News | ARLnow.com - Part 1089

The Washington Post Endorses Vihstadt

Published October 31, 2014 at 4:30PM

The Post said Vihstadt would be a “badly needed independent voice” on the otherwise all-Democratic, five-member County Board. Vihstadt was elected to the Board in April in a special election, when he defeated Democrat Alan Howze by a 57-to-41 percent margin.

Howze is again running against Vihstadt, and local prognosticators are predicting this race will be closer; former Arlington treasurer Francis O’Leary thinks Howze will win because of a greater turnout of Democratic “party line” voters. However, the Post writes, the issues that led voters to choose Vihstadt in April haven’t changed.

Temporary Homeless Shelter Opens, Permanent Shelter Coming in Spring

By ARLnow.com

Published October 31, 2014 at 3:30PM

The EWS will be open for vulnerable residents every day from 4:00 p.m.-9:00 a.m., through March 31. Hours may be extended on especially cold days, which happened during last season’s cold snap. The temporary facility at 2049 15th Street N. accommodates up to 74 people and other nearby facilities can be used as overflow during severe weather.

Arlington County funds the EWS and it is operated by the nonprofit Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN), under the supervision of the county’s Department of Human Services. It provides homeless residents with facilities for sleeping, eating, showering and doing laundry.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 31, 2014 at 9:25AM | Updated October 31, 2014 at 11:00AM

Historical Society Requests Heritage Center — The Arlington Historical Society formally requested including a heritage center in the the plan for redeveloping the Courthouse Square area. The organization said it could assist with developing such a facility, but could not foot the bill entirely on its own. [InsideNova]

Wizards’ Marcin Gortat Buys $1.6M Home in Arlington — Washington Wizards player Marcin Gortat has purchased one of the most expensive homes on the market in Arlington. He bought the 5-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom home for $1.6 million. The 4,008 square foot new house on N. Quebec Street should have plenty of room for the 6’11” Gortat. [Curbed DC]

County Approves Pub Crawl Under New Guidelines

By ARLnow.com

Published October 30, 2014 at 4:30PM

The Halloween Crawl is set to take place on Saturday (November 1). It’s the first bar crawl permit issued since the County Board decided in July that bar crawls will be classified as “special events” and require a permit.

“As the County Board has said, our goal is to manage these events in a way that ensures the safety of participants and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods and reimburses the County for crawl-related expenses,” said County Manager Barbara Donnellan in a written statement.

La Cote D’Or Cafe Reopens After Break-In

By ARLnow.com

Published October 30, 2014 at 10:30AM

Cris Flores tells ARLnow.com that he was the manager on duty on Monday night. He said sometime after he closed up at 10:00 p.m. and before the first person came in on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., vandals broke into the restaurant.

Flores said wine, liquor, beer and money were stolen from the establishment. The vandals also overturned tables, broke wine glasses and plates, removed food from the refrigerator and scattered it around, and broke wine bottles.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 30, 2014 at 9:20AM | Updated October 30, 2014 at 10:22AM

Patrick Henry Elementary Honored by State — Patrick Henry Elementary School was among 40 schools around the state honored by the Virginia Board of Education for improving the academic performance of economically disadvantaged students. It was named a Highly Distinguished School for exceeding both state and federal benchmarks two years in a row. [WJLA]

Arlington, Falls Church Have State’s Best Jobs Numbers — Arlington and Falls Church tied for the lowest jobless rate in Virginia last month. They both listed a 3.7 percent unemployment rate for September. Arlington’s unemployment rate had been at 4 percent in August. [InsideNova]

‘100 Homes Campaign’ Reaches Goal

By ARLnow.com

Published October 29, 2014 at 2:45PM | Updated October 29, 2014 at 3:12PM

The achievement will be celebrated tonight at the annual Community Meeting on Homelessness. The public is welcome to attend the event, which will be held at the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association (NRECA) Conference Center (4301 Wilson Blvd) from 7:00-8:30 p.m. John Harvey, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, will be the keynote speaker. He will talk about Virginia’s efforts to end veteran homelessness by the end of next year. Other speakers include County Board members and State Senator Barbara Favola.

County staff worked with nonprofit organizations to find housing for the people selected for 100 Homes. The following programs allowed for the housing:

$23 Million Arlington Mansion Target of Possible Home Invasion Robbery

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 29, 2014 at 1:30PM

The $23 million mansion at 201 Chain Bridge Road in Arlington was the scene of a possible home invasion robbery this morning.

The robbery is at least the second time the 23,000-square-foot, Mediterranean house overlooking the Potomac River has been broken into in the past seven months. This time, police were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a burglary in progress, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

County Manager Recommends 40 New Wheelchair-Accessible Taxis

By Ethan Rothstein

Published October 29, 2014 at 10:30AM | Updated October 29, 2014 at 10:46AM

Donnellan said in a memorandum in July she would recommend issuing no new taxi licenses in the county. But when the Accessibility Subcommittee of the Transit Advisory Committee took up the issue in September, it found that there was a need the county had not adequately addressed.

“[The subcommittee] that the low level of taxi complaints reported in the 2014 Certificate Determination Report was not a meaningful measure to determine the amount of accessible taxis needed,” Donnellan’s memorandum, issued earlier this month, states. “Since taxi dispatchers are informing callers that a three-hour wait is required for an accessible taxicab ride, customers are unlikely to complain to the County or request a same-day accessible taxi trip in the future.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 29, 2014 at 9:15AM

Decal Competition Underway — The annual competition for high school students to design the county’s new vehicle decal has begun. Entries for the 2015-2016 decal are accepted until December 1. [InsideNova, Arlington County]

DIY Network Casting Call — DIY Network is accepting applications from residents of the D.C. metro region for its show “I Want That.” It is not a renovation program, but rather focuses on the best and newest home and garden products. Homeowners within a 30 minute drive from downtown D.C. will be considered. [DIY Network]

Man Robbed of Watch in Lyon Village

By ARLnow.com

Published October 28, 2014 at 3:45PM | Updated October 28, 2014 at 4:06PM

File photo

The man was in the 3300 block of 13th Street N. around 2:05 a.m. on Saturday when he was apparently approached by three strangers. The three men robbed the victim of his watch while showing a gun, according to the police crime report.

Several bystanders allegedly intervened, but they didn’t stay at the scene until police arrived.

Man Stabbed Near Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published October 28, 2014 at 2:45PM

Arlington police car (file photo)

The victim had just visited his girlfriend in the 800 block of S. Frederick Street. Around 6:45 p.m., three teenagers reportedly attacked the man without provocation, stabbing him multiple times in the upper body. Police say the victim’s girlfriend witnessed the attack but was not hurt.

The victim sustained significant injuries and was taken to Fairfax Inova Hospital.