(Updated at 10:50 a.m.) The McLean Citizens Association is one of the most active civic groups in the area, but it’s an organization largely unknown to many of the residents they represent.

At last night’s (Wednesday) Board of Directors meeting in the newly reopened McLean Community Center, President Dale Stein said the organization’s reliance on local print publications to get the word out about events and the ongoing priorities of the organization is insufficient. Local papers have been growing thinner and delivery has been inconsistent, resulting in less visibility for the association’s announcements, he said.

Stein said the organization is going to need to join the 21st organization and find new electronic methods of communication.

“It starts with electronics, but we may need to get more ambitious,” said Stein. “We’re already sponsoring community-oriented events, like the I Love McLean Party. It doesn’t address planning and zoning issues, it’s a feel-good event. But is there something else we can be doing?”

In the absence of a local government, the MCA is one of the most prominent local voices on McLean issues. Over the last few months, the group has spoken out on issues from the color of local streetlights to the shooting of a local resident by the U.S. Park Police.

But Stein said there have been several occasions where he’s been at public events around McLean where local residents had never heard of the organization. Other members of the Board of Directors shared similar experiences, where those the organization represents had no idea of its existence.

“We’re missing opportunities,” said member Linda Walsh. “We don’t provide conduits for people to know us and get concerns to us.”

The organization does have a Facebook presence, but only has some 330 “likes.” Its website, meanwhile, is rudimentary and not optimized for viewing on mobile devices.

Stein said part of the solution will involve forming closer partnerships with other local organizations. According to Stein, the group was approached recently by the McLean Project for the Arts about setting up a table at this weekend’s I Love McLean party. Stein and other board members said they would be inclined to allow the organization to set up — provided the MCA gets to set up a table at the hugely popular annual MPAartfest in October.

Also discussed: more external outreach via members with public relations experience.

The board voted to put together a small short term committee tasked with putting together a plan to improve communications with the community at-large.

Bebe Gol Market, a new store offering goods from countries ranging from Iran to Turkey to Greece, is now open in McLean.

The store offers everything from canned goods to freshly made pastries.

If Jamileh Ardebily, one of two women who own the new market at 1349 Chain Bridge Rd, looks familiar, that’s likely because she spent the last several years working at the nearby Sun Trust Bank. But two years ago, Ardebily said she decided she wanted to leave the bank and make something for herself.

As she looked around, she said the location felt like a natural fit for a store offering a diverse selection of international goods.

“Vienna has stuff like this, but not McLean,” Ardebily said, “and I love the people in McLean. Everyone here is so supportive.”

The name, Bebe Gol, means “ladies’ flower”, reflecting that store is owned by a woman.

Ardebily said many of the people she’s seen stopping in the store have been people she knew from when she worked at the bank. Her husband owns Red Tomato Pizzeria less than a block away, which was how Ardebily found the empty location and knew the property owners.

The official grand opening was in mid-January, and Ardebily emphasized that all of the locals who have come by the shop have made the store feel like a part of the community.

A group is meeting and planning out strategies to handle increased growth in downtown McLean — but, in the meantime, some of that transformation is already underway.

A new building at 6707 Old Dominion Drive was approved by the Board of Supervisors in October. The building is planned to replace a surface parking lot behind the current retail properties with a 44-unit mixed-use residential building.

During the planning process, some nearby McLean residents expressed concerns that the site could have a detrimental impact on local parking and traffic. Today, the property is a frequently crowded parking lot behind a retail complex on Old Dominion Drive.

The building will have 112 parking spaces for existing uses, replacing those taken by the new development, at surface lots to the south and west of the new building.

The plans show four levels of parking structure with 173 spaces located under six floors of residential units. The staff report indicates that the occupants of the 44 new condominium units are unlikely to have a substantial impact on nearby streets.

Because the development contains less than 50 units, none are required to serve as affordable housing, though a contribution to the county’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund is included in the development plans as a condition of approval.

According to the application:

“The benefits of a residential/office/commercial mix of uses has been proven many-fold in the County. This property, located adjacent to what is considered the “South Village” area will hopefully serve to catalyze other redevelopment efforts within the [downtown area].”

Tysons Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield and McLean. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Monday, Jan. 28

Vienna Town Council Meeting
Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center Street S)
Time: 8 p.m.

The Vienna Town Council will hold their bimonthly meeting tonight. Plans on the docket include a new pedestrian link between Vienna and Tysons.

Tuesday, Jan. 29

Best Trails for Mushrooms and How to Find Them
REI (8209 Watson Street)
Time: 7-8 p.m.

William Needham, longtime Sierra outings leader and president of DC’s Mycological Society, will share slides of his favorite trails and the succulent mushrooms found along them. The class is free, but advance registration is required.

Introductory Course in Underwater Archaeology
McLean High School (1633 Davidson Road)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Once you have completed the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society (MAHS) course, if you are a certified scuba diver, you will be eligible for the MAHS Field School, which includes surveying a shipwreck. Admission for the class is $175.

Wednesday, Jan. 30

The Beatles Get Back to Vienna
Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E)
Time: 7-11 p.m.

Over 22 performers will be performing at the Vienna in a homage to the 50th anniversary of the band’s rooftop concert. Tickets are $15 at the door and the event is limited to a 200 ticket total.

Thursday, Jan. 31

TFAA Membership Jury Information Session at Mosaic
Torpedo Factory Artists at Mosaic (2905 District Ave)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Learn about membership in the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association. Learn about what TFAA membership has to offer, and how the application process works. The event is open to the public with no RSVP required.

The Brothers Size
1st Stage (1524 Spring Hill Rd)
Time: 7:30 p.m.

The 1st Stage Theater’s production of ‘The Brothers Size’ by ‘Moonlight’ writer Tarell Alvin McCraney premiers this week. General admission tickets are $39.

Friday, Feb. 1

Inca Social Grand Opening
Ince Social (2670 Avenir Pl)
Time: 4 p.m.

A new Peruvian restaurant in Merrifield will throw a grand opening celebration this Friday, after several weeks of a soft opening and special events. Reservations can be made online.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

Super Bowl LIII is quickly approaching as the Patriots take on the Rams on Sunday, February 3 at 6:30 p.m.

We all know Super Bowl Sunday is where new year’s resolutions are forgotten. Or maybe that’s just my junk food loving heart talking. If you are thinking of hosting a party this Sunday, I have some great take-out options to help make it easier.

• Don Pollo — The Vienna Charcoal chicken newcomer is offering a free chicken with any Fiesta Family Platter.
• Taco Bamba in Vienna — Is taking catering requests by Thursday, 1/31 for their wings, nachos, tacos and all of their other goodies.
• Foster’s Grill — For wings, order ahead of time or they WILL sell out.
• Santini’s — In Oakton or McLean for pizza, party subs and their other decadent food.
• Open Road — In Merrifield has platters for wings or chicken bites with pre-order.
• Bonchon — In Fairfax or Arlington for some of the most delicious wings that exist.
• Founding Farmers — To go catering where you can order off the full menu.
• Liberty BBQ — In Falls Church, offering Super Bowl specials on their BBQ meat, wings, sides and desserts. Must pre-order and pick up on Friday.
• Rocco’s — In McLean for pizza or wings.
• O’Malley’s Pub — In McLean for wings.

Check out Tyson’s Biergarten if you would rather go out to watch the game. They have a long list of beer and food.

This weekend is the long-awaited return of the McLean Chocolate Festival, returning for its eighth year to the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue).

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Sunday, with attendees encouraged to arrive early for the best selections. Admission is $2 for adults and free for children three or younger.

Credit cards are accepted for admission and by most vendors, but attendees are encouraged to bring cash for faster transactions.

The Chocolate Festival is a fundraiser for the McLean Rotary Club, which redistributes proceeds to various other local organizations. The 2018 festival had over 2,500 attendees and raised over $14,000 to support local charities.

But if you’re not in the mood for chocolate or want to avoid the crowds, here are some other events around the Tysons area this weekend:

Saturday (Jan. 26)

• Vienna 2019 Legislative Agenda (9:30-11:30 a.m.) — Sen. Chap Petersen and Del. Mark Keam will host a town hall meeting to discuss the latest news out of Richmond at the Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center Street).
• Providence Democrats 2019 Welcome Reception (12-2 p.m.) — With the Providence District seat on the Board of Supervisors up for grabs, it promises to be a busy year for local Democrats. A meeting at 8500 Executive Park Ave. in Merrifield tomorrow will be open to the public to help those interested in working on a campaign get connected to their candidate of choice. Food will be provided.
• Legendary Artist Peter Max at Wentworth Gallery (7-9 p.m.) — The Wentworth Gallery in Tysons Galleria will open a new exhibit of art by Peter Max, an artist known for his psychedelic imagery.

Sunday (Jan. 27)

• Rosebud Ireland Live at Caboose Commons (12-3 p.m.) Guitarist Rosebud Ireland will be performing at Caboose Commons near the Mosaic District.
• Military Care Package Event (2-4 p.m.) — Seniors from throughout McLean and surrounding communities are invited out to the Vinson Hall Retirement Community (6251 Old Dominion Dr.) to help students from The Potomac School put together Valentine’s Day care packages for military service members. The event is free and open to the public.
• Jackson Dean at Jammin Java (7 p.m.) — Country singer and songwriter Jackson Dean will be performing at Jammin Java this weekend. Tickets are $25. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Photo via Facebook

For a while, Dead Run Stream lived up to its gloomy name. But after six years of stream restoration work, the creek running through the heart of McLean should be healthy again this March.

In total, 2,300 linear feet of the stream will be re-greened. Project staff said the restoration could mean better conditions for wildlife in the area, birds in particular.

“Stream restoration is one of our best tools for managing stormwater to restore the local health of our streams,” Matt Meyers, branch chief for Watershed Projects Implementation, said in a video put together by Fairfax County. “Ultimately, our goal is to improve water quality of stream and biological health to make a better habitat for critters, bugs and fish that live in the stream.”

Six years ago, the stream was facing significant erosion. Meyers said the banks of the stream were vertical, over eight feet deep in some locations. The erosion was ultimately beginning to have a negative impact on the habitat of the stream and the quality of life.

The aim of the restoration is to create a vegetation canopy to close in around the stream and establish new roots to hold the banks in place and stall further erosion.

“Stream restoration stabilizes the land, makes the stream valley more accessible, and over time [we] should see more birds and different species with different plants and food sources,” said Meyers. “For us, it’s all about water quality and stream health, not just local streams, but the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.”

The project to restore the stream was broken into three phases. Phase III is located in McLean Central Park and started in 2016.

The total project cost is $2.3 funded through the county Stormwater Service District.

“Early on, there was a lot of concern expressed,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust. “[There were concerns] about tree loss, people were afraid the project would impact their homes, loss of access to trails. It became obvious that there were enough issues and concerns that we needed to focus on it as a community.”

If you’re one of the commuters who likes to rush along the twists and turns of Bellview Road, your joyriding days may be numbered.

Bellview Road is a two-lane street running through a neighborhood north of Wolf Trap littered with mansions, but it also has the distinction of being a favored route of various map applications connecting Old Dominion Drive to Leesburg Pike.

“It’s a windy, narrow road and one that deals with a significant amount of cut-through traffic,” said Supervisor John Foust.

A series of traffic calming measures approved at yesterday’s (Tuesday) Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting will add seven new speed humps along Bellview Road and one on Ingleside Avenue, closer to downtown McLean.

As VDOT was planning its restrictions of cut-throughs in McLean, Ingleside Avenue was considered but was ruled ineligible for some of the larger restrictions but was considered qualified for other traffic calming.

In November, the Dranesville District Supervisor confirmed that the local community was in support of the traffic calming measures. Foust said there’s no specific date determined for when the speed humps will be installed, but said they would be installed “as soon as possible.”

Photo via Google Maps

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

You know what’s even more cut throat than daycare registration in Northern Virginia? Summer camp registration. Watch out parents, those registrations start EARLY and they fill up fast.

McLean Registration —  McLean has already released the 2019 camp catalog. Registration for McLean residents starts February 4, and everyone else can register starting February 11. My son did the McLean Camp for 3 year-olds last year, where they bring in entertainment and have water play on site.

Fairfax County Registration — Begins on February 7. You can search the available camps on the Partakes website. They will upload a full camp guide soon.

Town of Vienna — Summer Camp registration starts in early April for town residents, and usually the week after for everyone else. They have a variety of camps offered, so it’s great if you have a random week to fill in, or maybe just want a few hours in the morning before the pool opens.

Personally, my son did the “Learn to Ride a Bike Camp” and it was great for him. He went from training wheels to riding on his own in 3-4 days. They also did an art and lego class which was good, especially for a one day drop off if your kids are close in age. You’ll be able to find the camp options here in a few weeks.

Below is a list of private schools who offer camp options that run all summer if you want more continuity:

• Congo Camp (Congressional School, Falls Church)
• The Langley School (McLean)
• The Potomac School (McLean)
• Brooksfield School (McLean)
• Camp TRS (Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church)
• Summer on the Hill (Flint Hill School, Oakton) – they’re hosting a Washington Nationals Baseball Camp
• Vienna Youth Sports Camps (Vienna)
• Chesterbrook Academy (Vienna)
• Harmonia School of Music and Art (Vienna)

Northern Virginia complied a list of the best summer camps of 2017 here!

There’s been no shortage of places to donate blood, but Caboose Commons in Mosaic is offering a unique spin on the usual blood drive.

From Jan. 20-26, if you donate blood at one of the Inova Donor Centers, you can receive a voucher for a free beverage at Caboose Commons. This beverage can be in the form of coffee, tea or beer.

Donors must complete a screening process at one of the centers to be eligible for the giveaway.

This weekend also marks the debut of Peter Pan, a play presented by the Vienna Theatre Company. The production will run through Feb. 3, with 8 p.m. showings this weekend tonight and tomorrow. Tickets are $14.

Tomorrow (Jan. 19)

• Mosaic District Polar Plunge Festival (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) — A plunge into a frigid pool set up in Merrifield will help raise money for the Special Olympics. For $100, participants will take a dive into the cold water. Divers are requested to get decked out in their wildest costumes to claim the title of “best-dressed plunger.”
• Foster-Adoption Event at Pet Valu Rescue (12-3 p.m.) — For anyone in the market for a German Shepherd, the Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue will be hosting an adoption event at 3069 Nutley St. The Rescue organization takes in dogs from high-kill shelters in Texas and other states and finds them homes elsewhere. Volunteers will also be collecting shoes for the fundraiser, so bringing slightly worn shores to donate is encouraged.
• Antonelli San Marco Tasting (1-4 p.m.) — The McLean Wine Outlet at 6727 Curran St will briefly be transformed Central Italy tomorrow for a wine tasting. The drink of choice is Sagrantino from the village of Montefalco, which is said to have rich flavors of cherry and blackberry. The second event will be on Monday, from 1-2 p.m.

Sunday (Jan. 20)

• Parkinson’s Moving Day Event (12-1 p.m.) — Cycle Chi in Vienna (221 Mill St) is hosting two fundraisers for The Parkinson’s Foundation. A minimum donation of $25 per bicycle, per hour is requested with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the charity. The event will also include free chair massages, raffles, cocktails and more.
• Liner Notes (2 p.m.) — The recently renovated Alden Theatre at 1234 Ingleside Ave in McLean will host a musical mix of jazz and hip hop in a celebration of the civil rights movement. Tickets are $15 for McLean residents, $25 for adults and children, and $20 for seniors.

Photo via Facebook