Weekly Wages in Fairfax County — “The average weekly wage for those working in Fairfax (wherever they may live) stood at $1,735 in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to data reported May 20 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s an increase of 2.1 percent from the same period a year before, below the national growth rate of 3.5 percent (to $1,185).” [Inside NoVa]

Tennis, Anyone? — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is following the Fairfax County Park Authority’s phased re-opening process and will be allowing individuals to exercise on high school tracks and tennis courts beginning Friday, May 22.” [FCPS]

Falls Church Gets Federal Help — “Dana Lewis of the City’s Housing and Human Development department reported that $39,095 in federal CARES Act funding has come to the City to buoy its emergency rent assistance program where, so far, 14 requests for help have been received.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Needed: Contact Tracers — “The Virginia Department of Health said Thursday it’s searching for bilingual candidates as it hires 1,300 contact tracers.  It says it will deploy tracking software and enforceable quarantine orders alongside these tracers to more aggressively counter the spread of the virus.” [DCist]

Demolition of Cedar Lane bridge over I-66 continues. More: https://t.co/A9NIA1hW1q pic.twitter.com/tzGkiL9NSF

— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) May 21, 2020

Starting May 23, certain Metrobus routes at Dunn Loring and West Falls Church will be relocated to accommodate the new shuttle service for the shutdown. Signs will be posted to direct people. To learn more about the new shuttle service, check out pic.twitter.com/09UIACRolo

— NVTC (@NoVaTransit) May 21, 2020

Memorial Day weekend is nearing, but the holiday honoring people who died while serving in the U.S. military and marking the unofficial start of summer will be different this year due to COVID-19.

Both the City of Falls Church and Town of Vienna have canceled their in-person events, opting instead to have online videos to recognize the holiday.

Instead of the annual parade and festival, Falls Church will offer virtual activities like a pre-recorded Memorial Day Ceremony, according to an email from the city.

The recording “will air on Monday, May 25 at 11 a.m. on the Falls Church Community Television Channel (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35) and available to watch on the city’s YouTube channel,” the email said.

More from the city:

A special Memorial Day edition of the Virtual Community Center — the Recreation and Parks Department’s bi-weekly newsletter — will debut Friday, May 22 with exclusive content including a Q&A with this year’s (and next year’s) Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal, Lindy Hockenberry; a spotlight on the veteran who hosts our Senior Center Military History Forum; and stay-at-home Memorial Day themed activities for all ages.

Meanwhile, Vienna won’t have its annual ViVa Vienna event, which is hosted by the Rotary Club of Vienna. Instead, the town will have a video celebration.

“The town has worked with American Legion Post 180 to create a video that captures virtually the ceremony it hosts each year at Flint Hill Cemetery to honor those who have died in military service,” according to an email from the town. “The virtual ceremony will be broadcast several times over the weekend on TVCN (channel 27 on Cox and 38 on Verizon Fios).”

Government services will be closed on Monday (May 25) in both the city and town due to the holiday.

People in the Tysons area can also get outside and go to Fairfax County’s parks, which reopened earlier this week.

File photo

Virtual Job Fair for Recent Grads Next Thursday — “Participants will be able to browse companies in the lobby, enter their booths, view open positions specifically curated for recent grads, and chat with HR representatives in real-time.” [Brazen Connect]

First Child Case in Va. of Syndrome Tied to COVID-19 — “The Fairfax Health District has confirmed a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. This is the first case of MIS-C reported in Virginia.” [Inside NoVa]

N. Va.’s Reopening Date TBD — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday he has not decided whether Northern Virginia can enter Phase One of reopening on May 29… Northam said he is in daily communication with Northern Virginia government leaders and has set no timeline for making a decision.” [Inside NoVa]

Helen Hayes Awards Delayed to August — D.C.-area theater companies will have to wait until late August for the awards ceremony that will determine the winners. Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre received 18 nominations this year. [Broadway World, Tysons Reporter]

84 Falls Church Businesses Win Grant Funding — “The City of Falls Church Economic Development Authority (EDA) is proud to announce the winners of the EDA Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Grant Program. Each business will receive $2,000 to help with urgent expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.” [City of Falls Church]

Summer Camps Canceled — “The Fairfax County Park Authority and the county’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services have canceled 2020 summer camp programs due to the COVID-19 crisis.” [Tysons Reporter]

Vienna Eatery Getting Creative With Outdoor Dining — “Clarity chef/owner Jonathan Krinn has dreamed up a way to revive the fine dining experience. On Saturday he’ll launch ‘A Lot of Clarity,’ a five-course prix-fixe meal served in 16 designated ‘slips’ — that’s the tonier nautical term for parking spaces–in the outdoor lot of his Vienna, Virginia restaurant.” [Washingtonian]

