Pedestrian bridge washed away along Lubber Run (photo by Ashley Hopko)
Pedestrian bridge washed away along Lubber Run (photo by Ashley Hopko)
An illustration of the new Lubber Run Park pedestrian bridge (via Arlington County)
A closed pedestrian bridge in Lubber Run Park (courtesy of J. Michael Korff)
Pedestrian bridge washed away along Lubber Run (photo by Ashley Hopko)
Arlington County is working on a replacement for the two bridges over Lubber Run destroyed in severe flash flooding four years ago.
The Arlington County Board is set to discuss a $360,000 construction contract for a new pedestrian bridge at its meeting this weekend.
Flash flooding in 2019 washed away six pedestrian bridges in Arlington, including two in Lubber Run Park and four in Glencarlyn Park. The overall damage to county property was estimated at $6 million at the time.
On Saturday, the Board will consider approving the new bridge in Lubber Run, in place of the two that were destroyed. The contract — of about $329,000 with a $33,000 contingency — is expected to go to Fairfax-based Bright Masonry.
A lower bidder — by just over $30,000 — was “deemed nonresponsive” by county staff, according to a report to the Board.
The project’s goal is to “design one new bridge in the most suitable location for enhancing accessibility around the park,” the staff report said.
One of the bridges in Glencarlyn Park that was washed away was replaced in February of last year.
The proposed construction for Lubber Run involves building one new bridge in the southwest portion of the park to replace the previous two, as explained in the county’s project webpage.
“Through our community engagement and engineers’ analysis, we have found that this location will provide a significant, positive impact on park users and supports the community’s interest,” the webpage noted.
For parkgoers, the proposed bridge will provide access from Lubber Run to Edison Park, staff said. The bridge would also provide a connection between the southwest portion of the park and its east side.
Construction is estimated by staff to take around 12 months and seeks to minimize environmental harm.
“One tree, with exposed roots on the bank, will need to be removed. It already has a very low chance of survival due to its current condition,” the project webpage said. “We will plant healthy trees in the same general areas, which will better support our tree canopy in the long term.”
Rosslyn and Route 110 amid thick haze from the Canadian wildfires (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon Prepping for HQ2 Phase 2 — “Amazon expects to break ground next year on the next stage, Holly Sullivan, the company’s vice president of worldwide economic development, said in an interview. PenPlace, she noted, is already an ‘active construction site,’ with staging ongoing. ‘We are continuing on that kind of a pre-permitting process with all indications of kicking that off next year,’ Sullivan said… Ask Amazon, and the only thing that’s changed around PenPlace, even slightly, is the timeline. A spokeswoman said no changes or updates are planned for the phase as it’s envisioned.” [Washington Business Journal, Bisnow]
Paper Makes County Board Endorsements — “Our picks? Let’s start with the honorable-mentions. Susan Cunningham and Tony Weaver almost made the cut into the top two. Both have some positions we can get behind, and both have experience in civic life. They are viable options who should not be overlooked by voters. But they were not our top selections. Instead, we are urging voters to choose Natalie Roy and J.D. Spain Sr.” [Gazette Leader]
Dental Donation for Free Clinic — “The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation awarded the Arlington Free Clinic a $75,000 grant to support the clinic’s efforts to provide its patients with oral health care. The Arlington Free Clinic’s dental program began in 2015 with a part-time dentist. In 2017, a gift helped build a three-chair dental clinic that now provides onsite dentistry.” [Patch]
Arlington Baseball Standouts — “Four high-school baseball players from Arlington were chosen to the 2023 all-6D North Region first team for their performances during the spring season.” [Gazette Leader]
Local Ice Cream Shop Expanding — “An Arlington-based ice cream shop that brings together flavors from around the world is planting its flag in the Mosaic District to further an ambitious expansion plan. Mimi’s Handmade will take up residence in the Merrifield neighborhood at 2985 District Avenue, Suite 160, replacing 520 Ice Cream and Tea after the cafe closed late last year.” [FFXnow]
Va. AG Targeting Lead Gen Spam — “Attorney General Jason Miyares today joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 state attorneys general calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take a tougher stand against companies tricking consumers into agreeing to receive telemarketing and texts. ‘Sleazy ‘lead generators’ try to trick people into consenting to receive spam calls or texts from hundreds of companies they’ve never heard of and never want to hear from. We are asking the FCC to toughen the rules on consent requirements so Virginians only hear from organizations they agree to,’ said Attorney General Miyares.” [Press Release]
Smoky Day Photos — “D.C.’s tallest monument is hardly visible through the worst air pollution ever recorded in the area. A blanket of smoke from devastating wildfires in Canada coated D.C. and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs on Wednesday and Thursday. Here’s a look.” [NBC 4]
Code Orange Today — “The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code ORANGE Air Quality Alert Friday for Northern Virginia. A Code Orange Air Quality Alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.” [National Weather Service]
It’s Friday — A slight chance of showers between 11am and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Widespread haze. Patchy smoke. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. At night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Widespread haze before 1am. Patchy smoke before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. West wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. [Weather.gov]
Police on scene of shooting in Green Valley in 2022 (staff photo)
An Arlington County Police Department report released today puts on paper what we reported in March: crime was generally up in Arlington last year.
