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.

Schools

W-L celebrates its 100th birthday, bringing together alumni of all ages

By Scott McCaffrey
Alumnae and community members look over yearbooks at W-L centennial (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A community celebration marking the centennial of Washington-Liberty High School brought students past, present and future to the school on Saturday.

In attendance were alumni who attended W-L as long ago as the early 1950s. Those who came said they retained fond memories.

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News

Pace of development dominates first Falls Church City Council candidate forum

By Scott McCaffrey
City Council candidate Arthur Agin and Council member Laura Downs at 2025 forum (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Candidates for Falls Church City Council seem to agree it’s time to pause and take stock of a recent spurt of new construction before moving forward on bigger projects.

The city’s skyline has changed dramatically over the past decade with the arrival of several new mixed-use projects. Contenders participating in a Sept. 25 forum said growth has brought both positives and negatives.

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News

‘Ambassador’ program for Arlington seniors needs more visibility, advocates say

By Scott McCaffrey
A senior couple (photo via Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash)

An effort connecting local seniors to programs and support services has enough volunteers, but needs to improve its outreach, the county’s Commission on Aging has been told.

The Community Ambassador Program represents a partnership between the county’s Area Agency on Aging, Marymount University’s Center for Optimal Aging and the nonprofit Arlington Neighborhood Village. But even for those active in advocacy for seniors, its visibility seems low.

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News

Parks commission could seek up to $1M per year to fight invasive species

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington students clear out invasive plants (via Arlington County)

An government advisory panel may ask Arlington officials to increase funding to tackle invasive plants in county parks by up to 10 times current spending levels.

“We’re in crisis. The longer we wait, the less easy it’s going to be,” Park and Recreation Commission chair Jill Barker said at the body’s Sept. 23 meeting.

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News

Precinct operations leader receives lifetime-achievement honor from Arlington Dems

By Scott McCaffrey
Carol Fontein (foreground) and community leaders react to a speaker (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

For her years-long effort leading precinct operations, Carol Fontein on has been inducted into the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s “Distinguished Democrat” ranks.

“All these lovely people are here because of you,” former party chair Kip Malinosky told Fontein during the celebration, held at the home of Treasurer Carla de la Pava.

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News

Falls Church may try again to entice e-scooter firms

By Scott McCaffrey
Lime dockless scooters on the street in Ballston (file photo)

Falls Church officials may take another shot at bringing shared-mobility devices — known to many as e-scooters — into the community next year.

The city’s Environmental Sustainability Council has been briefed on staff plans to bring the proposal to City Council members.

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News

Arlington’s new Human Rights Commission seeks to clarify enforcement powers

By Scott McCaffrey
Sept. 11, 2025, Human Rights Commission meeting (screenshot via Arlington County)

Members of Arlington’s reconstituted Human Rights Commission are seeking to clarify what they can do when county staff’s attempts to mediate disputes fail.

It’s a rare circumstance, to be sure. Most formal complaints to the county’s human rights office are settled, dismissed or withdrawn at the staff level, and over the past year, county officials said there was just a single case where the complaint was found justified but no settlement could be reached.

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News

Plans for county boathouse raise parking concerns with disability advocates

By Scott McCaffrey
Crew boats in the Potomac River at twilight near Rosslyn (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Plans for parking at Arlington County’s future boathouse in Rosslyn have drawn concern from the county’s Disability Advisory Commission.

Commissioners have raised fears that the location of parking spaces on the National Park Service land would be an impediment for those who participate in adaptive-rowing activities.

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News

Arlington GOP seeks 15% more votes for statewide ticket than in 2021

By Scott McCaffrey
Party chair Matthew Hurtt leads members in the Republican Creed at a 2025 meeting (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The chair of Arlington’s GOP is seeking 15% more local votes for statewide candidates in 2025 than the party received in 2021.

Party chair Matthew Hurtt hopes the ticket with gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, alongside lieutenant governor candidate John Reid and incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares, can earn more than the 21,548 Arlington votes that Republican Glenn Youngkin earned in the 2021 governor’s race.

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News

County Board salutes WETA’s upcoming anniversary amid federal cuts

By Scott McCaffrey
WETA headquarters in Shirlington (staff photo by James Jarvis)

County Board members are honoring WETA’s upcoming 61st birthday and pledging to support the public-media outlet as it faces budget challenges and a hostile Trump administration.

“We are extremely proud to defend you and stand by you,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said on Sept. 16 during the presentation of a proclamation honoring the organization’s first day on the air: Oct. 2, 1961.

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News

Falls Church library would run out of space without ongoing culling of collection

By Scott McCaffrey
Book shelves at Mary Riley Styles Library (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Mary Riley Styles Library in Falls Church isn’t bursting at the seams right now.

But without a consistent effort to keep only the most appealing materials on the shelves, the library director could see that day approaching.

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Around Town

New orchard at Drew Elementary survives the summer, yields first fruit

By Scott McCaffrey
Tree supporters at Green Valley Day festivities at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A new orchard at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School is already producing fruit after surviving an unusually dry August.

All the saplings planted in the spring survived the summer, making it likely they will have long-term viability, said Mary Glass of the Arlington Tree Connection advocacy group.

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