Author: Katie Pyzyk

Planning for Bike Route App in Final Stages

By Katie Pyzyk

Finding a bike route in Arlington and the surrounding areas is about to get easier, thanks to an app that’s in the final planning stages.

A developer, Open Plans, is working with Arlington and Washington, D.C. to devise the free bike map web and smartphone app. When finished, it will provide point-to-point directions like other trip planning apps do, but will be specifically catered to bike routes instead of motor vehicle routes. The map will also include locations of Capital Bikeshare stations, along with real time availability of bikes at each station.

Right now, developers have a preliminary version running, but it’s not yet available to the public. On Thursday, June 21, representatives from all the involved groups will gather for a work session to further tweak the app. They’re trying to ensure the map shows all bike restrictions and hazards, to help users plan safe, legal trips.

One main goal for the work session is to fill in some of the bike-centric missing links. For example, developers want to add any special cut-throughs or one-way streets that bikers should know about.

“When you have a map that’s already designed, it often doesn’t capture all the little intricacies of getting around by bike,” said Chris Eatough of BikeArlington. “So to know those intricacies, it’s good to contact people who bike a lot.”

Once the app goes public, there will be a section for users to add their own suggestions for corrections or additions to the map.

BikeArlington has been instrumental in providing input for the bike route mapping project, due in large part to all the information it has gathered over the years for its paper maps. Eatough believes the new app will provide a convenient supplement to the paper maps, which are sent out twice per year. He noted that despite the convenience of being able to pull up the app while actually out biking, riders need to remember basic safety.

“Obviously, checking the app will be recommended when not actually rolling on a bike,” Eatough said. “To check a route, do pull over and then check.”

Another item that should be cleared up at the work session is what the final name for the site will be. There’s been talk about whether it should be cibi.me, like the version Open Plans developed for New York, or if this area should get its own name.

If all goes well at Thursday’s work session, developers believe the app could be operational as early as next week.

Helicopter Landing in Park for Military Training Exercise

By Katie Pyzyk

A military training exercise may cause some extra noise today near the National Guard Readiness Center on the 100 block of S. George Mason Drive.

Military training exercises will be taking place at the National Guard center throughout the day. As part of the drill, residents — especially those in the Barcroft and Alcova Heights neighborhoods — may notice a helicopter landing and taking off in the field at Arlington Hall West Park around 11:00 a.m. and again at 3:25 p.m. Park visitors are advised to avoid the area around these times.

Police officers and firefighters will be in the area to provide assistance as necessary. There are no traffic disruptions or noises expected during the training exercise, other than the helicopter, we’re told.

Race Series for Dogs and Humans will Benefit Rescue Animals

By Katie Pyzyk

There are a lot of local races, but one is encouraging runners to celebrate the dog days of summer with a four-legged friend.

The Lost Dog 5K race series will feature low-key evening races on four Fridays later this summer — August 3, 10, 17 and 24. They begin at 6:30 p.m. at Bluemont Park and benefit the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. Each runner’s bib will have a tag good for one complimentary beverage at the post-race party at Stray Cat Cafe (5866 N. Washington Blvd).

Although dogs are encouraged to participate, it’s not necessary for humans to bring one. Each dog will get its own timing tag. There will be prizes for top dogs according to weight class, and for top humans according to age group.

Another unique feature is that runners who don’t have a pooch of their own can “Rent-A-Mutt” for $10, and help one of the Lost Dog rescues get a little exercise. There will be about 10 dogs per week available for rental on a first come, first served basis. Rental dogs will not be timed.

In order to participate, dogs must meet the following criteria:

  • Must be well-socialized and friendly with people and dogs of all sizes.
  • Must remain leashed and under the control of a human at all times.
  • Must be current on rabies vaccinations.

Race organizers reserve the right to remove any dog behaving aggressively towards people or dogs.

Due to course restrictions, registration is limited. Registration is $50 for humans or $65 for a human/canine team, and can be done online. There is also a video online answering questions about running with a dog during the summer.

New Exercise Studio Opening in Clarendon

By Katie Pyzyk

CrossFit may be about to get some competition as the hottest local exercise craze. Lava Barre, a boutique ballet barre studio, is opening soon in Clarendon.

The Lava Barre (3260 Wilson Blvd) studio will open in a space sub-leased from Saffron Dance. Workouts will incorporate aspects of ballet, interval training, cardio, pilates and the use of props. It’s a high intensity workout, and participants are told they should be prepared to sweat.

“Lava Barre is a community; a corps of people you can count on to motivate, support and keep you on track to help you burn fat, improve your posture and increase your flexibility while shaping the muscles in your body, ” said co-founder Vanessa Ligorria in a press release.

For those leery about the classes being too ballet-centric, co-founder Lauren Price promises it’s a well rounded workout. She says there are different classes for different abilities.

“You don’t have to have taken ballet to be able to do the workout,” Ligorria said. “You don’t even have to be able to touch your toes.”

The high energy classes will have one instructor and around 20 clients. The co-founders are aiming for a community atmosphere where participants motivate each other. Price also said the music helps drive the class.

“We’re really pumping up the energy and pumping up the cardio and interval training, that’s the real difference between us and other studios,” Price said. “We’re also using different props than some of the other studios in the area.”

Although participants can purchase single classes, there will also be a variety of class packages for sale. As the opening day draws closer, more information will be available about deals such as unlimited classes for a month. Visitors will also get to try out a complimentary first class.

Lava Barre is expected to open on July 1.

Board Approves Increase in Standards for Green Buildings

By Katie Pyzyk

The County Board unanimously approved a beefed up voluntary Green Building Density Incentive Policy at its meeting on Saturday, June 16.

The move is designed to encourage higher levels of energy efficiency in Arlington buildings that go above and beyond the LEED minimum requirements. It also addresses the building energy efficiency and greenhouse reduction goals listed in the Community Energy Plan, which was launched in 2010. The Green Building Bonus Density Initiative was last updated in 2009.

Under the new guidelines, commercial office projects interested in participating in the incentive program must be at least 20 percent more energy efficient than the baseline, and achieve LEED Silver certification or higher. Multi-family residential buildings interesting in participating must be 18 percent more energy efficient than the baseline, and achieve at least LEED Silver certification. Previously, the county did not have its own standards, but required buildings to comply with the LEED standard of being 10 percent more energy efficient than the baseline.

In exchange for meeting the goals, developers may request additional building density or height. The newly approved plan eliminates bonus density for buildings simply meeting LEED Certified status, but increases the bonus density for Silver status.

Additional bonus density will be granted to projects that commit to both LEED certification, plus either ENERGY STAR building certification or LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) certification. ENERGY STAR and LEED-EB certifications are both based on current energy usage.

“Our Green Building Program is a voluntary program that is unique to Arlington,” said County Board Chair Mary Hynes. “This update makes our program even better — providing incentives that will help keep Arlington a regional and national leader in green building and energy efficiency while helping owners and tenants save money through reduced energy costs.”

Each project requesting bonus credits will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, due to differences in types and sizes of buildings. For example, projects receive different credits for a variety of energy efficiency factors like roof type, interior and exterior lighting, HVAC systems and insulation type.

The county says it recognizes that it may not be initially as cost effective for developers to incorporate energy efficient components into their projects. The incentive program was devised to encourage developers to continue investing in energy efficient designs and construction, despite the initial cost.

Decorative Planters in Rosslyn Point the Way to Artisphere

By Katie Pyzyk

Art students have been working on a project to beautify Rosslyn while pointing visitors to Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd).

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District teamed up with students the Art Institute of Washington to set up temporary decorative planters in the temporary CentralSpace park along Wilson Boulevard. The planters feature artistic wrappers showcasing various Rosslyn-centric images.

The beautification project also included orange “orbs” painted on the sidewalk, which form a “bread crumb trail” from the Rosslyn Metro to Artisphere.

“We are enhancing Rosslyn’s streetscape and creating a sense of place with Artisphere as Arlington’s cultural center,” said Rosslyn BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy, in a statement.

“The BID does a great job of beautifying our landscape and public spaces,” said Art Institute of Washington President Todd Cunningham. “I am pleased our students could play a role in that effort.”

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Vote for Shelter Pooches in Virtual Dog Show

By Katie Pyzyk

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) has entered a wacky video into a virtual dog show contest.

The Best in Shelter contest highlights dogs that have had a hard time being adopted. Four area shelters were chosen to participate, and must submit a video submission for each canine entrant. Visitors to the website vote for their favorite dog based on the video, photos and listed information.

In addition to fulfilling the goal of finding homes for the featured dogs, the shelter with the winning pooch will receive a $50,000 donation. The second and third place winners will receive $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.

Longtime D.C. area resident and New York Times bestselling author Martha Grimes started Best in Shelter last year to bring attention to animal shelters. She is providing the prize money.

“I’m happy that the four animal shelters participating in Best in Shelter will help demonstrate that shelter dogs are the equal to purebred dogs when it comes to looks, love, and loyalty and would be a happy addition to any family,” Grimes said. “We hope this will encourage people who have not considered adopting a pet from a shelter to visit their local shelter to look at the dogs.”

AWLA made the special video (above) for Gaston, a four-year-old American Bulldog mix, because he has been there for so long. Shelter officials hope the publicity from this contest might help to find Gaston a good home. AWLA’s other entrants are Molly, Pooh Bear and Rumor.

Another Arlington-based organization, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation is also a contender for the prize money. It entered Daphne, Harley, Cowboy and Pepper.

Voting takes place from now until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. Anyone may vote, but there is a limit of one vote per day. Winners will be announced sometime next week.

Two New Restaurants Now Open in Pentagon Row

By Katie Pyzyk

 

It’s been a big week at Pentagon Row, where two new restaurants officially opened to the public.

Nando’s Peri-Peri has opened in the space that used to be PR Grill, and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill has replaced Baja Fresh.

This is the second Lime location in Arlington, joining the one in Clarendon that opened earlier this year. Just as with the Clarendon location, this one experienced some delays in getting off the ground, but is now in business. A long line snaked out the door of the restaurant during lunchtime today.

Nando’s has 850 locations around the world, and expansion in the D.C. area was its first foray into the American market. The Pentagon Row location is the first in Virginia. It opened according to schedule, after two days of mock service.

Skaters to Perform in Ice Show at Kettler Iceplex

By Katie Pyzyk

If you want to chill out, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road) in Ballston may have what you need at its Second Annual Ice Show.

This year, the show will feature the “History of Rock ‘n Roll.” Skaters of various ages and abilities will perform to rock songs by artists ranging from Elvis to U2.

The show will take place tonight at 6:30 p.m., and tomorrow, June 16, at 2:30 p.m. Attendees are reminded that the ice rink will be chilly, so it might be a good idea to bring a sweater.

Tickets can be purchased in person for $5. More information, including a video of last year’s show finale, is available online.

Metro Rush Hour Changes Begin Monday

By Katie Pyzyk

Monday, June 18, is the big day Metro has been waiting for. Its new “Rush+” service will be implemented in an effort to improve rush hour on the Metrorail system.

Rush+ will be in effect Monday through Friday, from 6:30-9:00 a.m. and 3:30-6:00 p.m.

Orange Line customers who use stations west of Rosslyn should notice three more trains per hour in each direction. Metro estimates the change will allow for an 18 percent increase in capacity on the Orange Line, which would benefit more than 46,000 customers.

Blue and Yellow line customers who use the stations from Pentagon through Reagan National Airport will see the same amount of trains. However, during rush hour there will be three more Yellow trains per hour, and three fewer Blue. Metro estimates Blue Line riders in Virginia could have to wait up to six minutes longer for a train. More than 33,000 customers are expected to benefit from that change.

To accommodate for fewer Blue Line trains, the 9E and 10E Metrobus routes will be tweaked. During rush periods, the buses will offer express service between Rosslyn and Crystal City.

Riders will have to pay attention to the listed end point on each train, because the Orange and Yellow lines will now split during rush hour. Some Orange Line trains will now terminate at Largo Town Center instead of New Carrollton, and some Yellow Line trains will terminate at Greenbelt instead of Fort Totten. In the other direction, some Yellow Line trains will now terminate at Franconia-Springfield instead of Huntington. Dashed lines on the map indicate the altered routes that will be in place during rush hours.

The rail changes are also supposed to benefit the Silver Line, once it goes into service. That line is already listed on the new Metro map.

Metro has set up videos and an interactive map on its website to explain Rush+. The map lets customers click on the sections they travel to see how their commutes will be affected.

Move Over Cupcakes, Pie has Arrived in Arlington

By Katie Pyzyk

There are a lot of places in Arlington that sell cupcakes, but up until now, it’s been tough to find someplace devoted to pie. That’s where Heather Sheire and Leah Haskvitz come in, with their business “Livin’ the Pie Life.”

They first began operating in October, and now have their own booth at the Wednesday Farmers Market in Clarendon.

The two, who have children attending the same school, met while working at a PTA bake sale a year and a half ago. After months of learning about regulations and starting a business in the area, they began testing their original recipes.

To keep in line with health codes, Sheire and Haskvitz use the kitchen at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. They bake on Fridays and invite neighbors over for pie tastings. They’ll make several versions of the same type of pie with just one thing changed to get input on what tastes best.

The women change their menu often based on what’s in season. In the fall, apple caramel pies were a big hit, and now berries are a summer favorite. They also use locally sourced ingredients, and no additives or preservatives.

“The whole idea is that we want people to feel good about pie,” Sheire said. “Pie is dessert. Pie is special. Pie is handmade. It should come from local sources.”

Not all of the offerings are sweet concoctions like the pecan pie and margarita pie. Customers have also been digging into savory pies like tomato basil or macaroni and cheese.

Haskvitz contends that the pies blow cupcakes out of the water.

“It’s got fruit, it’s seasonal,” Haskvitz. “I think it’s just got a healthier twist and it’s got a little more of that home, rustic feel.”

On Fridays, the duo deliver the freshly made pies to the homes of customers who ordered online. They arrive dressed up in 1950s garb to add to the business’ nostalgic, family vibe.

“It just makes it fun,” Sheire said. “We’re trying to have fun with this whole thing.”

Contributing to the nostalgia is the practice of giving a $1 credit to anyone who returns a pie tin from the larger pies ordered online. Those tins are then reused, as they often were in decades past. The tins for the smaller pies sold at the farmers market are recyclable, as is the rest of the packaging.

Although they’ve thrown around the idea of starting a food truck, they’re not interested in a brick and mortar location. Right now, they’d like to keep a focus on convenience.

“If we have a store, you have to come into the store. But we want to bring it to you,” Haskvitz said. “It takes care of an area that I don’t think is covered. There’s a lot of storefronts here, there aren’t that many where you have the convenience of ordering online and having it delivered to you.”

Although they’ve only been in business for a few months, the women have been accruing regular customers. Both say they’re proud of their products.

“Our first priority is that the pie should be fresh and delicious,” said Sheire. “Our goal is that you have the best pie you’ve ever had.”

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