coronavirus

Local Veteran Organizes Fundraiser For Dry Cleaner Impacted By Pandemic

By Madeline Taylor

When Air Force veteran Michael Emery went to pick up his dry cleaning from First Virginia Cleaners for the first time since the outset of the pandemic, he knew the economic fallout of the shutdown hit close to home.

The store at 2929 S. Glebe Road was dark, the air conditioning was off and owner Chantra Chet had tears in her eyes as she explained to him how poorly business was going. That’s when Emery, the longtime customer of Chet’s, knew he had to act.

Emery, an Arlington resident, created a GoFundMe campaign to support the store, which is located in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center. Revenue at the dry cleaning business has plummeted as much at 80%, according to Chet, as office workers stay at home and formal wear stays in closets.

“It’s really helped me a lot,” Chet said of the fundraiser. I don’t know how I can thank him for what he did for me.”

The GoFundMe’s goal is currently $20,000, but Emery said that number was ambitious. He feels that even raising enough to pay for a month of her rent would be a success.

So far, Emery has posted to different community Facebook groups around the neighborhood to garner support. His fundraiser has reached a wide audience, and he’s even received donations from other states. Since the fundraiser was launched on July 9 it has collected more than $3,000, with contributions still growing.

This is not the first time Chet has faced adversity. She moved to the United States from Cambodia as a refugee from the Khmer Rouge in 1982, despite not speaking a word of English, and has been working in the community for more than 35 years. She was able to buy her dry cleaning business after working there for 14 years and has been running it ever since.

Right before the pandemic, Chet had spent her entire life savings on purchasing a second location to house all the dry cleaning equipment, according to Emery, adding that when the coronavirus pandemic hit, her business was “decimated.” He noted that because business was struggling, Chet could no longer afford air conditioning or electricity. To make matters worse, her landlord increased her rent to $9,000 per month.

Dry cleaners around the country are suffering a similar fate. What had been considered a safe, steady business is not among the industries hardest hit by the pandemic.

“There were no proms this year. No bridesmaids. No men in tuxedos. All that, gone,” one owner told CBS News. “We’ve been through every economic downturn. But this?”

A software provider to the industry said that dry cleaning revenue is still down about 50% on average, and was down even more earlier in the pandemic, according to the article.

Emery described Chet as very warm and friendly, especially to her customers.

“Once you peel back the layers you see that she is incredibly hardworking and patriotic, and just very caring,” he said. “She is the embodiment of the American Dream.”

Emery hopes Chet can gain support either through donations or more business.

“At a time when people are so politically divided… I feel like she represented everything that is good about this country,” said Emery. “This felt like something very small that I could do.”

Photo via GoFundMe

Ballston Businesses Talk Cutting Hair and Curating Clothing Amid Pandemic

By Vernon Miles

In March, things were going pretty well for Bearded Goat Barber Shop at (4201 Wilson Blvd). Just across the street, Scout and Molly’s Boutique in Ballston Quarter was having some trouble, but it was nothing compared to what was coming for both of them.

The owners of both businesses joined Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone for a candid conversation on the BID’s podcast about the sudden coronavirus-caused collapse in revenue and how both are working to recover.

Jane Abraham, co-owner of Scout & Molly’s Boutique, said that before the pandemic the store had some trouble getting customers to the upper floors of the mall. It’s a problem the store is still struggling with, but looking back it pales in comparison to trying to run an indoor shop inside a larger indoor space at a time when many customers are staying at home and other local businesses are trying to go outdoors.

“It took all of us by surprise,” Abraham said. “For those of us in small business to go from a vibrant business one day to being shut down for a good three months, if not a little bit more, it’s a hard thing to take.”

While businesses shut down, Abraham said that her bills didn’t. The company struggled to adapt and find new ways to stay active. Customers didn’t respond well to early attempts at reopening, Abraham said, so they doubled down on online sales.

