Work on the new Arlington Mill Community Center in South Arlington is progressing.

Crews are currently in the process of installing sewer and water lines, along with other infrastructure along Columbia Pike, South Dinwiddie Street and Arlington Mill Drive. Excavation has begun on the area that will be the garage; work on the garage foundation and walls will start soon. A new traffic light also will be installed at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street.

Although 9th Street has been reopened for residents of Park Glen Condominiums and to access the nearby trail, Arlington Mill Drive will be closed for the remainder of the project.

The five-story community center is still on track to open next year, along with the 122-unit affordable housing complex being built on the site. Together, the buildings will form one of four mixed use “Neighborhood Centers” developed within the Columbia Pike Special Revitalization District.

The massive upgrade of Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant, which is almost finished, is apparently already causing environmental benefits in the Chesapeake Bay. Plus, it has created a new source of revenue for the County.

Tests show the $568 million expansion and modernization of the WPCP has reduced the amount of harmful nitrogen it deposits into the Chesapeake Bay. That means the County will receive tradable credits that can be sold through the state’s Nutrient Credit Exchange Program. Earlier this week, the County Board voted to participate in the program, and also approved Arlington’s membership in the Virginia Nutrient Credit Exchange Association.

“The County has made a huge investment in expanding and upgrading the Water Pollution Control Plant, and it is great to see that – even before the upgrade is completed – the effort is producing significant benefits for the Bay and creating a new source of revenue for Arlington,” said County Board Chair Mary Hynes. “This expansion is proving to be a worthwhile investment for our County and the region.”

The County could receive between $22,000 and $410,000 each year for its utility fund by participating in the exchange. Because it’s a new member, Arlington would have to wait the required three to five years before receiving money for its credits. There is an annual membership fee of $3,125 for the program.

The WPCP treats 30 million gallons of wastewater each day. Most of its renovations are slated to be finished this summer. A refurbishment of the fence around the facility will start this spring and end in the fall.

A widely disliked Clarendon intersection will be revamped in the next couple of years. The County has released preliminary plans for the area sometimes referred to as Clarendon Circle.

Based on a study of the intersection at Washington, Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards, the plan provides safety improvements for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Eight other nearby intersections would also be affected by the changes in traffic flow.

The study offers numerous suggestions and sketches of possible redesigns. Some ideas included adding lanes to Washington Blvd, removing left turn lanes, adding bike lanes, adding curb extensions near Liberty Tavern and Sam’s Diner and moving traffic more toward the Silver Diner’s property.

The geometry of the intersection, which is often described as “awkward” and “confusing,” would be normalized by the revamp. The overall size of the intersection would decrease, and better traffic signals and signs would be installed.

County staff examined the study’s suggestions and narrowed down the ideas into one design proposal. Feedback is currently being accepted on the initial proposal via an online survey.

The first round of public forums addressing the improvements will be scheduled soon and will continue throughout the spring. A finalized plan and ground breaking is expected sometime in 2014, at the latest.

Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).

I try in these columns to stay away from directly relating the topic to a particular beer that may be arriving in the shop or that I might be featuring that week. I probably should, to be honest, but I enjoy going through one style at a time and trying to give you, the reader, a nice introduction and some good examples of each. There is something coming in this week, though, that made me think of a style that is largely unknown to the public at large but is starting to gain importance: gluten-free beer.

The number of Americans being diagnosed with Celiac disease is increasing every year, as doctors begin to understand it and its many varied symptoms. Where only 10-15 years ago the conventional wisdom had Celiac being something that only affected around 1/2,500 people (and focusing on children and young people), today some three million Americans have been diagnosed as Celiac. Celiac disease affects the lining of the intestines, specifically in reaction to foods containing gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats among other grains. The damage done by Celiac leaves the sufferer unable to process important elements in food, leading to various and sundry maladies, none of which are good. Looking at that list of ingredients containing gluten, you can see where issues come up for beer drinkers.

Over the past few years many beers have hit the market for those with Celiac disease who missed beer and were looking for a gluten-free option. I’ve seen the number of customers looking for gluten-free beers increase every year, and every year I’ve seen the disappointment of those customers in the beers on the market for them. These days, the gluten-free beers I keep in stock are limited to Britain’s St. Peter’s Sorghum Beer and Green’s Gluten-Free, whose Belgian-style beers have gained in popularity over the past few years.

The problem is that as well-made as many gluten-free beers are, they simply are not a realistic substitute for traditional beer. Often they lack balance and can come across as cloying or without character. Enter Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery. The popular craft brewery had for years been getting requests for a gluten-free beer at their brewery, brewpub, and at their local restaurants. Last year, they developed a recipe and put it on tap at their Rehoboth Beach brewpub; it was a smash hit. It was such a hit that they decided to put it into their production as their first new 4-pack in almost five years. That beer is called Tweason’ale, and why it works is that it is specifically not trying to ape any traditional beer.

Tweason’ale features local strawberries with a base of dark sorghum syrup and buckwheat honey. The resulting beer is bright with a lot of strawberry character along with notes of molasses and even some grains from the buckwheat honey. Dogfish is known for their interesting beers, and they’ve succeeded in making a gluten-free beer that is interesting not only to those with medical dietary restrictions. Tweason’ale is just an interesting beverage, plain and simple. The first batch of Tweason’ale is arriving this week: supplies are limited but don’t worry if you miss it — Dogfish plans on brewing it between seasons (hence the name).

Until next week. Cheers!

Nick Anderson keeps a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx.

