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It’s Time to Trot! The Arlington Turkey Trot Now Accepting Registrants, Sponsors

Published September 15, 2015 at 6:00AM

The Tenth Anniversary of the Arlington Turkey Trot will be returning to town this Thanksgiving morning, giving everyone a reason to get moving before they sit down with family in the afternoon.

But it’s not all about the run– the event, which drew 4,000 runners last year, is also a huge charity event. This year, the beneficiaries are AFAC, A-SPAN, Bridges to Independence, Doorways for Women and Families and Linden Resources.

For those who want to trot it out for five kilometers, registration is now open. Volunteer opportunities are also available if running isn’t your thing, and volunteers should email [email protected] or go to the website to sign up.

This year is also special because the Trot has a new partnership with the Arlington Small Business Alliance and YOPP, whereby small business owners and employees will run and sponsor while registrants will be encouraged to patronize these businesses on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday with online discounts and goodies compliments of YOPP. The Trot welcomes donations and sponsors, whether individual or team donations or regular or special sponsorship opportunities.

Now’s the time to get involved with the 2015 Arlington Turkey Trot, a race that the race coordinators think will be the biggest and best yet.

The preceding post was written by ARLnow.com and sponsored by The Arlington Turkey Trot.

Swarm of ATVs, Dirt Bikes Sped Through Arlington Sunday Night

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2015 at 6:30PM

A group of more than 100 people on ATVs and dirt bikes sped through Arlington Sunday night.

A witness reported that riders were speeding down S. Arlington Ridge Road around 8:15 p.m. Sunday, followed by police.

Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck says the was department was first notified by D.C. police that the ATVs were heading into Arlington via the Key Bridge.

“Our officers estimated in excess of 100 vehicles were in the group and they split up when they noticed our cruisers,” Sternbeck said. “We monitored until they left the county.”

Such swarms of young, lawless ATV and dirt bike riders have plagued the District this summer — to the point that the Metropolitan Police Department started offering $250 rewards for information on riders — but this is the first time that ARLnow.com has been made aware of such an occurrence in Arlington.

#police

BREAKING: Bank Robbery in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2015 at 12:10PM | Updated September 14, 2015 at 5:32PM

Update at 5:30 p.m. — The FBI has published a wanted poster, seeking information on this morning’s robbery. A reward of up to $5,000 is offered.

Earlier: Arlington County Police are on the scene of a bank robbery in Ballston.

A man reportedly robbed the HSBC Bank at 4075 Wilson Blvd by implying that he had a gun and threatening to shoot a bank employee. He ran off after being given cash.

Police are searching the surrounding area for the man, who was last seen running north on N. Randolph Street.

The suspect is described as a six-foot tall black male in his 50s or 60s, who was wearing a red hat, green shirt and glasses at the time of the robbery, according to scanner traffic.

No customers were reported inside the bank at the time of the robbery. The bank was last robbed in 2010.

APS Student Population Continues to Rise As School Addition Attracts Some Opposition

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2015 at 11:30AM

Arlington County’s student population has passed the 25,000 mark as Arlington Public Schools continues to move forward with projects to increase school capacity.

APS’ PreK-12 student enrollment was 25,307 at the beginning of the school year, up from 23,179 at the time last year, according to figures cited by Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy at a School Board meeting last week.

The official fall enrollment numbers, however, are not counted until Sept. 30. APS is projecting 25,678 students as of Sept. 30, up 4.7 percent from the 24,529 enrolled on Sept. 30, 2014.

APS had 2,636 teachers employed on the first day of school this year, up from 2,493 last year. APS said it hired 387 new teachers over the summer, to keep up with enrollment and teacher retirements.

Meanwhile, APS continues to utilize trailer classrooms to accommodate the additional students, while planning and building new schools and additions to existing schools. The new Discovery Elementary next to Williamsburg Middle School opened its doors to students for the first time last week.

Next Monday, the Arlington County Board is expected to vote on use permits that would allow a 30,000 square foot addition to Abingdon Elementary School, in Fairlington. The addition, which is expected to cost up to $29 million, would provide space for an additional 136 students, bringing enrollment capacity to 725 from 589.

Some Fairlington residents, however, have expressed opposition to the plan.

“The plan is extend the school toward a steep hill that is home to fox, deer [and] raccoons which means knocking down 125 trees (77 of which they say are dead — which is also home to the aforementioned),” one resident said in an email to ARLnow.com over the weekend.

A community meeting on the plan is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. tonight, at the school.

File photo

Morning Poll: Registered Commenters Only?

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2015 at 10:15AM

When we talk to ARLnow readers, they invariably bring up the comments section of the site.

Most people say they enjoy reading the comments, even though they might not agree with what’s being said. A vocal minority, however, say they dislike the comments — they don’t like the general tone and disagree with many viewpoints.

The one constant: everybody seems to have an opinion and no one can be dissuaded from reading the comments, even if they profess to not liking them.

ARLnow believes in giving readers a relatively open forum to discuss the news of the day. The comments are often a force for good: providing valuable tips, first person insights into breaking news and some useful corrections.

However, there are some unresolved issues with the comments: consistent negativity that’s not reflective of the views of the general populace, petty back-and-forth fighting that discourages substantive discussion and occasional comment spam.

One possible solution to these problems could be to require that commenters be registered in order to post comments. That would effectively shut out some trolls and spammers, while allowing us to more effectively manage and moderate comments.

(We are not considering shutting off the comments altogether. We believe that a reader dialogue about the news is a good thing, as long as discussions don’t get out of hand.)

What do you think?

#poll

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2015 at 9:05AM

Suspicious Vehicle Investigation at Pentagon — An SUV hopped a curb and ran into a pole at the Pentagon’s south parking lot Sunday morning. All three occupants of the vehicle were reportedly sleeping when police arrived, but then tried to drive away. Arlington’s bomb squad helped to check out the vehicle, which was deemed suspicious due to loose wires seen hanging out of it. [MyFoxDC, ABC News]

Va. Advances Potential I-395 Express Lane Plan — Virginia transportation officials are getting closer to announcing a plan to extend the I-95 Express Lanes up through I-395. Arlington officials previously filed suit to block a similar state plan to convert the I-395 HOV lanes to High Occupancy Toll lanes. [WTOP]

APS Students Named National Merit Semifinalists — Ten Arlington Public Schools students have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. [Arlington Public Schools]

Arlington to Seek Route 1 Name Change — Arlington County plans to seek permission from the state to change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington, according to County Board Chair Mary Hynes. However, one local state lawmaker says it’s highly unlikely that the Republican-controlled state legislature would okay the removal of Confederate leaders from local road names. [Washington Post]

Woman Dies in GW Parkway Wreck — A woman died early Sunday morning in a single-vehicle crash on the GW Parkway. The crash happened after the woman drove off the southbound side of the parkway, between Route 123 and Spout Run, and struck a tree. [WJLA]

Candlelight Vigil for Wakefield Student — A candlelight vigil is planned tonight for Lucas Guajardo, the Wakefield High School student who died Friday. The vigil is being organized by students and is planned to take place at 7:30 p.m. on the George Mason Drive side of the school. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Guajardo’s family with funeral expenses. The junior, who was a running back on the Warriors’ football team, was found dead by his older brother Friday afternoon after an apparent suicide. [Twitter, GoFundMe]

Suicide’s Lasting Impact on Survivors — Bryan Price, a former Arlington Sheriff’s Deputy, shot and killed himself on May 17. His wife found Bryan’s body and says his decision to end his own life has torn her family apart. “If he had any clue what this would put us through… I honestly don’t think he could have done it,” Tara Price told a local TV station. [WHSV]

Courtesy photo

Wakefield High School Football Player Dies

By ARLnow.com

Published September 12, 2015 at 7:35AM

A member of the Wakefield High School football team has died.

The boy, a junior, was found dead on the roof of his home Friday afternoon, suffering an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He was a running back on the Warriors football team. Friends and acquaintances are remembering the boy on Twitter, offering prayers and memories of a classmate with an infectious smile.

At this time, ARLnow.com is not identifying the deceased.

If you’re having thoughts of suicide, the Arlington-based CrisisLink hotline is available 24/7, at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2015 at 7:05PM

Arlington’s first responders gathered outside of the county office building at Courthouse Plaza this morning to mark the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Meanwhile, at the Pentagon, the military held a remembrance ceremony for the 184 lives lost when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., on Sept. 11, 2001.

The attacks in Arlington, New York and the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. claimed the lives of 2,996. The attacks spurred America to war, and since 9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the lives of more than 6,700 Americans.

That number doesn’t include the lives of veterans lost since returning home from the battlefield. Veteran suicide remains a problem, including in Arlington. Often individual suicides go unreported in the news, but it is a grim reality that families and local first responders have to deal with every hour of every day in the U.S.

If you are a veteran and you’re having thoughts of suicide, help and compassion is a phone call away. The Veterans Crisis Line can be reached by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1.

If you are not a veteran, but you’re thinking of harming yourself or otherwise need help, the Arlington-based CrisisLink hotline is available 24/7, at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

It’s a weekend filled with enjoyable local events — the Rosslyn Jazz Festival, the annual Arlington Police, Fire and Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K, the Yorktown-Wakefield high school football game, to name a few — but it’s worth taking a minute, at some point, to remember the lives lost since 9/11. It’s also worth thinking how you might be able to help, to make sure more lives are not lost needlessly.

With that, feel free to discuss your memories of 9/11 in Arlington, or any other local topic of interest, in the comments.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

#weekend discussion

ARLnow to Hold Events for Local Businesses Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2015 at 11:35AM

Register for the 4 p.m. session here, or the 5:30 p.m. session here.

It’s no secret that digital marketing is the future. It allows businesses to reach customers for a fraction of the cost of traditional media — and in ways never imagined before.

Unfortunately the digital landscape is changing quickly and often it’s hard to keep up. The marketing mix in today’s mobile world is substantially different than it was just a year or two ago.

This is especially challenging for local business owners, who would rather focus on delighting customers rather than the latest geotargeting tech. Plus, local businesses often face a barrage of telemarketing calls from out of town, fly by night peddlers of various online services, making it hard to know who to trust.

To help sort out the options — and provide some real-world best practices that will bring your business more customers and more revenue — ARLnow.com is bringing small business digital marketing expert Stanley Gauss to town next Thursday.

Gauss and ARLnow.com owner Scott Brodbeck will be holding two free, small group discussions about the latest digital marketing options specifically for local businesses: social media, mobile, geotargeting, email blasts and everything in between. The events are free for owners and managers of Arlington-based local businesses.

Two sessions are available on Thursday, Sept. 17: from 4 to 5:15 p.m. and from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Registration is free but an RSVP is required.

If you’re unable to attend in person, you may also use the links above to register to phone in via conference call. Or, to inquire about a one-on-one discussion at your office earlier in the day, contact ARLnow’s Meghan McMahon at [email protected] or 703-348-0583.

Dorsey Wants to Kick Out TitleMax

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2015 at 10:30AM | Updated September 11, 2015 at 10:58AM

Arlington County Board candidate Christian Dorsey is taking a stand against TitleMax, which he deems a “predatory lender.”

In a press release, the Democrat said he would seek to terminate TitleMax’s lease at 5265 Lee Highway, should that building be included in a land swap between its owner, Virginia Hospital Center, and Arlington County.

Dorsey has also launched an online petition, asking residents to support him in his call to “do all we can to protect Arlingtonians from predatory lending practices.”

The press release from Dorsey’s campaign:

Christian Dorsey, a Democratic nominee for the Arlington County Board, attended a public forum on Wednesday at the Virginia Hospital Center discussing the process for a potential deal between Arlington County and the hospital for County-owned land adjacent to the hospital’s property. One potential deal includes a land swap, where Arlington County would acquire property currently owned by the hospital on the corner of Lee Highway and North George Mason Drive. That property is currently being leased by TitleMax, Inc., a predatory vehicle title lender.

Should Arlington acquire the property, Dorsey committed to opposing any lease renewal for TitleMax. He went further by promising to explore all possible ways to terminate the lease early in the case that Arlington becomes the owner of the property.

“Predatory lenders charge desperate families up to 264% interest on loans,” said Dorsey. “Arlington County should not be in the business of profiting off of those that prey on our most vulnerable populations. That’s why I will oppose any extension of the lease to TitleMax should Arlington acquire the property. Further, I will pursue all avenues that would allow us to terminate that lease upon acquisition of the land.”

“Predatory lending runs counter to our values here in Arlington,” continued Dorsey. “Richmond should be ashamed that they allow these businesses to operate with so little regulation. Charging over 260% interest on a car title loan should not be permissible under any circumstances, and I’ll do everything in my power to stop these businesses from preying on Arlington’s vulnerable working families.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 11, 2015 at 9:30AM

Arlington Remembers 9/11 — Arlington County is marking the 14th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks with a solemn ceremony in Courthouse. A moment of silence will be held at 9:37 a.m. [Arlington County, Twitter]

Sidewalks on the Pike Still Need Work — The new Freedman’s Village Bridge over Columbia Pike includes new, wider sidewalks along the Pike, but there are problems. Just up from the new sidewalks, narrow old sidewalks have telephone poles in the middle of them, obstructing pedestrians and bicyclists. And there are multiple crossings among the new sidewalks that make the going slow. [Greater Greater Washington]

Letter Writer: Everything Is Awful — Most people probably find Arlington a pleasant place to live. But a resident who wrote a guest commentary about Arlington for a Falls Church newspaper finds a lot to dislike, warning Falls Church residents of Arlington as a “cautionary tale” of development gone wrong. The letter blasts Arlington’s overcrowded schools, “scorched-earth development practices,” “critical shortage of parkland and green space,” “failed policies and inadequate planning,” “poor local air quality,” lack of mature tree canopy and “urban heat island effect.” [Falls Church News-Press]

AHC Repays Loan — Nonprofit affordable housing developer AHC Inc. has made a $2.5 million loan repayment to Arlington County, one of the organization’s largest lump sum repayments. AHC presented retiring County Board members Mary Hynes and Walter Tejada, along with other county officials, a giant check to mark the occasion.

Janet Howell Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis — State Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd), who represents part of Arlington, announced yesterday that she was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer. She has undergone treatment and says her prognosis is “excellent.” [Reston Now]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf