Intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Dinwiddie Street (via Google Maps)
(Updated at 6:15 p.m.) A vehicle with three people inside crashed into a tree along S. Walter Reed Drive early this morning, killing the 23-year-old driver and a 21-year-old passenger.
The July 4 crash happened around 2 a.m. at the intersection with S. Dinwiddie Street — a few blocks from Route 7 and from Wakefield High School. The force of the crash caused the vehicle to catch fire.
The circumstances leading to the crash are currently unclear. Arlington County police are asking anyone with information about it to contact investigators.
At last check, there was one surviving passenger with critical injuries, being treated at a local trauma center.
ACPD said Tuesday evening that a passenger, originally listed in critical condition, had died.
“The driver has been identified as 23-year-old Furkan Avkan of Alexandria, VA,” the police department said. “A passenger in the vehicle passed away at the hospital. She has been identified 21-year-old Habiba Harbaoui who was visiting the area from Tunisia.”
The initial ACPD press release is below.
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred in the early morning hours of July 4, 2023.
At approximately 2:06 a.m., police were dispatched to S. Walter Reed Drive at S. Dinwiddie Street for the report of a vehicle fire. The preliminary investigation indicates the occupants were traveling southbound on Walter Reed Drive when the vehicle left the roadway, entered the median, struck a tree and caught fire.
The adult male driver was located unresponsive inside the vehicle and pronounced deceased on scene. The two passengers, both adult females, were removed from the vehicle and transported to area hospitals in critical condition.
The identity of the driver is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons at [email protected] or 703-228-4172. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
The Arlington County Fire Department responds to a call in Shirlington in Oct. 2019 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County fire marshals are investigating a vehicle fire in the Shirlington area that might have been deliberately set.
The incident happened this past Friday morning on the 4500 block of 31st Street S., between the Shirlington and Fairlington neighborhoods.
“The Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD), Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is investigating a vehicle fire that occurred at approximately 6:00 a.m. on the morning of June 30,” Capt. Nathaniel C. Hiner tells ARLnow. “The ACFD arrived on the scene of the fire and found a black BMW X5 completely engulfed in fire. The OFM has determined the fire to be suspicious in nature and is asking nearby residents that may have any information that could benefit the investigation to please contact Deputy Fire Marshal Ryan Murphy [at] [email protected].”
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is seeking assistance regarding a suspicious vehicle fire. The fire took place on 6/30/23 between 5:45am – 6:45 am in the 4500 block of 31st Street S. Anyone with information is asked to contact DFM R. Murphy – [email protected]pic.twitter.com/Q2plgYpvoI
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) July 2, 2023
Power lines near the Bluemont Junction Trail (photo courtesy Eric Dunham)
Road Closures Tomorrow — “The Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Police, United States Park Police, and Virginia Department of Transportation will close multiple roadways on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023. These closures are designed to facilitate the safe passage of large crowds for the Independence Day events and fireworks.” [Arlington County]
County Gov’t Closed on July 4 — “Arlington County Government offices & services are operating on modified schedules for the Independence Day holiday… Permit parking is always in effect unless specifically noted on the sign. Meters are not enforced on holidays.” [Arlington County, Arlington County]
SoberRide Active for Holiday — From the Arlington County Police Department: “If your celebration includes alcohol, plan a safe ride home before the festivities begin. This Independence Day, @WRAP_org is offering free Lyft rides to help prevent impaired driving.” [Twitter, SoberRide]
Armed Robbery in Cherrydale — ” 3900 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 12:10 p.m. on June 29, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered a business, brandished a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.” [ACPD]
Friday’s Road Work Near Ballston — “According to Arlington Department of Environmental Services, around 2:12 p.m., a sink hole was reported at Washington Boulevard and North Glebe Road. It was caused by a valve leak in that area and resulted in traffic being limited to the intersection. Crews reported to the scene to to repair the leak and restore the road surface. Drivers were advised to seek alternative routes at the time.” [WUSA 9]
Beyer Revives SCOTUS Bill — “Today, Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Don Beyer (VA-08) reintroduced The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act following the Supreme Court’s decision to block the Biden Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan.” [Press Release]
Light Publishing Schedule Today — As today is a quasi-holiday with July 4 tomorrow, ARLnow will be operating on a light publishing schedule. We will not be publishing tomorrow, except in the event of breaking news, but will be back fully on Wednesday.
It’s Monday — A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 5pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. At night: Showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms. [Weather.gov]
Update at 2:35 p.m. — About 500 customers remain without power in Arlington. A Dominion spokeswoman says the outage was caused by an “unrelated tree contractor [dropping] a tree on our wire.”
Arlington Outage: At 9:28am, a 3rd party, unrelated tree contractor, dropped a tree on our wire impacting 8,117 customers. Our Operations Ctr restored 3,079 in less than 1 min.
497 customers are out. ➡️ We expect to have service restored in the hour as crews finish repairs.
Earlier: Nearly 4,600 Dominion customers are in the dark as a result of a widespread power outage Saturday morning.
It’s unclear what caused the outage, which stretches from Ballston to Bluemont to Boulevard Manor to Dominion Hills along the Wilson Blvd corridor, according to Dominion’s outage map and emailed tips to ARLnow.
As of publication time, Dominion is estimating that power will be restored between 1-4 p.m.
The exterior of The Energy Club in Shirlington (via The Energy Club/Shirlington)
The interior of The Energy Club in Shirlington (via The Energy Club/Shirlington)
A rooftop workout class by The Energy Club in Shirlington (via The Energy Club/Shirlington)
The Energy Club gym in Shirlington is closing in August after never fully recovering from a drop in membership due to Covid.
The independently-owned gym in the Village at Shirlington (2900 S. Quincy Street) announced the impending closure on Aug. 15 “with a sad heart,” per an email from President Richard Mandley and General Manager Justin Greene to members. The email was shared with ARLnow and confirmed by Mandley yesterday (Thursday).
“We had hoped that our membership would return to pre-pandemic levels, but the landscape has changed, and many people continue to work from home,” Mandley and Greene told members. “Fitness habits have changed too, with people shifting to virtual workouts or exercising from home. As a small independent business with local ownership, it became increasingly difficult to compete with franchises and ‘corporate-owned’ gyms.”
Over the years, The Energy Club offered a host of social and fitness events to distinguish itself from other gyms. It attracted a significant number of commuters, who made up around 35% of members. When Covid hit, these commuting members largely canceled their memberships, Mandley told ARLnow.
“Although we have a very loyal membership who supported us throughout the pandemic, it became apparent that we could longer support our occupancy costs with the loss in membership, and we were unable to reach a new long-term agreement with our landlord,” he said.
The Energy Club had tried to negotiate for lower rent while it worked to increase membership. The landlord’s lender did not approve this request, Mandley’s email to members said. Negotiations ended in May.
A reader told ARLnow this was “sad news for many in Shirlington.”
Mandley and Greene, however, already have a plan. They say they are scouting out new locations nearby and pledged to keep members apprised of their progress.
Meantime, virtual classes continue and outdoor classes could start next month. Members will also be able to train at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria (510 Dulany Street).
Mandley and Greene say they are grateful for the 17 years they were able to serve the Shirlington community and work with talented fitness professionals.
“We are proud to say that we have changed lives and know that many relationships with the community and within the membership have been established and will continue,” they said.
Crystal House Development Advancing — “The first of those phases — for which the APAH-EYA venture submitted a site plan amendment application last week to the county’s planning department — would see an 80-unit all-affordable housing building for seniors at the site’s northern edge, along South 18th Street, in lieu of the 63-unit market-rate condo building currently approved to go there. The applicant aims to apply for low-income housing tax credits in the coming months to help finance the project, break ground next year and deliver the building in 2026.” [Washington Business Journal]
Reminder: Illegal Fireworks in Va. — “In general, any firework that explodes, moves on the ground or in the air, or shoots a projectile is illegal in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many localities prohibit the sale, possession or use of all fireworks. The State Fire Marshal’s Office advises Virginians to check local ordinances as well as the Statewide Fire Prevention Code prior to purchasing and utilizing fireworks.” [Press Release]
Fireworks Safety Tips — From the Arlington County Fire Department: “Only buy fireworks from ACFD approved stands, look for the ACFD permit! – Light only 1 firework at a time. – Follow the label directions carefully.” [Twitter, ACFD]
Premature Death Study — “In Northern Virginia, the likelihood that you’ll live to the age of 75 mostly hinges on your racial and ethnic background and what neighborhood you live in, according to a new report from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University. Race, ethnicity, and neighborhood were also major factors in determining whether you died from COVID-19 between 2020 and 2021, the report found.” [DCist]
Police Host Pride Event — From the Arlington County Police Department: “ACPD’s 2023 Pride with the Police event was a huge success thanks to our hosts at Freddie’s Beach Bar and our Arlington public safety partners. Thank you all for joining us! Happy Pride Month!” [Twitter]
Video of Chase Through Arlington — “Heart-pounding video shows a police chase through Northern Virginia and into D.C. at speeds well above 100 mph. Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder reports the Virginia State Police dashboard camera video just became available after the driver was convicted and sentenced in court.” [NBC 4, Twitter]
It’s Friday — A slight chance of showers between 2pm and 5pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. [Weather.gov]
Potential redevelopment and amenities at the Lyon Village Shopping Center (via Arlington County)
Cherry Hill Road in front of the Lee Heights Shops (via Arlington County)
Potential redevelopment and amenities at N. Woodrow Street and Langston Blvd (via Arlington County)
Proposed streetscape enhancement along Langston Blvd (via Arlington County)
Traffic flows along Langston Blvd in front of Metro 29 Diner (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated 3:50 p.m.) Arlington County has published a new draft plan outlining how to encourage private development on Langston Blvd to turn it into a walkable, bikeable corridor with apartment buildings and public spaces.
The plan, released last week, follows up on a more conceptual document released last year. This document introduced the vision for less dense neighborhoods giving way to “activity hubs,” such as the Lyon Village Shopping Center, developed with 15-story apartment buildings.
Since then, the county says it made several changes responding to public feedback calling for more housing, especially affordable housing, and more incentives to generate public benefits. The plan leverages new housing construction to preserve historical properties — like the decades-old Moore’s Barber Shop in the Hall’s Hill neighborhood — and inject the area with new stormwater infrastructure, privately-owned public spaces, new east-west roads, streetscapes, and trail connections.
The new draft calls for taller allowable heights in certain areas, a general increase in housing units that could be built throughout the corridor, more public spaces and buffered bicycle lanes. It recommends policy and zoning changes and publicly funded infrastructure projects to facilitate the new development and has a timeline assigning tasks to various county divisions.
Changes to the Plan Langston Blvd draft (via Arlington County)
Alreadly, the draft plan has generated positive reception by some in the community, but also criticism by others of specific elements. One general criticism: the reliance on private development to deliver public spaces and needed infrastructure, especially stormwater management.
This follows divergent feedback over the last year about how, and whether, the corridor should develop — though neighbors are more united around transportation and streetscape upgrades for Langston Blvd.
Cherrydale Civic Association President Jim Todd says he was surprised to see the number of housing units go up. The 2022 concept plan estimated 8,431 new units could be possible. The new draft brought up the estimate to 9,400 new units.
The unit increase responds to calls from several residents, local advocacy groups and citizen commissions, according to Plan Langston Blvd Coordinator Natasha Alfonso-Ahmed. These comments stressed the importance of Langston Blvd for reaching a county goal to increase affordable housing in North Arlington by 2040.
Planners increased allowable heights in certain areas to further incentivize developers to build community benefits and deliver affordable housing, while updating guidance to ensure these buildings taper down to low-rise homes nearby.
Heights are now up to 15 stories in some places immediately south of I-66, where previously a 12-story limit was considered. Elsewhere in the North Highlands area, north of Rosslyn, heights are up to 12 stories, instead of 10. The same increase occurred across from the Lyon Village Shopping Center.
Elsewhere, allowable heights increased from seven to 10 stories near the Lee Heights Shopping Center and at the intersection with N. Oak Street. Upper limits increased from five to six stories at the intersection with N. George Mason Drive and south of Langston Blvd, west of Rosslyn.
Additionally, the county added 14 more public spaces to the plan and converted “sharrows” — where bicyclists and drivers share the road — into buffered bike lanes in two places.
Transit advocate Gillian Burgess welcomed the removal of “sharrows” and lauded the occasional protected bike lanes, undergrounded utilities and parking and increased transit.
Overall, however, she says the plan falls short of making travel safe and sustainable. Instead, it waits for more people to opt to ride the bus to improve bus service, through increased service and bus-priority signals.
“This is not a plan that will enable children to get to school on their own. This is not a plan that will enable an equitable transportation system. This is not a plan that reduce many car trips in favor of more safe and sustainable modes,” she said. “As our ideal, long-term goal, knowing what we know and with the technology we have in 2023, this is disappointing.”
Henry Price photographed with beloved trombone (courtesy of Henry Price)
(Updated at 1:30 p.m.) When Henry Price first picked up a trombone in fourth grade, he could only imagine a summer touring Europe as one of the 22 brightest young jazz musicians in the United States.
The 17-year-old Barcroft resident will return to Washington-Liberty High School this fall with a summer’s worth of top-tier musical experience under his belt.
NYO Jazz — Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra — is a prestigious program set to recognize young, musical minds as the future of jazz on an international scale.
The program kicks off with a two-week training residency in New York City, followed by an NYO Jazz performance at Carnegie Hall on July 25. Trumpeter Sean Jones will lead the concerts and Grammy-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be featured as a musical guest.
Following the Carnegie show, participants of the program will abruptly begin their NYO Jazz Europe summer tour, as the team arrives in St. Moritz, Switzerland just three days later (July 28) to play their first international show.
According to the website, “The musicians serve as dynamic music ambassadors as they share this uniquely American genre with audiences around the globe.”
After facing rejection from the 2021 program, Price decided to apply for last year’s NYO session — held within the United States rather than abroad. He was accepted to both the jazz and classical groups but ultimately chose jazz.
“Jazz is more comfortable for me,” Price said in a brief interview with ARLnow. “It’s more social, and more reckless — in a good way.”
Sean Jones led the youth jazz program through the country last summer, and Price says he feels incredibly lucky to be going on tour with such a prominent musical figure and mentor — one who consistently dedicates time to the musical progression of jazz in teenagers.
Price did not think twice when it came time to re-audition for the 2023 European tour.
“Everyone wants to re-audition,” he said. “I haven’t met a person [in the program] that hasn’t had a life-changing experience.”
This year’s young musicians will have the opportunity to perform at world-renowned events and concert halls such as the BBC Proms in London, St. Moritz Jazz Festival, Lucerne Festival and Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany. Shows in Berlin and Amsterdam are also included in the tour.
Now, after touring with Carnegie twice, Price understands that this opportunity is just the beginning.
Tickets as well as the full schedule are available here.
A would-be thief or thieves used the electronic opener inside a car they rummaged through to open a home’s garage door, according to police.
The incident happened early Tuesday morning on the 2500 block of Military Road, near Cherrydale.
More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.
BURGLARY, 2023-06270025, 2500 block of Military Road. At approximately 2:28 a.m. on June 27, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown suspect(s) gained entry into two of the victim’s vehicles, rummaged through the interiors and utilized a garage door opener to open the garage. No items were reported damaged or stolen from the garage or vehicles. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results. There is no suspect description(s). The investigation is ongoing.
In June 2021, Arlington police warned that they were seeing a rise in home and vehicle thefts that occur overnight when suspects find garage door openers in unlocked cars. The department said at the time that it assigned additional officers to north Arlington neighborhoods, where the crimes were taking place, adding that they arrested a group of suspects on the first night of deployment.
Entrepreneur Isa Seyran poses for a portrait in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Isa Seyran in front of his new coffee truck Ballstonian on Wilson Blvd (photo courtesy of Isa Seyran)
Entrepreneur Isa Seyran poses for a portrait in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated on 7/25/23) A tricycle serving Turkish coffee has started serving in Ballston.
The three-wheeled coffee contraption is from long-time restaurant veteran and local author Isa Seyran, who told ARLnow late last year he was working on a new concept that would come after leaving his server job at The Salt Line.
This mobile, custom-designed red tricycle offering Turkish coffee and baklava is that new business. It has been parking along the 4000 block of Wilson Blvd after opening earlier this month.
Seyran named the small coffee stand “Ballstonian,” in homage to the neighborhood in which he has lived for over two decades.
The coffee tricycle is currently open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or until supplies last) seven days a week.
“I was a waiter for 23 years and worked with some of the greatest chefs in our region. Some of the food I served, like [at] Rasika and Zaytinya, was simply divine, but it was never my thing,” Seyran told ARLnow about why he decided to open a Turkish coffee spot in Ballston.
“So I decided to sing my own song at my own humble stage and wanted to bring a piece of Anatolia, Medietterrenea and Mesopotamia, a cradle of civilization where I spent the first half of my life, to Ballston, where I spent the second half of my life.”
Besides coffee and baklava, Ballstonian also serves cheese pastries and masala chai from a recipe Seyran learned while working at D.C.’s famed Indian restaurant Rasika.
The Ballston resident worked at some of the region’s most popular and renowned restaurants, including Zaytinya, Bombay Club, and Fiola Mare in D.C., before ending his tenure at The Salt Line in Ballston.
Beyond those jobs, Seyran is also an author, playwright, and filmmaker often producing art based on his experiences as a waiter in the D.C.-area. And, now, he’s added entrepreneur to that list.
He told ARLnow that the first few days have gone well so far and he’s been “humbled by the overwhelming support and love Ballstonian received from my fellow Ballstonians.”
But Seyran is not particularly surprised by the reception, noting that no other Ballston business is selling Turkish coffee.
“At The Salt Line… I got to know my client base, their spending habits, who they are and what they want,” Seyran said. “Having done my market research, I knew people were hungry for something different.”
His ambitions go beyond a coffee stand. The hope is one day to set up an “urban oasis” in Ballston with a tent, cushions, coffee, and books where “members of the community could take a breather from the bustling urban landscape around them.”
He also would love to do coffee ground fortune tellings, like he did while working at Zaytinya, and introduce “Bark-lava,” which would be “a bone-shaped, dog-friendly baklava.”
But, for now, all of that will have to wait, including the coffee ground fortune telling.
“That requires time and space to seat people so that I could serve the coffee in a ceramic cup as opposed to a paper cup,” Seyran said. “[A] food truck parked on the side of the road is not suitable for that ancient tradition but I hope to do that in the near future.”
Haze from Canadian wildfires as seen over the Lincoln Memorial and Memorial Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Flyover Planned Today — From D.C.’s alert system: “The U.S. Naval Air Force will conduct a military flyover over the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, June 29, 2023, at 1:10PM.”
Wine Award for Arlington Eatery — “In Virginia, 61 restaurants earned recognition. Since 1981, the Restaurant Awards have had three distinct levels: The ‘Award of Excellence,’ the ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ and the ‘Grand Award.’ Arlington’s only winner of Wine Spectator’s ‘2023 Restaurant Awards’ won the Award of Excellence. The winning restaurant is: SER Restaurant, 1110 N. Glebe Road.” [Patch]
Rosslyn’s Raytheon Rebrands — “As part of their push at this week’s Paris Air Show, Raytheon Technologies has rebranded itself as RTX, with the Raytheon brand name sliding down to become one of three major business units inside the parent company. Think of it along the same lines as Facebook becoming a subsidiary of Meta, or Google suddenly being just a part of a company called Alphabet.” [Breaking Defense]
More on Firefighter Agreement — “The first collective bargaining agreement to be reached in 48 years between Arlington County and more than 300 firefighters and paramedics transitions those employees to a new pay-scale system that rewards seniority, a union leader said Tuesday.” [Washington Post]
Campaign Sign Reminder — “Just as a reminder, by county ordinance, all signs were required to have been removed by June 25. Residents can contact the Arlington County Democratic Party at (703) 528-8588 or [email protected], to get signs in their neighborhood removed.” [Gazette Leader]
Another Police Phone Scam — “The City of Falls Church Police wants community members to be aware of an active phone scam in the area. Officers have received reports stating that callers contact them claiming to be members of the police department.” [City of Falls Church]
Eden Center Plan Passed — “On Monday, June 26, Falls Church City Council unanimously voted to approve the East End Small Area Plan, which proposes reinvestment into a series of commercial properties — including the historic Eden Center (6751-6799 Wilson Blvd) — between Wilson Blvd, East Broad Street and Hillwood Avenue.” [FFXnow]
It’s Thursday — Widespread haze. Areas of smoke. Sunny, with a high near 88. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. Southeast wind around 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
