Author: Heather Mongilio

Construction Continues on Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway

By Heather Mongilio

Crystal City Potomac Yard Transistway (via Arlington County)Construction on the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway will continue through the fall after being delayed by construction conflicts.

“Unforeseen utility conflicts, poor soil conditions and underground obstructions slowed work at several station locations,” the county said on the project’s website.

Arlington County is currently working with contractors to set a new completion date for the project, said county spokesman Eric Balliet, adding that the county will update the community once a schedule has been set.

The county is also holding a public meeting next week to give an update on transitway. The meeting on Oct. 8 will be held at the Residence Inn (2800 S. Potomac Avenue) from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Currently, the county is working on new transitway lanes and on three of the new stations, Balliet said. Crystal Drive, S. Clark Street and S. Bell Street are affected by the road construction, he added.

“New dedicated transit lanes in Potomac Yard are nearing completion,” Balliet said. “Traffic signs and station signage are being installed, and we’ve started testing LED signs and other technologies that will support the transitway. Our contractor recently resumed construction at several station locations where utility conflicts, poor soils and underground obstructions had slowed work.”

Once completed, the Crystal City Potomac Yard transitway will provide better bus service along the Route 1 corridor, especially during rush hour, the county said.

“The new 4.5-mile Transitway between the Crystal City and Braddock Road Metrorail stations will provide faster, more reliable bus service along the congested Route 1 corridor, with amenities designed to attract new riders,” the county said.

The transitway project broke ground in July 2014 and was originally slated to take 10 months.

Photo via Arlington County

County to Collect Vehicle, Real Estate Taxes Next Week

By Heather Mongilio

Logo via Arlington CountyVehicle and real estate taxes are due to the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office next Monday, Oct. 5.

Residents can pay taxes online, by phone or by mail. Any mailed payment must be postmarked by Oct. 5 in order to avoid late fees or penalties.

“In the event that you are waiting for your account to be adjusted or closed, please be sure to avoid late payment penalty by paying the balance by Oct. 5,” the county said in a statement. “Any overpayment will be refunded once your account has been adjusted.”

The county charges a personal property tax on all vehicles regularly parked overnight in Arlington, including cars, motorcycles, buses and boats.

“All cities and counties in Virginia have a personal property tax which helps fund local government,” the county said.

The Treasurer’s Office collects real estate taxes in two installments — the first is collected on July 15 and the second on Oct. 5.

“Real estate taxes support schools, fire and police protection, and other public services and benefits afforded to County residents,” the county said. “You help absorb these costs in proportion to the amount of money your property is worth.”

Residents who have questions about their bills can contact the Treasurer’s Office by emailing [email protected] or calling 703-228-4000.

E-CARE Recycling Event Rescheduled for Halloween

By Heather Mongilio

Metal recycling at E-CARE (photo via Arlington County DES)Arlington’s biannual Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) has been rescheduled for the end of October due to rainy weather.

The recycling event will now happen on Halloween (Oct. 31) from 8:30 a.m to 3 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road).

“The Arlington Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) is an event where Arlington residents can safely dispose of household hazardous materials and recycle bikes, small metal items, shoes and clothing, among other things,” the county said on its website.

The county is waiving the $20 recycling fee for televisions and $15 recycling fee for computer monitors due to the inconvenience of having to reschedule.

E-CARE was originally scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 3, but was cancelled as the result of anticipated rain from a nor’easter hitting the area this weekend.

New Condo Development Opens on Walter Reed Drive

By Heather Mongilio
1/6

S. Walter Reed Drive is now home to 14 condominiums and eight townhouses.

Construction has finished on  a five-story building at the corner of S. Walter Reed Drive and 11th Street S. The new development, Columbia Place, has 14 two-bed, two-bathroom condominiums and eight townhouses.

“Just a few miles to D.C. and just steps from fabulous dining and shopping locations, Columbia Place offers everything a downtown buyer wants without the downtown pricing. With condos starting in the $500s, Columbia is well-suited for a variety of lifestyles,” developer Evergreene Homes said in a press release.

The 14 condos sit on 3,000 square feet of retail space, which will house two “shopping opportunities,” Evergreene said on its website.

The developer will hold an open house this weekend from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, which will include a guided walkthrough of the new building. Refreshments will be provided.

“When you live at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Walter Reed [Drive], you live in the center of Arlington. And that means saying goodbye to long commutes and embracing a life where work, shopping, dining and entertainment are all just moments away,” Evergreene said. “For those looking to own in Arlington there is no better-located community than Columbia Place.”

Disclosure: Evergreene Homes is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Va. Governor Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Impending Rain Storm, Hurricane

By Heather Mongilio

Possible path for Hurricane Joaquin (via National Weather Service)Gov. Terry McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency for Virginia in response to an impending nor’easter and Hurricane Joaquin, which is making its way toward the East Coast.

McAuliffe declared the state of emergency to allow Virginia businesses, residents and officials to prepare for the impending storms.

“I cannot stress enough the imperative for Virginians to focus on the rainstorms that are headed our way tomorrow and Friday, well before Hurricane Joaquin could potentially impact Virginia,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “The forecast of up to 10 inches of rain in areas across Virginia could result in floods, power outages and a serious threat to life and property. As we continue to track the path of Hurricane Joaquin, I have instructed the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to make every preparation for a major event Thursday and Friday.”

The nor’easter is expect to hit the area Thursday and Friday bringing a prolonged period of torrential rain and the potential for dangerous flooding, McAuliffe said in a statement. The rain may continue as Hurricane Joaquin approaches.

Joaquin is currently expected to make landfall at some point on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The hurricane’s possible trajectory has it hitting North Carolina around 2 p.m. on Sunday and moving through Virginia, D.C. and Maryland Sunday and Monday. Another path, however, predicts Joaquin will bypass the East Coast completely.

Joaquin is currently a Category 1 hurricane with winds up to 85 miles per hour and is floating around the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands, according to NWS.

Virginia officials issued the following tips for staying safe when flooding is expected (after the jump).

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Man Dies After Collapsing in Taxi by Dept. of Human Services

By Heather Mongilio
1/3

Police and paramedics were called to Arlington’s Department of Human Services after a man collapsed and suffered an apparent cardiac arrest in a taxi.

The incident happened just after 2 p.m., outside the DHS building at 2100 Washington Blvd. The man — a 65 year old Arlington resident, according to scanner traffic — was in a Red Top Cab when the driver saw that he was suffering a medical emergency and pulled over.

“The driver noticed that [the passenger] was slumped over in between the seats,” said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Alvin Guice.

The driver checked on the man and found that he didn’t have a pulse. Someone then ran to the DHS front desk and screamed “call 911,” according to a witness.

“We called 911 to respond to a building visitor who appeared to be in distress,” said DHS spokesman Kurt Larrick.

Passersby helped to pull the man out of the cab so they could render aid, the witness said. By the time paramedics arrived, someone was performing CPR on him. Medics took over and continued performing CPR as they rushed the man to Virginia Hospital Center, where doctors were unable to resuscitate him.

“Unfortunately, he was pronounced [deceased] at the hospital,” Guice said.

APS Graduation Rate Rises, Tops Virginia Average

By Heather Mongilio

On-time graduation rates (via Arlington Public Schools)The on-time graduation rate for Arlington Public Schools has continued to rise, topping Virginia’s average by more than 2 percent.

The class of 2015 had a 92.8 percent graduation rate, 0.8 percent higher than the previous year. The on-time graduation rate has increased 8.1 percent over the past six years, according to APS.

The rate is 2.3 percent higher than the state average of 90.5 percent, APS said.

“The increases in the on-time graduation rate and the proportions of graduates earning advanced diplomas is notable given the more strenuous requirements for earning a diploma in Virginia,” APS said in a press release.

Students receiving diplomas this year had to complete an economic and personal finance course, the first time Virginia had this requirement.

“The students who graduated in May and June began high school just as the commonwealth was introducing challenging, new assessments in mathematics, English and science,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven Staples said in a statement.

Rates of students graduating with advanced degrees (via Arlington Public Schools)

Of the students who graduated this year, 68.5 percent of them graduated with an advanced or International Baccalaureate diploma, 17 percent higher than the state average of 51.5 percent. The average number of students graduating with advanced or IB diplomas has also increased 7.3 percent over the past six years, from 61.2 percent in 2009.

“While I am pleased that our graduation rates have continued to rise, I am especially excited to see that more and more of our students also have challenged themselves to earn advanced or IB diplomas. This expands the options for their academic and personal pursuits after graduation,” said APS Superintendent Patrick Murphy.

While graduation and advanced diploma rates have increased, the number of students dropping out of school increased, as well. The rate jumped up from 3.8 percent in 2014 to 4.2 percent in 2015.

Although the rate increased, the dropout rate has decreased since 2009, when the rate was 11.9 percent. The rate is under the Virginia average of 5.2 percent.

