Alex Koma | ARLnow

School Board Moves Closer to Renaming W-L High School Under Proposed Policy Change

Published June 1, 2018 at 10:45AM | Updated June 1, 2018 at 3:27PM

The Board has been mulling the possibility of stripping Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s name from the school ever since last summer’s violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville sparked a national conversation about Confederate symbols, but members asked school system staff to develop a more detailed policy framework to guide the naming of all buildings first.

Arlington Public Schools officials delivered that proposed change to the Board last night, and members are now set to take action on it by this coming Thursday (June 7).

News

County Manager Pledges Not to Abandon Planned Construction Projects, Even Amid Community Grumbles

By Alex Koma

Published May 31, 2018 at 4:15PM | Updated May 31, 2018 at 4:38PM

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) Despite mounting financial challenges, top Arlington officials say they don’t plan to walk away from some major construction projects that are already in the works — even if that stance ruffles a few feathers in the community.

County Manager Mark Schwartz has stressed repeatedly that his newly unveiled proposal for the next decade of Arlington construction projects, known as the Capital Improvement Plan, will maintain the county’s standing commitments to several major facilities around Arlington, even as he’s forced to make painful cuts elsewhere.

News

Rosslyn Opens ‘Parklet,’ Kicks Off Experiment in Adding Green Space to Urban Areas

By Alex Koma

Published May 31, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated June 1, 2018 at 4:40PM

County Board Chair Katie Cristol cuts the ribbon on Rosslyn's "parklet" (photo by Alex Koma)

Arlington’s first “parklet” is now open to the public, providing a small splash of green space amid Rosslyn’s urban landscape — and perhaps giving county officials a new tool for adding more open spaces across Arlington.

Rosslyn’s Business Improvement District teamed up with the county to design the mini-park, located adjacent to the Roti Mediterranean restaurant at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and N. Oak Street. Starting today (Thursday), anyone can take advantage of the parklet, which is just 30 feet wide — about the size of two parking spaces.

News

Family of Man Shot by ACPD Raising Money for Medical Care, Legal Defense

By Alex Koma

Published May 31, 2018 at 9:55AM | Updated June 1, 2018 at 4:51PM

(Updated June 1 at 4:50 p.m.) The family of an Arlington man shot by county police, after he allegedly rammed police vehicles with his van, is raising money to help pay for his medical care amid claims he was treated poorly while in custody.

Relatives of 51-year-old Steven Best have so far raised more than $5,100 through a GoFundMe page since police shot Best during the May 3 incident.

News

Workers with Disabilities at Army National Guard Center Go On Strike, Demand Ability to Unionize

By Alex Koma

Published May 30, 2018 at 3:45PM | Updated May 30, 2018 at 4:12PM

Workers at the Army National Guard Readiness Center picket the facility (courtesy of LIUNA)

A group of workers with disabilities at the Army National Guard Readiness Center on S. George Mason Drive has gone on strike, pushing for the right to unionize and a reduction in healthcare costs.

A dozen employees with Didlake, a Manassas nonprofit that contracts with the National Guard to provide maintenance and custodial services at the center, walked off the job on this past Friday. They’ve been hoping for more than a year now to organize with the help of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, commonly known as LiUNA, but Didlake has repeatedly refused to recognize their efforts and negotiate with the workers.

Around Town

D.C. Sports Bar Launches ‘Pop-Up’ at Bistro 360’s Old Space in Rosslyn

By Alex Koma

Published May 30, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated August 15, 2018 at 3:07PM

(Updated at 2 p.m.) A former D.C.-based sports bar is temporarily setting up shop in the space once occupied by Bistro 360 in Rosslyn.

Parlay Sports Bar and Lounge has set up a “pop-up” bar at the location at 1800 Wilson Blvd., according to one-time Bistro 360 owner Art Hauptman. He told ARLnow that the temporary takeover is set to last through the end of this week, though he said it could become a more long-term set-up.

Feature

Arlington Pet of the Week: Hannah

By Alex Koma

Published May 30, 2018 at 12:45PM | Updated July 18, 2019 at 11:42AM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Hannah, a 2.5-year-old Jack Russell mix looking for new friends in Courthouse.

Here’s what her owner, Richard, had to say on her behalf:

Around Town

Freddie’s Beach Bar Owner Planning to Revive Crystal City’s Cafe Italia

By Alex Koma

Published May 30, 2018 at 10:45AM | Updated May 30, 2018 at 1:00PM

Cafe Italia exterior (file photo)

(Updated at 1 p.m.) Longtime Crystal City restaurant Cafe Italia is getting new life, thanks to some former employees and one prominent local restaurateur.

Freddie Lutz, the owner and namesake of Freddie’s Beach Bar at 555 23rd Street S., says he’s planning to revive the restaurant after it closed in April.

News

Volunteers Wanted as Metro Plans ‘Full-Scale’ Emergency Exercise Sunday

By Alex Koma

Published May 30, 2018 at 9:45AM

WMATA is gearing up to test how first responders would handle a major Metro emergency in Arlington, and officials are looking for some help.

Metro is planning a “full-scale exercise” at the Crystal City Metro station (1750 S. Bell Street) on Sunday, June 3, and is looking for volunteers to make the event feel more real for participants. Check in for the event begins at 6:30 a.m., and it’s set to wrap up by 1 p.m, according to an event listing.

Opinion

ARLnow Holiday Weekend Discussion

By Alex Koma

Published May 25, 2018 at 9:00PM

At last, the long weekend is upon us, and summer is (unofficially) here.

If you’re one of the 1 million or so people leaving the D.C. area, here’s what you can expect on the way out. But if you’re sticking around Arlington, be aware that there is some rain in the forecast for Saturday night and Sunday, so get your grilling done early.

Around Town

Podcast: A Conversation with ARLnow Intern Anna Merod

By Alex Koma

Published May 25, 2018 at 7:30PM

For the last four months, you might’ve noticed Anna Merod’s byline here at ARLnow; regrettably, that won’t last much longer.

Anna’s time as a spring intern is almost up, but before she leaves, she stopped by for a podcast conversation with ARLnow’s Alex Koma.

Schools

School Board Nears Agreement on Plan to Add Some, But Not All, Amenities to Career Center Site

By Alex Koma

Published May 25, 2018 at 10:45AM | Updated May 25, 2018 at 1:47PM

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) The Arlington School Board is nearing consensus on a plan to build 1,050 new seats for high schoolers at the county’s Career Center by 2024, with some, but not all, of the features community members want to see at the site.

At a May 22 work session, the Board expressed broad agreement on changes to Superintendent Patrick Murphy’s proposed 10-year construction plan, known as the capital improvement plan. School leaders have yet to finalize these decisions, but Board members signaled an increased willingness to embrace a plan that costs roughly $64 million more than the one Murphy proposed.