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Wright Way: Hit The Refresh Button

Published October 2, 2013 at 3:00PM

Editor’s Note: This sponsored health and fitness column is written by Virginia Wright, founder of BbG Fitness, which offers group fitness classes around Arlington. Sign up for a free class today.

Simon and Garfunkel had it right way back in 1967 when they wrote, “Slow down you move too fast.”

Schools

No Grinding Allowed At Upcoming Homecoming Dances

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 2:00PM

The grinding ban is nothing new, according to Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia. The policy, which appears on a list of “dance policy and rules” for Saturday’s homecoming dance at Wakefield High School, has actually been in place for 8-9 years, he said.

Bellavia said that Washington-Lee and Yorktown, which have homecoming dances this Saturday and Oct. 19 respectively, have similar policies in place.

Feature

Arlington Pet of the Week: Pretzel

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 12:40PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Pretzel, a two-year-old mixed breed who was rescued this summer.

Here’s what owner Rachel — whose fiancee recently “recognized, by name” a previous Pet of the Week honoree — said about Pretzel.

Opinion

Morning Poll: What Are Federal Workers Doing to Pass the Time?

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 10:05AM | Updated October 2, 2013 at 12:46PM

The furloughed workers spent part of Monday on the job, winding down their work in order to ensure as orderly a shutdown as possible. Today, they’re staying at home.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 9:00AM

Library Sets Another Summer Reading Record — Arlington Public Library has set another summer youth reading record. This summer, 8,079 students participated and read more than 32,000 books, up from 7,415 participants and 30,000 books in 2012. [Arlington Public Library]

‘Arlington’s Got Talent’ Seeks Contestants — Leadership Arlington is seeking local acts for its annual “Arlington’s Got Talent” show. The event will take place on Nov. 18. Video submissions from performers are due by Oct. 28. [Leadership Arlington]

Feature

Rental Report: Furry Friends and Apartment Life

By ARLnow.com

Published October 1, 2013 at 1:15PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly sponsored column is written by Rick Gersten, founder and CEO of Urban Igloo, a rental real estate firm that matches up renters with their ideal apartments, condos or houses. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

When renters contact Urban Igloo seeking an apartment, many request features such as parking, updated finishes, an in-unit washer/dryer and more. But there is one request that we hear a lot that can often be a deal breaker, “Do you have any pet-friendly apartments?”

Events

Arlington Agenda (Oct. 1-6)

By ARLnow.com

Published October 1, 2013 at 11:45AM | Updated October 2, 2013 at 9:39AM

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County.

If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form. Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

News

Bill Would Provide Retroactive Pay to Furloughed Employees

By ARLnow.com

Published October 1, 2013 at 11:00AM

Moran and nearly a dozen cosponsors have introduced the “Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act,” which would provide retroactive pay for furloughed employees after Congress gets its act together and passes a government funding bill. Following the last government shutdown, in 1995 and 1996, the Republican-controlled Congress passed similar legislation.

While 85 percent of federal workers live outside the D.C. region, an extended shutdown could have wide-ranging impacts locally, from financial difficulties for families to possible pain for the regional economy.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 1, 2013 at 8:50AM

Free Burgers for Feds — Because the federal government shut down early this morning, Z-Burger is following through on its offer to serve free burgers for all federal and D.C. workers who have been furloughed. The local burger chain, which has a location at 3325 Wilson Blvd, near Clarendon, says customers must present a government ID to get the free burger.

Task Force Recommends More School Buses — An Arlington Public Schools task force has recommended that the school system’s bus service be expanded, at least for elementary school students. Elementary students should be supervised on their way to school, said the task force, which also said that buses are safer and produce less traffic than cars. [Sun Gazette]

Around Town

Crystal City is Tops for Divorced Men

By ARLnow.com

Published September 30, 2013 at 3:30PM

The Crystal City area has the highest concentration of divorced men in Arlington, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The data comes from the bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey. The number of divorced men in each individual census tract was posted in an interactive map on Patch this afternoon.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 30, 2013 at 9:45AM | Updated September 30, 2013 at 10:23AM

Cost of Ashlawn Addition Rises — The Arlington School Board has approved funding for an addition to Ashlawn Elementary School, though the addition will cost more than originally anticipated. The Board voted 3-2 to approve funding. Those voting ‘no’ were concerned that the cost had ballooned from $14.9 million to $20.4 million. [Sun Gazette]

School Board Addresses FLES Push — School Board Chair Abby Raphael says Arlington Public Schools will eventually roll out its Foreign Language in Elementary School program countywide, but it won’t happen as quickly as some parents are pushing for. Parents at schools without FLES have been speaking out at School Board meetings, calling for it to be introduced as soon as possible. Raphael said APS does not have the resources for FLES at all schools at the moment. [Sun Gazette]

News

Major Delays Reported on Orange Line

By ARLnow.com

Published September 30, 2013 at 8:45AM

The Metrorail Twitter account suggests several problems are plaguing the Orange Line this morning, including a switch problem at West Falls Church and disabled trains at Dunn Lorning and Metro Center. Inbound Orange Line trains were also offloaded at Clarendon and East Falls Church to return to Vienna for service, Metro said.

On Twitter, passengers have been reporting long waits on both the Orange and Blue lines.