Author: ARLnow.com

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rain in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

No School Board Candidate Kickoffs — “Voters hoping to get a jump-start on evaluating the three Democrats vying for Arlington School Board will have to wait a month. None of the three – Angelo Cocchiaro, Erin Freas-Smith and Miranda Turner – delivered kickoff remarks at the March 1 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. Cocchiaro had planned to, but contracted COVID, party chair Steve Baker told the assembled rank-and-file. Kickoffs can be expected at the April meeting, sending the race into a five-week sprint before voting in the Democratic caucus takes place.” [Gazette Leader]

County Mulls Future of Libraries — “With its newly renovated Courthouse library branch scheduled to open later this month and firm plans in place for a new full-service library to open in Crystal City in 2025, Arlington County now wants to take a look at the overall direction and vision of the county library system that could guide the library’s growth over the next few decades.” [Patch]

Honor for Deputy Fire Chief — “Tiffanye Wesley, Deputy Fire Chief of the Arlington County Fire Department, has been accepted into the Fire Service Executive Development Institute of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Deputy Chief Wesley competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country and Canada to become a member of the 2023 cohort program…  It was created and implemented by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring fire chiefs the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures.” [Arlington County]

ISP Keeps But Downsizes Local Office — “Allied Telecom Group, an internet service provider, has renewed a 15,000-square-foot lease at 1400 Crystal Drive, a 308,000-square-foot office building in Arlington, Va., Commercial Observer has learned.  The company, which has been at the property for nearly 10 years, downsized its space by 10,000 square feet.” [Commercial Observer]

Stomach Bug Poses Threat — “Public health officials are monitoring an increase in extensively drug-resistant Shigella infections that can cause severe bouts with inflammatory diarrhea. The bacteria is easily spread, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking health care providers in Virginia and other states to report cases to local or state health departments. The stomach bug, which causes the diarrheal condition known as shigellosis, poses a ‘serious public health threat,’ the CDC said in a public health alert.” [Patch]

It’s Friday — Rain and gusty wind throughout the day. High of 55 and low of 38. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 6:04 pm. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Mar 2, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 6750 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Mar 2, 2023.

  1. Mail delivery issues continue to plague 22204 zip code, but relief may be the horizon
  2. GW Parkway to again close for removal of wrecked car near river
  3. Morning Notes
  4. NEW: Vehicle overturns on N. Glebe Road ramp

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☔ Friday’s forecast

Rain throughout the day. High of 59 and low of 42. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 6:04 pm. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Thought of the Day

You will soon receive an unexpected gift.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Most and least expensive homes sold in Arlington (Feb-Mar 2023)

By ARLnow.com

This past week saw 42 homes sold in Arlington.

The least expensive condo, single-family home or townhouse sale over the past seven days was $190,000 while the most expensive was $2,625,000.

Over the past month, meanwhile, a total of 50 single-family homes were sold. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive homes sold over the past month.

Most expensive homes sold

  1. 2545 N Ridgeview Road — $4,250,000 (6 Beds | 7.5 Baths | 6,434 SQ FT)
  2. 2925 1st Street N — $2,685,000 (6 Beds | 6.5 Baths | 6,397 SQ FT)
  3. 3828 20th Street N — $2,650,000 (6 Beds | 5.5 Baths | 6,381 SQ FT)
  4. 719 N Jackson Street — $2,468,000 (5 Beds | 4.5 Baths | 5,140 SQ FT)
  5. 6708 31st Street N — $2,412,500 (6 Beds | 6.5 Baths | 6,533 SQ FT)

Least expensive homes sold

  1. 1040 S Emerson Street — $603,300 (3 Beds | 1 Bath | 1,192 SQ FT)
  2. 2520 5th Street S — $610,000 (3 Beds | 1 Bath | 1,232 SQ FT)
  3. 3700 8th Street S — $762,925 (3 Beds | 3 Baths | 1,950 SQ FT)

NEW: Vehicle overturns on N. Glebe Road ramp

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A driver ran off the road and into the woods along the ramp from N. Glebe Road to Military Road during this evening’s commute.

