EcoPlay, a new children’s playspace, is now open along Leesburg Pike in Tysons.

The children’s center held grand opening events over the weekend (Oct. 19-20). The indoor play area replaced the Performance Bicycle Shop’s space in Pike 7 Plaza.

EcoPlay originally planned to open in the summer, but experienced “minor construction delays,” according to a Facebook post.

According to the company’s Facebook:

EcoPlay provides children with an environment that sparks creativity and promotes learning through play. When designing the play space, we researched (and researched) to ensure that every toy, every surface and play area is non-toxic, BPA and PVC free, and made of plant-based materials.

Open playtime supervised by a parent or other responsible adult costs $20 per child, while supervised playtime with a drop-off option is $30.

Parents can also book the facility for private or semi-private party spaces for up to 25 children.

Photo via EcoPlay/Facebook

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Oct. 22)

• Beer School 101 — 6 to 8 p.m. at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (7861 Tysons Corner Center) — Gordon Biersch’s head brewer is hosting an event to teach attendees how to start the beer-making process. Light appetizers are included with the $10 admission price. Tickets are $10 and can be found online.

Wednesday (Oct. 23)

• Startup Social — 6 to 9 p.m. at Office Evolution (8609 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 110) — Aspiring entrepreneurs are welcome to come and learn more about how to start a business from a panel of business founders. Attendees should register online beforehand.

Thursday (Oct. 24)

• Lauren Liess Book Signing — 7-9 p.m. at Ballard Designs (8084 Tysons Corner Center) — The HGTV host of “Best House on the Block” will be at the mall signing her new book and talking about her inspiration. This event is free and there will be light appetizers and drinks.
• Falls Church City Council Election Debate — 7 p.m. at Falls Church American Legion Hall, Post 130 (400 N. Oak Street) — In this debate, the candidates for the upcoming Falls Church City Council will face-off and discuss topics surrounding the community. This event is free and open to the public.
• Kirby Road Community Meeting — 7 p.m. at Chesterbrook Elementary School (1753 Kirby Road) — This meeting will discuss the flood damage in the area and cover what is being done to fix it. This event is free and open to the public. 

Saturday (Oct. 26)

• Code and Coffee Meetup — 9 a.m. until 13:30 p.m. at NuAxis Innovations (8605 Westwood Center Drive) —  This monthly event will provide people a chance to enjoy snacks, coffee, free wifi and the company of other coders. It is free, but participants are encouraged to RSVP.
• Wellness Fair — 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Church of the Holy Comforter (543 Beulah Road NE) — This event is open to everyone and will give people the chance to enjoy keynote speakers, try yoga, hang out with therapy dogs, have lunch and play in a bounce house. Tickets are $12 per adult, $5 for kids or $25 for the whole family and can be purchased online.
• Pup-Tober Fest — 5-7:30 p.m. at Dogtopia (1524 Spring Hill Road) — This event invites pet owners to gather for an evening of deals, food, a raffle and treats. This event is free and open to the public.

Sunday (Oct. 27)

• Spooky Yoga — 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — This seasonal event invites all ages to try out a yoga class. Tickets are $25. Attendees must bring their own mat and costumes are welcome.

Ready for spooky season? Tysons Reporter also rounded up Halloween events.

Image via Facebook/Dogtopia

Candidates vying for the Providence and Dranesville district seats on the Fairfax County School Board debated a variety of issues — from guns to vaping — at local debates.

Two recent candidate debates hosted by the League of Women Voters-Fairfax Area gave community members a chance to hear from the school board candidates.

The audience questions varied drastically at the two debates — except for the issue of school safety and bullying of LGBTQ students.

Guns in Schools and Active Shooter Drills

Dranesville District candidate Ardavan Mobasheri and Providence District candidate Karl Frisch said that they are worried about excessive school safety procedures.

“Schools are becoming fortresses,” Mobasheri said.

Frisch said that active shooter drills are unnecessarily and cause harm. “I’m afraid we are traumatizing our kids,” Frisch said.

Frisch made a point that telling teachers to put black paper over windows and hiding in the corner is not an efficient measure during an active shooter situation.

