Lubber Run Community Center

Lubber Run Amphitheater Damaged by Hurricane Irene

By ARLnow.com

The newly-restored Lubber Run Amphitheater was damaged by a falling tree limb over the weekend.

The large, rotted tree limb, felled by the wind and rain of Hurricane Irene, hit the back of the amphitheater building and damaged the concrete brick parapet wall and capping. Some wiring also appeared to be damaged.

The damage is not enough to close the amphitheater for next weekend’s round of performances — the last of the summer — according to county spokeswoman Mary Curtius. She said that the power lines to the building are intact, but will be checked by an electrician. (Update at 2:05 p.m. — We’re now hearing that the power connection to the building may, in fact, have been damaged.)

The building will be repaired by a contractor, Curtius said. The county’s urban forester, meanwhile, will check the tree to make sure it doesn’t pose any additional danger.

Award-winning local rockers The Grandsons will perform at the amphitheater Friday night. On Saturday night the amphitheater will host a teen talent and movie night. Inception will be shown, rounding out the summer’s entertainment schedule.

Hat tip to twelvemilecircle.com

Lubber Run to Host Russian Folk Ensemble

By ARLnow.com

The newly-reopened Lubber Run Amphitheater will host two very different musical performances this weekend: Arlington native singer-songwriter Margot MacDonald and Russian folk ensemble Russkie Musikanti.

Here’s how organizers describe both.

Arlington’s renovated Lubber Run Amphitheater (N. Columbus and 2nd St. between Arlington Blvd and George Mason Drive) keeps packing them in. This weekend’s free programs feature a home-grown Arlington talent and current Washington Area Music Award winner Friday (Aug 12) at 8 pm and an acclaimed ensemble from the Washington Balalaika Society on Saturday (Aug 13).

Arlington native Margot MacDonald is a unique talent whose classically-trained voice covers four octaves and brings new perspective to pop music – a textbook case of “classically trained soprano and pianist captivated by Led Zeppelin”. MacDonald started her singing career with the Washington National Opera at age 10, and by 15 she was releasing a second album and packing regional venues. She has appeared at 9:30 Club, Kennedy Center, Wolftrap, Birchmere, and the Bitter End in NYC.

Saturday evening brings Ruski Musikante to the Lubber Run Amphitheater. Composed of members of the renowned Washington Balalaika Society, the group brings the music of Mother Russia and the unique instruments that make it to the intimate outdoor setting at Lubber Run Park.

Amphitheater programs begin at 8 pm. For more information, call 703-228-1850, visit the County Website or search “Lubber Run Amphitheater” on Facebook. The amphitheater is nestled in a forest setting near the cool-running Lubber Run stream – an ideal place for picnics and families.

Lubber Run Performance Schedule Announced

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) Two years after being “mothballed” by Arlington County, and less than two months after being saved by the approval of $100,000 worth of repairs, the Lubber Run Amphitheater is nearly ready to reopen.

Amphitheater supporters just released a schedule of performances for the upcoming summer season. The season will kick off on Friday, July 29, with a performance by Blues/R&B singer/songwriter Mary Ann Redmond. Organizers are planning on serving cake to attendees to celebrate the new season — the first since 2009.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without a community that appreciates the unique venue for family entertainment the Lubber Run amphitheater has offered for many years and a caring and responsive County government,” Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation President Esther Bowring said in a statement. “We are looking forward to the amphitheater’s reopening and to working with Arlington County and the community to bring great entertainment to the Lubber Run stage for summers to come.”

All shows will begin at 8:00 p.m. The complete performance schedule includes:

Lubber Run Amphitheater Repairs Approved

By ARLnow.com

The Lubber Run Amphitheater will be open for performances later this summer thanks to the efforts of community members and county staff.

Just two months ago, a 107-page county-commissioned study suggested that it could cost up to $3.5 million to get the deteriorating amphitheater back up to current code standards. With tight county finances, amphitheater supporters feared that it could be years before the amphitheater would be restored and reopened.

Shortly after the study was released, though, a group called the Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation was formed and began arguing that only a few relatively inexpensive fixes were necessary to reopen the local landmark. As we found out at this afternoon’s County Board meeting, they were right and they were able to work with county staff to turn their convictions into action.

For less than $100,000 — the amount allotted by the County Board this year for a floodplain study — contractors will soon commence a number of repairs to make the 43-year-old amphitheater safer and more accessible. They will replace the wooden stage, replace area and stage lighting, purchase portable hearing devices, and install handicap-accessible parking spaces, portable restrooms and designated seating.

“With the community’s help, we have developed a plan to make the amphitheater a safe, seasonal venue for outdoor entertainment,” County Manager Barbara Donnellan said in a statement today. “These basic repairs and modest improvements will make the amphitheater accessible to persons with disabilities and keep it in compliance with federal, state, and local guidelines for work in a 100-year floodplain and Resource Protection Area (RPA).”

Donnellan first announced the repairs at a Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation-sponsored meeting last night.

“To say they were thrilled was an understatement,” Donnellan told the board today. “This is not a perfect solution, but it is do-able.”

The repairs are expected to take until the end of July. After that, there’s ample money in the budget to fund outdoor programming at the amphitheater.

With Funding in Place, Lubber Run Meeting Planned

By ARLnow.com

Outspoken supporters of Arlington’s Lubber Run Amphitheatre managed to convince the county to include nearly $150,000 worth of funding for the aging amphitheatre in the FY 2012 budget. Now, with the funding in place, the Lubber Run Amphitheatre Foundation is helping to organize a meeting regarding the facility’s future.

The public meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on May 16, at the Lubber Run Recreation Center (300 North Park Drive) Barrett Elementary School library (4401 N. Henderson Road). Among those expected to be in attendance is County Manager Barbara Donnellan. This is the second such meeting organized by the foundation.

The county is providing up to $45,000 for programming at Lubber Run this summer. Another $100,000 is going to “study capital needs toward restoration of the Lubber Run Amphitheatre.”

Budget Will Add Funds for Libraries, Lubber Run, Safety Net

By ARLnow.com

Public libraries, the Lubber Run Amphitheater and ‘safety net’ programs are a few of the budget priorities that will receive funding above and beyond the amount proposed in the county manager’s budget.

The County Board has allocated $258,000 to allow each branch library to stay open for an additional three hours per week. The funds will also support longer Sunday hours at the Shirlington and Columbia Pike libraries and allow the purchase of additional books and e-books.

The board is providing an additional $370,000 for park maintenance, Friday hours at the Lubber Run Community Center and for the restoration of seasonal programming at the shuttered Lubber Run Amphitheater. An additional allocation of $100,000 will fund early stages of restoring the amphitheater.

Safety net programs like housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment and community medical care will also benefit from the board’s budget adjustment.

An additional $1.5 million will be added to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund, for a total FY 2012 contribution of $5.5 million. An additional $250,000 will be added for housing grants, the subject of a recent ARLnow.com poll. Service for those with serious emotional, mental and substance abuse problems will receive just over $500,000. Safety net non-profits like the Arlington Food Assistance Center, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network, Doorways and the Arlington Free Clinic will split an additional $420,000.

Public safety agencies will receive an extra $1 million under the new budget. The money will allow the police department to add several officers and to fund domestic violence support and the Gang Task Force. It will also fund a fire department battalion chief position and two sheriff’s office positions.

Other changes include additional ART bus service to the DHS building from western Columbia Heights, the planting of 300-400 trees around the county, and additional money to fund implementation of the Community Energy Plan and the Natural Resource Management plan.

The additional funding is possible despite the board’s commitment to hold the real estate tax rate steady. See more information about the County Board’s final budget, which is set for approval on Saturday.

Civic Federation Makes Budget Recommendations

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Civic Federation will discuss the county and school budgets at its monthly meeting tonight.

At the meeting, the federation’s revenues and expenditures committee will reveal its suggested modifications to the county manager’s budget.

Among the recommendations:

  • A one-time 1.6 cent real estate tax reduction. (The manager’s budget recommends that real estate taxes hold steady at 95.8 cents per $100 in value.)
  • A $250,000 allocation for basic repairs to the Lubber Run Amphitheater
  • Only $400,000 for continued operations at the money-losing Artisphere, half the amount requested by staff.
  • Rejection of $239,000 in school funds for the David M. Brown Planetarium. The Federation calls for the planetarium to be supported with county funds, not school funds.

The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Hazel Conference Center at Virginia Hospital Center (1701 N George Mason Drive).

Lubber Run Amphitheatre Supporters Question County Study

By ARLnow.com

Does the shuttered Lubber Run Amphitheater need some no-frills fixes or a complete overhaul before it can reopen? It depends who you ask.

Earlier this month Arlington County released a decidedly pessimistic study of the 43-year-old amphitheater and its surrounding grounds. The study, conducted by Neale Architects, concluded that bringing the amphitheater up to current code standards would require $2.5 million for an extensive renovation or a $3.5 million for a completely new facility, not including significant costs associated with Americans with Disabilities Act, Resource Protection Area and floodplain compliance.

The study “found a number of existing conditions that represent a hazard to public safety, including open trenches; steep grades; deteriorated benches; tilting walls; crumbling paving,” according to the county’s Lubber Run Amphitheater web site.

“The wooden stage has also deteriorated and the County will take action to remove it,” the assessment continued. “Mold is also present in some locations. Both the deteriorating stage and mold reflect underlying drainage problems.”

A newly-formed group called the Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation, however, disputes many of the findings. In a letter to the county board (after the jump) and in a corresponding itemized assessment, the foundation says that the study contains errors, omissions and exaggerations. For instance, an “open trench” cited in the report is actually “a one-and-one-half inch depression in the asphalt,” according to the letter.

Instead of waiting for funding to be made available for a complete overhaul, the foundation is asking for “a low-impact, no-frills restoration of the venue that maintains its existing modest footprint.”

“The report seems to be saying that to save the amphitheater we have to totally replace it at the cost of millions of dollars,” said Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation co-president Esther Bowring. “We’re asking the Board to take a closer look, talk with us and come up with a reasonable budget that will restore the existing amphitheater that has served Arlington’s public and cultural community well for more than 40 years.”

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Sends Surprise $2.2 Million Bill to Falls Church — Arlington is billing the City of Falls Church an extra $2.2 million for its use of the Arlington County jail, the Falls Church News-Press reported late last night. Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields told the paper that Arlington sent the bill after discovering a “clerical error” that resulted in Falls Church being undercharged since 2008. [FCNP]

Lubber Run Renovation in Doubt — Arlington doesn’t have room in its current budget to pay for multi-million dollar renovations to the shuttered Lubber Run Amphitheater, County Manager Barbara Donnellan said at a recent public meeting. However, Donnellan said renovations could, theoretically, become a priority in future budget cycles. [Sun Gazette]

Arlington Fighting to Start School in August — Arlington has been persistently applying for a state waiver to start the school year before Labor Day. Each year the county applies, however, it gets rejected. Now, school officials in Fairfax County and Alexandria are also considering applying for the right to start school before Labor Day. [Washington Examiner]

Reasonably-Priced Buffet Spots Profiled — TBD looks at seven of the most “notable” and/or “dirt-cheap” buffet options in Arlington. [TBD]

Hollywood Comes to Arlington: Outdoor Film Series

By ARLnow.com

Another outdoor film series is coming to Arlington, but this one has a bit more of a local flare.

While Rosslyn is showing ’90s movies and Crystal City is showing Star Trek movies, Lubber Run Amphitheatre (N Columbus St and 2nd St N) will be showing Arlington movies.

The series will kick off on Friday at 8:30 p.m. with a “tour of Arlington as seen through the eyes of Hollywood producers in ways both novel and creative.” The presentation will feature video clips and photos from the dozens of movies and TV shows filmed in Arlington, along with commentary from former Arlington Film Commissioner, current Arlington Virginia Network executive producer, and long-time movie buff Robert Farr.

Then, on Saturday, the films themselves will begin. Like Friday’s presentation, the films will start at 8:30 and admission is free. Here’s the schedule and each film’s Arlington connection.

  • June 19: The Blind Side (starring Arlingtonian Sandra Bullock)
  • June 25: Breach (scenes filmed in Arlington)
  • June 26: Heaven Can Wait (starring Arlingtonian Warren Beatty)
  • July 9: Clear and Present Danger (scenes filmed in Arlington)
  • July 10: Sweet Charity (starring Arlingtonian Shirley MacLaine)
  • July 23: Mission Impossible III (scenes filmed in Arlington)
  • July 24: Shark Tales (voice work by Arlingtonian Katie Couric)