President Obama

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Happy Birthday, Mr. President — Last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting included a special birthday tribute to President Barack Obama, who turns 50 today. ACDC members sang a rendition of “happy birthday” and then chowed down on slices of birthday cake.

Suspect Eludes Cops, Helicopter — A man suspected of an unspecified crime in another jurisdiction fled from Arlington police just after 10:00 last night. The man took off on foot during a traffic stop on the 1700 block of N. Quebec Street, just north of W-L High School. Police set up a perimeter, called in K-9 units and requested assistance from the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter, in an effort to find the man. The search was called off around 11:30, but all was not lost — police were able to nab the three other suspects in the vehicle.

Stolen iPhone Dealers Busted in Pentagon City — Two cellular phone kiosks in the Pentagon City mall have been busted by Metro Transit Police for allegedly selling stolen iPhones. The illegality was discovered while police were investigating “the theft of a large number of electronics equipment from Metro riders in early 2010.” [Washington Examiner]

Arlington’s Low Transportation Costs — Rent and real estate costs in Arlington may be high, but the average cost of transportation is relatively low. According to a new study, transportation (car and transit expenses combined) costs Arlington residents about $975 per month. The regional average is $1,246. “Transportation costs in Arlington County are significantly lower than the regional average due to high levels of transit connectivity and job access,” the report says. [Center for Neighborhood Technology, DCist]

Route 110 to Close for Gates Retirement Ceremony

By ARLnow.com

Route 110 will be closed near the Pentagon tomorrow morning due to an “Armed Forces Farewell Tribute” to retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

President Obama will be among the dignitaries in attendance at the ceremony, which is expected to get underway at the Pentagon around 9:45 a.m. A military spokesman was unable to release any other details about the event.

Route 110 will be closed tomorrow from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Northbound traffic will be diverted to I-395 and southbound traffic will be diverted to Washington Boulevard, according to Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management.

Obama Motorcade Passes Through Arlington

By ARLnow.com

President Obama’s motorcade sped through Arlington this morning, en route to an appearance at Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria campus.

There, the president will announce a series of initiatives intended to improve the country’s manufacturing workforce. He will also tour NOVA’s automotive training program.

Mister Obama is currently on the campus. He is expected to return to the White House by 12:30 p.m.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Last American WWI Vet Buried in Arlington — Army Cpl. Frank Buckles, the last surviving U.S. World War I veteran, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday. Earlier in the day, President Obama and Vice President Biden stopped by to pay their respects as Buckles lay in repose in a cemetery chapel. [American Forces Press Service]

Underground Explosion Rocks Pike Townhouse Complex — An underground explosion caused a manhole cover to fly across the backyard of a townhouse complex near Columbia Pike yesterday morning. Firefighters are still trying to determine what caused the blast, but a strong gasoline-like odor could be smelled in the area. The gas also apparently caused fires to start near water heaters inside the townhouses. The complex is across the street from an auto repair shop and next to Four Mile Run. [ABC 7]

County Offers Tree Grants to Neighborhood Groups — Arlington is offering grants to local groups that want to plant trees on private property in the county. Grant applications are due in July, but groups must file a notice of intent next month. [Sun Gazette]

Pike Apartment Community May Be Redeveloped — Renovations or an out-and-out redevelopment may be in the works for the Greenbrier Apartments at 4975 Columbia Pike. The garden-style apartments were built in 1949 and are considered market-rate affordable. Arlington recently revised its affordable housing goals. [Pike Wire]

Nottingham PTA 5K This Weekend — The Nottingham Elementary PTA 5K Run/Walk is being held this weekend, with a course that will wind through part of North Arlington. Registration for the race ends tomorrow morning. [Active.com]

President Obama Visits Kenmore Middle School

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) President Obama chose Kenmore Middle School as the venue for a major speech on education and the future of the No Child Left Behind program this morning.

Speaking in the school’s gymnasium, Mr. Obama said No Child Left Behind must be “fixed” to improve the county’s education system. Certain parts of No Child Left Behind, the president said, are not working properly.

As evidence, Obama noted that No Child Left Behind had labeled Kenmore as “failing,” when in fact, he said, it’s “thriving.”

“We need to focus on the schools that need the most help,” Obama said.

“It’s not enough to leave no child behind,” the president added. “We need to help every child get ahead, we need to get every child on a path to academic excellence.”

Before his speech, Mr. Obama dropped by the school’s auditorium, where most of the student body had been brought to catch a glimpse of the commander-in-chief. (There was limited seating inside the gym.)

The room was buzzing with excitement as the president took the stage. After lauding the work of Kenmore’s principal and teachers, Obama told the kids about his own experience as a middle school student.

“I was at my worst, getting into trouble, visiting the Principal’s office,” he confessed. Obama explained, to scattered giggles, that boys at this age “start getting a little distracted.”

Mr. Obama then headed to a classroom, where a few lucky students shared presentations they had been working on. The presentations — which included Power Point slides, artwork and musical interludes — discussed topics from music to the Harlem Renaissance to Duke Ellington.

“That’s an excellent presentation,” Obama told one group of presenters. He told another group that their presentation was “beautiful,” and complimented the clothing choice of one boy who was wearing an “Obama” t-shirt with a peace sign inside the “O.”

Among those in attendance at the school this morning — who Mr. Obama publicly acknowledged before his speech — were Rep. Jim Moran, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy and members of the Arlington School Board.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s Highway Bottlenecks — An annual report on traffic congestion is out and Arlington has claimed two of the three worst traffic bottlenecks in the region. Westbound I-66 in Arlington, northbound I-395 in Arlington ranked and eastbound I-66 in Fairfax County rounded out the top three spots. [Washington Post]

Colony House Sells to Developer — The Colony House furniture store on Lee Highway has been sold to Bethesda-based developer B.F. Saul for $5.6 million. The company, which developed the Clarendon Center project, says it hasn’t decided what to do with the site yet. In January, we reported that Colony House’s owner is hoping to find a new Arlington location for the store. [Washington Business Journal]

Columbia Pike Giant to Open This Summer — A 60,000 square foot Giant supermarket will be opening in the Penrose Square development on Columbia Pike at some point this summer, according to a store spokesperson. [TBD]

Video of President Obama’s Wakefield Visit — President Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made a jovial visit to an AP U.S. History class at Wakefield High School yesterday. During an informal question-and-answer session, students asked the leaders about “schools in Australia, the recent flooding, Australian rule football, and even Vegemite.” President Obama also led students in a rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” for their teacher, Northern Virginia Teacher of the Year Colette Fraley. [The White House Blog]

New Additions to Hillside Park — There’s a new sculpture in Rosslyn’s Hillside Park. Also, some plantings have been added. [Ode Street Tribune]

Flickr pool photo by Damiec

Obama, Australian PM Visit Wakefield High School

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) President Obama, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited Wakefield High School today.

Obama and Gillard “discussed differences and similarities between their countries, [including] football and foods,” according to CBS White House Correspondent Mark Knoller.

Police shut down a number of streets in the area as a security measure during the visit, which wrapped up around 12:30 p.m.

Arlington Public Schools issued the following press release about the visit.

Arlington, VA — Today, President Barack Obama made an unannounced visit to a class of students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va. Accompanying the President on the surprise stopover were the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

After being greeted upon arrival by Arlington Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy, School Board Chair Libby Garvey and Wakefield principal Dr. Christian Willmore, the dignitaries surprised a class of 22 juniors in the midst of their Advanced Placement U.S./Virginia History class. After brief remarks by the visitors, the students had an opportunity to ask questions and discuss current issues with their guests. Before the dignitaries departed, Colette Fraley, the Arlington and state Region IV Teacher of the Year and teacher of the class, thanked them for the special honor and accepted gifts for the students from Prime Minister Gillard.

