People with green thumbs can now return to their rented garden plots from Fairfax County.

The county’s Park Authority reopened its 671 garden plots yesterday, according to Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust’s newsletter.

The plots are now available from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and all of the rules apply except for active gardening guidelines, according to the county.

“Gardeners must self-sanitize water hydrants after use and no tools may be shared,” according to the county.

More from the county:

Gardeners are expected to comply with all COVID 19 health and social distancing requirements.

We ask that gardeners:

• Maintain the recommended social distance of six feet from other gardeners.
• Please wipe the handles of the water hydrant after you use it.
• Do not share garden tools with others.
• Wearing gloves and a mask are recommended when interacting with others.
• Please begin to wrap up gardening activities by 5:45 p.m. so that staff can close the gates and replace parking lot barricades by 6 p.m.

Tysons Reporter previously reported on the Tysons-area garden plots, which are available at Nottoway Park in Vienna and Lewsinville Park in McLean.

Parks and park amenities are still closed in the county.

After discovering her love for storytelling at age 8, Cooper Middle School student and McLean resident Chloe Middleton has now published her first book in a new series called BunnyElla.

BunnyElla is about a young bunny who finds herself put in a position where she has to be brave and make certain decisions that will guide her life, according to the book’s description.

“It’s a book for everybody,” Chloe said, adding that people of all ages can take away something different from it. 

According to Chloe’s mom, Ang, common themes in the book include overcoming peer pressure and challenging cliche fairy tale tropes.

After the book’s official release on March 24, Chloe said she was overwhelmed by the positive response she received from her peers and her community at school — including a personal phone call from the administration at her school praising her work.

All of the artwork in the book is the creative product of Chloe and her younger sister, Adeline. To brighten up the colors, Ang noted that the family also hired an artist to digitize their artwork before it went to print.

To help women in need during the coronavirus pandemic, Chloe said that some of the proceeds from the book will be donated to Calvary Women’s Services, which assists women experiencing homelessness in the D.C. area.

Currently, Chloe said that she is working on a sequel to BunnyElla, adding that it will likely be a chapter book further exploring the themes in the first book. When she isn’t writing, Chloe said she also enjoys playing the piano and participating in sports.

People can purchase BunnyElla on Amazon.

Image courtesy Chloe Middleton 

A local animal rescue group has turned to online resources and bringing in animals from outside Northern Virginia to keep up with the rising adoption demand.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in Falls Church almost closed when the pandemic hit the Northern Virginia area but decided to stay open under the guidance of its co-founder Pam McAlwee, according to Kim Williams, one of the foundation’s volunteers.

Over the last few weeks, the organization saw a large increase in cat and dog adoptions, Williams said, adding that compared to April 2019, adoptions are up about 60%.

“It’s unlike anything anyone could have ever predicted,” she said.

When the pandemic first hit, Williams said she was concerned because “everything came to a screeching halt.”

The local pet supply stores, which usually would co-host adoption events with Lost Dog, halted their events, and people could no longer meet potential fosters in-person due to health concerns.

But that didn’t stop the foundation from continuing to help furry friends find homes.

Through Zoom appointments and phone consultation, three main volunteers ended up “working around the clock” to process roughly 300 pet inquires and match animals with homes in the first few weeks when people started staying home, Williams said.

“All of a sudden they became Match.com overnight,” she said.

In April alone, the organization took in roughly 370 dogs, according to Williams.

When finding homes for the animals, the volunteers consider a variety of factors, including the age of an animal, preexisting medical conditions, the size of the pet and household factors like children or the presence of a yard, Williams said.

Despite the time-consuming process of matching an animal to an owner, Williams said the team created spreadsheets and even worked to find adopters and fosters for animals that require special care and attention — like Grey, a pup who spent more than 500 days in Lost Dog’s shelter and loves to eat everything in his site — including furniture.

One upside to the pandemic is that people are spending extra time with their foster animals and discovering triggers and solutions for misbehavior that would otherwise cause incompatibility issues, Williams said.

Because many of the animals from the Northern Virginia area have either been adopted or placed in a foster home, the shelter is bringing in roughly 70 animals per week from places such as Puerto Rico, Mississippi and Southern Virginia — all areas with a large number of stray animals. Williams said that a local vet in Mississippi told her that the area was a “dumping ground” for animals.

Though adoptions and fosters have increased over the last few weeks, Williams said it isn’t cheap to rescue animals from across state lines.

Before an animal can be sent to foster homes or be adopted, the shelter has to pay somewhere between $125-$170 in fees depending on the size of animals to take them over state lines. That’s on top of all of the medical expenses to ensure they are healthy.

Thanks to thousands of dollars in donations from an anonymous donor and a partnership with a nearby animal hospital, the shelter has managed to keep up with demand, Williams said.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation prides itself on its ethics, according to Williams. “We never discriminate based on age, breed or health conditions,” she said, adding that they will take in any dog or cat in need of care. 

Anyone interested in fostering an animal or adopting can check out the foundation’s website.

Photos courtesy Kim Williams Photography 

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Crews have been busy working on projects in Tysons connected to the first phase of the Silver Line.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project shared photos of the work has been like in Tysons throughout April.

Phase 1 includes the four stations (McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro and Spring Hill) in Tysons and the Wiehle-Reston East station.

The photos above show a variety of activities, from crews placing concrete near Leesburg Pike for a new ADA ramp to excavation work along Old Meadow Road.

Photos courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Updated at 1:35 p.m. — The NWS issued a Flood Warning for areas in central Fairfax County, including Merrifield, Tysons Vienna. The warning is set to last until 7 p.m. 

“Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated that moderate to heavy rain was falling over the area. The heavy rain will cause flooding,” according to NWS. “Up to 1 inch of rain has already fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of around an inch are possible.”

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for central Fairfax County until 7 p.m. Flood Warning means flooding is imminent or occurring. If you come across a flooded roadway, #TurnAroundDontDrown! #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/LEFqxwKvvO

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 30, 2020

Earlier: A Flood Watch will be in effect in Fairfax County for today (Thursday), starting at 10 a.m.

The National Weather Service says that heavy rain is expected this afternoon, followed by a “strong cold front” in the early evening.

“Widespread rainfall totals of 1.5-2.5 inches are expected with locally higher amounts of three inches or more possible,” according to NWS. The rain may likely cause small streams and the primary downstream areas of rivers to flood, along with possible, moderate river flooding.

NWS suggests that people who live near flood zones prepare for flooding.

Rain will continue through the day across the area. The attached graphic shows high end potential rainfall amounts through the remainder of the event (doesn't include rain that has already fallen). Instances of flooding are likely through the day. pic.twitter.com/eNM3syXqGI

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) April 30, 2020

Takeout and Delivery List for Tysons Area — Washingtonina has compiled an alphabetical list of eateries in Tysons, Vienna and McLean offering takeout and delivery. [Washingtonian]

Locals Helping to Save McLean Restaurant — Chris Mylonas, who help start Mylo’s Grill at the Chesterbrook Shopping Center says that locals have been helping the restaurant stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. [Connection Newspapers]

McLean Student Teaching Knitting Classes — “McLean High School Senior Amanda Mullet is working hard to bring both stress relief and a new hobby to her neighbors and friends through her Girl Scout Gold Award Project… She set about teaching her friends and peers how to knit.” [Connection Newspapers]

Little City Turns to Public to Support Grants — The City of Falls Church is asking residents and businesses to submit comments on the West Falls Church Connection to W&OD Trail and the Downtown Falls Church Multimodal Improvements projects to help the city get grants from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. [City of Falls Church]

People looking to exercise with someone while staying home can turn to their local gyms and fitness studios.

While Gov. Ralph Northam’s stay-at-home order is in place, many fitness studios in Tysons have decided to offer virtual classes.

A few months ago, Tysons Reporter rounded up the gyms and fitness studios around Tysons. Now, we took a look to see which ones have pivoted to online services, including group classes and one-on-one sessions.

From boxing videos to yoga classes, here’s what we found:

• [solidcore]: As of yesterday (Tuesday), all of the chain’s studios are closed but people can sign up for virtual live classes
• 1TO1 Fitness: virtual personal training program
• Fitness Together: virtual one-on-one personal training
• F45: at-home workouts
• The Bar Method Tysons Corner: virtual classes
• 24 Hour Fitness: home workouts and live classes
• Tysons City Boxing: boxing videos on Facebook
• Hot Yoga Tysons: virtual classes
• BREAKAWAY Fitness: virtual training sessions
• CrossFit: workout guides online

Interested people can check out each studio’s website for more information.

Photo via BREAKAWAY/Facebook

The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially rough for Roer’s Zoofari, a local family-owned zoo and safari in the Hunter Mill District, that is temporarily closed.

With no foot traffic due to stay-at-home orders, zoo staff work in tight shifts to care for animals. Some take walks with animal care staff where children during field trips and other guests would have walked to enjoy the zoo’s cheetah, zebra, water buffalo, and other animals.

Owner and CEO Vanessa Roer says the last eight weeks have been an emotional roller coaster.

Just as COVID-19 led to a local standstill, the zoo had little to bank on in the months where it typically sees visitation pick up due to birthday parties, field trips, and warming temperatures.

“Most days we keep our chins up, but every so often, we lock ourselves in the walk-in cooler and scream and cry in frustration. Then we go outside and kiss our giraffe, hug a baby goat and step forward — one step at a time.”

The zoo turned to crowdfunding when it became clear that it would take time for funding from the Small Business Administration to cash in. Typically, the zoo does not make enough revenue to cover off-season costs from November through the end of February.

“We plan for four months of little income, but we never saw months five and six with zero income,” Roer said.

The business moved quickly to furlough all non-essential employees.

The crowdfunding campaign has raised $34,786 of its $100,000 goal — a response that Roer said went beyond what she expected. Community members have donated produce, meat, dry feed, and hay to help out.

But it took 28 days for the business to receive funds from GoFundMe as other residents and businesses raced to online platforms to secure cash flows.

“I literally processed payroll at the beginning of that week without enough money to cover the Friday distribution — on a wing and prayer,” Roer said.

Although funding soon began pouring in — the zoo received a Paycheck Protection Program loan that covered two months of payroll — the zoo still needs money to keep afloat through June.

A federal loan through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance is critical to the longterm success of the zoo. After technical hiccups on its first application, the Zoofari is still waiting on securing that loan since applying on March 31.

“Since our revenue is seasonal, each day we are closed, we are not earning money that will be saved for next winter,” Roer said. “Just getting by right now will mean that we may not get by in 9-12 months.”

Still, the animals are getting good care, she says. Roer’s veterinarian is making visits to the zoo and mask-wearing staff work in pairs to take care of animals.

Donations are still needed, Roer said. If the zoo does not pay its mortgage payments by June 1, the business could go back to its previous owner. So far, a forbearance period lasts until June 1. Funds are also needed to pay for health benefits, insurance, utilities and veterinary care.

Photo via Roer’s Zoofari/Facebook

Only a few months after finding a permanent home in Tysons Corner Center, Traveling Players, a kids’ theater company in Tysons, is adapting to social distancing mandates caused by COVID-19.

Instead of temporarily shutting down its programming, the theater decided to go digital, according to a press release.

Though the upcoming shows, which included “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” have been postponed, the theater group is still hosting community activities.

“But just because performances have been postponed, it doesn’t mean that the fun has slowed down at Traveling Players Ensemble,” a press release said. “In keeping with the organization’s roots in the outdoors, they quickly began hosting weekly ‘campfire’ parties on Zoom to allow students, staffers and alumni to connect from all over the country.”

More information about the campfire parties can be found on Facebook.

Kids also have the opportunity to try out for the next set of productions put on by Traveling Players and take part in a virtual improv class.

The May Madness Improv program will take place every Wednesday in May, inviting kids along with their family members to create imaginary scenes, characters and storylines, the event page said. Registration is $60 for kids and $120 for a kid-parent pair.

“Students in grades 4-6 can play as a team with a parent or grandparent for some family fun, or kids in grades 6-12 can practice the fundamentals of short- and long-form improvisation,” the press release said.

For kids hoping to take part in future productions, auditions will take place on Saturday, May 2, through Zoom, the press release said. Parents can sign their kids up for a time slot online.

Along with the virtual get-togethers and tryouts, the organization previously hosted a digital spring break “acting intensive” from April 6-10 after hearing that kids were getting bored at home, according to the press release.

“Students in grades 6-12 met via Zoom for five hours a day over the course of a week,” the press release said.”In a lot of ways, Zoom class looked just like a studio class. The students would log on and get a chance to chat with their friends before classes started.”

As a non-profit, Traveling Players offers scholarships for families in need of assistance, its website said.

Photo via Traveling Players/Facebook