One of own, Pat McGee will be headlining at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center (for his 7th time!) on Thursday, July 1 at 8 PM.

Pat McGee - Spring 2010

The McGee family actually lives just down Columbia Pike from Lake Barcroft in Wynfield (next to Mason District Park), however their son, Pat was entrenched with our community while growing up here. He was a member of Lake Barcroft’s Swim Team, along with sister Darcie and brother Hugh, from the age of 4 to 18. He was also a Lake Barcroft lifeguard during high school and college.

LB Lifeguard, Pat McGee in 1989

LB Relay Team 1989 - Kevin Hardy, Pat McGee, Achi Cortina, Mike Hardy

Mike Hardy & Pat McGee at AllStars

Pat’s brother Hugh taught him to play guitar when he was 16. They performed together, and their first “concerts” were at the Rec Center and on the Hardy’s dock.

Pat started performing while in high school and while attending Longwood College, then moved to Richmond and began touring with his band. Pat has had much success touring nationwide, bringing original melodic rock, trademark rich harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, strong musicianship and energy to shows that are flat-out fun.

Hugh & Pat McGee playing at Bob Hardy's College Graduation Party - 1990?

Pat now lives in Rhode Island with his family, but passes through here often to perform and visit his folks Lynne & Hugh McGee, brother Hugh Jr. & his family and friends.

Pat is working on a new album — his eighth — to be released this summer. To learn more and listen to some of Pat’s music, please visit: patmcgee.net.

You can view Pat McGee videos on Youtube HERE

Pat’s Wolf Trap shows are always something special – a real homecoming for him.

Thursday, July 1
Pat McGee Band
Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts
Filene Center
1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA, 22182
Showtime: 8 PM
Opening the show: Honor by August
Tickets: In-house $32; Lawn, $25

We hope to see you at Wolf Trap on Thursday, July 1. Come on out and join the fun and show your support for one of our own!

How Big is YOUR Network?

Check out these exciting Networking Events:

June 14th –Linchpins Everywhere
June 15th – Social Media Awards & Networking –DCWeekTweetup
June 24th – June Networking Mixer -Hosted by nGAGEDC.org
June 30th – Mashable’s Social Media Day

I want to do them all but will likely have to settle for just 1 or 2 of them. How about you?

Smokey says “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” but is that always a good thing?

Join us for a scrumptious breakfast and learn about the health of Fairfax County forests, and what birds, trees, bugs, you and fire have to do with it.

Topic: Forest Health and Forest Fire

Speaker: Jim McGlone
Urban Forest Conservationist, Virginia Department of Forestry

Brion’s Grille: 10621 Braddock Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032 — located in the University Shopping Mall (Braddock Road and Route 123) across the street from the Roanoke River Road entrance to George Mason University.

Cost: $10.00 for the Buffet, which includes tax and tip. Cash is preferred.

Note: You may bring fliers about your organization’s events and activities. There will be time for announcements.

The Open House gets underway at 9 am, Car Wash starts at 10 am and the festivities go on until 3 pm.

Invite your friends and neighbors to come join in the fun.

There will be lots of fun events including 2 moon bounces, classic cars, a cook-out and more.

Come see all of the new things happening at SHRA as they get ready for another great pool season. The pool officially opens on Saturday, May 29th.

We hope to see you there!
Sleepy Hollow Recreation Association (SHRA)
3538 Sleepy Hollow Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 941-0456

Saturday, March 13th

MOMS of Mantua Children’s Consignment Sale – 8am to 1pm, Mantua Pool Clubhouse, 9330 Pentland Place, Fairfax. Fantastic bargains on baby and children’s clothes, toys and sporting gear. Half price sale on specially marked consignor’s items starting at 12:10pm. Sale is CASH ONLY.

Dr. Seuss is on the Loose: Long Branch Nature Center – 4-5 pm: Join Cat in the Hat, Yertle, Getrude, The Lorax, and more. Ages 5 to 10.

