Free Movie

Are you a fan of the cinema and interested in free events? Then head over to Central Library tonight for "The Trap". Looks like an interesting and suspenseful film!

Report from the Poll at Arlington Central Library

The Green Miles is working the polls for Arlington Democrats this morning! I'm manning a relatively quiet spot so I thought I'd post these pictures.

The line is gradually getting a bit shorter now (at 8:15am), but at 7:30 this morning, here's what the wait looked like.

The line snaked out the Central Library auditorium, through the back door, down the back steps ...

Past the tennis courts, around the corner ...

Through the parking lot past the baseball diamond ...

And halfway down the block towards Washington Boulevard ...

At times this morning, the line has been up to two hours long. But I haven't heard a single complaint.

Cushiest job of the day -- election monitor. Really? You're worried about voter fraud here? Come on. This is Arlington. We get it done.

Just Enough Anxiety: The Hidden Driver of Business Success

No secret tips from me here, but check out this author event and book and you may find some!

June 23, 7:00 PM

Author Event—"Just Enough Anxiety: The Hidden Driver of Business Success"
Central Library Auditorium

Learn how harnessing the right amount of anxiety can yield positive results. Executives at corporations including Boeing and Johnson & Johnson have used psychologist Bob Rosen's insights to motivate and encourage. Former U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper calls Rosen's book a "profound examination of what makes us tick." Books will be available for sale and signing.

Looking for more fun things to do in Arlington? Subscribe to the What's Up Arlington! e-newsletter

The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas

Are you a geeky book reader and a political geek like me?

Want to meet some authors and talk about geeky stuff? How about Clarence Thomas?

Check out the following author event:

June 21, 3 p.m.
Author Event--"Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas"
Central Library Auditorium

Washington Post reporters Kevin Merida and Michael Fletcher will read from and discuss their in-depth biography of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Learn about his emergence from humble beginnings in Pin Point and Savannah Georgia to the most powerful judiciary in the United States. Books will be available for sale and signing at the close of this event.

Looking for more fun things to do in Arlington? Subsribe to the What's Up Arlington! e-newsletter

Monday: Community Forum on Accessory Dwelling Proposal

Check out this event on Monday:

Community Forum: Housing Commission’s Accessory Dwelling Proposal

When: 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2008 Where: Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 North Quincy Street (nearest Metro: Ballston, very limited on-site parking) You will have the opportunity to:

• Hear a presentation describing key elements of the proposal
• Ask questions about the proposal or what’s legal now
• Share your thoughts on what the County Manager should recommend to the County Board

Here are links to the Commission’s Accessory Dwelling Report which was submitted to the County Board in January. It recommends that the County Board amend the Zoning Ordinance to permit Accessory Dwellings.

• Executive Summary of the Report
• Accessory Dwelling Report
  

For more information, email Fran Lunney.

Accommodations: To request assistance for persons with limited English proficiency or hearing impairments, please telephone the Arlington County Housing Division at 703.228.3760 as soon as possible (TTY 703.228.4611). Central Library is accessible to people with disabilities.

So what are accessory dwellings? The Arlington Connection explains:

"Houses can sometimes renovate their basements to turn them into a living area," [Tejada] said in an interview. "Because of the cost of land these days, this is a way of creating housing."

TEJADA’S proposal dealt with accessory dwelling units. An accessory dwelling unit is a part of a home with its own kitchen and bathroom that could be rented out to a private party. They can be located in a basement, an attic, a garage, a second floor or in a free-standing structure such as a guest house.

Currently, renting out an accessory dwelling unit is not legal in Arlington unless it is rented to a family member. In his first speech as chairman on Jan. 1, Tejada described accessory dwelling units as "a new form of affordability in Arlington" and said that the law should be changed to permit them to be rented to private parties.

A similar change to allow for this was proposed in the early 1980’s but was killed after neighborhood representatives raised concerns about crowding issues. Now, with Arlington facing inflated land prices and a housing shortage, the idea has been resurrected by local officials.

THE COUNTY’S Housing Commission has been investigating this issue for several years and recently issued a report that recommended changing the housing laws to allow for the renting of accessory dwelling units.

