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.
Six restaurants inside the Fashion Center at Pentagon City mall have been closed due to a sewage backup.
Citing an “imminent health hazard,” the county’s health department has closed the following: Maki of Japan, McDonald’s, Popeyes, Panera Bread, Great Wraps and Which Wich.
“Public Health is aware of the situation and will work with the establishments to help get them up and running when it is safe to do so,” said Arlington County Dept. of Human Services spokesman Kurt Larrick.
Several other restaurants in the mall’s food court were unaffected by the sewage issue and remain open.
A new Virginia Dept. of Motor Vehicles office is coming to Arlington Orange Line corridor.
The office will be located at 3434 Washington Blvd, behind George Mason University’s Arlington campus and a few blocks from Clarendon. It’s expected to open in April, said Virginia DMV spokeswoman Brandy Brubaker.
News of the new DMV follows news that Arlington’s current DMV, on S. Four Mile Run Drive, will close this spring and move to the Barcroft Plaza shopping center in Fairfax County. That announcement has stirred up some local controversy and prompted lawmakers from both Arlington and Fairfax County to schedule public meetings.
The new Virginia Square DMV will be 6,000 square feet — about half the size of the Four Mile Run office and the future Barcroft Plaza office. It will offer all DMV services with the exception of road tests, Brubaker said. Public parking will be available.
“What we like best about this site is that it is located in a large population center and is about a block and a half from the Virginia Square-GMU Metro station, which will make it convenient for folks who work or live in the area or who use the Metro for travel,” said Brubaker.
Unlike Virginia Square, the new Barcroft Plaza office will offer road tests, according to Brubaker. She noted that “test routes will not travel through residential neighborhoods.”
Yogi Castle has not responded to a request for comment but the Pentagon Row store has been removed from the regional chain’s website. No word yet from landlord Federal Realty Investment Trust as to future plans for the storefront.
Froyo first came to Pentagon Row with the opening of Yogiberry in 2012. A year later, Yogiberry closed and Yogi Castle opened steps away.
APS Sweeps Top 16 of Best Elementary School List — The top sixteen schools on a new list of the best public elementary schools in Virginia are all Arlington public schools. Moreover, 19 of the top 20 are Arlington schools. [Niche]
Deal on Historic Designation for Stratford Nears — The Arlington County Board, School Board and NAACP appear close to striking a deal for the historic preservation of the Stratford building, the current home of H-B Woodlawn and a future middle school. Stratford was one of the was the first public school in Virginia to integrate, in 1959. Meanwhile, the Arlington Civic Federation is debating whether the middle school should retain the “Stratford” name, which pays tribute to the plantation where Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was born. [InsideNova]
Group Reaches Cemetery Wreath Goal — The group that places wreaths on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery around the holidays has met its fundraising goal thanks to last-minute donations. Just a few days ago Wreaths Across America was 30,000 wreaths short of its goal of placing wreaths on each of the cemetery’s 230,000 headstones. [WTOP]
Garvey Back in Black at ACDC — Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey has formally been welcomed back into the good graces of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, more than a year after she endorsed Republican-turned-Independent John Vihstadt in his successful bid for County Board. Garvey is up for reelection next year and there are rumors that she will face a Democratic primary challenge. [InsideNova]
The following letter to the editor was submitted by Jane, an Arlington resident who works in Cherrydale.
It is in response to our article on the opening of a pop-up vintage gift shop in the Cherrydale storefront that was once slated to become a gun store.
My coworkers and myself are very disappointed by your coverage of the Pop Vintage store in Cherrydale.
Was it really necessary to drag up all the gun store dirt? All that did was get your regulars stirred up and writing their usual insane comments.
I was there when Olympia, the owner of the store, was reading their responses.
If you could have seen the look on her face when she read what passes for witticisms among the commenters, it would have broken your collective hearts.
Responsible journalism has a responsibility to report the news as it is happening good and bad, I realize this.
And if it hadn’t been for your breaking news on the gun store it might be our neighbor today.
But to to unnecessarily dig up the dirt on days gone by? Did you think Arlington residents wouldn’t be happy to hear of a new fun business without a splash of controversy?
Maybe in the spirit of the season and humanity you could focus on the positive things that are happening around us.
Jane
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.
You see them on local streets, usually in commercial districts: double-parked trucks making deliveries to local stores and offices.
Sometimes the trucks completely block traffic, as can be seen in the photo above, taken yesterday in Rosslyn. Other times, just a lane of traffic. In both cases, other drivers are inconvenienced and forced into a potentially hazardous situation: switching lanes mid-street or driving into an opposing lane of traffic.
A hazard at worst and an annoyance at best, double-parked delivery and mail trucks are a fact of life in urban areas around the world. The need to deliver mail and packages to offices, food to restaurants and inventory to stores is not going away, and short of local governments eliminating street parking for non-commercial vehicles there are few good options for truck drivers making quick deliveries.
In your opinion, just how bad is the problem of doubled-parked trucks in Arlington?
(If a truck is illegally parked and truly presenting a hazard, it can be reported to Arlington County Police via the department’s non-emergency line at 703-558-2222.)
Arlington and much of the D.C. region is under a Dense Fog Advisory until 2 p.m. this afternoon.
The National Weather Service says low visibility could cause hazardous driving conditions.
From the NWS:
… DENSE FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…
* VISIBILITIES… ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* IMPACTS… AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CAUSE SUDDEN AND GREAT REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY… RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS DRIVING 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.
More Metro Delays — A disabled train outside of the Farragut West Metro station produced big delays for those heading into Virginia via the Orange, Silver and Blue lines this morning. [Twitter]
Local Credit Card Holiday Spending — Arlington residents are charging an average of $718.43 on credit cards for holiday gifts this year, estimates the website Nerd Wallet. While that seems like a high number, collectively those in Arlington buying holiday gifts without using a credit card are missing out on $138,846.46 in rewards points, the website says. [Nerd Wallet]
Arlington Still Tops for Va. Tourism — Arlington remains the top tourism destination in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county attracts more than 6 million people who spend nearly $3 billion here and generate some $81 million in local taxes annually. The tourism industry accounts for about 25,000 jobs in Arlington. [Arlington County]
County Unveils New Online Calendar — Arlington County has rolled out Arlington Today, a new and improved calendar of local events. First up this morning on the calendar: a performance by The Rocking Chairs, the “in-house band” of the Lee Community and Senior Center. [Twitter]
Local Startup Raises $16 Million — Want to start a company in Arlington that can raise big bucks? Do so in the cybersecurity field. Data security software maker ThreatConnect, which recently moved from Shirlington to the Ballston area, has raised $16 million in a new round of funding. [DC Inno]
Arlington Recognized as Bike Friendly Community — Arlington has been named a Silver-level “Bicycle Friendly Community” for the third time since 2007. We’re one of 75 communities in the U.S. to achieve that rating. [Arlington County]
News that the Virginia Dept. of Motor Vehicles office on S. Four Mile Run Drive in Arlington will be moving to Fairfax County next year has stirred up controversy in both locales.
DMV and elected officials in Fairfax are planning a community meeting on Thursday to discuss the DMV office’s move to a busy shopping center along Columbia Pike, reports the Annandale VA blog. Locals there have expressed concern that the new DMV will cause traffic and parking problems in the area.
In Arlington, meanwhile, some residents are unhappy with the idea of having to trek out to Fairfax County to get a drivers license. In order to address the concerns of Arlington residents, Del. Alfonso Lopez (D) will be hosting a town hall meeting with DMV officials this weekend.
From a press release:
Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington) is hosting a town hall meeting with Senior DMV Officials to discuss the relocation of the DMV Customer Service Center on Four Mile Run Drive in Arlington. The meeting will take place on Sunday, December 6th from 2:00 to 3:30 pm at the Walter Reed Community Center. The meeting will be an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions and learn more about the decision.
WHO: Delegate Alfonso Lopez, Senior DMV Officials
WHAT: A town hall meeting to discuss relocating the DMV office on Four Mile Run Drive
WHEN: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
WHERE: The Walter Reed Community Center’s multipurpose room (2909 16th St S, Arlington, VA 22204)
(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) A new Hawaiian-inspired restaurant has opened in Shirlington.
Hula Girl Bar and Grill, a restaurant based on a popular food truck, originally opened last week at 4044 Campbell Avenue. It closed unexpectedly over the weekend due to a power issue, but reopened for dinner last night (Monday).
Hula Girl’s furnishings are unmistakably Hawaiian, down to flip flops on the wall, surf boards hanging from the ceiling, Spam cans on the tables, surf films on the TVs and the Outrigger Canoe Club hat on chef/owner Mikala Brennan’s head.
The food menu includes Poke, a Hawaiian raw fish dish, along with a Hula Girl teriyaki plate, grilled mahi-mahi and barbecue ribs. There are also salads, sides and desserts to choose from, all island inspired.
On the beverage menu, beers from Maui Brewing and Kona Brewing are featured along with local brews. A wine menu has selections from relatively exotic non-Hawaiian locales: Texas, New York, Michigan, New Mexico and Maryland, among other more standard winemaking regions.
The cocktail menu includes plenty of tropical fruit and names like “Hawaii Kai Margarita,” “Blue HI,” “Say Pineapple 5X Fast” and “Never Below 75,” along with a signature Hula Girl Mai Tai.
While overworked, Brennan said she “feels great” about the new brick and mortar extension of her food truck vision.
“I had been looking for a location for 2 years — and we finally found our home here in Shirlington,” she told ARLnow.com. “The community has been so supportive and positive with us opening — feels like the Aloha Spirit is coming alive!”
Hula Girl is currently open Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. Lunch service is expected to begin “late December.”
Six restaurants inside the Fashion Center at Pentagon City mall have been closed due to a sewage backup.
