Meerkats have taken over Tysons Galleria.
The 4-foot-tall, vividly colored replicas of the desert-dwelling critters started to emerge at the mall in mid-October before doubling their presence from 30 to 60 statues on Nov. 1.
The statues belong to a traveling art exhibit from the Italian collective Cracking Art, whose artists create work out of “recyclable” plastic to explore the relationship between the natural and artificial worlds, according to its website.
Tysons Galleria announced the exhibit’s arrival on Oct. 14, saying it hoped the “Meerkat Meetup” display would inspire “a sense of togetherness” and spark “conversation about caring for each other as well as the environment.”
“We wanted to bring this traveling art exhibit to Tysons Galleria as part of our continued effort to evolve our center as a premier spot for not only shopping but also lifestyle and entertainment,” the shopping center said in a statement. “We felt this was the perfect exhibit to present to our patrons because of what it represents — the meerkats standing tall in unison symbolize community and collaboration.”
Launched in 1993, Cracking Art describes itself as a movement of individual artists who share “a strong social and environmental commitment.”
With a dolphin as its first work, the collective uses animal sculptures to convey different meanings. Turtles, for example, represent perseverance and the connection between land and water, while snails’ regenerative abilities make them appropriate symbols of rebirth.
For “Meerkat Meetup,” the group was inspired by the animal’s reliance on teamwork and communication to survive in the deserts and grasslands of southern Africa that are their native habitat.
“The installation intent is to represent the importance of collaboration for dealing with and overcoming the events in our everyday life,” Cracking Art said. “In addition, by using vibrant and bright colours, we want to highlight the relevance of living with an open and positive approach.”
The meerkats will remain on display at Tysons Galleria from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the exhibit leaves for its next stop on Monday (Nov. 29).
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, many local entities and organizations will be closed.
Fairfax County government offices and Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed for Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 25) and Black Friday (Nov. 26). County libraries are also closed both days.
Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court close at noon today (Wednesday) through Friday.
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is open for services by appointment only. For emergencies, contact Animal Protection Police at 703-691-2131.
All Department of Motor Vehicle service centers will be closed from Nov. 25 through Nov. 27.
While the Fairfax Connector has regular service today, riders can expect Sunday service on Thursday and holiday weekday service on Friday. More details on specific routes are available online.
Metrorail and Metrobus will also operate on a Sunday school tomorrow and offer week day service on Friday.
All recreation centers will open Thursday from 5 a.m. to noon with the exception of George Washington Recreation Center. All centers reopen on Friday.
The Fairfax County Government Center and South County Government Center vaccine clinic and the Tysons Community Vaccination center will be closed Thursday through Sunday for Thanksgiving. More locations are available online.
For trash and recycling collection, residents should contact their trash and recycling collector directly for any schedule changes due to the holiday.
A proposed pedestrian and bicycle improvements project near the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station is taking shape and now includes plans to accommodate community needs in the interim.
During a virtual public hearing on the design of the $9.5 million project last Wednesday (Nov. 17), Virginia Department of Transportation staff shared an interim plan to improve the bicycle and pedestrian network north of the Vienna Metro station and Oakton High School.
The interim plan will support the needs of bicyclists in the area while taking into account the timeline for the larger Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project, which will add more than 11 miles of trails from Gallows Road in Dunn Loring to Centreville, according to VDOT.
The interim project calls for:
- New signs and pavement markings
- A buffered bicycle lane on Sutton Road between Sutton Green Court and Country Creek Road
- A two-way, street-level cycle track on eastbound Country Creek between Sutton and the Metro’s north parking lot entrance
Work is expected to begin in mid-2022 — around the same time the I-66 Trail network is complete.
VDOT project manager Zamir Mirza estimated that the interim project will be completed in late 2022. It’s intended to serve the needs of bicyclists until the permanent project is finished, which isn’t expected to be until early 2026, with construction starting in late 2024.
This interim plan is not funded as a part of the original project, however, and has an estimated cost of $1 million. It utilizes the existing roadway width and is not expected to affect utilities or require any right-of-way acquisitions.
