Memorial Day

Traffic Delays, Road Closures Expected for Rolling Thunder Rally

By ARLnow.com

Rolling Thunder (Flickr pool photo by Michelle Dupray)

The annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally will rumble through Arlington starting today.

The Memorial Day weekend event will begin with the expected arrival of thousands of motorcyclists this afternoon, many of whom will be arriving via I-66. Authorities are warning drivers to expect delays on eastbound I-66 between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.

The Hyatt Regency in Crystal City will serve as the hotel headquarters for the event, which according to organizers attracts some 900,000 bikers to the nation’s capital. The expected arrival time at the hotel is 3:00 p.m., according to a weekend schedule.

Arlington residents who live along the Route 1 corridor should, as usual, expect plenty of motorcycle noise throughout the weekend.

Aside from activity around the hotel, no Rolling Thunder events are planned in Arlington on Saturday. On Sunday, starting at 7:00 a.m., participants will gather at the Pentagon north and south parking lots for a large rally, which this year will include food trucks.

From the Pentagon, the bikers will depart for a rally on the National Mall, featuring various speakers and musical tributes, at noon.

To accommodate the large expected crowds, Arlington County and Virginia State Police will close Washington Blvd between I-395 and the Memorial Bridge from about 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.

“In addition, Arlington National Cemetery will only be accessible from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway or northbound Route 110,” ACPD said in a press release. “Motorists should expect large numbers of motorcyclists in Northern Virginia and the entire Washington Metropolitan area this weekend.”

Flickr pool photo by Michelle Dupray

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally at the Pentagon (Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin)

Memorial Day Closures — Arlington County government offices, courts, schools, and community centers will be closed on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. Arlington’s public indoor pools will be open, trash and recycling will be collected and ART buses will operate on a holiday schedule. [Arlington County]

Flags In at Arlington National Cemetery — More than 1,000 soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as the Old Guard, placed small American flags in front some 275,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday. The annual ceremony, known as “Flags In,” has been taking place before Memorial Day for more than 60 years. [U.S. Army]

Arlington Man Convicted of Sexual Abuse — Arlington resident Gary Hankins, a 45-year-old former licensed clinical social worker, has been convicted of sexually abusing a 17-year-old patient. The boy’s parents first contacted authorities after they discovered sexually suggestive texts from Hankins on his phone. [NBC Washington]

Candidates Bash Board’s Reevesland Vote — The Democratic candidates for County Board are criticizing the County Board’s vote this week to sell the historic Reeves farmhouse. At a debate lacking one candidate — School Board Chair James Lander, who had a School Board meeting — candidates took turns bashing the decision, calling it “shameful,” “bad business” and “beneath Arlington.” [InsideNova, Washington Post]

APS to Discuss Swanson, Williamsburg Plans — Next month Arlington Public Schools will hold public forums to discuss “interim options” for addressing capacity issues at Swanson and Williamsburg Middle Schools. “These interim solution options include the use of both on-site or off-site locations to house some portion of the school populations, the possibility of some interior redesign, the use of relocatables as part of the solution, and changes in scheduling,” APS said in a press release. [Arlington Public Schools]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

View of the Potomac and Roosevelt Island from Rosslyn

Survey Says: Resident Satisfaction High — Resident satisfaction with Arlington County is high, according to Arlington County. The county’s fourth Resident Satisfaction Survey, conducted by an outside research firm, suggested an 89 percent overall satisfaction rate with the quality of county services. “Just two percent of residents were dissatisfied with the overall quality of County services,” said a press release. One notable area for improvement: maintenance of county streets, with a satisfaction level of only 42 percent. [Arlington County]

Peak Memorial Day Traffic Expected Thursday — Contrary to conventional wisdom, the worst Memorial Day holiday traffic in the D.C. area will be Thursday evening, not Friday. According to an analysis of average travel speeds, drivers hoping to escape local holiday traffic should leave at night, around lunchtime Wednesday or Thursday, or Friday morning. [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments]

Split Board Approves Reeves Farmhouse Sale — The Arlington County Board voted 3-2 last night to sell the historic Reeves farmhouse. “The County worked with the community for six years to find a way to retain public ownership of the house, or to create a public-private partnership to restore the house and open it to the public, but we were unable to achieve such a partnership, and the cost of restoring the property and bringing it up to code for public use was prohibitively expensive,” said County Board Chair Mary Hynes. Much of the land around the house will remain publicly-owned. [Arlington County]

County to Outsource Volunteer Program — The County Board also last night voted 3-2 to outsource Volunteer Arlington, the county’s volunteer management program. The county will now seek a nonprofit with which to form a public-private partnership. [Arlington County]

Photos: Memorial Day Weekend in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/13

Residents and out-of-town visitors alike took part in Memorial Day observances around Arlington this past weekend.

