health

Crystal City Fit Week Kicks Off a Season of Events

By Katie Pyzyk

Today marked the start of Crystal City’s “Fit Week,” a series of events “designed to keep the community fit, healthy, and green.”

It began this morning with outdoor yoga at the Crystal City Water Park (1750 Crystal Drive). The free yoga sessions will continue every Monday through September, starting at 7:00 a.m.

Tomorrow, the FRESHFARM Farmers Market returns with a variety of items from local growers and producers. The market is open from 3:00-7:00 p.m., and will be held every Tuesday through November on Crystal Drive between 18th and 20th Streets.

On Wednesday, another outdoor class will get participants moving. A Zumba class will be held at noon in the courtyard at 2121 Crystal Drive. This class will take place every Wednesday through September. Anyone who takes part can freshen up afterward with a free shower at the nearby Sport & Health club.

A “Fit Fair” will be held at Crystal Drive and 18th Street from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. A number of health screenings will be available, including blood pressure, stress test, body mass index, and a gait analysis for runners. Attendees can get information on smoking cessation or receive a chair massage. A blood donation station will also be set up.

Thursday night, a new season of street hockey will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to 220 20th Street. Matches run for 11 weeks on Thursday evenings or Sunday mornings. Individuals pay a $25 fee and teams pay a $250 fee.

The final Fit Week event, called the Floral Frenzy, is on Friday. Residents and workers are invited to dig up the thousands of tulip bulbs along the sidewalk in front of 2121 Crystal Drive. The bulbs can be replanted at home and should continue to bloom for several years.

More information about Crystal City Fit Week can be found online.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Ranked Second Healthiest County in Va. — Arlington has been named the second-healthiest county in Virginia, second only to Fairfax County. The rankings were released yesterday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Arlington County works hard to promote a healthy way of living, and to provide residents with options that make it easier to stay healthy and fit,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said, citing biking, walking and recreational activities as examples of healthy options encouraged by the county. [Arlington County]

Donnellan: Theater Builds Communities — A robust arts program is vital to quality of life in Arlington, according to County Manager Barbara Donnellan. A theater buff in high school, Donnellan says theater helps build a sense of community, which is one of the key roles of local government. [Theatre Washington]

ACT College Closes in Arlington — ACT College, a D.C. area health training school, has suddenly shut down its Arlington, Alexandria and Manassas campuses. The school’s Arlington campus was located at 1100 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn. [WJLA]

Ballston Company Recruits Nerds — In its effort to recruit top software engineers, Ballston-based Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) is billing itself as a paradise for nerds. The company, which analyzes sales data for big retailers and restaurants, has been sponsoring hackathons, computer competitions and even StarCraft tournaments for students at top universities. The nerd recruitment seems to be working: the average SAT score of APT employees is 1560. [Washington Post]

Photo courtesy Andrew Clegg

Moran Responds to Cut of Planned Parenthood Funds

By Katie Pyzyk

On Tuesday, the Susan G. Komen Foundation For The Cure cut its funding for Planned Parenthood. The money had supplied breast exams for 170,000 women over the past five years.

The founder of the foundation cited changes in priorities and policies, and says the money will be put elsewhere to benefit a larger number of women. However, some say the decision was political, and the foundation was pressured by right-leaning organizations who disapprove of Planned Parenthood’s abortion services.

Just today, The Atlantic reported that a top official at Komen resigned in protest over the dust up.

Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va.) released the following statement following Komen’s decision to pull funding for Planned Parenthood:

The Komen Foundation’s decision regarding Planned Parenthood is deeply troubling. As an organization dedicated to eradicating breast cancer, it’s hard to understand how eliminating funding that provides hundreds of thousands of women with preventive screenings is in anyone’s best interest.

I call on the Foundation to reverse their decision and not let politics interfere with protecting women’s health.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ECC Employees Overworked, Underpaid — Arlington’s emergency communications center is suffering from chronic understaffing and staff high turnover rates. The ECC, which handles 911 calls and police/fire/EMS dispatching, is hoping for a 10 percent boost in funding in this year’s county budget. [TBD]

Abortion Regulations Pass General Assembly — Gov. Bob McDonnell is promising to sign a bill that will impose new regulations on Virginia abortion clinics. The bill, which passed the General Assembly yesterday, would hold abortion clinics to some of the same stringent safety regulations as hospitals. Pro-choice groups are warning that the bill could force many clinics to close. [Washington Post]

Map Puts Arlington at Top of the Healthy Heap — Our congressional district, Virginia’s 8th, is the healthiest in the country, according to the American Human Development Project. As this map interactive shows, our residents are expected to live the longest of any other district in the country.

Hang On to Your Hats — Dangerously high winds are expected this afternoon.

Flickr pool photo by Reid Kasprowicz

Afternoon Notes: Another Good Economic Omen for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Makes AP’s “Least Stressed” List — Arlington has placed 12th on the Associated Press’ list of the 20 least economically stressed counties in the U.S.

County Gov’t Getting Paid By Feds — Arlington County will be reimbursed more than $300,000 for expenses associated with President Obama’s inauguration, the Sun Gazette reports. The county government is now turning its attention to securing about $800,000 in reimbursements from FEMA for December’s “Snowpocalypse” snow storm.

Affordable Housing Lawsuit Dismissed — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the county’s plan to partner with Clarendon’s First Baptist Church for an affordable housing development. More from ABC7.

Health Dept. Asks “How Are We Doing?” — The Arlington County Public Health Division wants public feedback on how it handled its H1N1 vaccination campaign. Fill out the online survey here.

Volunteer Opp: Arlington Medical Reserve Corps

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Medical Reserve Corps is looking for a few good men and women to volunteer their time for public health initiatives and emergency responses. Volunteers with both medical and non-medical backgrounds are welcome.

New volunteers are required to attend an two-hour orientation session and should be ready and willing to assist staff in an emergency, participate in annual exercises and drills and support outreach and education projects. The next orientation will be held on Wednesday, April 7, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

To volunteer, email ArlingtonMRC [at] arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-4986.

More information on what the Medical Reserve Corps does, after the jump.

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