Author: Kalina Newman

Arlington Agenda: October 28-November 3

By Kalina Newman

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, October 28

First Time Home Buyer Seminar*
Keri Shull Team (1600 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.

Learn about the possible mistakes that come with the first time you purchase a home at this seminar. Topics covered include how to avoid double-paying a rent and mortgage, and how to properly calculate a budget.

UFOs, Cryptids and Ghosts, Oh My!
Columbia Pike Branch Library (816 S. Walter Reed Drive)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Join certified cryptozoologists Scott Falcon, Dr. Marc Black, and Chad Umbach of the Alexandria Cryptozoology and Paranormal Society and learn about everything extraterrestrial.

Tuesday, October 29

Upper Bluemont Conceptional Design Kickoff Meeting
Ashlawn Elementary School (5950 8th Road N.)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m. 

Learn about the upcoming Upper Bluemont Conceptual Design Project, and what’s come next to the park in the Ashlawn Elementary multi-purpose room.

Wednesday, October 30

Escape Junk News: A Guide To Sharpening Your Media Skills
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Join the Newseum Education staff in this hands-on training on how to handle today’s media landscape, including how to understand buzz words, bots, and bad actors on social media.

Thursday, October 31

Halloween at Ballston Quarter
Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 5-9 p.m. 

Celebrate the spooky holiday at Ballston Quarter, where there will be trick-or-treating throughout the mall, special guest appearances from movie mascots (and Slapshot from the Washington Capitals) plus a movie showing of Hocus Pocus.

Haunted House Food Drive
Fort Ethan Allen Park (4228 N. Old Glebe Road)
Time: 7-10 p.m.

Run by scouts from local Troop 104, this haunted house is fun for all ages. Instead of an entrance fee, the event requires a food donation for AFAC. Suggested donations include canned tuna, canned soups, cereal, and peanut butter.

Friday, November 1

Re/Seen: Photographs by Jason Horowitz
Fred Schnider Gallery of Art (888 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

View local artist Jason Horowitz’s still-life photographs representing underwater space scenes inspired by his own pet fish in their aquariums, and enjoy an opening reception. The exhibit will run until December 21.

Saturday, November 2

Free Benchmade Laser Engraving 
Casual Adventure (3451 N. Washington Blvd)
Time: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

At Casual Adventure, the Benchmade knife engraver will be present in the store, where you can either bring in your own knife or buy a new Benchmade knife in-store, and enjoy a laser engraving for free until 5 p.m.

Sunday, November 3

Tabletop Gaming Day
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 1-7 p.m.

Kick-off International Games week at the library, where a large and diverse selection of board games geared towards players of all ages will be available to play, along with lessons on how to play various games.

Arlington Philharmonic 
W-L High School Auditorium (1301 N. Stafford Street)
Time: 4-6 p.m.

The Arlington Philharmonic will be kicking off its 14th season with a concert at Washington-Liberty High School, featuring performances of Schumann’s Symphony no. 2 in C Major, among other pieces. Admission is free, a donation is suggested.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

School Resource Officer Coaches Middle School Girls Soccer Team to Championship

By Kalina Newman

Dorothy Hamm Middle School has been open for less than a year, but the girls soccer team is already Arlington County champions, thanks to a group of enthusiastic players and Arlington County Police Department’s Detective Tiffanie Heggerty.

Heggerty has worked as a School Resource Officer in the county for four years, currently serving both Hamm and Taylor Elementary School.

This year, Heggerty decided to pursue a new after-school activity — coaching soccer at Hamm.

“I thought it would be another great way to connect with students,” Heggerty said.

For the 2019-20 school year, Hamm students were pulled from nearby Williamsburg Middle School and Swanson Middle School. The team’s first season meant organizing a group of brand new teammates and practicing at a school still under construction.

“Finding places to practice took some creative effort,” Heggerty said. “Ms. Dabney, our Activities Coordinator, helped us get practice space at other schools, and we used the baseball field at the school when possible.”

Despite some setbacks, the team worked its way to an undefeated season (7-0-1).

“New team, new school, new coach, and we all had so much fun doing it,” said Heggerty. “Having a team that all got along, and played so well together is more than I could have hoped for, so winning on top of that is the icing on the cake.”

Now, Heggerty is coaching the boys soccer team at the middle school, and is hoping she’ll have similar success.

“The best part of being the School Resource Officer and coach is that I get to see my players throughout the day, and they bring their friends along to talk to me,” she said.

“This has helped me connect with more and more kids. Now adding the boys season beginning this week, when I walk the halls, I hear, ‘Hey Coach,’ and I know that they see me and not just my uniform.”

Across the county, many SROs volunteer their time as coaches of sports teams.

“ACPD is proud of the work the SROs do in their roles as officers, as well as through their work as coaches, mentors and advisors to students in Arlington outside the school day,” said ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark.

“One of our goals as a school division is to make sure that every student has at least one trusted adult that they can talk to,” said APS spokesman Frank Bellavia, pointing to the recent 2017 collaboration program between APS and ACPD, ACPD & APS Cares.

“Because our SROs interact with our students on a daily basis, they can be that one trusted adult that students can talk with.”

Photo via ACPD

Arlington Bars and Restaurant Hosting Specials For World Series Games

By Kalina Newman

We heard your call and we answered: here are some of the bars around Arlington offering specials for the upcoming Nationals World Series games.

Game 3 kicks off at Nationals Parks tonight at 8 p.m., followed by games 4 and 5 on Saturday and Sunday.

This list is not comprehensive and is comprised of bars that either posted specials on their social media or picked up the phone at 11 a.m.

Dudley’s Sport and Ale in Shirlington (2766 S. Arlington Mill Drive) will have specials all night long, including:

  • $1 hot dogs and beers during the first inning
  • $5 Maker’s Mark drinks all night
  • $5 beer tub specials all night
  • And if the Nationals win, free Jello shots.

In Ballston, Rustico (4075 Wilson Blvd) will be extending their happy hour pricing for beer and wine through the end of each game, which includes $2 off all draft beer and $5 glasses of house wine.

Also in Ballston sports bar First Down (4213 N. Fairfax Drive) is doing $5.50 “Baby Shark” shots layered with vodka, sour mix, Blue Curacao, grenadine, and a splash of Sprite, in addition to the discounted drink and food specials.

Meanwhile in Courthouse, the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill (2424 Wilson Blvd) will be offering $5 shots of Jameson, Fireball, and Jager, along with $25 buckets of White Claw seltzer, $20 buckets of beer, and $18 pitchers all throughout the games.

The Crystal City Sports Pub (529 23rd Street S.) in Crystal City will be projecting the game on its 18-foot video wall, with specials including an $18 Yuengling bucket of beer, $5 shots, and a hot dog platter covered in chili, cheese, and more.

In Rosslyn, Quinn’s On the Corner (1776 Wilson Blvd) has  events for every inning, with free Jello shots after the first Nationals pitch, a gift card raffle in the middle of the fourth inning, and raffles for various Nationals bobbleheads during the seventh-inning stretch.

Also in Rosslyn, Rhodeside Grill (1836 Wilson Blvd) will extend its happy hour until 7 p.m., featuring $4 draft beer and $6 cocktails, plus food specials after 5 p.m., while Barley Mac (1600 Wilson Blvd) will honor its happy hour pricing throughout the entire game, which includes a spiked apple cider and a whiskey smash for $7, plus wines for $6.

Bonus: if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re in luck. Here’s where you can find specialty Nationals desserts in Arlington as well:

  • Nationals-decorated cupcakes at Pastries by Randolph (4500 Lee Highway)
  • Nats Red Velvet ice cream at Ice Cream Jubilee in Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd)
  • “DoughNat” doughnut, topped with caramel glaze and dark chocolate caramel popcorn, at District Donuts in Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd)
  • “Nats Tarts” at Sidekick Bakery in Ballston (4238 Wilson Blvd)

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Sawatdee Thai’s Dining Room Temporary Closed For Renovations

By Kalina Newman
1/2

(Updated at 1 a.m.) Sawatdee Thai (2250 Clarendon Blvd) has temporarily closed for renovations.

