Meet Courthouse Resident and Miss Virginia USA Shannon McAnally
An Arlington resident is in the running to become the next Miss USA.
Shannon McAnally, who lives in Courthouse, is the reigning Miss Virginia USA and will compete for the national title live on NBC on Sunday, June 16.
Though she will be representing Virginia, McAnnally is actually a native Texan. She moved to Arlington just over a year ago to help her family expand its construction business to Virginia.
The company, MCC and Associates, specializes in restaurant construction and renovation. McAnally is the company’s marketing director and a licensed contractor — the latter being an exceedingly rare accreditation for a young beauty pageant contestant.
“It is very unique… I don’t know many women my age who are involved in the commercial construction industry,” she said. McAnally noted, however, that the Miss USA pageant has featured women who are attorneys and doctors.
“That’s one of the misconceptions you find in beauty pageants, is that you think it’s just about being a pretty face, when it has more to due with the substance of a person,” she said. She said her involvement in pageants started as a fun hobby, but grew into a serious goal and drive to become Miss USA.
McAnally said she picked Arlington and the Courthouse neighborhood as her home above every other locality in Virginia because of the county’s urban amenities, which for made an easier transition from her hometown of Dallas.
“Everything is so convenient,” she said. “You can walk to restaurants and stores, it’s just a perfect area to live in.”
If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the potential future Miss USA, her interests provide a clue about the types of places she frequents.
McAnally says she’s an appreciator of museums, dining out, shopping, and music. Her favorite shopping destinations are Georgetown and Tysons Corner, but she can often be spotted at the Courthouse farmers market on Saturday mornings, or two favorite Clarendon food destinations: Whole Foods and Circa restaurant.
Just don’t expect to see her out much between now and June 16. McAnally says she’s been busy training for the pageant, working with walking coaches, interview coaches and other advisers. A vegetarian, McAnally has also been eating extra healthy and “exercising like crazy,” so she can be in top shape for the swimsuit competition.
If you do see McAnally out and about, it may be as she tours the Commonwealth in her role as Miss Virginia USA. She has been able to crisscross the state in style, thanks to the silver 2013 Mercedes Benz C250 that she received as part of her statewide pageant win this past November.
Art, Acoustic Music Festivals Coming to Clarendon Next Month
Shoppers and passersby will be treated to acoustic music and art in Clarendon starting next month.
On the weekend of June 22 and 23, national art show promoter Howard Alan Events will hold the inaugural “Arlington Festival of the Arts,” a “two-day juried outdoor gallery style art exhibit” featuring various works from “100 of the finest artists in the country.”
The festival is free and will take place each day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on N. Highland Street near the Clarendon Metro station.
“Festival patrons can expect to see bold and vibrant paintings, contemporary and whimsical art, life-size sculptures, photography, handcrafted jewelry and much more,” said a press release. “A food festival hosted by the Clarendon Alliance will be located adjacent to the Metro Station stop on Clarendon Boulevard and Highland Street. Admission to the art show is free and open to the public.”
In addition to viewing art, festival-goers will, of course, also be able to purchase art. Prices will range from $25 to $30,000, according to organizers.
Also in June, the Market Common Clarendon shopping center (2700 Clarendon Blvd) will kick off a summer-long acoustic music festival. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring picnic blankets or lawn chairs to the free concerts, in the Market Common Clarendon courtyard.
The concerts will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday nights. The scheduled artist lineup is as follows.
- June 6 — Lloyd Dobler Effect
- June 13 — Hand Painted Swinger
- June 20 — Josh Burgess
- June 27 — Willem Dicke
- July 4 — David Andrew Smith
- July 11 — Melodime
- July 18 — Levi Stephens
- July 25 — Jason Masi
- August 1 — FarAway Duo
- August 8 — Paul Pfau
- August 15 — Shane Gamble
- August 22 — Heather Renee
- August 29 — Kerry McCool
Your Cheesemonger: Washed Rind Cheeses
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Katie Carter, cheesemonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)
When you walk into a cheese shop and that very particular odor hits your nose, you are most likely smelling the group of cheeses we call the washed rinds. Unlike the gentle fresh and bloomy rinds, this class of cheese offers a wide range of bold, earthy aromas and flavors. We can thank the European monks, specifically the Benedictines, for these whiffy creations.
These monks were part of an order that required a life of hard work, self sufficiency, and poverty. Beer became an important part of that life, as well as dairy farming and cheesemaking. The cheeses they developed often integrated their own beer. After production of a simple rennet coagulated soft or semi-soft cheese, the monks washed the wheels with their beer, a simple brine solution, or distilled spirits.
The process of continually washing the cheese attracts a common (and edible) airborne bacteria to the surface, growing as a reddish and sticky “smear”. This bacteria, brevibacterium linens, is responsible for this style of cheese’s characteristic aroma and red rind. It also happens to be responsible for smelly feet, which is why people associate this style of cheese with old socks or funky body odors.
Before you get all grossed out, let me state that the aroma of these cheeses are usually much stronger than the actual taste of the cheese (and, again, the rind is perfectly edible).
Today, washed rind cheeses can be made by any cheesemaker as the bacterial linens are commercially manufactured, allowing for better consistency from batch to batch. Most cheesemakers will inoculate the milk with this culture, as well as add it to the brine solution during washing.
