ABC store

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Crocuses in north Arlington

Reporter Verbally Assaulted, Mooned While Investigating Arlington Arrest — A WJLA reporter was met with hostility while looking into the case of two daycare workers arrested near Weenie Beenie for reckless endangerment of children. The two women are accused of driving seven children in a vehicle without securing them in safety restraints. The reporter discovered notices posted on the daycare’s door informing parents that it had been shut down. A woman who said she was a neighbor took down the notices with the cameras rolling, engaged in a verbal assault on the crew and then mooned the camera. [WJLA]

Trash and Hazardous Material Recycling Event on Saturday — The biannual Arlington Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) will take place this Saturday, April 20, at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road) from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Residents are able to bring items such as hazardous materials, metals, bicycles and electronics to be recycled or disposed of. The full list of accepted items is available online.

Man Rescued After Falling onto Metro Tracks — A man fell onto the tracks at the Pentagon City Metro station last week and was rescued by two bystanders. The man reportedly walked right off the train platform while texting on his cell phone as a train was approaching. A bystander in his 70s, along with his daughter, pulled the man to safety before the train arrived. [Washington Post]

Rosslyn ABC Store Closes — The Virginia ABC store at 1731 Wilson Blvd. has closed. A Virginia ABC spokeswoman told ARLnow.com last month that the store would not be renewing its lease, which expires April 30.

Streetcar Critics Keep Watch on Financing — The Arlington County Republican Committee vows to keep watch on county officials to make sure they follow the rules when finalizing the project’s financing package. The group opposes the streetcar plan and contends the County Board will go to any lengths to secure financing in order to avoid a voter referendum on the issue. Last week, the federal government declined the joint funding application from Arlington and Fairfax counties for the project. [Sun Gazette]

Rosslyn ABC Store Closing Next Month

By ARLnow.com

Virginia ABC store in Rosslyn (photo via Google Maps)The Virginia ABC store at 1731 Wilson Blvd, in the Rosslyn area, will be closing next month.

The liquor store “will close sometime around April 20,” Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Carol Mawyer confirmed to ARLnow.com. She said the store will not be renewing its lease.

“We are closing this store because it is in a leased property and our lease expires April 30,” said Mawyer. It’s the second high-profile business to close in the historic Colonial Village Shopping Center so far this year. In January, Ray’s Hell Burger and Ray’s Hell Burger Too closed due to a landlord-tenant dispute.

ABC customers in the area will now have to find another store to shop at, such as the Virginia ABC store at 1001 N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon, in the Clarendon Self Storage II Complex. That store is about a mile away.

“ABC operates seven other stores in Arlington for our customers’ convenience,” Mawyer said. “There are another three stores (for a total of 10) within a 5-mile radius of the Wilson Boulevard property.”

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Men looking for work outside Glebe Market (photo by Ddimick)

State Legislators Hold Public Hearing — Arlington’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly listened to nearly 50 speakers make the case for various legislative and funding priorities at a public hearing Friday night. Among the issues discussed were gun laws, mental health and disability funding, and Medicaid. [Twitter, Sun Gazette]

Rent Rises in Arlington — The average rent in Arlington in the third quarter of 2012 was $2,500.06, a 2.5 percent increase from a year prior. The average rent for single-family homes had the steepest increase — 4.4 percent — compared to apartments and townhouses. [Sun Gazette]

D.C. United Coach Regrets Living in N. Va. — Ben Olsen, the 35-year-old coach of the D.C. United soccer team, says he regrets living in Fairfax and Arlington before moving to his current home in the District. Olsen said in an interview that he was “kicking myself for wasting all those years living in Northern Virginia.” [DCist]

Va. ABC Stores Report Record Profits — Virginia ABC stores reported a record profit of $132.1 million in the last fiscal year. “There is something to say that people continue to drink in good times and in bad, but generally speaking as the economy improves, people have more disposable income to spend,” a Virginia ABC executive said. [CBS DC]

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick

New Columbia Pike ABC Store to Open Friday

By ARLnow.com

A new Virginia ABC store on Columbia Pike is set to open this coming Friday, June 1.

The state liquor store, at 2940 Columbia Pike, will first open its doors at 10:00 a.m., according to Virginia ABC spokeswoman Jennifer Farinholt. Normal hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“The store measures 3,895 square feet and will carry approximately 1,400 items,” Farinholt told ARLnow.com.

Shelves in Place at Columbia Pike ABC Store

By ARLnow.com

 

It appears that the new state liquor store at 2940 Columbia Pike is getting closer to opening.

The recognizable ABC logo has been placed on the store’s window, and a surprisingly large expanse of shelving can be seen inside the store. Virginia ABC officials, however, say an official opening date has not been chosen yet.

The store is located next to Lost Dog Cafe, along the Pike’s central business district.

Should Marijuana Be Sold At Virginia ABC Stores?

By Katie Pyzyk

Feel like picking up a little pot with your booze purchase? Delegate David Englin (D) has introduced a bill to examine if that should become a possibility.

As first reported by the Sun Gazette, Del. Englin has called for a study to analyze whether Virginia ABC stores should sell marijuana. Englin wants a report on the potential revenue the state could gain by such sales.

He points out that the sale and use of distilled spirits, at one time considered controversial substances, has been kept in check by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Part of the legislation reads: “As society changes, products that were deemed illegal at one time are made legal and even sold by stores that are operated by government agencies in the attempt to control the sale of the products.”

The sales of distilled spirits have generated millions of dollars that go toward Virginia’s government programs. Englin says the same might be possible with the sale of marijuana. He adds that other states are also looking into the controlled sale of the drug.

If approved, the subcommittee devised to perform the study would meet up to six times before November 30, and could not spend more than $15,040 on the study, without special approval for additional funding. Findings would be submitted by the first day of the 2013 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Englin has also proposed a resolution to request that Virginia’s governor petition the Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II narcotic, the same as prescription pain medications like oxycodone. Currenty, pot is classified as a Schedule I narcotic, on the same level as heroin and LSD. Englin’s resolution notes that the governors of Rhode Island and Washington state have filed similar petitions with the DEA in recent months.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Hope Proposes Cigarette Tax Hike — Arlington’s Del. Patrick Hope (D) is planning to introduce a bill that would increase Virginia’s relatively low cigarette tax. Unlike past years when Hope has proposed a cigarette tax hike only to have it promptly killed by Republicans, Hope is now proposing that revenue from the tax go directly to car tax relief, rather than to anti-smoking programs or Medicaid funding. [WTVR]

Record Profit for Virginia ABC — Virginia’s state-owned ABC liquor stores and restaurant wholesale business saw record sales and a record profit in fiscal year 2011. The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control says it recorded an all-time high profit of $121 million last fiscal year, amid record demand for wine, liquor and mixers at stores and from restaurants. The state’s top-selling liquor, meanwhile, is Jack Daniels. [Associated Press]

Lime Fresh Now Open in Clarendon — Lime Fresh Mexican Grill officially opened in Clarendon on Monday. The restaurant, at 2900 Wilson Boulevard, is the first D.C. location for the Florida-based chain. Another Lime Fresh location is planned for Pentagon Row. The chain originally got its start in 2004 as a restaurant on Miami’s South Beach. The Clarendon Lime Fresh location will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.

Lyon Park Community Center Renovations — The County Board is expected to consider a use permit in March for planned renovations to the Lyon Park Community Center. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Alex

New ABC Store Coming to Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

A new Virginia ABC liquor store is coming to Columbia Pike’s emerging central business district.

Interior construction is about to get underway at the future store, which is located at 2940 Columbia Pike, next to Lost Dog Cafe.

Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Jennifer Farinholt confirmed that the space will indeed be used by a state liquor store, but was unable to provide any other details. No word yet on when the store might open.

Board Warns of Ill Consequences from State Liquor Plan

By ARLnow.com

County board members are not big fans of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to privatize state liquor stores. At yesterday’s board meeting, members took turns bashing various aspects of the plan.

“It does not come anywhere near funding the transportation needs of the state,” Barbara Favola said, of the plan’s stated goal of helping to fill the $20 billion worth of unfunded transportation needs in Virginia.

“Four-hundred-fifty million dollars is nothing,” said Chris Zimmerman, referring to the estimated one-time revenues that selling state-run ABC stores and auctioning off liquor licenses could provide. He said that one estimate puts the additional amount needed for transportation in Northern Virginia at $500 million per year.

Jay Fisette worried about the loss of the state’s lucrative ABC business, which provides millions each year to fund human services programs. That revenue, he said, would be lost under the plan, choking off the state’s already shrinking human services budget.

Also a concern was the number of new liquor stores and liquor-licensed grocery and convenience stores that could be approved under the plan. Zimmerman cited a report saying the number of stores selling liquor in Arlington would increase from 8 to 26.

“I think this has great potential to affect our community in a negative manner,” said Mary Hynes. She said it would be easier for teens to buy liquor from grocery stores than it currently is to buy liquor from the state-run ABC stores.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Great Day to Be Outside — It’s supposed to be a near-perfect day weather-wise. Why not stop by the Rosslyn or Ballston farmers markets, or take in some after-work outdoor tunes in Clarendon? See the hours and locations for each in our events calendar.

Go-Go Comes to Crystal City — This weekend, the Hyatt Regency Crystal City will host a late-night concert featuring some of the original legends of go-go. The Rare Essense: Past, Present and Future Reunion is expected to draw a large crowd on Saturday. Starting at 9:00 p.m. and ending at 3:00 a.m., the show will feature a special tribute to the late go-go pioneer Lil Benny. His original band, Rare Essence, will perform, along with EU and Sugar Bear.

McDonnell ABC Plan: 14 New Places to Buy Booze in Arlington? — Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to privatize liquor sales in Virginia would triple the number of stores selling booze in the Commonwealth. Arlington currently has seven state-run ABC retailers; assuming that the new licenses are evenly distributed throughout the state, that could mean Arlingtonians will have 14 new places to get their hooch. Grocery stores and other big-box stores would be the biggest beneficiaries of the new licenses, followed by drug stores and package stores. But first, McDonnell’s plan must be approved by a skeptical state legislature.

Write-Up for Willow — According to Washington Life Magazines’ Katie Test, “the patio at Willow Restaurant is the perfect place to say goodbye to summer.” Test writes that the patio’s lush greenery and Willow’s delicious, summery meals are just the thing to take your mind off the gradually falling temperatures.

Flickr pool photo by Allee574