Aurora Highlands Civic Association (AHCA)

April AHCA Meeting (CANCELED)
2020-04-08 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
7pm, 735 18th St.
The April monthly meeting has been canceled.

Livability Workshop: Route 1/East-West Corridor. (POSTPONED)
2020-04-18
This event has been postponed due to complications planning and scheduling with the COVID-19 situation.
It will be rescheduled when planning is complete and it can be safely held.

Stuff the Truck COVID-19 Charity Event
2020-06-06 11:00 - 13:00 | Calvary United Methodist Church, 2315 S Grant St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Friends, the Chirilagua community right next to us has been hit hard by COVID-19 with job loss and illness, and they *urgently* need support. You can help — bring nonperishable food and diapers etc to Calvary UMC (at Grant St and 23rd S) this Saturday 6/9 from 11a-1pm. We are hoping to fill an entire 20-foot truck with supplies. Info and a list of most needed household and food supplies is here: http://www.calmeth.org/mission-covid
“STUFF THE TRUCK” EVENT
COMMUNITY-WIDE MISSION TO FILL 20-FOOT TRUCK WITH FOOD AND SUPPLIES FOR HARD-HIT CHIRILAGUA COMMUNITY

WHAT: STUFF THE TRUCK

WHEN: Saturday, June 6th 2020; 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

WHERE: Calvary UMC, 2315 S. Grant Street, Arlington, VA 22202

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many in the Chirilagua neighborhood are experiencing hardship from job loss, sickness, and food insecurity. Recent data revealed that over 40% of Chirilagua residents are unemployed and, in mid-May, over 55% of COVID tests taken by community members living in Chirilagua were positive.

To respond to the crisis in Chirilagua, Calvary UMC launched MISSION:COVID in May. The project will culminate in a “Stuff the Truck” donation event on Saturday, June 6 from 11am-1pm. This large-scale, community-wide food collection event has set an ambitious goal to fill a 20-foot truck with the items most needed by Chirilagua residents and families.

To participate, donors can come to Calvary UMC and bring donated food and supplies to place in the truck. Items needed most are shelf-stable foods such as rice, beans, canned food and corn flour.

“Stuff the Truck” caps off a month-long fund drive to raise urgently needed resources for Chirilagua community. Church members and friends have so far raised $24,000 of its $25,000 goal needed to aid Chirilagua. The church has planned to make an additional pledge of $15,000 to bring the total contribution to at least $40,000.

Donors wishing to make a financial contribution to Mission:COVID can donate at the event or through the Calmeth.org website, or text GIVE to 703-936-2684 and select MISSION:COVID from the menu.

For a list of items and supplies needed and more information, visit Calmeth.org/mission-covid

CONTACT: Jenny Lawhorn, 202.821.8898

Picnic Dinner and Live Music
2020-06-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Virginia Highlands Park, 1537 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Saturday June 6th Picnic Dinner and Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music and food truck from 6-8pm.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a musician, Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock. Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/
Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband
*Dan is offering to play for free for our community, but please consider a virtual tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians.You can provide a virtual tip on Venmo & Paypal: @danbarrymusic
For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://www.crystalcity.org/delivery.
And the Crab Cab Food Truck will be on site to provide tasty seafood dishes from 6-8pm. You can view their menu and even pre-order with them by going to their website https://www.crab-cab.com/
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are of a similar event from May 30

12th St Development Pre-briefing
2020-06-08 19:00 - 20:00
COVID-19 has changed all of our patterns recently, including community outreach and awareness of development projects in Arlington County. The County has recently issued an ordinance on public meetings that will limit in-person participation in SPRC, Planning Commission, and County Board meetings. Since we in the 22202 zip code may experience the majority of development plans that will come before the Board, it is important that we all stay informed and make our views known during the early stages of planning. Luckily we have a good partner in JBG Smith.
In advance of the expected SPRC meeting to be held by the County on JBG Smith’s development plans for 101 S. 12th Street, JBG Smith is offering voluntarily an informal briefing open to the public for information purposes and questions. The Crystal City Civic Association is sponsoring this meeting since the development will be done in Crystal City in order to ensure substantial outreach to the community during the COVID-19 crisis which has made face to face meetings impossible. Anyone who plans to attend the virtual SPRC meeting (potentially in July) should plan to attend this virtual meeting.
JBG will be hosting this virtual meeting on WebEx June 8 from 7-8 pm with a 20-25 minute presentation by JBG Smith followed by a Q and A period. The participation will be by pre-registration only for security purposes and is open to 22202 residents and other invited guests, including County planners. In order to attend, please register here. Registrants who prefer to attend by phone can use the phone number below to call. In the same way that County Board virtual meetings are currently being held on the COVID crisis, a chat feature will be available to submit questions or comments that will be answered after the briefing.

