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.

Police: Female Rideshare Driver Touched Inappropriately

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Police are investigating a sexual battery against a female driver for a ride-hailing app.

The woman was driving a male passenger in the Bluemont area early Sunday morning when the man touched her inappropriately and then got out of the car and fled on foot.

More on the incident and the suspect from Monday’s daily ACPD crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2017-09240025, 5200 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:12 a.m. on September 24, police were dispatched to the report of a sexual assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that while operating as a rideshare driver, the female victim was inappropriately touched by a male passenger. Following the assault, the male suspect exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction. Officers canvassed the area with negative results. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5’7-5’8 tall with a thin build. He has blonde hair, a red beard and was last seen wearing a white shirt and light colored shorts. The investigation is ongoing.

The Little Beet Opening Today in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Little Beet is opening its new Rosslyn location at 1800 N. Lynn Street today.

The fast-casual vegetarian restaurant is the New York-based company’s second in the D.C. area. Following today’s planned 11 a.m. opening, the eatery is expected to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays. (It will be open for just lunch and dinner on weekends.)

Over the weekend, The Little Beet held a soft opening and staff training session, serving free food to anyone who wandered in.

More from a press release, below.

Acclaimed fast casual restaurant concept, The Little Beet, is proud to announce its newest location opens today at 11am in Arlington, VA, just outside Washington, DC.

The latest addition to The Little Beet family is located at 1800 North Lynn Street in the base of Rosslyn’s new Central Place residential development.

“We are extremely excited to open our second DC-area location today,” says Andy Duddleston, Managing Partner of The Little Beet. “Rosslyn is a vibrant community with amazing energy, making it the perfect fit for The Little Beet.  We look forward to welcoming in area residents and business professionals alike to enjoy our healthy, seasonal menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner.”

Headquartered in New York City, with seven locations in total, The Little Beet opened its first DC outpost in November 2015 near Dupont Circle.

The vegetable-focused menu is 100% gluten free, mostly vegan, always fresh, and void of refined sugar.  The culinary team, led by Chef Gabe Kennedy, draws inspiration from global flavors and incorporates exciting, nutrient-dense ingredients into every tasty bite that benefit both body and mind.

At the new Rosslyn location, guests can select from an array of composed Chef Made Bowls with three base options including mixed greens, ancient grains or spirulina-flecked brown rice.  Guests can also get creative and choose the Make Your Own option featuring a selection of cool and warm vegetables (acorn squash, shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted kale, bok choy, etc.), high-quality proteins (beet falafel, grilled avocado, tofu, chicken, steak or salmon), house-made sauces (piquillo garlic, turmeric tahini, salsa verde, etc.), and flavorful garnishes (hibiscus pickled onions, turmeric toasted almonds or super seeds).

In addition to lunch and dinner offerings, breakfast is available Monday-Friday from 7am-10am.  The breakfast menu features an assortment of chef-made bowls, egg sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and beverages such as Almond Banana Cold Brew, Chaga Chai Tea, and more.

To add a unique creative touch to the new location, The Little Beet collaborated with Virginia-based artist Troy Summerell (aka, OnieTonie) for a custom, hand-painted mural.  With “fruits and veggies” as the theme, Troy’s bold, playful artwork is on grand display in the main dining area for guests to visually savor.

The Little Beet is committed to sustainability and eco-friendly practices.  Like its siblings, this new location features energy-efficient kitchen equipment and lighting throughout.  Plus, packaging is recyclable and biodegradable, and a composting program is utilized.

The Little Beet’s Rosslyn location is open Monday-Friday from 7am-9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from Noon-8pm.  Catering and delivery services are both offered.

Founded in 2014 in New York City, The Little Beet is owned-and-operated by NYC-based restaurant group Aurify Brands. With seven locations throughout Manhattan, Long Island, and Washington, DC, The Little Beet strives to serve real food deliciously.  The vegetable-forward, seasonal menu is 100% gluten free, mostly vegan, always fresh, and void of refined sugar. The culinary team, led by Chef Gabe Kennedy, draws inspiration from global flavors and incorporates exciting, nutrient-rich ingredients into every tasty bite that benefit both body and mind. All ingredients are carefully sourced from local farmers and food purveyors you can trust–good food never tasted so great!

