4MRMarket Report: "Here's the Beef!" Edition

Fill your reusable bag
with veggies from C&T

This weekend we welcome back the What's for Dinner Now with their tasty Farm-raised Black Angus beef and naturally farmed pork.  They were missed last weekend, as evidenced by numerous people asking about their absence. Don't worry, they were just off for the week for their daughter's wedding, and they'll continue to anchor the 4MRMarket all season long.

Come out this weekend and see what else C&T Produce has in store. Remember, their offerings grow each week this time of year!  So even if a favorite like local sweet corn wasn't available last week, it should be here any day now. You'll find a great selection already, including things like blueberries, greenhouse tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, green onions, sugar snap peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and more!

Singer/Songwriter Nila Kay will be brightening up your Sunday morning with on the 4MRMarket Stage with songs like this original song, Sunday Afternoon (click the link if the video below does not load).


Nila will be on stage from about 10 to noon. Even if for some reason, you just don't like buying food from sustainable, local sources, everyone can get down with some free music, am I right?!

Our artists graciously donate their time, so please feel free to donate a little bit to the artists to make it even more worth their while to come out and play for you!

Please see our FaceBook invite page for more information about the show!

Don't forget: Buy Fresh, Buy Local and Win at 4MRMarket!!  Remember your “Farm. Fresh. Pledge.” punch card if you got one last week. Or, if you didn't get started yet, just ask for one at 4MRMarket and earn one punch for each $10 you spend on Virginia Grown products.

Collect all 14 punches for a chance to win a Virginia Grown® / Virginia’s Finest® gift basket valued at $250. (See the official rules for more details).

You can fill up your bags with a great selection of produce, meat, cheese, teas, health and beauty products, and more.

Here is what's at 4MRMarket this week:

• C &T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce from a locally, family-run farm in Stafford, Virginia.
• The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" - Farm-raised Black Angus beef, humanely raised on lush pasture fields of the Shenandoah Valley, naturally farmed pork...and now... Uncle Frank's Grilling Sauce!!
• Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese and yogurt, farm-fresh eggs, and Pennsylvania honey.
• Fluffed Up Desserts - (Alexandria) - Gourmet Marshmallow treats and macarons.  Also enjoy a breakfast s'more at this weekend's market.
• Whole Health Medical (Alexandria) -  Organic teas and body scrubs from one of the largest Message and Acupuncture Therapy businesses in Northern Virginia (approved by the Alexandria Health Department).
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and always a few extra goodies!
• Kalika Beauty (Centreville, VA) - A naturally effective, eco-friendly, line of handmade bath and body skin care goodies. Her products are made with bio-dynamic, natural botanical active ingredients.

Crafts available on a rotating basis.

See below all the ways to help and participate in the market!

The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt

BUY. Proceeds of our 4MRMarket T-shirts go to support the expansion and revitalization of 4MR Park. They cost $12 and come in 4 colors. See us model a few at the market.  You can pre-pay online via Pay-Pal (send money to 4MRM@arlandria.org).

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support us in our efforts to revitalize Four Mile Run Park. Donate to the City's Living Landscape Fund to fund tree and other amenities at 4MRExpand More information here.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org to sign up or look for the "volunteer" tab on our website. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT sales, help us keep our books, help set up or tear down for the market, or help us find musicians to play the market. You can also find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook or Twitter or via our website and blog.

SPREAD THE WORD.  Please tell folks about us. And tell folks about some of the great things we're doing. For instance, all SNAP/EBT participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP. And C&T Produce now accepts SFMNP vouchers!

__________________________________

Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.

The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from April 14th until November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

(click here for directions)

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/

On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
On Twitter: @4MRMarket

Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org

Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1

Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion Continues

Phase 2 of the Crystal City project arrives this weekend.

Arlington County reports that beginning tomorrow – Saturday, June 15 – Crystal Drive will permanently change from a one-way to a two-way street from 23rd Street South to 26th Street South. Police will be on site to direct traffic while the traffic signals are turned on, The Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion marks the start of an effort to improve the Crystal City street network for future development and transit.

The Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion project has been designed to establish the street network needed to support future development and transit improvements planned by the Crystal City Sector Plan (PDF) and Crystal City Multimodal Study (PDF). It will convert Crystal Drive from a one-way directional roadway to a two-way directional roadway.

The intent of the project is to improve the navigability of Crystal City by converting Crystal Drive and the surrounding street network from a one-way to a two-way directional roadway. In addition to the street work that will occur, the project also includes the installation of: new traffic signals, a southbound bicycle lane, street trees, and intersection upgrades to include ADA compliant crosswalk markings and ramps

The re-envisioning of Crystal City received a unanimous stamp of approval from the Arlington County Board in 2010. The plan calls for additional density, transportation infrastructure, and turning Crystal City into a full time city and not just a urban office park by day, ghost town by night. With Defense Department jobs being moved to Ft. Belvoir and elsewhere as part of BRAC, Arlington is taking the opportunity to try and re-build Crystal City for the future. (Washington Post)

Here's a quick list of transportation improvements involved in the Crystal City 2050 plan and a video walking you through some of the high level stuff. (ArlNow)

Future Phase 3 to be completed later.

Previous related posts from the Arlandrian: 

• Potomac Avenue is open!

4MRMarket Report: "Fruits and Veggies Galore!" Edition

After last week's 4MRMarket, we had this 4MRLunch.
Buy Fresh, Buy Local and you can too!!

With the growing season further along every week as we get into summer, new goodies become available for you to take from farm(ers market) to table.

This week, C&T Produce offers a fantastic produce selection, including things like blueberries, greenhouse tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, green onions, sugar snap peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and more!
Meanwhile, we wish the Stifler's well for their daughter's wedding day, while What's for Dinner Now and their meats take a break.  Come get your 5 a day the local way!

This week we welcome back popular craft vendors Uncommon Knits, who are also bringing along a fellow crafty buddy to sell glass work. Glass artisan Kristi (of Kristi Kelly Glass Studio) does what we're told are fantastic jewelry and accessories (napkin rings, serving pieces, bottle stoppers, etc). So come check out a crafty week at 4MRMarket!

Musician Lee Istrail and Friends will be on the 4MRMarket Stage from about 10 to noon or so.  Come on by for some great live music! Please see our facebook invite page for more information about the show!

Thanks for all that came out last week to the Arlandria Open House. City staff had a lot of information on 4MR Park and other improvements throughout the neighborhood. You can see more Arlandria information, if that piqued your interest, at this City website.

Don't forget: Buy Fresh, Buy Local and Win at 4MRMarket!!

Remember your “Farm. Fresh. Pledge.” punch card if you got one last week. Or, if you didn't get started yet, just ask for one at 4MRMarket and earn one punch for each $10 you spend on Virginia Grown products.

Collect all 14 punches for a chance to win a Virginia Grown® / Virginia’s Finest® gift basket valued at $250. (See the official rules for more details).

You can fill up your bags with a great selection of produce, meat, cheese, teas, health and beauty products, and more.

Here is what's at 4MRMarket this week:

• C &T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce from a locally, family-run farm in Stafford, Virginia.
• The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" - (ON A BREAK THIS SUNDAY, but contact Joyce and Mitch to place your orders for next Sunday's return). Farm-raised Black Angus beef, humanely raised on lush pasture fields of the Shenandoah Valley, naturally farmed pork...and now... Uncle Frank's Grilling Sauce!!
• Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese and yogurt, farm-fresh eggs, and Pennsylvania honey.
• Fluffed Up Desserts - (Alexandria) - Gourmet Marshmallow treats and macarons.  Also enjoy a breakfast s'more at this weekend's market.
• Whole Health Medical (Alexandria) -  Organic teas and body scrubs from one of the largest Message and Acupuncture Therapy businesses in Northern Virginia (approved by the Alexandria Health Department).
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and always a few extra goodies!

Here is our list of craft and beauty product vendors for this Sunday!

• Uncommon Knits (West Virginia) - Handwoven linens made with 100% cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath.
• Kristi Kelly Glass Studio - Glass artisan, crafting jewelry and accessories (like napkin rings, serving pieces, bottle stoppers, etc).
• Old Town Suds - (Alexandria) This maker of eco-friendly soaps, cleaning supplies, bath bombs, and more! Old Town Suds started because Steffanie was allergic to most commercial soaps on the market; then she became really sick and wondered if her health was being made worse by everyday chemicals. Their decadent soaps & nose-pleasing cleaning products are tough on dirt but easy on humans, pets, and the Earth. Look for Port City Beer soap & Legend (Richmond, VA) Beer soap plus the Cup of Joe soap that looks like a latte!
• Kalika Beauty (Centreville, VA) - A naturally effective, eco-friendly, line of handmade bath and body skin care goodies. Her products are made with bio-dynamic, natural botanical active ingredients.

Crafts available on a rotating basis.

See below all the ways to help and participate in the market!

The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt

BUY. Proceeds of our 4MRMarket T-shirts go to support the expansion and revitalization of 4MR Park. They cost $12 and come in 4 colors. See us model a few at the market.  You can pre-pay online via Pay-Pal (send money to 4MRM@arlandria.org).

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support us in our efforts to revitalize Four Mile Run Park. Donate to the City's Living Landscape Fund to fund tree and other amenities at 4MRExpand More information here.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org to sign up or look for the "volunteer" tab on our website. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT sales, help us keep our books, help set up or tear down for the market, or help us find musicians to play the market. You can also find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook or Twitter or via our website and blog.

SPREAD THE WORD.  Please tell folks about us. And tell folks about some of the great things we're doing. For instance, all SNAP/EBT participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP. And C&T Produce now accepts SFMNP vouchers!

__________________________________

Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.

The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from April 14th until November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

(click here for directions)

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/

On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
On Twitter: @4MRMarket

Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org

Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1

Cora Kelly Playground Faces Another Delay

Long awaited community funded Cora Kelly playground misses another promised deadline; faces delay until end of school year.

The Del Ray Patch (Cora Kelly Playground Nears Completion) has an update to The Arlandrian story from mid-May about the final phases of construction of the community-led effort to create a new place space at Cora Kelly Elementary and Four Mile Run Park. The Patch reports that the new playground won't be available until late June just as school dismisses for summer break.

Work is underway at the long awaited new playground.

It's been several years in the making, filled with delays and disappointments, but soon the students and neighbors of Cora Kelly Elementary School may be able to finally use that playground that they've only been able to look at through construction fences for over a year.

In a letter to Mike Peter, treasurer of the Hume Springs Citizens Association, Jack Browand, of Alexandria's Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities says the playground at is expected to be finished and ready by the end of May.

The Del Ray Patch gave us the hopeful story of the planned park back in September of 2010 ("Cora Kelly Working for a New Playground"):

The playground at Cora Kelly Elementary School is in need of a major facelift, and the school's PTA is on a mission to provide a playground the school's students deserve. But in order to achieve its goal, the organization is asking for support from the community.

According to Ashley Chappell, treasurer of the Cora Kelly PTA and project director, the current playground is at least 15 years old and was originally designed by a physical education teacher to facilitate drills, not play. 

The metal monkey bars and slides stand in stark contrast to the equipment at most playgrounds around the area—colorful apparatuses that promote fun and discovery and challenge children to push themselves to achieve.

According to the Patch, "the last straw came when the city recently discovered a West Nile Virus-carrying mosquito nearby, making it apparent the playground's drainage issues pose a health threat to the students."

With a goal of $115,000 for its playground project, the Cora Kelly PTA began fund-raising campaign to build a new and better playground.

It received a $60,000 grant from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, and raised another $10,000 on its own, seeking the rest from a grant for KaBoom, a non-profit which a mission to create modern playspaces through community participation.

With the KaBoom grant in hand and playground equipment on-hand in the fall of 2011, the Cora Kelly Community started site prep in late December of that year.

But then everything came to a halt.

Built on the a portion of the City's Four Mile Run Park, the initial installation was not up to safety code and the project sat idle waiting for an additional infusion of funds from Alexandria City Public Schools in order to be completed.

Those funds finally became available last Fall and work re-commenced this May.

The play area behind Cora Kelly

has been a construction site for the last 18 months.

Previous related posts from The Arlandrian:

• Volunteers plan massive tree planting in 4MR Park this weekend
• Four Mile Run DOWNSTREAM Clean-up April 6th
• Tales of an Arlandria Twitcher
• Four Mile Run Park is for the birds!
• Tales of an Arlandria Twitcher: The Ides of March Edition
• Community Comments on 4MR Park
• New Views on 4MR Expand
• Architects Anonymous win for Four Mile Run Park Designs
• Why plan a park?
• Discuss Path Forward for 4 Mile Run Park Expansion Sites
• "Architects Anonymous" Donates Time, Vision To Four Mile Run Park
• How Alexandria City Bureaucracy Didn’t Steal Christmas
• Cora Kelly playground may finally get played on

4MRMarket Report: "Arlandria Open House!" Edition

Come hear about the melange of activity in Arlandria
at the Open House during 4MRMarket on Sunday!!

Come out this weekend for the Arlandria Community Open House during 4MRMarket! 

Market hours are 8am-1pm with the Open House starting at 11 along with live music and kids activity.

City staff will be on hand to provide updates on pedestrian and bicyclists improvements, private development projects, economic development activities, the Four Mile Run Expansion Project, and the Four Mile Restoration Project.

The Arlandria Open House is a great opportunity to see all the changes that have come to the area recently with an eye on what's to come. You can shop before, during, and after the Open House.

Try Fluffed Up Desserts' new breakfast s'more and a cup of caffeinated bliss from St. Elmo's Coffee Pub to help you get your thinking hats on. Talk with the City about what projects you'd like to see in the area and comment on things already underway or in the pipeline. You're encouraged to fill up your reusable bags with the ever expanding offerings from C&T Produce, plus a great selection of meat, cheese, teas, tasty macarons and marshmallow desserts, health and beauty products, and more.

In a packed and eventful weekend at 4MRMarket, we also will have Emily Henry playing the 4MRMarket Stage from 10am-noon! Emily Henry is a local singer/songwriter with a lovely voice and lots of original music to please the ears on a Sunday morning. Click here for a sample of Emily Henry's soulful voice and acoustic guitar skills, and come out this weekend to hear the real deal in person!

Emily Henry will grace the 4MRMarket Stage this weekend
from 11am-noon. (photo from her facebook page)

And don't forget: Buy Fresh, Buy Local and Win at 4MRMarket!!

Remember your “Farm. Fresh. Pledge.” punch card if you got one last week. Or, if you didn't get started yet, just ask for one at 4MRMarket and earn one punch for each $10 you spend on Virginia Grown products.

Collect all 14 punches for a chance to win a Virginia Grown® / Virginia’s Finest® gift basket valued at $250. (See the official rules for more details).

Here is what's at 4MRMarket this week:

• C &T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce from a locally, family-run farm in Stafford, Virginia.
• The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" - Farm-raised Black Angus beef, humanely raised on lush pasture fields of the Shenandoah Valley, naturally farmed pork...and now... Uncle Frank's Grilling Sauce!!
• Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese and yogurt, farm-fresh eggs, and Pennsylvania honey.
• Fluffed Up Desserts - (Alexandria) - Gourmet Marshmallow treats and macarons.  Also enjoy a breakfast s'more at this weekend's market.
• Whole Health Medical (Alexandria) -  Organic teas and body scrubs from one of the largest Message and Acupuncture Therapy businesses in Northern Virginia (approved by the Alexandria Health Department).
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and always a few extra goodies!

Here is our list of craft and beauty product vendors for this Sunday!

• Kalika Beauty (Centreville, VA) - A naturally effective, eco-friendly, line of handmade bath and body skin care goodies. Her products are made with bio-dynamic, natural botanical active ingredients.

Crafts available on a rotating basis.

See below all the ways to help and participate in the market!

The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt

BUY. Proceeds of our 4MRMarket T-shirts go to support the expansion and revitalization of 4MR Park. They cost $12 and come in 4 colors. See us model a few at the market.  You can pre-pay online via Pay-Pal (send money to 4MRM@arlandria.org).

DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support us in our efforts to revitalize Four Mile Run Park. Donate to the City's Living Landscape Fund to fund tree and other amenities at 4MRExpand More information here.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org to sign up or look for the "volunteer" tab on our website. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT sales, help us keep our books, help set up or tear down for the market, or help us find musicians to play the market. You can also find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook or Twitter or via our website and blog.

SPREAD THE WORD.  Please tell folks about us. And tell folks about some of the great things we're doing. For instance, all SNAP/EBT participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP. And C&T Produce now accepts SFMNP vouchers!

__________________________________

Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.

The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from April 14th until November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

(click here for directions)

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/

On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
On Twitter: @4MRMarket

Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org

Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1