Author: Ethan Rothstein

Healthy Paws: What’s in a Name, Part Two

Healthy Paws

Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a new column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.

In our last column we discussed canine vaccines & lifestyles. This week we’ll give the cats their turn and with a brief run-down of feline vaccines and lifestyles:

Rabies — an incurable and nearly always fatal viral disease of mammals, Rabies is transmitted through saliva and targets the central nervous system. Because it is spread from animals to people, the public health implications have led to a legal requirement for vaccination of all cats and dogs in nearly every state.

FVRCP – Feline herpes/calicivirus/panleukopenia – This combination vaccine is considered “core” by the American Animal Hospital Association and is highly recommend for all cats:

  • FVR — Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis: an upper respiratory disease caused by feline herpes virus type 1. This, very common cause of respiratory disease in kittens and young cats, can result in chronic, even life-long, infections that may intermittently recur. It can also cause painful corneal (eye) erosions. It easily spreads by respiratory droplets.
  • C — Calicivirus: another highly contagious viral infection that can cause ulcers on the eyes and in the mouth, upper respiratory symptoms, and even occasionally severe joint pain. This virus is particularly resistant to disinfectants so can be persistent in the environment.
  • P — Panleukopenia is a highly contagious and severe infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Similar to the parvovirus in dogs, it is easily transmitted through feces and contact with infected animals or contaminated items. If a cat is infected while pregnant it can cause neurologic abnormalities in her kittens.

Feline Chlamydiosis: this bacterial disease causes conjunctivitis and upper respiratory symptoms. It is very contagious in young kittens, especially those in multi-cat environments (shelters, catteries, etc…) and can rarely be transmitted to humans by direct contact.

Feline Leukemia Virus: (FeLV) is a highly contagious virus transmitted via bodily fluids, and can cause wasting syndromes and cancer which ultimately lead to death. Cats that spend times outdoors are at highest risk because of the potential for contact with infected cats. Kittens are most susceptible.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: (FIV) is similar to HIV in humans, this virus leads to a deficient immune system and predisposes to secondary infections.  It is spread most commonly through bite wounds, so cats that spend time outdoors are at highest risk. Healthy cats living with an FIV-infected cat are at little risk so long as there is not inter-cat aggression/fighting. There is a vaccine against FIV, but concerns with its efficacy and ability to cause false positive test results, it is very infrequently recommended.

Most veterinarians aim to customize vaccine protocols based on each cat’s geographical location, age and sex, and individual lifestyle. Which class does your kitty fall into?

  • “outdoor enthusiast” — spends a lot of time outdoors where he/she has frequent contact with other cats; lives in a multiple-cat household with frequent new additions/fosters; or contact with feral cat community
  • “outdoor socialite” — spends some time outdoors; three or less cats in the house; occasional contact with unknown cats
  • “indoor socialite” — multi-cat household; mostly indoors/confined outdoors, but has frequent contact with other cats (i.e. boarding/showing/mealtimes/litter boxes)
  • “indoor elitist” — 1-2 cat household; occasionally escapes outdoors and may have contact with unknown cats
  • “indoor window watcher” — strictly indoor; no contact with other cats (or only one other cat); no desire to escape outdoors

By taking all these factors into consideration, your veterinarian can work with you to develop the best individualized vaccine protocol for your cat.

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

New Art Exhibit: ‘Screaming Babies’

By Ethan Rothstein
1/5

A new exhibit at Crystal City’s Gallery Underground, in the shops at 2100 Crystal Drive, might hit too close too home for some new parents.

“Screaming Babies” is a solo exhibit by artist Linda Lowery on display now in the free and open art space. Lowery has been drawing infants in states of “raw emotion” for years, in myriad colors, sizes and methods.

“The pain and discomfort depicted in these portraits is a metaphor for the pain and discomfort we experience all of our lives,” Lowery said about her works. “When we see a picture of an infant crying, we identify with the baby’s pain or feelings of abandonment and insecurity and fright.”

The pieces are all available for purchase. The exhibit will run until Saturday, March 28

Firefighters: ACFD is Still Dangerously Understaffed

By Ethan Rothstein

Firefighters work to put out a house fire on the 2100 block of S. Randolph Street (photo via @IAFF2800)Arlington’s fire stations have been understaffed for too long, Arlington’s fire union says, and after one of the deadliest years from house fires in some time, firefighters are pushing harder than ever for help.

In the past 12 months, five people in Arlington have died from three separate fires. After an early-morning fire in Douglas Park last June, two firefighters had to be sent to the hospital, and a fire in January might have been fatal had the residents of the house in the Old Glebe neighborhood not had an escape plan and working smoke detectors.

Rescue 109, a truck serving the Pentagon City and Columbia Pike area, that transports firefighters to emergency scenes, responded to most, if not all, of those fires. It, along with Tower 104 in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, has been operating with three staffers, one less than the national standard for safe operating.

“There is no doubt that without safe staffing levels on ACFD firetrucks, we will continue to see tragedies occur in Arlington County,” the Local 2800 says on its website.

Last year, Local 2800 issued a similar statement, asking for more staffing. At the time, the Arlington County Board had directed County Manager Barbara Donnellan to conduct a review of public safety staffing and incorporate recommendations into her FY 2016 budget. According to ACFD Chief Jim Schwartz, the study is still ongoing.

There are no new firefighters proposed in Donnellan’s FY 2016 budget. Turning Tower 104 and Rescue 109 into four-person trucks would require adding eight full-time equivalent positions, or $1.3 million, the Local 2800 says.

“The staffing study turned out to be a larger project than I think anyone envisioned,” Schwartz told ARLnow.com today. “I am the one who has been pushing the four-person staffing issue for many, many years. It has been a very, very high priority for us. We’ve been through tough budget times that has made it difficult to add fire staff.”

To try to cover the vacancies, the ACFD has applied for a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response grant. The grant would pay for the positions for two full years, after which Schwartz says the County Board has pledged to assume the ongoing costs.

The ACFD last received a SAFER grant in 2007, and has been denied that last two times it applied. Schwartz said he feels the last two rejections “gives us a leg up this year,” considering the Federal Emergency Management Administration, which awards the grants, likes to “spread the money around.” Schwartz expects to receive a decision on the grant at the end of the summer.

Eden Center fire and explosionThe Local 2800 has been meeting with County Board members this week, proposing it adds between $500,000 and $600,000 to the FY 2016 budget to cover overtime costs and staff the two undermanned trucks.

“This is much cheaper than the 8 FTE option of $1.3 million because it would utilize existing employees and would not incur additional benefits or pension costs,” the Local 2800 leadership told ARLnow.com in a joint statement.

Schwartz said he does not support the Local 2800’s proposal, and added he is already concerned about the amount of overtime his firefighters have been working. The ACFD must have at least 73 people working at all times, and is already forced to keep firefighters for overtime beyond the 56 hours a week they each work.

“On more occasions that I am comfortable with, we have to hold someone on a mandatory basis because we cannot get someone voluntarily to fill the 73 [required on-duty positions],” he said. “I’m concerned about the effect [more overtime] would have on safety. I have great concern about the stress, and the effect extra hours has on performance.”

According to the fire union, the lack of sufficient fire personnel has already led to a hazardous situation. During last March’s house fire in Nauck, the Local 2800 says “a firefighter assigned to Rescue 109 attempted a heroic rescue of two civilians trapped on the second floor of a house fire. While searching for the trapped residents, the firefighter suffered major burns to his body and respiratory tract, requiring a multiple day stay at the Washington Hospital Burn Unit and several months away from work recovering.

“In this situation, only having three firefighters created a difficult, if not impossible task to effect the rescue of the two trapped civilians,” the union leadership continued. “Additionally, had the burned firefighter not been able to self-extricate the house via a ladder, only one other member of Rescue 109 was available to help get him out.”

