Sun Gazette Arlington, Community Guide, September 21, 2017

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state-highway system, as it cross Interstates 5, 15, 25, 35, 55, 65, 66, 71, 75, 80, 81 and 95. But if you stick to U.S. 50 for the entire trip, you’ll come across farms of the Midwest, urban areas (D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati) and the mountains and lonely deserts of the West.

SCOTT McCAFFREY & DAVE FACINOLI STAFF WRITERS

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Arlington Boulevard originally was known FUN FACT! as Lee Boulevard, but because of confusion with Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) was renamed.

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rlington Boulevard: Arlingtonians probably best know Arlington Boulevard as a major east-west thoroughfare, and the dividing line between addresses that begin with “North” and those with “South.”

And while Arlington’s portion of the roadway is relatively modest – 10 miles from Seven Corners to the Potomac River – it is part of a massive highway (U.S. Route 50) that spans 3,000 miles from sea to (almost) shining sea.

In the 1930s – a time when the state and federal governments were beginning to think seriously about improving highways that were in even worse shape than today – Route 50 was conceived as one of the major east-west routes. Like the interstates that would come starting in the 1950s, it used portions of existing roads and incorporated new construction.

Today, it begins (or ends, depending on your point of view) in West Sacramento, Calif. After traveling across California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and the District of Columbia, you will reach the terminus in Ocean City, Md. If you take that drive, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to connect to the inter-

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oot: One of life’s rules, especially in Arlington, is – pay your parking tickets.

If your vehicle has three or more outstanding tickets, it may be immobilized with a wheel “boot,” according to the Arlington County Police Department.

And if you don’t pay your tickets – along with the boot fee – within 24 hours of your vehicle’s immobilization, your vehicle will be towed, and you’ll incur additional fees.

To retrieve booted vehicles, individuals must go to the treasurer’s office during regular business hours or the police department’s customer-service counter after hours.

For all the details, see the Website at https://police.arlingtonva.us/parking/ booted-vehicles/. But to avoid the hassle, make sure those tickets are paid.

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randall Mackey: At the dawn of the 20th century, the Rosslyn community abutting the Potomac shoreline was a far different place than it is today.

Horse racing? Check. Prostitution?

Check. Gambling? Check. Other assorted activities of ill-repute? Absolutely. Murder? Occasionally. (One part of the community was known as Dead Man’s Hollow, and not for nothing.)

But the election of a young lawyer as commonwealth’s attorney was about the change all that.

Crandall Mackey had been elected on a platform that including cleaning up the vice den that was Rosslyn, and he had the backing of many local residents, who were concerned about the reputation of their growing community being tarnished by such a place.

And so, in 1903, Mackey led the offensive to rid Rosslyn of all its ills. He was joined by a posse that went from venue to venue, smashing things along the way if they had to.

(At the time, Arlington was known as “Alexandria County,” but besides sharing

a border with the city of the same name, was a completely separate entity. It would be renamed “Arlington County” in 1920.)

Mackey had seen combat before; he had served as an officer in the SpanishAmerican War. And his efforts paid off, as Rosslyn soon became less scandalous, if perhaps a tad less fun for those seeking illicit pleasures.

Mackey remains something of an enigmatic figure to historians; even the spelling of his name is in dispute – whether it was “Crandal” or “Crandall.” On his grave at Arlington National Cemetery, where he was buried in 1957, it is spelled “Crandall.” Arlington has commemorating his memory by naming a park in his honor.

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ecal Competition: Most Virginia jurisdictions use decals affixed on the windshield adjacent to the state inspection sticker to show that personal-property tax has been paid on the vehicle. But Arlington raised it to an art form.

It was 13 years ago that then-county Treasurer Frank O’Leary, whose office collects the tax and distributes the decals, hit upon the idea of a competition to choose the design of decals, generic versions of which had been used since the 1960s.

Today the competition, which is limited to high-school students, draws more

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Amy Kohan, a student at Wakefield High School, won the 2017-18 Arlington County decal competition. She is flanked by Karen Rosales of Arlington Community Federal Credit Union (a sponsor of the competition) and Treasurer Carla de la Pava, whose office oversees the annual decal contest.

SCOTT MCCAFFREY

than 100 entries each year. A group of community notables winnows the design submissions to a manageable number of finalists, then the community votes.

(The Sun Gazette has been a partner in the project since its inception.)

After O’Leary’s retirement, his successor – Carla de la Pava – has continued the contest, which is held late each year.

A photo montage featuring the David M. Brown Planetarium bathed in the light of a full moon is the centerpiece of the 2017-18 car decal, selected in a community vote that featured record turnout.

“It’s an iconic part of Arlington,” said Wakefield High School student Amy Kohan, when her depiction of the planetarium was selected in January from among more than 200 submissions by Arlington high-schoolers.

Kohan’s design will be displayed on a total of 160,000 vehicles garaged in Arlington. While decals have been phased out by some Virginia jurisdictions, de la Pava says they remain a vital enforcement tools that help the treasurer’s office keep delinquency rates low and pull in $80 million in personal-property-tax revenue per year.

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scalator at Rosslyn Metro Station: At 207 feet, the escalator at the Rosslyn Metro station qualifies as second longest in the transit system and among the longest in the world.

(For those keeping score, the length of the Wheaton station’s elevator is 230 feet.)

It takes about three minutes to be whisked up or down, for those not walking (on the left). The other option – an elevator – takes just 17 seconds, not counting waiting time. But it’s never seemed nearly as much fun.

The Rosslyn station opened in July 1977 with service along the Blue Line; a year later, it also was incorporated into the Orange Line.

In 2016, an average of 13,195 passengers entered the Metro system via the Rosslyn Metro station on a given weekday, according to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority data. That’s down from a weekday peak of 18,122 in 2010.

Franklin Roosevelt, the nation’s 32nd president, made final decisions on the location of Washington National Airport and the Pentagon.

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO

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ranklin Roosevelt:Pop quiz: Name the only candidate for president who won the vote in Arlington a record four times? It was Franklin Roosevelt, who bested Herbert Hoover in 1932, Alf Landon in 1936, Wendell Willkie in 1940 and Thomas Dewey in 1944, not only in Arlington but across the nation.

(Another pop quiz: Which candidate won the Arlington vote three times? Believe it or not, it was Richard Nixon, who garnered the most county votes in 1960, 1968 and 1972. But we digress.)

Roosevelt makes the A-to-Z list not because of his electoral prowess, strong though it was, but because he was the final decision-maker in determining the location of two of the county’s most important landmarks: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Pentagon.

In each case, selecting a location for a new air terminal for the nation’s capital and the headquarters of the nation’s military found itself bogged down in bureaucratic infighting. And also in each case, Roosevelt stepped in.

It was in 1938 that FDR used a press conference to announce the location of the new airport, which would replace two dilapidated fields. Two years later, he laid the cornerstone, and in June 1941, presided over the opening of the facility.

That same year, 1941, Roosevelt mediated a dispute among military men over where the War Department headquarters should be built. When word came that several Arlington locations were in the mix, county leaders went ballistic, some in Congress were furious and some of the nation’s top generals was infuriated that Roosevelt appeared to prefer a site south of what until then had been the top contender, a location near Memorial Bridge.

Roosevelt, who by 1941 already had served as president longer than any other, picked the southern site, reportedly reminding Army brass that “I’m still commander in chief.”

A fast-paced construction effort got the world’s largest office building up and running within two years, as thousands of personnel, from generals to enlisted, moved in to help finish the war effort. Although urban legend suggests that federal officials planned to turn the building into a records-storage facility after World War II, it has served as the central nervous system of the American military since the day it opened.

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I Gloria Thompson, Ron Deskins and Michael Jones in 1959 participated in the integration of all-white Stratford Junior High School. They are shown at a 2009 forum commemorating the 50th anniversary of the event.

SCOTT MCCAFFREY

G He is known to the community as Jay Fisette, but the County Board chairman’s birth name – which you still can find on his checks – is “Gerald N. Fisette Jr.” DEB KOLT

then rattled off victories in 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013 before deciding against seeking a sixth term this year.

(Had he run and won, Fisette would have been on pace to equal the record of his immediate predecessor, Ellen Bozman, who served an all-time high of 24 years on the County Board from 19731997. Fisette succeeded Bozman on Jan. 1, 1998, meaning the seat has had only two occupants over the past 44 years, a period that saw nine presidents, nine Arlington county managers and 27 different County Board members.)

When it comes to the Virginia Department of Elections, Fisette is known a number of ways: “Jay Fisette,” “Gerald Norman Fisette Jr.” and “G.N. ‘Jay’ Fisette Jr.” all pop up in its database.

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The Kettler Capitals Iceplex sits atop the Ballston Public Parking Garage.

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“It’s really pretty simple,” Fisette told the Sun Gazette in what might be the first time a media outlet has asked how he came to be known as “Jay.” Fisette’s father – Gerald Norman Fisette Jr. – was known to the family as “Jerry,” so that was out as a nickname for his son.

“Jay” was what his family chose to call him.

“I didn’t pick it; that was my nickname from early on,” said the native of Pittsburgh, who came to the local area

erald’: You may know him as Jay, but his bank, the DMV, voter-registration office and credit-card companies know him by his full birth name: “Gerald Norman Fisette Jr.” And now, as he prepares to leave office after two decades on the Arlington County Board, Fisette opens up about the origin of both his birth name and his nickname.

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in the 1980s.

Nobody, whether family or friends, ever called him by his birth name. But officialdom still knows him that way. “If you look at my checkbook, it’s Gerald,” he said.

Fisette was largely unknown in local political circles when he first sought elected office in 1993, winning backing of the Arlington County Democratic Committee but losing a County Board special election to Republican Ben Winslow. He

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ighest Point in Arlington: Arlington’s highest point may not be Rocky Mountain-esque – it rises just 459 feet – but it does have its share of history.

Minor Hill (alternately known as Minor’s Hill and Minors’ Hill) occupies strategic ground at the western edge of the county. It was important to Native Americans in the pre-colonial era, and was one spot where President Madison fled as the British were burning Washington in 1814.

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During the Civil War, the site’s strategic location saw it being fought over and occupied at various times by both sides.

Federal troops established a watchtower and had a telegraph line installed so they could communicate with troops at Chain Bridge.

For much of the ensuing 75 years, the parcel (which took its name from onetime owner George Minor) remained largely undeveloped, but today it is home to a large number of bucolic residential properties. There also is a community park and a county reservoir.

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ntegration of Schools: Arlington Public Schools officials are quick to point out that the county played host on Feb. 2, 1959, to the first integration of a public school in Virginia. (A school in Norfolk also was integrated on that date.)

In Arlington, four black students were escorted to the previously all-white Stratford Junior High School, where they had been admitted under court order, dealing a death knell to Virginia’s “massive resistance” to desegregation of public facilities.

But that was just the start of a long process. In fact, it would take more than

a decade – until the early 1970s – before integration had occurred across the county school system.

But it all began in 1959, a day chronicled in the documentary “It’s Just Me,” which is available on the school system’s Web site at www.apsva. us.

The film, created by Arlington Educational Television staff for the 50th anniversary of the integration of the school, saw a boost in interest after a 2016 community forum that brought together three of the four black students who integrated what was then Stratford Junior High School.

The building currently houses the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, but in 2019 will revert to its original use as a community-based middle school.

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J Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson’s office is responsible for issuing marriage licenses in the county. ARLINGTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT

online. Neither blood tests nor witnesses are required. Both parties must be at least 18 years old or emancipated minors.

Those who were previously married must present a certified copy of a court-issued decree of divorce.

The license fee is $30, and the license is Let’svalid change to Aug. 4 – up to 60the days date after issuance. oined in Matrimony: The 6th. ofThe clergy, minister or other person fice of the Clerk of the Circuit performing the marriage must be authoCourt is the go-to spot for mar- rized by a Circuit Court in Virginia to celriage licenses in Arlington. While there ebrate the rites of matrimony for the marare no residency requirements, the mar- riage to be valid. The clerk’s office keeps riage (civil or religious) must take place in a list of civil celebrants who perform cerVirginia for the license to be valid. emonies for a $50 cash fee.

Licenses are issues in the clerk’s ofFor full details, see the Website at fice from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during regular https://courts.arlingtonva.us/circuitworkdays; the application can be filled out court/marriage/.

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The facility opened in 2006 as “the world’s best,” Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis said a few years later in addressing the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

“Kettler has far exceeded our expectations,” Leonsis said. “It is such a natural and open place, with a friendly environment. Ask the players. They love it.”

Not only do the Caps hold practices at Kettler, which includes a spacious room where team memorabilia is sold; the rink has become a huge part of the ice-hockey community in Northern Virginia, as well. Many youth and high-school teams Aug. 5 since we are closed on Augu hold games and practices at Kettler.

Because many of the team’s players live in Virginia, it made sense to put training facilities there, Leonsis said. “With the Capitals, we wanted to build a culture and closeness with the community, and Kettler has been such a big part of that,” the owner said.

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O Small banners indicating each of the 29 Division 1 championships the Overlee Flying Fish have won hang over the pool during home summertime swim meets.

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The Arlington County government, which owns the multi-story parking garage, partnered with the Capitals on the project. In 2010, the 150,000-squarefoot facility earned one of the inaugural “DesignArlington” awards from the county government.

L A conceptual design shows a possible scenario for the Nauck town square. The sculpture at right would rise to spell “FREED” vertically.

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check-outs during the first half of the year, according to new figures from the Arlington library system.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: The Official Script Book of the Original West End Production” by Jack Thorne was second in total circulation, followed by “Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett, “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr and “The Whistler” by John Grisham.

Stepping back to 2016, the mostchecked-out book of the year was “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins.”

The previously mentioned “All The Light We Cannot See” was second, followed by “Go Set a Watchman” by Harper Lee, “Fates and Furies” by Lauren Groff and “Rogue Lawyer” by Grisham.

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ibrary Books: “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance was the most popular book in terms of total

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Road come together, the parcel remains mostly barren (with the exception of a few trees) but has been a gathering spot for those living in the historically African-American community of Nauck for decades.

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ovies & TV: Arlington has produced its share of those who have gone on to find success in front of and behind the cameras on movies and TV. Yorktown High School grade Katie Couric grew up in the county, found fame at the “Today” show and has gone on to several high-profile jobs since.

On the big screen, Warren Beatty, his sister Shirley MacLaine and Sandra Bullock all came out of Washington-Lee High School before finding fame. Another W-L grad, from an earlier era, was Forrest Tucker, who starred in multiple movies and was a lead in the 1960s TV comedy “F-Troop.”Behind the scenes, Greg Garcia (a Yorktown grad) has had success as a TV writer, director and producer, with his work including “My Name Is Earl,” “Raising Hope,” “Family Guy” and “Family Matters.”

And while she didn’t grow up in the community, silent-film star Pola Negri did make her home in Arlington for some years after her retirement from Hollywood.

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auck Town Square: The Nauck community, nestled between the Columbia Pike corridor and Shirlington, is one of Arlington’s historically African-American communities. Freedmen purchased lots and build houses there even before the Civil War, and after the war, newly freed slaves and their descendants called the community home.

Over time, the community stagnated, only to see both the pluses and minuses of gentrification over the past two decades.

But in a few short years, the community will have a centerpiece to call its own: the Nauck Town Square, located where 24th Street South, South Kenmore Street and South Shirlington Road come together “I want people to see this place. I want it to be visible,” said Walter Hood, a California artist and landscape designer hired by the Arlington County government to lead the transformation, when he met with Nauck residents several years ago to plan the project.

The proposed highlight of the town square would be a 40-foot-tall sculpture vertically spelling out “FREED,” which would pay tribute both to the free African-Americans who lived in the Nauck area before the Civil War, and also those who moved in after emancipation.

County voters approved bond funds to support the $4 million project, which has an expected completion date of 2018. The town square is being designed to accommodate community festivals and farmers’ marketplaces, as well as serving as a gathering point.

Located where 24th Street South, South Kenmore Street and South Shirlington

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verlee: It took the swimming team at Overlee pool on Lee Highway eight years to gear up into championship form, winning its first Northern Virginia Swimming League division title in 1965. Since then, it’s been no looking back for Overlee, which added the appropriate team nickname “Flying Fish” a decade or so ago.

