Moments of cross-aisle praise are rare, but there was one in Tysons today (Friday).
Amid criticism of the state of national politics, in a speech at Fleming’s Steakhouse (1960 Chain Bridge Road), Sen. Mark Warner (D) took a moment to praise President Donald Trump for retaining funding for the Metro in his federal budget proposal.
“I was not pleased with President’s budget on a variety of items, but I was pleased — even though discretionary spending was cut — that it included $150 million for the Metro,” Warner said. “It’s very important that we retain that.”
Warner was in Tysons for the spring chairman’s luncheon with the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce to oversee the installation of the new board for the organization.
In some remarks after the installation, Warner spoke on a range of topics, from Facebook to the potential decline and fall of American capitalism.
Warner said regulation has been slow to keep up with companies like Facebook and Google, saying that in the face of the Russian interference through social media in the American elections it was time to take a look at more regulation.
“Today, 60 percent of Americans get all their news from Facebook and Google,” said Warner. “I wonder whether we need to start thinking about these platform companies as media. The content that comes to us across these platforms can be used to spread an enormous amount of lies. Facebook and Google have as much power as Standard Oil did at the beginning of the [20th century].”
Warner also noted that the way the military funded will have to evolve to face 21st century threats. Warner, the ranking member of the Committee on Intelligence, said that China and Russia spend less on their militaries than the United States but are investing more heavily in hacking.
“I worry we’re buying too much 20th century stuff when most of the conflict in the 21st century will be in cybersecurity, disinformation, and space,” said Warner. “Our peers are equal in those domains.”
More broadly, Warner reiterated earlier comments that American capitalism would have to evolve or face extinction.
“I don’t think modern American capitalism is working for our people,” Warner said. “It doesn’t mean you throw out the system, but it means we have to have an honest debate over what the economy that works for everyone looks like… If we don’t find an economy that gives people a fair shot, we’re going to end up with unease and people who will give up on the system.”
A resident called Vienna police to turn in a firearm last week, but the gun turned out to be a starter pistol.
The call went out Friday, March 22, shortly after noon, according to this week’s Vienna Police Department crime report, which details even the most minor police actions in the town.
According to the report, a resident on Woodland Court, NW turned in the starter pistol, which fires blanks to mark the start of races, and police will destroy the gun per the resident’s wishes. Accepting unwanted firearms is a common service provided by local police departments, including in Fairfax County.
Elsewhere in Vienna, this week’s crime report includes a case of a Lewis Street, NW resident who “reported a continuous problem with people banging loudly on the doors and windows of their home and running away,” and an incident on Glyndon Street, NE in which “a resident was walking her dog in the park when another dog in the park escaped its owner’s grasp and knocked over both the resident and her dog.”
Photo via Facebook
The Washington Revels, a musical group from Silver Spring, is planning a concert in McLean this weekend for a second annual celebration of a local church’s history.
Tomorrow (Saturday), the group is planned to hold a performance in the Historic Pleasant Grove Church at 8641 Lewinsville Road in McLean from 3-5 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.
The church was established in 1896 by the descendants of freed slaves. Services at the church were discontinued in 1968, but today the site holds a museum and hosts several public events.
According to the group’s website, the performance will feature traditional music from African American congregations in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
The program is planned to open with a short presentation on the history of the church and the surrounding area, with refreshments and a social hour after the show.
Photo via Facebook
Tysons-based startup hatch I.T. recently launched a new service to help other local startups scale up their projects.
Hatch I.T. is a local firm that helps other technology-centered startups find and recruit talent, which may become increasingly difficult locally with Amazon coming to town. Their new product, Scale, aims to help those startups moving beyond that garage-workshop phase figure out how to expand.
According to the product website:
Scaling your engineering team can be a daunting task for any company, especially startups and small businesses. With limited resources & budget constraints paired with a tight job market, many startups find themselves falling behind in the race for talent. The age-old recruiting options that may work for a Fortune 500 do not always carry over to the startup ecosystem. That’s why ‘Scale by hatch I.T.’ is a custom recruiting model… geared for startups and growing small businesses.
A press release from the company said Scale functions as a subscription-based recruiting service, helping companies build their corporate teams faster.
