Author: Katie Pyzyk

Artisphere to Host U.S.-French Hip-Hop Dance Battle

By Katie Pyzyk

Dance crews are revving up for a transatlantic battle set to take place at Artisphere. French dancers will be flying in to join the locals in a dance competition on May 25.

The “Battle of the Dance Crews” show ends a week of events in the D.C. area for a transatlantic hip-hop festival. The Urban Corps Festival will feature dancers from the United States, France and Senegal, who are trained in a variety of techniques such as contemporary dance, Brazilian capoeira, karate and gymnastics.

Performances will highlight the dancers’ interpretations of hip-hop culture through urban dance. The festival website says this type of artistic event “serves as proof that urban issues are not only local, but mutually influenced on both sides of the Atlantic and across the globe.”

The festival is presented in collaboration with Alliance Française, a French cultural organization.

Tickets for the event are $5. Music, drinks and mingling with the dancers will begin at 9:00 p.m., and the performance runs from 10:00-11:00 p.m. After that, the dance floor will be open until midnight to anyone who wants to bust a move.

Two Rosslyn Improvement Organizations to Merge

By Katie Pyzyk

Two organizations designed to improve Rosslyn have decided to merge.

After 21 years in business, Rosslyn Renaissance (RR) will cease to exist and its urban design work will be taken over by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID).

RR was created by the Arlington County Board in 1991, and lists its mission as “to work with residential, commercial, cultural, and government communities to realize Rosslyn’s potential as a distinctive urban environment through a focus on urban design and development.”

“Rosslyn Renaissance has helped to lay the foundation for Rosslyn’s future growth,” said Board President Jeffrey L. Kovach in a press release. “The BID will build upon and continue RR’s work, planning for Rosslyn today and in the future.”

RR’s work has helped with accomplishments such as securing a donated space for Artisphere, adding 98 additional affordable housing units and installing a pedestrian esplanade to Key Bridge.

“RR board members were the drivers to create the BID in 2003, and that is among the greatest of RR’s accomplishments,” said BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy. “The new organizational structure will bring us full circle. It is a graduation of sorts for the two groups – to Rosslyn’s benefit.”

The BID board has created an Urban Design Committee, which will incorporate all members of the Rosslyn Renaissance committee.

The two organizations will host a tribute event tonight in the main ballroom of the Key Bridge Marriott. The event is scheduled to include remarks from Rep. Jim Moran, Del. Patrick Hope and County Board Chair Mary Hynes. Board members and founders of Rosslyn Renaissance will also be recognized during the tribute.

Events Planned for Neighborhood Day on Saturday

By Katie Pyzyk

Residents are being encouraged to go out to celebrate Neighborhood Day on Saturday.

The goal of the annual event is to get people out into their communities to have some fun and connect with their neighbors. Events are planned throughout the county, some aimed at local communities and others for all Arlington residents.

A full list of activities can be found on the Neighborhood Day website, which is updated as new entries come in. Here are a few of the events:

  • Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive — Residents can leave a bag of non-perishable food at their mailboxes for letter carriers to collect. The food will be donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Email [email protected] or call (703) 845-8486 for details.
  • Ashton Heights Yard Sale — From 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Dozens of homes will be participating in this year’s sale, which will feature household goods, collectibles, baby clothes, toys, books, and more. There is a Yard Sale Map showing the participating homes.
  • Dominion Hills Neighborhood Day Festival and Potluck Supper — From 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Dominion Hills Park (1060 N. Liberty Street). Kids can enjoy a moon bounce, face painting, games, prizes and free snow cones. A concert band and a deejay will provide music. Free burgers and hot dogs are provided, but guests are invited to bring a salad, favorite dish or dessert to share.
  • Fairlington Great American Cookie Bake Sale — From 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Fairlington Community Center (3308 S. Stafford Street). Residents will donate home baked cookies to sell to benefit Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating childhood hunger.
  • ‘Arlington Kids Read’ Community Read-a-Thon Kickoff — From 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street). There will be continuous read-alouds, crafts and treats. Kids can pick up their Read-a-Thon log books and get more information about how to track their time spent reading. More information about the Community Read-a-Thon will be provided at the event, and can also be found online.
  • Teen Night at TJ Café — From 9:00-11:00 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S). For $2, middle and high school students get access to basketball, soccer, ping pong and pool tables. For $3, guests can purchase an activity card to access the rock wall, inflatables, giant human hamster balls and roller skating. Food will be available for purchase. Contact Kevin Clements for details at (703) 228-4729 or [email protected].
  • “Among Women” Expo — From 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Gates of Ballston Community Center (4108 4th Street N). Arlington’s Community Outreach Program hosts the event, which will include a range of programs such as a self-defense class, arts and crafts projects, and sessions on how to maintain healthy relationships. Marga Fripp, founder and president of Empowered Women International will be the featured speaker. Call (703) 228-1317 for details.

