The Arlington Bubble
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🌷 Spring Sneak Peek! 🌸

🌷 Spring Sneak Peek! 🌸

Plus: 🐶 Special Treats for Pups

February 28, 2025

Happy Friday!
Let's pop into the good stuff.

☕️ Rise and shine, Arlingtonians! Warmer-than-average temps mean cherry blossoms are set to peak early—March 23-27! That’s five days ahead of normal, though not as early as last year’s March 17 bloom. Spring’s biggest show is almost here! 🌸

👀 In today’s bubble:

📚 A New Chapter: There’s more brewing for local readers.
💰 Big Budget Moves: Arlington’s proposed $1.7B budget.
🐕️ Meet Bolt: This shy but lovable pup is looking for a forever home!

Your Arlington cheat sheet starts now ⬇️

🎶 But first, we begin with Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and Arlington native, who passed away at 88. Flack, who grew up in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood, blended jazz, soul, and R&B, creating hits like Killing Me Softly and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. 🙏

📰 News Bites
Quick local updates

🏠 Arlington’s Queen City: A Lost Community Remembered. The thriving Black neighborhood Queen City was demolished in 1942 for Pentagon expansion. The Black Heritage Museum preserves its legacy today.

📚 Clarendon Barnes & Noble Temporarily Closing. The bookstore closes May 23 for renovations, offering 25% off sales, and reopens in 2026 above Three Notch’d Brewing Company.

🌳 Nominate a Park Champion for the 2024 Bill Thomas Award! Recognize someone enhancing ARL’s parks and public spaces—nominations open through March 2!

🎓 Apply for the Chu and Piper Family Career & Technical Education Award by March 3. Recent high school graduates and non-traditional students can receive up to $20,000 for high-growth career programs like IT, healthcare, and trades.

💰 ARL’s $1.7B Budget Proposal Includes Meals Tax Hike, School Funding Adjustments. The proposal keeps property tax rates flat, raises meals tax to 5%, and boosts school funding by $22.6M. Public hearings begin in March, with final approval in April.

🚨 APS Proposes Cutting Integration Station Program. The budget proposal could shutter Integration Station, worrying parents about reversing progress for students with disabilities.

🚏 Courthouse Plaza Mobility Hub Design Underway. ARL is developing a new concept design to enhance transportation connections, improve transfers, and integrate mobility hub elements. Share your feedback on the design by March 2.

🍸 Luna Bar Bringing East Asian-Inspired Cocktails and Snacks to Ballston. Opening in April, Luna Bar will serve yuzu and lychee cocktails, beer, and fried snacks near Dumpling District.

🐶 Pet of the Week
Because…awwwww…

⚡ Meet Bolt: A Shy but Loving Pup Ready to Shine! Bolt may be a little nervous at first, but beneath his shy exterior is a gentle heart full of love. With patience and care, he’ll blossom into a loyal and affectionate companion who will always be by your side.

This smart, playful pup loves toys, tennis balls, and walks, and while he has fun energy, he’s also house-trained and great at entertaining himself. He’ll be your faithful shadow, always wanting to keep you company.

🏡 Could Bolt be your perfect match? Email [email protected] to arrange a virtual meet & greet and learn more about this sweet boy!

🥳 This Weekend in Arlington
Weekend Happenings

Today 🌇

🛍️ Community Day! Enjoy local treats, discounts, and giveaways at @covet_arlington with delicious goodies from @villagesweetbakery & @urbanfarmhouse.

🍷 $5 Friday Wine Classes at Pentagon City Wine Merchant. Drop in to sip, learn, and explore new wines weekly. No registration needed!

🎭 Chalice Theatre Presents Once Upon a Mattress. Enjoy a humorous, multigenerational twist on The Princess and the Pea. Shows run Feb. 28 – March 15.

Saturday 🪩

🎬 Majority Rules Screening with Veterans for All Voters & NOVA Forward. Explore Alaska’s ranked-choice voting experiment and its impact on American democracy in this compelling documentary. 10 AM.

🧘‍♀️ Yoga in the Galleries. Flow through a creative, uplifting yoga session in the Tiffany Gallery, followed by journaling or meditation. 11 AM.

🌀 Taoist Qi Gong for Embodiment & Self-Love. Join Jess at The Teal Center to explore movement, breath, and energy release for holistic well-being. 11 AM – 12:30 PM.

🐶 Hibachi for Your Doggie at Bronson Bierhall. Treat your pup to fresh, hibachi-style meals at this special event featuring Bogey’s Mix. 2 PM.

☕ Hot Chocolate Party at ARL Libraries. Celebrate Winter Reading with games and hot chocolate for all ages—bring your favorite mug! 2–4 PM.

🎨 Clay + Persimmon with Adele 이슬 Kenworthy. Explore memory, preservation, and matrescence through clay, persimmons, and NFC tags in this hands-on workshop at MoCA. 1–3 PM.

Sunday 💫

🌿 Family Constellations Workshop with Yulia Ilchyk. Join The Teal Center to explore ancestral healing and inherited patterns for personal transformation and emotional growth. 9 AM – 2 PM.

🧹Columbia Pike Cleanup. Join volunteers at Pike Park at 11 AM to clean up the neighborhood, then gather at Lost Dog Café.

🎬 DC Film Society’s 32nd Annual Oscars Watch Party. Watch the Oscars live on the big screen at Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse! Doors open 6 PM.

📣 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]

Know a great local music venue? Share your picks at [email protected]—we love featuring your Arlington favorites!

🙏 Thanks for reading!

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

Have a great day, Arlingtonians!