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.

Jon Stewart to Emcee USO Event in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Jon Stewart (photo via Wikipedia)Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart will serve as the co-emcee for a star-studded USO event in Crystal City this month.

The USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore is holding its 34th annual awards dinner on Tuesday, April 19 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View hotel. The event will mark the USO’s 75th anniversary and will honor people and organizations that have “made a significant contributions to our country’s military community.”

Honorees and special guests expected at the event include WWE Superstar John Cena, NASCAR hall of famer Richard Petty, “Jackass” star Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, Korn lead singer Jonathan Davis and Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg.

Musical performances by Tony Orlando, the 82nd Airborne Chorus and Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell, among others, are also planned.

The press release from the USO, after the jump.

Photo via Wikipedia

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Twitter Users in Arlington Complain a Lot About Being Sick

By ARLnow.com
Kleenex box (file photo)

Americas-Sickest-Cities-and-States_Assets_Editions_01_03-02 (image via Bay Alarm Medical)Arlington is the “tenth sickest city in the U.S.” — this is, if stats pulled from Twitter data are to be believed.

An analysis by the firm Bay Alarm Medical looked at half a million geotagged tweets and found that Arlington sees about 265 sickness-related tweets per 100,000 residents. That puts Arlington No. 10 on a list of the “sickest cities” in the U.S.

New Orleans, Miami and Atlanta are No. 1-3 on the list, respectively.

The research also found:

  • Sickness tweets reach their height in December and January.
  • Sickness talk decreases as weather warms up.
  • Sickness-related complaints peak on Tuesday instead of Monday.

Image courtesy Bay Alarm Medical

Arlington’s Homeless Population Down 64 Percent Over Past Three Years

By ARLnow.com

Homeless man on a bench outside Arlington Central LibraryArlington’s homeless population is down 27 percent over the past year and 64 percent since 2013.

That’s according to figures released today by Arlington County, which conducted a count of homeless individuals on the streets and in shelters in January. The county credited two of its initiatives — 100 Homes and Zero: 2016 — with playing “key roles” in reducing homelessness by helping the homeless to secure stable housing.

“This is great news and further confirmation that our strategies are working,” County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a statement. “By not only sheltering people from the elements, but helping them get back on their feet, we are saving lives and strengthening our community. It is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do.”

(The opening of Arlington’s new Homeless Services Center last year likely also helped.)

By Arlington’s count, there are 174 homeless people in Arlington — including 124 singles and 50 people in families.

“No families counted were without shelter,” the county noted.

Earlier this year the county announced that it had achieved its goal of “functional zero” veteran homelessness in 2015.

Arlington is launching two new initiatives intended to curb homelessness. One is the establishment of a Youth Task Force “to examine the nature and scope of youth homelessness.” The other is a “Risk Reduction Fund” that will allow landlords to loosen their rental eligibility requirements and thus take in formerly homeless tenants. The fund will reimburse landlords for “vacancy and damage costs” associated with such tenants.

The full county press release, after the jump.

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Your Local Restaurant May Be Among the Businesses for Sale in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Screen Shot from BizBuySell.comAs a consumer, you often hear about local businesses opening or closing.

What you hear of less often are the transactions in between — like when a business is sold to a new owner — even though business sales are quite common.

We took a look through the Arlington listings of a major business broker marketplace and sure enough, there are a number of businesses you’ve heard of offered for sale.

Often the business is not named, but there are details that provide clues as to which business it may be. (Worth noting: because of the nature of an online platform like this, we can’t be 100 percent sure that all listings are up to date.)

Here are just some of the businesses that are currently listed on the site. We are only naming the business if a name or website is provided in the listing.

  1. Il Forno restaurant in Ballston. “Reason for selling: investor owned. Needs operator-owner.” Listed for $400,000.
  2. A “profitable frozen yogurt biz” in Rosslyn, located near Ben’s Chili Bowl. Listed for $145,000.
  3. A “Tex / Mexican restaurant” that “has been established for nearly 10 years” and is located in a “stand alone building with 20 parking space[s].” Listed for $299,000.
  4. A “profitable, clean, new pizza shop” located in a “small strip center on high traffic roadway.” Listed for $150,000.
  5. A “grill & diner in busy restaurant district. Gross annual income of $1.4 million. Paying $16,000 per month in rent for 2,900 square feet. Listed for $350,000.
  6. A “leading national smoothie/fresh juices franchise” in a “great location.” Listed for $149,000.
  7. The Auntie Anne’s store in the Crystal City Shops. “Possible to add coffee & franchise ice cream.” Listed for $130,000.
  8. A restaurant in Clarendon that’s located “on a main road with outside seating.” Listed for $199,000.
  9. An “absentee owned branded gas station” that’s “very profitable” with $214,000 in annual cash flow. Listed for $550,000.
  10. A “high end salon and spa” in a “busy urban-mall type setting with restaurants, shops and movie theater.” Listed for $699,000.
  11. The Fast-Fix Jewelry & Watch Repair store in the Pentagon City mall. “A very experienced staff, a built-in salary for the owner and an annual six-figure profit.” Listed for $715,000.
  12. A “currently operating restaurant with large format bar, 8000 s.f. of interior restaurant space, grand commercial kitchen, significant outdoor patio and modern, sophisticated build out in the heart of Clarendon.” Listed for $295,000.

