Feel free to discuss these stories or anything else of local interest in the comments. Have a great weekend, Arlington — hope you enjoy Clarendon Day, Valley Fest, or any other local events you might be attending!
Susan English speaks in favor of Missing Middle housing during the September County Board meeting (via Arlington County)
In a crowded Bozman Government Center on Saturday morning, one person urged the Arlington County Board to move forward with Missing Middle housing while another critiqued the push for county-wide zoning changes.
But Board members had only to read the room — and the signs people brought — to see a sea of residents who were as divided into pro- and anti-Missing Middle camps that day as they were during a raucous meeting this June.
“We owe it to our larger community to let more people live here through smaller multiplexes, yes, but especially through denser affordable apartment housing. Doing otherwise is environmentally unsustainable — and it’s exclusionary,” said Susan English. “I’ve lived in a pleasant tear-down in a nice neighborhood for 40 years, but I hope when I leave my house will be replaced with at least a duplex.”
Independent County Board candidate Audrey Clement, the only candidate opposed to the Missing Middle upzoning proposal, told those attending and watching the meeting that she would “debunk some myths about it.”
Reciting excerpts of a speech she has presented during the Arlington County Civic Federation and Chamber of Commerce candidate fora, Clement argued that Missing Middle will not add to the county’s stock of 3-bedroom, and will reduce Arlington’s tree canopy, and will not increase home-buying opportunities for people of color — though the latter is an assertion with which the local NAACP disagrees.
Clement suggested alternatives such as office-to-residential conversions.
Board Chair Katie Cristol broke through the whooping and hollering that followed Clement’s comments, saying, “Alright, thank you ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to continue hearing from neighbors.”
But she later thanked attendees for respecting the rules for addressing the Board, which include restrictions on how many people can speak on a given matter not otherwise on the Board’s agenda.
“I also just want to give a sincere thanks to all who’ve come who respected our one-speaker-per-topic rule, helping us hear from more neighbors,” she said.
During the June meeting, some attendees shouted at Cristol when she cut off another speaker for violating the rule. The Board allows one speaker per topic, with opposing views on the same topic considered two separate topics.
Booing, which followed a speech this summer by a member of pro-density group YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, was also absent this time around. But there was plenty of applause — for every speaker, despite the range of topics, from the taxes nonprofits pay to climate change.
Resident Dima Hakura, who has spoken at length in meetings and with the Board about the Courthouse West General Land Use Plan, took the podium to urge the County Board to listen to its constituents, not “patronize us.” The room erupted in cheers after she finished her speech.
We need a leadership that builds consensus among us and unites us. A leadership that not only respects our opinions and values them, but also taps into them. One that considers our thoughts and makes constructive use of them to evolve the solutions possible… Interestingly, Arlington was always known for that, but somehow, somewhere we lost our way and we need to find it again.
… When I told people I was coming to speak before you today, the reaction was: “Why bother?” or, “It’s not going to make an iota of difference,” or, “Their mind is already made up. They have an agenda they want to push.” Regardless, I am hoping differently.
Arlington County Board “Missing Middle” work session (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The Arlington County and School boards would be more competitive and diverse if they were bigger, better-paid and elected via ranked-choice voting, says a group of community leaders and former elected officials.
For about two years, members of the Arlington County Civic Federation Task Force in Government and Election Reform (TiGER) considered how to improve county politics by meeting with community members and hearing from other jurisdictions.
TiGER suggests elections where voters rank candidates by preference, with winners selected over the course of elimination rounds. It recommends expanding the five-member County and School boards to seven, paying them more, and electing three to four members every two years. To increase the boards’ sway in the region, chairs would have two-year terms, with the possibility for a second term.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity right now to improve both the electoral and governance systems of the county to ensure that both the County Board and School Board better represent our diverse community as well as promote effective citizen engagement with our county government,” Allan Gajadhar, TiGER chair and immediate past president of CivFed, told the Arlington Committee of 100 last week.
Some of these ideas are already on the table: Early next year, the Arlington County Board could consider ranked-choice voting, which Virginia has allowed since July 2021. Meanwhile, $20,000 raises for County Board members were part of the Fiscal Year 2023 county budget (for the School Board, wages sit at only $25,000 for members and $27,000 for the chair).
Instead, some attendees were interested in bigger changes, including one TiGER ultimately dismissed: district-based representation.
They pressed Gajadhar and another TiGER member, former School Board Chair Tannia Talento, to explain why redistricting won’t work. They asked if Arlington should become a city with a mayor, or if voters should elect the County Manager, who the County Board appoints.
One asked whether chairs should be elected for four-year terms, not chosen by sitting board members to lead for one year. Another expressed interest in setting aside a County Board seat or two for members of non-dominant political parties.
Problems facing Arlington today
TiGER levied heavy criticism of Arlington’s political landscape. It said the County and School boards do not adequately reflect the the county’s racial and ethnic, socioeconomic and viewpoint diversity, in part because Arlington has had five-person boards since 1930, despite the population being eight times larger today.
Elections don’t ensure proportional representation, encourage the most qualified and diverse candidates or provide competitive races in general elections, it said. Primaries and caucuses discourage people from running and voting and prevent federal employees from running.
These critiques are shared by independent County Board candidates and skeptics of how the Arlington County Democratic Party endorses candidates for the non-partisan School Board. Those who lose the caucus in the spring agree not to run unaffiliated in November, making the end result similar to a primary.
Arlington County Board candidates Adam Theo, Matt de Ferranti and Audrey Clement at a Chamber of Commerce debate (courtesy of Arlington Chamber of Commerce)
A record-high office vacancy rate plus burdensome taxes and permit processes are just some hurdles for local businesses that Arlington County Board hopefuls are pledging to tackle.
During a debate hosted by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce last night (Wednesday), incumbent Matt de Ferranti (D) and his two independent opponents, Audrey Clement and Adam Theo, explained to a 30-person audience how they would extend a helping hand toward area businesses.
Clement emphasized office-to-residential conversions as a way of reducing the office vacancy rate, which reached 20.8% in the last quarter, and “deal with our housing crisis at the same time.”
“Office-to-residential conversion is a smart approach that both Alexandria and the District of Columbia are implementing,” she said. “There are many reasons this is a sensible strategy, and Arlington’s Missing Middle is not.”
Office buildings are readily available, have more parking than most new apartment buildings and are close to Metro, she said.
“I don’t believe honestly there’s disagreement that we should do office to residential. It’s how we do it,” de Ferranti said. “We are already working on that, but we need to move more quickly.”
Seeing as empty offices are spread throughout buildings, Theo said “conversions are not a silver bullet” and suggested filling these vacancies with schools.
“That is something that’s much easier to renovate for than residential and it helps to tackle our school overcrowding that we’ll be facing over the next decade or two,” and makes more opportunities available to young families in urban areas, he said.
Currently, the county is exploring more flexible zoning in offices to allow for “light industrial” uses such as delivery staging areas, urban farms, breweries and small warehouses.
All three, meanwhile, say they would change how businesses are taxed.
“I am concerned about excessive taxation, particularly real estate taxes, but if you can start with shaving off some of those business taxes, that would be just fine with me,” Clement said.
Theo called for removing the business tangible tax, a tax levied on property used in business that requires maintaining records of nearly every item of value that a business owns.
Personal property tax revenue in Arlington over the last decade (via Arlington County)
Business tangible tax assessments are expected to increase by 16% this fiscal year, according to the 2022-23 budget. But Theo said the $40 million it netted last year is not worth squeezing support businesses with thin margins.
“The county sneezes and it spends $40 million,” he quipped.
De Ferranti advocated for increasing the threshold for Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax, which comprises about 5% of the county’s revenue for this fiscal year, and has been steadily rising over the last decade.
Under the tax — which has long had critics both on the right and the left — businesses with revenue of less than $10,000 owe nothing, while those grossing up to $50,000 pay $30 and those grossing up to $100,000 pay $50. Beyond that, most businesses pay $0.36 per $100 in gross receipts, regardless of whether the business is profitable or not. Some businesses, like stores and restaurants, pay a lower rate while others, like printed newspapers, are exempt.
The rising revenue Arlington nets from the BPOL tax (via Arlington County)
De Ferranti, however, balked at other tax cut suggestions.