Mirza added that the only component of the interim project that will remain permanently is some pedestrian push buttons to improve the traffic signaling.
Aside from the proposed interim plan, the Vienna Metro improvements project is largely unaltered from March, according to Mirza. He added the location of the shared use path and bicycle track remain the same along the three road segments.
For the permanent project, VDOT will construct a 10-foot-wide, shared-use path on Blake Lane and Sutton from the I-66 bridge to Country Creek Road. Crosswalks and refuge islands will be added at Blake Lane and the Oakton High School entrance, along with a raised crossing at Sutton Green Court.
Sutton will also get 12 or 13 street parking spaces added on the northbound section and 16 to 18 more spaces on the southbound.
Country Creek improvements include hatched shoulder areas with a 12-foot-wide, two-way bicycle track and a 6-foot-wide sidewalk, with crosswalks at Sutton Road and the I-66 ramp/Village Spring Lane.
A new traffic signal at this location will realign the I-66 ramp “to be better oriented with Village Spring Lane” and eliminate the free-flowing right turn currently there, according to Mirza. An additional eight to 10 parking spaces will be added on the westbound side of the road.
The Virginia Center Boulevard improvements include a two-way, 12-foot-wide bicycle track and a 6-foot-wide sidewalk. There will also be a Capital Bikeshare station, crosswalks at the Metro bus entrance and exit, and intersection improvements at Vaden Drive.
Mirza confirmed that there will be no private property taken from individual landowners, but “slivers” of land will be acquired from homeowners’ associations, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The new parking added by the project is currently slated to be free, but Mirza said he was unsure of the county’s future intentions for those spaces.
Community members can submit comments on the project until Dec. 3 via email, phone (703-259-1794), mail, online, or in-person by request during business hours at VDOT’s Northern Virginia District office.
Emails should be made out to [email protected] with a reference to “Vienna Metro Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements” in the subject line.
Mail can be sent to Zamir Mirza, VDOT’s Northern Virginia District, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.
Virginia Hospital Center Expands into Tysons — “The Arlington health system has purchased a building at 1760 Old Meadow Road where it’s setting up an orthopedic outpatient surgery center, according to VHC CEO Jim Cole. The hospital is now renovating a 14,900-square-foot area of existing building in a project expected to cost $6.4 million including construction and equipment…The facility is slated to open in mid-2022.” [Washington Business Journal]
County Releases FY 2023 Budget Forecast — Fairfax County anticipates a 5.7% revenue increase of approximately $279.6 million for fiscal year 2023, which starts July 1, 2022. However, the gains will be offset by continued declines in real estate values for office buildings and senior care facilities due to the pandemic. [Fairfax County Government]
County Police Focus on Recruitment and Violent Crimes — “While monitoring disturbing trends such as domestic homicides and increasingly violent vehicle thieves, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis hopes to hire more officers and implement changes to modernize the police department. The county’s overall crime rate now is down by slightly more than 12%, or about 3,500 fewer victims compared with the previous year.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Town of Vienna Offices Closed Tomorrow — “Town offices and the Community Center will be closed Nov. 25 for Thanksgiving. There will be no trash collection on Nov. 25, crews will pick up along that route the next day. The Community Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 26, while Town offices will be closed.” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Visit Fairfax Launches Holiday Gift Guide — “Ali Morris at Visit Fairfax, the county’s official tourism and hospitality promotion group, created the Fairfax County 2021 Holiday Gift Guide to showcase gift-worthy products created right here and the artisans behind the creations. You can shop by these categories: art and designs; body; chocolate; coffee; food; kids; pets; stocking stuffers; textiles; wine, beer and spirits.” [FCEDA]
Faith communities are once again opening their doors to Fairfax County’s homeless population this winter after a year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county’s Hypothermia Prevention Program, which began in 2005, will run from Nov. 28 through April.
As in past years, the service will be operated by FACETS, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals affected by poverty, hunger and homelessness. The program serves people in across the county and the City of Falls Church in partnership with the local government and more than 40 faith communities.
FACETS Executive Director Joe Fay notes that the move was inspired by faith partners who felt more comfortable opening their doors due to the state’s high vaccination levels.
“The pandemic continues to create greater need and complicates efforts to help meet those needs,” Fay acknowledged, adding that safety measures will remain in effect to protect staff, volunteers and guests.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the county to adapt the program last year, as space limitations and the age of many volunteers made the churches and other buildings used in the past less viable.
The county instead set up its own sites and used hotels, which provided a good alternative to congregate settings because they allowed for social distancing, reducing transmission of the virus, Tom Barnett, the director of the county’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness told FFXnow.
“While most of us were told to stay home to avoid the virus, people experiencing homelessness did not have that option. Older adults and people with pre-existing health conditions were especially vulnerable,” Barnett said. “Fairfax County expanded shelter capacity with hotels through the pandemic to accommodate the increased demand for shelter.”
As the focus shifts back to congregate settings, nonprofit organizations have been able to hire more staff to sustain operations at their shelters.
Barnett says faith communities returning to the hypothermia prevention program is a “tremendous resource.”
After a brief dip to moderate transmission levels, COVID-19 cases appear to have returned to August levels. The county’s level of community transmission has returned to substantial.
Barnett noted that the program will attempt to increase social distancing, require masks for guests and staff, and increase the frequency of facility cleaning. Hotels will remain open through the winter in order to isolate, quarantine, and protect individuals and to reduce overcrowding in other shelters.
The program is open to any adult in need of immediate shelter.
Existing shelters that serve single adults and auxiliary programs through faith community partners run the program, which offers warm shelter, food, and other supportive services. FACETS will also offer case management for guests who wish to move into safe and stable housing.
The number of people who are homeless and unvaccinated remains a challenge, FACETS spokesperson Shawn Flaherty says. The organization plans to focus on vaccine availability and health education this year, especially as economic anxiety and food insecurity appear to be on the rise.
“The pandemic has created more economic strain which is impacting the county’s homeless population. Also, they struggle to get personal protective equipment, and it [has] been harder for them to connect with resources and basic needs,” Flaherty said.
COVID-19 vaccines will be available for all guests.
The organization plans to continue operating a shelter out of a hotel in Alexandria for individuals impacted by the pandemic.
Despite the constraints, the Hypothermia Prevention Program was able to serve an average of 215 guests per night last year.
Barnett does not expect increased demand this year due to the pandemic.
“We are confident that we have the resources and connections in place to serve our unsheltered neighbors this winter,” he said.
Photo courtesy FACETS
No criminal activity is suspected in the death of a forklift operator at the Home Depot in Merrifield, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Police responded to the store at 2815 Merrilee Drive shortly after midnight today (Tuesday) after getting a call about a man trapped under a forklift.
According to the FCPD, detectives have determined that Paul Gato, 43, of Woodbridge was using the forklift to unload supplies from a delivery truck when the machine fell on its side, trapping him.
“The driver of the delivery truck heard the loud crash, noticed the deceased under the forklift and immediately summoned emergency medical services and police,” police said this afternoon in a news release.
The investigation remains active, and detectives are working with the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Program, which enforces work-related safety and health laws and regulations.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, police say.
Results from the autopsy are not yet available, the medical examiner’s office told Tysons Reporter.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County’s plan to build more sidewalk on Chesterbrook Road was received warmly by the McLean residents who joined a virtual community meeting last Wednesday (Nov. 17).
The Chesterbrook Road Walkway project will add about 3,200 feet of concrete sidewalk with curb and gutter on the south side of the street — also known as Route 689 — from Maddux Lane to 41st Street on the Arlington County border.
The new sidewalk will extend a recently completed segment between Maddux and Kirby Road to create a continuous pedestrian facility on the narrow but heavily used road lined with single-family houses.
“In my exercising, I walk along this stretch of highway several times a week, and I’m well aware of the problems and the need for this sidewalk,” 35-year McLean resident Rich Cohen said.
Designed as a country road, Chesterbrook has evolved into a key route for commuters between McLean and Arlington. Plans to redevelop downtown McLean could further widen the gap between the needs of area residents and drivers.
The existing road design presents a number of obstacles, including the limited shoulder width, drainage issues, and utilities and landscaping that need to be relocated or cleared, Fairfax County Department of Transportation project manager Mark VanZandt noted.
While no major modifications are proposed, the roadway will need to be slightly widened in three spots to accommodate off-tracking vehicles. More pavement will be added, but the travel lanes will actually go from 12 feet wide to 11 feet, according to consultant Adam Welschenbach.
“This is to ensure that vehicles stay in their lane and do not drive over pedestrians,” he said.
Currently in the preliminary stages of the design process, the sidewalk itself will be 5 feet wide with a roughly half-foot buffer between the pavement and the curb.
The project will add eight ADA-compliant curb ramps, with crosswalks at Forest Lane and Brookside Road. Those locations were chosen because of their proximity to a lot of houses, Fairfax County engineer Masoud Hajatzadeh said.
FCDOT anticipates that the project will require temporary grading easements from 23 properties. The county also plans to modify and reconstruct 14 driveway entrances to accommodate the new sidewalk.
Staff have not done a tree inventory yet, but VanZandt acknowledged that some clearing is inevitable, given the nature of the project, and the county won’t have the right-of-way needed to replant the trees.
“We do compensate homeowners for tree loss when the tree is on their property during land acquisition process,” VanZandt said. “I know the removal of a tree, it’s difficult to replace.” Read More
A new restaurant featuring the tastes of Persia plans to open soon in McLean.
Divan is currently expected to open in early December. The menu will feature stews with eggplant or herbs, pastas, and kabobs, chef Vicente Torres told Tysons Reporter yesterday (Monday).
“It’s pretty close to opening,” said Torres, who has worked throughout the D.C. region, including at a now-closed Kowkabi establishment, Catch 15.
Divan (1313 Old Chain Bridge Road) is tucked away on the side of a retail complex next to an upcoming Lidl.
The Italian restaurant Pulcinella is relocating nearby. While the website says a mid-November opening is expected, the venue appeared to still be undergoing major renovations when Tysons Reporter passed by yesterday.
In contrast, wine glasses, napkins and silverware adorn tables at Divan.
“Divan Restaurant is a labor of love many years in thought,” its website says. “The multi-cultural diversity of the McLean, Tysons and DC area makes Divan’s location the best place to try this new concept.”
The website for Divan notes that owner Gholam “Tony” Kowkabi, a longtime resident of the Wolf Trap area, has ties to the restaurant industry in D.C., namely Ristorante Piccolo in Georgetown.
Kowkabi was sentenced for mail fraud and failure to collect or pay tax in 2006 regarding several restaurants he owned in D.C., including Ristorante Piccolo, Alamo Grill, and Sole restaurant in Georgetown; Tuscana West near the White House; and Home nightclub in the Penn Quarter neighborhood.
According to court documents, he underpaid sales tax, falsely stated in monthly forms the sales tax he collected from patrons, and was ordered to pay $1.77 million in restitution.
Kowkabi didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
Torres said Divan has hired around eight employees so far, but they’re still looking for line cooks and kitchen staff.
Fairfax County Public Schools has reinstated two books that were recently pulled from library shelves after some parents took issue with their sexual content.
“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison — both books that center on LGBTQIA+ individuals exploring their identities — will be returned to shelves based on recommendations from committees formed to review the materials, FCPS announced today (Monday).
“The decision reaffirms FCPS’ ongoing commitment to provide diverse reading materials that reflect our student population, allowing every child an opportunity to see themselves reflected in literary characters,” the school system said in a news release. “Both reviews concluded that the books were valuable in their potential to reach marginalized youth who may struggle to find relatable literary characters that reflect their personal journeys.”
FCPS pulled the two books from circulation in late September after local mother Stacy Langston complained at a school board meeting that they contained graphic sexual content akin to pornography, including depictions of pedophelia.
Langston said her complaint was inspired by similar protests at a school board meeting in Texas. Since then, protests of books have proliferated across the country, with a nearly decade-old challenge of Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” in Fairfax County even figuring into Virginia’s recent gubernatorial race.
Langston’s challenge prompted FCPS to form two committees to review the books, led by its library services coordinator.
According to FCPS, each committee consisted of two teachers, two parents, a school-based administrator, a member of its Equity and Cultural Responsiveness team, and two high school students.
The committees were formed by FCPS Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Department Noel Klimenko, who randomly selected members from “a pool of stakeholder representatives” submitted by schools.
FCPS says both committees determined that the pedophelia claims were unfounded and that they both have literary value that justifies keeping them in schools.
Klimenko made the final decision to reinstate the books after receiving the committees’ recommendations, in accordinace with the school system’s regulation for handling challenges of school materials.
“I am satisfied that the books were selected according to FCPS regulations and are appropriate to include in libraries that serve high school students,” Klimenko said. “Both books have value beyond their pages for students who may struggle to find relatable stories.”
Thanksgiving is still around the corner, but at Tysons Corner Center, it’s starting to feel a little like Christmas.
The mall kicked off its 2021 winter holiday season on Friday (Nov. 19) with a tree lighting ceremony that included live music and theater performances, complimentary s’mores and hot chocolate stations, and a pop-up market featuring some of its retailers.
Despite the chilly weather, the mood on the Plaza — where the tree lighting festivities took place — was relaxed, even cheery, as loud speakers blasted winter staples from Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
“Look at all the faces out here!” a man dressed as Santa Claus said when taking the stage just after 6:20 p.m. for the lighting of the approximately 50-foot-tall pine tree.
For Marvin Ramos and Catherine Romero, this was an opportunity to resume a cherished tradition after Tysons Corner canceled the tree lighting last year due to the pandemic, though the mall still hosted a few other holiday events.
Ramos has attended every year for as long as he can remember, thanks to his parents’ avid listening to the radio station 97.1 WASH FM, which partners with Tysons Corner Center on the event. Host Toby Knapp served as emcee for this year’s ceremony.
Now 25 years old, Ramos has carried on the tradition with Romero, braving Capital Beltway traffic annually to get to the mall from their home in Rockville, Maryland.
“Just seeing everybody here together, getting ready for the holiday season, seeing the joy in everybody, the music, all that stuff,” Ramos said when asked what makes the Tysons tree lighting special.
Though she quips that she comes “to support him,” Romero says she has enjoyed turning the tree lighting into a routine since Ramos introduced her to it. She especially likes the pop-up market, which included booths for Northern Virginia Orthodontics, Sheepskin Gifts and Alpaca Too, and other local businesses.
“It’s a good way to know what’s in the area and get to meet new shop and business owners…support small businesses, meanwhile celebrating the holidays,” she said. “It’s great. It’s fun.”
On the other end of the spectrum is Luda, a Fairfax resident who declined to give her last name.
Accompanied by her partner and their two children, she was attending the Tysons Corner tree lighting for the first time. She says they have been going out more as a family than they were at this time last year.
“I like to see [the] decoration and light,” Luda said. “I’m very much enjoying bringing my baby to events, free events like this, and to get together with people, to share the holidays, I love it.”
In addition to the tree lighting, Tysons Corner Center has been hosting photos with Santa since Nov. 12, and he will be around through Dec. 24. Reservations are recommended but not required.
The mall’s upcoming holiday events are similarly Santa-centric:
- Breakfast with Santa — Dec. 4, 9-10 a.m., at the food court — Reservations are not required for this first-come, first-served complimentary catered breakfast with kid entertainment and other family-friendly activities.
- Pet Nights with Santa — Dec. 6, 13, and 20, 6-8 p.m., at the Fashion Court on Level 1 — Santa poses with visitors’ pets in this returning event. Reservations encouraged.
- Storytime with Santa — Dec. 11, 9-10 a.m., at the Fashion Court — Santa reads classic holiday stories for children. Reservations are not required.
- Sensory Santa — Dec. 12, 9:30-10:30 a.m., at the Fashion Court — In a partnership with Cherry Hill photography and the nonprofit Autism Speaks, Tysons Corner Center will open exclusively to families who have children with special needs. Reservations are not required.
