Author Archives: mrskerin

Local Author in the News

Posted on by

Pamela Carter-Birken, Lyon Park resident and author of Duncan and Marjorie Phillips and America’s First Museum of Modern Art (Vernon Press), delivered a captivating presentation at the historic Arts Club of Washington, located in the President James Monroe House, in September.

Her book explores the legacy of Duncan and Marjorie Phillips, founders of The Phillips Collection, widely regarded as America’s first museum of modern art. During the event, Carter-Birken highlighted how the Phillips family not only collected art but also cultivated a cultural home where artists, staff, and the public could engage deeply with modern art.

The Arts Club of Washington was honored to host Dr. Pamela Carter-Birken in the historic President James Monroe House, where she delivered a captivating presentation on the Phillips family, founders of The Phillips Collection. Her presentation revealed not only the art that graces the museum’s walls, but also the people—collectors, artists, and dedicated staff—who shaped it into both a cultural treasure and a home. With lively storytelling, she illuminated the intertwined lives of Duncan and Marjorie Phillips alongside the many others who built and sustained the Collection. The evening left our audience with a deeper appreciation of the Phillips family’s contribution to America’s cultural legacy. Her book is a remarkable testament to how art, literature, and history continue to shape the human experience and enrich our cultural life.

— Jameson Paul Freeman, President,
The Arts Club of Washington

The evening underscored the relevance of Carter-Birken’s book for scholars, students, and art enthusiasts seeking to understand how modern art entered the American cultural landscape. The Phillips Collection, founded in 1921, remains one of the most significant institutions for modern art in the United States, and Carter-Birken’s work provides a nuanced look into the lives of its founders and the community they fostered.

Duncan and Marjorie Phillips and America’s First Museum of Modern Art is available from Vernon Press in hardback, paperback, and e-book editions. 

Categories

Trees, Trees, and More Trees!

Posted on by

By Natalie Roy

If you have been following our community listserv, you know our neighborhood, has concerns about the County’s new Circuit Tree Maintenance program. We were alarmed at the number of trees slated for removal in our neighborhood, the lack of specifics shared in advance about the program, and whether future replanting, pruning, and maintenance efforts will truly be robust. We were very disturbed by the spotty communications in advance of this major effort by the County, which will reshape our tree canopy landscape for years to come. 

As a result of the situation, LPCA took the following actions. We held a community Treeside Chat meeting with concerned residents and also participated in a virtual meeting with the County’s Urban Forestry staff, which was very much appreciated. The Urban Forestry staff, who are both certified arborists, made it clear that one of their key objectives is removing very unhealthy and/or dead trees that could be public safety hazards. We wholeheartedly agree with the County that very unsafe dying and dead trees should be removed. 

While the virtual meeting was very informative, it was too little too late. Many community members expressed concerns that the program will struggle to succeed due to miniscule funding levels and that there is a lack of confidence the County will conduct a comprehensive replanting effort. Since time is of the essence, Lyon Park sent a letter to the County Board and County Manager for an immediate stay of execution on the removal of key trees in our community, including the Gateway tree (pictured on this page) located in the N Fillmore Street triangle. There is no reason to rush after decades of County neglect. For a copy of the letter visit our website. 

In addition to inquiring about the tree contractor’s apparent lack of an Arlington business license, LPCA has also raised questions about whether the County is following the rules and proper procedures of Arlington County Code Chapter 67: Trees and Shrubs. As of now, the County has held firm that they will not delay or alter tree removal, even for trees for which we have requested a second opinion. LPCA is in the process of establishing an active tree committee and will continue to advocate for our community’s tree canopy and for a robust replanting and maintenance effort. If you are interested in getting more involved, please shoot me an email at lpcapresidentnur@gmail.com. 

Categories

How the New Tax Laws can Benefit Lyon Park

Posted on by

Benjamin Franklin’s musing that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” might sound pessimistic, but what if those inevitable taxes could benefit the LPCC?  Would paying taxes be a little more palatable if they  helped fund a playground renovation, installation of audio/visual equipment, refinishing the floors, or more community events at the LPCC?

