December 2005
Has the Barcroft
housing boom
run its course?
By Andrew Cambern
Barcroft News Staff
We hear so much about changes in the
real estate market. Where do we stand in
Lake Barcroft?
The indicators can be conflicting and
the answer is ultimately subject to interpretation.
There are indications that the market
has turned downward and prices may
have peaked. The number of homes available compared to those being sold in Fairfax County has risen sharply since July,
and the gap continues to widen. Simple
supply and demand suggests this could
have a negative impact on home sales.
The number of homes sold in Fairfax
County year to date is down 5.5%. Here
in Lake Barcroft, there has been no
change. This bodes well for our community values, at least for now.
The Northern Virginia market may be
overheated. According to the Realtors’
database (MRIS), median sale prices in
Northern Virginia have jumped more than
50% in the past three years, 22% in 2004
alone.
. . . more on Page 19
Welcome our
new 2005
neighbors. See
list on Page 14.
Photo by Tom Donlan
Holiday Lights Around the Lake: Nice weather over Thanksgiving had lots of folks decking their
halls — and front yards. This house is on Lakeview Drive.
LBA President’s Report
Our generous & dedicated community
By David Goslin
Once again it is time for the holidays and as we unpack our decorations and prepare
to reconnect with families and friends, near and far, it is appropriate to reflect on the
year that seems to have passed, for me at least, even more quickly than those that have
preceded it. In doing so, I am struck, once again, by countless examples of the extraordinary generosity of our community.
This year has been especially notable because of the devastation of the Gulf Coast
resulting from Katrina and Rita, coming almost on the heels of the tsunami relief effort
in Southeast Asia. These disasters produced a remarkable outpouring of energy and
resources, ranging from financial contributions to shipments of supplies and truckloads
of food and water, to direct participation in relief efforts by many individuals in our
community. Many of these efforts, including the establishment of a new organization —
Lake Barcroft Cares — were chronicled in the last issue of the Lake Barcroft
Newsletter.
But the ongoing commitment of members of the Lake Barcroft community to helping each other as well as those in need of assistance outside of our community is evident every day of the year. Hardly a day goes by when a request for information or
assistance on LakeLink does not elicit a prompt and caring response, or an unsolicited
offer of goods or services to anyone who might make use of them. Over the course of
the year our increasingly vital communication link has been the site of innumerable
. . . more on Page 4
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
2
Milestones
Published by
LAKE BARCROFT ASSOCIATION, INC.
Our Milestones column is looking for news of our neighbors— honors and awards,
graduations, honor rolls, retirements, births and deaths. If you have information for Milestones,
please call 703-941-0112 or email [email protected].
Photos by Liz and David Argyle
Carol Donlan, Editor
6516 Jay Miller Drive
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
Telephone: 703-941-0112
Email: [email protected]
Ellen Feldstein, Associate Editor
6361 Dockser Terrace
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
Telephone: 703-941-1723
Email: [email protected]
Photography
Tom Donlan, Photo Editor
Sam Corl, Photographer
Joel Gregorio, Photographer
Alice Lima-Whitney, Photographer
George McLennan, Photographer
Production/Layout
Debra M. Lee and Don Christian
Reporters
Allan Cromley, General Assignment
Mary Ann Francis, WID
Kevin Howe, Nature
Gloria Pearlstein, General Assignment
Sandy Tugwell, Poet Laureate
Betsy Washington, Horticulture
Publications Committee
Frank Aukofer, Chairman
Peg Corl
Regina Derzon
Chris Lawson
George McLennan
Sue Nixson
Therese St. Hilaire
Chuck Turner
The Lake Barcroft Newsletter is published
monthly by the Lake Barcroft Association.
Please submit articles to [email protected] or
Barcroft News, c/o 6516 Jay Miller Dr.,
Falls Church, VA 22041.
Deadline for January newsletter is Dec. 20.
Advertising Rates
back cover $300/mo.
1/2 page $150/mo.
1/3 page $125/mo.
1/4 page $100/mo.
business card $75/mo.
business card service ad $350/yr.
Advertising Sales
Chris and Vince Lawson
Telephone: 703-941-2547
Fax: 703-941-1535
Email: [email protected]
At left, community and religious leaders came to the Sept. 11 dedication of St. Anthony's new Peace
Garden. At right, Central point in the garden is the Peace Fountain with its glass etching of the word
"Peace" in 80 languages.
Liz and David Argyle Tell Us: Dorothy
Schmitt of Lakeview Drive and her son
John were honored for their landscape
design and construction of a Peace Garden at St. Anthony of Padua Church. John
is with Vale Landscape Services. Dorothy,
whose Creative Gardens landscapers is a
popular landscaper in Lake Barcroft, is
quick to point out that the Peace Garden
was a labor of love by a large group of St.
Anthony parishioners. “I had a vision 11
years ago,” she says, “and then it became
a dream, and we got this incredible grant
from a foundation.”
The TKF Foundation provided seed
funding. Chairman of the Peace Garden
project was Pauline Flynn of Arlington, a
counselor with Lumen Christi Counseling
Center at St. Anthony’s. Mario Pareja was
the overall architect.
The Peace Garden was dedicated on
Sept. 10— ready for visitors on Sept. 11.
It features an entrance of Peace Poles, a
lavender walk, boxwood walk, rose garden, perennial and annual flowers, evergreens and azaleas and native plants.
Penny Gross wrote in the Falls Church
News-Press: “Visitors enter through a
wrought-iron gate onto a lavender-edged
walkway lined with large Peace Poles
designed by local school and church
groups. [Among them Baileys, Glen Forest and Kenmore Elementary Schools,
Corpus Christi (K-8), Glasgow Middle
School, JEB Stuart High School and the
El-Iman Islamic Learning Center.] Each
of the 11 poles is unique. ... The meandering walkway passes seating areas for
contemplation and culminates at a unique
and lovely fountain that has [the word]
“Peace” etched in 80 languages on a glass
plate ... [which] resembles a sheet of ice,
with water bubbling up through a melted
center. The water then runs down roughcut stones of the well into a pool of glass
beads that are lit from below.”
Teak benches make the setting a place
for prayer and meditation. The Peace
Center is on the side of St. Anthony’s
church at Route 7 and Glen Carlyn Road.
It is open daily from 8 a.m. until dark.
Photo by Izabella Osborne
Izabella's Fox — Izabella Osborne of Devon,
England, was visiting her parents, Ray and
Jacqui Manoff of Crosswoods Drive. While driving on Waterway Drive recently, she saw a fox
that patiently waited as Izabella stopped her car
and snapped this picture.
December 2005
|
3
Neighbors
A series of profiles on some of the extraordinary people at the Lake and those who have
made Lake Barcroft an extraordinary place to live. If you know someone who should be
profiled, please contact Carol Donlan.
LBA COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Photo by Joel Gregorio
Frank
and
Sandy
Tugwell
2005-2006 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
David Goslin, President.............................703-256-1254
George McLennan, Vice President ............703-354-6351
Lark Lovering, Secretary...........................703-354-4948
Karen Wehner, Treasurer...........................703-845-8717
Frank Aukofer, Director ............................703-820-4232
Carolyn Coldren, Director.........................703-671-4029
Diane Davidson, Director..........................703-575-8187
Stuart Feldstein, Director ..........................703-941-1723
Kevin Howe, Director ...............................703-941-6325
Gerald Mendenhall, Director.....................703-578-3746
Mike Stahl, Director ..................................703-658-1380
Shirley Timashev, Director........................703-820-1105
Pete Walker, Director ................................703-354-9693
Architectural Review
Kevin Howe..........................................703-941-6325
Community Watch/Security
Peter Walker .........................................703-354-9693
Environmental Quality
Diane Davidson ....................................703-575-8187
Finance & Audit
Karen Wehner .......................................703-845-8717
Improvements
Gerald Mendenhall ...............................703-578-3746
Charles de Seve (WID).........................703-998-6050
Legal
Stuart Feldstein.....................................703-941-1723
Membership
Carolyn Coldren ..................................703-671-4029
Publications
Frank Aukofer.......................................703-820-4232
Special Events
Shirley Timashev ..................................703-820-1105
Water Safety & Beach Maintenance
Mike Stahl ............................................703-658-1380
HOME STORY: Frank and Sandy Tugwell’s home on Waterway Drive is the 24th house
they have lived in during their married life, moving primarily because of Frank’s career in
teaching and international development. “We’ve lived in Latin America, we’ve been bicoastal, and we’ve lived in Reston four or five times to be near Sandy’s family,” Frank says. LBA Management Office..................703-941-1927
Chris Lawson (Monday–Friday)
6425 Lakeview Dr., Falls Church, VA 22041
FAMILY HISTORIES: Sandy’s father began building homes in Reston when only about
www.lakebarcroft.org
200 people were living there. Frank was born in Puerto Rico, where his father was the last
Watershed Improvement District.......703-820-1300
appointed governor. “Frank and I met when we were 15 and have been together ever since,”
Sandy says.
CAREERS: Sandy, a registered nurse, worked as a hospital nurse until shortly after they moved to Lake Barcroft in 1998. Frank
holds a doctorate in political science and has written four books on energy and resource use. His distinguished career has included
positions as a professor of political economy and executive director for the Heinz Endowments in Pittsburgh. He is now President
and CEO of Winrock International, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve agricultural productivity, increase rural employment, and sustain natural resources in poor regions of the world.
POETRY: Sandy’s poetry often appears in this newsletter. Her poem “How Can It Be?” was included in Reflections, recently published by the American Poets Society. “She has always written poems for the family,” Frank says. “But I didn’t really get into it until
I stopped working,” she adds. Both maintain that poems are essentially “caught” when they arise rather than created by the author.
“I’ll jump up from the dinner table and say I have to write this down,” Sandy says.
OTHER INTERESTS: Sandy served on the board of the Animal Rescue League in Pittsburgh, and the couple has rescued a number
of dogs. They now have a Doberman named Tony and a 10-year-old Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix named Daisy. In the past, they
have had as many as four dogs at once.
They also enjoy boating. Frank travels one week a month to a Winrock office in Arkansas, where he stays on their motor sailor,
“Rosie,” docked on the Arkansas River. Sandy often joins him there and on other business trips. Sandy, who designed the “Barcroft
Beaver” logo, also creates computerized embroidery. Together, they have taught English as a Second Language classes at St. Anthony’s church near Culmore.
CHILDREN: Son Bryce is creative director for the Jane Goodall Institute and lives on a boat on the Potomac with his wife. Son
Todd lives in Durham, N.C., and works as a forester for the Army Corps of Engineers.
WHAT MAKES LAKE BARCROFT SPECIAL? “The woodsy environment and the beach,” says Frank. Sandy adds, “And the
great people.”
— Gloria Pearlstein, Barcroft News Staff
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
4
Lake Barcroft Cares collected furniture for families
evacuated during Hurricane Katrina
On the weekend before Thanksgiving, Lake Barcroft Cares collected furniture for two families living here who are dealing with evacuation from Hurricane Katrina. The committee had sent a message on LakeLink listing the furniture and other items that each family needed. Families around the Lake contributed quickly. Saturday Beach 5 was full of collected furniture and the rental truck made trip after
trip to households in need of furniture.
Photos by Tom Donlan
Lower left, Michele VanZandycke of Crosswoods Drive, lower right Nancy
Walker of Jay Miller Drive, upper left Sandy Ellig of Stoneybrae Drive and
upper right Patti McCaleb of Whispering Lane, with the beginnings of a
truckload of donated furniture.
Left to right, Nancy Walker of Jay Miller Drive, Sandy Ellig of Stoneybrae
Drive and Patti McCaleb of Whispering Lane, organize donations to
Family #1.
Neighbors helping others in our community and around the world
From Page 1
individual acts of generosity and thoughtfulness.
All of our major community organizations — the Woman’s
Club, Barcrofters, and Newcomers — contribute both formally
and informally to the welfare of Lake Barcroft and its surrounding communities. Members of the community support our local
schools generously through active participation in PTAs, significant financial contributions to music and athletic programs,
major events such as Taste of the Town at JEB Stuart High
School, and numerous volunteer programs. The Lake Barcroft
Foundation has been able to increase funding every year since
its establishment for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarships
awarded annually to several Stuart seniors. Another remarkable
gift to our community has been the establishment of several
separate series of outstanding music concerts in homes around
the community.
Finally, over the years many members of the community
have given unstintingly of their time and energies to serve as
members of the Lake Barcroft Board of Directors or as Trustees
of the Watershed Improvement District (WID), and their respective committees. As elections for new members of the LBA
Board approach, I would like to express, on behalf of the Board
and community, my appreciation for the contributions of all of
those who will be leaving the Board at the end of their current
terms and to those have agreed to stand for election to take
their places. To everyone in this very special community, my
best wishes for the holidays and the New Year.
Photo by Tom Donlan
Lake Barcroft Cares — Mark Goldenberg and Kevin Walker, both of Jay
Miller Drive, load a donated sofa into the truck.
December 2005
|
5
Thank you, Lake Barcroft, for assisting Hurricane
Katrina evacuees — “The outcome was greater than
we could have ever imagined.”
By Nancy Walker
Special to Barcroft News
Thank you to the Lake Barcroft community for overwhelmingly supporting the effort to assist the Katrina evacuees. The outcome was
greater than we could have ever imagined. All items requested by the families were received. Furniture, kitchen goods and linens — from
the quality of the items donated to the exact number and type of items requested — our community was successful in helping the evacuated families start anew.
The goods were distributed to the families Saturday following the drive. As the items were unloaded, it was a privilege for us to witness the joy that each of your items brought to those who received them. From the mother’s smile at the sight of a high chair to a teenage
son’s expression as he carried his mattress, each of the family members were gracious for all that they received.
We asked the families to please only take those items that they would want. All families chose to accept every item we brought for
them. After everything was unloaded, we offered food
gift baskets and told the families that other gift cards
LOCAL KATRINA FACTS
would be distributed to them by their NoVA services
representatives. There were many hugs and thank you’s
Fairfax County contracted with three agencies — Northern Virginia
Family Service, Reston Interfaith and UCM — to handle the housing
and requests that we bring back their message of thanks
needs of evacuees who were moving to Fairfax.
to our community.
Therefore, THANK YOU! Thank you for making it
happen.
* * *
Big thank you’s to the coordinators who spent many
hours emailing, phoning and poring over spreadsheets to
ensure that each family received exactly what it needed.
Thank you to Michele Van Zandycke (furniture), Christi
Hays (kitchen goods), Sandy Chiong Ellig (linens) and
Patti McCaleb (drive day) for your time and efforts to
make the drive a success.
Original estimates projected 100 evacuee families, in total, would
need to be served by the 3 agencies.
Currently there are more than 200 families being served and more
continue to come weekly.
Of the 43 families currently receiving assistance through Northern
Virginia Family Service, 18 are in hotels and coming to the end of
their FEMA / Red Cross support, five are out of the hotels and in
immediate need of housing, four have been placed in housing and
the remainder are living with relatives/ friends in the area.
Housing is coming in very slowly and the County is looking at what
other alternatives there might be for those in need.
On behalf of the Northern Virginia Family Service, Katrina
Project, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Lake Barcroft Community
for your outpouring of kindness through your donations to our two (2) Katrina families.
Your generosity has helped to stabilize these families, and lessen their financial burden of
starting a new household after having lost all of their personal belongings as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
Your good works have lifted their spirits, as both families have expressed their gratitude to me personally. They were quite
overwhelmed to see the U-Haul pull up full of furniture. They were equally overwhelmed upon receiving the additional gift certificates. Again, NVFS thanks the Lake Barcroft Community for your tremendous efforts to support these families.
Respectfully Submitted,
Zondra Anderson
Case Manager, Katrina Project
Northern Virginia Family Service
6
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
December 2005
|
7
Misdirected mail and late deliveries are common
as the Postal Service consolidates its mail routes
By Al Cromley
Barcroft News Staff
Office and Civil Service. Callendar contacted Postmaster
Richmond and was assured that Lake Barcroft’s mail delivery
would quickly get back to normal.
At deadline, mail in Section Three was arriving between
7 and 7:30 p.m. — at least two hours later than usual.
Photo by Tom Donlan
It's long past sunset when this postal carrier serving Lake Barcroft nears
the end of his appointed rounds.
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays
these couriers from their appointed rounds.”
Well, our Lake Barcroft mail “couriers” were “stayed” in
late September and October, not by weather, but by postal
problems. Throughout our neighborhood there have been complaints about the mail delivery. LakeLink had a torrent of
angry complaints about late and mis-delivered mail — some
delivered as late as 10 p.m.
To get to the bottom of the mail snafu, Barcroft News contacted officials in the Falls Church, Baileys and Merrifield
Post Offices and in the office of Rep. Tom Davis, who chairs a
committee with jurisdiction over all postal matters.
The Falls Church Post Office covers Lake Barcroft’s 22041
and 22044 zip codes. Mail at those areas is handled by the
Baileys Post Office at Culmore. There are 14 Barcroft mail
routes in area code 22044 and 21 in 22041.
Postmaster Reita Richmond explained that problems came
when carrier routes were consolidated in September. “We are
going through aches and pains,” she said. She said she was
hiring 44 new carriers for all of Falls Church, including one
for Baileys. She said she has “a full complement of carriers for
Barcroft.”
A call to the office of Rep. Tom Davis led us to Jack Callender, counsel to the House Committee on Government
Reform, which has jurisdiction over what formerly were committees on Government Operations, District of Columbia, Post
“Errors do occur when we do adjustments,” Postmaster
Richmond said. Pleasantly and patiently she answered questions and added, “Every office has disgruntled employees.
We’ve had growing pains down there,” meaning at the Baileys
Post Office in Culmore.
Growing pains or not, postal officials had few answers to
reports from carriers that they are often unable to complete
their assigned rounds until 7 or 8 p.m. and sometimes later.
