Rosslyn

Jury convicts man of 2019 Rosslyn stabbing spree

By Jo DeVoe
Wondwossen Kassu in 2019 (courtesy of ACPD)

(Updated at 11 a.m.) An Arlington County jury found a 43-year-old man guilty of stabbing three people in Rosslyn three years ago.

Wondwossen Kassu stabbed two men sitting at a table inside Gateway Park in May 2019 and a third man walking by. The jury convicted him on three counts of malicious wounding.

Kassu is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 in the Arlington County Circuit Court. Malicious wounding is a felony that carries a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years.

“This was a tough case, but my office will never shy away from prosecuting such acts of violence,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, in a statement. “We are grateful for the jury’s verdict, and we were happy to provide some measure of closure to the victims.”

On May 21, 2019, Kassu approached two men sitting at a table inside the park and began talking to them, according to the 2019 police report. Then, he stabbed them and a third man who happened to be nearby.

Two of the victims were able to flee and get help. All three required hospitalization, but survived the attacks.

More on the crime from an Arlington County Police Department press release at the time:

At approximately 9:27 p.m. on May 21, police responded to the report of multiple stabbings in Gateway Park located at 1300 Lee Highway. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. During the course of the investigation, officers located three male victims suffering from lacerations. The victims were transported to area hospitals and all are reported in stable condition.

Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears two of the victims were sitting at a table inside Gateway Park when the suspect approached them and initiated a conversation before producing a knife and stabbing the victims. The third victim was walking in the area when he came upon the initial assault. The suspect then turned his attention towards the third victim and stabbed him as well. Two victims were able to leave the scene to seek assistance. They were located by responding officers in the 1900 block of Fort Myer Drive and the 1800 block of N. Nash Street.

Dehghani-Tafti, elected as the top prosecutor for Arlington and Falls Church on a criminal justice reform platform, has faced some local skepticism — culminating in a recall campaign organized by a Northern Virginia political group last year — about whether she is sufficiently tough on crime. Dehghani-Tafti’s office started sending press releases about major convictions earlier this year.

Phone2Action rebrands as Capitol Canary after two major acquisitions

By Jo DeVoe

Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups, founders, and other local technology news. Monday Properties is proudly featuring 1515 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. 

Phone2Action, the Rosslyn-based government affairs technology company, has changed its name to Capitol Canary.

The rebranding comes as the company has expanded beyond what it was founded in 2012 to do — help organizations mobilize citizens via their smartphones — through acquisitions in late 2020.

That’s when Capitol Canary bought KnowWho, which provides an up-to-date directory of policymakers, and GovPredict, which helps users track bills and regulations.

With these two platforms, Capitol Canary says it now offers clients, who currently number 1,200 companies, organizations and advocates, a full-service government affairs solution that can help them push legislation through and energize voters.

A name change has been in the cards for a while now, co-founder Jeb Ory told ARLnow in a statement.

“We’ve kicked around name changes for years — as we grew and did more and more for our clients, we knew that rebranding would be something that would make a lot of sense,” he said. “We kicked the process off in earnest last summer. Once we down-selected to a handful of names, it pretty quickly became clear that Capitol Canary was the winner.”

So why Capitol Canary?

“‘Capitol’ immediately says government. Legislation. Policy. These are at the heart of what we do,” he said.  “‘Canary’ immediately implies relevant information and decisive action. Canaries are smart little birds that have helped people know what to do for centuries.”

Cofounder Jeb Ory and CEO Steven Schneider (courtesy photo)

The name change also comes ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, and in anticipation of these elections, Capitol Canary is rolling out some new features:

  • an “advocacy dashboard,” which customers can check to see if their campaigns are successful at moving the needle on an issue and engaging key lawmakers.
  • “impact reports,” generated in minutes, which stakeholders can use to run meetings with policymakers. These reports provide everything from bios of lawmakers and their committee assignments to the level of sway an organization has within a lawmaker’s district or state.
  • “get-out-the-vote” tools, which help employees, advocates and supporters check their voter registration status, learn about candidates and find information on how to vote.

