helping the homeless and the hungry

This month's meeting of our neighborhood civic association RAFOM featured Kathleen Sibert of the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network and Fred Jones of the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

The Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN) has outreach worker Terrence Toussaint (TToussaint@A-SPAN.org 703-663-0247) working in the Rosslyn area. He gets to know homeless persons in the area and seeks to find ways to help them. A-SPAN's bagged meal program hands out meals every night at 6:30 pm at Gateway Park in Rosslyn. On S. Nelson Street, just off Four Mile Run Dr in South Arlington, A-SPAN runs a facility that offers homeless people a mailing address, phone, showers, and laundry facilities.  You can help homeless people with acknowledgment of their presence, with friendly conversation, by buying them some food if they want some, and by contacting A-SPAN to let them know about a person's need.  A-SPAN number for calling to request assistance for a homeless person is 703 820-HELP (4357).

With the nation-wide economic downturn, A-SPAN's corporate and foundation support has declined, but its individual contributions have increased.  You can help A-SPAN with your donations of money, volunteer time, and clothes, blankets, toiletries, and food.  See the A-SPAN website for more information about these opportunities.  The Help the Homeless Walkathon is this Saturday morning starting at 9am.  You can register online for a minimum donation of $25.  For a $100 donation, you can attend A-SPAN's Help the Homeless Holiday Gala at the Top of the Town on Thursday, Dec. 10th, 6:30-9pm.

The Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) distributes groceries to people living in Arlington who cannot afford enough food for their basic needs. AFAC distributes food Monday through Saturday from its warehouse in S. Nelson St, next to the A-SPAN facility.  It also distributes food at the Clarendon United Methodist Church every Saturday, 9:30 am to 10:30am.  Of the food AFAC distributes, 65% is donated by individuals and local businesses, and 35% is purchased.  Fred Jones spoke passionately about AFAC's concern to respect the dignity of the persons it serves and to provide them with nutritious, healthful food.  One program that helps AFAC to provide persons with fresh vegetables is its Plant A Row for the Hungry Program. It enlists gardeners in producing fresh vegetables for AFAC.   That senior citizen who was going on about gardening might have been worth listening to after all.

AFAC serves clients through referrals from Arlington County government agencies, churches, schools, and other social service agencies.  Two-thirds of AFAC referrals are through Arlington's Department of Human Services.  This past week AFAC served 1,283 families, up from 759 two years ago.  Within these hungry families, 39% of the persons served were children. You can help AFAC with donations of money, food, and volunteer time. 

Other items discussed at the RAFOM meeting:

• A 12-story apartment building with 100-110 housing units has been proposed to be built in the parking lot of the Wakefield Manor Apartments, just off Rt. 50, in the Courthouse Rd., 13th St., N. Troy St. block.  Site plan may be submitted to the County this spring, with construction possibly starting in 2011.  Meeting attendees discussed concerns about parking availability and stress on water and power infrastructure.
• The neighbor sign design depicting Iwo Jima won the neighbor sign voting with 60% of the votes.  RAFOM will now work with the County to determine sites for the signs, which will be placed on both sides of Rt. 50.
• RAFOM's annual holdiay party for low-income families in the RAFOM neighbor will take place on Dec. 11.  The holiday party will feature music, food, Santa and elves, and toys for children.  Local restaurants are generously donating food to this event.  To help with this happy, fun event, contact Stan Karson at RAFOM.

The next RAFOM meeting will be in February.

RAFOM civic association September meeting

RAFOM, your neighborhood civic association, had a lively and interesting meeting this past Wednesday at Prospect House.

Two Arlington police officers from our 2nd District team presented crime statistics.  In the past three months, our neighborhood had 13 larcenies from autos, 20 larcenies of other sorts (from buildings, bags, etc.), and 4 bike larcenies. That last category of crime seems to me particularly evil. A person whose bike got stolen could be deprived, at least temporally, of the joys of biking to work. Persons keen to get a bike, but unable to buy one, might contact Phoenix Bikes.  They could help a needy person put together a great bike built to last.

RAFOM is conducting voting for the design of neighbor signs to be constructed with Arlington County money.   The RAFOM website states that only persons who pay RAFOM dues ($10 cost) can vote.  The RAFOM Treasurer stated this general policy at the meeting, while another RAFOM Board Member said that RAFOM membership is required only for web-based voting.  I voiced my strong object to requiring payments of any sort for community voting.  Moreover, making it more difficult for persons who don't pay the RAFOM dues to participate in a community vote is also inconsistent with the principles of inclusive democracy.  The RAFOM Board indicated that they would consider changing their sign voting policy.  I refuse to participate in the vote until it is open, without unnecessary financial or procedural conditions, to all neighborhood members.

This fall an Arlington County task force will consider issues associated with bus traffic to Iowa Jima.  The Iowa Jima park is open from 6am to midnight.  A large number of tour buses go in and out of the park, particularly in the spring.  Moreover, intersections with Ft. Meade St. and Arlington Blvd (big and little) are quite hazardous.  In fact, that morning a four-car accident had produced a huge traffic backup in the area.  Major changes in traffic routing are being considered to address the problems.

