what-all - waycroft-woodlawn civic association · after this issue, the what-all will be on hiatus...
TRANSCRIPT
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE WAYCROFT-WOODLAWN CIVIC ASSOCIATION
What-AllApril 2014
President’s MessageNeighbors,
I hope that we have seen the last of the snow. I am thankful thatthis past week’s snow didn’t wreak havoc on the sidewalks andstreets again. When I returned home on Tuesday, it was beautifulto see my daffodils in full bloom against the snowy ground.They’ll look even better in a backdrop of green grass.
As we are winding down the 2013-2014 term of the association,our WWCA coffers are lower than the Executive Board would likethem to be. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, we havedistributed 8 issues of the newsletter this year. Second, ourmembership numbers are lower than they have been in years.Currently only 30% of the neighborhood are paying dues. If youaren’t a member, please consider joining. If you are a member,please consider renewing your membership.
In addition to publishing and distributing the newsletter, thedues also defray much of the cost of the annual 4th of July Picnic.Many of our neighbors have made specific contributions to thepicnic to purchase or rent supplies.We are looking at alternatives to put the association on better fi-nancial footing and would like your help. Please respond to thesurvey in this What-All.
Tracie
WWCA Monthly MeetingTUESDAY, APRIL 8th, 7:30 P.M.
LOCATION: CAPITAL CARING HOSPICE
THEME: PARK IMPROVEMENTS UPDATE
Agenda:As reported last month, the park improvements aremoving forward. Kathy von Bredow and SarahArcher from Arlington County Department of Parksand Recreation will be joining us at our April 8thmeeting to share the latest and to field yourquestions. In particular, Kathy and Sarah will betalking about the first step in the park improvementprocess – removing invasive plants to make way forthe new, native plants that will take their place.Invasive plants are those plants that entered ourneighborhood that don’t belong here and havedetrimental effects on the native plants that shouldbe thriving. For more about invasive plants, pleasecome to the meeting or see the October issue of theWhat All!
Kathy and Sarah will also be sharing the status ofour overall park improvement plan and answer anyquestions you may have about when we can expectto see some real changes in the park. You mayhave seen surveyors in our park in March. Theywere there to get valuable information aboutelevations and angles to inform path design anddrainage.
Finally, Kathy and Sarah will touch on how the parkimprovements will impact standing water in the park,how that may help with mosquito control, and whatother things residents can do to help control theseannoying and potentially dangerous pests.
Join us on April 8th for an important and informativeconversation about the park! If you have anyquestions, please feel free to contact Kurt Hyde orPatrick Tallarico on the Park Committee.
Welcome spring! We celebrate the flowers that are in bloom in ourneighborhood and look forward to the others that will appear soon.(Cherry blossom photo by Betsy Cecchetti.)
Waycroft-Woodlawn“The Garden Spot”
Advertise in the What-All!
WWCA MEMBERSHIP SIGN-UPAND DUES PAYMENT FORM
What-AllPage 2 April 2014The
WWCA Executive BoardOffice / Name Term Committee AssignmentsPresident / Tracie Morris 2013-2014 Civic Federation (Alternate) NCACVice-President / Sharon Dorsey 2013-2014 Civic Federation (Alternate)Secretary / Alex Deucher 2013-2014 CommunicationsTreasurer / Lynette Smith 2013-2014 MembershipDelegates / Kurt Hyde 2013-2015 Park Patrick Tallarico 2013-2015 Park Kutlay Ebiri 2013-2015 Westwind Hans Bauman 2013-2015 John Schell 2013-2014 Land Use/Zoning Jim Mathews 2013-2014 Jim Pebley 2013-2014 Civic Federation Jimmy Falkner 2013-2014Past President / Michael Grace 2013-2014 Civic Federation (Alternate)Appointed Representatives / Wayne Quillin 2013-2014 NCAC (Alternate) Jason Rylander 2013-2014 Civic Federation Sue Smith 2013-2014 Civic Federation John Odenwelder 2013-2014 Civic FederationWhat-All Editor / John Schell
Renew your WWCA membership, or join us, today! There are twoways to sign up:■ Cash or check (made out to WWCA) can be mailed or dropped
off at 1503 N. Buchanan St., Arlington, VA 22205■ Or, pay online at www.paypal.com. Click on the “send money”
link, leave it on “friends & family” selection, and [email protected] in the “pay to e-mail address”. Followthe rest of the prompts. Don’t forget to note your householdaddress and the names that you want listed as voting members.
