<sh>Arlington’s TB Program Wins Award
<bt>Arlington County’s Communicable Disease Bureau was honored with the Virginia Department of Health’s Traveling Spittoon Award on March 31. The bureau also received a certificate of appreciation for their participation in the Healthy Roads Media Project.
The Traveling Spittoon Award is given on a competitive basis by the VDH Tuberculosis control staff. Each health region in the state gets an annual award for one health district in that region. Last year’s Northern Virginia Traveling Spittoon winner was the Alexandria Health District. The award will stay with Arlington for an entire year. Since 2001, Arlington has won the award in 2003 and 2006.
<sh>State Gives Arlington Public Safety Grant
<bt>The state has allocated $75,000 in federal funding to Arlington to support local communications projects and initiatives.
The grant will enhance the ability of public safety personnel to talk with one another via radio communication systems — to exchange voice and/or data with one another on-demand, in real time — whenever necessary.
This funding is part of the State Homeland Security Grant Program, and Arlington was one of 25 localities to receive a grant. The state awarded a total of $2 million.
"Virginia continues to work with localities and first responders in coordinating state and local efforts to improve interoperability," Gov. Timothy Kaine said in a statement. "Virginia is the only state in the nation that has a State Interoperability Executive Committee, comprised primarily of local first responder representatives, that conducts a competitive grant process to identify local projects to receive funding."
<sh>Annual Recycling Event
<bt> The Arlington Environmental Collection and Recycling Event will be held on Saturday, April 22, where residents can safely dispose of household hazardous materials, or recycle bikes, small metal items and electronic equipment.
The event is held only twice a year, and compost bins will be for sale. It will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd. One block east of Glebe Rd. and one block south of Route 50. Call 703-228-5900
<sh>Formals for Five
<bt>Arlington high school students will have the opportunity to purchase a new or gently used formal gown and/or accessories for $5, during the school system's third annual "Formals For Five" event on Thursday, April 27.
Community members are asked to donate gowns and/or accessories for this year's event. Donations may be dropped off at Memorial Baptist Church, 3455 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, 22207, until April 25.
The "Formals For Five" event gives students the option to purchase an affordable Prom gown and/or accessories. The money raised is donated to the APS In Support of Children (ISOC) fund, which provides APS families with food, clothing and other living needs.
For more information, contact Teebe Negasi, tnegasi@aol.com or Donalee Rooks, drooks@arlington.k12.va.us.
<sh>Taste of South Arlington
<bt>Oakridge Elementary School will host the third annual "Taste of South Arlington" carnival and silent auction on Sunday, April 30, from 3–6 p.m. The purpose of the fund-raiser is to bring students, staff, parents and community members together to appreciate the many cultures of South Arlington.
During the event, attendees are invited to taste food from local restaurants that support Oakridge. During the silent auction, items donated from local businesses will be raffled off and kids will enjoy a variety of activities including a moon bounce, cakewalk and other games.
Oakridge Elementary School is located at 1414 South 24th Street, Arlington, in a business and residential community that encompasses the Pentagon City, Pentagon Row, Crystal City, and Arlington Ridge neighborhoods.
For more information or to provide a donation, contact Teresa Jacobs at 571-722-9035.
<sh>New County Profile Released
<bt>The county has just released its newest "Arlington Profile 2006," a quick snapshot of Arlington’s population, including resident demographics, labor force and employment forecasts, top employers and development statistics.
To access Arlington Profile, go to the Arlington Web site and click on "Arlington Profile" in the "Maps and Data" topics section.
Some interesting facts in the Profile:
* Arlington has more private office space than downtown Los Angeles, Atlanta or Seattle.
* Arlington public school children speak more than 100 different languages.
* Arlington’s 2005 Effective Buying Income is $6.52 Billion.
* Six colleges and universities call Arlington home.
* Of Arlington’s 11 Metrorail stations, Pentagon City has the highest average weekday ridership (31,336), followed closely by Rosslyn (31,298).
* Arlington maintains 192 County parks and playgrounds.
<sh>Earth Day Events
<bt>Celebrate Earth Day by helping the Park Rangers plant a native tree at Fort C.F. Smith Park & Historic Site on Saturday, April 22, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Shovels will be provided. Bring work gloves if you want to help dig. For more information, call 703-525-0168. Free. No registration needed, families welcome. Meet at Fort CF Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th St., Arlington, VA 22207.
From noon to 2 p.m. come to Quincy Park to learn about conserving energy, composting, reusing and recycling. Build a plant terrarium out of a recycled soda bottle and make and decorate a milk jug watering can. Call 703-525-0168. $3 fee per individual, $6 per family. No registration needed. Meet at Quincy Park, 1021 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201.
Also, from 10 a.m. to noon there will be a Donaldson Run Stream Restoration and Earth Day Celebration, including a ribbon cutting at the stream at 11:30 a.m. Zachary Taylor Elementary School, 2600 N. Stuart St. For more information, call 703-228-3610.