“The overall crime rate in Arlington County, reported as Group A Offenses (defined on page 18 of the Annual Report), increased 17.8% in 2022 as compared to the previous year,” the police department noted in a press release. “The total number of offenses (offenses per 100,000 persons) remains below the 2022 Virginia average.”
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
More from the press release:
Reported crimes against persons increased 16.4% in 2022 from 2021 totals with the primary drivers being increases in simple and aggravated assaults. Reported Crimes Against Property offenses increased 23%, compared to 2021 with marked increases in motor vehicle thefts, larcenies, fraud and destruction of property offenses. Continuing a multi-year decline, reported crimes against society offenses decreased by 21.5%. The number of Group B Adult Arrests increased 5.4% as compared to last year, reflective of our commitment to thoroughly investigate criminal incidents and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
The report also suggests that the police department, while prioritizing recruitment efforts, is still struggling to attract a sufficient number of qualified recruits to become sworn officers. ACPD’s sworn staff, according to the new report, is 313, compared with 325 last year.
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
The annual report additionally shows higher levels of vehicle crashes — including those causing injury — compared to 2021, but fewer compared to 2019.
Traffic citations and warnings are lower last year at 17,506, compared to 19,935 in 2021, perhaps owing at least in part to a reduced police force. DUI arrests, meanwhile, are up: 424 last year compared to 382 in 2021.
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
Drug offenses were down significantly — 396 in 2022 compared to 575 in 2021 and 939 in 2020. That follows Virginia making it legal to possess small amounts of marijuana in mid-2021.
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
ACPD reported lower levels of opioid incidents and fatal overdoses last year, compared to 2021, but much higher levels compared to 2019.
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
The rise in the more serious, often violent “crimes against persons” was driven in large part by increases in simple assault and aggravated assault. There were also two murders and three negligent manslaughter offenses in 2022 compared to none for both categories in 2021.
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
Among property crimes, burglaries and break-ins were down in 2022 but destruction of property, fraud, theft and robbery were all up compared to 2021, according to police.
Crime stats from 2022 Arlington County Police Department annual report (via ACPD)
Nationally, the crime picture for 2022 was mixed, with some violent crimes down but other types of incidents rising.
Verizon logo on a store in Clarendon (staff photo)
On March 11, 2020, Covid was declared a global pandemic. More than three years later, the knock-on effects of Covid are still being felt, including when it comes to television and internet service in Arlington.
The Arlington County Board on Saturday is expected to extend the franchise agreement with Verizon to provide its Fios service to county residents for another year. The relatively short-term extension is being proposed because negotiations over a longer-term extension were “significantly impacted” by the pandemic, county staff say.
The Board approved a similar extension for Comcast Xfinity service in November.
More on the Verizon extension vote, below, from the staff report to the County Board.
SUMMARY: The County Board has issued Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity to three entities for the provision of cable television service: Comcast, Verizon, and RCN Corporation. The Verizon franchise expires on June 13, 2023. To continue the Verizon renewal process, the County must extend the existing Certificate.
BACKGROUND: Verizon has provided cable television services within the County since June of 2006 when the Board approved the initial franchise. Before considering any renewal of the Certificate, the County must assess its needs for public, educational and government television facilities, institutional network, technology, and other general requirements. In addition, the County must determine if Verizon has complied with all the terms and conditions of the Certificate.
