The latest update from the Department of Parks and Recreation: 

Major Improvements at Rumsey Aquatic Center to be Completed this Week

Media Contact Only: MosesAlexander Greene, (202) 673-7684

(Washington, D.C.) -- The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will complete major improvements this week at the William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center located at 635 North Carolina Avenue, SE.  DPR has been performing significant work throughout April and May to the systems that serve both of the pools within the Rumsey Aquatic Center which will improve the overall swimming experience.

With completion of work this week and to accommodate final installation and testing of the new systems for both pools, the temporary closure of Rumsey Aquatic Center has been extended and the facility will re-open on Thursday, May 29, 2008.

DPR will continue to offer expanded hours at the Turkey Thicket Aquatic Facility, 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE, (202) 576-9236.  Expanded hours are Monday – Friday, 6:30 am to 9 pm. 

During the months of April and May, significant work has been performed to improve the systems that service both the large swimming pool and the smaller baby pool. This work includes:

- Installation of new pool pumps for both pools
- Installation of new pool filters for both pools
- Installation of new pool heaters for both pools
- Installation of new automatic chemical treatment systems for both pools
- Installation of new backwash piping for both pools
- Installation of new pool and pump piping for both pools
- Installation of new sump pump
- Installation of new pool ultraviolet (UV) sanitation system which will assist in the destruction of microorganisms and reduces the impact of chlorine smell and eye irritation
- Diagnostic tests on the HVAC and boiler systems

For More Information: DPR Aquatics, (202) 673-7647.

 

The Washington Post has been running a compelling series on obesity, in particular with youth in the city. You can click here to view their series, see stats, and hear audio clips with children telling their stories.

In today’s article, there is a ward-by-ward breakdown of obese youth. Sadly, Ward 6 tops the list. That’s right, we have a higher percentage of overweight children than any other ward in the city. According to a 2003 survey of children’s health, 57 percent of Ward 6 children ages 6-17, are obese. Ward 8 comes in at 52 percent, Ward 7 at 48 percent, Ward 5 at 46 percent, and Ward 3 leads the city with just 18 percent.

The article and the researchers point to a combination of factors highlighting the challenges our youth face. First among them is the lack of healthy food and eating -- that comes from bad choices made by kids and their parents, as well as the lack of fresh, healthy food in the neighborhoods. Take a stroll through most corner stores and you’ll be hard pressed to find healthy snacks and food. We talked about this on the blog a few months ago and have been working with local organizations to create a stronger corner store initiative to target this problem, but it is persistent and will not change easily.

Other factors include the lack of physical education in the schools and opportunities for recreation. Tommy is also co-chairing the “Safe Routes to School” program in the District, focused on creating safe, reliable passages between home and school so children and their parents can walk or ride their bike. But there's a clear need for more physical activity for our youth, whether in school, at home, or in the neighborhood.

So what are your thoughts? Have you been reading the series in the Post? Why does Ward 6 have such a high rate? Do you think we lack healthy food options? Is it a lack of education on how to eat healthy? Do we lack enough recreation and parks for youth to exercise and play? Use the comments section below and put in your two cents.

Last year, 25 pedestrians were killed in the District. Every day, there are countless more near misses with our neighbors trying to walk safely to and from school, work, errands, the park, and more. In February and March of this year, I hosted a two-part community forum on pedestrian safety in the ward -- focusing on identifying problems as well as developing solutions.

The interest, concern and urgency around improving pedestrian safety are palpable across Ward 6 and the city. No one needs to wait until a tragedy to take action and the recent pedestrian safety forums were a proactive effort to share updated information and work directly on some shared ideas for progress. As I continue to work on issues around making our neighborhoods more livable and walkable, slowing the speeding traffic on our streets and creating pedestrian improvements are of top concern.

The energy and ideas that came from our two pedestrian forums were very helpful. For everyone that attended, thank you very much for all of your hard work. We identified several systemic issues such as traffic calming needs, lack of sufficient pedestrian and driver education, greater road planning that includes pedestrian access, and policy decisions the city has made in the past that make it more difficult for pedestrian safety. In addition, many of you helped identify very specific intersections and streets that need improvement.

At the solutions forum, you rolled up your shirt sleeves and worked with key decision makers on ways to get engaged to make a difference. As just one example, following the MPD breakout session, officers targeted several of the recommended intersections and cracked down on enforcement with hundreds of tickets issued to drivers that weren’t complying with pedestrian safety laws.

I plan to use this Pedestrian Safety Report as a guide over the next year to work on several fronts for our neighborhoods. I know I can count on you to update my office and our efforts on new needs, new problems and new solutions – making this a living, breathing document we can continuously update and improve.

Thank you again for all of your hard work that went into this report.

You can Click Here to download and read the report.

New updates from the Department of Parks and Recreation on work at the Rumsey Pool:

Installation of New Pool Systems Require Temporary Closure of Rumsey Aquatic Center

As previously announced, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will temporarily close the William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center located at 635 North Carolina Avenue, SE, on Monday, May 19, 2008.  The facility will re-open on Tuesday, May 27, 2008.

The temporary closure is required to accommodate the installation of new systems for both pools.  Work that is that is now underway includes:

Installation of new pool pumps for both pools
Installation of new pool filters for both pools
Installation of new pool heaters for both pools
Installation of new automatic chemical treatment systems for both pools
Installation of new backwash piping for both pools
Installation of new pool and pump piping for both pools
Installation of new sump pump
Installation of new pool ultraviolet (UV) sanitation system which will assist in the destruction of microorganisms and reduces the impact of chlorine smell and eye irritation
Diagnostic tests on the HVAC and boiler systems

DPR will offer expanded hours at the Turkey Thicket Aquatic Facility, 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE, (202) 576-9236.  Expanded hours will be Monday – Friday, 6:30 am to 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.

Programs and classes that were to be held at Rumsey Aquatic Center during the temporary closure will be rescheduled at other nearby DPR aquatic centers.  Registrants that would prefer to opt out of rescheduled classes or would like additional information can contact DPR Aquatics at (202) 673-7647.