| ARLnow.com - Part 5

UPDATED: Major League Quidditch Match NOT Coming to Arlington

Published June 7, 2016 at 12:30PM | Updated June 9, 2016 at 4:30PM

Update at 4:30 p.m. on June 9 — The match has been moved to Fairfax County. It will now be taking place Saturday, June 11 from 3-6 p.m. at Phillips Programs (7010 Braddock Road) in Annandale, according to the league.

Update at 1 p.m. on June 9 — It seems that Major League Quidditch may need a magic wand to make its Arlington match happen this weekend. Originally set to take place at Tuckahoe Park, organizers then switched the venue to Thomas Jefferson Middle School. But that location is also in doubt.

From an Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman:

Not sure about how they thought they’d play in Tuckahoe Park, which is under construction. But we got a request to use the public field at Thomas Jefferson Monday night. We let them know that field is for drop play and can’t be reserved. And with this short notice (and with all the makeup games dues to the rain last month), we don’t have a field for them. They didn’t respond back to us so I’m not clear what their plans are. I guess they will work some magic?

From Major League Quidditch’s Amanda Dallas:

We’re working on securing a field at a school in Annandale… We’re just double-checking the field is the right size. Usually our scheduling isn’t this chaotic.

(Updated at 1:15 p.m. on June 8) An athletic competition, inspired by novels about a young wizard, is coming to Arlington this weekend.

The Washington Admirals, the D.C. area’s local quidditch team, will play the Ottawa Black Bears on Saturday, June 11 at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S.). Tickets are free and all ages are encouraged to attend.

According to the team roster, the Admirals consist of 28 players and a head coach. The team competes in Major League Quidditch, a national league with a regular season that runs from June 1 to August 30. Sixteen teams are divided up in four geographic divisions — North, South, East and West.

Quidditch, for those who are unfamiliar with the sport invented by author J.K. Rowling and featured in her Harry Potter novels (and movies), is described as a competitive, co-ed and semi-contact sport that’s a mixture of dodgeball, rugby and tag. Major League Quidditch rules call for teams of a half dozen players running around a field with brooms between their legs, trying to score points on a field utilizing a series of balls and hoops.

Quidditch is played by “thousands of athletes all over the world,” according to a CBS News profile of the sport that aired in April.

Arlington Agenda: June 6-12

By Jackie Friedman

Published June 6, 2016 at 3:45PM

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

Bee Keeping*
Aurora Hills Branch Library (735 18th Street S.)
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Find out what the buzz is about and help save the honeybees! Learn all about bee keeping with the nonprofit Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association. This event is free to attend. For more information call 703-228-5715.

TED Talk Viewing and Discussion: Jane McGonigal
Shirlington Branch Library (4200 Campbell Ave)
Time: 7:30-9 p.m.

Attend a viewing and discussion of the TED Talk “Gaming Can Make a Better World” by game designer Jane McGonigal. Ms. McGonigal asks: What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems?

Wednesday

Are 21st Century Communications Tools in Arlington Better or Worse*
Marymount Univ. Gerald Phelan Hall (2807 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Print media is no longer king. We receive more and more of our information through technology and on a 24/7 basis. How are these changes impacting timeliness and quality of the information we receive? The Arlington Committee of 100 will hear from representatives of RestonNow.com, Nextdoor.com, the Washington Post and Arlington County. The event is free and open to the public.

Thursday

Shirlala Music Festival*
Shirlington Village (2700 S. Quincy Street)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The Village at Shirlington is hosting live music every Thursday evening through Labor Day. This week will feature a performance by urban folk rockers Justin Trawick and The Common Good.

Saturday

Arlington History Bike Tour*
Ballston Metro Station (4230 Fairfax Drive)
Time: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Bike for up to 23 miles at a leisurely pace for a tour of notable historic sites in Arlington. The all-day circuit includes stops in Clarendon, on Fort Myer and at the Abingdon Plantation historical site at National Airport. Sponsored by Center Hiking Club. $2 for nonmembers.