Karl Frisch’s opponent, Andrea Bayer, agreed with him that drills are not effective. During the debate, Bayer said that many of the active shooter training drills are costly to the taxpayers and not backed by statistical evidence that shows they work.

“Let’s do the thinking before we invest tax dollars,” she said.

Frisch and Bayer suggested bulletproof glass in the classroom, more efficient teacher training and cameras monitoring the schools.

The other two Providence District candidates — Anastasia Karloutsos and Elaine Tholen — focused on school resource officers (SROs), agreeing that they should have guns.

Tholen said that SROs should be the only people in schools allowed to have guns, while Karloutsos said that guns should be expanded to SROs or retired police officers in elementary schools.

How to Address LGBTQ Bullying 

All of the candidates agreed that LGBTQ students should feel safe at school.

“We need to make sure every single student that walks through our doors feels protected,” Frisch said.

Bayer noted that “Fairfax County has always accommodated LGBTQ students.” She said that she’s never heard of any issues.

Tholen, a Providence District candidate, said that she wants to see more community schools, mentor programs and peer-to-peer programs. One of her opponents, Karloutsos, said that mental health counselors could help students struggling with bullying.

Providence District Candidate Debate

At the Providence District Candidate Forum last Wednesday (Oct. 16), popular topics for the school board candidates included vape pen and e-cigarette use among kids, prayer in schools and retention. (Providence District School Board candidate Jung Byun did not attend the event.)

When it came to bus driver retention, Bayer said it’s low “because behavior is a major issue on the bus.”

“I don’t like driving my van. Why would I want to drive a school bus?” she said, adding that traffic leads to frustrated drivers.

Frisch said that bus drivers — and the rest of school staff — need higher wages.

The candidates sparred over how they would approach prayer and vaping in schools.

Frisch said that he supports expanding holidays for Muslim and Jewish kids because kids can lose out on education when they are forced to take off school days for religious holidays, while Bayer said that students have opportunities to practice whatever they want.

“Our schools are freedom of religion not freedom for religion,” Bayer said.

As for vaping, Bayer said that vaping is a parenting issue, while Frisch said he would use his platform, if elected, to educate students on vaping.

Dranesville District Candidates Spar Over Overcrowding, One Fairfax 

Meanwhile, at the forum for Dranesville District candidates last Thursday (Oct. 17), the candidates debated how to address overcrowding at McLean High School.

Karloutsos and Tholen agreed that the principal needs to be involved in the decision making.

While Tholen said that she is supportive of a boundary adjustment that would switch some McLean High School students to Langley High School as a short term solution, Mobasheri said he does not support the proposal.

“McLean [High School] needs an addition,” Mobasheri said, calling for a new high school in Tysons. “It is no longer suburbia.”

While only brought up briefly, One Fairfax — a joint social and racial equity policy of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board — was one of the most contentious topics of the night.

Karloutsos blasted it as a “big issue,” while Mobasheri called it the “21st-century rendition of the Bill of Rights.” (Tholen did not comment during that debate on One Fairfax.)

There were two topics that the three Dranesville District candidates all agreed on — students should be vaccinated and that restraint and seclusion should either be used when there is a threat of imminent danger or never at all.

The election is on Nov. 5.

Ashley Hopko and Catherine Douglas Moran contributed to this story.

Tonight, locals can find out more information about the status of the project to bring new sidewalks to Chesterbrook Road in McLean.

The work plans to stretch along the road from Chesterford Way to Maddux Lane.

“The project will include a new 5-foot wide sidewalk, curb and gutter along the south side of Chesterbrook Road, with storm sewer and water utility infrastructure improvements,” according to Fairfax County.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold the meeting tonight at Chesterbrook Elementary School (1753 Kirby Road) at 7 p.m.

The project is the latest of nearby sidewalk improvements in McLean.

Map via Google Maps

(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) Fairfax County police have identified the man who was fatally struck by a police cruiser along Route 50 in the Falls Church area yesterday.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday (Oct. 20), a police cruiser struck and killed 40-year-old Carlos Romeo Montoya near Arlington Blvd (Route 50) and Graham Road, police said.

