Blesssed, a store specializing in high-end shoes, has moved from Fair Oaks Mall to Tysons Corner Center.
The store opened on Sept. 16 on the mall’s second level, next to the H&M. Prices range from the $200 Nike Air Max 98 Exotic Skin to items like the $5,000 Nike Air Yeezy 2 Solar Red.
Blesssed also appraises and buys items for resale.
“If you have product such as shoes, accessories or apparel that you want to sell and turn into cash, bring it to us and we will appraise it and determine what we can offer as a cash offer or as a shuffle credit towards anything available in-store,” says the store’s website.
Judy Smith, the crisis management expert whose career served as the inspiration for the hit TV show Scandal, has been added to the lineup for Social Media Week Fairfax.
The event, which was originally scheduled to take place on Sept. 14, was rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence and is now happening Oct. 18.
More from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority:
Crisis management advisor Judy Smith, who has served as a consultant to high-profile celebrity and entertainment clients including Monica Lewinsky, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., actor Wesley Snipes and the family of Chandra Levy, has been added to the list of keynote speakers who will take part in Social Media Week Fairfax on October 18.
SMWFairfax, presented by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) will take place at Capital One headquarters in Tysons Corner, bringing together leading influencers, marketers, entrepreneurs and digitally-connected consumers who thrive in the hyper-connected world and push the boundaries of the status quo.
Judy Smith’s wide-ranging and ground-breaking career served as inspiration for the hit TV series Scandal, created by Shonda Rhimes, who also created ABC hit dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Smith served as co-executive producer of Scandal, providing insight and technical expertise to a show that revolved around the life and work of a professional fixer.
Smith is founder and president of Smith & Company, a leading strategic advisory firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York. In the last 25 years, she has brought her unique combination of communication skills, media savvy, legal and political acumen to clients facing a wide array of issues and challenges.
A former federal prosecutor, she also served in the White House as deputy press secretary to President George H.W. Bush. She has honed her skills thanks to experience with some of the most historic and sensational events of our time including the Iran Contra investigation, the prosecution of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, the 1991 Gulf War, the Los Angeles riots, the Bill Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, the congressional inquiry of Enron and the Sony Corp. hacking crisis.
Author of the book Good Self, Bad Self, Smith received her Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from Boston University and graduated from the American University Washington College of Law, where she was the first African-American woman to serve as executive editor of the Law Review.
Her keynote conversation at Social Media Week Fairfax will examine crisis management in the digital age.
Previously announced keynote speakers at Social Media Week Fairfax include National Geographic vice presidents Tammy Abraham and Amanda Waas; Debra Puchalla, senior vice president programming and video and Sara Levine, senior managing editor of Discovery Communication’s The Food Network; and change evangelist Brian Fanzo, CEO at iSocialFanz. For a full list of speakers, exhibitors and registration information, please visit SMWFairfax.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Police say a woman in Falls Church was physically assaulted during a robbery.
The 74-year old woman was reportedly walking through the Kingsley Commons Townhouses on her way home around 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 26) morning when a man approached her.
The woman told police the man, who she didn’t recognize, punched her in the face and stole her purse. The woman was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Photo via Google Maps
What is McLean?
A common theme at last night’s (Thursday) open house for the McLean Community Business Center (CBC) Planning Study is that McLean is a community without a sense of identity. The CBC is as close as McLean has to a downtown, but it’s one whose core has more gas stations than coffee shops.
The CBC Planning Study is an effort to change that and transform downtown McLean into something residents could be proud of and hopefully kickstart economic revitalization in the area. The CBC Plan would act as an update to the 20-year-old Comprehensive Plan for McLean.
Last night was the CBC Planning Study’s first open house and focused on collecting input from citizens.
McLean exists on the periphery of the hustle and bustle of Tysons, feeling more like a village than a city. At the meeting inside the McLean High School cafeteria, the few dozen attendees mostly knew each other and many have been to earlier CBC planning meetings. But unlike other Northern Virginia communities like Arlington or Falls Church, citizens of McLean say there’s no feeling of a central community.
“I would like McLean to have a sense of place,” said local resident Nancy McFalls. “I want to go here and feel like there is a downtown. Nothing crazy big, not a megalopolis, but it would be cool if it felt like a more organic downtown area.”
