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

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

Monday (March 15)

• Honoring Women Warriors (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — In celebration of March as Women’s History Month, the Fairfax County Commission for Women is hosting a virtual event to highlight the work of women who have helped lead the county’s pandemic response, including Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu. The forum will stream on Facebook Live, and comments can be submitted before and during the event.

Tuesday (March 16)

• Mystery Book Club (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The mystery book group will be discussing The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey. New members are welcomed. Copies are available for curbside pickup at the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Register for the Zoom link for the book club.
• Bollywood Dance Fitness (Online) — 6-7 p.m. — Join fitness instructor Aparna Rao in a Bollywood dance fitness class. The class is virtual and free to join. No experience necessary. Register one day in advance to receive the Zoom link. This class is for adults.

Thursday (Mar. 18)

• Vienna Metro Station Improvements Meeting (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will host a meeting to present the ideas to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety and accessibility to the Vienna Metro stations. Some proposed improvements include shared-use paths, sidewalks, and two-way cycle tracks according to the project’s website. To join the live webinar register on the VDOT website.
• “We’ve Got Issues” Teen Forum (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — While it’s hard to see each other in person, join fellow teens virtually to talk about topics like stereotypes, relationships, and more. Program kits are available while supplies last at your local Fairfax County regional library. Register online by Tuesday (March 16) to get the Zoom link.
• Let’s Talk: Human Trafficking in the Age of COVID (Online) — 7:30 p.m. — The McLean-based nonprofit Anti-Trafficking International is hosting a discussion on how the pandemic has heightened the risk of trafficking, especially for young people. The talk will be led by ATI founder and Department of Justice Director of Human Trafficking Programs Bill Woolf. Contact [email protected] for more information on the webinar.

 Friday (Mar. 19)

• Virtual Glow Party (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — McLean Community Center is hosting a free virtual dance party. Join online and request your favorite songs. The night will include music, games and other surprises! Open to all ages.

Saturday (Mar. 20)

• Fairfax County Teen Job Fair (Online) — 11-2 p.m. — Fairfax County will host its annual teen job fair this Saturday. Normally spread across multiple high schools, this year’s fair will take place online over two days due to the pandemic. This is the second of the two-day event. The fair is open to all teens in Fairfax County looking for work, volunteer, and internship opportunities. Businesses and organizations can register for free “booth space” to advertise their available positions. Teens must register online to get a link for the event.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Information Session (Online) — 2-4 p.m. — McLean Community Center instructor Quentin Levin will teach a class on how to register to get the COVID-19 vaccine for those who are eligible. The class has no affiliation with any vaccine providers. The class will focus on navigating technical issues but does not guarantee an appointment. Check the McLean Community Center website for more registration and to register for this class.
• Vienna Photo Show — 10 a.m. at Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street) — The Vienna Photo Show will be open Mar. 20 through Apr. 17. The exhibit will be open for visitors during business hours, except between 12 and 1 p.m. every day, when it will be closed for cleaning. Ribbons for various categories will be awarded.

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

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

Tuesday (Mar. 9)

• Fairfax County Solar Panel Hearing (Online) — 2 p.m. — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on 22 proposed sites for the next phase of the county’s solar panel program. The meeting starts at 2 p.m., but the hearing is expected to start at 4 p.m. and will be available to watch via the county’s cable TV channel and online live stream. Live audio can be accessed by calling 703-324-5300.
• On Deck with Mercury — 6-8 p.m. at Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry St. SE) — Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton and Mayor Linda Colbert will answer questions at this monthly community forum. While in-person attendance is limited by social distancing requirements, people can also register to participate in the Q&A session by Zoom, and the event will be rebroadcast on the town’s cable access channel and uploaded to YouTube.

Wednesday (Mar. 10)

• 2021 Fairfax County Housing Symposium (Online) — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority and George Mason University School of Business are cohosting this conversation on affordable housing. Fairfax County has committed to producing a minimum of 5,000 new affordable houses by 2034 without losing any existing affordable homes. A schedule and registration link for the annual event can be found through Eventbrite.
• Mindful Eating (Online) — 12 p.m. — Health & Wealthness Coach Gretchen Robbins is hosting a virtual meal prepping and mindful eating workshop to office tenants at The Boro. She’ll walk participants through tips for meal prepping and exercises for mindful eating. Register for the event to get the list of suggested materials.

