Sheriff’s Office Warns of Scam — “A man claiming to be a Sheriff’s deputy named Lt. Myles is calling community members saying he is collecting fines related to charges against them. This is a scam! The Sheriff’s Office will never call you asking for money. You may report scam calls to the police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131.” [Hunter Mill District News]
Person Pulled Out of Crashed Vehicle — “Thursday afternoon, units were dispatched for a vehicle crash w/a person trapped at Westfields Blvd and Stonecroft Blvd. Rescue Squad 421, Fair Oaks, worked diligently to extricate the patient. Two people were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Demolitions Loom for Richmond Higway Buildings — “Seven of the properties were acquired by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in preparation for the Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements project…The sites anticipated for demolition include a couple of residential buildings and a former convenience store, service station, pet boarding business and auto clinic.” [On the MoVe]
Possible Metro Fare Hike Would Hit Suburbs Hardest — “Transit officials have said the fare increase is modest, with riders seeing a 5 percent hike, on average. But for those who travel the farthest, the increase could add more than $2.50 to a ride, depending on the time of day.” [The Washington Post]
Local Man Arrested for Alexandria Burglary — “A 24-year-old Fairfax County man faces assault and battery charges after allegedly breaking into an apartment near Fort Ward early Monday morning, according to Alexandria Police…The suspect allegedly breached the apartment and assaulted the victim, who did not go to the hospital.” [ALXnow]
Proposed Bill Would Count Fetus as Person for HOV Lanes — “A Virginia bill would deem a pregnant person’s fetus a passenger in a car, thereby allowing the vehicle to use the car pool lane on highways. Reproductive rights activists say the legislation amounts to a thinly veiled attempt by anti-abortion Republican lawmakers to further curtail abortion rights” [NBC News]
Big Tysons Developments Expected This Year — “The Washington, D.C., area may be seeing a slowdown in new construction starts, especially in the office sector, but a series of large-scale developments are slated to reach completion this year.” Those include Capital One’s third office building at its Tysons headquarters campus and Skanska’s Heming apartment high-rise in Scotts Run. [Bisnow]
Park Authority Starts Esports Club — “Do your kids and teens ages 11-17 love to play video games online? The Fairfax County Park Authority is helping to get young gamers off the couch, out of the house and into the community with the new Esports Club at Audrey Moore Rec Center. Drop-in sessions are offered on Friday evenings, Jan. 20 to Feb. 24, 2023 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.” [FCPA]
Fairfax County Dominates Best Korean BBQ List — Washingtonian has a list of the best Korean barbecue joints in the D.C. area, and all of them can be found within Fairfax County limits, though one entry (Meokja Meokja) is in Fairfax City. [Washingtonian]
Frying Pan Park Hosts MLK Service Day — “Introduce your young ones to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day as we gather at the Frying Pan Farm Park Visitor Center to learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and the importance of giving back to our community…The program runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am.” [FCPA]
It’s Friday — Light rain in the morning. High of 63 and low of 40. Sunrise at 7:27 am and sunset at 5:09 pm. [Weather.gov]
Perhaps the second time will be the charm for ramen shops trying to gain a foothold in the Town of Vienna at 234 Maple Avenue East.
Newcomer Akai Tori Ramen and Yakitori is on track to open in the 3,000-square-foot building on Jan. 28, replacing the short-lived Shin Se Kai Ramen, as first reported by Eater DC. A spokesperson emphasized to FFXnow that the date is a soft opening.
“We just tell our followers this winter or around the end of January as we don’t want to be overwhelmed and would like to be able to provide the best customer service and quality food as we can,” they said.
Akai Tori, which translates to “red bird,” confirmed that it’s not affiliated with Shin Se Kai, whose initially temporary closure early in the Covid pandemic became permanent despite its owner’s hopes.
Instead, Akai Tori comes from a face familiar to Vienna diners: chef-owner Mark Liu is behind Sushi Yoshi, the long-standing establishment on Church Street. Restaurateur Cody Zhou, who is opening the Mochinut franchise in Reston, is also a partner.
While the Tysons area has other eateries that specialize in ramen, such as Jinya Ramen Bar in the Mosaic District and Hokkaido Ramen Santouka at The Boro, Akai Tori promises that its noodle soups will stand out.
“Our ramen is definitely the differentiator,” the business said via Instagram. “Our ramen broth is made by hand for hours using our own recipe whereas most of the ramen places in DMV use the pre-made broth purchased from the suppliers (they will mix it with water and other sauces though).”
In addition to ramen, the menu will feature traditional Japanese cuisine like yakitori, donburi and katsu rice bowls, and sushi. Specialties include cheese bomb takoyaki, salmon sashimi katsu, an akai tori sushi roll, and bacon-wrapped mochi rice cakes, according to the spokesperson.
There will also be seasonal options and desserts like tempura ice cream and matcha parfait. Japanese snacks and drinks will be available from a concession stand in the waiting area.
Inspired by Japan’s informal Izakaya bars, the restaurant will serve “a curated range of Japanese beers, sake, and spirits” and hopes to attract “night owls” by staying open a little later than many other Vienna establishments.
The planned operating hours are:
- Monday: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-9 p.m.
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday and Thursday: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-10 p.m.
- Friday: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-11 p.m.
- Saturday: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
- Sunday: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
The spokesperson notes that the hours “might be changed later on.”
George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, School of Business, and the Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution invite prospective students to attend our in-person Arlington Graduate Open House.
This is the perfect opportunity to explore your graduate school options, meet your future professors face-to-face, connect with our admissions team, and find out where a George Mason graduate degree can take you next.
When: Thursday, January 19, 5-7 p.m.
Where: Van Metre Hall Multipurpose Room
3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201
This event will be held at Van Metre Hall at Mason Square in Arlington. Hourly parking is available in the Van Metre Hall Garage. The campus is also metro accessible (Virginia Square — Orange or Silver lines).
To learn more about the 40+ graduate programs at George Mason University’s Arlington campus, register for the open house or fill out our inquiry form.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
As Fairfax County starts expanding its efforts to curtail cut-through traffic clogging up neighborhood streets, a new corollary could allow local residents to skirt those limits.
Currently, there are three neighborhoods around the county with cut-through mitigation restrictions. Those restrictions involve signs that prohibit turns into those neighborhoods from major transit corridors during the morning and/or evening rush hours.
While the restrictions aim to prevent local streets from getting clogged up by drivers trying to get around traffic on major highways, that also makes it difficult for residents on those streets to legally access their homes.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is considering shifting to a “residential cut-through permit zone,” which would let residents in the affected neighborhoods get permits for their vehicles. Signs that currently prohibit turns during rush hour would be changed to say “resident permit required.”
The draft ordinance would include specifications for eligibility for permits, set rules and permit fees, and provide information on enforcement and penalties for violation.
Fairfax County is also looking to expand its cut-through mitigation project to five neighborhood streets, including preventing cut-through traffic from rocking down to Electric Avenue.
- Dead Run Drive and Carper Street in McLean
- Thomas Avenue in Great Falls
- Electric Avenue/Williams Avenue/Overlook Street in Tysons/Vienna
- Allen Avenue in Falls Church
- Hidden Meadow Drive in Chantilly
The proposal was scheduled for review at the Board of Supervisors transportation committee meeting in December but got pushed back to its next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
When 2024 comes around, Vienna’s mayor and town council will see a bump up in pay for the first time in years.
In a close 4-3 vote, the council approved 50% salary increases during its meeting on Monday (Jan. 9) that would raise the mayor’s annual pay to $11,250 and pay for town council members to $7,500.
In both cases, the increases are smaller than what town staff had recommended, keeping Vienna’s salaries for the positions below other similarly sized towns and cities in Northern Virginia.
“There’s so many things we want to do, and one of the things this council prides itself on is being fiscally responsible and setting priorities,” said Councilmember Ed Somers, who proposed those numbers. “…We are coming under what our staff was recommending as a total number. I think by doing it with an even percentage for council and for the mayor, that seems fair and understandable to the public.”
Vienna has paid its mayor $7,500 since 2014. The council’s annual salary has stayed flat at $5,000 since 2002.
Town staff suggested last month that the salaries be raised to $15,000 for the mayor and $12,000 for council members. That would bring them closer to the towns of Herndon and Leesburg, which both approved pay raises last year.
At the Dec. 12 conference session, however, some council members seemed hesitant support to significant raises amid an uncertain economic climate, suggesting that Vienna should narrow the gap between the mayor and council salaries.
Councilmembers Nisha Patel, Ray Brill and Howard Springsteen voted against the raises on Monday, though they didn’t provide explanations during the meeting. FFXnow didn’t get responses to requests for comment by press time.
After previously coming in May, Vienna’s elections for mayor and town council will be held on Nov. 7 after the Virginia General Assembly passed a law moving all municipal elections to November.
More than three years into a groundbreaking agreement, this spring should bring solar power to one of Fairfax County’s facilities for the first time ever.
The county had 30 sites lined up for solar panels under a power purchase agreement (PPA) initiative that was touted the biggest ever undertaken by a Virginia locality when it was announced in December 2019.
Then, lease negotiations with the company contracted to install and operate the panels stalled, forcing the county to start from scratch with a different provider in July 2021.
“With the pandemic, there were supply chain issues within the solar industry and the cost of some construction materials went up,” said John Morrill, the county Office of Environment and Energy Coordination’s (OEEC) division manager for innovation and sustainability. “The county negotiated and accepted revised pricing from the vendors. But it’s still challenging, and the size of the system is still important to make the numbers work for both parties.”
Though the PPA initiative remains in place, the county is also pursuing other options to outfit its properties for solar power — specifically, incorporating it into new construction projects or enlisting energy services companies to do energy efficiency upgrades.
The solar project expected to be completed first will come from the general contractor hired to build the Sully Community Center, which opened in the Dulles area on Sept. 17.
The contractor is currently getting permits for the solar photovoltaic panels, putting the installation on track for completion by May, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.
The general contractor route will also ensure that the new Seven Corners Fire Station has solar panels when it opens in spring 2024. The existing station on Sleepy Hollow Road was demolished last month.
Projects are also in various stages of development for the Woodlawn and Reston fire stations, the Spring Hill Recreation Center in McLean, and the Pender building, which hosts the county’s Housing and Community Development offices.
For those sites, the county will buy solar panels from energy services companies hired to install them along with other efficiency upgrades. The fire stations are in the final design phase with delivery target dates in August, while the Spring Hill project is in engineering design and slated for completion in winter 2024.
The county is targeting October for the Pender building upgrades, which are “a bit more complex,” Morrill says. In addition to a rooftop solar array, the project will retrofit the facility’s lighting and replace some other infrastructure, according to a permit under review.
“This combination of approaches gives the county maximum flexibility, as smaller systems…are not suitable to the PPA model,” Morrill said.
In the PPA model, the county contracts a solar provider to install, operate and maintain solar panels. The county isn’t responsible for any of those upfront costs, but it has to pay the provider and utility for the electricity that the panels produce.
According to Morrill, those agreements are most appealing to vendors for large projects, such as the one planned for the I-95 Landfill Complex in Lorton. That array will occupy 40 acres of land and is expected to generate 5 megawatts of electricity.
In comparison, the Sully Community Center project will generate 180 kilowatts, and Morrill estimates that panels approved for Annandale High School — Fairfax County Public Schools’ first PPA project — will generate about 600 kilowatts.
The landfill project is in the design stage, with construction likely starting in 2024 and finishing in 2025, per the OEEC.
Morrill says the county is planning solar panels at “several other facilities” through either the PPA initiative or energy efficiency upgrades, but it’s too early to estimate any timelines.
Even with these projects in the works, Fairfax County has some catching up to do in the race to transition to clean and renewable energy. While its greenhouse emissions from energy use have decreased since 2019, the county government still has some ways to go to meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2040.
Meanwhile, neighboring Arlington County announced last week that its operations now run entirely on renewable energy sources.
Stuff the Bus Returns This Weekend — “The buses are fueled and ready to roll as…the county’s post-holiday food drive, now in its 12th year…hits the road in the fight against hunger in Fairfax County. Beginning on January 14 and continuing weekly through February 18, Fastran busses will visit local grocery stores to collect nonperishable food donations for area food pantries.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]
Family of Teen Killed in Fairfax Station Crash Mourns — “Ariana Haftsavar, 16, was one of the two teens killed, her family confirmed to News4. Haftsavar’s family said she was a passenger in the car and was headed home from SAT class…Haftsavar’s father said she was a wonderful person, and they don’t know how they’re going to live without her.” [NBC4]
Competitive Kite Flying Frustrates Mason Neck — “In recent months, residents of the Mason Neck section of Lorton — a peninsula populated by farms, vast parkland and wildlife — have been dealing with a rather unconventional problem: kites…These kites, according to residents, are deliberately flown as high as possible or used competitively for kite fighting until their lines snap.” [On the MoVe]
Springfield Supervisor Weighs in on Merit Award Kerfuffle — “We need to be focused on helping each of our students reach their full potential. I am thankful that Attorney General Jason Miyares has opened an investigation into these actions and the possible violation(s) of the Virginia Human Rights Act.” [Pat Herrity/Twitter]
Annandale Townhomes Under Construction — “Construction is well underway on an infill townhome development at the McWhorter Place/Markham Drive intersection in Annandale. Christopher Cos. is building 43 townhouses at the Townes at Little River Crossing development. Three homes have already been sold, reports sales agent Liz Walker.” [Annandale Today]
More Security Vestibules Coming to FCPS — “Construction is scheduled to start this summer on security vestibules for at least 22 Fairfax County schools, according to school board documents. Forty sites are in the design phase and will be submitted to the county for permitting early this year.” [WTOP]
See the New Year’s Photo Contest Winners — “Many [residents] enjoyed the outdoors at one of the Park Authority’s more than 420 parks and along its more than 334 miles of trails as part of First Hike Fairfax 2023…This year, nearly 300 contestants submitted photos showcasing the sights and scenes they experienced.” [FCPA]
Proposed Bill May End School Snow Days — “Snow days would no longer be days off for students if proposed Virginia legislation is passed. A bill prefiled Monday calls for virtual learning days to be required when school districts close for weather…Currently, replacing snow days with unscheduled virtual learning days is only optional under Virginia law.” [Patch]
Woodson HS Alumni Return to Teach — “For these four teachers at Woodson High School, the route to becoming a teacher looks very different. But they now share a common bond: teaching together at the school they graduated from. The four men are all in their first few years of teaching and they all coach sports at FCPS.” [FCPS]
It’s Thursday — Rain in the evening and overnight. High of 63 and low of 41. Sunrise at 7:27 am and sunset at 5:08 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 10 a.m. on 1/12/2023) A man who provided acupuncture services at a medical school based in Tysons sexually assaulted a patient last summer, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Dr. Chang Hee Kim, 64, was arrested yesterday (Tuesday) and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery, a felony offense, police announced.
Licensed to practice acupuncture in Virginia since 2005, Kim has served as director of clinical operations at the Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (1980 Gallows Road) since 2015, according to police.
Per the FCPD, a woman said Kim touched her inappropriately on July 14 and 18 when she visited VUIM to get acupuncture treatment.
“During the treatment, Dr. Chang Hee Kim, a licensed acupuncturist, unlawfully touched her genital area. The victim later reported the incidents,” the FCPD said.
Detectives obtained warrants for Kim on Friday (Jan. 6), and he turned himself in to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center yesterday. He was given a $2,000 secured bond and has been released from custody, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
The bond was set by a magistrate, according to the Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, which says its prosecutors were not yet involved in the case. An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday (Jan. 17).
VUIM says it no longer employs or is associated with Kim.
“Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (VUIM) is aware of the charges and arrest of Dr. Kim,” VUIM CEO John Yoo said by email. “VUIM has cooperated with the Fairfax County Police Department throughout their investigation…Given the sensitivity and ongoing legal nature of the matter, we have no further comment.”
According to police, Kim worked as an acupuncturist at “other medical facilities” in the D.C. region as well. Before moving to Virginia, he worked at a clinic in California.
Anyone with information about the case or other related incidents is advised to contact Major Crimes Bureau detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3. The FCPD also accepts anonymous tips through Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or online.
Karl Frisch will run for a second term representing the Providence District on the Fairfax County School Board.
Frisch announced today that his qualifying paperwork has been approved, and he will seek an endorsement from the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, which can endorse candidates but not officially campaign them in the nonpartisan school board races.
Areas in the Providence District include Tysons, Dunn Loring, Idylwood, Merrifield, Mantua, and Oakton, along with parts of Fairfax, Falls Church, and Vienna.
A formal campaign launch will come later this year, ahead of the Nov. 7 general election.
“I am seeking reelection to help protect public education and local control,” Frisch said. “I will never stop fighting to give every student safe and inclusive public schools with exceptional educators and equitable access to the rigorous academics and other opportunities they need to be successful after graduation.”