June AHCA *VIRTUAL* Meeting
2020-06-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
After the hiatus result from COVID-19, AHCA will be resuming monthly meetings in June with a virtual online format. Please REGISTER HERE to receive a confirmation email with details about joining the meeting and the option to add a reminder to your calendar. For those unable to use Zoom, we expect to also stream the event live to Facebook @aurorahighlands (no app or Facebook account required). Our Arlington Ridge and Crystal City neighbors are welcome to join in this meeting as well.

Have you noticed lately that we are using our sidewalks, streets, parks, and other public spaces in different ways? Or wondering why we aren’t already doing more to make these resources more useful for the neighborhood? Wondering what our fellow neighbor Amazon has been doing during the Covid crisis or how the HQ2/MetPark buildout is going? And what about all of the businesses and restaurants in our area, many locally owned – how have they been holding up?
Then join us Wednesday, 7-9pm for our June meeting, as we’re fortunate to have a terrific lineup talking about those topics. Each 10-20 minute presentation will be followed by a 10 minute Q&A session.

Phil Myrick, CEO of Project for Public Spaces (PPS) will be our headliner, speaking about the value of public spaces (parks, plazas, sidewalks, streets, etc.) during the recovery, and how we should be thinking differently about them long-term. We’re very fortunate to have him, and very timely given all of the changes on tap for this area.

Read a few recent PPS articles, “The Recovery Will Happen in Public Space” and “The Ligher, Quicker, Cheaper Transformation of Public Spaces” to get a taste of their expertise, which echoes many of the important goals we’ve identified for the area in our own Livability 22202 work.

Brooke Oberwetter, Head of External Affairs at Amazon will discuss their COVID response in the area, progress on Met Park buildout and hiring, and provide a community engagement update.

Hopefully the pile driving for MetPark6/7/8 wasn’t so loud that you didn’t hear the call out to provide your feedback on the initial design concepts for the public space at Met Park or hear that Amazon has been supporting our 23rd street restaurants with massive orders for front line workers.

Tracy Gabriel, President of the Crystal City Business Improvement District will round out the presentations with an update on the work they’ve been doing supporting our businesses and the state of businesses in the area.

If you’ve been following the news, you’ll know the BID officially expanded to cover Pentagon City in Aurora Highlands last year. It is expected to be officially renamed National Landing BID soon, and can begin officially programming in our area starting in July. We look forward to working more closely with them as they introduce their core set of services, programming, events and placemaking to all of National Landing, while continuing to celebrate Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard as unique and distinctive communities.

This will be AHCA’s first virtual meeting. We expect it to go well, but there may be hiccups. Our bylaws did not envision virtual meetings, so we will not be performing any official actions such as making motions and taking votes. If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer afterwards and we’ll discuss with you.

The Story of Plastic
2020-06-16 19:00 - 20:30
Arlington Independent Media, Sustainable Scoop, and EcoAction Arlington are promoting an opportunity for people to enjoy a free screening of The Story of Plastic on June 16. There will be a discussion including Neil Seldman of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, Eric Grabowsky, Bureau Chief of the Arlington County Solid Waste Bureau, and teens founders of For A Strawless Sea, an Arlington youth lead initiative focused on reducing styrofoam and other single use plastic. They will present their innovative idea on a reusable to go box program.

Civic Federation June Meeting
2020-06-16 19:00 - 21:00
The June 16,2020 ACCF Membership Meeting will be conducted on a virtual basis using Zoom, a video conferencing app. Delegates; Alternate Delegates; others associated with member organizations; and the public may attend the meeting if they register for the meeting on June 16 between 6:15PM and 7PM.

Registration for the meeting requires using Zoom’s sign-in process. Please use your first and last name as your signin name so that we can track delegate participation.If you are not familiar with Zoom, here is a link for infomation and instructions on how to register and participate in CivFed’s June 16 Membership Meeting.

Civic Federation June 2020 Virtual Membership Meeting
June 16, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time

Use this link to join the June Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84047200229?
pwd=[REDACTED]

You can join the meeting by logging onto Zoom’s website andentering Meeting ID: 816 1299 6398 Password: [REDACTED]

You can join the meeting by calling +1 301 715 8592 and use this information to answer prompts: Meeting ID: 840 4720 0229 Password: [REDACTED]

There is also a one-tap mobile option:
+16465588656,,84047200229#,,1#,075542#

Agenda
June 16, 2020 ACCF Membership Meeting

6:30 Sign-in opens
7:00 Call to Order
· Pledge
7:10 Candidate Forum
· County Board special election candidate forum
· Questions
8:00 APS Superintendent Program
· Dr. Francisco Durán, APS Superintendent
· Questions
8:30 Awards
9:00 Officer Elections
· Officer Elections
· Old Business
· Minutes
· New Business
o Public Services committee chair, stormwater management
9:30 Adjourn

LWV Candidates Forum
2020-06-20 13:00 - 15:00
The LWV will be hosting a virtual forum for the three County Board candidates on Saturday, June 20 from 1 to 3pm

Republican Primary
2020-06-23
There will be a Republican primary on June 23 to choose an opponent for Senator Mark Warner in November. The candidates are Daniel Gade, Thomas Speciale and Alissa Baldwin. There is no Democratic Primary.
In person voting will be available. The deadline to vote early in person is June 20. You can also get an absentee ballot application for either election mailed to you. Covid is a viable “illness disability excuse.” The Election Office cautions that it can take up to 10 days for a voter to receive a ballot after requesting, and voters should not mail back a completed ballot with less than 10 days before the election. Drop off locations will also be available, including at our Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th St S, June 18 3-6pm.
For more details on the candidates, see the nonpartisan information provided by The League of Women Voters of Arlington.

Crystal City Open Space Series
2020-06-24 19:00 - 20:00
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Dear Community Members,
Our community has always been passionate about parks, and these days open space is feeling more important than ever. The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) has also received many community requests to play a greater role around planning for a network of open spaces and advancing the effort to create a robust network of sustainable, equitable, and inclusive parks.
Therefore, the BID is hosting a Crystal City Open Space Series to foster community dialogue and feedback to inform an open space framework for new Crystal City parks and open spaces being developed by JBG SMITH.
You are invited to participate in this series which will consist of three virtual community workshops to share your priorities and goals for the types of programming and activities most desired. We encourage all voices and diverse perspectives in our community to participate in this effort. To learn more about the effort, please check out this online forum to explore proposed open space locations associated with JBG SMITH developments and leave your comments and feedback.
Please register in advance for the first workshop scheduled for Wednesday, June 24th at 7 PM. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information and a link about joining the meeting.
June 24, 2020
7:00PM to 8:00PM
REGISTER FOR THE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
Agenda

Review previous community engagement processes and outcomes
Introduce Open Space Framework Vision, Values, and Approach
Discuss community goals and priorities

We look forward to connecting and learning more from the community.
Sincere Best,
Tracy
Tracy Sayegh Gabriel
President & Executive Director
Phone: 703-412-9430 | Email: admin@crystalcity.org

Live Music at the Park
2020-06-27 18:00 - 20:00, 2020-07-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Virginia Highlands Park, 1537 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Bring your own Picnic and games to enjoy.

Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music from approximately 6-8pm. Every Saturday through July, weather permitting.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a local musician. Recently we’ve had Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock (Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/, Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband) and Gary Chambers, playing upbeat acoustic rock.
*Musicians are playing for free for our community, but please consider a tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians. Performers will provide their details for virtual tips.
For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://nationallanding.org/city-life/eat-and-shop/delivery. Food trucks may be on site, but no guarantees.
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are from similar activities in May and June.

Free Tree Deadline
2020-06-29
Trees are good for you comfort and your wallet. They increase your property value, lower your A/C bill, and reduce flooding. They benefit all of us by providing shade and improving neighborhood air quality. And they provide habitat for wildlife such as songbirds and pollinators.
Hundreds of your neighbors have already saved $200–$300 by signing up for a free tree, to be planted in the fall on your property. The deadline is June 29. Individuals and groups, such as places of worship or homeowner associations, can apply. For details see https://www.ecoactionarlington.org/community-programs/trees/. If you’re in Aurora Highlands or Arlington Ridge, contact Kathy Landis. She is coordinating applications for our neighborhoods. landis59@gmail.com

July 4 Neighborhood Celebration
2020-07-04 17:00 - 20:00 | Virginia Highlands Park, 1537 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Enjoy the 4th of July afternoon with fun, safe, and easy community activities at Virginia Highlands Park.
Fly kites, use the obstacle course for your gliders or paper air planes, listen to music and enter the contests. Be safe and social distance always! Thank you.
5-8pm Live music
5pm-6pm Gary Chambers
6pm-8pm Flippin’ Eyelids band

Food and drinks
Pick up or order food and beverages from your favorite local area restaurants and bring them over for a picnic! So many choices.
Extreme Pizza Pentagon City will also deliver to the park. Promo code “Neighbor” for 10% off.
For deliveries, use address: VA Highlands Park Softball Field 1551 S Joyce St Arlington, VA 22202

Contests for kids (12 and under) and adults (13+)
We’re asking that only 1 adult and 1 kid per family/group enter each contest. This is to help keep the contests safe with fewer people and room for social distancing. We also have limited quantities of extra kites and hula hoops to lend. Be sure to cheer for your participant!
5:30 Kite flying contest
Make sure that there are no people or obstacles nearby. Start with your kite in hand. When prompted, you’ll have 5 minutes to get your kite in the air. From then on, whoever has their kite up the longest wins! Use your own kite or borrow one from the park. 2 winners; kid and adult.
6:00 Paper airplane racing contest.
Begin making your paper airplane early! At 6:00pm line up by the hearts, and when prompted, throw your paper airplane as far as possible. Kid contest goes first and adult contest follows. Must be handmade paper airplanes, no gliders. 2 winners; kid and adult.

3 examples of ways to make a paper airplane

7:00 Hula hoop contest
Line up near the hearts. Use your own hula hoop or use one at the park. Start with your hula hoop around your waist. When prompted, start hula hooping! Whomever last the longest wins! Kid contest goes first and adult contest follows. 2 winners; kid and adult.
Photo contest
Upload your photos of today’s events to your Facebook or Instagram social media. Post must be public. Use the hashtag #HeartsAtVirginiaHighlandsPark. Photo with the most likes wins a gift card to a National Landing restaurant. $50 (1st place) and $25 (2nd place). Ends 7/10/2020. More contest info on aurorahighlands.org.

Safety First
Please come if you can, but attend safely and follow all current Arlington COVID-19 Guidelines.

At the park, maintain 6-10 feet distance between you and individuals not from your same household.
Wear a face covering where possible.
Stay at home if you have a fever or symptoms of COVID-19, or known exposure to a COVID-19 case in the prior 14 days.

Is there space? Yes! The fields provide almost 4 acres of open area.

Follow for Community Updates

@AuroraHighlands Twitter
@AuroraHighlands Facebook
@AuroraHighlands Instagram
AuroraHighlands.org Web site

@NationalLanding Twitter
@NationalLandingBID Facebook
@NationalLanding Instagram
NationalLanding.org Website

County Board Election
2020-07-07
July 7 is the election to replace the seat vacated by the death of Arlington County Board member Erik Gutshall. Candidates include Republican Bob Cambridge, Democrat Takis Karantonis and Independent Susan Cunningham. The County Board is your most local elected representative. Local elections matter, so please cast your vote.
In person voting will be available. The deadline to vote early in person is July 4. You can also get an absentee ballot application for either election mailed to you. Covid is a viable “illness disability excuse.” The Election Office cautions that it can take up to 10 days for a voter to receive a ballot after requesting, and voters should not mail back a completed ballot with less than 10 days before the election. Drop off locations will also be available, including at our Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th St S, June 18 3-6pm and July 2 3-6pm.
For more details on the candidates, see the nonpartisan information provided by The League of Women Voters of Arlington. The Arlington Committee of 100 is hosting a virtual candidates forum at the same time as our June meeting, June 10 7pm-8:15pm. The LWV will also be hosting a virtual forum for the three County Board candidates on Saturday, June 20 from 1 to 3pm. Arlington Independent Media and EcoAction Arlington are also hosting an environmental candidates forum Thursday, June 25 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom for the three Arlington Board candidates.

July AHCA Meeting
2020-07-08 19:00 - 21:00
On the agenda this month, we have some informative sessions on volunteer initiatives and a presentation by Dominion Power about expanding the 18th street substation.

Eric McCleaf along with other CERT volunteers are excited to tell us about the Arlington CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and answer any questions you may have about being trained to help first responders in the event of a disaster.
Neighbor Stephen D’Alessio will talk and answer questions about the Arlington Community Corp. They are providing important services to our community right now and want people to know what we can do for them and how they can help us.
Representatives from Dominion Power will share preliminary plans for expanding the electric substation at Hayes & Fern St, which may include giving the County the now vacant contaminated lot at 18th & Ives for the grassy mew next to the substation on Hayes St.

Like June, the July monthly meeting will also be virtual, via Zoom. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar.

Register Now for July AHCA Meeting

This will be AHCA’s second virtual meeting. Like June, the July monthly meeting will also be virtual, via Zoom. Pre-registration is not required, but if you do, you can easily add it to your calendar.
We expect it to go well, but there may still be hiccups. Our bylaws did not envision virtual meetings, so we will not be performing any official actions such as making motions and taking votes. If you have an issue that you feel needs to be raised, please contact an officer afterwards and we’ll discuss with you.
No meeting is planned for August.

Live Music at the Park
2020-07-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Virginia Highlands Park, 1537 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Bring your own Picnic and games to enjoy.

This Saturday the 18th, Dan Barry will return.
Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/,
Instagram: @guybotsnowflake
Facebook: @danbarryband

Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music from approximately 6:30-8pm. Every Saturday through July, weather permitting.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a local musician. Recently we’ve had Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock (Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/, Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband) and Gary Chambers, playing upbeat acoustic rock.
*Musicians are playing for free for our community, but please consider a tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians. Performers will provide their details for virtual tips.
For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://nationallanding.org/city-life/eat-and-shop/delivery. Food trucks may be on site, but no guarantees.
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are from similar activities in May and June.

Live Music at the Park
2020-07-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Virginia Highlands Park, 1537 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Bring your own Picnic and games to enjoy.

Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music from approximately 6:30-8pm. Every Saturday through July, weather permitting.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a local musician. Recently we’ve had Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock (Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/, Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband) and Gary Chambers, playing upbeat acoustic rock.
*Musicians are playing for free for our community, but please consider a tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians. Performers will provide their details for virtual tips.
For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://nationallanding.org/city-life/eat-and-shop/delivery. Food trucks may be on site, but no guarantees.
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are from similar activities in May and June.

Moving Livability 22202 Forward Zoom Meeting
2020-07-30 19:00 - 21:00
Save the date to join the three 22202 civic associations – Arlington Ridge, Aurora Highlands, Crystal City – July 30 from 7-9 pm for a virtual Zoom webinar on the status of our collective Livability 22202 efforts. Much has happened since our first Livability 22202 Framework document was published in November 2019, and we have gotten much positive feedback from the County and developers for our united presentation. It has become a powerful, useful tool endorsed by the Arlington County Civic Federation as well.
From January to March 2020 we have organized three workshops on Housing and Open Space and begun work on two other areas – the Future of the Crystal City Underground and Route 1: Promoting East-West Accessibility. The purpose of this webinar is to share the work done by the four Livability committees, as well as information on a number of related Big Picture issues, and begin the process of community engagement and feedback. Following the July 30 presentations, there will be a three-week period for comment and a subsequent meeting for further discussion and conclusions.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jul 30, 2020 7:00 -9:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkcOqrpzwoG9BDh-aWAesTM1EIXvA7RBNb
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Saturday Music at the Park
2020-08-01 18:30 - 20:00
Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Bring your own Picnic and games to enjoy.

Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music from approximately 6:30-8pm. Every Saturday through August, weather permitting.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a local musician. Local neighborhood musician Jim Sheats is joining the lineup August 1 and August 29, playing Funk, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Country and more! Recently we’ve had Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock (Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/, Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband) and Gary Chambers, playing upbeat acoustic rock.
*Musicians are playing for free for our community, but please consider a tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians. Performers will provide their details for virtual tips.

For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://nationallanding.org/city-life/eat-and-shop/delivery. Food trucks may be on site, but no guarantees.
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are from similar activities in May and June.

Saturday Music at the Park
2020-08-08 18:30 - 20:00
Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Bring your own Picnic and games to enjoy.

Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music from approximately 6:30-8pm. Every Saturday through August, weather permitting.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a local musician. Local neighborhood musician Jim Sheats is joining the lineup August 1 and August 29, playing Funk, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Country and more! Recently we’ve had Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock (Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/, Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband) and Gary Chambers, playing upbeat acoustic rock.
For August 8, Gary Chambers will be performing.
*Musicians are playing for free for our community, but please consider a tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians. Performers will provide their details for virtual tips.

For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://nationallanding.org/city-life/eat-and-shop/delivery. Food trucks may be on site, but no guarantees.
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are from similar activities in May and June.

Zumba Tuesdays
2020-08-11 19:00 - 20:00
Every Tuesday in August, join neighborhood instructor Natalia Gomez for some fun Zumba and socially distant way to exercise.
Zumba in the park every Tuesday in August!
This 50 minute class is perfect for all ages and levels. Dance and exercise with plenty of room to socially distance yourself.
FREE event! But please consider a tip of $5 for our local volunteer instructor, Natalia.
WHAT YOU NEED: Bring water, towel, and wear exercise clothing
LOCATION: Virginia Highlands Park (Pentagon City metro) in the softball fields near the hearts.
Safety is always first! All local and CDC policies and guidelines for COVID need to be followed.

This is part of the community-led activities series. See the flyer for other events this month, and contact info@aurorahighlands.org if there’s a safe, socially distanced community activity you’d like to lead.

Dominion Energy Substation Expansion Community Meeting
2020-08-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual – WebEx
Dominion is holding a virtual community meeting to review the proposed expansion of the Crystal Substation power distribution center. This could also include a lad swap of their property at ives & 18th.
The meeting can be accessed through the project website, https://www.dominionenergy.com/projects-and-facilities/electric-projects/power-line-projects/crystal

Here is the letter sent to nearby neighbors:

Crystal Substation Improvement and Expansion Project
Dear Neighbor:
At Dominion Energy, we are committed to keeping neighbors informed of upcoming projects in their area. You are receiving this letter because we are preparing to make improvements to our Crystal Substation, located at the intersection of South Hayes Street and South Fern Street in Arlington County, Virginia. These improvements will allow us to continue providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to your community.
Crystal Substation has been in operation for several decades, and much of the equipment has reached the end of its service life. As part of this project, we will replace the aging infrastructure and make both safety and operational improvements. In order to complete this work, we are proposing an expansion of the existing substation.
Our proposed expansion involves a land exchange agreement with Arlington County. We would like to exchange existing property on South Ives Street and 18th Street (approximately 10,000 square feet) and acquire approximately 14,250 square feet of the adjacent parcel owned by Arlington County. This parcel is located to the west of the substation. In early July 2020, we submitted a rezoning application to the County Board to rezone our substation property to C-O-2.5.
In addition to expanding the substation, our team believes there is a great opportunity to improve the look of the substation to match the current and future vision of the National Landing area. These improvements include:

 removing the existing lattice roof
 transforming the brick building into an enclosed modernized building
 landscaping
 creating a green space area
We welcome feedback on our plans through September 2020, when we plan to submit our Special Use Permit for the November County Board meeting. We are also planning on holding a virtual community meeting to review the project on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020 from 6 – 7 p.m. You will receive an invitation to this meeting in the coming days. Until then, we have enclosed an FAQ document and a project timeline for your review.
For more information about this project, please visit our project website at DominionEnergy.com/crystal. Or contact us by sending an email to powerline@dominionenergy.com or calling 888-291-0190.
Sincerely,
The Electric Transmission Project Team

Project Timeline

July 6, 2020 – Submit rezoning application
July – September 2020 Outreach
Aug. 13, 2020 – Virtual community meeting
August – September 2020 – Solicit written feedback from community through Dominion Energy and Arlington County project websites
Sept. 8, 2020 – Submit Special Use Permit Application for November County Board hearing
Nov. 14, 2020 – County Board meeting
Late Q1 2021 – Anticipated construction start date
Q3 2022 – Anticipated completion of major construction of substation and electrical componentsQ2 2023 – Anticipated completion of aesthetical components of substation

*This schedule is subject to change based on permits, weather, etc.

[Updated] Saturday ART at the park - Find Origami Art
2020-08-15 18:30 - 20:00
[UPDATED] To make this is super safe event enjoyed by everyone, we’re switching it up! Instead of creating origami, FIND ORIGAMI IN THE PARK! Art created by Peijisan Art
Starting August 10th, come to Virginia Highlands Park (Pentagon City metro) to view large scale origami figures throughout the entire park including rabbits, butterflies, cranes, roses, and birds!
Make sure to tag your photos @aurorahighlands
and share with others the origami that you’re finding!
LOCATION: 1600 Hayes St S, Arlington, VA.
Follow Aurora Highlands Civic Associationon Facebook and Twitter to keep updated on this event and others.

Super Soaker Sunday
2020-08-16 17:00 - 18:00 | Virginia Highlands Park West-side fields, 1535 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Cool off from a distance! Enjoy a socially distant water gun squirt a palooza
BYOSG (Bring your own squirt gun/super soaker) and your masks
Rules:

Wear your mask!
No head shots, we want to keep our masks dry!
Stay with your pod/family
Stay 8 ft away from others
Have fun and get SOAKED!

-All ages welcome-

This is part of the community-led activities series. See the flyer for other events this month, and contact info@aurorahighlands.org if there’s a safe, socially distanced community activity you’d like to lead.

Zumba Tuesdays
2020-08-18 19:00 - 20:00, 2020-08-25 19:00 - 20:00
Every Tuesday in August, join neighborhood instructor Natalia Gomez for some fun Zumba and socially distant way to exercise.

This is part of the community-led activities series. See the flyer for other events this month, and contact info@aurorahighlands.org if there’s a safe, socially distanced community activity you’d like to lead.

Saturday Music at the Park - Gary Chambers
2020-08-22 18:30 - 20:00
Listen to musicians Gary Chambers (Aug 8th and 22nd) & Jim Sheats (Aug 29th). We encourage people to bring their lawn games (Frisbee, corn hole, lawn bowling, etc…) and a blanket and chair to sit on. Also, for your picnic dinner. Please consider supporting local restaurants with take out for your picnic dinner.

Live Music at Virginia Highlands Park
Bring your own Picnic and games to enjoy.

Safety first! There is plenty of room to safely social distance at the park.
Location 15th St and Joyce St S (softball field area).
Time: Music from approximately 6:30-8pm. Every Saturday through August, weather permitting.
Bring your blanket or a chair to listen to a local musician. Local neighborhood musician Jim Sheats is joining the lineup August 1 and August 29, playing Funk, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Country and more! Recently we’ve had Dan Barry, who plays acoustic soul & rock (Album: https://danbarry.hearnow.com/, Instagram: @guybotsnowflake Facebook: @danbarryband) and Gary Chambers, playing upbeat acoustic rock.
*Musicians are playing for free for our community, but please consider a tip donation of at least $5. It will make a big difference in the support of our local musicians. Performers will provide their details for virtual tips.

For your picnic. Consider one of the many local and diverse restaurants and pick up your picnic dinner from them! Here is a list of restaurants with to go and delivery options: https://nationallanding.org/city-life/eat-and-shop/delivery. Food trucks may be on site, but no guarantees.
Lawn games which don’t interfere with social distancing, picnics and the music are very welcomed!

Photos are from similar activities in May and June.

Route1 Lowering: community discussion
2020-08-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
ALL 22202 HANDS ON DECK, 7 PM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH

Register to attend a joint civic association Zoom meeting to learn about planning for “improvements” to Route 1 through a VDOT feasibility study.

These could include a business plan to lower Route 1 (Richmond Hwy) to ground level at 15th and 18th Streets. Cross streets would then have to cross Route 1 at traffic-signaled intersections rather than passing under Route 1 as they currently do. If implemented, this plan would likely have a significant impact on our 22202 community. Join us to learn about where matters currently stand and to weigh in with your questions and comments.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Aug 26, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEuduigqTwjGtMVyUsdxBnGUUMf-01wag8I

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
