Church Street is currently closed in Vienna for emergency tree work, the town announced on social media.

The town announced this morning that Church Street between Glyndon Street and Beulah Road will be closed today (Tuesday) for up to three hours starting at 9 a.m.

The town also said that “several other tree and maintenance projects will impact travel this week,” including:

• Removal and replanting of trees in the Nutley Street median tomorrow will temporarily close the southbound lane closest to the median
• Mulch spreading in flower beds will close a lane on Maple Avenue from 6-10 p.m. tomorrow
• Tree removal will close westbound lanes on Maple Avenue between Follin Lane NE and East Street NE from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday

Town Arborist Gary Lawrence said that the work on Nutley Street tomorrow will include the removal of 11 “dead or severely decayed” trees between Marshall Road and Maple Avenue.

The work is expected to take three days ahead of replanting on March 9, which will take approximately four business days.

“The trees being removed are lindens and one Bradford pear,” the arborist said. “The species being replanted include willow oaks, lacebark elm, and pistache. These trees have proven to be highly tolerant of environmental conditions similar to those along Nutley Street.”

As for the work tree removal on Maple Avenue on Friday, the town plans to take out a black locust tree that has “an extensive crack at its base, which has compromised its structural integrity,” according to the Facebook post.

Map via Google Maps 

Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:

Fundraiser For Timber Lane PTA — “The Community Charity Champions philanthropic arm of HBC Group of Keller Williams Realty will host a fund-raiser for the Timber Lane Elementary School PTA on Tuesday, March 10.” [Inside NoVa]

No July Fourth Falls Church Fireworks — “The City of Falls Church announced [Monday] that its 40-year tradition of an Independence Day fireworks show will be suspended this year due to the construction on the new George Mason High School currently taking place. The City says it plans for the fireworks to return in 2021.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Fire Guts McLean Home, Closes Route 123 — Last night shortly before 7 p.m., a three-alarm fire in a McLean home prompted Route 123 to close. [Tysons Reporter]

Students Getting Glass Recycled — “Two enterprising George Mason High School students, junior Jonathan Oppenheimer and freshman Danny Oppenheimer, have started a glass recycling service for City of Falls Church residents in response to the City’s announcement that it would no longer collect glass in its weekly recycling pick-up service.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Today, voting is underway for the Democratic primary today:

It’s been slow but steady so far this morning as voters come out for the #SuperTuesday Democratic presidential primary today. Polls are open until 7 p.m. #election2020 #2020election #VAprimary #Virginia pic.twitter.com/vqA8NJXMAi

— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) March 3, 2020

Update at 10:30 p.m. — The fire is under control, the fire department says.

UPDATE 800 block of Dolley Madison Blvd in McLean: The fire is under control. Units and investigators will remain on scene for the next few hours. pic.twitter.com/y1zFMObVYc

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 3, 2020

Update at 7:55 p.m. — The fire has gone through the roof of the house, the fire department tweeted. Route 123 is still closed. All of the occupants are safe, a second tweet said. 

Earlier: Firefighters are working to extinguish a house fire in McLean that has caused the closure of Route 123.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue tweeted about the fire in the 800 block of Dolley Madison Blvd shortly before 7 p.m.

The fire department tweeted that the fire is located in the basement.

The Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination (MATOC) Program tweeted around 6:30 p.m. that all of Route 123’s lanes in both directions near the GW Parkway are blocked due to the fire.

UPDATE- house fire 800 block of Dolley Madison Blvd in McLean. Crews still working to extinguish. All occupants are safe. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/B7fivExKUD

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 3, 2020

Fire Department Activity. VA-123 NB/SB between VA-193 and the GW Parkway. Fairfax County, VA. All lanes are blocked in both directions. Expect delays.

— MATOC Alerts (@MATOC) March 2, 2020

Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter and map via Google Maps

Little Birdies Boutique, a kids’ clothing store, is now in Tysons Galleria.

The store celebrated its new location with a grand opening on Saturday (Feb. 29). The store is next to Saks Fifth Avenue on the mall’s third level.

This is the second location for the clothing store, which first opened in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood in 2014, according to the store’s website.

The store sells kids’ clothing from newborns to size 10. Shoppers can find spring clothing, games, accessories and gear.

“Little Birdies Boutique takes a southern approach to children’s wear offering nostalgic traditional clothing mixed in with fun playful styles,” according to the website.

The Fairfax County Park Authority and the McLean Project for the Arts have revealed plans for an arts campus at Clemyjontri Park in McLean.

The meeting last Monday (Feb. 24) kicked off with a reception before presentations gave an overview of the park’s history and the current proposal, followed by a Q&A.

Adele Lebowitz and her family donated the property (6317 Georgetown Pike) to the Park Authority in 2000. The Park Master Plan was approved two years later, kicking off several phases of development that turned the park into a place to play for kids who use wheelchairs or who have sensory or developmental disabilities.

Now, MPA wants to expand its offerings, which are currently at the McLean Community Center, with an arts campus that will be intreated into, but distinct from, the park.

“We are thrilled,” Lori Carbonneau, MPA’s executive director, said during her presentation. “There is no art gallery in the world who wouldn’t love to have the 80,000 visitors that come to Clemyjontri each year at the front door steps of an art gallery.”

The campus would include galleries, studios, a creative outdoor space and turf parking at the end of the park closest to Route 123, Carbonneau said.

Of the three proposed galleries, one would be a blackbox space allowing for light installations, she said.

Carbonneau said that she is excited about combining the interests of people visiting for the park and for the arts campus — like a garden with native plants that can be used for dyes for fiber arts.

At the park, MPA tentatively plans to hold exhibits eight-12 times per year with 80-120 attendees and special events three times a year with 100-250 attendees. Carbonneau noted that two of MPA’s four largest events — MPA ArtReach and MPAartfest — would stay in their current locations.

“This new facility would build upon the existing visual arts programming currently provided by MPA through a public/private partnership with Fairfax County at the McLean Community Center,” according to the county.

As for the project’s costs, Carbonneau said that MPA has a roughly $1 million budget and will need to fundraise for the project.

Compass Nonprofit Consulting Group has given MPA an in-kind grant of $50,000 worth of consulting work, she said.

Of the roughly 10 people who commented at the meeting, a handful mentioned potential issues.

One person raised concerns about adding security measures like a gate to keep frisky teenagers away, while another said that standing water at one area might impact construction.

“We are aware of neighborhood concerns about evening music,” Carbonneau said, adding that parking is also a concern, which could get resolved by offering a bus.

As the process continues for the proposal, the plan will have to head to the county board for special exemption process and get reviewed by the Park Authority.

“We’re not starting from scratch in terms of a new master plan,” Ryan Stewart, the park planning supervisor for the Park Authority, said.

The entire process could take a year or more. Carbonneau said aiming for completion in 2022 for MPA’s 60th anniversary would be “aggressive.”

“It’s a fabulous combination of the space and nature,” she said.

(Updated 3/3/2020) Ahead of International Women’s Day this Sunday, Caboose Commons plans to host a market on Thursday where shoppers can support female-run businesses.

This will be the local brewery’s second year hosting the market, which will feature more than two dozen businesses. The market will be open from 5-9 p.m. at 2918 Eskridge Road.

Shoppers can find the pop-ups in Caboose’s lofts, according to the event page. Some of the stores are:

• Amelia Lawrence Jewelry
• Green Papaya Candles
• Lele Apothecary
• The Little Flower Field, CBD Company
• MizzMosaic

In addition to the market, Caboose Commons will be canning a new IPA made with the 2020 Pink Boots blend from Yakima Chiefs Hops on Thursday morning, the brewery said on its website.

“This blend will create tropical, citrus and piney aromatic qualities,” according to Caboose Commons. The beer will be available for purchase at the market.

“For every one pound of hops sold, $3 goes back to the Pink Boots Society,” according to the event page.

Image via Caboose Commons/Facebook

Local students will soon get to see their art displayed in two gallery shows this month.

McLean Project for the Arts plans to host youth art shows for students in elementary, middle and high schools in the McLean and Langley school pyramids.

The show for McLean pyramid students is set to run from Thursday (March 5) to next Saturday (March 14). An opening exhibition reception will be held on Thursday (March 5) from 4:30-6 p.m.

Then, students in the Langley pyramid will have their art displayed from March 19-April 1. A reception is set for Thursday, March 19, from 4:30-6 p.m.

People can see the art at the Emerson and Atrium galleries (1234 Ingleside Avenue), which are open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

Photo via McLean Project for the Arts 

Domino’s plans to celebrate its new pizza place in Tysons next week.

A ribbon-cutting will be held on Monday, March 9, at 10 a.m. Attendees can expect light refreshments, a raffle drawing and tours of the new space.

The pizza chain opened at 8133 Watson Street in October, according to a flyer for the event.

Other nearby locations include McLean (1420 Chain Bridge Road), Vienna (331 Maple Ave E.) and Falls Church (1106 W. Broad Street).

Tysons may not have the liveliest nightlife at the moment, but that could soon change as more late-night restaurants and places to hang out open. “Tysons After Dark” will highlight a different spot every week.

Showplace Icon doesn’t officially open until March 6, but the new theater in Tysons is offering free movies starting today before its grand opening.

Earlier this week, Tysons Reporter got a tour of the 72,000-square-foot theater (1667 Silver Hill Drive) in The Boro development near the Greensboro Metro station.

The theater has 14 auditoriums ranging in size with seating for 1,795 people. Inside the auditoriums, the recliners turn into love seats when the armrest is up and people can warm up with the seat heaters.

The theaters are split between two floors. Along the hallways, movie-goers can spot posters of films from 1963 — the same year the Leesburg Pike and Route 123 interchange contract was awarded, morphing the country crossroads into an urban area.

People can dine at the ICON Bistro and The Lobby Lounge and bring food, like bacon popcorn, into the auditoriums.

A spokesperson for the theater told Tysons Reporter that the goal with the dining options is to appeal to non-movie-goers as well.

During the theater’s soft opening from today (Friday, Feb. 28) until Wednesday (March 4), people who are Extra Club Members — a free membership available online — will be able to watch free movies with free popcorn and drinks. (There’s also a paid membership option as well for people who want more perks.)

The movies on the big screen for Friday-Sunday include:

• “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey”
• “1917”
• “The Gentlemen”
• “Little Women”
• “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
• “Frozen 2”
• “Jumanji: The Next Level”
• “Knives Out”
• “Ford v. Ferrari”
• “Uncut Gems”
• “Just Mercy”
• “Dolittle”

Tickets are available an hour before each movie and must be reserved in person, according to the theater’s website.

This will be the movie theater chain’s seventh location, according to a press release.

Two school buses were recently vandalized at the Vienna Elementary School, police said.

According to the police report, the buses were in the school’s parking lot when someone vandalized them.

One bus had a broken window and honey mustard packets thrown at it, Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter.

The incident occurred sometime between 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 and 6:20 a.m. on Feb. 24.

Vazquez said that the damage is roughly $375 and that the case is inactive.

Image via Google Maps