Clarendon Cycles

Clarendon Cycles: Rolling Through the Winter

Ride through the winter? Yes you can. Just be careful about it.

Icy roads and snowy paths. They’re not here yet, but they’re coming. We almost had them this past weekend. While riding in Arlington’s winter conditions does require a bit of extra effort and care, it’s still quite doable. There are plenty of great resources for learning more about winter riding. A couple of years ago I wrote about dealing with extended darkness, the potential for slick surfaces, and extra debris on the streets. The Washington Area Bike Forum continues to be a great place for Arlington-specific cold weather clothing and equipment advice. There’s plenty of discussion of the question of when to use studded tires (ice) or big knobby tires (snow) for the neophyte at the forums. I’m done belaboring the plowing issue — well, …

• Photos (3)

ICE: Arlington Can't Opt Out

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Arlington officials in a Friday meeting that Arlington County legally cannot opt out of their "Secure Communities" program

In a meeting with Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan, Police Chief Doug Scott and Sheriff Beth Arthur, federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials made clear that Arlington County cannot withdraw from the new "Secure Communities" program, according to a memo released by Donnellan's office this afternoon. Many human rights organizations have criticized the nationwide program, concerned that it could lead to racial profiling and fear of law enforcement. The "Secure Communities" program uses biometric identification technology to compare fingerprints of anyone arrested or detained for a criminal offense to a national database of illegal immigrants and criminal offenders. If the ICE technology identifies a match, it …

• Photos (1)