Ethan Rothstein | ARLnow.com

U.S. Olympic Hockey Team to Hold Camp at Kettler Iceplex

Published August 15, 2013 at 11:45AM | Updated August 15, 2013 at 2:45PM

The U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team will start preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics at Kettler Capitals Iceplex later this month.

This is the first time the Iceplex has hosted a USA Hockey Orientation Camp. The Ballston facility will host the full contingent of USA Men’s Hockey, including Conn Smythe winner — the NHL’s award for its Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP — Patrick Kane and several members of the team that won the silver medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

The Olympians will be at the facility from Aug. 25-29, and the camp itself will be held from Aug. 26-27.

Just one Capitals player is among the 40 invited to the camp: defenseman John Carlson. The roster of players attending will not be finalized until closer to the camp’s start, according to Capitals officials.

Although the orientation itself will be closed to the public, one event will be open to fans who want to catch a glimpse of 2014’s Olympians. Nike will be hosting a USA Hockey jersey unveiling at the Iceplex Aug. 27 at 11:30 a.m. USA Hockey players will be modeling the jerseys, and fan attendance is encouraged.

Photos: New Wakefield High School

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 14, 2013 at 10:15AM | Updated August 15, 2013 at 8:03AM

Wakefield High School a month before school starts

The courtyard in the center of Wakefield High School

A main corridor on the first floor of the new Wakefield building

Wakefield High School's cafeteria, with a cook-in kitchen

Two construction workers look out onto Wakefield's plaza and pedestrian entrance

The main hallway on Wakefield's first floor

Wakefield High School's media center and library

Each of Wakefield's 110 classrooms are equipped with a Smartboard

Wakefield's 2,300-seat gymnasium, under construction

A biology lab at the new Wakefield High School

(Updated on 8/15/13) Construction of the new Wakefield High School is wrapping up as school officials prepare for the first day of school on Sept. 3.

The $113 million project broke ground in 2011. It is expected to receive a LEED Gold certification for sustainability, thanks in part to having — when completed — 400 geothermal wells, each 500 feet deep, to heat and cool the school.

The main entrance of the school opens into what Project Manager Bill Herring calls the “town hall,” a large open space that will be filled with couches and chairs for students to congregate. Adjacent to the town hall is an outdoor courtyard, where students will be able to take their lunches or their work, since it will be WiFi enabled soon after the school year begins.

“It was important to have a heart of the building,” said Wakefield principal Chris Willmore, “and this is it.”

Wakefield High School’s soon-to-be-demolished old building housed students for 63 years, well past the building’s expected lifespan of 40 to 50 years, Herring said.

The new school will help accommodate continued growth of Arlington’s student population. Wakefield is expected to open with about 1,500 students this fall, while the building’s capacity is 1,960, with the possibility of expanding even more if necessary, Willmore said.

(more…)

Crystal Screen Announces ‘Flight’ Theme For 2014

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2013 at 4:30PM

The Crystal Screen movie series, put on every summer by the Crystal City Business Improvement District, already has a theme for its 2014 season: flight.

Movies based around airplanes will start showing the first Monday of June 2014 on the plaza at 1850 S. Bell Street. These titles include movies like “Airplane,” “Snakes on a Plane” and “Top Gun.” Crystal City BID President and CEO Angela Fox said in a press release that the theme is meant to highlight Crystal City’s proximity and symbiotic relationship with Reagan National Airport.

“We don’t know of any other neighborhood in the world that has a major airport that you can actually walk to,” Fox said. “So, we are highlighting this uniquely accessible aspect of Crystal City with a summer of flight-based movies.”

This year’s theme is Blockbusters, with two more screenings left: “Inception” on Monday, Aug. 19 and “Jurassic Park” Aug. 26. Previous year’s themes have been “Rom Com,” showing romantic comedies, “By the Numbers” and “Star Trek.” Other outdoor movie events around Arlington include the Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival, which has a “Back to School” theme this year, and Penrose Square’s regular movie screenings.

Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Local Young Dem Elected to Nationwide Presidency

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2013 at 3:30PM

Arlington Young Democrat Atima Omara-Alwala has been elected president of the Young Democrats of America, becoming the first Virginian and the first African-American to hold that role.

The election was held this past Sunday. Omara-Alwala had been the YDA vice president since 2011, and her “progress” party swept the election at the YDA annual convention in San Antonio.

Omara-Alwala is a Richmond native, a 2003 graduate of the University of Virginia with a Master’s in public policy from George Mason. She worked for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) when he was governor, and currently works as a consultant and nonprofit manager.

She was elected on a platform of training young Democrats for campaigns or political office, re-establishing a “National YDA Lobbying Day” and “collaborating with targeted Democratic campaigns to increase outreach to major constituencies including women, Latinos, African Americans and labor-affiliated voters.”

#Young Democrats

APAH Opens Waiting List for Arlington Mill Residences

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2013 at 2:30PM

The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing will start accepting applications for its new Arlington Mill Residences affordable housing development starting Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Applications for the four-story, 122-unit rental community at 901 S. Dinwiddie Street submitted between Aug. 27 and Aug. 31 will be entered into a lottery to determine waiting list priority, according to APAH. Applications submitted after Aug. 31 will be placed on the waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those interested in applying can print out the application form and submit it to the leasing office — temporarily located at 1001 S. Frederick Street, Apt. 1031, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — or email it to [email protected].

All Arlington Mill units will be affordable to individuals and families earning at or less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income, or about $64,000 for a family of four, according to APAH. Ten percent of the units will target households earning at or below 40 percent of AMI.

Arlington Mill Residences is scheduled to open this December. The building is adjacent to the new Arlington Mill Community Center.

Metro to Run Fewer Trains This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 13, 2013 at 9:30AM

The Orange and Blue lines will again be impacted by Metro’s ongoing track work this weekend, running trains every 24 minutes.

The altered schedule will begin Friday at 10:00 p.m. and continue until midnight on Sunday. According to Metro, the delays will be in place “to allow for NTSB-recommended track circuit replacement between Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian stations.”

Trains typically run every 12 to 20 minutes on weekend. Major track work on the Metro is expected to continue well into 2017.

Topless Show For Charity Returns To Signature

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 12, 2013 at 3:45PM

Signature Theatre in Shirlington (4200 Campbell Ave) will again host Summer Hummer, a burlesque show put on by theatreWashington to raise funds for charity.

The show, playing at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, costs $35 for regular seating and $75 for premium reserved seating. Described as a musical revue with songs, sketches, dancing and stripping, Summer Hummer is undoubtedly an age “18-and-up show,” according to theatreWashington Communications and Development Manager Jen Clements.

“It’s something that will attract a variety of interesting performers, where we don’t have to worry about who gets cast,” she said. “It’s something that everyone can really have a good time with, and it doesn’t take itself seriously except that it is to raise money for a serious cause.”

The show’s proceeds will go to Taking Care of Our Own, a charity that helps theater professionals with money during emergencies that prevent them from performing and earning a living. Last year, Summer Hummer sold out and raised $16,000 for the organization, Clements said.

The music will range from well-known showtunes to some offbeat, original pieces, and the nudity will be about what is allowed during an “R”-rated movie, Clements said — so don’t expect full-frontal nudity. Tickets are still available but are selling fast, Clements said.

Photo courtesy of theatreWashington

Fall Parks and Rec Class Sign-up Opens This Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 12, 2013 at 2:15PM

Registration for fall classes with the Department of Parks and Recreation opens Wednesday morning at a new time.

This year, registration for gymnastics classes opens at 7:00 a.m., while all other classes open for registration at 7:30. The change was meant to accomodate working adults, according to Parks and Recreation Business Analyst Deborah Hay.

“We’ve seen the number of logged on users at the start of registration grow by more than 40 percent in the past year alone,” Hay said.

Hay also said that gymnastics capacity has increased 33 percent over the past five years to keep up with the increase in demand. Gymnastics — which makes up more than half of all fall classes — has been separated from other class signup in order to try to alleviate both the strain on the online registration system and the wait time for phone registration.

In previous years, the online registration system has crashed due to the crush of parents trying to register their kids for classes at the same time.

This year, the Enjoy Arlington class program offers more than 650 classes, including robotics, DIY jewelry and dozens of fitness classes. Wednesday morning, those interested in signing up can do it at Parks and Recreation’s website, by calling 703-228-4747 after 8:00 a.m. Aug. 21, or by drop-off at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive.

Image via Department of Parks and Recreation

Cement Spill Cleaned Up in Rosslyn

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 12, 2013 at 11:30AM

A cement truck accidentally dumped a small load of cement in the left lane of westbound Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn this morning.

The cement lay on the street for about an hour and a half before crews came to clean it up at approximately 10:30 a.m., according to a police officer at the scene. The cement was still wet when it was removed, avoiding a much longer, more laborious cleanup process had it dried.

The lane of traffic — in front of Artisphere between N. Lynn and Kent Streets — was closed for about 100 feet as the crew worked to clean up the spill.

Bat Festival Returns Next Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 12, 2013 at 10:30AM | Updated August 12, 2013 at 2:14PM

The Arlington Bat Festival is back Saturday, Aug. 24, at Gulf Branch Nature Center.

The annual event, which serves to entertain and educate locals about the flying nocturnal creatures, begins at 6:00 p.m. with “Bat Talk” activities for younger children at 3608 N. Military Road.

Bat Fest admission is $7, up from $5 last year, and visitors are encouraged to register in advance in order to be sure of a spot. The festival typically draws more than 100 people.

This year, the festivities will include habitat walks, games, crafts, a festival lantern parade and live bat shows presented by Leslie Sturges, Director of Save Lucy, A Little Brown Bat, established to protect and conserve bats in the region. Bat shows run every 45 minutes until the event ends at 9:00 p.m.

Image via Department of Parks and Recreation

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 9, 2013 at 3:45PM

One of the final weekends before Labor Day and many families are headed to the beach. Those staying in town can see some of these houses.

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

1311 N. Ode St.
1 BD / 1 BA condominium
Martina Burns, Re/max Allegiance
Listed: $250,000
Open: Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1711 14th Road S.
3 BD / 2 BA single family detached
Billy Buck
Listed: $469,900
Open: Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

1300 Crystal Drive
2 BD / 2 BA condominium
Mimoza Puce, Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $649,000
Open: Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

410 A N. Thomas Street
3 BD / 3 BA, 2 half BA townhouse
David Lloyd, Weichert Realtors
Listed: $799,900
Open: Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

4000 N. Tazewell Street
3 BD / 3 BA single family detached
Solange Ize, Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $859,000
Open: Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

2115 21st Road N.
3 BD / 3 BA, 2 half BA townhouse
Matthew Shepard, Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $1,274,900
Open: Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

#open house