The crash was reported shortly after 5:15 p.m., just up the hill from Chain Bridge. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, which ended up on its side, was reportedly able to crawl out.

The ramp is expected to remain closed pending the vehicle being removed from the woodline.

No significant injuries have been reported.

GW Parkway to again close for removal of wrecked car near river

By ARLnow.com
1/2

The northbound lanes of the GW Parkway will be closed this Sunday between Spout Run in Arlington and Chain Bridge Road in McLean.

The closure, from about 6 a.m.-4 p.m., is for the removal of “an abandoned vehicle that is below the road near the Potomac River.”

From the National Park Service:

On Sunday, March 5, 2023, the National Park Service (NPS) will close both northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to remove an abandoned vehicle that is below the road near the Potomac River. The NPS expects to close the lanes between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Spout Run Parkway to Chain Bridge Road, VA 123. The southbound lanes will remain open. The NPS will also temporarily close parts of the Potomac Heritage Trail near the vehicle for up to half an hour at a time while the work is happening.

The abandoned vehicle is located below the parkway next to the Potomac River near Donaldson Run. The car left the road during a snowstorm in January of 2022. The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash and rescue happened during snowy conditions on Jan. 3, 2022.

“The driver — the only occupant of the vehicle — was trapped inside the car and suspended upside down, with a broken arm and leg, according to initial reports,” ARLnow reported at the time. “After being extricated from the vehicle, the man is now being brought to a waiting ambulance at Columbia Island Marina via D.C. fire boat.”

This is not the first time in recent memory such a closure of the Parkway has been planned. Indeed, drivers have been running down the Parkway’s steep embankments with some regularity, posing logistical challenges for the Park Service.

In March 2021, a portion of the GW Parkway was closed over the weekend as crews remove two vehicles that ran down embankments and crashed near the river.

Other such crashes since the start of 2021 include:

The northern portion of the Parkway, where many of the crashes have taken place, is in line for a significant rehabilitation project. As we previously reported:

For the first time since it was built in the early 1960s, the northern section of the GW Parkway will be getting a major overhaul.

The National Park Service announced yesterday that it had awarded a $161 million contract to rehabilitate the Parkway from Spout Run in Arlington to the Capital Beltway in McLean. After a design process in 2022, construction is expected to take place between 2023 and 2025.

Drivers are being cautioned that there will be traffic impacts during construction.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) touted the project in a statement, saying such work is overdue. This stretch of the Parkway has had to close at least three times over the past seven years due to sinkholes.

The Park Service, in today’s press release, noted that the Parkway has turned into a major commuter and travel artery, after first being envisioned as a scenic parkway.

The George Washington Memorial Parkway is a scenic roadway and memorial to the first president of the United States. When the NPS completed the northern part of the parkway in 1962, the NPS used the most up-to-date road engineering methods by integrating a wide, gently curving roadway with a grassy median, low stone guide walls and soaring steel-and-concrete arched bridges. Today the George Washington Memorial Parkway facilitates travel for more than 33 million vehicles per year, with the northern section seeing the heaviest traffic of about 85,000 daily users.

As a critical link in the national capital region’s transportation network, closing the parkway is never a decision the NPS makes lightly.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A balloon “S,” attached to a “G” (not pictured), floats away after a confrontation with an angry pedestrian along Wilson Blvd. in Ballston. Sweetgreen recently reopened after a remodel (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New County Board Candidate — Updated at 7:45 a.m. — “The March 1 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting brought a sixth candidate for County Board into the mix. Susan Cunningham launched her bid for the Democratic nomination, saying she would provide common-sense leadership. She also attacked the county government’s Missing Middle housing proposal as ill-conceived and not fleshed out.” [Gazette Leader]

Marymount Donation for Renovation — “Marymount University said it plans to renovate a historic building that’s sat empty in recent years into a new campus center… A $2.8 million gift from the Reinsch Pierce Family Foundation is fully funding the new, 6,240-square-foot Reinsch Pierce Family Campus Hub, a university spokesman said. It will house a Barnes & Noble student bookstore, a “spirit shop” with university merchandise, Lola’s Café and space for faculty, students and visitors.” [Washington Business Journal]

