Chicabika Masks & More is hiring for its location in Tysons.
A Fairfax County permit indicates that Chicabika will be a mall cart in Tysons Corner Center.
The retailer posted a job application for a sales associate about two weeks ago on Indeed. The position pays $9-$10 per hour.
Tysons Corner Center does not have the retailer listed in its directory yet. The mall is open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from noon-6 p.m. on Sundays.
Falls Church Eatery Facing Eviction — “The Falls Church location of Hot N Juicy Crawfish is staring down an eviction lawsuit filed on June 1… The governor of the commonwealth put a moratorium on evictions earlier this week, but it only applies to residential tenants. The family-run business now finds itself fighting for its future in the neighborhood.” [Washington City Paper]
Farmers Markets Are Back — The McLean Farmers Market opens today and the Vienna Farmers Market returns on Saturday. [Tysons Reporter]
It’s Almost Showtime — “Just last week, AMC Theatres said it had ‘substantial doubt’ that the company could keep operating if pandemic-related closures continued. However, the company announced Tuesday it expects to reopen almost all of its locations worldwide by mid-July.” [Patch]
Law Enforcement Legislation — “Lawmakers in Virginia will take up the issue of police reform when they meet in a special session later this summer. The legislature joins the growing ranks of jurisdictions in the Washington region that are planning on tackling an issue that has taken increased urgency in the wake of widespread national protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd.” [DCist]
Test Backlog — “State health officials announced Monday that 13,000 test results backlogged at the health department will be added to data tables that are updated daily to reflect the number of COVID-19 tests and cases in the state. Staff had prioritized positive test results, according to the statement, so the backlog largely includes negative test results.” [Inside NoVa]
The McLean Project for the Arts sent out an all-call for artists for the upcoming summer exhibition.
Curators are seeking submissions for a display called”SHIFT,” according to a press release, which added artists from across the mid-Atlantic region are welcome to apply.
“The works in this exhibition will focus on the concept of shift, change or exchange in paradigm, position, direction, tendency, viewpoint, atmosphere, needs, dreams, schedules, interactions, environment, perspective,” the release said.
Submissions are due June 26, and the exhibit will run from July 15 through August 27.
There is no cost to submit a piece for consideration, and artists can submit up to two pieces of any size, medium, form or weight, according to the website. Two jurors will each pick their favorite pieces for consideration.
“It will be interesting to see how the exhibits differ from one another,” the website said.
Image courtesy McLean Project for the Arts
On Friday, Northern Virginia localities will head into the second phase of rolling back COVID-19 restrictions. The Town of Vienna shared today what people can expect.
Community events have been canceled through August, and the town plans to offer virtual programming this summer, like no- and low-touch summer camps starting July 6.
Here’s an overview of the town’s tentative changes:
- Town Hall reopens to the public July 6 (currently open by appointment only)
- Vienna Community Center reopens July 6
- playgrounds reopen Saturday (June 13)
- Teen Center, Bowman House, Freeman Store & Museum, Town Green rentals and basketball courts remain closed
Tomorrow, the park restrooms, tennis courts, the Vienna Dog Park and the Community Garden will reopen.
Town officials will continue to meet virtually under a continuity of governance ordinance with occupancy capped at 26 people in the Council Chambers.
Local shop owners say they are seeing a run on bicycles thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
With both limited public transportation and social activity, people have gravitated towards cycling as a way to get outside. As a result, local bike stores have seen a massive rise in sales.
“Our service area is seeing an unprecedented level of demand,” said Tim Fricker, the owner of Bikes@Vienna in Vienna. But for residents seeking a quick tuneup before hitting the road, they may have to wait a little longer with Fricker reporting a turnaround time of about seven weeks.
“The longest turnaround time I can recall in the past is a few times where we hit three weeks,” he added. “There has been nothing like this.”
Bikes@Vienna sells “conventional bicycles” in addition to specialty bikes such as recumbent bikes and trikes, folding bikes, adaptive bikes, electric bikes and trikes. While they haven’t sold out on conventional bikes, Fricker predicts that most other shops and distributors have.
Bikenetic in Falls Church, for example, is anticipating first-time and impulse-buyers to flock to the store. Inventory for entry-level riders has yet to be replenished, though.
