Morning Notes
Trash Collection Canceled — Trash collection in Arlington has been canceled today due to the snow storm. Trash collection is currently expected to resume tomorrow, with collection delayed one day for the rest of the week (Wednesday customers’ trash being collected on Thursday, etc.). “Please do not put your trash or recycling on the curb this Wednesday,” said the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services. “Wednesday collection routes are in the hilliest parts of the County and expose the collection crews and the public to the greatest safety risks in a snow event.”
School Boundary Meeting Canceled — A school boundary meeting scheduled for today has been canceled. Instead, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy will be holding a boundary town hall meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 11, at Williamsburg Middle School. APS, meanwhile, has made some minor tweaks to its boundary change plan, after hearing critical feedback from parents. [Arlington Public Schools, Patch]
Moran, Connolly Support Metrorail Extensions – Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran have introduced a bill calling for a study of an extension of Metro’s Blue, Yellow and Orange lines to Potomac Mills, Fort Belvoir and Centreville respectively. “We need to look at solutions that take cars off the roads and provide viable transportation alternatives for our citizens,” Connolly said in a statement. [Rep. Gerry Connolly, DCist]
Green Party Seeks Housing Authority Referendum — The Arlington Green Party is trying to drum up support from the local faith community for its push for a new housing authority. The Greens are trying to collect 3,000 signatures to get a measure on the ballot that would establish a housing authority in Arlington County, with the goal of creating more affordable housing units. [Arlington Mercury]
Morning Notes
Green Party Outperforms Past Results — By pulling in 12.4 percent of the vote for County Board, Green Party candidate Audrey Clement roughly doubled the percentage of the vote Green candidates have typically received during past County Board races. The question now is can the Greens get that percentage even higher next time by better identifying who is voting for the party’s candidates? [Sun Gazette]
Miss Saigon Coming to Signature Theater — Signature Theater has secured the rights to the well known musical Miss Saigon, and will open its 2013-2014 season with a version of the production. It will be the first time a theater company in the D.C. area has taken on the show in 15 years. [Variety]
Ballot Wording Angers Aquatics Center Opponents — Voters passed all four bond referenda on the Arlington ballot on Tuesday, including one for a park bond that funds the proposed $79 million Long Bridge Park aquatics and fitness center. Opponents of the facility, however, say the measure only passed due to vague wording on the ballot which stated that the bond was for “various capital projects for local parks and recreation, and land acquisition for parks and open space.” [Washington Examiner]
ABBIE Voting Ends Today — Today is the final day to cast your votes for Arlington’s best businesses. The businesses in 17 categories were nominated by residents and winners are determined by popular vote. ABBIE winners will be announced at the County Board meeting on November 27.
Disclosure: The ABBIE Awards/Arlington Economic Development is an ARLnow.com advertiser
Morning Notes
Greens Vote ‘No’ on Park Bond — The Arlington Green Party has joined the Arlington County Republican Committee in opposing the $50.5 million park bond that’s on the Nov. 6 ballot. The bond would largely help fund a new Long Bridge Park aquatics center. The Greens said the aquatics center is “wasteful” and a “vanity project.” The Greens stayed neutral on the $42.6 million school bond, with some members criticizing the plan to build two new elementary schools because it is “too costly and eliminates green space and recreation fields.” [Arlington Mercury]
APS Enrollment on the Rise — Enrollment at Arlington Public Schools is up 3.7 percent versus one year ago. The growth — mostly at the elementary school level and mostly in North Arlington — is in line with school administrators’ projections. There are now 22,657 pre-K to 12th grade students enrolled at Arlington’s public schools. [Sun Gazette]
Artisphere Still Facing Challenges – Artisphere, which launched on 10/10/10, is turning two years old tomorrow. The money-losing cultural center is still facing challenges, however. Private rentals at the facility, touted as Artisphere’s financial savior, are below expectations, according to the Washington City Paper. And music bookings through the end of the year appear to be light. [Washington City Paper]
Clement to Run for County Board, Again
The Arlington Green Party is hoping the third time will be the charm for Audrey Clement.
Clement has been nominated as the Green Party’s candidate for County Board in this fall’s election. It’s her third County Board run in a year, after losses in the November 2011 general election and the March 2012 special election.
The Arlington Greens issued the following statement about Clement’s nomination:
The Arlington Green Party officially nominated Audrey Clement as its candidate for the Arlington County Board in the November 6, 2012 general election at its monthly meeting on June 6. Dr. Clement, who qualified for the ballot in April, has run for County Board twice before. She has pledged to make fiscal responsibility and providing for basic needs over big ticket capital spending projects the centerpiece of her campaign.
Ms. Clement said that she will vigorously oppose spending $300 million in Arlington local funds for an ill-designed trolley on Columbia Pike that will only serve to eliminate affordable housing, and waste funds urgently needed for public schools and other county projects.
Audrey is a long time Arlington resident, an IT consultant, and holds a Ph.D. in political science. She has run twice for the Arlington County Board as a Green against Democratic and Republican opponents. She is an avid bicyclist, environmentalist, and mass transit supporter. Her campaign website is: http://audreyclement.org/
The Arlington Green Party has had a candidate for Arlington county board election for the past six years; in 2009, the Green candidate received about 32 percent of the total votes cast.
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]
Republicans, Greens Buoyant Despite Losses
Although Democrats swept the races in Arlington County, that didn’t dampen the spirits of those who cast votes for Republicans and Green Party candidates.
A few dozen die-hard Republicans turned out at Hard Times Cafe in Clarendon for an Arlington County Republican Committee victory party that, in the end, had few victories to celebrate. State Senate candidate Patrick Forrest briefly mingled with the crowd early in the night. He was full of optimism, even as returns showed him steadily behind incumbent Democrat Janet Howell.
“It has been a hard, uphill slog,” Forrest said. “But keep your fingers crossed.”
Forrest said this election made him realize how important it is to employ a good campaign staff. He touted their tireless efforts, particularly in an area where getting people to vote Republican can be challenging.
“I now understand that the candidate is really just a small part of the campaign,” he said.
ACRC Communications Director Jeff Miller said Forrest was great for a first time candidate. Miller believes Forrest and the other Republicans would have received higher numbers if more voters had gone to the polls.
“Turnout figures today are a reminder of how many voters in Arlington don’t pay close attention to state and local politics,” Miller said. “No matter how hard you try, there are just some people you can’t lure in.”
Miller said that Forrest had some great ideas for improving transportation in Northern Virginia, but it didn’t seem to resonate with voters.
Early optimism over the candidacy of Caren Merrick ended with a disappointing defeat. The McLean businesswoman came up short in her state Senate bid, falling to Democratic Arlington County Board member Barbara Favola.
Merrick’s campaign lacked the excitement that some expected, but the mother of two told the Sun Gazette that she fought the good fight.
“I really wanted to run the kind of campaign my children would be proud of,” Merrick said, according to the paper.
Green Party County Board candidate Audrey Clement came in third behind incumbent Democrats Mary Hynes and Walter Tejada. It took her a while to learn of the final numbers, having been more focused on meeting with supporters at Northside Social in Clarendon. Clement said although she’s obviously disappointed with the results, she’s not surprised. She attributes the outcome to voter apathy. Clement believes the average voter is frustrated with the system and blocks out everything related to politics or elections.
“We’re just not going to see success until people stop ignoring the elections and start voting,” Clement said. “Voters are turned off to both Republicans and Democrats, so they punish anyone who might be an alternative.”
Although disappointed, Clement is not discouraged.
“I think eventually people are going to realize the importance of the ballot box,” she said.
Green Party Official Plans Run for County Board
A Green Party official is planning on running for a seat on the County Board this fall.
“I do plan to run for County Board as a Green,” said Audrey Clement, a state Green Party officer and a national Green Party committee member. “However, I have not yet set up a campaign committee and filed my paperwork with [State Board of Election]. So I am not officially a candidate [yet].”
