For diners in D.C., sometimes eating at a restaurant is not just about satiating one鈥檚 hunger – it鈥檚 an act of solidarity. Patrons are now turning to their forks as a form of protest, a way to support international causes ranging from Ukraine鈥檚 fight for sovereignty to Palestinian rights.

This movement, called allows people to make a difference through their dining choices without ever holding a protest sign.

Traditionally, gastrodiplomacy has been associated with government officials engaging over meals and advertising their countries cuisine. Iconic moments include  with Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, marred by an unfortunate vomiting incident, and President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 historic .

However, the power of food extends far beyond formal diplomacy, as chef and gastrodiplomacy researcher Sam Chapple-Sokol said. In an article for Public Diplomacy Magazine called 鈥淲ar and Peas,鈥� he argued that food serves as an accessible entry point for everyday people to engage with international conflicts.

Nearly a decade ago, Chapple-Sokol teamed up with Johanna Mendelson-Forman, a professor at American University鈥檚 School of International Service, to create a course in conflict cuisines that took students to Ethiopian, El Salvadorian, Afghan and Korean restaurants in D.C., framing these spaces as informal classrooms. 鈥淭hose restaurants are kind of unofficial embassies of their countries and of their people,鈥� Chapple-Sokol said. 鈥淪o that an American populist can start learning about those places.鈥�

At Ruta Ukrainian Restaurant in Capitol Hill, the first Ukrainian restaurant in D.C., Director of Operations Ruslan Falkov embraces this concept wholeheartedly. 鈥淓very day in our staff meetings, I tell everyone, 鈥榊ou are ambassadors of Ukraine, every one of you because you are showcasing Ukrainian dishes,鈥欌�� Falkov said.

More than 90% of Falkov鈥檚 staff is Ukrainian, and many were taken in after fleeing Russia鈥檚 war on their county. 鈥淪o, it is not only place where they work, but it’s also place where they have found friends,鈥� Falkov said. 鈥淚t’s a community right now.鈥�

The restaurant has recently opened its second location in Bethesda, Maryland. Falkov noted a shift in public interest following Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 鈥淸Americans] know more about Ukraine, and now they have learned more about our cuisine,鈥� Falkov said. 鈥淭hey developed an interest in understanding and experiencing our cuisine.鈥�

The menu offers a variety of traditional Ukrainian dishes, including several variations of the classic borscht, holubtsi (cabbage rolls stuffed with meat or vegetables), and varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings). Their signature dish is Chicken Kyiv, a fried chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and served alongside creamy polenta.

Aiden Carlton, a student at American University and the secretary of the organization Students Supporting Ukraine, shared that he often dines at Ruta after attending protests in support of Ukraine. 鈥淭here isn’t much Ukrainian representation here in D.C.,鈥� Carlton said. 鈥淗aving Ruta, a place where people can enjoy authentic Ukrainian food regardless of their political involvement, helps draw people in and fosters a personal connection.鈥�

Carlton, like many patrons of Ruta, are not of Ukrainian heritage, Falkov said.

While Ruta decorates its dishes with miniature Ukrainian flags and serves signature blue-and- yellow cocktails, not all restaurant owners find such displays of national pride as widely accepted.

At Detour Coffee Co., a Palestinian-owned cafe, the response has been a bit more contentious. Following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the coffee shop in Arlington, Virginia, began serving espresso in cups featuring the Palestinian flag and adorning its cash register with stickers in support of Palestine. Noelle Miranda, the cafe鈥檚 marketing coordinator, said that these actions have led to a surge of negative reviews on Detour鈥檚 Google page.

But Miranda, said on behalf of the owner Ahmad Ayyad that he wanted his shop to be a space for Palestinian allies. 鈥淗e was like, 鈥業 don’t care if I lose pro-Israel people, because, you know, I’d rather not have them as customers,鈥欌�� she said.

Despite some backlash, Detour is busier than ever. Miranda said that Detour has gained many former Starbucks customers amid a perceived support of Israel and legal dispute with its workers union over a pro-Palestinian social media post. 鈥淲e definitely did become a lot busier, you know, with like Starbucks getting canceled last year,鈥� she said.

Miranda said that Detour Coffee’s partnership with Z&Z, a Middle Eastern bakery, has brought even more attention to the cafe. It鈥檚 pop-up events, with proceeds donated to humanitarian efforts in Palestine, have drawn such large crowds that the shop had to add outdoor seating to accommodate the overflow.

Despite the growing support, confusion about Detours stance persists. 鈥淭here’s a lot of the misconception, of course, with the genocide that we support hate or terrorism,鈥� Miranda said. 鈥淭hat’s not what we’re saying. What we’re saying is that these people are being oppressed, and we support them to be free.鈥�

Palestinian chef Jinan Deena, micro-influencer, and owner of pop-up restaurant Bayti, said that creating Palestinian dishes has been a form of resistance in itself. 鈥淔or Palestinians, the land gives us so much nourishment,鈥� Deena said. 鈥淏y claiming our food, they cannot disconnect us from our identity.鈥�

When Deena moved to D.C. in 2017, she noticed how frequently Palestinian restaurants and food were falsely labelled as Middle Eastern or Lebanese to avoid pushback or out of fear. Even her own family鈥檚 restaurant in Ohio chose to distance itself from their Palestinian identity in its branding.

By the time Deena launched her pop-up in 2021, she felt she had to claim her heritage. 鈥淥kay, we’re Palestinian. This is who we are,鈥� Deena said. 鈥淲e’re probably going to turn off a lot of people who hate that word, but we’re probably also going to attract the right people, and that’s exactly what’s happened.鈥�

At her third annual olive harvest pop-up event in September, Deena said the crowd was more diverse than in previous years. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great, I never wanted my events to just be for the people in my community,鈥� Deena said. 鈥淚 wanted to reach people outside of that.鈥� Her activism on Instagram, she said, has allowed her to connect with both new and longtime supporters.

A portion of the proceeds of the event went to Palestinian non-profit, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, which provides employment and funding to Palestinian farmers.

