Author: Katie Pyzyk

Woman Sexually Assaulted in Ballston Parking Garage

By Katie Pyzyk

A woman was sexually assaulted in the Ballston Public Parking Garage (665 N. Glebe Road) yesterday (Wednesday).

According to police, around 2:30 p.m., a 23-year-old woman was walking to her car, which was parked on the fourth level of the garage adjacent to the Ballston mall. Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said a man approached the victim from behind when she was just feet from her vehicle. The suspect reportedly lifted up the woman’s skirt, grabbed her buttocks, and sexually assaulted her with his hand.

Police say the suspect was startled when the victim screamed, and he fled the scene. The woman then left the parking garage and called police. She did not have any other injuries requiring medical attention.

Although the victim didn’t get a good look at the suspect’s face, she was able to provide other details. Police say the suspect is described as a black male, about 6′ and 150 pounds, between the ages of 17 and 25. At the time of the assault, he was wearing dark pants, a light shirt, sneakers and a black knit hat.

Anyone who can provide information about the assault or the suspect should call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.

Howell Vows to Wear Name Tag Until Election

By Katie Pyzyk

A congressional candidate who recently joined the race is trying to get some recognition in an unconventional way. Jason Howell will be wearing a name tag from now until the election on November 6.

Howell, who actually got the ball rolling on his campaign last year, was informed on Monday, June 18, that he had officially made the ballot. He’s up against incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D), Patrick Murray (R) and Independent Green candidate Janet Murphy in the 8th District congressional race. He’ll be running as an independent.

Howell believes part of the problem with campaigning, particularly as an independent, is the lack of name recognition. To remedy that problem, he’ll wear a name tag every time he’s in public until the election. Howell hopes he’ll get enough exposure so people will recognize his name by the time they get to the polls. He said there’s only one exception to the name tag rule: “When I’m wearing a campaign t-shirt in the gym.”

A major sticking point for Howell is the partisan nature of politics today.

“People don’t vote for the people they know, they vote for the ‘D’ or the ‘R.’ They vote for the branding,” said Howell. “Unfortunately the politicians have figured that out. They don’t have to be the best candidate, they just have to have the ‘R’ or the ‘D.'”

Howell believes being an independent in Congress would give him the ability to make changes that current members struggle with.

“The ability to go in there and create relationships without parties’ strings is what I bring to the table,” said Howell. “The biggest problem we have is our politics. It’s not that we don’t have enough money to take care of problems or we don’t have enough ideas, but the partisanship has locked them out of solutions.”

Howell views America’s current economic situation as something that needs fixing right away. Howell, who started out with a career in accounting and is now a writer and speaker, says the financial crisis prompted him to run for Congress. He doesn’t think current lawmakers are handling the situation well, and believes it’s time for Congress to sport fresh faces from a younger generation.

“Someone from my generation needed to get involved,” he said. “I decided to step up and be a part of the solution.”

Another Prostitution Bust at Columbia Pike Hotel

By Katie Pyzyk

Police made a prostitution bust at the Days Inn hotel on the 3000 block of Columbia Pike last night.

A surveillance team observed numerous johns entering and exiting three separate rooms at the hotel, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. They were all followed and confronted when they left the hotel. According to Sternbeck, all the men confessed to having paid for sex and received citations for solicitation of prostitution.

Three women were arrested and charged with prostitution and keeping a bawdy place. The women also admitted to posting online advertisements for sex services, Sternbeck said. An additional woman was charged with receiving money from prostitution.

Police officers seized $2,100 from the alleged prostitutes.

Police targeted the hotel based on information they had gathered about possible prostitution occurring there. This is not the first time the hotel has been used for such activity. In December police detained six people at the hotel on suspicion of participating in a prostitution ring.

Caribbean Breeze to Become ‘A-Town Bar & Grill’

By Katie Pyzyk

Caribbean Breeze in Ballston (4100 Fairfax Drive) is about to undergo a major facelift. From name to food, a lot is going to change during an upcoming renovation and re-branding.

Existing owner Mike Cordero will partner with his son, Nick Cordero, and newcomer Scott Parker for the revamped establishment, which will be called A-Town Bar and Grill. Parker says the new menu will be “eclectic,” and features a wide range of choices including sushi, sandwiches, flatbread pizzas and steaks. The beer list will expand from four to about 10. Food will be served every day, from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m.

Parker said Caribbean Breeze, which just celebrated its 10 year anniversary last month, has consistently been financially successful. However, the partners believe the broader concept should appeal to more people.

“The goal is to be an American bistro feel with a lot more energy than any of our competitors,” Parker said.

The outdoor patio area will be redone with a better bar and some couches to supplement the regular dining tables, according to Parker. TVs will be installed throughout the restaurant to accommodate sports fans. A-Town is also looking to offer live entertainment, consisting of a few bands, but mostly DJs.

