Would you like to gain a better understanding of your child’s cognitive and academic strengths and weaknesses?
Are you wondering if your child presents with a learning disability, ADHD, Autism, or a mental health condition?
Has your child received a diagnosis and now you are wondering what to do next and how to navigate the educational system?
JDS Psychoeducational Services is a new child- and adolescent-focused psychological practice now open in Clarendon that specializes in assessment and consultation services.
Through Psychoeducational Evaluations, Consultation/Advocacy Services, Executive Functioning Coaching, and parent advocacy presentations/courses, JDS Psychoeducational Services provides evidence-based services to help children and families better understand their needs and advocate for appropriate supports.
Whether it’s clarifying a child’s strengths and areas of needed support, helping parents navigate the Special Education/Section 504 process, or providing executive functioning coaching, JDS Psychoeducational Services is here to support all children and their families.
Dr. Siddall, the founder of JDS Psychoeducational Services, has been serving the Arlington community since 2016 and is committed to helping students and families thrive and access the supports within their community.
Contact us today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation to help determine if our services are right for you and your family. No matter where your family is in their journey, Dr. Siddall is available to provide consultation and assistance.
A sewage leak from an overflowing pipe has prompted a warning avoid contact with a local stream.
“The public is advised to avoid contact with Donaldson Run below N Utah Street due to overflow from a sanitary sewer line,” Arlington County said in an alert this (Wednesday) afternoon. “County staff are investigating.”
So far there’s no word on when the stream might be safer for contact again.
The public is advised to avoid contact with Donaldson Run below N Utah Street due to overflow from a sanitary sewer line. County staff are investigating. https://t.co/6ieRFGBOEl pic.twitter.com/RS02RdAdN6
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) April 17, 2024
The 3rd Annual Arlington Fair Housing Conference will feature Thomas Silverstein, renowned Fair Housing expert and Associate Director of the Fair Housing & Community Development Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Come hear the latest news about fair housing enforcement, policy, and programs within Arlington County, Virginia, and across the country! Our expert panelists and guest speakers include fair housing advocates, elected officials, and government officials tasked with advancing housing equity at the local, state, and federal level.
Arlington has made substantial strides in advancing housing equity and improving fair housing policy with the adoption of the Regional Fair Housing Plan in 2023. Come learn what’s next to fight housing discrimination, incorporate equity for marginalized populations in our housing policies and programs, and increase awareness of fair housing rights under state and federal law.
We’ll have updates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing federal rule, a panel discussion of fair housing progress at the General Assembly and across Virginia, and a panel of local experts discussing the progress Arlington has made and what remains to be done.
Please RSVP in advance to ensure you receive your free lunch at the conference. Free and open to the public.
A 40-year-old Fredericksburg woman is facing multiple charges after police say she damaged a local store and kicked a police officer.
The incident happened around 10:45 p.m. Monday at the 7-Eleven store across from the Ballston Metro station.
According to an Arlington County police crime report, the woman “entered the business and allegedly began eating food items when an employee confronted her.” She then proceeded to throw items at the employee, go behind the counter and threaten them, and then shatter the front glass door, police say.
The initial police dispatch said the woman was “destroying the store,” according to scanner traffic.
Police detained the woman nearby, but she was combative and kicked an officer, according to ACPD. She has been charged with assault, destruction of property, shoplifting, and public intoxication, among other crimes.
More, below, from ACPD.
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2024-04150251, 4200 block of Fairfax Drive. At approximately 10:44 p.m. on April 15, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect entered the business and allegedly began eating food items when an employee confronted her. A verbal dispute ensued and the suspect threw merchandise at the employee, striking them, before briefly leaving the store. The suspect then returned, went behind the counter and made threatening statements towards the employee and subsequently exited the business. The suspect then struck the glass door to the business, causing it to shatter, before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers located the suspect in the area of Fairfax Drive and N. Stuart Street and detained her. While in custody, the suspect was non-compliant and kicked an officer. Medics evaluated the suspect on scene. [The suspect], 40, of Fredericksburg, Va. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Assault and Battery, Destruction of Property (x2), Shoplifting, Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication. She was held without bond.
Mean Girls Jr.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School’s Theatre Company presents: Mean Girls Jr. on April 18 & 19 at 6:30pm, and April 20 at 1pm; tickets are $5 and are sold at the door.
A fearless musical about chasing popularity and being true to yourself. With Tina Fey’s keen wit, an undeniably catchy score, and a sincere message for everyone, the whole family will have a Fetch time!
This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
Looking for engaging Earth Day activities for the whole family?
Look no further than Earth Day Every Day on Langston Boulevard, a day-long street festival filled with live music, delicious food, children’s art activities, a native plant sale, environmental education opportunities and a sustainable art market. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, at the Lee Heights Shops, 4500 Cherry Hill Road.
Hosted by the Langston Boulevard Alliance, with programming and marketing support from founding partner Arlington Arts, Earth Day Every Day on Langston Boulevard offers a chance for the entire Arlington community to unite in celebrating our local environment and the planet itself.