New tax laws make it advantageous for those who take the standard deduction to donate in 2026 to the LPCC (a 501c3 charitable organization). Starting in 2026, for the first time, cash gifts up to $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly can be deducted in addition to the standard deduction. For those who claim itemized deductions, the new rules become more complex. Beginning in 2026:

Only donations that exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI) will be deductible. If you make $250k in household AGI, that means your first $1,250 in charitable donations will not be deductible. Donations to the LPCC made in 2025 are fully deductible. 

All deductions for taxpayers in the highest marginal bracket (37%) will be capped at a rate of 35%. This means that if you donate $1000 to the LPCC in 2025, you can deduct $370, but if you wait until 2026, you can only deduct $350. 

The temporary 60%-of-AGI deduction limit for cash gifts to public charities will become permanent. It was set to expire and revert back to a limit of 50%. So if you are planning to donate 60% of your adjusted gross income to the LPCC, you can deduct it all and we support that!  

Donors can still avoid capital gains tax by gifting appreciated stocks or other assets held for longer than a year. In fact, donating appreciated stocks yields a double tax benefit – you avoid paying capital gains by not realizing the gain AND you can deduct the full fair market value of the donated stock. 

So please consider spending your tax dollars in your own community by donating to the LPCC in 2025 and 2026. Checks can be mailed to: LPCC at 414 N. Fillmore Street, Arlington, VA 22201. Cash donations can be made at https://lyonpark.info/donate. For more information on how to donate appreciated stocks, other assets or to make a substantial cash donation, contact the Board of Governors at LPCCGovernors@gmail.com. Thank you!. 

Categories

Placing Two Bronze Stumbling Stone Plaques

Posted on by

Please come celebrate the placing of two bronze stumbling stone plaques (like the one shown here) honoring Orville and Jackson, enslaved by Bushrod Hunter on his Brookdale Estate, a part of which is modern day Lyon Park. On Saturday, November 15, the dedication begins at 10:00 a.m. at the corner of North Garfield and 4th Street North, and will be followed by an outdoor reception. All are welcome!

“The Board of Governors of the Lyon Park Community Center applauds the “Memorializing Enslaved in Arlington” initiative, a project sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, and the marking with bronze plaques of locations where enslavement occurred, described as “stumbling stones,” placed in public rights of way. The Board is honored to recognize the placement of two stumbling stones at the southwest corner of our park, at the intersection of N. Garfield and 4th Street North.”  

—Official BOG proclamation 

Categories

ArNAC Part Two: Let’s Beautify Our Neighborhood!

Posted on by

By Tabitha Ricketts

Last month I wrote about ArNAC — the Arlington Neighborhoods Advisory Committee — and the types of projects it has funded for the Lyon Park neighborhood and others around Arlington. There have been great examples of beautification and pedestrian safety improvements all across the County. As your neighborhood representative, it’s my job to support project ideas from Lyon Park, see them grow from ideas into plans, and shepherd them through the process of review and selection by ArNAC. But where do those project ideas come from in the first place? That’s where you come in!

We, the members of the Lyon Park community, get to decide what projects we want to pursue for the good of the neighborhood. That’s one of the best things about the ArNAC program — it’s neighborhood-driven. But it also puts the burden of responsibility on us. If we want to make use of this program and its funding, we have to put forward ideas and be willing to do the follow-up work to turn them into plans. ArNAC has County staff standing ready to help us, but the work begins with us.

Fortunately, several of our wonderful neighbors have begun a fair amount of this work already. The Lyon Park Neighborhood Plan, filed with ArNAC in 2019, lays out a 10-year plan for the community, describing the neighborhood we want to create and maintain over this period. It highlights goals, preferences, and areas for improvement, based on significant surveying done at the time. ArNAC prioritizes funding for projects that align with a neighborhood’s plan — this is a great place to start. 

ArNAC follows a specific rules and pointing system to weight project ideas across the various neighborhoods, so we’ve adopted a similar set of criteria to help us prioritize ideas for Lyon Park:

Size, scope, and cost of the project — priority to ideas with less effort required

Level of impact — priority to ideas benefitting the highest number of neighbors 

Proposed champion — priority to ideas with a “block champion,” a neighbor ready to lead the charge and champion the project with me

Neighbor support — priority to ideas that already have significant support or goodwill from the neighbors most directly impacted

Additional funding sources — priority to ideas that can tap into multiple funding sources

Sidewalk or park project — priority to ideas for pedestrian safety or County park improvement. (Note that Lyon Park and our community center are owned by us, the neighborhood; that is not a County-owned or maintained park.)

