Racquel Richards • April 11, 2016

The District government is paying $400,000 for the cost of the upgrades for Volta Park on 34th Street, while the community fundraiser will take care of the remaining $50,000. The fundraiser is being hosted by Friends of Volta Park Playground Project Renovation Committee.

Throughout the construction process, the tot lot will be closed and later rebuilt.

The park fundraiser cocktail party will be held at the Georgetown Visitation Prep on 35th Street, Friday, June 7, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door or on the website, voltapark.org.

Mayor Vincent Gray, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Director Jesús Aguirre and Department of General Services Director Brian Hanlon announced in October that the District government would be undertaking the largest playground renovation project in its history.

“Improving every resident’s quality of life is one of the main goals of my One City Action Plan, and every child in the District should have a safe and inviting place to play,” said Mayor Gray. “Renovating these playgrounds is an investment in the well-being of our children that will pay dividends for years to come.”

As part of his Playground Improvement Project, Gray tasked the parks department with identifying the playgrounds across the city most in need of renovations. Initially, this project was to be a multi-year endeavor as the District worked to improve all of the playgrounds in the city’s inventory. However, Gray pushed this initiative to the front of the line and worked with his budget team to identify additional end-of-year capital funds to both add additional playgrounds to the project and accelerate the pace of renovations. As a result, a total of 32 playgrounds will now be renovated in Fiscal Year 2013.

The summer public pool officially is open.

Racquel Richards • September 9, 2013

Upon the news of the George Zimmerman trial verdict, people took to social media in droves to express their feelings. On the night of July 13, a jury of six women in Sanford, Fla., delivered its verdict of “not guilty.”

Twitter was mobbed with millions of tweets about this high profile case. Some of the most popular hash tags were “#Zimmermantrial” and “#nojusticenopeace.”

Although most of the tweets were made in rage or sadness, many of them were in response to the future.

Trayvon Martin supporters were already in line to take further action. A multitude of tweets were posted to encourage others to keep fighting through nonviolent action.

Soon enough, several authorities and institutions weighed in on this high profile case.

President Barack Obama released a statement, saying: “We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. …I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis.”

At a recent social action luncheon, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke about the verdict.

“We are determined to meet division and confusion with understanding and compassion — and also with truth,” Holder said. “We are resolved, as you are, to combat violence involving or directed at young people, to prevent future tragedies and to deal with the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs and stereotypes that serve as the basis for these too common incidents. And we will never stop working to ensure that — in every case, in every circumstance, and in every community — justice must be done.

The president of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Benjamin Todd Jealous released a statement: “We are outraged and heartbroken over today’s verdict. We stand with Trayvon’s family and we are called to act. We will pursue civil rights charges with the Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state, and we will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed.”

Racquel Richards • July 18, 2013

Supreme Court Strikes Down DOMA

With a 5-4 decision, the justices ruled June 26 that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, is an unconstitutional violation of the Fifth Amendment.

This part of the law restricted homosexual couples from receiving more than 1,000 benefits afforded to married heterosexual couples. This was without regard, even if the homosexual couples were legally married in the states where they resided.

Windsor v. United State was filed by New York resident Edith Windsor, who was legally married in Canada to Thea Spyer. Due to Spyer’s death in 2009, Windsor was required to pay estate taxes on her inheritance. This fee was lawful only because Windsor was married to a woman instead of a man.

Supreme Court Nixes Part of Voting Rights Act of 1995

On June 25, the Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This portion of the law determines which states must get federal permission before they change their voting laws.

The Voting Rights Act requires nine states with a history of discrimination at the polls must get approval from the Justice Department or a special panel of judges before they change their voting laws. However, this applied mostly to Southern states.

Justice Roberts wrote for the court, saying, “Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions.”

Many civil rights activists called the decision devastating because it was thought of as the most important piece of civil rights legislation in American history.

