County Manager Michael Brown has withdrawn a controversial proposal to move the Columbia Pike library from the Arlington Career Center to the future Arlington Mill Community Center. Brown told the county board today:
I am withdrawing the proposal to relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library. The library will continue to offer services at this branch, at its current location, with no change in scope or format.
Veggie Garden at Central Library Feeding Those in Need — Did you know that Arlington Central Library now has its own vegetable garden? The garden’s first crop of leafy greens was harvested yesterday. All produce grown in the garden is being donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. UPDATE: We hear that Christie Vilsack, wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak, may visit the garden later this month.
Gov. McDonnell Wants a Say at Metro — Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is making a heavy-handed push for the state to get two seats on the Metro Board of Directors. If he’s successful the seats may be taken away from Arlington and other Northern Virginia locales. More from the Washington Post.
County leaders got an earful about the proposed relocation of the Columbia Pike Branch Library at a town hall meeting last night.
“An angry standing room crowd” holding “signs and banners” loudly engaged library and county officials at the Arlington Career Center, a resident who attended the meeting tells us.
Army Chief Apologizes for Mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery — Poor record-keeping and inept management has resulted in hundreds of misidentified or unmarked graves at Arlington National Cemetery, the military revealed. At a press conference, Secretary of the Army John McHugh apologized to families whose loved one’s final resting place was affected by the mix-ups. He also promised to reform the “dysfunctional” management culture at the cemetery. Two of the top cemetery administrators are being forced out as a result of the Army probe. More from the Washington Post.
Battle Lines Drawn for East Falls Church Redevelopment Fight — A plan to redevelop the area around the East Falls Church Metro Station has many East Falls Church residents up in arms. Michael Perkins of the blog Greater Greater Washington, however, is singing the plan’s praises, saying it would “transform the East Falls Church Metro area into a mixed-use, pedestrian, bicycle and transit-oriented community.” More from Greater Greater Washington.
Arlington Public Library officials are considering moving the Columbia Pike Branch Library from the Arlington Career Center on South Walter Reed Drive to the soon-to-be-redeveloped Arlington Mill Community Center, near the western end of the Pike (see map).
The potential move, just revealed to the public, may be necessary if an expansion of the Career Center eats into the library’s current space.
On June 5, Arlington County will hold a focus group to hear the citizen ideas for the future of the library system. And they’re giving away an iPod to boot.
The county is specifically seeking ideas for ways to improve its libraries. Officials will be asking questions like “why do you use the Library?” and “what should the ‘library of the future’ look like?”
It’s expected to a be a beautiful, warm weekend, with temperatures reaching as high as 90 degrees. In other words, it’s the perfect weekend to head to a park, enjoy an outdoor movie, or go on a bike ride. See our events calendar for even more fun things to do.
Author talk with Novella Carpenter — The author of “Farm City” talks about her experience creating a fully operational farm on a vacant lot next to her Oakland, Calif. apartment. From 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Arlington Central Library (1015 North Quincy Street).
Arlington Police Investigate “Annoying” Calls — The Arlington Police Department has received more than 150 reports of “annoying” phone calls from the 307 area code. Police say they believe the calls “may have been the result of a computer dialing error.” See the police statement here.
Emergency Landing at DCA — A U.S. Airways flight from Reagan National Airport to Boston turned around and made an emergency landing at Reagan National due to “mechanical problems,” the Washington Post reports.
Check out the work in progress at this weekend’s 35th annual Friends of the Arlington Public Library Book Sale or during next weekend’s 3rd annual Tour des Bibliothéque (a bicycle tour of six Arlington libraries).
The land occupied by the old library will now be turned into a green space.
More from the Library News blog.
Under the proposed county budget, Arlington’s libraries will lose seven staff members, will no longer acquire compact discs or periodicals, and will face a dramatic cut in operating hours.
More from the Library News blog.
With all this talk of blizzards and groundhogs seeing their shadows, now might be a good time to willfully escape from reality and dream about spring (which is exactly a month and a half away.) Tonight, naturalist Greg Zell will lead a presentation about the wide variety of natural habitats and unique wildlife that reside within Arlington’s borders. Imagine, while everybody else is fighting for bread, milk and toilet paper at the grocery store, you can be learning about natural wonders that exist in your own backyard.
