If you’re looking for an activity to occupy the kids after winter break ends, winter tennis may be the answer.
Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation is offering winter indoor tennis lessons starting on January 22 and running through the first week of March. Lessons for children ages 3-13 will take place at the Fairlington Community Center (3308 S. Stafford Street).
Registration is also open for early spring tennis classes for both children and adults. Those classes will begin the second week in March and run through the second week in April.
Registration for the tennis courses, and for other winter classes, can be done online.
(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) If you’re a federal government employee, you’re now eligible to go swimming at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.
The military base announced a policy change today that will open up most recreation facilities there to non-Department of Defense federal employees. Among the facilities that federal workers can now take advantage of are the Fort Myer Bowling Center and the Fort Myer Officers’ Club. The club has a swimming pool, tennis and racquetball courts and fine dining facilities.
Federal workers don’t have to be an Officers’ Club member to use the facilities, but they will have to pay a non-member fee. Official government ID is required to access the facilities. The policy change announced today also allows federal employees to join the Officers’ Club, if they wish.
The fitness centers and child development center at Fort Myer will continue to be for DoD personnel only.
The Officers’ Club and the bowling center can be accessed through the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Hatfield Gate.
Early Tennis Class Registration — Registration for early spring tennis classes via the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation began yesterday. The classes run for four weeks starting March 12. Registration for full spring classes for tennis and other sports begins on March 14th. Summer camp registration, meanwhile, opens on Feb. 22.
Wine Event in Crystal City This Weekend — The Virginia Wine and Food Showcase is taking place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott (1700 Jefferson Davis Hwy) on Feb. 18 and 19. The event features more than 300 wines from around Virginia… and a speed dating session. [NBC Washington]
This Date in Arlington History — Feb. 16, 1945: “Ignition of spilled nail polish led to an explosion and fire that wrecked a South Fillmore Street beauty shop.” [Sun Gazette]
Arlington County’s tennis program has been recognized for excellence by the United States Tennis Association.
The USTA Mid-Atlantic Section named Arlington County’s Parks Department its “2010 Parks and Recreation Agency of the Year.” The award is in recognition of the county’s “overall tennis programming.”
“This award demonstrates that the state of tennis in Arlington County is strong and getting even stronger,” Parks Department Sports Programmer Eric Legg said in a statement. “As the popularity of tennis in Arlington County grows, so too does the quality of tennis programming and facilities.”
There are nearly 90 tennis courts in Arlington County, including those currently under construction. This year the county renovated 14 tennis courts (see photo).
Parks spokesperson Nathan Spillman says there’s “no doubt that it’s been a good year for tennis in Arlington County.”
Spillman said that there were 1,135 youth and adult registrations for county-run tennis classes this year — a 144 percent increase since 2007.
Other factors contributing to Arlington’s recognition, Spillman said, were the 10,700 hours of tennis playing time reserved so far this year, along with the two USTA-sanctioned tournaments held in the county and the two charity tournaments hosted in partnership with the Arlington County Tennis Association.
Brooks Visits Pacers — Shoemaker Brooks visited the Pacers Running Store in Clarendon yesterday. The company brought along prizes and a double-decker bus.
Arlington PD Officially Announces Project Lifesaver Program — As we first reported in June, Arlington will be joining the Project Lifesaver program, which provides electronic tracking devices to help locate individuals who tend to wander due to cognitive problems. The department made the official announcement in a press release last night. Families interested in enrolling their loved ones into the service should call 877-434-6384.
Arlington Tennis Phenom Advances in U.S. Open — Arlington’s own Denis Kudla, 18, is one of three U.S. boys to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S Open junior boys’ tournament in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. More from the Washington Post and the NY Times.
Update on Arlington Mill Community Center — Via DC Mud, we learn that the county is trying again to find a developer to build a mixed-income residential complex behind the planned Arlington Mill Community Center on Columbia Pike. The developer most recently chosen for the residential project backed out, leaving the county to fish for more proposals. The palatial recreation center could break ground early next year, and an existing building is set to be demolished next month, DC Mud reports.
