Author: Ethan Rothstein

Spots Remain for Free Emergency Response Class

By Ethan Rothstein

CERT Training (photo courtesy Cynthia Kellems)Arlington County is still looking to fill some seats in its free, eight-session emergency response training for residents, starting this week.

The classes, which are six weeknights and two weekends, begin on Sept. 11 (Thursday) and next Tuesday, Sept. 16. The classes are held at the new fire training academy in Shirlington (2800 S. Taylor Street).

The classes cover disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations, fire suppression and utility shutoff, disaster psychology, terrorism, light search and rescue and team organization, according to Community Emergency Response Team volunteer coordinator Cythina Kellams. The session concludes with the trainees participating in a mock-disaster response.

“To date, more than 650 Arlingtonians have completed CERT training, many of whom have elected to be members of neighborhood teams available to assist the county in disasters,” Kellams wrote in an email. “Following the 2012 derecho, CERT members provided critical back-up to the county’s disabled 9-1-1 system.”

The classes are open to anyone who lives or works in Arlington and is 18 and older. If accompanied by a parent, 16- and 17-year-olds are also welcome. To secure one of the limited remaining spots, and for more information about class times, email [email protected].

Photo courtesy Cynthia Kellams

Smartphone Breathalyzer Raises $60K on Kickstarter

By Ethan Rothstein

Startup Monday header

Editor’s Note: Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders and funders. The Ground Floor is Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn. 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.

DrinkMate Shaun Masavage is 26 years old and has an invention he believes can launch a successful company: a small breathalyzer that plugs into the mini-USB port on Android smartphones.

He’s spent more than a year designing the product, called DrinkMate, building the motherboard himself under a magnifying glass in his Ballston home. After gathering some support from friends and family, Edge Tech Labs launched a Kickstarter campaign the morning of Aug. 24, with a $40,000 fundraising goal.

That’s when he vomited.

“I thought I was going to wake up feeling super excited,” Masavage told ARLnow.com. “But I woke up that morning and threw up. I was sick at work all day. The stress was pretty incredible, especially without having a co-founder to lean on.”

Masavage’s stress eased immensely on Labor Day, Sept. 1, when, after a weekend profile by TechCrunch, DrinkMate reached its funding goal. As of Monday morning, the Kickstarter had raised $62,527 from 1,751 backers, and Masavage officially has a product to sell.

DrinkMate is a “novelty” breathalyzer that plugs into a smartphone. The associated app tells users what their approximate blood-alcohol content is. What it is not is a police-grade breathalyzer to be used to determine one’s sobriety before getting behind the wheel of a car, Masavage cautioned.

“Liability is an issue with this technology,” Masavage admitted. “My No. 1 concern is someone will misuse it and claim that this caused them to do something illegal. We’re working hard to make it as accurate as possible, but the real problem isn’t accuracy, it’s drunk driving.”

DrinkMateMasavage said the goal is to “remove the stigma” of a breathalyzer so people will be more aware of their BAC level while they are drinking. His goal is for DrinkMate to be a social tool that friends can use at parties to test each other and take steps to prevent drunk driving.

Put another way, “If you feel like you should be using a device to determine whether you should be driving, you shouldn’t be driving,” Masavage said.

Masavage said he’s conscious that the device could lead to competition for who can drink more, which is why the reading limit of the app is .20 BAC, which is more than double the legal limit for driving under the influence.

The device is built from a shell created by a 3-D printer, a component board designed and built over the course of several months by Masavage himself, plus an affordable sensor Masavage found online.

The $40,000 goal was set with the aim to purchase a $10,000 steel mold to mass produce the devices — 3-D printing would be exorbitantly expensive in anything greater than small batches — and to hire a software developer and co-founder to perfect the app. Masavage said he plans on sending out the first wave of DrinkMates by December.

“My target retail price is $25,” Masavage said, noting he plans on targeting convenience stores and online retailers to carry the product at first. “By keeping the price low, it falls more into the novelty category. If someone wants a police-grade breathalyzer, they can buy one.” (more…)

Arlington Sending Out Jury Duty Questionnaires

By Ethan Rothstein

Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)Arlington is sending out its annual questionnaires to randomly selected residents to find jurors for next year.

The questionnaires will be sent to about 11,000 residents of Arlington and Falls Church, which is also in the Arlington Circuit Court’s jurisdiction, this month, the county announced Friday. The pool of residents receiving questionnaires was selected from voter rolls provided by the state Board of Elections.

Those who receive the questionnaires have 10 days to fill them out and send them in, either via standard mail or online. The court wants to remind residents that the questionnaire is not a summons to appear, and, according to the press release, “please do not call the Clerk’s Office asking for an excuse from jury duty. Excuses or postponements to serve at another time during the year can be considered if you are actually summoned to serve as a juror.”

Jury terms are typically no longer than four days, Monday through Thursday, but the average trial is one to two days, the county said. Jurors receive $30 per day as reimbursement. The 2015 court year goes from the third week of January 2015 to January 2016.

Not responding to the juror questionnaire within 10 days is a violation of state law.

Arlington Agenda (Sept. 8-14)

By Ethan Rothstein

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.

Thursday

Arlington-Fire-DepartmentLecture 9/11 First Responder James Schwartz
Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th Street S.)
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m.

ACFD Chief James Schwartz gives the history of the fire department, including its role in the 9/11 terror attack on the Pentagon, the rescue efforts of which were led by Schwartz. The program is free.

Friday

Doorways-Client-Thumbs-UpBrighter Futures Breakfast
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (4301 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Listen to the victims of domestic violence tell their stories, and how Doorways for Women and Families helped them overcome adversity. No minimum or maximum donation required. Email to RSVP.

Saturday

Ball-Sellers House (photo courtesy Arlington Historical Society)Antique Appraisals
Carlin Hall (5711 4th Street S.)
Time: 10:00 a.m.-noon

An Antiques Roadshow-style appraisal, right in Arlington. To have an item appraised, pay $10 and reserve in advance by calling 703-942-9247. To watch the show, tickets are $5 at the door.

Church Block Party
Clarendon United Methodist Church (606 N. Irving Street)
Time: 3:00-8:00 p.m.

The Clarendon UMC hosts a block party. Food is $5, but you can also music, games, demonstrations, nfo booths, crafts, a moon bounce, Zumba, make some jewelry, learn flower arranging and hear a mini organ concert.

Sunday

2014sipandsalsaVintage Crystal: Sip and Salsa*
220 20th Street S.
Time: 2:00-6:00 p.m.

The region’s largest, inside-the-Beltway outdoor wine festival. Wines from Argentina and the Iberian Peninsula are featured for tastings, which, along with food, cost $20.

Fall rose buds at the Bon Air Rose Garden were decimated by midgeGarden Tour and Tasting
Potomac Overlook Regional Park (2845 N. Marcey Road)
Time: 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Sample from the garden, talk with Master Gardeners about growing vegetables in Arlington, with an emphasis on planting fall crops and overwintering vegetables.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

W-L, Yorktown Football Rebuild While Wakefield Simply Builds

By Ethan Rothstein

Washington-Lee beats Yorktown for District titleArlington’s public high school football teams couldn’t have hoped for better regular seasons last year, with Washington-Lee and Yorktown meeting in the season finale with both undefeated in National District play.

Washington-Lee won that game, 10-0, capturing its first district football title in 38 years. Yorktown went farther in the playoffs — losing to Lake Braddock in the quarterfinals — and Wakefield improved from 0-10 in 2012 to 3-7 under new coach Wayne Hogwood.

All will have to put last year behind them tonight when the open their season. Washington-Lee opens at home tonight against McLean, Yorktown will host Langley and Wakefield will go on the road to face Marshall. All games are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Gone from the Generals and Patriots are many of the stars of last year’s big game, including Yorktown running back M.J. Stewart who is now at the University of North Carolina, set to play in his first game tomorrow after being suspended for last week’s opener. The Patriots will also miss defensive lineman Logan Robinson, who is playing for The Citadel. Head coach Bruce Hanson says quarterback Joe McBride, lineman Quinn Cox and linebacker/fullbacks Jack Storrs and Sean Coleman will be called upon to lead the revamped squad.

“You can’t replace M.J.,” Hanson said. “M.J. scored 79 touchdowns and rushed for 4,800 yards in three years, plus who knows how many balls he caught. It’s certainly going to be hard to replace him offensively, but we feel like we have a competitive team. I don’t know how our record is going to be, we’re not going to be a pushover.”

The Generals will sorely miss three-year quarterback start Sam Appel and top wide receiver/defensive backs Trevor McManus and Noah Harrington. They return just three starters on both offense and defense, but one of those starters is running back Daquay Harris, who was a huge factor for last season’s district champs. He’ll team with senior quarterback Ronnie Fesco to lead the Generals’ offense behind an experienced offensive line.

“We graduated 25 players and 12 starters, so we’re looking for guys to fill in,” Washington-Lee head coach Josh Shapiro said. “Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of holes, so we’ll start to learn a lot about our team tonight. It’s hard, because you just don’t know what you have yet.”

Hogwood and the Wakefield Warriors are having a different training camp. Other than losing the team’s all-conference guard in David Benford and top receiver in Marcus Boyd, the Warriors bring back everyone from last year’s 3-7 unit. Hogwood said quarterback Riley Wilson, who transferred into the school last year, has become one of the team’s leaders, as has guard Ryan Jones.

“I feel really good at this point in the year,” Hogwood said. “I think we’ve got some guys that have been committed and in our program for a year now. We’re a little bit smarter, stronger and older from last year. I fully expect us to build on the three wins we got last year.”

Each coach is cautiously optimistic about his team, but the Arlington schools aren’t gaining much recognition from the region. There is not one mention of Yorktown, Wakefield or Washington-Lee in the Washington Post’s several-thousand word 2014 football season preview. Amazingly, not a single player from the three schools even garnered an honorable mention in the Post’s preseason all-star teams, which feature well over 100 players from around the region. (more…)

Police Swarm Ballston to Stop Alleged Bike Thieves

By Ethan Rothstein
1/5

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) The Arlington County Police Department apprehended three bike theft suspects in Ballston this afternoon (Friday).

The suspects were caught with a bicycle that had been reported stolen this morning, according to Lt. Dan Murphy, who heads the ACPD’s property theft division. Around 12:30 p.m., police pulled over a minivan with four suspects inside. One female suspect ran away from police and is still at large. The other three were handcuffed and taken into custody, although one managed to flee from the van before police caught and detained him.

“Recognizing the larceny of bikes is an ongoing problem,” Murphy told ARLnow.com at the scene. “We’ve developed plans to prevent bike theft, including plainclothes surveillance, GPS tracking and bicycle registration.”

In total, nine police vehicles responded to the call, at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Randolph Street in front of Pizza Autentica. Murphy said the large response, which included plainclothes officers, was warranted because of the number of suspects in the minivan, which was later towed from the scene. The van had chemicals and cleaning supplies in it, leading onlookers to question whether it was, as one put it “a rolling meth lab,” but Murphy said the individuals were only suspected of bike theft.

Murphy couldn’t release information about the suspects, either the ones in custody or the one at large. He did say, however, that this wasn’t the only bike theft bust this week. ACPD officers arrested an alleged bike thief who had three stolen bikes in his possession on Wednesday.

To help increase the likelihood that a stolen bike is returned, cyclists are encouraged to register their bike with the police, a free service for residents and non-residents who cycle in Arlington.

The stolen bike is expected to be returned to its owner, a 10-year-old girl who had received it as a Christmas gift, according to Murphy.

Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

The kids are back in school, the traffic is back up to mind-numbing levels and your office is fuller than you’ve seen it in months. The summer is over, but that means the August lull in the housing market is over, too.

