Around Town

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub in Clarendon is planning to open a new room in a vacant, adjacent storefront.

The business applied for a permit last week for a commercial addition at 3211 Washington Blvd, formerly home to The Spirits of ’76, an Americana-themed bar that closed in fall 2020.


Sponsored

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.

The government likes to release unpopular items on Friday afternoons, and, when the government has something really unpopular to say, the Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend is considered ideal. Last Friday, before the Memorial Day weekend, USCIS published a truly incredible policy reversal – PM 602-0199 (the “May 21 Memo”), which purports to upend the ability of most foreigners to apply for green cards from within the United States. DHS and USCIS’s respective public messaging on the memorandum is clear but wrong. The memorandum was more nuanced, but still, in our view, deeply misleading. The purpose of this advertorial is to explain what happened, why it matters, and offer some predictions about how this unforced error is going to be resolved.

First, here’s what DHS and USCIS said about their own memo.

What do these press releases mean? They mean to highlight the following distinction: some people apply for a green card from inside the United States, at USCIS field offices; others apply for a green card from outside the United States, at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad. Per both press releases, nearly everyone who applies from inside the U.S. is ineligible to become a lawful permanent resident. Almost everyone who applies for a green card should do so via U.S. Embassies and consulates abroad.

That might seem reasonable, and, ex ante, it could be, if our laws and institutions were set up properly. There are, unfortunately, a few problems with this new policy position, both practical and legal. (more…)


News

Five months after longtime leader Tina Leone stepped away, the Ballston Business Improvement District has named a new chief executive.

Danette Nguyen, formerly of the Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC), will helm the organization starting this Thursday, Dec. 5, the organization announced today.


Announcement

Join the Capitol Hill Chorale for our final concert of the season, “Lamentations Into Joy” on Saturday, May 30th, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 31st, at 4 p.m. at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church.

This concert contains matched pairs of pieces from seven composers, contrasting expressions of sadness and joy. It also features the premiere of a new piece by CHC Composer-in-Residence Kevin Siegfried.


News

Could 2025 be the year Falls Church city leaders decide to allow culling of deer within the community’s 2.2 square miles?

There were hints at a recent meeting that some in top leadership ranks are interested in at least starting a conversation.


Event

A collaborative Summer Solstice gathering hosted by Inner Seasons and Spiritual Enhancements.

The Summer Solstice marks the peak of the sun’s power, the moment in the Wheel of the Year when light is at its fullest expression. In many traditions, this is the season of radiance, visibility, and creative fire. It is the time when nature stands unapologetically in her fullness, inviting us to do the same.


News

Plans to build a new apartment building and townhouse development near Columbia Pike have taken a significant step forward.

The Arlington County Board last month approved use permits for two projects, just a few blocks away from each other, with a total of 104 proposed housing units.


News
Dusk as seen from Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Ballston (staff photo)

WaPo Ed. Board Spotlights Arlington — “There are some signs reform is beginning to happen. A YIMBY — yes in my backyard — movement is scoring victories in places such as Arlington, Virginia, where leaders are pushing to cut zoning rules that bar building townhouses, garden apartments and other affordable housing options.” [Washington Post]

More Clarendon Craziness — From Dave Statter: “EMS called to Bar Bao for someone with a cut head a short time ago. Based on all of the calls for injured people at the place it must be very dangerous inside those doors. At the same time, police have gone twice within a few minutes to Angolino’s Pizza for someone who wouldn’t leave.” [Twitter]

Metrobus Changes — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is moving forward with a service-wide redesign of its bus routes, including in a few areas of Northern Virginia, improving where people want to travel and simplifying services by the summer… The proposal… consolidates and streamlines service between Shirlington and South Fairlington.” [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny conditions with a high of around 38 degrees and a northwest wind between 7 and 9 mph. For Monday night, the sky will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to a low of around 26 degrees while the northwest wind continues at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are presented by Industrious. As members, we love how their fully-serviced offices let us focus on our work, without sweating the small stuff like coffee runs or printer maintenance. Discover their convenient Metro-accessible Arlington locations and see why ARLnow has called Industrious home for years.


Sports

Its best football season in decades ended for the Washington-Liberty Generals Saturday afternoon (Nov. 30) with a loss in the championship game of the 6D North Region tournament.

The second-seeded and previously undefeated high-school team fell to the host and top seed Madison Warhawks, 48-21, in Vienna. Also undefeated entering the game, Madison improved to 13-0 and won its fifth straight region crown.


Sports

The second annual Braylon Meade Basketball Classic has been expanded to include more varsity high-school teams, both girls and boys.

This year, eight teams will participate in four non-district contests played at Washington-Liberty High School on Saturday, Dec. 14. The W-L and Yorktown High girls and boys teams are among those competing.


Around Town

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Nov 29, 2024.

Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.

  1. BREAKING: Children struck in crosswalk after crash on Carlin Springs Road (17018 views)
  2. JUST IN: Mister Days has reopened in Clarendon (7745 views)
  3. Jury acquits Arlington father charged in death of 3-month-old (6215 views)
  4. An NYC-based French cafe is coming to Courthouse (5035 views)
  5. Arlington County forecasting $30-40 million budget gap (4954 views)
  6. National sandwich chain plans expansion into Arlington in 2025 (4169 views)
  7. Morning Notes for November 25, 2024 (2920 views)
  8. New Indian restaurant offers clay oven cooking on Langston Blvd (2904 views)
  9. Melwood’s development plan evolves, but neighbors remain unmoved (2666 views)
  10. Proposed traffic light on S. Glebe Road takes another step forward (2626 views)
  11. Poll: Best bakery in Arlington (3003 views)
  12. Local homebrew and winemaking shop to close this month (2399 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

Here are the events planned for Sunday:

☀️ Saturday’s forecast

Expect sunny skies with a high around 38 degrees and a west wind ranging from 9 to 11 mph, gusting up to 21 mph. For Saturday night, clouds will increase as temperatures drop to around 27 degrees. The west wind will be around 5 mph, gradually becoming light and variable. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
– Nelson Mandela

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