As to reports of carriers having to work until late at night,
she said, “Occasionally a real (incompetent person) will
work very late. I only know of one night where they were out
until 10.”
Erica Hall, delivery supervisor at Baileys , said that some
routes “were not adjusted properly” following a route
inspection in September. “And we had a lot of sick calls —
too many.”
Your mail, posted at a local mailbox, is trucked to the
regional processing center at Merrifield for distribution to various area codes. It then comes back to Baileys, where mechanized sorters handle 15 letters per second, putting mail into
delivery routes. These sorters handle about 90 percent of the
letter mail. Carriers sort everything else, including flat mail,
magazines, brochures and catalogs.
Established carriers are paid $40,000 a year or more, but
begin at $17 or $18 an hour. The great majority of them are
praised by residents, who know them by their first names.
Example: Leigh Gonzalez, 6306 Crosswoods Circle, said,
“Richard is fantastic.” So is this reporter’s carrier, Tam Dinh,
known everywhere as “Junior.”
September begins the heaviest mail season, loaded down
first by catalogs designed for Christmas orders. Then come
magazines and parcels.
We’ll see whether the promise of mail by 5 p.m. turns out
to be a puff of smoke.
Meanwhile, Ann Gamber, 6436 Lakeview Dr., is philosophical: “It’s not the highlight of my day when mail arrives. I’m
not anxious to see all those bills.”
8
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
December 2005
|
9
By Burma Klein
Co-President
Charity Selections
Morning Book Club — January 27
The Woman’s Club proudly announces the winners of its charity election held on Nov. 16. The following three charities will
serve as the rallying point for the Club’s fundraising efforts: a
house tour on Saturday, April 29, 2006:
Don’t miss the lively discussion at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 27,
at the home of Glynne Leonard, 3440 Mansfield Rd., as members
discuss Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides. Please drop by.
Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.
For 37 years, the Annandale Christian Community for
Action (ACCA) alliance of 26 local churches has provided support to needy families and individuals—without regard for religious belief or ethnicity. ACCA’s assistance prevents homelessness, avoids utility shut-offs, pays for prescriptions and dental
care, and provides gas, car repairs, and tools for the working
poor. ACCA also delivers donated food and furniture and provides rides to medical treatments. Last year, ACCA served more
than 4,000 adults and children in Annandale, Lincolnia, Baileys
Crossroads, and Culmore. This year, largely because of energy
costs, requests for help are exceeding ACCA’s budget projections, and reserve funds are running low. Without an increase in
support, ACCA’s services must be cut.
Welcome, New Members
Bailey’s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department is staffed
24 hours a day, 365 days a year by a career staff of 35 personnel.
In addition, 47 volunteers, six of whom are women, provide
administrative and other support to the career staff. Without the
volunteers, Fairfax County would have to pay additional career
staff to do the work. Contributions pay for needed apparatus purchases and station improvements. For example, the pumper truck
was purchased with contribution money and the payments are
$40,393 a year. In addition, payments on an advanced life support unit are $22,680 a year.
The Morning Star Program, sponsored by Hispanics Against
Child Abuse and Neglect, is dedicated to girls ages 8-16. Morning Star meets three days a week at the Woodrow Wilson Library
and has one full-time coordinator. It works toward providing the
girls in the Culmore area with tools to achieve independence and
success in life. It also emphasizes healthy lifestyles, self-respect,
and the importance of education. Once a girl reaches 7th grade,
she is encouraged to apply for the George Mason University
Early Identification Program, which supports her through high
school and college. Morning Star also connects girls to mentors
through a partnership with Childhelp USA Virginia.
Sima Calkin is our newest member. Please join the
Woman’s Club by contacting Burma Klein (703-642-8745
or [email protected]), or send a check for $30, payable to the
Lake Barcroft Woman’s Club to our treasurer, Carol Tether, at
6400 Lyric Lane, Falls Church, VA 22044 or call her at
703-914-2882. We have a fantastic group of women.
Clark House Reception — Sunday, Nov. 13
Following-up on her documentary on Mason District History,
Naomi Zeavin, a Woman’s Club member, guest curator at Clark
House and member of the Fairfax County History Commission,
spearheaded an effort to gather information on the district’s
African-American community. Naomi’s work was showcased at
a reception at the Clark House on Columbia Pike in a special program, A Celebration of the African-American History of Mason
District, sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The
guest of honor was Mrs. Thurgood Marshall, a resident of Lake
Barcroft.
Naomi assembled photographs, memorabilia and documentation from area churches and local families. Guest speakers
included Marion Dobbins of Meet the Past, an interactive educational reenactment group; Houston Summers, from the Warner
Baptist Church; and Barbara Daggs, from the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. In addition, Viola Champs Lee, who was born in
1923 attended by a midwife, at the Clark farm where both her
parents worked, described life on the farm and in the area. Naomi
will use a tape of the event and additional interviews to produce a
documentary that will be available next year.
Learning from the Master: Hugh Calkin
On Nov. 16, the Woman’s Club had a double
treat at the waterfront home of Sima and Hugh
Calkin. Hugh, a master gardener, took the group on
a tour of his front and back yard, delighting all
Hugh Calkin with his gardening knowledge. Members also were
surprised by a delicious Afghan luncheon prepared by Sima.
Thank you to them both.
Photos by Steve Klein
Members enjoyed a delicious Afghan luncheon prepared by Sima Calkin
at the November meeting.
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
10
Lake Barcroft
Calendar
Compiled by Ellen Feldstein,
[email protected]
Dec. 7
7:30 p.m. WID Quarterly Meeting
WID Compound
Dec. 8
10:30 a.m. Barcrofters Holiday Party
6306 Crosswoods Circle
Dec. 10
6:30 p.m. House Concert & Potluck:
Patuxent Partners
3320 Grass Hill Terr.
Dec. 10
6:30 p.m. Newcomers’ Holiday Party
3616 Ridgeway Terr.
Dec. 14
7:30 p.m. LBA Board Meeting
6425 Lakeview Dr.
Dec. 20
January Newsletter articles due
Dec. 23 - Jan. 2
Fairfax County Public Schools
Winter Break
Jan. 11
7:30 p.m. LBA Board Meeting
6425 Lakeview Dr.
Jan. 15
3 p.m. Music on the Lake: “The Unlikely Trio”
6306 Crosswoods Cir.
December 2005
|
11
2006 Lake Barcroft Newsletter Calendar
Here are some of the 12 photos featured in full color in the 2006 Lake Barcroft Newsletter Calendar. Order today
and they should arrive by New Year's. Send a $20 check payable to Tom Donlan to 6516 Jay Miller Dr., 22041.
7” x 11” calendar format.
Photo by Joel Gregorio
Photo by Tom Donlan
Photo by Michael DeHart
Photo by Tom Donlan
The Patuxent Partners wrap up the year’s
Bluegrass House Concert Series on Dec. 10
We’re wrapping up 2005 with an
outstanding concert. Please join us for a
delightful evening of high quality acoustic music featuring one of
the greater-D.C. area’s outstanding bluegrass bands — the Patuxent Partners.
We’ll begin the evening around 6:30 p.m. with pot-luck appetizers. The extra time will give folks a chance to get to know each
other better and settle into the evening. Please bring your favorite
snack to share with the other folks. Also, feel free to bring anything you’d like to drink. The music will begin around 7:30 p.m.
and will consist of two 45-minute sets with an intermission. The
performers will have copies of their CDs if you’d like to make a
purchase. We should wrap up the evening around 9:30 or so.
For more information about the band, go to
http://www.pxrec.com/Patuxent_Bluegrass-partners-home.htm.
For reservations (or to receive a flyer for the concert), contact
me at [email protected] or call 703-916-0655. Since my message-takers are my kids, you probably want to email me directly! Hope to see you here on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 10.
(Please reserve!)
— Regina Derzon, Special to Barcroft News
12
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
December 2005
|
13
Gesher Jewish Day School New Foundation pledges
to raise $100,000
Building
for Stuart graduates
Community
By Robin Fetsch
Campaign
Special to Barcroft News
Stuart High School has a new foundation to help with scholarships and educational assistance for low-income students.
By Marcia Kerchner
Special to Barcroft News
The Building Community campaign to create a home and
new campus for the Gesher Jewish Day School is in full swing.
Gesher, which was founded in 1982, is currently housed in the
Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. Lake Barcroft
has several families whose children are graduates or currently
attending the school, including the Lowells, the Bardashes, the
Frenkels, and the Latkers. Former Barcroft residents Flory and
Harry Jagoda (grandparents of the Lowell children) were honored a few years ago for their generous support of the school.
Barcroft resident Dottie Bennett will be similarly honored on
March 26 at the annual Guardian of the Bridge Dinner, along
with her daughter Ann, whose children are all attendees at
Gesher.
The school, to be built on Shirley Gate Road (about a mile
from Fair Oaks), will accommodate 350 students in phase one
and 540 students in phase two of the construction. Of the 28acres of land dedicated to the school site, at least 14 acres will
remain as undisturbed woods. Gesher is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). For information about the school or the dinner honoring the Bennett-Green
family, contact Ilana Egner, Director of Admissions,
703- 978-9789 ext. 128, [email protected], or visit the
website at http://www.gesher-jds.org.
The JEB Stuart Educational Foundation, Inc. is raising funds
to award at least $100,000 each year to graduating seniors beginning in May 2006. The Foundation takes the place of the Stuart
PTSA Scholarship Fund, which has been operating for many
years with excellent support from the Lake Barcroft community.
“This educational foundation has been a dream for many of
us for years and we are delighted that the greater community has
already shown its eagerness to support us,” said Kaye Kory,
Foundation president and Mason District School Board member.
“We have received large grants from the Freddie Mac Foundation and Siemens Corporation, as well as generous donations
from parents, teachers, former students and area residents.” In
addition, the Foundation was the recipient of memorials in memory of Stuart parent and active PTSA member Norene Thomas,
who died in January of this year.
The Foundation hopes to become an integral part of the
greater Stuart community. A golf tournament and several neighborhood fundraisers are being planned.
As you consider your end-of-year donations, please remember the Foundation. Checks should be made to JEB Stuart Educational Foundation, Inc. and sent to the school. Contributions
are fully tax deductible. Memorial gifts are welcome. Givers’
names will appear in our publications and website unless otherwise requested.
Show your community spirit —
wear the Lake Barcroft logo
By Frank Aukofer
Barcroft News Staff
The Lake Barcroft logo is available on just about any product from Land’s End. Check
the business or regular catalog (www.landsend.com) to find your item. Order by calling 1-800-663-2193. Then ask for logo number 0347062K. For six or more similar items,
the extra charge is $5.50 per piece. It’s about $11 for a single item.
Note: Because the LBA is listed as the logo “owner,” some invoices have gone to the
LBA office. Be sure to request that the invoice is sent to your home address.
The Lake Barcroft logo was designed by
Sue Nixson.
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
14
Welcome our new neighbors who bought
Lake Barcroft homes in 2005
Compiled by Ellen Feldstein
Barcroft News Staff
Lake Barcroft residents greeted 50 new neighbors who purchased homes in our community in 2005. Every section had at least one
turnover; Section Nine, with seven sales, had the greatest number. Included in this list are the first seven Parcel A homeowners to go to
settlement. A very warm welcome to all our new neighbors; we’re glad to have you aboard!
Section 1
John Drake and Wendy Gutscher 6325 Aqua Terrace
Section 2
Peter and Sarah Cressy
3801 Lakeview Terrace
Don and Diane Long
6239 Lakeview Dr.
Shawn and Krista Cooley
6355 Lakeview Dr.
Melissa Calmes
and Abi Soemarko
6375 Dockser Terrace
William and Karen Redman
6372 Dockser Terrace
Section 3
Thomas O’Keeffe
and Angela Certvetti
6515 Jay Miller Dr.
Matthew and Melissa Ferguson
3710 Whispering Lane
Roy Johnson and Mary McCabe
6524 Jay Miller Dr.
James and Autumn Vandehei
6512 Jay Miller Dr.
Section 4
Thi Hoang
6426 Crosswoods Dr.
Gordon and Mardi Hastings
6422 Crosswoods Dr.
Section 5
Anne Page
6401 Lyric Lane
Guy Mayer
and Lynn Milgram Mayer
6405 Lyric Lane
Nadim and Jelena Salti
6415 Lyric Lane
Douglas Beekman
6411 Crosswoods Dr.
Donna Walker James
and Tobin James
6401 Cavalier Corridor
Emily Chan and Roy King
6339 Crosswoods Dr.
Section 6
Kevin Horn
and Kathryn Kersey Horn
3517 Wentworth Dr.
Section 7
Ronald and Wilma Kaplan
6410 Crosswoods Dr.
William and Robin Colwell
6316 Waterway Dr.
Michael and Amy Archambault
3415 Barger Dr.
Ana Reima Rodriguez
3420 Barger Dr.
Joseph Gal
3315 Stoneybrae Dr.
Jason and Izabella Iannotti
3329 Grass Hill Terrace
Section 8
Boris Fernandez
and Rafaela Quiroga
3445 Blair Rd.
Section 9
Kevin and Jill Anderson
6136 Beachway Dr.
Ahmed Garma and Khadja Noury 6138 Beachway Dr.
Michael Korin
6129 Beachway Dr.
Joe and Amy Cunniffe
6123 Beachway Dr.
David Dale
6112 Beachway Dr.
Mark Meza
3420 Blair Rd.
Ronald and Deborah Klar
6151 Beachway Dr.
Section 10
Georges De La Roche
and Alice Newton De La Roche 6203 Beachway Dr.
Jose Marquina
3401 Greentree Dr.
Gossom Family
3409 Greentree Dr.
Antonio and Patricia Marra
3415 Mansfield Rd.
Linda Martin
3419 Mansfield Rd.
Alan and Freida Dahl
3420 Mansfield Rd.
Section 11
Paul Kress and Wanda Font
6306 Beachway Dr.
Joaquin and Stephanie
Perez-Arrieta
3311 Potterton Dr.
Randy Kogel
3307 Potterton Dr.
Parcel A (Cloisters)
David and Marlene Tarbell
6426 Recreation Lane
Jamel and Leila Akrout
3758 Tennis Court
Phuong Hiu
3757 Tennis Court
Horacio and Christine Sobol
3755 Tennis Court
Elmer and Cheryl Stone
3752 Tennis Court
Charles and Patricia Shand
3754 Tennis Court
Kyung Cho-Miller
3756 Tennis Court
L
A
K
E
L
I
N
K
L
A
K
E
L
I
N
K
Join Lake Link
and keep in touch with our community!
http://www.lakebarcroft. org/as/lakelink.shtml
December 2005
|
Tips for Preventing
Beaver Damage
Generally beavers cannot access properties with seawalls that are 2 feet or more
above the Lake bottom. However, beavers
are notoriously clever, and will climb steps,
ladders, or small drainage openings to get
to desirable plants.
Beavers prefer to take trees within short
distances of the water, but they have been
known to travel more than 50 feet inland to
get to desirable plants. And remember,
beavers can take down several good-sized
trees in a single night. Prevention is this
best policy.
The best way to protect your trees is to
wrap them with 3-foot-high cylinder cages
made of hardware cloth or sturdy 2 X 4”
welded-wire fencing. Encircle the trunk,
leaving about 6 inches between the tree and
fence. At one end cut every other horizontal
wire and bend into hooks to make the circle
of fence around the tree. Anchor these
cages to the ground with stakes. We’ve
found that dark green, plastic-coated hardware cloth fencing is nearly invisible in our
wooded yards.
If you have a large shoreline that is not
protected by a seawall, you may prefer to
fence the entire shoreline of your property
although this may be subject to approval by
the Architectural Review Committee. The
late Ernie Rauth was experimenting with
bending wire fencing into a broad trianglelike shape running along the shoreline and
camouflaging it with shrubs and vines. The
ARC will be happy to advise you on various
options.
A newer method that has been successful in preventing gnawing is to paint the
trunks of trees with a mixture of latex and
gritty play sand (8 oz. of fine sand to a gallon of latex paint or 20 oz. to a gallon of
paint). Latex allows the bark to “breathe”,
while the gritty sand texture deters beavers.
This is not recommended for newly planted
trees less than about 6 feet tall. Paint stores
can match the color to a bark sample if you
are picky about the appearance of your
trees. We have also had success in using a
clear latex paint or shellac mixed thoroughly
with sand; however this may not allow small
trees to breathe. Paint trees to a height of
between three and four feet and renew the
paint every two years as needed.
Ropel and repellants with sulphur compounds such as Deer Off may deter the
beavers for a short time, but will need to be
reapplied regularly. Repellants are much
less reliable than fencing or latex and sand.
— Betsy Washington, Barcroft News Staff
15
Beaver biology
By Betsy Washington and Kevin Howe
Barcroft News Staff
Indians believed that beavers were the “sacred center” of the land because of their central role in creating rich wetlands that create habitat for many species of mammals, birds,
fish, turtles, and frogs. In fact, beaver wetlands are often considered the most biologically
diverse community in the temperate climate zone. Most beavers inhabit streams and are
famous for their incredible engineering skills used in building elaborate dams and canal
systems and shallow ponds. This of course, has created conflicts with humans by cutting
trees and flooding forests, agricultural lands, or occasionally roads. Beavers are extremely
gentle and highly intelligent animals. A famous animal behaviorist said, “When we think
of the kinds of animal behavior that suggest conscious thinking, the beaver comes naturally to mind.”
The American beaver is a rodent — the largest in the northern hemisphere. They average about 3 to nearly 4 feet in total length and about 40 pounds. Beavers are readily recognizable by their horizontally flattened, scaly tails. Beavers use their tail both as a rudder
for swimming and navigating while carrying large logs, and also to warn other beavers of
danger by slapping their tails against the water with a loud smack and splash. Their back
feet are webbed and used to propel themselves through the water at up to 2 mph.
