poll

Morning Poll: Looking on the Bright Side?

By ARLnow.com

By all accounts, 2020 was terrible.

A pandemic claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Police killings. Riots. Violence in the streets. Unemployment. Hunger. Businesses closing. Rising levels of crime. Election controversy. Schools closed. Medical workers exhausted. Lockdowns. Social isolation. To name just a few.

Yikes.

Overall, this year sucked. But on an individual level, there are undoubtedly people for whom 2020 had some redeemable qualities.

Maybe you got engaged, or had your first child, or got a big promotion at work. Maybe spending more time at home and with family wasn’t so bad.

At the risk of making some feel guilty, this morning we’re asking: was 2020 actually a better year for you, personally, than 2019?

Morning Poll: Does More Flexibility Make You More Likely to Bike to Work?

By ARLnow.com

During the pandemic, many who formerly commuted to work are now working from home.

Some are eager to go back to the office full time when it’s safe to do so, while others may be contemplating a switch to either working from home permanently or at least a couple of days per week.

A wide range of companies are moving to or considering moving to a “hybrid workplace” model post-pandemic. Among them is Microsoft, which will let employees opt to work from home up to 50% of the time, or permanently with a manager’s approval.

It seems likely that many office-based employers in Arlington and elsewhere in the D.C. area will be implementing similar policies as the pandemic (hopefully) comes to an end this year. That has made us wonder about the impact on commuting.

More work from home days collectively would mean less commuting, which is generally a good thing for the environment and for traffic. There may be second order effects, as well, especially in cases where an employer offers flexibility in deciding when you go into the office.

Such flexibility, for instance, may have implications for bike commuting

Arlington County has long worked towards the goal of having more people bike to work, thus taking cars off the road during peak commuting times. So far it’s still a niche commuting option: only 1.5% of Arlington residents report biking as their primary means of commuting, compared to 51.1% who drive alone, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

Should you have the ability to pick and choose when you go to the office, it could allow you to go in on good weather days and skip bad weather days, a big deterrent to regular bike commuting. All of a sudden, with bad weather largely out of the equation, the idea of being able to commute for free without worrying about traffic, while getting a workout and fresh air, may become more attractive.

What do you think?

Morning Poll: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees

By ARLnow.com

It has been a boom year for live Christmas trees.

Various news outlets, including the New York Times, report that sales of Christmas trees — the real ones — have soared amid the pandemic, leading to shortages in some areas. Those stuck at home, it seems, have taken to holiday decorating as a way to enliven one’s living space and spend some quality indoor time.

Despite the good news for Christmas tree farmers, the overall Christmas decorating trend has been moving toward artificial trees, the sales of which seem destined to overtake their live counterparts.

Real trees may look pretty and smell nice, but the convenience factor of artificial trees — and the long-term cost savings — has led people to increasingly opt for the latter.

Which, if any, are you putting up in the living room this year?

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Morning Poll: Should APS Extend the School Year Through Summer?

By ARLnow.com

With many students struggling with their academic achievement during remote learning and the pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools has discussed potentially extending the school year into the summer.

The idea of an extended school year, to allow students to catch up on their studies during the summer, has also been raised by Arlington School Board member Tannia Talento.

“Can we make a summer school plan to be proactive versus reactive?” Talento asked, at a recent Board meeting.

Given that vaccines are on the way, and that there appears to be a lower level of infection during warmer-weather months, it seems likely that classes could be held in-person this summer. That may be just what’s needed, at least for some students, after months of virtual classes.

On the other hand, it could be argued that kids most of all just need a break from sitting and staring at screens, something that a summer vacation provides. And the virus will likely still be circulating this summer, despite the vaccines.

Do you think APS should plan to do so?

Morning Poll: Will You Be Traveling for the Holidays This Year?

By ARLnow.com

Yesterday, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Americans should avoid travelling during the holiday season, but get tested if they do travel.

“Cases are rising. Hospitalizations are increasing, Deaths are increasing. We need to try to bend the curve, stop this exponential increase,” said the CDC’s incident manager for the COVID-19 pandemic, as quoted by USA Today.

The federal agency has additional guidance for family holiday gatherings on its website.

Despite the CDC’s advice, many will still travel, gather and celebrate. Today we’re wondering how many Arlingtonians are planning to head out of town for Hanukkah, Christmas or the new year.

Are you planning to travel this holiday season?

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Poll: Should Virginia Enact Stricter Coronavirus Restrictions?

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) Just over a week ago, new coronavirus restrictions went into effect in Virginia.

Among other things, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered a 25-person limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings, down from 250; an expanded mask requirement; and a 10 p.m. curfew on alcohol sales for on-site consumption.

Since that went into effect on Monday, Nov. 16, more than 500 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Arlington alone.

Some other jurisdictions are enacting more stringent restrictions. Yesterday, the District of Columbia announced a 10-person limit for indoor gatherings, a ban on indoor group fitness classes, and a maximum 25% indoor capacity cap for restaurants. Montgomery County is also enacting a 10-person gathering limit, starting tonight.

Restaurants and workplaces appear to be a oft-cited commonality among those testing positive for the virus in Arlington this month. The surge in new cases, however, has not yet been accompanied by a significant increase in hospitalizations, raising questions about whether the potential cost to business and employment is worth the health benefit of a marginal reduction in new cases. In addition, the case fatality rate for COVID-19 has been decreasing.

That said, hospitalizations are surging in other parts of the country, so it might only be a matter of time before the growth in cases here leads to a rise in hospitalizations and fatalities. And with vaccines on the way, any new restrictions will be temporary.

Given all that, do you think Virginia should tighten up its restrictions?

Morning Poll: Is Now The Right Time to Start Playing Christmas Music?

By ARLnow.com

Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Hanukkah is four weeks away. Christmas is six weeks away.

The holiday season is upon us, which may be why today local radio station 97.1 WASH-FM is making its annual switch to all Christmas music, starting at 5 p.m.

That’s three days sooner than the station’s switch two years ago, which perhaps could be cited as an example of Christmas creep. Yesterday the anchors of the Fox 5 morning show debated the merits of Christmas music in mid-November.

https://twitter.com/HollyLiveFox5DC/status/1326852935209406464

We posed a similar poll question in 2018, but perhaps the intervening two years — and the pandemic — has resulted in a shift in attitudes, so today we’re asking: is today too early to start listening to Christmas music?

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Morning Poll: Thanksgiving Plans Amid the Pandemic

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) Thanksgiving is only three weeks away, and with coronavirus on the rise in much of the country, plans for the holiday are in flux.

The usual gatherings of family and friends are now subject to a calculation: is a big turkey dinner worth the risk of contracting a potentially deadly or debilitating disease?

For some, the solution will be a smaller dinner, perhaps with only some of the fixin’s. For others, however, it might be business as usual.

Asked about it last week on CNBC, two prominent figures in the medical field said the traditional Thanksgiving gathering was out for them this year.

What are your current turkey day plans? If they’ve changed from your usual Thanksgiving plans, let us know in the comments.

Morning Poll: Are You Willing to Eat Inside a Restaurant Yet?

By ARLnow.com

The restaurant business is hurting nationwide.

The pandemic has kept diners at home and contributed to the closure of thousands of restaurants. It has also prompted temporary restrictions on how restaurants operate, which in Virginia means no bar seating, reduced capacities, and increased cleaning expenses, among other things.

Here in Arlington, at least 17 restaurants have closed since the start of the pandemic; the most recent closures include Spirits of ’76 and Riverside Hot Pot in Clarendon, and Summers in Courthouse. Owners of restaurants that have closed, who have talked to ARLnow, have said that business — particularly indoor business — was greatly reduced, while the already-high rent stayed the same.

(There have been restaurant openings amid the carnage, however, including Colony Grill in Clarendon, Lee’s Sandwiches in Ballston, and Ruthie’s All-Day in Arlington Heights.)

What’s keeping diners away is pretty simple: it’s risky to dine out during a pandemic. Doing anything in an indoor, confined space without a mask, including eating, elevates one’s risk of contracting COVID-19.

Outdoor dining is safer — a new contact tracing report from the City of Alexandria saw only about 2% of new COVID patients report recently dining outside — but, of course, the weather is now getting colder, making it a less attractive option, even with the mass deployment of heaters.

In the meantime, coronavirus cases nationwide are increasing, though for now new cases locally are holding relatively steady.

Given all that, how do currently feel about dining out? Are you willing to dine inside a restaurant at this point?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Expensive Bike Parking Spaces — “Metro has spent nearly $20,000 per bike parking space at three bike facilities, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has found. Metro has spent over $5.9 million on the construction of 304 bike spaces at the three facilities… located at the College Park, East Falls Church and Vienna Metro stations.” [NBC 4]

Short Waits to Vote in Arlington — “Eager to avoid waiting in line while casting an early ballot? Try to avoid peak times and you should be fine. ‘Wait times are minimal,’ said county elections chief Gretchen Reinemeyer, with the exception of early morning and occasionally at lunchtime. Other than that, voters have been experiencing waits of 10 minutes or less, and ‘most people are just walking straight in to vote,’ she said.” [InsideNova]

Voters Flocking to Ballot Drop-Boxes — “Arlington has set up nine dropboxes for the secure collection of ballots at points across the county, representing another option for those who neither want to vote in person nor wish to trust the U.S. Postal Service with their ballots. That network has proved ‘very popular,’ Arlington elections chief Gretchen Reinemeyer said.” [InsideNova]

Biden Leads in New Va. Poll — “Former vice president Joe Biden leads President Trump 52 percent to 41 percent among likely Virginia voters, according to a new Washington Post-Schar School poll — roughly double Hillary Clinton’s margin of victory in the state in 2016. Biden’s advantage cuts across most demographic groups, with regional strength in the Northern Virginia suburbs and the Richmond area.” [Washington Post]

Local Nonprofit Featured on GMA — “Lights, camera, action! We had a wonderful experience filming with the Good Morning America team last week. The piece aired early this morning… We were thrilled by an unexpected and very generous gift from Amazon.com to help our residents weather the pandemic.” [Facebook, Vimeo]

Police Investigation Bill Signed into Law — “Gov. Northam has signed my bill (HB 5072) to empower the Atty Gen to conduct ‘pattern or practice’ investigations of police forces that appear to be violating constitutional rights, such as patterns of excessive force, illegal searches, or racially biased policing.” [@Lopez4VA/Twitter]

Pupatella Now Available for Delivery — “UBER EATS Now available at all locations – DC (Dupont Circle), both the Original Wilson Blvd spot and South Arlington, as well as Richmond too! We’ve partnered up with UberEats to bring you some of the best pizza around.” [@PupatellaPizza/Twitter]

Local Beer Biz Figure Dies — “Ben Tolkan, a popular figure in DC’s beer industry who was the subject of a Washingtonian feature story, died late Saturday night after a five-and-a half-year battle with cancer. He was 37.” Tolkan is survived by his wife, Abby, an Arlington County public school teacher. [Washingtonian]

Morning Poll: Are You Decorating for Halloween This Year?

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:45 a.m.) Halloween has not been cancelled, but the pandemic is putting a damper on the usual spooky spirit of the holiday.

The owner of a local costume store in the Crystal City Shops told the Washington Post that his sales are down 80%, amid a nationwide drop in Halloween spending. Sales of adult costumes in particular are down significantly, as parties are curtailed.

Overall Halloween spending is expected to fall 8%, according to the Post, citing the National Retail Federation.

Around Arlington, Halloween decorations can still be found, but three-and-a-half weeks out from Oct. 31 it feels like there are fewer ghouls, goblins, fake spiderwebs and pumpkins to be seen.

Are residents reluctant to decorate when trick-or-treating will be much diminished and when fake skeletons feel a bit, well, insensitive? Or is it actually business as usual for most people, despite the deadly global pandemic?

Let’s find out.

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