(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) A rock fight disrupted a warm Saturday afternoon for two Vienna households last week, though who exactly was throwing the rocks is a matter of some dispute.
A resident in the 100 block of Patrick Street SE reported to police on May 20 that, around 5 p.m., a man threw rocks at his juvenile son, who was playing outside, according to the Vienna Police Department’s weekly recap for May 19-25.
“An officer spoke to the man who advised he was sitting on his balcony when a group of juveniles began throwing rocks at him, cursing, and calling him racial slurs,” the VPD said in its report.
The man denied throwing any rocks, telling the officer that “he took the rocks and placed them on a toy in front of the apartment the juveniles ran to.”
No injuries were reported, but the police explained the warrant process to both parties in case they decide to pursue charges.
In a separate incident, police arrested a 21-year-old man from Woodbridge who backed into an officer’s cruiser when he was pulled over for reckless driving at the intersection of Maple Avenue and East Street SE on May 21.
According to the recap, the officer initiated the traffic stop at 2:52 a.m. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and hit the police cruiser when he started to back up.
“Upon the officer’s interaction with the man, he detected signs of impairment,” police said. “The driver failed to complete a series of field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest.”
The man was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Other “highlights” from the past week include a report of Cedar Lane School student harassing a classmate and hitting a school bus driver, along with an apparent road rage incident:
Assault 23-004593
Cedar Lane School
101 Cedar Lane, SW
May 23 7:45 a.m.On May 24, the school administration reported a juvenile assaulted their school bus driver on May 23. The juvenile began harassing another student and, when the bus driver tried to intercede, the juvenile began striking him.
Arrest – Destruction of Property 23-004600
Lawyers Road and Malcolm Road, NW
May 24 3:10 p.m.A citizen was traveling northbound on Lawyers Road when he observed another vehicle driving erratically. When the citizen honked his horn at the other driver, the man cut his vehicle off. As they reached the stop sign at Lawyers and Malcolm, the other driver got out of his vehicle with a baseball bat and proceeded to hit the citizen’s side-view mirror, breaking it off. The man then fled the area.
Police identified the driver as a 23-year-old man and served a summons charging him with property destruction at his home on Laurel Ridge Road.
A union representing Maximus call center workers filed unfair labor practices charges against the Tysons-headquartered contractor this week.
In charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 23 and 24), the Communications Workers of America alleges that the government services company, which operates call centers for Medicaid and Medicare, has retaliated against employees and illegally tried to discourage them from unionizing.
The CWA says it filed the complaints because Maximus is laying off more than 700 call center workers this month who handle customer service for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
At a protest organized by Call Center Workers United, which is part of the CWA, a worker who handled calls for the CDC for three years said yesterday (Thursday) that he was laid off two days before Mother’s Day despite having a “great performance record with no discipline.”
“I believe the real reason I was laid off was in retaliation for speaking out about Maximus’ working conditions, and to scare my co-workers from supporting a union. But we have a right to speak out and tell the truth, and to organize to improve our working conditions,” Daija Arrington said at the rally in D.C. outside the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates both CMS and the CDC.
The layoffs are happening less than 2 months before Maximus usually starts its annual recruitment blitz
in Julypic.twitter.com/ZtUCGQGQmd
— Call Center Workers United (@CCWUnited) May 23, 2023
According to the charge sheet, Maximus violated federal labor laws in April and May by retaliating against employees involved in union activities by laying them off, threatening them with layoffs or worksite closures and offering severance agreements with conditions limiting their ability to talk about their experiences with the company.
The CWA also alleges that Maximus made “implied promises of benefits” to employees and forced them to attend a meeting to discourage them from unionizing.
Though the charge is tied to a call center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which has served as an organizing base for the union, the recent layoffs have affected employees across the company’s 10 centers, most of which are in the South, according to the CWA.
Another 143 workers at the Hattiesburg call center were reportedly laid off in January.
