News

The Arlington County Fire Department has a new plan for the next five years centered on recruitment, retention and employee wellbeing.

ACFD’s first-ever strategic plan, released earlier this month, is part of an effort to refocus the department around core values. Based on community and employee concerns about staffing, health and workplace culture, the agency developed the document to solve problems and improve existing systems.


Sponsored

Cleaning out her grandmother’s home, Ellen Rabinowitz discovers a mysterious photograph of a soldier, tucked away in a box of keepsakes. And so begins this sweeping, heartfelt musical about one woman’s journey to unearth the secrets buried in her family’s past. Spanning three generations, “Unknown Soldier” unravels a delicate tangle of family lore, as Ellen chases the extraordinary story that unlocks her history—and charts her future.

“Unknown Soldier” has a book by Daniel Goldstein (Broadway’s “Godspell”), music by the late Michael Friedman (“Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”), and lyrics by Goldstein and Friedman. The Arena Stage production is directed by Trip Cullman (Broadway’s “The Rose Tattoo”) and stars Kerstin Anderson (Broadway’s “My Fair Lady”), Riglee Ruth Bryson (“Annie” North American Tour), Adam Chanler-Berat (Broadway’s “Next to Normal”), Lora Lee Gayer (Broadway’s “Holiday Inn”), Nehal Joshi (Broadway’s “The Phantom of the Opera”), Perry Sherman (Broadway’s “Fun Home”), and four-time Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn (Broadway’s “Les Misérables”).

The musical has been hailed as “COMPELLING…a romantic mystery spanning almost a century” by The Washington Post, “GORGEOUS…ENGAGING…SIMPLY MAGICAL…a fascinating exploration of memory, love, and loss” by BroadwayWorld, and “MOVING…ENTHRALLING…EVOCATIVE…the memory musical unfolds with the delicacy of an heirloom music box” by DC Theater Arts.

“Unknown Soldier” plays at Arena Stage through May 5. Get tickets at arenastage.org/soldier.


Announcement

Sleepy Hollow Preschool is a part-time, cooperative preschool with exceptional teachers and low adult-child ratios. Come see our vast natural playground and meet our welcoming staff and families. Since 1949, children from all over Northern Virginia have been learning through play at Sleepy Hollow Preschool. Check us out!

-See school in action→https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMNsBZDZIhk


Around Town

The Jimmy John’s in Clarendon appears to have closed, perhaps for good.

Situated at 1138 N. Irving Street, around the corner from O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub, the fast-casual sandwich chain first opened in 2014 underneath The Beacon Clarendon apartment complex.


News

An extended day employee at a local elementary school allegedly showed porn to kids.

The 18-year-old man from Fairfax County was arrested and is facing several charges, including possession of child pornography, Arlington County police announced Friday morning. Investigators are now seeking additional victims, beyond the three already identified.


News

Arlington County police will be stepping up traffic enforcement over the next few weeks as part of the annual spring Street Smart campaign.

The regional road safety initiative aims to remind drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike to pay attention and follow traffic laws. It runs through May 19 and will include two high-profile enforcement events in Arlington, starting this coming Monday.


News

Local School Holds Caps Rally — “It was all about the Washington Capitals at Cardinal Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, when the school held an hourlong pep rally for the Caps, complete with cheers, hockey lessons from Caps staff and a visit from mascot Slapshot.” [WTOP]

County Looks to the Future — “The future is now, at least based on the responses received to date as part of the Arlington County government’s ‘Arlington 2050’ planning initiative. As part of the initiative to plan for what the county might be in a quarter-century’s time, residents have been asked to fill out ‘postcards from the future,’ telling Arlington leaders of 2024 what they’d like the community to look like.” [Gazette Leader]


Around Town

A “waterless” nail studio and an “athletic country club” in Clarendon are two examples of how the neighborhood has been evolving into a hub for self care and wellness.

Keen Self-Care, the studio, and Life Time, the athletic center, offer a fresh approach to both beauty and fitness. Life Time offers a range of amenities like coworking in addition to its workout area, seeking to cater to the many different ways people approach wellness.