Crystal City 5K Friday ‘Flickr Flash’ Photo Contest
Update on 4/8/11 — Good news for fair-weather photographers who don’t want to brave today’s rain: the contest has been extended by two weeks.
Tomorrow hundreds of runners will kick off the first Crystal City 5K Friday of the year, and we’re hosting a contest to make the evening race as competitive for photographers as it is for runners.
ARLnow.com, in partnership with Crystal City BID, FotoDC and Pacers, is challenging photographers of all skill levels to take photos of the first four 5K Friday races and upload up to five to a specially-designated contest page on Flickr. Feel free to use your creativity and take photos of anything race-related.
On Sunday, April 24, a panel of representatives from all four organizations will help choose ten finalists. Then it’s up to ARLnow.com readers to vote for the winning photos.
We’re offering the following prizes to the top three vote-getters:
- 1st Prize: $200 Morton’s Crystal City gift card and a race t-shirt
- 2nd Prize: $50 Jaleo gift card and race t-shirt
- 3rd Prize: $25 Bozzelli’s Italian Deli gift card and race t-shirt
The winners will be announced during the race after-party at Crystal City’s FLASH photo exhibit. Happy snapping!
Open House at New Artisphere Restaurant ‘Here’
Here, Artisphere’s newly-christened restaurant/cafe/bar, held an open house for local hotel concierges, nearby office workers and local neighbors today.
A jazz band performed as guests sampled mini versions of some of the sandwiches Here will be serving when it opens to the public on Tuesday. Here’s how Here is being described in promotional literature:
Open the same hours as Artisphere, Here promises to be a modern and exciting addition to Rosslyn’s daytime dining, happy hour and nightlife scene. Its menu will feature a seasonal menu of comfort food with Latin flavors made from locally-sourced and fresh ingredients. The restaurant will also offer delicious alternatives to the usual intermission concession items, including homemade guacamole, fire-roasted salsa and chips, and inventive recreations of American and Latin comfort food. Artisphere’s focus on being a less formal arts space includes welcoming patrons to take a drink from the bar and wander through its galleries and performance venues.
Here’s tentative menu includes salads, sandwiches, burgers (including vegetarian), freshly-made pizzas, pasta, sides, charcuterie, cheeses and daily specials. The restaurant will have eight beers on tap, a wine list and a fully-stocked bar. Co-owner Rolando Juarez says he hopes Here becomes its own destination, rather than just a place people stop by while in Artisphere.
“We’re hoping to draw a crowd of our own who just want to come in to eat,” he said. Here will be open tomorrow night with a limited menu for an fully-booked, RSVP-only launch party. More photos after the jump. (more…)
For Lease: Former Quiznos Storefront in Clarendon
It’s not the highest foot traffic area, but this retail storefront in the Reserve at Clarendon Center building (3000 North Washington Boulevard) is now for lease.
The space used to house a Quiznos restaurant, which in September was replaced by a homegrown sandwich shop called Ganges Grill and Ice Cream. Ganges, which was plagued with problems from the start, did not last very long, and now the storefront is up for lease.
We hear that the rent is about $4,000 per month.
Two Students To Be Charged in School Bus Fight
Two Yorktown High School students will be charged with disorderly conduct after a fight broke out on a school bus this morning.
ACPD officers responded to the intersection of N. Taft Street and 21st Street, in the North Highland neighborhood, around 8:00 this morning for a report of a fight on a school bus. A 15-year-old and a 16-year-old were detained and issued juvenile petitions by police. They will both be charged with disorderly conduct, according to Arlington police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.
The bus then continued on to Yorktown High School. The two students were released to face possible disciplinary action at the school.
“We can confirm that there was an altercation this morning between two students on one of the APS buses,” Arlington Public School spokesperson Frank Bellavia said. “School administrators were notified and appropriate steps are being taken in accordance with our policies and procedures.”
Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief
ART Bus Schedule Changes
Some changes are coming to the ART 41 and 87 bus routes.
Starting on Monday, April 4, the ART 41 will start running on a new weekday schedule. Buses will now run every 15 minutes during the morning and evening rush hours. Additionally, bus service will start earlier in the morning and end later at night.
Also on Monday, three new rush hour bus trips will be added to the ART 87 route. Three additional buses will leave the Pentagon Metro at 4:35, 5:15 and 5:55 p.m. Those buses will make all the normal outbound stops.
See the new schedule (in PDF format) for: ART 41 and ART 87.
Crime Report: Moped Mow Down Edition
If the Three Stooges were young and dealing drugs, the following crime report item might be the plot to one of their episodes.
ROBBERY/MALICIOUS WOUNDING-ARREST 03/24/11, 5000 block of Columbia Pike. On March 24 at 6:40 pm, two men decided to rob a subject they knew was selling narcotics. The subject assaulted the drug dealer and stole money and narcotics. When the assaulted subject saw them a short time later, he attempted to run them over with his moped. All three subjects were detained. One of the subjects was 17 years old and taken to juvenile detention. Norman Purvis, 18, of Arlington was charged with Conspiring to Commit Robbery, Robbery, and Possession of Marijuana. Deivi Coreas, 18, of Arlington was charged with Malicious Bodily Injury, Attempted Malicious Wounding, and Distribution of Marijuana. Both subjects were held without bond.
The rest of this week’s Arlington County crime report, after the jump.
Morning Notes
More Registered Voters Than Residents? — Something here doesn’t add up. There are 14 voting precincts in Arlington where there are more registered voters than voting-age residents, at least according to recent census figures. [Sun Gazette]
New 7-Eleven Coming to the Pike — A new 7-Eleven store is coming to 2330 Columbia Pike, across from the new Siena Park and Penrose Square apartments. The 24-hour convenience store is expected to open in the beginning of 2012. It replaces a former furniture store. [Pike Wire]
On Books and Soldiers — The Arlington Public Library Central Auditorium (1015 N. Quincy Street) will be hosting a community book discussion tonight focusing on the military. The discussion, starting at 7:00 p.m., will be led by Georgetown University professor Nancy Sherman, who has also taught ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy. She’ll discuss two books in particular: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and The Good Soldiers by David Finkel. [Arlington Public Library]
Flickr pool photo by Damiec
Clint Eastwood Film ‘J. Edgar’ Filming in N. Arlington Tonight
Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar Hoover biopic, which has been filming in downtown D.C. and Warrenton, Va., will come to Arlington tonight.
A county official we talked to confirmed that filming is expected to take place in North Arlington tonight, but could not reveal the exact location or exact time. Neighbors have been notified of the production plans, the official said.
No word yet on whether the film’s star, Leo DiCaprio, or its star director will be on set.
Update at 4:45 p.m. — The movie is filming in the Donaldson Run area, near Marymount University. Here’s the letter the production crew sent to neighbors:
Dear Neighbors,
Tuesday evening, March 29th we will be parking production vehicles involved with the filming of the Warner Brothers film entitled, “J.Edgar” in the Leaf Mulch Site on 26th St. N. and Yorktown Blvd.
We will be filming scenes for the motion picture nearby in Arlington. The vehicles will be parked in the lot starting Tuesday evening and will be in place until the end of day Thursday, March 31st.
We understand we are guests in your neighborhood and we will do our best to ensure that our brief stay is a pleasant one for all.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the number below.
Thanks again and we look forward to the opportunity to be your temporary neighbors this week.
Sincerely,
(Redacted)
Photo via Wikipedia
BREAKING NEWS — Route 50 Shut Down Due to Gas Leak
Update at 4:15 p.m. — The gas leak has been stopped and all lanes of westbound Route 50 are now open.
Earlier: The westbound lanes of Route 50 have been shut down near Fairfax Drive in Courthouse due to a gas line rupture.
Firefighters are reporting that a 16-inch gas transmission line has been ruptured in the area of the 10th Street Bridge. The closure of westbound Route 50 is expected to last at least another hour while Washington Gas works to shut off the gas and repair the line.
The eastbound lanes of Route 50 were shut down for a short period of time, but have since reopened. Still, significant traffic issues are being reported in the area. In addition to cars, police are also turning pedestrians away from the area.
This stretch of Route 50 has been the scene of on-going utility work.
Lubber Run Amphitheatre Supporters Question County Study
Does the shuttered Lubber Run Amphitheater need some no-frills fixes or a complete overhaul before it can reopen? It depends who you ask.
Earlier this month Arlington County released a decidedly pessimistic study of the 43-year-old amphitheater and its surrounding grounds. The study, conducted by Neale Architects, concluded that bringing the amphitheater up to current code standards would require $2.5 million for an extensive renovation or a $3.5 million for a completely new facility, not including significant costs associated with Americans with Disabilities Act, Resource Protection Area and floodplain compliance.
The study “found a number of existing conditions that represent a hazard to public safety, including open trenches; steep grades; deteriorated benches; tilting walls; crumbling paving,” according to the county’s Lubber Run Amphitheater web site.
“The wooden stage has also deteriorated and the County will take action to remove it,” the assessment continued. “Mold is also present in some locations. Both the deteriorating stage and mold reflect underlying drainage problems.”
A newly-formed group called the Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation, however, disputes many of the findings. In a letter to the county board (after the jump) and in a corresponding itemized assessment, the foundation says that the study contains errors, omissions and exaggerations. For instance, an “open trench” cited in the report is actually “a one-and-one-half inch depression in the asphalt,” according to the letter.
Instead of waiting for funding to be made available for a complete overhaul, the foundation is asking for “a low-impact, no-frills restoration of the venue that maintains its existing modest footprint.”
“The report seems to be saying that to save the amphitheater we have to totally replace it at the cost of millions of dollars,” said Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation co-president Esther Bowring. “We’re asking the Board to take a closer look, talk with us and come up with a reasonable budget that will restore the existing amphitheater that has served Arlington’s public and cultural community well for more than 40 years.”
D.C. Cabbies Refusing Va. Fares
Update at 11:35 a.m. — As this story was being written, NBC4′s Tom Sherwood reported on Twitter that the D.C. fuel surcharge will now apply to both in-city and out-of-town trips.
New fuel surcharge rules in the District are giving cabbies another reason to refuse Virginia fares.
