Police: Teen Ran Into Path of Car While Being Chased
Arlington police have released new details about yesterday’s pedestrian accident involving a Wakefield High School student on Four Mile Run Drive.
Police say the 15-year-old boy ran into the street while being chased by some fellow teens. He was struck by a car, suffering critical injuries. The driver remained on the scene.
In a press release, police ask for anyone who witnessed the accident to step forward.
The Arlington County Police Department, is investigating a critical accident that occurred yesterday afternoon in the 4500 block of Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 3:35 p.m. on Wednesday, January 5, police responded for a pedestrian stuck by a vehicle.
Investigation revealed that a 15-year-old male ran into the street when chased by teenagers known to him. The accident is still under investigation. The driver of the striking vehicle stayed at the scene and is cooperating with police.
Police ask that anyone who witnessed the accident or has information relating to this incident call Detective Robert Icolari at (703) 228-4240.
Verizon and Comcast Reps Respond to Poll
One thing Comcast and Verizon certainly excel at it knowing when people are writing about them on the internet.
In a poll we conducted yesterday, nearly three quarters of respondents rated their overall experience with Comcast “poor” or “very, very bad.” The comments section generally reflected the same sentiment.
In the article that accompanied the poll, we also mentioned Verizon’s FiOS service, saying that it helps protect consumers by giving them a viable alternative to cable.
Within just a few hours of the article being published, representatives from both Comcast and Verizon called and emailed us and left notes in the comments section.
Comcast, to their credit, was solely concerned with looking into the frustrating personal experiences with customer service that were mentioned in the article and in the comments. Kudos to them for that.
Verizon, unsurprisingly, appreciated our words of support for the continued expansion of FiOS service into local apartment and condo buildings.
Local Verizon sales manager Mark Harrington said he personally agreed that “any service provider, including Verizon, has been shown to be more responsive where there is the real option of being fired by our customers.” He shared the following information and advice for anyone who would like to get FiOS service in their community.
We’re trying to get to as much of Arlington as quickly as we can with our Verizon FiOS service. If you live in a condo or apartment building… I generally advise residents to make their voices heard with their board or property manager and have those people contact us.
We’ve reached out to every property we can and have successfully built out many at Verizon’s expense, but with others we have not yet, either because the owners have not yet granted permission, we haven’t been able to contact them, or in some cases we are still working on the fiber build to reach a few areas of Arlington.
Our website with more information for property owners is here…
Crystal Couture Schedule and Details
Now in its third year, Crystal Couture can pretty safely be called Arlington’s premiere annual fashion event. (Due partially to a lack of competition for the title.)
Couture will be held from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. every night from Feb. 1 to 5. Organizers released additional details today about the event’s schedule and the designers and boutiques that will be participating (see below).
In keeping with Crystal City’s use of vacant space as an event venue, Couture is relocating this year from an formerly unleased retail space (which is now a Buffalo Wild Wings) to the abandoned Crystal City Food Court at 1750 Crystal Drive.
Event Schedule:
- February 1 – Host, Philippa Hughes, Pinkline Project – T-Shirt Design Contest
- February 2 – Host, Bianca Chardei, America’s Next Top Model Contestant
- February 3 – Host, Karen Sommer Shallett, DC Modern Luxury
- February 4 – Host DJ Sarah Fraser from HOT 99.5 – Go Red for Women
- February 5 – Closing bash hosted by Bisnow – The Scene
Zimmerman: Arlington’s Prosperity Is Not an Accident
County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman touted Arlington’s ability to weather the recession during a short speech at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.
Zimmerman said unemployment and office vacancy rates have stayed low, while “our real estate values have held better than pretty much any place else.”
According to Blue Virginia’s video, Zimmerman went on to say say that it’s not just Arlington’s proximity to D.C. that has helped it remain prosperous.
“It is important to understand that those facts are not accidents — they’re not just good luck,” Zimmerman said. “The reason we’re doing very well, even in difficult times, has to do with many years of working in this community, planning what we do, designing our community in a certain way, and investing in it year after year.”
“We’re intentional about what we do in government in Arlington, and we have been for a long time,” Zimmerman added. “When times are good, we’re thinking about what’s going to happen when things turn down. When times aren’t good, we are going to have to explain the fact that they are going to turn around again… and we’re trying to prepare for that.”
Zimmerman said Arlington’s inclusiveness and its emphasis on community participation in decision-making are two additional reasons why the county is ” talked about, in a lot of ways, with envy.”
Two Arrested After Attempted Robbery in Clarendon
Two juveniles are in police custody after a daylight attempted robbery just blocks from the Clarendon Metro, according to police radio traffic.
A call came in around noon for an attempted robbery involving a suspect who displayed a knife. Police responded to the intersection of Washington Boulevard and North Johnson Street, about two blocks away from the Clarendon Metro.
Initial reports suggest two teenage suspects, a boy and a girl, have been taken into custody.
The robbery victim was not hurt.
Samuel Beckett’s Aiming for Saturday Opening
After enduring several months of delays and setbacks, Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub in Shirlington (2800 S. Randolph Street) is preparing to open its doors on Saturday.
“The day has arrived!!! We will open at 3 p.m. this Saturday, January 8th,” owner Mark Kirwan announced on the pub’s Facebook page. “We will only have a restricted food menu. Please be patient with us as we smooth out the bumps for the first week. We look forward to providing you with a memorable experience.”
The elaborately-designed, Irish-themed establishment will be open seven days a week, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., according to Kirwan. For the first week in operation, it will not be open for lunch or brunch.
Kirwan has been a vocal critic of Arlington’s inspection and permitting process. He vented more frustration Tuesday night:
We had an inspection today, but the angry monster that is Arlington County still has a few “issues” … Thank you so much to everybody for hanging in there and being supportive.
New county board chairman Chris Zimmerman has pledged to improve the permitting process this year.
Photos via Facebook. Hat tip to Shirlington Village Blog.
Crime Report: Towing and Parking Assaults
Parking can be a frustrating thing. If parking is sparse, finding that one parking spot can turn into a competition. And if you park in the wrong spot, getting towed is certainly not very fun.
Should you should find yourself in such a situation, however, you should remain calm. Otherwise, if you lose your cool, you could wind up in handcuffs.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 12/31/10, 4000 block of N. 5th Street. On December 31 at 5 pm, a man assaulted a tow truck driver and broke a glass window at the towing property. Steven McClinchey, 48, of Arlington, was charged with Assault and Battery and Destruction of Property.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 01/02/11, 3700 block of Columbia Pike. On January 2 at 4 pm, a man assaulted a woman regarding an argument over a parking space. Barahona Marquez, 40, of Arlington, was charged with Assault and battery. He was released on a summons.
The rest of this week’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.
Helen Thomas Joins Falls Church News-Press
Former White House correspondent Helen Thomas has come out of a seven-month retirement to write a column for the Falls Church News-Press.
Thomas was a long-time fixture in the front row of the White House briefing room, having begun her daily White House coverage in 1960. She resigned as a columnist for Hearst Newspapers last year after making controversial remarks about Jews and Israel. When asked by a video camera-wielding rabbi what she thought of Israel, Thomas said that Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine” and “go home” to Germany, Poland and the U.S.
Thomas, 90, will now be writing a weekly political affairs column exclusively for the News-Press.
“She is progressive, and following my more than eight hours of direct, one-on-one talks with her since the events of last June, I remain firmly convinced that she is neither bigoted, nor racist, nor anti-Semitic,” News-Press owner Nicholas Benton is quoted as saying in an article announcing Thomas’ column. Benton said he’s happy to be giving Thomas a “second chance.”
In her column today, Thomas spends more than 750 words discussing the history of Social Security and “perennial Republican attempts to partially privatize the program.”
“Let’s not give the newly empowered Republicans… the ability to wipe out or even mitigate the only economic security deprived Americans can count on,” Thomas concludes. “Where is their heart?”
The News-Press is distributed free of charge in parts of Falls Church and Arlington.
Screen capture via YouTube
Morning Notes
County No Longer Offering iParks — The company that makes the iPark electronic parking pass has stopped manufacturing the device due to financial problems. That has prompted Arlington County to stop selling iParks, pending the company’s effort to stay in business. More from TBD.
O’Leary, Morroy Announce Reelection Bid — Arlington County Treasurer Frank O’Leary and Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy, both Democrats, announced their bids for reelection at last night’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting. See the video from Blue Virginia.
Arlington Man Indicted for Bomb Threats — The 25-year-old Arlington View resident who, according to the FBI, threatened to bomb Georgetown streets and Metro trains on Facebook has been indicted by a federal grand jury. More from WTOP.
Learn More About Redistricting in Virginia — The League of Women Voters of Arlington will be holding a public forum tonight on the upcoming redistricting process in Virginia. The forum will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association building, located at 4301 Wilson Boulevard in Ballston. Free parking is available in the building after 5:30.
