BVSCA Newsletter November 2002
Contents:November 26 Meeting Agenda
7:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting
BVSCA dues paying members may participate as observers in meetings of the BVSCA Executive Committee. BVSCA will be meeting in our new community room on November 26. The entrance to the community room is located on N. Utah St. between Gaffney's Restaurant (4301 North Fairfax Drive) and the Windsor Plaza Condominiums. Please note that on-street parking is limited; however, space is available in the two garages that are adjacent to and across the street from the Rio Grande Cafe.
BVSCA Membership Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of alternate months from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Our next membership meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 28 at 7:30 pm. The BVSCA newsletter is published six times per year in advance of the monthly meeting.
Badge of Honor
Sergeant Terry Adams of the Arlington County Sheriff's Office will join us on November 26 to introduce a program to enlist and train volunteer deputy sheriffs from our community. The Sheriff's office is separate from the Arlington County Police Department, and it is responsible for the local jail, functions as the administrative officer of the court, and performs other criminal law enforcement and civil law functions. To learn more, you may contact the Arlington County's Sheriff's Office at 703-228-4460.
Waging Battle
The living wage movement began in Baltimore 1994 stemming from frustration that Congress was unable to pass higher minimum wage legislation. As a result of this movement, ten states and the District of Columbia have passed minimum wage standards higher than the federal level. The major difference between the living wage and the federal minimum wage is that the federal minimum wage applies to all workers, while the living wage is established locally. The living wage is often significantly higher than the minimum wage. For example, at the current minimum wage rate ($5.15 per hour), an employee nets $10,700 for a full time job, well below the federal poverty guideline of $18,100 for a family of four. Wider Opportunities for Women calculated that a single parent with one child would have to take home $33,000 per year to live in Arlington without state, local or federal subsidies. Two years ago, Alexandria County passed a living wage ordinance; the ordinance was challenged in Richmond but subsequently upheld. A group of Arlington churches, community groups, and labor unions have formed the Arlington Living Wage Coalition to encourage the County Board and School Board to pass living wage legislation. Kathleen Henry of the Arlington Living Wage Coalition will attend the November 26 meeting to discuss the Coalition's efforts in Arlington.
Green Scene
On November 12, the Arlington County Civic Federation (ACCF) adopted two new environmental initiatives as part if its 2003 legislative package. The first initiative will urge the Virginia legislature to adopt a Clean Smokestacks Act, modeled on recent North Carolina legislation. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to clean up coal-fired power plants in Virginia by addressing a loophole in the Clean Air Act that exempts older, less efficient plants. The Civic Federation also voted to support legislative action to reestablish the Office of Noise Abatement and Control in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to order to identify trends in noise exposure and response and to renew EPA's role in combating noise pollution. For details, please visit www.civfed.org/leg03.htm.
"No" Means "Not Now"
As reported in the November 18 edition of the Arlington Journal, the defeat of the Northern Virginia tax referendum will impact improvements to the Ballston metro station. According to Jim Hamre, Arlington Transit Program Coordinator, existing plans to expand the station by adding a western entrance will be on hold for at least three years given current resource constraints. There are, however, some improvements that were not impacted by the outcome of the election. After several years of a lengthy design, review, and approval process, three new elevators will be installed next year at the Ballston metro to ease access near the Qwest Corporation and The Nature Conservancy buildings.
Miscellaneous News Items
Cold Hands, Warm Hearts. The Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN) is in need of volunteers to staff shifts at the Emergency Winter Shelter, which is open November through March. For more information, call the Arlington County Volunteer Office at 703-228-1760.
New Book Look. Arlington Central Library has been undergoing a series of renovations to update and reorganize the heavily utilized facility. The renovations include new first-floor carpeting, new lighting, and the consolidation of popular new releases and multimedia in new shelves that will be the first thing patrons see as they enter the building. The work is expected to be complete by the end of November.
Out in Space. The Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources will host a second community forum to discuss the Open Space Master Plan on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Carver Community Center. The program will include presentations by county officials, a discussion of goals and objections, and working group reports. For information, call Carlton Hart at (703) 228-7577, openspace@co.arlington .va.us.
Listserv. BVSCA members are invited to subscribe to the BVSCA listserv to receive periodic updates on issues of neighborhood interest, as well as the monthly newsletter. How? Send an email message to bvsca@hotmail.com advising that you would like to join. Include your name and post office address in your message along with the email address(es) from which you will be sending messages. When you are added to the list, you will receive a "Welcome" message with details regarding how to use the listserv. Remember that a message sent by a BVSCA listserv member to BVSCA-L@rootsweb.com will be relayed automatically to all listserv members. To prevent senders of unsolicited commercial email from using our list for unauthorized purposes, only listserv members may send messages to the mailing list from a subscribed address.
Editor's Prerogative
During its December 7 meeting, the Arlington County Board will deliberate on the final draft of the revised Virginia Square Sector Plan. This revised sector plan is the culmination of over two years of citizen-initiated efforts to address the increasing impact of development in our neighborhood. The draft sector plan represents a vision for Virginia Square, crafted after more than 40 public meetings with working groups, experts, county staff, as well as members of the Planning Commission and the County Board. There are a number of individuals who have been participating tirelessly in the effort to revise the sector plan. Although each of these individuals deserves recognition and thanks, I must single out two individuals for direct acknowledgement. Ed Rea has chaired the sector plan working group for the entire two year period. He has represented neighborhood interests in a fair and effective way, often brokering different interests in order to achieve a common view. Lew Gulick has served as recording secretary for the entire period as well. His meetings minutes have provided a full accounting of the two years of deliberations. Thank you to all for your efforts.
DeAndra Beck
Newsletter Editor
Ben Axleroad, President
3800 North Fairfax Dr., #205, Arlington, VA 22203
703-525-3083
Kate Wilson, Vice President
David Ryan, Secretary
Patricia Horoschak, Treasurer
3800 N. Fairfax Drive, #1804, Arlington, VA 22201
703-524-5080
Ed Parks, NCAC Representative
Theresa Smith, NCAC Representative Alternate
Dennis Burr
James Webster
Mike Ford
How to Join the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association or Renew Your Membership
All individual persons who are residents of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association's area or who in their individual capacity own residential property located therein, shall be eligible for membership in the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association. For the purposes of this organization, the boundaries of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association are Kirkwood Road on the east, Glebe Road on the west, Wilson Boulevard on the south, and the I-66 right of way on the north.
If interested in joining the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, please complete the BVSCA Membership Application Form below and send your application and dues to DeAndra Beck, Treasurer, Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, at the address below.
Dues are payable when first joining and are renewable each year on or before the annual anniversary of that date. New members and members who have not paid their dues within the three preceding Association years must pay their dues 30 days before they receive voting privileges. Former members who have been members in good standing within any of the three immediately preceding Association years may be reinstated as voting members by paying their dues for that year.
All members of the Association are volunteers. Dues are used to help fund the Association's activities and sponsored events. Please join the Association today, or renew your dues paid membership. Visit us at (http://www.bvsca.org)
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Mail to: Patricia Horoschak
BVSCA Treasurer
3800 N. Fairfax Dr., #1804
Arlington, VA 22203
Please make checks payable to BVSCA.