y388py16fy it hasn't always been easy, has it? ♪ there have been days when you doubted yourself. ♪ and days when you were ready to quit. ♪ but you didn't. ♪ because you had the courage to venture into something powerful. education. if i leave you with just th: never...stop...growing. [cheering]

right now on "news4 this week," remembering the holocaust. people gathered for an annual ceremony in the district. 'll explain why it took on a different meani this year. on two whyls, wh you to see morees'y4avq b he months. and fixinges home the district in the middle of a costly crackdown, but is it problem? >> announcerlmoswelcome to "new this week." >> hello. i'm leon harris. this was holocaust remembrance week. it is a time to reect on the millions of people murdered more than 70 years ago. but the tragedy near san diego parally overshadowed this year's observance. at the u.s. capitol. ♪ ♪

>> reporter: a solemn entrance liberated, a marshal entrance for theiberators. this annual sale comes amid the days of remembrance to honor the victims of the holocaust andm victims of a7w% more recent , traetraemg tragedy, the shooting at the california synagogue. rs said i jeffrey m tragedy isn't the right word for it. >> it is a horror. it requires an extreme vocabulary because this is an extreme act. >> and then the tree of life massacre in pittsburgh where rabbi myers was the spiritual leader and he said the shock and utrage were immediate reactions and then thequestion, how best. to help to respond. >> because we've been through it and we know, so how can we share -- i wi i didn't have to ֖ word, our expertise and what we've learned. s itol either in the rotunda or visitor's center

as last year and to the other en end of pylvania avenue. >> i'm hearing too much h speech. i don't use the word, from all of our elected leaders. and that is not owned by any political party. that is owned by both and all political parties. >> we hope that the future will be more peace than war and that is whatwe can hope for. but we have to do sethingh >> derrick ward, nbc4. sidewalks and bike lanes inc the distr could be more crowded this summer. that is because hundreds more motorized bikes and scooters arv on the way. nbc4 transpoation reporter adam tuss shows us what that means for you. >> just like street music is part"mhgny of the landscape, so w[:[ scooters andh>%ñá. people use them a lot. in fact, they're seemingly so common now that when one is knocked over on the sidewalk, people don't even pi itp. they simply stepk u4q) it.

in reality, some people do have a problem with the way they could be thrown about the urban landscape but let's go a bit deeper here. the scooters and bikes absolutely are part of the now.portation network >> it works for me. it is faster. >> catherine shep just missed the bus so she's turning to the scooter. >> bus itust left and coyer grab a coffee for $3 and the line is t long and i miss thñ[ work before the next bus even iv arr. >> with hundreds more electric bikes ane scooters on th streets it is a big opportunity for leo, he charges the s oters as a side business and replaces themm:2'i on the streets. scooter companies pay him fo that. >> could you make -- depending on how much spare time you havea you could between $300 to $500. >> a week? >>ook4y a day. >> a day? >> it is also a good time to rend everyone about safety. it wasn't long ago that a scooter rider was hit and killed in dupont8q9kiñ circle. many riders are now advocating

for even more safe street space like bike lanes to ride. but for now, this relatively new style of getting around isn't goingñrúác anywhere. >> it is all about being responsible with theseu"m scoo and bikes. now you can't ride them on the business district of the city. that basically means from foggy bottom across the capitol hill and same thing for kes and if puti p helmet even though you a required to in the city. in the district, adam tuss, nbc4. >> keep your eyes peeled. 735 must dockless bikes and scooters are now hitting the streets and that brings the total number torz nearly 5,000 the district. the company is adding scooters to fleets include lyft, skip, spin andkuujyz + let's talk about trees. hey play an8o]s important roln improving our environment and in the days leading up to7xxetrbor day, several locations are recognizing that. loudoun county is celebratingqt

trees with a photo+>+"ñ contest information about them. the county hopes to raise environmental awareness through this. nbc4 also committed to reporting on climate change with a series of stories on the impact on our health and on our lives. eu(uq change" in the nbc washington app. when we come back, some of the best high schoolsco in the try are right here in our area. we'll tell you who made the grade this year. plus, solvingéb7ñ the homelessn problem. the news4 i-team finds out the news4 i-team finds out whether aostly

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it's a revolution in sleep. the sleep number 360 smart bed, from $999, intelligently senses your movement and automatically adjusts... so you wake up rested and ready for anything. save $400 on select sleep number 360 smart beds. only for a limed time. venue to cast your bets on sporting events may be n the work near nats park. the washington business journal reports d.c. sports and conveion authority approved a new 35,000 square foot restaurant and entertainment venue near the ballpark on first street southeast. the nationals are not saying for gñ if it will include sports