Schwartz denied that the lack of staffing was to blame for the two deaths in Nauck, saying “I would argue any suggestion that a fourth person on that company would have in any way changed the outcome either to the victims or the firefighter.”

On top of the two understaffed trucks, Schwartz told ARLnow.com ACFD currently has 14 vacancies, from retirements and firefighters leaving the department, that it is looking to fill in the near future.

Photo, top, via @IAFF2800

Sushi Chain Coming to Clarendon?

By Ethan Rothstein

RA Sushi roll (photo via Facebook)RA Sushi, a Japanese restaurant chain owned by Benihana, appears on its way to move into 3001 Washington Blvd in Clarendon.

The location would be RA Sushi’s first in Virginia. The chain’s closest restaurant, in Baltimore, has a seven-page menu and offers hand rolls for $5.50 and specialty rolls from $8.50 to its king crab roll for $17. It also sells sake and sake bombs, as well as a list of cocktails, beer and wine.

The restaurant is hoping to add an outdoor cafe along Washington Blvd, but county staff have deferred their recommendation due to concerns about the width of the sidewalk.

RA Sushi would be yet another new business in the large new office building, following Citizen Burger Bar, Cherry Blow Dry Bar and Pure Barre. A Peets Coffee & Tea is under construction at the corner of Washington Blvd and N. Highland Street

We’re told that the chain has yet to sign a lease, but talks have been going on for some time.

Photo via Facebook

Pentagon City Costco, Best Buy in Line for Big Redevelopment

By Ethan Rothstein
1/8

Pentagon Centre, the big-box mall that counts Best Buy and Costco as tenants, could be transformed into an apartment, office and retail complex over the next half-century.

Developer Kimco Realty owns the property, which sets between S. Hayes and Fern Streets and 12th and 15th Streets S. Kimco has applied to redevelop it into six buildings in three phases.

The site, which covers 16.8 acres, was approved for redevelopment in 2008, also with a three-phase plan. Since that plan’s approval, the recession hit and Arlington’s office market has stagnated. Now, Kimco is requesting to build residential buildings first and office last, but is also asking to build more residential and less commercial than previously approved.

First, if approved, Kimco would replace the Sleepy’s store and the loading dock at the corner of S. Hayes and 12th Streets with a 25-story residential tower that would be the tallest building in Pentagon City. The tower would be built adjacent to the Pentagon City Metro station entrance.

Also in Phase I, Kimco plans to build a 10-story residential building at 15th Street S. and Hayes Street, with a seven-story parking garage along 15th Street to replace lost parking spots for Costco. The two apartment buildings would bring a combined 714 units to the area.

The office, hotel and open space components of the plan, if approved, wouldn’t come until decades later. If that construction begins as planned, the mall that holds the Best Buy and Nordstrom Rack would be demolished in about 20 years, during Phase II. Twenty or so years after that, during Phase III, the Costco would be demolished, replaced, along with its parking lot, by a hotel, office building and open space.

When completed, the nearly 17-acre property would have:

  • 606,200 square feet of office space in three buildings
  • 377,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, including a standalone, two-story retail building
  • A 38,720-square-foot, 180-room hotel
  • Two apartment buildings with 714 units combined

In addition to the 1.8 million square feet of buildings, three acres of open space would be added surrounding a new 13th Street S., along Fern Street. The developer would construct other new roads — including portions of S. Grant Street and 14th Street S. — during Phase III, where the Costco now stands.

Recently approved within steps of Pentagon Centre have been the Pentagon City Mall expansion, the massive PenPlace development, the final phases of the Metropolitan Park apartment complex and a 415-unit apartment building at 400 Army Navy Drive. If approved, the Pentagon Centre redevelopment would remove the last big-box store in the area, further cementing Pentagon City’s status as a high-rise, mixed use neighborhood.

The plan was discussed by the county’s Long Range Planning Commission in December and by the Site Plan Review Committee last month. The SPRC will meet again to discuss the proposal at the Aurora Hills Community Center (735 18th Street S.) on March 16.

Arlington Library’s Community Reading Theme is #BlackLivesMatter

By Ethan Rothstein

Authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jesmyn Ward (images courtesy Arlington Public LIbrary(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) It was the rallying cry on social media for activism after nationwide protest surrounding several police shootings and now it’s Arlington Public Library’s theme for Arlington Reads 2015: the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

The community-wide reading initiative focuses on race, according to a library press release, in two books: “Men We Reaped,” a memoir surrounding the deaths of five young black men close to author Jesmyn Ward, and “Americanah,” a novel about African emigrants struggling with race in Western civilization by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Arlington Reads is the library’s annual attempt to bring the community together around a single topic, to encourage reading and educated discussion. This year’s theme was selected because the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was chosen as the American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year in 2014 after police-related shooting deaths in Ferguson, Mo., Cleveland, Ohio and elsewhere in the country.

The two authors will discuss their books — both published in 2013 to broad critical acclaim — in separate events at Arlington Central Library.

Ward, a professor at Tulane University, will speak at Central Library on Wednesday, April 8, at 7:00 p.m. Adichie — known also for her TED Talk “We Should All Be Feminists” and her speaking part on Beyoncé’s song, Flawless — will speak at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 7. Admission to the events are free.

Images via Arlington Public Library

Ask Adam: A Finished Attic Without a Permit

Ask Adam Real Living header

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos, Arlington-based real estate broker, voted one of Arlington Magazine’s Best Realtors of 2013 & 2014. Please submit your questions via email.

Q. When a house is for sale and has a finished attic that didn’t apply for a permit from the county, how should you proceed with the sale?

A. It sounds like you are the purchaser. What I don’t know is how far along you are with the transaction. If you have not written an offer yet, then you will have to evaluate whether you want to purchase a house with major modifications that do not have permits.

It’s risky from the standpoint that Arlington County could require this work to be permitted at a later date. You may also want to consider the possibility of safety risks considering that the work was never reviewed by a third party.

During your value analysis you should not include the attic space as living area. You may also want to deduct some value due to the risks mentioned above.

If this is something you discovered during the home inspection and you have a full home inspection contingency in place, you have three primary options.

  1. You can move forward with the home in its current condition,
  2. You can cancel the contract and request a refund of your earnest money deposit,
  3. Or, you can request that the sellers apply for and complete permitting prior to closing.

You are going to have a tough time with option number three especially if you are planning to settle within the next month.

If you no longer have a home inspection contingency in place, then I don’t think the standard NVAR contract provides you with any leverage in this situation. I would recommend consulting an attorney to explore your options.

Please send your questions to [email protected].

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Sultana Grill Being Replaced By Middle Eastern Restaurant?

By Ethan Rothstein

House of Mandi goes into the former Sultana Grill space in BluemontSultana Grill, the Moroccan restaurant in Bluemont that closed, then reopened, then closed for good last year, could soon be replaced.

Sultana’s sign is gone, and in its place is a sign for “House of Mandi Middle Eastern Grill.” The phone number has been removed from the windows, which are covered in paper.

When Sultana first closed its storefront at 5515 Wilson Blvd, next door to Arlington Pharmacy, some suspected it was due to a lack of any alcohol being served, including beer and wine. When it reopened, the new management dismissed that as the reason. According to our tipster, it closed for good a few months ago.

It’s unclear when House of Mandi will open. It does not have an active application with the state Alcohol Beverage Control Board.

Hat tip to Daniel Manchester

SER in Ballston is Now Open

By Ethan Rothstein
1/17

(Updated at 12:10 p.m.) The wait to try the winner of last year’s Ballston Restaurant Challenge is over: SER, the traditional Spanish restaurant, is open for business.

Serving dishes from every region of Spain, chef and co-owner Josu Zubikarai doesn’t shy away from the idea that only “foodies” might try certain items from his menu, like the Txipirones — squid in its ink, tentacles and all.

