PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Martinsburg, WV PERMIT #86 www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection ❖ July 23-30, 2008 ❖ 1 Look What’s Happening on Columbia Pike! DOGGIE DAY CARE NOW OPEN! CAGE-FREE BOARDING! Doggie Daycare * 7,000 sq. ft Pet Destination * Canine Manners Positively Reinforced * 10:1 Dog-to-Staff Ratio * Outdoor Walks Included * Safe and Fun Socialization * Fresh Air Flow System * 6 Large Cage-Free Zones * Insured & Bonded Entrance in the Rear 3533 Columbia Pike Dog Paws University Arlington 940 S. George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA 22204 703-979-5200 703-931-5057 • [email protected] Eye Site Optometrists diterranea Me n C ® ue u Member Network iq isin Vision Source! Un e Family Vision Diagnosis/Treatment Care of Eye Diseases Contact Lens Refractive Surgery Specialists Co-Management Linh T. Hoang-Braley, O.D. ~Free Appetizer with Each 2 Dine-In Entrées~ Optometric Physician Sunday & Monday 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. 2805 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia 2705 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204 703-486-2620 703-920-4900 www.visionsource-eyesiteod.com www.atillasrestaurant.com We carry 100’s of Thai food ingredients, including satay mix, Thai tea, sticky rice & Pad Thai noodles. You will find everything you need for cooking Thai curry. ✓ Building Community www.columbiapike.org ✓ Promoting the Pike ✓ Pursuing Smart Growth 703•892•2776 2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ July 23-30, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Newcomers & Community Guide Looking To Hear from Our Readers s local, weekly newspapers, the Connection’s mission is Ato bring the news you need about your community, to advocate for community good, to provide a forum for dia- logue on local concerns, and to celebrate and record milestones Photos by Photos and events in community and people’s lives. We understand that local issues matter, from property values and taxes, to land use, Editorial to public services and safety, to quality Louise Krafft Louise schools, to teen driving, to fiscal responsi- bility. At the Connection, we invite newcomers to the area and long-time residents alike to be a part of providing more input from our /Connection readers. Let us know how we’re doing, and let us know what is going on in your part of the community. If you have questions or ideas, call us or send us an e-mail. We invite you to send letters to the editor, Mary Kimm Yorktown rowers get ready for practice. or just to send us an e-mail letting us know about something you especially liked or didn’t like about our coverage. We appreciate readers’ ideas. If you see something that you think might be a story, or just something you Welcome To Arlington wonder about, give us a call, or drop us a line. If you know of a person or an organization doing important work, By Walter Tejada something that might make a good feature story, let us know. We Chairman, Arlington County Board are looking for people to feature in our “Neighbor Question and Answer” section in all of our communities each week. elcome to your new home! Whether We publish photos and notes of a variety of community events you are a young professional, have and milestones, including births, engagements, weddings, anniver- young kids or are young at heart, we saries, awards and obituaries. W We are also interested in events at your church, mosque, syna- literally have something for everyone: FitArlington gogue, community center, pool, school, club, etc. Are you interested in health and fitness? Welcome E-mail us a photo and a note about the event. Be sure to include to the community that has been named “Best U.S. the names of all the people who are in a photo, and say when and Walking City,” “Bike-Friendly Community,” and where the photo was taken. If you want a hard copy of a photo re- “Sportstown Virginia.” Wherever you live in Arling- turned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and please ton, you have easy access to some of the best biking do not send us anything that is irreplaceable. and walking trails on the East Coast. When it comes It is especially important to us to let people know about events time to play, you can choose among nearly 200 pub- ahead of time in our calendar of events. We appreciate getting no- lic parks and playgrounds, 86 miles of biking/jog- tice two weeks ahead of the event, and we encourage photos. ging trails, 14 community centers, nine live stage We also offer many more resources on our Web site. There you will find the complete community guides for each of our 19 papers, theaters and eight public libraries. Visit County Board Chair Walter Tejada (D) www.arlingtonva.us/fitarlington. A fit Arlington also including more extensive listings than appear in the newspapers. means a healthy environment. In 2007, we launched tion with an AAA-rating from all three bond rating You’ll also find stories about the top 100 Athletes ever to compete Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emis- agencies – the rare triple-triple-A rating. All four of in local high schools. sions), a County commitment to reduce greenhouse our high schools annually rank among the top two Our recently redesigned Web site includes stories from all of our gas emissions by cutting energy usage. You can join percent nationally. Forbes magazine ranked Arling- 18 weekly newspapers, now with new information throughout the us in this effort. Visit www.arlingtonva.us/aire. ton the “Number One Place in the Nation to Educate week. A new and unusual feature, you can now access the print Getting Around Your Child.” Our County’s healthy mix of commercial edition of each of our papers online, by downloading a pdf version, Our high-density, high-energy Metro corridor is a and residential development provides a strong tax base showing each page exactly as it appears in the paper, including cover, national model of transit-oriented development. With that helps keep our property tax rate among the low- photos, display ads and classified advertising. Go to 11 Metrorail stations, 25 major Metrobus and 11 est of any major Northern Virginia jurisdiction. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com, and click on “Print Editions” in neighborhood Arlington Transit (ART) bus lines as With more private office space than downtown the red bar. well as several car-sharing and taxi companies, Ar- Boston, Dallas, Denver or Los Angeles, Arlington has Call Arlington reporter David Schultz at 703-226-1652, sports lington offers plenty of alternatives to driving alone. an estimated 205,300 jobs – and the lowest unem- editor Eric Gilmore at 703-917-6438, assistant editor Rebecca Visit www.carfreediet.com to learn how you can “lose ployment rate in the state. Halik at 703-917-6407, or editor Mary Anne Weber at 703- 2,000 pounds in just one day!” Getting Involved 917-6431. Send mail to the Arlington Connection, 7913 Westpark Diverse Arlington Want to get involved? First of all, be sure you reg- Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or e-mail We are a diverse community, with 99 languages ister to vote by visiting our Voter Registration offices. [email protected]. spoken by children enrolled in our public schools, Join one of our 63 registered civic and citizen asso- Thank you to our interns who provided much needed assistance: representing 129 countries. Crave ethnic food? ciations, dozens of commissions or more than 100 Kevin Donahue, Brittany Ferguson, Ben Geier, Lindsay J. Among the 589 restaurants in Arlington, you’ll find community service organizations. Conway and Greg Rosenstein. Salvadoran, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Thai, Lebanese These are just some of the many exciting opportu- In covering the issues, we strive to provide a voice for our read- and almost any other cuisine you fancy within the nities you’ll find here in Arlington to get involved, ers. I look forward to hearing from you. — Mary Kimm, publisher, borders of our 26 square miles. feel connected and make a difference. On behalf of [email protected] Top-rated Arlington the Arlington County Board, staff and community, 703-917-6416 Arlington is one of only 22 jurisdictions in the na- welcome! www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection ❖ July 23-30, 2008 ❖ 3 Newcomers & Community Guide County Board Walter Tejada Barbara Favola Mary Hynes Chris Zimmerman Jay Fisette County Board Chairman County Board Vice-Chair County Board Member County Board Member County Board Member Party: Democrat Party: Democrat Party: Democrat Party: Democrat Party: Democrat First Elected: 2003 First Elected: 1996 First Elected: 2007 First Elected: 1996 First Elected: 1997 Term Expires: 2011 Term Expires: 2008 Term Expires: 2011 Term Expires: 2010 Term Expires: 2009 Age: 51 Age: 53 Age: 53 Age: 49 Age: 52 Born in: San Salvador, El Salvador Born in: New London, Conn. Born in: Amex, Iowa Born in: New York, N.Y. Born in: New York, N.Y. Family: Wife (Robin Liten-Tejada) Family: Husband (Douglas Weik) & son Family: Husband (Patrick), four Family: Wife (Mary Beth), two Family: Partner (Bob Rosen) Phone: 703-228-3130 Occupation: government relations, daughters and son daughters & son Occupation: Consultant E-mail: [email protected] Marymount University Occupation: Pre-school teacher Occupation: Economist Phone: 703-228-3130 Phone: 703-228-3130 Phone: 703-228-3130 Phone: 703-228-3130 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] School Board Ed Fendley Sally Baird Libby Garvey Frank Wilson Abby Raphael School Board Chairman School Board Vice-Chair School Board Member School Board Member School Board Member Party: Independent Party: Independent Party: Independent Party: Independent Party: Independent First Elected: 2005 First Elected: 2006 First Elected: 1996 First Elected: 1996 First Elected: 2007 Term Expires: 2009 Term Expires: 2010 Term Expires: 2008 Term Expires: 2008 Term Expires: 2011 Age: 43 Age: 43 Age: 57 Age: 74 Age: 46 Born in: Trenton, N.J.