Their front feet have specialized digging
claws for creating bank burrows and
canals. They have a range of special
adaptations that allows them to remain
underwater for up to 15 minutes.
In Lake Barcroft, beavers do not
build dams, but instead construct lodges
of stripped branches and sticks in the
lake bank. Burrows are typically built
under tree roots or shallow docks where
beavers interweave thick sticks and logs
and plaster these in place with mud. A
single lodge may have several entrances
all located under water, while the living
quarter of the lodge is above water.
Beavers are chiefly nocturnal, and spend
their daylight hours in their lodges.
Photo by Tom Donlan
In
January,
a
beaver
had
made
a home in
Beavers are highly territorial animals
the bank near Beach 3 and defended it with
and produce a pungent “castor” oil that
a mixture of mud and small trees.
they deposit on “scent mounds” that
mark the boundaries of their territory and serve to keep other beavers away.
While most everyone knows beavers feed on the inner bark of deciduous trees, what
they don’t know is that the spring-summer diet of beavers is about 95% herbaceous plants
— especially emergent aquatic vegetation like spadderdock. Quite possibly the lack of
emergent vegetation in Barcroft is the direct result of the beavers keeping it mowed down.
With the onset of fall, they are especially busy cutting trees and branches. These are
used to build up the lodge to protect the home over winter and to provide a cache of food
for their winter larder. Many tree branches are stuck in the mud at the bottom of the lake
near their lodge for food when the lake is frozen.
Beavers have 2 chisel-like, orange lower incisor teeth, which are used for cutting the
trees. Beavers can easily fell a 4” diameter tree in about 15 minutes! Generally they pre. . . more on Page 17
16
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
December 2005
|
17
Beavers
From Page 15
fer trees less than 6” in diameter, but they
have been known to fell a tree over 5’ in
diameter. Favorites include fast growing
trees with soft wood such as birches, willows, alders, maples, tulip poplars and
dogwoods. However, beavers are opportunistic and will also take trees with harder wood such as oaks, beeches and even
conifers.
Beavers mate for life and may live for
12 years or more. Young are born in May
and June with an average litter size of
between 3 and 4 young. Beavers are
devoted parents and spend much of their
time training and instructing their young.
A typical beaver colony consists of the
parents, young kits and yearlings or
“teenagers.” Parents drive the yearlings
out of their territory in their second year,
after the new litter of kits is born.
The Lake Barcroft Beaver Management Policy takes advantage of the natural
behavior of our resident beavers in order
to effectively and humanely limit beaver
populations in the Lake and to discourage
beaver damage to personal property. This
Policy along with tips on protecting your
property can be found on the Lake Barcroft website, www.lakebarcroft.org.
Crickets
Like spies coming to a safe
house
They come from out of the cold
into my house
But then use their voices to call
to each other
During the night
Like an unsecured phone line
And they are discovered and
sent into exile
Back into the cold
— Sandy Tugwell
18
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
December 2005
|
“ ...the outlook
for Lake Barcroft
should be cautiously
optimistic.”
From Page 1
Among the possible reasons for
these increases: our ever expanding job
market. The number of jobs here has
steadily risen over the past 30 years. Job
creation has outpaced population
growth by 58%. Over the last five
years, Washington has had the highest
job growth in the U.S., adding 287,000
jobs.
Many neighborhoods are experiencing stagnant activity and falling prices.
However, the outlook for Lake Barcroft
should be cautiously optimistic. Prices
in this community rose earlier in 2005
and most recently have flattened or
dipped only slightly. Conditions have
cooled but that may not bring back the
dismal market and falling prices of the
1990s.
We may be adjusting to a healthier,
more balanced marketplace. One where
buyers have options and can avoid
rushed judgments. Home inspection and
appraisal safeguards can now be put
back in place. There could be a fall in
the rate of appreciation, but not necessarily a significant fall in prices.
Dr. Stephen Fuller, an economist at
George Mason University, reported to
The Northern Virginia Association of
Realtors: “The power market of late
2004 and early 2005 is over, but we’re
still going to see strong pricing across
Northern Virginia. Income and employment will continue to grow throughout
the DC area and that will only increase
our housing deficit.” In other words,
there will still be a housing shortage
and prices are not likely to fall.
________________________________
Andrew Cambern has been an associate broker and Realtor for 17 years.
19
Started with hot days and
ended with an early snow
From our weather watcher, Lowell L. Koontz on Oakwood Drive. For more information
go to Lowell’s Web site at http://www.annandaleweather.com.
It seemed as if summer wouldn't end in the beginning of November. On Nov. 6 temperatures reached 75 degrees and after a few days in the 60s, hit 74 degrees on Nov.
16. On Nov. 27 and 28 temperatures reached the high 60s.
Those high readings helped make November warmer than average with a monthly
mean temperature of 48 degrees, about one degree above normal. Rainfall was almost
two inches below normal.
The first measurable snow — just .8 inches, enough to put a dusting on the leaf
piles — came on Nov. 23. It was the first November snow since 1996.
Coldest day was Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving, when the high only reached
34 degrees and the low dipped to 20 degrees.
Highest wind gust was 40 mph when a cold front blew through on Nov. 10.
Barometer hit a low of 29.21 on Nov. 22. It was the lowest November reading since
1972 and the lowest overall barometer reading since April 2.
20
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
December 2005
|
21
A brief guide for Lake Barcroft
Newsletter photographers
By Tom Donlan
Barcroft News Staff
Keep your pictures interesting and
focused on the subjects. Move in closer
until the subjects fill the picture.
Get the names and streets (street numbers are not needed) of every identifiable
person in your pictures.
Take pictures at every Lake event, and
take a few minutes each week to cruise
around looking for neat pictures that
illustrate life at the Lake and the current
season. Shoot leaf-rakers and the county
leaf-sucking machine this season, for
example. Shoot the first snowfall, the first
snowman, snowball fights, etc.
Technical requirements:
Shoot at the highest quality and highest resolution jpeg your camera can make.
If your camera can shoot a “RAW” file,
shoot in that format. Download your pic-
tures into your own computer and select
the three or four best candidates for each
assignment. If you do any editing yourself, be sure and make all the changes on
a copy of the original file, using the TIF
format. Send color pictures, and if your
program asks you about color space, use
“Adobe RGB(1998).”
