Author: Katie Pyzyk

Events

Amnesty International Speaker to Lead Guantanamo Discussion

By Katie Pyzyk

The Amnesty International NOVA Cluster is hosting a discussion led by Lt. Col. Lorraine Barlett, titled “Guantanamo: An American Gulag.” Lt. Col. Barlett recently retired from the Army after 27 years of service with the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps., and served as counsel for a long-term prisoner incarcerated at Guantanamo.

Although closing Guantanamo was one of President Obama’s goals, the prison is still open and continues to fuel political disputes. Lt. Col. Barlett will speak on her views of the prison and its implications for U.S. and international law.

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Events

AFAC Plans Events for Hunger Action Month

By Katie Pyzyk

The main event is being called the “Hunger Challenge,” during which residents are asked to try feeding themselves on $4.03 per day. That’s the amount of assistance the average Arlington resident would receive from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Participants are asked to try the challenge all month, for a week or even just a day, in an effort to understand the difficulty some of their neighbors have with feeding themselves and their families.

“If you struggle to eat well on $28.21 per week, you’ll understand how glad AFAC clients are to be able to fill the gap in their food budget with the milk, eggs, produce, meat and other items distributed by AFAC,” said Charles Meng, AFAC’s Executive Director.

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News

Police Investigating Bicyclist Accident Near Westover

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Police are investigating an unusual accident near Westover involving a bicyclist.

Initial reports said the cyclist was unconscious when police arrived, after being struck by a vehicle that left the scene. However, a police spokesman now says there might not have been a vehicle involved at all.

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Around Town

Crystal City to Host Sand Volleyball Games

By Katie Pyzyk

DC Social Sports Club games are scheduled to be played at the sand courts at 2451 Crystal Drive, starting the week of September 10. During registration, teams choose to play on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays or Sundays. All teams are co-ed.

The league fee includes seven games, all equipment, DC Social t-shirts, a site supervisor and access to DC Social parties. Online registration is still open for teams or individuals searching for a team.

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News

Annual Juror Qualification Process Begins Soon

By Katie Pyzyk

Starting in early September, the Arlington Circuit Court, which includes the City of Falls Church, will mail out questionnaires to randomly selected residents. The questionnaires are used to qualify residents for jury duty during the 2013 court year, which runs from January 21, 2013 through January 2014.

Around 10,000 residents from Arlington and the City of Falls Church are selected from the registered voter lists provided by the State Board of Elections. Jury Commissioners review the responses on the questionnaires to determine a person’s eligibility to serve as a juror for civil and criminal trials in the Arlington Circuit Court.

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Around Town

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Opens in Virginia Square

By Katie Pyzyk

Owner Marcus Barnett said after the typical county permitting delays, he finally received word yesterday that the restaurant could open. He hurried to the bank, and had the doors open for customers by 4:00 yesterday afternoon. Today is the first full day of operation.

Barnett noted two things that set Tropical Smoothie Cafe apart from its smoothie competitors: the restaurants serves food and uses natural ingredients.

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News

Girl Startled by Peeper in Ballston Restaurant Bathroom

By Katie Pyzyk

According to police, a juvenile female was using the restroom in a restaurant at the Ballston mall last night (Monday) when she saw an odd shadow on the ground. She reportedly looked up to see a man peeping over her stall. The girl reports the man then ducked into a stall, because she could see his feet as she left.

The girl, who is visiting from Ireland, left the restroom and told the 19-year-old woman and 22-year-old man she was with what had just happened. According to police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, the woman and man then found the suspect and confronted him. He claimed to have been confused about which restroom he had been in.

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Around Town

Then and Now: Virginia Hardware in Rosslyn

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) The photo on the left is of Virginia Hardware at 2016 N. Moore Street, in the 1930s. The store opened at this location in 1924, when Rosslyn Circle still existed. For years, it was run by Harry Goldman, until the business was eventually passed down to his son.

The photo on the right shows what that part of Rosslyn looks like now. It’s the area that is now Rosslyn Gateway Park, across the street from where the new Rosslyn Gateway development is set to go in.

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News

Police Working Leads in Deadly Robbery Case

By Katie Pyzyk

Authorities have responded to at least four calls over the past few days regarding men spotted around Arlington who fit the description of the suspect and were wearing yellow vests. One such report prompted police to detain and question a man yesterday, as seen in the courtesy photo on the left. It happened around the same time and vicinity as an SUV running into Bangkok 54 on Columbia Pike, but the two incidents were not related. Police determined the man was not the robbery suspect from Friday, and released him at the scene.

Meanwhile, there’s been some speculation by local TV stations that the Columbia Pike robbery may be linked to a similar armed robbery in the District last month. As seen in video run on NBC 4, the gunman in the surveillance video from the June 9 jewelry store robbery in Northwest D.C. is also seen wearing a reflective yellow vest. Police say the two departments are sharing information about the robberies.

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News

County Fills Vacant Planning Director Position

By Katie Pyzyk

“Bob Duffy has a long and varied career in local government planning and leadership positions,” said Robert E. Brosnan, director of Arlington’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development. “He is exactly what the Planning Department needs right now as we move into implementation for some of our major planning projects to create more affordable housing and continue our smart growth, transit-oriented development.”

Duffy was most recently a planning supervisor with the Prince George’s County Planning Department. Previously, he was Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Brookline, Massachusetts; Assistant Director of the Louisville Development Authority and Downtown Development Corporation; Town Planning and Development Administrator for the Town of Southampton, New York; and the Director of Planning for the City of Sanibel, Florida.

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Around Town

Arlington County Fair Kicks Off Next Week

By Katie Pyzyk

The fair begins on Wednesday, August 8, and runs through Sunday, August 12. The theme for this year is “Live Green, Learn Green.”

Official opening ceremonies for the fair take place on Thursday, August 9th, at 6:30 p.m. Entertainment begins at 6:00 p.m. with a performance by the U.S. Army Brass Quintet, followed by the program at 6:30 p.m., with a joint presentation of Colors by the U.S. Army Color Guard and Arlington County Color Guard. The program will include remarks from a County Board member and the Arlington County Fair’s Board of Directors.

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