Isa Seyran chats with a regular and friends at Ballstonian: Urban Oasis (staff photo)
An otherwise unassuming courtyard in Ballston has taken on a new life thanks to a Turkish coffee cart and the vision of a local business owner and creative.
Isa Seyran‘s “Ballstonian: Urban Oasis” introduces rich red pillows, intricate Turkish carpets, tables, cushions, stools and a red coffee cart — which has called Ballston home for about a year now — to the courtyard near 4075 Wilson Blvd. The space is located between outdoor seating areas for Poppyseed Rye and the now-closed Rustico.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
Three days after three men carjacked a rental car off the lot in the Crystal City area, three men stole two more cars from a nearby lot.
The incident, classified as a robbery, happened around 5:15 p.m. Sunday on the 2700 block of Richmond Highway, which is home to an Enterprise rental lot. One of the men was armed, police said.
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.
This complaint about the quality of copper ingots has been rejected, because it was submitted on the a tablet of improper diameter. On on after 1750 BC, complainants must use the new tablet… Image is free for public use. Attribution here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ea-n%C4%81%E1%B9%A3ir
USCIS administers immigration benefits. In the time-honored tradition of government agencies since the days of Ur and Uruk, USCIS uses forms to collect, store, and interpret information. Immigrants complete these forms in order to obtain benefits. Most U.S. citizens have no idea what reams of paperwork these forms require. An ordinary green card application is comprised of ninety-seven pages of bare forms, which typically are supported by several hundred pages of supporting documents.
In better times, forms are a necessary evil. In the times we actually live in, forms are just another weapon with which to thwack your political opponents.
In the second iteration of the Trump Administration, USCIS has discovered a new, extremely petty way to make immigrants’ lives more difficult – by releasing new form versions which make utterly minute changes, and then decrees that yesterday’s official version is obsolete as of today.
The Office of Management and Budget, by the way, requires that all government forms have an ‘edition date’ and an ‘expiration date.’ USCIS evades this neatly by making the expiration date purely notional – the form can be valid after the expiration date, and it can be decreed obsolete at any time before or after the expiration date. (The edition date is notional, too – in the first months of the Trump Administration, USCIS persistently released forms backdated to January 20, 2025, seemingly just for the inaugural vibes.) The forms altered in the last two weeks are highlighted below.
Form G-28. Four pages, stating that a lawyer represents you.
Form G-28. Four more pages, stating that the same lawyer represents your spouse.
Form I-130. A twelve-page biographical survey of you, the U.S. citizen.
Form I-130A. A six-page biographical survey of your spouse.
Form I-131. A fourteen-page request for permission to travel while the government thinks about whether to grant the green card application.
Form I-485. A twenty-four pager. This is the green card application itself. It repeats all of the biographical detail from Forms I-130 and I-130A.
Form I-693. A fourteen-page list of certifications concerning your health and fitness. (No, your family doctor can’t do it for you – you have to go to someone called a Designated Civil Surgeon.)
Form I-765. A seven-page request for a work permit while the government thinks about whether to grant your green card application.
Form I-864. A twelve-page contract in which you (the U.S. citizen) promise to repay the government for welfare benefits, if your spouse draws on them, and in which you further promise to keep your spouse above the poverty line.(more…)
A bird and a plane in flight in between power lines above Langston Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Rosslyn Going Out of Circulation — “The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced start of the planned phase down of DC Circulator service beginning October 1, 2024, culminating with service ending December 31, 2024… Effective October 1, 2024, the following route adjustments will be implemented: Termination of Rosslyn-Dupont Circle (RS-DP).” [PoPville]
Rent Remains High — “The median apartment-rental cost in Arlington grew at seven times the national rate month-over-month in July, and stands near the very top among the nation’s 100 largest urban areas. The county’s median rental rate of $2,621 ($2,468 for one-bedroom units, $2,982 for two bedrooms) was 85 percent higher than the month’s national median rental rate of $1,414 and 19 percent higher than the Washington region’s median rate of $2,198.” [Gazette Leader]
National Night Out with ACPD — “[Today] is National Night Out 2024! We can’t wait to see you at community events across the County from 5-8! Remember to lock your doors and turn your exterior lights on before joining us for an evening of FUN!” [ACPD, Twitter]
Phone Policy Has School Board Support — “Arlington School Board members seem fully committed to implementing a stopgap strategy for limiting student-phone accessibility in class prior to the start the 2024-25 school year… Moving ahead to have something in place at the start of the academic year drew fire last month from the president of the County Council of PTAs, who said it circumvented public input.” [Gazette Leader]
Get Ready for Debby — From Gov. Glenn Younkin: “As Tropical Storm Debby brings powerful wind and rain, I encourage all Virginians to be prepared for incoming weather & exercise caution.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Debby’s Precipitation Potential — “If the storm takes a track up the coast, then the Interstate 95 corridor from D.C. to New York could see periods of moderate to heavy rain Thursday into Saturday, as well as localized areas of flooding. Coastal areas could see flooding, rough waves and dangerous rip currents.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Tuesday — Expect showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with otherwise sunny skies, and a high near 95. Heat index values may reach 100. A south wind will blow at 6 to 9 mph, and there is a 50% chance of precipitation. For Tuesday night, showers and thunderstorms are likely between 8pm and 2am, with a low around 74. South wind will continue at 7 to 9 mph, and the chance of precipitation increases to 60%. [NWS]
We love fall at Art House 7 and can’t wait for you to explore all our offerings. Painting, drawing, ceramics, and sewing/crocheting are our perennials, along with less traditional mediums. Kawaii Style Drawing and Digital Art are among our new classes for kids. We offer an excellent 6-week program for high schoolers preparing their college portfolios. Want something shorter? We have 3-week classes, including linocut notecards. Love ceramics? We have a dedicated studio that comfortably accommodates wheel and hand-building classes.
Expect showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, sunny skies, and a high near 95, with heat index values reaching 100. South wind will blow at 6 to 9 mph, and there is a 50% chance of precipitation. For Tuesday night, showers and thunderstorms are likely between 8pm and 2am, with a mostly cloudy low around 74. South wind will continue at 7 to 9 mph, and the chance of precipitation increases to 60%. New rainfall between a quarter and half an inch is possible. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
Whether autumn means sipping local ciders, decorating pumpkins with the kids, or enjoying live music, Fall Fest is packed with festive fun for all ages and the perfect way to spend a crisp October afternoon in Rosslyn!
The site of a planned elevated bus stop on Clarendon Blvd. (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
Construction on an elevated bus stop island, meant to improve safety at an intersection in Rosslyn, is scheduled to begin soon.
The quick-build safety project between the intersections of Clarendon Blvd with N. Pierce and N. Queen streets will impact Metrobus routes 4B and 38B as well as ART Route 45. In addition to elevating the bus stop, it will raise an existing protected bike lane on Clarendon Blvd.
A food scraps bin in Rosslyn (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
A new Arlington program seeks to make it easier for people who live in apartments to compost their food scraps.
New food disposal bins have appeared near 14 multifamily properties across the county, inviting apartment dwellers to divert food waste and food-soiled paper away from the landfill and into the county’s composting program.
Lobster roll and fries from The Salt Line (via The Salt Line/Facebook)
Deals on gourmet dining options are coming to Arlington and Falls Church next week as Summer Restaurant Week returns.
The event — hosted by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington from Monday, Aug. 12 through Sunday, Aug. 18 — involves hundreds of restaurants in the D.C. area.
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.