A Vienna church hopes to soon draw energy from both the sun and God as it embarks on what appears to be the biggest solar panel project in the town so far.
With permitting almost complete, workers are slated to break ground on a solar photovoltaic canopy in the Church of the Holy Comforter’s parking lot at 543 Beulah Road NE in mid to late July, contractor Govan Builders says.
Jessica Hudson is no longer Fairfax County Public Library’s director after stepping down to take a county manager position in San Juan Islands, Washington.
Sara Prohaska, marketing and communications director for the FCPL, confirmed that Hudson vacated the position she’d held for eight years on June 14. The Library Board of Trustees has begun the search for a new director in cooperation with the county’s Department of Human Resources.
For just under $40 million, you could stand on the same ground where Amelia Earhart once landed an airplane.
Ballantrae Farms, a 6.3-acre McLean estate whose house pre-dates the American Civil War, is currently up for sale with an initial asking price of $39.995 million. The property’s “storied past” includes a landing by Earhart in the 1930s, according to a listing that Washington Fine Properties posted last week.
Fairfax County’s farmers markets are going plastic-free this month.
Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) through July 28, visitors to the Fairfax County Park Authority’s farmers markets are encouraged to bring reusable shopping bags in support of Plastic Free July, a global initiative fighting plastic pollution.
McLean Bank Is Go-To Funder of Republican Campaigns — “Chain Bridge Bank, privately owned and with some 70 employees, has worked with the campaign of every Republican Party presidential nominee since John McCain in 2008, including Donald Trump.” The one-branch bank on Laughlin Avenue was founded by former Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald and announced in May that it might go public. [Reuters]
FCPS Tweaks Grading Policies — “Fairfax County schools will allow students to retake tests for full credit and will add a D-minus to their grading scale as the district and others try to rethink how to measure student performance.” Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid says the new approach to grading will create more consistency and be clearer to communicate. [Washington Post]
Hybla Valley Affordable Housing Slowly Filling — “As of June 24, 2024, the Residences at North Hill had a total of 61 occupied units (22% occupancy) with 26 more units in-process according to Ivy Dench-Carter, senior vice president of development at Pennrose, which both owns and manages the property…Their goal is to have the residences at least 95% occupied by October.” [On the MoVe]
International Grocery Store Eyes Summer Opening — “Ummah Market, an international grocery store in Bailey’s Crossroads, could have a soft opening by the end of July and a grand opening by the end of August, says owner and CEO Jawad Yousufi…Yousufi describes the store as a ‘Mediterranean version of Whole Foods,’ featuring natural and healthy items from Turkey, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.” [Annandale Today]
Sheriff, Commonwealth’s Attorney Get Pay Raises — “Fulfilling a state-code requirement, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted June 25 to raise pay rates for three constitutional officers, effective July 1.” The new annual salaries for the clerk of the circuit court, commonwealth’s attorney and sheriff are $184,141, $204,274.49 and $259,158.99, respectively. [Gazette Leader]
Fire Department Celebrates First Hires — “75th ANNIVERSARY: On July 1, 1949, the first 10 career #FCFRD firefighters were hired. They served primarily as daytime apparatus drivers. Today we are the largest fire dept in Virginia and one of the best in the nation with w/ 1,400 career FFs, 170 civilians, & 370 volunteers.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
County’s Door-to-Door Shuttle Changes Departments — The Fairfax County Department of Transportation has taken over management of Fastran from the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS). “The realignment will streamline responsibilities and eliminate redundancies, allowing for improved service delivery and enhanced collaboration.” [NCS]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny conditions, reaching a high of approximately 85°F. In the afternoon, light wind will increase to 5-7 mph from the southeast. At night, the sky will turn partly cloudy and temperatures will drop to around 65°F. [NWS]
A commercial warehouse space in Tysons that currently houses a fitness studio and gold dealer is being targeted for a different kind of recreational use.
A new business called Smok’d has proposed turning three suites at 8453 Tyco Road into a “high-end” indoor firing range with a smoking lounge, according to a special permit application submitted to Fairfax County last Thursday (June 27).
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.
With America’s birthday approaching, it’s really important to remind you that not all of the fireworks actually happen on July 4th, so before you post in one of the Facebook groups asking about the noises, make sure you take note of the days and times so you can plan ahead to attend if that’s your thing!
One other mom tip — the fireworks are really loud. If you have a noise-sensitive kid, either bring headphones, or use one of my other tips to watch but not hear the noise.
