The McLean Symphony’s founder Dingwall Fleary Jr., a conductor described by friends and colleagues as “larger than life,” has died.
Fleary, 82, had been the conductor of The McLean Symphony since 1972 and the Reston Community Orchestra since 1996. He died after experiencing a heart attack on Friday, Dec. 30, according to a message from the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Bethesda, where he served as a music director.
“He was absolutely larger than life,” said Mary Bramley, a member of the McLean Symphony’s Board of Directors. “We thought he’d be here forever with the amount of energy and passion he had for music and the community and music education.”
On the McLean Symphony’s Facebook page, tributes to Fleary poured in from current and former orchestra members remembering his kindness and encouragement, with many noting his energetic personality and patience with the musicians in the symphony.
“It’s very interesting. A lot of times when you have a conductor with that much showiness, they take away from the orchestra, but it was never like that,” said Bramley. “He kept it in. When you watched him conduct, that wasn’t the show, it was all about the orchestra. He knew where that limit was. He was passionate, but also patient.”
Several commenters credited Dingwall with instilling a love for music in themselves or their family.
Bramley said Dingwall’s passion was for music education. During concerts, Dingwall would deliberately choose at least one more obscure piece or composer.
“At least one piece was probably a piece you’d never heard of before,” Bramley said. “There would be one composer, someone you’ve never heard of, then it becomes your favorite…You always hear about Bach and Beethoven, but we were playing pieces you’d never heard before.”
A celebration of Fleary’s life is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the McLean High School auditorium (1633 Davidson Road) on Sunday, Jan. 8.
The McLean Symphony, which celebrated its 50th season last year, is expected to begin searching for a new conductor in the coming weeks. Its next concert isn’t until March, giving the group some time for the search, Bramley noted.
Fairfax County property owners are officially required to contain running bamboo on their property — or face potential fines.
Effective as of Jan. 1, the county’s new running bamboo ordinance calls for property owners to get the invasive grass species under control and imposes civil penalties on property owners who let it “spread to adjacent properties or any public right-of-way.”
The ordinance was approved by the Board of Supervisors back in March 2022, along with a fine structure that includes $50 for the first complaint or violation, $200 for subsequent violations, and a $3,000 cap on fines over a 12-month period.
Officials have reiterated that staff will first seek to educate and allow for violations to be corrected voluntarily before imposing fines. When the issue went to a public hearing in February, several residents and supervisors expressed some concern about the financial implications of the fines.
In March, though, Fairfax County Director of Code Compliance Jack Weyant suggested fines would only be invoked for cases that have gone on for a year or longer.
Running bamboo is a fast-growing, invasive grass with an even more aggressive root system (rhizomes) that can spread underground up to 15 feet per year.
“Once planted, running bamboo can eventually take over yards and travel across property lines, creating issues for adjacent property owners and local jurisdictions,” Weyant told FFXnow. “Roots can push through brickwork, drains, cavity walls, patios, and exploit cracks or weaknesses in concrete.”
Weyant noted that the new ordinance “does not ban bamboo” but requires property owners to prevent it from growing on adjacent properties, including public property.
The county has set up a webpage to advise residents on the best methods to contain, prevent overgrowing, and dispose of bamboo.
Options include setting up a metal and plastic “bamboo root barrier” that deflects rhizomes back towards the bamboo owner’s property, encouraging the plants to grow vertically instead of spreading horizontally.
The county also suggests mowing bamboo often and using herbicides to prevent further growth. All cut bamboo should go in trash pick-up, not yard waste, per the county.
The complete removal of bamboo from a property is extremely difficult.
“Digging out bamboo requires heavy equipment and coordination with Virginia 811,” the website says.
In 2017, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law that let localities impose financial penalties on property owners who allow bamboo to run wild. However, Virginia still allows commercial sales, an issue that Fairfax County supervisors have previously said needs to be corrected by the state.
The county itself will also have to adhere to the new ordinance.