“We did not get much traction with personal appointments,” Abraham said. “We expanded our online presence and people were appreciative — it was a way to stay connected — but as people were unsure about their own futures it wasn’t a time when people wanted to spend an awful lot of money.”

Abraham said support from the community, from customers to local business boosters, has been helpful but hasn’t erased the sting of the company’s losses.

“It’s been pretty tough,” Abraham said. “As a retailer inside a mall-like facility, we really couldn’t have anybody come in for a long time.”

Now, Abraham said her store is focused on trying to get the right kind of clothes for people transitioning back to the office but who aren’t quite ready to go formal again yet.

“The one thing that’s really different right now is so many people have been working from home, so they’re not that ready to have dresses and fancy things,” Abraham said. “Everybody still is in this transition phase. You’ll find a lot of really great things if you want to be cozy still at home or transitioning into the office.”

Eric Renfro, co-owner and operator of Bearded Goat, said the shop was starting to build a strong community presence as it was coming up on its one year anniversary.

“We were just hitting our stride, so it was tough having to shut down and being uncertain,” Renfro said. “No one had answers, no one’s gone through this. We were wondering how we were going to pay rent and utilities, and all our employees are on commission.”

Renfro said they set up an online store selling gift cards, and eventually merchandise, with the proceeds going to the employees who were unable to work.

“During the shutdown as a business, there was no income coming in,” Renfro said. “We were implementing things to stay connected, like FaceTime Fridays. We’d coach people through at-home haircuts with their spouse or roommate. We coached them through the process to make sure they didn’t get too awry.”

Now, the barbershop is back open — with social distancing, masks and frequent cleanings — and the boutique is starting to get more customers, but both business owners said they aren’t sure when — or if — things will ever get back to normal.

“People aren’t yet flocking to stores,” Abraham said. “We certainly are not.”

Courtesy photo

Uptick in New Arlington Coronavirus Cases Casts Spotlight on Young Adults

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:05 a.m.) The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Arlington is again pointing upward, if only modestly so.

An additional 50 cases have been reported over the past three days in Arlington, bringing the seven-day rolling rate of increase up to 94 cases and the cumulative total to 2,857.

On the plus side, no new COVID-related hospitalizations have been reported over the past week, and it has been nearly two weeks since the last coronavirus death was reported, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. Cumulative hospitalizations and deaths stand at 431 and 135 respectively.

The age range of those testing positive for the virus, meanwhile, is now even more skewed toward younger adults than before. Those ages 20-29 comprise 42% of new cases in the county over the past ten days. The next-highest age cohort, was 30-39, with 17% of new cases.

During a press conference yesterday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said there has been a “significant shift” towards people in their 20s contracting COVID-19. Northam also announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants in the Hampton Roads area, a coronavirus hotspot.

Cases and hospitalizations have been on the rise in the Commonwealth, but new cases have held relatively steady in Northern Virginia.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Va. Coronavirus Cases Skewing Younger — “Gov. Ralph Northam said during a press conference today that local health officials are pointing to a “significant shift” of people in their 20s or younger getting COVID-19.” [Tysons Reporter]

Northam Announces New Restrictions — “Gov. Ralph Northam is rolling back reopening in Hampton Roads as cases there surge but stopped short of doing so statewide. Gov. Northam’s announcement came after a private meeting Tuesday with Dr. Deborah Birx, the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House. Virginia was her last stop on a five-state tour… she came to all of these states with the same message: put additional mitigation measures in place before things get worse.” [WAVY, InsideNova, Commonwealth of Virginia]

Bill May Tackle Local Helicopter Noise — “A local addition to the National Defense Authorization Act — a $740 billion bill approved through the House and Senate and headed to the White House — would require the Pentagon to establish a helicopter noise abatement group for the region… The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Don Beyer (D) would also require the Pentagon to establish a noise inquiry website.” [ALXnow]

County Wants to Become More ‘Age Friendly’ — “With AARP’s recent approval of Arlington’s Age Friendly Action Plan, Building an Age Friendly Community, the County is now entering a three-year process to achieve the plan’s goals and objectives — and enhance the County’s standing as a livable community for people all ages.” [Arlington County]

Nearby: Falls Church Unveils New Permit — “To help businesses and non-profits cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department has created the Temporary Outdoor Commercial Activity Permit. Certain parks and amenities can be rented for commercial activities like exercise classes and children’s entertainment.” [City of Falls Church]

Photo courtesy Geoff Collins

2020 Turns Arlington Online Forums into Dumpster Fires

By ARLnow.com

When it was founded, the Arlington Neighbors Helping Each Other Through COVID-19 Facebook group was an uplifting place where local residents could ask for help, share information, and connect with one another.

Now, as with just about any online forum of a certain size, the events of 2020 have darkened the skies over the formerly sunny space.

Contentious arguments break out, public shaming is a common occurrence, and at least one member had her employer contacted by someone upset at a post.

Granted, there are still plenty of heartwarming, helpful and innocuous posts. In fact, there are more posts than most people can keep track of — everything from school opening discussions to questions about car dealerships. But the darker side of online forums has nonetheless crept in.

“I think that there has been an increase in divisiveness,” conceded Kellen MacBeth, co-founder of the group, which now has more than 11,000 members. “It is likely driven by several factors — the increased size of the group and that the ‘coming together’ attitude that characterized March and much of April has been wearing off.”

“When the pandemic first hit, people were scared, searching for answers, and ready to help each other survive,” MacBeth continued. “Now that it’s become a somewhat ‘regular’ threat, people have settled back into routines less focused on getting through a crisis as a community and more so just trying to live life in this new normal. We also saw that as the size of the group increased, you inevitably get trolls and other people who join and don’t share the group’s values.”

The divisiveness isn’t just about the group’s size and the pandemic’s progression, though. It’s also about the many unknowns still surrounding COVID-19, leading to a cacophony of competing warnings and indignations, as well as the politicization of the virus. And it’s about those other big 2020 news stories: the Black Lives Matter movement and mass protests, and a heated presidential election.

Even though Arlington is a progressive stronghold, with social justice signs common even in the yards of the county’s more conservative neighborhoods, BLM-related posts in particular seem to frequently lead to online confrontation.

Last week Arlington Magazine published an essay by local resident Olamide Goke-Pariola, who recounted the vitriol she faced while “talking about racial justice and challenging my mostly white neighbors to think critically about their role in white supremacy” in the group.

“They consistently dismissed my lived experience,” she wrote. “One neighbor even told me my comments were ‘noise.'”

The “Arlington Neighbors” group is not alone in turning into a dumpster fire at times, however.

Things got so bad at the popular Fairlington Appreciation Society neighborhood Facebook group, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, that its moderators shut it down for good. Before it closed, the group hosted battle royales on posts about social justice, with online shouting matches that were a digital counterpart to the battle over signs on a bridge playing out in the physical world nearby.

Even the usually chipper Mothers of North Arlington email listserv started to see moms turning on one another. The group faced accusations that it was dismissive of calls for social justice during the George Floyd protests and that it deleted a Black woman’s Facebook post on the subject.

ARLnow has seen its own share of added divisiveness. A half dozen commenters have been permanently banned for a pattern of racist comments over the past couple of months. Others have been placed on comment timeouts for engaging in extended flame wars. And there has been an uptick in criticism of our articles, with commenters on the site and Facebook questioning our coronavirus reporting and savaging our reporting about multiple COVID-19 cases at a private swim club.

(more…)

Latest Coronavirus Data Paints Mixed Picture in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) Arlington is averaging just over a dozen new coronavirus cases per day over the past week, a relatively low number, but one set against the backdrop of rising cases in other parts of the state.

The county’s seven-day moving average ticked up this morning, with 16 new cases reported overnight by the Virginia Dept. of Health. Arlington’s test positivity rate, however, is pointing down: it’s now 3.9%, as the seven-day moving average of daily tests climbs to 376.

