Happy Friday. Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Non-Coronavirus News:
McLean Student Nabs State Pageant Title — “McKenzie Watt, the 9-year-old daughter of Philip and Andra Watt of McLean, has been awarded the title ‘Little Miss of Virginia’ 2019-20 and moves on to national competition.” [Inside Nova]
Religious Broadcaster Wants Tysons-Based Tegna — “Phoenix investment firm Najafi Cos. is teaming with a faith-based broadcaster in Texas in an effort to buy Tysons-based Tegna Inc.” [Washington Business Journal]
New Format for Vienna Candidates Debate — “The Vienna town government will record and repeatedly broadcast an audience-free Vienna Town Council candidate debate to be held April 2.” [Inside NoVa]
Coronavirus News:
FCPS Prepping for Distance Learning — “If FCPS schools cannot reopen as scheduled on April 14, our plan is to begin distance learning either online, or by learning packets at that time. Over the next two weeks, we will begin distance learning training for teachers and give teachers the opportunity to plan and prepare for distance instruction and reconnect with their students. ” [FCPS]
COVID-19 Hurting Little City Restaurants — “The hospitality industry in Falls Church and beyond is being hit especially hard with the public ramping up its social distancing effort and authorities implementing new restrictions on restaurant and bar service in an effort the prevent the spread of COVID-19.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Tysons CEO Slams Social Distancing — “Michael Saylor, the CEO and founder of Tysons technology firm MicroStrategy Inc., called social distancing measures enacted to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus ‘soul stealing and debilitating’ and stated the company would not close any of its offices around the world unless legally required to do so.” — [Washington Business Journal]
McLean Group Helping At-Risk People — “Unlike most of her peers, senior Sophie Howery has been spending her time off to help fight the spread of the virus. To do this, Howery created the Fairfax County Community COVID Aid Project, hoping to help support those who may be at risk of contracting the coronavirus.” [The Highlander]
How Will COVID-19 Impact the Local Economy? — The Stephen S. Fuller Institute at George Mason University’s recent report says that “the Washington region’s economy will also contract in the last three quarters of 2020, primarily because of decreased consumer spending and lost productivity.” [Washingtonian]
The Vienna Police Department is making some alterations to reduce the chance of spreading the coronavirus.
Chief Jim Morris announced today (Wednesday) that the police department plans to increase social distancing by:
- taking police reports via phone for “minor and non-violent crimes”
- restricting access to the police lobby to “immediate police assistance”
- urging people to call the police at 703-255-6366
- suspending low priority services: Ride-Along, PIO public engagements, VIN verifications and child safety seats
installations
“The process of handling some calls for service over the phone and limiting other services is temporary and will be continually reevaluated in the coming weeks,” Morris said.
Police will show up for incidents for evidence collection and when a crime is in progress, Morris said.
Now, when people call to file a police report, communications personnel will screen callers to see if they meet the criteria for a telephone follow-up.
“If so, you may be advised that an officer will call you back to assess the need to respond in person or complete the
report via telephone,” Morris said. “If you feel that an officer is required, you may make that request, and an officer will respond.”
People are advised to meet police outside and stand several feet apart. All of the reports will go into the same records management system, Morris said.
“By using telephone reporting, you will help us limit exposure,” Morris said.
Photo via Facebook
UPDATED 03/23/2020 — Now includes information from Holy Comforter Episcopal Church and the Wesley United Methodist Church.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, places of worship around the Tysons area are going digital for people who are self-isolating or quarantined.
Many of the centers are closed to the public, but a few are still holding events for regular attendees. Here’s what Tysons Reporter has found in the area.
McLean
The McLean Baptist Church decided to cancel all of its services except for an upcoming live-streamed ceremony on Sunday (March 22), according to its website. People interested in watching can email the pastor to request a link to the church’s Vimeo. The digital service will begin at 11 a.m., according to the announcement.
Saint Luke Catholic Church pointed followers to a televised Mass Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WDCW-50, according to the church’s website.
The McLean Islamic Center announced on its Facebook page that it will be closed until further notice due to concerns over the virus. The announcement added that anyone associated with the center in need of help can reach out for support through email.
The Lutheran Church of McLean announced that it will not hold a service on Sunday (March 22). The website added that staff will update the website as the church makes further updates to its policies.
Vienna
Our Lady of Good Council, a Catholic Church in Vienna at 8601 Wolf Trap Road, will be open for people to participate in the stations of the cross and certain prayer services, according to the church’s website. However, Mass is canceled.
The prayer services will take place Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. until noon for prayer groups of 10 people or less, the website said.
Stations of the cross will be available for self-guided tours from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Fridays.
New Song Church in Vienna will be hosting live streams of its services every Sunday at 10:30 a.m., according to the center’s website. People with questions about the live stream can call 703-972-6688.
Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Vienna invites people to a short prayer at 12:10 p.m. every Wednesday for the next few weeks, according to a spokesperson.
Wesley United Methodist Church is hosting weekly online services, according to a church spokesperson. Links and video recordings can be found on the church’s website and Facebook page. They are also seeking online donations to help community members in need. Services will begin at 11 a.m. throughout the week.
Falls Church
The Falls Church Anglican has also suspended in-person events but has digital sermons.
Christ Crossman, a United Methodist Church, also canceled in-person gatherings, but people can take part in Zoom sessions, which is a type of conference call software. The events will take place on Sundays at 10 a.m. and people can get online by entering the church’s phone number (7035324026) when prompted to enter the “Meeting ID.”
Photo via Aaron Burden/Unsplash
Seniors and immunocompromised people can now shop for groceries with heightened caution at The Fresh Market.
From 8-9 a.m. each day at all of the locations, including the one in Vienna (150 Branch Road SE), people who are elderly or have immune system issues are invited to shop at the store, according to store manager Doug Dundall.
Though they are not “policing ” this policy, the store’s management asks that people who are young and healthy to shop at other times.
When it comes to cleanliness, Dundall noted that the company has instituted heightened measures.
“We have strict cleaning policies at the store to go the extra mile,” he said.
For shoppers who don’t want to go out at all, there are several companies, like Whole Foods, that deliver groceries.
Image via Google Maps
(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) Caffe Amouri wants to reduce close contact between the people coming to the Vienna coffeehouse, as concerns spread about the coronavirus outbreak.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people stay six feet away from each other to lower the risk of spreading the virus.
“Helping everyone ‘Keep their distance,'” the cafe tweeted along with a video showing large “X”s made of masking tape on the ground leading up the cafe.
In another video, owner Michael Amouri shared that the “X”s, which are six feet apart, lead to a window counter — formerly the front door — where people can place their orders and pay. The orders will be filled inside and then brought outside to the customers.
At the window service, one cashier wearing gloves places the order, while another person goes to get the coffee, Amouri told Tysons Reporter. Each drink is brought out on its own pedestal so that customers won’t touch the tray, he said.
Amouri said that he ordered 10 stylus pens that will be sanitized after every use so “no customer will be touching a pen that a previous customer touched.”
Tuesday evening, the coffeehouse announced on Instagram that it won’t accept cash while the coronavirus concerns are growing.
On Facebook, the coffeehouse announced on March 13 that all of its events are temporarily canceled. In other videos, Amouri said that other recent changes include:
- in-house cups won’t be used
- cups that people bring won’t be used
- all drinks will be served in paper to-go cups
Amouri said that people who don’t want to come to the shop can order beans online — “We’re getting hit by a ton of those” — and buy gift cards for future visits.
Amouri said that the cafe’s staff keeps stepping up its coronavirus-related efforts. At first, the employees were sanitizing the shop shift by shift and the hour by hour.
As more and more people started to telework, Amouri noticed that the shop was getting more crowded, which prompted him to switch to the outdoor counter last Saturday — an idea from one of his employees.
“The danger shifted from their workplace to our shop,” he said. “I’m really concerned about our staff.”
Amouri said that he has given his employees two weeks paid vacation so that they can stay home if they feel sick.
“I just want to keep my staff working. That’s really important to me,” he said. “Even if we don’t break even, which we probably won’t, if I can minimize the loss and keep them around, then that’s my goal.”
No matter what, he plans to keep the coffeehouse open, he said.
“We’re open,” he said in one of the videos, urging people to support their local businesses. “We’re going to get through this everybody.”
Helping everyone "Keep their distance"#SocialDistancing @TownofViennaVA @VisitFairfax @TysonsReporter @sungazettenews @washingtonian @WTOP @nbcwashington @ABC7News @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/z0Uh2sVNCM
— Caffe Amouri (@caffeamouri) March 17, 2020
Image via Caffe Amouri/Twitter
(Updated 3/17/2020) Across the Tysons area, event organizers are canceling events due to concerns over COVID-19.
Unlike our usual weekly planner, our staff rounded up events around the area that have been delayed or canceled or postponed over health concerns for attendees.
The events listed below have all been canceled:
- March 16: McLean Citizens Association event with FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand
- March 16: paving program meeting at Coates Elementary School
- March 17: Storytime at Mosaic
- March 18: Providence District Paving and Restriping
- March 19: The Bachelor Live on Stage Shopping Party (postponed)
- March 21: Family Fishing Rodeo in Vienna
- March 21-22: Vienna Photo Show
- March 28: Prom Dress Give-Away in Vienna
- April 3: Old-Fashioned Egg Roll and Flashlight Egg Hunt events in Vienna
- April 4-5: Art Blooms at Mosaic (postponed)
- April 4: Town Clean-Up Day in Vienna
- April 6: Cherry Hill Ice Cream Social in Falls Church
- April 7: Storytime at Mosaic
- April 11: East Egg Hunt in City of Falls Church
- April 23: McLean Kitchen and Garden Tour
A meeting on plans to extend the I-495 Express Lanes has been postponed to April.
Did we miss an event? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media accounts, and we will update the list.
Editor’s note: This list will be regularly updated with the newest information on closures.
In efforts to lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus, Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and the Town of Vienna are canceling meetings and closing places.
All three local governments have updates on their websites with coronavirus information — Fairfax County rolled out its new coronavirus webpage today (March 16).
As of Sunday, March 15, the Virginia Department of Health says there are 10 presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Fairfax County — a number that officials say is expected to grow.
All Fairfax County public schools are currently closed.
“If FCPS schools cannot reopen as scheduled on April 14, our plan is to begin distance learning either online, or by learning packets at that time,” according to a message from Superintendent Scott Brabrand. “Over the next two weeks, we will begin distance learning training for teachers and give teachers the opportunity to plan and prepare for distance instruction and reconnect with their students.”
Food distribution to students will continue throughout the closures.
Other closures and changes around the county include:
- indoor parks, community facilities and libraries: closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16;
- senior and adult day health care centers: closed until further notice;
- most Fairfax County courts’ hearings and trials: canceled
- all Fairfax County Park Authority playgrounds, skate parks and restrooms: closed
- Town Hall and other offices/facilities will be open by appointment only through April 12
- Vienna General District Court: closed Monday, March 16
- The Freeman Store and Museum: closed through April 14
- the Bowman House: closed
- all Town of Vienna special events canceled from Monday, March 16, through April 12
https://twitter.com/TownofViennaVA/status/1241052641225998338?s=20
#coronavirus updates 2/2: Register for parks and rec activities online. Email or call staff for help.
Rather than coming to Town Hall during this crisis, the Town strongly encourages residents and others to conduct business with the Town online whenever possible.
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) March 17, 2020
“Town of Vienna board and commission meetings have been canceled until April 13,” according to the town’s website. “The April 14 On Deck with Mercury event also has been canceled and Mayor’s Volunteer Reception moved to June 9.”
The town added that picnic shelter reservations will not be accepted right now.
- community center: closed from Monday, March 16, through April 12
- Mary Riley Styles Public Library: closed from Monday, March 16, through April 12
“The Community Center (223 Little Falls Street) and library host a large number of visitors every day, and closing the buildings could help reduce opportunities for public gatherings,” the city said in a press release.
People can drop off books at the library’s temporary location near the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School at 601 S. Oak Street.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Falls Church is suspending the weekly Farmers Market for this Saturday, March 21,” the city announced. “The city is awaiting further guidance from the Commonwealth regarding mass gatherings and food sources.”
Other Closures
All Virginia DMV customer service centers are closed from March 18-April 2 and driver and vehicle credentials have been extended 60 days.
McLean Community Center, which is home to the Alden Theatre, galleries for the McLean Project for the Arts, the Susan B. DuVal Art Studio and meeting rooms, is closed through April 12. The Old Firehouse Center is also closed.
“All classes, activities and performances are canceled, as are all scheduled facility rentals, community organization uses and the MCC Governing Board meeting and public hearing, which were scheduled for Wednesday, March 25,” according to MCC’s website.
Wolf Trap is postponing all of its performances, classes and events between March 13-31.
“We are working with the artists to reschedule their performances for future dates and will share that information as it becomes available,” according to Wolf Trap’s website. “All current tickets will be honored for the rescheduled performances.”
Photo by Tim Mossholder/Unsplash
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is encouraging residents to give back to their communities as growing concerns about the coronavirus prompt event cancellations and working remotely.
Alcorn, who represents Vienna and Reston on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, took to social media last week to let local organizations and nonprofits know that his office wants to connect them to volunteers and needed assistance.
“Whenever we have the opportunity to step up and help, we should,” Alcorn told Tysons Reporter. “There’s a lot of concern in the community.”
Alcorn said that local organizations are expecting higher demands for food and assistance, especially from people who work in the service industries who have limited or no sick leave and for seniors, who are at a higher risk of getting more severely ill from the virus.
