Author: Katie Pyzyk

Bryce Harper Invited to Become Volunteer Firefighter in Arlington

By Katie Pyzyk

Nationals star Bryce Harper, perhaps most widely known for calling out a reporter for asking a “clown question,” has received a request to try out a new career — firefighting.

The Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department recently discovered that Harper, an Arlington resident, has always had aspirations of becoming a firefighter. That prompted a formal invitation to the All Star, and any interested teammates, on Friday.

The department learned about Harper’s desire from the Nats blog, which posted a question and answer session with the player.

The department posted the following on its website:

We noticed that Washington Nationals rookie outfielder Bryce Harper, when asked by a fan what he’d be doing if he wasn’t playing baseball, responded that: “I’d probably be a firefighter. Ever since I was growing up, I wanted to be a firefighter or a baseball player. Going into the offseason, I’m going to get my EMT and do the firefighting thing so I have something to fall back on.” Recognizing Mr. Harper’s inner calling as something more than just a savvy PR move, the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department invites Bryce Harper, and any other Nat who’d like to come to check out the fire service in the offseason. We’ll look forward to seeing you at our November meeting.

So far, neither Harper nor the Nationals responded to the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department’s invitation.

Flickr pool photo courtesy D Rob

Bluemont Residents Form Safeway Task Force

By Katie Pyzyk

In response to a controversial mixed use development proposed for Wilson Boulevard, a number of Bluemont residents have banded together to form the “Safeway Task Force,” and will be holding a public meeting tomorrow.

The group is made up of members of the Bluemont Civic Association and aims to educate community members about the proposed development. Members say they want to ensure that the Bluemont community is able to help shape future changes at the Safeway site at 5101 Wilson Blvd.

Earlier this year, Safeway began soliciting bids from developers who may be interested in building a new grocery store, with residential property above it. The building would take up the entire block of Wilson Blvd from N. Frederick Street to N. Edison Street.

Last year, attendees at a Bluemont Civic Association meeting confronted County Board Chair Mary Hynes about the development. A number of residents voiced concerns about increased density along the stretch of Wilson Blvd in question, and also worried about how small businesses would fare.

The task force will be hosting a town hall meeting on Tuesday, July 10 (tomorrow), which is open to the public. It will be held at St. Ann’s Church (5300 N. 10th Street), starting at 7:00 p.m. Members of the county Planning Commission will be on hand to speak about issues related to the proposed development, such as zoning and by-right policies, and will answer residents’ questions.

In the coming months, the task force hopes to meet with Safeway representatives to discuss plans for the future. The task force’s charter states it plans to wrap up work by November 1, at which time it will be decided if it is needed any longer.

Photo (bottom) via Google Maps

Retired ACPD K-9 Passes Away

By Katie Pyzyk

The Arlington County Police Department has announced the passing away of one of its recently retired K-9 members.

Lobo worked for the ACPD beginning in 2004, and retired this past spring. Lobo had worked as a patrol dog and as an Explosive Ordinance Detection K-9, with his partner Corporal Tom Binckley. He successfully certified with the United States Police Canine Association in those two disciplines, and had been used as a tracker on numerous occasions.

During his seven years of service, Lobo also worked to keep Arlington residents safe at special events, such as the Arlington County Fair (pictured above). He was described as a social dog who enjoyed putting on demonstrations for civic and youth groups.

We’re told all of the ACPD members who had worked with Lobo were saddened to hear of his passing on Friday night.

Historic Post Oak Cut Down Due to Storm Damage

By Katie Pyzyk

An oak tree that has, for centuries, towered over what is now the Westover neighborhood is being cut down today.

The derecho on June 29 irreparably damaged the historic Post Oak, a majestic 93-foot tall tree that likely dates back to the mid-to-late 1700s. The county decided that the tree, believed to be the oldest in Arlington, had to be removed for the safety of residents.

“What’s remaining is really only about a third of the tree. It had several large trunks coming out of the main trunk, and two of those were broken off,” said Jamie Bartalon with the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. “As a result, the remaining trunk has quite a bit of decay and the tree is no longer balanced. It could potentially fall.”

