Schools

A small group of parents from Oakridge Elementary School are asking Arlington Public Schools to take a hard look at student achievement and teacher retention.

Student assessments show low growth and lower pass rates in math and science tests at the school in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood. Meanwhile, it has higher teacher turnover than the school system as a whole, according to the group, named Concerned Parents of Oakridge


Sponsored

This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

Looking for engaging Earth Day activities for the whole family?

Look no further than Earth Day Every Day on Langston Boulevard, a day-long street festival filled with live music, delicious food, children’s art activities, environmental education opportunities and a sustainable art market. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, at the Lee Heights Shops, 4500 Cherry Hill Rd.

Hosted by the Langston Boulevard Alliance, with programming and marketing support from founding partner Arlington Arts, Earth Day Every Day on Langston Boulevard offers a chance for the entire Arlington community to unite in celebrating our local environment and the planet itself. Take a look at a news segment on last year’s festival below! (more…)


Around Town

A long-time Rosslyn sushi spot has closed.

Kanpai Japanese Restaurant inside 1401 Wilson Blvd and near the intersection with N. Oak Street had its last day of service on Friday (June 23), per the restaurant’s Facebook page. Additionally, online ordering is no longer available and the phone number is disconnected.


Announcement

The League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City, in partnership with Arlington County Public Library, invites you to an open discussion on managing local government in a changing environment.

Join Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz and Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon for a conversation about how local governments are adapting to shifts in federal funding and changes at the state level. The discussion will explore how these evolving conditions may impact local priorities, services, and decision-making in our communities.


Events

Free, family-friendly events are happening this summer at the newly renovated Metropolitan Park in Pentagon City.

Now through August and September, there will be jazz performances, outdoor movie screenings and fitness classes at the base of Amazon’s new second headquarters, sponsored by the National Landing Business Improvement District and other partners, including Amazon.


News

Residents of several south Arlington neighborhoods woke up Monday morning to find mirrors stolen from their parked cars.

The thefts happened at some point Sunday or Monday, in the Barcroft and Douglas Park neighborhoods, as well as the Shirlington area. An unknown thief or thieves stole the glass from side view mirrors of 14 vehicles, and damaged the mirrors of another three.


News

‘State of the County’ Address — “Following his address, [Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey] answered questions about how the county is addressing affordable housing, the high office vacancy rate, and the County’s customer service response. On customer service, Dorsey noted that he ultimately “wants to make sure that when people go to the County, even when they don’t get the answer that they wanted, that they still feel heard.” [Press Release]

Fundraiser for Murder Victim — “The family of Shontae Crawford, who was stabbed to death in her Arlington apartment on June 19, is holding an online fundraising campaign to cover the costs of her funeral and memorial services. Any excess money raised from the online campaign will go to her son Donovon Dimauri, according to the GoFundMe site.” [Patch, GoFundMe]


Weather

The bulk of today’s storms are moving out — and more Canadian wildfire smoke is about to move in.

The smoke that enveloped Chicago and much of the Midwest today is set to push east toward our region. That has prompted a Code Orange air quality alert for the D.C. area tomorrow (Wednesday).


News

Transportation and streetscape upgrades are making progress on several streets in Courthouse near an under-construction apartment tower.

The work is all associated with “The Commodore,” an new apartment building at 2050 Wilson Blvd. It replaces several low-slung commercial buildings, including restaurants like Summers, that were part of what Arlington County dubbed the “Landmark Block.” Today (Tuesday), fencing around the tower was festooned with banners announcing leasing would start this fall.