“The anxiety level, particularly for seniors, is very high,” he said, noting that there is a “sizable” elderly community in the Hunter Mill District.
As of Sunday, March 15, the Virginia Department of Health says there are 10 presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Fairfax County — a number that officials say is expected to grow.
“I think we can do a lot as we get through this public health challenge by reaching out to our more vulnerable communities and our neighbors and let them know that we care,” he said.
By Friday (March 13), Alcorn’s office had created a “How to Help Your Neighbors” list on the Hunter Mill District page on the Fairfax County website.
“Locally, specifically in Hunter Mill, we’re focusing on giving folks something to do,” he said.
Several organizations in the Vienna area are asking for financial help instead of volunteers, to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Second Story, which assists young people struggling with homelessness, poverty or domestic issues in the Vienna area, is asking for gift cards.
“Gift cards help meet our immediate needs and can also be used for online ordering, for example, if young mothers need diapers but don’t want to risk going in public with their babies,” Christine Bartell, Second Story’s resource management director, told Tysons Reporter.
Bartell noted that Visa gift cards are the best option, but Second Story will also accept grocery store and Amazon gift cards via mail to “Attn: Christine Bartell, PO Box 694, Dunn Loring, VA 22027.”
“Since we’re limiting contact between youth and volunteers, gift cards for food will be especially important,” Bartell said.
Meanwhile, the Committee for Helping Others is urging people to donate online, send a check to “CHO, P.O. Box 233, Vienna, VA 22183” or to select “CHO Inc.” as the charity to support while shopping on Amazon Smile.
Alcorn added that he is frequently discussing the coronavirus with Town of Vienna officials and communicating with them about the needs of organizations in the town.
Alcorn emphasized “one overall need that also we want to make sure gets out there” — blood donations.
“A lot of folks donate blood to Inova,” he said. “We don’t want to get into a situation where [there’s] a low blood supply.”
People interested in the local organizations’ opportunities focused on the coronavirus can also check out Alcorn’s email newsletter and social media accounts.
“You can contact any of the organizations or call [my] office,” he said. “We’re going to continue expanding the list of needs.”
Additionally, Alcorn is urging people to take “normal precautions,” like practicing good hygiene and frequent hand washing.
“My hope and expectation are that our community will rise to the occasion,” he said.
Vienna police are investigating a series of vehicle break-ins and thefts around the town last week.
Four incidents occurred on Wednesday (March 11), according to the police reports.
One person at the Wolftrap Hotel (430 Maple Avenue W.) reported to the police that someone smashed the rear window of her vehicle and stole her purse between 5 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Another woman reported that the front passenger window of her vehicle was smashed between 7 a.m.-2:40 p.m. in the 100 block of East Street SE. One the same block and in the same time period, a man said that someone smashed the front passenger window of his vehicle and stole a black backpack, police said.
Lastly, a woman told police that someone smashed the front passenger window of her vehicle and stole her purse in the 500 block of Beulah Road NE between 3:30-4:20 p.m.
As of Friday, it was too soon to tell if the cases are related or not, Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter.
Photo via Facebook
(Updated 3/16/2020) Local nonprofit Second Story is asking people to send gift cards instead of volunteering or donating food and clothing to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
Located just south of Tysons, Second Story assists young people struggling with homelessness, poverty or domestic issues. In a message today, CEO Judith Dittman said that all of Second Story’s programs will remain in operation.
However, the nonprofit won’t accept clothing, food or other donated items to “help prevent the potential spread of germs through objects as well as limit the number of people who visit Second Story for Teens in Crisis,” Dittman said.
Second Story is also limiting its visitors, telling its staff to work remotely and suspending its volunteers in the homeless, young mothers and teen crisis programs, along with volunteers who provide meals to the programs.
Meanwhile, people can still volunteer in the community-based programs, Dittman said.
For people who want to help the nonprofit, Dittman said that gift cards are needed to purchase items for the programs.
“Gift cards are extremely valuable right now as we temporarily suspend meal donations and youth in our programs, many with hourly jobs, may have a greater need for immediate support,” Dittman told Tysons Reporter.
Christine Bartell, Second Story’s resource management director, told Tysons Reporter that Visa gift cards are the best option, but Second Story will also accept grocery store and Amazon gift cards via mail to “Attn: Christine Bartell, PO Box 694, Dunn Loring, VA 22027.”
“Since we’re limiting contact between youth and volunteers, gift cards for food will be especially important,” Bartell said.
Dittman also shared how the nonprofit is working to decrease the risk of spreading coronavirus, taking steps like sanitizing surfaces more and communicating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The full message is below the jump:
