Black Lives Matter Protest Today in McLean — “Six McLean High School students are planning a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest on Wednesday afternoon. The protest is scheduled for Wednesday (June 10) from 3-5 p.m. and will start at McLean High School.” [Tysons Reporter]
Helping Hand for Paws — “A Fairfax County Boy Scout wanted to earn his Citizenship In The Community merit badge by lending a helping paw. For his project, 11-year-old Jackson Hayken chose to help McLean-based Paws of Honor, which helps retired police and military dogs.” [McLean Patch]
Nordstrom Returns — “The Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores in Tysons will reopen for customers on Thursday, according to a company release.” [McLean Patch]
More on Stun Gun Incident — “Prosecutors in Fairfax County told a judge on Tuesday that Officer Tyler Timberlake, who has been charged with assault and battery after using his stun gun last week, shocked a man he mistakenly thought he recognized. Timberlake’s lawyer said the police officer believed the man he stunned was someone who he knew had a criminal past.” [Inside NoVa]
Vienna Officials Talk New Police Station — “Vienna Town Council members at a June 8 work session reaffirmed their intention to move ahead with the town’s largest capital project — a new police station — and expressed support for the project’s environmental and architectural features.” [Inside NoVa]
Corona Cough — “Jacob Gooch, a former state trooper assigned to patrol in Virginia’s Fairfax Division, allegedly sent a text to his brothers in mid-April that said he gave a Mennonite man a ticket and coughed on him ‘so he would spread Corona to the wedding they were going too.’… Jacob Gooch has since resigned from the Virginia State Police department.” [WJLA]
Policing Pledge — “City of Falls Church Mayor David Tarter signed Former President Obama’s Mayor’s Pledge calling for mayors, city councils, and police oversight bodies to address police use of force policies. At their June 8 meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to join the Mayor in taking this pledge.” [City of Falls Church]
Farmers Market is open this Saturday, so be sure to check the Optimist Club website: We are very excited to open on with all our lovely offerings of fruit, veggies, meats, eggs, pies, donuts, juices, coffee, sausages and breads. Masks are a must: https://t.co/nf4tmxI4f3 pic.twitter.com/yLiPEzZZFt
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) June 9, 2020
(Updated 5:30 p.m.) Fairfax County officials want to see the rollout of body-worn cameras for Fairfax County police happen as soon as possible to increase transparency with policing.
“The events in the last couple of weeks both across the country and in Fairfax made the importance of expanding the police body-worn camera program apparent both for improved public safety and transparency,” Chairman Jeff McKay said in a statement.
Today, the Board of Supervisors approved asking county staff to look for potential revenue sources to implement the second phase of the program as quickly as possible. The county directed staff to report back by June 30 with the funding options and a potential timeline for the rest of the phases.
McKay said that the county wants to resume the implementation of the program’s second phase during the 2021 fiscal year.
Earlier this year, the county board delayed funding for the phased program due to budget challenges posed by COVID-19, but still kept an increase of $1.77 million for the first phase of the program.
Three county district stations already have the cameras, including the Reston District Station. The McLean District Station is slated to receive the cameras during the second phase.
The motion follows recent calls from several supervisors, including Walter Alcorn and John Foust, to continue the program in the other parts of the county.
County officials are looking for ways to move forward with the program in response to rising concerns about police transparency and use of force following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and a Fairfax County police officer allegedly assaulting a black man in the Mount Vernon area. The Fairfax County officer is facing three counts of misdemeanor assault and battery.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said that he was initially willing to delay the cameras before, but now said he sees an immediate need for them.
Storck noted that the body-worn camera footage of the Mount Vernon incident, which the police department released on Sunday (June 7), “dramatically changed” conversations between the police and the community.
Storck added that the police officers he’s spoken to support the cameras.
“I join my colleagues in deep disappointment in what we saw on that police camera this weekend,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said. “It shows that it works.”
McKay mentioned said that the action of a handful of officers “is not indicative” of the thousands of officers in the Fairfax County Police Department, calling the police department “committed” and “well trained.”
He thanked both the police chief and commonwealth’s attorney for their “quick response” to the incident.
Fairfax County Adding Equity Task Force
Work to speed up the police cameras is one of several steps the county is taking to address inequity.
“There is no one policy or program we can enact today that will solve every issue,” McKay said, pointing to previous efforts like adding the county’s Police Civilian Review Panel and independent police auditor.
The Board of Supervisors also announced today a new equity task force. “We know this is an issue that requires constant vigilance,” McKay said.
“The Chairman’s Taskforce on Equity and Opportunity will explore the range of situations and conditions that contribute to disproportionate trends, facilitate shared responsibility and collective action, build on the strengths of our community and lift up solutions to make all residents and neighborhoods more resilient,” according to county documents.
McKay said that the task force will be coordinated by Karla Bruce, the county’s chief equity officer, and her staff with his office. Costs will be absorbed within the existing budget, McKay said.
Each supervisor will provide recommendations for who should serve on the task force, McKay said. The goal is for a geographically and demographically balanced membership “to make sure this group is attempting to represent this county as a whole,” he said.
The task force is expected to present a preliminary report to McKay in December, followed by final recommendations by the end of June 2021.
Palchik noted that the county took the “first step forward as we battle through this crisis,” adding that she wants the county to address housing and pre-K programs to combat inequity.
“Racial injustice is finally at the forefront of the country’s dialogue,” Palchik said in a statement after the meeting.
The Tysons area will have three blood drives this month via a partnership with local volunteer fire departments and Inova Blood Donor Services.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue announced today (Tuesday) four upcoming blood drives that will take place in the parking lots of the fire stations.
“Due to current events, blood supplies in Fairfax County and the nation are at dangerously low levels and dropping,” according to the fire department.
Here are the Tysons-area ones:
- Thursday (June 18) noon-6 p.m. at Station 13 in Dunn Loring (2148 Gallows Road)
- Wednesday (June 24) 1-7 p.m. at Station 1 in McLean (1455 Laughlin Ave)
- Thursday (June 25) 1-7 p.m. at Station 2 in Vienna (400 Center Street S.)
There will also be a blood drive at Station 5 (6300 Beulah Street) in Alexandria on Thursday (June 18) from 1-7 p.m. People can register on the Inova Blood Donor Services website.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue noted how the blood drives will address safety concerns with COVID-19.
“There will be plenty of space to spread out and use appropriate social distancing,” the post said. “To help protect our firefighters and paramedics, access to the fire station is prohibited.”
Photo via Facebook
Northern Virginia is rolling back COVID-19 restrictions on businesses as residents are under a “safer at home” recommendation. As the weather continues to warm up and more people head outside, people are finding limited transportation options.
Silver and Orange Line stations west of Ballston are currently closed for summer work. Meanwhile, work is underway to revamp I-66 with lane closures and 30-minute stoppages in the Vienna area.
In late May, staff photographer Jay Westcott captured what transportation looks like now in Tysons: cyclists and pedestrians along the W&OD Trail in Vienna and closure signs at the Tysons Corner Metro station.
Westcott spotted a dog named Cora watching her owner Chad exercise in the parking garage at Tysons Corner Center. He photographed Leesburg Pike, almost empty of cars, by the malls and empty parking garages around Tysons.
Let us know how you’ve been getting around Tysons and if the pandemic has impacted your transportation choices by commenting below.
(Updated 8/24/2020) Fairfax-based Simply Social Coffee has plans to bring new roasts to Vienna.
The coffee store posted on Facebook yesterday that work is underway at its upcoming location in the Cedar Park Shopping Center.
“We got framed. Just waiting on permits,” the post said. “Vienna here we come.”
The online menu for the Fairfax location includes a long list of drinks: dark and white mochas, hot chocolate, drip coffee, espresso, lattes, frappes, chai, teas and more. Breakfast and lunch sandwiches along with Belgium waffles are also on the menu.
Corrects name of shopping center.
Hat tip to Vienna VA Foodies
Photo via Simply Social Coffee/Facebook
School Schedule — “Gov. Ralph Northam is expected on Tuesday to address school reopening, something he had initially planned to do last week. The announcement will give more guidance to school districts and colleges across the state that have been moving forward with their own plans to return.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Protest Photos — “A series of demonstrations took place in and around the City of Falls Church over the weekend to protest the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Evictions Paused — “Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday a temporary statewide moratorium on all eviction proceedings in Virginia.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Statue Staying? — “A Virginia judge has issued an 10-day injunction that prevents Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration from removing an iconic but controversial statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond.” [USA Today]
The Fairfax County Health District saw a spike in COVID-19 cases over the weekend.
As of today, there are 12,728 total COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District (12,603 of which are in Fairfax County) — a jump of roughly 700 cases since Friday (June 5), according to the Virginia Department of Health. On Saturday, 152 number of cases were reported, while Sunday saw 399 and Monday so far has 148, according to the data.
The health department’s weekly average of percent positivity for testing has not factored in the recent positive cases. Data from last week showed that the percent positivity has been steadily declining since late April, while the number of testing encounters has increased both statewide and in the Fairfax Health District.
Some of the data has not changed much since last week for the health district.
The health district has the same number of outbreaks (61) today as it did on Friday. The data still shows a racial disparity with COVID-19 cases — the Hispanic population makes up 16.8% of Fairfax County but 66.1% of its cases where race and ethnicity data is available.
As of today, Fairfax County has had 414 deaths and 1,431 total hospitalizations related to the virus.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue posted today that 20 of the 23 personnel members who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered. Currently, two members are quarantined in addition to the members who tested positive.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wants to refresh the Tysons Corner Metro station name and move forward the rebranding of Tysons without the “Corner.”
The name debate over Tysons — including #dropthecorner on social media — has been around for several years. The U.S. Postal Service agreed to the name “Tysons” for the 22102 and 22182 zip codes in 2011, and the U.S. Census Bureau changed the designation of Tysons Corner to Tysons in 2015.
As high-rise developments sprout in the urbanizing area, Tysons is still grappling with its identity tied to suburbia and the Tysons Corner Center mall.
“Renaming the Metrorail station to Tysons would also help with local rebranding efforts,” county staff wrote.
The board is set to vote tomorrow (Tuesday) on recommending name changes for the West Falls Church and Tysons Corner stations to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA).
The West Falls Church-VT/UVA station would have “UVA” dropped because the University of Virginia (UVA) alerted the Department of Transportation staff this spring that it plans to relocate its campus, which is currently near the Metro station, according to county documents.
The Board of Supervisors wants the changes adopted in time for new signage timed with the opening of the second phase of the Silver Line, according to county documents.
Combining these two changes with the upcoming changes for adding Silver Line phase II stations reduces the estimated net cost to Fairfax County to approximately $670,000,” county staff said. “Funding held in trust at the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission for Fairfax County will be used to fund these name changes.”
Six McLean High School students are planning a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest on Wednesday afternoon.
Sophie T. told Tysons Reporter that they want the protest to “show our support for the BLM movement and speak out against racial injustice and inequality.”
The protest is scheduled for Wednesday (June 10) from 3-5 p.m. and will start at McLean High School. After some speakers, the protesters will march down Chain Bridge Road around 3:50 p.m.
According to the flyer for the event, participants are encouraged to bring water and social distance. Masks will be required.
Sophie said that they are expecting a “decent turnout” and have invited local religious leaders to march and pray with the crowd.
McLean High School students are planning a #BlackLivesMattters protest for this Wednesday. Here's the flyer: pic.twitter.com/JdDJK6ZKzl
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) June 8, 2020
Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash
MCA Backs Building Changes for CityLine — “McLean Citizens Association (MCA) board members on June 3 unanimously backed a resolution supporting CityLine Partners LLC’s proposed development amendments to build one building instead of two at a site in [Tysons].” [Inside NoVa]
Fairfax Officer Arrested After Tasing Black Man — “The actions of a Fairfax County police officer who used a Taser to subdue an African American man on Friday were “horrible” and “disgusting,” Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. says… The officer, Tyler Timberlake, has been charged with three counts of assault and battery and faces up to 36 months in prison if convicted.” [Inside NoVa]
ICYMI: Hundreds Gathered at Falls Church Protest — “Hundreds of people filled Cherry Hill Park on Sunday afternoon for the ‘Falls Church Justice for Black Lives Rally.'” [Tysons Reporter]
High Demand for Libraries’ Curbside Pick-Up — “Across the entire Fairfax County library system, customers demonstrated their hunger for the library’s services by checking out 11,000 items from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, the first day of curbside service. For comparison, on the last Monday prior to branch closures in March, when libraries were operating at full capacity, there were about 12,500 checkouts between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.” [Vienna Patch]
Another drain near the community center goes from plain to WOW thanks once again to the handiwork of Madison students Myles Temple and Gavin Kneff. #publicart #OneVienna pic.twitter.com/r8NPz6drli
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) June 5, 2020