Sunday

Outdoor Summer Concert Series*
Mount Olivet UMC (1500 N. Glebe Rd)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

Bring friends and family and a picnic to join your neighbors for a free outdoor summer concert series, each second Sunday evening of June, July, and August. Performing this Thursday are the Arlington Jazz Collective and Yorktown Jazz Band.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

#Arlington Agenda

Cheesetique Now Open in Ballston

By Jackie Friedman

Published June 6, 2016 at 2:55PM

Local wine and cheese retailer and restaurant Cheesetique opened its third location today in Ballston, at 800 N. Glebe Road.

“This is our biggest physical location, so I am very hopeful the model will work for us,” said store owner Jill Erber. The original location opened 12 years ago in Del Ray and the second location opened in Shirlington, at 4056 Campbell Avenue, five years ago.

The Ballston menu is identical to the other two locations. The cheese shop carries cheeses and charcuteries from all over the world, for retail sale or for dining in. Dine-in menu items include mac and cheese, grilled cheese, salads and hearty sandwiches.

“Everything on the menu is intended to feature the cheeses,” said Erber.

The wine and beer list is selected to pair with the cheeses. One unique feature about the new location is that there will be a full bar, which will be opening later this year.

For this week only, Cheesetique will only be serving lunch from 11-3 p.m. Next week, the restaurant will start its normal hours, serving lunch and dinner from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Metro’s SafeTrack Surge Begins Tomorrow

By Jackie Friedman

Published June 3, 2016 at 3:50PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:42PM

Nearly two weeks of continuous single tracking between East Falls Church and Ballston, on the Orange and Silver Metro lines, begins tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

Major travel disruptions are expected during Metro’s maintenance “surge,” dubbed “SafeTrack.” WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, along with Arlington County Board members Libby Garvey and Christian Dorsey, held a press conference this afternoon at the East Falls Church Metro Station to discuss preparations.

“We are going to make this work, it is a team effort,” said Garvey, touting Arlington’s plans to assist commuters and ease congestion. “We’re all working together.”

Metro riders can seek commuting alternatives such as carpooling or telecommuting. Free shuttle buses between Ballston and East Falls Church and Ballston and West Falls Church will be offered during the project. Additional Capital Bikeshare stations are being installed at the East Falls Church station in preparation for the work.

The single tracking will last for 13 days, ending on Thursday, June 16.

According to Wiedefeld, the worst impacts on the Orange and Silver lines will be west of Ballston. Orange Line trains will run only every 18 minutes between Vienna and Ballston, while Silver Line trains will run every 18 minutes. Additional trains will be placed in service east of Ballston.

The biggest effects will be felt during rush hour — riders are being told to expect “extreme crowding and delays” in each direction.

“Remember, the reason we are doing this is to make the system more reliable and safer,” said Wiedefeld.

The track work is just the first of numerous SafeTrack projects planned over the next year, many of which will impact Arlington riders.

Arlington County streamed a video of the press conference on Facebook, and yesterday released a video discussing SafeTrack (below).

1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza Coming Soon to Columbia Pike

By Jackie Friedman

Published June 3, 2016 at 10:55AM | Updated June 3, 2016 at 3:25PM

Signs are up for a new pizza restaurant on Columbia Pike.

1000 Degrees, a quickly-expanding New Jersey-based pizza chain, will be opening “soon” on the ground floor of the Pike 3400 apartment complex. Interior construction appears to now be underway.

1000 Degrees has over 100 locations nationwide. The business is based around $7.99 personalized pizzas which are cooked in two minutes.

Customers can build their own personalized pizzas or choose from 15 neapolitan flavors including margherita and tuscan chicken. Breadsticks, wings and build your own salads are also offered.

The restaurant has yet to announce an official opening date. The Arlington location’s Facebook page was last updated on March 31.

Arlington Agenda: May 30-June 5

By Jackie Friedman

Published June 1, 2016 at 1:30PM

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

All You Can Eat Snow Crab Leg Wednesdays*
Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 5-9 p.m.

Only $26.99! All you can eat snow crab legs are back at Mad Rose Tavern. The best deal in town gets better together with the best happy hour in Clarendon. Crabs start being served at 5 p.m. sharp. The event ends at 9 p.m.

