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.
The unofficial end to summer is almost here. Not the calendar season, mind you, but the fun part of summer where schools are out, pools are open and vacations are taken.
Some Arlingtonians maximize their summer fun by taking long vacations abroad, to the beach or to visit family. Others keep their nose to the grindstone and take some vacation days here and there.
Just how much vacation did Arlington residents take between Memorial Day and Labor Day? Let’s find out.
Carpool to Reopen… In Fair Lakes — The owners of the now-shuttered Carpool bar and restaurant in Ballston, which closed to make way for a new high-rise residential building, are working to open its successor in the Fair Lakes section of Fairfax County. The new bar is expected to open its doors in October. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Civ Fed Wants Younger Crowd — A key goal of the Arlington Civic Federation’s new president is to attract participation from younger residents and to “leave [it] with a more youthful leadership team at the end of my presidency.” [InsideNova]
Dad Doodles on Daughter’s Lunch Bags — Every school day, Arlington dad Mike Jenkins makes lunch for his 16-year-old daughter and places it in a brown paper lunch bag which he fills with cartoon doodles. But Jenkins is not just any dad and his cartoons are not the work of an amateur: Jenkins is a political cartoonist turned freelance caricaturist and the doodles are whimsical works of art. [Washingtonian]
This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Bear, a 5-year-old Siamese mix cat.
Here is what her owner Linglu had to say about her:
Bear is a 5-year-old Siamese mix. She had a very humble beginning of life. When she was only a few weeks old, she was found in a drainpipe covered with fleas and she almost died. The nice volunteers at Madison-Greene Humane Society rescued her and nursed her back to health. She was then adopted by her human parents, an Arlington couple who were newlyweds at the time of her adoption.
Bear has a very strong personality. Her hobbies include getting high on catnip, chasing invisible ghosts around the house, trying to fit into the smallest box possible, sleeping on her daddy’s lap when he plays video games, stealing pastries from the kitchen counter, and nibbling her mommy’s leg when she prepares Bear’s meals.
Bear is a highly intelligent cat. She is very good at the Mad Scientist game (a toy where cats spin tubes to get treats). Her daddy even trained her to do tricks, such as sit, stay, come, shake hands, and high five. No wonder Bear’s parents love her dearly despite of all her quirkiness!
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 six 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.
A man was slashed in the face by a knife-wielding suspect in Ballston this past Saturday night, police say.
The incident happened just before 6 p.m. on the 4000 block of 5th Road N. — a block that includes restaurants, a yoga studio, a towing lot and the rear of a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
Police say the victim suffered a non-life-threatening cut to the face and the suspect was taken into custody. The motive for the alleged crime is unclear.
“The suspect was consuming alcohol prior to the incident,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “What preceded the incident remains under investigation.”
More from this week’s ACPD crime report:
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2017-08260207, 4000 block of 5th Road N. At approximately 5:58 p.m. on August 26, officers responded to a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival it was determined that a known suspect struck the victim in the face, causing a laceration. The victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. Jeffery Warren, 55, of Stafford, VA was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding and held with no bond.
Also in the crime report, a man has been charged with aggravated sexual battery after allegedly “playing with children in an inappropriate way” in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood.
AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY, 2017-08230184, 2700 block of S. Fern Street. At approximately 3:20 p.m. on August 23, police responded to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, police met with a female victim who observed the male suspect playing with children in an inappropriate way. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect touched two minor females in a sexual manner. Marlon Cardona-Orellana, 38, of Arlington, VA was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery.
The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.
(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) National fitness chain Club Pilates is working to open its first Arlington studio.
The Southern California-based company is opening a franchise location on Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street), next to Saigon Saigon restaurant. Paper still covers the windows, suggesting that an interior build-out is in progress.
In a Facebook message, the studio says it’s at least five weeks behind schedule due to delays with the county permitting process — a common complaint of new brick-and-mortar businesses in Arlington.
W-L Alum Sandra Bullock Donates to Harvey Relief — Actress and 1982 Washington-Lee High School grad Sandra Bullock has given $1 million to the American Red Cross to help with hurricane relief efforts along the Texas coast. Bullock has quietly made $1 million donations in the wake of a number of major disasters. [People, Twitter]
ACPD Mourns Drowned Houston Officer — The Arlington County Police Department is joining other departments across the country in mourning the line of duty death of Houston officer Sgt. Steve Perez, who was overcome by high water while trying to drive to downtown Houston in torrential rain early Sunday. [Twitter]
A 21-year-old Arlington man is in jail after police say he repeatedly threw a brick at an occupied vehicle in the Arlington Mill neighborhood early Monday morning.
According to an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below, Lorenzo Rivas-Martinez was upset that two women inside the car “asked to be left alone” after he and a companion approached them. He then allegedly threw a brick at their car multiple times.
“The vehicle’s windshield and passenger door sustained damage,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
Rivas-Martinez was later located by police and arrested. He is facing a pair of charges, including destruction of property.
More from ACPD:
MISSILE INTO OCCUPIED VEHICLE, 2017-08280025, 800 block of S. Dinwiddie Street, At 2:33 a.m. on August 28, officers responded to a dispute in progress. Upon arrival it was determined that two female victims inside a parked vehicle were approached by two male suspects. When the victims asked to be left alone, the suspects initially walked away, but returned shortly after. One suspect repeatedly threw an object at the vehicle before fleeing the scene on foot. The victims were not injured. Lorenzo Rivas-Martinez, 21, of Arlington, VA was located in the area by officers and arrested and charged with Missile into Occupied Vehicle and Destruction of Property. He was held on no bond.
Racially-charged vandalism to car in Barcroft neighborhood (photo courtesy Evie Bernard)
Racially-charged vandalism to car in Barcroft neighborhood (photo courtesy Evie Bernard)
Street in Barcroft where vandalism took place
Cones placed along street in Barcroft where vandalism took place
Map of northern portion of Barcroft neighborhood and the National Guard complex
Racially-charged vandalism to car in Barcroft neighborhood (photo courtesy Evie Bernard)
Zoned parking a block away from area of parking dispute
Someone keyed the words “black bitch” onto a black man’s car on a block in Arlington’s Barcroft neighborhood, where some residents are up in arms about outsiders parking on their street.
The man, who works as a contractor at the Army National Guard Readiness Center (111 S. George Mason Drive), parked his car near the corner of S. Pershing Drive and 1st Street S. this past Thursday morning. When he arrived back at the car that afternoon, he found the words carved onto his driver’s side door and called police.
Officers photographed the car and dusted it for fingerprints. They also took “elimination prints” from the man and Evie Bernard, who carpools with him.
Bernard says she suspects the vandalism was actually targeted at her. She said some residents on the block have confronted her and other commuters about parking, even though it’s a public street and — unlike other nearby streets — not zoned for resident-only parking.
The prior Sunday, Bernard said, she had just returned from a brief vacation when a resident came out of his house and “started yelling and saying never to park there again.” The man, who was pointing his finger and “being very aggressive,” was soon joined by his wife and one of their children, who were all yelling at Bernard for parking in front of their house, she said.
“How would you feel if I parked in front of your house in Waldorf, Maryland?” one of them asked, according to Bernard’s account. The residents had somehow obtained Bernard’s name and apparently looked her up on Facebook, also referencing where she went on vacation and saying “I know where you work.” After about 5 minutes, Bernard drove away and then decided to call police.
“I was so upset that I got in my car and drove away,” she said. “I could only take so much… I was really upset. It was pretty much a nightmare.
Police took a report, Bernard said, but because her life was not threatened it was determined that no crime had occurred. An Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman corroborated that a report of verbal harassment had been filed.
Though Bernard initially suspected the people who confronted her — who are white — might have been responsible for the vandalism, police said today (Tuesday) that the residents have been eliminated as suspects.
Bernard and another Army National Guard contractor who contacted ARLnow.com said the parking issue is not likely to be solved anytime soon. Parking at the George Mason Drive campus is limited and most spots are reserved for employees; contractors are instructed to take transit or park on nearby streets.
While there were plenty of spots available on the 4400 block of 1st Street S. when an ARLnow reporter visited Monday afternoon, a resident said that there are times when the block is filled with cars, including many commuters. He said that residents have tried to apply for zoned parking, but a county parking study did not find enough commuter parking to meet the program threshold.
Earlier this month new zone parking applications were halted indefinitely, pending a review.
Reminder: Dogs Not Allowed Off-Leash in Arlington — “In the last year, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington received 260 reports of dogs running at large and more than 120 sightings of strays. Being off-leash in Arlington is only allowed on private property and in designated dog parks.” [Arlington County]
AAA: Gas Prices Up Due to Harvey — The ongoing disaster along the Gulf in Texas is causing gas prices to rise in the D.C. area, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. [Alexandria News]
Tranquil Space Sold — Publicly-traded yoga studio chain YogaWorks has acquired Tranquil Space, a small studio operator with two locations, in Arlington and D.C. [MarketWatch]
Rainy, Cool Morning — It feels fall-like outside this morning, with cool temperatures and a soaking rain. [Twitter]
The Arlington League of Women Voters is hosting a free screening of a new Zach Galifianakis film.
Better known for comedies like The Hangover and The Campaign, Galifianakis tackled the serious topic of gerrymandering and money in politics in his new film, “Democracy for Sale.”
The League is sponsoring the film’s screening at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
More from an email from LWV:
A border and barbeque aren’t the only things Virginia and North Carolina have in common. The two states also have some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country. Cozy relationships between regulators and industry are another commonality. A new film called Democracy for Sale featuring NC native and comedian Zach Galifianakis puts a spotlight on the ways big money political interests have influenced the drawing of district lines and led to a lack of environmental protection and tax cuts for the upper class and corporations, education cuts, gerrymandering, and laws designed to decrease voter turnout.
After a successful tour of Democracy for Sale in North Carolina, we’re excited to bring the film to Virginia on a statewide tour beginning on September 19th. The showings are presented by the Virginia Civic Engagement Table in partnership with local organizations throughout the state. Each screening event will be followed by a Q&A and discussion with local leaders.
While the film focuses on NC as a case study, the parallels to Virginia are innumerable. We hope these screenings will shed light on the similarities and show audiences how to get involved in demanding reform.
Scammers are calling Northern Virginia residents, claiming to represent Virginia State Police and demanding money.
VSP is warning about the scam, saying it never collects fines over the phone. Those who get a call from a scammer are encouraged to hang up immediately.
More from a VSP press release:
Virginia State Police is warning Northern Virginia residents about a consumer phone scam that appears to come from the Division VII Headquarters in Fairfax.
In the scam, the caller states they are from Virginia State Police and threatens to arrest the recipient unless the recipient pays a certain amount of money, usually around $5,000.
Anyone who receives such a phone call is urged to hang up on the caller. However, these callers can be especially aggressive, making repeated calls in a short period of time.
Virginia State Police will never attempt to collect fines via phone.
Consumers are urged to use the following tips from the Federal Communications Commission when dealing with phone scammers:
Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency seeking personal information, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.
Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.
Consumers who receive such calls can file a complaint with the FCC online.
