“As you may be aware, the new Pokémon GO game has become increasingly popular since its release on July 6, 2016. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) would like to take this time to alert the public of some of the following items related to this application, including safety tips and cautionary measures players should consider.
This reality game may cause players to have a lowered sense of awareness to their surroundings while focusing on smartphones and mobile application devices. Across the nation, there have been reported robberies, an increase of accidents caused by players, and other public disturbances or crimes taking place. Fortunately, MPD has not seen an increase of crimes stemming from Pokémon GO in Washington, DC. There have not been any reports or incidents directly related to this application as some other cities have reported.
However, some personal safety issues should be taken into consideration for players who have or wish to engage the Pokémon GO game. MPD encourages our residents to take precautionary measures and keep in mind the following concerns:
· Numerous injuries and several vehicle accidents can be attributed to people playing the game due to players’ diverted attention. Individuals may collide with stationary objects, fall down, and vehicles can come to a stop in an attempt to capture virtual characters on the side of the road.
· The game draws players to specific locations such as landmarks, businesses, churches, and government buildings where players may more easily become targets of victimization. These designated areas may be places where predators lure or target children and teens.
· Downloading the application in some instances allows full access to the player’s Gmail account by a third party application. This can lead to compromising an individual’s personal information including email, photos, and documents.
MPD officers are being encouraged at this time to engage citizens they observe playing Pokémon GO to exercise caution while playing. Due to the nature of the objectives, game play may result in the rise of suspicious activity reporting or suspicious photography, and all such potential security concerns will be treated seriously. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local police department, or express your concerns here on this listserv for the community.
We look forward to the continued dialogue about this topic and will be sure to keep residents informed of any related incidents that result from the Pokémon GO application. Stay safe.
Well this is wild if you haven’t been by in a minute. The murals are gone, standby for a 300 Unit Residential Unit including the “digitally reproduced” mural in the lobby.
This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Jasmine, who’s a 9-year-old pug.
Here’s what Jasmine’s owner, Jessica, had to say about her.
Hi, my name is Jasmine the Pug (look for my hashtag on Instagram #jasminethepug) and I am 9 years. My birthday is August 1st and I will be the BIG 1-0. My mom took me in when I was 6 months old from a family that could no longer keep me. Mom and I both moved to the DC area 8 years ago and have been living in Arlington for the past 4 years.
Just over a year ago, my mom decided to take in my new brother, Wilson. He is WILD! I don’t know what she was thinking because I’m old and he exhausts me, but I love him nonetheless. I am actually his great aunt or something (we have the same bloodline), but I only claim him occasionally.
Things I enjoy include: eating (I would eat ALL the time if she’d let me), sunbathing, boat riding, laying on the couch, cuddling in my cuddlebed, and just being close to my mom. Occasionally mom will take us to the wineries out in Virginia and that’s always fun. Barrel Oak is my favorite! Mom also volunteers with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue and will sometimes bring home another dog for the weekend. It’s okay as long as it keeps my brother, Wilson, entertained and lets me rest.
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email arlingtonnews@gmail.com with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!
Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.
Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.
Arlington officials have some seemingly-obvious advice to players of the hot new smartphone game Pokemon Go.
First of all, says Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management, don’t walk into traffic while playing the game. Also, don’t try to play the game and drive at the same time.
Beyond that, OEM and the Arlington County Police Department have other practical advice for game players to remain safe:
“Always be aware of your surroundings. Play with other people, there’s safety in numbers. Tell people where you’re going, especially if it is somewhere you’ve never been. Parents should limit places kids can go. Be considerate of where Pokemon are displayed and don’t trespass on private property.”
Even some public property may be off-limits. There have been recent reports of people playing Pokemon at Arlington National Cemetery (see below).
Spokesman Stephen Smith said players are asked to refrain from playing on cemetery grounds.
“In respect for those interred at Arlington National Cemetery, we do request and require the highest level of decorum from our guests and visitors,” Smith told ARLnow.com. “Playing such a game on these hallowed grounds would not be deemed appropriate.”
Saw someone playing Pokemon Go in Arlington cemetery today. Let that sink in…
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser authorized the release of FOIA-exempt body-worn camera (BWC) footage related to the officer-involved, fatal shooting of Sherman Evans, a 63-year-old resident of Northeast DC.
