Author: Jennifer Currier

Knights of Columbus Looking for Thanksgiving Volunteers

By Jennifer Currier

Knights of Columbus EDW Thanksgiving (via Facebook:Knights of Columbus Edward Douglass White Council 2473)The local Knights of Columbus chapter is continuing its 29-year history of serving Thanksgiving meals to those in the Arlington community who need them most.

The organization needs 90 volunteers for its annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner for the Needy, which falls on Nov. 26 this year. Volunteers will prepare, deliver and serve holiday meals to as many as 3,000 community members.

Over the last 29 years, the Knights have served more than 25,000 Thanksgiving meals to the poor, needy, elderly and homebound.

According to event co-coordinator David Nassar, volunteers are needed in three shifts between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., lasting three or four hours. All the preparation and serving will take place at the chapter’s headquarters, located at 5115 Little Falls Road.

One of the shifts is for morning deliveries, suitable for volunteers with a valid driver’s license and a car. They will make bulk deliveries of individually boxed meals to locations throughout the county.

Nassar added volunteers do not need any cooking experience or other specific skills to help out, just a “positive attitude and a desire to help others.”

Interested locals who cannot work on site can also consider donating money for food and supplies or donating a turkey, cooked to specifications on the event’s website.

Those interested in volunteering or donating can fill out this form, read more on Volunteer Arlington or e-mail [email protected].

Photo via Facebook/Knights of Columbus Edward Douglass White Council 2473

Guide to Trick-or-Treating in Arlington

By Jennifer Currier

Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street

The three day countdown to Halloween has begun, and that means it’s time to start solidifying plans for the haunted holiday.

Halloween falls on Saturday this year, giving you more time and flexibility to take part in festive activities happening in the area, especially trick-or-treating.

Unlike today’s dreary weather, the forecast looks promising for candy-seekers, with National Weather Service predicting temperatures around 50 degrees and some clouds.

As in years past, there’s no designed time for trick-or-treating in Arlington, but tradition indicates parents will bring their costumed kids through the neighborhoods around sunset — which is expected around 6:10 p.m. — and knock on doors until 8 or 9 p.m.

Here are some tips for planning your trick-or-treat trip:

  • Children should be accompanied by an adult.
  • Choose a neighborhood or street you’re familiar with or is known for getting in the spirit. For example, N. Jackson Street near Clarendon is traditionally a must-see.
  • Houses with the outside lights are the ones expecting and ready for trick-or-treaters.
  • Expect the older, non-costumed crowds later in the evening.
  • If you’re passing out treats, turn the outside lights off when you run out.

There are also other opportunities in the area for kids to get their candy.

The Arlington Historical Society is hosting its first trick-or-treat event at the Arlington Historical Museum (1805 S. Arlington Ridge Road) from 4-6 p.m. There will be candy, Halloween-themed story time and coloring.

Children of all ages who are in costume can also pick up a treat at the Cherrydale Branch Library (2190 N. Military Road) between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Finally, for the adults looking to celebrate, the Clarendon Halloween Bar Crawl will return from 1-9 p.m., one hour longer than last year.

File photo

County Leaf Collection Starts Next Week

By Jennifer Currier

The leaves are falling, and the county is coming to take them away.

Leaf collection bags (photo via Arlington County website)Arlington County’s leaf collection program is scheduled to start next week, eventually offering two ways for locals to rid their yards of leaves.

“We provide residents of the county opportunities to get rid of their leaves in an environmentally responsible way,” Solid Waste Bureau Chief Erik Grabowsky said in an informational video about the program (above).

Leaf bag collection begins on Monday. The county will collect full, biodegradable paper leaf bags the day after regular trash collection. The collection runs every weekday from Nov. 2 through Jan. 8, including all holidays except for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

These biodegradable bags can be reused from last spring’s waste collection, purchased at hardware stores, or picked up from one of the following locations, while supplies last:

  • Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th St. S.
  • Courthouse Plaza Information Desk, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
  • Lee Community Center & Park, 5722 Lee Highway
  • Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd.
  • Lubber Run Community Center, 300 N. Park Dr.
  • Madison Community Center & Park, 3829 N. Stafford St.
  • Solid Waste Bureau, 4300 29th St. S.
  • Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 2nd St. S.

