The giveaway will take place on November 20, 2025 at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (1100 Michigan Ave NE). Time to be announced.
You must be a Ward 5 resident. Please bring a form of identification when you come to pick up your grocery bag.
Additional information will be sent ahead of November 20. For any questions or concerns, please call CM Parker’s office at 202-724-8028, or email ward5contact@dccouncil.gov.
There are two weeks left of UDC’s inaugural Lamond-Riggs farmers market season. The last day for the market will be November 21, 2025.
Check it out today and next Friday 4pm-8pm at UDC’s Lamond-Riggs campus, located at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE (in the parking lot off Galloway Street NE).
On November 7, 2025, the market team, led by Dr. Tsakani Ngomane at UDC’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, & Environmental Sciences (CAUSES), held a nice celebration to mark what the university is calling a pilot market. Residents enjoyed live cello music; tasty nutritious food samples like butternut squash soup; kids activities including face painting and a bounce house; and vendors selling a variety of items from books to produce to sweets.
UDC CAUSES Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market Celebration, November 7, 2025.
The farmers market is just one component of the urban food hub at the Lamond-Riggs campus. On the blog we previously interviewed Dr. Kamran Zendehdel, a former professor and center director at CAUSES, who explained that the food hubs have four components: (1) food production; (2) food preparation; (3) food distribution; and (4) food waste and water recovery (e.g., composting).
UDC CAUSES started building out the food hub in early 2016. It includes a hydroponics facility and native plant nursery. In 2018, Maryam Sabur, then a graduate student in water resource management at CAUSES, stood up the farm stand, which would eventually grow into the market.
This year, the university officially opened the food hub’s demonstration commercial kitchen, which serves as a business incubator where individuals can learn about nutrition, get required food business certifications, and learn all aspects of the food business from trained chefs.
Demonstration kitchen at UDC Lamond-Riggs Food Hub
Entrepreneurship is a big component of the food hub concept. The idea is to grow the number of urban farmers in the city. Chauna Price, soil manager at the Lamond-Riggs food hub, has a produce stand at the farmers market where she sells produce grown at both the food hub and at the university’s Firebird Farm in Beltsville.
Eightfold Farms by owner J.R. Hines, a vendor at the market, is billed as DC’s first commercial mushroom farm. Mr. Hines received a federal grant with support from UDC CAUSES to support his concept. The business provides CSA dropoffs, supplies mushrooms to local restaurants, and also provides nutrition education/financial literacy to DCPS students.
Jasmine, a local resident at The Modern, sells fresh juice at the market through her business Pressed Essentials.
Vendor JR Hines, owner of EightFold Farms.
Two other residents at The Modern, Sekai Zinatsai and agronomist Chris Mapondera, participate in the food hub’s citizen science project, where they are responsible for growing vegetables from seed in containers designed for small spaces. This season they are growing dozens of containers of collard greens that they can harvest for themselves and also give away to local residents. On a small scale, the citizen science project embodies the concept of the food hub–training in the lifecycle of food from seed to market.
UDC Professor Che AxumCitizen scientist & local resident Sekai Zinatsai
The food hub really is a remarkable production, and it is pretty neat having something like this in the neighborhood. Over the years, I have wandered around the food hub talking to people like Kyra Moore and Michael Whyte, who have managed aspects of the food hub and were happy to talk about what was going on. Stay tuned for opportunities to tour and learn more about the food hub in the future.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum officially opened the Fort Totten to Takoma segment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) on November 12, 2025. Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, ANC Commissioner Charlie Mayer (4B04), and Washington Area Bicyclist Association Executive Director Elizabeth Kiker also gave remarks.
This section of the trail includes a short off-street section along Riggs Road NE before turning to an on-street portion along First Street NE, meandering through Manor Park before getting to Blair Road for an off-street portion. The section on Blair Road includes a lot of active curb cuts so it will be a bit of a different experience than the rest of the trail.
In her remarks, Director Kershbaum noted that DDOT has placed a couple of speed feedback devices on southern end of the trail to encourage reduced speeds to make the trail more comfortable for all users.
The next portion of the trail to be constructed will be the Piney Branch to Blair Road extension. This segment is still in the design phase as the agency had to negotiate easements with Metro and National Park Service. DDOT hopes to begin construction on this segment in 2026.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) invites residents to join a community meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on the Kansas Ave Protected Bike Lane Project. DDOT representatives will provide information about the project’s development, safety improvements, and construction timeline. Agency representatives will be available to hear your concerns and answer your questions. The meeting will be held at the Sela Public Charter School at 6015 Chillum Pl NE, Washington, DC 20011.
Kansas Ave NW Protected Bike Lane Community Meeting
Tuesday, November 18, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Sela Public Charter School
6015 Chillum Pl NE Washington, DC 20011
Project Background
The Kansas Ave NW Protected Bike Lane is a multimodal safety project that includes the following features to improve safety for all roadway users:
• Upgraded pedestrian crossings, including more visible Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at Longfellow St NW and Madison St NW, and Nicholson St NW, following ADA guidelines. Intersection daylighting at Madison St NW to improve sightlines for drivers to see cross traffic.
• Removal of center medians on the 5600 and 5700 blocks of Kansas Ave NW and a short section just south of Blair Rd to maintain on-street parking.
• Additional on-street parking along the west side of the 5600 block.
• New left turn lanes for southwest-bound and northeast-bound vehicular traffic at the intersection with Blair Rd to improve safety and traffic flow for drivers.
Closure of a critical gap in the bike lanes along the corridor between Chillum Place NE and Blair Rd NW to connect to the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT).
• Upgraded bike lanes between Blair Rd NW and Longfellow NW to protected bike lanes as a safety and traffic calming improvement.
When complete, the Kansas Ave NW Protected Bike Lane Project will create a safe and comfortable connection between the several schools in the neighborhood to the newly completed Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) extension.
The Fort Totten to Takoma extension of the MBT crosses Kansas Ave at Blair Rd and now provides a trail connection from the neighborhood 5.3 miles south to Union Station.
The cumulative effect of all of the improvements will be a safer street with fewer crashes and reduced speeding.
Please visit the project website for additional project details at: https://bikelanes.ddot.dc.gov/ pages/kansas-ave-nw. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the DDOT Bikeways Branch Manager Greg Billing at gregory.billing@dc.gov or (202) 873-3756.
EXPLORE! brings dance classes to Art Place this fall provided by Dance Loft+ Moveius Ballet
As part of a limited six-week youth dance series this fall and winter, families can enroll their children in $10 classes that provide an affordable introduction to dance for ages 4 to 8. This offers a structured opportunity to explore dance in a supportive, engaging environment. The pre-ballet and creative movement classes are designed to help children build confidence and creativity through movement.
Classes will take place every Monday offering two 45-minute sessions between 4–6 p.m
● 4:00-4:45 p.m.: Pre-Ballet (ages 4–6) – This class introduces ballet through creative movement, basic technique and imaginative play—building coordination, rhythm and a lifelong love of dance.
● 5:00-5:45 p.m.: Creative Dance (ages 7–9) – This class explores expression, storytelling and musicality through a blend of ballet, improvisation and beginner choreography—all in a supportive, imaginative environment.
Gather at Michigan Park Playground (1203 Wynton Place NE) at 10:30 am for ride to Lost Generation Brewery and enjoy food from Silver and Sons Barbecue food truck.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) invites you to a Ward 4 public workshop for the Strategic Bikeways Plan project. This in-person workshop will be held on Thursday, November 13 from 6p to 8p at the Raymond Recreation Center at 3725 10th Street NW. The project team will be presenting results from its evaluation of existing conditions and will be inviting community members and stakeholders to share feedback on the project team’s work to date, bicycle transportation needs, safety concerns, key gaps in the bicycle network, potential project ideas, and other local considerations.
Join the Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George for their Constituent Services Pop-Up, 4pm-6pm at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE) on November 13, 2025.
The Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is once again teaming up with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association to host their annual Ward 4 Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway.
On Saturday November 22, from 11am to 1pm, they will be at Riggs-LaSalle Rec Center (501 Riggs Road NE) to hand out turkeys to neighbors in need. If you are planning to attend, make sure to bring proof of Ward 4 residency. First come, first served, and one turkey per family.
The office of Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker shared slides and recording from his most recent public safety call held on October 29, 2025. Commanders from MPD’s Third, Fourth, and Fifth Districts, as well as MPD Assistant Chief Jeffrey Kopp discussed topics like the juvenile curfew extension, ICE activity and the federal surge, and recent statistics and crime incidents from across the Ward.
I think CM Parker’s team has done a good job with these quarterly calls. A variety of guests are invited to discuss different public safety topics and not just run down stats that we can all find online. This was the first call I attended where all of the Ward 5 MPD commanders were on the call, and I thought that was really useful. MPD leadership on the call actually answered questions as opposed to giving vague answers that we have been seeing elsewhere.
CM Parker has been holding these calls since October 2023. They were monthly and then moved to quarterly. I encourage residents who are able to join these daytime calls to do so. And if you have topic or guest suggestions, please let them know!
Ed. Note: Passing along information I received about volunteer opportunity.
From DC Tutoring & Mentoring Initiative
DC Tutoring & Mentoring Initiative is hosting a volunteer tutoring & mentoring info session Saturday, November 8th, from 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM at the Woodridge Neighborhood Library (1801 Hamlin St NE, Washington, DC 20018) and you’re invited!
This is a great opportunity to learn about becoming a mentor or tutor in Ward 5 and the DC area!
DCTMI partners with over 50 non-profit organizations across more than 80 locations in DC and the surrounding suburbs. With neighborhood-focused initiatives that let you get involved right in your community. This info session will be your chance to learn how you can support youth of all ages through these different programs.
From Office of Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker is continuing his Annual Holiday Giveaway this year with a Thanksgiving Grocery Bag Giveway on November 20, 2025.
Do you need groceries for Thanksgiving?
Reserve your grocery bag at ward5.us/thanksgiving2025 (only 1 per household).
Limited supplies.
Grocery bags will include:
Green beans
Cornbread mix
Stuffing mix
Instant mashed potatoes
Gravy mix
Corn
The giveaway will take place on November 20, 2025 at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (1100 Michigan Ave NE). Time to be announced.
You must be a Ward 5 resident. Please bring a form of identification when you come to pick up your grocery bag.
Additional information will be sent ahead of November 20. For any questions or concerns, please call CM Parker’s office at 202-724-8028, or email ward5contact@dccouncil.gov.
The North Michigan Park Civic Association monthly meeting for November 5, 2025, will be a FACE-TO-FACE table event with various vendors with information for the community. The meeting will be held as following:
Next Stop...Riggs Park 