Community Update (7/1/2023)
ANV Picnic, June 17 at 11:30am-1:30pm
Join us for ANV’s Annual Picnic and Barbecue on Saturday, June 17 at the Bluemont Picnic Shelter (as usual!). We will gather at 11:30am. Members, volunteers, family and friends are welcome. Join us to celebrate the start of summer with an outdoor cookout. ANV will provide beverages, hamburgers, veggie burgers, hotdogs and all the fixin’s. You are welcome to make this a pot luck and bring a dish to share. See below for details
Fundraiser at Sushi-Zen restaurant, Wednesday June 21
Sushi-Zen is hosting a fundraiser for ANV on Wednesday, June 21 from 4:30-8:30pm. Sushi-Zen, at 2457 N. Harrison St., is Arlington’s premier restaurant for sushi and other Japanese cuisine, voted Best Sushi by the Gazette readers just this month. The restaurant is donating a portion of the proceeds to ANV for all carry-out or dine-in dinners. Please join us and share this opportunity with your neighbors, family and friends. The more diners, the more ANV will benefit. And everyone will have a great meal!
Roosevelt Island Walk, Today, June 15
The summer seasonal walk at Theodore Roosevelt Island takes place at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 15. Remember, walks this year are on Thursday, not Saturday. Details below.
Juneteenth Celebration, June 16
The Arlington Branch of the NAACP, along with the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, are offering an exciting Juneteenth program with speakers sharing historic artifacts that tell the rich history of Arlington’s Black community builders. It’s on Friday, June 16, from 7:00pm – 8:00pm, at the Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 S Arlington Ridge Road. No registration required.
ANV Office Closed, June 19
The ANV Office will be closed on Monday, June 19 in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday.
June 21 C&C In-Person
Our Coffee & Conversation will be “in-person” on the 21st as we offer a tribute to the ANV staff that makes Coffee and Conversation happen in the Party Room at the Lexington Square condo, 3835 9th St. North for coffee and donuts. See below for details.
Welcome
New Members
- Parsa Abedi
- Owen Baird
- Cinda Berry & Robert Lipsey
- Len & Patty Campbell
- Mary Isaacson
- Jane Maldonado
- Dewanda Mintz
- Johnnie Mae Moore
- Ingeborg Schweiger
- Camille Small-Simon
New Volunteers
- Nora Coyne
- Sylvie Mortimer
- Rose Mary Padberg
- Stephen Ruth
Farewell: Michela Downey (moved to Connecticut)
In Memoriam: Sadly, we lost three ANV friends: Robin Grenadier, Diane King, and Eleanor Robins
Activities
ANV Events are posted on our online calendar at www.ANVarlington.org/events so you can always easily find the Zoom link for any scheduled event.
Coffee and Conversations on Wednesdays at 10 am
- June 21: In-person C&C Tribute
- June 28: Home Care 101
- July 5: Where in the World is ….?
Special Events
Weekly Groups
- Tai Chi
- Bocce
- Happy Hour
- Board Games
Monthly Groups
- Men’s Lunch Bunch
- Ladies Lunch
- Pop Up Picnic
- Page Turners
Educational Activities
- Wellness
Also of Interest
ANV Activities
Coffee and Conversation: Wednesdays at 10 am
Coffee and Conversation occurs on Wednesdays, 10–11 am. Join our weekly conversations via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88948577106?pwd=eW0rN1RTTU5ITmJ5NnF2QXZINmdUQT09
You also have the option to dial in by phone to participate without video. For that, dial: 929-205-6099. The meeting ID is 889 4857 7106 and the passcode is 872327.
Wednesday June 21: Join us for an in-person Coffee and Conversation as we offer a tribute to the ANV staff that makes Coffee and Conversation happen. This get-together will celebrate Anita Wallgren’s and Elise Burn’s tenure as C&C talent scouts, presenters and organizational geniuses. The C&C Team identifies topics and speakers, promotes events, manages and trains folks on Zoom, and shares results online. It is a remarkable group effort that is valued by ANV members and volunteers. This meeting will also give everyone the opportunity to meet the new volunteers who will help C&C become even better. We will gather at 10am on Wednesday, June 21 in the Party Room at the Lexington Square condo, 3835 9th St. North for coffee and donuts. There is metered street parking around the building. Lexington Square is also two blocks from the Virginia Square Metro stop. Please RSVP by calling the office at 703-509-8057 or emailing Office@arlnvil.org so we can get a count of attendees.
