Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

                                A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

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                    IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                           July 11, 2023

 To recognize and honor the many contributions of Oxon Run Park to the health and wellness

        of District residents and visitors, and to declare August 26, 2023 as Oxon Run Day.

      WHEREAS, the federal government transferred Oxon Run Park to the District in 1971 to

improve the health and wellness of all District residents;

        WHEREAS, Oxon Run Park is located in Ward 8 and is the largest park in the

Department of Park and Recreation’s inventory, with a 3-mile, 128 acre circumference, and one

of the largest collection of Legacy Cherry Blossom Trees outside of the Tidal Basin;

        WHEREAS, Oxon Run Park has served a critical role in meeting the educational and

recreational needs of residents and visitors since 1942 and supports basketball, baseball, tennis,

yoga, swimming, and hiking activities, as well as bike paths and walking trails;

        WHEREAS, Oxon Run Park is the site of the James E. Bunn amphitheater, named after

the Ward 8 businessman and civil leader, and the site of 4000 square feet of playground space for

the safe enjoyment of District youth and visitors;

        WHEREAS, Oxon Run Park is the site of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, a

state of the art tennis facility which hosts more than 20 official US Tennis Association events

each year and has served more than 10,000 District youth by providing tennis instruction,

tutoring, life skills instruction, chess instruction, and the use of a computer center and library

since its opening in 2001;

      WHEREAS, Oxon Run Park has partnered with the District Department of Energy and

The Environment to establish a community renewable energy facility which produces 2.65

megawatts of clear solar energy and delivers energy to 750 nearby households;

        WHEREAS, as a result of persistent concerns regarding the nutritional choices available

in East of the River Communities, the Well at Oxon Run was established: a one acre, 20,000

square foot of land which provides fruits and vegetables to the Ward 8 community and the

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District at large, and supports collective learning and education on urban farming practices and

the eradication of food deserts;

       WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation began an agreement with residents

concerned with the future development of the park and its mission, and formed the Friends of

Oxon Run Coalition in 2017 to help improve the overall maintenance and programming

available at the Park;

       WHEREAS, Friends of Oxon Run have entered significant partnerships to improve the

Park including the University of the District of Columbia, the Department of Energy and the

Environment, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, Eagle Academy Public Charter School, the

Washington Area Bicyclist Association, the DC Audubon Society, and many more;

        WHEREAS, the continued improvement and progressive use of Oxon Run Park is of

great benefit to the overall health, wellness, and enjoyment of District residents and visitors;

       RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

 resolution may be cited as the “Oxon Run Park Day Declaration Resolution of 2023”.

        Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors the invaluable

 contributions of Oxon Run Park to the health, safety, and sustainability of the District and

 visitors and declares August 26, 2023, as Oxon Run Park Day.

       Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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