Author: Ryan Cole

Ryan Cole is a reporting fellow at ARLnow and an Arlington native. He’s a 2022 Yorktown High School graduate and a 2026 graduate of Northwestern University, where he studied journalism and covered sports for campus publications.

Around Town

‘Capital Doner’ opens in Rosslyn, serving Turkish gyros and shawarma

By Ryan Cole
Capital Doner in Rosslyn (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

A new restaurant serving Turkish sandwiches, wraps and pita dishes has opened in Rosslyn.

D.C.-based Capital Doner opened its second location last month at 1731 Wilson Blvd, across the street from H-B Woodlawn. The restaurant serves halal gyros and shawarma, plus falafel wraps and traditional Turkish desserts.

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Around Town

Arlington woman seeks to transport abused stray dog from Albania to U.S.

By Ryan Cole
Buddy the dog (courtesy of Silvi Pomeroy)

An Arlington woman originally from Albania is raising money through GoFundMe to bring a stray dog from her home country to the United States.

Silvi Pomeroy, a resident physician at George Washington University Hospital, met “Buddy” on a trip to show her husband Albania and visit family. Her aunt had been feeding Buddy for a couple weeks leading up to their visit, and he followed the family around on walks.

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Around Town

Fleet of laser-equipped robots begins survey of Arlington sidewalks

By Ryan Cole
Arlington robots assessing sidewalk conditions (via Arlington DES/Flickr)

A fleet of robots has begun wandering the sidewalks between Ballston and Rosslyn, searching for any defects to report back to the county’s Department of Environmental Services.

The bots, which went live at the start of this month, use a combination of laser scanners, mobile mapping, AI and machine learning to look for defects like cracks, weeds or gaps of at least half an inch.

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Around Town

Local high schooler creates assistive app for people with motor disabilities

By Ryan Cole
Dhanvin Ganeshkumar presents Swype AI at SXSW EDU's Student Impact Challenge (courtesy of Dhanvin Ganeshkumar)

A Thomas Jefferson High School junior is launching an assistive technology start-up to help people with motor disabilities use computers more easily.

Dhanvin Ganeshkumar’s Swype AI will allow people to control their computer using a free mobile app on their smartphone in conjunction with gestures or vocal commands.

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Around Town

Arlington entrepreneurs debut new party boat with catering from District Taco

By Ryan Cole
The new "Cantina Cruises" by Sea Suite Cruises (via Sea Suite Cruises/Instagram)

A pair of Arlington entrepreneurs have partnered with a local taqueria to debut a new cantina-themed booze cruise on the Potomac River.

Sea Suite Cruises’ new “Cantina Cruises” party boat, which debuted on the Fourth of July, comes with a full-service bar plus chips and salsa courtesy of District Taco. Private parties can also get catering from the regional taco chain.

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Around Town

Rep. Beyer is spelling bee champ in annual contest between politicians and press

By Ryan Cole
Congressman Don Beyer holds spelling bee trophy (via National Press Club/X)

Arlington’s congressman took home the title at the latest annual spelling competition between politicians and members of the media.

Rep. Don Beyer (D) won the National Press Club’s annual “Press & Politicians Spelling Bee” on June 25. His winning word was “stygian,” meaning “of or relating to the river Styx” or “extremely dark, gloomy or forbidding.”

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News

Beyer announces reelection bid, pledging to wield influence to keep fighting Trump

By Ryan Cole
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) speaks on the House floor, April 2024 (via Rep. Don Beyer/Twitter)

Rep. Don Beyer is pursuing another term in office, promising to keep fighting “abuses of power” while his party plots strategies to take back Congress.

The Democrat representing Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, which includes all of Arlington, acknowledged to ARLnow that his party has struggled to resist dramatic policy changes under President Donald Trump while Republicans control the legislature.

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Around Town

Art exhibit featuring rotting banana opens at Ballston retirement community

By Ryan Cole
Resident views new art exhibit (courtesy of Judith M. Greig)

A new resident-created art exhibit at a Ballston senior living community is trying to test the limits of what art really is.

Titled “Art of the Absurd: But is it Art?”, the exhibition at The Jefferson (900 N. Taylor Street) was inspired by a banana taped to a wall that sold for $6.2 million at a contemporary art auction in November.

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Around Town

New program will send free meals to D.C.-area first responders

By Ryan Cole
Muscle Cell Health founder Fernando Arceo graduates from Training Academy. (courtesy of Fernando Arceo)

A D.C.-area meal prep company is launching a new initiative to feed first responders going through financial hardship.

Beginning on the Fourth of July, Muscle Cell Health’s “Operation Fuel The Force” will deliver one free meal per day to first responders, including military members.

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Around Town

Dim sum restaurant ‘1983 Chinese Cuisine’ to open in Pentagon City

By Ryan Cole
1983 Chinese Cuisine from the street (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

Pentagon City restaurant 1983 Chinese Cuisine is set to “soft open” this Thursday, serving up traditional Cantonese dim sum at the Westpost shopping center.

The restaurant will start accepting customers, but General Manager Cuong Vo says the food and menu won’t be a finished product — they’re looking for feedback from the public before hosting a “grand opening.”

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News

Giant Lego model of Reagan National Airport to debut next week

By Ryan Cole
Lego builder Richard Paules stands with his model of Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

A new 150,000-piece model of Reagan National Airport’s Terminal 2 is about to make its debut.

A nine-month labor of love by Lego enthusiast Richard Paules, the 120-pound centerpiece — featuring an accurate floor design with domes, arrival/departure levels and even a baggage claim — is set to appear to the public next Monday.

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