Christmas

Arlington Police Officer Receives Anonymous Holiday Gift

By Katie Pyzyk

An Arlington County police officer received a little holiday cheer from a secret gift giver yesterday.

One of the department’s officers found a gift card and note of gratitude left anonymously on the windshield of an ACPD cruiser.

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaPD/status/814196016933117952

That kind of appreciation isn’t exactly a common occurrence for the ACPD. Typically only the officers working on Christmas receive a little something extra: a meal provided by an employee group.

This holiday season there was, however, another notable demonstration of appreciation when a Brownie troop dropped off festive reindeer-shaped treats last week.

https://twitter.com/ArlingtonVaPD/status/812010035257581568

No matter how big or small, members of the ACPD are grateful for positive recognition from the public, both during the holidays and throughout the year.

“We appreciate the support we receive from our community,” said police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “We’re often asked how citizens can show their appreciation for our officers. A simple thank you and handshake goes a long way for those working over the holidays.”

Christmas Tree Collection Begins Jan. 2

By ARLnow.com

Christmas tree with Hanukkah ornamentReady to get rid of your Christmas tree now that the holiday has come and gone? You may have to wait.

For those who are served by Arlington County’s curbside trash pickup, Christmas tree collection will run from Jan. 2-13, 2017.

“Residents are reminded to place the tree on the curb no later than 6 a.m. on your regular trash collection day and to remove all decorations, nails, stands and plastic bags,” the county notes on its website. “The trees are later ground into wood mulch for garden use.”

Arlington residents can also bring their trees to the county’s Solid Waste Bureau near Shirlington for recycling. Or, if you want to hang on to your tree well into the new year, just throwing in the trash is an option.

“After Jan. 13, please prepare the tree for yard waste collection on your regular trash collection day,” the county website says.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Marymount University main house during Christmastime (Flickr pool photo by Eric)

Man Found Dead in Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse — A middle-aged man was found dead in the bathroom at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Crystal City Monday afternoon. The restaurant was closed and the man was found by a cleaning crew. Arlington County police say the death is not considered suspicious. [WTOP, Fox 5]

Same-Sex Marriage Rate Falls — So far in 2016, only 1.9 percent of the more than 3,600 marriage licenses issued by the Arlington Circuit Court were issued to same-sex couples. That compares to 5.3 percent from June to December 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationally. The first same-sex marriage in Arlington took place in Oct. 2014. [InsideNova]

Morning Rush Hour Crash on I-395 — Several lanes of northbound I-395 were blocked near Shirlington Circle this morning due to a crash. [Twitter]

Arlington Man Reunited With Trophy — Arlington resident Larry Funkhouser has been reunited with a high school baseball trophy he won 50 years ago but had since lost. Thanks to a post on the “I grew up in Arlington” Facebook page, the trophy was located at an antique shop in Purcellville and delivered to Funkhouser just in time for Christmas. [Fox 5]

Arlington’s Family Christmas Miracle — An Arlington couple’s two-year-old has become only the fifth child in the country to receive an auditory brainstem implant surgery. As a result of the procedure, which is in a clinical trial, the child, who was born deaf, can now hear. [WJLA]

Flickr pool photo by Eric

ARLnow Holiday Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Wreaths on gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery 2016 (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

The team behind ARLnow.com wishes you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah this weekend.

Barring major breaking news, we will be taking a brief holiday hiatus until Tuesday morning. In the meantime, you’re welcome to discuss the holiday or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

We leave you with the following original poem, written by local resident James Miller in iambic trimeter. It’s entitled “Christmas in Rosslyn.”

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Lights shine like the dawning.
The wreaths are strewn across
Storefront and the awning.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Many a sight be seen
on Wilson Boulevard.
Baubles of red and green.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
The new buildings in grow.
Progress for the new year.
Concrete with hope, we sow.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Iwo Jima lights dark.
Heroes for a nation.
In ground we leave their mark.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
Cemetery sits cold.
Wreaths lie in remembrance.
The sacrifice of old.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
The few do still recall.
The true love offered for
The victims of the Fall.

