Tomatoes ready for the market (courtesy of Rosslyn BID)
Apples at the Rosslyn farmers’ market (Flickr pool photo via TheBeltWalk)
Rosslyn farmers’ market (courtesy of Rosslyn BID)
The Rosslyn Farmers Market will kick off once again in a few months, but with a new feature: a weekly community supported agriculture program (CSA).
Like other CSA programs, FRESHFARM Share program staff pull together fruit, vegetables, and other goods from local farmers and producers that also sell at the farmers market.
Residents have the option of a regular share, which costs $30 a week and feeds two people or “one person who eats a lot of veggies,” or a large share that will feed two to four people for a week, according to the subscriber website.
A rotating market treat can be added on for $5 per week, and can be anything from pickles to pasta sauce to pastries (and other non-alliterative supplementary snacks).
Subscribers can pick up their share of the week’s crop at the farmers market, which is held weekly at 1800 N. Lynn Street at the Central Place Plaza from late spring through early autumn. The CSA is limited to 40 subscriptions, and members can skip up to two weeks per half season with three days notice.
More from a press release on some subscription logistics:
While the Rosslyn Farmers Market season will begin on May 9 and run through October, FRESHFARM Share will not begin until May 16. If you subscribe for the first half of the season (12 weeks) of FRESHFARM Share, your subscription will run through August 1.
If you subscribe for the second half of the season (12 weeks), your subscription will run from August 8 through October 24. Full season subscriptions are also available (May 16 – October 24). Share pick-ups will be available during the market’s afternoon operating hours.
Sam Jensen gives a friend a pep talk in between rounds (courtesy of Sam Jensen)
Steel fighters competing (courtesy of Sam Jensen)
Steel fighters competing (courtesy of Sam Jensen)
Steel fighters discussing tactics (courtesy of Sam Jensen)
Sam Jensen a bit relaxed between rounds (courtesy of Sam Jensen)
Steel fighters preparing for a round (courtesy of Sam Jensen)
Arlington residents Zoheir El-Eita and Sam Jenson flew to Arizona early this morning, after carefully packing 60-75 pounds of steel armor and stowing away their weapons into their checked luggage.
The two medieval steel fighters are set to compete this weekend at the Armored Combat League’s National Championship in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and a little finesse is necessary to get their gear across the country. Jensen, 27, studied up on exactly what he could and could not bring on board the flight, and weighed everything ahead of time.
The pair won’t be the only ones with a packing problem; the competition, from March 9-11, brings 49 fighters from across the country to “execute real medieval combat techniques to earn a spot in an international arena” while wearing medieval armor and using medieval weapons, according to a championship press release. They’ll be fighting with the Atlantic First Swords, a mid-Atlantic regional team.
Tournament play consists of one-on-one fights, three-on-three fights, five-on-five fights, and an “ultimate rush” fight of 16-on-16.
“Oh gosh, how do I describe it?” Jensen laughed before diving into an explanation of tournament technicalities. The overall goal is to fight the other team into submission, according to Jensen, by either “hitting someone so hard that they don’t feel like standing up any more or forcibly throwing them to the ground.”
Points are scored when players win a round, and a team needs 11 points to win. Rounds can last anywhere from 20 seconds to eight minutes, and the most rounds that Jensen has ever undertaken at once was either 23 or 24, but that isn’t normal.
“A man with 260 pounds of mass at a fairly quick rate will knock most people down,” said Jensen, so these melee rounds tend to last a minute.
The teams follow almost the same rules from French tournaments in the 1300s, with modern modifications for safety.
“I’d say we’re playing it a bit safer than the 14th century French were,” he added.
Successful steel fighters are chosen to represent the United States at an international championship in May in Scone, Scotland, about 45 miles north of Edinburgh.
While some of the local steel fighters may have discovered the sport through attending Renaissance fairs, Jensen was introduced by a friend living across the country who invited him to a tournament outside of Philadelphia.
Jensen was quickly hooked, and a month later he was getting his “butt kicked, but was absolutely hooked” and quit his pack a day smoking habit to get in better shape. He had been working odd jobs, at one point as a bouncer at D.C.’s Madhatter tavern, but nothing had been clicking.
“I was at a point in my life where, it’s cliche, but I was feeling listless,” he said. “I didn’t have a hobby or a passion, but I thought that this could be it.”
“If anything, I wish I’d found it sooner.”
Though he’s currently studying accounting and finance at Northern Virginia Community College, he meets every Tuesday and Thursday to train at Ashburn’s Silver Eagle Group Shooting Range with his usual, seven member team, the DC Juggernauts.
Jensen doesn’t think he’ll make it to the international tournament in Scotland, but that isn’t what’s important to him. The friendships made and the feelings of camaraderie and competition are enough for him — and he isn’t even sure if there is a physical prize to be won, anyway.
Interior of Rosslyn’s new Nando’s locations (photo courtesy of Nando’s)
Interior of Rosslyn’s new Nando’s locations (photo courtesy of Nando’s)
Nando’s Rosslyn Location photos via Nando’s
Interior of Rosslyn’s new Nando’s locations (photo courtesy of Nando’s)
Nando’s Rosslyn Location photos via Nando’s
Interior of Rosslyn’s new Nando’s locations (photo courtesy of Nando’s)
Nando’s Rosslyn Location photos via Nando’s
Interior of Rosslyn’s new Nando’s locations (photo courtesy of Nando’s)
Nando’s Rosslyn Location photos via Nando’s
South African spicy chicken restaurant Nando’s is opening its newest location at Rosslyn’s Central Place on Monday (March 12), the company announced today.
A press release noted that players with a Washington sports team will make an appearance for a grand opening charity event to benefit “local underserved youth,” but a Nando’s representative declined to be more specific. A Ballston Nando’s opening in 2016 featured several Washington Capitals players flipping chickens.
The location is the newest of the chain’s now 41 U.S. restaurants. Decorations inside the new location include a portrait by South African artist Nqabutho Phakathi, colorful lighting and an undulating ceiling.
Beginning Monday, the restaurant at 1800 N. Lynn Street, with an entrance on N. Moore Street, will operate from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on weekdays, from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Approximate Virginia Square dooring incident location (via Google Maps)
Approximate Virginia Square dooring incident location (via Google Maps)
A bicyclist was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries on Tuesday (March 6) after being struck by an open car door.
The incident occurred near the relatively busy Virginia Square intersection of N. Fairfax Drive and N. Pollard Street at about 6:40 p.m. The bicyclist was riding in the bike lane when they were “doored,” according to an Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman.
Police were dispatched to the scene, and the driver was cited with opening a door into traffic. The fairly uncommon citation has only been issued one other time in the past twelve months by ACPD.
A Virginia law passed in 2016 requiring “drivers to wait for a reasonable opportunity to open vehicle doors on the side adjacent to moving traffic.” The citation is punishable by a fine of no more than $50.
It’s possible that dooring may eventually be a thing of the past thanks to new technology. Recently developed car tech aims to improve bicyclist safety through an anti-dooring mechanism that would identify incoming bicyclists and lock the doors.
Yorktown High School modification plan presentation slide
Yorktown High School modification plan
Yorktown High School modification plan
The final design of Yorktown High School modifications that will increase the building’s capacity to 2,189 seats is set to be approved at the Arlington School Board meeting on Thursday (March 8).
Per the plan, at least six classrooms will be created by converting a computer lab, a computer alcove, and several teacher work rooms. A copy room will turn into a new “teacher collaboration space,” and other teacher work space and offices will also be reconfigured.
Existing storage will be turned into bicycle storage, and charging stations will be added throughout the school, including in the cafeteria and atrium. The current gym lockers will be replaced.
The larger seating capacity comes weeks after the proposed Arlington Public Schools budget was announced with class size increases.
The project’s estimated $4 million cost will be funded by the capital reserve, according to School Board documents.