Wednesday June 28: Home Care 101: What is home care and how does it differ from skilled care? How do clients access home care, who pays for it and how much does it cost? Learn the answers to these questions and much more as representatives from ANV’s three “Preferred” home care providers join us to discuss home care.
Wednesday, July 5: Where in the World is….? With summer vacations in full swing, we want to know the exciting places you’ve travelled to, or lived, and what made them so enjoyable. Our own Gary Eiserman and Dave Christian are going to spin the globe and guide us on this world wide adventure. Please bring with you your best adventures and any souvenirs you may have for show and tell.
ANV’s YouTube channel
If you miss a Coffee and Conversation speaker, be sure to check out ANV’s YouTube channel where we are posting some of our Coffee and Conversation speakers and other special events. Sit back and enjoy!
Special Events
Roosevelt Island Walk, Today, June 15 at 11:00am
The summer seasonal walk at Theodore Roosevelt Island takes place at 11:00am on Thursday, June 15. Please note that the walks this year are on Thursday’s not Saturday. This easy community walk takes about one hour. You, your family, friends and nice dogs on leash are invited and RSVP is not needed. The 11:00am meeting point is at the landward end of the footbridge to the island. Access by auto to the island parking lot is only from the northbound George Washington Parkway. In addition, paid parking is available in Rosslyn on the street and in garages. The meeting point is a 15-minute walk from the Rosslyn Metro and bus stop. As usual this is a rain-or-shine event; no rain date. Questions, call David Christian at 703-785-3434 or email daveycc910@gmail.com.
Annual ANV Picnic, June 17 10 from 11:30am – 1:30pm
The annual ANV Picnic is Saturday, June 17 from 11:30 am -1:30 pm at the Bluemont Picnic Shelter at the end of North Manchester Street, Arlington, VA 22205 and adjacent to the Reeves farmhouse. Members, volunteers, family and friends are welcome. Join ANV to celebrate the start of summer with an outdoor cookout. ANV will provide beverages, hamburgers, veggie burgers, hotdogs and all the fixin’s. You are welcome to make this a pot luck and bring a dish to share.
How to get to Bluemont Picnic Shelter: The easiest way to get to Bluemont Park is to take Route 50 past Carlin Springs Road and turn right at the light at North Manchester Street. Manchester Street will dead-end into the Reeves farmhouse. Turn right into the large parking lot on the right. The picnic shelter and field are located across Four Mile Run stream. You may park your car in the lot and access the shelter via the stone step walkway and bridge. You may also drive on the causeway across the stream to drop off passengers and supplies. Cars should be parked in the parking lot. Bathrooms are available next to the parking lot. The park is alcohol-free.
Fundraiser at Sushi-Zen restaurant, Wednesday June 21
Sushi-Zen is hosting a fundraiser for ANV on Wednesday, June 21 from 4:30-8:30pm. Sushi-Zen, at 2457 N. Harrison St., is Arlington’s premier restaurant for sushi and other Japanese cuisine, voted Best Sushi by the Gazette readers just this month. The restaurant is donating a portion of the proceeds to ANV for all carry-out or dine-in dinners. Please join us and share this opportunity with your neighbors, family and friends. The more diners, the more ANV will benefit. And everyone will have a great meal!
Weekly Events
Zoom Practice Session
If you need some extra help getting familiar with ZOOM, just call or email office@arlnvil.org and we will set you up with a volunteer who can help you.
Tai Chi: Tuesdays at 9:30 am
ANV Tai Chi practice meets outdoors every week, weather permitting. Meet the group in the parking lot at Museum of Contemporary Art (formerly Arlington Arts Center) at 3550 Wilson Blvd. If the forecast is too cold or wet, we will meet indoors. If you are interested in joining this practice (not instruction), please contact Anita Wallgren at awallgren@gmail.com or (202) 674-5553 to get the weekly location email.
Bocce, Monday’s at 6:00pm
ANV members, volunteers, and friends enjoy weekly outdoor bocce every Monday in Ballston at 6:00pm. Games last approximately one hour. In addition to the two sets of bocce balls, we have two sets of boules. Bocce is played at the courts on the corner of Randolph St. & N. Glebe Rd. Parking is available in the Ballston Quarter parking garage for $1. All levels of bocce skills and experience are welcome. Everyone gets to play. Contact John Thomas for more information at thomas-johnr@comcast.net.
ANV Board Games Day, Thursday, June 15 and June 29 at 2pm
Do you like board games? Join ANV members and volunteers for Games Day at Ballston Quarter Food Hall (lower level). Look for players at the tables near the elevators. Play games like Scrabble, Mexican Train Dominoes, Cribbage, Ticket to Ride, Quiddler, and more. We play every other Thursday at 2pm. Parking is available in the Ballston Quarter parking garage for $1. Contact John Thomas for more information at thomas-johnr@comcast.net .
Happy Hour: Thursdays, 5–7 pm
Join the ANV Happy Hour Group. The Happy Hour Group will try locations in the Ballston area. For more information and to know the weekly plan, contact Mike Murtha, Happy Hour Coordinator at dmmurtha@verizon.net. Mike will add you to his email list and let you know the weekly location on Thursday morning.
Monthly Events
Men’s Lunch Bunch: Friday, July 14 at noon
Please join us for our Men’s Lunch at the Silver Diner in Ballston, at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Glebe Drive, next to Target (4400 Wilson Blvd). The Silver Diner has moved but still has all of the American diner favorites that we have come to enjoy. Depending on the weather, we may also try their outdoor patio. Two hour validated parking is available in the Target garage (accessed on North Glebe Road next to the entrances to Target and Silver Diner). Please RSVP to Tim Burns at tfxb23@yahoo.com or by calling him at 571-224-4546.
Ladies Lunch: Friday, July 14 at noon
The June Ladies Lunch will be at The Pinemoor at 1101 N. Highland Street. The Pinemoor is a self-described easygoing restaurant serving classic American fare, including sandwiches, steak & fish dishes, plus craft cocktails. It’s just a half block from the Clarendon Metro. Please rsvp to roslynva@gmail.com so we may have an accurate count of attendees for our reservation.
Page Turners June 22 at 11am on Zoom
Share a book that you have read, and you think would be interesting for other people to read. It can be something you are reading now, or a book you enjoyed in the past. Meet up with your fellow bibliophiles, share opinions, and learn about new books to add to your reading list. The group is hosted by Donna Pastore and Beverly Cannizzaro.
Join the conversation via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89666785566?pwd=WFFpTlY2SkJMQlJjN0NWNEUraFhEQT09
You also have the option to dial in by phone to participate without video. For that, dial: 301-715-8592. The meeting ID is 896 6678 5566 and the passcode is 007241.
Pop Up Picnic (PPP), Friday June 30 at noon
Pop Up Picnics returns on Friday June 30 at noon. This month we will meet at Madison Manor Park at 6225 12th Road North. ANV members and volunteers enjoy PPPs to meet for casual conversation, get fresh air, and discover a new neighborhood park in Arlington. Just bring your lunch and something to drink. For more information, contact John Thomas at Thomas-johnr@comcast.net.
Educational Activities
Arlington Public Library Programs
The Library has several events planned for May; please visit their website to see the calendar of events. The Library staff have curated events from the 55+ Program, Encore Learning and elsewhere to make it easy to find something that will pique your interest.
Wellness
June is PRIDE month. What does that mean?
By Joan Smith
It is exhilarating to see all the rainbow flags and clothing that are on display everywhere this month. We are in the midst of a celebration of inclusion and acceptance.
USCF LGBTQ Resource Center describes PRIDE as “an integral cultural concept within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI+) community, representing solidarity, collectivity, and identity as well as resistance to discrimination and violence.”
