Events

A free concert is coming to Arlington’s giant Dutch musical monument this weekend.

The annual Freedom Concert will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday (May 5) at the Netherlands Carillon, near the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, in the Rosslyn area.


Announcement

Potomac Harmony is Back! Following a gap year of competing, then virtual rehearsals during the pandemic, followed by the well-earned retirement of our long-term director, a year of a director search, Potomac Harmony hit the regional contest stage in Concord, North Carolina in March for the first time since 2018! It was exhilarating, reaffirming, and rewarding!

The chorus hit all of its goals, the biggest of which was to have fun and sing our best on contest stage — we did both! Because we earned a score over 400 points, our new Director, Allison Lynskey, was awarded the Novice Director award, photo above. Additionally, one of our charter members, Jackie Bottash, was nominated for and honored with the Leadership Excellence award. It was a celebratory weekend!


News

A half-mile path connecting Mount Vernon Trail with Long Bridge Park is now open to pedestrians and cyclists.

The connector between the popular waterfront trail and Boundary Channel Drive is part of a long-anticipated set up upgrades near Long Bridge Drive and the I-395 interchange.


News

The Arlington County Fire Department is sounding the alarm on the hazards of carelessly disposing of rechargeable batteries.

A live demonstration highlighting the dangerous potential of punctured rechargeable batteries and overcharged e-bikes is scheduled to take place later today (Thursday) in Montgomery Village, Maryland. Arlington Chief Fire Marshal Matthew Cobb is joining officials from D.C. and Montgomery County in this vivid installment of a four-week education program led by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG).


News

Arlington County police are investigating a late night attack in Ballston.

The incident happened around 1 a.m. Tuesday on the 4200 block of Fairfax Drive, near the Metro station. According to police, a man approached the victim from behind “and struck him with an unknown object before fleeing the scene on foot.”


News
Netherlands Carillon in the spring (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)

Crystal City Office Buildings to Close — “JBG Smith Properties is moving ahead with longtime plans to remove several aging office buildings in National Landing from service, directing tenant demand toward buildings with better prospects in an oversupplied office market… The three offices coming offline, all built in the 1960s and which JBG Smith plans to redevelop or repurpose, are: 1800 S. Bell St… 2100 Crystal Drive… 2200 Crystal Drive.” [Washington Business Journal]

Collart Remembered at Lax Match — “The late Spencer Collart, a boys varsity lacrosse player for and a 2020 graduate of Washington-Liberty High School, was remembered by the school during an April 29 halftime ceremony of a home match between the host Generals and Yorktown Patriots. Collart’s parents, Bart and Alexia, and younger sister, Gwyneth, were present and presented with Spencer’s framed No. 18 white and blue varsity jersey.” [Gazette Leader]

More Changes Coming to DCA — “D.C.’s airports are evolving with new restaurants and shops, plus amenities to ease travel… Plans include… A more than $2 billion ‘DCA Reimagined’ program that includes new restrooms, amenities, and an eventual revamp of Reagan’s main terminal. A new concessions manager for both airports wants to bring in more ‘destination restaurants,’ according to the Washington Business Journal.” [Axios]

NAACP Wants More Police Oversight — “The Arlington chapter of the NAACP wants the county government’s police-oversight efforts funded at a rate approaching $1 million a year, along with giving more authority to the independent police auditor and Community Oversight Board. In an April 30 statement, the civil-rights organization said efforts by County Board members and top leadership are falling short of community expectations.” [Gazette Leader]

Water Park Cinco de Mayo Event — “FREE to the public! The park will come alive between 12:30p-2:30p with the festive sounds from a local Mariachi band Mariachi Ay Ay Ay. Adults will enjoy margaritas served from various locations throughout the park, while Kids Create Alexandria will lead our younger guests in making traditional Mexican clay art.” [National Landing]

Beyer Supports Wealth Tax — “U.S. Rep. Don Beyer is so far the only member of the Virginia congressional delegation to cosponsor a measure aimed at [taxing] some of the wealth of the nation’s richest people… If enacted into law – and that seems both unlikely and not necessarily the intent of its backers – the measure would impact those with $50 million or more in net assets, starting at a 2-percent annual levy and moving up from there.” [Gazette Leader]

Pentagon City Parking PSA — “Public Service Announcement – @westpostva (formerly known as @PentagonRow) seems to have increased parking meter enforcement at the above ground lots. I saw a roving individual in a golf cart slapping $20 parking tickets on cars at lunchtime.” [Twitter]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine and a high of 91 degrees during the day, accompanied by a light west wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. The evening will bring partly cloudy skies and a low of about 64 degrees. [NWS]

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar


Around Town

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — May 1, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high of 91 degrees during the day, accompanied by a light west wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. The evening will bring partly cloudy skies and a low of about 64 degrees, with calm winds shifting to come from the northeast at approximately 6 mph after midnight. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
– Dalai Lama

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


Schools

A parents association is calling for stronger guardrails in programs involving children following an extended day worker’s arrest for allegedly showing porn to kids.

The Arlington County Council of PTAs (CCPTA) said Arlington Public Schools should double down on systems of accountability after the 18-year-old suspect, who worked in an after-school program at Abingdon Elementary School in Fairlington, was arrested on charges of assault and battery and possession of child pornography.


Announcement

Bike to Work Day 2024 is Friday, May 17! Hop on a bike and join the fun, whether you’re working at home or commuting to your workplace!

Celebrate biking, sustainable commuting, and Arlington’s new designation as a GOLD-level Bicycle Friendly Community – https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2024/Arlington-Spins-Gold-as-a-Bicycle-Friendly-Community !