Author: Katie Pyzyk

Scavenger Hunt for Hidden Goats and Gnomes in October

By Katie Pyzyk

Forget about looking at the traditional ghouls and goblins this October. Sugar Shack (1014 S. Glebe Road) wants you to look for their goats and gnomes.

Starting Sunday and running through the month of October, the quirky critters will be hidden around the Columbia Pike area for a scavenger hunt organized by the donut store. Anyone who finds a gnome or goat can bring it to a Sugar Shack location to claim prizes. The breakdown of hidden objects and prizes is as follows:

  • 29 small gnomes, redeemable for 1/2 dozen donuts
  • 9 goats, redeemable for a dozen donuts
  • 3 large gnomes, redeemable for a dozen donuts, a t-shirt and a mug

Sugar Shack will post the full contest details on its social media on Sunday, along with clues about where searchers might find the hidden goats and gnomes. The hunt is also being conducted in Alexandria and the Shaw neighborhood of D.C., where Sugar Shack also has locations. (The three stores are owned by former state delegate Rob Krupicka.)

As part of the month-long Halloween festivities, the Arlington location also will host a family-friendly beer and donuts party from 5-9 p.m. on October 26, featuring Halloween-themed donuts, food and hourly prizes.

Halloween Bar Crawl Returns to Clarendon

By Katie Pyzyk

The annual Clarendon Halloween Crawl is back for another year, sporting the familiar theme “The Rise of the Day Drinkers.”

The costumed event takes participants to numerous Clarendon bars from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday, November 4. Advance tickets are $15 and the price increases to $30 the day of the event.

Participants get “a souvenir haunted mug, access to Clarendon’s best bars, exclusive drink & food specials, free pictures of the event and a raffle entry to win great prizes,” according to the website.

Nearly a dozen Clarendon establishments will be stops on the crawl route, including Clarendon Grill, Hunan One, Whitlow’s and Pamplona.

Farewell Bash for Iota’s Final Day in Business

By Katie Pyzyk
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After more than 23 years of bringing live music to Arlington, Iota Club and Cafe in Clarendon will close for good this weekend. But not before a farewell bash on Saturday, jam-packed with music.

Starting at noon tomorrow, the venue will host more than a dozen performers. Tickets are listed at $10 and can be purchased at the door. Iota’s website lists the following line-up of performers:

JOSE MIGUEL CONTRERAS
(OF BY DIVINE RIGHT)
~LAST PERFORMER~
JUSTIN JONES

EL QUATRO

ALEX PAREZ

TWO TON TWIG

NO SECOND TROY

MIKE FERRIO
(OF TANDY)

LAUREN CALVE

JUMPIN JUPITER

THE COWARDS CHOIR

MARY BATTIATA AND LITTLE PINK

DELARCOS

GIST

METROSONGS

FUZZ QUEEN

MARGOT MACDONALD

A sign on the door at Iota shows that the venue will also be open on Sunday from noon until 8 p.m., for “beer/wine sales on/off premises and other stuff.”

Posters on the outside of the building list the performers Iota has hosted over the years.

Earlier this month, Iota owners Jane Negrey Inge and Stephen V. Negrey announced that they would close the venue when their lease expires on Sept. 30 rather than relocate during a planned revamp of the Market Common development.

Following a “Save Iota” campaign, Market Common owner Regency Centers promised that Iota would not be demolished during the refurbishment. However, Inge and Negrey decided to close rather than temporarily relocating the club during renovations and then paying higher rent upon returning to the old space in Clarendon.

County Board Considering Purchase of Nauck Property

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County is interested in purchasing property in Nauck that has been the subject of redevelopment talks for years.

At its meeting next month, the County Board will take up the issue of purchasing 2631 and 2633 Shirlington Road, according to a public notice the county released this week.

Several years ago, a portion of the 153,000-square-foot industrial site near Shirlington was redeveloped into a self-storage facility, called CubeSmart. Prior to that, it was considered as a potential location for an urban Walmart, but the County Board quickly passed a measure that would require large-format retailers to get Board approval for building stores.

Arlington County is already leasing the parking lot next to the CubeSmart for ART buses and other needs.

The public notice indicates that the county might consider acquiring the land through eminent domain if the owner does not agree to sell.

Photo via Google Maps

Police Investigate Series of Thefts from Cars in Rosslyn

By Katie Pyzyk

Police responded to reports of vehicle break-ins this morning in Rosslyn.

Upon responding to an initial break-in call, police found that five cars on the 1500 and 1600 blocks of Colonial Terrace had been entered and items were stolen. All of the vehicles were unlocked.

The thefts prompted another reminder from Arlington County Police for residents to take measures to keep their cars and valuables secure.

From ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department is reminding citizens to remove the opportunity for crime by locking your vehicles. Here are some simple tips to help prevent larcenies from auto:

1. No matter if you park on a public street, in a driveway or garage take all valuables out of your vehicle. This includes keys, key fobs, purses, cash, credit cards and electronics. Don’t forget the valet key that comes with some vehicles.

