Ballston

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Striking ART Drivers Fired — The Examiner’s Liz Essley reports that the Arlington Transit bus drivers who went on strike yesterday have been fired by Forsythe Transportation, the contractor that operates ART buses. The paper also reports that the labor dispute came to a head when Forsythe fired the head of the bus drivers union last week. ART buses are operating on a reduced frequency schedule today, with all routes in service except the 61B route. [Washington Examiner, Arlington Transit]

Airport Uniforms Found in Ballston — Three pairs of airport employee uniforms and a Washington Reagan Airport safety vest have been found in the bushes outside Carpool restaurant in Ballston (4000 Fairfax Drive). The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Arlington police are investigating how the uniforms wound up there. [WJLA]

Arlington Mill Construction Contract Awarded — Construction on the new Arlington Mill Community Center is scheduled to begin in August, after the County Board awarded a $27.6 million construction contract for the project over the weekend. “Redeveloping the old Arlington Mill Community Center site into a mixed-used facility with a new community center, gymnasium, retail space and a parking garage is part of the County’s efforts to foster a vibrant, walkable urban village along Columbia Pike,” the county said in a press release. [Arlington County]

Goodbye, Hollywood Video — A shuttered Hollywood Video store and a small office building along Wilson Boulevard are set for demolition this month. The buildings are being razed to make way for a 191-unit apartment complex, which will include a parking garage and ground-level retail space. [Washington Business Journal]

Power Problems Knock Out A/C at Barrett Elementary

By ARLnow.com

Last night’s storms did more than just knock out the power to thousands of Arlington residents, leaving homes, businesses and traffic lights dark (especially in the Ballston area).

The storms — and the resulting power outages and surges — apparently played a role in knocking out Barrett Elementary School’s air conditioning. In a letter to parents, Barrett principal Theresa Bratt says that the school’s chiller unit “completely broke down this morning” and is “beyond repair.”

The school has deployed 30 fans to keep classrooms cool while they await the arrival of a temporary rental chiller.

“Fortunately, the cooler weather, combined with the fans and the operable windows throughout the school have aided efforts to keep the building as comfortable as possible for our students and staff,” Bratt wrote. “A permanent replacement chiller has been ordered and will be delivered in about eight weeks, and we expect to have the problem resolved permanently by mid- August.”

Parents with concerns about the lack of air conditioning are encouraged to call the school. Barrett is located just south of Ballston at 4401 N. Henderson Road.

Arlington Public Schools photo

Farmers Markets Canceled Due to Heat

By ARLnow.com

Due to today’s heat advisory, two local farmers markets have been nixed.

The sweltering temperatures have prompted organizers of both the Ballston Farmers Market — held every Thursday in Welburn Square — and the Rosslyn Farmers Market — held Thursdays at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Oak Street — to cancel.

Temperatures are expected to come close to the 100 degree mark today.

Flickr pool photo by MichaelTRuhl

Poker Tournament for a Good Cause

By ARLnow.com

“Wild West” and “Caribbean Breeze” are two things that generally do not go together. Neither are “Habitat for Humanity” and “poker tournament.”

Nonetheless, a “Wild West” Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament and Networking Party to benefit Habitat for Humanity is being held tonight at Caribbean Breeze restaurant in Ballston (4100 N. Fairfax Drive).

Up to 40 players will ante up $100 to compete for a flat screen TV and a pair of gift certificates. Online registration for the tournament is still open.

In addition to poker, the event will also feature cigar rolling, whiskey tastings, special cocktails, raffles, a “special celebrity guest” and networking opportunities.

Non-poker players will be assessed a $20 cover charge, unless they “dress the part” (cowboy hat, huge belt buckle, cowboy boots, etc.), in which case the cover drops to $10. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.

Suspect Arrested After Chase Through Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Police have apprehended a suspect after a foot chase through Ballston.

Initial reports suggest that a man fled on foot from some sort of incident in Ballston Common Mall while armed with a knife. Police chased the suspect for several blocks. He was finally apprehended near Carpool restaurant (4000 Fairfax Drive).

Medics are responding to the scene to treat an injured security guard.

Update at 11:30 a.m. on 6/7/11 — The police department has released the following description of the incident.

ATTEMPT MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST, 06/06/11, 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. On June 6 at 4:25 pm, a man assaulted a mall security guard and left the area. He then returned with a knife and damaged some office items. When police first located him, he ran, but was apprehended. Deandre Davis, 30, of Arlington, was charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Assault and Battery, Destruction of Property and Trespassing. He was held without bond.

National Science Foundation Mulls Move to New HQ

By ARLnow.com

A major Arlington employer is thinking about packing up and moving to a new building.

The National Science Foundation currently employs about 2,100 people at its Ballston headquarters, according to a spokeswoman, but the government agency has indicated that it is potentially interested in moving to a new building when its lease expires in 2013. NSF would like the new space to be about 25 percent larger than its current location at 4201 Wilson Boulevard, and about 12.5 percent cheaper per square foot than the current comparable office rent in Ballston, according to the Washington Business Journal.

