Page, 6 Melissa Malpass from Great Falls attended the rally with daughters Maeve and Remy to see Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, v Entertainment, Page 8 Pet Connection Page, 4 Buttigieg Rallies in Arlington News Page 7 School Transportation Requested in home 2-27-20 home in Requested Time sensitive material. material. sensitive Time Problems, Especially Postmaster: Attention permit #322 permit Easton, MD Easton, for Disabled Students PAID U.S. Postage U.S. News, Page 3 STD PRSRT Photo by Tom Manning for the Connection by Tom Photo February 26-March 3, 2020 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com News Edison Park to Get $900K Makeover he Arlington County Board approved a contract with Crown TConstruction Service, Inc. to up grade heavily-used Edison Park with new playgrounds and other amenities. “Arlington’s parks and open spaces are vital to the health of our community,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said. The renovations of the 0.9-acre park were approved as a Neighborhood Conservation project for the Arlington Forest neighborhood. The project includes replacing the existing play area with two new play areas, one for chil- dren aged two to five, and the other for chil- dren aged five to 12. New furniture and fencing will be installed along with ramps, railings, and walls, to im- prove accessibility from the street and to the park trail. Native plants will be added, and stormwater management improved. The Board voted unanimously to approve the approximately $904,000 contract. To read the staff report, visit the County website. Scroll to Item No. 12 on the agenda for the Saturday, February 22, 2020, Regular County Board Meeting. Staff worked with the community to design the improvements to complement the park’s existing amenities. Funding for the project will come from voter-approved Neigh- borhood Conservation bonds, and the contract was awarded through a competitive bidding process. Construction is expected to begin this spring and be completed by the end of the year. Edison Park renovations rendering. 2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ February 26 - March 3, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com News Arlington Parents Cite Transportation Issues By Eden Brown The Connection aria Nightingale came to the meeting about the search Mfor a new superintendent of schools with her two chil- dren, Lauren and Connor on Jan. 25. She told the consultant who was collecting in- formation about what people wanted in a by Eden Br Photo new superintendent that she thought a good manager who could manage transportation issues quickly was important. “My second daughter’s in a wheelchair; I had to push her up the hill to Shriver School for a month because the school didn’t have Connection own/The a handicapped access bus. It was difficult to take her to Shriver due to the steep hills and lack of crosswalks before making it to school. She was overwhelmed sensory wise due to the traffic, wind and noise.” Night- ingale is a disabled Marine Corps veteran who was also recovering from surgery at the time. Maria Nightingale with two of her three children, Valentine on her first day of school. She has cerebral Nightingale said her two children who Lauren, and Connor. She brought her children to palsy. Her mother is a disabled veteran and “pushing accompanied her are working on their Citi- the meeting of parents who wanted to hear about Valentine to school was a strain on my body even for zenship in the Community Merit Badge the search for a new school superintendent in a previous sergeant in the Marines.” through Scouts BSA (part of Boy Scouts of Arlington. Her daughter Valentine, was unable to America.) Lauren is on track to be a trail- attend the meeting. blazer as a female Eagle Scout. They were paying close attention to the issues dis- Nightingale also noted there are some cussed in the meeting. after school activities. Parents currently “Their inspiration is our middle child, need to provide transportation. For Valen- Valentine,” said Nightingale. “Although Val tine, if the family chooses to walk home, has severe cerebral palsy and needs a wheel- they can’t get the wheelchair around the chair, Lauren and Connor call her the ‘heart blockages. of the family’ and they are inspired to be Despite numerous phone calls, letters, involved in the community to advocate for and emails by the Nightingales through the her and other disabled children. They also month of September, the APS Department know that the skills they earn through com- of Transportation did not respond directly munity involvement and Scouts will help other than with a form letter to parents on them take care of Valentine in the future.” Sept. 17 noting the difficulties the school The issue is bigger than just one family’s system faced with transportation and prom- contributed Photos struggle to get their daughter to school ac- ising to get solutions quickly. Asked for a cording to Nightingale. comment on the bus problem, as well as “There were two other students that could the ramp blockage, the transportation de- not attend school for the first month at partment did not respond, and Director of Shriver. The previous principal tried weekly Design and Construction, Jeffrey Chambers, to make sure her students received trans- referred the questions to APS Spokesman Frank Bellavia, who said: portation but it was not possible. When I “We had to go into the street because the pedestrian path was blocked “Due to student privacy concerns, we can’t spoke to a bus driver he said that drivers by a light post, gate and parking meter. This was why we had to get on comment directly on this. However, Trans- don’t want to drive a special needs bus even the road with traffic. There was no access for the wheelchair.” though it pays more. So, we are guessing portation has responded to and met the that also finding drivers was an issue,” said needs of the student. APS provides 6 buses like a van for handicapped wheelchair ac- Bellavia said: “We don’t provide student Nightingale. to the Shriver Program on a daily basis. cess so that the two or three students in parking at the Heights. As an option pro- APS Spokesman Frank Bellavia com- Shriver staff greets each bus in the morn- wheelchairs could have gone to school? gram, APS provides a bus to all students mented in response to a question about this ing to assist students in getting off the bus Bellavia could not comment on a specific who attend H-B Woodlawn or the Shriver that “special needs drivers are paid more. and in entering the building. While The case for privacy reasons but he noted “each program. In addition, APS has a pilot pro- We are always in need of more bus driv- Heights Building is new and we continue special education bus has different equip- gram where students who have an iRide ers.” to make improvements to address needs as ment to meet the needs of individual stu- card are provided $1 Art Bus rides. https:/ In addition to the bus problem, Nightin- they arise, students can access the building dents. Typically, routes are set before school /www.arlingtontransit.com/about/pro- gale had to maneuver the wheelchair on the through any door. … There is currently a starts and there are always adjustments grams/iride-for-arlington-students/ The street because of a ramp blockage. (See light pole in the middle of the sidewalk that made after school starts. In this case, we pilot also works on Metro.” photo above.) is an obstacle to some pedestrians access- had to reroute buses to accommodate stu- Lauren and Connor Nightingale will have As of February 2020, problems with ac- ing the building. This light pole was re- dents with similar needs after the school a lot to write about when they complete cessing the ramp for wheelchairs were still quired by the Use Permit. Arlington County year started.” their merit badge. So far, Connor said, “I unresolved. “Pedestrians with strollers or recently gave us permission to remove the Other parents have raised the issue of was surprised how many citizens had differ- individuals that need wheelchair accessibil- pole and we are currently working with the getting to the new HB Woodlawn school in ent issues to discuss and possible ways to fix ity have to get on the road, with oncoming contractor to do the work. This will pro- Rosslyn. “There’s no way to get there,” said them.” Lauren said, “I learned about being a traffic, in order to access the area,” she said. vide easier access to that part of The one mother in the meeting with the con- good citizen in the community and how young Shriver is a school that was designed for Heights.” Why did it take so long for the sultants. “The rich kids can afford parking people can help.” They will be watching to special needs students. school to come up with an interim solution but the poor kids cannot.” Asked about this, see what it takes to solve this issue. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection ❖ February 26 - March 3, 2020 ❖ 3 Animal Welfare League of Arlington Photos from AWLA on Facebook Animal Welfare League of Arlington ince 1944 the Animal Welfare League of Arlington has worked S to improve the lives of animals; creating a world where all com- panion animals find compassionate and permanent homes. 2650 S. 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