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Arlington Pet of the Week: Charlie

Published May 31, 2017 at 12:30PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Charlie, a 9-year-old cockapoo and terrier mix.

Here is what his owner, Mike, had to say about him:

Hi! My name is Charlie. My veterinarian thinks I’m a mix of a Cockapoo and Terrier, but a lot of people mistake me for a Goldendoodle. I was born nine years ago in Jackson, Mississippi, but then, something happened and I wound up in an animal shelter there when I was three. I wish I could tell them what happened, because my mom and dad have always wondered how such a sweet dog could be abandoned with a chain attached to a cable tie around my neck. When they saw a picture of me on Facebook, they called the shelter and drove down to meet me and take me to my new forever home in Arlington.

I really like living here. I love walks and meeting new furry friends. I especially like the squirrels and bunnies. My mom and dad say we have to add another 15 minutes to our walks in the spring and summer, because I stop, stare and stalk for a very long time when I see one.

My dad is a filmmaker. One day he thought, because I’m so calm and laid back, that I should be in one of his movies. Besides being Chief of Security and barking at the mail and FedEx delivery people, acting is one of my favorite things. Some say I do it for the art, others say it’s for the little cubes of cheese. I’ll never tell. Fyi, keep the cheese coming! Being in the movies is great, except for the pup-arazzi! Sometimes I have to wear my Ray-Ban’s. You can watch the trailer for our movie that was shot in Arlington online.

I hope to see you and your furry family members around town.

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 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.

#Pet of the Week

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 31, 2017 at 8:45AM

Local Girl Featured on Today Show — Ellie McGinn, the 8-year-old Fairlington resident who’s battling a rare, degenerative disease, was featured on the Today Show on Tuesday. Ellie and her parents have been raising awareness and funds to search for a cure. [Today Show]

Tree Down on Glebe Road — A tree fell across N. Glebe Road this morning, blocking traffic between Chain Bridge and Military Road. Crews were able to clear the fallen tree and reopen the road by 7 a.m. [Twitter, Twitter]

Safety Changes for School Buses — Some Arlington school buses will be retrofitted over the summer with a brake interlock device, which prevents the parking brake from being disengaged before the brake pedal is pressed. The safety measure is being mandated statewide by the Virginia Department of Education. [InsideNova]

Car Break-in Spree Over Weekend — Yet another series of car break-ins was reported over the weekend. Police say more than 20 mostly unlocked vehicles were broken into. Police are reminding residents to lock their cars and to remove valuables from plain sight. [Twitter]

Dunkin’ Donuts Coming to Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com

Published May 30, 2017 at 3:45PM

A Dunkin’ Donuts location is coming to Virginia Square, right across the street from the Metro station and a Starbucks.

The restaurant is coming to 3701 Fairfax Drive, the former DARPA headquarters and current FDIC office.

Interior construction appears to be underway inside. No word on when the donut-and-coffee shop is expected to open.

There are existing Dunkin’ locations in Courthouse, Ballston and along Lee Highway, among other Arlington outposts. A new Dunkin’ Donuts opened last month on N. Glebe Road near Route 50.

Hat tip to Gabe C.

Police: Man Tried to Lure Boy into Car

By ARLnow.com

Published May 30, 2017 at 1:05PM

Arlington County Police are looking for a man who tried to lure a boy into his car in the Yorktown neighborhood.

The incident happened around 8 a.m. this past Thursday, on the 3000 block of N. Harrison Street, not far from Yorktown High School. Police say a middle-aged man in a silver car asked the boy where he was going and whether he wanted a ride.

Applebee’s Has Closed in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published May 30, 2017 at 10:45AM

Applebee’s closed in Ballston (photo courtesy Phil McGeehan)

File photo (photo courtesy Phil McGeehan)

The Applebee’s restaurant in Ballston has closed, just under a year after it opened.

Signs on the door suggest the restaurant closed for good Saturday evening.

Applebee’s replaced a former Greene Turtle location at 900 N. Glebe Road. Both restaurants seemed to suffer from a lack of foot traffic on the western side of Glebe, combined with a cavernous space that was hard to fill with customers, particularly in an urban area where higher-end restaurants are de rigueur.

This Applebee’s also suffered from poor reviews online. No word yet on what might replace it.

Photos courtesy Phil McGeehan

Morning Poll: Bothered By Rolling Thunder?

By ARLnow.com

Published May 30, 2017 at 10:00AM

The annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally rumbled into town late last week and has departed.

The Memorial Day weekend tradition, which is intended to honor military veterans and bring attention to the plight of those killed and missing in action, calls Arlington home. Its headquarters is at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City and its main rally point is the Pentagon parking lot.

While many appreciate the overall purpose of the event, others in Arlington do not love the noise that Rolling Thunder brings. Some living along I-395, I-66, Route 1 and other highways and main roads describe three nights of lost sleep, amid the constant rumble and roar of excessively loud motorcycle engines.

What do you think?

