Attacks on Two Women Prompt Warning from Police
Attacks on two women on the same night, believed to be by the same suspect, have Arlington County Police cautioning walkers, particularly women. Both incidents took place late last Friday, May 11.
The first occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the 3300 block of Washington Blvd, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. A 26-year-old female walked home alone after having spent a night out with friends. After she typed in the security code to open her garage door and walked inside the garage, she noticed the suspect standing at the bottom of her driveway. She became frightened and tried to close the automated garage door, but the man allegedly rushed toward her and stuck his hand over a sensor, causing the door to re-open. She made it inside the house, locked the door and called police while the suspect fled the scene.
According to Sternbeck, the victim described the suspect as a black man with a dark complexion and short hair, about 5’11″, 200 pounds and around 30 years of age. At the time, he had been wearing khaki pants and a red and white checkered shirt. The victim noted that she saw the suspect wearing black gloves when he put his hand over the garage sensor.
About an hour later, an individual matching the same description is believed to have attacked a woman in the 2100 block of Lee Highway. The 24-year-old female was walking home alone when the suspect allegedly grabbed and sexually assaulted her. The woman struggled and managed to punch the suspect in the stomach. He then reportedly threw her in some bushes and fled.
This victim told police that the suspect had covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming, and was wearing black gloves.
“Based on their descriptions and the similiarities in the incidents, we believe it’s the same individual,” Sternbeck said.
Police are reminding people to be aware of their surroundings, not to walk alone and to carry a cell phone for emergencies. Walkers are warned not to put themselves in vulnerable situations, or to have the “that can’t happen to me” mentality.
“We want people to be educated if they’re going to be out late at night,” Sternbeck said. “These are things you need to be aware of.”
Anybody with information about the suspect that may lead to his arrest is asked to call the police non-emergency number, at 703-558-2222.
Donate a Bra at Bloomers, Get a Discount
Bloomers in Shirlington is encouraging women to take off their bras for a good cause. This Saturday, May 19, the store will host its 2nd Annual Bra Drive.
The drive started last year at the Old Town store, and this year the newer Shirlington location (4150 Campbell Avenue) will participate as well. Donations of new or gently used bras are accepted, and will be given to BraRecyclers. The organization distributes bras around the world to women and girls who have been stricken by disaster, or are in a state of transitioning back into self-sufficiency.
Megan Monticone, who is in charge of social media for Bloomers, explained that although all styles and sizes are needed, there is a particular need for donations of maternity bras, nursing bras and bras for larger breasted women, such as sizes DD and higher. Those tend to be harder to come by and more expensive than other types of bras.
“For women who are in positions of trying to transition, it’s hard to get the right size and be able to afford it,” Monticone said.
Customers can bring in bras to the Shirlington location from 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Anyone who donates will receive a 20% discount off the cost of one new bra at Bloomers. Customers who donate will also receive a tank top, while supplies last. Those who can’t make it on Saturday are encouraged to drop off a donation any time this week, but the discount will only apply on Saturday.
Bloomers will also donate $1 to BraRecyclers for every new “Like” on its Facebook page during the month of May.
Arlington Cemetery to Hold Historic Taps Event
Arlington National Cemetery will play host to a historic event this weekend, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the song Taps.
The anniversary of the National Song of Remembrance will be marked with a ceremony on Saturday, May 19, in the cemetery’s Old Amphitheater. There will be participants from TAPS 150, an organization devised to commemorate the anniversary, along with Bugles Across America, an organization to recruit volunteers for playing Taps at veterans’ funerals.
Hundreds of buglers from around the country will take part in the ceremony, which starts at 10:00 a.m. There will be speakers, special music and a playing of Taps at the event. After that, the buglers will move to sites throughout the cemetery to simultaneously play Taps following the noon chimes.
“Buglers from all over the United States are coming to Arlington National Cemetery to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience of sounding Taps in America’s most sacred shrine,” the TAPS 150 website reads. “These are dedicated musicians who believe that a live sounding of Taps is not only appropriate but deserved and even indispensable for those who have served our nation in uniform.”
The website also claims the simultaneous playing should allow people to hear the echo of the tune nearly anywhere in Arlington.
The event is free and open to the public.
Taps was first arranged in July 1862 — during the Civil War — by Union General Daniel Butterfield. Butterfield created the tune to honor his fallen soldiers after the bloody Seven Days Battles near Richmond.
Photo by Tim1965
Clarendon Metro Plaza Changes Coming Soon
A contract worth more than $760,000 to improve the Clarendon Metro Plaza is up for approval at the County Board meeting this Saturday, May 19. The board is scheduled to vote on granting the contract to Fort Myer Construction Corporation.
The revamp involves installing new landscaping, pavers, irrigation, seating, lighting, curbs and gutters. It’s designed to provide a larger public space where community functions, such as the farmers’ market, can be held.
The plaza’s fountain will stay, but will receive upgraded water lines. Additionally, the changes should improve drainage in the plaza.
The ADA-compliant design also includes new sidewalk ramps, a curb extension at the northwest corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Highland Street and new pedestrian crossings at Clarendon Blvd, N. Highland Street and Wilson Blvd.
The county has been coordinating with WMATA during the planning process. However, the site is, and will remain, county property up to the elevator and escalator landing areas. The Department of Parks and Recreation will continue its maintenance of the plaza.
Construction, which was expected to have begun already, is now anticipated to begin shortly after board approval. It will be completed in phases so pedestrians continue to have access to the Metro escalators and elevators.
Sketches of the proposed changes were released last summer, and can be found with additional details of the plan on the county’s website.