Contractors are spending the day cutting down the tree — on the 5800 block of 11th Street N. — in sections. Parts of it will be salvaged instead of being used for mulch. The county is still trying to figure out exactly what to do with the saved portions.

Although the tree’s exact age is unclear, it’s believed to have been around since the 1700s. That would make it not only the oldest tree in Arlington, but also perhaps one of the oldest in the state. Rings will be counted from salvaged sections of the 18-inch circumference trunk to determine exactly how old the tree was.

The Post Oak was designated as a protected “Specimen Tree” by the County Board in 2008.

Bartalon said part of what made it noteworthy besides the age was its height, considering those types of trees are slow growing and typically don’t exceed 50 feet.

The tree should be removed down to the stump by this evening.

1/6

Service Updates from Dominion, Verizon

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) The good news about power outages in Arlington is that all of those stemming from the June 29 storm have been fixed. The bad news is crews had to deal with some new outages this morning, brought on by the storms that passed through Sunday night.

The Dominion outage website showed around 100 customers without power as of 8:00 a.m., but those now appear to have been fixed.

Verizon, meanwhile, reports significant progress on restoring service to its TV, internet and phone customers who were affected by the June 29 storm. A Verizon spokesman said technicians worked extended shifts over the weekend and service levels are nearly back to a normal level today.

Crews are now working to restore service to “several hundred customers in areas technicians could not previously reach due to downed power lines,” according to Verizon.

“I’m extremely proud of our team, which has worked 12 hours-plus daily in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees to bring service back for our customers,” said Chris Childs, Verizon’s Potomac region president of consumer and mass-business markets. “I’m extremely grateful to our customers, who have been overwhelmingly gracious, patient and understanding throughout this process. We will keep going until we’ve fully restored service for all those affected by this harsh weather.”

As of this morning, Verizon field crews were responding to a total of 163 downed utility poles and 602 downed copper or fiber cables throughout the D.C. region. Damage assessments are still underway following Sunday’s storms; there’s no word on exactly how many customers were affected.

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

Arlingtonians Make Their Mark on Fringe Festival

By Katie Pyzyk

A number of Arlington residents are among the members of the 131 performing arts groups involved in the Capital Fringe Festival, which starts on Thursday, July 12.

‘R.U.X. (Rockwell’s Universal seXbots)‘ debuted last year during a fundraising event at the Ballston Mall. It tells the story of a man’s desire to revamp his father’s company with a new business plan — selling sex robots. The playwright, Maurice Martin, is a 20-year resident of Arlington. The show, which is not recommended for children, premieres at Fringe on Friday, July 13.

The director of ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ along with most of the cast and crew, hails from Arlington. The show is a punk rock interpretation of a Shakespeare classic. It begins on Friday, July 13, and is recommended for ages 13 and up.

‘The Hair Chronicles‘ debuts on Saturday, July 14. The three playwrights — Nileah Bell, Mary Nyingi and Michelle Whittaker — live in Arlington and used Marymount University as the setting. The performance focuses on three women searching for graduate paper topics, who discover they share issues with their hair. The show is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Another group of local performers is made up entirely of teens. ‘Mindset’ premiered in March, and was created by students at H-B Woodlawn. It’s described as a “surrealist rock opera,” and is recommended for ages 13 and up. The 35 cast and crew members in Mindset begin their Fringe run on Saturday, July 14.

All of the shows in the Capital Fringe Festival are original works created and produced by the artists, and are performed at 15 different venues throughout D.C. The festival runs through July 29, and a full list of performances can be found online. Tickets, which are all $17, plus a one time charge for a $5 Fringe button, are also available online.

Sunday Storms Flood Long Bridge Drive

By Katie Pyzyk

Although Sunday’s storms didn’t cause the widespread damage Arlington experienced from the June 29 “derecho” storm, the effects are still being felt in parts of the county.

Long Bridge Drive between S. 12th Street and I-395 is completely closed due to flooding. The parking lot at Long Bridge Park is also blocked.

A county public works crew is on the scene dealing with the high water.

Drivers are advised to avoid any flooded areas they may encounter. Do not to attempt to maneuver through standing water, because it could be much higher than it initially appears.

Slight Delay on Opening, but Progress at World of Beer

By Katie Pyzyk

Construction is progressing at World of Beer (901 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston, and it should be open in a month.

Owner Evan Matz said the original goal was to open by the end of July. That’s been pushed back to August 6, however, due to a few delays including the late arrival of some supplies due to last week’s storm.

Earlier this year, the County Board approved a request for outdoor seating and live music at the establishment. Free live entertainment will take place on Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

Matz said although there will be televisions for sports fans, WOB will be different from the other restaurants and sports bars in the area. Instead of a focus on sports and food, Matz said the focus is on providing good quality beer with a social atmosphere.

“We don’t carry Michelob, Budweiser, Miller, Pabst Blue Ribbon. We don’t do two dollar pitchers. It’s not that kind of place,” Matz said. “We’re giving Ballston and Arlington a place to enjoy that has better tasting, better quality beer.”

If WOB gets 1,000 Facebook fans and 500 Twitter followers, it will throw a special pre-grand opening party for all the fans next month.

World of Beer is currently hiring friendly, energetic people for all positions at the Ballston location. Those interested can download an application online and email General Manager Sarah Miller at [email protected] for more information.

Power Restoration, Storm Recovery Update

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Dominion reports it’s on schedule with restoring power to Arlington residents following last Friday’s storm.

As of 2:30 p.m., Dominion’s outage website showed 1,438 customers without power. That’s down from 3,960 at the same time yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. Dominion reports it’s on track to have electricity restored to nearly all customers by Friday night.

“In a few instances, work in Northern Virginia may continue into Saturday where there was extreme damage,” said Rodney Blevins, Dominion vice president of Electric Distribution Operations, in a statement.

Arlington County says 11 roads remain blocked by trees and wires, down from 17 yesterday. Workers have collected and processed 646 tons of brush since Saturday. Collection efforts are expected to continue for the next two to three weeks.

Due to the power outages and closures, the Arlington Public Library has adjusted due dates for some users. Any checked out materials that were due back between June 30 and July 4 are now due this Saturday, July 7. Materials with any other due date must be returned at the originally designated time.

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

Traffic Re-routed in Rosslyn for Haz Mat Spill

By Katie Pyzyk

Clean up of a hazardous material spill in Rosslyn is causing traffic to be re-routed.

Around noon, the Arlington County Fire Department received reports of the spill near 1400 Wilson Blvd. It’s currently unclear what the material is.

According to Capt. Gregg Karl, no buildings had to be evacuated because less than 10 gallons of the substance leaked. However, while hazardous materials crews clean up the spill, traffic is restricted in Rosslyn. Nash Street is closed from Wilson Blvd. to Key Blvd., and equipment is blocking part of Wilson Blvd.

It’s expected to be at least another hour before the clean up is finished. Drivers and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area.

Public Input Sought for Boathouse Locations

By Katie Pyzyk

As part of an ongoing environmental impact statement (EIS), the National Park Service is now accepting public input on a proposed boathouse along the Arlington shoreline.

Because all of Arlington’s land along the Potomac River is actually NPS property, the EIS is mandatory by law. It formally began earlier this year, and assesses the impact a boathouse for non-motorized crafts would have on the natural and cultural resources in the area.

During the public comment portion, which began this week, residents are asked to examine the options in the proposal and voice suggestions or concerns.

There are four possible sites included in the proposal. Two options involve building the boathouse near the Key Bridge in Rosslyn, and another looks at a space near Gravelly Point. One alternative examines Daingerfield Island, which is in Alexandria. The final option is to take no action, meaning no boathouse would be constructed.

The proposal includes a facility with indoor space for storing equipment, training areas and floating docks. The plan has been in the works for years to ease the burden on boathouses in Alexandria and Washington, D.C., all of which are said to be operating at capacity.

A public scoping meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 24, at Washington-Lee High School (1301 N. Stafford Street). From 6:30-8:30 p.m., NPS employees will be present to answer questions and to accept written comments.

The various proposals can be viewed online and feedback can be submitted there as well. The public comment period ends on Friday, August 31. If all goes according to plan, the EIS will continue through winter of 2013.

View More Stories