DISCUSSION: By the letter dated January 17, 2019, Verizon sent to the County a notice of its desire to renew the Certificate, as provided for by 47 U.S.C. § 546. The COVID pandemic significantly impacted the County’s ability to commence good-faith face-to-face negotiations. Accordingly, the proposed Resolution extends the period available for negotiation beyond the expected duration of the pandemic
Haze over homes and trees in the Old Glebe neighborhood (staff photo)
Forecast: Home Prices to Keep Soaring — “An already constrained inventory coupled with developers circling the community in search of lots viable for Missing Middle-type housing could continue pushing the price of single-family homes higher in Arlington. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors and Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, which predicts 2023 will end with Arlington single-family-home prices up an average of 9.2 percent from the year before.” [Gazette Leader]
APS Examining Renovation Needs — “Arlington School Board members on June 8 are slated to approve a contract to finish up an ongoing analysis of existing facilities in preparation for future renovation. The second-stage contract of $832,273 will go to Arlington-based MTFA Architecture, which in coming months will develop an analysis that focuses on the conditions of: 25 elementary schools. Six middle schools. Six high schools and high-school programs.” [Gazette Leader]
Local History Event Tonight — “Did you know that during the Civil War our county was home not only to a ring of US Army defensive forts but also to convalescent camps? In 1862 the US Army established a convalescent camp north of Four Mile Run. The camp had barracks for 5,000 convalescents, tents for 1,000 men returning to their regiments and hospital wards for 500 patients.” [Event Calendar]
Welcome Interns — ARLnow and sister site FFXnow are proud to introduce our 2023 summer intern class: Anya Wareck, Hallie LeTendre and Vivian Hoang. Readers will be seeing their work on our sites over the next two months.
It’s Thursday — Widespread haze. Areas of smoke. Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind around 8 mph. At night: Widespread haze. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Northwest wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
The 2006 Boys Academy team last year, in a group photo (courtesy of Arlington Soccer Association)
Arlington’s preeminent youth soccer league is nixing white shorts.
The Arlington Soccer Association announced yesterday that it would replace white shorts with blue shorts, starting in the fall. The move will create the “best possible environment for [female athletes] to feel comfortable and perform at their highest level.”
The issue, a spokesperson for the association says, is that the white shorts can be somewhat transparent at times and are easily stained. Similar moves away from white shorts for female soccer players have been reported this year among national teams and a U.S. National Women’s League Soccer team.
A Time article about the New Zealand and England national teams adopting new shorts colors cites “female athletes around the world voic[ing] concerns over period anxiety during matches.”
White shorts will be replaced by blue shorts for all travel teams — boys and girls — ASA says.
“We already have an all-blue uniform set for our home games. And then we currently wear all white for our away game uniforms,” noted Jerome Boettcher, ASA’s Director of Communications and Engagement. “The new away uniforms will be a white jersey top with blue shorts. The away uniforms will remain all blue.”
The organization’s full press release about the move is below.
The Arlington Soccer Association will replace white uniform shorts with blue beginning in the fall of 2023 for all of its travel teams for home and away games. The change is intended to promote player confidence.
“We believe in empowering our female athletes,” Arlington Soccer Executive Director Frank DeMarco said. “As a result of player feedback, and their concerns about wearing white shorts, we have decided to implement a change. We want to support them by creating the best possible environment for them to feel comfortable and perform at their highest level.”
Arlington Soccer values all its players and strives to foster their love of soccer. The club recognizes the importance of supporting girls in sports throughout their adolescence and providing every opportunity for them to continue playing. Ensuring that all players are comfortable and confident in Arlington Soccer uniforms is one of many efforts that demonstrates the club’s commitment to player well-being and their overall experience.
New designs for Sparrow Pond (via Arlington County)
Mallard ducks made their home in Sparrow Pond (Photo via Flickr Pool/Dennis Dimick)
A $2.1 million contract to restore Sparrow Pond in Glencarlyn Park is set for Arlington County Board consideration this weekend.
The planning of the Sparrow Pond restoration project began in the spring of 2019. It will add new stormwater management facilities while restoring the sediment-laden pond.
At its upcoming Saturday meeting, the Board is set to consider a contract with construction company Triangle Contracting that includes a base of about $1.8 million and a contingency of around $300,000.
Construction is now projected to take six to nine months to complete, wrapping up sometime in 2024, according to the county’s project webpage. With the project’s permitting phase now complete, construction is anticipated to start by the end of this summer or early this fall.
The work is necessary because the pond has become filled with sediment and overgrown vegetation since being built in 2001-2002, according to county staff.
“The project will convert the pond to a constructed wetland to restore its stormwater management functions, as well as improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and restore native plant species,” a staff report to the County Board said.
“Planned improvements include adding a forebay to accommodate accumulation and removal of sediments, a maintenance access path, a riser structure, and an outfall culvert to safely convey the stormwater runoff to the Four Mile Run stream during high storm events,” staff noted.
A community meeting, open to the public, will be held regarding construction plans before the project begins. The specific date of the meeting will be posted on the project webpage.
The restoration will benefit residents in the area of the pond, county staff said, along with W&OD Trail users and local wildlife.
Reducing sediment infiltration from stormwater and improving water quality will “restore the pond to the original depth,” the county said, and improve the “habitat for herons, ducks, turtles, frogs and fish.”
