At a recent meeting of the Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission, the body of elected officials was set to vote on how to oppose the planned use of synthetic turf on a new athletic field.
Washington, D.C
For some District ANC commissioners, a difficult decision to run again

Gore is among the hundreds of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners (often shortened to “ANC”) across the District. The unpaid role is one of the most important yet accessible positions in local politics, requiring just 25 signatures to make the November ballot. But data from the D.C. Board of Elections shows that as of Friday, 117 out of 345 commissioner seats did not yet have a single interested candidate.
Kent Boese, director of D.C.’s Office of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, which provides oversight and technical assistance to all ANCs, said in an interview that this number should not be a cause for alarm. Some incumbent commissioners may be waiting until closer to the Aug. 7 deadline to pick up petitions and turn in signatures, which can be done in a day, he said. Those who aren’t on the formal ballot can also launch a write-in campaign during the general election, as dozens of ANC candidates did two years ago.
But Boese said a “much bigger concern” is a recent spate of commissioner turnover, which erodes the transfer of institutional knowledge. Sixty-three percent of commissioners who won election in 2022 were new to the job, he said — a likely sign of fatigue among incumbents.
In interviews, veteran commissioners said that it wasn’t an easy decision to run again for a position that has sometimes made them a target for angry neighbors. Others, describing the role as fulfilling yet thankless, say it can be difficult to perform well as an ANC while also juggling day jobs and familial obligations — renewing discussions about whether District lawmakers should consider more incentives, like a stipend, to fuel interest and more competitive races. A D.C. Council bill that could change that got a hearing last year.
Gore, who has twice run unsuccessfully for D.C. Council, said she hesitated before deciding to pick up paperwork this month to run for a third two-year term as an ANC, pointing largely to balancing the job with family commitments.
“Some community members are like, ‘Why put yourself through it?’ But at my core, I’m a public servant,” Gore said. “It seems like there’s more hesitancy than in the past. This is the first time we’ve had to scramble to ensure people are comfortable taking the seat.”
‘Why did I do this?’
Legal analyst Michael Zeldin, another two-term commissioner in ANC 3/4G, is done with it.
Zeldin, 73, said he found the job largely rewarding, but noted the role has also kept him busy for an average of 20 hours per week on issues that residents care about deeply, from the long-stalled Connecticut Avenue bike lane project to addressing “potholes the size of New Jersey.”
“There are moments where you think, ‘Why was I so unlucky to have won?’” Zeldin said. “When things affect people, sometimes those frustrations come to you in a very difficult way. And when I hear about other commissioners who are leaving because of that, I can say, ‘I get it.’”
City code instructs many D.C. government agencies to give “great weight” to recommendations and concerns raised by the city’s 46 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, which represent about 2,000 residents and may contain anywhere from two to 10 commissioners depending on population density.
The commissions are tasked with keeping up regular public meetings, managing modest budgets, and frequently draft resolutions to indicate support of or opposition to local zoning decisions, liquor license renewals and more. But these elected officials are also often the eyes, ears and voices of their neighborhoods. And for some, the role is a first foray into local politics; some of the city’s most prominent leaders got their start as a commissioner, including Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D).
Tricia Duncan, who chairs the seven-person commission that represents Ward 3 neighborhoods including Foxhall, Kent and the Palisades, said she’s at times been treated harshly by neighbors during her tenure, particularly as the commission facilitated conversations on contentious proposals involving a marijuana dispensary and new school building. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to run again, if I’m being honest,” said Duncan, a well-known community advocate who ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 3 Council seat two years ago.
“Seventy percent of the things that people say to me are wonderful. They thank me for keeping an eye on the neighborhood, updating the listserv, and that’s what keeps me in this,” Duncan added. “But I also get shouted down when I go to my farmers market … I’ve had people scream at me that I should be ashamed.”
Former Ward 4 commissioner Zach Israel declined to run for a second term in 2022 after the birth of his second child, believing he wouldn’t be able to balance the role while caring for his growing family. But while some parts of the job were frustrating, Israel said he found even the tedious bits to be rewarding.