Today (Friday) was the first day in seven years it closed its doors to sit-down customers other than for holidays and weather emergencies, a representative from the restaurant told ARLnow. The renovations are expected to upgrade the restaurant’s interior.

Sawatdee anticipates re-opening in four weeks, per a sign on the front door.

In the meantime, the kitchen will remain open for takeout and delivery orders. Customers placing takeout orders are instructed to enter the restaurant through the back door.

The restaurant applied for a building permit for the 112-seat dining area in September, per county records.

Arlington’s Au Pairs Connect to Community Through Service, Culture

By Kalina Newman
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Across Arlington, numerous families live with au pairs. What many don’t know is how au pairs have built a community of their own in Arlington.

An au pair is an young adult between the ages of 18-26 who moves to America from another country as part of a cultural exchange. They are matched with a host family, and the au pair lives with them and provides up to 45 hours a week of childcare.

“Having an au pair is definitely a kind of a lifestyle choice, and it’s not for everyone,” said Jennifer Bhartiya, who works part-time as the area’s Local Childcare Consultant (LCC) for Cultural Care Au Pair, where she pairs interested families with matching au pairs.

Currently, Bhartiya represents around 15 families with au pairs, and is constantly fielding requests from new families.

“I work with several [women] from Colombia, some from Germany, two from Argentina and one from Thailand,” said Bhartiya. “And we have some guys as well, who we like to call ‘bropairs.'”

The dynamic between an au pair and the host family is more intimate than a nanny or a babysitter, because it relies on a deeper level of trust, Bhartiya said. In addition to living with the family, au pairs are often authorized to pick children up from school, take them to the doctor, and have access to family credit cards.

It can be hard to adjust to America after growing up abroad, Bhartiya says, which is why she makes an effort to organize events that bring au pairs together and give back to the community.

Recently, a group of Arlington au pairs spent the day across the Potomac at DC Central Kitchen, where they prepared meals given to homeless shelters.

“We had such a good experience, and there’s such an interest from au pairs in Arlington for volunteer opportunities,” said Bhartiya.

A group of au pairs plan on volunteering during the upcoming Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 27, and another local LCC is working to organize a book drive for charity.

“Through events such as community picnics, baseball games, and even fire safety meetings at the Cherrydale fire station, we’re hoping to provide these au pairs with cultural experiences,” said Bhartiya. 

APS To Incorporate Cloud-Based Curriculum Next Year, Courtesy of Amazon

By Kalina Newman

Starting next year, Arlington Public Schools will incorporate cloud-based learning curriculum from Amazon Web Services into the classroom.

AWS Educate is the e-commerce giant’s K-12 initiative, designed to get students comfortable with the basics of cloud computing and artificial intelligence tools.

The service is available online at a fee for all educators and interested students 14 years or older. However, in late September, Gov. Ralph Northam (D-Va.) announced a partnership with AWS Educate across select Virginia universities, community colleges, and four K-12 school districts in the state, including APS.

For the participating Virginia K-12 schools, including in Arlington, AWS Educate is expected to be incorporated as either a dual enrollment system with a participating community college or university, or as a resource utilized in exiting STEM classes.

Earlier this month APS staff met with officials from Amazon and Northern Virginia Community College to discuss the best way to introduce the curriculum into the 2020-21 school year.

“At this time, we do not have a finalized course list,” said APS spokesman Frank Bellavia. “Courses may or may not be dual enrolled. We need to see from the community college what their requirements are for the teacher before we can give dual enrollment or college credit.”

Northern Virginia Community College was the first area organization to partner with AWS Educate, rolling out a cloud-based degree program in 2018.

On the recent Virginia partnership, Ken Eisner, head of AWS Educate, said “in this way, students can learn about the tech concepts behind things like online gaming and expand their knowledge with more in-depth challenges on concepts like variables and big data. We’re excited to work with school divisions across northern Virginia and the entire Commonwealth to meet students and educators where they are and open up big opportunities in the cloud.”