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

#Rolling Thunder

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 30, 2017 at 9:10AM

High School Proposals on the Table in June — A pair of proposals for adding high school seats are on the table at Arlington School Board meetings next month. The board is expected to approve a $3.6 million construction contract for adding 300 seats to Wakefield High School, while Superintendent Patrick Murphy will recommend the board approve a “hybrid” option for adding another 1,300 seats, with 600 seats at the Education Center site near Washington-Lee and 700 at the Arlington Career Center. Despite the added capacity, Murphy expects that it will eventually be necessary to build a new 2,200 seat comprehensive high school to keep up with rising enrollment. [InsideNova, InsideNova]

Marriott’s Longest-Standing Employee Is in Crystal City — Cecil Exum, a 79-year-old omelette maker at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, is Marriott’s longest-standing employee. He’s been with the company for 61 years, since the Marriott family ran a “Hot Shoppes” root beer stand and opened its first hotel, the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel in Arlington. [Washington Post]

POTUS at ANC on Memorial Day — “President Donald Trump honored those who lost their lives serving the nation as he participated in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery Monday and told emotional stories of just a few who perished.” [Daily Mail]

Cars Towed During Clarendon Memorial Day Ceremony — Some veterans attending the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the war memorial in Clarendon reportedly had their cars towed from a bank parking lot nearby. Del. Patrick Hope (D) tweeted photos of the cars being towed and called it “disgusting.” He directed the tweet at Del. Tim Hugo (R), the sponsor of the bill (now law) that blocked Arlington County from enforcing a “second signature” requirement for certain trespass tows. [Twitter]

Photo courtesy Peter Golkin

Podcast: School Board Candidate Monique O’Grady

By ARLnow.com

Published May 27, 2017 at 9:00AM

Monique O’Grady describes herself as just a “regular Arlington resident.”

But this regular resident just convincingly defeated several candidates, including incumbent James Lander, in the Democratic school board endorsement caucus.

O’Grady, a mother of one current Arlington Public Schools student and two APS graduates (one of whom happens to be a well-known actress), says she wants to make a difference on the school board and help APS navigate its current period of rapid student enrollment growth.

We asked O’Grady about herself, her family and the various issues facing APS in this week’s 26 Square Miles podcast. Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn.p

Testicle Festival Returning to Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com

Published May 26, 2017 at 11:00AM

The Montana State Society’s annual Testicle Festival is returning to Virginia Square next week.

Featuring unlimited rocky mountain oysters, Crown Royal and beer (usually Budweiser), the event takes place at the American Legion post at 3445 Washington Blvd. This year, the “Testy Fest” is scheduled from 6-11 p.m. on Saturday, June 3.

Tickets for the event are $25 online or $30 at the door. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

As usual, organizers have used the choice of cuisine to take liberties with their write-up about the event. From the event page:

You’d be NUTS to miss this! The Montana State Society would like to invite you to have a ball (literally!) at the 13th annual D.C. Testy Fest – “The Original Sack Lunch” – to be held from 6:00PM – 11:00PM on Saturday June 3rd, 2017 at the Arlington American Legion.

Last year over 600 people flocked to the event to enjoy live music provided by the Wil Gravatt Band and graze on all-you-can-eat Rocky Mountain Oysters! Thirsty? Wash them down with a limitless supply of Crown Royal (A.K.A liquid courage) & beer – all for the bargain price of $25 bucks!

Our Rocky Mountain Oysters are prepared by legendary chef Frank McGraw, and shipped fresh from the Rock Creek Lodge in Western Montana. Not your ‘bag’? Don’t worry baby! We will have food trucks there selling delicious grub. Get there early, the first guests will also get a T-Shirt to forever memorialize the event.

Prepare to go Ballistic! For more information and to see all of your friends who are attending please visit our Facebook page for the event! https://www.facebook.com/events/1832050013725803

Permit: Kung Fu Tea Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Published May 26, 2017 at 10:00AM

A Kung Fu Tea store is coming to Clarendon, according to a county building permit.

Interior demolition is underway in the former Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream location at 3018 Wilson Blvd, next to the new Hanabi Ramen restaurant.

Kung Fu Tea, which has locations across the United States, serves various types and flavors of bubble tea.

No word yet on an opening date.

Photo courtesy Bill Colton

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 26, 2017 at 9:00AM

Is Yelp Coming to Rosslyn? — Rosslyn’s 1812 N. Moore Street tower, the future corporate headquarters of Nestlé USA, could also be a destination for review website Yelp. The San Francisco-based company is reportedly considering opening an office in the D.C. area and 1812 N. Moore is on the short list. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman grew up in Arlington. [Washington Business Journal]

Democratic Committee Recommends Primaries — In a move that could be seen as a rebuke of the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s decision to hold a caucus to select a County Board nominee this year, the 8th District Democratic Committee has approved “a resolution saying primaries, not caucuses, should be the main form of nomination of Democratic candidates.” [InsideNova]

County Employee Is ‘Roadeo’ Star — Alexis Zambrano, a long-time county equipment operator, has scored a silver award in a regional “equipment roadeo” competition, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic American Public Works Association. [Arlington County]