Local Sport Stacker Wins World Title, TV Appearance

By Katie Pyzyk

The 11-year-old Arlington kid who won a sport stacking championship in Colorado in March has racked up a new title.

William Polly, of Penrose, has been named World Sport Stacking Champion for the second year in a row. That’s according to The Wauneta Breeze, a local newspaper in the Nebraska town where Polly’s grandparents live.

Not only did Polly capture the coveted Individual All-Around honors at the tournament — with a combined time of 9.34 seconds in the 3-3-3, 3-6-3 and cycle sequences — but he’s also getting another TV appearance out of it.

Tomorrow, Polly is scheduled to appear on Live! With Kelly, where he’ll challenge host Kelly Ripa to a timed cup stacking competition. It won’t be the first time Polly has appeared on national television; last year he showed off his skills on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

This year’s World Sport Stacking Association tournament was held in Butzbach, Germany. Despite the fact that there are active stacking competitors in 19 countries, this was the first time the international, invite-only competition has been held outside the United States. Polly was one of 250 participants.

DelMarVa’s Southern Cafe Coming to Crystal City

By Katie Pyzyk

Some comfort food is coming to Crystal City. DelMarVa’s Southern Cafe and Taphouse is apparently moving in at 2450 Crystal Drive, according to its website.

The restaurant touts itself as serving comfort foods traditional to the Delmarva Peninsula. Some menu items include the “Chesapeake Chicken” sandwich, which is topped with crab dip, and the “Eastern Shore” fried egg sandwich. The drink menu features wines and beers crafted in the Delmarva area.

The website says the restaurant, which will offer a casual atmosphere, hopes to be open this fall. A location in Baltimore is scheduled to open sometime this spring.

Eventide Rooftop Barbecues Begin on Sunday

By Katie Pyzyk

Eventide Restaurant (3165 Wilson Blvd) is kicking off the summer grilling season this weekend by beginning its annual rooftop barbecues.

The barbecues will take place on the first Sunday of each month throughout the summer.

On the menu are items like grilled bratwurst, barbecue chicken and angus burgers. The bar team will be featuring summer beers, bourbon and specialty cocktails.

The events run from 4:00-8:00 p.m., and are $30 per person for all-you-can-eat food and samplings of bourbon. Children under 10 will eat free when they accompany a paying adult.

Anyone with questions can call Eventide at 703-276-3165.

Then and Now: The Hicks Store on Lee Highway

By Katie Pyzyk

 

The photo on the left is of the Hicks Store on Lee Highway at N. Culpeper Street, taken in 1960. The store was in an area known as Hall’s Hill — now often called High View Park — which became a predominantly black community when freed slaves settled there shortly after the Civil War. Many family run stores owned by black residents opened in the area during the early 1900s. Hicks store was one of several businesses owned by the Hicks family.

Near the store, the Hicks cemetery is where family members were buried, until the land was condemned in 1959, to accommodate for the widening of Lee Highway west of Glebe Road. The remains were moved to a cemetery in Herndon.

The photo on the right is how the corner of Lee Highway at N. Culpeper Street looks today. A Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant now sits on the site.

Historic photo courtesy Arlington Public Library’s Virginia Room

Event Gives a Peek Inside Planned ‘NOVA Fashion Week’

By Katie Pyzyk

After a surprise cancellation last October, it looks like Northern Virginia Fashion Week is trying to make a comeback.

The event was cancelled just weeks before it was supposed to kick off at Clarendon Ballroom last fall. Now there’s word that Artisphere is holding an event tomorrow in anticipation of NOVA Fashion Week returning this October.

“Behind the Scenes of NOVA Fashion Week” will let the audience see the preparations that go into pulling off a fashion show. There will be live hair and makeup stylings, as well as a demonstration of how a runway is created.

Attendees can also hear live music, participate in a fashion and technology discussion panel, get a makeover or participate in a photo shoot.

An Artisphere spokeswoman confirmed that space has, in fact, been rented for the event, which runs from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online.

Details for NOVA Fashion Week in October haven’t yet been released. Its website homepage says more is “coming soon.”

ACPD Members Awarded for Fighting Crimes Against the Elderly

By Katie Pyzyk

Two members of the Arlington County Police Department were recognized for their investigative prowess at a luncheon hosted by Arlington County Crime Solvers yesterday. Officer James O’Daniel and Detective Christine Everest both received the Detective of the Year Award for their efforts to end fraud and scams targeting the elderly.

One police official said the pair’s efforts were part of the department’s “War on Woodchucks” — a reference to the name sometimes given to scam artists who prey on senior citizens by performing unnecessary yard work and charging exorbitant amounts of money for it. Some of the offenders repeatedly target the same victims, or inform other scam artists of who to target. It’s not unusual for some of the victims to lose tens of thousands of dollars during interactions with woodchucks.

Even after being asked about winning the award, Everest turned the attention back to helping the elderly. She encouraged people to watch out for their neighbors and to call the police if they notice something suspicious. She added that there’s still a long road ahead in the fight to end these kinds of crimes in Arlington, and she’d like to see tougher laws put in place to bring the scam artists to justice.

“We’re both appreciative that the focus of today was on crimes against the elderly,” Everest said. “It’s out there and it’s unfortunate, and these are not small amounts that we’re talking about. You can have one individual who can have upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars being taken from them from scams. A lot of times these individuals come in contract with a dozen or more people who are scamming them for this money.”

“As a sidenote, I guess we’re getting a little bit of a tribute ourselves,” Everest added. “We were not expecting anything like this. The recognition is overwhelming.”

Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck explained that in addition to their usual work, Everest and O’Daniel created informational brochures to help people identify if they’d been victimized, and to let victims know where to go for help.

“It’s important to note that both of these individuals didn’t just do the minimal amount required. They went above and beyond their typical day-to-day work on the streets,” said Sternbeck. “From the chief level down, we’re very proud to have them represent us.”

Some of Everest’s notable contributions include displaying compassion and establishing a rapport with victims, researching suspects and conducting surveillance in areas known for being targeted.

One of O’Daniel’s major accomplishments was performing traffic stops after observing questionable solicitation practices by known scam artists, which led to additional violations such as identity theft. He also exhibited proactive enforcement by speaking with residents who were having repair or yard work done.

The luncheon, which raised money that will support Arlington County Crime Solvers, was attended by a number of local officials and lawmakers, including County Board member Walter Tejada, Police Chief Douglas Scott, Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos, Del. Bob Brink, Del. Patrick Hope, Del. Alfonso Lopez and state Sen. Adam Ebbin. Lopez said this year’s awards will help highlight the problem of scams against the elderly, which often don’t receive as much attention as better-publicized crimes like robberies and burglaries.

“The two people who won the award today are doing critical work to try to protect elderly [residents] who are being scammed by folks coming to their houses,” Lopez said. “This is a scam that’s happening far too often, and it’s hurting the elderly and immigrant populations more than others.

Lopez added that Everest and O’Daniel’s effectiveness in investigating such crimes is “a testament to how good our community policing efforts are in Arlington.”

President Obama to Visit Washington-Lee Students

By Katie Pyzyk

President Obama is going to visit with students at Washington-Lee High School on Friday.

The President will be focusing on the need to prevent interest rates on federally subsidized student loans from doubling. If Congress does not act, the loan rate will double on July 1, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. Both he and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney have said that action needs to be taken to prevent that from happening.

President Obama is scheduled to hold a roundtable discussion on the issue with graduating W-L seniors and their parents. He will then deliver prepared remarks to the junior and senior classes on “the importance of their having a fair shot at an affordable higher education and the skills they need to find a good job,” according to the White House.

The public will not be able to attend the lunchtime event. The Arlington County Police Department will be helping to direct traffic in the area during the presidential visit.

Check County Fire Code Before Firing Up the Grill

By Katie Pyzyk

It’s National Barbecue Month, and as the weather warms up, more people are firing up the grills. But before getting caught up in grilling, it might be a good idea to make sure you’re familiar with the Arlington County fire code.

According to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Captain Gregg Karl, problems can arise with people in multi-unit residences, such as condos and high rise apartments, who may not even realize they’re violating the code.

No grills, combustible devices or open flame cooking devices are to be used or stored on balconies and rooftops. Fire pits and similar types of warming devices are also banned. Electric devices without an open flame are acceptable.

Most standalone homes and townhouses with ground level patios are exempted from the rules. However, the fire department still recommends trying to keep the device 15 feet away from the building, or as far as space allows.

“You do still have the potential for a fire if something goes wrong with the grill,” Karl said. “We want people to be aware of where they’re putting the grill and the potential dangers.”

Landlords are supposed to inform tenants, in writing, of all the fire code regulations upon move-in and lease renewal. After that, tenants are responsible for following the regulations.

Those who are found to be in violation of the code will be issued a notice and given the opportunity to remove the offending items. Failure to correct the violation could result in a citation and fine.

Karl encourages people with questions about the rules to call the Arlington County Fire Prevention Office at 703-228-4644.

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