“All of the companies we deal with have also run out of bikes and are waiting for purchase orders to fill back in from Asia,” said Jan Feuchtner, the owner of Bikenetic.
The store is also experiencing a delayed turnaround. Feuchtner reported also being seven weeks out on repairs with about 300 bikes in the queue, which is double the number of bikes they usually have backlogged.
To adapt to the demand, Bikes@Vienna created heavier structure and discipline to better manage workflow. Fricker said they eliminated “while you wait” services with the exception of mid-ride issues such as a flat tire.
Additionally, they tweaked certain services due to the coronavirus pandemic. No customers are permitted in the store at any time, walk-in test rides are not allowed and payment is handled over the phone.
Fricker anticipates that typical bike stores will see a steep drop in sales once the pandemic begins to die down since the market will be “saturated.” Because of the specialty of his own store, however, he thinks Bikes@Vienna won’t be impacted as much and will have more returning customers.
Of the people who started biking because of the pandemic, some will likely continue riding when things return to normal, keeping business afloat.
“I just don’t know what percentage will continue versus those who lose interest once the world gets back to something more normal. Time will tell.”
A 1.2 million-square-foot development in Falls Church has a new name as it progresses through various approval stages by City Council.
Hoffman & Associates and EYA announced that they have named the upcoming gateway development to the northwestern end of the city “West Falls.”
“The name West Falls pays homage to the site’s location within The City of Falls Church known for its vibrant community and thoughtful urban design,” a press release said.
The development will include offices, a hotel, apartments, condominiums, retail space and senior housing spanning roughly 9.5 acres. It will also include approximately 1 acre of open space for the public.
West Falls is included in a 35-acre transformation to turn the area near the West Falls Church Metro station into a gateway for the city. As part of the larger plans, George Mason High School will be relocated.
In 2019, the City Council approved an agreement for a 99-year ground lease with the developers and a Special Exception Entitlement for the first phase of the project’s entitlement.
Earlier today, Hoffman and EYA submitted their Special Exception Site Plan (SESP) to the city — the latest step in the entitlements process, according to the press release.
Construction is expected to start on West Falls in late 2021, and the first phase of the development is anticipated to open in late 2023, according to the press release.
Image via City of Falls Church
After noticing harm done by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vienna community members banded together to help D.C. residents in need.
Lydia Russo, who organized the fundraiser on the Vienna VA Foodies Facebook group, said that the group raised roughly $20,000 to support Martha’s Table, which works to support education programs, healthy food and family outreach.
Russo told Tysons Reporter that she was impressed with Martha’s Table’s work East of River and wanted to partner with them to benefit the Barry Farm neighborhood, which is near one of the centers for Martha’s Table.
“I wanted to go with a well-known charity because they have a well-organized program that is intertwined in the neighborhood and has a good system going,” Russo said.
In the first two days of the fundraiser, Russo said the effort raised $18,000 — far exceeding her expectations.
“My first ‘goal’ was only $1,000. Then it increased to $5,000,” she said. “Within the week, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of people donate — children, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, people I’ve met, people I’ve never met, people who heard about the fundraiser from a friend.”
The check is set to be hand-delivered to Martha’s Table this week by Russo and both of Vienna’s incoming and outgoing mayors, Russo said.
“My hope was to show that we are all part of one larger community, and we should think of our neighbors and put our thoughts and words into action,” Russo said.
Though the fundraiser ended yesterday, Russo encourages people to organize their own fundraisers or donate to Martha’s Table directly, since the nonprofit accepts donations year-round.
Photo via Martha’s Table/Facebook
On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors green-lighted a rezoning that will open parts of the Valo Park office complex up to the public.
Tamares, Valo Park’s owner, wants to add retailers and restaurants, renovate an existing rooftop terrace and open the complex’s current amenities, including a conference center, auditorium and fitness center, to the public. Tamares is considering attracting a rooftop craft brewery atop a parking garage.
“It is anticipated that these proposed changes will help to sustain the current Class A office use and energize this part of Tysons after business hours,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said.
A separate comprehensive sign plan for the project was approved by the Planning Commission in May. Some McLean residents raised concerns about light pollution from the signs.
Currently, the office park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) is home to the headquarters of newspaper giant Gannett and cloud computing company Appian.
The Valo Park changes will now join upcoming changes to urbanize Tysons’ North Central neighborhood, which currently has the Park Crest and Highgate residential buildings.
Last summer, the Board of Supervisors approved the massive, mixed-use development called The Mile, which will transform 38 acres into 10 buildings with residential, retail, office, hotel and storage space, along with six parks spanning more than 10 acres.
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said that people can now walk to Valo Park thanks to the new Jones Branch Connector, which includes sidewalks and bike lanes.
“But for the sign issue… this is a really good application that is exactly moving Tysons in the direction that we all want to see it go — developing this kind of mixed-use, reuse,” Foust said. “This is a really important piece in the Tysons puzzle.”
Park Party Is Over — “A video supplied by a local resident showed throngs of bathing-suit-clad youths cavorting and whooping it up and swigging alcohol at the park’s scenic waterfall… Fairfax County Park Authority officials are beefing up police presence at [Scotts Run Nature Preserve], and authorities soon will be prohibiting parking along Georgetown Pike and some nearby neighborhood streets.” [Inside NoVa]
Empty Offices — “Many companies in the county are likely to shrink their footprints to account for increased remote work, according to surveys the FCEDA has tracked, while others that may have been considering a move to Fairfax have put those searches on hold, [Victor] Hoskins said. The county’s office vacancy rate stood at 13.9% at the end of 2019, according to the county’s 2021 budget plan.” [Washington Business Journal]
Vienna Hit With Power Outage — Thunderstorms last night swept across Northern Virginia. Dominion Energy has now resolved a power outage that was affecting over 1,700 customers around 8 p.m. in the Vienna area. It was caused by a circuit outage, according to Dominion. [Dominion Energy]
ICYMI: Protest Held in McLean — “Hundreds of people chanted and marched in a Black Lives Matter protest led by six McLean High School students on Wednesday.” [Tysons Reporter]
Join our Executive Director @LJCarbonneau for this Community Conversation on how the arts & cultural organizations in the Tysons area are planning in this uncertain environment. @TysonsVAPatch @mcleanvacenter @TysonsReporter @sungazettenews @DranesvilleSup @artsfairfax https://t.co/Z9re3W3thV
— McLeanProjectForArts (@MP4A) June 10, 2020
(Updated 9:15 a.m.) Hundreds of people chanted and marched in a Black Lives Matter protest led by six McLean High School students on Wednesday.
The protest kicked off around 2 p.m. in the parking lot of McLean High School with passionate speeches from students across Fairfax County and local elected officials calling on students and adults to fight racism.
“It’s kind of crazy I have to tell people I shouldn’t be killed, but here we are,” one student speaker said, later adding: “I don’t want my last words to be, ‘Don’t shoot.'” I want them to be, ‘We did it.'”
The speeches touched on a common theme: the fervor of youth activism.
“Our generation is the one that is going to change the world for the better,” Kendall J., a rising senior at McLean High School, told the crowd. Speakers encouraged parents to better support their kids’ activism.
People with voter registration forms circulated the crowd, encouraging teens about to turn 18 to vote in the upcoming elections.
For safety precautions due to the coronavirus pandemic, participants tried to social distance by spacing themselves out in the parking lot. Face coverings were required, and an organizer cleaned the microphone between each speaker.
Participants shouted chants like “No justice! No peace! No racist police!” and “Black Lives Matter!” At one point, the participants responded to a prompt of saying “I love you” to the people standing closest to them.
After a short prayer moment, the protesters took to the streets, flooding Clearview Drive around 4 p.m. “There are so many people here,” one of the organizers said into his walkie talkie as the march began.
“No justice. No peace. No racist police,” a young child with an adult on the corner of Westmoreland Street and Clearview Drive said as the march headed northbound on Westmoreland Street. Several drivers honked and waved in support.
Tysons Reporter witnessed a moment that punctured the peaceful and passionate protest: a white male driving by the protesters on Westmoreland Street shouted out his window that all lives matter and that they should “cut the bullsh*t.”
The protest was one of several anti-racism events in the Tysons area sparked by George Floyd’s death and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Like several protests and rallies in Falls Church, the McLean protest drew a diverse crowd spanning different generations and races.
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) June 10, 2020
