(Updated 3:15 p.m.) Fairfax is the second richest county in the nation — yet at Second Story, just south of Tysons at 2100 Gallows Rd, there’s a desperate need for bed space for homeless teens.
Second Story CEO Judith Dittman says the organization provides a temporary shelter for teenagers in a crisis, but there is a waitlist of 35 people still waiting for a space to open up.
The waitlist averages 50 people for the homeless youth and young mothers programs. Dittman said those on waitlists are forced to either stay on couches or in the street, where they could become caught up in human trafficking.
“Too many times, people look at me and say ‘that doesn’t happen in Fairfax,'” Dittman said.
But, in 2017, Fairfax County Public Schools reported that 1,200 young people in the county had no support from a parent or legal guardian. A report by Fairfax County’s Department of Health and Human Services found that 18,857 children, or 7 percent of all local children, were in poverty.
The shelter takes in young people who have run away from home, or have no home to go back to, and offers a three-week refuge. The program functions as a shelter for people between ages 13-17, offering counseling, meals, and guidance.
Lauren Witherspoon, the development coordinator for Second Story, said the goal is family reunification and about 95 percent of the teens are reunited with their family at the end of the program. After they return to their family, there are periodic check-ins to see how the child is handling the situation.
From its founding in 1972 through just two years ago, Second Story was known as “Alternative House.” Dittman said that as the organization started branching out, leaders found the original name was no longer reflective of the scope of the work done there.
“Your first story is the one written for you in your early years,” said Dittman, “but in your teen years, you start to write your own story. As a teen you make mistakes. Most young people have a support network to help them through, but many don’t.”
In addition to the youth shelter, the organization also offers after-school activities, programs for young mothers and other programs aimed at preventing homelessness and crises in the first place.
Witherspoon said the organization targets children as early as fourth grade. That may sound young, but Witherspoon said they are competing with gangs that typically recruit at around eight or nine years old or human traffickers, who can grab children as young as 11 or 12.
Another program takes homeless teens and focuses on making them self-sufficient over an 18-month period. Counselors at the program help teach participants skills from how to load a dishwasher to how to manage finances.
The charity was recently the subject of fundraising and toy donation drives at the Tysons Biergarten and the Tysons Partnership. Roughly one-third of the organization’s funding, or $1,209,510, comes from community support. Another third comes from federal, state and local grants, but Witherspoon said the organization has been struggling as costs continue to rise, but federal funding remains stagnant.
“We haven’t had an increase in federal funding for 15 years,” said Witherspoon. “We don’t have any billboards or ads, so we rely on word of mouth.”
Over 85 percent of the organization’s funding, or $2,832,169, goes to program services. The remaining funding is split between development, management, and general funds.
The organization hosts tours on the second Tuesday of each month. Second Story also hosts volunteer and community service opportunities. Volunteers help do things like cook and answer the door to allow counselors to focus on helping teens.
Photo via Facebook
A meeting about taxes ended in violence and an arrest on Sunday.
Fairfax County Police say a woman was meeting with a man in Tysons to get her taxes done, but an argument ensued and the man then assaulted her, causing facial lacerations. It’s not clear how the victim knew the suspect nor how the argument started.
The suspect, 28-year-old [Redacted], was arrested and charged with malicious wounding.
More from FCPD:
ASSAULT: 1600 block of International Drive, 02/10/19, 7:23 p.m. Officers responded to the location for an altercation between a man and a woman. Officers located the victim in the lobby with cuts to her face. The victim stated she was at the location to have her taxes done when she got into an argument with the man she was meeting. He assaulted her and she was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. [Redacted], 28, of McLean was arrested for malicious wounding.
Police say a bomb threat last Friday (Feb. 8) came from a man working at the Westin Hotel next door.
Police swarmed the Provident Bank at 7799 Leesburg Pike, in the southeast corner of the Leesburg Pike-Beltway interchange near Tysons, after they say a man called the front desk of the bank saying there was a bomb in the building.
Police say the threat was vague with little credible information offered. A search of the building turned up no suspicious objects and the bank quickly resumed normal operations.
