Primrose Schools, a private preschool franchise, expanded its reach with a newly opened location in Reston.

The school announced on Instagram last Monday (Jan. 28) that the Reston location officially opened. Neighboring the North Hills tennis courts and pools, Primrose School of Reston takes the former site of the North Village KinderCare at 1309 N. Village Road.

The new facility is part of a franchise that has more than 400 schools in 29 states and is accredited through AdvancED. The Reston one is the 16th Primrose School in Virginia, with nearby ones in Chantilly and Ashburn. The schools in the D.C. area provide year-round full and part-time education for infants and children as young as six weeks old, according to the website.

The school, which is owned by Rina Patel and Beau and Urvi Athia, was originally expected to open in the fall, Reston Now previously reported. 

An upcoming program at a Herndon public school is going against the grain of conventional education by teaching students the value of community service and baking.

Students at McNair Elementary School (2499 Thomas Jefferson Drive) can expect the Bake for Good Program to arrive at their school next month.

Meant for fourth- to sixth-graders, the free program teaches students “the value of giving back to their community while learning to bake bread,” according to Fairfax County Public Schools. Representatives from King Arthur Flour, the sponsoring organization, will present the cross-curricular program, which has three main goals: learn, bake and share.

“Students will use practical applications of math, science, and comprehension skills while learning how they can make a positive impact in their local community,” according to the FCPS announcement.

Each student will then bake two loaves of bread — one to take home and one to donate to LINK, which provides emergency food and financial help to people in the western part of the county.

The program begins at McNair Elementary School on March 12.

Image via Google Maps

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue wants to educate locals on how to prevent issues when discarding fireplace ashes after a recent Herndon house fire.

Fire investigators say that improperly disposed fireplace ashes in a trash bag caused the fire last week.

The investigators determined that the fire, which started in the garage, was an accident, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

Firefighters had the fire under control in about two hours after arriving at the two-story, single family home in the 12100 block of Westwood Hills Drive on the morning of Jan. 31.

The Red Cross has put the displaced family of two adults and three kids up in a hotel. A GoFundMe page is currently raising funds to help the family cover the costs of “small things that add up” — clothes, toiletries, shoes, coats and more — with the hope that insurance will cover the larger losses.

Damages from the fire were approximately $347,162, including exposure damage worth $43,000 to two vehicles and a boat near the house, according to the fire department.

In an effort to help stop similar fires from happening, the fire department has several safety tips for disposal of fireplace ashes. They are the following:

• do not discard ashes in a combustible container (paper or plastic bag), cardboard box or plastic trash can
• do not place ash containers on decks, porches or in garages
• put ashes into a non-combustible metal container with a lid
• pour water into the container to make sure the ashes are cool
• keep your can outside and away from anything combustible

Additionally, the fire department recommends that all household members learn safety tips for ashes from a fireplace or wood stove.

The fire department is also reminding people that ashes can stay hot for several days.

Images via Google Maps and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue

Wine Wednesday — Discuss our favorite books while sipping wine starting at 6 p.m. at the Tasting Room in Reston Town Center. [Scrawl Books]

Hunter Mill seat contenders — “In the Hunter Mill District, home to both Reston and Vienna, current member Cathy Hudgins is retiring. The three declared candidates, thus far, all have platforms which argue the county has been too favorable to development in Reston.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Silver Line train tests — “There were no passengers, of course, but Metrorail trains made their first pass of the Silver Line extension between Reston and Ashburn early Wednesday morning.” [Washington Business Journal]

A burglar broke into a Great Falls home and stole personal property on Friday, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The homeowner came home at 8:25 p.m. on Feb. 1 to find the front door open and rooms in disarray. Police found evidence that someone had forced entry to the rear sliding door of the home in the 10000 block of Park Royal Drive, according to the report.

