Inspired by nearby jurisdictions’ efforts, Fairfax County officials want to expand its compost pilot to benefit residents.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck shared during the Environmental Committee meeting yesterday that the county staff is pushing for new ideas to reuse compost.
“Arlington, D.C., Montgomery — a lot of them are already doing this kind of thing,” Storck said. “This is a limited pilot.”
Arlington County, D.C. and the City of Alexandria collect compost at farmers markets. Meanwhile, Montgomery County offers compost bins.
According to county documents, Storck would ask the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) to research and report back on options to bring the county’s internal compost pilot to the public.
Some preliminary ideas include placing “green” compost bins next to the purple bins for glass recycling, collecting compost at farmers markets and school sites and providing compost materials at the I-95 Landfill Complex & I-66 Transfer Station, according to a county document.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said that he wants the county to share more information about backyard composting.
“The ideal scenario would be that all of us in the county who have a backyard in which to compost would do that there rather than getting in their car and transporting it somewhere else,” Walkinshaw said, adding that people who live in apartments or don’t have backyards would benefit from the compost bins.
“I’d be concerned about having an unstaffed location for things that could collect that become then a dump site,” Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said.
Gross noted the glass recycling bins are regularly staffed:Â “So far with our purple cans, it’s been great.”
Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said she supports the pilot idea and agrees with her fellow supervisors that the county should look into staffing and education around the pilot program.
Storck said he plans to bring forward a board matter next week with green initiatives that will include the compost bins.
Photo via Seth Cottle/Unsplash
A new online petition is urging Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to conduct simulations of what in-person learning will look like before the school year starts.
As of this afternoon, the petition has received 674 signatures since Scott Waters created it one week ago on Change.org. FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand is expected to pitch virtual-only learning at a school board meeting this afternoon, but it is unclear how and if the plan would proceed.
Recently, families picked whether they want fully online learning for the upcoming school year or hybrid learning — a mix of in-person and remote learning — for their kids in the county’s public school system. In total “111,712, or 60 percent, chose hybrid learning,” Patch reported. “This includes 31,289 who did not respond and were automatically given the in-person option. The other 40 percent chose online-only learning.”
The petition outlines what a simulation could look like, saying that adult volunteers could role-play as custodians cleaning, students who do and don’t wear masks and teachers grading quizzes.
One proposed aspect of the simulation would assign a volunteer playing a “student in each class to be an asymptomatic Covid-19 carrier, ask those students to keep a record of the surfaces touched and the number of people they came into contact with that were closer than three feet at any time or six feet for at least 15 minutes.”
The petition asks that “in addition to observations made during the simulation, collect feedback from all participants and consider a focus group of those assigned to play specific roles.”
The petition says that the simulation ideas were developed by middle and high school teachers and that different simulations might be appropriate for elementary schools, special education and transportation services.
Supporters of the idea said in comments under the petition that simulations could help the school system find and address in-person learning issues beforehand, instead of trying to fix things after school starts.
“A simulation would drive home the realities about to be faced by students, teachers and staff members,” one commenter wrote. “And if you cannot willingly find adult participants to do this simulation (which will be [a] reality in the fall), perhaps you should rethink your current plans for in-person learning.”
Whether or not the school system will take up the proposal is unclear.
“The concept is certainly worth consideration as we are all working together to prepare our students, families, and staff for a safe, responsible return to school,” according to a statement shared by FCPS Spokesperson Lucy Caldwell.
More from the statement:
FCPS is deeply appreciative of the efforts, the work, the collaboration and the commitment of FCPS  teachers and support personnel. Their roles are crucial to the success and well-being of students across the division and their voices are being heard. We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff, and community in developing our return to school plans.
Caldwell did not answer Tysons Reporter’s question about whether or not the school system is discussing simulations.
Photo via Element5 Digital/Unsplash
Fairfax County officials want to address looming childcare challenges ahead of the upcoming school year.
John Foust and Walter Alcorn, the supervisors for the Dranesville and Hunter Mill districts, presented a joint board matter yesterday to tackle the “unprecedented need” for childcare.
When classes start again this fall, Fairfax County Public Schools is planning to offer two systems: fully online and hybrid learning — a mix of in-person and online instruction. Working parents, especially ones who don’t work from home, now have to figure out childcare options, which have been complicated due to the pandemic.
Alcorn and Foust said that the county may have to expand its role in child care options depending on great the need is.
“For the sake of the children and their families it is essential that good quality child care services be made available,” the board matter said. “It is also critical to advance the county’s efforts to restart our economy that those parents who work but do not normally need childcare when schools are fully open can work and contribute to economic activity.”
County Executive Bryan Hill said that the county has 2,000 childcare providers: “The first thing we want to do is fill them up.”
Chairman Jeff McKay said that childcare providers he’s talked to have said that they are concerned about surviving the pandemic.
“Oddly, their businesses hurt more than most because what they are worried about is a ton of people now teleworking and not needing daycare,” McKay said.
The Board of Supervisors approved the board matter, which directs county staff to work with FCPS and to update the supervisors on how the county can provide additional resources and support.
“Even in the best of times, the infrastructure for childcare in Fairfax County is not adequate,” Foust said yesterday. “And these are far from the best of times.”
Photo by Shirota Yuri on Unsplash
Fairfax County police say a 64-year-old man died in a crash involving two vehicles in Great Falls yesterday.
The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. in the 700 block of Walker Road — near the Great Falls Elementary School and Arnon Cemetery.
“A preliminary investigation determined the Ford F350 was traveling eastbound on Walker Road when it crossed over the double yellow, left the roadway and struck the Dodge Ram that tried to avoid the crash,” police said. “Subsequently, the Ford F350 struck a utility pole and overturned back onto the roadway.”
Police said today that Billy White, the driver of the Ford, died at the scene. The driver of the Dodge Ram was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Detectives are investigating the crash. They do not believe alcohol was a factor, but are looking into whether speed or a medical emergency contributed to the crash, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash can contact the Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.
Image via Google Maps
Yesterday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved creating 14 voter satellite offices.
The voter satellite offices will serve absentee in-person voters.
“The advent of no-excuse absentee voting [in Virginia] for the November 2020 Presidential Election is expected to significantly increase the number of voters choosing to cast absentee ballots in person,” according to county staff.
County staff noted that the expected voter turnout for the upcoming presidential election is why they suggest an increased number of voter satellite offices, adding that the county had nine locations for the 2016 presidential election.
The Reston-area voter satellite offices will include:
- Great Falls Library (9830 Georgetown Pike)
- Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street)
- North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive)
The voter satellite offices will be ready for the General Election on Nov. 3 and will be open from Oct. 14-31, according to county documents.
The locations would be open from 1-7 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays.
At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Ralph Northam said that he is increasing enforcement of public health and safety regulations to prevent a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases.
“If you own a restaurant or a business and you’re not following the regulations, your license will be on the line and we will not hesitate to take action if needed,” Northam said.
Northam said he’s created teams to conduct unannounced visits to establishments. Members will include people from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Virginia ABC, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and other licensing agencies. The VDH is deploying 100 employees to help with increased enforcement, he said.
Businesses have the right to refuse service to customers who are not following the rules. “Remember that you don’t have to serve a patron who is not wearing a face covering. You can tell them to leave,” Northam said.
Additionally, Virginia’s health commissioner sent letters to health district officials to remind them of their authority to enforce physical distancing and face-covering rules in restaurants and public places, Northam said.
“I want to make it clear that these enforcement actions are to stop the people who are clearly flouting the rules: You are being selfish and you are hurting everyone who is doing the right thing to help us all beat this virus,” Northam said.
The new measures stem from a large bump in cases in the state’s eastern region, mainly in the Tidewater region, Northam said, attributing to the surge mainly to young people socializing without masks.
“We’re seeing some troubling numbers,” Northam said, pointing to the Hampton Roads area.
The northwest region is “holding steady,” while the southwest and central areas have seen either small increases, Northam said. Northern Virginia, which has two-thirds of the state’s population, has seen a dip in COVID-19 cases.
Until a vaccine is widely available, Northam said that he is considering other actions, like reducing the cap on gatherings. Northam said has told the Virginia ABC to develop a plan for an earlier cutoff for alcohol sales at restaurants and will announce more on that soon.
Image via Facebook Live
Northern Virginia’s COVID-19 cases appear to be holding steady as Virginia sees an uptick in cases.
Statewide, new daily cases hit a low point in mid-June with 380 cases before an increase last week, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Last Monday, 354 new cases were reported in Virginia before jumping to 972 new cases today (Monday).
Testing for current and past infection has been increasing statewide, according to labs’ testing numbers.
Meanwhile, the Fairfax Health District has seen consistent numbers of tests since June with 1,000-2,000 tests per day.
