A group headquartered in Falls Church aims to get women “from the classroom to the board room” by offering developmental resources and networking opportunities.
With more than 1,000 members, the Women in Technology group (200 Little Falls Street) operates around the D.C. area and works with a large variety of age groups — including young girls and women at the height of their careers, according to its website.
“Our scope is to really network and support the advancement of women and girls in this specific area to enter STEM fields,” recently elected Board Member Cristine Gollayan said. “It’s for girls and women at any stage of their life.”
Gollayan’s own story with the group began around 2013 when she said she attended an event and eventually worked her way up the group’s leadership ladder.
Since then, she also served on the job fair committee board and was eventually elected into the WIT’s Board of Directors in 2018.
Gollayan currently works in Herndon as a senior manager for Sony’s Global Information Security team and said events hosted by WIT take place throughout the area, including Tysons — a central location for many of the organization’s volunteers.
WIT has several representatives, who happen to be women of color, on both its board of directors and the executive committee. But, the group doesn’t offer specific programs targeting women of color or transgender women.
Gollayan also said anyone who identifies as a woman is more than welcome to join.
“Anything we promote, we try to ensure that diversity and inclusion is an important piece,” she said.
Two of Gollayan’s favorite events include the leadership awards ceremony and STEM for Her Gala, which Gollayan also said she helps to plan, because the women at both of the events are “so poised and ready to rock and rule the world,” she said.
Other events run by the group include two seasonal job fairs a year, the Leadership Foundry and Girls in Technology. A full list of offerings can be found online.
For example, the Leadership Foundry is a nine-month-long program that teaches women to run board meetings and take on positions of power within their own companies. So far, 20 alumnae from the program have ended up on boards within a corporation, according to Gollayan.
Meanwhile, Girls in Technology is a subgroup within WIT that targets young girls considering careers in STEM.
The CyberPatriot Girls is a program through Girls in Technology that takes 6th-12th-grade girls and challenges them to participate in a “fast-paced and high-pressure” simulation that resembles a mock cyber-attack, according to Gollayan. It is hosted in partnership with the Air Force and the University of Maryland. In the activity, girls form teams and are expected to “protect national infrastructure” while learning technical skills, she said.
For people interested in the group, the next upcoming event, WIT.Connect, is coming up.
On Feb. 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., people will gather at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) to network and learn about upcoming technological trends in healthcare. Attendees will have the chance to hear from speakers and WIT members.
Registration is $45 for WIT members or $55 for non-members.
Photo courtesy Cristine Gollayan
The Tysons area is projected to have more than 50,000 new residents in 25 years.
Released in December, Fairfax County’s demographics report highlights current and past estimates, along with projections for future population growth.
Fairfax County is projected to have roughly 1.4 million residents by 2045 — about 240,000 more residents than in 2019.
Broken down by district, the data in the report that is mentioned below came from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget, according to the report.
The Providence District encompasses Tysons, Merrifield, Oakton and the area between the eastern border of the Town of Vienna and the western border of the City of Falls Church.
Providence District’s population is expected to spike the most of the county’s nine districts in 25 years, with roughly 57,000 more residents expected in 2045 than in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Hunter Mill District, which includes the Town of Vienna and Reston, is projected to welcome 56,000 new residents. (Stats for the Town of Vienna expect the population to increase by 191 residents.)
Other districts, like Sully, Mount Vernon and Mason, are projected to have an increase of roughly 20,000 residents, while the Braddock and Springfield districts are expected to see less than 10,000 new residents.
While the Tysons area is expected to have the biggest population increase, a Fairfax County press release noted that the data in the report shows that population growth overall is slowing down.
“While our population continues to increase, it’s at a slower rate than before, mirroring national trends as there are fewer births and more deaths nationwide,” the press release said. “Since the 2010 Census, Fairfax County’s population grew at 6.4% compared to Virginia’s 8% growth rate.”
Image (1) via Fairfax County, chart data via Fairfax County
Updated at 10:55 a.m. — The fire department tweeted that the fire was out by 10:53 a.m. “No reported injuries at this time,” the tweet said.
Earlier: Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire that broke out in a house just north of Wolf Trap this morning (Monday).
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue tweeted about the fire in the 9400 block of Shouse Drive shortly after 10:30 a.m.
“Smoke showing from [the] front,” the tweet said. “Crews working to extinguish [the] fire.”
UPDATE from house fire in 9400 block of Shouse Drive: fire is out. No reported injuries at this time. Majority of units returning to service. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty https://t.co/St5b4S5Qqd
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 27, 2020
Map via Google Maps
Fairfax County wants to give commuters another way to access the McLean Metro station in Tysons.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on a funding application that seeks to add a new entrance to the Metro stop.
The county is looking for $1 million to add a new entrance on the north side of the station to make it easier for pedestrians coming from Scotts Crossing Road and the Capital One campus.
“The increase in the number of residential dwelling units in the area presents an opportunity to capture commuters that would otherwise drive single-occupancy vehicles on the Dulles Connector Road and 1-66 Inside the Beltway in efforts to reach Arlington and downtown D.C,” according to county documents.
Ridership at the McLean Metro station has continued to rise, according to stats from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC).
Compared to the four stations in Tysons, the McLean station saw the largest spike in ridership from April-June, rising 25% over the last year, followed by the Greensboro Metro station at 18%.
Ridership at the McLean station has now gone up dramatically for 3 quarters in a row: first by 18.6%, then 20.6% and now 25%.
Kudos to @CapitalOne & @MITREcorp #sustainability #transit #TOD #greencommute— Tysons Partnership (@tysonspartners) September 26, 2019
The Metro entrance proposal is one of three project submissions to NVTC that the board is set to consider endorsing tomorrow (Tuesday) for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 I-66 Inside the Beltway Commuter Choice Program.
The two other proposed projects include:
- $8.6 million for a new bus route from Reston to Arlington and bicycle and pedestrian improvements around Reston
- $500,000 for fare buy down on Express Route 599, since the current $7.50 express fare is higher than the $4.25 fare on other Fairfax Connector express bus routes
In total, Fairfax County is requesting roughly 10 million from NVTC. County staff recommends that the McLean Metro station project be the top priority, according to county documents.
Map via Google Maps
No more shucking oysters at Brine in the Mosaic District — the restaurant closed earlier this month.
“Unfortunately, Brine Restaurant is closing its doors,” according to a Facebook post on Jan. 15. According to another post, the restaurant served its last meal in early January.
Known for its oysters, the restaurant offered a raw bar, wood-fired grill and selection of Mid-Atlantic fare ranging from seafood to meat.
Travis Croxton, the co-owner of Rappahannock River Oysters, LLC, ran the restaurant, which featured oysters from the oyster farming company, according to the restaurant’s website.
The restaurant (2985 District Ave, Suite 120) was open for five years, the Facebook post said.
Image via Google Maps, photo via Brine/Facebook
Hat tip to Dalia P.
Tysons may not have the liveliest nightlife at the moment, but that could soon change as more late-night restaurants and places to hang out open. “Tysons After Dark” will highlight a different spot every week.
Tysons has several gyms and fitness studios are people looking for places to exercise indoors.
Tysons Reporter did some research on gyms and fitness studios in the area and separated them into Tysons’ eight neighborhoods.
A few weeks ago, we looked at fitness options in Tysons West. This week, we’re profiling the ones in Tysons Central 7.
The newly opened F45 in The Boro offers a variety of classes: cardio every Monday, Wednesday and Friday; strength and resistance training on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; and mixed-exercise classes on Saturdays. While most of the classes appear to be in the morning, people can take some at 5:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. on certain weekdays.
For late-night gym-goers, Crunch Fitness is open until 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 10 p.m. on Fridays and until 8 p.m. on the weekends. In addition to traditional gym offerings, Crunch Fitness has ballet barre and cycling classes.
Tysons Sport and Health (8250 Greensboro Drive) offers group fitness classes like cycling and yoga, along with racquetball, a kids’ club and indoor and outdoor pools. The gym is open from 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fridays, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays and from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays.
The Bar Method Tysons Corner (2070 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 185) is a boutique fitness studio that has two workout stations for barre and core exercise classes. People can choose between the Bar Method, Bar Advanced and Our Bar Move classes, which are 60 minutes, and the Bar Express class, which is 45 minutes. Classes are usually offered between 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays, between 8-11 a.m. on Saturdays and between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays.
While not a gym, EMP 180 Weight Loss (8397 Leesburg Pike) has one-on-one coaching to help people with nutrition and weight loss.
Photo via F45/Facebook
(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) The Falls Church City Council is set to discuss two bus projects that would better connect the Little City to surrounding jurisdictions.
Planning Director Paul Stoddard is set to give presentations on the third phase of the Envision Route 7 Bus Rapid Transit Project and the WMATA Bus Transportation Project.
Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVRC) is evaluating costs to run buses from the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons along Route 7 to the East Falls Church Metro station, before ending in Alexandria.
“Currently, the only corridor-long service is the 28A, which runs on 20-minute frequencies,” according to city documents. “Commonly 10- or 15-minute frequencies [are] considered the minimum for high-frequency transit.”
Falls Church staff are looking to get data on ridership estimates, turning movements, lane configurations and evaluate station locations to support planning for the rapid bus transit system.
The council is also set to provide feedback on WMATA’s bus project. The recently completed strategy and action plan are looking to change the D.C. area bus system for riders, providers and operators.
“Feedback is particularly needed on key elements that are applicable to the city and on coordination items to focus on during annual budget discussions, state of good operations service updates, and ad-hoc opportunities for transit service planning,” according to city documents.
The meeting is set to start at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall (300 Park Avenue).
Vienna police say that a crash late Saturday night (Jan. 18) caused a power outage.
Police said that a vehicle traveling northbound in the 500 block of Hillcrest Drive ran off the road and struck a utility pole, causing it to collapse on top of the vehicle along with the power lines.
The incident happened around 10:30 p.m.
“The three occupants fled the scene before officers arrived,” police said. “The power company responded immediately to shut off the power and make repairs.”
After a search, police said they found the 21-year-old driver from Reston. He was released on his signature.
Shortly after midnight, police say that a drunk man in the 600 block of Hillcrest Drive was disrupting police investigating the hit-and-run.
“Upon the officers’ interaction with the man, they detected signs of impairment,” police said.
Police charged the man, a 23-year-old from Chantilly, with being drunk in public, and he was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
In a separate incident, a Vienna resident told the police that a stranger hacked his Snapchat account last Thursday (Jan. 16) and used his identity to solicit money from one of his friends, police say.
Photo via Facebook
Plans to turn a previously approved mixed-use development into a Sunrise Senior Living Facility are set to head to the Vienna Town Council next week.
Sunrise wants to open an assisted living facility at 380 Maple Avenue — the site of an approved redevelopment for multi-family condos — after the Vienna Town Council killed plans last year for a Sunrise facility farther up Maple Avenue.
The former plans for both projects faced backlash. Sunrise’s original plans for a site at the corner of Maple Avenue and Center Street received a myriad of concerns from residents and councilmembers over parking, retail space and the downtown location.
Meanwhile, residents questioned if the town had properly notified Fairfax County about the proposed rezoning (which it hadn’t) and raised safety concerns about the narrowing of Wade Hampton Drive for the condos at 380 Maple Avenue.
But with the two projects now looking to combine, Dennis Rice, the owner and developer at 380 Maple Avenue, has said that having the assisted living facility on his site could address neighbors’ lingering concerns.
The council will hold a public hearing on the plans on Monday night (Jan. 27). The meeting starts at 8 p.m. at Town Hall (127 S. Center Street).
Image via Town of Vienna
Two Orange Line Metro stations will be closed this weekend due to preparations for the upcoming summer shutdown, according to the WMATA website.
Both the Vienna and Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro stops will be closed on Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 25-26) to let crews prepare for the Summer Platform Improvement Project, the website said.
The summer project will include the addition of slip-resistant tiles, updated LED lighting, charging ports and lit handrails.
This weekend, travelers can expect buses to replace trains between the Vienna and West Falls Church stops.
Besides those two stops, the Metro is scheduled to run trains every 12 to 15 minutes.
The Silver Line will not be affected by the work this weekend and will run on a normal schedule, according to WMATA.
