Redistricting and Ward 6

Grading is finally over. Summer is the time when professors do their intensive research and writing projects, often traveling around the world to conduct research and teach. (This summer I will be teaching a short course in Budapest, Hungary and conducting research in DC). As I am putting together a new post, I wanted to share this comment from someone in Ward 7 (from the Greater Greater Washington blog post about the proposed redistricting of parts of Ward 6 to Ward 7):

As a Ward 7 resident, I'd like to offer a different perspective. I live in Hillcrest/Fairfax Village. I have a great community with my neighbors. We've fought to get drug dealers off our streets, we have community clean-ups, we fight for our schools (Beers and Winston), and we work hard to improve our quality of life. In addition we work with our neighbors in the north (Deanwood, Capitol View, etc) to create community connections between neighborhoods. We have monthly community dinners at Thai Orchid Kitchen to support a business owned by a Ward 7 residents and to break bread over a meal. We have progressive voices that fight for better bus service and bike infrastructure.

We are not part of your "established singular identity" as Ro points out. However, we have the same concerns about quality of life and we fight like heck for what we believe in.

I don't see it as splitting your neighborhood up. I see it as an opportunity to forge new bonds (while maintaining existing bonds) with the progressive voices in Ward 7. I welcome you with open arms and would love to have new voices in Ward 7's future.

by Veronica O. Davis (Ms V) on May 25, 2011 12:17 pm