Snow-covered basketball court (Flickr pool photo by Ddimick)

APS Boosts Bus Service to TJ, Kenmore — In response to criticism from parents, Arlington Public Schools has extended bus service to more than 200 additional Thomas Jefferson Middle School students. It has also added bus service for another 28 Kenmore Middle School students. [Sun Gazette]

TV Station Goes on Pothole Patrol in Arlington — WUSA9 has gone on “pothole patrol” in Arlington and found “a plethora of pits along North Harrison Street.” One of the station’s attempts to report the potholes online apparently didn’t work and the county acknowledged there were “a few bugs in the system.” We’ve previously reported on pothole problems on Columbia Pike and elsewhere in the county. [WUSA9]

Annual 9/11 5K Race Registration Open — Registration is now open for the 13th annual Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K. The race will take place this year on Sept. 6. [9/11 Memorial 5K]

District Taco to Open in Dupont Circle — Arlington’s own homegrown restaurant chain District Taco will be opening a location at 1919 M Street NW in Dupont Circle. The location is District Taco’s fourth brick-and-mortar restaurant. A fifth location, in Vienna, could be coming later this year. [Washington Business Journal]

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick


Water and ice (Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk)

Vihstadt Says His Election Won’t Stop Streetcar — Even if Republican-endorsed independent Arlington County Board candidate John Vihstadt were to be elected, the Columbia Pike streetcar project would likely continue unabated. Currently, Libby Garvey is the lone anti-streetcar vote on the five-member board. With Vihstadt in, the number still favor the streetcar: 3-2. Still, Vihstadt suggested that increased community opposition could derail the project. [Sun Gazette]

Why There Are Tiffany Windows in County Buildings — In case you’ve ever noticed the Tiffany stained glass windows in the Arlington Arts Center, Westover Library and Fairlington Community Center and wondered how they got here, the answer is: somewhat by accident. The windows were salvaged from a mausoleum next to Arlington National Cemetery that was slated for demolition. It was during the salvage operation that workers noticed the very sought-after signature of Louis C. Tiffany on the windows. [Preservation Arlington]

Arlington National Cemetery Documentary — A public television documentary on Arlington National Cemetery will premiere tonight. The hour-long documentary is scheduled to air locally at 8:00 p.m. on WETA. [WETA]

Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk


Arlington's Ginger, featured in Puppy Bowl XBefore the Super Bowl last night, Animal Planet aired its annual Puppy Bowl, which featured one puppy from Arlington and another from Falls Church.

Ginger, a 6-month-old Old English Sheepdog Mix, was adopted by an Arlington family from the Fayette (Ohio) Humane Society in September. Ginger’s new home is with Miguel Monteverde and his family, according to the Record-Herald in Fayette County.

Monteverde told the paper that his family was looking to replace its former pet, another Old English Sheepdog, that died in 2012. He suggested that Ginger could be a formidable Puppy Bowl contender.

“Sometimes she can be a handful,” Monteverde said. “Her favorite activities are to play with her neighbors, Morgan and Oscar, our neighbor’s dogs. She’s full of energy and affection.”

Ginger wasn’t the only pup from the area to participate in the Puppy Bowl, which featured 38 dogs on a miniature football field playing with toys. Bach, a Bernese mountain dog/poodle mix, is from Falls Church.

The Puppy Bowl drew an average of 12.4 million viewers last year.

