Memorial Bridge mid-winter (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

Ballston Company Raises $100 Million — Ballston-based Snagajob has announced a $100 million funding round. The company is planning to hire at least 150 new employees for its Arlington and Richmond offices and make some significant acquisitions. [Tech.co]

Democratic Challenger Launches Campaign — Small business owner and Planning Commission member Erik Gutshall formally launched his campaign to unseat Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. Gutshall’s primary pitch to Democrats is “responsive, progressive leadership that you can trust.” Garvey upset many Democratic voters by endorsing independent Board member John Vihstadt and campaigning (successfully) to kill the Columbia Pike streetcar project. [InsideNova]

Bikeshare By the Numbers — Critics of Capital Bikeshare are pointing to some system stats to suggest that it’s inefficient and serves a narrow segment of the population, though the reality is a bit more gray. Capital Bikeshare lost 30 cents on the dollar — rider revenue covers 70 percent of operating costs. But that’s not too shabby compared to other transit systems. In terms of operating costs per passenger-mile, Bikeshare is between Metrorail and Metrobus. Critics also point out that 84 percent of Bikeshare members are white while the District’s population is only 44 percent white (and Arlington’s population is 64 percent white). [Daily Signal]

DESIGNArlington Winners Revealed — The 11 winners of the annual DESIGNArlington awards for architectural and landscape projects have been announced. Among the projects receiving a “Merit Award” is the somewhat controversial sewage plant fence art project entitled “Ripple.” [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman


National Weather Service fog advisoryArlington County and much of the D.C. area is under a dense fog advisory through 7:00 a.m. Thursday.

From the National Weather Service:

… DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THURSDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THURSDAY.

* VISIBILITIES… ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. WHERE THE VISIBILITY ROSE EARLY IN THE EVENING… IT IS EXPECTED TO DROP AGAIN DURING THE LATE EVENING.

* IMPACTS… AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CAUSE SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AND RAPIDLY CHANGING TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING… SLOW DOWN… USE YOUR LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS… AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.


Arlington Forest Fox (Flickr pool photo)Arlington County animal control is seeking a man and a woman who may have been the victim of a rampaging fox.

According to an unnamed witness, a fox apparently attacked a couple pushing a stroller on N. Glebe Road in the Chain Bridge Forest neighborhood, near the northern tip of Arlington.

Animal control officers would like to talk to the victims and are trying to locate the fox.

From an Animal Welfare League of Arlington spokeswoman:

Arlington County Animal Control is seeking information regarding a fox incident that occurred Tuesday, 2/2/16 in the 4400 block of North Glebe Road at approximately 11am.

A witness saw a man and a woman with a stroller who may have been attacked by a fox in the street. The man tried to scare the fox away and may have been bitten. Animal Control has posted flyers in the neighborhood.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact animal control immediately at 703-931-9241. In addition, if you see a fox acting abnormally in this area, please contact us.

A small cluster of fox attacks in the area close to the Arlington/McLean border have occurred. On Monday night two people were attacked by a fox on the Custis Trail at North Nelson Street.

Fairfax County police have also reported that a fox bit and scratched a woman in the 1400 block of Laburnum Street in McLean.

File photo


(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Park Lane Tavern, a new European-inspired restaurant in Clarendon, opened for lunch this afternoon with some Scottish-inspired windy and rainy weather.

But that didn’t dampen the spirits of the restaurant’s four partners, who were all on hand for the opening and enthusiastic about their prospects in Arlington.

Located at 1200 N. Irving Street, tucked away on the ground floor of the Beacon at Clarendon apartment building, Park Lane Tavern is essentially across the street from Northside Social and just down the block from O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub.

Whereas if you were to speak to the owners of O’Sullivan’s you’d hear some authentic Irish brogue, the owners of Park Lane Tavern are all American. What they bring to the business, instead, is extensive restaurant industry experience and a good deal of European travels from which they gained inspiration for their expanding business. Just don’t call Park Lane Tavern a theme restaurant — call it “European inspired.”

“We’re not trying to be a themed business,” said Greg Knox, one of the partners. “Our inspiration for this business is the great pubs and taverns of Europe.”

The comfortable interior of Park Lane Tavern feels a bit more like an upper-middle-class country club than anything you’d find in, say, central London, but it is in fact modeled after an actual hotel bar in Paris, Knox said. He declined to reveal which one.

Continuing the pan-European inspiration, the interior includes typical pub carpeting from Britain and light fixtures from Spain — plus a modest collection of flat-screen TVs tuned to ESPN.

This is the third Park Lane Tavern location, but the closest yet to a major city. The others, which opened in 2009 as “The Pub” before being rebranded in 2012, are in Fredericksburg and Hampton, Va. The partners also own other eateries, from a Brixx pizzeria in Virginia Beach to a seafood restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Park Lane Tavern’s cuisine is described as “approachable comfort food” that’s “chef-y” but not overly presumptuous. Expect some familiar dishes from across the pond — bangers and mash, fish and chips, jagerschnitzel — along with a sizable menu of soups, salads, appetizers, burgers, pizzas and sandwiches that are mostly American with a sprinkling of European influence (think: fried Brie instead of mozzarella sticks.)

Prices are mid-range if not a bit lower for Clarendon: appetizers are in the $9-12 range, while burgers, pizza and sandwiches are in the $11-16 range. Entrees start at $15 and top out at $28.

On the beverage side, there are about two dozen draft beers sorted by country of origin, along with a rotating cask ale. Beer quality is a big focus: draft lines are cleaned weekly and all pint glasses are washed with filtered water before pouring. The restaurant’s “Beverage Bible” also includes a wine list, more than 40 Scotch whiskeys and a big selection of Bourbons and Irish whiskeys.

Imported draft beers range from $7 to $11, while a 3-6 p.m. happy hour brings the price of select draft beers and glasses of wines down to $5.

The Beverage Bible — a spiral-bound notebook of alcohol options — includes a page devoted to a curious creation: the “breakfast shot.” Take a shot of Jameson whiskey and butterscotch schnapps, followed by a shot of orange juice, followed by a piece of bacon, and it apparently tastes like a pancake breakfast. Despite the name, the shot is suitable for evening consumption, Knox assured us.

For those with a sweet tooth, the desserts are made to order. The signature dessert is a Jameson Irish Whiskey bread pudding.

Park Lane Tavern is open seven days a week, starting at 11 a.m. It’s open until midnight Sunday through Wednesday, until 1 a.m. on Thursday and until 2 a.m. on weekends. A Sunday brunch service is expected to begin next month.


Police car (file photo)The Arlington County Police Department plans to tackle drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday with extra cops patrolling for DUI drivers.

Police hope to intercept intoxicated drivers before they injure themselves or others. Typically, alcohol-related crashes spike on the day of the Super Bowl.

So far no DUI checkpoints are in the game plan, said a police spokeswoman, but ACPD is encouraging those who are drinking during the big game to hand off their keys to a responsible, designated driver.

The department issued the following pre-game press release yesterday:

The Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, there will be lots of game day socializing that may include drinking. That’s why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Arlington County Police Department are urging football fans to choose sides now: drinking OR driving. If you plan on drinking on Super Bowl Sunday, designate a sober driver to get you home safely.

NHTSA’s Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign encourages people to make plans ahead of time that will prevent them from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Driving impaired could result in injury or death for you or others on the road.

According to data from NHTSA, in 2012 there were 10,322 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the United States–31 percent of all crash fatalities in the nation. A driver is considered alcohol-impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, the legal limit in all states. This February 7, don’t become a tragic SuperBowl stat.

For those who plan to drink, leave your keys at home. Designate a sober driver, whether it’s a friend, relative, taxi, or public transportation. For those who plan to drive, refrain from any alcohol. Instead, enjoy the game with food and non-alcoholic drinks. Being a sober, designated driver is a key role on Super Bowl Sunday. You might just save a life.

For more Super Bowl weekend safety information, visit http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/SuperBowl.


(Updated at 4 p.m. on 12/23/21) A Centreville, Va. man is facing charges after police say he took an Uber to Clarendon and then proceeded to break into his ex-girlfriend’s home in order to beat up her new boyfriend.

Steve [Redacted], 25, has been charged with Assault and Battery and “Entering a Dwelling at Night with the Intent to Commit Assault and Battery,” according to Arlington County Police.

The incident happened around 2 a.m. this past Saturday, but was not reported to the authorities until the next day, said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Police say [Redacted] took an Uber ride with a friend to the 1200 block of N. Danville Street. He broke into the house, entered his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom and began punching the man in bed with his ex, said Savage.

Both victims fled the house. [Redacted] then allegedly punched a hole in the wall, before leaving the house to search for the victims. Upon finding them, he began repeatedly punching the man again, Savage said.

[Redacted’s] friend, who was waiting in the Uber, saw what was happening and ran over to calm down [Redacted] and break up the fracas, said Savage. The victims again fled, running down the street, and [Redacted] and his friend reportedly got back into the Uber and left the scene. A roommate of the female victim eventually picked her and her boyfriend up and brought them back to the house.

The male victim did not have visible injuries when he reported the crime on Sunday, but did report lumps on his head, according to Savage. [Redacted] was arrested and now faces the two misdemeanor charges. His next court date is scheduled for April 5.


US Postal Service mail truck in the snow 2/21/15Residents from various parts of Arlington are reporting continued mail delivery problems a week and a half after the January blizzard.

Via email and social media, residents of both south and north Arlington have told ARLnow.com that mail delivery has been sporadic since the blizzard, with some only having received one or two deliveries in the past 10 days.

From a Barcroft resident, along Columbia Pike:

Lots and lots of neighborhood complaints about no USPS mail or sporadic USPS mail since January 22nd.  I am having the same issue.  Parcels and letters that should have arrived days or even a week+ ago are nowhere to be found.  Tracking shows obscured messages like “receptacle blocked” when there is no issue with our street our mail receptacle.  Others report the same.

From another Columbia Pike area resident:

The residents of 22204 haven’t had much, if any, mail delivery since the storm. While I can understand a few days lag, we are now almost 2 weeks out without any mail and there are tax documents out there somewhere.

The residents have heard various things, like Merriefield has been backed up and the carriers can’t stay out any later than 3-3:30, but that does nothing to resolve the issue.

We have suffered with poor service from the S. Glebe post office for years and now we apparently can’t get any service.

A U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman apologized for the ongoing issues, but suggested, contrary to residents reports, that “normal operations” had resumed. Said USPS D.C. area spokeswoman Theresa Doherty:

We apologize for the inconvenience customers are experiencing. The Postal Service is working around the clock to make up for the delays caused by the storm. We ask that customers please contact their local Post Office for service updates. The Postmaster will be able to provide customers with information specific to your address location.

Delays were caused by the Postal Service needing to shut down last Saturday due to unsafe conditions, then followed by inaccessible roads and employees’ inability to report to work due metro and road closures. Since then, we have restored normal operations and are delivering throughout the D.C. metro area.

Reports of Arlington mail delivery problems from social media, after the jump.

(more…)


(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) Arlington County firefighters are on the scene of a house fire on the 1300 block of N. Nelson Street, a block from Washington-Lee High School.

The fire department was called around 10:15 a.m. after residents and passersby spotted smoke coming from the home’s attic.

The fire was extinguished quickly and no one was injured. Three people, including one disabled man, escaped from the house during the fire and are expected to be temporarily housed by the Red Cross.

The house has three apartments. Its roof partially buckled during the fire.


Snowy aerial of Rosslyn (Flickr pool photo by Lawrence Cheng Photography)

Wakefield Boys Still Undefeated — The Wakefield High School Boys Varsity basketball team beat Edison yesterday 73-61 to improve to 17-0. The Warriors will face Marshall on the road Friday night. [Warriors Athletics]

Registration Extended for Mardi Gras Parade — Those hoping to participate in the annual Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade have until 5 p.m. today, after the deadline was extended. “After two years of bad weather, our registration numbers are down a bit, so we want to encourage as many groups as possible to participate,” Clarendon Alliance Director Matt Hussmann tells us. “Right now we have 30 entries, but we have room for more.” [Clarendon.org]

General Assembly Considering Proffer Reform — A bill working its way through the Virginia General Assembly would “make it more difficult for local governments to force developers to pay for public infrastructure or change building plans” through the proffer system. Arlington County does not use the proffer system and instead uses site plans and special exceptions to secure community benefits from developers. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Flickr pool photo by Lawrence Cheng Photography


Flooding and rain on 10/15/14Heavy rain, water-laden ground and melting snow are a recipe for potential flooding today.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Arlington and much of the D.C. region from noon today to late tonight.

From NWS:

… FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM NOON EST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS EXPANDED THE

* FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA… INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… ANNE ARUNDEL… CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD… CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY… NORTHWEST HOWARD… NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY AND PRINCE GEORGES. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA… EASTERN LOUDOUN… FAIRFAX… PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK AND WESTERN LOUDOUN.

* FROM NOON EST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT

* THE COMBINATION OF MELTING SNOW AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN COULD RESULT IN FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND STREAMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN ONE HALF AND ONE INCH… WITH ISOLATED SPOTS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES POSSIBLE.

* IN ADDITION… ICE MAY BE ON SOME OF THE SMALL STREAMS WHICH COULD ENHANCE THE FLOODING POTENTIAL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.


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