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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Police Investigating Shooting in DoD Office Building — Arlington County police are investigating a fatal shooting in the Defense Department’s Taylor building, at 2530 Crystal Drive in Crystal City. The shooting happened this morning and initial reports suggest it was self-inflicted.

Lyon Village Profiled by WaPo — “Close to both the Clarendon and Court House Metro stops on the Orange and Silver lines, Lyon Village is the kind of neighborhood where families know their neighbors, children play and parents can walk almost everywhere.” [Washington Post]

ACPD Recruiting for Citizen’s Police Academy — Applications are currently being accepted for the Arlington County Citizen’s Police Academy. The academy “was designed to create a better understanding and communication between citizens and the police through education.” Applicants are subject to background checks before acceptance into the program, which shows the “inner workings” of the police department. [Arlington County]

Arlington Hosts Travel Trade Show Attendees — Arlington County hopes to get a big tourism and economic boost from its promotional efforts during this year’s U.S. Travel Association IPW trade show, which was held in D.C. for the first time. The county, in partnership with the Rosslyn BID, JBG Companies, and Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall, also hosted 150 trade show attendees in Rosslyn on Monday. [Arlington County]

Crystal City Startup Gets Big Funding Boost — Arlington-based private detective booking startup Trustify has raised more than $6.5 million as part of its latest fundraising round. The company recently opened a new office in Crystal City. [Washington Business Journal]

Letter to the Editor: Kids Over Dogs — The writer of a letter to the editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper doesn’t understand why, in county government, there seems to be more urgency over proposed changes to a dog park than making sure there is enough land to build new schools to keep up with rising enrollment. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Arlington Bars Will Be Showing the Comey Hearing, Too

By ARLnow.com

D.C. isn’t the only wonky place with bars and restaurants opening early, offering specials and putting today’s James Comey testimony on the TVs. Some in Arlington are also getting in on the action.

The most hotly-anticipated Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in recent memory is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Though the lack of a spectacular new revelation in Comey’s prepared remarks may be tamping down the enthusiasm a bit, many are still eager to hear what Comey has to say about President Trump — and, on Twitter, vice versa.

Here in Arlington, Liberty Tavern will be opening early, at 10 a.m., and putting the hearing on its five large TVs.

“We will serve free covfefe! And White Russians and Stoli and grapefruits during the hearing will be $5,”a rep for the Clarendon restaurant once visited by President Obama told ARLnow.com. “Lastly, we’ll offer all of our 12-inch wood-oven specialty pizzas for $10, including our popular brunch pizza that features our homemade breakfast sausage, house cured bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes, cheddar and sage.”

Also hosting hearing watchers is Ballston watering hole A-Town Bar and Grill, which will open at 10 a.m. and put the proceedings on its many TVs.

In Courthouse, Ireland’s Four Courts will be open for lunch and have hearing coverage on its TVs with the volume on. The pub will also offer lunch specials during the hearing.

Replacement Already in Line For Applebee’s in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 1:30 p.m) The space vacated by Applebee’s in Ballston less than three weeks ago will not be empty for long.

The restaurant at 900 N. Glebe Road closed on May 27. Applebee’s closing followed the closure of the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in the same space in April 2016.

Despite the challenges of filling the large restaurant space on the western side of Glebe Road with customers, a new eatery called Bistro 1521 is set to move in soon.

Solita Wakefield, a partner in the business and the restaurant’s general manager, said that Bistro 1521 will serve traditional Filipino cuisine like lumpia, adobo and pancit (noodles), plus fusion dishes mechado with a Spanish flair.

Wakefield was previously a co-owner of Bistro 7107, a Filipino restaurant on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City, which recently closed, according to Yelp. There are no other large sit-down Filipino restaurants in Arlington, Wakefield said, and only a handful elsewhere in the D.C. area. She expects to win over both Filipino customers — including those who work at the Philippines embassy — as well as those new to the cuisine.

Bistro 1521 is located in the same building as Stageplate Bistro, on the first floor of the the Virginia Tech Research Center. It occupies a large restaurant space, with seating capacity for 220 inside and 60 on the outside patio.

“It’s going to be grand,” Wakefield said.

Wakefield plans to keep the interior of the former Applebee’s largely unchanged, with the addition of some Filipino paintings and other decorations. She also plans to keep Applebee’s regularly-scheduled events, like cornhole, trivia night and painting night.

Wakefield is hoping that the business permits are approved in time for the restaurant to open in July.

Hat tip to Todd B.

Crime Report: Bomb Threat in Rosslyn Office Building

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) An office in Rosslyn received a bomb threat last week, but no explosives were found.

The incident happened Wednesday morning on the 1100 block of Wilson Blvd. There are two office buildings on that block, though police did not specify which one was affected. The business that received the threat was education-related, we’re told.

Police say the bomb threat was received via a letter, which was found by an employee. No threats were found during a K-9 sweep of the building.

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

BOMB THREAT, 2017-05310114, 1100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:36 AM on May 31, police responded to the report of a bomb threat. The investigation determined that an employee discovered a letter alleging there was an explosive device inside the building. A K-9 sweep of the building was conducted with negative results. There is no suspect(s) description.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Poll: Enjoying the Cool Temperatures?

By ARLnow.com

Though a bit of a roller coaster, it’s been a cooler spring than we’re used to in the D.C. area. It’s June and the high temperature today isn’t even supposed to break 70.

Good news for those who like it hot: A heat wave is on the way next week. And the first official day of summer is around the corner, on June 21.

What do you think of the relatively mild weather so far this year?

UPDATED: Why Is There a Stick of Deodorant on Top of This Clarendon Bus Stop?

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Update on 6/27/17 — A bottle of Listerine mouthwash has joined the deodorant on top of the bus stop.

Earlier: Every once in awhile, a mystery captivates a community.

Today, those who work in the office building at 3100 Clarendon Blvd (including ARLnow.com’s staff) are wondering: under what circumstances did this stick of Old Spice High Endurance deodorant get on top of this bus stop?

The deodorant has been there, across from the Clarendon Metro plaza, for at least a week. Neither rain nor wind has knocked it from its perch. It’s unclear if anyone will ever remove it.

Some locals who spoke to ARLnow.com had theories as to how the deodorant got up there.

“People get drunk on the weekends, that would be my best guess,” said a man who works at a local bar.

“I assume somebody just threw it and didn’t expect it to land up there,” said another passerby.

“I ride this bus every day. I would’ve never looked up there, even though I’m tall I can’t see up there,” said a man waiting at the bus stop, who was previously unaware of the deodorant’s presence. “Maybe somebody was upset with the deodorant’s performance and threw it up there out of anger. Or, more often than not, people throw things up there to see how often they stay up there.”

The windows on the second floor of 3100 Clarendon Blvd — home to the MakeOffices coworking space and dozens of companies — do not open, thus making it unlikely that it was tossed from an office. There is a rooftop patio on the third floor, but it would have been difficult to get a stick of deodorant to land and stay on the angled bus stop roof from that height.

Have any other guesses? Let us know in the comments.

Rowdy Customer Shoves Cop After Being Banned from McDonald’s

By ARLnow.com

A 27-year-old D.C. man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer after an incident at a McDonald’s on Columbia Pike.

Just after 6 p.m. yesterday (Monday) police responded to the McDonald’s at 3013 Columbia Pike for a report of “a group of disorderly subjects refusing to leave a restaurant, as requested by store management,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

“As officers were attempting to conduct their investigation and ban the subjects from the property, one subject became combative and shoved an officer resulting in a physical struggle,” the crime report said. “Derrell Taylor, 27, of Washington D.C., was arrested and charged with assault and battery on law enforcement, obstruction of justice, and failure to I.D.”

The incident prompted a large police response to the McDonald’s, alarming some locals, but no serious injuries were reported.

Taylor was held at the county jail on a $5,000 bond.

Photo courtesy Eric Dobson

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Criticism of School Drug Searches — The Arlington School Board last week heard public criticism of a new initiative to conduct K-9 drug searches after hours at Arlington’s public high schools. Despite talk of a drug problem in local schools, one activist said of the K-9 plan: “I don’t think it is reasonable.” [InsideNova]

Economic Segregation at APS — Arlington Public Schools is just below the threshold of “hypersegregation” in a new study of de facto economic segregation in public schools. Neighboring districts like Alexandria and Fairfax score well below Arlington on the “hypersegregation index,” though Prince William scores just above Arlington and is above the level considered hypersegregation. [Center for American Progress]

County Honors ‘Women of Vision’ — Arlington County’s 2017 Women of Vision honorees have been announced: emergency preparedness advocate Jackie Snelling, Washington Business Journal Editor-at-Large Jennifer Nycz-Conner and La Cocina VA founder and CEO Patricia Funegra. Arlington’s Commission on the Status of Women also honored former Arlington School Board member Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez with a lifetime achievement award. [Arlington County]

Backyard Chickens Blamed for Salmonella — There have been eight salmonella outbreaks sickening more than 370 people this year due to contact with backyard or pet poultry, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In Arlington, backyard chickens are legal for only a handful of residents with very large backyards. In 2013, after dueling lobbying campaigns by chicken enthusiasts and opponents, Arlington’s county manager recommended against allowing more residents to keep egg-laying hens. [Washington Post]

Delta Experimenting With Biometrics at DCA — Delta is experimenting with a biometric identification system at Reagan National Airport. For now, the system is only being used by members of both CLEAR and Delta’s Skymiles program to enter the airline’s Sky Club lounge. If all goes well, in Phase 2 members will also be able to use their fingerprint to check a bag and board a flight. [Delta]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Startup to Offer Free Rides Along Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Would you be willing to hear a quick sales pitch to get a free ride down Clarendon Blvd? If so a local startup is preparing to launch just the service for you.

Sprynt will be offering “free 100% electric on-demand rides around downtown Arlington” starting Wednesday, June 21, according to a Facebook post. The company’s electric vehicle — which looks a bit like a stretched-out golf cart with doors — was spotted rolling down the street in Clarendon Monday morning.

Rides will be booked on a soon-to-launch iPhone app and will initially be available for short jaunts around a handful of Orange Line corridor neighborhoods, including Ballston, Virginia Square, Clarendon, Courthouse and Rosslyn.

The rides will be free, with the company making money through advertising.

“Sprynt aims to provide an exciting, efficient, and eco-friendly method of transportation that strengthens communities by connecting residents to local businesses,” says the company’s website. “Our unique solution to the growing demand for alternative transportation is made possible through strategic advertising partnerships with local and national brands. These partnerships allow us to transport our passengers 100% free of charge!”

The website and a job listing for a “team driver” reveals more about the advertising model.

“Sprynt Team Drivers are responsible for transporting passengers safely while socializing with them and recommending our sponsored brands,” says the job listing. “Our drivers are brand ambassadors for our sponsors, educating passengers on our sponsors’ products and services.”

The company’s website shows a number of different “eco-friendly” advertising options for companies, including ads on an in-vehicle iPad, on its mobile app and wrapped around the vehicle. Drivers might also give away free samples to customers.

Photos via Facebook

Bubble Tea Cafe Now Open at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com
1/4

A new bubble tea cafe opened recently at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall.

Kokee Tea opened on the food court level of the mall in April. By coincidence, it is located next to the Bubbles hair salon.

Kokee offers a dozen signature bubble teas, plus numerous other “hand crafted” tea flavors, smoothie flavors and toppings. It also offers various types of pastries.

The cafe is not the only bubble tea purveyor in Arlington. In addition to bubble tea offerings at some local restaurants, there is an existing dedicated bubble tea cafe in the Crystal City Shops, Lily Bubble Tea and Smoothie, and a “Kung Fu Tea” location will be coming soon to Clarendon.

Kokee Tea has existing locations in Centreville and Springfield Town Center, plus more cafes coming to the Fair Oaks, Potomac Mills and Arundel Mills malls, according to its website.

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