Photo via Animal Planet


Large snow pile in the parking lot for Virginia Highlands Park

Williamsburg Zumba Studio Featured on ‘GMA’ — FITLoose Health and Fitness in the Williamsburg neighborhood was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America. The segment highlighted the studio’s Zumbini classes — a variation of Zumba for children 0-3 years old and their parents. [Yahoo! News]

Hybrid Tax Repeal Passes — Legislation to repeal Virginia’s $64 annual tax on hybrid vehicles has passed both houses of the General Assembly. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) says he will sign the bill, which was introduced in the state Senate by Sen. Adam Ebbin (D). [Virginian-Pilot]

Herring Announces Run for Moran’s Seat — Virginia Democratic Party Chair Charneile Herring is stepping down to run for the Congressional seat of the retiring Rep. Jim Moran (D). Herring, who has represented Alexandria in the House of Delegates, is considered a party  “rising star,” and was Virginia’s first African-American Democratic party chair. [NBC Washington]

Arlington’s Shopping Scene Profiled — “Shopping in Arlington is always a bit of an adventure,” writes the Washington Post’s Jura Koncius. “As you dodge auto body shops, towering corporate headquarters, tanning parlors and trendy eateries, you’ll discover stores that stock just about everything you need for your home. But you might find yourself lost in the process. Hop over a bridge from the city and you’ll roll through slick shopping centers punctuated by shops nestled in funky farmhouses that represent the disappearing Arlington of old.” [Washington Post]

Eads Street Was a Former Canal — Crystal City residents might not realize it, but most of S. Eads Street, a main thoroughfare, used to be a canal. The street was built above the old Alexandria Canal, which connected Alexandria to Georgetown by way of an aqueduct bridge.


Members of the National Capitol Region Mustang Club parked outside the WJLA building in Rosslyn Thursday morning (courtesy photo)

Pedestrian Struck on Route 1Added at 9:15 a.m. — The southbound lanes of Route 1 were closed this morning while police investigated a serious pedestrian accident. A pedestrian was reported struck by a car between 20th Street and 23rd Street overnight. [WJLA]

Road Closures for ‘Jingle Bell’ Race — Parts of S. Joyce Street and Army Navy Drive will be closed Saturday morning for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis. The 5K race starts at 9:00 a.m. [ACPD]

Civ Fed Considering Televising Meetings — The Arlington County Civic Federation, which has been trying to retain its relevance in the 21st century, is considering televising its meetings either on local cable or the internet. [Sun Gazette]

Firefighters Collecting Money for Kids’ Coats — Arlington County firefighters have launched a fundraising drive online intended to help buy winter coats for children in need in Arlington. [Operation Warm]

Courtesy photo


Rosslyn skyline from Roosevelt Island (Flickr pool photo by Sunday Money)

BBQ Competition to Film in Arlington? — A production company from New York is apparently scouting locations in Arlington for the filming of a BBQ competition show. The show would then air on network television. [Falls Church News-Press]

APS to Discuss Williamsburg Plans — Arlington Public Schools will be holding two meetings to discuss plans to build a new elementary school at the Williamsburg Middle School site. The meetings will be held on Nov. 13 and 14. The school is expected to open by September 2015. [Arlington Public Schools]

Eternal Flame Restored at Arlington Cemetery — The eternal flame at the President John F. Kennedy gravesite has been restored following several months of repairs. A temporary flame was installed during the repairs. The flame was transferred back to the permanent burner on Tuesday. [Military Times]

Flickr pool photo by Sunday Money


Melissa Jurgens with Alex Trebek (photo courtesy of Jeopardy! Productions, Inc.)Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has a lot of answers, and a local woman hopes she has the questions he’s looking for.

Arlington resident Melissa Jurgens, a lawyer, will compete on the popular quiz show. The segment was previously taped and airs tonight.

Although it’s a big secret whether or not Jurgens will advance, we are told she was able to meet and take photos with host Alex Trebek.

You can catch Jurgens’ appearance on Jeopardy! at 7:30 p.m. on WJLA (Channel 7).

Photo courtesy of Jeopardy! Productions, Inc.


S.E. Cupp (photo via Twitter)Is Arlington the “Hoboken of Washington?”

That’s what conservative commentator S.E. Cupp said of her current home, during a party to celebrate the relaunch of CNN’s Crossfire earlier this week.

Cupp, who is one of the four co-hosts on the show, told the packed party crowd that, when she recently moved to Arlington from New York City, she didn’t realize she was moving to the “Hoboken of Washington.”

Hoboken, N.J. is a city of 50,000 situated on the Hudson River across from Manhattan. The city is noted for its upscale shops and condominiums, and bills itself as “America’s most walkable city” and a “bicycle friendly community.” The city’s website prominently features a flyer for the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival and a public service announcement about cleaning up pet waste.

Do you agree with Cupp’s analogy?
 

Photo via Twitter


Rosslyn sunset (photo by christopherskillman)

Local ‘Stacking’ Champ Gains International Fame — William Polly, the 12-year-old Thomas Jefferson Middle School student who’s a Sport Stacking champion, is gaining international notoriety. This summer he filmed a television commercial for a South African orange soda, and next week he will attempt to break his own world record during the taping of a Guinness Book of World Records TV show in Beijing. [Washington Post]

Arlington GOP Renovates HQ — The Arlington County Republican Committee is putting the finishing touches on its new headquarters. Located on the ground floor of an apartment building at 405 S. Glebe Road, the office is expected to reopen after Labor Day. The local GOP is also planning a door knocking campaign for gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli on Sept. 7. [Sun Gazette]

Bourbon, Bacon and Blues Party — A group of Arlington-based bloggers is throwing a party tonight at O’Sullivan’s (3207 Washington Blvd) in Clarendon. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. and will feature music by Duffy Kane. [Clarendon Nights]

Flickr pool photo by christopherskillman


Sharknado screen grab (courtesy @rickolivieri)(Updated at 9:55 a.m.) Last night, the campy made-for-TV movie Sharknado took Twitter by storm.

The low-budget film, which aired on the SyFy network, stars Tara Reid (American Pie), Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills, 90210) and John Heard (Home Alone). It seems that Arlington also played a bit part.

In one portion of the film, a scene clearly shows an Arlington police cruiser and fire engine.

At publication time, an Arlington police spokesman couldn’t be reached to confirm whether the shot was filmed exclusively for the movie or if it was simply stock footage appropriated by the producers.

Several Arlington notables were active on Twitter during the film. Among them: NBC News correspondent and Arlington resident Chuck Todd, Del. Alfonso Lopez and Del. Rob Krupicka.

Photo courtesy @rickolivieri


"After the Deluge" by Ddimick

Arlington Popular With ‘Echo Boomers’ — Those between the ages of 25 and 34, also known as “Echo Boomers,” have increased in population by 10 percent in Arlington over the past two years. Such residents say they’re attracted to Arlington’s mix of urban amenities and suburban comfort. Instead of moving further out into the suburbs upon having kids, many Echo Boomers are opting to stay in Arlington and other areas around D.C.’s urban core. [Washington Post]

Bloomberg BNA Faces Snack Abuse — Crystal City-based Bloomberg BNA sent a memo to employees on Friday threatening to install surveillance cameras to monitor the snack pantry, after some employees were observed taking a copious amount of snacks home. Managers rescinded the threat after pushback from the employees’ union. [Jim Romenesko]

Federal Tax Credits for Housing Projects — Two affordable housing projects in Arlington have qualified for financing through the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits program. [Arlington County]

Toscana Grill Reopening — Courthouse restaurant Toscana Grill (2300 Clarendon Blvd) is reopening today. The restaurant closed for repairs last month after a water pipe burst and caused some flooding. Before it closed, in an effort to not let the food in the kitchen go to waste, Toscana gave away hundreds of free meals to those willing to wait in line. “We were thrilled by the turnout of our free food event and look forward to serving the community with our full dining, takeout and catering services,” owner Joe Smith tells ARLnow.com.

Great Food Truck Race Stops in Clarendon  — The Hawaii-based Aloha Plate food truck stopped by the Arlington Festival of the Arts yesterday. Aloha Plate is a current contestant on the Food Network show The Great Food Truck Race. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick


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