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.

Letter to the Editor: Build the Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center

By ARLnow.com

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Jef Dolan, an Arlington resident, Marymount University professor and mother of Olympic gold medalist swimmer Tom Dolan. 

As a long time swimming resident of Arlington, I would like to refute some of the points that Peter made in his March 31 column referring to the proposed aquatics center at Long Bridge Park.

Many early mornings I would have to take my two time Olympic Gold Medalist son Tom to 50 meter pools either in the District, Fairfax or Montgomery County to train or swim in local and regional meets. I resented seeing these facilities getting revenues from food concessions, t-shirts and pool fees.

Why couldn’t Arlington share in this revenue?

The aquatics center at Long Bridge Park gives us this opportunity.

Will Arlington need additional indoor and outdoor recreational facilities in the future?

Existing county recreational facilities are not adequate to meet the full range of current and future community recreational, fitness and aquatics needs of the growing youth, adult and senior populations. A report by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Demographic Research Group showed that Arlington County’s population grew by 9.4 percent from the 2010 Census through July 2013 alone. By 2040, Arlington’s overall population is expected to grow by over 65,000 people.

Many of the aquatic classes I try to enroll in as a 55+ citizen in the high school pools through the parks and recreation department are closed due to over enrollment. As much of the Arlington population ages, we seek affordable places to recreate to continue productive lives in the county.

As a mom who has sat in pools all over the country, I have seen the benefits of a multi-purpose training facility.

Existing county recreational facilities are not adequate to meet the full range of current and future community recreational, fitness and aquatics needs of the growing youth, adult and senior populations. We need to have an Oak-Mar Fairfax facility in our community.

Sixty-three percent of our citizens responded favorably to this in a recent survey posted on ARLnow.com.

The money is there. Let’s coalesce as a community to build this facility.

I look forward to seeing many youth teams and swim for safety programs delight in this amenity in Arlington County.

ARLnow.com occasionally publishes thoughtful letters to the editor about issues of local interest. To submit a letter to the editor, please email it to [email protected]. Letters may be edited for content and brevity.

Gutshall Goes on Offensive During First Democratic County Board Debate

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A near-capacity crowd packed into Mad Rose Tavern in Clarendon Wednesday night for a Democratic showdown between County Board member Libby Garvey and primary challenger Erik Gutshall.

The Arlington Young Democrats-hosted debate was perhaps not the battle royale some were expecting, but there were a few pointed barbs from Gutshall and an assertive defense from Garvey of her record.

Gutshall started his line of attack before the debate even started, by CCing news outlets that morning on a letter to Garvey, questioning why former Republican Congressman Tom Davis donated $1,000 to her campaign. (In 2014, Davis also donated $1,000 to the campaign of independent County Board member John Vihstadt, who Garvey endorsed over Democrat Alan Howze.)

“I was shocked to learn that someone running to be the Democratic nominee would so openly solicit, and accept, campaign contributions from someone whose job and mission it was to defeat Democrats,” Gutshall wrote. He asked Garvey to sign a pledge to only support Democratic candidates and to reject campaign contributions from current or former Republican elected officials.

At the debate, Gutshall said it was “not acceptable” that Garvey had not signed the pledge, also citing her decision not to endorse Del. Rip Sullivan during his campaign.

“Absolutely, unequivocally, 100 percent I will support the Democrat, period,” Gutshall said.

Garvey, meanwhile, declined to make any absolute promises, saying she would make decisions based on “what is the right thing for Arlington… what is best for the people I serve.”

“Generally, that’s the Democrat,” she said. Her answer was followed by a couple loud boos from the crowd.

Gutshall attempted to re-litigate the streetcar battle, saying that Garvey “has sat on the sidelines” since she and Vihstadt helped to scuttle the project, which would have brought light rail transit to Columbia Pike. (The county has said an alternative transit plan will be coming this year.)

“We don’t have the transit that’s there to meet the needs of density” along Columbia Pike, said Gutshall. “We have the right to expect more and do better.”