Thursday (Mar. 11)

• Trivia Night at Solace Outpost — 7 p.m. at Solace Outpost (444 West Broad St.) — It’s trivia night at Solace Outpost, and everyone is invited. Teams of up to seven people can compete in the free game to win a first-place prize of a $30 gift card or a $20 gift card for second place.

Friday (Mar. 12)

• Arnaud Sussmann at Wolf Trap (Online) — 7:30-11 p.m. — The latest installment in the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “Front Row” online concert series features violinist Arnaud Sussmann. The virtual performance is free, and a Q&A will follow the performance, which can be watched live online or streamed as a recording through March 19th.

Saturday (Mar. 13)

• Fairfax County Teen Job Fair (Online) — 2-5 p.m. — Fairfax County will host its annual teen job fair this Saturday. Normally spread across multiple high schools, this year’s fair will take place online over two days due to the pandemic. The fair is open to all teens in Fairfax County looking for work, volunteer, and internship opportunities. Businesses and organizations can register for free “booth space” to advertise their available positions. Teens must register online to get a link for the event.
• The Joshua Show (Online) — 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. — The McLean Community Center will host this show of music, comedy, and puppetry by Joshua Holden about “the joy in being yourself.” The show is $15 per device ($10 for MCC tax district residents), and participants must register two hours before showtime.

Image via McLean Community Center

As Fairfax County moves to expand its use of renewable energy, the Board of Supervisors is looking for feedback on the next round of county facilities being considered for solar panel installations.

The board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday (March 9) to determine whether the county should lease roof space at 22 county-owned properties to the energy company Sigora Solar, which would be responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining solar photovoltaic panels at the sites.

Sites under consideration in the Tysons area include:

• McLean Government Center and Police Station (1437 Balls Hill Road)
• Wolf Trap Fire Station #42 (1315 Beulah Road)
• McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue)
• Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Boulevard)
• Merrifield Center and Kerrifield Center Garage (8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive)

This is the second set of properties that county officials have proposed as possible locations for solar panels. The county previously approved leases for roof space at eight sites, including the Providence Community Center, in October.

In an effort to pivot to renewable energy as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Fairfax County announced in December 2019 that it had awarded contracts to multiple solar power companies in what was the “largest solar power purchase agreement initiative by a local municipality in Virginia” at that time, according to the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

In addition to Sigora Solar, the county has contracted with the providers BrightSuite — a subsidiary of Dominion Energy — and Ipsun Solar for the initiative, which could also include Fairfax County Public Schools facilities.

In the board package for Tuesday’s meeting, county staff say there is no expected net cost from the solar panels. Sigora Solar has offered a fixed rate of $0.069 per kilowatt per hour (kWh) on a 25-year contract term. The county will save $0.016 per kWh compared to current electric costs which will help pay off the costs of installation and upkeep to Sigora Solar.

The public hearing is expected to start around 4 p.m. Like the rest of the Board of Supervisors meeting, it will be available to watch via the county’s cable TV channel and online live stream, and live audio can be accessed by calling 703-324-5300.

Image via Flickr/Minoru Karamatsu

The Oral History Committee of Historic Vienna, Inc. is documenting residents’ memories of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee is asking town residents and businesses to submit representations of the way they were affected by, coped with, or reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stories can explore anything “you think is important to be remembered about this unprecedented time in history,” according to the “COVID Impressions” project webpage.

Possible topics include experiences with unemployment or virtual schools and the impact of the pandemic on relationships with friends or pets. Submissions can take the form of different mediums, including a short text description, a photograph, a poem, or a piece of art.

The collection will be presented on the Historic Vienna, Inc. website and preserved in the archives.

“Together the reflections we gather will capture a variety of our Vienna residents’ experiences,” the committee says.

For their submissions to be accepted, residents must fill out a release form. Submissions may be anonymous if desired but the release form still needs to be submitted.

Historic Vienna, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preserving the Town of Vienna’s history by hosting public events, supporting the preservation of historic properties, and operating the Freeman Store and Museum, which is currently open during limited hours with strict health protocols in place.

According to its “Vienna Stories” website, Historic Vienna has been preserving local history through recorded interviews since it was established in 1976. Most recently, it launched a new initiative to collect oral histories from longtime area residents in 2013.

Transcripts and videos can be found on the nonprofit’s blog and YouTube channel.

Submissions for the COVID-19 stories exhibit and the accompanying release form can be sent to the oral history committee at [email protected].

Photo by Michelle Goldchain

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

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

Monday (Mar. 1)

• Unruly Theatre Project Auditions (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — (the) Unruly Theatre Project, a professional teen improv company run by The Alden, is holding its first-ever winter auditions for new company members. The pool of eligibility has been expanded this year to include kids in eighth through 11th grade. Open auditions will be held today and on Wednesday (Mar. 3) with callbacks scheduled to take place on Thursday (Mar. 4). Register for an audition date through the McLean Community Center.

Tuesday (Mar. 2)

• West Falls Church Economic Development Project Town Hall (Online) — 12-1:30 p.m. — Falls Church City staff and representatives from Falls Church Gateway Partners are co-hosting a presentation on the progress of the West Falls project. A question and answer session will be held after the presentation.

Thursday (Mar. 4)

• Bruce Holsinger: The Gifted School (Online) — 7 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library in Falls Church is hosting a Zoom discussion with author Bruce Holsinger about his novel “The Gifted School,” which NPR named as one of its best books of 2019. Email Pete Sullivan at [email protected] for a link to the chat.
• Islam: The Religion and Spiritual Traditions (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — In the first part of its “Great Discussions” series about religions, Fairfax County Public Library will hold a discussion with academic and former McLean Islamic Center board member Osama Eisa, who will provide an overview of Islam. Register in advance to receive an invitation to the event.

Friday (Mar. 5)

• Meet the Mayor — 9-10:30 a.m. at Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry St. SE) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will hold her monthly office hours. She’s available for a simple “hello” or for questions and concerns. Check back on the Town of Vienna website and Mayor Colbert’s Facebook for the time and place of this meet-up.
• Jammin Java Show: Christian Lopez — 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. E) — Jammin Java is hosting folk rock/Americana musician Christian Lopez and his band. Lopez is releasing a new album titled “The Other Side” this spring. The concert will be held inside, but with very strict social distance guidelines. Tickets are $25, and there is a two-item purchase minimum per table.
• Passport to the World: Jake Blount (Online) — 7:30 p.m. — Creative Cauldron’s 2021 “Passport to the World” series continues this week with a performance by banjoist, fiddler, and singer Jake Blount, who is part of the folk duo Tui. He will be followed on Saturday (Mar. 6) by singer Susan Derry, who will perform with pianist Howard Breitbart. All shows start live-streaming at 7:30 p.m. and cost $15. The recorded concerts are available to rent afterwards.

Sunday (Mar. 7)

• The Fast and the Flavorful — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Rd.) — Tysons Corner has teamed up with the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce and Capital Auto Club for a car show accompanied by a food tasting. Located in Garage E, the car show has free admission, while tickets for the food tastings will cost $1 each. The Tysons Chamber of Commerce, which will be selling the tickets by La Sandia, says the event will feature 15 to 20 restaurants.
• Capital Harmonia’s 6th Annual Women’s Choral Festival (Online) — 4 p.m. — The Capital Harmonia women’s choral group is hosting its sixth annual Women’s Choral Festival. The festival honors Women’s History Month, which begins Mar. 1, and features work exclusively by women composers. There will also be interviews with two female composers and a conversation with House of Ruth Director of Development Elizabeth Kiker. The event is free and can be watched on Youtube or Facebook Live.

Image via City of Falls Church

Construction on planned renovations is now underway at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

Funded by donors to the park, the renovation project primarily involves replacing temporary tents that covered the Associates and Terrace decks, OVATIONS restaurant, and private Encore Circle Lounge at the Filene Center with permanent pavilions.

While they will retain the open-air feeling that has become so iconic to Wolf Trap, the new wooden pavilions will have better protection from the elements, Wolf Trap Director of Communications Erick Hoffman says.

Constructed out of Douglas fir, the new structures were designed by the architecture firm Gensler to match the style of the Filene Center, a 7,000-seat outdoor ampitheater that hosts the park’s main summer programming.

Hoffman notes that, compared to the existing vinyl and aluminum tents, the wooden pavilions will be more compatible with the surrounding natural environment. They will also allow for more year-round use by patrons, whereas the tents could only be used on a seasonal basis.

“The new Pavilions will allow for greater use throughout the year in a more inviting and appropriate design environment,” Hoffman said. “Users of the deck will have enhanced protection from the elements and enjoy an architectural vocabulary befitting the unique character of America’s only National Park for the Performing Arts.”

Recently, programs at Wolf Trap have been online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has not affected the renovation timeline, according to Hoffman, who says the $3.5 million project is on track to be completed by late spring.

While construction will not interfere with any performances once in-person events are allowed again, Wolf Trap has closed some parts of the park to visitors, including all decks, Barn Road, and select parking areas. The closures took effect on Dec. 14 and will remain in place until further notice.

The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announced on Dec. 8 that it will not hold spring performances at The Barns this year “due to continued concerns stemming from the pandemic and subsequent guidance from state and local officials.”

“The Foundation is enormously thankful for the continued generosity and support of its donors, patrons, and community as we navigate these challenging times,” Wolf Trap said in a press release. “When it is safe to do so, we look forward to gathering in person again in celebration of the performing arts.”

While it will likely look different from past seasons, hope that there will be live summer performances remains, especially since this year marks the Filene Center’s 50th anniversary.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced yesterday that, starting Monday (Mar. 1), outdoor entertainment venues will be permitted to operate at 30% capacity or with up to 1,000 individuals, whichever is lower. The cap on the number of attendees could be lifted in April if COVID-19 cases in the state continue to decline.

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

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

Monday (Feb. 22)

• Doktor Kaboom! “Look Out! Science is Coming!” (Online) — 4 p.m. — Doktor Kaboom is a comedian with a passion for science. DC Theatre Scene says he’s “better than Bill Nye.” He will be performing a family-friendly show today, including three demonstrations of experiments that viewers can do with him. Go to the McLean Community Center website to register and find the supplies list for the experiments.

Tuesday (Feb. 23)

• Waterfowl at Burke Lake Park — 10-11 a.m. at Burke Lake Park (7315 Ox Rd.) — Burke Lake Park is hosting a search for winter waterfowl. Park staff will run a program taking participants around the lake in search of creatures such as loons, lesser scaups and ring-necked ducks. The registration fee for this event is $8 per person.
• Climate Planning Meeting on Energy (Online) — 7 p.m. — Fairfax County will hold a public meeting of presentations and discussion on energy issues related to the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan, or CECAP. Experts from the consulting firm ICF will be facilitating and presenting at this meeting.

Thursday (Feb. 25)

• Online Book Discussion (Online) — 1-2 p.m. — The staff of Patrick Henry Public Library in Vienna will lead an online discussion about the novel “An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones. Register in advance through the link above to reserve a spot for the event.
• Drawing Animal Eyes — 7-9 p.m. at Annandale District Park (7701 Royce St.) — The Hidden Oaks Nature Center is hosting an event for participants ages 16 and up to learn how to draw animal eyes. Participants will have the option of using pencils, colored pencils and watercolors to create their masterpiece. The cost is $15 per person and masks and social distancing will be required.

