Author: Tim Regan

Transit Officials to Discuss I-395 Travel Study Tonight

By Tim Regan

Traffic on I-395 near ShirlingtonLocals will have a chance to learn about future travel choices along the I-395 corridor during a public meeting tonight.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is scheduled to hold an open house prior to the Arlington Transportation Commission meeting at 2100 Clarendon Blvd from 6:30-7:30 p.m. this evening.

The purpose of the open house is to discuss an ongoing DRPT study designed to come up with a list of projects eligible for funding from revenue generated by the plan to extend the 395 Express Lanes to Eads Street in Arlington.

Those projects could include better bus or rail service, more carpooling options and other ways to “support mobility, economic development, and sustainability goals for communities along the corridor,” officials said. Virginia has committed at least $15 million per year to funding possible projects.

Locals can weigh in on the study before the meeting by completing this DRPT survey.

Oakridge, Ashlawn Elementary Schools Adopt Reading-Only Homework Policies

By Tim Regan

Arlington Public School school bus(Updated at 2:37 p.m.) Teachers at two Arlington schools are doing away with take-home packets, worksheets and projects.

Oakridge and Ashlawn elementary schools have adopted a reading-only homework policy this year, according to Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia. Another local school, Taylor Elementary, is currently piloting a similar program for second graders.

Under the new program, teachers will only assign occasional at-home reading. Students are graded not on homework, but on class participation and what they produce during the school day.

The policy is aimed at teaching students how to think critically and solve problems, said Oakridge principal Dr. Lynne Wright.

“We felt that when we used homework as a grade, it was inequitable because we couldn’t really determine how much of the assignment was done by the student or how much was done with editing, support and coaching,” Wright said.

But that doesn’t mean kids at those schools won’t learn how to be responsible after class, Wright said. Teachers will encourage students to learn practical tasks such as making their lunch for the next day or putting things away at home.

So far, Wright said there’s been little resistance from parents, partly because the new program didn’t come as a surprise. School officials spent the last year looking at research and talking it over at PTA meetings.

“The questions about responsibility and getting ready for middle school were the questions that came up the most,” Wright said. “We didn’t have a whole lot of pushback.”

In fact, many parents said they felt like homework took too much time away from interacting with their kids.

“They weren’t spending time talking to their children about their day or their friendships or the content they’d learned,” Wright said. “They were really just saying, get that worksheet done. They felt like they were putting all this energy into something that wasn’t impacting their learning or their creativity and problem solving.”

And how are students taking to the new policy?

“They were jumping for joy,” Wright said. “They feel relief. They’re happy. They’re proud. They feel like they’re developing their relationships.”

Arlington SAT Scores Fall Slightly While Beating National, State Trends

By Tim Regan

2016 SAT graph (via Arlington Public Schools)Though SAT scores at Arlington Public Schools fell in 2016, they still far exceeded national and state trends.

That’s the latest from APS, which reported today its average combined SAT score in 2016 fell 19 points, to 1,661. APS Students achieved an average combined score of 1,680 last year.

Despite the drop, however, the newest numbers still easily beat the Virginia average score of 1,535 and national average score of 1,484 in 2016. The latest average score also exceeds what APS students achieved in 2014 by eight points.

“Our students continue to have a proven track record of exceptional performance on the SAT that far exceeds their peers around the country,” Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy said in a press release. “We are very proud of their success and their level of preparation for post-secondary opportunities.”

Year-over-year, mean APS SAT scores fell three points in reading, eight points in writing and seven points in math.

Additionally, “results for APS black and white students also exceed the peers in Virginia and the nation by large margins,” the school system noted in its release.

“I am grateful for the leadership of our principals and the support from our teachers and counselors who helped to prepare our students well to achieve these impressive results,” Murphy added. “Our congratulations go out to our students and their families for successfully completing this important step to achieving their post-secondary pursuits.”

Arlington Agenda: Sept. 26-Oct. 2

By Tim Regan
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. In case you’d like to watch tonight’s presidential debates with a drink in your hand but don’t know where to go, we’ve included some last-minute suggestions.

If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Monday

Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse

Presidential Debate on the Big Screen
Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 8 p.m.

Arlington Drafthouse will screen the first of three televised debates between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The event is free and lasts until the debate ends.

Hillary Clinton (courtesy photo)Phone Banking and Presidential Debate Watch Party
Cafe Sazon (4704 Columbia Pike)
Time: 6-10:30 p.m.

Groups Latinos con Hillary and Mujeres in Politics are scheduled to host a volunteer phone bank and debate watch party for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Cafe Sazon is opening exclusively for volunteers and will have specials such as a soda or beer and two empanadas for $11, tax and tip included.

Mad Rose Tavern logoNorthern Virginia for45 Presidential Debate Watch Party
Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Young professionals who support Hillary Clinton are set to gather at Mad Rose Tavern for a grassroots fundraiser. The event will include an appearance by Adam Parkhomenko, who is the national field director for the Democratic National Committee and a longtime Clinton aide. Tickets start at $45.

Tuesday

Army Navy Country Club Home Buyer's SeminarHome Buyer’s Seminar *
Army Navy Country Club (1700 Army Navy Drive)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Attendees can bring their questions and concerns to this home buyer’s seminar at the Army Navy Country Club. The seminar will include light food and drinks, a door prize and free credit reports.

Wednesday

ACA Over Drinks FlierACA Over Drinks
WeWork Crystal Palace (2221 S Clark Street)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

The Affordable Care Act comes with new regulations, requirements, and deadlines. Is your company is in compliance? TriNet’s experts will educate attendees about the ins and outs of the health care law during this informational session. The event will also include drinks, food and networking.

Bar Olympics at Spider Kelly'sBar Olympics
Spider Kelly’s (3181 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Go for the gold and support the Arlington Food Assistance Center at the same time during this bar game competition. Attendees will face off in a variety of events such as skee ball, shuffleboard and arcade basketball. The entry fee is $10 per individual or $20 for a team of two.

Friday

New Tools for the New EconomyNew Tools for the New, Digital Economy
Arlington Independent Media (2701 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7 p.m.

This free event includes a talk about Arlington’s new open data programs, tours of Arlington Independent Media’s video, podcasting and radio courses alongside information on web and graphic design, coding, DIY app building and more.

Saturday

Operation Turbo BBQ DinnerOperation Turbo BBQ Dinner*
Lyon Park Community Center (414 North Fillmore Street)
Time: 6-10 p.m.

Support a local nonprofit while eating barbecue from Big Bully BBQ, dancing to music, participating in raffles and drinking beer and wine.  Tickets are $35 per person at the door.

Sunday

Kinhaven School 5k and 1K Kids Fun RunKinhaven School 5k and 1K Kids Fun Run
Bluemont Park South Shelter (523 North Manchester Street)
Time: 9-10:30 a.m.

Kinhaven kids and their families will provide encouragement and cheer on runners and walkers as they travel along the W&OD bike trail. Strollers and walkers are welcome.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

Construction of New Ballston Development Could Disturb Human Remains

By Tim Regan
1/8

(Updated at 4:57 p.m.) A new plan to build a mixed-use building in Ballston could mean uncovering some human remains in the process.

Ballston Station Housing Corporation, a nonprofit established by the Central United Methodist Church, seeks to redevelop the church at 4201 Fairfax Drive into an eight-story development that would contain a new house of worship, 132 residential units with affordable housing, a daycare and preschool facility and charitable facilities.

But there’s a snag: The site they want to build on was once the Robert Ball Graveyard, the final resting place of some members of the family behind the Ballston name. Today, several white headstones can be seen scattered across the church grounds.

In order to excavate the old graveyard, the developers need to get a permit from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. They also need to hold a public meeting to notify surrounding community members and possible descendants of the Ball family.

Still, the developer behind the project isn’t so sure there are even any human remains left to uncover.

“Nobody actually really knows,” said Tad Lunger, legal representative for the developer. Lunger added that he thinks workers digging utility trenches and tunnels for the nearby Ballston Metro station may have uncovered any leftover remains years ago.

Boyd Sipe, an archaeologist hired by the developers to survey the site, isn’t sure there’s anyone buried there, either. Sipe recently conducted a ground-penetrating radar survey of the graveyard that turned up “inconclusive.”

“The GPR survey identified several anomalies that had potential to be graves but could be other subsurface features,” Sipe said. “There’s really no evidence that there are graves on the site, but we want to be ready with the state permit in case graves are found.”

In the event the project does uncover any bone fragments or relics, Sipe said they’ll be turned over to a skeletal biologist who will work to analyze and identify them.

But the county says take a closer look.

