Virginia Bluebells: Native Spring Beauty
Carpets of bluebells coming soon to a park near you.
The Virginia Bluebells are coming. In early Spring, these native wildflowers will burst into bloom profusely throughout much of the Washington area. Botanically named Mertensia virginica, one of a number of species of Mertensia, Virginia Bluebells can be found in many moist, woodland areas, especially along streams and rivers. Depending on the weather, they first appear in early April as light pink buds, and then open into several shades of pink, blue and even white. In some areas along the local rivers they bloom in stunning profusion, creating a veritable carpet of color.
Spring Fun for Dogs
Say goodbye to the dreadful polar vortex and ring in warmer weather with your dog at James Hunter Park.
“Flourishing After 55”
“Flourishing After 55” from Arlington Office of Senior Adult Programs for April 7-12. Senior trips: Monday, April 7, U.S. Botanic Garden, D.C., $8; Wednesday, April 9, Brandywine River Museum, Chadds Ford, Pa., $35; Friday, April 11, Lee-Fendall House and Garden, Alexandria, $13. Call Arlington County 55+ Travel, 703-228-4748. Registration required.
‘Carmen’ Comes to Area
Virginia Opera brings "Carmen" to Center for the Arts.
Virginia Opera, the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, will present Georges Bizet’s sultry tragedy about opera’s most famous femme fatale, "Carmen." The opera has enthralled audiences for more than a century and is one of the most popular. "Carmen" follows Don José and his ill-fated obsession with the alluring Carmen who tosses him aside for another man leading to jealous rage.
Commentary: Mental Health and Expansion of Medicaid
There is a growing consensus forming in the General Assembly that now is the time to improve the safety net for mental health services. Both the House and Senate budgets increase funding for these services by millions of dollars (House proposed a $10 million increase and the Senate $20 million) above the proposed budget of $36 million that Governor McDonnell presented in December.
‘Goal Is To Spot Kids in Crisis’
Police, others take suicide prevention training.
Although there have been four recent incidents of teen suicides in Fairfax County, the Police Department has planned to offer Suicide Awareness and Intervention Training for its officers since October 2013.
Celebrating Inclusion
Board of Supervisors Names March Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Inclusion Month.
The Board of Supervisors has designated March "Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Inclusion Month" in Fairfax County. Both those with disabilities and those without have their lives enriched when people with disabilities are fully included in the community. This special month seeks to help those with disabilities find ways to be involved in the community, and bring awareness to others of these engaged neighbors.
Arlington Home Sales: February, 2014
In February 2014, 167 Arlington homes sold between $2,600,000-$135,000.
Arlington Home Sales: February, 2014
Seven Scouts Achieve Eagle Rank
The largest group of Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 167 in Arlington to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout was honored for their achievement on March 1 at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church. Those attaining Eagle Rank were: * Brian Claeys – junior, Gonzaga College High School, * Spencer Cobb – senior, Yorktown High School, * Nicholas Goryachev – junior, Yorktown High School, * Ross Kocher – junior, Yorktown High School, * Callan Rogers – senior, HB Woodlawn Secondary Program, * Andrew Schweser – senior, Wakefield High School, * David V. Wein-Kandil – senior, HB Woodlawn Secondary Program. The Scouts have been friends for several years and elected to participate together in the Eagle Court of Honor — the first time in the troop’s history to so honor a group of young men.
‘Anne of Green Gables’ Opens Friday
Aldersgate Church Community Theatre presents the Alexandria premiere of “Anne of Green Gables.” Relive all of the memorable events and characters from the in L.M. Montgomery’s enduring tale about an orphan, Anne Shirley — “Anne with an ‘e’” — who dreams big and leads with her heart. From her first encounter with Marilla, her austere guardian, to her thrilling graduation from Queen's Academy, we experience all the tragedies and triumphs that mark Anne's growth from adolescence to early adulthood: her friendship with Diana, her feuds with Gilbert, her adoration of Matthew, the mistaken wine bottle, the cake disaster, the broken leg, the scholastic achievements, and the saving of Green Gables. Whether the playgoer is an old “kindred spirit” of Anne's or meeting her for the first time, audiences will fall in love with one of literature's most unforgettable characters.
Lester M. Bridgeman
Lester M. Bridgeman, 90, a lawyer since 1951, died suddenly after a day at the office on Thursday, March 6, 2014. A native of Paterson, N.J., Mr. Bridgeman grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was a long-time resident of Alexandria. He affiliated with a law firm based in Mobile, Ala. in the mid-1980s, and relocated there permanently about 25 years ago.After a brief period studying forestry at Syracuse University, Mr. Bridgeman joined the Army in 1943, attending (and playing football for) LSU until he volunteered for combat duty and was assigned to the 12th Armored Division. He was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Bridgeman was graduated from Syracuse’s College of Arts and Sciences cum laude in 1948 and from Columbia University’s School of Law. He worked for the Civil Aeronautics Board from 1951-53, leaving to become a Bigelow Teaching Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School.
