Rosenthal Dealership on Columbia Pike Closing Tonight
Today’s the last day in business for the Rosenthal Chrysler Jeep dealership and service center at 3400 Columbia Pike.
According to an employee who answered the phone, the dealership will close permanently after tonight. Employees are either being transferred to other Rosenthal dealerships or were given advance notice that they should seek other employment, we’re told.
The Rosenthal site, at the corner of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike, is set to be redeveloped into a multi-family residential complex. The plans for the complex includes a six-story building with 245 apartments, 44 townhouses, 12 stacked flats and retail space on the ground floor.
The Arlington County Board approved the redevelopment last month.
Photo via Google Maps
Vote for Shelter Pooches in Virtual Dog Show
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) has entered a wacky video into a virtual dog show contest.
The Best in Shelter contest highlights dogs that have had a hard time being adopted. Four area shelters were chosen to participate, and must submit a video submission for each canine entrant. Visitors to the website vote for their favorite dog based on the video, photos and listed information.
In addition to fulfilling the goal of finding homes for the featured dogs, the shelter with the winning pooch will receive a $50,000 donation. The second and third place winners will receive $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.
Longtime D.C. area resident and New York Times bestselling author Martha Grimes started Best in Shelter last year to bring attention to animal shelters. She is providing the prize money.
“I’m happy that the four animal shelters participating in Best in Shelter will help demonstrate that shelter dogs are the equal to purebred dogs when it comes to looks, love, and loyalty and would be a happy addition to any family,” Grimes said. “We hope this will encourage people who have not considered adopting a pet from a shelter to visit their local shelter to look at the dogs.”
AWLA made the special video (above) for Gaston, a four-year-old American Bulldog mix, because he has been there for so long. Shelter officials hope the publicity from this contest might help to find Gaston a good home. AWLA’s other entrants are Molly, Pooh Bear and Rumor.
Another Arlington-based organization, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation is also a contender for the prize money. It entered Daphne, Harley, Cowboy and Pepper.
Voting takes place from now until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. Anyone may vote, but there is a limit of one vote per day. Winners will be announced sometime next week.
Two New Restaurants Now Open in Pentagon Row
It’s been a big week at Pentagon Row, where two new restaurants officially opened to the public.
Nando’s Peri-Peri has opened in the space that used to be PR Grill, and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill has replaced Baja Fresh.
This is the second Lime location in Arlington, joining the one in Clarendon that opened earlier this year. Just as with the Clarendon location, this one experienced some delays in getting off the ground, but is now in business. A long line snaked out the door of the restaurant during lunchtime today.
Nando’s has 850 locations around the world, and expansion in the D.C. area was its first foray into the American market. The Pentagon Row location is the first in Virginia. It opened according to schedule, after two days of mock service.
Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend
Forecasters are calling for another warm, sunny weekend — making it a perfect time to do some house hunting or condo shopping. To that end, more than two dozen open houses are scheduled in Arlington this weekend.
See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are a few highlights:
5025 7th Road South
Condominium — 2 Bed / 1 Bath
Listed: $230,000
Agent: Cathy Poungmalai
Open: Saturday, June 16 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
4501 Arlington Boulevard
Condominium — 2 Bed / 1 Bath
Listed: $265,000
Agent: Grant Doe
Open: Sunday, June 17 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
1301 Courthouse Road North
Condominium – 2 Bed / 2 Bath
Listed: $529,800
Agent: Richard Nathan
Open: Sunday, June 17 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
2513 Quantico Street North
Single Family Detached – 3 Bed / 2 Bath
Listed: $750,000
Agent: Scott Shawkey
Open: Sunday, June 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
316 Kenmore Street North
Single Family Detached – 3 Bed / 3 Bath
Listed: $990,000
Agent: Bath Ruth Boyer
Open: Sunday, June 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
2717 Oakland Street North
Single Family Detached – 6 Bed / 5 Bath
Listed: $1,699,000
Agent: Bath Ruth Boyer
Open: Sunday, June 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Your Beermonger: SAVOR 2012 Recap
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
This past weekend’s SAVOR craft beer and food experience was just what I needed. As I mentioned last week, I had only attended the first SAVOR event and was hoping to see for myself how far it had come in the past few years. The Saturday night session I attended was rife with great people, great food, and some very cool beers and breweries from all over the country. I think everyone who is into beer should make time every now and then to attend an event such as SAVOR: something with a bit more focus than the standard beer fest, that can introduce you to new beers and breweries that maybe you’d never know about otherwise.
