Inova Blood Donor Services and the Washington Nationals teamed up to host a blood drive in Tysons Corner Center tomorrow (Saturday).
Since the event is taking place on Virginia’s Tax-Free Weekend, donors will receive discounts to stores at the mall, along with snacks and an exclusive Washington Nationals t-shirt and mask, according to a press release about the event. Kelly Collis from “The Tommy Show!” will be at the event to cheer donors on.
Inova says that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Blood banks across the U.S. are scrambling to find donors after blood drives were canceled earlier this year because of the pandemic.
People interested in donating blood must make appointments online or by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES. People can sign up to donate whole blood, double red cells or platelets.
The blood drive will take place from 7 a.m.-4 p/m. at the former Lord and Taylor spot (1961 Chain Bridge Road) in the mall. People must wear face coverings, and Inova will provide masks if donors need one.
Unemployment Claims Dip — “New claims for unemployment benefits filed by Northern Virginia residents fell last week to their lowest level since pandemic-related business shutdowns began, even as thousands of area residents continue collecting unemployment, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday.” [Inside NoVa]
Capital One Fined for Data Breach — “Capital One Financial Corp (NYSE: COF) will pay an $80 million fine and enter into a consent order with its regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, over issues related to a data breach in 2019 that exposed more than 106 million records of customers and credit card applicants.” [Washington Business Journal]
Two Activists Running for Falls Church Council Seat — “Two longtime City of Falls Church activists, Debbie Hiscott and Josh Shokoor, have been the only ones to announce so far they’ll be running for the now-open seat on the Falls Church City Council.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Construction of new Station 44, Scotts Run, continues to progress nicely! New station is being built as part of a development condition to meet growing needs for emergency services in Tysons area. Starting to look like a fire and rescue station! #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/lUJNwYaDjm
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 7, 2020
The Virginia sales tax holiday is Aug. 7 – 9, 2020. Here’s what’s eligible for school supplies, clothing and footwear:
✅Qualified school supplies – $20 or less per item
✅Qualified clothing and footwear – $100 or less per itemGet more info: https://t.co/TFZ0jQC4vl pic.twitter.com/2snEv42INg
— Virginia Tax (@VaTax) July 29, 2020
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
Updated 11:15 a.m. — Jonathan Shapiro, the president of Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Company, apologized in a statement, saying that the printing vendor is responsible for the “major error.”
“This mistake occurred because we incorrectly aligned a spreadsheet that matched the voter with their local election office,” Shapiro said, adding that CVI did not review the spreadsheet and that the printing vendor has taken steps to make sure mistakes are caught in the future.
“This is not the level of work that SED and our partner, Quad Graphics, pride ourselves on. We have printed and mailed over 100 million vote-by-mail applications and voter registration applications without error and we are committed to the highest standards of quality control and excellence,” Shapiro said.
“In this mailing we fell far short of that goal. We apologize to CVI, to the staff at the affected local boards of election, and to the voters.”
Earlier: Be careful if you get a mailer from the Center for Voter Information, Fairfax County election officials say.
Fairfax County and City of Fairfax residents have been sharing on social media and to Tysons Reporter that they received the mailers from the Center for Voter Information, which have incorrect return addresses.
County officials are warning voters about the “inaccurate and potentially misleading mailing” that asks people to return them to the City of Fairfax.
The Center for Voter Information said in a statement that it is “working diligently” with local election officials to get the returned mailers to the correct addresses. Roughly 500,000 mailers included incorrect information, the voter registration group said.
“Mistakes in our programming are very rare, but we take them seriously, and our methods overall are extraordinarily effective,” the statement said, adding that it regrets “adding to any confusion” to voters as the November election nears.
“Please rest assured that we are working with local election officials in Virginia to re-direct the vote by mail applications to the proper locations, and will rectify any errors at our own expense,” the statement said.
The Virginia Department of Elections said that any applications that get sent to the wrong locality’s office will be sent to the correct office.
More from Fairfax County on the mailers:
This group is mass mailing pre-filled, absentee ballot applications to county voters without their request — and the mailer includes return envelopes to send the application to the City of Fairfax, not Fairfax County.
“This mailing is causing great confusion and concern among voters who have been contacting our office,” said Fairfax County General Registrar Gary Scott. “While the mailing may appear to be from an official government agency, the Fairfax County Office of Elections did not send it.”
The mailing is also confusing voters who have previously submitted absentee ballot applications themselves, Scott added. These voters are worried that their applications were not received, leading them to think they need to apply again.
Fairfax County is working with the City of Fairfax to ensure any applications received from the center’s inaccurate mailing will be processed by the county.
This is not the first time that mailers from the Center for Voter Information have confused Virginians.
The News Leader, a newspaper in Staunton, explained last year how organizations can obtain mailing addresses after the Center for Voter Information confused residents with a mailer about voter registration.
County election officials said that election information from the county will include a county seal on the envelope, along with the “Official Election Mail Authorized by the U. S. Postal Service” logo.
Fairfax County voters who want to return the Center for Voter Information applications should mail it to the Fairfax County Office of Elections (12000 Government Center Parkway Suite 323, Fairfax, VA 22035), Brian Worthy, a county spokesperson, said.
People who want to absentee vote by mail can apply online, which will allow them to track the status of their application, or vote in-person at 15 locations. Registered voters can expect their ballots to arrive after Sept. 18.
Photo by Element5 Digital/Unsplash, photo via mailer via Fairfax County
The Food for Others 5k and Fun Run in Tysons in September won’t resemble the race in previous years.
Instead of happening in-person on a set date, the event will now take place virtually during a weekend in late September. Just like the previous races, the registration fee will benefit food-insecure people in Fairfax County.
Located in the Merrifield area, Food for Others notes on its website that more than 70,000 people in Fairfax County live in poverty. The organization distributes food to more than 2,600 families weekly.
“Between March and July, Food for Others has served food to a total of 72,223 households, a 35 percent increase over the number of families we served between March and July of 2019,” the organization recently announced.
Participants will have the weekend of Sept. 25-Sept. 27 to complete the distance and can complete the 5k on a trail, treadmill or anywhere they can walk.
The cost to join the event is $30 per person, which will go toward giving rice and beans to 25 families. People who register before Sept. 10 can get a race t-shirt mailed to them. The race is also accepting sponsorships.
The event description asks that participants record their time and share photos on social media using #Foodforothers5K.
Some of the prizes will include awards for people with the best race costume, most creative route and best pet photo. The full list of prizes will be announced by Sept. 10 so that participants can prepare.
Photo by Bruno Nascimento/Unsplash
Chef Eugenia Hobson and her sons opened Our Mom Eugenia in Great Falls in 2016. Now, the restaurant’s Greek cuisine has arrived in Mosaic District.
Our Mom Eugenia opened Monday (Aug. 3) at 2985 District Ave, Suite 185 — the former spot for Little Dipper Hot Pot House.
Born and raised in Greece, Hobson has been a chef for the last 30 years, working at several local Greek restaurants — Mykonos Grill in Rockville, Athenian Plaka in Bethesda and Nostos in Tysons — before opening Our Mom Eugenia with her sons.
The menu on ChowNow for the Mosaic District location includes daily specials and the option to buy a meal for local healthcare providers and first responders ($12). “We will match every meal you buy and donate them to regional hospitals on a weekly basis,” the menu says.
Diners can choose from various spreads and appetizers including spanakopita, feta with olives, grilled octopus and keftedakia. The “Lamburger,” chicken wrap and an 80 oz. filet mignon with grilled shrimp and asparagus are a few of the entree options.
Desserts include baklava, loukoumades with honey, apple cake a la mode, Greek yogurt in a Martini glass with honey and walnuts and more. Family trays, a kids’ menu, beer, wine and a bottle of the house-made extra virgin olive oil are also on the menu.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Sundays and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Diners can make reservations through OpenTable, where the restaurant has its safety precautions against COVID-19 listed.
Photo via Our Mom Eugenia/Facebook
A local artist will teach people over Zoom how to turn cardboard toilet paper tubes into mini works of art.
The upcoming class is a part of the recent offerings from Falls Church Arts, a nonprofit arts organization based in Falls Church. The Zoom class will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 6). It costs $30 and is open to teens and adults.
“They are just so adorable,” Ruth Altheim, who is a board member for Falls Church Arts, told Tysons Reporter about the toilet paper roll art. “It’s hard to communicate how much fun this is.”
Altheim noted that the upcoming workshop will focus on collage.
Altheim said she suggested the idea for the workshop, which will be taught by local artist Molly McCracken.
To participate, people will need either a toilet paper or paper towel cardboard core, scissors, glue, different types of paper and either crayons or markers.
A flyer for the class says that construction paper, wrapping paper, magazines, newsprint, colored paper or photographs will work. People who need paper can pick up a “basic supply” from the instructor for $5.
Photo courtesy Ruth Altheim
What started as a mom-led effort to help food-insecure families has grown into a large volunteer group giving groceries, kids’ clothing and more to roughly 150 people in the Vienna area each week.
Self-described bargain hunters Sharon McKew and Grace Westreich got to know each other through a yard sale site. They told Tysons Reporter via Facebook Messenger that they are leading the efforts behind the public Facebook group Community Cares Vienna.
“It started after schools shut down, and I found out many of the students I worked with would no longer receive the ‘blessings bags’ from the school,” McKew said. “It was just a way to continue to get them food.”
Westreich said the group “exploded overnight.” As of today (Wednesday), it has more than 300 members.
At first, the donations came from McKew’s wallet and former families from a daycare McKew ran. Then, Westreich started giving donations, and the two teamed up. Westreich now manages the money, orders, donation solicitations and delivery logistics, while McKew directs the volunteers and handles the food.
Over time, the group has turned into a space for people to share and solicit donations for items like bed rails, baby clothes, book bags, lined paper for students and more. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact vulnerable communities, it’s clear from the messages posted in the group that there’s an ongoing need for food and supplies.
A study earlier this year by Feeding America predicts that one in six adults — and one in four kids — could experience food insecurity this year. Jade Leedham with Second Story, a local nonprofit helping vulnerable kids and young, told Tysons Reporter in July that she’s seen a decrease in volunteers and corporate sponsors while the need for support continues.
Community Cares Vienna is working to keep residents and local businesses engaged. The group’s extensive reach is thanks to the “amazing volunteers,” McKew and Westreich said.
So far, volunteers’ efforts have included making masks for kids and adults, delivering disinfectants, buying school supplies and paying for art camps for homebound students, McKew said.
That’s not all. An anonymous donor donated their stimulus check. One mother-daughter duo dropped off boxes and bags filled with activities for kids. Several people organized neighborhood drives, while others consistently donate groceries. Girls Scouts and former daycare kids have prepared bags of food and teachers and staff from elementary schools are making deliveries.
The group also receives financial and marketing support from Lydia Russo, the local woman behind the Vienna VA Foodies Facebook group. People who want to get involved can email [email protected].
“Restaurants joined in, too,” Westreich said, highlighting local eateries that they made meals or donated:
- Inca Social
- Caboose Commons
- Foster’s Grille
- Mo:Mo House
- The Italian Gourmet
- Maple Ave Restaurant
- Nothing Bundt Cakes
“Sharon talks about kids waving from the window in excitement, the joy and sheer giddiness of knowing what the deliveries mean. Parents with tears of gratitude in their eyes,” Westreich said. “Sharon’s creed really has been, ‘No hungry bellies.'”
Photo by Maria Lin Kim/Unsplash
Metro to Give Out Masks — “Metro will start to hand out 500,000 cloth masks it received from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the transit agency announced [in late July]. It’s unclear exactly when and how they will be distributed throughout the system.” [DCist]
Northam’s Approval Rating Drops — “Approval ratings for Gov. Ralph Northam’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have dropped 15 percentage points since a similar survey in April, according to a new poll from the Center for Public Policy at VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.” [Inside NoVa]
New Law Looks to Cut Back Predatory Payday Lending — “A new law in the commonwealth aims to curb predatory lending practices by limiting the annual rate of interest to 36% plus a monthly service fee. By comparison, the current average annual rate is 251% for payday loans and 217% for title loans.” [DCist]
Teaming Up on Testing — “Virginia is joining five other states in a new effort to expand the use of rapid antigen testing for the coronavirus.” [Inside NoVa]
Local Senior Sets State Golf Record — “In a duel between high-school teammates, rising Langley Saxons senior Kelly Chinn emerged as champion with a record-setting performance at the Virginia State Golf Association’s Junior Stroke Play Championships.” [Inside NoVa]
(Updated 9:30 a.m.) The Vienna Business Association’s Oktoberfest and several Town of Vienna events are no longer happening due to the pandemic.
The town announced today (Tuesday) that events through Oct. 3 are canceled and alternative Halloween celebrations are under consideration.
The canceled events include:
- Quarterly Recycling Day (September)
- Chillin’ on Church
- Teens on the Green (September)
- Oktoberfest (October)
Kathy Georgen, who chairs the Oktoberfest planning committee, said in the town’s announcement that Oktoberfest had to get axed because it depends on hundreds of vendors and thousands of attendees.
“We could not in good conscience move forward in this current climate,” Georgen said.
Instead, the VBA plans to promote Distanz Oktoberfest, which is described in a press release as “an initiative that encourages VBA-member and other Town businesses to host in early October German-themed events and promotions at their own location.”
Nearby, the City of Falls Church took similar precautions, canceling its Falls Church Festival in September and Farm Day in October. The rest of the city’s events for 2020 “will take place if a safe event format can be created.”
(Updated 3:10 p.m.) Island Fin Poké plans to bring Hawaiian-style poke bowls to Falls Church and Vienna.
The eatery is set to open in the fall at 7501 Leesburg Pike, Suite 129 in Idylwood Plaza. That location will be the first one in Virginia for the Florida-based fast-casual chain, according to a press release.
“We are excited to expand to Falls Church because of the amazing food scene,” Co-founder Mark Setterington said in a press release. “We believe that the local residents will appreciate our family-oriented culture and personal attention given to every guest.”
Sarah Richter, a spokesperson for Island Fin Poké, told Tysons Reporter that the owner of the Falls Church location has signed a deal to also open the Vienna location.
“Plans won’t be made for Vienna until the Falls Church unit is up and running, so Vienna will be much later down the line, maybe in a year or so,” Richter said.
When the Virginia locations open, diners can expect build-your-own bowls that can be customized with eight proteins, sauces and more than a dozen toppings.
The Idylwood Plaza location will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. every day, according to the chain’s website.
Founded in 2017, Island Fin Poké currently has eight locations across the U.S., from Nevada to Massachusetts. The chain opened an eatery in Bowie, Md. in January and is looking to grow in the D.C. area, the press release noted.
“Our Bowie location has been very successful and our expansion to Falls Church is just the beginning for the D.C. metro area,” Setterington said.
Island Fin Poké has 26 locations “in various stages of development across the country,” the press release says, noting that the chain is looking to rapidly expand by seeking franchisees.
Photo courtesy Island Fin Poké