“But broad statements like, ‘We should cut’ — first, our real estate tax rate is the lowest in the region,” de Ferranti said. “Our property values are so high, so that’s why our total bills are higher than some other localities. We have to keep investing when there’s a challenge in our economy.”
Wood beams can be seen inside new construction along Columbia Pike, a style called “5 over 1” construction (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Biden in Arlington on 9/11 — “President Joe Biden commemorated the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks at a remembrance event Sunday at the Pentagon, delivering heartfelt remarks that honored those killed there. ‘I know for all those of you who lost someone, 21 years is both a lifetime and no time at all,’ Biden said at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.” [CNN]
Candidates on Missing Middle — Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future, a group that’s critical of the county’s Missing Middle housing proposal and development in general, “posed questions to the candidates for Arlington County Board that we hope can give you a sense of their positions on issues important to ASF and future development of our county.” [Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future]
Indecent Exposure Near H-B Woodlawn — “1600 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:32 a.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that a witness allegedly observed the unknown male suspect seated on a bench and masturbating. Responding officers conducted a search of the area yielding negative results.” [ACPD]
Officer Rescues Bird — From Arlington County police: “This morning, a supervisor on Patrol – Adam Squad assisted this injured bird after it flew into a building in the Courthouse area and fell to the ground. The bird was brought to our friends at @AWLAArlington for further assistance.” [Twitter]
New Local Business Awards — “The Arlington REV Awards recognize Arlington companies with exceptional growth in revenue, employment and venture capital raises. Arlington Economic Development is seeking applicants in eight categories and looks forward to honoring a few of the many deserving companies that make up Arlington’s thriving business community. Winning companies will be announced during an awards reception in National Landing on November 1, 2022.” [Arlington Economic Development]
WaPo TikTok Guy Visits Library — “Today’s third @washingtonpost TikTok features @carmellaboykin getting a library card at the @ArlingtonVALib.” [Twitter, TikTok]
Feedback for Senior Living Center Proposal — From Arlington’s Dept. of Community Planning, Housing & Development: “Feedback opportunity extended! Mon. Sept. 19 is now the last day to comment on a possible change in the land use designation for the Sunrise Senior Living site on N. Glebe Rd.” [Twitter, Arlington County]
It’s Monday — Rain starting in the afternoon, with heavy rain and severe storms possible around the evening commute. High of 82 and low of 72. Sunrise at 6:49 am and sunset at 7:23 pm. [Weather.gov]
Sunset near the U.S. Air Force Memorial (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A gorgeous end to the workweek today is expected to give way to clouds tomorrow and rain on Sunday.
Nonetheless, high temperatures in the lower 80s to mid 70s should make much of the weekend perfectly pleasant.
Next week is a County Board week, likely with plenty to report. This week, as well, was busy despite the holiday. Below are the most-read local stories of the past five days.
County Board candidates Adam Theo, Audrey Clement and Matt de Ferranti (via Facebook)
For voters, evaluating Arlington County Board candidate views of Missing Middle will look a lot like Goldilocks sampling porridge.
Three familiar names are vying for a seat on the County Board: incumbent Matt de Ferranti and his independent challengers Audrey Clement and Adam Theo, who have both ran for a seat on the Board before — Clement numerous times before.
Now, potential Missing Middle zoning changes are becoming a key battleground for the candidates, as both community support and opposition intensifies. The two-year study is entering a final phase of community discussion before it is slated to go to the Planning Commission and County Board for consideration as early as this year.
County Board, School Board and congressional candidates fielded multiple questions from members of the Arlington County Civic Federation last night (Tuesday) during its annual candidates forum. The Civic Federation previously took up the issue of Missing Middle, passing a resolution saying residents need more negotiating power during upzoning and land-use proposal proceedings.
During Tuesday night’s questioning at the Hazel Auditorium in Virginia Hospital Center, Theo said he is “a huge fan” of Missing Middle because “it’s about not squeezing the middle class anymore, of allowing opportunities, options and housing types.”
Clement reiterated her equally entrenched opposition to it as “a scheme to rezone Arlington’s residential neighborhoods for much higher density multi-family dwellings,” which will keep housing types out of reach for anyone not making six figures.
De Ferranti, meanwhile, says he supports the construction of low-density units up to a point.
“Your input has led me to oppose eight plexes as not being worth the cost,” he added. “Your input has led me to tier the ideas so that the smallest lots would have duplexes and as you get to the largest plots, more density would be allowed.”
None, however, pronounced the county’s community engagement efforts as “just right.”
The Goldilocks principle reappeared when candidates discussed whether to do away with first-past-the-post voting for their seats and replace it with ranked-choice voting (RCV) for County Board elections.
Under this system, which has support from some current Board members and which the county has tested out, voters rank candidates by preference and a winner is selected over the course of many elimination rounds.
Clement, an independent, said it would increase competition in otherwise predictable election cycles. Theo agreed.
“Ranked-choice voting has potential, and I want it now in Arlington County,” he said.
Both independents support the change for general elections, while de Ferranti said he is supportive of it for primaries and more cautious about using it for the general election.
“It’s something I’m supportive of,” de Ferranti said. “There are fair critiques with respect to the simplicity and timeliness — as we just saw in Alaska — of the results.”
The County Board may consider ranked-choice voting before January, de Ferranti said.
While expressing support for ranked-choice voting, Clement claimed it would not work in Arlington because of media bias.
“Unfortunately, ranked-choice voting only works in competitive elections, where the media are unbiased and endorse candidates on their merits. That is not how media operate in Arlington,” Clement said. “A continual stream of press releases by and features about those who promote the status quo are published as news, together with biased editorials, all but guaranteeing the defeat of their challengers.”
(ARLnow no longer publishes opinion columns and has never endorsed candidates for office, though the Sun Gazette routinely publishes editorials and letters to the editor.)
Like their County Board counterparts, School Board candidates Bethany Sutton and Vell Rives said they would work to improve community engagement.
“A change I might make is to make sure we have multiple ways for people to engage and we are deliberately transparent as to how all that engagement has factored into the board’s decision making,” said Sutton, who received the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee after another candidate, Brandon Clark, withdrew from the caucus and then the election entirely.
Rives, meanwhile, said the School Board needs to vote on all “massive decisions,” such as extended school closures or starting a new school.
Sutton and Rives both said a chief concern is addressing student mental health. Both said APS can tighten security at school entrances, while Rives supports reinstating School Resource Officers and Sutton called for clear, consistent emergency communications.
The School Board removed school-based police officers last summer, citing racial disparities in juvenile arrests in Arlington. Following the decision, the Arlington County Police Department said it would be a challenge to staff the program again.
The two School Board candidates both support the construction of a new Arlington Career Center, but criticized how the project was discussed and the strain it could put on future budgets.
Flowers along a walking path in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Woman Turns 107 — “What’s the secret to living a long and healthy life? Just ask Vera Punke! Vera just turned 107-years-old and celebrated her big milestone with a birthday party Wednesday in Arlington, Virginia. ‘I tell you – I don’t feel any different than when I was 100!’ she told FOX 5.” [Fox 5]
Labor Day Weekend Closures — “Arlington residents will bid farewell to summer as the season unofficially ends with Labor Day weekend. As families hold backyard barbecues or head to the beach for some late summer fun, there will be various closures for the holiday. Labor Day falls on Monday, Sept. 5, when Arlington County government offices will be closed along with other services. Some other services like transit will be open with schedule changes.” [Patch, WMATA]
Missing Middle’s Election Impact — “The controversial proposal to gut single-family zoning across Arlington is likely to take center stage in the three-candidate race for County Board that kicks off next week. But will the public’s views really hold sway with County Board members, and will the opposition have any resonance in a county where Democrats normally win more than 60 percent of the vote in any election?” [Sun Gazette]
County: Be Prepared — “National Preparedness Month is observed every September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies. The 2022 theme is ‘A Lasting Legacy’ with the following tag line: ‘The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.'” [Arlington County]
Another I-395 Exit Crash — From Dave Statter: “#CaughtOnCamera: Another almost rollover at I-395S Exit 8C after a driver stops on the highway & makes a left turn. Two of the #395cam(s) caught this one at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.” [Twitter]
Va. Train Ridership Rises — “Passenger counts on Virginia’s state-supported train services hit an all-time high in July, with more than 110,000 travelers. That’s an increase of nearly 29 percent from June and a jump of nearly 20 percent from pre-pandemic levels, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VRPA).” [Sun Gazette]
September Staying Hot — “While it’s now meteorological fall (defined as September through November), September can be a summer sibling in many ways. Washington can experience strong heat and humidity at times during the ninth month. In the coming weeks we expect it will generally feel more like summer than fall.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 84 and low of 67. Sunrise at 6:40 am and sunset at 7:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
Slide from Langston Blvd concept plan (via Arlington County)
The new preliminary concept plan for Langston Blvd envisions the corridor’s transformation over several decades into a “Green Main Street.”