The federal government’s office rent cap in Northern Virginia is $38 per square foot, compared to the average Ballston Class A office rent of $43.47, according to WSJ. That has led to speculation that NSF might leave Ballston altogether.

“We’re going to pursue them and we’re going to pursue them aggressively,” Alexandria Vice Mayor Kerry Donley said of the agency’s impending lease expiration, to the Alexandria Times. Donley was instrumental in persuading the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to move its headquarters from Crystal City to Alexandria in the early-to-mid 2000s.

The area’s congressional delegation, however, has asked the General Services Administration — which helps manage government properties — to strongly consider keeping NSF in Arlington.

“We urge you to take into account recent developments that we believe continue to make Arlington the ideal location for NSF Headquarters,” said a letter to the GSA’s top official, signed by Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Moran.

The letter, dated February 23, 2010, argues that NSF benefits from its proximity to Ballston institutions like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Office of Naval Research and Virginia Tech’s new Advanced Research Institute.

“Arlington County is a national epicenter for scientific research, particularly in the areas of defense and homeland security,” the letter stated. “Not only does [Ballston] provide these agencies with access to one of the most highly educated and highly trained workforces in the nation, it also provides them with immediate access to a large pool of technical experts in the contracting community as well.”

“We believe a relocation of NSF Headquarters away from Arlington would [have a] detrimental effect on the ability of each of these research organizations to achieve their agency objectives,” the letter concluded.

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Jimmy John’s Coming to Ballston

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) A Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches store is coming to Ballston.

The restaurant will be opening next to a new Sandy Spring bank branch at 550 N. Quincy Street, adjacent to the still under-construction Founders Square office development.

No word yet on an exact opening date for Jimmy John’s, but it just posted a help wanted ad on Craigslist yesterday. The restaurant is seeking sandwich makers, delivery drivers and bike delivery riders.

This is Arlington’s second Jimmy John’s location. The first restaurant opened in Crystal City in November.

H/t to @andrewdobos. An earlier, erroneous reference to Super Pollo has been removed.

Photos from Taste of Arlington

By ARLnow.com

You would have thought that gray skies and the threat of rain would have persuaded more people to stay at home but, alas, Sunday afternoon’s Taste of Arlington in Ballston was as crowded as ever.

Long lines snaked up and down the rows of food and drink vendors, at times making for human (and dog) traffic jams. The lines moved relatively fast, though, and most restaurants had enough food on hand to last well into the 4:00 hour. The award for longest line goes to Sangam Restaurant (1211 N. Glebe Road), which was practically offering an entire Indian dinner (complete with dessert) for two tickets.

There were numerous local ‘celebrity’ spottings, as presenting sponsor WJLA hauled out half of its news team and as local pols angled for votes. Among those spotted in the crowd were WJLA reporters Pamela Brown and Scott Thuman, as well as County Board reelection candidate Walter Tejada, Commonwealth’s Attorney candidate Theo Stamos and state Senate candidate Barbara Favola. We even spotted David Gaines, the host behind the classic Arlington County TV segment, “Know Your County Wastewater Plant.”

Here are a few photos from around the festival.

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Explosion at Senior Community Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A suspected gas explosion rocked a high-rise senior living community near Ballston this morning.

One person was flown to a burn center after the explosion, inside The Carlin apartments at 4300 N. Carlin Springs Road, according to Arlington Fire Department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. No other injuries were reported.

About 100 residents have been displaced while authorities check the structural integrity of the building, Karl said. They’re being temporarily housed in a nearby church.

Bike to Work Day Approaches

By ARLnow.com

Arlington is going all-out for National Bike to Work Day tomorrow.

From 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., the county will be playing host to three Bike to Work Day “pit stops” — each with music, speakers, bike giveaways, local exhibitors and free food and drinks:

  • Gateway Park in Rosslyn (1300 Lee Highway)
  • Conte’s Bike Shop in Ballston (3924 Wilson Blvd)
  • Crystal City Water Park (1750 Crystal Drive)

The first 8,500 people who register for the event will be able to pick up a free t-shirt.

The Crystal City pit stop will also serve breakfast and provide bicycle repairs and complementary showers. The Rosslyn pit stop will feature a performance by mountain bike stunt rider Mike Steidley and a Capital Bikeshare drop-off station. In addition, the Rosslyn pit stop is where the county will announce the winner of its Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge, which was the subject of a Washington Post feature earlier this week.

Disclosure: The Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Ballston to Get Commuter Store Kiosk

By ARLnow.com

The County Board voted unanimously last night to approve a Commuter Store kiosk outside the Ballston Metro Station.

The kiosk will be built next to the entrance to the station, at the corner of N. Stuart Street and N. Fairfax Drive. The store will provide “convenient, one-stop shopping for schedules, fares, and information about the many transportation options available in the Washington Metropolitan Area.”

Arlington has four stationary Commuter Stores and one mobile Commuter Store RV. The Ballston kiosk will replace an existing Commuter Store location inside Ballston Common Mall.

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