“Spain is less than half the size of Texas, but the variety of food is incredible,” Zubikarai said from his resturant at 1110 N. Glebe Road yesterday. He’ll cook up baby eels, octopus and barnacles. “I love barnacles and the baby eels are very good, but I know not everyone will order them.”

While some of the dishes suit the more adventurous, the chef who founded D.C.’s La Taberna del Alabardero 26 years ago is also happy to offer up Spanish crowd pleasers like six different kinds of paella, including seafood, duck and rabbit. He’s especially proud of his bacalao al pilpil, a traditional Spanish cod dish made in a salt and olive oil emulsion.

SER — which is both the Spanish word for  “to be,” and an acronym for “Simple. Easy. Real.” — is in the midst of a soft opening the next two days, offering 20 percent off all food. Thursday will be the restaurant’s grand opening. SER will only open for dinner, at 5:00 p.m., until Monday, March 16, when it will start serving lunch at 11:00 a.m.

Happy hour is every day from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the bar, which also features an extensive list of cocktails, three different sangria options and eight different sherries.

Customers will not only be able to enjoy Zubikarai’s traditional seafood options, but they can also order plates of Spanish charcuterie and a “cochinillo,” which is a roasted suckling pig and serves up to three people for $58. It’s safe to say there are not many restaurants in Arlington offering such dishes.

The bold menu is partly a representation of the special circumstance SER — which is co-owned by Javier Candon, whose wife, Christiana, is “the face” of the business — finds itself in. As the winner of the Restaurant Challenge, after the other finalist, D.C. chef Victor Albisu, dropped out, the restaurant was given a year of free rent and an interest-free, $250,000 loan. SER can afford to find a customer base without having to compromise with a more broadly appealing menu.

That’s music to Zubikarai’s ears, because he reminisces about the days back in Spain when restaurant critics wouldn’t write about an establishment until it had been open at least three years.

“In Spain, people love bullfighting and they say a restaurant is like a bull: it has to be 4 or 5 years old before it’s ready to fight,” he said. “With the year of free rent, we can hire more people, spend that money on training and have much more opportunity to find customers.”

Arlington Looking for Summer Camp Volunteers

By Ethan Rothstein

Summer camp volunteer (photo via Arlington County)If Monday’s weather didn’t tell you that spring and summer are just around the corner, then this will: Arlington County is looking for summer camp volunteers.

The county looks for teenagers every year to help plan and lead activities for the young children who attend the camps. Volunteers must be 13 years or older by May 1 and at least two years older than the campers they supervise.

Arlington is offering more than 100 different camps this summer for kids from ages 3 to 13, in everything from fly fishing to ultimate Frisbee to “fashion boot camp.”

Volunteers work for four, non-consecutive weeks in the program of their choosing, but not everyone is guaranteed a spot in the most popular activities. Teens and parents can download the volunteer application and send it to:

Hadyn Kihm
Department of Parks and Recreation
Volunteer Office
Langston Brown Community Center
2121 N. Culpeper Street
Arlington, VA 22207

Applications received after May 1 may be put on a waiting list, depending on demand. Parents interested in registering a camper for this summer can do so online.

Photo via Arlington Parks and Recreation

Can Arlington Land Marriott’s New HQ?

By Ethan Rothstein

The Key Bridge Marriott(Updated at 6:15 p.m.) One of the world’s biggest companies is looking for a new corporate headquarters, and Arlington wants to be in the running.

Marriott International occupies 900,000 square feet of office space in Bethesda, but CEO Arne Sorenson told the Washington Post last month that the hotel chain with more than $12 billion in annual revenue “will be moving.” Sorenson said he still wants the company to stay in the D.C. region, and made more comments sure to make Arlington real estate owners’ ears perk up.

“I think it’s essential we be accessible to Metro and that limits the options,” Sorenson told the Post’s Jonathan O’Connell. “I think as with many other things our younger folks are more inclined to be Metro-accessible and more urban.”

Sorenson also said Marriott has engaged with “local leaders,” but the company won’t move for several years; its lease in Bethesda expires in 2022.

A giant tenant like Marriott doesn’t come to market very often, and it would be a huge get for Arlington Economic Development, which is still reeling from the impending loss of some large tenants like the National Science Foundation. If the hotel chain moves its headquarters to Arlington, it could occupy almost triple the combined space of recently touted deals for Accenture (90,000 square feet in Ballston), CNA (175,000 square feet in Clarendon) and Graham Holdings (35,000 square feet in Rosslyn).

“Because Marriott is, from what I’m reading, a 700,000-800,000-square-foot group, they would sign a long-term deal with probably some new construction,” Arlington Chamber of Commerce Chairman Kevin Shooshan told ARLnow.com today. Shooshan is also the vice president of Shooshan Company, a Ballston-based real estate firm. “Because of the size of that deal, it’s very attractive to everyone involved in the real estate market. Marriott has good credit. It would be twice the size of [Rosslyn-based] Corporate Executive Board. All parties on the commercial side are interested.”

Shooshan said the number of jobs Marriott would bring — more than 2,000 work in Bethesda — could be a boon for the county’s economy, including the added employee spending on retail, restaurants and housing. Another benefit would be the real estate revenue. Arlington’s commercial real estate market has stagnated in recent years, and landing Marriott would be a financial windfall.

“A headquarters tenant like that brings in tens of millions of dollars in real estate taxes over a 10-15 year lease term,” Shooshan said, “and hopefully that term turns into a true long term headquarters location, resulting in hundreds of millions, not to mention more sales and entertainment spending, more residents, more traffic for hotels, restaurants, etc.”

Where could Marriott go in Arlington? Real estate publication Bisnow created a list of 16 potential places it could relocate in the D.C. area that fit its criteria, and four are in Arlington:

  • The site of the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn, the longest continually operating Marriott in the company’s portfolio
  • 1812 N. Moore Street, the Monday Properties skyscraper in Rosslyn that opened in October 2013 but still sits vacant. That building holds 560,000 square feet, so it could be paired with planned, 513,000-square-foot redevelopment of 1400 Key Blvd just steps away
  • PenPlace in Pentagon City, a sprawling, 2.1 million-square-foot planned office park owned by Vornado and already approved by the Arlington County Board
  • Crystal City, where Vornado owns a number of office towers that are already vacant and ripe for redevelopment

Arlington Economic Development spokeswoman Cara O’Donnell couldn’t confirm if AED or anyone else from the county have been in talks with Marriott. She did, however, make it known that Arlington will be lobbying hard for the hotel powerhouse.

“Marriott’s corporate headquarters would be an ideal fit for Arlington,” O’Donnell said in an email. “We are known for our urban villages and metro accessibility, which have been cited as important factors both in Marriott’s search criteria and in hiring and retaining the best workforce.

“Arlington has several existing and build-to suit sites that accommodate Marriott’s needs for a corporate campus,” she added. “Additionally, Arlington is also already home to nine Marriott properties and 3,300 Marriott rooms. These factors all demonstrate Arlington would be a model location for a headquarters of a premier hotel operator.”

Marriott is expected to have its pick of just about every local jurisdiction, in Maryland, the District and Virginia. We’re told also Tysons Corner figures to be a premiere player with its new Metro stops and massive redevelopment plans.

Marriott’s decision is several years away, and the competition will only get fiercer. Although AED would not comment on what type of package it would offer Marriott, it’s worth looking at what CEB received in exchange for simply staying in the county and the state: $4.5 million from the governor’s office, $5 million from the Virginia Economic Development Fund and a pledge from Arlington County to match any funding for infrastructure improvements.

CEB’s 15 stories in the under-construction tower that will bear its namesake will contain 350,000 square feet of floor area. Marriott should occupy at least twice that. Wherever it goes, it likely will see a significant financial commitment from its new home.

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