And the Phone2Action era ends on a high note, according to Capitol Canary. After riding multiple tidal waves of civic engagement in 2020 — a global pandemic, nationwide social-justice campaigns and a contentious presidential election — the company recorded staggering engagement numbers in 2021.

More than 15.6 million people took roughly 25 million actions — such as signing a petition, calling their lawmaker, sending an email or tweeting at them — on policy issues ranging from COVID-19 relief to infrastructure using the Phone2Action platform. They also used it to access 12.6 million federal, state, local and regulatory policy documents.

Meanwhile, Fortune 100 companies such as Walmart and Uber, associations including the National Restaurant Association and PhRMA, and nonprofits such as the Innocence Project and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, used the platform to execute more than 14,500 campaigns.

“Since our founding in 2012, thousands of organizations have trusted our platform to help them shape public policy and elevate stakeholder’s voices. Together, we have transformed how constituents engage with their lawmakers and how public policy is formed, from Capitol Hill to city hall,” said Capitol Canary CEO Steven Schneider in a statement.

While the rebranding reflects this transformation and will kick off a second decade of growth, the company’s goal remains to provide “government affairs and advocacy teams with the tools, intelligence and data they need to do the hard and vital work of shaping policy,” he said.

Police: Man armed with gun took cash from tip jar in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County police responded to a pair of gun crimes in and near Rosslyn over the weekend.

The first happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday on the 1500 block of 17th Street N. Arlington police do not typically reveal which businesses have been the victims of crimes, but that’s the same block at the standalone Rosslyn Starbucks store.

“At approximately 4:31 p.m. on January 9, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery,” said an ACPD crime report today. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered the business, approached the register, brandished a firearm and stole money from a tip jar. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter and searched the area with negative results.”

Less than an hour later, there was a report of a similar tip jar robbery by an armed man in D.C., near Metro Center. Initial reports suggested that a suspect was arrested.

Asked whether police believe the two incidents are related, ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage said she “cannot provide any additional details as [the D.C. robbery] is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.”

“The robbery in Arlington has been assigned to our Homicide/Robbery Unit and our detectives are actively working with our law enforcement partners to determine if it is linked to any other cases in the region,” said Savage.

On Sunday night, another reported gun crime — the theft of a gun and a shot fired by the fleeing suspect — happened just west of Rosslyn along the 2500 block of 20th Road N.

“At approximately 10:46 p.m. on January 9, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard,” said an ACPD crime report. “It was determined that the suspect stole Victim One’s firearm and a verbal dispute ensued when he attempted to get it back. The suspect allegedly discharged the firearm before fleeing the scene on foot. No injuries were reported.”

The suspect was identified and tracked down to the nearby Inns of Virginia motel.

“Officers identified the suspect, obtained warrants and determined he was inside a hotel room in the 3300 block of Lee Highway,” said the crime report. “Responding officers established a perimeter and took the suspect into custody without incident. The investigation determined that while inside the hotel room, the suspect allegedly became involved in a verbal dispute with Victim Two, during which he brandished the firearm and threatened her.”

The suspect, a 38-year-old Maryland man, “was arrested and charged with Discharge of a Firearm, Grand Larceny of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Brandishing a Firearm,” police said. “He was held without bond.”

Korean fast-casual SeoulSpice to open in Rosslyn

By Matt Blitz
SeoulSpice in Rosslyn (photo courtesy of Joshua Weissman)

A new Korean comfort food restaurant is coming to Rosslyn.

The local fast casual chain SeoulSpice is opening a new location in Rosslyn at 1735 N. Lynn Street, on the ground floor of the International Place office building. This will be the the company’s the first location in Virginia and its sixth location in the D.C. area, with the most recent opening in November in D.C.’s Penn Quarter neighborhood.

It is not immediately clear when the restaurant will start serving. A sign hangs above the storefront with window stickers advertising the menu and announcing that the restaurant is hiring. The construction contractor tells ARLnow that work should be finished this month, but opening is at the discretion of the owner.

ARLnow has reached out to the restaurant but has not received a timeline for opening as of publication.

SeoulSpice’s menu includes Korean-style burritos, bibimbap, japchae and bulgogi. The menu at the Penn Quarter location is gluten-free, making it a unique fast-casual spot.

