Virginia Detects First Case of COVID-19 Variant — “The first case of the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 has been identified in a sample from an adult resident of Northern Virginia with no reported recent travel history. The B.1.1.7 variant, which first emerged in the United Kingdom in late 2020, is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.” [Virginia Department of Health]
Additional Ice Accumulation Possible This Morning — “Icy roads and trees can be expected in many areas this morning, but the majority of wintry weather is now behind us. However, hazards may linger into this afternoon as temperatures will only rise slowly this morning.” [National Weather Service/Twitter]
Fairfax Supervisors Prepare to Endorse American Legion Bridge Transit Study — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on whether to support the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s I-495/American Legion Bridge transit demand study. Recommendations include several proposed routes to and from Tysons. [Sun Gazette/InsideNoVA]
Judge Allows Thomas Jefferson High School Admissions Lawsuit to Move Forward — “The ruling issued Thursday by Fairfax County Circuit Judge John Tran tosses out some aspects of the lawsuit but allows the core allegations to go forward. The lawsuit contends that state regulations require TJHSST to operate as a school for the gifted, as measured by scores on standardized tests.” [WTOP]
The Boro is giving away free tickets this week to its upcoming Valentine’s Drive-In Movie Series.
The series will run from Feb. 12-14, and in order of their screening date, the featured films will be “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” and “Valentine’s Day.”
Details for entering the contest for free tickets can be found on The Boro’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Winners will be selected randomly and contacted by The Boro later this week.
The Boro decided to offer a Valentine’s Day-oriented film series after finding success with drive-in movie screenings last summer and on Halloween.
“We witnessed a huge demand for this type of activation when we quickly sold out our summer drive-in series,” The Boro Director of Marketing Tanya Graves said. “We’re excited to bring it back in this new capacity, helping people celebrate Valentine’s Day in a safe, but still romantic way.”
Gates for the screenings, which will be held behind The Loft at the intersection of Broad Street and Silver Hill Drive, will open at 6:30 p.m. The movies will begin at 8 p.m.
Paris Baguette will provide complimentary hot chocolate and sweet treats for the event. The Boro is also encouraging visitors to stop by its restaurants and retailers before the screenings.
“The last few months have been tough on everyone so The Boro wanted to offer the community a safe and fun outdoor activity to enjoy together,” Graves said. “We also want to support our retailers by inviting guests to grab dinner beforehand at one of our many dining options like North Italia, Santouka Ramen, and Poki DC.”
Tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite. They cost $25 per vehicle, and parking spots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Limited spaces are available to promote social distancing,” The Boro says on the event page.
The Boro is asking that people remain in their vehicles for the duration of each screening, except to use the bathroom or visit Boro Place retailers. Vehicles will also not be able to arrive late or leave early unless there is an emergency.
Audio for the movies will be available through a dedicated FM radio channel.
Like The Boro’s previous drive-in movie screenings, the Valentine’s Day series is being produced by DC Fray and District Fray Magazine.
Photo via The Boro Tysons/Facebook
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday (Jan. 25)
- Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week — The D.C. area’s annual Restaurant Week starts today and lasts through Feb. 7. Several venues in the Tysons area are participating.
- Metro Mondays (Online) — 4-5:30 p.m. — Fairfax and Loudoun county officials will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Metro’s budget and the Silver Line for a panel hosted by the Tysons Partnership. Registration for the Zoom event is free.
- The Amazing Max Magic Workshop (Online) — 4-5 p.m. — After putting on a family show on Sunday (Jan. 24), The Amazing Max will give children an opportunity to learn how to make magic. Tickets cost $15 per device for the general public and $10 for McLean Community Center district residents. They can be purchased through the Alden Theatre.
- Introduction to Ballroom Dancing — 7:30-8:30 p.m. — The McLean Community Center is offering new introductory classes to ballroom dance, with each month focusing on a different style. The class consists of 20 hour-long lessons, starting today through June 28. Instruction is available either in-person at the community center (1234 Ingleside Ave.) or virtually.
- The Nields Benefiting Jammin Java (Online) — 8 p.m. — Jammin Java will live-stream a virtual concert by the folk-rock band The Nields. Tickets are free, but donations to support the Vienna music venue/cafe are encouraged.
Tuesday (Jan. 26)
- Tuesday Morning Book Club (Online) — 10:30-11:30 a.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Tuesday Morning Book Club will discuss the novel “The Island of Sea Women” by Lisa See. Email group coordinator Catherine Wilson for more information about the Zoom meeting. No registration is required.
Thursday (Jan. 28)
- The Queen’s Gambit (Online) — 4:30-5:30 p.m. — With the Netflix show “The Queen’s Gambit” inspiring a new generation of female chess players, Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library chess club founder Ashley Xing will talk about the history of women in the game and her experience as a successful youth competitor. Registration is required and can be done through the Fairfax County Public Library website.
- Cup O’Jokes — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. E) — Jokes on Tap comes to Jammin Java once a month to present a comedy show featuring stand-up comics from around the D.C. region. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but a donation is suggested, and a minimum two-item purchase is required for customers at tables.
Friday (Jan. 29)
- Vienna Police Station Groundbreaking — 10 a.m. at 215 Center St. South — The Vienna Police Department is holding a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on its new headquarters building. Mayor Linda Colbert and other town officials will be present. Masks and social distancing are required.
Saturday (Jan. 30)
- Emo Trivia Night — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. E) — Test your indie cred at this trivia night focused on the alternative music scene. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and masks are required except when eating or drinking. Teams must purchase tickets at the same time through Eventbrite, and they should arrive at the event as a group. Tickets start at $7.50, with four-ticket bundles available for $30.
Photo via Jonathan Ybema on Unsplash
Northbound Lawyers Road from Maple Avenue will be closed for four to five hours today so that a water main break can be repaired, the Town of Vienna announced this morning.
The closure was expected to start around 9:30 a.m. It is not affecting southbound traffic on Lawyers going into Vienna.
The town also warned that water service to businesses in the area may be affected by the repair work.
Lawyers Rd NB from Maple is expected to be closed for 4-5 hours today beginning around 9:30 am so that a water main break may be repaired. Southbound traffic on Lawyers into Vienna will be able to get through. Also, water service to businesses in the area may be impacted. pic.twitter.com/B4bv59lDZn
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) January 25, 2021
Photo via Google Maps
Home Depot Buys Tysons Property But Plans Are Unclear — “The Atlanta-based home improvement giant paid $35.9 million for 2000 Chain Bridge Road, a 7.08-acre site at the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Leesburg Pike, according to public records.” [Washington Business Journal]
Bridge Work Reduces I-66 Approaching Cedar Lane to One Travel Lane — “Overnight lane closures and traffic stoppages are planned on I-66 East and West in Vienna area Monday, January 25, through Friday, January 29, for overhead bridge work at Cedar Lane. This work is part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project.” [VDOT]
Vienna Storage Room Fire Still Under Investigation — The cause of a storage room fire that occured on Dec. 19 at the 9300 block of Lee Highway remains under investigation. Fire investigators are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying three persons of interest and getting information about vehicles that may have been damaged at the time. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Walmart Partners with Tysons Startup on Home Deliveries — Walmart announced on Jan. 12 that it will partner with the Tysons-based startup HomeValet on a pilot project to test temperature-controlled smart boxes that could allow groceries to “be delivered, contact-free, to the secure box and kept cold at any time — even if the customer isn’t at home.” [TechCrunch]
Tysons Tops D.C. Suburbs in Number of New Apartments — “According to RENTCafé, 2,562 new units have been completed in Tysons in the past five years, putting the locale tenth nationwide for the most suburban apartment construction.” [DC UrbanTurf]
Major Falls Church Developments Seek Changes — The City of Falls Church is considering proposed revisions to its agreements with developers on the Gateway, Founders Row, and Broad and Washington projects. The city council will vote on the latter two tonight (Monday). [Falls Church News-Press]
Staff Photo by Jay Westcott
With downtown D.C. transformed into a heavily guarded “Green Zone” for the past week, President Joe Biden’s inauguration unfolded on Wednesday without disruption, but the D.C. region was not entirely free of disgruntlement over perceived acts of betrayal.
A resident of DeSale Street SW reported to Vienna police at 4:10 p.m. on Jan. 14 that he had observed three men walking around his neighbor’s house and looking in the windows.
When the man confronted the trio, they said “they were looking for a traitor, and then walked away,” according to the Vienna Police Department’s weekly crime highlights.
That suspicious event was followed on Jan. 17 by a report from a DeSale Street resident who told police he saw a person spray-paint the word “traitor” on the asphalt roadway in front of his neighbor’s house. The VPD report does not indicate whether it was the same resident who called in the Jan. 14 incident.
The act of vandalism was reported again the following day.
Vandalism 21-000335
DeSale Street, SW
January 18 7:52 p.m.
Someone used spray chalk to write “traitor” on the roadway in front of a residence.
The Vienna police did not return Tysons Reporter’s query regarding whether there are any indications that the incidents were political in nature by publication time.
“This investigation is continuing,” the department said in its report.
Other unusual incidents from the past week include pranksters who concocted a fanciful vision of Vienna being overrun by big cats for the Vienna Police Department:
Suspicious Event 21-000380
Vienna Police Station
215 Center Street, South
January 20 8:56 p.m.
Unknown individuals began making prank calls to the police department, reporting tigers on the loose in town.
A Town of Vienna employee also reported on Jan. 15 that profanity had been written on the turf of the ballfields next to the Vienna Community Center at 130 Cherry Street SE.
Photo via Vienna Police Department/Facebook
Wednesday was a busy day for presidents past and present, but in between witnessing Joe Biden’s inauguration and paying their respects at Arlington National Cemetery, ex-Commanders in Chief Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama grabbed a bite to eat — courtesy of Urban Plates.
Preparing lunch for three former presidents and first ladies was a joint effort by all three Urban Plates restaurants in the D.C. area, including the staff at the Tysons Galleria venue, according to Urban Plates spokesperson Hannah Jacobs.
“Urban Plates is honored to have been chosen to serve,” Urban Plates said in a press release. “We believe that delicious, affordable food made with quality ingredients is something that everyone should have access to — and that’s something we can all agree on.”
Food served to the former White House occupants included a chicken cobb salad and sustainable grilled salmon. Urban Plates says the dishes were “hits” but declined to elaborate on who ordered what “out of respect for their privacy.”
To commemorate the occasion, the restaurant will donate 129 meals to frontline healthcare workers: 42 meals on behalf of Clinton, 43 for Bush, and 44 for Obama.
The donations are being made through Urban Plates’ Nourishing Heroes program, which allows customers to sponsor a meal for healthcare, police, fire, and military service workers by donating $12 when purchasing food. The restaurant matches every donated meal up to 1,000 meals per week.
“Our mission is to make craveable, wholesome, and clean food accessible to all,” Urban Plates co-founder and CEO Saad Nadhir said. “We are proud to have delivered on that promise to three former presidents, first ladies, their supporting staff, and a group of Arlington Cemetery groundskeepers and workers on Inauguration Day.”
Photo courtesy Urban Plates
A longtime Falls Church City resident who was a familiar presence in the local culinary scene joined the hundreds of COVID-19 victims in the Fairfax County area earlier this week.
The family-owned restaurant Thompson Italian announced on Tuesday (Jan. 19) that its “beloved team member,” Jose Rogelio Martinez Alvarenca, died on Sunday (Jan. 17) after “an extensive battle” with COVID-19.
“He was a true fixture in the Falls Church community,” Thompson Italian said. “He worked in neighborhood restaurants for decades, and seemed to know everyone who walked in our door. He had a ready smile, lots of swagger, and unparalleled enthusiasm.”
Martinez had not been working at Thompson Italian since the restaurant temporarily closed in March due to the pandemic, but the management team says it had “looked forward to welcoming him back in the spring.”
“Nights were better for everyone when Jose was working, and he will be sorely missed by our staff and our guests,” the team said.
Survived by his wife, Ana, and five children – Jessica, Joseph, Gary, Jose “Junior,” and Kiara — Martinez came to the U.S. from El Salvador in 1979 and had lived in the City of Falls Church for the past 30 years.
Prior to joining Thompson Italian, which opened in Falls Church in 2019, Martinez worked at Ireland’s Four Provinces for nine years.
He contracted COVID-19 in November and was hospitalized until his death on Jan. 17, according to his children.
His family started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to assist with costs for medical care and memorial and funeral services, which will be held on Monday (Jan. 25). The fundraiser has more than doubled its goal of $15,000, with 416 donors contributing more than $36,000 as of 8:30 a.m.
Jessica and Joseph Martinez describe their father as someone who was passionate about working with people in his community and enjoyed working in the food industry as a way to connect with neighbors.
“He was very well-known in the community and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support by neighbors, friends and family,” they told Tysons Reporter. “We created the GoFundMe fundraiser as so many people that knew Jose reached out and wanted to help.”
They added that the goal of the fundraiser is “to ease the burden for funeral and memorial costs to keep his memory alive and bury him with dignity, so he can be at peace.”
As of Jan. 21, 758 people in the Fairfax Health District have died from COVID-19, including six people in the City of Falls Church.
Fairfax County is changing up its Stuff the Bus food drive this winter to support increased demand for food while accommodating challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Typically held twice a year, Stuff the Bus will kick off its 10th year of existence with buses parked at select locations throughout the county from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6.
During the two-day food drive, community members can stop by the buses to donate nonperishable food that will help restock local food pantries, which have reported an uptick in the need for food and drops in volunteer rates during the pandemic.
To prevent the potential transmission of the novel coronavirus, donors should wear a mask or other face covering when at a Stuff the Bus site, and Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) is directing people to place their donations directly inside the buses through their rear doors, rather than approaching the front door or the bus drivers.
Fairfax County is also encouraging people to make online monetary donations to the participating nonprofits in lieu of donating food in person.
According to the county, virtual donations give food pantries more flexibility, allowing them to purchase in bulk, stock up on fresh food, and obtain “culturally appropriate foods, which better meet the needs of the diverse communities they serve.” It is also less labor-intensive.
“Nonprofits often rely on the work of volunteers to sort and shelve donations,” NCS says. “The COVID-19 virus has greatly impacted volunteers’ ability to serve, especially older adults or those with pre-existing conditions.”
Fastran buses will be located at the following sites in the Tysons area for the upcoming Stuff the Bus food drives:
- McLean Government Center (1437 Balls Hill Road)
- Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Avenue East)
- Providence District Supervisor’s Office (3001 Vaden Drive)
- James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Road)
Donations at the McLean Government Center will benefit LINK, which provides emergency food to people in the Herndon, Sterling, and Ashburn communities. The Patrick Henry Library drive will support Western Fairfax Christian Ministries on Jan. 30 and Cornerstones on Feb. 6.
The two Providence District locations — the supervisor’s office and James Lee Community Center — will support the Annandale Christian Community for Action on Jan. 30 and the Falls Church Community Service Council on Feb. 6.
A list of the most frequently requested food items can be found on the Stuff the Bus website.
Based on unemployment and poverty data, the Capital Area Food Bank estimates in its October 2020 Hunger Report that there has been a 48% to 60% increase in food insecurity in the D.C. region since the pandemic began.
Image via Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services
Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher Arrested for Sexual Assaults — A teacher who has worked for FCPS for 29 years was arrested on Wednesday (Jan. 20) for allegedly sexually assaulting a student in 1994 and 1995. He taught at Barden Elementary School in Fort Belvoir at the time of the assaults. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Vienna Firefighters Assist with Inauguration Emergency Response — “Yesterday, our volunteers were honored to help DC Fire and EMS support the Presidential Inauguration. 9 other volunteer ambulances from Fairfax County also provided assistance.” [Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter]
Dranesville Elementary Student Raises Money to Feed National Guard — Third-grader Mache raised $1,700 to help chef Spike Mendelsohn’s restaurant We, the Pizza feed National Guard troops who provided security in D.C. on Inauguration Day. The restaurant matched Mache’s donation and invited her to help distribute the pizzas. [FCPS]
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Says More COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Needed — In a letter to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, Jeff McKay said that the state would need to increase the number of vaccine doses provided to Fairfax County if it plans to expand eligibility requirements again. The county has been averaging 10,000 doses a week, but the waitlist for appointments has grown to 115,000 people. [@JeffreyCMcKay/Twitter]
Deadline for Fairfax County Police Chief Survey Extended — A community survey seeking public input on the search for Fairfax County’s next police chief will now be open through Saturday, Jan. 30. [Fairfax County Government]
Falls Church Petco to Close — “The Petco located at 7395 Lee Highway in Falls Church is closing Saturday, Jan. 23, after almost 10 years at that location. Pet food, toys, and supplies in the store are available at up to 70 percent off retail prices.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Photo via Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter
