News

Dubbed “Operation DISARMageddon,” participants are planning to demonstrate against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the military’s use of fossil fuels. Organizers aren’t saying exactly where and how they’re planning to protest, except that it will be “nonviolent civil resistance” and it will happen “around noon.”

“The U.S. military is the entity most responsible for destabilizing our environment,” a call to action on the group’s web site says. “There are innumerable reasons for this, including these examples: the exorbitant use of fossil fuels, depleted uranium weapons, worldwide transport of weapons and personnel, unlimited air travel, engagement in war and the possession, upkeep and transport of nuclear weapons.”


Around Town

The Apple stores in Clarendon and Pentagon City are certainly no exception. Customers in Pentagon City started lining up as early as 5:00 a.m. this morning to get their hands on the coveted tablet. By the time the store opened at 9:00 a.m., the only iPads left were the 64 gigabyte version with Verizon connectivity — the most expensive model at $829.

Arlington’s Apple stores get iPad shipments every weekday, according to employees, meaning that the early morning scene at the store today gets repeated daily. Before the store opens, employees will hand out claim tickets for those in line, entitling them to no more than two specific models in stock.


News

Ann Taylor Coming to Clarendon — An Ann Taylor store is coming to the Clarendon Market Common storefront formerly occupied by a Myer-Emco home electronics store. The new Clarendon Ann Taylor is expected to open on June 10, according to Market Common spokesperson Carol Nahorniak. [Clarendon Culture]

Tapas Bar Coming to Ballston — Upper Crust Gourmet (1000 N. Randolph Street) closed late last month for renovations. According to Eat More Drink More, the three-week project will transform the well-liked cafe into a tapas bar. [Eat More Drink More]


News

The joint ACFD/ACPD team beat Montgomery County Fire (score: 5-1), D.C. Fire (score: 7-0) and Baltimore City Fire (twice) to win their division at the annual D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation hockey tournament in Laurel, Md. They won 5-4 in overtime in the championship game against Baltimore City on Sunday.

Team organizer Sean Spencer says the 30-man roster contains people who have been playing ice hockey since they were kids and people who just took up the sport in the past couple of years. They had great chemistry on the ice, he said, despite only playing together as a team one time prior to the tournament.


News

A Metro representative taught novice bus riders how to read a bus schedule, find the best route and pay bus fare. The workshop also discussed the benefits of using a SmarTrip card.

According to the Arlington Transit web site, 129 people attended the event, which was held at the Gates of Ballston community center. Attendees later visited a nearby CVS to learn how to add money to their SmarTrip cards.


News

Police are shutting down southbound Route 110 at the exit for Route 27, near the Pentagon, for a report of a person struck by a construction vehicle.

The person was initially reported to be trapped under a backhoe, but fire fighters on the scene have advised that the victim is in fact not trapped.


News

“Trout season” is actually an artificial creation in Arlington County — a contractor stocks Four Mile Run with trout trucked in from a hatchery. But don’t tell that to the dozens of kids who show up with their parents every year with rod and reel in hand, eager to catch a fish.

In announcing that trout fishing was canceled, the county parks department advised anglers that trout fishing is still available in Fairfax County. More information about fishing in Fairfax is available here.


Opinion

A new analysis of county employee compensation, prepared by county staff, says that Arlington employees earn less than their counterparts in Alexandria and Fairfax County.

The Washington Examiner reports that veteran employees often earn thousands of dollars less than employees in Alexandria and Fairfax, the county’s two biggest competitors in terms of hiring. Despite the fact that Arlington often hires employees at higher starting salaries, the staff analysis recommends raising county employee salary ceilings in Arlington to compete for the best workers.


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