“I’ve recruited a top knotch staff and will be bringing in the best DJs and local talent from around the D.C. area,” said Parker.

The restaurant will have to close for a while during the renovation. Caribbean Breeze will be having a farewell bash all day on Saturday, June 30. Construction on A-Town Bar and Grill will begin on Monday, July 2; it is expected to open by the beginning of August.

Little League Coach Receives Award Before Deployment

By Katie Pyzyk

A local Little League coach received some recognition for all of his time working with children and teens, just before deploying to Qatar.

Col. Randy Huiss, better known as “Coach Randy,” coaches the Orioles Little League team. After their final practice before “the big championship game” last week, the team and the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families honored Huiss with a Connect with Kids award. The awards are given to people who go above and beyond in spending time with, and building relationships with, children and teens.

Parents of the players are fans of Coach Randy’s interactions with the kids. They say he has a positive view of how the game should be played, with a focus on fun.

“Randy’s focus has never been on winning the games, but on letting the kids play,” said Amy Yamashiro. “It is these precious experiences that make kids, like my son, very happy and greatly increase enjoyment of playing on a team.”

Parents also say his attitude is something that the kids can look up to and emulate.

“Every game has been a positive experience that included teaching good sportsmanship based on respect for each other,” said Tracy Gaudet.

The Connect With Kids awards are given in the spring and the fall each year. However, a special exception was made to give the award early, because Huiss had to deploy to Qatar on Tuesday, June 19.

“We’re very pleased we could present this to him before he left,” said Mary Ann Moran with the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families. “He really gets it about children and sports and what’s important and what isn’t.”

UPDATED: Seven Recent Grads Arrested at Wakefield High

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) Seven recent Wakefield High School (4901 S. Chesterfield Road) graduates were arrested at the school around 5:15 this morning.

Police were called after a security guard spotted individuals on the roof. During their investigation, police found that the four adults and three juveniles had climbed onto the roof via a pole on the outside of the school, and proceeded to drink beer on the roof.

The former students, who graduated on Wednesday, June 20, tried to flee the scene. One of the subjects attempted to resist arrest and engaged in a physical altercation with an officer. He was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, but has since been released back into police custody for questioning.

According to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, this incident has similarities to one last week on the second floor of the school, which resulted in vandalism.  K9 units were brought in to investigate today’s incident, but no vandalism was discovered. The former students are in custody speaking with detectives to see if they have information about last week’s incident. However, Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia says there was no vandalism last week, somebody simply set off a fire extinguisher.

“It’s just a poor decision on their behalf, to bring alcohol onto the school property and drink,” Sternbeck said. “They weren’t here to vandalize the property, they were just here to have a good time, but it was a poor decision making process.”

All the subjects will be charged with trespassing, and the adults will be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

“It’s an unfortunate incident,” said Bellavia. “They made a poor decision.”

It’s unclear if there will be any sort of punishment issued by APS. Bellavia said system officials will have to look into the incident, because the subjects are no longer students.

Elliot Joins Celebrities Going “Over the Edge”

By Katie Pyzyk

Celebrities like DC 101 morning show DJ Elliot Segal, of “Elliot in the Morning” fame showed up at the Hilton Crystal City (2399 Jefferson Davis Highway) to dangle from the side of the building.

It’s all part of Special Olympics Virginia’s “Over the Edge” fundraiser. Today, local celebrities including ABC 7’s Steve Chenevey and Arlington Connection’s Deb Cobb joined Elliot in taking part in the event. They each did a test run from only one story up, then moved on to the big event — a 15 story rappel.

Tomorrow, Friday, the fundraiser is open to the public. Participants are asked to donate $1,000 for the chance to rappel down the side of the hotel. Many groups pooled together money and signed up co-workers for the daredevil stunt.

The event tomorrow runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sixty people are signed up to rappel down the hotel, but there are still spots available for people who want to sign up on site. Participants have one month to come up with the $1,000 donation.

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Police: Potty Mouthed Prostitute Solicited Officer

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) An Arlington County police officer had an unexpectedly eventful night on Wednesday, June 20, when he was approached by a prostitute with a potty mouth.

Police say the woman was at a bus stop in the 5000 block of Columbia Pike around 9:50 p.m., and started waving at the officer’s vehicle as he approached. The officer was in an unmarked car, wearing plain clothes.

According to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the woman leaned into the officer’s open window and said, “F–ky, f–ky.” The officer responded with, “Excuse me?” The alleged prostitute repeated, “F–ky, f–ky, 10 dollars.”

At that point, the officer called in the incident to headquarters and uniformed officers arrived on the scene to deal with 38-year-old Sherry Taylor of Arlington. Taylor was still at the scene and charged with solicitation and trespassing.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Accident on I-66 in Rosslyn Tunnel

By Katie Pyzyk

Update at 4:05 p.m. — All lanes of I-66 eastbound have been reopened.

