The Arlington County Board’s recent vote to change the name of Old Jefferson Davis Highway to “Long Bridge Park” was preceded by a thorough dissing of the former namesake by Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman, the Sun Gazette reports this morning.
“I have a problem with ‘Jefferson Davis,'” Zimmerman said of the former Confederate president. “I don’t believe Jefferson Davis has a historic connection to anything in Arlington… He wasn’t from Virginia. I don’t really see why we need to honor him.”
Though last week’s vote may be a victory for the anti-Jefferson Davis crowd, it only renames a narrow, pothole-ridden backroad that connects Crystal City with a future county park. The much larger and more heavily-traveled State Route 1 will continue to be known as Jefferson Davis Highway.
Meanwhile, another state route — Route 29 — is named after an even more prominent, but slightly less controversial Confederate leader: Robert E. Lee. While Jefferson Davis Highway runs north-south through south Arlington, Lee Highway runs east-west across north Arlington. Both serve tens of thousands of commuters each day.
Though the Civil War figures prominently in the history of Arlington, should these roads be renamed for something or someone not associated with slavery and the losing side of a horribly costly war? Or should we preserve our history, warts and all?
Recent Stories
Good Friday 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…
An explosives detection K-9 celebrated his retirement at Reagan National Airport today. Messi, an 8-year-old yellow lab, was feted this morning in the historic Terminal 1 lobby with a surprise…
Walk to Lee Heights shops from 1930s Tudor on beautiful terraced lot
Arlington’s response team for people in mental health and substance use crises is on track for a substantial buildout. An additional $478,286 in federal funds would allow Arlington to hire…
The Award is available to recent high school graduates and non-traditional students (see the application for more details). Each recipient may be awarded up to $20,000. Applicants are required to submit an online application form as well as a short video application.
The applicant must be an Arlington resident pursuing a career or technical education accredited program, within a high-growth career, that will be completed within two years.
The careers and programs include, but are not limited to:
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Audio, Video, and Sound Engineering Technicians
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Broadcast Technicians
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Commercial Drivers
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Culinary Arts
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Early Childcare Education
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Healthcare
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Information Technology and Computer Science
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Manufacturing and Skilled Trades (including welding, auto and aviation mechanics and technicians)
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Public Safety
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Second, it’s better for you and your family. Fragrant chemicals in surface cleaners can expose you to a similar amount of pollutant particles as a busy city road, New Scientist reported.
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Sweeney Todd
A victim of a gross injustice that robbed him of his wife and child, Sweeney Todd sets about exacting a terrible revenge on society.
