How does our garden grow?

The 2012 version of the Reed & Commonwealth Park improvements.

The former electrical substation before Stormaggedon.

The story of the little park that could at the corner of Reed & Commonwealth Avenues continues to unfold. Students from the Cora Kelly School for Math Science & Technology spent Wednesday morning fixing up the gardens planted over the past several years. Three new trees were added as well. The results are spectacular.

When the City of Alexandria purchased "3550 Commonwealth Avenue" from Dominion Power, they had Open Space funding and a goal of expanding park space, but they didn't really have a plan for it. What happened next though was something really magical.

Neighborhood volunteers teamed with City staff to forge ahead even in the face of economic troubles and budget crises. For just $200 it started to resemble a park, using only cast-off garden plants donated by neighbors and mulch ground up from cut-down, unhealthy, storm-battered trees formerly used to screen the old substation. For regular readers of The Arlandrian this is not news. We documented the progress along the way with our stories: "Where Did THAT Garden Come From?" and "New Park Uncovered At Spring for Alexandria". The tale of a community coming together is something that we are really amazed by and, frankly, more than a little proud.

And that gamble by citizens, that investment out of pocket and in blood, sweat and tears, didn't go unrewarded. Last year, Dominion Power, already supporters of the Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market through their Dominion Green outreach program, stepped up to assist at the Reed Avenue Park as well.

The City also matched the Dominion dollar contribution with additional plantings. All in all, 4 new maples, 3 crepe myrtles, and 12 arborvitae have now made the community gardening project into a bona fide pocket park. The work this week by the Cora Kelly students and City staff continues this in the spirit of community pride that has built this park. Still a work in progress, a story that is still unfolding, the Reed Avenue Park at 3550 Commonwealth Avenue is an incredible neighborhood accomplishment that continues to grow.

Last year's work by Dominion Power crews.

The park today with new plantings and work by Cora Kelly students.

4MRMarket Report: "Sacrifice & Gratitude" Edition

This Memorial Day weekend, we hope you'll stop by on Sunday to enjoy the offerings at Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market. 

4MRMarket is a community-led, all-volunteer effort. Your support means a lot to the whole 4MRMarket team and to all those who work so hard every day to make Four Mile Run Park, our City's largest park, truly a place for everyone to enjoy. It's taken a lot of effort and we're all proud that so much could be done with so little funds and a whole lot of effort. Our service to our community is how we choose to honor those who've sacrificed so much for us in the past, either by putting themselves in harms way or by simply having the courage to persevere. We are very grateful to them and to our many neighbors (including those who have served in almost every recent conflict) who continue to help us pull 4MRMarket and other projects together. We are humbled by the help.

Although progress happens in fits and starts, and this year we've had to throw so much together in so short a time, we see 4MRMarket and associated park improvements as on-going and ever-improving enterprises. In our short life, 4MRMarket has been able to help attract thousands of dollars of donations and grants to transform vacant lots into great new open space: a vibrant gateway to Four Mile Run Park with the promise of a future restored Four Mile Run stream. We've helped small start-up natural food businesses get on their feet by offering them a level playing field with electronic payments...which we also saw further enhanced by the SNAP Double Dollar bonus program with our partner Inova Health Foundation and their funders like Whole Foods/Whole Planet Foundation. And with those partners, we've seen thousands of dollars worth of locally grown, healthy, fresh, nutritious foods delivered to those needing assistance, including immigrants from every continent. 

Because the Alexandria Commission for the Arts provided funding for a new outdoor stage thanks to a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and a matching gift from an anonymous donor, 4MRMarket hosted the first performance last Sunday at the 4MRStage. It featured a fine group of locals, the Irish Breakfast Band with another performance later by the fantastic banjoist, Bill Mansfield. We're proud to be a part of these improvements and continue to solicit donations for these on-going efforts. We know that with the community's support we can expect to see shade trees start to fill the 4MRExpand plaza and make it a great space for the market, festivals and other events for years to come.