Founder Eric Shin is not only a restaurateur, but also a world-renowned percussionist. He is now a principal percussionist in the National Symphony Orchestra and a faculty member at the University of Maryland’s School of Music. His passion for food came from his parents, who owned a restaurant in Atlanta.

“Our recipes come from the Shin family, which have been passed down from generation to generation,” reads the website. “All of our entrees are inspired by traditional Korean comfort foods. Our rice bowls come from bibimbap, our noodles from japchae, and the Korrito from gimbap. We respect the food we serve by using the best ingredients and preparing all our food from scratch.”

Hat tip to Joshua Weissman

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Geese clean themselves in Boundary Channel (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Hotel Redevelopment Plan Paused — “The redevelopment of one of Arlington’s oldest hotels looks to be on hold indefinitely, as the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic disrupt the hospitality-focused project. Grant Investment Properties is asking county planners for more time to complete its overhaul of Rosslyn’s old Best Western Iwo Jima, now known as the Red Lion Hotel Rosslyn Iwo Jima, at 1501 Arlington Boulevard. A site plan for the project projected that it would be finished by March 2022, but the Chicago-based firm filed papers last week to ask for an extension through March 2025.” [Washington Business Journal]

Proposed APS Changes Questioned — “Based on feedback from the Arlington School Board, the Arlington Public Schools system is focusing on what they call more equitable grading practices. The preliminary proposal calls for: No late penalties for homework… No extra credit… Unlimited redoes and retakes on assignment… No grading for homework.” [WJLA, Washington Post]

Hit and Run Crash in Bluemont — From yesterday afternoon: “Several lanes of Wilson Blvd and N. George Mason Dr are closed after a reported hit-and-run crash in the intersection. Police and Fire Dept. on scene.” [Twitter]

Video: Crash on I-395 — From Dave Statter: “Watch: Another left turn in the middle of an interstate ends badly. 1p, I-395S at Rt 1. Third one recorded at this spot in the last month.” [Twitter]

Toby’s May Be Expanding to Vienna — “Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream, which saw a boost in sales over the summer thanks to the debut of its cicada sundaes, appears to be branching out. The Arlington-based shop, located along a Washington Boulevard in the Westover neighborhood, plans to open a new location at the Cedar Park Shopping Center in Vienna, according to Fairfax County permit data.” [Washington Business Journal]

Nearby: Fire and EMS Staffing Stretched — ” Fairfax County saw its largest-ever increase in coronavirus cases among fire and emergency medical responders this month, mirroring a surge in case rates compared to 2020. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department data shows that there are 53 positive cases and 14 in quarantine, all staying at home to curb the spread of COVID-19.” [FFXnow, DCist, Twitter]

Crash and Arrest Block the Pike — Columbia Pike was blocked at S. Greenbrier Street yesterday evening after a crash in which one of the drivers reportedly refused police commands to exit the vehicle and was later tased. [Twitter]

It’s Thursday — There will be drizzle and possible fog before 2 p.m. on an otherwise cloudy day, with a high near 55. Sunrise at 7:26 a.m. and sunset at 4:54 p.m. Tomorrow, on New Year’s Eve, expect mild weather, with cloudy skies, a high near 60 and a low around 51. [Weather.gov]

Closure of the Rosslyn route to the GW Parkway may stretch into new year

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The busy exit from northbound N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn to the GW Parkway may remain closed to start the new year.

The lanes that allow drivers to exit onto the Parkway just before the Key Bridge are closed after a crash that took out a traffic signal, just before Christmas.

Arlington’s public works department was hoping to have a temporary pole up today or tomorrow, allowing the exit to reopen, but a lack of staffing around the holidays may foil those plans.

“The signal pole might not be up until Monday [Jan. 3] because, among non-technical issues, contractor staffing is thin as a result of the holidays and Covid,” said Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokesman Peter Golkin.

“The permanent pole, equipment cabinet and related items were completely knocked out by a driver last Thursday so it’s not a simple repair job,” Golkin noted. “The temporary fix will have to be replaced at some point for new permanent equipment.”

Video: Drivers rolling through Rosslyn area intersection get ticketed

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police about to pull over someone who rolled through a stop sign (video courtesy Kevin F.)

Arlington County Police Department motor officers had no shortage of drivers to pull over at a Rosslyn area intersection this year.

A resident who lives near the intersection of N. Pierce Street and 16th Street N. sent the following video, a compilation of drivers being pulled over for rolling through the intersection’s stop signs.

“This guy’s done. Oh, he’s so done,” the resident can be heard saying, as sirens started blaring and the police motorcycle started rumbling towards its prey.

An ACPD spokeswoman tells ARLnow that the department indeed engages in proactive traffic education and enforcement.

“Transportation safety is a key initiative of the Arlington County Police Department and officers take a two pronged approach of education and enforcement to ensure the safety of all travelers on our roadways,” said Ashley Savage. “As part of the Department’s traffic safety program, we work collaboratively with other County agencies and community members to address areas of concern.”

“Failure to stop at stop signs is a common concern we hear from community members throughout the County… It is a violation of Virginia Code § 46.2-821 to fail to come to a complete stop at a stop sign,” Savage added. “Officers conduct enforcement in identified areas of concern on a random rotating basis with the goal of compliance even when police are not present.”

As of last week, ACPD officers had issued more than 3,000 traffic tickets (or summons, in Virginia law enforcement parlance) and 1,000 warnings for stop sign violations over the course of 2021, according to data provided by the department.

Stop sign tickets and warning issued in 2021 (via ACPD)

Modern Peruvian restaurant Inca Social opening tomorrow in Rosslyn

By Matt Blitz
1/10

Inca Social, a restaurant serving modern Peruvian cuisine in an elaborately-designed space, is set to open tomorrow in Rosslyn.

The eatery is opening in the 7,600 square foot space at 1776 Wilson Blvd formerly occupied by Kona Bar and Grill. This is the business’s second location; the other, in Vienna near the Dunn-Loring Metro station, opened in early 2019.

Inca Social is known for its modern take on Peruvian cuisine, but co-owner Fito Garcia told ARLnow last month that the Arlington location will focus on Nikkei cuisine — a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese that’s becoming popular in Peru.

That includes sushi and ceviche, combining Amazonian fish with Japanese ingredients and preparation methods.

For the moment, though, Arlington’s Inca Social will have the same menu as the one in Vienna while adding a “few special fusion dishes,” a spokesperson says. An Arlington-specific menu will be rolled out in January.

Traditional dishes on the menu include empanadas, Peruvian street style skewers of beef heart, causas (“potato salad on steroids“), and tres leches. There’s also set to be a to-go market with ceviche kits and bottles of Inca Social’s leche de tigre marinade for sale.

A large indoor bar, specializing in pisco sours, has windows that also serve the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

Decor is a large part of Inca Social’s vibe in Arlington.

While it does resemble the original location, the interior also has colorful murals, moss-lined walls, and cherry blossom trees meant to invoke Japanese culture. Globe lights and cooper lights spread out through the space are intended to symbolize the sun, which the Incas worshiped. The tables, if pushed together, depict the Amazon River and much of the art is supposed to be reminiscent of Nazca lines. Additionally, there’s wall art featuring llamas, an animal important in Peruvian culture.

“The interior… will tie together inspiration from Machu Picchu and the Inca civilization into the restaurant’s modern environment,” says a press release.

Inca Social co-owner Fito Garcia is an owner of Courthaus Social in Courthouse, just up the street. He told ARLnow in November that he always envisioned opening an Inca Social in Arlington.

Police nab four after spotting stolen car near Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

One 18-year-old and three people under the age of 18 were taken into police custody after officers spotted a stolen car between Rosslyn and Courthouse.

The incident happened shortly after noon on Tuesday, in the area of Wilson Blvd and N. Rhodes Street, after the car was reported stolen from elsewhere in northern Arlington the day before.

“An officer on patrol in the area of Wilson Boulevard and N. Rhodes Street observed the vehicle parked and occupied by four suspects,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report today. “As the officer approached the vehicle, which had extensive cosmetic damage, the suspects attempted to flee on foot.”

“A brief foot pursuit ensued and one suspect was detained without incident,” the crime report continues. “Additional officers arriving in the area located the other three suspects on foot in the area of Langston Boulevard and N. Quinn Street and detained them without incident.”

