Kicking Off Turkey Day with the Turkey Trot

What was my time in the 2008 Arlington Turkey Trot 5K? I ran the whole thing.

When you're as lousy a runner as I am, that's the only measuring stick that counts. And with temperatures in the mid-30s at starting time and the race almost entirely up and down gentle hills in Lyon Park and Ashton Heights, the Turkey Trot seemed more like the Gobble Hobble. But I finished.

The most amazing thing? You've never seen a happier group of people who are simultaneously sweaty and freezing. A cheer went up at the start and a big crowd hung out long after the finish. People came out to cheer us all along the parade route, with a puppy escaping its owners at one point and weaving through the runners like Barry Sanders in the open field. There was even a house on Fillmore Street handing out cups of beer to the runners, good for a laugh in the race's last mile.

I was up at 6am to help get runners registered with a group from CRM. Combined with the 4,000 calories worth of food I'll be consuming and 9 hours of football, Vegas has set the line of when I pass out on my couch at 8pm. Bet the under.

Staying in Town for Thanksgiving?

The Green Miles' family is based mostly in Massachusetts, and it didn't take very long into my time living in Arlington to realize that no matter if I drove, flew, or took the train, making the schlep north twice in a month - for both Thanksgiving and Christmas - made the holidays much less enjoyable.

This year I'm staying in town for Thanksgiving and heading to Massachusetts for Christmas. When I tell people I'm staying home for Thanksgiving, people usually look at me like I'm a lonely shut-in. A young professional recently wrote a Washington Post column portraying herself as some kind of pioneer for daring to spend her holiday in DC.

But the holidays in Arlington are among the most fun times of the year. Of course, Christmas brings lots of holiday lights and greatly reduced traffic. But a lesser-known fact is that the night before Thanksgiving is a huge party night -- anyone who's young, single, and staying in Arlington for Turkey Day will be found out in Clarendon, Shirlington, or Pentagon Row on Wednesday night.

My Wednesday night will end early this year as I'm waking up before dawn on Thanksgiving Day, volunteering to help with registration at the Arlington Turkey Trot. I'll then be running the 5K race through Lyon Park and Ashton Heights.

And of course, the 350 calories I burn while running the 5K will balance out the 3,000 calories I consume watching football ... right? OK, maybe not.

Is Lee Gardens Shopping Center Worth Preserving?

From the Arlington Connection comes news that the County Board has approved a redevelopment plan for a site at the corner of Route 50 and Pershing Drive:

The new development will be a mixed-use building that will feature residences, office space and stores. More than 180 apartments will be on the site, with 18 of them being sold at below-market, affordable rates. It will also feature more than 33,000 square feet of retail and office space.

[M]any historical preservation activists opposed the project. The Lee Gardens Shopping Center, they said, is a historic building that shouldn’t be renovated.

“It’s a remarkable and wonderful design,” said Robert Dudka, chair of the County’s Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board. “If we don’t preserve the recent past what will we be doing in the future?”

I used to live right behind the Lee Gardens Shopping Center in Sheffield Court apartments. I only went to Lee Gardens a few times, to get pizza at Armand's, for an emergency grocery item at the market, or for karaoke at the Royal Lee.

Really, there wasn't much reason to. "Remarkable and wonderful" are the last words I would use to describe Lee Gardens. There's no foot traffic in that area and the Lee Garden stores that remain open look like they're barely scraping by.

I'll miss the Royal Lee if it can't find a new home. Especially after the closing of Whitey's and Dr. Dremo's, it's one of Arlington's few remaining neighborhood dives. But is that enough reason to oppose redevelopment that could revitalize that area? Definitely not.

So why would anyone fight to keep Lee Gardens the way it is? The Recent Past Preservation Network details the history and architecture of Lee Gardens, but the case for preservation seems thinner than Armand's pepperoni slices. The architect who designed the building "was involved in about 900 other projects" and I can't imagine this strip mall would rank among his top achievements.

I'm not saying this redevelopment plan is the perfect one. But if historic preservation advocates would argue Lee Gardens deserves protection, is there any site at which they wouldn't fight redevelopment?

West Nile Detected in Lyon Park (Near Clarendon)

Got this alert from Arlington County:

West Nile virus-infected Asian Tiger mosquitoes, which are human-biting mosquitoes, have been detected in the Lyon Park neighborhood. Because of the type of mosquito involved, Arlington County Health officials are taking steps to reduce the population of West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes on public property.

The Environmental Health Bureau of Arlington County will conduct backpack spraying on public property in parts of the Lyon Park neighborhood as early as Thursday, September 13; the exact date and time of the spraying will be determined by the weather. The spray dries within an hour after application and poses little risk to humans. Spraying will take place within the following boundaries: Arlington Blvd, N. Fillmore St., 3rd St., Washington Blvd. Corner of Arlington Blvd and N. Irving St. If it rains, or threatens to rain, staff will delay spraying until clear weather.

Take precautions to reduce mosquito exposure and mosquito breeding. Use mosquito repellent when outdoors in areas where mosquitoes are active. Use products registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) such as products containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. [...]

Note: To date, one human case of West Nile virus has been identified in Arlington County this year.

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