Churches, nonprofits, fire stations and many other institutions can now temporarily offer daycare in the Town of Vienna.
The Vienna Town Council met last Wednesday (Aug. 19) to approve an emergency zoning ordinance that eliminates hurdles to new childcare services. The ordinance will allow commercially- and industrially-zoned properties and public, semi-public and private institutions to offer daycare.
“I think this is going to be really great for the businesses that want to try this,” Mayor Linda Colbert said.
Previously, the town only allowed residential properties to get conditional use permits for daycare, Kelly O’Brien of the town’s Planning and Zoning Department said.
Now, places like businesses, churches and nonprofits can temporarily bypass the town’s typical procedures and restrictions on daycare.
O’Brien said that the temporary ordinance stemmed from a local business’s requests to provide emergency childcare — an urgent need in the town and Fairfax County as many schools in the area switch to fully virtual learning this fall.
Roughly half of the respondents to a Tysons Reporter poll in mid-July said that childcare is a concern for them once summer ends.
Because it’s an emergency temporary zoning ordinance, Town Attorney Steve Briglia said that the proposal, which will last for 60 days, did not need to get approval from the town’s Planning Commission.
Briglia said that the town staff will immediately advertise to readopt the ordinance, and the readopted ordinance would last until Jan. 31, 2021.
“We’ll know well before then whether the schools are going to be in session for the second semester. If they are, we won’t really need this,” Briglia said. “If they are going to be further suspended, we’ll have plenty of time to readopt and modify this as you feel fit.”
Vienna businesses and institutions looking to offer childcare will still need to meet the health and safety regulations set by Fairfax County and comply with state regulations for daycare facilities, Briglia said.
When new Councilmember Ed Somers asked why the town hadn’t previously allowed more places to offer daycare, O’Brien said she wasn’t sure, but that the town does plan to get community feedback on the idea for the long-term.
Councilmember Ray Brill Jr. said that competition with home-based daycare could be the reason, while Councilmember Chuck Anderson said that daycare has changed over the decades.
“It seems like a logical thing to do,” Somers said.
Image via Town of Vienna
Fairfax County is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch tonight.
The National Weather Service issued the watch shortly after 3:30 p.m. It will be in effect until 11 p.m.
Forecasters say that the D.C. area may see severe storms this evening.
Later this week, NWS says the D.C. region may see damaging wind gusts and severe thunderstorms on Saturday from Hurricane Laura.
Severe storms *possible* in DC area this evening, esp in 5-10p timeframe, but isolated activity poss earlier. Damaging winds main threat. Low confidence in how widespread these will be. https://t.co/mWyDsUvUPm
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 25, 2020
While a few showers or even a brief rumble of thunder is possible this morning, the main severe weather threat is later this afternoon into early this evening. An enhanced risk of severe weather extends over much of MD and portions of northern VA and eastern WV, including DC. pic.twitter.com/E2yZD9kcf0
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) August 25, 2020
Several Tysons companies received kudos recently for hiring and retaining former service members.
The recently announced “Best for Vets: Employers” rankings from the Military Times included six Tysons-area businesses. The ranking aims to spotlight businesses around the country that are expanding their efforts to recruit and keep veterans.
The Military Times determined the rankings with ScoutComms by using a survey to rank 144 employers. Here’s how the Tysons-area businesses did:
- #11 Hilton
- #14 Capital One
- #26 Booz Allen Hamilton
- #61 PenFed Credit Union
- #94 General Dynamics Information Technology
- #113 DynCorp International
With veterans making up 3.6% of its roughly 44,000 employees, Capital One got top scores for retention support programs, help employees get civilian credentials and employment support for guard and reserve employees.
Hilton received high marks for its retention support programs, civilian credential attainment and practices for recruiting and employment. Veterans make up 3% of the company’s approximately 53,500 employees.
DynCorp International had the highest percentage of veterans among its workforce — 70% of roughly 8,700 workers — for the Tysons-area companies on the list.
The Military Times has been reporting on the pandemic’s impact on the number of jobless veterans, writing in July that more than 770,000 veterans across the country were struggling to find work in June.
Booz Allen Hamilton and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were among 11 businesses that received kudos during the virtual Virginia Veterans and Military Affairs Conference last week, Virginia Business reported.
The conference was hosted by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) and the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation.
For former service members seeking employment help, VDVS helps veterans and their families fidn resources for employment, housing, education and more, along with assistance filing claims for federal veterans benefits. The state agency also operates two long-term care facilities.
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
With the start of the new school year quickly approaching, the latest Fairfax County Public Schools town hall will focus how staff will support students with disabilities in a virtual learning environment.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand will talk to some of the school system’s special education staff.
“Staff members will explain what they do to support students with disabilities in Fairfax County and will talk about student engagement in the virtual environment, family partnerships, student support, and specialized instruction,” according to FCPS.
The town hall is set to run from 6-7 p.m. and will be livestreamed. People can submit questions in advance by emailing [email protected] or calling 1-800-231-6359 during the town hall.
Recently, Brabrand has held town halls on Wednesdays to talk about the plans for the virtual return to school and answer community members’ questions.
FCPS has a town hall about the return to school in Spanish scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., followed by a town hall on Wednesday, Sept. 2, on resources for parents.
Image via Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools created a technology-focused help desk to assist FCPS families starting school virtually in two weeks.
The Parent Technology Help Desk launched yesterday (Monday), FCPS announced. The school system also offers an online portal adults and older students can use to request tech help.
The help desk (833-921-3277) will be staffed between 7 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, according to FCPS. Callers can ask for an interpreters to join the call.
“If help desk staff members are unable to solve the issue, they will request help from the appropriate FCPS team,” according to FCPS.
Currently, the school system is working to distribute roughly 55,000 laptops to students. Before the first day of school (Tuesday, Sept. 8), families can expect teachers to hold virtual orientations and reach out to students.
Photo by Annie Spratt/Unsplash
Visitors to Tysons Corner Center can drop off canned food and snacks to help people facing food insecurity.
The mall teamed up with radio station WGTS 91.9 and the Capital Area Food Bank on a food drive.
The Capital Area Food Bank is looking for the following items:
- canned or dry beans
- canned vegetables (low sodium, no salt added)
- peanut butter
- hot and cold cereal
- grains: brown and white rice, pasta, macaroni and cheese
- canned tuna, salmon or chicken
- 100% juice (all sizes)
- canned fruits
- healthy snacks like raisins and granola bars
Working with more than 450 nonprofit partners, the Capital Area Food Bank provides more than 30 million meals yearly, according to its website.
For communities across the U.S., the coronavirus pandemic has made it harder to access food and resources. A study earlier this year by Feeding America predicts that 17 million more people — including 7 million kids — will face food insecurity this year than in pre-pandemic times.
People will have until Sunday, Aug. 30, to drop off donations at either the concierge desk on the second level near Starbucks or at Bloomingdale’s.
Coffee drinkers will have to wait at least another month for Fairfax-based Simply Social Coffee to open in the Town of Vienna.
Owner Kathy Pao told Tysons Reporter that the new coffee shop delayed the opening plans to possibly sometime in October at BB&T’s former spot in the Cedar Park Shopping Center.
Pao said that she signed the lease for the Vienna location last November after picking the location for its drive-thru window and proximity to the Fairfax coffee shop. While Pao originally saw the drive-thru window as a “perk,” she didn’t realize that she would need approval from the town to use it for food and drinks.
Currently, Pao is seeking a conditional use permit from the town to use the former bank’s drive-in teller as a drive-thru window.
Origianlly, she was planning to open the shop and drive-thru component at the same time this month. With delays from the pandemic and uncertainty about the conditional use permit, she now plans to open the shop — but not the window — sometime in October.
“It’s not one particular delay. It’s an accumulation,” Pao said. “It just adds up.”
Despite the extra work for the drive-thru window, Pao said she sees it as an extension of the coffee shop’s focus on building community relationships.
When the coffee shop opens, Pao hopes that people will support her female- and minority-owned business during the pandemic.
“I think these days, people do appreciate the mom and pop stores a little bit more,” Pao said.
Photo via Simply Social Coffee/Facebook
In the opening scenes of “Peter Polo and the Snow Beast of Hunza,” young readers are instantly transported to the 13th century and an unfamiliar world to the fields of the gritty “sport of kings” — polo. Here, players mounted on horseback display their physical prowess while caked in a veil of mud and readers take in a sliver of the adventure that is about to unfold.
Vienna local and novelist Craig Bradley is the author of the book, which debuted earlier this year and has been showcased at several area independent books stores.
The new adventure novel, illustrated by Laurie Conley, takes middle-grade children on a historical journey with Marco Polo’s fictional younger brother, Peter Polo.
The game of polo dates back to 600 B.C. and has been described as the “oldest of all sports” that several countries throughout East Asia claim they gave birth to. It also nostalgically connects to Bradley’s travels in Asia.
Bradley, a father of two boys, said he wrote the book for his sons, but also to pique younger readers’ interests in history and cultures that may be less familiar to them. Bradley, who spent a lot of time traveling abroad, decided to write about the history that originally drew him in as a child.
“I hope younger readers can walk away with an interest in Mongolian culture and a ‘snow beast,'” said Bradley. “Children’s books often have a lot of magic, but this book explores different cultural perspectives that kids may not be as familiar with.”
Bradley initially wrote the book about 15 years ago. However, it wasn’t until now that the book was released in April.
This may be Bradley’s first published book, but he has written short stories for a long time: “It’s easier than ever to submit short stories nowadays online.” His biggest piece of advice is for those who are interested in writing to simply start writing.
Bradley is currently working on a sequel to the book, called “Peter Polo and the White Elephant of Lan Xang.” The book will follow Peter and his friends as they try to stop a war between two kingdoms in South Asia. Bradley is optimistic that the book will be out by early 2021.
For people looking to get a signed copy of Bradley’s book, Bards Alley in Vienna will host a book signing as well as other events for Indie Bookstore Day on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Cover illustration by Laurie Conley, photo courtesy of Craig Bradley
Falls Church police are investigating the death of a man after his body was found on S. Washington Street.
Police said a passerby reported the body in the 500 block of S. Washington Street, which is near near the Target and Pearson Square apartments, around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 23).
“Police responded to the scene and called medics, but the adult male was declared deceased,” police said in a press release, adding that they will not share the victim’s name until the next of kin are notified.
Police are looking for information that can help with the investigation. People who have something to share about the incident can call 703-241-5053 (TTY 711).
&pizza Co-Founder Buys McLean Mansion — “Washington Wizards superstar Bradley Beal has sold his French Provincial-style McLean mansion to entrepreneur Steve Salis, the co-founder of &pizza, for $3.5 million.” [Washington Business Journal]
Virtual Fundraiser — “The McLean area branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is hosting an online fund-raiser to take the place of its 51st annual book sale, which was slated for September but has been canceled due to the public-health pandemic.” [Inside NoVa]
Former Lt. Gov. Dies — “John H. Hager, a moderate Republican who persevered over polio to serve as Virginia’s lieutenant governor and hold other key state and national posts, died Sunday. He was 83.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Inc. 5000 List — “The number of Greater Washington companies at the top of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies fell precipitously in 2020, reversing a trend of growth from the previous few years’ lists… Vienna logistics firm Urgent.ly, which last year was Greater Washington’s highest-ranked firm at No. 12 on the list, dropped more than 200 spots to No. 221 in 2020.” [Washington Businss Journal]
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
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