Katie Pyzyk | ARLnow

Police Search for Clarendon Peeping Tom

Published May 28, 2013 at 3:45PM

Around 7:50 p.m. on Friday (May 24), a woman was using the restroom at the store when she saw a man peek over her stall. She and her husband immediately reported the incident to the store manager. The man allegedly fled the store when he saw the manager calling police.

The suspect is described as a 5’10” white male in his 40s with shaggy brown hair. At the time of the incident he was wearing a red t-shirt with a grey button down shirt over it, and blue jeans. He was also carrying a large green bag.

News

Power Outage in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 28, 2013 at 2:30PM | Updated May 28, 2013 at 3:48PM

Update at 3:45 p.m. — Dominion reports that the cause of the outage was an underground equipment failure and power has been restored to all customers.

Dominion crews are at the scene of a power outage that has left part of Ballston dark.

Around Town

Second Cantina Mexicana Location Opens

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 28, 2013 at 1:25PM

The owners of Cantina Mexicana have opened a new location just off of Columbia Pike.

The new restaurant, at 922 Walter Reed Drive, took over the space previously occupied by Senor Pan. It joins the existing location at 515 23rd Street S. in Crystal City, which has been in business since 1974.

Around Town

New Bakery Food Cart Features French Inspired Fare

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 28, 2013 at 10:50AM

The new Hot Hot Bakery food cart is spending its first day on the streets of Arlington today, featuring freshly baked croissants and other French inspired fare.

Chris Deutsch and his wife Amy Fuller spent a year baking and training in Paris in preparation for opening a food business in Arlington. Deutsch, who is part French, grew up eating the type of pastries featured in his food cart.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 28, 2013 at 8:50AM

Obama Visits Arlington National Cemetery — President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Monday during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day. In addition to remembering fallen service members, Obama asked that Americans “not forget our nation is still at war.” [Washington Post]

Record High County GOP Membership — The Arlington County Republican Party chairman says the county’s membership is at an all time high, at least over what is has been for the past decade. The number of members now stands at 139. [Sun Gazette]

Traffic

Traffic Alert: Emergency Repair Will Close Arlington Ridge Road

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 4:30PM

Arlington Ridge Road will be closed from 9:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m. Southbound traffic coming from I-395 will be re-routed east and west to 20th Street S. in both directions, and around to 23rd Street. Northbound traffic coming from Glebe Road will be re-routed east and west to 23rd Street S., and around to 20th Street.

The emergency water repair is necessary because an irrigation contractor working in the 2100 block of Arlington Ridge Road accidentally caused a leak. Water service needs to be replaced at that location, from the water main in the street to the meter box in the sidewalk.

Around Town

Kite Runner Cafe Opens in Cherrydale

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 3:50PM

Signs went up at 3800 Lee Highway last year announcing the arrival of Kite Runner Cafe and now the restaurant is celebrating its first full week in business.

The restaurant began serving food over the weekend for both its soft opening and grand opening. Owner Homayon Karimy is originally from Afghanistan and has lived in Pakistan, but Arlington is where is heart is.

News

Board Approves Bailout for Signature Theatre

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 2:35PM

The Board discussed the matter in a closed session before unanimously approving it. According to County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac, it is standard procedure for the Board to discuss a grant behind closed doors. The grant agreement will be made public once the county attorney finalizes it.

County Manager Barbara Donnellan said the grant will help bring the theater current with real estate taxes owed to the county. Funding for the grant was provided from budget savings identified at the end of Fiscal Year 2012.

News

Dog Park Reopening Delayed Until Summer

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 11:45AM

Construction issues will delay the anticipated “late spring” reopening of Clarendon’s James Hunter Park until summer.

According to Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish, a number of unforeseen conditions turned up during construction at the dog park site on the corner of N. Herndon Street and N. 13th Street. Some of the problems include difficult soils, grading issues and the discovery of “buried structures.” Kalish said although such issues are not unheard of, they will push the expected park completion date into July.

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 9:30AM | Updated May 22, 2013 at 9:55AM

Ground Floor Retail Exemption Granted — At its meeting yesterday (May 21), the County Board granted an exemption to the policy of requiring ground floor retail space, for the office building at 3701 N. Fairfax Drive. The building formerly housed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which had received a retail exemption due to security concerns. The Board granted the exemption this time due to the space’s lack of access and visibility from the street. [Sun Gazette]

AIRE Goal Exceeded — Arlington County has exceeded its 2007 Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) goal of a 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from government operations by 2012. The county has reduced its emissions by 11.7 percent since 2000. “This is an important milestone in Arlington’s efforts to build a more sustainable future for all our residents and businesses,” said Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada. “The County has made great strides in improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and of our fleet and services, and we will continue to look for ways to reduce emissions and reduce spending on energy.” [Arlington County]

News

UPDATED: Arlington Deputy Sheriff Involved in Alexandria Shooting

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 8:35AM | Updated May 30, 2013 at 11:17PM

An Arlington County deputy sheriff is being interviewed by detectives regarding a shooting death in Alexandria overnight.

Around 12:45 a.m., Alexandria Police responded to reports of a person being shot in the 100 block of Lynhaven Drive, just south of Arlington and a block away from Potomac Yard.

News

Fire Raises Resident Concerns About 911 System

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 3:50PM

Some callers reported hearing a recorded message while they were put on hold for several minutes, according to an ARLnow.com tipster. OEM Director Jack Brown confirmed that there were callers who heard a message asking them to stay on the line while the system was flooded with calls. Anyone who hung up was then called back to verify that they were safe and to check if they still needed emergency assistance, exactly like any other 911 hang up.

“It’s not an overburden for us, it’s just very busy in the initial stages of an emergency,” said Emergency Communications Center Commander John Crawford. “The system was working and the people were working. The only issue we get is when lots of people call all at once.”