Former Falls Church resident and civil rights pioneer Edwin Bancroft Henderson is one of five Black Virginians being honored with a new series of highway plaques aimed at highlighting Black history throughout the state.
Options for the new markers were submitted by Virginia students, and of the 100 submissions, five were chosen.
According to a press release from the Governor’s office:
Henderson, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame known as the “Father of Black Basketball,” organized athletic leagues for African Americans, wrote The Negro in Sports (1939), organized the first rural chapter of the NAACP, and was president of the NAACP Virginia state conference as he worked for civil rights.
The recognition also comes after years of work by Henderson’s grandson to get his grandfather’s contributions to civil rights recognized, along with his promotion of physical fitness in young Black athletes and work to document Black sports, as reported by Northern Virginia Magazine.
The marker for Henderson was suggested by Sullivan Massaro from Kings Glen Elementary in Springfield, Virginia.
“The Historical Marker Contest helped me learn more about Black Virginians who have made a difference, like Dr. Edwin Henderson,” Massaro said in the press release. “Dr. Henderson introduced the sport of basketball to Black athletes in Washington, D.C. and is a big part of why basketball is so popular today. As I researched him I learned how much he did not only for the sport of basketball, but for civil rights in Virginia. I couldn’t believe that he did not already have a historical marker, so I chose to nominate him for the contest.”
In 2013, Henderson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Edwin Henderson II, grandson of Edwin Bancroft Henderson, said the marker will help secure his grandfather’s legacy and spread awareness of the local piece of Black history.
“On behalf of the Henderson Family, I’d like to express my deep appreciation to Sullivan and his teacher Ms. Maura Keaney for the recognition of Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson’s accomplishments in Virginia by placing a historic marker in front of his home in the City of Falls Church,” Edwin Henderson II said. “This contest is part of an important effort to intertwine African American history into all school curriculum, and ensure that Virginia’s diverse history is represented honestly in classrooms across the Commonwealth.”
Image via University of the District of Columbia
Later this week, Fairfax County will kick off voting for its second pandemic primary, and the county officials running the election are applying a few lessons from the last year of early and mail-in voting.
Early voting for the Democratic primary is scheduled to start this Friday (April 23) and will be open to all voters registered in the county.
Voters in last year’s election faced long lines as they waited to turn in their ballots early, but Fairfax County General Registrar and Director of Elections Gary Scott, who is retiring from the position this year, said that scenario is unlikely in this year’s elections.
“What we’re doing is trying to incorporate some of the things we did observe,” Scott said. “There are lessons learned from the general election that don’t necessarily translate well to a primary election. We’re looking at a different electorate and a different level of turnout. But we’re opening more than one location early.”
Scott says that, in addition to the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway), the county will open the North County Government Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive) and the Mount Vernon Government Center (2511 Parkers Lane) for early voting on Saturday, April 24.
For the last week of the primary, the county will open an additional 13 early voting sites starting on May 29. Sites in the Tysons area include the Providence Community Center, the McLean Governmental Center, and Tysons-Pimmit and Thomas Jefferson libraries.
“For the last week, we will have a total of 16 locations where people will vote,” Scott said. “And we’ve extended hours from 4:30 p.m. to, now, 7 p.m. We wanted to extend further after working hours.”
Scott says it can be difficult to estimate how many voters there will be.
The last gubernatorial primary in 2017 had a 13% turnout, but that year had both a Republican and Democrat primary. This year, it’s Democrat-only, but Scott says his office is still preparing for a 40% turnout, even if that is viewed as extremely unlikely.
“Ordering paper ballots is relatively cheap after a certain point, and I’d rather have 10,000 ballots too many than 10,000 ballots too few,” he said.
Those voting in person should not submit an application to receive a ballot by mail, though anyone who requests a mail ballot can still surrender it when they check in if they decide to vote in-person instead.
“If you submit an application, you’re going to be sent a ballot by mail, and you’d have to return that ballot to back it out in order to vote in person,” Scott explained.
There will be drop boxes around the county after Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill into law on March 31 making permanent a measure that was adopted temporarily last year. Drop boxes will be available at all early voting sites and polling places for those who want to drop off their ballot, according to Scott.