Update on 5/16/12 — Project Manager Tom Hutchings says the county wants to avoid interfering with major events near the plaza this summer. Construction is expected to start after the Air Force Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup on Saturday, June 9. The goal is to have the plaza finished before Clarendon Day at the end of September.
Ask Adam: ‘Million Dollar Listing’ vs. Real Life
Editor’s Note: This periodic sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos of Arlington-based real estate firm Arbour Realty. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com. Please submit follow-up questions in the comments section or via email.
How similar is the TV show Million Dollar Listing to real estate in Arlington?
Probably not that much more similar than your life is to the Real Housewives franchise. The shows are crafted for entertainment, featuring plenty of showboating and drama.
My favorite scenes are the face to face negotiations. They’re a great way to breed drama. In contrast, almost every real estate offer in Arlington is presented over the phone and then transmitted via email. I’ve only ever had one agent deliver an offer in person, but the negotiation had already taken place.
What’s also interesting is that they negotiate verbally without anything in writing. As a listing agent, you’re not going to get me to present anything to a seller without all the terms written out and signed by the buyer. There’s way too much that could go wrong and there are a lot more variables involved than price.
The broker open houses are much more fabulous on TV. The nicer broker open houses in Arlington usually consist of a catered lunch and maybe a drawing for a $50 gift card. In reality they are probably just as effective as the lavish events you have seen in Million Dollar Listing. In my opinion, brokers opens are as much about educating the realtor community about a home as they are about creating buzz. Education is especially important with some of the high performance green homes being built.
One practice some of us share in common with the agents on TV is staging . I’m sure this sounds like a waste of money to some of you, but I can tell you from experience that how a home shows goes a long way towards how it sells. According to the staging company I use, 94.9% of their staged homes sell in 45 days or less.
Though the guys on TV drive around in Porsches, wear $25,000 watches and strut around town in Gucci loafers, this is not how we roll in Arlington. Maybe there is a little of that in Great Falls, but I don’t see it around here. I should point out that far less than 1% of realtors earn the level of income that these guys on TV are making. According to CNBC.com 12 Most Overrated Jobs, the average annual income of a realtor is $40,357. That’s a respectable income, but it doesn’t get you far in Arlington and it sure doesn’t look anything like the $594,000 commission I just saw Ryan earn on Million Dollar Listing New York.
So how many million dollar listings actually sell in Arlington? Thus far in 2012, 63 homes have sold for $1,000,000 or more. The two most expensive homes sold in Arlington this year, went for $3,100,000 and $4,200,000. The latter is a penthouse condo at Turnberry Towers.
I have to give Bravo TV a lot of credit. If they can make real estate look cool or at least entertaining, then they are good at what they do. Today I had a walkthrough, closing, home inspection to negotiate and emails to respond to leading up to writing this article. Trust me, it had very low entertainment value.
Continue to send your real estate-related questions to: adam@arbourrealty.com
Sauca Restaurant on Columbia Pike Closes
Less than a year after it first opened, Sauca restaurant at 4707 Columbia Pike has apparently closed.
The eatery was shuttered and dark last night, with only a single piece of printer paper in the door to announce its demise. It read: “Regretably [sic] Sauca has closed this location. Thank you for your patronage and wishing you all the health and happiness in the world.”
Sauca was unique in that it took the menu from an existing fleet of food trucks and tried to build a brick-and-mortar restaurant around it. Despite the fact that it added a lush outdoor patio, a liquor license, and happy hour specials to the food-truck-to-restaurant formula, we’re told that Sauca still struggled to attract a consistent customer base to its slightly off-the-beaten-path location.
Sauca is owned by Farhad Assari, a former international investment banker who left a lucrative gig in Dubai to move closer to his family and pursue his culinary dreams. The Sauca Twitter account has not been active since last Tuesday.
Morning Notes
New Long-Haul Service at DCA — JetBlue, Southwest, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines are adding new long haul service from Reagan National Airport to four cities, respectively: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Porland, Ore. [CBS News]
Meeting Tonight About Ballston Park — Planners from the county parks department will be meeting with residents tonight to discuss options for the small triangular piece of land next to the Ballston public parking garage at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street. At one point a mini golf course was proposed for the tiny park. [Arlington Mercury]
Bond Sale Expected Next Month — Arlington County is expected to issue up to $110 million in new bonds next month. The bonds will help pay for school projects, parks and recreation projects, and Metro improvements. [Sun Gazette]
Recap: Entrepreneurship Event at Artisphere — An tech-oriented entrepreneurship event at Artisphere over the weekend is being called a success after attracting more than 400 attendees for panel discussions and networking. [Bisnow]
Young Dems Date Auction Tonight — The annual Arlington Young Democrats date auction kicks off at 7:00 tonight at Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street). Disclosure: AYD is a current ARLnow.com advertiser.
Clarendon Dog Park to Get Revamped
James Hunter Park in Clarendon is about to get a facelift.
At its meeting on Saturday, May 19, the County Board is expected to award a contract for construction of the dog park, at N. Herndon and 13th Street, to Avon Corporation. The contract will be worth more than $1.6 million.
The plan to revamp the park has been in the works since 2007. The county has been collaborating with nearby neighborhood associations to devise the final plan.
The final design is for a park containing a plaza terrace with an open lawn area, gardens, a canine area, pedestrian areas and public art.
The project aims to be on the forefront of sustainability by using alternative energy, managing and recycling stormwater for use throughout the park and using recycled materials for construction.
If the board approves the contract on Saturday, construction is supposed to begin early in the summer, and should finish by late spring next year. Officials had originally hoped to have the revamped dog park ready by this summer.
County staff will work with Clarendon Dogs to post signs about other dog friendly venues that visitors can use while James Hunter Park is closed for construction.
