Over the Fence News for Neighbors from ARLINGTON HEIGHTS CIVIC ASSOCIATION Summer 2003 www.geocities.com/ahcawebsite

Proposed Agenda
Tuesday, July 29, 2003 at 7 pm Patrick Henry Elementary School.

Introductions

Review Minutes

Treasurer's Report

Report on the Arlington County Fair

Arts Arlington - Just Around the Corner presentation

Synthetic Grass proposal

Update on Fenwick Center

Proposed project at Second and Irving

Proposed new buses

Update on major projects in the neighborhood

Columbia Pike Jazz Festival report

Neighborhood Day Report

Yard Sale Report Garden Tour report

Committee Reports

Fair Booth Sign up

Neighborhood Conservation

Traffic Calming

Civic Federation Report

Old Business

New Business

Proposed Fall yard sale and block party

Proposed Arts Open House event

Adjournment

    Well, after a very soggy spring, I hope you are all enjoying a few sunny days of Summer! Our much-anticipated Spring Garden Tour has been postponed to Saturday, July 19, and we hope for another great turnout. Thanks in advance to Joan Gill, our great organizer, and also to our gardeners who are so willing to share with us.

    Although Mother Nature kept our scheduled tour of June 21 at bay, the weather did not deter the brave residents of Arlington Heights who pulled out tables and wares under very threatening skies to hold a very successful neighborhood wide yard, skillfully planned and coordinated by Amy Vennett - Thanks Amy! I don't miss my exercise bike at all! From all accounts, the yard sale was a great success - so much so that many folks have asked for a repeat performance! I would like to hear your thoughts on a combined yard sale/ neighborhood block party for this Fall. We will discuss this proposal at our upcoming meeting, but if you are unable to attend, please feel free to call me in advance and share your thoughts. I would also like to explore the idea of an Arts Open House at some point to highlight our many accomplished neighborhood artists. More details will be revealed at the meeting.

    I hope you will be able to join us on the 29^th of July for our quarterly meeting. We have a very full agenda, with presentations on upcoming events at our much-loved annual Arlington County Fair, and also on our extensive Arts programs in Arlington. A new item of discussion will be proposed synthetic grass for athletic fields in Arlington, including at Thomas Jefferson. We will also have updates on topical items discussed at our June Special Meeting.

Carole Lieber
President

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    Because of the wet weather in June, the annual Arlington Heights Garden Tour has been rescheduled for Saturday morning, July 19. This walking tour will begin at 9:00 o'clock and end before noon.  Jim and Joan Gill will host a light breakfast in their garden starting at 8:00 o'clock. Their address is 121 S. Hudson Street. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 - SUNDAY, AUGUST 24

    Arlington Heights Civic Association will again share a booth with Congregation Etz Hayim, to distribute newsletters, show off photos and our new Neighborhood Conservation plan, sell memberships, t-shirts, and baby bibs, and shake hands and say howdy to "The Many Faces of Arlington."

    Jay Wind has volunteered to coordinate this year's sign-up. Please sign up for a two-hour shift via our interactive web page, http://www.geocities.com/ahcawebsite/fair.html If you click on a two-hour time slot, it automatically sends Jay a message with your e-mail. Please add your name and phone number to the automatic e-mail message.

    Over the years, AHCA has made countless requests to the county for road improvements, and many of these are happening now! Here is a list of current and recent known projects:

1. Broken sidewalks on 2nd Street South were repaved.

2. South Highland Street from Arlington Boulevard to 2nd Street is being repaved.

3. 6th Street and South Irving, where water pooled for 20 years before repaving two years ago -- and then continued to pool -- is being repaved.

4. 6th Street and South Jackson got curb and gutter, with a special design going around the mature tree (Go see this!)

5. The big dig at Arlington Heights Park is finally filled! Time for a picnic!

6. Decorative sidewalks are now complete on South Garfield Street from Columbia Pike to 9th Road South, and 9th Road from Garfield to Walter Reed Drive, one of the first steps toward implementation of the Columbia Pike Initiative.
    Soon the Garfield and 9th Road surface will be repaved.

7. Highland Street traffic calming speed humps are in place; intersection beautification work begins next year.

8. Safer curb cuts are complete at 6th and 7th at Walter Reed Drive

9. Glebe Road is now repaved in both directions, thanks to VDOT.

    At a public meeting on June 26, Arlington County Sports Division and the citizen Sports Commission announced that the two soccer fields at Thomas Jefferson Community Center are among the 10 top candidates for conversion to synthetic grass. Nine additional fields are being considered for future conversion. Only one or two of the 19 fields will be converted in 2003.

    TJ currently has two soccer fields, the blue-stone lower field and the fenced-in grass upper field. The lower field was scheduled 1,177 hours per year March 2002-March 2003, plus Middle School physical education. The upper field is scheduled for 381 per year. The upper field has significant water drainage problems. In 2001, the County proposed conversion of the upper field to synthetic with a 250-seat stadium, but dropped the proposal after PTA and neighborhood opposition. The opposition was not against the synthetic conversion, but against the proposed stadium, whose usage would have been dedicated about 50% to Marymount University.

    For a complete list of candidates, criteria, and qualities of synthetic fields,
see http://www.co.arlington.va.us/prcr/scripts/fields/synthetic_fields.htm

    August topics: women's health issues, Tues., Aug. 12, 11:15 a.m., Lee Senior Center, 5722 Lee Hwy.; Parkinson's disease, Thurs., Aug. 14, 10:30 a.m., Dawson Terrace Senior Center, 2133 N. Taft St.; West Nile virus, Fri., Aug. 15, 1:00p.m., Culpepper Garden Senior Center, 4435 N. Pershing Dr.; Cholesterol, Tues., Aug. 19, 11:30 a.m., Culpepper Garden Senior Center; Managing arthritis, Thurs., Aug. 21, 10:15 a.m., Carver Community Center, 1`415 S. Queen Street. No fees' newcomers welcome. For general information call 703-228-4744.

    Arlington County Senior Adult Travel has announced a three-day trip for seniors to Oglebay, WV, Dec. 5-7, 2003. Roundtrip via chartered motor coach, two breakfasts, two dinners, glass museums, Jamboree USA, Winter Festival of Lights, guided tours of historical sights. $419 double; reserve by Sept. 1. For details call 703-228-4748.

    For seniors 50 years of age and over. Registration deadline, Aug. 22. Over 25 indoor and outdoor activities offered. Last year 200 Arlington seniors participated; 30 won gold medals, 30 others won silver and bronze. Co-sponsored by Arlington Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources and seven other Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Registration fee $7.50 which includes one event ($1 for each additional event). For schedule, list of events, rules and registration form, call 703-228-3600, ext. 9996 or contact local senior center.

    (Webmaster's note:  Your webmaster won the 800-meter gold medal at the 2003 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, running a meet record 2:40.1.  Your webmaster had nothing to do with this items inclusion in the printed newsletter ;-)

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NEIGHBOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS

    Over the last year, AHCA member Betty Siegel has put together lists of contractor and service people who have been recommended by our neighbors. The following information was collected from the Arlington Heights Civic Association e-mail list. It is made up of comments, suggestions and recommendations from neighbors. To add mode comments, please write Betty Siegel at access@Kennedy-Center.org. Inclusion on this list does not imply an endorsement of any kind by the Arlington Heights Civic Association (AHCA). The opinions expressed here represent those of the individual AHCA resident who posted them. For the benefit of those of you not yet online, we have decided to post these here over the next few issues of the newsletter.

    Today, we begin with gardeners/landscapers, and gutter cleaning. Next month we plan to feature pest control and auto repair.

· We use Merlo's lawn service every year. Do a great job cleaning up from winter. Francisco Merlo lives in the neighborhood.

· One of our AHCA neighbors has a service, which is very good - J & M of Northern Virginia at (703) 553-9825.

· Need great landscaping, call Patio Patch: 703-533-9579 in Falls Church.

GUTTER CLEANING

· In November we used a neighbor who left a flyer on our door. He was very responsive and good. We will use him again. His name is Jorge Alberto Perez, 703-979-5545

· We've been happy with Metro Gutters. http://www.metrogutter.com/

· Pond Roofing cleaned my gutters again this year. They did my roof in 1986. Needless to say, I have been very pleased with their work and recommend them highly. Tel: 703-573-8000

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