The Arlington County Police Department is kicking off its annual toy drive for children in need.
The first of two ACPD collection events is taking place this weekend, and drop boxes were placed around the county last week. As part of its 10th annual “Fill the Cruiser” campaign, the department is seeking new, unwrapped toys for kids up to 17 years old.
Christmas and Hanukkah are nearly here, which is undoubtedly provoking panic among last-minute shoppers.
Luckily, ARLnow has an Arlington-centric holiday gift guide for all those who looking for the perfect present for the the gondola fans and local literature enthusiasts in you life.
‘Tis the season for charity, as year-end giving campaigns and holiday donation drives ramp up.
This year, with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, two dozen local nonprofits have listed what they need to serve their clients this holiday season.
Wakefield Advances to Championship — The Wakefield High School boys basketball team has advanced to the Virginia Class 5 championship after defeating Edison last night 82-66. The team will face Varina tomorrow at VCU. Meanwhile, Wakefield senior forward A’Mari Cooper has been named Northern Region Class 5 Player of the Year. [Washington Post, InsideNova]
Metro Starts Selling Merch — Despite its reliability issues and subsequent image problem, Metro has launched a new line of clothing and gifts, sold online and at a new gift store at Metro Center. The reaction to the merchandise has been mixed. [WMATA, NBC Washington]
Arlington Ready for Possible Snow — The chances of “meaningful accumulation” have since gone down, but Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services crews started applying brine to county roads Monday night in anticipation a “potential snow/ice this Wednesday evening/Thursday.” [Twitter, Washington Post]
VDOT Pleased With I-66 HOT Lane Data — NBC 4’s Adam Tuss tweets: “Doesn’t look like @VaDOTNOVA plans to change anything about the I-66 toll lanes. They say their data shows commutes were faster and more reliable.” [Twitter]
An Arlington County police officer received a little holiday cheer from a secret gift giver yesterday.
One of the department’s officers found a gift card and note of gratitude left anonymously on the windshield of an ACPD cruiser.
Looking for a last-minute holiday gift idea for a special Arlingtonian in your life? We’ve got just the list for you.
Below are the top dozen Arlington-related gifts to be found on Amazon.com.
Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.
Leaf College Savings co-founders Juan Aguilar, Chris Duffus and Josh Bixler set out with the goal of making it easier to save for college. More specifically, they wanted to find an easier way to give the gift of college savings because, as Aguilar says, “it’s a complicated web out there of college savings.”
Arlington resident Liz Lord’s first self-published book Oscar Takes Off! The Eco-Adventures of “Oscocopter” is an illustrated story written for readers ages 3-8 but has a message for all ages about protecting the environment.
On Today’s list — which had its own segment on the show Thursday morning — the story is described as follows:
Today through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., the mall will offer free, full-service gift-wrapping, complete with a variety of wrapping paper, ribbons, and red and pink bows.
The only catch: you have to spend more than $250 at any of a handful of pricey stores. Those stores include:
Two local, female entrepreneurs have transformed their love of gifting into a business. The Trendy Ribbon, an online gift company in Arlington, offers a fresh and stylish take on the traditional gift basket — turning it into something you can confidently give and happily receive.
The creative owners of the one-year old company focus on providing customers high-quality products (no fillers) and unique packaging and presentation. For example, instead of traditional wicker baskets, they use rustic and modern crates designed to be reused or displayed.
The county’s current Code of Ethics says that county workers should “ensure that no favors, gifts, gratuities or benefits are received for actions taken.”
Additionally, conflict-of-interest rules state that county employees “may not accept personal gifts, gratuities, or loans from organizations, businesses, or individuals with whom the employee conducts or will conduct official County business.”