McFalls, like many other nearby residents, said she wants the area to be more walkable.
“I drive to the Giant, then I get in my car and drive across the street to the Total Wine,” said McFalls. “It’s not far, but I don’t want to be hit by a car crossing the road.”
As McFalls started talking about her vision for a more pedestrian- and park-friendly downtown McLean, friends joined in and referenced the Italian tradition of “la passeggiata,” the art of a social walk in the evenings. McFalls agreed, saying they hope for a more European-style downtown where residents can mingle and enjoy the local park.
“Currently, McLean is a place where you run errands,” said Kim Dorgan, a local resident and chair of the McLean CBC Study Task Force. “I would like McLean to have more of a village feeling, something distinct from the high rises in Tysons.”
Rob Jackson, chair of the McLean Citizens Association’s Planning and Zoning Committee, echoed sentiments from Supervisor John Foust in saying that the area will also have to contend with the ever-swelling plague of traffic coming to and from Tysons through McLean.
Colin Greene, senior director of planning for project consultant Streetsense, said that over the next five years McLean is projected to have 80,000 square feet of retail developed, though much of this would be replacing existing retail locations. Over ten years, Greene said McLean should expect an additional 40,000 square feet of retail to be built in the area.
Greene also noted that residential growth in McLean is expected to rise, with 900 total units projected to be built in the area over the next ten years. Most of these, Greene said, will be apartment buildings.
But Bill Frazer, a local resident, said he was concerned that the plans and projections didn’t take into account the intentions of the people who own much of the land in downtown McLean.
“There are people here who own a significant amount of property,” said Frazer. “So all that talk about new office space and such going in there won’t happen without those property owners.”
Katrina Newtson from the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning said the task force is comprised of several landowners and is working on pulling all of the major stakeholders in McLean into the process.
Input on the CBC Planning Study will be collected until Nov. 15. The next open house will be held on Nov. 8 from 7-9 p.m. in the McLean High School cafeteria.
The CBC Planning Study meets through early spring to draft a plan for downtown McLean. In late 2019 or early 2020, the final vision plan will be sent to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.
Huge Tysons Office Complex For Sale — “The developers of Towers Crescent are considering selling after anchor tenant MicroStrategy Inc. vowed to add 300 jobs to its headquarters in the 1 million-square-foot-plus Tysons office complex… The offering, which also includes an additional land site fronting Fashion Boulevard, could easily exceed the roughly $360 million assessed value of the existing buildings.” [Washington Business Journal]
School Board Adopts Sexual Misconduct Resolution — “The Fairfax County School Board will lead a cultural change in Fairfax County Public Schools regarding sexual misconduct to ensure that the organization continues to foster a caring culture, encourage open communication, properly educate and train students and employees, and hold accountable those who fail to uphold our standards of conduct and reporting.” [Fairfax County Public Schools, Fox 5]
McLean HS Team on It’s Academic — A team from McLean High School will appear on the Oct. 13 episode of It’s Academic on NBC 4. [Twitter]
Wildcat 5K in McLean This Weekend — The rolling hills of McLean will play host to the 11th annual Wildcat 5K and Family Fun Run on Saturday morning. [Wildcat 5K]
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Rango’s Fine Tex-Mex, a restaurant coming to Tysons (1934 Old Gallows Road), is the fulfillment of a family dream.
The restaurant will be moving into the space formerly occupied by Paladar Kitchen & Rum Bar. Robert Rosa, one of two owners of the new 200-seat restaurant, says the aim is to open in early November.
The restaurant will focus on quality and generous portions, according to Rosa, with the average meal priced around $25 and the restaurant’s 27-ounce margaritas half off for happy hour.
Tex-Mex food is a family business for the Rosa family, which owns the regional Guapo’s chain. Robert has 15 years of experience working in the food industry while his father and co-owner Ismael Rosa has been working in Tex-Mex food for 30 years.
Though the older Rosa has experience running a restaurant, having opened six Guapo’s Restaurant locations, the younger Rosa said this is his first time opening a restaurant from scratch.
“I’m 27 and I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of Tex-Mex options in the Tysons [area],” said Robert. “So it’s an adventure to try this out for myself.”
Rango’s will inhabit a 6,000 square foot space that seats about 250 people, including patio areas, the Washington Business Journal reports.
Three Chambers of Commerce representing minority-owned businesses in Fairfax met in Tysons yesterday (Wednesday) to sign an agreement of closer collaboration.
The Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, and Virginia Hispanic Chamber comprise a partnership called the Multicultural Chambers Alliance (MCCA). The organization has been in existence for five years, but yesterday signed an memorandum of understanding with a recommitment to the organization with more extensive collaboration details.
The MCCA agreed that each of the chambers will collaborate with the others on organizing, presenting and hosting joint events. The three groups will also work closer to exchange information on economic, legislative and political matters.
The event was hosted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) at its Tysons headquarters (8300 Boone Blvd).
“The coming together of the three chambers involved represents all that America and this community stand for,” said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the FCEDA, in a press release. “The collaboration and collegiality of these three cultural and racial business groups represents enormous opportunity for its members and for the business community at large as they further bring their component companies into the economic mainstream.”
Photos courtesy FCEDA
Despite some rain scheduled for this afternoon (Thursday), it’s full steam ahead for the outdoor Tysons Tailgate party.
The 2018 Tysons Tailgate runs from 5-8 p.m in Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive).
The party includes live music from local band Chuggalug, beer and wine tents, snacks, lawn games, and raffle prizes. According to the event page, there will also be an arcade game tent for attendees to show off their Pac-Man or Space Invaders skills.
The Tysons Partnership said on Twitter that the event will be held under a large outdoor tent.
Tickets are $30 if purchased online in advance, or $35 at the door. The proceeds of the event go to benefit Second Story, the only youth emergency shelter in Northern Virginia.
We're not going to let a little rain dampen our #TysonsTailgate! We have added a big, beautiful outdoor party tent! Attendees will enjoy the same setup with beer and wine tents, games, live music, raffle prizes, and more — while keeping dry! https://t.co/WklHTR0MRs #TysonsCares pic.twitter.com/sKmnt1pUE6
— Tysons Partnership (@tysonspartners) September 26, 2018
Photo via Tysons Partnership
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) has introduced a bill that would nix the Trump administration’s strict new limits on refugee resettlement in the U.S.
The bill, dubbed the “Lady Liberty Act,” was introduced by Connolly and co-sponsored by 60 other members of Congress.
Connolly, who represents Tysons and Vienna in Congress, said in a statement that “Congress has a moral responsibility to stand up to the President and let the world know we are still a welcoming and compassionate nation.”
More from a press release:
Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was joined by 60 members in introducing the Lady Liberty Act, legislation to reverse the Trump administration’s recent actions to severely limit refugee resettlement in the United States.
“The Trump administration is once again slamming the door on refugees,” Connolly said. “Against a record high global refugee crisis, the Trump administration’s record-low refugee admissions cap is dangerous and un-American. The Lady Liberty Act will reverse this callous backslide and restore America’s leadership role in refugee resettlement.”
“No one chooses to be a refugee,” Connolly said. “These people are seeking safety and a better life. Congress has a moral responsibility to stand up to the President and let the world know we are still a welcoming and compassionate nation.”
The Lady Liberty Act would require the President to set a goal of admitting no less than 110,000 refugees annually. Under the administration’s recent action, refugee resettlements would be capped at 30,000 refugees in fiscal year 2019, down from 45,000 this year. Since 1980, the U.S. has resettled more than 3 million refugees and set an average annual goal of 95,000 refugee admissions. The previous low ceiling for refugee resettlement in the U.S. was 67,000, set by President Reagan in 1986. There are currently 25 million refugees around the world.
Connolly’s legislation has been endorsed by The Alliance, CASA, Church World Service (CWS), Ethiopian Community Development Council, Family Action Network Movement (FANM), HIAS, Human Rights First, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees, United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Veterans for American Ideals, We Are All Americans.
Photo via Facebook
Thank you to everyone who attended our launch party at Tysons Biergarten on Tuesday.
At the party we asked attendees what kind of stories they’d like to see Tysons Reporter cover. Weren’t able to make it? You can still weigh in.
Let us know via the poll below what you’d most like us to cover. You can select up to three items from the list. Also, feel free to give us other suggestions in the comments.
