This past Sunday marked the 7th anniversary of the launch of ARLnow.com. Above is the first photo we ever published, showing Crystal Drive in Crystal City during the 2009 “Snowpocalypse.”
Seven years later, we’re still going strong and providing up-to-the-minute, on-the-ground coverage of breaking news and important community stories — plus local opinions, event listings, photo essays and the occasional light feature or weird news story.
Yesterday, Governor McAuliffe was in town to announce that Nestlé USA is moving its corporate headquarters to Arlington in September of this year. Finally, the long-vacant 1812 building will have a major tenant, which is certainly good news for Arlington’s commercial vacancy rate.
The move is touted as a $40 million investment by Nestlé USA. However, it does not come without a cost to Arlington taxpayers. The company will receive a $6 million grant from the Commonwealth Opportunity Fund, a $4 million grant from Arlington, and a commitment to $2 million in Arlington spending on infrastructure as well as “extensive relocation assistance” from Arlington County.
By: Jill Caiazzo
I have often questioned the effectiveness of marches. This confession might be surprising, coming from one of the organizers of the Arlington Democrats’ participation in the Women’s March on Washington. Marches can be large, fun affairs — but also somewhat unfocused. Even in their most focused form, marches by themselves rarely result in concrete change. They may succeed in sending a message to those in power, but the likelihood of future action based on that message seems low. So, why march?
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.
ARLnow.com reported last week that local developer James Burch proposes to “build a 325-foot Space-Needle-like tourist destination, dubbed the Spirit of America Tower, in Rosslyn.”
Whether you’re single or in a relationship, V-Day is a day to plan.
For those in relationships, do you stay home and plan a romantic dinner, or go out and pay a premium at a nice restaurant?
The weekend is here and not a moment too soon for us here at ARLnow.com.
After all, it’s been a busy week. The top five most-read recent news stories this week were:
Meeting the transportation needs of both Arlington’s residents and the greater region is no easy task. And Metro’s problems have only made it harder. While there is no doubt our county leaders take the issue seriously, they do often make decisions that can leave Arlingtonians scratching their heads.
1. Planning to spend $575,000 for each bus stop on Columbia Pike.
Last weekend’s Women’s March on Washington saw hundreds of thousands of people gather in Washington and millions more around the country and the world to show their concern about the direction of our country and their commitment to progressive values and actions.
That commitment and the resulting sense of empowerment will now be carried forward to address federal, state, and local issues – especially those of government overreach.
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.
As ARLnow.com previously reported, Representative Don Beyer’s office announced earlier this month that the FAA had scrapped a proposal to transition to a new departure procedure for northbound planes leaving National Airport. The proposed path, known as “LAZIR B,” would direct flights directly over Rosslyn, moving planes further away from Georgetown and restricted airspace around the National Mall.
In the meantime, the outgoing president, Barack Obama, is leaving town for a well-earned California vacation — but only temporarily, as the Obamas be back and taking up residence in northwest D.C.
During his presidency, Obama visited Arlington a number of times. Will President Trump also make his way to Arlington County, which overwhelmingly voted against him in November? Time will tell.
This week’s announcement that residential real estate assessments are up again was not a surprise. The average homeowner will pay an additional 2.3% in taxes for 2017 unless the County Board reduces the tax rate.
This 2.3% assessment increase comes despite the average home sales price only ticking up by 0.3% in 2016 over 2015. Assessments increased by 2.8% in 2016 as well.
By: Kip Malinosky
Democrats must be an effective, aggressive opposition party to President-Elect Trump. When President Obama was elected 8 years ago with nearly 10 million more votes than Senator McCain, in the face of the worst economic crisis in 80 years, Republicans settled on a strategy of total congressional opposition to his agenda.
