Veterans Day in Arlington
Tomorrow the nation will honor our military veterans, and Arlington will be the hub of the country’s Veterans Day commemorations.
Arlington National Cemetery will hold its annual National Veterans Day Ceremony starting promptly at 11:00 tomorrow morning. The event begins with a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, then continues inside the adjacent Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors and remarks from dignitaries. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend and participate in the ceremony.
Elsewhere in Arlington County, most government offices will be closed for the holiday. County administrative offices, public libraries, courts, schools and nature centers are among the facilities scheduled to be closed. Parking meters will not be enforced.
Recent Attacks on Female Runners ‘Concerning’
The frequency of attacks on female joggers is becoming increasingly worrisome for one prominent member of the local running community.
Kathy Dalby, founder of the race organizing arm of Pacers Running Stores, says she’s noticing what may be an upward trend in female joggers being subject to assaults, inappropriate touching and other such attacks. Just this morning a female jogger was “mugged” in Rosslyn near Route 50, according to Dalby.
“As a running store, we are getting concerned about the number of attacks on women runners in Arlington,” she said.
The last such attack happened on Sept. 29, when a 37-year-old woman was knocked to the ground, kicked and touched in a sexual manner on Army Navy Drive in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood.
Other reported incidents include a man who exposed himself to a female jogger on Oct. 26 and a man who grabbed and kissed a jogger on the Custis Trail on April 17.
Dalby suggested that female runners protect themselves by finding a running group or by taking extra precautions when running alone.
“We advocate running with a group and not wearing headphones if by yourself,” she said.
Arlington County Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal said she hasn’t noticed any pronounced increase in assaults or sexual batteries on female joggers. She said incidents of women being touched inappropriately while jogging usually go down during cold weather months.
Flickr pool photo by Picture Prefect
APS Per-Pupil Spending Again Highest in Region
The Washington Area Boards of Education recently published the results of its annual survey of local schools. The survey revealed that Arlington is still spending the most money per pupil of any D.C. area school system.
Arlington spent $18,047 per pupil in Financial Year 2012, a 4.2 percent increase over the $17,322 per pupil spent in FY 2011. The latest spending figure is still 2.8 percent lower than the $18,569 per pupil spent in FY 2010, however.
Aside from Arlington, Alexandria was the next-highest spender in the region, with $17,618 per pupil spent in FY 2012. That compares to $16,309 per pupil in Falls Church, $14,776 in Montgomery County, $12,820 in Fairfax County, $11,014 in Loudoun County, $9,852 in Prince William County and $9,176 in Prince George’s County.
The most recent news article on D.C. Public Schools spending suggests a cost of $16,408 per pupil.
The Arlington County Taxpayers Association, a persistent critic of local elected officials, had this to say about the spending increase in Arlington:
So, the Arlington School Board hit Arlington taxpayers with a “twofer” — highest cost per pupil and the largest increase from FY 2011 to FY 2012. And imagine, the School Board candidate had no opposition in yesterday’s elections. Can things get any better for Arlington County’s elected worthies?
Opening Day Nearing for Trader Joe’s
Shelves are being stocked at the new Trader Joe’s in Clarendon, a sign that the store’s long-anticipated opening day may be nearing.
Interior construction on the 12,300 square foot grocery store appears to be wrapping up. Multiple calls and emails to Trader Joe’s HQ have gone unreturned in recent days, but several tipsters tell us that staff members have been saying the store will open on Friday, Nov. 18, in time for Thanksgiving.
The new Trader Joe’s store is located at 1109 N. Highland Street.
Notable Arlington Dem Calls for Party Leaders to Resign
On Wednesday, most of the Arlington Democratic establishment gathered at Nam Viet restaurant in Clarendon for the party’s annual post-election lunch.
Democratic officials and operatives shared stories from the campaign trail, exchanged thank yous and congratulations, and started looking forward to the races upcoming in 2012. It was an upbeat affair, following yet another perfect showing for Democratic candidates in Arlington.
But behind the triumph was a new reality: the very real possibility that Virginia Democrats may have lost their fragile grip on the state Senate, thus empowering Republicans to pursue a conservative social agenda unencumbered by the need for Democratic cooperation.
In conversations at the lunch, Democratic officials blamed the party’s statewide losses on a number of factors. Some said the races lost hinged mainly on local issues, and cited voter turnout as an area that could be improved. Others said recruiting more quality candidates and running better field operations would have helped. Nobody we talked to seemed interested in assigning blame to any particular individuals.
But former Arlington County Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rousselot, who wasn’t at the lunch, is pointing the finger squarely at state Democratic leaders. In an analysis of the election he wrote for the local Democratic blog Blue Virginia, Rousselot concludes that two of the state’s top Democrats should resign.
Among the resignations he’s seeking: Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Brian Moran, who beat out Rousselot for the top DPVA position late last year.
An executive summary of Rousselot’s lengthy essay is reproduced with permission, after the jump.
(more…)
Marine Corps Celebrates 236th Birthday
Marines in Arlington and around the world are celebrating the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps.
On Nov. 10, 1775, a committee of the Continental Congress met at a Philadelphia tavern and passed a resolution establishing the Continental Marines. Exactly 236 years later, the Corps is as strong and spirited as ever.
The video (above) is the annual Commandant’s Birthday Message to the Corps.
Local Marines will be celebrating the birthday tonight at a Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Crystal City.
Crime Report: Adding Injury to Injury Edition
In this week’s Arlington County crime report, a driver is accused of hitting a man with her car in Shirlington, then getting out of the car and assaulting the victim and his wife. The driver’s passenger was also charged.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST, 11/06/11, 4000 block of S. Campbell Avenue. On November 6 at 6:30 pm, a car struck a pedestrian, and then the driver and passenger assaulted the victim and his wife. Elizabeth Bethoney, 32, of Arlington, was charged with Assault and Battery and released on a summons. Pablo Labrana, 33, of Arlington, was charged with Assault and Battery and held on a $2,500 bond.
The rest of this week’s shorter-than-usual crime report, after the jump.
Morning Notes
Water Main Break in Fairlington — A large water main break shut down the intersection of 31st and S. Abingdon Streets in Fairlington last night. [WUSA 9]
Joe Paterno Hires Clarendon Firm — Before he was fired by university trustees last night, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno hired Clarendon-based TMG Strategies to handle media inquiries. TMG specializes in crisis communications. [Washington Business Journal]
Arlington Green Party’s Fortunes Tied to GOP — Green Party candidates in Arlington seem to do significantly better on election day when there’s no Republican in the race. [Sun Gazette]
New Art on ART Buses — There are a few new whimsical illustrations on the county’s ART buses. The art was created by Nigerian-born and Alexandria, Va.-based artist Victor Ekpuk, as a joint venture between Arlington Transit and the Artisphere. [CommuterPage Blog]
Deal on Romeo and Juliet Tix — The Washington Post is offering $55 tickets to Synetic Theater’s Crystal City performance of Romeo and Juliet for $25. Synetic, which only recently established its home base in Crystal City, is a physical theater company — its shows substitute intense physical acting for dialogue. The deal expires at midnight tonight. Romeo and Juliet opens on Nov. 25. [The Capitol Deal]
