Ethan Rothstein | ARLnow.com

‘Oklahoma’ Becomes ‘Snowklahoma’ for Local Theater Group

Published February 14, 2014 at 1:30PM

A local theater group is starting to refer to their February production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical classic “Oklahoma” as “Snowklahoma” after yesterday’s major snowstorm made rehearsing treacherous.

The Chalice Theatre is rehearsing in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, at the corner of S. George Mason Drive and Arlington Blvd. Show director Cynthia Young compared the cast and crew of the show to the pioneers the play is based on.

“Pioneers coped with ever-present danger — prairie fires, wild animals, drought, tornadoes, and even murderous criminals — and they survived by cultivating community,” Young said in a press release. “We try to have the same courageous attitude as the characters in the show. Whatever Snowklahoma brings, we’re going to pull together. So come on down, Polar Vortex, we’re not ‘a-feered’ of you!”

The set designers use school facilities to work, so the closed schools and the holidays have thrown a wrench into their building plans. That, coupled with the hazardous conditions, reminded Young why many community theater seasons begin in April.

“It’s definitely risky to mount a large-scale musical in the winter,” Young said. “The threat of a winter storm blowing in and making a shambles of our tightly constructed schedule is a huge worry. But as Aunt Eller says, ‘You gotta be hearty.'”

The show is scheduled to run Feb. 28 to March 16 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $20, and $15 for seniors and students. Interested theater-goers can call 703-892-0202 to reserve a ticket.

Photo courtesy Chalice Theatre

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 14, 2014 at 12:00PM

There’s plenty of snow still on the ground, but that hasn’t stopped several area Realtors from hosting open houses in Arlington.

See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are a few highlights:

4141 N. Henderson Road
0 BD / 1 BA condominium
Agent: Joshua Mossman, Keller Williams Capital Properties
Listed: $248,900
Open: Saturday, Feb. 15, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

3605 25th Street S.
2 BD / 2 BA single family detached
Agent: Michael Webb, Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $359,000
Open: Sunday, Feb. 16, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1301 N. Courthouse Road
2 BD / 2 BA condominium
Agent: Gabriel Deukmaji, Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $512,500
Open: Sunday, Feb. 16, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1005 N. Madison Street
3 BD / 3 full, 2 half BA single family detached
Agent: Ann Wilson, Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $780,000
Open: Sunday, Feb. 16, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1629 S. Taylor Street
5 BD / 3 1/2 BA single family detached
Agent: Michael Webb, Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $929,000
Open: Sunday, Feb. 16, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

3605 Military Road
4 BD / 3 BA single family detached
Agent: Christine Rich, Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $1,249,000
Open: Sunday, Feb. 16, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

#open house

Arlington Shuts Down for Snow, Bars Stay Open

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 13, 2014 at 3:35PM

A walk down the streets of Ballston in the immediate aftermath of the biggest snowstorm in years reveals a consistent trend: most businesses — like banks, barbers, and many restaurants — are closed, but bars are open.

Even in Ballston Common Mall, the Starbucks was closed, although the Panera Bread and Noodles & Company were open and filled with customers during the lunch hour. One of the busiest businesses in the area was First Down Sports Bar (4213 N. Fairfax Drive), which was crowded enough that the one bartender scheduled wouldn’t suffice; owner Ramesh Chopra had to come in and help.

“We’re always open. We were open during Snowmaggedon,” he told ARLnow.com at about 1:30 this afternoon. “I expected it to be busy later, around 3:00, but people were calling us early making sure were going to be open.”

At the Front Page Arlington (4201 Wilson Blvd), owner George Marinakos decided to open, but he had to pick up one of his employees and drive them to the restaurant to work. Other employees at his and other businesses walked to work or took the Metro.

“Everybody wanted us to open,” he said. “I did, employees did, customers did.”

Most offices were shut down — along with schools and county and federal government offices — but Blake Gilley and two coworkers had to come in. By noon, they had left, and an hour later they were enjoying drinks in First Down.

“Literally no one else was there,” he said of his office. “All of our other offices along the East Coast were shut down. I haven’t received an email in three hours.”

Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road were drivable, but covered in slush. The streets were far from empty, however, as most residents seemed to be enjoying their snow days. A few impromptu snowball fights even broke out.

Rock Bottom Brewery (4238 Wilson Blvd) manager Avery Minor expects that later in the day, much of the outdoor merriment will continue in bars like his.

“Bars and grocery stores are the places that have to stay open,” Minor said. “People will always need food and drinks. What else are you gonna do?”

(In Virginia, alcohol-centric establishments — which we refer to above as bars — must serve food and are technically considered restaurants.)

Locals See Continued Growth in Arlington’s Future

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 13, 2014 at 11:30AM

The last two decades in Arlington have been defined by massive, rapid growth in both the residential and business sectors, and leaders in the community are predicting more of the same over the next 10 years.

At Tuesday’s ARLive event, ARLnow.com asked several members of the Arlington community, from residents to business leaders to politicians, what they thought the future would hold. No one believes Arlington will take any steps back from its recent growth — despite a commercial vacancy rate of about 20 percent — and no one mentioned controversial projects like the Columbia Pike streetcar or the planned Long Bridge Park aquatics center.

County Board candidates John Vihstadt, a Republican- and Green-endorsed independent, and Democrat Alan Howze, were in attendance and professed their optimism for the county they hope to lead.

“I think it has unlimited potential,” Vihstadt said. “I hope it’s going to continue to be a diverse community. At the same time I hope we’re able to preserve the small-town feel of Arlington. I really think it’s almost unique among jurisdictions in the D.C. area in terms of its attractiveness and potential, but it needs to redouble its efforts to remain innovative and competitive.”

Howze said the county’s growth is a “reflection of the public investments in schools and transit that have created a great community where people want to live, work and raise a family.”

“In the next ten years we will see a revitalized Crystal City, a growing Columbia Pike corridor, and a community that continues to value Arlington’s vibrant mix of urban and suburban,” he said. “We will also see more students in our schools than we have seen in decades as neighborhoods continue to turn over, new families move into Arlington and younger residents stay in Arlington after starting families.”

Crystal City’s potential was also on the mind of Aurora Highlands Civic Association President Cheryl Mendonsa, who noted that when she moved into her neighborhood, Crystal City and Pentagon City were fractions of what they are now.

“As Crystal City develops it’s going to be an interesting dynamic,” she said. “It’s going to be the place to be. We’re so close to everything — I think it’s going to be a major city.”

Brian Zupan, the regional sales director for Urban Igloo, also agrees with Howze on the appeal of Arlington’s mix of suburban neighborhoods and urban centers.

“People want the urban-suburban feel in areas they live,” he said. “People want to have things where they’re living. People don’t want to drive to the strip mall and get food, they want to walk. We’re going to see a continued infill and increased density with proximity to the District.”

Arlington, VDOT Urge Snow Preparedness

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 12, 2014 at 3:30PM | Updated February 12, 2014 at 4:27PM

Arlington County and the Virginia Department of Transportation are asking area residents to make preparations for the snowstorm expected to hit tonight.

The National Weather Service has placed Arlington under a Winter Storm Warning, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has declared a state of emergency and the latest weather models from the Capital Weather Gang predicts 5-10 inches of snow for the immediate D.C. region by the end of the day Thursday, with 4-8 inches falling by 7:00 a.m.

WMATA has already announced that late-night bus service — after 1:00 a.m. — tonight has been cancelled and MetroAccess service for the disabled has been suspended tomorrow.

The county’s transit agencies, ART and STAR, will “continue to provide normal scheduled services as conditions permit.” The agencies will update their websites and send out alerts if and when service needs to be reduced or suspended.

County and state crews are already pre-treating the roads as predictions come in for not only heavy snow, but sleet and freezing rain in the morning on Thursday.

“The County’s snow crews and Office of Emergency Management are gearing up, and residents and businesses should, too,” Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan said in a press release. “If you don’t have to drive during this storm, which is expected to be the most significant we’ve had this winter, please stay off the roads and let crews do their work. Check on neighbors who are housebound.”

The county is asking residents to move their cars off the street where possible, or to “coordinate with your neighbors and/or civic association to move all cars to one side of the street,” since plows need 15 feet to plow a road. If there is a power outage or trees down, the county is asking residents to use their website to report weather-related issues.

VDOT says that by midnight, more than 4,000 trucks will be stationed in Northern Virginia, ready to plow state-maintained highways and streets, like I-66, I-395 and Route 50.

No closures have been announced yet for school or the government — county and federal — but residents should continue to check throughout the night once the snow begins to fall.

Arlington is also reminding residents of the county’s snow removal ordinance.

The County’s Snow Removal Ordinance requires all Arlington property owners to clear snow and ice from public sidewalks adjacent to their property within a designated time period. The ordinance also prohibits transferring or depositing snow and ice from private property onto public property. Individual homeowners who are physically incapable of complying with the Ordinance are exempt. Visit the County website for more information on the Snow Removal Ordinance. Remember to clear snow from cars and sidewalks into the adjacent yard, not the street.

Residents can use the “Report a Snow Issue” form 24 hours after snowfall has stopped to report snow removal issues or areas that need attention. County staffers monitor the requests, but are unable to respond to every message.

Update at 4:20 p.m. — Arlington County has announced all facilities and programs, including those in schools, will close tonight at 9:00 p.m. The status for school tomorrow remains undetermined.

Morning Notes

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 12, 2014 at 9:40AM

Date Set for County Board Special Election — Circuit Court Chief Judge William Newman officially has declared that the Arlington County Board special election will be held on April 8. The special election is being held to replace now-former County Board member Chris Zimmerman. [Sun Gazette]

End of the Road for Seoul Food Truck — The Seoul Food truck, which makes stops in Rosslyn, Courthouse, Ballston and other lunch spots in Arlington, will be retired at the end of this month. The owners say they want to spend more time focusing on their brick-and-mortar store in Silver Spring, Md., next to the Wheaton Metro station. [Food Truck Fiesta]

Bike Boulevard Signs Installed — Arlington has installed signs and sharrows designating 9th Street S. and 12th Street S., which run along either side of Columbia Pike, as “bike boulevards.” The county has not yet, however, installed improved intersection crossings or trail links, leading some to say that the bike boulevards so far do little to improve safety for Pike cyclists. [Greater Greater Washington]

Preservation Arlington Mourns Loss of Homes — The group Preservation Arlington says a total of 14 demolition permits were applied for in January. “In review of the Arlington County tax records, eight of the eleven houses are owned by builders and are speculative redevelopments, and two are being redeveloped by individuals who bought the property within the last year,” the group writes. “The looming demolition of these houses and buildings represents an incredible loss of history, architecture, time, energy, and materials.” [Preservation Arlington]

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Courthouse Road Ramp Closure This Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 11, 2014 at 1:15PM | Updated February 11, 2014 at 2:14PM

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) The ramp from N. Courthouse Road to eastbound Route 50 is scheduled to be closed during the day today, tomorrow and Thursday.

From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the ramp will be closed to traffic. It will be re-opened in time for the evening rush hour.

“Crews are completing a concrete median barrier here,” said VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer McCord. “Keep in mind it’s weather permitting… although scheduled I doubt there will be any work on Thursday this week.”

These closures are happening about a month before the ramp from eastbound Route 50 to the 10th Street N. bridge is expected to open, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation project page.

The $39 million is still projected to be completed by the middle of this year. The entire interchange will look different, with ramps to 10th Street N. and Courthouse Road from both EB and WB Route 50, and a signalized “T” intersection at Fairfax Drive and the Courthouse Road ramp.

Mental Health Law Passes State Senate

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 11, 2014 at 11:45AM | Updated January 16, 2018 at 2:39PM

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) In a bipartisan effort, the Virginia Senate passed sweeping mental health reform yesterday.

The bill, SB 260, establishes a psychiatric bed registry, extends the maximum duration of temporary custody from four to 24 hours and establishes and “clarifies procedures for placement of those subject to an involuntary temporary detention order,” according to a Senate Democrats press release.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath County), who police say was stabbed by his son, Austin, in the face and chest before Austin Deeds shot himself in November. Austin Deeds had undergone a psychiatric evaluation but was not admitted to a hospital because no bed was available.

Sen. Barbara Favola (D) was a co-patron of the bill, and announced its 38-0 passage Monday with a press release, below:

Senate Bill 260, of which Senator Favola is a co-patron, has passed the Senate today, providing a safety net for individuals suffering from mental illnesses. When an individual is evaluated under an emergency protection order and a determination is made that a temporary detention order (TDO) is needed, the bill ensures that a psychiatric bed will be available.

The bill will protect Virginia residents from the potential threats associated with mental health patients by providing sufficient time to determine the degree to which they are a threat to themselves and to others. The psychiatric bed registry will benefit these patients by guaranteeing them secure facilities in which they can be detained and will facilitate efficiency in law enforcement and crisis response services.

Furthermore, the liberty given to local community services boards to determine alternative facilities for such patients will also ensure their personalized, and therefore improved, treatment. This is filling an important hole in the mental health safety net.

Senator Favola said “Ensuring the availability of a psychiatric bed is crucial to providing much needed care.”

Under the current system, if a bed is not available a judge will not issue a TDO even if the individual needs a more comprehensive evaluation and a treatment plan.

Zimmerman Officially Resigns from Board

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 11, 2014 at 10:45AM

Arlington County Board member Chris Zimmerman has officially resigned from his seat, effective at 5:00 p.m. yesterday (Monday).

Zimmerman handed in his letter of resignation in advance on Jan. 1, according to County Board Clerk Hope Halleck. At the County Board’s meeting two weeks ago, Zimmerman was the last to speak and gave a 10-minute farewell address (beginning at the 3:16:31 mark).

The main theme of Zimmerman’s speech was striking a balance between listening and leadership:

It is expected that the citizenry will be actively engaged throughout the decision-making process. That is the meaning of the Arlington Way. A board member must always be seeking input from the people of this community. That advice and counsel is no less important than the recommendations of the manager and the professional staff, which must also be carefully understood and taken into account. This is the listening part.