The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station reported the following incidents in recent days:

LARCENIES:

2400 block of Centreville Road, liquor from business

2400 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business

11400 block of Commerce Park Drive, electronic devices from location

2000 block of Edmund Halley Drive, chainsaws from construction site

11000 block of Grey Squirrel Lane, bag from car

12000 block of Laurel Glade Court, wallet from apartment

11000 block of Plaza America Road, merchandise from store

11700 block of Stratford House Place, credit cards from location

12000 block of Wrexham Road, mail from vehicle

STOLEN VEHICLES:

None reported

Deputies arrested a 34-year-old Herndon woman at the Ashburn CVS on Saturday (Feb. 2), according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 7:36 p.m., deputies responded to a call for a woman acting upset inside the store in the 44800 block of Russell Branch Parkway. The woman was unable to maintain her balance while standing, according to the report. Deputies found narcotics and drug paraphernalia on the woman and charged her with public intoxication and possession of paraphernalia.

She is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a secured bond.

That same day, Herndon police responded to a call of shots fired in the 900 block of Barton Oaks Place shortly after midnight. Officers checked the area, but did not find any suspects, according to the Herndon Police Department. Later that same morning, police responded to a call of a bullet that was found inside a home nearby. No injuries were reported.

Police are still investigating the case.

File photo

Finn Thai Restaurant and Bar is planning to open soon in the North Point Village Center.

An employee told Reston Now that the restaurant is almost finished with the inspections process. If everything goes as planned, the restaurant could open as soon as the middle of next week — right around Valentine’s Day.

An exact date, though, has not been set yet.

The Reston opening will mark the third Finn Thai restaurant. Currently, one location is in Purcellville and a second one is in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Finn Thai will fill the vacant spot at 1466 North Point Village Center, which has been empty since Payless left in 2017.

Photos via Finn Thai website and @GigiBennett_DC/Twitter

A newly opened domestic violence action center in Herndon will provide free advocacy services every Friday.

Fairfax County recently announced that the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) began offering services last Friday (Feb. 1) at the Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center (1086 Elden Street), which is a collaborative effort between the county, Cornerstones and the Connections for Hope Partnership.

“A crucial component for engaging victims in services is access to the necessary resources available to them,” Kevin Ochs, the advocacy services supervisor for the Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, said in a press release.

The services, which will include an onsite victim advocate who speaks English and Spanish, will be available every Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some of the services DVAC offers are:

• Court Attire Program with a selection of clothing for court hearings and job interviews
• crisis intervention, emotional support and options counseling
• education about the criminal and civil justice systems
• emergency shelter
• housing information and referrals
• short-term case management

DVAC also has locations in Alexandria and Fairfax staffed by county agency and community nonprofit partners.

Locals’ heading to the DVAC location at the Historic Courthouse in Fairfax “presented challenges for victims of domestic and sexual violence and stalking, with safety being a prominent issue,” according to the county.

Now, people can walk-in, make appointments and also call the Herndon location.

Image via Google Maps 

Finalists’ photographs for a contest have their work on display at ArtSpace Herndon starting today (Feb. 5).

The 10th Annual Fine Art Photography Exhibit features nearly three dozen finalists in the Fine Art Photography Competition.

A sneak peek at the artwork on ArtSpace Herndon’s website and Facebook shows some of the vibrant, colorful and dramatic photographs in the exhibit.

“These photographers show how a group of artists with a range of themes and skills can be brought together to exhibit work ranging from whimsical digital collages to realistic black and white prints to colorful abstract images, into one spectacular exhibit,” according to ArtSpace Herndon’s description of the exhibit.

Photographer Mary Louise Ravese is the competition’s judge. She selected the 45 photographs from more than 180 submissions from 93 professional and amateur photographers in Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

Locals who visit the exhibit will see art by some Reston-area artists. A handful of members of the League of Reston Artists have their work showcased, including Vladimir Grablev, Maureen Costantino and Sandy Gherardi.

Ravese will announce the winners during the free awards reception from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 9) at 750 Center Street.

The exhibit runs until March 2.

Photo via ArtSpace Herndon/Facebook 

Four schools in the Reston and Herndon areas are part of 39 Fairfax County public schools taking part in a new after-school food program that provides free meals or snacks to any student.

Fairfax County Public Schools’ Office of Food and Nutrition Services announced the sponsorship of the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program yesterday (Feb. 4).

