Angela Woolsey | FFXnow

McLean Community Center reveals long slate of candidates for board election

Published March 25, 2024 at 1:30PM

McLean Community Center governing board candidates (left to right) Tarek Atia, Jonathan Broom, Mike Drabyk, Michael Monroe, Peggy Richardson, Doug Jeffery, Matt Colsia, Lisa Mariam and Ron Keesing (courtesy MCC)

More than a dozen candidates will vie for six seats — four held by adults, two by teens — on the McLean Community Center’s governing board this spring.

The community center announced on Friday (March 22) that 10 adults and five teens have qualified to run in this year’s board election, which has one more open seat than usual with current board member Ari Ghasemian resigning at the end of March.

Countywide

NEW: ArtsFairfax hires New York arts education leader as president and CEO

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 25, 2024 at 11:00AM

ArtsFairfax Board Chair Scott Cryer (left) with president and CEO Stuart Holt (photo courtesy PaperKite Photography LLC)

A longtime arts educator and administrator who has helped keep opera alive in cities as different as New York City and Nashville will soon bring that expertise to Fairfax County.

ArtsFairfax has hired Stuart Holt as its new president and CEO to replace Linda Sullivan, who retired on Feb. 29 after a 14-year tenure that saw the organization evolve from a council most known for producing the International Children’s Festival into a key advocate and source of funding for the county’s artistic community.

Around Town

Vivi Bubble Tea to open cafe in Vienna this spring

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 25, 2024 at 9:30AM

Vivi Bubble Tea is opening a franchise at Glyndon Shopping Center in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A chain of bubble tea shops is adding another local link, this time in the Town of Vienna.

Vivi Bubble Tea anticipates opening its newest franchise at 233 Maple Avenue East in mid-April, according to Yaya Zhang, manager of both the upcoming Vienna location and the existing Fairfax City cafe (9974 Main Street).

Around Town

The Mountain Goats, Nas and more join Wolf Trap’s summer concert line-up

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 22, 2024 at 2:30PM

The Mountain Goats will perform at Wolf Trap National Park's Filene Center on Aug. 4 (courtesy Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts)

This summer at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts just got busier.

After announcing an initial line-up in January, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts unveiled additional shows on Tuesday (March 19) that have been booked for its summer 2024 season at the Filene Center, the park’s main outdoor amphitheater, and the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods.

Countywide

County board to consider more funding for library books in new budget

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 22, 2024 at 11:45AM

Fairfax County Public Library (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County’s next budget could give its public libraries a little more spending money for books.

At the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday (March 19), Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn proposed allocating an additional $500,000 in the upcoming fiscal year 2025 budget to Fairfax County Public Library’s book collection.

Around Town

Fast-casual Turkish restaurant, fashion stores coming to Tysons Corner Center

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 22, 2024 at 11:00AM

A sign indicating that a new store is coming soon to Tysons Corner Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The roster of retailers coming to Tysons Corner Center continues to grow.

A fast-casual Turkish restaurant that specializes in chicken, fashion designer Kate Spade and a fitness clothing brand are all slated to open locations in the mall at 1961 Chain Bridge Road later this year, according to a press release.

News

Police identify 18-year-old as suspect in fatal shooting outside McNair hotel

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2024 at 3:30PM

Fairfax County Deputy Police Chief Brooke Wright provides an update on a fatal shooting at the Sonesta hotel in McNair (via FCPD/Facebook)

Fairfax County police are still searching for a teen who they believe fatally shot another teenager yesterday (Thursday) outside the Sonesta Extended Stay Suites in the McNair area of Herndon.

The Fairfax County Police Department has identified Ismael Cruz-Delcid, 18, of Herndon as the suspect in the shooting, which allegedly followed a physical altercation between three teens.

Around Town

NEW: Japanese grocery store to open in Tysons later this year

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2024 at 2:30PM

Tysons 3 Center is currently occupied by Starbucks, The Tile Shop and an Exxon gas station (courtesy Rappaport)

A Connecticut-based Japanese grocer will bring a brand-new concept to Tysons by the end of this year.

Marufuji Japanese Market is expected to open in December near the Spring Hill Metro station at Tysons 3 Center (8520 Leesburg Pike), taking over a space vacated in 2019 by the furniture store Ethan Allen, property owner Rappaport announced today.

Countywide

With FCPS facing lawsuit, students to rally tonight in support of pro-LGBTQ policies

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2024 at 1:30PM

Students hold trans rights and LGBTQ Pride flag signs at a rally protesting Virginia's model policies on transgender students outside Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Students are getting organized in response to a lawsuit challenging Fairfax County Public Schools for its LGBTQ-inclusive policies.

The Pride Liberation Project, a student-run group that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in Virginia, will host a rally “against anti-trans hate” outside Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield at 6 p.m. today (Thursday). The demonstration will precede the Fairfax County School Board’s meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

News

County board OKs Tysons office-to-housing conversion but calls for more EV parking

By Angela Woolsey

Published March 21, 2024 at 10:15AM

The owner of 8221 Old Courthouse Road is seeking to repurpose the office building as multi-family apartments (via Walter L. Phillips Inc./Fairfax County)

Another Tysons office building is set to be transformed into housing.

After a public hearing on Tuesday (March 19), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal to convert the three-story office building at 8221 Old Courthouse Road into 55 multi-family apartments, including six workforce dwelling units.