Call For Entries: Summer Photo Contest
Memorial Day is just around the corner. That means it’s time to break out the swimsuits, sandals, sunscreen — and the cameras.
In celebration of their new outdoor canopy — which will help keep patio diners cooler when the sun’s beating down, warmer (thanks to built-in heaters) on cool evenings, and dry during summer downpours — Fire Works Pizza in Courthouse (2350 Clarendon Blvd) is sponsoring a summer-themed photo conest.
We’re looking for your best summer snap from around Arlington. Maybe it’s your friends celebrating a patriotic holiday, neighbors out at a street festival, lightning from a summer thunderstorm, your pet trying to keep cool during the dog days of summer — anything that just screams “summer in Arlington.” (Since it’s not officially summer yet, it’s okay if the photo was taken in previous years.)
Email one photo in JPG format to arlnowcontest@gmail.com by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23. Please include your name (which may be published) along with the best email address at which to contact you (which will not be published). ARLnow.com will pick 10 finalists and will let readers vote on their favorites this coming Thursday, May 24.
The finalist that receives the most votes will receive a $100 gift card to Fire Works along with an ARLnow.com tote bag. Second and third place will receive a $50 and $25 Fire Works gift card respectively.
The contest is open to U.S. residents 18 years of age and older. By submitting a photo to the contest you affirm that you took the photo, own the rights to the photo, and agree that ARLnow.com can use the photo for any and all contest-related purposes. Limit one entry per person.
Good luck!
Bronx Pizza Hopes to Open in July
Bronx Pizza in Clarendon may open as soon as July, according to owner Mike Cordero.
At yesterday’s Taste of Arlington event, Cordero told ARLnow.com that he hopes to open the new pizzeria on the weekend after the Fourth of July (which falls on a Wednesday this year). Cordero said the opening of the restaurant — which has had a “coming soon” sign in the window along Clarendon Boulevard since early 2011 — has been delayed due to issues related to the installation of vents and exhaust for the pizza ovens.
We reported last month that Bronx Pizza plans to be open during breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night, and will feature a menu that includes New York-style pizza, subs and pastas. It’s also expected to offer a delivery service.
Cordero, who also owns Caribbean Breeze restaurant in Ballston, grew up in the South Bronx.
New Ballston-Area Apartment Building Approved
The Arlington County Board voted unanimously over the weekend to approve a site plan for a new apartment building at 650 N. Glebe Road, across from Ballston Common Mall.
The six-story, 163-unit apartment building will replace a Goodyear tire store and service center. As part of the site plan, developer Crimson Partners agreed to build a 220-foot long extension of N. Tazewell Street to help break up what’s described as “one of the County’s largest blocks” — and to provide resident access to the building that doesn’t interfere with traffic on Glebe.
The new building will include 2,200 square feet of ground floor retail space along N. Glebe Road. County Board members said adding new residential and retail options will help add to the vibrancy of the area.
“This project continues the transformation of Glebe Road to a boulevard with a mix of retail, office and residential buildings that is a safer, more welcoming place for people to stroll, shop and dine,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. “This vision, now well on its way, is far cry from the funnel for fast-moving cars that we’ve experienced through the commercial heart of Arlington for many years.”
Originally proposed as a five-story building, Crimson was granted extra density in exchange for building to LEED Silver sustainability standards and for constructing the extension to N. Tazewell Street. Crimson also agreed to contribute nearly $500,000 to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment fund, $75,000 to the county’s public art fund, and $42,000 to the county’s utility fund.
Though the building will have 164 underground parking spaces, Crimson agreed to a number of “transportation management measures to encourage residents and retail tenants to live and work car-free.” It was previously reported that the developer was hoping to begin construction this year and wrap up by mid-2013.
Festival-Goers Consume 110 Pounds of Testicles
The Montana State Society’s Testicle Festival in Virginia Square was a rousing success this year.
Festival-goers consumed 110 pounds of bull and bison testicles, 84 liters of Crown Royal and 1,500 cans of beer this year, according to event organizer and Society president Jed Link. All three were records for the event, now in its eighth year.
Organizers estimate that nearly 600 people attended the Testicle Festival, which was held at the American Legion post at 3445 Washington Boulevard. Even though the event didn’t start until 6:00 on Saturday evening, Link said a line started to form at 4:30 p.m.
Taste of Arlington May Expand Next Year
(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) The 25th annual Taste of Arlington was held on Sunday afternoon.
Thousands came out to enjoy the nice weather and to sample a wide variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts from local restaurants. There was also beer and wine for the over-21 set.
Of the 35+ restaurants that participated in this year’s event, three captured top marks, as determined by a contingent of roaming judges. P.F. Chang’s (901 N. Glebe Road) won for Best Appetizer, brgr:shack (4215 Fairfax Drive) won for Best Entree, and Bayou Bakery (1515 N. Courthouse Road) won for Best Dessert.
As before, the event was held in front of the Ballston Common Mall along Wilson Boulevard. Even though the footprint of the event was expanded up N. Stuart Street and into Welburn Square this year, it was still difficult at times to get around, especially in places where long lines had formed. New Ballston Business Improvement District Executive Director Tina Leone says organizers are working to fix that.
“We have some pretty big plans for next year,” she told ARLnow.com. “We would like to further expand the footprint of the event. Of course we want more people to come every year, but we need to accommodate them. We really want to make next year’s event even easier for people to get there, get tickets, get around, and just enjoy themselves.”
Other plans in the works for next year include more entertainment — perhaps an additional stage — along with an expanded “kid zone” and a new “dog zone” for those who bring their pups to the event.
Click It or Ticket: ACPD To Step Up Traffic Enforcement
The Arlington County Police Department will be stepping up traffic enforcement over the next two weeks as part of the national Click It or Ticket campaign.
Thanks to grant money from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, police will be adding traffic patrols and HOV enforcement details around the county starting today. The patrols will primarily target school zones, frequent accident locations and areas identified by citizen complaints.
While the added ACPD patrols will be enforcing all traffic laws, the Click It or Ticket campaign specifically emphasizes seat belt laws, with the goal of “sav[ing] lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.”
From a police press release:
While Virginia’s seat belt use rate increased slightly to 81.8%, up from 80.5% in 2010, there is still much work to be done. According to the DMV Highway Safety Office’s TREDS (Traffic Records Electronic Data System) in preliminary 2011 statistics, there were a total of 765 fatalities – 306 of them were unrestrained at the time of the crash. Of the total unrestrained fatalities (306), 93 or 30.39% of them were between the hours of midnight – 6:00 a.m. with 69.89% or 65 of those 93 between midnight and 3:00 a.m.
Regular seat belt use saves thousands of lives across Virginia each year. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 272 lives in Virginia. An additional 112 lives could be saved with 100 percent seat belt use.
While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 21st – June 3rd, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing traffic laws, including seat belt laws year round.
Morning Notes
Resident Warns of Bollards on Trails — Local cycling advocate Steve Offutt told the Arlington County Board over the weekend that bollards — posts put at the entrance to a trail to keep cars out — are posing a hazard to bicyclists and other trail users. “In the last few weeks, numerous bollards have been installed on trails in the County,” Offutt said. “I would… like to recommend that the Board instruct staff to remove the bollards that have been recently installed until such policy is in place.” [CommuterPage Blog, Sun Gazette]
James Hunter Park Improvements Approved — On Saturday the County Board approved a $1.46 million contract for a series of improvements to a dog park near Clarendon. New park features will include a plaza terrace, open lawn, demonstration gardens, water feature, improved community canine area, and a solar-powered irrigation system to reduce water usage. [Arlington County]
Columbia Pike Improvements Approved — Also on Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved a $5.7 million contract for utility undergrounding and streetscape improvements on a stretch of Columbia Pike. Work on the project is expected to begin in July. [Arlington County]
Flickr pool photo by Alex
