#Breaking: A T-Rex spotted clearing snow from hydrant. Have you? #Snowzilla #Blizzard2016 pic.twitter.com/Qt5hUIV88N
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) January 23, 2016
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Around Town
The most hotly anticipated we’ve found, based on the nearly 630 people who have already responded on Facebook, will be near the Clarendon Metro station at noon on Jan. 24.
There will be another snowball fight less than a mile away in Virginia Square. That one begins at 1:00 p.m. in Quincy Park (1021 N. Quincy Street), and the organizer’s Facebook post claims the fun will keep going “until people have tired themselves out.” A similar Quincy Park snowball fight nearly two years ago attracted more than a hundred participants.
Despite heavy snowfall and gusty winds, lots of locals managed to leave the house and have fun today.
From urban skiing to makeshift luges, here’s how some Arlington residents found a way to play:
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https://twitter.com/bje22201/status/690950820343500800
(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) The conditions outside still are treacherous for travel, so staying indoors for a while is the best idea. But if you’re already suffering from cabin fever and have the ability to easily and safely walk somewhere for a bite or a drink, there are options. Some places are even running winter storm specials.
It’s the calm before the storm.
Reagan National Airport was surprisingly empty of departing and arriving passengers before lunchtime today, where several airlines have already cancelled flights ahead of the impending snowstorm.
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(Updated at 3:58 p.m.) After four years of business, Executive Menswear at the Crystal City Shops will soon sell its last necktie. The store is at 2117 Crystal Plaza Arc, but not for much longer.
With all inventory reduced to 70 percent off and a sign thanking customers for “several years of business,” the shop is set to close its doors “very soon,” said an employee who preferred not to be identified. “It could be today, maybe tomorrow, but very soon.”
The seasonal ritual of stocking up on pre-blizzard household goods began in earnest this afternoon as shoppers clamored for bread, milk and other perishables in advance of Friday’s predicted double digit snowfall. Toilet paper, although not technically perishable, was also in high demand.
“I’ve been doing some recipe planning and planned out the week,” said Brittany Yam at Mom’s Organic Market at 1901 North Veitch Street. The mother of three from Donaldson Run was pushing a nearly full basket loaded with bread, fruit, frozen chicken strips and her daughter.
It’s hardly camping weather, but Lisa Peregory, owner of the new Second Ascent Consignment shop at 2757 Washington Boulevard, says business has been as brisk as the temperatures in the two months since the store opened.
The store specializes in casual clothing, outerwear and footwear for men, women and children, as well as specialized gear for camping, hiking, paddling and climbing, sold on a consignment basis. Customers bringing in clothing receive 45 percent of the sale price when the item sells. For items over $150 the split is 50-50.
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(Updated at 3:01 p.m.) Bicycle sales, rental and repair shop Big Wheel Bikes has closed its Arlington location for renovations, according to a notice on the chain’s website. The shop remained open after a fire in September until closing on Dec. 14.
Owner Mike Sendar said the store at 3119 Lee Highway will reopen “in about two weeks” although a hard date has not been set. Sender said customers can expect “new paint, new flooring and a new arrangement.”
All public schools, libraries, courts, human services offices and the Department of Parks and Recreation will be closed this Monday, Jan. 18 in observance of the federal holiday.
Some state offices including the courts and DMV are also closed today for Lee-Jackson Day, a state holiday. Metered and permit parking restrictions will not be enforced today or Monday for the holidays.
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The KFC on N. Glebe Road in Buckingham appears to have temporarily stopped serving “finger-lickin’ good” fast food.
According to a notice posted on the restaurant’s drive-thru menu, the KFC at 70 N. Glebe Road is “currently closed due to maintenance.”
The Springs, a new affordable apartment complex in the Buckingham area, near Ballston, celebrated its “topping out” last week.
The five story, 104-unit apartment building, at the corner of Carlin Springs Road and N. Thomas Street, is being developed by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing. The project was approved by the Arlington County Board in 2014.