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 35th House District covers Tysons south of the Dulles Toll Road and extends to Fair Lakes, including the Town of Vienna and Oakton.

The district has voted Democratic since 2003, with incumbent Del. Mark Keam as its delegate since 2010. He has a challenger for the seat for the first time since 2013 in Republican nominee Kevin McGrath, a former CIA employee.

Who are you?

Keam:

I was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2009, and my interest in seeking reelection today is the same as when I first sought this position: I believe in our democracy and the civic process, and I want to help solve some of the problems facing our state, rather than simply sit on the sidelines and complain about them.

I have devoted my professional career to public service and worked in federal, state, and local governments as well as with dozens of nonprofit organizations. I also believe in the power of the private sector to improve our quality of life and their socially responsible roles in making our society better.  That is why I have worked with both start-ups and large companies to do good while doing well.

McGrath:

I am a native Northern Virginian. Born in Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, DC, I grew up in Mosby Woods in Fairfax and attended school there for most of 1st through 12th grades. I graduated from Oakton High School, and then from Virginia Tech with a BA in Political Science. After graduating from Tech, I worked for the CIA for 30 years and retired 6 years ago.

I have served my community in many ways. My passion is coaching youth sports and I have enjoyed coaching Vienna youth baseball, soccer, and basketball for 20 years. I have also been involved with my parish church, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Vienna, volunteering and raising funds over the years. And yes,  I am still a Washington Redskins fan.

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

Keam: As a state legislator, one of my priorities is addressing climate change by helping Virginia transition from finite and polluting sources of energy to cleaner and renewable sources. I’ve drafted several bills that became law to reach these goals, including expanding rooftop solar for consumers, banning offshore drilling, promoting electric vehicles, and requiring environmental justice analysis. During the most recent legislative session, I passed a bill to create a new state fund that will help schools convert their diesel school buses to electric models.

Why are you running for office?

McGrath: I follow politics and I know how important the results of elections can be. After the November 2020 election chaos, I decided to throw my hat in the ring and run for office. Regardless of how this election works out, I feel it is my duty as an American to try and stop the madness that our current politicians have recently shown. Read More

Meet Tip Toe, a short-haired tabby who has come a long way from the trash can where she was found at 4 weeks of age.

Now just over 1 year old, this cat is looking for a new home with her owner moving to a building that doesn’t allow pets, according to her friends at 4Paws Rescue Team:

Allow me to introduce myself….. My name is Tip Toe. I was found by a Good Samaritan in a trash can where somebody had left me to fend for myself at 4 weeks of age. Since then, I lived in a caring home but now my Mom is moving to a new place that unfortunately does not allow pets. Despite this new challenge, I look at life with optimism because I know that I will soon find my new forever home like many of my 4Paws fellow kitties.

I heard my caretakers call me loving and affectionate girl – I agree, I am definitely a warmhearted kitty! I enjoy climbing up and down my cat tree and find chasing the laser pointer a thrilling exercise. I still can’t figure out where that little red dot goes every time I grab it…… it always seems to slip out of my grasp…. Strange!

Like every growing cat, I have a healthy appetite and my favorite food is anything that is wet and sort of brothy; this way, I can stay healthy and hydrated. I am still not sure whether I would like a home with another gentle cat or where I am your one and only. It’s not that I don’t like other cats, but I am not totally sure how to interact with them. I would love it if you considered me to become your charming forever kitty, but you can also just foster me for a while, as I continue growing and learning about life.

Tip Toe was born Sep 2020. She is spayed and current on vaccinations, tested negative for FIV and FeLV, and has been microchipped.

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

Are you the right match to help Tip Toe find her footing in the world?

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.

Represented by incumbent Del. Kathleen Murphy since 2015, the 34th House District encompasses most of McLean and the Wolf Trap area of Vienna, stretching west into Potomac Falls in Loudoun County.

Currently vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Murphy won her party’s June 8 primary and is now vying for reelection against Republican nominee Gary Pan, president and CEO of the information technology firm Panacea Consulting.

Who are you?

Murphy:

• Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus
• Member of the House Finance Committee, General Laws Committees, and vice chair of the Transportation Committee.
• Founder of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus and former co-chair of the Safe Virginia Initiative
• A member of the Military and Veterans Caucus and the Virginia Environment and Renewable Energy Caucus
• Created the Rare Disease Caucus

Pan:

• 34th District resident for over 20 years with wife and three sons
• Started multiple successful businesses in IT consulting
• Serves on boards for the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Great Falls Citizen Association, and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
• Received bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Lehigh University and MBA from Virginia Tech
• Named a Lord Fairfax honoree in 2017
• Currently serves as a Scoutmaster and president of the Rotary Club of Great Falls

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

Murphy: This past session in Richmond, the Democratic majority delivered on the issues and values that matter most to our constituents. We passed legislation to support Virginia’s families and businesses through the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we expanded access to affordable healthcare, and we raised teacher pay.

I have strong support from our community for my efforts to make gun violence prevention a priority. Having lost my brother to gun violence, this issue is personal to me. In the last two sessions, we have delivered stronger background checks, a bill to allow school boards to ban guns on school property, a ban on plastic or 3D-printed “ghost guns,” and a ban on guns in the Capitol and other state buildings. Most notably, we passed my bill, H.B. 1995, a landmark bill to keep guns out of the hands of violent domestic abusers.

Additionally, I passed a bill to create the Rare Disease Council. Having recently lost a child to a rare disease, I am acutely aware of the challenges these families face.

Why are you running for office?

Pan: I love this community and I don’t think it’s getting the representation it deserves. Even with the vast array of issues facing the constituents of the 34th, our current delegate repeatedly chooses her party over the best interest of the district. I couldn’t stand by and watch. The pendulum has swung way too far to the left thanks to one party rule in Richmond. Read More

Meet Charlie, a brown German short-haired pointer whose manners will never prompt his owners to cry “good grief!”

Though his past is unclear, his friends at Alexandria’s Mid-Atlantic GSP Rescue say Charlie’s present self would be a treat to have at any household, though cats are not advised:

Charlie is a well-behaved, amazing, and fun approximately 5-6 year old male GSP , weighing about 60lbs.

Charlie was found as a stray, so we don’t know his backstory, but we can tell you that he has been an absolutely wonderful house guest. Charlie is fully housebroken and has excellent manners. Charlie knows basic commands (sit, down, and stay), does not jump on counters, and does not beg when we eat.

Charlie is friendly to every person he meets, and is great with our teenage kids. He is not a jumpy dog, and probably would do fine with younger kids. Charlie loves being around people, and happily will curl up on your lap or lie next to you. He likes to sleep in the same room as his people, but he will sleep on his dog bed. Charlie is a medium energy dog, and is content with a couple of walks a day and a few games of fetch (we are working on getting Charlie to return the ball).

Charlie has full reign of the house, and does well when left alone. When we return, he is either on his dog bed or waiting by the door to greet us. Charlie is starting to show a bit of a prey drive and will chase the birds. He does not bark much, except when he sees the deer hanging out in our neighbor’s yard. Charlie has had some exposure to other dogs, and he definitely likes his space when he sleeps (no sharing a dog bed with Charlie unless you are a person!), but he might get along just fine with other dogs. We don’t think he would do well in a house with a cat or a bird.

Charlie is a gem, and we will miss him when he is adopted!

Suspect Charlie is a guest you’ll never want to leave? You can fill out an adoption application at www.mdgsprescue.org/adoption-application.

Metro is no stranger to safety challenges.

Last week’s train derailment in Arlington was just the latest in a long history of perilous, occasionally fatal incidents that have plagued the D.C. region’s primary transit system, from track fires and smoke-filled tunnels to the Red Line crash that killed nine people in 2009.

While no injuries were reported from the derailment, the ensuing investigation disrupted rail service on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines throughout the week.

Initial findings of that investigation are now in, and they could be a devastating blow to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s campaign to lure passengers back after the COVID-19 pandemic sent ridership tumbling last year.

Metro pulled nearly 60% of its fleet out of operations Sunday night (Oct. 17) after the National Transportation Safety Board uncovered wheel axle defects on multiple 7000-series trains, which were introduced in 2015. The federal agency reported today (Monday) that these issues have occurred at least 31 times since 2017, including twice on the derailed car before it actually went off the tracks.

With use of the 6000 trains already suspended due to recent car separations, Metro was left with just a few dozen trains today and reduced service to just one six-car train every 30 minutes, resulting in crowded trains, platforms, and buses.

And as promised, #wmata is running shorter 6-car trains every 30 minutes, all day today. The 7000's and most of the 6000's are out of service. pic.twitter.com/ApnROBBbGn

— Metro Reasons (@MetroReasons) October 18, 2021

While WMATA hasn’t announced its upcoming service plans yet, it seems like a safe bet that the challenges facing the transit system won’t be solved overnight.

Metro says they plan to have more service information out within the next few hours.

But that being said, this region is in big trouble if this is a months-long issue. https://t.co/oiMAXGkMZl

— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) October 18, 2021

How will Metro’s safety issues and new service limitations affect your travel plans going forward? If you were a regular rider, will you continue that habit or seek alternatives when possible?

The latest Pet of the Week is Donnie, who was part of a large colony of cats trapped at the Blackthorne Inn in Upperville, Virginia. Donnie’s foster mom describes him as gentle, calm and sweet.