Don’t do anything to your original file,
except keep it forever.
Note: Adobe Photoshop is the best
photo-processing program. The latest version is called CS2, but older versions also
work well. There’s a simple version with
fewer functions that also works called
Photoshop Elements. It sells for less than
$100. If there’s time and you are willing
to do it, burn a CD for the newsletter with
the TIF files, no matter how big they are,
and copies of the original jpeg files. Also
provide a Word file with caption information. Drop the CD into my mailbox at
6516 Jay Miller Drive, and put your name
and the date on the envelope. If we are
close to deadline, you may need to e-mail
me photos. In that case, send jpg files and
keep the file size of the jpeg down to 2
megabytes. Attach one jpeg to each email and send to [email protected]
… and now a few words about words
We are always looking for interesting
articles, story tips and photos for the Barcroft News. Deadline for each issue is the
20th of the month. Send your articles to
[email protected].
Milestones articles are most
appreciated.
| Lake Barcroft Newsletter
22
Winter got you down? Learn basic
gardening at Green Spring Garden
Gardeners are not born with
green thumbs. They practice,
practice and practice until their
successes outnumber their failures. Green Spring Master Gardeners (sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension) will
share tips on selecting and maintaining tools, composting and
pruning. They will dazzle you with time-saving techniques,
clarify simple steps and debunk gardening myths. By the end
of the series, your thumb will be a shade greener. Sign up for
the entire series or for individual workshops.
All workshops are from 1:30 – 3 p.m. Cost for each is $11.
Workshops will be at the Green Spring Garden Horticulture
Center, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA 22312. To register, call 703-642-5173.
Friday, Feb. 3 — Selecting and Maintaining Garden
Tools: Green Spring has an arsenal of tools in the tool shed.
Some are used every day and others sit unused in the corner.
Which tools are terrific and which are duds? After learning how
to select the right tool for the job, see how to maintain it in tip top
shape.
Friday, Feb. 10 — Composting and Vermiculture:
Homemade compost is black gold. Learn how to compost yard
debris and kitchen scraps into a soil amendment that will transform your garden into a healthy habitat. Then kick it up a notch
and wriggle your way into vermiculture, the dark and wonderful
world of worm composting. Vegetable scraps become rich,
nutritious compost in a ‘magical’ process accelerated by these
squirmy helpers.
Friday, Feb. 17 — Basic Pruning: Overgrown, gangly
shrubs are unsightly and sometimes hazardous – they can block
views and provide hiding places for unwanted visitors. Flowering shrubs need to be pruned regularly to produce abundant
blooms. Learn how, when and where to prune to create healthy,
shapely shrubs. A portion of this class will be spent outdoors;
please dress appropriately.
December 2005
|
23
Seasonal safety tips
from the Bailey’s
Crossroads Volunteer
Fire Department
Change your SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERIES — get in the habit of changing
them when our clocks “spring forward and fall back.”
Clean your CHIMNEY before using it for the season.
Give HEATING UNITS AND SPACE HEATERS a wide berth — at least
36 inches.
Have your HOME HEATING EQUIPMENT serviced and inspected.
Install and maintain a CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR if you have gas or oil
appliances.
Keep COMBUSTIBLES away from heating units.
Dispose of FIREPLACE ASHES in an enclosed metal can and store it outside,
away from the house (not in the garage or on the deck or porch).
Keep a BUCKET OF SAND or salt at your front door and spread it on your icy
stoop and stairs before you step outside.
Do not leave HOLIDAY CANDLES unattended and be sure they are extinguished
before going to bed or leaving the room— and never decorate CHRISTMAS
TREES with lit candles.
Keep a WINTER EMERGENCY KIT — blanket flashlight, jumper cables, road
flares and a first aid kit – in your car.
Never toss CIGARETTES out the car window where they can ignite dry leaves.
Never allow children to walk across FROZEN PONDS (LIKE OUR LAKE) no matter
how shallow you think they may be.
Make sure that fences around SWIMMING POOLS are locked and secure.
Take EXTRA WINTER CLOTHING when you go out, so you can “add on” as
needed.
Take extra care with HOLIDAY LIGHTS to avoid electric shock hazards and circuit overloads
Don’t overdo it when SHOVELING SNOW. Avoid falls, heart attacks and other
injuries from overexertion by pacing yourself.
SERVICES
`
House/window Cleaning. Reliable, good
references and experience. Flexible
schedule. Reasonable rates. Preparing
homes from show at settlement and regular cleaning. Weekly, biweekly, monthly,
and move in/out. Call Dalila for a free inhome estimate at 703-354-6272.
Housecleaning. Reliable and experienced
w/good references. Weekly, biweekly,
monthly, occasional, move in-out. For a free
in-home estimate, call Maryen or Raul of
R & M Cleaning Services at 703-321-5335.
Housecleaning. Honest, excellent references in Lake Barcroft area. Low rates &
free estimates. Juliet/Luis, 703-354-3225
or 703-628-3434.
Knitting Classes on Crosswoods Dr.
Daytime and evening classes. Contact
Debra at [email protected] or call
703-354-6351for more info. Knitting is
fun, relaxing, and creative.
Pet or Housesitting. Responsible adult,
2-3 week minimum, reasonable rates.
Call 703-256-0261
Classifieds
Lake residents may place free classifieds.
We will publish the ad for one month, additional months are on a space-available basis
and items must be submitted by the 15th of
each month. Classifieds can be emailed to
[email protected]. Please include your
name and day and evening phone numbers
so we can verify information.
Non-Lake residents may purchase a
classified by calling 703-941-2547 or
emailing [email protected]. Placement is on a space-available basis.
Use extra caution when climbing OUTSIDE LADDERS to decorate your house.
We thank the Lake Barcroft Community for your continued support throughout
the year.
— Gerry Strider, president
Bailey’s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department
January
Newsletter
articles due
by Dec. 20
PRST STD
Standard
PAID
Falls Church, VA
Permit No. 872