úç owner mark + wtop exploring options for betting. d.c. council approved sports bting late last year. it is the liz every school wants to be on.ua the ann look at the best high schools in the country and some familiar names appeared at the top of thelass. news4 aaron gilchrist breaks down the rankings. >> the best high school rankings n the countries and several schools in our area made the list. thomas jeffersonth ranked four nationally. in maryland,mñghíz walt whitman bethesda ranked 93 rrd andm9r @% benjamin academy wñ ranked and in an effort to be more inclusive and thorough and looked at collegeeadiness and reading and math proficiency and underserved student performance and graduation rates and severas otherools are featured on

the list. washington app. now back toou. >> thanks. academic magnet high school north carolina snagged the number one spot and texas has three schools in the top 20. the#h4÷ most of any state. when we come back, a crackdown on homeless camps around the city costing you [p dollars. the news4 i-team question if it is solving the ;ífk0kproblem. >> and news4 is rooted in the community. we've been working with local elementary students to keep up a elementary students to keep up a community garden in you know when you're at ross and you find that perfect spring dress at that "oh, yeah"rice? yes! that's yes for less. score the latest spring dresses at 20% to 60% off dertment store prices, every day. at ross. yes for less. and this is the few minutes they have until naptime is over. this is matt and rachel. at ross. this is rachel depositing a check without leaving the house.

(rachel) [whispers] have you seen my debit card? (matt) [whispers] no. (vo) this is rachel trdning off her debit ca. (matbet) [whispers] (vo) and back on again. this is your right here, right now bank. this is wells fargo. someone is going to be the first. someone isoing to make waves. someone is going to blow up the game. someone is going to reinvent a classic. someone is going to start from scratch. someone is going to break barriers. someone is going tlydo that thing you real, really want to do. it might as well be you.

exactly what you need... yes. ...for your growing family? that's yes for less. everything your pet needs at 20 to 60 percent off specialty store prices. oss. yes for less. like many cities, d.c. is trying to figure out how to humanely deal with the homeless. thousandsp/6[ in the area, man ton the streets. h> i think if there were easier answers like t problem would have been solved by now. >> the news4 i-team found weekly efforts are leading to curbside

show downs and mounting bills for taxpayersnd a even a lawsuit. and that has some asking is >> reporter: on any given night in the nation's capital, thousands of homeless are staying in shelters and for the close to 600 others, they close their ize at the end of the da sleeping on the streets. >> we all sleep together and wea help e other. >> reporter: people like thomas homeless for nine years and feels safer here than in a shelter so he sleeps on his shoes just in case. >> you step down aa people t it and then you have to start all over /s>svraéagain. >> reporter: while d.c. said the homelessopulation is down 17%, they're also seeing this. rows and rows of tents beneain tra tracks and uúfñoverpasses a over bridg >> the tents are popping up more and more often. >> reporter: ann is an attorney who represents the homeless and amid a shortage of homes are

leading to tougher crackdowns by d.c. >> every[) are out clearing an encampment somewhere in the city. >> reporter: it requires workers from several government agenciec toplete the encampment andnwfz we wanted to know how often they ece happening so we filed an 8 rds r more than 220 encampment clean-ups in just the past two years. this february removal inmihe mont neighborhood is one of two dozen clean-ups from the sidewalk in justh te past year. the district couldn't tell us how much the sweeps cost, but1 internal reports from 2015, 2016 estimate clean-ups cost a quarter of a million dollars a year. >> what we're trying to do is make sure that we're removing health hazards. >> reporter: christy greenwald runs the district council onle homessness and admits it is a sensitive tasbut necessary for health concerns. >> what do you want to remove? >> trash and litter so people are taking care of activities of daily ling outside and that means that they have food and

trash. >> human waste. >> mm-hmm, absolutely0=nv human waste. >> food spoed? >> yes. >> reporter: the d.c. government is required tons post sig two weeks prior to the sweeps. our cameras roll out to follow alo on this february morning off north capitol street. >> we have a scheduled clean-up at 10:00 a.m. butt is cold and hypothermia is on and we w't remove your tent. >> reporter: we watched as thes outreach team spoke one-on-one with the homeless and tossing a few soiled blankets. >> everything needs to be gone if you don't want it. remove it. >> reporter: but we saw a different scene at other clean-ups. on slightly warmer days where our cameras remained out of sight. crews took down tentss on first street northeast and usingve shols and pitch forks. to throw items in the back of a garbage truck. >> what did they take from you today and throw awa >> i lost a lot of clothes that i bought and i lost a watch. mostly food -- ñ l jackson. >> i lost my tentnd my clothes

and everything else under there and my gifts for christmas. >> reporter: d.c. does have a protocol or procedure for conducting sweeps and won't disguard functional tents or personal i.d. or documentsesut t require the crews to sort through items for safety reasons. >> we don't want to knowingly dispose of something valuable or meaningful for someone. >> reporter: two women have sued the district saying vital records were thrown out and they posted signs asking please try to restrain from taking more. >> we don't think it is an isolated incident. >> reporter: the districot provided ph showing human waste and row dents in campments with pitch forks to throw things in a dump truck. is there any other way to do this? >> a lot of thoughtful people have been working on this and thinking about it for a long time. i think if there were easier answers this problem would have been solved by now. >> reporter: a problem with no end in sight, in a couple of