I’m not going to lose my head about how much fun SAVOR was. This week I’m going to run down the five six beers that made the biggest impression on me. The only caveat for this list is that these are all beers from breweries that aren’t available to us… yet:
Cerise Cassee (Cambridge Brewing Company, Cambridge MA): This was the second beer I tried after working my way through the line and into the Building Museum. Cerise Cassee wasn’t even one of the featured beers on the floor at SAVOR — Cambridge had brought it for one of the small-room ‘Sessions’ taking place during the weekend. I just happened to be passing a friend who had just left the session and he had some of the beer in his glass and offered me a sip. Cambridge Brewing broke new ground in America with Cerise Cassee; nearly ten years ago they set up a Solera-style barrel program in their brewery. Most commonly associated with Sherry production, going Solera-style involves keeping a vertical of Cerise Cassee in barrels, with the beer itself being made from a blend from these French Oak barrels. Cerise Cassee, with its intense cherry, nutty aromas and bracing sour feel, was an amazing way to get started.
Windowpane Series Double Wit Blackberry (Mother Earth Brewery, Kinston NC): Buzz online from the Friday night SAVOR session was high for this beer from North Carolina. When I got my chance at it, it did not disappoint. Double Wit delivered such a beautiful balance of rich Belgian-style Wit spice, blackberry, and wine notes from the Pinot Noir barrels it was aged in. Every bit of fruit was in harmony, and while it was full in flavor, it felt smooth and light on the palate. Next time I’m heading to North Carolina, I’m planning on visiting Mother Earth Brewery. You should too.
Kaffir Lime Wheat (Denver Beer Company, Denver CO): Denver Beer’s Graham Cracker Porter brought me to their table, but it was this treat that blew me away. The strong lime note provided such a great twist to the expected notes of a traditional Wheat Ale. Not the biggest beer of the show, nor the most outrageous by any measure, but if I could have a stack of it at the shop tomorrow I’d be happy.
Mélange a Trois (Nebraska Brewing Company, Papillion NE): A few attendees told me I needed to try this beer from the Nebraska Brewing Company. To be honest, I didn’t even know there was a Nebraska Brewing Company though I surely do now. Mélange is a bold Belgian-style Blond Ale aged six months on French Oak Chardonnay barrels (sourced from California, though they wouldn’t tell me from whom — intrigue!). The big Belgian yeast character melds perfectly with the wine notes and even some tannin from the oak, which gives the beer a touch of wine-like dryness. Delightful.
Lights Blinking at Intersection After Fire in Walk Signal
The traffic lights at the intersection of westbound Lee Highway and Lynn Street, in Rosslyn, are blinking due to an earlier fire.
A pedestrian walk signal at the intersection somehow caught on fire around 11:30 this morning. The fire was minor and eventually burned itself out, but not before passersby caught sight of smoke coming from the signal. As a result of the fire, power was temporarily cut to all traffic signals at the intersection.
As of 12:10 p.m., the lights were operating on battery power and blinking red. Police were on scene assisting with traffic control.
Skaters to Perform in Ice Show at Kettler Iceplex
If you want to chill out, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road) in Ballston may have what you need at its Second Annual Ice Show.
This year, the show will feature the “History of Rock ‘n Roll.” Skaters of various ages and abilities will perform to rock songs by artists ranging from Elvis to U2.
The show will take place tonight at 6:30 p.m., and tomorrow, June 16, at 2:30 p.m. Attendees are reminded that the ice rink will be chilly, so it might be a good idea to bring a sweater.
Tickets can be purchased in person for $5. More information, including a video of last year’s show finale, is available online.
Metro Rush Hour Changes Begin Monday
Monday, June 18, is the big day Metro has been waiting for. Its new “Rush+” service will be implemented in an effort to improve rush hour on the Metrorail system.
Rush+ will be in effect Monday through Friday, from 6:30-9:00 a.m. and 3:30-6:00 p.m.
Orange Line customers who use stations west of Rosslyn should notice three more trains per hour in each direction. Metro estimates the change will allow for an 18 percent increase in capacity on the Orange Line, which would benefit more than 46,000 customers.
