‘Coming Soon’ signs in the windows of Roggenart Bistro and Café, set to take over the space previously occupied by Republik Coffee Bar (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Maryland-based bakery and coffee retailer Roggenart Bistro & Café is set to make its Arlington debut in Ballston.
It is moving into the previous home of Republik Coffee Bar, at 4401 Wilson Blvd, next to restaurants Big Buns Damn Good Burgers and Nando’s PERi-PERi. Republik and its Tysons counterpart permanently closed earlier this year.
Details about Roggenart’s opening remain sparse but the company, which operates four locations in Maryland, filed a permit with Arlington County on Thursday to start work on the space
The café’s owners did not respond to ARLnow’s request for additional information. Roggenart has existing locations in Columbia, Ellicott City, Savage, and Towson, Md.
The menu for the European-style café and bistro includes a range of breakfast and lunch items, including eggs benedict to a cast-iron grilled reuben. The establishment also offers baked goods such as croissants and danishes and espresso-based drinks.
Roggenart joins a growing list of coffee options in the Ballston area, including newcomers like the outdoor stand Ballstonian and, just across Wilson Blvd from the future café, Slipstream.
The newly renovated Ballston Wetlands Park in September (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey speaks to attendees at Ballston Wetlands Park ribbon-cutting (staff photo by James Jarvis)
An exhibit of native plants planted at the newly renovated Ballston Wetlands Park (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey cuts a ribbon, officially opening the newly renovated Ballston Wetlands Park (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Ballston Pond in 2018 (courtesy Arlington County)
Ballston Pond in 2009 (courtesy Arlington County)
The restoration of Ballston Wetlands Park is officially complete and the park is now open to the public.
Arlington County officials and community members marked the occasion today (Tuesday) with a ribbon-cutting.
The rain-soaked event marked the end of a $4 million renovation project that transformed what was formerly known as Ballston Beaver Pond — until the departure of the beavers — from a sludge-filled area into a natural stormwater filtration system and wildlife refuge.
“Over the years, sediment, trash, and invasive plants essentially filled the pond,” County Board Chair Christian Dorsey told a crowd of attendees. “Now, cleared of that sediment and other debris, this retrofitted wetland system not only improves stormwater flow and filtration but also captures trash, serving as both a wildlife refuge and a natural respite within our urban village of Ballston.”
Initially built in 1980 as a stormwater detention facility for runoff from I-66, the pond gradually evolved into a haven for local wildlife. By the 1990s, species such as beavers, muskrats, geese, herons, egrets, red-winged blackbirds, fish and turtles had migrated to the area.
Dam-building activities by the beavers, however, interfered with the site’s original drainage systems. When the beavers eventually left, the county took the opportunity to make necessary improvements.
Planning for the renovations dates back to 2011 but it took a decade for the work to kick off in December 2021. Acquiring the necessary easements took about eight years and Covid further delayed the project.
The site now features new informative signage, educational exhibits and thousands of native trees and plants. Logs for turtles to sun themselves, dubbed “basking stations,” have also been added.
There is also a hidden feature to manage beaver activity going forward. The county installed a secondary, concealed pathway for water to flow out and bypass their dams, a solution known as a “beaver baffle.”
That may be prescient, given some reported beaver sightings, Lily Whitesell, a stormwater outreach specialist with Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services (DES), told ARLnow. Perhaps the beavers moved back to enjoy the upgrades to their old habitat.
Jason Papacosma, a DES wetlands project manager, said the project extends beyond local restoration efforts and contributes to the broader clean-up of Chesapeake Bay.
“This is a project that gives us credit for our obligations to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. And in terms of all the progress we’ve made to date, this project gives us at least 10% of that overall progress,” Papacosma said.
Demetra McBride, bureau chief of the county’s Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management, acknowledged that while the site was not originally an “environmental asset,” it has now become one.
“I realize that this is not a natural asset… But the community, going back as far as 10 years, wanted more. The leadership of Arlington inspired more. And your public servants and their contractors delivered more,” she said during the ceremony.
Brandon with tow driver Ryan O’Neill (courtesy Tiffany Pierce)
An Arlington high school student who had gone missing over the weekend was reunited with his family — after his stepmom says a tow truck driver spotted him.
Brandon, a Washington-Liberty High School student, was last seen Friday morning. His mom, who lives in Arlington, notified his dad and stepmother, Phil and Tiffany Pierce, of Stafford, the next day.
Tiffany tells ARLnow she and Phil began “walking and driving around Arlington, day in and out, looking for Brandon… and working with the police.”