Anybody who’s ever tried to take a cab from the District to Arlington late at night or on a holiday knows that D.C. cabbies do not like driving into Virginia. It’s more lucrative for cab drivers to make frequent short trips around the District than to make a longer trip to Virginia, only to have to drive back to D.C. on unpaid time.
Now add another disincentive for taking Virginia fares. A new fuel surcharge allows D.C. cab drivers to charge an extra $1 per trip, but only for trips inside the District. Trips that start or end in Virginia or Maryland are not subject to the surcharge, which is set to expire on July 25.
We’ve heard reports that some cab drivers have been refusing Virginia fares since the surcharge went into effect on Monday.
Crystal City resident David Hyde says his wife had trouble catching a cab from George Washington University Hospital to their apartment yesterday morning.
“Three different cabs refused to take her after they rolled down the window and heard her destination,” he said. “I assume this is because they don’t get the fuel surcharge for Virginia trips.”
It is against D.C. taxi regulations for a cab driver to refuse a fare due to their destination.
Top Chef Spike Mendelsohn Scouting Out Crystal City?
Is former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn planning on opening a restaurant in Crystal City?
An ARLnow spy spotted Mendelsohn and a man identified as his father dining at the Crystal City Chick-fil-A while chatting up the manager about foot traffic and sales.
“He is apparently opening a new restaurant (or planning to) in Crystal City,” the tipster said. A second source confirmed that Mendelsohn may be scouting out locations in Crystal City.
Mendelsohn is the proprietor of Good Stuff Eatery, a gourmet burgers-fries-and-ice-cream joint on Capitol Hill, and We, the Pizza, which is exactly what you think it is.
Good Stuff Eatery is in the midst of an expansion that is bringing it to new locales like Baltimore and Philadelphia. Might Crystal City be next?
Photo via Twitter
Redistricting Would Push Arlington Senate District into Loudoun
If legislators approve the new state Senate districts drawn up by Senate Democrats, Arlington County voters will soon share a state Senator with Loudoun County.
The state House and Senate redistricting plans were unveiled last night and, unsurprisingly, the new district boundaries would give a boost to the majority party in each chamber. The Democratic-controlled state Senate plan would force two pairs of Republican senators to run against each other, while the Republican-controlled House plan moves the districts of three Democratic delegates, including that of House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong.
For Arlington, the state Senate plan will dilute Arlington’s influence in one district, the 31st, while the county picks up a third district, the 32nd. Arlington will lose some territory from the 30th district, which is subject to a three-way Democratic primary battle.
The 31st district — held by the retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple — currently consists of most of North Arlington, Falls Church and a slim part of eastern Fairfax County. The new, gerrymandered district will run from the Pentagon and Columbia Pike to the south, through the eastern half of North Arlington, through Great Falls, and up to some Loudoun County neighborhoods near the Potomac River.
Analysis on the Blue Virginia web site suggests that Arlington may retain the majority of the district’s population, but the sprawling district could present some logistical problems for County Board member Barbara Favola, who is running for the 31st district seat. Del. Patrick Hope is also considering a run for the Democratic 31st district nomination.
The 32nd district, currently a Fairfax and Loudoun County district represented by Democratic state Sen. Janet Howell, will shift into northwestern Arlington County. It will run through Tyson’s Corner, all the way west to Reston and part of Chantilly. Arlington neighborhoods like Westover, Yorktown and East Falls Church would have to compete with the interests of Fairfax County residents — which could get interesting if the topic of I-66 widening is ever brought up.
Morning Notes
ACFD Gets New Bomb Squad Truck — The Arlington County Fire Truck recently took delivery of a new, custom-built bomb squad truck. The bright red truck was one of six delivered to area public safety agencies through a contract with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The ACFD Fire Marshal’s office handles bomb disposal duties in the county. [Va. Fire News]
Documentary Project Accepting Applications — Arlington high school students interested in working in documentary production can apply for an internship with the 2011 Document Arlington Project. The project, run by Arlington Independent Media, allows six students to work together over the summer to produce two 15-minute documentaries about the Arlington community. [Arlington Independent Media]
USS Arlington Christened — Arlington County fire chief James Schwartz spoke at Saturday’s christening of the USS Arlington in Pascagoula, Miss. “The hearts of Arlington County will sail with you,” he said to the crew. [Sun Gazette]
Flickr pool photo by Leah M. Kimper
Ruffino’s Spaghetti House Hopes to Open Soon
Ruffino’s Spaghetti House (4763 Lee Highway) may re-open in a week or two.
The restaurant closed for renovations in September, and loyal customers have been asking when it’s going to re-open ever since. Owner Robin Gamzeh says he hopes to open as soon as next week — if county inspections go well.
Outside and in, nearly everything about Ruffino’s appearance has changed. The exterior is brand new and the interior is completely revamped. One thing that hasn’t changed much is the restaurant’s menu. Gamzeh says everything from the original menu will still be available, with a few new additions.
Gamzeh says the re-opening was delayed several months after a contractor discovered a 5-6 foot basement crawl space while doing plumbing work. The basement, which Gamzeh did not know existed, had to be reinforced in order for renovations to continue.