The report said that allowing homeowners to rent out parts of their houses would not only increase affordable housing in Arlington but would also give the county’s elders the ability to "age in place through added income or space for caregivers."

January 3: Civic Engagement Among the 'DotNet' Generation

Just heard about this event from the Arlington League of Women Voters:

Please join us as three recipients of the League of Women Voters Torill B. Floyd Memorial Public Service Scholarship lead a panel discussion on "Civic Engagement Among the 'DotNet' Generation." The event will take place on Thursday, January 3, from 7-9 p.m. at the Arlington Central Library in the Youth Services Program Room.

The three panelists are:

Gwendolyn Nixon-Carter, a 2000 graduate of Yorktown who attended Mary Washington University and now works in the children's division at the Arlington County Library;

Claire Reifsnyder, a 2005 graduate of Yorktown who is attending the University of Virginia and distinguishing herself as a historian; and

Nour Bouadis, a 2006 graduate of Washington-Lee who is attending the George Washington University and is active in the Muslim Students' Association.

These engaged young women will discuss the ways that their generation takes part in public life, as well as describing the challenges and opportunities involved in mobilizing more of their peers toward civic ends.

Review: Preview Teases: I Want the Whole Thing!

I'm a big fan of all the films that Central Library show. I find them enjoyable, good films, that stimulate my brain. I've said it before, going to those films is one of my favorite things to do in Arlington, and I'm not even a movie person.



Recently, I checked out the preview of Through Deaf Eyes - a new film by PBS that debuted on PBS this past week. The preview included some talking heads thanking people and then 57 minutes of selected features.



The film seems very good. I really enjoyed what I saw and learned a lot just from those sections. But it really just left me wanting more. Now, the obvious answer would have been to watch the full thing on PBS the following week, but honestly, I had seen almost half of it, it was hard to motivate myself to watch much of it again. I meant to record it (yes, I still have a VCR, no TIVO for me) to watch later, but that kind of slipped my mind.



There was a discussion afterwards, which, I confess, I skipped out on - maybe that would have made the evening worth while.



But for my two cents, I'm going to stick to going to the full length films and skip out on any more of these previews. It only left me wanting more.

Photo credit: National Archives

Upcoming (Today!) - Film: Through Deaf Eyes

Here's the excerpt straight from the Planet Arlington website. These films never disappoint me. I know it's going to be a beautiful day, so get outside early and then head over to catch the film as the sun starts to set.

Through Deaf Eyes Special Pre-Broadcast Screening Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 6:30 p.m. A two hour documentary exploring nearly 200 years of deaf life in America. It presents the shared experiences of American history -- family life, education, work and community connections -- from the perspective of deaf citizens. The film will be broadcast nationally on PBS, and locally on WETA TV 26 on Wednesday, March 21 at 9 p.m. It is a production of WETA, Washington, DC and Florentine Films/Hott Productions, in association with Gallaudet University. A selection of clips will be screened, and representatives from the film project will be on hand to answer questions.

This special showing takes places at Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street. There is plenty of parking and it's also only a short walk from the Virginia Square Metro.

Pictured at right: Children at St. Rita's School for the Deaf, Cincinnati, OH, sign "The Star Spangled Banner". Photographed by J.B. Schmidt, 1918.

Cross-Cultural Cinema Thursday Night (1/25)

One of my favorite Arlington monthly events, cross-cultural cinema, is tomorrow night (Thursday, 1/25). This month's film is A Peck on the Check.

From the library website,

A Peck on the Cheek tells the poignant story of a little girl's search for
the biological mother who abandoned her as an infant. Adopted by another
couple and raised with their two sons, Amudha remains blissfully unaware
that Thiru and Indira are not her birth parents. When they tell her the
truth on her ninth birthday, Amudha expresses her determination to find her
biological mother. The search takes the family to strife-torn Sri Lanka,
where Amudha bravely confronts reality and reconciles herself to it.

The movie starts at 6:30 PM, although my experience has been that they tend to start a few minutes late. The auditorium at Central Library is really nice and they usually have some basic snacks.

I can't make it tomorrow night. I have another (boring!) meeting to go today. But if you make it out and want to write about it here, please let me know. I would love to have your post.