These sort of pop-ups and fundraisers have changed political activism for diners in what Chapple-Sokol referred to as 鈥渃itizen culinary diplomacy.鈥� In this way, Chapple-Sokol said, restaurants have become a public forum where politically active individuals can work.

But simply dining at restaurants or shopping at businesses owned by a Ukrainian or Palestinian, without any fundraising or advocacy element, has minimal impact on the situation in the country of conflict, Chapple-Sokol said. In the decade since the beginning of his research, Chapple-Sokol has come to understand this topic as far more complicated than he once wrote about. Sometimes food cannot be the great unifier.

鈥淭here is no such thing as hummus kumbaya,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust by spending $600 on dinner at a restaurant doesn鈥檛 change the realities on the ground in Gaza,鈥� Chapple-Sokol said. 鈥淏ut if the goal of the dinner is to learn or share the experience with
others who might be on a different side of the conversation, that can be foundational.鈥�

Even without fundraisers, Deena said Palestinian restaurants need continued support. 鈥淚 encourage people to support Palestinian businesses because we need our businesses to continue to thrive in the future so that we can carry on the traditions and so that people will always know who Palestinians are,鈥� Deena said.

The activist calls for everyone to be conscious consumers and deliberate with their dollar. It鈥檚 not enough to boycott a corporation like Starbucks, but to be active participants in their local economy by supporting small, locally owned shops. 鈥淵ou should be thinking, if I am boycotting this, I am going to actually put my money money into something better,鈥� Deena said.

The post Gastrodiplomacy: The growing trend of protesting with your wallet and stomach first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The Arlington County government recognized the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) as the representative of its labor and trades employees in September 2022. The two sides then negotiated through 2023 until the end of October, when these employees ratified their contract.听听

Alexandria labor and trades workers voted to form the union in September 2022 as well, and negotiated until the beginning of October 2023. Union members ratified that contract 听

The contracts in Arlington and Alexandria are the first two ratified since former Gov. Ralph Northam signed a new collective bargaining law in 2020 that took effect in May 2021, allowing counties, cities, and towns to recognize labor unions or other employee associations as bargaining agents for public officers and employees. The law also permits collective bargaining contracts between the union and employers.听

The law reverses a 1977 Virginia Supreme Court decision saying Arlington County Board policies permitting collective bargaining were . That ruling also prevented the local government from recognizing labor unions that represented city employees.

The two contracts secured wage increases for three years for both Arlington and Alexandria labor and trades employees, including water treatment workers, traffic enforcement, parks and recreation workers, and Arlington County department of environmental services workers.听

According to Anthony Pistone, president of AFSCME Local 3001 and an employee with Arlington County water, sewer and streets, the public can expect to see a more efficient and unified workforce in the next several months.听

Arlington AFSCME union members will receive a 4.75% wage increase during the first year of the contract on July 1, 2024, a 4% wage increase the second year and a 3.5% wage increase the third year.听

Alexandria members negotiated a 2.5% wage increase for each of the three years with a $1,000 2024 bonus.听

Pistone said workers received raises before the union was even recognized because the governments realized the union was coming.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to frame it like it鈥檚 union busting,” Pistone said. “It鈥檚 just they figured they better come up with some more cost of living before we sat down the contract.”

Pistone said the wage increases are great, but labor management committees are the best benefit of the contract. Pistone said these committees allow members to voice their concerns in meetings with management.听

鈥淲e will be able to get information and put our input into what鈥檚 going on in certain areas,鈥� Pistone said. 鈥淟ike healthcare, timing, career ladders and stuff like that.鈥�听

He said this is unique to the AFSCME union in Arlington and Alexandria.听

鈥淣o other union has this,鈥� Pistone said. 鈥淭he reason why we did it this way is because the laws and the labor agreements for Virginia are so different than they are for D.C.and Maryland and places like that.鈥�听

Pistone said these laws prevent employees from giving their input on topics such as scheduling and what kind of work employees perform.听

鈥淭here would be no way that we could actually negotiate about some of these things because it鈥檚 basically against the law in Virginia,鈥� Pistone said.听

Robert Combs, a labor and employment legal analyst for Bloomberg Law, said laws like this are 鈥渟tandard responsible government procedures.鈥�听

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to want to make sure that their workers aren鈥檛 being taken advantage of and aren鈥檛 being left behind,鈥� Combs said. 鈥淚t seems, to me, pretty likely that there are some laws in place that might hinder what an individual union contract in the public sector in Virginia can and can鈥檛 do.鈥�听

AFSCME is a public-sector union, meaning that members had to negotiate with authorities to ratify their contracts.听

Combs said public-sector unions are gaining more members than private-sector unions.听

鈥淭here’s been a definite trend downward,鈥� Combs said. 鈥淭he one workplace where the trend has been upward, well at least it hasn’t gone that far down, is government employees. So, in the private sector, membership in the building trades has gone down. But it stayed pretty constant in government employment.鈥�听

Arlington resident Michael Cantwell said he is somewhat opposed to public-sector unions. He said he thinks they contribute to local government corruption.听

鈥淭hey also inhibit the implementation of, what many believe, including myself, much needed reforms in policing and firefighting and teaching,鈥� Cantwell said. 鈥淟ocal politicians are not only just getting money, but also their feet on the ground for their campaigns. Most local labor unions support democratic candidates, so they鈥檒l turn around and they will support the local candidate and then it just goes around and around.鈥�听

Cantwell said unions protect employees from termination, even if they do not deserve protection.听

鈥淢any times unions will protect poor performers or outright criminal behavior,鈥� Cantwell said.听

Cantwell advocates for a program that he says will make leaf collection in Arlington more efficient and effective by outsourcing the process to other businesses, instead of employing Arlington county workers to take care of the leaf, litter to mulch process.听

鈥淚 could see a county trades employee say, oh no, no, no we don鈥檛 want to eliminate any jobs,鈥� Cantwell said. 鈥淪o even though what I鈥檓 describing, I think would be much more efficient and effective, saving county money, saving taxpayers money. I could see a union resisting that improvement.鈥�

Combs said because of outsourcing, there are fewer private manufacturing sites in the United States.听

鈥淕overnment workers, regardless of where they work, whether in offices or whether it be building trades like this, or police or schools, they’ve stayed pretty constant in their union membership, as opposed to private sector,鈥� Combs said.听听

Susan Carle, professor of Law at American University鈥檚 Washington College of Law, said these union contracts will protect both Arlington and Alexandria employers and employees.听

鈥淪o the default rule in the United States for terminating an employee is that an employer can do it for any reason at all,鈥� Carle said.听

This is called 鈥渁t-will鈥� employment.听

鈥淭he employer can wake up one day and say, I don鈥檛 like the way you look, I don鈥檛 like your face, I鈥檓 going to fire you,鈥� Carle said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no recourse, unless they鈥檙e discriminating on the basis of a protected characteristic, which is basically race, sex, national origin, age, religion and disability.鈥�听

鈥淲hen you bring in a labor union, you no longer have 鈥榓t-will鈥� employment,鈥� Carle said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one very important protection.鈥�听

The post Arlington, Alexandria workers ratify first public-sector union contract since 1970s first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Agents wearing jackets embellished with logos from the ATF, FBI, Loudon County Fire Rescue, Arlington Police Department and the Arlington Fire Department walked shoulder-to-shoulder across a public grass field directly behind a house in the 800 block of North Burlington Street that exploded Monday night.

Fields Park in Ballston was closed today with police tape. Agents could be seen checking over fences and talking to homeowners, gathering evidence of what happened during a police raid.

Their presence interrupted the normalness of seasonally decorated homes. One house had a ten-foot-tall Jack Skellington. Inflatable snowmen, Santa Clauses and reindeer adorned even more homes.

鈥淭oday was a little bit different than usual,鈥� said dog walker Johnathon Dorland, 33, as he led a herd of five canines around the police tape that interrupted their normal route.

Monday night, authorities locked down the area surrounding a house, evacuated neighbors around 7 o’clock, attempted to negotiate with a suspect and even cut off gas to the home 鈥渁t the meter,鈥� according to Assistant Fire Chief Jason Jenkins. The home still exploded, leading to a viral .

Today in a press conference, Jenkins expressed an 鈥渁ppreciation to the Arlington County Fire Department personnel.鈥�

鈥淭heir efforts last evening saved lives. Period,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淭hey minimized damage to property and I thank them for their efforts.鈥�

A neighbor and crossing guard both used the word 鈥渓ucky鈥� when describing the Fire Department鈥檚 proximity to the house that exploded. They did not want to be identified for this story over privacy concerns.

The fire station resided less than 500 feet away from last night鈥檚 explosion, according to Google Maps.

The onlookers credited the proximity with minimizing the damage of the explosion and subsequent flames.

鈥淎t this point, the fire is completely extinguished,鈥� Jenkins said.

Arlington Chief of Police Andy Penn added that 鈥渢here鈥檚 no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident and no outstanding suspects.鈥�

鈥淭hankfully, there were no serious injuries to any officers, other public safety officials or community members,鈥� Penn said.

Penn identified the perpetrator of the standoff-turned-explosion as James Yoo, 56. Prior to last night, his dealings with police included only two noise complaints, according to Penn.

鈥淭he suspect was inside the residence at the time of the explosion and he is presumed at this point to be deceased,鈥� Penn said. 鈥淗uman remains have been located at the scene and the office of the chief medical examiner will work to positively identify the individual.鈥�

Penn added that the remains of the suspect have yet to be confirmed and that the investigation remains ongoing.

Escuela Key Elementary School, also less than 500 feet from the house that exploded, experienced 鈥渘o operation change to school today,鈥� according to Director of Communications at Arlington County Schools, Frank Bellavia.

The blast occurred while no students or staff were on campus and the scene was deemed safe prior to any returning to campus. Thus there was no need to call off school, according to Bellavia.

Deputy County Manager of Public Safety Aaron Miller said that between 10 and 12 households were directly impacted by the blast. As these families look to rebuild their homes and lives, the county has and will continue to provide a range of support from mental health services to housing, food and basic toiletries, according to Miller.

The post Body found at the site of a viral Ballston home explosion first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Susan Cunningham, a newly elected county board member, said she plans to take action in January to rework the 鈥渕issing middle鈥� housing plan to ensure that it is actually creating affordable housing in Arlington, since constituents asked about this the most during her campaign.

The 鈥渕issing middle鈥� plan, renamed the 鈥渆xpanded housing options鈥� plan, allows Arlington officials to issue permits allowing for the construction of multi-unit buildings with four-to-six units and allows homeowners to transform single family homes into multi-unit residential buildings. The plan reverses the single-family-only zoning ideal.听

The 鈥渕issing middle鈥� refers to buildings which are between single-family houses and apartment buildings in scale.听

The current county board voted to implement the zoning plan in March. Since then, the plan has been the talk of the county.听

Ten Arlington residents filed a lawsuit in April in Arlington County Circuit Court against the county to prevent lawmakers from issuing more expanded housing option (EHO) permits.听听

As of Nov. 22, the county had approved .听

David Barrera, communications and policy manager for the Arlington County Board, said there is nothing stopping Cunningham or other new board members from being able to address the plan right away when they assume their roles on the board in January.听听

鈥淭here isn鈥檛 a period where they are restricted from asking questions or making requests or making amendments to motions,鈥� Barrera said.听

Cunningham and Maureen Coffey, another new county board member, will assume their roles on the board with the same privileges and responsibilities as other board members, according to Barrera.听听

Resident Benjamin Keeney said the county board should focus on how to expand the zoning plan in the future.

“One thing that they need to think about is should they be more or less aggressive depending on the outcome of this phase,” Keeney said.

Currently, permits have only been approved for buildings in two districts that include one-family dwelling and restricted two-family dwelling zones.

Keeney said he thinks the plan opens Arlington’s doors to diversity, especially in terms of income brackets measured by the area’s median income (AMI).

“If people who are making 100% of the AMI in Arlington can’t afford to live here, that tells us something,” Keeney said.

Keeney said the plan could increase homeownership opportunities.

“That’s something that a lot of people are hesitant to agree with. Nine times out of 10 developers try to saturate the market with rentals,” Keeney said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that it could be a positive thing.”

Many Arlington residents say that the housing issue was the number one motivator for a surging voter turnout in this year鈥檚 election.听

Over 65,000 people cast a ballot in the Arlington election in November, which is about 10,000 more ballots than the county was expecting.

Cunningham said addressing this 鈥渕issing middle鈥� issue during her term means facilitating input from all voices.听

鈥淪ometimes that鈥檚 folks who are eager to give input, and sometimes you have to go searching and seeking it,鈥� Cunningham said.听

Matthew Hurtt, the chair of the Arlington County Republican Committee, said both progressives and libertarians partnered together to create the missing middle plan.听

鈥淥ne of the major arguments was that it was going to bring affordable housing to Arlington, and that is a lie,鈥� Hurtt said. 鈥淚t is a lie and they knew it was a lie and we are seeing it in the approval of permits that have been requested to upzone single family units.鈥�听

Hurtt said he believes the plan has actually had the opposite intended effect on property value.

鈥淭he argument was properties would be cheaper on up zoned lots, and every single property for which a permit has been applied and approved, the value has gone up,鈥� Hurtt said.听

Steve Baker, chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, said he believes the issue is what brought many voters out on election day.听

鈥淚t was the local topic on people鈥檚 minds and it certainly was an important topic during the democratic primary,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淗ousing will always be an important topic in any community.鈥�听

Because of all the chatter among residents, Cunningham said she thinks the new board needs to give the plan some attention.听

鈥淩ight now there鈥檚 a manner of a dashboard but it is really just counting the number of permits and where they鈥檙e landing- not looking at if it is actually creating anything affordable, if it is creating ownership opportunities or only rentals or if these permits that were issued for the expanded housing opportunity are really translating to build of projects,鈥� Cunningham said. 听

She also said the current board could have done better in 鈥渃ommunicating crisply and clearly to the community.鈥�听

鈥淲hat is the issue? What does it look like to solve it? And why do we think this is a solution that works? This was a big issue during the conversation around housing and zoning,鈥� Cunningham said.听

Cunningham said she is looking forward to ensuring the new zoning policy is monitored closely and adjusted, so that the plan achieves objectives that the current board laid out for the plan to begin with- expand housing and make Arlington accessible to more people.听

The city council in Arlington’s neighbor, Alexandria, is on a similar zoning plan tonight that would create additional housing and eliminate single-family only zones.

The post New Arlington councilmembers promise to continue zoning debate first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax are among those jurisdictions impacted by the fire weather watch.听

In , a fire weather watch is announced when there is potential for a red flag warning to be issued in the near future. A red flag warning is issued when relative humidity is less than 30%, wind speed is over 20 miles per hour, and temperatures are above 40 degrees.听

A watch is also issued so land managers, such as National Park Service campsite managers, and fire officials can call attention to increased fire danger in the area when weather conditions support extreme fire danger, according to the National Weather Service.听听

Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency on Nov. 7 in response to two fires in Madison and Patrick counties. These fires, plus the Matts Creek wildfire near Lynchburg, continue to pose a threat to public health in Northern Virginia.听

The weather watch comes as the area currently has 鈥�鈥� drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.听听

Luis Rosa, meteorologist for the NOAA, said there will be dry, breezy conditions, with smoke making its way to the area this afternoon accompanying wind from the southwest.听

鈥淥utdoor burning is not recommended tomorrow anywhere in the region,鈥� Rosa said.听

Rosa said the low humidity and strong winds are a recipe for the spread of wildfires, which is why he recommends limiting outdoor grilling, bonfires, and fireworks this weekend. 听听

Lindsey Long, a community forestry specialist with the Virginia Department of Forestry, said as long as community members practice fire safety, common fall activities involving fire do not have to be off the table.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to watch any fires that you do start,鈥� Long said. 鈥淢ake sure you鈥檙e doing any proper steps to put out any fires if you do start them.鈥�听

These steps include clearing all flammable material away from burn areas and making water and tools readily available to extinguish the fire in case of emergency, according to the United States Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service.听

A , created by these organizations, shows the counties in Virginia where fires are not permitted at this time.听

Shawn Maddox, vice president of the Virginia Fire Prevention Association, calls them 鈥渂urn bans.鈥� He said weather conditions similar to those in Northern Virginia 鈥� strong winds, low humidity and dryness 鈥� prompt local authorities to enact these bans.听

鈥淚t is just to reduce the risk of fire,鈥� Maddox said.听听

Arlington resident William Richardson said he has never had any experience with fire in the Northern Virginia area. However, a fire weather watch did not shock him.听

鈥淚 know that we鈥檝e had very little rain here,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 familiar with the Canada problem and West Coast problem, but all I know is that we have not had much rain.鈥�听

Both Madison and Culpeper counties near Northern Virginia have issued 鈥渂urn bans.鈥� 听

The post Fire Weather Watch issued in Northern Virginia first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The Virginia Department of Elections increased mail-in ballot accessibility, and Arlington residents seem to be relying on them more now than before.听

As of Nov. 7, about half of the 14,000 mail-in ballots requested have been returned. The is expecting a voter turnout of 56,000 in total.

Among these accessibility changes, Arlington voters who are voting by mail this year will no longer have to get a witness signature on the envelope or have a witness present while filling in their ballot. Now, only a birthdate and the last four numbers of a social security number are required.听

Tania Griffin, Arlington County鈥檚 Office of Elections communications and outreach coordinator, said only 9% of voters submitted absentee ballots or mail-in ballots in the 2019 Arlington election prior to the pandemic. In last year鈥檚 election, 14% of Arlington voters who voted submitted a mail-in ballot. 听

This jump came after the Virginia Department of Elections eliminated in 2021 a requirement that voters submit a 鈥渧alid reason鈥� for requesting a mail-in absentee ballot. These reasons included having a disability, being out of town, or observing a religious holiday.听

Griffin said mail-in ballot requests surged during 2020 because of COVID-19. 最新蜜桃影像 80% of Arlington voters voted by mail or voted early in 2020.听

This year鈥檚 elimination of the witness signature requirement comes only two years after the Virginia Department of Elections reinstated the requirement following the pandemic. Griffin said that since people were quarantining during the pandemic, the need for a witness was temporarily waived.听听

Griffin said some residents may be confused about the changes and wants to clear up any confusion.

鈥淲e try to make it as clear as possible with our instructions,鈥� Griffin said. 鈥淭he only change is having the last four of your social.鈥�听

Griffin said these changes make voting more accessible.听听

鈥淏ased on the percentage of people who vote by mail now, it鈥檚 obviously more accessible, because you don鈥檛 have to provide an excuse,鈥� Griffin said.听听

Stephen Baker, a representative from the Arlington County Democratic Committee, said the elimination of a valid excuse requirement and the witness signature are not the only reasons mail-in ballots are more accessible.听

鈥淚 go around and knock on doors and talk to voters,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淨uite often, when you meet with maybe an older person or a person with a disability, it鈥檚 really their best and only opportunity to vote, so it鈥檚 good that we have that option.鈥澨�听

Baker said he has met voters who use mobility devices, wheelchairs, scooters or have vision problems, and they all take advantage of mail-in ballots.听

鈥淭hey can fill out their ballot at home with the help of whatever tools they have at home, versus having to take someone into the polls with them,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淚t really helps a wide range of people.鈥澨�听

Baker said getting rid of the witness signature was a 鈥渟tep in the right direction.鈥澨�听

鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to see when laws make it easier,鈥� Baker said.听

Jessica Siles is the deputy press secretary for Voters of Tomorrow, an organization that engages younger generations politically.听Siles said young voters also benefit from the mail-in ballot option.听

鈥淵oung people have certain barriers to voting,鈥� Siles said. 鈥淵oung people report transportation as an obstacle to voting. Anytime we can alleviate an obstacle, or make it easier for young people to vote, they鈥檙e more likely to vote.鈥�听

Arlington鈥檚 household survey report published in 2021 indicated that 12% of Arlington households were car-less in 2017 to 2018.听听

Siles also said eliminating barriers, like requiring a witness signature and a reason for requesting a mail-in ballot, encourages college students to vote as well.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for college students to vote where they call home without having to drive a long way or take a plane,鈥� Siles said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for them to be involved civically in their community.鈥�听

Don Gurney, voter service chair and a member of the board of directors for the League of Women Voters, said despite claims of inaccuracies and errors in the mail-in ballot voting system, the system is just as secure as voting in-person.听

鈥淭here are claims that people return multiple ballots, that ballots are printed from China, and are just dumped into the system,鈥� said Gurney. 鈥淓ven if that really happened, the system would catch it.鈥�听

Gurney said Arlington County鈥檚 Office of Elections tracks a mail-in ballot鈥檚 every move.听

鈥淭here鈥檚 no way for somebody to come up with a truckload of ballots and dump them in and have them counted, because they know where the ballots went and they know whether they came back or not,鈥� said Gurney. 鈥淭hey track them all the way.鈥�听

Gurney lives in a senior living facility. As a voter, he said voting by mail has increased his own accessibility to vote. He also said several of听his neighbors vote by mail too.听

One Arlington voter, James Scarborough, said he believes voting by mail is not as secure as voting in person.听

鈥淚 think it makes fraud a little easier,鈥� Scarborough said.听听

Scarborough said he will be taking to the polls Tuesday.听

鈥淲e have a lot of people who are poll watchers,鈥� Scarborough said. 鈥淭hey catch things.鈥澨�听

Arlington residents Nick and Cory Giacobbe lived overseas for 30 years working for the foreign service. They used mail-in ballots to stay active in Arlington politics while they were gone.听听

鈥淲e鈥檝e used them pretty much exclusively for the past decade, and we just came back last year,鈥� Nick Giacobbe said. 鈥淎rlington does a really good job of getting the ballots out in time to get them back.鈥�听

The Giacobbes said Arlington has also made mail-in ballots more accessible by making mail-in ballots available early over email.听

鈥淵ou get the ballot by email, and then you print it out and follow the instructions,鈥� Cory Giacobbe said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like doing origami.鈥�听

Cory Giacobbe said eliminating the witness signature might听affect voter identity security, but she听said the likelihood of someone 鈥渟ending in a bunch of ballots for people they know鈥� is low. Overall, the couple said they think doing away with the requirement makes voting more accessible.听

鈥淚t eliminates the need to have a co-conspirator,鈥� Nick Giacobbe said.听

Another Arlington resident, Henry McFarland, said a witness signature is not required in other states, so it should not be required in Virginia.听

鈥淭he few times I鈥檝e used a mail-in ballot, not in the state of Virginia, I wasn鈥檛 required to do that, and I think it would have been burdensome if I had to,鈥� McFarland said. 听

All mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day, Nov. 7, and Arlington County鈥檚 Office of Elections needs to receive it in their office by Nov. 13 at noon.听The Arlington County Republican Committee did not return calls seeking comment.听

听

听

The post Arlington residents embrace mail-in ballots first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The Arlington County Board updated its this summer to conform with Virginia鈥檚 state traffic code. Now, drivers in Arlington County could face $100 to $500 fines if they do not completely stop for pedestrians within a crosswalk on roads with a speed limit under 35 miles per hour.听

Virginia lawmakers changed the state鈥檚 traffic code in early March. The former code required drivers to yield to pedestrians, meaning that a rolling stop for pedestrians in crosswalks was allowed.听听听

鈥淔or a moment鈥檚 time, technically there was an inconsistency between our law and the state law. Just to get in conformity we changed it,鈥� said David Barrera, communications and policy manager for the Arlington County Board.听

