Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

While I mourn what would have been the start of the school year, I find myself with 2 weeks to go and looking for things to do with my kids to make the most of the rest of the summer.

One of the COVID-friendly activities I’ve found we can still do is mini golf. Even better if I can pair it with something else to make it last longer. If you’re looking for places for mini golfing, here are some suggestions:

1. Oak Marr (Oakton) — noon to 8 p.m. There’s also a driving range if you get tired of putting!
2. The Magic Putting Place (Manassas) — which is right next to Nathan’s Dairy Bar for fabulous ice cream (closed on Monday).
3. Upton Hill Mini Golf (Arlington) — which also has batting cages and is near Westover, which has Toby’s Ice Cream and many other lunch options.
4. For future reference — there is also Jefferson Falls (Falls Church) which is near Mosaic, however it is under construction at the time of this writing. They also have a full 18-hole golf course.

Have any ideas to share? Please spread the wealth! Drop a comment below or please post on the Facebook page for Tysons Reporter!

Town Hall Tonight — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand has been hosting weekly town halls to talk about the back-to-school plans and answer questions from the community. The town hall tonight will be live-streamed from 6-7 p.m. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Silent Auction Ends Today — The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce started its virtual silent auction last Wednesday. Now, the event ends today at 11 p.m. So far, the auction has raised a little over $1,800, with the goal of hitting $2,500. [32auctions]

Blood Drive on Thursday — Inova is holding a blood drive at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Hall (400 Center Street S.) on Thursday from 1-7 p.m. [Inova]

Protest in McLean — “Youth activists gathered outside the McLean home of U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday morning, protesting what they called corruption in his role as the federal government’s top law enforcement officer.” [Patch]

Local Student Plays Golf Championship — “As one of the youngest players in the talented and experienced field, Kelly Chinn maintained a steady calm to record a strong finish during the 36-hole stroke-play portion of the 2020 men’s U.S. Amateur Golf Championship.” [Inside NoVa]

The Vienna and Dunn Loring stations will reopen to riders right after Labor Day, Metro announced yesterday (Monday).

The two stations are set to reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The stations temporarily closed a few months ago for platform reconstruction.

“Rail service has returned to near pre-pandemic levels, and Metrobus service will increase dramatically beginning Sunday, August 23,” Metro said in the announcement.

Meanwhile, the East Falls Church station, which was originally set to open around Labor Day, is now expected to reopen two weeks ahead of schedule on Sunday, Aug. 23. Metro said that riders will be able to use a new free Bike & Ride facility at the East Falls Church station.

On Sunday (Aug. 16), five Silver Line stations, which temporarily closed for Silver Line Phase 2 work, and the West Falls Church station returned to service.

Greenheart Juice Shop is getting ready to bring its drinks to the Town of Vienna in a few weeks.

The upcoming location (208 Dominion Road NE) along the W&OD Trail is expected to open in September, the shop shared on Facebook in mid-July.

Using ingredients sourced from local farms, Greenheart Juice Shop offers a variety of activated cashew milk, $11 cold-pressed juices and juice cleanse packs, along with granola.

Until the Vienna store opens, people can check out the drinks at the shop’s Vienna Farmers Market booth on Saturdays. Greenheart also delivers locally for orders over $40.

The upcoming Vienna location is hiring for several positions, according to recent posts on the company’s Facebook page.

Currently, the juice shop has locations in Leesburg, Aldie and Middleburg. Its website says that a D.C. location in Georgetown is coming soon.

Photo via Greenheart Juice Shop/Facebook

Vienna music venue Jammin Java has reopened to the public with a series of socially-distanced benefit shows called “A Song & A Slice.”

The series combines outdoor concerts with pizza from Union Pie at Jammin Java, the pizza restaurant opened by the owners during the pandemic. 

Attendees are encouraged to donate during each show to a charity selected by the performers. In addition, one dollar from every beer sold will go towards those charities. 

Some of the upcoming shows include:

• DJ D’s Dance To The Decades benefitting the US & JJ Staff Fund on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.
• Irresponsible benefitting the National Black Child Development Institute on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m.
• Tommy McGee Band benefitting SURJNOVA on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.

Jammin Java stopped their shows when the pandemic hit in March and then opened Union Pie at the beginning of April. 

“We’d been talking about it for a while, but once the COVID struck, we decided it was now or never,” said Lana Mahmoud, the Director of Operations for Jammin Java. They then decided to blend the pizza with the music to create concerts to benefit both businesses.  

Once Virginia was able to reopen, they were able to move forward with scheduling shows again. Their first outdoor show this summer took place on July 19, and they have concerts scheduled through Oct. 31. 

“We’re focusing on local artists to keep the local scene alive,” said Mahmoud.

The venue is taking recommended measures to ensure COVID-19 safety, including mandating masks indoors and for all employees, keeping tables at least 6 feet apart and setting up hand sanitizer stations. They are also using disposable menus and cups. 

“A lot of people are just so thankful to have live music back,” said Mahmoud. “It’s a really beautiful sense of community and joy.”  

Photo via Jammin Java/Facebook

LB Food market and Wooden Bakery in Vienna kicked off a fundraising effort to help support relief efforts in Beirut after a massive explosion.

Lebanon was already struggling with hyperinflation and economic turmoil before the explosion killed more than 170 people and injured thousands in the country’s capital city last Tuesday.

Rami El-Hasrouni, the owner of Wooden Bakery, told Tysons Reporter that he helped start the GoFundMe to raise $10,000 for two organizations helping people in Beirut: the Lebanese Red Cross and Beit El Baraka. So far, the fundraiser has received $170.

“Everybody is asking, ‘How can we help?'” El-Hasrouni said.

The market, which now sells Mediterranean food in the former spot of Bey Lounge, and the Lebanese bakery are both operated by D.C.-based Woodfire Brands.

In addition to the fundraiser, the bakery and market are looking for clothing and medical supply donations and will donate 30% of the pita bread and pita chips sales through next week.

Our Lady of Lebanon Church in D.C. is filling up cargo containers with clothes, food and medical supplies to send to Lebanon, El-Hasrouni said, adding that clothes, bandages and medicine are especially needed. El-Hasrouni said that if people bring donations to the bakery, he will make sure they get the items to the church.

Several Lebanese restaurants in the Tysons area, including Lebanese Taverna and Zenola, are raising money to help Beirut.

“Restaurants are barely breaking even but we’re trying to do something,” El-Hasrouni said. “It’s amazing how people are coming together.”

Photo via LB Food Market/Facebook

Falls Church Officials Enact New Firearms Ordinance — “Culminating a grueling 5 hour, 15 minute virtual meeting Monday night, the Falls Church City Council voted unanimously, 6-0, to enact a ‘Firearms on City Property and Events’ ordinance that will go into effect Nov. 1.” [Falls Church News Press]

Women’s Suffrage Exhibit in Vienna — “The Freeman Store and Museum in Vienna is closed indefinitely because of the pandemic, but when it reopens, visitors to its ground-floor gallery can learn plenty about the women’s suffrage movement and how its victories benefited future generations of women.” [Inside NoVa]

Public Safety “Heroes” Visit Hospitalized Kids — “Patients at Inova Children’s Hospital in Fairfax received a superheroic visit Monday morning from a group of public safety heroes. Volunteers from the Fairfax County fire and police departments, as well as the Herndon Police Department, rappelled down the outside of the hospital building on Gallows Road and greeted patients through their hospital room windows.” [Patch]

ICYMI: FCPS Town Hall Tonight — “FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand will discuss the virtual return to school on Sep. 8 and address any questions. The event plans to run from 6-7 p.m.” [Tysons Reporter]

UPDATE – building fire in the 1000 block of Country Club Drive, NE in Vienna area: fire is out. No reported injuries at this time. Some units returning to service. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/5kPfBdWHzr

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 12, 2020

Photo by Michelle Goldchain

Local restaurants want diners to donate to the relief efforts helping the thousands of people suffering from the aftermath of a deadly explosion in Beirut.

The massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital last Tuesday (Aug. 4) killed approximately 150 people and left thousands injured and homeless.

Mediterranean restaurant Zenola took to Facebook on Wednesday to ask diners to donate to the Lebanese Red Cross and Impact Lebanon. “The city and its people are near and dear to our hearts,” the Facebook post said. “We’re heartbroken over the loss of life and the destruction of vital infrastructure. The road ahead to recovery and rebuilding will be a long one.”

“Being Lebanese-American, most of us in the [D.C. area], we felt like we had to do something,” Noha Zeitoun, who is one of the restaurant’s owners, told Tysons Reporter. “Being so far away, one of the easiest things we can do is fundraise for the organizations doing the work on the ground.”

The restaurant, which opened last September in Vienna, is donating the proceeds from two menu items — a cocktail and comfort dish — through this Wednesday (Aug. 12) to the two organizations, Zeitoun said. “The Lebanese Red Cross is incredibly well respected and well regarded with giving money directly to the people,” Zeitoun said. “Impact Lebanon — they are known for highly vetting the organizations they give money to.”

The cocktail is called “Toot Toot to Beirut” — a play on words of a song by the Lebanese artist Marcel Khalife — and is made from blackberry juice and gin. The comfort dish “Ablama” is baby zucchini stuffed with beef, pine nuts and onions with tomato and truffle béchamel sauce. The dish comes with rice and vermicelli.