When contacted for comment by FFXnow, Maximus said that “the allegations were just made available to us,” but it is “confident that the company complied with all applicable labor requirements.”
“Given the lack of specific detail, including dates of alleged occurrence and names of workers, we are unable to respond directly to the allegations,” Maximus said in a statement. “We pride ourselves in complying with applicable labor laws across all our operations and will cooperate fully with any request from the National Labor Relations Board.”
The labor charges represent the latest turn in an ongoing battle between Maximus and its workers, who have been calling for wage increases to $25 per hour, improved working conditions and better benefits — particularly when it comes to health care costs.
The CWA and other labor and civil rights groups also sent a letter to the Labor Department and released a report in March alleging systemic racism and sexism in how Maximus hires and promotes workers. The coalition urged the Biden administration to investigate the company, a demand reiterated at yesterday’s protest.
“Maximus workers deserve to be rewarded for their hard work, not treated like they’re disposable and they don’t matter,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi). “It is imperative that HHS ensures that Maximus provides good jobs with living wages, and workers don’t have to face unfair and unnecessary layoffs.”
Founded in 1979, Maximus has more than 39,000 employees and draws $4.25 billion in annual revenue, according to its website. Its call centers handle over 7 million calls a month, including ones to assist people enrolling in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act insurance plans.
The contractor announced last week that it has been enlisted by the Internal Revenue Service for a $2.6 billion effort to modernize the tax agency’s computer systems.
The Water Mine and Other Parks Open for Summer — “Get ready to have fun in the sun with Fairfax County Park Authority this summer! May 27 is opening day for a wide variety of entertaining activities for families, friends and entire communities to enjoy at our local parks. From award-winning water features and waterfront parks to mini golf and amusements, there is something for everyone.” [FCPA]
FCPD Chief Says Force “Appropriate” in Fatal Penn Daw Shooting — “Officials released body-camera footage and other video Thursday showing a chaotic confrontation in which Fairfax County police fatally shot a man who tried to grab an officer’s gun…Chief Kevin Davis described the use of force as ‘more than appropriate.’ He said it was unclear which officer fired the fatal shot.” [The Washington Post]
Silver Line Phase 2 Hits New Ridership Milestone — “Good news: [On Wednesday] @wmata had its 500k customer trip at @Dulles_Airport Silver Line Station and we have now served 1.5m customers on the extension since opening in Nov! #yourmetro is the best way to [fly] on Memorial Day weekend.” [WMATA GM/Twitter]
Health Department Moves to Support Young Parents — “The Fairfax County Health Department is launching a new program to improve the health, educational, and socioeconomic outcomes for local expectant teen and young adult parents.” Open to soon-to-be parents aged 14-25, “Stable Families, Thriving Futures” will assist with financial planning, employment, health literacy and other services. [FCHD]
Modest Clothing Store Plans Tysons Expansion — Ayna Modest Boutique, a boutique that offers modest clothing with a specialty in hijabs and abayas for Muslim women, is expanding from Potomac Mills in Woodbridge with “a second, larger store in Tysons Corner Center, perhaps by mid-July.” Founder Fariba Sharifi says as much as 40% of her clientele come from Tysons. [Washington Business Journal]
FCPS Tests Salad Bars at Middle and High Schools — Fairfax County Public Schools has been piloting salad bars at South County High School in Lorton, Mark Twain Middle School in Rose Hill and John R. Lewis High School in Springfield this week. After adding salad bars at all 141 elementary schools, FCPS “wants to determine what the best arrangement will be for salad bars in middle and high schools.” [On the MoVe]
Lincolnia Ice Cream Shop Owner Honored — “When you go to Jake’s Ice Cream in Barcroft Plaza, many of the employees making the ice cream in house and serving customers will be people with disabilities…On Wednesday, [owner Robin] Rinearson received the Eleanor Sue Finkelstein Inclusion & Disabilities Award from the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.” [Patch]
Bee Hive Creates Buzz on The Boro Rooftop — “Saturday is World Bee Day. Many may not know there is something buzzworthy happening on DMV rooftops where thousands of honeybees live. At the Boro, a rooftop in Tysons, there are 40,000 bees being managed by Alveole. ‘These are pretty chill bees,’ said Jordan Freeman.” [ABC7]
It’s Friday — Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph. At night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County’s parking lots and streetscapes could look a little greener.
At a land use policy committee meeting on May 16, planning staff proposed a new update to the county’s landscaping and screening ordinance — the first major change in 40 years — that would make developers add more green landscaping to more parking lots and street frontages.
For parking lots, the current ordinance requires trees to be installed at any surface parking lot with 20 spaces or more. The new ordinance could expand that requirement to any lot with 10 parking spaces and increase the amount of tree coverage from 5% to 10%.
New parking garages, meanwhile, would be required to have 10% of their top decks covered with shade, although utilizing solar canopies could lead to a reduction in that percentage.
The ordinance also introduces “street frontage landscaping” — requiring developers to provide trees on private property provided they’re along private or public streets, not internal drive aisles. Single-family dwellings would be exempted.
One small but meaningful change would also adjust the types of trees seen in these green spaces, as it turns out Fairfax County’s previous specifications weren’t evergreen.
“When it comes to transitional screening a lot of waivers are applied for to use existing vegetation because they have to have 70% evergreens and that’s not common in Fairfax County,” Sara Morgan, a planner with the Department of Planning and Zoning, said. “This allows us to review [developments] on a case by case basis as we want to further encourage the use of existing vegetation, allowing you to have a mix that is different than [the ordinance] today if you retain existing vegetation.”
Similar to the zMOD update approved in 2021 — then reversed and reinstated earlier this year — county leadership said the landscaping and screening ordinance update is a good step forward on fixing some outdated code.
“It’s been 40 years since we updated these,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “I think this is overall very, very good.”
The board approved new tree canopy standards earlier this year with the hope of encouraging private developers to plant more street trees in the public right-of-way.
For a weekend, McLean’s up-and-coming soccer players got to learn from some of the best women to ever play the game.
Olympic gold medalists Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Tisha Venturini all spent last weekend (May 20-21) at Spring Hill District Park teaching a camp for kids and teens.
More than 150 players registered for the TeamFirst Soccer Academy Camp, according to McLean Youth Soccer (MYS), which hosted the event.
“Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Tisha Venturini continue to serve as an inspiration for young players and have maintained an active presence within the soccer community as well as provide a positive example for all youth aspiring to play the game they love,” MYS Executive Director Louise Waxler said. “MYS is honored to have been given the opportunity to have our players train with these legends in the game.”
Still reminiscing over an amazing weekend hosting TeamFirst Soccer Academy
Thank you to legends @MiaHamm @KristineLilly and Tisha Venturini for giving a special experience to our players!
https://t.co/xK6H1GUCof#mcleansoccer
pic.twitter.com/L5I5luRSHD
— McLean Youth Soccer (@mcleansoccer) May 24, 2023
For Hamm, the camp represented a kind of homecoming to the D.C. area, Waxler noted.
Prior to retiring in 2004, when she held the record for most international goals scored until 2013, Hamm played for the D.C.-based Washington Freedom from 2001-2003 as a founding player of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), the country’s first professional soccer league for women.
She and Lilly were both on the U.S. national team that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. They repeated in 1999, when Venturini was also on the team. All three women won gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, with Hamm and Lilly winning again in Athens, Greece, in 2004.
Friends since their days playing at the University of North Carolina, Hamm, Lilly and Venturini partnered in 2010 to launch TeamFirst with the goal of developing young players in an environment that encourages discipline and teamwork.
Last weekend’s camp in McLean was open to male and female players aged 6-17. Participants got a Nike t-shirt, Nike soccer ball, and autographed player card.
