Author: Airey

Members of Congress Seeking Millions To Maintain Pentagon Memorial, Other 9/11 Memorials

By Airey
1/3

Members of Congress are seeking $25 million to help defray costs at the county’s 9/11 memorials, including the Pentagon Memorial.

Arlington’s Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), along with Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), are leading a request for $25 million they say is needed to fund the “9/11 Memorial Competitive Grants Program.”

“We made a promise in the days after 9/11 — to never forget,” Beyer told ARLnow through a spokesman. “These memorials represent that promise, to never forget the bravery, the sacrifice, and the honor we saw that day.”

The program is part of the 9/11 Memorial Act which the Senate unanimously approved last year. The bill allows the Department of Interior to award grants to 9/11 memorial sites helping cover costs like “continued operation, security, and maintenance.”

Recently, four Republicans and 15 Democratic representatives from New York and Virginia signed a letter requesting Congress allocate the $25 million needed to “fully fund” the program as part of the government’s annual budget cycle.

“The Pentagon Memorial is open 24 hours a day, and, to meet the volume and demand of visitors, the Pentagon Memorial Fund develops a wide variety of educational materials and programs,” the letter says

Pentagon Memorial spokesman Jerry Mullins said that over a million people visit the memorial each year, and staff creates resources like teacher guides and lesson plans for grades 9-12 as well as take-away materials available at the site.

He said funds are needed to develop the Visitor Education Center and expand the educational programming in general.

“It’s really for the school-age kids who really have no memory of the attacks,” he said. “It’s an opportunity once again that this country will never forget what happened that day.”

Renderings for the visitor’s center from 2016 featured a glass wall showing where Flight 77 struck the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

Officials said at the time they expected the building to be open by 2020.

The memorial’s website is also asking for donations for the Center which is says will instruct generations to learn about the attacks “and the unprecedented response in the minutes, hours, weeks, and now years later.”

JUST IN: Longtime Clarendon Sports Bar Mister Days Closing Soon

By Airey
1/2

(Updated at noon) Clarendon sports bar Mister Days is closing next week, according to owner Robert E. Lee.

Furniture, fixtures, and some equipment were sold Thursday morning to Arlington chef Patrick Crump of the Clarendon Grill, which closed in October after 22 years in business.

Mister Days will close on April 12 or 13, Lee said, but before that happens there will several parties.

“A series of the last days of Days,” he said.

Crump is expected to open a new restaurant called “The Grill on Highland” in the space within the next two months, Lee told ARLnow.

Mister Days has been a favorite stop for local office workers, weekend partiers, pub trivia contestants, college students and sports fans for almost half a century and has served Hollywood stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and hosted performances by Mary Chapin Carpenter, according to Lee.

Lee is subletting the space to the new group, but says he’s keeping the “Mister Days” brand name in case he wants to sell it or open another establishment.

“The name comes from the fact we were only open [during] daytime or happy hours,” he said. “Maybe something like that works.”

Lee, who’s turning 80 this year, cited ongoing health issues as a reason for closing the bar and said the decision had nothing to do with rent costs.

He asked patrons to keep an eye on the Mister Days website, which will post details tomorrow about next week’s going away parties.

The bar celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017.

It first opened in the Dupont Circle area of D.C. in 1977, then moved to Georgetown, finally settling in Arlington in 2001 as it grew from an alley pub to a community institution.

Lee previously said he was weighing whether to invest in renovations or retire.

“Forty-three years is a lot of history,” he said Thursday.

New Luxury Shoe Store “Jus4thqtr” Now Open On Lee Highway

By Airey
1/6

Customers walking into the new luxury shoe store “JŪS4thqtr” on Lee Highway may be surprised to be greeted by a wall of juice bottles.

The real way in is through a refrigerator door, which pushes open into a showroom with illuminated shelves of footwear and display cases holding high-end fashion.

Founders Shadi Ello, 24, and Mohamed Sha, 27 told ARLnow that the speakeasy entrance is all part of a feeling of “community engagement” they wanted to cultivate since opening last month. It’s also why they show only display shoes, Ello said, to encourage customers to ask store employees about sizing and color options.

“The minute someone puts that on their foot, it’s a wrap,” said Ello, who explained the store only carries “deadstock,” or never-before-worn sneakers purchased from retailers. “This is not a Foot Locker.”

The store is located in an unassuming, low-slung shopping center at 5139 Lee Highway. Initially, Ello said he was worried about attracting enough customers to a high-end boutique in “deep Arlington” but so far they’ve had enough customers to start running out inventory.

JŪS stocks about 4-5 glow-in-the-dark Yeezy 750 Boosts that run $1,000 and several sneakers from the Off-White Airmax 90 collection for $750. For women, there’s a selection of kicks from Adidas and Travis Scott in size 5 for $500.

The most expensive shoe is the ‘Not For Resale’ Air Jordan 1s selling for $1,500.

“The shoes just generate foot traffic,” said Ello, who acknowledged many of the shoes “are outrageously priced” by design. Most of the store’s revenue comes from its apparel, he said.

The clothing sold at JŪS includes a $35 JŪS-branded shirt, $200 for a leather body vest from Maryland designer Daniel Green’s brand “Insane Cult”, and a $1,000 Dior sweatshirt.

Ello, who grew up in Arlington and attended Wakefield High School, expected most of his customers to be in high school or their mid-20’s, and was surprised by the number of middle schoolers shopping to resell kicks.

He jokes that the 11-year-olds “like to give me a hard time” about the prices but he enjoys them coming by.

“It’s not illegal, and it’s keeping them in a safe, clean environment selling shoes,” he said.

Ello, Sha, and a third co-founder say they signed a lease in the shopping center six months ago.

After three weeks of steady business, they say they’re working on turning the basement into a space for photo shoots and pop-up fashion galleries. The store’s Instagram account has already filled with some of the modeling shots.

Kenmore Middle School To Be Honored Next Week for Special Needs Inclusion

By Airey

Next week, Kenmore Middle School will be recognized as one of the country’s top five schools for including special needs students in its community.

The Special Olympics selected Kenmore last fall and will present the Unified Champion Schools National Recognition Program award next Friday, April 12, from 1-2 p.m. at the middle school.

Winning schools were chosen based on demonstrating “excellence” for including special needs students in sports and youth leadership, among other benchmarks.

The award is being presented alongside ESPN.

Yorktown and Washington-Lee high schools are also Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, according to a map of participants.

The program reported that nationwide 6,500 schools participate in the program, which allows 272,000 students to participate in sports inclusive of special needs.

The Unified Schools Program is managed by the Special Olympics and funded via a grant from the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs, per its website.

Separately, President Trump recently backtracked on his administration’s plan to cut funding for the Special Olympics after public outcry mounted in support of the program, reported Politico.

County Unveils New Program Waiving Charges for Some Addicts Seeking Treatment

By Airey
1/2

Arlington law enforcement officials are launching a program to help people with addictions get help without jail time.

“Operation Safe Station” allows the Office of the Magistrate to waive charges on people with an addiction who turn themselves and their drugs in, and ask for help.

“Forgoing a prosecution and connecting individuals to treatment professionals is a first step in fighting this pernicious epidemic,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos in a statement Tuesday.

The program is the latest effort combatting the opioid crisis after the county saw a 245 percent increase in patients seeking treatment for opioid addiction between 2015 and 2017.

Operation Safe Station will refer participating people to “support groups, outpatient office based opioid treatment programs, Methadone programs, and when appropriate, residential treatment” per the description on the county’s website.

The program is a joint creation of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Arlington County Police, and Arlington’s Dept. of Human Services (DHS).

In a Tuesday press release, Chief of Police Jay Farr, DHS Director Anita Friedman, and Sheriff Beth Arthur praised Operation Safe Station for “removing barriers” preventing people from seeking help with their addictions.