These criteria are guidelines, not limits. They will help us prioritize our time and energy to be efficient within the ArNAC system. But all ideas are welcome!

Are you ready to get started? Reach out to me at tabitharicketts@gmail.com with your thoughts on how we can better our neighborhood, and let’s turn our dreams into actions! 

Categories

Restaurant Vibes: Sushi Jip

Posted on by

By Sophie Oberstein

Many people are familiar with Sushi JIP because of its prominent location at the busy intersection at the corner of Washington Boulevard and 10th Street. They’ve seen the sign as they’ve walked past, or the lovely outdoor seating area, but maybe never been inside the spacious dining room. Still others are familiar with the Japanese restaurant that occupied this spot before its current incarnation as Sushi JIP. 

In September 2024, a local Virginia family took over the management. Their new website proclaims, “Our story begins with a profound love for authentic flavors and a vision to redefine sushi dining.” That new definition includes some unusual Signature Rolls (like the Too Too Funky (with mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, crab, avocado, bacon bits, sour cream and cinnamon honey)) and what my neighbor, who joined me there for lunch last week called, their “flair.” Beautifully decorated dishes arrive adorned with rocks, branches, flowers, and, in the case of my sashimi platter, flashing lights.

At lunch on a Wednesday, my neighbor and I, at first, had the large indoor space (about 50 seats) to ourselves, though more people trickled in as we ate. Weekdays are not busy here, we were told, but weekends, especially for dinner, are more crowded and a reservation is a good idea. 

Tables are set with cute chopstick holders and a buzzer that can be used to summon wait staff when you are ready to order or need something. Though, even without the buzzer, staff was very attentive and food was delivered quickly.

The menu for rolls, sushi, sashimi, poke, and combination platters is extensive – almost overwhelming. And if raw fish isn’t your thing, you can order from the Kitchen/Noodles, Hibachi (food grilled over an open flame), or Vegetable Roll sections of the menu. We tried Shrimp Shumai as an appetizer, Bulgogi Fried Rice, and one of their Signature Rolls, the Double Salmon (The aforementioned flashing sashimi dish was from a prior visit). There was a special lunch menu because we happened to be there during Restaurant Week, but there aren’t usually the more traditional Japanese lunch options, like a bento box. 

The fish was definitely the standout, even if, as my companion pointed out, there is no elegant way to eat some of the towering rolls (so maybe not the best place for a first date). Portions are large and the fish fresh and delicious. The manager explained that they are committed to keeping the fish fresh by only ordering a certain amount daily and having it delivered by a local trading distributor.

It’s on the expensive side, but that seems par for the course for this cuisine. They also provide catering and host private parties. If you are a sushi lover, Sushi JIP will not disappoint.

Sushi JIP (3000 Washington Blvd): Hours of operation are 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m.–10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Sunday. Phone number is 703-243-7799. Visit the website: https://sushijip.com/ for more information.  

Categories

Grounds Committee

Posted on by

By Steve Geiger

The LPCC Board of Governors has created a new Grounds Committee to oversee the natural environment of the park exclusive of the playground areas and the community center.  The committee is currently composed of Bill Anhut, Deborah Barber, Ann Bodine, and myself, but we are looking for others within the community who would wish to join and help us maintain the park.  Please let me know (miscsteve@comcast.net) if you would like to be a part of this committee.

The Grounds Committee performs various functions:  

We apply mulch to the trees every spring, supervise a professional arborist to check the health of the trees, conduct tree pruning when necessary, provide for emerald ash borer treatment of the two Arlington County Champion White Ash trees located in the center of the park, and oversee the mowing of the lawn.  

Deborah is doing a fantastic job in creating and maintaining the extensive gardens surrounding the community center, maintaining the rain garden located to the south of the community center, and preparing plants for the annual Lyon Park Plant Sale.  She currently is looking for volunteers to help with these tasks.  Please contact Deborah (deborah.barber@gmail.com) if you wish to help keep the gardens looking great. 

Categories

Restaurant Vibes: Nam Viet

Posted on by

By Sophie Oberstein

Last Friday night, my husband and I had a delicious meal – and a brief insight into the history of downtown Clarendon – at Nam Viet. An old school Vietnamese restaurant on North Hudson Street, half a block from the metro station, Nam Viet has been a staple in the neighborhood since the 1980’s.

As its menu states: “What began as a humble 15-seat eatery on Highland Street in Arlington in 1986 has grown into one of the longest-standing Vietnamese restaurants in the region—and one of the last remaining from Clarendon’s historic “Little Saigon” era.” The Nguyen Van Thoi family, has operated the restaurant since its opening.

On the corner of Hudson Street and Wilson Boulevard, a plaque commemorates Clarendon’s past as one of the many “Little Saigons” in the U.S., where refugees settled after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. According to Wikipedia, “the Washington metropolitan area was a desirable choice for Vietnamese immigrants to settle for several reasons. Many of the first-wave Vietnamese immigrants had ties to the U.S. government or the embassy… Once the first wave of immigrants settled in Arlington, existing family and social ties established the network for future immigrants to join this population.”

They were also arriving at an opportune moment: Clarendon center was in decline, with many vacant storefronts, due to competition from regional shopping or strip malls. Disruptive construction of the Metro station created conditions conducive to cheap, short-term commercial leases, some as low as $1.50 to $5 a square foot, and Vietnamese refugees took this opportunity to open businesses and support their families.

From the late 70’s to early 80’s, a variety of Vietnamese-owned shops and restaurants flourished, until the opening of the Metro station led to new development and higher rents. Many of the businesses closed or moved, often to Eden Center in Falls Church. Nam Viet is one of the few that remains.

So, that’s the history part of our evening. Check out the Wikipedia entry for more – it’s fascinating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Saigon,_Arlington,_Virginia

Now, on to the restaurant.

The atmosphere at Nam Viet is pretty low key. When you walk in, you’ll be face-to-face with a wall of photographs of former POWs and dignitaries who have eaten here, including three U.S. Presidents. Supporting POWs is part of the history of Nam Viet, whose founder was an interpreter in the U.S. Army and became a POW himself.

What the décor lacks, the food more than makes up for. Nam Viet boasts an extensive menu of chef specialties, grilled entrees, soups, and a robust vegetarian section, which we’re always looking out for, for my husband. The food is made from recipes passed down generations using local, seasonal ingredients.

We ordered Fresh Garden Rolls, Five Spiced Tofu, and Stir-Fried Eggplant with beef. We’d had some of the more traditional dishes, like the Vietnamese Crepe, on a prior visit. Each dish was fresh and delicious. Portions are huge, so we ended up taking home about half of what we were served. Walking home, I was already excited to enjoy my leftovers the next day.

Service is fast and welcoming. The owners of the restaurant are very transparent and communicative, from signs on the front door alerting people that the AC is strong in the summertime, to an explanation on their website of why they stopped taking orders over the phone (you can order for pick up or delivery on their website).

Walk-ins are welcome. On a Friday night, about half of the restaurant’s 80 seats were taken. Reservations are recommended if you have more than five people in your party. The price of our meal, including tip – and abundant leftovers – was $63.

We will definitely be back to Nam Viet, for a terrific meal and a slice of Clarendon history.

Nam Viet (1127 N. Hudson St.): Hours of operation are
11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday
from 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Phone number is 703–522–
Visit the website: www.namvietva.com for more information. 

Categories

ArNAC Part One: Overview of Lyon Park Projects

Posted on by

By Tabitha Ricketts

The Arlington Neighborhoods Advisory Committee (ArNAC) advises the Arlington Neighborhoods Program, which allows the neighborhoods of Arlington to leverage Arlington County funding for self-chosen projects to benefit our communities. These projects can be capital improvements such as updates to streets, streetlights, sidewalks, and other pedestrian safety measures. There are also an increasing number of beautification projects, especially to improve the appeal and usefulness of County-owned parks and to add green space where concrete would otherwise prevail.

As a participating member of ArNAC, Lyon Park has actively benefitted from neighborhood projects supported and funded through ANP. The Lyon Park Neighborhood Plan filed with ArNAC lays out Lyon Park’s 10-year plan, describing the neighborhood we want to create and maintain for ourselves and our community.

