Sisters3 Boutique Closing in Clarendon
The Sisters3 Epilation and Lingerie Boutique at 2729 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon is closing later this month.
“It is with profound sadness that I have to announce the closing of my beloved Sisters3 Boutique,” owner Arlie Morgan wrote in an email to customers this afternoon. “There were many factors that went into the decision from rent inflation to my health and the blunt realization that it’s damn hard to run your own business six days a week for over five years.”
“I want each and everyone of you to know how much I care and have appreciated your friendship and loyalty through the years,” Morgan continued. “My sisters and I have been truly blessed to have met so many wonderful women and to develop meaningful bonds with you.”
Morgan, along with sisters Abby, Ann and Alexandra, opened the store in May 2007 to offer lingerie, pajamas and hair removal services to local women. The store is planning a farewell party from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. Its last day will be July 31. Until then, all items in the store are 40 percent off.
The owners are also planning to sell the store’s furniture and fixtures.
Photo via Facebook
Historic ‘George Washington Tree’ Damaged by Storm
Arlington County has revealed that another historic tree was severely damaged in the June 29 derecho storm.
During the storm, a large limb was ripped off the George Washington Tree, a Southern Red Oak at the corner of S. Fern and 31st Streets, on the grounds of the Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant. The tree, which legend holds might have once been surveyed by George Washington, is designated by the Arlington County Board as a “Heritage Tree.”
Whereas Arlington’s historic Post Oak was totally removed earlier this week due to storm damage, the George Washington Tree is expected to survive — but it’s being severely cut back. Once a stately 130 feet tall, the tree has now been trimmed down to 30 feet.
A county worker was seen working on the tree today, using a chainsaw to break the large branches already cut from the tree into smaller pieces.
The county issued a press release below regarding the tree last night (published after the jump).
Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet Has Closed
Hee Been Asian Bistro Buffet (3600 S. Glebe Road) has closed after less than 7 months in business.
The family-owned restaurant opened on the ground floor of the Eclipse condominium building, near Potomac Yard, on Christmas Day 2011. No word on why the restaurant closed, but a tipster tells us it didn’t seem to be attracting enough customers. Hee Been was closed yesterday, according to another business owner at the Eclipse, and a property manager was seen changing the locks today.
Hee Been’s original Alexandria location, at 6231 Little River Turnpike, is still open, according to an employee who answered the phone there this afternoon.
When it opened, Hee Been featured an 80-foot-long dinner buffet with some 85 different items representing three different types of cuisine: Korean, Japanese and Thai. The restaurant was an ambitious undertaking for the development, at the far southeast corner of Arlington. Though the Eclipse and the nearby Camden Potomac Yard apartment complex both have residential tenants, the large National Gateway office complex, across the street from the Eclipse, is still awaiting an office tenant.
This is the latest in a string of bad news for the area. In May the Harris Teeter grocery store at the Eclipse closed due to flooding caused by a sewage backup. It has remained closed since. An Irish bar, McGinty’s Public House, closed late in 2010.
McGinty’s was replaced by Melody Tavern last year.
Civil War Reenactors to Set Up Camp at Arlington Church
This Sunday (July 15) the Mount Olivet United Methodist Church at 1500 N. Glebe Road will be transformed into a Civil War encampment, in honor of the church’s role as a field hospital during the war.
Reenactors from 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment organization will be on hand for a Civil War living history event that will feature displays of medical tools and practices from the Civil War era, along with a wreath-laying, talks by actor portraying notable historic figures and opportunities to discuss “the boredom, hardship and daily activities of camp life” with the reenactors.
The event, sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Arlington Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, is free and open to the public. It will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In an email, organizers described some of the history behind the event:
On July 15th, 2012, Mount Olivet UMC along with the Arlington Sesquicentennial Committee and Arlington Historical Society will host a Civil War Living History and medical display to honor the church’s use as a field hospital following the First Battle of Bull Run, or First Manassas. As Union troops fled back to Washington, DC in disarray after their rout on the battlefield, Mount Olivet was commandeered to treat the wounded.
Re-enactors from the 49th Virginia Regiment will set up an encampment on the Mount Olivet Green at the corner of Glebe Road and 16th Street. Visitors will meet and converse with soldiers about life in the camp, hardships they face, burdens, daily activities, drills, combat and boredom. Guitar and banjo music will help to carry the visitor back to an earlier day.
