Stuff the Bus Drive Returns Tomorrow — “Since inception, Stuff the Bus has collected over 220 tons of food to feed people experiencing food insecurity in Fairfax County. Donate to Stuff the Bus at any of these locations on Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.” [Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services]
Reston Cooking Class Raises Funds for Ukraine — A borscht-making class raised nearly $179,000 to become one of the top fundraisers in World Central Kitchen “Cook for Ukraine” campaign, Reston Patch reported. Radhika Murari, the founder of Reston-based OmMade peanut butter, came up with the idea by helping two Ukrainian sisters promote their class. [Fairfax County EDA]
Fort Belvoir’s Name to Remain for Now — “The Naming Commission, tasked with choosing new names for Army installations that had been named for Confederate generals, has removed Fort Belvoir from consideration, according to a commission announcement this morning.” [Inside NoVA]
WeWork to Subsidize Rent for Local Startups — “Companies must commit to a six or 12-month lease in one of four WeWork D.C.-area locations — Metropolitan Square at 655 15th St. NW, the program’s hub, 1775 Tysons Blvd., 200 Massachusetts Ave. NW and Midtown Center — between now and the end of August, according to the terms and conditions.” [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Community Center Board Candidates Announced — “Early voting has started for the annual McLean Community Center governing board election. There are 12 candidates running for seats in 2022. The candidates include nine adults and three teens running for three adult positions and two youth positions.” [Patch]
British Consulting Firm Opens Tysons Office — “Buro Happold, a global engineering consultancy firm, has set up shop in the Washington, D.C. area, among five new cities the firm has entered. Roger Chang has been named principal and will head up the D.C. office, which is currently at 1775 Greensboro Station Place in Tysons, Va., with plans to operate space in the District as well.” [Commercial Observer]
Herndon Police Officers and Volunteers Recognized — “With community spread of COVID-19 remaining at low levels, the Herndon Police Department decided it was safe to finally host a public ceremony to recognize all of the officers and volunteers who’d received awards from 2019-2021.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 48. Sunrise at 7:16 a.m. and sunset at 7:20 p.m. [Weather.gov]
Tysons Galleria visitors can get a taste of West African cuisine this weekend, when the new Ghanaian pop-up Hedzole opens for business.
Expanding on regular appearances at local farmers’ markets, the stall will have a three-hour soft opening tomorrow (Friday) before officially opening on Saturday (March 19), Hedzole founder and owner Candice Mensah told FFXnow.
Fairfax County Public Schools will officially end the use of seclusion as a tool for managing student behavior when the next school year begins on Aug. 22.
The practice of confining a student to a room is already prohibited in most schools, but the Fairfax County School Board approved an update on March 10 that expands the ban to include the Key Center School, Kilmer Center, and private day and residential schools, starting with the 2022-2023 school year.
Plans for the massive development in the West Falls Church Metro station area were revised to provide new details on three of the project’s five buildings.
Known as FGCP-Metro LLC, developers EYA, Rushmark Properties, and Hoffman & Associates have partnered with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to build more than 1 million square feet of residential, office and retail space on 24 acres of land currently occupied by parking.
Fairfax County officials are looking at ways to avoid drastic jumps in tax bills for vehicle owners.
The Board of Supervisors’ Budget Committee discussed options for providing relief on the county’s annual personal property tax with county staff on Tuesday (March 15). Assessment values on vehicles have spiked, leading to a potential increase from $229 to $415 for the average bill.
Where to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day — “St. Patrick’s Day is always an exciting time in the National Capital Region so find fun St. Patrick’s Day events and things to do in Fairfax County, VA and the rest of Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. Whether you’re looking for a quaint local Irish pub to relax in, or a rowdy Irish party to join, you’re bound to find our list of suggestions below a useful St. Patrick’s Day guide to Irishness!” [Visit Fairfax]
No Charges Against Officer in Lorton Shooting — “The commonwealth’s attorney for Fairfax County, Virginia, isn’t going to file charges against the police officer who shot a man in a van in Lorton last month. Michael Vaughan, 34, was shot Feb. 15 in a van on Fitt Court while he was holding a rifle.” [WTOP]
Prominent County Developer Dies — Land-use lawyer and developer John T. ‘Til’ Hazel Jr. on Tuesday (March 15) at 91 years of age in Broad Run. Crucial in shaping Fairfax County, including Tysons and George Mason University, Hazel helped clear land for the Capital Beltway and “went on to develop homes now occupied by 1 in every 10 residents of Fairfax County.” [The Washington Post]
FBI HQ Relocation Search Could Restart — “The omnibus fiscal year 2022 spending bill signed by President Joe Biden this week includes language that would advance the FBI’s selection of a new headquarters location — which it, along with the General Services Administration, had previously narrowed down to Greenbelt, Landover, and Springfield.” [Washington Business Journal]
FCPS Offers New Firefighter Training Program — “Thanks Fox 5 DC for highlighting this unique program and partnership between Fairfax County Public Schools and #FCFRD. Ten alums are now FCFRD career members. Two career elsewhere. Several volunteer firefighters. One attending Naval Academy!” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department/Facebook]
Herndon Native Stays with NHL Team — “Joe Snively, who grew up and played youth hockey in Herndon, was just re-signed by the Washington Capitals to a two-year, $1.6 million contract. Brian MacLellan, the Caps’ senior vice president and general manager, made the announcement on Wednesday, according to NHL.com.” [Patch]
GMU Reopens Renovated Performing Arts Theater — “After 18 months of renovations, Harris Theatre on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus is once again open for performances…The renovation features an expanded lobby, an updated ticket office, a new entrance near the walking meditation garden and a marquee to announce upcoming performances.” [Sun Gazette]
Tysons Contractor Buys Reston Security Company — “McLean, Virginia-based Booz Allen Hamilton, the largest government IT consulting contractor, continues a recent string of acquisitions by acquiring Reston-based cybersecurity firm EverWatch. Financial terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed.” [WTOP]
McLean Fire Department to Host Blood Drive — The McLean Volunteer Fire Department will host another blood drive by Inova from 1-5:30 p.m. on March 25. This will be the department’s second blood drive of the year, following one in January that ultimately saw all spots fill up. [McLean VFD/Facebook]
It’s Thursday — Rain in the morning and afternoon. High of 58 and low of 49. Sunrise at 7:18 a.m. and sunset at 7:19 p.m. [Weather.gov]
Tysons residents and visitors have another month to revel in artwork from the Sistine Chapel.
The production company behind “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” which features reproductions of the artist’s ceiling paintings, announced today (Wednesday) that the exhibit will now remain in Tysons Corner Center through April 17.
The exhibit first opened at the mall on Jan. 28 for what was supposed to be a month-long showing.
The county kicked off a month-long series of town halls in November, courting pubic feedback on its first comprehensive parking review in decades. Public hearings are slated to begin in the fall following community engagement on the draft proposal this summer.
“It is recognized that driving a car will continue to be common activity and that parking will continue to be necessary,” a March county memo says. “However, parking should be considered with other community and personal values.”
There have been no headline-making returns of books 50 years overdue, but Fairfax County Public Library is nonetheless seeing some encouraging trends after eliminating fines on Jan. 1.
The library system saw a 2 to 3 percentage point uptick in the amount of materials returned versus checked out in January and February of this year compared to those same months in 2020, according to data shared by FCPL.
The unionization wave sweeping through Starbucks across the country has arrived in Fairfax County.
Workers in Merrifield (3046 Gate House Plaza) and Springfield (7475 Huntsman Boulevard) have filed for union elections, joining a cafe in Leesburg as the first unionizing stores in Northern Virginia, Starbucks Workers United confirmed.
As of yesterday (Tuesday), 140 stores in 27 states have filed for elections since workers in Buffalo, New York, voted to form the union in December.