GMU Construction on Pace — “Construction continues on a centerpiece building for George Mason University’s Arlington campus in Virginia Square. Hundreds of Clark Construction workers and subcontractors are toiling away and progress is being made on ‘Fuse,’ the name of the 345,000-square-foot building that will provide a home for both university programs and private-sector partners. The building, located along North Fairfax Drive, is set for topping-out around September, with industry tenants moving in beginning in the summer of 2024 and the university starting to occupy its space the following spring.” [Gazette Leader]

Arlington Resident’s Cancer Battle — “Sarah Zoeller has spent the past 18 months treasuring every day while at the same time eagerly looking forward to starting the next chapter of her life–one that ideally doesn’t include hospital rooms or medical procedures. In September 2021, Zoeller, 49, who lives in Virginia with her husband and two teenage children, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.” [Parade]

New Paper Sponsoring Award — “The GazetteLeader has been tapped as the new sponsor of the highest honor in Arlington civic activism. The ‘GazetteLeader Cup’ will be the new name of the annual award presented by the Arlington County Civic Federation… The honor was known as the Evening Star Cup from 1938-81, the Journal Cup from 1982-2004 and the Sun Gazette Cup from 2004-22.” [Gazette Leader]

Neighborhood College Applications Open — “This spring, Arlington County will offer its first hybrid in-person and virtual Neighborhood College experience featuring new opportunities to tour County facilities and interact with staff. Applications for the spring session are due by Friday, March 24, 2023. The Neighborhood College program is geared toward Arlingtonians who want to become more involved in their neighborhood and countywide interests.” [Arlington County]

It’s Thursday — Light rain in the morning, then remaining cloudy but mild. High of 64 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:41 am and sunset at 6:03 pm. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Mar 1, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Today we published articles that were read a total of 16031 times… so far.

📈 Top stories

The following are the most-read articles for today — Mar 1, 2023.

  1. JUST IN: Police on scene of near-fatal teen overdose in Ballston
  2. The Lot in Clarendon begins its long goodbye with big events before redevelopment begins
  3. Tuna Restaurant in Cherrydale is for sale, just months after opening
  4. Morning Notes

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☔ Thursday’s forecast

Possible light rain in the morning. High of 63 and low of 42. Sunrise at 6:41 am and sunset at 6:03 pm. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Thought of the Day

“Wednesday is a day to help others celebrate life.” – Unknown

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

JUST IN: Police on scene of near-fatal teen overdose in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington County police and medics responded to a near-fatal opioid overdose in the Ballston mall parking garage this afternoon.

The initial dispatch went out shortly before 1:30 p.m. for a possible cardiac arrest with CPR in progress after an overdose, inside the county-owned public parking garage. A group of teens was found near the mall elevators on the 6th floor of the garage.

First responders administered the overdose reversal medication Narcan to two people with suspected overdoses and reported that the person initially said to be in cardiac arrest had a pulse but was unconscious, according to scanner traffic.

The fire department established an incident command at the garage and ended up transporting three people to a local hospital via ambulance.

Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirmed to ARLnow that those involved were juveniles.

“At approximately 1:24 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of possible overdose in the 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard involving three juveniles,” Savage said. “First responders administered NARCAN on two of the juveniles which resulted in positive responses. The three juveniles were transported to an area hospital. The investigation is ongoing.”

A similar incident was reported at the parking garage last week, on a Tuesdy morning.

A group of highly intoxicated teens required medical attention in a stairwell, not far from the entrance to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

“At approximately 9:33 a.m., police were dispatched to the 600 block of N. Glebe Road for the report of a Drunk in Public,” Savage said at the time. “Upon arrival, six juveniles showing signs of intoxication were located inside a stairwell of a commercial building. Out of an abundance of caution, they were transported to an area hospital for evaluation. The investigation is ongoing.”

ARLnow did not previously report on the alcohol incident. Between then and now, a police source confirmed to an ARLnow reporter that the juveniles were students at nearby Washington-Liberty High School and were skipping class.

Savage said it was not immediately clear whether today’s incident involved the same group.

“As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives will work to determine if this incident is related to any other reported incidents,” she said.

Today’s overdoses follow several involving students on and off school grounds since the start of December’s holiday break, part of an ongoing opioid epidemic at Arlington’s public schools.

At least three have occurred on school grounds so far this year, including a fatal overdose at Wakefield High School on Jan. 31. That has led to calls for various changes at APS by teachers, parents and School Board members.

Tuna Restaurant in Cherrydale is for sale, just months after opening

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Tuna Restaurant in Cherrydale is on the market, one of several Arlington restaurants publicly listed for sale.

The restaurant at 3813 Langston Blvd, serving Laotian and Japanese cuisine, opened in September after taking over the former space of Maneki Neko Express.

First-time restaurant owner Sak Vong expressed to ARLnow at the time high hopes for the revitalization of the Cherrydale neighborhood, which had just seen the closure of the well-regarded Gaijin Ramen Shop across the street.

Vong told ARLnow last week that he is selling because of a “new business opportunity overseas.”

The listing for Tuna on a business brokerage website says it’s bringing in more than $40,000 per month, has positive diner reviews, and has “plenty of room to grow.” The new owners would be able to retain the staff of six, says the listing, which comes with a $195,000 asking price. The restaurant’s lease reportedly runs through September 2025.

Several other Arlington restaurants are currently listed for sale on the brokerage site, though the identities of each have not been revealed. Among them:

  • Popular Restaurant & Bar for sale in Arlington — $225,000
    “Restaurant & bar for sale on a high traffic road in Arlington VA. This restaurant was established in 2019 built out with all brand new furniture, fixtures and equipment which are all still in pristine condition. Excellent menu consisting of a variety of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, salads as well as an assortment of mouth watering specialty entrees. The highlight of this restaurant is the bar which serves numerous craft beers, wines, large whisky selection, liquor and specialty cocktails.”
  • 5 Day Cafe in Prime Location — $89,000
    “Prime location restaurant and cafe on a main road in Arlington opened only 5 days a week. Surrounded by office buildings, apartments and retail makes this a great location given the high volume walking traffic during work hours and evenings. This restaurant has been in business since 2016. The current menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches and much more but can be converted to fit most menus/concepts.”
  • Low Rent & Profitable Free Standing Restaurant — $279,000
    “Profitable free standing restaurant in Arlington VA located on a heavy traffic road surrounded by residential. This restaurant has been in business since 1998 and has EXTREMELY LOW RENT for this area. The current menu and concept can be converted to almost any type of food or be kept the same. Very big kitchen great for catering and to accommodate large orders. With a rent of $5,700 per month and annual sales around $800,000 this is an excellent money making opportunity. 5 star google reviews.”
  • Absentee Owned Franchise Sandwich Shop — $99,000
    “Absentee owned national franchise sandwich shop/deli in Arlington. Conveniently located on a heavy traffic road surrounded by office buildings and residential. The menu consists of mostly deli sandwiches but can be converted to fit most menus. Large kitchen with high end equipment. Extremely low rent considering the location. MUST SEE!! Please inquire for more information. Current owner is ready to retire.”
  • Fantastic Corner Cafe’ and Market — $145,000
    “European café and market. Serving breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and deserts. All types of coffees, lattes, and teas. Pastries and bagels. Sandwiches, soups, and salads. Chips, candy, cigarettes’, and Ice cream, Refreshments, select micro beers, and fine wines. Inside and outside seating. A real must see.”

ARLnow reached out to Rebellion on the Pike, which opened in 2019, given the similarity between it and the “Popular Restaurant & Bar for sale in Arlington” listing. We have not heard back as of publication time.

A St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl is returning to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
Leprechaun Lap crawl logo (via B Social Hospitality)

After a five-year hiatus, there will again be a bar crawl in Clarendon in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

The last such bar crawl happened in 2018. The next year, more stringent county regulations were blamed for a dearth of bar crawls. Then, of course, the pandemic struck. But now, crawls are making a comeback.

“The infamous Leprechaun Lap is making its way to Clarendon on Saturday, March 11th!” says the registration page for the St. Paddy’s-themed event. “Join the shenanigans to Clarendon’s best bars, patios and rooftops, featuring all day drink specials, DJs, bands, signature party favors, and giveaways.”

Early bird ticket pricing of $10 ends later today, after which the price goes to $20 plus fees.

The crawl is being organized by B Social Events, from Clarendon nightlife power couple Christal and Mike Bramson. The bars listed as crawl destinations — including Clarendon Ballroom, B Live and Pamplona — are all Bramson owned. (Their company also has a crawl in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood planned for the same day.)

The event listing promises more bars being added to the crawl in the near future.

More on the Clarendon crawl, below.

Don your green and get ready for your St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl adventure!

What do you get:

  • Access to Clarendon’s Best Bars, Patios, and Rooftops
  • Drink Specials ($3 beers, $4 shamrock shots, $5 mixed drinks, $8 car bombs)
  • St. Patrick’s Day Swag & Free Giveaways
  • Entertainment and DJs

Your Favorite DC Bars Are Going Green:

  • Clarendon Ballroom + Rooftop
  • The Lot
  • B Live
  • Underground
  • Pamplona
  • And more bars are coming soon…

*Registration is from 3-6pm. If you can not make it on time, have a friend pick up your wristband.

Tickets are non refundable, however, they are transferable.

This is a 21+ event. Please drink responsibly.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Enjoying mild weather at Long Bridge Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

More County Board Candidates — “The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s field for County Board is expected to grow by at least one at the party’s monthly meeting on March 1. That would bring to six, at a minimum… Previously announced contenders include Tony Weaver, Natalie Roy, J.D. Spain Sr., Jonathan Dromgoole and Maureen Coffey.” [Gazette Leader]

NTSB Docs on Train Derailment — From NBC 4’s Adam Tuss: “NEW: the @NTSB has released the public docket for the 7000 series train derailment from October 2021. This is the incident that prompted the entire 7000 series fleet to be sidelined. We see images of the train ‘jumping’ on the tracks and dust from underneath.” [Twitter, NBC 4]

Rosslyn-Based Politico to Rival NYT? — “Mr. Döpfner wants to keep expanding Springer’s U.S. presence and plans to make Politico the company’s global flagship publication with the goal of ultimately overtaking the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal in audience numbers and advertising revenue.” [Wall Street Journal]

Arlington Company Aims for Growth — “Arlington’s Evolent Health Inc. (NYSE: EVH) opened 2023 by laying off hundreds of workers while setting the stage for its next phase of growth. The company, which spent 2022 snapping up more market share and expanding its services for health care providers, cut more than 460 positions in its Chicago operations last month, according to public filings in that market.” [Washington Business Journal]

W-L Student Founds Therapy Nonprofit — “A high schooler in the DMV is making a difference by creating his own non-profit. William Mount first had the idea when he was in 8th grade… Free2Talk officially launched in August of 2022. Those ages six through 19 can apply for assistance. William and the board at his non-profit will determine if they qualify based on income and some other factors.” [WJLA]

Track Titles for DJO Runners — “Led by victories from Chayse Raymond in the 55-meter dash in 7.19 seconds and Molly Weithman in the 3,200 (11:18.93) the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls indoor track and field team finished eighth in the recent private-school state high school meet.” [Gazette Leader]

Snow Predicted This Month — “After an exceptionally warm January and February, one might expect to leap ahead into spring during March. But not this time: The evolving weather patterns are conspiring to deliver a parting shot from winter… With the colder pattern returning, forecast models are indeed projecting snowfall, particularly in the March 10 to 20 window.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Cold May Slow Cherry Blossoms — “Because of the prospect of a chilly March in the D.C. area — slowing the start of spring — we’re anticipating peak bloom will take place between March 25 and 29. That’s just a few days earlier than normal.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s March — Sunny most of the day, with clouds arriving in the afternoon. High of 58 and low of 35. Sunrise at 6:42 am and sunset at 6:02 pm. [Weather.gov]

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