Thanks! Lynette - WWCA [email protected]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Address: ______________________________________________Phone Number: _________________________________________E-Mail Address:_________________________________________Voting Member Names:1. ___________________________________________________2. ___________________________________________________3. ___________________________________________________Enclosed is:$ 5.00 Household dues of July 1, 2013 to June 30,2014$ Voluntary donation$ Total Enclosed
Beginning in February, the cost of printing the What-All increased by 33%.Although this cost is offset somewhat by ad revenue, the net result is a drain onthe WWCA treasury. The Executive Board is interested in soliciting the opinionof WWCA members and non-members regarding how stop the drain on thetreasury, so that we may keep funds available for other community projects orevents. It is worth noting that are our current association dues are quite lowand that only 30% of the households in W-W are members of the association.Efforts have been made to obtain the lowest cost for printing and, through theefforts of volunteers who staple the newsletter, we save over $100 each timestapling is required. With this information in mind, please consider the followingapproaches that might be pursued with regard to reducing the cost of the What-All:▪ Option 1a: Ideally, the Executive Board would like the paper copies to be
distributed to all of the households in the community. However, faced withthe increased cost of production, the distribution of the paper copies could belimited to members of the association. Digital copies of the What-All wouldbe available on the Nextdoor listserv for those who are members there. Thisoption would complicate the distribution of the paper copies. Neighbors, whowere not members of the association or on the listserv, would not receive theWhat-All.
▪ Option 1b: As a separate strategy, or in conjunction with Option 1a,households could opt out of receiving a paper copy of the newsletter.
▪ Option 2: In consideration of the current dues being low, we could increasethem to cover the printing costs to enable us to continue distribution to allhouseholds in W-W. Assuming that the same number of households wouldcontinue to be members, the amount of increase required would not need tobe large. It would be preferred if we could increase the membership to amajority of the households in W-W. If there were a majority membership atthis time, this issue would not have to be addressed.
On the revenue side, we will continue to pursue advertising revenue, but aconsistent income from ads is not guaranteed.After this issue, the What-All will be on hiatus until September. During theintervening months, the Executive Board, with the input of the community, willmove toward a policy to address the cost of printing the What-All. W-Whouseholds are requested to e-mail [email protected] with theircomments on the options presented above. Let us know if you would optout of receiving a paper copy. Any additional thoughts on this issue arewelcome. Please include the household address in your e-mail. If you do nothave access to e-mail, please send your comments to John Schell at 1303 N.Buchanan St., 22205. The results of this survey will be part of the decisionmaking process. The direction that is ultimately taken on this issue may not beexactly as described in one of the options. But, it will be based on balancingthe best interest of the W-W community with the financial concerns that must beaddressed.Thank you for your attention and for your participation in this process.
The What-All Survey
Make your business or organization known to thealmost 600 households in Waycroft- Woodlawn.
2014 - 2015 Ad Rates TBAAd sizes: Business Card, ¼ page, ½ page, Full pageAdvertising deadline for September issue is 8/22/14
Contact: [email protected]
The What-All will return in September. Have a great summer!
W-W HOME SALES - 1st QUARTER OF 2014
What-AllApril 2014The
Page 3
Civic Federation ReportMarch Civic Federation Meeting Notes (3/4)
by Sue Smith
The March Civic Federation was amazingly informative. Not onlywas there a presentation by the School Board, there was also alively County Board candidate forum.
The School Board’s presentation gave its vision, values andstrategic plan for meeting the needs of the whole child inArlington Public Schools (APS). Some of the goals mentionedwere increasing graduation rates, recruiting and keeping highquality staff and creating optimal learning environments. TheSchool Board spoke of Arlington having one of the highest perpupil cost in the area and that is because investing in quality staffand low class sizes. The Board showed the Federation a graphicthat APS children have a 71% higher earning potential than theirnational peers.
