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.

New Popcorn Shop Opens to Enormous Line in Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) The new Garrett Popcorn Shop opened today at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City — and customers are lining up faster than they can pop the kernels. Some even brought homemade signs to mark the occasion.

Located in the former Johnny Rockets space, near the Metro entrance on the food court level, it’s the Chicago-based company’s 50th location and its first in the D.C. area.

To celebrate today’s opening, Garrett is offering $1 treat bags, $19.49 gallon tins of mixed popcorn and free D.C. tote bags to the first 200 customers (excluding those just buying the $1 treat bag.)

Those specials, and the allure of cheesy, buttery or crispy sweet popcorn from the Windy City, apparently was enough to convince customers to wait in an enormous line that stretched halfway through the food court.

A group at the front of the line insisted that they had been waiting for two hours. Was that worth it?

“Oh yeah, their popcorn is the bomb,” one of the women said.

At the very least, posts on the company’s Facebook page seem to confirm that the line is indeed as long as it looks.

Wrote one devoted popcorn fan: “The line isn’t moving. I’m like the 300th person in line. Did you guys run out of kernels?”

Petition to ‘Save Food Star’ Has More Than 1,800 Supporters

By ARLnow.com

The existing Food Star on Columbia PikeMore than 1,800 people say they oppose replacing the Food Star supermarket on Columbia Pike with a new Harris Teeter store.

A Change.org petition called “Help Save the Food Star Supermarket” had 1,817 supporters as of 11 a.m. today.

The petition is a response to the redevelopment of the Food Star strip mall site, which was approved by the Arlington County Board in February. The shopping center is slated to be torn down and replaced by a six-story apartment building with 365 market-rate units and, on the ground floor, an array of retail locations including a 50,000 square foot Harris Teeter store.

The petition paints a picture of Harris Teeter as a “high end” grocery store and Food Star as an affordable, unique neighborhood institution that should be preserved.

I am very concerned that the Food Star grocery store is being targeted for demolition. A well-known business that has been at the same location since 1984, Food Star has become a cultural hub for residents in Arlington County.

  • It is centrally located (within walking distance of most of our residents) and caters to our culturally diverse population. Anywhere between fifteen – sixteen thousand residents (maybe even more) will purchase groceries from Food Star every month and even every week.
  • It serves as a place of employment. Thirty – forty residents that live in the area work there full-time.  The employees are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about the products that are being sold.
  • It serves as a “home away from home” for many of its patrons. Food Star sells unique products from all over the world that caters to many different multiethnic groups. Most of these products cannot be found at any other grocery stores.

While it is understandable that Harris Teeter is looking to expand into Alcova Heights area (at the corner of Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive), it seems like a very unnecessary business practice that is driven purely by profit and not by necessity. A cursory search on Google Maps indicates that there are at least 7 other high-end grocery stores located within a ten mile radius of the Food Star grocery store. However, if Food Star were to be torn down, most of the residents in the area would not be able to afford the costs associated with traveling to or shopping at these stores.

For the residents of Alcova Heights (Arlington) and other patrons from Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland, The Food Star grocery store is more than just a grocery store. It serves as a cultural icon, valuable resource, and a place of employment. I firmly believe that it should stay open. I am calling on Harris Teeter to reconsider adding a new location at Food Star’s current address, and to cease any actions related building a new store.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Southwest Airlines flight over the 14th Street Bridge (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

Zoning Board Rules in Favor of Gun Store — Arlington Board of Zoning Appeals has rejected a challenge to the Certificate of Occupancy for Nova Firearms, the gun store at 2300 N. Pershing Drive in Lyon Park. A group of residents filed the appeal, claiming that the store’s owner submitted false information to the county. [Daily Caller]

Complaints About Aircraft Noise in Barcroft — Residents of Arlington’s Barcroft neighborhood are organizing a working group to address the issue of aircraft noise, particularly noise from low-flying helicopters. [Chamandy.org]

Another IRS Phone Scam — Arlington residents are reporting yet another phone scam. If someone calls you out of the blue, says they’re from the IRS and tries to get you to reveal personal information, it’s probably a scam. [WJLA]

New Leader for Arlington Arts Center — Holly Koons McCullough has been named the new executive director of the Arlington Arts Center. Previously, McCullough served as director of the Greater Reston Arts Center. [Washington City Paper]

New Director of Transportation for APS — The Arlington School Board has approved the appointment of Angel Garcia-Ablanque as the school system’s new Director of Transportation. He was previously Assistant Director of Transportation for Montgomery County Public Schools. [Arlington Public Schools]

Fundraiser at Celtic House — Celtic House (2500 Columbia Pike) is holding a fundraiser for two veterans organizations today. The Irish pub, an ARLnow.com advertiser, will be donating a portion of all sales today to Wings for Warriors and Links to Freedom.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Car2Go Trips Between Arlington and D.C. to Start May 26

By ARLnow.com

Car2Go at the Village of Shirlington (courtesy photo)Arlington is no longer an island unto itself for Car2Go members.

The car-sharing service announced yesterday that it had received the go-ahead from the District Dept. of Transportation to allow one-way trips between Arlington and D.C. Starting Thursday, May 26, Car2Go members will be able to drive from Arlington and park in D.C., and vice versa.

The Arlington County Board approved cross-jurisdictional trips at its meeting last month. A county staff report noted that Car2Go was struggling to gain traction as an Arlington-only service, and had reduced the number of cars in the county from 95 to 25.

https://twitter.com/car2goDC/status/730394568097710080

Arlington Community Foundation Celebrating 25th Anniversary in Pentagon City This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Community Foundation fundraiserThe Arlington Community Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year in style.

The nonprofit, which awards scholarships to local students and grants to community groups, is holding a gala fundraiser Saturday night at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City.

The event is changing its format this year — instead of a sit-down dinner, there will be food, wine, beer and dessert tastings from a number of local restaurants and stores, thus encouraging guests to move around and mingle. Among those slated to be mingling: chef and prolific restaurateur Mike Isabella.

The event will have a silent auction, as usual, but this year it will feature a four-night stay for four people at a castle in a Tuscany, Italy vineyard, donated by Total Wine, which is opening a new store in Ballston. The stay is valued at $5,000.

Music at the event will be primarily by the band Marquise. The full press release about the event is below.

The Arlington Community Foundation will host its 25th Anniversary Gala on May 14 at The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City. The Foundation has been serving the Arlington community in the areas of scholarships and grantmaking through the management of charitable funds for 25 years.

With an exciting “Celebrate Community” theme, this year’s gala promises to be a one-of-a-kind evening featuring culinary delights and gourmet tastings presented by local chefs.  You can also expect wine tastings by Barrel Oak Winery; craft beer tastings by The Brew Shop; and desserts by local bakeries – Artisan Confections, Bakeshop, Buzz Bakeshop, The Cheesecake Factory, Clement’s Pastry Shop, Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, LeoNora Gourmet Bakery, Northside Social, Pastries by Randolph, Livin’ The Pie Life & Whole Foods.

There is an exciting auction planned for the evening, featuring unique items that have never been offered before, as well as bringing back some very popular items from past events.  The celebration will also feature the unveiling of a new video – “Arlington: Past, Present and Future” – featuring interviews with Foundation founder the Honorable William T. Newman Jr., current executive director Wanda Pierce, and past chairs of the organization.

The Foundation is honored to have this year as Gala Co-Chairs Mr. & Mrs. John & Marcia Shooshan and Mr. & Mrs. Brad & Cathy Coyle.  “We continue to be impressed by, and grateful for, the outpouring of support to make this year’s gala a success,” Cathy Coyle said. “There are so many people . . . [who] have gladly and generously donated time, energy and resources.”

“They are bringing a tremendous amount of energy and creativity to the event,” said Wanda Pierce, Executive Director of the Foundation.  “They are leading a committee that is bringing a different look and feel – it will be the event of the year! We are looking forward to a fun evening to raise funds that will enable the Foundation to continue operating and supporting the stellar work of nonprofits and deserving students in the area.”

For a full listing of sponsors, visit bit.ly/2016acfgala. Tickets are available at bit.ly/2016acfgala or by calling 703-243-4785.

Expect a Large Crowd Around These Ribs at Taste of Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/7

ARLnow is partnering with Taste of Arlington to preview some of the festival’s tastiest dishes this year.

Epic Smokehouse in Pentagon City will be bringing some mouth-watering barbecue ribs to the event, which is taking place starting at noon Sunday, on Wilson Blvd near Ballston Common Mall. (Tickets are still available online.)

We asked Epic’s Assistant General Manager, Chris Naylor, about it.

ARLnow: First, tell us about the dish you’re bringing. How is it prepared? 

Naylor: Smoked BBQ Ribs with Applewine BBQ sauce and a pinch of slaw. We dry rub our ribs and smoke them for six hours, then char them on the grill and brush them with the BBQ sauce.

How does it taste?

They are meaty, smokey, tangy, and just a tad sweet.

Why did you select it? How does it reflect your restaurant overall?

Who doesn’t love ribs? They’re delicious. Our ribs are our take on BBQ, not typical — which is pretty much us in a nutshell.

What’s your favorite thing about participating in Taste of Arlington?

We love to see the crowd and their excitement about trying our food, and the bragging rights when our tent’s crowd is larger than most.

ARLnow and our friends Sarah Fraser and Samy K. will have a “tasting table” near Epic and the booths of the other three restaurants we’re highlighting this week. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Police: Man Held Knife to Woman’s Neck

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police carA 21-year-old Arlington man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after police say he held a knife to the neck of a woman following a fight.

The incident happened around 1 p.m. in the Arlington Mill neighborhood, near Columbia Pike.

The victim, who was either a friend or family member of the suspect, suffered a cut to her hand and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for treatment.

From the Arlington County Police crime report:

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 160510024, 800 block of S. Greenbrier Street. At approximately 1:00 p.m. on May 10, following a verbal altercation between known subjects, a male subject grabbed the female victim by her hair and held a knife to her neck. The victim suffered a minor laceration to her hand and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. Darbin Barrera Corado, 21, of Arlington VA, was charged with malicious wounding and is being held without bond.

W-L Senior Named National Boys Soccer Player of the Year

By ARLnow.com

Lucas Mendes, a 5’5″, 125 lbs. senior at Arlington’s Washington-Lee High School, has been named the 2016 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Mendes helped to lead the No. 1 ranked W-L boys team to a 9-0-2 record this spring. The team is scheduled to play its first game in the Liberty Conference Boys Soccer Tournament tomorrow.

Mendes was presented with his award from Gatorade by former pro soccer player and current ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman at Washington-Lee on Tuesday. (A video of the presentation is above.)

From Mendes’ profile on the Gatorade Player of the Year website:

At the time of his selection, Mendes had scored 10 goals and passed for five assists in his first year playing high school soccer after previously playing with D.C. United in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Ranked as the No. 24 recruit in the Class of 2016 by College Soccer News, he attended a training camp with the U.S. Soccer Under-20 Men’s National Team in January.

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach. He has also donated his time to the Color of Leadership Conference, where he served as a mentor and participated in workshops to help middle school students of color discover and utilize resources to achieve their personal goals.

Mendes has accepted a full-ride scholarship from the University of Virginia, according to a press release from Arlington Public Schools (below, after the jump).

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Housing Group Questions Blue Ribbon Panel

By ARLnow.com

2016 Arlington County BoardThe Arlington-based Alliance for Housing Solutions is raising questions about the “Blue Ribbon Panel” on county priorities that was unanimously approved by the County Board last month.

In a letter to the panel’s principle supporter, County Board Chair Libby Garvey, and the four other members of the County Board, AHS asks the Board to delay implementation of the panel — the six members are slated to be appointed at the Board’s meeting on Tuesday — and gather more public feedback.

Garvey said last month that the panel would serve an advisory role for the Board and would not set policy, thus negating the need for an extensive public process.

As an organization, AHS is dedicated to “preserving and increasing affordable housing in Arlington through public education, facilitation and action.”

The full letter from AHS leaders Eugene Hubbard and Mary Margaret Whipple, the former state legislator, is below.

Dear Madam Chair and Members of the County Board:

The Alliance for Housing Solutions is writing to express its disappointment in the Board’s unanimous adoption of the Blue Ribbon Panel Charge on April 19, 2016. We urge that the Board delay this process, including the appointment of Panel members, until the public has had reasonable opportunity to provide feedback and the Charge is clarified to explain what appear to be inconsistencies.

Our principal concerns are summarized as follows:

1. Process. While it is clear that the Blue Ribbon Panel and Charge were discussed among Board members and perhaps members of the public as well, there was virtually no notice that the Board would adopt the Charge and the language was not available for public review and comment. This flies in the face of repeated messages by many Board members of the need for greater transparency and adequate public advance notice of Board actions.

2. Governance. The complete scope of what is being asked of the members of the Panel is not clear but explicitly includes the ability to “Affirm the[se] goals and objectives [of the Comprehensive Plan] and/or consider policy areas that should be revisited.” This is high-level policy-making that we believe should not be in the hands of unelected persons.

Further, we believe that the need to create a process to set priorities is redundant. As the Charge itself notes, priorities are set every year by the County Board in the budget and CIP processes, with feedback from the community and from affected Commissions.

3. Inclusion. The Charge speaks of the Panel of six reflecting “broad diversity, including knowledge of and experience with Arlington Public Schools”. Respectfully, we think that such diversity of issues and concerns cannot be reflected by six persons in a six month process. Further, AHS is concerned about how the on-going roles of Commissions and other appointed bodies will be considered.

Thank you for your consideration of these views.

Sincerely,

Eugene Hubbard
Chair

Mary Margaret Whipple
President

Capital Bikeshare Stations Coming to Westover, W-L High School

By ARLnow.com
1/3

New Capital Bikeshare station are coming to Washington-Lee High School and to the Westover Library.

Use permits for both are on this weekend’s Arlington County Board agenda. The stations will include docks for 16 bikes.

“The proposed Capital Bikeshare station provides convenient access to users, complies with the clear sidewalk width requirements and will not cause an undue adverse impact to adjacent streets or neighborhoods,” said a county staff report.

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