The McLean Community Players is taking another shot at a dramatic return from its pandemic-induced slumber.
The nonprofit theater group will stage “The Show Must Go On! A Musical Revue” at the McLean Community Center’s Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Avenue) on Sept. 23 and 24, delivering its first public, in-person performances since August 2019.
New FCPS Superintendent Seeks to Restore Trust — “Schools are back in session in Fairfax County — and they’re under the direction of a new superintendent, Michelle Reid…Reid says that as superintendent she is trying to listen deeply to community members, and she sees part of her charge in Fairfax as restoring public trust in public education.” [WAMU]
Victim and Suspect in Hybla Valley Shooting Identified — The man who died on Tuesday (Aug. 30) after a shooting at the Mount Vernon Square apartments was D’Mari Norris, 21, of Alexandria. Fairfax County police say Francisco Juares, 22, of Alexandria, shot Norris “multiple times in the upper body” before being held down by “a nearby witness” until officers arrived at the scene. [FCPD]
Metro May Change Faregates Again — “Metro estimates it loses more than $25 million each year because of fare evasion. Sources said Metro’s new General Manager Randy Clarke wants to look at possibly modifying faregates to prevent such losses.” [NBC4]
Fair Oaks Ambulance Donated to Ukraine — “Working with the Chicago-based Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA) and some related medical relief charities, the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company (FOVFR) has donated a retired ambulance to be shipped to Ukraine to assist with the relief effort there. Along with some additional supplies, the ambulance will be moved into Ukraine and used wherever the need is greatest” [FOVFR/Facebook]
Fairfax City Parks and Rec Director Retires — Cathy Salgado retired as Fairfax’s parks and recreation director on Tuesday after a 35-year career. Salgado joined Fairfax City in 2015 after serving in the same position for the Town of Vienna for 13 years. [Fairfax City Parks and Rec/Facebook]
Annual “Fill the Boot” Charity Fundraiser Returns — “Members of the Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics – IAFF Local 2068, and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department will once again be conducting an in person ‘Fill the Boot’ campaign to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). This year’s campaign is scheduled to run Friday, September 2 through Monday, September 5.” [FCFRD]
Local Business Leaders Hear Pitches in Herndon — “Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Shark Tank” session Wednesday where local non-profits and community support groups pitched ways business leaders and elected officials could become involved in their efforts. The lunchtime session and discussion followed the Chamber’s Innovate Conference that took place Wednesday morning at the Crowne Plaza Herndon.” [Patch]
Reston Library Hosts Succulent Plant Swap — “Did you know that succulent plants are excellent at cleansing the air and removing toxins? Succulents are also a great choice for people who don’t have enough time to spend on a garden! Please bring spare plants if you have any to share with the community.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 85 and low of 66. Sunrise at 6:39 am and sunset at 7:41 pm. [Weather.gov]
Lucky Fairfax City! El Pollo Rico is here. You’ve heard about it, now try it yourself.
It’s the marinade.
That was celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s conclusion after inhaling half of roasted chicken, skin and all, at El Pollo Rico’s legendary location at Virginia Square in Arlington. He took his camera crew behind the scenes of the always-spinning rotisserie and engaged employees in conversation but none of them would offer what the secret ingredients were to the marinade, which Bourdain said he had never had before.
And now great news: Chicken aficionados in and around Fairfax City are getting their own El Pollo Rico. And as if the regular prices are not reasonable enough — they are! — the new rotisserie restaurant is now open to coincide with the start of Fairfax City Restaurant Week (August 29-September 4).
Fairfax City is the fourth of the independent Peruvian chain’s storefronts since opening the Arlington location in 1984. The fast-casual counter served setting provides convenient inside dining or rapid pick-up, the better to consume in front of drooling co-workers back at the office. (Delivery is available too, via Uber Eats.)
The menu? Chicken, of course with a selection of sides, sodas and deserts.
The tender chicken is grilled over charcoal and served in fractions of a quarter or a half or a whole of dark or white meat. The seasoned skin is roasted to a soft crackle, and even health nuts who ordinarily wouldn’t touch the skin can’t help themselves and devour everything on the plate but the bones.
Insider tip: Dip the chicken meat into one of the two sauces available. Those sauces are called, no kidding, green sauce and yellow sauce.
An extra insider tip: Mix the green and yellow sauces. No idea what’s in them, but ask for extras!
Of course, there the are sides — you get a choice of beans, slaw, rice, fried plantains, fried yuca and fries. There is an assortment of Latin American-style soft drinks — including Rio Grande “Champagne,” coconut juice and the number one soda, Inca Kola — in addition to more familiar brands.
And that’s it! Easy.
Best advice of the day? Get some El Pollo Rico soon!
El Pollo Rico is located at 10801 Fairfax Blvd., in Fairfax City. It’s now open for Fairfax Restaurant Week (August 29-September 4) from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. El Pollo Rico will be open for regular hours starting September 5, open 5 days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
A man was arrested yesterday (Tuesday) after reportedly pointing an object that observers initially thought might be a gun at Cunningham Park Elementary School students.
Vienna police were dispatched to the school around 12:51 p.m. in response to a report of a suspicious person described “as an older white male with no shirt, who possibly had a long gun and was pointing it at students,” the Town of Vienna Police Department said in a news release today (Wednesday).
Regular breathwork, or the intentional manipulation of your breathing, offers many benefits to your physical and emotional health.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your physical health and mood, just breathe. The practice of breathwork, or the intentional manipulation of your breathing has been gaining attention thanks to the widespread popularity of yoga and meditation. However, researchers have been studying the benefits of breathwork for years.
“Breathing is not new — it’s the most essential thing we do for our bodies — but breathwork is a new approach to wellness,” says William Wesley Myers, assistant vice president of wellness strategies for Mather. Mather is the owner operator of The Mather, a Life Plan Community that is coming to Tysons in 2024.
Renee West knows the power of breathwork. “Breathwork is extremely important in yoga. They call it the intelligence of the body,” she says. When Renee, who plans to move into The Mather, retired from her corporate sales career, she pursued certification as a yoga instructor. Today, with an additional teaching certificate in Yin Yoga, she leads classes in a local yoga studio and has her own practice.
“Breathwork has many health benefits,” Renee explains. “You can use it to increase or decrease your energy, to calm your mind and to help you focus, among many things. There are so many techniques.”
Breathwork Benefits
Physical benefits from deep breathing are often instantaneous. There is a direct relationship between breath rate, mood and systems that activate our fight-or-flight or rest-and-restore responses, which directly affect heart rate, respiration and digestion. Deep, mindful breathing carries benefits to these systems and more.
Emotional Health: One study showed that manipulating the breath can cause up to a 40% variance in emotions. Evoke joy by breathing and exhaling slowly and deeply through the nose. Other research shows breathwork can help to treat anxiety, PTSD and severe depression, even in those who don’t respond well to antidepressants.
Blood Pressure: A regular practice of slow, deep breathing is an effective way to reduce blood pressure.
Stamina: An Italian study found that the lungs of mountain-climbers who practiced slow breathing an hour a day for two years maximized oxygen better, allowing the climbers to forego supplemental oxygen needed by others to summit Mount Everest.
Focus: Breath-focused yoga can sharpen participants’ attention spans and focus by changing brain chemistry.
Pain Management: Multiple studies have shown that slow, deep breathing can reduce perception of chronic pain or help people cope with discomfort. Breathwork can be especially effective with back pain.
Longevity: Research has shown that breathwork improves metabolism and reduces inflammation — both of which contribute to longer life.
“People can all benefit from doing a little breathwork,” says Renee. “You can do some simple breathing exercises sitting on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Even five minutes of breathwork offers benefits!”
The Mather, projected to open in Tysons, VA, in 2024 for those 62 and better, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community that defies expectations of what senior living is supposed to be. The community is located in the center of a vibrant urban location just two blocks from the Metro and within walking distance to restaurants, retail, and parks.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
A new gym has opened in the Town of Vienna.
The Australian fitness company F45 celebrated the grand opening of its latest franchise at 322 Maple Avenue West on Saturday (Aug. 27). The event was considered a success, according to an Instagram post.
Businesses local to the D.C. area like Greenheart Juice Shop and Vegetable and Butcher participated in the event, which featured massages, food, live music, and vitamin injections.
Vehicle in Capital Beltway Shooting ID’d — “Virginia State Police have identified a suspect vehicle involved in last Thursday’s shooting incident on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County. According to a news release, it is a blue 2010 Honda Civic with Virginia license plates TWW 9398.” [WTOP]
Potomac Banks Could Be Virginia’s First TID — “In September, Visit Fairfax will hold meetings with local hotel and restaurant industry leaders as part of a campaign to turn Potomac Banks into a tourism improvement district, or TID, which would impose fees to fund tourism boosting activities and improvements and would be administered through a nonprofit.” [Virginia Business]
W&OD Trail Assault Suspect Still at Large — “Town of Herndon Police, along with Fairfax County police officers and the FFX 1 helicopter, failed to locate a suspect Tuesday morning in connection with the recent assaults that have occurred along the W&OD Trail, according to an HPD post on Twitter.” [Patch]
Virginia Judge Dismisses Obscenity Cases — “The long-awaited trial in Virginia Beach, Virginia, over the claims of obscenity in two books has ended in dismissal. Neither Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe nor A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas meet the legal definition of obscenity.” “Gender Queer” was one of two books challenged in Fairfax County Public Schools last year. [Book Riot]
Fare-Free Virginia Rail Starts Tomorrow — “Virginia Railway Express, a commuter rail taking passengers between Northern Virginia and DC, will seek to attract more riders through a fare-free initiative beginning Thursday. After a July vote by the VRE Operations Board, VRE will be free throughout September at all 19 stations and at certain stations in October.” [Patch]
County Names New Solid Waste Deputy Director — “The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) is pleased to announce that Eric Forbes is the new Deputy Director leading the County’s Solid Waste Management Program. Forbes has been serving as the Acting Deputy Director and his new position becomes effective on September 10.” [DPWES]
Fairfax County NAACP Plans Blood Drives — “The Fairfax County NAACP is partnering with the American Red Cross and other area blood banks to host local blood drives. As required for sickle cell, we need both Black and White donors. Stay tuned for updates on dates, times, and locations of drives.” [Fairfax County NAACP/Twitter]
Hospitality Trumps Cuisine at Roberto’s in Vienna, Review Says — “I wish I could say that the $75 chicken is a revelation. It isn’t. The chicken’s skin isn’t soggy, but it isn’t crisp, either, a situation not helped by the robustly earthy sauce on top…But for those willing to pay a premium for contact with a culinary legend, it may still be worth it.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 81 and low of 68. Sunrise at 6:38 am and sunset at 7:42 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County is still having trash troubles.
Earlier this month in his weekly newsletter, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay wrote that he was “aware of multiple complaints” about the performance of some contracted trash collectors in the county.
While neighboring localities faced similar challenges earlier this summer, McKay said that was little excuse for haulers not providing customers proper service.
The Virginia Chamber Orchestra is tuning up for a fall concert series at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Wolf Trap.
The “Music in the Gardens” series will kick off at 3 p.m. this Sunday (Sept. 4) with “Viva Violas!,” a showcase of that oft-overlooked member of the string family.
A quintet of performers from the professional, Northern Virginia-based orchestra will play for an hour at Meadowlark’s Korean Bell Pavilion. The advertised program features pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Anton Dvorak, and more:
As schools and libraries across the U.S. grapple with a historic surge in book bans and challenges, the topic has inevitably become a concern for Fairfax County Public Library officials.
The FCPL Board of Trustees raised the possibility of revisiting the library’s collection development policies when it met on July 13, according to meeting materials.
