As the holiday season begins, Arlington offers a plethora of opportunities to shop local and support the community.
Here are the top choices for “Best Local Shop in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards. These shops offer unique gift options and one-of-a-kind shopping experiences. See a shop that isn’t listed? Write it in!
Voting will close two weeks from publication time. Make sure to cast your vote for your favorite local shop.
Voting for Best Restaurant for Takeout/Delivery in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on Arlington’s best lunch spot. The results are now official:
Arlington’s real estate market reflects the broader community — it’s diverse, dynamic, and never boring.
This weekend’s local open houses offer a snapshot of Arlington’s wide variety real estate offerings, from affordable condos to multi-million dollar homes. One highlight: a $2 million house with 10” thick, hand-cut granite exterior and interior walls with a custom built wine cellar for 750 bottles.
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…)
The suspect in an alleged porch piracy theft in Bluemont (courtesy anonymous)
Waking up one morning earlier this month, a Bluemont resident found himself down a backpack and a pair of shoes.
The items were airing out on a porch on 6th Street N., having been sprayed with bug spray, and were nowhere to be found come daybreak, the victim told ARLnow. Surveillance footage captured a suspect approaching and walking off with the items after midnight.
Looking to get the pollen all off your car? We bring premium mobile detailing straight to your home or office. Skip the wait and drive something that feels brand new again. We provide interior deep cleans, exterior washes, paint shine, stain removal, and attention to every detail. Reliable, convenient, and built around your schedule.
Book your detail today and let us do all the work!
Bruce Hanson, left, with Yorktown assistant coach Alex Hicks (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
His 300th-win season turned out to be the last for longtime head high-school football coach Bruce Hanson.
The head coach of the Yorktown Patriots decided in recent days to step down from the position he took over in 1985. Hanson also will retire as a phys-ed teacher at the Arlington school.
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.
Office buildings in Crystal City (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The appointed co-heads of a new “Department of Government Efficiency” are hoping to massively cut the federal workforce.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy announced their intention to help President-elect Donald Trump nullify thousands federal regulations. That would then allow “mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy.”
Sun dog with contrails over Virginia Square (courtesy Leslie K.)
Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign — ” This Thanksgiving holiday, the Arlington County Police Department is teaming up with [NHTSA] on the high-visibility Click It or Ticket seat belt awareness campaign. From November 23 to December 1, the law enforcement community will be working together to reduce the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up.” [ACPD]
Thanksgiving Travel Tips — “Almost 80 million people nationwide are expected to travel for Thanksgiving, per a AAA forecast — a record that shatters last year’s traveler record. Plan ahead so your (turkey) feathers don’t get all ruffled while in the security line at DCA or on I-95.” [Axios]
DCA Expects 2025 Passenger Growth — Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority officials are projecting 13.2 million passenger “enplanements” at Reagan National next year, a record total and nearly 11% above pre-pandemic counts. “We have very, very upbeat airline forecasts,” Jack Potter, president/CEO of the authority, said Wednesday as the authority adopted a $829 million budget to cover operations at National and Dulles in 2025. –Scott McCaffrey
Marymount Gears Up for 75th — “Marymount University is preparing to kick off its 75th anniversary celebrations that will begin in January 2025 and last throughout the year. Since it was founded as Virginia’s first Catholic college… in 1950, Marymount has transformed from a two-year college for women into a nationally ranked, comprehensive university.” [Marymount University]
Strike Averted at Local Hotels — “Hotel workers at four Northern Virginia Hilton hotels voted overwhelmingly last week to ratify a new four-year contract with historic wage gains of over 19 percent… [The agreement] became official during last week’s ratification votes at each of the four hotels: Hilton National Landing, Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, Doubletree Crystal City, and Embassy Suites Crystal City.” [Press Release]
New CEO for AWLA — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Lauren Lipsey as its new President & CEO. Lauren will officially begin her new role on November 22, 2024, succeeding Sam Wolbert, who will be moving from the area and stepping down on December 15, 2024.” [Press Release]
AFAC’s Meng Honored — For his service as CEO of the Arlington Food Assistance Center over the past 17 years, Charlie Meng on Wednesday was presented with the Inter-Service Club Council of Arlington’s 2024 Community Leader Award. Beyond leading the AFAC staff, “Charlie gives back so much to the community,” said Jeff Englander, who presented the award. –Scott McCaffrey
Gov. Takes on Kids & Phones — “Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued Executive Order 43, Empowering and Supporting Parents to Protect Their Children from Addictive Social Media & Establishment of the Reclaiming Childhood Task Force, to tackle a critical aspect of Virginia’s youth mental health crisis, the unrestricted use of cell phones and addictive social media platforms.” [Press Release]
It’s Friday — Scattered snow showers will transition to rain and snow showers between 11am and noon, followed by likely rain showers after noon. Expect increasing clouds, a high of 44, and a west wind at 10-15 mph with gusts up to 24 mph. Precipitation chance stands at 70% with negligible snow accumulation. For Friday night, anticipate scattered showers before 10pm, and then a gradual shift to partly cloudy skies with a low of 38. West wind will persist around 14 mph with gusts up to 24 mph, while the precipitation chance decreases to 40%. [NWS]
County Manager Mark Schwartz (Arlington County screenshot)
Employees of the Arlington County government may soon feel an additional set of eyes watching over any employment moonlighting they might be doing.
County Manager Mark Schwartz on Tuesday (Nov. 19) told County Board members he was considering beefing up oversight of rules related to outside jobs (or self-employment) among those in the county workforce.
Scattered snow showers will transition to rain and snow showers between 11am and noon, followed by likely rain showers after noon. Expect increasing clouds, a high of 44, and a west wind at 10-15 mph with gusts up to 24 mph. Precipitation chance stands at 70% with negligible snow accumulation. For Friday night, anticipate scattered showers before 10pm, and then a gradual shift to partly cloudy skies with a low of 38. West wind will persist around 14 mph with gusts up to 24 mph, while the precipitation chance decreases to 40%. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” – Virginia Satir