Yorktown Girls’ Lacrosse Team Facing New Challenges
After eight straight National District titles, Patriots move to Conference 6
The Yorktown girls' lacrosse team won eight straight district titles before the VHSL's six-class re-alignment.
Editorial: Income Gap Alive and Well
Statistics make life in the area sound idyllic, but many families are left out in the land of plenty.
Northern Virginia is a place of wonder and plenty. So says the New York Times this past week in, "Income Gap Meet the Longevity Gap," (March 15, 2014).
No Know. No Problem.
I felt a bit of a dope this week when, after reading last week’s column, "Whew!", multiple friends called to inquire specifically as to the "Tony-the-Tiger Great" news I wrote that I received from my oncologist, and I couldn’t answer them in any detail: shrinkage, less fluid, "partial stable remission"? Nothing. And though I tried to get my oncologist to explain to me exactly what was so encouraging about this most recent CT Scan – compared to the one I took three months ago (as opposed to the one I had nine months ago which was mistakenly compared to this most recent scan and resulted in the "Some better, some worse. I’ll explain more on Friday" e-mail I received from my doctor and talked about in "Whew!") – I was rebuffed. Rebuffed in the best possible way: being told instead how great I was doing, how great my lab results were (for this most recent pre-chemotherapy) and how I could live a long time like this (presumably continuing to be infused with Alimta) – it was almost disconcerting; especially when you consider the original e-mail assessment we received and our less-than-positive interpretation of it. Moreover, the oncologist’s exuberance and smiling countenance, along with his offer of a congratulatory handshake led me away from the missing facts and immediately into these new-found feelings.
How To Prepare for New SAT
Local experts say working hard in class is the best way to be successful.
Linda Mitchell and her 15-year-old daughter, Alexis, say they don’t really know what to expect when Alexis sits for the SAT college admissions exam in 2016, but they’re not too worried at this point. Two years is a long time.
‘Oh Dad, Poor Dad’ To Debut in Arlington
The American Century Theater is presenting the Arthur Kopit farce, “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad,” March 21-April 12 at Gunston Arts Center, Theatre Two, in Arlington. Described by the playwright as “a Pseudoclassical Tragifarce in a Bastard French Tradition,” this antic, absurdist black comedy about the most dysfunctional family imaginable was an Off-Broadway sensation in 1962 and a hardly-watched 1967 film starring Rosalind Russell, Barbara Harris, and Jonathan Winters. A farce in three scenes, “Oh Dad, Poor Dad …” tells the bizarre tale of wealthy, domineering mother Madame Rosepettle, who travels to a luxury resort in a Cuban hotel, bringing along her stuttering son, a man-eating Venus Fly Trap plant, a piranha, and her deceased husband, preserved and in his casket.
Art Educators, Galleries Celebrate Youth Art Month
Experts say art can teach valuable life skills.
Brightly colored self-portraits, landscapes dotted with spring flowers and hand-carved sculptures fill a gallery at the McLean Project for the Arts in McLean. All of the art was created by local school children. Meanwhile, in Alexandria, parents and tots dip their fingers in glue, clay and paint to create collages, sculptures and paintings.
Letter to the Editor: Historical Society’s Role in Arlington
I wish to commend “Arlington Connection” for the excellent article by Steve Hibbard (“Exploring Arlington History,” March 12-18) about efforts to capture and relate the history of Arlington County. The attention to the Arlington Historical Society (AHS), as well as the Center for Local History (CLH) at Central Library, the Black Heritage Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, and the County Office of Historical Preservation will benefit all Arlingtonians by letting them know what is going on and where to find out more about programs. It is worth mentioning that the Arlington Heritage Center, originally intended as a “one-stop” introduction for visitors to Arlington, could become a reality if space were to be found in the planned County building that will be part of redeveloped Courthouse Square.
Synetic Theater Stages “Hamlet”
Synetic Theater is remounting Shakespeare’s “Hamlet … the rest is silence,” the abstract and wordless show that struck gold for them in 2002 when it debuted in Washington. This silent rendering stars Alex Mills, 24, as Prince Hamlet, Irina Tsikurishvili as Gertrude, Iraakli Kavsadze as Claudius and Irina Kavsadze as Ophelia. To help celebrate the Bard’s 450th birthday this year, Synetic took an abstract approach to the tragedy set in Denmark by using sparse sets, minimal props (originally by Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili), dramatic lighting design (by Brittany Diliberto), minimal black-and-white costumes (Claire Cantwell) and intense sound design (Irakli Kavsadze). Synetic is best known for fusing the classical elements of drama, movement, mime, dance and music. The storyline of “Hamlet” centers on the revenge the grief-stricken Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering Hamlet’s father, Claudius’s brother. He succeeds to the throne and takes his wife Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. The play explores everything from incest to revenge to madness and corruption.
The Annual Shamrock Crawl
Clarendon Boulevard was filled with participants on the annual Shamrock Crawl on Saturday. March 15.