Press Releases

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents the largest number of federal employees of any member of the U.S. House of Representatives, today hailed the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of a new requirement a requirement that all federal employees and contractors receive COVID-19 vaccinations or be tested regularly.

Beyer said:

“Requiring vaccinations for the full federal workforce is the right thing to do for the health of the workforce and the nation they serve. Including all civilian federal employees and contractors in this mandate is huge, it will mean this covers a very large number of workers. This policy rightly prioritizes federal workers’ health, and demonstrates again the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to winning the fight against this pandemic, eradicating the virus, and keeping Americans safe.

“While the announcement includes an alternative that would allow workers to substitute frequent testing, masking, and maximum mitigation in place of vaccinations, I urge every federal employee and contractor to get their free, lifesaving vaccine. Guidance from the Office of Personnel Management grants all federal workers paid leave to receive vaccination and to recover from the brief side effects that some experience, and everyone should take advantage of that and get vaccinated as soon as they are able.”

Beyer, who represents the Northern Virginia suburbs of the nation’s capital, led a request earlier this year to the Administration for paid time off for federal employees to get vaccinated which was ultimately successful.

The White House issued a Fact Sheet today announcing new actions to increase vaccinations across the country, which included the following:

“Strengthening Safety Protocols for Federal Employees and Federal Contractors. Today, the President will announce that to help protect workers and their communities, every federal government employee and onsite contractor will be asked to attest to their vaccination status. Anyone who does not attest to being fully vaccinated will be required to wear a mask on the job no matter their geographic location, physically distance from all other employees and visitors, comply with a weekly or twice weekly screening testing requirement, and be subject to restrictions on official travel.

“The federal government employs more than 4 million Americans, including over 2 million in the federal civilian workforce, throughout our country and across the world.

“These rules should not only apply to federal workers and onsite contractors. President Biden is directing his team to take steps to apply similar standards to all federal contractors. The Administration will encourage employers across the private sector to follow this strong model.”

On July 26, Livability22202 and the Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture, with support from the National Landing BID and Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation, hosted an inauguration ceremony for the Highlands Urban Garden (HUG), the National Landing community’s demonstration urban garden.

Local residents, neighborhood leaders and stakeholders attended the ceremony, which thanked donors and volunteers and introduced HUG to the community. Arlington County Board Member Libby Garvey provided remarks and following the speakers, volunteers harvested the produce that was available for donation.

Project HUG revitalizes underused land at Virginia Highlands Park and illustrates how marginalized space in National Landing’s urban environment can be transformed into vibrant, sustainable, food producing ecosystems. This pilot project serves as a model of modern sustainable agricultural practices to demonstrate how community-driven farming can address food insecurity by leveraging partnerships across public, private, civic, and non-profit communities.

“The BID is proud to be a supporter of HUG, and celebrates the hard working volunteers and participating organizers that have made this initiative a success,” said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, President and Executive Director of the National Landing BID. “Activating open spaces for community usage, beautification, and benefit is a priority for the BID and the HUG project is exemplary of what we look to accomplish in National Landing.”

A volunteer team of Arlington neighbors built the garden and, to-date, over 100 lbs. of produce have been harvested and donated to local charities as part of the Plot Against Hunger, a project that collects fresh produce to supplement groceries for neighborhood families in need.

To learn more about HUG, please visit: https://arlingtonurbanag.org/project-hug/.

The Lee Highway Alliance (LHA) Board has unanimously voted to rename itself the Langston Boulevard Alliance (LBA), following the change in the name of the roadway itself that was approved by the Arlington County Board on July 17, 2021.

The renaming of both the Alliance and Lee Highway comes after nearly one year of community outreach, discussions, name vetting, and planning led by LBA’s Working Group. LBA is proud to bear the name of John Mercer Langston, the American abolitionist who became Virginia’s first Black Congressman in 1888, established Howard University’s School of Law and served as its Dean in the 1870s, and was the Inspector General of Arlington’s Freedman’s Bureau in the 1860s.

LBA also bears the word “Boulevard” rather than “Highway,” which connotes traffic, speed, and congestion, especially during rush hours. The word “Boulevard” describes the LBA’s vision–a thriving corridor that safely welcomes pedestrians and is surrounded by relevant stores, restaurants, and fun activities.

That vision was sparked and nurtured by LBA, a citizens’ initiative and non-profit that started in 2013 with the goal of creating a joint community vision for a walkable, sustainable, and attractive corridor – one that benefits both residents and businesses. “Over the past decade, we have engaged thousands of residents about what they want to see here,” said Ginger Brown, Executive Director of LBA. “Renaming the corridor is a step toward realizing the vision.”

