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.

Vote Now for the Spring 2021 Arlies

By ARLnow.com

Voting for the spring 2021 Arlies is now live!

The Arlies are ARLnow’s community awards, highlighting Arlington’s favorite local places, people and organizations — as chosen by you.

Last week, we announced the 18 categories included in this season’s Arlies, alongside our sponsor, George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government.

To vote, write in your local favorites in each category in the ballot below.

Voting will be open for two weeks, and the survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to fill out. Readers will only be able to submit it once, and we’ll monitor submissions for attempts at repeated voting to ensure the integrity of the voting process.

The winners will be announced shortly after voting closes.

Trouble with the embedded form? You can also take the survey here.

Create your own user feedback survey

Arlington County to Use Drones to Count Deer

By ARLnow.com

A fleet of drones will take to the skies above Arlington next month in an effort to figure out how many deer call the county home.

The drones will be piloted by a firm contracted by the county and overseen by Arlington County police. Normally, drone flights this close to D.C. are strictly prohibited, but Arlington is being granted special permission by the Federal Aviation Administration and other federal agencies. The county is also coordinating with Reagan National Airport.

The drones will look for heat signatures in the woods in order to develop a count of Arlington’s white-tailed deer. This will be “the first accurate measure of Arlington’s deer population,” the county says, noting that “only anecdotal data… currently exists.”

The dones will be launched just before sunrise on Monday, April 5 and the count will continue until just after sunset, for up to two weeks.

The county is careful to note that the drones will only be looking for deer and will “not identify people.”

More from a county press release, below.

Arlington County has hired a contractor to perform a drone survey of heat signatures of the County’s white-tailed deer population. The survey information will assist with the development of the County’s Forestry and Natural Resources Plan. The survey will only collect heat signatures of deer and does not identify people.

“We’ve all seen deer in the County at one time or another,” said Alonso Abugattas, the County’s Natural Resource Manager. “We’d like more than just anecdotal evidence. We want to clearly see how many and where they are so we can mindfully steward our natural resources.”

Thermal and infrared imagery has helped improve counting by relating animals’ unique heat and visibility signatures to precisely count only deer. In one study, it was shown that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, can be about 43-96% more accurate than ground or human-made observations in counting wildlife. Montgomery County, MD, has conducted UAV deer surveys in locations throughout Montgomery to determine carrying capacity.

The drones will be flying over Arlington beginning a half hour before sunrise April 5 (weather permitting) each day until 30 minutes after sunset, until the survey is completed. They will not be flying at night. The survey could take up to two weeks but is weather dependent. Drones are not permitted to fly over Arlington except for very limited instances. Arlington has coordinated the project with US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Association (FAA), Transportation Security Administration, Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Arlington County Police Department (ACPD). In accordance with FAA guidelines, ACPD will be onsite monitoring the drone flights.

This will be the first accurate measure of Arlington’s deer population. Only anecdotal data on Arlington currently exists. By 1900, white-tailed deer population had been destroyed in most of Virginia. Through the 1940’s to 1980’s with restocking efforts, laws protecting deer and favorable habitat, deer have rebounded at an exponential rate in Virginia.

Accurate data will determine Arlington’s deer carrying capacity. Deer are important and a necessary aspect of wildlife with important wildlife functions when in balance with the surrounding habitat. Per the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the carrying capacity for deer can vary widely between and within communities. Data from the surveys will help determine Arlington’s carrying capacity.

Photo via Arlington County

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Arrested for Alleged Carjacking — “Upon exiting the store, the suspect approached the vehicle associated with the female witness and attempted to hand the male occupant a drink. When the male declined, the suspect allegedly punched him on the side of the head and proceeded to open the vehicle’s door, pull him out and began assaulting him. The occupants from the suspect’s vehicle attempted to intervene and when the suspect refused to comply, they left the scene. Upon seeing that the suspect vehicle had left the parking lot, the suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and fled the scene.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Workers to Volunteer at Vaccination Site — “The company sent out an opportunity for employees to volunteer at the clinic on one of its listservs, and pulled in workers from all around the region, including those at Amazon Web Services, which has a hefty Herndon presence. Roughly 50 Amazon employees will help run the clinic each day… While Arlington health workers will deliver the vaccines themselves, Amazon volunteers will perform other important tasks, like monitoring people for symptoms after they’ve received a shot.” [Washington Business Journal]

Capitol Rioter Photographed in Arlington — “[Michigan] resident Anthony Williams used Facebook to show off photos and videos of himself inside the U.S. Capitol, which gave law enforcement officials enough evidence to arrest him last week… Williams posted updates to Facebook as he traveled to Washington, D.C. He posted his location in Bedford County, Pennsylvania with the caption “Operation Storm the Swamp” and posed for a photo with five other men at a sports pub in Arlington, Virginia.” [MLive]

Rosslyn Building Set for Foreclosure Sale — “A Rosslyn office building that hosts one of President Joe Biden’s favorite sandwich shops is slated to be sold at a foreclosure auction, the latest sign of distress in Greater Washington’s commercial real estate industry… a public auction is scheduled to be held 11 a.m. Wednesday outside the Arlington County courthouse for 1500 Wilson Blvd., a 17-story, 261,360-square-foot office building that stands at the intersection of North Oak Street and Clarendon and Wilson boulevards in Arlington County.” [Washington Business Journal]

Lopez’s Challenger Picks Up Endorsement — “The activist group Our Revolution Arlington has endorsed Karishma Mehta’s bid to unseat Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington-Fairfax) in the June 8 Democratic primary… The organization pointed to the challenger’s support for the Green New Deal for Virginia, single-payer healthcare, ‘slashing police budgets and re-investing those resources into securing people’s basic needs,’ repealing right-to-work laws and other ‘transformative policy proposals.'” [Sun Gazette]

Kiwanis Help Kids During the Pandemic — “Arlington’s pandemic-stressed safety net organizations received an infusion of funds from the Kiwanis Foundation of Arlington this month. The Foundation, the charitable arm of the Kiwanis Club of Arlington, distributed more than $50,000 to the Arlington Food Assistance Center, Arlington THRIVE, The Salvation Army, ASPIRE, Bridges to Independence, PRS Crisis Link, Doorways, Capital Caring, YMCA, Arlington 4-H, National Capital Treatment & Recovery, VHC Pediatrics and other non-profits serving children in the community.” [Press Release]

Annual Tap Water Change is One Week Away

By ARLnow.com

It’s almost that time of year again: the time when your tap water starts to smell a bit like a swimming pool.

A week from today — on Monday, April 5 — the disinfectant used in Arlington County’s drinking water will be temporarily switched from chloramine to chlorine. The annual spring cleaning will run through May 17, with the goal of improving the condition of the pipes in the county’s water distribution system.

Arlington gets its water from the Washington Aqueduct in D.C., which also serves the District and a portion of Fairfax County.

More from a county press release:

The District of Columbia, Arlington County and the northeastern Fairfax County will clean out their tap water network starting Monday — a safe, annual process. Water service continues uninterrupted during the process, which runs from April 5 through May 17. During that time, drinking water may smell or taste slightly different.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Washington Aqueduct, water supplier to these regions, performs the temporary disinfectant switch from chloramine to chlorine to allow local water authorities to clean the pipes and maintain water flow. Washington Aqueduct continues to add a corrosion inhibitor during the process to reduce the potential for release of lead in system pipes.

Local water authorities will continually monitor the drinking water for safe chlorine levels as well as conduct system-wide flushing to enhance water quality. At the same time, water utilities will systematically flush fire hydrants by opening them up to release stagnant water and allowing fresh water to flow through the system. Crews operating hydrants in this manner are a normal part of this routine. This process is repeated nearly every spring, in this region and across the nation.

This temporary cleaning often adds a new smell or taste to tap water. If customers opt, they can run the cold water tap for about two minutes, then use a water filter or allow water to sit in a container in the refrigerator to remove chlorine taste and odor.

Customers who take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water should continue such methods during the temporary switch to chlorine. As always, those with special concerns should consult their health care provider.

