BVSCA Newsletter July 2002
Contents:July 30 Meeting Agenda
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 July 30, BVSCA will be meeting in our new community room. 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. (The entrance is also located near the former shipping outlet "Parcel Plus" on N. Utah St.) 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, September 24 at 7:30 pm. The BVSCA newsletter is published six times per year in advance of the monthly meeting.
Deals for Wheels
Used extensively in other cities, bicycle lanes have proven effective in providing safe riding places for bicyclists and have been effective in encouraging people to bicycle more often. In July of 2001, the Arlington County Board adopted an amendment to the Bicycle Transportation Plan that establishes a 23-mile network of bicycle lanes on County streets. The bicycle lanes will reserve a four- to five-foot wide section of the roadway for exclusive use by bicyclists. One bike lane will be provided for each direction of travel on the street. Over the next five years, Arlington plans to mark the 23 miles of new bicycle lanes at an expected cost to the County of approximately $250,000. A full copy of the plan, which was developed with support from the County's Bicycle Advisory Committee, can be found on the County website. Charles Denny of the Arlington County Department of Public Works will join us on July 30 to provide an update on plans for bicycle lanes in our neighborhood. For more information, visit www.co.arlington.va.us/dpw/planning/bike/preface.htm .
A Senior Moment
Arlington County's Office of Senior Adult Programs sponsors six senior centers throughout the County, as well as three activity sites. The senior centers also sponsor 15 social clubs. In addition, the Office directs an extensive travel program, operates independent sport activities outside the Centers, facilitates the Senior Adult Council with representation from all Centers and Clubs, produces Channel 31's "Exercise Buddy" program and publishes the bi-monthly senior adult newsletter, "Seniors in Action." The Office coordinates services for all senior adult programs in the Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Department. Programs are open to those 55 and older. Barbara Karro of the Office of Senior Adult Programs will attend the July 30 meeting to discuss these and other programs offered by the County. For more information, you may call 703-228-4744 or visit the following site: www.co. arlington.va.us/dhs/aging/senior.htm .
A Uniform View
Membership of the Arlington Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Association, Local 2800 (APFPA) is comprised of the employees (active and retired) of the Arlington County Fire Department. The organization has 288 active members and 158 retired members. The APFPA is dedicated to maintaining and improving the benefits afforded to the firefighters and paramedics of Arlington County. Mike Staples of the Arlington Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association will attend the July 30 BVSCA meeting to discuss APFPA priorities. For more information, call APFPA at 703-522-0008.
Miscellaneous News Items
P1, P2, P3. Arlington County Department of Public Works has released a study that identifies measures to make the Ballston Public Parking Garage more user-friendly and attractive to patrons. These measures include signs and graphics, lighting, pavement, and parking layout. If you would like to review the study, visit www .co.arlington.va.us/dpw/traffic/ballston.htm . To provide comments, contact Terry Bellamy at 703-228-3720.
Watershed Opportunity. The Potomac Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Potomac River and its watershed lands. Volunteer help is needed weekdays in their office and on weekends staffing an information table and operating the organization slide show. To volunteer, contact Joy Berg, Arlington County Volunteer Coordinator, at 703-228-1760.
Good Neighboring. Inova VNA Home Health is recruiting volunteers to be friendly visitors, for lonely, homebound patients. Volunteers are needed to spend 1-2 hours per week (flexible scheduling) talking with a patient, running errands, and doing odd jobs. Training is provided. To volunteer, contact Joy Berg, Arlington County Volunteer Coordinator, at 703-228-1760.
Move Over, Bill Gates. Learn the qualities of an entrepreneur, including how to evaluate business ideas, handle credit management, address marketing issues, and procure business finance. The ECDC Enterprise Development Group will be making a presentation in the Arlington Central Library auditorium on Tuesday, August 13 at 7 pm. No registration required. For more information, contact 703- 685-0510 x242 (voice).
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
Congratulations to the new officers of the Ballston-Virginia
Square Civic Association. Their names and contact information
can be found on the last page of the newsletter. With respect to
the BVSCA newsletter, I am seeking suggestions for topics you'd
like to see covered, as well as comments on the scope and format
of the information provided. You are welcome to contact me via
phone at 703-528-5126 or by email at bvsca@hotmail.com to provide
input. If you are a budding journalist and would like to
contribute articles or co-write a future issue, I welcome
your interest. I am exploring ways to increase the distribution
of the newsletter beyond the current range of dues paying
members. Would you like to distribute newsletters in your area
of the neighborhood or in your condo/rental unit? If so, please
contact me. Our neighborhood is becoming an increasingly diverse
mix of homeowners, town houses, rental units, and condos. We'd
like to reach broader across our residential base.
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.