An 18-year-old from Arlington was arrested is now facing charges for grand larceny auto and driving without a license.

“The three other juvenile subjects were released to their guardians,” the crime report says. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
“WL Runs A-Town” spray-painted on a wall near Washington-Liberty High School (Flickr pool photo by Cyrus.W)

Longtime Local Business Leader Dies — “Longtime Arlington Chamber of Commerce president and civic leader Rich Doud passed away Dec. 9 at Virginia Hospital Center, the chamber announced Friday. Doud served as president of the Chamber for 23 years before retiring in May 2014. Among his many accomplishments were the creation of the Arlington Business Hall of Fame — to which he was enshrined in 2017 — and the Community Action Committee, and the establishment of Leadership Arlington, now known as Leadership Center for Excellence.” [InsideNova, Sun Gazette]

Televised Tree Lighting in Rosslyn — “The Rosslyn tree lighting was live on 7News Thursday evening with live music. Rosslyn Cheer 2021 includes the tree lighting, a holiday market at Central Place Plaza, raffles, and other giveaways.” [WJLA]

Former County Board Member Dies — “[Roye] Lowry, who served a four-year term on the Arlington County Board in the early 1960s (chairing it for a year) and later was active in a host of civic affairs, died Dec. 4, Goodwin House officials confirmed to the Sun Gazette. He was 103 years old – probably the longest lived of any person who has served on the County Board since it was established in the early 1930s.” [Sun Gazette]

Top Brunch Spots in Arlington — “Everyone knows that weekends are better with brunch, and in our area, it’s easy to find a spread to suit just about any taste or budget. Check this list of local brunch spots in Arlington to satisfy that midday hankering for dishes ranging from corned beef hash to waffles stuffed with apples, plus coffee, cocktails and other requisite hangover cures.” [Arlington Magazine]

It’s Monday — Today will be clear throughout the day, with a low of 38 and a high of 54. Sunrise at 7:18 a.m., sunset at 4:46 p.m. Tuesday will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 38 and a high of 55.

Flickr pool photo by Cyrus.W

Arlington and VDOT to finally sign Rosslyn Gateway Park agreement, four decades belated

By Matt Blitz
1/8

Nearly 40 years later, Rosslyn’s Gateway Park may finally officially become Arlington County’s responsibility.

This weekend, the County Board is set to vote on approving a land use permit between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the county formally allowing Arlington the use of Gateway Park. The agreement also pushes the responsibility of maintaining the park to the county.

Additionally, the permit grants the county the ability to change the park’s name.

An approval would mark the end of a decades-long period where there was no written agreement in place between VDOT and the county in regards to the operation and maintenance of the public park along Langston Blvd.

In 1984, VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration agreed to build an urban park between N. Nash Street and Lynn Street as a way to mitigate the impacts of constructing I-66 through Rosslyn.

At that time, an agreement was struck between VDOT and the county which called for the Commonwealth to construct the park and pedestrian bridge, with Arlington reimbursing VDOT for adding benches, bike racks, drinking fountains, and pay phones.

Rosslyn Gateway Park (via Google Maps)

The county and VDOT also committed to signing a 99-year lease that put Arlington in charge of maintaining the park, including the pedestrian bridges, concrete structures, landscaping, facilities, and utilities. The remaining details were to be negotiated and it was expected the lease was going to be brought to the County Board for approval in 1986.

That never happened, according to last month’s county report, and it’s unclear why.

“Despite more than 20 years of on-again, off-again discussions and negotiations, the terms of a 99-year lease were never agreed to and no lease has ever been signed by VDOT and the County,” reads the report.

Despite this, over the last 37 years Arlington has continued to operate and perform routine maintenance at Gateway Park even without a signed, written agreement.

That’s expected to change come this weekend, but in a slightly different form than initially outlined back in the 1980s.

That’s because, in 2015, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring determined that VDOT didn’t have the authority to lease the park to the county. Rather, a land use permit was the only mechanism available to provide Arlington access and use of the public park.

Six years later, that agreement is finally ready to be approved by the County Board.

(more…)

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