“We do not have a current address at this time,” police said in a press release today. “Next of kin have been notified.”

More from FCPD:

A patrol officer who has more than four years of law enforcement experience and who is assigned to the Mason District Station was driving in a marked police cruiser in the area of Arlington Boulevard and Graham Road. The officer was responding to a call for service for disorderly subjects.

The marked police cruiser was proceeding through a green light eastbound on Arlington Boulevard approaching the intersection of Graham Road.

This intersection has a pedestrian crosswalk with a pedestrian signal for the crosswalk. The posted speed limit for Arlington Boulevard in that area is 45 miles per hour.

As the police cruiser proceeded through the intersection, an adult male was struck in the left travel lane of Arlington Boulevard by the cruiser. The location of impact was within the crosswalk as determined by the police cruiser in-car video.

The officer immediately stopped to render first aid and called for the Fire and Rescue Department. The pedestrian was transported to the hospital by rescue personnel and was pronounced deceased.

“The best information we have right now is that the officer did have a green list, was proceeding through the intersection and that the pedestrian was, unfortunately, crossing against the ‘Don’t walk’ sign,” Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. said during a press conference yesterday.

Montoya’s death marks the 14th pedestrian fatality in the county this year, according to police.

“This is an intersection that has a historical issue with pedestrian safety,” Roessler said at the press conference.

Cyclist and pedestrian advocates are urging people to attend a meeting tonight (Monday) about changes to Route 50.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is looking to get community feedback about a Route 50 study currently underway to identify potential safety and operational changes for Route 50 between Jaguar Trail and Wilson Blvd.

The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB) took to social media to urge people to attend the meeting.

Bruce Wright, a board member of FABB, said that the Graham Road and Route 50 intersection was identified in 2004 “as a big problem” for pedestrian safety and is “still very dangerous.”

Wright said that service roads along Route 50, the dense residential area nearby and high speed limit contribute to the safety factors at the intersection. Wright said he wants VDOT and the county to consider redesigning the intersection and lowering the speed limit.

“It is such an important corridor and yet it’s optimized for motorists,” Wright said.

FABB is working with local police to identify where bicycle crashes are happening, Wright said, adding that the group wants to work with VDOT as well.

The crash is currently under investigation and is working to determine the cruiser’s speed, the lighting conditions at the intersection and the condition of the pedestrian walk sign, along with a forensic medical examination, police said.

“The results of the investigation by the Crash Reconstruction Unit will be presented to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County,” the press release said.

Anyone with information about the crash can contact Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives at 703-280-0543.

“The involved officer was reassigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of our investigations by the Crash Reconstruction Unit and the Internal Affairs Bureau,” police said.

Map via Google Maps

Halloween is 10 days away and there are plenty of events around the Tysons area to help enthusiasts celebrate.

Tysons Reporter rounded up the spooky festivities, including community festivals and happy hour deals.

Tysons

At the Palladium’s (1524 Spring Hill Road) Halloween Costume Party, Eddie Attar, Morvarid and other guests will hit the stage for an evening of performances and live music. Admission is for people aged 21 and older and tickets are $40. This event will take place on Saturday (Oct. 26) from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m.

The Ritz Carlton ((1700 Tysons Blvd) is hosting a Halloween Tea on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $64 and costumes are encouraged.

There will be a Pumpkin Carving Class for kids on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 3-4 p.m. at Wildfire Steakhouse (2001 International Drive). Tickets are $20 per child.

From 4-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, TenPenh Tysons (7900 Westpark Drive) will host a Halloween Spooktacular happy hour with prizes for the best costume. Tickets are not required and this event is free and open to the public.

Tysons Corner Center will host a Malloween event from 3-5 p.m. on Halloween night (Thursday). The Fairfax County Police Department will be handing out candy on The Plaza and American Scream will be providing some spooky entertainment. Facepainting will be on-site and participating stores will be marked with a jack-o-lantern sticker in their window.

Also at the mall, Spirit Halloween is open for anyone in need of a Halloween costume or decorations. The store is open from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Sundays.