Washington Aqueduct is the wholesale water supplier for the District of Columbia, Arlington and northeastern Fairfax County.

Shirlington Salon Shutting Down, Citing Pandemic Impact

By ARLnow.com
1/4

After nearly three decades in business, local salon Illusions of Shirlington is closing its doors.

Owner Irma Wheeler said the business has struggled during the pandemic and recent lease negotiations with Village of Shirlington owner Federal Realty Investment Trust failed.

Illusions, located at 4033 Campbell Avenue, has been open for 28 years. Last May, ARLnow covered the salon’s reopening after a state-mandated closure at the outset of the pandemic.

“We’ve been very anxious and have been getting ready since the beginning of the shutdown,” Wheeler said at the time. “It’s been difficult to find supplies, even disinfectant. We have face shields and masks, and we’re taking the temperatures of clients and staff. We’re trying to take every precaution… it’s going to be difficult, but we’ll be ready.”

In a social media post last night, Wheeler said she made the difficult decision to close because it was “the only viable option.” Her Illusions of Georgetown salon in D.C. will remain open.

The full social media post is below.

To our loyal clients,

I wanted to personally let you know that I have made the very difficult decision to close Illusions of Shirlington – effective immediately.

As you know, our business has been severely impacted by Covid-19 and the restrictions imposed by lawmakers have made the last year a real struggle to say the least. In addition, I have been in lease negotiations with Federal Realty for the past year. I received their final proposal last week. After carefully reviewing the terms presented, closing the salon was the only viable option.

This was not an easy decision.

I can’t thank enough the many loyal customers and retailers that have supported me these past 28 years. You have become like family. That is why I want to tell you that you are all welcome to come to Illusions of Georgetown for your styling needs. We will be offering valet parking for the time being.

If you have an appointment within the next few weeks, your stylist will be getting in touch with you.

Keep us with us on our social media for updates.

Irma Wheeler

Arlington Opening Joint Vaccine Site With Amazon Today

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is partnering with Amazon to open a new coronavirus vaccination site at the company’s temporary Crystal City HQ2 offices.

The appointment-only vaccination clinic is set to open today for eligible locals who pre-register through the state’s Vaccinate Virginia website.

“This new clinic at 2100 Crystal Drive, located in a street-level storefront next to Amazon office space, will add to the vaccination clinic sites available to the County as vaccine distribution grows,” notes a press release. “The County has offered vaccination clinics at Sequoia Plaza, Walter Reed Community Center, and Lubber Run Community Center.”

County and company leaders are touting the partnership.

“Since its arrival in Arlington in 2019, Amazon has demonstrated its commitment to partnering with our community,” Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said. “By providing space at 2100 Crystal Drive for a transit-accessible vaccination clinic, Amazon is helping us reach more residents. And incorporating Amazon and JBG Smith staff into the clinic’s staffing is a force multiplier, allowing us to staff more clinics. We appreciate Amazon’s willingness to step up and offer assistance in this critical public health effort.”

“Since the outset of the global health pandemic, Amazon has targeted its resources toward protecting the health and well-being of its employees, customers, and the communities in which we operate,” said Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy at Amazon. “We’re proud to partner with Arlington and provide a safe and accessible space so that the Virginia Department of Health can continue to steadily vaccinate Arlington residents. We remain ready to provide ongoing support to our HQ2 neighbors as the entire nation works towards recovering from the pandemic.”

“We’re so happy to be partnering with Amazon and Arlington County as Virginia increases its vaccination roll out and more residents become eligible for vaccination,” said David Ritchey, Executive Vice President of JBG SMITH.

Last week Arlington County also announced partnerships intended to increase vaccination rates “among under-represented, at-risk populations.”

Arlington County has partnered with Neighborhood Health, Arlington Free Clinic, Macedonia Baptist Church, and local non-profit organizations to address disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates among Arlington’s Black, Latino, low-income, and other communities that have been more severely affected by the pandemic. The Arlington County Department of Human Services has begun scheduling vaccine appointments for people referred by nonprofits.

