Author: Dan Egitto

Dan Egitto is an editor and reporter at ARLnow. Originally from Central Florida, he graduated from Duke University and previously reported at the Palatka Daily News in Florida and the Vallejo Times-Herald in California. Dan joined ARLnow in January 2024.

News

New farmers market proposed to answer food insecurity and safety concerns in Green Valley

By Dan Egitto
The Shelton Apartments and the John Robinson, Jr. Town Square in January 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A new farmers market could be coming to Green Valley next year.

Documents filed with the county last week outline plans to host a market on Friday evenings at John Robinson, Jr. Town Square. A statement of justification filed by CARE, Inc. promises “a convenient, varied market of local food producers and vendors that will provide culturally relevant products, information and services to foster community spirit and improve the nutritional experience.”

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News

County Board backs unionization push at Hyatt Regency Crystal City

By Dan Egitto
Workers calling for unionization at Hyatt Regency Crystal City in 2024 (courtesy of UNITE HERE Local 25)

Local elected officials are throwing their weight behind a unionization effort at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

Writing on behalf of the Board earlier this month, Arlington County Chair Libby Garvey noted that over 70% of housekeeping workers at the hotel next to Reagan National Airport signed union authorization cards in July, filing for a union election.

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News

Arlington prosecution data remains limited as old tracking systems hamper transparency

By Dan Egitto
Arlington County courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

While Fairfax County recently rolled out a new prosecution dashboard with detailed breakdowns of the county’s criminal caseload, Arlington data tracking lags behind.

The new Case Overview Dashboard from the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney contains a wealth of information on the county’s criminal cases, with data on the age, race and gender of defendants as well as stats on specific charges.

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Events

Arlington County Fair returns next week with classic attractions and a new eating contest

By Dan Egitto
The Arlington County Fair in 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

With free entertainment, family friendly attractions and food eating championships galore, the Arlington County Fair is returning next week.

New this year at the fair — which opens on Wednesday, Aug. 14 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 18. — is an additional eating competition. A burrito eating contest hosted by Los Chamacos will take place at 12:50 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, immediately after the Troy’s Italian Kitchen pizza eating contest and before the pie eating competition.

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News

Work on raised bus stop island on Clarendon Blvd scheduled to start soon

By Dan Egitto
The site of a planned elevated bus stop on Clarendon Blvd. (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Construction on an elevated bus stop island, meant to improve safety at an intersection in Rosslyn, is scheduled to begin soon.

The quick-build safety project between the intersections of Clarendon Blvd with N. Pierce and N. Queen streets will impact Metrobus routes 4B and 38B as well as ART Route 45. In addition to elevating the bus stop, it will raise an existing protected bike lane on Clarendon Blvd.

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News

New food disposal bins expand composting options for Arlington apartment dwellers

By Dan Egitto
A food scraps bin in Rosslyn (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A new Arlington program seeks to make it easier for people who live in apartments to compost their food scraps.

New food disposal bins have appeared near 14 multifamily properties across the county, inviting apartment dwellers to divert food waste and food-soiled paper away from the landfill and into the county’s composting program.

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News

A failed development project leaves a void on Columbia Pike. Was Amazon responsible?

By Dan Egitto
The Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center on Columbia Pike (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The demise of an anticipated development project at a busy Columbia Pike intersection has left a social and economic void in South Arlington.

It has also left many fingers pointing at an unnamed grocery tenant — which evidence suggests may have been an Amazon Fresh — for its role in the project’s failure.

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News

New communications official takes the helm as Arlington recovers from staffing shakeups

By Dan Egitto
Erika Moore (via Arlington County)

Arlington has a new top communications official.

Erika Moore, the former communications manager for Arlington’s Dept. of Community Planning, Housing and Development, is the new Assistant County Manager for Communications and Public Engagement, the county announced in a press release earlier this month.

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News

Mysterious removal of ’empathy’ signs leads artist to stop coming to Arlington

By Dan Egitto
One of several "Empathy" signs placed along roads in north Arlington and McLean in 2022 (staff photo)

The man responsible for posting over 1,500 “empathy” signs around the area is steering clear of Arlington and some other Northern Virginia locales these days.

That’s because an unknown person or entity has been taking down the handmade markers meant to encourage greater human connection and understanding. In Arlington, in Falls Church and as far out as Annandale, the signs — which started appearing in 2022 — started going missing from utility poles sometime around March.

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Around Town

Rosslyn readies for 40th annual Dark Star Park Day later this week

By Dan Egitto
Dark Star Park Day (photo courtesy by Anice Hoachlander and Elman Studio)

The iconic poles and concrete orbs of an art installation in Rosslyn are celebrating their 40th anniversary this week.

Members of the public are invited to celebrate Dark Star Park Day this Thursday, Aug. 1. At approximately 9:32 a.m., the park “performs a special effect” that happens only once a year.

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News

Pentagon City Sector Plan re-approved, allowing RiverHouse plans to keep moving forward

By Dan Egitto
RiverHouse in Pentagon City at sunset (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Arlington County Board has re-approved the Pentagon City Sector Plan, restoring a document that a state court declared void for procedural reasons earlier this year.

The Board’s unanimous vote on Tuesday reaffirmed the county’s original February 2022 decision to plan for substantial Pentagon City development in coming years, particularly at the RiverHouse apartment complex. Developer JBG Smith proposes to build over 1,500 new units on the expansive property, across from the Westpost shopping center and home to three apartment towers.

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News

Inconsistent boil water notices resulted from poor regional coordination, county staff say

By Dan Egitto
Tap water in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Poor regional coordination and outdated technology led to inconsistent messaging during Arlington’s boil water notice earlier this month, county staff say.

Confusion began after D.C. Water was the first to issue a boil water notice the night of July 3, due to potential contamination caused by algae blooms in the Potomac River.

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