Tim Winkler, CEO of hatch I.T., said the cost of Scale varies based on the size of the engagement, the number of openings, size of the startup and other factors. While Winkler would not quote specific rates, he did say that the company charges a fixed price on a bi-weekly retainer.
“The current recruiting landscape for startups is broken,” Winkler said in the press release. “When clients use Scale, they grow their staff more rapidly and with cost savings because their dedicated recruiting partner from hatch I.T. is with them all the way.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=AzcV0ifvwRM
Photo via hatch I.T.
Despite a large number of vacancies on Maple Avenue and some recent high profile closures, the Town of Vienna’s Finance Department says twice as many businesses are opening in the town compared to those closing.
Last year, 115 businesses opened and 65 closed, the finance department said, in response to an inquiry from Tysons Reporter.
It’s an optimistic note for a town that, economically, could really use a win.
Last year, Vienna’s commercial vacancy rate was 13 percent. Of the town’s 1,095 commercial properties, 138 were vacant and 68 were on Maple Avenue, according to InsideNova.
But it’s businesses off of Maple Avenue that are being hit the hardest by increasing rents and declining sales. Peggy James, executive director of the Vienna Business Association, said a combination of increasing rents and limited parking availability are making it hard for local businesses to stay afloat.
The Town is taking some steps to make commercial businesses in Vienna more viable, including a plan in the town budget to hire a full-time economic development consultant to focus specifically on ways to make life easier for businesses. Vienna is currently the only Northern Virginia locality without staff tasked specifically with economic development.
In the meantime, here’s a look at some of the more recent businesses to open in Vienna:
Tickets are now on sale for the 8th annual Taste of Vienna, a showcase of the town’s dining options hosted by the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (VVFD).
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at the VVFD (400 Center St. S). The event is planned to be held rain or shine.
Admission to the festival is free, with guests able to purchase food and drink there or via a variety of ticket packages that include tokens for drinks and a commemorative pint glass.
All proceeds from the event go to support the VVFD.
Photo via Facebook
The Town of Vienna is making a push to get locals to “solarize,” converting their homes and businesses to relying on solar energy.
On Tuesday, April 9, the town will host a meeting in partnership with Solarize NOVA, an outreach program founded in 2014 that vets contractors and establishes pre-negotiated contract terms to make the process easier for those looking to solarize.
The meeting’s goal is to help get those curious about solar energy learn more about the costs involved and next steps in the process.
There’s a handful of ways installing solar energy can help residents save money. Those who install solar panels are eligible for a federal tax credit. Fairfax County also offers a real estate tax exemption for five years for those who install solar panels.
In Virginia, residents can also meter excess energy generated by solar systems, receiving a credit on their electric bill at full retail rate for the energy produced by their panels.
This is the fifth year that Vienna has participated in the Solarize NOVA program, voting unanimously in January continue working with the initiative.
According to the program’s website, since 2014, Solarize NOVA has facilitated installation of 263 solar energy systems, saving 1,969 tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted and 1,954,180 pounds of coal from being burned.
The program also offers free site assessments for solar power and free inspections for energy use.
Photo via Facebook
(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) Traffic in the Tysons and McLean areas is extraordinarily heavy due to the tanker truck crash on the Beltway.
With the Inner Loop completely blocked before the American Legion Bridge — and the closure and hazmat cleanup expected to continue for hours — traffic is spilling onto other local arteries and bridges.
(As of 3:45 p.m., a single lane of the Inner Loop had been temporarily opened to allow some traffic through.)
A solid line of very heavy traffic has been reported on eastbound Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) from downtown McLean to Chain Bridge, which is also jammed. Arlington County Police have been called to the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and N. Glebe Road to assist with gridlocked traffic.
Elsewhere in McLean, Route 193 (Georgetown Pike) is a virtual parking lot between the Beltway and Route 123. The northbound GW Parkway exit to the Inner Loop is closed, following an earlier, complete closure from Route 123 to the Beltway. And in Arlington, police are responding to reports of very heavy traffic in Rosslyn approaching the Key Bridge.
The Inner Loop itself, meanwhile, is a solid line of slow-to-stopped traffic from Merrifield to the crash scene. VDOT is advising motorists to avoid it altogether.
Folks, do not attempt to get on the Inner Loop at this time. Period. And if a responder is behind you, find a way to move. Period. Your National Capital Region responders are amazing, but they need to get there in order to help. https://t.co/PljWNJgC2L
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
Virginia State Police say they’ve deployed additional resources to the area to help with traffic control. Drivers should “plan ahead for detours and delays,” VSP said in a press release, which notes that charges are pending in connection to the crash.
At 1:52 p.m. Thursday (March 28), Virginia State Police responded to a crash involving an overturned tanker truck. The crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-495 at the American Legion Bridge. Another vehicle struck the tanker truck as it overturned in the roadway. Neither the driver of the truck nor other vehicle was injured.
The tanker is loaded with approximately 8,500 gallons of fuel, which must be unloaded/pumped into another tanker before the overturned vehicle can be brought upright and removed from the scene.
Additional Virginia State Police resources have responded to the scene and manage traffic control. VSP is working with VDOT, U.S. Park Police, and Fairfax County Police to detour and redirect travel throughout the area. Motorists are advised to avoid the Inner Loop, northbound I-495 Express Lanes and the northbound lanes of the American Legion Bridge through evening rush hour.
The crash remains under investigation. Charges are pending.
More via social media:
This is a first for us (and a career highlight)— we’re enroute with 2 of our Incident Management Coordinators (1 is already there) to the overturned tanker at the AL Bridge with two of our spill support trailers. Let’s talk about Traffic Incident Management! pic.twitter.com/fkVxHtKhHq
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
INCIDENT: Traffic Delays
LOCATION: National Capital Region
IMPACT: A major accident has occurred NB I495 at the American Legion Bridge in Fairfax County. Expect delays and heavy traffic in the region throughout rush hour. pic.twitter.com/OO0E2gWp3e— Arlington Alert (@ArlingtonAlert) March 28, 2019
Update at 3:55 p.m. — Tow crews are on scene and one far left lane is now temporarily squeezing by the crash, but VDOT says it will soon completely close the highway again. The closure, which is expected to last throughout the rush hour, is causing serious traffic issues across the area.
The Inner Loop of the Beltway is closed for an extended period of time due to a truck crash prior to the American Legion Bridge.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue say the tanker truck, which overturned on northbound I-495 near the Great Falls exit, is “actively leaking” 8,500 gallons of hazardous fluid, initially reported to be fuel.
Hazmat crews are “aggressively” working to contain the leak, but the Inner Loop is expected to remain closed for at least two hours and possibly longer, well into the evening rush hour.
Only one minor injury was reported.
The crash was caught on a dashcam, per a video posted on social media.
https://twitter.com/LAMillennium/status/1111345425087385601
More from social media:
UPDATE HAZ MAT incident: tanker contains 8500 gallons of product and is activitely leaking. Crews are working aggressively to contain the product and stabilize the incident. #FCFRD https://t.co/jKui9rMAH4
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 28, 2019
Update: ALL Inner Loop lanes are now closed at the American Legion Bridge. Pls use an alternate route. https://t.co/O13MnmKihO
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
Multiple vehicles involved, across all five lanes of the inner loop at the Legion Bridge, the tanker truck cab is over the jersey wall, northbound 495 is CLOSED #breakingnews #mdtraffic #vatraffic @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/FbONV99KoX
— ʙʀᴀᴅ ꜰʀᴇɪᴛᴀꜱ (@Chopper4Brad) March 28, 2019
The left lane of the Inner Loop is only temporarily open in order to flush the queue through. Pls assume the American Legion bridge will be closed thru rush hour. Plan accordingly! pic.twitter.com/6wOmMbYmuH
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 28, 2019
UPDATE HAZ MAT incident I495 NB. Driver of the truck not injured. One minor injury from one of cars. #FCFRD #traffic pic.twitter.com/kTLUzFuioY
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) March 28, 2019
After some delays, Virginia Tire and Auto, at 141 Maple Ave in Vienna, is finally open for business.
The shop opened today (Thursday) and while an employee said he wasn’t aware of any grand opening celebrations planned, the store is currently in the middle of a hiring fair.
The employee said the store is looking for people to fill a variety of vacancies, from sales to technicians, and one general service manager position. The fair run until the business closes at 6 p.m. today.
While the store looks to add more people to the crew, the facility is currently operational. The shop has already had a few cars dropped off for repairs and the employee said the first oil checks and tire changes are starting today.