One school in Reston and three in Herndon requested that the program provide them with meals. They include:

• Herndon Elementary School (630 Dranesville Road)
• Herndon Middle School (901 Locust Street)
• Hutchison Elementary School (13209 Parcher Avenue)
• Dogwood Elementary School (12300 Glade Drive)

Alexandria topped the list with the most requests from 16 schools, followed by 10 in Falls Church.

The program is part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which is backed by the United States Department of Agriculture. It is managed by the Virginia Department of Health’s Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Photo via @fcpsnews/Twitter

W&OD run — The Reston Runners will be enjoying the warmer weather with a 50-minute run or walk at 6:30 p.m. tonight. They plan to meet at the OneLife Fitness Gym in Isaac Newton Square. [Reston Runners]

Tai Chi — Instructor Jeffery Edwards teaches a class once a week for six weeks on Tai Chi, an ancient “internal” martial art and mind-body discipline rooted in Chinese tradition. Participants can try out the weight-bearing callisthenic from 7-8 p.m. at the Glade Recreation Area for $70 for Reston Association members and $90 for nonmembers. [WebTrac]

Reston startup expansion — Reston-based software company GoCanvas was recently acquired by private equity firm K1 Investment Management for more than $100 million. Currently headquartered at Reston Town Center, the acquisition is meant to help GoCanvas double in size. [Washington Busines Journal]

Dogwood Elementary School is set to have a salad bar — the third public school in Reston to recently add leafy greens to their cafeterias.

Dogwood Elementary School (12300 Glade Drive) joins 18 other public schools in the county slated this year to open a Real Food for Kids Salad Bar by May. In the fall, Terraset and Sunrise Valley elementary schools added the salad bar along with 11 other schools.

Principal Mie Devers said that the salad bar stemmed from the Office of Foods and Nutrition Services, which creates healthy programs that get implemented by Fairfax County Public Schools.

“Dogwood worked collaboratively with Food and Nutrition Services to plan the addition of this program,” Devers said. “Based on the conversation with staff and families, the continued focus around nutrition and healthy eating is so important!”

Dogwood Elementary School is adding the Real Food for Kids Salad Bar and Summer F.E.E.D.S (Food for Every Child to Eat During Summer) to its current list of program offerings, including Breakfast in the Classroom and Super Snack.

The salad bar will offer fruits, vegetables and protein such as eggs and hummus to top off the salads, Devers said.

Students will receive a salad bar lesson next week, which is meant to help them understand the procedures and food selection, Devers said.

“Working with the teachers and FNS, we are able to provide lessons around the excitement and importance of fresh foods and explain how it works.”

Image via Google Maps

Updated at 11:35 a.m. — Corrects description of food truck proposal. 

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is set to hold a public hearing on sign changes.

The proposed changes outlined for the sign ordinance would include new provisions for the regulation of temporary signs and the prohibition of off-site signs.

They would also establish ew regulations for electronic display signs, along with more uniform regulation of signs in all zoning districts.

Last Wednesday (Jan. 30), the Fairfax County Planning Commission voted 12-0 to support the adoption of the zoning ordinance.

The board is also set to vote on a proposed change to the Fairfax County Code that would allow two new locations for food truck vending.

The Herndon location is on Dulles Technology Drive near the Sunrise Valley Drive just south of the Dulles Toll Road, while the second location would be located in the Mount Vernon area.

Photo via Fairfax County Government/Facebook

The Cotting Quilters’ second quilt show opens today (Feb. 4) in the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center Lake Anne.

The group brings together Reston and Herndon quilters who focus on traditional and modern designs.

“Through The Eye of The Needle II” showcases full-sized quilts, art quilts, wall hangings, table runners and other fabric art, according to the Reston Community Center.

The exhibit features the following quilters:

• Dora Anderson
• Ruth Grubb
• Hannah Hamilton
• Barbara Happ
• Anita Lowen
• Nicky Moering
• Connie Wright-Zink

The show will run until March 3.

Photo via Reston Community Center

Adults are needed to participate in a movement installation for the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

Artist Heidi Latsky plans to “celebrate the beauty of differences” with a movement installation titled “ON DISPLAY/RESTON.” The installation is a sculpture court where the performers are the sculptures, according to the Reston Community Center.

The Reston installation is a local platform for a worldwide initiative called “ON DISPLAY,” which was created by a partnership between Heidi Latsky Dance, a New York City dance company, and the United Nations to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Men and women age 18 and older are able to participate — no formal dance experience is required. “Diversity and the most inclusive range of ability are welcome. The movement installations will involve focus, stillness and structured improvisation,” according to the press release.

“ON DISPLAY/RESTON” will take place on Saturday, May 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 19, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. People interested in participating should contact Kevin Danaher at [email protected].

The three-day festival at Reston Town Center is set to start on Friday, May 17, and last until Sunday, May 19. More than 200 artists are anticipated at the festival.

Photo by Charlotte Jones

Reston-area lawmakers are calling for Gov. Ralph Northam’s resignation after a racist yearbook photo recently surfaced.

The photo in his 1984 medical school yearbook shows two people standing next to each other — one in blackface and the other person in a KKK costume.

Northam apologized on Friday (Feb. 1) for appearing in the “clearly racist and offensive” photo and the hurt it caused 35 years later, indicating that he plans to stay in office.

Then on Saturday, Northam said that he doesn’t think he is in the photo and suggested that it may have been placed on his yearbook page by mistake. He admitted to a separate incident where he darkened his skin for a costume, according to news reports.

Still, many politicians from both sides of the aisle say a resignation can help heal the pain caused by the photo and bring in a new leader who Virginians can trust — a sentiment backed by Reston and Herndon lawmakers (who are all Democrats).

State Sens. Janet Howell (D-32nd District) and Jennifer Boysko (D-33rd District) called on Northam to resign. Howell wrote the following to constituents:

The Ralph Northam I know is not a racist.  The Ralph Northam I know is a decent and kind man.  For the ten years I have known him, he has courageously tried to promote racial harmony in our Southern state.

However, if he is in the disgraceful, abhorrent photo, he must resign. This is a very sad time for our Commonwealth.

This horrible episode has ripped the scab off the festering wound of discrimination still in Virginia.  We must all examine our consciences to see what more we can do to bring healing and reconciliation to all Virginians.

Del. Ken Plum (D-36th District) said in a tweet that he agrees with the statements of the House Democratic Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus and the Senate Democratic Caucus calling for Northam’s resignation.

With great sadness for the people of the Commonwealth I concur with the statements of the House Democratic Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus, and the Senate Democratic Caucus that Governor Ralph Northam must… https://t.co/YaTNC8gozK

— Ken Plum (@KenPlum1) February 2, 2019

This is a sad day for all Virginians. With a heavy heart, I continue to stand with my @VASenateDems @VaBlackCaucus @VAHouseDems colleagues in asking @GovernorVA to step down.

— Senator Jennifer Boysko (@JenniferBoysko) February 2, 2019

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th District), who represents Reston and Herndon, released a statement with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) on Saturday (Feb. 2) saying that “nothing we have heard since changes our view that his resignation is the only way forward for the Commonwealth.”

Connolly and Breyer said that the governor must step aside and “allow the process of healing to begin” under Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax.

“Virginia has a painful past where racism was too often not called out for its evil. The only way to overcome that history is to speak and act with absolute moral clarity,” the statement said.

Both of Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators tweeted that they believe Northam should step down.

Despite the widespread condemnation, it remains unclear at this time whether Northam will resign or not. If he does, Fairfax would become the second African American governor in Virginia’s history.

I no longer believe Governor Northam can effectively serve as Governor of Virginia. The events of the past 24 hours have inflicted immense pain and irrevocably broken the trust Virginians must have in their leaders. He should step down and allow the Commonwealth to begin healing.

— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) February 3, 2019

My statement with Senators @timkaine and @MarkWarner urging Governor Northam to resign. pic.twitter.com/caAx6Im0Ga

— Rep. Bobby Scott (@BobbyScott) February 2, 2019

Photo via @GovernorVA