StarNut Gourmet in McLean will be offering free coffee, breakfast and lunch this weekend to local first responders, healthcare workers and essential employees.
With the help of Tential IT, the eatery at 1445 Laughlin Ave has extended this offer to be from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday and from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday, a press release said.
Though the dining room is closed, according to the press release, the coffee shop and eatery is offering curbside pickup, take out and delivery through UberEats.
People wishing to order off of the menu can call 703-749-9090. Items available include sandwiches, lattes, pastries, crepes and similar fare, according to StarNut’s website.
“StarNut Gourmet is a family-owned business established in 2002 as a Specialty Food Gift Store and an International Café,” the press release said. “Owners Hozaifa Almaleh and Samira Ardalan very much look forward to welcoming everyone back once it’s safe.”
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hoping that more resources get allocated to small businesses as Fairfax County officials discuss the revised fiscal year 2021 budget.
Alcorn held a media call this morning (April 9) to discuss dramatic cuts and changes to the changed budget proposal, following a digital public hearing he held last night with residents.
“I’m not happy about the updated budget but it does reflect the reality we’re in right now,” Alcorn said during the media call.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill to revise suggestions for the upcoming budget, which were integrated into a draft and publishedon Tuesday (April 7).
Many of the changes include halting the expansion of new projects — focusing instead to retain projects already in progress, according to Alcorn.
“We are going to see some delays on some of our affordable housing projects,” Alcorn said, “It’s disappointing to me because doing more on affordable housing will help the same folks who are being impacted by the Covid emergency… These are some of the same folks who have been laid off.”
Other programs that will likely be delayed are the implementation of body cameras for police officers and a freeze in salary for Fairfax County employees.
“It really is an attempt to put the breaks on anything new,” he said.
Alcorn said he also wants to see relief programs for small businesses in Fairfax County, which may happen.
Next Tuesday, the Board of supervisors will discuss a micro-loan program for local business owners impacted by the pandemic, Alcorn said.
The Budget Committee spoke last week about the potential for the program to offer up roughly $1 million for small businesses, but Alcorn suggested this number was meant to be a “place holder” until there was an opportunity for further discussion.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the final adjusted budget during the May 12 meeting, which was later than previously suggested in Fairfax County documents.
Cedar Lane in Dunn Loring is closed after a tree fell into power lines, according to Fairfax County police.
People can expect an extended road closure in both directions “due to several downed utility poles,” according to a tweet from FCPD shortly after 2 p.m.
Roughly 500 Dominion Energy customers are without power just west of Dunn Loring Park, according to Dominion’s power outage map.
Dominion estimates that power will be restored by 7 p.m.
ROAD CLOSURE: Cedar Lane in the Dunn Loring area is closed in both directions near the 2400 block due to a fallen tree into power lines. Expect extended road closure due to several downed utility poles. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/p589RzwnUl
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 9, 2020
Maps via Google Maps and Dominion Energy
A father-son pair living in Tysons decided to start a podcast several weeks ago to document their social distancing experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sam Lee and his 7-year-old son Logan launched the podcast on March 22 and produce weekly episodes, according to Lee’s website. So far, there are three episodes available online. Each are roughly 20 minutes long.
The family had been avid podcast listeners before the pandemic started. Sam told Tysons Reporter that he wanted to understand how his son views the pandemic.
“I hope it better helps him articulate his thoughts, become more aware of his surroundings and to just help him communicate,” Sam said.
Sam also said that the podcasts are essentially just a digitized form of the radio, so it turned out to be a great way for him and his son to connect over a generational divide.
Sam, who has a 9-year old son as well, said he gave both kids the option to join the podcast, but only Logan really showed interest.
Episodes typically begin with a jazzy intro and walk through events unfolding globally, noting real-world events and information about COVID-19.
“We’ve all been affected by the COVID-19 situation,” Sam said. “You reel a little bit, but have to quickly adjust.”
Dubbed “the Logan Podcast,” Logan often responds to queries posed by his dad and shares his thoughts on adjustments to daily life.
In the third podcast episode, Logan talks about how his classroom interactions are different online from in-person instruction and how he misses the typical interaction with his peers.
Current listeners include local teachers and family neighbors, according to Sam.
For people interested in upcoming episodes, the podcast will be released every Sunday evening, according to the website.
Image courtesy Sam Lee
People in Vienna hoping to spot the Easter Bunny this year will have their chance tomorrow (April 9), according to the town’s newsletter.
