Meet Arturo Berkeley, a black cat who’s inseparable from his watchful mama but not so enamored with the canine set.

Here is what Arturo’s friends at 4Paws Rescue Team have to say about the feline pair:

Meet Arturo, a beautiful “panther” who is bonded with his charming Mama, Belladonna. Together, they are eagerly looking for their forever home. The pair were rescued from the Berkeley County Humane Society in Martinsburg, WV when their owners living situation made it difficult to care for their pets.

Belladonna & Arturo love each other and to snuggle for naps and for the night. Both appreciate being brushed and are very outgoing and loving. Being a young cant, Arturo loves playing with anything he finds in his way, with his super Mama always attentively watching over hime. To be sure Arturo also finds time to enjoy the love and attention his foster family showers him with.

Arturo is ready to settle in his forever home with his Mama Belladonna and hopes to find one for the holidays. The duo can also join your home as fosters, if you want to learn more about them before considering adopting them, or to give them a loving foster home as they wait for their forever family to pick them up. Is there extra room in your home to welcome this sweet pair and to shower them with the love and protection they deserve?

Please email us if you’re interested in adopting or fostering Belladonna and Arturo. Be sure to include your phone number in your message. Please limit inquiries to the Greater Washington, DC area, except for barn cats.

Could your home be the perfect fit for this mother-son duo?

Meet Hank, a gangly foxhound whose smile will warm your heart as surely as a certain children’s movie without the accompanying tears.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation say it’ll be love at first sight for anyone who takes a chance on Hank:

Hank loves you already, and you will love him back if you meet him just once.

This goofy 70-pound foxhound loves to greet everyone he meets. Hank is still a young man and can use your help to become the perfect family member. He is already super cuddly, loyal, and affectionate and has a lot more to offer.

Hank makes sure that every person passing by is greeted properly and showered in kisses. He loves being petted in return and has also shown love for other dogs he met. Typical of a hound, Hank has his nose pressed to the ground and loves to explore his surroundings. He does well traveling in the car and will ride right upfront with you if you like.

Hank needs your help figuring out treats because so far he is eager to take them, carry them in his mouth, but will eventually just drop them to the ground. He is a working dog who loves to walk and will make a great hiking companion.

Hank is a big bouncy guy looking for a family to help him become a well-rounded adult.

If Hank seems like the right walking buddy for you, you can email the shelter at [email protected].

The meter is running out on free street parking in Tysons.

Fairfax County shared plans on Tuesday (Dec. 14) to eventually install curbside parking meters throughout the area, with a managed parking program that could expand to other parts of the county, if successful.

Initially, the program will focus on the Tysons core, where a study identified 1,272 spaces along 22 miles of curb space on public roads surrounding the Greensboro, Spring Hill, Tysons, and McLean Metro stations.

While many details of the plan are still being worked out, including meter rates, county officials say it will encourage more turnover around the Metro stations and address complaints from businesses about commercial vehicles occupying spaces for extended periods of time.

However, drivers might be reluctant to pay for a resource that they’re accustomed to getting for free, as Reston Town Center learned a few years ago.

Metro also doesn’t have dedicated garages for its Tysons-area stations, with the idea that most people will travel using transit, but for local residents, getting to the stations means walking or cycling across congested, often unsafe roads.

How do you feel about the idea of paying for street parking in Tysons? Is it necessary for an increasingly urban and populous area, or does it seem like more of a hassle than it’s worth?

Photo via Mr.TinDC/Flickr

Meet Olive McCracken, a domestic short-haired kitty who’s crossed state lines in search of a new home.

Here’s what Olive’s friends at 4Paws Rescue Team have to say about her:

Olive came to 4Paws from a partner rescue in Charles Town, West Virginia. She had been adopted with another cat when she was a kitten, but her owner needed to move into a place that didn’t allow animals. Olive was returned to her original rescue, but their fosters were full so they reached out to 4Paws for help.

Olive is a wonderful cat, very loving to people and tolerant of being handled and petted. Olive likes to sit on laps but doesn’t demand attention while she is there. She won’t try to get you to pet her or nudge your hands with her head if you are busy typing on the computer or holding reading material.

Olive’s birth date is October 4, 2018, so she is at the age where she is beginning to appreciate a calmer, quieter life. She still likes to spice it up by playing with a fishing pole toy or batting stuffed toys around. She always takes a few minutes before diving into her meals to say “hi and get some pets from her foster. She has a good appetite and eats all the different flavors of food. Olive can be picky about her cat friends and enforces a “personal space bubble with other cats. We think she would do well on her own, with a submissive male kitty, or with a calm dog – she likes her foster’s large, senior dog, for example. She would do well with older children.

Olive has been spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, and tested negative for FeLV and FIV. She has been eating Fancy Feast wet and Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach dry kibble.

Please e-mail us if you’re interested in Olive. Be sure to include your phone number in your message. Please limit inquiries to the Greater Washington, DC area, except for barn cats.

Could Olive be the right companion to bring peace into your life?

The calendar has turned once again, and that means it’s time to take stock of the housing market in the Tysons area.

Over the past month, there were 118 homes sold across Tysons, Vienna, and McLean, a marginal downtown from the 127 residences purchased in October, according to data from Homesnap. Just 23 new listings have been added in the past four weeks, and there are 178 properties for sale, including 89 homes and 76 condominiums.

Now, let’s look at some of the most expensive homes sold in the area in November:

• 1139 Crest Lane, McLean — 5 BD/4.5+ BA single-family contemporary home — $15,000,000
• 954 MacKall Farms Lane, McLean — 5 BD/5.5+ BA single-family transitional home — $5,998,000
• 1217 Crest Lane, McLean — 5 BD/5.5 BA single-family contemporary home — $5,800,000
• 8548-A Georgetown Pike, McLean — 10 BD/9.5+ BA single-family colonial home — $5,700,000 (previously home to former Washington Nationals player Jayson Werth)
• 827 Dolley Madison Boulevard, McLean — 7 BD/7.5+ BA single-family transitional home — $3,895,000 (under construction)
• 1102 Ingleside Avenue, McLean — 6 BD/5.5 BA single-family contemporary home — $3,740,295
• 6507 Ridge Street, McLean — 6 BD/6.5 BA single-family colonial home — $3,575,000

In the market? Check out the latest in Tysons area real estate.

Photo via Google Maps

Meet London, an older domestic short-haired cat who has spent his whole life tied at the paw to his three siblings.

After their owner’s unexpected death, London and his littermates found their way to the 4Paws Rescue Team, which has plenty of praise for him:

London is a sweet senior boy who came to 4Paws when his owner unexpectedly passed away. He lived indoors all his life, sharing his household with his caring owner and his siblings Lacey, Koz and Nev. He and his littermates were rescued from a stray mother cat.

London has a gentle disposition and looks forward to new beginnings in his new loving and devoted retirement home. He still has a lot of love to give, but, as most senior kitties, he is also just content to chill out, pondering the great mysteries of life he has yet to figure out [like “have I seen that bird species before”?], and watch the world go by without needing constant entertainment and interaction.

Although he lived all his life with his siblings, London is expected to do well a single cat; alternatively, he can be adopted with any of his buddies or into a home with an existing older laid-back cat. He has never lived with dogs before. He would probably do well with older children who understand his need for laid-back attention.

London’s estimated birthdate is 10/07/2009. If London could have a minute of your attention, he would agree with you that a kitten may be an irresistible fur ball of cuteness, but also have you know that senior cats really don’t ask for too much. Indeed, they are content with their daily meals, a few scratches on their head and under their chin, a clean litterbox and a soft spot to nap or fall asleep. Of course, they also want you, because they know that with you in their life, they are safe. London wants you to know that he is ready to reward you with endless gratitude and love for giving him wonderful golden years. He can also join your home as a foster, if you want to learn more about him before considering adopting him, or to give him a loving foster home as he waits for his forever family to pick him up. His heart is telling him that there is one for him out there…… Are you perhaps the family London is thinking about?

London eats both canned and dry food and has good litter box habits. He has tested negative for FIV and Feline Leukemia, has now been updated on his vaccinations, and is microchipped.

Please e-mail us [at [email protected]] if you’re interested in London. Be sure to include your phone number in your message. Please limit inquiries to the Greater Washington, D.C. area except for barn cats.

Could your home be the perfect place for London to retire?

Tensions are brewing in the Town of Vienna should pursue adding sidewalks.

Most, and possibly all, of the neighbors on Alma Street SE have voiced opposition to a new sidewalk there, signing a petition to try to prevent the project that’s being evaluated for the western side of the street.

Meanwhile, others argue that a lack of sidewalks creates safety and accessibility issues, where vehicles and pedestrians share the road and visual obstructions can heighten the potential for danger.

Town leaders have been racing to advance a slate of sidewalk projects — primarily in residential neighborhoods — and use money in a $7 million trust left by former Councilmember Maud Robinson after her death in 2019.

The money dedicated to the Robinson Trust Sidewalk Initiative, which seeks to fill gaps in the town’s network, expires in fall 2024.

How should the town proceed? Should Vienna use its right-of-way to build sidewalks as a public good, even if they cut into a resident’s lawn or driveway, or should the town only build projects when it has the support of adjacent properties?

Photo via Google Maps

Meet Idgie, an adult beagle who loves a good run and a comfy snuggle in equal measure.

A good roommate to humans and fellow pets alike, Idgie is looking for a new, permanent home with the help of her friends at Operation Underdog WV:

Meet Idgie! She’s once half sweetness and the other half sass. This girl (6-8 years old) has a free-spirited side. She would love a large fenced yard to sniff and explore but be sure the fence is sturdy, or she will sneak out for an adventure! Even though Idgie likes some independent yard time, she is quick to make friends with the adults and children in the home. She wants to be in the mix of things. She has a lot of love to spread around.

A patient adopter is best, as she can take a little time to settle in when there is a change in her environment. Idgie can be choosy about some dog friends when on a leash, but tends to get along well with household dog friends once everyone finds their niche.

Apply online or email [email protected] if you’re ready for Idgie to bound out of her current Falls Church home and into your life.

Editor’s Note — With all 100 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates on the ballot, Tysons Reporter is running Q&A-style profiles of the races in the Tysons area this week ahead of the general election next Tuesday (Nov. 2). The candidates’ responses have been edited for length and clarity.

The 53rd House District is relatively compact, encompassing Pimmit Hills, Idylwood, Merrifield, the City of Falls Church, and West Falls Church down to Woodburn.

Incumbent Del. Marcus Simon had not faced a Republican challenger since he was first elected to office in 2015, though independent Mike Casey obtained just under 25% of the vote in 2017. This time, he has an opponent in restaurant manager Sarah White, who won the Republican Party’s nomination at its convention in April.

Who are you?

Simon: I believe that every person has a sacred duty to work to repair the world. That’s the way I try to live my life, and that is where my commitment to public service comes from.

Early in my public service career, I served as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and also as a part time Special Assistant United States Attorney. In 2008, I co-founded the Law Firm of Leggett, Simon, Freemyers & Lyon and EKKO Title, a real estate settlement, title, and escrow company.

First elected to the House in 2013, I’m proud to serve as Secretary and Parliamentarian of the House Democratic Caucus as well as on four House Committees: Courts of Justice, General Laws, Rules and as chair of Privileges & Elections.

As a life-long resident of Fairfax County, my wife Rachel and I love raising our kids in such a welcoming community.

White: I manage a few restaurants here in Northern Virginia and have been in the industry for most of the last 20 years.

I love to be involved in the community and that is why I am a member of Rotary Club of Fairfax, National Association of Women Business Owners, Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association, several Chambers of Commerce, and a board member for Visit Fairfax to name a few.

What would you cite as your top accomplishments of the past term?

Simon: We’ve accomplished so much in the past two years with a Democratic majority. I’m most proud of our work to expand voting rights, to protect our communities with common sense gun violence prevention initiatives, to address the student loan debt crisis, and to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

As Chairman of the Privileges and Elections Committee, I oversaw moving Virginia up 37 spots in the nation for “ease of voting.” During the special session last fall, we passed a package of criminal justice reform legislation, including my bipartisan bill to hold “bad apple” police accountable by closing loopholes in officer decertification.

Why are you running?

White: I decided to run for office after seeing how divisive things have become in politics. I want to unite people. We need to get back to advocating for our community and away from party line politics where there is a winner and a loser. We need people in office who are willing to work together across party lines to do what needs done. My litmus test for policy: Is it good for District 53? Read More

Editor’s Note — With all 100 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates on the ballot, Tysons Reporter is running Q&A-style profiles of the races in the Tysons area this week ahead of the general election next Tuesday (Nov. 2). The candidates’ responses have been edited for length and clarity.

While the 48th House District is primarily situated in Arlington, it also includes southern McLean between the Dulles Toll Road and Old Dominion Drive.

A science teacher who lives in McLean, Republican nominee Edward Monroe is the first person from either major party to challenge Del. Rip Sullivan since the current House Democratic Caucus chair won the 48th District seat in a special election in 2014.

Who are you?

Sullivan:

• Raised and attended public schools in Northern Virginia, along with his wife, Beth. They have four children and four grandchildren.
• Graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College with a law degree from the University of Virginia
• Partner in the law firm Bean Kinney & Korman, P.C., in Arlington
• Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
• Served as House Democratic Caucus Campaign Chair in 2017 and 2019, during which the party took control of both the House and Senate
• Chairs subcommittees that deal with energy, corporate and individual income tax bills, and judge elections for all Virginia courts

“As a Delegate, Rip has fought every year to encourage the growth of Virginia’s clean energy and energy efficiency sectors, promote access to the ballot box, protect and advance LGBTQ rights, and de-politicize the redistricting process,” Sullivan’s office said.

Monroe:

• Born and raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest of three
• Joined the U.S. Peace Corps after college
• Has a nearly 20-year teaching career across Maryland, D.C, and Virginia
• A former Fulbright Fellow who is currently earning a graduate degree in education leadership
• Assisted in the General Election of 2020 as an Elections Officer at a local precinct

“As a husband and father, I am engaged in my faith-based community and have supported youth sports through coaching and officiating,” Monroe said. “My focus is on representation, education, and a responsive energy infrastructure.”

What would you cite as your top accomplishments of the past term?

Sullivan: During the 2020 session, Rip introduced the historic Virginia Clean Economy Act to advance the Commonwealth’s clean energy sector and promote energy efficiency and a life-saving “Red Flag” law to curb gun violence before a single shot is fired, among other significant pieces of legislation. Rip worked diligently with stakeholders and his colleagues to ultimately ensure that these landmark bills became law.

Why are you running for office?

Monroe: For me, the value of community service and representation became clear in my experience with the US Peace Corps. As a volunteer, I witnessed first-hand the difficult transitions underway in southeastern Europe, from command and control to participatory democracy. I was struck by the importance of good representation, provided by dedicated individuals who simply took seriously the interests of their communities.

Now, at home in the 48th District, I recognize the difficult conversations necessary for finding a path forward on a variety of topics. I am running as a Republican in a District that for a number of years has had only one candidate on the ballot. If we believe that our system of government is of high quality, then we need to take steps to fully utilize it. I am thankful for having the opportunity to do my part. Read More