A family-owned dry cleaning business has turned its Mosaic District location into a “little mask factory,” one of its owners says.
Dianne Lee and her husband Je Kang run The Press at 2985 District Ave, along with the three locations in D.C.
Lee told Tysons Reporter that they started preparing for the coronavirus in February. Now, they are busy making handmade masks.
People who stop by the Mosaic District location can see the employees sewing through the window.
They have donated them to Children’s National Hospital, police stations, leasing companies and more. So far, they’ve been prioritizing giving masks to the hospitals first. People can email them requests — even if the request is as small as one, two or three.
“We went from making 50-100 masks a day to 500-800 masks a day now,” Lee said.
The Press posted on Instagram on April 20 that it has donated more than 3,000 masks.
Lee said her husband, who studied rare and infectious diseases, “was just really adamant about making sure that everyone in the community has a mask.”
“We’ve gotten phone calls from moms,” Lee said, adding that they decline offers to buy masks. Instead, they give them out for free and rely on a fundraiser to pay for supplies.
Lee said the pivot to masks has kept their employees busy since the demand for laundering and dry cleaning services has dropped. “We saw a 90% decrease in sales at one point,” she said.
Clients can still have their clothes cleaned. Lee said she’s encouraging people to use their home delivery service. People can do curbside pick-up and drop-off at the Mosaic District location.
“There is more wash and fold these days,” Lee said. “We’ve seen more designer sweatpants.”
Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lee said that they don’t touch the items that need to be cleaned for a while, which makes the process take a few extra days.
“We ask customers if they have been exposed [to the virus] and have waiver forms,” she said.
Lee hopes that when the stay-at-home orders get lifted in the D.C. area that the dry cleaning business will bounce back.
“People will hopefully be going out and wearing more clothes,” she said.
But until then, they’ll keep making masks.
“We transformed our location into a little mask factory,” Lee said.
The owner of a Tysons gym is gaining traction with an online petition asking that some restrictions get lifted for small gyms and fitness centers in Northern Virginia.
As Virginia readies to start its first reopening phase tomorrow (Friday), Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered that Northern Virginia maintain current COVID-19 restrictions until after Memorial Day.
Fairfax County has had the highest reported number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state, and top officials in Northern Virginia have been pushing for more time to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
But Tucker Jones, who WJLA reported is the owner of CrossFit gyms in Tysons and Arlington, thinks that the soon-approaching rollback of business restrictions in the rest of the state should also apply to small gyms in Northern Virginia.
“We strongly feel that we can continue to provide access to health and wellness through fitness in a way that keeps everyone safe,” the petition says.
Jones started the online petition three days ago and, at the time of this article, it has gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
The petition says that small class gyms that are about 3,000-8,000-square feet with a maximum capacity of 25-75 people can take the following safety steps:
- capping class sizes at 10 people
- daily deep cleaning
- disinfecting equipment before and after every use
- starting contactless check-in
- switching to reservation-only
- taking away access to showers and water fountains
- requiring employees and asking clients to wear masks
“We believe we can begin to provide our services to members following very strict guidelines of social distancing and extreme cleanliness just as other businesses are providing as they reopen,” the petition says.
Jones told WJLA he had to cancel his plans to offer outdoor fitness classes after Northam announced earlier this week the reopening delay for Northern Virginia.
Currently, CrossFit in Tysons has turned to online fitness classes, a nutrition challenge on social media and equipment rentals to keep the business going while the gyms are temporarily closed.
Photo via CrossFit Tysons Corner/Facebook
The zoning guidelines for the commercial area of Maple Avenue are “dead,” but what do Vienna officials do now with the body?
The Vienna Town Council adopted the now-controversial MAC zoning code in October 2014. Four years later, the town officials suspended it in 2018 — the MAC has been suspended ever since.
Last night, the Vienna Planning Commission tackled the question of what comes next for the code with two public hearings — one on extending the suspension to June 2022 and the other on repealing the MAC zone.
“A lot of people liked the MAC at the beginning,” Chair Stephen Kenney said, adding that some people weren’t happy with it once they saw the proposed developments. “We’ve never gotten the final answer [from residents] — ‘What do you like?'”
After some confusion on how to tackle the public hearings, they kicked off around 10 p.m. and the discussion on the proposals ended shortly before midnight.
The proposals received a handful of written comments and one call-in testimony from resident C. John Pott who said he favors repealing the code. A written comment from another resident urged for an extension: “I suspect there is a downside to premature repeal.”
Most of the discussion focused on the disagreement among the commissioners. While they agreed the MAC code is “dead,” they remained divided on whether it should get resurrected or buried to start fresh.
“I don’t see a reason to keep dead code on the books,” Commissioner Michael Gelb said. “I supported it initially but I think the experience has not been good.” Gelb indicated that he prefers repealing the code.
Commissioner Sharon Baum shared a similar sentiment: “It’s really hard for me to say this, but I really would like to see a repeal. I just see that the Town Council isn’t able to move forward for the last two years on this MAC.”
Several of them expressed frustrations about the lack of progress on revamping the code, saying there’s been little communication from town staff and councilmembers.
Commissioner Julie Hays said that a year has gone by without a joint work session with the Town Council on the MAC update.
Commissioner Andrew Meren initially wanted to extend the moratorium by only five months instead of two years to put more pressure on the Town Council to work with the Planning Commission.
“Even if there’s no new progress there are always going to be questions,” Meren said.
Commissioners who oppose repealing the code said it has salvageable parts and raised concerns about the message a repeal would send to future town officials.
“I don’t want to set a precedent of doing hasty appeals,” Vice Chair Sarah Couchman said.
While the pandemic has caused delays, she said the town can still keep working on the MAC rewrite.
“I don’t see any reason why these discussions can’t continue,” Couchman said, adding that virtual meetings have been working.
“To repeal code is to say there was a kind of failure,” Commissioner Mary McCullough said. “The MAC is not a failure. The MAC resulted in change… I think to repeal the MAC is to take the easy way out.”
Commissioner David Patariu said it’s “moot” to discuss repealing the MAC when the town’s comprehensive plan still mentions it.
At the end of the meeting, Couchman, McCullough and Meren voted against repealing the code.
Since most of the commissioners voted in support of both options, Kenney asked each one to send him a paragraph explaining which option they prefer and why. Kenney will pass along those comments to the Town Council.
The Vienna Town Council is set to revisit the two ideas in June.
Image via Town of Vienna
Fairfax County continues to have thousands of unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 7,000 initial unemployment claims were filed in the county for the week of May 2, according to the latest data from the Virginia Employment Commission.
The latest data shows a slow decrease of claims in the county from a spike during the week of April 4. Fairfax County had the largest number of initial claims in Virginia for the May 2 filing week.
“Most areas reported declining numbers of claims compared to the previous week,” the VEC said. “Fairfax reported the largest over-the-week decrease (-2,097).”
Meanwhile, the number of continued claims keeps rising in Fairfax County from nearly 3,000 in late March to 30,000 in mid-April to more than 44,000 during the week of May 2.
The data shows a decrease in the number of claimants from the previous week for Virginia, but the VEC warns that the volume of initial claims “may not return to pre-pandemic levels for some time.”
More data on the trends for initial and continued claims in Virginia:
Data and image via Virginia Employment Commission
Fairfax County and the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax have reached 7,000 COVID-19 cases — roughly 2,000 more cases than this time last week, according to state health data.
As of today (Thursday), Fairfax County reported 6,951 cases, while Fairfax City has 45 cases and Falls Church has 39, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Hispanics make up 16.8% of the Fairfax Health District’s population, but 61.3% of the reported cases that have racial and ethnic data, according to Fairfax County’s dashboard.
In the county, 267 people have died from the virus, while four have died in Falls Church. The majority of the people who died were age 65 or older.
Fairfax County officials have said that increased testing capacity, community transmission and the inclusion of probably COVID-19 cases in the data are likely behind the rising numbers.
The Fairfax Health District continues to have the highest number of reported cases in the state, but has a lower case rate per 100,000 than several other areas like Richmond County and Eastern Shore.
With Virginia poised to ease some COVID-19 business restrictions tomorrow, Northern Virginia localities will wait an extra two weeks to see if they get a downward trend of positive test results and hospitalizations for 14 days.
Data via Virginia Department of Health
New Water, Sewer Rates — “The Vienna Town Council on May 11 set water and sewer rates for the upcoming fiscal year, but held off on decisions regarding the fiscal 2021 budget and the potential hiring of a consultant to help update the town’s zoning code.” [Inside NoVa]
In Memoriam — “For years, as a youth coach and administrator of multiple sports, Bill Cervenak was a pillar in the Vienna community, touching hundreds of lives… Cervenak died in recent days from various health issues. He was 80.” [Inside NoVa]
Smarty Pants — “Seven students from McLean are among the 2,500 recipients of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s $2,500 scholarships announced Wednesday. They were chosen in a selection process that started with the 2018 PSAT.” [McLean Patch]
House has been demolished to make way for a new park at Parker and Oak. pic.twitter.com/ReWCOd57Kr
— Falls Church Views (@fallschurchview) May 13, 2020
Some #inspo for your #FallBrochurePhotoContest Photos! Don't forget to submit your pics to [email protected] by May 20.https://t.co/67BkuxTJ5x
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) May 13, 2020
Tips for applying eyeliner. #Gratitudeattitude appreciation posts for staff and clients. Inspiration messages reminding people to relax. These are some of the many social media posts by a local lash studio.
Deka Lash opened last spring in the Mosaic District. Christina Cox, a local teacher, and her husband, who is a retired U.S. Army officer, are the owners behind the franchise.
Cox told Tysons Reporter said that she’s been using social media as a way to keep people’s spirits up and remind them of the studio’s plans to keep clients and staff safe during the pandemic.
“Now we are letting our clients know everything we’re doing and that we take this seriously,” she said.
The small studio only had five beds to begin with, and lash artists were already wearing masks, washing hands and using hand sanitizer between clients and sterilizing the equipment with an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral product before the pandemic.
Facebook and Instagram posts help her share how the studio is preparing to reopen. While the studio has been closed, Cox said that each last artist has received training on how to use barbicide, which is usually used in barbershops,
When the studio reopens, clients will be given pink bandanas to cover their faces and will be able to read brochures about the cleaning products being used. Both employees and clients will have their temperatures taken with non-contact thermometers.
“We want to keep our staff healthy,” Cox said. “We don’t want to put anybody at risk.”
Blankets for clients will be washed after every single use. Tools will be sterilized and disinfected after every client and frequently touched services like the front desk will be cleaned frequently, she said.
The cancellation policy will be changed so that people won’t be charged for no-shows or late cancellations.
To limit contact, clients will be able to check-in and book new appointments using the smartphone app, she said. Previously, the studio allowed walk-ins and let people bring friends or their kids, but not anymore due to safety precautions.
When the studio reopens, only three of the five beds will be used, and Cox hopes to only have two lash artists working at the same time.
“The only thing we are not doing — we haven’t figured out a way to apply extensions from six feet away,” Cox said. “But everything else, we’ve got it covered.”
Sharing these steps on social media is a way to build and keep trust among clients, Cox said.
“We are ready and we were already doing so many things beforehand and it will be more visible,” Cox said.
Cox said that she’s using social media during the pandemic to stay connected to clients and reach out to new people.
“I think more people are on social media now more than ever,” she said, adding that her strategy is to send a “message of hope.”
The pandemic has hit the business hard. When Tysons Reporter talked to Cox last week, she was still waiting to hear about her federal loan application.
“We’re in our first year of operation, so this is a kick in the teeth,” she said about the financial blow to the business.
But Cox remains optimistic about getting back on track financially in the near future: “I am hoping that we can pick up right where we left off in about three to six months.”
“For the most part, if you had disposable income for lashes — our clients are in a solid financial position,” Cox said, adding that the pandemic might be a temporary financial setback to clients but not devastating to their disposable income.
Even with non-essential businesses temporarily closed and the stay-at-home order, Cox said there’s still a demand for lashes.
“I have people calling me, ‘Do you make house calls?’ ‘No, we’re closed!'” Cox said.
While businesses in Northern Virginia won’t see restrictions loosened until May 29 at the earliest, Cox said that she will be ready to open the studio back up right away — and so will her clients.
Cox said that people who want to support the studio while it’s closed can buy gift cards online, book ahead for appointments and — for clients — write Yelp or Google reviews.
“This virus is not likely going away but we have to continue to live,” she said. “We don’t want the cure to be worse than the disease.”
Images via Deka Lash Facebook and Instagram
Northern Virginia officials stressed the importance of working together on their reopening plans during Gov. Ralph Northam’s press conference today.
Yesterday, Northam announced that he was pushing the reopening deadline for Northern Virginia localities to May 29.
Today Northam said that he is “comfortable” having the first reopening phase begin on Friday (May 15) for the rest of the state.
Jeff McKay, Fairfax County’s chairman, said that coordination with D.C. and Maryland leaders is key to determine when to reopen the D.C. area, which he called “one cohesive region.”
“It’s important that there not be huge variations in the roll-out of phases as we move forward so that we don’t unnecessarily confuse our business owners, confuse our residents and confuse our house of worships,” McKay said. “This virus does not know jurisdictional boundaries.”
Officials for Arlington and Loudoun counties along with the mayors of Alexandria and Falls Church also spoke at the press conference.
Libby Garvey, the chair for Arlington County, said that the Northern Virginia region is looking to meet the following criteria before reopening:
- a downward trend of positive test results and hospitalizations for 14 days
- sufficient hospital beds and intensive care unit capacity
- enough personal protection equipment
- increased testing and tracing
“The most responsible path forward for us is to maintain our current operating status until the phase 1 criteria laid out by the governor are met by Northern Virginia
Northam said that he has not heard about a desire to delay the first reopening phase from other regions in Virginia.
Image via Gov. Ralph Northam/Facebook
(Updated 3 p.m.) Fairfax County police arrested a 51-year-old D.C. man and charged him with aggravated malicious wounding for allegedly stabbing a man.
Police tweeted that they responded to the stabbing in the 2700 block of Dorr Avenue, which is near the Prosperity Flats Apartments and the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station, last night (Tuesday) around 9 p.m.
“Two men known to each other were arguing in a parking lot when one man stabbed the other man,” police said.
The victim was taken the hospital with life-threatening injuries,” police said.
“There is no threat to public safety,” police tweeted.
Map via Google Maps
While seniors at public schools in Fairfax County may have to wait until the fall for ceremonies, they will have opportunities this spring to celebrate finishing high school.
In a message to families yesterday, Superintendent Scott Brabrand shared that the school board has agreed to his proposals on how to recognize graduating seniors.
“We are committed to celebrating our seniors in the safest and most personalized manner possible,” Brabrand said. “We share the disappointment that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school closure placed on our senior class.”
Instead of in-person ceremonies this spring, the high schools will schedule individual graduate photo opportunities starting in June where the student and a small group of family members can watch the student get their diploma and have their photo taken.
Fairfax County Public Schools also plans to produce a celebration video with videos submitted by students. Brabrand said that the video will be available for free to everyone in the class of 2020.
If COVID-19 does not pose a health risk in the fall, each school may schedule an in-person ceremony, Brabrand said.
He noted that state health department data indicates that summer ceremonies would “pose too many health risks and too much uncertainty with regard to social distancing requirements and restrictions on large gatherings.” More details will be announced around Labor Day.
“If a fall in-person ceremony cannot be held for health and safety reasons, then we will consider scheduling the face to face ceremony in the winter or next spring,” Brabrand said.
Photo via Tai’s Captures/Unsplash
