The Board of Supervisors approved the receipt of a $58,212 compensation package to Fairfax County as reimbursement for this summer’s shutdown of stations along the Silver Line at the meeting on Sept. 29.
The planned shutdown had been in the works pre-COVID, but the nature of the closure changed when the pandemic hit.
“On December 11, 2019, WMATA announced the temporary closure of three Orange Line Metrorail stations west of Ballston Station during Summer 2020,” staff said in a report. “This temporary closure is part of a large construction project to rebuild 20 outdoor station platforms. The Summer 2020 shutdown was originally planned to impact four stations: Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church. Access to West Falls Church Station would be restricted but was going to remain open during the project because, it is equipped with three tracks and two platforms that can be reconstructed, one at a time. The West Fall Church Station was supposed to be the western terminus of the Orange Line during the summer months.”
When COVID-19 hit, Metro expanded those plans to include reconstruction work on all five Silver Line Metro stations, including West Falls church, to connect to Phase II of the Silver Line.
In total, nine stations were impacted.
The compensation is meant to help cover some of the costs to Fairfax County, like supplemental bus services, providing customer service and fare card loading services at the stations as Metro users were sent to buses.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Former Dranesville District Supervisor Ernest Joseph Berger has died at age 88 in Johns Island, South Carolina.
During his time in McLean, Berger did not shy away from controversy. The former Dranesville District Supervisor and Army veteran came into office in 1994 with an array of conservative positions that put Berger at odds with many of his colleagues.
Friends and family of Berger praised his fiscal conervatism.
“Mr. Berger was an example of a true leader,” said Ann Green Baise. “He had a great business background, and he put that background to work for the citizens of Dranesville in a first rate way. An example of his foresight for the community was his appointment of Stu Mendelsohn to the School Board. He was a fiscal conservative and applied common sense to questions that arose in the community.”
A Washington Post article from 1994 said Berger worked to make financial reforms to Fairfax and run the county like a business, pushing for measures like converting the school bus system to a private company and easing restrictions on developers. Berger described himself as a bulldog when it came to watching the budget.
Despite the emphasis on fiscal policy, Berger also harbored a share of socially conservative positions that put him in hot water. According to the Washington Post article, Berger aggressively pushed for a Christian activist to be appointed to the Library Board in an effort to ban a gay newspaper from Fairfax County libraries.
The Sun Gazette noted that Berger died just three days after Lilla Richards, whom Berger defeated in his 1994 election.
“Ernie Berger was known to all as a strong Republican and a great man,” Fairfax GOP Chairman Steve Knotts said on the Fairfax GOP website. “We are thankful for Ernie’s service to Fairfax County; and we extend our sincere condolences to his many friends and loved ones.”
Photo via Fairfax County Government/Facebook
The Fairfax County School Board’s effort to rename Mosby Woods Elementary School has a key source of support: the Confederate leader’s descendants.
The great-great-grandchildren of Colonel John S. Mosby requested in a June 19 letter to the school board that the Fairfax school no longer use their ancestor’s moniker, arguing that the school’s name should “reflect the commitment to diversity the school embodies today.”
Joined by four of Mosby’s great-great-great-grandchildren, John Mosby Fuller, M. Dare Fuller DeLano, and James Lewis Ransom Fuller acknowledge that Mosby was notable for his military skills, but they argue that Confederate leaders should not be recognized with monuments and school names, given the Confederacy’s goal of preserving slavery and its valorization by contemporary white supremacists.
“We grew up in Fairfax County and are keenly aware of the affection that many Virginians feel toward our great-great-grandfather,” the letter says. “…As parents and educators, however, we must consider what message we send when we choose which aspects of our history to celebrate and which to condemn.”
The letter’s signatories say they were compelled to ask for a Mosby Woods name change as a gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests for racial justice that spread across the U.S. this summer after Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd on May 25.
The school board will hold a public hearing on the Mosby Woods renaming today at 6:00 p.m. before voting on whether to change the name during its regular meeting on Thursday.
Mosby Woods is the second Fairfax County public school to be considered for a new name this year. The school board voted unanimously on July 23 to rename Springfield’s Robert E. Lee High School after late U.S. Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis.
“In the FCPS strategic plan, we commit to fostering a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture,” said Providence District representative Karl Frisch, who introduced the Mosby Woods renaming proposal to the school board on June 18 with at-large member Karen Keys-Gamarra. “We cannot live up to that standard if we force students to attend schools named in honor of the racist vestiges of our past. A school system that honors the Confederacy cannot honor Black lives.”
Provided to Tysons Reporter by Frisch, the full letter from Mosby’s descendants has been reprinted below the jump. Read More
Falls Church police said that three people were sent to the hospital after they were struck by a vehicle on W Broad Street this morning.
The three victims were and adult and two minors, all of whom sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the driver of the vehicle remained on the scene and no charges have been filed at this time.
W Broad Street closed for roughly 30 minutes after the incident but has since reopened.
According to a release from the Falls Church Police Department:
At approximately 11:01 a.m. on October 7, City of Falls Church Police were dispatched to the report of pedestrians hit by a vehicle at the intersection of W Annandale Road and W Broad Street. Three victims — an adult and two minors — were transported to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene until police units arrived.
W Broad Street was closed for approximately 30 minutes after the incident. Police are still investigating the collision, and no charges have been filed at this time.
Photo via Google Maps
The Metro Transit Police are looking to identify a suspect in a report of an attempted rape on a Silver Line train yesterday (Tuesday) in Northern Virginia.
The incident took place at approximately 11:35 a.m. between the McLean and East Falls Church stations, according to a statement from the WMATA. The statement says the suspect boarded the train at the Wiehle-Reston East station and physically assaulted an adult female, exposing himself and attempting to remove her clothing.
According to the statement, the female was able to escape the train at the East Falls Church station, where Metro Transit Police detectives were able to respond. The victim’s child was apparently the only other individual on the train at the time of the incident.
The suspect was apparently wearing a dark-colored shirt with the words “Piranha Joe” on the left sleeve, a logo of a circle and a fish on both the rear and left breast of the shirt, according to the statement.
Tysons Reporter contacted Metro Transit Police this morning for updates but was told police could not discuss the case further.
Anyone with more information can contact the Metro Transit Police detectives at 301-955-5000.
Photo via the WMATA
An overwhelming majority of Fairfax County Public Schools teachers say they are not confident in Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) reopening plan, according to a survey conducted by the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.
The federation released the results of three surveys Tuesday evening during a press conference. The data paint a stark picture for county teachers, who report fearing for their health and that of family members, working far beyond their contracted hours, and feeling the effects on their mental and physical health.
The message from the Federation of Teachers is clear: Members want the school district to delay reopening until the FCPS plan improves communication, provides specific metrics, and offers every teacher a virtual option, a few hallmarks of the teachers’ 11 requirements for a safe reopening.
“Our position has always been, and continues to be, that we want kids back in school as quickly as possible, but that means as safely as possible,” said Tina Williams, president, Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.
FCPS did not return Tysons Reporter’s request for comment.
The response comes one week after Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand presented his reopening plan to the county school board. Under the proposed plan, about 6,700 students could return to school in October, with more trickling in throughout the year if conditions improve. Members criticized the lack of hard numbers and concrete metrics, especially regarding school closures after outbreaks.
Of the 1,300 teachers who responded, 85.7% are not confident in FCPS reopening plan, and 70% feel unsafe returning, while 21% said they are “unsure.” About 27% said they would consider taking a leave of absence, while 26% were undecided.
Some teachers who are older or have conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus, or who live with family members who are high-risk, said they face an ultimatum to work or leave because their applications for accommodations were denied. Read More
Tysons Chamber Hosting Free Webinar for Nonprofits Facing Pandemic Issues — “Experts in risk mitigation, pandemic related grants, and remote employee morale will be discussing best practices and lessons learned.” [Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce]
TeamLogic IT Opens Tysons-Focused Office — “TeamLogic IT, a national provider of managed IT services and technology support for businesses, just opened offices in Northern Virginia focused on the Reston and Tysons Corner markets.” [Franchising.com]
McLean-based Mars Company Announces Big Reduction in Palm Oil Supply to Prevent Deforestation — “U.S. confectionary, food and pet care giant Mars claims to have eliminated deforestation from its palm oil supply chain after shrinking the number of mills it works with from 1,500 to a few hundred, it announced this week.” [GreenBiz.com]
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Wegmans Food Market will donate $5,000 to the Fairfax-based nonprofit Food for Others when its new store in Tysons opens next month, Food for Others announced yesterday (Monday).
The donation will kick off a partnership between the grocer’s Tysons store and Food for Others, which collects and distributes food to families in need throughout Northern Virginia.
“One of our highest giving priorities is providing food for people at risk of hunger and Food for Others is a great partner in helping us to achieve that goal,” Wegmans Tysons store manager Kevin Russell said. “By working together, we can get food on the table for those who are most vulnerable and in need.”
In addition to receiving a donation, Food for Others will work with Wegmans Tysons through its perishable pick-up program, which enables the nonprofit’s staff and volunteers to regularly visit the store and pick up food that will be distributed to families struggling with hunger and food insecurity.
An 80,000 square-foot supermarket located near the McLean Silver Line Metro stop on Capital One Drive South, Wegmans Tysons is currently in the process of hiring employees ahead of its anticipated opening on Nov. 4.
The store is looking to fill 150 full and part-time positions with plans to ultimately employ more than 400 people.
The Tysons location will represent Fairfax County’s fourth Wegmans. Aside from the donation to Food for Others, the grand opening will be light on festivities due to public health concerns and social distancing requirements necessitated by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Wegmans, whose Alexandria, Chantilly, and Fairfax stores also work with Food for Others, has donated over a million pounds of food and nearly a million dollars to the nonprofit since their partnership began, Food for Others director of development and outreach Alison Paget says.
As one of the largest food pantries in Northern Virginia, Food for Others feeds an average of 2,600 families every week through its warehouse, mobile sites, and a supplemental food service that provides assistance to 16 low-income neighborhoods and 21 local community organizations, including homeless shelters and faith-based organizations.
Getting support from a company like Wegmans is especially critical for Food for Others right now as the novel coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity in the region.
Food for Others says it has been serving three times as many families each week as usual since March, when the pandemic’s impact was first seriously felt in Northern Virginia, and more than 100,000 people in the region are expected to experience food insecurity within the next year.
“The Wegmans company is committed to fighting hunger and has been a strong partner to Food for Others for many years,” Paget said. “We are thrilled that the Tysons area is getting a Wegmans store and look forward to working with them to meet the growing need for food in our community.”
Photo courtesy Wegmans
An upcoming meeting of the McLean Citizens Association tomorrow (Wednesday) will be dedicated to Lilla Richards, a former Dranesville District Supervisor who died on Sept. 22 at 81.
Richards, who had also served as the MCA president, was renowned in the area for her civic activism. She was one of the founders of the McLean Citizens Foundation and helped secure a permanent home for the McLean Project for the Arts.
According to a tribute written by the MCA:
Lilla Richards, a former Dranesville District Supervisor, passed away September 22, at age 81. Former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis who served with Lilla described her as a “professional citizen.” He said, “she never deviated from her moral compass or her commitment to making McLean one of the most attractive residential communities in the county.”
Lilla was a strong activist for her community. She served as President of the McLean Citizens Association and the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Association. She helped found the McLean Citizens Foundation and worked to find a permanent home for the McLean Project for the Arts at the McLean Community Center and was critical to the creation of the Old Firehouse Teen Center.
Her institutional knowledge about Fairfax County’s zoning ordinance helped bring about many positive land-use and environmental changes to Fairfax. Lilla’s archives are located in the Virginia Room at Fairfax Library. She was a Fairfax County giant and will be missed.
Photo via McLean Citizens Association
The Vienna Town Council unanimously approved $400,000 in funding for emergency sewer repairs yesterday (Monday).
The funds will go to contractor Tri-State Utilities for the inspection and potential repair of the Piney Branch-Difficult Run trunk sewer, a 21-inch line located inside Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
The sewer line serves the Town of Vienna as well as surrounding portions of Fairfax County, including the Tysons business district.
The Town of Vienna learned that the sewer would need to repair the sewer in late March after Fairfax County inspectors alerted the town’s Department of Public Works that portions of the line were in danger of collapsing.
“It has holes in it. There’s rocks protruding in it, and roots,” Vienna Public Works director Michael Gallagher said. “It’s about 750 linear feet of pipe that needs to be rehabilitated.”
The repairs are expected to involve lining three sections of the sewer where the pipe wall has been corroded by hydrogen sulfide and broken up by roots and a large rock protruding through the top of the pipe, according to the Department of Public Works.
Vienna used an emergency waiver to hire Tri-State Utilities for the emergency repair work on Sept. 21 after facing challenges finding a contractor and obtaining permission to proceed from the U.S. National Park Service, which owns Wolf Trap National Park.
Gallagher says costs for the repairs are not expected to exceed $400,000, though the contractor has not yet determined the final scope of the work.
Because of a 1963 agreement that allows the town to share operations and maintenance costs for its sewers with Fairfax County, Vienna will be reimbursed by the county for 63 percent of the project’s expenses. The town is responsible for 37 percent of the costs.
As the owner of the sewer line, the Town of Vienna is obligated to contract for the full cost of the repairs. Any money left over from the approved $400,000 will be funneled back into the town’s capital improvements program, according to Gallagher.
Gallagher could not confirm a date for when the repairs will be completed, but he says they will allow the sewer line to last at least 50 more years.
Photo via Emerging Arts Leaders DC