Goodnight Walk: Awakening Wildlife: Celebrate the extra hour this weekend with a nighttime stroll and catch a glimpse or the sound of creatures stirring after a long winter’s rest. Families with children, four years and older, are invited to Hidden Oaks Nature Center from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy cocoa after your walk. The fee is $6 per person. To make a reservation, call 703-941-1065.

Congressional’s Annual Gala and Auction, the schools’ largest social and fundraising event, will light up the night at the elegant Arlington Westin Gateway Hotel. Raffle Prize is a 7-Day Cruise for two people. Reservations are due immediately.

Sunday, March 14th

Daylight Savings Begins – set your clocks ahead one hour.

Create and Grow A Tropical Paradise: As part of Harry Allen Lecture Series at Green Spring Gardens from 1:30 to 3 p.m., come hear Joe Seamone, aka Boca Joe, share which tropical plants are the best and most dramatic. Find out how to create, grow and overwinter your piece of paradise. See amazing “tropical” gardens located in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as across the country. The cost is $10 per person. To make a reservation, call 703-642-5173.

JEB Stuart High School Spring Fiesta & Raffle – 5-7 pm in Cafeteria. Food is being provided by Moes, Chipotle, Qdoba and Baja Fresh. Win raffle prizes. Food Tickets are $5 per person. Raffle tickets, drink and desserts are $1 each. Tickets will be on sale at Curriculum Night on Wednesday (3/10) outside the auditorium. Some of the raffle prizes include iPOD Nano, Digital Camera, iHome, Tiffany Bracelet and a Digital Frame.

Monday, March 15th:
Mason District Community Feedback on FY2011 Advertised Budget: Mason District Government Center at 7 pm. The meeting (one of a series being held throughout Fairfax County) will give residents the opportunity to ask questions and discuss specific concerns. Representatives from the Department of Management and Budget will be present at each meeting.

And if you like to Plan Ahead:

Saturday, March 20th:

Spring Eggstravanza & Puppet Show: Come to Hidden Oaks Nature Center from 1 to 2 p.m. to celebrate the first day of spring with a puppet show, stories and crafts highlighting the awakening of many of the woodland creatures and the blooming of the new season. Discover the natural and cultural history of eggs. This activity is recommended for children four years and up. The fee is $5 per child. To make a reservation, call 703-941-1065.

Animals in Spring Puppet Show: Join a naturalist from Hidden Oaks Nature Center at Woodrow Wilson Library from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. as she shares the wonder of Fairfax County wildlife using stories, demonstrations, specimens and often live animals. This family activity for all ages is free. To make a reservation, call the library at 703-820-8774.

Worm Workshop: at Green Spring Gardens Park – 2-3pm. Celebrate this first day of spring with a family-friendly way to help keep our planet healthy! Explore the dark and wonderful world of worms in our indoor compost bin. Then make your own 10-gallon bin with newspaper bedding, food scraps, and real live wiggly worms to take home. Enjoy a wormy snack too! $25/project includes all materials, Age 6 & up.

Sunday, March 21st:
Trees for All Seasons: The Harry Allen Lecture Series features Sean Hogan at Green Spring Gardens from 1:30 to 3 p.m., who opens our eyes to an unexplored world of foliar beauty from China and Japan to Australia and New Zealand. Hogan is the co-founder of Cistus Design in Portland, Oregon, a nursery world-famous for its collection of rare plants and display gardens. Copies of his new book, Trees for All Seasons, will be available for purchase and signing. The fee is $10 per person. To make a reservation, call 703-642-5173.

I heard back from several of you but was really impressed when Roxanna Douglas told me that not only does she already save these for recycle she also brings them home from her office trashcans. And, just the week prior, we had learned via The Washington Post that Nolan & Kathy Stokes had installed a Geothermal Heat Pump in their yard and are officially climate pilots.

