Courthouse

Immigration Advocates to March Through Clarendon Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Pro-immigration groups will be marching through the streets of Arlington tonight to protest the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Protesters will march from George Mason University Founder’s Hall, at 3351 N. Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square, to the Arlington County jail, at 1435 N. Courthouse Road in Courthouse, where they will hold a rally against the federal ‘Secure Communities’ immigration enforcement program.

The march is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. Organizers expect the rally outside the jail to start at 7:15 p.m.

“Speakers at the rally will include representatives from Virginia, Maryland, DC, New York, Illinois, California and other locales affected by the discredited deportation program,” organizers said in a statement.

The march and rally will coincide with the start of the Turning the Tide National Summit, a three-day pro-immigration gathering that’s being held this year at GMU’s Arlington campus.

Secure Communities helps federal authorities enforce immigration laws by checking the fingerprints of those arrested by local law enforcement through a Department of Homeland Security immigration database.

In September the County Board voted unanimously to attempt to withdraw from the program, saying that Secure Communities “will create divisions in our community and promote a cultural fear and distrust of law enforcement.” County officials eventually determined that it was not feasible to withdraw from the program. A coalition that helped organize local opposition to Secure Communities was later given the county’s James B. Hunter Human Rights Award.

Memorial Day Weekend Crawfish Boil in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

Bayou Bakery in Courthouse (1515 N. Courthouse Road) will be holding a crawfish boil this weekend to help celebrate Memorial Day Louisiana-style.

Owner and chef David Guas will use a traditional recipe of lemons, cayenne pepper, paprika, bay leaves, garlic and salt to spice up the crawfish, which will be sold for $15 per pound with an accompaniment of potatoes and corn on the cob. Seven different types of Abita beer will also be offered.

In addition to the crawfish and beer, Bayou will be selling New Orleans-style sno-balls — thinly shaved ice topped with flavored syrups and a dollop of condensed milk.

To help welcome Rolling Thunder to town, the restaurant will be offering 10 percent off (excluding alcohol) to all vets and riders.

The boil will be held on Saturday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Massage Business on the Pike — A new massage parlor on Columbia Pike is advertising its services in the ‘Adult Entertainment’ section of Backpage.com. “Friendly and well trained sweet Asian staff are waiting for you!” the ad says. [Pike Wire]

Was the Internet Really Invented in Arlington? — County officials have been touting the role of the Arlington-based Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the creation of the internet, but does DARPA — and Arlington — really deserve credit as the birthplace of the internet? In an article entitled “Mythbusting,” We Love DC’s Tom Bridge says that he’s skeptical. [We Love DC]

Couric a No-Show at Pentagon City Book Signing — Arlington native and outgoing CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric was a no-show at a scheduled book signing at the Costco in Pentagon City. What forced her to cancel the event? Her Twitter account offers few clues. [Glittarazzi]

Shirlington Dog Park May Ban Kids — Arlington County is reportedly planning on banning all children under 8 and unaccompanied children between the ages of 8 and 14 from the Shirlington dog park. [Examiner]

Courthouse Apartment Building Sets Record — The Palatine apartment complex in Courthouse just sold for $142 million, making it the most expensive per-unit luxury apartment project in the D.C. area, ever. [Washington Business Journal]

(H/t to Janet of Shirlington Village Blog)

Arlington Honors Fallen Officers

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Police Department and Sheriff’s Office held its annual observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day this morning.

Drummers, bagpipers and a bugler helped to mark the solemn occasion at the Arlington County Justice Center Plaza om Courthouse. Courthouse Road was shut down for the ceremony, which started at 8:00 a.m. Through speeches, the law enforcement community remembered the six Arlington County officers who have died in the line of duty.

Later in the day, Whole Foods and Applegate Farms grilled a free lunch on the plaza for law enforcement officers and employees.

National Police Week, an annual law enforcement gathering held in the D.C. area, officially begins on Friday.

Fire-Scarred Four Courts Reopens With Limited Menu

By ARLnow.com

Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd) in Courthouse reopened Friday evening, two days after a grease fire damaged its kitchen.

The pub will be using its downstairs kitchen to offer a limited menu while the upstairs kitchen is repaired. The damaged kitchen is expected to remain closed for “at least a month.” During that time, the pub will open on weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

“We are extremely thankful and grateful for the quick response of Arlington fire department,” Four Courts said in a statement. “A investigation is continuing into the fire.”

Photo courtesy @MixMasterZano

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Empty Courthouse Office Building for Sale — The big, white Verizon office building at 1320 N. Courthouse Road is actually vacant — and for sale. After nearly 30 years as a tenant, Verizon left its offices in the building. The owner is now seeking interested buyers or joint venture partners. [GlobeSt.com]

Westover to Hold Easter Egg Hunt — Children 9 years old and younger are invited to participate in Westover Village’s Easter egg hunt on Saturday. The event is being held from 10:00 a.m. to noon next to the Westover Library. Admission is free and yes, the Easter Bunny will be there. [VisitWestover.com]

State Senate Candidates Forum — Democratic candidates for the 30th District state Senate seat participated in their first public forum of the campaign. Del. Adam Ebbin, Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka and Arlington School Board member Libby Garvey answered questions about their stance on business issues and other policy matters. [Del Ray Patch]

Kitchen Fire at Ireland’s Four Courts

By ARLnow.com

Arlington firefighters are on the scene of a “significant” grease fire at Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Boulevard) in Courthouse.

The fire started in the kitchen and produced a lot of smoke, but was quickly extinguished once firefighters made their way into the building. Fire damage should be confined to the kitchen, but there may be some smoke damage and a few broken windows elsewhere in the pub.

Police shut down Wilson Boulevard at N. Rhodes Street during the incident to allow fire equipment to position itself around the building.

Photo courtesy @MixMasterZano

Rosslyn, Courthouse CaBi Stations To Open This Week

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:15 p.m. on 4/12/11 — The opening of the first four CaBi stations will be delayed, county officials say. No revised opening date was given.

It’s official: four Capital Bikeshare stations will open in Rosslyn and Courthouse on Wednesday.

The long-anticipated CaBi roll-out along the Orange Line will eventually result in 30 stations and 200 bikes added by the end of 2011, according to Arlington County. Crystal City and Pentagon City are already home to 14 CaBi stations.

“Capital Bikeshare is an integral part of Arlington’s commitment to cycling and to providing transportation options,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said in a statement this morning. “Bringing the red bikes to the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor this year will make cycling more convenient for Metro area commuters, and will offer our community another car-free, healthy transportation choice.”

The four stations that are scheduled to open on Wednesday include:

  • North Lynn Street and 19th Street in Rosslyn
  • Wilson Boulevard and North Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn
  • North Pierce Street and Clarendon Boulevard in Rosslyn
  • 15th Street and North Uhle Street in Courthouse

Courtesy photo

Capital Bikeshare Expansion into N. Arlington Nears

By ARLnow.com

If you’ve been waiting for Capital Bikeshare stations to come to the Orange Line, you might not have to wait much longer.

Capital Bikeshare stations are coming “very soon” to the Rosslyn, Courthouse and Clarendon areas, according to BikeArlington Program Manager Chris Eatough. Some sort of announcement about Capital Bikeshare’s expansion into North Arlington may come on Monday, Eatough hinted.

Previous reports have suggested that 20-30 Bikeshare stations may be installed along the Wilson Boulevard corridor by the end of the year. Crystal City and Pentagon City are already home to 14 CaBi stations.

Conveniently enough, Capital Bikeshare memberships are being sold at a steep discount this weekend. LivingSocial is offering one-year memberships for $37, down from the normal $75 price, and one-month memberships for $12, down from the normal $25.

The deal has proven quite popular. As of 4:00 p.m. LivingSocial was reporting that more than 4,500 memberships have been sold.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Reed

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Whitlow’s Rooftop Deck Opens Today — Wilson’s on Whitlow’s — the new rooftop deck atop Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Boulevard) — will open for the season at 4:00 tonight. With sunny skies and temperatures reaching into the upper 70s, the place may get a bit crowded. [Clarendon Culture]

Library Accepting ‘Operation Paperback’ Donations — Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Qunicy Street) is accepting donations of gently-used paperbacks for our troops. Books donated between now and April 30 will be shipped to U.S. troops overseas as part of the ‘Operation Paperback‘ program. “All genres except romance are needed,” the library notes. [Library Blog]

Courthouse-Area Lunch Spots Lauded — Is Courthouse “one of the best places around for work lunches?” One D.C.-based blogger thinks so, citing spots like Pho 75, Five Guys, Ray’s Hell Burger, Dehli Dhaba, Fireworks and Earl’s Sandwiches. [I Spy Things DC]

BREAKING NEWS — Route 50 Shut Down Due to Gas Leak

By ARLnow.com

Update at 4:15 p.m. — The gas leak has been stopped and all lanes of westbound Route 50 are now open.

Earlier: The westbound lanes of Route 50 have been shut down near Fairfax Drive in Courthouse due to a gas line rupture.

Firefighters are reporting that a 16-inch gas transmission line has been ruptured in the area of the 10th Street Bridge. The closure of westbound Route 50 is expected to last at least another hour while Washington Gas works to shut off the gas and repair the line.

The eastbound lanes of Route 50 were shut down for a short period of time, but have since reopened. Still, significant traffic issues are being reported in the area. In addition to cars, police are also turning pedestrians away from the area.

This stretch of Route 50 has been the scene of on-going utility work.

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