But listening does not mean taking a poll. It does not mean reacting to every stream of controversy fomented on listservs, in emails and on blogs before coming to a decision. In the end, each board member has to make a judgment about what is best for the community.

Leadership is the unflinching exercise of that judgment without regard to momentary swings in popularity. I believe that the great success Arlington has had is the result of the combination of leaders who actively engage the people; listen closely to what they’re saying; and then chart a path that they, in their best judgment, believe is most likely to result in the ultimate happiness of the community; and the willingness of the people in this community to let them do so.

The Board will now operate with four members until a special election is held to fill Zimmerman’s seat, which is expected to be held April 8. Running for his seat are Democrat Alan Howze, who won the party’s primary last weekend, Republican-endorsed independent John Vihstadt, Libertarian Evan Bernick, Independent Green candidate Janet Murphy and independent Stephen Holbrook.

Zimmerman announced he was resigning the day after Election Day last fall. His last Board meeting was 18 years to the week after his first. He will now join Smart Growth America as vice president of economic development.

“I will bring all of the lessons I have learned to the effort to help other communities across this country succeed in building a more sustainable, prosperous and more equitable future,” he said to conclude his speech, “and I will continue to be a proud Arlingtonian.”

Rash of Thefts Hit Soccer Practices at Gunston

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 10, 2014 at 2:30PM

The Arlington Soccer Association’s club practices at the turf by Gunston Middle School (2700 S. Lang Street) have been targeted by thieves last week.

The ASA sent an email to soccer parents Sunday night alerting them that thieves had stolen items, including smartphones, from the fields while the teams were practicing. The first incidents of theft happened on Tuesday, according to the email, with soccer balls, phones and several travel bags taken.

“In response to the first incidents on Tuesday, ASA issued guidelines for personal property management to our travel team coaches and team managers that included specific suggestions to mitigate potential issues at Gunston and Virginia Highlands [Park],” the email states. “Despite this, issues continued several times during the week.”

One witness to a theft Tuesday night said it was perpetrated by a 15 year-old.

“A 15 year old youth grabbed two soccer backpacks and started running,” said the witness, who declined to be identified. “Fortunately, bystanders chased and caught the thief and held him until the police arrived. Since each backpack contained a smartphone, the police told us that he would be charged with attempted grand larceny.”

ASA said the Arlington County Police Department has agreed to station more officers, both on foot and in vehicles, at the fields during practice. The ASA has also issued guidelines to its players that include the best place to leave bags during practice at Gunston — behind the goal closest to the school — and a request for each team to provide two volunteers to help supervise practice.

Construction Manager Launches Home Remodeling Help Service

By Ethan Rothstein

Published February 10, 2014 at 12:00PM

Editor’s Note: Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders. 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.

Asif Virani was a construction manager for 14 years, so when he wanted to remodel the kitchen of his Arlington Ridge home four years ago, he figured it would be easy.

After all, he was in construction, used to building office buildings and retail spaces. It’s not as if he wanted an industrial oven, or anything else too fancy, and the kitchen seemed like a simple project. Months later, he was confused, frustrated and looking for an easier solution.

“It was a challenge even for me,” he said. “So I thought, ‘what does someone who doesn’t have experience do?'”

That’s why Virani launched Renovisor, an online service that connects homeowners with consultants to get advice for every step of the renovating, remodeling and redecorating process. Virani said he did research on the market for similar products and came up empty handed.

“There wasn’t anything that could hold your hand and guide you through the process,” he said. “You could hire a construction consultant, but for someone doing a kitchen remodel, it just doesn’t make sense. We’ve got to give access for small to medium projects without breaking the bank.”

The Renovisor platform helps homeowners in two steps: first, it allows homeowners to upload pictures and videos of their current home and ask for advice on interior decorators and remodelers on which paths to take. Second, when homeowners accept bids from contractors, Renovisor connects them with consultants who can explain in plain English what each bid entails, and why the price estimates are so high or low.

Virani said one thing Renovisor doesn’t do is find contractors for homeowners. Since it’s a young site, he decided it would focus on those two areas first. Eventually, he hopes Renovisor can be a big part of every step of a home remodel or renovation.

“We want to expand our platform,” he said. “We want the customers to have turnkey solutions. We would be the online construction manager for the home from soup to nuts. We want to take away as many pain points as possible for the homeowner.”

Customers pay for the consultations, the costs of which Virani said are well below market rate. The consultants are typically retirees in the home construction, renovation or decorating fields, or stay-at-home parents looking for some extra work without a huge time commitment. Most of the fees go to the consultants, while Renovisor takes a small cut.

Virani started the company, which is still bootstrapped, as a part time job until he left to go full-time a year ago this week. He brought in outside designers and developers to help make his vision a reality. In the year since he left Renovisor full-time, he’s brought in another employee, has a two-man team of tech consultants and is readying to take on his first intern.

(more…)

#Startup Monday