Slight Delay on Opening, but Progress at World of Beer
Construction is progressing at World of Beer (901 N. Glebe Road) in Ballston, and it should be open in a month.
Owner Evan Matz said the original goal was to open by the end of July. That’s been pushed back to August 6, however, due to a few delays including the late arrival of some supplies due to last week’s storm.
Earlier this year, the County Board approved a request for outdoor seating and live music at the establishment. Free live entertainment will take place on Wednesday through Saturday evenings.
Matz said although there will be televisions for sports fans, WOB will be different from the other restaurants and sports bars in the area. Instead of a focus on sports and food, Matz said the focus is on providing good quality beer with a social atmosphere.
“We don’t carry Michelob, Budweiser, Miller, Pabst Blue Ribbon. We don’t do two dollar pitchers. It’s not that kind of place,” Matz said. “We’re giving Ballston and Arlington a place to enjoy that has better tasting, better quality beer.”
If WOB gets 1,000 Facebook fans and 500 Twitter followers, it will throw a special pre-grand opening party for all the fans next month.
World of Beer is currently hiring friendly, energetic people for all positions at the Ballston location. Those interested can download an application online and email General Manager Sarah Miller at sarah.miller@wobusa.com for more information.
Power Restoration, Storm Recovery Update
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Dominion reports it’s on schedule with restoring power to Arlington residents following last Friday’s storm.
As of 2:30 p.m., Dominion’s outage website showed 1,438 customers without power. That’s down from 3,960 at the same time yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. Dominion reports it’s on track to have electricity restored to nearly all customers by Friday night.
“In a few instances, work in Northern Virginia may continue into Saturday where there was extreme damage,” said Rodney Blevins, Dominion vice president of Electric Distribution Operations, in a statement.
Arlington County says 11 roads remain blocked by trees and wires, down from 17 yesterday. Workers have collected and processed 646 tons of brush since Saturday. Collection efforts are expected to continue for the next two to three weeks.
Due to the power outages and closures, the Arlington Public Library has adjusted due dates for some users. Any checked out materials that were due back between June 30 and July 4 are now due this Saturday, July 7. Materials with any other due date must be returned at the originally designated time.
Flickr pool photo by ddimick
Traffic Re-routed in Rosslyn for Haz Mat Spill
Clean up of a hazardous material spill in Rosslyn is causing traffic to be re-routed.
Around noon, the Arlington County Fire Department received reports of the spill near 1400 Wilson Blvd. It’s currently unclear what the material is.
According to Capt. Gregg Karl, no buildings had to be evacuated because less than 10 gallons of the substance leaked. However, while hazardous materials crews clean up the spill, traffic is restricted in Rosslyn. Nash Street is closed from Wilson Blvd. to Key Blvd., and equipment is blocking part of Wilson Blvd.
It’s expected to be at least another hour before the clean up is finished. Drivers and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area.
Public Input Sought for Boathouse Locations
As part of an ongoing environmental impact statement (EIS), the National Park Service is now accepting public input on a proposed boathouse along the Arlington shoreline.
Because all of Arlington’s land along the Potomac River is actually NPS property, the EIS is mandatory by law. It formally began earlier this year, and assesses the impact a boathouse for non-motorized crafts would have on the natural and cultural resources in the area.
During the public comment portion, which began this week, residents are asked to examine the options in the proposal and voice suggestions or concerns.
There are four possible sites included in the proposal. Two options involve building the boathouse near the Key Bridge in Rosslyn, and another looks at a space near Gravelly Point. One alternative examines Daingerfield Island, which is in Alexandria. The final option is to take no action, meaning no boathouse would be constructed.
The proposal includes a facility with indoor space for storing equipment, training areas and floating docks. The plan has been in the works for years to ease the burden on boathouses in Alexandria and Washington, D.C., all of which are said to be operating at capacity.
A public scoping meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 24, at Washington-Lee High School (1301 N. Stafford Street). From 6:30-8:30 p.m., NPS employees will be present to answer questions and to accept written comments.
The various proposals can be viewed online and feedback can be submitted there as well. The public comment period ends on Friday, August 31. If all goes according to plan, the EIS will continue through winter of 2013.
Woman Sexually Assaulted in Ballston Parking Garage
A woman was sexually assaulted in the Ballston Public Parking Garage (665 N. Glebe Road) yesterday (Wednesday).
According to police, around 2:30 p.m., a 23-year-old woman was walking to her car, which was parked on the fourth level of the garage adjacent to the Ballston mall. Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said a man approached the victim from behind when she was just feet from her vehicle. The suspect reportedly lifted up the woman’s skirt, grabbed her buttocks, and sexually assaulted her with his hand.
Police say the suspect was startled when the victim screamed, and he fled the scene. The woman then left the parking garage and called police. She did not have any other injuries requiring medical attention.
Although the victim didn’t get a good look at the suspect’s face, she was able to provide other details. Police say the suspect is described as a black male, about 6′ and 150 pounds, between the ages of 17 and 25. At the time of the assault, he was wearing dark pants, a light shirt, sneakers and a black knit hat.
Anyone who can provide information about the assault or the suspect should call the police non-emergency number at 703-558-2222.
Photos: July 4 in Arlington
From neighborhood parades to backyard grilling to fireworks viewings, yesterday’s July 4 celebrations in Arlington largely went off without a hitch, despite continued power outages and the threat of evening storms.
The following are some of the scenes captured by photographers in our Flickr pool.
Photos courtesy Ddimick, Christaki, Ameschen, Maryva2, BrianMKA, Vawhelans
Morning Notes
Neighborhood Thanks Power Crews – A few special guests stopped by the Waycroft-Woodlawn Fourth of July picnic yesterday (see photo, above). The neighborhood invited two hard-working power crews from Ontario, Canada to have a quick lunch with them. “The community clapped and cheered to say thanks,” writes resident Jim Pebley. “Was a nice moment after a long hot couple days.”
Storm Damage at Arlington National Cemetery — Arlington National Cemetery is reporting some significant damage in the wake of last Friday’s storms. The cemetery lost three of its oldest trees, which are all between 225 and 240 years old. In all, 8 large trees were lost and 17 were damaged to the point where they need to be removed. Falling trees also damaged some headstones. The cemetery says the damage is similar to that suffered during Hurricane Irene. The cemetery “continues to assess the extent of the damage and has started on the restoration.” [Arlington National Cemetery]
Hospital Visits Up Last Weekend — The number of patient visits to Virginia Hospital Center were about 30 percent higher than normal last weekend, largely due to heat-related symptoms, especially among the elderly, following Friday’s storms. No heat-related deaths have been reported in Arlington since the storms. [Arlington Mercury]
Tree Destroyed House While Family Was Inside — An Arlington couple and their two young girls were, amazingly, unharmed after a large oak tree came crashing through their house during Friday’s storm. The family was at home at the time. The parents were watching a movie in the basement; they came upstairs to find the girls still sleeping in their beds. [WUSA 9]
Blackwell Re-Elected as RNC Rep — Arlington resident Morton Blackwell — founder of the Courthouse-based Leadership Institute, a conservative political training organization — has been re-elected as Virginia representative to the Republican National Committee. [Sun Gazette]
Photo courtesy Jim Pebley
