election | ARLnow.com

State Senate Approves New Redistricting Plan

Published April 29, 2011 at 1:09PM

The plan, however, does not change the serpentine borders of the 31st District, which will stretch from North Arlington to Loudoun County along the Potomac River. Likewise, the 30th District will remain unchanged from the first plan, which took away a bit of South Arlington territory from the district’s borders.

If approved by Gov. McDonnell as expected, the plan will place McLean millionaire Caren Merrick within the borders of the 31st District. Merrick has already announced her intention of running for the state Senate as a Republican.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 29, 2011 at 8:37AM

Woman Falls into Hatch at Pentagon Station — Last week a 52-year-old woman fell through a hatch near an escalator at the Pentagon Metro station, injuring her knee and face. Two Metro workers have been fired for their role in leaving the hatch wide open. [WTOP]

GOP Praying for Candidates — The Arlington County Republican Committee is literally praying for candidates to challenge Democrats in the fall. So far, they only have one for more than a dozen local races. [Sun Gazette]

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Internal Changes for State Senate Campaigns

By ARLnow.com

Published April 27, 2011 at 10:11AM | Updated April 27, 2011 at 11:37AM

There have been two minor but noteworthy developments in the Democratic primary battle for Mary Margaret Whipple’s state Senate seat.

Liz Chadderdon, a consultant who had been working with Barbara Favola’s campaign, has left the campaign. Political chatter suggests she may have quit.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 25, 2011 at 5:00AM

Arlington Students Head to White House – Two hundred fifty students from five Arlington elementary schools will be heading to the White House today to participate in the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. [Arlington Public Schools]

Student Project Heading to Space Station – A science game invented by a group of Barrett Elementary School students was the winner of a national NASA-run contest and will now be played aboard the International Space Station. [WUSA 9]

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More State Senate Endorsements

By ARLnow.com

Published April 22, 2011 at 9:15AM

Garvey, Chair of the Arlington County School Board, received the endorsement of Fairfax County School Board member Dan Storck and Fairfax County Mt. Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland.

“Libby Garvey offers a unique combination of vision and a proven track record of getting things done,” Hyland said in a statement. “Libby is exactly the style of leader we need working for us in Richmond.”

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 21, 2011 at 9:09AM | Updated April 21, 2011 at 10:01AM

Empty Courthouse Office Building for Sale — The big, white Verizon office building at 1320 N. Courthouse Road is actually vacant — and for sale. After nearly 30 years as a tenant, Verizon left its offices in the building. The owner is now seeking interested buyers or joint venture partners. [GlobeSt.com]

Westover to Hold Easter Egg Hunt — Children 9 years old and younger are invited to participate in Westover Village’s Easter egg hunt on Saturday. The event is being held from 10:00 a.m. to noon next to the Westover Library. Admission is free and yes, the Easter Bunny will be there. [VisitWestover.com]

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Candidates Haul in Cash for 30th District State Senate Race

By ARLnow.com

Published April 18, 2011 at 12:02PM | Updated April 18, 2011 at 3:54PM

As of March 31, Krupicka had raised $101,143. That places him well ahead of Del. Adam Ebbin, who has raised $72,989, and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey, who has raised $55,720.

Krupicka’s biggest donor is businessman Robert Henry Duggar, who contributed $5,000 to his campaign. Ebbin’s biggest donor is the pro-immigrant-rights Laborers’ International Union of North America, which also contributed $5,000. Garvey’s biggest donor is the campaign fund of Sen. Patsy Ticer, who is retiring after 16 years of representing the 30th District. Ticer for Virginia Senate has contributed $10,000 to Garvey’s campaign.

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Developers Donate to Favola’s Senate Campaign

By ARLnow.com

Published April 18, 2011 at 10:34AM

More than half of the nearly $60,000 raised by Favola has come from local developers, including a whopping $25,000 from John G. Shooshan, chairman of the Arlington-based Shooshan Company. Shooshan has had business before the board recently, related to the company’s massive Founders Square project in Ballston.

Other big contributors to Favola’s campaign include Preston Caruthers, who donated $5,000, Mark Silverwood, who donated $2,000, and Thomas Shooltz, who donated $1,000.

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Gov. McDonnell Vetoes Redistricting Plan

By ARLnow.com

Published April 15, 2011 at 3:54PM

McDonnell, a Republican, said the districts in the Democratic-controlled state Senate’s redistricting plan did not “preserve communities of interest, ensure compact districts and maintain generally equivalent populations in each district.” That, the governor said, is a violation of state and federal law.

This is the first time a Virginia governor has vetoed a redistricting plan since 1981.

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New State Senate Contender?

By ARLnow.com

Published April 15, 2011 at 7:00AM | Updated April 15, 2011 at 4:14PM

Areizaga-Soto is a senior attorney at the U.S. Agency for International Development, a Stanford Law grad, and a senior advisor to Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, the retiring occupant of the 31st District seat. An Arlington resident, Areizaga-Soto is active in the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, the Arlington County Democratic Committee and the National Puerto Rican Coalition.

Areizaga-Soto is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the JAG Corps of the District of Columbia National Guard. According to this biography, he is fluent in Portuguese, French and Spanish.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 15, 2011 at 5:00AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:51PM

Wright Gate Reopening — Fort Myer’s Wright Gate, used by local bicyclists and pedestrians, will reopen on Monday. The gate, located at N. Meade Street and Marshall Drive, closed for repairs in March. Starting Monday, it will be open from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. Henry Gate, at Arlington Blvd and Pershing Drive, will revert to its normal hours: 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

State Senate Race Could Get Interesting — Could a well-funded Republican candidate defeat a Democrat this fall in the race for Arlington’s newly-redrawn 31st state Senate district? Sun Gazette Editor Scott McCaffrey thinks so. [Sun Gazette]

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Green Party Official Plans Run for County Board

By ARLnow.com

Published April 14, 2011 at 1:46PM

“I do plan to run for County Board as a Green,” said Audrey Clement, a state Green Party officer and a national Green Party committee member. “However, I have not yet set up a campaign committee and filed my paperwork with [State Board of Election]. So I am not officially a candidate [yet].”

Clement’s campaign platform focuses on spending, housing and environmental concerns. On her web site, Clement says she wants to “focus funds on essential community services” like libraries, public safety, schools and the safety net, while “halt[ing] spending on wasteful building projects that we cannot afford” like the Columbia Pike streetcar and the Long Bridge Park aquatic center. She also criticizes the use of county funds for the Artisphere.