Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA and D.C. 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 Laura@GuidingYourMove.com.

I looked at the 93 degrees headed our way next week and am already thinking ahead of what to do with the kids this summer. I’ve compiled a list of cheap things to do this summer to keep the kids entertained!

Movies

  • The Boro at Tysons: $6.50 matinees on Tuesdays
  • Summer Movie Clubhouse: $1.75 movie tickets on specific movies each Wednesday throughout the summer (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic 2, Shrek, Paw Patrol, Lego Movie, Trolls, How To Train Your Dagon, Migration, Hotel Transylvania, and Paddington 2)
  • Regal Fairfax Summer Movie Express: $1 movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the summer. Movies include: Peter Rabbit 2, Puss in Boots, TMNT, Angry Birds 2, Despicable Me 3, Migration, Spiderman, Paw Patrol, Clifford and many more!
  • Mosaic Films in the Park: Free movies every Thursday at 7 p.m. on the big screen through August 25. Movies include: Barbie, Top Gun Maverick, Wish, The Marvels, and more.
  • Starlight Cinema: Drive-in cinema at the Sully Historic Site with free movies on Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. in August only (Aug. 3 Migration, Aug. 10 Paw Patrol, Aug. 17 Wish, Aug. 24 Elemental)

Music

Food

  • Cocoa Vienna has $1 days for special treats: Chocolate Dipped Pretzel, Choc Strawberries, Deal of the Day, Choc Dipped Frozen Bananas, Choc Dipped Oreo through September

Sports

  • Bowling: Bowlero has a summer pass where kids can bowl 3 games everyday for one price (check the locations as they have different pricing, which includes shoe rental)
  • Potomac Nationals Game in Fredericksburg: Has $2 Tuesdays plus other promotions, Fireworks Fridays, and other fun events
  • Capital One Ballpark: Potomac College Summer League along with college and high school while in season

Reading

  • The Fairfax County library offers a Summer Reading Adventure where kids earn prizes (usually coupons for free or discounted things) for reading. You can go into the library to collect their reading log or create an account online.
  • Also keep an eye out on their youth contests

Pool Options

As you’re aware, pool options are tight around town. If you’re still waiting on a pool to join, try one of these daily options as needed:

Summer has come (Photo via Raphael Biscaldi on Unsplash)

News

Fairfax County police have arrested a Maryland man who allegedly burglarized multiple homes in Dunn Loring.

The 58-year-old man was arrested following a burglary that was reported in the 7900 block of Tire Swing Road in the Shreve Hill neighborhood around 10:25 a.m. on May 24, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release.


News

Work is underway to replace the escalators at the Vienna Metro station.

Started on Monday, June 3, the project will replace each of the escalators to the train platform one at a time with new escalators that are “more durable and reliable,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools teachers and other workers have elected a union to represent them in forthcoming labor contract negotiations.

The Fairfax Education Unions (FEU), a team-up of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) and the Fairfax Education Association (FEA), announced yesterday (Monday) that it will represent over 27,500 FCPS employees in their first collective bargaining effort since they secured that right in March 2023.


A male clouded sulphur butterfly on a flower in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Teen Acquited of Murder in Mount Vernon Shooting — “After about six hours of deliberation, a Fairfax Circuit Court jury found Kareem Valentine, 18, not guilty of murder and felony firearm use in the Sept. 1 killing of Joshua Fieldings. Valentine was found guilty of juvenile gun possession, a misdemeanor charge that holds a maximum sentence of one year in prison.” [Washington Post]

County to Offer Free HIV Testing — “Throughout the last week of June, the Fairfax County Health Department is offering free HIV and STI testing and education at our health clinics. If needed, care and treatment support will also be offered.” The clinics will coincide with National HIV Testing Day on June 27. [FCHD]

Popular Lincolnia Pet Store Closes — “After 10 years and three different locations in Barcroft Plaza, Chico’s Natural Pet Market has closed for good. But it’s not going away forever, as the owner, Danielle Areco, is searching for a new location. Areco spent the store’s last day, Sunday, June 9, hosting an ice cream party for dogs with big markdowns on pet supplies for humans.” [Annandale Today]

Advocacy Group Questions I-495 Southside Plan — “A proposal to add express lanes, and even Metro, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is getting some pushback from the Coalition for Smarter Growth. The Coalition says that, if enacted, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s 495 Southside Study will create traffic bottlenecks.” [ALXnow]

Water Mains to Be Replaced in Fairfax Neighborhood — “Fairfax Water will replace selected water mains in an area of the Fairview neighborhood due to increased maintenance problems…Fairfax Water’s contractor, A&M Concrete Corp., is scheduled to begin work in June.” [Fairfax City]

Chantilly Contractor Buys Reston Startup — “Chantilly government contractor VTG…announced Monday that it has acquired Clear Cloud LLC, a Reston startup that, like VTG, provides technology services to U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.” Clear Cloud has between 51 and 200 employees, while VTG had 1,300 employees, as of the end of 2022. [Washington Business Journal]

The Who Singer to Rock Wolf Trap — “Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, performs live at Wolf Trap on Wednesday, June 12, with a touring band that includes Pete Townshend’s younger brother Simon Townshend.” Daltry reflects on the rock band’s origins and work through its Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1990 in an interview. [WTOP]

Name Suggestions for Former School to Be Unveiled — “Fairfax County is seeking community feedback on a new name and identity for the Original Mount Vernon High School (OMVHS) as part of the building’s ongoing renovation and adaptive reuse project.” Name and branding design options will be presented at a meeting on June 18 at the Gerry Hyland Government Center. [On the MoVe]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 77 and a gentle northwest wind at around 6 mph. As for Tuesday night, the skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will drop to around 60, with a north wind at around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. [NWS]


Countywide

New regulations on the construction of data centers in Fairfax County cleared their first major hurdle last week.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously endorsed zoning amendments on Thursday (June 6) that aim to restrict the size, location, equipment screening and design standards of any new data centers in the county.


TJ Maxx at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County police are searching for a man who allegedly exposed himself to a woman while she was shopping at TJ Maxx in Tysons last month.

Officers were dispatched to the discount clothing store at 8389 Leesburg Pike in the Pike 7 Plaza shopping center around 2 p.m. on May 25, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

“Officers learned while the victim was shopping, a male suspect followed her and exposed himself,” the FCPD said in a press release. “The suspect then fled the store before police arrival.”

The press release includes images from a surveillance camera that police say show the suspect, who is believed to be a man in his 20s.

The FCPD says anyone with information can contact its Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS), and online.


Around Town

The fast fashion company Primark has set an opening date for its first-ever Virginia location.

The Ireland-based clothing retailer announced today that it will open a 35,000-square-foot store in Tysons Corner Center on July 16. The store will occupy a two-story space that belonged to L.L. Bean for over two decades until its closure in January 2022.


Looking down the pedestrian bridge over I-495 in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Families of Oakton Crash Victims Still Grieving — “Yan, his wife, and other family members joined supporters Friday afternoon at the corner of Blake Lane and Five Oaks Road in Fairfax to mark the second anniversary of the deaths of Lee Yan Hanjia and her friend, Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco.” [Patch]

Former Nats Star Leaves McLean House — Retired Washington Nationals pitcher and one-time World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg reflected on his baseball career and its challenging end “over calamari and salmon at a white-tableclothed Tysons Corner seafood restaurant.” Strasburg recently moved out of his McLean home to return to San Diego, California. [Washington Post]

Residents Plan Legal Action to Keep Pickleball Courts — “Residents of the Broyhill Crest community in Annandale who’ve been fighting to retain the pickleball courts at Kendale Woods Park have lost their battle to retain them — at least for the time being. The Park Authority announced it will begin removing pickleball from the park this coming week…The fight isn’t over, however. The pickleball players plan to file a legal injunction to stop the work.” [Annandale Today]

McLean Wins State Baseball Championship — “In the Virginia Class 6 championship game at Deep Run High, McLean rolled to a 15-5 victory over South Lakes to capture the first state championship in program history. The Highlanders (19-10) were rarely threatened Saturday, but the road to this stage wasn’t straight.” [Washington Post]

McLean Groups Supports Workforce Housing Changes — “McLean Citizens Association board members approved a letter June 5 in support of a proposed Fairfax County comprehensive-plan amendment for policies and programs related to for-sale workforce-dwelling units (WDUs).” The county is considering changing the targeted income levels and “expanding the policy’s availability to new parts of the county.” [Gazette Leader]

Memorial Garden Added to Fort Hunt Farm — “A private dedication ceremony was held June 7 for the newly installed Clara B. Plein Memorial Garden at River Farm, the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) headquarters along the Potomac River. Donated by AHS Board Chair Scott Plein in memory of his grandmother, the garden…is an example of sustainable landscaping with around 68% native plants and 32% native cultivars.” [On the MoVe]

Free Little Art Galleries Pop Up in Reston — “There is a small wooden hutch located just off the Turquoise Trail in Reston. Inside is a magical scene, a miniature art gallery replete with small resin characters and scads of ever-changing art. Wanderers are free to take a piece of art, leave a piece of art, or do both. This is the Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) in the Woods, one of four FLAGs in Reston.” [Fairfax County Times]

It’s Monday — Expect increasing clouds and a high near 78 accompanied by a northwest wind at 6 to 9 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 59 and a northwest wind at about 7 mph. [NWS]


Countywide

The average Dominion Energy Virginia residential customer will soon see a charge of about $4.50 dropped from their bills. The fee was being collected to recover costs through the state’s participation in the regional carbon market.

On Monday, the State Corporation Commission, which regulates Virginia’s utilities, approved a request from Dominion to stop tacking the fee on customer’s bills to recoup the costs the utility racked up through participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which Virginia is no longer a part of.


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