However, the program does not accept people who:

  • Have outstanding arrest warrants
  • Have been convicted of giving, selling, or distributing drugs, or convicted of doing so with the intent to manufacture
  • Are under 18 years old and don’t have a guardian with them
  • Are determined to be a threat to program staff by police

Those who do not meet these criteria still face arrest if they turn themselves in with controlled substances at the Magistrate’s Office.

Operation Safe Station participants must also agree to a search and sign an agreement committing themselves to the program.

The program’s announcement comes several months into Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos’ campaign for re-election. Challenger Parisa Tafti has criticized the prosecutor for being slow to implement criminal justice reform measures like eliminating cash bail.

Stamos has defended her record earlier this week by referencing success of her “Second Chance” program she says diverted 500 minors struggling with addict from court since its start in 2011 as well as a Drug Court program.

Governor: Technology Company Pledges 1,000 Jobs in Arlington

By Airey

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) An Arlington-based tech company is relocating its headquarters in Crystal City and pledging to add 1,000 new jobs in Arlington.

Incentive Technology Group, LLC (iTG) is investing $5.1 million in a 50,000 square-foot headquarters at the Presidential Tower office building at 2511 Jefferson Davis Highway, where it expects to hire for 128 positions this year.

The new headquarters, and the 1,000 jobs iTG pledged to add over the next three years, was announced by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam earlier today.

Virginia and Georgia both vied for iTG’s new headquarters, but Amazon appears to have helped tip the scales in Arlington’s favor.

“Arlington County’s recent influx of technical talent, as well as its ability to attract leading-edge companies to the area, such as Amazon, are the key reasons for iTG’s decision to stay in the region,” said iTG’s Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fehretdinov.

iTG consults with Amazon Web Services, per its website. Its customers include the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Communications Commission, National Cancer Institute, Bank of America, the General Services Administration, Vanguard, and United Healthcare.

Governor Northam described the company as a “homegrown small business” and said iTG’s choice to stay Arlington is “another example of how the region’s world-renowned tech talent and higher education system attracts and retains leading IT businesses of all sizes.

In the press release, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball, state Sen. Adam Ebbin and Del. Rip Sullivan lauded the move as evidence of the county’s growing economic power.

Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said he was “excited” that iTG planned to stay in the county.

“iTG has seen great success here, and in its new space is well-positioned to continue its growth in the field of information technology,” Dorsey said in a statement. “We look forward to continue working with iTG as a valued partner in our business community.”

iTG was founded in 2008 and is currently located at 2121 Crystal Drive. It currently has “in excess of 200 Arlington employees,” Fehretdinov told ARLnow.

File photo

ACPD Searching for Group Who Allegedly Stole a Car, Flipped Another in Fairlington

By Airey

Police are trying to locate a group of alleged car thieves they say flipped a stolen car before attempting to steal others in the Fairlington neighborhood.

Around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night police arrived at the scene of a flipped car on the 4800 block of 28th Street S, according to a crime report posted today. Officers discovered that the vehicle was a sedan stolen from D.C. and determined that its passengers broke into several other cars in the area while trying to flee the crash scene.

The suspects allegedly stole one car, a Silver 2016 Kia Optima, from the neighborhood after flipping their own and attempted to break into several other vehicles, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow.

Residents posted pictures of the scene on Facebook. One picture shows a log sitting in the passenger seat of one of the cars, wood chips and glass from the broken window strewn across the center console.

“Approximately four vehicles were tampered with,” confirmed Savage. “The driver’s side windows of two vehicles were smashed and a log was located at the scene.”

More from the crime report:

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT/TAMPERING WITH AUTO, 2019-03300280, 2019-03300275, 2019-03310014, 4800 block of 28th Street S. At approximately 11:34 p.m. on March 30, police were dispatched to the report of suspects tampering with vehicles. Upon investigation, it was determined the suspects were operating a vehicle previously reported stolen out of Washington D.C. when they struck a parked vehicle, causing theirs to overturn. The suspects then exited the vehicle, tampered with approximately four vehicles, before stealing a vehicle with the keys left inside and fleeing the scene. The occupants of the crashed vehicle are described as two black males and two black females. The investigation is ongoing.

The Fairlington Villages condo association acknowledged the break-ins in a statement posted on its website and social media Monday, writing:

Management is aware of the events over the weekend regarding vehicles being vandalized and police activity. As it is an ongoing investigation, the police has no information to release at this time. We will update the community as soon as information becomes available.

As a safety measure, if you’re outside at night, please be aware of your surroundings and please keep your phone with you.

Forty-one auto thefts have been reported in Arlington since January 1, up from 32 stolen vehicles reported in the same period last year, according to ACPD’s Community Crime Map.

All told, there were 176 reports of stolen vehicles in 2018, an increase from 158 in 2017. Records from 2016 are not available as police rolled out the crime map that year.

Photo via Andrea L. on Facebook

Second Candy Store to Open at Pentagon City Mall

By Airey

The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City may welcome a new candy store next month.

“Why Not Candy?” is scheduled to open in the third floor of the mall next to the GNC health and nutrition store on Wednesday, May 1, according to the mall’s website. The confectionery shop will feature an “ultimate candy ‘fun room’ with an unending supply of tasty confections,” the website says.

It will open in a 1,541 square-foot space, according to the store’s leasing agent.

Pentagon City mall will be the second location for the owners, who opened their flagship store In nearby Springfield Town Center two years ago, according to a Facebook page. It’s also these second sweet-tooth temptation in the mall: restaurant and candy shop Sugar Factory opened in the Fashion Centre two years ago.

The Fashion Centre is bringing a bevy of boutiques onboard this spring, including watch retailer Invicta. Women’s clothing store Windsor is also expected to join the mall in the a 4,500-square-foot space near Lids, reported Northern Virginia Magazine.

Photo via Flickr user sayo ts

Arlington Agenda: April 1-7

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 2

Cherry Blossom Dinner at Josephine’s*
Josephine’s Italian Kitchen (2501 Columbia Pike)
Time: 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Reserve one of the limited tables for a cherry inspired dinner, complete with cocktail and wine pairings. Tickets are $75 per person (includes tax and gratuity).

Wednesday April 3

DC/Virginia Diversity Employment Day Career Fair
Embassy Suites by Hilton (1300 Jefferson Davis Highway)
Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The 19th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair is hosting the largest and best diversity and inclusion recruiting event in the U.S. Free and open to applicants 18+.

National Walking Day Happy Hour & Walk
Heavy Seas Alehouse (1501 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6-9 p.m.

An evening walk around Rosslyn to see the Deep Throat garage, Gateway Park, and Dark Star Park followed by a happy hour at Heavy Seas Alehouse with appetizers and happy hour specials.

Thursday April 4

Trade Roots Global Dinner Series: Morocco
Trade Roots (5852 Washington Blvd)
Time: 8-9:30 p.m.

Trade Roots is hosting 3-course Moroccan tagine dinner (meat or vegetarian) by La Côte d’Or chef and owner Jacques Imperato this week, for a fixed price of $28.

Friday April 5

Saint Agnes Lenten Soup Suppers*
St. Agnes Catholic Church (1910 N. Randolph Street)
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

Soup Suppers for Lent with meatless soups, noodles, bread, community and fellowship, followed by Confessions beginning and Stations of the Cross.

Freaky Friday the Musical*
Thomas Jefferson Community Theater (125 South Old Glebe Road)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Thomas Jefferson Middle School performs Freaky Friday the Musical. This is a great family event filled with catchy songs and many laughs. Tickets are $5 and are sold at the door.

Saturday April 6

USA Yoga Central/Southeast Regional Asana Championship
Kenmore Middle School (200 S. Carlin Springs Rd)
Time: 9- 5 p.m.

The competition includes athletes from 16 states including Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. A free community yoga class will also be held, open to anyone.

Jennie Dean Park Feedback Session
Shirlington Branch Library (4200 Campbell Ave)
Time: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation is asking for feedback on design plans for the new Jennie Dean Park — such as the playgrounds, frontage, and restrooms.

Ball-Sellers House Season Opening
Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.)
Time: 1-4 p.m.

Re-enactor musicians from the Monumental City Ancient Fife and Drum Corps will perform at 1 p.m., followed by free docent-led house tours and colonial-era snacks.

Spring ArtFest Week
Fort Smith Park (2411 24th St. N.)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

The second day of the 16th annual ArtFest Week includes a card-making workshops and three painting demonstrations featuring soft pastels, adhesives, and rice paper.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

New Craft Beer Bar “Rebellion on the Pike” Opening This Week

By Airey
1/5

(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Arlington’s newest craft beer bar “Rebellion on the Pike” is opening this week.

An employee said it would be open Monday evening, though a phone for the business was not answered as of 5 p.m. A Facebook post from Monday afternoon says the bar was open over the weekend and will be “back open tomorrow after a good day of rest and restocking.”

Silver tables and chairs sit under the string lights of its outdoor patio area. Inside, black and brown wood furnish the bar. The bar is open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weeknights and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Located at 2900 Columbia Pike across from the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, the Rebellion’s menu features a variety of sandwiches like “The Ronnie” which stuffs 1/3 pound of smoked pork on ciabatta with an Alabama white sauce and bourbon picked slaw, and the “Rebel Yell” with smoked turkey breast, bacon, tomatoes, and white American cheese on sourdough.

Rebellion also serves wings, salads, a variety of pork sandwiches, and “communal grub” like fried pork belly bites, and poutine with house beer cheese, per the menu.

The bar will feature 24 draft lines of craft beer, according to social media posts. A full drink list of the beers, wines, and spirits was not available in time for publication.

As of today (Monday), the bar’s website says it’s hiring.

Brian Westlye founded Rebellion and is the COO of the hospitality company that’s managing the bar. Westlye said in February he was “hopefully” opening by March 1, though most new restaurants in Arlington end up being beset by varying degrees of delays. Rebellion quietly opened its doors and served its first customers last week as part of a soft opening.

Wesley founded the first “Rebellion” in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood. That location serves up a sizable whiskey list as well as burgers, beer, and cocktails.

Rebellion replaces “Brickhaus” which closed last year after owner Tony Wagner said it “never took off the way we expected and hoped it would,” after delays from a lengthy permitting approval process.

Last two photos via Facebook

Arlington Already Planning to Forward FOIAs to Amazon

By Airey

(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) Arlington County is planning to start forwarding public records requests about Amazon to the company, despite not yet having finalized the agreement to do, officials say.

Arlington County agreed to alert the tech and retail giant whenever someone files a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for public records involving the company. Both Arlington County and the Commonwealth of Virginia have agreed to the deal, which has been criticized by open government advocates who fear it make public records harder to access.

The deal is part of a $23 million incentive package the County Board unanimously approved last month to lure the company and its promise of at least 25,000 jobs to the county. However, county officials still need to sign on the dotted line to seal the FOIA deal — something Arlington County spokeswoman Jennifer Smith says they will do within the next two weeks.

“Since the agreement has not yet been fully executed, the provision is not yet in effect,” Smith said of the FOIA deal. “Nonetheless, we will likely notify Amazon of requests for records if and when they come in.”

Smith did not answer a question about why the county decided to honor the agreement before executing it.

Arlington’s FOIA agreement says the county will “give Amazon not less than two (2) business days written notice of the request to allow Amazon to take such steps as it deems appropriate with regard to the requested disclosure of records.”

It also stipulates that the county agrees to, “disclose only such records as are subject to mandatory disclosure under VaFOIA or other applicable law or regulation,” referring to the state laws requiring a response within five days to public requests and that the government apply exemptions narrowly.

County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac told ARLnow through a spokeswoman the agreement with Amazon is a “courtesy” and that it “will not change the County’s response to the request” of public records.

“It provides Amazon with awareness of the FOIA request, giving the company the opportunity to protect records it believes are entitled to protection in the event the County intends to release the records,” he said.

This gives Amazon time to file a “reverse open records request” case in court preventing the county from sharing information, according to FOIA expert Professor John Cary Sims of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

(more…)

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