Fairfax County is “urgently” looking for people to help out at the polls for the primary on June 23.

While the county is strongly encouraging voters to absentee vote by mail for this election, election officers are still needed — especially bilingual people in Falls Church who speak Korean or Vietnamese, the county says. Bilingual speakers are also needed in Annandale and Centreville.

The county has taken to social media to find at least 200 election officers for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives primary.

More from the county on measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the polls:

To protect election officers and voters, the Office of Elections will take precautions that include:

• Providing face coverings, gloves and hand sanitizer for every election officer.
• Limiting the number of voters in the room at the same time.
• Requiring voters to maintain a social distance of six feet from each other and election officers.

Election officers help to set up voting equipment, check photo IDs, provide assistance to voters and tabulate results.

People who are registered to vote in Virginia can sign up online by next Friday, May 15, and can choose to volunteer their time or earn at least $175.

We need you on June 23! We're urgently seeking at least 200 election officers for this primary election. Apply online by May 15: https://t.co/nA2EWK3Jlh Officers will be given face coverings and gloves. Learn more: https://t.co/07m5Apycio pic.twitter.com/ibCGlykbb3

— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) May 6, 2020

More Time to Apply for City Grant — “The deadline has been extended to Friday, May 15 for the City of Falls Church Economic Development Authority (EDA)’s Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Grant program.” [City of Falls Church]

Capital One Employees May Stay Home Awhile — “The lender’s offices in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. will remain shut to all non-essential staff at least through the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 7, Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank wrote in an internal memo.” [Bloomberg]

Time for Take Off — “Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. is on schedule for testing of its next-generation rocket, the OmegA, despite the challenges of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, a company executive said.” [UPI]

Celebration Outside Inova Fairfax Hospital — “People lined up to show their love for Fairfax County health care workers who are putting-in long, grueling hours.” [NBC 4]

I-66 Toll Revenue Creates Roadblock for Project Funding — “The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which receives and disseminates funding for the projects, anticipates a significant drop in revenue, and will have to put off selection of projects in the latest round of its  ‘Commuter Choice’ initiative.” [Inside NoVa]

Another successful community effort to give to Providence’s @foodforothers! Thank you to the Falls Hill Civic Association & the neighboring communities that donated 800 lbs more food! It is warming to see gestures of community togetherness during these times. pic.twitter.com/ZzdJ8A58Y1

— Dalia Palchik (@SupvPalchik) May 5, 2020

Happy #NationalNursesDay at the start of National Nurses Week! #FCFRD appreciates you every day of the year! THANK YOU for all you do! Nurses are amazing! #ThankYouNurses pic.twitter.com/xZjHgTcES7

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) May 6, 2020

Tesla Pursuit in Tysons — “Police officers chased three Tesla vehicles likely stolen from a Virginia dealership overnight Friday, ending with two drivers fleeing and another driver getting caught, police say… A Fairfax County Police officer noticed a Tesla driving on Route 7 near the Beltway about 3 a.m.” [NBC 4]

Local Companies Going Green — “Can you imagine finishing a meal by eating the very same utensils you used to consume it? How about the ability to choose between plain, sweet, and savory flavored edible utensils? If the folks at The Mather have their way, plastic utensils will soon be a thing of the past and the planet will be better for it.” [Inside NoVa]

Shop Local on Saturdays — “Falls Church Mayor David Tarter signed a proclamation Friday declaring all Saturdays in May as ‘Small Business Saturdays 2.0’ to encourage citizens to direct their buying to the City’s small businesses during the lockdown over the Covid-19 pandemic.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Tysons CEO Talks COVID-19 — “Tysons-based business intelligence software firm MicroStrategy Inc. is heading into an economic minefield caused by the spread of Covid-19 — but CEO Michael Saylor said he feels pretty good about the future.” [Washington Business Journal]

https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/1257284370920022016?s=20

A boy in Falls Church can now hang out with his friends online because of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic chapter.

Kevin, the 12-year-old boy, received his wish for a computer in early April, according to a press release from Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic.

“The leukemia fighter can now connect with his friends, play games and catch up on schoolwork next year,” the press release said.

While Make-A-Wish was able to grant Kevin’s wish, the mid-Atlantic chapter is struggling to grant the “record number” of wishes by children with critical illnesses.

“As a vast majority of local wishes involve travel or large group settings, approximately 30 wish children each month will… wait indefinitely for special wish moments they’d been looking forward to,” the press release said. “Disruptions to these wishes, along with major fundraising event cancellations and an ever-changing economic landscape, means our work is quickly changing and multiplying.”

Make-A-Wish launched on Wednesday (April 29) — Make-A-Wish’s 40th anniversary — the “Wishes Need Stars Like You” campaign to encourage people and corporate sponsors to financially support the organization’s efforts.

“The campaign serves as the first effort under the multi-year When Stars Align strategy, intended to highlight the past, present and future stars who align their time, talents and resources to make the Make-A-Wish mission possible,” the press release said.