This festival commemorates the global Earth Day movement that began in 1970, urging us all to play a part, big or small, in preserving and protecting our environment. With a variety of activities available, there’s something for everyone:
Exploring the Sustainable Art Market: Eco-friendly Creations from Local Vendors
- Artologica: Original art and stylish accessories inspired by science
- Bicycle Trash: Handmade goods made from overlooked materials
- Soultry: A range of self-care offerings from affirmative apparel and clay jewelry to 100% natural skin and hair care
- Trade Roots: Home décor, fashion and handcrafted jewelry that tells a story of craftsmanship, sustainability and global positive impact
- Alana Rivera Studios: A range of jewelry, including a line made from Arizona Tea Cans, gift cards, and other upcycled materials.
- Full list of vendors here.
Participate in “Climate Hope”
Write a quick 6-word poem, pledge or illustration focused on climate change on a specially designed sari from the ancestral village in Bangladesh of artist Monica Jahan Bose, as part of Climate Hope, the latest installation of the Arlington Art Truck.
Enjoy Performances by Acclaimed Artists Throughout the Day
- Jacqueline Pie Francis (12 p.m.): A jazz vocalist, singer-songwriter and chef who has headlined major East Coast venues. She will be accompanied by guitarist Pat Mackin.
- Spice Cake (1:15 p.m.): Yaya Patterson’s vocals and regional blues stalwart Miles Spicer’s acoustic guitar blend to create a blues treat.
- Elena La Fulana (2:30 p.m.): A Latin Grammy-nominated instrumentalist, bilingual Latin-folk singer-songwriter and the lead for Elena & Los Fulanos.
- Sol Roots (3:45 p.m.): Mixing funk, blues, rock, soul and hypnotic grooves, this internationally touring band has shared the stage with artists such as Booker T. Jones, Cory Henry and Jon Cleary.
Join your fellow community members for a day of celebration, education and inspiration as we come together to honor Earth Day and our shared commitment to environmental stewardship in Arlington.
Construction of a new park near Amazon’s HQ2 as well as improvements to sidewalks and bike lanes in the area could begin soon.
Arlington Junction Park is projected to be complete at 1051 S. Eads Street in about 18 months, if the Arlington County Board approves a $2.5 million contract on Saturday. The Board will also consider $2.9 million for two projects to improve S. Eads Street between Army Navy Drive and 15th Street South.
“The redesigned park will provide access to green spaces, park amenities, and other natural elements for nearby residents, workers, and other park visitors,” a county report says.
The recreation area’s master plan document describes a “contemplative green oasis in a densely developed urban context,” funded through developers.
Possible Eads Street changes, meanwhile, are divided into two sections.
Planned improvements between 12th Street S. and 15th Street S. are all on the east side of the street. They include adding permanent physical barriers for bike lanes and improvements to ramps and lighting.
“The project is intended to mirror the bicycle/pedestrian improvements included as part of the recently completed Met Park development on the southbound (west) side of the same block of Eads Street,” a report says.
Bike lane barriers would continue between Army Navy Drive and 12th Street — a stretch of Eads Street that would be reconstructed around the new park.
Funding for these upgrades would come from local tax revenues dedicated to transportation in addition to the county’s infrastructure investment fund for Crystal City.
Both the park and the streetscape changes have been in the works for years. Plans for the park began to crystalize in 2021, the same year the county began seeking input on upgrades to the southern portion of S. Eads Street.
Books, games and puzzles galore will be up for sale at Arlington Central Library in Virginia Square this week.
The 2024 Spring Book Sale, organized by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library, is starting tomorrow at Central Library’s parking garage at 1015 N. Quincy Street and will continue through the weekend. Below is a list of dates and times.
- Thursday, April 18 from 5-8:30 p.m. (FOAL members only)
- Friday, April 19 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (open to the public)
- Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (open to the public)
- Sunday, April 21 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (open to the public)
All items other than T-shirts, mugs and book bags are 50% off on the last day. Teachers and librarians with school IDs can also get half off on Friday and Saturday.
Specialty books including full sets, first editions and signed books can be found inside, in the Glebe Room on the first floor of the library.
The G1 floor of the parking garage will be closed to traffic during the sale, so visitors are asked to use G2 and G3 or park in the surrounding outdoor lots.
The library is still searching for volunteers and asks anyone interested to fill out the volunteer application form or contact [email protected].
Guests are asked to bring their own bags or boxes to carry items from the sale.
Photo via Arlington Public Library
Arlington County may drop an annual fee for taxi companies.
The county currently charges $150 for an annual cab certificate renewal. With 441 taxicabs currently operating in Arlington, the fee would generate about $66,000 in annual revenue for the county.
But Arlington’s six cab companies say they’re struggling to survive and want relief from the fee. The County Board will consider a county staff proposal to eliminate the fee altogether at its meeting this coming Saturday.
“In advance of the County’s annual certificate fee due February 1, Crown, Hess, Friendly, Red Top, Arlington Yellow, and Blue Top Cab
companies have requested reducing the yearly certificate renewal fee,” a staff report says. “After a thorough discussion with taxicab companies during the Transportation Commission meeting on February 29, 2024, staff advise eliminating the annual fee.”
A pandemic-era emergency ordinance temporarily reduced the fee over the past three years, including eliminating it for the 39 wheelchair-accessible cabs currently operating in Arlington.
The staff report notes that use of taxis in Arlington has plunged over the past few years.
“The business remains below pre-pandemic levels with ridership only minimally recovered,” the report says. “Smaller taxicab companies,
defined as those with fewer than 50 vehicles and lacking a robust dispatch system, have disclosed to staff a drop of over 50 percent in ridership from 2019 to 2023. Red Top and Blue Top have reported a drop in business of approximately 70 percent for street pickups and 55 percent for dispatch pickup trips for the same time frame.”
“Due to these trends, if relief is not provided, taxicab companies may continue to reduce the number of vehicles, including accessible vehicles, available to the traveling public,” the report continues.
A decade ago cab companies were still pushing for Arlington to issue more taxi licenses, to put more cabs on the streets. That started to change as app-based ride services like Uber and Lyft started taking market share away from traditional cab dispatches.
Total cab dispatches in Arlington dropped from 2.6 million trips to 1.7 million trips annually between 2013 and 2015. That prompted Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz to recommend against adding new taxi certificates in 2016, at a time when 847 were approved — almost 4 for every 1,000 residents.
A request to advertise the elimination of the annual taxi certificate fee is scheduled to be considered on Saturday. It’s on the Board’s consent agenda, intended for non-controversial items that are approved as a block.
HQ2 Workforce Shrinks — “Amazon has fallen so far behind schedule in creating new jobs at its Northern Virginia headquarters that its workforce at those offices shrank last year, the company confirmed… Sullivan said Amazon has not abandoned its target of 25,000 jobs, though a company spokesperson later clarified that it would look to meet that goal by 2038. She called HQ2 ‘a long-term investment’ and noted that there are 1,000 open positions for the campus.” [Washington Post]
Fire Union Seeking Wage Hike — “47 firefighters were unable to go home to their families this past weekend. #ACFD is at critical staffing levels, and the challenges posed by attrition and vacancies have reached historic proportions. It’s time for the County Board to take decisive action.” [Twitter]
Legion Baseball Coach Quits — “Bob Romano’s long and successful run as the field manager of Arlington’s American Legion summer baseball team has ended… Romano had planned to coach the team again this summer, having already done all of the preseason planning, like setting up a roster and securing field assignments. He changed his mind, and also stepped down as the team’s administrator because of some previous issues with state American Legion administrators, that were not baseball related.” [Gazette Leader]
Best GOP Fundraising Since 2016 — “Arlington Republicans raised $10,542.00 in the 1st Quarter of 2024. By comparison, the Committee raised $1,389.00 in 2023, $6,316.00 in 2022, $3,306.00 in 2021, and $4,910.00 in 2020 in the same period. The Arlington GOP raised $16,058.50 in the 1st Quarter in 2016.” [Press Release]
Library Launches New Art Program — “Arlington Public Library launched a new art program—The Incubator—to provide opportunities and space for artists to showcase their work in a public setting. Each library location features opportunities for artists to display their artwork and to engage the public.” [Press Release]
Refinancing for Office Buildings — “Monday Properties has refinanced two Northern Virginia office towers, including Nestle USA’s headquarters in Rosslyn, which recently averted foreclosure, for a combined $206 million. The company secured a five-year, fixed-rate commercial mortgage-backed security from Citi Real Estate Funding Inc.” [Washington Business Journal, Press Release]
Only Parents on School Board? — “When it comes to proposed revisions to the Arlington School Board’s policy governing its own membership, one local resident has an intriguing proposition. Why not, this resident suggested, require that only parents of current students in the county school system be allowed to serve on the School Board?” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Wednesday — Expect cloudy skies, a high near 70 accompanied by a southeast wind at 5-7 mph, and showers with possible thunderstorms after 5pm. Precipitation chance stands at 70%, with new rainfall amounts generally under a tenth of an inch, although higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms. On Wednesday night, chances of showers and thunderstorms continue. Otherwise, the night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 59, southeast wind at 6-8 mph, and a 60% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar
Unlike our competitors, Well-Paid Maids doesn’t clean your home with harsh chemicals. Instead, we handpick cleaning products rated “safest” by the Environmental Working Group, the leading rating organization regarding product safety.
The reason is threefold.
First, using safe cleaning products ensures toxic chemicals won’t leak into waterways or harm wildlife if disposed of improperly.
Second, it’s better for you and your family. Fragrant chemicals in surface cleaners can expose you to a similar amount of pollutant particles as a busy city road, New Scientist reported.