It occurred to me that we have a big enough community here in Lake Barcroft that perhaps by sharing what we each do to help the environment that we could learn from each other. I know that what I personally do only scratches the surface.

So, I again went to Lakelink and asked if you would submit the things that you do to help – big and small.

While doing some research last night on this story I stumbled upon a website called Every Day Activist. I am really inspired by their tagline – “Little Things Everyone Can Do to Save the Environment and Reduce Pollution”.

From Every Day Activist Website:

“But I don’t consider myself an activist”

Imagine yourself in a silent auditorium filled with people. When one person begins clapping, the sound is small and it echos throughout the room. Sooner or later, everyone in the whole auditorium is clapping, and the sound is so loud, it almost hurts yours ears. The small choices we make every day do have an impact.”

Photo Credit djwudi - Flickr Creative Commons

Without further ado ….Below is a summary view of things that you are doing to make a difference. Some will be obvious while others may not.

Recycling:

• Recyles everything that Fairfax County accepts
• Recyles every scrap of paper; no matter how small
• Brings home TP and Paper towel rolls, plastic bottles, soda cans, plastic bags from her office to recycle at home

Reusing:

• Reuses junk mail and paper for all of their personal printing needs
• Reuses business reply envelopes by placing a sticker over the address on the front &/or using them to write grocery lists, to-do lists, etc.
• Not buying wrapping paper – instead re-using gift boxes and gift bags received and if all else fails, I use the kids’ artwork or the Sunday comics to wrap gifts
• Uses the back of ALL 8.5 x 11 paper including junk mail that has a clean reverse side
• Refusing plastic bags and asking for paper bags if reusable bag was left at home
• Uses refillable water bottles – each family member has their own plus a few extras for when they go missing
• Uses Newspaper plastic sleeves for picking up after animals
• Reuses plastic ware from parties and at the office. Washes them in the dishwasher but removes them prior to the drying cycle
• Re-circulate moving boxes for reuse

Shopping:

• Avoids buying products packaged in styrofoam
• Uses Freecycle.org and Craigslist to make purchases before buying something new
• Buying and wearing primarily hand-me down clothes; especially for the kids
• Buys in bulk as much as possible
• Shops at MOM’s Organic Market – especially for cleaning materials and detergents

Food Consumption:

• Eating at least one fewer meat meal per week
• Saving leftover food to be used as dog treats rather than purchasing dog treats
• Vegetarian

More Efficient Home:

• Replacing antiquated heating system with newer more efficient system
• Replacing windows with less porous ones
• Replacing old appliances with Energy Star high efficient
  Installing low-flow showers and toilets; even removing bathtubs altogether
• Using only low VOC paints to re-paint the outside of the house
• Using old rags to clean rather than paper towels
• Using only energy-efficient light bulbs
• Turning off all lights when leaving the room
• Unplugging electronics when not using them; including cell phone chargers & electric toothbrushes
• Keeps thermostats low
• Replace large single-pane windows with ones that open to reduce the need for air conditioning in early summer months
• Improved insulation in attic
• Added Front Storm door to improve efficiency
• Placed blankets in TV rooms and lowered thermostat
• Use baking soda &/or vinegar for cleaning most everything (sinks, floors, showers, windows) to avoid dangerous chemicals

Yard/Garden:

• Growing their own herbs and planted a small vegetable garden
• Composting all vegetable and fruit scraps as well as coffee grinds, egg shells, and tea bags
• Composting all lawn and garden waste to reduce the need for county pickup
• New Patio/Backyard with native plants and permeable surface and reduced outflow system
• Routing Rain runoff to creek bed
• Rake leaves rather than blowing with power blower
• Take household compost materials to place of work where they have a large composter
• Reduced the size of lawn by adding native plants in rich layers; mimicking nature
• Planted Evergreen screening plants on north side of house to save energy during cold winter months
• Planted large, deciduous trees on south side of house to reduce cooling costs in the summer months
• Set up rain barrels to catch rain water to use to water the garden
• Shred leaves into leaf mulch and use it throughout my yard (garden, tree and shrub borders)

Transportation:

• Rides bike to work; if possible also to the grocery store.
• Walks or Bike Rides with kids to school as much as possible
• Saves up errands to make one car trip rather than multiple ones
• Takes bus/metro to work most days
• Hybrid cars
• Carpooling

A few extra things shared by our neighbors:

Home Star “Cash for Caulkers” Program a newly proposed Federal program is intended to help homeowners increase their home’s energy efficiency with direct incentives. It will pay homeowners up to half the cost (max $4,000) to retrofit a house with eco-friendly attributes.You can read more HERE – shared by Anne Cullather

Photo Credit Thomas Merton - Flickr Creative Commons

The Energy Detective which measures and displays energy used for the whole house. According to a 2009 study, a whole house display produces on average a 9% savings while highly motivated groups could save as much as 30%. This unit does require skilled installation perhaps by a professional electrician. Sold online at www.theenergydetective.com/store ~$200 – shared by Kay Cooper

The Energy Detective

Kill A Watt Plus Monitor tells you how much it matters to turn something off. Just plug Kill A Watt into an outlet and plug any device into Kill A Watt. The display shows instantaneous watts (W) or total electricity used (kwh) and number of hours since Kill A Watt was plugged in. Sold through Amazon (~$21) – shared by Kay Cooper

Kill-A-Watt

Lark Lovering sent me detailed instructions on how to Make Your Own Composter. I will (with her permission) post her directions as a separate follow-up post.

Betsy Washington provided me with an excellent write-up of things one can do in their yard to reduce pollution and energy waste. I included some of her items as bullet points above but am also going to post her summary with her permission as a separate follow-up post.

Wildlife Friendly Backyard - Photo Credit Betsy Washington

Rashne Green loves Chico Bags. They are inexpensive, lightweight cloth bags that available in many fun colors. They often participate in school fundraisers where they donate 30-50% of their revenue back to the schools – shared by Rashne Green

Trader Joe’s sells inexpensive reusable bags including wine bottle carriers (up to 6 bottles) and insulated cooler bags – shared by Kay Cooper

This post is by no means a comprehensive list of things you could do.

It is my hope that the list will perhaps point out a few things that you aren’t already doing but could be doing and inspire you to take more notice daily of additional ways that you could help reduce pollution and help the environment.

For me, this story has inspired me to consider doing the following:
a) Remove plastic liquid soap dispensers from my bathrooms; replacing them with only bar soap.
b) Purchase biodegradable dog poop bags as I don’t have newspaper sleeves to re-use.
c) Purchase sets of re-usable dinnerware from To-Go Ware so my family can stop using plastic silverware at fast food restaurants and ice cream shops.

Reusuable Bamboo Dinnerware from To-Go Ware

Additional Resources:
Green Living Tips – consider signing up for their email newsletter
Tiny Choices – terrific blog
The Real Cost of Plastic Bags
Zero Waste America – outlines three factors (no effective Federal Plan, Foreign Waste Imports and Domestic Waste Exports as well as Over-population) on why recycling efforts struggle and provide three legislative steps that would help support Zero Waste.

I would like to extend a big thank you to all of you that sent me your Green Initiatives; without them this blog post wouldn’t have been possible. If you missed out on sending me your green initiatives feel free to add ones that you do in the comments section below.

I leave you with a photo of my son’s favorite t-shirt:

Buds on a Tulip Magnolia Tree

Tulip Magnolia tree with buds

Crocus (I believe) on their way

Today’s Forecast from AccuWeather.com:
CLOUDY
Temperature: 61°F
Humidity: 86%
Pressure: 29.28 in
RealFeel®: 56 °F
Winds: S at 14 mph
Gusts: 14 mph

Woo hoo – 61 degrees.

The City of Falls Church Annual Watch Night:

7 pm – midnight

Free Fun for the whole family
Watch Night will feature entertainment for all ages including a dragon obstacle course, Velcro wall, karaoke, face painting, dance lessons, a countdown, five live bands with all kinds of music and more.

WalkArlington is sponsoring a New Year’s Eve Stroll through Gulf Branch Nature Center and then ending up at a campfire with edible noisemakers.

When: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
Who: Families
Fee: $5.00 due upon registration

Explore the park as the last night of the year settles in. Then ring out the old with edible noisemakers and bring in the new by tossing your resolutions into a “wishing campfire.” Bundle up and bring a flashlight.

Registration required. Register children and adults; children must register with an accompanying adult. Register online or call 703-228-4747 and reference Program # 623505-A.

It’s going to be very cold on Thursday night so bundle up if you plan to attend the outdoor events.

Sign your kids up for Parents’ Night Out at Pump It Up in Manassas while you and your spouse enjoy a quiet dinner for two.

Let your kids enjoy a bouncing, laughing, sliding ecstatic extravaganza from 6-9 pm!

They’ll count down the New Year’s with tons of fun in their huge arenas filled with gigantically fun inflatables. The festivities continue in a brightly, decorated party room with pizza, crafts and games. So, jump on over to Pump It Up for this special night of fun. Registration Required $30.

Take a drive out to Bull Run Park to see the Festival of Lights.

This festive display of lights features penguins, snowmen, deer, candy canes and Santa. $20 per car. The park will be open on New Year’s Eve from 5:30 pm until 10:00 pm.

My family? We’ll be spending New Year’s Eve enjoying an early dinner celebration at McCormick & Schmick’s in McLean. We’re going to skip the babysitter and just take a DVD player along to keep our kiddo entertained.

Here’s wishing all of you a happy & prosperous New Year!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the Frostival Event this weekend (Jan 1-3) being held at the Dulles Expo Center. Discount Tickets are available online through Dec 31st.

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Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Figure Skaters (with Guest appearance from Santa & Mrs Claus) will entertain you from 3:30-6:00 pm on Sunday, December 20 and it’s FREE.

And, you can even pick up a few last minute Christmas presents at the Ballston Mall while you’re there.

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What do you get when you combine wonderful neighbors, gracious hosts, a beautiful home, delicious food and Santa Claus? The Newcomers Christmas Party!

A Toast - Elf Matt Friedman, Newcomers' President Trish Gomersall, Santa Joe Pisciotta

Over 115 people gathered together on Saturday, December 12th, bringing appetizers, vegetables and desserts to share with everyone. (Goodness, we have some superb cooks at Lake Barcroft!)

Anticipating the next gift.

Lynn and Deepak Varsheneya, our awesome hosts, had decorated their beautiful home in glowing lights and ornaments, truly setting the scene for a joyous evening. Deepak kindly served as the bartender, providing wine, beer and a “wicked” egg nog that was to die for; too bad egg nog only comes around one time a year. Some of us could get used to that spirit!

The entertainment of our joyous Santa Claus (a.k.a. Joe Pisciotta) and his very “helpful” Elf Matt Friedman conducting the gift exchange was really a highlight. I don’t know which was more enjoyable, the commentary and “edits” on what people brought or actually exchanging presents. They really did a great job keeping everyone laughing throughout the whole event.

Luis Fernandez opening his Gift. Surprise!

It was a well coordinated event, thanks to Colleen Coyle and many other hard-working members of the Newcomers Board, especially our President, Patricia Gomersall.

You won’t want to miss this event next year!

You can find out more about the Newcomers’ Group on Lakebarcroft.org. Newcomers’ Club memberships run from September 1-August 31. Dues of only $20 per household entitle you to discounts on many club events. For more information, please email Newcomers@LBNewcomers.com