baseball

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Congrats to the Nats — Fireworks could be heard in parts of Arlington as the Nationals won the World Series in Game 7 just before midnight. [Twitter, Twitter]

Nats World Series Run Helps Local Startup — “BreakingT’s business is very much staying in the fight. The Arlington T-shirt retailer had already seen a significant boost from the Nationals’ playoff run… Until last week, BreakingT’s biggest revenue day was during the All-Star Game hosted at Nationals Park last July. But each of the three home World Series matchups have now exceeded that.” [Washington Business Journal]

Severe Storms Expected Tonight — “Hazardous Halloween weather is possible in the Washington area and many parts of the Mid-Atlantic, where a line of storms, some of which may be severe, will sweep through during the evening. ‘A potentially dangerous weather event is unfolding for Thursday,’ wrote the National Weather Service serving the Washington region.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Chick-fil-A Customers Cause Crystal City Cycling Consternation — “Diving deeper geographically from streets to blocks and overlaying vehicle type, a story starts to emerge from the data. We already knew the majority of bike lane blockages were on Crystal Drive, but now we can see that the 2100 block of Crystal Drive is where all the action is, why? Chick-fil-a!” [Greater Greater Washington]

Kudos for Hot Lola’s in Ballston — “Got a hankering for a fried chicken sandwich? Forget Popeyes — go for Hot Lola’s’s version in Arlington, says a new report. Washingtonian says Hot Lola’s hot-chicken sandwich are the best in the D.C. area, tied with Wooboi in Herndon for the No. 1 spot in their list of the top five in our region.” [Washingtonian, Patch]

Paul Rudd’s Pentagon Ice Cream Connection — “While searching for the quickest route to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City from my apartment, I went down a weird internet black hole and discovered that the Google Maps photo for the Baskin-Robbins at the Pentagon features Paul Rudd dressed as a Baskin-Robbins employee. What’s the deal with that?” [Washingtonian]

Tomorrow: Horticultural Event at Arlington National — “Friday Nov 1: Join ANC’s Horticulturist for a walking tour of the cemetery’s Memorial Arboretum. We’ll look at trees, shrubs and perennials that survived the wet spring and hot, dry summer of 2019.” [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Silver Spring Man Wins Soggy MCM — “Jordan Tropf just wanted to see what he could do. Turns out, he could win the Marine Corps Marathon. Leading from the start, the 27-year-old Silver Spring resident built a lead of a 1:26 at the halfway point and went on to win by 70 seconds in 2:27:43, much of the second half coming in a driving rain.” [Run Washington, Washington Post, WTOP]

Arlington World Series Surprise on ‘Today’ — The Today Show aired a segment on the Nottingham Elementary School crossing guard who was surprised with World Series tickets from parents and students. [Twitter]

Shirlington Employment Center Moving — “The Shirlington Employment and Education Center (SEEC) is gearing up for a two-digit move – from 22206 to 22204. Facing the need to decamp from its office space (and facility for day laborers to congregate) in its namesake Shirlington, SEEC has worked with the Arlington County government to obtain space in Arlington Mill along the Columbia Pike corridor.” [InsideNova]

Dorsey Pushes for Clearer Metro Refund Policy — “When one Metro train crashed into another soon after a Nationals playoff game, Metro decided to cancel its ‘Rush Hour Promise’ refunds for the following afternoon’s commute… Arlington County Board Chair and Metro Board member Christian Dorsey hopes for more discussion about how explicit the terms should be, even if it is not reasonable to foresee every possible event.” [WTOP]

Nearby: New Bank Near Fairlington — “A new Bank of America location is coming to the Bradlee Shopping Center in Alexandria. The space at 3690G King Street was previously home to Queen Bee Designs.” [ALXnow]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Arlington Bars and Restaurant Hosting Specials For World Series Games

By Kalina Newman

We heard your call and we answered: here are some of the bars around Arlington offering specials for the upcoming Nationals World Series games.

