Linden Resources — formerly SOC Enterprises — held its annual ‘Miracle on 23rd Street’ tree-lighting ceremony Friday night.
Families from the surrounding Aurora Highlands community formed a sizable crowd outside the Linden Resources building at 750 S. 23rd Street. The ceremony featured a brass band playing Christmas songs, the much-anticipated tree lighting, and the arrival of Santa Claus via fire engine.
The 18th annual Light Up Rosslyn ceremony was held last night, under the WJLA Jumbotron at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Lynn Street.
Dozens gathered to listen to live holiday music, to drink free hot chocolate, and to see County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman flip the ceremonial switch to illuminate the rooftops of nearly 40 Rosslyn buildings. The annual event also featured a clothing drive for the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network.
On Saturday, the public will be introduced to the new Long Bridge Park — just north of Crystal City — when county leaders hold an 11:00 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.
First-time visitors will be pleasantly surprised to find that the 18-acre park is quite a sight to behold. A year and a half after construction on the park began, what was once a muddy brown field is now a welcoming green space, with picturesque views of Reagan National Airport, the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, the Crystal City skyline and the Washington Monument.
Arlington’s Biggest Redskins Fanatic — Charlie Clark has tracked down perhaps the biggest Redskins fan of them all. North Arlington resident Mary Holt, age 87, owns about “1,500 team knickknacks ranging from napkin holders to clocks to team photos to Redskins Wheaties cereal boxes.” The tchotchkes are displayed across “every inch of her ‘woman cave'” — where she watches the burgundy and gold every game day. [Falls Church News Press]
Lyon Village Park Ribbon Cutting — Residents and county officials will celebrate the completion of improvements to Lyon Village Park (1800 N. Highland Street) over the weekend. Park upgrades include new tennis and basketball courts, backboards and a living green picnic shelter canopy. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11:00 Sunday morning.
On Saturday night Arlington County held a ceremony to mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.
The ceremony, held at the Air Force Memorial, was attended by Arlington police officers and firefighters who responded to the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as top county officials, military personnel and interested citizens.
Somber Anniversary at the Pentagon — A crowd of 1,600 people — including survivors and loved ones of victims — gathered at the Pentagon yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 attacks. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Adm. Mike Mullen were among the speakers. President Obama arrived later in the afternoon and laid a wreath at the Pentagon Memorial. [Washington Post, New York Times]
‘Walmart’ Ordinance May Be Delayed — The County Board was supposed to vote this month on a new ordinance designed to give the board final approval on all ‘big-box’ development in Arlington, but county staff wants another month to write the ordinance. [Sun Gazette]
First up is the 10th annual Arlington Police, Sheriff and Fire 9/11 5K race, which will get underway in Pentagon City at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. To accommodate the race, a number of roads will be closed between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m., including parts of Army Navy Drive, S. 12th Street, Crystal Drive and the Pentagon South parking area.
Residents should also expect a ceremonial flyover of four police helicopters between 5:45 and 6:00 p.m. The race, which has been growing in scale since its inception, is sold out this year.
President Obama will be among the dignitaries in attendance at the ceremony, which is expected to get underway at the Pentagon around 9:45 a.m. A military spokesman was unable to release any other details about the event.
Route 110 will be closed tomorrow from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Northbound traffic will be diverted to I-395 and southbound traffic will be diverted to Washington Boulevard, according to Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management.
The playground, at 601 N. Manchester Street, features play areas with farm and train-themed play equipment, as well as climbing boulders, a play house, swings, a sandbox, picnic area, accessible paths, a drinking fountain and more.
The ceremony is being held between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and is part of the county’s Neighborhood Day event list.
On Tuesday, the County Board will recognize several former employees of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) who were instrumental in creating ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet. As part of the ceremony, which is set to take place just after 3:00 p.m., the county will show off two new historical markers that will be erected at 1400 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn, DARPA’s former headquarters.
The marker will read:
Fire Chief Jim Schwartz, the fire department honor guard and rank-and-file firefighters will help the Military District of Washington present a stone from the Pentagon to the Fire Department of New York. The 2,400 lb. stone, which was recovered from the damaged Pentagon after Sept. 11, will be handed over to the FDNY on Friday at Ft. Hamilton, in Brooklyn. ACFD was presented with a similar stone in March.
Arlington Engine 105, the first engine to arrive at the burning Pentagon 10 years ago, will transport the stone up to New York. A bus will carry most of the firefighters, who volunteered to attend the ceremony.
At 6:31 p.m., TBD-TV anchor Morris Jones will throw a giant switch, turning on the rooftop LED lights that give the Rosslyn skyline a festive glow this time of year. Rosslyn building owners started decorating their rooftops for the inaugural Light Up Rosslyn event in 1993.
Before the switch is thrown, there will be free food, drinks and music for anyone who wants to stop by. Santa Fe Cafe is providing chili and hot cocoa, while Monday Properties is providing cookies and hot cider. The Potomac Harmony Chorus and Beltway Brass will perform.