Here’s what Donnie’s friends at 4Paws Rescue Team shared:

Donnie is from a colony of cats that were trapped at the Blackthorne Inn in Upperville, Virginia. By the time the caretaker (Tom) and office manager (Donna) called for help with the cats, there were over 20 living on the property, and it all started with a single unspayed female cat that someone abandoned.

Here’s what Donnie’s foster mom had to say about Donnie (and she has been doing this a long time):

‘Donnie is the best and gentlest of cats. He gets along with other cats well, too. His purrsonality is calm and sweet. You don’t get them better than this guy. What’s amazing is that he was born outside and except for the company of Tom, his dog Charlie and Donna, he did not have any contact with humans. At first he was afraid but within a couple of weeks he was making great progress.

He has a good appetite so his adopter will need to monitor his food intake. Once he finishes eating, he will go over to another cat’s dish to try to eat their food. Because of this, it is best if he is fed separately or his adopter uses a microchip-sensing automatic feeder. Donnie has very sensitive skin (just look at the pink nose) that reacted to the Revolution. He developed a sore/infection where it was applied between his shoulder blades and had to have a Convenia antibiotic shot.

Donnie is used to living with other cats so he should go to a home where he has a cat friend. In the words of Jackson Galaxy: “I firmly believe that by and large, cats are happier in the company of other cats.”

Donnie was born April 2020. He has been neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and has tested negative for FeLV and FIV.

Are you and Donnie the perfect match?

The real estate market remains busy with new homes hitting the market each day.

This past week, 32 new homes were listed across Tysons, McLean and Vienna, according to Homesnap. These included:

• 1008 Pine Hill Road, McLean
  5 BD/4.5+ BA single-family home
  Listed: $6,000,000
• 8506 Ashgrove Plantation Circle, Vienna
  3 BD/4 BA single-family home
  Listed: $1,110,000
• 908 Shady Drive SE., Vienna
  3 BD/2.5 BA single-family home
  Listed: $775,000
• 2004 Meadow Springs Drive, Vienna
  3 BD/2.5+ BA townhouse
  Listed: $765,000
• 1530 Spring Gate Drive #9214, McLean
  3 BD/2 BA condo
  Listed: $519,500
• 8380 Greensboro Drive #209, McLean
  1 BD/1 BA condo
  Listed: $369,000

Image via Google Maps

Meet Mia, a small but fierce Chihuahua and Yorkshire terrier mix who’s looking for a home where she can be the queen of the castle.

Here’s what Mia’s friends at Paws and Claws New England had to say about her.

Miss Mia is an empathic snuggle bunny who is looking for a warm and loving home. She is confident, active and affectionate. Please do not let her tiny size (3 pounds 8 ounces) fool you into thinking she wants to spend her time wrapped in a soft blanket sitting on a pillow made of velvet. She is a saucy little hot tamale who is ready and willing to become the princess of her very own castle. She is extremely playful and excellent with friendly small dogs who want to run around the yard in a fast game of ‘catch me if you can.’

Email [email protected] for more information on Mia.

Could you be the one to have Princess Mia rule over your Genovia?

By this time next year, the I-495 Northern Extension project (495 NEXT) could be under construction.

The Virginia Department of Transportation secured required federal approvals in July for its $550 million effort to add express lanes on three miles of interstate from Tysons to the American Legion Bridge area in McLean.

With that hurdle surmounted, state transportation officials expect to advance the project fairly quickly over the next year, awarding a design-build contract this winter and finalizing the design next year. Right-of-way acquisitions and construction work could also start in 2022, putting the toll lanes on track to begin operations in 2025.

While traffic volumes are projected to increase roughly the same amount regardless of whether 495 NEXT is implemented, VDOT says extending the I-495 Express Lanes toward the American Legion Bridge will reduce travel times and congestion, moving 2,500 more people per hour through the corridor when they open in 2025.

The project also includes transit in the form of new bus service between Tysons and Montgomery County, a trail for bicyclists and pedestrians parallel to I-495, and funds to assist with stormwater management and stream restoration efforts along Scott’s Run.

However, 495 NEXT has encountered some resistance from McLean residents concerned about its potential impact on their neighborhoods, and environmental advocates.

An environmental assessment found that the project will affect 4.11 acres of Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, 19.8 acres of wetlands, and more than two acres of land around George Washington Memorial Parkway, though the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) and National Park Service (NPS) determined that the effects could be mitigated enough to be outweighed by the benefits.

Some residents and elected officials have questioned whether that would be the case, though, if Maryland’s plans to replace the American Legion Bridge and widen its part of the Beltway fall through, which remains a possibility even after the state approved a pre-development contract.

Now that it’s getting closer to becoming a reality, how do you feel about 495 NEXT?

Would the project make your life easier, or are you more concerned about the inevitable environmental and neighborhood impacts of a major infrastructure project? Should Virginia hit pause until Maryland fully commits?

Chart via VDOT