Papillon Cycles owner Bailey Garfield (right) and store manager of 14 years John Harpold (staff photo by James Jarvis)
After a nearly 50-year ride, Papillon Cycles on Columbia Pike shuttered on Tuesday.
The bike shop, founded by Ted Decapiteau in 1976 and later acquired by Bailey Garfield in 1989, shared a heartfelt goodbye on its Facebook page yesterday.
April fool’s 1976-Halloween 2023. It’s been a long strange trip, and Awesome! Thanks Customers Friends Family, STAFF! Owners, BAILEY! and long ago TED! But honestly ALL of you crazy riders. We are closed officially tonight. LOVE PEACE PEDALS!
Although his retirement was already on the horizon, Garfield, 70, shared with ARLnow he had hoped to hand over the reins to a new owner. However, the business had become increasingly unprofitable post-pandemic due to a combination of factors, including a lack of foot traffic, supply chain issues and the soaring rent costs.
“The bicycle industry, in general, is not good right now. Every week some of our major suppliers are showing signs they’re in economic distress… It’s a perfect storm,” he told ARLnow, adding that he knows several other small business owners on the same block who are also still struggling.
The building at 2801 Columbia Pike — housing Papillon and other neighboring retailers on the block — may be razed for a mixed-use development, according to filings with Arlington County.
The Christopher Companies proposes building an 88-unit, 7-story building with 5,800 square feet of retail space, UrbanTurf first reported in 2022.
Rendering of proposed 7-story mixed development at 2801 Columbia Pike (via Arlington County)
Garfield said he is in the dark about the project but observed that Alexandria-based Seaport Properties hasn’t renewed long-term leases for several building tenants, including Papillon.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Eventually, they’re gonna put in a 6- to 8-story mixed-use building here and we’re seeing what they’re doing all up and down the Pike. I don’t see how this is going to be any different,” Garfield said.
Looking out at fall colors in local neighborhoods between two tall buildings in Ballston (staff photo)
County Seeks Recycling Boost — “As part of its plan to increase recycling rates in the county through voluntary compliance, the county manager’s staff has proposed two additional full-time outreach positions to be added in the next fiscal year, plus additional funding for multi-media campaigns touting the importance of recycling.” [Gazette Leader]
More Wheel Thefts in Pentagon City — “1300 block of Army Navy Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined between approximately 7:15 p.m. on October 30 and 7:50 a.m. on October 31, the unknown suspect(s) stole the tires and rims from two vehicles in the area. No other damage was reported. There is no suspect description(s).” [ACPD]
Paper: Parents Rule — “Over the past quarter-century, Arlington School Board members have tended to pick new superintendents from outside the district – and therefore without the instinctive understanding that Arlington parents frequently are the real behind-the-scenes power brokers in ways they seldom are elsewhere.” [Gazette Leader]
Ballston’s Metro-Driven Metamorphosis — Once plagued by economic decline and empty storefronts, the opening of the Ballston Metro station in 1979 propelled the neighborhood into a thriving urban hub. [Ghosts of DC]
It’s Thursday — Frost is expected to clear up by 10am, giving way to a sunny day with a high of about 51°F and a northwest wind around 6 mph. The night will be clear, with temperatures dropping to around 34°F. [Weather.gov]
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
Arlington County police are investigating shots fired in the Green Valley neighborhood.
The gunfire rang out around 10 p.m. Friday night near The Shelton apartment complex. No injuries were reported but a bullet damaged a window in a nearby residential building.
SHOTS FIRED, 2025-10100198, 3200 block of 24th Street S. At approximately 10:01 p.m. on October 10, police were dispatched to the report of possible shots heard in the area. During the course of the investigation, officers recovered evidence confirming shots had been fired in the area and property damage to the window of a residential building was located. No injuries were reported. There are no suspect(s) descriptions. The investigation is ongoing.
The same block was the scene of a shooting in November 2024. The teen victim of that shooting survived his serious injuries.
Expect widespread frost to clear by 10am, giving way to sunny skies and a high of around 51°F. The northwest wind at 6 mph will shift to the west in the afternoon. For Thursday night, it’ll be clear with a low temperature of approximately 34°F and a 6 mph south wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” – Elon Musk
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
July 2022 General Membership Meeting Monday, July 18, 2022, 7-9 p.m. via Zoom. Keynote Guest Speaker: Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Commonwealth’s Attorney Arlington County & the City of Falls Church, 7:30-8 p.m., followed by Q&A from attendees.
Free and Open to the Public. Register in advance for this meeting — registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The end of the election is drawing nearer: early voting ends on Saturday and Tuesday is Election Day.
At this point, the roughly 12,000 early votes cast are almost evenly split between in-person and mailed-in ballots, per the Arlington County election turnout dashboard. Some 44,000 ballots need to be returned between now and the close of the polls on Tuesday to surpass turnout in 2019, the last similar election year.
With few days left to vote, candidates for the two open Arlington County Board seats are making their last public pitches for support at the polls.
They maintain the reasons that motivated them to run — economic stability, crime rates, Missing Middle, outcomes for youth and better planning — remain relevant in the home stretch.
“One of the reasons I’m running for the Arlington County Board is my concern for the rising crime rate,” Republican candidate Juan Carlos Fierro said in a statement Monday.
“As a husband and a father, I am deeply concerned about the safety of my wife and daughters,” Fierro continued. “I am increasingly hearing about concern about Arlington’s rising crime from my fellow Arlingtonians — talking with friends and neighbors, following postings on social media, and reading articles in the local media.”
He referenced the Arlington County Police Department’s 2022 annual report, released this year, in which the department reports a nearly 18% increase over 2021 in crimes against persons, property and society, ranging from murder and manslaughter to drug offenses. Crimes against people increased 16.4% — primarily driven by assault — and property crimes increased by 23%, driven by motor vehicle thefts, larcenies and fraud.
While total offenses have risen since 2018, total arrests only ticked up between 2021 and 2022 and still have not recovered from a decline going back to 2013, according to annual reports by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
ACPD reports do not include arrests for these offenses and previously told ARLnow it would have to be requested by the Freedom of Information Act, though they can also be found on the Virginia State Police data dashboard.
“While Arlington is generally a safe community, residents must be aware of the rising crime, and our leaders must prioritize the safety of our residents,” Fierro added. “Crime and community safety are not partisan issues. Voters deserve elected leaders who will prioritize community safety and address the rising crime across Arlington.”
Fierro attributed the uptick in part to police staffing issues and pledged to “fully” invest in ACPD’s recruitment and retention efforts. Part of the reason fewer people are becoming officers, he said, is “because police officers are being vilified.”
“Community leaders must rebuke the pro-criminal elements in our justice system that are contributing to the culture of increased crime and reduced public safety in Arlington,” he said. “Some in our own community have joined the nationwide effort to undermine police morale while refusing to prosecute certain offenses.”
Democrat Maureen Coffey distilled her platform into two fundamental issues: affordability and economic stability.
“Our residents need to see a path forward where we can meet their needs,” she said. “Whether it’s housing, taxes, child care, or food security, people are struggling. Arlington needs to find both the short- and long-term solutions that help us serve everyone in the community and create stability while maintaining our core services.”
Meanwhile, perennial independent candidate Audrey Clement — who presciently made Missing Middle central to her campaign three years ago — is doubling down on her choice to make it a focus in 2023, after the passage of the ordinances in March.
She says “the issue will live on,” no matter how the Arlington County Circuit Court rules on challenge by 10 Arlington homeowners to the Expanded Housing Options ordinance the Arlington County Board “rammed through earlier this year.”
He’s a West Point grad, decorated Army veteran, the 1st bi-lateral amputee to command an Army base, film actor, professional public speaker, your fellow member, and co-founder of both Patriot Strategies and Culturepop. He’ll be telling his story and guiding local professionals to focus the ‘Mission’ for their business so that they can see maximum success and growth.
