Around Town
Riders with the Air Force Cycling Team start the final mile of the Memorial to Memorial ride in Arlington on Sept. 18, 2022. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

Cyclists will ride almost 350 miles from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to Arlington in the second annual Memorial 2 Memorial bike ride this month.

“The purpose is to have fun, celebrate Air Force heritage, promote fitness and recruiting, and importantly, support wounded Airmen, Guardians, and their families,” Robert “Surf” Beletic, the ride’s director, told ARLnow.

The Memorial 2 Memorial ride, or M2M, starts at the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kitty Hawk this Thursday and finishes at the Air Force Memorial in Pentagon City on Sunday.

It is open to all military and civilians. While most participants ride all four days — and can expect to climb a grueling 5,600 feet of elevation along the way — anyone can ride along for a single day.

Registration is free but funds raised from sponsorships and donations will benefit the Wounded Airmen and Guardians Program. Organizers are aiming to raise $15,000 for the program.

The Air Force Cycling Team (AFCT) and the Air and Space Forces Association (AFA) organized the inaugural M2M ride last year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force.

According to the ACFT website, they were inspired by the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), in which they have participated since 1995, as well as the Air Force’s history.

“The U.S. Air Force can trace its roots back to two bicycle mechanics tinkering in a garage… from the bike trails to contrails and beyond,” Beletic said.

Last year, over 100 cyclists participated, per an AFA press release. This year, organizers expect around 130 riders, including about a dozen from Arlington.

“The AFCT and AFA are building the M2M with a view to it becoming America’s favorite ride where thousands participate, have fun, tackle a big challenge, and learn a bit about the Air and Space Forces,” Beletic said.


Opinion
Haze and heat over the National Mall, seen from the Netherlands Carillon (file photo by Jay Westcott)

Today marks the halfway point of a five-day September heat wave.

A high temperature of 98 is forecast today, with “feels like” temperatures reaching into the 100s. Relief is expected Friday, as high temperatures dip into the upper 80s.

A Heat Advisory is in effect starting at noon today. From the National Weather Service:

730 AM EDT Tue Sep 5 2023

…HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…

* WHAT…Heat index values of 100 to 105 expected.

* WHERE…Portions of northern and central Maryland, The District of Columbia, and northern Virginia.

* WHEN…From noon today to 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS…Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

Usually, one might expect the start of meteorological fall to be more temperate, amid pools closing, white pants getting packed away and and pumpkin spice lattes being served with increasing frequency. Not this year.

What do you think of the late bout of hot weather?


Sponsored

Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by Arlington Realty, Inc. Maximize your real estate investment with the team by visiting www.arlingtonrealtyinc.com or calling 703-836-6000 today!

Please note: While Arlington Realty, Inc. provides this information for the community, it may not be the listing company of these homes.

As of October 13, there are 210 detached homes, 54 townhouses and 244 condos for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 44 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week, including:

6223 Langston Boulevard

Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Arlington Realty, Inc.


News
Looking out at the Washington-Liberty High School track (staff photo)

Potomac on Drought Watch — “The Potomac River, which supplies 78 percent of the drinking water for the more than 5.1 million people who live and work in the Washington area, is running low enough that officials are watching for drought… Officials are producing reports on weather, water demand and the river’s flow twice per day — and, if needed, can release water from upstream reservoirs.” [Washington Post]

Residents Try to Stop Six-Plex — “A group of Arlington neighbors is trying to stop a local developer from building two 6-plex residential buildings in a wooded area of their Alcova Heights neighborhood. The residents contend the developer’s two expanded housing permit applications for the 6-plex buildings do not comply with the county’s minimum lot width requirements of 60 feet and are not based on current lot lines and measurements. Among the neighbors’ concerns is the significant loss of mature tree canopy.” [Patch]

County Seeking Stories — “The Arlington government is expanding its ‘racial-history timeline’ and is seeking local residents to share their stories about life in the county from 1976-90. ‘Your stories about your experience living in Arlington County during this time period will provide others with a first-hand account,’ county officials said.” [Gazette Leader]

Aurora Hills House Fire — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “Units are on the scene of a structure fire in the 2600 BLK of S Joyce St. Crews arrived to find a 2 story single family home with smoke conditions present.” [Twitter]

N. Arlington Business Break-ins –” 2500 block of N. Harrison Street… At approximately 5:07 a.m. on August 31, police were dispatched to the late report of a breaking and entering. Upon arrival, it was determined at approximately 1:45 a.m., the unknown male suspect forced entry into the business by shattering a glass door and stole an empty cash registers before fleeing the scene. A short time later, it was reported an unknown suspect forced entry into another business in the 5600 block of Langston Boulevard during the early morning hours and stole electronics.” [ACPD]

Arlington Unemployment Ticks Down — “Arlington’s already healthy jobs picture improved from June to July and continued to stand in the No. 2 position across the commonwealth. With 162,103 county residents counted in the civilian workforce and 3,186 looking for work, Arlington’s jobless rate in July was 1.9 percent, according to figures reported Aug. 30 by the Virginia Employment Commission. That’s down from 2.1 percent in June and a decline from 2.2 percent a year before.” [Gazette Leader]

Penrose Square Parking Problems — A new video shows a pair of cars blocking the crosswalk near the Starbucks at the corner of S. Adams Street and Columbia Pike. It’s the latest show of vehicular issues at Penrose Square. [Twitter]

Post Praise for Pupatella — “Virginia is home to one of the top Neapolitan pizzerias in the United States, according to a ranking by The Washington Post. Pupatella, on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, was ranked as one of the best for Neapolitan-style pizza. Founded in 2007 as a food cart, Pupatella now has eight locations in Virginia and D.C. and four other locations in the D.C. area scheduled to open soon.” [Patch]

It’s Tuesday — Sunny and hot today, with a high temperature of 97°F and a north wind at about 8 mph. Tonight, expect mostly clear skies and a low temperature of approximately 74°F. [Weather.gov]


Announcement

The Arlington County Civic Federation is initiating a series of public meetings to inform citizens about the work of its Task Force in Governance and Election Reform (“TiGER), which is considering whether the Civic Federation should be recommending changes in Arlington’s 90-year-old form of government.

First meeting is Monday the 17th at 7 p.m., and is about the Fort Worth experience in switching from at-large to district election of its City Council members forty years ago and onward to the present. The second is Monday, May 24 at 7 p.m., will discuss the reform initiatives from the Portland City Club assessing form of government there. The URL of the TiGER Corner in the CivFed website is: http://www.civfed.org/committees/tiger/ this is where the access addresses for these meetings will be posted. Other information about the work of the TiGER, and access information for TiGER’s subsequent meetings, will be posted there as well.


News

(Updated at 10 a.m.) A person has life-threatening injuries after a long fall in the Ballston area.

The incident happened around 7 a.m. at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street. Police initially responded there for a trespasser climbing a rope at the construction site.

While on scene, an officer told dispatchers that the person appeared to be stuck part-way up the under-construction building and, a short time later, that they fell about eight stories to the ground below.

Firefighters rushed to the scene to treat the gravely injured person, who was at least initially reported to be a man between the ages of 30-50. Detectives were also dispatched to investigate.

The intersection was closed by police for about 2.5 hours before reopening around 9:30 a.m.


Announcement

Art House 7 has a terrific summer session running from June 21 to July 27. We have weekly classes for 5 years to adult: painting, portrait drawing, digital photography, ceramics and more. Among our new offerings are screenplay-writing classes with award-winning screenwriter/director Ginny Mohler (“Radium Girls” on Netflix).

And don’t forget your supplies for all your projects! AH7 recently opened an art supply store, next door to our studio, with very competitive prices: 5535 Lee Highway, Arlington 22207. We’re located in a commercial townhouse strip near the Lee Harrison Shopping Center next to the new drive-thru Starbucks. Free parking. Store hours: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Please call with any questions. arthouseseven.com/703-402-5017