Christmas here in Rosslyn.
May we remember why
The gift we all receive
The day our death did die.

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

County Facilities to Be Closed Next Two Mondays

By ARLnow.com

Christmas treeJust like the federal government, Arlington County government will be closed the next two Mondays.

County government offices, courts, libraries and facilities will be closed on Sunday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Dec. 26 for Christmas, and on Sunday, Jan. 1 and Monday, Jan. 2 for New Year’s.

Parking meters will not be enforced during that time, though trash and recycling collection will proceed as normal.

Libraries will also be closed on Saturday, Dec. 24, while courts are closed today and Saturday. Arlington Public Schools are on break from Dec. 22-Jan. 2.

The county jail will remain open for inmate visits, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 25-26 and Jan. 1-2.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Outdoor Christmas decorations (Flickr pool photo by Eric)

Sun Gazette Moving HQ to Falls Church — The Sun Gazette newspaper is moving its headquarters from McLean to the city of Falls Church. The paper, which has an Arlington edition and a McLean/Great Falls/Vienna/Oakton edition, has previously, under its current editor, had its headquarters in Dunn Loring, Alexandria and Springfield. [InsideNova]

Review of Synetic’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ — Crystal City-based physical theater company Synetic is performing its unique take on “Sleeping Beauty” through Jan. 8. It has received a laudatory review from Broadway World. “Every mimed motion, from a butterfly alighting on a hand to that fated spinning wheel wound, is flawlessly executed and transports audiences to a place beyond imagination,” the publication wrote. [Broadway World]

Children of Inmates Receive Gifts — The annual “Project Christmas Angel” initiative has distributed more than 1,100 gifts this year to nearly 400 children whose parents will be locked up in the Arlington County jail or in state prisons over the holidays. The project also supports kids who have a parent that was recently released from incarceration. [InsideNova]

Final ‘Around Arlington’ of 2016 — The final episode of the county-produced Around Arlington television segment features updates on the Four Mile Run Valley initiative, humanitarian award winners and plans for 2017. [YouTube]

Flickr pool photo by Eric

Podcast: ARLnow 2016 Holiday Special

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah to all of our listeners!

We close out 2016 with a special holiday podcast, featuring Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen of Central United Methodist Church in Ballston, Dr. Leonard L. Hamlin Sr. of Macedonia Baptist Church in Nauck, Rabbi Lia Bass of Congregation Etz Hayim along Route 50, and an exclusive interview with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.

This is a family-friendly episode that you can feel free to let your kids listen to.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Random, Last-Minute Arlington-Related Gifts From Amazon.com

By ARLnow.com

Looking for a last-minute holiday gift idea for a special Arlingtonian in your life? We’ve got just the list for you.

Below are the top dozen Arlington-related gifts to be found on Amazon.com.

Have other ideas? Let us know in the comments.

Arlington County Chronicles1. Arlington County Chronicles by Charlie Clark
Paperback: $15.98 or Kindle: $7.99

“Our Man in Arlington” columnist Charlie Clark knows the history of Arlington better than almost anyone. In this 224 page tome, Clark “regales with stories of politics, personalities and everything in between.”

Murder Across the Board2. Murder Across the Board: An Arlington County Mystery by Jane Barcroft
Paperback: $13.95

There are theories as to who Jane Barcroft really is, but guessing is half the fun. Jane’s two-book literary career started with this mid-aughts novel about “the April morning that the County Board meeting was gaveled to order by a fatal gunshot.”

Clarendon t-shirt3. Clarendon T-Shirt by GreatCitees
Large: $13.99 + $5.99 shipping

Available in both white and gray and a wide variety of sizes, this unisex t-shirt will have you “looking cool and stylish” while you announce to the world your love of all things Clarendon. Printed with “direct-to-garment printing technology.”

