A bike and pedestrian pathway between the Mt. Vernon Trail and Columbia Island Marina/Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove is now open.
The pathway opened less than two weeks ago. It runs under the new Boundary Channel Humpback Bridge, which carries traffic from the GW Parkway and the Mt. Vernon Trail.
Our partners at WTD are now offering discounted registration for a team of two. Instead of paying $20, WTD is offering a limited supply of team registrations for $10.
The hunt will take place between noon and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, rain or shine. Participants will solve clues, perform challenges and otherwise have fun while exploring the nooks and crannies of the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.
The board voted to use its existing, two-year-old Budget Stabilization Fund to make up the gap, caused by a $442,077 reduction in federal community block grants. The grants are used to fund local human services and education projects, to support affordable housing and homeless prevention initiatives, to improve neighborhood safety and to enhance economic opportunities for residents.
In a press release, the county cautioned that additional federal funding cuts are likely next year.
According to the Sun Gazette, however, county leaders are now deciding whether including the owner’s name in the county’s public real estate assessment database presents privacy concerns.
Over the weekend, the County Board responded to a resident’s complaint about its online property records system by asking county staff to “look into options for redacting the names of property owners” from the search results, according to the paper.
Board Awards Nearly Quarter Million to Arts Orgs — On Saturday the County Board voted to approve 25 grants, worth $249,077, to Arlington-based arts organizations. “Arlington has a thriving, vibrant, diverse arts community that brings not only economic benefit, but cultural enrichment, diversity and joy to our County,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said in a statement. The top grantees, at $44,625.14 apiece, are Signature Theater and Synetic Theater. [Arlington County]
Board Adopts Inventory of Historic Properties — The County Board has voted to adopts a list of nearly 400 Arlington properties deemed ‘historic.’ Each property on the list was assigned a ranking from “essential” to “minor.” While officials say the inventory is an important step in the preservation process, inclusion on the list doesn’t prohibit owners from making “by-right” changes to their property. [Sun Gazette]
Since holiday weekends are excluded, July’s paper shredding event will take place this Saturday. Residents — not businesses — can take their sensitive documents to the county’s Solid Waste Bureau (4300 29th Street S.) to be shredded, for free, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“A County employee will process the materials while you observe,” according to the Arlington County web site. “100% of shredded material is recycled.”
The personnel are being added to the Army National Guard Readiness Center, in the Arlington Hall complex, at George Mason Drive and Route 50. Many of them are coming from Crystal City offices, but only a couple hundred have made the move so far. The bulk of staff members are expected to arrive mid-July. This flood of workers has some residents in surrounding neighborhoods worried about an increase in parking and traffic issues.
Although a new parking structure was built to accommodate the additional workers, per the National Capital Planning Commission’s specifications there is only one parking spot for every four workers. That’s creating concern about where all the new employees will park. There are already reports of more cars parked in neighboring residential areas, and residents would like to see that stop.
The latest mailer shows Favola between Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli with the headline “These politicians have a lot in common” — a reference to the fact that all three have accepted donations from local real estate developer, philanthropist and Republican political donor Preston Caruthers. (Favolva accepted a $5,000 donation from Caruthers.)
“I’m disappointed that my friend Jaime Areizaga-Soto has been persuaded that victory in the primary can be achieved through slick negative campaign mailings,” Del. Bob Brink said in a statement said in a statement last night.
Arlington residents are nothing if not generous. The county is home to one of the highest-performing Goodwill donation centers in the country.
The nonprofit’s Glebe Road donation center at 10 S. Glebe Road was ranked 6th out of 2,657 donation centers nationwide in 2010.
You’ll probably want to pack an umbrella this morning.
Numerous downpour-producing storms are expected to hit the Washington area this afternoon and evening. Forecasters are warning that the storms could cause flash flooding.
New Mexican Restaurant Coming to Clarendon — A Craigslist help wanted ad reveals that Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is planning on coming to Clarendon. [Clarendon Culture]
Boehner at Guapo’s, Again — House Speaker John Boehner was spotted at Guapo’s in Shirlington Village Wednesday night. This is Boehner’s fourth such visit to the Mexican restaurant, that we’re aware of. While there, Boehner posed for a photo that was then posted on a local blog. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]
Police are looking for a man who stole a dirt bike in the Shirlington/Nauck (Green Valley) area this afternoon.
The man allegedly stole the green and white dirt bike after being dropped off by another man on a moped. Both the moped driver and the alleged dirt bike thief then tried to flee the area.