Arizona Voter Registration Law Voided

On June 17, the Supreme Court struck down an Arizona voter registration law. The controversial law would require citizens to swear, under penalty of perjury, that he or she is a citizen.

The justices voted 7-2 to do away with Arizona’s voter-approved requirement. According to Justice Antonia Scalia, it “precludes Arizona from requiring a federal form applicant to submit information beyond that required by the form itself.” Scalia wrote for the court’s majority. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 overrides Arizona’s Proposition 200, because it doesn’t require such documentation.

Upon making its decision, the court was considering the legality of Arizona’s requirement that prospective voters document their U.S. citizenship in order to use a registration form produced under the federal “motor voter” registration law.

Opponents of the voter registration law were happy about this decision.”Today’s decision sends a strong message that states cannot block their citizens from registering to vote by superimposing burdensome paperwork requirements on top of federal law,” said Nina Perales, vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. “The Supreme Court has affirmed that all U.S. citizens have the right to register to vote using the national postcard, regardless of the state in which they live,” Perales said.

In the past, Arizona has actively disagreed with the federal government over immigration issues, involving those concerning its border with Mexico.

Texas Affirmative Action Decision Pushed Aside

The Supreme Court has decided to sidesweep decision on the use of race-conscious school admission at the University of Texas and whether it violates the equal protection rights of some white applicants. Justices threw the case — Fisher vs University of Texas at Austin — back to the lower courts for further review.

The court has only affirmed the use of race in the admissions process. However, this makes it harder for institutions to use “race” policies to achieve a sense of diversity. This 7-1 decision ignores the larger constitutional issues.

Abigail Noel Fisher singlehandedly sued the flagship state university after her college application was rejected in 2008. This took place when she was a high school senior in Sugar Land, Texas. Fisher claims that the rejection was because she is white, and that she was being treated unfairly in comparison to someone than some less-qualified minority students who were accepted.
The school defends its policy of using race as one of many factors. Other factors such as test scores, community service, leadership, and work experience, designed to create a diverse campus are also taken into consideration.

Ultimately, the court reaffirmed earlier rulings allowing for a limited use of race-conscious public policies.”The attainment of a diverse student body serves values beyond race alone, including enhanced classroom dialogue and the lessening of racial isolation and stereotypes,” wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy in the court’s ruling.

“Strict scrutiny [of the policy] imposes on the university the ultimate burden of demonstrating, before turning to racial classification, that available, workable race-neutral alternatives do not suffice,” he said.

The decision on this case is expected to be released within the next few days.

Racquel Richards • July 9, 2013

Calypso St. Barth is coming to Georgetown, as confirmed by EastBanc, Inc., and Jamestown. The upscale retailer will occupy the retail space at 3307 M St, NW; it signed a 10-year lease. The showroom space will replace both occupants, AT&T Wireless and Salon Rafik. Calypso St. Barth plans to open its first D.C. store in early spring 2014.

Originally, Calypso St. Barth was founded in 1992 as a modest resort-wear luxury brand. Since then, the boutique has grown into a luxury lifestyle brand. The high-end clothing store features pieces with rich textures, exotic colors and embellishments that appeal to modern women consumers.

Along Georgetown’s M Street corridor, the retail space represents prime commercial property. Apart from the lease agreement made between the retailer and Georgetown Renaissance, other deals have been made with popular retailers, such as CB2, West Elm and Intermix. With the Calypso St. Barth deal, Georgetown’s western movement in fashion will balance the current fashion tenants –Intermix, Bonobos, Babette, Relish, City Sports and the North Face.

“Calypso St. Barth will deliver a combination of sophistication in both fashion and design disciplines to the vibrant retail community in Georgetown,” said Anthony Lanier, president of Eastbanc. “The store’s blend of fashion and home furnishings makes this brand a perfect fit for the Georgetown Renaissance portfolio that supports our commitment to the neighborhood’s status as Washington’s premier retail destination.”