Between 2000 and 2017 alone, Lyon Park received $2.3m in funding across different neighborhood projects. Each project went through several rounds of design and review within ArNAC and the neighborhood itself, building up points in the ArNAC system based on completeness, breadth of impact, and other factors. Twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, ArNAC votes on projects that are fully designed and ready for execution. The projects that pass vote in the ArNAC funding rounds are put forward to the Arlington County Board for final approval.

In the fall 2016 funding round, Lyon Park was funded for a street improvement project. To improve pedestrian safety on North Highland Street between Arlington Boulevard and 1st Road North, a 4-foot continuous sidewalk was added on the west side of the street, with ADA-compliant ramps at each intersection, and connection to the existing asphalt trail alongside Arlington Boulevard. A 3-foot utility strip was added next to the new sidewalk along with curbs and gutters on both sides of the street. On-street parking was maintained on both sides of the 28-foot-wide street.

In the fall 2020 funding round, sidewalk improvements were approved for the stretch of North Oakland Street from North Pershing Drive to Arlington Boulevard. A new 5-foot sidewalk was constructed along the east side of the street, with a utility (grass) strip located adjacent. Stormwater drainage improvements were added as part of this project as well, including some bioretention areas at two locations within the project limits. The street was narrowed slightly to facilitate these additions but maintained on-street parking on both sides. While not in the Lyon Park neighborhood directly, this project benefits Lyon Park residents through increased pedestrian safety and improved walkability of our interconnected community.

Lyon Park residents also benefit from the recent 11th Street park renovation put forward by the Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association ArNAC representatives. This project, approved in the spring 2021 funding round, includes updated gravel walkways to ADA-compliant concrete paths, adding new site furnishings and trees as well as path lighting and signage, and general renovation and improvement of existing lawn areas. The park is now open to the community in its new and improved state – only the installation of new birdhouses is still pending.

Neighborhood associations across Arlington are continuing to identify, propose, and define improvement projects across a range of areas. Many are focused on safety, adding street lights and traffic calming measures to busy areas with a high amount of foot traffic, such as near bus stops and crosswalks beside school pickup zones. Lyon Park has benefited from similar improvements in the past, but I’m sure there’s more to be done – more ways to increase safety for pedestrians and cars alike, to add beauty and function to our streets and paths, and to support neighborhood connectivity and utility. It’s up to us to identify any and all of those ways and to drive the changes we want to see! Let me know what thoughts you have already and keep an eye out for the next newsletter update, where I’ll share the consideration criteria and the next steps to take a project from idea to success.. 

Categories

Development Roundup

Posted on by

By Anne Bodine

Here’s the development issues that were discussed at last month’s LPCA meeting:

ARVA (on the Days Inn site):
The site is currently pretty rough, with fencing up, but no
demolition progress. The developer is still working on
financing, and there is no clear schedule for moving forward.
Please let the LPCA know if you have specific concerns
during this limbo period.

Joyce Motors:
This project is also delayed pending financing decisions,
though they are moving forward with deconstructing the
building. LPCA will coordinate with Ashton Heights Civic
Association leadership to monitor activity and hold the
demolition and constructions team accountable to county
regulations.

The NCACU building at the corner of 9th Street
North and North Irving Street:
The building will be demolished and a storage facility
is planned to replace it. Anne Bodine is coordinating
communications with concerned residents and will be
attending the upcoming (in September) county meeting.

EHO update:
The Arlington Civic Federation (also known as CivFed) held
a ZOOM call on September 18 to discuss changes to the
Expanded Housing Option (EHO) strategy. There is an EHO
planned for the corner of North Highland Street and 7th Street
North, so this is definitely a neighborhood concern. Classic
Cottages plans to construct an EHO in Ashton Heights at 629
North Monroe Street. Both will be 3-plexes.

Other CivFed Updates:
22 civic associations signed a petition requesting the county to look closely at Lot Coverage. The county
leadership is well aware many residents are upset about the extreme tree loss. They originally agree to study
building height and set-backs, but now are limited to studying impervious surfaces which ties to storm water
runoff concerns.

Additionally, auditors are reviewing community benefit agreements made by the county with developers,
identifying sites where the County has backtracked on agreed upon benefits.

Categories