Sunday, December 07, 2008
What to my wondering eyes should appear, but a big fire engine and eight men to drive it!
Santa Claus arrived on schedule (a guy who can hit billions of homes in a night really must be punctual, no?), at Lubber Run Center, Friday evening, Dec. 5.
Arlington Foresters came out—a couple hundred anyway—on a very wintery night to see the man in red as he swooped into town aboard his red fire engine! Lights and sirens blaring, the jolly 'ol elf waved as his engine roared along N. George Mason Drive, with kids waving and chasing alongside and into the parking lot.
In the warmth inside, the kids waited on line for photos, while parents talked, ate delicious desserts (who made that fudgy, moosey, chocolatey, cheesy cake, anyway? MMMmm-mmm!), and danced with their children to the carols of a jazz trio.
Buckinghamsters are expected to catch sight of the man who makes you laugh in spite of yourself on Friday, Dec. 19, once again at Lubber Run Center.
A few photos from the night, below:
Labels: christmas, lubber run center, Santa
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Photos of Santa's Visit to Lubber Run
This year's festival occurred on Friday evening, Dec. 21. I have made it a few times in years Past; alAs, This year I could not, hence the delay in the story. I must say it has been a lot of fun when I have gone in the past.
THank yOu to Carol Hoover and the Lubber Run Center staff for Putting this on (and offEring photos), and to Hope for Kids, a local non-profit that provided a gift for each child.
One interesting fact is that Santa, known to live at the North Pole, actually summers right here in Buckingham, moonlighting as an attorney. I don't want to give away his identity, but if you have read carefully, you just might be able to figure it out. --ST
Labels: christmas, lubber run center, Santa
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
HeraldTrib Today: Dec. 19, 2007
Christmas is almost here! (I love the holidays.) You must check out the single-most comprehensive site for Christmas lights in all of Buckingham. Check out the map here. (Click a snowflake and you’ll see what I’m saying.) I am sure I’ve missed a few lights out there in Buckingham, but boy am I close to having them all.
From the lights that look like they were just thrown at the windows to the ones that took some effort, you’ll find them here. If yours isn’t here, feel free to email me a photo and a general address, and I’ll post it: Heraldtrib@gmail.com.
I went to New York last weekend to see the Redskins play. If you know me, you know how much I like to watch the Redskins lose. They do it with such panache, that I just love to watch it happen. Really, it’s the sick little boy still inside me that loves to watch others get all excited about the ‘Skins only to see their hopes dashed. It’s a weekly dose of Charlie Brown and the football! Every week ‘Skins fans think “This is the week!” and every week something happens.
Well, not this week, of course.
What should have been my ultimate fun, watching from the stands as the ‘Skins lost their last shred of hope for the playoffs turned into a howling cold day! The wind whipped all sorts of stuff around us, my friend Jon (a life-long Giants fan) and me. Paper bags, hot dog wrappers, even a drunken fan who fell two rows into a space a few seats down from us succumbed.
All to watch the Giants play an even worse game than the Redskins. I have to say, though, that it was so stinking cold, I’m surprised either side could pass the ball, much less catch it (OK, the Giants couldn’t catch). That ball must have felt like a brick.
Of course, it was still a ton of fun. So, congratulations ‘Skins fans, keep that hope alive!
On another note, the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board meets tonight. On the agenda is the redevelopment of the intersection of N. Glebe Road and N. Pershing Drive. Remember, this is the time that you say your piece to the county. Do not go to the County Board meeting and complain, it’s too late then. See you there!
The Week’s Headlines…
As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com--Steve Thurston).
Today's Headlines:
Headline's from Earlier in the Week:
Labels: christmas, football, holidays, redskins
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Christmas Lights of Buckingham
If you know of some good lights that are in (or reasonably close to) Buckingham, email me a photo of them (or tell me the address--some way to find the house--I'll shoot a photo and get it up here).
I have crazy Christmas spirit going on around here.
Peace,
--ST
PS: Click the "plus" sign on the map to get a closer view; scroll in as far as you can, or else you might miss a snowflake or two; when you have 80 or more, they fall one atop the next.
View Larger Map
Labels: charlie brown, christmas, holidays
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Police Notes for Buckingham Dec. 12, 2007
The Arlington County Police Department is reminding residents to keep their guard up during the holiday shopping season. Robberies and thefts often increase around the holidays, and it’s important to take steps to protect yourself and your property.
Dec. 7: Indecent Exposure, 4400 block N. 4th Rd. Around 11:36 p.m., a 25-year-old woman was in the laundry room in an apartment building when a man knocked on the window and began masturbating. K-9 did a track but the suspect had fled the scene. The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-twenties, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 170 pounds, with shaggy black hair, wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt. The investigation is ongoing.
Labels: christmas, Crime, holidays, Police
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Letter (and photos): Christmas Party Was Trans-fat-laden Fun!
Here are a few pictures from Friday's Arlington Forest Christmas party at Lubber Run [Dec. 7]. Looked like a very healthy turnout to me, as per usual.
Santa arrived on a fire truck, a couple of gentleman played Christmas carols on the piano and bass violin, and lots of trans-fat-laden and partially-hydrogenated-oil-filled treats were enjoyed by all. Fun times.
Sarah Nissenson
My wife and I made plans conflicting with this, and from the looks of the photos we really missed a good time. Thanks to Sarah for getting these photos to me. –ST
Labels: christmas, lubber run center
Monday, December 10, 2007
Messiah Sing Fills Church with Cheer
I forgot. I just plain forgot. Two Saturdays ago (Dec.1), my children and I caught the first 20 minutes or so of the Messiah sing-along at our church, First Presbyterian at the corner of N. Carlin Springs Road and N. Vermont Street, where Buckingham meets the Bluemont neighborhood. I took photos with my cell phone, so the quality is poor, and then I plain forgot to post a story.
This was the 20th Anniversary of the sing held by the Metropolitan Chorus, with Barry Hemphill as the artistic director. He also is the music director at First Presbyterian. He’s charming up front when encouraging us non-singers to sing.
“Pretend you’re a soprano,” he said at the start. Look around at the people in the pews near you, he said, and realize it’s OK to sing loudly, if poorly, because, “you’ll never see them again.”
Even though we were in a Presbyterian church, he said it was OK to smile, we could return to our dour looks on Sunday to which Charlotte Lohrenz, the church’s interim pastor, called, “It’s OK to smile tomorrow too!”
I sat in the balcony with my kids and our rented copy of the Messiah score ($2). My daughter, a second-grader, and I tried our best to keep up with others. Many who are part of the troupe were in the pews themselves. It was fun.
My daughter and I got lost, and sounded terrible, but the church was festooned. Holiday cheer with its rising voices filled the room with more goodwill toward men than one man should receive.
My kids gave out before I did, so we left long before the “Hallelujah” chorus.
The Metropolitan Chorus has been singing for 41 years, in such illustrious places as The Kennedy Center, The National Building Museum, and Constitutional Hall. The troupe has toured internationally, their pamphlet from the evening said.
Mr. Hemphill, as well as being a highly respected music director for the church, retired as the Sgt. Major of the United States Army Band, and has conducted the Messiah sing at the Kennedy Center, since 1994, the materials say.
Labels: chorus, christmas, church, presbyterian
Thursday, December 06, 2007
FYI: Just in Time for the Holidays
A "Classic Pooh" teether, the "Floating Stars Cooling Teether," you'll be happy to know, has only medium levels of chlorine/PVC and only two parts per million of arsenic in the "teether star segment", according to their tests. It is made in China (go figure).
In all fairness, it is a little difficult to tell what they mean by the "teether star segment"--it might be a star encased in the plastic outer ring, something the kid's teeth or gums might never reach. Still, it's a tad disconcerting. At least the tests did not find lead, according to the site.
Labels: christmas, holidays, toys
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Letter: Give to Secret Santa via BCCA
Every year, the BCCA proudly participates in Arlington's Secret Santa program to help make this a joyous holiday season for those Buckingham families struggling to make ends meet. This year will be no exception. This year's program has undergone a slight change to make it more equitable. Instead of adopting specific families, the program now requests that you purchase individual gift cards (no more than $200) at local grocery stores (Harris Teeter, Giant, Safeway) or department stores (Target, Wal-Mart) in order to distribute to those in most need. The gift cards collected by the BCCA will be earmarked specifically for Buckingham families. So please consider purchasing a gift card(s) of whatever denomination ($10, $20, $50, $100) at one or more of the stores above and mail them to my address: c/o BCCA's Secret Santa Program, 512 N. Park Drive, Arlington, VA 22203. Please send me your contribution on or before Dec. 10 and I will forward them on behalf of the BCCA. I hope we continue the tradition of helping our neighbors. --Pat Hope According to the county, "Five percent of families and eight percent of children in Arlington live at or below the poverty level, and many Arlington residents struggle just to make ends meet. You can help this holiday season — the Secret Santa program, which helps 1,000+ individuals each year, seeks donations of gift cards to help make a difference in the lives of some of Arlington's most vulnerable residents." --ST
President, Buckingham Community Civic Association
