“At approximately 10:25 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the pedestrian was pushing a stroller at the time of the crash. The pedestrian, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening. The child was not injured.”
The woman could be seen being helped to a waiting ambulance after the crash, her face covered in dried blood. The apparent driver and the striking sedan could be seen nearby. So far there’s no word as to what led to the crash nor whether any charges will be filed.
“The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene,” said Savage. “The investigation is ongoing.”
The intersection, which is controlled by a four-way traffic light, is surrounded by homes and a pair of churches, on the northern edge of the Cherrydale neighborhood.
Workers high up an under-construction building in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Career Center Parking Questions — “Residents living in neighborhoods adjacent to the Arlington Career Center parcel may find themselves sharing on-street parking with students and teachers once the massive rebuild of the parcel is complete. The county school system has proposed a 360-space parking garage as part of the $175 million project, but planners do not believe that will be enough space to accommodate the need.” [Sun Gazette]
More on the Return to School — “Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán says there are new start and end times which has helped make the bus system more efficient since there are fewer bus routes. The change also makes sure more students can spend more time in the classroom. When it comes to staffing, Durán says APS is 99% staffed this year. The district is actually in a better place than before after increasing teacher compensation by 6.8% on average. Student enrollment is also up.” [WJLA, Twitter]
Dems’ Annual Chili Cookoff Nears — “As Arlington Democrats prepare for the final two-month road trip toward Election Day, the party is preparing to get gassed up. The Arlington County Democratic Committee will hold its annual Labor Day Chili Cookoff on Monday, Sept. 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Lyon Park Community Center. The annual event sees teams representing elected officials, candidates and others vying for a host of culinary awards.” [Sun Gazette]
High School Football Returns — “The Wakefield Warriors at home and the Yorktown Patriots on the road lost their opening games of the high-school football season the night of Aug. 26.” [Sun Gazette]
New W-L Hoops Coach — “Prior to working at W-L, [new head coach Liz] Altmaier coached as a girls assistant at Marshall and McLean high schools in Fairfax County… In college, she played Division I varsity basketball at Harvard University. During her time there, Harvard won two Ivy League championships. In high school, Altmaier was a three-year starter at Pinewood School in Los Altos, Calif. Her teams won two state and many other championships. She was chosen to all-state, all-section and all-league teams.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Tuesday — Sun and heat gives way to likely rain and storms in the late afternoon and evening. High of 89 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:37 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]
Don Zientara poses for a portrait at the main console in Inner Ear Studio in Green Valley in October 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside of Inner Ear Studio in the basement of founder Don Zientara’s home (photo courtesy of Inner Ear Studios)
The former home of Inner Ear Studios in May 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A look inside Inner Ear Studios in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The legendary Inner Ear Studio has reopened in the founder’s Arlington Heights basement.
Last week, the recording studio’s founder Don Zientara spoke at length to the Embracing Arlington Arts podcast about what’s been happening since the studio moved from its home of three decades on S. Oakland Street last year.
The biggest change is that the studio is now back in Zientara’s basement in Arlington Heights where Inner Ear started in 1979.
“It isn’t gone, it’s still thriving,” he told host Janet Kopenhaver. “I’m back in my basement and realizing I can’t fit everything in here.”
He was able to bring over some of his favorite microphones, but much of his old equipment had to be sold or given away. Zientara said that he gave it to people that he “thought could use it the best.”
Much of the art, band posters, prints, drawings, and ephemera that lined the walls at Inner Ear Studio are now at D.C.’s Lost Origins Gallery. It’s set to be on a display soon as part of an exhibit about the famed recording studio.
“They took a lot… they were cutting walls out,” Zientara said. “Some posters there that I thought ‘Come on, this is going to go down with the ship,’ but they were cutting and sometimes took pieces of drywall.”
Zientara told Kopenhaver that he harbors no ill will towards Arlington County for making the studio vacate the building on S. Oakland Street it had called home since 1990.
