Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand has no plans to furlough bus drivers and food service workers, despite the virtual start to school next month.
In a letter sent to the community last night (Monday), Brabrand said he plans to “keep our FCPS family 100 percent intact” as the school year begins. Bus drivers are set to return to work next Tuesday, Aug. 25. Some will deliver meals to specific locations or along select bus routes.
In other cases, the school system may provide other work assignments like facilities maintenance, student support and delivering books and supplies to schools.
Brabrand also said the school system is working on an alternative plan to keep all food service workers employed throughout the academic years. Funding for service food service employees, which primarily relies on the sale of food, has taken a major hit due to school closures.
Here’s more from Brabrand’s letter:
I’d like to thank our food service employees for your heroic efforts to provide grab and go meals for our families since our schools shut down in March. More than 2 million meals have been served so far. Food distribution will continue through the rest of summer break and once the school year begins.
A community survey is underway to determine meal demand for the upcoming school year. The results will determine if changes to the food striation schedule are warranted.
Other staff — including security guards and office employees — may also be asked to shuffle their job duties to support virtual learning.
The FCPS School Board is meeting today for a day-long work session to continue formalizing plans for the return to school.
Photo via FCPS
Greenheart Juice Shop is getting ready to bring its drinks to the Town of Vienna in a few weeks.
The upcoming location (208 Dominion Road NE) along the W&OD Trail is expected to open in September, the shop shared on Facebook in mid-July.
Using ingredients sourced from local farms, Greenheart Juice Shop offers a variety of activated cashew milk, $11 cold-pressed juices and juice cleanse packs, along with granola.
Until the Vienna store opens, people can check out the drinks at the shop’s Vienna Farmers Market booth on Saturdays. Greenheart also delivers locally for orders over $40.
The upcoming Vienna location is hiring for several positions, according to recent posts on the company’s Facebook page.
Currently, the juice shop has locations in Leesburg, Aldie and Middleburg. Its website says that a D.C. location in Georgetown is coming soon.
Photo via Greenheart Juice Shop/Facebook
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) plans to hold a virtual job fair on Wednesday to hire educators.
The job fair is scheduled to take place in two sessions, with the first running from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and the second from 3-7 p.m.
People interested in participating are urged to learn about the school system, apply to open jobs and register for one or both sessions, which have attendance caps.
During the virtual job fair, job hunters will be able to chat one-on-one with HR or school representatives from FCPS.
FCPS has more than 90 job opportunities listed online. The majority of the open positions are for high school and middle school teachers.
OrthoVirginia has combined its Tysons and McLean locations into one McLean-Tysons office, which is located at 1760 Old Meadow Road in McLean.
The McLean office was previously located on Greensboro Drive across from Tysons Galleria, and the Tysons office was previously located on Old Courthouse Road in Vienna.
The decision to make the move was to “consolidate property to go to a bigger space so we can combine all of our therapy and all of our physicians into one location,” according to an OrthoVirginia employee.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Their therapies are offered Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday from 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
The previous Tysons location is still open for MRI services Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
OrthoVirgina is Virginia’s largest provider of orthopedic medicine and therapy with services including on-site therapy, surgery centers and advanced imagery, according to their website. They have more than 100 orthopedic specialists in 26 locations across Northern Virginia.
Photo via OrthoVirginia/Facebook
People looking to read a few more books before summer ends in a few weeks might want to check out work by local authors.
Tysons Reporter recently revisited its profiles of local authors from the last few months. From murder mysteries to kids’ books, the books run the gamut of genres.
While nowhere near an exhaustive list, the titles below are a few of the recent books by Tysons-area residents:
At the start of this year, Garry Gekhman, the owner of Tysons Ballroom, published the kids’ book. Gekhman, who is a former “Dancing With The Stars” contestant and started dancing at age 6, hopes the book sparks kids’ passion for dancing.
Harper Kincaid’s murder mystery is set in Vienna and features local spots like Bards Alley bookstore and the Freeman Store. The book follows a woman’s investigation after she is framed for murder. The book debuted in May.
https://twitter.com/HarperKincaid/status/1292986521914671104?s=20
After the success of “Bob Winging It,” local author Joe Jamaldinian decided to write a second book about a penguin named Bob. “Bob In a Box” was published last January.
Jamaldinian told Tysons Reporter that he aims to inspire the younger generations to follow their dreams through his writing.
Larry Issa won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in 2019 for his picture book about a young boy who keeps catching the characters trying to escape from his book. The book, which features art by British artist Emma Chadwick, was released last January.
“The Emancipation of Evan Walls“
Jeffrey Blount published his novel tackling classism and racism last June. The main character, Evan Wells, reflects on the oppression he faced during his childhood in a small Virginian town.
If you’re interested in hearing more about the book, Blount and his wife Jeanne Meserve, a former anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News, are set to talk about the book during a Zoom event on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
#TheEmancipationofEvanWalls pic.twitter.com/e97yxNVgnR
— Jeffrey Blount (@JEBlount) November 18, 2019
“Gay Men in the Feminist Revolution“
Nick Benton, the founder and owner of the Falls Church News-Press, released the volume for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The book explores the power of feminism in politics and discusses various perspectives in the LGBTQ+ community.
Benton, who wrote for gay media outlets and worked as an LGBTQ in the San Francisco Bay Area, told Tysons Reporter that the book “is my two cents in terms of what happened 50 years ago.”
Cooper Middle School student Chloe Middleton became a published author with her book about a bunny who has to be brave and overcome peer pressure. An artist digitized the artwork by Chloe and her younger sister, Adeline, for the book.
The book was published in March. Chloe told Tysons Reporter that she is working on a sequel.
Marie Kisner, a former public information officer for the Town of Vienna, collected and compiled newspaper stories to share vignettes about what the town was like from the 1950s to early 2000s.
Kisner got the idea for the book after the town’s clerk office gave her dozens of boxes with news article clippings. The book was published in 2019.
Memorial Day weekend reading: “Vienna Stories: 1950-2000” by former @TownofViennaVA PIO Marie Kisner pic.twitter.com/KVvHNEJb6u
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) May 24, 2019
Do you know of a local author with a book published within the last year that isn’t on the list? Email us at [email protected].
Photo via Kimberly Farmer/Unsplash
Fairfax County Public Schools will have a virtual start to the year. But a program launched by Fairfax County will offer full-day, on-site programming for children in elementary and middle school.
The program, “Supporting Return to School,” aims to ensure that “all families have equitable access to the services they need to support children’s virtual learning,” according to the county.
Here’s more from the county on the initiative:
SRS will provide support for children’s active and engaged learning during the FCPS virtual academic day and promote children’s social, emotional and physical development. In addition to participating in distance learning, children will have opportunities to explore, engage, relax and enjoy activities that follow the SRS 2020-21 program curriculum, The Great Outdoors: Road Trips Through the Americas. What a perfect time for a virtual journey and to spend real time outdoors!
Enrollment begins on August 24 and space is limited. Each classroom will have a group of no more than 10 children who stay together every day. The program takes place on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in 37 FCPS schools.
A sliding fee scale is available for income-eligible families. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided.
Photo via Unsplash
More Delays for Dittmar’s Project in Tysons — “The Dittmar Co. is pushing back plans once again for its massive redevelopment of an old hotel site near the Greensboro Metro station in Tysons. The Arlington developer is asking Fairfax County for another delay for its Westpark Plaza project, proposing in late July to build a new public park, car storage and commercial parking space on the site as an interim use.” [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Company Lands Big Contract — “The U.S. Navy awarded McLean-based defense contractor Alion Science and Technology Corp. an $896 million contract to provide an integrated program to deliver a multidomain live, virtual and constructive training platform.The contract was awarded through the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) SeaPort-NxG multiple award contract.” [Virginia Business Monthly]
Feedback Sought on Grab and Go Meals — Fairfax County Public Schools are seeking feedback via a survey on its grab-and-go meal program for the next academic year. The survey will help the school system determine the best locations and bus routes for meal services. [FCPS]
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
Metro’s services are gearing up for a return to a “new normal.”
More buses and trains and expanded hours of service are set to begin this Sunday (Aug. 16), restoring most service to pre-COVID-19 levels. The McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro and Spring Hill Metro stations are set to reopen on Sunday, along with the West Falls Church stop.
The Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church Metro stations are expected to reopen around Labor Day (Sept. 7), according to the announcement.
Metrorail plans to add 15 more hours of service per week. Opening times will also return to normal, with the system closing two hours later each night in anticipation of ridership increases after Labor Day.
The system is expected to restore roughly 75 percent of its pre-pandemic service beginning Aug. 23. Buses would operate until midnight and weekday service would return with 174 routes.
The reopening of six Fairfax County stations on the Silver Line is also on track for this Sunday.
Here’s more from Metro on the planned service changes:
Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. on Sundays and close daily at 11 p.m.
Weekdays Red Line trains will operate every 5 minutes during peak periods and 12 minutes off-peak; all others lines every 8 minutes during peak periods and 15 minutes off-peak.
On weekends Red Line trains will operate every 12 minutes; all other lines every 15 minutes.
Six stations west of Ballston re-open — McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill, Wiehle-Reston East and West Falls Church.
Arlington Cemetery Station remains closed as Arlington National Cemetery is currently closed to the general public.
Face masks or covering are required to travel on Metro, including at stations, trains, buses and MetroAccess vehicles.
Metro also warns that social distancing may be impossible due to projected ridership increases. Customers can consider traveling during off-peak hours.
Moving forward! #wmata #SilverLine #HunterMill https://t.co/MU916lwEFY
— Supervisor Walter Alcorn (@WalterAlcornFFX) August 13, 2020
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
Vienna music venue Jammin Java has reopened to the public with a series of socially-distanced benefit shows called “A Song & A Slice.”
The series combines outdoor concerts with pizza from Union Pie at Jammin Java, the pizza restaurant opened by the owners during the pandemic.
Attendees are encouraged to donate during each show to a charity selected by the performers. In addition, one dollar from every beer sold will go towards those charities.
Some of the upcoming shows include:
- DJ D’s Dance To The Decades benefitting the US & JJ Staff Fund on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.
- Irresponsible benefitting the National Black Child Development Institute on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m.
- Tommy McGee Band benefitting SURJNOVA on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.
Jammin Java stopped their shows when the pandemic hit in March and then opened Union Pie at the beginning of April.
“We’d been talking about it for a while, but once the COVID struck, we decided it was now or never,” said Lana Mahmoud, the Director of Operations for Jammin Java. They then decided to blend the pizza with the music to create concerts to benefit both businesses.
Once Virginia was able to reopen, they were able to move forward with scheduling shows again. Their first outdoor show this summer took place on July 19, and they have concerts scheduled through Oct. 31.
“We’re focusing on local artists to keep the local scene alive,” said Mahmoud.
The venue is taking recommended measures to ensure COVID-19 safety, including mandating masks indoors and for all employees, keeping tables at least 6 feet apart and setting up hand sanitizer stations. They are also using disposable menus and cups.
“A lot of people are just so thankful to have live music back,” said Mahmoud. “It’s a really beautiful sense of community and joy.”
Photo via Jammin Java/Facebook
An interactive mystery show about a “super sleuth” is coming to McLean as The Alden embarks on its second Drive-Thru Drama performance this summer.
“From the Ash Baxter Files: The Search for the Stolen Spyglass” is a family-friendly mystery show about a high school student who is trying to find out which suspect stole his teacher’s priceless spyglass, according to a press release. The show was written by Andrew Scott Zimmer.
The Alden, which is a part of the McLean Community Center, debuted Drive-Thru Drama in July with a show written and directed by Zimmer about a $1 bill that travels through time and space. The show was a “hugely successful first attempt that sold out all performances,” according to the press release.
Here’s how Drive-Thru Drama works: the audience drives to various locations around the McLean Community Center’s parking lot (1234 Ingleside Ave) to watch actors perform short scenes that tell a cohesive story. The actors wear personal protective equipment and stay six feet away from each other and the passengers.
“We were thrilled to see so many enjoy our first Drive-Thru Drama performance in July! Since then we have been working to develop a new show and I think audiences will enjoy the surprises that we have in store,” Danielle Van Hook, the show’s producer and The Alden’s director of Youth Theatre Programs, said.
Van Hook told Tysons Reporter earlier this year that medieval pageant wagons inspired the “Drive-Thru Drama” production.
The show is set to run for three weekends in September: Sept. 11-13, Sept. 18-20 and Sept. 25-27. The theater is currently seeking actors and plans to hold auditions on Tuesday, Aug, 18, according to the press release.
Tickets are $20 or $15 for people who live in the McLean Community Center tax district and must be purchased in advance.
