Favola Tops Latest Fundraising Numbers
Quarterly finance reports are out for Arlington’s state Senate races.
In the heated 31st District contest between County Board member Barbara Favola and Army National Guard JAG officer Jaime Areizaga-Soto, Favola won the fundraising battle and conserved her cash.
Favola received $130,414.68 in contributions during the second quarter of 2011, compared to Areizaga-Soto’s $73,816.00. Areizaga-Soto also took out $145,000 in net debt during the period, but only ended up with $41,137.84 cash in hand thanks to a whopping $177,678.16 in spending. Favola spent $74,764.67 and ended with $112,909.01 cash in hand.
Favola may face renewed criticism of her willingness to accept money from developers and other interests with business before the County Board. All told, Favola accepted nearly $35,000 in donations from real estate, development and hotel companies.
Among the donations were $5,000 from JBG Companies executive Walter Coker, $2,500 from Monday Properties executive Timothy Helmig, $2,500 from IDI Group CEO Giuseppe Cecchi, $1,000 from The Bozzuto Group’s Thomas Bozzuto, and $1,000 from MRP Realty executive Robert Murphy. She also accepted donations from representatives of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, the B.F. Saul Company, McCaffrey Interests, and Cushman & Wakefield.
Additionally, Favola accepted a $2,500 donation from Advanced Towing owner John O’Neill, $1,000 from Red Top Cab and $500 from Enviro-Cab partner April Hess. All three firms are subject to special county regulations. Political supporters Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, Sen. Janet Howell, and Sen. Dick Saslaw collectively contributed $32,000 $42,000 to Favola.
Areizaga-Soto, meanwhile, raised a significant portion of his money from friends and family in his native Puerto Rico. He raised more than $21,000 from donors in the American territory. Areizaga-Soto’s fellow attorneys were also generous. He raised $18,700 from donors identified as attorneys.
Areizaga-Soto’s largest individual donor was Carlos Del Toro, the CEO of a service disabled veteran-owned engineering and consulting firm in Stafford, Va. Del Toro donated a total of $5,250 to Areizaga-Soto.
The winner of the primary race between Favola and Areizaga-Soto will face Republican Caren Merrick in the fall. Merrick raised $136,031.25 during the quarter and has $153,499.90 cash on hand.
In the three-way Democratic primary race for the 30th District state Senate seat, Arlington County School Board member Libby Garvey captured the fundraising crown.
Who Let the Dog Out?
A mystery on Columbia Pike, from yesterday’s crime report:
UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 07/14/11, 4300 block of Columbia Pike. On July 14 between 8:45 am and 10:30 am, an unknown subject entered an apartment and let the resident’s dog out. No items were taken and there is no suspect description.
Accident in Wendy’s Drive-Thru Lane
It’s not every day that a significant collision happens in a crowded lunchtime drive-thru line, but it happened today at the Wendy’s at 3431 Columbia Pike.
A white work van was rear-ended by a red Honda Accord as the van waited for its order at the pick-up window. The Accord’s tires squealed as it rounded the tight drive-thru corner at a relatively high speed, slamming into the back of the van. Neither the van driver nor the elderly female Accord driver were injured.
In addition to damaging both vehicles, the accident bent and dislodged some of the posts on the metal railing that separates the drive-thru from the sidewalk.
Ill-Fated ‘Goth’ Restaurant in Va. Square Torn Down
It couldn’t have looked more out of place. An old building near the Virginia Square Metro station, dressed up in black paint and Gothic-style accents.
What would have been a restaurant, bar and lounge called “Haze” is now being reduced to a pile of rubble. Arlington County purchased the property at 3540 Wilson Boulevard one year ago with the intention of tearing it down, and the demolition is finally happening today.
The property will be used to connect Maury Park and Herselle Milliken Park, two tiny swaths of recreational space located on the same block between N. Monroe and Lincoln streets. So what happened to Haze?
Last year we were told that the owner undertook renovations on the building before any county permits were issued or even requested. Obviously, a county that put the kibosh on a dog mural located next to a dog park is going to take issue with a business trying to pull a fast one with a gaudy black bar across from an apartment building. The owner finally decided to shutter the restaurant-that-never-was instead of trying to to get the building back into compliance.
At least for now, the prime Wilson Boulevard property will be used as a park.
“The entire parcel will be used as park space in the near term, although the immediate frontage on Wilson Boulevard may be reconsidered in the long term if the remaining retail/commercial parcels on the block are consolidated and redeveloped,” Arlington Park Division Chief Lisa Grandle told the Ashton Heights Civic Association last year.
H/t to Bill Colton
Leadership Arlington Seeks “Rising Stars”
Leadership Arlington, a nonprofit organization devoted to community-oriented leadership training, is seeking “rising stars” to join its Young Professionals Program. The application deadline is August 1.
The organization issued the following press release this morning.
Leadership Arlington is seeking rising stars with potential to apply for its Young Professionals Program. Do you know of a promising up-and-comer within your company?
This selective program provides affordable leadership skills training to your brightest employees in an interactive and experiential setting. Meeting twice monthly from September until January, the sessions focus on philanthropy, civic engagement, and leadership skills development.
“I really enjoyed the Leadership Arlington Young Professionals program. It helped me expand my horizons and grow as a person and member of my community,” said James Bierbower, E Group, Inc.
Benefits to local organizations include employee loyalty, retention, and workforce stability. As a program of the Leadership Arlington, participants have opportunities to connect with over 700 members in 500 organizations in the area. Additionally, members of the inaugural Class of 2011 expressed a renewed appreciation for Arlington, and the intention to plant roots in the community.
“I learned how to be a more active citizen in the Arlington Community by giving my time and talent to the community to make Arlington a better place for the people who live here,” said Brandon Jenkins, Marymount University.
Application deadline is August 1, 2011. Contact Liz Nohra, Chief Operating Officer, lnohra@leadershiparlington.org to receive additional information. Please visit Leadership Arlington’s website at www.leadershiparlington.org to apply. Limited scholarships are available.
NYC’s Danny Ross Playing Iota Club on Sunday
New York-based congressional staffer by day, singer-songwriter-pianist by night, Danny Ross will be making his Washington-area debut Sunday night at Iota Club in Clarendon.
Ross, a staffer in the Manhattan District Office of Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), has played South by Southwest, the CMJ Music Fest and NYC’s Mercury Lounge, among other major venues, but he has yet to play the city that’s the focal point of his day job.
Ross cites Wilco, the Beatles and Ryan Adams as influence, and his eclectic, often ballad-y music has also garnered some comparisons to Ben Folds. He will perform with his 9-piece band and horns at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday at Iota Club (2832 Wilson Blvd).
Deal of the Day: 60% Off at First Down Sports Bar
Our partners at WTD have a deal this week especially for Ballston and Virginia Square residents.
They’re offering $20 worth of food at First Down Sports Bar & Grill (4213 N. Fairfax Drive) for only $8. First Down has a menu that includes loaded tater tots, tex mex eggrolls, pizza, burgers, and 40 different chicken wing flavors. If you’re not watching sports on the restaurant’s HDTV’s, you can play shuffleboard, foosball and other bar games.
First Down is a “home” bar for fans of the Redskins, Capitals, Wizards, Steelers, Red Sox, Virginia Tech, and WVU.
Morning Poll: Why Wegman’s?
It seems that every time we run a story on a new retailer coming to Arlington, someone chimes in in the comments, saying that they’d much rather have a Wegman’s.
We asked folks on Twitter why the supermarket chain is so popular and heard a lot of different explanations. If you’re a Wegman’s fan, what are your top three reasons for wanting to shop there?
Photo via Wikipedia
Morning Notes
Late Night For Harry Potter Fans — Hundreds of die-hard Harry Potter fans attended midnight and 3:00 a.m. screenings of the last film in the series — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 — at the Regal Ballston Common cinema last night.
Artisphere Reduces Burden on Tenants — The County Board voted this week to simplify the 15-page legal document that potential tenants of the Artisphere must use if they want to put on a show or hold an event. [Washington Examiner]
Fort Myer Organist Retires — Robert Schaaf has retired after 45 years as the organist at Fort Myer’s Chapel. Schaaf, a Penrose resident, has performed at memorial services for fallen military personnel, Challenger and Columbia astronauts, Supreme Court justices, first ladies and 9/11 victims, among others. [Sun Gazette]
Barbara Favola “Green” Mailer Not Recycled — A mailer sent by Barbara Favola’s state Senate campaign, touting her role in “protecting our environment,” was apparently not printed on recycled paper, according to a political blogger who has endorsed Favola’s opponent. [Blue Virginia]
Photo courtesy Jason Gooljar
