environment

Pete’s to Roll Out Pizza Delivery by Segway

By ARLnow.com

Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza in Clarendon may be the first D.C. area pizzeria to offer delivery via Segway.

The three-month old restaurant will soon be launching delivery service, and co-owner Joel Mehr says the newly-purchased Segway will allow his delivery staff to serve residents of Arlington’s dense urban core faster than traditional delivery methods.

The Segway — once it’s outfitted with a custom pizza-holding basket — will be able to transport multiple pies at a time, unlike deliveries by foot, and will be able to park anywhere, unlike deliveries by car. Plus, Mehr said, it’s cheap and eco-friendly — only requiring a $0.20 overnight charge for eight hours of operation.

“We just thought this would be an extremely efficient way to deliver to urban residents within a mile radius,” said Mehr, who noted that the original idea for Segway deliveries came from an offhand suggestion from a customer.

The personal transportation device will not be the only vehicle in the delivery fleet, however. While the Segway will handle deliveries within a mile of the store, a gas-powered scooter will handle deliveries within two miles. Cars will be used for more distant deliveries and during bad weather.

Segways can travel up to 12 miles per hour. Expect to see the Pete’s Segway, decked out with stickers and other decorations, out and about in Clarendon in a couple of weeks.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Waterfall on I-395 — NBC4 captured video early Thursday morning of a burst pipe underneath the 34th Street Bridge. The rupture sent a torrent of water onto I-395 for more than an hour. The old pipe that created the “waterfall” was reportedly patched up by 2:30 a.m. Utility crews are planning to make permanent repairs. [NBC Washington]

Burger Cook-Off For a Good Cause — The newly-minted Harry’s Smokehouse in Pentagon City mall will be holding a fundraiser for D.C. Central Kitchen on Sunday. From 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., “three teams of DCCK chefs-in-training will battle to create the city’s tastiest mini-burgers.” In addition to the burgers, attendees will be able to sample ribs, brisket and other BBQ items from Harry’s. [Eventbrite]

Woman Complains About Mosquito Spray — An Arlington woman has taken to her neighborhood email listserv to complain about a chemical spray used by one of her neighbors. Kate Pemberton says she and her young daughters walked through a cloud of “neurotoxin” while returning from school, thanks to an extermination company that was applying an anti-mosquito spray to a customer’s yard. Pemberton says she reported the incident to county officials, but was told that there was nothing they could do about it. The story was reported by Press Action, a left-leaning environmental news web site. [Press Action]

Moran Remarks on One-Year Anniversary of BP Oil Spill

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran has released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon blowout is a sad reminder of the dangers of offshore drilling to our economy, environment, and our people. Those who claim we can drill our way toward energy independence are misleading the public.

The truth is that we will never achieve energy independence by drilling for more oil from domestic sources. The United States holds less than two percent of the world’s oil reserves, while we consume more than 22 percent of the global annual supply of oil.

Ironically, more oil is in production today under [the] Obama Administration than at anytime during the last seven years of the Bush Administration. Yet, this increase in production has not had any impact on price. Prices are set in the world market based on world supply and demand, and market speculation. Even if all restricted areas in the U.S. were to be brought into production tomorrow, their delivery world boost production by less than two percent. Each day, we consume approximately 18.8 million barrels… while producing approximately 5.4 million barrels. More drilling will not close this gap.

Until we truly commit to investing in alternative sources of energy, ones that don’t poison our air and water, we will be dependent on a volatile commodity that the rest of the world is competing in price to consume.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pike Realignment in County Legislative Priorities — The county’s wish-list of federal legislative priorities includes a land exchange with the federal government to allow Columbia Pike to be shifted closer to Pentagon City as it approaches South Joyce Street, which would in turn allow the county to build an Arlington “heritage center.” Also on the list: the Potomac River boathouse and a plastic bag tax, plus provisions against helicopter noise and additional flights at Reagan National Airport. [Sun Gazette]

Moran Truth in Fur Labeling Law Takes Effect — A bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D) and signed into law in December goes into effect today. The law, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act, closes a loophole that allowed products with less than $150 worth of fur to avoid being labeled as a fur product. “This loophole has been exploited to pawn off dog, cat, and other animal fur as an artificial fiber,” Moran said in a statement yesterday. [Federal Trade Commission]