The deadline to register to vote in Fairfax County is May 19 — 22 days prior to the election. The Democratic primary is scheduled for June 8. Virginia is an open-primary state, so the primary is open to all voters.
“There are no Republican races in Fairfax County, so if you’re showing up to vote for republican candidates…there aren’t any,” Scott said. “For top of ticket, they chose convention, and some House of Delegates races had only one qualified candidate for primary.”
In addition to the statewide governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races, voters in six districts have House of Delegates races on the primary ballot:
“We would encourage people, before they go out to vote, to review sample ballots we will have posted on our website,” Scott said. “So, if they go to vote, they’re prepared, because not everyone in the county is going to see the same ballot.”
The former Lord & Taylor in Tysons Corner Center is now a mass vaccination site that can administer vaccines to upwards of 3,000 people a day.
In place of clothing racks are now hundreds of black chairs, all spaced to allow for social distancing, but vestiges of the department store — like the glass cases for jewelry — remain. The state-funded clinic, the first of its kind in Fairfax County, started delivering COVID-19 vaccinations today (Tuesday).
“This is the economic engine of Fairfax County, indeed the Commonwealth, and it is necessary people in Fairfax County get vaccinated,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay said during a press conference yesterday (Monday). “This is an act of charity, and we in Fairfax County are charitable people.”
As of Sunday (April 18), Fairfax County has expanded vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older, and more than a quarter of Virginia’s population has been fully vaccinated.
“However you’re able to get an appointment, please get vaccinated,” Gov. Ralph Northam said during the press conference.
After dropping steeply earlier this year, new case rates are plateauing, and the positivity rate is down to 6.1%, he said. As a result, small tweaks in the guidelines will be coming in a few weeks, such as changes to capacity limits for performing arts and sports.
Virginia State Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice will make a decision on Friday (April 23) about whether to move forward with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration continue to collect data.
To fill the hole left by the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Virginia has received an additional 15,000 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer shots this week for a total of 220,000 first doses, he said.
“It sounds like the production capability for Moderna and Pfizer is kind of maxed out,” Avula said. “We do not expect a significant increase in Moderna and Pfizer moving forward.”
Todd Putt, the senior manager of marketing for Tysons Corner Center, said Lord & Taylor left last year, and a logistics team converted the space into a clinic in a few weeks.
“We’re thankful to have the clinic here and to contribute in this way,” Putt said.
Retail outlets had been offering abundant space for a while, but the state and county needed more vaccine supply before it could open any clinics, according to Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
“This is a great local, state, and federal partnership to work more quickly to meet vaccine demand,” she said.
Officials said interpreters will be on-site to help and for those who speak languages not represented, as machines will offer translation services in more than 100 languages.
Residents can sign up for an appointment through the state website. They can also use VaccineFinder to find local pharmacies and other sites that are providing vaccine doses.
If you’ve been wondering what the future holds for the former Claude Moore Colonial Farm in McLean, rest assured that the National Park Service is asking the same question.
About 18 months since its last public meeting on the subject, the NPS released a 43-page final concept plan in March outlining the current conditions of the farm, which has been renamed South Turkey Run Park, and proposing recommendations for what to do with the property.
The NPS says that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the concept selection process, but there does not to be any clear timeline yet for when the federal agency will select which of the three proposals described in the report to pursue.
“No management direction other than providing continued access to the trails has been decided,” George Washington Memorial Parkway Chief of Staff Aaron LaRocca told Tysons Reporter last week.
Claude Moore closed in December 2018 when the nonprofit Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm that operated the 18th century-style “living history” farm departed following a long, rather bitter contractual dispute with the NPS, which has owned the land as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway since 1971.
While the trails at South Turkey Run Park remain open, the livestock, farm equipment, and several buildings that once occupied the 70-acre site have been removed, and no visitor services or facilities are currently available. J.R.’s Custom Catering announced in July that The Pavilions at Turkey Run were shut down, though the webpage for the venue has since been removed.
The National Park Service held two public meetings in 2019 to share its vision and initial concepts for South Turkey Run Park. The recently released concept plan builds off of those proposals with some revisions based on input from stakeholders, neighbors, and park visitors, according to LaRocca.
As outlined in the concept plan, the three possible visions for South Turkey Run Park are:
- Adventure + Exploration: emphasizes recreational activities and wildlife education by repurposing the existing administrative/maintenance yard area into “an outdoor exploration
and adventure facility” with obstacle courses, an active sports area, and a “nature-inspired” play area - Cultivation + Connection: focuses on farm-based activities and sustainable agriculture with a community garden, an open field for picnicking and events replacing the park’s volleyball courts, and a portion of the park devoted to an interpretive produce farm
- Rejuvenation + Renewal: emphasizes habitat restoration and creating “a serene environment for visitors” with a reforestation nursery, wildflower and pollinator meadows, and the existing field, volleyball courts, and horseshoe pits mostly left intact
According to the concept plan, all three proposals would include space for events and an expanded trail system with some accessibility improvements. The concepts would require the installation of some new recreational facilities and renovation of existing ones, but no new buildings will be constructed.
“New facilities would be carefully situated and designed to avoid large tree removal, sensitive habitats, and steep and unsustainable slopes, as well as protect other resources identifed in the future,” the document says.
Whichever concept the NPS ultimately chooses will need to be evaluated for its potential impact on the environment and historic properties on the site. The agency also has to develop a maintenance plan for the existing open field and identify potential partners for funding, programming, and trail construction or maintenance.
“We remain committed to keeping you and the public up to date on any future actions and next steps,” LaRocca said.
Vienna Police Understaffed, Officers Say — The Vienna Police Department has eight vacancies out of its 41-officer staff and has only gotten a 28% retention rate over the past five years, the Vienna Police Association said during town budget hearings last week. The nonprofit attributed the “personnel crisis” to low morale and “a lack of competitive pay and benefits.” [Sun Gazette]
Public Hearings on Dilapidated Houses Scheduled — A $1.1 million property in McLean is among six dilapidated houses that will go before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a public hearing on June 8. The house at 1045 Bellview Road has evidently been abandoned since 2016 and has been recommended for demolition. [Sun Gazette]
Fox Family Scatters Shoes Around Vienna Yard — “A couple of foxes are up to no good in a small Vienna, Virginia, community where talks of missing shoes had local residents perplexed.” [WTOP]
Falls Church and Pimmit Hills Among Top U.S. Suburbs — “Falls Church and Pimmit Hills were ranked the second and third most livable suburbs in the U.S. in Realtor Magazine’s April edition. The rankings…looked at more than 600 suburban areas in 50 major cities across the country based on eight livability metrics — median household income; household income growth; home prices; home price growth; property tax rate; crime rate; unemployment and clinician to patient ratios.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Wolf Trap Marks National Volunteer Week — “Much like other national parks, Wolf Trap offers plenty of opportunities for volunteering. Yesterday, a group of volunteers gathered around the Filene Center to help with weeding the flower beds and patches of native plants.” [Friends of Wolf Trap National Park/Twitter]
Photo by Bill Johnson
Fairfax County police are currently investigating a reported bomb threat that prompted the evacuation of several businesses in downtown McLean.
The Fairfax County Police Department said just after 4:30 p.m. that officers had arrived at the 6800 block of Elm Street in response to the reported threat.
“Several nearby businesses elected to evacuate out of an abundance of caution,” the FCPD reported, advising people to avoid the area so that police could investigate the credibility of the threat.
Elm Street was closed between Dolley Madison Boulevard and Chain Bridge Road, as was Beverly Road between Old Dominion Drive and Fleetwood Road. Both streets have now reopened.
“Officers continue to investigate the circumstances of this reported threat,” police said.
Beverly Road and Elm Street are now open. Officers continue to investigate the circumstances of this reported threat.https://t.co/Jlwd3LhqMt
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 19, 2021
Not all grocery stores are created equal.
There isn’t exactly a dearth of grocery stores in the area around the planned West Falls Church Economic Development Project, inspiring some confusion when it was announced the project will be anchored by 123,000 square feet of retail primarily consisting of a grocery store.
But at a recent meeting last week on the project, developer EYA argued that the city is big enough to accommodate multiple grocery retailers.
“Within this market, because it’s such a high density area leading towards both to Tysons as well as towards downtown Falls Church, the numbers within that three mile ring is high,” Evan Goldman, executive vice president of acquisition and development for EYA, said. “Even though you do have a lot of grocery stores, you have different types of grocery stores.”
The identity of the grocer expected to move into the extensive mixed-use development remains under wraps, sealed by a nondisclosure agreement, according to City of Falls Church staff.
Goldman noted that some grocery store chains operate as primary stores for staples, while others live symbiotically with those chains as providers for more niche products.
“Like Trader Joe’s, that’s something where somebody will often cross-shop,” Goldman said. “They’ll go to Trader Joe’s and Giant or Whole Foods or Harris Teeter. The grocery store we’re bringing to bear is something more unique and different as well, so it might be something as well where people cross-shop to grocers.”
The cross-shopping trend for grocery stores was called into question during the pandemic, however, when more shoppers started to focus on getting all their grocery needs at a single store. Whether that endures after the pandemic is too early to say.
“Grocery stores, of all the retail tenants, probably have the most sophisticated demographic software when they determine locations,” Goldman said. “So they clearly think there’s demand for their product here, and we agree based on what we’ve seen.”
Final action on the West Falls development — and its mystery tenant — is scheduled for May 24.
Image via City of Falls Church
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 (April 19)
- ACT/SAT and College Admission in the Time of COVID (Online) — 6:30-7:30 p.m. — The Princeton Review is hosting a free online Zoom session to discuss what it takes to get into college during the time of COVID-19. Attendees must register to receive the Zoom link. FCPS warns that students shouldn’t register with their FCPS email address.
- Blake Lane Community Safety Meeting (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — As a follow-up to a community meeting in January, Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik will provide updates on safety improvements in the Blake Lane corridor. The live stream will be available via Zoom and Facebook Live. For the agenda and more information, visit the calendar event on the Fairfax County website.
Tuesday (April 20)
- Earth Day 2021 — The Fairfax County Park Authority will celebrate Earth Day with volunteer activities from April 20-22. In addition, the agency’s social media accounts will post fun facts, tips, and programs in line with this year’s theme of “Together, We can Restore Our Earth.” For more information, contact the Public Information Office at [email protected] or call 703-324-8662.
- A Gambling Man Launch (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — Author David Baldacci is kicking off the release tour for his new book “A Gambling Man” with this virtual launch event hosted by Bards Alley in Vienna with “Miracle Creek” author Angie Kim. Tickets are available for $5, or a $30.74 ticket also gets you a hardcover copy of Baldacci’s novel.
Wednesday (April 21)
- Spring Cleaning and Feng Shui Workshop (Online) — 12 p.m. — Sanctuary Feng Shui is hosting a virtual spring cleaning and feng shui workshop for The Boro in Tysons. Learn how to align the springtime energy in your home. Make sure to register to receive the list of suggested materials to have on hand.
Thursday (April 22)
- An Evening with Kristin Hannah (Online) — 7 p.m. — Fairfax County Public Library will host New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah to discuss her new book “The Four Winds” with WAMU producer Tayla Burney. Copies of the book can be preordered, and spots for the event can be reserved!
Saturday (April 24)
- Prescription Drug Take-Back Day — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) — National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a day when the public can return expired, unused, or unwanted pills and patches. The program is free and anonymous. Liquids and needles are not allowed. Vape pens and other e-cigarette devices will be collected without the battery in them. More information can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice website.
Sunday (April 25)
- Spring Open Air Market — 12-5 p.m. at the Windover Building (243 Church St. NW) — The Vienna Arts Society is holding an open air market where local artisans and food retailers will sell various goods, ranging from hand-painted glass from Sovereign Treasures to pastries from Pourie-Mourie. The first 250 visitors will receive a free shopping bag.
- Virtual Afternoon Tea: Six Degrees (Online) — 3 p.m. — Join a conversation at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria about the theory that everyone is six or fewer social contacts apart. Learn how to find links to famous relatives. The lecture is $12 per person, and there is an optional tea box for an additional $24. Register online, and for more information, call 703-941-7987.
Photo via Tysons Partnership/Facebook
All Fairfax County adults can now get the COVID-19 vaccine — if they’re able to find an appointment.
The Fairfax Health District, including the county, the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton, entered Phase 2 of its vaccination campaign yesterday (Sunday), expanding eligiblity to everyone 16 and older.
As part of the transition, the Fairfax County Health Department closed its registration system and is now directing people to use VaccineFinder to locate providers that they can work with directly to schedule an appointment. The department’s call center is also open for anyone who needs assistance at 703-324-7404.
https://twitter.com/fairfaxcounty/status/1383842985704493066
However, county officials warned that appointments might be difficult to come by initially with supplies falling short of demand. All available appointments at CVS stores in the Fairfax County area, for instance, appear to be fully booked, including in Reston, Herndon, Vienna, and Falls Church.
According to its vaccine data dashboard, the county health department received 55,260 first and second doses for the week of April 12-18, down from more than 65,000 doses the previous week, and that is expected to decline further over the next couple of weeks.
With the county anticipating only 30,000 total doses per week, available supplies are being prioritized for remaining Phase 1 individuals.
As of 10 a.m. today (Monday), the health department has just over 8,000 people left on its waitlist, which stopped taking new registrations at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday (April 17) just before Phase 2 began. The county is currently making appointments for people who registered on April 14 and has registered 436,466 people overall.
A quarter of Virginians have now been fully vaccinated, including 272,533 Fairfax County residents, and nearly 40% have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
While vaccinations have moved forward, Fairfax County’s COVID-19 transmission levels have stayed relatively consistent over the past month. The weekly average has dropped from 194.4 cases on April 13 to 155.7 cases today, but it has remained within that range since mid-March.
The Fairfax Health District recorded 116 new cases today for a total of 75,565 cases over the course of the pandemic, which has hospitalized 3,909 people and killed 1,090 people in the district.
Images via CDC on Unsplash, Virginia Department of Health
Fairfax County has been awarded approximately $3.3 million in federal funds to cover the costs of personal protective equipment, Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner announced on Wednesday (April 14).
The funds come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will be used to purchase and distribute masks, respirators, eye and face shields, and other PPE necessary to protect county workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a joint news release from the senators’ offices.
The money can also go toward tents, bags, door openers, and tables utilized by workers as part of the county’s pandemic response.
“We’re glad to see these federal dollars go towards managing, controlling, and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” Warner and Kaine said. “As Virginians continue to wear a mask, social distance, and get tested and vaccinated, we remain committed to ensuring that the Commonwealth has the necessary tools to continue to combat this health crisis.”
Fairfax County Board of Supervisor Jeff McKay says that, so far, FEMA has approved $11.5 million in requests for financial assistance from the county, including public assistance reimbursements for PPE, disinfectants, plexiglas, and communications expenses related to public health orders during the pandemic.
“I am appreciative of FEMA’s responsiveness in approving our submissions,” McKay said.
McKay’s office confirmed to Tysons Reporter that Fairfax County will receive $402 million in COVID-19 stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan, the federal relief package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in March.
About $179.7 million will go to Fairfax County Public Schools, while the remaining $222.5 million will go to the county government. In addition, the Town of Vienna is expected to receive close to $15 million, and $2.8 million will be allocated to the City of Falls Church, according to Inside NoVA.
McKay says Fairfax County is still waiting for “specific guidance” from the Treasury Department for how to utilize its stimulus money, but the county hopes to continue initiatives like the Fairfax RISE grant program that were supported by previous relief funds.
“We expect the funds to be more flexible than the CARES Act funding so we will need some time to see what our options are,” McKay said. “Regardless, we are excited to have the support of the federal government and believe it will be crucial to continue to lift up our community.”
According to a March 12 memo from County Executive Bryan Hill, Fairfax County had finished allocating more than $200 million in the Coronavirus Relief Fund that it created with money from the CARES Act. The funds went to support public health programs, county government operations, and virtual learning at FCPS and to provide assistance for residents and businesses.
Hill also noted that the county will also receive additional funds from the American Rescue Plan for its emergency rental assistance program, though the memo doesn’t specify the amount.
Kaine and Warner announced on April 8 that Virginia will get more than $96 million, including $7.8 million for Fairfax County, to support access to safe and affordable housing for people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their homes.
The Board of Supervisors will formally accept its American Rescue Plan stimulus funds on April 27 when it approves the county’s fiscal year 2021 third-quarter review, according to Hill.
Photo via Fairfax County Government
