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.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) A reported large teen party at a vacant house in Bluemont was broken up by police this past weekend.
Police were called to the 700 block of N. Abingdon Street, just west of Ballston, around 8:30 p.m. Friday. A caller reported a group of “50 to 100” teens running around outside, drinking, climbing on the roof of the house, blocking the street, and breaking things on an adjacent property.
“Upon arrival of officers, approximately 25 juveniles dispersed from in front of the home and no one was located inside,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The investigation determined the juvenile suspects made entry into the vacant residence, resulting in property damage. The investigation is ongoing.”
Scanner traffic at the time suggested that arriving officers saw teens drinking in the back of a car and a possible fight about to break out — but everyone scattered upon seeing the police vehicles. No one was found inside the house during a police search, an ACPD spokeswoman said.
Dashcam video shared anonymously with ARLnow, below, shows the party in progress.
A tipster told ARLnow that this fits “a pattern” of Washington-Liberty High School students of a certain grade level “having large parties.” The police spokeswoman this was the first such incident at this property this year, but was unable to say whether similar incidents have happened at other vacant houses.
Everything bagels (Photo by Ryan DaRin on Unsplash)
Yes, it was part of a big chain, and yes, it might not top many “best of” lists, but the closing of Bruegger’s Bagels in Ballston last month took another Arlington establishment that made bagels fresh and in-house off the board.
One within walking distance of the ARLnow offices, at that.
The closure also got us thinking: which local spot has the best bagels?
Clearly bagel loyalties run deep, and with hot competition now just over the Arlington border — the Call Your Mother trailer at the Chesterbrook Shopping Center in McLean had a large line on Mother’s Day this past weekend — it’s time to do a heat check on Arlington’s local spots.
Which of the following places has your undying bagel love? Feel free to let us know in the comments if we’ve missed an option.
Raindrops on flowers in Virginia Square (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Current Prosecutors Back Boss — “In the heated Democratic primary contest for commonwealth’s attorney for Arlington and Falls Church, former prosecutor Josh Katcher has accused incumbent Parisa Dehghani-Tafti of mismanaging the office, leading to the departure of many attorneys and creating an environment where the office is falling short of implementing her criminal justice reform agenda. But top prosecutors who work in Dehghani-Tafti’s office contend she has assembled a strong group of attorneys who are turning Arlington into a model for what reform prosecution should look like.” [Patch]
Pickleball Meeting Next Week — “Next stop in the contentious battle over pickleball facilities in Arlington? A community meeting set for May 23. The event, to start at 7 p.m., will be held at ground zero of the pickleball wars: Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th St. South).” [Gazette Leader]
Crash Leads to Wounding Charge — “The victims were inside their vehicle and stopped at a red light when the suspect pulled alongside them and attempted to engage them in conversation. When the light changed, the victims accelerated and the suspect allegedly struck their vehicle with his before fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported. During the course of the investigation, officers identified the suspect, located him and took him into custody. [The suspect], 65, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding.” [ACPD]
School Board Mulls Scheduling Plan — “In what could be the most contentious issue, Durán plans to maintain a significant number of days to accommodate a wider array of religious holidays. While some have praised the effort, others – including teachers – have been critical, saying the extra days off dotted throughout the school year make it more difficult to gain the kind of academic traction that require five-day weeks.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — A chance of showers, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Tonight: Showers likely, mainly before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. West wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. [Weather.gov]
Two sisters, ages 16 and 13, are missing and police are asking for the public’s help in locating them.
The sisters were last seen near the intersection of 23rd Street S. and Route 1 in Crystal City, according to the Arlington County Police Department, which put their names and photos out on social media (below).
No other details about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance were made available.
ACPD first posted about the missing sisters early Sunday afternoon. They were still reported as missing as of 4 p.m. Monday, a police spokeswoman tells ARLnow.
Update on 5/18/23 — The sisters have been found, ACPD said. Scanner traffic suggests that they were spotted in the Ballston area.
Following a three-day caucus process, Turner has captured the Democratic endorsement for Arlington School Board, with 1,004 votes to 332 for Angelo Cocchiaro. Turner will face at least one independent candidate in the November general election: James “Vell” Rives, who is also running for the second time.
Cocchiaro appeared to be considering dropping out of the race in April, but ultimately stayed in and picked up some key endorsements, including from outgoing School Board Chair Reid Goldstein. Cocchiaro’s promise to be “a prizefighter for our teachers and school staff” also helped to win him the endorsement of the political action committee of the local teachers union.
Following the release of the caucus results, the 22-year-old youth organizer said in a statement that “Arlington Democrats have made their voices heard, and I am proud to give my full-throated and unequivocal endorsement to Miranda Turner.”
“It is critical that Arlingtonians elect a candidate this November who will uphold, defend, and advance the progress achieved by this School Board, and who will advocate for every student,” he continued. “Miranda Turner is that candidate.”
Turner notably advocated for a swifter return to in-person school at Arlington Public Schools in the fall of 2020, at a time when concerns about the health impacts of such a move were heightened. Her campaign this year has focused on classroom instruction and support for teachers and students.
“The need for high-quality instruction, appropriate intervention, and the use of data to support our students is more urgent than ever,” her website says. “If elected, I will ensure a laser focus on instruction and providing an excellent education for all students.”
Turner is a Brown- and UVA-educated attorney, focused on insurance litigation, and a partner at a prominent D.C. law firm. On her website, she highlights her pro bono work and representation of Planned Parenthood.
Turner’s website notes, additionally, that she has been an APS parent since 2015 and has been active in her elementary school’s PTA and in the Green Valley Civic Association.
More on the caucus results, below, from an Arlington County Democratic Committee press release.
A warm afternoon in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Housing and Food Need Still High — “Nonprofits ‘are seeing really dire things,’ said Anne Vor der Bruegge, director of grants initiatives at the Arlington Community Foundation… ‘To Arlington’s credit, the county has put as much as it can find into rent relief, but it’s still a serious situation.’ With the fiscal 2024 budget providing $4.6 million for eviction prevention, Vor der Bruegge said ‘Arlington is the only local jurisdiction that stepped up significantly to help renters still in arrears.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
Board Approves Bridge Location — “The Arlington County Board in Virginia has approved a location and a preliminary budget for the pedestrian bridge coming to Crystal City… The bridge will connect the area to Reagan National Airport, making the downtown area only a short walk away to hop on a flight.” [WTOP, WJLA]
YHS Players to Play College Football — “The success the Yorktown Patriots enjoyed during the fall high-school football season helped multiple players earn the opportunity to join different college teams this coming fall… The six players headed to different schools include two-year Yorktown starting quarterback James Yoest. He will play at Stetson University in Florida.” [Gazette Leader]
NAACP Wants Arlington House Change — “The Arlington branch of the NAACP… on May 10 asked their supporters to sign a Change.org petition calling on Congress to remove the general’s name from the National Park Service site officially known the past half-century as ‘Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial.’ Supporters hoped to reach the 2,500-signature mark in order to draw more attention to the effort.” [Gazette Leader]
Vehicle Tamperers Arrested — “Upon arrival, an officer observed two male suspects allegedly rummaging through the inside of a vehicle. The officer gave the suspects commands to stop, which they refused to comply with and attempted to flee the scene on foot. The officer initiated a foot pursuit and the suspects were taken into custody with the assistance of additional officers. During the course of the investigation, officers located two additional victim vehicles which had been rummaged through.” [ACPD]
Group of Helicopters Flying Overhead — “Second day in a row for a group of choppers circulating part of Arlington. Not sure why exactly but there are Vietnam War commemorative events happening on the Mall this weekend.” [Twitter, Twitter]
Student Charged with Rape in F.C. — “On Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 4 p.m., City of Falls Church Police arrested a juvenile in connection with two sexual assault cases. Following a two-month investigation into the report of a serious incident occurring outside school hours on the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) Secondary Campus, charges were filed on Thursday, May 11, 2023, against a juvenile for aggravated sexual assault and rape.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s Monday — Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 75. North wind around 6 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
Cloudy. Mild. High of 74 and low of 59. Sunrise at 5:57 am and sunset at 8:11 pm. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Meet Tego, the most gentle and shy guy you’ll ever come across! This little guy is a 2-year-old mixed breed who is looking for his forever home. Tego did come in with Ivy as well and can go home together, but are not a bonded pair.
Tego is a ball of energy and loves to play fetch, go on long walks, and cuddle up with his favorite humans. He is great with other dogs, and he loves to slowly make friends. Tego is also very smart and already knows a few commands when you have yummy treats to offer.
Despite his love for playtime, Tego also knows how to relax and enjoy time outdoors. He has a sweet and gentle nature that will melt your heart, and he is always up for a good outdoor session
Has Tego found his forever home with you? Read his entire profile to learn more and how to arrange a virtual meet up!
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos — they don’t fit in our photo gallery!
Alexandria City High School Principal Peter Balas in 2022 (staff photo by James Cullum)
Arlington Public Schools has hired a well-liked high school principal from Alexandria.
APS announced four new principal appointments last night, after their approval by the Arlington School Board. Among them: Alexandria City High School (ACHS) Principal Peter Balas, who will take over as principal of Wakefield High School in the fall.
Balas, who has been with Alexandria City Public Schools for 22 years, took over at then-T.C. Williams High School in 2017. Since then, Balas has navigated the school through Covid, a consequential decision to stick with one large high school for the city, the school’s renaming and issues around violence in and outside of the school.
ACHS saw frequent leadership turnover in the years before Balas took charge and, despite continued turnover at the leadership level in the years that followed, Balas has been a stabilizing force for the school.
“To watch these students grow over time is more rewarding than I ever anticipated,” Balas wrote in announcing his decision to take the Wakefield position. “And, seeing all of my elementary school students now at the high school has given me one of the most unique and special opportunities of my career. My time in ACPS has made me a better teacher, leader and person.”
Balas said he won’t leave until June and will see the school year through until graduation.
Also last night, APS announced a trio of elementary and middle school principal appointments, including Long Branch Elementary Assistant Principal Carolyn Jackson becoming principal of Gunston Middle School.
New Gunston Middle School Principal Carolyn Jackson (photo courtesy APS)
At its May 11 meeting, the Arlington School Board appointed Carolyn Jackson as Principal of Gunston Middle School. She currently serves as the Assistant Principal of Long Branch Elementary School.
Jackson earned a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina A & T State University, a master’s from George Washington University and George Mason University and is currently working on a Doctor of Education from William and Mary.
Jackson has been an educator serving Arlington Public Schools in a variety of roles for 23 years. Throughout her career, she has served in different capacities at Gunston Middle School, including teacher, activities director, Director of Counseling Services and Assistant Principal. Jackson also served as a counselor at Claremont Immersion School, Assistant Principal at Nottingham Elementary School and a Supervisor in the Office of Equity and Excellence.
Rounding out the appointments are new Hoffman-Boston Elementary Principal Helena Payne Chauvenet and new Carlin Springs Elementary Principal Carmen De La Cruz Scales. Payne Chauvenet is another external hire — she is currently principal of Maury Elementary School in D.C. — while De La Cruz Scales is an assistant principal at Arlington’s Washington-Liberty High School.
The hiring of Balas, meanwhile, is reverberating around Arlington’s southern neighbor, with many on social media lamenting a titanic loss at a time of transition for Alexandria’s school system.
Wow. Mr. Balas is truly a phenomenal principal. Wakefield is lucky to have him!
— Yahney-Marie Sangaré (@yahneymarie) May 12, 2023
