1www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOB ER 2013

t is an honor to be chosen as President of the Lyon Park Citizens Association. I look

forward to working closely with all of you. I am still new to this position, but I wanted to pass some of my early thoughts and priorities for the coming year.

Increased Participation: The LPCA has a dedi-cated core of active volunteers and participants. I plan to ensure that the community spirit and events that draw them to the Association con-tinue. There remain, however, large pockets of our neighborhood that are not yet engaged. Over the next year, I hope to attract new members through organizing appealing events and opportunities for all residents including younger families.

Neighborhood Planning: The County Board looks to civic associations like ours for guidance when considering projects and decisions that affect our neighborhood. We need to be actively participating, forward leaning in our planning and creative in our outlook for Lyon Park. We have the ability to help shape how our community changes and develops, but only if we stay engaged.

Sense of Place: When you walk around Lyon Park, you quickly notice that our community is dif-ferent from most others these days. We smile and greet each other by name, stop to talk and help each other out. We take pride in our schools, our streets and our parks. We are active on the email listserv and at Association meetings, and respect-ful of neighbors with opinions that differ from our own. This is a unique place within Arlington, and we should strive to cultivate those traits that make us great.

You’ll hear more soon from the new Executive Committee on these and other priorities. Better yet, plan to come to the next LPCA meeting or drop us a note with your thoughts. Like the Park and the Community Center, the LPCA belongs to all of us, and it’s the involvement of neighbors and friends that make this organization—and this com-munity—so great.

—John GoldenerPresident

Lyon Park Citizens Association

O C T O B E R ’ 1 3

A nonpartisan publication serving Lyon Park residents’ common interests

President’s Message

I

LPCA President John Goldener and his family enjoying a Lyon Park Fall day!

CitizenLYON PARK

The Newsletter of the Lyon Park Citizens AssociationThe Newsletter of the Lyon Park Citizens Association

The Halloween Parade (p.2), Spaghetti Dinner (p.14 ), annual LPCA Candidate’s night and Halloween Bonfire are a few of the treats in store for October. Please don’t forget it’s also time to send in your LPCA Membership dues (page 11)! Our civic association needs your support!

Agenda for LPCA October 9th

Meeting7:30 PM (7:15 PM social)

• Annual Candidates’ Night

• State & Local Races

Updates & Announcements

Gertrude Bonnin(second from right)at the Pen Women’sLeague, Washington,D.C., 1920. Check outp. 8 for Part 2 of theprofile on this longtimeLyon Park resident who was a writer, artist, & Souix activist from the late 1800s until her death in 1938. She lived in the house that is now owned by Kit and Gary Putnam on Barton Street.

CitizenThe Halloween Parade (p.2), Spaghetti Dinner (p.14 ), annual LPCA Candidate’s night and Halloween Bonfire are a few of the treats in stThe Halloween Parade (p.2), Spaghetti Dinner (p.14 ), annual LPCA Candidate’s night and Halloween Bonfire are a few of the treats in store The Halloween Parade (p.2), Spaghetti Dinner (p.14 ), annual LPCA Candidate’s night and Halloween Bonfire are a few of the treats in store The Halloween Parade (p.2), Spaghetti Dinner (p.14 ), annual LPCA Candidate’s night and Halloween Bonfire are a few of the treats in stfor October. Please don’t forget it’s also time to send in your LPCA Membership dues (page 11)! Our civic association needs your support!

Lyon Park

Halloween Bonfire

Oct 31st!

Photo courtesy of the Library of congress Prints and PhotograPhs division

President: John GoldenerVice President of Neighborhood Conservation: Bess Zelle

Vice President of Programs: Natalie RoyVice President of Development: Aaron Schuetz

Treasurer: Bill AnhutMembership: Robbie Brehaut

Members at large: Elliott Mandel & Larry MayerSecretary: Kathleen McSweeney

Sergeant at Arms: Rich Robinson

LPCA Board of Governors Members: Bill Anhut, Elizabeth Sheehy, Joey Durishin, Sue Robinson, Adam Rasmussen

NOTE: For more information on the Annual Meeting please read the Development Update on page 4. Also go to our website online at www.lyonparkcitizens.org, to check out the minutes.

The Lyon Park Citizens Association414 N. Fillmore St. Arlington, VA 22201

LPCA ExECuTIVE COMMITTEE

PresidentJohn Goldener (703) 203-6181goldener@gmail.comVice-President/Neighborhood ConservationBess Zelle besszelle@gmail.comVice-President/ProgramsNatalie Roy (703) 819-4915nroyvilla@comcast.netVice-President/DevelopmentAaron Schuetz ajschuetz@yahoo.comTreasurerBill Anhut, Jr. (703) 528-3665billanhut@yahoo.comSecretary/HistorianKathleen McSweeney (703) 243-0323mcsweeneykathleen@yahoo.comSergeant-at-ArmsRich Robinson (703) 527-2724hwhrich@hotmail.comMembership ChairRobbie Brehaut rbrehaut@verizon.netMembers at LargeLarry Mayer (703) 525-8921lmayer@mba1973.hbs.eduElliott Mandel (703) 527-1502edmandel@hotmail.comTraffic Committee ChairBess Zellebessezelle@gmail.comEmergency PreparednessLaureen Dalylaureendaly@verizon.netCOMMuNITy CENTEr BOArD Of GOVErNOrS

Jeannette Wick, Chair (703) 524-8531jywickrph@aol.com

IMPOrTANT CONTACTS

Police LiaisonStephanie & Bob Hagemannstefanie.hagemann@gmail.comCommunity Center rental AgentShirley Larson (703) 527-9520rent@lyonpark.infoClarendon Alliance representativeDebbie Kaplan debbie.kaplan@verizon.netListserveLouise Mauslcmaus@comcast.netCivic federation repsSteve Geiger (703) 522-0026Erik Gutshall (703) 276-0809Larry Mayer (703) 525-8921Michael O’Connor (703) 525-3469Natalie Roy (703) 819-4915Jim Turpin (703) 248-6988Doorways for Women and families LiaisonErik Gutshall (703) 276-0809Newsletter EditorNatalie Roy, nroyvilla@comcast.netAssistant EditorSusan Robinson, susan@fishinfiddler.comNewsletter DesignLance Marburger, lance@hamiltondesignllc.comPhotographyNatalie Roy, Michael O’Connor

Newsed@lyonparkcitizens.orgHelen White, Distribution(703) 527-2977hmwhite33@verizon.net

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyonparkcitizens.org2

LPCA monthly minutes can now be found online at www.lyonparkcitizens.orgPrinted on

recycled paper

results of elections at the LPCA Annual Meeting

Halloween Parade!!!oin Rapunzel, Pe-ter Pan, Merida,

Capital Hook, and other pirates and superhe-ros, ghosts and goblins of Lyon Park! The Lyon Park Children’s Parade of Costumes will take place Saturday, Octo-ber 26th, at 11:00 am. We’ll start at Lyon Park, parade around the neighborhood, and then end up back at Lyon Park for snacks

and drinks.We’ll hold the event rain (in the Lyon Park Community Center) or shine. We need volunteers to help out with setting up tables, baking treats, buying and bring-ing jugs of apple juice and water, and clean up.

Please contact Jinder at Harjinder_gill@yahoo.com if you can help.

J

A lively discussion on timely topics plus Joey Durishin’s amaz-ing treats equals a great time at LPCA’s Annual Meeting! If you missed it, do not despair. Just make plans to come to the October meeting!.

3www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOBER 2013

yon Park belongs to igive.com. When people use it regularly, it brings in some lovely checks. For many reasons, use waxes

and wanes. igive.com partners with thousands of stores, and gives a portion of your total to your designated charity, in this case, the Lyon Park Community Center Renovation Fund. You can join here: http://tinyurl.com/ch2dtak I was guilty of forgetting to go through the site, and missed op-portunities. Igive e-mailed me, saying I could download a button that would automatically record my eligible sales. I resisted a bit, because those darned downloads can mess up your computer. But I threw myself on the sword, and downloaded the button on two computers. I am happy to report it works, and it’s invisible except to tell you when you’ve made a purchase that counts. Love it. Passive giving. Download the button on Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari browser here: http://tinyurl.com/dx9bmhv

Thanks so much for joining igive.com today!

n a warm Sunday in June, thirty-four players on 9 teams helped ensure that the 3rd Annual Lyon Park / Ashton Heights Golf

Tourney, benefiting the restoration of the historic Lyon Park Com-munity House, was a big success. The record turnout from the Lyon Park and Ashton Heights communities and the generosity of our Clar-endon business partners raised more than $2,500 for the renovation effort. The tournament took place at the South Riding Golf Club.

Thanks to the following local businesses that generously donated prizes that made this tournament a huge hit!

• Saul Centers/Lyon Place Apartments • Liberty Tavern • Lyon Hall • Circa • Peete’s Pizza • LaTagliatelle • Ri Ra Irish Pub • Whitlow’s on Wilson • Boulevard Woodgrill • Cheesecake Factory • Pacers • Mr. Wash Car Wash • Jeannette Wick • South Riding Golf Club

We are extremely grateful for the participation by our Clarendon business partners. Please patronize our donors’ businesses and thank them for supporting the renovation of the Lyon Park Com-munity Center!

Don’t Forget to iGive!

Lyon Park/Ashton Heights Golf Tourney

L

O

Chair of the Board of GovernorsBy JEANNETTE WICK

By BIll ANhuT

Thanks to our Sponsors!

R & MCLEANING SERVICES

RELIABLE • EXPERIENCED • GOOD REFERENCESFLEXIBLE SCHEDULING • REASONABLE RATES

WE BRING OUR OWN EQUIPMENT

Free-in-home EstimatesWeekly/Bi-weekly/Monthly or OccasionallyMove-in or Move-out Office

Call MARYEN or RAUL at

[703] 321-5335

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyonparkcitizens.org4

reetings neighbors! My name is Aaron Schuetz, and I am the new Vice President of Development for the Lyon Park Com-

munity Association. I live about a block from the new 2201 Persh-ing project, and the issues surrounding the retail shops is what got me active in development issues. Now, as your representative, I am charged with communicating with Equity Residential and the county with regards to our concerns and recommendations regard-ing the project. Over the past several years, Equity has been very good in communicating with us, and trying to work through solu-tions. Nonetheless, as a large corporation, profit is more important than neighborhood benefit. Because of this, we don’t always see eye to eye.

More than a year ago Equity asked the county to be released from the requirement to have a grocery store as the anchor to the site. Shortly thereafter, they started working with a large daycare company (Minnieland) interested in the site. Because daycare is not retail, and because they need a use permit for daycare, they need approval from the county to proceed. A number of community members spoke at the county meeting in July, with a wide range of concerns over this plan. The County Manager’s suggestion was to deny the daycare center permit, but the board members were divided, and the community was divided. Rather than make a quick decision, they chose to defer their decision until the October meet-ing, giving Lyon Park a chance to come together to decide on a unified position, and giving the board members more time to look into this proposal.

In the ensuing months, there have been multiple meetings of the Development Committee and with Equity. The Development Committee met in early September to try to find a path forward that represents the community’s interests and is realistic, (know-ing various decisions have already been made and leases signed). Through that process we found a compromise path that allowed the LPCA to support a daycare center, provided certain condi-

tions were met. These conditions have already been presented to Equity, and Equity has already indicated support for many of these conditions, based on their presentation at the LPCA meeting on September 11th. These conditions include several categories:First, safety. Both Equity and Lyon Park appear to be in agreement on these issues which include:• Support to make the four-way stop sign at Pershing and Barton

Streets permanent;• Support for county improvements to the pedestrian crossing at

Pershing and North Wayne Streets;• Better signage and an on-site stop sign to make vehicle entry

and exit routes safer; and• Increased efforts to ensure that retail parking spaces on the

site are available for retail customers, with better signage and enforcement of parking restrictions.

Second, daycare concessions. Equity (with Minnieland) and Lyon Park also appear to be in in agreement with concessions being of-fered, should the daycare center be allowed. These include:• 5 slots offered at half price to low income families (those who

qualify in Arlington for low income housing);• Priority placement (top of waiting list) for children living in Lyon

Park and Ashton Heights:• Extended operating hours; and • Neighborhood access to the playground (after 5:30 on week-

days, and all day on weekends and holidays).

Third, activation. The Development Committee agrees with Equity that the best location for non-retail space is the Northeast end of the complex, which faces route 50. We also believe that “activa-tion” measures (such as screens on windows) are not needed. We feel that the neighborhood “gateway” concept can still be met with an appropriate blend of retailers along Pershing.

Fourth, support for a neighborhood park. This was proposed by the LPCA in the original site plan negotiations for the residential lots along Barton Street. In the end, the county chose to require houses, and Equity sold the properties to a third party. We still feel that a park would be a more desirable use of that space, and though we can’t require a park, we would like Equity’s support for a park in that location, or a nearby location, should an opportunity present itself.

Fifth, and final is the issue of a grocery store. The neighborhood was most divided over the course to take on this issue. Some felt the site never could support a full grocer, while others thought it never got the chance to try. Though people were optimistic about the Natural Market coming to the complex, there was consider-able concern about the small size and subsequent viability of this store, locked in next to the large daycare. This includes concerns

G

Development & Business NewsBy AARON SChuETZ

The new retail-apartment building on the corner of Route 50 & Pershing Drive. Continued on Next Page

5www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOBER 2013

How to get moving in Lyon Park!By lISA NISENSON

for potential future convenience markets, should the Natural Market close. In the end, we voted to request the following, as a condition of support for the daycare.

• A requirement for 5,000 unabated sq. ft. of space reserved for food and beverage retail. The approximately 2800 sq. ft. for the Natural Market would count towards this, and the remainder could be from expansion of the Natural Market to 5,000 sq. ft., or leasing of additional space to another store that is primarily retail food and beverage (for example a wine store, a bakery, butcher shop, etc).

• A commitment by Equity to maintain a market on the site for as long as the daycare center is there, unless a full grocery store is

built at the Days Inn site next door.

In the end, most people felt like a daycare center at the site would be a positive contribution to the neighborhood, with the real con-cern being what we would be giving up. While about a hundred families would benefit from this center, there are over 2500 house-holds in our community, and over 5000 residents. Our work as a community organization was to try to find a solution with the most benefit, given the few remaining pathways. In the end, the Lyon Park Community Association voted to provide their support for a daycare center at The Shops at Pershing, under the conditions listed above. I will be presenting this information to the County Board in advance of the October 19th meeting. I encourage all of you to come to the meeting and speak up if you feel strongly on this issue.

Development Article Continued From Page 4

larendon, long known for its rich offering of ways to get around, is getting richer. In addition to the Metro, metrobus,

biking and walking, here is a list of new choices.