The American Scream Selfie Museum offers attendees the chance to take pictures with various Halloween themed displays. Admission is $20 and there are various time slots available until Nov. 3.

Vienna

The Vienna Halloween Parade will start at 7 p.m. along Maple Avenue on Wednesday (Oct. 23). This yearly event will celebrate its 73rd year anniversary and include a contest for the best band, float with music, youth performer, antique/classic vehicle, adult band, float without music and performer. This event is free and open to the public.

The Caboose Halloween Costume Contest at Caboose Tavern (520 Mill Street NE) will have prizes for people with the best outfits on Monday (Oct. 28). This event takes place from 4-9 p.m. All ages and dogs are welcome to attend. There will be a prize for the best adult, kid and dog costume.

Falls Church

The upcoming Halloween Carnival will give kids from preschool to fifth grade a chance to enjoy games, food, reptile demonstrations and face painting. It will take place at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street) on Friday, Oct. 25, from 3-6 p.m. Admission is $2 for kids over two years old.

McLean

Kids and their families are invited to a Trunk or Treat event from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church (1724 Chain Bridge Road). There will be games and treats available.

Merrifield

The Caboose Halloween Costume Contest will feature an extended happy hour at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) as well as prizes for people with the best outfits on Halloween night. This event takes place from 3:30-9 p.m. All ages and dogs are welcome to attend. There will be a prize for the best adult, kid and dog costume.

The Vienna Police Department also issued a set of tips to help people stay safe while celebrating Halloween.

Vienna police advise that drivers should expect extra pedestrian traffic and be on the look-out for kids in dark clothing, along with discouraging inexperienced drivers from being on the road.

For pedestrians and parents, the police suggest kids should wear brightly colored clothing or reflective materials, teach kids never to enter a stranger’s home, make sure everyone sticks together in groups and remain on well-lit paths and streets.

For people planning on taking the Metro, one Twitter user created a punny, Halloween-themed version of the map.

For no particular reason, I made a Halloweeny, pun-filled version of the @wmata metro map.

Get on at Pentagram City, get off at Fear-in-gut West for spooooooky brunch. pic.twitter.com/Egmm6JvsHv

— Paul Hostetler 🌻 (@phostetlerart) October 7, 2019

Swinks Mill Road Reopens in McLean — Severely damaged by flooding in July, the road at Scotts Run reopened Friday (Oct. 18). [VDOT/Twitter]

McLean Resident Retires From NVTC — “Northern Virginia Technology Council’s (NVTC) president and CEO Bobbie Kilberg is set to retire on June 30 after 22 years leading the organization.” [Technical.ly]

Pedestrian Killed Along Route 50 in Falls Church — “A police cruiser struck and killed a man who was crossing an intersection in West Falls Church, Virginia, early Sunday morning, police say.” [NBC4]

Home Catches Fire in Dunn Loring — Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 8100 block of Timber Valley Court in Dunn Loring area on Saturday. The fire is now out. “No reported injuries at this time.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]

How Walkable is Tysons? — Find out what it’s like to stroll around Tysons with a walkability researcher, who measured the noise levels and air quality. [Greater Greater Washington]

New Leader at McLean Private School — “BASIS Independent McLean, a preK to grade 12 private school in McLean, Va., recently named Paul Geise as its head of school. As a veteran educator with more than 40 years of experience, Geise excels in leadership of schools in the United States and United Kingdom, specializing in strategic plans and fostering student and community development in schools.” [Patch]

Marshall HS Students Visit Capital One HQ — “Members of Marshall High’s Latinos United Club took a field trip to Capital One’s headquarters in McLean to meet with their mentors. Students learned about the vast career opportunities in technology at Capital One and participated in various activities with the mentors including job shadowing, panel discussions, and a tour.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

USA Today May Phase Out Print Edition — “After a nearly 40-year run, USA Today and its digital sites are about to undergo a major restructuring that will include building up digital marketing while phasing out the print edition.” [Poynter]

Falls Church Receives High Bond Ratings — “For the second consecutive year, the city has earned the highest credit rating from all three major bond rating agencies.” [City of Falls Church]

