Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-19
Arlington Asks
Qualification
OF Blue Laws
Survey Reveals
203 Businesses
Open on Sunday

ZUS DuSlHSSSeS
Open on Sunday
BY PAUL HOPE
star staff Writer
The Arlington County Board
yesterday asked for State clari-
fication of Virginia's blue law"
which prohibits non-essential
work on Sunday. /
The boards action followed
a strong protest from the
County Council of Churches
that many Arlington businesses
are being operated on Sunday
in violation of the law.
State law makes it illegal to
work on Sunday except in
household tasks or "other work
of necessity or charity" The
law exempts gasoline stations
and movies.
2O3 Operating
County Manager A. T. Lund-
berg told the board yesterday
that 203 businesses were oper-
ating on Sunday, July II, &C
cording to a survey made by
the police department. The
survey was made following. the
complaint from the church
group. Among the businesses
were drugstores, delicateSSens,
grocery stores, ice cream stands,
laundries. movies, restaurants,
real estate offices, pool halls,
used car lots, and an antique
shop.
OfticialS said the problem of
enforcement is deciding what
constitutes a necessity" Mr.. |
Lundberg suggested that the
county board adopt a local
ordinance which would spell out
what businesses are considered
necessary.
You would have to be a SOL
ONION to determine what is
necessity among these 203 busi-
nesSes on the list" said Leo
Urbanske. jr.
1T would be nice to have a
respite from the fervid COM
mercialism of the rest of the
week, but how do we make a
determination of what is a re-
ceSslty?" asked Herbert L.
Brown. Il don't feel 1 have the
wisdom to make this kind of
judgment"
Diaper Problem
Mr.. Brown said that a
mother who works during the
week and has "140 diapers to /
wash on Sunday" probably /
would consider a laundromat
a necessity, but maybe some
one else would not.
On Mr.. Browns recommen-
datlon the board asked the
State legislature to clarity the
law.
The board also voted to set !
up a citizens committee to (
make recommendations on /
what types of businesses might /
be considered necessities for a
possible local ordinance. DR.. |
Lucas H. Blevins, who sug-
gested the committee, onted
that the number of businesses
open on Sunday has almost
doubled from a survey taken
little more than a year ago.
In another action, the board
said it would adopt a compul-
sorry school attendance law be-
fore the fall term begins. The
board instructed the Common
wealth's Attorney to prepare
the ordinance for public
hearing which probably will be
held next month.
Although the ordinance can
not be adopted legally until
after the public hearing, the
five board members made it
clear they intend to enact it.
The attendance law was rec
commended by the County
School Board.
Up to Boards
Virginia's Statewide COM
pulSory attendance law has
been repealed, but local gov
erning bodies are permitted to
adopt such laws on recommend
alton of the local school board.
Fairfax County has scheduled
a public hearing September 2
on a compulsory attendance
law, but the Alexandria School
Board last week failed to rec
ommend one.
The Arlington board also APP
proved a rezoning for a S. mil
lion, Seven-Story office building
adjacent to Arlington Towers
Apartments.
The building, rs feet tall, will
be constructed by the owners
OF the apartments. 1t will be
located on a city block on Lynn
street across from the apart
ment developments existing
commercial area.
The board also authorized
preparation of plans for sew
eral library branches, and spe-
Gifted that one for the Cherry
dale area be expedited. The
Cherrydale library, now housed
in an old frame building, is
scheduled to be torn down in
a bodybuilding program, and
and about so residents yester-
day protested any interruption
in library service.
In other action the board:
Asked the State to ban bill
boards from interstate high
ways. The action was recon-
mended for safety and scenic
reasons by the Northern Vir-
GINA Advisory Committee of
the American Automobile Assn