Patrick Henry Elementary Named Blue Ribbon School

By Heather Mongilio
1/7

Patrick Henry Elementary School has been recognized as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School, the only public elementary school in Northern Virginia to receive the honor this year.

Arlington Public School officials announced its Blue Ribbon status today in front of the student body, teachers, parents and members of the Arlington School Board. Children and faculty wore blue ribbons to mark the occasion.

“We are very proud of you [the students], of the teachers, of the staff members,” said School Board Chair Emma Violand-Sánchez. “And I wanted to tell the teachers and the staff that you are making a different in the children’s lives.”

Patrick Henry joins 334 other schools receiving Blue Ribbon status in 2015, including 11 schools — six public, five private — in Virginia.

“I am so excited that our students, staff, and families are being recognized for their hard work and dedication to academic excellence,” said Andrea Frye, who has been the principal of Patrick Henry for two years. “Our Patrick Henry team and students are living the school motto of doing their personal best all year and I am so proud that they are being honored for those efforts by being selected as a National Blue Ribbon school.”

The school received the Blue Ribbon in the category of high performance, Frye said. To be chosen as a Blue Ribbon school for high performance, Patrick Henry had to be in Virginia’s top 15 percent of elementary schools, based on test scores.

“One thing we know about Patrick Henry is they have consistently high academic performance, and that tells me one thing. You are working very hard, and that is excellent quality I want you to build on. This school is consistent, teachers and staff, thank you for that,” said Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Patrick Murphy.

Frye said she thinks the school was chosen as a Blue Ribbon school because of its teachers, who work together to help students develop as individuals, instead of focusing solely on academically.

“I think the adult-child relationship that happens at Patrick Henry is unique,” Frye said.

Teachers at the school are kind and make learning fun, said a group of fourth graders, with one adding that they never give out homework that is too long.

“All the teachers are nice, but at the same time, the teachers want us to learn,” said fourth-grader Colby Ames.

The school will display two banners to mark the achievement — the official Blue Ribbon banner from Department of Education and one that celebrates everyone who helped make the school Blue Ribbon worthy, Frye said. Children and teachers will be putting their names on cut-out blue handprints that will hang around the second banner, she added.

Patrick Henry is located at 701 S. Highland Street, near Columbia Pike. The school is diverse from a socioeconomic standpoint, with about 37 percent of the student body receiving free or reduced-cost lunches.

Photos: Oz in Clarendon Opens For Dinner

By Heather Mongilio
1/10

Oz, a new Australian restaurant in Clarendon, has started serving traditional dishes like Rissole eggs, meat pies and fish and chips as part of its soft opening.

The restaurant was open for dinner yesterday. The soft opening continues today with dinner from 5-9 p.m. Full service, including lunch and happy hour, will potentially start on Friday, said co-owner Ashley Darby.

Once fully opened, the restaurant will serve dinner seven days a week, with brunch on Saturday and Sundays and lunch on Wednesdays through Fridays.

The restaurant serves authentic Australian cuisine, Darby said, adding that the food is new to many of the restaurant staff, including herself.

“We’re all learning as we go,” said Darby, who was crowned Miss D.C. in 2011.

Darby co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Michael, who is an Australian native and the co-founder of local real estate development firm Monument Realty.

A few waiters and one of the hostesses are also from Australia, Darby said.

The Australian theme extends past the food. The interior of the restaurant is designed to have elements reminiscent of a house on the outback, Darby said.

The main dining room represents the inside of the house that has just seen a brush fire, she said. The back wall is made up of alternating light and dark wood panels to give the impression of “trees scorched by fire,” Darby said. Aboriginal artwork, including painted boomerangs, are hung around the room.

Guest have the option to sit in the covered “porch,” with vines hanging across the walls to make it feel as if the guests are on the front porch of a house.

Customers can grab a traditional Australian drink at the bar and enjoy it under an “open” sky. The bar was designed to look like the back deck of the house, with the ceiling painted like an outback sky. The bar has a small lounge area, with copper tones and a backsplash made to look like sand dunes, Darby said.

In addition to the seating inside, the restaurant offers outdoor seating along its front and side. The Australian theme does not get carried outside, Darby said.

So far, Darby says she has heard good things from customers, adding that there are a few taste adjustments the restaurant will make.

“I think people are curious and willing to try, and [they] come in open-minded,” Darby said.

Lack of Public Trust Is Influencing County Gov’t Decisions, Donnellan Says

By Heather Mongilio

Former County Manager Barbara Donnellan (via Arlington County)

County decisions on large projects like the Columbia Pike Streetcar, aquatics center and Artisphere have reflected a certain level of distrust in government, said former County Manager Barbara Donnellan.

“I think people’s trust of government at all levels has changed,” Donnellan said, in a video interview produced by the county.

Donnellan, who served more than 30 years in the Arlington County government, including five as county manager, said she watched the county move from being more short-term focused in approaching renovations and other projects to taking on larger projects and making longer-term capital improvement plans, a shift she credits to County Board Chair Mary Hynes, who’s retiring after this year.

The Kettler Capitals Iceplex above the Ballston mall garage, which Donnellan advocated for, was one of the first large projects in a long time, she said. Since then, the county has pushed large projects like the Artisphere, the Columbia Pike streetcar and the Long Bridge Park aquatics center — but struggled in its execution and in selling the big projects to an increasingly skeptical community.

“I think the ability to spend money on high profile projects became an issue,” Donnellan said.

The streetcar debate was the first time the county had seen a large community effort against a county project, she said, adding that she had to hire a communications team to fight against misinformation being spread by streetcar opponents.

“So by giving that project up, we lost a lot of money that was going to support that project, but I believe the politicians at the time felt that it would calm the community down and build trust back by saying we’re smart enough to change course when needed,” Donnellan said.

Artisphere, which closed down over the summer, was another area where the community and government didn’t see eye to eye, she said.

“In all fairness, the Artisphere had done some great things. It really did have acclaim it was getting in the region,” Donnellan said. “But it had lost the trust and support of our elected officials and some in the community to the point where as the manager I had to make a lot of decisions.”

Donnellan said she had floated Artisphere for a couple of years but eventually had to pull the plug, a decision that upset some in the community.

“I look at it as great communities try things,” she said. “And if they don’t work, great communities pull way from things or they rethink them.”

The aquatics center in Long Bridge Park is one of the projects that the community might need to rethink, she said. Currently, the county is looking a partnership with the City of Alexandria in order to secure the funding needed to build the “state-of-the-art” facility.

“And just to clear that up, the only reason the aquatics center was not built is because the bids came in way too high,” Donnellan said.

She attributes the high bids to the inclusion of a specialized heating and air conditioning system not generally used at pools. The system is more efficient, she said, but added that ambiguity in its specifications may have made contractors increase their bids.

“So that could be tightened up and that could be something that happens in the future, as well,” she said.

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New 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Center Planned

By Heather Mongilio

Site of new Pentagon Memorial Visitor CenterThe grassy patch of land that runs along Columbia Pike and Washington Blvd by the Pentagon is slated to be home to the new 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center by 2020.

“The Pentagon is the only 9/11 attack site without a visitor center or museum to explain the historic significance of what happened on that day. Among the 500,000+ visitors who come to the Memorial each year, few know how different this location is from all others in Washington, D.C.,” said James Laychak, the president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, in a press release.

The new visitor center location is in front of the Pentagon Memorial and on the flight path taken by Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184 people on Sept. 11, 2001.

“The 9/11 Pentagon Visitor Education Center site is in a dramatic location, right where the attack of 9/11 took place and adjacent to the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and Air Force Memorial… This thoughtful arrangement creates a powerful backdrop to heighten the experience for visitors as they arrive at the 9/11 Pentagon Visitor Education Center,” the Pentagon Memorial Fund said on its website.

The organization is currently looking for sponsors to help it reach a goal of $75 million for the visitor education center.

Once the center is completed, visitors will be able to learn more about the Sept. 11 events and the significance of the Pentagon Memorial through exhibits created from artifacts and content donated by the FBI, National Geographic, the Transportation Security Administration and National Museum of American History, among others.

The visitor center will help tell the stories of both the victims and survivors of the Pentagon attack and inform visitors about the U.S. response to the attacks. It will also offer walking audio tours.

“Tens of thousands of children and students come to the memorial each year and few know why this memorial is different from all others in Washington, D.C. in that it is located where the event took place. Many of those are eighth-graders on class trips that are too young to have experienced the tragedy of Sept. 11. We do not want to miss out on these teachable moments,” the Pentagon Memorial Fund said.

The visitor center is expected to open in 2019 or 2020, according to a spokesman.

Columbia Pike is slated to be realigned as part of a land swap between Arlington County and the military that will allow for Arlington National Cemetery to be expanded around the planned 9/11 visitor center.

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