Virginia Cigarette Tax Remains Lowest in Nation
Opportunity for increase in cigarette tax blows up in smoke.
Dale Stein and the McLean Citizens Association couldn’t even raise a match before legislators in Richmond extinguished a possible increase in the cigarette tax for Fairfax County.
Stylish Valentine’s Day Table Settings
Flowers and candles create romantic designs.
Fresh flowers and candles are an easy way to add elegance and romance to a Valentine’s Day table. From dramatic to understated, local tastemakers offer suggestions for setting the mood for a memorable dinner.
Bringing Order to Household Chaos
Clever design solutions for hiding clutter.
Wires, cable boxes, soccer cleats, pet bowls and other items are life’s necessities, but they can be unsightly and disrupt the aesthetic of an elegant living space.
Arlington: Completing the Street
Public feedback potentially left on the roadside.
How’s your sidewalk? If you live near a road where there’s no sidewalk on either side of the street, or the sidewalk is incomplete, your street might be be receiving a makeover courtesy of Arlington County. The new Neighborhood Complete Streets Program, approved by the County Board at its Jan. 28 meeting, could have a radical impact on the lives of some Arlingtonians.
Arlington: Mardi Gras Cooking with a Healthy Twist
Onion, green pepper and celery — “The Holy Trinity.”
"What do you think of when I say New Orleans?" Katy Strong, dietitian, nutritionist and Extension agent, asked her Mardi Gras Cooking class the question on the day before Fat Tuesday, the celebration of Mardi Gras before the traditional fasting of Lent begins. One voice says "spicy." Another offers "all those bands."
Arlington Snapshot: Award Winners
Otilia Danalache (left) of Vienna and Atharv Gupta of Arlington, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology freshmen, won a Best Delegate Award at The Ivy League Model United Nations Conference 2016. The conference, which took place Jan. 28-31 in Philadelphia, featured debate, discussion, and the opportunity for the world's future leaders to engage with and solve myriad issues. TJHSST's Model United Nations team won 9 Gavels, 9 Outstandings, 6 Honorables and 4 Verbal Awards, as well as the ILMUNC XXXII Outstanding Large Delegation Award.
Arlington Snapshot: Designer of the Year
Reem Acra’s designs epitomize global glamour, with European style, a sense of luxury and a modern aesthetic. She will be honored as Marymount University’s 2016 Designer of the Year at the school’s annual student fashion show, Portfolio in Motion, on April 28 in the Rose Benté Lee Center on Marymount’s main campus in Arlington, Virginia.
Arlington Snapshot: Healthy School Award
The Marine Corps Marathon presented the Healthy School Award and a $1,000 check on Feb. 4 to Taylor Elementary School from MCM partner Sodexo.
Honoring Black History
Fairfax County’s Cable Network presents programs in celebration of Black History Month.
Fairfax Public Access (FPA) will air a special series of movies and documentaries throughout the month of February in recognition of Black History Month.
Helping Arlington Set a Course
Department of Parks and Recreation asks residents to weigh in.
Arlington residents were given four chances over the past week to weigh in on their parks, recreation, and natural resources. “POPS,” a Plan for Our Spaces, was initiated by the county’s planners and the Parks Department to solicit input from residents. They gathered on Friday, Feb. 5, at the happy hour at Whitlow’s on Wilson Boulevard to drink Dale’s Pale Ale and put green dots on the charts around the room.
Proffers in Danger?
Richmond caught the attention of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week specifically with House Bill 770 (Gilbert) and Senate B 549 (Obenshain), bills Sharon Bulova says will place “significant restrictions” on development, specifically citing “unreasonable proffers.”
Arlington: Consultants Unveil Draft Plan for Lee Highway
Residents indicate approval of direction but concern about unintended consequences.
The concepts of “Complete Streets,” “New Urbanism,” pop up parks, and TDR’s were new to many of the 183 residents gathered at Yorktown High School on Saturday, Feb. 6.
Arlington Brief: Awards Spotlight Architectural and Landscape Designs
Eleven architectural and landscape projects were selected to receive 2015 DESIGNArlington awards.
Snowzilla Summit Ahead
Board names Fairfax County Animal Shelter for Michael Frey.
“What a difference a week makes,” said County Chairman Sharon Bulova (D), in case anybody had moved on from the 29.3 inches of measured snow at Dulles Airport during last week’s blizzard.
Arlington: Yorktown girls’ swim team wins first Conference 6 title.
Two Yorktown boys' records fall.
The Yorktown girls' swim and dive team wins the Conference 6 title.
Classified Advertising February 3, 2016
Read the latest ads here!
Arlington: Gondola Project Gets Off the Ground
Board approves feasibility study for Rosslyn-Georgetown Gondola.
It's crazy enough that it just might work.
Another Opportunity to Talk About It
Super Bowl Sunday is Sunday, Feb. 7, and often more about the parties than the game.
Editorial: Economic Development in Virginia
The General Assembly prides itself in providing a pro-business climate, but refuses infusion of more than $3 billion annually.
Hundreds of bills before this year’s General Assembly session focus on “business climate,” providing incentives for businesses to locate and expand here, extending tax exemptions and tax credits, encouraging international trade, reducing regulation and many other approaches perceived as pro-business.