THE LANTERN

Dunn Loring Woods Civic Association - March 2025

Welcome to Dunn Loring Woods!

Ana Cainelli

People who move here tend to stay here, because it’s a great place to live! For those that are new, we want to welcome them as a community, and let them know about everything available to them, so the DLWCA is reinvigorating the “Welcome Wagon.” What is a Welcome Wagon? Volunteers will greet new neighbors, bring a small gift that contains some goodies, a directory (while supplies last) and information about our area along with our covenants and website info. In 2024 and early 2025, we had 20 new neighbors, so in chilly February, we went knocking on doors to say hello!
If you’re interested in helping with the Welcome Wagon, please contact Ana Cainelli (acainelli@gmail.com) or any board member. It’s not a big time investment, but the friendships you may forge pay huge dividends! And it’s just a nice thing to do, Happy Spring!

​

Time to Celebrate 60 Years!

Iman Butler

Hello Neighbors. May 2025 marks the 60th Anniversary of the Dunn Loring Woods Civic
Association and it is time to celebrate! We will have a Dessert Party during our Spring Membership Meeting May 13 at Stenwood Elementary School.

We encourage everyone to join the fun, meet some new neighbors and gain some important information from our speakers! We are finalizing our guest speakers for the meeting and will send that information soon. If you would like to contribute a delicious item for the Dessert Party or have suggestions for an interesting guest speak, contact imanbutler68@gmail.com.

​

DLWCA Volunteer Opportunities

Iman Butler

Open DLWCA Board Positions

The DLWCA Board is looking for volunteers to serve as board President, board 2nd Vice-President, and Board Director. If you would like to volunteer for one of these important roles, please reach out to vice president Iman Butler or to director Ken Quincy.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

We still have volunteer openings for a Neighborhood Watch coordinator. In addition, all volunteer teams can use your support. For more information about our volunteer teams, please refer to the back of your pink or blue membership drive forms, your Neighborhood Directory, or contact dlwlantern@gmail.com.

Contact info for Iman Butler and Ken Quincy can be found at the end of the newsletter.

​

2025-26 Membership Drive

Aric Campling

Hello, neighbors. The 2025-26 DLWCA Membership Drive starts on September 15 and runs through October 31. Dues for 2025-26 will again be $20 per household. Keep in mind all the ways the board uses the dues collected. These include the DLWCA directory, annual DLWCA scholarships, holiday decorating contest awards, maintenance of the traffic islands, advertising for the annual community yard sale, and the Edward P. Day award for noteworthy volunteers.

DLWCA Scholarship

Ken Quincy

The DLWCA Scholarship Program has been a longstanding valuable pursuit to recognize qualified DLW student residents for their educational and community efforts. Children and grandchildren currently living with a DLW resident are eligible to apply for a $1,000 DLWCA scholarship. Applicants should be high school seniors planning to attend an accredited college full time by
Fall/Winter or to pursue a vocational education such as through an accredited trade school.

Applications must be submitted by April 25, 2025. Applicants should provide the following:

• Written recommendation or character reference from a teacher, counselor or member of the DLW community.

• Copies of entrance examination scores, as applicable.

• List of awards, achievements and/or community service activities.

• Statement on applicant’s views on civic responsibility and what the applicant has done during the past year that has benefitted their community.

The top 5 candidates may be contacted for an interview. Scholarships will be awarded at the May DLWCA membership meeting and winners will be featured in The Lantern. Application packages should be delivered to DLWCA Scholarship C/O Ken Quincy, 8225 Bucknell Dr., Vienna, VA 22180 or email to ken_quincy@hotmail.com

So Cute and Fuzzy!

Friendly Neighbor

Our area is home to deer, foxes, coyotes, chipmunks, squirrels, field mice and more! They share our neighborhood freely, but their habitats have been severely diminished by construction, home building, road work etc. They are majestic, and they are wild; please, let’s keep them that way. Feeding wildlife can change their behavior, causing them to stop fearing humans, putting everyone at risk. Foxes and coyotes will not hesitate to attack a pet rabbit, cat, or small dog. Small children playing outside could also be viewed as prey. Should a family member or pet get
bitten or scratched by a wild animal, rabies cannot be ruled out, leading to a painful series of rabies shots.

Many of us find deer to be majestic animals that we love to hate. I found myself in awe watching
a nine-point buck in DLW. He did not budge or run away, and stared at me for what seemed like an
eternity. It felt like a communing with nature moment, but it is not uncommon for a buck to chase
down and injure someone, especially during rutting season... A male deer with a rack is unpredictable and could be dangerous. Please refrain from feeding wildlife as this could desensitize them to humans. Enjoy their beauty and charm, while respecting that they are wild creatures and often unpredictable.

Catalytic Converter Thefts on the Rise in our Area

Ana Cainelli

In late 2024, several vehicles in Stonewall Manor had catalytic converters stolen. Neighborhood cameras caught cars cruing slowly between 2:00-4:00 am. The model cars targeted were Honda and Prius, according to the SWM mail group. Per CARFAX, the top 10 targeted vehicles (in order) are: Ford F-150, Ford Explorer, Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V, Chevy Equinox, Toyota Tacoma, KIA Soul, Chevy Traverse and Chevy Cruze. Thieves get $$$ for a catalytic converter, from hybrid vehicles can sell for up to $1,400. Why so much for hybrids?

More precious metals are needed for a hybrid’s catalytic converter. Tips to safeguard your catalytic converter:

• Install motion lights; park in a garage or well-lit areas; set car alarm

• Install a catalytic converter protective cage or metal shield

• Paint or engrave your catalytic converter: Use a high-temperature fluorescent paint and inscribe your vehicle's VIN number on the painted surface.

We always hope this will not happen in DLW, but it already has happened on several occasions, and now SWM was vandalized multiple times in one evening. Please be vigilant and take protective measures. Report suspicious activity to police.

​

VA Summer Youth Program Opportunities

Friendly Neighbor

Washington DC VA Medical Center seeks enthusiastic youths, age 14-17, for the Center for Development & Civic Engagement Summer Youth Volunteer Program. This is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience, enhance skills, and contribute positively to various departments. Applicants must complete and submit a resume, application and 500-word essay to Jami.Henderson@va.gov no later than April 21, 2025. Volunteers will need to commit to serving 100 hours during the full program, June 23 to August 7, 2025. Visit the website for more details.

(please note, 2025 info not yet posted, but requirements similar to 2024 post)

​

Subscribe to The Lantern

Board of Directors

This newsletter, The Lantern, is no longer distributed in print. It is uploaded to the DLWCA Website both as its own standalone page, and as a Blog Post, which you can subscribe to using any RSS Reader at https://www.dlwca.org/blog-feed.xml.

The newsletter is also mailed to the DLWCA-Talk mailing list, which you can subscribe to as a resident or renter.

And now, you can subscribe to receive The Lantern directly to your inbox starting with the next newsletter by filling out the form below or at this link. Thank you!