Opinion | ARLnow.com

Morning Poll: Should Washington-Lee HS Be Renamed?

Published August 13, 2013 at 8:35AM

Virginia Square resident John Schachter said Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general during the Civil War, deserves “no positive recognition for his appalling record [of] treason, racism, hatred and dishonor,” according to the Sun Gazette.

Despite his impassioned plea, School Board members seemed unmoved and even the head of the Arlington branch of the NAACP was “at best ambivalent” about the idea — preferring to stay “focused on dealing with current issues, not reopening old ones,” the Sun Gazette reported.

The Right Note: Ten Things to Talk to Your County Board About in August

By Mark Kelly

Published August 8, 2013 at 2:30PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

You may have some questions of your own, but here are ten suggested topics to talk to County Board Members about this month in anticipation of their final four meetings of the year:

Peter’s Take: Mr. Cuccinelli, Un-ring That Bell

By Peter Rousselot

Published August 8, 2013 at 1:45PM

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.

By contrast, Governor wannabe Ken Cuccinelli insists he has no intention of returning any of the more than $18,000 in gifts he received from the same businessman. Cuccinelli’s “explanation”: the gifts he received (e.g., a catered Thanksgiving dinner, private jet trips, luxury vacation lodging) are the kinds of gifts that literally cannot be returned (unlike McDonnell’s Rolex watch). To quote Cuccinelli, “There are some bells you can’t un-ring”.

Peter’s Take: How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

By ARLnow.com

Published August 1, 2013 at 2:45PM

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 we learned late last Friday, the opening of the Clarendon dog park will be delayed yet again.

The Right Note: Pulling Back the Curtain

By ARLnow.com

Published August 1, 2013 at 2:00PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Having this issue brought to light seemed to be a good bit of common sense to me.

Morning Poll: Two Left Turn Lanes on Wilson in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published July 26, 2013 at 9:45AM

Earlier this summer, county road crews reconfigured the eastbound (downhill) lanes on Wilson Blvd approaching N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn.

Instead of having one lefthand turn lane and two straight through lanes, the middle lane was converted to a second lefthand turn lane.

The Right Note: First Gubernatorial Debate

By Mark Kelly

Published July 25, 2013 at 2:15PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Cuccinelli says that McAuliffe cannot be trusted because his record as a partisan hack means he believes politics is nothing more than playing “let’s make a deal.” Cuccinelli argues McAuliffe’s theory of government puts special interests ahead of the interests of all Virginians.

Peter’s Take: Cuccinelli Reaffirms Hostility to Gay Virginians

By Peter Rousselot

Published July 25, 2013 at 1:30PM

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.

In last week’s debate, Cuccinelli was reminded by moderator Judy Woodruff of his remarks several years ago that “same sex acts are against nature and are harmful to society.” Given the opportunity to say that he has since moderated his views, Cuccinelli instead doubled down, confirming that his views “about the personal challenge of homosexuality haven’t changed.”

Peter’s Take: Super Stop Investigation

By Peter Rousselot

Published July 18, 2013 at 11:15AM | Updated July 18, 2013 at 12:07PM

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.

We now know that in 2003, the County contracted with the consulting firm Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) for Super Stop design work then estimated to cost about $470,000. For that kind of money, the County staff was entitled to go back and forth with HOK on minutiae, but on basics like protection from the rain nobody seemed to be paying attention. The focus on minute details and the contractor’s responsibility for “construction administration” refute the County Board’s attempt to shift blame to WMATA.

The Right Note: A Small Win for Transparency

By Mark Kelly

Published July 18, 2013 at 10:30AM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

This is certainly one part good government transparency, one part heading off as many questions as possible on specific line items, and one part ensuring the budget is carried out by the Superintendent in the way the Board intended. Whatever the impetus was for providing the information, any time taxpayers get a more complete picture of how and why their money is being spent, it is a good thing. Board Member Noah Simon deserves credit for moving the ball forward with his colleagues.

Morning Poll: HOA President’s Dog Poop Proposal

By ARLnow.com

Published July 17, 2013 at 9:30AM

Apparently the HOA president of the Westwind townhouse community near Ballston has had it up to here with dog owners not cleaning up after their pooches. After encountering a wayward turd on the sidewalk, the president, whose name was redacted, sent a letter to residents threatening action.

Specifically, the HOA president proposes installing surveillance cameras and, if that doesn’t lead to the guilty party, using DNA testing to match poops with pups.

Peter’s Take: Parks and Recreation

By ARLnow.com

Published July 11, 2013 at 2:15PM

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.

Recent news about a private developer’s proposal to build a sports and entertainment facility in Alexandria — a facility containing many elements that are “strikingly similar” to Arlington’s planned Aquatics Center — again raises issues for Arlington that are a little bit less fun.