Police response after report of fight and shot fired in Green Valley in June 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police response after report of fight and shot fired in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police response after report of fight and shot fired in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police response after report of fight and shot fired in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police response after report of fight and shot fired in Green Valley (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Update at 6:20 p.m. — Arlington County police just announced that a 21-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged in the incident. A shot was fired, police confirmed, in close proximity to a preschool and Drew Elementary School.
From an ACPD press release:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect following an investigation into a fight with a shot fired. Chase Smith, 21, of Arlington, VA is charged with Attempted Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Discharge of a Firearm within 1,000 feet of a School. He is being held on a $3,500 secured bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 10:29 a.m. on June 7, 2023, police were dispatched to the 2200 block of S. Kenmore Street for the report of a fight involving a firearm. Prior to police arrival, the suspect ran from the scene. Responding officers located him in the 3400 block of 22nd Street S. and took him into custody without incident.
The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and suspect were involved in a verbal dispute when the suspect allegedly displayed a firearm. A physical altercation ensued over the firearm, during which a shot was fired. No property damage or injuries were reported as a result of the firearm discharge. A firearm was recovered on scene.
The victim and suspect were transported to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries sustained during the physical altercation.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
Earlier: Police have swarmed the Green Valley neighborhood after a report of at least one gunshot being fired.
Initial reports suggest that two men were fighting at a bus stop and at least one had a gun, which was fired. Both men have injuries but so far there’s no indication that anyone was shot.
After a brief search of the neighborhood, police now have two people detained, according to scanner traffic.
The same intersection of S. Kenmore Street and 22nd Street S. was the scene of shots exchanged between two vehicles in January. In October, a report of an armed man firing gunshots in the neighborhood led to a non-fatal shooting of the suspect by police.
UPDATE: The investigation into the incident is ongoing and has not revealed an ongoing threat to community safety. Expect continued police presence in the area. Additional information, once available, will be posted in our Newsroom: https://t.co/lW5Fb7TvN5
Work on Metro tracks along the Orange and Silver lines near East Falls Church (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
County Board May Up Contract Threshold — “A measure up for a vote at the June 10 County Board hearing would quadruple – from $250,000 to $1 million – the threshold of any new contracts being inked by the local government to go before the board (and therefore public). The proposal likely will add more fuel to the fire among critics of the government like the Arlington County Civic Federation, which has contended that the government is failing the public on the transparency front.” [Gazette Leader]
Auction for Columbia Pike Office Building — “The second property, an eight-story, 63,000-square-foot office built in 1970 at 2300 S. 9th St. in Arlington, was acquired in 2020 for $6.5 million. BoundTrain planned a major renovation to capture tenants ‘fleeing to quality.’ But BoundTrain recently having defaulted on its debt, the noteholder has foreclosed on the property, directing the acting trustee Joseph Corish, an attorney with Bean Kinney & Korman PC, to sell BoundTrain’s asset at auction Wednesday morning.” [Washington Business Journal]
‘Inner Ear’ Book Released — “Now, that history is at the center of a new coffee table book, full of photographs from recording sessions, and firsthand accounts of Inner Ear — and Zientara himself — from dozens of musicians who made music there. The book, The Inner Ear of Don Zientara, was released today and also features a lengthy interview with Zientara by John Davis, drummer of former D.C. post-punk band Q and Not U.” [DCist, Amazon]
GW Parkway Lane Closure Update — “On Saturday, June 10, the National Park Service (NPS) will extend the three-lane traffic configuration on the George Washington Memorial Parkway from the Route 123 interchange to Windy Run Bridge as part of the ongoing North Parkway Rehabilitation Project. The NPS will temporarily close the right northbound lane from Route 123 to the Windy Run Bridge during this transition.” [Press Release]
Weenie Beenie Reviewed — Internet personality Frank the Tank reviewed the legendary Weenie Beenie near Shirlington, in a video posted Tuesday. [Barstool Sports]
It’s Wednesday — Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. At night: Widespread haze before 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Northwest wind around 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
Arlington County courthouse and police headquarters in Courthouse (file photo)
(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) When Braylon Meade died in a car crash, a juvenile court judge handed down a sentence of one year of incarceration and two years of probation to the 17-year-old who crashed into him.
Prosecutors asked for a longer confinement term.
Had the crash happened just two months later, however, the driver would have been 18, would have been tried as an adult in circuit court, and likely would have received a stronger sentence.
Meade’s mother, Rose Kehoe, argued last month that this case should have been transferred to Arlington County Circuit Court, which handles felonies, given the age of the young man who killed her son and the severity of the crime. The then-17-year-old was driving 95 mph, had a blood-alcohol content of under 0.08%, according to Chief Public Defender Brad Haywood, who spoke with multiple people familiar with the case.
