Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
Swanson Middle School was briefly evacuated this morning due to a structure fire near the school.
A shed behind a house on the 1100 block of N. Lexington Street caught fire and was fully engulfed by the time firefighters arrived, shortly before 9 a.m.
Arlingtonians at play in Quincy Park Thursday evening (courtesy Gale Harris)
Country Club Controversy — “Washington Golf and Country Club is engulfed in a fierce controversy as the club… battles its own members accusing it of gender discrimination for fighting to maintain a “Men’s Grill.'” [Politico, Twitter]
It’s Bike to Work Day — “The 23rd annual Bike to Work Day is scheduled for Friday, May 17, offering residents across the D.C. area the opportunity to celebrate cycling. Arlington County will host eight designated pit stops, including three sponsored by BikeArlington in Ballston, Rosslyn and Shirlington.” [ARLnow]
Tech Defense Firm Moving HQ — “A software maker for computing platforms that support drones and autonomous robotics systems has relocated its headquarters from Moorpark, California, outside of Los Angeles to Arlington as it seeks to be closer to its defense-related customers. Auterion Ltd. has already had some of its 112 employees based in Greater Washington for several years, but the company’s HQ presence at 3100 Clarendon Blvd., across the street from the Clarendon Metro station, now serves as its global base of operations.” [DC Inno]
Renovation for Office Building — “JBG Smith Properties is teeing up a major renovation of an aging office building it owns in National Landing — noteworthy of a firm that’s said numerous times the market is oversaturated with office and has long been rebalancing its activities toward multifamily. The 11-story, 1980s-era office at 2011 Crystal Drive will get a makeover, especially to its tenant amenities, to the tune of $40 million, according to an investor presentation.” [Washington Business Journal]
Input Sought on Future of Libraries — “The Arlington library system is seeking community input on 12 possibilities as it explores what services should be offered in the future.” [Gazette Leader, Arlington Public Lbirary]
Newspaper Editorial Blasts Beyer — “In a political environment laden with buffoons on both sides of the partisan divide, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) stands out for his courtliness, gravitas and real-world experience. Why then, does he seem to sign on to so many pieces of nonsensical legislation emanating from the whackadoodle flank of his own party?” [Gazette Leader]
Disaster Relief Volunteer Work at HQ2 — “Earlier this week, Amazon employees rolled up their sleeves to meet the urgent needs of DMV residents. More than 600 Amazon volunteers built hygiene kits with Clean the World, a social enterprise focused on providing recycled soap and hygiene supplies to those who have limited access to essential items to help prevent diseases. Amazon committed to deliver over 50,000 hygiene kits.” [Press Release]
Police Week Pipes at Four Courts — “Great to have the Border patrol pipes and drums back in the pub.” [Twitter]
It’s Friday — There is a 20% chance of showers in the afternoon, with partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 75°F. Expect a gentle northeast breeze of 3-7 mph. On Friday night, showers are more likely, mainly after 2am, with an 80% chance of precipitation. The temperature will drop to around 59°F, accompanied by a southeast wind of 5-7 mph. New rainfall amounts could range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch. [NWS]
There is a 20% chance of showers starting after 2pm, with partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 75°F. Expect a gentle northeast breeze of 3-7 mph. On Friday night, showers are more likely, mainly after 2am, with an 80% chance of precipitation. The temperature will drop to around 59°F, accompanied by a southeast wind of 5-7 mph. New rainfall amounts could range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
The new version of ARLnow’s Afternoon Update newsletter
ARLnow’s email newsletter has barely changed since President Obama’s first term. But a refresh is in the works.
The Afternoon Update newsletter reliably sends out the past 24 hour of local news headlines from ARLnow at 4 p.m., six to seven days per week. It currently has more than 17,500 subscribers.
The newsletter has been going out since 2010, the year of ARLnow’s founding. The current Afternoon Update uses the same RSS-to-email functionality as that original 2010 version, just with some aesthetic changes.
An ARLnow Afternoon Update email from 2010
That’s about to change. We’re currently testing a new version that will look similar but the way it’s generated under the hood is completely updated — much like the new version of our website.
The new version is currently expected to roll out at some point next week. In the meantime, if you’d like to subscribe and get all of the local news headlines, unfiltered by any social media algorithm, click the button below.
A road that runs through Arlington and McLean has been named the “most coveted address” in Virginia.
That’s according to a new study by the real estate website Agent Advice. The study asked 3,000 respondents about the most “aspirational streets in America” and ranked the top 175.
