🛝CANNONBALL!☀️ Summer Camp Spots Are Going Fast—Dive In Now!

It's Tuesday, Arlington.
Let's pop into the good stuff!

☕️ Good morning, Arlington. Some good news—Staten Island Chuck, the most accurate groundhog, predicts an early spring!

👀 In today’s bubble:

• Hall of Fame Honors: W-L Inducts Six Legendary Athletes

• Sizzling in the Kitchen: Learn to Cook Seafood Paella

• Clear the Way: Arlington Urges Neighbors to Shovel After Snowstorms

But first, we begin with…a big arrival at an Oregon Zoo…

After a 20-month pregnancy, Rose-Tu, a 30-year-old elephant, gave birth to a healthy baby girl at the Oregon Zoo this weekend! The newborn was standing within 15 minutes and has been bonding with her mom behind the scenes. The calf’s public debut will come soon, but for now, she’s enjoying time with mom.

📰 News Bites 
Quick local updates

👏 Big win for Kitchen of Purpose: The Arlington non-profit, founded by Amira Abdalla, was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Arlington Community Foundation. The funds will support KoP's vital work providing free meals to those facing food insecurity and job training programs for unemployed immigrants and refugees in the community. Congrats to Amira and the entire KoP team on this well-deserved recognition of their impactful mission! 

🏆️ Exciting news from Washington-Liberty High School: Six stellar alumni athletes were inducted into the W-L Athletic Hall of Fame. The W-L HOF now boasts 60+ incredible inductees! The new honorees are:

• Catherine (Proctor) Coffman ('81) - Crew, swimming, track & field 🚣‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏃‍♀️

• Melba Griffin Martin ('66) - Water polo 🤽‍♀️

• Maycol Nunez ('16) - Boys soccer ⚽, all-time scoring leader

• Dan Pototsky ('77) - Baseball ⚾, all-state player & longtime W-L coach

• Julio Rivas ('98) - Baseball ⚾

• Manny Rivas ('95) - Baseball ⚾

🎮 Leveling Up Emergency Preparedness with AI: Arlington County is gaming the system—in a good way! Partnering with George Mason University, they developed AI-powered training games, Go-Repair and Go-Rescue, to help emergency responders sharpen their decision-making skills. The best part? Real-time feedback, zero real-world risks. Game on, Arlington!

🌨️ Clear the Way, the Arlington Way: The County Board needs YOU, mighty Arlington shoveler! With more winter storms on the way, the County Board is urging residents to embrace the spirit of neighborly kindness. They're asking everyone to pitch in and help clear sidewalks, walkways & curb ramps after snowfall. The goal? Ensuring our community stays safe and accessible for pedestrians, folks with disabilities, and public transit users. Let's dig deep and show that famous Arlington community spirit! 

🍿 What’s Popping?
What’s Happenin’ in the ARL

🇪🇸 🦐 Ready to spice up your culinary game? Join Cookology's hands-on "How To Tuesday" class on Feb. 4 and learn to whip up a mouthwatering seafood paella. Under the guidance of their expert chef, you'll master the art of cooking this iconic Spanish dish from scratch. Savor the flavors, make new foodie friends, and enjoy your own paella creation at the end!

🧠 Calling all trivia buffs: Punch Bowl Social Arlington is hosting Trivia Tuesdays at 7pm in their Record Room. Round up your crew for pub grub, stiff drinks, and brain-busting questions. Oh, and free chips & salsa, too.

🧸 For the Kiddos
Snacks & Naps

⛹️‍♀️ Spring 2025 Basketball Tryouts: The Virginia Hurricanes and Virginia Cyclones basketball clubs are gearing up for Spring 2025 select team tryouts in Arlington! Open to both boys and girls, these competitive teams will hit the courts this season.

Tryouts begin this weekend – pre-registration is required!
Fee: $30 (payable at registration)
Players must attend all tryout sessions for their age group
Bring a basketball and water

📍 Register Now:
👉 Hurricanes Tryouts
👉 Cyclones Tryouts

🎭 Lights, camera, action: Encore Stage & Studio's award-winning summer camps are back, with an extended early bird deal through Feb 5! Kids ages 3-15 can dive into the magical world of theater, exploring themes like Broadway, costumes, improv & more. From creative play for tiny thespians to immersive experiences for aspiring pros, there's a camp for every budding star. Register now & get an exclusive BOGO ticket offer to see Encore's upcoming shows. Don't miss out on this chance to ignite your child's passion for the performing arts.

🎨 Calling all creative kiddos: MoCA Arlington's summer camps are now open for registration, and they're bursting with artistic adventure! With programs for ages 5-18, campers will dive into a world of 2D & 3D media, contemporary art, and exciting new techniques. Plus, they'll get to explore the museum's galleries or create in Marymount University's studios. From half-day to full-day options and complimentary before & after care, MoCA's got your family covered. Don't wait - sign up now and let your child's imagination soar this summer! 

Bubble Up Your Brand! 🚀 Local biz, meet your new megaphone. The Arlington Bubble is ready to blast your message to hungry readers. Small space, big impact. Advertise now before we pop! 💥 If you’re interested, reach out to us at [email protected]

🫖 Spill the Tea
Share your POV

👋 One Last Thing
Before we forget

📅 Arlington's Electoral Board is meeting on Feb 7 to tackle key issues like new voting systems, post-election processes & budget planning. Stay informed, voters! 

🙏 Thanks for reading!

🥟 The results are in: and it’s a landslide! 100% of respondents crowned Tiger Dumplings as Arlington’s ultimate dumpling champion.

💃 Keep up with us @arlbubble on IG. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] 

Have a great day, Arlingtonians!