Crash On GW Pkwy Causes Problems for Commuters
A truck ran off the road, flew over a stone wall and landed in a ditch on the northbound George Washington Parkway during tonight’s evening commute. The northbound lanes of the Parkway were blocked by emergency vehicles during the rescue operation. Traffic was diverted onto Spout Run, causing significant backups.
Thousands Rally on Facebook to Save Planetarium
The David M. Brown Planetarium on North Quincy Street has hosted countless school children and at least one wedding over its 40 years.
Since Arlington Public Schools announced its plan to permanently close the planetarium one month ago, the family of the late Columbia astronaut David Brown, for whom the planetarium is now named, has spoken out against the closure.
And now a “Save the Arlington VA Planetarium” Facebook page has amassed nearly 2,500 fans.
Planetarium fans are expected to make their voices heard at a school board meeting scheduled for 7:30 tonight. It’s being held at the board room of the Arlington Education Center at 1426 North Quincy Street.
Northside Social Menu Revealed
Northside Social’s preliminary opening menu has found its way online. It reveals that cupcakes are “mini versions of cakes” (see left).
The highly-anticipated coffee and wine bar is now planning to open on Wednesday, March 31, as the owners await a water filtration system for the espresso machine.
We’re working on getting photos of the newly-finished interior.
G-40 Artist Alexa Meade Blowing Up
Three weeks ago, 23-year-old Alexa Meade was passing out business cards to reporters gathered for the media preview night of G-40: The Summit in Crystal City. Now, she’s somewhat of an “it” girl in the art world. Her acrylic on flesh work, a fascinating study in the intersection of art and reality, is winning copious praise in the media and on the internet.
Between the Washington Post profile, the exhibit at the famous London art gallery, and the social networking hype, Meade has become an overnight sensation.
Did it happen thanks to the exposure from G-40? That would certainly make for a good story for organizers Art Whino and Crystal City BID.
Alas, Meade says G-40 — where she created this surreal scene — actually happened before she hit the blogosphere.
“It wasn’t relevant to the big spike,” she said in an email.
Oh, well. The well-received exhibit will have to rest on its own laurels.
G-40 is now in the home stretch before closing night. Check it out between 5:00 and 10:00 tonight, at 223 23rd Street South in Crystal City.
Hey, Big Spenders
If you live in Arlington, congratulations, you live among the most prolific spenders in the country. Personal finance web site Bundle.com has compiled a list of the most spend-thrift cities in the U.S., and Arlington (which is technically a county, but we’ll let it slide this time) ranked fourth, behind Austin, Scottsdale and San Jose. The District placed 11th.
Arlingtonians, on average, spent $56,746 on average household expenses (not including mortgages or rent) in 2009, according to Bundle. That’s $7,315 more than D.C., and $40,300 more than Detroit, the most thrifty city in the country.
Pool photo by mosprott.
DC Broomball Team Heading to National Tourney
To answer your first question, broomball is a game that’s similar to hockey. It’s played on an ice rink, with players wearing specially-made shoes instead of skates, using specially-made “brooms” instead of sticks, and smacking around a ball instead of a puck.
To answer your second question, the game is especially popular in Canada and the upper midwest, but yes, DC has an active broomball league. The league has four local teams that play and practice at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston.
Then there’s the travel team, made up of the most hardcore players from each team.
The “Nomadic Hordes,” as the team is called, is flying to the national championships in Blaine, Minnesota today. It’s the first time an all-DC team has gone to the national tournament, which features 69 teams and 1,100 players.
Despite the team’s relative newcomer status, DC Broomball league commissioner Ryan Schradin likes their chances.
“The talent is phenomenal,” Schradin said of his 12 “Hordes” teammates, four of whom hail from Arlington. He says they’re a physical team, unafraid of hitting the ice and the boards hard, which actually happens fairly often.
Last month the team scrimmaged the grizzled veterans of the Baltimore Broomball Club and lost by a very respectable score of 0-1. If the Nomadic Hordes can keep up with Baltimore, Schradin says, they have a good shot at beating the two Minnesota teams they’ll face in the first round on Friday.
“We’re going to go and play our game,” Schradin said. “We feel pretty good.”
