Fairfax County School Board Adopts Budget — The Fairfax County Public Schools fiscal year 2022 budget includes funding for 50 new positions for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students, school-based technology specialists, and 18 new social worker and psychologist positions to meet state requirements. It also covers technology support fees previously charged to families and a 2% market rate adjustment for all employees. [FCPS]
Bike to Work Day Is Here — The D.C. area’s annual initiative to encourage people to ride their bicycles to work marks its 20th anniversary today. The Tysons area has pit stops at Tysons Corner Center, the Mosaic District, and the MITRE Corporation headquarters in McLean, where cyclists can pick up a complimentary T-shirt, win giveaways, and in some cases, get a free bicycle tune-up. [Bike to Work Day]
Park Police Chief Calls Ghaisar Shooting “Tragic” — Park Police Chief Pamela Smith called the 2017 shooting of McLean resident Bijan Ghaisar “tragic” yesterday (Thursday) when announcing that the agency will outfit all officers with body-worn cameras by the end of this year. She didn’t comment on Fairfax County and Virginia prosecutors’ recent request that the Justice Department take up the case against the Park Police officers, which is now in federal court. [WTOP]
Scott’s Run Security to Intensify on Memorial Day — The Fairfax County Park Authority will increase the presence of security at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean starting on Memorial Day (May 31). Security personnel will be on site throughout the week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to enforce park rules, including the prohibition of alcohol and glass bottles and safety measures in the waterfall area. [Patch]
Mill Street Building Sold for $5 Million — The 23,000 square-foot building at 319 Mill Street in Vienna was sold last week to a local businessman identified as MITCO Mill Street LLC. Zoned for retail or industrial use and occupied by three long-term tenants, the property is part of an effort to revive Mill Street with new retail businesses, including a Cubesmart that’s now under construction. [Vienna Business Association]
McLean American Legion Post Honored — “It took an extra year because of pandemic-related delays, but American Legion Post 270 in McLean and its former commander, W. Glenn Yarborough, on May 19 finally received ceremonial copies of honorary resolutions passed last year by the General Assembly.” [Sun Gazette]
Updated 2 p.m. — The location for the ceremony has been moved to the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street) due to concerns about weather.
Earlier:Â American Legion Dyer-Gunnell Post 180 is set to host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in the Town of Vienna.
The ceremony — which is free to attend — will begin at 9 a.m. at the Town Green, located at 144 Maple Avenue E, behind the Freeman House on Friday, Sept. 11. The annual ceremony — which Post 180 plans to continue hosting each year — marks the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
The ceremony is set to recall the attacks of 2001 while honoring the bravery and service of first-responders, and lives lost that day.
Typical attendance in previous years has ranged between 75-200 people.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. and current Post 180 Commander Guillermo Guillén will be giving the remarks for the ceremony.
Photo via Google Maps
The local branch of a veterans organization is set to host a 9/11 remembrance ceremony in the Town of Vienna.
Based in Vienna, American Legion Post 180 holds the ceremony every year.
The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 11) — the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks — at the Freeman House lawn at 131 Church Street NE.
The Freeman House is a historic country store that was once occupied by both Confederate and Union Army troops during the Civil War.
Despite having a cameo on next Wednesday’s (July 31) Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA)Â agenda, County staff say the American Legion noise issue in McLean is settled.
The American Legion Post 270 at 1355 Balls Hill Road had some trouble over noise complaints from residential neighbors. But in February, the Post received a favorable ruling from the BZA allowing them to continue to host events.
The docket for the BZA says the Board will consider an appeal an original ruling against the American Legion post. Crystal Santos, public information officer for Fairfax County Government, said the County won’t challenge the BZA’s February decision.
“In February the Board of Zoning Appeals ruled that the American Legion could have private parties hosted by non-members,” said Santos in an email. “Following that decision, the American Legion submitted a second appeal to have the Zoning Administrator’s original determination that these parties are not allowed, overturned. Since the County will not appeal the February BZA decision, the second appeal is moot and the county is requesting for it to be dismissed.”
Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said there are still some upset residents, but he hopes the American Legion can continue working with them to resolve the sound complaints in a neighborly fashion.
“From a procedural standpoint, nothing to fight about,” Foust said. “They have new leadership at the American Legion… everyone is still hoping for a kumbaya moment to solve the issue.”