Happy Trails — “A variety of scenic walking routes are found within the City of Falls Church… Starting from the Falls Church Community Center, a short stroll through the trails running under the nearby Virginia Pine canopy provides a view of Cherry Hill Park and its 1845 Greek Revival manor house.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Home Sales Drop as Prices Rise in N. Va. — “A total of 1,725 properties changed hands across the region in April, according to figures reported May 12 by MarketStats by ShowingTime. That’s down from 2,160 transactions a year before… Sales were down in every jurisdiction except the city of Fairfax… [The] average sales price of all properties that went to closing during the month stood at $667,527, up 7.5 percent from a year before.” [Inside NoVa]

New Senior Shopping Service — “Fairfax County, through the Health Department’s Neighbor to Neighbor Program (N2N), has launched a free grocery shopping and pharmacy pick-up service. The service is provided to seniors at private residences by volunteers who have completed background checks.” [Fairfax County]

Masks Now Mandatory — Riders will have to wear face coverings when using the Metro or Fairfax Connector starting on Monday, May 18. [Metro, Fairfax County]

Cedar Lane over I-66 is scheduled to close Friday and demolition of the bridge is slated to begin Saturday. Project will take about six months. Lots of info about the project and its impacts in Vienna area in this On Deck with Mercury episode: https://t.co/lXjtnPZaB0

— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) May 13, 2020

Fairfax County and the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax have reached 7,000 COVID-19 cases — roughly 2,000 more cases than this time last week, according to state health data.

As of today (Thursday), Fairfax County reported 6,951 cases, while Fairfax City has 45 cases and Falls Church has 39, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Hispanics make up 16.8% of the Fairfax Health District’s population, but 61.3% of the reported cases that have racial and ethnic data, according to Fairfax County’s dashboard.

In the county, 267 people have died from the virus, while four have died in Falls Church. The majority of the people who died were age 65 or older.

Fairfax County officials have said that increased testing capacity, community transmission and the inclusion of probably COVID-19 cases in the data are likely behind the rising numbers.

The Fairfax Health District continues to have the highest number of reported cases in the state, but has a lower case rate per 100,000 than several other areas like Richmond County and Eastern Shore.

With Virginia poised to ease some COVID-19 business restrictions tomorrow, Northern Virginia localities will wait an extra two weeks to see if they get a downward trend of positive test results and hospitalizations for 14 days.

Data via Virginia Department of Health

Police Make Arrest in Assault Along W&OD Trail — Falls Church police arrested a 23-year-old man from Stafford for allegedly pursuing a woman along the W&OD Trail on Saturday, May 9. [City of Falls Church]

Metro May Limit Operations Until 2021 — “As states start to reopen their economies, Metro has crafted its plan to slowly ramp service back up — but don’t expect pre-pandemic levels of service until sometime in early 2021.” [DCist]

FCEDA Head Tapped for COVID-19 Group — “Victor Hoskins, President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), is one of 45 experts tapped to serve on the Washington, D.C.-area’s COVID-19 Strategic Renewal Task Force. Hoskins is the only member on the task force representing one of the region’s economic development organizations.” [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]

Stuff the Bus is Back — “On Saturday, May 16 and Tuesday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fastran buses will be parked at locations throughout Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax to collect food donations. However, unlike past years, the buses will not be parked in grocery store parking lots.” [Fairfax County]

U.S. Census Response in Fairfax County — “As of Friday (May 9), Fairfax County’s self-response rate is 72.7% — well above Virginia’s overall rate of 63.5%, according to census data.” [Reston Now]

Fairfax County recently created a map pinpointing local groups looking for donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The map allows users to find nonprofits and organizations within a specific region of Fairfax County so they can help people within their own communities.

Users can search for charities by the proximity to an address or by clicking on one from the general geographic overview.

The charities listed on the website are accepting items including personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, baby products and paper items, the page said. Throughout the county, 22,620 households are at or below the poverty level, according to the website.

Charities collecting monetary donations can be found on the webpage as well.

People can learn more about a charity by reading an overview from Volunteer Fairfax.

County-wide:

• The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church
• American Red Cross in the National Capital Region
• Blood Donor Services, Inova Health System
• Britepaths

Vienna:

• McLean Bible Church
• Family Preservation and Strengthening Services (PASS)
• MK9s Service Dogs
• Second Story
• The Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna

McLean:

• Lewinsville Retirement Residence
• Share Inc.

Falls Church:

• Falls Church-McLean Childrens Center
• Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Administration
• Falls Church Community Service Council (FCS)
• New Hope Housing (NHH)
• Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Inc.
• NOVA ScriptsCentral, Inc.
• Shelter House, Inc.
• The Arc of Northern Virginia
• Computer C.O.R.E.

Image via Fairfax County

Nightlife is zilch in Tysons at the moment due to the pandemic. After a brief hiatus, the “Tysons After Dark” series is back to highlight different online activities from local organizations and offerings from eateries that keep people busy once the sun goes down. 

Crafty souls can now join kindred spirits on project adventures thanks to a weekly event hosted by TINT.

Every Wednesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m., the “maker space” in Falls Church will host Zoom meetings where people can gather to work on their own projects while hanging out with others, according to the event page.

Though the meetings used to be in-person, Carissa Englert, the shop’s owner, began hosting them remotely to abide by social distancing measures.

“They started when I opened the shop back in the Fall of 2019 and became a quick favorite with customers who liked to come “stitch ‘n’ b*tch” with their fellow crafters (knitters, stitchers, crocheters, weavers, etc.) each week,” Englert said.  “When COVID started happening, I started getting requests to host them online instead of in person.”

This event is free and open to the public. Participants can find the link on the Facebook event page.

TINT opened in September and offers people a place to learn and practice textile and fiber arts, according to its website.

Photo via TINT/Facebook

Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons and Idylwood Plaza and Tysons Station in the Falls Church area will soon have a contact-less pick-up program for their restaurants.

Federal Realty’s Pick-Up program launches next Friday, May 15 in the D.C. area, to allow curbside pick-up for eateries at its properties, according to a press release from Mittie Rooney at the Axiom Communications Group.

“The program is made available to all tenants and customers looking for comfortable ways to return to shopping at their favorite stores,” the press release said. “Customers will be able to place orders directly with stores by phone or on-line, and arrange for same day pick-up, or a time most convenient to them.”

Federal Realty’s three shopping centers in the Tysons area will have the program by the end of the month, Rooney  said.

“We see this as a long-term solution to finding even more convenient ways for customers to shop,” Stuart Biel, the senior vice president of regional leasing for Federal Realty, said in the press release.

(Updated at 6:25 p.m.) Locals way have to wait a little longer than expected for safety solutions along Shreve Road in the Falls Church area due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The road, which runs through the City of Falls Church and Fairfax County, has lately been the focus of safety concerns from local residents and the Shreve Road Community Working Group.

A study is underway by the Virginia Department of Transportation to address the road’s issues. Allison Richter, the liaison to Fairfax and Arlington counties for VDOT, gave an update on the study during a virtual town hall on Monday (May 4).

“We expect there are going to be some solutions that will have to take a little longer,” she said.

Richter said that the COVID-19 pandemic and Virginia’s stay-at-home order have hampered data collection.

“[VDOT is] not doing traffic counts because it’s not as it normally is,” she said. “We’re a little bit held back in some of our studies.”

Status of Projects Along Shreve Road 

So far, the traffic engineering group has reviewed and replaced “obsolete signs,” Richter said.

Dalia Palchik, the Providence District representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said during the meeting that the county is waiting for contractors to finish work near the intersection of Shreve Road and Virginia Lane.

Additionally, she said NoVa Parks is working with an engineer to address work at the W&OD Trail crossing and Shreve Road.

Palchik said that drivers should keep an eye out for lane closures near Gordon Road and Route 7 due to pipe installation.

Providence District School Board Member Karl Frisch said in his email newsletter today that 10 new parking spots have been added to Shrevewood Elementary School.

“Weather permitting, phase two will begin on May 15. When completed, about 17 new spots will have been added,” Frisch said.

Palchik said that the meeting that the new spaces will “help get the cars off of Shreve and into the school.”

Next Steps for Safety Solutions

The study is aiming to identify short- and long-term solutions, along with areas where upgrades are needed and people have continually reported issues, Richter said.

VDOT has lowered the speed from 35 to 30 miles per hour from Leesburg Pike (Route 7) to Wieland Place. Richter said that calls from residents to reduce the speed further to 25 miles per hour is still a possibility.

“I’m not going to rule that out, but we’ll also be looking at other measures like increasing enforcement or traffic calming tools,” she said, adding that a speed study was done in 2019.

People can expect the final report sometime in November, according to Richter’s presentation.

Public Support Sought for Grant Application

The Shreve Road Community Working Group’s website notes that people can submit comments on a grant application to Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA).

According to the group’s website, the $6.9 million transportation grant would be used to:

• install a 10-foot multi-use path and 6-foot planting strip along Shreve Road
• add a crosswalk near the intersection of Shreve and Gordon roads
• add a landscape buffer and lighting changes

People have until May 24 to submit comments online or via email at [email protected].

Image via Google Maps