The Board spoke of challenges facing APS such as increasingenrollment which is estimated to be at 30,000 children in acouple of years. This increase in enrollment will cost around $10million, the Board said. Presently there is a budget gap of $1Mand the Board is looking at all avenues to close it. The proposedbudget for 2014-2015 is $539.4 M.
The School Board took questions from the Civic Federation’sEducation Committee regarding doing away with early releasewhich they said was a funding issue and that there is a three yearroll out planned. They answered a question regarding Pre-Kwhere there is a wait list, busing, and computers in the schools,regarding when is too young to have them. The Board also tookquestions from delegates on a range of topics from teachercompensation, special needs children and making HB Woodlawna middle school.
The next item at the Civic Federation meeting was the CountyBoard candidates’ debate. All four candidates were there: GreenParty candidate Janet Murphy, Independent Stephen Holbrook,Independent John Vihstadt, and Democrat Alan Howze. Eachcandidate gave background on themselves and why they were thebest candidate for the position. Then the candidates eachanswered questions from the Federation such as where theydisagreed with the current County Board, marriage equality, howthey support the Board and innovation in government, and aboutthe Courthouse Homeless Shelter. Each candidate was thengiven a chance for closing remarks. Needless to say the streetcarwas brought up by candidates as well as the proposed AquaCenterat Long Branch Park.
2014 Tree Canopy Programby Patrick Tallarico
Every year, Arlington County works with Arlingtonians for aClean Environment and the Arlington County Urban ForestryCommission to provide trees to Arlington residents through theTree Canopy Fund. The Fund provides free, 6-foot tress tointerested homeowners who have an appropriate site. This is agreat way to fill a bare spot in your yard, provide some shade foryou and your neighbors, help clean the air and the water, andhelp preserve the character of our great neighborhood.
Waycroft-Woodlawn is registered to participate in the Fund,which is the first step in the process. There is an orientationsession on May 5th at 7:00 p.m. at Arlington Central Libraryauditorium, 1015 N. Quincy Street. I plan to attend and encourageothers to attend as well - especially if you think you want a tree.At the orientation session, hosts will review the applicationprocess and how to select the best trees. Tree specialists areavailable through the program if you want someone to help youfind the best tree for you. There is more information about theprogram at http://www.arlingtonenvironment.org/community-action/trees/
The application deadline for trees is June 20th. We will postupdates and additional information on Next Door after theorientation meeting in early May. Please note that this program isnot part of the park improvement project that will get underwaythis spring.
March WWCA Meeting Reportby Alex Deucher
At the March general meeting, the WWCA picked the nominatingcommittee for this year’s elections. Following that, the WWCAwelcomed Aileen Winquist, Allan Rowley, Diana Handy, and JenMcDonnell from Arlington County. They presented an overviewof stormwater handling in Arlington and gave an update onvarious water related projects in the County.
There are a lot of streams in Arlington. Many were lost duringdevelopment in the '40s and '50s. Many others were diverted inpipes underground, including several in our neighborhood. TheCounty has a right to access the underground pipes, which arelocated in easements through residential properties, formaintenance purposes. The County expects to be doingmaintenance on some of the pipes carrying the streams in thenext few years, which will affect certain lots in our neighborhood.
Every five years, the County needs to renew its stormwaterhandling permit with the state. Each time, the requirements getmore stringent. In order to meet those requirements and toreduce run-off in general, the County provides advice and evengrants in some cases to homeowners and HOAs to build raingardens and green roofs, use rain barrels, and replace hardsurfaces with permeable. Additionally, they are working torestore streams and increase green areas across the County.Plans are under way to improve Ballston pond as a stormwaterfiltering area. You can find out more at http://ballstonpond.us.
Storm drains are for water only. If you see any strange conditionsin any of the streams in Arlington, please call 703-558-2222 immediately to report it. Construction is the leading causeof stream pollution. If you notice pollution from constructionsites entering storm drains please call 703-228-3693 to report it.
Address5105 11th Street N.1307 N. Buchanan St.4819 15th Street N.4739 16th Street N.4905 17th Street N.5220 Washington Blvd.
Close Price$762,550.$910,000.
$1,050,000.$670,000.
$833,000.$669,000.
Close Date Jan 29
Jan 31 Feb 19
Feb 27 Feb 28
Mar 20
Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.
What-AllPage 4The
April 2014
Spraying is at best a “feel good” thing to do but is definitely cost-ly, ineffective and causes a lot of collateral damage. Our parksand natural areas therefore do not produce nearly as many as thehouse gutters, flowerpots, bottles, tires, and such associated withpeople.
So What Can Homeowners Do? Surprisingly, GetRid of English IvySo what do you do? The most effective way to combat mosquitoesis to eliminate their breeding pools.
For the Asian tiger mosquito that means keeping gutters clean,emptying and cleaning bird baths regularly, making sure tarpsare not holding water, turning over wheelbarrows, making sureour flowerpots and even plants are not holding breeding pools,making sure toys and garbage cans do not hold water, makingsure dripping outdoor faucets/AC drains are not creating pools,making sure window screens and rain barrel screens are notdamaged, tools are not holding water, and picking up trash fromthe surrounding area.
The good news is that Asian tiger mosquitoes are not strong fliersand so local efforts throughout the neighborhood can show somegood and long lasting effects. Since they are poor fliers, somepeople set-up strategic fans where they want to do most of theiractivities. Bug zappers and ultrasonic gizmos don’t work. EnglishIvy not only provides excellent cover for the mosquitoes (onereason spraying can be so ineffective is because the mosquitoescan hide in cover like this and the spray droplets never hit them)and offers not only breeding sites but the right amount ofhumidity to keep them happy. Yet another reason the County isasking residents to get rid of this invasive alien plant.
For those areas that consistently hold water for even a few days(all that is needed for the fast life cycle of Asian tiger mosquitoesespecially), using mosquito dunks is quite effective. They can betied down in places where they might be washed away like drainpipes and should be replaced monthly. People with ornamentalponds should know that the Bti (baccillus thuringiensisisraelensis bacteria) in those dunks won’t harm most otherwildlife, but will kill other Diptera (mosquito/fly) species such ascraneflies and midges. Also, ensuring that any beneficial water ismoving helps since the mosquito larvae (wrigglers) need to use anair “tube” to breathe at the surface and find it difficult to do so inany kind of a current. So, adding a fountain or otherwise movingthe water around makes the habitat much less appealing formosquitoes (but will help attract birds).
Some people add fish to their ponds, but remember that these caneat many other critters as well (one reason fish should never bereleased into natural waters and why it is illegal to do so). This isespecially true if you are just establishing a new ornamentalpond. Mosquitofish are among the worst offenders of eating otheranimals, but most certainly do eat lots of mosquitoes.Mosquitofish eat almost anything else too though, and are notlocally native. Exotic goldfish are not as good at eatingmosquitoes but will eat plants and amphibian eggs so are also nota good option. Although also not native, Rosy Red minnows (soldas feeder fish in pet stores) are not as aggressive and can be okayto add to small ornamental ponds without too much harm toother wildlife that you may want to attract.
Bottom LineIn reality, we are just stuck with them and therefore need to useDEET or try home remedies, such as garlic spray in the yard.Share your home remedies and other non-harmful solutions onNextdoor.
The Mosquitoes Are Coming: WhatCan the County Do?by Kurt Hyde
Many of us are tired of the massive mosquito infestation,particularly the brutal Asian tiger mosquitoes that come out 24/7,unlike their continental sisters that only come out at night. Weasked the County what they could do to help. One of their naturalresources experts shared this: “This type of question comes upquite a bit, with many opinions about it. Arlington no longer has amosquito control coordinator, a victim of budget cuts severalyears ago.” However, although not an official county position, heoffered this guidance.
You May Want To Re-think Spraying for MosquitoesSpraying for adult mosquitoes just doesn’t work and is ineffectivein so many ways. Very optimistically, spraying for adultmosquitoes might kill 85% of these insects in a given area thatwas sprayed under even ideal conditions. Since mosquitoes canrepopulate quickly (almost weekly) from neighboring areas notsprayed, and they replicate so much faster than otherinsects/invertebrates who cannot reproduce/recover as quickly.Unless you do weekly or biweekly spraying and saturate the entirewidespread landscape for the entire warm seasons, you are atbest providing a very temporary relief while causing lots of otherenvironmental damage. Furthermore, there is no evidence thatspraying adulticides is effective in slowing the transmission ofWest Nile virus to humans. In fact, more and more scientificresearch shows that spraying is ineffective because mosquitopopulations quickly rebound to their prior levels. In a 2004paper, West Nile Virus and Mosquito Control, PhD entomologistDavid Pimentel of Cornell University writes that "WidespreadUltra-Low Volume spraying from ground equipment or aircraftfor control of mosquitoes and West Nile virus is relativelyineffective, costly, and has been associated with environmentaland public health risks." So it is not only really ineffective,expensive, harmful to the environment, but may also be harmfulto people.
Spraying Is Harmful To Beneficial InsectsSpraying is not only ineffective but an expensive, harmful prac-tice. The spraying can be harmful to many other invertebrateswhich in turn supply food to so many other animals, particularlybirds (almost all of which feed on arthropods or feed them totheir young during the nesting season) and bats (who are alreadyin severe declining numbers and all our bat species feed on in-sects exclusively). This also means that beneficial insects, includ-ing those like mosquito-eating damselflies, are not around to helpcontrol mosquito numbers and worsening the situation when thefast reproducing mosquitoes resurge. There is also the potentialissue that pesticide resistant mosquito strains will develop fromthe surviving numbers making future spraying even more useless.
Also to consider is that during the day, the most common biter isthe invasive exotic species Aedes albopictus, the Asian tigermosquito. Since they are diurnal, spraying for them is most"effective" during the day when spraying conditions are not asgood. Although a huge nuisance and they can carry West Nile,they do not do so nearly as often as the common house mosquitoCulex pipiens that comes out after dark. Part of the reason isAsian tigers do not like to feed on birds that are the primarycarriers, especially Robins that then can carry the disease far andwide when they migrate or otherwise travel. By the way, Asiantigers rarely (if ever) breed in ponds, streams, or other bodies ofnatural water but instead use small containers.
WWCA Treasurer’s Report - 3/25/14
For information about W-W home sales, real estate trendsand preparing for the Spring Market, contact Liz.
by Lynette Smith30% of Waycroft-Woodlawn households are current WWCA members.(Note: 57% are signed up on the Nextdoor listserve.) Membership hasdecreased, year over year.
Income is exceeding expense by $46. Ad revenue is helping to offset thenewsletter printing costs.Checking account balance (as of 2/28/14) = $6,958.81Savings account balance (as of 12/31/13) = $2,258.15
S SA DIVISION OF AXON BUILDER
KIDS JOBS4
What-AllApril 2014 Page 5The
KENNETH R. EPSTEINPresident
703•598•[email protected]
VIRGINIA CLASS A CONTRACTORS LICENSE • 2705 032315A
• Over 18 successful years as a full-time Realtor; Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Green Designate and Lifetime NVAR Top Producer • 20+ year Waycroft-Woodlawn resident & enthusiast
LIZ SCHELL [email protected]
LIZ SCHELL, your neighbor, your advocate andadvisor, your Waycroft-Woodlawn specialist.
Peter Cook (B, C, D, L, P) [email protected] Knight (B, O) 812-5149 or 202-557-1345 [email protected] Laybourn (B) 351-7516 [email protected] LesStrang (B, D, L, R, S, T) 528-2376 [email protected] Smith (C, P) 338-9415 [email protected] Suskin (L, R, S) 527-0380 [email protected]
Please submit any additions or revisions to [email protected] .
B - babysittingC - cat sittingD - pet sittingH - house sitting
L - lawn mowingO - odd jobsP - plant wateringR - leaf raking
S - snow shovelingT - putting out trash bins
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Whether down-sizing, moving up or moving on, sellingyour home or buying a new one is a time-consumingprocess involving many details and tough decisions.
Just as no two Waycroft-Woodlawn homes are thesame, neither are the circumstances of your move.
