News

Arlington County commemorates the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks

By James Jarvis
1/6

(Updated at 1:25 p.m. on 9/12/23) Twenty-two years ago today, at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon, claiming the lives of 184 people.

To honor those who died, Arlington County elected officials and public safety personnel gathered in front of the Ellen M. Bozman Government Center in Courthouse to pay tribute and observe a moment of silence.

Dozens of police, fire and rescue personnel offered an honorary salute as the Arlington County Public Safety Combined Honor Guard ceremoniously placed a wreath at the flagpoles situated in front of the county government headquarters.

During the ceremony, Arlington County Fire Department Capt. David Santini reminded attendees of the response and recovery efforts by local police and fire and rescue personnel, which lasted 20 days.

“As that work ended, the community began the healing process, and the responders intensified their efforts to prepare for a new generation of threat,” Santini said. “For the members of our military, September 11 was the beginning of a new nation unbroken over 22 years, stretching to all corners of the world.”

“Since that day, just as with every day throughout our nation’s history, these courageous men and women have answered the call of their country, sacrificing so much, and in some cases sacrificing all to protect our nation and the world from threats to our safety and security,” he continued.

Today, First Lady Jill Biden also participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, followed by an observance ceremony led by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

County’s mobile behavioral health crisis team tackles rising homelessness amid D.C. shelter closures

By James Jarvis
1/3

In its first month of operation, Arlington County’s mobile behavioral health response team has been busy responding to calls.

Most of these calls — which range from welfare checks to mental health emergencies and drug overdoses — involve people who are homeless, officials say. It’s a trend they attribute to the recent closures of shelters in D.C.

“There’s been a surge of homelessness in Arlington County because of the closures in D.C.,” says Grace Guerrero, senior clinical psychologist and mental health supervisor, noting many are leaving D.C. for Arlington as well as other parts of Northern Virginia and southern Maryland.

“We’ll see what unfolds,” she added. “But we have seen those upticks.”

During a media event on Thursday, Arlington County’s “Mobile Outreach Support Team” (MOST) showed off its retrofitted van, stocked with non-perishable food, water, a defibrillator, clothes, hygiene items, Narcan and fentanyl test strips.

The vehicle was funded through a 2-year, $390,000 federal grant — secured with help from Rep. Don Beyer — in an effort to divert police involvement from calls involving mental health crises, substance abuse or domestic violence.

The team comprises a licensed clinician, a peer recovery specialist and an outreach worker from the Dept. of Human Services. They will triage a situation on-site and provide peer support and conflict resolution. MOST also works with medical and behavioral health services to ensure people receive the appropriate care.

The MOST team receives about 20-35 calls per week, largely between the van’s operational hours of 1-9 p.m. Once the van arrives, most of the time, people accept the team’s help, which Guerrero noted can prevent situations from escalating and resulting in injuries or death.

Guerrero says she is unsure if MOST has significantly reduced police involvement in mental health crises at this point. That is in part because emergency responders are still, typically, the first to arrive on scene, and will call the MOST team for specialized assistance.

To further reduce police involvement in these calls, she is looking to develop an enhanced “decision tree” to help police assess when their presence may not be necessary.

“I don’t know that we’ve done yet the curbing of [police] going to these [situations] unless we self-deploy… But right now, in these first five weeks, I would say that probably allowed [police] to go back into service sooner, much sooner,” she said.

Reducing law enforcement involvement in mental health crises is a goal advanced by the Police Practices Work Group, which was convened to suggest reforms to the Arlington County Police Department after the death of George Floyd.

ACPD too has noted the increased entanglement of police officers in mental health emergencies and the officer burnout to which it is contributing. Like the police department, the jail also is seeing an influx of inmates with mental health disorders as well as homeless inmates.

This includes Abonesh Woldegeorges, a 73-year-old woman who died in the jail last month. Her death prompted some in and outside local government to renew pressure on the county to address the role of law enforcement in tackling homelessness and mental health emergencies.

County to cut ribbon on West Glebe Road bridge upgrades after full reopening last month

By James Jarvis
The updated West Glebe Road bridge between Arlington and Alexandria (via Arlington County)

Tomorrow, Arlington County officials will officially mark the reopening of the West Glebe Road Bridge after a year-long rehabilitation project.

Tuesday’s event comes after the bridge opened to pedestrians and cyclists last month, though it reopened to vehicular traffic this March.

In May of 2022, the county embarked on a $10 million project to shore up the 67-year-old bridge linking Arlington and Alexandria near the I-395 ramps to and from S. Glebe Road.

Deemed “structurally deficient” in 2018, the bridge had severely deteriorated since its construction in 1952, requiring partial closures over the years. In April of 2021, the Arlington County Board approved plans to make structural upgrades, improve the lighting and add dedicated lanes for cyclists and pedestrians.

To beautify the bridge, the county once again commissioned stylistic improvements by artist Vicki Scuri, who has adorned other county bridges — notably the bridges over Route 50 in the Courthouse area — with artwork.

Arlington and Alexandria split the project’s costs but Arlington County has taken on sole responsibility for inspecting and maintaining the bridge.

“This project was a partnership between Arlington County and the City of Alexandria to maintain safe passage between the two communities for all residents regardless of mode of transportation,” a county press release said.

More details on the ribbon-cutting, which is open to the public, are below.

When: Tuesday, Sep. 12, 2 p.m.

Where: Pizza Hut, 1049 W Glebe Rd, Alexandria, VA 22305 (this event will be held outdoors. In the case of inclement weather, the event will move into the Pizza Hut)

How to Get There:

  • By bus: ART 87 (Arlington side only); DASH 36AB, 103; Metrobus 23AB
  • Limited parking available onsite

Who:

  • Christian Dorsey, Chair, Arlington County Board
  • Justin Wilson, Mayor, City of Alexandria
  • Greg Emanuel, Director, Arlington County Department of Environmental Services
  • Vicki Scuri, Artist

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Wet walk along the W&OD Trail (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

W-L and YHS Still Undefeated — “With blowout road victories the night of Sept. 8, the Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots improved to 3-0, setting up a big showdown between the Arlington and Liberty District high-school football rivals this coming week… Washington-Liberty routed the Lewis Lancers, 49-7, and Yorktown downed the Wakefield Warriors, 34-9, in another 1-0 district mark.” [Gazette Leader]

Another Metro Service Boost — “With ridership trending higher during the morning and evening commuting hours, Metro will boost peak service on the Red, Blue, Silver, Green, and Yellow lines to meet demand and ridership growth as more customers return to the office and other activities. Trains on those lines will run more frequently from approximately 7 a.m. – 9 a.m., and from approximately 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Exact times of peak service will vary by station.” [WMATA]

Commission Wants More Accessibility — “The Arlington Housing Commission may – emphasis on ‘may’ – ask County Board members in turn to ask the General Assembly to require a larger number of units in multi-unit developments that are at least moderately accessible to those with disabilities. The commission, at an Aug. 31 meeting, also appeared ready to ask elected officials to be more aggressive in dealing with landlords that do not keep properties in habitable condition or retaliate against tenants exercising their rights under the law.” [Gazette Leader]

Green Valley Event Approaches — “The Green Valley Community Day will be held from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2023. The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closures from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. to accommodate the event.” [ACPD]

Chamber to Celebrate 100th — “The Arlington Chamber of Commerce has announced plans for its 100th-anniversary gala, to be held Jan. 27 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City. The event will feature dinner, dancing, networking and a silent auction.” [Gazette Leader]

APS Superintendent Interviewed — “The Politics Hour is returning to class as we check in with several local school officials as the new year begins. As enrollment at Arlington public schools continues to increase, there’s pressure to build more schools in the county. Superintendent Francisco Durán joins the show to discuss how he’s managing that.” [WAMU]

It’s Monday — There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am and after 2pm today, with patchy fog in the morning. Expect partly sunny conditions and a high near 85°F. Tonight, patchy fog may develop after 2am, and it will be partly cloudy with a low of around 67°F. [Weather.gov]

NEW: Worker rescued after construction site accident on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A worker fell into a hard-to-access area at a construction site along Columbia Pike this afternoon, prompting a rescue operation.

Firefighters were dispatched to the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Oak Street just before 4 p.m. for a report of someone who fell into a concrete box and needed to be hoisted via a rescue basket.

Columbia Pike was closed in both directions near the Sheraton hotel while firefighters worked to bring the person to safety. The victim was then reportedly taken via ambulance to Virginia Hospital Center for possible broken bones.

“At 3:51 p.m. the ACFD was dispatched to the area of Columbia Pike and S. Oak St. for a female patient that fell into a concrete utility box,” fire department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner tells ARLnow. “Crews made quick access to the patient and removed her utilizing a Stokes basket. The patient was transported to an area hospital with non life threatening injuries.”

Construction in the area includes the realignment of Columbia Pike and the expansion of Arlington National Cemetery. It was not immediately clear at which construction site the person was injured.

Arlington Marine killed in Osprey crash remembered for his dedication to his crew

By James Jarvis
1/5

Last night, hundreds gathered outside the family home of Cpl. Spencer Collart, who died tragically during a training exercise in Australia, to honor his life.

Despite the somber atmosphere at the Maywood home of Collart’s parents, Alexia and Bart, neighbors, friends and family offered prayers, shared fond memories and joined together to sing Spencer’s favorite song, “Africa” by Toto.

The 21-year-old was one of three Marines who lost their lives after their MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed and caught fire on Melville Island, off the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory. The incident occurred about two weeks ago during a military training exercise involving forces from the United States, Australia, the Philippines, East Timor and Indonesia.

Twenty Marines survived, though three remained hospitalized as of Monday. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.

The Collarts said their son’s remains will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, although a date for the service has not yet been confirmed.

During the vigil, Collart’s youth pastor, Greg O’Dell of Cherrydale Baptist Church, said he had many passions as a young adult, including video games and lacrosse. But those were overshadowed by his desire to join the Marines, which he did on Oct. 26, 2020, at age 18, after graduating from Washington-Liberty High School.

“And he really researched it. And he said, ‘This is where I need to go. This is this is my next step,'” O’Dell said, recalling a discussion he had with Spencer his senior year.

His parents say Collart served in Pensacola, Florida, and Jacksonville, North Carolina. He became a MV-22B crew chief and was then stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Collart was promoted to the rank of Corporal earlier this year and had earned three awards: the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

O’Dell said the last “serious conversation” he had with Collart took place at the former neighborhood bar and restaurant, Thirsty Bernie, and the young Marine “could not stop talking about” how much he loved his work.

He said Spencer was responsible for making sure everybody who went up in the Osprey came home safe. He mused that his actions were part of the reason most people aboard the aircraft survived.

“He’s the one that would go up and down and pull their straps and make sure they were buckled down,” O’Dell said. “He’s the one if they needed to bail out, he would open the back door and start bailing them out. He was the one who was the door gunner, if they came in, under fire. And so, he protected his Marines that came on to that Osprey, and so did the pilots.”

(more…)

A restrictive covenant used to block a duplex also barred non-white people from buying or renting it

By Jo DeVoe
1313 N. Harrison Street frontage, with an excerpt of restrictive covenants from its 1938 deed (by ARLnow)

Using a restrictive covenant in a 1938 deed, neighbors in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood convinced a developer to build a single-family home instead of a duplex.

The home, 1313 N. Harrison Street, is not far from a wall that separated the historically Black neighborhood of Hall’s Hill from single-family-home subdivisions originally built exclusively for white people.  In addition to specifying that only one home can be built on the lot, a second provision in the deed bars owners from selling to people who are not white.

This second provision came to light this week after ARLnow and Patch reported on the neighbors convincing the developer to back down from building a two-family home. A copy of the deed circulated on social media shortly after and ARLnow obtained a copy from Arlington County Land Records Division to confirm its authenticity. 

While racially restrictive covenants were rendered unenforceable by a 1948 U.S. Supreme Court ruling and illegal by the Fair Housing Act of 1968, many homeowners never scrubbed them from their deeds, according to local researchers who are mapping racially restrictive covenants in Arlington. Thus, in some cases, they exist alongside separate covenants restricting multifamily construction.

Using the covenant against multifamily housing appears to be a valid workaround for neighbors and Arlington County says it has no legal role in how these covenants are used between private parties. The county began approving 2-6 unit homes in previously single-family-only neighborhoods two months ago, but this is the first instance ARLnow knows of where such a document was used in this way. 

Their use, however, resituates one of the initial reasons Arlington County said it embarked on the housing policy changes in the first place: to right historical wrongs caused by racism. It provoked the ire of some Missing Middle advocates, including the Arlington branch of the NAACP, which is calling on the county to address the issue.

“The whites-only restriction can’t be disentangled from the one-house restriction; they were meant to work together, with the purpose and effect of excluding people of color,” said Wells Harrell, the chair of the housing committee of the NAACP, in a statement. “It is profoundly disappointing to see restrictive covenants from the Jim Crow era being invoked to block new housing and exclude families today.” 

Several months ago, Arlington resident Stephanie Derrig identified these covenants as a way property owners could block Missing Middle-type housing from being built in their neighborhood.

She told ARLnow this week that she does not support the racist elements of restrictive covenants. At the same time, she sticks by her belief that a “restricted deed is a land use tool… to protect your largest investment, in many cases.” 

YIMBYs of Northern Virginia leader Jane Green and Former Planning Commissioner Daniel Weir, both supportive of Missing Middle, take the view of the local NAACP that the two restrictions are part of one legal document, written with exclusionary intent. 

Whether these provisions can be separated is a legal question — and a thorny one, at that, according to Venable land-use attorney Kedrick Whitmore. 

When a court rules part of an agreement is unenforceable, the court does not rewrite the agreement to be legal, he said. This principle might affirm the initial view of the developer, BeaconCrest, which argued — before backing down and deciding to build a single-family home — that the document seems unenforceable. 

On the other hand, courts do not want to remove other rights and obligations for which two parties negotiated. This means the court could uphold the rest of the agreement, giving credence to the arguments made by the neighbors. 

“This is not exactly cut and dry,” Whitmore said. “You could make arguments either way. If you went to court, the stronger argument is for the non-racially restrictive elements to remain valid. But again, that’s a question.” 

(more…)

UPDATED: Arlington National Cemetery closed due to bomb threat

By ARLnow.com
(Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington National Cemetery was closed for most of the day today due to a bomb threat.

The cemetery said on social media Friday morning that the threat is being investigated.

“The cemetery’s response teams and local law enforcement partners are on site investigating the threat,” ANC said. “The public is requested to avoid the area and wait for updates posted to our social media platforms.”

An Arlington County police K-9 unit was dispatched to the cemetery around 8:40 a.m. for what was described as a threat received via email.

Officials said shortly after 3 p.m. that no threat was found but the cemetery remains closed except for funerals.

More from a press release:

Arlington National Cemetery officials and Joint Base Myer Henderson-Hall emergency services responded to a bomb threat early this morning. The cemetery closed to the public and funeral services scheduled this morning were postponed. The cemetery’s response teams and local law enforcement partners spent the morning on site investigating the threat. Nothing suspicious was found, and law enforcement safely cleared all areas.

The cemetery will remain closed for the remainder of the day to visitors and family pass holders. We are focusing our efforts now on working with families to ensure that funerals scheduled earlier this morning and this afternoon will be conducted later today.

Arlington National Cemetery’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our visitors, families and employees guided our actions this morning.

“Every threat to Arlington National Cemetery is taken seriously. I want to thank our visitors and family members for their patience and understanding, and an extensive team of our law enforcement partners across the National Capital Region for their swift and thorough response. We will spend the remainder of the day focused on our mission of laying our service members and their loved ones to rest,” said Army National Military Cemeteries and Office of Army Cemeteries Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera.

For additional information please contact: 703-614-0024 and follow Arlington National
Cemetery on our social media platforms @ArlingtonNatl and this website.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Storm clouds on the move over Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Rent Keeps Rising — “Arlington saw the third highest month-over-month increase in apartment rents nationally in August, and now stands as the eighth priciest locality among 100 urban areas monitored by Apartment List. The median rent for an apartment in Arlington stood at $2,318 in the new data, reported Aug. 30. That was up 0.9 percent from a month before, and represents an increase of 9.6 percent since a trough at the start of the year.” [Gazette Leader]

Garvey Mulling Reelection — “Will it be a last hurrah, or serve as the precursor to a re-election bid? Libby Garvey hasn’t made up her mind, but says that either way, she aims to make her (expected) coming year as chair of the Arlington County Board in 2024 an effective one.” [Gazette Leader]

FCPD Chase Through Arlington — “Fairfax County PD chased the pickup truck seen below through Arlington on I-66. Crossed the bridge into D.C. just before 12:45 p.m. ACPD monitored the chase but did not pursue into the District.” [Twitter]

Reminder: Weekend Events — “Roads in Pentagon City and Rosslyn will be temporarily closed this Saturday for the Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5K and 2023 Rosslyn Jazz Fest… The festival will take place from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and feature several jazz acts… The race, which kicks off at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m., will start and end at the DoubleTree Hotel.” [ARLnow]

More Road Closures — “The following roads along the National Mall and Memorial Parks and George Washington Memorial Parkway will be closed from approximately 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 9, 2023: Arlington Memorial Bridge, Arlington Memorial Circle…” [National Park Service]

Crash-Prone Local Intersections — “Arlington saw 2,052 total crashes in 2022. That’s about 15% higher than in 2021, but still 18% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when there were more cars on roads… Here are the intersections with the highest number of crashes in 2022—and what Vision Zero is doing in the way of safety improvements at each location.” [Arlington Magazine]

Feds Planning Big Raise — “Two million federal employees just got one step closer to an average 5.2% pay raise next year. President Joe Biden wrote a letter to leaders of the House and Senate on Thursday formally declaring the boost for all federal civilian employees, thereby setting his intent to give employees the largest base pay increase in nearly four decades.” [Federal Times, Twitter]

It’s Friday — A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. On Friday night, anticipate a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 70. [Weather.gov]

ACPD ups recruitment efforts amid protracted staffing decline

By Jo DeVoe
Arlington police officers and sheriff’s deputies at Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony in 2019 (file photo)

(Updated 7:10 p.m.) The Arlington County Police Department is pouring more time and people into recruiting officers in an effort to outpace attrition.

For the past four years the number of “functional staff” at ACPD has been in decline. That includes sworn officers and higher-up positions but excludes those on light duty for medical reasons as well as those in training.

This has forced the department to cut back certain services and rely on current officers to cover empty shifts. To turn the tide, ACPD has changed its pay scale to better reward officers based on their experience and is upping its focus on recruitment.

Recruitment efforts, particularly those focused on recent graduates, are starting to bear fruit, according to ACPD. Still, these changes have to counteract high departure rates, largely driven by experienced officers retiring or seeking better-paying law enforcement jobs.

“While we have been successful in hiring larger classes of recruit officers in recent years, this has not offset the number of departures due to attrition, retirements and officers seeking other opportunities,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow.

ACPD is authorized to have 377 officers but its “functional staffing” currently sits at 284, slightly higher than the 275 reported earlier this year. Another 28 positions are either unfilled or filled with officers in training or on light duty.

As for those slated to join the ranks, two officers — with and without law enforcement experience — have been hired and are waiting to go to the regional police academy. (Update at 7:10 p.m.: After publication, multiple police sources said the number provided by FOIA, 30, was incorrect and the actual number was two.)

Another 37 have applied and could accept an offer once extended, according to data obtained by ARLnow following a Freedom of Information Act request.

ARLnow was billed $75 for the FOIA response.

Officers in training would replace the 24 who retired, resigned or were fired this calendar year. Still, sources within the department say nearly a half-dozen more departures are imminent, and the total could be higher by December. Departure totals for 2022 and 2021 were 53 and 50, respectively.

This year, the intensified focus on recruitment may cancel out attrition rates, but ACPD has a long road to the 377 officers it is authorized to have. Even this number falls below consultant recommendations from a 2017 report, provided to ARLnow, which said the department should have 405 officers.

An evergreen report 

Six years ago, a consultant found ACPD faced staffing shortages, particularly among patrol officers who are the first to respond to calls for service. It also highlighted concerns from officers about other local and federal agencies offering better pay and career advancement opportunities.

Four years later, in 2021, ACPD would cite these same reasons when explaining its shrinking force.

At the time, the patrol section had 164 employees and ACPD had an authorized strength of 367. Today, it is authorized for 10 more, yet the report recommended add 38, for an authorized strength of 405.

Savage said she could not share the number of patrol officers today, as that is sensitive tactical information. One publicly available number comes from the 2024 budget, which has 178 budgeted patrol officer positions.

For Randall Mason, the leader of the local police union, not much has changed since the 2017 report.

“By looking at the budgets each year, and how many sworn police we’re even authorized for, that report wasn’t taken seriously at all,” he said. “This year, they froze additional positions to pay for the raises we got through arbitration. I think we’re 50 less with the frozen positions than what the 2017 report said we should be at.”

(more…)

Ireland’s Four Courts reopening to the public today after honoring victims and first responders

By ARLnow.com
1/30

(Updated at 12:10 p.m.) The first thing you notice when walking into the rebuilt Ireland’s Four Courts — which is officially reopening today, at long last — is that it’s both familiar and new at the same time.

The interior is a bit brighter and more open — the crash that smashed and torched the long-time Courthouse watering hole last summer revealed to the owners that the columns near the front were decorative, not structural.

The predominant color scheme is now teal instead of red. The mugs that used to hang behind the bar are gone — the heat from the fire melted them, leaving just handles hanging from the peg board. Additionally, the back room is now more inviting for patrons and private events, with a library and an upgraded second bar.

On the other hand, the general layout is the same. And you’ll notice touches that were salvaged from the old Four Courts: the handmade-in-Ireland tables have a fresh coat of paint and varnish, the soccer jersey that miraculously survived the flames, the antique Irish fireplace that needed 30 hours or restoration work, the Men of Aran sculpture, and a few other items.

Four Courts would have probably needed an interior refresh at some point this decade, but this was not the way managing partner Dave Cahill and other owners wanted it to happen.

When the rideshare driver who was suffering an apparent medical emergency slammed into the pub on Aug. 12, 2022, a group of coworkers were marking an occasion together near the front. They never saw the car barrelling toward them.

The 14 people who were injured, including the three critically hurt from that group — who spent an extended period of time in the hospital — were honored during a private event at the pub Wednesday evening.

The Arlington first responders who rushed to the scene and — along with fellow patrons — helped to pull the injured out of the building just as the inferno started spreading were also honored at the event. Without them, according to Cahill, multiple people would have died and Four Courts would never have reopened.

That everyone survived is its own miracle. The force of the impact was such that a patron sitting at the bar, well away from where the car came to rest, with the dazed driver and rideshare passenger inside, was blown off of his barstool.

After eight months of a complete interior demolition and reconstruction — and despite some work left to be done with the exterior facade — Four Courts will reopen to the public at 4 p.m.

There will be live music today, Friday and Saturday. And as before, those hoping to catch some sports from across the pond can expect a 9 a.m. opening time on Saturday.

For Cahill and others who witnessed the crash and its aftermath, memories of the horror of that day are still fresh. But for now he’s focusing on the reopening, which is also a homecoming for Four Courts’ legion of displaced regulars.

“I am feeling a huge relief to be at the finish line and a great of excitement to open the doors and see all the familiar face again,” Cahill told ARLnow. “Four Courts is a home and away from home for so many of our customers and we are excited to welcome them back. It’s like having my birthday, St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas Day all at once. We can not wait!”

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