Vacuum leaf collection will begin the following week on Nov. 9, running every Monday through Saturday until Dec. 17, excluding Thanksgiving. Residents are asked to rake leaves into piles along the curb, making sure the pile only has leaves in it and is clear of cars and storm sewers.

The vacuum will make two passes in each neighborhood, scheduled based on when the leaves in each area will fall.

Leaf Falling Predictions (via DES)“We did an analysis of the types of trees in the county [because] the leaves from various types of trees will fall at different times,” Grabowsky explained. “We’ve tweaked the schedule a little bit so we think we’ve actually now optimized our collection program for vacuuming. We’re hoping this year is as successful as last year.”

Part of ensuring this success is giving at least one weekend’s notice before a vacuum collection. Yellow signs around a neighborhood will indicate the vacuum’s first pass, and orange signs will indicate the second.

There’s also a tentative vacuum schedule, an interactive progress map and a Listserv for email updates about which neighborhoods are next on the schedule.

“We try to be thorough and diligent to make sure we don’t miss anybody,” Grabowsky added.

More information about how to prepare for leaf collection is available on the county’s website.

Photo via DES

Anti-DUI Campaign to Thank Sober Drivers in Clarendon This Weekend

By Jennifer Currier

This Halloween, patrons at select Arlington restaurants will be praised not for the creativity of their costumes, but for getting home safely.

Anti-DUI superhero "Soberman" in Clarendon (file photo)Designated sober drivers will be publicly recognized this Friday night by Checkpoint Strikeforce and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) as part of an anti-drunk driving campaign.

From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., representatives from the campaign will be outside three Clarendon nightspots to thank designated drivers and those who choose to take public transportation, a taxi or ride sharing service home.

The three restaurants that will be reference points for the “surprise and delight” thanking events are:

  • Clarendon Ballroom at 3185 Wilson Blvd.
  • Spider Kelly’s at 3181 Wilson Blvd.
  • Don Tito at 3165 Wilson Blvd.

This year’s campaign is aimed at stopping people ages 21 to 35 from drinking and driving. According to a release, 36 percent of highway fatalities in Virginia last year were alcohol-related, and more than 40 percent of people killed in alcohol-related crashes were within the campaign’s target age range.

Festive holidays, like this weekend’s Halloween celebration, often see a spike in DUI-related incidents.

WRAP will also offer free taxi rides on Saturday through its SoberRide program.

File photo

Arlington Now Accepting ‘Notable Tree’ Nominations

By Jennifer Currier

A white oak at 400 N. Manchester Street in Bluemont

Arlington County is preparing to make its list of 265 designated “notable trees” a bit longer.

The Department of Parks and Recreation is accepting nominations for its Notable Tree Program through Nov. 15. The program has identified the county’s most notable trees for nearly 30 years.

Last year, 16 trees were deemed worthy of the designation.

According to the nomination form, the purpose of the program is to “recognize and thank the citizens who maintain and care for the County’s most noteworthy trees.” It also hopes encourage other residents to appreciate and take better care of greenery on their property.

What exactly, then, makes a tree notable?

Size, age, historical interest, species uniqueness and special significance to a neighborhood are all factors that can earn a tree a spot on the county’s registry and a certificate or plaque.

The process to get there, though, can be complicated. First, nominators are encouraged to get consent from the tree’s owner before filling out the one-page application. A team of County staff and volunteers will then visit each tree to measure it and evaluate its condition.

That team will make a recommendation to the Urban Forestry Commission, who will decide whether or not to designate and register the tree.

The winners will receive their award at the County’s Arbor Day ceremony, which falls on April 29, 2016.

Photo via Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation