News

New County Auditor appointed, starts work today

By ARLnow.com
Flags outside Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse (photo courtesy Arlington County)

Arlington County officially has a new auditor.

Jim Shelton, who was previously auditor for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, was appointed by the Arlington County Board on Tuesday and slated to start work today.

Shelton’s work in Fairfax County included finding opportunities for “increasing county revenues, reducing expenditures, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resources.” In a statement, County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said that he will help ensure “that the performance of government provides maximum value for taxpayers.”

Chris Horton, Arlington County’s independent auditor since 2016, left the post last year. It was not revealed why Horton left.

More on Shelton’s appointment from an Arlington County press release, below.

At its Organizational Meeting on January 3, 2023, the County Board appointed Jim L. Shelton as the County Auditor. Mr. Shelton will be responsible for conducting independent and comprehensive audits and reviews of County programs and operations. He will also serve as the primary staff liaison to the Audit Committee.

Under the direction of the County Board and the Audit Committee, and in parallel with the County’s internal audit function within the Department of Management and Finance, Mr. Shelton will develop annual work plans for and conduct programmatic and operational audits and reviews of County departments and operations.

Mr. Shelton brings 24 years of audit review and financial management experience to Arlington County. For the last nine years, he served as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Auditor, managing audit work plans, conducting audit reviews, and developing recommendations focused on increasing county revenues, reducing expenditures, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resources. “The Board is excited that Jim Shelton brings a wealth of experience that will grow and mature the Office of the County Auditor in supporting the Board’s goal of ensuring that the performance of government provides maximum value for taxpayers,” said Christian Dorsey, Chair of the Arlington County Board and Co-Chair of its Audit Committee.

Mr. Shelton holds a BS/BA in Accounting from Xavier University and an MBA from Fontbonne University. He is a Certified Risk Professional by the Bank Administration Institute (BAI) and a Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association member.

The Board voted unanimously to approve Mr. Shelton’s contract. He will start work with the County on January 5, 2023.

UPDATED: Two found dead at Langston Blvd hotel

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) Arlington County police are investigating after two people were found dead in a hotel room this afternoon.

Initial reports suggest that police were called after a guest failed to check out on time at the Inns of Virginia hotel, at 3335 Langston Blvd, and officers then found a man and a woman unresponsive in their room. Medics pronounced them dead on the scene.

Police are now trying to determine what happened, but so far there is no indication that the deaths are being considered suspicious.

“ACPD is conducting a death investigation in the 3300 block of Langston Boulevard,” police spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirmed to ARLnow. “At approximately 12:33 p.m., police were dispatched and located an adult male and female deceased inside a hotel room. Based on the preliminary investigation, the deaths do not appear suspicious and there is no apparent ongoing threat to the public. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.”

Arlington County has seen an elevated level of opioid overdoses over the past few years.

In August 2020, two people were found dead of a suspected overdose in the Buckingham neighborhood. Then, in December 2021, two people were found dead in Ashton Heights of “narcotics-related” causes.

DEVELOPING: Police on scene of stabbing at Eden Center

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Falls Church police and Arlington medics responded to a stabbing at the Eden Center just before noon today.

One person was stabbed in the back in the rear of the shopping center, according to initial reports, and the suspect is currently at large. The circumstances leading to the stabbing, where exactly it took place in the complex, and the condition of the victim are unclear.

The Eden Center is located on the 6700 block of Wilson Blvd, near the border with Arlington County.

Falls Church Police released the following statement about the stabbing Thursday afternoon.

 At about 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, January 5, 2023, City of Falls Church Police responded to 6795 Wilson Blvd. for a report of a stabbing at the Eden Center.

One victim was stabbed and taken to a local hospital. Victim is stable.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Gandionko at 703-248-5284 (TTY 711) or [email protected].

NEW: Three County Board hopefuls make their pitch to Arlington Dems during packed meeting

By Jo DeVoe
1/9

Three Arlington County Board hopefuls announced their candidacies to a packed house of local Democrats last night.

They are former NAACP Arlington Branch president Julius “J.D.” Spain, Sr. researcher and Center for American Progress policy analyst Maureen Coffey and Jonathan Dromgoole, who facilitates LGBT appointments within the Biden administration for the LGBTQ Victory Institute.

Last night (Wednesday) at the Lubber Run Community Center, more than a half dozen people told Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting attendees about their intentions to run for the County Board, Sheriff, Commonwealth’s Attorney and seats in the state legislature.

The three County Board candidates are vying for the two seats that immediate past Chair Katie Cristol and current Chair Christian Dorsey will vacate at the end of this year. In June, the candidates will participate in a party primary to see which voters will get to run with a “D” by their name in the November election.

Coffey bills herself as a Millennial renter with expertise in housing discrimination and child welfare policy. Jonathan is also a Millennial renter who leads the official Latino caucus for Virginia Democrats. Spain is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has, at times, challenged the Arlington County Democratic Committee on its influence over local politics.

Coffey says she has seen first-hand how hard work is sometimes not enough to overcome life circumstances such as drug addiction and incarceration. She pledged to prioritize the most vulnerable in Arlington and more clearly articulate the County Board’s long-term vision for the county:

I’ve worked to become an expert on young children, and families and the adults that support them, which provides an understanding of almost every policy area that families come in contact with in their daily lives. This work has taught me to see every part of our lives as interdependent and woven into one. That’s the vision I want to bring to the County Board. Arlington has been a leader and a model for good policy for a very long time, but I have to ask myself, ‘Where are we going?’ We know we don’t have enough affordable housing, we know we don’t have enough child care, and we know we don’t have enough mental healthcare. We need a plan to meet these needs and, at the same time, protect what we love about Arlington: safety, parks, a sense of community.

Dromgoole introduced himself as a proud immigrant from Mexico and a proud product of public schools and teenage parents who came to America for a better life.

From a young age, he acted as the family interpreter for everything from doctors visits to navigating the education system and the family budget. He says Latino residents need that voice on the County Board.

We need to have conversations that will re-engage and inspire our neighbors to be part of the solution rather than feel left out because they weren’t part of a board and feel their voice doesn’t matter. Some in our community aren’t asking for much: Some want streets to be safer for their kids by investing in street lights, reducing speed limits and improving roads. Some are asking for their voices to be heard and policies to be explained in a language they understand. Some want the County Board to be reflective of their lived experiences as someone who has chosen to call Arlington home but fear they may never have the opportunity to buy into that American Dream.

Spain told the audience that what voters need on the County Board is experience — “personable and inclusive leadership.”

I believe that every child who grows up in Arlington should be able to live here as an adult and that means prioritizing affordable housing. I believe we should try to ensure that every corner of our community prospers and that means providing access to job training, ensuring living wages and supporting workers’ rights. With one in five Americans suffering mental illness, I believe that we should fully address the mental health crisis in our comm, and that means ensuring our gov has resources to support everyone with support services. I believe that means everyone should be able to live in Arlington without fear, that means standing with public safety officials while also assuring appropriate oversight and accountability. It is our duty to protect the environment and that means prioritizing sustainability and reinforcing our infrastructure.

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JUST IN: Renewable energy now entirely powers Arlington gov’t facilities, county says

By Jo DeVoe
Arlington County government offices at 2100 Clarendon Blvd (file photo)

Arlington County operations now run entirely on renewable electricity — a full two years ahead of schedule.

As part of the Community Energy Plan adopted in 2019, Arlington County committed to transitioning 100% of county operations to renewable sources by 2025.

The county said in a press release sent out this morning (Thursday) that its buildings, streetlights and traffic signals, leased facilities and the Water Pollution Control Plant now run on electricity from sustainable sources.

This includes Dominion Energy Virginia’s Green Power program, solar panels and the Arlington-Amazon solar panel field in Pittsylvania County.

This last source up is in large part the reason Arlington met its goal two years early. The Arlington-Amazon solar panel farm in Pittsylvania County, which a Dominion Energy spokeswoman told ARLnow opened “late last year,” provides more than 80% of renewable electricity to Arlington facilities through offsets,

“We set an ambitious goal for net-zero County operations and facilities, as part of our overall Community Energy Plan for a fully carbon-neutral community, and we’ve met it – two years early,” County Board Member Katie Cristol said in a statement. “This exciting milestone is the result of cross-sector partnership, innovative approaches and Arlington’s commitment to doing our local part in addressing the global challenge of climate change.”

More from the press release:

Arlington County has committed to be carbon neutral by 2050 as part of its Community Energy Plan (CEP) by:

  • Promoting buildings that are more energy efficient than is required by code.
  • Enhancing Arlington’s approach to energy assurance and resiliency for critical services and harnessing the ability of nature to mitigate Arlington’s need for energy.
  • Exploring alternative operational and financing mechanisms to support performance- and cost-effective renewable energy options.
  • Maximizing the use of walking/biking, transit and use of shared vehicles, including micro-mobility devices, to promote a multimodal approach to transportation.

Arlington’s award-winning Community Energy Plan (CEP) is a long-term vision for transforming how the County generates, uses, and distributes energy. The CEP also aims to provide access to the benefits of clean energy sources for all residents regardless of economic situation.

Per the Community Energy Plan, the way Arlington intended to power all county operations with renewable electricity was through the purchase of power purchase agreements (PPAs). These can be either physical, through solar farms or more local solar panel installations, or virtual, via certificates.

The biggest contributors to Arlington County’s overall carbon footprint in 2016 (via Arlington County)

The next milestone in the CEP is powering 100% of Arlington’s electricity with renewable sources by 2035.

The ultimate goal is for the county to be completely carbon neutral by 2050, and the current efforts comprise just 11% of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions Arlington County says it needs to meet the ultimate goal of the Community Energy Plan.

How Arlington can become carbon neutral (via Arlington County)

Arlington Public Schools — which contributed the most to Arlington County’s carbon footprint back in 2016 — continues to expand its solar capacity with new rooftop installations, says spokesman Frank Bellavia.

So far, three elementary schools — Alice W. Fleet, Discovery and Cardinal — are considered net-zero in terms of energy usage.

Solar power systems are being designed for Cardinal and Jefferson Middle School, and Bellavia says these should “host solar in the next year.”

“APS anticipates having over 3.4MW of solar capacity when these two schools’ solar arrays are operational,” he said.

Additionally, the school system is working on solar dashboards “so students and staff can use them as teaching and learning opportunities,” he said.

This school year, there are sustainability liaison positions at every school building, up from 10 participating schools when the program began in 2016.

“The Sustainability Liaison Program aims to support teachers at APS by providing a modest stipend in exchange for coordinating and designing sustainability activities that engage students and the APS community,” Bellavia said. “Given the success of the program in its first year, the program has expanded to 38 APS school facilities this year.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Men working aloft in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Amazon Layoffs and Loan — “Amazon Inc.’s layoffs will affect more than 18,000 employees, the highest reduction tally revealed in the past year at a major technology company as the industry pares back amid economic uncertainty. The Seattle-based company in November said that it was beginning layoffs among its corporate workforce, with cuts concentrated on its devices business, recruiting and retail operations.” [Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch]

Arlington Impact Unclear — “Later in November, Amazon began laying off… employees, according to reports, including at its Alexa division, which is supposed to have a large presence at its HQ2 in Arlington… At HQ2, Amazon is wrapping up construction on its two-tower first phase, Metropolitan Park, set to open later this year. The company has yet to break ground on the second phase, PenPlace.” [Washington Business Journal]

Chase Ends in I-395 Wreck — From Dave Statter: “#caughtoncamera: Chase & crash at 6:30 pm. @VSPPIO after speeder who then tried to plow through I-395N traffic at Boundary Channel. Multiple injuries. Arrests made.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Daytime Street Robbery in Pentagon City — “1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 4:16 p.m. on January 3, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined approximately 20 minutes prior, the female victim was walking in the area when the two unknown male suspects approached from behind, assaulted her and stole a bag containing a laptop. The suspects then fled the scene on foot.” [ACPD]

Board Trims Long Public Comment Periods — “Arlington County Board members have approved a modification to public-hearing rules that would impact, and perhaps streamline, meetings when lots of lots of people want to have their say. The proposal, embedded in the board’s 2023 meeting procedures slated for adoption at the Jan. 3 organizational meeting, would cut the time available to speakers when a large line of speakers – in person and/or ‘virtually’ – has developed.” [Sun Gazette]

Chamber Calls for Better Buses — “As the 10th anniversary of the demise of the proposed but never inaugurated Columbia Pike streetcar project starts to loom over the horizon, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is pressing county officials to do more to improve transit service in the Columbia Pike corridor. In its 2023 policy priorities, the business organization calls on the county government to support bus-rapid-transit (‘or similar’) for the Columbia Pike corridor, which has the highest concentration of bus ridership in the commonwealth.” [Sun Gazette]

Missing Middle Debate ‘Getting Intense’ — From the Washington Post’s Teo Armus: “Arlington’s missing middle debate is getting intense on NextDoor, where one critic says the proposal will make the county ‘lower classed, noisier, dirtier, etc.’ ‘All you would be doing is cause stress to your kids when they see how others live better than they do.'” [Twitter]

Transit Cops Now Carrying Narcan — “Metro Transit Police Officers have a new tool to protect customers and save lives. All active duty MTPD officers and Metro’s crisis intervention specialists will be equipped with naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) to prevent deaths by opioid overdose. The addition of naloxone as a life-saving resource comes as a result of increased calls to MTPD reporting suspected overdoses, from 27 incidents in 2021 to 43 incidents in 2022.” [WMATA]

It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 67 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:01 pm. [Weather.gov]

Missing Middle dominates Arlington County Board priorities for 2023

By Jo DeVoe
Newly appointed Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey during the Jan. 3, 2023 organizational meeting (via Arlington County)

Missing Middle — and the ongoing side-conversation about civility this topic has prompted — are front and center for the Arlington County Board this year.

Members all opined on the potential zoning changes last night (Tuesday) during their first meeting of the year, when they also unanimously elected Christian Dorsey as the chair and Libby Garvey as the Vice-Chair for 2023.

A lot changed in 2022: Covid was a top priority this time last year but this year, the pandemic barely registered a blip at yesterday’s annual organizational meeting. Instead, increasing housing while bridging divisions in the community dominated their speeches, which are reprinted online.

Board members said they will also prioritize addressing office vacancies — a portent of this year’s uncertain economic outlook — as well as climate change and equity in the new year.

Dorsey committed to ushering in new policies to increase the supply of housing and ensure a range of prices and housing types.

Today, and during my year as Chairman, I plan to lead the community through the development of a set of housing policies to meet the challenge of this generation to make Arlington a place for young families, for seniors and for everyone in between.

I suggest that our housing policies be guided by five principles where I believe there is broad agreement:

  • First, Arlington should be open to all. Inclusive communities are dynamic and best positioned to be resilient. Barriers to entry should be identified and dismantled. This is a foundation principle.
  • Second, our planning for the future should, as always, be community based, and that means engaging all stakeholders in our community and incorporating thoughtful views.
  • Third, planning should be iterative, allowing us to course correct when necessary and evolve over time.
  • Fourth, to the greatest extent practicable, living anywhere in Arlington should not be determined by income levels. Our attention to vibrant and diverse communities should span across all our 26 square miles.
  • Fifth, planning to meet our housing goals must be integrated with our interconnected priorities of: creating transit and active transportation-oriented communities that are safe for all users, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and attracting and retaining employers that support good jobs for workers.

His vice-chair, Garvey, said Missing Middle is really a conversation about what kind of Arlington residents want, and this has sowed division and upset more people than any other issue she has worked on. (An anti-Missing Middle rally is planned this weekend, for instance.)

Think about the simple phrase, “I love Arlington.” One person says that and is thinking about our quiet, leafy neighborhoods with houses far apart. Another says the same thing, but means the lively, vibrant and noisy urban corridors. They use the same words, but they mean very different things.

To those differing views expressed with the exact same words, throw in the nature of people to hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said. Add to that our own government tendency to respond with more and more information, which makes it harder for a clear message to come through. Top it all off with the current climate where opponents like to demonize each other and catastrophize outcomes. Then bake it in a social media stew where misinformation, rumors and fears fly through a community. You have a recipe for a real communication trouble.

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TSA kicks off 2023 by finding rifle, pistol in carry-on baggage at DCA

By ARLnow.com
1/2

The new year is starting off with a proverbial bang for security at Reagan National Airport.

A Transportation Security Administration officer stopped an Alexandria man who tried to bring a loaded, semi-automatic folding rifle onto to a flight on New Year’s Day, the agency said. Then, three days later, the TSA allegedly confiscated a loaded, semi-automatic handgun from a Prince William County man’s carry-on baggage.

“It is only the fourth day of 2023 and already our officers have prevented two individuals from bringing loaded guns through the security checkpoint and onto their flights” John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director at National Airport, said in a statement. “Let’s hope that the frequency level of people bringing guns to our checkpoints does not continue this new year. Individuals who own firearms should familiarize themselves with regulations regarding where their weapons can and cannot be carried.”

Both men were cited on weapons charges. The citations are civil offenses that come with a fine, not jail time.

More on the rifle confiscated on Sunday, below, from a TSA press release.

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prevented an Alexandria, Va., man from bringing his semi-automatic folding rifle onto his flight on Sunday, Jan. 1. The 9mm rifle was loaded with 20 bullets. There were a total of 56 bullets packed with his gun in three gun magazines.

The weapon was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. The X-ray unit alerted on the man’s carry-on bag. TSA officials notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a weapons charge. He told officials that he has two very similar looking backpacks–one for the firing range and one for travel–and that he accidentally brought the wrong one with him to the airport.

“This was no way to start the new year,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Immediately following a record-setting year for firearms at TSA checkpoints, we have this one. Gun enthusiasts with range bags similar to carry-ons need to be especially mindful. If you own a firearm, it is your responsibility to know where it is, and that it cannot go through an airport security checkpoint. In addition to the citation by airport police, this individual now faces a stiff financial civil penalty–a penalty for carrying a weapon that was recently increased to a maximum of $15,000.”

Firearms are not permitted through a security checkpoint because passengers should not have access to a firearm during a flight. This even applies to travelers with concealed carry permits or are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck® program. Individuals who bring their gun to a security checkpoint face a stiff federal financial civil penalty.

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms only in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared at their airline ticket counter. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case, and packed separately from ammunition. Then the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website.

Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain, umbrellas and holiday lights in Shirlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Local Mass for Late Pope — From the Catholic Diocese of Arlington: “Bishop Burbidge will celebrate a special Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI this Thursday, January 5 at 12:05 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More. May we continue to offer prayers for the peaceful repose of his soul.” [Twitter]

Suspicious Incident in Green Valley — “17th Road S. at S. Edgewood Street. At approximately 2:29 p.m. on January 1, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious vehicle. Upon arrival, it was determined the two juvenile female victims were walking in the area when the unknown male suspect parked his vehicle, rolled down the window and made a statement about them needing a ride home. As the victims continued walking, they observed the suspect exit his vehicle and begin walking in the area.” [ACPD]

Another GW Parkway Crash — “Another rainy day GW Parkway crash, this time in the southbound lanes near Roosevelt Island, per scanner. Report of a vehicle that crashed and is now resting on the jersey wall.” [Twitter, Twitter]

County Newsletter Still Dead — “In the eyes of Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz, it appears print is dead. And is going to remain so. Despite being pressed to provide more information to county residents through the mail, including resurrection of a six-times-a-year newsletter that has been dormant since 2018, the county manager gave a decidedly noncommital response at a recent public forum.” [Sun Gazette]

It’s Wednesday — Rain in the afternoon and evening. High of 67 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]

County ponders role of ‘Arlington Way’ in nonprofit, infrastructure funding inequality

By Jo DeVoe
Nonprofit leaders and Chief Equity Officer Samia Byrd at the Dec. 20, 2022 Arlington County Board meeting (via Arlington County)

The informal, relationships-based advocacy at the core of the “Arlington Way” makes it harder for nonprofits led by and serving people of color to receive county funding, Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol says.

She tells ARLnow these concerns were raised by leaders of color, and she is working on a resolution — that could be voted on by the County Board this month — to change the status quo. The resolution will incorporate recommendations made by a small group of leaders representing local nonprofits.

At the top of their list is a fairly simple concept: a formal application process. Right now, Cristol says, the county uses an “ad hoc” process that doesn’t “live up to our values of transparency and access.”

Meanwhile, a decades-old, community-based program that identifies small infrastructure improvements is confronting a longstanding criticism — which leadership says is backed up by fresh data — of favoring projects in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.

Community leaders presented updates on these efforts to the Arlington County Board last month. The moves are part of the county’s work to apply its 2019 equity resolution to policy-making and the newest contribution to the Board’s ongoing discussion of problems with the “Arlington Way,” the moniker given to the public process that informs policy-making.

The process often rewards those who are most civically active, connected and vocal about a given issue. But not always: it also frustrates those who follow the civic engagement playbook only to have the Board vote the other way.

“We heard some truthful feedback about how the ‘Arlington Way’ — for the many things it has achieved and its, at times, positive contributions to the community — also has some real downsides,” Cristol said in the Dec. 20, 2022 meeting. “It has been a way of doing things that lacked transparency and access, has prioritized relationships over fairness, and at times, it feels like it is reflective of predetermined outcomes.”

As part of the annual budget, the county awards grants of up to $50,000 or $100,000 for nonprofits serving low- and moderate-income residents, such as employment programs for people with disabilities, after-school programming for immigrant youth and financial planning assistance for families at risk of homelessness.

Leaders of local organizations say the county needs to do a better job of publicizing when funding is available and helping grassroots groups with the application process.

“This part was important for us, particularly for smaller organizations who don’t necessarily have the bandwidth or knowledge in the grant-making cycle that other larger organizations have,” said Cicely Whitfield, the chief program officer for the homeless shelter Bridges to Independence.

This could involve providing clearer deadlines and technical assistance, as well as feedback and workshop opportunities for nonprofits that are denied funding so they can apply successfully.

The group says the county should defer to organizations, which have a better sense of what the community needs, and ask for input on applications from people who would benefit.

Board Member Libby Garvey supported the changes but warned they could be controversial.

“There’s that saying, ‘I’m here from the government and I’m here to help you,’ and that’s supposed to be scary. It’s really because what it often means is, ‘I’m here from the government and I’m here to tell you what you need.'”

The sentiment applies to the Arlington Way, she says.

“We may find a little reaction from this, that ‘This is not the Arlington Way,'” she said. “We’re going to have to figure out ways to bring along everyone and explain… ‘This is going to be better and here’s why.’ We’re going to have work to do with the other part of the community that maybe is usually included.”

There is a three-decade-old program where the county acts on needs identified by residents: the Arlington Neighborhood Conservation Program, now known as the Arlington Neighborhoods Program (ANP).

The downside of this program is that it has “equity liabilities,” County Board Member Takis Karantonis said.

He said the model works for “community members who could afford to go to the meetings, who could afford to make a methodical evaluation of the state of sidewalks, or lack of sidewalks, or lack of public lighting… and fight for funding in a competitive but orderly manner.”

Although not a new criticism, ANP Chair Kathy Reeder provided the County Board with new data suggesting the program has disadvantaged less wealthy, more diverse neighborhoods.

(more…)

Crime report: Shots ring out as Arlington rings in the new year

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police responded to several shots fired calls on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

No one was reported to have been injured in any of the three incidents of gunfire. The first happened in the Arlington View neighborhood, between Columbia Pike and I-395.

From an ACPD crime report:

SHOTS FIRED, 2022-12310180, 1500 block of 11th Street S. At approximately 6:10 p.m. on December 31, police were dispatched to the report of shots fired. Upon arrival, it was determined the victims were inside their residence when they heard what appeared to be shots fired. Responding officers recovered evidence confirming shots had been fired and located property damage to the exterior window and interior wall of the residence and a vehicle parked outside. No injuries were reported. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

The next incident happened 24 hours later, on New Year’s Day, in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood just south of I-395.

SHOTS FIRED, 2023-01010187, 1400 block of 28th Street S. At approximately 6:10 p.m. on January 1, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. During the course of the investigation, responding officers recovered evidence confirming shots had been fired in the area. No injuries or property damage was reported. The investigation is ongoing.

The third happened later that night in the Penrose neighborhood, between Columbia Pike and Route 50.

SHOT FIRED, 2023-01010233, 500 block of S. Veitch Street. At approximately 9:34 p.m. on January 1, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim had returned home after an extended absence and observed damage to a bedroom. Responding officers recovered evidence confirming a shot had been fired and located property damage to a ceiling within a bedroom. No injuries were reported. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

Separately, a juvenile female suspect is alleged to have shot two people in the Crystal City area with a water pellet gun on New Year’s Eve, in yet another drive-by incident.

ASSAULT & BATTERY (Significant), 2022-12310181/12310186, 1200 block of Crystal Drive/3500 block of S. Ball Street. At approximately 6:12 p.m. on December 31, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious vehicle. The investigation indicates unknown female suspect(s) discharged a water pellet gun from a vehicle, striking at two victims. The victims did not require medical attention. The suspect vehicle is described as a silver or gray sedan.

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