Arlington County, meanwhile, has been engaged in a Plan Langston Boulevard planning process. LBA will continue working with the community and the County to develop a 30-year plan that helps to transform Langston Boulevard. This fall, the County will share its next proposals.

“Langston Boulevard has not been systematically planned in more than 60 years,” said Pamela Gillen, LBA’s President. “A lot has changed since then – how we live and work, our changing recreation and retail needs, and the need to focus on climate change from the start,”. “Gillen said “Langston Boulevard has immense potential to be a place where residents and businesses thrive together, and where the environment is put first by insisting upfront on sustainable designs.”

“If we plan and create as a community, with a collective thought process, we’ll have a much better place for everybody to live,” added Ben Keeney, a Working Group member and resident of the North Highlands area. And that is exactly what LBA’s goal throughout the past few years has been–community engagement and collaboration.

As one example, Brown noted that LBA held 3 walking tours and numerous virtual meetings during the spring to review and discuss the County’s proposals for changes in land use and building height, as well as to help participants visualize and share input on potential changes. More than 50 people attended one of the walking tours that started in the Lyon Village Shopping Center. “Traffic safety, stormwater management, impact of population growth, and building heights seem to be the biggest concerns of the community,” Brown added, “LBA looks forward to the forthcoming analysis by the County and updated proposals in early fall 2021.”

With the renaming and systematic planning of the corridor should come a new chapter in Langston Boulevard’s story. “We’re looking for the corridor to be a place where people in the community convene,” shared Saundra Green, Working Group member and Hall’s Hill/High View Park resident. “We want a place that stands for all the things that we want the corridor to be, from children to senior citizens.”

In the meantime, LBA is planning a weekend celebration in September where it will bring the community together to celebrate the renaming through the arts, activities, and mural-making.  To stay up to date with Langston Boulevard Alliance news, community members can sign up to receive newsletter alerts.

Arlington County is misusing taxpayer resources and county bandwidth to actively promote a partisan campaign rally. One-party rule in Arlington continues to produce a lack of accountability for our elected leaders and county officials. Not only are they actively promoting a political event, they also went a step further to link to the event RSVP page. Tens of thousands of Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, and Greens certainly object to this blatant misuse of taxpayer resources and county bandwidth. But it’s not surprising to see the Democratic Establishment once again put their finger on the scale for their preferred political outcome.

Arlington Republicans are working around the clock to turn out voters for Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin and our Republican candidates up and down the ballot. This desperate, coordinated attempt between County leaders and the Arlington Democrats to drive up Democratic votes in Arlington will only serve to drive Republicans to work harder to elect Glenn Youngkin and our entire Republican slate.

NAACP National challenged our over 2,200 units across America to advocate for meaningful civilian oversight boards with subpoena power. During the past 12 months, leaders of Arlington Branch NAACP, our allies, stakeholders, and citizens have worked diligently to ensure this Call to Action was accomplished. Despite the County Board’s recent adoption of a Community Oversight Board (COB) ordinance, we are disappointed that the County Board refused to adopt the General Assembly-approved authority for the COB to be truly independent and to make binding disciplinary determinations. Nevertheless, we will work with all parties to ensure that the process is equitable and transparent. Most striking to many was how during the County Board’s discussions, the wellness and morale of police officers under investigation outweighed the human rights of the most marginalized. The Board should have prioritized the concerns of communities of Color that are discriminated against and have been historically victimized by improper policing. The County Board’s failure to do so demonstrates their disconnect with the people they swore to serve.

What remains problematic to us is the failure of elected leaders to embrace the moment and fully adopt authorities granted in § 9.1-601. Law-enforcement civilian oversight bodies which authorizes the following:

“Any law-enforcement civilian oversight body established by the governing body of a locality shall reflect the demographic diversity of the locality.” The Arlington County Board on a vote of 4-1 rejected an amendment that marginalized communities have a guaranteed seat on the COB.

“To receive, investigate, and issue findings on complaints from civilians regarding the conduct of law-enforcement officers and civilian employees of a law-enforcement agency serving under the authority of the locality.”

This is not the authority structure adopted by the County Board. Arlington County’s Press Release of July 22, 2021, states, “In an effort to improve transparency and accountability in the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD), the County Board has established a Community Oversight Board (COB) with independent investigative and subpoena power, and an Elected Officials Julius D. “J.D.” Spain, Sr., President Kent D. Carter, 1st Vice President Sherrice Kerns, 2nd Vice President Michael Hemminger, 3rd Vice President Wanda Younger, Secretary Dominique Jenkins, Assistant Secretary Roy Austin, Treasurer Adriana Spain, Assistant Secretary At-Large Executive Committee Members Karen Nightingale, Symone Walker, Esq., James Younger, Esq. Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the country, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure all persons’ health and well-being. Units of the NAACP are designated as 501(c)(4) organizations, and only the National Office is a 501(c)(3) organization. A 501 (c) (4) organization is a nonprofit corporation operated exclusively to promote social justice. Independent Policing Auditor.” Additionally, during the “Board wrap up” on the same website a member of the County Board repeats the assertion that the COB will have “independent investigatory authority” and twice refers to COB’s “findings.”

Words Matter! What is truthful, factual, and indisputable is that the County Board rejected community input and its own Police Practices Group’s recommendations (Pg.’s 21-24) for true “independent investigatory” power and binding disciplinary actions for the COB. Though the Board and its members repeatedly refer to the COB’s ability to make findings, in fact, key provisions for the COB’s ability to make findings based on investigations were removed from the ordinance that was passed.

Standing between the COB and ACPD is the newly created Independent Policing Auditor, who will be hired and supervised by the County Manager, who also oversees the police chief and the department. The Board rejected the community’s request for the County Manager to select from a roster of candidates screened and recommended by the COB. This structure was not in the statute and is potentially the biggest failing of this ordinance. The fact remains, this police auditor will have a difficult time looking at police operations from a community lens while also being selected and supervised by the police department’s command structure. It will be particularly problematic for them to be that community voice if they come from a law enforcement background as telegraphed by the County Board. The danger is that the IPA model and the dominance of police in ALL investigations could render the COB mere window dressing.

It is now of paramount importance that the Independent Policing Auditor screening and hiring process be fully transparent. The COB, advocacy groups, and members of the public must have input into this selection.

Let us withhold the use of the words “independent and investigatory powers” until we see the County Board demonstrate good faith adherence to those concepts.

To be clear, the NAACP is not Anti-Police nor is our support for a robust COB a judgement on past disciplinary actions or investigations by ACPD. Instead, we seek the empowerment of the people whom ACPD is obligated to protect and serve to have a voice in how they are protected and served.

The Arlington Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Association sent a letter on Monday to County Manager Mark Schwartz that constitutes its petition for an election to be the exclusive bargaining agent for the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Bargaining Unit as defined in legislation passed July 17.

The association urged the manager to hold an election at the earliest possible opportunity, opening the door to contract talks before the end of the year.

The union has provided a comprehensive list of individuals who have certified the organization to withdraw monthly membership fees from paychecks with Arlington County, which constitutes the “administratively acceptable evidence” defined in the new law.

“A voice on the job via collective bargaining has been a stated goal in our union bylaws for decades,” said Brian Lynch, president of the Arlington Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Association. “This list clearly shows we have the backing of the overwhelming majority of the bargaining unit members. This high level of support has been steady for decades.”

In the 1970s, the Arlington Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Association represented firefighters in collective bargaining before the Virginia Supreme Court ruled collective bargaining illegal.

Last year, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation allowing the re-establishment of collective bargaining community by community. In April, Alexandria was the first community to pass an ordinance.

“This is a historic time for Arlington,” said Lynch. “Collective bargaining allows for collaborative decision making between the experts who deliver county services and administrators who oversee programs. This type of teamwork benefits all of our residents, businesses and visitors.”

The Sycamore School (TSS) announced today that it has earned accreditation by Cognia™, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers.

“After a detailed evaluation process, The Sycamore School is proud to receive accreditation from Cognia in our first year of eligibility,” said Dr. Karyn Ewart, Founder and Head of School at TSS. “It demonstrates our commitment to excellence and high standards, offering our students engaging and individualized learning opportunities that meet the needs of our community.”

As part of the accreditation announcement, Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, stated, “Cognia Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school and its community on the primary goal of preparing lifelong learners in engaging environments where all students can flourish. The Sycamore School is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards and is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning.”

Cognia, formerly AdvancED, nationally recognizes districts and schools that meet rigorous standards focused on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation that meets the needs of learners, and effective leadership. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that TSS is recognized across the nation and the world as a school that meets Cognia Standards of Quality and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement. Schools in good standing maintain their accreditation for five years.