The extensive plan — which has been in the works for years — calls for land use changes along the former Lee Highway, with the aim of encouraging re-development over time, though the proposed zoning changes are not quite as drastic as what had been discussed last year.
“The new recommended building heights are generally two to three stories lower than were considered in the 2021 [Land Use Scenario Analysis],” said the plan, a 135-page document filled with small text and large renderings. “While it may take longer to implement the vision and improvements along Langston Boulevard may happen intermittently, the plan provides options for property owners to execute the plan’s vision and recommendations.”
Should the vision be realized, the corridor’s ubiquitous, aging strip malls and large surface parking lots would be replaced with taller, more walkable hubs of social and economic activity.
The Lyon Village Shopping Center could be turned into a 12-15 story mixed-use development, with the current Giant grocery store and The Italian Store on the ground floor, looking out on a bike path that connects to the Custis Trail and a reconfigured intersection of Langston Blvd, N. Kirkwood Road and Spout Run Parkway.
The Lee Heights Shops, home to Arrowine and Pastries by Randolph, may remain largely as-is, but with mixed-use developments of up to seven stories and pedestrian promenades around it.
Another nearby landmark, Moore’s Barber Shop, could also remain in its current building, but next to a five-story apartment building an an outdoor cafe, rather than parking lots and a car care center. Across the street, however, the McDonald’s could make way for a new public school and other public infrastructure, alongside a renovated Langston-Brown Community Center.
Further down the road, the busy shopping centers surrounding the intersection of Langston Blvd and N. Harrison Street — currently anchored by Harris Teeter and Safeway grocery stores — could become mixed-use centers of housing and ground-floor retail, up to 7 stories.
In addition to the current mix of restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses, the plan calls for other types of commercial tenants, including coworking spaces, fitness centers, hotels, and childcare providers.
Langston Blvd itself, also known as Route 29, would become more pedestrian oriented, with street trees, wider sidewalks and some bike infrastructure. Two vehicle lanes would be maintained in each direction, but often without the center median. Where bike lanes or a shared use path are not possible, the plan calls for parallel bike routes, including along 22nd and 26th streets.
“The vision for Langston Boulevard is corridor-wide and is based on the community’s desire to transform the corridor into a resilient, renewable, and re-energized place by 2050,” the plan says. “The Preliminary Concept Plan is informed by the community’s aspirations and priorities and the unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities for achieving the vision in each of the neighborhood areas.”
Real estate sign in the Arlington Heights neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
This Wall Street Journal article telling the story of the steep price of single-family homes in Arlington has attracted lots of local attention this week.
The crux of the story: members of the Millennial generation, many of whom first came to the area as apartment-dwelling singles, are increasingly starting families and looking to trade up to single-family homes, but a lack of supply has made it difficult for them to find something affordable in Arlington.
Still, Arlington remains an attractive place to live, particularly for the mix of suburban-style living and urban-style amenities.
From WSJ:
But many of those millennials are well paid and want larger homes than they would get in those high-rises, said David Howell, executive vice president and chief information officer with McEnearney Associates in Washington. Others are starting families or moving to Arlington for its good schools, said Mr. Howell, or for new jobs with federal agencies and Arlington-based companies such as Boeing Co. or Nestlé SA’s U.S. headquarters. There is little land for building new single-family housing, he noted. The pandemic worsened the shortage, according to Ryan McLaughlin, chief executive officer of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. Older homeowners didn’t downsize, he said, and others renovated houses they now hesitate to leave. Now, he added, owners also balk at trading low mortgage rates for new, higher ones.
“Single-family homes are the hottest ticket in town, for sure,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “The extraordinary price growth has left many homeowners with very expensive homes while leaving first-time home buyers wondering how they will afford to buy one.”
Despite the slowdown in the overall market, the median price for a single-family detached home in Arlington County rose by 16.5% between July 2021 and July 2022, according to Bright MLS. The average number of days homes stay on the market rose from July 2021, but only by two days to 18 days, the service reported. At the end of July 2022, there were 147 detached homes on the market in Arlington, 21 more than in July 2021, according to Bright MLS.
Of course, not everyone needs a single-family detached home. Some would-be homeowners would be happy (or happier) with a single-family attached home, like a townhouse or a duplex.
But those are in shorter supply. The number of townhouses currently on the market is less than half the number of single-family detached homes, according to Redfin data. On the other hand, townhouses and duplexes are, on average, considerably less expensive than single-family detached homes, which have a current average sale price of just over $1.2 million, according to Redfin.
Arlington’s missing middle housing initiative may end up changing zoning to allow for more townhouses, duplexes and other smaller-scale multi-family housing types, but for now the reality is that there’s more to choose from if you were interested in detached homes on one end of the spectrum or condos in larger complexes on the other.
Given the WSJ story about the popularity of single-family detached homes, and the on-going missing middle debate, we were interested in finding out the housing preferences of readers if you take price out of the equation.
If all other things were equal, including price, what would be your preferred home type (detached or attached) and location type (a more leafy, suburban setting, or a more urban setting with amenities like restaurants and transit nearby) within Arlington?
Summer in the community garden (Flickr pool photo by Jeff Vincent)
New ‘Missing Middle’ Conversations — “Members of the Arlington County Board are hosting 11 community conversations on Missing Middle Housing. Participants will have the opportunity to learn, listen, reflect, and share perspectives with County Board members and neighbors. Sessions will be offered in person across the County, and virtually, with registration required. Community members are asked to register only to one session.” [Arlington County]
Murder Suspect Arrested in Arlington — “A Virginia man has been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in the killing Wednesday of a female acquaintance who was found stabbed and “actively on fire” in her Fairfax County apartment, police said Thursday… [Arlington resident Richard Montano, 47] was arrested Wednesday night at an Arlington gas station. O’Carroll said Montano ‘has had very minimal contacts with law enforcement in the past.'” [Washington Post]
New Top Tech Official — “Norron Lee has been named as the County’s next director of the Department of Technology Services and Chief Information Officer for Arlington County… After serving as the Director for the Department of Technology Services and Chief Information Officer for 22 years, Dr. Jack Belcher will be moving to a new role within Arlington County Government as chief technology innovation officer.” [Arlington County]
Pair of Crashes on I-395 — Public safety watcher Dave Statter caught two crashes on camera along the stretch of I-395 near Pentagon City yesterday. One was a single-vehicle crash while the other involved a driver trying to cut across multiple lanes to make it to the ramp to Route 1. [Twitter, Twitter]
Parents to Return to Schools — “After two years in which parents have largely been asked (and in many cases required) to stay out of school buildings and classrooms owing to public-health conditions, Arlington Public Schools leaders say they are hoping to welcome them back for the year that starts later this month. ‘We’re looking forward to bringing that back,’ Superintendent Francisco Dúran told School Board members earlier this month.” [Sun Gazette]
Upcoming: Encanto and Mermaids — Those who have children of a certain age have a couple bangers coming up on the event calendar: a free screening of Encanto tonight outside of the Arlington Mill Community Center and a mermaid-themed event in Crystal City on Wednesday afternoon featuring crafts, games, snow cones and, we’re told, “mermaid photo ops.” [Columbia Pike Partnership, National Landing BID]
State Tax Rebates Coming — “If you owed income taxes to the state of Virginia for 2021, some of that money might be coming back this fall. As part of a bipartisan tax rebate plan approved this year, the state government is preparing to send out payments of up to $250 per tax filer (or up to $500 for couples who file jointly).'” [Virginia Mercury]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy and pleasant throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:21 am and sunset at 8:09 pm. [Weather.gov]
