Press Releases

Colony Grill, Clarendon’s new family-friendly tavern, which features gracious hospitality and famous “hot oil” bar-style pizzas, will partner this holiday season with Wreaths Across America and Dames for Soldiers to remember, honor and celebrate veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our freedom. From November 27 through December 31, 2020, the restaurant invites guests to sponsor a veteran’s wreath to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery, and more than 1,600 additional locations across the US. In addition to the new location at 2800 Clarendon Boulevard, Colony Grill has multiple locations across Connecticut and New York participating in this worthy cause. Donations are priced at $5 each. Those who donate will receive an adhesive acrylic wreath in their honor to be placed on the restaurant’s Wall of Heroes.

“This is a small token of thanks to some exceptional Americans who risked it all to defend and protect our country,” said Ken Martin, chief operating officer and co-owner of Colony Grill. “Last year we partnered with Wreaths Across America to remember the fallen and thank military families for their sacrifice and raised more than $5,000, which allowed us to lay dozens of wreaths nationwide. In our second year we hope to double that amount.”

In addition, all Colony Grill locations have a tradition of accepting 8 by 10-inch photos of men and women in their military uniform. These are installed on the walls of each of the restaurants, noted as the Wall of Heroes, as a tribute to those who currently serve, or have served their country. Submissions can be hand-delivered to any restaurant location or emailed to [email protected]. Colony Grill provides all framing. These photographs honor the WWII history of the original Colony Grill restaurant.

In 1935, Colony Grill opened in an Irish immigrant neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut. Since then, Colony Grill has become famous for what is now its only menu offering: a one-of-a-kind, thin-crust pizza that is best served with its signature “hot oil” topping – a spicy, full-of-flavor, pepper-infused creation which can be ordered with any other combination of toppings. The original owners of Colony Grill were Irish American, but they employed Italian and Eastern European chefs throughout the Great Depression. These men proudly wanted bar patrons to try the pizza recipes of their homelands but needed a way to fit a pizza tray on Colony Grill’s narrow bar top. The solution: the “Bar Pie,” a thin crust pizza that is smaller in diameter than a traditional pizza with a thin layer of cheese and sauce so slices can be easily managed with one hand. The local Irish crowd – and anyone else who visited Colony Grill – seemingly could not get enough of this unique pizza. Eventually, across the decades, the hot oil bar pie became so popular that all the other Colony menu items faded away, as did the need for a grill. But the name Colony Grill remains as a link to their heritage.

Colony Grill, the 85-year-old restaurant brand out of Stamford, Connecticut, opened its latest location in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia at 2800 Clarendon Blvd., 22201.  This is the company’s first investment outside of Connecticut & New York. The restaurant is open daily, from 11:30 a.m. to close and is located just two blocks from the Clarendon Metro station accessible on the Orange and Silver Lines. For additional information about Colony Grill please visit @colonygrill on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, call (703) 682-8300, email [email protected] or visit www.Colonygrill.com.

The Board of Directors of A-SPAN, a nonprofit organization that provides life-saving supportive services for vulnerable people, has announced the appointment of Betsy Frantz to the position of President/CEO on a permanent basis. Frantz has served as interim CEO since February 1, 2020, following Kathy Sibert’s retirement after 11 years at the organization.

“Betsy has provided stability and support to A-SPAN’s staff, clients, and Board of Directors during incredibly tumultuous times,” said Tim Denning, Chair of the Board. “The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted our clients and team and Betsy’s leadership has been an anchor since she became Interim CEO in February. We are delighted that she has accepted our offer to transition from the interim role to a permanent position. Her many years of executive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, combined with her commitment to the Arlington community, make her the clear choice for our organization.”

Frantz’s executive leadership in strategic planning, facilitation, fundraising, governance, and organizational management spans over 30 years. Frantz served as the founding President & CEO of the Leadership Center for Excellence (formerly Leadership Arlington) for 20 years, where she led its expansion from a single program with a budget of $22,000 to a nationally recognized leadership center with a budget of $1.6M with and more than 1,600 graduates. After serving the Leadership Center, Frantz launched and led a $26M capital campaign as President of Virginia Hospital Center Foundation.

“I am grateful and humbled to accept the position of President/CEO to this well-established and loved community resource. Since becoming Interim CEO in February, I have had the honor of working with an extremely talented and dedicated team, visionary Board of Directors, and committed donors and partners,” says Frantz. “I plan to work closely with our team and Board to serve the needs of our clients and meet the strategic goals of the organization while navigating these challenging times.”

