A large swath of South Arlington was without power tonight after strong storms swept through the area and damaged a power substation in Alexandria.
Throughout Shirlington and all along Columbia Pike, homes, apartment buildings and traffic lights went dark. Police, swamped with calls, were largely unable to direct traffic, even at busy intersections.
The Columbia Pike Blues Festival drew quite a crowd Saturday afternoon. The festival, which is part blues concert and part street fair, featured acclaimed musicians, acclaimed barbecue, and a wide variety of art and craft vendors.
Here are some photos from the event.
A tire-sized sinkhole has formed on the exit ramp from southbound Washington Boulevard to Columbia Pike.
The sinkhole, located in the right turning lane, appeared to have been partially filled in by a public works crew shortly after these photos were taken, but as of Saturday afternoon it remains a hazard to drivers.
County Manager Michael Brown has withdrawn a controversial proposal to move the Columbia Pike library from the Arlington Career Center to the future Arlington Mill Community Center. Brown told the county board today:
I am withdrawing the proposal to relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library. The library will continue to offer services at this branch, at its current location, with no change in scope or format.
County leaders got an earful about the proposed relocation of the Columbia Pike Branch Library at a town hall meeting last night.
“An angry standing room crowd” holding “signs and banners” loudly engaged library and county officials at the Arlington Career Center, a resident who attended the meeting tells us.
Columbia Pike Blues Festival Nine Days Away — The annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival is just over a week away, but now’s the time to get excited. We Love DC has come out with their top five reasons to check out the festivities. Number 4: the performance by 16-year-old jazz wunderkind Matt Wigler, dubbed “the blues version of Stephen Strasburg.”
Bike Sharing System Named, Minor Controversy Ensues — It’s like the 2000 election all over again. After asking the public to vote on a new name for the recently-announced Arlington-D.C. bike sharing system, Arlington County and DDOT decided to ignore the name that got the most first place votes — “George” — and go with the name that got the most first, second and third place votes — “Capital Bikeshare.” Some blog commenters have been bemoaning the choice of a generic, non-interesting name, but hey, at least officials took the time to explain why Capital Bikeshare is a better name than George, right?
Arlington Public Library officials are considering moving the Columbia Pike Branch Library from the Arlington Career Center on South Walter Reed Drive to the soon-to-be-redeveloped Arlington Mill Community Center, near the western end of the Pike (see map).
The potential move, just revealed to the public, may be necessary if an expansion of the Career Center eats into the library’s current space.
As the D.C. City Council wrestles with funding for its planned streetcar system, one of the first visible signs of progress on Arlington’s planned Columbia Pike streetcar project will be appearing soon.
Late next month, a contractor is scheduled to start utility relocation work on Columbia Pike between South Wakefield Street and Four Mile Run Drive. While the $2.3 million project is ostensibly meant to improve aesthetics and infrastructure along the Pike by shifting above-ground utility lines below ground, it will also relocate existing underground utilities in anticipation of the planned streetcar line.
Usman Minayar, manager of the Crystal Beauty store on South Edgewood Street, said the suspect tried to stealthily put the $17 ten inch honey blond wig in a purse while her friend, a local stripper, distracted him.
When Minayar saw what was going on, the suspect made a mad dash for the door. He didn’t try to stop her.
There are several very good options for people who want to get out of their house or apartment and do something tonight:
As always, see our events calendar for lots more to do this weekend.
In honor of Columbia Pike’s bicentennial, the county-run Arlington Virginia Network has been profiling residents’ favorite off-the-beaten-path restaurants on the Pike.
Among the places featured is Abi’s Azteca Grill (3005 Columbia Pike), a Mexican/El Salvadorian restaurant that’s one of several serving up muy auténtico Latin and South American cuisine on the Pike.
Police used a Taser on a man in the parking lot of the Arlington Coin Laundry store just before midnight last night. It’s the first known use of a Taser by Arlington officers since the April 30 incident at a Columbia Pike apartment building where a man died after being Tasered by police.
This latest incident happened at 4821 Columbia Pike, just down the road from April’s incident. Police had been called to the location for a report of intoxicated men trying to break into the laundromat. Shortly after police arrived an officer reported that a Taser had been used on one suspect.