Additional area school districts and universities partnering with AWS Educate include:

  • Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Arlington County Public Schools
  • Alexandria City Public Schools
  • Loudoun County Public Schools
  • Northern Virginia Community College
  • George Mason University
  • Virginia Tech
  • Virginia Commonwealth University

County Board Mulling How to Allocate $23.2 Million In Carryover Funds

By Kalina Newman

Arlington County has closed the 2019 fiscal year within its $1.27 billion budget, and thanks in part to cost savings and higher-than-expected tax revenue the county has $23.2 million left over.

During the Arlington County Board meeting on Tuesday, County Manager Mark Schwartz recommended allocating the leftover funds across three categories:

Reserving $14.4 million for unallocated funds would give “the county some flexibility when weighing its future budget choices for FY 2021,” according to county budget director Richard Stephenson.

Staff said $6.8 million Schwartz recommended for the county’s reserve fund is important for maintaining Arlington’s high bond ratings. If approved, these funds would increase the county’s contributions to its reserve from 0.5% to 1% of the total operating budget.

“Bond ratings serve as an indicator of the county’s resiliency and ability to weather economic downturn and unusual catastrophic events,” said Maria Meredith, director of Arlington’s Department of Management and Finance, during Tuesday’s meeting.

The remaining $2 million for the County Manager Operating Contingent would be for addressing “unforeseen needs that arise during the fiscal year, such as contractual increases, repairs, or special projects,” said Stephenson.

“We’ve had this contingent set aside for awhile,” said Stephenson after the meeting. “For example, when Katie Cristol came on as Board Chair and wanted to start the Child Care Initiative, the money was there to do those things — without needing the redistribute the county budget.”

The $23.2 million carryover represents 2.7% of the county’s total FY 2019 budget, a slight increase from last year’s 2.6% carryover.

Until recent budget years, the Board would usually allocate its close-out surplus funds to a variety of initiatives, a practice that prompted some bipartisan criticism. Last year the Board mostly rolled over its leftover funds to the next year’s budget, while also adding to its reserves.

In January, the county introduced its first financial transparency tool, dubbed “Arlington Wallet,” which aims to help Arlingtonians get a clearer look at how officials are spending money each year.

“We’ve done a much better job explaining the sources of these funds, and we’re getting much more responsible in [their] proposed uses,” said Dorsey.

County Board members added they welcome public comment on the issue throughout the month before they are scheduled to take action during their next meeting on Saturday, November 16.

A $1.4 billion FY 2020 budget was approved earlier this year. The Board will present forecasts for the next budget, FY 2021, during the November meeting.

Pet Care Business Opening in Ballston Quarter Next Year

By Kalina Newman
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A “reimagined pet care” business is eying a 2020 opening in Ballston Quarter.

Heart + Paw will offer veterinary care, a grooming spa, and a pet day care, according to the Ballston Quarter website. Its interior will be an “elevated space designed using the latest research on low stress environments.”

Heart + Paw is headquartered in Philadelphia, and Ballston Quarter will be its first D.C. area location. The company has “ambitious national growth plans with an initial focus on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.”

The business will be located on the second floor of the mall. A wrap along the outside of the storefront advertised an “early 2020” opening and a special discount to those who book services before the store’s grand opening.

Heart + Paw applied for a construction permit in August, per county records.

CVS in Shirlington Expected to Open Next Summer

By Kalina Newman
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CVS Pharmacy is planning to open its new store in the Village of Shirlington by the summer of 2020, according to a spokesperson from the shopping center.

The 10,906 square-foot space will be located at the intersection of Campbell Avenue and S. Randolph Street, taking over a temporary women’s clothing boutique and the current Cheesetique space.

As of today (Wednesday), Cheesetique was still open, with two signs on the front of the store announcing it will move down the street to 4024 Campbell Avenue in November, describing the new storefront as “Bigger. Better. Cheesier.”

The clothing store, Sheyla’s Boutique, took over the former Ping by Charlie Chiang’s earlier this year. It is currently advertising a moving out sale, with items offered 50-70% off, per a sign outside the store.

Village of Shirlington owner Federal Realty Investment Trust first announced the plans for the new CVS in March.