McLean Youth Soccer has over 3,000 players on more than 200 recreational teams and 70 travel teams. The nonprofit organization is currently working with the Fairfax County Park Authority to potentially install permanent restrooms at Lewinsville Park, one of several local fields that it regularly uses.
The McLean Community Center (MCC) has a new governing board after a relatively quiet election cycle.
A total of 1,473 McLean residents voted in the race, which saw Kathleen Cooney-Porter, Katie Gorka and Gloria Marrero Chambers emerge victorious from a slate of five adult candidates.
The preliminary vote totals, tallied by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area, are as follows:
- Kathleen Cooney-Porter: 1,047 votes
- Gloria Marrero Chambers: 729 votes
- Katie Gorka: 629 votes
- Matt Colsia: 582 votes
- Lincom Thillaichidambaram: 500 votes
- Write-ins: 18 votes
The top vote getter, Cooney-Porter has lived in McLean since 1998 and has worked in intellectual property law for nearly 30 years, including as a senior trademark policy advisor for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“I believe my experience will advance the programs of MCC and increase representation of our diverse community,” she said in a candidate statement. “I enjoy cooking, reading, tennis, walking and spending time with family and friends and our beloved French bulldog.”
In her candidate statement, Chambers highlighted her volunteer work, including serving as board vice president for The Langley School. A McLean resident since 2013, she’s also a past president of the Greater McLean Republican Women’s Club and was appointed in April to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion.
“As a member of the MCC Board, I will ensure that programs and events engage every member of our community,” Chambers said in her statement. “I will be a responsible steward of your tax dollars, and I will commit my decades of leadership and board experience to give back to our community.”
A second campaign turned out to be the charm for Gorka, who also sought a MCC governing board seat last year.
A resident of McLean since 2008, Gorka served in Donald Trump’s administration as a senior advisor in the Department of Homeland Security and press secretary for Customs and Border Patrol. She also had stints as a columnist for the right-wing media outlet Breitbart and as a research fellow for the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank.
“My priority is to support the McLean Community Center, which is a treasured community resource; to ensure that it provides programming of interest to all members of the community; and to ensure fiscal responsibility,” Gorka told FFXnow by email. “Organizations that receive taxpayer dollars, as the Community Center does, should use resources responsibly and transparently.”
Gorka didn’t respond to a follow-up asking for her stance on MCC’s stated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, concepts she has criticized as “Marxist-inspired ideology.” During her tenure in the Trump administration, she reportedly pushed anti-Muslim policies and cut grants to address right-wing extremism.
Cooney-Porter and Chambers didn’t return FFXnow’s inquiries about their priorities as new MCC board members.
New youth members elected
The 11-member board will also get two new teen members in Eleanor Ague, a junior representing the McLean High School area, and Sophia Bruno, also a junior who will represent the Langley High School area.
With 111 votes, Sophia bested a crowded field of six candidates — including incumbent Langley High representative Charlotte Loving — while Eleanor got 103 votes in a four-way race. A total of 210 youth voters participated in the election.
With most voters casting ballots absentee rather than on McLean Day this past Saturday (May 20), turnout dipped from last year’s governing board election, which drew over 2,000 voters in an unusually tumultuous contest with nine adults vying for three seats.
The tension was driven in part by some vocal critics of a “Drag Storybook Hour” that MCC co-sponsored in June 2021 with Dolley Madison Library. Since then, drag events aimed at kids and families have become a frequent target of conservative politicians and anti-LGBTQ extremists across the country.
The all-volunteer governing board helps set policies and oversees programming, facilities and the budget for the community center, which is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue and is funded by a special tax district.
The 2023 results were certified by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (May 23). The new board members will be sworn in when their first meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7.