Local Officials to Participate in ‘Muslim Town Hall Meeting’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Central Library(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) Confronting a wave of national Islamophobia in the wake of high-profile terror attacks, community leaders in Arlington are aiming to tackle bigotry via civic engagement.

A “Muslim Town Hall Meeting” has been organized and is scheduled to take place from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 at Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street).

The town hall, described as a “non-partisan community event,” is being hosted by the groups NOVA Muslim Americans and Veterans Challenge Islamophobia. It will take place in three parts:

  1. “Civic engagement panel discussion”
  2. “Political engagement panel discussion”
  3. “Tackling Islamophobia”

Scheduled speakers at the event include:

  • State Sen. Adam Ebbin
  • Arlington County Board members Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey
  • Arlington School Board member Nancy Van Doren
  • Arlington Police Chief Jay Farr
  • Baroness Pola Uddin of the British House of Lords
  • Jim Driscoll of Veterans Challenge Islamophobia
  • Kip Malinosky, Chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee
  • Eric Brescia of the Arlington County Republican Committee
  • Ghizlane Moustaid, Chair of GMU Muslim Association
  • Yasmine Taeb, co-author of “Fear, Inc. 2.0”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cardinal in the spring in Bon Air Park (Flickr pool photo by Airamangel)

GMU to Tweak Name of Scalia Law School — A week ago, after receiving $30 million in donations, George Mason University announced that it was naming its Arlington-based law school the “Antonin Scalia School of Law,” in honor of the late Supreme Court justice. The internet promptly went wild for the school’s would-be acronym: ASS Law or ASSoL. GMU noticed, and is now adjusting the name to the “Antonin Scalia Law School.” [Above the Law]

Porch Fire in High View Park — A small fire broke out yesterday on the porch of a house in the High View Park neighborhood, on the 2300 block of N. Dinwiddie Street, about two blocks from Fire Station No. 8. The fire marshal is investigating the incident. [Twitter]

County Live Streams First Commission Meeting — Arlington County live streamed a Planning Commission meeting for the first time Tuesday night. To re-live those 102 minutes of excitement, you can now view the meeting online, on-demand. [Arlington County]

Clarendon Farmers Market Returns Today — The Clarendon Farmers Market is back for the season today. The farmers market typically takes place next to the Metro station from 3-7 p.m. [Clarendon Alliance]

APS Open to Selling Naming Rights — There’s no indication that anyone has inquired about it, but the naming rights to Arlington’s high school football stadiums, gyms and theaters could be for sale for the right price. Arlington Public Schools says it would consider naming facilities after large donors. [InsideNova]

Rosslyn Startup Gets Big Investment — Rosslyn-based LiveSafe has received a $5.25 million investment from FedEx founder Fred Smith. LiveSafe describes itself as an “enterprise-class mobile safety communications platform.” [Commercial Appeal, PE Hub]

Flickr pool photo by Airamangel

Just Reduced Properties in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Just Reduced banner

Each week, “Just Reduced” spotlights properties in Arlington County whose price have been cut over the previous week. The market summary is crafted by licensed broker Aaron Seekford of Arlington Realty, Inc. GET MORE out of your real estate investment with Aaron and his team by visiting www.MrArlington.com or calling 703-836-6116 today!

Please note: While Aaron Seekford provides this information for the community, he is not the listing agent of these homes.

A lot of industries boil down to a handful of key stats and facts. The real estate biz is no exception. For the purpose of today’s column, we’ll be zooming in to one number that has a great impact on the info we’re providing this week (and any other week, for that matter).

Today’s number is 68. That’s the number of new real estate listings available in Arlington County over the course of the past week. That’s a lot of listings… and if you’re a homeowner with a listing that has been floating out there for weeks, months, or maybe even a year, that’s a lot of added pressure.

