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.

Animal Welfare League Reports Fourth Recent Dog Abandonment Case

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) The Animal Welfare League of Arlington says it has taken in the fourth abandoned dog in a month.

In the latest incident, a dog was found abandoned in a crate in the Ashton Heights neighborhood, at the intersection of 6th Street N. and N. Jackson Street. The dog was “in poor condition” and AWLA is now asking for the public’s help in locating its owner.

A similar dog abandonment happened about a week prior in the Arlington Mill neighborhood, though the incidents are all believed to be unrelated. A spokeswoman said the recent spate of abandonments is “very unusual.”

“We normally see about 2-5 per year, mostly commonly left behind in a residence after eviction,” said AWLA’s Chelsea Jones. “So on top of this being a much higher number than we typically see, it’s also an unusual manner of abandonment.”

The league says that hardship related to the pandemic may be causing desperate situations for some pet owners. AWLA is encouraging those with no where else to turn to contact them for help.

More from the animal welfare league:

On October 1st of this year, we took in the fourth abandoned dog we have responded to in a month. Our Animal Control team received a call from a concerned resident who found a dog in poor condition abandoned in a crate at 6th St N and N Jackson St in Arlington. Officer Byrnes immediately brought the dog to the shelter, and the rest of the team canvassed the area but was unable to find an owner or any involved persons. If you recognize this dog, please call our Animal Control team at (703) 931-9241.

Our staff has decided to call this sweet girl Willow. The dog that was abandoned the week before has been named Charleston. These dogs are two of four abandonment cases we have responded to recently, and while we know that hearing about these cases can be upsetting, even angering, we would like to ask our supporters to help us send a message of support to pet owners who may be struggling in these extremely difficult times.

We are very aware that as the pandemic goes on, more and more people are going to struggle to pay their expenses and care for their families. We are also aware that many people don’t know that there is help available to them when it comes to their pets or worry that if they surrender a pet to a shelter they will be judged, or have to pay a fee they cannot afford. We need your help to remind every member of our community that we are here to help. AWLA can provide food, supplies, vaccinations, and more to pet owners in need. We are here as a judgement-free organization to talk about any issues pet owners may be having.

Please do not hesitate to reach out for a helping hand. We are always available.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Ford

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Meet Arlington’s newest Pet of the Week, Ford, an 11 year old cat who just moved to Virginia from Maryland.

Here is what Ford had to say about his life here in Arlington since the move:

Hello humans, my name is Ford the Cat. I am 11 in your silly human years; I personally don’t believe in aging, just look at me. The simpletons at the shelter from which I was “rescued” gave me that name and my new subject Caitlin (you would say owner) decided to keep it. It’s unclear if I was named after the car or president; I believe it was just a typo of Lord the Cat.

I allowed Caitlin to move me from Maryland to Virginia during this coronavirus I keep hearing about. So far I must say I love it here; I have three enormous windows to look out (Caitlin calls it kitty TV) and for the first time I have a staircase to randomly run up and down in the middle of the night.

Those who have the privilege of knowing me best remember my charming personality, resting happy face (my humans put pictures of me online under “Ford_Isnt_Angry”) and my one big snaggletooth. Looks aren’t everything but they certainly help.

When I’m not crushing photo shoots I’m quite fond of chasing that glowing red spot that randomly appears on the walls (I’ll catch you one day!), napping in various food shapes, including “shrimp”, “loaf” and “banana” and throwing up in the car. That’ll teach Caitlin to remove the king from his castle.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Amazon Donating $1 Million to Arlington and Alexandria Schools

By ARLnow.com

Amazon is continuing a string of local donations with a $1 million commitment to Arlington and Alexandria public schools.

The company’s million-dollar donation to schools in HQ2’s backyard follows a more than $2.5 million donation to schools near “HQ1” in the Seattle area.

The donations will go towards a “‘Right Now Needs Fund’ — a flexible fund designed to meet the basic needs of schoolchildren and help eliminate barriers to learning” during the pandemic, the company said.

