Author: Airey

W-L Alum Offers $1,000 for Essay Opposing School Renaming

By Airey

The Sun Gazette ran a mysterious ad in this week’s paper, offering W-L students who write an essay about “why my school should be named Washington-Lee” the chance to “win $1,000 cash.”

The ad did not specify who was running the contest, and only said submissions to be sent to [email protected]. When contacted, a man identifying himself as Tom Hafer of McLean responded and said he was organizing the contest.

Hafer told ARLnow he’s a W-L graduate from the class of ’66 who has lived in Arlington for most of his life before moving across county lines.

“The money is from my own pocket unless some of my like-minded colleagues decide to help defray,” Hafer said when asked about the contest’s funding. “At this point, I am doing this on my own but I will likely enlist some other readers if there is significant competition among essays.”

Currently he says he’s received no essay submissions, but he doesn’t “expect too many until closer to the [May 12] deadline.”

The School Board voted unanimously to rename the high school “Washington-Liberty” in January. When asked what he thought the essay contest could accomplish after this fact, Hafer said it was a symbolic act.

“This essay will give the students of W-L a voice on this issue that was denied them by the School Board, and will give members of the public an opportunity to hear that voice,” he wrote in an email. “I believe that if the students had been allowed to vote on the name of THEIR OWN SCHOOL that it would be Washington-Lee — forever.”

Earlier this month, Hafer called the renaming a “diversity sideshow” in a Letter to the Editor published by the Sun Gazette.

Last June, Hafer accused the School Board of “hypocrisy, deceit, ignorance and malfeasance” during a public meeting on the renaming, reported the Falls Church News-Press.

Hafer’s ad this week said that the “winning essay may be published in Sun Gazette” but that the contest was “only open to verifiable Washington-Lee students.”

He clarified that he does not have an agreement with the paper to publish any essays.

“When I see whether any of the essays are worthy of publication I will see whether the Sun Gazette wants to print it,” he said. “If not I may simply put it in as an ad.”

County to Increase Inspections After Sewage Saga Costs Madison Manor Residents Thousands

By Airey

Arlington County has pledged to inspect the Madison Manor neighborhood’s sewers more often after sewage flooded homes last month for the third time since 2001.

“Typically, our maintenance program calls for inspections of our sewer pipes every four years; however, we have more aggressive schedules of 1, 3 and 6 months for known problem areas,” said Jessica Baxter, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Services.

“Given the most recent blockage on April 7, 2019, Water Sewer Streets crews will now be monitoring, inspecting and cleaning this location on a six-month rotation,” Baxter added.

Sewage flooded five homes on N. Powhatan Street on April 7, which required crews to work through the night to address the underlying blockage, ARLnow previously reported.

“Three houses on the street were flooded with county sewage both in [2008] and in 2001,” wrote three Madison Manor residents in a letter to ARLnow this week. “On April 7, when the county sewage system failed us for a third time, five houses were affected.”

Tree roots blocking the sewer main caused the first two floods, Baxter said, with debris in the sewer main causing the most recent backup. The county lined the pipes in 2002 to protect from intruding tree roots, she said. It also added a second pipe segment downstream in 2008 to improve flow.

Each flood of raw sewage cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars, according to copies of bills and insurance claims reviewed by ARLnow.

One neighborhood resident, Anne Riley, said her home was flooded all three times, with the latest flood costing $18,000. She wrote in an email that she is submitting a claim to her homeowners insurance but will have to foot her policy’s $2,000 deductible.

“Three times in 20 years is ridiculous,” Riley said. “We don’t even know all we lost.”

Another neighbor, Dave Oaks, said he couldn’t supply receipts for the flood damages to his home in 2001 and 2008 because they were stored in boxes in the basement — which were destroyed in last month’s flood.

Oaks noted the damages from this year’s flood will “run into the tens of thousands” and shared the costs he’s incurred so far:

  • Remove the filth, damaged furniture and contents, salvage and store remaining contents, de-water, dry and disinfect, remove the bottom 3 feet of drywall, all flooring, doors, and baseboards, haul off all the debris (initial estimate ~$8,500)
  • Rebuild walls, doors, baseboards, flooring, re-set bathroom fixtures, paint (initial estimate ~$11,500)
  • Replace washer, dryer, water heater (estimate ~$2,800)
  • Replace contents (no idea since we haven’t finished our inventory)
  • $500 insurance deductible

Neighbor Karen Lewis cited similar costs for the April flood. She told ARLnow that she spent $9,900 so far to inspect the furnace and remove her basement’s contaminated drywall, carpeting, downstairs shower, and hot water heater.

“Our homeowners insurance company estimates the rebuilding costs will be at least $16,000, before even beginning to replace our destroyed or contaminated furnishings and possessions,” she said.

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Arlington Pet of the Week: Dexter

By Airey
1/2

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Dexter, a Golden Retriever who was adopted after his first family found he was “too big to handle.”

His owner, Chaira, says this just means Dexter has “more to love.” Here’s what she said the pooch thinks of his new home in Arlington:

When they first brought me to their home, I was sure to test out my new space by eating 4 double chocolate chip muffins, and a whole fried chicken and mashed potato meal, containers, bones, and all. I thought that meant they wouldn’t have any evidence it was me, but somehow they still figured it out.

Despite this, I think they really love me, and I’m really looking forward to my new home here. I think the best part of this new place is these big parks my parents take me to. Sometimes they walk me by what mom and dad call “baseball fields”, but I just call them “toy fields” because I almost always get to come home with a new ball for my collection.

I still have a lot to learn in my new home, but every day I get to smell something new, meet a new friend, and go for a run in the park, and I don’t think there’s anything else I could ask for, except maybe some more of those bacon treats my mom keeps hidden in her purse as if I can’t smell them.

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 galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.

County Asks Residents to Vote on ‘I Voted’ Sticker Design

By Airey
1/6

Arlington wants residents to pick the new “I Voted” sticker design for the 2019 elections.

The Arlington County Office of Elections posted on its website five colorful designs vying for your favor, which range from the modern to historically-minded.

Voters have must enter an Arlington address to view the designs, and are then directed to order them from top to least favorite.

The winning design will be featured on the 2019 “I Voted” stickers given to those who cast their ballots in the general election on November 5. (Currently, the county is in the middle of a primary election, which decides the candidates for the November election.)

County election officials partnered with the Arlington Artists Alliance and Arlington Public Library to select the top five designs earlier this month, per the contest announcement.

Images via Arlington County

ACPD’s 2018 Crime Report Reveals Falling Crime Rates, Except Drunkenness

By Airey

(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) Arlington County’s crime rates have continued to fall for seventh straight year, with a few exceptions, according to a new report from the police department.

The new data comes from ACPD’s annual crime report which the department released today (Tuesday). The 37-page document reports falling crime rates between 2017 and 2018 for many offenses, including burglary, kidnapping, assault, embezzlement, prostitution, and forcible sexual assault.

The county’s murder rate held steady, with four murders reported in both 2017 and 2018. However, the data also shows some increases in offenses for drunkenness, and bribery and extortion.

ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage noted that bribery and extortion charges can result from online or phone scams, and that both were “prevalent in 2018” which caused the department to lead several community awareness campaigns.

Chief M. Jay Farr noted that by May of last year the department was suffering from a staffing shortage with only 320 “functional” full time officers out of the 361 the county budgeted for.

“Our Department has a dedicated pledge of serving the community with duty, honor, and commitment,” Farr wrote in a statement in the report. “While we have experienced challenges this year, our sworn and civilian staff have risen to the task each day and embodied our pledge through their actions.”

Drunkenness

The biggest crime increase noted in the report was for offenses related to “drunkenness” charges: in 2017, 273 offenses were recorded related to drunkenness charges, compared to 622 last year.

Savage told ARLnow one reason the number is so high could be an issue with last year’s data.

“The number of drunkenness arrests appear to be underreported to the state in 2017 due to a data processing issue,” she said. “Our Records Management Unit is currently working with Virginia State Police to rectify the issue.”

Another reason could be ACPD’s crackdown on “nightlife safety.” In addition to increasing patrols around Clarendon bars last year, the department also partnered with restaurants to train staff in responding to emergency situations and report them to law enforcement:

In recognizing the importance of training to support effective standards, the police department’s Restaurant Liaison Unit has collaborated across county agencies to provide a thorough ARI training program for restaurant staff. These trainings include responsible alcohol service, fake identification detection, understanding their civil liability, public safety expectations, CPR, and Bar Bystander sexual assault intervention training.

The report noted that as part of ACPD’s “Restaurant Initiative” it trained 28 restaurants and 260 employees in the health and safety protocols.

Drugs

Arlington has seen the number of people seeking treatment for opioid addiction skyrocket in recent years. However, data shared in today’s report indicates that while the number of opioid-related incidents reported to 9-1-1 last year (153) remained close to 2017’s number (157), the number of overdoses decreased (53 in 2018 compared to 74 in 2017) and fatal overdoses also fell from 19 in 2017 to 11 in 2018.

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County Continues to Narrow Lanes on Columbia Pike Near Penrose

By Airey
1/4

The county is moving forward with long-held plans to narrow lanes and widen sidewalks on Columbia Pike near the Penrose neighborhood, but not everyone is on board.

County staff presented an updated version of the plan last week to the Penrose Neighborhood Association. It calls for narrowing the lefthand travel lanes on the Pike east of S. Wayne Street down to 10 feet, and narrowing the righthand lanes, next to the sidewalk, to 11 feet.

The project is slated for the section of the Pike between S. Garfield Street and S. Quinn Street, staff told ARLnow, and the total Columbia Pike right-of-way width is expected to remain 56 feet width.

It’s also part of a years-long plan to improve the Pike and add more room for pedestrians and bicyclists. However, attendees at the meeting said they fear tighter lanes could mean trickier turning and more accidents for cars.

“The goal of the project is to make Columbia Pike a safer, more accessible route for all users by creating a balance between pedestrian, bicycle, transit and vehicle spaces,” said county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet in an email Monday.

Even after the presentation by the county, some local residents remained skeptical.

“No satisfactory or convincing reason was offered by the county regarding the plan to reduce the lane size,” said one man. “It is quite concerning that a main hub such as Columbia Pike is expected to suffer significant lane reductions that will likely create traffic backups and accidents.”

“At the meeting we discussed many scenarios, like could a school bus pass a garbage truck, could a Giant delivery truck make the turn into Adams Street, could an 18 wheeler pass a bus on the left,” Penrose Association President Maria “Pete” Durgan said, adding that county staff agreed to look into the questions.

Bailliet said the plan is based on “urban street design guidelines from the National Association of City Transportation Officials,” which “recommend that lanes should not be greater than 11 feet as they may cause unintended speeding and assume valuable right of way at the expense of other modes.”

Bailliet says the new lane widths have also already been rolled out in other parts of the Pike, including on the sections between:

  • Four Mile Run and S. Wakefield Street
  • S. Oakland Street and S. Garfield Street
  • Washington Blvd and Columbia Pike interchange

The plan was listed in the the bike component of the county’s Master Transportation Plan, which the County Board updated last week. In it, the county said it intends to build “wide multi-use trails, or wide sidewalks, along at least one side of Columbia Pike in the areas east of S. Wayne Street and west of Four Mile Run” for bikes and pedestrians to share.

“It is tackling a tough question,” the Penrose Neighborhood Association’s website said of the revised lanes. “With only a limited amount of right-of-way, how should that space be allocated? Turn lanes? Street Trees? Wider sidewalks? Bike lanes?”

The reason to widen the sidewalks, Bailliet said, was in part to allow a more vibrant and business-friendly streetscape, but also partially to provide a way for cyclists to connect with the designated bike boulevards that run parallel the Pike.

(more…)

WeWork to Open New Rosslyn Co-Working Space in June

By Airey

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) WeWork will soon open its newest Arlington co-working space, the company says.

“Our new Rosslyn location at 1201 Wilson is slated to open this June,” company spokeswoman Nicole Sizemore told ARLnow on Monday. The company is also now listing the new Rosslyn location on its website with an option to call for information about pre-opening rates.

“Amid federal agencies and corporate giants, WeWork’s shared office in Arlington is a powerful locale to put down roots,” reads a description on the company’s website. “Several floors in this modern building are converted workspace, featuring comfortable lounges, bright and airy conference rooms, and sleek private offices.”

The final lease includes 83,294 square feet of space across four floors near the top of the 31-story CEB Tower, according to a December press release. The Washington Business Journal reported that the coworking space will have more than 1,400 desks and will “target large, ‘enterprise-level’ corporations — government contractors, trade associations and the tech sector.”

WeWork’s move comes as several major companies and other coworking and meeting spaces are opening up shop in Rosslyn, including Cerner, Nestle and its subsidiary Gerber, Spaces, Convene and Eastern Foundry this past year.

WeWork said Monday that it had filed to go public on the stock exchange, which will test its $47 billion private valuation.

Photo via WeWork

Arlington Agenda April 29-May 5

By Airey

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday, April 30

MONA Private School Fair 2019
Congressional School (3229 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Mothers of North Arlington (MONA) — a support and social group for mothers — is organizing the a school fair, the 2019 Private School Fair, to give families the opportunity to meet admission representatives from over 40 local PK-12 private schools all together in the same space.

Wednesday, May 1

Trek Women’s Open House
Trek Bicycle Clarendon (2731 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Open house to for those who identify as women, trans, and/or non-binary to hear from  inspiring cycling advocates, meet awesome new friends, and win incredible prizes, including an FX2 bike. Plus, the first 50 guests will get a special surprise.

Thursday, May 2

Arlington PreK and K Girl Scout Formation Meeting!
Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 5-6 p.m.

Start your Girl Scout adventure in May. Parents, girls and community members are invited to learn about the 107 year-old movement and how your involvement makes Girl Scouting amazing with a meeting at Central Library. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP or reach out for more information.

Rock The Loop Free Concerts
Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Join Market Common Clarendon on Thursday evenings, May through July, for a series of FREE concerts on The Loop from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Support Homeward Trails Animal Rescue by purchasing beer or wine served by Heritage Brewing Co. during the concerts on The Loop. DreamStreet will be playing this Thursday, followed by Charles Platt next week.

Friday, May 3

Virginia Tech Executive MBA Class Visit
Virginia Tech Research Center (900 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 5:30-9 p.m.

Get a glimpse into the Virginia Tech Executive MBA student experience with a class visit. During the visit, you will sit in on a current Executive MBA class and have the opportunity to engage with our students, faculty, and program staff in a more casual environment. Attendees must register online at least 48 hours before it begins on Friday.

Wakefield High School a month before school startsChicago
Wakefield High School (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 7-9:30 p.m.

The Wakefield Players present the musical “Chicago.” Character Roxie Hart murders her faithless lover and convinces her drab husband, Amos, to take the blame… until he discovers that he’s been two-timed by his wife and turns on her. Charged with a “hanging offense” Roxie and another “Merry Murderess” Velma Kelly vie for the spotlight and the headlines that will bring them fame, fortune, and acquittal.

Courageous Leadership: The 2019 District 27 Spring Conference*
Crowne-Plaza Hotel Crystal City (1480 Crystal Drive)
Time: Friday 5:30-10 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sign up to join the conference awarding this year’s recipient with the District 27 Communication and Leadership Award. Attendees can buy individual or table tickets and will be able to hear from speakers working in fields such as consulting and those in Toastmasters leadership. The event also features networking opportunities and a silent auction.

Saturday, May 4

Environmental Collection & Recycling Event (E-CARE)
The N. Quincy St Property (1425 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Arlington County will hold its biannual Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) this weekend, directly across the street from Washington-Liberty High School and the David M. Brown Planetarium. E-CARE is an event where residents can safely dispose of hazardous household materials (HHM), recycle bikes, small metal items and much more.

Community Shred Event
McEnearney Associates (4720 Lee Highway)
Time: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

McEnearney Associates welcomes the community for a free shredding event outside of its Lee Highway office. There will be a large truck on site looking forward to seeing you, and available to dispose of papers best shredded instead of thrown away.

Jane’s Walk: Arlington
Arlington Farmers Market (14th Street N. & N. Courthouse Road)
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.

WalkArlington and local landscape architects Ana Quintana and Lan Hogue will host the first inaugural Jane’s Walk in Arlington — a global event to activate the ideas of Jane Jacobs, legendary advocate for neighborhoods, and to support a community-based approach to city building through citizen-led walking tours. Attendees will explore Clarendon and Courthouse during the free event.

Cat Cafe
Columbia Pike Branch Library (816 S. Walter Reed Drive)
Time: 2-4 p.m.

Meet the purrfect addition to your family at the library where attendees will be able to enjoy free coffee and tea, eat sugary treats and play with the cutest adoptable kittens from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington this Saturday. Staff from AWLA will be present to answer cat behavioral questions and adoption advice. Please bring an ID and proof of residence if you plan to adopt on the spot.

Halls Hill-High View Park 2019 Neighborhood Day
High View Park (1945 N. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 1-5 p.m.

The free neighborhood day is back with moon bounces, face painting, food truck, prizes, raffles, Zumba, games, music, and more this year. The event will provide feature water, toys, and games for K-9 family member(s). The price of attendance is a box of cereal that event organizers will provide to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

National Chamber Ensemble – The Contemporaries*
Gunston Arts Center (2700 S. Lang Street)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Music and dance unite as NCE and Bowen McCauley Dance premiere another exciting creation set to the music of Igor Stravinsky and the stunning choreography of Lucy Bowen McCauley. The event is a multimedia project for violin, cello, piano and computer that evokes the Disco Era and the music of the pop/rock group Queen.

May the 4th | an outer space dance party
Reagan National Airport (2401 Smith Blvd)
Time: 7-11:30 p.m.

On Saturday, May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day, Scorpio Entertainment will transform the historic Reagan National Airport Terminal A Lobby into a spaceship-inspired cosmic dance party, featuring an open bar, live entertainment, views of the runway, glow wear for all guests, social media projection wall, galactic light show, and “a few other surprises” that may include a real-life Sharknado moment.

Sunday, May 5

LWV-Arl Co-sponsors State Senator Dist. 51 Candidate Debate 
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 3:15-5:00 p.m.

The League of Women Voters of Arlington along with the Nu Xi Zeta Chapter, Alexandria and the AAUW Arlington Branch is sponsoring a debate between state senate candidates Nicole Merlene and Barbara Favola. This is an opportunity to meet and question the candidates and learn their positions on important issues. Tickets are free with online registration.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Sushi Restaurant Kona Grill Appears to Have Rolled Out of Rosslyn

By Airey

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) Rosslyn’s Kona Grill is gone for good, the restaurant confirmed in an announcement one tipster forwarded this afternoon.

“Want to thank all our guests for their patronage and hope you’ll visit Kona Grill again when you are near our other locations,” the company’s announcement read.

Tipster Rob Stern said he saw received the announcement as a rewards club member and he is sad to see the restaurant go.

“I’d made a point to go to Kona Grill when I was in town for visits, from Raleigh, NC,” said Stern. “I’ve also enjoyed their Orlando location. Their salmon and macadamia nut chicken were two of my favorites.”

Four other tipsters sent ARLnow pictures of the signs that thank people for their patronage, saying, “We are sorry but we are now closed!!”

The restaurant, located at 1776 Wilson Blvd, served a mix of American fare like sliders and pan-Asian dishes like sushi and pad Thai noodles, according to its menu.

The news comes two weeks after its Arizona-based parent company Kona Grill Inc. announced the chain may file for bankruptcy after reporting $32 million in losses last year and closing eight other restaurants, reported the Phoenix Business Journal.

Last week, the Business Journal reported that the company’s shares were delisted from the stock market.

As of today (Monday), calls made to Kona Grill’s Rosslyn location went unanswered and the restaurant was no longer listed on the chain’s map of locations.

A Yelp reviewer noted yesterday (Sunday) that “stuff is packed up in large plastic tubs, and furniture is being loaded onto a box truck.” The restaurant’s Facebook has not posted since mid-February.

The Rosslyn location originally opened in 2015. At the time, Kona’s general manager Joesph Ortega said Rosslyn was scouted because, “It’s a growing area, young and upcoming” which he hoped would gel with the restaurant’s “very hip or retro feeling.”

The restaurant celebrated Kona Grill Inc.’s 20th birthday in September in Rosslyn, according to Rosslyn BID’s social media.

Photo via Angelika Lipkin

ACPD and Local Bars to Hold Nightlife Safety Event

By Airey

Police and local bar owners are teaming up to talk about alcohol and nightlife safety this week.

The two groups are co-hosting “A Conversation About Nightlife Safety” on Wednesday, May 1 from  7-9 p.m.

The free event will be held at the Hazel conference center at Virginia Hospital Center (1701 N. George Mason Drive). Attendees are asked to RSVP online.

“Patrons, restaurant staff, and those interested in maintaining Arlington County as a safe destination for entertainment are encouraged to attend a community conversation on nightlife safety,” a county press release reads.

Speakers include Freddie Lutz of Freddie’s Beach Bar, John Williams of Whitlow’s on Wilson, and Chris Lefbom of Ragtime, Rhodeside Bar and Grill, and William Jeffery’s Tavern

A panel line-up include officials from the county’s zoning, human services, economic development and fire departments.

Arlington County Police will be sending a member of its Restaurant Liaison Unit to the event, which is a part of the “Arlington Restaurant Initiative” to train bar employees to serve alcohol responsibly and help reduce nightlife crime.

Officials made the restaurant initiative a permanent fixture of Arlington’s nightlife scene back in October after piloting it earlier in 2018.

Last year, ACPD said that increased police presence around bars due to the initiative may have contributed to a jump in reported alcohol-related offenses, even though overall county crime rate dropped by 7.7%. The 2018 report noted  a 73% increase in liquor law violations and a 17% increase in “drunkenness” charges, in addition to police catching 703 fake IDs.

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Airey

It’s Friday, which means Arlington County is finally done with budget season — oh and it’s almost the weekend!

In addition to passing a $1.4 billion budget this week, the County Board also voted to rename Jefferson Davis Highway.

In fact, they voted on so many things of note, it’s almost impossible to summarize it all in one breath: getting rid of glass recycling, updating the county’s bike infrastructure plan; updating the public spaces master plan (coverage of that coming Monday), granting permission for Ballston Quarter to hang up some real big TVs, approving an incentive package for Gerber, approving a couple of outdoor cafes, and awarding some trees.

Outside of the dais there was also plenty of Arlington news this week. Here’s some of what you might have missed:

Let us know your weekend plans and feel free to discuss these stories — or any other topic of local interest — in the comments below.

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