News

A woman had her purse forcefully stolen from her while walking home from the Ballston Metro station around 10:00 Tuesday night. From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ROBBERY, 10/16/12, 1100 block of N. Utah Street. On October 16 at 9:56 pm, a female victim was walking home from the Ballston Metro station when she was attacked by a male subject and had her purse stolen. The victim chased the man briefly on foot until she lost sight of him behind a row of townhouses. The suspect is described as a black or Hispanic male, approximately 5’8″ tall and very heavy set, with a bald head. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, grey sweatpants and white sneakers at the time of the incident.


News

A small fire broke out underneath an escalator at the Ballston Metro station this afternoon as a result of welding work.

“An escalator contractor was welding at the time on the unit, and that a spark from the welding work was the likely cause” of the fire, WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel told ARLnow.com. There were no injuries, smoke has been fully ventilated from the station, and “all protective systems worked as intended,” Stessel said.


News

Voter Registration Deadline Today — If you want to vote in the upcoming presidential election and haven’t registered yet, today’s the last day to do so. Oct. 15 is the deadline to register to vote or update your address for the Nov. 6 election. Registration applications most be postmarked by today or submitted to Arlington’s Office of Voter Registration (2100 Clarendon Blvd) by 5:00 p.m. [Arlington County]

Marymount ‘Blue Goose’ Will Be Demolished — Marymount University’s distinctive but aging “Blue Goose” building at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston is set to be demolished and redeveloped. The actual demolition is still “a few years away,” according to a school spokeswoman, but the planning process is now getting started. [Arlington Mercury]


Around Town

As reported in the Washington Post earlier this year, 29-year-old Massoud Adibpour and his friends set out on a mission to bring joy to seemingly overworked and unhappy people in the District. They have posted inspirational signs around town and have been spotted in high traffic areas holding signs with smile-inducing phrases such as “Honk if you love someone” and “Do more of what makes you happy.”

The Make DC Smile Facebook page says the following: “No one ever looks forward to sitting in traffic and going to work on Monday morning. What started as a simple bucket list idea to hold the sign ‘Honk if you love someone’ at a busy DC intersection has turned into a weekly movement to get commuters starting their week off with a smile.”


Around Town

Which Wich is preparing to move into the neighborhood, apparently into the space previously occupied by the recently closed Daily Grind.

The chain touts more than 50 customizable sub sandwiches, including a few breakfast options, as well as salads and shakes. The restaurants highlight their unique way of ordering, in which customers use markers to write their orders on brown paper bags, and the sandwiches are delivered to them in those bags.


Around Town

A new Italian restaurant is coming to Ballston early next year.

Il Forno Restaurant is coming to the ground floor of the Virginia Tech Research Center building at 900 N. Glebe Road, near the Greene Turtle. The restaurant will have 124 seats and a pizza oven that’s being imported from Italy, according to owner Charles Nejat, a sales manager at the nearby Arlington Mercedes-Benz dealership.


News

Police are on the scene of a reported armed robbery just south of Ballston.

The incident happened just after 2:30 p.m. According to initial reports, two young men in their 20s, dressed in all black, stole a cell phone from a victim near the intersection of Glebe Road and 4th Street N. One of the men brandished a handgun during the robbery, while the other implied a weapon.


News

Cybersecurity Center to Open in Ballston — Virginia Tech and defense contractor L-3 Communications are set to jointly open a cybersecurity research center in Ballston on Friday. The center will be located at the Virginia Tech Research Center building at 900 N. Glebe Road. [Washington Post]

Arlington Gearing Up for Nov. Election — In anticipation of election day on Nov. 6, Arlington County is encouraging residents to register to vote and, if necessary, vote absentee. The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 15, and the deadline for absentee ballots is Oct. 30. This year, the county is also allowing voters to cast their absentee ballot in person, at three absentee polling places: Courthouse Plaza, Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center, and the Madison Community Center. [Arlington County]


Around Town

The Ballston location of the Marvelous Market, a small regional chain of gourmet food stores/cafes, has closed permanently.

Located at 888 N. Quincy Street, the store closed its doors for good on Monday, a tipster said. The contents of the store — including tables, signs, sinks, appliances and electronics — were promptly put up for auction.


Around Town

Owner and chef Nathan Spitall had previously owned the BBQ Bandidos food truck. He has worked in restaurants in New York and locally, such as at the former Harry’s Tap Room in Clarendon, and wanted launch a brick and mortar establishment in Arlington.

“The food truck was great, but my home is in a restaurant,” Spitall said.


Around Town

The store, which is hoping to open at some point this week, will sell artwork and offer framing services. A banner announcing the store is now covering the existing Daily Deli sign. Artwork and sports memorabilia can be seen in the window.

Ballston Art and Framing has the same ownership as K.H. Art and Framing at 4745 Lee Highway, according to building permits. A store rep tells us that the new store is the business’ fifth location; other locations include Falls Church, Lorton and Washington, D.C.


Around Town

The Arlington County Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to grant the permit, which will allow the Greene Turtle to host bands and DJs inside the restaurant. Live entertainment will be permitted between 5:00 p.m. and midnight Sunday-Wednesday, and from 5:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday and on certain holidays, like Cinco de Mayo, Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.

Initially, the Greene Turtle also requested live entertainment outside on its patio, but dropped the request after encountering neighborhood opposition. Before Tuesday’s vote, representatives from the restaurant noted that the music from inside will not be broadcast outside by way of speakers, another neighborhood concern.


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