Shirlington Oktoberfest to Return on Oct. 6
The 13th annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest is returning to Shirlington on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The event, which takes over the entire Shirlington Village stretch of Campbell Avenue, will be held from noon to 7:00 p.m., rain or shine. Beer taps, however, will be switched off at 6:00 p.m.
The $25 cost of admission will get you 10 tickets for 4 oz samples of beer, along with a tasting glass. Additional tickets will be sold for $1 each with a 5 ticket minimum.
The event will offer beer from more than 50 breweries, along with an authentic German band and Oktoberfest food.
UPDATED: Glebe Road Reopens Near Chain Bridge
Update at 6:10 p.m. — Glebe Road has reopened, according to scanner traffic.
Update at 4:05 p.m. — Crews are hoping to have Glebe Road clear and reopened by 6:00 p.m., we’re told.
Glebe Road is completely blocked in north Arlington near Chain Bridge due to a large downed tree.
According to initial reports, traffic is being diverted on to Old Glebe Road and Chain Bridge Road.
No word yet on whether the road is expected to be back open in time for the evening rush hour.
Tourism Spending in Arlington Rises to $2.7 Billion
Arlington County says tourists and visitors spent $2.7 billion in Arlington in 2011, an increase of 7.6 percent over the $2.5 billion spent in 2010.
The $2.7 billion in spending represents 13.1 percent of all tourism dollars in the Commonwealth of Virginia, making Arlington the top county in the state for visitor spending.
The tourism industry is responsible for 24,000 jobs in Arlington and generates nearly $74 million, according to the county, citing data from the U.S. Travel Association. Tourism payroll and employment in Arlington both outpaced the statewide averages, up 3.2 percent and 1.9 percent respectively.
“We’re very pleased with the steady growth of the County’s tourism sector,” Arlington Convention and Visitors Service Director Emily Cassell said in a statement. “While we’re still progressing toward the peak hotel occupancy and revenue levels of 2008 and 2009, the significant growth in visitor spending is a sign of good things to come.”
Virginia lawmakers failed to renew Arlington’s 0.25 percent hotel tax surcharge in 2011. The surcharge expired after Dec. 31, 2011, and is expected to result in the loss of just over $1 million in annual revenue used for tourism promotion by the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service. Although some general county funds were allocated to make up for the shortfall, the Convention and Visitors Service budget for Fiscal Year 2013 is only $500,000, compared to $1.4 million in FY 2011.
Arlington Traditional Named 2012 Blue Ribbon School
U.S. Secretary of Education and Arlington resident Arne Duncan was on hand Friday to personally present Arlington Traditional School (855 N. Edison Street) with one of the Department of Education’s top honors: the designation of Blue Ribbon School.
The elementary school was named a 2012 Blue Ribbon School — one of only 269 schools in the country and one of seven elementary schools in Virginia this year — based on its “overall academic excellence.”
Duncan presented the Blue Ribbon School award to ATS Principal Holly Hawthorne at a school-wide assembly Friday morning. Also in attendance were Rep. Jim Moran (D), School Board Vice Chair Sally Baird, School Board member Abby Raphael, County Board member Libby Garvey, State Sen. Barbara Favola (D), Del. Patrick Hope (D) and State Board of Education President and former Arlington School Board member Dave Foster.
Arlington Public Schools issued the following press release (excerpted) about the recognition.
“This is a tremendous honor for us. Great schools don’t happen by chance, they happen by design,” said Hawthorne. “We know the quality of the education at ATS is the result of the efforts of our talented and dedicated teachers, our hard-working and focused students, and our involved and caring parents. The strong partnerships ATS has forged with families and the community help foster each child’s whole development. Students leave ATS with the skills and attitudes of lifelong learners, prepared to become caring and contributing citizens.”
This is the second time in eight years that ATS has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School.
“I want to congratulate the entire ATS community on receiving this prestigious honor,” said Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy. “This recognition rewards the time that teachers spend each day making sure that their students have the tools to help them succeed in the classroom. It recognizes the time that students put into learning as well as the time that parents spend supporting their child’s education. The staff at ATS is to be recognized for building a strong foundation for its students to learn and grow.”
Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has honored America’s most successful public and private elementary, middle, and high schools. The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of achievement. The award acknowledges and validates the hard work of students, staff members, families, and communities in reaching high levels of student achievement.
The US Department of Education will honor all of the nation’s 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools during a conference and awards ceremony November 12-13 in Washington, D.C. A list of the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools and more information on the Blue Ribbon award is available at www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.
Video from today’s ceremony is available online at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/25243604.
Photo courtesy Frank Bellavia / Arlington Public Schools
Daily Deli Closes in Ballston
Daily Deli, a restaurant serving “New York Style Sandwiches” in Ballston, has closed after less than a year in business.
The deli, at 1000 N. Randolph Street in the former Upper Crust Cafe space, served Illy coffee and Carnegie Deli-branded meats, but received mixed reviews on Yelp, with customers complaining about the food and the service.
“I had to tell someone three times what was in a Reuben, only to have her slather mayo all over the bread,” wrote one reviewer.
A sign in the window says the restaurant space is now available for lease.
Photo courtesy Bill Colton
SUV Overturns in Tara-Leeway Heights Crash
A two-vehicle accident resulted in an SUV flipping on its side at the intersection of 15th Street and N. Greenbrier Street this morning in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood, near Virginia Hospital Center.
The accident happened around 8:15 a.m. and involved a Toyota Camry and a Toyota RAV4 SUV. It appears that the Camry somehow broadsided the RAV4, causing it to flip on its side. The intersection is a two-way stop, with the stop signs in place for traffic on 15th Street.
The driver of the RAV4 was trapped in the vehicle after the accident and had to be extricated by the fire department. The driver was then transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
A neighbor tells ARLnow.com that there are “a ton” of accidents at the intersection due to drivers rolling through the stop signs on 15th Street.
Morning Notes
Boat Capsizes Under 14th Street Bridge — A boat capsized under the 14th Street Bridge just before Saturday afternoon’s storms. D.C. police rescued 19 people from the water. No injuries were reported. [Associated Press]
Work on Memorial Bridge Begins — The National Park Service is beginning a project to repair the concrete deck, curbs and sidewalks of the Memorial Bridge today. Drivers can expect lane closures on the bridge between 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, and throughout the weekend. [WJLA]
Yorktown Routs Wakefield — The Yorktown High School Patriots defeated the Wakefield Warriors 59-6 on Friday night. Arlington’s other high school, Washington-Lee, defeated Fairfax by a score of 13-7. [Sun Gazette, MaxPreps]
Upgrades Planned for Reagan National — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is planning to spend $45 million to upgrade the aging Terminal A at Reagan National Airport. Planned upgrades include wider security checkpoints, more baggage handling areas, updated ticket counters and better bathrooms. The MWAA is also studying the possibility of adding more parking spaces at the airport. [Washington Examiner]
