The bill’s original sponsor, Del. David Englin (D), says that Virginia’s apples naturally ferment at an alcohol content between four and 10 percent, but current state law caps that level at seven percent.
“If we let them produce real Virginia cider, the kind that Thomas Jefferson served at his dinner table, we’ll clear the way for Virginia to become the world’s leading producer of this popular libation,” said Englin, who represents parts of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County.
The board will now be able to set the FY 2012 property tax rate at or below 96.8 cents per $100 in assessed value. The current rate — the rate that Donnellan recommended in her proposed budget — is 95.8 cents per $100.
Last year, when the board set the property tax rate at 1.6 cents above Donnellan’s recommended figure, the advertised rate was 96.5 cents.
Capital Bikeshare Stations Coming to R-B Corridor — Crystal City and Pentagon City have had all the Capital Bikeshare fun so far, but now it’s North Arlington’s turn. The approximate locations for the first four Bikeshare stations in Rosslyn and Courthouse have been decided, with installation expected to take place next month. Also decided: the stations will be placed on the street, likely replacing existing parking spaces. [People-Powered Arlington, TBD]
Bill Could Make Common Traffic Offenses Misdemeanors — If a bill currently under consideration in the Virginia General Assembly becomes law, it could make rolling stops at traffic lights and other common traffic offenses misdemeanors punishable by jail time or a hefty fine. The bill is intended to give police the flexibility of charging drivers with reckless driving when a specific situation warrants. Supporters, including Del. David Englin (D), say the bill could help improve pedestrian safety. [We Love DC, Richmond Sunlight]
Out of the four design finalists, Wakefield High School student Maya Giacobbe was named the winner for her design, “Hume, Sweet Hume.”
Giacobbe said she chose to design a decal featuring Arlington’s Hume School — the present-day home of the Arlington Historical Society — because “it was one of the first schools in Arlington.”
South Block Blends will specialize in “California-inspired real fruit smoothies” and “exotic & healthy burritos,” according to its nascent web site. The store’s Facebook page shows various views of the currently empty, 714-square-foot storefront, on the ground floor of the Clarendon Center project’s “south block” building.
Typically, build-out and permit acquisition for a store like South Block Blends would take about 6 months.
Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) has acquired all the necessary county permits and will open to the public Wednesday afternoon, management said Tuesday.
The restaurant, shown here still under construction, will open its doors at 4:00 tomorrow afternoon after some last-minute cleaning. For the rest of the the week, Mad Rose will be open for evenings only. Starting on Monday, it will also be open for lunch.
Guas is one of ten chefs nominated for the award in the Mid-Atlantic region, and one of 100 chefs nominated nationwide. Other local nominees include Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley, Dan Giusti of 1789 Restaurant, and Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana.
The ultimate winner will be decided by an online vote. The winners in each of the ten geographic regions will be featured in the July issue of Food and Wine.
This time, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is taking a few pointed shots at the county for its lawsuit against High Occupancy Toll lanes on I-395.
Forget the fact that the county has agreed to withdraw the lawsuit and the state has, for now, decided not to move forward with the I-395 portion of the HOT lanes project. In a statement, Cuccinelli piled on and called the lawsuit “dirty,” “legal thuggery” and “wildly unfounded.”
Pothole Problem May Persist — County Manager Barbara Donnellan says the county is waiting for the beginning of spring to fix most of the potholes on local roads. Donnellan, speaking at Saturday’s county board meeting, said “it’s better” to fix the roads after the winter. Board member Walter Tejada acknowledged one resident’s complaints about potholes on his street, adding that Wilson Boulevard and Columbia Pike also have some particularly rough patches. [Sun Gazette]
Remy to be Guest Bartender at Fundraiser — Arlington rapper Remy will be the guest bartender tomorrow at a fundraiser for the Arlington Free Clinic. The fundraiser is being held at Velocity Five (2300 Clarendon Blvd) from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Remy’s sister, Lena, will help select the evening’s door prize winners. [Gregs List DC]
The main lanes of I-395 are backed up in Virginia from the 14th Street Bridge to the Springfield interchange due to fire activity in the District.
A fire at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center prompted a large emergency response that shut down 14th Street between Constitution Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. The fire, which originated in the building’s kitchen and spread through the ductwork, is now under control. Fire equipment has been clearing the scene and 14th Street will likely reopen soon — but that’s little solace to the thousands currently crawling along on I-395.
The bridge has raised concerns recently as chunks of concrete began falling anew. On Friday, rush hour traffic was snarled when a chunk of concrete fell from the bridge onto a westbound lane of Route 50 around 4:30 p.m. Police shut down the bridge and one lane of Glebe Road for more than an hour as a result.
The falling concrete actually left a hole in the roadway from which one could look down and see the highway below, according to Arlington County Director of Transportation Dennis Leach. Over the weekend, VDOT patched up the part of the bridge from which the concrete fell.
The cleanup is still on-going at Arlington’s courthouse building, which was damaged by a burst hot water pipe early Friday morning.
The pipe burst in a wall of a courtroom on the the third floor of the building. Water leaked down to the second and first floors, as well as the parking garage. Crews worked throughout the weekend to dry out damaged carpets, chairs and other furniture.
