BVSCA Newsletter January 2002
Contents:January 29 Meeting Agenda
Please refer to the newsletter for a summary of agenda items. Also, note the location for our January 29 meeting below.
7:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting
7:30 pm Full Membership Meeting
BVSCA dues paying members may participate as observers in meetings of the BVSCA Executive Committee. On January 29, we will be meeting at the Central Library at 1015 N. Quincy St. The meeting room is on the second floor on the side of the library closest to Wilson Blvd. There is public parking available.
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, March 26 at 7:30 pm. The BVSCA newsletter is published six times per year in advance of the monthly meeting.
Bumps, Nubs, and Nodes
Nearly 20 years ago, the Ballston-Virginia Square Neighborhood Conservation Plan identified N. Utah St, N. 13th St., and N. 14th St. as streets in need of traffic calming measures. Limited steps have been taken to address the NCAC recommendations, yet many residents remain concerned about the increased flow and speed of traffic on these streets. Betty Diggs of Arlington County Traffic Calming will join us at the January meeting to provide an overview of particular concerns involving nubs, circles, and speed limits on non-arterial streets. She will also suggest the proper department to be contacted on matters involving signals, stop signs, and pedestrian lanes. If you have specific questions that you would like her to address, please send them to Ben Axleroad at besa@starpower.net in advance of the meeting.
Plum Purple
Chris Zimmerman represents Arlington County on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors and is participating in planning efforts regarding the entire metrobus and metrorail system. A recent report by Mr. Zimmerman outlining WMATA's potential long term expansion plans indicates that there may be implications for the Ballston-Virginia Square neighborhood, including the possibility of a Purple Line linking D.C. to Northern Virginia with stops near Washington-Lee High School. Immediate metrorail expansion plans include the addition of new elevators at the existing entrance and the development of a second entrance platform at the Ballston metro, as discussed with the BVSCA members in 1999. Jim Hamre of Arlington County will provide an update on short term and long term expansion plans for metrorail at the January 29 meeting.
Cyber Space
Arlington County opened its second CyberCenter at Central Library in June 2001. The CyberCenter @ Central Library provides free Internet and email access, office applications, tutors, and classes on 11 new computer workstations. The CyberCenter @ Central Library was funded by a $68,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Public Access to Information Program and a $81,000 grant from the Library of Virginia's Infopowering the Commonwealth Program. Staff and volunteer instructors conduct free classes on Microsoft applications such as Word and Excel. Classes also include how to set up free email accounts, how to use the library's online databases, and how to search for information on the Internet. Participants at the January 29 meeting will receive an overview of the CyberCenter and a tour of the facilities.
Miscellaneous News Items
Nice for Ice. Homeowners can help reduce runoff from de-icing salts by selecting an appropriate product. Commonly used de-icers include magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate. Sodium chloride, or salt, is the oldest and most widely used product. Calcium magnesium acetate is a salt-free melting agent researched for use in environmentally sensitive areas. For a list of products, corrosiveness ratings, and effective temperatures, please contact the Extension Office at 703-228-6414.
Taupe Line? Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities presents "The Future of Metro" on Wednesday, February 27 at 2000 H Street, Room #LL101, Center on Sustainability & Regional Growth, George Washington University Law School in D.C. near the Foggy Bottom metro station. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 pm, and the program begins at 7 pm. Please RSVP to Cassie Seiple, staff@washingtonregion.net.
Civic Duty. The Arlington County Civic Federation has established a college scholarship fund for the children of Arlington's Public Safety Personnel in honor of their efforts on September 11. If you would like to make a donations or help with fundraising efforts, please call the Arlington Community Foundation at (703) 243-4785 or send an email to info@civfed.org.
Main Street. Arlington County Public Works division will be installing a new water main on Wilson Blvd. between N. Monroe St. and N. Oakland St. It is anticipated that this project will take 8 months to complete. If you have questions or concerns about this project, please contact Mr. B. L. Sims, project construction manager, at 703-228-3592.
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
Arlington County is preparing to launch a survey on housing needs in the county in response to the growing awareness that there is a critical shortage of affordable housing in Arlington Survey interviews will begin in late January and end in February 2002. During this time, a county consultant will conduct a random, 10 to 15 minute telephone survey that will be completely anonymous to ensure survey participant privacy. Surveyors, fluent in English and Spanish, will seek basic demographic information such as household size, race, income and housing costs. The County Board will use the results of the survey and the 2000 Census data to refine housing policies, amend programs, and allocate resources. For more information on the survey, contact Fran Lunney at 703-228-3785. This is an important issue. Teachers, police and firemen, service providers, those on fixed incomes, and young adults are impacted by the lack of affordable housing. Public policy is better informed by public participation, so please participate if called.
DeAndra Beck
Newsletter Editor
Ben Axleroad, President
3800 North Fairfax Dr., #205, Arlington, VA 22203
703-525-3083
Dennis Burr, Vice President
David Ryan, Secretary
DeAndra Beck, Treasurer
1301 N. Taylor St., Arlington, VA 22201
Theresa Smith, NCAC Representative
Ken Hughes
Jeffrey Green
Kate Wilson
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 Jeffrey Green, 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: DeAndra Beck
BVSCA Treasurer
1301 N. Taylor St.
Arlington, VA 22201
Please make checks payable to BVSCA.