Virginia Governor Visits McLean: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell stopped by an undisclosed location in McLean Tuesday evening to attend a fund-raising dinner for the Independence Virginia PAC.                               The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in March that this super PAC was organized by Paul Bennecke, who formerly worked at the Republican Governors Association as the political director. Bennecke now has his own consulting firm, according to a spokesman for the Governors Association. Politico reported also in March that Bennecke said he was creating the PAC to raise money to …

  Former Supervisor Named to GMU Board of Visitors. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has appointed former Dranesville Supervisor Stuart Mendelsohn to the George Mason University Board of Visitors. Mendelsohn, of Great Falls, is executive partner of the Tysons Corner office of Holland & Knight LLP, a law firm. Kimberly O. Dennis, of McLean, president and CEO of The Searle Freedom Trust, was reappointed to the GMU board. Award for Pam Danner. Danner was honored with the “Friend in Deed” from the Friends of the McLean Community Center “for outstanding leadership and support of the McLean Community …

Governor Briefly Visits McLean. Early morning visitors to the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Tuesday may catch a glimpse of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. The governor's schedule shows he'll attend a breakfast reception for U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, of Virginia Beach, a Republican who represents Virginia's Second District. Then McDonnell is off to a Washington lunch with Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. Both events are private.                                 McLean Residents Fred and Marlene Malek Honored. Marymount University now has the Malek School of Health Professions named for …

  Colin Powell Sings. McLean's famous neighbor Colin Powell holds many titles: four-star general, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of State, best-selling author, and now singer. There he was on the CBS Morning News Show recently, singing an impromptu duet with co-host Gayle King. The general can sing. Kevin Fay, Northern Virginian of the Year. McLean neighbor, Kevin Fay, was named one of a handful of Northern Virginians of the Year in the most recent issue of Northern Virginia magazine. He was cited for his work on behalf of the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Fay, a long …

The CIA is a star with its own TV series. The Military Channel is airing "CIA Secrets" at varying times between now and June 23. Here's the schedule. McLean Ear found the series late last week when it aired the heart-stopping story of how a former McLean resident smuggled six American diplomats out of Iran after the takeover of the American Embassy in 1979. If that story sounds familiar it's because that's the movie Ben Affleck was filming when he came to McLean in November 2011. Affleck is the star and director of "Argo." Here's the official trailer. New Leader for Country Day School. Diane …

Bistro Vivant Open. McLean's much-anticipated new French bistro quietly opened May 10. Bistro Vivant, in the Langley Shopping Center, in the 1910 McLean space, opened for dinner May 10. Come May 28, they'll be open for lunch, says co-owner Aykan Demiroglu. Bistro's Vivant's owner Domenico Cornacchia,also owns Assaggi Osteria, in both McLean and Bethesda. See the menu here. The Ear loves new restaurants. New Homes in Chesterbrook. Drive down Old Chesterbrook Road and you'll find signs advertising new homes for sale. That's because 12 new homes are under construction on Devine Street just off …

Former Secretary of State and McLean resident Colin Powell is having a whirlwind week. Sunday he was in Parade magazine talking about the importance of kindness. Tuesday morning he appeared on the TODAY show, interviewed by Matt Lauer. His new book went on sale Tuesday morning. Then Sunday evening, the retired four-star general makes his annual appearance at the National Memorial Day Concert at the U. S. Capitol. Note to Neighbors: Powell signs his book in the downtown McLean Books-a-Million store May 31. The bookstore started giving out tickets yesterday morning.  A Second McLean TV Star. …

Meeting Colin Powell. McLean has a chance to get up close and personal with one of its best-known neighbors in two weeks. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, a McLean resident, has written a new book and he's doing a book signing in downtown McLean. Here's how you can see him: Powell will appear at 7 p.m. May 31 at Books-A-Million on Chain Bridge Road. The bookstore is handing out tickets beginning at 6 p.m. May 30. Powell's admirers will line up by their ticket numbers the evening of the 31st and then be admitted to the store with their book in hand. The book, “It Worked For Me: In …

Several McLean neighbors met Prince Harry this week. Yes, the Prince Harry who is third in line to the British throne. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell presented Prince Harry with the Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership award from the Atlantic Council. Mika Brzezinski, who grew up in McLean, hosted the Atlantic Council's honors program with her Morning Joe partner Joe Scarborough. The guest list also included McLean neighbors Zbigniew Brzezinski, Mika's dad, and former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who is chairman of the Council. This was the prince's first official visit to …

OMG! Former McLean neighbor and Real Housewife of D.C., Mary Amons and husband Richard are divorcing after 26 years of marriage and five children. She wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday: "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my twenty-six year marriage. While I have the deepest respect for my husband and wish him the very best, we have grown apart." Amons whizzed from unknown McLean "housewife" to one of the Real Housewives of D.C. The D.C. installment of this money-minting Bravo "reality" TV franchise premiered in September 2010 and (mercifully) only lasted …

Lots of VIP company comes to town in the next few days. TV Actress Jane Seymour comes to Tysons Corner Saturday: Stunning Jane Seymour displays (and sells) her art Saturday at the Wentworth Gallery in Tysons Galleria. Most of us know Jane Seymour from her roles as Dr. Quinn (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman), Solitaire (Live and Let Die), Kathleen "Kitty Cat" Cleary (Wedding Crashers) and Dancing with the Stars. Over the past 18 years she has created an intimate world of delicate watercolors, colorful vibrant oil paintings, pastels and bronze sculptures. She is also the creator of the popular Kay …

Sisters Nerissa & Katryna Nields who grew up in McLean and whose parents and grandparents remain McLean residents bring their band to the Barns at Wolf Trap tonight for one performance. Earlier this month they released The Full Catastrophe, their sixteenth album in two  decades of work. The album is chock-full of songs about parenting and relationships, according to their announcement. McLean Neighbors in the News: We opened the Friday New York Times to find the editorial page lambasting neighbor Robert Bork, the former solicitor general and defeated Superior Court nominee. GOP presidential …

Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, a former McLean resident, will headline Clemy's fundraiser tonight at this jewel of McLean. Other special guests: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova and Del. Barbara Comstock, R-34. The Friends of Clemyjontri are hosting their Second Annual "Concert in the Park," a black-tie event in the Clemyjontri playground. The fundraiser is limited to 100 invited guests. (Oh, so McLean.) This is the rescheduled event that had been postponed in September 2011.  Themed "Under the Big Top," the concert and dinner will feature a performance by the …

Important Folks Coming to Town. . .Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer visits McLean April 19. Yes, the same Steve Ballmer, who with Bill Gates, helped found Microsoft. Ballmer headlines this year's annual Titans breakfast of The Northern Virginia Technology Council. Thad Allen,  who led the cleanup efforts after Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, the worst spill in U.S. history, also pays McLean a visit April 16-17. The U.S. Coast Guard Admiral who retired in 2010 joins Carly Fiorina, former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard at the Annual Strategic Growth conference of the National Capital …

White House Guests. McLean neighbors invited to the lovely White House State Dinner Wednesday night for the British Prime Minister included  Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind, and wife Christine. Terry McAuliffe, former DNC chair, and wife Dorothy. Honorable Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and Mrs. Maureen M. Scalia. They were among 350 guests that included actor George Clooney, Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue; and the investor Warren Buffett. If we missed a McLean neighbor on that A-List just let us know. The Richest of the Rich. McLean neighbors Steve…

Republican $$$$. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell comes to town Thursday. Reason: Money, duh. He's headlining a fundraiser at the home of Fred Malek,  Republican fundraiser extraordinaire. The guest of honor who hopes to take in thousands of dollars of McLean campaign contributions: Rep. Mike Pence, an Indiana congressmen running for governor in his home state of Indiana. Malek's home on Crest Lane, truly one of McLean's gold-plated addresses is a favorite Republican money-gathering site. It's parties like this that make the 22101 zip code one of the top zip codes in the U.S. for political …

The owner of one of McLean's favorite  downtown Italian restaurants likes McLean so much, he opening a second downtown restaurant --- a French Bistro. Domenico Cornacchia, owner of  Assaggi Osteria,  plans to open Bistro Vivant in the former home of McLean 1910 in mid-March. McLean 1910 closed last week. "I like the community and the area," said Domenico Cornacchia, who also owns Assaggi Bethesda. "I think it has a lot of potential." He described the new restaurant as "a casual French bistro" offering typical French cuisine as daily dishes and regional French food and wines. Prices will be …

Alas, McLean 1910 one of McLean's newest downtown restaurants, closed last week. The restaurant opened the day after Thanksgiving in November 2010 in the Langley Shopping Center on Chain Bridge Road. Owner George Kapetanakis has been in business in McLean since 1978 (33 years!) running the McLean Family Restaurant on Chain Bridge Road. MFR is the place to see some of McLean's best-known neighbors and eat some of the best and least expensive food in town. It's a favorite Newt Gingrich eatery. The Ear visited Kapetanakis Wednesday to give our condolences. He was off. Brother Peter said the …

Moneybasket McLean. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine stopped by McLean Thursday night for a fundraiser at the Chesterbrook home of the Lodal's. She's a former principal of Thomas Jefferson and McLean High Schools. On the GOP side, Bobbie Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Tech Council and a White House staffer in both Bush administrations,  is emerging as a energetic and effective fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Politicians come to McLean for the same reason Jesse James robbed banks: This is where the money is. The two McLean zip codes rank …

Alas, we regret to inform you that McLean has lost one of its celebrity neighbors. Mary Amons who zipped from unknown McLean resident to one of the Real Housewives of D.C. has  finally sold her Langley Farms house and left with no word on a forwarding address. Mary and husband Richard put their home on the market shortly before  the only season (mercifully) of the D.C. installment of this money-minting "reality" TV franchise that premiered in September 2010. The house sold for $1.6 million and settled on Feb. 13. Neighbors report the Amons have not purchased another home. The initial asking …