A long-time dream was fulfilled for Vienna resident Angela Ellis after being invited to appear on “Wheel of Fortune” as a contestant for an episode airing this week.
A longtime fan of the game show, Ellis, 58, said she was thrilled when producers finally invited her to become a contestant after she tried out for the spot multiple times.
“I watched it a lot with my mom growing up,” she told Tysons Reporter, adding that her knowledge for the contest came primarily from watching the show, playing games on her iPad and looking through trivia books.
The episode, which will be part of a “National Parks” five-episode series, will air beginning today (Feb. 24) even though it was taped back in January.
As a traveler herself, Ellis said her experience and love for national parks likely helped her land a spot on the show.
Of all of the parks she has visited, Ellis said Acadia, which runs along the Atlantic coastline, is her favorite.
Through the 16-month contestant selection process Ellis said she passed a variety of screening processes that tested her knowledge, enthusiasm for the show and ability to keep up energy while facing challenges.
Once selected, producers invited Ellis to Culver City, Ca. for the taping of the episode.
Contestants are responsible for paying for their own airfare, hotel room and miscellaneous travel costs.”If you really wanna do something like this, it is once in a lifetime,” she said, adding, “It is really worth it.”
On-site in the studio she had the chance to meet Vanna White along with her fellow contestants. “Before the show, Vanna came in to talk to us before she got her makeup or anything on,” Ellis said. “She is very personable.”
Despite the glow of the spotlight, Ellis was shocked by how welcomed and at-ease everyone made her feel. “I couldn’t even tell you where the camera was because I was so focused on the board.”
Because of game-show rules, Ellis won’t be able to appear on the show again but said she had such a positive experience that she’d volunteer again “in a heartbeat” if given the chance.
For anyone hoping to appear on the show one day, Ellis said to never give up and keep trying out, even after the first few rejections.
Photo courtesy Wheel of Fortune/Carol Kaelson
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
A local Vienna based charity, BRAWS, “works to bring dignity and empowerment to women and girls living in shelters by providing new, personally fitted undergarments and menstrual supplies.”
In addition to the wide reach this organization has, they also help our FCPS schools by stocking them with menstrual supplies in girls’ bathrooms.
They have volunteer opportunities throughout the year to donate your time with donation deliveries, event hosting and collection drives. You can also donate here.
Their biggest fundraising event, Mardi Braws, actually takes places this Friday night, February 28 at Westwood Country Club at 8 p.m.
There’s a massive silent auction, which you don’t need to attend to bid on, as well as a raffle. Lots of local businesses, the Capitals, The Nationals, the Wizards and more donate to this organization to help raise money. I am also sponsoring the event this year, along with fellow Tyson’s Reporter contributor, Brandy Schantz of the Schantz Group. A full list of the 2020 sponsors can be found here.
You can purchase tickets to attend the event at $100 each, bid on silent auction items, or just donate money or supplies.
Please consider checking out this wonderful local organization and supporting in any way you can.
Vienna police are looking for whoever used a marker on the exterior of the Giant along Maple Avenue.
Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter that someone wrote words — “one politically related, one cop related” — on the walls and columns outside of the store, he said.
Vazquez declined to say what the exact words were.
The vandalism happened sometime between Feb. 5-15 at the store (359 Maple Ave E.) and was reported to the police by an employee, according to the police report.
Vazquez said that police roughly estimated that the markings caused $250 worth of damage, which would make it a misdemeanor.
The case is still active and police are reviewing surveillance footage, Vazquez said, adding that “Giant has a lot of surveillance.”
Image via Google Maps
Town of Vienna officials plan to host a meeting next Monday to get feedback from residents on outdoor living space and projects recommended in the Maple Avenue Corridor Multimodal Transportation and Land Use Study.
Councilmember Nisha Patel has a proposal that would allow for driveway expansion, decks, patios, outdoor sports courts, terraces, screened porches not enclosed by four walls, lead walks and pools, according to a press release from the town.
More from the press release:
The current Town code states that not more than 25% of a lot shall be covered by buildings, accessory buildings, automobile parking spaces and access, sport courts, tennis courts, patios, and terraces. Decks are regulated separately and may not cover more than 5% of the total area… These amenities, classified as outdoor living space and improvements, would be permitted as long as stormwater management systems are implemented, functional, and in compliance with current required standards.
Now, the councilmembers want to know what residents think of the plan: “Is it a good idea to allow for outdoor living space and other amenities in exchange for [the] implementation of a current stormwater management system on their property?”
“What we’d like hear on March 2 are residents’ thoughts about the pros and cons of this idea,” Patel said in the press release. “We’re looking for feedback on ways this concept could be modified. Help us figure out the right thing to do.”
Additionally, councilmembers want to know what residents want to be prioritized from the draft final report of the Maple Avenue Multimodal Transportation Study.
The study includes several recommended projects, along with an initiative currently underway to upgrade signal timing infrastructure and technology, the press release said.
The meeting is set to take place between 7-9 p.m. at the Town Hall. At the meeting, residents will have a chance to ask questions and engage in interactive exercises, according to the press release.
The Vienna Police Department is looking for the man who allegedly exposed himself to a woman on Sunday (Feb. 16).
The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot at 106 Center Street N., which is near the Vienna Elementary School.
The woman, who was in her vehicle when the incident occurred, told police that she saw a man on the sidewalk near the building and that he exposed himself to her and began walking toward her, according to the police report.
“The woman immediately left the area and called the police,” police said. “Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the man.”
In a separate incident, Vienna police arrested a 25-year-old D.C. man for alleged prescription drug fraud.
Police said that the man tried to fill fraudulent prescriptions at the Vienna Drug Center (150 Maple Avenue W.) three times between December and February.
It is unclear if the man was able to fill a prescription on Dec. 17, but police said that he obtained fraudulent drugs from the pharmacy between Feb. 10-14.
On Tuesday (Feb. 18), an employee at the pharmacy reported to the police that the man was trying to fill a fraudulent doctor’s order, police said.
Police arrested and charged the man with prescription fraud and transported him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Photo via Facebook
Historians from Herndon and Vienna are working together on a project that would allow telegraph messages to be sent back and forth between the towns.
As the Herndon Depot Museum prepares to debut its new telegraph exhibit on March 1, they are hoping to bring Historic Vienna on board as well, according to Barbara Glakas, a Herndon Historical Society spokesperson, told Reston Now.
Though Herndon is on schedule to open up its public exhibit, Anne Stuntz with Historic Vienna said Vienna is not as far along with the plans, a town spokesperson said.
The Herndon exhibit will feature one working telegraph machine and antique telegraph parts, such as a telegraph key and a telegraph sounder. Visitors will also be able to learn how the code worked and try it out for themselves, according to Glakas.
It is unclear when the Vienna telegraph machine will be set up or if the display will resemble that of the Herndon exhibit.
Photo via Historic Vienna/Facebook
Mardi Gras is approaching and throughout the weekend leading up to Tuesday (Feb. 25), several local businesses and eateries around town are holding festive events.
Tysons Reporter rounded up where and when to Mardi Gras celebrations around the Tysons area.
Vienna and Merrifield
On Friday, Feb. 21, Kim Stryker, a George Mason professor, will discuss holiday traditions and their origins during Folklore Friday at Bards Alley Bookshop (110 Church Street NW). The event is set to run from 7 to 8 p.m. King cake and Mardi Gras beads will be supplied. All are welcome to dress up in fun and festive attire for this event.
The Mardi Gras Bunco Party, hosted by the Vienna Arts Society (243 Church Street NW), next Saturday (Feb. 29) invites people to play Bunco, a dice game played with groups of 12 or more. A donation of $22 is suggested and refreshments will be served, according to the event page. This event runs from 7 to 9 p.m.
Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) is hosting a Carnival Celebration next Saturday from 7 to 10:30 p.m. The cover charge is $6 and includes an evening of dancing, drink specials and beads.
People looking for Mardi Gras-themed baked goods can visit Amphora Bakery in Vienna (405 W. Maple Ave) to purchase king cake or a variety of decorative treats, according to its website.
Falls Church
Foodies can participate in a free Free Mardi Gras Crawfish Eating Contest on Tuesday (Feb. 25) from noon to 10 p.m. The contest will begin at 6 p.m., but drink specials will be available all day. People can submit their names to become a contestant but participation is not guaranteed. People who place in the top three will receive gift cards.
The Fat Tuesday Beer Dinner at the Dogfish Head Alehouse (6220 Leesburg Pike) in Seven Corners offers guests a four-course meal for the price of $55. Admission includes beer pairings and a hurricane cocktail, according to the event page. This event begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Sol Roots Band with guest Ron Holloway will be performing Mardi Gras-themed music at JV’s Restaurant (6666 Arlington Blvd) on Tuesday beginning at 8:30 p.m. The groups will be performing a variety of funk, soul, deep blues, R&B and rock, according to the event page.
This Sunday (Feb. 23), JV’s Restaurant will be hosting another Mardi Gras celebration for the community. This event will feature a DJ and dancing from 4-7 p.m., the Facebook page said.
Photo via Kristina Evstifeeva/Unsplash
“Relay-Palooza Battle of the Bands” is coming back in Vienna this upcoming weekend.
Hosted by Relay For Life of Northern Virginia, the annual event raises money for the American Cancer Society. At the event, participants will vote for their favorite band and the winner will be able to headline the 2020 Relay For Life event in May.
A full dinner and drink menu will be available, according to the event page.
Vienna-based Java Sparrow posted on Facebook that the band plans to perform at the event.
“Relay-Palooza” is set to take place at 1 p.m. — doors open at noon — at Jammin Java (227 Maple Avenue E.) on Sunday (Feb. 23). General admission tickets are $15, while “premier plus” tickets are $25.
“The Premier Plus section is a raised area with great views and reserved seats and tables,” according to the event page. “There is a dedicated server for faster service.”
Image courtesy Relay for Life of Northern Virginia
Come March 15, some or all of the parking options will be closed at three Metro stations in the Falls Church and Vienna area.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced on Friday that pre-construction ahead of summer work will impact parking at three Orange Line stations.
While the summer work on the Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church stations doesn’t start until May, the parking changes are set to start on March 15.
“Due to the stations’ location and extreme space limitations, construction crews will need to utilize surface parking lots to stage heavy equipment and tons of material,” according to a press release from WMATA.
Here are the planned changes:
- surface parking lots at the East Falls Church, West Falls Church and Vienna stations will be closed for seven to nine months
- parking at the Dunn Loring station will not be impacted
- Kiss & Ride lot will remain open for pick-up and drop-off only at East Falls Church station
- West Falls Church station parking garage will remain open
- Vienna station Parking Lot 1 will be temporarily closed beginning March 15
- Vienna station’s parking garages and Parking Lot 3 will remain open.
The changes mean that parking won’t be available at the East Falls Church station.
Metro expects that the parking will fill up at the West Falls Church station before 7 a.m., according to the press release.
“Vehicles parked in closed lots after 12:01 a.m. on March 15, 2020, may be subject to towing,” the press release says.
https://twitter.com/FCNP_Jody/status/1228414025182171136?s=20
Three months into her job as Vienna’s new economic development manager, Natalie Monkou has an abundance of ideas for how to boost business in the town.
Monkou, an Annadale resident, previously worked in Arlington County as a liaison between the county and three business improvement districts (BIDs): Rosslyn, Ballston and Crystal City. Before that, she worked as the special assistant to Prince George’s County’s deputy chief of economic development.
Currently, Monkou has been on a “listening tour” around the town and holding public forums to receive input.
So far, the tour has been “really good,” Monkou told Tysons Reporter at Caffe Amouri earlier this week. “I’m trying to meet everybody.”
“Everybody” includes local businesses, commercial real estate brokers, local organizations that work with businesses and the Vienna Business Association.
While Monkou said she hasn’t heard anything surprising yet — mostly issues about high rents, property owners, vacancies and traffic — she said the people she has met with have different opinions on what economic development is and how it should work.
In an hour-long conversation with Tysons Reporter, Monkou shared a variety of ideas she’d like to look into for boosting Vienna businesses, like offering a walking tour with the mayor, improving the website for tourists and looking into how to turn the industrial area — what she calls a “sleeper hit” — into more of a destination.
But she said her main goal for this year is to get more data before she starts to make big changes. “I’ve heard lots of stories,” she said. Now she wants the data.
Currently, she said she’s working on a proposal for a market study that will look into Vienna’s competitiveness in the D.C. market, along with collecting demographic information and a SWOT analysis.
Using the study’s data, she wants to create an economic development strategy. Both the study and strategy could take anywhere from six months to a year, she said.
Her other top priorities for this year include a focus on the town’s budget and also figuring out how to market local businesses better outside of the town.
“I think there are opportunities to do more marketing and promotion of business here,” she said, adding that Vienna already supports local businesses well. “Why would I come here? Why would I shop here when I don’t live here?”
How to make Vienna a destination for nonresidents is on Monkou’s mind, as are controversial topics like the moratorium on new development guidelines for Maple Avenue — known as the “MAC” — and Tysons’ potential impact on Vienna.
“I want to be a part of MAC convos,” she said, adding that businesses have brought it up in discussions with her.
Monkou is clear that whatever happens with the MAC, which has been put on hold until June so the town can redo its guidelines, won’t slow her down and that there are plenty of areas around Vienna — like near Caboose Tavern — that she can focus on.
As for Tysons, Monkou said business owners can look to the growing community for potential customers.
A part of that involves making it easier for people to get to Vienna, which will require a look at traffic congestion and parking problems, she said. (For cycling enthusiasts, Monkou said she’s aware of how “special” the W&OD Trail is to the town and she said she wants to promote it more.)
As she dives more into these areas, Monkou expects lots of conversations with several town departments, like parks and recreation staff, as she works to merge traditional economic development with a “BID-like overlay” that includes online ads and events.
At the end of the day, Monkou said it’s all about “unique ways to promote the town’s assets.”
