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JUST IN: Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Arlington

Published May 2, 2019 at 3:45PM

Arlington County and surrounding areas are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 4:30 p.m.

Spring Cleaning? Repurpose Unwanted Items Locally

Published May 2, 2019 at 1:30PM

By Lindsey Wray

Whether you’re spring cleaning or applying the popular KonMari method to your home, think twice before overloading your trash can with unwanted items. Arlington offers lots of options for disposing of things that no longer spark joy, and they have nothing to do with the landfill.

Marie Kondo’s popular KonMari tidying process suggests keeping only items that “spark joy,” as described in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and in the recent Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

But just because items don’t work for you anymore doesn’t mean you can’t find another use for them somewhere else.

Here’s how:

Electronics

Dispose of cellphones, computers, printers, keyboards, etc., at Arlington’s Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE), held twice each year. The next E-CARE is this coming Saturday, May 4, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1425 N. Quincy Street. The event is free, but there is a charge to recycle televisions and computer monitors.

Clothing

Rather than taking all of your excess closet items to the Goodwill, consider finding other homes for them — and maybe making a bit of cash in the process. List newer items on Nextdoor to keep them right in your neighborhood, eliminating the cost and environmental impact of shipping. Not up for the hassle of managing the sales yourself? Get a free Clean-Out Kit from the virtual thrift store ThredUp, and mail in gently used items for resale or donation.

Books

If your bookshelves are buckling, find a few books you’re ready to part with and drop them at an Arlington library. Libraries also accept CDs, DVDs, and board games.

Papers

Although mixed paper (cardboard, magazines, newspapers, office paper, etc.) is collected in Arlington County’s curbside recycling program, if you’re getting rid of a lot at once, you may want to consider taking a load to a drop-off center. Find these at Quincy Park, N. Quincy Street and Washington Blvd, or Trades Center, 2700 S. Taylor Street.

If your hard-copy files from 10 years ago no longer spark joy, let Arlington shred them for you. The County offers limited paper shredding for residents on the first Saturday of each month at 4300 29th Street S. For the website details and allowable items.

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Coworking Providers TechSpace and Industrious Are Merging

By ARLnow.com

Published May 2, 2019 at 9:05AM

Two major coworking companies, which operate coworking spaces blocks apart in Ballston, are merging.

TechSpace has been acquired by the larger coworking provider Industrious, according to an email from TechSpace CEO Vic Memenas. ARLnow’s parent company is based in a TechSpace office and both companies are ARLnow advertisers.

“I am pleased to announce that, as of today, TechSpace is now part of Industrious, the largest premium flexible workspace provider in the U.S.,” Memenas wrote to tenants yesterday. “Over the next few months, the Industrious team will begin integrating TechSpace into their larger network.”

Memenas said the change “will have little impact” on TechSpace members. Thus far both the TechSpace and Industrious locations in Ballston are expected to continue operating despite their close proximity, we’re told; the Ballston TechSpace is almost completely full.

Industrious recently announced plans to open a new 25,000 square foot location in Courthouse, in addition to locations either open or planned in D.C., Bethesda, Tysons and Alexandria.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 2, 2019 at 7:30AM

Dense Fog Advisory This Morning — “A Dense Fog Advisory has been issued for the DC/Baltimore metro areas, including portions of western MD & eastern WV. Use caution driving early this morning, and allow extra time to reach your destination. The fog should dissipate by around 9am.” [Twitter]

HQ2 May Look Like HQ1 — “Amazon.com Inc. has enlisted a trio of firms deeply involved with the development of its Seattle campus to help shape the plans for its second headquarters, an early indication the two campuses could share some common design elements.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington Marks Older Americans Month — “As we enter the month of May, Arlington is joining the nationwide observance of Older Americans Month. We’ll be recognizing the positive impact older adults have in and around our community and highlighting the many programs and services we offer them.” [Arlington County]

Write-Up for Hot Lolas in Ballston Quarter — “Two new shops experiment with heat levels and global inspiration for new wave fried chicken sandwiches.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Beyer in the News — “Rep. Don Beyer was South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s first Congressional endorsement, and he said Wednesday that he ‘deeply’ believes there needs to be a woman on the Democratic ticket ‘either as president or vice president.'” Also, Beyer is calling for the resignation of Attorney General William Barr. [CBS News, Twitter]

Nearby: No Tax Rate Hike for Alexandria — “The Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted a $761.5 million budget Wednesday without raising taxes or cutting services, adding more money for schools, early childhood education, additional firefighters and a new $100,000 fund to provide lawyers for residents facing deportation. The property tax rate, for the second year in a row, will stay at $1.13 per $100 of assessed value.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Eric

Crime Report: Man Mugged in Buckingham Bathroom

By ARLnow.com

Published May 1, 2019 at 5:30PM | Updated February 28, 2020 at 10:49AM

A man was robbed in a bathroom in the Buckingham neighborhood this past Sunday night.

Police say three men told the man he had left some belongings behind after leaving the bathroom of a local business, on N. Glebe Road just north of Route 50.

“When the victim reluctantly returned to the restroom, the suspects followed him, assaulted him and stole his personal belongings and an undisclosed amount of cash,” police said.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

ROBBERY, 2019-04280253, Unit block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 8:42 p.m. on April 28, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside a business and had exited the restroom when he was approached by three male suspects who engaged him in conversation. The suspects convinced the victim that he had dropped something when he was in the restroom. When the victim reluctantly returned to the restroom, the suspects followed him, assaulted him and stole his personal belongings and an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspects fled the business on foot prior to police arrival. Arriving officers canvased the area and a K9 track was initiated, and subsequently the victim’s belongings, with the exception of the cash, were located nearby. The victim suffered minor injuries. Suspect One is described as a black male, 18-25 years old, 5’11”-6’3″ tall, with a thin build, 150-180 lbs., with short, black hair, wearing a black shirt or hooded sweatshirt, and dark jeans. Suspect Two is described as a black male with short dreadlocks, 17-20 years old, 5’11”-6’0″ tall, with a thin build, approximately 150 lbs. and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt. Suspect Three is described as a black male, 17-20 years old, 5’11”-6’0″ tall, with a thin build, approximately 150 lbs. and wearing a red hooded sweatshirt.

The rest of the crime report is below.

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UPDATED: Man Stabbed Outside Crystal City McDonald’s

By ARLnow.com

Published May 1, 2019 at 10:45AM | Updated May 1, 2019 at 3:59PM

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County Police responded to a stabbing outside the McDonald’s at 2620 Jefferson Davis Highway in Crystal City this morning.

The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. Police say a man was stabbed with a knife by another man in the restaurant’s parking lot, following a verbal dispute. The victim was treated by paramedics and rushed to the hospital with reported non-life-threatening injuries.

A suspect was arrested and later identified as 61-year-old Anthony Jones. He was charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Stab while in the Commission of a Felony and held without bond.

Victim suffered non-life threatening injury and was transported to an area hospital. Suspect is in police custody. Police remain on scene investigating. (2/2)

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) May 1, 2019

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 1, 2019 at 7:30AM

Crystal City BID Proposes Expansion — “The Crystal City Business Improvement District has submitted its proposal to Arlington County to officially expand its borders into Pentagon City and the county’s portion [of] Potomac Yard as Amazon.com Inc. prepares to establish its second headquarters in the area collectively branded as National Landing.” [Washington Business Journal]

County Planning More Housing Initiatives — “Even by its own estimation, the Arlington County government’s success rate in stemming the exodus of affordable housing in Arlington has been hit-or-miss, and the local government at times has been viewed as unimaginative and overly bureaucratic by those who want to see more aggressive efforts at building and retaining housing accessible to lower- and middle-income residents.” [InsideNova]