In 2021, Arlington County purchased the building for more than $3 million, with the intention of demolishing it to make way for an arts and industry district.
As Arlington Cultural Affairs director Michelle Isabelle-Stark told the Washington Post at the time, the county saw this as saving the property from being bought by a private developer. The plan for the new district has some Green Valley community members concerned, though.
“There was no sense in trying to argue with anyone,” Zientara said about the move. “It was fine. A lot of businesses don’t last 32 years. I’m good with [it].”
Zientara said that the reason a lot of the indie punk bands came to his small Arlington studio was that they were often rejected from the more polished, bigger recording studios.
“I had equipment that was, let’s say, less than ideal. I had a space that was less than ideal,” he explained last week. “[The] bands were not welcomed at a lot of the studios, but I could record them.”
While the studio is now smaller than in its heyday, Zientara described the situation as going back to his roots.
While he could have fully retired or taught at one of the region’s universities — he said he had offers on the table — Zientara is currently in what he calls “semi-retirement.” That means he’s working when he wants and with who he wants.
In fact, when ARLnow reached him this morning for a brief conversation, he said that D.C. punk music icon Ian MacKaye was coming by the studio today to “mix some things.”
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)
A boy who was running on the Custis Trail near Ballston was stabbed and seriously injured by an unknown assailant Saturday night.
The stabbing happened around 8:45 p.m., on the trail near the 4700 block of Washington Blvd.
“At approximately 8:49 p.m. on August 27, police were dispatched to the report of a stabbing that had just occurred,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “Upon arrival, officers located the juvenile male victim and administered medical care until the arrival of medics. The victim was transported to an area hospital with injuries considered serious but non-life threatening.”
“After further investigation, it was determined the victim was running along the Custis Trail prior to Washington Boulevard when an unknown male suspect allegedly approached, stabbed him and fled the scene on foot,” ACPD said.
Officers closed a portion of Washington Blvd west of N. Glebe Road and called in a helicopter to help search for the suspect. Ultimately, the suspect — described only as “an Asian or Hispanic male wearing a striped shirt and shorts” — was not found and remains at large.
“A lookout for the suspect was broadcast and a search of the area was conducted, with the assistance of a police helicopter, which yielded negative results,” said the crime report. “The investigation is ongoing.”
POLICE ACTIVITY: ACPD is investigating a stabbing in the 4700 block of Washington Blvd. The male victim was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A helicopter is assisting with an aerial search for the suspect. Expect continued police activity in the area. pic.twitter.com/QqzkQgAxPZ
A Falls Church man is facing charges after his car was stolen with a child inside.
The theft happened around dinnertime Sunday near the busy intersection of N. Lynn Street and Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. The car and the child were quickly located in Southeast D.C.
“At approximately 6:01 p.m. on August 28, officers were flagged down by a vehicle owner who reported his parked, idling vehicle had been stolen with his child inside,” Arlington County police said in a crime report this afternoon.
“A lookout was broadcast for the vehicle and child, including to surrounding jurisdictions,” ACPD said. “At approximately 6:20 p.m. the Metropolitan Police Department reported locating the stolen vehicle with the child inside in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue SE Washington D.C. The child was unharmed.”
Police are still looking for the suspect, who fled from the vehicle before police found it. The owner of the car, a 38-year-old Falls Church resident “was charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and released on a summons.”
