Commuters in the Fairfax Corner and Fair Oaks area will soon have a brand-new facility where they can park their car or bicycle before catching a bus or rideshare.
The Monument Drive Commuter Parking Garage will become operational this Saturday, June 22, following a ribbon cutting on Thursday (June 20), according to a Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) spokesperson.
Two local families, bonded by a love of tea, recently opened a shop on the edge of downtown McLean to share their passion with the community.
ArTeA TeaShop quietly began serving customers at 6635 Old Dominion Drive on May 1, tweaking the menu and continuing to train staff before a more formal launch — and the addition of delivery options — last Tuesday (June 11).
Missing Woman Found Dead in Springfield — “Officers responded to the 7600 block of Highland Street in Springfield [on Friday, June 14] for a death investigation. A community member alerted officers to a body that was found near a wooded area. Officers located and identified Fayra Desiree Bonilla-Rubi, 26, of Springfield. She was reported missing on June 10 by family members.” [FCPD]
Pickleball Players Stage Sit-In at Annandale Courts — “The Fairfax County Park Authority has followed through on its decision to shut down pickleball at Kendale Woods Park…but the players have not given up on their fight to save the courts. As a Park Authority staff member and contractors showed up at the courts before 7 a.m. on June 14, they were met with a handful of players staging a sit-in.” [Annandale Today]
FCPS to Add More Early-Release Mondays — “Fairfax County Public Schools is adding seven early release days to its elementary school calendar for the 2024-25 school year so teachers have enough time to finish required Virginia trainings. At Thursday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Michelle Reid unveiled the plan to add the three-hour early release days on seven Mondays.” [WTOP]
Vienna Police Stop Ice Cream Truck — Vienna police officers stopped an ice cream truck on Ayr Hill Avenue NE around 3:43 p.m. on June 6 for “violating the noise ordinance and soliciting without a permit.” After the officers found that the truck’s tags were expired and the driver lacked a required solicitor permit, the driver agreed to stop operating it until he got the permit and updated the vehicle’s registration. [Vienna Police]
Sandwich Shop Coming to Huntington — “JaWa Sandwich Shop, a restaurant specializing in a variety of sandwiches, will open at the former WNB Factory space at Huntington Gateway, according to owner Seung Lee…Following a soft opening in early July, Lee anticipates a grand opening for JaWa in August.” [On the MoVe]
Man Docks at Every Capital Bikeshare Station — “[Stanley] Seiden, a contractor with the State Department, spent the next two years traveling to far-flung corners of the DMV, on a quest to visit every single Capital Bikeshare station. While the app stopped giving him push notifications after about 13 percent, Seiden kept pedaling, and last Saturday he reached his goal.” [Washingtonian]
Stamps Featuring U.N. HQ Unveiled in Tysons — “The United Nations Postal Administration issued a pane of 10 stamps June 7 showing images of the U.N. headquarters in New York City…The Napex stamp show held June 7-9 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, 7920 Jones Branch Drive in McLean, Va., hosted a first-day ceremony for the stamps.” [Linn’s Stamp News]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature of around 91°F, accompanied by a south wind at about 10 mph. As night falls, the weather will be mostly clear with a low temperature near 70°F and a south wind ranging between 6 and 10 mph. [NWS]
The silver screens at Tysons ShowPlace Icon Theatre will briefly go dark next week.
The Boro’s movie theater (1667 Silver Hill Drive) is scheduled to close temporarily from Monday through Thursday (June 17-20), a manager confirmed to FFXnow. However, details about why the theater is closing and what comes next have proven elusive.
Classes are out, and summer reading is in for Fairfax County students.
Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) officially kicked off its annual Summer Reading Program on Wednesday (June 12), encouraging youngsters and adults alike to dig into books and tackle various literary activities to earn prizes.
The family of a McLean man who was shot and killed by the police in 2022 has sued the Fairfax County Police Department for wrongful death.
The lawsuit was filed in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Wednesday (June 12), the Washington Post reported. It alleges that Police First Class Officer Edward George “had no reasonable ground” to believe he or anyone else was in immediate danger when he shot 26-year-old Jasper Aaron Lynch multiple times at the Lynch family home on July 7, 2022.
