lyon park citizen january 2017 park citizen january 2017 ... if you can help beat batter, set-up,...
TRANSCRIPT
Lyon Park Citizen January 2017
Next meeting: Wednesday, January 11, 2017
7:00 PM, Lyon Park Community Center
Please pay your 2016-2017Citizens Association
dues!-See page 2-
$10 annually, $250 for life
Are you on the Listserv?The Lyon Park Community has an activelistserv. It’s the fastest way to
● Banish squirrels from the attic● Find complimentary tickets● See the area Crime Report● Borrow a tool or kitchen gadget● Compliment, complain, compare
Don’t want to see what’s for sale or rent?No problem! You can tailor your selectionsto just what you want or need.
Visit BigTent group Lyon Park to enroll:https://www.bigtent.com/groups/lyonpark
President’s MessageJanuary 2017 is likely to be well remembered. For many people, these areturbulent, uncertain times. However, if our 90-year-old community house couldtalk I like to think it would say, "I’ve seen better and I’ve seen worse."
Since neighbors built the community house, Arlington has witnessed a lot of historyand through much of it, we have pulled together. During World War II, a trolley ranto Lyon Park and shuttled workers contributing to the war effort into Washington,DC. Although it is rarely discussed, Lyon Park residents' work helped defeat Nazismand fascism. Service to the common good was an integral part of our culture thenand it remains so today—just ask our neighbors who work at the State Departmentor the Environmental Protection Agency, in military service, and so on.
In 1959, Arlington played a role in history again when the Stratford School becameVirginia's first integrated secondary school. Despite massive resistance in otherareas, Arlington had few problems on that pivotal first day. If you visit the schoolsthat Lyon Park students attend today, you see the legacy of a community willing towork for what was right.
As the 1970s came to a close, Arlington became known as a destination for thoseescaping the Vietnam War when many refugees settled in the Clarendon area.According to one aid worker, “The refugee camps in Malaysia, in Thailand, in thePhillipines—those people talk about Arlington.” We should not forget this; it wasour inclusiveness that made us known halfway around the world.
While our community’s history certainly has some dark aspects, I do know this: Atour best we lived the values of service and welcoming others. Let’s focus on thatthis January. Let it be known that when we meet as a community, your presence isnot only welcome but valued. Be proud of our community that stands for serviceand respect for others and choose to be a part of that.
On January 11, we will gather at the community center and hear from threenonprofits working in our community: Encore Learning, Culpepper Gardens, andBridges to Independence. Doors open at 7 and meeting starts at 7:30.
See you there, neighbors!
Christa Abbott, LPCA President
© Can Stock Photo / djemphoto
The Lyon Park Citizens AssociationP.O. Box 100191, Arlington, VA 22201
LPCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPresidentChrista [email protected]/Neighborhood ConservationBess [email protected]/ProgramsThora [email protected]/DevelopmentAaron [email protected] Anhut, Jr. (703) [email protected]/HistorianVACANT
Membership ChairVACANT
Members at LargeElliott Mandel (703) [email protected] PreparednessLaureen [email protected]
COMMUNITY CENTERBOARD OF GOVERNORSJeannette Wick, Chair (703) [email protected]
IMPORTANT CONTACTSPolice LiaisonCindy [email protected] Center Rental AgentCindy Stroup (703) [email protected] Alliance RepresentativeDebbie [email protected] [email protected] Federation RepsSteve Geiger (703) 522-0026Erik Gutshall (703) 276-0809Larry Juneer (703) 525-8921Michael O’Connor (703) 525-3469Natalie Roy (703) 819-4915Jim Turpin (703) 248-6988Doorways for Women and Families LiaisonErik Gutshall (703) 276-0809
Newsletter EditorDaniel HollandJeannette WickSubmissionsSend photos and articles [email protected] White (703) [email protected]
Classified AdsGET SOMEONE’S ATTENTION! The Citizen is hand delivered to1,900 households every issue. Use area code 703 below unless otherwise noted.
TEEN BABYSITTINGAlexis Rowland, 16, babysitter, Mother’s Helper. Red Cross CPR, First Aid, automatedexternal defibrillator and Girl Scout trained. 915-7768
Sirena Pearl, 15, Red Cross certified. Call or e-mail to schedule: 606-3277 [email protected]
Yasmeen Moustafa, 14, babysitting for children from 18 months to 7 or 8 years old. Completedbabysitting course, and certified in CPR and First Aid. 655-6228 [email protected]
Kalkidan Ausink, 14, babysitting for children from 18 months to 8 years old. Red Cross certifiedand mature, straight-A student. 528-0723 or [email protected]
Toby Kant, 13, babysitter (Red Cross certified, no infants), dog walker, pet sitter (guinea pigand turtle specialist), plant sitter. Call or email to schedule: 626-6725 or [email protected]
Logan Rowland, 14, babysitter and mother's helper, Girl Scout certified, CPR, First Aid, AEDcertification, also pet and plant sitter, 525-9049
Naomi Bergena, 15, experienced dog walker, dog sitter, and cat sitter. To schedule, pleaseemail or call: [email protected] or (571) 225-4319
Jordan Mosley, 14, Red Cross certified and mature. Babysitter or mother’s helper (no infants),dog walker or pet sitter. To schedule, please e-mail [email protected] or call 623-8217
OTHER SERVICESB. Brennan, Mandarin Chinese tutoring services for people of all ages. [email protected] or 618-8808
Taylor Henninger, piano lessons to students of all ages. Contact [email protected]
Experienced gardener available for part-time or occasional work. Lyon Village reference (527-4533). Please call Michael Tanu (240) 426-1778
Page 2 www.lyonpark.org • January 2017
Please Pay Your LPCA Dues:$10/year, $20/two years, $250 for life
Please complete this form (Hint: use a return address label!) and mailit with your check to:LPCA Membership, P.O. Box 100191, Arlington, VA 22201
Name_______________________________________________________Address_____________________________________________________Preferred phone_______________________________________________E-mail______________________________________________________
May we add you to the community listserv? ○ Yes ○ No
Community Volunteer Interests (Check all that apply):___Neighborhood Conservation___Community Center and Park___Development issues___Social Events (Holiday Party, Halloween)___Homes and Gardens Tour
___Spring Fair___Traffic issues___Newsletter___Trees/Conservation___All-purpose volunteer
www.lyonpark.org • January 2017 Page 3
Saturday, January 28, 20178:00 - 10:30 AM
Adults: $12Kids age 4 - 10: $5Kids age 3 and under: $2
Chocolate chip, blueberry and plain pancakesSyrup and jam, bacon, sausage or veggie sausageCoffee, hot chocolate and orange juice!
Where? The Community Center (414 N Fillmore St.)
If you can't join us for pancakes, please join your neighbors for coffeeand coffee cake from 10:00 - 11:00 AM. Cost: Free-will donation
If you can help beat batter, set-up, clean up or whatever, pleasecontact Margaret Fibel at [email protected]
–All proceeds will be used to pay down our construction loan–
Annual Pancake Breakfast© Can Stock Photo / LevKr
We’re Looking for VolunteersWe need volunteers soon, immediately, yesterday, and tomorrow to maintainLyon Park's magic.
Often, we need donations of 2 hours. We need all kinds of things—people whorake, paint, serve dinners, know the topside of a calculator, can track a web site,might send a message to the listserv once a month, can bake, are able to set uptables, or have penchant for starting or putting out fires. Can you give 2 hours amonth? Would you be willing to develop a spreadsheet of volunteers and theirskills? And would you be willing to lead a large event?
The skills you learn from volunteering in this community will serve you well.You'll meet neighbors, learn organizational skills, create some resume fodder,grow personally, and identify new ways of doing things. You'll have local impact.The most important thing you'll learn is how to make magic. Promise!
Please go to Lyon Park's 2016 Volunteer Registry https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HLSP3KGto let us know you are ready to make magic!!!
Page 4 www.lyonpark.org • January 2017
Save the Date:● Lyon Park Civic Association
meeting, January 11, 7 PM● 2ⁿ� and 4�� Sundays, 2 PM to 6
PM: Capital Area Bluegrass andOld-Time Music Association.Come join in or just sit andlisten!
● Lyon Park not-just-for-Woman’s Club potluck lunch.Thursday, January 18, noon.Bring a dish to share and and asmall gift to exchange. Hope tosee many new faces!
Our first Monarch Butterfly!
Dementia: A Few Tips, A Few Tricks Daniel De LenaJerry, my Italian grandfather was diagnosed with dementia almost 10 years ago. His short-term memory is gone,but his personality remains. “Hey chadrool. Will you help me tie this?” (Chadrool means fool.) Jerry says with asmirk as I lace his shoes. Grampy has always been jovial guy with a fondness for breaking peoples chops. Today heis in a chop-breaking mood .
