Shirlington Road Shut Down Due Pedestrian Accident
(Update at 9:10 p.m.) Police shut down Shirlington Road between Arlington Mill Drive and Four Mile Run this evening to investigate a pedestrian accident.
Injuries were initially said to be serious, but we’re now told the victim is expected to be okay.
Arlington Police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal would not confirm whether or not the driver stayed on scene after the accident, nor whether an arrest was pending.
Fat Tuesday Events Within Walking Distance of the Parade
If you’re heading to the Clarendon Mardi Gras/St. Patrick’s Day parade tonight, you might also be considering heading out to the bars afterward. Here are a few places where you can find some festive Fat Tuesday fun within walking distance of the parade.
Ragtime (1345 North Courthouse Road) — Ragtime is holding its 10th annual Mardi Gras party tonight. The restaurant is serving a special Cajun menu all day, Hurricanes and Cyclones are on special, and the Le Bon Temps Krew will be playing New Orleans jazz music from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. And yes, there will be beads.
Iota Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd) — Iota is hosting a parade viewing party on its front porch. After the parade, local southern acoustic rock outfit Brother Shamus will take the stage. Admission is $5 after the parade, free before.
Bayou Bakery (1515 North Courthouse Road) – The Louisiana-themed eatery in Courthouse is decked out in purple, gold and green for the holiday. Tonight the restaurant will be holding a “Bayou Gras” celebration with $7 plates including Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya, Crab Boil “Peppa Weenies” and Muff-a-Lottas. Abita is on tap at Bayou Bakery, but last we checked they were sold out of homemade King Cakes.
Screwtop Wine Bar (1025 North Fillmore Street) — For those looking for a more low-key atmosphere before or after the parade, Screwtop will be serving $7 Mardi Gras mimosas throughout the evening.
Four Courts/Ri-Ra/Kitty O’Shea’s — These Irish pubs along Wilson Boulevard won’t be holding any pre-St. Patrick’s Day specials or entertainment to coincide with the parade. However, each says they will be offering their normal Tuesday specials, which means beer as low as $2.50.
Arlington Mill Demolition Underway
Demolition work is underway at the Arlington Mill Community Center site on Columbia Pike.
Heavy equipment was brought in to tear down the old building and chain link fences have been set up around the building’s perimeter. Already, the front of the structure has been demolished.
The demolition is expected to take 30-45 days. There are no road or sidewalk closures planned as a result of the work.
Once the demolition is complete work will begin on the new Arlington Mill Community Center, which is expected to open in 2013.
Road Closures for Tonight’s Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade
In honor of Fat Tuesday, the Clarendon Alliance is holding its annual Mardi Gras parade tonight. (Although technically, it’s now a combined Mardi Gras/St. Patrick’s Day parade.)
The parade is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 p.m., but motorists may want to make note of some road closures that will take effect before the parade.
Wilson Boulevard will be closed from Veitch Street to Barton Street starting at 6:45 p.m. to allow parade floats to line up. Adams Street and Wayne Street will both be closed between Clarendon Boulevard and Wilson Boulevard at 6:45 p.m., for the same reason.
At 7:30 p.m., Wilson will be blocked off along the parade route from Barton Street to Irving Street.
Adams and Wayne Streets will reopen at 8:00 p.m., while Wilson will reopen after the parade concludes, around 9:30 p.m.
In addition to the road closures, there will also be parking restrictions in the area, marked by temporary ‘no parking’ signs. County officials are encouraging parade-goers to take the Metro to Courthouse or Clarendon instead of driving.
SUV Slams Into Bluemont 7-Eleven
An SUV came crashing through the front of the 7-Eleven on Wilson Boulevard near George Mason Drive this morning.
As customers were arriving for their morning coffee, a vehicle described as a new Toyota Rav4 hopped the curb, smashed through a low brick wall, a door and a plate glass window. Nobody was hurt.
In addition to the busted-up storefront, some merchandise in the SUV’s path — including at least a dozen cases of beer — appeared to have been damaged and strewn about the floor.
Workers have boarded up the broken windows and the store is now open. The store’s clerk said the driver was an employee who had recently learned how to drive.
Dr. Dremo’s Still Looking for a New Location
Some may call it quixotic, but the quest to bring back Dr. Dremo’s Taphouse is still going strong.
Former Dremo’s owner Andrew Stewart says he has gotten tantalizingly close to securing a new location for the former Arlington landmark, but to no avail. In previous interviews Stewart said he would like Dremo’s to remain in the Courthouse or Clarendon area, but the cost has been prohibitive.
“We have come close a couple of time,” Stewart wrote in an email. “The large companies that lease these spaces don’t take a mom-and-pop, like us, seriously.”
The search, Stewart says, is “ongoing.” Even if the bar can’t find a new home, however, one part of its history may return.
“[I've] been considering starting a brewing company with all of the old (award winning) Bardo recipes,” Stewart said, referring to Dremo’s predecessor Bardo Rodeo. In its heyday, Bardo was as “the largest brewpub on the east coast.”
Dr. Dremo’s closed in January 2008 (the photo above is from its last night) and was razed to make way for a condo complex that was never built, thanks to the downturn in the economy. Construction at the site is reportedly set to get underway this year.
Power Outages Cause Traffic Lights to Go Dark
Update at 9:35 a.m. — Power has been restored, Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson says. The outage was caused by a single, unlucky squirrel.
According to Anderson: “We had a squirrel get onto a piece of equipment which caused a power outage near Pershing Drive and Route 50 in Arlington. At 7:42 AM, 1,765 customers lost power as a result of the squirrel making contact with our equipment and becoming the path of least resistance for electricity to travel to ground.”
Earlier: Traffic lights are out at a number of busy Arlington intersections due to a widespread power outage.
Dominion reports that more than 1,800 customers are without power this morning. Power is expected to be restored between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
Traffic lights are reported to be dark at the following intersections:
- Route 50 and Pershing Drive
- Route 50 and Henderson Road
- George Mason Drive and Pershing Drive
- George Mason Drive and Henderson Road
- Four Mile Run Drive and Columbia Pike
Police are directing traffic at most, if not all, the above intersections.
Brink Declines to Run for State Senate
Del. Bob Brink, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the state Senate seat of the retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, announced this morning that he will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat.
Brink released the following statement regarding his decision this morning.
In the days since Senator Mary Margaret Whipple announced her intention to retire from the General Assembly, I have been weighing the possibility of running for the seat she has held with such distinction since 1996. I am gratified that many people have encouraged me to seek the Senate nomination, and it would be a tremendous honor to succeed Mary Margaret in the Senate. However, I have decided that I can best serve Arlingtonians by remaining in the House of Delegates.
This has been a tough year for Arlington in Richmond. Despite the unified efforts of Arlington’s General Assembly delegation, important measures that were aimed at bolstering the County’s economy, protecting its interests, and upholding its values, met a hostile reception. Next year the entire Arlington delegation, including the new Senator from the 31st District, must be prepared to work at restoring the trust and respect for the County that it deserves and that so many have sought to achieve.
Eyes now turn to Del. Patrick Hope, another possible candidate who was expected to defer to Brink should he have decided to run. Hope would face county board member Barbara Favola in the Democratic primary.
Morning Notes
Arlington’s Highway Bottlenecks — An annual report on traffic congestion is out and Arlington has claimed two of the three worst traffic bottlenecks in the region. Westbound I-66 in Arlington, northbound I-395 in Arlington ranked and eastbound I-66 in Fairfax County rounded out the top three spots. [Washington Post]
Colony House Sells to Developer — The Colony House furniture store on Lee Highway has been sold to Bethesda-based developer B.F. Saul for $5.6 million. The company, which developed the Clarendon Center project, says it hasn’t decided what to do with the site yet. In January, we reported that Colony House’s owner is hoping to find a new Arlington location for the store. [Washington Business Journal]
Columbia Pike Giant to Open This Summer — A 60,000 square foot Giant supermarket will be opening in the Penrose Square development on Columbia Pike at some point this summer, according to a store spokesperson. [TBD]
Video of President Obama’s Wakefield Visit — President Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made a jovial visit to an AP U.S. History class at Wakefield High School yesterday. During an informal question-and-answer session, students asked the leaders about “schools in Australia, the recent flooding, Australian rule football, and even Vegemite.” President Obama also led students in a rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” for their teacher, Northern Virginia Teacher of the Year Colette Fraley. [The White House Blog]
New Additions to Hillside Park — There’s a new sculpture in Rosslyn’s Hillside Park. Also, some plantings have been added. [Ode Street Tribune]
Flickr pool photo by Damiec
