Catch phrase or punchline?
We had another handful of vendors show up at the site of the former Sunday market this morning looking to set up, only to be told the Clarendon Alliance and the Arlington County government has allowed the market to (for now) perish.
On the drive in this morning I noticed several of the many official County signs advertising the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, and the Courthouse Market on both Saturday and Sunday. The parking lot where the market was sited still has the no parking restrictions clearly marked on signage, and I watched many confused people pull in, read the signs, and then leave, despite the fact that (for now, at least) the parking lot is just that: a parking lot, like any other in the County.
In addition to the vendors, we had at least a dozen people, both regular market patrons and new faces, show up prior to ten o’clock looking for the market. When told of the meeting with Mary Hynes and Hunter Moore (of Economic Development, ironically) where they effectively axed the market at the fifty-eight minute mark of an hour long meeting, one week before the last regular supported market date, they were as incredulous as we had been at the meeting.
“They told you one week before canceling the market?” one regular asked. “Aren’t they supposed to be trying to revitalize the ‘urban village’ in this area?”
It’s troubling and more than a little sad that the County’s own catch phrase for it’s stated intentions for programs like the market has become a bitter punchline to the realities of their actions.
For those folks who asked this morning, and for the others who have asked in the weeks since we first heard the news, here is the contact information for the various members of the County government.
The general number for the County Board is 703-228-3130. We recommend asking to speak with Mary Hynes, as she has been appointed the liaison between the community and the various people behind the Courthouse markets. You may also want to ask to speak to Jay Fisette, as he has been involved in some capacity in efforts to preserve this market. Of course, if you are more familiar with Chairman Barbara Favola, Walter Tejada, or Chris Zimmerman, it would certainly be appropriate to direct your questions and concerns to those county board members as well.
If you are referred to the Clarendon Alliance by either Lourdes Sanchez, who mostly commonly answers the main county phone number, by any of the board member’s assistants, or by the board members themselves, I strongly urge you to protect your rights and “politely but firmly” insist on speaking to the board member of your choice about the market, especially if you are a resident and taxpayer of Arlington County.
Our most recent email exchange with Mary Hynes ended with words to the effect that “any further business should be directed to the Clarendon Alliance,” which is an organization I believe the vendors would be unanimous in their disapproval of.
We have been trying to work with Susan Anderson, Executive Director of the Clarendon Alliance, and Greg Cahill, President of the Alliance (and owner of several Arlington restaurants, including Whitlow’s on Wilson) for the better part of a year. In my opinion, the Clarendon Alliance will not or cannot address the concerns of the Arlington communities they are supposed to be serving—in any event, they certainly do not address concerns put to them by members of of the market community, as the many unanswered calls and emails we have experienced attest to.
Again, if your experience or opinion differs, or if you are a member of the county government or Clarendon Alliance, I invite you to share your opinion or offer a rebuttal on this website.
You may also wish to call County Manager Ron Carlee at 703-228-3120 and express your feelings about the cancellation of the Sunday market—and again, “politely but firmly” refuse any diversionary efforts on behalf of Ron or his staff. I have tried three times to schedule an appointment with Ron Carlee, and have been refused all three times—maybe you’ll have better luck.
As the County Manager, Ron “ensures high quality services, with outstanding customer service, at a good value to taxpayers; fosters economic and fiscal sustainability; and enhances Arlington’s reputation as a high performing, learning, caring organization that operates in a manner consistent with its mission and values,” at least according the county’s own website. The fact that the Clarendon Alliance, a taxpayer-funded nonprofit organization, decides at apparently a moment’s notice to cancel a market they were charged with promoting and advertising because it is unprofitable is an issue I think the County Manager should be more concerned with. Mr. Carlee’s own thoughts on ethics in local government would certainly lead the average citizen to think so. I’ll post more on that soon.
I can’t, in good faith, recommend contacting the Clarendon Alliance, as they have simply not illustrated an ability or desire to address concerns of the community or the vendors of the markets they have been given authority over (and, again, taxpayer funds to support). If you wish to contact them, you may wish to speak to Greg Cahill, President of the Alliance, rather than Executive Director Susan Anderson. As Cahill is a business owner in Arlington who relies in some part on his reputation, he may be more interested in responding to your concerns. You can reach the Clarendon Alliance at 703-812-8881, and you may be able to reach Greg Cahill at Whitlow’s on Wilson, at 703-276-9693.
Though in my personal experience, Hunter Moore has been the opposite of helpful, you may want to contact him through the Arlington office of Economic Development at 703-228-0834. He may be more inclined to be polite to members of the general community.
And again—I cannot stress this enough—if Susan Anderson, Greg Cahill, Hunter Moore or any member of the County Government would like to respond in this space, they are more than welcome to do so.
I’ll continue to update the site what whatever news I can, but if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, I encourage feedback and contact.