An influx of listings is just one of the many reasons why homeowners reduce the price of their properties. And, those reductions lead to great opportunities for homebuyers.

This week, as of April 3, there are 210 detached homes, 50 townhouses and 297 apartments for sale throughout Arlington County. In total, 43 homes experienced a price reduction in the past week.

Here is this week’s selection of Just Reduced properties:

Please note that this is solely a selection of Just Reduced properties available in Arlington County. For a complete list of properties within your target budget and specifications, contact Aaron Seekford.

Arlington Under Freeze Warning Tonight

By ARLnow.com

The threat of sub-freezing weather tonight has not subsided, so make sure to cover up or bring inside any sensitive plants.

From the National Weather Service:

… FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY…

* TEMPERATURES… LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT FROM THE MID 20S TO THE LOW 30S.
* IMPACTS… UNPROTECTED VEGETATION SENSITIVE TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL BE KILLED OR DAMAGED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL SENSITIVE CROPS AND OTHER VEGETATION.

Arlington Is Seeking Its First Poet Laureate

By ARLnow.com

Logo via Arlington CountyD.C. has one. So does Prince William County, Va. and Takoma Park, Md.

To date, perhaps surprisingly, Arlington has not had one. But that’s about to change.

Arlington County is seeking applicants from individuals seeking to become the county’s first-ever poet laureate. The position only pays $1,500 per year — partially from donated funds — but it does come with the lofty title. The poet laureate’s two year term is set to begin July 1.

“The poet selected Arlington’s inaugural laureate will be an advocate for the literary arts, create works of special civic significance, hold public readings, officiate at special events, carry out community engagement programs and help judge Arlington’s annual Moving Words Poetry competition,” the county’s Cultural Affairs division said in a press release.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and must reside in Arlington. Information on how to apply — the deadline is May 12 — is available on the Arlington Arts website.

The full county press release, after the jump.

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Arlington Agenda: April 4-10

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday

Crystal City FRESHFARM MarketOpening of FRESHFARM Crystal City Farmers Market*
1823-1965 Crystal Drive
Time: 3-7 p.m.

The popular Crystal City farmers market returns to weekly operations along Crystal Drive between 18th and 20th Streets. Stop by early and pick up a free banner bag from the market’s information table.

Wednesday

Thrive-YP-Networking-HH-Poster-2016-04-06Young Professional Networking Happy Hour*
Sehkraft Brewing (925 N. Garfield Street)
Time: 5:30-8 p.m.

Arlington Thrive’s Young Professionals Group is hosting a Networking Happy Hour. Enjoy food and drink specials, a raffle and learn about ways to help our neighbors in need.

Taste of KentuckyTaste of Kentucky Whiskey Tasting
Marble & Rye (2501 Columbia Pike)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

Whiskey tasting featuring Bernheim, Elijah Craig 12 year, Evan Williams Single Barrel and Larceny. Brand ambassadors will be on site with swag, pouring flights and answering any of your questions about Kentucky whiskey. $25 per person.

Friday

GMU Toast to December 2013 GradsGMU New Zealand Wine Tasting & Policy Event
George Mason University Founders Hall (3351 Fairfax Drive)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The community is invited to this 5th annual policy discussion and wine tasting event. The Honorable Tim Groser, New Zealand’s Ambassador to the United States, will discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other issues.

2014 Tom Arnold Headshot by Gremly MediaLive Comedy: Tom Arnold
Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Actor, writer and comedian Tom Arnold brings his standup comedy act to the Pike. Arnold has four scheduled performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are available online for $25.

Saturday

Bishop O'Connell High School (Photo via Facebook)5K and Kids’ Fun Run*
Bishop O’Connell High School (6600 Little Falls Road)
Time: 9 a.m.-Noon

Join the DJO community for the inaugural O’Connell 5K and Kids’ Fun Run. Run or walk our Arlington-friendly course and stick around for a fun block party type atmosphere on the campus afterwards.

12593655_1222047001143345_9143569338174610233_oGet Fierce About Your Finances Expo 2016*
Westin Crystal City (1800 Jefferson Davis Highway)
Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Get Fierce About Your Finances Expo will bring financial experts together under one roof. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss your financial concerns one-on-one with industry experts in a comfortable environment.

Sunday

Sig Sauer handgun (photo via Sig Sauer)Documentary Screening: Making a Killing – Guns, Greed and the NRA*
Lyon Park Community Center (414 N. Fillmore Street)
Time: 6:30-9:30 p.m.

This film explores how guns, and the billions of dollars made off them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country affected by gun violence. RSVP to [email protected].

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

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