Today is a big election day for Virginia and Fairfax County, with the eyes of the nation on the Commonwealth as voters select a new governor and other state leaders.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. this morning and will close at 7 p.m. at 247 precincts across the county.
What’s on the Ballot
Voters will determine the state’s next governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general as well as all 100 delegates in the General Assembly. Fairfax County also has a school bond referendum.
Governor
- Terry McAuliffe (D)
- Glenn Youngkin (R)
Polls suggest a tight contest between McAuliffe and Youngkin, with a final survey by the marketing research firm Trafalger Group giving the Republican a very slight lead.
Lieutenant Governor
- Hala Ayala (D)
- Winsome Sears (R)
No matter who is elected, the winner will make history as the first woman of color to hold the second-highest office in the Commonwealth.
Attorney General
- Mark Herring (D)
- Jason Miyares (R)
Herring is vying for a third term, while Miyares could become the first Latino to hold the post in Virginia.
General Assembly
All 100 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates are up for election, giving Republicans a chance to wrest control of the legislative chamber back from the Democrats.
In races covered by FFXnow sister sites Reston Now and Tysons Reporter, long-time incumbent Ken Plum (D) is being challenged by Matt Lang (R) to represent Reston in the 36th District. At one point this summer, Lang was outraising Plum, but that seems to no longer be the case.
In the 86th District, which runs from Chantilly through Herndon to Route 7, Irene Shin (D) is taking on Julie Perry (R) after ousting incumbent Ibraheem Samirah by just 230 votes in June. Perry is a high school history teacher who was accused of making anti-transgender remarks earlier this fall.
Incumbent Kathleen Murphy (D), first elected in 2015, is again being challenged by Gary Pan (R) in the 34th District, which contains Wolf Trap, Great Falls, McLean, and part of Loudoun County. This is a rematch from 2019, when Murphy won with about 58% of the vote.
While the 48th District is primarily in Arlington, it also includes southern McLean. There, incumbent Rip Sullivan (D) is being challenged for the first time since he was elected in 2014 by Republican nominee Edward Monroe (R).
Del. Mark Keam (D) is facing his first challenge in several years for the 35th District, including Vienna and part of Tysons. Republican nominee Kevin McGrath used to work for the CIA.
For City of Falls Church voters, the choice for the 53rd District’s next delegate comes between incumbent Marcus Simon (D) and restaurant manager Sarah White (R).
Other Fairfax County delegate races include:
- District 37: David Bulova (D), Kenny Meteiver (R)
- District 38: Kaye Kory (D), Tom Pafford (R)
- District 39: Vivian Watts (D), Maureen Brody (R)
- District 40: Dan Helmer (D), Harold Pyon (R)
- District 41: Eileen Filler-Corn (D), John Wolfe (R)
- District 42: Kathy Tran (D), Edward McGovern (R)
- District 43: Mark Sickles (D), Brenton Hammond (R)
- District 44: Paul Krizek (D), Richard Hayden (R)
- District 45: Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D), Justin Maddox (R)
- District 49: Alfonso Lopez (D), Timothy Kilcullen (R), Terry Modglin (I)
- District 67: Karrie Delaney (D), Bob Frizzelle (R)
A $360 million school bond is also on the ballot in Fairfax County. If voters approve it, the money will go towards the renovations of more than a dozen schools.
How to Vote
Go to the Virginia Department of Elections website to look up your polling place and a sample ballot. Voters must present an accepted form of identification, though photo proof is no longer required.
ExpressVote, a touchscreen system that the county has used for early voting since 2014, is available for those with disabilities but not for the general public today, Fairfax County Office of Elections spokesperson Brian Worthy says.
Masks are still required for voters and staff at polling places. However, those who are not wearing masks will still be able to vote, Worthy confirms.
The polls could seem less crowded today than previous years due to the increase in early voting, which kicked off on Sept. 17 and concluded on Saturday (Oct 30).
About 165,000 votes were cast early by mail or in-person, according to Worthy. That’s approximately 22.5% of the 730,000 active voters in Fairfax County.
It’s a high rate of early voting, Worthy says, though the county is still expecting turnout overall to be about 50% as initially predicted in September. The county elections office is preparing, however, for a potential turnout of 75%.
In 2017, Virginia’s last gubernatorial election, voter turnout was approximately 56%.
Election Day Is Here — “Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin were campaigning in many of the same, highly competitive parts of Virginia on Monday, trying to secure last minute support in a governor’s race that has captured national attention as a major referendum on Joe Biden’s presidency.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
County Leaf Collection Season Begins — “Leaf Season begins today Nov. 1. Fairfax County provides vacuum collection of leaves from the curb three times each season to a portion of the residences located in Fairfax County Solid Waste Collection Areas.” [Supervisor Dalia Palchik/Twitter]
Vienna Could Resume In-Person Meetings Soon — The Town of Vienna’s emergency ordinance allowing council, board, and commission members to participate in public meetings remotely due to COVID-19 concerns is currently set to expire on Dec. 7. It can be extended to Dec. 31 at the latest, but Town Attorney Steven Briglia expects the “broader methods of public participation” introduced during the pandemic will continue to be encouraged. [Sun Gazette]
Marshall HS Drama Plans In-Person Return — “Live theatre is back at Marshall High School after nearly two years. Statesmen Theatre will present William Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream from Nov. 11 to 13…Masks will be required for admissions, and concessions will not be available.” [Patch]
The Fairfax County Park Authority has opened a 30-day public comment period on its draft plan to allow an arts center at Clemyjontri Park in McLean.
The comment period commenced Thursday night (Oct. 28) with the county’s first public meeting on the proposal since it kicked off the Clemyjontri Park master plan revision process in December.
Possibly the first exclusively in-person public meeting that the park authority has held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the gathering at Franklin Sherman Elementary School was subdued, with county staff appearing to outnumber members of the general public.
The community members in attendance, though, seemed open to the idea of an arts center, albeit with some wariness regarding its potential size and noise and parking impacts.
“As long as there’s screening, the building isn’t too tall, and it stays within the walkway boundary, I’m okay with it,” said a man who lives adjacent to Clemyjontri on the west side. He noted that the park “has been a great neighbor so far.”
Another McLean resident stressed that he’s “not against the arts” but fears the building could end up being too large for the 18.5-acre park, crowding out the families who use its unique playground.
“I just don’t want to see us do something to the park that we’ll regret,” he told Tysons Reporter after the meeting.
The master plan revision focuses on the last of three development phases planned for Clemyjontri Park.
With second phase completed in 2019, the third phase in the current plan calls for the existing house and gardens to host a local history museum or community meeting and event space. It also suggests adding a “small parking area” for event staff and people with disabilities.
Under the revised plan, the house would still be preserved and refurbished, but phase three would instead focus on a new arts center with gallery, studio, and classroom spaces and outdoor amenities, such as a courtyard with gardens for events and a gazebo.
The draft also proposes an overflow parking lot to accommodate increased demand from the arts center as well as tree and shrub plantings to enhance the buffer to adjacent properties and maintain the park’s “natural setting.”
Presented to the Park Authority Board on Oct. 22, the draft plan adheres closely to what was proposed in December, but FCPA staff made a couple changes, including specifying that the plants used for buffering be evergreens in response to public feedback.
“The master plan is for the most part conceptual in detail,” FCPA senior landscape architect and project manager Doug Tipsword said. “However, in this case, clarifying evergreen plants rather than deciduous plants is an important detail for ensuring the intent to mitigate sound and visual impacts has a year-round effect.”
Staff also added a provision for public art, sculpture, and seating along Clemyjontri’s perimeter trails “to further enhance the natural trail experience,” according to the draft. Tipsword says that idea grew more out of refining the conceptual design than as a direct response to public input.
After the public comment period ends around Nov. 27, county staff will revise the draft plan again based on the new feedback before presenting a final plan to the FCPA board for its approval, which could potentially come in January.
If the revisions are approved, the park authority says it will be able to develop a more detailed plan for the development as it goes through the county’s public facilities review and special exception processes.
The county could also start looking for partners to manage the arts center. As the group behind the proposal, the McLean Project for the Arts would be a likely candidate, but it’s not guaranteed, Tipsword says.
“I am thrilled that this proposal has made it to this point,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said. “It is not a done deal…Personally, I hope we’re able to work this out, because I believe it would be a very positive thing.”
After a grim 2020, a more festive winter holiday season could be in store this year, as Fairfax County’s third COVID-19 wave continues to ebb.
The 57 new cases reported today (Monday) are the fewest that the Fairfax Health District has seen in a single day since July 27, when there were 52 new cases and the Delta variant was just starting to emerge locally.
The current weekly average of 83.3 cases is the lowest since July 31, when it was at 75.1 cases.
In fact, the county’s community transmission level has nearly dropped from substantial to moderate for the first time since Aug. 3. Virginia Department of Health data shows that the county saw 50.2 new cases for every 100,000 residents and a 2.3% testing positivity rate during the week of Oct. 24-30.
Using metrics recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, VDH defines moderate transmission as 10 to 49 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days or a positivity rate of 5 to 8%.
The Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax, has recorded a total of 93,373 cases of the novel coronavirus, which has hospitalized 4,373 residents and killed 1,213, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.
Further fueling hope of a relatively risk-free winter is the promise that children could become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as this week.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization allowing children ages 5 to 11 to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Friday (Oct. 29), stating that smaller doses than the ones given to adolescents and adults have proven to be safe and effective for the younger age group.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to vote on recommendations for pediatric vaccinations tomorrow (Tuesday). Appointments for kids could become available as soon as the CDC gives its approval, according to VDH, which says it has been planning its rollout for months.
“There’s light at the end of this pandemic tunnel sooner rather than later,” Virginia state vaccination liaison Dr. Danny Avula said last week in a statement.
The Fairfax County Health Department says vaccinations will be available through its clinics, pediatric and family medical practices, local pharmacies, and the Tysons Community Vaccination Center for the approximately 97,000 children expected to become eligible in the Fairfax Health District.
In the meantime, the district hit a new vaccination milestone today, with 70.1% of all residents now having received at least one dose — a total of 830,017 people. That includes 82.9% of individuals 18 and older.
757,568 residents — 75.9% of adults and 64% of the total population — are fully vaccinated.
According to VDH, 9.2% of Fairfax County residents have gotten booster shots, which are now available to many adults. The county health department is encouraging people who are eligible to get a booster ahead of the holidays, noting that providers may get busy once vaccines roll out to children.
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday (Nov. 1)
- Daf Circle with Jalal Kimia — 7-8:30 p.m. at the Iranian-American Community Center’s Pars Place (2236-C Gallows Road) in Dunn Loring — Make some noise and leave the stress behind with this drumming event. Bringing your own instrument is preferred, and walk-ins won’t be accepted. Face masks are required at all times during the event. Cost is $15. Repeats on Nov. 8 and 15.
Tuesday (Nov. 2)
- Noel Schajris — 8 p.m. at the State Theatre (220 N. Washington St.) in Falls Church — He’s sung duets with John Legend, Alejandro Sanz, Camila Cabello, and more, but the Latin Grammy winner (part of the duo Sin Bandera) is branching out on his own. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $50 plus fees in advance.
Wednesday (Nov. 3)
- Native American Fusion Music with D’DAT (Virtual Workshop) — 7 p.m. — A combination hip-hop and jazz group shows people more about the composition process. Free, but registration is required.
Thursday (Nov. 4)
- An Introduction to Cryptocurrency — 7-8 p.m. at Mary Riley Styles Public Library (120 N. Virginia Ave.) — Still not quite sure what bitcoin is? Falls Church City’s library is here to help with a talk led by policy managers from the Blockchain Association about the basics of blockchain technology, the most notable cryptocurrencies, and related regulatory issues.
- Harlem 100, featuring Mwenso & The Shakes at Wolf Trap — 8 p.m. at The Barns (1635 Trap Road) — A multimedia show features the sights and sounds of Harlem with the music of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $52 plus fees.
Friday (Nov. 5)
- National Symphony Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan conducts Bach & Haydn— 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) in Tysons — The National Symphony Orchestra comes to Capital One’s new venue to perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069,” Joseph Haydn’s “Symphony No. 98 in B-Flat major” and more. Tickets start at $39 plus fees.
