Looking up at a skyscraper along N. Moore St. in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Va. Hospital Center Changing Name — “Arlington’s Virginia Hospital Center is charging forward with its regional expansion under new leadership — and a new moniker to match. The nearly 80-year-old independent hospital, which had the same CEO for nearly half of that time, is now going forward as VHC Health. The change aims to better reflect its role in the region, said Christopher Lane, the hospital’s new leader since March 28.” [Washington Business Journal]

Auditor Eyes Site Plans — “Auditor Chris Horton has proposed spending about 300 of his 2,000 work hours during fiscal 2023 evaluating past site plans to determine if the benefits that were promised to the public actually materialized. His work plan, which will have to be ratified by the County Board, won a receptive audience at the April 7 meeting of the government’s Audit Committee. ‘I really love this idea,’ said John Vihstadt, a former County Board member.” [Sun Gazette]

Holiday Weekend Changes — “Whether you celebrate the Christian holiday of Easter, the Jewish holiday of Passover, the two holidays will overlap during the weekend of April 16-17. As the Easter holiday falls on a Sunday, closures may be limited.
Arlington County government does not typically close for Good Friday before Easter. However, there are a few service changes for services that do operate on Sundays.” [Patch]

W-L Student Competing in History Bee — “Aaron Lopez, a ninth-grade student at Washington-Liberty High School, will compete in the History Bee national championships after scoring success at the state level.” [Sun Gazette]

Disobedient Dog Infuriates Pentagon City Resident — From Reddit, as highlighted by Monkeyrotica: “I hear you every damn day, twice a day from my apartment window. Your dog acts up around other dogs every [expletive] day. You keep shouting ‘ROBERT’ at your dog every time he acts up. Your dog keeps [expletive] misbehaving. See how your tactic just doesn’t work?” [Reddit]

Newspaper Opposes Ukraine Donation — “Everybody should feel bad for what the Ukrainian people are going through and appalled by the actions of the Russian government. And if people want to donate funds or humanitarian supplies, amen to that. But ballistic-vest donations? That may be a one step too far over the line.” [Sun Gazette]

Good Luck, Jo! — ARLnow’s Jo DeVoe is now on maternity leave. We expect her to return in the fall.

It’s Good Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 68 and low of 49. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 7:46 pm. [Weather.gov]


This year Easter and the Passover Seder fall on the same weekend, and Arlington is hosting celebrations for people of Christian and Jewish faiths.

In addition to services at local churches, on Sunday, April 21, Arlington National Cemetery is reprising its annual Easter Sunrise Service starting at 6:51 a.m.

The non-denominational service is held at the Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater where gates open at 5 a.m. The service will feature a performance by the U.S. Army Band and a message from Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Thomas L. Solhjem, the Army’s Deputy Chief of Chaplains.

The cemetery’s parking garage will be free for all attendees until 8 a.m. and a shuttle will escort people from the cemetery welcome center to the amphitheater. DoD ID holders can park at the Tri-Services parking lot in the base where a shuttle will also ferry riders to the amphitheater.

The sunrise service is free and attendees are encouraged to check Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Facebook page for updates. Backpacks and pets, except service animals, will not be allowed in for the event.

For Passover, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd) is hosting two events together with the Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Jewish Community — on Sunday, April 14 from 5-6:15 p.m., and on Saturday, April 20 from 6-8 p.m.

On April 14, Rabbi Gilah Langner and Tot Shabbat Coordinator Andrea Cate will perform Passover songs and stories and give “tips and practice for leading your own Seder at home” per the event description on their website.

The event is free and advertised as “great for kids 0-8.” Attendees are asked to RSVP to [email protected].

On April 20, UU congregation member Herb Levy will read from Kol Ami’s Haggadah and lead the evening’s events. The “Community Seder” potluck features poached salmon and costs $20 per adult, and $5 per child, plus a dish to share.

The online event description asks attendees to sign up by April 13 online and let organizers know if they can help with set up and cleanup.

Synagogues in and around Arlington will also be hosting their respective services.

Flickr pool photo by Lawrence Cheng Photography