The award show is being held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City. The awards honor “military children who demonstrate resilience, strength of character and leadership within their families and communities.”
Five outstanding children from each branch of the military will receive awards.
Clarendon’s Liberty Tavern was nominated for Best Upscale Casual Restaurant and Lyon Park’s EatBar was nominated for Best Neighborhood Gathering Space.
In a fractional victory, Tiffany MacIsaac of Neighborhood Restaurant Group — which operates EatBar, Tallula and Rustico in Arlington, along with restaurants in the District and Alexandria — was nominated for Best Pastry Chef.
Davies Driver Sentenced in Crash — The driver in the fatal 2009 George Washington Parkway crash that left soccer star Charlie Davies severely injured was sentenced to two years in prison Friday. Maria Espinoza was drunk when the SUV she was driving hit a guardrail near Memorial Bridge and split in half, killing her best friend and leaving Davies maimed. Davies, now playing for DC United, scored two goals in the team’s home opener at RFK Stadium on Saturday. [ESPN, NY Times, Washington Post]
Arlington Woman Rescued from Potomac River — An Arlington woman was rescued by the Coast Guard after her kayak overturned in the Georgetown Channel, near Key Bridge, just before noon on Sunday. The woman, identified at 61-year-old Jenie Upchurch, was reportedly struggling to stay afloat when a Coast Guard vessel arrived at the scene and threw her a life ring. [U.S. Coast Guard]
Spring Cleaning For Bikes — Forecasts suggest we’re in for two very nice days to end the work week. It’s going to be warm enough that many seasonal cyclists may be thinking about dusting off their bike for a spin. Local cycling advocate Mark Blacknell has advice for getting your bike into proper riding condition after a winter in storage. [Patch]
Gas Company Urges Residents to Report Leaks — A public forum about gas leaks didn’t attract a large crowd, but it did feature officials from Washington Gas who asked residents to report leaks as soon as they smell them. [Sun Gazette]
Despite the fact that 1,500 people attended the event, dozens of offers responded to the scene, and some of the fights were caught on video, police still have not made any arrests, according to department spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal.
Investigators are asking anybody who witnessed or video taped an assault at the awards to come forward by contacting Det. John Donaggio at 703-228-4167.
Update at 3:05 a.m. — A video posted on AllDMVHipHop.com (NSFW) shows a group of nearly a dozen people fighting inside the hotel.
A huge brawl broke out at a local hip hop award show in Crystal City Saturday night, sending several people to the hospital.
Man Killed on Key Bridge Was Arlington Resident — Police say 23-year-old Arlington resident Aliester Elizardo Pineda-Medrano was walking his broken-down moped across the Key Bridge when he was struck and killed by an SUV Sunday night. The man who police say struck Pineda-Medrano and kept going has also been identified. [WUSA 9]
DMV Back Open After Roof Blown Off — A large section of the metal roof atop the DMV building on South Four Mile Run Drive blew off during Friday’s fierce winds. Nonetheless, the DMV opened as usual on Monday. [TBD]
Guas is one of ten chefs nominated for the award in the Mid-Atlantic region, and one of 100 chefs nominated nationwide. Other local nominees include Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley, Dan Giusti of 1789 Restaurant, and Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana.
The ultimate winner will be decided by an online vote. The winners in each of the ten geographic regions will be featured in the July issue of Food and Wine.
Iwo Jima Memorial Revamp Planned — One of the most memorable sights in Arlington may be getting a face lift. The 56-year-old Iwo Jima memorial is in need of a refurbishment and more frequent flag replacements, supporters say. A group, the Marine Corps War Memorial Foundation, also wants to add a volunteer-staffed reception center with permanent restrooms, replacing the plastic portable toilets currently on site. [USA Today]
George Allen Wants His Senate Seat Back — Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) says he will run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and formerly held by himself. The 2012 race will also feature a challenge on Allen’s right during the primary. Some fellow Republicans wasted no time portraying Allen, once thought of as a possible presidential candidate, as “one of the biggest government guys out there” and “a part of the Washington establishment.” [Washington Post]
Developer Wants to Build Pedestrian Bridge in Virginia Square — The Dittmar Company told the Ashton Heights Civic Association that it wants to build an enclosed, elevated pedestrian bridge between the two buildings of its massive proposed “Virginia Square Towers” development. An underground connection is not possible, the company says, because it plans to build one large, continuous parking lot under the two buildings. [TBD]
Arlington Elementary Schools Receive Top State Education Award — Arlington Science Focus, Arlington Traditional and Nottingham Elementary have all received the 2011 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence, the state’s highest honor under its Virginia Index of Performance awards program. Seven other Arlington elementary schools have been recognized by the Virginia Board of Education for making “significant progress” in student achievement. [Arlington Public Schools]
According to a press release, the coalition “assisted Arlington Board Member Walter Tejada in the development of a resolution he introduced in late September.” The resolution passed unanimously. Ultimately, the county determined that it was not practically possible to opt out of the program.
“Leading up to the vote, coalition members distributed thousands of petitions, fact sheets and emails to residents and organized and engaged in public forums to discuss the flaws of the Secure Communities program,” the coalition said in a statement. “The work to stop the program is far from over but the Coalition remains steadfast in its mission to halt the Secure Communities program because it encourages racial profiling, destroys families, destroys the trust in police and circumvents our criminal justice system.”
The USTA Mid-Atlantic Section named Arlington County’s Parks Department its “2010 Parks and Recreation Agency of the Year.” The award is in recognition of the county’s “overall tennis programming.”
“This award demonstrates that the state of tennis in Arlington County is strong and getting even stronger,” Parks Department Sports Programmer Eric Legg said in a statement. “As the popularity of tennis in Arlington County grows, so too does the quality of tennis programming and facilities.”
