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.

Man Killed in Shirlington Circle Crash

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A North Carolina man was killed in a crash in the Shirlington area late last night.

The single-vehicle crash happened on the Shirlington Circle ramp above I-395, just before midnight, and drew a large emergency response. Virginia State Police say a 55-year-old man died from injuries sustained in the crash, and a female passenger was taken to a local trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries.

“At 11:48 p.m. Sunday night, Virginia State Police Trooper M.I. Campbell responded to a single-vehicle crash in Arlington County,” VSP said in a statement Monday afternoon. “A Lexus sedan struck a jersey wall on the Shirlington Circle ramp to the northbound I-395 Express Lanes. The 55-year-old male driver from North Carolina was transported to Inova Alexandria Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”

The crash remains under investigation, a state police spokeswoman said.

VDOT is planning safety improvements to the Shirlington Circle interchange.

New Group Calls for Police Reform in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2 p.m.) A newly-formed group is calling for a sweeping set of police reforms in Arlington, including cutting the police department budget by 10%.

Arlington for Justice, whose founding steering committee members include Arlington’s top public defender and a prominent local Black Lives Matter organizer, published an open letter to the Arlington County Board over the weekend.

Among other things, the letter calls for:

  • Reallocating “at least 10%” of the Arlington County’s Police Department’s $74 million annual budget, then freezing the budget for five years
  • Using the budget savings to fund pre-arrest diversion programs, mental health services and addiction treatment
  • Removing School Resource Officers from schools
  • Require continuous use of body cameras and dashboard cameras by ACPD
  • Make the disciplinary history of officers publicly accessible
  • Establishment of a “Justice Transformation Commission… to manage the implementation of these recommendations”

The letter also calls for ACPD to conduct a national search for a new police chief “who is committed to justice system transformation, eliminating bias, and implementing new methods of policing.” A police spokeswoman confirmed to ARLnow that current chief M. Jay Farr “will be retiring from his position at the end of 2020,” as stated in the latter.

On Friday, County Board member Christian Dorsey appeared on WAMU’s Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi and discussed the police reform movement, which has received momentum locally after ARLnow broke the news of Arlington officers in riot gear assisting U.S. Park Police near the White House. (The officers were quickly pulled out of D.C. after helping to clear the way for a presidential photo in front of a church.)

“We’re getting a lot of letters from people with the defund the police calls,” Dorsey said. “I will just note that the budget for the police department over the last eight, nine years has risen only slightly higher than the rate of inflation. And, you know, of the 74 million, most of it, all but about 7.5 million, is tied to personnel [and a] substantial amount of that is devoted to community policing efforts.”

“So, when it comes to what you defund, I think you first look at any tactical weapons and gear that are not necessary to meet your police obligations, and we don’t have a lot of that in Arlington,” Dorsey continued. “We have very much looked on an annual basis to make sure we’re not prioritizing the spending on weapons and toys and things like that that create militarized police forces.”

Dorsey added, in response to a question from co-host Tom Sherwood, that calls to defund the police “will be weaponized” politically against Democrats.

“Let’s rethink policing, let’s restructure it and let’s take any savings and reinvest it in people,” he said. “That, unfortunately, is a little bit longer than defund the police. So, we’ve got this catchall slogan which will be weaponized by other folks. And I think that’s something that people need to be very wary about.”

More on the group and the reforms it is seeking is below, in a press release.

(more…)

No New Coronavirus Deaths Reported Over the Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s coronavirus data continues to look good, even while a resurgence of cases in the U.S. and China weighs on the stock market.

“The second wave has begun,” one medical school professor told CNBC today. But even while 22 states — mostly in the west and the Sun Belt — report an acceleration of new cases, Arlington and Virginia are looking to be in good shape, for now.

No new COVID-19 deaths were reported in Arlington over the weekend. In fact, no new COVID-19 deaths were reported in all of Northern Virginia on Sunday, the first time that has happened since April 6.

As of Monday morning, Arlington has reported a cumulative total of 2,346 cases, 405 hospitalizations and 125 deaths. The seven-day trailing total of new cases and hospitalizations now stands at 90 and 13 respectively.

Arlington and Northern Virginia entered “Phase 2” of the reopening on Friday, allowing restaurants and gyms to open indoor spaces for the first time since March.

