Over the Fence
News for Neighbors
from ARLINGTON HEIGHTS CIVIC ASSOCIATION
April 2002
http://www.geocities.com/ahcawebsite
AHCA Meeting, Tuesday, Apr.23, 7:30 pm
On Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 pm, at Patrick Henry Elementary School's library/media center, Arlington Heights Civic Association (AHCA) hosts its quarterly membership meeting. We review the Highland Street traffic calming measures; prioritize our Neighborhood Conservation requests for streetlights, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters; discuss plans and recruit coordinators for theNeighborhood Day float, Columbia Pike Blues Festival table, Arlington County Fair table, and Columbia Pike Arts & Jazz Festival; and decide our spring and summer social activities.
We invite neighbors to arrive at 7:00 pm for a potluck and social half-hour immediately preceding the meeting.
Please join AHCA. Use the form on page 8 so you can
vote at the meeting on April 23.
School/Traffic Open House, Apr.23, 5 pm
Patrick Henry Elementary School invites Arlington Heights neighbors to an open house, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm, Tuesday, April 23. Come visit the school and take a guided tour with Principal Cintia Johnson.
Also 5:00 pm-6:30 pm, the plans for the Highland Street
traffic calming initiative are on display. At 6:30 pm,
Arlington County staff member Ron Hicks and Neighborhood
Traffic Calming Committee members host a sit-down forum to
discuss the traffic calming measures
Highland Street Traffic Calming Petition
If you live on the 700-800-900 blocks of South Highland
Street, or the 700-800-900 blocks of South Irving
Street, or the 3100-3200 blocks of 9th Street
South, you may sign the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Petition
on-line at www.geocities.com/ahcawebsite/ntc.html. Click
YES or NO next to your address, then send the message. Later, we
cross-check street addresses against e-mail addresses. The
traffic calming proposal needs support from 60% of affected
neighbors to be approved. A higher percentage is even
better.
Join AHCA's Ever-Growing E-mail List
Write to AHCA-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to join and get
messages about street construction, lost cats, couches for sale,
upcoming meetings, and other fun stuff.
Neighborhood Conservation Priorities
Every six months, AHCA must vote on our Neighborhood Conservation priorities, or else we lose points in the project ranking process, risking postponement of our much-needed neighborhood improvements. At the April 23 meeting, we vote on the following priorities:
"Motion: Arlington Heights Civic Association approves of the following NCAC projects and prioritizes them in the following order:
"1. Installation of Carlyle type street lights on 2nd Street South between South Glebe Road and South Fillmore Street; on 1st Road South between South Glebe Road and Old Glebe Road; and on Old Glebe Road between 1st Road South and 2nd Street South.
"2. Completion of installation of Carlyle type street lights on 6th Street South between South Glebe Road and South Walter Reed Drive, and installation of Carlyle type street lights on South Garfield Street between 6th Street South and 7th Street South.
"3. Installation of curbs, gutters, and Carlyle type streetlights on South Garfield Street between Arlington Boulevard and 2nd Street South.
"4. Installation of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and Carlyle type streetlights on South Fenwick Street between Arlington Boulevard and 2nd Street South. [Editor's note: this project requires special design to accommodate a mature tree at Fenwick and 2nd.]
"5. Installation of curbs, gutters, and Carlyle type streetlights on South Irving Street between Arlington Boulevard and 2nd Street South.
"6. Installation of Carlyle type street lights on South Ivy Street between South 7th Street and South 9th Street, on South
Highland Street between South 9th Street and Columbia Pike, and on South 9th Street between South Glebe Road and Walter Reed Drive.
"7. Installation of Carlyle type street lights on South Highland Street between South 7th Street and South 9th Street
"8. Installation of Carlyle type streetlights on South 5th Street between South Glebe Road and South Jackson Street."
We submit our top three projects to Arlington's Neighborhood
Conservation Advisory Commission; we keep track of all projects
in the queue
Columbia Pike Blues Festival, May 5
Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) sponsors the Columbia Pike Blues Festival on Saturday, May 11, 12 noon - 6:00 pm, rain or shine. This year's Festival takes place in a new location, on Walter Reed Drive on the north side of Columbia Pike.
This year's Festival features the soulful vocals of Darrell Nulisch; the blues acoustic guitar of Chris Smither; the good vibes of Dr. S.O. Feelgood; honky tonk blues from Janine Wilson; plus The Impossibles, featuring Gabby Gabaldon; and The Curbfeelers, soul blues from South Arlington.
