Neighbors Say Hopkins Shooter Was a “Quiet Guy” Who “Loved His Mother”
Neighbors say Paul Warren Pardus was an aberration: a quiet, reserved guy in an otherwise open and friendly neighborhood.
Outside Pardus’ home on South Kenmore Street in Nauck tonight, a steady stream of reporters and television news crews stopped by to interview neighbors about the man who just hours earlier was the biggest story on the national news.
Pardus had allegedly shot a doctor in the abdomen at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after becoming “emotionally distressed” about the prognosis for his ailing, elderly mother. Then, as police surrounded the hospital room he had holed up in, Pardus fatally shot his mother, then himself.
“It’s just unbelievable, it really is,” said Pardus’ next-door neighbor, Theresa Green. “He was a really nice guy.”
Neighbor Ronald Day said Pardus lived with his mother, was unmarried, had no kids, and was an only child. He said Day and his mother had lived in the small house on Kenmore Street for at least three years.
“He really loved his mother, he really did,” Day said. “He cared a whole lot about her… the only thing he was his mother.”
Day said the mother had become ill recently, prompting Pardus, a MetroAccess driver, to check on her often.
“He always came back to see if she was okay,” Day said.
But others weren’t as charitable in their assessment of the 50-year-old man who was only seen when coming or going from work or when doing yard work.
“He was just weird,” said Elaine Green. “We kept our distance.”
“It’s very surprising, but I wouldn’t put it past him… you never know what someone’s capable of,” she said.
Plane Crash Exercise to be Conducted Near DCA on Saturday
Don’t be alarmed if all hell breaks loose on the Potomac Saturday morning.
The Airports Authority will be conducting a simulated plane crash exercise, featuring numerous boats and helicopters, river rescues of live “victims,” and some pyrotechnics to boot.
The exercise will take place from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., primarily on the southern end of the airport.
“There will be numerous emergency vehicles operating in the area of the George Washington Parkway near Reagan National Airport, smoke and fire may be visible from the south area of the Airport, and river rescue boats and helicopters will be operating on the Potomac River near the south end of the Airport—all part of the exercise,” the Airports Authority advises in a press release.
Robot Events and Classes for Kids
Do you have kids? Do they like robots? Of course they do, what kid doesn’t like robots. Let’s face it, those Transformer movies didn’t make millions of dollars off of Megan Fox Austin Green’s looks alone.
So it stands to reason that your kids would probably be thrilled to see some real-life robots in action this weekend. Good news: Anthony Nunez of local research firm Infamous Robotics is hosting a robot demonstration from noon to 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Central Library (1015 N. Quincy St.).
If you know a 7 to 12 year old who wants to get even more hands-on with robots, Nunez also teaches a Robots 101 class through the Arlington County Parks Department.
The next class is on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The class will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Madison Community Center (3829 N. Stafford St.).
“This introduction to robotics will help your child determine the two types of robots, important basic mechanical/electrical/software terms and concepts, how to use magnets in robot, common types of motors used in small robots and how to choose one, and ways to modify or use existing motors,” the class description reads. “Learn the initial steps needed to begin programming (algorithm, flow chart) and key electrical components. The class will discuss robots in foreign environments and challenges that occur, several common sensors and their applications, and what responsibilities a robotic engineer (electrical, mechanical and software).”
Once again, this class is for (smart) 7 to 12 year olds.
Streets Shut Down For Suspicious Package in Rosslyn
Update at 3:55 p.m. — The package has been deemed “non-hazardous” and the scene is being cleared.
Update at 4:50 p.m. — Townhall tells us via Twitter that the suspicious package was not in their office.
Earlier: Police have shut down streets around 1901 North Moore Street in Rosslyn due to a suspicious package in the building. The package is reportedly being x-rayed at this time.
1901 North Moore houses several conservative media outlets, including Townhall.com, Salem Radio Network News and religious broadcaster WAVA-FM.
Workers standing outside the fire line tape set up outside said the suspicious package was located on the seventh floor, which houses the offices of Townhall.com, among other businesses. However, when reached on the phone after police were first dispatched to the scene, a Townhall.com employee said she was not aware of the situation.
The Rosslyn Circulator bus stop is located behind the fire tape. We’re trying to find out where the buses are being rerouted to.
Arlington Delegation Responds to HOT Lanes Letter
A day after two Virginia legislative leaders — a Democrat and a Republican — sent a letter blasting Arlington’s expensive lawsuit against the planned I-395 HOT lanes project, three members of the Arlington delegation to Richmond have sent a reply.
In subdued, measured language, the letter states support for “properly designed and managed HOT lanes,” but urges the state to “come to the table and negotiate in good faith.” The letter cites “legitimate environmental impact concerns” and “technical issues that must be resolved if the project is to achieve its goal of moving people through the corridor efficiently” as justification for the county’s resistance to the project.
Noticeably absent from the letter is any defense of the lawsuit’s “outrageous claims of conspiracy and racism” that the original letter — sent by Republican House Speaker Bill Howell and Democratic Senate President Pro-Tempore Chuck Colgan — railed against.
The Arlington delegation — Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, Del. Bob Brink, and Del. Patrick Hope — also avoided reference to the controversial decision to sue four state and federal transportation officials in their personal capacity as part of the lawsuit, which Howell and Colan called a “moral error.”
“We are confident that the Board is not pursuing litigation for its own sake,” the Arlington lawmakers wrote. “We hope that you will use your good offices to urge the Governor and VDOT to come to the table and negotiate in good faith; we will do the same on the local level.”
See the full letter here.
Meet the New Clarendon Grill
As soon as next weekend, Clarendon Grill will reopen after nearly two months of renovations. Walking through the doors, the long-time C-Grill fans will see a space both familiar and completely different at the same time.
Nearly every surface in the bar has been changed, says owner Peter Pflug. From the long cast-in-place concrete bar to the large-tiled bathrooms to the new dance floor, what was once old and beat up and is now clean and new. That old Clarendon Grill musk, from 14 straight years of eating, drinking, smoking and dancing since the last renovation, has been replaced with the smell of fresh lacquer.
“We’re excited that people, given the state of the place before, will say ‘wow’ when they see us again,” Pflug said.
The biggest change is probably the bar. It’s now longer and more open, which should make it much easier to get a drink on crowded weekend nights. The bar also features “bump-outs” — areas that you can call ahead and reserve that are shaped in a way that make it easier to have a conversation with a group of friends.
The new Clarendon Grill has the same number of beer taps as before, but the taps themselves are new. There will be a new, simplified “gastropub-y” menu. The theme will change marginally from “construction” to “industrial,” with illumination provided by painted steel streetlights procured from a nearby used car lot. Clarendon Grill will remain “sporty” — with sports showed constantly on the new flat screen TVs — but it will not be a sports bar.
The back patio, which was redone six months ago, has not been changed. The focus on live music is unchanged, but bands may now start playing a bit later to encourage dinner business.
Crime Report: Maybe He Needs a Louder Horn Edition
On construction-clogged Columbia Pike, it can be pretty annoying when one person holds up a line of traffic thanks to their infernal desire to make a turn. But you eventually realize that it’s not their fault traffic is down to one lane and there’s no turn lane in which to maneuver. So you wait.
Some jerk may blow their horn out of frustration. But it takes a special breed of really big jerk to get out of one’s vehicle, walk up to said turning driver, and show her — you know, just FYI — that you own a handgun.
BRANDISHING 09/10/10, 2600 block of Columbia Pike. On September 10 at 4:50 pm, a female driver was waiting to turn into a driveway, when the passenger of the vehicle behind her exited his car and displayed a handgun. The suspect is described as a white Hispanic male in his 20’s, 5’9” tall with a muscular build. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans.
The rest of this week’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.
More Hardware for Prolific Arlington Runner
Arlington marathoner Michael Wardian has a couple of new medals for his extensive collection. Wardian, 36, placed third in the 50K World Championship race in Galway, Ireland, earning a bronze medal on behalf of the USA.
Just a week later, on Sunday, Sept. 4, Wardian won the Kaua’i Marathon in Hawaii. His time of 2:30:52 just barely missed the 2:30 mark, which would have earned him a $15,000 bonus prize. Another Arlington runner, Michael Zinn, placed 17th in the race.
Finally, on Sunday, Wardian placed third in the Parks Half-Marathon in Montgomery County.
Morning Notes
Home Alone in Rosslyn — Thanks to a summer rainstorm a few weeks ago, tomorrow will be the last day of the Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival. Home Alone will be shown in the usual spot in Rosslyn’s Gateway Park. The 1990 classic family comedy (“without the family”) will play on the big screen starting at dusk.
Satellite Truck is Still Parked in Arlington — A mysterious satellite truck, which we’ve written about two times before, continues to pester residents in north Arlington. A tipster tells us the truck is parked on Fairfax Drive near Arlington Traditional School. It has been there at least a week.
Animal Welfare League Marks Near-Completion — With work on a new addition to the Arlington Animal Welfare League’s Shirlington facility nearly complete, employees and pet lovers gathered Tuesday night to celebrate. More from the Sun Gazette.
Flickr pool photo by Jeff Costlow