Friday (Feb. 26)

• BRAWS Presents: Mardi Bras (Online) — 8-9 p.m. — BRAWS (Bringing Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters) is hosting a fundraiser to support women and girls gain access to items such as pads, tampons, and underwear. The Vienna-based nonprofit says the need for these products has tripled over the last year, making funding more critical than ever. The event is free, but advance registration is required too receive a link, and people can support the cause by becoming a sponsor, participating in the silent auction, or purchasing a raffle ticket.
• A Taste of California (Online) — 6:30-7:45 p.m. — A virtual wine tasting hosted by Vienna Vinter’s owner, Victor Mendez, will feature three wines from Mendez’s winery in California. Register by contacting Vienna Vinter at 703- 242-9463 or [email protected]. The $75 or $120 fee includes access to the zoom link for the tasting and two or three bottles of wine, and 20% of the proceeds will be donated when customers mention the Shepherd’s Center
• Family Fun Trivia Night (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — The McLean Community Center is hosting a family-friendly, virtual trivia night. Registration is required and the price is $5 per team. There will be prizes for the winning teams.

Saturday (Feb. 27)

• Book Club (Online) — 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — The McLean Community Center is hosting the first in a series of book club meetings. They will meet monthly and move through multiple genres. The group is free, but interested participants should register on the McLean Community Center website.

Sunday (Feb. 28)

• 1st Look Series (Online) — 2 p.m. — 1st Stage in Tysons will live-stream excerpts of shows that it has commissioned from solo artists in its new “1st Look” series. The first installment will feature work by Jasmin Cardenas and James J. Johnson that explores, respectively, the experiences of low-wage and undocumented factory workers and Black fatherhood. The previews will be followed by discussions with the playwrights. Attendees should register in advance for the free Zoom event.

Photo via Danielle Brigida/Flickr

The D.C. area is hunkered down for another winter storm today (Thursday) that could last into Friday morning.

At 1:05 p.m., the National Weather Service downgraded its earlier winter storm warning to a Winter Weather Advisory. As of 8:30 this morning, the NWS had projected one to three inches of snow, a drop down from previous forecasts of three to six inches of accumulation.

However, with the addition of freezing rain and ice, the roads are still going to be slippery, making travel a challenge.

The Fairfax County, Town of Vienna, and the City of Falls Church governments have closed for today, and Fairfax County Public Schools have canceled all classes.

In previous years, icy road conditions would have made for treacherous commutes to work and school, but the novel coronavirus pandemic has forced many to work and learn from home. Still, the frequency of winter weather events over the past few weeks can feel disruptive, even if not much snow has actually materialized so far this year.

How do you feel about all this winter weather? Do you wish there was more snow, or are you comfortable with the amount that Fairfax County has gotten? Are you ready for warmer weather yet?

Photo via Fairfax County Police Department

City of Falls Church community members will soon get an opportunity to share their thoughts on how the city should address the issue of affordable housing.

The League of Women Voters-Falls Church and Citizens for a Better City are co-sponsoring a series of public forums to discuss the state of affordable housing in the city called “Affordable Housing Falls Church: Problems & Prospects.”

The first of three forums will be held on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. A public Zoom link will be posted on the LWV-Falls Church website.

A panel of four longtime Falls Church leaders will be speaking at the forum:

• Former Mayor H. Alan Brangman
• Former Mayor Brian O’Connor
• Former Falls Church Housing Corporation leader Katharine Emmons
• Developer Robert Young, president of The Young Group

The panelists will discuss the efforts that have been made over the last 40 years to address the availability of affordable housing in Falls Church.

The other two forums will focus on current developments and possible options for the future. The dates of those discussions will be released at a later time.

“At this pivotal time, we look forward to engaging with an expert panel to understand past efforts to build affordable housing in the city, as we work toward offering more affordable housing options here,” Allison Brown, the co-president of the League of Women Voters-Falls Church, said.

The need to create more affordable housing has become a priority for Falls Church and other Northern Virginia communities since Amazon announced in 2018 that it would build its second headquarters in Arlington, leading housing prices to rise throughout the region.

The City of Falls Church commissioned and published a study in October 2020 that outlined possible options for creating and sustaining affordable housing. Some of the proposed options include financial incentives for landlords, utilizing Amazon REACH funds to extend affordability, and encouraging the production of accessory homes.

“With a decades-long record of only limited success in affordable housing efforts in our city, and now faced with the added question of more diversity in such housing, a public discussion to promote citizens’ awareness of the need to increase the supply is timely and long overdue,” Citizens for a Better City President Hal Lippman said.