Saturday (Nov. 6)
- Habitat Restoration: Cavalier Trail Park — 10 a.m.-noon at Cavalier Trail Park (420 S Maple Ave.) — Help the City of Falls Church clear invasive plants, while planting native species that help birds, insects, and other pollinators. Close-toed shoes and masks are advised, and advance registration is required, with the event limited to 30 people to ensure social distancing.
- Aaron Lee Tasjan, with Tristen — 8 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. East) in Vienna — The genre-bending indie rocker featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts series comes to the Town of Vienna. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 plus fees.
Sunday (Nov. 7)
- Capital Wind Symphony — 3 p.m. at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) — The Tysons-headquartered symphony will perform pieces from Johan de Meij’s “The Lord of the Rings” to John Philip Sousa’s “Hands Across the Sea” at another free concert, this time at Capital One’s new venue.
Fairfax County voters will face a one-question test on Election Day tomorrow (TuesdaY0, where they’ll decide whether to fund 15 school projects, including three in the Tysons area.
The 2021 school bond referendum includes renovations for two high schools (Centreville and Falls Church) and 12 elementary schools, plus a site acquisition for a future Western High School.
If approved, the ballot question would allow Fairfax County Public Schools to spend up to $360 million in bond revenue, but the district suggests in an informational packet that the additional bonded debt for the county would not significantly affect local taxes.
Louise Archer Elementary School
One project covered by this year’s referendum is the modernization and expansion of Vienna’s Louise Archer Elementary School (324 Nutley St. Northwest), which was last renovated in 1991.
Bond proceeds would provide $37 million to replace two temporary classrooms and 10 modular classrooms, which consist of two trailers and a 66-foot by 180-foot modular space, among other upgrades.
“It’s a major renovation, and it’s phased, so every finish, every ceiling tile, every electrical outlet, every mechanical system, it’s a complete…gut and renovation as well as addition, so it’s a total redo,” senior project manager Brad Pierce with Reston-based Architecture, Inc. told the Vienna Board of Architectural Review on Oct. 19.
The transformation will expand the school form nearly 53,000 square feet of space, plus nearly 12,000 square feet of temporary setups, to over 103,000 square feet. Most of the additional space would come through a new second-story addition constructed behind the existing school.
Plans for the project also call for expanding the parking lot and bus loop, bringing a new playground and basketball courts, repurposing the current cafeteria for the library, adding a stage off the school gymnasium, and creating a community room.
The project could finish in 2025.
Falls Church High School
The referendum would also provide $130 million to increase Falls Church High School’s building area (7521 Jaguar Trail) by nearly 41.6%, from 303,413 square feet to 429,596 square feet.
The additions include science classrooms, administrative offices, library, music rooms, and more for the building, last renovated in 1989.
“The construction will occur in phases to allow for continuous use of the school building,” FCPS says on a project website. “The renovation will take approximately four years to complete.”
Mosaic Elementary School
Mosaic Elementary School (formerly known as Mosby Woods, located at 9819 Five Oaks Road) is also set for a renovation. The $38 million renovation would add approximately 37,000 square feet, bringing the school to 110,000 square feet.
The school currently has eight temporary and 10 modular classrooms.
The projects up for school bond money were selected from the 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program. More information about the 2021 referendum can be found on the FCPS website.
Photo via Google Maps
Last Day of Early Voting Hits Turnout High for 2021 — “Today was an #earlyvoting record for this election; we had more than 14,400 people cast ballots in person. In total, there have been more than 109,000 in person early votes cast!” [Fairfax County Office of Elections/Twitter]
Vigil Held for Falls Church Shooting Victim — “Loved ones gathered on Saturday to remember Nelson Alexander who was fatally shot during an attempted robbery at an ATM in Falls Church. This huge turnout, a testament to how much Nelson Alexander was loved. ‘He was a great person, he was a kind person, and he was a loving person,’ Patricia Alexander, the victim’s niece, said.” [NBC4]
Tysons Corner Nordstrom Adds Hijab Collection — “Ibrahim, CEO and founder of Henna & Hijabs (H&H), started her company in 2017 and introduced her collection this summer at Nordstrom in Tysons Corner Center and other locations around the U.S. This is one of the first luxury hijab collections to be sold inside a U.S. retailer store.” [Patch]
Vandalism Reported at Vienna Elementary School — A security officer for the school at 128 Center Street South reported to the Town of Vienna Police Department “that he found a burnt trashcan by the playground and three broken windows.” The incident occurred between 8 p.m. on Oct. 24 and 6 a.m. on October 25, according to VPD’s weekly crime report. [Vienna Police]
Photo by ERTRIPP9/Twitter
The weekend is almost here. Before you finalize your voting plans or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit recent news from the Tysons area that you might’ve missed.
These were the most-read stories on Tysons Reporter this week:
- Planning Commission OKs luxury car service center at Tysons Galleria
- Fairfax County board defers decision on rezoning for The Boro extension
- Police: Person killed in vehicle crash on I-495 North in West Falls Church
- BREAKING: Driver dies in crash that shuts down George Washington Parkway in McLean
- Jack’s Ranch targets November for opening Lumen at Tysons restaurant
Ideas for stories we should cover can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the community are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
You can find previous rundowns of top stories on the site.
(Updated at 3 p.m.) Roughly 800 people in Dunn Loring are currently without power as rain continues to fall throughout the D.C. metropolitan area.
While flooding impacts appear to be more concentrated to the east in Arlington, Alexandria, and D.C. so far, Dominion Energy reports that 420 customers around Cedar Lane and Electric Avenue have lost power due to a broken pole.
There is also a power outage in Idylwood affecting 373 customers, though the cause of that outage is pending investigation.
The utility company estimates that power will be restored at both sites between 4 and 9 p.m.
The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed that the following roads have been closed:
- Old Courthouse Road at Besley is closed due to flooding
- Idylwood Road at Cedar is blocked due to down wires
- Georgetown Pike between Utterback and Springvale is closed due to a downed tree
As of 3 p.m., Lawyers Road at Hunter Mill Road in Vienna has also been closed due to high waters, according to Fairfax Alerts.
Local and federal authorities are offering more reward money for information about an early morning killing from Oct. 20 at a Wells Fargo walk-up ATM on Annandale Road in West Falls Church.
Police reported last Saturday (Oct. 23) that the 73-year-old victim, Nelson Alexander Sr., of Falls Church, died after the robbery attempt and shooting.
The Fairfax County Police Department has been joined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in its investigation of the case. The ATF is now offering a $10,000 reward.
“We owe it to his family and to our community to relentlessly pursue justice,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference today (Friday).
Police released additional security footage, stating that they have received many tips but are asking people to look again. Video from Metro showed individuals on a bus, but authorities are looking for other footage where the group may have been.
Authorities are hoping to identify three individuals that they believe include the person who killed Nelson, Major Crimes and Cyber and Forensics Bureau Maj. Ed O’Carroll said.
Special Agent in Charge Charlie Patterson pledged full support of ATF in finding the person responsible, calling the killing a “horrific act.”
Tips can be sent to the ATF at [email protected], by phone at 888-ATF-TIPS (888-283-8477), or online.
A passing cyclist noticed the victim in the parking lot around 6:14 a.m., and officers later responded to the 2900 block of Annandale Road.
Police previously shared how the attack occurred:
Preliminarily, detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau determined the victim entered the parking lot in his Jeep around 5:20 a.m. to use the walk-up ATM. As he was standing in front of the ATM, he was approached by a man wearing a mask who displayed a small revolver. The man was seen on surveillance footage threatening the victim and made demands before shooting him. The suspect left the area in an unknown direction.
Alexander received surgery following the attack but was still in life-threatening condition in the hospital before dying from his injuries, police said Saturday (Oct. 23).
A vehicle was stolen in Alexandria, abandoned, and recovered by police about a half mile from the scene, O’Carroll said, adding that there may be more than just three people who were directly or indirectly involved.
FCPD has continued to ask for help in solving the crime. The department said if you have information or if you believe you have surveillance footage that. Police also asked people to look at home surveillance video not only from Oct. 20 but from previous days, too.
People may reach the Major Crimes Bureau by calling 703-246-7800 and pressing option two. FCPD also noted that tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text (type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411) and online. Info can also be sent through the mobile app Fairfax Co Crime Solvers.
Tips to the county can get cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 if information leads to an arrest.
Police have classified the shooting as a murder investigation, the 19th so far this year in Fairfax County.