The Town of Vienna Fireworks are traditionally held at Yeonas Park (the Vienna Little League Fields). This year, they’ll take place on Tuesday, July 2 at 9:30 p.m. (approx. when it gets dark).
However, there’s a lot of things leading up to the actual fireworks that you can attend: live music, kids entertainment, games, food trucks, etc. starting at 6 p.m. This event is BYOC (bring your own chairs, blankets, etc.). Chairs are not permitted on the actual field, but there is a paved path and sidewalks where you can put the chairs for folks who can’t easily get up and down from the ground. There’s also bleachers but they get filled up. Streets around Yeonas will get closed from 4-11 p.m.
There are more options around Northern Virginia like July 1st at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Langley High School in McLean, etc. Lots of opportunities around town if you’re a fireworks enthusiast!
A man was arrested last week after reportedly harassing customers and staff at a Vienna pub over its Pride Month displays.
On Friday (June 28) night, a man walked off the street and began accosting patrons in Hawk & Griffin’s outdoor beer garden “because of our flags displayed for pride month,” the pub’s owners said the following day in a Facebook post.
Fairfax Car Wash Employee Killed in Crash — A customer at Flagship Carwash in Fairfax City hit a nearby car and three employees after exiting a car wash bay around 10:56 a.m. on Saturday (June 29), police say. All three workers were taken to a hospital, where one of them, 62-year-old Martha Clemencia Nguyen, died. [NBC4]
Guns Tossed From Car During Police Pursuit — “Three handguns were thrown from a car during a police pursuit in Springfield, Virginia, according to the Virginia State Police. Officials said that a Virginia State trooper was initiating a traffic stop on a Nissan allegedly traveling recklessly when it refused to stop and sped away on Route 644 near Old Keene Mill Road.” [WJLA]
Fires Reported in Vienna and Springfield — Fairfax County firefighters found grass and “multiple trees on fire” in the 8200 block of Alban Road in Springfield near the ramp to southbound I-95 yesterday (Sunday). They also battled a house fire in the 100 block of Patrick Street SE in Vienna. No injuries were reported. [FCFRD/Twitter, Statter911/Twitter]
Pro Cricket Team Still Looking for Stadium Site — “The Washington Freedom want to build a permanent stadium by the decade’s end with surge capacity up to 35,000 surrounded by some mix of hotel/conference center, retail and residential…After an earlier plan to build a cricket stadium at George Mason University died on the vine, the Freedom is now actively considering 12 to 15 sites in Greater Washington, [general manager Rohit] Anand said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Metro to Waive Evening Fares on July 4 — “Whether you take Metrorail, Metrobus, or MetroAccess, you won’t pay a dime to ride after 5 p.m. until the system closes. During the afternoon, you’ll also see us ramp up service to rush hour service levels on Metrorail to get tens of thousands of you to events safely and reliably across the region.” [WMATA]
Gum Springs Historic Marker Relocated — “One year after Gum Springs and Fairfax County officials celebrated the unveiling of a historical marker honoring Gum Springs founder West Ford, a small group of community members gathered June 21 to commemorate the sign’s placement in a new location.” [On the MoVe]
Tysons Has Region’s Highest Apartment Rents — “Tysons leads the pack in median apartment-rental prices in new data, with the cost to renters rising nearly 5 percent year-over-year. With a median monthly cost of $2,396 for one-bedroom units and $2,872 for two bedrooms, Tysons had the highest median rate of the 34 communities within the Washington metropolitan region tracked by Apartment List.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 80 accompanied by a north wind around 14 mph and gusts reaching up to 22 mph. For Monday night, the weather will be mostly clear, with temperatures dipping to around 63 degrees, and a north wind at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
Fairfax County police arrested a man yesterday (Thursday) for allegedly touching a 6-year-old child inappropriately at a playground in West Falls Church.
Officers were called to the Kingsley Commons Townhouses in the 7300 block of Arlington Blvd shortly after 7 p.m. in response to a report that a man “unlawfully touched” a child.
“Patrol officers were able to quickly locate the man and take him into custody,” the Fairfax County Police Department said today (Friday) in a press release.
Police say Victor Villalobos, a 47-year-old man from Merrifield, has been charged with aggravated sexual battery of a juvenile under the age of 13. He was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he’s being held without bond.
“Detectives are urging anyone who may have had unlawful contact with Villalobos or has information about this case to contact our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 4, and share any information they may have,” the FCPD said.
