Author: Jennifer Currier

New Brewery Plans to Open Near Shirlington by Year’s End

By Jennifer Currier
1/7

With the local craft beer trend on the rise in Arlington, another homegrown brewery is working to open its doors before the new year.

New District Brewing Co. — formerly known as Metropole Brewing Company — is on track to open its 2709 S. Oakland Street location by the end of the month. The brewery is off S. Four Mile Run Drive near the Shirlington dog park and the W&OD Trail.

The 5,200 square foot space was formerly home to a moving and storage company. The garage-style building is now in the final stages of being repurposed into a fully-operational brewery with short- and long-term cold storage, a bar with 12 taps, a tasting room with tables and seating, as well as a small retail space.

Though he couldn’t give an exact opening date, co-owner Steve Katrivanos said the small company is now working on the final touches.

“We have a clear vision for what we want to do,” he said. “We’re still developing our brand as we finish up packaging and labeling. Still, we’re pretty confident in a late-December open date.”

Katrivano’s brother, Mike, first had the idea to start a brewery, and rumors of its opening started in March. The company is owned and operated by the two brothers, their father and one of Mike’s college friends. Katrivanos said they’ve also been fortunate to have the help of other family and friends to have their vision realized.

“We’re very much a DIY organization that’s been building up for quite some time,” he said. “My brother’s an electrical engineer by school, and he can build about just about anything. I’m sure he’s saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars and he’s done such a good job.”

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Former Prospective Gun Store is Now a Pop-Up Holiday Gift Shop

By Jennifer Currier
1/10

A long-vacant Cherrydale strip mall storefront, once slated to become a gun store, has been brought to life as a pop-up vintage gift shop.

NOVA Firearms cancelled its lease and its plans to add a location at 2105 N. Pollard Street this summer, following an uproar that pitted concerned residents against both local and national gun enthusiasts.

This holiday season, however, what was once an ideological battleground is now a temporary shop.

POP Vintage opened this past Friday as a vintage shop, featuring collected, donated, estate sale and consigned items, ranging in price from $2 to $20,000. It will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. now until Christmas Eve.

“This is a place where people can sell, barter and trade their items openly and safely, they just have to do it by Christmas,” owner Olympia Hantzopoulos said.

The store is the Rosslyn resident’s first time operating a pop-up. It’s also her first time dealing with a space with such a heated history.

Hantzopoulos said she doesn’t go a day without hearing about what the store could’ve been.

“It was such a difficult issue for both sides,” she said. “Just this Saturday two women got in an argument in the store, which was full of customers, disagreeing over whether this space should be a gun store or not.”

Despite some leftover bitterness from the gun store debate, it hasn’t stopped customers from shopping. Hantzopoulos said her first weekend open was quite busy and the experience has been a positive one so far.

“I’m overwhelmed by the community support,” she said. “I think being here and having something here is doing a lot of good for the neighborhood.”

This also isn’t Hantzopoulos’ first time working with vintage and collectible items. She also owns Miracles in the City, a hair salon in Rosslyn that’s been open for nearly 20 years. The salon also has a small boutique where Hantzopoulos sells vintage jewelry, and all profits from jewelry sales are donated to charity.

She’s adopted the same charitable model for POP Vintage — any proceeds taken in beyond what’s needed to pay the lease will be donated to charities that support women and children in the United States and around the world.

One organization Hantzopoulos plans to support sends donations to an orphanage in Afghanistan, and another provides school supplies for local students. Hantzopoulos said helping in any way she can has always been a priority.

“Thinking about the reality of how little some people have just makes me miserable,” she said. “But you can’t dwell on that, you have to just do what you can do and trust it’s helping.”

From jewelry, to paintings by D.C. artists, to chandeliers, to one-of-a-kind rugs handmade in the Middle East, to tea sets and much more, Hantzopoulos has collected enough items to offer a little bit of everything for holiday shoppers. She knows where they came from, who they belonged to and why, in her opinion, they’re valuable.

“That’s the thing about vintage,” she said. “Everything has a story. It just so happens this space does, too.”

Outdoor Hanukkah Celebrations Planned in Arlington

By Jennifer Currier

Rabbi Mordechai Newman lights the menorah at Chanukah on Ice 2012 at Pentagon RowWith Thanksgiving seemingly in the distant past, it’s time to prepare for the next holiday of the season, which actually begins this coming weekend.

Hanukkah this year begins at sunset on Sunday evening and ends the following Monday, Dec. 14.

Events throughout Arlington are happening during the eight-day holiday — also known as the Festival of Lights — for the county’s Jewish community. Here are a few of them.

Dec. 6: Yes, Virginia… there is Chanukah!

Temple Rodef Shalom is hosting a community singalong and dinner on the first day of the holiday. The event will feature the teen, youth and children’s choirs in a festive singalong in Quincy Park at 1201 N. Quincy Street. Dinner will be served from local food trucks. Preregistration is strongly encouraged for guests who plan on eating.

The singalong begins at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available online and are $20 for adults, $12 for NOVA Tribe members, $12 for children ages 6-14 and $5 for children ages 5 and under. There is no admission charge for temple youth choir members. The event is open to temple members and non-members alike.

Dec. 8: Chanukah On Ice

Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington is inviting the community to skate and participate in a menorah lighting ceremony next Tuesday at the Pentagon Row outdoor ice skating plaza at 1201 S. Joyce Street. There will be skating from 6-8:30 p.m. with a lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. Dinner of hot latkes, kosher hot dogs and refreshments will also be available.

Admission for all guests is $10 in advance and $13 at the door. These prices include skate rentals, but food will be sold separately. Tickets are available online.

Dec. 9: Clarendon Menorah Lighting and Community Celebration

Community members will gather next Wednesday to light a six-foot-tall menorah in Clarendon central park at 3140 Wilson Blvd, near the Clarendon Metro Station entrance. This celebration is also hosted by Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington and will have food, including hot potato latkes, gelt — or chocolate coins — and dreidels for all guests. The lighting ceremony is free and open to the public.

Know of any other Hanukkah events happening in the next few weeks? Please let us know in the comments.

Pentagon City Mall Holiday Hours

By Jennifer Currier

Christmas decorations outside of Nordstrom at Pentagon City mall

There are only a couple of days left to finalize Black Friday shopping plans, so it’s time to take stock of what’s open and when.

The biggest mall in Arlington, the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, has announced its holiday hours and specials for holiday shoppers. The mall’s hours for this weekend are:

  • Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 — 6 p.m. – Midnight
  • Black Friday, Nov. 27 — 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 28 — 9 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Nov. 29 — 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

On Friday, the first 100 shoppers who check in at Guest Services at the mall will receive a “Holiday Shopping Survival Kit.” The kit will include water, mints, snacks and store promotions.

Additional sales, deals and promotions will continue to be posted on the mall’s Facebook page.

Thanksgiving Road Closures for the Turkey Trot 5K

By Jennifer Currier

Photo courtesy of Arlington Turkey TrotThanksgiving festivities will begin bright and early tomorrow when more than 4,000 runners, joggers and walkers hit the streets for the 10th Annual Turkey Trot 5K.

This also means the holiday will begin with road closures around the course.

The race begins at 8 a.m. at the Christ Church of Arlington at 3020 N. Pershing Drive. Police are working with race directors to divert traffic and ensure the course is safe.

According to the Arlington County Police Department, the following road closures will be in effect from 7-10 a.m. tomorrow:

  • Pershing Drive from Washington Boulevard to N. Oxford Street
  • N. Oxford Street from Pershing Drive to 5th Street N
  • 5th Street N from N. Nelson Street to N. Oxford Street
  • N. Nelson Street from Pershing Drive to 5th Street N
  • Washington Blvd from 9th Street N to Arlington Blvd, eastbound lanes only
  • N. Fillmore Street from 9th Street N to 3rd Street N
  • 3rd Street N from N. Fillmore Street to Washington Blvd
  • N. Bedford Street from Arlington Blvd to N. Brookside Drive
  • N. Brookside Drive from N. Bedford Street to Washington Blvd

All roads west of N. Highland Street will close and reopen before those east, due to the direction participants will travel along the course. A detailed course map is available online.

Street parking will also be restricted in certain areas that morning, marked with temporary “No Parking” signs.

Photo courtesy of Arlington Turkey Trot

Where to Buy a Christmas Tree in Arlington

By Jennifer Currier

The Optimist Club's Christmas Tree sale at 2213 N. Glebe RoadUpdate on 12/12/17 — Please see our 2017 Christmas tree article for an updated list of locations.

The end of Thanksgiving dinner can be a signal to begin Christmas preparations, starting with getting a tree.

From grocery stores to community organizations, Arlington residents have a number of options for finding the right tree.

Local Christmas tree sales aren’t particularly well-publicized online, so for many residents the strategy is to go to where they bought their tree last year.

Here are some places in Arlington County that have been reliable vendors over the years from which to pick up your annual fir.

The annual tree sale in the Wells Fargo Bank lot along Lee Highway will open this Saturday. Its hours are from 2-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 12-8 p.m. on Friday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The Knights of Columbus will sell trees at this church near Crystal City from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekends. An opening date wasn’t specified, but the sale will run through Dec. 20 or until the trees are gone, whichever comes first.

Another local Knights of Columbus organization will be selling trees in Arlington this season. Signs for the sale are up along Glebe Road, across from the Mr. Wash car wash. Last year, the sale was open seven days a week, from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekends.

In previous years, this sale began during the first week of December and sold out in less than two weeks. The troop’s sale does have a Facebook page to follow for updates.

  • Food Star parking lot, 950 S. George Mason Drive

The Arlington South Lions Club has sold Christmas trees here for years, typically from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve.

  • Unleashed by Petco parking lot, 5400 Lee Highway

Christmas trees are sold from this lot along N. Harrison Street, along with other seasonal items, like fireworks around the Fourth of July and pumpkins around Halloween.

If you’re in Clarendon or Courthouse and on the car-free diet, this is the place to go. The trees tend to be on the smaller side, which presumably makes carrying them home easier.

  • Local farmers markets

Local farmers markets often stock Christmas trees, some of which are grown right here in Virginia. Here’s a list of farmers markets in Arlington.

Other popular locations just outside of Arlington include the Home Depot in Falls Church, Greenstreet Gardens on W. Braddock Road near Fairlington and Merrifield Garden Center on Lee Highway in Fairfax County.

Know of any other Christmas tree sales in the area? Let us know in the comments.

Man Who Jumped From Shirlington Bridge in a Coma, Family Searching for Answers

By Jennifer Currier

Jivon Lee Jackson (courtesy of Mara Doss)

Family members of the man who was critically injured earlier this month after he jumped from a bridge while running from police are searching for answers about what exactly happened that night.

The man has been identified by his family as 36-year-old Jivon Lee Jackson of Fort Washington, Maryland. According to Jivon’s father Richard Jackson, he is currently in a coma and stable at George Washington University Hospital.

“What’s murky is how the situation escalated so quickly from getting pulled over to Jivon jumping from a bridge,” Jackon said. “We believe there will be a moment in time when we get those answers, but the longer it takes, the colder information gets. We’re trying to jumpstart that process now.”

On Nov. 3, the night of the incident, Jackson said Jivon was on his way to a friend’s house and was supposed to pick up his mother from Union Station later that night.

Around 11 p.m., he was pulled over after being spotted driving recklessly on I-395, weaving in and out of traffic and driving on the shoulder at excess speeds, Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told ARLnow shortly after the incident.

Jackson exited the highway at Shirlington and pulled into the Exxon parking lot. When he stopped the car he got out of the vehicle and started running, according to police; shortly after, he jumped from the Shirlington Road bridge and fell approximately 20 feet onto the rocks below. Police reported he suffered from a “severe head injury” and was bleeding profusely.

