More than 100 dignitaries, students, faculty and staff braved blustery conditions Monday for the unveiling of the Bill of Rights Eagle outside the Antonin Scalia Law School on George Mason University’s Arlington campus.

Cast in bronze by sculptor Greg Wyatt, the 4,300-pound eagle has a seven-foot wingspan and was dedicated as part of the university’s Law Day celebrations.

It shows an American eagle standing on top of the Bill of Rights, protecting them with its enormous wings. In an interview after the ceremony, Wyatt said it was symbolic of standing against oppression and for freedom.

“It’s a permanent memorial to free speech and artistic practice, unlimited by your format and materials,” he said. “It’s something you want to pass from one generation to the next.”

Wyatt initially presented the statue in plaster in the U.S. Senate’s Russell Office Building in 1989, before it moved two years later to the southwest corner of the courtyard at Harvard University, near Dudley House.

After five years outside Dudley House, it moved to the courtyard by Harvard’s Winthrop House, just outside the suite where former President John F. Kennedy lived and studied. A renovation in that area forced it to return to Wyatt’s studio, then the law school was recommended for its new home.

And while university officials said the move was not because of namesake George Mason IV’s role as the author of the Bill of Rights, it is fitting nonetheless.

“I think Harvard Yard was an okay place for the Bill of Rights Eagle. I think the U.S. Senate was a better place,” said GMU president Angel Cabrera. “But I cannot think of a better place for the eagle than the law school that carries the name of the author of the Bill of Rights.”

“I just get chills,” said law school dean Henry Butler. “Here we are at the university named for the father of the Bill of Rights, being given an eagle named for the Bill of Rights.”

Wyatt has designed two other similar eagles on display in the U.S.: one with a three-foot wingspan on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and another with an 18-foot wingspan in the north courtyard of the State Department in the District, installed in 2000.

He said his research involved learning about how eagles are put together, from their bone structure to feather count and where their joints are.

“That kind of research is expected,” Wyatt said. “What’s not expected is adding something to the nation’s symbol. What that means in this instance is the idea that our freedom of speech and production and artists are showcase for the benefits of the constitutional rule of law under which all of us derive these precious freedoms.”


Veterans Day ceremony in Clarendon (photo courtesy Peter Golkin)

Government offices, courts, libraries and schools in Arlington County will be closed Friday for the Veterans Day holiday.

Parking meters won’t be enforced and ART buses will operate on a Saturday schedule. County-run pools will be open and trash and recycling collection will proceed as normal, however.

On Friday at 1 p.m., an annual Veterans Day ceremony will be held in Clarendon.

Via Arlington County:

Arlington American Legion Post 139 is holding a ceremony at 1 p.m. at the War Memorial in Clarendon Central Park at Clarendon Blvd. and Wilson Blvd. The ceremony will honor current service members and all veterans and remember those we have lost. There will be a special recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War honoring Vietnam era veterans.

Photo courtesy Peter Golkin


Supreme Court justices and protesters have both come to Arlington’s Virginia Square neighborhood for a dedication ceremony for George Mason University’s newly-named Antonin Scalia Law School.

The ceremony started at 11 a.m. at the law school, located at 3301 Fairfax Drive. Police have closed N. Kirkwood Road as a security measure.

The school was named for the late Supreme Court justice after GMU received $30 million in donation pledges. In addition to the six Supreme Court justices expected to attend this morning, members of the Scalia family are also on hand for the dedication.

The protesters say they’re demonstrating against the university’s decision to put “donor interests before those of its students and faculty.”


Arlington County paid its annual tribute to fallen law enforcement officers this morning.

The county’s observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day took place at 8 a.m., in the Arlington County Justice Center Plaza at 1425 N. Courthouse Road. The six Arlington County Police Department officers who have died in the line of duty were remembered during the ceremony, as was a seventh officer who died after suffering a heart attack and falling to his death in the 1920s.

Among those participating in the ceremony was the son of Officer George Pomraning, who was shot to death at the age of 26 while bringing a prisoner to jail on Sept. 2, 1973. Pomraning’s son, who was born around the time of his father’s death, wiped tears from his face after placing a rose in his honor next to the police memorial statue.

Other event participants included Police Chief Jay Farr, Sheriff Beth Arthur, County Board Chair Libby Garvey and County Manager Mark Schwartz. There were also representatives from the Alexandria Police Department, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies.

The memorial ceremony coincides with National Police Week, which brings law enforcement officers from around the country and around the world together in the D.C. area. Police motorcades running down local highways, as well as to and from the airport, are a common sight in Arlington before and during the week-long event, which officially starts on May 15.

Among the pre-Police Week activities, several Arlington County officers took part in a cross-state Law Enforcement United bike ride that arrived at the Iwo Jima memorial near Rosslyn yesterday afternoon.


40 Under 40 logoThis year’s Leadership Arlington 40 Under 40 honorees will be recognized at a luncheon today.

The event is intended to recognize “40 emerging leaders under the age of 40 who demonstrate impact personally and/or professionally through their exceptional leadership in the D.C. metropolitan region.”

Among the trailblazers on this year’s 40 Under 40 list are:

  • John Vihstadt campaign manager Eric Brescia
  • County Board member-elect Katie Cristol
  • House of Steep founder and Arlington Economic Development commissioner Lyndsey DePalma
  • Liberty Tavern, Lyon Hall and Northside Social co-owner Mark Fedorchak
  • Arlington Food Assistance Center operations director Koube Ngaaje
  • LiveSafe founder Shy Pahlevani
  • Land use attorney Evan Pritchard
  • Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation director Jane Rudolph
  • Shooshan Company leasing director Kevin Shooshan

The luncheon will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today at Army Navy Country Club.


Arlington County held its annual observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day this morning.

The ceremony took place at 8:00 p.m. in the plaza between police headquarters and the county jail. Arlington police officers and sheriff’s deputies were joined by county officials and law enforcement personnel from surrounding jurisdictions in remembering the six Arlington County police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Those officers are:

Among those who spoke at the ceremony were County Board Vice Chairman Mary Hynes, Sheriff Beth Arthur, Arlington County Civic Federation President Michael McMenamin, and Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran.

“Taps” was performed by members of the police department and sheriff’s office. “Amazing Grace” was also performed, by bagpipers from the Arlington County Police Department and the U.S. Border Patrol Pipe and Drum Band.


Cherry Blossoms (Flickr pool photo by Nathan Jones)

New Restaurants Coming to Rosslyn — At least three new restaurant concepts are reportedly coming to Rosslyn. The restaurants will be opening on the ground floor of the Sedona/Slate apartment building and office buildings at 1100 and 1501 Wilson Blvd, according to speakers at a Bisnow conference in Rosslyn yesterday morning. Little is known about the restaurants — so far, property owners aren’t naming names — but one rumor relayed to ARLnow.com is that one of the restaurants will feature a Top Chef contestant as its head chef. [Bisnow]

Vihstadt Swearing-In Set for Friday — The swearing-in of new Arlington County Board member John Vihstadt will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The ceremony will be aired live on Arlington TV (Comcast 25 / Verizon 40). [Arlington County]

Other Localities Are Also Having Transit Debates — Arlington County isn’t the only community having a debate over a large transit project, like the planned Columbia Pike streetcar line. Streetcar critics are also active in Cincinnati, where a 3.6 mile, $133 million streetcar line is under construction. In Nashville, meanwhile, opposition to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line has spilled over to the state Senate. [Greater Greater Washington]

Yorktown Boys Soccer Moves Up in Rankings — The boys soccer team at Yorktown High School is now ranked No. 6 in the region after opening the season with a 5-1 record. [Washington Post]

Rosslyn McDonald’s Demolition Scheduled — The demolition of the now-closed McDonald’s restaurant near the Rosslyn Metro station is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 21. Demolition work is expected to take 7-10 days. [Rosslyn BID]

Flickr pool photo by Nathan Jones


Sunset over Rosslyn and the Potomac River, as seen from a Yellow Line Metro train

Prayer Vigil for Navy Yard Victims — St. George’s Episcopal Church in Virginia Square will be holding a 40 minute prayer vigil and candle lighting for victims of the Navy Yard mass shooting tonight. [ARLnow Events]

Va. Is Test State for Gun Data Sharing — Virginia is a test state for a nationally-linked system that will share information on guns used in crimes across law enforcement agencies. The system is intended to skirt federal law that prevents the sharing of federal gun trace information. As of Monday, twenty-five Virginia law enforcement agencies had signed on to the program. The Arlington County Police Department was not on that list. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Dedication for New Wakefield HS — A dedication ceremony will be held for the new Wakefield High School on Sunday. Students, staff and community members are invited to the ceremony, which starts at 1:30 p.m. It will be followed by tours of the school, an opening ceremony for Wakefield’s new aquatics center, and an aquatics center open house. [Arlington Public Schools]


Courthouse PlazaArlington County will hold a special commemorative ceremony to remember the 184 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

The event still start at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, outsize the Courthouse Plaza county government building at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

A moment of silence will be observed at 9:37 a.m., marking the time that American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the Pentagon. The silence will be followed by a playing of “Taps” and a lowering of the flag to half-staff.

Arlington County’s combined police, fire and sheriff color guard will be on hand, as will Sheriff Beth Arthur, Chief of Police Doug Scott and Fire Chief James Schwartz.

The event is open to the public.


Sunrise, as seen from Ballston (courtesy photo)

SmartTrip Card for Students — Arlington Transit is rolling out a new SmarTrip card specifically for middle and high school students. The card will entitle students to discounted, $0.75 ART bus rides. The card can be purchased for $3.00 starting on Sept. 3 at Arlington Commuter Stores. [Arlington Transit]

Nauck Profiled by Post — The Washington Post’s Real Estate section has profiled Arlington’s Nauck neighborhood, also known as Green Valley. Properties currently on the market in Nauck range from a $109,000 efficiency condo to a $1.2 million six-bedroom house. [Washington Post]

Arlington to Hold 9/11 Commemoration — Arlington County will hold a public event to remember the 184 victims of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. The event will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, on the plaza in front of the county office building in Courthouse (2100 Clarendon Blvd). [Arlington County]

Courtesy photo


Law enforcement personnel from Arlington, neighboring jurisdictions and locales as far away as London gathered outside the Arlington County courthouse this morning for the county’s annual observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Among those speaking at the ceremony were Police Chief Doug Scott, Sheriff Beth Arthur and County Board Chairman Walter Tejada. The ceremony honored the six Arlington officers who have been killed in the line of duty since 1935.

“Losing even one officer is too many,” said Chief Scott. Those who fell while in the service of Arlington County are:

Also recognized were law enforcement officers who have died outside the line of duty over the past year.

The ceremony, part of National Police Week, included bagpipe music and the playing of Taps. The 1400 block of N. Courthouse Road was closed to traffic during the ceremony.


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