holiday

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sen. Ebbin’s Anti-Discrimination Measure Fails — “A measure adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Virginia’s laws against discrimination in public employment made it through the state Senate, only to be killed in the House of Delegates.” [InsideNova]

Schools, County Offices Closed Monday — Arlington County government offices, courts, schools, libraries and rec centers will be closed Monday for the George Washington Day holiday in the Commonwealth of Virginia — also known nationally as President’s Day. In addition to the closures, parking meters will not be enforced. [Arlington County]

Ramp Closure Next Week — “A detour will be in place next week as the ramp from northbound George Mason Drive to westbound Carlin Springs Road is closed from Tuesday, Feb. 20 through Friday, Feb. 23 for installation of a sanitary line.” [Twitter]

Springlike Day Today — With temperatures in the upper 60s, today (Feb. 15) is expected to give a brief glimpse of spring, before temperatures turn colder. There is a chance of accumulating snow this weekend. [Capital Weather Gang]

Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak

Closures, Celebrations Planned for MLK Day

By Fatimah Waseem

Most Arlington County facilities and services are slated to close or operate on altered schedules on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Arlington County government offices, courts, libraries and other facilities will be closed next Monday, Jan. 15, the county said. Though metered parking will not be enforced on those days, recycling and trash pickup is scheduled to go ahead per normal. The call center will also be closed.

ART buses will operate on a Saturday schedule on routes 41, 42, 43, 45, 51, 55, 77 and 87. Park grounds will remain open, although administrative offices, classes and centers will be closed.

Arlington will hold its annual tribute to Dr. King, titled “Martin Luther King, Jr: The Man and the Mission,” on Sunday at Wakefield High School from 5-6:30 p.m. The program features musical and dance performances from Duke Ellington School of Arts, spoken word artist Kim Miller and students from local schools.

On Monday, Volunteer Arlington is organizing a community-wide day of service at the Arlington Career Center (816 S. Walter Reed Drive). Interested participants can register to take part in community service activities from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

The inaugural event encourages people from all walks of life to work together to find solutions to pressing problems of the day.

County Government Closed Friday for Veterans Day

By Chris Teale

Arlington County government will close on Friday, November 10 to observe the Veterans Day holiday.

County courts, libraries, community centers, public schools and other government offices and facilities will be closed on Friday also.

Libraries and community centers will be open on Saturday, November 11 on a normal Saturday schedule, while trash and recycling services will continue to operate on a normal schedule on both days.

Parking meters in the county will not be enforced on Friday, but will be on Saturday.

And anyone looking to catch an ART bus over the long weekend will encounter limited service. The 41, 42, 43, 45, 51, 55, 77 and 87 routes will operate on Saturday schedules on both days, while all other ART routes will not operate. The STAR call center will be closed on both days.

Flickr pool photo via thekidfromcumlin

‘Made in Arlington’ Pop-Up Shop Now Open in Courthouse

By Chris Teale
1/8

Just in time for the holidays, a pop-up store celebrating local businesses and artisans opened today (Wednesday) in Courthouse.

The “Made in Arlington” pop-up shop is on the ground floor of county government headquarters at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, in the Plaza Library.

It will be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. between now and December 22. And on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., special exhibits will take place in the lobby from local artists.

The shop, which features vendors selling food and gifts, “will help Arlingtonians find that one-of-a-kind gift during the holiday season, while also supporting local businesses and artists,” according to a press release.

The new products are just inside the library entrance, next to the shop’s usual array of Arlington-branded t-shirts, water bottles, chocolate and other items.

From an Arlington Economic Development press release, the vendors include:

And on Thursdays, representatives from the following businesses will be on hand:

Morning Poll: Are You Working Today?

By ARLnow.com

Today, Columbus Day, is a federal holiday, which means that a large portion of the local workforce has the day off.

Not everyone gets the day off work, of course. There are essential workers — cops, nurses, bus drivers, etc. — who work no matter what the holiday. Then there are organizations like ours, which swap Columbus Day with the day after Thanksgiving, thus trading today for a four-day Thanksgiving weekend, which many employees prefer. There also might be some who do not treat Columbus Day as a holiday out of principle.

But just how large a portion is off today? Who is enjoying a three day weekend, compared to those who are working?

Despite the fact that those bored at work are probably more likely to respond than those on vacation, let’s try to find an approximate measure for how many Arlingtonians have Columbus Day off.

County Government Staying Open for Columbus Day

By ARLnow.com

As it has the past few years, Arlington is keeping most of its county offices open on Columbus Day.

State government-related offices will still close on Monday, as will Arlington Public Schools. Though county government offices will remain open, parking meters will not be enforced.

More from a county press release:

Arlington County government offices, libraries and other government services will be open on Monday, October 9, 2017. Virginia Commonwealth offices, including Arlington Courts, DMVs and Arlington Public Schools, will be closed in observance of Columbus Day. Trash and recycling services will operate on a normal schedule. Metered parking will not be enforced.

Photo via Wikipedia

County Government, Road Closures Planned for July 4

By Katherine Berko

Arlington County government offices will be closed on July 4 for the Independence Day holiday, as well as libraries and other facilities.

Metered parking will not be enforced July 4, but street parking near the Iwo Jima Memorial, Long Bridge Park and the Air Force Memorial will be restricted.

County courts and the DMV offices, including DMV Select, will be closed July 3-4.

With large crowds expected for the fireworks on the National Mall, as well as Arlington’s own celebration at Long Bridge Park, police will close the following roads:

6 a.m. – 11 p.m.

  • Memorial Bridge/Memorial Circle

1 p.m. to 11 p.m.

  • Marshall Drive from Route 110 to N. Meade Street
  • N. Meade Street from 14th Street N. to Marshall Drive

3 p.m. to 11. p.m.

  • Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Route 50 (access to the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood will be from the Rhodes Street bridge)
  • Exit ramp from westbound Route 50 to N. Lynn Street (Rosslyn exit)
  • Exit ramp from eastbound Route 50 to N. Meade Street (Rosslyn exit)
  • Long Bridge Drive from Boundary Channel Drive to 10th Street S.

8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

  • Eastbound Route 50 at Washington Blvd. All traffic diverted from Route 50 on ramps to East and West Washington Blvd
  • Eastbound 10th Street N. ramp to eastbound Route 50 will be closed, all traffic diverted to westbound Route 50
  • N. Courthouse Road ramp to eastbound Route 50 will be closed, all traffic diverted to westbound Route 50 or 10th Street N.
  • Traffic on Pershing Drive at Route 50 will only be allowed westbound
  • Eastbound Fairfax Drive from N. Pierce Street to N. Fort Myer Drive
  • Columbia Pike between S. Orme Street and S. Joyce Street
  • S. Joyce Street between Army Navy Drive and Columbia Pike

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick

Easter Bunny Photos Available At Pentagon City Mall

By Chris Teale

Easter is just a couple of weeks away, and the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is getting in the holiday spirit.

From today through April 15 in the Nordstrom Court on the mall’s first level, shoppers can have their photographs taken with the Easter Bunny.

Times vary each day, but the bunny is around until 8 p.m. each day except Sundays, when he leaves at 6 p.m.

Appointments with the Easter Bunny can be made online for those wishing to skip the line. A $10 non-refundable deposit is required for reservations.

And on April 2 from 9-11 a.m., children and young adults with special needs can have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny in an adapted environment in the same location.

The environment will be adjusted to support the sensory, physical and other developmental needs of children of all abilities. Those interested are asked to RSVP ahead of time.

Easter this year is on Sunday, April 16.

Free Street Parking in Arlington Monday

By ARLnow.com

George WashingtonArlington residents and visitors will be able to remember our first president Monday by exercising their freedom to park on the street without feeding a meter.

Monday is George Washington Day in Virginia. Others know the holiday, long associated with mattress and appliance sales, as Presidents Day.

Arlington County government offices, courts, libraries and other facilities will be closed Monday. Parking meters will not be enforced.

Trash and recycling collection, however, will go on as normal.

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.

Thanksgiving Closures in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Logo via Arlington CountyMost things county government-related will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

County government offices, courts, libraries, schools, recreation centers and other facilities will be closed both days. Parking meters will not be enforced.

Among the things that will be open and running on Thanksgiving and Black Friday:

  • Trash, recycling and vacuum leaf collection, on its normal schedule
  • ART buses, on a Saturday schedule
  • The county jail’s visiting hours, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
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