Police posted missing notices on social media, where the post was shared several hundred times. Tiffany also took to Facebook Sunday to post about her missing stepson and urged people to be on the lookout for him.
The Facebook posts were seen by Ryan O’Neill, a tow truck driver with Advanced Towing, who made headlines last year after helping to talk a man down from the edge of a Route 1 overpass.
Tiffany received a call from O’Neill around 4 p.m. yesterday (Monday), in which he said he spotted Brandon in Ballston and caught up to him.
O’Neill struck up a conversation with Brandon until Tiffany and Phil arrived, about 10 minutes later.
“Once I got there and we were reunited with Brandon, I called Brandon’s mom and the police, they met us in the Wells Fargo parking lot and we now have Brandon home with us,” Tiffany said. “We are forever grateful for Ryan for helping us bring Brandon home safe.”
In a statement, ACPD confirmed that Brandon was found yesterday. Police were dispatched around 3:40 p.m. to the 1000 block of N. Stafford Street for a report of a found missing juvenile.
“Upon arrival, it was determined family members had observed the juvenile walking in the area,” spokeswoman Alli Shorb said. “Responding officers made contact with the juvenile, confirmed his wellbeing and he was released to the custody of a guardian.”
She said family members reported observing the missing juvenile and noted that ACPD does not have additional details about whether a tow truck operator was involved.
Advanced Towing owner John O’Neill, the adoptive father of Ryan, confirmed the event.
“Ryan is constantly helping out the public,” John said, adding that he “pays attention and is all over Arlington.”
He cited the Crystal City overpass incident and the discovery of the missing teen as examples of how Advanced Towing is “helping out the community.”
The Advanced driver who towed the car with children inside earlier this month was not cited. The woman who allegedly left the children to go into a mall is, however, facing charges.
(Updated at 5 p.m.) A Falls Church man is facing charges and a tow truck driver is facing a traffic citation after an incident Sunday evening in Ballston.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. in front of the Advanced Towing lot on the 4000 block of 5th Road N.
An officer was conducting a traffic stop of a tow truck, according to today’s Arlington County police crime report, “when the suspect, who is the owner of the towed vehicle, arrived at the location and began acting disorderly.”
“When an additional officer arrived on scene and began to converse with the suspect, he allegedly lunged at the officer,” the crime report says. “The officer then attempted to detain the suspect, during which he shoved the officer before fleeing the scene on foot. Officers initiated a foot pursuit and took the suspect into custody.”
The suspect, a 25-year-old Falls Church resident, “was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication.”
The tow truck driver was cited for “a vehicle being towed without being properly secured to the tow truck,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.
Minutes before the incident, police were dispatched to the nearby Ballston Quarter mall for a report of a driver who parked his running car in front of the Ted’s Bulletin on Wilson Blvd to pick up food and came back to find it potentially stolen. Savage told ARLnow that call was not related to the tow truck incident.
Advanced Towing was back in the news earlier this month after ARLnow was the first to report that one of its drivers towed a car with two young children inside from in front of the Pentagon City mall.
Washington Capitals will host 2023 charity “garage sale” at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Ballston (courtesy of Washington Capitals)
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.)Looking to score some Washington Capitals gear and give back?
The hockey team is hosting its first-ever charity “garage sale” this Saturday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex (627 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston, featuring everything from bobbleheads to T-shirts, posters and hats. Players will not have personal items for sale, we’re told.
The credit card-only sale is open to members of the general public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. but season ticket holders will have early access from 10-11 a.m.
All proceeds will benefit the team’s charitable arm, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, and its “work in the community with nonprofit partners from across the region,” team spokeswoman Megan Eichenberg said.
This includes the “Family-to-Family” program, where the team “adopts” families in need, and “KABOOM!,” which has built 11 new playgrounds in the D.C. area since 2013 with support from the foundation.
Today (Monday), the same foundation also announced it would be donating $75,000 across nine nonprofits that work to make hockey in the D.C. area more diverse.
Before or after perusing the garage sale, Eichenberg said fans will be able to watch the Caps practice ahead of the season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena on Friday, Oct. 13.
The Ballston location of Greenheart Juice Shop (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Interior of the Greenheart Juice Shop’s Ballston location (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Interior of the Greenheart Juice Shop’s Ballston location (staff photo by James Jarvis)
(Updated at 5:32 p.m.) Greenheart Juice Shop is slated to hold a grand opening for its newest location in Ballston on Saturday.
The celebration at 4121 Wilson Blvd will include wellness shots, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win gift cards or class packs to local gyms.