Game 3 kicks off at Nationals Parks tonight at 8 p.m., followed by games 4 and 5 on Saturday and Sunday.

This list is not comprehensive and is comprised of bars that either posted specials on their social media or picked up the phone at 11 a.m.

Dudley’s Sport and Ale in Shirlington (2766 S. Arlington Mill Drive) will have specials all night long, including:

  • $1 hot dogs and beers during the first inning
  • $5 Maker’s Mark drinks all night
  • $5 beer tub specials all night
  • And if the Nationals win, free Jello shots.

In Ballston, Rustico (4075 Wilson Blvd) will be extending their happy hour pricing for beer and wine through the end of each game, which includes $2 off all draft beer and $5 glasses of house wine.

Also in Ballston sports bar First Down (4213 N. Fairfax Drive) is doing $5.50 “Baby Shark” shots layered with vodka, sour mix, Blue Curacao, grenadine, and a splash of Sprite, in addition to the discounted drink and food specials.

Meanwhile in Courthouse, the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill (2424 Wilson Blvd) will be offering $5 shots of Jameson, Fireball, and Jager, along with $25 buckets of White Claw seltzer, $20 buckets of beer, and $18 pitchers all throughout the games.

The Crystal City Sports Pub (529 23rd Street S.) in Crystal City will be projecting the game on its 18-foot video wall, with specials including an $18 Yuengling bucket of beer, $5 shots, and a hot dog platter covered in chili, cheese, and more.

In Rosslyn, Quinn’s On the Corner (1776 Wilson Blvd) has  events for every inning, with free Jello shots after the first Nationals pitch, a gift card raffle in the middle of the fourth inning, and raffles for various Nationals bobbleheads during the seventh-inning stretch.

Also in Rosslyn, Rhodeside Grill (1836 Wilson Blvd) will extend its happy hour until 7 p.m., featuring $4 draft beer and $6 cocktails, plus food specials after 5 p.m., while Barley Mac (1600 Wilson Blvd) will honor its happy hour pricing throughout the entire game, which includes a spiked apple cider and a whiskey smash for $7, plus wines for $6.

Bonus: if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’re in luck. Here’s where you can find specialty Nationals desserts in Arlington as well:

  • Nationals-decorated cupcakes at Pastries by Randolph (4500 Lee Highway)
  • Nats Red Velvet ice cream at Ice Cream Jubilee in Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd)
  • “DoughNat” doughnut, topped with caramel glaze and dark chocolate caramel popcorn, at District Donuts in Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd)
  • “Nats Tarts” at Sidekick Bakery in Ballston (4238 Wilson Blvd)

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Noise Enforcement Tools — “Arlington government officials have added new tools in an effort to address nighttime noise violations from restaurants and bars. The new policy is designed to target ‘the ones who consistently refuse to comply’ in resolving noise complaints, County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac told County Board members on Oct. 22.” [InsideNova]

Beyer on Aircraft Noise — “Today, Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) sent a letter to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration expressing concerns about its recent announcement to make changes to flight paths at DCA to accommodate Secret Service needs without giving meaningful consideration to community interests.” [Press Release]

Video: Amazon Truck Towed in Crystal City — “Can’t say we didn’t warn you… controversial Advanced Towing removes an @amazon truck from ‘National Landing.'” [Twitter]

Housing Supply Down, Prices Up — “The Arlington County, Virginia, housing market continues to get more expensive, and potential buyers continue to have fewer and fewer houses and condos to consider.” [WTOP]

What Goes Into an Arlington Nat’l Cemetery Burial — “If you live near Arlington, you may be familiar with the sound of cannon fire early in the morning. The Presidential Salute Battery fires cannons for military ceremonies in Washington and is the only unit of its kind in the Army. ” [WAMU]

Nearby: Nats World Series Scam — Per Fairfax County Police: “Our Detectives are investigating an increasing number of scams involving the sale of @Nationals World Series tickets. Please use caution when purchasing tickets from sources other than @MLB authorized dealers.” [Twitter, FCPD]

Courtesy photo

Video: Arlington Crossing Guard Surprised With World Series Tickets

By Jay Westcott

Jeff Covel really wanted to go to a World Series game. A fan since the Expos came to town and became the Nationals, going to a World Series game was a “bucket list” dream.

The retiree and Nottingham Elementary crossing guard of 6 years made a sign saying “Need World Series Tickets” and placed it near his post at N. Ohio Street and 29th Street N.

Unbeknownst to Covel, who was lauded as one of Virginia’s most outstanding crossing guards in 2015, parents in a Facebook group decided to raise money to buy Jeff two tickets to Saturday’s Game 4 at Nationals Park. Within 24 hours they raised enough to purchase two tickets.

Colleen Wright, one of the organizers, presented the tickets this morning to Covel, surrounded by other parents and school children.

“He’s just so great with the kids, learning everyone’s name and always greeting everybody with a smile,” Wright said.

Staff video by Jay Westcott

Anthony Rendon Drops By Clarendon Silver Diner After NLCS Win

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:40 a.m.) A day removed from winning the National League Championship Series in spectacular fashion, Washington Nationals star Anthony Rendon enjoyed a quiet meal with his family at Silver Diner in Clarendon.

The local diner chain posted a photo of Rendon last night, showing him posing with his daughter and a server at the restaurant.

The Clarendon Silver Diner was a favorite of another Nats All-Star: Bryce Harper, who now plays for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rendon and the Nats will face the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees in the World Series, starting next week. It’s the first World Series for the Nats since 1933.

Flickr (top) photo by Stephen Yates

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Cards Coach Has Good Day in Arlington, At Least — “Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux hit not one, but two holes-in-one during a morning round of golf at the Army Navy Country Club, manager Mike Shildt revealed to reporters on Monday. The country club later confirmed the achievement to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.” [Yahoo]

Real Estate Market Awash in HQ2 Hype — “As of the first week of October, there were nearly 70 active listings for single-family detached homes in Greater Washington that mentioned Amazon’s HQ2 in their description… The median driving distance for the homes was about 7.4 miles.” [Washington Business Journal]

County to Sponsor Marine Corps Marathon Again — “Arlington County Board members on Oct. 19 are expected to ratify a sponsorship agreement for the Marine Corps Marathon, and allocate $85,000 in funding. The marathon, to be held this year on Oct. 27, is ‘the largest annual event held in Arlington, driving significant spending at local businesses and generating related tax revenues for the county.'” [InsideNova]

Video Shows Cars Stopped in Bike Lane — A video posted to Twitter shows numerous cars stopped, blocking the bike lane along Crystal Drive in Crystal City. In addition to voicing frustration about the blocked bike lane, the video poster wrote: “why are all these drivers doing pickups, dash-ins, etc, not given space, in favor of people street-parking adjacent to a huuuuge underground garage?” [Twitter]

No In-School Flu Vaccines This Year — “Arlington Public Schools students will not have access to free, in-school flu vaccinations this fall, county school officials said. Last school year, the school system partnered with Healthy Schools (CareDox) to offer the in-school service.” [InsideNova]

WeWork Phone Booths Emitting Fumes — “Colleen Wong, a director with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, said she noticed a pungent smell in the phone booths at WeWork’s Rosslyn location in Arlington, Virginia, where she’s a tenant. ‘I always noticed, from the first time I entered a phone booth, a strong chemical odor,’ Wong told Business Insider.” [Entrepreneur]

Reminder: Voter Registration Deadline Is Today — “The Voter Registration Deadline for the November 5, 2019 General Election is… Tues. Oct 15.” [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Tom Mockler

Bryce Harper Poses for Photo with Arlington Firefighters After Playoff Hopes Extinguished By Nats

By ARLnow.com

Bryce Harper saw his postseason prospects go up in smoke yesterday at the hands of his long-time former team, but the strikeout-prone Phillies slugger was gracious enough to pose with some Arlington firefighters afterward.

Firefighters were dispatched to the Pentagon City Ritz-Carlton hotel around 12:30 a.m. today (Wednesday) to assist with a stuck elevator, according to ACFD spokesman Capt. Justin Tirelli. After freeing those in the elevator, they happened upon Philadelphia stars Bryce Harper and Jake Arrieta in the lobby and asked for a photo with the former Nat and one-time Rosslyn resident.

Harper obliged, taking a photo with two firefighters outside the Ritz, where visiting pro sports teams often stay when in town.

“In Arlington, you’ll never know who you will run into on the street,” ACFD said in a tweet this morning. “Firefighters from A-shift handled a stuck elevator call and happened to recognize @bryceharper3, who happily posed for a pic. Bryce — Sorry about the loss, but thanks for being a good sport!”

Harper and the 79-78 Phillies are set to face the now-playoff-bound Nationals again in D.C. tonight at 7:05 p.m.

New Gunston Park Field Open this Saturday with Games, Food

By Airey
1/3

The new baseball diamond in Gunston Park will open this weekend with a game and food-filled celebration.

Officials from the Department of Parks and Recreation will open the sports field at 1401 28th Street S. this Saturday, September 14 at 11 a.m. and are inviting families to attend the free event.

“Youth baseball games will be held before and after the ribbon cutting,” officials wrote in a press release about the event. “Food trucks will be on site selling delicious tacos and ice cream!”

The old natural turf field were replaced by a controversial, artificial turf that officials hope will allows players to use the field later in the winter season and be more accessible for all players.

The overhaul cost $370,000, split between a $180,000 grant from the private nonprofit Arlington Sports Foundation and $190,000 from the county’s sports commission’s Diamond Field Fund after years of discussions.

The costs were in addition to the $1.4 million approved by the Arlington County Board in 2014 to make several other changes, including: replacing the dugout and batting cage, and adding stormwater drainage as well as ADA-compliant paths to the diamond.

Images 1, 2 via Arlington County

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Is Top Destination for Young Adults — Arlington County is one of “the 40 places where young people are moving… based on the number of 18 to 34 year-olds who moved there in 2017 as a share of the total county population.” [USA Today]

Local Team Notches ‘World Series’ Win — “With their bats coming alive, the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth All-Stars improved to 1-2 in pool play Aug. 10 to win for the first time in the 15-under Babe Ruth World Series in Bismarck, N.D.” [InsideNova]

Arlington Firm Fined — “A military contractor has agreed to pay $4 million to settle an overbilling case. The U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey announced the settlement with Mission1st Group on Friday. The Arlington, Virginia-based company specializes in systems engineering, information technology and telecommunications.” [Associated Press]

Why the Crashed ART Bus is Still There — Updated at 9:25 a.m. — “The vehicle at Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive can’t be moved until the building structure is stabilized. Once repairs are made to the structure, the bus & the other vehicle pushed into the building will be moved and County Police will finalize their investigation.” [Twitter]

Photo courtesy @netforceone/Instagram

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

HQ2 and Affordable Housing Funding — “Amazon.com Inc.’s planned Metropolitan Park towers, totaling 2.08 million square feet of office and 67,000 square feet of retail, would exceed the density currently allowed on the Pentagon City site by about 582,000 square feet. And that could mean a huge windfall for affordable housing.” [Washington Business Journal]

Local Baseball Team Going to National Tourney — “A group of baseball players who have won so many championships over a four-year stretch now have the opportunity to win the ultimate prize. By capturing the Southeast Region Babe Ruth Tournament on July 27 in Lewisburg, Tenn., the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth 15-under All-Stars have qualified for the Babe Ruth World Series, starting Aug. 7 in [Bismarck], N.D.” [InsideNova]

Astronaut Coming to Arlington — On August 7 and 8 in Crystal City, local students in grades 8-12 will get to “meet astronauts and design an experiment that could be launched to the International Space Station next year through a partnership with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Higher Orbits to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing.” [AIAA]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

View More Stories