1) Car and ride Share

Zipcar – Zipcar has been in North Arlington awhile, and now has cars all over the place. The service requires a $75 signup fee, an annual membership fee ($50) plus hourly rates depending on how fancy the car is. Us-ers reserve cars ahead of time and pick up and drop off the cars in the same spot. The biggest things to know are (1) never, ever park your own car in a space designated for Zipcar, and the nearest cargo van is at Courthouse. There used to be a pickup truck in Pentagon City, but it’s not showing up. There are a couple of Audis sprinkled in the Rosslyn-Ballson corridor. www.zipcar.com.

uber – Uber is intended to be a new entrant in the limousine and car service business. www.uber.com

Lyft – Lyft is a ridesharing company known for the pink mustaches on the front of cars. Lyft works through mobile phone apps and Facebook accounts. While there are no official “fares,” costs are negotiated and typically run less than the same fare as a cab. Lyft’s ethos is built on building community, and is a nice addition to Clar-endon’s transportation scene. There are a couple of drivers who live here in the neighborhood. www.lyft.me.

Car2Go – Ever see those smart cars in DC emblazoned with the Car2Go logo and think “wow, these would be great in Arlington”? Well – they are thinking about it. Car2Go is a car share service, but unlike ZipCar, allows users to pick up and drop off cars anywhere in a

designated zone. In Washington DC, for example, the zone is mostly downtown. The cool thing is that Car2Go has negotiated use of curb-side parking in most zones, so no need to worry about tickets. www.car2go.com – choose Washington DC in drop down menu).

2) Smart Phone apps and Start ups

Taxi Magic – Taxi Magic is an app (Android and Apple) working in 60 cities, including Arlington (Red Top Cabs). Taxi Magic allows you to track your ride en route, pay online and receive electronic receipts. www.taximagic.com

Transit Screen – Transit Screen’s devices aggregate data from most of the major transit agencies in the greater D.C. area, including Metrorail, Metro-bus, Capital Bikeshare, the downtown Circulator, and our own local ART buses (the green ones – Route 77). This is a real boon when transit users have last minute plans or need to work around

disruptions. Transit Screen was developed as a tech startup in Ar-lington and is expanding to San Francisco. www.transitscreen.com

3) Electric Bikes

Hybrid Pedals opened September 7 in Clarendon, selling electric bikes at 925 N. Jackson Street. The bikes can travel 20-30 miles on a single charge, giving riders the option to pedal when they want, extending the bikes’ range. Hybrid Pedals founder Alan Levine also founded Mario’s Pizza and the food delivery service Doctor Delivery.

Did I leave anything out? Contact me at lisa@nisenson.net and let me know!

C

ur September Lyon Park Cooking Class on September 14th was surely a departure from the usual as we opened the

doors to dogs...figuratively — or more precisely, to a session on dog nutrition. In the last 50 years, American dogs have begun living decreasingly shorter lives and having more allergies and gastroin-testinal problems. This coincided with the increased US purchase of commercially prepared dog food. A lot of veterinarians attribute this to the commercially prepared diet which is often not only insuf-ficient in quality but is oft-times injurious to the pet. We are not only referring to the Chinese Melamine poisoning of dog food which killed thousands of US and Canadian dogs and cats, but also the usual run-of-the-mill commercial dog foods sold in our supermar-kets and pet stores. Although some manufacturers are doing bet-ter, we still have no guarantee of adequate quality even though we are buying higher priced food for Fido.

In 2012, U.S. consumers spent $22 Billion dollars on dog and cat food. And our dogs still aren’t living as long as they did in the late 40’s when they were fed mostly table scraps. At last count, most Veterinary Schools required only one four-hour course in small ani-mal nutrition. The pet food industry spends lots on advertising and lobbying veterinarians. I remember when I first began cooking for my dogs, our trusted vet of long standing said, “You aren’t doing your dogs a favor by cooking for them.” This time, she was wrong.

This cooking class session centered mainly on dog foods and nutri-tion but we also shared information. Gary’s dog, Gilbert — “Gilly” to his many admirers and friends- had severe skin allergies requiring dozens of trips to doggie dermatologists and lots of varied treat-ments including steroids which are potentially damaging to kidneys and even life-threatening. A consultation with Dr. Anne Garrood of the Great Falls Animal Hospital, resulted in prescribing several

varied menus- all home cooked in Gilly’s very own home by his very own staff of one. Within weeks, his allergies cleared up. He is now 17 years old and has been allergy free for the past seven or eight years. The only two relapses he had were when someone slipped him pieces of doggie kibble as a “treat.”

We will forward information shared at the session if you contact me off-list. The cooking classes are designed to share information with our neighbors about pertinent trends and issues in the kitchen. They also raise donations for the renovation of our dear old com-munity house. This session brought in nearly $200. “Cooking isn’t just about sharing food.”

he school year is at full swing at Long Branch Elementary. The children have settled into their classes and have many

activities going already.

They have picked their after school enrichment classes, which will begin shortly. They are also working hard at raising money for LongBranch by selling the great wrapping paper to help us meet ourgoal of raising $10K for the PTA.

We also have the Scholastic Book Fair coming up starting Septem-ber 30th. It will be open from 8 am - 5 pm, Monday, September 30 - Friday, October 4. It is open to the general public, as well as school families. We will have additional hours for FAMILY FUN NIGHT on Wednesday, October 2, 6 - 8 pm. Last year we sold the

equivalent of 3,200 books, which equates to over 550,000 minutes of reading time!

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyon parkcitizens.org6

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T

Cooking Class

Long Branch Elementary Update

By GAR GARy PuuTNAM

By ElIZABETh PIEPENBRINGIEPENBRING

ur September Lyon Park Cooking Class on September 14th

affodils, tulips, and crocuses are 3 bulbs that commonly sprout up in the Washington area in early spring. Although all

three are easy to grow and beautiful to look at there’s a wide variety of other bulbs out there that can be planted now and next spring to give you color almost all year long.

What’s a bulb? A bulb is next year’s plant packaged and surround-ed by scale and immature leaves, flower stems, and sometimes flower buds. The scale leaves are a meaty substance which contain all the food the bulb will need to flower and thrive. The whole bulb is wrapped in a papery covering called the tunic. This is a true bulb. Other types of bulbs are corms, tubers, tuberous roots, and rhizomes.

Bulbs fall into 2 general groups — spring-flowering (which are planted in the fall) and summer-flowering (which are planted in the spring). However a more accurate way to group bulbs is by hardy and tender varieties.

Spring-flowering bulbs as a rule are hardy bulbs. They must be planted in fall and can survive the cold winter months. They need the cold period to stimulate the growth cycle. These bulbs are left in the ground and bloom year after year. One exception here are hybrid tulips which will bloom only for 2-3 years before you need to plant new bulbs. For tulips that will bloom year after year choose the species type. These will even naturalize (spread) if planted in the right conditions.

Most summer-flowering bulbs are tender bulbs. They can’t survive the cold winter temperatures and must be dug up and stored inside for the winter. One notable exception to this would be summer-flowering lilies. However, winters around here have been milder in recent years, so don’t be surprised if you forget to dig up your summer-flowering bulbs one year and find them blooming the next summer.

Spring-flowering bulbs are planted in our area between mid-Oc-tober and early November. The general rule of thumb for summer-flowering bulbs is if it’s time to put out tomatoes plants it’s time to plant those bulbs. In other words after the danger of a frost has passed --early to mid-May would be fine in Arlington.

How to plant bulbs

Bulbs can be planted in full sun in a bed of their own, under a deciduous tree, amongst perennials and shrubs, in a large pot or scattered throughout the lawn. They look much better when plant-ed en masse instead of alone.A little bone meal or super phosphate

(follow package directions) mixed into the soil below the level where the bulbs are to planted will encourage good root development.Bulbs don’t like to sit in water (they will rot) so make sure they’re planted in an area where excess water drains away.

1. Generally, bulbs are planted to a depth 3 times their height. This is easy to accomplish with a bulb digger.2. Place the bulb at the bottom of the hole with the root end down (pointed side up). Bulbs will usually right themselves even if you mistakenly plant them upside down.3. Cover with soil and water. That’s it!4. Protect from squirrels. They’re known to dig up and eat bulbs. It’s highly annoying but you can keep them away by putting metal screening, pots, rocks or bricks anything that will keep them from digging in that area.

Now wait to be surprised in spring!

Let’s Get

Growing!By lIZ DElMAR

7www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOBER 2013

he second meeting of the Lyon Park Garden Group will be held at the home of Deborah Barber, 3007 Pershing

Drive, at 7:30 on Wednesday, October 16. Deborah will speak about alien plants both good and bad. Questions about that and other topics will be entertained as well. If you plan to at-tend please let Kit Putnam know atkitgaryp@gmail.com.

News for Lyon Park Gardeners

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OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyonparkcitizens.org8

y the turn of the century, Gertrude Bonnin, who had been born penniless but happy on a Yankton Sioux reservation,

was almost a celebrity. Now a beautiful, proud, and well-spoken young woman, she had adopted the name “Zitkala-Sa,” or Red Bird. She was well known for her music: a violinist, she had played with the Boston Conservatory of Music.

Yet Zitkala-Sa was not content. For several years (1897-1900) she had served as a teacher at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsyl-vania. The school was founded by a former army officer named Richard Henry Prat. His slogan as principal was “Kill the Indian andsave the man!” To implement this strategy, Pratt forbade students to speak their native languages or practice their religious beliefs, and their lessons were steeped in anti-Indian propaganda. In ad-dition, he required students to wear army-style uniforms, march everywhere, and undertake hard labor to pay for their education. Finally, students were only trained for farm or manual labor, and discouraged from pursuing more lucrative or distinguished careers.