“There are six marked graves. There could be an additional three,” said Rebeccah Ballo, historic planner with Arlington County. “There is no evidence written or otherwise that shows those graves have ever been exhumed or moved.”

Ballo said she’s heard from some locals who are worried about digging up the graveyard.

“People have contacted my office concerned about it,” Ballo said. “It is a very old graveyard. It’s been a fixture of the neighborhood for a very long time.”

“This is not something that has happened in Arlington County in recent memory,” Ballo added.

The developers will hold a public meeting regarding the site at the Central United Methodist Church on Oct. 6.

Local Resources for Suicide Prevention Month

By Tim Regan

APS Suicide Prevention FlyerSeptember is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and Arlington County has a bevy of local and national resources on its website for those in need.

National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month “helps promote resources and awareness around the issues of suicide prevention, how you can help others and how to talk about suicide without increasing the risk of harm,” according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness.

Resources that adults can use include:

  • Arlington County Emergency Mental Health Services: 703-228-5160
  • Crisis Link: 703-527-4077 or text “Connect” to 85511
  • National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK
  • National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE
  • LGBTQ Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
  • Visit the Kristin Brooks Hope Center to chat online with a crisis intervention specialist
  • Call Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, text to 838255, or chat online

For teens, the county suggests Your Life Your Voice, a 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-448-3000. The service also includes ways teens can email, chat and text for help.

Arlington Public Schools also distributes flyers in English and Spanish for young people looking to get help or aid their peers.

Online resources include:

Finally, if someone is in immediate danger, the county recommends you call 911 or emergency services at 703-228-5160.

Image via APS flyer

Millennial-Centric Political Group to Hold Social Security Reform Event in Clarendon

By Tim Regan

claim-our-future-ad-photo-via-generation-opportunity-instituteA political organization “focused on educating young Americans on the benefits of a free society” is scheduled to educate young Arlington residents about the apparent inefficiency of Social Security during a free event in Clarendon tonight.

The informational session will take place at Clarendon Grill (1101 N Highland Street) this evening at 5 p.m., according to an event page.

During the event, members with Generation Opportunity Institute — the group behind this year’s “State of the Millennial Report” — will share why the Social Security program is stuck in the past:

Join our Virginia Team to learn more about how we’re banding together to Claim Our Future. Young Americans know we are not going to benefit from Social Security.  Our generation is paying the government to address a problem we’ve already solved.  Millennials are saving for retirement 13 years earlier than previous generations, saving more, and have specific savings goals. We, not government, should be in control of our money, our savings, our retirement, and our financial futures.  Social Security is outdated, going bankrupt, and doesn’t work for the 21st century.

The event will also include complimentary appetizers despite the group’s disdain for “free stuff.”

Image via Generation Opportunity Institute

APS Video Series Highlights Arlington’s Historical Markers

By Tim Regan

arlington-historical-markers-series-screenshotThere are more than 80 historical markers scattered throughout Arlington County’s 26 square miles, but if you’re like many locals, you probably haven’t visited all of them.

A recently launched video series from Arlington Public Schools will let you learn about some of those sites without leaving your computer.

The program, hosted in part by APS Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy, highlights 11 of the county’s most significant historic sites.

Since the series debuted earlier this summer, it’s already uncovered some interesting tidbits about the area, such as:

And there’s more history on the way. Next up, the series will tackle historical sites such as the Necostin Indian Site at the Roosevelt Island Parking Lot, Stratford Junior High School (which currently houses the H-B Woodlawn secondary program) and the Reevesland farmhouse.

Screenshot via Arlington Historical Markers video

Arlington Agenda: Sept. 12-18

By Tim Regan

(Updated at 2:46 p.m.) 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.

Monday

BuyerSeminarAdPhotoFree Home Buyer Seminar*
Optime Realty (1600 Wilson Blvd, Suite 101)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

Optime Realty will host a home buying seminar with lenders and buyer agents. Elysia Stobbe of NFM Lending will give tips on how to get the best mortgage during the event. Stobbe will also raffle copies of her book, “How To Get Approved for the Best Mortgage Without Sticking a Fork in Your Eye.”

Wednesday

Photo via SafeTrack brochureIs “SafeTrack” the “New Normal?”*
Marymount University Phelan Hall (2807 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 8-9 p.m.

Is Metro’s “Safetrack” initiative the new normal? The Arlington Committee of 100 will hold a discussion about the transit agency’s transportation challenges and how they’re being addressed. Panelists will include Christian Dorsey, who serves on the Arlington County Board and WMATA’s board of directors.

Conversation-with-a-Cop-ClarendonConversation With a Cop
Spider Kelly’s (3181 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

ACPD officers will chat with residents and get to know them better over complimentary appetizers from Spider Kelly’s. The event is a chance for locals to “share your ideas on how we can work together to maintain Clarendon as a safe area to enjoy nightlife and entertainment,” organizers said.

Friday

Jon Lovitz (Photo via Flickr/Phil Konstantin)Jon Lovitz Live at the Arlington Drafthouse
Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Comedian Jon Lovitz, who once played a “master thespian” and a devil on “Saturday Night Live,” is scheduled to bring his stand-up show to Arlington. In addition to Friday’s show, Arlington Cinema Drafthouse will hold performances Saturday at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.

Saturday

wine-fotoWine Tasting*
Osteria da Nino Cucina Italiana (2900 S. Quincy Street)
Time: 2-5 p.m.

The Italian restaurant and bar will serve samples of 20 wines from across the world and light hors d’oeuvres during a tasting event this weekend. As an added bonus, patrons who stay for dinner get 10 percent off their check.


logo_cci_dogfest1Dogfest Walk ‘n Roll Benefiting Canine Companions for Independence
Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street)
Time: 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

This community dog walk supports Canine Companions for Independence. Locals can register solo or with a team of friends, family or coworkers, then raise money to help the good cause.

clarendon-day-logoClarendon Day
Clarendon Metro Plaza (3100 Block of Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

The annual Clarendon Day street festival is set to include music, food and drink, vendors and a kids area, in addition to a 5K/10K race before the event. Organizers say they’re expecting more than 30,000 attendees.

Sunday

A woman and her dog at last week's Pups and Pilsners event in Crystal City (Flickr pool photo by Rob Cannon)Pups and Pilsners
12th Street S. and Crystal Drive
Time: 2-6 p.m.

Pups and people are welcome at this outdoor beer festival in Crystal City. The festival will feature a beer garden with craft brews and snacks from local food trucks. Though the event is free to attend, tasting tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

Côte d’Or Café Hopes to Show Off ‘Healthier Side of French Cooking’

By Tim Regan
1/2

A restaurant in East Falls Church is looking to shake the idea that French cooking is unhealthy.

Chef Jacques Imperato, who took over Côte d’Or Café (6876 Lee Highway) earlier this year, hopes to show off “the healthier side of French cooking” with seasonal menus and a lighter approach to making food.

Imperato, who attended culinary school in Nice, France and previously owned Chalet de la Paix and Mediterranee restaurants in Arlington and Great Falls, aims to achieve his goal by cooking with seasonal ingredients and low-calorie alternatives in a “modern classic Burgundy style.”

That means instead of making sauces with heavy cream, for instance — butter, cream, flour and cheese are hallmarks of French cuisine — Imperato uses healthier oils.

“The Burgundy cooking style uses less cream than other French regions use in their cooking,” he said. 

In place of processed or prepared foods, the chef prepares dishes with “fruits, vegetables, and herbs that are fresh and in-season.” Last week, Imperato served a dinner where peaches starred as the primary ingredient in every dish, for example.

Grass fed beef is also now on the menu, Imperato noted.

“Grass fed beef is all they had when Burgundy style cooking was concocted and that kind of beef adds an earthy taste to the dishes,” he said. “When you substitute poor corn fed beef the dishes lose the taste that is essential in this style of cooking.”

Locals to Rappel Down Crystal City Hotel for Brain Cancer Research

By Tim Regan

Photo via Twitter : OverTheEdgeLocal thrill-seekers will have a shot to rappel down the side of a Crystal City hotel building during a charity fundraiser next month.

Over The Edge, an organization that helps raise money for nonprofits across the U.S., is set to partner with Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure during a daredevil event at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Highway) on Sunday, Sept. 18.

During the challenge, participants who register and raise at least $2,000 to help fund brain cancer research will get the chance to rappel down the side of the hotel. Though the feat might look daunting, no experience is necessary to join in on the fun, organizers said.

Registration costs $75 and reserves attendees a spot on the list. All who want to participate must raise at least $2,000, according to organizers.

Photo via Twitter / Over The Edge

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