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

1300-s-arlington-ridge-road1300 S. Arlington Ridge Road
0 BD / 1 BA condominium
Agent: Giovanni Santa Ana, Move4Free Realty
Listed: $173,900
Open: Saturday, Sept. 6, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 7, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

2100-lee-highway2100 Lee Highway
1 BD / 1 BA condominium
Agent: Craig Mastrangelo, Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $349,000
Open: Sunday, Sept. 7, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1029-n-stuart-street1029 N. Stuart Street
2 BD / 2 BA condominium
Agent: Barak Sky, Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $489,000
Open: Saturday, Sept. 6, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

2205-s-nelson-street2205 S. Nelson Street
3 BD / 2 BA single family detached
Agent: Clinton Courtney, Long & Foster Real Estate
Listed: $599,000
Open: Friday, Sept. 5, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

1524-n-ohio-street1524 N. Ohio Street
3 BD / 3 1/2 BA single family detached
Agent: Audrey Shay, Keller Williams Realty Falls Church
Listed: $774,500
Open: Sunday, Sept. 7, 12:30 to 3:00 p.m.

3514-36th-street-n3514 36th Street N.
5 BD / 4 1/2 BA single family detached
Agent: Kevin Love, Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $1,399,900
Open: Sunday, Sept. 7, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Local Officials React to McDonnell Verdict

By Ethan Rothstein

USS Arlington (LPD 24) Commissioning (Courtesy U.S. Navy)Former Gov. Robert McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were both convicted on multiple counts of corruption in federal court yesterday, a day many public officials and political observers called a sad day for the Commonwealth.

The governor was convicted on 11 of 13 counts, including three counts of honest-services wire fraud and six counts of obtaining property “under color of official right,” for gifts and loans received from businessman Jonnie Williams.

Maureen McDonnell was convicted on nine of a possible 13 counts, for many of the same crimes as her husband.

The attorneys for both McDonnells said each would appeal their convictions. U.S. District Judge James Spencer set a sentencing hearing for Jan. 6, at which the estranged couple could independently face up to 20 years in prison and fines of more than $250,000.

The McDonnells and their family reportedly were crying as count after guilty count were read, with Bob McDonnell at one point burying his head in his hands while his daughters “sobbed” behind him, the Post reported.

Current Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who campaigned on ethics reform last year after the Washington Post brought the McDonnells’ improprieties to light, released a statement in the immediate aftermath of the verdict.

“I am deeply saddened by the events of the trial that ended in today’s verdict, and the impact it has had on our Commonwealth’s reputation for honesty and clean government,” McAuliffe said in the statement. “Dorothy and I will continue to pray for the McDonnell family and for everyone who was affected by this trial.”

Attorney General Mark Herring, who also campaigned on ethics reform and issued a gifts ban for his office when he was inaugurated, said he hopes the General Assembly “will move much closer” to the gift bans he and McAuliffe instituted.

“We have a long way to go to restore the public’s trust after this embarrassing and difficult period for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Herring said in a press release. “If there was somehow still any doubt, it should be crystal clear that the people of Virginia deserve real ethics reform that will turn off the spigot of gifts, tickets, and trips that opens the door to abuse and undermines public confidence in our government.”

Some local political figures took to social media to largely express their dismay. While some may have expected Democrats to hail the verdict as a victory, no local leaders, at least in the immediate aftermath, gave any hints of pleasure after the jury’s ruling.

Photo courtesy U.S. Navy

Environmental Groups Protest Dominion in Crystal City

By Ethan Rothstein
1/5

A group of environmental activists and Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille gathered in Crystal City this afternoon to ask Dominion Resources, the parent company of Dominion Power, to end its membership in a conservative think tank.

The think tank, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is a membership-based, nonprofit group of state legislators — Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell sits on its board — and private sector businessmen and women focused on “free markets, limited government and constitutional division of powers between the federal and state governments.”

A few dozen activists, organized by the Sierra Club, held signs and pinwheels outside of ALEC’s office along Route 1 and asked Dominion to cancel its membership in the group. The protesters say ALEC’s lobbying efforts include derailing legislation aimed at preventing climate change, attempts at voter suppression and support for stand-your-ground gun laws.

“We must not permit our future well-being to be held hostage by fossil fuel companies and others with a vested interest in maintaining the dangerous, unsustainable status quo,” Bill Euille said, according to a press release. “That means we must push back hard against groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization which has expressly opposed the EPA’s effort to curb carbon pollution from power plants as well as fought renewable energy while promoting dirty fossil fuels.”

Several businesses, including Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola, have dropped their memberships to the think tank, which counts both Democrats and Republicans among its 2,000 members.

Photos courtesy Caroline Wood

Arlington Throws Support Behind D.C. Olympic Bid

By Ethan Rothstein

Renderings of the future Long Bridge Park Aquatics, Health & Fitness Facility(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) “Arlington County strongly supports” the Washington, D.C., region bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, County Board Chair Jay Fisette announced today.

Arlington’s support of the bid appears based largely around its currently-stalled plans to build an Olympic-quality aquatics facility at Long Bridge Park, which Arlington expects to be a candidate for the location of the swimming and diving events if D.C. is chosen as the host city.

“Back in June, when we suspended construction plans for Phase 2 of Long Bridge Park, which will include the Aquatics, Health and Fitness Facility, we noted that we expected the park to be part of the plan for bringing the Olympics to the Washington Region,” Fisette said in a press release. “That is still our hope. We believe that Long Bridge could be a great venue for Olympic swimming events.”

The group that will be leading D.C.’s bid to host the Olympics was also announced this morning. The group, called Washington 2024 will be led by Chairman and CEO Russ Ramsey, an investment banker and former board chairman of George Washington. The board includes Washington Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who will serve as vice chairman, Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner, Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank, chef José Andrés, former National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue and former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams.

“This is about bringing the world to Washington and bringing Washington to the world,” Leonsis said in a press release. “The idea of fostering unity could leave, for the whole of mankind, the greatest Olympics legacy ever. Only Washington could do this.”

D.C. is under consideration by the United States Olympic Committee to be its chosen city for the International Olympics Committee. D.C. is one of four American finalist cities, along with Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. The United States has not hosted a Summer Olympics since the 1996 games in Atlanta. The 2016 games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the 2020 games will be held in Tokyo.

“I speak for the County Board when I say that the Olympics could be a great thing for this region and for Arlington,” Fisette said. “We agree with Washington 2024 that this is an historic opportunity for our region to be part of the Olympic Movement.”

Bistro 360 in Rosslyn Plans Oct. 1 Opening

By Ethan Rothstein
1/3

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Bistro 360, the wine bar, bistro and gourmet market coming to the former Café Assorti space (1800 Wilson Blvd), is hoping to open by Oct. 1.

Bistro 360 owner Art Hauptman, who also owns Cassatt’s Kiwi Cafe (4536 Lee Highway), said the bistro section to the right of the store will serve entrees and appetizers, seat 50-60 and be open for dinner every night and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The wine bar section, in the back of the shop, will have seating for about 30 people and be open during the day and the evenings.

The shop section, which will have more than 120 different wines in addition to beer, coffee, tea, charcuterie and cheese, will also be open during the day and evening.

“It’ll be a gourmet-style market with sort of high-end items,” Hauptman told ARLnow.com today. “It’s not Dean & DeLuca, but it will be more than your corner market.”

The wine bar and bistro will serve food inspired from a variety of international cuisines, but “largely focused on Mediterranean,” Hauptman said. “The idea is exploration and travel lead to the mingling of cuisine. Some will be traditional dishes and some will be fusion.”

The restaurant will be quiet and respectful of the community, Hauptman said, but he hopes to get a mix of middle-aged and mid-20s customers who enjoy a quiet glass of wine.

“It’s not going to be a Clarendon-style place,” he said. “I don’t like noisy restaurants, even though I know people drink more in them.”

Initially, Hauptman was looking to move Cassatt’s during lease negotiations with its current landlord. After he and the landlord were able to agree on a deal, Hauptman had already done location research, he said, so he decided to open up a second restaurant. He chose the Rosslyn location because he owns it, he said, and “landlords are a pain the ass.”

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