Gormandizing gaggles will still need to pay to eat or drink at the event, which is being held Sunday, May 20 from noon to 6 p.m.
Listed prices for tickets purchased before May 1 range from $6 for a single beer or wine ticket to $40 for a book of 10 “taste” tickets to $95 for a V.I.P. lounge pass. Tickets purchased after May 1 are more costly, and tickets purchased on the day of the event are even more so.
It’s rain or shine ticketing, so there are no refunds for bad weather.
Local brewery New District Brewing Company is listed as a vendor at a beer and wine garden. A live concert will be held at the beer garden, but no word yet on the performing artists.
Ballston’s SER and Pepita Cantina and Clarendon’s Don Tito and Oz are participating, as well as dozens of other Arlington restaurants and a few from outside of the county. The event web page notes that there will be over 50 food trucks and restaurants serving their specialties, though currently there are only 41 listed.
The festival will be held on Wilson Boulevard between N. Randolph and N. Lincoln streets, approximately along the stretch between the Ballston and Virginia Square Metro stations.
The dog-friendly “BarkPark” will cost $15 for entry, which includes a bandanna and a taste ticket as well as a place for your dog to hang out. A family area with games will be free.
A wintry precipitation mix is expected to hit the region this evening (March 6) and continue into tomorrow morning, which Virginia Department of Transportation officials say could impact the morning commute.
Crews are treating the roads and are preparing for any necessary snow removal, though a tweet from the Capital Weather Gang notes that it is unlikely that much will stick. It’s more likely that there will be a buildup of slush.
VDOT has the following tips for the anticipated precipitation:
Stay closely tuned to weather forecasts (see National Weather Service) overnight and through the day tomorrow.
Consider teleworking or adjusting trips around the forecast. If roads are slick, delay trips for safety.
Bridges, ramps, overpasses and lower-volume roads may become slick quickly with low pavement temperatures.
Ensure gas and wiper fluid tanks are full, and have a good emergency kit. Here’s how: www.ready.gov/car.
Be aware that low temperatures will mean continued potential for refreeze and slick road conditions.
Snow late tonight & Wed AM around DC likely to occur w/ temps above 32, so will be hard for a lot to stick. But if/when snow falls heavily, could cause slush to build-up. Wed AM commute could be affected w/ reduced visibility & some slick spots. More info: https://t.co/u55YqiQA8Npic.twitter.com/b9ftxEcLJM
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) March 6, 2018
Here is an update to our forecasted low-end snowfall amounts (left) and our forecasted high-end snowfall amounts (right) pic.twitter.com/l6rQsh3pP4
Nauck Town Center demolition (photo by Daniel Wanke via Instagram)
The demolished Nauck office building (photo via Arlington County)
A bee warning sign (photo via Arlington County)
A bee keeper relocating bees (photo via Arlington County)
Nauck Town Center rendering (via Arlington County)
Nauck Town Center rendering (via Arlington County)
Nauck Town Center rendering (via Arlington County)
Demolition has begun in preparation for the Nauck Town Center project, and the neighbors might not be the only ones buzzing with interest.
The building torn down last week is none other than the former home of about 70,000 honey bees, which the county relocated in July 2017 after realizing they had not only purchased a former office building but an apiary abode as well.
The aging building had only been vacant for about four months, according to the county, but about 100 pounds of honey were already generated by the time that local beekeepers swooped in to relocate move the hive.
The demolition is one of the final steps in the project’s first pre-construction phase. Utility undergrounding and site perimeter streetscaping will start fall 2018 and end spring 2019.
The second phase of Nauck Town Square project construction is scheduled to begin in the spring or summer of 2019 and wrap up by the winter of 2020. Pre-construction for phase two will begin spring 2018 and last through winter 2019.
The Nauck Town Center project, which has been years in the making, includes an open plaza, outdoor stage, public art, tables and seating and sidewalk improvements, along with displays about the history of the community, which was settled by free African-Americans in 1844. The design includes a large sculpture of the word “FREED.”
In just six days, about 41 Arlington households have volunteered to host gun control demonstrators later this month.
That translates to approximately 131 beds for guest marchers in Arlington.
Altogether, 350 host families volunteered in the first six days that a website aimed at connecting protesters with host families went live, or about 1,120 beds, according to Tricia Duncan, an organizer who lives in Washington but grew up in Arlington. Duncan added that that is a conservative estimate of the currently volunteer housing stock.
Thousands of marchers will descend on Washington on March 24 for the March For Our Lives gun control protest, and a group of mothers with DC Local Ambassadors knew that they’d need a place to sleep.
Initially, the group consisted of seven DC Local Ambassadors who had the same idea: finding free lodging for kids who were coming in for the march. Now there’s 15 organizers, working to find housing for a march that has already suffered from organizational challenges.
The group reached out to their “trusted network” — church groups, civic groups, and parent-teacher associations — for lodging locations.
Both potential hosts and prospective guests have to fill out a form online to be considered. Some social media vetting is conducted, said Elizabeth Andrews, a Washington resident and organizer, but it’s for safety reasons.
The group is also requesting biographical information to try to make “thoughtful matches” that consider the backgrounds of everyone involved, like gender, race, and ethnicity.
“We are trying to think about making it the best situation possible for everyone,” said Andrews.
The Arlington County Democratic Committee, meanwhile, is planning its own events for the March 24 demonstration, including a poster-making party, a walk from the Virginia side of the Memorial Bridge to the march, and a rally at an Arlington church in support of action in Virginia
Rendering of new Market Square (photo via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Market Square (photo via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Crystal City east entrance (photo via Arlington County)
Rendering of new Market Square (photo via Arlington County)
Crystal City will be getting a new, 43,900 square foot plaza called Metro Market Square, according to county planning documents.
Plans for the plaza cite Boston’s Faneuil Hall as inspiration and include retail businesses, small water features, chess tables, and a options for outdoor entertainment.
The market building’s roof would include solar panels and “artistic wind turbines,” and the park’s sidewalks would range from 17.5-19 feet wide. A new Crystal City Metro station east entrance at the plaza would be located at Crystal Drive and 18 Street S.
The parcel, referred to as “block G,” is “generally bounded by 15th Street S. to the north, Crystal Drive to the east, 18th Street S. to the south and U.S. Route 1 to the west,” according to the county website.
Planners are cognizant of shadow issues as well, calling for no more than 55 percent of the park to be in shadow between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on equinoxes and no more than 59% in shadow in the fall.
A community open house will be held on March 21 from 7-9 p.m. for residents to view the details. An online feedback survey will be conducted from March 19-28, though a link to the survey is not yet available.
The block plan is part of the larger Crystal City Sector Plan, passed in 2010, which includes a new two-acre park called Center Park, 7,500 new residential units, and a “transformation of Jefferson Davis Highway into an urban boulevard.”
The contentious I-66 toll rollout only began about three months ago, but it appears that some non-HOV commuters have already found a way around the tolls.
Videos sent to ARLnow.com from a Rosslyn resident show commuters idling along the I-66 shoulder. It’s unclear whether or not the drivers are waiting for the toll to lower or if they are waiting for the tolling period to end all together. The evening tolling period is from 3-7 p.m., and our tipster tells us that this happens frequently just before 7 p.m.
A spokeswoman for Virginia State Police, which is responsible for enforcement on the highway, told ARLnow.com that “this has been an ongoing issue on Interstate 395” as well.
“State police take this issue very seriously and continue to enforce the law, but we are limited due to an ongoing shortage of troopers,” said the spokeswoman. Emergency calls take priority over tolling enforcement, she added.
Virginia law states that drivers cannot stop on the highway except in case of an emergency, accident, or mechanical breakdown.
Tolls as high as $40-50 have been reported on I-66 inside the Beltway since the HOT lane launch, despite initial predictions of tolls closer to the $7-9 range.