While no longer an elected commissioner, Israel still uses his social media to break news to residents and keep tabs on ANC vacancies, reminding anyone who will listen to pick up a petition. He is a proponent of legislation introduced by council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large) and backed by a majority of lawmakers that would stand up a task force to make recommendations on compensation for D.C.’s many elected officials, boards and commissions.
The legislation notes that there are nearly two dozen city boards and commissions whose members receive pay for their work.
“A lot is asked of ANC commissioners, and the mayor and ward-level council members often refer their constituents to their ANC,” Israel said. “There needs to be some level of monetary compensation for people engaged in these public services.”
‘Exhausting, to be frank’
Boese, the head of D.C.’s Office of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission who served as an ANC for 12 years, said that while he is confident that more residents will pick up petitions to access the ballot in the next couple weeks, he remains focused on how best to support the city’s high number of rookie commissioners.
“The other thing that played a big role in turnover last term, it was not easy to serve during the pandemic — it was exhausting, to be frank,” he said. “And for those who chose to continue, there may be a lingering effect as well.”
Many commissioners don’t find their stride until the closing months of their first term, Boese said. To support the newbies, Boese’s office offers a boot camp and trainings throughout the year. And after early challenges during the pandemic, virtual and hybrid meetings are a mainstay. His office is now better equipped to provide technical support.
Until the council takes up the issue of pay, Boese’s office is also pushing for ways to make notoriously complex commissioner roles, like treasurer, more accessible to residents. Until recently, he said as an example, ANCs could only make payments through checks and debit cards; but a change to the law his office pushed for creates more flexibility for electronic payments.
“We need checks and balances still, but we need paths for guidance so commissions aren’t hamstrung trying to do the basics,” Boese said. “It’s not sexy stuff, but sometimes the problem is in the details.”
Across the Anacostia River, the Rev. Wendy Hamilton, chair of ANC 8D, hopes more of her neighbors will show interest in joining her. Her ANC has two vacancies, and while some incumbents have shown interest in returning, none except Hamilton have picked up a petition to run.
She expects the seats will be filled — but recently spoke to one incumbent co-commissioner who made it clear they didn’t have the energy for a second term.
“They told me, ‘People don’t understand that we don’t get paid to do this,’” Hamilton said. “And they’re right. We don’t get paid, not only for the work we endeavor to take on, but even for some of the not-so-friendly, borderline abusive behaviors that we get subjected to.”
Whenever she does have negative encounter with a resident, Hamilton — who has run unsuccessfully to become D.C.’s nonvoting delegate to Congress — said she draws upon her background in ministry.
“I try to just let people be heard,” Hamilton said. “A lot of times, they just want to be validated.”

Washington, D.C
‘Not like him’: DC man with dementia missing 3 days during scorching heat wave

A 73-year-old man with dementia has been missing for three days during this punishing heat wave, and a frantic search is underway.
For years, retired truck driver Frankie Jones Sr. fixed cars for neighbors in Southwest D.C., letting people pay him what they could for his work. Now, a missing person flyer is on every door of the Galveston Street SW apartment complex where Jones lives with his fiancée and family members who love and care for him.
Jones walked out the front door Tuesday at 4 p.m. and didn’t return.
He often went to the parking lot to tinker with the family cars — an ability he retains as he struggles with cognitive decline, said his daughter Julia Marsh.
“We don’t know what direction he went in, so we’re just really trying to figure out if he’s in this area somewhere, in the woods somewhere,” she said. “Maybe he’s somewhere lost, don’t know how to find his way back.”
The family has searched everywhere they can think of, including nearby auto parts stores and car repair shops. Places they think Jones would be drawn to.
They worry about him being out there alone and likely confused in the scorching, potentially deadly heat.
“It’s been hot for the past few days, a hundred degrees, and we still don’t know where he is,” his daughter said. “This is not like him. It’s not like him to walk away and not return.”
Jones stands 5-feet-11-inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, blue jeans and black-and-white slides.
Anyone who sees Jones should call the D.C. police Real Time Crime Center at (202) 727-9099. If he appears to be in danger, call 911.
Washington, D.C
DC teen charged with murder for allegedly hitting man with car before robbing him

WASHINGTON, D.C. (7News) — A D.C. teen has been charged with first-degree murder after using his car to ram into a man, rob him and attempt to access his bank accounts from an ATM, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Kyree Young, 17, followed the victim, Donnel Bracket Phillips, 55, from an ATM near the intersection of 12th Street and U Street NW on May 7 around 4:15 a.m.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Man killed in NW DC hit-and-run linked to two early morning robberies, police say
Young hit Phillips with his white Hyundai Santa Fe before robbing him, according to court documents. He then attempted to get access to Phillips’s financial accounts at the same ATM that Philips was using moments prior.
When Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers got to the scene, they found Phillips lying in the roadway. He was unconscious and not breathing.
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Phillips was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately died from his injuries.
Young’s vehicle was later found and detectives gathered enough evidence to identify him as the suspect. On Wednesday, Young appeared before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Hildum, who found probable cause that Young committed first-degree murder while armed and ordered him to be held without bond as he waits for trial.
The case is being investigated by MPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Division.
U.S. Attorney Pirro also said they are investigating potential accomplices to Young.
Washington, D.C
July 4th 2025 Fireworks, Events Around Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, DC — Independence Day falls on a Friday in 2025, kicking off a star-spangled three-day weekend packed with fireworks, festivals and other Fourth of July fun in and around the District of Columbia.
To help you fit it all in on your 4th of July calendar, Patch has put together a guide to what’s going on in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas.
July 4 Festivities For 2025
Many people will be heading to D.C. for the big 4th of July Celebration on the National Mall. The National Park Service has posted a schedule of events, maps and other information online to make sure you’re in the best spot to watch the 17.5-minute fireworks display when it starts at 9:09 p.m., weather-permitting.
Viewing from the National Mall
- Plan to arrive early, and to protect yourself from heat-related illness. See Directions and Plan Your Visit.
- Viewing areas on the National Mall near the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool will be accessible only through secure access points.
- Consider wearing hearing protection. These fireworks are big and loud.
- Consider wearing eye protection to protect yourself from incidental falling debris (ash).
- Consider not bringing pets (some are scared of the loud booms).
- Immediately following the fireworks, areas along Independence Avenue between the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial will be closed for safety checks related to the fireworks launch site. The road and sidewalks will re-open after cleanup crews have completed their inspection and removed any hazardous materials.
Fireworks may be cancelled due to inclement weather
The fireworks display may be delayed or cancelled if there is inclement weather, such as driving rain, high winds, lightning and/or low ceiling cloud cover in the area. Sign up for automated alerts by texting JULY4DC to 888777.
Other Viewing Areas
National Independence Day Parade
The parade kicks off at 11:45 a.m. at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW and proceeds west to 17th Street, wrapping up about 2 p.m.
Marching bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military units, giant balloons, equestrian, drill teams and more take part in the celebration of America’s birthday. Learn more here.
A Capitol Fourth Concert
This star-studded salute to Independence Day is broadcast live from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol and is free and open to the public. Gates open at 3 p.m. More information is at www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth.
Origins Of Independence Day Holiday
Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. In that document, the 13 original colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.
During the pivotal summer of 1776, the pre-Revolutionary celebrations honoring King George III’s birthday were replaced with mock funerals as a symbolic break from the crown.
It was an exciting time in Philadelphia — the Continental Congress voted to break from the crown and, two days later on July 4, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the original 13 colonies —New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland. Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia — to adopt the Declaration of Independence.
The first annual commemoration of the nation’s independence was in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, while the Revolutionary War was ongoing. Fireworks have been part of Fourth of July festivities since the first celebration in Philadelphia.
Today, Americans celebrate with fireworks, parades, concerts, and family gatherings and barbecues. Celebrations, though, predate by centuries the designation of Independence Day as a federal holiday, which didn’t happen until 1941.
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