Kids and parents watching the Fairfax County police helicopter take off during the 2022 Arlington Public Safety Block Party (staff photo)
Metro Trespasser and Theft Suspect Nabbed — “Blue and Silver Line service was suspended Saturday between McPherson Square & Arlington Cemetery and Clarendon due to an unauthorized person on the tracks outside Rosslyn Saturday evening, WMATA officials said… New Metro GM Randy Clarke said he experienced this incident first hand, tweeting that the ‘trespasser committed a theft in Rosslyn then ran into the tunnel.’ Clarke added that the person was arrested.” [WJLA]
Lopez Targets Trespass Towers — From Rep. Alfonso Lopez: “Few things unite Northern Virginians across the political spectrum more than predatory towing. People are sick & tired of these companies getting away with unfair & aggressive tactics! Thanks to @NorthernVAMag for writing about my fight to rein them in.” [Twitter, Northern Virginia Magazine]
Arlington Man Sentenced for PAC Scheme — “An Arlington man was sentenced Friday to 14 months in prison for scheming to lie to the Federal Election Commission about the true identifies of donors to a super PAC for which he served as president and treasurer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Joseph Fuentes-Fernandez, 62, served as president and treasurer of the super PAC Salvemos a Puerto Rico.” [Patch]
County Taking ‘Neighborhood College’ Apps — “Learn how to become a neighborhood advocate and create positive change in your community through Arlington County’s free Neighborhood College program. The application period for the Fall 2022 Session is now open. The program is geared toward Arlingtonians who want to become more involved in neighborhood and County-wide issues.” [Arlington County]
Public Safety Block Party Held — “First responders from Arlington County police, fire and more held a public safety block party Saturday, inviting the public for some fun and games, along with some education. The event was held at Kenmore Middle School on S. Carlin Springs Road from noon until 5 p.m.” [WJLA]
Va. to Only Sell Electric Cars Next Decade? — “California’s decision to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars beginning in 2035 will also halt the sale of such vehicles in Virginia due to a 2021 law linking the commonwealth to the western state’s vehicle emissions standards, state attorneys have concluded.” [Virginia Mercury, NBC 4]
Back to School — Updated at 9 a.m. — Today is the first day of school for Arlington Public Schools students. Please be careful on the roads out there. [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]
It’s Monday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:36 am and sunset at 7:45 pm. [Weather.gov]
A 54-year-old Alexandria man is in jail after police say he broke into and stole items from two cars and tampered with five others.
The arrest happened last night around midnight, in a pair of neighborhoods along Columbia Pike.
The man was caught, police say, after an alert off-duty officer spotted him trying to break in to several parked cars, then detained him until on-duty units arrived.
From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
VEHICLE TAMPERING (Series), 2022-08250293/08260015, 2500 block of 9th Road S./1100 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. At approximately 11:56 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. The investigation determined that an off-duty police officer observed the suspect attempting to enter into parked vehicles in the area before making contact with him and detaining him until the arrival of additional units. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect allegedly entered into and tampered with seven victim vehicles and stole personal items from two of the vehicles. During a search of his person incident to arrest, drug paraphernalia was recovered. [The suspect], 54, of Alexandria, Va., was arrested and charged with Vehicle Tampering (x4), Petit Larceny from a Vehicle (x2), Grand Larceny from a Vehicle, Credit Card Theft, and Possession of Controlled Paraphernalia. He was held without bail.
Deer running down the road (Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick)
Farewell, Pia — It is our social media intern Pia Kramer’s last day. If you’ve been enjoying our revitalized Instagram presence this summer, you have Pia to thank. Good luck at grad school, Pia!
Plan for Red Lion Hotel Changing — “An Orr Partners-led venture wants to revive and expand plans to redevelop a hotel in Rosslyn. The Arlington County Board previously greenlighted two high-rises there, totaling 183,000 square feet. Having recently acquired another parcel adjacent to the site, Reston-based Orr now wants to build a 422,000-square-foot multifamily building instead.” [Washington Business Journal]
Taqueria el Poblano’s Last Weekend — “We have made the difficult decision to close our Columbia Pike location. Please come by ‘The Pike’ and join in on the fun for our last two nights and support the staff at the Taqueria Poblano’s Columbia Pike location this Friday, August 26th & Saturday, August 27th! The restaurant will be donating 50% of gross sales for these two days to our loyal and hard working staff!” [Facebook, ARLnow]
Activists Decry Amazon ‘Takeover’ — “A new report from Demos and For Us, Not Amazon (FUNA) – a coalition against an Amazon takeover in Northern Virginia – highlights how organizers are fighting for the rights of working people, immigrants and people of color as the multinational company prepares to open its new headquarters in Virginia next year.” [Press Release]
APS Families Accidentally Get EBT Cards — An Arlington Public Schools spokesman tells ARLnow that about 6,900 students accidentally received P-EBT cards that were not intended for them. The error was first pointed out by an ARLnow reader on Twitter. “The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program is a federal program created in the spring of 2020 to supplement school meals that students missed,” notes a state website. [Twitter, Twitter]
Catholic Schools Back in Session — “Catholic schools in the diocese of Arlington [welcomed] students back Wednesday. Superintendent, Doctor Joseph Vorbach, spoke with us about the new school year.” [Fox 5]
Grant Ideas for Seniors — “Arlington Community Foundation is excited to premiere and host the Age Friendly Grant Catalog featuring 12 grant ideas of organizations and programs serving older adults (55+) in Arlington, with grants up to $10,000 each. The public is able to view and ‘shop’ these grants… and donate any amount toward needs that inspire them.” [Press Release]
The Toll of Traffic Crashes — “We spoke with three people who survived being hit by a vehicle and continue to live with the effects. We also spoke with people who have lost loved ones at the hands of a driver… Their stories highlight the potential toll of one careless moment — or one intentional bad action — from a driver. They all have similar pleas, too: for drivers to be more responsible and for cities to design roads that limit speeding and reckless driving.” [WAMU]
It’s Friday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day, with a slight chance of rain and storms. High of 88 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:34 am and sunset at 7:50 pm. [Weather.gov]
Arlington County and the rest of the immediate D.C. area is now in the CDC’s “low” Covid level.
The county was moved from “medium,” where it had been since April, to “low” this afternoon, after the number of weekly cases per 100,000 residents dipped below 200, to 195.
Arlington is currently seeing 6.3 weekly hospital admissions for Covid per 100,000 residents, per the CDC’s website. Just under 5% of staffed inpatient beds are in use by patients who are Covid positive.
Arlington’s Covid positivity rate has also been falling, from around 22% just over a week ago to 17.6% today, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.
CDC Covid level for Arlington as of Aug. 25, 2022 (via CDC)
The District of Columbia, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Charles County are all also now in the CDC’s “low” Covid level.
Despite the good news, cases reported by health authorities are becoming a less reliable metric as of late due to the prevalence of at-home rapid testing.
Virginia Hospital Center ER chief Mike Silverman, in his weekly public Facebook post last week, cautioned against reading too much into case trends.
The number of reported positives that you find online is probably not the best statistic to follow anymore. Certainly, many and possibly a large percentage of people are diagnosing themselves with rapid tests and never getting counted in the total case count. Hospitals and testing centers continue to report their data. The number of patients who remain hospitalized with COVID has remained fairly constant at VHC. But over the last 4 weeks, we have seen a decrease in the amount of emergency department patients who required our COVID isolation status. The total number of cases being diagnosed in the ER in both the symptomatic and asymptomatic population remains fairly consistent. Over the pandemic, we’ve had months where our weekly case count would go down into the single digits. That has not been the case for the last several months. We have had a steady state of patients that we diagnose each week that is not too far below the total number that we saw during our first winter peak/surge in December 2020. Unfortunately, COVID is certainly going to be with us for quite some time.
Police in front of Arlington Central Library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Man arrested after attack in front of library (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The suspect’s dog being picked up by animal control officers (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) A dispute among acquaintances led to an attack outside of and then inside Arlington Central Library, police say.
Police were dispatched to the library around 1:45 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls about two people arguing or fighting. They arrived and found at least one person “covered in blood,” according to scanner traffic.
“At approximately 1:47 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1000 block of N. Quincy Street for the report of trouble unknown,” said Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Upon arrival, it was determined two known male acquaintances became involved in a verbal dispute outside the library. The dispute escalated when the suspect struck the victim with an object and physically assaulted him.”
One tipster described the incident as a “really savage beating.”
“I was in the library at the time, he was thrown to the ground and punched multiple times for several minutes, bloodied face,” another tipster told ARLnow. “I am not aware of the reason for the attack… the victim kept asking ‘Why did he attack me? What did I do?'”
The second tipster noted that “there were several… eyewitnesses” and said that the attack “continued inside the library” after starting outside.
The man who was attacked was taken via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.
“The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition,” said Savage. “The suspect was taken into custody by responding officers and charges are pending.”
The suspect was questioned by police and ultimately arrested near the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Pollard Street. A dog he had been walking was picked up by animal control officers.
In a crime report released Friday, police said the victim was struck with a stick outside and further assaulted by the suspect when he went inside the library to seek help.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-08250137, 1000 block of N. Quincy Street. At approximately 1:47 p.m. on August 25, police were dispatched to the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, it was determined two known male acquaintances became involved in a verbal dispute outside the library, during which the suspect allegedly struck the victim with a stick. The victim ran into the library for assistance and the suspect followed and physically assaulted him. Responding officers located the suspect at the intersection of N. Pollard Street and Fairfax Drive and took him into custody without incident. The victim was transported to an area hospital it stable condition. [The suspect], 35, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding. He was held without bond.
The vacant storefront at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, across the from Gold’s Gym in the Ballston area, is becoming “Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar,” a 150-seat restaurant with 4,800 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.
The eatery — technically in Virginia Square — is currently expected to open next July.
Standout menu items included in a press release are a veritable tour of Italy: Carpaccio, Eggplant Parmigiana Stack, Tortellini Di Michael, Linguini Cardinale, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Alla Marsala, Cioppino, and Stuffed Cannoli.
The restaurant comes from a recognizable local name: Chef Mike Cordero.
Cordero owns and operates Bronson Bier Hall, Barley Mac, Bronx Pizza, Don Tito, and Taco Rock in Arlington, as well as other Northern Virginia establishments like Don Taco in Alexandria.
“I’m ecstatic to relive my early years of training as an Italian chef with Carbonara and work with my sons on this project,” said Cordero. “My new concept will offer delicious old school Italian cuisine with a twist where nothing is store bought and everything is made from scratch. Cooking fresh Italian food is in the Cordero blood.”
More from a press release, below.
Chef Mike Cordero is going back to where it all started for him. The Northern Virginia Restauranteur announced today that his Cordero Hospitality restaurant group, which include his sons Nick Cordero and Anthony Cordero, will open Carbonara: Old School Italian & Wine Bar in Ballston. Set to deliver in July 2023, the 4,800-square-foot indoor and outdoor restaurant will take over the corner retail space in the Ballston Gateway building at 3865 Wilson Boulevard, which formerly housed Next Day Blinds, and is located on the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Pollard Streets. Cordero, represented by Chris Saa with Divaris Real Estate, Inc., signed a 20-year lease with landlord Cushman & Wakefield. Designer Yvette Irene will develop the interior design and Carlos Construction will conduct the buildout. Cordero will serve as executive chef.
Carbonara will offer a substantial menu featuring old-world Italian cuisine, focusing on the southern region of Italy, with all food made in-house and fresh homemade pasta prepared daily. Hearty Sicilian pizzas, classic Italian baked dishes like Eggplant Rollatini Parmigiana, zesty Italian sandwiches, decadent tiramisus and savory chicken, veal and seafood dishes top the bill- of-fare. A wide selection of wines from all regions of Italy, featuring a flavorful varietal from Tuscany, will nicely pair with each menu item. To better dispense and preserve each bottle, Carbonara will showcase a state-of-the-art cruvinet system, used widely by international sommeliers, that will extend the flavor and life of the vino served. A collection of specialty aperitivos and craft Italian cordials will adorn the Carbonara cocktail menu and include bellinis, puccinis, negronis and spritzes. […]