Twilight Tattoo Begins Tonight at Ft. Myer — “Our 2019 Twilight Tattoo season is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, and run through Wednesday, July 31, with exception to July 3 and July 10, 2019… Twilight Tattoo is an hour-long, live-action military pageant featuring Soldiers from The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band ‘Pershing’s Own.'” [Military District of Washington]

Stressed Out Judges at Crystal City Immigration Court — “One of the most backlogged immigration courts in America is in Arlington… 7 on your side witnessed and heard of additional tense exchanges in court from multiple judges stressed with the ever-increasing caseload.” [WJLA]

Nearby: ‘Woodchuck’ Scam in Falls Church — “The City of Falls Church Police are investigating a “woodchuck” scam that has cost a victim thousands of dollars. Police caution City residents to be aware of predatory services, especially for tree removal, landscaping, roof and chimney work, and other home services.” [City of Falls Church]

Advertisers: Here’s How to Write an Effective Promoted Post on ARLnow

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2019 at 4:55PM

It’s no secret that it can be tough to be a local business.

Competing in the age of e-commerce and digital marketing is hard and sometimes confusing. While we can’t tell you what hashtags will best help you market yourself as Arlington’s go-to electronic-scooter-riding real estate agent on Instagram (as an example) we can, however, offer some advice for publishing promoted posts on ARLnow.

Promoted posts are sponsored articles that help give local businesses a boost by getting the word out about openings, new offerings, upcoming events and more. Here are some recent examples.

To make the most of your time in the ARLnow spotlight, here are some quick tips for best reaching our quarter-million monthly readers:

Keep it concise — The shorter the post, the more likely it will be read.
Keep it informative — People want to learn about local businesses but they generally don’t want to be “sold” to, so keep exclamation points and sales-y writing to a minimum. Instead, give people useful information about you and what you have to offer.
Keep it local — You’re a local business, so emphasize your local-ness. Go ahead, tell everyone the owner of the business went to Wakefield High School or your cafe is within easy biking distance of the W&OD Trail.
Keep it actionable — If you’re promoting an event, include a prominent link or two to the page where you can RSVP. If you just opened a new store, say where you are, link to a map and note what your hours are.
Be authentic — Staying on-brand is usually a good idea, but being your authentic self in your writing is even better. Write like a human and not a machine and you may be surprised to find how positive the reaction is.

Promoted posts are a popular option for advertisers because they’re affordable and they work. To learn more, see our 2019 media kit or drop our business team a line: 703-348-0583 or [email protected].

For more local advertising best practices, see our Guide to Effective Advertising.

#advertising

Arlington Native Lands Beyer Chief of Staff Job

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2019 at 1:30PM

Arlington native Tanya Bradsher has been tapped as the new Chief of Staff for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).

The move comes as longtime Chief of Staff Ann O’Hanlon leaves the top staff post in Beyer’s office.

Beyer issued the following statement about the change in leadership.

While I am saddened to lose my longtime Chief of Staff, Ann O’Hanlon, who is leaving to pursue new opportunities, I am thrilled to welcome Tanya Bradsher, who will start after Memorial Day.

First, a word about Ann: She let me know earlier this year that, after five years by my side as both chief of staff and campaign manager through three elections, she was ready to pass the baton. She has been indispensable to me in in winning elections to Congress and building the exemplary team that serves the citizens of northern Virginia. She is sending another child off to college this fall and, for her, this summer seemed to be the right time to take a break and start exploring the next chapter of her remarkable career that has had outsized achievements in journalism, women’s rights, and community leadership.

Tanya, who retired from the U.S. Army in 2013 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, was the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security from April 2014 to August 2015. Her Army career included service in multiple locations throughout the United States, as well as Iraq, Haiti, and the Republic of Korea. She is a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star for significant achievement and distinguished service.