“We grew up eating it at home and in Lebanon,” Zeitoun said about Ablama. “It’s a warm dish that brings you fuzzies.”

Zenola joined D.C.-area restaurants taking part in a fundraising effort called Beitna, which means “our house” in Arabic and was started by Chef Roro Asmar and Chef Marcelle Afram of Compass Rose and Maydan, Zeitoun said. Additionally, the restaurant is encouraging diners this month to make donations when they get their checks.

Zeitoun said that Zenola has raised about $300 since last Wednesday and hopes to double the amount by next Wednesday (Aug. 19).

“There are some really, really hard videos to watch, given everything worldwide with the pandemic,” Zeitoun said about the explosion, noting a recent map shows what the impact would have looked like in the D.C. area. “It’s another extra thing making 2020 just a little bit more unbearable.”

Aerial footage shows devastating aftermath of deadly Beirut blast from above.

Some 300,000 people — more than 12% of the Lebanese capital's population — are unable to return to their homes because of the explosion. https://t.co/ztkoW60SAF pic.twitter.com/CxkxR4vkjK

— ABC News (@ABC) August 7, 2020

“It will take a lot of time, but Beirut has recovered through a lot of things, and the people are very resilient,” Zeitoun said, noting that the country is facing hyperinflation and economic turmoil.

Because of inflation, Zeitoun said that every dollar counts: “USD goes a really long way right now.”

Other restaurants in the Tysons area are also looking to support Beirut.

Phoenicia Resto and Lounge in the Dunn Loring area took to Facebook to share relief efforts people can donate to.

“[No] words can heal the wounded or bring back the souls killed by this horrific tragedy… Beirut always in our heart,” the restaurant posted.

Lebanese Taverna, a regional chain that was started in Arlington and has a location in Tysons Galleria, started a GoFundMe for the Lebanese Red Cross. The fundraiser netted more than $62,000 in five days — surpassing the initial goal of $50,000.

“We are now shifting any additional donations to Jose Andres’ organization, World Central Kitchen as our brother, Dany Abi-Najm is traveling to Lebanon with #CHEFSFORBEIRUT,” the restaurant posted on Facebook yesterday. “Any further money collected will go directly to assist their efforts on the front line as they help to feed the more than 300,000 people displayed.”

Additionally, the restaurant’s website says that a portion of the proceeds from the Hommos sold through the end of the month will benefit World Central Kitchen, which is giving prepared meals to seniors, first responders and people in need in Beirut.

Photo via Zenola/Facebook

The Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week returns next week, and more than a dozen restaurants in the Tysons area are participating in the event.

The event lets people buy lunch, brunch and dinner from restaurants at fixed prices. Some of the restaurants will cocktails or wine pairings for dine-in customers and special discounts.

New this year, Summer Restaurant Week is offering family-style to-go dinners (RW To Go) for either $35 per person or $55 per person.

Here are the local participating restaurants and what they are offering:

Tysons

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House: dinner
• Chima Steakhouse: dinner
• Coastal Flats: lunch and dinner
• Founding Farmers: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• American Prime: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• Agora Tysons: dinner, RW To Go
• Randy’s Prime Seafood and Steaks: lunch and dinner
• Lebanese Taverna: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• Wildfire: lunch and dinner, RW To Go

Vienna

• Blend 111: brunch, lunch and dinner
• Caboose Brewing Company: lunch and dinner, RW To Go
• Maple Ave Restaurant: brunch and dinner, RW To Go

Falls Church and Merrifield:

• TRIO Grill: dinner
• Alta Strada: dinner, RW To Go
• 2941 Restaurant: dinner

McLean

• J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks and Seafood: lunch and dinner

Summer Restaurant Week will run from Aug. 17-30.

Local photographers have been out capturing what the Tysons area looks like this summer as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the D.C. region.

While Jay Westcott, the staff photographer for our parent company Local News Now, is off until September, we’ve had support from freelancer Michelle Goldchain and readers who volunteered to snap some photos for us.

During recent visits to the Town of Vienna and Tysons, Goldchain captured well-known spots, like the red caboose in Vienna and the Capital One tower in Tysons.

She also snapped some photos of activity, like the construction that is underway at Tysons Galleria. Her photos show that the pandemic hasn’t stopped people from exercising along the W&OD Trail.

Whether or not there are people inside, the office and hotel buildings are still gleaming in Tysons.

We’ve also had several readers send us photos. Over the last few weeks, Joanne Liebig has shared the flowers she’s spotted around Westpark and International drives in Tysons:

Thank you to everyone who has submitted photos!

You can reach us at [email protected] or tag/direct message us on our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).