For Zitkala-Sa, the experience must have been a traumatic reminder of her life at White’s Manual Labor Institute, where she had been ed-ucated. But now, unlike then, she had a platform to air her concerns. Her musical career had brought her attention and publicity, and in 1901, Zitkala-Sa began publishing a series of articles in prestigious periodicals such as Harper’s and Atlantic Monthly. Her articles in-cluded autobiographical short stories, Sioux fables and folklore, and anthropological articles on dance and other Indian practices.

In addition, several of Zitkala-Sa’s articles were more provocative. In them, she argued eloquently against the practice of requiring Indian students to attend boarding schools such as White’s and the Carlisle School. She also defended the right of Native Americans to retain their culture and religion: one of her articles was entitled “Why I am a Pagan.” When it was published, the Carlisle School’s militant headmaster, Richard Pratt, denounced her in the press and called the article “trash.” In contrast, however, literary critics loved Zitkala’s work. By 1902, Zitkala was in her mid-twenties, and she seemed destined for a glittering writing career. Nevertheless, her personal life would require her to take a hiatus.

In August 1902, Zitkala-Sa married Raymond T. Bonnin, a child-hood friend who was also half Yankton Sioux. His job — as an agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the federal agency respon-sible for overseeing the reservation system — took the couple to a Ute Indian reservation in Utah, where Zitkala-Sa gave birth to their son, Raymond Ohiya Bonnin. Yet marriage and motherhood did not come close to ending her career.

In fact, after the early 1900s, Zitkala-Sa’s life as an artist began merging even more completely with her life as an activist. In Utah, she began writing The Sun Dance, an opera that combined clas-

sical techniques with elements of the Sioux Sun Dance Ritual, a complex religious performance that had been banned by mission-aries and government officials. Zitkala-Sa thought of the opera as a way to legitimize and popularize the Sun Dance ritual among white audiences, and indeed, in 1913 and 1914 it was performed around Utah to rave reviews (it was eventually performed by the New York Light Opera Guild, among others).

By 1916, Zitkala-Sa had become an important political advocate and spokesperson within the Native American community. That same year, she was elected secretary and treasurer of the Society of American Indians (SAI), the first national pan-Indian political or-ganization. Following her election, she and her husband moved to Washington, D.C. By the mid-1920s, they had settled into the little Potomac bluestone house in Lyon Park; this would be their home for the rest of Zitkala-Sa’s life.

Like many other Lyon Park residents, Zitkala-Sa was a commuter: her many jobs in the 1920s were all in Washington, D.C. She must have been a frequent rider on the trolley cars into the city, where she continued her work for the Society of American Indians, became a contributing editor at American Indian Magazine, and continued to publish her fiction (her books, which include American Indian Stories and Dreams and Thunder, remain in print today). She also became a member of the Pen Women’s League (pictured).

Throughout the rest of her career, Zitkala-Sa remained a fierce advocate for Native American rights, and she spoke out against abuses of all types. In the 1920s, for example, she became involved with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, which in-vestigated land and oil abuses in Oklahoma. In 1926, she founded and was elected president of a political advocacy organization, the National Council of American Indians. In that position, she routinely went to congressional meetings and sessions, publicly addressed

The Continuing Story of Zitkala-Sa

By JulIA yOuNG

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The Story of Zitkala-Sa, a Lyon Park Activist for Native American Rights

Gertrude Bonnin’s house that is now owned by Kit and Gary Putnam on Barton Street.

Continued on Next Page

Indian issues, campaigned for political candidates, and educated tribal communities about their civic rights. Over the next decade, the organization became a powerful force for advancing Indian rights across the United States.

During her years as a Lyon Park resident, Zitkala-Sa attracted attention from the local media. A 1933 Washington Post article lauded her sucWashington Post article lauded her sucWashington Post -cessful career, and described how she and her husband “live quietly…in their house in Lyon Park…surrounded by exquisite examples of Indian arts and crafts, gifts from their people. They study and write constantly on behalf of the Indian, and never forget they are still Yank-ton Sioux.” Despite these commitments, she also contributed to her local community: in 1934, she gave a talk entitled “Indian Music, Art and Legends” at the Woman’s Club of Arlington (pictured on cover).

In 1938, after a remarkable lifetime of service and productivity, Zitkala-Sa died at the age of 62. As a figure of national importance, her legacy survives; she is the subject of numerous articles, books, and dissertations. Fewer people, however, know about her ties to Lyon Park, or her life in the little house on Barton Street. And in fact, even in death she remained in Arlington. Because her hus-band had been an Army Captain, Zitkala-Sa was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, where her simple marble headstone reads:

Gertrude Simmons Bonnin“Zitkala-Sa” of the Sioux Indians — 1876-1938

9www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOB ER 2013

Continued from Page 8

Book ReviewBy PEGGEGGy DEAN

Big Data: A revolution that will Trans-form How We Live, Work and ThinkBy Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukier,Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt Publishers, NYC, NY. 2013, ISBN 978-0-544-00269-2. Hardback, 197 pp. New $27.

ig Data helps explain the brouhaha on lost privacy. With enough detailed information

scientists, government or whoever is watching can predict the probability of individual behavior. The non-threatening example that the authors use is that Google was better able to predict the advance of flu across the U.S. in real time than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Google just watched the sale of throat lozenges and predicted accurately the advent of the flu. The CDC ran two weeks behind because it depended on after-action reports by hospitals.

Big Data can only recognize correlations, not causality. It can predict what but not why. The amount of information that groups, such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, Mastercard, hospitals, etc. have is overwhelming. I didn’t even know what a petabyte was. Wikipedia

says it is 1x1015 or a lot of bytes. Faced with that level of infor-mation, privacy becomes a Maginot Line. It’s not poor defense; it’s irrelevant defense. Household energy use, for example, could suggest the residents’ daily behavior, health conditions or illegal activities. If a generic profile were regarded as a predictor of future behavior, society might want to impose preemptive punitive action.

Such profiling could lead to discrimination against certain groups.

Big Data analyzes vast amounts of data, embraces real world messiness and increases reliance on correlation. To improve its computerized language translator, Google harnessed billions of pages of pre-existing translations of varying quality, 95 billion English sentences. Over time, despite spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, incomplete sentences, Google has built algorithms that can translate from Hindi to Catalan and Google will only get better. How can there be informed consent on the future use of information when that information may be used for purposes yet unknown. Certainly human translators over the cen-turies never envisioned their work would become the

basis for electronic translators.

B

www.coupardarchitects.com(703) 533-3210

WORKING WITH YOU TO MAINTAINTHE CHARM AND INTEGRITYOF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyon parkcitizens.org10

Lyon Parkers enjoying Clarendon Day 2013.

11www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOBER 2013

T

ere we are, Autumn, the best time to plant a tree and Arling-ton County is helping by distributing to Arlington citizens, a choice of six species of very young and easy to plant native

trees. Three of the trees will reach mature heights of 75-100 feet; Black Gum (my favorite), White Oak and Sweet Birch. The other three typically grow to 25-30 feet; Pagoda Dogwood, Black Haw, and Sweetbay Magnolia. These young trees are currently 3-5 feet in height and are living in two-gallon containers; easy to carry and transport in your car. There is a one tree per household limit.

Trees must be picked up Saturday, October 26 at Arlington Coun-

ty’s South Four Mile Run nursery (behind Barcroft baseball field #6, closest to George Mason Dr.) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tree Stewards will be on hand, including yours truly, to assist with the selection of your tree and provide planting instructions (very simple, can’t fail).

Your tree must be reserved in advance by registering on-line for the Tree Distribution at www.Arlingtonva.us/dpr. A thorough description and photos of each species are presented on the registration web site. Quantities are limited, so reserve a tree now, then pick it up on Saturday October 26, between 8 am and 3 pm. If you would like advice or help, feel free to email me at BillAnhut@yahoo.com

Get a Free Tree From Arlington County!

By BIll ANhuTLyon Park’s Tree Steward

H

We Need Your Support!

Time to Pay your LPCA Annual Dues!

Don’t be late! It is time to renew your LPCA annual dues! The new dues year began September 1. Next month (November) we will print a list of all LPCA members so make sure to get your name on the list! It is critical that each and every member of the Lyon Park community join the civic association. The more robust our neighborhood association is, the better off we are all in Lyon Park. LPCA is the BEST deal in town. We work hard on behalf of the entire community all year long, even over the summer! Membership is $10 annually. Our lifetime membership dues are $250! Please remember your dues make a difference.

PLEASE PAy yOur LPCA DuESPlease complete this form and mail it with your check to: LPCA Membership, 414 N. fillmore St, Arlington, VA 22201

q Newsletter Donation @ $10, $20, $30 and up

q Household @ $10 q Renew for Two Years @ $20 q Lifetime @ $250

NAME

ADDRESS

HOME PHONE

E-MAIL

q Add me (us) to the community listserve

Community Volunteer Interests: (Check all that apply)

q Neighborhood Conservationq Community Center and Parkq Development Issuesq Social Events (Holiday Party, Halloween)q Spring Fairq Homes and Gardens Tourq Traffic Issuesq Newsletterq Trees and Conservationq All-purpose volunteer

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyon parkcitizens.org12

Your Orange Line Specialists M M M M M

Call today for a free market analysis on your home’s value.

Tour our homes @ www.roncathellteam.com

Ron Cathell Realtor. MBA Keller Williams Realty

703-975-2500

13www.lyonparkcitizens.org • OCTOBER 2013

TEEN BABySITTING

Nick Bornbusch, 15, Red Cross certified, no infants, 351-9360

Bryan Burgess, 16, Red Cross certified, 527-3740

Izzy Franklin, 16, Red Cross certified – Babysitting & Moth-er’s Helper

Lauren Karpinski, 17, 524-1575

Stephen Moran, 16, Red Cross certified, 351-7852

Katelyn Rowland, 16 , Red Cross & Girl Scout certified, CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) training Experienced with infants and children 1-9, & mother’s helper, 525-9049

Helen Turvene, 15, Red cross certified, no infants, 528-3438

Carolyn Grahn, 16, Red Cross certified babysitter, pet-sitting & dog walking: 703-243-9212.

OTHEr SErVICES

Lawn care: Daichi Monma (13 years old) Phone: 571-488-8918 Email: cafepazzo@gmail.com

Matt Nice, age 16, 703-522-6291, can rake leaves, shovel snow, mow lawns and perform any household chores.

Lillie Scheer is offering math tutoring services for kids. If you are interested contact susan@fishinfiddler.com.

B. Brennan is offering Mandarin Chinese tutoring services for people of all ages. If you are interested, contact B2water@Yahoo.com.

Taylor Henninger is offering piano lessons to students of all ages. If you are interested contact tahennin@indiana.edu.

Experienced gardener available for part-time or occasional work. Lyon

Village reference (703-527-4533). Please call Michael Tanu 240-426-1778.

Hayley’s Soccer Academy: Soccer training by ODP junior player,technical skills, for players 12 and under. $15/hour. Please email: Hayley.r.roy@gmail.com

IBIS Chamber Music kicked off their 2013-14 season with an elegant garden party in the home of Ashton Heights residents Greg and Elizabeth Bramham. Our guests sipped champagne and vodka tonics and nibbled on classic American cuisine, courtesy of Rocklands BBQ and many generous home chefs, in celebration of our up-

coming season devoted to American music. Guests were then treated to an intimate concert of American works performed by IBIS musicians (and Lyon Park residents) Joseph Scheer and Susan Robinson, and their colleague Adria Foster. Nearly $5000 was raised to launch our season performing music by American composers, composers who immigrated to the US, and music that celebrates the American land-scape, culture, and writing, as well as to support a commission from composer Ray Shattenkirk that will set texts by, and about, Abraham Lincoln. IBIS will be presenting 5 free concerts in and around Arlington this year, along with a series of intimate house concerts.

Our November 2nd and 3rd concerts are a collaboration with Rick Robinson, bassist, composer, and founder of Detroit based CutTime. This program will be a celebration of African American composers and will feature works by Ellington, Joplin, William Grant Still, Adol-phus Hailstork and original works by Rick, performed on strings and percussion. On November 2 at 10:30 am we present our annual free concert for children, followed by a 4 pm concert on Sunday November 4. Both concerts take place at Arlington’s Rock Spring Congregational Church of Christ, 5010 Little Falls Road. Both concerts are free — your goodwill donation is gratefully accepted. Please visit www.ibischamber-music.org for more information.

Classified AdsGET SOMEONE’S ATTENTION! The Citizen is hand delivered to 1,900 households each month. Use area code 703 below unless otherwise noted.

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyon parkcitizens.org14

Lyon Park yard Sale, October 12, 2013, 8 am-2 pm, Lyon Park. Rent a space for $15, or two for $25. Need a table? Rent one for $5 each. For more info contact Margaret at 703-527-5091 or scryms23@comcast.net

Lyon Park Woman’s Club (Not just for Women): Friday, Thursday, October 17, 12 noon. Potluck luncheon, bring a dish to share.

Children’s Holiday Costume Parade: Saturday, October 26, 11 AM

Lyon Park Spaghetti Dinner: Saturday, October 26, 5:30 – 7:30 PM

CABOMA (Capitol Area Bluegrass Old-time Music Association):Open jams, 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month, 2:00 – 6:00 PM

Lyon Park Community Center Events

Thanks to Elliott Mandel for taking onthe leadership of the LPCA for the past two years!

You made Lyon Park a better place for all of us!

Lyon ParkLyon ParkSpaghetti Dinner

Saturday, October 265:30 – 7:30 P.M.

● Spaghetti, sauce, salad, garlic bread!!!● Drink our iced tea and lemonade, or

bring your own beverage.

We need kitchen help, setter-uppers,We need kitchen help, setter-uppers,cleaner-uppers, and spaghetti sauce donations.cleaner-uppers, and spaghetti sauce donations.

(Donate a spaghetti sauce and earn a free(Donate a spaghetti sauce and earn a freeadult dinner and our heartfelt gratitude.)adult dinner and our heartfelt gratitude.)

Adults: $12Kids 10 and under: $5

Contact Shirley Larson to volunteer:Contact Shirley Larson to volunteer:famlars@msn.com

For more information on renting out the Lyon Park Community Center click on www.lyonpark.info,

or contact LPCC Rental Agent, Shirley Larson, at 703-527-9520 or rent@lyonpark.info.

OCTOBER 2013 • www.lyonparkcitizens.org16

Featured & on the Cover:Cottage Living Magazine

December 2006

Architect Designed.    Expertly Crafted.  

Custom Homes & Additions.

Considering an addition, renovation or new home? 

To schedule a Free consultation visit us at 

www.MickeySimpson.com or call (703) 525-5020