Morning Notes
Spring Forward This Weekend — Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend. Clocks should “spring forward” one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. [Yahoo]
Condo Residents Still Oppose Homeless Shelter – Arlington County has failed to allay the fears of Woodbury Heights Condominium residents, who still oppose the opening of a new year-round homeless shelter on their block in Courthouse. A vocal group of residents spoke out at an Arlington Planning Commission meeting last night. [Patch]
Fiorina to Participate in AED Event — Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina has just been added to a panel discussion of “empathy in business,” organized by Arlington Economic Development and George Mason University. The event is taking place from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 14 at Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd). [Arlington Economic Development]
Flickr pool photo by Sunday Money
Morning Poll: End of Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time will end on Sunday (Nov. 4). At 2:00 a.m., clocks will be set back one hour.
As Arlington residents “fall back,” fire departments across the country are reminding folks that it’s also a good time to replace smoke alarm batteries. The Arlington County Fire Department offers free smoke alarms for those who need them; call 703-228-4646 for more information.
While we’ll get an extra hour of sleep this weekend, the time change also means that it will be dark an hour earlier.
All things considered, how do you feel about the end of Daylight Saving Time this weekend?
Flickr pool photo by Mnemosyne2009
Morning Notes
Daylight Saving Time Begins This Weekend — Daylight Saving Time will begin at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 11. Clocks should be moved ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night. The start of Daylight Saving Time is also commonly cited as a good time to replace the batteries in smoke detectors.
Artistic Fence Coming to Water Treatment Plant — The County Board is expected to approve a $350,000 contract for an artist to build a 1,600 foot fence around the water treatment plant on S. Glebe Road. The fence, a functional work of art, “redefines the traditional purpose of a fence,” according to county staff. [Sun Gazette]
Hummus Happy Hour at Lebanese Taverna — Local restaurant chain Lebanese Taverna just launched a $5 “bottomless hommos” happy hour. The deal, which runs from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, is available at the company’s Pentagon Row and Westover restaurants, in addition to several other locations. [Facebook]
Oyster Happy Hour at Restaurant 3 — Clarendon’s Restaurant 3 (2950 Clarendon Blvd) has introduced a “local oyster happy hour” on Sundays. The eatery is offering discounted Maryland and Virginia oysters, $9 fried oyster sliders, $7 oyster shooters and $3 beer specials from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. every Sunday. [Rrestaurant 3]
Morning Poll: Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time will be ending over the weekend, giving way to earlier sunrises and earlier sunsets.
On Sunday at 2:00 a.m., clocks will “fall back” to 1:00 a.m. The time shift will give bar-goers an extra hour of partying, will give others an extra hour of sleep, and will force Metro to stay open an extra hour.
Daylight Saving Time was originally created in order to save energy and to reduce the number of daylight hours people wasted by sleeping through in the summer. While popular with folks who work from 9-5 and who don’t like leaving work at dusk (the sun will set at 5:02 p.m. on Monday, and days will continue getting shorter until the winter solstice on Dec. 22), farmers, who have to wake up especially early during the summer growing season, typically oppose Daylight Saving Time.
This year, citing the stress and depression that occurs for some when when it gets darker earlier, Russia decided to ignore agricultural concerns and stay permanently in Daylight Saving Time (or “summertime,” as the British call it).
Should the U.S. consider doing the same?
Flickr pool by Mnemosyne2009
ACFD Reminder: Change Smoke Detector Batteries for Daylight Saving Time
Most people won’t have a problem remembering to “spring forward” by setting clocks ahead by one hour Saturday night. After all, computers, cell phones and cable boxes adjust for daylight saving time automatically.
What cell phones and computers won’t do for you is change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Luckily, fire departments across the country are reminding residents to do just that.
Arlington County recommends that residents test smoke detectors monthly and replace smoke detector batteries at least once a year. Typically, batteries are changed when the clocks change in the spring or the fall. If you didn’t replace your batteries in the fall, you’ll want to do it now.
“Check the smoke detectors in your house and change the battery… just to play it safe,” said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Ed Hughes.
Hughes added that there should be a smoke detector on each level of the home, including the sleeping areas. See more smoke detector safety tips here. If you don’t have a smoke detector and you feel you can’t afford one, Arlington County offers free smoke detectors to residents who fill out this form.
Another Sign of Spring: Birds Flying North
We spotted this big flock of birds flying north, in formation, over Arlington and the District. It’s a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.
The official start of spring, by the way, is March 20. And don’t forget to set the clocks forward an hour this weekend. Daylight Savings Time starts in the wee hours of this coming Sunday, March 14.
