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
Spooky season has started in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Another Crash Near Lubber Run CC — The crash-prone intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive, near the Lubber Run Community Center, has logged at least the third wreck in a week. [Twitter]

Wanted: Lanternfly Samples — “Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia have a plea for local residents when it comes to invasive spotted lanternflies. ‘We need your help: Many Arlington and Alexandria residents are reporting the presence of these insects, but no one has yet submitted an actual sample,’ said Kirsten Conrad of Virginia Cooperative Extension.” [Gazette Leader]

New Baseball Coach for YHS — “Yorktown High School hired one of its own as the new head coach of the varsity baseball team. Josh Cook, a 2013 graduate of the school, will be the new skipper when the 2024 spring season begins.   Cook comes to Yorktown having spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Oakton High School varsity team.” [Gazette Leader]

Columbus Day Coming Up — Monday is Columbus Day, also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. While it’s a federal holiday and an off day for Arlington Public Schools students, Arlington County government and facilities will remain open.

Comm. Urges Shooter Drills and Tech — “Virginia localities should be required to conduct active shooter drills, ensure that police have easy access to their municipal buildings and invest in technology that would allow officials to detect weapons and track the whereabouts of a shooter, a state commission convened after the 2019 Virginia Beach shooting has recommended.” [Washington Post]

It’s Friday — Patchy fog is expected before 9am followed by mostly cloudy skies and a high near 77 with a south wind at 3-6 mph. Friday night brings a 60% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms, a low of 61, and southeast winds around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts will generally be under a tenth of an inch, with higher amounts in thunderstorms. [Weather.gov]

Listing of the Day: 3077 N. Quincy Street

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Address: 3077 N Quincy Street
Neighborhood: Bellevue Forest
Type: 5 BR, 6 (+1 half) BA single-family detached — 4,500 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,900,000

Noteworthy: Grand home perfect for all types of entertaining.

Plan to spend the holidays in this beautiful 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath home with approximately 4500 square feet of living space. It is located on one of the prettiest streets in the Bellevue Forest neighborhood of Arlington.

Step into the grand, two-story foyer leading to the light-filled living room and dining room, perfect for all types of entertaining. Continue on to the gourmet kitchen, which features warm wooden cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, an island and desk area, and eat-in dining space. The kitchen opens to a cozy family room with a wood-burning fireplace. French doors lead to an office/den beyond, with an attached full bath. There is also a powder room on the main level for your guests’ convenience. Step out from the kitchen to a large patio.

Upstairs, you will find the spacious primary bedroom with a 10ft tray ceiling, two walk-in closets, a private balcony, and a large bathroom with double vanities. Three more bedrooms on this level all have their own en-suite bathrooms. Head down to the lower level, featuring a spacious rec room with outside access. A full bath connects to the rec room and a lovely airy fifth bedroom, perfectly private for your guests. You’ll find a bonus room on this level as well. Natural wood garage doors add a special touch to the exterior.

This part of North Quincy is not a through street. You will love the peaceful location!

Listed by:
Anne Cronin — McEnearney Associates
[email protected]
(703) 597-3082

Is a Rosslyn office opening behind tonight’s mysterious, elaborate fireworks display?

By ARLnow.com
Fireworks over the Potomac Thursday night (photo via @StefJohnson21/Twitter)

A lengthy fireworks display took D.C. and Arlington residents by surprise tonight — leaving locals guessing as to who was behind it.

The fireworks went off around 7:30 p.m., launched from a barge on the Potomac River between the Kennedy Center and Roosevelt Island, near Rosslyn. The nearly 15 minute display was on the scale one might expect for the Fourth of July.

https://twitter.com/StefJohnson21/status/1710086477042864634?s=20

The display, however, was not publicized in advance.

Even D.C.’s city council took to social media to express surprise, while digging up an entry in the Federal Register for a Coast Guard safety zone for the fireworks.

Following the fireworks, an ARLnow reader floated a theory of who was behind the display.