According to Ashley Savage, the Arlington County Police Department communications director, the code requires drivers to stop, even if they have a green light. Traffic Attorney Alex Taylor confirmed this interpretation.听

The code also states that a driver approaching from an adjacent lane or from behind a car stopped for a pedestrian cannot go past the stopped car.听

Barerra said the law requires people to fully stop. 听

鈥淲hen we say yield, anybody can just roll and then go,鈥� Barerra said. 鈥淏ut if a police officer sees you, obviously you鈥檙e eligible for a fine.鈥�听

Applies on roads with a 35-mph limit

This part of the code–requiring drivers to stop instead of yielding to pedestrians–only applies on roads that have less than a 35-mph speed limit, which includes of Arlington鈥檚 roads.听听

Traffic Attorney Alex Taylor said there is a legal reason behind this.听

鈥淭he speed limit is that low so that you can have the ability to stop,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 say that, but that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 that way.鈥�听

Taylor said even a five-mile-per-hour difference in a driver鈥檚 speed can change the outcome of dangerous pedestrian crossing situations.听

鈥淚f you鈥檙e driving less than 35 miles per hour and a person is in a crosswalk, you have enough time to be able to stop,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚f a person is going 40 miles an hour, and if a person is in the crosswalk, you aren鈥檛 going to have enough time to slow the car down enough to avoid hitting them.鈥�听

Barrera said the change aligns with Arlington鈥檚 goal of Vision Zero.听

Aligns with Vision Zero

is a strategy adopted by neighborhoods all over the world to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries. In , this looks like completing construction on streets, managing speed, improving signage and managing curb space.听

Since the Arlington County Board adopted a Vision Zero policy in 2019 and adopted a five-year Vision Zero action plan in 2021, it has targeted pedestrian safety. Barrera and Baker said this law supports Arlington鈥檚 Vision Zero goal: to completely eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.听听

Christine Baker, Arlington County Vision Zero manager, said the law aims to 鈥渂ring awareness to drivers who might not otherwise be paying attention to pedestrians or who are going really fast.鈥�听

According to data from Vision Zero, there have been 38 critical crashes in Arlington so far this year. Ten of those 38 crashes were crashes in which pedestrians were involved. Nine of those pedestrians suffered severe injuries, and one died.听听

鈥淭he code is kind of nuanced,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淏ut by stopping, drivers are making it less likely for a pedestrian to be hit.鈥�听

Dee Mots, who works in Arlington and is an Arlington resident, said she was not aware of the code change, but she thinks it is a good thing.听听

鈥淧eople here are very impatient, so I think the full stop would be more helpful than yielding,鈥� Mots said.听

Mots said some of her work clients have been struck by cars while riding their bikes, and she said she鈥檚 nearly been hit on her way to work.听听

鈥淚鈥檝e almost gotten hit before,鈥� Mots said. 鈥淚鈥檓 only focusing on the little man that says 鈥榳alk,鈥� I鈥檓 not really paying attention to cars, and I know that sounds bad.鈥�听

Another resident, Marcia Basler said she always fully stops for pedestrians, so she feels like she does not need to change her driving.听听

鈥淵ou really don鈥檛 need to have a big commotion about it,鈥� Basler said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure people get killed because they鈥檙e doing the wrong thing.鈥�听

AAA Mid-Atlantic agrees that the new code will improve pedestrian safety.听

鈥淰irginia鈥檚 new law is consistent with AAA鈥檚 position on pedestrian safety,鈥� said Ragina Cooper Ali, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson. 鈥淩equiring drivers to stop, not yield, for pedestrians in crosswalks or on a roadway approaching a crossing pedestrian, will help ensure adequate crossing protection.鈥澨�听

Savage from the police department said the only way a citation would be issued, however, is if a police officer directly sees a driver roll through a crosswalk with an approaching pedestrian.听Even then, Savage said a driver will not necessarily face a citation. 听

鈥淭hey could,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淎n officer still has discretion, and we do use other means, we do traffic stops, through education, through warnings, but they could be subject to a traffic citation.鈥�听

Attorney Taylor said even though a citation is not guaranteed, it is still the law.听听

鈥淭he way the law is interpreted to begin with–if you have the ability to see that pedestrian prior to hitting them–then you鈥檙e supposed to stop,鈥� Taylor said.听听

Traffic cameras?

Savage said the state law does not permit enforcement via traffic cameras for this offense, but Baker said it should.听听

鈥淢oving to enforcement by red light cameras and traffic cameras is critical to Vision Zero鈥檚 mission,鈥� Baker said.听

Enforcing these laws through police officers is not a guarantee that the law will be enforced, which is why Baker said Vision Zero is trying to update the code so that enforcing these laws by video camera is allowed.听

鈥淏y using traffic cameras, we aren鈥檛 trying to be like 鈥榞otcha,鈥� you know,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淲e just want to decrease police officer and driver interaction due to recent events.鈥�听

Baker said this is because Vision Zero wants to prevent potential conflicts between drivers and police officers so the code can be enforced peacefully.听

Baker said the state has been diligent about changing the code鈥檚 enforcement rules, so for now, the code will remain unchanged.听听

听While they wait, Vision Zero is striving to change signs that say 鈥測ield to pedestrians鈥� to 鈥渟top for pedestrians.鈥�听

Arlington鈥檚 Department of Environmental Services is collaborating with the Department of Transportation to put up the signs, according to Baker. The signs will be at crosswalks, reminding drivers of the fines associated with failing to completely stop for pedestrians. 听

The post Drivers in Arlington who fail to stop for pedestrians could face $500 fines first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

These signs are part of a larger effort to change the way the history of the house is presented, including seeking congressional approval to change the name of the former planation house so it is no longer memorializing Lee.

These changes are driven in part by Lee’s descendants as well as those who were enslaved by his family.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been my desire to pull together as much of our history as we can and to share that with the public,鈥� said Stephen Hammond, a descendant of one of the enslaved families.

sits on top of a hill in the middle of Arlington National Cemetery. Robert E. Lee and his wife lived in the house before the Civil War. While walking through the Arlington House, visitors might not realize that hundreds of slaves also worked and lived there.听

The house was built by George Washington Parke Custis, who was Martha Washington鈥檚 grandson and George Washington鈥檚 step-grandson. The couple raised Custis after his father died; he inherited the land that Arlington House sits on from Martha Washington’s family. Custis owned nearly 200 slaves, 63 of whom worked at Arlington House.

When Custis died, he left the mansion to his daughter, who was married to Lee. The property came with the enslaved people, who Lee forced to work for five years to pay off the Custis family debt.听

After Lee joined the rebellion against the United States, the U.S. army seized the property. The land around the Arlington House eventually became a military cemetery. The federal government purchased the house from the Lee family and made it a memorial for Lee in the 1950s.听

James 鈥淭y鈥� Seidule, author of 鈥淩obert E. Lee and Me鈥� and professor emeritus of history at West Point, said he believes Lee 鈥渃hose treason to preserve slavery.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 another enemy general in American history that killed more Union army soldiers than Lee,鈥� Seidule said.

Seidule also said that Lee was seen as a 鈥渃ruel enslaver.鈥�

鈥淟ee whipped enslaved people,鈥� Seidule said. 鈥淗e broke apart all slave families but one.鈥�

Currently, the historical plaques in the house, such as in the parlors and Lee鈥檚 office, only display the Lee family perspectives of what life was like at the house. The plaques leave out important slave experiences.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e done an amazing job with the talk of the lives of the enslaved where the slave quarters were, but in the big house, it鈥檚 almost like it鈥檚 still about the white family, even when there were so many enslaved people in there all the time,鈥� Seidule said.

Now, the National Park Service has taped laminated signs in the upper left hand corner of these plaques indicating that the plaques are 鈥渕issing important information.鈥�

Stephen Hammond is a descendant of the Syphax family, who were enslaved at the house. He said his branch of the family was enslaved at the Decatur House near the White House, but the two branches of the family kept in touch.

Hammond was visiting another NPS historical site when he noticed small laminated signs notifying the public of 鈥渕issing information.鈥� He said he thought this would be a good way of telling the public that changes were happening at Arlington House, so he notified Arlington House staff.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to take full credit for it,鈥� Hammond said. 鈥淭hey hadn鈥檛 done it before I suggested it. I鈥檒l just say maybe I was a catalyst.鈥�

The signs read, 鈥淭his panel is missing important information. Truthfully telling this history requires multiple perspectives. We are working on updating this sign in partnership with living descendants of the Branham, Custis, Gray, Henry, Lee, Parks and Syphax families.鈥�

Hammond said he and some of the Lee descendants feel it鈥檚 time the story of Arlington is more inclusive.

鈥淢y goal is to share the full Syphax story at Arlington House with the public. It鈥檚 kind of been overshadowed by the Robert E. Lee story, as have all the other descendants鈥�,鈥� Hammond said.

These racial inclusivity changes were facilitated prior to each family signing a contract that binds them to reshape how their family histories at Arlington House are presented to the public.

Each family has a connection to the Arlington House, whether that be through ancestors who were enslaved there, or who are descendants of Lee.听

The binding part of the contract reads that Arlington House will collaborate with the families to change how 鈥渄escendant family histories and legacies are presented to the public, how the national significance of Arlington House has changed and continues to change over time, and how management of Arlington House will be more accurate, inclusive, and holistic.鈥�

John W. McCaskill, a park ranger who works at the site, said when he first started working at Arlington House 17 months ago, he was asked to read all the historical plaques in the house and thought everything looked fine. Looking back at it, he said he realized 鈥渘ot everything was fine.鈥�

鈥淲e were wrong, and we realized we were wrong,鈥� McCaskill said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e going to make it right.鈥澨�

鈥淲hat we at Arlington House are deciding to do is to put the enslaved community up first,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淲ithout the slave community, you don鈥檛 have the Lees and Custis鈥� being able to do the things that they did.鈥�

Scott Hill, who is another park ranger at Arlington House, said the historical priorities of the house were out of order for years.

鈥淭he primary focus at Arlington House had been to talk about first off, Robert E. Lee, and secondarily the Custis鈥� and Lees who owned the property for 59 years,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淎nd then as a tertiary it was to talk about the enslaved community and that group of individuals.鈥�

Hill said changing the order of these priorities is how the NPS is moving toward a more inclusive way of interpreting the historic stories they are protecting throughout the US.

Glenda Mackulin, who was visiting Arlington National Cemetery from California, said she is glad the Arlington House is making these changes.

鈥淚 feel like all history needs to be recorded,鈥� Arlington House visitor Mackulin said. 鈥淲e might not agree with it, but it needs to be a dialogue.鈥�

Emily Rich, another visitor, said she felt the signs gave her a mission to educate herself more on enslaved people held at Arlington House.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important because we don鈥檛 know a whole lot about it,鈥� Rich said. 鈥淚t makes me want to go read more when I walk out.鈥�

Hill said the community at Arlington House wants to make sure every visitor sees themselves as 鈥減art of the history.鈥�

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 receive a lot of people of color visiting Arlington House because they never saw themselves as part of the story,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淲ell now they see themselves as part of the story.鈥�

McCaskill and Hill said not all visitors are happy to hear about these changes.

鈥淣ot everyone is going to agree with what we鈥檙e talking about,鈥� McCaskill said. 鈥淭he park service is trying to tell a more complete story. Some people just walk off.鈥�

McCaskill said there are over 100 inconsistencies that need to be addressed, which NPS is trying to do through the temporary laminated signs, and eventually, install permanent signs.听

鈥淚 hope it really brings to light that American history has left out significant portions of its stories in our telling before,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淲e have focused primarily on white, male, power individuals. We have left the people of color out.鈥�

Hill even said that his own perspective on racial inclusivity has changed.

鈥淚 grew up in a southern family in which the lost cause was very prevalent,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚t took me to get away from that area and away from that learning that I had been instilled with and learn different aspects of that conflict that I hadn鈥檛 known in the past.鈥�

鈥淲hat鈥檚 put in the books is not the whole story,鈥� McCaskill said.听

鈥淚t is our history, and it is our truth,鈥� Mackulin said. 鈥淯nderstand, learn and move forward.鈥�

Hammond said these changes to the information in the Arlington House is part of a bigger movement to change the name of the Arlington House: The Robert E. Lee Memorial to Arlington House: National Historic Site.

鈥淒on Beyer has introduced a House joint resolution and Tim Kaine has introduced a Senate joint resolution to modify or redesignate Arlington House,鈥� Hammond said.听

Hammond added that he and some other descendants have started a petition on change.org that allows the public to state their support for the name redesignation.

鈥淧eople outside of Virginia care about this,鈥� Hammond said. 鈥淭his is not just a local issue.鈥�

The already has about 3,100 signatures out of a 5,000 goal. There are signatures from all 50 states and from 9 or 10 other countries.

The post Changes coming to Lee Memorial to include the stories of the formerly enslaved first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The Water Park, located on Crystal Drive near 18th Street, is scheduled to open 11 new restaurants and small businesses serving cuisine such as coffee, ethnic food and ice cream. JBG Smith, the contractor for the Water Park, also built a fountain for children in the center of the park.听

Caleb Nelson, general manager of The Freshman Cocktail and Coffee bar, has been living across from the restaurant in National Landing for three and a half years.听

Although he鈥檚 only been a manager of the restaurant since May, he said the construction for the 鈥淲ater Park鈥� outdoor food venue has been negatively impacting the restaurant for over a year.听

Nelson said JBG Smith closed sidewalks that previously gave customers easy access to the bar, and gave him easy access to his apartment. According to Nelson, JBG Smith closed these sidewalks for at least a year.听

Nelson said he had to dangerously 鈥渃riss-cross鈥� the road to get to work and home, until JBG Smith finally reopened the sidewalk about a week ago.

Kelly Campbell, Operating Partner for the Water Park, said three businesses opened on Monday, and others are opening their doors periodically throughout the week as a 鈥渟oft opening.鈥�

鈥淭he target was to be open by earlier September, so certainly all the tenants have been really eager to get open,鈥� Campbell said.听

Campbell could not say if there were any construction problems that resulted in the grand opening delay. JBG Smith told 最新蜜桃影像 in an email that JBG Smith would share a press release 鈥渨hen ready.鈥�

There is also construction on two buildings across from Nelson鈥檚 bar. The sidewalks and right lane of the road are closed, including street parking.

Nelson said there are several competing commercial areas to Crystal City and National Landing around the D.C. metro area.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 harder to drive business in an area where there鈥檚 construction, when there鈥檚 all these other fully developed concepts and ideas right around the corner,鈥� Nelson said.

Nelson said The Freshman opened during the pandemic, which drove people away, and the construction is driving people away even more.

鈥淎s people got out of the constraints of Covid and got back into these busy areas, they weren鈥檛 itching to go where the construction was happening,鈥� Nelson said.

The Freshman is not the only local business impacted by the construction. Freddy Reyes, Manager at 鈥淲e, The Pizza,鈥� said the same traffic patterns Nelson described made commuting harder.听

鈥淚 remember when they had this thing going on where they blocked off part of the road and that makes traffic a little hectic around here,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 already hectic, and that just makes it a little more hectic.鈥�

Reyes said the construction, while bothersome, has actually escalated their business in shocking ways.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had more customers come in鈥ust more foot traffic in general,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淧eople who work on the site鈥hey come in and order big orders so it helps us out a lot.鈥�

Campbell said that he thinks the eleven new restaurants opening at the Water Park will certainly spark competition. However, he said with the increasing amount of residential units, office spaces, and people relocating to National Landing due to the new Amazon headquarters opening, the new businesses are necessary to support the growth.听

Despite competition and construction chaos, both Reyes and Nelson said they are optimistic for business in the future.

鈥淥nce the water park opens, I think it will draw more attention to The Freshman,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檒l see an uptick in business if anything.鈥�

The post Crystal City businesses remain optimistic despite construction first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The valves, located in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington, broke due to repairs to a water main break in a nearby location last night.

鈥淐rews were repairing a water main break nearby at 2410 14th St N yesterday evening. Upon completing the repair, the two valves broke nearby when we pressurized the main,鈥� said Katie O鈥橞rien, the communications manager for Arlington鈥檚 Department of Environmental Services.

O鈥橞rien said the valve repairs might impact around 100 residents.

The two broken valves 鈥� along with the now-repaired water main 鈥� are located in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington.听

Specifically, the valve repairs are at:

• 14th St N and N Adams Ct
• 13th Ct N and N Barton St

Arlington鈥檚 Department of Environmental Services tweeted an alert just after 2 pm today alerting residents to an emergency water main repair at the location.

Emergency Water Main Repairs: Crew working on 8-inch main at 2401 14th St N. Some 50 customers could be affected. Estimated time for completion: 12/9/2022 9:00 PM. Traffic diverted around work site. Questions: 703-228-6555.

鈥� Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES)

More than 60% of Arlington鈥檚 water mains are 50 years or older, according to the county鈥檚 website, making breaks in the pipes 鈥渦navoidable and unpredictable,鈥� according to the county.

One resident, Jackie Richardson, said she had trouble sleeping overnight as the crew worked to repair the water main break through the night.

鈥淚 mean, they鈥檙e working really hard,鈥� Richardson said of the crew working on completing the repairs.

Richardson, who has been a resident for 26 years, said her water had been turned off and on since the initial water main break was discovered yesterday around 5 pm.

Arlington County maintains a water main break of ongoing repairs and work completed within the last 30 days.

O鈥橞rien told 最新蜜桃影像 the repairs are expected to be completed around 9 pm tonight.

The post Water valve repairs in Arlington cause road closures Friday afternoon first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.