Colonel Richardson is leaving her post as Garrison Commander of our neighboring Ft. Myer Military Community. Prior to 9/11, I enjoyed running through the base and getting my hair cut at an excellent barber there.  For awhile after 9/11 that wasn't permitted.  I'm not sure what the situation is now.  RAFOM members praised Col. Richardson for her outreach to the surrounding civilian community.  Consistent with its security requirements, I'm grateful for Ft. Myer's interaction with the neighborhood.

Featured speaker Scott McCaffrey, editor of the Arlington Sun Gazette, spoke about local housing trends and economic and political circumstances.  Home sales and real estate prices are down.  Arlington County projects 9.1% lower assessment revenue this coming fiscal year.  Arlington's real estate tax base is 45% commercial. That's a much higher percentage than most other jurisdictions; for example, Fairfax's commercial share is 20%.  Unfortunately, commercial real estate values are more volitile than residential values.  All else equal, business cycles thus have a larger effect on the Arlington budget.  The projected budget shortfall is $67.5 million, shared equally between the County Board and the School Board.  School enrollments are growing, and Arlington now has more the 20,000 kids in school.   The budget shortfall points to likely tax increases, county staff layoffs, and service cuts. 

Overall, Arlington has a strong economy.  The unemployment rate in Arlington is 4.2%.  That's much lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.6%.

In 2008, the Arlington County Board modified the zoning code to permit acessory dwellings.  The number of new accessory dwellings was capped at 28 per year.  However, in the first year of the new code, only 8 accessory dwellings were established.

McCaffrey noted the shrinkage of media coverage in Arlington County.  You can count on the Ode Street Tribune to help keep you truly informed and well entertained in the midst traditional media's meltdown.

The next RAFOM meeting is next month, Oct. 15, at the Belvedere Condominium. It will feature a candidates debate among contestants for seats on the Arlington County Board and for our district's Delegate to the House of Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly.

Neighborhood Day on May 16

Items from the RAFOM meeting on April 29:

• The Child Development Center, now operating from the Cherrydale Baptist Church, plans to move to Wilson School (next to the firehouse in Rosslyn) for two years. At least this should forestall the risk of demolishing Wilson School for awhile.
• Arlington Neighborhood Day is coming up on Saturday, May 16. Last year's Neighborhood Day featured a great parade. Perhaps because of the budget squeeze, Neighborhood Day this year won't include a parade. But it will still include interesting events, including music and free refreshments at the WRIT Art Gallery and Atrium (Bennett Part Apartments) in Rosslyn.
• The vote on the Rosslyn-Ft. Myers neighborhood sign is now scheduled for the next RAFOM meeting.

Arlington County Board member Mary Hynes addressed RAFOM about the FY 2010 Arlington County budget. Summary of the enacted budget:

To balance the budget the [County Board] approved $19.8 million in service cuts, including $12.1 million in administration and overhead reductions and more than $7.7 [million in] direct service reductions. The only tax-supported programs expanded by the County Board were critical safety net programs to help residents most affected by the recession. The County Board added more than $1 million to increase funding for programs providing shelter and transitional housing, food and emergency assistance.

Arlington is experiencing a higher rate of growth in homeless persons than other area jurisdictions, and the County Board is seeking to ensure that help is available for homeless persons. Ms. Hynes noted that the County Board made an effort to preserve Arlington-based performing and graphic arts programs. About 2000 persons in Arlington work in these fields. The Gulf Branch Nature Center was saved from demolition, but hours will be cut and staff eliminated.

March RAFOM meeting

The Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association (RAFOM) met on March 31. Some notes:

1. RAFOM President Stan Karson noted that RAFOM, with 79 dues-paying members, ranks near the top in membership among Arlington civic associations.
2. Three Radnor Ft. Myer Heights neighbor signs will be erected using money allocated from the County upon approval of our Neighborhood Conservation Plan. One possible design has an image of the Iwo Jima. Another possible design sketches a community with Rt. 50 and a bridge over Rt. 50 in the middle. If you have an idea for a design, contact RAFOM right away. Design options will be subject to vote in the April RAFOM meeting.
3. Funding for a sidewalk on N. Quinn St. appears likely.
4. Orders for trees from the Arlington Tree Give-Away are due Apr. 24.
5. The Arlington Home Show and Expo is Apr. 11. : "Learn how to grow a bonsai tree, finance your home remodeling project, build “green,” or make your home more energy efficient at the third annual Arlington Home Show and Expo on Saturday, April 11 from. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 S. 16^th St."
6. Dr. Claire Cifaloglio, Arlington County Health Office, provided a highly informative talk on preventive health. One important idea I got from the talk is the cost of false positive in medical screening. Getting more health tests is not necessarily better. Think of it this way: if you're low risk for a health problem, you might have a 1 in million change of having the disease. But the rate of false positives from the test might be 1 in a thousand. If you falsely test positive, you will be subject to additional medical procedures that inevitably carry some health risk, plus you will be subject to stress, wasted time, and wasted money. Multiply expected costs by a thousand (1-in-a-thousand false positive versus 1-in-a-million true case) and they may outweight the expected benefits of detecting the (rare) condition. For some preventive health tools, see Guidelines to Clinical Preventive Services 2008, Cardiovascular Risk Tool, Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator, and the Breast Cancer Risk Tool.
7. A County Board budget work session will take place on Apr. 7 at 7 pm in the third-floor County Board room at the Courthouse County Building. Libraries and parks will be discussed. The public can attend, but there will not be public comments.
8. The Arlington County Board will vote on the county budget for fiscal year 2010 on Apr. 28. County Board Member Mary Hynes will be the guest speaker at the April RAFOM meeting, which will occur later that week (exact date not yet set).
   

Feb. RAFOM meeting

The Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association (RAFOM) met on Feb. 24. Some notes:

1. Treasurer David Treworgy reported that RAFOM has 78 dues paying members and 316 persons signed up on its email list.
2. Negotiations continued for free access days for local residents to the observation deck that will be part of the Central Place construction. RAFOM and other community groups are seeking three days of free resident access a week, while JBG, the developer, is offering only two.
3. The Rosslyn Ridge site plan includes $500,000 dedicated to improving Hillside Park (here). Plans include improvements to the recreation area at the top of the park, new signage, and possibly better lighting. RAFOM members are working to ensure that the trees in the park will be preserved and that the park will be maintained as an urban forest.
4. Steve Campbell described the Arlington Tree Give-away program. Single-family properties can receive one free tree. Multi-family properties can receive multiple free trees. The purpose of this program is to encourage the planting of trees on private property so as to increase the size of the Arlington tree canopy. Orders for trees will be taken through April 24. Persons living in the RAFOM area and who want trees should contact Steve Campbell via email at mitska 'at' juno 'dot' com, or by telephone at 703 243-6265.
   
5. Peter Fallon, chairman of the Arlington County Planning Commission, addressed the meeting. The Planning Commission is an all-volunteer body required under state law. It advises the County Board on development issues and gives the Board recommendations on site plans. In busy times the Planning Commission members have attended three or four meetings a week, as well as meetings on Saturday. This is extraordinary volunteer service. Mr. Fallon noted a slowdown in site plan submissions associated with the worsening economy. He stated that no Rosslyn site plan applications are currently pending. He also noted that Arlington is relatively well positioned economically because 45% of its tax base is commercial.
   

The next RAFOM meeting on March 31 will include a presentation on health and exercise.

Westmoreland Condo meeting Monday night

The Westmoreland Terrace Condo Board meeting for June is Monday, June 23, at 7pm in the condo office, 1314 Ft. Myer Dr. (on upper end of the big parking lot). Everyone is welcomed to come and find out about what's going on around Westmoreland.

Meeting report: I showed up at 7pm. No one was there; office dark and locked. I waited until 7:15, and still no one showed up. Then, walking back to my apartment, I show a huge rainbow.

Update 2: Dennis Freeman said that the Board didn't have a quorum, so they canceled the meeting that afternoon at 3pm. But two Board members were going to attend, while by my reckoning only one non-Board member was going to attend. Definitely need more interest from residents. Next Board meeting is scheduled for July 28, 7pm.

RAFOM annual meeting draws large, informed group

The RAFOM annual meeting at the Top of the Town this evening brought together many persons actively working to make the neighborhood a better place. Civic association leaders engaged in the review of various development projects occurring around Rosslyn spoke about the plans and issues of building density, affordable housing, and community benefits. Police and fire officials working to make the neighborhood safer were at the meeting, as were Arlington County Board officials, including Chairman Walter Tejada. Congressman Jim Moran gave a lively, unscripted presentation in which he spoke passionately about the need for fiscal responsibility and on the importance of welcoming immigrants to the U.S.

Additional news coverage: this evening I discovered that the rear tire on my bicycle had gone flat when I got on it to ride home from work. After changing the tire twice and then patching a tube, I got home and arrived at the meeting just as Mr. Tejada was ending his presentation. Thus I regret that I am unable to report on his presentation. Useful lesson: don't install a new tube on your bike until your check that it doesn't leak.

you need a working smoke detector

Captain Rick Genest, Commander of Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn, spoke at the RAFOM Civic Association meeting yesterday. He mentioned that his father was a fire fighter in Arlington, so we've got a second-generation Arlington fire fighter commanding our Rosslyn station.

Capt. Genest emphasized the importance of smoke detectors. If you don't have one, buy one. They're cheap. If you can't afford one, you can call Arlington County at 703 228-4659 and they will come and install one for you free of charge.

Extension cords are a major fire risk. In general, don't use them on a permanent basis. If you have an extension cord running under a rug, you've got a serious risk of fire.

If you've got a fire extinguisher that's been sitting around for over a decade, you should replace it. They don't last forever, and can go bad even while showing a "charged" reading.

Arlington has set up a program for registering persons, such as bed-ridden and disabled persons, who need assistance in evacuating in an emergency. See the I sticker program information.

Final note: The RAFOM annual meeting is June 11 at Top of the Town.