Sandra Hernandez and Marie Pellegrino were elected as co-chairs for 2015 for the Arlington Greens at the December general meeting. Sandra and Marie are longtime Greens who have extensive community involvement in Arlington, and worked hard on many prior Greens political campaigns, including on the successful campaign of John Vihstadt, an independent candidate for county board who the Greens endorsed.

Sandra has worked for historic preservation of her Columbia Pike neighborhood for many years, and also is a parent of two children enrolled in Arlington Public Schools. As a bilingual Latina, she has been a strong advocate for affordable housing and for the county schools and government to meet the needs of lower income Arlington residents.

Marie is a longtime Arlington resident who recently completed the Arlington Neighborhood College course, and is an English tutor volunteer with REEP program (the English program in Arlington County for recent immigrants). She began her Green Party activities working with the Greens efforts to help the unemployed in Arlington in 2009-10. Greens proposed a Green jobs program for unemployed and homeless persons to be trained and employed weatherizing low income housing using then available stimulus funds, and advocating in Richmond for Virginia to expand its unemployment program.

Rosslyn residents gather to fight elimination of Wilson School greenspace

The Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study (WRAPS) has proceeded over the past year toward its pre-designated conclusion to develop the Wilson site (School, Park, Playfields). The WRAPS recommendations are terrible for the Rosslyn community: preservation is dismissed, most of the site would be intensely developed with access roads and tall buildings; and very very little open space would be preserved for park and recreation. This in a community which is densely populated and provides limited public green space.

Upcoming on Saturday (tomorrow) starting at 8:30 AM at Key Elementary, county staff will lead a four and one half hour (!!!) presentation of WRAPS plans including some limited opportunity for citizen comment.

Rather than sitting through hours of power-point nonsense, a few of us plan instead to stand at the entrance handing out printed notices bearing statements like:

“Preserve Wilson School and Fields”

“Develop our Park ?? That’s Nuts !”

“Preserve our limited Green Space !”

I recommend people come to the meeting timely; grab a sign; hold it up awhile once you get inside; and then leave. You’ll do something to save our park, and you’ll save your Saturday for family and personal responsibilities.

Mark Antell

Co-chair of the CivFed Parks and Recreation Committee

CivFed delegate from the North Rosslyn Civic Association

Great music from Still Standing Band at our picnic on July 20 at Potomac Overlook.

Below are Greens Kirit Mookerjee, Miriam Gennari and Steve Davis with John Vihstadt, independent county board member who attended as well. We support him in the coming November election and were a key part of his victory in last Springs election