The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

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

Tuesday (May 14)

• FCPS Budget Public Hearing — 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road) — The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers is planning a rally at the budget hearing to demand better pay, staffing, professional development support and more. The organization is asking members of the public to speak up and support local teachers.

Thursday (May 16)

• DekaLash Grand Opening — 5-7 p.m. at the Mosaic District (2910 District Avenue) — The eyelash studio opening in the Mosaic District is hosting a grand opening celebration. Door prizes include free lash sets, hand massages, snacks and more.
• Game of Thrones Trivia Night — 5-7:30 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — In celebration of the upcoming “Game of Thrones” finale, the Tysons Corner Center is hosting a “Game of Thrones” trivia night in BrandBox. The competition will include “Game of Thrones”-themed prizes for the top two teams and light fare with a cash bar available. Teams are limited to up to four people with a $25 entry fee per team. Space is limited to the first 32 people.
• MPA Spring Benefit — 6-10 p.m. at The Falls — The McLean Project for the Arts’ fundraiser is being hosted in the most expensive home in D.C., which includes a property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The event will feature food from Windows Catering Company, live painting and more. A raffle will also be held for two pieces of jewelry priced at $2,200.

Saturday (May 18)

• 5th Annual Fundraiser for Colour Bar Studio — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Colour Bar Studio (8100 Boone Blvd) — The hair salon Colour Bar Studio is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a fundraiser to combat Lyme disease. The event will include product specials, raffles, special treats and prizes.
• McLean Day — 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Road) — The McLean Community Center’s annual McLean Day festival returns with a day of free live entertainment, food trucks, carnival rides and more. The event is set to include laser tag, a rock climbing wall, balloon animals and a free petting zoo. Tickets for carnival rides can be purchased on sight. The event will be held rain or shine.
• Annual Korean Bell Garden Celebration — 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) — The free festive celebration, sponsored by the Korean American Cultural Committee, features traditional Korean drum performances, music, TaeKwonDo demonstrations and an array of Korean clothing, games and food. The events culminate with the ringing of the 6,000 pound Korean Bell of Peace and Harmony. Admission to the gardens is also free from 10 a.m.-noon
• Beats and Brunch — 12-5 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — The Biergarten is hosting a brunch event with a DJ and specials. Rose and Mimosa specials are planned, along with a la carte food and spiked snow cones.

Photo via Facebook

A body has been found along Leesburg Pike near the Spring Hill Metro station, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The deceased man was found in the 8500 block of Leesburg Pike, which spans from the Audi dealership to an office building just north of the Maserati and Alfa Romeo dealerships in Tysons.

Detectives have started an investigation into the man’s death, the police department tweeted.

“At this point there appears to be no threat to public safety,” the tweet said. “Please avoid the area.”

Detectives are currently investigating a man found dead in the 8500 block of Leesburg Pike in Tysons. At this point there appears to be no threat to public safety. Please avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/CBxVClYktc

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 13, 2019

Map via Google Maps 

Tysons Companies on “50 Great Places to Work in Washington” List — Washingtonian’s roundup of great places to work focused on flexibility, including these Tysons companies: Cassaday & Company, Insignia Federal Group and Splunk. Novetta in McLean and Glassman Wealth Services in Vienna also made the list. [Washingtonian]

McLean Students Win National Merit Scholarships — “Six students from McLean have been named winners of the 2019 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. The merit scholar winners, announced Wednesday, were among 2,500 winners nationwide and were selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists.” [McLean Patch]

Fallen Tree Briefly Closed McLean Road Today — The Fairfax County Police Department tweeted that a fallen tree closed Old Dominion Drive between Balls Hill and Swinks Mill roads in McLean for about two hours earlier this morning. The road reopened shortly after 8 a.m. [FCPD/Twitter]

Where Providence District Candidates Stand on Walkability, Growth — Four of the five candidates running for the Providence District Supervisor seat answered a questionnaire from Greater Greater Washington about affordable housing, walkability and transportation. [Greater Greater Washington]

Kids’ Entertainer Faces Child Pornography Charges — “Police believe Steven Rossi, who goes by the stage name ‘Mr. Knick Knack,’ had numerous files containing illicit images. He was arrested on April 30 and is scheduled to appear in court on June 11… Investigators do not believe that Rossi had contact with the children in the images.” Rossi performed at the Silver Diner Tysons Corner in February. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Fairfax County Police Department’s Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800. [Reston Now]

A Peek Inside The Boro Development — A reporter is sharing what a recent tour around the Boro Tower, the 20-story building at 8350 Broad Street. [Washington Business Journal]

Falls Church Hospice Care Provider Moving — “Hospice services provider Capital Caring will relocate its headquarters later this year to a 50,000-square-foot space in Falls Church as part of an organizational expansion. The nonprofit Capital Caring plans to sell its current 31,000-square-foot space at 2900 Telestar Court… The organization has signed a 15-year lease for its new space at 3180 Fairview Park Drive.” [Washington Business Journal]

The Westin hotel at 7801 Leesburg Pike in Tysons is undergoing extensive remodeling, according to new permits filed with Fairfax County.

According to the permits, interior alterations include conversion of meeting rooms and office space into a new fitness center.

Interior alterations are also underway to remodel the public spaces to include:

• a new entry vestibule
• lobby lounge
• public restrooms
• ballrooms
• meeting rooms
• marketing rooms
• the Starbucks in the hotel
• the hotel bar/restaurant

The permits were processed on May 7. After repeated attempts to contact management, no one was available to answer specifics about the planned renovations.

Renovations for the hotel’s common areas have been in the works since 2018 when the property was purchased by a trio of investors.

Fairfax County’s new, permanent ‘LOVE’ sign kicked off its 11-stop tour today (May 9) with a ribbon-cutting in the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center.

The new sign celebrates the 50th anniversary of the “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan and National Travel and Tourism Week.

The sign will be on display until May 19 at the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center. It is also scheduled to be displayed at Caboose Commons in Merrifield from June 26 to July 1 during the “Summer of LOVE” tour.

In August, the sign will head to its permanent home at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton where artists will bedazzle the letters.

Fairfax County received a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation for the tour.

“The Member of the Wedding” will open tonight (May 9) at Tysons’ 1st Stage Theatre, closing out the theater’s 11th season.

Based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Carson McCullers, the drama focuses on a young girl’s dreams of leaving her small Southern town with her brother and his fiancee.

Here is 1st Stage Theatre’s description of the show:

In 1945 rural Georgia, the long, hot days of summer bring struggle, longing, and opportunity for 12-year-old Frankie Addams and her family’s housekeeper Berenice Sadie Brown. Frankie longs to escape with her newlywed brother on adventures in the Alaskan wilderness. Berenice struggles to balance enduring the deeply entrenched racism of the rural South with her role as surrogate mother to Frankie and her 6-year-old cousin. Adapted from the beloved novel of the same name, this evocative, poetic coming of age drama explores the pains of youth and the meaning of family.

The play will run until June 2. Performances for “The Member of the Wedding” are:

• Thursdays — 7:30 p.m.
• Fridays — 8 p.m.
• Saturdays — 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Sundays — 2 p.m.

General admission tickets are $39 or $36 for seniors over 65. Students and military tickets are $15.

Photo via Facebook

The local Korean eatery Mixing Bowl and the local branch of the organic salad chain Sweet Leaf Cafe are both closed in Tysons Corner Center.

Since 2012, Mixing Bowl served Korean-style tacos, wraps and bibimbap in the first-floor food court. The restaurant offered a variety of vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes for less than $10.

A wrap around the front of the store shows that the restaurant is soon to be replaced by a new Falafel Inc. — a D.C. based restaurant that donates a percentage of its profits to support refugees.

But just around the corner, there are no signs for what’s coming next for Sweet Leaf Cafe. The windows still tell visitors to sign up for the app, and the woodwork above the doorframe still faintly shows where the restaurant sign had been hanging.

In the meantime, there’s also Sweet Leaf Cafes at 262 Maple Avenue E. in Vienna and 1359 Chain Bridge Road in McLean. For anyone else looking for vegan or vegetarian options, here is a by-no-means-comprehensive list.

The Tysons branch of an educational service centers chain had a short-lived closure after the franchise owner was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two students.

A spokeswoman for the Huntington Learning Centers said its branches in Tysons and Springfield both reopened on April 26, one week after they closed.

“They were reopened after we could be assured that the Springfield and Tysons centers were not involved in the incidents alleged,” the spokeswoman said.

Franchise owner Jeffrey Cummins faces eight felony counts of indecent liberties by a custodian against children, and the abuse allegedly occurred inside Cummins’ home in Annandale.

Eileen Huntington, the chief executive officer of the Huntington Learning Centers, said in a statement:

“Our focus has always been to provide a safe and supportive environment for students. Upon learning of the situation reported, the centers were immediately closed until we could be assured that the Springfield and Tysons centers were not involved in the incidents alleged, that all students were safe, and that they will continue to be in the future. After confirmation, both centers reopened. We look forward to continuing our mission to provide every student with the best education possible.”

The Tysons facility operates in the Centennial Plaza shopping center at 8290 Old Courthouse Road. According to the company’s website, the facility has been open for 23 years.

The spokeswoman did not respond to questions from Tysons Reporter about how many kids were affected by the closure.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney said that because the victims in the case are under the age of 18, the case is first going to the juvenile domestic court for a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 22.

After the preliminary hearing, depending on the judge’s determination, the case could be sent to the circuit court.

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

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

Tuesday (May 7)

• Town of Vienna Election — 6 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE.) — There is a competitive race for the Town Council in Vienna, mainly focusing on the scale of new developments.
• “The Guest Book” Reading and Signing — 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Barnes & Nobles (7851 Tysons Corner Center) — Sarah Blake, author of the historical novel The Guest Book, will read from the book and sign copies at the Tysons Corner Center Barnes and Noble.

Thursday (May 9)

• Innovation Breakfast: The Opportunity in Opportunity Zones — 8-10:30 a.m. at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) — The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is hosting a business breakfast looking at opportunity zones, tracts of land targeted by state and federal governments for economic development. The breakfast will look at where they exist and what can be accomplished with them. Registration is $40 and includes breakfast.
• Urban Forest Perfume Making Workshop — 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Brandbox Lounge (Tysons Corner Center) — For Mother’s Day, the Urban Forest Perfume Company is setting up a workshop looking at the art of plant-based perfumes. Participants will get a class in understanding synthetic versus plant ingredients, perfume notes and basic formulas. Light food and wine will also be served.
• Vienna Community Brainstorming on Public Parking in Commercial Corridor — 6-7 p.m. at the Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center Street S.) — The Town Business Liaison Committee and Mayor Laurie DiRocco will host a community conversation about parking. This is an opportunity to gather further feedback from business owners and refine solutions proposed at the March 14 community meeting.
• The Civil War in Northern Virginia — 7:30-9 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) — Historian William S. Connery, author of “Civil War Northern Virginia 1861” will host a discussion of notable events and battles throughout Northern Virginia after the firing on Fort Sumter.

Friday (May 10)

• Young Adult Dungeons and Dragons — 3:30-6 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) — A group of players are putting together an all-experience levels Dungeons and Dragons group aimed at grades 7-12.

Saturday (May 11)

• All the Way Live — 1-2 p.m. at the Alen Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — The history-through-hip-hop children’s show is coming to the Alden Theatre in the McLean Community Center. Tickets range from $10-$15.

Sunday (May 12)

• Mother’s Day Brunch — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Cheesetique Mosaic (2985 District Ave.) — Cheesetique in the Mosaic District is hosting a Mother’s Day event featuring a mimosa bucket, green eggs and ham, french toast, and lobster mac and cheese. The shop will also be open with special gifts for mothers. Reservations are encouraged.
• Mother’s Day Brunch — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) — Inca Social is hosting a Latin-style brunch on Sunday with cocktails and special brunch items. Children under 6 years old eat for free.
• Listen to Your Mother’s Jokes — 5-7 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — In a special comedy show, the Tysons Biergarten is hosting local standup comedians who are also mothers. Seating starts at 5 p.m. with the show starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Photo via Facebook

An Arlington resident was arrested yesterday (Thursday) for allegedly stealing a Porsche and leading Fairfax County police on a chase through Tysons.

A police recap said that FCPD was notified about a stolen Porsche from Arlington County.

Officers in the Tysons Urban Team spotted the car and tried to stop it, but the driver sped off, leading police in a pursuit.

According to the police recap:

The car was found nearby, abandoned. With the help of our helicopter and K9 team, officers found the driver, Michael Louk, 45, of Arlington, hiding in the wood line. Louk was arrested and charged with grand larceny, driving on a revoked license and disregard police signal to stop.

The man had previously been arrested for allegedly stealing a car in Tysons mid-pizza delivery.

Photo courtesy Fairfax County Police Department