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COMMISSION HONORS FOUR WOMEN

Over 100 residents and community leaders gathered in Clarendon last week to honor four women whose contributions to the county range from providing fair housing locally to elevating the status of women globally in the Catholic Church. Arlington’s Commission on the Status of Women presented its Person of Vision Awards Wednesday, March 19, at its 17th annual Women’s History Month dinner at the Clarendon Ballroom. This year’s honorees were Lucy Denney, Cynthia Hull, Dolores Leckey and Geraldine Whiting.

Denney has spent over 30 years as a full-time volunteer, working on fair housing and civil rights issues as well as encouraging political involvement for a number of local leaders. Del. Bob Brink (D-48) was on hand at the awards ceremony to honor Denney, who he credited with getting his foot in the door politically. Denney worked to get Arlington’s Fair Housing ordinance passed in the 1960s, and headed the county’s first Fair Housing Board.

Fair and affordable housing was a focal point for Leckey’s work as well as one of the founders of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing. Leckey and Denney both said affordable housing would be a key issue for the county in years to come. “I think we’re doing alright,” said Denney, “But there’s a long way to go.”

For the last 23 years, Hull has led Arlington Offender Aid Restoration, Inc., which helps inmates at the county’s Detention Facility become contributing members of the community upon release. Her greatest accomplishment, she said, was “to be part of what is so disruptive and make it positive.”

Despite the recognition of the ceremony, Whiting said her role as a community leader takes a back seat to other aspects of life. “My biggest accomplishment was raising six kids in this county,” she said. “I’m basically still a mother and a grandmother more than anything else.

In December Whiting announced her retirement as Commissioner of the Revenue, the position she held for 24 years. She was the first woman elected to that position in Arlington, and the first woman in Virginia to hold a state constitutional office.

COUNTY ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD DAY

Arlington will celebrate its Seventh Annual Neighborhood Day on Saturday, May 10, with neighborhood events and the annual Neighborhood Day Parade. The theme of this year’s event is “All Neighborhoods, All Walks of Life.”

County officials urged group that want to take part in the day's activities to begin planning now either to sponsor a neighborhood event or to march in the parade. The events can be of any size ranging from a neighborhood coffee to a school festival. There are no set requirements for the nature or size of events.

Marching groups also are not limited in size. Each group only needs to carry a banner identifying who they are and complete a registration form, available online at www.civfed.org/neighday.htm or by calling 703-228-3969, to receive a form by mail.

This year, for the first time, the parade will feature the Neighborhood Day Parade Band, open to all Arlington musicians no matter what skill level. Interested musicians can call 703-228-3155 or 703-228-3952 for more details.

Neighborhood Day is sponsored by Arlington County Government, Arlington Public Schools, the Arlington Civic Federation, the Arlington County Council of PTAs and the Arlington Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Commission.

CORRECTION

The story “Dems Face Fewer Incumbents” (March 12-18) and the Roundup item “Two Announce Runs to Replace Darner” (March 19-25) should have identified the retiring Commissioner of Revenue as Geraldine Whiting (D). Charlotte Cleary, also retiring this year, is registrar of voters, a non-partisan, appointed position.