$6.50 Annandale Chamber of Commerce April 2021 E BuildingNDEAVOR the Annandale Marketplace www.annandalechamber.com 2 Kona Ice of Annandale Let the Good Times Roll Real Estate Summer Treats are Coming Your Way 3 Changer since Covid 4 The American Rescue Plan Remember the long lost 5 New Virginia Laws days of your youth listen- ing for the musical chimes 6 VIEW ON NATURE of the Ice Cream Truck Bear Necessities rolling down your neigh- borhood street? Today, 8 On the Energy Front that truck has been re- Celebrate Earth Day placed by a Kona Ice Truck filled with the most 9 Home Instead delicious assortment of Keeping Covid Down flavored toppings on icy refreshing snow cones. 10 Support Annandale Business Just a bit more than a year ago, chamber member 12 Collector’s World Trung Dinh bought his Expanding first Kona Ice Truck, worked closely with the Insurance Kona Ice providing fun and reward to the staff of Christopher Consultants 14 Fairfax County Health Vintage Vehicles Dept. to insure all safe practices were em- Ice of Annandale and Burke, Trung brought his ployed during this strange and challenging first truck to local events, neighborhood parties, 16 Auditions for the Covid year, and began to bring Kona Ice treats Youth Philharmonic community pools, daycare facilities, pre-schools, to the neighborhoods and businesses of An- summer camps, church events and graduation Reunion Music nandale. parties. Later he added corporate/office events to 17 Diversifies & Adapts his roster. Trung Dinh is a small business owner living in Burke with his family. For twenty-two years 18 MEET THE ARTISAN Trung commented, “One of the reasons why I he worked in the Information Technology in- LOVE being part of the Kona Ice family is the Painter Jane Hannan dustry, lived abroad in Australia, and traveled feeling I get when kids (and adults) see the truck 20 Real Estate Tax all over the world. In 2018 he decided to leave and get extremely excited with large smiles Up, Up and Away IT and the constant travel to pursue his dream spreading in anticipation. It warms my heart to of becoming an entrepreneur while putting make some kid's day! Parents too love the truck 23 Covid Vaccinations down firm roots with his family. He also because it brings such simple joy to their kids.” What You Need to Know wanted to find a business where he could give 24 Chamber Chat back to the community while making custom- In 2020, the food truck industry was hit hard by Summer Day Camps ers happy. the pandemic and in order to survive Trung had to adapt and reinvent his services. Trung started 26 Sully Historic Plantation After meticulous research, Trung discovered offering curbside delivery services, and worked The Kona Ice Franchise and liked the idea of with HOAs and other neighborhood communities serving premium flavored shaved-ice on a 29 Fancy an English Tea? offering frequent visits while following and mobile truck throughout his local neighbor- maintaining strict CDC safety protocols. As peo- hoods. He also appreciated the core values of 30 Cicadas to Swarm in May ple were stuck at home, having a Kona Ice truck Kona Ice which is about giving back to the visit their home was a breath of fresh air and community brought some sense of normalcy. 31 Youth Activities In the spring of 2019, under the name Kona continued p. 2 April 2021 2 ENDEAVOR Kona Ice of Annandale Mobile, Fun and Delicious TWO GROUPING OF FLAVORS ARE AVAILABLE DEPENDING ON THE CUSTOMERS BEING SERVED. Standard Tropical Flavors Tiger's Blood, Blue Raspberry, Monster Mango, Piña Colada, Ninja Cherry, Watermelon Wave, Groovy Grape, Strawberry'd Treasure, Orange Ya Happy, and Lucky Lime Krafted or Adult Flavors for Office Parties Watermelon Mint, Lavender Lemonade, Coconut Lime, Carib- bean Cherry, Pomegranate ACAI, Blueberry ACAI, Mai Tai, Cosmopolitan, Aprium Rose Sangria, Bourbon Black Cherry Call Kona Ice to arrange a neighborhood visit Vanilla, Blackberry Mojito, French Vanilla Latte Although having to adapt his schedule and implement new poli- If you would like to book an event, visit this website https:// cies, Trung persevered in spite of Covid. His family business www.kona-ice.com/local-site/kona-ice-of-annandale-and- now has two trucks which allowed him the opportunity to hire burke/. You can book 30 or 60 minute visits posting notice of two new employees and plans to hire one or two more this sum- the time on your community or company website and sending mer. out emails letting everyone know that Kona Ice is Coming. Custom flyers are available from Trung with block pricing OFFICE APPRECIATION DAY available for private parties, and corporate/office events. Kona Ice urges you to remember that no event is too big or too Book via phone 202-643-5113 or online April through No- small. Trung can serve hundreds of people per hour. He does vember. every kind of corporate event you could possibly imagine - em- ployee appreciation days, company picnics, a random afternoon break - you name it. He’ll pull right up to your workplace and serve some of the finest shaved ice around - you can’t beat that! BIRTHDAY PARTY If you’re looking for a great birthday party idea, Kona Ice could be what you’re looking for. It’s a great surprise for your little ones who loves shaved ice. Kona Ice drives up and treats the birthday boy or girl with extra special care giving them a fun birthday package. Kona Ice will make sure to create memories for all the kids involved, but your kid will always remember the birthday they had with Kona Ice! There are custom party pack- ages for groups of any size. April 2020 ENDEAVOR 3 Annandale REAL ESTATE Has our market changed since COVID-19? — That is the question! By: Pat Sawhney, ReMax 100 If you plan to sell your home now or in the near future, should you do any renovations? This comes down to costs versus final sales price. In most cases there is a benefit to remodeling, especially in the higher price ranges. If it costs $100,000 to do a remodel you will usually recoup that cost at resale. Many buyers do not have the time, money or inclination to move in and start remodeling; the value can be captured in their loan amount versus having an immediate infusion of cash. Sellers can use a home equity line of credit to cover the costs. If you decide not to remodel, having a nice fresh coat of neu- tral paint, with minimal staging, clear surfaces and proper pricing will help you to find a buyer. There are rehabbers looking to do flips and they will pay cash. It’s a good idea to consult with your Realtor to obtain advice on costs and pricing, including involving a general contractor to provide quotes and ideas. Overall, the market is still very strong with plenty of buyers looking to make a move now, As you probably know, with people spending more time at home despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage money is plenti- the number of people renovating their homes has grown phenom- ful with historically low interest rates. So, the answer is—the enally. This is coupled with the increase in renovations for sell- market has changed with more homes coming on line to help ing homes now. satisfy the huge buyer appetites! One of the most important remodeling jobs is for the kitchen. Let me know how I may assist you! This many times includes, if the floorplan allows, opening up a wall or several walls to create a wide-open living space. For old- er homes with boxy rooms this is very important. Labor costs Pat Sawhney. ReMax 100 have increased alongside the increase in the price of lumber and 5501 Backlick Rd, Suite 100 Springfield, VA 22151 other materials, as well as a backlog in delivery times. 703.658.4729 . [email protected] Before Kitchen Remodel : Dated and tired After Kitchen Remodel : Sparkly new with updated finishes and well integrated into the home design April 2021 4 ENDEAVOR From Capitol Hill Washington: The American Rescue Plan Senator Mark Warner $1.25 billion for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant The American Rescue Plan – a bold piece of legislation (SVOG) Program to support live entertainment venues, and a crit- that will create 7 million ical fix to ensure venue operators can access both PPP and jobs and ensure that our SVOGs. nation is able to get vac- cines into arms, kids into $10 billion in new funding for the State Small Business Cred- schools, Americans to it Initiative to help small businesses grow and create jobs work, and lifelines to our Reopening schools: The bill includes $170 billion for K-12 hard-hit communities. schools and higher learning institutions so they have the resources they need to reopen safely. Among other priorities, I was especially proud to Keeping Americans in their homes: The legislation includes work with President Biden more than $21 billion in emergency rental assistance to help to secure $17 billion in renters and small landlords make ends meet as well as $9.9 billion funding for broadband in to aid homeowners struggling to afford their mortgage payments, this bill, because as too utility bills, and other housing costs many folks across the Com- monwealth know, broadband is a necessity in the 21st century Help for the hungry: The legislation extends a 15 percent – not a luxury. But in Virginia, there are still 700,000 people increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who lack access to high-speed internet during the pandemic.