Voting in Arlington Starts Early Tuesday Morning
Voters will head to the polls tomorrow to cast their ballots in what may be an unusually high-turnout off-year election.
Polling centers will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. With the weather predicted to be warm and sunny, and with the chances of another significant earthquake happening on election day very slim, there’s little to keep voters from the polls. A list of polling locations can be found on the Arlington County website.
Below are the races taking place in Arlington in which there is more than one candidate.
State Senate, 30th District
- Timothy McGhee (R) (candidate essay, website)
- Adam Ebbin (D) (candidate essay, website)
State Senate, 31st District
- Caren Merrick (R) (candidate essay, website)
- Barbara Favola (D) (candidate essay, website)
State Senate, 32nd District
- Patrick Forrest (R) (candidate essay, website)
- Janet Howell (D) (website)
House of Delegates, 48th District
- Bob Brink (D) (candidate essay, website)
- Janet Murphy (IG) (candidate essay, website)
- Kathy Gillette-Mallard (I) (candidate essay, website)
County Board (At-Large)
- Mary Hynes (D) (candidate essay, website)
- Walter Tejada (D) (candidate essay, website)
- Audrey Clement (G) (candidate essay, website)
The word cloud above was generated from all three County Board candidate essays. Courtesy of Jeremy Cannon.
Road Closed After Bicyclist Struck by Car
(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) North Quincy Street was shut down this afternoon between Washington Boulevard and 11th Street — a block from Arlington Central Library and Washington-Lee High School — after a bicyclist was struck by a car.
Initial reports suggest the cyclist was alert and conscious, but suffered a head injury. She was transported to a local hospital.
The road was shut down for about half an hour while police investigated the incident.
The striking vehicle’s windshield was partially shattered as a result of the collision, and a box of mints — presumably from the victim’s pocket — could be seen resting on one of the windshield wipers. It’s unclear whether the driver of the striking vehicle will face any charges.
Anti-Gun Group Calls on Merrick to Release NRA Survey
Update at 6:30 p.m. — Merrick’s survey has been released.
A group of gun control advocates is calling on Republican state Senate candidate Caren Merrick to make good on her pledge to release the survey that earned her an ‘A-’ rating from the National Rifle Association.
Merrick made the pledge at a candidates forum in Cherrydale last month, after being pressed on gun control issues by two residents. One of the residents was Omar Samaha, whose sister was killed in the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech. Samaha is part of a group called Virginians for Responsible Gun Laws, which seeks to further restrict gun sales and ownership in Virginia.
“These candidates are all interviewing for a job to represent us,” Samaha said in a statement today. “We believe the candidates owe it to their future constituents to make a full and complete disclosure of where they stand on these issues that will affect our safety.”
Merrick promised on Oct. 19 to release the survey before voters head to the polls on Election Day. Her campaign said this afternoon that copies of the survey will be made available for pickup from the campaign office at 5:00 tonight.
Merrick’s Democratic opponent, Barbara Favola, earned an ‘F’ rating from the NRA because, she said, she declined to fill out the survey the group mails to candidates.
Favola has made gun control a key campaign issue, while Merrick has shrugged off the significance of her NRA rating, noting that Democratic U.S. senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb both have received ‘A’ ratings.
Arlington Resident Re-Signs With Steelers
NFL punter and Arlington resident Jeremy Kapinos, who had been jobless since the beginning of the football season, re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week and played in last night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Kapinos, 27, played for the Steelers last year after starting punter Daniel Sepulveda was injured. He finished the season with a loss in the Super Bowl. Kapinos was released from the team during the preseason to make room for Sepulveda on the roster. But Sepulveda re-injured his right leg during practice last week, and Kapinos was brought back to replace him.
Kapinos punted three times last night for an average of 33.3 yards per kick and a long of 41 yards. Kapinos’ last kick pinned the Ravens back at their own 8 yard line with only 2:34 left in the game. The Ravens, however, were able to drive down the field and score a game-winning touchdown with seconds to go on the clock.
“I’m happy to be back to work and especially with the Steelers,” Kapinos told ARLnow.com this morning, adding that last night “was a tough loss.”
Candidates Schmooze at Kiwani Oyster Feast
Candidates for local and state office in Arlington did some last-minute glad-handing at the 40th annual Kiwanis Club of Arlington Oyster Feast and BBQ on Saturday night.
Held at the American Service Center garage in Ballston, the feast attracted dozens (perhaps hundreds) of diners who paid $40 per head for unlimited oysters, burgers, hot dogs, barbeque and beer. Money raised at the event “helps to fund community youth projects and grants for other educational and non-profit organizations focusing on children in Arlington.”
The pre-Election Day event always attracts a large contingent of political candidates, who take the time to individually greet members of the civic-minded crowd — in between chowing down on fried food. Among the attendees was County Board member and state Senate candidate Barbara Favola, who’s facing off against Republican Caren Merrick in one of the most closely-watched local races in Northern Virginia.
Favola said she’s feeling optimistic heading into Tuesday, thanks to some unspecified internal statistics her campaign has been observing as of late. Merrick also attended the oyster feast, but we were unable to catch up with her for comment.
Yorktown Completes Undefeated Regular Season
Yorktown High School beat cross-county rival Washington-Lee 55-33 on Friday to complete a perfect 10-0 season — the first undefeated regular season in school history.
The Patriots football squad dominated the scoreboard and the clock for much of the game, racking up a total of 343 rushing yards. Though Washington-Lee tied the game up at 33 down the stretch, Yorktown ultimately came back and emerged victorious. After handshakes were exchanged, students mobbed the field and celebrated the victory with the triumphant players.
“We’re excited about getting to the playoffs,” Yorktown coach Bruce Hanson said. “I thought our guys showed a lot of class at the end.”
With the victory, the team also captured the AAA National District championship.
Yorktown will face a playoff game against McLean this coming Friday night. If Yorktown wins that game, a semi-final playoff game will be scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18.
Arlington Is Second-Most ‘Shopaholic’ City in U.S.
Arlington is the second-most “shopaholic” city in the U.S., according to consumer budgeting website Bundle.com.
Using several data sources, Bundle calculated that Arlington residents spend an average of $254.58 per month on clothes, shoes and other apparel. That’s second only to Washington, D.C., where residents spend an average of $263.00 per month on wearable goods.
The national average, according to Bundle, is $142.08 per month.
Immediately below Arlington on the “shopaholic” top 10 list is Nashville, Tenn.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Dallas; San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; Seattle; Austin, Tex. and Bakersfield, Calif.
“We’re a nation of shopaholics, with Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw (obsessed with shoes and designer labels) and How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stinson (obsessed with suits and luxury goods) representing on our television sets what two of America’s estimated 18 million shopaholics might look like in real life,” Bundle said.
Arlington is, of course, a county — but it’s considered a Census-Designated Place for statistical purposes and is thus included on a number of “top city” lists.
While Arlington may be near the top of the “shopaholic” list, that doesn’t mean that all residents are benefiting from the county’s affluence. Recently, the number of families served by the Arlington Food Assistance Center reached an all-time high. Nationwide, new census data out today shows that a record 49.1 million Americans are living in poverty.
Morning Notes
Mailer Blasts GOP State Senate Candidate — A mysterious last-minute political mailer has been sent to voters in the 32nd state Senate District. The mailer attacks GOP state Senate candidate Patrick Forrest for being “openly homosexual,” supporting “illegal immigration reform” and for supposedly working for President Obama’s transition team. Forrest’s opponent, incumbent state Sen. Janet Howell, spoke out against the mailers, calling them “disgusting and despicable.” The mailing’s return address comes back to a parking lot, and the organization it purports to come from does not exist. [Blue Virginia]
Arlington Man Charged With Murder — A 27-year-old Arlington man has been charged with second degree murder in Hawaii. Christopher Deedy, a special agent with the State Department, allegedly shot a man during a late-night argument at a McDonald’s in Waikiki. [KHON 2]
Post Endorses Tejada, Hynes — The Washington Post has endorsed incumbent Democrats Walter Tejada and Mary Hynes for reelection to the Arlington County Board. The paper’s editorial board called their opponent, Green Party candidate Audrey Clement, “well informed” but “anti-growth.” Clement, meanwhile, is accusing Tejada and Hynes of being “in bed with developers.” [Washington Post]
D.C. Cop Seeks Legal Fees from Arlington Lawyer — A D.C. police officer is asking her ex-boyfriend, an Arlington lawyer, to pay her legal fees (more than $70,000) in a case that included accusations of “attempted stalking,” defamation and civil rights violations. [Legal Times]
Marines Want More Access to APS Students — The U.S. Marine Corps is asking Arlington Public Schools to relax its restrictions on military recruiting at school facilities. While more restrictive than Fairfax County or other local jurisdictions, the school system argues that its rules are consistent with federal law. The Marine Corps says its rate of enlisting Arlington students is far below expectations. [Sun Gazette]
