Library assistant Thinh Vu said he was preparing the building for closing, which was just a few minutes away, when he heard a commotion coming from the book store area. At first, he thought it might be a service dog, but he quickly saw that the six pound chihuahua was simply running loose.
“I thought, great, this is last thing I need during closing time,” Vu said. “I have a dog, I love dogs. It was cute, but it shouldn’t be in the library.”
Owner Lyndsey DePalma had been looking to get out of the corporate world to open a tea house for years. She started the ball rolling about two years ago while in business school and went on to receive her reflexology certification. She wants her business to be a haven for busy individuals looking to escape from daily stress.
“We can actually take 15 minutes, 30 minutes and just relax,” DePalma said. “It’s not just a tea house, it’s an experience, it’s a place to relax.”
The venue is on the second level of the store, but customers may also bring their beverage purchases downstairs while they shop. According to Clarendon Whole Foods Marketing Team Leader Jackie Zovko, it just passed inspection on Friday, employee training took place this past weekend, and the pub officially opened for business yesterday (Monday).
Right now, the focus is on drinks. The pub offers 100% certified organic coffee, draft beers and wines by the glass. All of the beers are made withing a 200 mile range and will rotate based on availability and customer feedback. Right now, the list includes Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Lost Rhino Rhinofest and Port City Derecho Common Ale. Wines, which will also rotate, run from $4-$6 per glass.
The Board had previously deferred the issue at its April meeting in an effort to give the business owners more time to prove themselves worthy of being granted a permit. Similar to past meetings, residents from the surrounding area showed up on Saturday to voice concerns about issuing the permit. They cited the property’s history of consistent problems with patrons being violent and noisy. Some neighbors noted how peaceful the neighborhood has been for approximately six months because there has been no live entertainment on the site.
“The past six months have been a welcome reprieve from some of the extreme loud noise and violence,” said resident Aristia Glinka.
Board members deferred the issue at their April meeting, when a number of neighbors spoke out against allowing the permit. The restaurant co-owners were given five months to establish the business as one that police do not have to visit regularly, and to improve relations with neighbors.
The county staff report indicates that police have not encountered problems at the site during the past five months. There were also no complaints from community members. Additionally, the owners attended an Arlington Heights Civic Association meeting, and are working with county staff on conditions for allowing the permit.
At the meeting, the School Board will review the current boundary policy and discuss the scope of the boundary changes to be considered. The work session will take place in room 101 of the Education Center (1426 N. Quincy Street) at 7:45 p.m.
The public is allowed to attend but not offer comments at the work session, which is considered a preliminary meeting to figure out the direction the boundary process will take in the coming months. Public engagement sessions will officially kick off late next month. At that time, residents may raise concerns and offer suggestions for boundary issues requiring further examination.
Update at 12:05 p.m. — The line is capped and streets will reopen once emergency equipment is cleared from the roadway.
Earlier: Crews are on the scene of a gas leak in Crystal City, where several blocks are being closed to traffic.
On Saturday, September 22, the art venue will host “Popped-Up Videos Live.” The show will feature 1990s “statement videos” with fun facts and jokes interspersed. The comedic event will show videos from artists like Arrested Development, TLC, Van Halen, Porno for Pyros and Queen Latifah.
Guest comedians and personalities will join host Andrew Bucket, who is touted as a music video historian. During the show, the audience can participate in games and trivia to win prizes.
At the time, police believed the cyclist may have had a medical emergency and fallen off the bike. That was based on a report from a person who claimed to have seen a cyclist experiencing what appeared to be a seizure, then falling to the ground.
According to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the police investigation into the incident indicates the report of a medical emergency is inconsistent with what responders observed at the scene. Sternbeck says based on damage to the bicycle and emergency crews finding an unconscious victim bleeding from the head, the incident is now deemed a hit and run.
A couple of events this weekend involve road closures that could cause some traffic headaches.
The Arlington County Police Department will close streets this Saturday, September 8, for the 11th Annual Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K, which starts at 6:00 p.m.
Starting tomorrow, citizens and insurance companies may purchase the online reports for any accident occurring on or after Saturday, September 1.
The digitization will be done through a partnership with the Carfax Police Crash Assistance Program. Reports will be stored in a secure electronic database on the ACPD website, and will post within five to seven days of each accident.
Hundreds of sheriffs, deputy sheriffs and special guests from around the state will attend the VSA conference in Virginia Beach, where Sheriff Arthur will be sworn in on Tuesday (September 11).
The VSA currently has 8,600 members, and acts as the primary voice for Virginia sheriffs before boards, commissions and the various legislative bodies of Virginia. Additionally, VSA provides information about emerging law enforcement issues, corrections, crime prevention and other topics as related to the sheriff’s office.
