Pentagon

NYC Firefighters To Donate World Trade Center Steel to Arlington

By ARLnow.com

On August 28, a 6 to 10 foot steel beam from the World Trade Center will arrive in Arlington to serve as a memorial to those who lost their lives on 9/11.

The steel is a gift from the the Fire Family Transport Foundation, an NYC-based firefighters’ charity, and members of the New York Fire Department. Two years ago a similar donation was made to Shanksville, Pa., the crash site of United Flight 93.

Police cars, 500 motorcyclists and NYFD’s ceremonial Engine 343 (named in honor of the 343 firefighters who died when the twin towers collapsed) will escort the beam from Brooklyn to Arlington. A brief arrival ceremony is expected to be held at the Pentagon Memorial, to be followed by a more elaborate ceremony the next day.

The Arlington Fire Department is still planning the August 29 event, but it will likely take place at Fire Station 5 in Pentagon City, which was the first to respond to the Pentagon after it was hit by American Airlines Flight 77.

At a county board meeting on Tuesday, Arlington fire chief James Schwartz says a final resting place for the beam has not been decided, but said it may be placed next to a piece of limestone from the Pentagon.

Board member Barbara Favola asked if the beam could be converted into a piece of public art and displayed “in a visually attractive way.”

“It really is more like a memorial, and public art and memorials are two different things, I’m told,” Schwartz said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More Proof of Arlington’s Burger Supremacy — The Associated Press has declared that “better burger” joints — think: Five Guys — are “one of the fastest-growing parts of the restaurant industry” and that the D.C. area in particular “has emerged as fertile ground for ground chuck.” Mentioned in the article are Arlington-based Elevation Burger and Ray’s Hell Burger, formerly Arlington-based Five Guys, and BGR-The Burger Joint, which recently opened a location in Lyon Village.

Pentagon Chocolatier Popular With Pelosi, Palin — What do Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin have in common? They’re both loyal customers of Sherm Edwards Candies, a Pittsburgh-based chocolate company that recently opened a store in the Pentagon. More from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Lower Speed Limit for Pershing Drive? — At Saturday’s county board meeting, a representative of the Lyon Park Civic Association made an impassioned plea for speed control measures on Pershing Drive. In response, the board pledged to review speed limits and other traffic concerns. More from the Sun Gazette.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Metro Fares Going Up This Morning — Metrorail riders will start paying an extra 20 cents during this morning’s rush hour. Starting today, the peak base fare is increasing from $1.75 to $1.95. On Sunday, riders started paying $1.60 for the off-peak base fare, up from $1.45. Metrobus fares have also increased. More from Fox 5.

Pentagon Shooting Heroes Honored — The Pentagon police officers who stopped the Pentagon Metro Station shooter received the Medal of Valor from the Department of Defense on Friday. Officers Marvin Carraway, Jr. and Jeffery Amos, who were shot by 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell in the attack, were honored alongside officers Dexter Jones and Colin Richards, who also who helped to stop Bedell from entering the Pentagon on the night of March 4. More from WUSA 9.

Big Spenders, Big Collectors — Arlington County collects more per resident and spends more per resident than any other locality in Virginia, the Washington Examiner reports. On average, Arlington collects $4,240 per person and spends $4,209 per person. On a per capita basis, Arlington outspends every other Virginia locality on fire and rescue services, parks and recreation, and social services.

Marine Charged With Rape — A Marine charged in the abduction of an Arlington woman has been formally charged in the abduction and rape of another. Jorge “George” Torrez, 21, has been the prime suspect in the February 27 crime, but is only now being charged after detectives were able to link him to the case. Torrez, who was based at Fort Myer-Henderson Hall, now faces 14 charges including abduction with intent to defile, forcible sodomy, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief.

Gearing up for Memorial Day Weekend

By Ashley Houghton

Yes, May has been an insane month. From stolen wigs to stolen cell phones, and from DoD job losses to creating new jobs for exotic dancers (or, at the very least, local arguments for it), Arlingtonians are ready for a long weekend. Take a look at some local events happening around our area to take a load off to fully appreciate Memorial Day weekend.

For Memorial Day observers: Arlington National Cemetery will hold its annual Memorial Day of Observance to remember fallen service members on Monday at the Memorial Amphitheater. The Full Honor Wreath-Laying Ceremony is at 11:00 a.m., but officials recommend visitors arrive at 9:30 for seats and for a musical prelude by the U.S. Navy Band.

For the kids: Gulf Branch Nature Center on Military Road is holding their weekly campfire for families on Friday from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. Expect s’mores, games, and campfire songs for the little ones ($5 per person, $20 for families).