Last month, Kehoe backed Josh Katcher, who is running against incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, citing the judgment call and how she was treated as by Dehghani-Tafti’s office.
“Meaningful reform requires nuanced thinking regarding the facts of each individual case and applying the law fairly and appropriately,” Kehoe wrote in a letter to State Sen. Barbara Favola, who endorsed the sitting Commonwealth’s Attorney. “In the case of Braylon Meade, we have no doubt that Ms. Dehghani-Tafti’s political rigidity on the issue of refusing to charge juveniles as adults is what governed this case.”
Justice for victims … or the lack thereof has become a defining storyline in this election. We are up with our first ad and I am grateful that Rose Kehoe is willing to share her family's experience with my opponent. pic.twitter.com/e33HdBzHRi
— Josh for Arlington (@Josh4Arlington) May 23, 2023
One of Dehghani-Tafti’s campaign promises was to not try children as adults where it was in her power to decide. In this case, she said the rehabilitative services provided by the juvenile system would be better for holding the defendant accountable than potentially incarcerating him in an adult prison.
The politicization over whether to try this one juvenile as an adult posed questions about whether it ever makes sense to try a juvenile as an adult and whether Arlingtonians want a top prosecutor to take a discretionary approach to trying juveniles as adults, or to never do it all.
Arguments for and against the practice
Dehghani-Tafti’s resolve reflects a trend in prosecutorial reform to advocate against trying children as adults. Proponents argue children are not mini-adults and their brains work differently and that keeping juveniles plugged into developmentally appropriate services improves their outcomes later in life.
Fair and Just Prosecution nonprofit executive director Miriam Krinsky takes this view. Her organization advocates for a evidence-based, rehabilitative approaches to juvenile justice and, in a statement to ARLnow, she said cases like this one are hard but prosecutors should follow the science.
“Science shows that young people under the age of 25 are developmentally different from adults and should be treated differently by the system,” she said. “The science also shows that young people have a greater capacity for rehabilitation, are more responsive to treatment than adults because their brains are still developing, and are more likely to age out of criminal behavior.”
ARLnow also heard from lawyers who agree with the starting point that children should not be in adult prison — but who have a different view about trying a case in circuit court, which operates differently than a juvenile court.
“The Commonwealth’s Attorney has tons of discretion on every bit of it and can pursue plea deals, deferred dispositions, all kinds of things that could have been done and it would have given everybody involved the superior resources of the circuit court,” says Greg Hunter, a local defense attorney.
In short, if, after a hearing, a juvenile is transferred to circuit court for trial, adult prison is not a guarantee and a sentence can come with more oversight and a broader range of services.
They say this makes sense for older juveniles, who age out of the supervision of juvenile court after they turn 21 and thus have a shorter probation period in which reoffending has greater consequences. Judges can blend juvenile and adult sentences, which one study says did not impact recidivism outcomes.
The discussion unfolds, however, in a county where children are rarely tried in circuit court to begin with. One notable recent exception is when Maxwell Adams was tried as an adult for murdering his father, for which he received a 32-year prison sentence.
The oldest home in Arlington is in jeopardy of being destroyed, the Arlington Historical Society says, and insects are to blame.
The Ball-Sellers House was originally built in the 18th century, sometime within the mid-1700s, according to the historical society.
The home is a Virginia state historical landmark and has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, an Arlington Historical Society article said.
Despite weathering several centuries, the house is now being threatened by something just about a quarter of an inch long: powderpost beetles.
“The beetles eat the wood the house is made of and make it become like sawdust,” Annette Benbow, who serves on the Ball-Sellers House Committee and the Arlington Historical Society board, tells ARLnow.
Benbow says she believes the beetles have been caught in time to save the home. However, money needs to be raised to cover the cost.
The Arlington Historical Society created a GoFundMe page that has raised, as of Tuesday morning, $1,375 of its $6,000 goal.
“We need to spray the home with a very expensive material that will not hurt the house, but will prevent the furthering of damage that the beetles have caused,” Benbow said.
The house remains open to the public — from 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays, April through October, according to the historical society. It is located on 5620 3rd Street S., in the Glencarlyn neighborhood.
If the $6,000 is not raised online, the Arlington Historical Society will still pay for the spray, but the expense would affect the society’s budget and take away funds for other projects and historic buildings, Benbow said.
“We do not get money from any governmental level. All of our money comes from donations or membership dues,” she said. “The house must be saved as it is a structural and historical artifact that is irreplaceable and rare.”