This week marks the Australian Prime Minister’s first official visit to the United States. Gillard has a strong interest in education and served as her country’s minister of education before being elected as Prime Minister in 2010.

Today was President Obama’s second outing to Wakefield High School. His first visit was in September 2009 when the school was selected as the location for the President’s back school message.

Dr. Christian Willmore, principal of Wakefield, said, “Today’s visit was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Wakefield and our students. We are extremely honored that President Obama, Prime Minister Gillard and Secretary Duncan devoted time from their schedules today to engage our students in such a special way.” He continued, “The relevance of our students’ daily work in the classroom is heightened when they have an opportunity to spend time with role models from our community and beyond. I am confident that today’s visit by these leaders will serve to further inspire our students as they work to become the future leaders in our community and our nation.”

(An earlier version of this story reported that a VIP would be visiting the school, but did not say who the VIP was. The visit was not on the president’s public schedule this morning.)

Photo (left) courtesy Pat Teske / Arlington Public Schools

Moran Facing Criticism For Remarks to Arab TV Channel

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) is once again facing scrutiny for something he said.

Moran told Alhurra, U.S. government-sponsored Arab TV network, that Democrats suffered in the 2010 elections because many Americans don’t want a black president.

“In this case a lot of people in this country, I believe, don’t want to be governed by an African American, particularly one who is inclusive, who is liberal, who wants to spend money on everyone and who wants to reach out to include everyone in our society,” Moran told an interviewer, as reported by the Washington Post.

Moran also made reference to “slaveholding states,” which would include his home state of Virginia.

Moran, of course, has a long history of sparking controversy with off-handed remarks. He faced criticism during his reelection campaign this fall when he said that Republican challenger, retired Army Colonel Patrick Murray, has not “served or performed… any kind of public service.”

President Obama Visits Long Branch Elementary School

By ARLnow.com

(Originally published at 11:20 a.m.) President Obama made an unannounced visit to Long Branch Elementary School in Lyon Park this morning.

During the visit, the president posed for photo ops and read part of two books to the school’s second graders. The books were Twas The Night Before Christmas and Of Thee I Sing, Mr. Obama’s recently-published children’s book.

The press release on the event from Arlington Public Schools, after the jump.

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Moran Blasts Federal Pay Freeze

By ARLnow.com

Presiding over a congressional district with one of the highest concentrations of federal workers in the country, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) has consistently been an unabashed supporter of federal employees and federal spending.

It’s little surprise then that Moran is criticizing President Obama’s decision to freeze the salaries of two million federal employees for the next two years.

Moran released the following statement yesterday evening.

This move will only embolden the opponents of civil service, those who got elected claiming the federal government is broken and will now set about trying to break it.

Unilaterally freezing pay for civil servants separate from a comprehensive, deficit reduction package unfairly asks federal employees to carry a burden that should be shared by all. This freeze strikes at the heart of pay parity, penalizing civilian federal employees in the Defense Department, CIA and other agencies who work side-by-side with our active duty service men and women overseas.

A two year freeze also threatens to exacerbate the brain drain from our federal agencies as the baby boomers reach retirement. It flies in the face of the basic fact that federal employees, particularly those in the management sector, are already underpaid when compared to their private sector counterparts.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Obama Marks 9/11 Anniversary at the Pentagon — On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Obama visited the Pentagon and called for tolerance and strength in the face of terrorism. More from Fox 5 and a transcript of the president’s speech from CBS News.

Arlington’s Fire Chief Remembers 9/11 — WTOP talked to Arlington Fire Chief Jim Schwartz, who was incident commander at the Pentagon on that fateful September day. “Every time I look at it, it still looks the same to me as it did that morning. I can still see the visions of the gash in the building, the column of smoke, the casualties laying out on the West Lawn,” Schwartz said.

More Teacher Diversity at APS — Arlington is trying to hire teachers who better reflect the student body’s racial make-up. Still, the 190 teachers hired for this year are 73 percent while, when the student body is only 48 percent white. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

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