CVS then applied for a construction permit in August, per county records.

Marine Corps Marathon Will Prompt Ample Road Closures This Weekend

By Kalina Newman

(Updated at 10 a.m.) The 44th Marine Corps Marathon returns to Arlington and D.C. this Sunday, October 27, bringing thousands of runners to the area along with lots of road closures.

Opening ceremonies for the races begin at 6 a.m. along Route 110 between the Pentagon and the Arlington National Cemetery. The 5oK race kicks off at 7:30 a.m., then the wheelchair/hand cycle race starts at 7:40 a.m., and finally the marathon and 10K begin at 7:55 a.m. Approximately 30,000 runners are participating in the race.

MCM events in Arlington include a finish festival in Rosslyn and opportunities to cheer the runners on along the streets of Crystal City.

Many of Sunday’s road closures begin in the early morning and last until later in the day.

Per a press release from the Arlington County Police Department, the following county roads will close on Sunday:

  • 3:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Marshall Drive from North Meade Street to Route 110
  • 3:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. North Meade Street from Marshall Drive to North Lynn Street
  • 3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Route 110 from I-66 to Richmond Highway
  • 3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Wilson Boulevard from North Nash Street to Route 110
  • 3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Lynn Street from North Meade Street to Lee Highway
  • 3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Fort Myer Drive from North Meade Street to Lee Highway
  • 3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. North Moore Street from Wilson Boulevard to Lee Highway
  • 3:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 19th Street North from North Lynn Street to North Nash Street
  • 3:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Route 110 ramp from Washington Blvd. to Pentagon North parking
  • 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Lee Highway (eastbound) from North Lynn Street to Kirkwood Road
  • 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Spout Run Parkway from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) to Lee Highway
  • 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. GWMP northbound from Spout Run to Memorial Circle Drive
  • 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Francis Scott Key Bridge (all lanes)
  • 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. I-66 Westbound ramp for Exit 75
  • 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. I-66 Eastbound ramp for Exit 73
  • 6:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. HOV lanes from 14th Street Southwest to HOV ramp at South Eads Street
  • 5:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. South Eads Street from South Rotary Road to Army Navy Drive
  • 5:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Army Navy Drive from South Fern Street to 12th Street South
  • 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. 15th Street South from Crystal Drive to South Eads Street
  • 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 12th Street South from South Eads Street to Crystal Drive
  • 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Crystal Drive from 12th Street South to 23rd Street South
  • 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Long Bridge Drive from 12th Street South to I-395
  • 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 6th Street South from Long Bridge Drive to South Ball Street
  • 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 10th Street South from Long Bridge Drive to South Ball Street
  • 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. South Ball Street from 6th Street South to 10th Street South
  • 3:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Boundary Channel Drive from I-395 to Pentagon North Parking
  • 3:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Washington Blvd. from Columbia Pike to Memorial Circle

In addition, per an agreement between marathon organizers and WMATA, Metro will be open two hours early on Sunday and provide extra service on the Blue and Yellow lines.

Additional travel tips from the press release, after the jump.

(more…)

Indoor Swim School SwimBox Is Coming To Lee Highway

By Kalina Newman

A new indoor swimming school is coming soon to Lee Highway in Arlington.

SwimBox offers one-on-one lessons to swimmers of all ages, from beginners to athletes. All lessons take place in the shallow, warm-water “Endless Pool,” with instant video feedback to customize swimming technique.

“We are anxious to work with the masters swimmers, competitive age group swimmers, triathletes, and adults learning to swim that live in/close to that area,” said owner Lissa Latella. “We find that the adult community is often overlooked in terms of learning to swim, so it will be great to provide that service to this new area as well.”

The space is slated to open in December, according to Latella, underneath Caribbean Grill at 5183 Lee Highway.

“The move to Arlington has been something we’ve been wanting to do for the past few years, but finding a good space that allows for our pool was a bit hard in an area where most buildings have underground parking garages,” said Latella. “Can’t put a pool above something like that!”

SwimBox applied for a construction permit in August, per county records, in which it was labeled as an “above ground modular spa.”

Photo courtesy SwimBox

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