Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.
Arlington’s rate of new coronavirus cases continues to rise.
Fifteen new COVID-19 cases were reported overnight, bringing the county’s seven-day trailing infection rate to 82, the highest point since June 20.
Two new hospitalizations were reported in Arlington overnight, though the trailing seven-day hospitalization total remains just four. One additional COVID-related death was reported, bringing the total to 133.
Total confirmed infections in Arlington are now 2,582, while cumulative hospitalizations stand at 425, according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data.
Arlington’s testing rate, excluding mass testing events, has remained fairly steady, around 250 reported PCR-based tests per day. The test positivity rate has risen from a low of 2.5% to, as of Friday morning, 5.2%.
Nearly 60,000 new coronavirus cases were reported in the U.S. on Thursday, the sixth single-day record in 10 days, the New York Times reported.
Arlington County is planning a virtual town hall today from 12:30-1:30 p.m. to provide an update on the county’s response to the pandemic.
Arlington Gets Federal Arts Grant — “Arlington Cultural Affairs will receive a $35,000 Art Works award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)… [Arlington] will use the grant to support a multi-cultural artist residency project serving the Columbia Hills and Columbia Grove affordable housing communities.” [Arlington County]
Justin Trawick to Play ‘Secret’ Show — “We just got approval from Arlington County to present ‘Common Good on The Block’ benefiting the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Join ‘Justin Trawick and The Common Good’ for a secret street show with the full band on August 1st. This will be a socially distanced event and there are only 60 tickets available.” [Twitter]
Armed Robbery Near Ballston — “At approximately 11:45 p.m. on July 7, the victim was outside his residence when he was approached by two male suspects, one of whom was displaying a firearm. The suspects forced the victim back inside of his apartment, assaulted him, and demanded money. The victim was forced into the bathroom while the suspects ransacked the residence, then stole the victim’s vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox with Virginia tags, and other items of value.” [Arlington County]
APS Superintendent to Hold Virtual Town Hall — “Dr. Durán will be hosting a community virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, July 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., to address the family selection process for choosing an instructional model for students. The Superintendent will address questions already received and take questions during the live event using Microsoft Teams or Facebook Live. The event will provide simultaneous interpretation in 5 languages (more details to come), including ASL, and closed captions in the streamed video.” [Arlington Public Schools]
The final plans are in for a trio of road projects in Arlington, and two out of three involve the removal of travel lanes.
The projects — in Rosslyn, Dominion Hills and Crystal City/Potomac Yard — are all part of the county’s 2020 road repaving schedule. Each has been singled out for changes to the lane striping via the county’s Resurfacing Projects for Complete Streets program, which aims to make streets safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians via inexpensive means during the regular repaving cycle.
The first project is planned in Rosslyn along Clarendon Blvd, from N. Rhodes Street to N. Oak Street, near the standalone Starbucks. The plans call for new sections of buffered and protected bike lanes, green paint for bike lanes through intersections, upgraded signage, and no reduction in travel lanes — though it will remove seven of 78 on-street parking spaces.
The Clarendon Blvd project is set to start construction this month.
The second project will reconfigure Potomac Avenue in the Potomac Yard area of Crystal City, from Crystal Drive to the county line. The project calls for upgraded bike lanes, an interim on-street pedestrian zone along a construction site, new turn lanes, and 34 new parking spaces. One of two travel lanes in each direction will be removed, though the road has relatively light traffic.
The Potomac Avenue project is also set to start construction this month, and is reportedly now underway.
Milling and repaving have started on Potomac Avenue from Crystal Drive to the County line. With this work, the County also will upgrade the bike lanes in both directions and add improved markings. https://t.co/kT2A0tQbXX
Finally, the last project will make changes to Wilson Blvd through the Dominion Hills neighborhood, from Bon Air Park to the county line. It calls for the addition of turn lanes, dedicated school and transit bus stop lanes, curb extensions for shorter crossing distances, buffered bike lanes, and marked bike lanes through intersections. It adds one parking spot to the stretch but removes one of two travel lanes in each direction.
The removal of lanes follows a prior, similar project along sections of Wilson Blvd from Bluemont to Bon Air Park, which was somewhat controversial at the time but only resulted in minimal traffic impacts for the average rush hour commuter.
The Wilson Blvd project is set to start construction later this summer or in the early fall.
The design process for the three projects involved two virtual open houses and rounds of public feedback, through which a number of modifications to the plans were made.
File photo (top). Street view images (1) (2) and (3) via Google Maps.
Arlington Public Schools is planning to start the fall semester with most students spending just two days a week in classrooms.
The “hybrid” model would see students spending the other three days a week leaning remotely, from home, a plan similar to that just announced by the country’s largest school system.
Arlington parents will also be able to opt their kids out of physical school entirely, in favor of full-time remote learning. For those students going to schools, however, masks and physical distancing will be required.
There are parents, however, who say that the APS plan is inadequate, and students should be going back to school full-time. A new volunteer coalition, Arlington Parents for Education, has formed to advocate for just that. From the group’s website:
The group recently penned a letter, sent to local news outlets, arguing that “the average citizens of our county will be worse off and those with the fewest resources will be left significantly further behind” if APS does not fully reopen.
The decision the members of the Arlington County School Board will make regarding the Fall semester will be the single most consequential decision they ever make. Superintendent Durán stated that a plan for full-time instruction was his preference. He needs to make it his priority. The need to protect Teachers and Students is tremendously important, but this decision must be made with the fullest picture of health and safety in mind. Unclear references to teacher and student physical and mental health are not a sufficient explanation for failing to provide a full-time option.
Full-time instructions is not some outlier position and should be possible given Virginia’s final phase guidance. Massachusetts, New Jersey and numerous districts all over the world are figuring how to manage their risks and are making plans for students to return in the fall. Considering all the factors, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advocates that: “all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.” Arlington needs to follow suit. Conditions on the ground can change and we need to be prepared to meet those conditions. However, that is not an excuse for failing to provide a full-time plan given the current information at hand.
There has been no substantive assessment of why full-time instruction was not selected, and no public guidance from the county on what standards, if any, need to be met to get kids back in school. Even more concerning, there was no assessment provided about the consequences of the superintendent’s proposed plan. APS owes its citizens a breakdown of the expected cost of their plan on the mental, economic, and educational well-being of students and their families. It’s unsound policymaking to offer vague one-sided justifications without being transparent about the consequences their decision will have. This is particularly important when discussing our most vulnerable populations.
Among the advocates for five-day-per-week schooling in the fall: President Trump, who is threatening to cut off funding to school districts that do not physically open in full.
Those who want a full return to classrooms are not alone in their critique of APS. ARLnow has also heard from parents and teachers who do not believe any return to classrooms this fall will be safe.
APS, for its part, recently sent a School Talk email to parents further explaining the rationale for the hybrid back-to-school model and answering other parent questions.
Why APS is not offering a full-time in-school option: We understand there are difficult decisions to be made with both models. The full-time in-school scenario is not possible at this time, due to physical distancing requirements issued by the CDC, Virginia Department of Health and local health officials. Physical distancing limits the number of students and staff who can be inside a school at any one time, so the hybrid model allows half of students to be in school part of the week in order to reduce capacities in classrooms and on buses.
What APS will do if health conditions improve: If health conditions improve and physical distancing and other health requirements are adjusted in a way that would allow APS to resume in-person instruction for all students, we would reassess our operating status at that time.
What APS will do if health conditions worsen: We continue to monitor COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and state and local health officials on a daily basis. Our hybrid in-school model is contingent upon the school year beginning in Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan. If health data and recommendations from the Arlington County Public Health Division necessitate closing schools, students and staff participating in the hybrid model will transition to full time distance learning similar in substance to the existing full time distance learning model which will include a blend of teacher-led/synchronous instruction and asynchronous instruction.
Do you think APS should change its plan for the fall?
Seattle Tax Could Advantage Arlington — “It wouldn’t shock us if Amazon started encouraging more of its executives to up and move their teams to HQ2, or a neighboring city in Washington state, now that the Seattle City Council has passed a progressive tax targeting the wealthiest companies in the city.” [Washington Business Journal]
Analysis of County Board Special Election — From @A_Hendel on Twitter: “Takis Karantonis received most of his share of the vote from South Arlington… In fact, almost no precincts north of I-66 cast 50% or more of their votes for Takis.” [Twitter]
Organizations Getting Big PPP Loans in Arlington — The American Diabetes Association, tech company ByteCubed, American Service Center, Bishop O’Connell High School and the Catholic Diocese of Arlington are among the Arlington-based organizations to reportedly receive $2+ million federal Paycheck Protection Act loans. [Patch]
Another Local Tech Firm Gets PPP Help — “Amazon.com Inc. may have posted record sales during the pandemic, but many third-party sellers on the platform foundered… Some of those sellers — like the Arlington-based Amify Inc. and Etailz Inc., based in Spokane, Washington — received millions of dollars worth of help from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.” [Washington Business Journal]
Water Main Repairs Today in Bluemont — “Thursday Emergency Water Main Repairs: Crews will replace 3 valves in separate locations tomorrow in Bluemont area. Some 100 customers have been notified of potential service interruptions 8 a.m.-5 p.m.” [Twitter]
Letter: W-L Renaming Happened at a Good Time — “The Arlington School Board’s renaming of Washington-Lee High School was autocratic, manipulative, adversarial and punitive. In retrospect, though, they unwittingly did the W-L community a favor.” [InsideNova]
Deputy County Manager Samia Byrd has been promoted to the new position of Chief Race and Equity Officer, Arlington County announced today.
Byrd, a long-time county employee who previously worked in the Department of Community Planning, Housing and a Development, will oversee work “to inform the County’s development of its plan for addressing race and equity issues.”
A University of Virginia graduate and Hampton, Va. native, Byrd said she is looking forward to the challenges ahead in the new role.
“The time is past due to dedicate and commit our time, resources and effort to advancing race and equity in achieving Arlington’s vision of a diverse and inclusive community,” she said in a statement. “It is an opportunity we should not take lightly or as a response to the moment, and one I approach with humility.”
More from a county press release, below.
As the Chief Race and Equity Officer for Arlington County, Samia Byrd will lead the County’s work to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion both internal and external to the organization. This includes guiding and facilitating the development and implementation of important policies and practices through an equity lens.
“Samia will be instrumental to helping Arlington better understand the cracks in our foundation,” stated County Manager Mark Schwartz. “I am excited to have her in this new leadership role as we identify the solutions moving forward to ensure that everyone in Arlington has the same opportunities regardless of the color of their skin, their education level, their housing type, their job, or the Arlington ZIP code where they live. I am honored that she will take on this work. She will bring a deep sense of commitment, faith, and insight to a subject that is profoundly, at its core, about what type of community we want to be.”
Ms. Byrd will continue to oversee and manage the County’s coordinated work with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government (COG) Racial Equity Cohort comprised of Senior County and Arlington Public Schools staff, to inform the County’s development of its plan for addressing race and equity issues. This includes working closely with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network of governments working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all, to help guide the development of a racial equity tool later this year.
Once developed, the racial equity tool will be used in guiding policy, practice, program and budget decisions and offer new strategies for achieving racial equity outcomes in Arlington. Ms. Byrd will also have a pivotal role in developing and implementing a Countywide Racial Equity Action Plan.
The testing site, across from Washington-Liberty High School, closed around the end of June but reopened on Tuesday. Quest Diagnostics is now partnering with the county to conduct the testing, taking over from Virginia Hospital Center.
The change was necessary as the VHC needed to bring its staff back to the hospital.
“As Virginia continues to move forward with reopening, Virginia Hospital Center is resuming many medical and surgical services and welcoming members of the community back to the hospital to receive previously delayed care,” spokeswoman Maryanne Boster tells ARLnow. “This transition requires the full attention of our entire staff, so in order to provide the highest quality care to our patients we brought the VHC employees previously staffing the drive-through COVID-19 Sample Collection Site on Quincy Street back to the Hospital.”
“VHC shared this needed transition in conversations with Quest and Arlington County in May to provide ample time for the service to continue,” Boster added. “Virginia Hospital Center continues to work closely with Arlington County and partners like the Arlington Free Clinic to support the walk-up COVID-19 Sample Collection Site at Arlington Mill and additional projects to address the health of the Arlington community.”
The reopening of the drive-through testing center comes as Arlington sees a minor uptick in new COVID-19 cases. A week after Virginia entered Phase 3 of its reopening, the trailing seven-day rate of new cases in Arlington is now 74. It reached a low of 42 on June 29.
There were eight new coronavirus cases, one new death and no new hospitalizations reported overnight, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. The number of cumulative COVID-19 cases in Arlington currently stands at 2,558.
After weeks of a declining epidemic, the rate of new cases in Virginia is starting to slowly rise, according to an analysis by RT.live. The states surrounding Virginia — Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee — all have rising epidemic curves, according to the website. The District of Columbia, on the other hand, continues to see a declining epidemic.
Taken as a whole, the D.C. region is seeing a notable uptick in new cases.
“D.C., Maryland, and Virginia reported the second-highest combined number of COVID-19 cases in almost a month on Tuesday,” DCist reported today.
Arlington Pet of the Week Franco (photo courtesy of Sandi)
Arlington Pet of the Week Franco (photo courtesy of Sandi)
Arlington Pet of the Week Franco (photo courtesy of Sandi)
Arlington Pet of the Week Franco (photo courtesy of Sandi)
Arlington Pet of the Week Franco (photo courtesy of Sandi)
Arlington Pet of the Week Franco (photo courtesy of Sandi)
Meet Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week, Franco, a rescue cat who enjoys sleeping and snacks.
Here is what Franco’s owner had to say about his life here in Arlington:
Franco, named after James Franco by our now-living-in-Brooklyn daughter, is a huge, obnoxious, grouchy – but extremely handsome – ginger cat. (Some may ascribe some of those same traits to the actor, but…) He is a a rescue cat who, according to his microchip info, is originally from Dade County Florida (which explains a lot). When the people at PetSmart said this kitten was “a biter,” we thought meh, he’s just a kitten, he’s just playing. Ahem. Personality-wise, he is basically every cat meme on Facebook. Extremely lazy, aloof, bossy, patronizing and bullying (he is Christmas Story’s Skut Farkus to our small female tiger cat’s Ralphie – and she may yet let loose on Franco the same way Ralphie did; we are waiting…). His favorite pastimes include sleeping, eating, naps, snacks, having a resting grumpy face and…occasionally…inexplicably…jumping in your lap at odd times and purring. When this happens you’re so overjoyed you begin petting him and cooing at him, which basically makes him jump down after rolling his eyes. He also enjoys hiding out behind doors patiently waiting to leap out at the aforementioned small female tiger cat and making her jump a mile in the air in fright.
He is basically a handsome male model and knows it. He has little patience and is completely annoyed with being hugged, kissed and petted on the regular by the female resident of the household and the daughter-from-Brooklyn when she comes for a visit. He has been known to inflict scar-making wounds on these ladies, who never seem know when to quit. In his defense, he usually gives out a weird guttural meow when he has had enough, indicating that you must stop what you are doing and back away. These warnings are frequently ignored. (“Please LOVE me” goes the popular meme of a female holding a cat who has unmercifully scratched her).
Oddly, given his disdain for humans, he seems to hang around whenever we have friends over, but this has been attributed to his knowing these social occasions frequently involve unattended food. His other adorable trait is incessantly sharpening his claws on all the furniture, so that the decor resembles shredded cheese. It is obvious why we love this cat, who we’ve had for….no one remembers how many years. Seems like he’s always been here – spoiled, lazy, rotten but oh-so-lovable.
(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) A road was closed in Crystal City this morning due to a suspicious package investigation.
Police blocked off 26th Street S. between Crystal Drive and S. Clark Street, and are also working to block Crystal Drive.
The Arlington County Fire Department bomb squad responded to the scene to investigate the reported suspicious object, but ultimately officers from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency examined it and gave the all-clear, an ACFD spokesman said.
The area is home to a number of government and military offices.
