Ballston

UPDATED: Accident at Ballston Construction Site

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters and paramedics helped to rescue an injured construction worker from one of the top floors of an unfinished office building in Ballston.

A large piece of glass reportedly fell on a worker on the 9th floor of the construction site at 800 N. Glebe Road around 12:30 p.m. Rescuers were apparently able to get the man down several flights of narrow stairs before loading him on to the basket of a ladder truck five floors below. The ladder was then lowered down to ground level as bystanders watched from across the street.

The man’s injuries were not said to be life-threatening.

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Dump Truck Loses Wheel in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A fully-loaded dump truck came to a grinding halt at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Randolph Street this morning after its left front wheel detached from the axle.

Nobody was hurt, but the accident did block Randolph Street for at least a half hour, as a heavy wrecker truck was brought in to move the disabled dump truck. A large gash was visible in the pavement, showing where the truck started grinding into the street after the wheel fell off.

The incident happened as the truck was turning from northbound Glebe onto Randolph, across from the Harris Teeter and the Ballston mall parking garage.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Election Day in Virginia — Voters are going to the polls in Virginia today to vote in a rare mid-August primary. In addition to the date, which was pushed back thanks to this year’s redistricting process, this year’s election is unique because it features “more Latino candidates on the ballot than ever before in General Assembly races… running for both Democratic and Republican nominations.” Arlington’s 51 polling places will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. today. [NBC Washington, Arlington County]

O’Leary Predicts High Turnout — Arlington County Treasurer and amateur election prognosticator Frank O’Leary believes that about 11,850 votes will be cast today, seven times the turnout of the 2007 primary. O’Leary based his projection on the number of absentee votes cast this year, which is higher than usual. [Sun Gazette]

Wedding Interrupted by Tow Truck — An Indian wedding procession in Ballston was interrupted over the weekend when the truck and trailer that transported the groom’s white horse to the area was towed from a parking lot. According to a witness, wedding organizers eventually talked the tow truck driver into dropping the truck. [ARLnow Forums]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

DEVELOPING: Widespread Power Outage Reported

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:00 p.m.) Power is gradually being restored after a widespread outage in parts of North Arlington.

More than 9,800 Dominion customers were without power at the height of the outage this evening. The affected several neighborhoods, including Ballston, Virginia Square, Cherrydale, Donaldson Run and parts of Clarendon and Rosslyn. Arlington’s 911 center received numerous calls of tripped alarms and stuck elevators as a result..

A vehicle accident with injuries was reported on Wilson Boulevard and N. Oakland Street. It’s not clear if the accident was related to the power outage, but numerous non-functioning traffic lights were reported around the area.

Power and traffic lights went out along a long stretch of Lee Highway, from Rosslyn up to Glebe Road. Via Twitter, Arlington Public Library said that power was out at Central Library and at the Cherrydale branch.

Historical Marker Installed Outside ‘Deep Throat’ Garage

By ARLnow.com

It’s not the most conspicuous sign in the world, but there’s now a permanent historical marker next to the Rosslyn garage in which Mark “Deep Throat” Felt met up with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to discuss the Watergate scandal.

The text of the marker describes how the nondescript garage at N. Nash Street and Wilson Boulevard helped unravel the political scandal that ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

“Mark Felt, second in command at the FBI, met Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward here in this parking garage to discuss the Watergate scandal. Felt provided Woodward information that exposed the Nixon administration’s obstruction of the FBI’s Watergate investigation. He chose the garage as an anonymous secure location. They met at this garage six times between October 1972 and November 1973. The Watergate scandal resulted in President Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Woodward’s managing editor, Howard Simons, gave Felt the code name “Deep Throat.” Woodward’s promise not to reveal his source was kept until Felt announced his role as Deep Throat in 2005.”

Don’t be fooled by the words “erected in 2008” on the marker; it was actually installed by Arlington County on Friday, after a three year delay.

Within the garage itself, another sign marks the exact spot where Felt and Woodward would meet. The garage owner has marked parked spot 32D, located in a dark corner of the garage, as the two men’s once-secret meeting place.

In addition to the Watergate marker, the county recently erected two other historical plaques.

(more…)

Verizon Strike Hits Home for Ballston Condo Dwellers

By ARLnow.com

The strike by Verizon’s landline workers has hit close to home for residents of one Ballston condominium building.

According to a tipster, the Ballston Park Condominiums building at 1050 N. Stuart Street has lost its landline phone service, and no one from Verizon has been available to fix it. The outage has affected residents’ ability to call 911, use the emergency phone system in the elevators and buzz people into the building, according to the tipster.

“Our building manager called Verizon and notified them that this is an emergency situation,” the tipster wrote. “They said they will try and get someone out tomorrow but could be as late as next week some time.”

We called the building management office for confirmation and, unsurprisingly, it went straight to a call waiting system.

Have your phones been affected by the strike?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pinkberry Opens in Clarendon — The new Pinkberry frozen yogurt store in Clarendon officially opens its doors at 11:00 this morning. Yesterday evening, people queued up around the block as the store gave away free frozen yogurt to anyone willing to wait in line. The giveaway didn’t seem to be hurting Red Mango, Pinkberry’s froyo rival. One block away, Red Mango was still doing brisk business as the Pinkberry line grew.

Dems Plan Dunk Tank at Chili Cookoff — Arlington County Democrats have a new weapon in their fundraising arsenal — a dunk tank. County Dems plan to roll out the dunk tank during their annual Labor Day Chili Cookoff, with the goal of collecting cash from those who want to dunk elected officials. [Sun Gazette]

Residents Raise Money for Nat’l Park — Dominion Hills/Bon Air residents Jason Andelman and Kelly Holland are “regular city folks with a hankering to get back to nature,” according to the Shenandoah National Park Trust. That’s why the pair — friends whose kids go to school together at Ashlawn Elementary — is planning to hike 100 miles through the park in September to help raise $5,000 for the Trust. In addition to being an avid hiker, Andelman is also the owner of Clarendon chocolate shop Artisan Confections (1025 N. Fillmore Street). [Shenandoah National Park Trust, Crooked Trail 100 Blog]

Rustico Plans ‘Family Table’ Sunday Suppers — Rustico restaurant in Ballston (4075 Wilson Blvd) is planning a weekly family-style supper, inspired by Executive Chef Steve Mannino’s Italian-American upbringing. The ‘Family Table’ meals will start this Sunday and continue every Sunday from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Each week will feature a different Italian main course from Mannino’s collection of family recipes. The meal is $20 for adults and $10 for kids, including bruschetta and salad to start and biscotti for dessert.

Deal of the Day: Burger for a Buck

By ARLnow.com

If you like juicy burgers and ridiculously inexpensive food, our partners at WTD have an offer for you.

WTD is offering $7 worth of burgers, shakes or fries at Ballston’s brgr:shack restaurant (4215 Fairfax Drive) for one dollar. Haven’t been yet? Check out brgr:shack’s menu, including their specialty burgers, shack salads, sweet potato fries and thick shakes.

The offer is on sale for the next five days. Already, more than 1,400 vouchers have been sold.

If you’re not hungry for burgers yourself, the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network is asking locals to consider donating the voucher so that the organization’s homeless clients can enjoy a nice meal.

Officer Hurt in Early Morning Crash

By ARLnow.com

An Arlington police officer suffered serious injuries after a crash in Ballston early this morning.

Around 2:15 a.m. the officer was “responding to a call for a disturbance at a bar” at Ballston Common Mall when his cruiser collided with another car at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Glebe Road.

The officer is reported to be in serious condition while the driver’s injuries are said to be non-life threatening.

The intersection was closed for part of the morning, but has since reopened. WJLA.com has more.

Update at 1:40 p.m. — Police have released a statement about the incident. We’re told that the officer was responding to a call at Bailey’s Pub & Grill in Ballston. He’s expected to make a full, long-term recovery.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a serious accident that occurred this morning in the intersection of North Glebe Road and Washington Boulevard. An Arlington County police cruiser collided with another car in the intersection and the officer was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

At approximately 2:16 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, police were dispatched to a large group of disorderly subjects at the Ballston Mall. Directly after, an accident involving a police officer was reported to the communications center. Medic units transported a police officer to a local hospital with serious injuries. The officer, age 40, has been with the Arlington County Police Department for almost five years. The driver of the other vehicle, a 21 year old woman, sustained minor injuries but was also transported to the hospital.

Traffic was shut down in the immediate area for a significant time period while officers collected evidence at the scene. Preliminary investigation reveals that the police officer was traveling southbound on North Glebe Road, proceeding straight through the intersection. The investigation is still ongoing and more information will be released when available.

Anyone who has additional information about this accident is asked contact Detective P. Mulvaney at (703) 228-4239. Witnesses can also call the Arlington Police Tip-Line at (703) 228-4242.

Police Investigate Incident at Capital One Bank in Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:00 p.m. — “This occurred outside the bank near the ATM in the mall,” Arlington Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal tells ARLnow.com. “It does not appear to be hazardous at this time and was not a robbery or attempted bank robbery.”

Update at 4:20 p.m. — We’re told that tests have revealed the substance to be “non-hazardous.” At least one patient was transported to the hospital, however.

Police are investigating an incident at the Capital One bank on the ground floor of the Ballston Common Mall (4100 Wilson Blvd).

According to initial reports, an unknown man entered the bank and splashed a “caustic liquid” in the face of two female bank employees. The employees reportedly suffered a burning sensation and the inability to open their eyes. Police are looking for the man, who fled the scene.

Paramedics treated the employees and a hazmat team responded to try to identify the substance. At this time the injuries are not reported to be serious.

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Deal of the Day: 60% Off at First Down Sports Bar

By ARLnow.com

Our partners at WTD have a deal this week especially for Ballston and Virginia Square residents.

They’re offering $20 worth of food at First Down Sports Bar & Grill (4213 N. Fairfax Drive) for only $8. First Down has a menu that includes loaded tater tots, tex mex eggrolls, pizza, burgers, and 40 different chicken wing flavors. If you’re not watching sports on the restaurant’s HDTV’s, you can play shuffleboard, foosball and other bar games.

First Down is a “home” bar for fans of the Redskins, Capitals, Wizards, Steelers, Red Sox, Virginia Tech, and WVU.

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