Author: Scott McCaffrey

A Northern Virginia native, Scott McCaffrey has four decades of reporting, editing and newsroom experience in the local area plus Florida, South Carolina and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. He spent 26 years as editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper chain. For Local News Now, he covers government and civic issues in Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church.

News

Falls Church library clarifies rules for youth after request from parent

By Scott McCaffrey
Mary Riley Styles library in Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Falls Church library officials are seeking to increase awareness of the rights and responsibilities of youth using their facilities.

An updated portion of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library website focused on young people “will be a really great resource for people who want to know more,” city library director Megan Dotzler said at the Sept. 16 meeting of the library’s board of trustees.

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News

Arlington rents would be even higher if not for the pandemic, analysis finds

By Scott McCaffrey
Valen apartment building at 2050 S. Bell Street (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

A dip in rental costs brought on by the pandemic had long-term effects on apartment costs in Arlington, a new analysis suggests.

An Arlington housing market unaffected by the pandemic would have been about 2% costlier than the current one, according to analysts at Apartment List.

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Schools

APS parents rally against elimination of pre-K program for kids with disabilities

By Scott McCaffrey
Man in a red shirt speaks at a podium with a microphone, gesturing with his left hand; tissue box on the podium nearby.
Thierry Servius speaks to the School Board about Integration Station (screenshot via APS)

Supporters of the Integration Station are again mobilizing against a plan to shut down the specialized program for young students with intellectual disabilities.

About 20 proponents of the program used the School Board’s Sept. 24 public-comment period to ask Board members to rescue the program from planned elimination. The mood among many speakers, most with direct connections to the program, was testy.

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Obituary

Actress remembered for energy, friendships in Arlington’s inclusive theater scene

By Scott McCaffrey
Woman on stage smiling with hands pressed together under her chin in a playful pose, wearing a colorful floral shirt.
Merry Casillas on stage (ArtStream photo)

A familiar face in the local inclusive-theater world is being remembered as a force for good across Northern Virginia.

Merry Jayne Casillas of Arlington died Sept. 21 after a brief illness. She was 43 years old and, for the past two decades, was a part of the ArtStream inclusive-theater troupe.

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News

Falls Church eyes $2.5M contract for sidewalk, intersection upgrades

By Scott McCaffrey
The intersection of N. Oak Street and W. Broad Street in Falls Church (staff photo by Jared Serre)

Falls Church officials hope that their next major sidewalk improvement project will support economic development.

City Council members plan to approve a construction contract worth up to $2.45 million today (Monday). It’s part of a $5.72 million effort upgrading sidewalks and intersections on W. Broad Street between West Street and Virginia Avenue.

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News

New affordable housing fund to support seniors in Arlington

By Scott McCaffrey
Elderly man in a dark suit speaks into a microphone at a podium, with a woman in a blue jacket standing beside him.
Melodee Melin and Ken Aughenbaugh (screenshot via Arlington County)

A new philanthropic effort will support affordable housing for lower-income seniors and those with disabilities in Arlington.

County Board members on Sept. 19 authorized the creation of the new housing fund, spearheaded by the husband-and-wife duo of Ken Aughenbaugh and Melodee Melin.

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News

Arlington libraries remember Black history with custom jigsaw puzzles

By Scott McCaffrey
Man in a purple sleeves and beige cap arranges a large jigsaw puzzle on a table at an outdoor community fair.
Terron Sims works jigsaw puzzle as Heather Crocetto provides support (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Arlington library system has developed a creative tool to bring the county’s Black history to life.

Using photos taken of youth participating in recreation activities during the era of segregation, library officials have commissioned a number of jigsaw puzzles to engage children and youth alike.

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News

‘Green Valley Greats’ honors key figures in historic Arlington community

By Scott McCaffrey
Black T-shirt and posters featuring a collage of Black leaders labeled 'Green Valley Greats'.
"Green Valley Greats" t-shirt and book (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The lives of six residents of a historic African-American Arlington community were celebrated during Green Valley Day on Saturday (Sept. 19).

“Green Valley Greats” honored the civic legacies of George “Go-Go” Long, Joan Cooper, John Robinson, Leonard “Doc” Muse, Dr. Alfred Taylor and Portia Clark.

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News

Arlington keeps to schedule with timeline for potential governance changes

By Scott McCaffrey
The Bozman Government Center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd on Sept. 6, 2024 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The timetable for County Board members to begin addressing potential changes to local governance appears to be holding to schedule.

“All the remaining deliverables … are on track,” Mason Kushnir, clerk to the County Board, said at the Board’s Sept. 22 meeting.

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News

Mercedes-Benz dealership owner hailed for service to Optimist Club

By Scott McCaffrey
Group of adults in formal wear posing around a round banquet table with a red-and-white floral centerpiece and red balloons, smiling for a photo.
Mort Zetlin, seated in center, and family (photo by Peter Wehmann/Optimist Club of Arlington)

Mort Zetlin was serving a stint in the U.S. Army in Germany during the early 1950s when he first encountered Mercedes-Benz automobiles.

Little did he know that the chance meeting would help define the next 70 years of his life.

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News

County considers long-term future of expiring affordable units near Ballston

By Scott McCaffrey
Sign for Ballston Park at Historic Buckingham Village with leasing office phone number 703-526-9600 on a suburban street.
Ballston Park Apartments (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A community engagement process is about to begin for a garden-apartment complex near Ballston that could, potentially, face redevelopment.

About half of the 512 units in the Ballston Park complex in the Buckingham neighborhood are currently designated as affordable, but that agreement is expiring. At some point in the future, this could entice the property owner to consider redevelopment of the 24.8-acre site.

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News

Local recovery organization launches new grassroots advocacy group

By Scott McCaffrey
Woman speaking into a handheld microphone at a conference, wearing a white dotted blouse and gold necklace, with a screen in the background showing partial text.
Deborah Taylor discusses future of National Capital Treatment and Recovery (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A local nonprofit focused on recovery from drug and alcohol abuse is seeking to bring in more community advocates.

National Capital Treatment & Recovery hosted a kickoff event for the new undertaking, called “Friends of NatCap,” on Sept. 16 at the Lubber Run Community Center. The goal is to start building momentum for what is likely to serve as a community council.

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