The Indian restaurant, located on the second level of the Market Common Clarendon shopping center at 2800 Clarendon Blvd, is expected to change its name to Zaika Restaurant when the ownership change is finalized. Zaika translates to “sense of taste,” according to the future restaurant’s web site, which is still under development.
We’re told that the name will be the only noticeable change. The new owners plan to keep the same chef, staff, menu, and decor.
All Arlington County courts, libraries, public schools, and administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Nov. 12.
The county’s three indoor swimming pools will be open under holiday hours. Metro and ART will be operating under a holiday schedule. Trash and leaf collection will proceed as normal.
Dems Planning for the Next Campaign — “The campaign for 2013 begins tomorrow,” the chairman of the Arlington County Democratic Committee told local Democrats at the committee’s meeting Wednesday night. Next year there will be a gubernatorial election in Virginia and House of Delegates races in Arlington, among other races. Arlington Democrats ran the table on Tuesday, winning every race, with the exception of a state constitutional amendment question. [Sun Gazette]
Bergmann’s Discussion Deferred — The Arlington Planning Commission was forced to defer consideration of a proposed 10-story redevelopment of the Bergmann’s Dry Cleaning site after Hurricane Sandy delayed the mailing of notices to local residents. The Waverly Hills Civic Association, located about a mile from the development, has expressed opposition to it. [Arlington Mercury]
The fire broke out on a terrace and did not damage the interior of the cultural center. The cause is under investigation.
“The fire was quickly extinguished and contained to the terrace area,” said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl. “There was damage to a piece of construction equipment and the terrace. The fire is under investigation by the Fire Marshal.”
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Arlington County set a new voting record yesterday.
Nearly 118,000 people voted in Tuesday’s general election, the largest numerical turnout on record in Arlington. Percentage-wise, however, the turnout came up just shy of a previous record.
Extreme Pizza — which offers unique pizzas with non-traditional ingredients like mandarin oranges, hummus, walnuts and broccoli — is coming to 1419 S. Fern Street, across from Costco and near the recently-opened Epic Smokehouse.
This will be the first Extreme Pizza location inside the Beltway and the fourth in Virginia. The existing Virginia locations are in Vienna, Henrico and Richmond. Those restaurants all feature indoor and outdoor seating, take-out and delivery service and online ordering.
Robert Brockington, 37, is accused of “multiple counts of credit card larceny and credit card fraud.” He is “known to frequent area gyms, and will take wallets and credit cards from both locked and unlocked lockers,” according to police.
The police department is asking anyone with information on Brockington to contact Det. Steven Roeseler at 703-228-4182.
In a sure sign of the season, ice skating has started at Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street).
The outdoor shopping center’s ice rink opened on Friday and will remain open every day — including holidays — through March 18. The rink opens at noon on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. on weekends. It closes at 10:00 p.m., except on Fridays and Saturdays, when it closes at 11:00 p.m. Holiday hours vary.
(Updated at 12:20 p.m. on 12/23/21) Last Thursday, a knife-wielding man in a wheelchair robbed the CVS Pharmacy in Courthouse, according to this week’s Arlington County, Va. crime report.
Police say the man attempted to shoplift an electric razor and several bottles of wine. After initially leaving the store, a CVS employee reportedly wheeled him back in and asked him to replace the stolen goods. The employee backed off and let him leave again after the man brandished a knife, according to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.
‘Concentration of Poverty’ at APS? — Some parents say Arlington Public Schools have designed school boundaries to concentrate lower-income students in south Arlington schools. At least one parent is hoping the school system creates a rule in which “no school would be able deviate from the district-wide percentage of poverty by more or less than 10 points.” [WAMU]
District Taco Expanding — District Taco, which opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Arlington, is continuing to expand in the District. The restaurant has signed a lease and will be opening a second D.C. location on Capitol Hill. [Washington Post]
(Updated at 1:25 a.m.) Exuberant local Democrats are celebrating the reelection of President Barack Obama and yet another electoral sweep in Arlington. All local Democratic candidates and ballot questions have emerged victorious in the county.
“It’s a great night to be a Democrat!” reelected County Board member Libby Garvey told an enthusiastic, capacity crowd at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse on Columbia Pike. Shortly thereafter, the room exploded with jubilation as CNN called the presidential race for Obama.
(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Huge lines, some impatient voters and a couple of election machine glitches were reported today around Arlington, but election officials say there have been no major problems hampering voting.
Arlington County Registrar Linda Lindberg acknowledged to ARLnow.com this afternoon that there have been long lines at many of the county’s 52 polling places — some longer than 2.5 hours, according to those responding to our earlier poll. Some voters grew impatient, she said, but no one got out of control to the extent that they caused a disturbance.
