Author: Katie Pyzyk

Artisphere to Hold Second Anniversary Celebration

By Katie Pyzyk

Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd) is inviting the public to share in its second anniversary celebration this weekend.

The art venue has often been the target of criticism due to a rocky first year in existence, which included low attendance and revenue. However, there’s been a concerted effort to turn things around by following a revamped business plan.

“We’ve had a really successful year and I think if people engage with the arts they understand the value of it. I would certainly encourage people to participate more to understand the value,” said Artisphere Executive Director Jose Ortiz. “Like any new organization or start-up, you go thorough some growing pains. I hope at this point we would have all moved past that.”

On the heels of accolades over this year’s Frida Kahlo exhibit, Drector of Programming Rosanna Ruscetti suddenly departed in April for family reasons. She had been credited with helping to stabilize the struggling art venue. Ruscetti was replaced in August by Josh Stoltzfus.

In addition to the new Director of Programming, Artisphere hired a Chief Financial Officer in April. Ortiz said the new staff is just one of the factors keeping the venue on track with its new goals.

“It’s definitely a team effort, everyone working together toward a common goal,” said Ortiz. “On the programming side we’re having great appeal. Having a CFO there has helped us to manage our money more closely as well.”

Ortiz said one of the challenges Artisphere continues to battle is how to offer art in a way that’s different from all the other local venues.

“In this business this idea that everyone’s presenting music and art, but how do we do that in a way that distinguishes us?” he said. “The ongoing challenge is always, how do we present a program that’s unique and on-brand and appeals to people?”

One example of the unique art, according to Ortiz, is Craig Colorusso’s roaming exhibit “Sun Boxes” which kicks off the anniversary celebration on Thursday, October 4. It is made up of 20 solar powered speakers that create a sonic landscape. The exhibit will be in different locations throughout Rosslyn this weekend; locations and times are listed online.

“It’s a great example of how we’re able to take our art outside of our walls,” Ortiz said. “People who may not come in to visit us will experience art on the street. It’s an example of how we do something and do it uniquely.”

The big events inside Artisphere take place this Saturday, October 6, and Sunday, October 7. The party begins at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday with Brazilian music from New York City’s Forro in the Dark, followed by the D.C. Metro’s own Alma Tropicalia at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.

The festivities culminate on Sunday with the Free Family Day Open House, which runs from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Activities are largely hands-on and allow visitors to interact with artists by participating in storytelling, theatrical workshops and creating a commemorative mural.

“It’s a great day for people to engage with the arts in a different way than you would customarily,” said Ortiz.

Exchange Student Host Dad Not Yet Facing Charges

By Katie Pyzyk

The exchange student who accused her host father of taking nude pictures of her isn’t pressing charges, at least for now.

According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the girl was simply focused on getting back to her home in Germany, and has not wanted police involvement thus far. However, the possibility of her pressing charges remains, we’re told, and police continue to be in contact with her.

Police say the girl had been staying with a family in the Donaldson Run neighborhood before discovering nude photos of herself on her host father’s USB drive last month. ACPD declined to release extensive details about the case due to the girl being a juvenile and the police investigation continuing.

ARLnow.com has learned that the girl came to Arlington through the Program of Academic Exchange (PAX), which is a State Department-designated agency. PAX did not return our calls, but State Department Director of Media Relations Susan Pittman confirmed the agency’s involvement. She declined to provide any more information due to the ongoing investigation.

The State Department oversees the issuing of J-1 visas, which cover exchange students and workers. It vets certain organizations and designates them as sponsors for exchange programs. Participants in exchange programs must be sponsored in order to enter the country.

Should an exchange program participant come forward with something “untoward” happening during their stay in the U.S., the sponsor agency is required to immediately report the incident to the State Department. Because the State Department itself is not an enforcement agency, cases are often turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for investigation.

“We look over to make sure these people are actually enforcing the regulations that are there. If they’re not, it will be sent to the proper law enforcement authorities,” Pittman said. “We then make sure the participant is put into a safer environment. Safety is our overriding concern in all of this.”

While the State Department does not rate sponsors, designation indicates that the agency is compliant with all regulations and is in good standing. Pittman said should action need to be taken against offending organizations, there are different levels of sanctioning. However, investigations often indicate unfortunate situations can occur even when an agency closely follows all regulations and properly screens host families.

“While certainly there are some reports of some acts that may impinge upon the safety of the participant, it may not be the fault of anybody at the agency, it may have just happened,” Pittman said. “The number of incidents is really low compared to the number of people who come through.”

Last year, there were two State Department-designated agencies that brought 541 secondary school exchange students to Virginia. Pittman did not have information on how many incidents occurred last year, if any, requiring an investigation. She did say the number is consistently low and the State Department works to prevent and eradicate threats to safety.

“We are committed to identifying and eliminating potential threats and dangerous situations for students, and any participants, visiting the United States,” said Pittman. “Although the vast majority of the participants have positive experiences, even one negative experience is one too many. We work diligently and continuously to address all concerns and to ensure every participant in our exchange program has a safe and positive experience.”

Free Burritos at Crystal City California Tortilla

By Katie Pyzyk

California Tortilla (2450 Crystal Drive) in Crystal City may be making your decision about what to have for lunch a little easier. The restaurant is celebrating its opening by giving away free burritos today.

Earlier this week, the chain tweeted about the deal, which will run from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Customers receive one free burrito and drink, and the first 20 people in line get free burritos for a year.

Work has been ongoing all summer to ready the Bethesda chain’s newest restaurant. The Crystal City location is the third in Arlington.

If you’re thinking of showing up to quickly grab a burrito and run, be warned that you’re not alone. According to California Tortilla’s Twitter account, the first person to start camping out for a free burrito got there at 1:00 a.m.

Photo via @caltort on Twitter

Fair Trade Store Opening in Westover

By Katie Pyzyk

Update on 10/4/12 — The store is now open, according to owner Lisa Ostroff.

A new store specializing in fair trade goods is opening in Westover. Trade Roots will replace Arax Cafe (5852 Washington Blvd), which closed this summer.

All of the products in the store are handmade by people in lesser developed countries including Kenya, Guatemala, South Africa, Nepal and Madagascar. Rather than resorting to working in a sweat shop, the laborers receive a fair wage for their products and are involved with a system that helps the goods get to market in more developed nations. Many of the items are created from recycled goods and promote sustainability.

“Fair trade is huge in Europe, it’s quite big on the West Coast and I think it’s going to continue to grow here,” said owner Lisa Ostroff. “When people come in they’ll see this is not a charity. They’re all beautiful things and they secondarily help someone struggling in some of these countries.”

Ostroff has lived in Arlington for nearly 30 years and wanted to open a store that tapped into her time spent studying international relations and non-profit management.

“It sort of brings all my skills together,” said Ostroff. “I’m not able to go there and be in the Peace Corps at this time in my life, but this was a good way to help people without actually being over there.”

Fair trade coffee will be sold by the bag, and customers can sample freshly brewed java. Ostroff hopes customers will visit the store for more than picking up a birthday or holiday gift. She pointed out that some smaller items could be hostess or teacher gifts, and many of the items can simply be a personal treat.

“Think of it as a little something for yourself, because it’s not expensive,” she said.

For now, Ostroff is working to stock the last few shelves and tie up loose ends. Trade Roots will officially open once its occupancy certificate is approved, which Ostroff hopes is in the next two weeks.

“I just think this is great for Arlington. Arlington is a liberal community,” Ostroff said. “I’m actually surprised that there isn’t something like this already. I’m hoping that this really grows.”

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Arlington Native Visits Jimmy Fallon, Stars in TV Show

By Katie Pyzyk

An Arlington native appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday (Sept. 25) to promote the television show he’s starring in this fall.

Zach Cregger is one of the starring actors in the new NBC comedy “Guys with Kids.” Although his biography page says he currently splits his time between New York and Los Angeles, we’re told Cregger is originally from the Country Club Hills neighborhood of Arlington. He attended The Field School in the District before moving to New York City to attend The School of Visual Arts.

On Fallon’s show, when asked about filming in front of a live audience, Cregger said he has enjoyed the experience.

“Acting, I think, is all about confidence. And when you get a laugh, you get more confident and then it just kind of feeds itself,” said Cregger. “I think it improves everything.”

“Guys with Kids” airs at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays on NBC.

Hat tip to David Johnson

Police Seek Help Locating Sexual Assault Suspect

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:25 p.m.) The Arlington County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a man accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.

Toribio Antonio Rodriguez-Soriano is a 31-year-old Hispanic male, around 5’5″ tall and weighing around 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the ongoing investigation, police will not disclose exactly where or when Rodriguez-Soriano allegedly assaulted the girl. However, according to ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the suspect knows the victim. Rodriguez-Soriano was last seen on the night of Sunday, Sept. 23.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Rodriguez-Soriano is asked to contact Detective Jim Stone of the ACPD Special Victims Unit at 703-228-4245 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477).

APS Expects Staff Exodus to Continue

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) Arlington Public Schools has a lot on its plate in the next several years, as the system takes on boundary changes and building new schools to ease overcrowding. But an issue that’s quietly crept into the system is the increasing loss of senior staff members.

A concerned resident, Hans Bauman, told ARLnow.com that he pored through public records and compiled a list of more than two dozen principals and senior staff members (after the jump) who had left APS since 2010. He called the amount of turnover “unsettling.”

“I am not sure how to assess whether all this turnover is ‘normal’ but I keep hearing concerns about management practices from every single APS person I talk to and I really was stunned when I compiled these lists,” Bauman wrote in an email. “Though the block scheduling fiasco, the current transportation mess, the class size increases and other APS missteps have gotten lots of press, I do think this almost more worrying trend hasn’t been really daylighted.”

APS spokeswoman Linda Erdos confirmed that all of the employees on the list had indeed left their positions, but she said most retired and some took promotions within the system or with other school districts.

“We know that APS has a ‘senior’ corps of highly qualified staff approaching retirement, and it is something we have been watching for a number of years now,” said Erdos.

The situation will only intensify in the coming years. Erdos said in the next decade, there are 63 administrators and around 1,200 other staffers who can retire with full benefits. To be eligible for full retirement benefits, employees must be at least 50 years old with 30 or more years in the Virginia Retirement System.

Of the 1,200 staffers eligible for retirement, more than 600 are teachers. Currently, APS employs more than 2,100 teachers, including some who are part-time.

In addition to the loss of staff due to retirement and relocation, extra employees are necessary to accommodate the growing number of students in the system. Although she didn’t have the breakdown of how many were hired due to expansion and how many were to replace departing staff, Erdos noted that APS hired 230 full-time and 45 part-time teachers for the 2012-13 school year.

“Every year during the budget, we add staff when needed based on the projected enrollment for the coming school year,” Erdos said. “As for the staff who are hired annually, the new staff are a mix to replace retirees and to add staffing to address growing enrollment.”

The loss of senior employees is why Erdos said APS is focused on grooming current staff for more advanced leadership roles. For example, it funds classroom assistants aspiring to become teachers, and supports administrators looking to advance to positions such as principal. It also actively seeks out new teachers by recruiting at colleges and universities around the country, recruiting through publications and professional organizations, and by holding two career fairs each year.

“This is a growing national trend,” said Erdos. “In the next decade, we expect that this trend will continue to be a challenge for APS and all school districts across the country.”

Bauman, however, attributes much of the turnover to mismanagement by Arlington Public Schools.

“The amount of turnover since 2010 is stunning: One third of elementary school principals; Two thirds of middle school principals; Two thirds of the assistant superintendents,” he wrote. “I believe some of this loss can be attributed to the recent emphasis the Board and the Superintendent have placed on generic spreadsheets, standardized tests, and — perhaps most significantly — a huge increase in the use of outside consultants.”

“Outside opinions and objective measures do indeed have a place in every well-run organization. But the recent attrition trend suggests this approach may be going too far,” he continued. “Building space, schedules, staffing, and bus routes have been treated as cells in Excel rather than the complex, unique situations that we can and should manage with greater care in a system of our size.”

See the list that Bauman compiled, after the jump. (more…)

Dentist Sentenced for Health Care Fraud

By Katie Pyzyk

A dentist who lives in Arlington but practices in Alexandria has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for health care fraud.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 43-year-old Tuan Vu, who owns Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, PLLC, pled guilty in January to committing health care fraud. Court documents show that Vu admitted the scheme took place at least from January 2007 to September 2011, when he billed dental insurance providers for services he never performed on his patients.

Because of the scheme, more than 50 private insurance providers lost more than $2 million. The federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia also suffered losses, including more than $300,000 to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and the Virginia Medicaid program.

Vu was sentenced to 46 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and more than $2 million in restitution.

Prescription Take-Back Day on Saturday

By Katie Pyzyk

If you’re doing some fall cleaning, it might not be a bad idea to include the medicine cabinet on the checklist. This Saturday (September 29) is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Stations will be set up throughout the country and right here in Arlington for residents to turn in any expired and unused medications. In addition to preventing drug abuse and theft, the initiative helps to prevent drugs from being disposed of improperly, such as being flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash.

The Drug Enforcement Administration runs the program, in cooperation with local officials. During the last such event in April, residents around the country turned in a record breaking 276 tons of unwanted drugs.

“While a uniform system for prescription drug disposal is being finalized, we will continue to sponsor these important take-back opportunities as a service to our communities,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart in a statement. “Our take-back events highlight the problems related to prescription drug abuse and give our citizens an opportunity to contribute to the solution. These events are only made possible through the dedicated work and commitment of our state, federal, local, and tribal partners and DEA thanks each and every one of them for their efforts on behalf of the American people.”

The disposal service is free and there are no questions asked.

The following Arlington locations will participate in the drug take-back from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday:

  • Arlington Fire Station #1, 500 S. Glebe Road
  • Arlington Fire Station #8, 4845 Lee Highway
  • Arlington Fire Station #9, 1900 S. Walter Reed Drive
  • Pentagon Parking Lot, 551 Army Navy Drive

The following two locations will not operate on Saturday. Instead, they will be open from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 28:

  • Arlington Hall Station Building 1, 111 S. George Mason Drive
  • Ft. Myer Commissary, 523 MacArthur Circle

 

Leek American Bistro Opening Soon in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

Ballston is close to adding another new restaurant to the mix. Leek American Bistro (801 N. Quincy Street) expects to open its doors within the next two weeks.

Owner and chef Nathan Spitall had previously owned the BBQ Bandidos food truck. He has worked in restaurants in New York and locally, such as at the former Harry’s Tap Room in Clarendon, and wanted launch a brick and mortar establishment in Arlington.

“The food truck was great, but my home is in a restaurant,” Spitall said.

Spitall said the restaurant space has been renovated and restrooms have been added in the back. Previously, visitors to the old Thai Terrace had to leave the restaurant through a back exit and use restrooms shared with the other tenants in the building.

“Yes, we lost quite a bit of seating,” Spitall said. “But it’s worth it to have bathrooms.”

There’s a focus on using sustainable and locally sourced goods, from the reclaimed wood in the bar to the local beer selections.

“We’re not going to try to compete with Rustico or World of Beer, obviously, but we want to have a nice selection of some local breweries,” Spitall said.

A number of Virginia wines will also be featured on the drink list. Each food item on the menu will have a suggested wine and beer selection noted.

“We don’t want to classify ourselves as a wine bar, but we think our wine list is nice and affordable,” said Spittal.

The food is considered American because it’s a melting pot of different varieties. The menu will include items such as mussels, falafel crusted salmon, crab cake sandwiches, braised pork shank with white bean cassoulet and one of the popular holdovers from the BBQ Bandidos days — pulled pork and biscuits. Many gluten free and vegetarian options will be available.

“We want everyone to be able to chill out, relax, eat some good food, have some wine, have fun,” Spitall said.

Leek American Bistro is expected to open during the first couple of weeks of October.

County Tax Payment Deadline Approaches

By Katie Pyzyk

There’s a little more than a week left before Arlington County’s vehicle personal property taxes and second installment of real estate taxes are due. The Treasurer’s office is reminding residents that the deadline is next Friday, October 5.

The red 2012-2013 vehicle decals need to be displayed starting on November 15. There is a list of ways to pay the taxes online.

Payments are considered late if they are not received on or postmarked by October 5. Late payments may receive penalties as follows:

  • 10% of the tax amount if the tax amount is $100 or greater
  • $10 if the tax amount is between $10 and $100
  • The same amount as the tax if the tax amount is less than $10

More information, including options for payment assistance programs, is available online, or by calling the Treasurer’s office at 703-228-4000.

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