Yorktown

Yorktown Aquatic Center Opening on Sunday

By Katie Pyzyk

In mere days, anyone looking to dive into a new exercise routine for the new year will have another option. The Yorktown Aquatic Center is set to open on Sunday.

The facility replaces Yorktown’s older pool that had been in use for decades. Visitors now have access to an eight-lane competition pool and a separate instructional pool. There’s also a separate diving area with two springboards and a scoreboard. At least 175 people can overlook the pools from the spectator area. The facility also houses a “wet classroom” which will be available to rent for pool parties.

Sunday’s grand opening open house celebration will run during normal facility hours, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can get the full operating schedule here. The pool is located on the Yorktown Boulevard side of campus, and can be accessed from the parking area on 28th Street.

Roads Still Closed as Storm Cleanup Effort Continues

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) Parts of Old Dominion Drive and Rock Spring Road remained closed this afternoon as crews continued to clean up from the “macroburst” storm that ravaged parts of North Arlington on Sunday.

The smell of freshly-cut wood and the sound of chainsaws and wood chippers was pervasive throughout Yorktown and the other hart-hit neighborhoods. Private disaster recovery trucks — along with crews from Dominion, Verizon and other utilities — roamed the streets, many of which are still covered with debris waiting to be hauled off.

No word yet on when Old Dominion and Rock Spring, which are both open to some local traffic, may reopen to through traffic.

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Three-Car Wreck Shuts Down North Arlington Roads

By ARLnow.com

Several Yorktown-area streets have reopened since a lunchtime wreck sent one person to the hospital.

An Audi flipped on its roof and two other cars suffered severe front-end damage in the crash at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Rock Spring Road. One person was taken to the hospital and reportedly evaluated for possible head injuries. Amazingly, everybody else was apparently able to walk away from the wreck.

It’s unclear how the collision happened. The speed limit on Old Dominion Drive is 35 miles per hour and there is a stop light at the intersection. Police took photos of the scene as part of an accident investigation.

Old Dominion and Rock Spring were both shut down for just over an hour.

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Lots of Events This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

We’ve talked a lot about Clarendon Day, but there are a bunch of other fun and interesting events happening around Arlington this weekend.

Among them: the Arlington Kids Stuff Sale, the Great American Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength, An Evening of Shakespeare in Klingon starring George Takei, the AMEN 35th anniversary celebration and WalkArlington’s Yorktown Walkabout.

See our events calendar for more details.

Police Seek Burglary and Assault Suspect in North Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A north Arlington resident came home this morning and reportedly found a man who was in the process of burglarizing his house. The burglar punched the homeowner in the face and fled with some sort of a metal box, according to police radio traffic.

The incident happened in the Yorktown neighborhood, a few blocks away from the Knights of Columbus and Yorktown High School. Police are now searching the area, trying to find the alleged burglar.

He’s described as a tall black man, wearing a light shirt, a baseball cap and a long coat.

Jay Fisette to Lead Walkabout in Yorktown

By ARLnow.com

There are plenty of reasons to go on a walk on Sept. 26.

It’s the first Sunday of the fall. It’s the first Sunday after World Car-Free Day. And it’s a great way to discover a neighborhood’s hidden parks and historic landmarks.

To that end, County Board Chairman Jay Fisette will be leading a “Walkabout” around the Yorktown neighborhood from 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. on the 26th. The walk will depart from Greenbrier Park (5201 28th Street North) and will take walkers past schools, shopping centers and other local sights. (See a route map here.)

The Walkabout is organized by the county-run WalkArlington organization.

The Case of the Stolen Canadian Flags

By ARLnow.com

Rob Yonick is sick and tired of people stealing his Canadian flag from outside his Yorktown home. He doesn’t know who’s doing it, he doesn’t know why they’re doing it, but he wants it to stop.

Despite the thefts, Yonick says l’Unifolié will still be proudly displayed for all to see this weekend, in time for the epic U.S.-Canada Olympic hockey matchup on Sunday.

“I’m going to put a flag in the window,” he said defiantly, adding that “there’s no doubt” Canada, backed by Pittsburgh Penguins star and Nova Scotia native Sidney Crosby, will defeat the American team.

Yonick, a stout Canadian Embassy employee, first had his beloved Maple Leaf stolen this past Columbus Day. He chalked it up to misplaced patriotic fervor.

Undeterred, Yonick bought two new flags — a Canadian flag and an American flag — and bolted each flag to a column outside his stately N. Columbus St. house.

Earlier this week, the American flag disappeared, leaving only a bare, mangled flagpole. Then at some point on Thursday, the Canadian flag vanished, flagpole and all, leaving Yonick flummoxed.

“I don’t know if it’s kids playing a prank, or someone who doesn’t like Canada,” he said. After writing about it on Facebook, a friend suggested the Olympics might have something to do with it, a theory Yonick says is possible but unlikely.

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