Most dictionaries (including Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Oxford, Cambridge U., and even Wikipedia) describe the word Pride generally as a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people; a sense of one’s own dignity or value. This would include everyone, despite differences in skin color, gender identity, social/ethnic background, religion, etc. In the past year, we have seen a rise of violence against people for all of these differences, and many people have suffered from the consequences.
We have learned that, what we do not understand can make us feel anxious and fearful; but educating ourselves about such things as gender identity differences can dispel the fear and help us to be more accepting and welcoming to those who are different from ourselves. Research shows us that gender identity that differs from biological sexual attributes at birth has been common throughout history, and in many cultures, where acceptance was a given.
But in our country, critics of “other-ness” shine a negative light on differences, charging that this is becoming more common than in the past. And, while research shows us this is not true, we also know that suppression of expressing differences has been high. Do you remember when being left-handed was considered a negative, and how so many of our parents were forced to use their right hands (with their true dominant left-hands tied behind their backs)? I sure do!
Education regarding sexual identity is so vital to acceptance. Many of us have grandchildren (and children and friends) who are members of the LGBTQI+ community; given the threats that are currently being made in some parts of the country, these individuals need our support more than ever. “It takes a Village to raise a child” is often stated, and it is so true. Annual PRIDE month is an opportune time to google definitions, organizations, events that help us learn more. There are organizations such as SMYAL that support young children and their families, acknowledging that gender identity difference is not a “choice” a child makes, but it is who they are, who they were born to be. The D.C. PRIDE parade brings together LGBTQI+ people and their families and supporters of freedom and inclusion, with love, respect, and dignity.
I love the comment in the Washington Post (June 11, 2023) by a father who felt it was important to bring his 6 year daughter to the parade to instill the importance of equality, saying “I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she doesn’t have to worry about whether anyone gets included or left out.”
Also of Interest
Aging Matters Radio and TV
Aging Matters radio is a weekly program on Arlington’s community radio station WERA Arlington 96.7 FM. Every Tuesday at 2 pm and Friday at 2 pm, host Cheryl Beversdorf interviews experts on topics impacting the lives of older adults and their families. All Aging Matters broadcasts can be found on Apple and Spotify. Aging Matters TV Show offers interviews with aging experts, including demonstrations of aging related subjects. Stories of Life programs feature interviews with older adults who have made a difference in their communities.
Shared Area Village Events Calendar
The Washington Area Villages are sharing their speaker series for all of us to enjoy. Please visit their calendar to see what’s available. Here’s one that looks interesting:
Social Security and Medicare
Thursday, June 29, 10:30 am-12 pm
Do you receive Social Security benefits? Do you have questions about Spouses, Survivors and Medicare benefits? Do you know how work affects your benefits? Diana Varela will answer your questions and provide a Social Security update, including Medicare premiums and allowable earnings for 2023, scams, and much more. Ms. Varela is a Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Social Security Administration, where she has worked for 28 years. Organized by Little Falls Village FV in cooperation with FHNN. Registration link: www.littlefallsvillage.org/SocialSecurity
ArlingtonWeaves, Etc.
ArlingtonWeaves, Etc. is a program supporting individuals with disabilities. Participants within the program learn to weave and produce handcrafted woven art and includes color tote bags, pencil cases and so much more. One hundred percent of the proceeds for each item are given to the artisan who created it. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm at 2110 Washington Boulevard; Sequoia II, Third Floor, Suite 301. If you want to call first, the number is 703-228-1789.
The art of weaving can be therapeutic to individuals with disabilities as they increase motor skills, strengthen memory and concentration and develop their confidence. The program also teaches independence, technical and social skills and self-sufficiency. The program also supports individuals to prepare for and engage in meaningful employment and training. Artisans produce handcrafted woven art and products, from tote bags to scarves to pencil cases and so much more. Tote bags range from large to small and are priced between $22 – $60. They also carry small to large pouches priced between $10 – $15. Other products include tea towels, placemats, napkins and more.
Remember as an ANV member, you also receive membership in Arlington’s 55+ Program. During COVID, many programs are on-line, and the Guide is now published quarterly. The Summer Guide is available online.
ANV Events are posted on our online calendar so you can always easily find the Zoom link for any scheduled event.