weekend discussion

A slow August has given way to a busy September.

There are a number of marquee events in Arlington this weekend. The annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival is taking place this afternoon, although you’ll have to brave mid-July-like heat. Tonight the Arlington 9/11 5K races around the Pentagon — and it’s not too late to register online.

Tomorrow, with temperatures back down to comfortable September levels, you’ll have your choice of Crystal City Sip and Salsa — an outdoor wine, food, music and dancing festival — and Beckett’s Celtic Fest in Shirlington, with “live music, dancers, pipers, food and drink.”

If you have some down time this weekend, be sure to check out our new weekly podcast. Our first episode features an interview with Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol. Expect interviews with other notable local figures, from business owners to policymakers to anyone doing anything interesting in Arlington.

If you’re hitting the road around Pentagon City today, you might want to take note of the road closures associated with the 5K. Per ACPD:

From 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

• Army Navy Drive closed between S. 12th Street to S. Eads Street

From 5:45 p.m. until approximately 6:30 p.m.

• Westbound Army Navy Drive closed from S. Eads Street to S. Joyce Street
• *****All streets crossing Army Navy Drive (including access to I-395 S/B) will be closed for approximately 20 minutes*****
• S. Joyce Street closed from Army Navy Drive to Columbia Pike
• Columbia Pike closed from Pentagon South Parking to S. Joyce Street
• I-395 Northbound HOV exit to S. Eads Street will be closed.

From 5:45 p.m. until approximately 8:00 p.m.

• Westbound Washington Boulevard closed from Memorial Bridge to I-395
• Southbound Rt. 110 closed from Rosslyn to S. 15th Street
• Marshall Drive closed at Rt. 110
• S. Eads Street closed from Army Navy Drive to S. 11th Street

In addition, street parking in the area will be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-558-2222.

Feel free to discuss this weekend’s events or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin White

Sunny skies should prevail this weekend, making sunscreen a valuable commodity if you hike to historic points of interest in Arlington or attend a police block party this weekend.

If you want to do something indoors, there also are open houses and a new Matchbox American Kitchen + Spirit in Pentagon City to check out.

But traveling on Metro’s Yellow Line could pose a challenge to riders Sunday, when the agency is scheduled to close part of it for a train derailment drill.

Feel free to discuss happenings in Arlington this weekend, or any other topic of local interest, in the comments.

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

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It was a hot and then stormy week for Arlington.

Wednesday’s storms resulted in a large tree falling in the backyard of a Lyon Park home on the 400 block of N. Fillmore Street. As seen above, the tree damaged a fence and also made contact with a detached garage and the house itself. The exact extent of the damage is unclear but no injuries were reported.

For those planning on driving after 10 p.m. this weekend, here’s a VDOT press release sent this afternoon that may be of interest:

Lane closures, including intermittent total stoppages, will occur on Route 110 at the Route 27 interchange weeknights from Monday, August 8 through Friday, August 19 for work on the new overpass, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on northbound Route 110 each night beginning at 10 p.m. Monday, August 8 through Friday, August 12. There will be full lane closures up to 30 minutes each between midnight and 4 a.m., with all lanes reopening at 5 a.m.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on southbound Route 110 each night beginning at 10 p.m. Monday, August 15 through Friday, August 19. There will be full lane closures up to 30 minutes each between midnight and 4 a.m., with all lanes reopening at 5 a.m.

Motorists should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.

The work is part of the Route 27 over Route 110 project, which is replacing the 75-year-old original bridge. The $32 million project is scheduled for completion in spring 2018.

Assuming you’re not on vacation — perhaps among the mere 37 percent of readers who aren’t traveling this month — feel free to discuss storms, road closures or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

The weekend has returned and so has the heat and humidity.

Throughout the weekend, temperatures will be in the mid-90s and humidity levels will be in the sticky 60 percent range. There will also be a chance of thunderstorms on both days.

Whether you want to stay indoors in the air conditioning or brave the outdoors, see our event calendar for a listing of things to do. (Admittedly, things are a bit slower around here in mid-August.) Or, if home shopping is your thing, check out some of the open houses happening Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Feel free to discuss the heat or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

The weekend is finally here and so is the relief from the heat.

Temperatures will be in the low to high 80s with chances of thunderstorms.

Even if the storms roll through, it won’t put a damper on our ARLBBQ event at the Bartlett in Pentagon City, which our email subscribers were invited to a couple of weeks ago. It’s a free event and we ran out of tickets in 3 hours — apparently people like the idea of enjoying beer and Whole Foods-catered barbecue in a fun indoor/outdoor space with games, TVs, music and a view.

For those attending, good news: you’re getting more free stuff. We’ll have gift bags with Bartlett sunglasses, ARLnow t-shirts and other goodies for you. Supplies, however, will be limited.

Feel free to discuss the weather, your weekend plans or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

The weekend is here and so are the scorching temperatures.

Temperatures could reach the high 90s throughout the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. So make sure to take extra precautions and stay cool and hydrated this weekend.

There will be some outdoor activities this weekend in and around Arlington such as the Crystal Twilighter 5K and a bike ride along George Washington Memorial Parkway. See our event calendar for more listings. Or, if you’d rather stay inside and keep cool, check out some of the open houses happening Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Feel free to discuss the heat wave or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

The weekend has arrived and so has the heat and humidity.

Throughout the weekend, temperatures will be in the low 90’s and humidity levels will be in the 60% range. So be sure to find fun ways to cool off.

There will be some outdoor activities this weekend in and around Arlington, such as the Junior/Parent Golf Open in the Falls Church area, for those who can brave the heat. See our event calendar for more listings. Or, if home shopping is your thing, check out some of the open houses happening Sunday afternoon.

Feel free to discuss the heat wave or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

For a shortened holiday week, there sure has been plenty of bad news. It’s enough to make someone look forward to a relaxing weekend with friends, family and cold beer.

In Arlington, a little girl suffered very serious injuries in a crash that remains under police investigation.

Nationally, the ongoing presidential election circus didn’t inspire much confidence in the next occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, although it did at least bring affable actor Tony Goldwyn to Clarendon.

And of course, the series of shootings involving police, culminating of last night’s rampage in Dallas, has broken hearts in Arlington and around the country.

Our hearts are w @DallasPD & @dartmedia, their families, friends & community. https://t.co/hjz3xISfyH

— OEM Arlington Co.Gov (@ReadyArlington) July 8, 2016

Times like these remind us of the darker side of humanity — but should inspire us to counter that with kindness and respect for our fellow humans. Here in our little 25.98 square mile Arlington bubble, we hope that that extends to our comment section.

The comments have taken a bit of a turn in the wrong as of late, which isn’t exactly surprising given what has been in the news. Nonetheless, we’re taking action to keep discussions productive and out of the gutter.

Those who repeatedly troll with political topics on non-political news articles (think: bringing up immigration on an article just because the subject has a Hispanic last name); repeatedly try to get around moderation when it occurs or harass our staff about it; or have no history of commenting on the site and begin by generally being a jerk — you will be banned. Basically that’s the golden rule: don’t be a jerk. Those who post thoughtful comments, who add to the discussion, who make an effort to be part of the community, who can post opposing opinions without going nuclear — you are welcome here.

We know that there are plenty more of the latter than the former here, thus if you are banned you can save yourself some time and skip sending the angry email explaining how we’re going to regret no longer having you as a reader/commenter/etc.

With that, we hope you have a nice weekend. Feel free to discuss any topic of interest in the comments.