Feast and the Famine4. Sonic Highways by the Foo Fighters
Blu-ray: $29.98 or DVD: $11.39 or MP3: $9.99 or Vinyl: $16.98

Northern Virginia native Dave Grohl and company recorded “The Feast and the Famine,” one of the songs from their Sonic Highways album and HBO series, at Arlington’s legendary Inner Ear Studios (2710 S. Oakland Street). Read more about it here.

Remy's The Falafel Album5. The Falafel Album by GoRemy
MP3: $4.99

Local funnyman Remy Munasifi released this comedy album in 2010 but it still holds up, with parody songs like “Saudis in Audis,” the “Metro Song” and “Passive-Aggressive Love Song.” Not included: Remy’s classic “Arlington Rap.”

How Your City Works6. How Your City Works!! Behind the Scenes in Arlington by Spencer and Avery Park
Paperback: $10.00

A pair of Arlington elementary school students wrote this 44-page book about how stuff works in our fair county. Almost as impressive as the inner workings of Arlington’s infrastructure: the fact that this was the authors’ second book.

Arlington cufflinks7. Antique Arlington Map Cufflinks by Beluga Home Studio
Handmade: $39.95 + $5.00 shipping

A copy of a “circa 1900’s antique map of The Old Dominion State” was used to create these sepia-tinted cufflinks. The word “Glencarlyn” is featured prominently above “Arlington,” so if you live in the Glencarlyn neighborhood then double whammy.

Historic Photos of Arlington County8. Historic Photos of Arlington County by Matthew Gilmore
Hardcover: $30.56

“Historic Photos of Arlington County brings together many different images and perspectives on Arlington, from the non-recognizable rural nineteenth century to quite recognizable images from the 1970s. It captures the manifold aspects of the county in striking, black-and-white photographs.”

Arlington t-shirt9. Retro, Vintage Style Arlington Shirt by Ann Arbor T-Shirt Co.
Large: $19.95

Let’s be honest about it, if you love Arlington enough to buy this ugly t-shirt, you’d probably pay the same amount for a stylish ARLnow t-shirt. Email us and we’ll tell you where to Paypal the money.

Grace Hopper book10. Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age by Kurt W. Beyer
Paperback: $20.12 or Kindle: $11.99

Learn more about tech pioneer, Google Doodle honoree, United States Navy Rear Admiral and all-around badass Grace Hopper. Her work “laid the foundation for the development of user-friendly personal computers.”

Gravity movie11. Gravity (movie)
Online HD rental: $3.99 or Blu-ray: $7.98

The winner of seven Academy Awards, this film stars Arlington native Sandra Bullock. Last year “Sandy” Bullock told the Daily Mail that her Washington-Lee High School cheerleading uniform still fits like a glove.

Images of America: Arlington12. Images of America: Arlington by the Arlington Historical Society
Paperback: $21.99

“Through this unique pictorial retrospective, readers will explore some of the county’s early villages, such as Glencarlyn, Queen City, Cherrydale, and Barcroft, and will enjoy viewing the transition from the early trolley lines and Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, which first brought growth to the area.”

Photos via Amazon.com

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sign on Military Road in Cherrydale (photo courtesy Becca Collins)

Icy Saturday Morning — Several crashes were reported around Arlington Saturday as freezing rain turned roads and sidewalks into sheets of ice. The slippery conditions lasted for most of the morning, before a warm-up started melting the ice around lunchtime. [Storify]

Wreaths Laid at ANC — Despite the icy weather, tens of thousands of volunteers helped to lay 245,000 wreaths on grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday morning. Arlington County Police assisted with crowd control for the annual Christmastime event. [WTOP, The Blaze, Twitter]

Students, School Board Speak Out on Boundary Changes — At last week’s Arlington School Board meeting, students spoke in opposition to high school boundary changes some see as furthering racial segregation. School Board members, however, defended their recent boundary change vote. [Washington Post, InsideNova, YouTube]

Borderstan Closes, Editor Coming to ARLnow — Borderstan, ARLnow.com’s sister site that covers the mid-city neighborhoods of D.C., is shutting down at the end of the week. One of its co-editors, Tim Regan, will be joining the ARLnow team in January. [Borderstan, Washingtonian]

Photo courtesy Becca Collins

SoberRide Program Offering Free Taxi Rides Through Jan. 1

By ARLnow.com

The regional SoberRide program is offering free taxi rides this holiday season, starting tonight (Friday).

