October, 2007 CPRO e-Newsletter
Get Ready for a Tasty Good Time!
Preparations for Taste of the Pike, Columbia Pike’s 1st Annual International Food Festival are well underway! Admission will be FREE to this exciting and multifaceted event featuring the cuisines of many countries from around the world prepared by popular restaurants from this culturally diverse area. Middle Eastern delights from Atilla's Restaurant, Italian dishes from Pines of Naples and Salvo's Pizza Pantry, Ethiopian cuisine from Dama, Southern American fare from Big Daddy's BBQ and Rev. Chestnut’s Baked Goods, and Nubia Garcia’s Colombian & Bolivian specialties will be offered. CPRO is in the process of confirming others that would provide Asian and Salvadoran/Mexican foods. A good selection of beers, wines, and other beverages will also be available for sale. In addition to the wonderful aromas of the food, the festival site will be further enlivened by the sights and sounds of more than a dozen traditional and contemporary music and dancing groups. CPRO has partnered with the Arlington Multi-Cultural Commission to bring performers including the following to the Festival: The Mariachi band Asi es mi tierra, the Asian dance group Sutera Malaysia, Bolivian Dancers Santiago de Anzaldo, the Arlington Dance Theater, Uruguayan singer Eva Rey, Hawaiian dancers from Halou-o-aulani, the Guatemalan Folkloric group WUQXINCN, and the Columbia Pike Community Chorus.
Vendors will also be selling arts and crafts and other goods while civic and non-profit groups provide information about their activities and services. One special feature of the Festival will be its community health fair component where local health service organizations and health care providers will offer free information and health screenings.
The Taste of the Pike will take place on Sunday, October 21 from noon until 7:00 pm in front of the Arlington Mill Community Center, on Columbia Pike at S. Dinwiddee St. Service on PikeRide's Metrobus 16 route will be free from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm courtesy of Arlington County Commuter Services. This event is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors: The lead sponsor is the Washington Forrest Foundation, and gold sponsor is Edgemoor Real Estate Services/ Davis Carter Scott who are the County's partners for redevelopment of the Arlington Mill site. Our other sponsors are PikeRide; Giant Food; Virginia Commerce Bank; Silverwood Associates; The Dorchester, Westmont, and Oakland Apartments; B.M. Smith & Associates; Columbia Pike Plaza; and Woodfield Investments. For more information contact the CPRO office at 703-892-2776.
“Columbia Pike Business Opportunity Network” Brings Area Companies Together to Promote the Pike and Themselves
A successful breakfast gathering of more than 60 representatives of Pike-area businesses and non-profits, held on September 20, marked the launch of the new Columbia Pike Business Opportunity Network. The Network is a joint initiative 0f CPRO and Arlington Economic Development’s Bizlaunch, with support from partners such as the Arlington Chamber of Commerce; the Hispanic Committee of Northern Virginia; Arlington Small Business Development Center (SBDC); the Business Development Assistance Group (BDAG); the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s Enterprise Development Group; and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “We were delighted by the interest and enthusiasm of the participants,” said Tara Miles of BizLaunch, “and we are looking forward to working with them to strengthen their businesses.” One immediate outgrowth of the event is the agreement of many of the businesses and non-profits to pursue group advertising in local newspapers. “This is a great way to raise the profile of the Pike and attract new customers to our many fine establishments,” said Jim Whittaker of CPRO. The breakfast gathering was sponsored by Carl Nguyen, a Columbia Pike property owner and State Farm agent. The State Farm office where he is an agent has been located on his property at 5625 Columbia Pike since July 2001. He is happy to support the Columbia Pike Business Opportunity Network noting that he understands the importance of small businesses for this area and that Columbia Pike is “near and dear to his heart.” His office insures more than 400 small businesses in Northern Virginia, many of which are located along the Columbia Pike corridor.
Major Development Projects Moving Forward
Did you see the demolition of the old Safeway building on the Pike at S. Wayne St. which marks the start of construction of Siena Park? Or the Halstead’s concrete pillars that have now risen above ground level at the corner of S. Walter Reed Dr. and the Pike? How about the excavation and relocation of water lines which will make way for construction of Columbia Village on the Pike at S. Greenbrier St.? These are the most tangible signs of revitalization progress to date and follow a lengthy period of planning, real estate deals, and project design and approvals. Follow this link to see pictures of the action at these sites-- http://www.columbiapikepartnership.com/UPDATE/93207.html. Meanwhile, planning and design work for the new mixed-use project at the Arlington Mill site continues. Two charrettes, both open to the public, will be held on October 10 at the Community Center located at 4975 Columbia Pike. The first will take place from 10:00 am until noon in room 135, and the second that evening from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm.
