Author: Ethan Rothstein

Rosslyn’s New Metro Elevators All Out of Service for Morning Rush

By Ethan Rothstein

Rosslyn Metro unveiling(Updated at 5:50 p.m.) The three two-month old elevators at the Rosslyn Metro Station were all out of service this morning, leaving commuters to use the long escalators on the other side of N. Moore Street.

The problem, according to Arlington Department of Environmental Services spokesman Eric Balliet, was caused after Metro workers turned off power to the station after closing Thursday night. The new elevators failed to restart this morning when the power was turned back on.

“We apologize to Rosslyn Metro riders,” Balliet said in an email. “We’re working with [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] and our contractor to address unforeseen issues like this in the future.”

The elevators were designed and constructed by DES and opened Oct. 6. Friday morning was not the first time there have been problems with the high-speed elevators, which are designed to carry thousands of passengers a day. WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel said that the elevators are under a yearlong warranty with the manufacturer, meaning Metro is not responsible for maintaining and repairing the elevators.

Two of the elevators returned to normal operations around 10:30 a.m., Metro spokeswoman Morgan Dye said in an email. The third elevator has been out of service — and continues to be out of service — due to an unrelated issue.

“It is not uncommon for there to be a need for fine tuning during the initial ‘break-in period’ on any new machinery — whether it be elevators, escalators, railcars, buses, etc.,” Dye said. “Working through the fine-tuning of this kind of equipment is routine and expected.”

Balliet echoed Dye’s words about the break-in period.

“Many of the problems experienced since opening are typical for an elevator break-in period,” he said. “In fact, the number of disruptions had been decreasing week by week until this power outage for track work. We’ll continue working with our contractors to ensure higher levels of reliability.”

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

It’s going to be the first truly cold weekend of the season, and now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping is out of the way, your schedules should be clear to visit some houses in your area this weekend.

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

2900-s-dinwiddie-street2900 S. Dinwiddie Street
2 BD / 1 BA townhouse
Agent: Ann McClure, McEnearney Associates
Listed: $339,000
Open: Sunday, Dec. 8 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1301-n-courthouse-road1301 N. Courthouse Road
1 BD / 1 BA condominium
Agent: Katie Wethman, Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $344,900
Open: Sunday, Dec. 8, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

2101-n-monroe-street2101 N. Monroe Street
2 BD / 2 BA condominium
Agent: David Klimas, McWilliams/Ballard
Listed: $599,000
Open: Sunday, Dec. 8, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

5233-5th-street-n5233 5th Street N.
3 BD / 2 1/2 BA single family detached
Agent: Corey Dutko, Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $699,900
Open: Saturday, Dec. 7, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1612-key-blvd1612 Key Blvd
2 BD / 2 full, 2 half BA townhouse
Agent: Maureen Dwyer, Realty Direct
Listed: $825,000
Open: Sunday, Dec. 8, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

3548-n-dickerson-street3548 N. Dickerson Street
5 BD / 4 BA single family detached
Agent: Linda Zenker, Re/Max Choice
Listed: $1,185,000
Open: Sunday, Dec. 8, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Miracle on 23rd Street Returns Tonight

By Ethan Rothstein

Linden Resources 'Miracle on 23rd Street' 2011An annual Aurora Highlands Christmas tradition will return tonight, with Santa Claus arriving on an Arlington County Fire Department truck.

The Linden Resources “Miracle on 23rd Street Celebration” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Linden office at 750 23rd Street S.

The event is free and open to the public, will include a Christmas tree lighting, a brass band and children’s activities, including photos with Santa.

The event will kick off with a vendor gift fair from local businesses and will feature “local dignitaries,” according to a press release.

Linden Resources, a company devoted to helping those with disabilities find employment opportunities, will also collect donations for its “Vets Ready2Work” program that helps place military veterans with disabilities with jobs.

File Photo

Your Beermonger: DIY Beer Infusion with Dogfish Head’s Randall Jr.

By Ethan Rothstein

Your Beermonger logo

Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).

There was an item I almost included in last week’s “Beer Geek Black Friday” list, but didn’t because it wasn’t obscenely expense and over-the-top the way the other “gifts” were. That item was the Randall Jr. by Dogfish Head, and mine just arrived this week. If you really are looking for a gift for the beer geek in your life, this is a great idea that won’t cost you a lot of money.

The Randall Jr. was inspired by a device Dogfish Head developed more than 10 years ago called Randall the Enamel Animal. Randall is a chamber that can be filled with hops, herbs, fruit — whatever you’d like — that is attached to a draft line. As beer passes through the Randall, it strips away essential oils and flavors, infusing the beer with the fresh aromas and flavors of whatever is in it.

