Updated at 4:10 p.m. — All Fairfax County public schools will be closed through school break until April 10, FCPS announced today (Friday).
While the staff development day scheduled for Monday, March 16, is postponed, school offices and central offices will be open that day to let students and staff get their things.
“We will promote digital and online resources to FCPS students that will help student learning continue,” FCPS said. “This work will not be required nor graded. Additionally, FCPS cable channels with learning activities are now available.”
Food distribution will also continue throughout the closures, FCPS said.
Earlier: Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed for two weeks as the state scrambles to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The move was mandated by Gov. Ralph Northam for all state schools earlier this afternoon. Northam ordered all K-12 schools in Virginia to close for a minimum of two weeks in response to the spread to the respiratory disease.
A spokesperson for FCPS said that more details on the closure are forthcoming, Reston Now reported.
As of Friday afternoon, Virginia has 30 cases of coronavirus with six in Fairfax County, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Test results have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.
Here’s more from Northam’s office:
“We are taking this action to keep Virginians as safe and healthy as possible, and to minimize exposure to COVID-19,” said Governor Northam.
“I recognize this will pose a hardship on many families, but closing our schools for two weeks will not only give our staff time to clean and disinfect school facilities, it will help slow the spread of this virus. This is a fluid and fast-changing situation. We will do everything possible to ensure that students who rely on school nutrition programs continue to have access to meals, and that the disruption to academics is as minimal as possible.”
Virginia Department of Education officials are working closely with school divisions and the Department of Social Services to ensure students who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs are able to access those programs while schools are closed.
The Department of Education will issue guidance and memos to superintendents across the Commonwealth to provide specifics about the continuity of education, school nutrition, and updated public health guidelines.
Alexandria, the City of Falls Church and Arlington County announced places to remain closed beginning today (Friday) through spring break.
This story was written by Fatimah Waseem and appeared on our sister site Reston Now.
The Town of Vienna is gearing up for its election in a few months.
Recently, the filing deadline passed for people looking to run for the Town Council. Tysons Reporter has information below on who the candidates are, when debates are scheduled and how to ask questions.
Mayoral Candidates
Three councilmembers are vying for Mayor Laurie DiRocco’s seat.
DiRocco, who has been the town’s mayor since 2014, announced in December that she will not seek re-election.
Linda Colbert has been on the council since 2014 and has previously served on the Transportation Safety Commission and Hunter Mill Transportation Advisory Council, according to her town bio.
“I am running for Mayor of Vienna to advocate for Vienna residents, to preserve our neighborhoods, and to improve our commercial areas to create a more vibrant and economically viable main street that our residents will use with pride,” according to a statement on her Facebook page.
Pasha Majdi is running on a platform to “keep [Vienna] a small town.”
He was first elected to the council in 2014 after serving on the Town Business Liaison Committee, according to his town bio.
“Vienna should be an independent, green oasis that is a sharp contrast to Tysons, not a housing district for Tysons,” he said in his campaign announcement.
Howard Springsteen is also running on a platform to maintain the “small-town feel” of Vienna.
Springsteen was first elected to the Town Council in 2009 and has served on the Transportation Safety Commission for eight years, according to his town bio.
“I have a reputation for getting things done and focusing on residents’ concerns and issues,” Springsteen said. “I think Vienna should be determined by taxpaying residents and not non-tax paying developers.”
The terms for both Majdi and Colbert expire in June this year, while Springsteen’s term expires in June 2021.
Vienna Town Council Candidates
Depending on the mayoral election, either two or three council seats will be open.
Vienna Town Councilmember Douglas Noble, who has been on the council since 2016, plans to retire after his current term ends on June 30. (The terms for councilmembers Nisha Patel and Steve Potter expire in 2021.)
Voters will be able to pick no more than three of the seven candidates running to be councilmembers, according to the Fairfax County Department of Elections.
The candidates are:
- Chuck Anderson, a former member of Vienna’s Planning Commission
- Ray Brill, Jr., a former U.S. Air Force pilot, pastor, lawyer and congressional aide
- Roy Baldwin, an attorney who chairs Vienna’s Board of Architectural Review
- David Patariu, an attorney who is a member of Vienna’s Planning Commission
- Chris Wright, the vice president of sales at Datastrong
- Ed Somers, a member of Vienna’s Transportation Safety Commission
- Andrea Kristin Dahl
Meet the Candidates
Ahead of the election on May 5, several candidate forums will give locals opportunities to hear the candidates debate and answer questions from residents.
Unless canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus, here are the scheduled forums, according to the Vienna Business Association (VBA):
- NEVCA Candidates Forum: April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Community Center Auditorium
- NARFE Candidates Forum: April 14 at 1 p.m. at the Community Center Auditorium
- VBA Mayoral Forum: April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department
- Mayoral Forum: April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Cunningham Park Elementary School
Tysons Reporter will also reach out to the candidates for Q&As that will be published this spring ahead of the election.
If you have a question you would like the Tysons Reporter team to consider asking, please let us know in the comments below or on our social media pages.
Images via Town of Vienna
People impacted by the Orange Line closures this summer will have the option to use free shuttle buses.
Beginning May 27, the Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations will be closed through Sept. 7 (Reminder: On March 15, some or all of the parking options will be closed at the Metro stations in the Falls Church and Vienna area.)
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced today (Friday) the routes for the free buses that will replace trains at the affected stations.
Riders can use an online tool to find recommended travel alternatives.
While the Silver Line won’t be closed, WMATA officials have said that the stations from McLean to Wiehle-Reston East will also be affected.
The summer work will include updating slip-resistant tiles, LED lighting, adding new large digital displays and building new shelters on the platforms.
“West Falls Church Station will remain open and serve as the western terminus of the Orange Line,” according to Metro. “Trains will continue to pass through East Falls Church Station while it is closed to minimize service impacts outside the construction area.”
Map via WMATA
Two lawsuits against the Town of Vienna have been resolved now that Sunrise Senior Living’s plans are moving forward to occupy a different Maple Avenue location.
Steven Briglia, the town’s attorney, told the Town Council on Monday (March 9) that “soon the ink will be dry on both.”
The first lawsuit involved a Vienna couple suing town officials for approving the rezoning for a mixed-use development at 380 Maple Avenue.
“The parties have agreed it can be dismissed with prejudice,” he said. “It has been removed from the court docket.”
The mixed-use development site is now being considered for a Sunrise Senior Living Facility.
After the Town Council killed Sunrise’s original plans to bring a facility at the corner of Maple Avenue and Center Street, Sunrise sued Vienna officials for $30 million.
Sunrise then proposed to take over the 380 Maple Avenue spot and its plans have been moving forward with the town.
Briglia said that on Friday (March 6) that the Sunrise has agreed to drop the case.
“They are very happy with locating to 380 [Maple Avenue] and to move forward on that,” he said, adding that the non-suit “will remove the cloud on that property.”
Happy Friday! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Inova Announced New Hospital Visitor Policy — “Inova Health System announced changes… effective at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 12. The health system changed the policy ‘to protect the health and safety of our patients, their families and staff from the spread of COVID-19.’ The restrictions apply even to visitors who are healthy.” [Patch]
Vienna Officials Praise Low Rate for Bond Sale — “Vienna officials on March 10 issued $34.5 million in general-obligation bonds that will pay for public improvements, including a new police station. The town accepted an interest-rate bid of 1.86 percent from J.P. Morgan Securities, as well as a $3.1 million premium, which is a bonus offered by the investment firm to the town.” [Inside NoVa]
Little League Suspend Activities — The McLean Little League is suspending all activities, while the Vienna Little League “has suspended all activities through April 6, 2020.” [Twitter, Facebook]
Immigrants Contribute Billions to NoVa Economy — “A new report on the impact of immigrants in Northern Virginia found they are injecting $57.7 billion into the local economy — accounting for more than a quarter of the region’s $224.9 billion gross domestic product.” [Inside NoVa]
There is no higher priority than the health and wellness of our guests, employees, retailers, and communities. That’s why we are monitoring the current situation of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and taking protective actions. To learn more, visit https://t.co/Wup8vbctAP
— Tysons Corner Center (@ShopTysons) March 10, 2020
Updated at 8:45 a.m. — FCPS schools will be closed today (Friday). Late last night (Thursday), FCPS reversed its decision to keep schools open on Friday.
All FCPS schools will be closed Friday, March 13, 2020.
School offices and central offices will open on time with an unscheduled leave policy in effect for 12-month employees. (Condition 2). More details to follow.— Fairfax Schools 🌟 (@fcpsnews) March 13, 2020
The SAT scheduled for FCPS locations on 3/14 has been cancelled. Students registered to test will receive information from @CollegeBoard. Given high volume of closures, communication from College Board and options for rescheduling will likely be delayed.
— Fairfax Schools 🌟 (@fcpsnews) March 13, 2020
More from FCPS:
School offices and central offices will open on time with an unscheduled leave policy in effect for 12-month employees. (Condition 2). The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:
- extracurricular activities
- interscholastic contests
- team practices
- field trips
- middle school after-school programs
- professional learning and training courses
- adult and community education classes
- recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
School age child care (SACC) centers are closed.
Monday, March 16, will remain a student holiday/staff development day to allow our classroom teachers to prepare for the possibility of distance learning.
Earlier: Fairfax County Public Schools plan to be open Friday, but will give students Monday off so staff can prepare for distance learning due to the recent spread of the coronavirus.
At a press conference today (Thursday) with Fairfax County officials, Superintendent Scott Brabrand said that the public schools are staying open because there is no evidence of “community spread” with the virus from health officials.
“FCPS takes very seriously the COVID-19 challenges that are before the community today,” Brabrand said, adding the school system is “working very closely” to monitor the virus with local public health officials.
The school system is under growing pressure to close its schools due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
“We woke up to have a neighboring school division close,” he said, referring to Loudoun County’s announcement that it will close its schools through March 20.
FCPS announced earlier this week that there is a plan with different scenarios for school closures. FCPS will also have free digital learning and citizenship events on Wednesday (March 18) at Kilmer Middle School and South Lakes High School.
“If we were to have a positive response, we would make a decision to close that school or schools were that was to happen,” he said today.
Brabrand added that the schools are undergoing “deep cleans” with a protocol confirmed by medical officials that “kills viruses, including COVID-19.”
As of 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health says that there are 17 cases in the state, with Fairfax County having the most.
Two new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 were announced earlier today in the county, bringing Fairfax County’s known count of coronavirus patients to four.
Also earlier today, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Virginia.
“This is a very serious matter,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said at the press conference. “We must accept this is a changing situation hourly.”
McKay said that Fairfax County is “well prepared” and looking to phase-in additional telework and remote work options for county employees.
While county buildings will remain open, McKay urged people to do transactions online if possible.
Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, the director for Fairfax Health, said the risk for the general public in Fairfax County is low.
FCPS announced after the press conference that all extracurricular activities, interscholastic contests, field trips, after-school programs, community use activities conducted by groups not affiliated with FCPS are canceled from March 14-April 12.
“SACC centers will remain open,” FCPS said. “We will share with you updates about today’s decisions by March 31.”
FCPS said it a review is underway for the food service and food handling procedures and that several parent-teacher associations are canceling school-based events “due to anticipated low turnout.”
Image via Fairfax County
Updated at 7:45 p.m. — Updated to reflect that Texas Jack’s Ranch and Texas Jack’s Barbecue are separate restaurants that are not affiliated.
Texas Jack’s Ranch is looking to open near the Greensboro Metro station this fall.
The restaurant will come to the Lumen apartment building (1755 Tysons Central Street), according to a press release.
Diners can expect the restaurant to “blend the best traditions from Central Texas and the rustic regions of Italy.”
The owner of Texas Jack’s Ranch is Steve Roberts, who is also involved in Texas Jack’s Barbecue in Arlington along with Paul Capetanakis. Capetanakis told Tysons Reporter that the two restaurants are not affiliated.
Texas Jack’s Ranch will occupy a 9,200-square-foot space “with 23-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a fully-heated patio,” along with a brick oven and two full bars, the press release said.
Updated at 5:15 p.m. — Includes more information from Scott Graham.
An employee at an office building along Leesburg Pike in Tysons has tested positive for coronavirus, Lerner Enterprises said.
“We have learned that an individual who works in an office at 7799 Leesburg Pike has tested positive for COVID-19,” Lerner said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.
The real estate developer said that they have contacted Fairfax County’s health department. Lerner declined to provide information on the patient’s identity or their exposure due to privacy concerns.
“At this time, the building remains open and we have continued enhanced sanitation protocols,” the statement said. “We strongly encourage all individuals to follow the recommendations posted on the CDC’s website and in the attached fact sheet.”
Tysons Reporter reached out to the tenants in the building and will update this story if they respond.
Scott Graham, a spokesperson for the Mid-Atlantic region for M&T Bank, told Tysons Reporter that the coronavirus patient is not an employee at the branch, which occupies one floor of the building.
“We sent our employees home this morning as soon as we learned about the case,” Graham said. “The building — including our floor — is being thoroughly cleaned this afternoon, and we expect to be open for business Friday morning.”
Ashley Hopko contributed to this report
Image via Google Maps
The Fairfax County Planning Commission is delaying its decision on two mixed-use developments by the Spring Hill Metro station again.
Commissioner Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, who represents the Providence District, asked the commission last night (Wednesday) to push its vote on the proposed project to next month.
Niedzielski-Eichner said the postponement is to give more staff more time to review a resubmission and changes by the developer, Georgelas LLC.
The project is split into two parts — North Spring Hill Station and West Spring Hill Station — and would transform current car dealerships along the north side of Tyco Road into commercial and residential units.
Previously, the project has been held up over Fairfax County planners’ concerns that the West Spring Hill Station doesn’t fulfill the Tysons Comprehensive Plan.
The decision was previously postponed from December, when Niedzielski-Eichner said that the Georgelas LLC asked for more time on the application.
The project is now scheduled to go before the Planning Commission on April 22.
Images via Fairfax County
An upcoming digital town hall will give Tysons-area residents the chance to ask questions to Del. Marcus Simon (D-53rd District) and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
The event, which was previously set to be held at the Providence Community Center, will now be held as a Facebook Live event from 2-3:30 p.m. next Saturday (March 21).
Efforts to combat the coronavirus prompted the switch from an in-person meeting to an online event.
“We want to do our part to decrease the spread of COVID-19,” the event description said.
Online attendees will have the chance to ask about issues or topics around the area from the location of their choosing, according to the event page.
Topics of discussion are not pre-set, a spokesperson from Simon’s office told Tysons Reporter, adding that both Simon and Palchik will begin the meeting by giving a short address of what they think are important updates around the area.
All are welcome to attend the digital meeting, and the link will be accessible through the event’s Facebook page roughly a week before the meeting, the spokesperson said.
People unfamiliar with Facebook Live events can ask questions in real-time. Palchik and Simon will receive notifications when people submit a comment and will then be able to address questions.
For troubleshooting tips, people can check out Facebook’s website.