Warm and sunny weather helped drive large crowds for stalwart annual events like the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally and the wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Thousands of bikers participated in Rolling Thunder, which first rumbled into Arlington Friday afternoon and culminated here with a large rally in the Pentagon parking lot Sunday morning. The motorcyclists, who ride in remembrance of American service members killed, missing or taken prisoner during war, later rode across the Memorial Bridge into the District for a speakers program and concert.

On Monday President Barack Obama — who had just returned from visiting troops in Afghanistan — traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The wreath-laying was followed by the annual Memorial Day service at the cemetery’s amphitheater, during which the president thanked troops and veterans for their service to the country.

In Clarendon Monday afternoon, Arlington’s VFW Post 3150 and American Legion Post 139 together dedicated a new plaque at the Clarendon War Memorial. The plaque commemorates the Arlington County residents who have given their lives during the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  • Chief Petty Officer Joel E. Baldwin, USN, Iraq (December 21, 2004)
  • Captain Michael P. Cassidy, USA, Iraq (June 17, 2010)
  • Lance-Corporal Niall W. Coti-Sears, USMC, Afghanistan (June 23, 2012)
  • Specialist Adam M. Kuiligowski, USA, Afghanistan (April 6, 2004)
  • Second Lieutenant Sean P. O’Connor, USA, Iraq (October 19, 2008)
  • Lieutenant Colonel James J. Walton, USA, Afghanistan (June 21, 2008)

Do you have other photos of Memorial Day observances around Arlington? Add them to our Flickr page or upload them in the comments.

Photos courtesy (as noted) Peter Golkin, Michelle Dupray, Brian Allen, and  Sunday Money

Closures for Memorial Day on Monday

By Ethan Rothstein

Courthouse PlazaArlington County offices and schools will close Monday, May 26, for the observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

County offices, courts, libraries, human services, the sheriff’s office and commuter stores will all be closed for the holiday. All community centers will be closed with the exception of Arlington Mill Community Center, which will open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All parks grounds will be open, however.

ART buses will be running on a holiday schedule, as will Metrorail and Metrobus. Permit and metered parking will not be enforced.

Trash and recycling pickup, however, are operating on a normal schedule, as are brush, metal and electronic pickup services. Cart repair and mulch delivery service is suspended for the day.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

View of Memorial Bridge and Arlington House (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

McAuliffe: I-66 Widening Outside the Beltway — Speaking to the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said he will press for more lanes on I-66, but only outside the Beltway. The governor “noted ruefully” that the Arlington County Board strongly opposes the widening of I-66 through the county. [InsideNova]

Flags In at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery — Soldiers from the Old Guard helped to place more than 220,000 American flags in front of gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day. The annual event has taken place every year for four decades. On Monday the cemetery will host the annual Memorial Day observance and wreath-laying ceremony. [WJLA]

Ben’s Now Open Late Night — The Ben’s Chili Bowl in Rosslyn (1725 Wilson Blvd) is now open until 3:00 a.m. every Friday and Saturday, the restaurant announced via social media on Thursday. [Twitter]

Confusing Metro Maps — New strip maps that incorporate the Silver Line are too complicated, says a writer for the blog Greater Greater Washington. “They confuse many riders with labels that line up in a misleading way, and try to cram too much information on the maps,” the writer opines. [Greater Greater Washington]

Rosslyn, the Brooklyn of Washington — A 1889 real estate ad in the Washington Post describes Rosslyn as “the Brooklyn of Washington.” Editor’s note: This item previously appeared in a previous Morning Notes post. Its inclusion today was inadvertent. [Ghosts of DC]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Rolling Thunder to Rumble into Arlington Friday

By ARLnow.com

Rolling Thunder rider in Crystal CityThe annual Memorial Day weekend motorcycle rally known as Rolling Thunder will begin arriving in Arlington on Friday afternoon.

As in years past, residents who live along I-395 and Route 1 can expect to hear the almighty roar of motorcycle engines as thousands of bikers from across the country make their way to hotels in and around Arlington. The rally’s official headquarters hotel is the Hyatt Regency at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway in Crystal City.

According to the event’s official schedule, Rolling Thunder participants are expected to arrive at the hotel around 3:00 p.m. Friday.

Various Rolling Thunder events are planned around the D.C. area throughout the weekend, including a barbeque at a Harley-Davidson dealership in Maryland on Saturday and a speakers program at the Reflecting Pool on Saturday afternoon.

Also planned is a large rally in the Pentagon parking lot from 7:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday. Police will be shutting down part of Washington Boulevard to accommodate the rally.

From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

The Arlington County Police Department and Virginia State Police will close part of Washington Boulevard near the Pentagon on Sunday, May 25, 2014, for the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally. From 7:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m., Washington Boulevard (Route 27) will be closed from I-395 to the Memorial Bridge.

In addition, Arlington National Cemetery will only be accessible from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway or northbound Route 110.

Motorists should expect large numbers of motorcyclists in Northern Virginia and the entire Washington Metropolitan area this weekend.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Wall art in Rosslyn

Obama Visits Arlington National Cemetery — President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Monday during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day. In addition to remembering fallen service members, Obama asked that Americans “not forget our nation is still at war.” [Washington Post]

Record High County GOP Membership — The Arlington County Republican Party chairman says the county’s membership is at an all time high, at least over what is has been for the past decade. The number of members now stands at 139. [Sun Gazette]

Students Earn Latin Exam Medals — Forty-five Arlington Public Schools students have received gold medals for the scores they received on the National Latin Exam. Another 41 students received silver medals and 50 earned bronze medals. Three students earned a perfect score. The National Latin Exam is given in March to students at six levels of Latin and covers grammar, reading comprehension, Roman culture, history, geography and mythology and etymology. More than 500 students in Arlington joined the 154,000 students from around the world who took the exam. [Arlington Public Schools]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

School and church groups pack the Pentagon City mall food court just before Memorial Day

Memorial Day Closures — Arlington County courts, offices, libraries, and schools will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. Arlington’s three indoor public pools will be open on a holiday schedule on Monday. [Arlington County]

State Police Increasing Patrols — Virginia State Police say they’re increasing patrols statewide this weekend. “The additional patrols statewide are part of the annual Operation C.A.R.E., (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries associated with speed, failure to wear seatbelts and impaired driving. The state-sponsored, national program encourages law enforcement,” VSP said in a press release.

Bonchon Chicken to Offer Growlers — Korean chicken restaurant Bonchon is hoping to open its new Arlington location at 2201 N. Pershing Drive in mid-July. In addition to chicken, the eatery will have “a dozen beers on tap, including craft options, and growler service to cater to the restaurant’s carryout clients.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington’s Marv Albert Anniversary — On May 27, 1997, Arlington was in the news as sports broadcaster Marv Albert was arrested and booked by Arlington County Police, accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton hotel. [About.com, New York Times]

Ballston Is the End of the Orange Line This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Metro logo on an Orange Line stationMetro’s ongoing system rehabilitation project will make Ballston the end of the Orange Line this weekend.

The Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, and East Falls Church stations will all be closed from 10:00 p.m. Friday to system closing on Monday (Memorial Day). The closures will allow crews to perform switch replacements, rail joint eliminations and tie and insulator renewal, Metro said.

Orange Line trains will operate between Ballston and New Carrollton at normal weekend intervals.

Free shuttle buses will replace trains between Ballston and Vienna. Express buses will run directly from Ballston to Vienna and back, while local buses will stop at all the stations in between. Metro says those taking local buses should add up to 40 minutes to their travel time, while those taking the express bus should add 25 minutes.

Arlington’s Sprayground Parks to Open Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Lyon Village sprayground park (via Arlington County)Arlington’s three existing sprayground parks will open for the season this weekend.

The three parks — Drew Playground (3514 22nd Street S.), Hayes Park (1516 N. Lincoln Street) and Lyon Village Park (1800 N. Highland Street) — will open on Saturday will remain in service until Labor Day weekend. Hours of operation can be found online.

All three parks will be open from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, according to Arlington County Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish. (On holidays, like Memorial Day and July 4, normal hours are preempted and the parks are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

The new sprayground at Virginia Highlands park is expected to open “in a couple of weeks,” Kalish said.

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