Photo: Weird Accident at Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd
An accident at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd had office workers and bystanders scratching their heads this afternoon.
The accident happened at the Ballston intersection just after 3:30 p.m. Somehow, a red sedan entered the left-hand travel lane of traffic heading in the opposite direction on Glebe Road. It appears that the sedan ran head-on into a taxi stopped just before the intersection.
A photo sent by a tipster shows police on the scene and minimal damage to the two vehicles.
Photo courtesy Alex O.
Tacos El Chilango Truck Opening D.C. Restaurant
Like District Taco before it, the Tacos el Chilango truck — which serves tacos from a semi-permanent parking spot in the residential neighborhood of Radnor-Fort Myer Heights — is getting its own brick-and-mortar restaurant in the District.
As the Washington City Paper reported last week, the Tacos el Chilango restaurant is expected to open at some point next month at 1119 V Street NW, in a storefront once occupied by an Italian restaurant. Truck co-owner Jesus Santacruz tells ARLnow.com that his brother, Juan, will be running the restaurant, while he continues to run the truck.
The truck, located at 14th Street N. and N. Queen Street, near Route 50, will remain open Monday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Though the aging taco truck may not look like an acclaimed eatery to the casual observer, the authentic Mexican fare it serves has earned it praise from foodies, and a rare five star overall review on Yelp.
Murray Campaign Claims Advantage Among Independents
The campaign of Republican congressional candidate Patrick Murray is claiming an advantage among independent voters — a claim his opponent’s campaign is vigorously disputing.
Murray is facing off against incumbent Rep. Jim Moran (D) in the Nov. 6 general election. The race will be a rematch of the 2010 race, in which Moran defeated Murray by a 24 point margin.
This time around, the Murray camp says they hold a convincing advantage among independent voters. In an email to supporters this week, the campaign said Murray holds an “astonishing” 26 point margin advantage against Moran among independent voters in Virginia’s Eighth District.
“The information we emailed out was based on thousands of phone calls the campaign has made to independent voters,” Murray spokesman Reece Collins told ARLnow.com. “From those who have responded to the survey, Patrick is ahead by a margin of 58 percent to 32 percent with 10 percent saying that they are undecided.”
“The results show that these swing voters are unhappy with the current Congressman and his hyper-partisan approach,” Collins continued. “Conversely, Patrick’s message of creating jobs and responsible government is clearly resonating.”
The Moran campaign, however, questioned the method by which the poll numbers were generated.
“Unless they have an actual firm willing to stand by the numbers and share methodology, they’re just making it up,” said Moran spokesman Austin Durrer. “Moran just won his primary… in a deep blue seat, one that Murray couldn’t come within 22 points of Jim in the worst year for Democrats in electoral history. In 2012, with the President and Tim Kaine at the top of the ticket, that challenge is even steeper.”
Moran defeated Democratic primary challenger Bruce Shuttleworth by a 48 point margin on Tuesday. Murray did not have a Republican primary opponent.
‘Dash for Dad’ Race to Close Streets in Pentagon City
Hundreds of runners will celebrate Father’s Day with a race in Pentagon City.
The Dash for Dad, organized by Pacers in partnership with ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer, consists of three separate events: a four mile run starting at 8:30 a.m., a one mile fun walk at 8:35 a.m., and a kids dash at 9:30 a.m. for those eight years and under.
Participants can register individually or as a daddy-daughter or father-son team. There will be prizes for the top-finishing father-daughter and father-son teams of various age groups.
At the one mile mark of the four mile race, participants can “tie one on for dad” — they can select and tie a necktie, then wear it for the remainder of the race. The top three fastest male and female tie tiers will receive prizes.
The event will take place on Sunday, June 17, and will start in front of Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street). After the race, there will be a post-race party at Pentagon Row.
Advance registration is $35 for the four miler, $12 for the one mile course, and $10 for the kids dash.
To accommodate the race, Arlington County police will be closing two stretches of road from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. S. Joyce Street will be closed between 15th Street S. and Army Navy Drive, and Army Navy Drive will be closed between S. Joyce Street and 25th Street S.
Photo by Swim Bike Run Photography
National Right to Life Convention Coming to Arlington
The annual National Right to Life Convention will be coming to Arlington later this month.
The convention is billed as the “42nd annual meeting of pro-life grassroots leaders and experts from across the country.” The three day event starts on Thursday, July 28, and will feature six “major sessions,” more than 100 pro-life speakers and more than 70 workshops.
Speakers will include House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).
The convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway. The previous two National Right to Life conventions were held in Jacksonville, Fla. and Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Hyatt Regency has been on a roll in terms of booking notable or unique events with disparate themes. It has recently hosted the 2011 DMV Music Awards, the Anime USA convention and the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally, and a trade group meeting about the health of cow udders.
New Apartment Building Coming to Buckingham
A new apartment building is coming to the Buckingham neighborhood, near Ballston.
Earlier this year, the Dittmar Company demolished an older, existing three-story garden apartment building near the corner of N. Henderson Road and N. Thomas Street. In its place, we’re told the developer is building a new four-story, 66-unit apartment building with underground parking.
The building will have the address of 4301 N. Henderson Road. No word on when the construction is expected to wrap up.
Morning Notes
Could New Theater Become a Financial Drain? — As a condition of its site plan for a new nine-story office building on the site of the old Arlington Funeral Home in Virginia Square, developer Crimson Partners agreed to build a new $3.7 million black box theater inside the building, at the request of the county. But given the financial problems at Artisphere, some are questioning whether the theater will be a financial “black hole” for Arlington County. [Arlington Connection]
Army Celebrates Birthday — The U.S. Army is celebrating its 237th birthday today. On June 14, 1775, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Army. To mark the occasion, Army Secretary John McHugh will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery at 9:30 this morning. [Associated Press]
Mary Marshall Scholarship Recipients To Be Honored – The seven 2012 recipients of the county’s Mary Marshall Memorial Scholarships will be recognized at this Saturday’s County Board meeting. “These young people epitomize the civic spirit of Arlington — just as Mary Marshall did during her decades of service to our community,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said of the recipients. [Arlington County]