Food and beverages from Columbia Pike restaurants are on hand, along with crafts, civic information, bike registration, a free moon bounce and instrument "petting farm" for kids, and a display of antique Model A Ford cars.
The Festival needs volunteers. If you can help for a couple of hours on the day of the Festival or earlier, please get in touch with this year's volunteer coordinator, Bryant Monroe (703-271-0944), or contact CPRO (703-892-2776, cpro@uptownarlington.com).
AHCA hosts a table at the Blues Festival about our
neighborhood to sell t-shirts and memberships. We need a
coordinator for this activity, as well as volunteers to staff the
table for an hour or two. If interested, please contact Jay
Wind (703-920-5193 jay.wind@att.net).
Teen Summer Expo, May 11
Arlington's Teen Summer Expo, sponsored by Arlington Employment Center, is May 11, 2002, 11 am - 1 pm at Washington & Lee High School.
Free of charge for all participants, the Expo is an easy way for local businesses, non-profits and citizens to cut time and costs involved in advertising and recruiting for summer needs while helping area teens tackle the cumbersome, and sometimes scary, job hunt. Citizens in need of babysitters, mother's helpers, lawn care or tutors this summer can also advertise at the Expo. No pre-registration is necessary for teens. A representative from the Arlington Volunteer Office is on hand to answer questions about volunteering opportunities around the county.
Last year's Expo was a great success, with more than
700 students in attendance and 250 local employers posting over
1000 jobs. To register a summer employment opportunity, call
703-228-1404 or email teenexpo@co.arlington.va.us.
Free exhibit space is offered, although attendance is not
necessary to post a position.
Arlington Neighborhood Day is May 11
Arlington County's 6th annual Neighborhood Day is Saturday, May 11. Many events take place around the County on that day, including the Arlington Community Hero Awards, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington Walk for Animals, the Fort Myer Military Community Twilight Tattoo Ceremony, the Teen Summer Expo and a County-wide parade on Wilson Boulevard culminating in a multicultural festival at Courthouse Plaza.
We need a coordinator for the AHCA float. If you are
interested, please contact Jay Wind (703-920-5193
jay.wind@att.net).
Do You have Stuff to Sell?
On Sunday, May 19, 10 am - 2 pm, AHCA hosts a Neighborhood Yard Sale at 4th of July Park, at the corner of South Garfield Street and Arlington Boulevard.
Previous neighborhood yard sales have been very
successful. They create a way for neighbors to sell (and buy)
some great stuff and meet new neighbors and friends. Also, yard
sales with more than one seller attract a lot more customers.
This year, we also have the pleasure of showing off our
neighborhood's newest park for the event.
People who live in the AHCA area can sell household items,
clothing, crafts, baked goods, toys, books and more. Please bring
your own ground coverings, tables, and chairs.
Amy Vennett (703-920-1832, jajvennett@earthlink.net) and
Karen Laake (202-441-0352, klaake@qualcomm.com) coordinate
this event. If you would like to sign up to be a seller or
volunteer, please contact Amy or Karen.
Long Neighborhood Nightmare Ends
The long-standing frustration of having no legal left turns from Glebe Road onto Columbia Pike is finally over. Interim left turn lanes and left turn signals have been installed in three directions at the intersection and are now in operation. Traffic traveling south on Glebe can now legally turn left onto eastbound Columbia Pike. In addition to removing a major inconvenience, this change should reduce the number of drivers who choose to cut through our neighborhood to access the Pike. Drivers may also now turn left from dedicated turn lanes on east- and westbound Columbia Pike.
To install permanent left turn lanes in all directions,
the County needs to obtain easements for five general locations
surrounding the intersection. So far, two have been completed
(902 and 904 South Glebe). The easement agreements for the Exxon
property have been signed by the Exxon field staff and reportedly
await the signature of the corporate office staff. Negotiations
with the parties involved with the Rosenthal dealership property
continue to make progress. The county still awaits a response
from the Westmont Shopping Center.
Traffic Calming Measures Proposed
by Jay Jacob Wind <jay.wind@att.net>
At an open house meeting on April 4, County staff member Ron Hicks and County Neighborhood Traffic Calming Committee (NTCC) member Juan Tovar presented the proposed traffic calming measures for Highland Street.
Currently, more than 15% of cars on Highland Street exceed the 25-mph speed limit by more than 5 mph. To slow traffic on South Highland Street between 7th Street and Columbia Pike, to enhance safety, and to add visual appeal, these measures are proposed:
1. Textured crosswalks at all four crossings of 7th St.
2. Four-foot nubs (not standard eight-foot) at the SW and SE corners of 7th St. (Arlington Public Schools Transportation approved using reduced nubs)
3. Raised crosswalk from 716 South Highland to the west door of Patrick Henry Elementary School
4. Speed hump at approximately 816 South Highland
5. Raised crosswalk from NW to NE corners of 9th
6. Textured crosswalks at other three 9th St. crossings
7. Four-foot nubs at NW and NE corners of 9th
8. Speed hump at approximately 906 South Highland
9. Textured crosswalk from NW to NE corners of Columbia Pike and South Highland
At meetings in March, the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Working Group consisting of three members of the NTCC (Bromberg, Hilz, Tovar), four members of Arlington Heights Traffic Committee (Laake, Lieber, Morrisey, Siegel), AHCA president (Wind), and residents of the affected area (Cook, Cook, and others), approved this set of proposals and the affected area. The affected area is the 700-800-900 blocks of South Highland, 700-800-900 blocks of South Irving, and 3100-3200 blocks of 9th Street South.
For the proposed traffic calming measures to go back to NTCC for approval in May, by April 30, more than 60% of the households in the affected area must approve:
• Send an e-mail to HighlandStreet@yahoogroups.com with your address as the subject line and your name and phone • A key click on the "YES" box next to your address on the page www.geocities.com/ahcawebsite/ntc.html, which automatically writes an e-mail (add your name and phone)
• Your signature on a petition distributed door-to-door
• Your signature on a petition at the open house on Tuesday, April 23, 5:00-8:00 pm (overlapping the first half-hour of AHCA's April 23 meeting)
The proposed traffic calming measures get extra points if more than 60% of residents approve; if the school and PTA approve; and if the civic association approves. Thus, the proposed traffic calming measures are the first order of business at AHCA's April 23 membership meeting -- pot luck dinner at 7:00 pm, meeting at 7:30 pm.
See the map of the proposed traffic calming measures. [JPG] [PDF]
![[JPG]](s_highland_8.jpg){kind=link}
Leading With Love
by Jay Jacob Wind, AHCA President
Sometimes, people ask me how to deal with rowdy or difficult neighbors. You may disbelieve my suggestion, but it works for me.
The answer is cookies. Yes, cookies. Chocolate chip cookies work best, although I personally like ginger snaps. And a pitcher of lemonade, like in the movie Traffic.
Go over with cookies and lemonade and sit with the new neighbors for as much time as they want. It may take several visits, and you may need to move up to sandwiches.
Eventually, the neighbors know they have a friend, and they comply to requests for quiet enjoyment. You learn what troubles them, and they learn not to trouble you.
In some cultures, loud music and voices are normal. Other cultures prefer quite. Our challenge is to work out these differences.
I am always amazed how well people respond to friendliness. I stop and talk with the teenagers on South Ivy Street, who find my running shorts amusing, but they can't keep up when they try to run with me. (That helps.) At first, they are uncomfortable talking with an adult, but they get over it quickly when I ask them about school and sports.
I stop and talk once a week with my formerly rowdy neighbors near Glebe Road. They are pleasant now, although their visitors are still noisy. So now I stop and talk with the visitors whenever I can. Their English is better than my Spanish, and we laughed when they taught me the Spanish word for noise ("ruida").
I call it "Leading With Love."
