A resident says he has video of the person responsible for a vehicle vandalism spree in the Rosslyn area.
Last week someone damaged more than a half dozen vehicles, primarily along N. Colonial Court and N. Colonial Terrace, a small residential neighborhood in north Rosslyn. Cars were keyed and tires were slashed, according to police.
Douglas Keith, a N. Colonial Court resident, obtained home surveillance footage of the man he says is the suspect from another resident. The footage shows a man wearing a backpack going up and down the street, sometimes stopping at cars and ducking down, allegedly to scratch the doors and flatten the tires.
The suspect, according to Keith, is a white male, wearing a black backpack, cargo shorts and black shoes. He further described him as a young adult between 5’6″ and 6′ in height.
Keith created a map to document each vandalism location, below. Thus far police have not announced any arrests in the case.
Video footage courtesy Douglas Keith, edited by ARLnow.
Arlington County Police are investigating a series of vehicle vandalisms in the Rosslyn area.
The tire slashing and door keying spree took place between Thursday night and early Friday morning last week.
More from an ACPD crime report:
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (VEHICLE) (series), 2018-05180055/05180064/05180086, 1500 block of N. Colonial Terrace/ 1500 block of N. Colonial Court/ 1400 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:55 a.m. on May 19, police were dispatched to the report of a destruction of property to several vehicles. Upon arrival, it was determined that between approximately 5:45 p.m. on May 17 and approximately 5:03 a.m. on May 18, numerous parked vehicles in the area had their tires slashed and some of the vehicles were keyed. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.
The owners of a new Rosslyn observation deck are holding a contest to give people the opportunity to catch a first glimpse of the views from the space at CEB Tower at Central Place before it officially opens this summer.
Four winners will be able bring up to four guests each to tour the observation deck, located at 1201 Wilson Blvd. Entry for the contest ends Thursday.
Views from the 12,000 square foot deck feature much of the Georgetown waterfront, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol building and more. According to the Washington Post, the space — expected to be a major tourist attraction — will also offer fourteen 55-inch touch screens that will highlight local landmarks. There will also be a bar with light food options.
Once it officially opens, the deck will charge $21 for admission, with reduced rates for students, seniors, children and the military. Admission will be free for Arlington residents.
Rosslyn wine bar and market Bistro 360 is closing up shop at the end of the month.
Owner Art Hauptman says he plans to shutter the restaurant, located at 1800 Wilson Boulevard since the fall of 2014, by May 25. While he has yet to sell the place to someone else, he says he’s received enough “good offers for the space” to decide to move on.
“We appreciate all the patrons we had here, but it felt like the right time,” Hauptman told ARLnow. “It didn’t go gangbusters or else I’d be staying, but it was worth a try.”
Hauptman added that his chef and general manager for the last few years is moving out of the area, so he felt it made sense to shut things down now rather than wait any longer.
He plans to “consolidate” most of the restaurant’s wine offerings and specials over at the other Arlington eatery he owns: Cassatt’s Kiwi Café and Gallery, at the Lee Heights Shops off Lee Highway.
In the meantime, Hauptman says Bistro 360 will stay open Tuesday through Saturday from 4-9 p.m. each night, with a big “blowout” party planned for Thursday, May 24.
“I think we gave a lot of people a nice local joint,” Hauptman said. “We tried to make it conversational where people could actually hear themselves talk, and I think we succeeded in that.”
Renowned D.C. restauranteurs Fabio and Maria Trabocchi plan to bring a new Italian eatery to Rosslyn.
The Trabocchis will open a second location of their well-reviewed Sfoglina Pasta House at the base of the office building at 11oo Wilson Boulevard, according to a press release from building owner Monday Properties. The Washington Business Journal first reported the news.
The 4,500-square-foot location will be the Trabocchis’ first restaurant outside of D.C., and will include room for outdoor seating and even offer catering for any company looking to hold an event on the building’s rooftop.
“This is such an exciting opportunity, and we’re delighted to be a part of this vibrant and growing community, while further strengthening our love for the craft of pasta-making,” Fabio Trabocchi said in a statement.
The release did not offer any clarity on when the restaurant might open, but the Business Journal reported that it could open by the end of this year, or in early 2019. The 31-story building is currently home to Politico and local TV station WJLA, and sits adjacent to Rosslyn’s Freedom Park.
The Trabocchis opened the original Sfoglina on Connecticut Avenue in D.C. in 2016, and the couple also manages popular Italian restaurants in the city including Fiola, Fiola Mare and Del Mar.
Hockey fans will have a chance to catch the Washington Capitals’ first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in two decades outside in Rosslyn.
The Rosslyn Business Improvement District and Arlington County are teaming up to host an outdoor watch party for the Caps’ first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, fans can gather at Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway) for the 8 p.m. game. The event will also feature appearances from the “Red Rockers” dance team and the team’s mascot, Slapshot.
The game will be aired on a 40-foot projection screen.
The event is weather permitting. Follow the Capitals Twitter account for weather updates.
L.A. Bar and Grill Reopening — After closing for renovations (and because it was late in renewing its state alcohol license) Columbia Pike watering hole L.A. Bar and Grill is planning to reopen this weekend, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. [Facebook, Facebook]
The D.C. Case for the Rosslyn Gondola — “The Gondola will provide anyone within the Metro catchment area a faster trip to Georgetown. With the Gondola, the total travel time to Georgetown drops to less than 30 minutes for a much larger part of the region, including areas of the District with the greatest need for employment opportunities, giving them a faster way to connect with jobs in Georgetown.” [D.C. Policy Center]
Petition Against iPads in Middle School Cafeterias — An online petition, signed by nearly 100 people, seeks to have Arlington Public Schools strengthen its rules regarding iPad use in middle schools. Specifically, the signers want iPads to be used in classrooms and not during lunchtime or recess. Such a policy, the petition creators wrote, would “ensure that APS electronic resources enhance, and do not detract from, the learning process of middle school students.” [Change.org]
More ART Arrival Info Issues — Onceagain, Arlington Transit is having problems with its real-time bus arrival system. Officials told ARLnow.com that a technical issue with the contractor that provides the system was to blame. [Twitter]
Native Plant Sale This Weekend — The Long Branch Nature Center will host a sale of “plants that are accustomed to local climate and wildlife” on Saturday afternoon. [Arlington County]
Scott McGeary Lauded — “Decades ago, Scott McGeary’s parents would take him to occasional celebratory dinners at the Key Bridge Marriott, where they would enjoy both the food and the vistas of the nation’s capital… On May 2, McGeary was again at the hotel, this time in the 14th-floor ballroom as he was inducted into the Arlington Business Hall of Fame.” [InsideNova]
Four Mile Run Dye Testing — Arlington County is conducting dye testing along S. Four Mile Run Drive today. Traces of green and red dye may be seen in Four Mile Run as a result. [Twitter]
The eastbound lanes of Wilson Blvd are closed approaching central Rosslyn due to a tractor trailer accident this morning.
Earlier this morning a large truck drove onto the sidewalk in front of the Commonwealth Tower office building at 1300 Wilson Blvd. Photos show the truck in the process of being removed by heavy duty towing crews.
No injuries were reported, though authorities warned of “significant traffic delays” during the morning rush hour due to the closure. Most of the delays, according to a traffic map, are on Clarendon Blvd and side streets west of the crash scene, at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and Ft. Myer Drive.
The circumstances that led to the truck driving onto the sidewalk are unclear.
Earlier this morning units responded along with @ArlingtonVaPD for a tractor trailer accident near Ft. Myer Dr and Wilson Blvd. No injuries reported. Road closures are in place. Expect significant traffic delays in the Rosslyn area. pic.twitter.com/qev3mHZYuQ
Protesters at a May 3 rally against a Rosslyn Social Security office closure (file photo)
Protestors at the rally against a potential Social Security office closure
Protesters at a May 3 rally against a Rosslyn Social Security office closure (file photo)
J. David Cox, AFGE’s president, at the rally
Protesters at a May 3 rally against a Rosslyn Social Security office closure (file photo)
Despite this afternoon’s heat, dozens of protesters crowded the sidewalk in front of Rosslyn’s Social Security Administration office to rally against its potential closure.
The office, those speaking at the megaphone argued, is a vital component of serving the area’s Social Security benefit recipients.
“If you close this office, you’re cutting a social security benefit,” said J. David Cox, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. “It’s just like cutting somebody’s social security check — you’re cutting the ability for them to access the services that they need.”
The activists’ argue that many people who receive benefits are either aging or disabled and need an easily accessible, local office. That portion of the population needs to be able to consult a human being face-to-face in order to maximize their benefits.
Using an internet portal, they say, was inefficient for some benefit recipients because they tend to not include sufficient or accurate information on forms, have difficulty using a computer, or don’t have the ability to access the internet.
County Board member Christian Dorsey made an appearance, arguing that there’s plenty of room for the Social Security Administration to maintain an Arlington presence.
“This pains me to say as a public official, but office space is not that expensive in Arlington right now,” said Dorsey, pledging to use county resources to find the SSA a more amenable lease. “There are plenty of opportunities for the SSA to stay.”
The Social Security Administration has an office in Alexandria, but anyone looking to get there from Arlington would have to take a trip down the Blue Line to the Van Dorn Metro station and then hop on a bus. The SSA’s website doesn’t even list that office as being nearby if users enter a Rosslyn zip code to find a location.
“To lose the ability to connect people to an office thats within a short walk of heavy rail and to put them in an office more than a mile away from the closest Metro station speaks of poor planning and speaks of insensitivity,” said Dorsey. “We want to reverse that.”
Dorsey himself only learned of the closure a few weeks ago from an Arlingtonian who works with AFGE.
“You would expect, in a world where there’s a governmental asset, that you’d at least get a heads-up when there’s a rethinking of delivering that service — but that’s not the world we live in,” Dorsey said.
About 90 people come to the office every day to use the office, according to Dorsey.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) has also written a letter to the SSA’s internal watchdog requesting an investigation into the agency’s decision to close the office.
A full video of the rally has been made available by Social Security Works, an organization in favor of expanding the program.
Thank you to everyone who turned out for the rally to stop the closure of Arlington's only Social Security field office is happening now.
Closing the Arlington SSA office without public input is unacceptable and will hit our most vulnerable neighbors hardest – Noah Simon, District Director for @RepDonBeyer
The two contenders for the Democratic nomination for Arlington County Board spent most of their May 2 debate in agreement on a wide range of issues — with one gondola-sized exception.
Chanda Choun and Matthew de Ferranti took turns emphasizing the need for more affordable housing and economic development in the county during the forum, which was held in Ballston and hosted by the Arlington County Democratic Committee. Both Democratic hopefuls had plenty of criticisms of the record of the man they’re hoping to knock off this November: County Board member John Vihstadt, an independent.
The rare policy divergence between the two came on a question about whether they’d support using county funds to help build the oft-discussed Rosslyn-Georgetown gondola.
De Ferranti, a lawyer and Democratic activist who’s racked up endorsements from a whole host of elected leaders, adopted the more cautious stance of other county officials and suggested that he’s “fairly wary of moving forward” with the project.
By contrast, Choun — a cybersecurity professional and U.S. Army reservist — borrowed a phrase from the ARLnow comment section to declare: “Gondola now!”
“I know it sounds silly, but I don’t think we should just write it off,” Choun said. “I don’t think there’s any harm to continue exploring this proposal.”
Choun pointed to previous studies of the project suggesting that it could ease the connection between Rosslyn and Georgetown by helping people bypass the Key Bridge, adding that the gondola could also increase access to the Rosslyn Metro station for Georgetown residents.
Yet de Ferranti said he’d much rather support Metro more directly via continued county’s financial support of the troubled transit system. He also noted that many local officials fear that Virginia’s recent deal to provide dedicated annual funding to Metro could pull badly needed money away from regional road projects.
“We have to preserve our existing bus routes and the transportation we have now,” de Ferranti said. “I just don’t think now is the right moment for us to get the gondola.”
But neither Choun nor de Ferranti will get a chance to weigh in on the issue at the board level if they fail to best Vihstadt, who became the first non-Democrat to win a seat on the County Board in 15 years back in 2014, and both candidates argued forcefully that they can topple the incumbent.
Yorktown Grad Chosen in NFL Draft — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Yorktown High School graduate M.J. Stewart in the 2018 NFL draft. Stewart was working with his youth foundation at Langston-Brown Community Center when he learned that he was the 21st pick in the second round of the draft. [InsideNova, Twitter]
Amazon Speculation Boosts JBG Stock — JBG Smith Properties’ stock is up 13 percent in the past month on speculation that Amazon could build its second headquarters in the D.C. metro area. Many of the company’s holdings are based in Crystal City, which is seen as a contender for the site of Amazon’s new HQ2. [Washington Business Journal]
Drug Take-Back Day Numbers Up — Arlington police collected nearly one-third more prescription drugs at Saturday’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day than at last spring’s event. Residents handed over 744 pounds of prescription drugs to police on Saturday, compared with 562 pounds last April. [Twitter]
Arlington Recognized for Tourism Event — The Virginia Association of Destination Marketing Organizations presented the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service with an award for its June 2017 Monumental Views IPW Travel Trade Reception, which showcased Arlington to international travel trade and media during the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2017 event in Washington, D.C. [Arlington County]
Rosslyn Circle Beautification — Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol was among the volunteers with the Tree Stewards of Arlington and Alexandria and the Children’s International School to team up with the National Park Service to beautify Rosslyn Circle on Sunday (photo above). They planted 32 trees and plan to add more later this year.
Red Flag Warning Today — Northern Virginia is under a Red Flag Warning through 8 p.m. today, indicating a heightened danger of outdoor fires. “Dry and windy conditions will create an environment conducive for the rapid spread of wildfires,” the National Weather Service said. “All outdoor burning is discouraged today.” [Twitter]
