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Morning Notes

Published November 14, 2018 at 9:00AM | Updated November 14, 2018 at 9:21AM

Crystal City Business Owners Ready for Facelift — “[Crystal City’s] reputation is sufficiently anemic that Amazon announced it is rebranding the area where it will build its hub ‘National Landing,’ a change that aroused next to no protests from most local proprietors. ‘Whatever Jeff Bezos wants is fine with me,’ said Billy Bayne, owner of the Crystal City Restaurant Gentlemen’s Club, referring to Amazon founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos, who owns The Washington Post. ‘I’m just happy he’s here.'” [Washington Post, Greater Greater Washington]

Calls for More Housing — The arrival of Amazon has prompted some urbanists to start calling for upzoning and the creation of more housing density, including in wealthier neighborhoods. [Twitter, Twitter]

Around Town

Podcast: Scott Parker and Alex Trakas of BASH Boxing

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2018 at 7:30PM

Local nightlife king Scott Parker is branching into fitness, launching BASH Boxing with fitness instructor and manager Alex Trakas.

We asked Parker and Trakas about their new venture, which officially opens on Friday, Nov. 16 in Rosslyn and is also coming to Ballston Quarter mall. We also talked with Scott about the state of the local bar scene and about that time the Washington Capitals brought the Stanley Cup to Don Tito in Clarendon.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2018 at 11:30AM | Updated November 13, 2018 at 12:00PM

Worker Rescued from Memorial Bridge — A man working on the Memorial Bridge rehabilitation project was injured this morning and transported to the hospital via fireboat and then ambulance. The injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening. [Twitter, Twitter, Twitter]

More Worries About Real Estate Prices Post-Amazon — “Amazon’s possible arrival in Northern Virginia and Queens, New York, has already sent shockwaves through surrounding real estate markets. Mara Gemond, a longtime Arlington, Virginia, realtor… Crystal City — until news broke that Amazon might be splitting its 50,000-employee second headquarters between there and Long Island City in New York. All of a sudden, the two-bedroom condo in a 1980s-era building that had been sitting on the market for nearly three months with no offers, even after a price cut, had a flood of interest.” [CNN, Washington Post, ARLnow]

News

BREAKING: Media Staging Area Being Set Up in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Published November 13, 2018 at 8:25AM | Updated November 13, 2018 at 12:48PM

Likely Amazon HQ2 media staging area in Pentagon City

(Updated at 12:45 p.m.) As Arlington and the D.C. area anxiously await the “imminent” announcement that Amazon will be coming to Crystal City, a media staging area is being set up in Pentagon City.

The staging area is on the 1300 block of S. Eads Street, where ARLnow previously saw a large event space being set up then taken away. There is also a police presence on the site and temporary no parking zones — from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today — nearby.

News

WSJ: Amazon HQ2 Announcement ‘Imminent’

By ARLnow.com

Published November 12, 2018 at 9:30PM

(Updated at 9:45 p.m.) Amazon will be announcing its “HQ2” plans as soon as Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday night.

The paper says New York City and Crystal City will be chosen. Per the WSJ:

Weather

Freeze Warning Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Published November 9, 2018 at 3:05PM

Frost-covered leaf (Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk)

Arlington, D.C. and other points east will be under a Freeze Warning Saturday and Sunday.

The National Weather Service says a mass of cold air will bring freezing temperatures to the area, potentially damaging or killing sensitive plants.

Around Town

Ballston Shake Shack to Open This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published November 9, 2018 at 12:35PM

Shack Shack in Ballston nearing its opening

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 2018, the new Ballston Shake Shack will open its doors.

The company says it’s planning to open its new location at Ballston Exchange (4201 Wilson Blvd) at 11 a.m. on Sunday, which only coincidentally coincides with the 100th anniversary of the World War I armistice.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 9, 2018 at 8:45AM | Updated November 9, 2018 at 9:45AM

WWI Commemoration Sunday — “At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I ended with the signing of the armistice. One hundred years later, we are gathering to commemorate the end of the Great War with a ceremony at the Clarendon War Memorial to mark the hour and day the armistice was signed.” [Arlington County, Arlington County]

County Board Election Map — In Tuesday Arlington County Board election, John Vihstadt captured most of the precincts in residential North Arlington, as well as few in South Arlington — including Aurora Hills and Fairlington — but Matt de Ferranti won by capturing the precincts along the Metro corridors and around Columbia Pike. [Blue Virginia]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 8, 2018 at 8:45AM | Updated November 8, 2018 at 9:12AM

Suspect and Murdered Wife Both Marines — “A woman found dead in [an Arlington] hotel room on Saturday and the man arrested in connection with her murder are both U.S. Marines… The two were seen earlier in the evening at the Marriott while attending their unit’s military ball to commemorate the Marine Corps’ 243rd birthday.” [Newsweek, Task and Purpose]

Arlingtonian Named ABC 7’s Hero of the Week — “In his dedication to the community, Aaron Codispoti switches gears constantly — in the truest sense of the word. He manages a team of more than a thousand people within the State Department, volunteers as an auxiliary police officer with Arlington County — often on bike patrol — and organizes blood drives twice a year.” [WJLA]

Feature

Arlington Pet of the Week: Ducat

By ARLnow.com

Published November 7, 2018 at 12:45PM | Updated July 18, 2019 at 11:41AM

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Ducat, a 10-year-old labrador retriever named for some antiquated currency.

Here’s what owner Abigail had to say on Ducat’s behalf:

Traffic

Crash Involving Police Vehicle Closes N. Courthouse Road

By ARLnow.com

Published November 7, 2018 at 10:30AM | Updated November 7, 2018 at 12:40PM

Crash involving police vehicle on N. Courthouse Road

A portion of N. Courthouse Road was blocked this morning due to a crash involving a police vehicle.

The crash happened shortly before 10 a.m. near the intersection of N. Courthouse Road and 13th Street N., a block from Arlington County police headquarters in Courthouse. It involved a police SUV and a car that appears to have suffered heavy front-end damage.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 7, 2018 at 9:15AM | Updated November 7, 2018 at 9:38AM

Election Day 2018 sunset, as seen from Ballston

First Incumbent Voted Out in 21st Century — Democrats had few negative things to say about County Board member John Vihstadt during the past few months of campaigning, but voters nonetheless decided to vote him out of office last night, a relatively rare event in Arlington. Per the Sun Gazette: “The last County Board incumbent to be defeated for re-election was Mike Lane, a Republican who in the spring of 1999 won a special election for the seat of Al Eisenberg (who took a post in the Clinton administration) but later that year was defeated by Democrat Charles Monroe.” [InsideNova]

O’Leary Nailed It — Former Arlington County Treasurer (and amatuer election prognosticator) Frank O’Leary was spot on on his analysis of how yesterday’s local voting would shake out. O’Leary “opined that if the Arlington electorate was so large that 100,000 votes were cast for County Board, Democrat Matt de Ferranti would win with about 53 percent of the vote. Presto: Arlington voters indeed cast just over 100,000 votes in that race, and de Ferranti ended up with 53 percent, according to unofficial results.” [InsideNova]