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Morning Notes

Published September 29, 2015 at 10:45AM | Updated September 29, 2015 at 12:32PM

Board Candidates Debate, Find Agreement — Updated at 12:30 p.m. — The four candidates for Arlington County Board participated in a candidates forum organized by the Arlington Forest Civic Association last night. The candidates found agreement on two notable issue: affordable housing shouldn’t be built on parkland — or, at least, certain parkland — and county property taxes shouldn’t be raised at this time. [Washington Post]

JPod Meeting on the Pike — The man behind a proposal to bring a monorail-like pod transportation system to Columbia Pike made his case to residents and to County Board Vice Chairman Walter Tejada at the Walter Reed Community Center last night. There are still several potential deal-breaking questions about the feasibility of the proposal. [InsideNova]

Teachers Training on Digital Devices — Arlington Public Schools continues to train teachers and educate parents about the use of digital devices like iPads and MacBooks in schools. APS is continuing its rollout of “personalized” devices, with the goal of each student having their own device. [Arlington Public Schools]

Exercise Helped Real-World Response at VHC — Arlington County says that an emergency response exercise at Virginia Hospital Center two years ago greatly helped the real-world response to a fire at the hospital last week. Evacuations of patients went smoothly and no one was hurt. [Arlington County]

GOP Presidential Candidate in Arlington Today — Long-shot Republican presidential candidate and former New York governor George Pataki will be speaking at George Mason University’s Arlington campus this afternoon. The speech on domestic and foreign policy is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at GMU’s Founders Hall (3351 Fairfax Drive).

Another South Arlington School Site Identified — A county working group is continuing its effort to identify a preferred site for a new elementary school in South Arlington, to be built by 2019, but in the meantime the group has identified a potential future school site. The South Arlington Working Group says a school could be built by 2024 on parcels of land that currently include the Aurora Hills Community Center, Virginia Highlands Park and a portion of the RiverHouse apartment complex. [InsideNova]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

UPDATED: Columbia Pike Shut Down Due to Crash

By ARLnow.com

Published September 29, 2015 at 9:00AM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:29PM

Update at 9:50 a.m. — All lanes of the Pike have now reopened to traffic.

Earlier: All lanes of Columbia Pike are shut down between S. Monroe and Quincy streets due to a two-vehicle accident.

The crash happened around 9 a.m. on the westbound lanes of the Pike at S. Oakland Street. A Scion and a Toyota collided, sending the Toyota hurtling into a tree.

A woman in the Toyota had her leg pinned between her driver’s side door and a parked Jeep. Firefighters were able to move the Jeep to free her.

The woman was transported via ambulance to George Washington University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one in the Scion required transport to the hospital.

ACFD Battles Apartment Fire in Penrose

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2015 at 4:55PM

Arlington County firefighters extinguished an apartment fire in the Penrose neighborhood this afternoon.

The fire was reported in a garden-style apartment on the 2700 block of 8th Street S. just after 4 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find a small fire in an upstair apartment.

The fire was quickly extinguished but water damage is reported in the apartment and the apartment below it.

This was the third small structure fire reported in Arlington in the past two days.

Photo via @ACFDPIO

Fairlington Sign Demolished by Out-of-Control Car

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2015 at 4:05PM

An out-of-control driver ran into the Fairlington Villages sign on 30th Street S. last week.

About half of brick wall and sign, which is on the corner of 30th Street and King Street, was destroyed as a result of the collision. The sign includes a “historic district” plaque that was not damaged in the crash.

Via Facebook, the Fairlington Villages condominium community said that the incident “is now a police matter.”

A police spokesman was unable to immediately confirm whether the wreck was connected to the crash of a stolen vehicle in Fairlington that was reported early Tuesday morning.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2015 at 10:00AM | Updated September 28, 2015 at 11:05AM

Vihstadt Endorses Dorsey, McMenamin — Independent Arlington County Board member John Vihstadt has endorsed fellow independent Michael McMenamin and Democrat Christian Dorsey for County Board. Dorsey said in a statement that he is “honored to have the support of all five members of the Arlington County Board, including John Vihstadt,” but also reiterated his support for Democratic ticket mate Katie Cristol. [InsideNova]

ACFD Responds to Small Fires — The Arlington County Fire Department has battled two small fires within the past two days. On Saturday around noon on the 2300 block of S. Arlington Mill Drive, firefighters extinguished a fire on the back porch of a home. This morning ACFD extinguished a small apartment fire on the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. [Twitter, Twitter]

‘JPod’ Discussion Tonight — The Columbia Heights Civic Association tonight will discuss monorail-like “JPods” as a possible transit alternative for Columbia Pike. Residents will hear from JPods booster Bill James at tonight’s meeting at the Walter Reed Community Center. [CHCA]

Affordable Housing Opponents Vow Budget Fight — Now that Arlington’s Affordable Housing Master Plan has been approved, opponents of the plan are planning to try to stymie it within the county’s budget process next year. “The plan didn’t obligate the county, directly or indirectly, to spend money,” the chair of the Arlington County Republican Committee is quoted as saying. “The testimony at the budget hearing is going to determine how that is funded.” [InsideNova]

Problems Reported on Orange, Silver Lines

By ARLnow.com

Published September 28, 2015 at 9:00AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:53PM

Passengers at Arlington Metro stations are reporting significant problems on the Orange and Silver Lines today.

Metro said that an inbound Orange Line train offloaded at East Falls Church just before 8:30 a.m. due to a brake problem.

That, coupled with reduced rush hour service on the two lines due to power issues around the Stadium-Armory station following last week’s transformer fire, has caused big delays.

Via Twitter, riders are reporting longer-than-usual waits between Orange and Silver Line trains. Trains that are arriving at Arlington stations are full, causing overcrowding at the stations as riders continue to wait for trains.

https://twitter.com/RachelLarris/status/648476501906718720

https://twitter.com/CourtneyFogwell/status/648477883216887808

https://twitter.com/buzbyindc/status/648478171558465536

Metro says that repairs on its nine-megawatt power substation near Stadium-Armory are expected to drag out over the next six months or so. During that time, speed restrictions will be in place around the station, and Orange and Silver Line trains will run less frequently during rush hour while skipping the station entirely — a strategy intended to reduce congestion while coping with the lack of track power around Stadium Armory.

“On Friday, Metro began running Orange and Silver line trains every 8 minutes during rush hours, rather than every 6 minutes, to reduce the number of trains in service at any one time,” the transit agency said in a press release. “Metro is also increasing the number of 8-car trains on the Orange and Blue lines to provide additional capacity.”

Hat tip to @unsuckdcmetro

Letter to the Editor: Save Stratford’s Visual History

By ARLnow.com

Published September 25, 2015 at 3:30PM

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Joan K. Lawrence, Chair of the Arlington Historical Affairs and Landmark Board.

The recently posted “Peter’s Take” commentary calling for the rejection of historic designation for the Stratford School is both premature and uninformed. Arlington does not create local historic districts lightly. There are many public hearings involving the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB), the Planning Commission and the County Board, as well as the School Board, when the property in question is a school. This process is still in progress.

The designation process was started by a request from Arlingtonians and included one of the four African-American students who made national headlines on February 2, 1959. On that day, in the face of the massive resistance movement in Virginia, four students, escorted by police, walked from Old Dominion Drive and entered Stratford through a door in the back of the building to begin the integration of Virginia’s public schools. This door and the adjacent central portion of the building remain part of Stratford and are clearly visible. It is still possible today to experience the site and enter the building as those courageous students did over 56 years ago. Children and adults can actually put themselves into the picture of what happened that day because the façade of the school has not been altered.

Capacity can be added to the current Stratford building without covering over the central portion of the rear of the building. This has been demonstrated over and over at public meetings. We just need the will to maintain the visual link with our past.

Stratford’s significance in our history was recognized over a decade ago when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. We owe this designation to these four brave students and to the current and future generations of students and citizens of Arlington.

Joan K. Lawrence
Chair, Arlington Historical Affairs and Landmark Board

ARLnow.com occasionally publishes thoughtful letters to the editor about local issues. To submit a letter to the editor, please email it to [email protected]. Letters to the editor may be edited for content and brevity.

UPDATED: Yorktown High School Evacuated After Receiving Bomb Threat

By ARLnow.com

Published September 25, 2015 at 1:20PM | Updated September 25, 2015 at 2:23PM

(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) Yorktown High School students, faculty and staff were evacuated after the school received a bomb threat.

Shortly after noon, the school received a call from a “computerized-automated voice” that said “I have a bomb on me,” said Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Students were evacuated to the school’s stadium while K-9 units from Arlington, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the CIA searched the school.

The dogs did not find anything suspicious, but officers were posted by each of the school’s entrances as students re-entered Yorktown, Sternbeck said. Students and teachers were allowed back in around 1:35 p.m.

Arlington Public Schools sent the following notes to parents about the situation:

At approximately 12 p.m. today, Yorktown High School received an automated telephone bomb threat. As a precaution, all students and staff have been evacuated. Police have responded and are currently doing a search of the building. Everyone is safe and we will provide an update as soon as we have more information.

A short time ago, Arlington Police completed their search and have given the all clear. Students are now moving back into the building and classes are resuming. We appreciate everyone’s fast response and cooperation as well as the support of our Arlington County Police Department.

Yorktown High School was not the only Virginia school to receive a bomb threat. Approximately 10 minutes after Yorktown received the bomb threat, a school in Prince William county received the same phone call, Sternbeck said.

Arlington schools do not receive bomb threats very often, he said.

“We get them at malls more frequently than at schools,” Sternbeck said.

President to Speak at Fort Myer Today

By ARLnow.com

Published September 25, 2015 at 9:55AM

President Obama will be traveling to Fort Myer this afternoon, according to the president’s official White House schedule.

The visit to the military base next to Arlington National Cemetery will come after the president holds a joint press conference in the White House Rose Garden with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

“Later in the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks at an Armed Forces Full Honors Retirement Ceremony in honor of General Martin Dempsey,” the president’s schedule says.

The president is expected to arrive at the base via motorcade, assisted in part by the Arlington County Police Department.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 25, 2015 at 9:15AM

Board Approves Hospital Land Swap Option — The Arlington County Board has taken a first step to completing a deal to swap land with Virginia Hospital Center. The Board unanimously approved a non-binding Letter of Intent giving the hospital an option to purchase five acres of county-owned property adjacent to it. [Arlington County]

Apple iPhone Launch Day — A man has been camped out in front of the Clarendon Apple Store since Wednesday, in anticipation of today’s launch of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The man, whose name is Joe, said it was his fourth year camping out for a new iPhone. [WJLA]

New Play Area Coming to Butler Holmes Park — Butler Holmes Park, which is tucked into a little corner of the Penrose neighborhood near Route 50, is getting a new, $414,000 pre-school play area, to complement the park’s existing playground and rain garden. “Besides whimsical tot lot features like a basket swing, see-saw and fairy tale structure, the project also includes safe play surfaces, a new park staircase and walkway, picnic tables and grills and signage,” said a press release. [Arlington County]

NSF HQ Purchased — An Atlanta-based real estate investment fund has purchased Stafford Place I, the Ballston office building that’s currently headquarters to the National Science Foundation. NSF will be moving out in 2017 and the buyer plans to “aggressively” market the property, which it purchased for $210 million. [Bisnow]

County Board Approves House Purchase — Arlington County will purchase a house at 2827 N. Harrison Street for $728,000, with the intention of knocking it down and using the property to enlarge Chestnut Hills Park. “This is another example of how the County is looking for every opportunity to add to our parks and open space,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Eric

Power Outages Reported in Shirlington, North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published September 24, 2015 at 1:35PM

More than 1,500 Dominion customers are without power in the Shirlington area and other parts of Arlington this afternoon.

Businesses, homes and traffic lights are dark in and around Shirlington and Fairlington.

Initial reports suggest that the outage may be as a result of some balloons that struck a power line. Outages are also being reported in Clarendon and other parts of North Arlington.