kids

Volunteers Needed for Spring and Summer Children’s Activities

By Katie Pyzyk

Volunteers are needed for a number of children’s activities taking place around Arlington this spring and summer. More information about these opportunities and others can be found on the Volunteer Arlington website.

  • Arlington Little League is looking for assistant coaches to help with the spring 2012 season. Previous baseball coaching experience is not necessary. Assistant coaches help head coaches run practices and games, and participate in the overall management of the team. Volunteers should have the desire to work with children of all ages and skill levels to provide a fun and positive baseball experience. Contact Wayne Berry at 202-693-5585
  • Jane Franklin Dance needs assistants for summer camps taking place July 9-13 and July 16-20. Volunteers will help with supervising participants during classes, participating in classes and clean up. No dance training is needed, just the ability to move, be creative and interact with children. Contact Jane Franklin at 703-933-1111.
  • The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing needs help with an Easter egg hunt at Columbia Grove Apartments on March 28. The event runs from 6:00-7:00 p.m., and volunteers will help with set up, implementation and clean up. Being bilingual is helpful but not required. Contact Liz McElwee at 703-851-3635.

Activities Fair Kicks Off Summer Camp Catalog Distribution

By Katie Pyzyk

It’s not even officially spring yet, but already it’s time to start thinking about summer activities. The county’s 2012 Summer Camp Catalog hits the stands tomorrow.

Catalog distribution will kick off at the Summer Activities Fair at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 S. 2nd St.) tomorrow night from 6:00-8:00 p.m. More than 100 exhibitors will highlight summer activities for children from ages 3-17. Anyone who participated in a camp last year or specifically requested a catalog will receive it in the mail soon.

Registration for camps starts on Wednesday, February 22 at 7:00 a.m. That’s the busiest registration day of the year, so online users are encouraged to have all camp and payment information on hand to make the process run more smoothly. Registration will also be accepted by fax and mail.

Those who wish to register by phone or turn in forms in person may start doing so on February 29 at 8:00 a.m. Non-Arlington residents may start registering on March 7.

Arlington Kid Up for ‘Goal of the Year’ Honors

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington boy’s long-distance goal has him in the running for the U.S. Youth Soccer ‘Goal of the Year.’

Mateo Leach’s remarkable, game-winning goal for the Under-12 Boys Arlington Eagles was caught on video by his dad. The goal, which broke a 1-1 tie with five minutes left in the game, was eventually chosen by U.S. Youth Soccer as one of the top ten goals of 2011, and is now nominated for the honor of Goal of the Year.

Through Feb. 10, members of the public can vote for Leach’s goal. He’s got tough competition, though, including amazing goals by boys and girls from Frederick, Md. to Anaheim, Calif. to Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Tuckahoe Parents Upset With Relocatable Classroom Plan

By ARLnow.com

(Updated 12:45 p.m.) Tuckahoe Elementary parents are upset with a plan to place four new relocatable classrooms on the school’s playground blacktop.

Tuckahoe is one of the most overcrowded schools in a county school system plagued by a capacity crisis. Tuckahoe, designed to accommodate only 545 students, was projected to be at 130 percent capacity in 2012, with some 678 students. Enrollment is expected to balloon to nearly 150 percent capacity in 2017.

To temporarily help address the overcrowding, Arlington Public Schools is planning to add four new relocatable classrooms at Tuckahoe before the beginning of the next school year. That’s addition to the six mobile classrooms already in use at Tuckahoe.

Some parents are upset, however, about where the school system plans to place the trailers. The classrooms will be placed on a blacktop play area that students currently use during recess. With the blacktop no longer available, students will instead be led to a nearby county-owned tennis court during outdoor recreation time.

In a letter to parents, APS Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy says the blacktop was chosen after carefully considering five other locations on APS or county-owned property.

“APS staff believe that this option is the best because it retains the most site amenities for all stakeholders and because we believe this will be an option acceptable to the Tuckahoe community,” Murphy wrote.

Not all parents agree with Dr. Murphy. One group of concerned parents sent a mass email criticizing the decision:

(more…)

ACPD Ramps Up Traffic Enforcement for New School Year

By ARLnow.com

With Arlington Public Schools back in session next week, the police department is reminding drivers to obey traffic laws, especially when kids are walking to and from school.

To help hammer home that message, police officers and sheriff’s deputies will be conducting “high visibility enforcement” around school zones next week.

Here’s the police press release:

The Arlington County Police Department, in conjunction with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, will be out in force next week as the 2011-2012 school year begins.  Officers and Deputy Sheriffs will be conducting high visibility traffic enforcement in and around the school zones throughout Arlington County starting on Tuesday, September 6, 2011.  This will also coincide with the 3rd Annual Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week to emphasis the need to share the road with vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Drivers are reminded to:
  • Obey speed limits which may change during school zone times.
  • Avoid distracted driving and keep your attention on the road.
  • Watch for students walking and riding bikes to school.  Remember, we all share the road.
  • Don’t pass a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers.
  • Have all occupants wear their seatbelts.
 Students, bicyclist, and pedestrians are reminded to:
  • Cross the street at marked crosswalks and never against a red light.
  • Look before you cross and follow the direction of the school crossing guards.
  • Dismount from your bicycle and walk it in a crosswalk when crossing a street.
  • Always walk on designated sidewalks or paths never along the side of a road.
Arlington County will have variable message boards placed along the roadways reminding citizens of the start of school and to drive safely.  With a little prevention, all drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians can arrive at their destinations in a timely and safe manner.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Aurora Hills Babysitter Co-Op — While the District has been ranked as the most expensive place in the country for childcare, parents in the Aurora Hills neighborhood, near Crystal City, have banded together to save money by taking care of each other’s kids. The Aurora Hills babysitting co-op is “just a group of moms helping each other out,” according to one of the members. [MyFoxDC]

Seasonal Green Chiles Arrive in Arlington — A shipment of green chiles, fresh from the famous growing region of Hatch, N.M., has arrived at Santa Fe Cafe (1500 Wilson Blvd) in Rosslyn. The restaurant is expecting to receive about 100 pounds of Hatch green chiles throughout September. Owner Kip Laramie says he’ll be using the flavorful, spicy ingredient to serve dishes like locally smoked pork chop with green chile peach chutney, grilled spinach with green chile quesadilla, and red snapper with artichokes, mushrooms and green chiles. [Rosslyn Blog]

Public Forum Planned for Comcast Renewal — Comcast is seeking to renew its cable franchise agreement with the county, and a public meeting is planned to give residents a chance to share their thoughts on the company’s service in Arlington. Officials are specifically seeking ideas for public services that Comcast can provide as part of a new franchise agreement.  The meeting will be held on at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, in the County Board room of 2100 Clarendon Boulevard. [Arlington County]

ARLnow Mobile Site Disabled — We’ve temporarily disabled the mobile version of our web site. Web-enabled mobile phone users visiting ARLnow.com will now see the full version of the site. We expect to have the mobile site back up by Monday.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Dog Reading Program Expands to Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

A program that allows kids to read aloud to dogs is expanding to the Shirlington Branch Library.

The “Paws-to-Read” program, run in partnership with the animal therapy group PAL (People Animals Love), started at Central Library and expanded to the Columbia Pike Library this month. Next month, it will expand to Shirlington.

Paws-to-Read gives children a non-judgmental companion that sits around attentively as they practice their reading skills. A study has shown that the extra reading practice and boost in confidence that dog reading companions provide actually boosts kids’ reading fluency.

Starting on Wednesday, Sept. 14, Paws-to-Read will come to the Shirlington library on the second Wednesday of every month. According to the Library Blog, slots are available for 15 minute reading sessions on evenings of Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14. Interested parents should call 703-228-6545.

File photo

Proposed Ban on Kids in Dog Parks Goes Bust

By Katie Pyzyk

The controversial proposal to ban children from Arlington dog parks will not come to fruition after all.  As Gwyn Donohue of the blog Two Dog Tales first reported, the county has decided to keep the existing rules in place.

Officials have been taking in feedback and holding listening sessions since the proposal was brought up earlier this year.  The idea was to ban children under the age of 8, and to require parental supervision for children aged 8 through 14.

In a letter to Community Canine Area sponsors and users, Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director Dinesh Tiwari said the existing rules and regulations are adequate.  However, the county will take some additional steps to make sure dog park users comply with rules.  One measure is to install signs advising parents “to pay close attention to their children to ensure that they remain under direct supervision at all times.”

The county will continue to take feedback on how the beefed up rules and regulations are working.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Power Returns for Most — Only 10 Dominion customers in North Arlington are still without power after Sunday’s powerful storm. Crews worked overnight to restore power to hard-hit neighborhoods. As of 11:00 last night, there were nearly 220 homes without power, compared to 1360 customers early yesterday morning.

$800,000 to Gussy Up Sewage Plant — Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant is set to receive $700,000 to $800,000 worth of landscaping and other visual improvements, if a contract is approved by the County Board this weekend. [Sun Gazette]

Reading Aloud to Dogs at Central Library — “Paws to Read” is a program that allows children to read books aloud to dogs in Arlington Central Library. Dogs, unlike humans, are non-judgmental when it comes to reading ability, inspiring confidence among the young readers, according to the volunteers who help run the program for the nonprofit group People Love Animals. [Examiner.com]

Mysterious Mansion’s Celebrity-Filled Past — Charlie Clark examines the history of “The Cedars,” a “mysterious mansion” in Arlington’ Woodmont neighborhood. The historic property is owned by the Fellowship Foundation, which runs the nonpartisan National Prayer Breakfast. [Falls Church News-Press]

Flickr pool photo by Mennyj

Summer Movies at Westover, Shirlington Libraries

By ARLnow.com

Two Arlington libraries recently announced their own weekly movie nights.

The Shirlington Branch Library will be screening family-oriented movies all summer, starting this week. At 2:00 p.m., every Friday through the end of August, the library will show a different kid-friendly flick. The selections include Tangled, How to Train Your Dragon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Sword in the Stone, Cars, Shrek Forever After, Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland (1951 version) and The Tale of Despereaux.

For adults, the Westover Branch Library will be taking moviegoers on a cinematic tour of the world. The library will screen the “mid-week movies” every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., starting on July 6 and ending on August 10. The schedule includes Chariots of Fire, Motorcycle Diaries, Out of Africa, the Joy Luck Club, Under the Tuscan Sun and Enchanted April.

Westover will also be screening three family movies this summer: Princess and the Frog, Ponyo and Ratatouille. See the library blog for dates and times.

Central Library to Host ‘Truck Petting Zoo’

By ARLnow.com

Is your kid fascinated by trucks? Does he or she love seeing big machinery up close? Does the photo (left) of a Washington Gas truck provoke feelings of awe and wonder?

If so, indulge the kid’s obsession at Arlington Central Library’s “truck petting zoo.”

From 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, various types of work vehicles will be on display at the library’s (1015 N. Quincy Street) east parking lot, near the tennis courts. Kids of all ages are invited to touch and explore the vehicles up close.

According to the Arlington Transit Blog, the trucks scheduled to be on display include:

  • ACFD fire engine, ladder truck and ambulance
  • ACPD motorcycle and police cruiser
  • Street sweeper, garbage truck and dump truck from the Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services
  • Concrete mixer from Vulcan Materials
  • Gas operations vehicle from Washington Gas
  • Arlington Transit ART bus
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