Comcast employee works on lines in 2010 (file photo)
As we have been reporting, local public access station Arlington Independent Media is at a crossroads as it vies for funding from Arlington County and local cable providers.
Despite some internal strife, a bigger force is driving the existential questions around AIM: the ongoing loss of cable TV subscribers known as cord cutting.
Cable providers are losing some 10% of video customers every year, as consumers rely instead on some combination of broadcast TV and streaming. For some, cutting the cord is all about saving on those steep cable bills, while for others it’s simply a matter of not wanting to watch commercial-laden cable channels anymore.
Whatever the case, cord cutting will have notable impacts on everything from cable access channels to local TV news to professional sports teams — which derive significant revenue from cable channels — in the coming years.
Given that, we’re wondering how many readers have decided to cut the cord so far.
Vampire Fan Weekend flyer (via Creation Entertainment)
Vampire Fan Weekend flyer (via Creation Entertainment)
Vampires will be descending on Crystal City next month.
It won’t be self-professed real vampires, known to haunt New Orleans and Atlanta, but rather the cast of the hit TV show “Vampire Diaries.”
Members of the cast will journey to Arlington for a three-day convention next month, offering fans a deep dive into its supernatural world. The “Vampire Fan Weekend” by Creation Entertainment is set to take place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, at 1700 Richmond Hwy, from Friday, Sept. 15 to Sunday, Sept. 17.
“Vampire Diaries” is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia and follows Elena Gilbert, portrayed by Nina Dobrev, who falls in love with 162-year-old vampire Stefan Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley.
The plot thickens when Stefan’s mysterious older brother, Damon Salvatore, portrayed by Ian Somerhalder, returns to town. His mission? To resurrect Katherine Pierce, whom both brothers loved and who bears an uncanny resemblance to Elena.
After 171 episodes spanning eight seasons on The CW network, the show concluded on March 10, 2017, cultivating a passionate fan base along the way.
During the conference, fans can nab autographs and photo opportunities and attend a celebration concert and panel with the actors.
The Gold package guarantees reserved front-row seats in the main theater throughout the event, an exclusive panel on Sunday, priority for autographs, special credentials, and complimentary autographs from stars including Somerhalder and Wesley.
Otherwise, autographs range from $30 to $85, photos cost $45 to $149 and the celebration concert is $35.
Autographs and photo opportunities with Somerhalder have sold out, according to Creation Entertainment’s website.
In addition to Somerhalder and Wesley, cast members set to attend include: Daniel Gillies, Candice King, Michael Malarkey, Riley Voelkel, Nathaniel Buzolic, Chris Lee, Quincy Fouse, Ben Levin, Chase Coleman, Zane Phillips and Micah Parker.
Dobrev, who left the cast after the show’s sixth season, is not currently listed as expected to attend.
Clark Furlong, left, and Jen Furlong, right, hand out fliers about the SAG-AFTRA strike at Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
SAG-AFTRA members picket outside the entrance to Amazon’s HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington is not exactly the Hollywood of the East, pivotal West Wing episodes aside, but the strikes rocking tinseltown have a new local front here.
The Writers Guild of America and performers union SAG-AFTRA are both on strike this summer, demanding better compensation — particularly from streaming services — as well as protections from the use of artificial intelligence in TV and film production. While most of the picket lines you see on the news are in New York or Los Angeles, strikers are out in Arlington today.
A dozen or more members of SAG-AFTRA were handing out leaflets in front of Amazon’s newly-opened HQ2 in Pentagon City this morning. Holding “Union Strong” and “SAG-AFTRA Strong” signs, the strikers were perhaps more subdued than their counterparts picketing Hollywood studio lots, but nonetheless determined to send a message to the tech giant and its Prime streaming service.
“Amazon Prime and the other major studios and streamers are refusing to negotiate a fair deal with union members, including the very people appearing in Amazon Prime Original series,” said an email sent to the Arlington Democrats Labor Caucus yesterday, obtained by ARLnow.
The strikers will be working three shifts today, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m., according to the email.
Writers are returning to the negotiating table with Hollywood studios, various outlets reported yesterday. The dual strikes, meanwhile, are having a significant economic impact on production hubs like LA, NYC and Atlanta.
Charlotte Walsh wins second place in 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee (via Scripps National Spelling Bee/ Twitter)
When Charlotte Walsh qualified for the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee, she knew it was her last chance to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a finalist.
Little did she know she would come in second place, out of 231 competitors, and win a $25,000 cash prize. She finished behind Florida student Dev Shah, who won with the word “psammophile” and took home $50,000.
“I’m very excited to start high school with this [spelling bee win] being one of the greatest things I’ve done so far in my life,” Walsh told ARLnow on Friday, amid interviews with several TV stations.
Walsh, an eighth-grader from Lyon Park, correctly spelled 13 words — including “akuammine,” “rescissible” and “sorge” — but was unable to capture first place when asked to spell the Scottish word “daviely” (pronounced “dave-yuh-lee“).
If you spell akuammine in less than 30 seconds after hearing that word, and the follow-up bathypitotmeter in < 1 second. unbelievable! you both are champions Dev and Charlotte!! #spellingbee#scripps
The middle-schooler is no stranger to the Scripps Bee. In 2019, she finished in 51st place and in 2022, she climbed to 32nd place. This year’s contest was her final shot at a finalist title, as eighth-graders are the oldest eligible group.
The Fairfax County Council PTA in Merrifield sponsored her after she won the Fairfax County Bee and qualified for the national competition.
Now, spelling bees may be a thing of the past for Walsh, per her Scripps profile. The incoming high school freshman will continue homeschooling, but will be trading a list of 4,000 words to know for books on astrophysics and neuroscience — all while training for a black belt in tae kwon do.
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) June 2, 2023
Two spellers officially remain in the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. If you haven't tuned out yet, it's clutch time! #spellingbeepic.twitter.com/yYboYUuo0M
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) June 2, 2023
UnBEElievable! #Speller36 Dev Shah representing the SNSB Region One Bee in Largo, Florida is the Champion of the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee. His winning word? Psammophile. 🐝 #spellingbeepic.twitter.com/ebM8jUU6xZ
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) June 2, 2023
2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists (via Scripps National Spelling Bee/Twitter)
(Updated at 11:10 p.m.) Arlington eighth-grader Charlotte Walsh will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee final after taking the semis by storm yesterday afternoon.
Fifty-six spellers from across the country — ages 9 to 14 — fought for a spot in the final. Only 11 remain.
Walsh advanced after correctly spelling “anilox,” a noun Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines as “a system of printing that utilizes ceramic-coated metal cylinders to transfer consistent amounts of ink from a supply to the printing plates.”
Walsh, who is homeschooled and lives in Lyon Park, was one of the last students to spell in front of the judges. In a brief interview with ARLnow, she acknowledged how nerve-wracking this wait was, as well as the feelings of relief she experienced after getting the word right.
“Making it to the finals has been my goal since I was little — no matter what happens, I’m proud of myself,” Walsh said this morning, just hours before her last Scripps competition.
Walsh’s photo was splashed across newspapers nationally after being captured gasping during her time on stage.
Another Arlington eighth-grade semifinalist, Nathaniel Hersey, will not be moving forward to the finals. He was thrown for a loop when given the silent-P-word “psalterial.”
“[Going into the competition] I was familiar with the majority of the 4,000-word list for rounds one and two,” Hersey, who lives in Bluemont, told ARLnow. “I heard that the words in the final rounds would be more obscure and less often studied.”
Judge Mary Brooks acknowledged his graceful efforts in the competition and wished him the best as he begins high school this fall. He currently takes classes through Virginia Virtual Academy.
A third Arlington participant, Kenmore Middle School student Ruby Kadera, was eliminated in the third round of the competition, their mother, Arlington School Board member Mary Kadera, confirmed to ARLnow.
Walsh will represent Arlington County in the final competition tonight at 8 p.m. on the ION television network, available over the air and on several streaming platforms.
The local civic figure who was beaten after trying to intervene in a domestic assault says he doesn’t want jail time for his attacker.
Adam Theo suffered serious injuries after an incident Sunday evening in Clarendon. According to police, Theo saw a man and woman fighting, tried to intervene, and was then punched repeatedly in the face by the man.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-05280186, 2800 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 6:39 p.m. on May 28, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking in the area when he observed the male suspect and female subject involved in a dispute, during which the male suspect allegedly assaulted the female subject. The victim attempted to intervene, during which the suspect struck him multiple times before the victim was able to move away from the suspect. The suspect then reapproached the victim, pushed him to the ground and assaulted him before being separated by the female subject and a witness. The male suspect and female subject then fled the scene and were not located by responding officers. The victim sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.