Thursday

Gulf Branch Nature Center Symposium: The Birth and Future of Arlington Parks
Central Library Auditorium (1015 N. Quincy St)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Presented in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Gulf Branch Nature Center, this symposium will feature a history of Gulf Branch Nature Center, an overview of the role of nature centers in Arlington’s parks, the future efforts and challenges that come with creating and protecting park land in an urbanized environment and more.

Saturday

Strawberry Festival*
Bethel United Church of Christ (4347 Arlington Blvd)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Attic Sale begins at 10 a.m. followed by strawberry desserts and ice cream, hot dogs and burgers, bake sale, kitten adoptions, kids games and face painting from 11 to 3 p.m.

Culpepper Garden Springtime Party*
Culpepper Garden (4435 N. Pershing Drive)
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Join Culpepper Garden to celebrate 41 years of providing affordable housing with services for very low income Arlington seniors at this annual fundraiser event. Culpepper Garden is a nonprofit affordable residential community in Arlington with 340 apartments for seniors aged 62 and older.

Sunday

Arlington Triathlon*
Washington Lee High School Aquatic Center (1301 N. Stafford St)
Time: 7:30-10:30 a.m.

The Arlington Triathlon is a swim-bike-run event for children ages 7-15 at Washington-Lee High School Aquatic Center. The race is part of the USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Region’s Youth Triathlon Series.

Bark in the Park*
Clarendon Dog Park (1299 N. Herndon St)
Time: 3-6 p.m.

Join Clarendon Animal Care and Clarendon Alliance at the 2nd Annual Bark in the Park at James Hunter Dog Park (aka: Clarendon Dog Park). Live music from Caroline Herrera & The Whole Magilla, food from Smoking Kow BBQ, bounce house and balloons for the kids, and lots of goodies for the four-legged “kids!”

Community Carnival*
Cherrydale United Methodist Church (3701 Lorcom Lane)
Time: 4-7 p.m.

Games, food, prizes, cakewalks, a silent auction, and more! All proceeds support the Cherrydale United Methodist youth group’s mission trip – helping to make homes warmer, safer, and drier in the Christiansburg, Va. area. Free admission. Rain or shine.

Crescendo Presents Romantic Russians
Barcroft Community House (800 S. Buchanan St)
Time: 4-5:30 p.m.

Crescendo, the Youth Chamber Program of the Arlington Philharmonic, will present romantic movements by Russian composers Tchaikovski, Glazunov and Rimski-Korsakov. A reception with the musicians will be held after the concert.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

#Arlington Agenda

Korean Fried Chicken Donuts Now Offered at Sugar Shack

By Jackie Friedman

Published May 27, 2016 at 10:00AM

Sriracha and Maple Chicken Donuts at Sugar Shack

There’s a new donut offering at Sugar Shack Donuts (3400 Columbia Pike), and it’s definitely not vegan. The store is now offering not one but two varieties of Korean fried chicken donuts.

The spicy option has a Sriracha maple glaze with spicy chicken on the top. The milder option has a maple glaze with honey chicken on the top.

It’s a collaboration with another Arlington eatery. The chicken comes from Dak! Chicken, which is a Korean style chicken restaurant in Shirlington.

Yesterday was the first day that the donuts were served. Sugar Shack has been advertising the donuts throughout the week on its Twitter and Facebook pages.

“We have sold quite a few,” said Sugar Shack employee Andy Barry. “We’ve definitely had people come in just for the donuts.”

Just don’t expect the fried chicken donuts to be an everyday offering. The donuts will be served only on the last Thursday of every month.

Photos: Flags In at Arlington National Cemetery

By Jackie Friedman

Published May 26, 2016 at 5:00PM

Following an annual Memorial Day weekend tradition, over 230,000 flags were placed at every headstone in Arlington National Cemetery today.

The flags were also placed by 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at the bottom of about 7,000 niche rows in the cemetery’s Columbarium Courts and the Niche Wall.

More than 1,000 soldiers placed flags around the cemetery throughout a four hour timespan. There are over 400,000 total graves in the cemetery. Old Guard soldiers also placed approximately 14,000 flags at the Soldier’s and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in the District.

The tradition known as “Flags In” has been conducted by the Old guard since 1948. The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment is the oldest infantry regiment in the U.S. Army and is the official escort to the president.

All flags are removed after Memorial Day.

Fmr. School Board Member Noah Simon To Serve As Rep. Beyer’s District Director

By Jackie Friedman

Published May 26, 2016 at 4:15PM | Updated May 26, 2016 at 5:20PM

Congressman Don Beyer has chosen former Arlington School Board member Noah Simon as his District Office Director.

Simon was elected as an Arlington School Board member in 2012 but resigned in 2014 to focus on his children after the passing of his wife, Kedron, who battled intestinal cancer for 15 months.

Simon will be taking over for Susie Warner, who was district director for former Rep. Jim Moran (and then for Beyer) since 1990. Warner is retiring as of Wednesday, June 1.

“We really looked hard for someone who was deeply embedded in the community,” said Beyer. “It’s tough to bring in someone who doesn’t know too much about the community, so finding Noah was like a godsend.”

Simon says he resigned from the School Board to care for his two kids.

“My schedule wasn’t fair to my kids who were 8 and 10 at the time,” said Simon. With his children now a bit older, Simon decided it was time to re-enter the workforce and, given his continued community involvement, he found a natural fit with Beyer’s office.

“Everyone that I have talked to since the news has come out about how he is going to start as our District Office Director has been full of praise, so I am really looking forward to working with him,” said Beyer.

(In the intervening years, Simon remained active in the community. He is currently the PTA president at Swanson Middle School, vice chair of the Dream Project board and a board member of Doorways for Women and Families.)

A district director typically handles specific constituent requests, for help with Social Security, pensions, visas, immigration or other issues.

Simon will be busy: so far in 2016, Beyer’s office has opened 546 individual constituent service cases. For all of last year, the office handled 1,179 cases.

“Constituent service is most enjoyable for me.” Simon said. “I am very interested in conflict resolution, so my skills will transfer well. I am not coming in to fix broken things, because nothing is broken, I plan to keep things going.”

Chocolate Tasting Tonight During ‘Lawn Chair Talk’ in Va. Square

By Jackie Friedman

Published May 25, 2016 at 11:05AM

It’s finally going to feel like May today, with the temperature nearing 90 degrees — just in time for some outdoor chocolate sampling.

Arlington Cultural Affairs and BizLaunch are hosting a “lawn chair talk” tonight with chocolatier Jason Andelman, of Artisan Confections in Clarendon, and artist Molly Springfield.

The event is being held from 6-8 p.m. at the Arlington Arts Center in Virginia Square (3550 Wilson Blvd).

Andelman and Springfield will be discussing their methods and how they got their start in art and business. Chocolate samples and light refreshments will be provided. Admission is free, but registration is required.

Spider Kelly’s Beer Garden Now Open in Clarendon

By Jackie Friedman

Published May 24, 2016 at 7:05PM

The new beer garden at Spider Kelly’s is officially open for business.

The beer garden, which is located in the back patio of the Clarendon watering hole, first started serving customers last Thursday. With the sun finally shining after some not-so-nice weather this month, hopes are high for big crowds.

“We are really happy it’s here and our hope is that it will be something that our customers want,” said co-owner Nick Freshman.

“The goal in building it was to create a new outdoor space sort of supplemental to the space that we have inside,” Freshman said. “We kept a lot of the theme from the inside to the outside.”

A local graffiti artist, Andrew Funk, was hired to do a custom graffiti mural to add color to the space and to match the graffiti art inside.

The casual outdoor space offers seating for small and large groups. There is a combination of communal style seating with picnic benches and seating around two fire pits. There is also hightop seating at the bar. The large space offers a capacity of up to 300 people.

Beers, sangrias and ciders are served in the beer garden, and the beer list has been substantially expanded. There are 30 offered cans and 16 tap lines. There are also three homemade sangrias: red, white and sparkling.

For those arriving after work, there is a $4 happy hour drink special. The entire food menu is offered outside.