Photo courtesy Make-A-Wish

New Unemployment Numbers for Fairfax County — “With 629,185 county residents in the civilian workforce and 16,992 looking for jobs, the county’s unemployment rate of 2.6 percent was up from 2.1 percent in February, according to figures reported April 29 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.” [Inside NoVa]

Falls Church Senior Home Needs Masks — “The Kensington Falls Church is asking community members to sew surgical gowns for use by its staff.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Electric Bills Going Down — “Most Dominion Energy residential customers should see their bills drop in May, according to a Thursday news release from the company. The reduction will be around $6 per month for the ‘average residential customer,’ the release said.” [The Virginian-Pilot]

Create a Love Letter to Tysons — “Tysons Reporter is looking for video submissions of verbal ‘love letters’ to neighbors around the Tysons area.” [Tysons Reporter]

Small Business Loan Success — The Fairfax County Economic Authority interviewed the owner of Tysons-based Falcon Labs on what it was like getting a PPP loan. [FCEDA]

A local animal rescue group has turned to online resources and bringing in animals from outside Northern Virginia to keep up with the rising adoption demand.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation in Falls Church almost closed when the pandemic hit the Northern Virginia area but decided to stay open under the guidance of its co-founder Pam McAlwee, according to Kim Williams, one of the foundation’s volunteers.

Over the last few weeks, the organization saw a large increase in cat and dog adoptions, Williams said, adding that compared to April 2019, adoptions are up about 60%.

“It’s unlike anything anyone could have ever predicted,” she said.

When the pandemic first hit, Williams said she was concerned because “everything came to a screeching halt.”

The local pet supply stores, which usually would co-host adoption events with Lost Dog, halted their events, and people could no longer meet potential fosters in-person due to health concerns.

But that didn’t stop the foundation from continuing to help furry friends find homes.

Through Zoom appointments and phone consultation, three main volunteers ended up “working around the clock” to process roughly 300 pet inquires and match animals with homes in the first few weeks when people started staying home, Williams said.

“All of a sudden they became Match.com overnight,” she said.

In April alone, the organization took in roughly 370 dogs, according to Williams.

When finding homes for the animals, the volunteers consider a variety of factors, including the age of an animal, preexisting medical conditions, the size of the pet and household factors like children or the presence of a yard, Williams said.

Despite the time-consuming process of matching an animal to an owner, Williams said the team created spreadsheets and even worked to find adopters and fosters for animals that require special care and attention — like Grey, a pup who spent more than 500 days in Lost Dog’s shelter and loves to eat everything in his site — including furniture.

One upside to the pandemic is that people are spending extra time with their foster animals and discovering triggers and solutions for misbehavior that would otherwise cause incompatibility issues, Williams said.

Because many of the animals from the Northern Virginia area have either been adopted or placed in a foster home, the shelter is bringing in roughly 70 animals per week from places such as Puerto Rico, Mississippi and Southern Virginia — all areas with a large number of stray animals. Williams said that a local vet in Mississippi told her that the area was a “dumping ground” for animals.

Though adoptions and fosters have increased over the last few weeks, Williams said it isn’t cheap to rescue animals from across state lines.

Before an animal can be sent to foster homes or be adopted, the shelter has to pay somewhere between $125-$170 in fees depending on the size of animals to take them over state lines. That’s on top of all of the medical expenses to ensure they are healthy.

Thanks to thousands of dollars in donations from an anonymous donor and a partnership with a nearby animal hospital, the shelter has managed to keep up with demand, Williams said.

The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation prides itself on its ethics, according to Williams. “We never discriminate based on age, breed or health conditions,” she said, adding that they will take in any dog or cat in need of care. 

Anyone interested in fostering an animal or adopting can check out the foundation’s website.

Photos courtesy Kim Williams Photography 

Takeout and Delivery List for Tysons Area — Washingtonina has compiled an alphabetical list of eateries in Tysons, Vienna and McLean offering takeout and delivery. [Washingtonian]

Locals Helping to Save McLean Restaurant — Chris Mylonas, who help start Mylo’s Grill at the Chesterbrook Shopping Center says that locals have been helping the restaurant stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. [Connection Newspapers]

McLean Student Teaching Knitting Classes — “McLean High School Senior Amanda Mullet is working hard to bring both stress relief and a new hobby to her neighbors and friends through her Girl Scout Gold Award Project… She set about teaching her friends and peers how to knit.” [Connection Newspapers]

Little City Turns to Public to Support Grants — The City of Falls Church is asking residents and businesses to submit comments on the West Falls Church Connection to W&OD Trail and the Downtown Falls Church Multimodal Improvements projects to help the city get grants from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. [City of Falls Church]

Budget Public Hearings Start Today — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors starts its public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget today. [Fairfax County]

How Vienna Candidates Campaign in COVID-19 Crisis — “Candidates told the Sun Gazette they miss door-to-door campaigning, but are reaching out to voters through social media. The election’s date, which had remained a moving target until late last week, complicated matters further, they said.” [Inside NoVa]

Gov. Northam Says Child Vaccines Declining — “Due to COVID-19, the state is starting to see a decline in immunizations, Northam said, as parents decide not to take their children to the pediatrician for their vaccines.” [Inside NoVa]

Virginia Scores Poorly for Social Distancing — “Virginia has scored a D- while the City of Falls Church has received an overall social distancing grade of C+ based on community activity using metrics comparing current mobility data to that before the Covid-19 outbreak. The assessments come from data company Unacast.” [Falls Church News-Press]

APRIL 27: COVID-19 Update for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Personnel. Information is up-to-date as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. More: https://t.co/J5tdoSU2g4 #FCFRD #FFXCOVID pic.twitter.com/JMBpJ7r4OJ

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 27, 2020

Ramadan is underway, and worshipers in the Tysons area are adapting so they can still celebrate while social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders are in place.

The month of fasting and communal prayer celebrates the time of year when God was said to reveal to the Prophet Muhammad the Qurʾān, Islam’s holy book. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are foregoing traditional in-person community dinners and prayer services at mosques.

Religious leaders and volunteers from both the privatized Aga Khan Council and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, which is a public mosque, told Tysons Reporter that they are encouraging worshipers to stay home with their families this year and celebrate using digital methods.

Ramadan began on April 23 and will end on May 32. The religious holiday is considered one of the holiest months for the Islamic faith and involves “intense spiritual rejuvenation,” according to the Islamic Networks Group.

Dar Al-Hijrah, which is located in the outskirts of Falls Church, is struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Saif Rahman, the director of public works and government affairs for the center.

“We were hit pretty hard,” he said.

The first weekend in March was when the center was scheduled to host its fundraising dinner and also the same weekend places of worship were shut down around the area, he said. The center lost roughly 15- 20% of its yearly funding, he said.

“This meant that the 4,000 people who gather for Friday prayers could not gather for the first time in our history,” the website said.

Still, during this time Rahman said the center feels obligated to help the community in time of need, especially during Ramadan. Despite the lack of funding, the mosque is feeding hundreds of families of all faiths each Thursday, according to Rahman. The center is actively seeking donations and details can be found online.

Dar Al-Hijrah is also providing Iftar meals for the elderly and people who are incarcerated. As part of the Ramadan ceremony, Iftar meals are usually served with family and the extended community to mark the end of fasting for the day.

This year, instead of serving meals together in a community space, Rahman said volunteers organized a drive up and drop off system for the food.

“Ramadan is a time communities come together,” he said. “That physical connection may not be there, but we are trying to keep that spiritual connection through the means available to us. “

Going forward, Rahman said that the end of Ramadan will be among the hardest time for the families and really “hit home.” He compared the end of Ramadan to Christmas dinner, adding that it will become especially difficult and sad when people cannot be around their larger communities and support systems.

The mosque is encouraging people to touch base with family and friends through digital software.

For people interested in at-home prayer services, they can tune into prerecorded sessions on Dar Al-Hijrah‘s website.

Meanwhile, the McLean Islamic Center is a virtual program, with nightly Zoom sessions during Ramadan.

“While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will prevent us from being together physically, we can however connect in remarkable ways virtually,” according to the center’s website.

The Aga Khan Council, a private institution of worship that has a location in Falls Church, is offering free workshops for its members during Ramadan, volunteer Zak Karim said. Though the center doesn’t offer religious ceremonies, he said that the group’s leaders are encouraging virtual connection with friends and family.

The staff at their Jamat Khana, a place of worship for Shia Ismaili Muslims, is also encouraging people to pray at home with their families and engage in spiritual activities such as yoga.

“It’s about how healthy eating, healthy choices, cooking classes and then more of the educational meaning — learning how art and culture — intersect with one’s ability to contemplate thought,” Karim said.

Photo via Masjid Pogung Dalangan /Unsplash

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 that keep people busy once the sun goes down. 

Animal parents can now commemorate their household companions with painted pottery.

Kiln & Co (138 Church Street NW) is offering take-home paint sets for customers to recreate a likeness of their furry friend on a piece of pottery.

Though the classes used to be in person at Kiln’s studios around Vienna, Falls Church and Reston, the business decided to allow customers to bring the experience home so they have something to do while in self-isolation, according to the Dmitry Shakhov, the manger of the Vienna studio.

The multi-step process begins when the customer sends in a picture of their pet, which Shakhov will sketch onto the pottery and return to the customer with directions and supplies.

“It’s almost like paint by number,” Shakhov said. “First you start with your lighter tones and then you go darker.”

Orders can be placed over the phone at 703-255-7155, online or using the website’s chatbox, according to Shakhov, who added that people can pick up their sets at the shop.

Though the pieces’ price tags vary, a large platter runs around $30, which includes the supplies, glazing at the studio and the sketch of the animal. If a customer wants to add specialized coloring or details, Shakhov said they can do that without an extra charge.

A spokesperson for the pottery shop also said that Shakhov is in the process of arranging other at-home workshops at well.

Photo courtesy Kiln & Co