No team has won more division championships, 29, than Overlee in the popular summertime NVSL. In addition, the Flying Fish have 13 second-place finishes, as Overlee has become the league’s standardbearer for excellence and championships, all after finishing 1-4 in its initial season back in 1958.

During a current 12-year stretch dating back to 2006, Overlee has finished either first or second in Division 1, last winning the title in 2015. The Flying Fish were second to McLean rival Chesterbrook this summer and last.

From 1980 to 1986, Overlee won a record seven straight Division 1 crowns, then won six in a row from 1993 to 1998.

The team’s longest stretch without winning a division crown was from 1999 through 2005.

Such stretches can get coaches replaced, as Overlee doesn’t like not winning championships on a regular basis.

The team’s lone winless campaign (0-5) on record was in 2003.

Overlee has been in Division 1, the NVSL’s highest division, for 55 straight seasons, another league record.

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ublic Comment: Through the years, some vocal local activists have turned public-comment periods at the Arlington County Board into their own personal soapboxes. John Antonelli, Jack Marx, Robert Molleur and Robert Atkins were among those whose used a certain degree of panache and flair to turn the comment period into mustsee TV, at least for those up at 8:30 a.m.

But you don’t have to be a showman to speak to elected officials. The County Board holds a public-comment period at its meetings, generally starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Anyone who submits a speaker to the clerk by 9 a.m. can have his or her say, unless the topic to be discussed is on that day’s agenda.

The School Board, too, provides CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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FROM PAGE 7

public-comment periods at its meetings.

The public gets its say at approximately 7 p.m.; most (but not all) meetings are held on Thursdays.

There are some differences in procedures among the two bodies: County Board members do not limit the number of speakers, while the School Board puts a cap of 30 minutes for the total speaker time. County Board members generally respond to issues raised; School Board members usually do not.

Information on how to participate can be found on the respective Websites: www.arlingtonva.us and www.apsva.us.

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uarterbacks: Being the starting quarterback of one of the four varsity high school football teams in Arlington is maybe the most notable positions of any prep sport. Those players probably receive more publicity than others, because of the popularity of football.

There are six starting signal-callers this season because two teams, the Washington-Lee Generals and Yorktown Patriots, rotate a pair of players at the positions.

Senior Colton Poythress, also a baseball standout, is the Wakefield Warriors’ two-

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Grant Wilson is a starting quarterback for the Yorktown High School football team this season.

DEB KOLT

The Rixey Mansion on North Glebe Road has a colorful history. It currently serves as the president’s office and reception area for Marymount University.

MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

year starting quarterback. For Washington-Lee, Branden Shackelford and junior Ryan Dodds have shared the positions.

Same at Yorktown, where junior Will Porter and sophomore Grant Wilson alternate taking snaps, usually two in a row throughout the game, before yielding to the other.

Junior Kim Thompson is the first-year starter for the Bishop O’Connell Knights.

In past years, some Arlington quarterbacks have enjoyed success at higher levels of play.

Wakefield graduate Drew Powell, a former Sun Gazette Offensive Player of the Year, was a Division II college standout and team record-setter at Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. He now quar-

terbacks the Nebraska Danger of the professional Indoor/Arena Football League.

Former O’Connell starter Gibran Hamdan was drafted in the seventh round by the Washington Redskins in 2003 and, overall, was on the roster of five NFL teams. In 2006, Hamdan was NFL Europe’s Offensive Player of the Year, and has played in the Canadian Football League.

Former Yorktown signal caller Tim Reynolds became a team record-setter at Division II Ferrum University. Washington-Lee graduate Sam Appel is a senior quarterback at Kenyon College. Former Wakefield quarterback Riley Wilson is a tight end for the College of William and Mary.

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ixey Mansion: It has been both the home to a noted physician and the centerpiece of Marymount University for nearly 70 years. And, if lore is to be believed, it was used as a house of ill repute for a time, as well.

It’s the Rixey Mansion, which stands on North Glebe Road at Marymount’s main campus. And when the first freshmen at Marymount Junior Women’s College – 13

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September 2017

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Arlington County Department of Parks & Recreation

2017 Fall Activity Guide We bring life to Arlington and Arlington to life!

T Arlington is home to an estimated 750,000 trees, according to a recent survey.

ARLINGTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT

of them – arrived to begin classes in 1950, they and their teachers from the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary could all be accommodated in the building.

The religious order of nuns had purchased the home and grounds on North Glebe Road in 1948 in preparation for opening their new school. It became known as the “Main House,” and while Marymount grew up around it, the white Georgian structure remains something of the heart of campus, housing the office of the president and hosting receptions honoring outstanding students as well as alumni and distinguished guests.

According to the university’s history, the mansion house was constructed in 1919-20 for Dr. Presley Rixey, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral who had served as personal physician to Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

After Dr. Rixey’s death in 1928, the estate was sold to one Mrs. Ida K. Polen, who used it as what historians diplomatically call a “tea house.” The office of Marymount president Matthew Shank occupies what had once been one of the bedrooms of the ladies who may, or may not, have been plying a certain profession there. (Crandall Mackey would not have approved.)

In 1937, the mansion was pressed into action as the restaurant for Washington Golf & Country Club, after a fire destroyed the neighboring clubhouse.

ships include frequent visits by government officials, sports teams, students, artists and more.

Arlington is one of more than 2,000 communities in more than 130 countries that have partnerships coordinated by Sister Cities International.

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ister Cities: The international Sister City program was established in the aftermath of World War II, and in the 1950s was embraced by the Eisenhower administration in order to promote people-to-people interactions across borders. But the concept goes back much further: cities in present-day Germany and France became “twins” almost 1,200 years ago.

Arlington was a late bloomer when it came to the effort, but these days has five Sister City relationships: Coyoacán, Mexico; Aachen, Germany; Reims, France; San Miguel, El Salvador; and IvanoFrankivsk, Ukraine.

Overseen locally by a non-profit organization, Arlington’s Sister City relation-

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rees: Anyone taking off or landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport knows that Arlington has its fair share of trees for a semi-urban environment. In fact, a 2016 survey concluded that there were approximately 755,400 trees within the county’s borders, or about 50 per acre.

Flowering dogwood, white oak and red maple are among the most common types of trees found in the county, according to the survey.

The survey also concluded that Arlington’s trees help to reduce surface runoff by about 10.7 million cubic feet per year.

Their shading capacity helps to reduce total energy consumption by about $1 million a year in the county.

For information on the county’s trees, see the Web site at https://environment. arlingtonva.us/trees/.

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Lee Senior Center Performing Arts Showcase

Showcasing the voice and dance talents of our 55+ members, including The Sultanas, Lee Line Dancers and more. Free 2:30 - 4 p.m. at Lee Community Center

Brain Health Fair

Learn what your brain needs to work for you.

Call 703-228-0955 for registration details. Free 9 a.m. - noon at Walter Reed Community Center.

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Native Plant Sale

Spruce up your yard with native plants and shrubs.

1 - 3 p.m. at Long Branch Nature Center

Latino American Festival

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with live music, authentic Latino food, artistic presentations, games and more! Free 2 - 6 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School

Zombie Fun Run

Our family-friendly fun run and party is back!

Visit parks.arlingtonva.us/zombie-run to register.

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Bon Air Park

Teen Red Cross Baby-sitting Course

Teens learn best practices for baby-sitting from the pros!

Learn more at parks.arlingtonva.us, search “baby-sitting” 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Arlington Mill Community Center

2017 - 2018 Programs Parents Night Out!

Need a night out? Arlington kids 5-9 love our Parents Night Out as much as you do! Offered from 6 -10 p.m. on the second Friday of the month (Oct. - May) at Walter Reed Community Center. Check out all our Parents Night Out events at parks.arlingtonva.us, search “kids and family.”

Creative Preschoolers Program - Openings available!

Half-day cooperative preschool for children 3-5. Openings for the 201718 school year at Gunston, Carlin Hall, Lubber Run and Madison Community Centers. Visit parks.arlingtonva.us, search “creative preschool program”.

TJ Arts Studio @ Thomas Jefferson Community Center

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nion Army Occupation: The Civil War was over almost before it began for residents of Arlington (then known as Alexandria County and, at the time, connected politically to the city of Alexandria to the south).

It was on May 24, 1861 – not long after Virginians voted to secede from the Union – that federal troops occupied the community.

“Thousands of U.S. Army troops marched across the Potomac River to form a defensive perimeter around Washington, D.C.,” according to the National Park Service. “Units commanded by Maj. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Looking for a creative and welcoming arts studio? TJ is the answer.

Our fully functioning jewelry studio is a little known gem in the D.C. area. We offer Independent Study sessions too! Learn more at parks.arlingtonva.us, search “tj arts”.

Open Bounce At madison community center

Have an active child who loves to bounce? We’ve got the solution! Open Bounce is coming to Madison Community Center on the first Saturday of the month (Nov. - Feb.) $3 per session. To learn more, call 703-228-7781.

FUN OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Tired of the same routine? Check out our social clubs and family fun nights for the Office of Therapeutic Recreation! Teens and adults with disabilities are invited to join our social groups. Contact Katie Salyers at ksalyers@arlingtonva.us or call 703-228-4738 for details.

Also, our Family Fun drop-in events are held on the first Friday of the month (Oct. - May) from 6:30 - 8 p.m. On Oct. 6 we’ll feature an inflatable bounce house, a take home craft and space to get your sillies out.

Contact TRinfo@arlingtonva.us to learn more.

Explore more and sign up for updates at parks.arlingtonva.us

September 2017

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A group of Arlington seniors in 2013 toured Arlington’s renovated Water Pollution Control Plant. The water departing the plant for the Chesapeake Bay watershed is clean enough to drink.

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FROM PAGE 9

Gen. Charles W. Sandford occupied the Arlington Heights and troops set to work fortifying the area around the vacated mansion home of Robert E. Lee and his family.”

One of the impacts of the occupation was a denuding of the tree cover, as wood was used for building forts, providing heat and because the Union Army feared trees would provide cover for Confederate forces and renegades. As a result, much of Arlington’s current treescape is less than 150 years old.

Another impact was the seizure of Arlington House, owned through marriage

by Robert E. Lee. In what was seen as a

punitive move, the federal government took the house and grounds, ostensibly for non-payment of taxes, and began the first of what would be thousands of burials at what became known as Arlington National Cemetery.

The U.S. Supreme Court in the 1880s ruled that the seizure had been illegal, but with burials continuing, Lee’s descendants agree to take $180,000 in cash – a huge sum at the time – and relinquish control of the plantation house and rounds.

The war era also saw the construction of Freedman’s Village, located near where Columbia Pike can be found today, to provide housing for recently emancipated slaves. Some of Arlington’s most prominent African-American families descend from the residents there.

Your latest news now on Facebook The Sun Gazette has a new home on Facebook for the latest headlines, breaking news, sports and community events.

Visit www.facebook.com/groups/ insidearlington to join!

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X The Arlington NFL Flag Football League has more than 1,000 players, after having only a few dozen its first year.

ARLINGTON FLAG

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oter Registration: There’s still time to get registered for the 2017 election.

Voters in Arlington will go to the polls Nov. 7 to cast ballots for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, one County Board member, one School Board member and for their House of Delegates member.

In Virginia, voter-registration rolls close 21 days before the election. Virginia does not register voters by political party; voters can participate in the staterun primaries of any party, but if two or more parties hold a primary on the same day, the voter can only participate in one.

For complete details on registering to vote in Arlington, see the Website at https://vote.arlingtonva.us/voter-registration/. For information on the Arlington County Democratic Committee, see the Website at www.arlingtondemocrats. org. For information on the Arlington County Republican Committee, see the Website at www.arlingtongop.org. For information on the Arlington County Green Party, see the Web site at www. greensofarlington.org.

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ater Pollution Control Plant: Arlington officials in 2013 wrapped up the majority of work on a half-billion-dollar upgrade to the county’s Water Pollution Control Plant, located on South Glebe Road, which ensures that the wastewater coming from thousands of homes and businesses is purified before being released into the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The upgrade to the facility, whose costs have been borne borne by residential and commercial sewer customers

in Arlington and parts of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax County, has expanded treatment capacity to 40 million gallons per day, a third more than previously possible.

Fifteen years ago, before the upgrade was launched, the facility routinely became overwhelmed, leading to the release of wastewater that hadn’t been fully treated. The relatively large number of times this happened caught the attention of state regulators, and helped spur county officials to embark on a major rehabilitation – the largest capital project ever undertaken by the Arlington government.

The construction effort wasn’t free of controversy; neighbors complained about construction noise and some of the smells emanating from the plant. Fiscal hawks derided efforts to spruce up the facility with parkland and public art.

And while upgrades are an ongoing process, county officials are hopeful that they won’t need to embark on the next full-scale rehabilitation of the facility for several decades.

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-Games: Sometimes the lesser known sports are referred to as “X Games.” In Arlington, there are a few, and they are growing in popularity.

One is the Arlington Stallions Rugby Club, which was established in 2005.

Practice for the current season began Aug. 28.

The Stallions are an organization providing middle school and high school players the opportunity to learn and participate in the sport in Arlington Heights and neighboring areas.

Ultimate Frisbee has become quite popular in Arlington in recent years.

Wakefield, Washington-Lee and Yorktown high schools now have girls and boys teams.

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September 2017

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ARLINGTON A to Z

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FROM PAGE 11

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ton is the main Frisbee organization in the county. Founded in 2012, the league helps middle and high school boys and girls learn the sport and play in local, regional and national tournaments.

Arlington NFL Flag Football started a few years ago with just a couple dozen players. Now the league has exploded to more than 1,000 youth participants. Earlier this year, one girls team won a national championship. Teams play a fall season.

Pickleball is basically tennis played with a Wiffle ball on a smaller court and with a smaller racket. It has become very popular in Arlington, mainly for middle-aged to to senior-age players. The second-annual 2017 Mid-Atlantic Open Pickleball Tournament, a doubles competition, in Arlington at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center is Sept. 30 through Oct. 1.

Last year’s initial tournament consisted of nearly 300 players.

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orktown Football Coach: Bruce Hanson has been Yorktown High School’s head football coach for 32 years, including this season. Overall, he has been a head high

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ARLINGTON A to Z

coach? No one knows, not even Hanson, an Arlington resident and physical-education teacher at Yorktown. He’d like to achieve 250 victories by the end of this season, then start marching toward 275 or 300.

“I don’t have any hobbies,” Hanson said. “This [coaching football] is what I want to do.”

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Yorktown High School football coach Bruce Hanson could win 250 career games sometime during the fall season.

YORKTOWN

Referees and umpires of all sports are necessary to play the game, and there is always a local shortage of such officials.

school grid coach for 38 years, including the first six at Wakefield from 1974 to 1979.

Through Aug. 31 games this season, Hanson had 245 career victories, which ranks sixth highest on the Virginia High School League’s list of all-time winning head football coaches.

Hanson already has been inducted into the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame and the Northern Virginia Football Hall of Fame.

Hanson, who played high school foot-

ball in Montgomery County, Md. then attended the College of William and Mary, had a 215-134 record at Yorktown as of Aug. 31, and was 30-28-2 at Wakefield. He also was an assistant at Chantilly and W.T. Woodson high schools in Northern Virginia.

Hanson’s Yorktown teams have won two region championships, multiple district crowns and unofficial Arlington County titles, and have had only six losing seasons.

How long will Hanson continue to

Sun Gazette

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September 2017

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ebras: Whether youth or highschool games, referees and contest officials are needed to play such events. Sometimes they are referred to as “zebras” because of the black-andwhite striped jerseys they wear in some sports.

Unfortunately, there always seems to be a shortage of such officials, sometimes forcing games to be played on alternate days and nights.

The top game-officials organization for football in the area is the Northern Virginia Football Officials Association, for basketball it’s the Cardinal Basketball Officials Association, for girls softball the Northern Virginia Softball Umpires Association and for baseball the Northern Virginia Baseball Umpires Association.