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El Rancho Peruvian Chicken Has Closed on Columbia Pike

Published February 9, 2016 at 10:00AM

El Rancho Peruvian Chicken, at 3610 Columbia Pike, appears to have closed.

A neighboring business owner told ARLnow.com that the restaurant closed a couple of weeks ago and has not reopened since. Inside the eatery around noon yesterday, the doors were locked and chairs placed on top of the tables.

No explanation was given for the restaurant’s closure and no signs announcing the closure were posted on the windows at the time of ARLnow.com’s visit.

El Rancho has had its share of problems over the years — there were at least two notable fires there since 2012.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 9, 2016 at 9:00AM

Snow Emergency Routes to Be Enforced — For future large snowstorms (not for today’s flurries) Arlington County will begin enforcing towing on snow emergency routes, after more than two decades of non-enforcement. County Board Chair Libby Garvey also said Arlington’s snow clearing effort can use a bit of improvement. “There are clearly some things we need to do better,” she said. [InsideNova]

Substance in Potomac Found to Be Fuel Oil — The oily sheen on the Potomac is fuel oil, tests have determined, ruling out that it’s jet fuel or fuel from a car. The U.S. Coast Guard and Arlington authorities are still trying to find the source of the leak. They spent much of Monday inspecting storm drains in Arlington. [WTOP, Washington Post]

Highline RxR Celebrating First Anniversary — Crystal City after-work watering hole Highline RxR is celebrating its first anniversary starting at 5 p.m today. The celebration will feature live music, food and drink specials and “some weird and rare craft beers on draft.” [Facebook]

Rock Climber Pleads Guilty in Arlington Man’s Death — Thirty-three year-old David DiPaolo of Bristow has pleaded guilty to the gruesome Dec. 28, 2013 killing of 68-year-old Arlington resident Geoffrey Farrar at the Carderock Recreation Area in Montgomery County. An argument in the parking lot led to an altercation while the two men were rock climbing, and during the struggle DiPaolo struck Farrar in the head with a claw hammer multiple times. Farrar died from massive head injuries. DiPaolo pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. [NBC Washington]

Delivery of Yard Waste Carts Begins — Some 33,000 homes in Arlington will receive their new yard waste carts over the next 6-8 weeks. The county’s new yard waste collection program begins March 14. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Arlington Agenda: Feb. 8-14

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 6:55PM

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

Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade and Ball*
Wilson Blvd from N. Barton to N. Irving Street
Time: 7-11 p.m.

When the weather cooperates, the Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade is a fun, free family friendly event with bands, floats, marchers, dogs and horses, and who knows what else. This year’s event will feature a Mardi Gras Ball at Clarendon Ballroom.

New Hampshire Primary Results Watch Party
GMU Founders Hall (3351 Fairfax Drive)
Time: 7-10 p.m.

Come watch coverage of the first-in-the-nation 2016 presidential primary at GMU’s School of Policy, Government and International Affairs. Pizza and drinks will be provided as the results roll in from New Hampshire. RSVP requested.

Wednesday

ARLnow Presents: The County Board Young Bloods*
Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.

ARLnow.com and Mad Rose Tavern present a discussion with the newest County Board members, Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey. Hosted by Sarah Fraser, this discussion will focus on the change Cristol and Dorsey hope to bring to the Board.

Thursday

Sweetgreen Opening in Crystal City*
Sweetgreen (2200 Crystal Drive)
Time: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sweetgreen is opening a new store in Crystal City and is donating 100% of proceeds to support FRESHFARM Matching Dollars. The program helps make fresh foods more affordable to shoppers using SNAP benefits by doubling what they spend.

Arlington Philharmonic’s Exclusive Screening of ‘Maestro’*
Rosslyn Spectrum Theater (1611 N. Kent Street)
Time: 6-10 p.m.

For its 10th anniversary, the Arlington Philharmonic will host an exclusive screening of the new documentary “Maestro” about storied conductor Paavo Jarvi. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with film director and producer David Donnelly.

‘The Girls Who Glow’ Historical Drama*
Yorktown High School (5200 Yorktown Blvd)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Free performance and “talkback” about little known historical injustice: the “Radium Girls,” teenage factory workers in the 1920s who were slowly poisoned while painting glow-in-the-dark watches with toxic radium.

Sunday

Valentine’s Day Comedy and ‘The Princess Bride’ Movie Night
Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 12:30, 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.

Live comedy featuring Drafthouse favorite Randolph Terrance, followed by a screening of one of the best movies ever made, “The Princess Bride.” The 12:30 p.m. showing is a family-friendly event with a live magic show. Only $10 — inconceivable!

“Cucina Italiana” Valentine’s Day Dinner*
Osteria da Nino (2900 S. Quincy Street)
Time: 4-9:45 p.m.

Owner Antonio Pino invites couples to enjoy a cozy, three-course prix fixe dinner at Osteria da Nino in Shirlington for Valentine’s Day. Includes a complimentary bottle of Prosecco, red roses and romantic live music.

Love Stinks, the Anti-Valentine’s Day Party
Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8 p.m.-Closing

Hate Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone. Celebrate this Hallmark-created “holiday” on the dancefloor with DJs Little Fos and INov8 while imbibing $5 specialty cocktails and meeting like-minded singles.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

#Arlington Agenda

Kenmore Street Closed in Nauck Due to Flipped Convertible

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 4:35PM

Part of S. Kenmore Street is temporarily closed to traffic due to a flipped vehicle.

The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. near the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Initial reports suggest a driver in a blue Ford Mustang convertible lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a parked pickup truck.

The convertible flipped on its roof in the middle of the street. The man who was driving was reported to be bleeding from his forehead and was transported to a local hospital.

It’s unclear how exactly the crash happened. The parked pickup truck wound up perpendicular to the street, with its drive shaft partially detached and resting on the ground. The owners of the truck, apparently nearby residents, came out with a wheelbarrow to remove items from the pickup’s bed.

Arlington County Police are investigating the crash and documenting the scene before the car is towed away. Kenmore Street is closed between 19th and 22nd streets.

What Would You Like Us to Ask Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey on Wednesday?

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 3:45PM

ARLnow.com will be hosting a discussion in Clarendon with new Arlington County Board members Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey on Wednesday, and we’d want to know what you’d like to ask them.

The event will be taking place at Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) from 6:30-8 p.m. on Feb 10 — rain or shine. Tickets are available via Eventbrite and are good for a drink during the event. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Our discussion will be focused on Cristol and Dorsey’s goals as Board members, with a special focus on how they and the Board can better engage with Arlington’s sizable millennial and minority populations.

There will be time for audience questions during the event, but we’re hoping to pick a few of your questions to ask ourselves.

Let us know what you’d like us to ask about in the comments. We’ll pick the top three serious question suggestions that get the most up-votes for inclusion in our question list.

Also, if you use your real email address when making the comment (or when registering your Disqus user name), and your question is one of the top three selected, we’ll email you two free tickets to the event.

The event, ARLnow Presents: The County Board Young Bloods, will be hosted by local media personality Sarah Fraser.

https://twitter.com/heyfrase/status/696794453957308420

Winter Weather Advisory: Expect 1-3 Inches of Snow Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 2:10PM | Updated February 8, 2016 at 3:23PM

Update at 3:20 p.m. — WMATA says Metrobuses will operate on a Moderate Snow Plan on Tuesday.

It’s an uncertain forecast in part due to above-freezing temperatures today, but forecasters say D.C. area residents should expect 1-3 inches of snow between late tonight and Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, warning of the potential for snow accumulation disrupting driving tomorrow, particularly during the morning commute.

We all know what a measly inch of snow did during the nightmare evening commute a couple of weeks ago — though road crews are likely to be more prepared this time around.

The Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade, meanwhile, is once again being threatened by winter weather. On the parade’s website, organizers say they “will be making a weather announcement here mid-day on Tuesday, Feb. 9, about the parade,” which is scheduled for Tuesday night.

From the NWS:

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST TUESDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST TUESDAY NIGHT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS… SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 3 INCHES… WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTHWEST SUBURBS.

* TIMING… A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL TURN TO ALL SNOW AROUND OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY AND THE ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED.

* IMPACTS… SNOW COVERED ROADS AND TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS.

* WINDS… NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES… IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

VDOT, meanwhile, says drives should be prepared for the possibility of a messy commute Tuesday. From a press release:

The Virginia Department of Transportation asks drivers to plan now for their commutes Tuesday, as several inches of snow are forecast to impact both the morning and evening rush hours in northern Virginia. Drivers are asked to monitor forecasts for changes or heavier weather bands that may impact their schedule, and to plan accordingly to telework, delay commutes or allow extra time for a slow and cautious trip.

Crews have treated interstates and major roads in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties with brine and liquid magnesium chloride in advance of the snow. Tonight, about 1,450 trucks will pre-deploy along interstates, main roads and neighborhood streets. They will remain on duty to plow and treat roads through the day Tuesday.

VDOT reminds drivers to use extreme caution during winter weather, to reduce speeds, and to be aware of potential slick spots such as bridges, ramps, hills, curves and shaded areas.

Reminders for drivers and residents:

If possible, park in driveways or on the odd-numbered side of the street to allow plows room to pass.

If you must be on the road, check www.511virginia.org or use the mobile app before leaving for road conditions.

Follow @vadotnova on Twitter.

VDOT’s Northern Virginia District includes Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties (Arlington maintains its own secondary roads).

FiOS Service Coming to Fairlington As County Continues Comcast Negotiation

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 1:30PM | Updated February 8, 2016 at 1:56PM

Fairlington will soon get Verizon FiOS TV and internet service.

Fairlington is the last neighborhood in Arlington to be wired for FiOS, according to Rob Billingsley, Arlington County’s Cable Administrator.

Under an agreement with Verizon enacted in June 2006, the company agreed to complete a county-wide implementation of FiOS service within 10 years. The initial service build-out took place mostly in north Arlington, before Verizon’s fiber optic lines were brought to other parts of the county during a second phase of the project.

The final phase, in Fairlington, is expected to wrap up this summer, Billingsley said.

One unanswered question — which is one of the subjects of a scheduled Feb. 10 Fairlington community meeting — is how Verizon will get service from the fiber optic lines that run along the street to the thousands of condo units that make up the World War II-era neighborhood.

It’s a straightforward process for single family homes, for which the home owner also owns the surrounding lot. In historic Fairlington, however, various condominium associations own the land and control changes to the property.

Verizon will need to strike agreements with each condo association to outline how it will get service from the street to each unit. It’s theoretically possible that FiOS could fulfill its contractual obligations to the county by laying the fiber lines without actually providing any residents with service, Billingsley noted.

While FiOS is widely available to homes in the county, many apartment buildings and condo complexes still lack the infrastructure to support FiOS service.

(more…)

Dem Challenger Calls for Stepped-Up Lee Highway Planning Process

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 11:30AM

Democratic County Board candidate Erik Gutshall would like to see further progress on the planning process for the future of the Lee Highway corridor.

Gutshall, a small business owner who serves on the Arlington Planning Commission, warned in a statement (below) that Lee Highway could experience “crazy-quilt development” if not for “a thoughtful, community-led planning process.” He called on the County Board to prioritize long-range planning for Lee Highway this year.

Gutshall is challenging County Board Chair Libby Garvey in the June 14 Democratic primary.

Erik Gutshall called today for the Arlington County Board to make development of a long-range plan for Lee Highway a priority for the County Manager for the coming year.

Gutshall, who is challenging the incumbent Board Chair in the Democratic Primary, congratulated the Lee Highway Alliance, a collaborative effort of all neighborhood civic associations abutting Lee Highway from Arlington’s North Highlands community along the Potomac River to the Falls Church line, noting, “…the Lee Highway community has shown uncommon leadership in developing a vision for the future of Lee Highway.”

Gutshall called on the County Board to appoint a citizen-led task force quickly to undertake the development of a Lee Highway Plan, provide the task force with significant staff support and outside expert resources, and develop a scope of work that allows the task force to think big about the Lee Highway of the future. “Lee Highway,” Gutshall said, “is the last major unplanned commercial corridor in Arlington. Similar plans for the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor have been a central reason for that area’s great success.”

Gutshall, as a task force member, was engaged in the development of today’s plan for Clarendon. “Without a plan,” he said, “we can expect crazy-quilt development along Lee Highway; changes that aren’t the result of a thoughtful, community-led planning process are much less likely to meet Arlingtonians’ needs and are likely to detract from, rather than add value to, surrounding neighborhoods.”

Gutshall noted that long-range plans are extraordinarily valuable to the community and have underpinned much of Arlington’s standout prosperity. These plans are a concrete expression of the community’s hopes for the future and provide property owners with the policy guidance needed to encourage thoughtful, responsible and responsive development. “Unfortunately,” Gutshall said, “County Board leadership looks at the County’s long-term plans as merely advisory, something that can be easily dismissed. In my view, these plans are a compact between our elected representatives, developers and the community and embody the collective vision for the neighborhoods where we live, work, learn, and play.”

Internet Mistakes Vietnamese Arlington Resident for Mother Teresa

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 10:30AM

The internet has inexplicably confused Mother Teresa with a Vietnamese resident of Arlington.

A viral image that has been making its way around the web since January, mostly via email, purports to be a photo of the late Catholic missionary at age 18.

In actuality, it is an old photo of a local resident named Tran Anh Phuong, who died in 2008.

Prolific online rumor killer Snopes could only find a tangential connection between the two women: an obituary of Phuong that included a quote from Mother Teresa, who died in 1997.

“God’s Gift to you is the Gift of Life. What you do with your Life is your Gift to God.” — Mother Teresa.

Our beloved Mother, Tran Anh Phuong, passed away on April 20, 2008 after a long illness. She was the eldest child of Reverend Te Ngoc Tran and Mrs. Tot Thi Nguyen. She resided in Arlington, VA for the past 33 years.

Our Mother attended Southeast Asia Union College in Singapore, majoring in English. From 1968-1972, while raising a young family, she served as a Vietnamese instructor at Ft. Bliss, TX preparing military officers to serve in Viet Nam. After a 19 year career as Executive Assistant for the Commission on Engineering and Technical System at the National Academy of Sciences, she retired in 1992.

ICYMI: ‘Trump Vs. Bernie’ Debate Coming to Arlington Drafthouse

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 10:00AM | Updated February 8, 2016 at 10:28AM

A mock Donald Trump vs. Bernie Sanders “comedy debate” will take place at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) next week.

“Trump vs. Bernie: The Debate Tour 2016” is scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, Feb. 18-20. Tickets are $20.

The show stars comedians Anthony Atamanuik as Trump and James Adomian as Sanders.

“It’s Republican Billionaire vs. Democratic Socialist fighting over the issues before the 2016 presidential election,” trumpets the Drafthouse website. Arlington is the second to last stop for the “unsanctioned debate” on a multi-city tour.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 8, 2016 at 9:00AM

Authorities Still Investigating Oil Sheen on Potomac — In an effort to find the source of an oily sheen on the Potomac River near the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, the Coast Guard, state authorities and the Arlington County Dept. of Environmental Services will be conducting a “dye test.” Non-toxic dye may be seen in the river today. At least 23 birds were were sent to a wildlife rescue organization for cleaning as a result of contact with the oil. [U.S. Coast Guard, Facebook, WJLA]

Two Displaced By Fire Near Clarendon — A structure fire Friday night on the 1200 block of N. Kirkwood Road, near Clarendon, has left two residents displaced. No one was injured in the blaze. The residents are being assisted by the Red Cross. [Twitter, Twitter]

Nauck History Project Seeks Contributions — As part of Black History Month, Arlington County is encouraging residents of the Nauck neighborhood to donate images and stories to the Nauck/Green Valley Heritage Project. The project has an online archive dedicated to preserving the community’s rich history. [Arlington County]

Arlington Makes AARP ‘Healthy’ List — Arlington County is among the top “medium population cities” for those ages 50+ to stay active and healthy, according to new rankings. [AARP]

Clement: Support Governor’s I-66 Plan — Frequent local candidate for elected office Audrey Clement is encouraging Arlingtonians to support the McAuliffe administration’s plan for tolling I-66 inside the Beltway. That plan, which calls for widening I-66 only as a last resort, is preferable to the call from outside the Beltway lawmakers to widen I-66 as soon as possible, Clement says. [Campaign for a Greener Arlington]

Arlington Woman Has Purse With $10K Cash Stolen — Police are looking for a suspect seen stealing a purse with $10,000 cash inside from a Fairfax County Dunkin’ Donuts. The purse was accidentally left behind by an Arlington mother who had saved for years to pay her 18-year-old daughter’s tuition at Penn State. [NBC Washington]

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick