News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Rosslyn at twilight (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The US Military will be conducting a Flyover at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday January 5, 2024 at 9:10 AM.”

Protest at Blinken’s House — “Pro-Palestinian protesters targeted Secretary of State Antony Blinken with ‘fake blood’ outside his suburban Virginia home on Thursday. Activists surrounded his SUV as it rolled through the gates of his house in [Arlington, near the McLean border] and spilled red paint on the driveway as he left for work. The demonstrators shouted ‘shame on you’ and ‘war criminal’ and told the U.S. to stop the ‘genocide’ Gaza.” ACPD responded to the scene to assist the Diplomatic Security Service around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. [Daily Mail]

Public Safety Radio Issues — From Dave Statter: “Arlington County’s public safety radio system failed tonight. They went to a backup system, switching over to Fairfax County’s radio channels. That’s an important advantage of the long-standing interoperability in much of the region. It appeared to go down shortly after 6:30 p.m. This also impacted the Falls Church Police Department. FCPD shares Arlington’s radio system.” [Twitter]

Errant SUV Busted Bike Box — A driver who rammed into the Chase Bank in Pentagon City on Wednesday night “also completely took out the covered bicycle boxes that were there.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Final Report on Metro Derailment — “The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on the October 2021 Blue Line train derailment, which led to more than half of Metro’s fleet of trains being pulled off the tracks and drastically reduced rail service.
The NTSB’s final report said Metro was aware of a problem that caused the wheelsets on its new 7000-series trains to drift too far apart but that officials in the transit agency didn’t properly address the hazard before a Blue Line train derailed near the Rosslyn Metro Station.” [WTOP]

Significant Snow Unlikely — “Earlier in the week, we said the odds favored more rain than snow for a storm expected in the D.C. region this weekend. That remains the case, with most areas probably only seeing a little snow and sleet Saturday morning before changing to mostly rain in the afternoon.” [Capital Weather Gang]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high around 42 and a northwest wind around 6 mph, shifting to southwest in the afternoon. As night falls, anticipate increasing clouds and a low temperature of approximately 30, accompanied by a gentle south wind. [Weather.gov]

David Priddy won’t seek re-election, as new School Board candidate emerges

By Jo DeVoe
Arlington School Board Vice Chair David Priddy during the Jan. 3, 2024 meeting (via Arlington Democrats)

Arlington School Board Vice Chair David Priddy says he will not be seeking another term.

He was elected in 2020 along with Cristina Diaz-Torres, who currently serves as the School Board Chair and last month announced that she too would step down after one term. Both of their terms expire at the end of this year, meaning two seats are up for election this year.

“Although I’m making this announcement tonight, there is still one year left on my term,” Priddy told Arlington Democrats during the party’s reorganization meeting last night (Wednesday). “So I will continue to stand on the pillars that you put me in office to enact. Thank you for allowing me to serve the Arlington community.”

Priddy said he would not repeat the “litany of accomplishments and the progress that we have made on the School Board” that Diaz-Torres mentioned in her farewell speech. Instead, he rallied Democrats around the presidential election year ahead.

“The Arlington Democrats are truly a force to be reckoned with,” he said, pointing to the work local Democrats have done, in Arlington and beyond, to promote the values of the Democratic Party. “I bring this up because this year is a presidential election year, which means it’s time to mobilize and elect the right people for office.”

Priddy noted School Board hopefuls have until Feb. 16 to file with Arlington Democrats. The party cannot officially nominate a candidate but it can opt to endorse candidates who pledge to be a Democrat.

The party decided to hold an in-person caucus if at least three candidates emerge, according to the 2024 caucus rules discussed last night. The caucus would be canceled if only two emerge and the party would decide whether to endorse those candidates in March.

Nabbing the party endorsement carries significant weight in Arlington and, though some have criticized this process for tipping the scales in favor of well-connected establishment candidates, it remains popular among party members.

After Priddy’s announcement, Chen Ling announced his candidacy for School Board. He introduced himself as the parent of a third grader at Ashlawn Elementary School and the director of engineering at a Fortune 500 company.

He said the School Board needs a “culture of transparency, respect and trust.”

“Some of the actions taken by the School Board in the last few years instead caused confusion and discontentment between parents and teachers,” he said, noting “seemingly suboptimal proposals” that created an “antagonistic relationship between the community and School Board.”

New School Board candidate Chen Ling during the Jan. 3, 2024 Arlington Democrats meeting (via Arlington Democrats)

“That is a real shame because I’ve watched the School Board work and these are some really caring, thoughtful people and they are trying their best,” he said. “What I think they lack is tools to make the best decisions, they lack the tools to provide transparency and build trust.”

The School Board should share with parents all the proposals they consider, as well as their trade-offs and reasoning behind a decision, Ling said.

“It’s okay if the final proposal is somehow detrimental to my child if I know that it serves for the community and the school system at large. That’s something that I haven’t seen at that level,” he said. “It’s not enough to provide an answer, even if it’s the correct answer. We need to show our work.”

Ling said he would like to see fewer curriculum changes, as well as more automation of mandated state and federal reporting, so teachers can focus on students. Lastly, he would like to see class size reductions, too.

During the meeting, Arlington County Board candidate Natalie Roy made her pitch to Arlington Democrats. She, and opponent Julie Farnam, both seek the party’s nomination this June in the County Board race to fill the seat occupied by Chair Libby Garvey. Garvey has not yet announced if she will seek reelection.

“I believe the County Board needs a voice like mine, advocating for transparency and responsiveness, I am committed to common sense leadership that brings us all together,” Roy said.

(more…)

Video: ACPD cruiser rear-ended and then pushed in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com
Police cruiser rear-ended in Courthouse (photo courtesy Megan J.)

A driver ran into the back of a stopped Arlington police cruiser in Courthouse yesterday afternoon.

The crash, which happened two blocks from police headquarters — next to the construction site that was formerly a Wendy’s — happened around 2:30 p.m.

It’s unclear what led to the crash. Video posted by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter shows a car approaching the cruiser, which was stopped at a light, and simply plowing into it. The cruiser is pushed into the intersection before the driver apparently stops accelerating.

Immediately after, the driver and other occupants of the vehicle get out and talk to the officer. The cruiser’s rear bumper and window were both damaged in the crash.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow that the driver received a traffic citation for “Failure to Pay Full Time and Attention.”

This is at least the second ACPD cruiser damaged in a crash in the past week. On Friday, Dec. 29 a driver in Clarendon allegedly pulled in front of an officer speeding toward an incident, resulting in a wreck that nearly sent the civilian vehicle into a nearby storefront.

That driver was cited for “Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way,” Savage said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Flags flying in the wind at Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Sushi Spot Coming to Courthouse — “Restaurateur Nick Cordero, part of the father-son duo behind Don Tito, Bronson Bierhall and Taco Rock, plans to open a new sushi restaurant in Arlington, steps from the Court House Metro station. Saki, an omakase-style Japanese restaurant, is slated to open in late 2024 in about 4,500 square feet at the Commodore, a 20-story multifamily building being developed at 2025 15th St. N.” [Washington Business Journal]

Dem Primary Keeps Pledge — “Those participating in the springtime Arlington County Democratic Committee School Board caucus will be required to pledge their support to the Democratic ticket in November. The statement, which is largely symbolic as there is little real mechanism to enforce it, long has been part of local Democrats’ caucus process… the local party attempted to remove signing the statement as a requirement for participating in its nominating caucuses, but the Democratic Party of Virginia insisted it remain.” [Gazette Leader]

Mixed Thoughts on New Arena — “Before leaving his elected position at the end of 2023, Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey gave a big thumbs-up to plans by the billionaire owner of the Washington Capitals and Wizards to use taxpayer subsidies to build a sports and entertainment complex in Potomac Yard in Alexandria… Based on her understanding of the proposal, [state Sen. Barbara] Favola said, ‘Providing state financial support for a sports complex when K-12 public education and other core serves are woefully underfunded is not a trade-off I am willing to make.'” [Patch]

Applications Open for Police Council — “The Arlington County Police Department is accepting applications to the Chief’s Advisory Council… The CAC consists of volunteer members from a diverse cross-section of our community who meet on a regular basis to provide the Chief of Police and department leadership with community insight on a wide range of public safety topics and activities.” [ACPD]

Erratic Driver Flees to D.C. — From Dave Statter: “This was different. An @ArlingtonVaPD officer reported a white pickup following and tailgating him on Four Mile Run last night. When he tried to get the driver to pull over he kept going east on Columbia Pike at slow speed, driving erratically. As they got near Washington Blvd. it turned into a chase.” [Twitter]

New WHS Wrestler Undefeated — “Wakefield High School junior Cameron Millsapps continued her undefeated season in girls wrestling by winning the 152-pound female weight class at the recent Battle of the Bridge tournament. Millsapps, a first-year wrestler, was 3-0 in the competition at Woodbridge High School with two pins, then a 7-3 decision in the championship match.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly cloudy morning that gradually clears, with temperatures reaching a high of around 43°F. A northwest wind will start at 6-11 mph and increase to 12-17 mph in the afternoon, potentially gusting up to 25 mph. Thursday night will be clear with a low of approximately 25°F. The northwest wind will continue at 7-14 mph, with gusts of up to 21 mph. [Weather.gov]

Pedestrian injured after SUV runs into bank next to Pentagon City Metro station

By ARLnow.com
1/4

The driver of a Jeep careened into a bank in Pentagon City Wednesday night, injuring a pedestrian.

The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. at 710 12th Street S., directly adjacent to the Pentagon City Metro station entrance.

The SUV went through the front of the Chase bank branch, potentially causing structural damage, according to initial reports. One pedestrian was struck and injured; they were treated on scene by medics and taken via ambulance to a local trauma center.

It’s unclear what led to the crash. The driver was still in the vehicle when police arrived, according to scanner traffic.

Screenshot (top) via @ogiuzi/Twitter

New County Board chair announces Arlington’s first ‘visioning process’ since 1986

By Jo DeVoe
The Arlington County Board Jan. 2, 2024 annual organizational meeting (via Arlington County)

The Arlington County Board is ringing in the New Year with a sweeping public engagement opportunity to envision what the county should look like in 2050.

Libby Garvey, named Chair during the Board’s annual organizational meeting yesterday (Tuesday), announced the forthcoming initiative during her remarks.

This year, she said, the county will gather “thoughts, suggestions and ideas from as many people as possible” about their vision for Arlington 20 years from now. It will be the first such initiative since 1986 when residents came together to envision what Arlington could be in the new millennium.

Residents will likely hold some “mutually exclusive” visions of the future — some of which the Missing Middle debates laid bare — but “most will fall into two or three general vision bucket buckets which we can present at the end of this year,” she said.

The 1986 report on the future of Arlington after the year 2000 (via Arlington County)

Tuesday’s meeting was also the first official day on the job for Susan Cunningham and Maureen Coffey, who were elected in November. Garvey said this is the first Board in 40 years with a female majority and possibly the first to span three generations, as Coffey is the youngest member ever elected while Garvey, turning 73 this year, is in line for the oldest.

Board members used the annual organizational meeting to spell out their priorities for 2024 and what they think lies ahead for Arlington.

They forewarned of a difficult economic year but stressed the need to fund Metro and the electrification of buses, cars and buildings, while tackling rising costs for home owners, renters, and parents, plus rising office vacancy rates.

Members also stated broad social goals of strengthening connections among and caring for all residents while deciding on a shared vision of Arlington two decades from now.

For Garvey, who was also Chair in 2020, that means putting to paper some of the lessons learned from the pandemic.

“Our whole community, our government, and our residents pulled together to make sure that everyone, not just the well-off, had food, shelter and medical care,” she said. “We did things differently. A resilient community can adapt and cares for everyone in it. So as we continue our transition this year to whatever is becoming normal, equity, innovation and resilience will continue to be my general focus areas.”

Takis Karantonis, who was named Vice-Chair yesterday, urged Arlingtonians to participate in the 2050 visioning process as a way to move forward together amid worldwide violence and instability, threats to democracy, climate change and the rise of risky technology such as artificial intelligence.

“2024 is a year of inflection for our nation and possibly for the entire world,” he said, adding:

In Arlington, we are holding high the values [that] our officers defended on the west side of the Capital of the United States on Jan. 6, 2021: of democracy, the rule of law, of equity, justice and liberty for all, of accountable governance, and of civic and civically minded debate — all of which the chair’s Arlington 2050 Strategic Visioning initiative provides a very appropriate and opportune place for civic engagement this year. I want to invite you to make 2024 an exemplary year of the civility and humanity that Arlington values convey. It is not an exaggeration: literally the entire nation and probably the entire world is watching us.

Cunningham likewise urged residents to participate in public life and not assume that Arlington will be a “world-class community” without their input.

“We also need sustained connection to be the world-class community that we envision,” she said. “That takes invitation to all the voices, a lot of effort and a lot of showing up from all corners of our community. That’s all of us, not just the five up here. So, in 2024, I invite you to engage and re-engage with each other to listen and question to deliberate and argue and ultimately compromise so that we can support our people and steward our resources.”