“We are committed to ensuring that all of our residents who want a vaccine will have access to the vaccine.” said County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti. “And we are committed to doing all we can to equitably distribute the vaccine.”

Overall vaccination rates have been steadily increasing in Arlington. Over the past week, nearly 1,700 vaccination doses have been administered per day, on average. That compares to just over 1,100 doses per day at the beginning of March.

As of Monday morning, about 23% of Arlington’s population has received at least one vaccine dose, while 11% are fully vaccinated, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

Despite the vaccinations, the rate of new coronavirus cases in Arlington is up slightly — around 250 new cases per week — compared to two weeks ago, when the seven-day total briefly fell below 200. Two deaths and five COVID-related hospitalizations have been reported over the past week, bringing the pandemic total for both in Arlington to 245 and 795, respectively.

Image (top) via Arlington County/YouTube

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Startup Founder Going to Prison — “An Arlington start-up that promised to help people root out schemes and scams in their own lives was, nearly from the start, a cash cow for the founder’s extravagant lifestyle, start-up CEO Daniel Boice acknowledged in Alexandria federal court Friday… ‘It would be difficult to describe the havoc you created by your fraudulent actions,’ Judge T.S. Ellis III said before sentencing Boice to eight years in prison. ‘It’s an egregious fraud.'” [Washington Post, Dept. of Justice]

Bad Crash on GW Parkway — “A car split in half after crashing into a tree near the First Overlook [of the] George Washington Memorial Parkway Sunday morning, U.S. Park Police confirms. The driver of the car was the only one in the vehicle and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. U.S. Park Police say their injuries are non-life-threatening.” [WUSA 9, Twitter, Twitter]

Pro-Reopening Parents Blast APS Superintendent — “During the Monitoring Report from Dr. Durán to the School Board, we heard that due to “monumental logistical challenges,” APS will remain hybrid for the remainder of this academic year… Arlington Parents for Education urges the School Board to vote on an urgent and rapid return to school plan when they meet again next — or, if not, propose a vote of no confidence in Dr. Durán for failing to deliver such a plan.” [Press Release]

Group Wants to Save Whitlow’s Building — “As you have seen in the news, Whitlow’s is planning to relocate due to being unable to renegotiate their lease at 2854 Wilson Blvd. However, the building is for sale and presents an investment opportunity and chance to keep Whitlows at its historic location. This form is simply to gauge interest in being part of a group to purchase the building, and is not a commitment to forming any business arrangement, putting up capital, or the like.” [Google Forms, Twitter]

Early Voting Locations for Primary Set — “Members of the Arlington Electoral Board on March 25 approved plans for two satellite-early-voting centers to be used in the runup to the June 8 Democratic primary. Walter Reed and Madison community centers previously had been designated as the locations for early voting by the County Board. The March 25 action set days and hours they will be in operation, although refinements could still be made.” [Sun Gazette]

Local Gov. Candidate Wants to Nix Income Tax — “Could Virginia’s next governor be from Arlington? It’s a longshot, perhaps, but there’s at least one candidate in the running. Arlingtonian Peter Doran on March 24 made his pitch to the Arlington County Republican Committee, saying new thinking is needed if the GOP is to end its drought in statewide elections… Doran pitched the idea of eliminating Virginia’s state income tax.” [Sun Gazette]

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

The weekend is here, along with what should be a very nice Saturday, weather-wise.

Whether you’re heading out to check out Arlington’s cherry blossoms, to go for a long-overdue bike ride around the Arlington loop, or to spend time with friends or family you haven’t seen in awhile, we hope you enjoy some quality outdoor time.

Now, here are the most-read articles of the past week.

  1. Whitlow’s Says It Will Close in June, But May Reopen Elsewhere
  2. Street Closed in Ballston While Bomb Squad Investigates ‘Concerning Materials’
  3. Pipe Bombs Found in Ballston Home, Police Say
  4. Mario’s Pizza House Continues to Serve Up Slices and Memories
  5. County Board Approves Agreement with Alexandria To Dredge Four Mile Run
  6. ACPD: Knife-Wielding Man Lands in Jail After Bar Fight in Clarendon
  7. Rouse Estate Is Currently Being Torn Down
  8. Arlington County Police Encrypt More Radio Channels
  9. County Board Approves Revised Plans for Crystal City Water Park

Feel free to discuss those stories, or anything else of local interest, in the comments. Have a great weekend!

Fallen Tree Brings Down Power Lines, Closes N. Arlington Intersection

By ARLnow.com
1/5

A large tree fell amid gusty winds at the intersection of N. Old Glebe and Military road Friday afternoon, bringing down power lines and closing the intersection for an extended period of time.

Police and firefighters responded after the tree fell, though there were no initial reports of injuries nor was anyone reported struck. Tree crews are currently on scene and power crews are said to be en route.

The falling tree knocked down power lines and in turn snapped a utility pole. Just over 100 Dominion customers in the area, mostly in the Arlingwood neighborhood at the far northern tip of Arlington County, are without power.

The tree appears to have narrowly missed a stone sign for the Old Glebe neighborhood.

Dominion’s website says power is expected to be restored tonight. An Arlington Alert says the intersection is expected to remain closed overnight and drivers should seek alternate routes.

Also currently closed: a portion of N. Old Glebe Road near the Madison Community Center.

Morning Poll: A New Hope for the Rosslyn-Georgetown Gondola?

By ARLnow.com
1/2

There’s word this morning that the idea of a Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola might not be as dead as we first thought.

Just over four years since the Arlington County Board said it was “not in favor” of the $80-90 million project, which always seemed to be more attractive to Georgetown business interests than to those on the other side of the river, a D.C. Council member is raising the hopes of the gondola’s cult-like following with a new funding request.

Per the Washington Business Journal’s Alex Koma:

While the idea of aerial lift transportation from Manhattan on the Potomac directly to the Exorcist steps — not to mention the sweeping views in between — may make gondola advocates giddy, the initial estimate of $3.25 million in annual operating costs puts a damper on the chances of it actually happening.

Nonetheless, should Councilmember Brooke Pinto’s proposal go through, purchasing the former Exxon station and completing an Environmental Impact Study would eliminate major hurdles to the gondola project moving forward. Next stop: getting Arlington County elected officials to climb on board.

What do you think of this latest gondola news?

(If you can’t see the emojis, here is the key: 1 = happy, 2 = unhappy, 3 = shrug.)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pandemic Doesn’t Change Amazon’s Plans — “Schoettler, who oversees Amazon’s global portfolio of office space, said the past year hasn’t changed the way the company thinks about its office strategy… Amazon still views the office as the best place for work because of the ability for employees to collaborate, and it still envisions its footprint centered around large corporate campuses like its Seattle headquarters and its HQ2 development in Northern Virginia. ” [Bisnow, Twitter]

Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Fraud — “India Middleton, a deputy sheriff with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, was indicted in Georgia by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Middleton was one of 10 defendants indicted in a multi-state scheme to submit fraudulent loan applications for non-[existent] businesses as part of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.” [Patch, Arlington County]

New Irish Pub Opening Soon — From the social media account of Mattie & Eddie’s, Chef Cathal Armstrong’s new Irish restaurant and bar in Pentagon City: “Practice test! All your grand Irish pints coming soon!” [Facebook]

APS May Cut Magnet High School from Budget — “As part of his proposed budget for the 2022 Arlington Public Schools (APS) fiscal year, Superintendent Francisco Dúran has suggested cutting funding for Arlington students to attend [Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology]. Should the proposed cut pass, current Arlington students at Jefferson will be allowed to remain, but all future classes — including this year’s rising 9th graders — will be barred from attending the school.” [TJ Today]

Lopez’s Gun Loophole Bill Signed — “Introduced by House Majority Whip Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), HB 2128 was one of the first pieces of legislation signed into law by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam before the end of the session. The bill expands the amount of time state police and agencies have to conduct a background check on a ‘default proceed’ gun sale, from 3 days to 5 days.” [Press Release]

View of Old Coal Trestle from New Bridge — “A new view of the 1926 W&OD Railroad coal trestle remnants next to the new Lee Hwy bridge.” [Twitter]

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