October 31 - "Haunted Halls of Horror" at 7th District!

Details for the "Haunted Halls of Horror" event with the officers at Metropolitan Police Department, District 7 tomorrow, October 31st!:

Photo: MPD

Come join MPD Seventh District as we scare the demons out of you. Free food, games, give-a-ways, goody-bags, radio shout outs, the most horror, best haunted house in the entire city.

Volunteer! If you would like to assist in making one of these events a success, please see our volunteer form.

Friday, Oct. 31, 4-9 pm

Seventh District
2455 Alabama Ave., SE

Contact: Lendia Johnson
(202) 698-1454

Check out these helpful safety tips for you and your kids this Halloween, courtesy of MPD.

October 31 - Ward 8 Halloween Events at DPR

The Department of Parks and Recreation is working to keep kids safe and off the streets on Halloween. They're offering two free events in Ward 8 and they're welcoming all of you!

Ferebee Hope Boo-Bash Halloween Party
Ferebee Hope Recreation Center (3999 8th Street, SE – Ward 8) 
Time: 5 pm – 8:30 pm
Ages: All are Welcome
Join Ferebee Hope Recreation Center for an evening of chills and thrills, food, music and fun.
For more information, contact Wendy Glenn at wendya.glenn@dc.gov.
Community Recreation Division

Halloween Haunted House/care Trail & Party
Bald Eagle Recreation Center (100 Joliet Street, SW – Ward 8) 
Time: 6 pm – 8:30 pm
Ages: All are Welcome
Join us for a scary night that will leave you frightened once you find ghost and goblins behind the walls. 
For more information, contact Marc Williams at marcs.willims@dc.gov.
Community Recreation Division

Raise Your Voice - VOTE!

Time to raise your voice! -

Early voting sites are now open citywide in the 2014 General Election!

Offices on the ballot in Ward 8 include:
Delegate to Congress
Mayor
Council Chairman
Attorney General
Councilmember At-Large (choose 2!)
United States "Shadow" Senator
United States "Shadow" Representative
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
Initiative 71: Marijuana Legalization

Ward 8 Early Voting Site:
Malcolm X Elementary School, 1351 Alabama Avenue SE. (Open 8:30am-7pm, NOW until November 1st)

If you're voting on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th, you must vote at your local polling place. Polls are open from 7am-8pm. Click here to find your Election Day polling place location.

Here are some reminders and tips when going to vote:

• You do not need a photo ID to vote in the District of Columbia
• You can register to vote on the day of the election
• All polling sites are handicap accessible and curbside voting is available
• Want to skip possible lines on Election Day? Vote early - and check wait times here.
• Find which candidates are on the ballot - click here. 
• WAMU 88.5 has created a great tool so you can get to know the candidates on your ballot! Check it out.
• Find out which candidates are on the ballot for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner by clicking here.
• Interesting article about some of Ward 8's ANC candidates by Capitol News.

See you out there!

#WeDoVote

Wash Biz Journal - What could St. Elizabeths east look like? Here's a recap of the master developer pitches

Four Points Development's proposal for St. Elizabeths east includes 350 homes, 25 stores, 5,250 students, and 6 acres of community farmland. (Four Points)

Here an excerpt of a recent article by Michael Neibauer at the Washington Business Journal, recapping the pitches presented by 5 teams, all vying to be the master developers for phase one the St. Elizabeths East campus - "the largest public-private economic development project in the District's pipeline". Where? You guessed it: right here in Congress Heights.

The first phase of St. E's east is generally focused near the Congress Heights Metro station. It will include space for three pre-selected tech anchors — Microsoft for its Innovation Center, Citelum for its lighting lab and VimTrek for its 3D building modeling demonstration center — residential, office and retail development.

The District has committed more than $100 million to rebuild virtually all of the infrastructure at St. E's, though a contractor has not yet been selected to lead that multiyear effort. The decades-long full buildout of the campus could bring up to 5 million square feet of academic, commercial, residential and retail uses.

On the opposite side of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, on St. Elizabeths west, the General Services Administration is continuing its pursuit of the new Department of Homeland Security headquarters — a key to luring private sector business to the east campus.

The selection of a winner, expected at the end of the year, will be based on the strength of the overall development team, evidence of specific experience in design and development, experience with public-private partnership, ability to secure financing and generate new jobs, and the financial value to D.C. 

Click here for the full article and to see a rundown of each team's proposal (and more sketches!)