Local Man Raises Money to Feed People in Gaza — “On Wednesday, the head of the World Health Organization said that thousands of people in Gaza are facing ‘catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.’ For months, a man in Fairfax County has been raising money to provide food for starving families in his homeland.” [FOX5]
Fairfax Police Investigate Reported Gunshots — “City of Fairfax Police and Fairfax County Police responded to the report of gunshots being heard over four recent nights in the area of Arlington Boulevard and Pickett Road…The sound of gunshots were reported Wednesday-Friday, June 5-7 and Monday, June 11, according to police. No injuries have been reported.” [Patch]
Man Recognized for Upkeep of Historic Cemetery — “The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s Arlington House chapter recently honored Fairfax County resident Bill Muras with its Community Service Award” for his involvement in the Fairfax Villa community, his role as a local coach and his assistance in maintaining “a small historic cemetery located northwest of the Fairfax campus of George Mason University.” [Gazette Leader]
Vienna Bids Farewell to Old Merry-Go-Round — “Community members bid farewell [on June 11] to the beloved, yet broken merry-go-round at Meadow Lane Park. All of the kids and kids at heart had one last opportunity to enjoy a snack with friends by the memory-making spinning machine…A new and improved one will be installed so stay tuned for updates.” [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
New Name Proposed for Metrobus Route — “The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) 11Y bus service, otherwise known as the Mount Vernon Express, could be renamed under the WMATA’s system-wide Better Bus Network redesign.” The route would continue to offer direct service between Mount Vernon and D.C. [On the MoVe]
Bagel Shop Opens in Dulles Airport — “NOW OPEN!!! Stop into Bagels & More Cafe Bakery in Concourse C and indulge in our delightful selection of bagel sandwiches, paninis, and other mouthwatering options!” [Dulles Airport/Twitter]
Grant Approved for Annandale Park Fencing — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has approved matching funds in the total amount of $6,205 to support the extension of the fencing around field 6 at Pine Ridge Park.” The other half of the funding will come from the Braddock Road Youth Club (BRYC). [FCPA]
Reminder to Get Kids Vaccinated — “As the 2023-24 school year ends and summer begins, it’s a great time for children to get up to date on their immunizations. Parents and caregivers are urged to make an appointment for their child now with their health care provider to avoid the last-minute rush before the 2024-25 school year starts.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny skies today, with the temperature reaching a high of around 93 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 5pm, with a 30% chance of precipitation. Night will have mostly cloudy skies and a low of about 67 degrees. [NWS]
The Out & About Festival is returning to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts this month with a new lineup of LGBTQ musicians.
Landing in the middle of Pride Month, the day-long festival will bring performances to all three of the park’s outdoor stages from 10:30 a.m. to 9:35 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, along with food trucks, games and vendor booths.
Juneteenth is just under a week away, but in many places around Fairfax County, the celebrations will start this weekend.
Officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, it is observed annually on June 19, the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to liberate some 250,000 enslaved people who had not been freed despite President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Free Meals Available for Kids This Summer — “In Fairfax County, most summer meal programs begin June 17, offering breakfast and lunch at schools and community centers in Alexandria, Falls Church, Reston, Herndon, McLean, Springfield, Chantilly, Burke, Annandale and Vienna.” The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services is also providing meals to participants in its Camp Fairfax and Teens in Action programs. [Inside NoVA]
New Lake Accotink Studies Coming — “The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is making progress on the evaluation of Lake Accotink, Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw reports in the June edition of the Braddock Beacon.” A team of county staff and a consultant will “share the scope and timeline with the public in July before authorizing work on the feasibility study.” [Annandale Today]
Meeting to Seek Ideas for RTC North Green Space — “Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hosting a town hall meeting on Monday to begin the planning process to determine what should be done with the central green that’s included as part of the Reston Town Center North project.” The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive). [Patch]
No McLean Art Festival This Year — “MPAartfest, which each October brings throngs of visitors to McLean Central Park to view artworks and take part in children’s activities, will not be held this year because Fairfax County Park Authority renovations at the park will wrap up too close to the festival date, McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) officials announced recently.” [Gazette Leader]
Amazon Replenishes Affordable Housing Fund — “Amazon has committed an additional $1.4 billion to its Housing Equity Fund to provide more affordable housing in the National Capital region, Seattle, and Nashville.” The new funding is expected to add 35,000 homes in those areas. “The company will release more information about the funding later this summer.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
FCPD Gets New LGBTQ Liaison Officer — “We’re proud to introduce PFC Tiara Goode as our new LGBTQ Liaison Officer! Starting her journey in the McLean District, PFC Goode is a valued Honor Guard member and currently works as a detective in our recruiting section. Her role is vital in fostering inclusivity and support within the department and the community.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Reston Construction Contractor Exec Dies — “Jason Wilt, a top executive at Winmar Construction and Winmar Advisory, has died after a brief illness, according to a Monday post from the company on LinkedIn. He was 53. Wilt was a principal and vice president of operations at the Reston-based general contractor.” [Washington Business Journal]
Tysons Events Company Makes Acquistion — “On Monday, Cvent closed its third acquisition this year, buying Reposite, a New York vendor whose artificial intelligence-powered database helps match event planners with suppliers. While Cvent already has a vendor marketplace, the addition of 4-year-old Reposite will allow it to integrate things like requests for proposals and payments into its existing system, Cvent said.” [WBJ]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions with a high near 88 and a gentle south wind ranging from 3 to 8 mph. For Thursday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 70 and a south wind maintaining a speed of around 7 mph. [NWS]