Police stayed on the scene and moved to the Westin Hotel as they investigated the source of the call.
“With assistance from hotel security, Jonathan Ramos, 30, of Lorton was identified and charged with making a bomb threat,” police said in a crime report.
Photo via Fairfax County Police
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!
Tuesday, Feb. 12
TheatreMcLean Fundraiser at Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill (6707 Old Dominion Dr)
Time: 5-9 p.m.
A fundraiser at Chipotle in McLean will benefit TheatreMcLean. Show the fundraiser flyer on your smartphone or tell the cashier you’re supporting TheatreMcLean to make sure that 33 percent will be donated to TheatreMcLean.
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Artificial Intelligence Summit
Potomac Officers Club (8245 Boone Blvd)
Time: 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Potomac Officers Club in Tysons will host a discussion with private and public sector leaders about AI. Attendance is free but only open to those with a director level or above position with a company, federal government agency or non-profit organization.
Galentine’s Day Book Celebration
Bards Alley (110 Church Street NW)
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Bring your favorite gal pals for a night with local romance authors, who are giving out some free merchandise. Enter to win a gift basket worth over $100. The event is free but RSVP is required.
Thursday, Feb. 14
Valentine’s Day Beer, Whiskey, & Chocolate Tasting at Tysons Biergarten
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 11-2 a.m.
For $30, you and a loved one can get a selection of alcohol and chocolates at the Tysons Biergarten. The event runs all day, so couples are encouraged to stop by for lunch, dinner or afterwards.
Red Carpet Affair at Greenhouse Bistro
Greenhouse Bistro (2070 Chainbridge Rd)
Time: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Greenhouse Bistro is hosting a Bollywood-themed Valentine’s Day event with free parking and no cover charge. The Valentine’s Day dinner special starts at 5 p.m. and the international music starts at 10 p.m. The dress code is “dress to impress.”
Valentine’s Day Dinner at the Tower Club
Tower Club – Tysons Corner (8000 Towers Crescent Drive)
Time: 5:30-9:30 p.m.
The Tower Club is offering four-course Valentine’s Day dinners. Tickets are $85 for members or $95 for guests. Flower bouquet arrangements are also available.
Friday, Feb. 15
Cookies and Cocktails
Blackfinn Ameripub – Merrifield
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Any purchase of a Valentine’s Day themed cocktails comes with a plate of fresh-baked cookies. Seating is first come, first serve.
The proposed redevelopment of a vacant office in northeast Tysons is moving forward for approval over the next month.
The Hanover Company’s plan is to demolish the existing seven-story office building and replace it with a new 400 unit residential development called Hanover Tysons.
The project is scheduled to be discussed at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 27 meeting with a Board of Supervisors hearing at on March 19.
The Washington Business Journal noted that the new development is one of the new crop of developments, like the nearby The Mile residential complex, that are being built slightly further away from transit than the more high-profile and high-impact developments like The Boro. Hanover Tysons is a little under one mile from the Tysons Corner Station, a roughly 20-minute walk.
Brian Tucker, managing director for JLL, said at Bisnow’s Tysons State of the Market last month that developments are becoming increasingly stratified between those built almost on top of the Metro stations and those further away.
“Roughly 30 percent of buildings [in Tysons] are built have been close to Metro,” said Tucker. “Those further away from Metro are going to have to make certain changes and accept the fact that their rent streams are going to be significantly lower. It’s going to be a tale of two cities.”
According to the staff report on the new development, 66 residential units in the Hanover Tysons, or 20 percent of the total, will be workforce affordable.
Photo via The Hanover Company
It’s a little outside the usual area for weekend events, but volunteers are needed to help clean out the river access at Great Falls on Saturday.
If enough volunteers arrive to clear out the ravine in one day, the National Park Service will re-open river access from Great Falls on Sunday.
The National Park Service will provide trash bags, gloves, and pickers.
Volunteers should meet at the top of the ravine, near Overlook 3, and wear sturdy shoes.
Saturday (Feb. 9)
Meal Packing: 75K Meals for 75 Years (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) — To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the McLean Presbyterian Church is hosting a meal packing event. The goal is to pack 75,000 meals for people in need. Lunch for volunteers will also be provided.
Swolemates Bootcamp (10:30-11:30 a.m.) — The Tysons Sport & Health at 8250 Greensboro Drive is offering a free training session tomorrow morning. Non-members, as well as members, are invited to the free work-out event. The event is themed around partners, but singles are invited as well. The workout session will be followed by a raffle with dozens of prizes from local partners.
Supervisor and School Board Candidate Meet and Greet (1-3 p.m.) — Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and School Board candidate Alicia Plerhoples are hosting a meet-and-greet at 1815 MacArthur Drive in McLean. The event is aimed at getting feedback from residents of the Chesterbrook neighborhood on what the important issues are in the area.
I Love McLean Party (3-6 p.m.) — The McLean Citizens Association is hosting a celebration of all things McLean at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) with music from a local school choir and a meeting with various community leaders.
Sunday (Feb. 10)
Valentine’s Day Wine and Book Tasting (3-5 p.m.) — Bards Alley and The Vienna Wine Outlet are teaming up to host a romantic Valentine’s Day event. The sampling will be hosted at Bards Alley (110 Church Street NW) and is free, but RSVP is requested.
All You Need Is Love (7 p.m.) — Jammin’ Java is hosting its annual tribute to the Beatles and love songs in general. Tickets to the event are $16.
Photo via Facebook
Idylwood Plaza is home to to a new international gallery.
The pop-up Dara Global Arts offers paintings, furniture, ceramics, and gifts at a wide range of price points, and is a gallery driven by social consciousness with particular attention to women’s empowerment. Many of the artists represented are Iraqi: while most Americans only see Iraq as a battleground on the news, Dara Global Arts provides an opportunity to see firsthand the country’s importance as a source of contemporary art.
On a recent visit by Tysons Reporter to the gallery, the directors, Nawara Omary Elliott and Maysoon Al Gbari, were busy setting up. Over the smell of slow-burning incense, freely mixing Arabic and English, the pair revealed more about the gallery, the artists and the challenges and opportunities of opening a pop-up in Tysons.
Omary Elliott has been running Dara out of her basement for years, hosting exhibitions that often filled the space to its capacity. She is motivated by her belief that “art is a peaceful language that can bring awareness” and her dedication to social justice. That dedication to justice has driven her to collaborate many times with a variety of charities, including Bringing Resources to Aid Womens Shelters, the Iraqi Childrens’ Foundation, and the Downs Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia.
Al Gbari is a professional artist who, upon arriving to the United States, faced a problem shared by many international artists: a lack of opportunities for gallery representation. Many artists come to this country but, lacking a community and behind a language barrier, struggle to make a living selling their work.
Al Gbari and Omary Elliott both grew up in the secular, intellectual, artistic climate of pre-war Iraq and the pair met in Virginia in 2016. They became fast friends, and Omary Elliott’s work as a gallerist blossomed. After a year and a half searching for a suitable space, they are excited to announce the opening of Dara’s first storefront location.
The idea for a pop-up came from Omary Elliott’s frequent visits to New York City, where the practice is popular among gallery directors. When she first brought the idea back to Tysons, it was hard to find support, and property owners often weren’t even familiar with the concept. Over the past 18 months alone, though, she’s witnessed substantial change.
“As Tysons is growing, I noticed that the pop-up term has become more popular,” she said. Even so, it took patience and a very helpful realtor to find a suitable location. Omary Elliott encourages others to consider a similar approach, but cautions them that they’ll need a lot of patience and flexibility.
The Washington Post has previously suggested that pop-up retail could be catalytic for Tysons’ development.
The gallery showcases work by a half-dozen artists, about half of them Iraqi. Omary Elliott didn’t set out to represent Iraqis specifically; in fact, she is constantly searching for new artists to represent, saying “we don’t close the door to anyone who wants to participate.” Rather, the strong showing of Iraqi artists is testament to Iraq’s millenia-long tradition of visual art and Baghdad’s stature before the 2003 invasion as home to the greatest artistic institutions of the Arab world.
