Author: Jackie Friedman

Photos: Local Business Raises Funds for ACPD K9 Unit

By Jackie Friedman
1/7

A store in Courthouse hosted some special four-legged guests Wednesday afternoon.

Members of the Arlington County Police Department K9 unit — both dogs and handlers — stopped by Olive Oil Boom (2016 Wilson Blvd) to accept a donation from the store. The shop, which specializes in olive oils and vinegars, raised money to purchase two K9 medical kits.

“I found out from one of the officers that they don’t have medical kits for their dogs if they go on scene or have any kind of medical issues, said Olive Oil Boom owner Judith Westfall. “Because of that, we decided to just start collecting donations for the K9 medical kits.”

The equipment in the medical kits are “meant [to be used] in case of a traumatic injury or heat stroke,” said ACPD Sgt. Bryan Morrison.

One medical kit will be used on site for training and one will be taken out into the field. The kits will allow officers to treat the dogs quickly and get them to an emergency vet.

“There is so much stuff in there and it’s a great benefit to our unit because they are a bit expensive and we are not afforded the opportunity to buy these. For somebody to donate them to us, it’s really great,” said Morrison.

ArtJamz Underground Studio Set to Open Soon in Crystal City

By Jackie Friedman
1/6

ArtJamz Underground Studio, a new “paint and sip” studio, will be opening next Friday, July 15, in Crystal City.

Located in the Crystal City Shops, at 2105-B Crystal Plaza Arcade, the 1,000 square foot public art studio and lounge will offer freestyle paint sessions, guided classes, and other private and public special events.

Studio time for customers includes art materials, an easel, a smock, two complimentary glasses of wine or one beer and local artists that are on hand to give tips and guidance.

“We really encourage original art, for people to create something unique,” said founder and CEO Michael Clements. “Our tagline is unleash your inner artist because we want our studios to be as close to what an artist would experience in their studio.”

Customers can choose from six different canvas sizes — and they’re also allowed to paint on the walls. Just for fun, fake artist mustaches and berets are offered at an additional charge.

This will be the first permanent ArtJamz location in Virginia (it also hosts popup locations). The business has two other physical locations in D.C.

“Our mission is make the world a more creative place,” said Clements.

Customers can book sessions online. Until opening night, ArtJamz is offering a special where patrons can book sessions using the promo code “opening16” to receive 20 percent off a reservation.

Clarendon Businesses Leave Doors Open Despite Hot Weather

By Jackie Friedman
1/2

There’s a curious retail practice on display this week in Clarendon, and perhaps elsewhere in Arlington. Despite the sweltering weather, we’ve spotted retailers like T-Mobile, Bluemercury and Lululemon keeping their front doors open while the store’s air conditioning is running on full blast.

A Lululemon employee said that they keep the doors open to create a friendly environment, as a way to attract more customers into the store. However, they will close the door if the air conditioning is not keeping up with the heat outside, she said.

Keeping the doors open during hot weather is not uncommon among stores. As reported by the New York Times, it was so ubiquitous in New York City that the city banned the practice, starting this summer, to save energy. The effort’s slogan: “Shut the Front Door!”

When calling the Lululemon corporate office, a company spokesman denied that keeping doors open was corporate policy. He stated that it is up to a store’s preference to keep the door open or closed during hot weather.

Arlington Agenda: July 6-10

By Jackie Friedman

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.

Wednesday

Westover LibraryRainforest Reptiles Alive!
Westover Branch Library (1644 N. McKinley Road)
Time: 4-5 p.m.

Discover the dynamic world of tropical rainforests and meet jungle animals. This free summer reading performance is recommended for children entering kindergarten through 5th grade. Attendance is first-come, first-serve.

Thursday

MarbleRye_BannerPride on the Rocks – Team Trivia*
Marble & Rye (2501 Columbia Pike)
Time: 6-10 p.m.

Drag Trivia host, Coco Wilson Carrington, will be hosting the event. Team trivia starts at 7:30 p.m. and Marble & Rye gift certificates will be awarded to the winners. There will also be drink and food specials. Multiple prizes will be raffled as well.

Friday

DSC_78001Sweetgreen Opening to Benefit Freshfarm*
Clarendon Sweetgreen (3100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

For the opening of their Clarendon store, Sweetgreen is donating 100% of proceeds to the FRESHFARM Matching Dollars program, which lowers economic barriers to fresh local foods, by offering a dollar-for-dollar match to shoppers who spend their federal nutrition benefits at our farmers markets.

SklarBrosSklar Brothers Perform
Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 10 p.m.

Randy and Jason Sklar are performing live standup comedy shows at the Drafthouse this weekend. Tickets are $25. Known for appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the brothers also host a History Channel show on statistics called “The United Stats of America.”

Sunday

Screen-Shot-2016-06-20-at-3.26.33-PM

Free Summer Concert: The Buzz Hounds
Mount Olivet United Methodist Church (1500 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

The Buzz Hounds, who were voted “Arlington’s Best Band” by Arlington Magazine, will be performing. Bring friends and family and a picnic for the free outdoor concert. Food is available for purchase from the Chix N Stix food truck.

yvonne_auneAikido of Arlington
Glencarlyn Park (301 S. Harrison St.)
Time: 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Aikido of Arlington is holding a traditional aiki-weapons class at Glencarlyn Park throughout the summer (weather permitting). Class runs until 11:30 a.m. and is then followed by a potluck cookout. Participants must wear street clothes.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Jackie Friedman

American Flag at Iwo JimaThe long holiday weekend has finally arrived, not a minute too soon.

It’s Independence Day weekend and Arlington is offering plenty of activities to celebrate the holiday, from community parades to firework viewings.

There will be multiple road closures on Monday as a result of Fourth of July festivities, including Route 50 ramps and the Memorial Bridge.

Feel free to discuss the Fourth or any other local topic of interest. Have a great holiday weekend!

Crystal Twilighter 5K Returns on July 23

By Jackie Friedman

Crystal City Twilighter 5K on July 25, 2015 (photo courtesy Crystal City BID)Crystal City will host the annual Crystal City Twilighter 5K race on Saturday, July 23.

The race, organized by Pacers, will kick off at 8:30 p.m. The relatively flat course will start and finish will be in front of 2121 Crystal Drive.

There will also be a post-race party with food and drink specials at local restaurants. Cash prizes will be awarded to overall male and female runners. Age groups ranging from 1-10 and 80+ will also be given prizes.

Registration is $45 for adults over the age of 18, but $25 for those 18 and younger. Space is limited to 3,000 runners.

Disclosure: The run is sponsored by the Crystal City BID, an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Photos: Flags Across Arlington

By Jackie Friedman
1/15

In preparation for the Fourth of July holiday, flags have been placed on homes, vehicles and local businesses throughout Arlington.

And the abundance of flags isn’t the only sign of the Independence Day holiday. There are also the fireworks stands now open along Lee Highway and Columbia Pike.

Photos by Jackie Friedman

Arlington County Honors Local Centenarians at Special Celebration

By Jackie Friedman
1/8

Arlington County honored a group of local centenarians during a special ceremony earlier today.

County staff members presented nearly a dozen long-living locals (including Eugene Kahn, who was the subject of an ARLnow profile last month) with a proclamation from County Board member Libby Garvey and a letter from Del. Patrick Hope at the Arlington Employment Center.

All of those honored have lived in the Arlington area for decades. Many took the opportunity today to talk about the past.

Dowdell Tillman, who has resided in Arlington since 1947, talked about his days working at the Reagan National Airport — then just National Airport — as part of the utility crew. Tillman built his current home in 1954 and still lives there to this day.

Others talked about how they’ve played an important role in the community. Martha Ann Miller was a math teacher at Stratford Junior High School when it became the first public secondary school in Virginia to desegregate its classes by accepting four African-American students in 1959. Ms. Miller said she volunteered to have the students in her math class.

While their spirits haven’t changed, much has changed throughout the United States since the centenarians were born.

In 1916, a stamp was $.02, a loaf of bread was $.07, the average price of a U.S. house was $5,000 and the average price of a car was $400, according to a presentation given during the event.

Of course, some of those in attendance shared their “secrets” for living so long. Here is some of what they said:

  • Martha Ann Miller: “B supervitamins”
  • Eugene Kahn: “Incredible good luck”
  • Raymond Renola: “Luck, exercise and refusing to get old”
  • Allan Matthews: “One third genetics, one third luck, and one third diet and exercise”
  • Hasso von Bredow: “Staying active and port wine”
  • Dowdell Tillman: “Patience, and never worrying too much, especially about things you can’t control”
  • Vera Punke: “I don’t know what it’s like to get old. I’ll tell you when I get there. I tell people there’s one thing I don’t have to worry about, and that’s dying young.”

Arlington’s Got Talent Returns Tonight

By Jackie Friedman

Arlington's Got Talent

Talented local entertainers will participate in the fourth annual Arlington’s Got Talent competition tonight.

The event, organized by Leadership Arlington, is being held at the Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike) starting at 6:30 p.m. After a social hour, the performers will take the stage starting at 7:30.

“Arlington’s Got Talent offers exciting and fresh performances from some of the most vibrant and dynamic performers from the D.C. metropolitan area,” said Leadership Arlington.

Tickets to the event are $30 in advance, $40 at the door, and benefit the Leadership Center for Excellence’s Young Professionals Program scholarship fund.

Tonight’s seven scheduled performers are:

The performers will be judged by Susan Anderson of the Arlington County Treasurer’s Office; MTFA Architecture owner Michael Foster, Nate Robertson of Datapipe and Marymount University President Matt Shank. Audience members will act as the fifth judge by voting for their favorite act.

Arlington Agenda: June 27-July 3

By Jackie Friedman

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.

Monday

Optime-purple-logoFree Home Buyer Seminar*
Optime Realty (1600 Wilson Blvd, Suite 101)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

The free event will have specialists, including lenders and buyer agents, to give an overview of the buying process. Learn valuable home buying strategies that will save 3% or more when purchasing a home along with ways to get the best mortgage.

CW_HALFWINENIGHT_june-1Half Price Wine Night Featuring Virginia Wines at Copperwood Tavern
Copperwood Tavern (4021 Campbell Ave)
Time: 4-9 p.m.

Half price wine night will feature locally sourced Virginia wines such as Equation from Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville, VA and chardonnay from Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, VA. All bottles of wine are half off. Full menu items will also be served alongside wine.

Tuesday

WOV-2016-Logo

Arlington County Women of Vision Awards*
Arlington Economic Development Office (1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1500)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Arlington will honor three women, Library Director Diane Kresh, entrepreneur Rebecca Carpenter and education activist Susan Senn. The commission honors women who have shown leadership and commitment to the community. Tickets are not required.

Arlington Central LibraryFor Caregivers & Family Members: Understanding Behaviors Related to Dementia Type Symptoms
Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Vicky Surash, Arlington County Gerontologist and Recreation/Dementia Care Specialist, will talk to caregivers and family members about the behaviors that may be experienced by people who have dementia and how family members and caregivers can address those behaviors.

AGT-Facebook-Banner-2016Arlington’s Got Talent*
The Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike)
Time: 6:30-9 p.m.

Leadership Center for Excellence is hosting the fourth annual Arlington’s Got Talent. There will be seven acts, from comedians and acapella groups, to a poet and singers. Categories will be scored by four judges and audience members.

 Saturday

Chris Gethard Comedy CentralLive Comedy: Chris Gethard
Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7 and 10 p.m.

Actor, comedian and writer Chris Gethard brings his standup comedy act to the Pike. Gethard has three scheduled performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are available online for $20.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By Jackie Friedman

Sign on the door of the Clarendon Starbucks, which is closed due to the Market Common Clarendon power outage

School is out and it’s officially time to kick off summer break.

It looks like a great weekend weather wise for graduation parties, trips to the pool and other end-of-school celebrations. Saturday and Sunday will be sunny with pleasant highs of 83 and 84, perfect weather for going to the Animal Adoption Fair or other weekend events.

One place that was particularly toasty this week was the Market Common Clarendon shopping center, which suffered a devastating electrical fire Tuesday. While the Whole Foods across the street reopened the next day after regaining power, many of Market Common’s stores remain closed, including the adjacent, stand-alone Starbucks (pictured above.)

Feel free to discuss the big fire or any other topic of local interest in the comments.

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