The current seven-day trend for the percentage of positive tests is 6.7% statewide and 5.9% for the Fairfax Health District.
In mid-June, Fairfax Health District saw the majority of its new daily cases drop from triple digits to double digits. As of today, 74 new cases were reported in the health district.
The epidemic curve for the Fairfax Health District, which shows the number of new cases in a week by the date symptoms started, has been decreasing since May, according to Fairfax County’s dashboard. (Data has not been completed from June 28 to today.)
In total, Fairfax County has had at least 14,556 cases, 500 deaths and 1,713 hospitalizations. Of the state’s 529 outbreaks, 67 were located in the Fairfax Health District.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is looking to alter its rules for adult day care centers after providers complained about zoning changes.
The board will vote on Tuesday to authorize public hearings — one for the Planning Commission on Sept. 16 and one with the county board on Oct. 6 — on the proposed changes.
The changes would make adult day care centers a by-right use in industrial areas and allow the Health Care Advisory Board to review centers prior to opening. The county also wants to review the requirement for outdoor recreation space at the centers.
Back in 2018, county officials greenlighted zoning changes that adult day care center providers now say have made it difficult to find appropriate locations in the county, according to county documents.
More from the county documents:
Of particular concern is the requirement for special exception approval in the industrial districts and the requirement to provide outdoor recreation space. This use, similar to child care centers, private schools and places of worship, was previously allowed by-right when located in an office or industrial park and where vehicle access is provided via the internal circulation system of the park. Adult day care providers indicated that the special exception requirement puts them at a disadvantage when trying to lease space, particularly industrial flex space, as other uses with similar land use impacts are allowed by-right, like child care centers, private schools, and places of worship.
The new proposal under consideration stemmed from county officials earlier this year asking staff to review the regulations.
The hearings will seek feedback from community members on the proposed zoning amendments.
Superintendent Scott Brabrand said during a town hall last night that he plans to ask the Fairfax County School Board this week to delay the start of the school year to after Labor Day.
Brabrand kicked off the town hall by saying that families will now have until Wednesday, July 15, instead of Friday, July 10, to pick whether they prefer four days of synchronous online learning or two days of in-person learning with asynchronous online learning.
Brabrand said that he wants to extend the start date to Tuesday, Sept. 8, to give principals more time to prepare, because the survey deadline is getting extended. The pushed back start date this fall would not lengthen the school year, Brabrand said, adding that he wants teachers and staff to return at the normally scheduled times to get a head start on planning and reaching out to families.
During the town hall, audience members called and emailed in questions asking about what the two learning options will look like, COVID-19 safety measures and what to do about childcare. Here’s what the superintendent said.
Safety Measures for Students and Staff
Brabrand said that more health and safety protocols, including recess and playground equipment, are expected to get released later this week. Currently, he knows students and staff will be asked to wear face coverings in schools.
The schools will not check every child’s temperature, but will check if a kid shows up without a mask, he said, adding that parents will be expected to complete a form daily about whether or not their kids have COVID-19 symptoms.
Students who show COVID-19 symptoms in class will be sent to the clinic and then possibly have to wait in an isolation room before their parents come to pick them up, he said. For COVID-19 cases, schools would decide on a case by case basis what to do after the contract tracing investigation, he said.
Brabrand urged families are struggling to decide between the two options to see how their kids respond to wearing masks for six hours.
What School Will Look LikeÂ
Brabrand stressed that FCPS will remain flexible if the pandemic dramatically worsens or improves, but he said that he wants to curb parents going back and forth on in-person vs. online learning during the school year.
“We’ve never had to create two separate school systems before, ever,” Brabrand said.
While he wants parents to stick to their choice for the entire school year, he said that the schools will consider emergency situations on a case by cases and school by school basis.
Depending on how many families select in-person vs. online learning, Brabrand said that additional in-person days might be offered. Even if FCPS increases in-person learning, teachers would have Mondays reserved for planning and additional time to work with students who are struggling.
“We know that for families who want in-person, they want as much in person as possible,” Brabrand said.
Brabrand said that capacity is the key reason FCPS won’t offer five days of in-person learning.
The schedules for the two days of in-person learning would work alphabetically by last name so that families with kids in multiple grades would go to school on the same days, Sloan Presidio, the assistant superintendent for instructional services, said last night.
Currently, the school system is trying to figure out to maximize learning space for students. Brabrand said that he’s working with principals to consider temporary learning space outside. The weather, though, could pose obstacles, he added. School cafeterias are also places that might turn into classrooms this fall, Brabrand said.
As for online learning, families can expect FCPS teachers to use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and Google Classroom for video conferencing, Brabrand said, adding that FCPS has plans to use a new platform called Schoology.
Childcare Concerns
Several callers raised concerns about childcare when deciding which learning option to pick, saying that their childcare centers don’t have plans yet for the fall and that they don’t know how the synchronous online learning would work if both parents work during the day.
Presidio said that FCPS is planning to have several hours of learning for kindergarten students in the morning, but that families should check with their schools’ principals to find out what the schedules would look like.
While FCPS is working with the county and private childcare providers, Brabrand said that childcare challenges are outside the scope of what the school system can accomplish in a few months.
“I know childcare remains one of the critical issues,” Brabrand said, adding he would like to see faith communities offer more support.
Brabrand said that people can expect future town halls — including Spanish language, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and Special Education PTA ones — and more information on health and safety guidelines.
Image via Fairfax County Public Schools
July marks the fifth month of reported COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County — and testing for the virus is becoming more widely available.
In total, Fairfax County has seen more than 14,000 COVID-19 cases, 1,600 hospitalizations and 495 deaths since March, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The number of cases reported daily has been decreasing for the last few months while testing has ramped up in the Fairfax Health District, according to the state health data.
People can get a viral test — called a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test — to test for a current infection or antibody tests, which test for recent or past infections, according to Fairfax County.
The Tysons area has several testing sites, including Inova Urgent Care and certain CVS stores. People looking to get tested can check out lists of testing sites from the VDH website, Fairfax County and CVS.
Fairfax County officials are encouraging residents with symptoms to get tested, along with supporting increased contact tracing efforts and community testing sites.
When we asked readers on May 1, a resounding 85 percent of respondents said they did not get tested Roughly eight percent said they planned too, but hadn’t yet.
Let us know in the poll below, and if you’re willing to share, we’d be interested in hearing what your COVID-19 testing experience was like. Feel free to share in the comments or send us an email at [email protected].
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
After a variety of issues and delays, Silver Line’s Phase Two is now aiming for completion in spring 2021.
Updates on the second phase of the Silver Line were briefly mentioned due to time constraints during the Transportation Committee yesterday. Phase Two will connect six new stations to the Wiehle-Reston East, bringing Metro riders out to Ashburn.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said that he briefly talked to Paul Wiedefeld, the general manager and CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, last week.
“He assured me that — at least as of early last week — the Phase Two opening is still on track for next spring,” Alcorn said. “I’m sure there are probably a dozen ways that that can change, but for now, at least it is moving forward, according to that schedule.”
Phase Two is 98% complete overall, according to the presentation for Martha Elena Coello with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
The project has faced several delays, from train control software issues to flawed rail ties. The presentation addressed the ongoing issues the project has faced, including:
- concrete panel deficiencies
- concrete ties/cross level deficiencies
- fouled ballast
- automatic train control
- insulated joints replacement
Work is expected to finish on the new rail, systems, stations and yard later this year or early 2021.
Recently, “substantial work” wrapped up on the garage at the Innovation Center Metro station, according to the presentation. The garage, which costs roughly $52 million, is 98% complete and awaiting its official occupancy permit, according to the presentation.
Bus loop work is expected to be done at the Herndon station garage this month.
The presentation also provided an update on the bus service plan for Phase Two. Currently, Fairfax County is seeking public input on the plan.
More from Fairfax Connector:
Welcome to the Reston-Herndon Area Bus Service Review final round of public input!… Fairfax Connector is considering a variety of options to improve bus service to, from, and around the new stations in Fairfax County.
Our previous round of outreach proposed three bus transit service alternatives, each with their own set of unique characteristics. We ranked the alternatives based on coverage, average travel times between key origin-destination pairs, and ridership potential (see right). We also listened to what Connector riders and nonriders had to say through several public meetings and an online survey. Based on feedback received, the preferred alternative presented today is cost-neutral, and includes the best elements of the three originally proposed scenarios and existing service.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is inviting locals to join his upcoming virtual event with Fairfax County’s police chief.
Alcorn plans to host the virtual town hall with Chief of Police Edwin Roessler Jr. from 7-8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1.
Hunter Mill District residents can join in the discussion on the police department and the community by asking questions or providing input on policing topics, according to an email from Alcorn’s office. People who cannot attend the event live can email questions to the Hunter Mill District Office.