Al Gbari’s own art fills much of the exhibition space. Working in several media and several artistic styles, she seems to give us several artists’ worth of paintings and household objects.
“I love to work,” she said. “To be honest, I find myself, my soul, through my work.”
Al Gbari’s art blends figuration, often of women and cities, with a rich symbolic language and bold expanses of color. Some paintings draw deeply upon Arab legends and Judeo-Christian-Islamic religious traditions, connecting them to modern-day social issues. Others literally pop into the third dimension as the shapes of faces jut from the canvas. Yet more speak through simple figures to universal themes of motherhood, love and loss.
Al Gbari’s “Shahrazad’s Tales” is an elegy to Baghdad that draws on the Arabic classic “One Thousand and One Nights.”
That classic relates the stories of a woman, Shahrazad, who must spin a new tale every night to avoid the wrath of a vengeful king. She is a symbol of self-expression, literary beauty and cunning femininity. In Al Gbari’s painting, Shahrazad lies fallen against a field of symbols rich with meaning, struck against the skyline of medieval Baghdad with its churches and mosques — a scene which, Al Gbari tells me, truly was as colorful as it appears. But here, Shahrazad has fallen silent, mourning a city wounded by 21st-century bombs.
Bahir Al Badry’s work is more abstract and is highly textured with shining colors and tight detail. Though his art can be endlessly analyzed for its symbolic content, often drawing upon visual motifs from ancient Mesopotamia, it is also invigorating to the eye. In Omary Elliott ‘s words, it “brings happiness and hope.”
Oliver De La Via is a young Bolivian-American artist whose most recent series, “Numbed Contours,” deals specifically with sexual assault and sexualization on American college campuses. His works are unrestrained, honest and, at times, startlingly ambiguous.
Baha Omary Kikhia has exhibited her work, which is “based upon her concept of the woman as a powerful and inspiring figure,” internationally. Her abstracted, curved figures are highly emotive. They call upon her personal experiences, like her struggle to raise two children as a single mother in 1970s New York City, and international issues, like ISIS’s destruction of precious cultural heritage in her home country of Syria.
Other artists featured in the gallery include Ahmed Ghareeb, a sculptor and painter with a bright, chaotic, abstract style that tends toward expressionism, and Haydar al-Yasiry.
The gallery carries a variety of decorative arts in addition to paintings. The collection includes lamps, wooden boxes, chairs, and large and small tables, as well as a variety of gift-appropriate objects at all price points. The Dubai-based brand Mishmashi makes an appearance with lively, one-of-a-kind cushions from their Flip collection. Al Gbari, a Muslim, hand-paints Christmas ornaments, echoing the secular Iraq of her childhood.
Dara Global Arts accepts commission orders to custom-decorate furniture or to paint a canvas at a specific size and using a specific color palette to match any room. Committed to social good, they are also eager to work with charities of all kinds, and will happily host private charity events and offer 20 percent of proceeds from art sold directly to the charity.
Dara will also host a series of special events, like a solo exhibition reception on Feb. 5. and a Valentine’s Day event on Feb. 15.
On one recent afternoon at the gallery, an interested couple happened to stroll in to view the art on display. One commented that the works were “extremely colorful and vibrant — and for a good cost,” and added, “I love the message that’s attached to it, too!”
Dara Global Arts will be open at in Idylwood Plaza next to the Starbucks 7501 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, until the end of March and possibly beyond. Hours from 10am-7pm daily. Contact 702-582-0804 or [email protected] with inquiries, or see the online store at daraglobalarts.com.
D. Taylor Reich is a freelance journalist who writes about urbanism and development. They are a Fulbright scholar, a 2017 graduate of Brown University and a proud alum of Arlington Public Schools.
When Brian Truitt, USA TODAY’s film critic, is putting together interviews for the pop-culture podcast The Mothership, there’s one reaction he says he gets more frequently than others:
“You’re located where?”
The Mothership is one of several podcasts run through USA TODAY at their headquarters Valo Park, a sprawling state-of-the-art complex tucked away in Tysons’ northeast corner.
It’s no secret that media companies, including USA TODAY owner Gannett, are struggling to find a way to stay afloat. The company recently resisted a hostile takeover. But Shannon Green, senior podcasts producer for USA TODAY and co-host of I Tell My Husband the News, said podcasts have been at the forefront of the company finding new ways to tell stories.
USA TODAY podcasts range from Accused, a several-season true crime podcast put together by a team at The Cincinnati Enquirer, to the sports-themed For the Win.
The Mothership is hosted by Truitt, technology reporter Brett Molina and TV critic Kelly Lawler, and has been running weekly for four years. While Tysons has not traditionally been considered one of the country’s entertainment hubs, Molina said there are some distinct advantages to working outside of Washington D.C.
“One of the cool things about having this outlet in the suburbs is that we can live here,” Molina said. “People tend to think we work in New York or Los Angeles.”
But the non-traditional location means the podcasts work with an eclectic group of guests, like novelist Brad Meltzer or “Batman” writer and Arlington resident Tom King.
“Being out here means we have to catch whoever is in the area,” said Truitt.
New episodes of The Mothership air every Friday. This week’s episode is a discussion of romantic comedies. Molina noted that the group narrowly avoided making a “Tribute to Liam Neeson” episode, quickly scrapped after the actor made some troubling confessions.
Green said she was approached to run the podcasting at USA TODAY shortly after Serial brought podcasting into the mainstream in 2014 and the company leadership began to see podcasting’s potential. Green said investigative stories are unique suited for podcasts, using voices to convey ideas and emotions that can’t be conveyed in text.
Not all of the podcasts garner enough downloads to have advertising, but Green said enough do to bring in revenue and help fund more experiments with the medium.
One investigative podcast, The City, profiled the rise of a massive illegal dump in Chicago, including an augmented reality component that helped demonstrate the story of how the empty lot evolved over time. Green said the augmented reality technology helps bring a new visual level to a traditionally auditory form of storytelling.
Green also said bringing in new talent from nearby schools has been part of bridging the generational gap. Kate Gardner, a student at the Madeira School in McLean, interns at USA TODAY but also uses the equipment to help put together an audiodrama: The Ark of Light.
Green said working with Gardner that she’s learned a whole new side of audio production involving Foley sound effects and other methods.
Green said podcasting, audio dramas, and other types of audio-entertainment have become such a hit, primarily due to the intimate connection they offer listeners to the story.
“Spoken storytelling is extremely intimate and emotional,” said Green.
The Walmart near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons is going through a lot of changes, but if there’s a source of stability in the store, it’s Dambar and Subhdra.
The couple was featured on the store’s weekly “Meet the Team Tuesday”post on Facebook, which said that the couple is one month away from celebrating their 53rd anniversary.
According to the Walmart 5936 page:
Dambar joined our team in January 2014 and is a proud hardlines sales associate. Subhdra joined in April 2015 as an apparel associate. They are both into food and will be celebrating 53 years of marriage this March!
The Walmart also recently hosted a “Stuff the Bus” event to benefit the Committee for Helping Others in Vienna.
Photo via Facebook
Agora, the Mediterranean restaurant planned for a 26-story apartment complex behind Tysons Galleria, has on a sign on the building proclaiming “opening 2018” — these days, while the restaurant is still opening, there’s a strip of tape covering the 2018 part.
It isn’t the first delay for the restaurant, which last year was forced to push the planned opening back to December. Ismail Uslu, owner of Agora, said the restaurant has struggled with a slow permitting process currently entering its 11th month.
“We’re planning on opening sometime in March,” said Uslu. “We’re building a mezzanine, which is more of a challenge [for permits].”
Inside, the building is designed with split levels, and while it’s still under construction the bare bones visible, Uslu said he hopes to bring in decorations from Turkey.
When the restaurant does eventually open, the menu will feature small plates and cocktails similar to its trendy Dupont Circle location.