When first elected in 2019, a year that ushered in a historically diverse, all-Democratic board, Frisch became the first openly gay person to ever serve on the county’s school board. He is the only out gay man currently on any school board in Virginia, according to his press release.
While the school board has often been occupied with responding to the pandemic over the past couple of years, Frisch’s work so far has included the Mosaic Elementary School naming, planning for a future Dunn Loring Elementary School, and a rerouting of school buses away from Blake Lane after two Oakton High School students were killed in June.
Last fall, he sought to join the General Assembly as the new 35th District delegate, but the Democratic nomination went to nonprofit leader Holly Seibold, who was elected to fill the vacated seat yesterday.
In his announcement, Frisch says he decided to seek reelection in response to state actions that would “compromise curriculum quality and jeopardize student safety.”
Fairfax County Public Schools has clashed on occasion with state leaders, most recently over a delay in merit award notifications. The school board sued Gov. Glenn Youngkin over his elimination of universal masking, and the governor has sided with opponents of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s admissions process.
Last year, Frisch criticized the widely protested draft state policies that would prevent schools from supporting transgender students as “putting the lives of young Virginians in jeopardy to score political points.”
Education is expected to be a key focus of this year’s General Assembly session, which convened today. Filed bills include a prohibition on students from joining athletic teams based on their gender identity, the creation of a statewide policy on library materials, and a voucher program that allow public funds to be used for private schools and services.
“This is a pivotal election year for Fairfax County,” Frisch said. “Will we abandon our world-class public schools in favor of risky Richmond political experiments, or will we continue our critical work to address every student by name and by need?”
All 12 school board seats will be up for election this November.
Frisch joins Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren as the only incumbents so far to confirm they will seek another term. Dranesville District Representative Elaine Tholen said she won’t seek reelection, while other members have yet to announce their intentions.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
You can boost your chances of sticking to your 2023 New Year’s resolutions by following good “goal practices.” To help you get off on the right foot, here are five tips from William Wesley Myers, assistant vice president of wellness strategies at Mather. Mather is the owner operator of The Mather, a Life Plan Community that is coming to Tysons in 2024.
“I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in terms of fitness plans that people can follow through on,” William says. “And I think the same guidelines can apply to New Year’s resolutions.”
Regardless of whether you’ve made resolutions for 2023, you can increase your chances of reaching goals by using the steps below. They are written to target fitness goals, but they apply to other areas of life as well:
- Be specific as well as realistic — “Rather than make a vague resolution to get in shape or lose weight, decide on a specific, attainable goal,” William advises. For instance, if you want to get in shape to maintain your overall health, maybe your goal could be to lose a certain amount of weight by a specific reasonable deadline… or to be able to hike two miles.
- Big goal? Break it down — It’s great to think big when it comes to fitness goals… but a lofty goal like being able to run a marathon can be daunting, and that makes it easy to abandon. Particularly for goals or resolutions about weight loss or exercise, map out a timeline of smaller milestones to help you reach the overall goal. Or schedule weekly or monthly check-ins to see how you’re doing.
- Put it on your calendar — Once you’ve decided on a specific goal and broken it down if necessary, plan when you will devote time to working toward it. “I suggest you literally put it on your calendar,” says William. “Whether you are noting an hour every morning for a brisk walk or listing when your new yoga class takes place — if you don’t make time for it at the outset, you won’t be able to work toward that goal.”
- Share your plan for added support — Imagine two scenarios: In the first, you’ve resolved to lose weight, but you don’t tell anyone because you feel self-conscious. In the second, you tell your friends and family about your goal; this allows them to support you, and help hold you accountable. “Having others who may ask about your progress, cheer your successes, or hear about your setbacks will help you stick to your goal,” says William.
- Stay resilient — With any major goal, you’re going to experience setbacks. “When you backslide a little, start the next day fresh and resolve to get back to your good habits,” says William. “It’s human nature to use one lapse as an excuse for more — but if you resolve at the outset not to let that happen to you, you’ll be ahead of the game.”
“You’ll notice that most of these steps happen before you ever lace up your running shoes or eat your first salad,” says William. “By taking some time and researching and selecting a realistic fitness goal, breaking it down into steps before you get started, and scheduling when you’ll work on it, you are making it easy to stick with good habits and make it all happen.”
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
