Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.
On Jan. 9, Virginia House of Delegates member Michael Webert (R-Fauquier) offered legislation (HB 1886) that would, if enacted, establish:
The first weekend of 2019 is set to be a warm and wet one.
The forecast is calling for a whole lot of rain to move into the D.C. area starting tonight, and lingering into Saturday as well. At least temperatures will shoot up into the 50s for most of the weekend.
Arlington’s School Board is set to pick a new name for Washington-Lee High School next week, putting an end to the simmering debate over how to best strip Robert E. Lee’s name from the building.
The Board voted in June to remove the Confederate general’s name from the school’s moniker, kicking off months of squabbling over potential new names and even a failed lawsuit seeking to block the change. A renaming committee has recommended “Washington-Loving” to honor the Virginia couple who successfully challenged the state’s ban on interracial marriage, while “Washington-Liberty” earned the support of some committee members as a secondary recommendation.
WMATA announced this week that Metro riders will be able to bring their bikes with them on trains regardless of the time.
The new policy “ends a longstanding restriction that prohibited bicycles during rush hours.” On social media, some celebrated the decision as a win for carless commuters, while others lamented the idea of having to compete for space with bulky bicycles on crowded Metro trains.
On Jan. 2, the County Board held its organizational meeting for 2019 with speeches from each County Board member outlining their priorities for the year. Today, I will focus on the remarks from our current Chairman Christian Dorsey as well as our outgoing Chair Katey Cristol.
Christian Dorsey was elected to take the center seat as chairman for 2019. Early in his remarks, Dorsey did what was expected, set the stage for why a tax rate increase would be necessary, primarily blaming a “depressed” tax base, primarily because of a low commercial vacancy rate.
By James Swindell
One dreary September afternoon, I took the elevator to the top of the recently opened Observation Deck at CEB Tower in Rosslyn. I was surprised to find a well curated experience that highlighted several fascinating stories of our region and showcased a brilliant view of Washington, D.C. As an arts management professional and arts advocate, the views of the Kennedy Center and other national monuments reminded me of the reason why I relocated to this area in the first place: the arts are alive in and around the nation’s capital.
Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.
The 2019 Virginia legislative session begins on Jan. 9.
It may be dreary and cold today, but the final weekend of 2018 should prove to be a pretty one.
The forecast is calling for a sunny Saturday and Sunday, with some slightly warmer temperatures than we’ve seen the last few weeks.
Next week, the County Board will meet for its annual organizational meeting, and it will do so with a new member for the first time since 2016. While the annual tradition of meeting on New Year’s Day seems to be relegated to the past, the tradition of speeches filled with a laundry list of “priorities” is here to stay.
Here are 10 questions the Board should try to answer as they craft their messages to Arlingtonians:
By State Sen. Janet Howell
Last summer my husband Hunt and I spent 11 days in Southside and Southwest Virginia. We had read The Extremes of Virginia by Augie Wallmeyer and realized we really didn’t know the people, cultures and challenges of those regions very well.
In a Dec. 17 interview, County Manager Mark Schwartz, when asked about Arlington County government’s projected $20-$35 million FY 2020 budget deficit, stated:
“For the last [several] years, the commercial market has either been flat or going down. If revenue grows less than your expenses, you already have a gap. Now, add on top of that the obligations to Metro, expansion of Medicaid, public safety pay increases, steady funding for affordable housing and you get to $20-$35 million quickly.”
(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) Since its founding in 2010, ARLnow has kept its focus solely on Arlington.
We often explain that should the Washington Monument topple over one night, our story about it — were we to cover it — would likely come with the headline “Arlington’s View of D.C. Changes.” The basic thinking is that we should cover what we do best and link to the rest — on the internet, there’s no need to spend time doing duplicative coverage of other places.