Plaza at The Crossing Clarendon (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)
Live-Work Zoning Change Proposed — “Arlington County Board members will return from their summer hiatus later this year with consideration of zoning changes that would allow for both live-work units and self-service-storage facilities across many zoning corridors across the county. The proposal from County Manager Mark Schwartz is another effort aimed at finding ways to reduce reliance on the commercial-office sector.” [Gazette Leader]
Fatal Shooting Map — A new map of gun homicides in the D.C. area from 2020-2023 shows relatively few in Arlington and Northern Virginia compared to the District. [Twitter]
Real Estate Costs in Arlington — “Three jurisdictions recorded per-square-foot average prices of more than $500 for the month: Falls Church, which catapulted to the top with an average of $554, up 32.2 percent from $419; the District of Columbia, up 0.9 percent from $553 to $538; and Arlington, rising 12.7 percent from $465 to $524.” [Gazette Leader]
Van Winkle Lottery Coming Up — “Six products from the highly collectible Van Winkle line will be available for the opportunity to purchase through the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority’s (ABC) online lotteries in May and June. The whiskey, often dubbed the hardest-to-find spirit due to its low production, is offered by lottery to ensure equitable distribution.” [Virginia ABC]
It’s Thursday — A mostly sunny morning but some isolated showers after 2pm, with mostly cloudy skies in the afternoon and a high around 76. The north wind will blow at 10-14 mph, gusting up to 21 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. For Thursday night, it will remain mostly cloudy and cool down to around 58, with a northeast breeze at 6-8 mph. [NWS]
Expect isolated showers after 2pm, with mostly cloudy skies and a high around 76. The north wind will blow at 10-14 mph, gusting up to 21 mph, and a 20% chance of precipitation. For Thursday night, it will remain mostly cloudy and cool down to around 58, with a gentle northeast breeze at 6-8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The Dragons Concord is a tabletop roleplay gaming center that focuses on providing a safe and professional roleplay and miniature wargaming experience.
Our themed private gaming rooms, free public gaming tables, and growing staff of professional game masters, are all oriented toward one goal — to make roleplay gaming as accessible and fun as we can for everyone! We’ve had an amazing reception by the community since we first opened our doors last June, and to celebrate we’re hosting a special event at our store in Fairfax on June 1st.
In addition to hosting a variety of special game sessions and events throughout the day, we’ll also be hosting several local creators and crafters showing off their talents in 3d printed miniatures and dice towers, board game development and even introductory blacksmithing classes being offered by our partner Semicolon Craft and Forgeworks! Visit www.dragonsconcord.com for more information.
The demand for quality game masters is increasing faster than ever before, and we intend to meet that demand head on. Our Storytellers are some of the best in the area, and we work together as a team to both improve our own skills and find ways to improve the community as well.
If you think you have the passion and experience to take your game to the next level and help us grow this community, fill out an application to join our team!
An office building right across from the Clarendon Metro station is finally filling some vacant retail bays.
The owner of the office tower at 3101 Wilson Blvd just announced three new retail tenants on the ground floor: bakery and cafe chain Paris Baguette, nostalgic confectionary chain Kilwins, and wellness clinic chain Relive Health.
Looking east down Wilson Blvd from the pedestrian bridge in Ballston, on a rainy day (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
We’re #1 for Retirement Income — “Arlington, Virginia, ranked highest in retirement income, followed by Cambridge, Massachusetts, and The Woodlands, Texas, according to a SmartAsset analysis of the Census Bureau’s 2022 1-year American Community Survey. Three of the top eight large cities with the highest incomes were in the Washington, DC, area.” [Business Insider, SmartAsset]
Wine Shop Coming to Crystal City — “The popular Flight Wine Bar that shuttered in Chinatown late last year is reconstituting itself as a retail store in Crystal City. The 2,175-square-foot Flight Wine Shop is slated to open by the end of the year at The Grace, the multifamily building developed by JBG Smith Properties at the larger site known as 1900 Crystal Drive in Arlington.” [Washington Business Journal]
Arlington By the Numbers — From the Dept. of Environmental Services: “It’s #InfrastructureWeek. Seriously. Some Arlington numbers.” Stats cited by DES include 22 million gallons of wastewater treated daily and 1,400 tons of glass collected at recycling stations annually. [Twitter]
County Board Election Guide — “Your ballot will look a bit different because of ranked choice voting, and the results on election night likely will too. Last year, Arlington elections officials released the tally of the first-choice votes on Election Night, but county residents had to wait until Friday for the preliminary tabulation of the results.” [WAMU]
Clement Wants More Federal Offices — “Clement also referenced an executive order made by President Carter in 1978. ‘The order stipulates that whenever a federal agency relocates, it must give priority to an available space located in a city’s central business district rather than in a suburb,’ Clement said – and in this case, Arlington is counted as part of the central core rather than suburbia… ‘If elected, I am going to insist upon it,’ she said.” [Gazette Leader]
Karantonis Makes Endorsements — Arlington County Board Vice-Chair Takis Karantonis has endorsed both JD Spain and Tenley Peterson in the Democratic County Board primary. [Twitter, Twitter]
Board Member Is Hiring — From Maureen Coffey: “I’m hiring!!! This aide role will support me day to day. Have you ever wanted to see how local gov works and also have a cool hip boss? This is your chance!! Job includes admin, emails, scheduling w/significant opportunities for research/policy projects.” [Twitter]
F.C. Approves Tax Rate Decrease — “The FY2025 General Fund budget, inclusive of Schools and General Government, totals $137.8 million. The budget provides for a 7% growth for the General Government expenditures and local funding for City schools. The approved budget reduces the real estate tax rate by two cents from $1.23 to $1.21 per $100 of assessed value. The median homeowner’s real estate tax bill will increase by $174 or 1.5% with the rising assessed value of homes in the City due to market appreciation.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s Wednesday — Expect showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, alongside patchy fog from 7am to 2pm, with a high near 65, and a northeast wind of 8-10 mph. Precipitation is 80%, and new rainfall may reach up to three quarters of an inch. On Wednesday night there’s a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low around 59. [NWS]
Expect showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, alongside patchy fog from 7am to 2pm, with a high near 65, and a northeast wind of 8-10 mph. Precipitation is 80%, and new rainfall may reach up to three quarters of an inch. Wednesday night, there’s a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, a low around 59, and a north wind at 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.” – Yehuda Bauer