The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) manages about 204 acres of bamboo that draw 10 to 20 complaints a year from neighboring homeowners. FCPA removes two to three bamboo sites a year, but it’s expensive.
In April, the FCPA told FFXnow that a recent removal of about an acre of bamboo cost about $35,000, mostly due to herbicide treatment costs.
Summer Camp Registration Coming Up — “Registration for Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) summer camps serving children ages 3 to 16 will begin Jan. 10, 2023. Registrations fill up very quickly, so families are encouraged to visit the Park Authority Camps webpage to view more than 1,000 programming options to prepare” [FCPA]
Attorney General Launches Investigation of TJ — Jason Miyares said Wednesday that his civil rights office will probe Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for delaying notifications to students who were commended by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Fairfax County Public Schools, which ordered its own review, has denied deliberately withholding the information, attributing it instead to “human error.” [The Washington Post]
Metro Worker May Have Operated Train While Drunk — “A Metrorail operator was arrested on Friday, December 23, 2022, on suspicion of operating a train while intoxicated (DWI), according to a public Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) document.” The Blue Line train failed to stop at the Van Dorn station, “coming to a stop for more than 30 minutes before safely discharging customers at Franconia-Springfield Station,” Metro said. [Greater Greater Washington]
Warrant Service Leads to Extended Standoff in Vienna — A Vienna resident was charged with assault and stalking on Monday (Jan. 2) after police received several calls about “disorderly conduct” at his home. When police tried to serve the warrants, the man began “throwing things off his balcony and threatening others,” leading to an hours-long standoff that ended around 10 p.m. without incident. [Patch]
Vienna Sandwich Shop Will Resurface in Arlington — “[Tim] Ma’s well-regarded Chase the Submarine, which closed in Vienna about five years ago, is making a comeback at Westpost on S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, the chef confirmed…The sandwich shop is moving into the relatively small ‘cube’ space in the development’s plaza which was home to Bread and Water until this fall.” [ARLnow]
Virginia Rail Seeks More Funds from Fairfax County — “Fairfax County taxpayers would be on the hook for additional funding to help subsidize Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service in the next fiscal year, but the total funding from Fairfax County tax coffers would still be down from pre-pandemic levels.” [Sun Gazette]
Route 29 Widening Outside Centreville Expected This Spring — “In the next few months, Virginia Department of Transportation plans to begin construction to widen 1.5 miles of U.S. Route 29…from four lanes to six, between Union Mill Road and Buckleys Gate Drive. According to VDOT, approximately 30,000 vehicles a day travel the congested stretch of state roadway.” [WTOP]
Lincolnia Park Getting New Playground — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has begun work to replace the playground equipment at Glasgow Park. The project will require the park to close until the installation of the new equipment is complete…Contingent on the weather, the new playground is expected to open in February 2023.” [FCPA]
It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 67 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
It could be a little more expensive to visit some Fairfax County parks this upcoming year.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is soliciting public feedback on a proposal to push up fees at local park facilities.
The increase would be, in part, to help pay to keep up with Virginia’s minimum wage increases.
“The FY 2023 budget included a 4.01% market rate adjustment for all employees, in addition to fully funding performance-based and longevity increases,” the proposal said. “The Park Authority Revenue Fund is also significantly impacted by the Minimum Wage increases that continue in 2022 and 2023.”
The park authority said it also had to offer signing and retention bonuses for difficult-to-fill summer positions, like lifeguards and camp counselors, to remain competitive.
“The estimated total for all increases was $1.8 million in FY 2023,” the proposal said. “While the FY 2024 compensation increase is currently unknown, it is anticipated to be similar to FY 2023.”
Retirement contributions and healthcare benefits also rose.
The county’s golf courses and rec centers are funded by user fees, not taxes. In the proposal, the park authority said the fees need to be adjusted to ensure operating costs can be met, as well as repair and replacement needs.
The proposal would increase fees at indoor swimming pools, recreation centers, golf courses and more. Rental of picnic areas, ampitheaters, volleyball courts and more would also get a little more costly.
The proposal also offered some insight into park usage. While the total number of rounds of golf decreased by 7% over the last year, attendance at rec centers increased dramatically over 2021 — though they remain lower than pre-Covid attendance and revenue levels.
If the fee adjustments are approved by the Park Authority Board at a meeting on March 22, it will take effect on April 1.
The park authority started accepting public comments on the proposal today (Wednesday) and will continue to do so through Feb. 2. A community meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m. on Jan. 18.
The full list of fee adjustments is available in the proposal, starting on page 8. The fees would affect:
- Golf courses
- Driving ranges at Burke Lake, Oak Marr and Twin Lakes
- The golf simulator at Pinecrest Golf Course
- Facility rentals at Laurel Hill and Twin Lakes
- Group admission and chaperone fees at all recreation centers
- Indoor swimming pool base rental fees at rec centers
- Gym rental fees at Audrey Moore, Lee District and Spring Hill
- Admission and rentals at Water Mine, as well as shade, “funbrella” and picnic reservations
- Picnic reservation rentals
- All volleyball rentals
- All amphitheater rentals
- Bike rentals at County-managed parks
- Boat launches at County-managed parks
- Entrance fee to Burke Lake Park
- Camping at Burke Lake Park and Lake Fairfax Park
- All amusement carousel and train rides
- Kayak, canoe and pedal boat rentals countywide
- New garden plots at Hogge Park, Lorton/Nike
- Various facility and room rentals
The brick office complex at 7600 Leesburg Pike is destined to be eventually replaced by housing, but the amount of housing that will be allowed may still be up for negotiation.
Developer Elm Street Communities is seeking to double the residential density currently recommended in the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan for the 442,718-square-foot property adjacent to the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library.
In a site-specific plan amendment (SSPA) nomination submitted Oct. 26, the developer proposes replacing the two existing office buildings with townhouses at a density of 12 to 16 dwelling units per acre — twice the 5-8 units per acre shown on the comprehensive plan map.
“The Nominator’s proposal will provide a more compatible transition than the existing office building between the commercial uses to remain to the south of the Property and the Pimmit Hills single-family detached residential neighborhood to the north,” Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh land-use lawyer Lynne Strobel wrote in the application.
Built in 1986, the 230,620-square-foot, four-story office complex is split into east and west buildings. Tenants include the Standard Healthcare Services College of Nursing, Oak Hill Montessori School and the D.C. Legislative Action Committee.
The property’s current owner, an affiliate of the New York-based real estate firm True North Management Group, acquired it for $36 million in 2014, per county land records.
In its SSPA application, Elm Street says its envisioned townhouse community would be similar in size and scale to the Marshall Heights neighborhood to the south and the 104-unit townhome development now under construction at 7700 Leesburg Pike.
A concept plan shows approximately six blocks of townhouses connected by an internal grid of both public and private streets.
If the nomination is accepted for a full county staff review, the developer intends to file a development plan that will include open space, landscaping and buffers “to improve the quality of life for residents of the redeveloped site and for adjacent properties.”
Elm Street says its proposal will “add a housing type that contributes to the diversity of housing and price points in the area.” It also notes that the location provides convenient access to transit, the library, Marshall High School and retail options, like the Idylwood Plaza and Tysons Station shopping centers.
“The proximity of the McLean Community Business Center, the West Falls Church Transit Station Area and Tysons creates employment and entertainment opportunities,” the application said. “In addition, the proposed residential use will support existing retail use along Leesburg Pike.”
Elm Street’s SSPA nomination was one of dozens accepted for screening by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6. The applications are now being more closely reviewed by staff and will be presented at community meetings throughout January and February.
An opportunity for local artists to gain exposure at the D.C. area’s biggest mall has been extended through the new year.
ArtsFairfax, the nonprofit arts agency for Fairfax County, announced on Dec. 22 that it will continue to partner with Tysons Corner Center owner Macerich to bring temporary art installations to the mall.
The collaboration was originally set to conclude on Dec. 31, 2022, but the quality of the 19 submissions that they received convinced ArtsFairfax and Macerich to keep the portal open for 2023. All artists and arts organizations based in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church can apply.
“We had some excellent applicants, and they wanted to be able to accommodate more artists on an ongoing basis,” ArtsFairfax Senior Director of Grants and Services Lisa Mariam said. “We continue to be getting the applications and interest.”
The first exhibition resulting from the initiative, which launched in July, is currently on display in the second-floor hall outside Macy’s.
Developed by ArtLords, an Afghanistan-based street artist collective with an office in Tysons, the installation features 30 paintings that were either rescued from Afghanistan when the Taliban took over the country in August 2021 or created afterwards by recently evacuated artists.
An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) to celebrate the installation, which is scheduled to remain on display through February.
To involve more artists, Tysons Corner Center will open up additional sites for exhibits, including a space by Barnes & Noble where ArtLords is planning to add a mural, according to Mariam.
The applications are collected and vetted by ArtsFairfax but chosen by Macerich. Mariam says the real estate company is currently negotiating agreements with at least two other artists.
In addition to lending some color to Tysons Corner Center and giving artists a platform to display their work for the 22 million people who visit the mall each year, the partnership has helped ArtsFairfax get acquainted with new artists and organizations, Mariam says.
“It’s been a really great experience for us, because through gathering these proposals, we’ve been learning about a lot of new artists that we weren’t even aware were living or working in Fairfax County,” she told FFXnow, noting that making those connections now will be especially useful as the agency gears up to do a census of local artists.
ArtsFairfax obtained funding for the census project in November, though Mariam said it’s too early to share details of exactly what it will entail. The count will help the agency know what services it needs to provide and focus its advocacy efforts on behalf of the arts community.
The findings will be integrated into a Master Arts Plan that the agency is developing with Fairfax County.
Eligibility criteria and other information about the Tysons Corner Center partnership can be found at ArtsFairfax’s submissions portal. The mall has committed to keeping each installation up for at least eight weeks.
McLean Woman Killed in D.C. Crash — “D.C. police identified the woman killed Friday afternoon near the White House by a man fleeing from the Secret Service as Shuyu Sui, a 31-year-old from McLean.” A second woman injured in the crash remains hospitalized in critical condition. A LinkedIn page indicates that Sui worked as a data engineer for Meta, which didn’t immediately return FFXnow’s request for comment. [The Washington Post]
About 313 People Killed on D.C. Area Roads in 2022 — “Prince George’s County again tops the list with 117 people killed, about 11.8 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people. The region’s other counties with big, fast highways, like Prince William and Fairfax, round out the top three jurisdictions with traffic fatalities above 5 per 100,000 people.” [DCist]
Police Officer Cleared in Seven Corners Shooting — “An undercover Fairfax County police sergeant was justified when he shot and wounded a man in August who had fled a supposed drug deal and appeared to be reaching for a gun, the Fairfax prosecutor ruled Friday.” [The Washington Post]
Herndon Resident Seeks Owner of Hen — “Tas Robin is trying to find the owners of a lost hen who showed up at her home on Bayshire Lane in Herndon on [Dec. 27]. Around 6:30 p.m., Robin’s nephew told her there was a chicken sitting on the hood of the family’s truck parked in the driveway. Robin’s brother-in-law went out, grabbed the hen and then brought it inside.” [Patch]
McLean Tech Company Partners With Samsung — “Iridium Communications Inc. said it’s signed an agreement with an undisclosed company to put its satellite communications technology into smartphones…A South Korean news outlet reported in November that Samsung was planning to work with Iridium to add satellite…technology to its Galaxy S23 phones.” [Washington Business Journal]
Not So Fast on Address Changes, Fairfax Says — “The names of 14 streets officially changed on Jan. 1, 2023, and the U.S. Postal Service has updated its database to reflect the new names. However, the city requests residents and business owners to refrain from updating their address information until Feb. 1.” [City of Fairfax]
Reston Town Center Inspired YIMBYs of NOVA Co-Founder — “Reston Town Center is where I first settled when moving to the DC area from the endless suburbs of Florida. It was my first experience living in a walkable urban community & I was amazed. My origin story of being a housing & transit advocate begins here.” [Adam Theo/Twitter]
Providence District Supervisor Makes History for Regional Transportation Group — “Members of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission will swear in new leadership for 2023, including the first Latina Chair Dalia Palchik, and hear public feedback on NVTC’s Work Plan at their monthly meeting Thursday.” [NVTC]
It’s Wednesday — Rain in the afternoon and evening. High of 67 and low of 58. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
Need an office for a Top Secret meeting? Venture to Venture X, opening soon in Fairfax.
Venture X’s new high-end coworking space is opening in Fairfax’s Mosaic District and offers many amenities other flex spaces do not, including secure facilities for those performing top secret work.
A tour Venture X’s 28,000-square-foot site — housing some 112 private offices — reveals luxury furniture, high-end finishes, lounge areas, 24-hour access, and comfortable collaboration spaces as well as oversized meeting rooms large enough for small-to-medium company-wide retreats, board meetings, and workshops.
Today’s flex space workers expect reliable, high-speed internet, but Venture X takes it to the next level by offering network security approved for secret-level government and corporate work. Venture X also offers a large, separate secure area specifically designed for a single company to occupy while performing top secret assignments.
The Mosaic location is convenient to the town center’s many amenities, including restaurants, bars, and shopping. It is also convenient to the Orange Line’s Dunn Loring Metro station — now connecting to Dulles International Airport via the Silver Line — as well as easy access to I-495 and Arlington Boulevard/Route 50. Learn more about the location and be sure to check out the floorplan!
Venture X, an internationally franchised company, designs its luxury accommodations for a diverse and varied membership that seeks to expand in-place and inspire its teams to achieve success. Venture in soon.
Venture X is located at 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 300, in Fairfax’s Mosaic District. See a testimonial video about Venture X. To schedule a tour or to learn more, call 703-952-5265 or see this website.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) An outcry stoked by conservative activists over Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) allegedly failing to promptly announce a student academic honor has reached the Virginia governor’s office.
In a letter released this morning (Tuesday), Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged Attorney General Jason Miyares to investigate the Fairfax County magnet school after it reportedly didn’t notify students commended by the National Merit Scholarship Program until after early college applications were due.
“We need to get to the bottom of what appears to be an egregious, deliberate attempt to disadvantage high-performing students at one of the best schools in the country,” Youngkin said. “Parents and students deserve answers and Attorney General Miyares will initiate a full investigation.”
Fairfax County Public Schools says it has initiated a third-party, independent investigation of its own but “stands ready to work with our partners at the state level,” should Miyares decide to pursue a review.
“Our preliminary understanding is that the delay this fall was a unique situation due to human error,” an FCPS spokesperson said. “The investigation will continue to examine our records in further detail and we will share key findings with our community.”
The school system said in a statement on Friday (Dec. 30) that families were notified as soon as the lapse “came to light.” Staff also sent emails and made follow-up calls to each college where the affected students had applied.
“FCPS understands the hard work and dedication of each and every student who competes for college acceptance and scholarship opportunities,” FCPS said. “We remain committed to supporting every student in reaching their full potential.”
The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes students who receive the highest scores in the country on the preliminary SAT, essentially a practice for the main standardized test considered by most colleges and universities for admissions.
According to the National Merit website, about 50,000 students qualify for the program every year based on an index score calculated by doubling the sum of their reading, writing and math scores.
Notifications are sent out in late September, with about two-thirds of those students being commended and one-third advancing as semi-finalists. Only about 7,250 students win actual scholarships each year.
However, FCPS only announced the school’s semi-finalists in September. Commended students at TJ didn’t learn they had gotten the honor until teachers handed out certificates on Nov. 14, Coalition for TJ co-founder Asra Nomani said in the Fairfax County Times.
The Coalition for TJ sued Fairfax County Public Schools in 2021 over changes to the admissions system that were designed to boost diversity at the magnet school. The lawsuit is currently in a federal appeals court.
Nomani said she learned about the issue from Shawnna Yashar, a member of the Fairfax County Parents Association, which was incorporated in June 2021 by leaders of the Open FCPS campaign that urged schools to reopen early in the pandemic.
Since publishing last Thursday (Dec. 29), Nomani’s story has gotten picked up by several, mostly conservative outlets, including Fox News and the Daily Mail. Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears tweeted on Saturday (Dec. 31) that she had “reached out” to Youngkin and Miyares about a possible investigation.
The Fairfax County Parents Association and other groups have called for TJ principal Ann Bonitatibus to be fired and are planning to hold a rally outside the school this afternoon, according to WUSA9.
FCPS confirmed that Superintendent Michelle Reid is scheduled to meet with families this evening “to listen to their concerns.”
Parent and 11th District Republican Committee Vice Chair Srilekha Palle told WUSA9 she considers the delayed notifications “a criminal act.” Harry Jackson, another Coalition for TJ founder and brief GOP school board candidate hopeful, claimed administrators “wanted to downplay the significance of these awards to students in the name of equity.”
“I believe this failure may have caused material harm to those students and their parents, and that this failure may have violated the Virginia Human Rights Act,” Youngkin said in his letter to Miyares.
The letter doesn’t say how the lack of merit scholarship notifications might violate the Virginia Human Rights Act, which protects individuals from discrimination based on race, religion, sex and other characteristics.
The cell tower by I-495 at the Old Dominion Drive bridge in McLean (via Google Maps)
(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) The search is still on for a new site to host a cell tower in McLean that has to be removed to make room for the widening Capital Beltway.
The monopole, which is owned by American Cell Towers and supports AT&T and T-Mobile service, was officially decommissioned on Dec. 9, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
“Cell providers are working to minimize any potential impacts to existing service, and VDOT is working with the project’s design-build contractor to facilitate a relocated cell tower as soon as possible,” the department told FFXnow.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors expressed concern at a Sept. 30 transportation committee meeting that losing the tower may cause wireless service disruptions, something that AT&T admitted was a possibility.
Fears of disruptions were particularly high after the removal of a cell facility at Lake Anne in Reston resulted in slow, spotty service for residents in that area over the summer, including for 911 calls.
Fortunately, those anticipated issues don’t seem to have come to fruition. Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust’s office, which represents McLean, says it hasn’t gotten any emails from constituents about the decommissioned cell tower, as of Dec. 20.
VDOT had hoped to see the tower relocated by Dec. 31 — an extension from the original deadline of Sept. 30 — but a new location still hasn’t been identified. VDOT didn’t respond by press time when asked if the deadline got extended again.
“[There’s] no timeline yet,” Jane Edmondson, Foust’s chief of staff, said by email. “The County has not yet received an application for a new location.”
Located by the Old Dominion Drive bridge, the 135-foot-tall monopole needs to be moved to make room for the I-495 Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project, which is adding about three miles of toll lanes on the Beltway from the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.
The project will also replace the Old Dominion bridge, which has just one lane each for eastbound and westbound traffic. The new bridge will have two lanes and a 14-foot-wide shared-use path on the south side. (Correction: This article initially said two lanes would be added on the bridge in each direction.)
While touted as necessary to mitigate traffic congestion, 495 NEXT has been criticized by some McLean residents as harmful to their neighborhoods and the environment.
Construction began in mid-2022 and is expected to continue into 2026, with the new express lanes opening in 2025.
Photo via Google Maps