Bergfichte
This raw cow’s milk cheese is made by my favorite cheesemaker, Willi Schmid, in Lichtensteig, Switzerland. It is a soft cheese wrapped in spruce bark from local trees. The cheese has an aroma of rosemary and pine due to the bark, with only a slight hint of farmy funk. The rich, creamy paste is in perfect balance with the other elements of this cheese. The Swiss taught me a very cool trick to enjoying this cheese: eat it backwards. Peel off the bark and eat the cheese from the outside in and you will get the full piney goodness that makes this cheese so wonderful.
Open Houses in Arlington This Weekend
If you’re looking for a new home this Memorial Day weekend, be sure to check out these open houses in Arlington.
See our real estate section for a full listing of open houses. Here are a few highlights:
1101 Arlington Ridge Road
2 BD | 2 Full BA, 1 Half BA condominium
Jennifer MacKenzie, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
Listed: $499,900
Open: Sunday, May 26 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
4330 7th Street North
3 BD | 3 Full BA, 1 Half BA single family detached
Renata Briggman, Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $675,000
Open: Sunday, May 26 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
1111 19th Street North
2 BD | 2 BA condominium
Camille Gemayel, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Listed: $799,000
Open: Saturday, May 25 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
1909 Taylor Street North
4 BD | 2 Full BA, 1 Half BA townhouse
Andrew Musser, Weichert, Realtors
Listed: $799,900
Open: Sunday, May 25 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
713 Glebe Road
5 BD | 4 BA single family detached
Jamil Mourtaza, Weichert, Realtors
Listed: $849,900
Open: Saturday, May 25 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
2616 Glebe Road North
3 BD | 3 Full BA, 2 Half BA townhouse
Richard Nathan, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
Listed: $1,215,000
Open: Saturday, May 25 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Crime Report: Man Arrested for Showing Child Porn to 4-Year-Old
A young Arlington man has been arrested and charged with sexual battery after allegedly luring a 4-year-old boy into a pickup truck.
Police say 19-year-old Paul Noland, who lives with his parents in Alcova Heights, lured the boy into this pickup truck around 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, on the 3600 block of 8th Street S. Noland is accused of showing the boy — who lives in the neighborhood — child pornography on his iPad, then touching him inappropriately.
The boy’s parents were outside doing yard work at the time of the incident, police said. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:
SEXUAL BATTERY, 05/21/13, 3600 block of S. 8th Street. At 8:00 pm on May 21, a child reported he was sexually assaulted and shown child pornography by a male neighbor. Paul Jaquet Noland, 19, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual battery. He is being held without bond.
The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Video: ACPD’s Special Operations Section
The motorcycle cops who escort motorcades, meter maids, crossing guards and the SWAT team — all of these all under the auspices of the Arlington County Police Department’s Special Operations Section.
The county’s Arlington TV channel recently took a look at ACPD’s special ops section and the various roles it plays in the community. (Video, above.)
Morning Notes
Memorial Day Closures — Arlington County courts, offices, libraries, and schools will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. Arlington’s three indoor public pools will be open on a holiday schedule on Monday. [Arlington County]
State Police Increasing Patrols — Virginia State Police say they’re increasing patrols statewide this weekend. “The additional patrols statewide are part of the annual Operation C.A.R.E., (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries associated with speed, failure to wear seatbelts and impaired driving. The state-sponsored, national program encourages law enforcement,” VSP said in a press release.
Bonchon Chicken to Offer Growlers – Korean chicken restaurant Bonchon is hoping to open its new Arlington location at 2201 N. Pershing Drive in mid-July. In addition to chicken, the eatery will have “a dozen beers on tap, including craft options, and growler service to cater to the restaurant’s carryout clients.” [Washington Business Journal]
Arlington’s Marv Albert Anniversary — On May 27, 1997, Arlington was in the news as sports broadcaster Marv Albert was arrested and booked by Arlington County Police, accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton hotel. [About.com, New York Times]
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued
Arlington County and the surrounding area is currently under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
From the National Weather Service:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… NORTHERN CHARLES COUNTY IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND… EASTERN CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… EASTERN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… EASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 1130 PM EDT
* AT 1041 PM EDT… SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CHEVY CHASE TO ALEXANDRIA TO WOODBRIDGE… AND WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS LINE OF STORMS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… TAKOMA PARK… NATIONALS PARK… NATIONAL HARBOR… THE DISTRICT… LANGLEY PARK… HYATTSVILLE… FORT WASHINGTON… KENILWORTH…
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
THIS IS A DANGEROUS LINE OF STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH… MOVE INDOORS TO A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO… REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Ballston Is the End of the Orange Line This Weekend
Metro’s ongoing system rehabilitation project will make Ballston the end of the Orange Line this weekend.
The Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, and East Falls Church stations will all be closed from 10:00 p.m. Friday to system closing on Monday (Memorial Day). The closures will allow crews to perform switch replacements, rail joint eliminations and tie and insulator renewal, Metro said.
Orange Line trains will operate between Ballston and New Carrollton at normal weekend intervals.
Free shuttle buses will replace trains between Ballston and Vienna. Express buses will run directly from Ballston to Vienna and back, while local buses will stop at all the stations in between. Metro says those taking local buses should add up to 40 minutes to their travel time, while those taking the express bus should add 25 minutes.
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