For years, a great day at Rehoboth Beach was when you stopped by the Dogfish Brewpub and they’d have their 90 Minute IPA running through a Randall filled with fresh Cascade hops; the intensity and clarity of the fresh hops is, well, intoxicating.

Randall Jr. is made to bring the fun of experimenting with flavors home, in a package so basic that it almost seems daft: Randall Jr. is a double-walled plastic container that comes with a screwtop lid and a sieve that also screws on and off. You simply pour your beer into the Randall Jr., add whatever you want to infuse that beer with, replace the sieve and lid, and then wait a few minutes (the packaging recommends 20).

After the beer has a chance to “steep,” pour and enjoy. For the maiden voyage of my Randall Jr., I cracked a bottle of Port City’s excellent Optimal Wit and added some dried blueberries I’d picked up at work along with some thyme. The result was delicious, with the concentrated sweetness of the dried blueberries upfront and the thyme giving the beer some much needed “cut;” keeping it from feeling too sweet — though I think some fresh rather than dried thyme would have given the same effect with more restraint.

At $19.99, there’s just too much fun to be had with the Randall Jr. to pass it up. The only hitch may be that it never seems to last very long on Dogfish’s site when a batch arrives. Needless to say, it comes highly recommended from me.

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Community Group Wants Affordable Housing at Lubber Run

By Ethan Rothstein

Lubber Run Community Center (photo via Arlington County)An interfaith community group says it has gathered more than 10,000 signatures for a petition that calls on Arlington County to help develop 1,000 to 1,500 new units of affordable housing over the next 3-5 years.

Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) collected the signatures and plans to present them to Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada next Thursday. VOICE says the affordable housing can be built by redeveloping government-owned sites, including the Lubber Run Community Center in Arlington Forest.

VOICE’s proposal identifies government-owned sites that could be redeveloped including Lubber Run Community Center. The group wants the units to be available only to families and individuals making less than $50,000 a year.

According to a press release, VOICE plans to bring more than 100 people — including clergy in religious attire — in front of the Arlington County government building (2100 Clarendon Blvd) Thursday, Dec. 12, at 5:45 p.m., in support of the plan.

The VOICE group is seeking immediate action from the County Board to start implementing some of its proposals at its Dec. 14 meeting.

EnviroCab Founder a Surprise Candidate for County Board

By Ethan Rothstein

Arlington County Board candidate Cord ThomasEnviroCab co-founder Cord Thomas announced he was running for the vacant seat on the Arlington County Board at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee, declaring a platform of job growth and fiscal responsibility.

Thomas is a newcomer to Arlington politics, having not held a public position before, but after he and his uncle, Hans Hess, sold EnviroCab six months ago, he decided he wanted to do more for the community.

“I don’t have a lot of experience in Arlington politics, but I have a lot of experience in growing Arlington,” Thomas told ARLnow.com. “I know what it’s like to spend money that’s your own. Everyone likes to spend other people’s money, but when it’s their own, they look at it more seriously.”

Thomas, a Nauck resident, is also a co-owner of Ballston-based Elevation Burger, which has grown to more than 40 locations worldwide.

Thomas was a surprise inclusion in the group of Democratic candidates vying for the seat made available by Board Member Chris Zimmerman’s impending resignation. Joining Thomas in the race will be Highland Park-Overlee Knolls Civic Association President Alan Howze and former Planning Commissioner Peter Fallon.

Howze’s and Fallon’s candidacies were widely known among local Democrats, to the point where many officials endorsed one or the other at the Democratic committee meeting.

“I was disappointed after I made my speech that so many elected officials had already made an endorsement,” Thomas said. “It seemed rather closed off, almost. I didn’t realize this was happening.”

Thomas, 31, said he plans to represent county constituents he feels are not represented at all on the County Board: small businesses and the county’s largest demographic, 25-34 year olds.

“I have an understanding of what it’s like to buy a home in Arlington these days,” Thomas said; he bought a home in Nauck six months ago. “A lot of small business owners support me in doing this. They really want a voice, and I think that’s important.”

Thomas doesn’t have a stated position on the Columbia Pike streetcar or the Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center, but said that fiscal responsibility must be a priority in deciding on all issues. Thomas said he swims at the Wakefield High School pool, but questioned the size of the investment the county was making with the aquatics center.

“With the streetcar, I’m really waiting for the county to have real numbers,” he said. “I want to see companies come and give us real projections. Until that comes out, I don’t think it would be responsible to make a decision on it. When the information comes out, if it supports economic development like we all think it will, then fantastic. But we need to be responsible here.”

Thomas is concerned with many of the ways the current County Board has allocated its dollars, emphasizing his business experience to show that he could correct the Board’s policies and be, as he put it, “good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

“In business, every dollar counts,” he said. “However you spend it, you need to make sure you get the bang for your buck out of it. I don’t believe that’s really looked at in the board. In fact, I know that’s not really looked at. I don’t think anybody wants to cut any programs, and neither do I, but we have to learn how to increase our revenue through growth. In order to spend money you have to bring money in.”

Photo courtesy Cord Thomas

Arlington Changes Parking Ticket Appeals Process

By Ethan Rothstein

A Crown Vic ticketed in ClarendonDrivers who are issued a parking ticket can no longer go to the police department to try to get it dismissed if it wasn’t issued in error.

Arlington County Police Department Chief Doug Scott and Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos agreed earlier this year that parking tickets that were issued correctly could no longer be reviewed by the police department, and all appeals would have to be taken to court. The policy took effect Oct. 1.

Tickets issued erroneously — for example, a ticket written at 6:05 p.m. for a meter that expired at 6:00 p.m. — can still be resolved administratively, according to Stamos.

When the ticket “was erroneously issued, in that case… the motorist will come to the police department and they’ll take care of that,” Stamos told ARLnow.com. “They’re going to continue to get rid of tickets that were erroneously issued.”

Before Oct. 1, a driver who was issued a ticket could walk into the police station and request a dismissal, and it would be up to the attending officer whether to enforce or dismiss the ticket. For instance, sometimes tickets for compliance violations like an expired state inspection sticker would be dismissed if the recipient could prove they worked quickly to get their vehicle inspected.

“[Chief Scott] didn’t like the idea of officers saying ‘you know what, we issued it, but we’re going to recall it, even though it was legitimately issued for a violation of some kind,’” Stamos said, noting the previously policy was also a drain on police resources. “If the recipient feels that it’s an injustice, they can go to court and deal with it in court.”

If a ticket recipient wishes to meet with a prosecutor to discuss a ticket, they will need to fill out the form on the back of the ticket and receive a court summons first. Then, Stamos said, they can bring the summons to meet with a prosecutor and try to get the ticket dismissed.

The process still involves showing up in person on a work day, something many ticket recipients decide is not worth the time and aggravation. Occasionally, for out-of-state visitors, prosecutors will conduct a dismissal discussion via phone or letter. Stamos estimated that 90 percent of ticket recipients are local.

File photo

Two Companies Win Ballston Startup Competition

By Ethan Rothstein
The winners and judges of the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge
Ted Leonsis and Gerry Connolly at the Ballston Launchpad Finale
Finalists for the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge
Tomorrow's Lemonade Stand co-founder Kylee Majkowski, right, and her younger brother
Ted Leonsis at the Ballston Launchpad Finale
Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone at the Ballston Launchpad Finale
Finalists for the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge
Finalists for the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge
Finalists for the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge
Finalists for the Ballston LaunchPad Challenge
Aneesh Chopra and Saul Ewing Attorney Mark Gruhin at the Ballston LaunchPad Finale
1/13

Some of today’s big names in local business gathered in Ballston Wednesday night to decide who will be the big names of tomorrow.

Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, former United States Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) were among the judges for the Ballston Business Improvement District Launchpad Challenge Finale. One company was supposed to go home with $15,000 in cash, office space and furniture and free legal advice.

After hearing four presentations, the judges couldn’t narrow it down to just one, so they chose two companies — BuilDatAnalytics and Carsquare — to each go home with the grand prize.

“Both companies made a lot of sense to us,” Leonsis said after the ceremony. “We liked the teams and entrepreneurs. In horseracing, sometimes you bet the jockey and not the horse.”

BuilDatAnalytics is a business intelligence company aimed at solving inefficiencies in construction projects. Founder Tiffany Hosey Brown worked two years in construction for her family’s construction company before deciding the day-to-day operations needed radical improvement. Her company guarantees a 1 percent savings on all construction projects for its clients; considering her pilot clients’ projects cost more than $1 billion combined, she said she’s already saving them $10 million.

“It was kind of surreal, but it was exciting,” Brown said of when Leonsis called her name. She donned a hard hat during part of her presentation, and strode about the stage with confidence. When asked if there was a point during her speech if she knew she was going to win, she answered, “when [Leonsis] asked me ‘what are you going to do with the money?'”

Carsquare is billed by its founder and CEO, Khurrum Shakir, as the Kayak for cars; an aggregator of different online car shopping sites, brought together in one place. Shakir, who worked under Leonsis at AOL as a business development manager for AOL Cars, is hoping to raise $2 million in funding to fuel marketing to bring more eyeballs to his site.

“Next for us is taking it to the next level,” Shakir said afterward. “We need to finalize the app we have and integrate our new website.”

The two finalists not selected, Changecause and M2 Labs, will join BuilDatAnalytics and Carsquare next month in actual pitch meetings with Leonsis, where they will have a chance to convince one of the D.C. area’s richest people to invest in their company.

Attorney Mark Gruhin, the fourth judge on the panel and a venture investor in his own right, said each company had a strong idea, but it will take more than a 10-minute presentation in a movie theater to convince investors.

“They’re scaling right now. They have to prove their management skills,” Gruhin said. “They need to get ready for the curveballs, because they’re coming.”

There were 14 semifinalists in the field before it was narrowed to four. Before the field was narrowed down, members of the community chose Tomorrow’s Lemonade Stand — a company aimed at fostering entrepreneurship in children in grades 2-4 — for the Customer Appreciation Award. The company was founded by 7-year-old Kylee Majkowski and her mother, Amanda Antico-Majkowski, who were presented with the award on stage.

Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone announced 2014’s LaunchPad Challenge at the event, a different competition than 2013’s startup competition. Starting in January, the BID will accept applications for a new signature restaurant in Ballston. The prize will be a year of free restaurant space and the competition will be helmed by chef Mike Isabella, owner of several D.C.-area restaurants, including an upcoming eatery in Ballston.

Disclosure: Ballston BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

UPDATE: Water Main Repairs To Continue Into Thursday

By Ethan Rothstein

16-inch water main breaks in ShirlingtonRepair crews are still working to repair the 16-inch water main that burst yesterday morning in Shirlington.

According to Arlington Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Robyn Mincher, water pressure was normal for the Fairlington Community Center as of 1:00 p.m. However, just before 4:00 p.m., Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation announced that the community center would remain closed all night Wednesday.

From Mincher:

Repair work is running into complications and crews are widening the pit size for safety reasons. We are estimating a minimum of 4 hours away from completion. Traffic is still in the mode of one lane for each direction on Arlington Mill Drive. Valve crew confirmed that water pressure was normal for the Fairlington Community Center at about 1 p.m.

Update at 6:00 p.m. — Repairs are now expected to continue into Thursday.

Crews have halted repair work today due to the unstable bank, warranting unsafe operation. Repair work will resume tomorrow morning with the equipment needed to reshape the bank. Pumps will run overnight to prevent residual water damage.  Traffic remains open with one lane on each direction on Arlington Mill Drive. There is no change on the condition of the Fairlington water pressure from the last update.

Rosslyn to Host Holiday Pop-Up Shop Next Friday

By Ethan Rothstein

1500 Wilson BlvdRosslyn will host a holiday market next weekend to give residents a chance to shop for presents while enjoying some local businesses for themselves.

On Friday, Dec. 13, all day long, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District will host a “#HolidayReady” pop-up market at 1500 Wilson Blvd. Billed as a “day-long, music-filled, party-like atmosphere,” there will be boutique shopping, gift wrapping as well as snacks, sweets, cigar and spirits tasting and massages.

Rosslyn BID also encourages shoppers to bring gently-used clothing to donate to the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network. New Rosslyn coffee shop Caffe Aficionado will be giving coffee roasting demonstrations and handing out free samples. Several D.C.-area confectioners will also be selling their wares.

“It’s part of our job to build community in Rosslyn and create retail opportunities here,”  Rosslyn Business Improvement District President Mary-Claire Burick said in a press release. “As Rosslyn gradually transforms into a vibrant urban community with a strong retail presence, this #HolidayReady Market fills an important need for Rosslyn residents and workers to shop, socialize and just relax and have fun.”

In addition, the Rosslyn BID, after canceling its annual Light Up Rosslyn celebration, will start lighting rooftops in Rosslyn tomorrow (Thursday), according to the BID’s Lee Anne McLarty.

Washington Blvd Bridge Over Columbia Pike Now Open

By Ethan Rothstein

Washington Blvd bridge over Columbia PikeNorthbound traffic on Washington Blvd is now going over the newly-constructed overpass over Columbia Pike.

The bridge, which has been under construction since 2012, was built to replace the previous structure. The old bridge was built in the 1940s as part of the original Pentagon Roadway Network and had been in “poor condition,” according to VDOT.

Construction on the project is still expected to wrap up at some point in 2015, according to VDOT’s project website.

Lane closures will continue on Columbia Pike into 2014 while the new bridge is finished and the old bridge is demolished. Demolition is expected to happen as soon as January.

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