2. Lock your doors and pull on the door handle to verify it’s locked. If a thief can get into a vehicle, they can also have access to a garage door opener and can gain access to your home. Always ensure the door between your garage and home is locked.

3. Call police if you see people looking into vehicles. The telltale sign that this has occurred in your neighborhood are open doors with the interior dome lights on. If you don’t see the perpetrator(s) but suspect some vehicles have been entered, call the non-emergency number at 703-558-2222. If you see a suspect in your vehicle, DO NOT APPROACH THEM and call 911 immediately.

Van Buren Bridge to Close for Several Months

By Katie Pyzyk
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Starting in October, a construction project will close the Van Buren Bridge near the East Falls Church Metro until next spring.

The bridge expansion and replacement project is scheduled to begin the week of October 16, and all bridge access will end at that time. In a letter to residents, the City of Falls Church indicated that construction is expected to continue at least through March 2018.

During construction, Van Buren Street will be closed between 19th Street North in Arlington and East Columbia Street in Falls Church. Northbound vehicles will be rerouted from Columbia Street to Roosevelt Street and 19th Street North. Southbound vehicles will be rerouted from 19th Street North to Sycamore Street and 16th Street North. Cyclists and pedestrians will detour on an existing bridge along the W&OD trail in Benjamin Banneker Park.

Construction is expected to take place most weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and some weekend work may also be necessary. Residents in the affected area will still have access to their driveways and homes when the closure is in effect.

The project to remove and rebuild the existing Van Buren Bridge will repair structural deficiencies and add pedestrian access along the corridor to the East Falls Church Metro. The new bridge will have two lanes for vehicle traffic and cyclists in addition to a 12-foot wide pedestrian walkway.

County Department Changes Name, Designs New Logo

By Katie Pyzyk

One of Arlington County’s safety departments has undergone a staff-led rebranding effort, complete with a new name and a new look.

As of July 1, emergency management employees and those in the county’s Emergency Communications Center work in the Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management. Department staff voted for the name from several suggestions.

“While we do not often change the name of our departments, and not all departments have logos, in the past 15 years some have had name changes,” said County Manager Mark Schwartz. Two examples are the current Department of Environmental Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation, which both underwent reorganizations.

At the heart of the Office of Emergency Management’s rebranding is an effort to be more inclusive of the entire department’s staff. The two initially had been separate divisions — OEM fell under the fire department and ECC under the police department — but they merged into the same department in 2004. Still, they kept their separate functions: Emergency management staff plan public preparedness campaigns and hazard and crisis mitigation, while communications staff run the 911 call center and dispatch first responders to the public.

The name, however, technically only covered the emergency management section, not the communications staff. Department director Jack Brown sought out a new name that more accurately represents both functions.

“The mission sets are a bit different, but bringing them together under one department makes a lot of sense,” said Brown. “The previous name only reflected part of the mission. We are on the same team, and our name now reflects that.”

Schwartz confirmed that these types of name changes should benefit both the county staff and the public. “Our goal is to ensure that each department’s mission and purpose is clear, both internally and publicly… We believe the new name makes the work of this critical team clear to all,” he said.

Instead of hiring an independent consultant for the rebranding, the project was fueled entirely by ECC and OEM staff, including the logo design. The logo incorporates elements representing various aspects of the department’s safety missions. For example, the radio tower represents communications, and the lightning and rain drops represent preparedness for weather events. The individual parts are encompassed within a pentagon shape.

“Our set of missions are within that pentagon. It’s a symbol, it reminds us why we’re here,” Brown said. “We’re here not just because of the Pentagon and 9/11. We’re here because really bad things happen and we want to prevent them from happening. If they do happen, we’re here to help the public get through it.”

That being said, Brown adds: “But these symbols are nothing without our people and their character. Our brand is our professionalism, our work ethic and our mutual commitment to public safety. I think these changes reflect that and I’m proud of this department and its future.”

(more…)

A Breath Of Fresh Air For Your Fitness At ArCTIC

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Visiting the Arctic might sound like an extreme way to change up your routine, but visiting Arlington-based ArCTIC could offer a cool breath of fresh air for your health and fitness regimen.

Sometimes maintaining personal wellness can seem like a hassle, which ultimately saps your motivation. For example, relying on one business to provide personal training, another for nutritional coaching and yet another for injury prevention and rehabilitation gets old quickly. Arlington’s Coaching-Training and Injury Center (ArCTIC) provides a whole-package solution to make staying healthy and fit easier.

The doctors at Schreffler Chiropractic launched ArCTIC, and they bring decades of combined experience to the new center. They provide individual client care to prevent both new injuries and flare-ups from existing problems. If an injury does occur, the doctors are fully equipped to assess, treat and manage the issue.

ArCTIC also has certified running, inline skating and personal training coaches, in addition to a registered dietician. Bringing together all of these professionals at one location creates a unique one-stop shop for sustaining a fit, healthy lifestyle through personal training and coaching.

Let’s face it, our lives are busier than ever. That makes the temptation to resort to frozen or packaged foods really tempting. But what you eat has a huge impact on how your body performs daily, both physically and mentally. ArCTIC’s nutritional coach can help to improve your relationship with food through discussions of what, how and when to eat to maximize your personal performance. Plus, you can get ideas to simplify eating healthily and avoid the draw of unhealthy food when you’re on the go.

Running is a high-profile activity that millions of people around the world enjoy, but only some know how to do properly. ArCTIC’S running coaches aim to help both beginner and seasoned runners reach their goals, but more importantly, they help to achieve such goals without injury.

Another calorie-burning — yet sometimes overlooked — exercise for which ArCTIC provides coaching is inline skating. The activity’s lateral movements help to offset the repetitive, straight-ahead movements of many other exercises. Inline skating isn’t quite as intuitive as running, though, so coaches can help you master proper moving, turning and stopping to optimize performance and avoid injuries.

Trying to figure out exactly which wellness plan is best for you can be overwhelming. But a fitness assessment using the state-of-the-art FitQuest determines exactly which exercises best suit your needs for improving personal weaknesses and imbalances. ArCTIC is the first and only business in the country to own this measurement tool, and the center’s personal trainers use it to completely customize your training program.

Do you feel like solo wellness programs aren’t for you? Maybe being among peers during exercise boosts your motivation? Not a problem. To complement its one-on-one personal training and coaching, ArCTIC often provides group training sessions, such as before local races. Right now, for instance, the Master the Miles program helps clients train to run an upcoming summer 5K or 10K. Another option is the Fitness Inline Training (FIT) Program that helps inline skaters train for a half marathon.

ArCTIC also provides services to other fitness facilities, such as the recent partnership with OrangeTheory Fitness. The six-week weight loss challenge incorporated ArCTIC’s FitQuest testing, and it promoted improvements in participants’ overall fitness and wellness beyond just the numbers on a scale.

Conquering fitness challenges and keeping your wellness on track has never been easier than by taking an integrated approach with ArCTIC.

Contact the experienced doctors and coaches online or by calling 703-465-1213 to set up your first appointment.

Two Parks Slated for Upgrades

By Katie Pyzyk
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Renovations will begin soon at Oakgrove Park and Tyrol Hills Park if the County Board gives the go-ahead for construction contracts at its meeting on Saturday.

In recent years, the Board approved funding for the earlier phases of the Tyrol Hills Park (5101 7th Road S.) renovation project, including more than $878,000 in upgrades in 2015. The current phase — phase four — is the final one and requires Board approval for a nearly $1.6 million construction contract.

The main upgrades include installing a new unisex bathroom, adding another picnic shelter and converting a sand volleyball court into a futsal court. The new court was an idea that came up during community outreach. The scope of work also includes stormwater management improvements, site furnishings, a paved plaza and landscaping.

If approved, construction on the phase four upgrades is expected to start before fall and should take about nine months.

The Board also is expected to approve the $795,000 construction contract for renovating Oakgrove Park (1606 N. Quincy Street). This is the second phase of upgrades for that park; the grass field and track renovations were completed in 2015.

This phase focuses on replacing the existing tot lot and adding play equipment for school-age children. Other improvements including replacing the picnic shelter, adding site furnishings, improving accessibility and improving stormwater management.

If approved, construction at Oakgrove Park is expected to start by the summer and last for about four months.

Pentagon City Pursuit Ends with Arrest

By Katie Pyzyk

Police have arrested one person for a trespassing incident that turned into a pursuit in Pentagon City.

Just before 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday police responded to a report of two suspicious people trespassing at a residential property on the 1200 block of N. Eads Street in Pentagon City. Upon arriving in the area, a K-9 officer saw the suspects fleeing on foot.

Police canvassed the area and briefly pursued the suspects on foot, then made one arrest. Further investigation revealed that at least one vehicle in the area had been tampered with.

Daikel Holsey-Stewart, 19, of Capitol Heights, MD, has been charged with tampering with an auto, trespassing and being a fugitive from justice.

The investigation is ongoing.

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Lander Apologizes for Insensitive Comments — School Board member James Lander has apologized for making insensitive comments about domestic violence yesterday on the “Arlington in the Morning” radio show. Lander has taken flak for appearing to engage in victim blaming when discussing the 2010 murder of UVA student Yeardly Love. In a statement, Lander said he made a “terrible communication mistake.” [Facebook]

Airport Contract Workers Win Pay Increase — Contract workers at Reagan National and Dulles International airports won their two-year fight for higher wages. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s board voted yesterday to require companies doing business with area airports to pay their workers a base hourly wage of $11.55 starting in January. Some of the workers currently make $7.25 an hour. [Washington Post]

More Passengers at DCA — More than 1.6 million passengers traveled through Reagan National Airport in February, which is a 2.6 percent increase over last year. [InsideNova]

Failing Air Grade — Arlington County earned an F grade in the American Lung Association’s 2017 “State of the Air” report. The region’s traffic created a lot of air pollution that contributed to a high level of smog in both Arlington and the District. Arlington did, however, receive an A grade in one category: particle pollution, also known as soot. [WTOP]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

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