for venture capital and scholarship awards up to a combined $10,000.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, May 16, 2017— The District of Columbia was recently awarded a $60,000 Partners for Places Equity Pilot Initiative grant to infuse equity into the planning and implementation of the Climate Ready DC, Clean Energy DC, and Sustainable DC plans. Thanks to matching grant funders through Partners for Places, The Prince Charitable Trusts and the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, a total of $120,000 will be invested in climate planning in the District.

Governor McAuliffe recently signed HB 1547 to provide for the maintenance of 6,975 historic African American graves, monuments, and markers at the East End Cemetery and Evergreen Cemetery. At the ceremony, the Governor also signed a second bill (HB 2296) directing the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities to preserve and share significant sites and stories relating to the history of enslaved peoples in the Commonwealth.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) announced Windsor Farm Elementary School as the winner of the “Adventures of Captain Mercaptan,” BGE Natural Gas Safety Hero Challenge. The annual contest challenges public and private elementary school students at schools in BGE’s service area to illustrate gas safety messages featuring Captain Mercaptan, BGE’s fictional natural gas safety superhero, for a chance to win up to $10,000 towards a school enrichment project.

It was the best feel-good moment of the week when approximately 2,000 people in Washington, D.C. showed their support of our smallest citizens — babies — by participating in the 2017 March for Babies to benefit the March of Dimes.

Nationals Park was packed with strollers, families, and business teams who raised more than $575,000 to prevent birth defects, premature birth, and other leading causes of death and disability in babies.

Maryland, in partnership with the University of Maryland, has received a $25,000 grant from the Think College National Coordinating Center to enhance postsecondary options for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The grant follows an additional $250,000 funding commitment from Governor Larry Hogan during the 2017 General Assembly to be included in the state health department’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) budget…

Governor Terry McAuliffe recently announced that Virginia has received a $9.76 million federal grant to help fight the opioid epidemic. The one-year grant comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It will support prevention, treatment and recovery efforts in 18 Virginia communities. The grant will be administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).

Sixty students attending the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Southeast D.C. are now characters in four different books produced through the LIVING STORYBOOK Project which is a special literacy program developed by Do The Write Thing of DC, a tax exempt nonprofit:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The District of Columbia’s top two youth volunteers of 2017, Ayomide Okuleye, 17 and Debora Abera, 11, were honored in the nation’s capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the 22nd annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Outstanding Youth for Human Rights International volunteers and national advocates were honored with Presidential Volunteer Service Awards in a Capitol Hill ceremony marking the finale of Youth for Human Rights International’s 14th annual World Education Tour.

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Aquatics Division will be hosting a “Water Safety Awareness Workshop” in honor of International Water Safety Day on Monday, May 15, 2017 beginning at 4:00pm at various Aquatic Centers throughout the District of Columbia. Participants can register either online via our registration system or in person at any recreation center. Online registration will end Sunday, May 14, 2017, early registration is highly recommended.



The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) Board of Commissioners recently approved $1.73 million in grant awards to District-based individuals and organizations to support arts and humanities projects taking place between now and September 30, 2017.

The grant announcements come as part of innoMAYtion, Mayor Bowser’s month-long initiative showcasing how ideas from local entrepreneurs and innovators are making the District a global model for inclusive innovation.

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) hosted the kick off for its 25th annual “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign at the Capital Area Food Bank Tuesday morning. The food drive takes place Saturday, May 13; letter carriers will pick up non-perishable food at your mailbox. The event co-sponsors included the AFL-CIO, UFCW, the United Way, the U.S. Postal Service and others.

Annapolis’ arts scene will be front and center during Annapolis Arts Week, June 3-11. Kicking off with the June 2-3 Annapolis Irish Festival and culminating with the newly revamped Arts and Wine Festival at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on June 10-11, the nine-day event is a microcosm of the rich and dynamic visual and performing arts scene that’s alive and well in Annapolis.

Horton’s Kids, a nonprofit that empowers children living in one of Washington, D.C.’s most at-risk neighborhoods to graduate high school ready for success, is hosting its 9th Annual Home Runs for Horton’s Kids at Nationals Park on Wednesday, June 21.

This summer, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will present “sunrise, sunset,” a large-scale, site-specific wall mural by Swiss artist Nicolas Party, on view June 7-Oct. 1. The mural will be painted directly onto the museum wall over the course of two weeks, responding to the museum’s unique circular architecture and spanning nearly 400 feet along its inner-ring gallery. Once completed, it will mark the artist’s first solo exhibition in Washington, D.C.

The carbon footprint for a typical Dominion Virginia Power customer would shrink by as much as 25 percent over the next eight years under a plan the company presented today. When added to reductions already made by Dominion, carbon emissions to meet the energy needs of a typical residential customer would fall by up to 46 percent between 2007 and 2027.

DC residents involved in the arts and cultural production sector were compensated more than $6.88 billion in 2014, according to a new study released recently through a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Howard University, one of the nation’s premiere institutions of higher learning, will honor four ground-breaking women during its annual commencement, including an award-winning journalist, the first African-American woman Episcopal priest, an acclaimed scholar and critic and the first African-American U.S. Senator from California.

70 students share their experiences of life this school year in a project run by literary and arts education nonprofit 826DC. The students all identify as either black or Hispanic, and the conversations happening on the national stage have particularly affected their lives.

We all know that youth homelessness is a chronic problem on the streets of our nation’s capital. With your help, and with the intervention of an extraordinary figure from the world of opera, we have a unique opportunity to draw it to the attention of policy-makers and opinion formers.

The man who can help us do that is Ryan Speedo Green – who is enjoying a spectacular rise in opera. Mr Green has a remarkable story to share with you.

The Department of General Services commends eight (8) DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the one (1) public charter school that participated in the Reduce First Challenge – Paper Edition.

“By moving beyond recycling and taking steps to ‘Reduce First’, District students and staff continue to demonstrate their capacity for community leadership,” said DGS Director Greer Gillis. “These classroom leaders serve as role models to us all in the District’s transition towards zero waste.”

Bald eagle fans from around the world recently participated in a “Name the Nestlings” social media campaign to suggest names for “DC4” and “DC5,” the two eaglets currently residing in a nest at the U.S. National Arboretum with their parents, Mr. President and The First Lady. Thousands of names were submitted and the top four most-suggested name pairs are being put to a final public vote!

Governor Terry McAuliffe recently accepted the 2017 StateScoop GoldenGov: State Executive of the Year Award for his outstanding leadership in growing Virginia’s IT sector. Each year, the StateScoop 50 Awards honor the best and brightest who make state government more efficient and effective. These awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of the leaders from the public and private sector who make the state government information technology community so unique.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage will once again host Healthy Food Week, a 10-day-long campaign to collect money and food to restock area food pantries in time for the summer months, when food pantries often experience the greatest need for their services.

Donations will be collected at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage offices in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas from April 28 to May 7. Items collected at each office will then be donated to the organizations chosen by branch managers and agents.

Governor Terry McAuliffe and the Virginia Council on Women announced the winners of the 6th annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Essay Contest for young women enrolled in their junior or senior year of high school.

“It is my pleasure to join the Virginia Council on Women to announce this year’s STEM Essay Contest winners,” said Governor McAuliffe.

The End of Prostate Cancer joins forces with Potomac Urology to host the ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk this June. The goal is to create Generation ZERO – the first generation of men free of prostate cancer. Participants from the DC-area will run and walk together on Father’s Day, June 18, to fight a disease that takes the life of an American man every 20 minutes.

America Walks, a national advocacy organization that promotes walking and walkable communities, announced this week that Adriana Hochberg, Chief of Staff at the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment, has been awarded a Walking College Fellowship.

The Fellowship will enable Ms. Hochberg and 23 other advocates from around the country to participate in a four-month training program designed to strengthen local efforts to make communities more walkable.

On Saturday, May 13th at 2:00pm, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra performs this year’s Family concert, “Beethoven Lives Upstairs” with Classical Kids Live!, under the musical direction of José-Luis Novo, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Before the concert at 1pm, a Scavenger Hunt and Photo Booth will be provided by Chesapeake Family Life and directly following the concert, the audience is invited to stay and meet the musicians.

The University of Maryland will host its 19th annual Maryland Day on Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, a campus-wide celebration of innovation, creativity and academic excellence, offers more than 400 free, educational, family-friendly activities that teach and inspire future innovators.

It’s 9 a.m. and the savory smells of garlic, ground beef, and cabbage waft through the air of a quaint, but adequate commercial kitchen at Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church in Takoma Park.

Jamie Griffin, 37, is using all the strength her roughly 5’ 4” frame can muster to stir a large pot of beef and cabbage–a meal that will feed those who otherwise could not feed themselves, scores of residents just seven miles from the nation’s Capitol who are part of the 2.4 million seniors who daily rely on Meals on Wheels.

Passport DC celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The annual festival that commemorates International Cultural Awareness Month in the District of Columbia runs from May 1 through 31 with a wide array of cultural activities presented at embassy open houses, street festivals, and performing arts organizations throughout the city, according to Steven E. Shulman, executive director of Cultural Tourism DC, the producing organization.

Pride of Baltimore II, the historic tall ship that has dazzled people around the nation and globe, launches the 40th year of Pride in Baltimore, with an exciting itinerary that includes stops in Annapolis, Md.; Charleston, S.C.; Bermuda, coinciding with the America’s Cup 2017 races; and Boston.

Pride, a topsail schooner that recalls 19th-century Baltimore clippers, will leave the Inner Harbor May 13, bound for Charleston. She will be a featured vessel at tall ships festivals in Charleston; Hamilton, Bermuda; and Boston.

Encore Creativity for Older Adults is the largest choral music program for older adults in the country. Encore was started in 2007 from a George Washington University study to address the mental and physical health benefits of singing in older adults.

The late Dr. Gene Cohen, the world-renowned psychiatrist (and the first director of the National Institute on Aging) who inspired Jeanne Kelly, a former opera singer, to create Encore, observed that age offers countless opportunities for growth, development, and creativity.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has presented BGE with its ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award. The award recognizes the success of the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program®, the company’s suite of energy efficiency programs that aims to help customers reduce energy usage. BGE, along with Exelon sister utilities ComEd in Chicago, Delmarva Power in Wilmington, Del., and Pepco in Washington D.C., will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 26, 2017…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named Pepco a 2017 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award winner for the fourth consecutive year for its continued success in helping customers save energy and money through a variety of energy efficiency programs. Pepco along with sister Exelon utilities Delmarva Power in Wilmington, Del., ComEd in Chicago, and BGE in Baltimore, will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 26, 2017…

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced recently the launch of the Smart City Works Infrastructure Actuator, a first-of-its-kind business accelerator focused on growing early-stage companies that help make cities smarter, more livable, and more resilient. This program, operated in conjunction with the Center for Innovative Technology, is the first in a series of Commonwealth initiatives that will drive innovation in infrastructure while simultaneously fostering economic development across Virginia and the DC-Metropolitan region.

This Spring 2017, prepare to lace up your sneakers for the BEST Kids annual Superhero 5K race and Fun Run. Join us at 7am on April 22nd at Anacostia Park to raise support and awareness for youth in the DC foster care system. This year, our 5th Annual Superhero 5K & Fun Run is proudly presented by our Champion Sponsor, Atlantic Building Supply.

On the morning before Earth Day, staff from the District’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) will again hand out pollinator plant seeds at 17 Metro stations across the District. In addition to encouraging residents to plant backyard habitats that enhance the survival of our native pollinators like bees and butterflies, this year’s giveaway has an added special theme: DC Statehood.

Stretch your legs and your mind during the 34th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk (June 3 and 4, 2017). Five diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Discover Anderson House, Dumbarton House, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, and the President Woodrow Wilson House free of charge.

Members of Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety’s (YOVASO) Youth Advisory Council (YAC), along with college-level Regional Trainers and students selected to serve as youth leaders for the YOVASO Summer Leadership Retreat will participate in a special training session at the Virginia State Police Driver Training Complex in Blackstone, Virginia on April 22 and 23.

Governor Terry McAuliffe recently announced that Spectrum Brands, Inc., a global consumer products company offering an expanding portfolio of leading brands, is investing $7.28 million over the next couple years in its Montgomery County operation to purchase equipment and upgrade its production processes. Spectrum Brands will receive funding from the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) to support the retraining of existing employees on the new machinery.

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is proud to partner with Dacha Beer Garden for one of their Cause Tuesday events on May 2, 2017 to kick off Paint Bucket 2017, an annual campaign to raise funds for our tuition assistance program.

Next month, Dacha will be opening its doors to supporters to help CHAW kick off the Paint Bucket Campaign as well as its 45th Anniversary year. For a $20 bracelet, participants get access to an extended happy hour (4pm-8pm) on Tuesday, May 2—at one of the best beer gardens in the city.

April is National Safe Digging Month and Pepco reminds its customers and all contractors to call 811 to have utility-owned underground lines marked before digging. Nationwide, there were nearly 350,000 incidents of damage to an underground utility line because of digging without first calling 811, according to the Common Ground Alliance, the national association that promotes the 811 phone number and safe digging practices.

To raise awareness about fair housing rights, responsibilities and resources, District government agencies, along with local housing organizations, will hold an annual symposium on Monday, April 24, 2017 from 3 pm to 8 pm at the UDC Student Center, in celebration of National Fair Housing Month.

The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), will once again bring the excitement of the National Math Festival to Washington, D.C. The Festival will fill the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with more than 80 interactive exhibits, performances, films, athletic games, and lectures by some of the most fascinating mathematicians of our time.

Giant Food of Landover, Md. recently announced that its 2016 charitable donations, facilitated by in-store campaigns and initiatives, totaled $14.6 million in combined cash and product donations, including contributions from customers, vendors and associates. As part of its ongoing better neighbor and responsible retailing efforts, Giant is committed to supporting organizations that help eradicate hunger…

The Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) and Exelon proudly announced the launch of the new Mobile Job Center powered by BGE and Exelon. This Job Center on wheels is the first of its kind in the Baltimore region and will travel to neighborhoods across the city to help job seekers search and apply for employment.

More than 150 photographs and related objects will be on display in the exhibition “More Than a Picture: Selections From the Photography Collection at the National Museum of African American History and Culture” opening May 5. This will be the first exhibition opening in the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Special Exhibitions Gallery on the Concourse Level…

Opening on May 27, The Phillips Collection presents an exhibition celebrating prolific German artist Markus Lüpertz. Curated by Phillips Director Dorothy Kosinski, Markus Lüpertz explores the entirety of the artist’s five-decade career with a survey of his earliest works along with more recent paintings.

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces its 2017 season lineup for Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. Since 1971, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods has been a Washington-area summer tradition for children and their families, featuring diverse acts including puppetry, storytelling, dance, theater, and music.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is announcing the FY18 application round for four available State Revitalization Programs – Project C.O.R.E. (Creating Opportunities for Renewal and Enterprise), Community Legacy, Strategic Demolition Fund – Statewide (all non-Baltimore City) and the Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative.

Governor Larry Hogan, along with Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch, today signed 120 bills into law during the first signing ceremony in the State House following the conclusion of the 2017 session of the Maryland General Assembly.

A new national study shows the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) was again America’s safest transit system in terms of serious crimes (Part I) in 2016 out of the top 12 transit agencies. The study was conducted by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

Local construction trades workers are walking a little taller than usual after the DC Water Blue Plains tunnel project was recognized as “Project of the Year” by the Engineering News Record (ENR). The project beat out 65 entries and “part of the reason for the award is that the project came in on time, below budget, with no accidents,” says Dennis Desmond of LiUNA Local 11.

The ​In Flanders Fields Fund​ is hosting its third annual commemorative ceremony on April 30, 2017 in Pershing Park at 12 p.m. to honor both veterans and their amilies with a reading of the historic “In Flanders Fields” poem.

Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles and My School DC Executive Director Catharine Peretti announced the results of My School DC, the District’s common lottery system for DC Public Schools (DCPS) and nearly all public charter schools that serve grades PK3-12.

My School DC is a joint effort between the Deputy Mayor for Education, DCPS, the Public Charter School Board, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, and public charter school leaders.

An analysis released for Equal Pay Day tomorrow reveals the size of the gender wage gap and its detrimental effects on the spending power of D.C. women. Women employed full time, year-round in the District are paid just 86 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to a yearly gap of $10,039. That means D.C. women lose a combined total of more than $2.6 billion every year – money that could strengthen the state economy and is especially significant for the more than 42,000 D.C. households headed by women, 31 percent of which are in poverty.

Investments Extend Steadfast Commitment to DC Values, Build Inclusive Prosperity for DC Residents

Mayor Muriel Bowser presented “DC Values in Action,” DC Fiscal Year 2018 (FY2018) Budget and Financial Plan, to DC Council. As the twenty-second consecutive balanced budget, this proposal will help ensure that every single resident has a roadmap to inclusive prosperity.

Tony Award-nominee David Ives and STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn, the team that created the award-winning French “trilogy” of The Liar, The Heir Apparent and The Metromaniacs, will unite once more to present a newly revamped version of Ives’ The School For Lies at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street NW) from May 30–July 2, 2017.

Governor Larry Hogan joined by Senate President Pro Tem Nathaniel McFadden and Speaker of the House Mike Busch for a bill signing ceremony to sign HB 684, which enables additional funding to be distributed to school systems in Baltimore City and ten additional jurisdictions facing declining enrollment.

On Friday, April 7, from 7-9 p.m. join the third annual Paint Ball created by the Portrait Gallery’s Teen Museum Council.

Come and celebrate this teens-only spectacular with dancing, food and loads of activities! Find inspiration in our Recent Acquisitions gallery and then create your own portrait and decorate the frame. Play foosball, air hockey and ping pong or dance all night long with DJ Adrian Loving!

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen introduced emergency legislation to protect women’s health care benefits required under the Affordable Care Act by making them local DC law. All 12 of Councilmember Allen’s colleagues had signed on as co-introducers, and voted unanimously to pass the emergency legislation.

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is partnering with Montgomery County for a new homebuying initiative through the Maryland Mortgage Program. Called the Montgomery Homeownership Program, the program incentivizes homebuying in Montgomery County by offering a zero-interest loan of up to $40,000 that can be used for down payment or closing cost assistance.

The Junior League of Washington (JLW) will host its sixth annual Kitchen Tour on Saturday, April 22, from 12 – 4 p.m. in the H Street Corridor neighborhood of Washington, DC.

An expected 300-500 ticketed attendees will enjoy a walking tour of seven hand-selected homes for tastings, demonstrations, and lectures by local chefs, mixologists, floral designers, interior decorators, and real estate experts.

Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) Brian T. Kenner to reveal over 20 projects now available to Washington, DC’s development community. The announcement came at DMPED’s March Madness, an annual effort to create more quality affordable housing, support small and local business, and expand job opportunities for DC residents.

Georgetown University, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Washington and the Society of Jesus in the United States, will host a Liturgy of Remembrance, Contrition and Hope at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18, in Gaston Hall, in honor of the enslaved men, women and children sold by Maryland Jesuits in 1838.

In recent weeks, news about Washington, DC’s missing youth, particularly teenage girls of color, has garnered local and national attention and concern. Ensuring that Washington, DC continues to improve its response to missing children, Mayor Bowser has identified six immediate initiatives to locate young people who have been reported as missing…