President's Letter - April 2008
 Denise CunninghamMuch press is given to all the issues and initiatives
our CAG committees take on. And
rightfully so. But the behind the scenes advocacy
work that reaps immeasurable benefits for the
whole of Georgetown and indeed, the entire District,
sometimes goes quietly unnoticed. It is a very important
part of our association’s mission, and many people
pour endless time and energy into supporting causes
and righting wrongs.
Anyone who attended the public meetings for the
Georgetown Transportation Study will understand why
we have been actively seeking some drastic changes. A
letter was sent to the District Department of Transportation
(DDOT) expressing our concerns that the
study does not seem responsive to some real congestion
problems in Georgetown, like the daily back-up of rushhour
traffic on 33rd, 34th and 35th Streets. We have
also expressed grave concerns over the format currently
being used at these public meetings which does not
allow for a public question and answer period.
We’ve contacted the DC City Council airing our
thoughts on the constantly deteriorating trash and recycling
pickup service. We’ve thrown our support behind
the upcoming new streetscape plans for Hyde School
that will greatly enhance that area. And as this is being
written, we are analyzing the impact of the planned discontinuation
of the Circulator buses on Wisconsin
Avenue and will forward our recommendations to
Emeka Moneme, Director of DDOT.
Sometimes we win... sometimes the best we can do is
put a stake in the sand for the next round. You may
recall, CAG along with the ANC filed a formal protest
against Morton’s adding outdoor seating to their restaurant
on Prospect Street. We pleaded before the Alcohol
Beverage Review Board that the area was over-saturated
and was adversely impacting the quality of life for surrounding
residents affecting peace, order, quiet and
pedestrian and vehicular safety. The ABC board recently
issued its ruling and granted Morton’s the 34-seat
outdoor summer garden. They did suggest though that
our testimony was credible and said the board would be
willing to consider a moratorium request to limit any
future outdoor or indoor seating increases in Georgetown
Court. We will be following up on that suggestion.
Branding CAG
While our hardworking staff, board and committee
members and all our volunteers are doing a monumental
amount of heavy lifting on a broad spectrum of topics,
we are also working harder to enlist new members
and hopefully entice increased awareness and participation
through better marketing of
the organization. You will be seeing
a growing number of CAG
“reminders” very shortly.
Past President and architect,
Victoria Rixey, is working on
new, more prominent signage for
our office building. The current
sign is tired and barely visible.
The new one will better identify our location and reflect
the stature of the organization. Executive Director, Betsy
Cooley has developed a vivid, lively new membership
brochure that will soon be out and our Merchant Priority
Cards have taken on a whole new look.
Mark Your Calendars
The upcoming weeks are jammed packed with opportunities
to support your favorite causes and attend some
fabulous parties.
The Concerts in the Park Kick-off party will be held
on April 17 at L2L, the cool, sleek, new lounge in
Cady’s Alley. This spirited event helps produce the wonderful
Sunday afternoon summer concerts that in a
short five years have become a Georgetown tradition.
This year’s concerts are scheduled for May 18, June 22
and July 13.
Trees for Georgetown will hold their annual
fundraiser on May 8 at the beautiful home of Julie and
Mike Connors. The funds raised on this one night pay
for all the new tree box plantings in Georgetown and
for tree maintenance, like watering during drought conditions.
And this year there will be a new addition to
every tree planted. Each new tree will have a sturdy iron
border installed on three sides.
The April membership meeting will feature prominent
pollster and president of the Pew Research Center,
Andy Kohut, and at our May meeting, our 2008 awards
for distinguished service to Georgetown will be presented
by Councilman Jack Evans.
Quite a busy spring.
- Denise Cunningham
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