Around Town

Good Monday 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 — Sep 9, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

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

☀️ Tuesday’s forecast

Expect sunshine and a high temperature close to 85 degrees, complemented by a northwest wind at around 7 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear with a low temperature near 59 degrees; the northeast wind at approximately 5 mph will become calm during the evening. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
– Vince Lombardi

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


News

Arlington has fallen from No. 1 to No. 2 in a ranking of the most educated “cities” in the country.

The new ranking from Forbes Advisor spotlights Arlington’s status as having the nation’s highest percentage of residents aged 25 and older with bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees — 78% and 43%, respectively. That’s a hair above last year’s percentages of 76% and 42%.


Schools

A series of recent internal audits at Arlington Public Schools have revealed inconsistencies in the school system’s financial management practices.

The audits, which reviewed spending from 2022 to 2024, found that APS lacks clear policies for managing purchasing card usage, fuel expenses and school activity funds. They also highlighted limited training for employees overseeing these areas and weaknesses in oversight systems.


Announcement

There’s something a little bit magical about picking up a foil for the first time — or drawing back a bow and watching your arrow fly true. It’s why fencing and archery have such a hold on kids and adults alike: real focus, real skill, and a thrill you don’t get from the usual sports lineup.

This fall, Nova Fencing & Archery Club in Bailey’s Crossroads is opening registration for both, with beginner classes for every age starting the week of September 12th. Fencing welcomes ages 7 to 12 and teens and adults 13 and up. Explore Archery, coached by USA Archery certified instructors, welcomes ages 8 to 12 and meets Tuesdays or Saturdays. And for our youngest fencers, ages 4 to 6, ABC’s of Fencing meets on Saturdays. All classes run eight sessions for $195, equipment provided, no experience needed — yes, even for grown-ups who’ve never held a sword or a bow before.


Event

Join us as Signature Theatre joins MoCA Arlington to create a space for mingling, art-making, and discovery! Guests can move through the galleries and enjoy a range of programmed activities, including:

Vintage rack hosted by local sellers — Nicole Lanteri Designs + Thrifted To Be Here
Shop curated selections of vintage art, homewares, clothing and jewelry. A mix of styles, eras + price points!


Around Town

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House is under new ownership, with plans to spruce up the menu and decor while still serving up customer favorites, management said.

New owner Henry Saavedra is reviewing the menu of Italian cuisine and plans to cut some items and add a few new ones — but regulars shouldn’t fret, he told ARLnow.


Around Town

Another Compass Coffee is slated to open a couple of blocks away from the local chain’s current Ballston location.

The new location will replace a coffee shop that just shuttered last week.


Opinion

If the cool mornings are any clue, cold and flu season is upon us — and that means many people are thinking about vaccinations.

Covid and flu vaccinations are currently available at many local pharmacies and medical offices.

“To ensure communities are protected this season, the CDC is recommending that everyone over age six (6) months get an annual flu shot AND an updated COVID-19 vaccine,” pharmacy chain CVS said in a late August press release, announcing the availability of vaccines.

“The ideal time to get vaccinated is in September or October, to restore and enhance protection against the most common viruses currently circulating before peak season starts,” the release continued. “Pharmacies are one of the most common places people choose to get vaccinated.”

According to CVS, 46% of people plan to get a flu shot and 60% of people planning to get the flu vaccine would like to get a Covid vaccine during the same visit.

We were wondering how that compares with vaccine plans in Arlington. Are you planning to (or did you already) get the jab?


News
Four Mile Run in the Shirlington area (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)

New Development Proposal in Courthouse — “The Meridian Group has proposed to redevelop an aging office it owns in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood with a 16-story residential-over-retail building. Meridian applied Thursday for a rezoning and major site plan amendment for 2500 Wilson Blvd., four blocks west of the Court House Metro station. The 1.4-acre site is currently home to a five-story office built in 1986, which Meridian’s application describes as ‘obsolete.'” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Companies Make Fortune List — “Two firms headquartered in Arlington have seen their rankings go up in the newly released 2024 ‘Global 500’ list of the world’s largest companies. Boeing and Raytheon were among seven Virginia firms making the annual ranking by Fortune.” [Gazette Leader]

Local GOP Calls Out Letter — From the Arlington GOP: “An Arlington Republican — and fairly new resident — displayed a Trump sign on her lawn. An anonymous neighbor sent her this creepy message in the mail.” [Twitter]

Wakefield Wins — “Wakefield Varsity Football just won their first game in 2 years, 39-12. What a team effort. Thanks, Warriors.” [Twitter]

It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 78 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. Monday night will be clear, with the temperature dropping to around 56 degrees and the southwest wind maintaining a speed of approximately 6 mph. [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.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar


News

Better Sports Club to host annual monthly evening event

The guest speaker at the Better Sports Club of Arlington’s Sept. 11 dinner meeting will be Torey Ortmayer, the head coach of Yorktown High School’s swimming and diving team during the winter and the Tuckahoe Tigers of the Northern Virginia Swimming League in the summer.