For music lovers: The Fleshtones, the quintessential 70’s/80’s American garage band, are playing Iota in Clarendon on Saturday night at 9:00. Tickets are $15 and available at the door.

For multicultural Arlingtonians: The 23rd Annual Argentine Festival is being held Saturday from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Theatre (125 S. Old Glebe Road). Watch tango dancing, listen to traditional music and eat traditional Argentinian treats.

For those who don’t mind wearing leather when it’s ridiculously hot outside: Rolling Thunder will be loudly and proudly riding all around Arlington and D.C. this weekend. From Friday to Sunday, groups of motorcyclists will be rolling in and out of the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, which is serving as the official hotel of the annual event. On Sunday morning a “Ride for Freedom” demonstration will be held at the North Pentagon parking lot. Washington Boulevard from I-395 to the Memorial Bridge will be closed Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Memorial Bridge will be closed from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you have a Harley, feel free to join the crowd (or just watch from the sidelines).

For people who like eating meat and giving to charity at the same time: 3 Bar and Grill (2950 Clarendon Blvd) will be hosting a “Charitable Pig Roast” on Memorial Day eve. There will be Bacon Bloody Marys, pulled pork sandwiches and some killer drink specials. It’s happening from 4:00 to 9:00 Sunday evening. A suggested $5 donation will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Defense Bill Would Keep Up To 6,000 Jobs in Arlington, For Now

By ARLnow.com

A bill being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives this week would delay the scheduled move of up to 6,000 defense jobs from Arlington to Alexandria.

The language was included in the 2011 Defense Authorization bill by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), who is a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Moran says he’s concerned about the traffic on I-395 around Alexandria’s Mark Center, the development where the jobs are set to move to by September 2011 as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC)..

“If nothing is done and the relocation continues as scheduled, VDOT has stated there will be ‘complete gridlock’ on Seminary Road and Beauregard Street and ‘severe’ congestion between the King Street and Duke Street exits on I-395,” Moran said in a statement.

The bill now before congress would cap the number of parking spaces at the Mark Center at 1,000 and would ban the lease of additional spaces near the development, effectively preventing the relocation of thousands of jobs. The cap would only be lifted when the Defense Department completes traffic improvements that meet congressional approval. It’s not clear how long such a project would take, but it would probably be measured in years.

About 6,400 defense personnel who now work in Metro-accessible office space in Northern Virginia are slated to move to the Mark Center, which is not near a Metro station. About 6,000 of those jobs are with the Defense Department’s Washington Headquarters Services division, which has offices in Crystal City, Rosslyn and Ballston, according to Arlington Economic Development spokesperson Karen Vasquez. The scheduled relocation of those jobs would be delayed if the bill passes, Vasquez said.

“The Pentagon dropped the ball on transportation planning for the base realignment at the Mark Center. A building of this size with no access to Metro should never have been considered at this location,” Moran said. “Now we’re pulling out all the stops to mitigate the consequences of the Defense Department’s mistakes.”

As Thousands of Jobs Leave Arlington, Workers Plan to Stay

By ARLnow.com

The Defense Department will be losing hundreds — if not thousands — of experienced, talented and security-cleared employees over the course of the next 16 months, if yesterday’s BRAC job fair was any indication.

About 500 enlisted employees, DoD civilians and contract workers showed up at the Crystal Gateway Marriott to find alternatives to moving to out-of-state bases or commuting to traffic-clogged exurbs. The moves are mandated by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closing Act, which will result in the closing of dozens of government offices and the loss of about 17,000 jobs in Arlington by next September.

The job fair attendees shared two common traits: they all like their current job and they all want to stay here.

“I might move with it because I like my job, but my family and my support system are here,” said one Army employee whose job is moving to Texas. “If I can find something and stay here, that’s what i’m going to do.”

“We have so many meetings at the Pentagon… I don’t understand why we’re moving to San Antonio,” she continued. “To me that does not make a lot of sense.”

Several other attendees said they would not move under any circumstances.

“I wouldn’t dream of going outside this area to seek employment,” said a military human resources employee whose job is moving to Fort Knox, Ky. She said 90 percent of her office was planning to stay in D.C. instead of moving to an area where “there’s nothing around but the base.”

“Not a chance,” responded one man — a manager in an office that deals with missile defense systems — when asked if he would consider moving with his job to Huntsville, Ala. (which is having a hard time accommodating new BRAC workers). He said he has lived in the area for 24 years and will learn new job skills if necessary.

The man added that his office will be losing at least 75 percent of its staff to the move.

“It’s detrimental to the department,” he said. “I’ve built a good team over the years, and it’s going to a situation where people don’t have nearly the experience we have.”

(more…)

Afternoon Notes: County To Spend Millions on Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Arlington to Spend $90 Million To Improve Crystal City — Arlington County will spend about $90 million improving roads and parks in Crystal City in the wake of the 13,000 jobs set to leave the area by September 2011 as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan. A long-range economic development plan for Crystal City is expected to be approved this summer. More from the Washington Examiner.

Man With Gun Tried to Visit Fictitious Admiral At Pentagon — From WTOP we learn that on April 9, a month after the  shooting outside the Pentagon Metro station, a man approached a screening area at the Pentagon and told security he was visiting an admiral — an admiral whose name was made up. Pentagon police later searched the man’s car and found a loaded 9-millimeter pistol. More from WTOP.

Real Estate Prices Rise in Arlington — The sales price of real estate in Arlington rose three percent in April compared to a year prior, according to Arlington Real Estate News. Foreclosures rose region-wide in April, but fell 4.6 percent in Arlington, according to data from RealtyTrac.

Weekend News Roundup

By ARLnow.com

Secretary Gates Calls For Reduction of DoD Spending — On Saturday Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave a blistering speech that called for a significant restructuring of Pentagon spending, reports Andrea Stone at AOL News. Citing a “gusher of defense spending” following 9/11, Gates stated his desire to reduce spending on weapons systems and military health care. He also called for a reduction in the number of generals and admirals in the services. Defense spending is a major component of the local economy.

BRAC Moves May Cause Traffic Woes — The transfer of 13,000 DoD jobs from Crystal City to Ft. Belvoir, Alexandria’s Mark Center development and elsewhere may cause major traffic problems, the Washington Post reports. The areas where the jobs are moving to are not Metro accessible and are not prepared to receive the ensuing crush of traffic, several people told the Post. By law, about four million square feet of office space in Crystal City must be vacated by September 2011.

Karzai To Visit Arlington National Cemetery — Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, whose relationship with the U.S. has been rocky as of late, will be visiting Arlington National Cemetery during a trip to Washington this week. Karzai is expected to arrive in town today. He is scheduled to visit the cemetery, where hundreds of service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan are buried, on Thursday.

Green Energy Innovation in our Backyard

By Alex

A new technology that generates electricity using bacteria will be unveiled at the Pentagon on Thursday. The Earth Day event will showcase a microbe-powered fuel cell developed by the the Office of Naval Research.

“Microbial fuel cell research is a great example of naval needs propelling advanced technology that also has potential benefit to the public,” said Chief of Naval Research, Rear Adm. Nevin Carr.

This new green energy innovation utilizes decaying marine organisms to generate power, offering a clean and robust alternative to environmentally-destructive batteries and other sources of electricity.

“Think of it as a battery that runs on mud,” ONR Program Manager Dr. Linda Chrisey said. “They are sustainable, environmentally-friendly and don’t involve hazardous reactants like a regular battery might because they use the natural carbon in the marine environment.”

The fuel cells can be used to power underwater autonomous vehicles such as surveillance equipment, oceanic monitoring probes and other devices. In addition, they promise a long, productive life span, unlike current battery technology.

“Essentially, they could go on for years without any kind of battery replacement,” Chrisey said.

The technology is currently in use at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Pacific, where researchers are using fuel cell-powered equipment to monitor endangered sea turtles.

Afternoon Notes: Lyon Hall Opening by Mid-April?

By ARLnow.com

Lyon Hall Opening by Mid-April — Lyon Hall manager Andrew Limberg tells the Washington Post that they’ve passed their inspections and expect to open within two weeks. Writes WaPo’s Julia Beizer: “Let’s give it up for Arlington, right? Crazy stuff happening over there.” More from today’s Going Out Gurus chat (near the bottom).

Pentagon Security Heightened — The Pentagon police agency will step up its screening of visitors and will conduct more random checks of employees, according to the Associated Press. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency will also improve communication protocols at its command center. The new security measures follow last month’s shooting outside the Pentagon Metro station.

Arlington Volunteer Blog Launched — The Community Volunteer Network has launched a new blog. CVN is a social network that brings 20- and 30-somethings together through community service in Arlington.

Bike Show Planned for April 8 — Not-for-profit bike shop Phoenix Bikes is holding a bike show one week from today in Ballston. The third-annual show will feature an art show, a silent auction, a raffle for free bikes donated by local shops, food, and speeches by local movers and shakers in the bike world. More from People-Powered Arlington.

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