“The Right Now Needs Fund in Northern Virginia will provide students with immediate access to urgently needed items including food, clothing, and school supplies across all 41 Arlington Public Schools and programs and all 18 Alexandria City Public Schools,” Amazon said on its Day One blog.

The fund is in addition to Amazon’s recent donation hundreds of wireless internet access devices and $75,000 towards headphones for Arlington students attending classes from home.

Arlington Public Schools’ Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer said the school system is “elated” by the gift and the impact it will have on students in need.

More on the fund, from the Amazon blog:

Site Coordinators and school social workers within each of the school districts and schools will work with families to identify individual student needs and request assistance from the Fund. Communities In Schools NOVA, leveraging existing relationships with both school districts, will distribute Amazon Education Assistance Product Vouchers – a prepaid payment designed specifically for education-related needs. Students and their families can redeem the vouchers for a wide variety of carefully curated items that students need to be successful at school, including food, school supplies for at-home learning, warm clothing, hygiene items, and more. By using the prepaid vouchers, students and families can redeem much-needed items in a dignified and convenient way.

“The start of this school year has been difficult for many families across our new home of Northern Virginia, and we are determined to provide support to the students who need it most,” said Jay Carney, Amazon Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs. “At Amazon, we are always looking for innovative solutions to tough challenges, and we are confident that the flexibility and speed built into our new Right Now Needs Fund will help ensure that more students from underserved communities can focus on their studies, and not fall behind as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.”

Amazon recently donated nearly 800 Mi-Fi devices and $75,000 to secure thousands of headsets for students across Northern Virginia starting the school year from home. In addition, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Amazon’s HQ2 region, Amazon donated $1 million to kick-start emergency response efforts, provided thousands of devices to groups supporting students in need, donated cash and in-kind products to local nonprofits and food banks, paid local restaurants to prepare and deliver 10,000 lunches and dinners for first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and vulnerable neighbors, and funded delivery services to provide more than 50,000 meals–60,000 pounds of food–directly to the doorsteps of local seniors and those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Amazon also donated $3.9 million to nonprofit CodeVA to help make virtual computer science curriculum and training available Virginia teachers and students so that they don’t fall behind in learning this increasingly important skillset. There are currently more than 50 schools and counting in the state of Virginia part of the Amazon Future Engineer program.

Hotel Near Rosslyn Has Closed, Ahead of Apartment Conversion

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Virginian Suites hotel at 1500 Arlington Blvd, near Rosslyn, has closed.

Earlier this week workers could be seen hauling furniture out of the building, which is located on the southern side of Route 50, a couple of blocks from the Iwo Jima memorial. A sign on the door said the building is under new management.

The plan is to renovate the building and convert it back into apartments, according to Bernstein Management Corporation.

The company said last month on its website that 1500 Arlington Blvd will be reopened “as value-oriented multifamily rental apartments with amenities to include a lobby lounge, an amenity floor with fitness options and co-working, and an outdoor patio with grills and fire pit.”

“Unit interiors will undergo kitchen renovations, and receive new lighting, flooring, closet organizers and paint,” the company said. “The property is approximately 1/2 a mile from the Washington D.C. line. Its proximity to the Rosslyn Metro station, national employers, multiple universities, dining, and entertainment options makes it a promising acquisition and attractive place to live for those looking for amenities, sustainability, technology and a compelling value given the location.”

The ten-story tower was originally an apartment building after it was completed in 1951. It was later converted into a suite-style hotel.

Bernstein Management Corporation says it now owns a 50% interest in the building. The family behind the D.C.-based residential and commercial property operator just announced a $12 million charitable pledge to local organizations that champion “the arts, racial equality, and a brighter future.”

It’s unclear how long the renovations will take and when the new apartments will be available for lease. Reached by ARLnow, a spokeswoman for the company did not have any other details to share.

JUST IN: You Can Now “Sip and Stroll” in Parts of Shirlington

By ARLnow.com
1/12

Campbell Avenue is turning into a mini Bourbon Street — in one respect, at least.

The main Shirlington drag is one of the places you can now take an alcoholic beverage to go from a local restaurant and consume it while walking around or lounging on a park bench.

The Village at Shirlington announced today that it has been approved for a “Commercial Lifestyle Center” permit from Virginia ABC, a new designation that went into effect July 1 after being approved by the state legislature. The permit allows consumption of beer, wine and mixed drinks in certain common areas of shopping centers and commercial districts.

Pentagon Row, which like the Village at Shirlington is owned by Bethesda-based Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT), has also applied for a sip and stroll permit, as has a portion of “National Landing” near Amazon’s new HQ2. This is the first publicly-announced instance of a Commercial Lifestyle Center permit being approved in Arlington.

“The COVID-19 epidemic has been hard on retailers and restaurants,” a FRIT spokeswoman said today. “The approval of the lifestyle permit helps to boost business in neighborhoods such as Village of Shirlington.”

The restaurants from which you can now take drinks to go are Aroma, Busboys & Poets, Cheesetique, Guapo’s, Palette 22, Samuel Beckett’s, and Taco & Piña, the spokeswoman said. In addition to alcohol consumption being allowed in common areas, two Shirlington stores are also allowing patrons to walk in with drinks in hand: Illusions of Shirlington and Dogma Bakery.

FRIT released the following Q&A with more information on how the new rules work.

Can I carry an alcoholic beverage around The Village at Shirlington?
Enjoy alcoholic beverages to go from Aroma, Busboys & Poets, Cheesetique, Guapo’s, Palette 22, Samuel Beckett’s, or Taco & Piña and stroll throughout the designated common areas and participating stores at The Village. (You must be 21+). Please keep the beverage in a disposable cup provided by the restaurant where the drink was purchased.

Where to Sip & Stroll?
You can now roam with your cocktail on Campbell Avenue, S. Randolph Street and the other pedestrian walkways throughout The Village. Click here for a map of the specific designated areas. Alcohol not permitted in any parking lot or garage.

Can you bring your own alcohol to The Village at Shirlington?
No. Only alcoholic beverages purchased from Aroma, Busboys & Poets, Cheesetique, Guapo’s, Palette 22, Samuel Beckett’s, or Taco & Piña may be taken outside the restaurant and into the neighborhood. No outside alcohol is permitted.

Can I take my drink into a store while shopping?
Yes, with the exception of the stores that prohibit alcoholic beverages inside. If you see a sign on the store that reads “Sip & Shop”, you may enter that store with your alcoholic beverage. The shops you are allowed to drink and shop are Illusions of Shirlington and Dogma Bakery.

Can you take a drink purchased from Aroma, Busboys & Poets, Cheesetique, Guapo’s, Palette 22, Samuel Beckett’s, or Taco & Piña into another restaurant?
No. You are welcome to Sip & Stroll to your heart’s content, but if you want to stop for a snack or a second beverage, you cannot take that same cup back into the restaurant where it was purchased or into any other restaurants. If you order a second beverage, the restaurant will provide you with a new cup.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Gold’s to Open Outdoor Workout Space — “Gym goers in Arlington, Virginia, will soon take spin classes on an open air training terrace instead of peddling away indoors. Gold’s Gym will open a turf-covered outdoor promenade for classes and training sessions at a new location that’s set to open over the Rosslyn Metro station in early 2021.” [NBC 4]

Beyer Blasts Trump Stimulus Decision — Before the president seemingly reversed his reversal, Rep. Don Beyer said in a statement: “President Trump’s stunning reversal on stimulus negotiations could not have come at a worse time. Just as a bipartisan deal to support American families, boost the economy, and fight the pandemic seemed increasingly promising, the President made the bewildering decision to walk away from talks completely.” [Press Release]

Sexual Assault on Silver Line — “An attacker tried to rape a woman Tuesday on a Metro train in Northern Virginia, the transit system said. The attack occurred about 11:35 a.m. on a Silver Line train between the McLean and East Falls Church stations, Metro said.” [Washington Post]

