G-40 Artists Arrested Before Show
Two artists invited to showcase their work at the G-40: The Summit exhibition in Crystal City were arrested last month after allegedly defacing the roof of the building where the show is now being held.
Maura Judkis of the Washington City Paper reports that two street artists known as Scotch and Jik spent four days in the Arlington County lockup. Police said they caused more than $1,000 in damage to the Plaza Five building at 223 S. 23rd Street.
More from the Washington City Paper.
Crime Report: Stabbing and Armed Robbery
A man was stabbed and a gas station was held up over the weekend in Arlington, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report. An arrest was made in the stabbing, but the armed robbery suspect is still at large.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 03/06/10, 4300 block of N. Henderson Road. On March 6 at 2 am, one man stabbed another man on the arm inside their apartment. Police apprehended the suspect. Roderico Sanchez-Mendez, 22, of Arlington, was charged with Malicious Wounding. He was held without bond.
ROBBERY 03/07/10, 5600 block of Lee Highway. On March 7 at 11 pm, an unknown man entered a gas station displaying a handgun. He demanded money and received it before fleeing the store. The suspect was an African American male in his mid-20’s, 5’8” to 5”10” and 190 lbs. He was wearing all black clothing and was unshaven.
Also included in this week’s report is the series of indecent exposure incidents on the W&OD trail that we’ve been reporting.
The rest of the report, after the jump.
To Do Tonight: Young Democrats Date Auction
The Arlington Young Democrats are holding their 9th annual date auction tonight at the 7:00 p.m. at Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street).
Attendees (185 have RSVPed on Facebook) are asked to donate $5 and a canned or non-perishable food item at the door. The auction benefits the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
In addition to the 30 bachelors and bachelorettes being auctioned off, raffle drawings will be held for the following prizes:
- Lunch with Congressman Jim Moran
- Lunch with Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee chair and former Virginia gubernatorial candidate
- Tasting for four at Boccato Gelato
- Wine tasting for 20 at Best Cellars
- Weekend getaway to Shenandoah River vacation home
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Police Ramping Up DUI Patrols for St. Paddy’s Day
The Arlington County Police Department says it will have extra DUI patrols on hand for St. Patrick’s Day next week. The department also announced that it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint at an as-yet undisclosed location in the county.
According to federal statistics, as many as 37 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes on St. Patrick’s Day had a blood alcohol content of at least .08, above the legal limit.
“For many Americans, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular night out to celebrate with friends and family,” Arlington police said in a statement. “Unfortunately, due to the large number of drunk drivers, the night out has also become very dangerous.”
W&OD Flasher Strikes for Second Time This Week
A man exposed himself to a woman who was walking on the W&OD trail near the East Falls Church Metro station last night, according to police. This is the second such incident reported on the W&OD trail this week, and the seventh such incident since the be beginning of the year.
The woman was walking on the trail around 10:00 p.m. when a man wearing dark clothing exposed himself, police said. The suspect is described as 5’8″ tall, weighing 160lbs.
Police are asking anyone with any information about the case to call Detective Comer at (703) 228-4243 or Detective Austin at (703) 228-4241.
Melting Snow Reveals Dirt, Electronics
Succumbing to 60 degree temperatures, melting snow piles are revealing their secrets, giving way to dirt and some interesting debris.
In the parking lot of the defunct Crystal City Motel, what was once a mountain of snow that almost reached the building’s second floor is rapidly becoming a wide expanse of wet filth.
Elsewhere in Crystal City, a battered digital camera sat in the middle of a traffic lane where a pile of snow one stood. How it got there is anyone’s guess, but it’s clear it was run over, perhaps multiple times. Assumedly, it had been there, covered with snow, for at least a month.
Arlington Mulls Tour Bus Parking Meters
Officials said a proposal to install new tour bus parking meters could net Arlington thousands in fees and could help the county bring in $1 million in new visitor spending.
County officials have proposed installing the meters at popular tourist spots such as the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, the Village at Shirlington, Crystal City, and Ballston. Bus operators would have to cough up $3 per hour to park along curbs, where they currently park in designated spots for free.
County officials said the parking meters alone would generate an estimated $90,000 per year. But a private research firm and the Arlington Economic Development Commission Tourism Committee said a growing tour bus industry could bring in new revenue to local restaurants that cater to large groups, netting the county over $37,000 in combined new sales, meals and transient occupancy taxes, according to county documents.
“It’s just time that we do this,” said Arlington parking manager Sarah Stott. “In a recent parking review, the county board said we should look at every space available and make sure that it’s used properly, and this is just part of that effort.”
Riding the Mt. Vernon Trail With Gary Fisher
It was a bit of a surreal experience. Nearly 30 cyclists, bike lights leading the way, heading down the darkened Mt. Vernon Trail. One rider in the convoy is on her Gary Fisher bike. Another rider is Gary Fisher.
Fisher arrived at Revolution Cycles City Hub in Crystal City shortly after 7:00 Tuesday night. Dressed in a horizontal stripe suit, high argyle socks and a cap befitting someone on a fox hunt, Mr. Fisher cordially greeted the Revolution employees, Crystal City BID honchos and cycling enthusiasts who gathered outside the store. He signed bikes and bike parts, and posed for more photos than should have reasonably been asked of him.
The ride only went as far as the Humpback Bridge before turning off for an impromptu, bike light-fueled “campfire” near the Potomac. Then, despite the unusually pleasant weather, it was back to Crystal City.
It was neither an endurance challenge nor a race, but the ride was exhilarating for the sheer novelty of riding a mountain bike next to the guy who literally invented mountain bikes.
More photos, after the jump.