“I don’t have inside knowledge to confirm it, but I’d be willing to bet the source of the fireworks was Genetec opening their new ‘DCXC: Genetec Experience Center’ on 1000 Wilson Blvd,” the reader, who asked to remain anonymous, told ARLnow.

Genetec is a Montreal-based security and technology company. The Washington Business Journal reported in August that it had signed a lease for a new “flagship” showroom on the 25th floor of the Rosslyn twin towers building — and planning an October opening.

Someone who attended the event took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that the fireworks were, in fact, for Genetec’s grand opening.

“The view from the new office on the rooftop was amazing,” the person wrote.

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 5, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 5, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌧️ Friday’s forecast

There’s a slight chance of afternoon showers today, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 77°F. A 20% chance of precipitation, accompanied by a light south wind. For Friday night, expect a chance of showers before 11pm, followed by possible showers and thunderstorms between 11pm-2am, and likely showers with the potential for a thunderstorm after 2am. The temperature will drop to a low of around 60°F with a 60% chance of precipitation, and new rainfall amounts may be less than a tenth of an inch. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depends on simplicity.”
– Plato

🌅 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 (September 2023)

By ARLnow.com

Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive single-family homes sold last month (September 2023).

Most expensive single-family homes sold

  1. 5231 32nd St N — Rock Spring — $2,700,000 (7 beds | 7.5 baths | 6,255 sq. ft.)
  2. 5402 31st St N — Rock Spring — $2,696,000 (7 beds | 7.5 baths | 6,739 sq. ft.)
  3. 3523 N Valley St — Old Glebe — $2,650,000 (5 beds | 7 baths | 5,773 sq. ft.)
  4. 1038 26th St S — Arlington Ridge — $2,475,000 (6 beds | 8 baths | 6,230 sq. ft.)
  5. 5615 26th St N — Leeway — $2,350,000 (6 beds | 6.5 baths | 4,857 sq. ft.)

Least expensive single-family homes sold*

  1. 3720 Kemper Rd — Green Valley — $475,000 (2 beds | 1.5 baths | 884 sq. ft.)
  2. 2111 27th St S — Long Branch Creek — $586,000 (2 beds | 2 baths | 1,310 sq. ft.)
  3. 2022 S Nelson St — Green Valley — $595,000 (3 beds | 1 baths | 1,154 sq. ft.)

*Minimum home value of $200,000 set to exclude certain land sales, retirement condos, properties with expiring ground leases, etc.

Florida woman faces litany of charges after reported break-in and standoff

By ARLnow.com
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 4 p.m.) A Florida resident is facing 19 separate charges after police responded to a residential break-in yesterday.

Police were first dispatched to a home on N. Powhatan Street, in the Highland Park-Overlee Knolls neighborhood, around 4 p.m. for a reported burglary in progress. It’s unclear how that incident ended, but officers responded back to the same block just over three hours later and a standoff ensued.

“At approximately 7:23 p.m., police were dispatched to the 2300 block of N. Powhatan Street for the report of suspicious circumstances,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, the incident was determined to be a burglary in progress. Responding officers gave the female suspect commands to exit the residence which she refused to comply with and remained inside.”

Neighbors took note of the activity, with someone posting on the Ring Neighbors website that “ACPD currently has about 5 squad cars and 5+ officers standing outside a residence holding the door at gunpoint.”

“Officers continued to provide commands and subsequently took the suspect into custody,” Savage said. “She was taken into custody at approximately 8:49 p.m.”

Officers were subsequently dispatched to the home for evidence collection and scene security.

The suspect, Vivian Vann, is being held at the Arlington County jail on an array of charges, with alleged crimes in Arlington starting on Sept. 18.

“During a search of her property, police recovered identifications, credit cards and other documents related to fraudulent activity,” an ACPD crime report released Thursday afternoon added. “The investigation also determined the suspect had allegedly entered a residence in the 1400 block of S. Quincy Street.”

According to court and jail records, the charges against Vann include:

  • Grand larceny auto (x2)
  • Forging public records (x4)
  • Obtaining money or property >=$1,000 by false pretenses
  • Impersonating a law enforcement officer
  • Identity theft (x3)
  • Identity theft with over $1,000 in losses and 5+ victims, resulting in the arrest of a victim
  • Unlawful entry
  • Burglary
  • Credit card forgery
  • Procuring a vehicle with intent to defraud
  • Manufacturing, selling and/or possessing fake identification (x2)
  • Financially exploiting a mentally incapacitated person

Vann — listed as a resident of Dania Beach, Florida — is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 18, after an arraignment today.

News articles and court records show that she has faced a variety of theft, identity theft and fraud charges in Florida and elsewhere dating back to 2003 and as recently as 2022.

Hat tip to Matthew Young

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A view of Columbia Pike from the roof of Siena Park Apartments (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

New W-L Basketball Coach — “During the period she was sidelined with stress fractures in both legs as a player for the Marymount University women’s basketball team is when Maddy DeCou got the coaching bug… ‘I saw and heard the game in a different way, and that’s what got me interested in someday being a coach,’ said DeCou, who recently was hired as the new girls head varsity basketball coach at Washington-Liberty High School.” [Gazette Leader]

Big Turnout for Narcan Training — “The Arlington Addiction Recovery Initiative hosted their monthly in-person and virtual Narcan, a brand of naloxone, training Wednesday night. Close to 70 people participated in the in-person training, according to Emily Siqveland, the opioids program manager for Arlington County.” [WUSA 9]

‘Coming Out Party’ Next Week — “Equality Arlington, a new nonprofit group, will be celebrating National Coming Out Day with a Coming Out Party at Busboys and Poets in Shirlington on Oct. 11. The event will feature state Sen. Adam Ebbin as the featured speaker, coming out stories from Arlingtonians, a raffle, and updates on Equality Arlington’s advocacy work.” [Patch]

Pet Calendar Photo Competition — “The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) has opened its 2024 calendar contest, which will run through October with a goal of raising $40,000 to support shelter operations. ‘Now is your chance to give your pet the ultimate spotlight with their photo on the cover of our 2024 calendar,’ AWLA officials said.” [Gazette Leader]

Review: Synetic’s Tell-Tale Heart — “‘Mercilessly disturbing’ is how the prerecorded announcement, purporting to be a cheeky voice from beyond the grave, describes Synetic Theater’s The Tell-Tale Heart. In truth, this adaptation of the short story by Edgar Allan Poe… doesn’t really traffic in the chilling frights the ghostly voice alludes to. Instead, the creators deftly deploy the company’s expertise in physical theater to slowly, agonizingly, sometimes perplexingly dial up the creepiness.” [Washington City Paper]

It’s Thursday — Partly sunny with a high temperature near 78°F and calm wind picking up to southeast 5-9 mph in the morning. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low temperature around 63°F and southeast wind around 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Oct 4, 2023

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 4, 2023.

📅 Upcoming events

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

🌤️ Thursday’s forecast

The forecast for Thursday includes partly sunny skies with a high temperature near 78 degrees. In the morning, expect light and calm wind, eventually shifting to southeast at 5 to 9 mph. Thursday night will bring mostly cloudy conditions and a low temperature around 63 degrees, with southeast winds around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“Life is short, break the rules.”
– Mark Twain

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

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

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Chico

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Say hello to Chico, the newest Adoptable Pet of the Week!

This little guy is currently in foster through the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

Here is what his friends had to say about him:

Chico is a very special boy with special needs. He has a wobble in his walk and would do best without too many stairs, but he will climb his way onto a couch if given the chance.

He was previously only fed people food, but we are working on getting him to enjoy a more balanced doggie diet. He gets along well with dogs, kids and even a parrot and will pick his favorite and find it difficult to let them go.

He voices his opinions in typical chihuahua fashion but doesn’t seem to get offended when you disagree.

Chico loves to harness up and go for walks and really gets the zoomies in the yard. He also will try to zoom out the door if his chosen person tries to leave.

Chico would probably do best in a stand alone house as he has a proclivity for long winded chihuahua speeches, particularly when out of bed in a room not with his people.

Is Chico the match you’ve been looking for? Read his entire profile to learn more about this guy and the adoption process.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.

One Arlington restaurant made the Washington Post’s Fall Dining Guide

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The prestigious Washington Post Fall Dining Guide is out and Arlington avoided the shut out of past years.

As is usually the case, the vast majority of the 40 restaurants on critic Tom Sietsema’s list are located in D.C. But one Arlington eatery made it: Ruthie’s All-Day (3411 5th Street S.).

Chef Matt Hill’s spot for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner was praised by Sietsema for its tasty Southern cuisine and for being both kid- and dog-friendly.

From the Post:

Restaurateurs can plan all they want, but not until after a business is born do they know how customers will use it. Take this all-American hot spot in Arlington, going on three years. Co-owner Todd Salvadore says he and chef Matt Hill envisioned Ruthie’s as “a parents’ date night place.” Instead, it became a magnet for young households. “We’re watching all the kids grow up!” says Salvadore.

There’s no children’s menu, but the regular list includes a roll call of dishes (chicken tenders, mac and cheese) that appeal to little ones and their minders. Want a one-patty burger or a single pancake at brunch? The kitchen can honor both requests. Ruthie’s, named for Hill’s grandmother, also stocks a score of high-chairs and a patio that welcomes four-legged companions and accepts reservations.

Ease in with some songs of the South: pink folds of rich Surryano ham arranged with craggy buttermilk biscuits, pimento cheese and red onion jam on what looks like a slice of tree trunk. The bestseller is brisket, smoked overnight and seasoned with paprika, garlic and onion powder, what the kitchen knows as TCB, or Taking Care of Business. The meaty delight comes with tender milk bread, house-made pickles and a choice of two or three sides. Make sure one of them is dirty rice tossed with charred kimchi.

Arlington has seen some banner years for its food scene in the Fall Dining Guide, such as in 2019 when Thai Square on Columbia Pike, Sfoglina in Rosslyn and Buena Vida in Clarendon all made the cut.

Notable Arlington-adjacent restaurants on the 2023 list are the Bethesda outpost of The Salt Line, which also has a Ballston location, and Rice Paper, located in the Eden Center, just across the county line in Falls Church.

Despite Arlington’s meager showing this year, it could have been worse: no restaurants from Alexandria made Sietsema’s latest list.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Soldiers from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall work out underneath the Air Force Memorial (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Emergency Alert Test Today — From FEMA: “On Wednesday, Oct. 4th at 2:20 p.m. ET, there will be a nationwide emergency alert test on cell phones, wireless devices, radios, and TVs. This is a standard test that occurs at least once every three years. No action is needed.” [Twitter, CBS News]

Walk and Roll School Day — From ACPD: “[Today] is International Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day! Each and every day, help keep our students safe during their commute to and from school by slowing down, avoiding distractions and obeying posted traffic signals.” [Twitter]

Fare Evasion Down in Courthouse — “Upgrades to faregates are having their intended impact at Metro stations where they have been incorporated, including now at the Court House Metro station. The percentage of fare-evaders has dropped from 4 percent to 1 percent since the new gates were installed at the station on Sept. 1.” [Gazette Leader]

Arlingtonian Wins Photo Contest — “Jennie Hommel from Arlington Virginia was the 2024 Annual Pass Photo winner with her stunning photograph of this kingfisher taken on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.” [Shore Daily News]

Va. Ped Crashes Killing More 30-Somethings — “An increasing number of pedestrians killed in traffic crashes are those in their 30s living in urban areas, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is trying to raise awareness while urging both those on foot and behind the wheel to remain vigilant.” [Gazette Leader]

Va. Mulling Reduction in Ped Projects — “Planning officials… fear proposals to change Virginia’s transportation funding system could significantly reduce state funding for smaller transportation projects for cyclists and pedestrians. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has been reviewing the state’s transportation funding process, SMART SCALE, which has been in place for the past seven years.” [Virginia Mercury]

It’s Wednesday — Patchy fog clearing before 10am, followed by sunny skies with a high around 84 and calm winds shifting to southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night, watch for patchy fog returning after 4am, while the rest of the evening remains mostly clear with a low around 58. [Weather.gov]

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