Garvey said that until January, when she took over the County Board chairmanship, she “did not have the votes” to push a Bus Rapid Transit plan for the Pike. With the addition of like-minded Democrats Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey this year, she said the County Board is functioning well as a team.

“Your board is a very exciting board right now,” she said. “I have done a lot since January. I would like to build on this experience and build on this work.”

Gutshall accused Garvey of abandoning the infrastructure investment mindset that led previous generations of local Democratic leaders to support, for instance, the building of the Metrorail system.

“Progress comes by investing in the future,” he said. “The main reason I’m running here is that I have heard rhetoric that we should turn and look inward and that we cannot afford to meet these challenges.”

(more…)

Frog Legs, Escargots Back on the Menu at La Côte d’Or Café

By ARLnow.com

La Côte d'Or Café in East Falls Church (courtesy photo)La Côte d’Or Café in Arlington’s East Falls Church neighborhood is under new ownership.

Chef Jacques Imperato bought the restaurant in February, according to a press release, and has since set about adding “more authentic French food options.”

Now on the menu: escargots, frog legs and foie gras.

The restaurant, located at 6876 Lee Highway, has been in business for more than two decades.

The full press release is below.

The well-loved restaurant, La Côte d’Or Café in Falls Church, has a new owner and is more authentically French than ever before. The restaurant was purchased in February of 2016 by Chef Jacques Imperato, the past owner-chef of three other successful French restaurants in Northern Virginia. Chef Jeanmarc Drimille who has been with La Cote d’Or for the past 13 years will still head up the kitchen.

Imperato’s changes include adding more authentic French food options from the province of Burgundy, providing an enhanced wine list, and refining recipes already on the menu. Some of the classics gracing the menu include:

  • Burgundy Escargots
  • Charcuterie
  • Beef Bourguignon
  • Coq au Vin
  • Frog Legs
  • Fois Gras

Possibly the most exciting news is Imperto leading a return to excellent French wines at La Côte d’Or Café. The La Côte d’Or region in Burgundy is famous for some of the best wines in the world. The wine list has increased already to 22 wines, 14 of which are Burgundy, with more selections to come.

“I hope to educate people on real French cooking,” Imperto remarks in a classic French accent as pure as the day he arrived in the U.S. decades ago. “Everyone thinks of heavy creams in sauces when they think of French food, but there are many regions in France with different cooking styles. In Burgundy, we use olive oil and fresh herbs. Also, in La Côte d’Or Café we cook a healthier style of Burgundy cuisine using fresh seasonal ingredients, grass fed beef, specialty high quality fish and low calorie alternatives in our sauces.”

Some of these healthier sauce substitutes translate to a menu with many gluten free options. Also, everything on the menu is made from scratch, a practice that is a tradition in French cafe’s but not in typical North American restaurants.

The restaurant is perfect for date night with details that seem to be all too rare, like tables adorned with white linens and fresh flowers. During nice summer days, a wall of doors lining the sidewalk are opened, turning the atmosphere into that of a lovely Parisian cafe.

Imperato attended culinary school in Nice, France, and has worked with some of the most prestigious chefs known in the Côte d’Azur area today.

He has previously worked at Washington, D.C.’s Maison Blanche, Le Lavandou, and Tiberio. In the past, he owned Chalet de la Paix in Arlington as well as Mediterranee Restaurants in Great Falls and Arlington.

If you love La Côte d’Or Café, if you are a long-time follower of Chef Jacques Imperato’s flair for French cuisine, or if you would like to experience authentic cuisine from Burgundy, come and enjoy an exceptional dining experience. You can also contact them at [email protected] and ask to be put on the restaurant’s mailing list so you can receive a daily email with specials.

La Côte d’Or Café has been in business for over 20 years serving lunch and dinner daily from either à la carte or prix fixe menus. They alter the menu for certain holidays such as Mother’s Day. Saturdays and Sundays offer a special brunch menu. They can accommodate private parties up to 30 people in a designated party room. The restaurant provides catering as well.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Leaves in Glencarlyn Park (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)

County Announces ‘Energy Lending Library’ — Today, on Earth Day, Arlington County is formally announcing what it says is the nation’s first “energy lending library.” Via Arlington Public Library, residents will be able to borrow thermal imaging cameras, energy meters and books that will help residents identify areas of energy waste in their homes. [Arlington County]

Woman Arrested After Foot Chase in Pentagon City — A shoplifting suspect was taken into custody in Pentagon City after leading police on a foot chase yesterday, just before 6 p.m. Police were still searching for the woman’s shoplifting accomplice. [Twitter]

New Lubber Run Community Center Planned — Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz has proposed a new, $45 million Lubber Run Community Center. The four-story structure would also include a parking garage, so that the existing surface lot can be converted to parkland. [InsideNova]

Arlington Hires Full-Time Ombudsman — Arlington County has a new ombudsman. Former Dept. of Human Services assistant director Robert Sharpe has been named to the county’s newly-created position of Director of Constituent Services. Sharpe’s job will be “troubleshooting issues on behalf of his fellow Arlington residents while working directly with departments, County leadership and the County Board.” [Arlington County]

Free ‘Pop Up Yoga’ Session on the Pike — On Sunday, from 11 a.m. to noon, a free “pop up” yoga class will be held at Penrose Square (2503 Columbia Pike). “Lisa Marie, local artist and certified yoga instructor, will lead the participants through postures, intentions and breath” that are specifically inspired by the pair of sculptures in the park. [With Love DC]

Medics on Motorcycles? — The citizen task force coming up with recommendations for Arlington’s Fire Station 8 has struck upon a novel idea: using motorcycle-based paramedics to get to patients faster in traffic than would a big, lumbering ambulance. Not every member of the task force, however, thought that was a good idea, citing potential issues with staffing. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick

Annandale Man Charged in Child’s Death

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)A man who accidentally left a friend’s two-year-old child in the back seat of his car, resulting in the little girl’s death, is now facing charges, police say.

Daiquan Fields, a 32-year-old Annandale resident, has been charged with felony child neglect and involuntary manslaughter. He will face prosecution in Arlington.

Police say Fields was to drop the child off somewhere Wednesday morning, but forgot and left her in the back seat of his car all day. When he went to pick up the mother in front of the Pentagon City mall around 3:30 that afternoon, he spotted the child, unresponsive.

Fields called 911 and the girl was transported to Virginia Hospital Center, where she was declared dead, according to police. From an Arlington County Police Department press release:

The initial investigation revealed a two-year-old girl had reportedly been accidentally left in the back seat of a car by a caretaker. Our initial investigation has determined that a male acquaintance of the child’s mother was supposed to drop three children off at two locations on the morning of April 20. It appears he dropped off two older children, ages 10 and 15, and then returned to the home in Fairfax County, not realizing that the two-year-old remained in the back seat of the car. Sometime later, the acquaintance got back in the car to pick up the children’s mother. When he arrived at her location in the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street, he looked in the back seat area of the car and saw the child. When he discovered that she was unresponsive, he immediately called 911.

Upon review, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner could not determine where the death actually occurred. After consultation between Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney’s Office and the Arlington County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, it was determined the prosecution would be handled by Arlington County.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective N. Brooks of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4169 [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

County Finds Compromise With Homeowners Connected to Failing Sewer Line

By ARLnow.com

Home on the corner of N. Danville and 9th Streets (via Google Maps)Arlington County will split the cost of connecting a group of Lyon Park homeowners to county-owned sewer lines, preventing a potentially costly legal battle.

Eleven homes on the 900 block of N. Daniel and Danville streets are connected to a failing sewer line that runs through their backyards. The line is believed to date back to the 1920s, when the first of the homes in the neighborhood were built.

As we reported in 2013, county workers had been clearing occasional blockages of the line, until the county determined that it did not actually own the line — it was privately constructed and the county had “no rights to operate or maintain this line.”

Facing steep plumbing and excavation costs for connecting to a public sewer line, homeowners threatened legal action. On Tuesday, the County Board settled the matter by voting unanimously to approve a compromise agreement with the homeowners.

Arlington will roughly split the cost of connecting all 11 homes — $253,980 plus a $50,000 contingency — and will advance the other half of the money to seven homeowners who asked for help financing the work. The seven homeowners will repay their share over seven years, at 2 percent interest, via the establishment of a “service district” that will levy a frontage assessment on their property.

Arlington County said the compromise was necessary because the private sewer line was failing and beyond repair, and a major sewage backup in the midst of a protracted legal dispute could have resulted in a significant public health hazard.

” The amount of time required to resolve the disagreement would delay the time when remedial action could be taken, thereby threatening the likelihood of a public health emergency, and would result in costly litigation for all involved,” notes the staff report. “In an effort to prevent further delay, the County and the property owners negotiated an agreement that would promptly address the looming public health concern.”

Three Arrested in Columbia Pike Shooting

By ARLnow.com
1/8

Three men have been arrested in a shooting on Columbia Pike last night, including the man who was shot.

The incident started just before 10:30 p.m., on the 3600 block of Columbia Pike near the Burger King, as “a dispute between several subjects and a business owner over the sale of a vehicle.”

As police responded to the dispute, they received a report that one of the suspects was making a shooting gesture at the business owner with his hand. Moments later came word that actual shots were being fired.

“One subject brandished a firearm and shot multiple rounds towards the victim who was sitting in [his] vehicle,” police said in a press release.

Following the shooting, the subjects fled the area in what was reported to be a gray Dodge Charger.

“Officers observed the subject’s vehicle and initiated a short pursuit on northbound I-395,” said the press release. The chase was called off after officers lost sight of the vehicle prior to the 14th Street Bridge. A U.S. Park Police helicopter attempted to assist with the search but the vehicle was not found.

Following up on unspecified information, a SWAT team arrested two of the suspects on the 2400 block of S. Lowell Street, in the Nauck neighborhood, early this morning. The third suspect, it turned out, was the man who was struck by gunfire in front of the Burger King. He has also been charged in the shooting.

Police are still asking any witnesses to come forward. The full press release, from ACPD:

On April 20, 2016 at approximately 10:30 p.m., Arlington County Police responded to a report of a dispute in the 3600 block of Columbia Pike. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The initial investigation revealed there was a dispute between several subjects and a business owner over the sale of a vehicle. One subject brandished a firearm and shot multiple rounds towards the victim who was sitting in their vehicle. Following the shooting, the subjects fled the area. Officers observed the subject’s vehicle and initiated a short pursuit on Northbound I-395. The pursuit was terminated in Washington D.C. United States Park Police assisted the investigation with the use of their helicopter.

Detectives from the Department’s Homicide/Robbery and Tactical Units developed suspect descriptions. Members of the SWAT Team took two suspects into custody from a residence in the 2400 block of S. Lowell Street. Martin Walker, 25, of Largo MD, was arrested and charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Attempted Malicious Shooting, Display of a Firearm during a Shooting, and Shooting at an Occupied Vehicle. Joseph Thompson, 26, of Manassas VA, was arrested and charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Shooting by Mob.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives determined that the initial male victim suffering from a gunshot wound had been an aggressor in the dispute. Gregory Porter Jr., 20, of Triangle VA, has been arrested and charged with Shooting by Mob. He is being held on no bond.

Anyone with information about this incident and/or who may have observed anything suspicious in the area is asked to contact Detective S. Roeseler of the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4182 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Video From Two Weeks Ago Shows Driver Ignoring Pedestrian at Intersection Where Teen Was Struck

By ARLnow.com

https://twitter.com/Rosslyn_DC/status/717885865226162176

Two weeks before a teen girl was struck by a car and seriously injured in Ballston, a local resident tweeted a video of a car blowing by him as he crossed in the same crosswalk.

The resident tweeted the video at police, asking for more crosswalk enforcement.

Today, he and others are saying that police do not adequately enforce traffic laws to keep pedestrians safe.

https://twitter.com/ChaseTralka/status/723147508185202692

https://twitter.com/rcannon100/status/723162951872483332

https://twitter.com/StoiceK/status/723162186361638912

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Street scene in Clarendon on 4/20/16. Woman sitting at bus stop with Clarendon Metro in background.

Valor Awards Recount Harrowing Moments — Saving a suicidal woman who was about to jump from the seventh floor of a parking garage. Saving the life of a man who had just been run over by an SUV twice. Smashing a car window in order to resuscitate the victim of a major crash on I-395. Those are a few of the acts of valor recognized at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Valor Awards this week. [InsideNova, Arlington Chamber]

WaPo Questions Crystal City-Brooklyn Comparison — The Washington Post isn’t letting the New York Times get away with a quote that compared Crystal City to Brooklyn. The area’s hometown paper instead quoted a number of Twitter critics, one of whom called Crystal City a “Ballardian hellscape.” The Times story suggests that Crystal City — with its new restaurants, emerging tech scene, transportation improvements and community events — is experiencing something of a mini renaissance. [Washington Post]

Vida Fitness Coming to Ballston — High-end local fitness chain Vida Fitness is planning a new full-service gym in Ballston. The new location could open as soon by 2019. [Washington Business Journal]

Nauck Town Square Designs — Arlington County is seeking feedback on the draft design of the forthcoming Nauck Town Square park. The design includes a large sculpture of the word “FREED.” [Arlington County]

County Gets Adorable Letters — Arlington County gets adorable letters from children, who ask about things like raising backyard chickens and saving worms that might have gotten swept up as yard waste. [Arlington County]

Teen Struck By Car in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 10 a.m.) A teen was struck by a car in Ballston around 8:15 Wednesday night.

The victim appeared to be crossing at a marked crosswalk, at the intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Utah Street, when she was struck, according to witnesses.

One resident who was in her house at the time of the collision described hearing a “thud” followed by screaming. The victim was bloodied and remained lying in the middle of the street while passersby attended to her, we’re told.

The teen was conscious and breathing when paramedics arrived, said fire department spokesman Lt. Jason Hart. She was transported via ambulance to a local hospital and is being evaluated for a potentially serious head injury.

One local resident who emailed ARLnow.com said the intersection is a major pedestrian crossing that serves Cherrydale and Waverly Hills residents walking from the Ballston Metro station.

“Pitch dark at night,” the emailer said of the intersection. “Been trying for years to get county to put in pedestrian signals. Being studied forever…”

Photos courtesy Katie Pyzyk

DEVELOPING: Child Found Dead in Back of Car in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

ACFD Arlington County ambulance (file photo)Update at 6:05 p.m. — Charges have now been filed in the case.

Fairfax County Police are investigating the death of a two-year-old girl who was found in the back of a car in Pentagon City.

Medics were called to the front of the Pentagon City mall, on the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street, around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a child who was unresponsive in the back of a car and was being administered CPR. The girl was later pronounced dead.

An investigation determined that the girl had likely died in Annandale after being left in the back of the car all day by a caretaker.

From the Fairfax County Police Department:

Our initial investigation has determined that a male acquaintance of the child’s mother was supposed to drop three children off at two locations on the morning of April 20. It appears he dropped off two older children, ages 10 and 15, and then returned to the home in Fairfax County, not realizing that the two-year-old remained on the back seat of the car. Sometime later, the acquaintance got back in the car to pick up the children’s mother. When he arrived at her location in Arlington County, he looked in the back seat area of the car and saw the child. When he discovered that she was unresponsive, he immediately called 911.

So far, no charges have been filed in the case. The two older children are staying with a relative pending the results of the investigation.

“As detectives continue their investigation, they will consult with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County for a determination of criminal liability,” said police.

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