Last Chance to Weigh in on Proposed End of Leaf Collections — “@ffxpublicworks is proposing to discontinue vacuum leaf service after the upcoming winter season. A final decision will be made by the Board of Supervisors this fall. A survey is now open through Aug. 18.” [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]
Resident Artist Shares Tysons Love With Merchandise — “As a Tysons resident, the businessman-turned artist who goes by able6 enjoyed seeing the community grow and develop. Now he believes Tysons should get some new branding — and art should be a key part of it…He’s set up an Etsy shop and has growing interest in orders of prints and tote bags.” [Patch]
Police Find Fentanyl With Seven Corners Traffic Stop — “A traffic stop for a fraudulent temporary license plate led to a drug arrest in Seven Corners on Aug. 14, the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted…A search of the vehicle netted 47 suspected blue M30 fentanyl pills, additional counterfeit temporary license plates, and evidence of narcotics distribution.” [Annandale Today]
Election Officers Wanted, Especially Republicans — “We need more election officers! We especially need people who wish to represent the Republican Party, so we have equal numbers of officers representing the two major parties on Nov. 7. Officers perform non-partisan duties, however. Apply now” [Fairfax County Office of Elections/Twitter]
Yoga Studio Celebrates Return to Fairfax — “Sun & Moon Yoga is a locally owned, community-supported school of yoga that has operated in Northern Virginia since 1994.” After closing its Fairfax City location during the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio will reopen at 3975 University Drive today (Friday) with a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting, followed by a free class and refreshments. [Fairfax City EDA/Facebook]
School Resource Officers Train for New School Year — “Fairfax County school resource officers were trained on Thursday to handle the spike in violence and drug use they’ve seen since the start of the pandemic. They spoke with News4’s Aimee Cho about what they see and what role they play in trying to help students.” [NBC4]
Fire Department Gives Out Donated School Supplies — “Shortly after 10 a.m., a few large and mid-sized SUVs started pulling into the bays of the Penn Daw Fire Station just off Route 1 in the Belle Haven area…Members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Service were putting out a different kind of fire — the stress of getting kids ready to go back to school.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — The weather forecast for Friday is sunny with a high temperature of approximately 84 degrees. During Friday night, the sky will be clear and the temperature will drop to around 61 degrees with a northwest wind blowing 6 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]
Updated at 6:30 p.m. — All lanes on I-495 have reopened.
Earlier: The northbound express lanes of the Capital Beltway (I-495) are partially closed at the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons after a crash involving four vehicles.
Virginia State Police responded to the “chain reaction crash” near the Dulles Toll Road at 4:33 p.m., a VSP spokesperson said.
No injuries have been reported, according to police.
The crash initially blocked all of the northbound I-495 Express Lanes, but traffic is now being allowed through on the left shoulder, per the Virginia Department of Transportation’s traffic cameras.
Multi-Vehicle Crash. I-495 NB (Inner Loop/Express Lanes) at VA-267 (Exit 45/Dulles Toll Road). Fairfax County, VA. All lanes of the Express Lanes are blocked. The Main Line is not impacted. Delays are less than 1 mile.
— MATOC Alerts (@MATOC) August 17, 2023
UPDATE: Multi-Vehicle Crash. I-495 NB (Inner Loop/Express Lanes) at VA-267 (Exit 45/Dulles Toll Road). Fairfax County, VA. Express Lane traffic now gets by using the left shoulder. Follow authority direction.
— MATOC Alerts (@MATOC) August 17, 2023
The faregates at the Vienna Metro station are sporting a new look.
Workers installed taller doors on the gates on Aug. 9 as part of a systemwide retrofit project intended to combat fare evasion, which costs Metro an estimated $40 million per year in lost revenue, according to the transit agency.
“The bottom line is fare evasion is not okay, and we will continue our efforts to ensure everyone is respecting the community’s system and each other,” Metropolitan Washington Area Transit Authority CEO and General Manager Randy Clarke said in a news release announcing the rollout of the project last month.
The Vienna station is the only one in Fairfax County to be featured in the project’s first phase, which also includes stations in Arlington, D.C. and Maryland.
The first phase is expected to be completed by early fall. A Metro spokesperson says there are no updates yet beyond that initial timeline, but all 103 rail stations are slated to get the retrofit over the next year.
At 55 inches tall, the new doors are stronger and more resilient than the original faregates, which were updated just last year, WMATA said.
The new design includes an L-shape door panel that extends over the faregate to minimize gaps between the openings. The increase in barrier height from the original 28 to 48-inch prototype to 55 inches will also make it more difficult to jump over faregates. The new height is taller than a hockey net or nearly half the height of a standard basketball hoop.
The swing doors are made of a polycarbonate which is 200 times stronger than glass, lighter weight, and more durable. The final design also includes more robust hinges and a more powerful motor to strengthen the door. As stations are retrofitted with the new barriers, Metro is also raising the height of fencing and emergency gates.
Metro will install a single door panel for all regular faregates, and double door panels at the wider gates for accessibility and wheelchairs.
Prior to the rollout of the new doors, Metro launched a reduced fare program that lets SNAP recipients who live in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. ride its trains and buses at a 50% discount.
“To-date, more than 1600 customers have enrolled, taking nearly 17,000 combined trips,” WMATA said on July 24.
This fall, Fairfax County will launch a guaranteed income pilot program, following in the footsteps of neighbors including Arlington County and Alexandria.
The upcoming Fairfax County Economic Mobility Pilot (FCEMP) will begin providing families with monthly payments totaling $2 million to “promote economic stability and social capital,” according to a press release.
The monthly payments of $750 will go to 180 eligible families chosen via application over the course of 15 months, with the funds being considered untaxable COVID-19 disaster relief that families have the freedom to choose how to spend.
The amount was determined by evaluating the cost of living in the county and the anticipated amount of time necessary to observe and assess the effects of guaranteed income on participants’ lives, a county spokesperson said.
Eligible families will also get access to optional financial coaching from United Way of the National Capital Area‘s Financial Empowerment Center, a partnership with Britepaths and the county, the county spokesperson continued.
“Like other basic income programs, the FCEMP promotes dignity and self-determination by enabling residents to take ownership of their own life and spending decisions,” the county website says.
Eligible applicants must be 18 years or older, have at least one child aged 16 or younger living in their household, and be employed with an income that falls between 150% and 250% of the 2023 Federal Poverty Level. They must also live in one of the following zip codes: 22306, 22309, 20190, 20191, 22041, 20170, 22003, 22150, 20120 or 20151.
The zip codes were chosen by overlaying current Opportunity Neighborhood boundaries and the zip codes they serve with the county’s Vulnerability Index, which analyzes a variety of factors such as race to determine vulnerable areas within the county, a county spokesperson said.
Through the pilot, the county says it hopes the regular payments will result in improved physical and mental health, improved educational outcomes for the children, increased economic stability, higher full-time employment rates, and increased housing and food security.
The pilot specifically aims to help certain households that “earn too much income to be eligible for assistance programs like TANF and SNAP but are struggling to make ends meet or are unable to take financial steps that would allow for economic mobility,” the county says.
As a result, households receiving public assistance benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Income, will not be eligible. However, participants won’t lose their eligibility if they experience any changes in income or public assistance benefits during the pilot.
Supported by a partnership with Beam, a startup that helps administer cash assistance and social safety net programs, the application portal will go live on Sept. 23 and remain open until Oct. 3. Applications will be electronic only, and those selected will be notified via email or text.
The county has also partnered with George Mason University on a study of the pilot. Researchers will collect information from optional personal questions on the application “to understand the impact that unrestricted cash payments have on the economic and social well-being of working households,” the county says.
Participation in the study will not affect an applicant’s likelihood of receiving cash payments.
“Establishing a baseline understanding of families participating in the FCEMP is needed to inform a fully realized program over time,” the county says. “Thus, the FCEMP will measure the economic mobility gains and overall wellness of participants who choose to take part in the research component.”
The FCEMP is authorized by the Board of Supervisors and funded by the county’s general county and American Recovery Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Photo via Sharon McCutcheon/Unsplash
Sunrise Senior Living’s massive new community in the Town of Vienna is officially open.
After holding a small ribbon-cutting with town officials late last month, the senior living provider announced today (Thursday) that its 81,755-square-foot, four-story building at 374 Maple Avenue West is now ready for residents to start moving in.
The facility can accommodate over 100 residents with 50 assisted living units and 35 memory care units.
“We are excited to unveil Sunrise of Vienna, a community that goes beyond traditional senior living by blending artistry, culture and exceptional experiences to create the preferred lifestyle for residents to enjoy longer, healthier, happier lives,” Sunrise of Vienna Executive Director Adriane Oliver said.
Replacing a three-story office building that dated back to the 1970s, the new Sunrise includes about 950 square feet of retail space that has been leased to Tango Pastry, a café open to residents, their families and the general public.
This is Tango Pastry’s second location after its flagship bakery opened at 6100 Richmond Highway in Huntington more than a decade ago. Developed by Argentine chef Katriel Menendez, the business serves lunch and dinner options, including its specialty empanadas, along with baked pastries and drinks.
After a grand opening on July 31, the Vienna café is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays, according to Tango Pastry’s website.
As part of the project, Sunrise also enlisted artist Chad Bradley to paint a mural and two benches with “scenes inspired by outdoor living, local birds, and native trees,” the company said in a press release that highlighted its “commitment to embracing the creative spirit of the Town of Vienna and fostering a sense of belonging within the neighborhood.”
“With the addition of the custom painted mural by Chad Bradley and the inviting Tango Pastry café, Sunrise of Vienna aims to create an inclusive and vibrant environment where residents and the local community can come together, celebrate life, and forge lasting connections,” Oliver said.
Construction on Sunrise of Vienna began in June 2021 following a fraught planning process that included a lawsuit and relocation after the Vienna Town Council rejected an initial proposal to build the facility at the corner of Maple Avenue and Center Street.
The site that Sunrise ultimately chose was previously under consideration for a mixed-use development that would’ve included condominiums and retail.
Sunrise of Vienna was designed by an in-house team in collaboration with the Alexandria-based firm Rust Orling Architecture to “create an environment that prioritizes both comfort and safety,” including “an advanced emergency response system,” the company said.
Constructed in collaboration with Forrester Construction, Sunrise of Vienna showcases design elements that honor the American Colonial style, seamlessly blending into the surrounding community. The community offers an array of inviting amenities, ensuring residents’ comfort and enjoyment. Residents can gather in the multi-functional bistro area for socializing, relax in the welcoming lounge, or indulge in the entertainment room equipped with theater accommodations. An activity room provides space for engaging pursuits, while common and private dining rooms offer delightful settings for shared meals. In addition, residents can savor the tranquility of the secure rooftop garden or visit the onsite beauty salon for pampering.
Sunrise opened its first community in Oakton in 1981 and has since expanded to more than 270 locations in the U.S. and Canada, including a second McLean facility that started welcoming residents in May.
Summer Restaurant Week starts later this month across the region, with more than 30 Fairfax County businesses scheduled to participate.
The biannual event by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is intended to encourage diners to eat out during a sometimes-slow time of the year for restaurants.
Hundreds of restaurants are participating during this year’s summer edition, including several Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport eateries — a first for the campaign.
“This year’s Summer Restaurant Week cycle is a special one,” RAMW President and CEO Shawn Townsend said in the press release. “Not only does the promotional week take place during the DC Jazz Festival, we have multiple restaurants participating from our region’s airports, allowing both locals and travelers to the area to take part in the special offerings.”
The restaurants offer brunch and lunch menus for $25 a person and dinner for $40 or $55 a person. There will also be alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink specials as well.
There will be 32 Fairfax County restaurants participating in the upcoming edition, which will run from Monday, Aug. 28 through Sunday, Sept. 3.
Dulles Airport
- Bistro Atelier — French cuisine
- Bracket Room — Sports bar
- Carrabba’s — Italian food
- Chef Geoff’s — American food
- Devil’s Backbone — Gastropub fare
- District Chop House — Steakhouse
- The Washington Burgundy and Gold Club — American classics
Merrifield
- 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive) — French cuisine
- Alta Strada Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Italian food in the Mosaic District
- B Side (8298 Glass Alley) — American food in the Mosaic District
- Matchbox (2911 District Avenue) McLean, and Reston locations) — Pizza in the Mosaic District
- TRIO Grill (8100 Lee Highway) — American food
Reston
- Founding Farmers (1904 Reston Metro Plaza) — Locally sourced food and bar at Reston Station
- Matchbox (1900 Reston Metro Plaza) — Pizza at Reston Station
- North Italia (11898 Market Street) — Italian food at Reston Town Center
- Morton’s (11956 Market Street) — Steakhouse at Reston Town Center
- PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) — Seafood restaurant at Reston Town Center
- Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar (1871 Explorer Street) — Peruvian food at Reston Town Center
- The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive) — A fondue restaurant
Tysons/McLean
- Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Drive) — Greek/Mediterranean/Turkish
- American Prime (1420 Spring Hill Road) — Steakhouse
- Circa at The Boro (1675 Silver Hill Drive) — American bistro
- Earls Kitchen + Bar (7902 Tysons One Place) — American food at Tysons Corner Center
- Founding Farmers (1800 Tysons Blvd) — Locally sourced food and bar at Tysons Galleria
- Jiwa Singapura (2001 International Drive) — Singapore cuisine at Tysons Galleria
- Joon (8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120) — Persian food in Fairfax Square
- Matchbox (1340 Chain Bridge Road) — Pizza in McLean
- North Italia (1651 Boro Place) — Italian cuisine at The Boro
- The Capital Grille (1861 International Drive) — Steakhouse and seafood restaurant in Tysons Corner Center. The Fair Lakes location at 12169 Fair Lakes Promenade Drive is participating as well.
- Wildfire (2001 International Drive) — Steak and seafood in Tysons Galleria
- Wren (1825 Capital One Drive South) — Japanese restaurant at Capital One Center
County Releases Draft Outdoor Dining Rules — “Fairfax County officials are crafting a proposed zoning-ordinance amendment to make permanent some of the relaxed outdoor-dining rules implemented during the pandemic, but also address concerns about noise and the number of seats.” Virtual meetings on the proposal were held last week and on Tuesday (Aug. 15), with public hearings expected in early 2024. [Gazette Leader]
Tysons Nonprofit Opens Drone Testing Range — “Research and development nonprofit MITRE, with dual headquarters in McLean, Virginia and Bedford, Massachusetts, cut the ribbon this week on a new drone testing range near Orange, Virginia. The facility will be used to experiment with small, uncrewed aircraft systems and serve as a proving ground to develop, test and evaluate new drone, counter-drone and autonomous systems.” [WTOP]
I-95 Express Lanes Are Now Complete — “The last planned extension of the I-95 Express Lanes is set to open late Thursday night, and with the opening, Virginia will have longest reversible toll lane in the nation at more than 45 miles long. The 10-mile extension, which officials are calling FredEx, runs from Aquia Harbor to Fredericksburg” [DCist]
Woodlawn Dunkin’ Donuts Now Open — “The new Dunkin’ with a drive-through opened Aug. 12 at Woodlawn Shopping Center. According to a store employee, the business will hold a grand opening sometime in the next few weeks, though an exact date hasn’t yet been determined.” [On the MoVe]
Overnight Traffic Stops Start on Beltway Ramps in McLean — “Four nights of intermittent traffic stoppages are scheduled to occur beginning Thursday, Aug.17 on the ramps connecting Georgetown Pike and I-495 South as well as at the intersection of Georgetown Pike and I-495 South for traffic signal work as part of the 495 NEXT project. These stoppages, which may be up to 30 minutes each, will occur between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.” [VDOT]
Twirling Encouraged at Annandale Dress Shop for Dancers — “Inside, Julie Wilson runs a business here in the family home, known by those who need to know as Encore Ballroom Couture. It’s considered the ballroom dance industry’s leading consignment and consignment-rental dress company.” [Washington Post]
Repairs Planned for Cross County Trail in Fairfax — “Tibbs Paving will be making repairs and paving the stretch of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail from Route 50 to Thaiss Memorial Park (City of Fairfax) starting on or about Tuesday, Aug. 22, weather permitting. It is anticipated that work should be completed by Friday, Sept. 1.” [FCPA]
Lake Accotink Celebration Coming Next Week — “Join the Fairfax County Park Authority for a free, family-friendly celebration at Lake Accotink Park on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m…This one-day celebration is free for all participants and all activities are first-come, first-serve.” [FCPA]
It’s Thursday — There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with mostly sunny skies and a high of 88. On Thursday night, a slight chance of precipitation continues until 2am, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 72. [Weather.gov]
A popular taiyaki pop-up based out of Chantilly is settling down near the Dunn Loring Metro station for its first-ever permanent shop.
After working the D.C. area’s farmers market circuit since 2021, Rice Culture will start selling the fish-shaped, Instagram-ready Japanese treats out of a brick-and-mortar store in the Shops at Avenir Place — potentially as soon as this October.
The new location at 2672D Avenir Place will offer an expanded menu with taiyaki ice cream to take advantage of the space built out by Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, which closed in 2020, Rice Culture co-founder and baker MikkiJo Bayawa says.
“We’ll be serving Asian-inspired soft-serve flavors in the taiyaki, and the taiyaki will act as the cone,” Bayawa told FFXnow. “So, that’s something that’s going to be new and exciting, a menu item that we wouldn’t have been able to serve at farmers markets.”
Rice Culture began early in the COVID-19 pandemic out of a similar craving for comfort that spurred a national frenzy of bread-baking.
A native of New Jersey, Bayawa moved to Northern Virginia about five years ago to work on Amazon’s data centers. Upon arriving, however, she found no substitute for the taiyakis hawked at the Jersey-based Japanese grocery store Mitsuwa — a void that particularly stood out once the pandemic limited her and fiancé Kevin Tsai’s travel away from their Centreville apartment.
So, she decided to fill the gap herself, buying a machine that could make up to six taiyakis at a time. Though the waffles are traditionally filled with red bean paste or vanilla custard, Bayawa experimented with different flavors, from cream cheese and Nutella to ube jam — a nod to her mixed Japanese and Filipino identity.
Within a couple of hours of posting some of her creations on Instagram, a “complete stranger” reached out and asked if they were for sale, she says.
“I just got excited and I was like, yeah, sure, I’ll deliver them to you too,” Bayawa recalled, dating that first delivery to January 2021.
From there, the operation grew quickly. After five days, Bayawa and Tsai had to cut off orders, and within a week, baking and delivering the treats became an all-day affair, prompting a search for a professional kitchen and additional staff.
In March 2021, Rice Culture moved into Chantilly’s Frontier Kitchen, and since then, it has regularly appeared at farmers markets, festivals and shopping centers throughout the D.C. region, including the FreshFarm market at Merrifield’s Mosaic District and The Block food hall in Annandale.
Rice Culture can’t claim to have introduced taiyakis to the D.C. area. That honor appears to belong to the Lai family behind the now-shuttered Vietnamese restaurant Four Sisters, who offered taiyaki ice cream at their Boba & Bites shop that opened at the Mosaic District in 2018.
However, Rice Culture remains rare in the region for specializing in the desserts and serving a wide variety of flavors, with 10 or more on rotation every month.
“I think that’s really appealing to customers in this market who want to try something new,” Bayawa said. “They want to try something different, and they want to try also something that is Instagrammable, something they can share with their friends, and our product definitely meets that market need.”
With Rice Culture now successful enough that she could leave her Amazon job, Bayawa has big ambitions for where the business could go, looking at Loudoun County, Maryland, D.C. and even the New Jersey and New York area as potential areas for expansion.
But the temporary pop-ups will be paused once the Dunn Loring store opens, possibly returning in the winter or spring depending on how long it takes to “work out the kinks.”
“We’re trying to create a recipe and a process where anyone that we hire can make the taiyakis just as delicious as me and Kevin, so that me and him can look at growing and opening multiple Rice Culture stores,” Bayawa said. “So, if that means taking a step back from the farmers market, that’s something that we might have to do.”
Fairfax County Public Schools has officially announced that it will not implement the Virginia Department of Education’s recently finalized model policies regarding transgender and nonbinary students.
Yesterday (Tuesday), FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid released a statement confirming that FCPS won’t adopt the new guidelines after a “detailed legal review” found that its current policies are “consistent” with state and federal law.
The statement notes that gender-expansive and transgender students will continue to be referred to by their chosen names and pronouns, given access to school programming and facilities based on their gender identity, and “have their privacy respected,” regardless of their gender identity or legal sex.
“Let me be clear that FCPS remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff, including our transgender and gender expansive students and staff,” Reid wrote. “We believe that supporting our students and working with parents and caregivers are not mutually exclusive; we already do both and will continue to do so. We know that students can only learn effectively when they feel safe and supported.”
The policies that FCPS plans to keep in place directly oppose Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s guidance, which has two main requirements:
- Students must participate in school activities and use school facilities according to their sex legally assigned at birth rather than gender identity
- Parents must provide written consent if a student wants to go by a name and/or pronouns that differ from what appears on the student’s official records
Youngkin has characterized the policies as keeping parents involved “in conversations about their child’s education, upbringing, and care.”
Waves of backlash from LGBTQIA+ advocates have rippled across the state since late 2022, when Youngkin first announced his proposed changes to former governor Ralph Northam’s previous policies.
FCPS Pride, an LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization for employees and other adults affiliated with FCPS, played a leading role in advocating for FCPS to take a firm stance against Youngkin’s policies and in favor of transgender and gender-expansive student rights.
FCPS Pride co-chair Robert Rigley Jr. says the state guidelines — which he nicknames the “Don’t Be Trans” policy — make transgender and non-binary students feel unwelcome in Virginia schools and “remove civil and human rights.”
“[The policy] makes it so that some adults have veto power over someone’s gender identity, which from a queer person’s point of view is absurd,” Rigley Jr. said. “…It steals agency in particular from transgender children. It says that you are not in control of your identity at a very basic level, and it turns families and schools against one another, battling over children who are among the most vulnerable children in this state.”
“It traumatizes a whole generation of queer kids in Virginia,” he continued.
FCPS Pride and nine other community organizations held a rally at Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road) in Merrifield. Originally intended as a protest for FCPS to take a clear stance against Youngkin’s policies, the rally transformed into a celebration after the release of Reid’s statement.
“I wanted to share that the morning that this round of these policies came out, my high school student came to me with tears in his eyes and literally said, ‘Can’t we just exist?’” Chris McCormick, a mother of two openly transgender FCPS students, said. “Today I was proud to share with him, ‘Yes, you can.’”
“We’re glad to see that our school district is one that’s going to stand up when our students are facing abuse at the state level,” first grade teacher Emily Vanderhoff echoed. “You know, school is starting up in less than a week. I know I’ve heard from these families who the parents and their children have been scared to see what school is going to look like for their child when they walk in the door on Monday. And I know that teachers and other school staff want to affirm these students, and they need to know that their district has their back.“
Others also used the rally as an opportunity to denounce Youngkin’s administration for promoting what they see as regressive and harmful policies.
“[This is] teaching the rest of the commonwealth a lesson on how to handle a bully because that’s what Glenn Youngkin is and his administration are,” Del. Marcus Simon (D-53) said. “They’re an administration full of bullies. They’re taking out their frustration and anger and distracting us from their own failings by picking on our trans and nonbinary students. The only way to stand up to them is to say, ‘No, we’re not going to do it, go away, leave us alone.’ We’re going to do it the right way here in Fairfax County.”
The rally was followed by a march of over 80 community members along the west side of Gallows Road in sight of the WMAL broadcast tower, a location “specifically” chosen “to label that there are ‘media’ that generate animosity towards LGBTQ people,” according to Rigley Jr.
Though activists in attendance of the rally took yesterday night as a rare victory, many cautioned that the battle is far from over, encouraging more people to get involved with their local community and vote in local officials who will protect transgender rights.
Yesterday, Spotsylvania County Public Schools became the first district in Virginia to adopt the new model policies.
“The fight for human rights against an enemy that’s seeking to seize the rights of women, of minorities, of immigrants, LGBTQIA — it’s real,” said Mateo Dunne, who is seeking to represent the Mount Vernon District on the school board and said he has an openly gay daughter. “And with the radical Supreme Court and the radical governor, with radical candidates for president, we have to fight, now and everyday for the rest of our lives to ensure everyone’s basic human rights and dignity are respected.”
A Vienna couple who own multiple restaurants in the D.C. area, including Divan in McLean, pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this week to evading over $1 million in taxes and stealing COVID-19 relief funds.
As part of the plea agreement, Gholam Kowkabi, 63, and Karen Kowkabi, 64, will give the IRS the $1.35 million that they failed to pay in taxes related to their D.C. restaurants Ristorante Piccolo, Catch 15 and Tuscana West, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. announced on Monday (Aug. 14).
Gholam must also pay the Small Business Administration $738,657 in restitution for spending money from Covid loans intended to support Ristorante Piccolo on a “waterfront condo in Ocean City, Maryland, as well as personal investments, vacations for his family, and college tuition for his child,” according to the Department of Justice.
Those “personal investments” included Divan, a Persian and Mediterranean restaurant that opened at 1313 Old Chain Bridge Road in December 2021, per the press release.
A general manager for Divan said the restaurant had no comment on the case.
“This defendant robbed a program intended to help fellow restauranteurs and other small business owners who were struggling to stay afloat amid the devastating economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in a statement. “He also created an elaborate scheme to hide assets and play a shell game with the IRS so he could avoid paying the more than one million dollars in taxes that he and his business owed. Our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute such frauds.”
Prosecutors say the Kowkabis admitted to “willfully” avoiding paying federal employment and income taxes and associated penalties from 1998 to 2018 by buying property through a separate entity and falsifying business records of the D.C. restaurants to hide personal purchases.
According to the DOJ, Gholam also obtained over $1.6 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds from May 13, 2020 to July 27, 2021 that businesses could use to cover payroll costs, rent and other expenses.
In these applications and loan agreements, Gholam Kowkabi fraudulently and falsely promised that the PPP, EIDL, and RRF proceeds would be used only for business-related and eligible purposes as specified in the applications. Instead, Gholam Kowkabi used a portion of the PPP funds, EIDL funds, and RRF funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of a waterfront condo in Ocean City, Maryland for more than $500,000, two joint venture investments totaling more than $237,000 for the construction of homes in Great Falls, Virginia, and more than $78,500 to open Divan Restaurant in McLean, Virginia. Gholam Kowkabi spent more than $11,000 of COVID relief funds on his home mortgage, more than $14,000 on vacations, more than $62,000 on personal legal expenses, more than $20,000 on home improvement, and more than $5,500 on college tuition payments.
In addition to paying restitution to the SBA, Gholam has agreed to forfeit the Ocean City condo and the two joint ventures that were used to build the Great Falls homes and open Divan.
He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion, which carry financial penalties as well as potential prison sentences totaling 25 years.
Karen Kowkabi pleaded guilty to five counts of willfully failing to pay taxes, a charge that could result in up to one year of jail time and fines.
“Tax evasion and misappropriation of COVID-19 relief funds undermine the integrity of our tax system and harm honest taxpayers,” Kareem Carter, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s D.C. Field Office, said. “IRS Criminal Investigation remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding tax compliance and pursuing those who attempt to evade their tax responsibilities.”
Sentencing hearings have been scheduled for Dec. 1, 2023.
This isn’t the first time Gholam has faced prison on tax-related charges. In 2006, he was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for taking at least $2 million in sales taxes from D.C., becoming the first person convicted under the District’s then-new law imposing jail time for sales taxes evasion, the Washington Times reported at the time.