One Injured in Fair Oaks Kitchen Fire — “Units are on the scene of a small kitchen fire in the 12000 blk of Ridge Knoll Drive in the Fair Oaks area. The fire is out. All occupants are accounted for. One civilian suffered minor injuries. No reported firefighter injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Tire Thefts at Tysons Dealership Under Investigation — “Fairfax County Police are investigating after the tires and rims were stolen off of four vehicles that were parked at a car dealership in Tysons Corner. It happened around 7 a.m. on May 10, at the Ourisman Honda of Tysons Corner dealership.” [WUSA9]
Metro Seeks Feedback on Future Train Design — “Metro is holding a series of pop-up events through the end of the month so riders can weigh in on the design of the forthcoming 8000-series trains…The trains will have new features like open gangways that allow you to walk the length of two cars. They will also have more space for bikes, luggage, and strollers.” [DCist]
Ribbon Cut on James Madison HS Expansion — “Madison was honored to have Dr. Reid, members of the school board, our own Principal Calvert, and other distinguished guests in attendance at the official ribbon cutting to mark the end of our construction! #ONEKindactVienna #OurFCPS” [Madison HS/Twitter]
Applicants Wanted for Schools Audit Committee — “Fairfax County Public Schools invites applications from community members interested in serving on the School Board Audit Committee…Applicants must reside within the boundaries of Fairfax County or Fairfax City. The Board will be appointing two committee members for a term ending June 30, 2025.” [Elaine Tholen]
Burke Student Orchestra Honored by State Legislators — “The Lake Braddock Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Clayton Allen received a Virginia House Resolution on Tuesday, May 16, commemorating the Chamber Orchestra’s performance at the National Association for Music Education conference.” The award is the highest bestowed on the orchestra program in its 49-year history, Allen said. [FCPS]
Wolf Trap Kicks Off Summer Season — “Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is a popular destination for summer concerts at its Filene Center, an outdoor amphitheater. Summer concerts kick off Thursday as The Avett Brothers perform on three nights. Families can then enjoy a free concert with fireworks.” [Patch]
No Lane Closures Over Memorial Day Weekend — “The Virginia Department of Transportation is suspending most work zones and lifting lane closures for the busy Memorial Day weekend. VDOT predicts the heaviest congestion on Interstate 95 from Fredericksburg to D.C. both directions through Monday…Tolls on the Interstate 66 Express Lanes inside the Beltway will also be suspended on Monday” [Inside NoVA]
It’s Thursday — Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. At night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. [Weather.gov]
A classic Cadillac red convertible (via Ryan De Hamer on Unsplash)
A Vienna warehouse recently vacated by the U.S. Postal Service is being eyed as a potential storage site for classic cars.
Roadhouse Development Company LLC is seeking to lease the existing, 34,241-square-foot warehouse at 831 Follin Lane SE for indoor car storage, according to a certificate of occupancy application scheduled to go before the Town of Vienna Planning Commission tonight (Wednesday).
The USPS exited the warehouse earlier this year after utilizing it “on an irregular basis when mail loads are high,” town staff said in a report to the commission.
“This is an opportunity for owners of classic and exotic vehicles to store their vehicles in a climate-controlled environment and use them as desired,” Walsh Colucci lawyer Lynne Strobel said in a statement of justification for the applicant.
Dating back to at least the 1960s, the warehouse is located at the rear of the site where it backs up to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. The parcel also has an office building that’s currently occupied by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, according to town staff.
Designated by the town’s comprehensive plan as a corporate office park, the site has been approved for additional office development, but staff concede that that vision is unlikely to materialize soon.
“The market for such office development is weak, and the location of this building is particularly challenging in terms of marketability as it is not easily visible from any major transportation corridor,” the staff report says.
Roadhouse Development has proposed operating the storage facility as an interim use until the future office development moves forward.
According to the application, the business will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Vehicle owners will be required to provide 24-hour notice for deliveries and pickups, and only the approximately four on-site employees will be allowed to actually drive the vehicles into and out of the building.
Owners can park other vehicles on the site for up to 48 hours while using their stored car. Storage contracts will be available on a monthly or annual basis.
In addition to storage, the warehouse will have an interior detailing bay and provide maintenance services, such as weekly tire pressure checks and battery monitoring, according to Roadhouse.
The application says only “cosmetic” improvements are proposed to the building’s exterior, and no road or driveway changes are needed.
Even though the business is focused on vehicle storage, it’s expected to have “little to no impact on the surrounding road network,” because most trips will be scheduled outside of peak traffic hours, according to Strobel.
“Owners typically want to use their vehicles on weekends or for a specific trip and not on a daily basis,” Strobel wrote. “Given the requirement of 24 hours advance notice…the Applicant can easily stagger arrivals as needed. It is anticipated that the proposed use will generate tax revenue for the Town and will also bring people to the Town who will patronize restaurants and businesses.”
Town staff said they concluded the proposal is a “reasonable” use for the site. However, after getting the planning commission’s recommendation, it must be approved by the Vienna Town Council because warehouse storage isn’t a permitted use in the property’s current zoning district.
Photo via Ryan De Hamer on Unsplash
A new sushi restaurant is being prepared for Scotts Run in Tysons.
Sushi Umi is slated to open this July at 7615 Colshire Road, an employee at the existing Herndon location told FFXnow.
According to a Fairfax County permit, the restaurant will occupy a 1,560-square-foot space at the base of Archer Hotel, which opened in September 2021 with its own bar.
With a name that translates to “sea taste,” the original Sushi Umi opened at Worldgate Centre (13051 Worldgate Drive) in December 2020 with the goal of delivering “a unique and unrivaled Japanese dining experience,” according to its Facebook page.
The restaurant’s executive sushi chef has been making Japanese food for over 30 years, according to Sushi Umi’s website.
The menu features sushi both a la carte and in combinations, along with rice bowls, grilled meat, noodles and tempura. The signature dish is a “Taste of Umi” bento box with sushi, sashimi and rolls that’s only available for dine-in customers.
If the Tysons location’s opening stays on track, it should arrive around the same time as Heming, the 28-story apartment high-rise that will serve as a centerpiece of the Scotts Run neighborhood. Developer Skanska confirmed that the completion of construction on the 410-unit building is anticipated in mid-2023.
The building at 1800 Chain Bridge Road will also have 38,000 square feet of retail space and a three-level outdoor plaza. No tenants have been announced yet.
When fully built out, Scotts Run will consist of 6.5 million square feet of development, including the already-built Kingston and Haden apartments. A mixed-use apartment building called Paxton and a potential Hilton hotel are also in the works, though the latter project is still being reviewed by Fairfax County.
In other Tysons East restaurant news, Yu Noodles is now open in The Commons at 1690 Anderson Road. The fourth location for the popular Chinese eatery began serving customers on March 8, an employee confirmed to FFXnow.
(Updated at 6:25 p.m.) A Florida man arrested in McLean yesterday (Tuesday) had guns in his car and was allegedly on his way to the CIA, Fairfax County police say.
The man was reported for trespassing at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church (1125 Savile Lane) around 11:11 a.m. The church is also the site of Dolley Madison Preschool and the Speech and Language Center of Northern Virginia.
“He’s acting strange. Caller approached, and subject stated he was going to walk his dog and he headed toward the CIA building,” a dispatcher said, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
The Fairfax County Police Department says that the man wasn’t armed when officers found him, but two guns, including an AK-47, were found in his car.
The 32-year-old man from Florida has been detained and charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property, according to the FCPD.
“We appreciate Fairfax County Police’s diligence in addressing this threat, and we will continue to cooperate with them to ensure the security and safety of our personnel and our facility,” a CIA spokesperson said.
The man was detained & search warrant executed on his vehicle. Two firearms (pictured) were recovered from the car. Eric Sandow, 32, of Florida was charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property. #FCPD
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 24, 2023