This location, which previously housed Philz Coffee, will be Greenheart’s first in Arlington and its fourth in Northern Virginia. A second Arlington location is set to open in Courthouse “sometime this fall,” a spokesperson for the juice shop told ARLnow.
The juice chain began as one location in 2010 in the village of Aldie in Loudoun County, selling health foods such as cold-pressed juices, açai bowls and salads. Since then, the company has expanded its reach across Northern Virginia, adding storefronts in Leesburg and Vienna.
Late last year, Arlington-based hospitality group Wooden Nickel Bar Co., which also operates local restaurants Copperwood Tavern and Brass Rabbit Public House, acquired the shop. Greenheart then set its sights on expanding into Arlington.
“We’ve expanded into Ballston because [owner Reese Gardner]… saw an opportunity to be involved in a community that is very centered on health and fitness,” the spokesperson said, noting that Arlington has been named the “fittest city” for six years in a row.
The new juice shop will compete with another homegrown juice-and-smoothie chain, South Block, which has been open across the street since March 2019.
As more modern conveniences and critical infrastructure connect to the internet, increasingly commonplace objects — like electric vehicles — can be hit with cyberattacks.
In this ever-changing landscape, Ballston-based cybersecurity company Fend has put forward a new piece of technology to protect large systems and small devices alike from offenses launched by alleged thieves, cybercriminals and nation state actors.
It recently patented a microchip that allows Fend to protect a wider variety of goods. Any manufacturer can embed the chip into small-scale products, such as medical devices and delivery drones, to keep them secure.
“We’re talking about cars, power plants, and other machines that keep the economy going,” CEO and founder Colin Dunn said in a press release. “Our users will be able to feed data into next-generation AI tools while permanently keeping attackers out.”
Like its first product — a “data diode” that looks like an internet modem — the new chip dictates how devices “talk” to the internet, such that hackers cannot find a way to wrest control.
“Because we maintain that physically applied, one-way data flow, that means nobody from the outside can ever hack in, and that’s a bold claim but it’s the sort of thing that our infrastructure needs,” Dunn told ARLnow.
Amid reports of continued attacks on national infrastructure, he said, governments also have to protect their older systems, such as energy plants, which have been retrofitted for internet connectivity.
“These are folks that have big, important equipment that makes modern life possible, whether it’s making the goods in our homes or bringing clean water to our neighborhoods,” Dunn said. “And they also have a big target on their back as well from those who would like to disrupt their operations.”
This is Fend’s fifth year in Arlington. The company is in the midst of fundraising, with the goal of expanding further.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity here to — really from almost the very beginning — do this in Arlington, and make a contribution to the security of our country and around the world right here from home,” Dunn said.
An engineer works on Fend’s data diodes (courtesy of Bryant Cox)
Police officer with the car towed with kids inside (staff photo)
Woman reunited with child at Advanced Towing lot in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police on scene in Ballston after car towed with kids inside (staff photo)
Police officer with the car towed with kids inside (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Woman reunited with child at Advanced Towing lot in Ballston (staff photo)
Police officer with the car towed with kids inside (staff photo)
Police on scene in Ballston after car towed with kids inside (staff photo)
Police on scene in Ballston after car towed with kids inside (staff photo)
A Maryland woman was cited by police after her car was towed, unknowingly with two young children inside.
Arlington County police were called shortly after 11 a.m. today (Tuesday) by a distraught woman reporting that her car was stolen from outside the Macy’s in Pentagon City. A one-year-old and a three-year-old were inside the vehicle, the woman reported.
“At approximately 11:10 a.m. on September 5, police were dispatched to the 1100 block of S. Hayes Street for the report of a stolen vehicle with two children inside,” police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “While officers were responding to the call, it was determined the vehicle had been reported as towed for being parked in a no parking zone.”
The car had been towed by Advanced Towing and was back at their lot in Ballston, a dispatcher told officers, who then responded to the lot.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the tow operator was unaware the children were inside and upon notification, pulled over to check on them,” Savage said. “Responding officers then made contact with the children and determined they were in good health.”
The 26-year-old driver of the car that was towed “was charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and released on a summons,” Savage added. “The investigation into the incident is ongoing.”
ARLnow was on scene as the woman arrived in a police cruiser and was reunited with the children within the tow lot.
An Advanced Towing spokeswoman confirmed to ARLnow that the vehicle was towed while the engine was still running, so the air conditioning was still on in the car as temperatures reached into the 90s. Her towing fee was waived, the spokeswoman said.
