The Air Force Cycling Classic

Want something to do this weekend...check out this in Clarendon:

"An entire weekend of bike racing and riding for everyone on Saturday and Sunday, May 30th and 31st. Amateur and Professional races on Saturday, and a non-competitive ride and another professional race on Sunday. Come out to race, ride or spectate!

Saturday, May 30th, the Air Force Cycling Classic's Clarendon Cup, now in it's 12th year, will again see the area's top amateurs race in Clarendon. A women's race will follow, leading up to the featured event of the day, the 100km race for over 100 of the worlds top pros. Then, on Sunday, May 31st, cyclists of all abilities will be able to participate in the Air Force Cycling Classic Crystal Ride, challenging themselves for up to 100km, or 8 laps, on the 12.5km course in and around Crystal City in this non-competitive event. Following the Crystal Ride, the worlds top professional cyclists will again take to the streets of Arlington to provide the days featured entertainment as they compete on the 12.5km course."

Check out the website for more information.

Pool-tastic!

So...who went to the pool this weekend and were able to enjoy some cold water and doughnuts? Seems like the opening went well but there was some commotion from people that did not get their pool passes even though they had sent the paperwork in...on time. Hope that got taken care of...wouldn't want anyone to be deprived of a swim on a hot day. Was anyone else around to enjoy the pool this weekend?

Rolling Thunder XXII

Want to see thousands of motorcycles in downtown Washington, DC? Go check out Thunder Alley and see how Harley owners celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who have fallen.

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009
9:00 am - 11:00 pm - Thunder Alley Open
YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS ON THE ALLEY

SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2009
OFFICIAL 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF ROLLING THUNDER®
9:00 am - 11:00 pm- Thunder Alley Open
Noon - Rolling Thunder XXII to Washington DC from Pentagon Parking

MONDAY, MAY 25, 2009
9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Thunder Alley
3:05 pmRaffle Drawing, Thunder Alley

Why We Celebrate Memorial Day

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
-Moina Michael

If you don't know much about Memorial Day except that you realize now you can wear white shoes and gloves...here's a bit of history from a Memorial Day website.

"Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all."

Just a reminder that, since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.

So fly your flag this weekend, find a Memorial Day Parade or take a moment of remembrance and remember why we celebrate Memorial Day.

Hooray...40,000 Hits!

Just wanted to say thank you for all your support of the blog. We've had a lot of traffic to our little blog and a lot of good discussion. I look forward to the next 40,000 visits to the site and hope you do too!

Jazz Series in Shirlington

Tomorrow night check out the Jazz concert in Shirlington from 6:30-8:30 PM. It's supposed to be good weather and you can't beat a free night of good music. For more information go to the Shirlington website.

Power Outage Last Week?

Part of the Village lost power on Thursday because of a blown transformer...at least that's the word on the street. Anybody on the blog affected? Is everything back and running? I saw some backhoes on Barton today...was wondering if they still don't have everything back and running?

I hope they end up fixing the grass better than the gas company did. :)

Things to Know this Weekend

ROAD CLOSURE: Arlington Ridge Rd. between 20th St. S. and the I-395 ramp on Saturday, May 16 from 9 am to 5 pm to repair a water main leak. Only local residential traffic permitted. Area residents may also experience a temporary loss of water service. Check out the Arlington County Site for more details.

Taste of Arlington is on Sunday. It's on Wilson Boulevard in front of the Ballston Mall. It's always a good time. Check out their link to see all the events for the day.

Don't Forget Your Pool Passes

Hi Everyone! Just a reminder that pool passes are due on Monday, May 18th or ELSE. Yes that means if you don't get your piece of paper in by Monday that you will have to pay the dreaded $20 fee. I'm not sure why you are charged a fee but that's the rule.

You can download the passes here. Happy swimming.

AV Mail Bag

From time to time I get emails from AV residents that want to discuss certain things they see going on in the Village. I love these emails so keep 'em coming. Please read below and let the blog know your thoughts on the subject.

I noticed an interesting item in the Village Crier this week-end, and want to ask the residents' opinion. It seems a Board Member requested that AV to give money to ACE (some environmental group?). The other Board members apparently divided the contribution among line items, and voted to provide the funds. Mind you, these are our funds entrusted to the Board for legal obligations and for the betterment of Arlington Village - specifically, so.

And keeping in mind these are not the personal funds of AV Board members, is no one offended by this precedent? Do we really want Board Members deciding how and when to spend our money on things outside the purview of the Arlington Village Condo Association?

Have some of these people crossed the line of being good stewards of other people's money, acting with ethical fiduciary responsibilities, to a group who will use the power of taxation to fund their own personal projects with the taking of others' money acquired involuntarily?

And does that not make us all complicit; subject to the political whims of those who would abuse their responsibilities in the future?

I cast no aspersions. I merely solicit the opinions of others. And I do so anonymously because I feel the ethical breach is such that self- preservation requires it.

Arlington Farmer's Market

Just a reminder that the market is open every Saturday from 9am-noon (in the winter ... it's 8am-noon in the spring/summer/fall). Bring yourself, your neighbors, and your appetite. But remember, no dogs are allowed in the market.

Directions:

The Arlington Farmers' Market is located adjacent to the Arlington County Courthouse Parking Lot, at the intersection of N. Courthouse Rd. and N. 14th St.

I'm not sure when the market opens at the corner of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed. Does anyone know?

Rain Rain Go Away!

It's been raining if you haven't noticed. Do you have puddles or is your courtyard starting to look like Walden Pond? Remember that you can always call the office and let them know whether your drainage is working properly or if you are seeing some of your landscaping slide away down the sidewalk. AV just finished a project that helped with erosion on 13th Street.

Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check your storage space. Last year we had a lot of rain and one of the storage areas had a few inches of water creep in.

Any of you underwater yet?

AV Yard Sale?

Didn't AV used to have a community yard sale? Does that still happen or is it a thing of the past? We can't have individual yard sales...so how do you feel about that? Would you participate in a community one?

Thoughts for the Crier?

Yes it is May and a new Crier is right around the corner...right? Sorry to be snarky but I'm sure I already know what will be in the Crier already:

1. Some kind of enviromental article.
2. Wrap ups of the Security Party and Earth Day Events.
3. Clean up after your dog.
4. Please volunteer.
5. Another enviro article.
6. Shortened version of Board Motions...no contentious ones included.

Is there anything that you think the Crier is missing or would like to hear more about? Perhaps a copy of the agenda or minutes from last Board Meeting? Status of the AV website?

Are our taxes going up?

So did anyone see the Washington Post Article today about Northern Virginia Taxes going up?

Here's a paragraph from the story:
Thousands of homeowners in Northern Virginia will see a jump in their real estate taxes this year despite the efforts of local officials who have slashed programs, raised fees and laid off workers to keep tax bills affordable during tough economic times.

Does anyone know what's going to happen in Arlington County?