Town officials organized a “drive-by bunny tour” tomorrow starting at 10 a.m. along the north side of Maple Avenue. People who celebrate Easter or simply want to take a break out of their day can watch the bunny drive down the street while waving, playing music and horn honking.
“Mr. Bunny will visit residents on the south side beginning around 12:30 p.m.,” the newsletter said. “He promises to make his presence known so that residents will be aware when he’s coming through their area.”
To respect social-distancing guidelines, people will not be able to interact with the bunny outside of the drive-by, according to the newsletter.
The idea was inspired by New Zealand’s prime minister who classified the Easter Bunny as an “essential worker,” the newsletter noted, adding that the bunny’s helpers will try to hit as many streets as possible.
Photo courtesy Town of Vienna
With Passover and Easter quickly approaching, religious organizations and state officials are encouraging people to find alternatives to large group celebrations.
Easter Sunday falls on April 12 and Passover begins on Thursday (April 9) and ends on April 16 this year — around when statisticians hypothesize COVID-19 will peak in the D.C. area.
To obey state mandates, religious groups such as Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church and Saint John the Beloved in McLean are encouraging their patrons to worship at home this year or through digital means.
For Christians, Easter is a celebration of resurrection of Jesus from the dead, while Passover is a Jewish holiday to commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel who were led out of Egypt by Moses.
Fairfax County released a statement reminding people that it is illegal to gather in groups of 10 or more and requested that people celebrate at home with immediate family members.
“Consider the use of technology to gather people virtually in your home to have shared meals,” the statement said. “Through various media platforms, communal sharing and celebration of religious observances can continue while keeping each other safe.”
The Virginia Department of Health also released a public service announcement, primarily echoing Fairfax County’s statement.
“While the Passover Seder often includes extended family and friends, it is by tradition a ceremony of the home,” the Virginia Department of Health said. “The essence of the Seder can be the same: sitting with your family around the dining room table to remember the exodus.”
Similar recommendations will be in place for Ramadan, which begins later in the month.
“The purpose of Jumu’a is to gather the entire community together in one place for prayer and since that cannot be done safely, imams are asking each person to pray in their own home,” according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The New York Times published an article exploring how added stress from the pandemic might influence people’s mindsets and emotions during the spring holiday season.
The article’s author encouraged readers to celebrate through family activities like video chatting, reading to one another, playing games and signing.
For celebrations scheduled to take place this week, Saint John the Beloved, the Catholic church in McLean, has links on its website to online Mass and Easter celebrations at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Temple Rodef Shalom has updated its Facebook page to reflect the upcoming digital Seder celebrations, which will take place through Zoom from 5:30-8:30 p.m. People are asked to preregister and will receive a link shortly after.
For other religious ceremonies and support groups, Tysons Reporter previously did a roundup to see how places of worship are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by Sweet Amaryllis/Unsplash
The Vienna entrepreneur behind TicketFam decided to launch yet another startup to meet the rising demand for homemade face masks around the country.
Every Mask Counts only has two face mask designs on its website so far, but its founder, Arian Shahbazi, said that the goal is to educate people about the ongoing pandemic and promote safety.
“This website is created to promote people to wear protective face masks during this COVID-19 pandemic,” according to Shahbazi, who told Tysons Reporter that the company has over 150 masks ready to hit the market.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear cloth face coverings — not surgical masks or N-95 respirators that medical workers need — in public places to slow the spread of the virus.
For each mask sold, the entrepreneur said he will send another mask to a hospital in New York, where Shahbazi’s friend works as a health care professional.
Each mask sells online for $14.95 and includes free shipping anywhere in the United States, the website said. Customers can choose from either a Black Panther fabric design or a variated pink and white pattern in sizes small/medium or large/extra-large.
Soon, Shahbazi said people will be able to choose from over 10 different patterns, each of which are handmade and reusable after a wash.
For people in the Virginia and D.C. area, Shahbazi said he will also offer free curbside drop-off to people who are nervous about leaving their homes or accepting packages from the mail.
Shahbazi, who is producing the masks along with the help of close family members, said that there will be as little contact with the masks as possible.
Photo courtesy TicketFam
In response to everything happening with the COVID-19 pandemic, several local groups decided to raise money to feed medical workers at local facilities.
Though Hearts of Empowerment, the P.U.S.O. Foundation and Mighty Meals all typically serve different purposes in the community, they began a joint GoFundMe campaign to feed health care workers throughout the Tysons area, according to a press release.
Since the campaign’s kick-off on March 24, the organizers have raised $4,250 and counting. So far, more than 85 people have donated to the cause.
Hearts of Empowerment is a non-profit organization that wants to ensure that no charity is forced to close its doors due to a lack of funding, its website said, adding that it will donate $750 of the company’s own funds in addition to what is raised on the GoFundMe page.
The P.U.S.O. Foundation, which stands for Purposeful Unconditional Service to Others, works to empower people in underserved areas of the world, according to its website. The foundation will donate an extra $1,000, on top of what is crowdsourced, according to the GoFundMe campaign.
Mighty Meals — the group that will cater the food — was founded on a platform that everyone should have access to healthy and fulfilling meals, its website said. Mighty Meals will match the total donation amount by 25%, according to the GoFundMe.
“To date, we have delivered over 200 meals and our efforts will continue on a weekly basis as we have made it our goal to feed the staff of a new hospital every week,” a spokesperson for Hearts of Empowerment said.
On top of the funding for meals, Trophy Body Personal Training will be sponsoring free social distancing outdoor workouts for doctors and nurses, according to the GoFundMe.
Photos courtesy Hearts of Empowerment
Roughly a week after Bear Branch Tavern (133 E. Maple Avenue) decided to temporarily close, the restaurant will now reopen for carryout today (April 2).
While it is unclear why owners didn’t announce intentions to reopen for takeout along with the location’s temporary closure, co-owner Chris Lefbom said on Facebook that the restaurant will begin taking orders at 4 p.m. this evening.
The eatery will be taking extra precautions to protect customers and staff, including sanitizing its public spaces, implementing an online ordering system and patio pickup and having contact-free transactions, according to Bear Branch Tavern’s Facebook page.
Takeout will be available Monday-Friday from 4-9 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., the Facebook page said.
Previously, the owners set up a GoFundMe for its employees who were previously out of work.
Tysons Reporter reached out for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Photo via Bear Branch Tavern/Facebook
As COVID-19 continues to cause major economic disturbances across the country, Visit Fairfax has a new program to support local businesses and people impacted by the pandemic.
Fairfax County is heavily reliant on tourism and visitors for conferences. While Visit Fairfax’s president Barry Biggar told Tysons Reporter that he uncertain how much the Tysons area economy will hurt, he said the organization is working to combat some of the economic downturn.
Biggar said restrictions on non-essential businesses coupled with the economic downturn have had “devastating” consequences for local businesses, services and eateries in the last three weeks.
While many restaurants are trying to pivot by offering delivery, curbside pickup and delivery, some have temporarily closed. Biggar said that he expects many won’t reopen.
Visit Fairfax staffers are trying to help coordinate tools for the community through the “Fairfax First” program, he said.
The program is a collection of tools, lists and opportunities that residents can take advantage of to support themselves and others during this turbulent time, according to the website. It includes fun things to do while at home, virtual tours of popular attractions, mental health resources and ways to support local businesses.
Visit Fairfax is also promoting “Virginia Is for Restaurant Lovers Takeout Week,” which runs from March 30-April 5.
“Virginians are encouraged to order takeout, delivery or curbside pickup from local restaurants and to use the hashtag #VirginiaEatsLocal to spread the word,” according to Visit Fairfax’s website.
Last year around this time, hotels in the area were at or above 70% capacity, according to Biggar, who added that now they are at or below 18%.
Around Virginia, he said more than 24,000 people in the service industry have lost their jobs permanently due to staffing cuts.
Along with other resources, Visit Fairfax coordinated with local hotels to help first responders find a list of steeply discounted rooms that will put them up if they are either self-isolating away from their families or need another place to rest, according to Biggar.
Around Tysons, these include The Ritz-Carlton at Tysons Corner, Hilton McLean and The Westin Tysons Corner, according to Visit Fairfax. Rates vary, but first responders can call the hotels directly to inquire.
As the pandemic continues in Fairfax County without any sign of slowing, Biggar said that he can’t make a judgment yet about how this will affect the economic well being of the area going forward, but does predict an eventual rise in domestic travel around the third and fourth quarters later this year.
Though things are “changing every day,” Biggar said he wants people to “start thinking and dreaming about what you want to do when this is over” in terms of vacations and getaways to boost the economy again.
Photo courtesy James B. Crusan III