About The Sycamore School 

The Sycamore School is a mastery-based school that integrates academic development, social and emotional learning, and civic engagement. We provide personalized, inquiry-based experiential learning, helping students make connections across content areas and to the real world. We create a meaningful learning process, whereby teachers personalize instruction according to students’ interests, needs, and aptitudes. Teaching focuses on cultivating transferable skills in students that apply to various jobs or tasks across settings, such as effective communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. We want to partner with parents and the community to design experiences in and outside the classroom.

The Sycamore School is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and provides scholarships and financial assistance for students who demonstrate need. More information is available at www.thesycamoreschoolva.org.

Marymount University is joining 11 other higher education institutions within the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) in setting out across the state to understand where residents are most at risk during extreme heat waves.

Marymount faculty, staff, students and community volunteers will use specially designed thermal sensors to record air temperatures and humidity throughout the Northern Virginia area over three specific times this Thursday: 6 am, 3 pm and 7 pm. Previous campaigns conducted by the VFIC in Richmond, Norfolk and Roanoke revealed temperature differences as significant as 16°F between the coolest and hottest places.

The heat mapping program was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and has led to more than 10 community-led heat island mapping campaigns across the country this summer.

Data collected will inform existing programs and initiatives in the Commonwealth, including climate change mitigation and resilience, public health and energy efficiency. Project partners include CAPA Strategies, the Science Museum of Virginia and the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Elements Massage® opens at Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) on Monday, July 19th. As one of the nation’s leading massage therapy brands, Elements Massage differentiates itself by providing highly customized and therapeutic massage services to walk-in clients and through its industry-leading membership program, the Elements Wellness Program.

Founded by a massage therapist, the fundamental core of Elements Massage is to provide truly customized therapeutic massage services to every client, every session.

The 2100 -square-foot studio will be located at 1101 S. Joyce Street, Suite B10 in Arlington.

Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, has received a transformative gift of $5 million from long-time donor Lola ​C. ​Reinsch to promote the Hospital’s campus expansion efforts.

“We are honored to receive this gift and would like to thank Lola and the Reinsch Pierce family for their enduring commitment to Virginia Hospital Center,” said Tony Burchard, President of the Virginia Hospital Center Foundation. “This generous gift will have a tremendous impact on our efforts to expand the Hospital’s reach, helping to transform the healthcare we can provide to our community. Philanthropic commitments, and generous gifts such as these, are crucial in allowing VHC to continue to lead in innovation and patient care.”

This huge donation, as well as all sizes of gifts, will help expand VHC’s capacity to deliver top-quality healthcare to a larger range of patient populations.

New infrastructure developments include the construction of a brand-new, seven-story Outpatient Pavilion that will centralize outpatient services in one location. This will provide patients with direct and easy access to treatment facilities immediately upon arrival to the Hospital, plus will allow for an increased capacity of 100 additional beds in the Hospital’s existing outpatient areas. The expansion project also includes an updated parking structure that will add over 1,270 spaces, improving access to the Hospital.

“I am so proud to be making this donation to Virginia Hospital Center to promote their outstanding health services in our community,” said Ms. Reinsch. “The Hospital provides such wonderful care,” she continued. “I am grateful that my own children and grandson took their first breaths there, and we hope that this gift will help VHC serve even more families.”

Ms. Reinsch owns a real estate management company in Arlington.

The donation is one of many from the Reinsch Pierce family, who have an extensive history of philanthropy with VHC since 1982.

In 2012, Lola C. Reinsch established Virginia Hospital Center’s Reinsch Pierce Family Center for Breast Health in honor of her mother, Dolores G. Reinsch, as well as her father, Emerson G. Reinsch, a builder-developer of rental apartment communities in Arlington. This state-of-the-art facility became the first breast center in Virginia to be nationally certified by the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.

Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $13,715,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded to four airports across the Commonwealth to fund infrastructure improvements to the airports’ runways.

“We are pleased to see these federal dollars awarded to the Commonwealth to go toward updating four of Virginia’s airport runways,” said the Senators. “This funding will enable our airports to better support travelers and economic opportunities for the surrounding areas.”

A breakdown of the funding is below:

• Virginia Highlands Airport Commission will receive a grant of $3,216,000 to go toward a runway extension at the Virginia Highlands Airport in Abingdon.
• Stafford Regional Airport Authority will receive a grant of $5,499,000 to go toward a runway extension at the Stafford Regional Airport in Stafford.
• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will receive a grant of $3,300,000 to go toward a runway reconstruction at the Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles.
• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will receive a grant of $1,700,000 to go toward a runway reconstruction at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington.