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Morning Notes

Published August 22, 2016 at 9:10AM

APS Testing for Lead in Pipes — Arlington Public Schools has been testing systemwide for lead in pipes. Already, the school system has replaced a water fountain in Jamestown Elementary School found to have lead levels above a level considered safe by the state health department. [InsideNova]

Bayou Bakery Raising Money for Flooding Victims — Bayou Bakery in Courthouse is raising money for Louisiana flooding victims. The restaurant is offering a special Shrimp Creole appetizer for $9 this week; half the proceeds from that dish will benefit flood victims, including chef/owner David Guas’ own aunt, whose home in Abbeville, LA flooded with two feet of water. [Bayou Bakery]

Arlington Names New Communications Director — Dr. Bryna Helfer has been named Arlington County’s new Director of Communications and Public Engagement. She joins county government from the federal government. “Helfer currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement at the U.S. Department of Transportation and also serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary on Accessibility and Workforce,” a press release notes. [Arlington County]

Fox 5 Highlights Rosslyn — The Fox 5 morning news program highlighted various people, businesses and activities in Rosslyn during a “Zip Trip” segment Friday morning. [Fox 5]

Crystal City Boxing Recap — It was a nine-bout, nine-knockout night at the Crystal City Hilton Friday night. [Fight News]

Transport Nerds ‘Playing With Traffic’ — A big group of “transportation techies” gathered recently at WeWork in Crystal City to discuss creative and tech-based solutions to transportation problems. The group is sponsored by Mobility Lab, the research arm of Arlington County Commuter Services. [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2016 at 7:30PM

Downed tree on the 400 block of N. Fillmore Street

It was a hot and then stormy week for Arlington.

Wednesday’s storms resulted in a large tree falling in the backyard of a Lyon Park home on the 400 block of N. Fillmore Street. As seen above, the tree damaged a fence and also made contact with a detached garage and the house itself. The exact extent of the damage is unclear but no injuries were reported.

For those planning on driving after 10 p.m. this weekend, here’s a VDOT press release sent this afternoon that may be of interest:

Lane closures, including intermittent total stoppages, will occur on Route 110 at the Route 27 interchange weeknights from Monday, August 8 through Friday, August 19 for work on the new overpass, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on northbound Route 110 each night beginning at 10 p.m. Monday, August 8 through Friday, August 12. There will be full lane closures up to 30 minutes each between midnight and 4 a.m., with all lanes reopening at 5 a.m.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane on southbound Route 110 each night beginning at 10 p.m. Monday, August 15 through Friday, August 19. There will be full lane closures up to 30 minutes each between midnight and 4 a.m., with all lanes reopening at 5 a.m.

Motorists should expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes.

The work is part of the Route 27 over Route 110 project, which is replacing the 75-year-old original bridge. The $32 million project is scheduled for completion in spring 2018.

Assuming you’re not on vacation — perhaps among the mere 37 percent of readers who aren’t traveling this month — feel free to discuss storms, road closures or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

#weekend discussion

‘Serial Pooper’ Strikes Again in Ft. Barnard Park

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2016 at 3:50PM | Updated August 19, 2016 at 5:08PM

Someone has been repeatedly pooping on the Ft. Barnard Park playground, off of S. Walter Reed Drive, and it’s prompting police to step up patrols of the park.

A local resident wrote a letter to ARLnow.com this morning expressing disgust at the improper public potty practice.

Good Morning,

Since my neighbors and I are having no luck through Arlington Parks and Rec, I am hoping you might take interest in this story and help get the word out so we can get more attention to it. I live on S. Pollard Street, and for the fourth time in less than a year and second time in less than 2 weeks, someone has defecated on the playground at Ft. Barnard Park at the corner of S. Pollard and Walter Reed Drive. They poop around the play equipment, not off to the side or in the bushes, and cover the feces with a shirt so that some unsuspecting child or parent can pick it up and get a fecal surprise. Parks & Rec comes to scoop it up and leaves smears; this morning it was tracked all over the playground by what I can only assume is a small child. Obviously we need some kind of patrol or enforcement or at the least, awareness of this disgusting person and the health hazard he or she is inflicting on our playground.

I will also throw in there that there was a stabbing at the other end of our block on the corner of S. Pollard and 22nd St. S. a couple months ago and someone was almost killed, so we obviously need better police presence.

Thank you for any attention you can bring to this ridiculously disgusting story.

Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said the police department was just informed of the unsanitary situation.

“The Emergency Communication Center received a call today reporting defecation at Ft. Barnard Park,” Savage said. “This is the first call for service we’ve received regarding this issue at that location. The District Team in the area has been notified and extra checks will be conducted.”

Savage said the stabbing, which is unrelated to the pooping, resulted in non-life-threatening injuries to the victim. The incident happened in April and started as two people who knew each other having an argument about the Washington Redskins.

From an ACPD crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 160427038, 2200 block of S. Pollard Street. At approximately 7:25 p.m. on April 27, police were dispatched to Virginia Hospital Center for the report of a male victim suffering non-life threatening injuries as a result of a stabbing. The investigation revealed that following a verbal altercation between known subjects, the male victim was stabbed several times in the arms and abdomen. Warrants were obtained for malicious wounding for Larry Clinton Tootle Jr, 50, of Arlington Va.

This afternoon, the resident who wrote the original letter to ARLnow.com let us know that the latest poop had been picked up.

“I want to let you know that we spoke to parks and Rec again today and they sent someone over to clean up the most recent pile,” the resident wrote. “I also emailed the director of Parks and Rec today but she is out of the office. Our problem isn’t with the poor people who have to clean this up — it’s the fact that nothing so far is being done to stop it and the clean up is inadequate and does not sanitize the playground.”

Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish said the department “is aware of the issue.”

“We are working to find a solution to the problem,” Kalish said via email. “We regularly inspect the park and clean up as needed. If it is placed on natural surfaces, such as grass or mulch we just pick it up. If it is placed on hard surfaces we pick it up as well as use a disinfectant in the area. Staff was not aware of additional issues after its recent clean up… [they are] going to the [park] to see what additional clean up is needed.”

This isn’t the first time an Arlington park had a pooping problem. In August 2014 we reported that local parents were peeved about toddlers peeing and pooping in Penrose Park.

Photo via Arlington County

Car Runs Into Pole Near Va. Hospital Center

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2016 at 2:05PM

A car has crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and Washington Blvd, just down the road from Virginia Hospital Center.

The pole is down and George Mason Drive is blocked, according to scanner traffic. The driver of the car reportedly suffered facial injuries and is being treated by paramedics.

Drivers should expect traffic impacts in the area.

Test Driver Flips Mercedes In Dealership Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2016 at 12:20PM | Updated August 19, 2016 at 5:21PM

A woman in brand new Mercedes-Benz SUV somehow managed to run into several parked cars and flip the SUV just seconds into a test drive.

The incident happened just before 11:30 a.m., at the Mercedes dealership on N. Glebe Road in Ballston.

We’re told that the driver was just beginning a test drive, in the dealership parking lot, and might have mistaken the gas pedal for the brake. She crashed into four vehicles before the SUV rolled onto its side.

Four people who were in the SUV at the time managed to get out before police and firefighters arrived, we’re told. One dealership worker was evaluated by medics for a possible back injury. No one was seriously hurt.

Morning Poll: Sloooooow August

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2016 at 10:35AM

August is a slow month in the D.C. area.

Congress is out of session. People are fleeing the area left and right to get their vacations in before the summer ends. This year, many media and political types are on the campaign trail. Heck, traffic becomes somewhat bearable and even the Arlington County Board gets a break for the month.

On ARLnow.com, we haven’t run out of local stories to cover — in fact, this is shaping up to be our highest-traffic August yet — but there’s no denying that the pace of news coverage drags big time compared to a busier month like April or October.

The most oft-cited reason for why August is slow is that people are out of town. Anecdotal evidence — the number of people who we email only to get those automatic “Out of Office” auto-replies — seems to support this. But we wanted to check to see just how many people are fleeing Arlington this month and for how long.

So… unless you’re on military or foreign service duty, or any other long-term absence, how many days will you be out of town in August?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 19, 2016 at 9:05AM | Updated August 19, 2016 at 10:00AM

County Backtracks on Uber Story — Arlington County is in the early stages of considering a plan to replace low-ridership ART service with some sort of partnership with ridesharing services, like Uber. However, the county is backtracking on an official’s statement that the service would be subsidized. “A recent press account quoted a County staff person as saying, incorrectly, that we will be subsidizing this service,” said County Manager Mark Schwartz. “No such decision has been made at this preliminary stage of analysis.” [Arlington County]

Advisory Group: Change Name of Jeff Davis Highway — An advisory group appointed by the City of Alexandria has recommended changing the name of Jefferson Davis Highway. Alexandria’s “Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names” says the Confederate president’s name should be removed from Route 1 in the city. [Patch]

Ultimate Frisbee Vote — Arlington Public Schools is now the first school system in Virginia to make ultimate frisbee an official school sport. The Arlington School Board voted Thursday night to implement ultimate as a sport in middle and high schools, on an initial countywide budget of $90,000. [WTOP]

New ART Bus Route Launching Monday — The new ART 54 bus route will begin serving Dominion Hills, Madison Manor and East Falls Church on Monday. The new bus will run every 24 minutes on weekdays, during the morning and evening rush hours. [Arlington Transit]

Medicine Dispensing Exercise — Arlington residents are being encouraged to participate in the county health department’s mass medication dispensing exercise on Saturday. Volunteers are needed to form a crowd seeking medication (the county will be dispensing two types of candy during the exercise.) [ARLnow]

United Bank Purchasing Cardinal Bank — Two regional banks are coming together to form what may be the “most dominant community bank” in the D.C. area. United Bank, which has four Arlington branches, is purchasing Cardinal Bank, which has five Arlington branches. [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Fox 5 to Broadcast from Rosslyn Friday

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2016 at 3:45PM

The regional TV spotlight will shine on Arlington’s Rosslyn neighborhood tomorrow.

Fox 5 personalities Erin Como, Annie Yu and Tucker Barnes will be broadcasting from Rosslyn as part of its “Zip Trip” morning news feature.

The live broadcast will take place in the small park on the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Oak Street. Local notables including Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey and District Taco co-founder Osiris Hoil will be interviewed, and local restaurants like Barley Mac, Pancho Villa, Heavy Seas Alehouse, AllSpice Cafe & Catering and Bistro 360 will be featured.

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District is encouraging Rosslyn residents and workers to stop by the park during their commute to meet the anchors and, perhaps, appear on live TV.

From the Rosslyn BID website.

Rosslyn will be featured on Zip Trip on August 19 when Fox 5 broadcasts live Friday morning from 7 to 11 a.m.

Fox 5 anchors Erin Como, Annie Yu and Tucker Barnes will visit local restaurants and talk about the fun activities going on in the neighborhood.

The Monday Properties’ Park at the corner of Oak Street and Wilson Boulevard (1401 Wilson Boulevard) will be the scene for the live broadcast. Feel free to stop by for a free coffee from Dunkin Donuts and check out the live set! The anchors are excited to meet residents and employees from Rosslyn and may ask you to appear on TV on your way to work.

Special guests during the live broadcast will include Arlington County Board’s Chair Libby Garvey, Co-founder and CEO of District Taco Osiris Hoil, the Happy Whistler and staff from the Art Institute.

Local restaurants including Barley Mac, Pancho Villa, Heavy Seas Alehouse, AllSpice Cafe & Catering and Bistro 360 will also be featured.

So make your morning commute more interesting and stop by Oak and Wilson between 7 and 11 a.m. on Friday the 19th. We can’t wait to see you!

Amazon Launches One-Hour Delivery in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2016 at 10:30AM | Updated August 18, 2016 at 11:14PM

(Updated at 11:15 p.m.) Starting today, Arlingtonians can order a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream from Amazon.com and get it while it’s still frozen.

Amazon announced this morning that it has launched its Prime Now service for parts of Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Springfield and all of Arlington. (Users can check to see if the service is available by typing in their ZIP code.)

Prime Now allows Amazon Prime members (link goes to a 30-day free Prime trial offer) to order tens of thousands of everyday items, from groceries to household essentials to electronics to pet supplies, and get it delivered in 1-2 hours. One hour delivery costs $7.99, while two hour delivery is free.

“This is the latest benefit of being a Prime member,” Amazon spokeswoman Amanda Ip told ARLnow.com. She said the company plans to extend Prime Now service to the District of Columbia in October.

The service is available via a dedicated Prime Now website and smartphone app for Android and iPhone.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2016 at 9:30AM

Former Mansion Owner is In Jail — Rodney Hunt, the man who once owned the $23 million Arlington mansion that’s being used to throw large parties (and which was recently sold at a foreclosure auction), is currently in the Arlington County jail. Hunt was ordered to spend 90 days in jail earlier this month for violating his parole. An attorney says Hunt doesn’t know anything about the parties. [Washington Post]

Tourists Can’t Handle the Heat at the Cemetery — Anytime it gets sufficiently toasty outside, medical calls to Arlington National Cemetery become frequent. Tourists at the cemetery regularly suffer heat-related ailments that require paramedic dispatches during the summer. The cemetery is advising visitors to wear sunscreen and bring a bottle of water during the warm weather months. [Twitter]

Airbnb Is Costing Arlington Tax Revenue — Arlington County has yet to figure out a good way to get those renting out their homes on Airbnb to pay the county’s 5.25 percent lodging tax, which is paid by hotels and should be paid by Airbnb hosts. “Very few of the folks who should be paying taxes have stepped up to fork over the money,” reports Michael Pope. [WVTF]

Art Murals in Crystal City — Crystal City has more than two dozen outdoor art murals, implemented by the Crystal City Business Improvement District. The murals are part of an effort to “visually revitalize the area,” which is noted for being something of a concrete canyon. [Curbed]

Teacher Salaries By School — A list shows the average teacher salary, by school, at Arlington Public Schools. Topping the list is Kenmore Middle School, at $80,411. At the bottom of the list is the Arlington Mill high school program, at $61,731. [Patch]

APS Finance Chief Wins Award — Leslie Peterson, the assistant superintendent for finance and management at Arlington Public Schools, is one of three officials in the U.S. to receive the 2016 Pinnacle of Achievement Award from the Association of School Business Officials International. [InsideNova]

Amtrak Police Chief Shared Apartment With ‘Alleged Boyfriend’ — Amtrak Police Chief Polly Hanson, who’s under investigation for fraud and conflict of interest, reportedly shared an Arlington apartment with her “alleged boyfriend,” a senior director at a contractor that Amtrak hired under Hanson’s supervision. The two also are said to have co-owned a condo in Dewey Beach, Del. [Washington Post]

Major Power Outage in Crystal City Among Storm-Related Issues This Morning

By ARLnow.com

Published August 18, 2016 at 8:35AM

A sizable portion of Crystal City is without power this morning.

Dominion says more than 300 customers, in an area centered around the Metro station, are in the dark as a result of a storm-related outage. Power isn’t expected to be restored until this afternoon.

The outage includes large office buildings and traffic lights up and down Crystal Drive. Police are on scene, setting up cones to direct traffic through the uncontrolled intersections, though generators are being brought in to bring the traffic signals back online.

Last night’s storm is causing other issues around Arlington this morning, as well. On the Custis Trail, a large tree has reportedly fell onto and blocked the trail between N. Quincy and Nelson streets.

@ARLnowDOTcom Large tree down across the Custis trail btw Quincy St and N Nelson, be careful cyclists! pic.twitter.com/8tX8JjHGWO

— AlliMoe (@AlliMoe21) August 18, 2016