Encouragingly, no new COVID-related deaths have been reported in Arlington over the past week and only one new hospitalization has been reported over the same time period.

A University of Virginia model published last week included Arlington among jurisdictions — about a third of health districts in the Commonwealth — with a surge in COVID-19 cases. That model, however, appears to have been based on data from when new cases were still on the rise in the county.

The latest numbers show that Arlington still has community spread, but the epidemic is being held in check at the moment. That is also largely the case for Northern Virginia as a whole, with new daily cases remaining relatively steady — minus a spike in cases reported today.

Outside of Northern Virginia, however, the state has a rising epidemic, with new cases continuing to climb. That prompted a warning from Gov. Ralph Northam over the weekend.

“We will be watching the public health data closely over the weekend — if the numbers don’t come down, we may have to take additional steps to blunt the spread of this virus,” Northam said Saturday, as quoted by InsideNova.

Statewide, 1,505 new cases were reported overnight — the highest daily total since May 26 and Virginia’s second highest one-day spike since the start of the pandemic.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Changes at Prosecutor’s Office — Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has announced a reorganization of her office to implement a “vertical prosecution” model. The new structure “requires that one prosecutor be assigned to each case from start to finish; it permits the assigned attorney to work early and closely with law enforcement, victims, witnesses, and defense attorneys.” The office has also recently stopped its courtroom involvement with certain types of minor traffic offenses. [Press Release, Twitter]

Man Pleads Guilty to Arlington Carjacking — “A Washington, D.C. man pleaded guilty today to his role in an armed robbery and carjacking that led to a high-speed police chase and resulted in injuries to two police officers. According to court documents, Jovan Doir Johnson, 30, together with another individual, obtained a stolen vehicle at gunpoint in Arlington and then used it to rob a 7-Eleven in Lorton.” [Dept. of Justice]

Board Approves CIP, Bond Referenda — “The Arlington County Board today voted unanimously to adopt a scaled-down $277.5 million one-year Capital Improvement Plan that focuses on continuing or completing projects already underway and beginning a 10-year program to improve the County’s stormwater infrastructure and flood resiliency… In a related action, the Board unanimously approved bond referenda totaling $144.454 million to be put before the voters on the November ballot.” [Arlington County, Washington Post]

Board to Hold Closed COVID Meeting — “Notice is hereby given that the County Board of Arlington Co., VA, on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 5:30pm, or as soon thereafter as matters may be heard, in accordance with and for the purposes authorized by law will meet to discuss matters related to the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” [Arlington County]

Pandemic May Cause Hunger Crisis — “Up to a quarter of a million people in the Washington area could be thrown into hunger because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the Capital Area Food Bank, even as the amount of donated food and the number of distribution sites plummet precipitously.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Vincent

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Launches COVID Dashboard — “Just launched: Arlington’s COVID Data Dashboard with comprehensive information on cases by age, race and zip code; trends in % pos testing; date of symptom onset; and more. Track the course of the pandemic with us, here. And stay safe and mask up!” [Twitter, Arlington County]

Shirlington Parking Challenges — “Shirlington has significant amounts of surface and garage parking, but much of it is restricted during working hours to ensure employees have a place to park. (Many, though not all, of those spaces become available to the general public after 5 p.m.) ‘There’s lots of parking – [but] what’s there isn’t allocated very well,’ County Board Chairman Libby Garvey said.” [InsideNova]

Justice Reform Discussion Tomorrow — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee (Arlington Dems) and Arlington Young Democrats will host a Facebook Live forum at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 23, in advance of a special session of the General Assembly set to begin Aug. 18 that will largely be devoted to criminal justice reform.” [Arlington Democrats]

New Chief Race and Equity Officer Discusses Role — “This position focuses on leading, coordinating and overseeing county organizations and partnering with the community to advance racial equity. To me, this entails focusing on systems and our organizational structure and really how racism presents itself — in our policies, our practices, how we interact and engage with the community.” [Arlington Magazine]