Blue and Yellow line customers who use the stations from Pentagon through Reagan National Airport will see the same amount of trains. However, during rush hour there will be three more Yellow trains per hour, and three fewer Blue. Metro estimates Blue Line riders in Virginia could have to wait up to six minutes longer for a train. More than 33,000 customers are expected to benefit from that change.
To accommodate for fewer Blue Line trains, the 9E and 10E Metrobus routes will be tweaked. During rush periods, the buses will offer express service between Rosslyn and Crystal City.
Riders will have to pay attention to the listed end point on each train, because the Orange and Yellow lines will now split during rush hour. Some Orange Line trains will now terminate at Largo Town Center instead of New Carrollton, and some Yellow Line trains will terminate at Greenbelt instead of Fort Totten. In the other direction, some Yellow Line trains will now terminate at Franconia-Springfield instead of Huntington. Dashed lines on the map indicate the altered routes that will be in place during rush hours.
The rail changes are also supposed to benefit the Silver Line, once it goes into service. That line is already listed on the new Metro map.
Metro has set up videos and an interactive map on its website to explain Rush+. The map lets customers click on the sections they travel to see how their commutes will be affected.
Morning Notes
County Tax Deadline Today — The deadline for paying your Arlington real estate taxes is today, Friday, June 15. Payments not postmarked by that date will be considered late.
More on the Overlee Ghost — The Washington Post’s Dan Zak takes an in-depth look at ghost stories at the Overlee Community Association pool. ARLnow.com first reported in March that construction workers at the property had spotted what was thought to be the ghost of Margaret Febrey, a girl who lived on the property and died in 1913. [Washington Post]
George Allen Gets Endorsement in Arlington — Republican U.S. Senate candidate George Allen was endorsed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a rising GOP star, at Company Flowers (2107 N. Pollard Street) in Cherrydale yesterday morning. After a press conference, Allen and Rubio both purchased flowers at the store. [Patch]
Woman Killed on Trail Had Fled Nazis — The 80-year-old woman who died after being struck by a cyclist on the Four Mile Run Trail was out for a morning walk at the time of the incident. The woman, Ita Lapina, emigrated to the United States from Russia 15 years ago, family members said. As a child, her family had fled to Siberia to escape the Nazis during World War II. [Washington Post]
Lawnmower Racing Film To Be Shown at Artomatic — An 82-minute documentary on the sport of lawn mower racing will be shown at Artomatic this weekend. The film – On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW! – will be screened at Artomatic’s “Carl Cordell Film Theater” from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. The documentary also examines how lawn mower racing benefits the battle against Huntington’s Disease. Artomatic is taking place at 1851 S. Bell Street in Crystal City through June 23. [Artomatic]
First GW Parkway Safety Changes Coming Today
The first of several planned safety improvements along the GW Parkway will be made today (Friday).
This morning, the National Park Service is expected to starting installing the first of 46 signs (including 9 pedestrian warning signs and numerous trail and route guidance signs) that will be placed near five crosswalks around Memorial Circle. The signs, along with planned directional pavement markings, rumble strips and a trail crossing relocation, are all steps being taken in response to numerous accidents between cars, pedestrians and bicyclists near Memorial Circle.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, officials said the changes, though simple and relatively inexpensive, will help improve the safety of all parkway users.
“We believe these improvements will increase the awareness of the dangers of crossing a very busy parkway for all travelers, whether it be on foot, bicycle or motor vehicle,” said Capt. Scott Fear of the U.S. Park Police. “Our officers have handled many, many crashes related to this area, and we continue to look for ways to improve the safety of the park’s visitors and travelers. The steps being taken should held decrease the crashes and educate the public of the surroundings and challenges they may face as they visit the park.”
“We’re going to see a major reduction in accidents,” promised Rep. Jim Moran, at the press conference. “This is going to affect thousands of people on a daily basis. It’s the right thing to do, it doesn’t interfere with anyone, and it makes everyone feel more safe and secure.”
The changes are all expected to be complete by the end of October. The Park Service, meanwhile, says it will explore more dramatic, long-term changes that could be made to improve safety, including creating a traffic island in the middle of the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway.
Fear said Park Police are considering stepping up speed enforcement along the parkway, but no final decision has been reached yet.
See the full National Park Service press release, after the jump.