As of this morning, police could only confirm that the process to transfer Jivon to a rehabilitation facility began last week. No police report on the incident was available.

According to Jackson’s sister Mara Doss, Jivon is a well-known theater producer, director and actor throughout the D.C. area. He earned a degree in communications from Howard University in 2001 and got a master’s in management and marketing from the University of Maryland University College. In 2012, he was named to the inaugural Prince George’s County Forty Under 40 list.

At the time of the incident, Jivon was producing and directing a play called Colorblind: The Katrina Monologues at the Anacostia Playhouse in Southeast D.C.

Doss described Jivon as an active, energetic and health-conscious young man who prioritized work and family.

“Jivon is sort of the glue of the family,” she said. “Right now, the family is kind of broken, and we just want to get some answers.”

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Photos: Ramen Restaurant to Open Next Week in Ballston

By Jennifer Currier
1/8

A casual ramen and Asian small plates restaurant is set to open in Ballston next week.

Yona will open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting next Monday. It will also serve dinner beginning the following Friday, Dec. 4.

The new restaurant is owned by former “Top Chef” contestant Mike Isabella, who also owns two other Arlington establishments, Kapnos Taverna and Pepita. All three businesses opened this year in the same building, at 4000 Wilson blvd.

Unlike his other two eateries, Isabella won’t be the brain behind the food at Yona. That job is for Chef Jonah Kim.

“Yona is going to be more than just a way for Jonah to show off his mastery of Japanese and Korean flavors,” Isabella said in a statement. “We are creating a concept unlike anything in Northern Virginia. Ramen may be a humble dish, but it’s one that pays back the care and attention to detail a great chef can put into it.”

The menu Kim created features a handful of ramen options, but it also features several small plates and raw dishes, including fluke and smoked hamachi.

Kim said he thinks these items will complement each other well and bring something unexpected to the restaurant.

“There’s something about a truly substantial, warm bowl of soup that people don’t expect from a ramen place,” Kim said. “That’s still the focal point, but I think guests will be surprised by a non-traditional approach to it, especially with the cold dishes on the menu.”

A full drink menu will also be available, offering sake, cocktails, beer and wine.

The space itself can seat approximately 50 people at both communal and private tables. It also has an open kitchen and interior and exterior decorations inspired by Japanese and Korean influences.

Yona will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Holiday Market to Return to Rosslyn

By Jennifer Currier

Holiday decorations in RosslynThe Rosslyn Business Improvement District’s annual holiday market is scheduled to return for the third year in a row.

The Rosslyn Holiday Market Festival is a two-day festival this year, to be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10 and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11 at Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway).

“Like Rosslyn, the holiday market has evolved over the years with a focus on creating experiences where people can spend time and have fun with their co-workers, neighbors and community,” Rosslyn BID President Mary-Claire Burick said in an e-mail.

The family-friendly event will host a full schedule of holiday themed activities, including live music, crafts, games and photos with Santa. There will also be local vendors at the festival, selling goods, food and beverages.

The festivities will end on Friday night with a bonfire in the middle of the market’s “winter wonderland.”

A complete schedule of events can be found online.

County Board Struggles Over Antibiotics Resolution

By Jennifer Currier

County Board member John Vihstadt speaks after being sworn inMembers of the County Board were at odds at its Tuesday night meeting over a resolution that would support the federal government’s efforts to address responsible use of antibiotics in health care and food production.

The primary goal of the resolution is to “establish a tiebreaker preference in County procurement policies for the purchase of meat and poultry that has been raised according to responsible antibiotic use policies.”

The resolution also calls for working with Arlington Public Schools on a similar antibiotic policy, which would — other things being equal — prefer the purchase of responsibly produced meats for school lunch programs.

“Although Arlington County has few meat and poultry food contracts and does not purchase large quantities of these products, the preference created today signals to the marketplace the County’s desire to join the national effort to drive changes in food production practices that will create healthier alternatives and support public health,” the county said in a press release.

