The origins of the Columbia Pike can be traced back to 1810, when Congress chartered the Columbia Turnpike Company. Two centuries later, the Pike is a lively, diverse and developing corridor.
Tonight historian John Paul Liebertz will recount the early days of Columbia Pike and describe the people and events that have shaped the Pike’s progress from rural byway to commercial center.
The presentation will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Arlington Central Library (1015 North Quincy Street).
The Portofino Restaurants Celebrates 40th Anniversary — Portofino, the family-owned Italian restaurant on 23rd Street in Crystal City, is celebrating 40 years in Arlington this month. The restaurant opened its doors on August 17, 1970. Since then, three generations of the Micheli family have been cooking up authentic Italian dishes for thousands of patrons. Current and former employees and restaurant regulars will gather to celebrate the anniversary at an invitation-only bash later this month.
Arlington Library Director Rocks Out With Summer Tunes — Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh has compiled a list of her favorite summer songs. “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper, “Hot Fun in the Summer Time” by Sly and the Family Stone and “Stoned Soul Picnic” by Laura Nyro round out the top three. Also on the list: the David Lee Roth cover of “California Girls.” See all 20 selection on the Library Blog. Just don’t sing along if you happen to be listening in a library.
WaPo Reveals Secret Tenant in Clarendon Office Building — Ever wonder why there always seems to be security standing outside the office tower at 3100 Clarendon Boulevard? The address, which houses Pacers Running Store and SoBe Bar & Bistro, is also home to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Washington Post reports. But DIA will soon be moving from its Clarendon and Crystal City offices as a result of BRAC.
Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99.
The last time the county proposed closing the Columbia Pike Branch Library at 816 South Walter Reed Drive, there was a near-rebellion. Now the library is, in fact, closing — but only temporarily.
Since the library will be staying in its current space, library officials decided to go forward with a long-anticipated plan to replace the branch carpeting.
As the Library Blog reports, the library will be closed from August 16 to August 21.
New carpeting will be installed throughout the branch, and a new centralized service desk will be installed. The library will delay the due dates of books checked out between now and the closure.
End of the Rainbow Found — During yesterday’s sunny downpour in Pentagon City, we spotted the actual end of the rainbow. Turns out it’s the shuttered Crystal City Motel on Old Jefferson Davis Highway. Bad news for anyone wanting to search for a pot of gold: you’ll first have to scale the high fence around the decaying property.
Library Book Sale This Weekend — Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St.) is holding its two-day Friends of the Library Summer Book Sale this coming Friday and Saturday. The sale will take place outside, next to the garden and the tennis courts. See the Library Blog for more info.
Crystal City Apartment Building Sold — The Hampton Apartments at 1425 South Eads Street have been sold for a cool $33.5 million to Arlington-based MRP Realty and New York City-based Angelo, Gordon & Co. This article about the sale suggests that the relatively moderately-priced apartments may be ripe for renovation, which could turn the building into “a Class A asset in one of the top D.C. submarkets.”
Now that the National League has broken their 13-year All-Star Game slump, and not a single game is to be played today, what’s a baseball fan to do?
Head to the library.
The authors of Baseball Americana, a comprehensive history of the game chock full of illustrations and memorabilia from the archives of the Library of Congress, will be discussing the book and signing autographs tonight at 7:00 at the Central Library auditorium (1015 North Quincy Street).
There will also be baseball-themed prizes given away during the event, which is free and open to the public.
Last month, a plan to move the Columbia Pike library to a new location was shelved. This month, the Columbia Pike library is looking for a shelver.
The library needs an assistant to help put books and AV items back on the shelves, while sorting by call number and genre.
If you’re interested in helping out, contact library volunteer coordinator Barbara Dean at 703-228-7688.
The Arlington Central Library in Ballston has a thriving new organic vegetable garden that’s providing food to people in need via the Arlington Food Assistance Center. And now, the project’s early success has attracted the attention of community gardening advocate Christie Vilsack, wife of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Vilsack will tour the garden tomorrow morning with county board member Walter Tejada and library director Diane Kresh. During the tour of the garden’s crops, volunteers from the USDA Research Service will release spotted pink lady beetles into the garden to help control pests.
The tour will take place from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Afterward, Mrs. Vilsack and Mr. Tejada will visit a children’s storytime in the library.
County Manager Michael Brown has withdrawn a controversial proposal to move the Columbia Pike library from the Arlington Career Center to the future Arlington Mill Community Center. Brown told the county board today:
I am withdrawing the proposal to relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library. The library will continue to offer services at this branch, at its current location, with no change in scope or format.
We solicited public opinion on the staff proposal to relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library to Arlington Mill. Staff met with Civic Association leaders, solicited comment through the County website and social media, and held a well-attended town hall meeting this week. Public sentiment was strong and clear: People are passionate about this facility in its current location.
Staff will move forward expeditiously with development of the Arlington Mill Community Center. We will continue to explore options with the Steering Committee, framed by the existing community proposals and operating budget constraints, for any additional space that will be available in the Arlington Mill Community Center.
Veggie Garden at Central Library Feeding Those in Need — Did you know that Arlington Central Library now has its own vegetable garden? The garden’s first crop of leafy greens was harvested yesterday. All produce grown in the garden is being donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. UPDATE: We hear that Christie Vilsack, wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak, may visit the garden later this month.
Gov. McDonnell Wants a Say at Metro — Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is making a heavy-handed push for the state to get two seats on the Metro Board of Directors. If he’s successful the seats may be taken away from Arlington and other Northern Virginia locales. More from the Washington Post.
Arlington MS-13 Member Sentenced — A member of the notorious street gang MS-13 has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to extort money from a prostitution ring, the Arlington Connection reports. Prosecutors say the defendant, 23-year-old Alcides Umana of Arlington, is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.
Flickr pool photo by Mark C. White.
Update on 6/18 — The proposal to move the library has been withdrawn.
County leaders got an earful about the proposed relocation of the Columbia Pike Branch Library at a town hall meeting last night.
“An angry standing room crowd” holding “signs and banners” loudly engaged library and county officials at the Arlington Career Center, a resident who attended the meeting tells us.
Career Center and Patrick Henry Elementary School students were among those speaking out against the move. Officials in attendance included new County Manager Michael Brown and Library Director Diane Kresh.
The proposal to move the library from Walter Reed Drive to Arlington Mill Drive, further down Columbia Pike, has attracted a torrent of criticism from those who live near the library. One post about the move on the Arlington Library Blog has attracted more than 100 comments, most of them negative.
Deputy County Manager Marsha Allgeier, who also attended the town hall, had this to say about the meeting:
Last night’s meeting was productive. We will continue this conversation with the community on whether it makes sense to move the Columbia Pike Branch library from its current location on Walter Reed Drive to the Arlington Mill Community Center on Columbia Pike. Staff will continue to listen to the community until the County Manager feels he can make a recommendation to the Board. The decision on the design of Arlington Mill can be made without a final decision on whether the library branch should be moved. We will take as much time as needed to make a good recommendation to the Board on the future of the branch library, a library meant to serve all of Columbia Pike.
The Sun Gazette reports that change-of-government supporters took advantage of the public anger and gathered “several dozen” petition signatures outside the Career Center.
Photo via the Library Blog.
Army Chief Apologizes for Mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery — Poor record-keeping and inept management has resulted in hundreds of misidentified or unmarked graves at Arlington National Cemetery, the military revealed. At a press conference, Secretary of the Army John McHugh apologized to families whose loved one’s final resting place was affected by the mix-ups. He also promised to reform the “dysfunctional” management culture at the cemetery. Two of the top cemetery administrators are being forced out as a result of the Army probe. More from the Washington Post.
Battle Lines Drawn for East Falls Church Redevelopment Fight — A plan to redevelop the area around the East Falls Church Metro Station has many East Falls Church residents up in arms. Michael Perkins of the blog Greater Greater Washington, however, is singing the plan’s praises, saying it would “transform the East Falls Church Metro area into a mixed-use, pedestrian, bicycle and transit-oriented community.” More from Greater Greater Washington.
Registration for Library Summer Reading Program Begins Saturday — Last year a record 4,800 kids and teens signed up for the Arlington Public Library’s summer reading program. Library officials expect to set another participation record this year. Registration for the program will begin Saturday.
Flickr pool photo by brianmka
