News

Closed Cafe’s Investment Intrigue — “Former Rāko Coffee partners and even the co-founders are owed significant sums of money by the investors, who are based in Dubai… Murtha and Jain had a national vision for Rāko and wanted to aggressively expand the business, according to former leaders of the company who spoke with Huddle. They ousted Gerban, who co-founded the brand with her sister, from leadership and cut her out of discussions of the business expansion.” [Politico]

Copious Christmas Decor No More — “Calvin and Elinor Marcey have been decorating their home at 1610 North Abingdon Street, in Arlington, Virginia, since 1969. It’s one of those houses that people talk about and want to see every Christmas… Visitors learned things were changing from a framed letter the Marcey couple left on a table on their porch next to a train set and a red stocking. In it, Calvin Marcey explains this will be the last year for their renowned display because he needs to focus his attention on his wife’s care.” [WTOP]

Car Thefts in East Falls Church — “The reporting party had returned to their vehicle and found the door ajar, the vehicle rummaged through and personal items stolen. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered eight additional vehicles had been rummaged through with no items reported stolen, one vehicle had a window damaged and one vehicle was reported stolen.” [ACPD]

Reflecting on Arlington’s HQ Wins — “Both moves have a symbolic feel given no large staff changes or office expansions coincided with either, but the cachet it delivers for the region as the premier place for contractors can have a ‘broader multiplier effect,’ luring more employers in the defense industry supply chain, according to Jack McDougle, CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. McDougle said at the time he sees the Raytheon and Boeing moves as a sign the D.C. region is ‘starting to really come into our own’ as a tech startup region.” [Washington Business Journal]

Police Recruits Graduate — “The Arlington County Police Department is committed to recruiting individuals from all backgrounds who possess the necessary qualifications to serve our diverse and inclusive community. Session 147 reflects this commitment and consists of nine men and five women. They hail from six different states, Costa Rica, Nepal and England. Thirteen of the officers hold higher education degrees, including two with advanced degrees. Two officers are military veterans, having served in the United States Army. Session 147 includes officers fluent in Spanish, Nepali and American Sign Language.” [ACPD]

Vacuum Leaf Collection Ends — From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: “Crews have wrapped up scheduled leaf vacuuming across Arlington. Still raking? Use the green cart (also for food scraps) and paper bags for year-round weekly curbside pick-up. Plastic bags can’t be composted/collected.” [Twitter]

Long Bridge Pool Closed — “Due to an unanticipated maintenance issue and, out of an abundance of caution, Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation has temporarily closed the 50-meter competition pool at Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work to re-open the 50-meter pool as soon as possible. The leisure pool and all other amenities at the center are available.” [Arlington County]

New Historic Preservation Fund — “It’s full steam ahead for the Arlington County government’s efforts to establish a new funding pot for community-based historic-preservation projects. County Board members on Dec. 17 formalized guidelines and other paperwork related to the new Historic Preservation Fund, which was created last spring with a $150,000 infusion of taxpayer cash.” [Sun Gazette]