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Arlington Police Issued At Least 18 Jaywalking-Related Citations in 2017

Published April 6, 2018 at 3:00PM

Arlington County may be known as a generally pedestrian-friendly place, but you can get ticketed for jaywalking here.

At least 18 citations were issued in 2017 for common pedestrian code violations, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

Nine citations were issued for “pedestrian disobey walk/don’t walk,” and another nine were issued for “pedestrian walk in street when sidewalk is available,” according to ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

(The term jaywalking, while colloquially used to describe those crimes, is technically not an offense code in Virginia.)

“As part of a police officer’s routine duties, they enforce various traffic laws for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists,” Savage told ARLnow.com. “Officers utilize their discretion and take enforcement action when there is a clear danger to the safety of travelers.”

At least one of these enforcement actions occurred yesterday outside of the Deloitte offices in Rosslyn (1919 N. Lynn Street), according to a tipster, who sent a photo of a man waiting near a police cruiser as an officer wrote up a citation.

Pedestrian-related citations, dependent on the exact nature of the offense, can result in fines of $66 (including processing fee).

Recent pedestrian-related fines, including fines for paying attention to a mobile device while crossing the street, have drawn attention from D.C. to Honolulu.

The annual Street Smart regional traffic safety campaign kicks off soon, running from April 16-May 13. The law enforcement effort attempts to encourage safe behavior among pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists “through high visibility traffic enforcement and education while reducing the number of traffic related crashes and injuries.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 6, 2018 at 8:55AM

ACFD Battles Kitchen Fire — Arlington County firefighters last night extinguished a kitchen fire in an apartment building on the 1900 block of N. Calvert Street, just north of Lee Highway and east of Spout Run. No injuries were reported. [Twitter, Twitter]

Taylor P.E. Teacher Pleads to Drug Charge — A second former P.E. teacher at Taylor Elementary School has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a drug bust in December. Michael Diaddigo, 28, will reportedly “serve 1 of a 12-months jail sentence if he follows probation, which includes a $500 fine and substance abuse treatment.” [Twitter]

Central Place Bus Tunnel Still Closed — “A bus tunnel in Rosslyn critical to many commuters — which Metro said more than a year ago would open in days — remains closed due to outstanding construction concerns, WTOP has learned.” [WTOP]

Lanes Closures in Crystal City Tonight — The lanes of certain roads around Crystal City will be closed for about two hours tonight to accommodate the first of the annual Crystal City 5K Friday races. [Arlington County]

Residential Parking Permit Applications — “It is now time to renew your Residential Permit Parking Program permits and passes for the new program fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018. Remember enforcement continues throughout the year, so new passes/permits must be displayed by July 1st, 2018.” [Arlington County]

Actor Says No to WJLA Interview — Amy Schumer has turned down an interview with Arlington-based TV station WJLA (ABC 7) because it is owned by Sinclair, the broadcast station owner under fire for making its anchors read a script denouncing “biased and false news” from other outlets. [Buzzfeed]

Crime Report: Alleged Public Masturbator Returns to Scene of the Crime

By ARLnow.com

Published April 4, 2018 at 2:45PM | Updated February 28, 2020 at 10:36AM

A Woodbridge man has been arrested and charged with indecent exposure after police say he was seen masturbating in his car.

The man initially left the scene, on the 1800 block of N. Scott Street in the Rosslyn area, but came back after police asked him to. He was then arrested.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2018-03300228, 1800 block of N. Scott Street. At approximately 6:41 p.m. on March 30, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim witnessed the male suspect masturbating in his vehicle. Based upon the vehicle and suspect description provided by the victim, police were able to develop a possible suspect and requested he return to the scene. Desalegn Alemu, 34, of Woodbridge, VA, was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure.

The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 4, 2018 at 8:45AM

Secret Service Vehicle Stolen in Arlington — A pair of thieves stole a vehicle belonging to the U.S. Secret Service from an Arlington service center yesterday afternoon. The vehicle did not have any equipment inside that “compromises the Secret Service mission,” the Secret Service told news organizations. It was reported stolen from the 900 block of N. Jackson Street, which corresponds with the location of Arlington Autocare near Clarendon. [WUSA 9, Washington Post]

Arlington and Alexandria Working Together on HQ2 — “The city of Alexandria and Arlington County are apparently working together in their efforts to land Amazon.com Inc.’s second headquarters… Arlington County’s Crystal City and the Alexandria portion of Potomac Yard south of Four Mile Run are believed to have been jointly offered up in response to Amazon’s September request for proposals.” [Washington Business Journal]

Monday Properties Expands Local Portfolio — Monday Properties, a major property owner in Rosslyn, has acquired a pair of office buildings in Alexandria and Herndon. The properties are both near potential D.C. area landing spots for Amazon’s HQ2. However, Monday’s Rosslyn portfolio itself is being seriously considered for the second headquarters by the Seattle-based online giant. [Washington Business Journal]

New Tenant for 1812 N. Moore Street — “Monday Properties has found a neighbor for Nestle USA in Rosslyn. International health IT juggernaut Cerner Corp. has signed on for 38,000 square feet at 1812 N. Moore, according to Bisnow.” [Bisnow, Washington Business Journal]

Snagajob Rebrands as ‘Snag’ — “Eighteen years in, Snagajob is rebranding. The Arlington, Va.-based company that provides a platform to find jobs is now called Snag, CEO Peter Harrison said on Tuesday. With the rebrand comes a new product. The company plans to expand a platform that can help connect to on-demand shifts.” [Technically DC, Washington Business Journal]

Bunny Needs Foster Home — A bunny dubbed Cherry Blossom is in need of a foster home. “Cherry Blossom was found outside, cold, skinny, and urine-scalded — now she needs a friend to help her gain her strength back,” said the Animal Welfare League of Arlington via social media. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

Protected Bike Lane Proposed for N. Veitch Street

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Published March 30, 2018 at 9:45AM

N. Veitch Street protected bike lane project map

A protected bike lane has been proposed as part of a repaving project this summer

The parking on N. Veitch Street between Lee Highway and Wilson Boulevard would be reconfigured to create space for a protected bike lane connecting the Custis Trail and Courthouse.

“This protected bike lane will create a more bike-friendly connection between the Wilson/Clarendon Corridor and the Custis Trail,” says the county’s project page. “This will be considered the second of four phases of construction to create the protected bike lane connection on the Rosslyn-Courthouse corridor.”

The first phase of the “Courthouse-Rosslyn Multimodal Connectivity Improvements” project built protected bike lanes on Wilson Blvd between N. Oak Street and N. Pierce Street in Rosslyn. Additional phases would extend the protected bike lane from Rosslyn to Courthouse.

The second phase of the project this summer would also reconfigure parking on N. Troy Street in Courthouse, between Key and Wilson boulevards, to create additional spaces.

A public design workshop and discussion is planned for Wednesday (April 4) from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the Navy League Building (2300 Wilson Blvd).

Photos via Arlington County

Bethesda Bagels Set To Open In Rosslyn’s Central Place

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Published March 27, 2018 at 4:45PM

Bethesda Bagels is aiming to open a new location later in the year at Rosslyn’s Central Place.

Danny Fleishman, one of the bagel chain’s owners, told ARLnow that they intend to open in five or six months, pending permitting, but are “shooting for August.” The shop will be adjacent to the recently opened Nando’s Peri Peri.

The bagel shop has been around since 1982, and currently has two D.C. locations and one in their namesake town of Bethesda, Md. Closing hours vary among the locations, but all of the current locations open at 6:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday.

At least 25 handmade, New-York style bagel flavors are on offer, from orange cranberry to pumpernickel to more traditional selections like plain and everything bagels.

Bagel schmears include peanut butter and jelly, honey butter, cinnamon butter, and many varieties of cream cheese from blueberry and strawberry to olive and roasted red pepper.

The chain also offers a number of sandwiches and special items, like bagel bites stuffed with hot dogs.

AWLA Rescues Wild Turkey from Rosslyn Construction Site

By ARLnow.com

Published March 26, 2018 at 7:10PM

Though talk of wild turkey in Rosslyn may lead one to think of bros in hotel bars swigging high-proof bourbon, today it was the real, live thing.

A wild turkey was found waddling around a construction site in Rosslyn, leading to a response from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

An animal control officer was able to catch the male turkey, which was said to be “scared and very stressed.” A video posted on Facebook, below, captures the scene as the turkey was placed in a kennel before being brought back to AWLA’s shelter in Shirlington and then being released into the wild.

Photos: Arlington As Seen on TV and in the Movies

By Anna Merod

Published March 23, 2018 at 4:45PM | Updated March 23, 2018 at 7:01PM

The assassination attempt scene of The West Wing was shot in Freedom Park (via Warner Bros. Television)

The famous assassination scene of The West Wing was shot in Rosslyn’s Freedom Park.

The film State of Play was also shot at the Rosslyn Metro.

The Air Force Memorial can be seen in Transformers 3.

A scene in Charlie Wilson’s War was set at Rosslyn’s The Weslie Condominiums.

The Marine Corps War Memorial was featured in The Next Karate Kid.

From The West Wing to The Pelican Brief, Arlington has been home to a number of film scenes over the years.

The county’s tourism promotion agency, StayArlington, listed several notable locations in a recent blog post, and ARLnow hit the pavement to find some of the more famous sites.

Few political junkies have forgotten the famous attempted assassination scene in The West Wing, which was filmed in Rosslyn’s Freedom Park.

Other memorable sites include scenes from Charlie Wilson’s War, which was filmed at Rosslyn’s The Weslie Condominiums, from The Next Karate Kid and Flags of Our Fathers, both of which shot scenes at the Marine Corps War Memorial, according to StayArlington.

The Ballston Common Mall — now Ballston Quarter — parking garage is said to have been the set for a scene in The Pelican Brief. The Russell Crowe thriller State of Play, meanwhile, included scenes at the Rosslyn Metro station and the Americana Hotel in Crystal City.

Any other famous scenes we missed on our tour? Let us know in the comments.

Rosslyn To Host First Spring Book Festival

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Published March 22, 2018 at 12:45PM | Updated March 22, 2018 at 2:40PM

(Updated 2:39 p.m.) A spring book festival is coming to Rosslyn this year for the first time.

The Rosslyn Reads! Spring Book Festival will take place at Rosslyn’s Central Place Plaza (1800 N. Lynn Street) on Thursday, April 26, from 10 a.m.-10 p.m, and will feature readings from local writers, local food and beverages, and a used book sale.

Used books, DVDs, and CDs will be sold for $1-5, with all proceeds benefiting Turning the Page, an educational resources nonprofit.

Author talks will be held throughout the day, and a free concert by Virginia band Two Ton Twig will be held in the evening.

The event is hosted by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District in partnership with the Arlington Public Library and Washington’s Carpe Librum book store.

The full list of scheduled events at the festival is below.

10 a.m. – Event opening
10:15 a.m. – Preschool story time
11 a.m. – Managing Up “Workout” Coffee Talk with Careerstone Group LLC president and The Washington Business Journal editor-at-large
12 p.m. – Author Talk with Bayou Bakery owner David Guas on his cookbooks
12:30 p.m. – Author Talk with John Pfordresher on his The Secret History of Jane Eyre: How Charlotte Brontë Wrote Her Masterpiece
1 p.m. – Author Talk with Nicholas Reynolds on his Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy: Ernest Hemingway’s Secret Adventures, 1935-1961
2 p.m. – Author Talk with Rebecca Czarniecki on her Manners & Tea with Mrs. B
3 p.m. – Family storytelling & music
4 p.m. – The Great Zucchini Show magic show
5-7 p.m. – Author Talk and beer tasting with Mark Elliott Benbow on his Christian Heurich and His Brewery
5:30 p.m. – Author Talk with Liza Mundy on her Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II
7-10 p.m. – Two Ton Twig performance alongside a pop-up wine and beer bar and food trucks

File photo

The Simple Greek May Open Next Month

By Bridget Reed Morawski

Published March 20, 2018 at 12:45PM | Updated March 20, 2018 at 1:27PM

The Simple Greek near Rosslyn (file photo)

LNN photo

The Simple Greek building permits

LNN photo

Signs are up at The Simple Greek, a new restaurant at the Colonial Village shopping plaza near Rosslyn.

Company representatives say they’re hoping to open the eatery, at 1731 Wilson Blvd, in late April.

The Simple Greek serves personalized Greek pitas or bowls, with several protein options and toppings like feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and cucumbers. Four different sauces, including hummus and garlic cream, will be available, and the restaurant has dessert options that includes a baklava cheesecake and Greek yogurt.

Greek beer and wine are also available at select locations, but The Simple Greek’s website did not list if this location was among those with libations. The chain replaces the former Virginia ABC Store, which closed in 2013 and left the storefront vacant ever since.

According to a website location map, The Simple Greek chain has at least nine new locations in the works nationwide, from Massachusetts to Texas. Hours for the Arlington store are not yet listed on the website.

The Simple Greek was featured on the CNBC show The Profit, an appearance that later led to a lawsuit against host Marcus Lemonis and the subsequent closure of a location in suburban Pittsburgh.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 20, 2018 at 9:00AM

More on Hit-and-Run Suspect Arrest — A lobbyist known for his promotion of conspiracy theories, particularly theories about the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich, says he was the victim of an incident that led to the arrest of a man in Fairlington on Saturday. Jack Burkman says the suspect, Kevin Doherty, shot him twice and tried to run him over with an SUV in the parking garage of the Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn. [Washington Post]

Isabella Sued for Sexual Harassment — “Celebrity chef Mike Isabella, the head of a $30 million culinary empire based in the nation’s capital, was sued Monday by a former top manager who claims that Isabella and his partners repeatedly sexually harassed her in the workplace… [The plaintiff] told The Post she joined Isabella’s company as a regional manager in 2015, helping to open his three Arlington, Va., properties.” [Washington Post]

Sprynt to Reopen for Season — Local free ride service Sprynt will be reopening for the season “in a few weeks,” according to founder Alex Villanueva. One of the company’s electric vehicles was seen parked in Clarendon last night with a “now hiring” sign on it. [Twitter]

Hotel Company Moving HQ to Crystal City — Interstate Hotels and Resorts is moving its headquarters from Ballston to Crystal City, per a press release. The company is leasing 35,000 square feet at 2011 Crystal Drive. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman