Sun Sew Vac to Celebrate Its 38th Anniversary

Owner enjoys supporting local high school work programs, golfing and fishing

This Q&A feature helps readers learn more about people living and working in the Mount Vernon business community. This week’s Q&A profiles Sun Sew Vac owner Robert L. Hines, Jr. The shop is located in the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center. Sun Sew Vac has been in business for more than 37 years. The shop services the community with a wide selection of vacuums, sewing machines, carpet and hardwood cleaners, as well as sewer-friendly furniture. The business, which has seven employees, also offers repairs on sewing machines and vacuums, and hosts a variety of sewing and crafts classes. Service and repairs are performed in store, and the shop’s mechanics are all factory-trained by Pfaff, Janome, Bernina, Viking, Singer and Necchi. Sun Sew Vac…

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Mount Vernon McDonald's Construction Update

Renovation on the restaurant is nearing completion.

McChanges are coming to the McDonald's restaurant in Mount Vernon.  Renovation on the McDonald's restaurant on Richmond Highway is nearing completion. In a bid to become a little more hip and inviting to a younger demographic — think Starbucks or Panera — according to news reports, we'll soon see more earth tones and less primary colors next time the doors swing open at the location after renovations are completed. "The environment is a massive influence on how we behave," says brand guru Philip Graves told USA Today. "Change the environment, and you change how people perceive everything else." The renovations are part of a nationwide facelift for the popular burger chain. The average price for renovations, according to some news reports …

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IMHO

Mount Vernon's Own Bookstore

Re-Reads is a great local used bookstore.

Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch. For as long as I can remember, the Mount Vernon community has been kvetching (complaining, an act invented by New Yorkers) to those powers about the lack of a nice bookstore. When I was a staff person for Supervisor Gerry Hyland, that had to be one of the most frequently asked questions, just second to “Hey, Gerry, when the hell are we gonna get better cell phone service?”    I can assure you that for years Hyland had been trying to persuade the Barnes and Nobles of the world to locate to the Route 1 corridor, but the response always was that the demographics would not support a full-time book store.  Now, Beth and Tom Conway, who reside in Mason Hill, have responded to the community and have opened up not a new …

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Who's Hiring on Route 1?

This week's job listings on the Route 1 corridor.

Each week, Mount Vernon Patch brings you some of the area’s job listings. Here are some of this week's noteworthy finds: A Mount Vernon physical therapy clinic is hiring a bilingual physical therapy aide.  The Mount Vernon Square apartment complex is hiring a resident services aide to be the first point of contact for residents and visitors and provide stellar customer service.  Inova Health System is seeking experienced RNs within the following specialties for its System-Wide Float Pool: PICU, NICU, L&D, Same Day Surgery, Gastro, OR, Circulating, PACU, ICU, CVICU, Neuro, Trauma, ED, Med/Surg and Telemetry. RNs can circulate between all 5 Inova hospitals, including Mount Vernon. This week's job listings were found on Craigslist.  

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Movie Reviews by Cinema Siren

'Prometheus': Ridley Scott Delivers on Sci-Fi Film

R-rated film opening this weekend is spectacular, spotty, yet satisfying.

In Greek mythology, Prometheus got in big trouble for handing over the secret of fire to mere mortals. In modern day, he represents the quest for human knowledge and achievement. Of course, he wound up tied to a rock and having an eagle peck his guts out every day. Apparently the team who embarks on their own quest for knowledge in the spacecraft that supplies the title of Ridley Scott's highly anticipated new film hadn't gotten the foreshadowing memo. For them, asking questions about human origin, and actively seeking answers, is the beginning of Bad Things happening, but then we audience members, who are privy to Ridley's dark horrific alien past, know that going in.  Much has been made of keeping the plot under wraps. "Prometheus" is …

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James Cullum

11:20 am on Sunday, June 10, 2012

Saw it last night for myself, and I think the film could have been loads better. The dialogue stunk, none of the characters were likable and the conclusions made by the principals about the main villains are drawn too quickly. There is no sense of reality, and you don't even care about the ship, which is named Prometheus. It has no real personality of its own and neither does its crew. The whole …   more ›

Local Restaurant Inspection Reports

See the latest reports from the Virginia Department of Health.

In the last two weeks, these area restaurants were cited for "critical violations" by the Virginia Department of Health: What's a 'Critical Violation'? A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served."  Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance. "Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to VDH's website. The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, …

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TitleMax to Open in Cooper Center

TitleMax is the second car title lending business to open in Mount Vernon in six months.

By this summer, another car title loan business will open its doors, this time at the former Il Paradiso Trattoria site on Route 1. TitleMax is expected to open in June, said Brendan Clark of Renaud Consulting, the leasing agent at Cooper Center. TitleMax signed the lease for the space June 2011 but did not submit drawings to the landlord until March. The company needs to go to Fairfax County for final approval of their plans. The new TitleMax location will be the second car title loan business to open on Route 1 since January 1. There are at least eight car title loan businesses in Fairfax County, three of which are located along the Route 1 corridor. The car title lending industry was unregulated until legislation went into effect in …

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Mayi el Show Filming at Wingstop Friday

New Spanish-speaking talk show will film at a local wing joint.

A new Spanish-speaking talk show, Mayi el Show, will film at Wingstop Alexandria on Friday. Television presenter Mayi Rincon and producer Guillermo Montano will visit Wingstop Alexandria on Friday at 11 a.m. to film a segment for Rincon’s new Spanish-speaking talk show. Wingstop Alexandria is a sponsor of the Mayi el Show and the Miss DMV 2012 event on March 18. This is the first time Wingstop Alexandria has sponsored an event that targets the Latino market. “The reason this is unique is Wingstop corporate doesn't normally reach into an exclusive Latino market unless there are multiple stores and/or the owner is Latino/Spanish speaking,” Wingstop owner Kevin Lowry said in an email to Patch. Seventy-five percent of the staff at Wingstop …

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On the Job

Who's Hiring In Mount Vernon?

A look at job listings in Mount Vernon this week.

Each week, Mount Vernon Patch brings you some of the area’s job listings. Here are some of this week's noteworthy finds: A marketing firm with a focus on education is seeking a dependable professional to answer phones and schedule appointments. Monday thru Friday evening hours. Requirements: Clear-speaking phone voice; Spanish bilingual is helpful; basic computer skills; team player. $8-$9 per hour. Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant at George Washington’s Estate and Gardens is hiring food servers (day and evening shifts), hosts/hostesses (day and evening shifts) and a part-time bartender (FT and PT). No prior experience necessary for lunch shifts. Free meals, uniforms, parking and flexible scheduling. Benefits available dependent on tenure and …

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On the Job

Woodlawn Little League President Hits a Home Run for Kids

Woodlawn Little League president Patrick Cooney shares his passion for baseball with local youth.

This week’s Q&A profiles Patrick Cooney, President, Woodlawn Little League and President, The Federal Group, Inc., a government relations advocacy and consulting firm located in Washington, D.C. Patrick has been with The Federal Group, Inc. since it was founded in 1999. He is entering his second year as president of Woodlawn Little League and has volunteered as a coach for the past seven years. More than 300 players typically register to play for the league each season, ranging in age from 4-16. Patrick grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and attended Marquette University where he received a B.A. in marketing. After graduating, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area. Patrick and his wife, Jackie, have lived in Mount Vernon for the last seven years. …

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