We're proud of how 4MRMarket acts like a business incubator: creating opportunities for start-ups and entrepreneurs to experiment with new and exciting business models. We had the pleasure last year of hosting one such up-and-coming business. We miss the great works of pastry art that Kristin D'Angelo brought to 4MRMarket every Sunday, but we're excited to hear about this news: last week Sweet Hearts Patisserie celebrated their grand opening of a brand new store in Annapolis. We're a little sad that it's not in Alexandria, but wish her all the success she deserves.

In the meantime, we hear from new businesses all the time, looking to start at 4MRMarket and we're proud to provide a place for them to strive to reach their dreams. It's exciting to see. We hope folks continue to check them out and give them a chance. Feedback is invaluable.

4MRMarket is proud to be at the forefront of a movement. And we're proud of partners like Inova for empowering so many with the additional spending power that comes with their sponsorship. And we're proud of our patrons who come out each week to support locally produced, sustainable small food businesses and, moreover, our whole community. Without your support there would be no market in Arlandria bringing folks together. 

We're only just getting started, but 4MRMarket and its partners hope to continue to see growth in establishing a sense of place and the building of an inclusive community. 

Remember, Buy Fresh, Buy Local.

---

Here is who you'll find at 4MRMarket this week:

• Bread and Chocolate (Arlandria) - A range of baked goods.
• C and T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce.
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and a few extra goodies. 
• Baguette Republic (Sterling, VA) -  A traditional artisan bakery producing a large variety of artisan breads, pastries and cookies using the best European techniques and tradition.
• No. 1 Sons (Alexandria, VA) - Traditional fermented vegetables and soy products.
• Love and Glitter (Ellicott City, MD) - Our newest vendor brings HANDMADE goods from LOCAL artisans.
• The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" will be back again this week after a one week absence. 
• Swee Lo Sterling silver jewelry handcrafted by Balinese artisans designed by Swee Lo.
• Olio Fresh olive oils and aged balsamics.

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. 

_______________

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 May through October in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

(click here for directions)

Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.

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

4MRMarket Report: "Ribbon Cutting" Edition

Mayor Euille touches up the new paint job.

This Sunday, May 15th, is going to be yet another exciting big day at the Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market because it will mark a major milestone in the revitalization efforts that 4MRMarket is proud to be a part of. This Sunday the City of Alexandria holds a Grand Opening Ceremony for the Four Mile Run Park and Community Building.

Mayor Euille and City Council will be on hand at 1pm to dedicate the renovated community building located at our market site, 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue, whether it's rain or shine. The building will be open for market goers to tour starting at 11am.

The City acquired the open space properties at 4109-4125 Mount Vernon Avenue including the former Duron Paint store building in 2007 and the activist group of architects, Architects Anonymous, donated their time to develop a plan to preserve the building through environmentally sustainable design. The newly renovated building will be open seasonally and will feature a new, large entrance and stage area on the north side, accessible restrooms, a small workroom, and a large open area that can be used for a variety of uses.

With the help of contractors Whiting Turner and Sherwin Williams/Duron Paint, who donated time and materials, as well as the volunteer efforts of a large number of citizens and local residents, the building and the surrounding spaces are now well on their way to begin fulfilling the visions of the improved Four Mile Run Park.

As usual, Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market will be open Sundays from 8am to 1pm. And In conjunction with the grand opening of the building, 4MRMarket will officially mark the launch of SNAP/EBT for market purchases. In a collaborative project with the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria and Inova Health System, SNAP participants will be now able to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables and other goods at the farmers market. As part of this project, Inova is sponsoring a "Double Dollar" program that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia to accept SNAP.

Volunteers painting the building

Come out and enjoy the fresh, local produce, baked goods, grass-fed beef, heritage chicken eggs, and a host of other goodies.  Here is who you'll find at 4MRMarket this Sunday:

• The Stifler Beef Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" (Shenandoah) - Natural, locally farm-raised black Angus beef (flash frozen for convenience).
• Pleitez Produce (Northern Neck) - A full range of locally grown produce, herbs, and more.
• Herban Avenues at AHHA Ranch (Lovettsville, VA) - Herbal remedies, heritage breed chicken eggs, and a variety of herbs.
• Patowmack Farm (Lovettsville, VA) - Organic value added products plus baked goods, fresh lemonade, and more.
• Bread and Chocolate (Arlandria) - A range of baked goods.
• C&T Produce (White Oak, VA) - Locally grown produce.
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and a few extra goodies.
• VéloCity Bike Co-op (Old Town) - Bike repair (see below).
• Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA)

Please support your volunteer-run neighborhood farmers market.  We can't do it without neighborhood support!  Also, volunteers are always welcome to help find musicians to play the market and to help book the community tent with City agencies, non-profits, etc.

_______________

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 May through October in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

(click here for directions)

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

Or contact us at: 4mrm@arlandria.org

"Arlandria": What're all the Foos about?

"Arlandria" Gets A New Theme Song.

Last week with the release of the new Foo Fighters album Wasting Light, the lame-stream media just caught on to what we reported several months ago, when the hardcore Foo-sers among the twitteratti sent us a heads up about the track listing: there's a new (soon to be hit) song entitled "Arlandria".

Local attention about this news has focused on the kind of details that our celebrity-fueled news tends to nowadays: where local-boy-turned-rock-star-wunderkind and Foo Fighter bandleader Dave Grohl went to school, ate lunch and shopped for late night Mentos and Slurpees. Most seem to have missed the point that Dave et al recorded two Grammy-award-winning albums just up the street that have contained more than just one local reference. The Foos first mentioned our neighborhood on one of these locally generated albums in the lyric to "Headwires" from 1998's There is Nothing Left to Loose. "The Sun is on Arlandria" they sang.  It's been the motto for The Arlandrian ever since.

Still others decide to diss the reference:

"ARLANDRIA: The red-headed stepchild of Mount Vernon Avenue. It has neither the smug boutiqueness of Del Ray nor the understated poshness of Arlington Ridge. But one thing Arlandria has that these others do not: A FREAKING FOO FIGHTERS SONG NAMED AFTER IT."

On behalf of red-heads and stepchildren every, we bristle at the use of that pejorative, while at the same time shaking our collective heads at the author's confusion. If anything the song is an anthem against such attitudes. Or it is for us. We're not likely to bump into Grohl in line getting a sandwich again anytime soon, but we'll ask if we do. Rolling Stone says there are references to "the responsibility to leave things better than when you came in – all over this album." Carpe Diem. Acres of Diamonds. Stop Wasting Light. An expression of the ethos of our community. We're proud to be in such good company. We love the reference and we love the song.

As for a review of the music, you're unlikely to find one. But as the adage goes, "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." And in 21st Century you don't have to settle for reviews, you can check it out for yourself. With apologies to M. Jagger, today's music has gotten on the cloud. Foo Fighters have put "Arlandria" and the entire Wasting Light album up on the web for all to stream for free.

Arlandria by Foo Fighters

Or you can see the live performance of "Arlandria" from the Daily Show earlier this week. Or this live video performance of the entire album Wasting Light. Or a 110-minute concert from the Late Show with David Letterman's Ed Sullivan theater (complete with this poignant introduction about recovering from heart surgery from Letterman for his favorite song from his favorite band). And if that's not enough, there's no reason not to go back and visit this 1995 performance of Weenie Beenie, perhaps on your way to Weenie Beenie.

The Daily Show - Exclusive - Foo Fighters - Arlandria
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Scenes from a Renovation: Work begins at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue

This morning, a local contractor, Whiting Turner, pulled together a volunteer team from their staff to do the first round of the volunteer work on the soon-to-be community building at 4109 Mt Vernon Ave.

The work included pulling up tiles (they have power tools for this), cleaning the interior walls, and patching the effice on the exterior where the Duron signs used to be. This prep work will allow the building to be painted at the Spring for Alexandria event on May 6.

Several members of city staff were there to oversee and help along with several fans of the park and the farmers market. Stuff is happening. Watch this Space.

Help Kickoff Old Duron Building Renovation Tomorrow

A local contractor, Whiting Turner, pulled together a volunteer team from their staff to do the first round of the volunteer work on the soon-to-be community building at 4109 Mt Vernon Ave. They are working on it tomorrow morning, Saturday, April 9 at 9:00am. While this conflicts with the stream clean-up in the area, it would be great to get a few volunteers out from surrounding neighborhoods.  It would be both to get more work done faster and to validate the volunteers from the contracting company that are taking an interest in our neighborhood.  Plus there's free pizza if you stay until the end.

The work includes pulling up tiles (they have power tools for this), cleaning the interior walls, and patching the effice on the exterior where the Duron signs used to be.  This prep work will allow the building to be painted at the Spring for Alexandria event on May 6.

Several members of city staff will be there to oversee and help.  Fans of the park and the farmers market, this would be a great way to get a sense of "I helped this happen" as the park improvements and community building renovation kicks off.  Dedicate as little or as much time as you want, just come out ready to apply some sweat equity to your community.

Here is the information from Alexandria Open Space Coordinator Laura Durham:

Meeting Time: 9:00 am
Location: 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria
What to Bring: Must Bring -- Yourself and your enthusiasm
Optional -- Any gardening tools that would be helpful for the outside work.
Optional -- Any cleanup tools -- brooms, dustpans, etc. -- for inside cleanup
What will be provided: I will have a cooler of bottled water and soda
Steve Walker is arranging with Sunbelt a motorized scraper for the VCT removal
Tim Garland is bringing the trash bags
I have weed killer & spray bottle
WT is providing the Dumpster
Steve and I will bring ladders 

I believe that we should be wrapping up between 12 and 1:00; there will be pizza for the volunteers at the end.

COPs 2.0

If, like me, you missed the December edition of Mayor Euille Today on Alexandria's Comcast channel, you missed the story of one of the many innovative things that the Community Oriented Police (COPs) are doing in our neighborhood to help drive crime to their lowest levels in 40 years. 

While gangs use graffiti to launch threats against rival gangs and to demarcate turf, in general, graffiti is a nuisance that advertises neglect.  It shows that folks don't care.  But graffiti on playgrounds, in particular, is just sad. It ruins the investment that we have put into trying to make safe places for kids to play.  Parents get scared off, kids don't get exercise...maybe even don't get to go outside...and our open spaces are in effect turned over to illicit activities.


I know the folks in Humes Springs, Lynhaven, Warwick Village and all over have done endless, thankless work trying to maintain these safe havens for kids and often it seems like an uphill battle.  The work done by the COPs in Sector 2 is for all of us a breath of fresh air.  Safe, cost effective, environmental friendly...so much more you can say.  Saving resources and saving kids. That's a good days work for little reward.

Here's the story from the Winter 2011 Issue of the APD Newsletter, The Police Beat: 

Officers Strive to Reduce Graffiti Throughout Alexandria

While patrolling their beat, Officers Nicholas Ruggiero and Matthew Kramarik noticed that graffiti was all too common among the traffic signs and playgrounds in the Hume Springs community. They submitted a request to have the graffiti removed through the City's Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities. Unfortunately, they discovered that there was a long waiting period to have graffiti removed after a request was filed. Due to budget cuts, the Graffiti Removal Team had been absorbed into the Regular Maintenance Team for the City. With no team dedicated to graffiti removal, the time between submitting a report and having the graffiti removed significantly increased. 

Officers Ruggiero and Kramarik decided to research the procedures that big cities use for graffiti removal. Through their research the officers found a company called Graffiti Removal, Inc. The officers contacted the company president to inquire about their graffiti removal products. Through this conversation, the company sent the officers a packet to test the product. The packet contained samples of the product, videos and all supplies necessary to remove graffiti from all test surfaces. 

Hopeful but skeptical, Officers Ruggiero and Kramarik went to Hume Springs to test out the products. The first test they conducted was on a No Parking sign that was covered in graffiti and was scheduled to be replaced by the City. Amazingly, the graffiti removal product removed every trace of graffiti from the sign. The sign looked brand new and, as a result, no longer needs to be replaced. The officers continued to test the product throughout the Hume Springs area. They were able to remove graffiti from surfaces throughout the community, including the playground at Cora Kelly Elementary School. 

Impressed by the graffiti removal product, Officers Ruggiero and Kramarik presented the product and its effectiveness in cleaning up the community at Hume Springs next civic association meeting. The civic association immediately agreed to buy more supplies to continue improving the neighborhood. 

The cost for the City to repair the graffiti damage in the Hume Springs area would have been $6,823.00. The supplies, purchased by the Hume Springs Civic Association, cost $12 and allowed the residents to clean up the graffiti that had plagued their community. With the community now graffiti free, residents were inspired to further beautify their community. On November 6, residents got together to plant new plants and mulch areas throughout the neighborhood. In addition, there have been no new graffiti marks or destruction of property complaints since the initial graffiti removal on September 3.

Alexandria City C.O.P.S. unit conducting a graffiti clean up. This video shows that with community involvement and partnership with the police department that graffiti can be removed and deter offenders from repeating.


UPDATE:  Because of the tremendous interest, the episode of Mayor Euille Today featuring the interview with these officers is now available to view on the City website.  Go here and look for the December 21st show.

Kind ACTions in Arlandria

Tracy Viselli describes ACTion Alexandria -- a new, community-based website that matches potential donors with the needs of local non-profits and other community organizations -- as a technology-aided barn raising.

In this NBC4 news report, see how ACTion Alexandria has helped neighbors come to the aid of other neighbors in conjunction with Arlandria service providers.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com.

Kind ACTions in Alexandria | NBC Washington

Clean Up 4MR, Clean up the Potomac: April 9th (Correction)

SAVE THE DATE:

23rd Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup
Four Mile Run Park, Saturday, April 9, 9:00 am – 12 pm

The City of Alexandria is seeking volunteers to participate in the 23rd Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup and join others across the region to clean up local streams and the Potomac River Watershed.

The cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 9th from 9:00am to 12 noon, with the City hosting three locations along Four Mile Run:

1. 3700 Commonwealth Avenue in Four Mile Run Park
2. Four Mile Run at Mt. Vernon Ave
3. Eaton Square Clubhouse at 801 Four Mile Rd.

Trash and litter have many negative impacts on our quality of life. Trash is harmful to wildlife and the environment, and it is an eyesore that impairs the beauty of neighborhoods and decreases property value. Cleaning up and removal of litter also costs local governments funds that could be better used elsewhere.

To volunteer at one of the City’s sites, please contact Jesse Maines at jesse.maines@alexandriava.gov.

The Arlandrian News Round-up: "Random Acts of Greeness" Edition

Stream Cleanups. By the time the kids from Earthforce got done their clean-up of Four Mile Run Park last summer as part of their community service project, the results were astounding. In little over an hour, there lay in one big pile, a clump of 30 gallon trash bags, all mostly full. The thing was: it didn't look that bad when they started. Other groups had been through the park all summer and it had never looked better....well, at least not in the last decade. And yet, just a few weeks later, another clean-up organized by Clark Mercer turned up piles of more trash. It's a constant struggle.

I asked the Earthforce kids what they thought was needed to keep some folks from having to continuously clean up after other folks. I suggested more trash cans. They suggested more police patrols and security cameras. All I know is that the winter hasn't been kind to the Four Mile Run. Without nice weather to bring volunteers out, the trash and debris is depressingly back. In the long-run, the restoration of the stream will help make the stream clean-up easier, but until then...without some intervening force to keep the litter out of the stream...only Earthforce and their army of helpers can keep the stream alive.

Dirty Roads? Meanwhile, the Alexandria Gazette Packet reports (Trashy Citizens) that Councilwoman Del Pepper "has a few words for the Virginia Department of Transportation: Clean up your mess." Ms. Pepper is upset that VDOT, the party responsible for the I-395 is being lax at keeping it clean.

 "Cigarette butts are everywhere. Empty soda bottles dot the side of the road. Fast food wrappers can be seen here and there....The councilwoman said she heard from one constituent who went out there to do VDOT’s dirty work by picking up trash — 'every dead animal,' said Pepper, praising workers who have begun addressing trash on property they are not responsible for maintaining."

Just a question: who's responsible for the parks and streets and streams? There's quite a bit of litter there. Let's find out and get them to help us keep our neighborhood clean, too. Someone should ask.

Report a Problem. The City has been quietly rolling out a new issue reporting system on their website: alexandriava.gov. If you go to their main page and click "Report a Problem" on the upper right, you'll find a nifty new GIS-based system that not only allows you to help locate the problem on a map, it also offers you the ability to upload supporting documents or pictures and retains the request for you under you account so you can check back later to see the results.  I tried it out last week when I reported some broken street lights and I captured what the screen looks like when you're done.


State Your Priorities. The Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria is collaborating wtih ACT for Alexandria and Virginia Tech to develop a better way to inform key decisions in Alexandria – through “quality of life indicators.” Quality of life indicators are the answers to the question, “What matters most to the people who live in Alexandria?”

To vote for the indicators in this category, you must register on ACTion Alexandria and then you'll have a total of 10 votes to assign in each indicator category, while assigning those votes to as many or as few indicators in each category as you like. Your votes will be collected and combined with feedback from two Speak Up! Take ACTion! townhall meetings and summarized on ACTion Alexandria by the sponsoring organizations on April 18th. For more information on how the Quality of Life Indicators project, visit Community Health Assessment of MAPP.

Go Green Alexandria. Check out the website for the new non-proift: Go Green Alexandria. Their mission is to educate residents about their impact on the environment, to advocate for the conservation of Alexandria's environmental resources and a clean and sustainable community and to encourage green living practices wherever possible.

Climate Change.  The City of Alexandria's Environmental Policy Commissionand Office of Environmental Quality invite members of the public to attend two upcoming meetings about climate change. Take part in the City's Eco-City Alexandria initiative, learn more about the science of climate change and its impacts on the City, and give feedback on the City’s draft Energy and Climate Change Action Plan.

• Tuesday, March 15th, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm – Alexandria City Hall, Room 2000, Climate Change Science: The Basics, and Latest Research Findings
• Saturday, March 26h, 9:30 am-12:30 pm – Polk Elementary School, Multi-purpose Room, 5000 Polk Avenue, Alexandria, VA, Open House: Alexandria’s Draft Energy and Climate Change Action Plan

For more information on Eco-City Alexandria, visit http://www.alexandriava.gov/eco-city

Alexandria Spring Clean-up. Spring Clean Up is available to City curbside solid waste and refuse customers. All businesses and residential customers who receive private refuse collection will not receive Spring Clean Up services. Place materials at the curb (no alley pick up) before 7am on your assigned collection day (March 26th for east of Mt Vernon Avenue, April 2nd for west of Mt Vernon Ave. Separate items into four piles: Reusable items, Metal items, Electronics, and Refuse. Unacceptable items include concrete, hazardous waste, unbundled brush, loose yard waste, and building materials. For additional information and updates regarding Spring Clean Up, donation, or reuse opportunities, visit: alexandriava.gov/SolidWaste or call 703.746.4410. And consider donating or reusing items before setting them out on the curb.  A local reuse directory is available at alexandriava.gov/Recycling

GreenMail.  The local Post Office is trying out electric vehicles over the next year. Two different models have been spotted on our neighborhood streets. Carriers say that they mostly work well, but there are some ups and downs. Some of the hills are hard and one of the trucks can only go 25MPH. 

Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway Public Meeting. Arlington County is planning transit improvements in the Crystal City Potomac Yard (CCPY) Corridor, including a bus-only transitway, station stops, frequent bus service, and passenger amenities. The goal of the project is to provide high-capacity and high-quality transit service to residents, businesses, and visitors in this fast developing corridor. A public meeting will be held Wednesday, March 16, to provide an update on the Crystal City Potomac Yard bus transitway project. We are particularly seeking community input on the prototypical design of transitway stations in Crystal City. Feel free to stop by the session at any time. Wednesday, March 16, 4:30-8:00 p.m., Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA 22202

PY Metro Update. The Del Ray Patch has an update on the progress of the Environmental Impact Study on Potomac Yard Metro Station (Metro Station Concerns Center on the Environment - Del Ray, VA Patch)
For those interested in learning more about the project, see www.potomacyardmetro.com. The site will be updated as the project moves along. People can e-mail comments on the project to:  comments@potomacyardmetro.com. The deadline to submit comments is Mar. 15. 


Arlandria in Song. Alexandrian Dave Grohl and his band Foo Fighters have gone from mentioning Arlandria in a song ("Headwires") to writing a song entitled "Arlandria" on their forthcoming album in April (here in this YouTube video is an early performance).  While not entirely sure what Dave is singing about, he seems pretty mad about that litter in Four Mile Run, too. 

Where Did THAT Garden Come From?

New garden goes in at the yet-to-be-named park

Why, your friendly neighborhood volunteers installed it, of course.

Last Saturday, a team of over a dozen volunteers from Arlandria and surrounding neighborhoods came together and got started on a host of projects. This was the 2nd annual Arlandria Spring Clean-Up and Gardening Day!

The number one initiative was to install a large garden at the open space property at the corner of West Reed and Commonwealth Avenues, acquired by the City just last year. The garden came together using plants gleaned from backyard gardens, generously donated by local residents. In total, our generous neighbors contributed 13 shrubs, dozens of perennials, a sapling, and ornamental grasses... and there's at least one ornamental tree and a bunch of liriope yet to plant! So, for this coincidentally Earth Day weekend event, volunteers used donated plants, composted leaves from last Fall's leaf pick-up, and mulch from shredded Christmas trees. And all of it was hauled to the site in borrowed trucks. Sod removed from the site was used by some neighbors in their own backyards.

Volunteers were slowed but not deterred by ground that could double as concrete. While everyone went home in need of some Icy-Hot for their aching backs, they left with a sense of accomplishment. See the following progression of photos that take the park from weed patch to garden:

From an overgrown patch of grass...

Step 1: Gather the troops and begin removing the sod (the sod cutter is the red machine in the picture)

Step 2: Cut under the sod and roll it up

Step 3: Haul it away to clear the site

Step 4: Try like heck to make a hole in the rock-hard ground

Step 5: Mix in municipal composted leaves to bring some nutrients to the soil

Step 6: Plant donated shrubs in donated top-soil

Step 7: Repeat... repeat... repeat...

Step 8: Add a host of perennials

And you wind up with a 700 sqft patch of garden to be proud of.

Look for more enhancements to come.

Another task from Saturday was cleaning up the vacant lots on Mount Vernon Avenue that are slated to expand the 55-acre Four Mile Run park. The properties had been ignored by parks staff and were badly in need of a once over. While the majority of the team focused on the Reed Avenue garden, a second group weeded and re-mulched the garden at the entrance of 4MR, trimmed some out of control street trees, and cleaned up junk on the site.

Lastly, back at the Reed Avenue site, the haggard screening trees that used to block the power substation were thinned out for aesthetics and to prevent them from blocking a clear view for the police. Trees that were strangling each other now have some room to grow and thrive.

Once again, Campbell and Ferrara Garden Center in Annandale donated mulch to the cause. Home Depot also contributed enough to get about 20 bags of top-soil that will hopefully keep the new plants growing strong. Many thanks to the management of both establishments!

Many thanks to our generous neighbors, as well! Your donated plants made it all possible. Please continue to let us know if you have plants you're dividing or otherwise getting rid of. We'll continue to enhance our existing gardens and create new green spaces with whatever we get!

Lastly, thanks to the volunteers for all the backbreaking work. Future clean-ups to prep the site for a market will follow, so stay tuned. But this was a big step towards improving Arlandria open space.

Hume Springs Clean-Up and Community Police Team-Up

First off, many thanks to everyone that came out and helped during the Hume Springs clean-up last Saturday.  That list includes Fire Marshall Javelle and our local Community Oriented Police Officers (Officers Nick Ruggiero and Matt Kramarik).  Last but not least, a big thank you to our local Sheriff's Department.  On Friday, the Sheriff's Department brought out an inmate work-crew to give residents a huge jump start to the clean-up by sweeping through the alleys with trash bags and week whackers in tow.  Getting the alleys out of the way enabled everyone to get even more done during the Saturday clean-up.

Down at the end of Hume Springs Stream (let's see if that sticks), in an unrelated event, several teams were cleaning up Four Mile Run.  Meanwhile, as part of the Hume Springs clean-up, volunteers did a healthy one-over on neighborhood streets, parks, and the wetlands area that backs up to Cora Kelly Elementary School.

It was during a trash sweep of the wetlands area that the volunteers identified a major drinking and drug-use hideout back in the woods.  The following pictures show the state of things after numerous trash bags full of bottles had already been hauled away:

The area is one of few dry spots of land back in the wetlands--a small clearing with plenty of logs to sit on.  Volunteers found general trash, alcohol bottles, a prisoner id, and what appeared to be some drug use paraphernalia.

Problem Hang Out is located near the center of these trees: View Larger Map

This new drinking hangout appeared to be a case of "displacement", as Officer Ruggiero pointed out.  Last fall, a Hume Springs clean-up uncovered a less hidden drinking spot that became a target for daily police sweeps, resulting in numerous arrests and getting people in need of social services in touch with those agencies (that story here).  Sadly, it appears people looking for a place to drink in our neighborhood found another, more hidden place to break the law.

Not for long, if current progress is an indicator or future results.  On Monday, officers swept this new location and made 4 arrests in the middle of the day for drinking in public.  From now on, this whole area will become a regular "beat check" for local officers, with the help of our Community Oriented Police.  Furthermore, the Community Officers intend to work with the Parks Department to get the logs cut up and removed, and intend to post No Trespassing signs around the wetlands area so they can enforce the trespassing rules, as well.  This is another testament to the importance of community policing.  Area assaults and robberies often start with public drinking, and nipping these problems in the bud make Arlandria a safer place for everyone.

Team hoists a sleeper sofa pulled out of the stream

On the day, neighbors were able to remove downed limbs, 20+ bags of trash, a sleeper sofa, a mattress, and large amounts of other loose debris from Four Mile Run Park and Hume Spings before lunchtime.  The Hume Springs Citizens Association also provided numerous flats of annuals and gave them away to any neighbors looking to spruce up their yard.  New neighbors and long-time residents teamed up to make the day a big success.  The hangout discovered on Saturday will hopefully lead to continued success cleaning up more than just a trash problem in the days and weeks to follow.