Arlington’s seven-day trailing average daily testing and positivity rates, meanwhile, currently stand at 220 tests per day and 6.6% respectively. The latter represents a new low in the county’s test positivity rate.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Black Lives Matter Protest Held Saturday — “As protests continue around the nation following the death of George Floyd, the Black Parents of Arlington group welcomed families and neighbors on Saturday for a special gathering and vigil for the man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May. Over 100 people gathered at Drew Model Elementary School, some bringing signs while others wore shirts and face masks showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.” [WUSA 9]

Dorsey Discusses ‘Defund’ Demands — “‘We’re getting a lot of letters with the ‘defund the police’ calls,’ says [County Board member Christian Dorsey, on the WAMU Politics Hour]. He says that over the past few years, the police budget has only risen slightly above inflation. He said he’d be open to cutting tactical weapons and gear.” [Twitter]

Pentagon Entering ‘Phase 1’ Today — “Pentagon and Pentagon Facilities Employees: This Mon., June 15, begins Phase One of re-entering the buildings. Welcome back! Don’t forget your face covering and to social distance while inside.” [Twitter]

Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations Fall — “Fewer than 1,000 Virginians are now hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19, and the number of cases continued to slow both statewide and in Northern Virginia, according to reports Saturday morning. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported only 959 coronavirus patients in state hospitals, the lowest number since the organization began providing data in early April… Only 342 of those patients were in Northern Virginia, down from a high of 818 on April 30.” [InsideNova]

County Expanding Free Wi-Fi Spots — “Arlington residents can now access free Wi-Fi in the parking lots of the Charles Drew Community Center and Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center as part of the County’s ongoing effort to help residents without reliable internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with these two new locations, public Wi-Fi is available via the ArlingtonWireless network in the parking lots at Aurora Hills, Central and Columbia Pike libraries.” [Arlington County]

PTAs to Distribute Face Masks — “County staff from a variety of departments packing up more than 4,300 cloth face covers for [Arlington Public Schools] PTAs to distribute to families. Face covering is required in Virginia public indoor spaces. ” [Twitter]

Restaurants Seek Expanded Outdoor Dining Spaces — “Arlington County has allowed 19 restaurants to add new space for outdoor dining or expand existing options, as part of the growing trend of shifting tables outside and allowing safer dining while the Covid-19 pandemic persists… Through June 9, the county has seen a total of 66 applications and approved just under a third of them.” [Washington Business Journal]

Photo courtesy Jean and James Knaack

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

A busy week has has given way to what looks to be a beautiful weekend.

We are grateful this week for the passion of those protesting in Arlington and elsewhere, the medical recovery of long-time ARLnow commenter Flood Czar, and the support of our readers and sponsors — who have propelled our readership to record levels and who have allowed us to stay business through the pandemic with no layoffs.

Now, here are the most-read articles of the week:

  1. Northern Virginia to Enter ‘Phase 2’ Reopening on Friday
  2. Ballston Hosting ‘Retro’ Drive-In Movie Showing
  3. Vice President’s Maskless Visit to Trump HQ in Rosslyn Criticized
  4. Pupatella Searching for New Arlington Location
  5. After Lull, A Rise in Coronavirus Cases in Arlington
  6. Sixty Years Ago, A Two-Week Civil Rights Battle Raged Across Arlington Eateries
  7. Thousands Participate in Saturday Marches in Arlington
  8. List: Black-Owned Businesses In Arlington
  9. More Demonstrations Planned Today in Arlington
  10. Crash After Police Chase Blocks I-66

Feel free to discuss those and other issues of local interest in the comments.

Photo courtesy James Mahony

Numerous Restaurants and Other Businesses Listed for Sale in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

The pandemic has brought tough times for many local business owners. In some cases, it’s driving them to try to sell their businesses.

The website BizBuySell aggregates many business sale listings. In nearly every case, the name of the business and its exact location is omitted.

Reasons for selling, when provided, typically do not mention economic hardship, but more often involve the owner retiring or not having time to actively manage the business.

Here are some that are currently listed in Arlington:

  1. Established Retail Consignment Store — “Womens, gift and home consignment store for sale. This is a terrific time to transition into being your own boss! This is a successful, fully functioning consignment business ready for it’s next owner. The location is on a VERY BUSY street in an affluent neighborhood & has been operating as a consignment store for over 50+ years. “
  2. Massage/Skincare Business — “Average well over $250k NET profit per year! Business is fully staffed along with a management team with three years tenure. Average staff tenure is 4-7 years.”
  3. Pizza Restaurant & Bar — “Restaurant in a prime location of Arlington VA established in 2012. Semi absentee owned working around 20 hours per week. This restaurant will fit any concept. Excellent location for Italian concept. This restaurant has 2 full service bars and a total of 104 seats.”
  4. Italian Customer Favorite — “This family-owned restaurant has been in business for over 40 years in the center of Arlington. Restaurant has been totally renovated and maintained. Dedicated chef and staff that will remain with new owner, if desired. Equipment has been maintained and is in excellent working order. Seating for approximately 60+, including bar area. Great location in Arlington, VA, with on-site dedicated parking in the back.”
  5. Dry Cleaners for Sale, 1 plant, 1 pick up store — “Prime locations. Well established profitable business. Each 1600sf stores. 1-plant, 1 pick up store. Loyal customers. Owned since 1997 ( 23 years) Reasonable rent. High growth potential in booming market. Pick up store location only using about 60% of space.( could sublease other 40% to tuxedo rental for example ) Right cross street brand new apartment complex going to deliver soon.”
  6. Nail, Hair Salon and Spa — “Well established Spa serving a well-to-do community for 20 years. Grocery anchored shopping center. 11 massage rooms (2 for couples), 9 has water. 3 toilets, 3 showers, 1 sauna, 1 dry spa. Large spa but rent is very reasonable. Membership program, gift card sale available. Most staff will stay.”
  7. Fast Casual Restaurant in Prime Location — “High quality Asian street food concept in a prime location of Arlington VA. Starting a restaurant from scratch can cost you a ton of money and time. This beautifully built out restaurant can be yours at a very low cost. Fully equipped with high end equipment, furniture and fixtures. The current owner is ABSENTEE but does not have the time to watch over the restaurant anymore. With current annual sales averaging around $860,000.”
  8. Dry Cleaning Pickup Store — “This is a dry cleaning / alterations and tailoring landmark location, in the heart of Amazon Territory. In operation for over 30 years, the clientele is loyal, the rent is right and the price even better. The owner is retiring, but will stay on to help if needed.”
  9. Nice Ice Cream business in a high income area — “Unique and Very well established Ice Cream business in a very nice area surrounded by businesses and residentials. VERY high-income area with limited dessert choice. Seller’s initial investment was more than $350K about 1.5 years ago. High End Establishment. Great Reputation. Seller is looking for a experienced and passionate buyer who can utilize this business and location to make a very profitable business.
    Currently, this is a franchise business, but a buyer can keep this or put his/her own concept.”
  10. Coffee Shop in North Arlington — “Established Franchise coffee shop with kitchen located under a hi-rise residence building across the street from a government building and next to well known university in north Arlington. There is an indoor and outdoor seating, High quality relaxing atmosphere to enjoy coffee, paninis and pastries etc.”
  11. Fast Food in Popular Mall Food Court — “Low rent fast food restaurant in Arlington VA. This restaurant is located in a food court of a popular mall. This small restaurant serves sandwiches, Italian dishes and desserts. All furniture, fixtures and equipment are included with the sale of the business. The current owner has decided to start selling off some of his restaurants and semi retire to spend more time with family.”
  12. Japanese Restaurant — “Fast casual Japanese restaurant for sale in Arlington VA. This restaurant currently serves Japanese food and sushi but can be converted to fit most menus/concepts. Located in a shopping center on a very busy road. The current owner is ready to retire.”
  13. Trendy Clothing Boutique — “Trendy and well known and loved women’s clothing boutique. Fully stocked and and clientele of 800+”
  14. Thai or Other Concept Restaurant — “Well-established business (16 years) in top-rated food , excellent location in northern Arlington. can change concept if you wish to. Excellent location on a high traffic road, with favorable lease. Strong base of repeat customers, and experienced staff. Everything is already established for web presence, advertising, social media, and local and business marketing.”
  15. Successful, Well-Established Turn-Key Hair Salon with Nail & Wax Spa — “No expense spared in the Contemporary build out – hair salon recently built out approx. 4 years ago, and the nail / wax spa was just built out last year. Very Modern Design with an excellent layout. The hair salon is built out with a Reception area, 4 stylists stations, Shampoo station, Kitchenette and Restroom. The Nail & Wax Spa on the upper level is built out with 4 Manicure stations, 2 Pedicure Stations, Manicure drying station, Wax / Massage Room, Restroom with shower. Prime North Arlington Location in the affluent, sought-after Cherrydale neighborhood.”
  16. Highly Profitable Used Car Dealership — “Highly Profitable and very prime location auto used car dealership in Arlington for sale. The only used car dealer located in about 5 miles radius. The revenue of this business is strong and steady over the last decades and has an exceptional reputation in the are. The business has been generating over $6 million in sales/revenue on average.”
  17. High income hotpot restaurant — “Hotpot restaurant is a very famous Asian food service, more and more people with different cultures starts to love in the food. The restaurant has more high tech factors to support the business, the customer use Ipad and robot to order the soup base and protein food on site, and other side dish and vegetables are delivered by a conveyer chain. The location is great for the customers who are working, living and traveling in Arlington metro area, so the owner never concerns about the vacant tables. It’s normal situation when customers come in the dinner time, they have to wait 2 hours for a seat.”
  18. High Volume Restaurant & Bar — “Situated in the heart of Arlington, this profitable bar/restaurant provides an incredible opportunity for a restaurant operator to acquire an excellent location complete with all the equipment and top of line furnishings needed for a turn key operation. This restaurant comes with high quality and custom-built furnishings as well as a long-term lease with excellent options for this highly sought after and growing area. This restaurant has a total of 425 seats and over 50 hd tvs.”
  19. Fitness Spin Cycle Center with Two Locations — “Established 7 years this Cycle Fitness Center has 2 locations in the most desirable cities in the US. One location in NYC NY & the second location in Washington DC. Absentee owned & Fully Staffed with management for all the day to day operations. Their certified instructors are all Independent 1099 contractors. Each location has approximately 50 cycles and offer 4-9 classes per day. This cycle fitness center is performance-based & results-driven with optimal speed & resistance combinations available.”
  20. RESTAURANT & BAR Full Kitchen — “Currently open as a Restaurant and Bar. Huge potential for motivated and experienced parties to take over and convert to a Sports bar, Vietnamese, Chinese,Japanese, Italian restaurant, Hookah bar, or Bakery. Located in very busy corner location with a lot of foot traffic.”

See more Arlington listings here.

Coronavirus Cases Continue Slow Increase in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

For now, the coronavirus epidemic in Arlington appears to be largely under control, albeit still infecting new patients.

Overnight the Virginia Dept. of Health reported eight new cases, one new hospitalization and one new death in Arlington. The trailing seven-day total of new cases and hospitalizations is 134 and 12 respectively.

Hospitalizations previously peaked at 92 per week.

Testing has ticked down but the positivity rate remains under 10%. There are about 225 PCR-based tests being conducted each day in the county, and the current seven-day moving average positivity rate is 8.2%

Statewide, the rate of new daily cases continues to fall in Virginia, despite a rise in hospitalizations in a dozen states across the country.

In Arlington, there have been a cumulative total of 2,307 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 397 hospitalizations and 125 deaths as of Friday morning.

Morning Poll: Changes to Police Funding?

By ARLnow.com

Following protests over the killing of George Floyd, there’s now a national movement to #DefundThePolice.

Most proponents say they want to redirect a portion of sizable police budgets to social services, investing in community rather than punishment.

The idea has yet to catch on with most Americans. Nearly two-thirds of respondents to a recent survey opposed reducing police funding.

Here in Arlington, the police department makes up about 5% of the county’s general fund, less than that of the Dept. of Human Services, which provides health, housing and social services help. Aside from the decision to send officers to help control protests in D.C., at the request of U.S. Park Police, the police department has faced few major, recent controversies.

(There have been four officer-involved shootings in Arlington over the past decade, all deemed justified uses of force in subsequent investigations. Complaints against police rose in 2019, but remained relatively low given Arlington’s population.)

In the upcoming 2020-2021 budget, ACPD will get a slight boost in funding, to just under $75 million. With less funding for the department in subsequent budgets, more could be spent on social services and community programs. With more funding, ACPD might be able to increase training and provide body cameras to all officers.

What do you think should be done?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rent Protest Today — Starting at the shopping center parking lot at 5001 Columbia Pike, a caravan of cars adorned with signs will travel to local apartment complexes to support “rent cancellation during this pandemic plus two months following the ability for community members to work and pay rent,” among other aims. The protest is being organized by La ColectiVA and other groups. [Facebook]

Animal Control Rescues Turtle from I-395 — “A few days ago, we got a call about a turtle very close to traffic on I-395. When Sgt Ballena arrived, he found a young snapping turtle who’s beak was fractured and bleeding. He took the turtle to Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, who will care for him until he can be released.” [Twitter]

Arlington Officers Injured During D.C. Protests — Despite an earlier comment by the police chief that no officers were injured, “a spokesperson for Arlington County Police told us, ‘one Arlington officer suffered a concussion and several others suffered bruises and abrasions.'” [WUSA 9]

Home Sales Downs, Prices Up — “May is usually one of the best months for housing sales, but the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of listings sidelined many potential buyers. The D.C. area had its slowest May for sales in a decade. But more sellers stepped up from April and prices continue to rise year-over-year… The median price of what sold in Arlington County was $622,500, up 1.2% from last May.” [WTOP]

Could HQ2 Be Downsized? — Amazon prizes in-person interactions among employees, but there are still questions as to whether the company will proceed with the second phase of its 4+ million square foot permanent second headquarters in Pentagon City. [Washington Business Journal]

Orange Line Platform Work Moving Along — “Two weeks into the summer shutdown, construction activity is well underway at Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church stations. So far, construction crews have focused on demolition work, including the removal of all tiles from the platforms, mezzanines and pedestrian bridges.” [WMATA]

Two Recent Drownings Near Chain Bridge — While D.C. Fire and EMS warns of dangerous waters near the Chain Bridge, the department said another grim discovery was made Thursday. “There have been 2 drownings in the past 3 weeks near Chain Bridge and a body was recovered today,” DCFEMS said. [Twitter]

BREAKING: Arlington County Fair Canceled

By ARLnow.com

The pandemic has claimed another victim: the 2020 Arlington County Fair.

The in-person fair, scheduled from Aug. 12-16, has been canceled and replaced with a “virtual format” that will run from Aug. 14-16.

“Given the current social distancing guidance and the uncertainty of the trajectory of the virus, it is unfeasible for the in-person Fair to move forward as scheduled,” organizer said late Thursday afternoon.

The exact format of the virtual fair was not immediately made clear. Organizers say it will “showcase the best of Arlington and share the spirit of the Fair.” Additional information is expected to be posted online.

The fair — a summer staple for generations of Arlingtonians — is expected to return in its full glory in 2021.

More from a press release:

Due to the current restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Arlington County Fair, scheduled for August 12-16, has been moved to a virtual format, to be held August 14-16.

The decision to cancel the in-person 2020 Arlington County Fair and move online was a very difficult one. A beloved community tradition, the Fair brings five days of pure joy to Arlington each August. However, given the current social distancing guidance and the uncertainty of the trajectory of the virus, it is unfeasible for the in-person Fair to move forward as scheduled.

The Fair Board is in the process of contacting our sponsors, entertainers, vendors, and community groups that are impacted to ensure all parties are aware of the change.

While we are disappointed that we cannot hold the in-person 2020 Fair, it also brings a new opportunity for the Fair to come to you! We have planned three days of virtual programming August 14-16 so we can still showcase the best of Arlington and share the spirit of the Fair. Check the Fair’s Facebook page in July for details and schedule.

The Fair is operated by an all-volunteer non-profit organization, Arlington County Fair, Inc. We rely on income generated by ride ticket sales, vendor fees and sponsorships to hold the Fair each year. While we understand that there are many pressing issues at the moment, we do accept donations year-round and would be grateful for any contributions you may be willing to make to ensure that the Fair remains a mainstay of the Arlington community. Additionally, we are actively recruiting Fair Board Members to assist with the planning of future Fairs. To apply, submit an online application.

We appreciate the continued support of the Arlington community and look forward to the return of the Fair as we know it in 2021.

BREAKING: Crash After Police Chase Blocks I-66

By ARLnow.com

The eastbound lanes of I-66 are blocked near the N. Ohio Street overpass due to the aftermath of a high-speed police chase.

Initial reports suggest that Virginia State Police troopers were chasing a vehicle involved in a felony hit-and-run, with speeds in excess of 100 mph.

The driver crashed near Ohio Street and was briefly trapped in the vehicle. State police, Arlington police and firefighters are currently on scene. The Fairfax County Police helicopter is also overhead.

All eastbound lanes are blocked and police are working to divert eastbound traffic onto N. Sycamore Street in the East Falls Church area. Drivers stuck behind the crash are being directed around it, through a work zone.

View More Stories