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Middle School Redistricting on Tap — Following a number of meetings and other processes designed to solicit public feedback, the Arlington School Board is expected to approve new middle school boundaries in December, to take effect for the 2019-2020 school year when a sixth county middle school is set to open. Past school boundary change processes have often proved controversial. [InsideNova]

Four Mile Run Restoration Project Complete — Local elected officials and community activists celebrated the completion of the Four Mile Run Restoration Project on Saturday. The project, which was years in the making, revitalized the shoreline of Four Mile Run from just south of I-395 to the Potomac and included trail improvements and public art. [Arlington County, WTOP]

New Beneficiaries for Turkey Trot — The annual Arlington Turkey Trot 5K has some new nonprofit beneficiaries. Organized by Christ Church of Arlington, the race will no longer benefit Doorways for Women and Families — “in light of Doorways’ projected success to meet its current goal to raise $10 million to strengthen and expand its services” — and will this year benefit Offender Aid and Restoration and Christian group Young Life of South Arlington. That’s in addition to repeat beneficiaries AFAC, A-SPAN, Arlington Thrive and Bridges to Independence. [Arlington Turkey Trot]

BREAKING: Power Outage in Clarendon and Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Update at 7 p.m. — Power has been partially restored and only 318 Dominion customers are reported to be without electricity.

Earlier: A large swath of Clarendon and Courthouse is currently without power.

The outage happened around 5:40 p.m. and may have been accompanied by a mild power surge. Arlington County offices were affected, and are being powered by generators, according to a police dispatch. Numerous businesses in the area in the dark and traffic lights are out up and down Wilson and Clarendon Blvds.

Police are setting up cones to direct traffic at the busiest intersections.

According to Dominion, just over 1,700 customers are without power following an issue with a power substation. Crews have been dispatched and power is expected to be restored between 8-11 p.m.

Podcast: Scott Parker of A-Town and The G.O.A.T.

By ARLnow.com

Scott Parker is part of a group of partners who together have built something of a nightlife empire in Arlington.

A-Town Bar and Grill, Don Tito and Barley Mac have all been hits along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. And now Scott and his partners are getting ready to open (in the next couple of weeks) The G.O.A.T., a new sports bar right across from the Clarendon Metro station in the former Hard Times Cafe space.

Scott has helped to build this empire based on Sunday Fundays and happy hour drink specials all while having a somewhat unique personal background for a bar impresario: he does not drink.

On this week’s 26 Square Miles podcast, we sat down with Scott to discuss how he achieved success after success in the notoriously difficult restaurant industry, what to expect with the G.O.A.T., what comes next, and what he thinks of the current state of the Arlington bar and restaurant scene.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Looking for a home? There are plenty of houses and condos open for viewing this weekend.

Check out the Arlington Realty website for a full list of homes for sale and open houses in Arlington. Here are a few highlights:

820 S. Arlington Mill Drive, 3-301
1 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Rolfe Kratz
Listed: $180,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

1904 Key Blvd, #452
2 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: John Seggerman
Listed: $269,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

4191 S. Four Mile Run Drive, #404
1 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Jeffrey Jacobs
Listed: $330,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

 

4365 Arlington Blvd, #4365
2 Bed/1 Bath Condo
Agent: Nina Landes
Listed: $425,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

 

6081 9th Place N.
3 Bed/2 Single Family Home
Agent: Mark Lawter
Listed: $609,900
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

 

500 N. Lombardy Street
4 Bed/3 Bath Single Family Home
Agent: Christine Rich
Listed: $775,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

 

2918 18th Street S.
4 Bed/4 Bath Single-Family Home
Agent: Patrick Carosi
Listed: $995,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Kenmore Middle School Staffer to Compete on ‘The Voice’

By ARLnow.com

Brandon Showell, a special education instructional assistant at Arlington’s Kenmore Middle School, is a contestant on the new season of NBC’s The Voice, ARLnow.com has confirmed.

Showell previously auditioned for another singing show, X Factor, with his band 4 Shore, while he was a senior at George Mason University. This time around he’s competing solo.

On the show, Showell will be placed on the team of one of show’s four star coaches, which this year include Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton.

It is shaping up to be a big year for Showell, who married fellow Kenmore instructional assistant and GMU graduate Perla Farias over the summer. However, he is not the first person from Kenmore to appear on The Voice — that honor belongs to Samantha Rios, who competed on the Spanish-language version of the show while an eighth-grader at Kenmore in 2015.

The Voice premieres this coming Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC. No word yet on when Showell will first appear on the show.

Courtesy photo

Letter: ‘Pet of the Week’ Should Not Glorify Bad Dog Behavior

By ARLnow.com

The following letter was sent to ARLnow.com by Janet R., a Lyon Village resident, in response to our latest Pet of the Week post.

The post noted that Sophie, a black lab mix, loves to “swim, run, jump, get tummy rubs, play with tennis balls, obsessively lick stuff, stalk squirrels, bark at strangers and watch Bravo with mom.”

I wish you would not encourage the “I bark at strangers” thing in your Pet of the Week.

Please encourage lawful behavior and non threatening behaviors.

  • “I poop on stranger’s lawns and my owner doesn’t clean it up.”
  • “I run free off leash and taunt young kids who might also have fears (but me and my owner don’t care). (Playgrounds are nicer than dog parks!)”
  • “I bark incessantly whenever my owner leaves me at home, so our neighbors no longer are on speaking terms because they miss using their porch/open windows in peace.”
  • “Whenever my owner does feel compelled to clean up after me, she leaves the half closed bag in a neighbor’s trash bin (especially those elderly neighbors who leave their trash bins out longer).”
  • “I especially love the long extended leash on crowded sidewalks. My owner and I think it’s okay to trip elderly with this, because I like to feel free. I’m an explorer!”

Seriously, all of these things have happened to me in Arlington County, and sadly, I could go on and on.

You need to try to HELP this situation, not hurt it. Please remind dog owners that the right of pet ownership comes with serious responsibilities. Especially to their neighbors. As our neighborhood association writes in every newsletter, this is difficult to enforce, but is an increasing problem. (Check out the exponential growth in dog ownership).

Rescue the neighbors of poorly trained dog owners!!! You play a role here, Arlington Now.

Leash and under control. Clean up poop and use own trash can. Control barking. You never know what crises your neighbors may be dealing with on their own. Show compassion for humans, too.

ARLnow.com occasionally publishes letters about issues of local interest. To submit your thoughts for consideration, please email [email protected]. Letters may be edited for content and brevity.

Morning Poll: Where in Arlington Do You Live?

By ARLnow.com

There is a literal north-south divide in Arlington: Route 50, as it runs from Fairfax County to Fort Myer.

But besides the difference in addresses, there is also a bit of a socioeconomic divide separating the two sides of the highway. Neighborhoods south of Route 50 tend to be less wealthy and more diverse than their counterparts in the northern reaches of Arlington.

Arlington’s north-south divide has been subject to quite a few think pieces over the years. One can argue that the inexorable upward march of property prices throughout Arlington has made the divide less pronounced, though it is still there.

Rather than add another think piece to the mix, today we were just wondering: in which half of Arlington do you live?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

‘Hate Group’ Holding Conference in Arlington — ACT for America, which describes itself as the “nation’s largest non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots national security organization” — but which is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-Muslim hate group — is holding its annual conference at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Crystal City next weekend. Marriott is refusing calls to cancel the event, saying: “We are a hospitality company that provides public accommodations and function space. Acceptance of business does not indicate support or endorsement of any group or individual.” [Slate]

Private Middle School Opens in Arlington — A ribbon cutting was held earlier this week for the grand opening celebration of The Sycamore School, a new, private middle school in Arlington. “More than 80 percent of our inaugural students are coming from public school,  which tells me that our community is aching for smaller class options and more individualized learning,” said the school’s founder. [InsideNova]

Another Arcing Insulator Outside of Rosslyn — A track issue caused problems yet again between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom Metro stations this morning. The initial call for a possible arcing insulator went out around 5 a.m. Normal service on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines was restored around 7 a.m. [WJLA]

First Day of Fall — Grab your maple lattes, today is the autumnal equinox and the first day of astrological autumn. The equinox will happen just after 4 p.m. Eastern time. [Twitter, Capital Weather Gang]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Silver Diner Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A new Silver Diner restaurant will be opening in Ballston.

The 6,700-square-foot eatery will join Target and Enterprise Rent-A-Car as retail tenants in the currently under-construction 750 N. Glebe development. Set to open in 2020, 750 N. Glebe will be a 12-story building with nearly 500 apartments, across from Ballston Quarter mall.

The new Ballston location will be the 14th Silver Diner in the D.C. area. The company has an existing Arlington location at 3200 Wilson Blvd in the Clarendon area.

The Washington Business Journal reports that, at least for now, Silver Diner plans to operate both Arlington locations simultaneously. (It has a long-term lease in Clarendon.)

Current plans are to operate both Ballston and Clarendon, although [Silver Diner founder Bob] Giaimo has acknowledged in the past that site where the Clarendon Silver Diner sits at 3200 Wilson Blvd., would likely be the subject of redevelopment at some point, putting the diner’s future there in flux.

More about the lease signing from a Ballston Business Improvement District press release, after the jump.

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