Green Living Expo Takes Place Saturday — The group Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment is hosting its second-annual Green Living Expo on Saturday at Washington Lee High School. The expo will feature eco-friendly products on display, seminars, a raffle, and activities for kids. DISCLOSURE: The Green Living Expo is an ARLnow.com advertiser. [Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment]

Sewer Work Prompts Numerous Fire Department Calls

By ARLnow.com

A pervasive chemical odor has prompted some residents in the neighborhood just north of the Washington Golf and Country Club and east of Glebe Road to call the fire department, thinking something was amiss, when in fact the odor is actually a byproduct of scheduled sewer work in the area.

Contractors working for the county’s Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau are relining the sewer pipes along the 4700 block of 34th Road North until about 8:30 p.m. tonight. Water service has been cut to a number of homes in the area to facilitate the work, which is being done without any excavation.

The sewer bureau’s contractors using “a trenchless technology known as Cured-In-Place Pipe,” according to county Department of Environmental Services spokesperson Myllisa Kennedy.

The odor is the result of the styrene resin that’s used to reline the pipes. Kennedy says the resin “is not harmful to pets or people.”

Here’s how she explained the process:

The process involves inserting a resin-impregnated felt liner similar to a sock into an existing sanitary sewer main through the manhole. Once the liner is in place, hot water is injected into the sock, and the heated water activates the resin material which is impregnated in the liner. As the resin is activated, it cures and forms into a solid plastic material which transforms the flexible liner into a rigid pipe which exhibits structural strength equivalent to a new sewer. Additionally, the new cured pipe provides a smooth and efficient flow channel which thoroughly renews the sewer without excavating the pipe.

Once the pipe liner has cured, a robotic tool is inserted into the new pipe and is remotely directed through the pipe to cut out the lateral service connections, and the new pipe is placed back into service. The entire process typically requires 6-12 hours. The County’s Capital Improvement Program funds the relining program to replace approximately 1.5 percent of the sewer system annually, about 7 miles of pipe.

Similar work will be performed on the 4700 blocks of 34th Street and Dittmar Road between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3 next week. Sewer bureau staff will hand-deliver notices to affected homes.

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County Sets November Leaf Vacuum Schedule

By ARLnow.com

If your neighborhood is filling up with leaves, don’t worry. Help is on the way.

Leaf bag collection started on Nov. 1 and will run through Jan. 14. Leaf bags — which must be biodegradable, not plastic — are collected in neighborhoods one business day after garbage collection. Free leaf bags are available at a number of community centers around the county.

Arlington will begin its vacuum leaf collection service on Monday. There will be a second round of leaf vacuuming in December, ending on Dec. 24.

See below for the dates when vacuum collection will start for specific neighborhoods.

November 15 — Alcova Heights, Arlington View, Ballston-Virginia Square, Boulevard Manor, Clarendon/Court House, Colonial Village, Columbia Heights, Columbia Heights West, Dominion Hills, Forest Glen, Forest Hills, Foxcroft Heights, Glen Carlyn, Langston Brown, Long Branch Creek, Nauck, North Highlands, North Rosslyn, Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights, Waycroft-Woodlawn

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sushi Rock Decision Deferred — The county board deferred its decision on whether to grant Sushi Rock (1900 Clarendon Blvd) a live entertainment permit until November, to allow more time for community input. At yesterday’s board meeting, neighbors complained that the restaurant is already so loud that it keeps them up at night. Sushi Rock management told the board that they’re losing money while waiting for the permit, which would help develop more late night bar business. More from TBD.

ACE Holds “Hallowgreen” Gala Tonight — Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment is holding its cleverly-named Halloween gala tonight on the Pike. There will be a costume contest, a silent auction and a concert by the band Trees on Fire. Tickets are $50. The event is being held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike).

Virginia GOP Hammers Moran on Comments — Rep. Jim Moran’s ill-advised critique of his GOP challenger, Patrick Murray, continues to haunt Moran and embolden Republicans. Now the state Republican party has released a web ad entitled “Just a Government Check?” which pairs Moran’s remark regarding Murray’s limited government stance and his military service to photos of Arlington National Cemetery.

New Mobile Visitors Center to Debut at Marathon — Arlington’s new electric-powered Mobile Visitor Center will be making its debut at the Marine Corps Marathon Health and Fitness Expo in the District on Friday. The county says the visitor center is “a fully customized ‘green’ vehicle that will serve visitors in the County’s urban villages and at major tourism events. ” More from Arlington County.

Volunteer Opp: Adopt Part of Gulf Branch Nature Center

By ARLnow.com

You’ve heard of adopting a highway. Now you can adopt something much less noisy and dangerous: a patch of forest at Gulf Branch Nature Center.

Naturalist Jennifer Soles is looking for volunteers who want to call part of the nature center their own. Volunteers would be responsible for keeping the area free of invasive plants and litter. In recognition of their work, a small marker will be placed in the ground bearing the name of the volunteer or the volunteer group.

Soles said that adopting an area is a great way to get to know the forest in greater detail.

“It’s your area,” she said. “You see the long-term health and recovery of that area, and that’s very gratifying.”

“Eventually I’d like to see the whole park adopted,” Soles added, while acknowledging that would require a lot of volunteers.

Children as young as middle school may be able to effectively manage an adopted area on their own, Soles said. Adoption is also an ideal volunteer opportunity for groups.

For more information, call 703-228-3404 or email jsoles[at]arlingtonva.us.

Photo c0urtesy Community Volunteer Network

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Jury Hears Rape Victim’s Story — A 23-year-old University of Maryland graduate student took the witness stand yesterday in the trial of former Henderson Hall Marine Jorge “George” Torrez. The woman described the night in February when she was abducted while walking home with a friend in the Ballston area, then repeatedly raped and left for dead in a remote, wooded area. More from the Washington Post.

Solar Raisers Install First System — Volunteers organized by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment helped install a solar water heating system at a home in south Arlington’s Claremont neighborhood over the weekend. The system reduces water heating energy use by 75 percent. The installation was the first in ACE’s Solar Raisers initiative. More from the Sun Gazette.

DARPA Conference to Discuss ‘Pre-Crime’ System — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is trying to develop a system that would use powerful analytical tools to determine if a soldier is becoming homicidal or suicidal, or if an intelligence operator is about to turn double agent. Next week, DARPA will be holding a conference in Arlington to educate contractors about the development process for such a system. The publication Government Computer News compares such a system to the “pre-crime” technology in the Tom Cruise film “Minority Report.”

To Do Tonight: Entrepreneurship and the Environment

By ARLnow.com

What does entrepreneurship have to do with saving the environment? Martin Ogle, the chief naturalist for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, says the same entrepreneurial spirit that leads people to take risks and find creative solutions to business problems is needed to address today’s environmental challenges.

Ogle and author/business professor Larry Robertson will present their case for melding entrepreneurship and the earth systems science in a presentation entitled An Entrepreneurial Look at Earth and its People. The presentation will begin at 7:00 tonight at the Arlington Central Library auditorium (1015 North Quincy Street).

Ogle says he hopes the presentation can be “a catalyst” for opening communication between the environmental and business communities.

Kid Protesters Hopping Mad Over Uncle Julio’s Menu Item

By ARLnow.com

A group determined to kick frog legs off American menus came to Ballston over the weekend to protest in front of Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Cafe.

Fifteen demonstrators, including two George Mason University students and eight elementary and middle school students, held homemade signs calling for Uncle Julio’s to stop serving frog legs.

“Uncle Julio: Stop driving frogs to extinction,” one young girl’s sign read.

The protest was organized by Save the Frogs, a California-based group dedicated to saving “the world’s remaining amphibian species.” This was the second time this year the organization held a protest outside the Ballston Uncle Julio’s. The non-profit has also demonstrated outside Uncle Julio’s restaurants in Maryland and Texas.

“America is on track to overtake France and Belgium to become the number one frog-eating country on the planet,” Save the Frogs founder and Manassas native Dr. Kerry Kriger said in a statement. “The frog leg trade is responsible for the spread of infectious diseases, the depletion of wild frog populations, and the spread of harmful invasive species”.

The CEO of Uncle Julio’s has previously denied that the chain’s frog legs come from an endangered species or are raised in an unhealthy environment.

Photos courtesy Save the Frogs

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