Theo, a Transportation Commission member and former Arlington County Board candidate, is a supporter of reform-minded Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Taft and her campaign for re-election.
He told NBC 4, which reported on the attack yesterday, that he does not want jail time for his attacker, who remains at large.
“I hope that he gets help and treatment and that he is fixed from his problems,” Theo said. “Anything that can get him into anger management program, that can get him some probation, that he’s watched and he has to show that he’s a better person over time.”
A GoFundMe campaign established to help Theo pay the bills while he recovers and remains out of work has already surpassed $10,000.
“Theo would never ask for help on his own behalf, which is one reason we are,” wrote the organizer, fellow local housing advocate Luca Gattoni-Celli. “Theo is concerned his condition will affect his ability to work in the short to medium term. He was already dealing with a lot of challenges, and richly deserves our help. Please be generous, as he has always been generous to his community. Theo is an Air Force veteran and civic leader in Arlington.”
Read more about Theo's horrible experience here. In typical Theo fashion, he is seeking restorative justice, not revenge, and displaying grace, humor, and humility. https://t.co/MRPgMNLuRL
— Luca Gattoni-Celli (@TheGattoniCelli) May 29, 2023
Host Mayim Bialik and Arlington resident Alice Ciciora on the set of Jeopardy! (courtesy Jeopardy Productions, Inc.)
The long history of Arlingtonians competing on “America’s Favorite Quiz Show™” continues.
Alice Ciciora — a political scientist and researcher who lives in Arlington after moving here from Berkeley, California — is set as a contestant on Friday’s (May 26) episode, with host Mayim Bialik. She will compete against fellow challenger Diandra D’Alessio, a technical writer from Montreal, and the to-be-determined returning champion.
Jeopardy! is now in its 39th season and has featured a number of local residents over the years. The most recent was attorney Luigi de Guzman, who won the last episode of season 38 before losing in the first episode of season 39.
The quiz show airs locally at 7:30 p.m. on WJLA (ABC 7), after Wheel of Fortune.
The future home of Arlington Independent Media in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The future home of Arlington Independent Media in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The future home of Arlington Independent Media in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The future home of Arlington Independent Media in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Independent Media hopes to open its first satellite studio by early fall.
The non-profit video and audio production studio has begun the build-out at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive in Green Valley, Arlington Independent Media (AIM) CEO Whytni Kernodle told ARLnow. They are looking to modernize three underused audio-production studios inside Arlington Arts’ Cultural Affairs Division office, with a focus on providing podcasting space.
Construction is expected to take about four months and cost over $200,000. The aim is to be finished and ready to open sometime in September, Kernodle said.
AIM was established about four decades ago and provides programming for two local cable access television stations and operates the radio station WERA 96.7 FM.
In November, the county approved a lease agreement allowing AIM to take over about 1,100 square feet of space at the Arlington Arts location in Green Valley. It follows the county’s vision for an “arts & industry district” along Four Mile Run.
This new studio in Green Valley represents AIM’s commitment to branching out not just in terms of location but also who is using the studios to tell their story.
“After 40 years, we’ve always existed in one space, always in North Arlington,” Kernodle said. “And our membership has primarily been people over the age of 60, mostly retired, mostly white, mostly male, mostly cis-gendered, mostly English speakers, mostly non-military, and mostly non-disabled. We are trying to change that because that’s not reflective of our community.”
And the hope is that this will not be AIM’s only satellite studio, with Kernodle noting that the organization would love to set up studios in Virginia Square, Rosslyn, and Columbia Pike as well.
The aim is to put production facilities in locations that are accessible to communities that maybe didn’t have the ability to make their voices heard in the past.
“Our goal is to prioritize those voices that have been traditionally underserved or miss-served not just nationally but here in Arlington and here at Arlington Independent Media,” Kernodle said.
She also hopes to use the partnership with the county to turn Arlington’s art scene into the envy of the region.
“[Arlington] is not known for arts and industry. The goal of AIM and my goal is to really make Arlington into the Brooklyn of the D.C. area,” Kernodle said. “We have all the diversity and the resources that Brooklyn values and the proximity to the city as Brooklyn does. And we’re just not honing that because it’s not been centralized.”
Along with production studios, AIM also has access to the county’s “Theater on the Run” to screen films.
This past weekend, AIM hosted a showing of the documentary “The R-Word” as an introduction to the new space for the community. The movie depicts the experiences of persons with intellectual disabilities and how representation matters in telling the story of that community.
Kernodle hopes to have more screenings at the theater of this nature, prioritizing “films of marginalized people.”
With the plan to open AIM Green Valley in a few months, Kernodle believes that this is just the beginning of expanding Arlington’s artistic reputation.
“Our goal is to act as an anchor organization for art transformation and social justice,” she said.
Cameras in front of a home in Arlington said to be a filming location for ‘Real Housewives’ (photo courtesy anonymous)
‘Real Housewives’ said to be filming outside a home in Arlington (photo courtesy anonymous)
Production is reportedly underway on the Real Housewives of Potomac Season 8, and some filming has been spotted in Arlington.
Cast member Ashley Darby told Northern Virginia Magazine earlier this year that she had “recently bought a new home in Arlington.” Previously, she had lived in a condo in the Courthouse area.
Over the weekend, Darby and at least one other person were seen being filmed outside of a recently-built home, a tipster tells ARLnow.
“At 11:30 a.m., the street was filled with camera crews filming people entering” the house, the tipster said. “Guests were seen signing waivers and receiving microphone packs.”
The home was purchased off-market in October by an LLC whose address corresponds with that of Monument Realty, the real estate firm founded by Darby’s husband Michael, according to Arlington County property records. The couple is separated.
The home is about a half mile from the former Oz restaurant in Clarendon, which Ashley and Michael owned until it closed in 2019. The restaurant had been a Real Housewives filming location and a significant plot point in the show.
It’s unclear how much more ‘Real Housewives’ filming will be done in Arlington for the show’s upcoming season. Ashley, though, told the magazine that she plans to stay in Arlington for the foreseeable future.
Darby loves Arlington and has no plans to leave anytime soon, she says. “I really appreciate the diversity of Arlington,” she says. “I grew up in Maryland. But I really do feel like there is an element of Arlington that encompasses so much more. I love how close I am to DC. I love that there are so many different cultures, like I go to Eden Center all the time, so I just appreciate how diverse it is.” […]
“I love the restaurants, and I’m a big fan of Clarendon,” she says, mentioning that she used to go to The Clarendon Ballroom. “My kids love the parks, too. I think that the way the parks are maintained, and the investment that goes into the parks, is just amazing. There are so many things to do. There’s always a festival or a carnival, and there’s so much community involvement.”
Pickleball under the lights at Lubber Run (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Ahh pickleball, the hottest thing going with senior citizens, Tom Brady’s retirement sport of choice, and an unlikely candidate for the second-most controversial story of the decade in Arlington.
As ARLnow was first to report last year, many neighbors of Arlington’s recently-established pickleball courts have come to vehemently oppose it, owing to the loud “pop” the ball makes when it hits a paddle. The percussive sound can be heard within nearby houses, at all hours of the day and — in the case of lighted courts — into the night.
It’s so infuriating to some neighbors, that there have been organized efforts against the pickleball courts, including threats of lawsuits, in at least two Arlington neighborhoods.
That culminated last month in a campaign of dueling pro- and anti-pickleball flyers and posters distributed around Penrose and the Walter Reed Community Center, where the county is planning to build a sizable cluster of dedicated pickleball courts.
From ARLnow’s Feb. 13 story:
In a flyer that’s now being disseminated around the neighborhood, opponents are leveling accusations of “bullying of our children by pickleball players,” “public urination on playground and sensory garden,” and causing “excessive continuous noise from dawn to 10 p.m. every day.”
If more pickleball courts are added, it will even be more of a “public nuisance” the flyer says. It does not go into greater detail about the accusations.
“Arlington County is giving away our rights to Walter Reed Community Center (WRCC) to build a dedicated Pickleball Cluster,” it reads. “Current issues will get worse with conversion of 3 tennis to 9 pickleball courts.”
The fracas was noted a few days ago by Axios, which led to a lampooning last night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (See 0:52)
#Meanwhile… Turf battles over space for pickleball courts have erupted nationwide, and England’s new king is opting for a cruelty-free coronation. #Colbertpic.twitter.com/JftwGXyJGV
Arlington is not alone in stirring up a full-blown pickleball controversy.
In the Boston ‘burb of Wellesley, Mass., news crews descended last week as townsfolk near pickleball courts rattled their sabres against the infernal pop, a matter of civic concern for at least a few months. Pitched pickleball opposition over in Cape Cod prompted the hiring of noise-control consultants and a Wall Street Journal article last summer.
Pickleball players, of course, are inclined to defend their sport, which is rocketing in popularity as a recreational activity and attracting the attention of celebrities, pro athletes and large companies. There are hopes that pickleball paddles and balls will evolve and become quieter. But that’s not going to stop people from playing and there’s an argument to be made that the noise isn’t that bad all the way across the street from a court.
For the time being, though, it’s undeniable that outdoor pickleball can be loud and annoying to at least some neighbors. Which side of the proverbial net are you on?
FBI activity on Columbia Pike on April 27, 2022, related to the James Gordon Meek case (courtesy John Antonelli)
FBI activity on Columbia Pike on April 27, 2022, related to the James Gordon Meek case (courtesy John Antonelli)
FBI activity on Columbia Pike on April 27, 2022, related to the James Gordon Meek case (courtesy John Antonelli)
A national media outlet has shed some light on a mysterious FBI raid in Arlington earlier this year.
Rolling Stone reports that the raid on a Columbia Pike apartment building, which ARLnow first reported in April, targeted a well-known ABC News producer, James Gordon Meek.
Meek, an Emmy award winner who often broke investigative stories on the topic of national security for the TV network, has reportedly not been seen or heard from publically since the raid. His formerly active Twitter feed’s last tweet was 5 a.m. the morning of the raid, which targeted his apartment on the top floor of the Siena Park apartments at 2301 Columbia Pike, according to Rolling Stone.
From our reporting on April 27:
Photos show several unmarked federal law enforcement vehicles, including a Lenco BearCat armored SWAT vehicle, in front of the Siena Park Apartments on the 2300 block of the Pike.
An agent in camouflage and tactical gear could be seen holding a shield inside the open doors of the moving BearCat.
Arlington County police deferred comment, noting that “the police activity is part of an active FBI investigation.” The FBI, in turn, confirmed the activity but said little else.
“The FBI is present at the 2300 block of Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” Washington Field Office spokesperson Samantha Shero tells ARLnow. “The FBI cannot comment further due to an ongoing investigation.”
More details about the investigation are unlikely to be released today or tomorrow, Shero noted.
The raid was initially brought to ARLnow’s attention by local resident John Antonelli, who is quoted in the magazine’s article.
… self-described police-vehicle historian Antonelli was about to grab a coffee at a Starbucks before embarking on his daily three-mile walk. He inched closer to get a better vantage, when he saw an olive-green Lenco BearCat G2, an armored tactical vehicle often employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among other law-enforcement agencies. A few Arlington County cruisers surrounded the jaw-dropping scene, but all of the other vehicles were unmarked, including the BearCat. […]
“They didn’t stick around. They took off pretty quickly and headed west on Columbia Pike towards Fairfax County,” Antonelli recalls.
So far, according to Rolling Stone, Meek has not been charged, documents related to the case remain sealed, and it’s unclear why exactly he’s under investion.
It is unusual for federal law enforcement to target a journalist, the magazine noted.
Meek has been charged with no crime. But independent observers believe the raid is among the first — and quite possibly, the first — to be carried out on a journalist by the Biden administration. A federal magistrate judge in the Virginia Eastern District Court signed off on the search warrant the day before the raid. If the raid was for Meek’s records, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco would have had to give her blessing; a new policy enacted last year prohibits federal prosecutors from seizing journalists’ documents. Any exception requires the deputy AG’s approval. (Gabe Rottman at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says, “To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a case [since January 2021].”)
Meek’s attorney released a statement to Rolling Stone responding to one particular detail of the story.
“Mr. Meek is unaware of what allegations anonymous sources are making about his possession of classified documents,” the attorney wrote.
