August 14, 2013

Reminder: DDOT will begin A- Frame/Sandwich board education and enforcement TODAY

GWHCC, Mary's Center and AMPBID sponsor lunch to learn about the DC Health Link (Health Exchange) - August 19

New ABRA regulations go into effect today

PorchFest Adams Morgan! Coming your way October 5th!

Restaurant Week (Aug.19-25) specials? Please send! We are compiling a list!

Reminder: DDOT will begin A-Frame/Sandwich Board sign education and enforcement TODAY

Beginning TODAY Wednesday August 14th, DDOT will be distributing a comprehensive guide to the use of A-frame/sandwich board signs in public space.  These signs are currently unregulated and DDOT has received numerous complaints about their placement in public space blocking sidewalks and forcing pedestrians to navigate a difficult path.  DDOT also recognizes that these signs provide an important resource for businesses and patrons.  DDOT has drafted a program that strikes a balance to allow the placement of these signs in a manner that will not impede the public’s use of the sidewalk.

Thank you for your patience. The AMPBID and MPD will assist DDOT in distributing the literature and information about enforcement at 5 pm today. Questions should be sent to Matthew Marcou at DDOT.

Matthew Marcou | Deputy Associate Director | Public Space Regulation Adminstration | District Department of Transportation |

55 M St SE, 6th Floor, Washington DC 20003 & 1100 4th St SW, 3rd Floor, Washington DC 20024

desk (202) 478-1448 | office (202) 671-2740 | fax (202) 727-1013 (55 M) & (202) 535-2221 (1100 4th)

email: Matthew.Marcou@DC.gov

GWHCC, Mary's Center and the AMPBID sponsor lunch to learn about the DC Health Link - August 19th

Please join the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC), Mary's Center and the AMPBID from noon to 2 pm on the second floor at Mellow Mushroon, 2436 18th Street, NW to learn about the DC Health Link (Health Exchange). FREE LUNCH will be provided.  Please RSVP to kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org or to pnieto@gwhcc.org by August 16th for food quantities.

This workshop will be geared to the needs of Small Business Owners so they can get all the information needed to prepare for the start of mandatory health insurance on January 1, 2014. Simultaneous translation in Spanish will be provided. This event is open to the public.

Background: The federal health insurance law (also known as the Affordable Care Act) provides individuals and families new rights, benefits and responsibilities. Many of these take affect on January 2, 2014. An important goal of the new law is to ensure that individuals and families have access to affordable, high-quality health coverage. DC has established the DC Health Link, a new market place designed to help people find, compare, and select the insurance policy that meets their needs and budget. DC Health Link will open for business on October 1, 2013 and coverage will begin on January 1, 2014. Businesses with 1 to 50 employees will be eligible to enroll in DC Health Link in October 2013.

Beginning in January 2014, most people are required to have health insurance or pay a penalty. In 2014, the yearly penalty will be $95 per person but it will rise to $695 by 2016. There are no penalties for not offering coverage to employees for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees

Information on the DC Health Link is available here: www.dchealthlink.com and also by calling 202-724-7491 or toll free at 1-800-685-6391.

New ABRA regulations go into effect today

ABC Board Eliminates Corking Fee Cap, Finalizes New Criteria for Full-Service Grocery Stores

Several new regulations go into effect today that impact businesses licensed to sell and serve alcoholic beverages in the District. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (Board) adopted the new rules to help clarify alcoholic beverage regulations and as a result of public comments it had received.

One of the most notable rule changes is the elimination of a $25 cap on corking fees. As a result, ABC licensed restaurants, taverns, hotels, nightclubs and multipurpose facilities are now able to set their own fee for opening bottles of wine that patrons bring to their establishments as long as the cost is disclosed to the patron prior to opening the bottle.

Another new rule allows all businesses that are in the process of obtaining a liquor license to apply for a temporary—or stipulated—license. Stipulated licenses allow a business to sell alcoholic beverages before obtaining their permanent license. In order to apply, a business must have the support of its Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and pay a $100 fee. Previously, retailers like convenience, grocery and liquor stores were not able to obtain stipulated licenses under District alcohol regulations.

New criteria have been finalized for businesses that want to be considered full-service grocery stores. These retailers are one of the few types of stores in the District that are still eligible to apply for a new license to sell beer and wine for off-premises consumption. To be considered a full-service grocery store, a retailer would need to sell a full line of defined food products and dedicate a specific amount of square footage to the sale of those food products.

Complete details on the latest alcoholic beverage laws can be viewed on the D.C. Register . Visit www.abra.dc.gov for more information on alcoholic beverage licensing in the District.

PorchFest Adams Morgan! Coming your way October 5th!

Adams Morgan Showcases Local Musicians with PorchFest – October 5, 2013

Adams Morgan's deep musical heritage stretches from legendary jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd's appearances at the Showboat (and beyond) to the eclectic range of styles that can be heard here today.  PorchFest celebrates local talent by turning the front stoops and porches of several Adams Morgan homes and businesses into performance spaces where local musicians will play for the community -- and for free!  The sounds will be spread throughout the streets of the neighborhood, making the stunning architecture there the backdrop as you follow your ears from house to house.

On October 5, 2013 from 2 to 6 pm, the stoops and porches of several Adams Morgan residences and businesses will serve as temporary stages for local musicians to share their talent (for free) with anyone who happens to be walking by.  “Adams Morgan has a rich musical heritage, and many of our residents are working musicians -- PorchFest is a family friendly way to share their talent with the community,” says Kristen Barden of the Adams Morgan Partnership BID.  Inspired by a similar effort in Somerville, MA, PorchFest is music to your ears!

If you are interested in sharing your stoop, or your songs, at the First Annual Adams Morgan PorchFest, please contact Kristen at Kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org or call 202-997-0783.  Or just dust off the guitar and practice on your porch that day.  This is a joint project with Cultural Tourism DC and will bookend Art4All DC - One City, Four Quadrants, Activated with Arts: A Festival of Festivals taking place September 13 – October 6.

Restaurant Week (August 19-25) specials? Please send! We are compiling a list!

August 19 through the 25th is the Summer Restaurant Week sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Association http://www.ramw.org/restaurantweek/.

If you are running any kind of special - food and/or drink - next week please email Kristen at kbarden@adamsmorganonline.org by August 16th. The next addition of this news letter will include all the Adams Morgan specials received by the 16th. You don't have to be a member of RAMW to participate in the "Adams Morgan only" promotion.

Thanks!