Father Paolo Dall’Oglio is an Italian Jesuit priest who had lived in Syria for 30 years, but was deported last month. He was reportedly targeted because he spoke out against the Syrian government’s crackdown on the widespread public uprising.
“The very fact that I am for change, for democracy, for human rights and dignity, this is very provocative,” said Father Paolo after his expulsion was ordered.
In response to recent incidents throughout the county, the Arlington Commission on the Status of Women is hosting an emergency community forum on sexual assault.
The forum will be held at the Fairlington Community Center (3308 S. Stafford Street) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 19.
The event, which will benefit AFAC’s efforts to fight hunger, will take place after work in Clarendon.
Young professionals are invited to bring their dogs — and a $5 donation — to the (now closed) James Hunter dog park at the corner of N. Herndon Street and 13th Street around 6:00 p.m. The walk will start at 6:30 p.m., will wind through the residential neighborhoods around Clarendon, and will end by 7:30 p.m. with a “yappy hour” on the patio at Mexicali Blues (2933 Wilson Blvd).
Reenactors from 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment organization will be on hand for a Civil War living history event that will feature displays of medical tools and practices from the Civil War era, along with a wreath-laying, talks by actor portraying notable historic figures and opportunities to discuss “the boredom, hardship and daily activities of camp life” with the reenactors.
The event, sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Arlington Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, is free and open to the public. It will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Since 2006, the event has benefited the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless. The non-profit organization provides transitional housing for homeless families in Northern Virginia.
The event will be held from from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Long Bridge Park, near Crystal City. Previously, the tournament was held at Arlington’s Barcroft Park.
Called “Pathway to Citizenship,” the event is intended to “assist 8th District residents navigating the federal government’s immigration and naturalization system.”
D.C United coach and former soccer star Jaime Moreno will be the keynote speaker at the event, which is also expected to be attended by Moran, Arlington County Board member Walter Tejada, and representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Members of the Nauck community gathered last night (Wednesday) for a softball game featuring radio personalities from WPGC (95.5 FM).
The game — between the WPGC “Naturals” softball team and a team of local residents — was part of the radio station’s “Knocking Violence Out the Park” campaign. The Naturals have previously faced off against teams of police officers and residents in various parts of D.C. and Maryland as part of the campaign.
Lightning bugs will take center stage at this weekend’s Firefly Festival.
On Sunday, July 15, people of all ages are welcome to join representatives from Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation for a celebration of the bugs that light up the night. There will be bug walks, games, crafts, educational talks and scavenger hunts.
‘R.U.X. (Rockwell’s Universal seXbots)‘ debuted last year during a fundraising event at the Ballston Mall. It tells the story of a man’s desire to revamp his father’s company with a new business plan — selling sex robots. The playwright, Maurice Martin, is a 20-year resident of Arlington. The show, which is not recommended for children, premieres at Fringe on Friday, July 13.
The director of ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ along with most of the cast and crew, hails from Arlington. The show is a punk rock interpretation of a Shakespeare classic. It begins on Friday, July 13, and is recommended for ages 13 and up.
The region’s big Independence Day fireworks display on the National Mall is expected to kick off around 9:10 p.m. tonight
The display will last about 17 minutes, according to the National Park Service. For those who want to watch the fireworks from this side of the Potomac River, there are a number of places to watch the fireworks in and around Arlington tonight.
Capt. Gregg Karl says the first step to fireworks safety is to make sure you’re using fireworks that are legal in Arlington County. Any fireworks purchased from an authorized fireworks stand in the county should comply with county regulations, Karl said. Those regulations specify that the fireworks emit a flame or spark less than 12 feet in the air.
Any fireworks that are “projectiles, explode, emit flames or sparks to a distance greater than twelve (12) feet are prohibited by Arlington County,” according to the county’s fireworks safety web page. The fire department also has a 42 page long list of fireworks approved for use in Arlington.
The Pacers-organized race is scheduled to take place at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21. The start and finish will be located on Crystal Drive between 20th and 23rd Streets. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 5 overall male and female finishers. Merchandise prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers in 10 different age groups, from 0-5 to 70+.
Unlike in previous years, the race course is now expected to take runners mostly south instead of north. Due to construction on the northern end of Crystal Drive, we’re told that runners will now head south on Potomac Avenue, toward Potomac Yard, before heading back toward Crystal City.