Participants will have a number of ways of joining the town hall, which will be hosted on Webex.
People can either register to attend via Webex, watch on YouTube Live or listen in by calling 1-408-418-9388 and using the access code 129 359 7948.
Once the event ends, the YouTube video will be available on the Hunter Mill District website sometime on Thursday evening, according to the email.
Alcorn photo via Supervisor Walter Alcorn/Facebook, Roessler photo via Fair
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors wants to address some confusion around exotic animals.
The board is looking to refresh its animal control code with several changes to resolve discrepancies with other policies and laws.
One change would allow people with valid permits from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) — like wildlife rehabilitators and exhibitors — to own wildlife.
Since the current code prohibits people from possessing wild or exotic animals, “DGIF has considered revoking permits issued to County residents because they do not comply with the local ordinance,” according to county documents. If approved, the proposal would clean up the conflicting rules.
The county documents note that DGIF oversees the county’s roughly 50 permit holders, ensuring that the housing and care conditions for the animals are appropriate.
Another clarification would alter the definition of “exotic or wild” animals and create a list of exceptions. The proposal comes more than a year after Fairfax County officials decided to legalize chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs as pets.
“[The current] definition has generated much confusion and required interpretation from staff about exactly what sorts of animals are classified as wild or exotic and thus prohibited in the County,” according to the county documents.
Under the proposed changes, the following animals would not be considered exotic animals as long as they are bred and haven’t been in the wilderness:
- chinchillas
- guinea pigs
- hamsters
- rats
- mice
- gerbils
- rabbits
- ferrets
- hedgehogs
- birds
Additionally, the list of exceptions would also include non-venomous reptiles and amphibians that are not crocodilians.
According to the county, the proposed changes would also:
- add exemptions to the rabies vaccination requirement
- add more details on confining animals suspected of being rabid
- give animal control officers discretion to charge owners of unrestricted or unvaccinated dogs
- require traveling animal exhibitors to have current certificates of health for each animal exhibited
- remove the “impractical” requirement to inspect traveling animal exhibitions
The proposal would also clean up references to now-defunct programs and services, including the county’s oral rabies vaccination program and euthanasia of healthy wildlife brought to the shelter.
“The Department of Animal Sheltering believes such euthanasia runs counter to its mission and negatively affects the emotional and psychological well-being of shelter staff,” county documents say, adding that private companies offer the service to residents.
The board approved Tuesday to hold a public hearing on July 14 on the proposed code changes.
Photo by Javier Virues-Ortega on Unsplash
People who have missed hitting the gym for the last few months are seeing options reopen.
Fitness centers are allowed to open indoor spaces at 30% occupancy under Phase Two, which Northern Virginia entered June 12. Several studios in the Reston area started offering outdoor classes earlier this month.
Fairfax County offers indoor and outdoor public swimming only for lap swimming, diving, exercise and instruction. Public pools, including community pools, are not allowed to open for recreational use.
When Virginia enters Phase Three, Gov. Ralph Northam said that pools and gyms may open at 75% capacity. The date for when Virginia will enter that phase has not been announced yet.
Just because pools and gyms can open in limited capacities doesn’t mean that they will. Some gyms, like 24 Hour Fitness in Tysons, won’t reopen at all.
We want to know how you feel about going back to the gym during the pandemic. Let us know in the poll below.
Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash
You will soon see a new byline on Reston Now. Say hello to Madeline Taylor, the summer intern for Reston and our sister sites Tysons Reporter and ARLnow.
She is a rising junior at the George Washington University, where she majors in journalism and mass communication and minors in psychology. During the school year, Taylor reports stories and helps with production for her college’s TV station and also is a member of the GW dance team “First Ladies.”
Local News Now, the parent company of Reston Now, is her first journalism internship.
“I’m so excited to be interning for Local News Now this summer and to be writing my first published articles,” she said. “Thanks, [LNN’s publisher] Scott, for taking a chance on me during these unprecedented times.”
During her three weeks here, she’s already had several bylines for Tysons Reporter. So far, Taylor’s reporting has ranged from covering how the Town of Vienna nixed its 130th birthday party plans for a virtual race to interviewing local restaurant owners on how they reimagined their eateries’ openings during the pandemic.
Originally from Wheaton, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, Taylor will cover all things local news in Northern Virginia this summer.
“I’m looking forward to covering local happenings and expanding my worldview by interviewing a wide variety of people,” Taylor said.