<sh>New Sister City Proposed
<bt>The Arlington Sister Cities Association is taking the first step to form another Sister City relationship; this time with San Miguel, El Salvador's second largest city. On Sunday, Sept. 11, seven members from the Arlington Sister Cities Association and a group from the Salvadoran community of Arlington left for a week's visit to San Miguel.
The Salvadorans from Arlington have roots in San Miguel and are very interested in having an official Sister City relationship with San Miguel. While in San Miguel, the group will visit with the mayor, educators at various levels from university officials to elementary and high school levels, sport leaders, library officials, business leaders and other interested individuals. Walter Tejada is representing the County Board on this initial visit. Neither the Sister Cities Association nor Arlington County is contributing to the cost of this trip. Each traveler is responsible for all costs associated with the trip.
Such a relationship would make San Miguel the county's fourth sister city relationship. The other three existing arrangements are with Reims, France; Aachen, Germany; and Coyoacan, Mexico.
The Arlington Sister City Association encourages citizen-to-citizen diplomacy efforts, including cultural, educational, business and recreational exchanges between the citizens of Arlington and its sister cities.
<sh>Ebbin Appointed to Air Quality Committee
<bt>Virginia State Del. Adam P. Ebbin (D-49) has been appointed to the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee by Del. Vincent Callahan (R-McLean) and Sen. Charles Colgan (D-Manassas). Callahan and Colgan co-chair the Northern Virginia Delegation to the Virginia General Assembly. The Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee includes representatives from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia and prepares an air quality plan for the Metropolitan area. Del. Ebbin has represented the 49th House District since January 2004, including a large portion of South Arlington, the Del Ray and Arlandria portions of the City of Alexandria and parts of Baileys Crossroads in Fairfax County. He serves on three House Committees: Education, Transportation, and Health, Welfare and Institutions. He is also a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
<sh>Street Closure
<bt>Due to the demolition of an office building, North Quincy Street between Wilson Boulevard and Ninth Street will be closed to southbound traffic from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. until Sept. 30.
<sh>New Bill for 9/11 First Responders
Gov. Mark Warner is signing legislation to extend the time for 9/11 first responders to file workers’ compensation claims for injuries sustained during 9/11 rescue and relief operations. The bill, HB 2775, was sponsored by Arlington Del. Bob Brink and removes a provision of law that would have barred 9/11 fire, police and other workers from filing a workers’ compensation claim after Sept. 11, 2006. Now, workers will have two years after they first learn of a disease diagnosis within which to file a claim for injuries attributable to those operations.
<sh>Vote for The Citizen's New Look
<bt>The Citizen, Arlington's newsletter for residents, is asking its readers to help choose its new look.
Arlington residents can view and vote on one of two possible designs by visiting the county's homepage, www.arlingtonva.us, and clicking on "Help Choose Citizen Newsletter's New Look." Voting is open through Sept. 21. The winning design will be announced after that date.
The new design will coincide with an increase in the newsletter's size and frequency. To provide residents with more county and community information, The Citizen is changing to a larger, tabloid size — 11 by 16 inches — with more color, photos and graphics. The newsletter will be published six times a year, instead of four. Look for the new Citizen in November. After its debut, The Citizen will arrive every other month, in January, March, May, July, September and November.
<sh>Arbor Day Foundation Tree Giveaway
<bt>Ten free trees will be given to each person from Virginia who joins the National Arbor Day Foundation during the month of September, as part of the nonprofit foundation's Trees for America campaign. The 10 trees are the American redbud, white pine, sugar maple, white flowering dogwood, pin oak, red maple, birch, silver maple, red oak and Colorado blue spruce.
They will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between Oct. 15 and Dec. 10, with enclosed planting instructions. The six-to-12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge. Members also receive a subscription to the foundation's bimonthly publication, Arbor Day, and "The Tree Book," which has information about tree planting and care. Send $10 membership contribution to Ten Trees, National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410, by Sept. 30, or join online at arborday.org.