S. Walter Reed Dr. Re-Striping to Get a Correction
Arlington County recently implemented a long-planned change to S. Walter Reed Dr. that included addition of bike lanes while reducing automobile lanes from two to one each way for much of the stretch between Rt. 50 and the Pike. Following complaints by local residents who experienced traffic back-ups approaching Columbia Pike from the North, County officials explained that the block between 9th St. S. and 9th Rd. S. had been reduced to one lane in error. County lane striping contractors are now being scheduled to return that block to two lanes each way. The correction should occur in the next week or so.
“Greening of Arlington” Event Coming to Walter Reed Community Center
On Tuesday, Oct. 23 County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson will moderate a panel discussion focusing on local initiatives to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Panelists for this session, presented as part of Leadership Arlington’s Fall Speaker Series, are John Morrill, Arlington County Energy Manager; Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth; and Drew Langsam, Business Development Manager of Turner Construction Company. The luncheon event will be held at 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Walter Reed Community Center—2909 16 St. S. Arlington, VA, 22204. Cost is $30 for Leadership Arlington members and $40 for non-members. To register or for more information go to: www.leadershiparlington.org.
Affordable Housing Challenges and Impacts are the Subjects of Upcoming Forum in Arlington
The Alliance for Housing Solutions will present a program on affordable housing as part of its 5th Annual Thomas P. Leckey Forum on Saturday, October 27 at the Arlington campus of the George Mason University Law School. The forum, which is free and open to all, will run from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm. It will focus on what affordable housing can mean for neighborhoods, the residents of affordable housing and the homes they live in, the individual character of each area, and strategies for producing affordable housing in and with neighborhoods. Please let the organizers know if you plan to attend via www.allianceforhousingsolutions.org or by calling 703-536-7694.
Local Chorus Preparing for “The World Sings” Concert
The Columbia Pike Community Chorus (CPCC) is welcoming new and returning singers and will begin rehearsals starting October 15th on Mondays, 7:00-9:00 for The World Sings December concert. The performance--a celebration of December festivals with music from around the globe—will take place on Sunday December 16th, 2007 at 4:00 pm. Rehearsals and performances are held at Trinity Church, 2217 Columbia Pike, which sponsors CPCC. The CPCC, a non-profit group sponsored by Trinity Church, was established in early fall 2004 with the hope of strengthening community along the Columbia Pike corridor. Open to all, with or without vocal training, the Chorus welcomes singers from all over the Northern Virginia area. For more information, contact Barbara Stefan, Music Director, at musicmin@tecarl.org or 703-920-7077.
Home Maintenance Workshop Offered
On Saturday, October 27 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm staff from the Arlington Career Center will present a workshop for homeowners to learn about basic home repairs and maintenance. Plumbing, electricity, heating and air conditioning will all be covered. The free class will be conducted in the school labs at the Career Center located at 816 S. Walter Reed Dr. The workshop is sponsored by the County’s Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development and the Arlington Adult Education Program. For more information call the Housing Information Center at 703-228-3765.
Barcroft Art Fest Set for October 13
On Saturday, October 13, from 11 to 6 PM, the Arlington Artists Alliance will present the Barcroft Art Fest at the Barcroft Community House, 800 South Buchanan Street. This event will feature the work of twenty-one local artists in oil, watercolor, ceramic and wood. Among the artists will be Gary Trusty, woodturner, of the Barcroft neighborhood, and Harriet Meehan from Arlington Forest. There will be many original works to view and to purchase. The Alliance is anticipating meeting and talking with other artists from the neighborhood to get them involved. If you are an artist, or interested in art, come and enjoy the exhibition. All items are original and available for purchase. Many artists will be present to answer questions about the works and the organization.
Farmers Market Offering Bountiful Harvest
The last several Sundays have seen some of the best shopping of the year as locals flocked to the Columbia Pike Farmers Market for early autumn fruits, vegetables and other goods. The best apples of the year are now available along with great squash and pumpkins. Visit the market every Sunday through November, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in front of the Eckerd/Rite-Aid at the corner of S. Walter Reed Dr. and the Pike. For a list of the Farmers Market Vendors go to: http://www.columbiapikepartnership.com/MARKET/index_E.html
Contact Us
As always, the CPRO staff welcomes your input. Email your suggestions, questions, comments, and offers of assistance to jwhittaker@columbiapike.org or call 703-892-2776. Know someone who would like to receive the CPRO e-Newsletter? Please send us email addresses and we will add them to our distribution list. As always, for more information about what’s happening on the Pike go to www.columbiapike.org