On June 27, 2016, at approximately 10:22 pm, members of the Fourth District of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to a 911 call of a man brandishing a gun. Officers arrived on scene to find Mr. Evans holding a firearm. MPD officers ordered Mr. Evans to drop the gun over the period of several minutes. Mr. Evans refused to comply with numerous demands to drop his weapon. As a result, MPD officers discharged their weapons, shooting Mr. Evans, who was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
An MPD officer who was among the first to arrive at the scene was equipped with a body-worn camera. An additional officer was also equipped with a BWC and captured footage after the shooting. The video released today includes footage from both cameras. The shooting is being separately investigated by MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The release of the footage has also been deemed in the public interest and is consistent with the goal of the District’s BWC program, including creating broader accountability between law enforcement and communities and maintaining an open and transparent government. The Administration consulted Channing Phillips, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Karl Racine, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; and notified Kenyan McDuffie, the Chairman of the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary, prior to this release.”
Previously MPD reported:
“Chief of Police Cathy Lanier and Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department responded to a police-involved shooting that occurred on Monday, June 27, 2016, in the 100 block of Varnum Street, Northeast.
At approximately 10:22 pm, MPD officers responded to the location in reference to a man with a gun. Upon arrival, officers encountered an individual holding a weapon. After numerous demands to drop the weapon, the suspect failed to comply and raised the weapon toward the officers. The officers then discharged their service weapons, striking the suspect. The suspect was transported to an area hospital, in critical condition, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The decedent will be identified once next of kin has been notified.
The suspect’s weapon was recovered on the scene. Investigation revealed the weapon produced by the suspect was a BB Gun.”
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 2 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit. Please try to send horizontal photos 640×480 (medium size on your iphone) if possible. If you’re not using an iphone any size is fine.
“Miss Natasha of Petworth, displaying her Natitude. It’s her Adoptiversary!”
“Mata. 3 month old who rules the house and our hearts. Living the dream in Shaw.”
Arlington County hopes to teach locals about its “Car-Free Diet” initiative with a catchy new rap video.
The new song, titled “Options for Days,” highlights the different options Arlingtonians have to travel around the county without a car, including taking the Metro, walking, biking and riding the bus. Throughout the video, performers clad in tee shirts and sunglasses dance, rap and sing to promote the transit initiative.
This isn’t the first quirky video the County has released to help highlight the initiative. Officials released a “Car-Free Diet Show” sketch comedy series almost five years ago and have posted videos regularly on YouTube since 2009.
“Derek Brown’s new Columbia Room (124 Blagden Alley NW) ushers in summer with a new seasonal cocktail menu inspired by Central and South American flavors, cultures and countries, including traditional Latin American beverages and spirits from El Salvador, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and more.
The new menu items launch Tuesday, June 28 in the Tasting Room, Spirits Library and Punch Garden, and are inspired by the heritage, lives and travels of Columbia Room staff — from kitchen cooks to bar assistants to Drink Company CEO Angie Fetherston, who is Ecuadorian.
“We drew inspiration from our team, CEO to dishwasher, and asked them to help us discover new flavors and new ideas,” Brown says of designing the new menu. “That’s one of the things Columbia Room does best, experiment, because our guests are generally a little more adventurous. We were interested in flavors and products that we haven’t really used, from floral teas in Ecuador to a drinkable salad in El Salvador.”
Known for impeccable attention to detail and unexpected presentation, Columbia Room incorporates a diverse array of spirits in the new summer menu offerings, including singani, pisco, rum, chicha and Chilean wine paired with fruit and vegetable ingredients such as guava, banana, iceberg lettuce and passion fruit.
The Tasting Room’s signature three- or five-course tasting experience features five exciting new summer cocktails, including the “Coctel de Tamayo,” made with singani, scotch, dry curaçao, banana, passion fruit, orgeat, cane sugar, lime juice and black-lemon bitters.
“We Came for the Gold,” served in the Spirits Library, is a mix of miso-infused pisco, ginger-lime cordial, honey, maraschino liqueur and red shiso leaf. And in the Punch Garden, the bottled “Jote” consists of Chilean wine, citrus oleo syrup, amaro ciociaro and sparkling mineral water topped with a lime wheel and seasonal berries.
Columbia Room’s new summer menu will be available until mid-September — just before the official start of fall.”
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 2 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit. Please try to send horizontal photos 640×480 (medium size on your iphone) if possible. If you’re not using an iphone any size is fine.
“Pippa of NoMa enjoying the sunshine.”
“Carmela of Capitol Hill (and a Washington Humane Society alum), enjoying a Sunday drive.”
“Barney from the ‘burbs of Falls Church day dreaming about summer strolls downtown.”
“Washington’s latest church-to-condo conversion may be the city’s most awe-inspiring to date. The Sanctuary, located at 819 D Street, NE in the Stanton Park neighborhood of prestigious Capitol Hill, offers 30 distinctive homes carefully designed and built within the stately red brick walls of a 19th-century Gothic Revival church. The building’s meticulous restoration produces incredible spaces with soaring ceilings, monumental windows, and residences that will not be replicated.
The Rubin Group is leading the development team now nearing completion of an 18-month restoration and transformation effort that includes thoughtful preservation of many century-old features, with its partner Regua. Bonstra Haresign Architects is the architect for the renovations; Potomac Construction Group is the general contractor.
The hallmark of this effort is the careful hand restoration of the beautiful stained and leaded glass windows, the building’s defining feature. Pennsylvania craftsmen worked thousands of hours artfully restoring every single stained glass panel to its original splendor.
After five decades on Capitol Hill, The Way of the Cross Church of Christ decided to build a larger campus in Capitol Heights, MD. In order to finance its expansion, the church selected the development team as its partner to restore and transform the building.
The church at 9th and D Streets, NE was built in 1897 by The Disciples of Christ and called The Ninth Street Christian Church. Its Gothic Revival style was popular with Protestant churches of that era. In 1915, the church added a large fellowship hall in the same style, and later acquired two adjoining townhouses.
The Sanctuary offers 30 unique homes, 26 of which are in the original church building, ranging in size from one-bedroom to two-bedroom units with dens. Interior finishes were carefully curated to complement the grandeur of the building’s exterior and pay homage to a bygone era. Exposed brick walls and cast-iron columns, towering church windows with restored original stained glass panels, and uncommonly high ceilings grace many of The Sanctuary’s residences. All residences are accessible by the elegant grand staircase or a brand-new elevator. Select units have rooftop decks with views of the Capitol dome.
The project also includes two adjacent renovated townhomes. Each has a terrace-level one-bedroom unit along with a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath unit with a private entrance, providing a living experience like that of a classic Capitol Hill row house.
“The Sanctuary provides a rare opportunity to live within easy walking distance of the US Capitol in an environment that evokes the neighborhood of over a century ago,” said Matt Dewey of Urban Pace. “This is an excellent example of thoughtful adaptive re-use of a beautiful church building in the heart of the Nation’s capital.”
Urban Pace is launching presales for condos at The Sanctuary, priced from the mid-$300,000s to over $1 million. For more information, visit www.Sanctuary819.com or call 202.303.3451.”
Going to the grocery store used to be a fun deal when I was a kid. I could get hyped by all the new cereals based on major motion pictures, and scout out obscure, off-brand sodas for additions to my can collection. As an adult with responsibilities and a budget it’s less fun, always having to choose between, like, beer OR ice cream, but not both, because the rest of the money went to stuff I must consume so as not to starve.
But if my grocery store were inhabited entirely by kitties? Oh, I’d be there every day with bells on. Literally, bells. Because I presume they’d all stop what they’re doing and come play with them. You might even say they’d definitely get meow’t of the house.
This commercial for German grocery chain Netto, first spotted at Ad Week, imagines just such a scenario, except it doesn’t stop there: these are all knock-offs of Internet-famous cats. Surprised Kitty, Keyboard Cat, NoNoNo Cat, Grumpy Cat and more get impersonated in this spot, which somehow imagines the funny felines are actually disciplined enough not to have all headed straight to the toilet paper aisle and shredded it like it was wheat in a Nabisco cereal. Maybe the director just wasn’t enough of a cat person to…
Well, ooookay then! Never mind! I bow to the Krazy Kat King.
The new position is used by frogs that want minimal physical contact. Their hands aren’t even touching — rather they’re probably holding onto a leaf or tree trunk. Sounds fun.
Arlington officials have some seemingly-obvious advice to players of the hot new smartphone game Pokemon Go.
With Bastille Day on the horizon, nosh on some puffy French goodness. [ more › ]
New research finds that hedgehogs have adapted to European city living quite well, thank you very much.
New research confirms what goat lovers already know; goats are smart and have the capacity for complex communication with people.
The conversation surrounding Zero Waste living needs to embrace everyone, including those who live with disabilities and low incomes.
Washington D.C. is now the biggest loser when it comes to cities without major titles. [ more › ]
On Wednesday, members of both parties will read it aloud into the Congressional record. [ more › ]