Author: Chris Teale

Residents Start Petition Against High School On Kenmore Campus

By Chris Teale

Just days after local parents launched a petition favoring building a high school next to Kenmore Middle School, others have begun a petition of their own against the plan.

The petition against the Kenmore plan raises concerns about the impact on traffic on S. Carlin Springs Road, which it says would increase the number of students that attend nearby schools from 2,200 to approximately 3,500.

“Carlin Springs Road is one of the County’s few north/south arterials and a major commuter thoroughfare,” the petition reads. “There is no reasonable alternative to Carlin Springs Road for many people using this route. Adding students would add vehicular traffic in the form of school buses, and cars for students and staff. The increase in traffic and the increase in the number of students crossing Carlin Springs Road will increase the threat of accidents involving students.”

The School Board recently whittled down a list of nine possible sites for the county’s new public high school to three. Under the Kenmore plan the current middle school would remain on the 33-acre campus, and adjacent property would be used to build a new 1,300-seat high school.

The other two options remaining are to develop a ninth-grade academy on the site of the Education Center next to Washington-Lee High School, with the International Baccalaureate program expanded and a World Languages site created, or build at the Arlington Career Center site to co-locate with Arlington Tech.

The petition was also critical of the process to determine the site of the new high school.

“The planning process by the County and the School Board to engage in more proactive planning is appreciated,” it reads, “but it appears that the effort to site the 1,300 [seat] high school seats is short circuiting the process.”

Another School Board work session is scheduled for May 15 at the Education Center, with the Board set to discuss the options and adopt one in June.

Female Little League Umpire Enjoys Taking Control

By Chris Teale
1/4

By the time she was 9 years old, Isabel Graham had earned a black belt in mixed martial arts and, with a younger brother around, has always enjoyed being in charge.

So it seemed like a natural fit when she began umpiring in Arlington Little League earlier this season.

Out of an officiating roster of dozens of teenagers and a handful of adults, Graham is currently the only female ump in the league. (An older female umpire is out with an injury.)

But the 14-year-old Graham, an eighth-grader at St. Thomas More Cathedral School, said that her gender has never been an issue for anyone as she takes charge of games at the AAA and Majors levels for children up to the age of 12.

“At this age the players don’t actually know that it’s different, so they treat me like anyone else,” she said before a recent game at Fort Scott Park. “The only people who know it’s different are the parents, so the moms always give me a smile.”

Graham combines her umpiring with playing travel softball for Arlington Sage, and also plays basketball during the winter. She was introduced to umpiring by her friend and St. Thomas More classmate Nicolas Lopez-Riveira, now in his third season overseeing Little League games.

And she seems to have taken to the umpiring quickly. She said it is very similar to playing catcher on her softball team, as she is in charge and sees a lot of action behind home plate.

“It’s exciting, but I guess I’ve seen her in so many things where if she’s not in charge, she’s at least constantly aware of what’s going on,” said her father Michael Graham. “I’m not surprised that she enjoys it, mostly because of the interest in softball and baseball. I’m glad that she’s doing it.”

To become an umpire, Isabel Graham went through training on the rules of the game and how to handle situations on the field. League umpire-in-chief Steve Sundbeck said he has approximately 65 teenagers and seven adults, including himself, that umpire. The league has approximately 1,500 children as young as 4 that play baseball.

Sundbeck said he looks to use the training program to teach new umpires good sportsmanship and confidence, something that is helped by a league culture in Arlington that emphasizes earning respect and doing your best, regardless of age.

“It really is a matter of doing the best job you can in the first place, because they’ll know when you’re getting lazy and not getting in position,” Sundbeck said. “And you just know what to ignore and what to call out that you’re not putting up with. We try to teach them the rubric.”

And while Isabel Graham said she gets nervous before games start, once the batter settles into the box, it feels natural.

“They’re really just trying to have fun, and they often don’t understand what’s happening, they just want to get out there and play,” she said. “I don’t think there’s that much pressure. Mostly I’m just pressuring myself. I’ll always think I’ll make mistakes, but I’ll have to get over it.”

Isabel Graham will start at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria in the fall and said she hopes to continue umpiring and maybe move up to the 50/70 level, the highest in Arlington Little League.

“She’s always been a fairly focused, confident kid and loves all things baseball as well as being in charge,” said Michael Graham. “So being an umpire seems to be a really good fit for her personality and interest in sports. Whether she’s the only girl or the first girl to do anything has never really been of concern to her.”

Arlington Agenda: May 2-7

By Chris Teale

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.

Thursday

Special Screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7:30 p.m.

May the Fourth be with you as local fans celebrate Star Wars Day with a special discount screening of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Guests will be greeted by stormtroopers and the evening will feature costume contests and Star Wars trivia.

Law Enforcement Officer Of The Year Awards*
The Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike)
Time: noon-1:30 p.m.

Arlington County Crime Solvers’ annual awards luncheon, which includes remarks by county officials, a keynote address by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and the presenting of awards to local law enforcement officers and the Chamber of Commerce.

“Shed Your Coat” at Rocklands Arlington*
Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. (3471 Washington Blvd)
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Officially kick off patio season with a special evening of food and drink to benefit Doorways for Women and Families. Guests will mingle on the patio munching on pork pulled from a whole roast pig, and fresh oysters roasted over a wood fire.

Magnificent Movie Music*
Spectrum Theater (1611 N. Kent Street)
Time: 6-8:30 p.m.

A three-part multimedia lecture series presented by concert pianist and film music expert Rachel Franklin. Dr. Franklin will delve into some of the greatest film music ever composed and discuss the relationships between films and their scores.

Friday

Market Common Clarendon Kids’ Concerts
Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Kids’ concerts every Friday from May 5 through October 27 in The Loop. Mr. Knick Knack! is back with special appearances by: Mr. Skip, The Bubbas, Oh Susannah!, Kidsinger Jim and Tracey Eldridge. Admission is free for children and adults.

Saturday

CWP Spring Fling*
Children’s Weekday Program (716 S. Glebe Road)
Time: 9 a.m.-noon

Join the Children’s Weekday Program for a fun morning of activities for children and families. Activities include creative games, a face painter, bounce houses, a bake sale and special visitors to celebrate spring. All the community is welcome.

Arlington Community Foundation Home Tour*
Various locations
Time: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tour elegant homes in the Country Club Hills neighborhood of Arlington and support the Arlington Community Foundation in the process. Attendees will see six homes at the event, presented by Washington Fine Properties. Tickets cost $35.

Sunday

George Washington’s Forest Walking Tour
Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.)
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m.

The Arlington Historical Society and Ball-Sellers House invites you to a guided walking tour led by local historian, Kevin Vincent. On the walking tour you’ll trace George Washington’s steps through a property he bought.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Work Underway At New Clarendon Beer Garden

By Chris Teale
1/3

More details are filtering out about Clarendon’s first dedicated outdoor beer garden, which hopes to open this summer.

“The Lot” beer garden, at 3217 10th Street N., will replace the used car lot once operated by the Prime Auto Group. Signs remain up for the car seller, but its telephone number and website have been deactivated.

Inside, work appears to be in the early stages on The Lot, which, according to a permit application filed with the county, intends to add a small kitchen and enclosed deck to an existing building, in addition to the outdoor seating. A license application filed with Virginia ABC indicates it wishes to have over 150 seats.

The site is currently zoned for a general commercial district and is close to other beverage-serving establishments like Northside Social and cold-pressed juice bar JRINK.

Owned by the Social Restaurant Group, The Lot is listed as one of six upcoming ventures for the group, alongside Bar Bao in the former Mad Rose Tavern space in Clarendon, which appears close to opening. SRG already operates Pamplona, also in Clarendon.

Staff with the Social Restaurant Group referred all requests for additional information to their media relations representatives. Those representatives did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued For Arlington

By Chris Teale

Update at 9:10 p.m. — The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been cancelled.

Earlier: The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Arlington, in effect until 11 p.m.

NWS said a line of showers and thunderstorms are moving west, and have the potential to bring strong to damaging gusts of wind this evening.

‘Bill Of Rights Eagle’ Unveiled At GMU’s Scalia Law School

By Chris Teale
1/10

More than 100 dignitaries, students, faculty and staff braved blustery conditions Monday for the unveiling of the Bill of Rights Eagle outside the Antonin Scalia Law School on George Mason University’s Arlington campus.

Cast in bronze by sculptor Greg Wyatt, the 4,300-pound eagle has a seven-foot wingspan and was dedicated as part of the university’s Law Day celebrations.

It shows an American eagle standing on top of the Bill of Rights, protecting them with its enormous wings. In an interview after the ceremony, Wyatt said it was symbolic of standing against oppression and for freedom.

“It’s a permanent memorial to free speech and artistic practice, unlimited by your format and materials,” he said. “It’s something you want to pass from one generation to the next.”

Wyatt initially presented the statue in plaster in the U.S. Senate’s Russell Office Building in 1989, before it moved two years later to the southwest corner of the courtyard at Harvard University, near Dudley House.

After five years outside Dudley House, it moved to the courtyard by Harvard’s Winthrop House, just outside the suite where former President John F. Kennedy lived and studied. A renovation in that area forced it to return to Wyatt’s studio, then the law school was recommended for its new home.

And while university officials said the move was not because of namesake George Mason IV’s role as the author of the Bill of Rights, it is fitting nonetheless.

“I think Harvard Yard was an okay place for the Bill of Rights Eagle. I think the U.S. Senate was a better place,” said GMU president Angel Cabrera. “But I cannot think of a better place for the eagle than the law school that carries the name of the author of the Bill of Rights.”

“I just get chills,” said law school dean Henry Butler. “Here we are at the university named for the father of the Bill of Rights, being given an eagle named for the Bill of Rights.”

Wyatt has designed two other similar eagles on display in the U.S.: one with a three-foot wingspan on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and another with an 18-foot wingspan in the north courtyard of the State Department in the District, installed in 2000.

He said his research involved learning about how eagles are put together, from their bone structure to feather count and where their joints are.

“That kind of research is expected,” Wyatt said. “What’s not expected is adding something to the nation’s symbol. What that means in this instance is the idea that our freedom of speech and production and artists are showcase for the benefits of the constitutional rule of law under which all of us derive these precious freedoms.”

Startup Offers Intern Housing Solutions In Crystal City

By Chris Teale

Startup Monday header

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.

As the spring turns to summer, one of many certainties in the D.C. region along with the stifling heat and humidity is the influx of interns from across the country.

And those interns, either still in college or recent graduates, typically are in need of somewhere to stay.

That’s where Capstay comes in, offering short-term rentals for interns in addition to accommodations for international students studying in the D.C. area. The company also offers short-term housing for professionals on temporary assignments, including for those in the military.

It was founded in 2015 by Dilek and Emre Yenici, and the majority of its rental apartments are in Crystal City, with some also in Fairfax.

The pair said they began the business after doing some market research and finding a lack of intern-specific housing in some states like California and the D.C. metropolitan area.

“The Crystal City, Arlington and D.C. area is expensive for housing,” said Emre Yenici. “There are lots of interns in the area throughout the year, and they are looking for short-term housing. We are trying to provide them short-term, pre-furnished, all utilities included housing to interns.”

Tenants can either have a private or shared room, or an entire apartment. All properties are fully furnished and have a variety of amenities like laundry, cleaning services and bicycle rental. Utilities are also included in rent, which varies depending on the season.

Apartments vary in size between studio and three-bedroom, and include all the amenities of the private and shared rooms.

Emre Yenici said Capstay has been proactive in partnering with universities and other institutions like language schools, government bodies and agencies that help match up prospective interns with companies.

The diverse nature of their client base means that while summer is a busier time for Capstay, there are still plenty of customers year-round, enough to keep their residences filled.

“We are trying to fill all our gaps with different customer bases,” Emre Yenici said. “There are some interns starting their internships in different times of the year, and other small groups are interning in other different times. They need shorter-term housing, so we fill our gaps like that.”

In the summer, the Yenicis said, they expect around 100 tenants, and so expand their housing stock to take into account the higher demand.

And in the future, Emre Yenici said Capstay could expand into the District to take advantage of the need for intern housing across the Potomac River.

“About 95% of our properties are in Crystal City, but D.C. is a good market,” he said. “The next step will be D.C., and we will try to expand our business downtown.”

‘Wilson Hardware’ Targeting June Opening in Clarendon

By Chris Teale
1/3

The new lounge and restaurant coming to the former Ri Ra space in Clarendon is shooting for a June opening.

Crews working on Wilson Hardware at 2915 Wilson Blvd recently removed the black wooden façade erected to obscure construction. The forthcoming bar’s co-owners previously said it would be removed once work is nearly done, then said last week they are confident that they will be able to open in June.

A license application filed with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control indicates that the new spot will have over 150 seats. And permitting applications filed with the county show the restaurant will have outdoor and rooftop seating.

Construction on the work-in-progress rooftop deck at the rear of the venue can be seen from N. Garfield Street. Inside, the venue is more expansive than its front entrance would suggest, with two levels, high ceilings and a brand new interior taking shape.

The bar’s name is an homage to Virginia Hardware, the hardware shop that occupied the storefront until 2005.

Representatives with Wilson Hardware declined to comment further with a more concrete opening date or with more details about the new restaurant.

Expect To Hear Cannon Fire Near Fort Myer Tomorrow Morning

By Chris Teale

Arlington residents may hear volleys of cannon fire tomorrow morning as a U.S. Army regiment goes through a routine training exercise at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

From 9 a.m. to noon, the Presidential Salute Battery Guns Platoon of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment — known as The Old Guard — will fire off 168 rounds from a dozen 75mm howitzers.

Each of the 12 teams operating a howitzer will fire seven rounds, spaced out at five-second intervals, then fire four separate 21-gun volleys spaced at three-second intervals for each round.

Those in the area should expect to hear loud noise during the exercise.

The battery will be set up in The Old Guard’s Regimental parking lot, close to the intersection of Arlington Blvd and N. Pershing Drive. They will be firing blank training rounds in the direction of Summerall Field, the base’s ceremonial field.

The platoon fires cannons at ceremonies to honor the President of the United States, for visiting foreign dignitaries, during official government ceremonies, regional celebrations and during military funerals.

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Chris Teale

It’s been another busy week in Arlington, as the county looks to the future with several projects in the pipeline.

Some of our most popular stories have been a first look at the revamped Market Common in Clarendon, the County Board’s approval of changes at the “Five Points” intersection in Cherrydale, price increases coming to the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse and the decision to move ahead with the Long Bridge Aquatics Center.

Also this week, a major water main break caused problems for residents and business in South Arlington, and law enforcement and first responders were involved in an exercise to simulate a major response to an act of terrorism.

Looking ahead, it promises to be a scorching weekend, with thermometers set to hit 90 degrees for the first time this year.

Feel free to discuss those or any other topics of local interest in the comments. Have a great weekend!

Current Boutique Celebrates 10th Year With New Website, Weekend Activities

By Chris Teale
1/6

Ten years after it began in Clarendon, the Current Boutique consignment clothing shop is beginning a new chapter as it launches a new website.

The boutique, which owner Carmen Lopez first opened at 2601 Wilson Blvd in 2007 before expanding to Alexandria, D.C. and Bethesda, intends for its new website to allow women to consign clothes from their homes anywhere in the U.S.

From a press release announcing the new platform:

The new online website will give consigners anywhere in the U.S. the opportunity to consign with Current Boutique. Targeting the market of modern working women between the age of 24-45 with active social calendars that have quality contemporary designer goods to sell, but their garments don’t fit in the realm of qualifying for fashion sites like The Real Real (focused on luxury consignment, or Thread Up (geared toward bargain thrift consignment), consigners can pop their items in a box, drop it in the mail using the prepaid shipping label and the boutique will handle garment review, pricing of items, online placement, and the donation of items that were not selected for consigning. The online consign option will accept women’s clothing (sizes 0-12), shoes, jewelry and designer handbags in perfect condition, with consigners receiving 50 percent of the selling price. Consigners can receive payment at any time and cash out online.

And this weekend, all Current stores will offer complimentary food and drink, giveaways, a chance to win a $100 gift card, 10 percent off shopping, a photo booth and curated fashion sections throughout the store highlighting the latest seasonal trends.

Current celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its launch with an event on Tuesday at its flagship Clarendon location. Attendees wrote down what they are “currently craving,” fashion-wise, while there was also some informal modeling throughout the evening.

Photos via Maurisa Potts/Spotted MP

View More Stories