Prior to joining the department, she held several positions at the White House, including as Assistant Director, Office of Public Engagement, where she was lead for Veteran, Wounded Warrior and Military Family Outreach. She also served as Assistant Secretary for National Security & Defense on the White House National Security Council and as spokesperson for the Department of Defense, Asia, Africa, Western Hemisphere, counter-terrorism, and detainee policies. From 2009 to 2011, Ms. Bradsher was a Defense Press Officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs at the Pentagon. Ms. Bradsher is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

She currently is the Chief of Communications for the American Psychiatric Association. She is a native of Arlington, Virginia, and lives in Lorton, Virginia with her husband and three children. She holds a B.A. in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MPS from George Washington University.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2019 at 7:30AM | Updated May 7, 2019 at 10:09AM

Brush Fire in Park Near Columbia Pike — “Firefighters were called to Alcova Park a little after noon today to put out this small fire. No word on cause, but it’s an early season reminder to fully extinguish smoking & BBQ’ing materials before safely discarding them in a metal container & leaving the area.” [Twitter]

‘Walk for the Animals’ Tickets on Sale — “On Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., AWLA invites you to Walk for the Animals and celebrate our 75th anniversary of improving the lives of animals in our community… $35 Early Bird registration until May 1 (includes Walk registration and t-shirt)” [Animal Welfare League of Arlington]

Traffic Enforcement in Clarendon — Arlington County Police conducted “high-visibility pedestrian enforcement at the intersection of N. Highland Street and Washington Boulevard as part of regional @COGStreetSmart campaign” yesterday afternoon. [Twitter, Twitter]

Arlington Resident Wins Lottery — “An Arlington man is $100,000 richer after playing a Cash 5 game he purchased at a store in the Fort Myer Heights neighborhood near Rosslyn recently.” [Patch]

Ebbin, Levine Endorse Parisa — State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) and Del. Mark Levine (D) have endorsed Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Democratic candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. They join several other elected officials, including former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former County Board member Walter Tejada, in endorsing the challenger in the Democratic primary. [Facebook, Blue Virginia]

Stamos’ Recent Endorsements — Earlier this month Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos announced endorsements from Arlington’s firefighter union and county treasurer Carla de la Pava in her bid for reelection, in addition to a litany of endorsements from other elected and former elected officials. [Facebook, Facebook]

Nearby: Aldi Coming to Bailey’s Crossroads — An Aldi grocery store will reportedly be replacing the former Babies R Us store at 5700 Columbia Pike, while a nearby Safeway store is said to be closing. [Annandale Blog]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

JUST IN: Amazon Has Started Hiring in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published April 29, 2019 at 2:35PM

Amazon is starting the hiring process for its HQ2 in Arlington and expects the first employees to move into temporary office space in June.

That’s according to a corporate blog post today:

Last November, we announced that Arlington, Virginia would be the home of our second headquarters. We’ve enjoyed a warm welcome from the community and the strong support from state and local government has allowed us to make significant progress towards establishing our presence here. We are ahead of schedule and on pace to create 400 new jobs this year and a total of 25,000 over the next decade plus.

Today marks an important step in the process as we lease office space and begin hiring. We will welcome our new employees to our temporary office space on Crystal Drive in June while we work toward opening our first building this fall.

The post was penned by Ardine Williams, the Vice President for Workforce Development, HQ2 at Amazon. Williams moved to the D.C. area from Seattle, starting her new HQ2 role in January, according to a LinkedIn profile.

So far, five jobs and three job titles are listed on Amazon’s “Arlington HQ” jobs page:

Global Category Manager
Sr. Financial Analyst – Procurement
HR Specialist

“This role will sit in our new headquarters in Northern Virginia, where Amazon will invest $2.5 billion dollars, occupy 4 million square feet of energy efficient office space,” says one of the job descriptions. “Our employees and the neighboring community will also benefit from the associated investments from the Commonwealth including infrastructure updates, public transportation improvements, and new access to Reagan National Airport.”