County Employee Injured By Falling Branch
An employee with the county’s Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau was struck in the head by a falling branch this afternoon while working at Washington Boulevard and North Nicholas Street, in the Highland Park neighborhood near Westover Village.
The accident happened around 1:00 p.m. when a backhoe struck part of a tree, causing the branch to fall about seven feet onto the employee’s head, according to Arlington County Chief Fire Marshal Benjamin Barksdale.
Although the accident initially sounded serious, Barksdale says the employee was taken to Virginia Hospital Center with only a minor head wound.
Water Main Repair Work on South Glebe Road
Update on 8/20 — The water main repair work has been completed, but crews are now working on a gas main leak in the same area. One lane is blocked in each direction.
Expect a slowdown on South Glebe Road between Columbia Pike and the Route 50 tonight, as crews work to repair a water main.
The work will begin around 8:00 near 8th Street South, the county says. One lane of South Glebe Road will be blocked in each direction.
The work is expected to wrap up tomorrow morning.
Ballston Beaver Pond Spared From I-66 Widening Impacts
An oasis of wetlands and wildlife, tucked between the office towers of Ballston and the traffic of I-66, is safe from highway construction impacts, the county’s Department of Environmental Services says.
The Ballston Beaver Pond, as it’s called, was initially designed to collect stormwater runoff from I-66. But that started to change in the 1990s when beavers moved in and dammed up the drainage system, creating a pond and wetlands to form. The Beaver Pond is now a habitat frequented by muskrat, geese, ducks, heron, egrets, redwing blackbirds, fish, turtles and the occasional beaver.
The Beaver Pond is located next to a bike trail that connects Ballston and the Custis Trail, just north of the ramp from Fairfax Drive to I-66.
Residents of the nearby Waycroft Woodlawn neighborhood have become fond of the pond and became worried when a bulldozer arrived in the area as part of the I-66 widening project. But not to fear says Aileen Winquist, of the county’s Environmental Management Bureau.
“The Beaver Pond is not in danger from the current I-66 spot improvement project and widening of westbound I-66,” Winquist said in an email.
Winquist noted that the design work on a planned restoration of the Beaver Pond will begin this fall. The restoration will clean up trash and sediment from the pond and provide better water quality treatment. There will be several public meetings held to educate residents about the project.
Although the Beaver Pond will be largely unaffected by the I-66 widening, a VDOT-owned stormwater retention pond across the street will be impacted. Construction is planned for the facility, but details about the exact nature of the work were not immediately available.
More photos after the jump.
Crime Report: Less Exciting Than It Sounds Edition
A missile flew into occupied dwelling in Arlington last Wednesday, according to this week’s Arlington County Crime Report. And by missile, police are referring to a ring of keys.
MISSILE INTO AN OCCUPIED DWELLING-ARREST 08/11/10, 5100 block of S. 8th Road. On August 11 at 10 pm, a woman threw a ring of keys through the living room window in an attempt to hit the male inside. Makeba Sturge, 23, of Arlington, was charged with Throwing a Missile Into an Occupied Dwelling, and given a $500 bond.
Elsewhere, we learn what the large police response to a house on North Manchester Street was all about last week.
ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 08/11/10, 200 block of N. Manchester Street. On August 11 at 4 pm, an officer responded for a parking complaint, and discovered that the owner of the car was wanted. The suspect assaulted the officer and attempted to flee. He was arrested at the scene. Jose Santos Vasquez, 35, of Arlington, was charged with Assault on a Police Officer and was served with the warrant for Working Without a License. He was held on a $3,500 bond.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump.
Del. Englin Blasts State Surplus
Del. David Englin (D), who represents parts of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax, says Virginia’s $404 million budget surplus is the result of “irresponsible choices and budget gimmickry.”
Englin, Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, says the surplus is the result of borrowing $600 million from the state pension trust fund and forcing state retailers to pay their July sales taxes early. That’s in addition to the $4 billion in cuts to state services that was needed to plug Virginia’s budget deficit.
“Instead of trying to score political points by claiming a surplus that isn’t, leaders of both parties ought to level with citizens who see for themselves the decline in services and quality of life,” Englin said in a statement. “A balanced budget and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars requires money in to equal money out, without gimmicks that cook the books and risk our future finances.”
Gov. Bob McDonnell plans to spend the surplus on roads, education, the Chesapeake Bay cleanup and a one-time 3 percent bonus for state employees, according to the Washington Post.
Morning Notes
A Drier Night At the Fair — The Arlington County Fair shut down early last night thanks to the rain. With any luck the rain will hold tonight so fair-goers can enjoy the rides and the concessions without an umbrella. If all else fails, however, the indoor exhibits will be open tonight. See the fair hours.
Restaurant Week in Clarendon — Clarendon Nights has a list of Clarendon and Courthouse restaurants participating in DC Restaurant Week.
Five Guys Wins More Praise — Five Guys Burgers and Fries has been getting some glowing news coverage lately. The chain, which started in Arlington, topped Zagat’s Best Burger category in survey results released Monday. The chain has been expanding rapidly recently, attracting local media attention everywhere it goes. Unanswered questions: How big can the now Lorton-based Five Guys get, and to what degree did national coverage of President Obama’s visit to a Five Guys last year boost its image?
Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA
