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ArtJamz: The Crystal City Sessions — Unleash your inner artist. Starting tonight, the 12th floor of a Crystal City office building will be converted into a giant art studio, featuring amateur artists painting at 50 canvases while jamming to great music and eating tasty hors d’oeuvres. Reserve a canvas here.
A kid involved in the theft of watches from a store in the Pentagon City Mall went to great lengths to try to avoid getting caught by police.
According to this week’s crime report, the juvenile fled to the Pentagon City Metro station and then ran through a Metro tunnel with police in hot pursuit. He was eventually arrested at the Pentagon Metro station.
Sushi Rock volunteered for most of the provisions sought by residents of the high-end condos above the restaurant: keeping doors and windows closed during live entertainment, using sound-dampening materials, testing decibel levels in condos, designating a “neigborhood liason,” prohibiting loitering outside the business, picking up trash outside, and so forth.
Owners did not agree, however, to restricting the use of outdoor speakers on the restaurant’s patio. But that’s exactly what happened last night. The board approved the live entertainment permit with a provision that the outdoor speakers be shut off after 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 11:00 p.m. on weekends.
Police are out at Yorktown Bistro (5171 Lee Highway) after county code enforcement reported that a back door to the restaurant was open and no one was inside.
Apparently the same thing happened during business hours yesterday, leading at least one officer to believe that the restaurant may be abandoned.
The mother of four brought 30 family members in from various parts of the country for tomorrow’s opening of her Crystal City store. Of her nine brothers and sisters, eight made the trip.
The family members were joined in the store this afternoon by many of Yang’s 46 employees. Also among the crowd were nearly 30 corporate employees and fellow store owners, who were here to train employees and help out with the marketing.
The company is now hoping that Arlington applies to the program.
“There could be a number of ways for IBM to help in Arlington, from traffic problems to Metro efficiency and safety,” said IBM rep Max Luckey. “The IBM grant could help fund new infrastructure improvements, streamline administration costs, or even help with projects like the Rosslyn Gateway Park redevelopment.”
The changes will allow Trader Joe’s to reserve underground parking spaces for customers and shopping carts, utilize the loading dock from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and allow an outdoor display of merchandise.
“I’m very happy to take this vote,” County Board Chairman Jay Fisette said, shortly before members voted 5-0 to approve the amendments without modifications. “It’s about time Trader Joe’s figured out what a great market Arlington is.”
Be Careful Commuting This Morning — A thunderstorm packing driving rain and high winds swept through the area overnight, causing trees and power lines to fall and coating local sidewalks and roadways with wet leaves. The leaves could make for slick conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers alike this morning. More on the storm damage, including this morning’s closure of George Mason Drive, here.
Whitlow’s Hopes to Open Rooftop Deck by Thanksgiving — Whitlow’s owner Greg Cahill tells TBD that he hopes to have his new rooftop bar, Wilson’s on Whitlow’s, open in one or two weeks. Cahill is working hard to open in time for Thanksgiving eve, traditionally one of the busiest nights for bars. Bring your coat.
A 54 mile per hour wind gust was recorded at Reagan National Airport during the storm, which covered area roadways with wet leaves and, in some cases, trees and utility lines. As of 3:10 a.m., 2,400 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington.
The most significant damage was reported in Arlington’s Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood, near Virginia Hospital Center. Downed trees and utility lines blocked numerous side streets, which were darkened by the power outage. County tree crews were out in the neighborhood with chainsaws and wood chippers at 2:30 this morning.