An accident in the Rosslyn tunnel on eastbound I-66 is snarling traffic.

Police have re-opened eastbound I-66, after having shut it down at Spout Run for a while. Traffic is crawling past the accident via the left shoulder.

Initial reports suggest there are injuries, but so far there’s no word on how many people are involved or how severe the injuries.

Drivers are advised to avoid eastbound I-66 until the scene clears, which may take a while. There are also reports of traffic backups along Spout Run and Lee Highway, where traffic had been diverted earlier.

New Jersey Man Struck By Car in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

A New Jersey man is recovering in the hospital after being hit by a vehicle while walking in Ballston last night.

Around 9:40 p.m., police responded to a call of a pedestrian struck at N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd. Their investigation found that a 64-year-old woman had been driving westbound on Wilson Blvd and attempted to make a left turn onto Glebe. She struck the 70-year-old man, who was walking eastbound on Wilson across Glebe Road.

The woman said she didn’t even see the man until she hit him, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Witnesses say the man had the right of way, and was in the crosswalk while obeying a walk sign.

Although the call initially stated the man was in critical condition with a head injury, he was upgraded to stable condition and is able to speak. He suffered from multiple abrasions, lacerations requiring stitches and a broken femur.

The driver was cooperative, and there are no indications of impaired driving. The investigation is ongoing, and there’s currently no word on whether she will be charged.

The pedestrian, who is in Arlington visiting friends, is at Inova Fairfax Hospital. We’re told he’s been able to talk with police and his friends.

Sternbeck says police have been called to quite a few distracted driving accidents recently, including the major accident last night on Washington Blvd. Police are asking drivers to always be aware of their surroundings, and to not text or talk on the phone while driving.

APS Adopts New, Restrictive Social Media Policy

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington public school teachers will have restrictions put on their use of Facebook and Twitter. The Arlington School Board adopted a new policy at its meeting on Tuesday, June 19, setting guidelines for social media use between students and teachers.

The School Board said it recognizes the importance of social media as means for parents, students and teachers to collaborate through evolving forms of communication. However, board members noted the need for clear and reasonable boundaries for interactions between students and adults.

The policy is designed to protect students from misconduct and abuse, and to protect adults from misunderstandings and false accusations. In addition to preventing inappropriate sexual contact from occurring between students and teachers, the policy is also intended to curb harassment and bullying.

Arlington Public Schools will allow students and employees to interact via social media while in online groups, but all content must relate to classroom instruction or school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Adults will not be permitted to engage in one-on-one electronic communication with students, with an added caveat for instances of an emergency.

“One-on-one emergency contact is permissible, provided that the employee would then contact their supervisor, so that the parent could be notified as soon as possible about the reason for the exception being made, or the emergency,” said Assistant Superintendent Linda Erdos.

APS has defined social media as any online media that allows users to collaborate and engage in multi-directional conversations, to create personal profiles and to view the personal profiles of other users. This may include APS-approved media tools such as BlackBoard or Google. Twitter, Facebook, blogs, online forums and other social media tools generally available to the public are also included in the definition.

The policy is designed to provide guidelines for transparency, privacy protection and responsible use of social media. Some of those guidelines are as follows:

  • Information about the use of any social media should be included in the classroom syllabus or extracurricular information, and department supervisors and school administration should be aware of what social media tools are being used. The classroom syllabus should include a clear statement of the purpose and outcomes for the use of any networking tool.
  • Teachers/staff must ensure that the social media tools they are using have been submitted to the school administration for approval each school year. This may be an ongoing process throughout the school year, to be reevaluated annually.
  • Employees should establish clear rules and expectations and a code of conduct for all network participants. Just as in the classroom setting, online rules should be established to foster an atmosphere of respect, trust, and clear professional boundaries.
  • Parents should be informed of the social media tools being used, how their children are being contacted online, and the expectations for appropriate behavior.
  • Employees should be aware that they will be identified as working for and representing the school in what they do and say online.
  • Communications with students should be professional and appropriate within the context of the teacher/student relationship.
  • Employees should not discuss students or coworkers publicly.
  • Teachers should treat social media as an extension of the classroom, and should weigh every posting for how it affects their effectiveness as teachers.
  • Employees may not use commentary deemed to be defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous. Caution must be exercised with regards to exaggeration, inappropriate language, legal conclusions, and derogatory remarks or characterizations.
  • All laws pertaining to copyright and intellectual property must be obeyed.
  • Remember that all online communications are stored and can be monitored.
  • Inappropriate communications with students in any electronic or other format may be grounds for termination and loss of the educator’s license.
  • Teachers/employees have the obligation to keep all student information private.
  • Users must pay close attention to the site’s security settings and allow only approved participants access to the site.

APS said it will regularly monitor social media used by schools and departments. Staff found not adhering to the new policy will be subject to disciplinary actions. Before Tuesday, there was no formal social media policy in place at APS.

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