John O’Neill, owner of the towing company, told ARLnow that the driver looked into the car but did not see the children. They were in their car seats in the backseat of the Hyundai crossover-style vehicle, ARLnow observed through the tow company’s fence, after a police officer had opened a rear door.
“I looked at the driver’s pictures before towing you cannot see those kids in the car at all,” O’Neill said. He claimed the vehicle was left unattended for 16 minutes in a tow-away zone outside the Pentagon City mall.
“We see this all the time,” O’Neill said. “She didn’t want to be inconvenienced to take the kids out to go into the mall and left them unattended in the fire lane.”
The normal procedure when a driver sees children in an unattended vehicle, he said, is to “call the police and we wait.”
Advanced has been the target of much ire — from members of the public and public officials alike — over its prolific trespass towing, which many claim is done in a reckless or “predatory” manner.
In 2021, a lawsuit by Virginia’s then-Attorney General resulted in a fine levied by an Arlington judge — though the suit was largely unsuccessful and O’Neill claimed vindication. Last month, Arlington County began enforcing zoning rules related to Advanced’s tow lot, following a campaign by a local Twitter user.
In 2020, O’Neill was injured by an Uber driver who struck him while trying to drive off the lot without paying. The driver later pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
A carjacking attempt in the Ballston area Monday morning was foiled by the vehicle’s stick shift, police say.
The incident happened around 5:45 a.m. on Labor Day at the Harris Teeter parking lot on the 600 block of N. Glebe Road.
Three men carjacked a victim who was driving a Kia Soul, but did not get far as they apparently did not know how to operate the vehicle’s manual transmission, according to police and scanner traffic.
The Fairfax County police helicopter was called in to help search for the suspects but they were not found and remain at large.
More, below, from today’s Arlington County police crime report.
ATTEMPTED CARJACKING, 2023-09040047, 600 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 5:44 a.m. on September 4, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was exiting his parked vehicle when he was approached by three male suspects. The suspects instructed the victim to place his car keys on the hood of his car. The victim complied and walked away from the vehicle. The suspects fled the scene on foot after allegedly determining the vehicle was a manual transmission. Officers canvassed the area for the suspects yielding negative results. The suspects are described as white or Hispanic males, approximately 18-26 years old, wearing all black clothing. The investigation is ongoing.
Earlier Monday morning, police responded to an alleged incident involving an intoxicated suspect threatening a victim with a machete near Courthouse and Rocky Run Park.
From ACPD:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-09040035, 2300 block of 11th Street N. At approximately 3:16 a.m. on September 4, police responded to the report of a possible mental health call for service. The preliminary investigation determined the male victim was outside a residential building when he observed the male suspect walk by holding a machete. A short time later, the suspect returned and initiated a conversation with the victim, during which he allegedly brandished the machete. The victim ran and the suspect chased after him while making threatening statements. The victim was able to get to a safe location and no injuries were reported. Responding officers located the suspect in the area with the machete and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 33, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Brandishing and Public Intoxication. He was held without bond.
SHOT FIRED, 2023-09010239, N. Stuart Street at Fairfax Drive. At approximately 8:21 p.m. on September 1, police were dispatched to the report of a possible assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim and suspect became involved in a verbal dispute during which the suspect brandished and discharged a firearm. No injuries or property damage were reported.
Scene of fall from under-construction building in the Ballston area (screenshot of video courtesy Leslie K.)
Road closed by emergency activity at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street
(Updated at 10 a.m.) A person has life-threatening injuries after a long fall in the Ballston area.
The incident happened around 7 a.m. at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street. Police initially responded there for a trespasser climbing a rope at the construction site.
While on scene, an officer told dispatchers that the person appeared to be stuck part-way up the under-construction building and, a short time later, that they fell about eight stories to the ground below.
Firefighters rushed to the scene to treat the gravely injured person, who was at least initially reported to be a man between the ages of 30-50. Detectives were also dispatched to investigate.
The intersection was closed by police for about 2.5 hours before reopening around 9:30 a.m.
LOCATION: Fairfax Dr/N Quincy INCIDENT: Police Department Activity IMPACT: The intersection is closed. Seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/2s1v7HbsMO
Someone fired gunshots across from the Ballston Metro station tonight (Friday).
Police were dispatched to the scene at Fairfax Drive and N. Stuart Street around 8:20 p.m. for a report of a shooting. They arrived and reportedly found shell casings on the street in front of the Subway restaurant but no one injured.
A lookout was broadcast for a possible suspect who fled into the Metro station, but police could not find him.
Arlington County police responded to North Stuart Street and Fairfax Drive to assist Metro Transit police investigate the sounds of gunfire near Ballston around 8:21 p.m.