New Office Tenants in Ballston — “CropLife America, The Fertilizer Institute and the Agricultural Retailers Association have signed a 15-year lease for 25,564 square feet to co-locate in Ballston Exchange, a 776,000-square-foot mixed-use office and retail mixed-use project.” [Commercial Observer]

Other School Systems Go Online-Only — Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Montgomery County public schools are joining Arlington in going online-only to start the semester. [DCist, WJLA, Loudoun Times-Mirror, Bethesda Beat]

Flickr pool photo by Jim Webster

County Board OKs Federal Coronavirus Grant for Public Safety Agencies

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is getting $136,727 from the U.S. Dept. of Justice to help pay for coronavirus-related public safety expenses.

The federal grant was approved unanimously by the County Board over the weekend.

Among the big ticket items to be funded by the grant are:

  • 3 electronic sign boards for the Arlington County Police Department ($30,210)
  • 435 hours of officer overtime for ACPD ($19,106)
  • 994 pairs of coveralls for Arlington County firefighters ($31,063)
  • 280 boxes of nitrile exam gloves for the Arlington Sheriff’s Office ($36,736)

“Funds awarded under the [Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding] Program must be utilized to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus,” says a county staff report. “Allowable projects and purchases include, but are not limited to, overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), and supplies (such as gloves, masks, sanitizer).”

The expenses have already been incurred, the staff report notes, and will be reimbursed — with no local matching funds required.

Also funded by the grant are $19,605 worth of miscellaneous supplies for the police department.

New Coronavirus Cases Down, Hospitalizations Up in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A 2-3 week rise in new coronavirus cases in Arlington appears to be abating, for now.

The county’s seven-day trailing rate of new cases is back down into the double digits for the first time in a week. It now stands at 90, after topping out at 129 on Saturday — two weeks after the Fourth of July.

The county’s test positivity rate is down to 5.6% after reaching 6.6% on July 13. That compares to a low of 2.5% late last month.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19, meanwhile, have gone up. Nine new hospitalizations have been reported over the past week, the highest rate of hospitalizations in Arlington since June 21.

The cumulative total of confirmed cases in Arlington now stands at 2,750, while there have been 431 cumulative hospitalizations, according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data.

In response to an inquiry from ARLnow last week, Arlington Public Health Director Dr. Reuben Varghese said the county was not seeing enough evidence to link holiday travel to rising cases. He instead emphasized that Arlington residents should take precautions — staying at home if possible, wearing masks and physically distancing when out — wherever they are.

“People need to recognize that most of the U.S., if not all of the U.S., has community spread,” Varghese said.

New cases in Arlington continued to skew toward younger adults. Over the past week, more than half of new cases are among those ages 20-39. By comparison, only one new case has been reported among those ages 70 and up.

D.C.’s health director has attributed a rise in cases in the District to, according to DCist, “slacking off when it comes to following guidance for social distancing, wearing masks, and only venturing out for essential activities.” Some have wondered whether weekend bar-going crowds in Clarendon contributed to the rise here, though so far local health officials have not singled it — or any other activity — out as a significant factor.

Columbia Pike Starbucks Closed Due to COVID-19 Case

By ARLnow.com
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The Starbucks at Penrose Square is closed due to an employee testing positive for coronavirus.

The coffee shop at 2413 Columbia Pike closed over the weekend and is not expected to reopen until Wednesday, a Starbucks representative confirmed Monday afternoon.

“We recently learned that a partner (employee) at the store received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19,” company spokesman Jory Mendes tells ARLnow. “As soon as we learned of the diagnosis, we quickly activated our protocols, closed the store and initiated a deep clean (which has already taken place) following all recommended guidelines from public health authorities.”

“The respective partner and all other partners that were determined to have been in close contact with them are currently self-isolating – all partners affected will be compensated for the time they will miss during the recommended 14 days of self-isolation,” Mendes added. “The store is planned to re-open this Wednesday, 7/22 with partners who were not in close contact with the infected individual.”

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