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.

Arlington Pet of the Week: Abby

By ARLnow.com
1/4

This week’s Pet of the Week is Abby, a 5 year old Lhasa Apso.

Here’s what Abby has to say about her life here in Arlington:

Hello, my name is Abby and I am a 5 year old Lhasa Apso! My human dad says I am the best dog ever and spoils me with endless cuddles, treats, toys and most importantly, a forever home.

Life wasn’t always easy for me though. When I was 2 years old, my original owners dropped me off at a shelter because they could no longer afford to take care of my grooming needs and skin conditions (I’m allergic to just about everything!). When my human dad found me, I was a tiny ball of matted fur, bald spots and severely inflamed skin.

I was very scared and didn’t understand the changes happening in my life, but my human dad rescued me from the shelter and has given me unconditional love and care ever since! After a few months of special shampoos, regular grooming visits, and a hydrolyzed protein diet, my fur was shiny and soft again and my skin was in great condition! I love my human dad, he’s my best friend and we’re very lucky to be in each other’s lives.

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!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of eight consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

Six of the Top 10 Priciest Zip Codes for Va. Renters Are in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is home to six of the top 10 priciest zip codes for renters in Virginia in 2019, according to a new study.

The data from website RENTCafe lists Rosslyn’s 22209 area code as the priciest in the state, with an average monthly rent of $2,718, rising 4% year-over-year.

That’s followed by McLean’s 22102 zip code and Arlington’s 22201 zip code, which includes Clarendon and Courthouse. The average rent in 22201 was $2,420 per month, rising 5.4% year over year.

The Pentagon City and Crystal City area — the much-discussed 22202 zip code, home to Amazon’s future HQ2 — was No. 4 at a monthly average rent of $2,407. But the rate of rent increases there — 3.6% — was significantly outpaced by the No. 5 22203 zip code, which includes Ballston and rose 8% year-over-year to an average monthly rent of $2,403.

Rounding out the bottom half of the top 10 were the Reston Town Center area, residential North Arlington’s 22207 zip code, Old Town Alexandria, Falls Church, and Arlington’s 22206 zip code, which includes Shirlington and Fairlington.

Animal Control Officers Rescue Fox Snared by Fish Hook

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Animal control officers in Arlington don’t just deal with urban wildlife issues — like, say, trash pandas stuck in bathtubs.

With expanses of parkland in the county’s confines, sometimes animal control duties become more rugged. An incident involving a fox on Saturday, for instance, prompted an Animal Welfare League of Arlington officer to hike for 15 minutes on the Potomac Heritage Trail.

The officer responded to the hilly and rocky terrain between the GW Parkway and the Potomac River for a report of a fox stuck in a bush. There, they found the little fox tangled in the bush, with a fish hook stuck in it leg.

Once unstuck, the fox was brought to Wildlife Vet Care for surgery, and is now expected to be released back into the wild soon.

https://www.facebook.com/AWLArlington/posts/10157764938968522

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Woman Sues Moby Dick House of Kabob — “An Arlington woman is suing Moby Dick House of Kabob after a salmonella outbreak related to hummus made at least 17 people sick in Maryland and Virginia since September 10.” [WTOP, Bethesda Magazine]

Driver Cited for Striking Cars at McKinley Elementary — Per an Arlington County Police spokeswoman: “At approximately 4:28 p.m. on October 3, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of McKinley Road for the report of a hit and run just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the driver of the striking vehicle hit three unoccupied parked vehicles in the parking lot. The driver of the vehicle was identified, the incident was determined to be a medical emergency and the driver of the striking vehicle was issued a summons for violation of Arlington County code § 14.2-17 Vehicle to be Kept Under Control.”

Arlington: Too Crowded for Some — Arlington has “grown crowded enough to prompt even deep-rooted residents to escape ever farther out to nature. Take my friends Tim and Beth Reese… They’re now ensconced on a 77-acre grow-your-own-organic-food farm a 90-minute drive out in Capon Bridge, West Virginia (pop. 371).” [Falls Church News-Press]

Fire Prevention Week Reminders — “It’s Fire Prevention Week, and this year the Arlington County Fire Department and fire departments across the country are working to educate their communities about the small but important actions everyone can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.” [Arlington County]

Nearby: Amazon Opening Store in D.C. — “Amazon.com Inc. is preparing to grow its brick-and-mortar retail presence along one of D.C.’s growing retail corridors: 14th Street NW.” [Washington Business Journal, PoPville]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

County Continuing Infrastructure Repairs Following July Flooding

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington County has made progress in repairing infrastructure damaged in the July 8 flash flood emergency.

Last week Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services reopened a portion of the Four Mile Run Trail that runs under Wilson Blvd. The underpass was partially washed out by the force of the raging flood waters.

Crews “completed the work to repair the bike trail underpass by replacing the curb that was undermined by the stream and placing new concrete slab on the sidewalk surface,” DES spokeswoman Jessica Baxter tells ARLnow. “We also painted the curb on the outer perimeter towards the stream. Overall, it took about two weeks to complete.”

Arlington reported around $6 million in damage to county infrastructure from the flooding. Baxter said DES has completely most of its repairs, though some work remains to be done.

“In terms of repairs, we have substantially completed our tasks — we have minor items to address, such as catch basin repairs,” she said.

A number of footbridges were swept away by floodwaters. At least one, near 38th Street N. in the Old Glebe neighborhood, was recently replaced. Arlington’s parks department is currently evaluating the replacement of others.

“As of Oct. 2, County contractors have removed bridges that were destroyed by the storm, including the bridges at 38th St. N. and N. Chesterfield Street, Bon Air, Glencarlyn and Gulf Branch. Lubber Run will follow,” parks spokeswoman Susan Kalish said. “All bridges and fords damaged in the storm are being assessed for safety and next steps.”

Photo (1) courtesy Dennis Dimick, (3) courtesy @btj/Twitter

Taco Bamba Owner to Open New “All-Day Egg” Restaurant in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Victor Albisu, the chef and owner of the popular local Taco Bamba chain, is planning to open a new restaurant concept in Ballston.

The fast-casual restaurant, which is expected to open this spring, will be called “Huevos.” It will offer egg-based dishes for every meal of the day, alongside various types of coffee and a “modest” bar serving up craft beers, mimosas and Bloody Mary.

Huevos will be located in a 1,500 square foot space at 4000 Wilson Blvd, replacing the shuttered Mike Isabella restaurant Yona.

“There is nothing more versatile and delicious than eggs. My biggest challenge with this concept will be figuring out where to stop,” Albisu said in a press release. “I could eat eggs all day, and I do, so the menu possibilities are endless. While eggs are the star, the dishes will be as surprising and craveable as anything from Taco Bamba. We’re opening an all-day spot here. Eggs were never meant just for breakfast.”

The full press release is below.

Award-winning chef, Victor Albisu, announces plans to bring all-day egg concept, Huevos, to The View at Liberty Center in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Va. this spring. Located at 4000 Wilson Blvd., Suite C (entrance on N. Quincy St.), the 1,500-square-foot fast-casual will serve original yolk-busting versions of nature’s most perfect food, along with coffee and bar programs to complement the menu.

“There is nothing more versatile and delicious than eggs. My biggest challenge with this concept will be figuring out where to stop,” said Albisu. “I could eat eggs all day, and I do, so the menu possibilities are endless. While eggs are the star, the dishes will be as surprising and craveable as anything from Taco Bamba. We’re opening an all-day spot here. Eggs were never meant just for breakfast.”

The Huevos menu gets its Latin accent from sibling restaurant Taco Bamba – 2019 winner of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Favorite Fast Bites award. Look for instant classics like bacon, egg and cheese empanadas, brisket chilaquiles, and egg salad topped with caviar (more eggs!) and served with salt & vinegar chips.

More adventurous menu items include green eggs and jamón, featuring a 63º egg, jalapeño whipped potatoes, and crispy ham, as well as a crispy egg roll, with soft scramble, ground chorizo, poblanos, Monterey jack, chipotle ketchup, and pineapple sweet & sour sauce.

This isn’t another taco shop, but Albisu plans to stuff large flour tortillas with a selection of braised and barbequed meats, roasted vegetables, shredded bacon, and smoked fish, topped with his own egg-based “Huevos yellow sauce.” A range of sandwiches, with everything from smoked salmon to roasted portobellos to crab cakes, will be stacked and stuffed into soft, warm torta bread, tightly wrapped and neatly sliced to enjoy at the counter or on the go.

During weekend brunch, look for airy, sweet souffléed pancakes similar to the short stack you used to find in a cast iron pan on Del Campo’s bunch menu. Eggs also make sweet treats and will always be available in the form of Albisu’s signature flan.

Nature’s most perfect food will be served alongside its most addictive drink – coffee – hot, cold, with milk, and black as the night is long. A modest bar will serve a concise list of craft beers, mimosas and Bloody Marys.

(more…)

Owner of Former Public Shoe Store in Clarendon Dies

By ARLnow.com
1/8

Sholom Harold “Doc” Friedman, the long-time proprietor of the former Public Shoe Store in Clarendon, has died. He was 86.

Friedman’s father opened the store in 1938. It moved from its original building in the 1970s to make way for the construction of Metro, ending up at its recognizable 3137 Wilson Blvd location, where it stayed for decades before closing in 2016 to make way for a 7-Eleven.

“Doc” was a beloved figure for generations of shoe store customers and patients of his podiatry office. He took over the store when his father could no longer work there, but there were no potential successors when it came time for Doc to retire a few years ago.

From a 2015 profile:

Friedman has children and several grandchildren, but none of them wanted to take up the mantle of Public Shoe Store the way he did from his father. His children are all at or near retirement, and the next generation are aspiring teachers and scientists.

“They don’t seem to be interested in it,” he said. “Kids today are into different things, it’s a different world.”

Although his loyal customers will miss coming into the shop and seeing him every day, shuffling deliberately across the store and trying his hardest to find the perfect shoe for each foot problem, he hasn’t thought much about what his next step will look like.

First, he said: tending to his Lyon Village home, which is just a few minutes ride from the store via his motorized red scooter.

“I’m going to clean out all my junk,” he said. He smiles when he’s asked what he’ll miss most about the store, and said only, “I don’t know yet.”

An obituary notes that Doc was a proud Mason and member of Arlington’s Congregation Etz Hayim.

Known and beloved in the Washington area as Doc Friedman, proprietor of Public Shoe Store; the family business founded by his late father, Samuel, and co-owned with his late brother, Joel, was in business for 78 years until Doc’s retirement in 2016. He was a proud Mason, and a founding and lifetime member of Congregation Etz Hayim. Graveside services will be held Thursday, October 10, 1:00 p.m., at King David Memorial Gardens in Falls Church, VA. Family will be receiving following burial with a minyan service at 6 p.m. at the late residence. Memorial contributions may be made to Capital Caring and Relay For Life of Olney – American Cancer Society. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Funeral Care.

Man Tased in Pentagon City After Allegedly Punching Two Police Officers

By ARLnow.com

A man punched two Arlington County police officers while trespassing in an apartment building in Pentagon City, according to an ACPD crime report.

The incident happened Saturday morning on the 1200 block of S. Eads Street, after police were called for a report of an irate man trespassing in the building.

A struggle ensued after officers located the man, during which he was tased and taken into custody, police say. More from the crime report:

ASSAULT & BATTERY ON POLICE, 2019-10050119, 1200 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on October 5, police were dispatched to the report of a trespasser inside a residential building. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect became irate after engaging in a verbal dispute with staff. The suspect then left the leasing office, but remained in the building, where he was located by police. Arriving officers made contact with the suspect, who continued to act disorderly, disobeyed lawful commands and attempted to strike two officers with closed fists. A brief struggled ensued and the officers deployed their tasers prior to taking the suspect into custody. Amro Ali, 33, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on Police (x2). He was held on no bond.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ACPD Provides Crystal City Shooting Update — “The Arlington County Police Department continues to investigate a non-fatal officer-involved shooting which occurred on August 28, 2019. The police department is committed to providing professional law enforcement services to the Arlington community while remaining transparent with the public regarding our operations. As a matter of transparency, the officer involved in the August shooting is Officer J. Clark.” [Arlington County]

Redevelopment Plan Includes Unique Towers — “The most interesting design among all of JBG’s proposals is for the two residential towers at 2525 Crystal, currently the home of the Crystal City Workout Park and a handful of sand volleyball courts.
Plans call for two interconnected towers with a stepped design, forming a V shape when viewed in profile.” [Washington Business Journal]

Favola Endorses Dehghani-Tafti — State Sen. Barbara Favola writes in an endorsement of Democratic Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney nominee Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: “Parisa will work day and night to bring balance to a justice system that has relied excessively on jail time when diversion programs and common-sense drug laws would better serve us. I look forward to working with Parisa as I continue to fight for expunging the records of juveniles and decriminalizing marijuana.” [Twitter]

Comcast Outage Reported — Updated at 9:10 a.m. — Several tipsters are reporting a large Comcast cable outage in Arlington. A portion of the Comcast outage map reviewed by ARLnow shows at least 500 customers were without cable service as of 9 a.m.

Nearby: Squirrel Prompts Call to Police — “Scanner: Alexandria PD just dispatched a call regarding an ‘aggressive squirrel.'” [Twitter]

BREAKING: Truck Overturns, Blocks N. Glebe Road at Chain Bridge

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) A dump truck overturned on N. Glebe Road, right before Chain Bridge, completely blocking the road to and from the bridge.

The driver was reported to be “severely trapped” in the truck’s cab, prompting a large fire department rescue response, according to scanner traffic. Multiple ambulances were dispatched to the scene, though it’s unclear if anyone else was injured.

The crash also spilled the truck’s load of cinder blocks and construction debris over the roadway. A heavy wrecker was requested to respond to the scene to assist with the cleanup.

The truck crashed after a steep and winding section of Glebe Road, which leads to a traffic signal at the intersection with Chain Bridge Road, just prior to the bridge.

Chain Bridge was expected to remain closed between D.C. and Virginia, and northbound Glebe Road is expected to remain blocked at N. Military Road, for an extended period of time — likely for “several hours.” Heavy traffic was reported on Chain Bridge Road approaching the crash scene this afternoon, with backups starting to extend into Fairfax County.

“Expect major delays as rescue work continues,” advised the Arlington County Fire Department. “Seek an alternate route.”

“Disruptions are anticipated into the evening commute,” Arlington County said via Twitter.

After an extended rescue operation, the trapped driver was removed from the truck just prior to 1 p.m. Glebe reopened to traffic between Chain Bridge Road and Military Road around 2 p.m. Chain Bridge reopened around 4:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic, though for now traffic heading from D.C. must turn on to Chain Bridge Road.

DEVELOPING: Major Crowding on Metro This Morning

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 9:25 a.m.) Metrorail riders, especially those heading toward D.C. on the Orange/Silver line, are experiencing major crowding due to an incident in the District overnight.

Two trains, neither of which were carrying passengers, collided near the Foggy Bottom and Farragut West Metro stations around 1 a.m. Both train operators were injured.

An investigation into the crash has prompted single-tracking past the scene, leading to major delays during the Monday morning commute. Trains on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines are only running every 15 minutes, while the Silver Line is only running between the Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston stations.

Significant crowding has been reported at the East Falls Church and Ballston stations in Arlington. The cost of Uber and Lyft rides has also reportedly spiked.

“Consider alternate travel options,” Metro said via Twitter. The investigation is expected to continue for most of the day.

More via social media and the Unsuck DC Metro Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/cat3ali/status/1181184801388318724

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