The McLean Project for the Arts’ “Strictly Painting” exhibit returns this weekend for its 12th year.
“We are delighted to once again honor and showcase the astounding wealth of talented painters working in the mid-Atlantic region,” MPA Exhibitions Director Nancy Sausser said in a press release.
This year, gallery visitors can see artwork from 57 artists.
Adah Rose Bitterbaum, the owner and director of the Adah Rose Gallery in Maryland, is the juror for this year’s exhibit.
The exhibit runs from June 8 to July 13 at 1446 Chain Bridge Road.
A free opening reception Saturday (June 8) will take place from 5-7 p.m.
Image via McLean Project for the Arts
The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) could finally be weighing in tomorrow night regarding the group homes controversy, but the fight may already be over.
A draft resolution planned to be discussed at MCA’s Wednesday (June 5) meeting would oppose a special exception that would allow the Newport Academy, a for-profit therapy and rehabilitation program for teens, to open a facility at 1620, 1622 and 1624 Davidson Road, located in a residential neighborhood near McLean High School.
But the proposed resolution comes late in the game — local residents started protesting the issue more than two months ago.
A grassroots group opposing a rehabilitation facility recently claimed victory, although the sourcing for that win remains unclear.
An administrator on the Davidson and Kurtz Road Rehab Facility Facebook page — a nearly 500 member group that had been a discussion board for residents opposed to the development — said last Tuesday (May 28) he received the following statement from the Newport Academy:
Newport Academy is the nation’s leading provider of mental health residential and outpatient treatment for teens and young adults. As such, we have received direct requests from parents, clinicians, insurance companies and other referral sources to bring our well-recognized adolescent mental health treatment program to the Northern Virginia market. To that end, we acquired multiple properties to extend our reach more formally into the McLean community. Although these group homes are fully legal and protected under the Fair Housing Act, as well as other applicable federal, Virginia and Fairfax County laws, Newport Academy has listened to the community’s feedback and has opted to modify its expansion plans by ceasing planned openings on Davidson Road.
Our commitment to service the Northern Virginia market remains intact. We look forward to opening these much-needed services in McLean in the near future and hope to keep the lines of communication open with the community and its elected officials as we seek to contribute in a positive way towards addressing the mental health crisis in the greater DC area.
After repeated calls to the main company line and to the group’s community liaison in McLean over a week, Tysons Reporter was unable to confirm the source of the statement.
Staff at Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust’s office said they received an identical statement, but could not get confirmation from the Newport Academy that they were the source.
Two weeks ago, Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson wrote in a letter that the facility would not be permitted as a by-right use and would require approval from the Board of Supervisors. Foust had previously said he would oppose the development if it was brought to the Board of Supervisors for a vote.
The Facebook group shut down one day after the statement allegedly from the Newport Academy was posted, though some members have already started another splinter group to continue discussing the facility and other community concerns.
What will happen with the other proposed group homes not addressed in Johnson’s letter — like the one at 1318 Kurtz Road — remains unclear. The MCA resolution states that the group will revisit the facts regarding the Kurtz Road property.
The MCA meeting starts at at 7 p.m. in the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue).
The Lewinsville Center, an “intergenerational facility” with programs for the elderly and children, is now open in McLean.
The new center houses:
- The Lewinsville Senior Center: a program with a fitness room, tech access, and gathering places for adults 50 and over to take up new hobbies and socialize.
- Lewinsville Adult Day Health Care: a program designed for memory care, including a gated outdoor garden and fountain, an indoor walking path, library, health clinic and art room.
- Lewinsville Montessori School and Westgate Child Care Center: colorful play and learn spaces aimed at caring for young children.
The new center is built near The Fallstead, an 82-unit affordable senior living facility, which opened last October.
“The Lewinsville Center seeks to foster a strong sense of community through providing the supports, programs and services which allow individuals and families throughout the neighborhood to continue to contribute their talents and abilities through all of life’s stages,” according to Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services website.
Both the Lewinsville Center and The Fallstead aim to address a lack of senior living and senior care facilities throughout Fairfax County.
Images via Fairfax County
An upcoming meeting this week will help select improvements for the intersection of Lewinsville and Spring Hill roads in McLean.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has two options for revamping the intersection.
The first alternative was chosen from alternatives discussed at a public meeting last May, while the second was developed after further review and considering community feedback, according to FCDOT.
FCDOT identified the intersection’s need for improvements during the Tysons Neighborhood Study.
“The intersection has a significant skew and experiences peak hour congestion, significant cut-through traffic, long queues and has a documented crash history,” according to FCDOT, adding that the intersection’s proximity to Spring Hill Elementary School also contributes to the recurring congestion.
A community meeting on Wednesday (June 5) will inform the community of the study background and status, along with seeking feedback on the two preferred alternative concepts.
The meeting will take start at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Spring Hill Elementary School (8201 Lewinsville Road).
Image via Google Maps
Candidates’ Cycling Stances — The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling sent questions to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors candidates about where they stand on cycling issues. [FABB]
Stream Restoration Celebration — A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday (June 1) celebrated the completion of the Dead Run Stream Restoration in McLean Central Park, which included work on about 3,200 linear feet of stream. [Fairfax County]
McLean Start-Up Bought For Millions — “Just five years after opening up shop, McLean, Va.-based Verodin is giving its early investors a healthy return. California-based cybersecurity software provider FireEye has acquired the cybersecurity startup for $250 million, the companies announced Wednesday.” [American Inno]
Marshall HS Students Designed Violin Bow Prosthetic — “Marshall High’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Design and Technology students designed a violin bow prosthetic for a fourth-grade student at Centre Ridge Elementary… Some parts of the robotic arm were created using a 3D printer. Remarkably, the project team was able to work on the prosthesis virtually and has not met the Centre Ridge student, but hopes to do so soon.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Stuff the Bus, a charity drive where donors try to fill a bus with food for local pantries, is coming to multiple locations throughout the Tysons area in June.
The event helps to refill the stocks of a diverse range of local charities with canned goods and other non-perishable supplies.
Saturday (June 1)
- Falls Church Giant — 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at 1230 W. Broad Street, Falls Church — The drive will benefit the Falls Church Community Service Council, a coalition of churches and human service organizations in Falls Church assisting low-income individuals and families in short-term or emergency needs.
Saturday (June 15)
- McLean Giant — 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1454 Chain Bridge Road, McLean — The drive will benefit Share, Inc., a nonprofit in McLean that provides financial assistance, distribution of food, used clothing, recycled furniture and transportation services for seniors. The organization is all volunteer run.
Saturday (June 22)
- Vienna Giant — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 359 Maple Avenue East, Vienna — The drive will benefit Committee for Helping Others, an all-volunteer organization that provides clothing, furniture, meals on wheels, transportation and emergency food aid or financial assistance.
Saturday (June 29)
- Safeway at Pan Am — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at 3043 Nutley Street, Fairfax — The drive will benefit Food for Others, a regional emergency food distribution service.
Photo via Fairfax County
With the primary less than two weeks away, the Democratic candidates running to chair the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will debate in McLean tonight (May 30).
The Democratic candidates are Reston developer Timothy Chapman, Fairfax County School Board Member At-Large Ryan McElveen, Lee District Supervisor Jeffrey McKay and Georgetown Law Professor Alicia Edith Plerhoples.
Peggy Fox, an Emmy-winning reporter for WUSA9, will moderate the debate.
Hosted by the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, the debate is free to attend. It runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue).
The Democratic primary is June 11 and the upcoming election for the county’s Board of Supervisors will take place on Nov. 5.
Two McLean and one Falls Church public schools are recent recipients of a statewide education award.
Five schools statewide earned the 2019 Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence, according to a press release from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
The local schools to receive the award include:
- Chesterbrook Elementary School (1753 Kirby Road)
- Cooper Middle School (977 Balls Hill Road)
- Longfellow Middle School (2000 Westmoreland Street)
One other FCPS school — Carson Middle School in Herndon — received the award. The fifth school was Jamestown Elementary School in Arlington.
“The schools and school divisions that have earned these awards are not only the highest-performing schools in our Commonwealth, but are among the best schools in the nation,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a press release.
The Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence is the highest recognition in the Virginia Index of Performance awards for advanced learning and achievement, according to the press release.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police say a McLean man cleaning his gun may have accidentally injured his eye.
The incident occurred on the 6600 block of Holland Street near Langley High School yesterday (Tuesday) at 3:40 p.m, according to a recap:
A resident was cleaning his target rifle when his finger depressed the trigger, causing the gun to go off. Debris from the bullet bounced off the floor and lodged into his eye. The man was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries. Charges will be determined pending consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney.
File photo
(Updated at 9:15 a.m.) Fairfax County police arrested a man early this morning, ending an eight-hour-long barricade situation that closed Old Dominion Drive in McLean.
Police responded yesterday (May 28) to a home around 4:30 p.m. in the 6300 block of Old Dominion Drive after a family member reported an assault, the police department tweeted at 7:04 p.m.
“The victim was able to leave the house. 25-year-old Sean Price, of McLean, refused to come out and barricaded himself in the home,” according to a press release.
Police contained the scene while crisis negotiators and tactical officers worked to “peacefully resolve the situation,” the press release said.
Police arrested Price and charged him with assault and violation of a protective order around 12:30 a.m. today (May 29), ending the barricade that closed Old Dominion Drive between Valley Avenue and Kirby Road.
Old Dominion Dr between Valley Ave and Kirby Rd is closed. Please use an alternate route. The media staging area will be at Old Dominion Dr at Kirby Rd but please park in the lot of 6263-B Old Dominion Dr. #FCPDhttps://t.co/TvT4Y3Hwlg
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 28, 2019
Map via Google Maps and image via Twitter