Water Work in Rock Spring — “Emergency Water Main Break: 4953 Little Falls Rd. Crews have been dispatched to the location. Little Falls Rd b/w Old Dominion and N Columbus St will be closed until about 12pm on 8/7.” [Twitter]

Arlington Man Attempting Major Feat — “Ashley set a goal of being the first kidney donor to complete the seven summits — climbing to the highest point in every continent. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, but his goal remains on pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on travel.” [RunWashington]

Local Events for Domestic Violence Awareness — “October 1 marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month… In moving our awareness into action, Project PEACE is partnering with Northern Virginia regional domestic violence agencies to #PowerUpNoVA with free awareness and educational opportunities that spotlight less commonly recognized forms of abuse.” [Arlington County]

Update on Northam’s Symptoms — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said this week that he has developed ‘mild’ symptoms of covid-19 more than a week after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, but he is continuing to conduct business remotely. ‘I had a little bit of cold-like symptoms over the weekend and lost my sense of taste or smell, but other than that, I feel fine,’ Northam (D) said Monday.” [Washington Post]

Police Looking for Trail Groper

By ARLnow.com

A man groped a woman on a trail near Ballston Monday afternoon, according to Arlington County Police.

The incident happened on the Custis Trail around 12:30 p.m. Police say the woman was jogging when the man, who had just jogged past her, turned around and grabbed her buttocks.

More from an ACPD crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2020-10050088, N. Glebe Road at 15th Street N. At approximately 12:37 p.m. on October 5, police were dispatched to the report of a sexual assault. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was jogging in the area on the Custis Trail when she observed the male suspect jogging towards her. After they passed each other, the suspect turned around, approached the victim from behind and grabbed her buttocks. The suspect fled on foot prior to police arrival. The victim was not injured. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, pudgy, 5’6″-5’8″, with brown eyes, wearing a tan baseball cap, a white shirt, cargo shorts and white tennis shoes.

New Report Shows Route 1 in Crystal City as a Tree-Lined Urban Boulevard

By ARLnow.com
1/8

Route 1 through Crystal City is currently a car-oriented, exhaust-clogged asphalt canyon that’s unpleasant for pedestrians to cross or even walk along. But there’s a push for that to change.

The National Landing BID, formerly known as the Crystal City BID before Amazon came to town, has just revealed its lusher, more pedestrian-friendly vision for Route 1, complete with wide sidewalks lined with ground-floor retail and restaurants.

VDOT is currently studying the corridor and considering whether overpasses in the Crystal City area should be removed in favor of a more conventional, urban street grid. The BID’s new Reimagine Route 1 report takes that and other ideas for modernizing the corridor and turns it into a series of concept designs, complete with 3D renderings.

“The concepts presented in Reimagine Route 1 draw upon best practices in urban street design by placing people at the center of National Landing’s future,” Matt Gerber, General Manager of the Westin Crystal City and Co-Chair of the BID’s Transportation Committee, said in a statement today. “Narrow lane widths, lower design speeds, and urban intersection geometries ensure that the autocentric mistakes of the past will not be replicated in the development of the corridor’s new and distinctly community-focused identity.”

The BID’s vision for turning Route 1 — also known as Richmond Highway — from a commuter route into an “iconic corridor serving a thriving urban neighborhood” draws comparisons to main routes in other major cities.

The report includes photos of Octavia Boulevard — formerly Central Freeway — in San Francisco, as well as Michigan Avenue in Chicago, which like Route 1 has three vehicle lanes in each direction.

“Also known as the Magnificent Mile, the 13-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street has a similar vehicle carrying capacity as the existing Route 1 yet boasts a walkable and vibrant public realm with safe connections to transit and a well-connected street grid,” the report says.

The report is intended to start a conversation about the corridor’s long-term future, which officials may then opt to turn into action via transportation and land use changes. The overall goal is to turn the Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard neighborhoods — collectively now known as National Landing — into a cohesive urban area over time.

“Route 1 was originally designed to accommodate the auto-centric development trends of the mid-20th century, when the primary objective was to move cars through the area as quickly as possible,” the BID said in a press release. “The resulting elevated highway, super blocks, and oversized intersections divided the community for decades, inhibiting not only connectivity and access, but also the area’s ability to come together as a singular downtown district.”

Others have also been working on envisioning changes to Route 1. The Crystal City Sector Plan, approved in 2010, set a more urban vision for the community through 2040. Local civic associations, meanwhile, have recently formed a collective called Livability 22202 to discuss ideas. From an August article:

Proposed changes ranged from building storefronts or markets in the area underneath the overpasses, creating more open space where thick sandstone-colored walls now hold up the highway, and putting Route 1 underground to allow for development on top of it.

More on the Reimagine Route 1 report, from a press release, is below.

(more…)

Riverside Hot Pot Has Closed in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A pandemic is perhaps not the best business environment for an eatery that sends food on a conveyor belt throughout the restaurant.

Riverside Hot Pot, a Chinese restaurant in Clarendon that did just that, closed recently after just a year or so in business.

The closure was first spotted by a local Twitter user.

As of last night there was no signage outside the storefront at 1028 N. Garfield Street, and nothing inside but cleaning supplies and a lockbox on the door.

Another Riverside Hot Pot location in Gaithersburg closed shortly after the Clarendon location opened, while a Riverside Hot Pot location in Fairfax is also closed, according to Yelp.

By ARLnow’s tally, this is at least the seventeenth restaurant to have closed in Arlington since the beginning of the pandemic in March.

Jay Westcott contributed to this report

Morning Poll: Are You Decorating for Halloween This Year?

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:45 a.m.) Halloween has not been cancelled, but the pandemic is putting a damper on the usual spooky spirit of the holiday.

The owner of a local costume store in the Crystal City Shops told the Washington Post that his sales are down 80%, amid a nationwide drop in Halloween spending. Sales of adult costumes in particular are down significantly, as parties are curtailed.

Overall Halloween spending is expected to fall 8%, according to the Post, citing the National Retail Federation.

Around Arlington, Halloween decorations can still be found, but three-and-a-half weeks out from Oct. 31 it feels like there are fewer ghouls, goblins, fake spiderwebs and pumpkins to be seen.

Are residents reluctant to decorate when trick-or-treating will be much diminished and when fake skeletons feel a bit, well, insensitive? Or is it actually business as usual for most people, despite the deadly global pandemic?

Let’s find out.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ballston Movie Theater to Close Again — “Cineworld Group, the owner of Regal Cinemas, will suspend operations at all of its theaters in the United States and the United Kingdom beginning on Thursday. The closures will affect 45,000 employees.” [CNN, Axios]

N. Va. Trending in Right Direction — “The health department’s new pandemic metrics, updated Monday based on data through Saturday, show that the disease is currently at a ‘low burden’ level in Northern Virginia, is trending downward, and has low levels of community transmission. All other region’s of the state either have moderate or high levels of burden of the virus and community transmission.” [InsideNova]

County Joins Eviction Task Force — “Arlington has joined the Northern Virginia Eviction Prevention and Community Stability Task Force, a diverse coalition of stakeholders from the housing sector in Northern Virginia, to identify best practices to prevent evictions and stabilize households.” [Arlington County]

Greens Want Local Bag Tax — “The Arlington Green Party is pushing the Arlington County Board to enact a tax on single-use grocery bags, now that the General Assembly has given localities the permission to do so. Party members on Sept. 2 endorsed the proposal to enact a 5-cent tax on bags, and plan to present a petition to the County Board in November.” [InsideNova]

New Police Dog’s Official Photo — “FRK9 Brooks recently sat for his official department photo and gave the camera his best puppy dog eyes.” [@ArlingtonVaPD/Twitter]

More I-66 Ramp Closures — “Alternating overnight ramp closures are scheduled to occur this week on I-66 East in Arlington for final asphalt paving and striping as part of the I-66 Eastbound Widening Project.” [VDOT]

Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler

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