March
5, 2021
Letter
from the Mayor
Dear Washingtonians,
This week, we tragically
marked more than 1,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in our community. On Wednesday,
which we proclaimed “A Day of Remembrance for Lives Lost to COVID-19,” I shared
with you that my family and I are mourning the loss of my sister,
Mercia Bowser, who passed away due to complications related to COVID-19. Mercia
was loved immensely and will be missed greatly, as she joins the legion of
angels who have gone home too soon due to the pandemic. I want to thank the
community for your kindness and outpouring of love and support.
This pandemic has forever
changed families and communities. And while we will never know just how many
lives have been saved through our shared commitment to wearing masks and social
distancing, we continue to make these efforts because we know that every single
life saved is precious.
In the midst of this
tragedy, though, our nation also celebrated an important and hopeful milestone:
50 million vaccine doses administered in the United States. More than 140,000
of those doses have been administered here in DC. Please, DC, as soon as you
are eligible and have the opportunity, get vaccinated.
In the meantime, continue
to do all the things we know help keep people safe: wear a mask, get tested if
you don't feel well or believe you may have been exposed to the virus, keep
your distance from other people, practice good hygiene, and choose your
activities wisely.
Take care of yourself and
others, check in on neighbors and loved ones, and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Muriel
Bowser
###
In
This Week's Newsletter:
§ Financial Navigators Can Help
You
§ Monday, March 1: My School DC
Deadline for PK3-8
§ Save the Date: March Madness
###
Financial Navigators
Can Help You
The District’s free Financial
Navigators Program helps District residents who are facing critical financial
struggles during the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. The
program is administered by the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking
and connects residents with trained Financial Navigators by phone. Navigators
help individuals and families access programs and services to manage income
disruptions and other financial concerns.
Residents can access
virtual services by calling (202) 231-7908, emailing fn@upo.org, or by completing the web
form at finnav.org/interest-dc. A staff member with the
Financial Navigators Program will send a short service agreement and follow up
with a phone call to begin the personal session.
###
Today, Mayor Bowser
introduced the Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021 to legalize the
sale of adult-use cannabis and empower and uplift residents who have been
disproportionately harmed by the criminalization of cannabis, specifically
low-income communities of color.
If passed by the end of
2021, adult-use cannabis sales could be expected to start by October 1, 2022.
Adult-use cannabis and cannabis products would be restricted to persons 21
years old or older and be taxed at 17 percent. Since 2014, Congress has imposed
a rider on DC’s appropriations bill, prohibiting DC from using any funds to
implement and regulate adult-use cannabis sales in DC.
Learn more HERE.
###
Monday, March 1: My
School DC Deadline for PK3-8
The deadline for the My
School DC lottery application for grades PK3-8 is Monday, March 1. My School DC
is the city’s common application and public school lottery for DC Public
Schools (DCPS) and the majority of public charter schools (grades
PK3-12).
Families must use the My
School DC lottery application to apply to:
- DCPS PK3 /
PK4 programs (including programs at in-boundary DCPS schools);
- DCPS
citywide and out-of-boundary schools (PK3-12); and
- all participating
public charter schools (PK3-12).
Have questions or need
help with your application? Call the My School DC hotline at (202) 888-6336,
Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or email info.myschooldc@dc.gov.
For more information and
to apply, go to www.myschooldc.org.
###
On Wednesday, March 24,
join Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio,
and District agencies at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
Economic Development's March Madness, the District’s annual economic
development showcase and pre-solicitation event.
Additional
details will be shared soon.
###