2002 Community Calendar
Tuesday, April 23
• 5:00 pm - 8:00
pm - Open House and Guided Tours at Patrick Henry Elementary
School
• 5:00 pm - 8:00
pm - Open House at Patrick Henry for Highland Street Traffic
Calming Measures
• 7:00 pm -
Potluck Dinner
• 7:30 pm
- AHCA Membership Meeting
Saturday, May 5
• 12:00 noon -
6:00 pm - Columbia Pike Blues Festival
Saturday, May 11 - All day - Arlington Neighborhood
Day
• 11:00 am
- Teen Summer EXPO
• 2:00 pm
- Arlington County Parade
Sunday, May 19 - 10:00 am - Neighborhood Yard Sale
Sunday, June 2, 10:00 am - Neighborhood Run (Mitzvah 5K)
Saturday, June 22, 9:00 am - Garden Tour
Tuesday, July 16, 7:30 pm - AHCA Membership Meeting
Saturday, July 20 (tentative), 4:00 pm - Columbia Pike
Arts & Jazz Festival at Pike Park (in front of Eckerd
Drug)
• 5:00 pm -
9:30 pm - Live Music
• 8:00 pm - Arts
& Crafts Auction
Thursday-Sunday, August 15-18 - Arlington
County Fair/TJ
Tuesday, October 15, 7:00 - Potluck Dinner
7:30 pm - AHCA Membership Meeting
Sunday, October 27, 2:00 pm - Children's Hallowe'en Party
Saturday, December 13, 4:30 pm - Holiday Caroling and Decorating Contest
Tuesday, January 21, 2001, 7:00 - Potluck Dinner
7:30 pm - AHCA Annual
Meeting
Columbia Pike Initiative Plan Approved
On Saturday, January 26, Arlington County Board approved a request to advertise the Columbia Pike Initiative Plan. The Board next takes up the first part of the Plan, including the economic incentives, housing initiative, transportation and the general concept. The Board considers the second part of the plan, dealing with the General Land Use Plan (GLUP), zoning changes and the Urban Design Handbook, later in the first quarter or early second quarter.
Columbia Pike Revitalization is really starting to
move!
Local Playgroup Changes Location
The playgroup for children under 5 that formerly met
meet at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center has moved. The
group now meets at the Lyon Park Community Center,
Monday mornings 10:00 am - 11:00 am. The cost is $5
per parent per month. Parents are encouraged to bring a few toys
for the children. If you have questions, please call Megan
Kelly (703-685-7081).
Verizon Fills Arlington Heights Park Hole
The large hole in Arlington Heights
Park has finally been filled. While contractors were
installing new street lights in mid-December, they accidentally
severed a major phone line. Although cordoned off, the hole
remained open until mid-February, when Verizon repaired the line
and fill in the gap.
Fiber Optic Digs on 7th and 9th Street
On April 8, First South Utility
Construction began installing underground conduit and
fiber-optic cable on 7th Street from Walter
Reed to Glebe Road, and Looking Glass Networks began similar
work on 9th Street from South Highland to South
Walter Reed Drive. Unlike previous projects, both projects'
subcontractors hand-dug test holes to identify buried utilities
near homes before they began directional boring. Construction is
expected to take about 60 days. For information about
7th Street, contact Jarrod Hayes
(336-255-3912, jarrod.hayes@fsuc.com). For
information about 9th Street, call Greg Hinton
(703-673-7506, greg.hinton@lglass.net).
Sign up for AFJC's 5K Run/Walk June 2
On Sunday, June 2, at 10 am, Arlington Heights hosts Arlington-Fairfax Jewish Congregation's Mitzvah 5K Run / Walk on the Route 50 bike trail, 2nd Street, and Hudson Street.
The race offers prizes for every finisher. Every entrant also gets a t-shirt designed by a world-famous local artist and sumptuous post-race picnic. Last year, Arlington Heights neighbors ran, walked, watched from their lawns, played music, and sprayed runners with garden hoses. Let's do it again!
Entry fee is $15 before Friday, May 24, $20 after May 24. To register, send your check with the form below, or register on-line at www.arfax.org/entry.html.
Mitzvah Race, 2920 Arlington Blvd, Arlington VA 22204
Make checks to MEN'S CLUB
Name ___________________________________________
Phone __________________________ Age _____ [M] [F]
Address _________________________________________
City,State, ZIP____________________________________
E-mail __________________________________________
Team ___________________________________________
T-shirt size: [_] Small [_] Medium [_] Large [_] XL
Enclosed is: [_] $15 before May 24 [_] $20 after May 24
I waive any and all claims I may have against
all sponsors and officials of this event for any damages or
injuries I may suffer en route to, during, or as a result of my
participation in this event. I affirm that my physical condition
and fitness are adequate for me to participate safely in this
event. I agree to release my name and photo for publicity
purposes.
___________________________________ _________
Signature (Parent or Guardian if under 18)
Date
AHCA Officers for 2002
President Jay Jacob Wind (703-920-0156)
1st Vice President Patricia Bullington-McGuire (703-979-4380)
2nd Vice President Pat Rosensteel (703-979-4555)
Treasurer Bob Dannemiller (703-685-3795)
Secretary Betty Siegel (703-892-1959)
Membership Patricia Bullington-McGuire, Kimberly Sumner
Civic Federation Delegates: Carole Lieber (703-892-0362), Rich Bolczak, Bob Dannemiller, Jay Wind, Alternates: Kevin Whyte, Stacy Whyte, Jim Gill (1 vacancy)
Neighborhood Conservation Betty Siegel (703-892-1959), David Reidy (703-920-2940) and Alison Byron
Newsletter Patricia Bullington-McGuire (703-521-4957)
Newsletter Distribution Bahar Hess (703-521-8528)
Social Barbara Mascareñas (703-920-3768)
Garden Tour Joan Gill (703-685-1760)
Social Action Lydia Nuñez (703-979-7499)
Traffic Karen Laake (202-441-0352), Carole Lieber, Dan Morrisey, Betty Siegel
Mancini de Paris on the Move
Mancini de Paris is moving soon, but don't worry - you
can still indulge in the spa's full complement of hair, body, and
nail treatments right here in Arlington Heights. Mancini de Paris
hopes to move from its current location at 930 South Walter
Reed Drive to 3045 Columbia Pike (the old Pier One) in
mid-summer, to open Arlington's first full-service European-style
day spa. Said owner Zak Mancini, "I look forward to
serving my Arlington Heights neighbors with luxury beauty
treatments and the pampering they deserve." For more information,
contact Zak ( 703-920-4699) or visit
www.ManciniDeParis.com.
Garden Tour, Saturday, June 22
by Joan Gill <jgill@erols.com>
Arlington Heights's 2002 Garden Tour
is Saturday, June 22, 9 am - 12 noon. We serve light breakfast
and refreshments from 8 to 9 at my home, 121 South Hudson Street.
This tour is a fun way to meet your neighbors, share gardening
ideas and tips, and see some of the most delightful and beautiful
spots in the area. If you want your garden on the tour, contact
Joan Gill (703-685-1760, jgill@erols.com). All you need to
do is be available to show us your yard. Whether we've visited
your garden in past years or not, we encourage as many neighbors
as possible to participate.
July Issue of Over The Fence
Send articles by June 1 to Patricia Bullington-McGuire
(patricia@obscure.org) and ads to
jay.wind@att.net.
County Board Approves New Park Grant
Arlington's County Board approved the creation of a new park at 3000 Arlington Boulevard and granted $5,390 for improvements to the new park. At our January meeting, AHCA voted to propose the name "4th of July Park," and the County Park Commission is considering our proposal.
The grant cover installation of split rail fencing, four benches, one trash receptacle and one identifying sign, all scheduled to be installed in mid-summer.
The grant does not cover additional landscaping, however. To remedy this unfunded need, Karen Laake (202-441-0352, klaake@qualcomm.com) is organizing a plant donation drive. Drought-resistant plants are particularly needed, as the site does not have a water supply. Suggested plants include Black Eyed Susan, Columbine, Cosmos, Ornamental Grass, and Tiger Lilies. Expensive ornamentals and high-maintenance plants are not recommended. Please contact Karen if you wish to contribute to the plant drive.
A huge 'thank you' goes out to everyone who
worked so hard to get this park established. Karen Laake deserves
special kudos for spearheading the park project.
Welcome to Our Newest Neighbors
Grady Foster, Teresa Wagamon, and Blake Lyton Foster-Wagamon are pleased to announce the birth of Blythe Chance Foster-Wagamon, Saturday, March 30, at 5:48 pm.
Blythe weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and she stretches to 19 inches. The little blue-eyed darling has dark birth hair with auburn highlights (which is sure to turn blonde). Mom and baby are back home from Inova Alexandria Hospital and both are doing well.
Also, hearty congratulations go to Thomas Jefferson
Community Center manager Helen Murray on the birth of her
new baby, Julian Michael Murray. Julian was born Sunday,
March 17, checking in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces, 20 inches. Mother
and baby are doing fine. Said Helen, "Even though I'm out for a
few weeks, keep on keeping fit!"
TJ Construction Proceeds
At Thomas Jefferson Community Center, construction
began on the new gymnasium floor. If work proceeds according to
plan, the new gym floor will be available for the County Fair in
August, and all equipment will be back in place for the first day
of school in September. For more information about the
construction, call Ron Summers (703-228-5888). For
information about programs at TJ, call 703-228-5920.
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