November 6, 2020 at 9:30am
Without in-person school, play dates and activities, many kids have lost their primary sources of social interaction and exercise due to COVID-19.
But volunteers in Arlington say a new traffic garden, a space where kids can play and learn how to travel roads safely, could restore some of the lost opportunities for play.
“It was clear we needed new stuff for kids to do,” said Fionnuala Quinn, who makes and consults on traffic gardens. “This is a friendly, happy place for them at a time when a lot has been taken away from them.”
After getting approval from the Women’s Club of Arlington (700 S. Buchanan Street) in Barcroft to use their parking lot, a group of 10 bicycling enthusiasts, community members and engineers grabbed some chalk paint and duct tape and got to work. Three-and-a-half hours later, the parking lot was transformed into space with railroad crossings, crosswalks, streets and roundabouts that kids can walk, bike or skateboard along
Opera NOVA is back in operation after a nine-month hiatus due to the pandemic. Jose Sacin, Artistic Director, says, “It has been difficult to be away from the stage, to keep the motivation to keep doing what we love.” Now they are reconnecting with their audiences. “We are targeting isolation.”
Sacin and other performers spent all day Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Women’s Club of Arlington on Buchanan Street recording their Christmas show to be released on Zoom as a free concert in mid-December. Sacin says the moderator is Bryan Dawson. Four vocal performers will join Tatiana Loisha on piano with Sacin playing guitar. Sacin will be performing a range of selections from vocal on “Gesu Bambino” to guitar on “Los peces en el rio” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Angela Knight, Sissel Bakken, and Israel Lozano will also be performing in the program.