New walkways are coming to McLean this year.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said in a newsletter that work on a rectangular rapid flash beacon at Chain Bridge Road and Wasp Lane is expected to be finished in March.

Then, a walkway will get constructed on the south side of Dolley Madison Blvd from the intersection of Great Falls Street and Lewinsville Road to the McLean Metro station. That work is slated to get done in April.

Other walkway projects expected to finish in April include, according to the newsletter:

• East side of Georgetown Pike — south of Colonial Farm Road and on the east side of Route 123 and Potomac School Road
• North side of Kirby Road from Birch Road to Corliss Court

Finally, a walkway coming to the south side of Chesterbrook Road, spanning from Chesterford Way to Maddux Lane, is set to get completed in August.

Map via Fairfax County

Welcome back from the long weekend! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:

Calling All Candidates — “The McLean Community Center, funded by the Dranesville Small District 1A tax district, is set to begin the election process for the 2020-2021 governing board. Candidate petition packets will be available at the center beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21.” [Patch]

Vienna-Based Hair Salon Chain Cutting Some Spots — The parent company of Hair Cuttery, Bubbles and other salon chains will close more than 80 locations around the country, starting in late January. The Ratner Cos., based in Vienna, said it will close 10% of its 844 stores.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Fire Marshal in Falls Church — With Tom Polera’s retirement, the City of Falls Church announced the new fire marshal and emergency management coordinator. [Falls Church News-Press]

4th Annual MLK March Sees Civil Rights Activist Speak https://t.co/ud0jnLgGlc pic.twitter.com/T8x81FxS59

— Falls Church News-Press (@fcnp) January 20, 2020

You asked, we have answers: One reader asked when Newport Academy withdraw its appeal of the Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson’s determination that the Davidson Road properties could be a congregate living facility. The answer, according to the Board of Zoning Appeals staff? “Awhile ago.” The staff that Tysons Reporter spoke to were not able to provide the date or month.

Sneak Peek: How would you splurge during a weekend in Tysons? We asked readers in a poll last week and this week, expect a story about people’s how to ball out for a vacation/staycation in Tysons.

Have a great Tuesday and look out for Morning Notes again on Friday.

Stationery company Papyrus is reportedly closing all of its stores nationwide — including the one at Tysons Corner Center.

An employee at the Tysons store told Tysons Reporter yesterday (Monday) that a closing date has not been determined yet. The current plan is to keep the store open until all of the inventory is sold, the employee said.

Shoppers can find the store on the second level near The Plaza entrance.

Retail Dive reported that the closures come on the heels of liquidation sales that are underway.

Photo via Papyrus/Facebook

Updated 1/20 — Corrects the hours for Caboose Brewing’s locations in Vienna and Merrifield.

With the shake-up of breweries and nightlife in Tysons, people are seeking new places to go for a beer with friends or colleagues.

Though Tysons Biergarten closed in November, there are several upcoming spots that opened in the last few weeks or are preparing to open. Tysons Reporter compiled a list of local breweries and bars around the area that people can check out if they want to grab some beer.

Tysons

Whole Foods recently became the epicenter of The Boro with its High Point pub. Open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week, the location caters to lunchtime and happy hour crowds.

The pub offers a full range of drinks, including cocktails, wines and also more than 16 local brews from around Virginia.

Located in Tysons Corner Center, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (7861 Tysons Corner Center) brews its beers on-site and even offers a view of its brewing facilities and brewery tours. It is open daily from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Watering hole Tysons Social in the DoubleTree Tysons (1960 Chain Bridge Road) offers local craft brews. The tavern is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Xtreme Wings and Bar (8119 Watson Street) has specials and events for people looking for something to do while they enjoy a beer. It offers karaoke on Tuesday and Saturday nights, according to the website, which added the location is open from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. seven days a week.

A self-proclaimed pour house, City Works (1640 N. Capital One Drive) has around 90 locally crafted beers on tap. A full list can be found on the bar’s website but there are brews likely to appease even the pickiest beer snob. City Works is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Falls Church

The Casual Pint in Falls Church (6410 Arlington Blvd) opened earlier this week and offers dozens of various Virginia based brews. Locally owned and operated by Darren McClure, guests can enjoy the low-key atmosphere, which includes wooden tables and a colorful draft list. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. (2822 Fallfax Drive) is a Nano brewery, which brews beers from IPAs to kolschs. People can find a taco stand inside along with indoor and outdoor seating. Hours vary each day of the week but can be found on the location’s website.

Audacious Aleworks Brewery and Taproom (110 E. Fairfax Street) specializes in small-batch ales. The taproom in downtown Falls Church has up to 20 beers on tap at any given time along with free popcorn and board games.

Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court) has a well-regarded bar above the store, serving wine, beer and food, while offering growler fills to go.

It is open Monday through Thursday 4 until 9 p.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. until 12 a.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. until 12 a.m. and Sunday from 12 to 8 p.m.

Merrifield and Vienna

Sweetwater Tavern (3066 Gate House Plaza) has a microbrewery is located in Merrifield where visitors can find hand-crafted brews and lunch and dinner menus. Hours of operation are different each day of the week and can be found online.

Caboose Common (520 NE Mill Street) in Merrifield has tons of open seating for people to enjoy drafts brewed on-site. The industrial-style setting is multi-functional and allows people to use the location as a co-working space during the day and as an after-work hangout spot.

The location is open Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays until midnight.

Caboose also has a brewpub called Caboose Tavern in Vienna (520 Mill Street NE) off of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. Caboose Tavern is open from 4-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, from noon to 10:30 p.m. on Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Coming Soon

The owners of Tysons Biergarten closed the previous location in anticipation of The Shipgarten at Scotts Run, which will include a beer hall. It will likely open in the spring.

Solace Outpost is looking to start brewing its own beer in the former space of Mad Fox in Falls Church in May.

Photo via Giovanna Gomes on Unsplash

Catherine Douglas Moran contributed reporting

An almost-barren Lord and Taylor is closing this weekend at Tysons Corner Center.

The store was pretty empty when Tysons Reporter stopped by earlier today. It looked like about less than a quarter of the merchandise remained.

Sunday is the last day that the store plans to be open, according to an employee.

No word yet on how Tysons Corner Center plans to use the soon-to-be-vacant space.

Story reported by Ashley Hopko and written by Catherine Douglas Moran

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, saying that snow, sleet, ice and freezing rain are likely to hit Fairfax County and surrounding areas tomorrow.

The advisory is set to go into effect from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 18).

Snow and sleet is expected to total 1 inch, while ice could accumulate up to 1/10 of an inch., NWS says.

More from NWS:

* WHAT…Snow, sleet and freezing rain expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch.

* WHERE…Portions of central Maryland, northern and northwest Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

* WHEN…From 7 AM to 7 PM EST Saturday. Precipitation will begin as snow before transitioning to sleet and freezing rain. Precipitation will change to rain late in the day.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions.

NWS recommends that people stay cautious of ice when walking outside and that drivers slow down.

Vienna police say a resident is concerned that wannabe dog owners are barking up the wrong tree for their puppy pick-ups.

“A resident advised that on two separate occasions, people have arrived at his residence to collect a puppy they have purchased,” Vienna police say. “The resident is concerned that scammers may be using his address while defrauding people.”

The incidents occurred between Jan. 8-12 in the 400 block of MacArthur Avenue NE.

In a separate incident, police say that someone spray-painted the playground equipment at the Tot Lot (Branch Road and Locust Street SE).

The vandalism occurred sometime between 10 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12, and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, police say.

Photo via Facebook

To celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., several places around the Tysons area will have free community events and service projects on Monday (Jan. 20).

From musical performances to parades to volunteering opportunities, here’s where to find MLK Day events:

Falls Church

The Falls Church City Council recently declared Monday, Jan. 20, this year to be an official day of service in the city.

The city is gearing up for volunteer projects that day, according to a press release. The activities include:

• city councilmembers, board members and commissioners plan to work at the Miller House, a home for adults with differing abilities
• the  Falls Church City elementary school community is invited to join Give Day, an event looking to raise $10,000  and collect food for Food for Others

On Give Day, elementary school families will be able to assemble ‘Power Packs’ filled with non-perishable food items that Food for Others distributes to for local students. The event is set to take place from 10 a.m.-noon at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 S. Oak Street).

The fourth annual march and commemorative program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights history plan to take place in the City of Falls Church on Monday.

The event starts at 10 a.m. with the march proceeding down Lee Hwy to Falls Church Episcopal (115 East Fairfax Street).

“Area service organizations will be at the church providing information about volunteer opportunities in our local communities,” according to the event description. “A commemoration program with a keynote speech by Joan Mulholland, a Freedom Rider and civil rights activist, will take place in the church at noon.”

McLean

A tribute at The Alden on Thursday, Jan. 30, will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. with performances by musician Damien Sneed, a graduate of Howard University, and the Howard University Choir as part of the “We Shall Overcome” tour.

“We Shall Overcome” will feature spoken word from King’s recorded speeches combined with a variety of African American music traditions.

“When I saw ‘We Shall Overcome’ last January, I knew I had to bring it to The Alden,” The Alden Performing Arts Director Sarah Schallern Treff said in a press release. “By the time I spoke with Mr. Sneed’s agents the following afternoon, Jan. 30 was the only available date.”

The event is set to start at 7 p.m. at 1234 Ingleside Ave. Tickets cost $45 for the public, $25 for seniors and students and $20 for McLean Community Center tax district residents.

Vienna

Several churches in the Vienna area are offering service projects on Monday, including the First Baptist Church of Vienna (450 Orchard St NW) and The Church of the Good Shepherd (2351 Hunter Mill Road).

People interested in finding more volunteer opportunities around the area can search the databases on the Corporation for National and Community Service website.

Photo by Brian Kraus/Unsplash

Monday (Jan. 20)  is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here’s where and when to expect closures or reduced schedules for government buildings and public transit options in the Tysons area.

Around Fairfax County, all governmental offices will be closed along with recycling centers,  the Department of Motor Vehicles and general district courts, according to the county website.

Fairfax County Public Schools will also be closed on Monday, giving kids a break from classes.

The Fairfax Connector will run on a holiday weekend schedule. Several routes will not run at all and route 980 will come every 12 to 15 minutes.

The Metro will start its service at 5 a.m. and close at 11:30 p.m., according to a press release, which added that off-peak fare will be in effect all day. Trains will operate on a Saturday schedule.

In Vienna, the Vienna Community Center (120 SE Cherry Street) will be open but running on a reduced schedule from 10 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. Town offices will be closed but waste collection will run on a regular schedule, according to Vienna’s website. 

In the City of Falls Church, the Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed and will reopen on Tuesday with normal hours from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m, according to the city’s website. The community center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., but all other government offices will be closed.

The planning commission meeting for Falls Church that was originally scheduled for Jan. 20 will be rescheduled to Tuesday (Jan. 21) at 7:30 p.m.

From 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. there will be road closures in the city due to a remembrance ceremony, according to a press release.

The press release said that this will include the temporary closures of several interactions including:

• S. Washington Street and Tinner Hill Road
• S. Washington Street and Hillwood Ave
• S. Washington Street and Annandale Road
• S. Washington Street and E Fairfax Street

Tysons Reporter will also be on a break Monday.

Happy Friday! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:

New Tenants in Tysons — Bisnow has a roundup of the new businesses that signed leases to come to Tysons. [Bisnow]

Metro Metrics Released — “People are returning to Metrorail but avoiding Metrobus, according to 2019 figures released Wednesday by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority suggest.” As for Metrorail, the fastest-growing stations were McLean, up 28%, and Greensboro, up 22%. [Washington Business Journal]

New Fitness Event in McLean — “The McLean Community Center is introducing a new event to help people work toward their goals. Be Fit McLean Health and Wellness Fair will happen from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18.” [Patch]

AJ Madison Showroom Opens in Tysons — “Michael Gross, Isaac Gross and Rabbi Chezzy Deitsch, together with a minyan of Chabad Tysons congregants, got together to open up a new premium appliance showroom.” [Connection Newspapers]

Temps well below freezing Sat A.M. will allow for smaller amounts of snow & freezing rain to have higher impact. Travel may be disrupted. Untreated roads/sidewalks may be icy. Watch the first steps out of your home, when many falls occur. Updates: https://t.co/DtvXcTe0Qk

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 17, 2020

Sneak Peek: Tysons Reporter plans to cover the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals’ public hearing for Newport Academy’s proposed treatment facility along Kurtz Road in McLean.

Weekend Send Off: Let Tysons Reporter know what your plans for the weekend are in the comments section.