Around Town

Photos: Alex Ovechkin leads youth hockey clinic for kids with disabilities

By James Jarvis
1/11

Nearly 50 youth hockey players with disabilities took to the ice in Ballston this week to sharpen their skills with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin.

On Wednesday, members of the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA) convened at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex to spend several hours learning various skating techniques and skills from Ovechkin and other Capitals players, including Aliaksei Protas, Matthew Phillips and Alexander Alexeyev.

Ovi has been hosting this Caps-sponsored clinic for ASHA — which supports individuals with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities through hockey — for a decade, though it took a hiatus during the pandemic.

“Ovechkin has been an ASHA ambassador since the first skate in 2014 and most recently made a donation to the ASHA to help cover ice costs for 136 special hockey teams across the United States,” per a Capitals press release. “The donation supported more than 5,260 athletes and nearly 400 coaches.”

ASHA Executive Director Jennifer O’Brien told ARLnow that while the donation was vital for the organization, Ovechkin’s personal commitment — in terms of time, money and energy — is especially significant.

“The big thing people should know is that sometimes people donate things and they kind of do it through the organization or whatever,” O’Brien said. “He does this personally. And so we take it personally and appreciate him for that reason.”

Established in 2007, ASHA currently serves over 8,000 members, representing 136 special hockey teams nationally. There are three ASHA teams in the D.C. area, per the release.

Most ASHA members who attended the clinic came from either the D.C. region or other East Coast locales, said O’Brien.

In addition to his work with ASHA, Ovechkin established “Ovi’s 8’s” in 2006, a program dedicated to providing tickets to Capitals games for underprivileged children.

“Since then, more than 5,700 individuals have had a chance to see a game free of charge, including many ASHA participants,” the team said.

Around Town

A new Korean coffee shop is drawing long lines in Ballston

By James Jarvis
1/4

A Korea-based coffee chain quietly opened its first permanent U.S. outpost in the Ballston neighborhood last month, drawing long lines and rave reviews.

Gute Leute Coffee Bar, located at 800 N. Glebe Road next to Mussel Bar & Grille, held its soft opening on Saturday, Dec. 23.

Although Gute Leute translates to “good people” in German, the coffee chain was conceived in Seoul, South Korea.

The cafe’s menu offers a variety of teas and coffee drinks, including espressos and lattes. A unique highlight is a weekend-only, three-course tasting event, available only with a reservation.

Dubbed the “Omakase” coffee experience, which translates to ‘I leave it up to you’ in Japanese, customers who book online can savor a variety of seasonal espresso drinks, including the Pine Cone, served in a sour sugar-rimmed glass, the Granita with lemon sorbet, and the Gute Leute, a blend of cream and cookies over a butterscotch base.

Sang Moon, a Fairfax resident and co-owner of Gute Leute, told ARLnow he was one of the original investors of the coffee chain back when it first opened in Seoul in 2021. Five Gute Leute stores are currently operating in Seoul, according to Sang.

After working with company’s corporate headquarters for years, Sang said he approached the CEO about bringing the concept to the U.S.

“It was a little bit unique,” he said. “We have nothing similar here.”

At the behest of the company’s CEO, Sang and his business partner, Sean Moon, conducted multiple market tests — pop-up cafes — in New York City last year.

“It was very successful,” Sang said.

Having successfully demonstrated the viability of the concept in the U.S. market, Sang was given the green light by the Gute Leute CEO to open his own franchise in Arlington.

It appears to have been a good decision so far: over the weekend the cafe’s Instagram account warned of 20-45 minute waits for coffee due to a “surge of customers.” That’s despite opening with little fanfare during the holidays, on the “quiet” western side of Glebe Road, where businesses have struggled in the past.

Despite complaints about the wait, online reviews have raved about “some of the best coffee” in the D.C. area.

While Gute Leute currently only offers coffee, Sang says the plan is to add pastries to the menu soon.

“Right now, we’re trying to focus on quality and service,” he said. “But we plan to offer croissants, breakfast sandwiches and pastries.”

Before Gute Leute, Sang operated the Korean fried chicken restaurant Noori Chicken in Annandale, which closed last week. He also co-owns the quick-serve Courthouse restaurant Bibimix with Sean, who himself owns the Korean bakery Paris Baguette in Fairfax.

Gute Leute joins a growing list of coffee options in the Ballston area, including the upcoming Roggenart Bistro & Café, the outdoor stand Ballstonian, and Slipstream, near the intersection of Wilson Blvd and Glebe Road.

Hat tip to John Peck

Sponsored

Listing of the Day: 6223 Langston Blvd

By ARLnow.com

Address: 6223 Langston Blvd
Neighborhood: Lee Ridge
Type: 3 BR, 2 BA single-family detached – 3300 sq. ft.
Listed: $1,299,000

Noteworthy: City living with tailored country surroundings/two-car garage

A timeless North Arlington Cape Cod, lovingly maintained and thoughtfully upgraded by the same owners since 1995.

This home features three upstairs bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Set behind a handsome stone retaining wall, the home enjoys wonderful privacy and quiet, thanks to its solid one-foot-thick stone construction. Large windows on every side invite natural light to spill across the high ceilings, solid wood floors, and custom built-ins found throughout both levels.

The kitchen is a chef’s delight, complete with a gas cooktop, granite countertops, and a suite of thoughtful additions including a microwave with convection capabilities. Surround sound enhances the first floor, ceiling and wall speakers in the sunroom, dining room, and living room, and SpeakerCraft ceiling speakers in the kitchen. Bright recessed lighting runs throughout the home, while the basement shines with upgraded fixtures that bring exceptional brightness to the space.

Outdoor living is equally as inviting with a rear stone patio and exterior lighting with carriage lamps and multiple spotlights that showcase the grounds beautifully. The primary suite is a true retreat with custom built-in cabinetry featuring granite countertops that flow seamlessly into the walk-in closet and bathroom.

Recent updates include exterior and interior painting (2024), a fully renovated lower-level bath (2024), and roof replacements over both the house and garage (2017). An oversized detached two-car garage with storage plus a driveway accommodating four or more cars provides exceptional convenience. This residence offers easy access to Georgetown, downtown DC, Airports, and Metro.

Listed by:
James Corry – James Corry Real Estate Services
[email protected]
(561) 389-3111

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
View from the new VHC Health Outpatient Pavilion (staff photo)

Axios Near Top of Glassdoor List — “Fourteen Greater Washington companies and organizations landed a coveted spot on Glassdoor’s lists of best place to work this week, with Arlington-based Axios HQ leading the way. Axios, an offshoot of the news startup founded by Jim VandeHei that focuses on brevity in communication, ranked No. 3 on the national list of 50 small- and medium-sized companies with less than 1,000 employees.” [Washington Business Journal]

MLK Day Event This Weekend — “Arlington will commemorate the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special tribute event on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Wakefield High School. The celebration will include a vibrant mix of music, dance, and spoken word performances.” [Arlington County]

Towing Fee Changes? — “A member of the House of Delegates has submitted legislation creating a state advisory panel to propose trespass-towing fees across the commonwealth, and as part of the bill would increase the maximum allowable fee for towing vehicles that are parked improperly.” [Gazette Leader]

Towing Board Wants More Autonomy — “The county’s Trespass Towing Advisory Board on Jan. 3 voted 2-0 to recommend that the county government support efforts in Richmond this year that would remove current language prohibiting Arlington from imposing a permit process for towers that simultaneously are located in, and store vehicles in, the county.” [Gazette Leader]

No Changes in Voter Dropboxes — “Arlington voters will have access to nine 24/7 ballot dropboxes for the 43 days preceding each of this year’s three elections. That was the net result of discussions held at the Jan. 9 Electoral Board meeting, where one of the two Republican members couldn’t get his colleagues to back a reduction in either the number of overall dropbox locations, or the number of days they will be available.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Thursday — Today will be sunny with temperatures reaching a high near 50 degrees, accompanied by a southwest wind blowing at 5-11 mph. As for Thursday night, expect mostly clear skies with lows settling around 33 degrees. [Weather.gov]

Announcement

Do you or a loved one suffer from addiction? Get a free 15 min consultation to see if we can help.

By Do you or a loved one suffer from addiction? Get a free 15 min consult.

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Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 10, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 10, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

The weather will be sunny with a high near 51 degrees and a light south wind turning southwest at 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Thursday night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 33 degrees, and a west wind at approximately 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
– Walt Disney

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

Announcement

Spaces Available for Fall 2023

By St. Charles Early Childhood Education Center

St. Charles Early Childhood education center offers a play-based curriculum in a welcoming, Christ-centered environment. Our program focuses on screen free socio-emotional development and kindergarten readiness through hands-on and engaging activities. Our programs offer different schedules ranging from 7:30 am-5:30 pm for students, ages 2-5. We feature a full-day Jr. kindergarten class for older 4’s/5’s. Our facility includes a full-sized gymnasium, school chapel, and library. All of our students enjoy music and physical education weekly. Students ages 3 and up also attend Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classes.

Children have an opportunity to participate in enrichment classes such as soccer, basketball, ballet, and science.

Go to Spaces Available for Fall 2023 Read more
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