More from a press release:

Combating that holiday period which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says is a “dangerous time to be on the road due to a high number of drunk drivers behind the wheel,”* a local nonprofit organization announced today that free cab rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout Arlington County, Virginia.

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the annual Holiday SoberRide® program will operate between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am each evening between Friday, December 16, 2016 and Sunday, January 1, 2017 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk, holiday period.

During the evening hours, between December 16th and January 1st, Washington-metropolitan area residents celebrating with alcohol may call the toll-free SoberRide phone number 1-800-200-TAXI and be afforded a no-cost (up to $ 30 fare), safe way home. (AT&T wireless users can dial #WRAP for the same service.)

“Last December, nearly 1,500 (1,456) Greater Washington residents did the right thing and availed themselves of this lifesaving service rather than possibly driving home impaired,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP’s President. “For SoberRide’s hours of operation during just last New Year’s Eve, alone, such ridership (580) translated into the removal of a would-be drunk driver from our shared roadways every 49-seconds.”

SoberRide is offered in the: District of Columbia; throughout the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; and throughout the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, (eastern) Loudoun and Prince William. In these areas, local taxicab companies will be providing this no-cost service to local residents age 21 and older who otherwise may have attempted to drive home after drinking.

Since 1993, WRAP’s SoberRide program has provided 65,385 free cab rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.

Sponsors of this year’s Holiday SoberRide offering include: AAA Mid-Atlantic, Anheuser-Busch, Brown-Forman, Constellation Brands, Diageo, District of Columbia Association of Beverage Alcohol Wholesalers, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Giant Food, Glory Days Grill, MillerCoors, Red Top Cab of Arlington, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, Volkswagen Group of America and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association.

Participating taxicab companies include: Alexandria Yellow Cab; Barwood; Fairfax Yellow Cab; Loudoun Yellow Cab; Northern Virginia Checker Cab; Red Top Cab; Silver Cab of Prince George’s County; Yellow Cab of D.C.; and Yellow Cab of Prince William County.

Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is a coalition of diverse interests using effective education, innovative programs and targeted advocacy to end alcohol-impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington, DC metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths historically lower than the national average.

More information about WRAP’s SoberRide initiative can be found at www.soberride.com.

DCA Expects Heavy Holiday Traffic to Start This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Taxis queued up at Reagan National AirportReagan National Airport officials are warning travelers to expect heavy holiday traffic at the airport starting this weekend.

Traffic congestion at DCA is expected to be at its worst from 7-9 a.m. and 2-6 p.m. The peak holiday travel period is expected to last through Wednesday, Jan. 4.

From a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority press release:

Travelers using Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this holiday season are advised of possible roadway congestion associated with record volumes of travelers flying at the airport. Drivers on airport roadways experienced delays during the 2016 Thanksgiving travel rush. Airport officials urge the public to plan ahead and consider alternatives to driving when making plans to use Reagan National between December 16, 2016, and January 4, 2017.

Suggested strategies and alternatives include:

  • Riding Metrorail to and from the airport
  • Using the second airport exit from the George Washington Memorial Parkway coming south from Washington, D.C. This route provides more direct access to Terminal A and Economy parking.
  • Allowing extra travel time to reach terminals, lots and garages
  • Avoiding airport roads if the airport is not your destination

Airport roadway congestion often peaks from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m., coinciding with local rush hours and the busiest movement of airline passengers. Congestion often extends beyond these times on days immediately before and after major holidays.

Customers parking at Reagan National are advised to reserve parking in advance at flyreagan.com/epark and check parking availability on overhead signs or at flyreagan.com/parking.

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