A Vienna family is raising a furry friend before he moves to New York — in search of a larger purpose.

Jennifer and Ellie Butler, a mother and daughter pair, volunteered to foster a dog under Guiding Eyes, a New York-based organization that pairs guide dogs with people who need them.

Percy, a black labrador, arrived at their doorstep in May when he was just a little over 12-weeks-old and now is in the midst of by-weekly general training, the Butlers said.

The family decided to participate in the program after a suggestion from 18-year-old Ellie, who offered to take on the primary responsibility for Percy. Ellie was inspired by the documentary “Pick of the Litter,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer said the pair splits up the work. Jennifer brings Percy to work and Ellie takes care of him after she gets off from Flint Hill High School at 3 p.m.

Once a week, Percy will attend doggie school and has the chance to play with about a dozen other local guide dogs in training, Jennifer said. Percy is a “very good boy” because he listens to commands, stays in his crate at night, doesn’t eat before he is given permission and doesn’t bark, she added.

“You could tell people already worked with him by the time we got him,” Jennifer said.

Guiding Eyes provides guide dogs to those in need — free of charge, according to their website. They also cover all of the costs for foster families except for the food, Jennifer said.

Going forward, Percy will move to New York sometime this summer for specialized training.

He will take an aptitude test to determine what his path will be, Jennifer said, adding that she could see him helping law enforcement because of his strong nose or assisting children because of his calm personality.

“I think he’d do well with just about anyone as long as they love him,” Ellie said.

The love given to Percy from the Butlers has been reciprocal, the family said.

“I’ve always been a little shy until I got this dog. You have to speak out for the dog since they don’t have a voice,” Ellie said. “I learned to speak up and be more outgoing.”

Ellie hopes to foster another Guiding Eyes dog in the future, she said.

“With Percy leaving, I thought at the beginning, ‘Oh it’s going to be fine,'” Jennifer said.  “But we’ve grown to love him.”

Photo courtesy Guiding Eyes

To prepare for the upcoming election, Tysons Reporter looked into how Board of Supervisor candidates in Fairfax County are funding their campaigns. 

Both Democrats in the races for the Providence and Dranesville District Supervisor seats have much larger war chests than their Republican opponents by thousands of dollars.

Tysons Reporter took a look at where the donations to the four candidates’ campaigns are coming from.

Providence District Supervisor Race 

Democrat Dalia Palchik has raised just roughly $110,000 in monetary campaign contributions. 

Major donors include the Jefferson Village Association LP — real estate developers in Bethesda, Md. who have donated $25,000 — and Alison Georgelas, a managing consultant at IBM, with $5,000.

Palchik also received smaller amounts from individuals or organizations like the Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics — IAFF Local 2068, who donated $1,500 and openly endorsed her. 

Karl Frisch, who is running for the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County School Board, assisted Palchik with in-kind donations including campaign buttons costing $260.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), around $34,000 of Palchik’s campaign funds came from construction or real estate groups. 

Besides political consulting, one of Palchik’s largest expenses was a $1,700 food tab at Inca Social for a fundraiser.

Republican Eric Jones only reported one $200 donation to his campaign from Andrew Finlayson, a retired veteran and member of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Jones told Tysons Reporter that he paid for the rest of his campaign expenses out of his own pocket.

So far, he spent $7,880 of the roughly $9,700 going towards his campaign.

Jones did not report any in-kind contributions and reportedly spent money on a P.O. box in Merrifield, political consulting and signage, among similar things.

Dranesville District Supervisor Race

This year, Democrat John Foust received $81,000 in monetary campaign contributions, according to campaign finance reports.

About $20,000 came from lawyers, according to VPAP.

Foust’s biggest donors so far include Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, who donated $5,500, and several McLean couples.

One couple has donated $9,500 — Sophia Lynn, the head of Crow’s Nest Research Center, gave $4,500, while appellate attorney David Frederick donated $5,000.

Wedding designer and decorator Prabha Bhambri, while Inder Jit Bhambri donated $4,000.

Karen DuVal, who owned a McLean property connected to the War of 1812 and the Civil War, donated $3,500.

He also received $3,000 from Felipe Rodriquez, the CEO of Sterling-based Aeronautical Systems.

Back in September, Foust spent about $1,200 on photoshoot expenses and about $2,300 on the production and design of walk cards.

Meanwhile, Republican Ed Martin — who has missed campaign finance deadlines — told Tysons Reporter that he’s raised about $3,000.

Two campaign finance reports covering April to the end of August say he didn’t raise or spend anything. A new campaign finance report, which was filed yesterday, says that he received $50 in September.

Martin provided Tysons Reporter photos of checks showing the Virginia Republican Victory Fund gave him $500 and the Patriot Republican Women’s Club gave him $50.

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Catherine Douglas Moran contributed to this story.

Editor’s Note — Tysons Reporter is running Q&As with the candidates running for the Dranesville and Providence District seats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week. The stories have been lightly condensed and edited for clarity. 

Featured here is Democrat Dalia Palchik, who is running against Republican Eric Jones for the Providence District seat. 

Dalia Palchik currently serves as the Providence District Representative on the Fairfax County School Board. But next week, she’s hoping voters will choose her to represent the district on the Board of Supervisors.

Palchik grew up in the area after immigrating with her family to the United States at an early age from Argentina. She was elected to the school board in 2015 and currently chairs the Public Engagement Committee and is a liaison to the Planning Commission Schools Committee and the Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee.

Just days after current Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth announced in December that she wouldn’t seek election, Palchik jumped into the race.

She won the Democratic nomination back in June, promising “progressive leadership” for the entire community.

Tysons Reporter sat down with Palchik at Caboose Commons to speak with her about her priorities if she is elected.

Tysons Reporter: What would you do to tackle affordable housing?

Dalia Palchik: This is key. To me, this is the number one challenge we have here especially in the Tysons area.

We are at the point where it is not just non-profits and the government that want to tackle it, but the private sector knows that people like us can’t move here and afford to live here. Our workforce is having a hard time living close as well as those who are hoping to retire in place.

So yes, we are hoping to continue and grow the good work that is happening in the county. The county is starting to do affordable housing and we need to increase that. I really want us to have a master plan the way Arlington has a master plan to tackle that. But more specifically I think we really need to figure out how to work together with the government, the private sector and the non-profits to really expand.

We are not going to get the units we need in the region, we need over 300,000 units in our area. We absolutely have to work together. You are not going to get all those to unite just through public funding and government programs.

For me, it’s really listening and bringing different stakeholders to the table. I would form a working group or task force to tackle the issue from different aspects.

TR: What are the three ways you’re hoping to tackle climate change? 

Palchik: Number one, we are starting with this joint environmental taskforce. I sit on that committee now and that’s really looking to lead by example. This task force is looking at what the schools in the county can do.

The big area is looking at how we help incentivize and remove barriers on the private side for homeowners and businesses. One of those is C-PACE. C-PACE is a program that helps incentivize privately owned buildings to get some upfront funding to help increase their efficiency and the emissions that are going to be produced by their buildings.

Virginia, unfortunately, requires some changes at the General Assembly level. So that’s going to be the other thing, helping to get some of these bills through.

TR: What are your transportation project priorities?

Palchik: We need to figure out the last mile challenge, how do we help people of different abilities, income levels, have access to getting to public transit. I was just talking to a friend last night she said, “I am one mile to the Metro one way and a mile to the Metro another way and I don’t feel safe enough to bike.”

Number two is continuing to support and establish the Metro system that’s there, the expansions, working with WMATA to make sure our systems funded and that we increase ridership.

Tysons has been doing really well with the Silver Line and we want to see that across the board. I used to take it every day. Finally, figuring out that balance. Just the other day I was at a meeting for Route 50. You wanna make sure that people have alternative solutions.

TR: What is your plan for the budget? 

Palchik: Schools are number one. We need to continue to support and fund our schools. I also think we need to find ways to, first of all, fill some of our empty office space, diversify our economy, support small local businesses.

We need to make sure we are a county that supports and attracts larger businesses but also homegrown ones to increase our tax base. In the next couple of years, the Providence District is going to be more commercial than residential real-estate.

Number one beyond that is making sure we are leaders that our employees are paid well enough that they are able to live here, that they are supported and that we are not growing programs at the expense of those who work for us.

TR: The county is currently looking at adding a new school to Tysons. Is that enough to address capacity issues? What should be done for all the incoming students?

Palchik:  You bring up the word boundary changes, and it becomes a very contested and political challenge. I’ve had people ask me to redo a boundary around their home.

As a community, we need to make the best dest decision about what’s best for the kids. One of the challenges we’ve had, in the county we can no longer afford to buy new land to build schools.

We have to address capacity. As a supervisor, and Supervisor [John] Foust has done this, I would be dedicated to knowing where we need more capacity for schools.

Editor’s Note — Tysons Reporter is running Q&As with the candidates running for the Dranesville and Providence District seats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week. The stories have been condensed and edited for clarity. 

Featured here is Republican Eric Anthony Jones, who is running against Democrat Dalia Palchik for the Providence District Board of Supervisors seat, which represents Tysons, Merrifield, Oakton and parts of Falls Church.

After the previous Republican candidate for the Providence Supervisor seat died, Eric Anthony Jones decided to run to give voters a stark choice between him and his competitor, Dalia Palchik.

He previously served as a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State, with a focus on cybersecurity and energy policy, according to his website. His work took him around the world, letting him live in India, China, Russia, Bulgaria and Afghanistan.

Jones said at a recent candidate debate that he does not believe in sanctuary cities because they harm immigrants who became citizens or legal permanent residents through governmental processes. During his time as a U.S. Consular Officer in China, he interviewed more than 20,000 people and approved half of them to come to the United Staes, he told Tysons Reporter.

Jones also formerly taught as a college professor and now has two daughters in college and a son in high-school. If elected, Jones said education will be one of his top priorities.

Now retired, Jones has lived in Fairfax County for the last 27 years. Earlier this month, he jumped into the race for the Providence District seat and faces Democrat Dalia Palchik in the general election next week. (Current Supervisor Linda Smyth is retiring.)

Tysons Reporter met up with Jones to learn more about how he would want to improve capacity issues at schools and manage the county’s budget, along with other topics, if elected.

Tysons Reporter: How do you plan on tackling affordable housing in Fairfax County? 

Jones: I am in favor of affordable housing. I’m in favor of market-based but non-subsidized measures for housing. One of the things we have to face is that we live in Fairfax County, 400 square miles, 1.1 million people, 3,000 people per square mile. The fact of the matter, the reality is that the land here, the ground is very expensive.

I’m not for subsidized housing here, using tax money for that. I do believe, for example, that if there is an impoverished family of four that it’s better given a certain amount of money to help them in terms of welfare for the truly needy. I think it is better to — with the given amount of money — to be able to support three families instead of one family. That’s done by living in areas that are not so expensive.

What’s happening is that a lot of areas are getting new buildup, such as here in Mosaic, there was basically an open, unused lot or areas where they had large older styles malls. Those can be transformed into units. 

I think a creative way mentioned by several people is that there are many elderly residents that are living in the houses where their children grew up in. Elderly residents are a large population who want to stay in Fairfax County. They have relatively large houses and I think the county can help facilitate ways in which elderly people with room in their houses can work out rentals. Elderly people can find reliable renters that they feel safe with. They want someone around, someone to call in case they fall on the floor.

TR: The county is currently looking at adding a new school to Tysons. Is that enough to address capacity issues? What should be done for all the incoming students?

Jones: We have to look at the facts of increased population and demand for schools. I am for expanded school facilities. Overcrowding has resulted in a lot of trailers.

I’m fully in support of salaries and benefits, expansions for teachers and also supporting teachers in terms of discipline regulation that are favorable to teachers, students and maintaining a proper learning atmosphere.

In addition, I believe we should look at charter schools, which offer students and parents a choice. Charter schools are not an attack on teachers or anything like that. I see it as a creative way of giving parents and students public choice while also helping to relieve the burden of overcrowding.

I support teachers and their potential to attract and maintain quality. I think we need to address the issues of pensions.

Pensions are a ticking time bomb anywhere. Expanded school facilities of both existing schools and new school construction to help alleviate overcrowding. I want to reduce the use of trailers and the solution to that is more school construction.

TR: What are your top three priorities when it comes to transportation?

Jones: One is the expansion and improvement of roads, large and small. There is a certain reality we bump up against that the terrain is such in a lot of these places that you can’t expand the roads, you’d wipe out a lot of, not just the trees, but the way the terrain goes.

We have these watersheds, we have these beautiful parks as a result and deer in an urban setting. We need to protect those. It’s a constraint on how we can expand our roads.

Number two is providing expansions for public transportation, reliable public transportation so people can get to work and back. The density of the area helps us there because it means you don’t have to worry about going as long of a distance and connectors for people go farther out.

I think there is some potential for expansion, for example, working with Maryland and Virginia, to figure out the modern era. We need to have another way of crossing the Potomac [River]. That will relieve a lot of the congestion you get.

TR: What are your top three plans to tackle climate change?

Jones: There is a stark choice between me, Dalia Palchik and the current Board of Supervisors. I am for energy policy here. It should be consumer-oriented, based on cost-benefit analysis and be affordable energy, reliable energy and clean energy.

I see the Green New Deal policies as unrealistic, coercive [and] expensive. Those proposals would be job-killing, net-job killing and bet against economic prosperity.

I have a fundamentally different way of looking at it.  There is not a good analysis and convincing evidence of how much role is being played by natural forces and fluctuations and the factor of CO2 concentration increases as a result of fossil fuels.

I’m against the Green New Deal and the fundamental things behind it. People should realize electricity does not start with a wall socket.

TR: How will you manage the budget? 

Jones: The budget is $8 million per year. The budget itself needs continued scrutiny. I think we should have more competitive bidding and more transparency. It’s important to keep our budget under control. 

If you look at the last 20 years, our taxes paid per capita have gone up three times faster than the inflation rate and three times faster than the earnings rate and salary rate. 

Transparency of all transactions, more public input on transactions, more competitive bidding and much more scrutiny for our budgets.

On the flip side, I think its priorities should go especially to the school system and teachers and maintaining and improving the quality of education.

This November, Wolf Trap returns with new concerts and events.

On Wednesday (Nov.11), D.C. pianist John Eaton will perform songs and stories for the audience, according to the event page. Tickets start at $27 and the event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at The Barns (1635 Trap Road).

Folk singer and guitarist Trace Bundy will take the stage for a performance a few days later on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. He is known for his harmonics, looping and multiple caps, according to the event website. Tickets start at $27.

The season will wrap up with three events of performances by Sutton Foster, a Tony Award-winning singer, on Nov. 23-24. Tickets to her performance start at $67 and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The list of Wolf Trap events in November:

• Nov. 6: Modern Warrior Live
• Nov. 7: The Quebe Sisters
• Nov. 8: Max Weinberg’s Jukebox
• Nov. 9: Leo Kottke
• Nov. 10: John Eaton
• Nov. 14: Trace Bundy
• Nov. 15 and Nov. 16: The Silkroad Ensemble
• Nov. 20: Brian Newman
• Nov. 21: Amy Helm
• Nov. 22: Escher String Quartet with Jason Vieaux on guitar
• Nov. 23 and Nov. 24: Sutton Foster

Photo via Wolf Trap

With the grand opening of Whole Foods, other businesses in The Boro are following suit.

MyEyeDr opened its doors yesterday (Tuesday, Oct. 29) for customers.

The new spot will host an official grand opening party next Saturday (Nov. 9), a store spokesperson said, adding that the location will offer discounts for patrons.

MyEyeDr is an optometrist chain that specializes in eye care and eyewear, according to its website. Patients and customers can find a list of their local doctors and book appointments online.

Nearby in The Boro, Fish Taco is expected to open in December, according to a sign outside its upcoming location.

The eatery serves up a variety of fast-food options including tacos, burritos, appetizers and alcoholic beverages, according to the menu on its website.

Fish Taco has not released more information about the opening yet, but a sign says the location is hiring.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream on Avenir Place is closing for the winter later this week.

A sign on the door says that the location (2672 Avenir Place) by the Dunn Loring Metro station will temporarily shut down beginning Thursday (Oct. 31).

The chain serves up a variety of cold treats including ice cream, shakes, floats, sodas and cakes.

Partons can grab a sweet-treat on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-9 p.m. before Bruster’s closes for the season.

The shop will reopen on March 1, 2020, according to the sign.

Tysons Reporter was able to take a tour today (Tuesday) inside the new Whole Foods store ahead of its grand opening in The Boro tomorrow.

The 70,000-square-foot store was almost entirely furnished and set-up, with the exceptions of occasional minor details. Brightly colored, organic produce adorned shelves throughout the store.

The store features surprising amenities for customers, including self-serve machines that slice pineapples and squeeze fresh orange juice, a self-serve station where customers can enjoy wine and beer on-site while they shop and a gaming area.

A fresh bakery, premade meal options and a bar with happy hour specials and on-site dining also are available.

Around the store, associates were seen preparing food for the grand opening, including a woman carefully balancing a cheese display and butchers preparing fresh cuts.

A full-time “certified cheese professional” will help customers find products to suit their needs, a spokesperson told Tysons Reporter on the tour.

The store features more than 1,000 local products from the D.C. area, which includes a few brews on tap, a spokesperson said.

Food and Drink Options 

In addition to grocery shopping, customers can grab a bite to eat from several fast-food options.

The store’s food hall on the first floor will include:

• Italian food from Officina, which was founded by Chef Nicholas Stefanelli
• Sushi, poke, dumplings and ramen from Genji Izakaya
• Curiosity Doughnuts
• Rappahannock Oyster Co.

Shoppers can also expect a pub and game room on the second floor, an in-house bakery, butcher and seafood departments, a specialty foods section, an Allegro coffee and tea bar and a JRINK juice bar.

The store also has prepared foods at the self-serve hot and cold bars, along with a pizza bar, an Indian venue with two in-store tandoori ovens, a barbecue bar and a deli, according to a press release.

This location also features High Point, the largest bar in any Whole Foods, according to Carl DePree, the store manager.

Customers are also able to “sip and shop,” the store representative said. There will be eight wines, craft cocktails from Pratt Standard Cocktail Company and about a dozen beers on tap, the press release said.

Grand Opening Details

For the grand opening tomorrow, the location will offer the first 200 people a savings card ranging from $5 to $100 along with a reusable canvas tote bag featuring the Tysons store, the press release said.

Attendees will also be able to try samples from Cafe Kreyol and Poppy’s Stuffed Bagels while music plays.

DePree said he is excited to see the reactions of customers tomorrow at 8 a.m. when they finally open for business.

On Thursday (Nov. 7), the store will donate 5% of sales to Food For Others, a local charity fighting food insecurity in the Northern Virginia area, according to the press release.

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Earlier this month, Tysons Reporter also compiled a Halloween roundup.

Tuesday (Oct. 29)

• Penny University Yoga Class — 7 p.m. at Caffe Amouri Coffee Roaster (107 Church Street NE) — This event invites all talent levels to a free community yoga class. More information can be found online.

Wednesday (Oct. 30)

• Caboose Tavern Nationals Watch Party — 8 to 10:30 p.m. at Caboose Tavern (520 Mill Street NE) — People can watch the World Series and enjoy drink discounts at the Vienna spot.
• Local Candidates Debate — 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) — Several candidates will be in attendance including House of Delegates (D-34th) candidates Kathleen Murphy and Gary Pan, Dranesville District Supervisor candidates John Foust and Ed Martin and Dranesville District School Board candidates Anastasia Karloutsos, Elaine Tholen and Ardavan Mobasheri. This event is free and open to the public.

Thursday (Oct. 31)

• Wayfair Popup Final Sale — 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center — This is the last day for the Wayfair popup at Tysons Corner. Everything will be 30% off.

Friday (Nov. 1)

• Free F45 Training — noon to 12:45 p.m. at The Boro Park (1640 Boro Place) — People can try a 45-minute HIIT session for free at the new F45’s location in The Boro in Tysons.
• Eaglemania — 7 to 9 p.m. at The State Theatre (220 N. Washington Street) —  This Eagles cover band will perform the rock band’s classic hits. Tickets are $25.

Saturday (Nov. 2)

• Wine and Cheese Festival — 2 to 5 p.m. at Whole Foods Market (1635 Boro Place) — This event allows community members to gather for an afternoon of wine and cheese tasting. All are welcome but attendees must be 21+ if they wish to drink wine.
• Vienna Arts Society Live Bench Auction — 6 p.m. at Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — The Vienna Arts Society is auctioning off benches painted by artists. Proceeds will go to the Vienna Arts Society.

Photo via Susan Scanlon

What will the future hold for Tysons 30 years from now? Developers and business representatives tackled that question at the “Tysons 2050” event last night (Thursday).

Panelists imaged how people might live, work and play in Tysons several decades from now — and what needs to get done to foster a stronger sense of community.

Julie Clemente, the president of Clemente Development, said that one of the most important aspects to community development is cohesion in the planning process.

Clemente told the audience that Tysons lacks parks and community recreation centers. Without these things, she is worried that community members will become lonely and find it hard to break out of “silos.”

“For Tysons to be successful, it needs to be connected,” she said.

She mentioned the Spring Hill Recreation Center (1239 Spring Hill Road) as one of the closest opportunities for people in the Tysons area but said it wasn’t enough to meet the growing demand.

“The Spring Hill Recreation Center is overused and everyone goes there,” she said.

Clemente hopes that The View — a recently approved mixed-use project by the Spring Hill Metro station — will add the city center that she says Tysons lacks.

In addition to adding the tallest building in the region, the development plans to build a black box theater, an art walk, a seasonal ice loop and an open-air theater on the green, along with a Tysons Community Center at a nearby site.

“Tysons doesn’t have it now — a center of growth, a heartbeat — and that’s what we want it to be,” Clemente said about The View.

Deirdre Johnson, the vice president of asset management for Federal Realty Investment Trust and new Tysons resident, echoed Clemente’s concerns about connectivity and a sense of community.

“It’s been hard to find points of natural, authentic and emotional connection,”  Johnson said about her time in Tysons. Places like shared green space and cafe seating — as well as art, medical services and religious worship — can help fill that void, she said. 

While roughly 100,000 people work in Tysons during the day, only about 20,000 live in the area, Johnson said.

“After 5 [p.m.] is very important because it helps you become who you are,” she said.

She wants to fix this by creating places where people of all ages — but especially seniors and young people — can feel fulfilled in every aspect of their lives, noting that retail options that appeal to a wide age range and incomes is one solution. 

Another idea from speaker Linda Sullivan, the president of ARTSFAIRFAX, is to institute an artist in residency or creative spaces pop-up program around Tysons.

Artists would have the opportunity to take advantage of affordable housing opportunities while focusing on their work, she said. She also threw out the idea of flex spaces hosting comedy clubs.

Ultimately, whatever the future holds for Tysons will likely focus on innovation around living, working and playing in the same community.

Paul Siemborski, an architect focused on designing performing arts facilities, said Tysons has the opportunity to “break the mold” and try new things.

“Art and play is not a luxury. It’s a necessity,” Siemborski said.