Roughly $4.8 million for community-based projects involving Arlington is included in draft U.S. Senate appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2025.
The bills, which have now passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, would secure additional funding for affordable housing, workforce development programs and health care for low-income families in Arlington.
Gena Rowlands, W-L Grad, Dies — “Gena Rowlands, an actress who conveyed bewitching allure and wrenching vulnerability on-screen — notably in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ and many other movies directed by her husband, John Cassavetes — has died at 94… As a teenager, she lived in Arlington, Va., and appeared through a student apprenticeship program with the Jarvis Repertory Theater in Washington. After graduating from Washington-Lee High School in 1947, she attended the University of Wisconsin.” [Washington Post]
Nonprofit’s Restaurant Fundraiser — “Arlington Thrive, which offers basic emergency-needs support to county residents, recently inaugurated a new ‘Dine to Thrive Mondays’ fund-raising event in collaboration with local restaurants. The first outing was held Aug. 5 at Pupatella Pizzeria and was ‘a resounding success,’ the organization said.” [Gazette Leader]
New Office Leases in Clarendon — “Developer Comstock Holding Companies signed two new offices leases at The Hartford building, located at 3101 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington. Comstock Holdings leased about 11,000 square feet of office space at The Hartford, with Essential Minerals Association and International Business Initiatives.” [Patch]
Condo: No Early Holiday Decor — From the Fairlington Villages condo association: “With the end of summer comes the autumn holiday season – crisp breezes and colorful foliage will soon abound. Please remember that the standard decorations variance approved by the Board of Directors permits Halloween decorations on or after October 15th. They may remain through November 8th, after which date they must be removed. Thanksgiving and Year-End Holiday seasonal decorations are permitted from 11/15-1/15, annually.” [Twitter]
F.C. Special Election OKed — ” Arlington County Circuit Court granted a Writ of Election, ordering that a special election be held to fill the vacancy on the Falls Church City Council resulting from the resignation of former Council Member Caroline Lian. The Court directed that the special election occur on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, concurrent with the General and Special Elections already occurring on that date.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching up to 90°F and calm winds shifting to the south at 5-7 mph in the afternoon. On Friday night, there’s a 30% chance for showers and thunderstorms between 2am-5am, changing to a possibility of showers after 5am. Skies will otherwise be mostly cloudy with temperatures around 71°F. [NWS]
Cameras will start enforcing speed limits in Arlington school zones next month, more than two years after officials approved their installation.
The 10 cameras will begin operating on Sept. 25, with the owners of speeding vehicles receiving a $100 fine per infraction, a county press release says. Cameras will operate when school zone lights are flashing at the beginning and end of the school day, indicating a speed limit of 20 mph.
Development Plan Along Langston Blvd — “Rooney Properties has filed plans with Arlington County for a 12-story, 276-unit building at 3130 Langston Boulevard, a site that is currently home to a Walgreens pharmacy. The L-shaped building, designed by dcs design, will have a pool deck with a courtyard on the third level, as well as a 5,000 square-foot public park and dog run.” [UrbanTurf, Washington Business Journal]
Flyovers Planned Today — From AlertDC: “The US Military will conduct a flyover in the National Capital Region over Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, August 15th, 2024, at 11:25 AM… [and] at 3:10 PM.”
Gun Arrest in Ashton Heights — “The officer initiated a foot pursuit during which they observed the suspect discard a firearm. The officer recovered the firearm while additional arriving officers took the suspect into custody in the area of N. Piedmont Street and 6th Street N. No injuries were reported. During the course of the investigation, suspected narcotics were recovered.” [ACPD]
Police Game Day Date Change — “NEW DATE AND LOCATION! The Police Playoffs: Game Day event scheduled for Friday, August 23 has been rescheduled to Friday, August 16 from 12-2 PM at Rocky Run Park, 1109 N. Barton Street.” [ACPD, Twitter]
APS College List — “The following is a list of the colleges and universities where Arlington Public Schools (APS) high school graduates (Class of 2024) applied and where they were accepted.” [Arlington Magazine]
Sewage Game at the Fair — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “A County Fair What-to-Flush toss game featuring smiling poo bean bags?? Be there. Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Saturday only, 5-10pm.” [Twitter]
Fmr. Yorktown QB Honored — “Former Yorktown High School standout quarterback Tim Reynolds recently was chosen to the Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame for his performance with the Division III team during his football career in Ferrum, Va.” [Gazette Leader]
VDOT Work Planned in F.C. — “Learn about the planned replacement of the Sherrow Ave culvert over Tripps Run in @FallsChurchGov! Attend a public information meeting Tue 8/20, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm at Oak Street Elementary School – presentation begins at 7:30.” [Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions and a high near 88, accompanied by a mild north wind at about 5 mph. The evening will transition to partly cloudy skies with a low temperature around 68. [NWS]
Numerous Arlington businesses have once again made the newly released Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.
A total of 21 Arlington organizations, including many consulting firms and other businesses working with the federal government, earned a spot on the national rankings released Tuesday.
Arlington County police will increase efforts targeting drunk driving starting later this week.
More signage encouraging sober driving will be sprinkled around Arlington’s roadways, while extra patrols will prowl the county starting on Friday, looking for drunk drivers.
Stephen Oxenrider, a beloved former Arlington Public Schools teacher, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 12, after nearly two years of battling pancreatic cancer. He was 73.
Oxenrider taught English as a Second Language (ESL) for 35 years in Arlington, beginning at Kenmore Middle School before transferring to Swanson Middle School, where he stayed until retiring in 2007, per his obituary.
Local Marine Died Attempting Rescue — “Alexia and Bart Collart braced for a hard visit. Marines came to their home in Arlington, Virginia, last week to brief them on what caused the Osprey crash in Australia last year that resulted in the death of their son and two other Marines. But they weren’t expecting to hear these words: Your son didn’t die in the crash… Collart ‘heroically reentered the burning cockpit of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilots,’ the official Marine Corps investigation into the crash found. ‘He perished during this effort.'” [CBS News]
From Tragedy to Wedding — “Spencer’s family met Waser for the first time at the funeral. This time it was Waser who put on dress blues to serve as a pallbearer and escort his best friend’s remains from Dover Air Force Base to Arlington National Cemetery. Spencer’s younger sister, Gwyneth Collart, felt instant chemistry. Her parents saw it too… Gwyneth Collart and Waser married July 6 in Arlington and held their reception at Top of the Town, a ballroom that has a terrace overlooking Arlington National Cemetery.” [Associated Press, YouTube]
County Fair Starts Today — “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.” [ARLnow]
School Board Mulls Budget Changes — “School leaders are working sooner rather than later to address the possibility that the good times might stop rolling. School Board members and top school-system staff in July gathered in a retreat setting to take ‘a very strategic look’ at budgeting going forward, Superintendent Francisco Durán said at the Aug. 1 School Board meeting.” [Gazette Leader]
Weenie Beenie Anniversary — “A business in Arlington County, Virginia, may have the funny name of “Weenie Beenie,” but it has a serious reputation for cooking up wildly popular food. This year, the eatery is celebrating its 70th anniversary, having been around since 1954.” [WTOP]
VSP Steps Up I-66 Enforcement — “The Virginia State Police Culpeper and Fairfax Divisions will be conducting Operation DISS-rupt on all 76 miles of Interstate 66 in Virginia on August 16-17, 2024. The traffic enforcement and educational safety initiative focuses on Distracted driving, Impaired driving, Speed compliance and Seat belt safety.” [Press Release]
Local Home Sales Flat — “Both sales and average sales prices in Arlington’s single-family homes market in July were as flat as could be compared to a year before. The 78 sales of single-family properties represented no change from a year before. The average sales price of $1,413,294 was up less than $1,000 (.07%) from a year ago.” [Gazette Leader]
F.C. Asks for Special Election — “At its Monday, August 12, 2024, City Council meeting, the Council voted to petition the Arlington Circuit Court to allow a Special Election, concurrent with the General and Special Elections on November 5, 2024, to fill the vacancy after the resignation of former Council Member Caroline Lian.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny conditions with a high near 86 and a north wind of 5 to 8 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 66 and a light northwest wind. [NWS]
Lightning finish a close second in two postseason meets
They didn’t sweep the four league championships like in so many past summer swimming seasons, but the Washington Golf & Country Club Lightning still captured one big title.
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.”
A 40-year-old Maryland man who was arrested at an Arlington hotel has pleaded guilty to a federal weapon charge.
The Waldorf resident was arrested Feb. 27 “at a hotel in Arlington County on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation following a drug distribution conviction in the District of Columbia,” according to a U.S. Dept. of Justice press release.
Rosslyn Development Delay — “While Rosslyn Plaza’s office occupancy has fallen to less than a third, the owners’ plans for the site, approved eight years ago for major mixed-use redevelopment, have been stalled for years… One building was approved at 240 feet tall, another at 275 feet tall and third at 300 feet tall. Two were given the go-ahead to reach 390 feet tall. While that approved plan won’t expire until the decade is out, it’s doubtful that today’s market could support that much new office space.” [Washington Business Journal]
Airplane Noise Lower in D.C. — “Northwest D.C. is seeing relief from airplane noise — thanks to a new flight path implemented by the FAA… The FAA’s new flight path has airplanes landing at DCA track more closely over the Potomac River. Previously, they frequently flew over Palisades, Foxhall Village, and part of Georgetown.” [Axios]
Smart Cities Launch in F.C. — “Today, the City of Falls Church, in collaboration with Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute (VTTI) Division for Technology Implementation, officially kicked off the first phase of the Smart Cities Program… The $10 million technology investment for intersection modernization and smart intersection deployment will implement innovative technologies from VTTI.” [City of Falls Church]
Endorsement for Fierro — “Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has endorsed GOP Arlington County Board candidate Juan Carlos Fierro.” [Gazette Leader]
Warner Warning About Discord — “Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) pressed Discord, an instant messaging social platform, about the company’s failure to safeguard minors and stop the proliferation of violent predatory groups who target children with the goal of forcing them to end their own lives and livestream the act online.” [Press Release]
Coding Summer Camp — “Since the inception of the organization, Black Girls Code has engaged with 30,000 girls… Over the last six months, the group has engaged with over 2,500 girls live and 300 girls in summer camps. Summer campers were ages 11 to 13. A D.C.-area camp was held at the Mastercard Tech Hub in Arlington, Virginia.” [WTOP]
Show Opens in Arlington — “A Number is a riveting 2002 play by the award-winning British playwright Caryl Churchill. It’s been given as remarkable a production by Edge of the Universe Theater in association with Avant Bard Theatre… A Number plays through September 1, 2024 (Thursdays through Sundays)… at Gunston Arts Center Theatre II, 2700 S. Lang St.” [DC Theater Arts]
It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 83 degrees and a gentle northwest wind at 6 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear, with lows near 65 degrees. [NWS]