It’s never easy to accept a loved one is declining in health. Some days are better than others. Off to a good start,Jerry is up and in a good mood. I grab his walker and help him to the bathroom. As I lead him to the bathroom helooks at me and asks “Where are you taking me, to Chelsea?” My goal is to avoid an accident. When accidentshappen, Jerry feels ashamed in the moment because he knows what happened, but not why. Incontinence didnot happen over night. First we tried changing his diet, avoiding too much Ensure or applesauce late at night. Welooked for warning signs during the day, and encouraged him to the bathroom. We even tried a toiletingschedule. After a few months, we addressed the potential for “bad days” by using adult diapers for extraprotection. Jerry’s transition into diapers was hard, and we experienced a learning curve of how to change a
grown adult. Now our only regret is not adopting them sooner. Diapers not only help caregivers, but also help Jerry keep maintain his dignity.Today Jerry makes it to the bathroom, reassuring me it's a good day.
I prepare his breakfast before his personal care attendant (PCA) arrives to shower and shave him. Grampy has a few bites of his oatmeal and says“I’m not hungry, you eat it.” Jerry has characteristic moves. I have a few tricks of my own. First he offers his food; if no one takes it he throws it inthe trash. I move the trash can before he has the chance. He asks for some hot chocolate. I warm an Ensure to provide calories (and chocolate). Ihide the uneaten oatmeal. After he drinks the Ensure, I reheat the oatmeal and put it in front of him. I jumpstart the "first" spoonful. Sometimes,he eats. Otherwise he responds with “I don’t want it” then we try again later.
"It takes a village to raise a child.” The same is true of people with dementia. Jerry has several PCA’s who help him with his daily activities duringthe day. In the evening one of my uncles, my father, or I spend the night. Caring for a loved one is taxing for one person. For a while, one unclecared for Jerry for the most part. As Jerry’s cognition declined, my uncle grew over-burdened. Caregiver burnout can be a problem when it comesto dealing with loved ones with dementia. Instead of putting Jerry into a home, my uncle recruited the rest of the family to take turns watchingJerry. Cycling from the oldest to youngest relative, everyone spends two nights in a row. This schedule minimizes schedule interruptions andoverall burden for everyone.
Jerry spends the majority of his time cooking and watching television in the kitchen. It’s where he feels most comfortable, so my uncles place acomfy chair in the kitchen. He can also see a small shrine of pictures of his wife, kids, and grandkids. Jerry also has some holiday cards, and notes.The notes remind him of his current address, and that he is at his own house. My uncle constructed the shrine to orient him to his surroundings.
Jerry, like many patients with dementia, often suffers from sundowners (late afternoon or evening agitation). It can be provoked by many differentfactors such as sleep problems (being fatigued or oversleeping with too many naps). It can also be brought on by lack of stimulation, oroverstimulation. An individual’s personal trigger may vary. In Jerry’s case he worked during the day and went home during the afternoon fordecades. He gets restless because he senses it is time to go home. When he asks us to take him home, we use the notes on his shrine. Sometimes awalk down the hall or to the bathroom to change the scenery helps. Jerry’s other trigger is fatigue.
When Jerry becomes poetic, it's sleep time. “Tired weary sick of heart and soul? So was Admiral Peary but he found the pole” he says with his eyesclosed. As he tires, he becomes less jovial and more incoherent. As he starts nodding off in the chair I help him to bed.
© Can Stock Photo / focalpoint
www.lyonpark.org • January 2017 Page 5
The Line Long, the Need Pressing…And Santa, helped by Mrs. Claus, made it into the Community Center–using the door so as not todisturb the poinsettias in the fireplace–to hear every hope and wish!
Hundreds of Lyon Park and Ashton Heights neighbors celebrated the season with music andtreats. Girl scouts, barbershoppers, kids and adults, filled the hall to capacity.
We thank Susan Demske for making this happen, Kit Putnam for decorating and assisting Santa,and Robert White for being you-know-who. We also thank all who helped set up and clean, raisedtheir voices in song, brought treats, and came to enjoy the festivities. Merry EVERYTHING!!!
Find more pictures on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyonparkcommunitycenter/?fref=ts
Page 6 www.lyonpark.org • January 2017
The Lyon Park Citizen is hand delivered to 1,900 homes aroundthe 10th of the month from September through June (10 issues),with artwork and copy due the 20th of the previous month.These are our advertising rates:
We offer a 5% discount for residents who have paid their LPCAdues, and an additional 10% discount for advertisers whocommit to three or more months in a row. A designer will draftartwork for an extra 10% charge. [email protected] to reserve space.
Ad size Measures (In inches)…
Cost
Business card 3.5 by 2.3 $85/month color$59/month B&W
Quarter page 3.5 by 4.5 $130/month color$89/month B&W
Half page 7.5 by 4.5 $210/month color$149/month B&W
Full page 7.5 by 9.5 $350/month color$249/month B&W
Full page free-standing insert
8.5 by 11 $400/month color$350/month B&W
www.lyonpark.org • January 2017 Page 7
Find news and more pictures on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/lyonparkcommunitycenter
Community House Rental RatesLyon Park and Ashton Heights residents are eligible forresident rates, but cannot sponsor non-resident events.
Monday – Thursday & Friday daytime (8 AM–5 PM)$35/hour resident; $100/hour non-resident
Monday – Thursday (6–10 PM)$140 resident; $400 non-resident
Weekends, Holidays & Friday eveningsHALF DAY (8 AM–2:30 PM or 3:30–10 PM):
$350 resident; $900 non-residentWHOLE DAY (8 AM-10 PM):
$600 resident; $1,600 non-resident
Children’s Birthday Rates for children 10 and under,maximum 50 attendees, booked <2 months in advance:Two time slots (8:30-11:30 AM) OR (12-3 PM) – Includesset up and clean up. If your party lasts longer than 3 hours,please rent at the half-day rates above.
$150 resident; $400 non-resident
Additional rental fees:● $25/inflatable (can only be rented from Arlington
T.E.A.M.)● $100/tent
Use of inflatables and/or tents must be approved inadvanceand specified in rental contract.
A security deposit is required for all rentals.
MAKE A RESERVATION TODAY!Check online calendar for availability and complete theonline reservation form at www.lyonpark.info
AmazonSmile and iGiveAmazonSmile is an Amazon programthat donates 0.5% of the purchase priceof eligible products to charitableorganizations. AmazonSmile is a simple,automatic way for you to support Lyon
Park Community Center (LPCC) every time you shop, at no cost to you.When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same lowprices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience asAmazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portionof the purchase price to LPCC. Go to smile.amazon.com from the webbrowser on your computer or mobile device. Select LPCC as your charityand then start shopping. It’s that easy. You may also want to add abookmark to smile.amazon.com.
iGive works in a similar way. It is a freeservice. iGive partners with more than1,700 online stores. A percentage of
what you spend is donated to your selected charity (on average 3%). Thestores pay for it all. You never pay more, and often you pay less withcoupons and deals. A typical shopper raises more than $100/year. Go toigive.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device.Select LPCC as your charity and add the iGive button to your browser.This automatically tells participation stores that you want your shoppingto support LPCC. You can also download the iPhone/iPad or Androidapps.
Lyon Park Community Center (Arlington, Virginia) is registered with bothAmazonSmile and iGive. Both programs issue quarterly payments to thecommunity center. To date, we’ve received more than $3,000 fromigive.com. We’re relatively new to AmazonSmile, but the checks arearriving quarterly!
Page 8 www.lyonpark.org • January 2017
When Breath Becomes AirMargaret Dean
As he pursues his path tobecome a neuroscientist, Dr.Kalanithi balances his interestsin the arts and sciences,literature, philosophy and thebrain. He examines how andwhy the brain works. Kalanithibelieved that medicinetrespasses into sacred spheres:doctors invade the body inmultiple ways so they musttake care to recognize thehumanity of each patient.Kalanithi lays out therelationship between life,
death, and meaning as he confronts death, suffering, andthe work entailed in patient care. Kalanithi wants to bearwitness to the entwined mysteries of death, and itsexperiential and biological manifestations. In particular hestrives to examine what makes life meaningful enough to goon living when faced with extreme pain.
Never has a doctor so carefully elucidated his goals andthen almost immediately had to embody them. WhenBreath Becomes Air is one of the clearest expositions ofhow we can reach informed end of life decisions. Kalanithiimmediately understands when he first sees his own chestX-rays that he is terminal and treatment only means apainful extension of some limited time. His wife, herself adoctor (as are all his family, most neurosurgeons) writes thesecond section of the book, detailing in more excruciatingcolors Kalanithi’s effort to make sense of death. Kalanithirealizes just how little doctors and medical staff understandpain, physical therapy, and the impact of a terminaldiagnosis on the individual and the family. She makes clearthat while death may be a one time event, dying is aprocess. It may be a process that is long and painful, butonly the individual can identify the trade-off between painreduction versus a (marginally) longer life.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, RandomHouse, N.Y., ISBN 9780812988406 (hardback) 225 pp.
Lending Library. Foreword by Abraham Verghese.
Lyon Park Community Center thanks
Constellation Energy
We used their generous gift of $500 to purchase materialsto screen gutters to prevent leaves from accumulating.