It’s not going to be the warmest spring weekend, and there may be a passing storm tomorrow, but on balance this weekend is not looking too bad.
If you’re looking for something fun to do, here are a few ideas. As always, you can check out our event calendar for more.
South George Mason Drive was been shut down from Route 50 to Columbia Pike today due to an accident involving a construction vehicle.
It happened near the National Guard Readiness Center, where a considerable amount of construction is taking place.
On the heels of the announcement of the neighborhood’s eleventh and twelfth pizza restaurant (seriously) comes word that Clarendon will be getting its third cupcake bakery (after Bakeshop and Crumbs, which is opening in August or September) and second trendy frozen yogurt store (after Red Mango, opening later this month).
A “TangySweet Garden” and Red Velvet Cupcakery will be moving into a ground-level space on Clarendon Boulevard, in the new Clarendon Center development. The store will be located between Hard Times Cafe and the future Pete’s New Haven Apizza.
Voters May Be Asked to Approve New High School — The fate of a proposed new $104.6 million building for Wakefield High School may be put to voters. Assuming debt limit concerns can be addressed, Arlington Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy would like to fund the project through a bond issue that would need to be approved by voters in November. More from the Sun Gazette.
Nordstrom Rack Sets Pentagon City Opening Date — A Nordstrom Rack clearance store is coming to the Pentagon Centre shopping center (which houses Costco, Best Buy and others, across from Pentagon City mall). The store will open on August 26, according to the company’s web site.
Members of the Arlington County Democratic Committee voted unanimously last night to oppose an effort to change Arlington’s form of government.
By a vote of 74 to zero, committee members — including members of the county board and the school board — sent the message that the party’s brass will be active and united in their opposition to the proposed change.
The Interior Department announced today that it is indefinitely suspending the Obama administration’s plan to allow oil and gas drilling off the coast of Virginia. The announcement comes as crews are still trying to contain a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Northern Virginia congressman Jim Moran (D), who chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement on the suspension:
It’s no surprise, then, that 12 years after it was first released, Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) is expecting a big crowd for “Dude Fest: The Big Lebowski Movie and Music Night” tonight.
The evening will start at 7:30 with music inspired by the movie and music from the actual soundtrack. Then at 8:40 there will be trivia, bowling and awards for best costume (come dressed as your favorite character). Finally at 9:00, the big moment as the Big Lebowski is shown on the big screen.
As light country music played, the first lady warmly greeted fans who had waited in a line that snaked down one of the store’s long aisles.
Most of the autograph-seekers were women. Many had young children in tow.
“I usually get stares like ‘whoa what is it’ or ‘hey that’s cool,'” Hewitt said during his lunch break.
A Trikke, for the uninitiated, looks kind of like a pair of overgrown Siamese-twin scooters. The aluminum device is described in promotional literature as a “carving vehicle,” after the forward-leaning, side-to-side, inline-skating-esque motion that propels it forward.
Arlington residents spoke out for and against proposed traffic control, parking and development plans for East Falls Church on Tuesday at a county-sponsored forum at Tuckahoe Elementary School.
A presentation outlined the current plan, which calls for developing four to six story mixed-use commercial and residential buildings by removing all 422 spaces at the Metro park-and-ride lot. The presentation also mapped out changes to pedestrian and bike paths as well as a plan to narrow Washington Boulevard to slow down traffic.
I’m very proud to announce tonight that ARLnow.com is the first site to partner with new D.C. local news site TBD.com.
TBD is helmed by former washingtonpost.com executive editor Jim Brady and backed by Allbritton Communications, parent company of ABC7, NewsChannel 8 and Politico. We’re excited to be working with Jim and his team, including Erik Wemple, Steve Buttry, Jeff Sonderman, Lisa Rowan, Julie Westfall, Steve Chaggaris and Mandy Jenkins (who did I forget?).
Obey’s Retirement Will Boost Moran’s Influence — Wisconsin congressman David Obey’s retirement will move fellow Democrat Rep. Jim Moran higher up in the powerful House Appropriations Committee’s pecking order. Moran said of Obey’s decision not to seek re-election today: “Chairman Obey is one of the most consequential figures to chair Appropriations. With unparalleled institutional knowledge, he has skillfully guided the Committee through some of the most difficult terrain in its history. He will be sorely missed.” More from the Washington Post.
Elevator Fire at Navy Annex Ties Up Traffic — A small fire in an elevator mechanical room at the Navy Annex on Columbia Pike tied up traffic this morning. Firefighters and police responded to the scene, shutting down Columbia Pike between South Joyce Street and South Oak Street around 10:15 p.m. ART and Metro buses were delayed as a result.