Various lane closures due to work on the new Courthouse interchange could cause some additional traffic headaches starting this weekend.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will be closing up to two of three lanes in each direction of Route 50 from 10th Street to N. Rhodes Street. Those closures will take place at night, from 9:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., starting on Sunday and running through Thursday, February 2. Daytime closures from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will begin on Monday and continue until Friday, February 3.

VDOT warns drivers that although late night closures don’t officially begin until 9:00 p.m., preparations for the road work could start as early as 7:00 p.m. Drivers should use extra caution in the area and be aware of construction crews.

The $39 million project to redesign the interchange at Route 50, Courthouse Road and 10th Street was launched to improve accessibility and safety in the area. Aesthetic improvements will also be added.

The project’s second phase of utility relocation is scheduled to be finished this spring. The entire project is slated to be completed in fall of 2013.

A commercial tenant will soon move into a building that’s been the center of a years-long controversy in the Cherrydale neighborhood. A Subway restaurant is coming to the Bromptons at Cherrydale building (3800 Lee Hwy), now known as 3800 Lofts.

The residential space above the restaurant was supposed to be sold as condos, but multiple issues prompted the developer to convert the units to rentals over the summer.

Subway will be the first retail tenant in the building. The space, including the residential portion, sat empty for years due to problems with the building’s structural soundness, multiple lawsuits and a faltering economy.

Work has already begun on the restaurant, but there’s no word yet on an opening date.

Parks Department Shortens Name — The Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources is now just the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. The “Cultural Resources” part of the name was dropped after the Cultural Affairs Division (and Artisphere) was moved over to the county’s Arlington Economic Development department.

Doctor Threatens Suit Against VSP for ‘Racial Slurs’ — A Florida doctor is contemplating a lawsuit against Virginia State Police for alleged civil rights violations following an accident. The incident started on July 3, 2011, when Dr. Maria Ferrer crashed her car into an HOV gate on I-395 in Arlington. Dr. Ferrer says two VSP troopers arrived on scene and, at one point, used racial slurs before citing her for traffic violations. [NBC Washington]

ARLnow.com Reaches 100,000 Comments — At some point yesterday afternoon, ARLnow.com recorded its 100,000th published comment. That’s an average of about 137 comments per day since ARLnow.com first launched on Jan. 29, 2010.

In addition to providing prenatal care for the children of recent legal immigrants and studying the tax implications of the theoretical legalization of marijuana, Arlington’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly has proposed a number of other interesting pieces of legislation.

Among them:

• SB264: Sen. Adam Ebbin’s bill would include bicycles, electronic wheelchairs and mopeds in the statute that prohibits drivers from following another vehicle too closely. Currently, the law only requires drivers to maintain a safe distance from other motor vehicles on the road. This bill passed the Senate on Tuesday, and is identical to a bill proposed by Del. Alfonso Lopez.
• HB784: This bill from Del. Lopez would have required drivers to “exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian or the operator of a human-powered vehicle” (such as a bicycle). A House of Delegates subcommittee recommended killing the bill yesterday.
• HB1026: This bill, proposed by Del. David Englin, would allow restaurants to advertise their happy hour specials on the internet. Currently, advertising happy hour prices or other specifics is prohibited by law. Del. Dave Albo (R) of Springfield has proposed an identical bill.
• HJ231: Del. Bob Brink has introduced an amendment to the state Constitution that would allow Virginia governors to run for a second term, starting in 2017. A House Republican has proposed the same amendment.

The man accused of firing bullets at the Pentagon and other military installations in Northern Virginia pleaded guilty in federal court today.

Yonathan Melaku, 23, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty to three counts of: damaging government property, using a firearm during a crime, and attempted injury to veterans’ memorials. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have jointly asked for a 25-year sentence.

As part of the plea, Melaku admitted that on or around the early morning of Oct. 19, 2010 he fired multiple 9mm rounds at the Pentagon building. He also admitted to firing bullets at the National Museum of the Marine Corps (twice), a Marine Corps recruiting sub-station in Chantilly, and a U.S. Coast Guard recruiting office in Woodbridge. The shootings took place between Oct. 17, 2010 and Nov. 2, 2010.

Prosecutors say terrorism was the motive of the shootings. In a video, investigators say Melaku can be seen firing a handgun out of the passenger-side window of his car, then repeatedly shouting “Allahu Akbar.”

“Yonathan Melaku pled guilty to carrying out a calculated, destructive campaign to instill terror throughout our community,” U.S. Attorney MacBride said in a statement. “The video he filmed during one drive-by shooting is a chilling portrayal of his intent and the escalating danger he posed. Thanks to the FBI and their law enforcement partners, we were able to apprehend Mr. Melaku, develop the evidence that linked him to the shootings, and secure this conviction today.”

Melaku was arrested on June 17, 2011 after what’s being described as an unsuccessful attempt to vandalize the graves of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at Arlington National Cemetery. At about 1:30 a.m., police spotted Melaku on the property of Ft. Myer. He attempted to flee, and dropped a backpack in the process.

Prosecutors say the backpack contained “numerous spent 9mm shell casings; four bags containing ammonium nitrate, and a spiral notebook with numerous Arabic statements referencing the Taliban, al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, ‘The Path to Jihad,’ as well as a list of several other individuals associated with foreign terrorist organizations.”

After he was taken into custody, Melaku admitted that he was trying to sneak into Arlington National Cemetery “to desecrate and injure the grave markers by spray-painting the markers with Arabic statements and by leaving the ammonium nitrate he was carrying at the sites of the grave markers.”

Later, prosecutors say, a list of parts for a bomb detonator was discovered in Melaku’s Alexandria home.

The FBI-led investigation received assistance from Arlington County Police, Virginia State Police, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, U.S. Park Police and other federal and local law enforcement agencies.