Crime Report: Pentagon City Mall Edition
Just about every day police get called to at least one reported shoplifting at the Pentagon City mall. Often, police make several trips to the mall in any given day. Security personnel, it seems, are extraordinarily skilled at catching thieves.
But the guards aren’t quite as used to suspects turning violent. Thus this item in this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report is noteworthy:
ROBBERY 03/27/10, 1400 block of S. Hayes Street. On March 27 at 3 pm, two suspects stole items from a department store. When they were stopped by security, they assaulted the guard and implied that they had a knife. The suspects were both African American males in their 40’s. The first suspect was 5’8”-5’9”, 175 lbs, and was wearing tan pants, a navy hooded sweatshirt and black and white sneakers. The second suspect was 5’10”, 200 lbs. wearing dark blue jeans and a black peacoat.
The rest of the report, including a death investigation we reported on last week, after the jump.
JetBlue Coming to Reagan National Airport
Low-cost carrier JetBlue is already flying out of Dulles and BWI. Starting in November, the airline will start operating eight daily departures out of Reagan National.
No word on which airports JetBlue’s DCA flights will serve. So far, the company is only saying it will fly to “select East Coast destinations.”
Free Gardening Classes at Arlington Home Show
Is your garden or yard losing its luster? No need to worry, help is on the way. Coming up on Saturday, April 10, at the Arlington Home Show and Expo, two garden-specific classes will be presented by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.
Starting at 10:15 a.m. there will be a class called “Garden Soil Testing! How and Why” that will include a free test kit for all participants. Later in the day, at 3:00 p.m., a class titled “How to Catch a Squirrel: Solutions to Common Garden Problems” promises valuable tips for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.
There’s a ton to learn about gardening — proper mulching, watering, fertilizing, etc. — but these free classes should be a good start for any green thumb looking to keep their yard pristine and make their garden yield better results.
Other classes offered at the home show will pay special attention to eco-friendly home building and remodeling. Among the classes being offered are “No Cost and Low Cost Ways to Reduce Energy Usage” and “Green Your Home From Soup to Nuts.”
Arlington County representatives will also be attending the Expo to answer questions about permits, zoning and inspections.
The Expo is being held at the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street South.
Pedestrians Struck in Pentagon City, Falls Church
An Air Force officer was hit by a car around 5:35 p.m. today in Pentagon City.
It happened underneath the I-395 overpass on 12th Street South, near South Clark Street. The victim, a man approximately 30 years old, was conscious but suffering from a head injury when first responders arrived on scene.
A witness saw the man fly across the street after being hit by an older model Honda or Toyota. Other military personnel rushed to his aid after the accident.
The driver, a woman, stayed on the scene. Her car’s windshield was smashed, the witness said.
Earlier today, in a separate incident first reported on our Twitter feed, an 88-year-old man was struck by an SUV as he tried to cross West Broad Street near North Washington Street in Falls Church. He’s now in intensive care at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
The man was not in a crosswalk and no charges have been filed, according to the Falls Church News-Press.
Metro Hearing in Arlington Tonight
Metro is conducting the fourth installment of its “we’re raising prices and cutting service” roadshow in Arlington tonight. Metro, which is facing a staggering $189 million budget gap for the fiscal year starting July 1, has already held three of its six public hearings on its plan to close the gap.
Tonight’s hearing, to be held at 7:00 in the county board room (on the third floor of 2100 Clarendon Boulevard), is the only hearing planned for Arlington.
Among the proposals Metro is considering, which are up for public comment tonight:
- Across-the-board fare increases for Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess
- Eliminate or reduce bus service on 100 lines (including a reduction on the 10B line, above)
- Establishment of a peak-of-the-peak surcharge
- Increase in parking fees and elimination of free parking times
- $4.00 flat rate for weekend late night rail service -or- ending rail service at midnight on Friday and Saturday
- Institute a special fare of up to five times the normal rate for special events (sports, concerts, presidential inaugurations, etc.)
Pool photo courtesy of Aaron Webb.
Washington Capitals and Inova Beat Blood Drive Record
The Washington Capitals and Inova partnered for a very successful blood drive, with 609 units of blood donated by 642 fans. The event, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston on Saturday, was the highest yielding blood drive hosted by a D.C. sports team to date.
Donors received various gifts including a limited edition Alexander Semin T-shirt, a bobblehead doll, and the possibility of winning a 22″ Sharp TV with built-in DVD player.
The Caps and Inova will be hosting another blood drive on Saturday, July 24, in Sterling, Va.
A single donation of blood can potentially save up to three lives. There’s hope that the 609 units will help over 1,800 patients.
Forget the Tidal Basin, Arlington Has Cherry Trees Aplenty
The Tidal Basin may get all the attention during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but why wade through a sea of tourists to see a bunch of cherry trees when there are literally thousands right here in Arlington?
There are 1,050 ornamental cherry trees lining county streets, according to Arlington urban forester Richard Miller. And that number doesn’t include cherry trees that are planted in parking lots, in parks or on private property.
The trees planted in Arlington include the Yoshino, Okame and Kwanzan varieties. The Yoshino Cherry is the dominant variety around the Tidal Basin, where the National Park Service has just announced that blossoms have reached full bloom.
Miller says the county parks department plants about 20 ornamental cherry trees per year, primarily in places where vertical space is limited, such as under power lines. The trees have a life span of about 50 years.
“The trees do really well in this area,” says Chris Harlan of Arlington Tree Care. “The shame about it is [the blossoms] only last for a short time.”
Harlan says harsh weather, such as the recent cold temperatures and strong winds, will reduce to length of the bloom.
“It’s unfortunate, you wait all year and the blossoms come out, but we’re always in such a transition with the weather that it affects the blossoms,” said Harlan, who cites the weeping cherry trees on North Edison Street near Yorktown High School as his personal favorite this time of year.
Help Wanted
ARLnow.com is seeking talented, enthusiastic writers to cover specific subjects of interest to the Arlington community. Contributors would be expected to write at least one — preferably two or three — 100-500 word article(s) per week.
ARLnow.com is a rapidly-growing web site devoted to fast and accurate original coverage of news and community happenings in Arlington County, Va. We currently reach about 3,500 readers per week.
Please email arlingtonnews [at] gmail.com with your resume, a writing sample and a statement telling us why you’re interested in contributing to the site.
Note that we are unable to pay contributors at this time, but we can work to grant you free access to certain events.
Positions we’re looking to fill no later than April 30:
Social Columnist — Are you active in Arlington’s social, athletic, and/or philanthropic scenes? Do you love going out in Arlington as often as work and finances allow? Are you a Facebook and Twitter maven? Do you want to be an influential voice in the community? If you answered yes to these questions, consider applying to become our new social columnist. Write about the people, places and events that make Arlington such an interesting place to live.
Music and Arts Writer — We’re looking for an artistic individual with strong communication skills to write about music and the arts in Arlington. Help us expand our coverage of local bands, theater companies and the visual arts. If you think you’re the man or woman to provide the Arlington with the local music and arts coverage it deserves, we want to hear from you.
Also:
Summer Internship — Not for the faint of heart. We offer no pay, no school credit, and we don’t even have offices (unless apartments and coffee shops count). But if you want to be immersed in the emerging field of entrepreneurial, web-based hyperlocal journalism, and you live in or near Arlington, this may be the internship for you. This can be a full-time or a part-time position. We’re more than willing to work around existing work and travel schedules.