Falls Church Polling Place Moved — “Due to delays in a renovation of the Falls Green apartments (formerly Oakwood), the City of Falls Church’s Ward 2 polling place has to be moved for the upcoming Nov. 5 election.” [Falls Church News-Press]

New Natural Health Center in Vienna — “The Health Improvement Center, a natural health care center, has moved to a new location in Vienna. The move to a larger space happened in August, while a ribbon-cutting is set for Nov. 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The new location is 407 Church Street NE Suite C.” [Patch]

(Updated 10/21/19) Firefighters extinguished a blaze that broke out in a McLean home this afternoon (Friday, Oct. 18) near the Charles Wesley United Methodist Church.

Firefighters from Fairfax and Arlington counties were dispatched to the fire in the 1700 block of Maxwell Court shortly after 4 p.m. today (Friday).

“Crews checking for extension,” according to a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue tweet. “One person being transported [to the hospital] with minor injuries.”

The one person who was home at the time of the fire sustained minor burns while trying to extinguish the fire, according to the fire department.

“The occupant was cooking on the stove when the oil ignited in the pan,” the fire department said in a press release. “The cause of the fire was the auto-ignition of cooking oil that spread to nearby combustibles.”

The fire department said that the person was displaced because of the accidental fire, which totaled roughly $123,750 worth of damages.

Units on scene of house fire in 1700 block of Maxwell Court in McLean area. Fire has been knocked down. Crews checking for extension. One person being transported with minor injuries. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/0Yprv8CvWb

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) October 18, 2019

Map via Google Maps

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.

Now that the Washington Nationals won the National League Championship Series, the D.C. baseball team heads to the World Series next week.

The Nats will face the winner of the American League Championship Series — between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees — in their first World Series since 1933.

Tysons Reporter found some places around the Tysons area offering specials for the World Series Games.

Taco Bamba spots in Falls Church (2190 Pimmit Drive) and Vienna (164 W. Maple Avenue) will feature the “Baby Shark Taco” for $4.50, according to a press release. The taco will include Venezuelan spiced fish “cazón” style with guacamole, green goddess-dressed cilantro and cabbage.

Meanwhile, pizza chain Matchbox will give diners wearing Nats gear on game days food and drinks at happy hour prices. Matchbox has a local spot in the Mosaic District at 2911 District Avenue, Suite 120.

As for watch parties, people can head to The Plaza outside Tysons Corner Center to view the first game of the World Series on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) plans to have watch parties for all of the World Series Games with the Nats.

Here are some watering holes in Tysons where locals can bring their Natitude to watch the games:

• City Works Eatery and Pour House (1640 Capital One Drive North): The self-described “beer geek” restaurant has 24 flat-screen TVs and 90 craft beers on tap.
• Greenhouse Bistro and Tea Lounge (2070 Chain Bridge Road): The restaurant has three unique spaces, including a sports bars.
• XTreme Wings and Sports Bar (8119 Watson Street): The bar serves up wings and pastas for diners to enjoy with the games.
• Tysons Social Tavern (1960 Chain Bridge Road): The sports bar with patio is located in the DoubleTree Tysons.
• BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse (8027 Leesburg Pike, Suite 100): The restaurant will have its regular happy hour specials during the games next week.
• Gordon Biersch (7861 Tysons Corner Center): Located in Tysons Corner Center, the restaurant has seven plasma televisions.

Photo via Taco Bamba/Facebook

A cyber tip led Vienna police to charge a 53-year-old Vienna man with more than 20 felonies after police say they discovered child pornography at his home.

The tip from the Northern Virginia/Washington DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said that a local internet account had uploaded child pornography videos, according to a Vienna police press release.

The Vienna Police Department investigated the tip, which brought them to a house in the 1200 block of Cottage Street SW.

“A search warrant was executed at the home, and several electronic storage devices were seized,” the press release said. “A forensic examination of the devices was completed and numerous files containing child pornography were uncovered.”

Police charged resident Charles Snow with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of unauthorized videotaping.

Snow is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

First photo via Facebook, second photo via Town of Vienna