Inside the church, visitors can explore the state of Civil War medicine at a detailed display of medical tools and practices assembled from a member of the 49th Virginia’s extensive collection. Guests will gain an understanding of the primitive treatments and appalling conditions the sick and wounded experienced at the time.
The theme of the event is Mount Olivet: A Place of Comfort at a Time of Suffering. “The First Battle of Bull Run was a significant early battle in a conflict that would usher in the horrors and suffering of modern warfare,” says Dr. Bill Carpenter, Archivist and Chair of the Mount Olivet History Team. “The vast numbers of battlefield dead and wounded were unprecedented; the war would transform how Americans thought about death and suffering.”
In July of 1861, pews were broken apart and used as operating tables. Ultimately during the fall, the church was consumed by the surrounding Union encampments’ need for firewood and flooring in tents.
“Although Mount Olivet could no longer serve as a church for a time,” says Dr. Carpenter, “it is important for our community to remember its use to bring comfort and healing to wounded soldiers.”
Other special events during the morning will include:
- Commemorative Sermon. “A Christian Response to Suffering” by Rev. Tim Craig. 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM
- Living History Program. Wounded soldiers carried across 16th St. on stretchers into the church for treatment. 10:30 – 11:00 AM
- Remembrance of Civil War Dead. Laying of wreath on new monument honoring Civil War dead buried in our cemetery.
- “Sleeping Sentinel of Chain Bridge.” Living history presentation, George Dodge. On the stage throughout the day.
- “Lydia Bixby.” Anne Sedula portrays the grieving mother who lost 5 sons during the Civil War. Throughout the day.
- Georgia Meadows in authentic Civil War era widow’s mourning garb available through out the day to discuss 19th century mourning traditions.
Your Beermonger: The Spirit of Collaboration
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)
If I may toot the horn of the craft beer movement a bit: there’s a camaraderie and sense of community amongst the beer geeks, from the drinkers to the brewers and everyone in-between, that is truly unique. Competitions are almost always healthy, entered with the knowledge that at the end of the day, we’re all going to sit down and enjoy a couple cold ones regardless of the outcome. The most notable result of this brother/sisterhood is the collaboration beer, where two or more breweries get together and see what happens when ideas starting being bandied about.
Collaborative wines or liquors are almost unheard of, and while over the years the number of ‘collab’ beers has grown to the point of parody I still believe that their spirit exhibits the best of beer culture. More often than not, collaborations are once-per-year or one-time-only deals, but let me give you a rundown of some that you should be able to find right now without going too far out of your way:
Collaboration Not Litigation Ale (Avery/Russian River): Both Colorado’s Avery Brewing Company and California’s Russian River Brewing Company make Belgian-styled beers named Salvation. It would have been easy for the two to sue the hell out of each other for the name and moved on, but that’s not what they did. What they did was get together, have some beers, and decide to blend the two Salvations together into a new, third beer. This was the first collaboration that I can remember having, and its story became a tenet of my own beer geekdom as it related to openness and not thinking territorially. Russian River will be coming up again very soon in this column.
Land Ho! (Heavy Seas/Devil’s Backbone): Virginia and Maryland working together. Baltimore’s Heavy Seas is a fixture in the region’s craft beer scene, where Lexington’s Devil’s Backbone is only starting to grow its name in the D.C. area, though it’s doing that quickly. This joint effort is a “Black Pils”, with all of the clean, grassy, refreshing feel of an old-school Pilsner with enough malt to color it black and add a touch of chocolate and caramel.
Sobrehumano Palena’ole (Maui/Jolly Pumpkin): A favorite of mine from SAVOR that just arrived recently in Virginia, Sobrehumano is the work of the gang at Maui Brewing Company with Michigan’s Jolly Pumpkin Artisanal Ales. Using tart cherries from Michigan and Hawaiian passion fruit, this Amber Ale is refreshing, complex, and bracing all at once.
BRUX (Sierra Nevada/Russian River): Told you Russian River was coming up again. This one, if it isn’t available by the time you read this, will be in the area next week. Working with the legendary Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Russian River brings the Belgian influence to BRUX with a re-fermentation of this Pale Ale with Brettanomyces yeast, giving it subtle yet funky notes of spice and tropical fruits. BRUX won’t last long, so if you’ve enjoyed Wild Ales don’t miss out.
Saison du BUFF (Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory): When three of the biggest and baddest craft breweries in the U.S. got together a few years back and decided to make a beer together, most of us were expecting some kind of hop-based ordinance that would be inaccessible to mere mortals. Instead, we got Saison du BUFF; a subtle, refined, easy-drinking take on the Belgian style using the full Scarborough Fair (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme). The herbs come through almost like a grassy hop character in the brew, which is made at each brewery in turn during years when it’s released. Stone’s version is just arriving, but it should still be feasible to track down the Victory and Dogfish Head-made ones too.
Until next time.
Cheers!
Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.
Charity Kickball Tournament Returns to Arlington
The seventh annual Safe at Home! Kickball Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4 in Arlington.
Since 2006, the event has benefited the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless. The non-profit organization provides transitional housing for homeless families in Northern Virginia.
The event will be held from from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Long Bridge Park, near Crystal City. Previously, the tournament was held at Arlington’s Barcroft Park.
Over the last six years, the competition has nearly tripled in size to 25 teams and 375 players. Organizers say they expect this year to be the biggest yet.
The all-day charity event is open to the public. For spectators, there will be music, free parking, face painting, and food from a number of local vendors. Raffle prizes will be presented, and a misting tent and bottled water will be available.
For those who want to play, teams are registered by their captain. The cost for a 10-to-15 member team is $750, and each member will receive a Safe at Home! T-shirt.
Prizes will be awarded to the top two teams, as well as two MVPs. The event still needs volunteers for setting and cleaning up, as well as raffle donations. Anyone seeking more information is asked to contact caroline@eventsforeveryone.com.
Photo via Safe at Home Kickball Tournament
Moran Calls for FCC Investigation into 911 Failures
Rep. Jim Moran has joined two other Northern Virginia congressmen in calling for an Federal Communications Commission investigation into failures of the 911 system following the late June derecho storm.
In a press release, Moran said any weakness in the 911 system that could allow similar failures in the future must be fixed.
Today Representatives Jim Moran, Frank Wolf and Gerry Connolly wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) calling for action to prevent future failures of the 9-1-1 communications system in the wake of the late June “derecho” storm which shut down the emergency phone system in jurisdictions across Northern Virginia and in other Washington-area communities.
“In the event of an emergency situation, whether it be a natural disaster or man-made threat, the public needs confidence that they can get through to 9-1-1 operators,” said Moran. “This storm exposed a weakness in our response system, and now that we know it exists, we must fix it.”
The Congressmen called on the FCC to review and move forward on a past proposal that could have prevented the emergency service outage.
“Events like the 9-1-1 failure in Northern Virginia demand a serious reassessment of this proposed rule and the consideration of additional reforms that could increase the safety of all Americans seeking 9-1-1 emergency services,” the lawmakers wrote.
In 2007, after Hurricane Katrina, the FCC proposed regulations to require phone companies to provide at least eight hours of backup power for all cell phone towers. The proposed regulations were struck down by OMB due to procedural issues related to FCC’s handling of the public comment period, not on the substance of the regulation itself.
The sudden and powerful storms that hit Northern Virginia on July 29th caused more than 460,000 individuals and families to lose power in the midst of a week-long heat wave. Reports of failed phone service began on June 30th, lasting for several days.
The letter from Reps. Connolly, Moran and Wolf, after the jump.
Morning Notes
It’s Friday the 13th — According to superstition, it’s a day of supreme unluckiness. According to one Dutch statistics keeper, it’s actually less unlucky than other days. [Wikipedia]
Reminder: Blue, Yellow Line Work — As a reminder, track work will shut down the Blue and Yellow lines between the Pentagon City and Braddock Road stations this weekend. That means the Crystal City and National Airport stations will be closed. Free shuttle bus service will be provided.
Streetcar Skepticism on Board — Arlington County Board members Libby Garvey and Walter Tejada are both expressing skepticism about the controversial Columbia Pike streetcar project. The Board is scheduled to vote on the project on Monday, July 23. [Sun Gazette]
Colombia National Day Celebration — Arlington will celebrate the 24th annual Colombia National Day on Saturday (July 14). The event, which starts at 6:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Theater (125 S. Old Glebe Road) will feature festivities like Colombian folkloric dance and musical performances. For more information, call 703-228-1850.
Murray on Moran Health Care Vote — Republican congressional candidate Patrick Murray is blasting his opponent, Rep. Jim Moran (D), for voting against the latest GOP attempt to repeal President Obama’s health care law. “I’m an eternal optimist,” Murray said. “I hoped against hope that, after having had an opportunity to actually read what is in this 2,700 page bill, Moran would have put partisanship aside and voted in favor of Americans. Sadly he again chose Party over country, particularly for young Americans.”
Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA
