Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
Photo courtesy Andrew Pang/DC Metro Fire Photographers
A car fire blocked the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Lorcom Lane, near the Lee Heights Shops, Friday night.
The fire was reported around 8:45 p.m. A silver BMW M5 sports sedan caught fire near the intersection. What was a vehicle fire call was upgraded to a hazmat call after the car’s fuel tank ruptured.
The fire was extinguished and firefighters used absorbent material to help contain the fuel spill.
It was at least the second fully-involved vehicle fire in Arlington on Friday, after a car burst into flames in the Barcroft neighborhood earlier that morning.
Five photographers are inviting people to watch the evolution of Columbia Pike neighborhoods through the lens of a camera.
The photographers, who work as the Columbia Pike Documentary Group, have compiled photographs of Columbia Pike and the surrounding neighborhoods, taken over the last eight years, for a book, “Living Diversity: The Columbia Pike Documentary Project.” The group is also displaying 50 photos from the book as part of an exhibit at the Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street) next week.
“Photographers Lloyd Wolf, Aleksandra Lagkueva, Xang Mimi Ho, Paula Endo and Duy Tran (working as The Columbia Pike Documentary Project) us[ed] evocative images from their recently published book, ‘Living Diversity,’ to help the viewer experience the spirit of the Pike,” Arlington County said in a press release.
Living Diversity: The Columbia Pike Documentary Project will open as part of a pop-up art gallery at the community center on Saturday, Oct. 17. There will be a presentation to unveil the photographs at 3 p.m. The exhibit will run for a month.
The photographers will be joined by County Board members, chair of Arlington School Board Emma Violand-Sánchez and Del. Alfonso Lopez to unveil the new exhibit. After the presentation, the five photographers will be available for book signings.
The exhibit opening is free to attend, but guests are asked to register beforehand. Light refreshments will be served. Copies of the photography book can be found on Amazon for a little under $29 and will be available for purchase at the exhibit opening.
The exhibit will be open Monday through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and on Sunday from 1-9 p.m.
Arlington No. 1 in Public Transit to D.C. — Among suburban D.C. counties, Arlington has the highest percentage of commuters who travel to the District via public transit. In Arlington, 53 percent of D.C. commuters take public transit, while 36 percent drive alone and 8 percent carpool. Montgomery County was second, with 43 precent of D.C. commuters taking public transit. [WTOP]
Vihstadt Campaign Website Hacked? — County Board member John Vihstadt’s campaign website has apparently been hacked by online porn purveyors and its homepage now displays a profane message. That message is also visible when you search for “John Vihstadt” on Google. Vihstadt was elected to a four year term last November and won’t be up for reelection until 2018. [Twitter – NOT SAFE FOR WORK]
County Ranked Top 50 Event Destination — Arlington County has been ranked No. 36 on a list of the top 50 U.S. localities for meetings and events. The District ranked No. 6 and National Harbor ranked No. 35 on the list, from event software provider Cvent. The ranking “reflects Arlington’s appeal as a vibrant urban destination in the heart of the nation’s capital – one that offers the convenience of downtown D.C. with hotel rates averaging up to 20 percent less,” a county official said. [Arlington County]
Columbia Pike Parking Mishap — A car ran partially over an embankment in a shopping center parking lot at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street on Sunday evening. [Twitter]
Pike Photography Book — “Living Diversity: The Columbia Pike Documentary Project,” has been published by the University of Virginia Press. The book “is the extraordinary result of a team of five insightful and highly skilled photographers and interviewers portraying the contemporary life of people and sites along the exceptionally ethnically-diverse and rapidly-changing Columbia Pike corridor.” The hardcover version is selling for $39.95 on Amazon. [Preservation Arlington]
Debris surrounds the north side of the Blue Goose building
Debris surrounds the north side of the Blue Goose building
Workers throw old materials out the window of the “Blue Goose” building
The lobby of the “Blue Goose” building appears to have already been torn apart
Workers throw old materials out the window of the “Blue Goose” building
The former “Blue Goose” building
Fencing surrounds the entire “Blue Goose” property, including the property
Debris surrounds the north side of the Blue Goose building
Rendering of the upcoming development on “Blue Goose” site
A rendering of the future mixed-use development on the site of Marymount University’s Blue Goose (image via The Shooshan Company)
(Updated at 6:25 p.m.) The distinctive “Blue Goose” building on the corner of Fairfax Drive and N. Glebe Road in Ballston is starting to be torn down.
The building, built in the 1960s, will be replaced by a nine-story office building and 15-story residential building. The redevelopment is a partnership between Shooshan Company and Marymount University. Shooshan has a ground lease for the land and is developing the new buildings, while MU owns the land and will occupy six of the nine floors of the new office building, with plans to fill the other three over time.
The demolition is expected to wrap up May, according to Shooshan Company Director of Leasing and Marketing Kevin Shooshan. The first step of construction will be excavation to create the three levels of underground parking. Shooshan expects the two buildings to be complete in summer 2017.
The entire property — the building and the parking lot in the rear — is fenced off as crews begin to tear out the building’s interior. This morning, workers were tossing pieces of the interior from the fourth floor window onto the ground below.
Panels from the building will be donated to local museums to preserve the building as a model of Modern Movement architecture. Some of the panels, as well as blue elements throughout the 7,600-square-foot public plaza also being built on the site, will be preserved as part of the new development.
School bus accident on N. Kirkwood Road (photo courtesy Rob Laybourn)
Car accident on N. Kirkwood Road Jan. 6, 2015 (photo courtesy Rob Laybourn)
Garbage truck slides onto the sidewalk on N. Woodrow Street (photo courtesy John Slanta)
Cars stuck on a hill on 36th Street N. near Jamestown Elementary (photo courtesy @SteevPearson)
N. Sycamore Street blocked by a stuck Pepsi truck (photo via @MaryTheTyrant)
An Arlington Public Schools employee clears snow from in front of Barrett Elementary School in 2015 (file photo)
A school bus makes its way to school at 9:30 a.m.
N. Park Drive between George Mason Drive and N. Carlin Springs Road
A fire crew helps stuck motorists on 23rd Street S.
Chains on a fire truck tire
A stuck Metrobus at S. Joyce Street and 23rd Street
(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) Arlington County officials say more snow arrived than they expected this morning — 3 inches so far, according to the National Weather Service — leading to widespread traffic, transit delays and accidents.
The NWS declared a Winter Storm Warning just after 9:00 a.m., now predicting the region gets more than 4 inches of snow by 1:00 p.m. Several of the accidents this morning have involved school buses, and the Arlington County Police Department tweeted that they received 71 calls for traffic accidents between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m.
Arlington County sent out the following release at 9:45 this morning:
MEDIA ALERT: A shifting weather pattern coupled with freezing temperatures resulted this morning in unexpectedly heavy snowfall and dangerously slick roads. Drivers should avoid unnecessary travel while County crews plow roads throughotu the day. If you must drive, use extreme caution. Visit the County’s Snow and Ice Page for tips on how to cope with inclement weather.
The County has deployed 35 piece of snow-fighting equipment. Snow-fighting will continue non-stop through the day and overnight into tomorrow. Crews will work first on main roads, then residential side streets.
APS has issued the following update: This morning’s inclement weather has caused significant traffic delays and buses are experiencing significant delays, and some buses are having problems completing their routes. Because of these traffic and road conditions, we continue to experience transportation delays this morning. We are also experiencing some telephone outages with Verizon services at some APS locations. Any student arriving late will not be marked tardy. If you are driving your student to school, please be patient and safe.
ARLnow.com received a photo of a garbage truck that had slid onto the sidewalk while trying to make its delayed rounds. As of 10:30 a.m., all trash and recycling collection for the day has been suspended, and collection for the rest of the week is pushed back a day.
Snowfall has tapered off and most outlets are predicting that accumulation has all but ended. With sub-freezing temperatures predicted for the rest of the day today and tomorrow, the secondary roads the county has yet to plow could begin icing over.
This is the first snowfall since Arlington announced it would start treating its major trails as primary roads. Crews cleared the Custis Trail and W&OD Trail — which is owned and maintained by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority — to allow bike commuters to travel into work.
We had previously reported that at least seven roads had been closed due to accidents, and several more are experiencing multi-vehicle accidents. Scanner traffic indicates the intersection of Fort Scott Drive and S. Grant Street near Crystal City had a three-car accident, a multi-vehicle accident at N. Highland and 20th Streets and several cars getting stuck on a hill on N. Livingston Street.
Participants in the 39th Marine Corps Marathon were met with sunny, albeit breezy, conditions for Sunday’s race through parts of Arlington and the District.
Army Spc. Samuel Kosgei of Junction City, Kansas, finished first at 2:22:11. Two Arlington residents rounded out the top five finishers: Michael Wardian came in fourth with a time of 2:25:41 and Graham Tribble was close behind, finishing at 2:25:51.
Meghan Curran of Moorestown, New Jersey, led the women, with a time of 2:51:46. Lindsay Wilkins of Arlington was the second woman to cross the finish line, coming in at 2:52:19 and Arlington’s Erin Taylor came in fifth for women, at 2:52:53.
The Arlington County firefighters who participated in the race with full gear in honor of fellow firefighter Josh — who recently was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — were met with cheers and cowbells from bystanders.
When ARLnow.com caught up with Batallion Chief Dan Fitch during the race, he said he and the other team members were “pretty sore.” The firefighters spotted Josh at numerous points during the marathon, prompting Fitch to say, “He’s as much support for us as we are for him.”
Josh managed to meet a group of the firefighters toward the end of the course and finished the race with them. An email from one of the team members said, “This was something that will stay with us forever.”
The official MCM results page indicates more than 27,000 participants crossed the finish line for the marathon and 10K races.
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
Halloween decorations at a house on N. Jackson Street
Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area
It wouldn’t be October if there weren’t some creepy creations crawling onto lawns around Arlington.
We encountered residents who surrendered their yard to frightful grave-dwellers on N. Jackson Street, in Ashton Heights, and in two yards within a block of S. Joyce Street in Aurora Highlands.
Have you seen other ghoulish Halloween decorations around town? If so, snap a photo or two and post it in the comments section.
‘Pups and Pilsners’ Photo Contest — Want to sample some brews and make your pet famous? Head on over to Crystal City’s Pups and Pilsners event from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, snap a photo of your pooch and tweet it to us and our sponsors, @CCBID and @BeckysPetCare. Pups and Pilsners is a free dog-friendly event featuring a massive beer garden and food from local restaurants. [Crystal City BID]
Planners: Bank Shortchanges Courthouse — The office building slated to replace the Wendy’s in Courthouse will have a Wells Fargo bank prominently located on the ground floor, and Arlington planners don’t like it. County staff says the bank use is “not appropriate” and should be at least moved so that a more active retail use can occupy half of the plaza area. Developer Carr Properties says the bank must stay, since Wells Fargo owns the land under the existing bank that will be torn down for the project. [Washington Business Journal]
Vihstadt Out-Raises Howze — Incumbent, independent County Board candidate John Vihstadt is out-raising his Democratic opponent, Alan Howze. Vihstadt raised $31,367 in July and August, compared to $20,607 raised by Howze. Vihstadt recently reported $58,746 cash on hand while Howze reported $16,906. [Washington Post]
Fugazi to Release ‘Lost Album’ — Fugazi is planing to release a “lost album” of 11 songs recorded in 1988. The legendary local rockers recorded the songs on the album, First Demo, at Inner Ear Studio in Arlington. [Spin]
Road Closures for Clarendon Art Fest — Parts of Washington Blvd, Clarendon Blvd, and N. Highland Street will be closed Saturday and Sunday for the 2nd Annual Arlington Festival of the Arts. “Over 100 artists will showcase their works including glass, mixed media, paintings, jewelry, and pottery; providing all sorts of opportunities to appreciate — and purchase — art,” according to the festival’s website. [Arlington County, ArtFestival]
The Arlington County Fair is going on now and continues through this weekend, giving residents plenty of chances to ride ponies, catch some racing piglets and check out hundreds of locally produced goods.
Friday afternoon, thousands of people piled into the fairgrounds next to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (125 S. Old Glebe Road), taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Arlington’s annual reminder that the county wasn’t always an urban center.
The fairgrounds are covered in rides, arcade games and food vendors, with demonstrations happening all day and all night for the rest of the weekend. Activities include tomorrow’s 5k, performances by the Harlem Wizards and “Cows-N-Corn milking demos.”
It was a typically festive Fourth of July in Arlington, with residents and visitors taking advantage of the nice weather to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day.
The photos above were captured around the area by contributors to our Flickr pool.
