Fairfax Man Convicted in Ballston Hit and Run Case
A Fairfax County man has been convicted and sentenced to more than four years in prison for a hit and run pedestrian accident that left a young woman seriously injured.
John Reynolds was 24 at the time of his arrest in March 2011. He was accused of hitting a 22-year-old woman with his car while driving drunk on Fairfax Drive, near the Ballston Metro station, on December 30, 2010. Reynolds sped away from the scene of the near-fatal accident, but detectives were able to use debris from his car to track him down and arrest him.
Reynolds — who studied psychology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University — was charged with hit and run and DUI maiming. Following a three-day trial that started on Monday, an Arlington County jury found Reynolds guilty on both charges yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. Today the jury sentenced Reynolds to 4 years and 3 months in prison, plus a $2,500 fine.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jay Burkholder, who prosecuted the case with fellow Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Clarke, said Reynolds’ “level of intoxication” played a role in the jury’s decision-making. Reynolds did not testify at the sentencing hearing, Burkholder said.
The victim of the accident suffered what Burkholder described as “very serious” injuries to her hip and legs. She also suffered nerve damage.
“Due to some fantastic doctors at Inova Fairfax Hospital she survived and is walking today,” Burkholder said. “She is doing much better, but will always face some physical challenges from this crime.”
Reynolds is being held at the Arlington County jail pending a formal sentencing hearing in September, when a judge will have the option of suspending part of his sentence.
Police Start Enforcing Hour-Limit On Food Trucks
Seoul Food truck co-owner J.P. Goree got a citation and a court date from Arlington County Police on Wednesday.
His crime: Keeping his Korean cuisine food truck in one Clarendon Courthouse parking spot for longer than the county’s 60-minute limit for mobile food vendors.
“We feel like we’re being treated as a second-class business,” Goree said Friday. “We’re a micro-business, aspiring to be a bigger small business and it seems like that’s something that would be fostered by the community.”
Goree said police told food truck owners a few weeks ago that they would soon start enforcing the regulation. In May, Jill Griffin, a commercial development specialist for Arlington Economic Development, said she had heard enforcing the time limit “has been challenging.”
Griffin also said officials hoped to talk with stakeholders this summer to form recommendations for updating Arlington’s vending ordinance this fall.
“If you open at 11 [a.m.] or 11:30 [a.m.] that hour is only going to get you to when you have the longest line right in the very middle of your lunch rush,” Goree said.
Goree said he thinks ongoing tension between food truck owners and brick-and-mortar restaurant owners is behind Wednesday’s enforcement. Also in May, ARLnow.com obtained an internal document from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) that said “the number, location and type of operation” of food trucks and carts is “inadequately regulated by Arlington County.”
The Rosslyn BID is funded by the property owners who rent space to the neighborhood’s restaurants, delis and cafes.
The Bada Bing truck also reported receiving a ticket Wednesday on its Twitter page. Ice cream food truck Sinplicity tweeted out a similar message. Goree’s court date is Aug. 21. There was no fine listed on the citation.
“If a truck or a car parks at a metered spot, it can stay there for as long as the meter allows,” said Rob Frommer, an attorney with the Institute For Justice, a Ballston-based libertarian public interest law firm. “It doesn’t make any sense to arbitrarily limit how long one particular type of vehicle can remain in one spot.”
Two years ago, the Institute for Justice began a National Street Vending Initiative to help legalize food trucks and vendors. Frommer said Arlington’s own experience with the growing food truck industry helped inform the organization’s goals.
“It seemed like Arlington was doing a good job of embracing the vendors and letting these businesses start up,” Frommer said. “This change in enforcement is an unfortunate and surprising development.”
UrbanArias To Perform ‘Craigslist Opera’ Next Weekend
Local “contemporary opera” company UrbanArias will put words from Craigslist ads to opera music during a 90-minute program on Aug. 5 at IOTA Club and Cafe in Clarendon (2832 Wilson Blvd).
The performance also includes three “mini-operas” about blind dates and Opera Improv, in which the four UrbanArias singers take audience suggestions to create scenes on the fly.
From the press release:
Craigslistlieder, with music by Gabriel Kahane and text from, well, Craigslist, catapulted the young composer to national prominence several years ago. This is an eight-song set, each of which is an actual, unadulterated ad from Craigslist. Subjects range from the “neurotic and lonely” man looking for a woman who “must have a video game system,” and the crazy woman with an ice cube fetish looking for a roommate, to an advertisement selling “assless chaps.” Kahane’s Mahlerian music is the perfect foil for the hilarious ads.
The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 and will be sold at the door.
Your Beermonger: Why I Don’t Have What You’re Looking For
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)
As a retailer, the question I hear the most in my day-to-day conversations at work is “Do you have…?” Sometimes my answer is no. There are a few reasons why that would be the case, and I do try to explain why I don’t have something available. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve always tried to be uniquely open with customers about some of the behind-the-scenes of our business; even within the world of retail the alcohol industry is weird and I believe educating consumers demystifies some of the vagaries that can confuse and frustrate buyers. So for those of you heading out to stock up on beer, here are some reasons I or any other retailer may not have the specific brew you’re looking for:
It’s out of stock: The most common reason and the simplest, except for the often overlooked factor of a distributor being out of stock. Virginia is a classic ‘three-tier’ state: I buy my beers from distributors who own the rights to brands in our state. In fact, every restaurant and retailer has to buy their beers (and wines) from the specific distributors who own the rights to them. Occasionally for any popular brand, demand outstrips supply and we all just have to wait for another truck to arrive from a brewery to their distributor. I promise I’m not trying to not have that beer you need for your party this weekend that I always have.
It’s not available here: The second most common reason I don’t have a requested beer. I often mention in this space beers that aren’t available in Virginia, but getting those beers here isn’t a matter of my simply asking for the brewery to send them. A brewery has to determine that they want to sell their wares here and then make a deal with a distributor in Virginia before I can even think about seeing it. This is one of the many ways the alcohol business is just odd — I can’t just get what I think will sell or what I think is interesting. I’m at the mercy of a whole separate industry that determines what I can/cannot purchase and stock. Weird, right? Again, though: I promise I’m not trying to not have your beer. Unless…
I just don’t carry it and don’t plan on stocking it: Yup, unless I just don’t want it. Even with the space that I’m blessed to have at Arrowine, there are a good dozen or so breweries whose stuff I can’t regularly carry because I just don’t have room. Beyond that, there are so many options within a couple miles of our shop in each direction that I don’t necessarily feel like overlapping what they run with. That isn’t to say your local shop can’t get that beer for you: if a customer gets a hold of me early enough in the week I can usually get whatever they want for the weekend, regardless of whether it’s something I regularly carry or not. I want to make you, as the customer, happy but if I feel that you’d be better or more quickly served by a nearby store who stocks something I don’t, I’ll let you know.
Happy hunting. Until next time.
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.
Open Houses This Weekend
Andrew Carnegie once said that 90 percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate. Your goal might not be to become a millionaire, but if you’re interested in owning a home there are nearly two dozen open houses to choose from this weekend.
See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are some highlights:
4110 40th Place North
Single Family Detached — 5 Bed / 5 Bath
Listed: $1,799,999
Agent: Rebecca Owen
Open: Sunday, July 29 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
3721 Wakefield Street
Single Family Detached — 6 Bed / 6 Bath
Listed: $1,685,000
Agent: Nancy Pannier
Open: Sunday, July 29 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
805 Barton Street
Single Family Detached — 3 Bed / 2 Bath
Listed: $685,000
Agent: Lawanda Swope
Open: Sunday, July 29 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
888 Quincy N. Street
Condominium — 1 Bed / 1 Bath
Listed: $559,000
Agent: Randolph Bender
Open: Sunday, July 29 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
1508 Randolph Street South
Single Family Detached — 3 Bed / 2 Bath
Listed: $549,000
Agent: Randall Lewis
Open: Sunday, July 29 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
2503 Arlington Boulevard
Condominium — 1 Bed / 1 Bath
Listed: $250,000
Agent: Libby Fall
Open: Sunday, July 29 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Pupatella Pizzeria Expanding into Adjacent Storefront
Pupatella Neopolitan Pizzeria (5104 Wilson Boulevard) is expanding its dining area, hours and menu.
Two years after opening the 1,400-square-foot storefront, owner/couple Enzo Algarme and Anastasiya Laufenberg are taking over the next-door space left by Union Halal Butcher & Grocery. The move will almost double the store’s footprint and allow for a total of about 75 seats with a second dining room.
It’s a long way from the made-to-order food cart the two began operating near the Ballston Metro in 2007.
“It’s been really nice to get to know people from the neighborhood and feel their love and their support,” Laufenberg said. “I’m really looking forward to having a more comfortable space for them to come and eat.”
More space will also mean more hours. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the pizzeria is open for dinner only.
Laufenberg said once the couple finishes hiring new staff, they’ll be open for breakfast (coffee, donuts and other Italian morning treats) and lunch (sandwiches and pasta dishes).
“It won’t be as crammed and we’re excited because we think it’ll be more relaxed,” Laufenberg said.
Registration Open For 9-11 Memorial 5K
Registration is open for the Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K, set for Saturday, Sept. 8 in Crystal City.
The event sold out about a week ahead of last year’s race day, said race organizer and retired Arlington County Police Capt. Matt Smith. Registration is capped at 5,000 runners.
The race starts at 6 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City (300 Army Navy Drive). Runners can register online for $25 through Aug. 3, $30 from Aug. 4 to Sept. 7 and $35 on race day. Team registration ends on Sept. 1. Proceeds will be donated to charities including the Wounded Warriors Project and Homes For Our Troops.
Morning Notes
Last Chance to Comment on Bikeshare Plan — Today is the last day to comment on Arlington’s Capital Bikeshare Expansion Plan. Comments on the six year strategic growth plan can be submitted online through the end of the day today. [Arlington Transportation Partners]
Republicans Pounce on Garvey’s Streetcar Abstention — Hoping to capture a seat on the County Board this November, Republicans are planning on hammering away at the current all-Democrat Board for approving the Columbia Pike streetcar. The GOP is also planning to pounce on their Democratic opponent, Libby Garvey, for abstaining from the streetcar vote while expressing skepticism about the plan. Republican Matt Wavro will face Garvey and Green Party candidate Audrey Clement on the Nov. 6 ballot. [Sun Gazette]
Arlington Officials Puzzled by Estate Gift — Arlington officials can’t fathom why a late resident left the county five percent of his estate in his will. The County Board had to vote to refund some of the money after whoever is in charge of executing the will made an error and sent the county $51,000 more than it was actually owed. [Patch]
Paisano’s Named Best Pizza by WTOP — Paisano’s has been named the best pizza in the D.C. area by WTOP listeners and website visitors. The local chain has a location near Crystal City at 3650 South Glebe Road. Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza, which has a location in Clarendon, placed #4 in the voting. [WTOP]
Flickr pool photo by Christaki
