The Crier is the Newsletter of the Westbriar Civic Association, Vienna VA

NEW 9/9/18

Rembering
911

Vienna and American Legion Post 180 will observe the events of 9/11/01.

Community Center on Park Street SE at
9AM on Tuesday.

All are welcome

NEW 9/8/18 Some Great Video from the week.....

Squirrel 1 Chipmunk 0

View from On High

Wild eagle takes a miniature camera aloft on its back.

NEW 8/26/18

Things have started to happen on 66. Stay up-to-date on conditions and closures by subscribing to VDOT's email "66 Outside the Beltway." Click the image on the left, choose "Outside," and look for link "Sign Up for Updates."

Quarterly Recycle Day
Saturday, Sept 8, 8AM - 2PM
Northside Yard, end of Mill Street

Electronics, Waste Oil, other hazardous stuff

Farmer's Market Saturday AM

'til Nov 8.

Faith Baptist,
across from
Fire House

8/28/18

TAG DAY

September 8

Fairfax County music programs do not fully fund the James Madison High School marching band, the finest in the region. To make up the deficit for uniforms, equipment and travel, the band goes out to the community once a year to seek donations.

When your doorbell rings on Saturday, it will be a pair of uniformed musicians standing at attention. If you were not home, you will find a tag on the door. Hence, Tag Day. Please be generous. This is a worthy cause. See also.

8/21/18

MT. ETNA YAWNS

Sicily's famous volcano, the largest in Europe, wakened from its semi-slumber this week, belching lava many hundreds of feet into the air. As spectacular as it is, the eruptions are not as dire as one would imagine. Etna has been periodically doing this for thousands of years, and a plume of smoke rising from this peak is quite typical. What Etna has going for it is a continual venting which forestalls build up of extreme pressure. Unlike Vesuvius, or our own St. Helens, a catastrophic blowout is not expected. But then again, who knows?

8/16/18

DC Arboretum Eaglet Dies

Valor, one of two Bald Eagles hatched and raised this season by parents "Mr. President" and "The First Lady" has died last week. The Eagle family has been a source of delight to bird watchers who regularly visit the nest via a web site carrying high quality audio and video. Click on the photo at left to learn details about this sad and unexpected event.

8/14/18

Long-standing Westbriar
Church Considers Closure

The 50 year old Epiphany United Methodist Church on Country Club Drive has asked us to help pass on decision reached Sunday regarding its future. Click here to read a letter to its congregation and supporters.

8/14/18

Automobile
Tampering
Reported

Every few years, there seems to be a week long rash of night time car entries. Five cases were reported in Zone D this week on Westbriar Court, and another was reported in Zone A on Echols Street. All cars were unlocked. Breaking windows or locks is very rare. The evidence is an empty glove compartment with contents thrown on the floor. Police say this is typically the work of juveniles, not professional thieves.

Annoying as it is, the larger danger is that your garage door transmitter might be taken and used to gain access to your home. Please be sure to lock your car if parked outdoors.

8/14/18

West Coast Fires
Continue Unabated

The Mendocino Complex Fire doubled in size in the last few days, making it the largest in California's recorded history. Yosemite Park has closed indefinitely. A Westbriar resident currently on a business trip in Salt Lake City reports that the sky appears strange expecially at dusk.

Governor Jerry Brown claims it is all due to global warming. Arson has been charged in two of the fires.

8/14/18

You thought it was
done with a 15
pound hammer?

Click John Henry's image for an up close look at how railroads do it today.

If you are a customer of Fed Ex Office up at the Pike 7 shopping center, you might be interested in a new branch in Vienna. It's located at 328 Maple Avenue E, just across from Outback.

6/22/18

Subdivision
Project
Begins

Land is being cleared for the largest redevelopment project undertaken in Westbriar to date. Six new homes will be built at the intersection of Follin Lane and Maple Avenue on a combination of four original contiguous lots. All homes will share a cul-de-sac accessible from the 100 block of Mashie Drive. The developer is Mashie Drive LLC.

8/15/18

HELP STILL
WANTED

We need a volunteer for getting our candles out this year. Our Representative for Zone C will be moving out of Vienna over the summer leaving us a bit short handed. The work involves about 12 man hours in early December. You need not live in Zone C to be eligible

Zone Reps are members of the the Westbriar Civic Association Board of Directors, and are in position to directly shape the future of the oldest active civic association in Vienna.

Can YOU help? Please contact us
by phone 703-319-0840, or email.

6/20/18

CHINA GETS OUT OF
TRASH BUSINESS

China announced last year that it is no longer importing plastic trash, bringing to an end to decades of being the world's largest disposal and recycling center. Without this convenient service, developed countries will have to retool their approach to the wide spread use of these packaging products. From just 2017, a cumulative 8.3 billion metric tons of new plastic has been created. Only 9 percent of all plastic waste has been recycled, and the negative effects on the global environment continue to grow, according to a study by University of Georgia.

6/12/18 Vienna's iconic caboose, stranded decades ago when the rails were removed from the present W&OD Trail, gets a touchup of its favorite color.

James Madison High School girls softball team completed a perfect season of 28 wins, zero losses, and then delivered more of the same on Saturday. The Warhawks shut out Manchester 9-0 to win a second straight state champonship. They now have a two year winning streak of an improbable 42 games.

Chillin' on Church

Kids on the Green

Vienna Community Band

Rocknocerous!

... no better place to spend a summer evening.

See the entire lineup and schedules for free programs on the Vienna Town Green HERE

Vienna Business Liason welcomed Vienna Vintner's move to the old stone house across from Outback with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Mayor DiRocco helps owner Victor Mendes wield the sissors.

6/7/18
Glass Bottles
Currently Off the
Recycle List.

Vienna has changed its recycling company, and advises that glass containers, such as beverage bottles and food jars are no longer accepted. Place in your trash container.

Apparently, its a matter of economics. The price that glass currently commands is less than the cost of pulling them out of the single recycle stream.

6/618

Vienna Approves Unique Parking Proposal

The Vienna Town Council on Monday approved the purchase of the second floor of a condominium to be designed as a 121 car parking lot. The project will replace a single story building at 223-241 Mill Street NE which currently houses several businesses including Tops of the Town, Vienna Lawnmower, and Vienna Hardwoods. The new structure will be four story mixed use with commercial businesses and parking at street level, and storage on the 3rd and 4th levels. Additional retail parking is included below grade.

Council's approval of the condo purchase is contigent upon delivery of a final,

satisfactory purchase contract and condominum documents.

The funding would be through Meals Taxes, currently set at 3%. Parking will initially be free to the public, although that could change in the future. Vienna has been seeking additional parking along Church Street for ten years, and the proposal was considerd the best solution. The Town has actively sought public opinion since last winter through hearings and through questions/answers dialog posted on www.viennava.gov.

6/7/18

Major Vienna
Development May
Be Coming

Hekemian Inc. is in early stages of negotiating with Vienna for redevelopment of land presently occupied by the Wolf Trap Motel and the Tequilla Grande restaurant at Nutley and Maple Avenues. The plan includes 160 apartments, and 19,000 square feet of retail space.

A change from present C-1 Zoning to Maple Ave Commercial is part of the plan. At Monday's Council Meeting, a public hearing for the zoning change was scheduled for July 9.

6/7/18

Sizeable Investments

Two new homes surpass 7000 square feet, making them for now the largest in Westbriar. Both are in Zone B, and both are being built by Cloud 9.

405 Niblick, left, at 7476 sq ft was started in January and is under sales contract. 402 Mashie, right, with a similar floor plan was started 2 months ago, and has already been sold.

5/14/18

Vienna Scout Troop
Welcomes New Members

Rich in tradition and vibrant programming, our troop has over 80 years of history. We serve youth in the development of leadership skills, teamwork, and self-confidence -- all while havig fun. Activities include weekly meetings and monthly weekend activities such as camping, hiking, canoeing, caving, skiing, and biking. Most of our scouts participate in annual summer camps and high adventure opportunities. We meet on Wednesday evenings at our charting organization -- Vienna Presbyterian Church.

For more information, or to schedule a visit, please contact: join.troop152@gmail.com

1/11/18

Did You Get Alexa for Christmas?

Shhhh. Alexa is listening. Jenifer Joy Madden, our favorite local author and exponent of common sense, especially with respect to children in the Internet Age, has some interesting insights into this and other high tech toys. Perhaps some things you have not considered. Check it out HERE.

What were your New Year Resolutions?

The most popular is enjoying life to the fullest, but that is sort of nebulous. Getting in shape and staying there is also on the list. It is more specific and doable.

Click HERE to find out about a special offer available to Westbriar members to achieve your goal for 2018.

11/4/17

Taking
Flight:

Memorial
Dedicated at Community
Center

The memorial is a fanciful creation by Texan artists Seth and Missy Vandable linking reading to imagination, creativity, and success.

Council Member Linda Colbert,
daughter of Jane Seeman, reflects warmly on growing up with her activist parents.

Mayor Laurie DiRocco and
Colbert unveil the statue.

About two hundred Viennians turned out on this crisp but beautiful morning to mark the installation of a memorial dedicated to the late, popular Mayor Jane Seeman, and her advocacy of volunteerism as the catalyst of community strength. This is the first production of the Public Arts Commission, which is part of Vienna's Parks and Recreation Department.

9/14/17

Goodbye,
Cassini

Today, the Cassini space probe, which has been toiling for two decades up close and personal with Saturn, has been steered into a planned fatal collision.

Cassini is arguably the most impressive space mission so far undertaken when considering difficulty, information wealth, and overall success. Click on the image for an informative overview.

9/11/17

911
Echoed

American Legion Post 180 hosted the observance of 911 this morning ...

under a clear blue sky
evocative of that day
16 years ago.

Mayor Laurie DiRocco delivered Proclamation of Remembrance.

Keynote speaker Col Jerome Driscoll, USMC Ret offered personal recollections.

3/20/17

Roundly
Appreciated

Six months into its operation, the roundabout at Park and Locust is highly rated by Vienna commuters. In an informal survey taken at Giant and at Cedar Park, motorists were nearly unanimous in their praise for this innovation. "It completely solved the left turn backup from Locust," said one. "Best traffic upgrade Vienna has ever made," said another.

It was a risky decision, since roundabouts (as distinguished from traffic circles) are so rare in this country. It would take getting used to. And what if it simply added confusion, or led to accidents? Indeed, several people surveyed told of near-misses early on, where drivers on Park Street were unaware they no longer had their customary right of way.

But the gamble paid off. After some tweaking with signage, and a learning curve, the intersection seems in retrospect to be a no-brainer. Traffic on Park is a bit slower, but the payoff is that everyone gets through without a long teeth-clenching wait. While it is still a bit early for valid accident statistics, so far it appears that safety is not an issue.

The Verdict is in!

Kudos to the Vienna Transportation Commission.

"The Pessimist complains about the wind; the Optimist expects the wind to change; the Realist adjusts the sails." William Arthur Ward

6/26/16

Westbriar's
2-Way System
Up and Running

NextDoor has already
found 4 cats in our
neighborhood!

Members of Westbriar have asked for it, and we now have it!

And that's the ability to talk directly with their neighborhoods. Do you want to borrow a ladder? Report a lost cat? Organize a book club or exercise class? Sell your old golf clubs? Share a great recipe? Advertise your availability for dog walking, or leaf raking? Recommend a painter?

You can do all this and much more. Join us on NextDoor. 100% of Westbriar Civic Association is now "wired" together. Each of our eight Zones is now a NextDoor Group. Much of Vienna has already joined and you can reach out to them also.

To join, simply CLICK HERE. Put in your address.
It will know you are part of Westbriar. Enter your CODE.
Fill out your profile, and say "Hi" to your neighbors.

See this short video for an introduction to NextDoor.

6/4/16
Still the #1 Scam
in this Area

It is the Computer Version of the Nigerian Letter. Twenty one Westbriar residents have reported getting the call, and four have been taken for an expensive ride. Thousands in Northern Virginia have been hit. Don't let it happen to you.

The caller usually has a thick Asian or African accent. "Hello, this is Microsoft calling. Your computer is giving out errors." See More.

Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead