Late night drivers around Tysons may experience some detours this weekend and next week if they travel around the interchange connecting I-66 and I-495 near Merrifield.

A 68-year-old man who was rescued by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) in Tysons took the unsual but gratifying extra step of calling the unit months later to update them on his progress and thank them for saving his life.

Rae Cronmiller, an avid swimmer, collapsed on Dec. 15 in the locker room at Sport & Health (8250 Greensboro Drive) in Tysons after experiencing a cardiac arrest following a one-mile swim. A physician in the locker room initiated CPR and a crew from Engine 429 in Tysons was already at the Sport & health for training. They were able to respond quickly and rescued on Dec. 15 after experiencing a cardiac arrest.

Cronmiller has recovered and got onto Zoom with his family to thank the physician and the FCFRD crew that saved his life.

“It was very moving,” Cronmiller said. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about what happened to me, and how fortunate I am to have the best group of force responders in the world. You saved my life. I am of sound mind and body now, I feel better or as good as I did before the swim. I have you folks to thank and the individual who was there. If he’s able to watch this, I really appreciate his efforts.”

Several of the people involved in the rescue were on the call with Cronmiller and said, once the pandemic is over, they’d love to meet with him in person to shake his hand and see how he’s progressing. Andrew Rose, one of the paramedics who arrived, was among those on the call.

“It’s wonderful to see you doing so well,” Rose said. “We’re always thinking of you and looking for updates. We’re absolutely thrilled to see you at home with your family.”

“I’m so happy we were able to be there with you that day,” Calvin Alexander, another one of the paramedics said.

Sarah Thomas, a dispatcher involved with the rescue, said it isn’t often that FCFRD get to hear about the aftermath of a rescue.

“We never get the opportunity to hear any results, so we never know if somebody lives or not,” Thomas said. “So it is truly inspiring to see you and hear you. Thank you for that, because we never get to hear it or see it.”

The full release from the FCFRD is below: Read More

Prompted by the pandemic, a Tysons based company is stepping up to fill orders for personal protective equipment in the D.C. area.

Personal Protective Equipment USA offers a variety of products including face shields, sneeze guards, custom masks and gloves, the website said.

So far, notable local customers include Vienna Va Foodies, Inca Social and The Town of Vienna, according to owner Ramiro Parada.

“Vienna Foodies have already ordered close to 1000 masks from us to raise funds for first responders and underprivileged families,” Parada said. “It’s been a great hit.”

Though the fundraiser is now closed, according to the Vienna Va Foodies Facebook page, the group was selling red, baby blue and black masks for $10 each.

Unlike similar products, the masks by Personal Protective Equipment USA include “Nano Silver Antimicrobial Technology” which Parada said is supposed to be more comfortable and breathable.

Along with Vienna based groups, over 700 orders have been placed with businesses in the D.C. area so far.

“Orders keep pouring in,” he said.

In the near future, Parada said the company will be doing its own fundraiser to collect toys for kids at the Children’s Hospital in Fairfax. After his own son was previously diagnosed with stage four cancer at age three, Parada decided to help other kids fighting for their lives.

Anyone who is interested in placing an order can visit the shop’s website.

Photo via Personal Protective Equipment USA/ Facebook

Updated 2 p.m. — The location for the ceremony has been moved to the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street) due to concerns about weather.

Earlier: American Legion Dyer-Gunnell Post 180 is set to host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in the Town of Vienna.

The ceremony — which is free to attend — will begin at 9 a.m. at the Town Green, located at 144 Maple Avenue E, behind the Freeman House on Friday, Sept. 11. The annual ceremony — which Post 180 plans to continue hosting each year — marks the 19^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

The ceremony is set to recall the attacks of 2001 while honoring the bravery and service of first-responders, and lives lost that day.

Typical attendance in previous years has ranged between 75-200 people.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. and current Post 180 Commander Guillermo Guillén will be giving the remarks for the ceremony.

Photo via Google Maps

Updated 4:30 p.m. (Sept.11) — Dominion Energy plans to send the plans to the SCC for review by Oct. 1. 

Dominion Energy has proposed a new underground electric transmission line to keep up with growing demand.

The 230-kilowatt line would replace an existing above-ground power line from Tyco Road to the area southwest of Leesburg Pike and Spring Hill Road, according to a presentation at last night’s community engagement meeting.

“There are currently over 60 million square feet of pending and approved zoning applications in Tysons,” documentation from Dominion Energy said. “This rapid growth requires updated infrastructure to meet the increased demand for energy.”

The upcoming substations will support mixed-use developments such as Dominion Square East, Dominion Square West and Sunburst Developments.

In regards to the upcoming development The View, a spokesperson said at the meeting that Dominion Energy is working with project developers and construction crews to create a timeline since the two projects will intersect.

During public comment at the meeting, people expressed concerned about delays for commuters which might be caused by the project.

“The plan will be to work closely with VDOT to maintain the traffic in the area,” a spokesperson said, adding that the majority of work will likely be done on off-hours, in order to avoid heavy traffic. “If we do have to close two lanes, the work will be done at night.”

If approved, Dominion Energy expects the project to be complete by 2025, a spokesperson said, adding that the company wants to send the plans to the State Corporation Commission by Oct. 1 for review.

Image courtesy Dominion Energy

Tysons theater 1st Stage is continuing its earlier shift towards online classes with a new series of acting courses aimed to help introduce adults or children to acting or continue their education.

Each course consists of six classes with prices starting at $100 per course.

Classes are taught over Zoom sessions. The deadline for registration is Monday, Sept. 21.

Classes for adults include:

• Playwriting (Tuesdays, Sept. 29-Nov. 3 from 4-6 p.m.) — The class will introduce students to playwriting concepts like idea generation, dramatic action, character and dialogue development.
• Beginning Acting (Thursdays, Oct. 1-Nov. 5 from 6-7 p.m.) — The class will introduce students to developing believable characters within the play text and teach acting techniques.
• A Director Prepares (Tuesdays, Sept. 29-Nov. 3 from 1-2 p.m.) — The class will introduce students to direction, particularly on the production, preparation, and conceptualization aspects. The class will also touch on casting and working with designers and actors.
• Beginning Voice Training (Fridays, Oct. 2-Nov. 6 from 1-3 p.m.) — The class introduces students to healthy singing techniques, including warm-ups and cool downs, vocal exercises, and simple songs.
• Play Reading and Discussion (Fridays, Oct. 2-Nov. 6 from 7-8 p.m.) — The class will involve reading and discussing plays, as well as discussing analytic techniques.
• Introduction to Improvisation (Wednesdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 4) — The class is an introduction to the basics of improvisation, like “yes, and…” as well as other foundational improv techniques.
• Intermediate Improvisation (Sundays, Oct. 4-Nov. 8 from 1-2 p.m.) — Students will build on more advanced improv skills and concepts from the earlier Intro to Improv class, with a focus on creating characters and scenes quickly, bold choices, and working together to form a scene.

Five courses are available for grades 1st through 12th.

Classes include:

• Drama Games (1st-2nd Grade, Mondays, Sept. 28-Nov. 2 from 4-4:45 p.m.) — The course introduces children to basic acting skills with games, activities and exercises.
• Introduction to Improvisation (3rd-6th Grade, Wednesdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 4 from 4-4:45 p.m.) — This class will cover the basics of improv concepts and building on natural instincts.
• Beginning Improv (Middle School, Thursdays, Oct. 1-Nov. 5  from 4-4:45 p.m.) — Similar to Introduction to Improvisation, Beginning Improv will focus on teaching improv concepts.
• Building Your Book (High School, Fridays, Oct. 2-Nov. 6 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.) — This intermediate class aims to help advanced singers through warmups, cooldowns and exercises. The class is geared towards polishing songs with vocal, musical, and dramatic performances.
• Play Reading And Discussion (High School, Saturdays, Oct. 3-Nov. 7, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.) — The class will focus on reading and discussing plays with classic and modern analyzing techniques.

As Conte’s Bike Shop celebrates its 5-year anniversary in Falls Church, the company announced it will be relocating to a larger location nearby.

The new location will be located at 1118 West Broad Street and open around Oct. 1, according to co-owner Wayne Souza.

It will include 3,767 square feet of space, which is significantly larger than its current location, Souza said.

“We needed a larger location because we needed more retail floor space, a larger service area and we took the opportunity to build the regions most state of the art fit studio,” he said. “We didn’t have the ability to grow where we were.”

Conte’s Bike Shop serves customers with a variety of skill levels, according to Souza.

Since the pandemic, locations across the area have been experiencing increased demand for products, the website said.

Though the store originated in the Virginia Beach area, Conte’s Bike Shop has locations around D.C. and Maryland too.

Once it is safe, the new Falls Church studio plans on celebrating the grand opening by hosting group bicycle rides around the area, Souza said, adding that the shop will be looking to USA Cycling for best practices regarding the health and safety of participants.

The hours of operation will be the same.

According to the Facebook page, people can stop by the store from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays.

Looking toward the future, Souza said that they are considering expansions for other locations as well.

Photo via Conte’s Bike Shop/Facebook

On Sept. 2, with the help of the Vienna VA Foodies Facebook group, Kiln & Custard (455 S. Maple Avenue) provided the Vienna USPS with custard at the end of their workday.

In addition to custard, the Facebook group collected handwritten letters from all over the community. The group received dozens of letters to pass out.

The celebration of the local post office came after a month of national discussion about management of the United States Postal Service and concerns about policies that could disrupt mail-in voting efforts.

Lydia Russo, one of the founders of the Vienna VA Foodies group, helped organize the delivery.

“Today, we are showering the Vienna Post Office with so, so much love!!” said Russo in the Facebook group.

Russo said gift was largely appreciated by the Post Office employees, who hung up many of the letters around their office.

“I truly appreciate everything the community has done, especially the Vienna foodies who have organized this delivery with Kiln & Custard,” said Tyler Miller, a supervisor at the Vienna Post Office, in the Facebook group. “I had them deliver it early today that way every employee (clerks, rural carriers and city carriers) can get one after their hard day at work. I also took all the great thank you cards and put them on the wall so all the employees can see how much the community appreciates them. Also I wanted to say thank you to all of my employees who work so hard everyday. I truly appreciate you all.”

Photo by Vienna VA Foodies/Facebook

The 2020 Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program officially kicks off this Saturday, Sept. 12. The program will run through Saturday, Feb. 20.

The initiative is in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority and NOVA Parks under the oversight of the Fairfax County Police Department to enforce that the program is only conducted in parks and other approved locations.

The program was created in 2010 to reduce and stabilize the population of white-tailed deer in the county, according to the statement. An overabundance of deer can lead to a series of safety and health hazards including deer-vehicle collisions, the potential spread of disease and environmental damage.

Archery is a preferred method of deer management because of its compatible use in residential areas and community parks, according to the statement. Additionally, no bystanders have been injured by an archer hunting deer since Virginia began tracking hunting injuries.

The program requires all hunters to meet state hunter licensing, education and safety requirements and must pass qualifications to demonstrate skill and marksmanship. They also must have program identification and completion of training through the International Bow Hunter Education Program to participate. Hunters must also pass a background check.

Parks will remain open to the public during hunting season, with orange signs to designate where hunting is authorized. Hunting is permitted at assigned sites Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.

Photo via the Fairfax County Police Department

The Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant had once taken up a key corner spot in Tysons Corner Center, right across from the Barnes & Noble. But while other restaurants are reopening from pandemic closures, Gordon Biersch is gone for good.

The closure is a latest for the franchise, which had four other regional locations close earlier this year. While the Tysons location was reportedly “not on the chopping block” in March, according to eater, the following months put additional challenges on many restaurants.

With the Tysons location gone, the closest Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant is in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Tysons location still held a special place in the heart of some locals, though, which took home the Great American Beer Festival gold medal in 2018 for a Czech-style pilsner, DC Beer reported. The Tysons Corner Center location brewed beer on-site and offered tours in pre-pandemic times.

Photo via Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant