This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Janice Chen, Esq., and Victoria Khaydar, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
American immigration courts are civil, not criminal. Failure to appear in immigration court is not a criminal offense. If you fail to appear in criminal court, you can expect a bench warrant to be issued for your arrest, and you may later be charged with Failure to Appear. Immigration judges lack the power to order arrest, and failure to appear in immigration court is not a crime. So, how are immigrants incentivized to show up in court? It’s simple. If you show up for your court date, you have a chance of winning; if you don’t show up, you will be instantaneously ordered removed in absentia, and your chances of ever getting the case reopened are slim.
Until recently, therefore, the game-theoretical calculus was simple. The upside of appearing in court was that you might win; if you lose, you might be ordered removed. The downside of appearing in court was that, if you lost, you might fear being arrested and detained. But, again, until recently, the risk of detention at immigration court was slight.(more…)
Looking for the perfect place to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Arlington? Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar warmly invites you to join us for a special evening filled with delicious Thai food, handcrafted drinks, and a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.
Valentine’s Day is all about sharing meaningful moments with the people you love. Whether you’re planning a romantic date night, celebrating with friends, or enjoying time with family, Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar is the perfect place to gather, relax, and enjoy authentic Thai flavors made with heart.
Our menu features bold and vibrant Thai favorites, from comforting classics like Pad Thai and rich curries to fresh, flavorful salads and signature grilled dishes. Pair your meal with one of our handcrafted cocktails or refreshing drinks to make your night even more memorable.
Make this Valentine’s Day extra special with a warm dining experience, beautiful flavors, and great company.
Reservations are highly recommended for Valentine’s Day.
We look forward to celebrating love with you at Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar!
February is Black History Month, and this year theSmall Business Coordinating Council will spotlight the State of Black Entrepreneurship with three dynamic speakers: Eric Alston and William Mitchell ofWACIF, and Darin Cox, owner ofThe Peach Cobbler Factory in Washington, D.C.
Over the past decade, the growth of Black-owned businesses has been remarkable. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of Black-owned employer firms rose 56.9%, adding more than 70,000 new businesses. In 2022 alone, these firms generated $212 billion in revenue and paid $61 billion in salaries. Black women continue to lead the nation in business creation, driving a 71.6% increase in black-female–owned firms during that same five-year span.
But despite this momentum, black entrepreneurship is at a pivotal crossroads. Innovation and new business formation remain strong, yet recent federal rollbacks, tighter capital access and shifting corporate commitments in 2025 have created new challenges. Among the most significant setbacks:
Federal support for disadvantaged businesses declined sharply, jeopardizing an estimated $10 billion to $15 billion in annual resources for black-owned firms.
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) faced efforts to dismantle it, undermining a key source of long-standing business support.
Reduced funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) further limited access to affordable capital which had already been a barrier for many black-owned firms.
With higher barriers to financing and fewer federal procurement opportunities, local initiatives now play an even more critical role in building an inclusive economic ecosystem.
Contact Prakriti Deuja at [email protected] to get more info on joining us in person or online on Feb. 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. for this timely discussion. Learn how local communities are stepping up to support one of the fastest-growing segments of entrepreneurs — and how you can be part of that progress.
Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!
Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.
As of February 2, there are 120 detached homes, 21 townhouses and 169 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 18 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.
Summer planning just got a whole lot easier. Arlington’s Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR)2026 Summer Camp Catalog is live, featuring fun and engaging experiences for kids and teens across ten weeks of camp from June through August—with something for every interest and age group. Whether your camper loves nature, creative arts, sports, or something else—DPR has you covered with a wide range of summer options designed to keep kids active, learning, and having fun.
Registration Dates & What to Know
To help families plan ahead, camp registration opens in phases based on camp type. (more…)
This regularly scheduled sponsored column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Questions: What design trends are you seeing in the residential market?
Answer: Every year our marketing department does a deep dive into home design trends that multiple local and national design experts say to look for each year. Some of these trends last just a year or two, others take hold for a decade. Often, these trends reintroduce styles from decades ago, with small tweaks.
You can click this link to browse the full 2026 Design Trends e-booklet from RLAH Real Estate. I’ve pulled out a few highlights and personal favorites below…
Color of the Year
Pantone: Cloud Dancer (11-4201). An “airy, ethereal white that embodies tranquility and gentle balance in a fast-moving world”.
Benjamin Moore: Silhouette (AF-655). A “rich and expressive hue” that blends burnished umber with subtle charcoal undertones.
Behr: Hidden Gem (N430-6A). A “moody jade infused with smoky depth” that feels both grounding and energized.
Sherwin Williams: Universal Khaki (SW 6150). A modern classic enriched with a soft yellow undertone, bringing warmth and ease to any space
Bring the whole family or your Valentine to enjoy a day of chocolate history, culture, and food at the National Museum of the American Indian, Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 AM – 5 PM.
Visitors can watch as Executive Chef Alex Strong of the museum’s own Mitsitam Cafe shows how she makes some tasty chocolate treats, enjoy performances by dance group Danza Tecuanis, and follow the path from blossom to beverage with an interactive presentation, and make and take a bookmark to remember the day!
SCHEDULE
10 AM-4 PM | Amate Bookmark Activity Made from fig and mulberry bark, amate is a type of paper that has been made and used by Indigenous communities of what is now Mexico for generations. Amate was often used to create codices or folding books. Join our museum educators to make and take home your own amate bookmark.
10:30 AM-5 PM | Blossom to Beverage The Jose Reyes Family (Mixtec) will share the process of turning cacao into chocolate. “Blossom to Beverage” delves deep into cacao, from blooms through ripe cacao pods, and finishes with the frothy beverage we recognize as hot chocolate.
11 AM, 2 PM | Food demonstrations with Executive Chef Alexandra Strong Mitsitam’s executive chef will demonstrate how to make some of her favorite chocolate desserts.
12:30 PM, 3:30 PM | Performances by Danza Tecuanis Local Mixtec dance group Danza Tecuanis fills the Potomac Atrium with movement.
Address:1614 N Jackson Street Neighborhood: Lyon Village Type: 4 BR, 4 (+1 half) BA single-family detached – 3900 sq. ft. Listed: $2,395,000
Noteworthy: Lyon Village home with sunlit interiors, soaring ceilings, and new kitchen.
Nestled in Arlington’s highly coveted Lyon Village, this stunning 2008 farmhouse makes an unforgettable first impression with its expansive covered front porch and timeless curb appeal. Inside, soaring 10-foot ceilings, sun-drenched interiors, and gleaming hardwood floors create a warm, sophisticated welcome. The show stopping custom kitchen—complete with island seating and a walk-in pantry—opens seamlessly to an expansive family room with built-ins and a casual dining area, making it the true heart of the home. The main level is thoughtfully designed for both entertaining and everyday living, featuring a formal dining room with bay window and pocket doors, a private office with pocket doors, and a powder room. A graceful wide staircase leads to the upper level, where three spacious bedrooms each enjoy their own ensuite bath. The luxurious primary suite boasts two walk-in closets and a spa-inspired bath with a new double vanity, oversized shower, and soaking tub, along with the convenience of a bedroom-level laundry room. The fully finished basement offers exceptional flexibility with a fourth bedroom and full bath ideal for guests, a recreation room, a mudroom just off the garage, and abundant storage. A one-car attached garage, EV charging station, solar panels and inviting outdoor patio complete this exceptional residence. All just blocks from Clarendon’s vibrant shopping, dining, and Metro access—this is Arlington living at its finest.
Perhaps you have considered veneers, but a nagging thought is holding you back – what if they look…fake? That is a healthy concern and my heart breaks when I meet people with identical, blocky veneers. Natural-looking veneers require subtlety, balance and harmony.
I begin by studying the patient’s unique facial structures, including cheekbones, lips, smile lines and how the teeth naturally show. I consider resting and full smiles and carefully listen to the patient’s goals. These details act as a map to ensure the veneers fit naturally and enhance the patient’s appearance.
Next, a diagnostic mockup is created so the patient can “try on” veneers to see if the proposed result matches the desired smile. We then combine unmatched artistry and experience with advanced technology to achieve stunning yet natural looking results. (more…)
Address:1723 N Barton Street Neighborhood: Lyon Village Type: 6 BR, 5 (+1 half) BA single-family detached – 5397 sq. ft. Listed: $3,195,000
Noteworthy: Built in 2018, yet presenting with the polish of new construction.
Built in 2018, yet presenting with the polish of new construction, this exceptional Lyon Village residence offers refined luxury living across 5,397 finished square feet. Situated in one of North Arlington’s most premier neighborhoods, the home provides unparalleled convenience to Washington, D.C., and the vibrant Clarendon Corridor, combining an enviable location with sophisticated, modern design. Spanning four levels, the residence delivers an unmatched lifestyle of comfort, elegance, and functionality.
A gracious foyer welcomes you inside, flanked by a formal dining room and a sun-drenched study, perfectly designed for both entertaining and everyday living. Throughout the home, rich hardwood floors, detailed millwork, and high-end Roman shades complement abundant natural light. The heart of the home is a stunning family room anchored by a gas fireplace and enhanced with coffered ceilings, flowing seamlessly to a show-stopping gourmet kitchen featuring top-tier appliances, including a Sub-Zero refrigerator and 6-burner Wolf range. An oversized island, butler’s pantry with a walk-in pantry and dry bar, and access to the formal dining room create an ideal setting for entertaining.
The upper level offers four generously sized bedrooms, including a serene primary suite with tray ceilings, two walk-in closets, and a spa-inspired bath with marble floors, dual vanities, freestanding tub, and oversized shower. The top floor features an expansive bedroom with National Cathedral views, while the finished lower level adds recreation, bonus, and guest spaces. With a charming front porch, private backyard, and detached garage, this remarkable residence combines elevated finishes and timeless design in one extraordinary home.
Few things are more comforting in cold weather than steaming hot cocoa or mulled cider. For a unique mug to sip from, and other locally made art pieces, consider the creations by the resident artists at The Studios at Arlington Arts. Located at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Dr., Arlington, Virginia.
Located in the Arlington Arts campus in the Four Mile Run area, the Studios serve as a new home for the professional resident artists of the former LAC Studios on Langston Boulevard. Their creations encompass not only mugs, but all manners of ceramics, prints, paintings and even jewelry. Artists celebrated the holiday season in their new space with the annual Holiday Sale in December. Follow the Studios on Arlington Arts’ social media and watch this space for info about their Spring Sale on May 2.
Meanwhile, it’s still too cold for a long walk or bike ride, so consider warming up inside of Arlington’s art galleries. Here’s a look at what’s happening in a gallery near you.
Anchored by a symbolic house frame and a shared kitchen table, the exhibition blurs the boundaries between personal and collective space. The Prescription is HOME positions home as both sanctuary and catalyst — where connection, care and transformation begin. Created by artist Melani N. Douglass in collaboration with community members, the exhibition reimagines the home as a site of healing, cultural memory and collective care. Through participatory installations, visitors are invited to contribute personal stories, photographs and recipes, shaping an evolving communal archive.
Studio Pause
Interactive Art Activations, Columbia Pike
Dictionaries and news organizations look back over the past year and come up with lists of words that identify the zeitgeist. Here are five that came up on various lists for 2025: slop, rage bait, aura farming, agentic, delulu. Bring four or five words that you identify, we’ll mix them together and see what poetry we can generate.
LouLou returns to mark-making in this new body of work created over the past year and a half, with a bolder exploration of marks and materials, collage and color, books and banners. The work traces themes of chaos, change and identity
Strength Through Stories Arlington Artists Alliance through Feb. 28, Alliance Gallery, Clarendon
The Arlington Artists Alliance is proud to celebrate the creativity and service of our local veteran artists. In honor of America 250, the Alliance will kick off 2026 by spotlighting artists who have both served in the military and engage in the arts to express their unique experiences. With no set theme, the show invites open artistic expression — reflecting the individuality, resilience and imagination of those who have served. As a community initiative, the Alliance will give 100% of art sales directly to the artist.
Operated by the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, the Innovation Studio + Store hosts a series of six- to eight-week Artist Residencies. The artist develops and creates work, interacts with the public and shares about their artistic practice and process. Drop in to meet the artist, learn more and even engage in making art alongside them.
JD Deardourff creates bold, graphic, bittersweet compositions that riff on traditional genres of landscape, still-life and portraiture. He employs innovative rhythms and his signature blazing palette to his screenprints, murals, paintings and collages; drawing inspiration from the vocabulary of comic books; exaggeration, energy, movement, contour line, the interplay of sequential images and, most importantly, artificial color.
Tim Davis: Conversations Fred Schnider Gallery Artist Talk: Saturday, Feb. 7, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Exhibition: through Feb. 28, Ballston
Davis is the founder of International Visions Gallery and Consultancy, where he encourages cross-cultural engagement with diverse collections of artists from the Washington, D.C. area and underrepresented parts of the global community. As an artist, educator and curator, Davis believes art can be used to make statements, engage, inspire and take action for the growth of, history and identity of people everywhere. Enjoy an “Artist Talk” with Tim Davis and curator David Carlson on Saturday, Feb. 7.
In Essential Arlington, photographer Mac Cosgrove-Davies captures portraits of people whose labor, care and expertise keep the community of Arlington running. They support the infrastructure and services that allow everyone who lives, works or just visits Arlington to go about their daily lives.
The project highlights workers in Arlington County departments such as Environmental Services, Fire, Police, and Parks and Recreation, as well as private sector workers providing core services such as food supply, medicine and funeral services. This selection of workers is meant to be representative of the broad range of essential workers employed in the County. With this project Cosgrove-Davies seeks to honor “those whose jobs are essential for what makes Arlington tick, but who are rarely given credit for their contribution.”
Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!
Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.
As of January 26, there are 123 detached homes, 24 townhouses and 175 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 7 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:
Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Janice Chen, Esq., and Victoria Khaydar, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