(more…)

NEW: The Freshman has closed in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/4

Crystal City hangout The Freshman has permanently closed its doors.

The all-day cafe/bar/restaurant just announced on social media that it has closed, just under three years after opening in the spring of 2021, in the midst of the pandemic.

Owner and namesake Nick Freshman, in announcing the closing today, noted the lengthy delay in opening caused by Covid-19.

I am sad to announce that The Freshman has served its last espresso; we are permanently closed. I want to thank my staff for their tireless dedication, my investors for their unwavering support, my landlord JBG SMITH for their steadfast partnership, and lastly our loyal customers who made it a joy to be open every day.

When I began planning The Freshman in 2018 the landscape was very different. As the world changed, our team adjusted, pivoted, iterated, and endured. Now, with significant construction in our building on the way, it is time to move on. The good news is that Mothersauce Partners is growing, and you can look for our fingerprints on a number of exciting new projects; projects that are also new homes for many of the staff at The Freshman.

We hope to see all of you soon at our newest project in Rosslyn opening in Winter 2024!

Freshman’s Mothersauce Partners is revamping The Assembly food hall near the Rosslyn Metro station, the Washington Business Journal reported last month.

American Real Estate Partners has tapped Mothersauce Partners, the hospitality company behind The Eleanor, Thompson Italian and City-State Brewing Co., to oversee the roughly 27,000-square-foot space at Rosslyn City Center. AREP owns the building, 1700 N. Moore St., and opened the food hall in 2021.

Mothersauce hopes to freshen up the design, branding and concept curation at the food hall. Details are still being worked through, and AREP and Mothersauce said it is premature to reveal more details of the partnership ahead of a more formal launch in the new year. […]

The change comes more than three years after AREP tapped another firm to establish a food hall from inside what was then known as Rosslyn Metro Center, a 40-year-old mall that’s since gotten a major makeover.

The Freshman was one of the first restaurants to announce an opening in Crystal City, following the announcement of Amazon’s HQ2, the main office complex of which opened in nearby Pentagon City this past summer. Leased Amazon offices remain open in Crystal City.

Police: New York man pepper sprays construction workers on the Pike

By ARLnow.com
Road construction on Columbia Pike near the Foxcroft Heights neighborhood

A New York State man is in jail after police say he pepper sprayed two construction workers yesterday morning.

The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on Columbia Pike and S. Oak Street, near the Columbia Pike realignment and Arlington National Cemetery expansion project that is currently under construction.

Police were vague about the circumstances leading to the pepper spray being used, saying only that the 37-year-old suspect “allegedly initiated a verbal dispute with the two victims.”

The suspect fled on foot but was tracked down by officers and is now facing two counts of Malicious Wounding.

More, below, from the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2024-01020089, Columbia Pike at S. Oak Street. At approximately 11:32 a.m. on January 2, police were dispatched to the report of an assault that had just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect approached a construction site and allegedly initiated a verbal dispute with the two victims before deploying pepper spray. The suspect then fled the scene on foot and was located and taken into custody by responding officers. The victims were treated on scene for exposure to the pepper spray. [The suspect], 37, of Clarence, NY was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding (x2).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
GW Parkway at dusk near Roosevelt Island (Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon)

Winning Lotto Ticket Sold — ” A $1 million winning ticket in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle was sold in Arlington, along with four other winning $1 million tickets across the state, according to the Virginia Lottery. Winning ticket No. 485284 was bought at the Harris Teeter at the corner of South George Mason Drive and Columbia Pike in Arlington.” [Patch]

Garvey Is ‘Ultimate Survivor’ — “Marginalized and at times even ridiculed by Arlington’s political establishment for her opposition to the Columbia Pike streetcar project, County Board member Libby Garvey a decade later has emerged unscathed.” [Gazette Leader]

Crystal City Hotel Sold — “An affiliate of JBG Smith Properties has sold the Crystal City Marriott for nearly $66 million, or about $191,836 per room, as the Bethesda developer continues to prune what’s left of the properties it picked up through its 2017 acquisition of Vornado Realty Trust’s D.C.-area business.” [Washington Business Journal]

Yorktown Wins Local Tourney — “With two convincing victories, the Yorktown Patriots won the four-team Reagan Sharnae Way Holiday Invitational girls high-school basketball tournament at Annandale High School. Yorktown routed Gar-Field, 57-24, in the first game, then Annandale, 71-40, in the second. The wins snapped a six-game losing streak for Yorktown (3-9).” [Gazette Leader]

Minor Earthquake Felt — “A small earthquake occurred near Rockville, Md., early Tuesday… The 2.3-magnitude quake, according to initial estimates, occurred a few minutes before 1 a.m. at a depth of about 9.5 miles.” An ARLnow reader described hearing “a low rumble” in Arlington. [Washington Post, Twitter]

It’s Wednesday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 47, accompanied by a light and variable wind that will shift to northwest at around 6 mph. Later Wednesday night, there’s a slight chance of rain, starting after 1am. The skies will be cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 34. [Weather.gov]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon

Fight over Columbia Pike parking space leads to gun charges

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 26-year-old Virginia man is facing several charges after a dispute over a parking space over the weekend.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon, in the area of Penrose Square. Police say the man flashed a gun during the altercation.

More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

BRANDISHING, 2023-12300122, 2400 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 2:46 p.m. on December 30, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim and male suspect became involved in a verbal dispute over a parking space which escalated into a physical altercation during which the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm. The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle and was located by responding officers. A firearm was recovered. [The suspect], 26, of Stafford, VA was arrested and charged with Brandishing, Assault & Battery and Concealed Weapon Violation.

In other notable incident, which took place one day prior on Friday afternoon, a 31-year-old Virginia man is accused of kicking a police officer and trying to grab the gun of another.

From ACPD:

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-12290134, Fairfax Drive at N. George Mason Drive. At approximately 2:45 p.m. on December 29, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person with a knife. The preliminary investigation determined the victim was stopped in her vehicle when the male suspect allegedly ran towards her driver’s side door while displaying a knife. The victim drove away and called police. Responding officers located the suspect in the 4800 block of Fairfax Drive and attempted to take him into custody. The suspect refused to comply with the officers’ commands and actively resisted arrest. With the assistance of additional officers, the suspect was taken into custody during which he kicked an officer in the chest. The suspect provided officers with false identifying information but was subsequently positively identified. During a search incident to arrest, the suspect grabbed the holster of an officer’s firearm. Knives were recovered on the suspect. [The suspect], 31, of Manassas, VA was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery, Assault on Police, Attempt to Disarm Law Enforcement Officer of their Firearm, Identity Theft and Obstruction of Justice.

The evening of New Year’s Day, meanwhile, a man’s Canada Goose jacket and wallet was reportedly stolen by a teen boy at the Pentagon City mall. The teen was later apprehended near the Metro station, according to police.

GRAND LARCENY, 2024-01010144, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:58 p.m. on January 1, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was sitting with his jacket on the back of his chair when the juvenile male suspect ran by, grabbed his jacket and continued running out of the building. Responding officers canvassed the area and observed the suspect in the metro. The suspect then ran from the officers and, following a foot pursuit, he was taken into custody in the 1200 block of S. Hayes Street. The victim’s jacket, which contained his wallet and cash, was recovered. Petitions were obtained for the juvenile suspect for Grand Larceny and Obstruction of Justice.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Washington Blvd and the W&OD Trail along the Pete Beers Memorial Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Garvey Likely to Be Chair — “Presume nothing until the final votes have been cast the evening of Jan. 2, of course, but odds certainly favor Libby Garvey being elected by her colleagues to what would be her third one-year stint chairing the Arlington County Board over a dozen years in office.” [Gazette Leader]

F.C. Tops Va. Wealth Generation List — “A new study from the Smart Asset financial advisory firm released today shows that the City of Falls Church ranks Number One among all jurisdictions in Virginia in ‘experiencing the most wealth generation over the last 10 years.’ The study measured increases in median income, investment income and home values.” Arlington is No. 6 on the list. [Falls Church News-Press]

History Museum Seeks County Funds — “Those working on a multi-pronged renovation of the Arlington Historical Museum will have to wait a few more weeks to see if the county government opts to join the effort by financially supporting it. If not, advocates may have to spread out to County Board members to make their case.” [Gazette Leader]

Payphone Hangs on in Arlington — “Answer to yesterday’s #WhereIsItWednesday This payphone with the amusing sign can be found in the Arlington County Courthouse.” [Twitter]

It’s 2024 — Expect sunny skies and a high near 44 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind ranging from 8 to 11 mph. As night approaches, clouds will increase, and the temperature will drop to around 30 degrees, with a steady northwest wind at about 6 mph. [Weather.gov]

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