Fire Works Pizza Opens in Courthouse — The much-anticipated Fire Works Pizza has finally opened its doors and its large outdoor patio. A “healthy” crowd showed up for the first night, writes TBD’s Rebecca Cooper.
New APS Teachers and Staff Getting Ready For New School Year — This week, all new Arlington Public Schools employees are undergoing a comprehensive training program to prepare them for the fast-approaching school year. School starts on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
Three-Year-Old Boy Drowns Near Chain Bridge — The Arlington County Fire Department pulled the lifeless body of a 3-year-old boy from the Potomac River yesterday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at Virginia Hospital Center. The boy had been picnicking with his family near Chain Bridge when he somehow ended up in the water. More from TBD/ABC 7.
Alaska Plane Crash Survivor from Arlington Back in Va. — Friends and family were on hand at Dulles Airport to welcome Arlington resident Jim Morhard back to Virginia. The 54-year-old lobbyist is still recovering from injuries he sustained in the plane crash that killed former Alaska senator Ted Stevens. More from WUSA 9.
At a community chat hosted by the African American Leadership Council of Arlington Wednesday night, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy was asked about the changing demographics of the school population.
According to Dr. Murphy, school administrators have observed the following trends:
This year, 16 Arlington schools met federal AYP targets — down one from last year. The remaining 14 schools failed to meet AYP.
The neighboring Falls Church and Alexandria City school systems also failed to meet AYP. Fairfax County was the only school system in Northern Virginia to get a passing grade.
From 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Dr. Murphy will talk about “a wide range of school-related topics,” and will answer questions from those in attendance.
The gathering, part of Dr. Murphy’s summer chat series, is being hosted by the African American Leadership Council of Arlington. Space is limited — call 703-228-2581 to RSVP.
Believe it or not, it’s almost back-to-school time. With August just around the corner, the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless is seeking volunteers to help the children of homeless families get some new gear.
Specifically, AACH wants individuals or groups to commit to buying a complete outfit — pants, shirt, underwear, socks, shoes — for an individual student. The organization is also accepting donations of gift cards.
On a per student basis, Arlington is spending more on administrative functions and less on instruction than almost every other school district in Northern Virginia, reports Michael Lee Pope of the Arlington Connection.
Here’s an excerpt:
Q: What’s round, inflated and costing an insurance company $150,000?
A: The soccer ball that hit a sprinkler in a Washington-Lee High School hallway and ruined the brand new gym.
From 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, the Friends and the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club will be holding a marathon session of planetarium shows, to be followed by a chance to look at real stars through NOVAC’s telescopes.
The stargazing will take place outside the planetarium (1426 North Quincy Street). The County will shut off the lights at the nearby Washington-Lee High School track so the dark sky will be visible.
Perhaps sensing that a mascot who talks to children while wearing a trench coat with nothing underneath is a bit suspect, the new McGruff now sports a shirt and tie, along with less frumpy-looking slacks and shoes.
In addition to a new look, McGruff has a new mission: to help prevent bullying. And who better to talk about bullying than someone who got punched in the face by a Metrobus driver?
Virginia Won’t Cut Off Money to Metro — Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton says the $50 million per year the state pledges to Metro will not be cut off, after all. Connaughton had threatened to stop the annual payment unless the state were granted two seats on Metro’s Board of Directors. But after an outcry from local leaders, and a letter from Metro board members Chris Zimmerman (who’s also on the Arlington County board) and Catherine Hudgins, Connaughton and the McDonnell administration apparently had a change of heart. More from the Washington Post.
Career Center Wins State Accolade — The Arlington Career Center’s Automotive Technology Program has won the 2010 Virginia Governor’s Career and Technical Education Exemplary Standards Award. The program will receive $5,000 cash and a banner to display on the school.
Not bad for a grassroots community organization. But in order to meet the first fundraising goal set by superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy, the group will have to raise another $158,620 over the next 100 days. In order to meet the final goal, the group will need to raise another $400,000 over the next year.
The daunting goal is more than the group thinks it needs to raise to upgrade the 40-year-old planetarium. School officials have included a $162,000 dome replacement in the cost — an expense the group disagrees with. Instead of squabbling over the dome, however, organizer Raphael Perrino says the group has decided to focus on raising money.