Clement’s campaign platform focuses on spending, housing and environmental concerns. On her web site, Clement says she wants to “focus funds on essential community services” like libraries, public safety, schools and the safety net, while “halt[ing] spending on wasteful building projects that we cannot afford” like the Columbia Pike streetcar and the Long Bridge Park aquatic center. She also criticizes the use of county funds for the Artisphere.
Clement says she wants to preserve historic garden apartment complexes in the county and “create and fund a housing authority in Arlington that will help low and moderate income renters and consolidate the county’s housing programs under one umbrella.” She also supports banning non-biodegradable plastic bags in “all supermarkets and chain pharmacies” while banning Styrofoam containers in “all public facilities and fast food outlets”
In 2009, Clement filed a federal lawsuit against the widening of I-66 inside the Beltway. The suit was dismissed, but Clement says she would work to “block any further widening of I-66 highway in Arlington by suing VDOT and seeking the transfer of the $35 million in Federal highway funds to repair Arlington aging bridges and streets.”
Clement will face Democratic incumbents Walter Tejada and Mary Hynes in the fall. She may also have a shot at a third county board seat if Barbara Favola captures the Democratic nomination for the 31st District State Senate seat.
Afternoon Notes: Green Party Drama, Never-Ending Construction
Green Party Meeting Tonight — The Arlington Green Party is holding its monthly meeting tonight, and it promises to be an especially interesting gathering. Green Party leader Josh Ruebner suddenly resigned amid “internal squabbling” last week. Assumedly, the Greens will discuss new leadership tonight. See more community happenings in our events calendar.
Unfinished Construction Prompts Complaint – The county is trying to figure out why construction in front of Carlyle Restaurant in Shirlington has remained unfinished for six months, according to Shirlington Village Blogspot. A resident complained that there has been no work done since last fall.
Afternoon Notes: Woe In Savannah, Sushi Rock Opening
New County Manager Will Be Missed in Savannah — “A sad day for the city of Savannah.” A “loss for the city.” In an uncommonly heartfelt display of sadness and regret over the departure of an unelected public official, media outlets and politicians in Savannah, Ga. are weighing in on the loss of Savannah city manager Michael Brown. A native Virginian, Brown will become Arlington’s new county manager in May.
Sushi Rock Set to Open — A rock-themed sushi bar is set to open in Courthouse today. “The place feels like the remnants of a 1980s Japanese tour by AC/DC, if only they kidnapped a chef and raided half the Tokyo fish market before they left,” writes UrbanDaddy. Sushi Rock is located in the space at 1900 Clarendon Blvd formerly occupied by Yaku.
Arlington Green Party Leader Quits – Josh Ruebner is leaving his position as head of the Arlington Green Party. The departure is a result of “internal conflict and name-calling,” reports Scott McCaffrey in the Sun Gazette.
Arlingtonian Arne Duncan Profiled — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s two children attend Arlington Public Schools. Parenting Magazine profiled Duncan and wife Karen, who live in Arlington and send kids Claire, 8, and Ryan, 5, to a county elementary school.
iPad Fans Camp Outside Clarendon Apple Store — Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads on Saturday, its first day on sale. Some of those iPads were sold at the Clarendon Apple store, where the Washington Post has video of the ensuing iPad hysteria.
Arlington GOP, Green Party, Unions Join Forces
A coalition of unlikely allies is pushing for a major change in the structure of Arlington’s government. On Wednesday, the Arlington Republican Party voted to join the Green Party, the police union, and the firefighters and paramedics union, in petitioning for changes to county leadership.
The proposed change would shift power away from the (unelected) county manager. Instead, more responsibility would lie with the county board, which would be elected by districts rather than at-large. Republicans hope this might result in the first Republican board member in more than 10 years. The Greens see a similar glimmer of hope for reversing electoral futility.
More on how this coalition of competing interested formed, from the Sun Gazette.