Board member John Vihstadt, however, opposed a specific paragraph of the resolution that said:

“Supports legislative efforts to prevent the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in food production, such as S. 621, the Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2015 and H.R. 1552, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2015…”

Vihstadt made a motion to strike the citations of specific federal legislation from the resolution, citing no Virginia senators nor members of Congress who are co-sponsors of either bill.

“We haven’t been briefed on this legislation, we have not seen the bills, and we haven’t — at least I have not — had any communication with our congressional delegation on these pieces of legislation,” he said at the meeting.

The motion to strike the citations failed, though Board member Libby Garvey also voted in favor of it.

“I don’t think we as a Board should be going on record supporting two specific pieces of federal regulation at this stage,” Vihstadt added. “There may be a time when we ought to do that, but I don’t think so at this stage.”

Board member Jay Fisette, who proposed the resolution, said the measures have been under consideration at least the past six months.

“We have done this before, and it’s not breaking new ground to identify a piece of legislation that this County, with its values, stands behind,” Fisette said.

The majority of the Board agreed, saying this would be an opportunity for Arlington to be bold and show local support for federal action before state legislators or other regional governments.

“This is about our health and our kids’ health,” Fisette added. “It’s making a statement and hoping to build and establish partnerships that allow the purchasing power of our government to help address a serious public health issue.”

The resolution passed, in its entirety, with a vote of 4-0-1. Vihstadt abstained.

“I would be supporting this for all the reasons Mr. Fisette and others have said,” he said before the vote, “were it not for the endorsement of two specific pieces of federal legislation.”

Community Radio Station WERA to Launch Dec. 6

By Jennifer Currier

WERA Control Room (Courtesy of Paul LeValley:AIM)

(Updated at 4:32 p.m.) Arlington Independent Media is asking for residents’ ears starting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6, the exact moment when the organization’s low power FM station will hit the airways.

WERA 96.7 FM is an AIM project with a focus to air programming for the local community, by the local community.

“We would really like to reach out to all of Arlington’s communities and have widespread participation,” AIM Executive Director Paul LeValley said. “We’re working to ensure the programming is compelling, and we hope people will be open minded about giving us a shot.”

As a public radio platform, the station’s funding will come from listener and member contributions, as well as local business underwriting.

According to Andrew Rosenberg, member of the AIM Board of Directors and the station’s Program Advisory and Review Council (PARC), the primary means for keeping residents so closely involved has little to do with money.

“We want to create a service that fills a need in the area so people know this is their station,” he said. “My greatest hope is that we become a real fixture for the community.”

Rosenberg said in recent months members on the project team have worked throughout the Arlington community to start putting together a program schedule.wera-logo-75

Though the schedule itself will be a work in progress as the station grows, Rosenberg said they’ve received several proposals for programs of all varieties. Some of these include:

  • music programming (disc jockey, world beat, ska, music collection shows, etc.)
  • local news and events
  • world news summaries
  • documentary
  • school news summaries
  • call-in discussions
  • content from independent public radio producers

In the beginning, WERA will also air programs sourced from other public radio outlets, if their content is relevant to Arlington listeners. However, Rosenberg said he hoped that over time community programming will displace these.

“We’ll be very much in touch with what the community wants to hear,” he said. “We’ll also be taking proposals on a rolling basis and changing up shows to keep things interesting.”

Arlington Independent MediaThe community station will broadcast out of AIM’s current building at 2701-C Wilson Blvd near Clarendon.

To celebrate, the station is also hosting a party from 3 to 8 p.m. on the launch day in the WERA control room . There will be refreshments, hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided. The family-friendly event is free open to the public, though all attendees should expect to get involved.

“We’re making this participatory because that’s the whole idea behind community radio,” LeValley said.

In addition to demonstrations of the equipment and facilities, guests can rehearse and record a radio drama, share a short story, or participate in a sing-along to “This Land is Your Land.” These recordings will be some of the first segments to go on the air shortly after the ribbon cutting at 6 p.m.

“The more people, the better,” LeValley added. “We would love to have the whole community come and help us launch.”

Photo courtesy of Paul LaValley/AIM

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