Part of Mt. Vernon Trail Closed Due to Flooding
Part of the Mt. Vernon Trail is closed between Roosevelt Island and the Humpback Bridge due to flooding.
The Potomac River is now covering a low-lying section of the trail. This afternoon ducks and debris could be seen floating where humans can usually be seen exercising.
The National Park Service has placed “trail closed” signs on either side of the flooded portion, but joggers and bicyclists are simply diverting to a narrow dirt path that runs dangerously close to the northbound GW Parkway, which has been the scene of two serious accidents in the past week.
Flooding along the banks of the Potomac has also forced evacuations in Georgetown and the rescue of a group of Boy Scouts near White’s Ferry. A tipster tells us the rescued Boy Scouts are from Arlington, but so far we’ve been unable to confirm that.
More photos after the jump.
‘Flash Mob’ Protests Inside Bank of America on Columbia Pike
(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Police responded to the Bank of America at the corner of Columbia Pike and Glebe Road this afternoon after a group of protesters paraded around the branch holding signs and shouting slogans.
Demonstrators with Alexandria-based Tenants and Workers United (TWU) chanted “tax the rich, jobs now, homes now” while dancing the “Tax the Rich Shuffle,” as part of a national tax day protest. TWU Interim Executive Director Jennifer Morley said they targeted Bank of America because the giant financial company paid no corporate income tax this year.
“For too long, the government has allowed corporations and the wealthy not to pay their fair share,” Morley said. “Unrestricted greed has led to lay-offs, foreclosures and high rates of unemployment in working class communities.”
Morley said about 50 people participated in the Arlington Bank of America protest. There were no arrests.
“Companies, like Bank of America, are about profits not jobs,” she continued. “The government must make Bank of America and the big corporations pay their fair share. The revenue can be used to create millions of living wage jobs with benefits and invest in our communities.”
Tenants and Workers United and a group called Right to the City are calling for three new federal tax initiatives. They want all corporate tax loopholes to be closed, they want a 0.25 percent tax imposed on the trading of financial products, and they want a 1 percent wealth tax on the top 5 percent of households. Together, the groups argue, those taxes could generate more than $1.2 trillion per year.
Other protests were planned today at banks, offices, city halls and post offices in Miami, New York, Boston, Providence, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles. Video from the Arlington protest will be posted at righttothecity.org later today, Morley said.
Taqueria Poblano Coming to Columbia Pike
Local Mexican restaurant chain Taqueria Poblano will opening a new location on Columbia Pike.
“Coming soon” signs are up on the ground floor of the Penrose Square development, at the corner of Columbia Pike and South Adams Street.
This will be Taqueria Poblano’s third location. It currently has restaurants in the Del Rey section of Alexandria and in North Arlington at 2503A N. Harrison St., off of Lee Highway.
Hat tip to John Antonelli
Candidates Haul in Cash for 30th District State Senate Race
Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka has out-raised his two Democratic opponents in the race for the 30th District state Senate seat.
As of March 31, Krupicka had raised $101,143. That places him well ahead of Del. Adam Ebbin, who has raised $72,989, and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey, who has raised $55,720.
Krupicka’s biggest donor is businessman Robert Henry Duggar, who contributed $5,000 to his campaign. Ebbin’s biggest donor is the pro-immigrant-rights Laborers’ International Union of North America, which also contributed $5,000. Garvey’s biggest donor is the campaign fund of Sen. Patsy Ticer, who is retiring after 16 years of representing the 30th District. Ticer for Virginia Senate has contributed $10,000 to Garvey’s campaign.
On the Republican side, Alexandria businessman Michael Maibach appears to be gearing up for a run (see below). Maibach told us he was thinking about entering the race, but so far hasn’t formally announced his candidacy. Nonetheless, “Mike Maibach for Senate” has $10,000 cash on hand after floating a large campaign loan. Meanwhile, a web site — mikemaibach.com — is currently under construction.
The 30th District currently includes much of South Arlington, as well as most of Alexandria and a portion of Fairfax County, although state legislators are still in the process of drawing new district boundaries. See the fundraising totals for local House of Delegates races on the Blue Virginia blog.
Update at 3:50 p.m. — Maibach says he is no longer planning on running, but notes that he has not made a final decision on the matter.
“As of right now my intention is not to be a candidate,” he told ARLnow.com. “I’m hoping the party will find somebody else.”
Developers Donate to Favola’s Senate Campaign
The list of donors to Arlington County Board member Barbara Favola’s state Senate campaign is raising a few eyebrows among local political watchers.
More than half of the nearly $60,000 raised by Favola has come from local developers, including a whopping $25,000 from John G. Shooshan, chairman of the Arlington-based Shooshan Company. Shooshan has had business before the board recently, related to the company’s massive Founders Square project in Ballston.
Other big contributors to Favola’s campaign include Preston Caruthers, who donated $5,000, Mark Silverwood, who donated $2,000, and Thomas Shooltz, who donated $1,000.
Caruthers, a developer, is supporting Favola, a Democrat, despite the fact that he’s a big contributor to Republican causes. Caruthers is a noted philanthropist and recently gave $100,000 to the Arlington planetarium.
Silverwood is the president of the Silverwood Companies, a Northern Virginia development and property management firm. The company manages several properties in Arlington County, including the Quebec Apartments on Columbia Pike. Shooltz is a part-owner of Ironwood Realty Partners, whose developments include the currently under-construction Garfield Park at Clarendon Village project.
Public records show that Favola received just shy of 100 individual campaign contributions from Jan. 1 to March 31.
County Board members have avoided taking contributions from developers for their board campaigns, to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Favola said that practice does not extend to campaigns for higher office.
“Traditionally County Board members have not asked for contributions [from developers] for their County Board races. I am not running for the County Board, I am running for the state Senate,” she said. “So they’re actually contributing to get me off the County Board.”
“Everything here is reported, there is nothing illegal about what I have received,” Favola continued. “My vote can’t be bought in the state Senate. People are contributing to me because they respect me and have confidence in me. They also have valued my contributions on the County Board.”
Favola is currently the only candidate to formally announce for the 31st District state Senate seat, which is being vacated by the retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple.
Discount on Taste of Arlington Tickets
Taste of Arlington tickets are being offered at a discount this week.
Tickets for Arlington’s biggest food festival are normally $20 in advance and $25 at the gate, but for the next 10 days they’re being sold for $15 through local deal-of-the-day web site What’s the Deal.
The ever-popular annual event will held from noon to 5:00 p.m. on May 22.
Now in its 24th year, Taste of Arlington will be held from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22. Admission is free but tickets are required to sample the food and drinks.
Disclosure: ARLnow.com has an affiliate relationship with What’s the Deal.
Morning Notes
Capital Bikeshare Stations Launch in Rosslyn – Four Capital Bikeshare stations were quietly installed around Rosslyn on Saturday. There were no public notices or proclamations before the installation — unlike earlier in the week when officials announced that four stations were to be installed on Wednesday. The county followed up that announcement with a notice that the installation was delayed indefinitely. Update at 12:05 p.m. — See info on the installations from Bike Arlington. [Patch]
Humpback Bridge Work Nears Completion – The National Park Service expects construction on the Humpback Bridge reconstruction project to wrap up in mid-June. The final construction phase will allow a full merge from I-395 onto the northbound GW Parkway. [WTOP]
Bengali New Year Celebrated on the Pike — The local Bengali community came together for their traditional New Years celebration on Saturday. Despite the wet weather, Bengalis gathered near Columbia Pike for a parade, musical performances, dancing and ethnic food. [Pike Wire]
County Pay Raises in the Works? — On Saturday, Arlington County Board members instructed County Manager Barbara Donnellan to proceed with a study of county workers’ compensation, which some within county government believe is too low. Also on Saturday, the County Board voted to raise their own pay ceiling from $49,000 to $57,337. While board members won’t be getting any more money this year, the move opens up the possibility of a pay raise next year. [Sun Gazette]
