Author: Kalina Newman

Arlington Agenda: July 3-9

By Kalina Newman

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday

Fourth of July Holiday BBQ
Heritage Brewpub & Roastery (1300 N Fillmore Street)
Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m.

Join Heritage Brewpub on the Fourth of July for an exclusive menu only around for the day that includes BBQ beef ribs, beer brats and pints of beer crafted in-house. All you need to do is wear red, white and blue.

July 4th Celebration at Long Bridge Park
Long Bridge Park (475 Long Bridge Drive)
Time: 5-10 p.m.

Join the patriotic spirit with food trucks, live music, sports and games for all ages, moon bounces (weather permitting), face painting and great views of the fireworks display from the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

 

Wednesday

Wine Tasting *
Osteria de Nino (2900 S. Quincy Street)
Time: 5-7 p.m.

Come to Osteria de Nino on the first Wednesday of every month for a complimentary wine tasting at the bar and also purchase wines at a special discount. In addition, R.W.K wines speaker Robert W. Kennedy will join the event.

Thursday

Didgeridoo Down Under
Aurora Hills Branch Library (735 18th Street S.)
Time: 4-5 p.m.

This high energy, Australia-themed show combines music, science, comedy, culture, audience participation and character building into one. The show is family friendly and admission is free.

Friday

Jade Catta-Preta LIVE
Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Jade Catta-Preta is a Brazilian born comic and actress working in Los Angeles and New York. She has appeared on numerous series including Manhattan Love Story, The Jim Gaffigan Show and Angel from Hell.

Saturday

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Used Book Sale *
St. Mary’s (2609 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

There will be a wide selection of books at bargain prices. Shop early for the best selection and join church members for some lemonade and cookies while you shop. All proceeds and leftover books are donated to the Arlington Pediatric Center.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Arlington Agenda: June 26-July 2

By Kalina Newman

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday

Arlington Home Buyer Class*
Orange Line Living (1600 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

This event is hosted by best-selling author and nationally-ranked real estate agent Dan Lesniak. Dan and his team have developed a special process to help thousands of local families buy or sell their home.

Wednesday

State of the County/Public Safety Awards
Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy)
Time: 7:30-9:30 a.m.

This annual event will include an address by County Board Chair Jay Fisette, who will highlight the economic and development status of Arlington. Public safety personnel and first responders will also be honored.

A Clockwork Orange at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse
Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2309 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7:45 p.m.

Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic about morality and psychological control caused such an uproar that Kubrick himself demanded that it be pulled from theaters. Gather together some of your best droogs and get ready for a dystopian evening.

Thursday

Outdoor Screening of Spaceballs
Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 8:35 p.m.

Limited seating is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis for this free outdoor movie series. You are encouraged to bring your own chair and to check the CPRO Facebook page or Twitter feed in the event of inclement weather.

Friday

Turtle Recall at Clarendon Grill
Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street)
Time: 9:30 p.m.

D.C. cover band Turtle Recall is performing at Clarendon Grill, starting around 9:30 p.m. Playing a mix of pop, rock and folk, Turtle Recall describes itself as “a super fun band that’s all over the spectrum.”

Saturday

All American Bar Crawl 2017
Various Clarendon bars
Time: 1-9 p.m.

Enjoy exclusive specials while bar-hopping between Clarendon’s most popular bars with thousands of other partying patriots. Featuring Fourth of July inspired drink specials, party favors and star spangled shenanigans.

Sunday

Sundresses and Sangria Day Party In Clarendon
Pamplona (3100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 3-9 p.m.

Come and enjoy one of the most significant weekends of the year and Pamplona’s inaugural Sundress & Sangria Day Party. Expect sundresses, patio entertainment, sangria pitchers and frozen sangria, Pamplona’s best bites, and more.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Summer Travel Tips for Flying Out of DCA or IAD

By Kalina Newman

Summer is officially here and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has some tips for reducing hassles at the airport during the summer vacation season.

MWAA, which operates Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport, says that travelers should plan ahead, keep an eye on the weather and monitor social media.

Among the tips from the airports authority:

  • “Be aware of airport travel peaks and when to arrive: Passengers should arrive to the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Peak travel times at the airports include the early morning (6 a.m. to 8 a.m.), mid-day (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and late afternoon (3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.).”
  • “Check in online and print your boarding pass before coming to the airport.”
  • “Follow airport social media accounts for up-to-date information. Passengers should follow @Dulles_Airport and @Reagan_Airport on Twitter and check out FlyDulles and ReaganAirport on Facebook.”
  • “Confirm the status of your flight before coming to the airport. Weather here or even in other parts of the country may affect flight schedules.”
  • “Pack wisely with no prohibited items in carry-on luggage and no valuable items in checked luggage. With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, passengers should remember that fireworks are prohibited at all times.”
  • “Label your luggage so your name is clearly visible.”
  • “Economy lots tend to fill quickly during the summer. Be sure to check parking availability for Reagan National online at flyreagan.com/parking.”
  • Reserve a parking spot: “At Reagan National, ePark allows travelers to assure a parking spot. Travelers can make reservations from 24 hours to six months before their trip. Reservations can be changed or canceled online up to 24 hours before arrival time, free of charge.”

“Travelers should prepare ahead of time, make full use of airport websites and follow airport social media accounts to have the best experience possible,” MWAA said in a press release.

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

County Making New Efforts to Engage Millennials in Civic Life

By Kalina Newman

Arlington County says it is stepping up its efforts to get millennials involved in local government and civic life.

Arlington was just named the best city for millennials in the U.S. by the website Niche. Depending on how you define the millennial generation, it makes up between 30-40 percent of the county’s population of just over 220,000.

Yet when it comes to involvement with county government and civic organizations, millennials are underrepresented. Attend a County Board meeting, or a meeting of an Arlington commission or working group, and it is older residents typically speaking out or helping to shape policy.

To get millennials more involved, last month Arlington County partnered with the Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) and hosted a happy hour with County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol, herself a millennial. More then five dozen young people attended the happy hour and discussed local issues with Cristol.

Along with the event, Arlington County launched an interactive forum called Engage Arlington where people can publicly post and discuss county issues. Focused on feedback from millennials, Engage Arlington has a voting system, similar to Reddit.com, where posts that receive “likes” from other users move up the list.

Within Engage Arlington there is a separate forum specifically for Arlington millennials to engage and discuss. Popular topics include expanding transit options and affordable housing solutions. As of today (Friday) at noon, the last post on the forum was 14 hours ago.

In a press release, the county said its goal is to “determine the areas of civic interest to residents in their twenties and thirties and connect them with convenient ways to engage — online or in-person– with plenty of time commitment options.”

“The common misconception is that millennials don’t care about government,” Melissa Riggio, a millennial living in Ballston, is quoted as saying. “What, to me, is more accurate, is that we connect to government in different ways than the generation before us, so it can go unseen by those who are unaccustomed to it.”

“Young people inject new life and energy into Arlington’s neighborhoods, businesses, culture and nightlife,” concluded the county’s press release. “By getting involved, millennials can help shape and develop the kind of Arlington they’ll want to call home for a long time to come.”

Sister of Drowsy Driving Victim Hides Smiley Faces Around D.C. Area to Raise Awareness

By Kalina Newman
1/3

A Fairlington woman is honoring the anniversary of her sister’s passing in a unique way.

Jennifer Pearce lost her sister Nicole seven years ago in a car crash caused by drowsy driving. The driver of the car Nicole was in fell asleep and ran off the side of the road in West Virginia. Nicole, who was wearing her seat belt, died in the hospital.

To honor her memory, Pearce — along with family and friends — hid over a hundred smiley-face painted rocks around Fairlington last night, and hundreds more around the D.C. area and beyond.

Pearce says raising awareness about drowsy driving has become a life mission.

“We have been very proactive about trying to get awareness awareness, my family will go to 95 and different rest stops and hand out coffee,” said Pearce. “I started doing this because the days just suck. My sister was such a bright and shiny happy person and it was so counter intuitive to try and live that way when your heart was broken.”

According to a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association, there are an estimated 6,400 deaths per year from people nodding off while driving, with more than 50 percent of drowsy driving crashes involving drivers who are 25 years old or younger.

For the past four years, Jennifer has given away small tokens on her sister’s birthday.

“We started with filling up mylar balloons and we would just hand them out to strangers. Smiley faces were her thing and it’s become sort of a holiday that’s brought back her spirit.”

She gave away smiley face balloons because smiley faces were Nicole’s favorite. This year she’s doing something different and has painted about 700 smiley face rocks that have been hidden all over the D.C. area — “and way beyond including Paris, South America and many other states and cities,” she said in a Facebook post.

Many were placed throughout north and south Fairlington, where Pearce lives.

“I hid a hundred rocks in Fairlington, I tried to hide some that were a little easier for kids, there were some I randomly put on car door handles, I hid some in the crevices of tree bases and near the pools, the tennis courts, the dog park, they’re kind of everywhere,” said Pearce.

“My staff is out at the zoo today and we’re going to Georgetown for lunch so they’ll be there. Whoever finds them, what they do with them or why they might need them that day is totally between them and the universe.”

If you happen to come across one of the smiley face rocks, comment on Nicole’s Facebook post with a picture of it.

More information about Nicole and the impact of drowsy driving can be found on a website created in her memory.

Study: Arts’ Impact on County Coffers Doubled in Five Years

By Kalina Newman

A new study has found that nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Arlington have nearly doubled their impact on county coffers in the last five years.

The national study, “Arts and Economic Prosperity 5” by Americans for the Arts, found that nonprofit arts generate $189.2 million each year in Arlington and supports more than 5,000 full-time jobs. It also generates $13.9 million in tax revenues each year for state and local governments, the study found.

Of that, Arlington County receives approximately $7.5 million a year, up from $3.9 million in tax revenue recorded five years ago, when the last study was completed.

“Arlington has a vibrant arts ecosystem of 127 nonprofit arts and culture organizations that range from amateur theater to WETA, which is one of the largest producers of content for PBS, which is also headquartered in Arlington,” Michelle Isabelle-Stark, director of Arlington Cultural Affairs, said in a statement. “These numbers reflect the breadth and impact of that ecosystem.”

The study documented the economic contributions of the arts in 341 counties and regions across the country, including Arlington County. Only nonprofit organizations were studied, so calculations from for-profit organizations such as movie theaters or commercial concert venues were not included.

Some other notable local statistics from the study:

  • Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations provide 5,156 full-time jobs in Arlington
  • $118.6 million dollars of household income is produced annually
  • $170 million is spent annually to keep the organizations running
  • Audience members spend over $18 million each year on amenities such as lodging, child care, meals and transportation

“Not only do these non-profit organizations entertain residents with stellar performances, cultural events and heritage festivals, but they also generate $7.512 million in revenue for the county government,” said Janet Kopenhaver, chair of advocacy group Embracing Arlington Arts. “This translates into an economic powerhouse industry for our county and its residents.”

There are over 50 locally-focused art groups in Arlington County along with hundreds of independent visual artists, whose genres range from performing to media arts. In combination with heritage groups the represent countries such as Vietnam and Bolivia, over 4,000 programs are conducted annually that reach almost 600,000 people, according to the county.

Clarendon Businesses To Partner Tomorrow For Alzheimer’s Fundraiser

By Kalina Newman

The Alzheimer’s Association of the National Capital Area will partner with several Clarendon businesses tomorrow (Wednesday) to raise money for those suffering with Alzheimer’s.

Known as Clarendon Cares, participating businesses will offer special deals for the occasion and a portion of their proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. The fundraiser coincides with the association’s “Longest Day” event, which encourages people to give on the summer solstice.

Anyone who can’t make it to any of the participating businesses Wednesday can donate online to help the Alzheimer’s Association reach its goal of raising $5,000.

And those posting on social media that day are encouraged to use the hashtag #ClarendonCares.

Local businesses participating are:

Roads Will Close This Weekend For Columbia Pike Blues Festival

By Kalina Newman

A number of roads will close this weekend for the Columbia Pike Blues Festival.

The Blues Fest stage is located near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive. The free event will include several performers, food vendors, activities for children and other vendors.

The festival is taking place on Saturday, June 17. The closures, below, are scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to a county press release.

  • S. Walter Reed Drive from Columbia Pike to 9th Street S. (Motorists can use 7th Street S. to S. Highland Street as a detour)
  • 9th Road S. from S. Garfield Street to S. Walter Reed Drive
  • 9th Street S. from S. Highland Street to S. Walter Reed Drive

There will be temporary “No Parking” signs placed around the area and illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed or towed. If you are towed from a public street, call 703-558-2222.

Rep. Don Beyer to Hold Public Forum on Net Neutrality

By Kalina Newman

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) will host a forum on the future of net neutrality in two weeks.

The event is happening on Monday, June 26 from 7:30-9 p.m. Beyer will be joined by former Federal Communications Commission chair Tom Wheeler and former FCC general counsel Jonathan Sallet.

The forum will take place in George Mason University’s Founders Hall (3351 N. Fairfax Drive) and is free to attend, though registration is strongly advised.

Net neutrality is a principle that prohibits internet service providers from speeding up, slowing down or blocking any content. For example, without net neutrality rules a cable company could intentionally slow down the Netflix video streaming service as a way to force people to use its own streaming service instead.

Advocates worry that if the FCC rolls back net neutrality protections, companies like Verizon, AT&T and Comcast could have control over internet content. Currently the FCC is soliciting comments to its email inbox at [email protected], to better understand the potential impact net neutrality abolition could have on internet users.

Gifford’s Ice Cream Founder’s Grandson Reveals Family Horrors

By Kalina Newman

(Updated at 6:20 p.m.) Nostalgia is the most dangerous emotion for Andrew Gifford, the grandson of John Gifford, founder of beloved former area ice cream chain Gifford’s Ice Cream.

Last month Gifford released his first book, “We All Scream: The Rise and Fall of the Gifford’s Ice Cream Empire.“ The book depicts Gifford’s abusive relationship with his parents growing up, the deaths of his grandparents and how his father ruined Washington’s largest ice cream empire.

When Robert Gifford, one of John Gifford’s other sons, took over the company, things quickly went downhill. Gifford described his father’s actions during the reading, explaining how he would never pay his taxes, cheated his customers and didn’t pay employees, ultimately leaving the company in financial ruin.

Despite the collapse, many local residents still remember Gifford’s fondly. And that means the brand is still valuable.

“It doesn’t matter what’s in the cup,” a person trying to reboot the company said last year, according to Gifford. “As long as I say it’s Gifford’s Swiss Chocolate, people will pay me anything I ask.”

“It’s these people who are so focused on this fantasy and nostalgia that frustrate me,” said Gifford. “I want the lesson to be nostalgia is dangerous, don’t give into it. Don’t buy $6 ice cream from someone who said they once bought machines from the people who once supplied Gifford’s 50 years ago.”

Gifford was at One More Page Books in Arlington’s East Falls Church neighborhood earlier this week, where he read two excerpts from his book, held a Q&A session and signed copies.

In the excerpt Gifford read during the event, he described how his mother decided to sit him down at the age of 6 and tell him that his grandmother was murdered by his grandfather. This was a lie: his grandmother had passed several years beforehand, but Gifford had been told she was still alive during his entire childhood.

“We All Scream” made an impression on members of the audience, most of whom grew up in the area and had warm memories of Gifford’s Ice Cream.

During the Q&A session, many questions were about what happened to the old Gifford’s ice cream flavors and recipes people adored, and if anyone could find any remaining Gifford’s products. Instead of focusing on the horror and abuse around the Gifford story, the questions were full of yearning and nostalgia.

“This was a beautiful thing that people loved but it needs to die,” said Gifford after the event. “It needs to end. There’s this obsession with the Gifford’s of old, when really it wasn’t that fairytale.”

Audrey Clement Undeterred in Long Quest for County Board Seat

By Kalina Newman
1/10

Audrey Clement isn’t going anywhere. This year, Clement is running for Arlington County Board for the sixth time.

Since 2011, Clement has aimed to break through the County Board’s Democratic majority to win a seat as either an independent or Green Party candidate. Since 2011, Clement has always lost. In 2014, she also ran for a position on the Arlington County School Board but lost by 18,327 votes to Barbara Kanninen.

So why does Clement keep coming back?

Clement said she is returning again because she cares. She’s been in the D.C. area since 1989 and has a Ph.D from Temple University in Political Science. Since 2005, Clement has been an environmental activist in Arlington County. She runs under a platform that calls for immediate environmental, housing and tax reforms.

Clement also refuses to give up on her goal of undoing the local Democratic Party’s traditional dominance of the County Board, with challenges from local Republicans fleeting at best. Current Board member John Vihstadt (I) was the most recent to break local Democrats’ dominance when he won in 2014, the first non-Democrat to win a County Board seat in a general election since 1983.

“I think that the two-party system is not serving the vast majority of the Arlington people. I have to make the case that there is the alternative and I have to make this case to the public,” Clement said in an interview this week. She said breaking through the system was what motivated her to run in 2011, and continues to motivate her each year.

If elected, Clement said she wants to redirect the Affordable Housing Investment Fund from its current system of apartment subsidies to a system that provides rental assistance for those who need it.

“I’m concerned with the affordable housing investment fund because the county has been putting its year-end surpluses into that fund,” she said. “I do not believe that the current affordable housing program is economical and sustainable, I would start cutting there. They’re spending way too much on each new unit of so-called affordable housing that they construct. They need to evaluate that program.”

In addition, Clement is determined to resolve what she sees as an impending budget crisis in Arlington.

“The biggest crisis is the anticipated budget cuts coming down from the Trump administration that will impact county residents,” Clement said. “It could be as many as 15,000 people get laid off and this will impact the county tax revenue. If I’m elected I will take a proactive position with regards to retaining businesses and trying to counteract the impact of the anticipated Trump administration budget cuts.”

As to why she hasn’t won a seat after six years of running, Clement blames the limits that come with a small campaign budget.

“Some of my opponents have spent in the range of $100,000 apiece in their elections,” she said. “They weren’t incumbents, so they came into the election with that as their handicap. In that regard, they overcame their handicap by spending a ton of money. I have rarely been able to muster more than $10,000 a race.”

To combat her lack of funding, Clement uses social media. She currently runs a Facebook page with 393 likes and 373 followers. She also runs Facebook advertisements for anyone who does not follow her page to see.

For anyone unfamiliar with Clement, she wants the one thing people to know most about her to be her credentials.

“I have a lot of untraditional political experience,” said Clement. She spent a year as a Congressional Fellow and is currently a government contractor. She also hopes that her time spent as an environmental activist will set her apart from her opponents as she approaches her seventh campaign for a seat on the County Board.

After all of these years, she still remains determined.

“Most political commentators would say, if you haven’t made it the first or second time then quit,” said Clement. “I’m not going to quit.”

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