Ethan Rothstein | ARLnow.com

County Board Approves $5 Million Loan for Signature Theatre

Published December 18, 2014 at 10:30AM

The Arlington County Board unanimously approved a $5 million loan and 19 years of free rent for Shirlington’s Signature Theatre at its meeting yesterday.

The decision came just hours after County Manager Barbara Donnellan recommended closing Rosslyn’s Artisphere next June. The County Board ultimately decided that the two arts organizations’ situations were different enough to begin a new investment as it acknowledged the failure of a previous one.

“Signature really is an Arlington treasure,” County Board Chair Jay Fisette said. “It reaches into our community and impacts our community in substantial ways.”

The theater will receive the loan at a low, 1 percent interest rate; it will no longer have to pay $411,000 in unpaid county taxes and fees; and $2.7 million of its $7.7 million debt to United Bank will be forgiven.

“Signature will pay back this loan in full and on time,” the theater’s managing director, Maggie Boland, told the Board. “We often joke that ‘hope is not a strategy’ at Signature. We don’t commit to a production plan that we can’t afford.”

Signature’s yearly debt payments will be reduced from more than $1 million to about $300,000, a difference that county Director of Management and Finance Michelle Cowen called “transformative.”

“It allows them to bulk up on their balance sheet, which is in poor shape,” Cowen said.

There were 11 speakers from the public, and eight of them spoke in support of the County Board’s action. Many of the supporters were either current or former members of the Signature in the Schools program, Shirlington business owners or those with active interests in the theater’s success.

“We believe Signature is vital to the overall success of Shirlington and the greater Arlington County community,” Ken Mosig, director of asset management for the Village at Shirlington’s parent company, Federal Realty Investment Trust, said. “Their programs attract people to the Village of Shirlington. Having Signature Theatre as an entertainment venue has helped bring 100,000 people to the area per year.”

Among the dissenters were Jim Hurysz and Tim Wise, two frequent County Board critics and opponents of government spending.

“Taxpayers who oppose public subsidies for the arts do not oppose the arts,” Wise said. “We just think the arts should pay for themselves.”

Board member Libby Garvey asked Boland why they couldn’t raise ticket prices to generate the additional revenue, needed, but Boland said that if the tickets were any more expensive, “that would be detrimental to our business.”

Although the County Board unanimously approved the loan — the money for which comes from FY 2014 closeout funds — several members indicated that this would be the last chance Signature has for county funding for some time.

“We don’t want to be here again,” Fisette said.

Photo via Signature Theatre website

Dutch Artist to Design Fence for Sewage Plant

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 17, 2014 at 1:30PM | Updated December 17, 2014 at 4:32PM

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Tejo Remy, an artist for the Netherlands whose work has been featured in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, is designing a fence for the plant that filters Arlington’s sewage.

The fence surrounds the Water Pollution Control Plant, on the 3400 block of S. Glebe Road, and it will be designed in Remy and design partner Rene Veenhuizen’s style of reusing common objects to create engaging works of art.

The perimeter fence includes a long stretch along the Four Mile Run trail.

“The design-duo’s ethos stems from a strong industrial design background, reusing existing resources rather than consuming new materials, and building awareness about our connection to the environment,” Arlington Cultural Affairs spokesman Jim Byers said. “Remy and Veenhuizen have developed and will implement a compelling, innovative design concept which will serve as a unifying element within the Four Mile Run area, while creating distinct enhancements for the fence at the Water Pollution Control Plant.”

The project is expected in 2015, Byers said. It was approved by the Arlington County Board in April 2012.

Some of Remy’s noted work includes a “chest of drawers” displayed at MoMA and a chair made of rags. He spoke briefly about the fence project this week at an exhibition on Dutch design at the Netherlands embassy in D.C.

Photo (top) via Google Maps, (bottom) courtesy Alan Henney

Arlington Pet of the Week: Duncan

Published December 17, 2014 at 12:00PM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Duncan, a squirrel-chasing Westie with an Instagram following of thousands.

Here’s what owner Rick had to say about his hunting hound:

Duncan is a West Highland Terrier with a mission to chase every single squirrel out of Arlington County.

Duncan entered our life in November 2011 as a 5 month old. He is almost entirely white, with some streaks of beige along his back. He is a fit and energetic dog that loves long walks with lots of sniffing. He is always happy to say hi to other dogs and he is very gentle with children. He also just loves to be chased — by humans and (especially) other dogs.

Duncan’s favorite place to go is the Glencarlyn Dog Park. Nothing makes him happier than to be running off-leash in the woods. Woe be it to the squirrels in his field of vision for they will be chased (although never actually caught). He also loves to walk in the stream and run around with the big dogs, because he is a huge dog in a little dog’s body.

Of course, there are things Duncan does not love. He doesn’t like Arlington’s hot and humid July and August — it never gets that hot in the West Highlands! He also has a bitter history with the foxes in Lubber Run Park.

A lot of Duncan’s time is taken up with his Instagram community commitments. @duncan_the_westie has (literally) thousands of followers around the globe. It can be taxing being fabulous on a daily basis, but he seems to be handling the pressure well. He is trying to stay grounded and avoid the traps of fame.

We didn’t really know what to expect when this little guy entered our lives, but now we can’t imagine life without him.

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet.

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Arlington and Northern Virginia.

#Pet of the Week

APS Reveals North Arlington Elementary School Boundary Options

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 16, 2014 at 3:45PM | Updated December 16, 2014 at 4:10PM

Arlington Public Schools has released preferred and alternative plans for its revision of the North Arlington elementary school boundaries.

Under the preferred plan, five schools — Taylor, Glebe, Ashlawn, McKinley and Tuckahoe — would still be between 103.95 and 109.22 percent capacity, while Jamestown would be at 86.1 percent capacity and Nottingham and the new Discovery Elementary would each be around 90 percent.

The changes to the boundary plan the Arlington School Board approved less than two years ago are necessary, APS says, after a greater-than-expected influx of students to the county’s schools this fall. The approved plan, which was set to go into effect in fall 2015 with the opening of Discovery Elementary, is now expected to be revised at the School Board’s Jan. 22 meeting.

The revisions primarily affect McKinley Elementary School. If the Board approves staff’s preferred changes, 252 of the projected 304 students in the planning areas affected in 2016 would move or stay at McKinley by 2016. The remaining 52 students — in planning zone 1609 near Westover — would remain at Glebe Elementary. In the alternative plan, area 1607 would remain assigned to Nottingham, putting the school at 101.36 percent capacity.

Many of the students that will likely move to McKinley will stay in their originally intended schools in 2015 before moving to McKinley in 2016, when the school’s 241-seat expansion opens.

APS is also “considering moving some countywide programs” to accommodate more students in overcrowded schools. APS has kept the online survey open on its More Seats website, extending the time for resident submissions from last week until Friday at 4:00 p.m.

The decision to put McKinley at nearly 9 percent above capacity while leaving Arlington’s three northernmost elementary schools at least 9 percent under capacity has drawn some criticism.

“Instead of filling McKinley to capacity, APS is considering filling it and then adding an additional 60 students above capacity,” one anonymous tipster said. “Why aren’t they equally distributing the seats? Something looks wrong with this map!”

Amy Borek, a Nottingham Elementary School parent, also questioned APS’ decision, wondering why the scope of the changes was so limited.

“By concentrating on only these planning units, APS is choosing neither to consider how to fill the empty seats at Jamestown nor convert Tuckahoe’s bused students to walking students at nearby McKinley’s new addition,” Borek told ARLnow.com in an email. “This approach to solving the overcrowding problem in North Arlington elementary schools does not appear to be working.”

Before the School Board votes on Jan. 22, it will hold a work session on Jan. 5, then an information item on Jan. 8, when Superintendent Patrick Murphy presents his recommendation to the Board. On Jan. 15, the Board will hold a public meeting on the issue before its vote. All meetings are at 1426 N. Quincy Street at 7:30 p.m.

Arlington Reggae Band Nominated for Grammy

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 16, 2014 at 2:30PM | Updated December 16, 2014 at 2:56PM

SOJA (photo via SOJA's website in 2014)

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) Arlington-based reggae band SOJA has been nominated for the “Best Reggae Album” Grammy award for “Amid the Noise and Haste,” released in August.

Amid the Noise and Haste is the nine-member band’s fifth full-length album and first Grammy nomination. The band’s 2012 album, “Strength to Survive,” was No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae charts in the U.S. for more than a year.

SOJA, which stands for Soldiers of Jah Army, played on the Tonight Show in 2012 and played Clarendon Day in 2006.

The band was formed by lead singer and guitarist Jacob Hemphill — an Arlington native who spent part of his childhood in Liberia while his father worked for the International Monetary Fund — and bassist Bobby Lee while the pair attended Yorktown High School in 1997. They recorded part of Amid the Noise and Haste at Lion and Fox Recording Studio in College Park, Md.

The band is currently on tour in Brazil and unavailable for interviews, its manager told ARLnow.com. The 57th Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 8:00 p.m.

#music

UPDATED: ART Bus Driver Charged After Seven-Vehicle Wreck

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 15, 2014 at 6:25PM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:44PM

(Updated at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday) Seven vehicles — five cars, an ART bus and a mixing truck — were involved in a collision at about 5:45 p.m. at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street.

According to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm, the ART bus was in the parking lot of Columbia Pike Plaza when a car turned in front of it. The ART bus, driven by 26-year-old Agere Sileshi, struck the car, at which point Sileshi lost control of the bus, Malcolm said.

The bus pushed the car into a parked vehicle, Sileshi accelerated and pushed all three vehicles over the brick retaining wall and onto S. Dinwiddie Street, Malcolm said. There, the bus hit three cars stopped at a red light, creating another chain reaction in which the seventh vehicle, a parked car, was pushed into benches and a tree on the sidewalk in front of Arlington Mill Community Center.

Sileshi was charged with reckless driving for failure to control her vehicle, Malcolm said. Three motorists were transported from the scene with non-life-threatening injuries, as was one pedestrian “struck by flying debris.”

Westbound Columbia Pike was closed for more than an hour around the scene as emergency crews from Arlington and Fairfax sort out the aftermath, which included cars strewn all over the intersection and a substantial part of the brick wall along Dinwiddie Street destroyed.

In addition to the cars and walls damaged, several bicycles parked in front of Arlington Mill Community Center were damaged in the accident, and at least two benches affixed to the ground were either destroyed or displaced.

High Schoolers Offer to Set Up Your Christmas Tree

Published December 15, 2014 at 5:00PM | Updated December 15, 2014 at 5:30PM

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.

Two North Arlington teenagers want to help Arlington residents with the hardest part of the holidays: setting up the Christmas tree.

Duncan MacBride and Sam Gonson are sophomores at Gonzaga College High School in D.C. and they are first-time entrepreneurs. Duncan got the idea to start their fledgling business the day after Thanksgiving, setting up his family’s tree with his father.

“My dad and I were setting it up and saying ‘this is not fun. This is difficult,'” Duncan said. “I texted Sam to say I have this idea about setting up people’s trees for them. I figured, I don’t enjoy doing it. It’s hard to set up a tree, I figure most people probably go through the same thing.”

Sam and Duncan have been friends for a year and a half, and Sam said he was immediately on board with the idea. The spent the following week coming up with a business plan, price points and making marketing materials. A week later, they installed their first tree.

The duo charges $20 to take a tree from someone’s car into their home, set it up in the stand and hang lights over it. They also hang lights around the house for $15, and charge $10 per hour if their work takes more than one hour.

“We tried to figure out something that was reasonable but not over the top,” Duncan said. “We’re trying to help people, not rob them.”

So far, the pair has set up a handful of trees in North Arlington, but they acknowledge they got a late start this year. With at least two winters left in Arlington before they go to college, this is, for them, more of a testing season.

“This year we’re trying to lay a base,” Duncan said. “Hopefully next year it will turn into a real thing.”

Next year, Sam says they plan to donate 20 percent of their proceeds to the Father McKenna Center, a food shelter affiliated with Gonzaga.

Most people with trees only set up their seasonal decorations once a year, but Sam and Duncan have already learned tips to make their jobs easier.

“Always check the lights before they’re up,” Sam said. “Put them closer to the inside of the tree so you can’t see the cord. Make sure the tree is properly balanced in the stand, and leave enough room at the top for the star.”

The two are also learning how to deal with clients and handle transactions. While they’re expecting business to pick up next year, they’re also prepared for a potential boom in the week leading up to Christmas, when many families buy and decorate their trees at the last minute.

Those interested in Sam and Duncan’s services can email them at duncan.macbride@gmail.com and samwgo@gmail.com.

#Startup Monday

Crystal City Hosting Tech Cocktail Startup Awards Tomorrow

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 15, 2014 at 3:45PM | Updated December 15, 2014 at 4:13PM

Disruption Corporation in Crystal City (2231 Crystal Drive, 10th floor) is hosting the annual Tech Cocktail holiday party and all-star award ceremony tomorrow night.

The party will start at 6:00 p.m., end at 8:30 and costs $25 to attend ($35.99 if the guest wants a copy of Startup Mixology by Tech Cocktail’s Frank Gruber). All guests are encouraged to bring canned goods to donate to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Hundreds from the D.C. startup scene are expected to be in attendance, and awaiting the announcement of the annual awards. Winners will be named in the following categories:

Best Design (Product)
Best Bootstrapped
Most Innovative Product
Most Disruptive
Biggest Pivot
Best Company Culture
Most Active in Local Community
Most Likely to Get Acquired
Best Social Good Startup
Best Big Company with Startup Culture
Most Charismatic or Best Founder(s)/Leader(s)
Best Community Leader

Several Arlington companies — including Disruption Corporation and its founder, Paul Singh — are nominated for the awards, which are still open for voting here.

There will also be a mixology demonstration and cocktails — naturally — for the occasion. After the event concludes, the remaining guests will migrate just one floor up for a happy hour at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

Photo via Teck Cocktail

Church Holding Service for ‘Dark Side of the Holidays’

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 15, 2014 at 2:30PM

For many, the holiday season is a time of happiness, family and gifts. For others, it’s also a trying time and a reminder of recent losses.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd) is holding a service this Sunday for those who experience what the church calls “the dark side of the holidays.”

“This time of year can be a stressful time for most, but it can be especially difficult for people who may have suffered a major loss or have had a major life-changing experience in the past year,” the church wrote in an email. “Even happy memories can bring pain during the holidays. And, today’s commercialization and idealized images of what our holidays should be like are standards and expectations enough to stress the most ardent among us.”

The service will be on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. and is open to all, but is not appropriate for young children, the church said. The service, called “Standing Outside the Season,” will be hosted by Rev. Aaron McEmrys. Childcare will be provided.

County Board Approves 60 New Taxis

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 15, 2014 at 12:00PM

Arlington will soon see an influx of wheelchair accessible taxis.

The Arlington County Board voted on Saturday to approve the licenses for 60 new taxis, all wheelchair accessible. Ten of those taxis will be operated by Blue Top Cab while the other 50 licenses will be owned by new company All Access Taxi.

The Board’s unanimous decision adds 20 more taxis to the county’s fleet than County Manager Barbara Donnellan recommended, bringing the total number of licensed cabs in the county to 847, 97 of which will be accessible cabs.

“Our taxi companies, members of the disability community and riders are telling us there is a growing demand for accessible taxi service in Arlington,” Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette said in a press release. “We strive to be a fully welcoming community, and these additional cabs will provide more options and convenience to many people with a disability.”

County staff’s report on the licenses said people with wheelchairs have had to wait three hours for an accessible taxi and have had trouble getting taxis from Reagan National Airport. Julie Piche, the CEO of All Access Taxi, said the County Board’s approval will drastically improve the lives of disabled Arlington residents.

“This is ground-breaking because for the first time a local government has recognized that accessible and equitable service requires a fleet and a dedicated effort,” Piche told ARLnow.com today. “This is a victory for people with disabilities across the nation because their needs have been recognized and their quest for accessible, on-demand transportation has been validated. Arlington’s leadership will set the standard for the nation.”

All Access Taxi anticipates offering rides on demand — via phone, online and a mobile app — in February, Piche said, and its full fleet is expected to be operational by April.

Photo courtesy All Access Taxi

Arlington Agenda (Dec. 15-21)

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 15, 2014 at 10:10AM

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.

Tuesday

Defense Contractor Jobs Open House*
Crowne Plaza Hotel (1480 Crystal Drive)
Time: 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Jacobs Engineering is looking for engineers and analysts for their bid on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, for engineering services.

Wednesday

Clarendon Menorah Lighting*
Clarendon Central Park (3140 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Enjoy potato latkes, gelt and dreidel spinning as the Arlington-Alexandria Chabad hosts a 6-foot Menorah lighting in Clarendon. The event is free to attend and visitors will be entered to win a free Amazon Kindle.

Ugly Sweater Party
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3207 Washington Blvd)
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Hosted by the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, this party will have food and prize drawing, and 10 percent of proceeds will go toward organizing Relay for Life events in the area.

Thursday

Chanukah on Ice*
Pentagon Row Ice Rink (1201 S. Joyce Street)
Time: 6:00-8:30 p.m.

On the third night of Chanukah, Pentagon City hosts its annual Chanukah on Ice festival and Menorah lighting. The event is $10 in advance, $13 at the door and includes skate rental.

Saturday

Christmas Bird Count
Potomac Overlook Regional Park (2845 N. Marcey Road)
Time: 7:30 a.m.-noon

Join the Potomac Overlook naturalist and walk the park trails for the annual Christmas Bird Count to help see which birds have come to Arlington for the winter. Binoculars available, but limited.

Live Music: Bad Scooter
IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 9:00 p.m.

Police tribute band A Thousand Rainy Days opens for cover band Bad Scooter, which plays rock, funk, blues, reggae and soul music, all with a groove to dance to. Tickets are $10 at the door.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

#Arlington Agenda