Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Arlington County Republican Committee is trying to reinvigorate its precinct operations in the lead-up to November’s general election.
“Arlington Republicans are rebuilding our precinct operations from the ground up, recruiting members and volunteers to take responsibility over organizing neighborhoods, connecting with voters and communicating our Republican principles to thousands of Arlingtonians,” said Frederick Tarantino, who has been tapped by the Arlington Republican leadership to lead the effort.
New tech allowing Metro users to pay their fare by tapping debit or credit cards is receiving good grades from local leaders.
At a meeting last week, representatives on the Metropolitan Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA) board of directors said the new “Tap-Ride-Go” initiative will benefit both regular and infrequent users of the regional system.
This regularly scheduled 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].
Thank you to all who have served and to the families who have sacrificed or lost loved ones for our freedom. I hope you and yours have a special Memorial Day weekend with friends and family to celebrate our country and those we’ve lost defending it.
The Eli Residential Group donates annually to Arlington-based TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) in honor of Memorial Day. Since 1994, TAPS has provided comfort and hope 24/7 to those grieving a death in the military or veteran community, through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones.
If you are interested in donating to a great charity this Memorial Day, TAPS is a four-star rated charity on Charity Navigator with 87.5% of funds raised going towards program expenses.
Eli and his team believe that your real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for their clients through real advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.
Courthouse Metro station platform (courtesy George Brazier)
New Aviation Bill — “U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine… [introduced] the Safe Operation of Shared Airspace Act of 2025 to strengthen aviation safety. The legislation follows Warner and Kaine’s years-long advocacy against further crowding in the capital area airspace – which will continue – and comes in direct response to the January 29, 2025 collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional commercial jet.” [Press Release]
Coffey on Housing — “Housing is THE issue for most young people (especially in nova!!) It is tied so fundamentally to your job opportunities, your mental health, social connection, & so much more Having a governor who is interested in investing in *building more housing* is huge.” [Maureen Coffey/X]
W&OD Trail Trimming Plan — “In Arlington County, four dead deodar cedar trees will be removed near the intersection of South Oxford Street and South Four Mile Run Drive. At the request of Arlington County, invasive bamboo near Glencarlyn Park will be removed, according to Dominion.” [WTOP]
Economic Worries in F.C. — “No one at the meeting chaired by former City Council member Ross Litkenhous had any solid data to report, but some anecdotal evidence was not good. One board member said that she’d heard from a couple of local restaurant owners that their business is way down, especially their lunch business.” [FCNP]
Va. ‘Culinary Maturity’ Questioned — “The colors emphasize each state’s “culinary maturity,” according to an email from Michelin… Notably, Michelin has Virginia in a medium shade of blue — lighter than the dark blue for Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee — suggesting the group views the state’s restaurant scene as not yet fully mature.” [Axios]
It’s Monday — Patchy fog will clear by 10am, followed by cloudy skies that will gradually clear with a high near 82 and calm southeast winds around 6 mph in the afternoon. Monday night brings a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 11pm, with increasing clouds and a low around 68. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Mental health shapes how we lead, love, work, parent, communicate, and show up in the world—yet too often, these conversations stay hidden.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, join local nonprofit Rock Recovery for Strength Not Stigma—an unforgettable evening of honest conversation, community, and impact.
St. Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington is hosting its monthly run & walk social on June 18th (Thursday) at 6:30pm. The 3 or 4 mile run (or walk) will start in the back parking lot (off N. Stafford St.) and end at St. Agnes. Participants can enjoy complimentary pizza afterwards. Drinks are BYOB. Extra points if you wear Catholic school swag. Thank you Father Oetjen, who started off our May run from Court House to/from the Marine Corps War Memorial with a prayer (and ran a competitive pace). Also, thank you to the Notre Dame and Georgetown alumni who wore their schools’ colors!
Please RSVP at the link, so we know how much pizza to get. Thank you!
Isabelle Young-Smith holds the state championship trophy (courtesy of Wakefield crew)
Growing up, Isabelle Young-Smith participated in many different sports. Among them: Dance, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, lacrosse and basketball.
But when she entered Wakefield High School as a freshman and took up another — crew — it significantly changed her interest in athletics and, in some ways, life as well.
Horace Willis, far left, will be W-L's new head girls basketball coach (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
Horace Willis, a staff member at Washington-Liberty High School for 28 years, recently was hired to be the head coach of the school’s girls varsity basketball team.
Williams — known to most as “Buck” — takes over for Maddy DeCou. She left after two seasons in the position to become an assistant coach on the staff at nearby Marymount University.