hours of the sweeps the outeam most men and women moved right back to the same spots. >> it is notu$áju)jt the problem to do these cln-ups. >> the i-team surveyed other cities to find how much they spend managingkp"eñ homeless encampments and some cities report their costs. last year in philadelphia it cost a $5 milli in seattle the cost of 550 clean-ups was $6 million. the i-team has much mo onur nbc washington app. go there and get more details on this story including that lawsuit the city is facing right now. we are rooted in the community and the spring-growing season is up and running at oasis community garden in prince george's county. that is the garden where green thumbs from the nbc4 team here ve been outlanting and local students are joining us out there learning why it is good to grow your own. o >> pick them and then put them into the basket.

>> reporter: as any good gardener knows, before you start to plant you have to get rid of weeds. >> some of the plts have long roots. >> reporter: and sometimes you have to go deep. b>> and if youak this off,ts9ó then it will grow back up again. >> that@?qñit)t root. >> reporter: these hillcrest elementary students and teachers ge digging in. >> what are youing to plant? >> tomatoes and cabbage and lad. >> you like salad, is that true? >> yes. and we'll plantrs peppe >> are you ready? >> reporter: hill crist heights is one of the schools with beds at oasis urban gaen and farm. up to plaque ityj:cwñ easier. >> reporter: what they learn$8 classroom. >> this is our our school had been -- we won a billboard at our school so we are here to learn whatto do so that we could then take it back 3⌜school. >> we have to be very mindful of

what we' putting into our bodies and again teaching this to our children is very essential. >> reporter:f course the benefits of growing and eating healthy food isn't just a lesson for the young. >> i've done it one time before. i wasn't super successfuan >> reporte even the seasoned gardeners here had a rough winter. >> i lost broccoli on the endkl ebecause of th cold. if it had been a mild winter, these plants would have been n reale and large. >> reporter: we are all hoping for a better harvest this time. our cucumbers turned oran last summer left on the vine too long. but we are planting on. >> some kale. spinach and green beans. >> reporter: and we're learningo right with the students. >> what are you going to put in that dirt once you get the weeds out? >> i'm going to put tomatoes. >> is it fun? >> yeah. and the best part is im6[ to help my community and i get to be on the news.ug

[ laer ] >> i could say, the kids don't have m as much as pat lawsse does. thanks for that, pat. when we come back, we have the story of the little girl not bound by her limitations, born with no hands. but she now hold the title of national handwriting champ.

>> and now maybe my favorite store this..w week. a local 10-year-old girl born with no hands, she is writing her own story and it's a remarkable one at that. ó÷ intduceso the2ñs newly-croed national handwriting champion. >> i try to concentrate on the -- on what i going to write and not mess up. >> reporter: when sarahes h puts pen to paper, you could bet every loop of every letter will be just right. this third grader sent a writing sample to a national handwriting contest and took home the top prize. he >> when i got award i was

really happy and proud in a -- proud that ihq got it. >> she shows sheets of practice. when it om comes to overcoming obstacles we could take a page from her book. sarah was born with no hoonds and that hasn't stopped her from becoming a penmanship pro. >> i'll try my best. >> and she has to plans to use prosthetics. >> i think i don't need it ecause i could do pretty much anything that people who do have hands can do. >> reporter: that doesn't just anan handwriting, but hitting the playground climbing her way to the top of a rockwall and learning how to ride a bike. >> she's always got s ale on her face. we don't see sarah without a smile so nothing holds('gyñ her. >> reporterand this little learner already looking ahead to the future. >> i want to be a lawyer and then a president andte then af being a lawyer and then become a judge. >> reporter: proof for anyone that when life throws u for a loop you could still get right back on track. >> by seeing my story they could

give at it is best not to up and keep doing your hardest until you get to it. >> reporter: in frederick, aimee cho,s4 new >> sarah beat out over 100 people in her category. and the win came with a $500 prize. but her attitude is priceless. way to go, sarah. that is all for "news4 this week." i'm leon hahais. ts for joining us and have a great week.!juxñbb$5yñ ♪ ♪3,-z ♪ ♪ take-off.

and this a loving reminder fm his wife. this is will finally depositing that expense check. oh, and this is will paying his brother-in law back with zelle for their annual camping trip. and this is will finally relaxing for the long flight. this is your right here, right now bank. this is wells fargo.

we're really close. super close. but we don't live together anymore. we still do everything together, like stream shows on netflix. we have a system to watch it all at the same time. get ready, so we'll pick up 1,2,3 go. i think i was fastest? that was the same time! and since we're on fios, there's pretty much no lag for any of us. nobody misses anything unless they fall asleep. like angel. the best internet is even better at our best price. o plus, get a yearnetflix oness us when you switch before may 8th. only on fios.

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