A native of Virginia with a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree from the College of William and Mary, Frantz lives in Arlington with her husband. Frantz brings years of community service to organizations across the region and has been the recipient of numerous honors from local and national organizations.

About A-SPAN: Founded in 1988, A-SPAN strives to end homeless in Arlington by moving people towards housing through a continuum of care that includes shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing, day programs, medical respite, job and life skills coaching, and street outreach. To learn more about the wrap-around services A-SPAN provides, reach to Scott Miller, Sr. Director of Development, at [email protected] or visit www.a-span.org.

Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, has recently learned of an information security incident experienced by one of its vendors.

Blackbaud, Inc., a world-wide vendor that provides nonprofit and charitable organizations with cloud-based solution services related to donor and fundraising activities, recently informed VHC of an incident in which an unauthorized party gained access to Blackbaud’s systems between February 7 and May 20, 2020. Blackbaud informed VHC that the unauthorized party may have acquired a backup of the database that compromises certain limited elements of VHC’s donor and fundraising information, as may be the case with other nonprofits affected by this incident worldwide.

Virginia Hospital Center stores personal information, such as name, address, telephone numbers, email addresses, and, in some cases, date of birth of donors and the last four digits of their credit card. As a result, Virginia Hospital Center is notifying affected individuals.

Blackbaud has assured VHC that based on the nature of the incident as well as by research undertaken by a third-party data security firm and the FBI, that there is no reason to believe that any data involved in this incident went beyond the authorized party. Additionally, they have informed VHC that the issue that allowed the incident to occur has been resolved and that security protocols are being enhanced to prevent these incidents from happening in the future.

VHC will be evaluating its own security protocols and will continue to conduct appropriate oversight of our vendors to safeguard patient’s personal information to protect patient privacy and security. As a best practice, VHC recommends that individuals remain vigilant in reviewing their financial accounts and reporting any suspicious activity.

For any questions or concerns, Blackbaud has created a dedicated site for the incident, or a dedicated assistance line can be called at 855.668.0130 open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding major U.S. holidays.

Virginia Hospital Center takes the privacy and security of its patients and donors seriously and has always handled any personal information stored in methods consistent with best practice and industry standards.

The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City is now offering Afternoon Tea, bringing a time-honored tradition at an affordable price – all with safety and the health of guests in mind.

Offered in their fyve restaurant, featuring globally inspired dishes, the hotel’s Afternoon Tea service is available at three price points, perfect for adults and children celebrating a special occasion or looking for a weekend respite from the day-to-day. The selection includes:

• Afternoon Tea, $42 per person
  • Selection of Tea Sandwiches- Chef’s Seasonal Selection
  • Chef’s Sweet Plate
  • Homemade Scone- Clotted Devonshire Cream, Lemon Cream, Fruit Preserves
  • A Pot of Tea from our Selections
• Tea Royal, $50 per person
  • A Glass of Sparkling Wine, Mimosa, or Bellini
  • Selection of Tea Sandwiches-Chef’s Seasonal Selection
  • Chef’s Sweet Plate
  • Homemade Scone- Clotted Devonshire Cream, Lemon Cream, Fruit Preserves
  • A Pot of Tea from our Selections
• Teddy Bear Tea, $20 per person
  • Selection of Children’s Tea Sandwiches
  • Chef’s Sweet Plate
  • Hot Chocolate or Tea

Afternoon Tea is currently available Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Starting November 12, tea will be offered Thursday- Sunday, 12:00pm – 3:00pm. Come December 3, tea will be served every day from 12:00pm – 3:00pm. guests can make a reservation at (703) 412-2762.

Dr. Irma Becerra, President of Marymount University, has announced the addition of softball as a varsity sport, with competition set to begin during the Spring 2022 semester.

“We are tremendously excited to welcome even more Saints athletes to our campus through the addition of softball at Marymount,” President Becerra said. “Through our NCAA Division III athletics programs, our students learn important skills in the areas of leadership, team collaboration and time management. They also demonstrate excellence both when in a Saints uniform and in the classroom, as our teams average a 3.38 GPA.”

Softball will increase the total count of Marymount athletic programs to 20, and it will be sponsored in the Atlantic East Conference. The Saints softball program brings the Atlantic East total number of teams to seven, allowing for the conference champion to automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Marymount has already begun an extensive search for the team’s first-ever Head Coach

Months after their senior year in high school did a 180 degree turn from what they envisioned nearly a year ago for senior year rites, a group of students from Arlington launched the Gen Z Diaries: Senior Edition. Gen Z Diaries: Senior Edition describes themselves as “the Real World (from MTV), but in the 21st century, with social media, at the height of a global pandemic, amid unrest as a result of racial injustice.”

Gen ZDiaries: Senior Edition team has taken control of their narrative in a  new normal by working and planning over the last few months to document their senior year through video vlogs, a socially distanced homecoming game show, and ongoing filming.

“I never in a million years thought this is where I would be for my senior year. It’s a very unfortunate turn of events that took the world by storm overnight it seems. I know it’s especially hard on the class of 2021 as this is our last year of high school,” said Bobby Holman, a senior at Wakefield High School.

Holman went on to say that “not being able to have the full senior experience is disheartening but we will make it through together. GenZ Diaries: Senior Edition was created to document our time as seniors in the pandemic as we get through the last and most memorable year of our high school career. We want to be able to make the best out of a bad situation as possible. Our goal is for our peers and more to be able to connect as a whole as we all are getting through these trying times.”

The Gen Z Diaries: Senior Edition has partnered with Arlington Independent Media (AIM) and episodes will air on Wednesdays at 4 PM and 10 PM and Saturdays at 10 AM.  Episodes began airing on October 21.  The Gen Z Diaries: Senior Edition can be found on Instagram and TikTok at genz.diaries, on Twitter @genzdiaries, and YouTube at GenZDiaries Senior Edition.

Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, and Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) introduced the National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act of 2020, legislation to require the development of a national aviation preparedness plan for future public health emergencies. The bill builds on similar language Larsen championed in the House-passed HEROES Act and the Healthy Flights Act of 2020.

“Lessons learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic show the urgent need for a national aviation preparedness plan to ensure the safety of aviation crews, employees and passengers and restore confidence in air travel,” said Chair Larsen. “This bill will bring federal agencies, frontline aviation workers and other key stakeholders to the table to develop a clear, comprehensive plan of action for future outbreaks.”

“Our legislation would require better future preparedness to prevent the spread of disease via air travel during a pandemic,” said Rep. Beyer. “Watchdogs within the U.S. Government and the United Nations have both identified the necessity of a coordinated national strategy to prevent spread of disease by air travel as a crucial element in national and international pandemic response. However, to date, the Administration has taken no steps to implement such a plan. Our legislation would require that they do so as soon as possible, with input from agencies across the government, as well as relevant stakeholders in the aviation sector. Had a national aviation preparedness plan been in place at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may have seen different results – that is why this legislation is very important both for this pandemic and for future ones.”

The National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act:

• Requires the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other relevant federal agencies, to develop a national aviation preparedness plan for communicable disease outbreaks.
• Directs DOT to consult with the U.S. aviation industry, labor unions and other key aviation stakeholders on the development of such a plan; and
• Calls for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessment of the plan, including whether it responds to public health recommendations, meets the nation’s obligations under international conventions and treaties, and the extent to which U.S. aviation is prepared for future public health emergencies.

In 2015, Larsen requested a GAO study on the preparedness of U.S. aviation to handle the spread of a communicable disease during the emergence of the Ebola virus. The GAO recommended that a national aviation preparedness plan would help the U.S. aviation and public health sectors to more effectively coordinate on response efforts, while minimizing disruptions to the national aviation system. The legislation is supported by key aviation stakeholders, including the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

“AAAE and airport executives thank Chairman Larsen and Representative Beyer for their leadership on coronavirus-related issues and for their efforts to enhance national aviation preparedness for communicable disease outbreaks,” said AAAE President and CEO Todd Hauptli. “Better coordination within the Federal government and more effective consultation with airports, airlines and other stakeholders on a consistent planning framework will help make our nation’s aviation system safer for passengers and workers alike.”

“The Port of Seattle deeply appreciates Representative Larsen’s leadership on ensuring a consistent nationwide approach to keeping passengers and employees healthy and safe,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho. “At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), we have implemented a wide range of new FlyHealthy@SEA initiatives, but the lack of consistent, enforceable national protocols throughout the entire air travel system has led to confusion and missed opportunities. The lessons from COVID-19 must be captured and incorporated into federal guidance, and we look forward to working with Congress and USDOT to complete this important work.”

Last night, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 34th Annual Arlington Best Business Awards at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City-Washington, D.C., in a hybrid format that allowed attendees to join in person and virtually. The Best Business Awards are presented to area businesses that consistently deliver exceptional quality of service to their customers, are industry leaders or offer a unique approach to delivery of goods or services, achieve significant growth or stability over the lifetime of their business, display an interest and concern for the success of the Arlington community, and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The 2020 Best Business Award winners are:

• Design Powers – 2020 Home-Based Business of the Year
• Arlington Strategy, TriVistaUSA Design + Build – 2020 Service Small Businesses of the Year
• Casual Adventure – 2020 Retail Small Business of the Year
• DTS – 2020 Technology Small Business of the Year
• Arlington Free Clinic – 2020 Nonprofit of the Year
• AT&T, Virginia Hospital Center – 2020 Large Businesses of the Year

“This year’s winners provide exceptional value to their clients as well as to the greater community,” said Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates. “We are proud to present this year’s winners with these well-deserved awards and thank them for their continued investment in Arlington.”

Following the presentation of these awards, the Chamber inducted Erik Gutshall (1970-2020) into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors men and women with a connection to Arlington County who have demonstrated a long record of successful management, expertise, and business skills, along with notable achievements, and exceptional civic and community involvement.

Erik Gutshall was the owner of Clarendon Home Services, a small business which he founded in 2008 in Arlington after recognizing that many homeowners didn’t have adequate time to care for their homes. Upon receiving a diagnosis of a brain tumor, Erik lost his short but fierce battle on April 16, 2020. Erik leaves behind his wife, Renee, and their three children in the Clarendon neighborhood.

Upon accepting the award for her late husband, Renee Gutshall said she felt “very honored.” She went on to talk about Erik’s mission for the Arlington small business community and noted that this lifetime achievement honors the contributions of both their family and the Clarendon Home Services family.

We love our icons, don’t we? They may be silver screen legends, or boundary-breaking journalists. Maybe their voice is the soundtrack of our lives? But it may surprise you how many of them are from Arlington. As our region enters Phase Two of reopening, commuters will see the latest Art on the ART Bus installation, POP ARLINGTON by Ryan Carroll Nelson, featuring six original illustrations which relate the story of famous people who called Arlington home. The placards were installed during the week beginning October 8, 2020.

The Washington DC metropolitan area has long been an international crossroads. Still, it is surprising how many notables had significant ties to Arlington. For this installation, we decided to narrow it down to people who were either born or raised here, or put down roots and made their mark in their field while living in Arlington: actress/dancer Shirley MacLaine, singer/songwriter Roberta Flack, actress Sandra Bullock, actor Warren Beatty, journalist Katie Couric and singer/songwriter Ian Mackaye. Each subject’s story is conveyed in two adjacent panels that illustrate their journey and their relationship to Arlington.

Bringing these pop culture icons to life is artist Ryan Carroll Nelson. Working primarily with brush and ink, Nelson garnered a reputation in the DC area’s legendary punk rock scene during the early 1990s, illustrating numerous concert flyers, t-shirts, and album covers. His comic-style approach and hand-drawn text is immediately recognizable, and his flyers are coveted collectables among music aficionados.

About Ryan Carroll Nelson

Ryan Carroll Nelson garnered a reputation in the Washington DC area punk scene during the early ’90s for illustrating numerous event posters, advertisements, website graphics, album covers, t-shirt designs, company logos, comics, magazines, and textbooks. Most notable clients include The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Dischord Records & Teen Beat Records (both from Arlington, Virginia), Positive Force DC, Nickelodeon’s Noggin website, and Taffety Punk Theatre Company. He also was well known for creating the T Shirt designs from 1999-2018 for the popular summer music series in Washington, DC at Fort Reno Park.  In addition, he is known as the drummer (and artist for) these DC area bands: Most Secret Method, Beauty Pill and Soccer Team, amongst others.  His comic-style approach and hand-drawn text is immediately recognizable

About Art on the ART bus:

The Art on the Art Bus program is an example of how Arlington Arts is building community through artistic outreach in Arlington. The mobile gallery shows original art on an Arlington Transit –or ART–public bus, cultivating a vibrant arts experience for transit riders in the area. The Art on the ART Bus program is supported in part by Arlington Transit.

About Arlington Arts:

Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development, delivers public activities and programs as Arlington Arts. Our mission is to create, support, and promote the arts, connecting artists and community to reflect the diversity of Arlington. We do this by: providing material support to artists and arts organizations in the form of grants, facilities and theater technology; integrating award-winning public art into our built environment; and presenting high quality performing, literary, visual and new media programs across the County.

About ART – Arlington Transit 

Arlington Transit is a local bus system provided by Arlington County, Virginia. ART supplements Metrobus with cross-County routes as well as neighborhood connections to Metrorail. Fully ADA accessible, ART is environmentally friendly, operating on clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG).

McEnearney Associates is excited to announce a new office location in the heart of Clarendon in Arlington, Virginia located at 3033 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA, 22201. This will be McEnearney Associate’s second office location in Arlington.

The new space will allow McEnearney Associates to better meet the needs of clients while expanding their footprint in the Northern Virginia region.

“The opening of our second Arlington office is an important step towards expanding our hyper-local presence in the marketplace. At McEnearney, our goal has never been to be the biggest, but to be the best. Through community relationships, comprehensive market knowledge, and real estate expertise, we plan to provide our clients with the best-in-class service in a best-in-class space,” says Glenn Lewis, Executive Vice President of McEnearney Associates.

McEnearney Associates consolidated their existing Arlington Office to their 8,500 sq. ft. ground-level space which faces North Albemarle Street in the Glebe Lee Shopping Center at 4720 Lee Highway. McEnearney Associates has been on Lee Highway for nearly 25 years in the former Lucas Market and will continue to operate on Lee Highway. “When our lease ended on the upper level, we felt it was the perfect time to move our operations onto one level of space and open another office location in Clarendon. We are thrilled to invite the community to both our new and existing spaces,” says Maureen McEnearney Dunn, President of McEnearney Associates.

McEnearney Associates is a firm of highly respected Realtors® who serve clients first, and always. For forty years, McEnearney Associates has been and continues to be one of the top residential real estate firms in Northern Virginia. We have one simple principle that has guided us to the top… it’s never about us: it’s always about you. For more information about the McEnearney Difference, visit www.McEnearney.com

The Arlington County Board today accepted a $100,000 donation from Amazon to support the County’s efforts to advance racial equity.

The donation will help support the County’s Dialogues on Race and Equity, community conversations that are part of Arlington’s broader commitment to racial equity. The virtual conversations will offer opportunities for individuals, local faith groups, civic organizations, and community leaders to learn about and address ways in which Arlington can be a more equitable and inclusive place.

Amazon has committed to hosting racial equity conversations, training members of its staff to facilitate those conversations, assisting the County in reaching out to the community to encourage participation and promoting the effort within the Arlington business community.

“We welcome Amazon’s commitment to join Arlington County in the hard work of achieving racial equity, and thank them for their financial support,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said. “True change requires the participation not only of County government and our public schools, but also the private sector and our entire community to build systemic equity. I hope that other businesses will follow their lead.”

“Amazon is thankful for the leadership of the County Board and proud to partner with Arlington on these important efforts,” said Brian Huseman, Vice President of Public Policy at Amazon. “We look forward to being an active participant in these conversations and supporting Arlington’s vision of creating a community where each person is valued and has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”

The County has made a commitment to prioritize racial equity in its decision-making and in developing and implementing policies, practices and procedures.

The Board voted unanimously to accept the gift. To read the staff report for this item, visit the County website. Scroll to Item No. 49 on the agenda for the October 20, 2020 Recessed County Board Meeting.

Background

The County Board adopted an Equity Resolution in September 2019 that defines equity as “all populations having access to community conditions and opportunities needed to reach their full potential and to experience optimal well-being.” Thirteen County government and Arlington Public Schools staff members participated in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and Government Alliance for Race and Equity’s 10-month racial equity program.

In July 2020, the County named its first Chief Race and Equity Officer, under the County Manager’s direction, to lead, coordinate and oversee work to advance racial equity throughout County government, in partnership with the community.

Amazon is building its East Coast headquarters on a 6.2-acre site in Pentagon City’s metropolitan Park. The 2.1-million sq. ft. mixed-use project is being built at 1232-1450 S. Eads St. and 501 and 525 15th Street S.