Reston’s Children of Fallen Patriots (Fallen Patriots) received a large donation raised from a radio talk show host’s jewelry sales.
Laura Schlessinger, the host of “The Dr. Laura Program” on SiriusXM and the artist in residence for this Fallen Patriots’ Foundation Boutique, raised $32,000 from selling jewelry through her holiday boutique.
The boutique includes original jewelry and glass designs all handcrafted by Schlessinger.
The donation will help send children of fallen servicemembers to college, according to a press release.
“It’s truly an honor to have her partnership and the amazing support of her listeners,” Fallen Patriots Co-Founder Cynthia Kim said in a press release. “The mission of Fallen Patriots would not be possible without wonderful patriots like Dr. Laura.”
Schlessinger started supporting Fallen Patriot in 2017. Since 2002, Fallen Patriots (1818 Library Street, Suite 500) has provided roughly $26 million for college scholarships and educational counseling to more than 1,280 military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
The currently closed boutique will reopen for Valentine’s Day. People can still make donations online or by mail to the cause.
Photos via Children of Fallen Patriots
Amazon will bring $15 billion and 62,000 jobs by 2030 — A study by the Virginia Chamber Foundation predicts that Amazon’s second headquarters in Crystal City will bring a huge economic impact to Northern Virginia and D.C. [Reston Patch]
Design & Wine — Head to ArtSpace Herndon to sketch and paint unique winter villages with artist Melanie Z Stanley from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. [ArtSpace Herndon]
New MetroAlerts and real-time parking unveiled– Metro introduced yesterday a new MetroAlerts system to allow Metrorail and Metrobus riders to customize the alerts they receive by day and time, along with adding multiple email addresses or phone numbers on one account. In a separate improvement, real-time parking status is now shown on wmata.com. [WMATA]
Reston Association’s Design Review Board meets tonight — The Wendy’s at 1701 Bracknell Drive is on the agenda for the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. [Reston Association]
Reston and Herndon companies made up nearly half of Fairfax County’s list of top workplaces for commuters.
The county’s Board of Supervisors recognized 14 employers last Tuesday (Dec. 4) who have taken steps to become more commuter-friendly.
The Reston employers include:
KeyW Corporation and Northwest Federal Credit Union in Herndon also received the designation as “Best Workplaces for Commuters.”
The county’s Department of Transportation partnered with “Best Workplaces for Commuters,” a membership program managed by the National Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida.
The designation recognizes employers who have excelled in implementing green commuter programs, including ride-sharing, transit benefits, biking and walking, teleworking, alternate work schedules and other strategies. The program provides qualified employers with national recognition and an elite designation for offering outstanding commuter benefits.
Julie Bond, the program manager of “Best Workplaces for Commuters,” said that employers in Fairfax County supporting commuter options like taking the bus, biking, teleworking or carpooling can all reduce travel time and costs for employees.
“Employee-provided commuter benefits give them a competitive edge in employee recruitment, retention and brand recognition,” Bond said. “We also know that commute options can lead to an increase in productivity, employee retention, and put us on the map for attracting top talent in our sector.”
The county has some programs in place to help foster commuter-friendly workplaces. Fairfax County Commuter Services — a program of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation — works with employers, residential properties and commuters to encourage alternatives to driving alone to work.
With this year’s additions, Fairfax County totals 93 companies with the recognition since 2010.
Photo via Believe It, Reston/Facebook
President Donald Trump praised two local police officers for helping to dismantle the gang MS-13 during his speech at a conference last Friday.
Trump lauded Fairfax County Police Department Detective Ray Betts, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia G. Zachary Terwilliger and Sgt. Claudio Saa from the Herndon Police Department as “three trailblazing leaders.”
The praise came during remarks Trump made at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City, Mo. last Friday (Dec. 7).
The conference brings together U.S. Attorneys; federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement; community partners; and others to share ideas on violent crime reduction.
Trump’s remarks included the following:
Every American citizen is entitled to a safe community and a secure border. Here in the audience today are three trailblazing leaders — they truly are — who are working to dismantle MS-13 over the past two years. They’ve helped so much. They’ve done such an incredible job. Twenty-nine MS-13 members have been charged and convicted just recently, despite being targeted for retaliation.
These three patriots are U.S. Attorney Zach Terwilliger — where is Zach? Hello, Zach. Heard great things about you. Herndon Police Sergeant Claudio Saa. Thank you, Claudio. Thank you very much. And Fairfax County Police Detective Ray Betts. Thank you. Thank you. All three, thank you very much.
At the conference, Terwilliger, Betts and Saa joined Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Miller and Rebeca Bellows, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew and Major Roger Russell of the Richmond Police Department in a team presentation on best practices for investigating and dismantling MS-13.
MS-13 started in Los Angeles before heading to Virginia and then making its way to El Salvador.
Betts accounted for more than 100 felony arrests and 30 misdemeanors in a one-year time period two years after he joined the gang investigations unit. He has been to El Salvador to investigate cases and train his Salvadoran counterparts, WTOP reported.
Saa has also traveled to El Salvador, where he explored MS-13’s ties to Virginia, NBC4 reported.
It's not every day that one of our own is recognized by @POTUS for a job well done! 🇺🇸 He thanked #FCPD Detective Ray Betts for his work getting violent gang members off the street, along with @USATerwilliger & Sgt. Claudio Saa from @HerndonPolice. Congratulations to you all! pic.twitter.com/Zh69uxn59J
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 10, 2018
Photo via FCPD/Twitter
Elden Street Tea Shop plans to celebrate its grand opening at a permanent spot in Herndon this weekend.
Rachel Eisenfeld, the tea shop’s owner, told Reston Now that the shop moved into its space at 714 Pine Street on Nov. 28 after one year as a pop-up open every Saturday at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street).
The tea shop is named after the historic street in Herndon that it initially planned to move to. But after the tea shop decided to switch its permanent location to Pine Street, Eisenfeld decided to not change the name as a way to pay homage to the popular Elden Street.
Eisenfeld described the Pine Street location as a cute and charming house that is part of Herndon’s historic district. “It fits a tea shop,” she said.
More than 60 varieties of loose leaf tea from across the world and locally are available at Elden Street Tea Shop, along with processed tea and “tea-to-go.” Customers can also purchase snack food made by local bakeries.
“We really want to be involved in the community,” Eisenfeld said. Part of that involvement includes donations.
Every quarter, Elden Street Tea Shop picks a handful of new charities or organizations in the Herndon community.
Customers can choose which ones they would like to donate to when they check out at the shop or online, along with nominating a charity for consideration. At the end of the quarter, a portion of the profits goes to the selected places.
The grand opening will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 15) with all-day events, a ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. and special offers.
Eisenfeld said the tea shop will start hosting afternoon tea events in February and will continue to offer board games — Scrabble, chess, checkers, Risk and more — from its pop-up days with weekend game time.
Photo via Elden Street Tea Shop/Facebook
Drivers can expect lane closures along the Dulles Toll Road this week as construction continues on the second phase of the Metrorail Silver Line project.
Most of the closures avoid prime rush hour times.
The closures started on Sunday (Dec. 9) and are scheduled to last until Saturday (Dec. 15), according to a post from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
The post reminds drivers to use caution; remain attentive to all signage, barricades and speed limits; and obey all police and flagger instructions. Work is subject to weather changes.
The Dulles Toll Road has alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths from just west of the Route 28 overpass to the Reston Parkway overpass.
The schedule for this is:
- Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Drivers heading eastbound on the Dulles Toll Road can expect left lane closure with stops every 20 minutes from the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride to the Reston Parkway overpass. This will take place from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, westbound on the Dulles Toll Road has a triple left lane closure with 20-minute stoppages from the Wiehle Avenue Overpass to West of the Reston Parkway overpass. This is scheduled from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Eastbound on Herndon Parkway will have a right lane closed from 1,000 feet east of Van Buren Street to 800 feet west of Exchange Place.
The times for this are:
- Monday to Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Friday: 9:30 a.m. to noon
Eastbound on Sunset Hills Road will have alternating right and left lane closures from 400 feet west of the Town Center Parkway to the Bechtel Building Entrance. The civil work will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.
Several spots westbound on Sunrise Valley Drive will have closed right lanes from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, including:
- from Dulles Technology Drive to Dulles Station Blvd
- from Thunder Chase Drive to Millburn Lane
- from Reston Parkway to 200 feet west of Edmund Halley Drive
Edmund Halley Drive will have a right shoulder closed from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.
Vote for Reston as “Best Holiday Parade” — Voting closes at noon today for USA Today’s holiday parade contest. Last year, Reston landed in sixth place on the list. [USA Today]
Faulty work on Silver Line — A man who admitted faking records to hide faulty Silver Line concrete panels was sentenced Friday to prison time. [WTOP]
New zoning rules for artisan manufacturers — Fairfax County recently adopted new zoning rules to help more small-scale production businesses. [Fairfax County]
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- County Approves $4 Million Grant for Appian’s Move to Tysons
- Reston Companies Top Northern Virginia Technology Council’s ‘Tech 100’
- County Board of Supervisors Approves Several Developments
- South Lake Village Center’s Construction Plan Set for Spring Arrival
- Lane and Ramp Closures Near Reston and Herndon This Week
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Appian/Facebook
(Updated at 10:58 p.m. on Dec. 9) The Pottery Barn in Reston Town Center will shut its doors in January, along with the Williams-Sonoma down the block.
Williams-Sonoma Inc. operates both brands.
A store employee told Reston Now that the store will stay open until its closing date — sometime around Jan. 21.
Pottery Barn (11937 Market Street) started a final sale with 30 percent off items throughout the entire store on Monday (Dec. 3), the employee said.
The Williams-Sonoma at 11897 Market Street is also planning to shut its doors in January.
“We plan on closing in early January, but do not have a specific date to share at this time,” a spokeswoman for the company wrote in an email.
This story has been updated
The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and the county’s Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services are slated to receive nearly $180,000 as part of grants to boost criminal justice services across Virginia.
Gov. Ralph Northam announced yesterday (Dec. 6) that law enforcement and services for crime victims across the Commonwealth will receive $5.9 million in grants administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
“This funding is key to our ability to respond to the diverse needs of our communities and build a safer, healthier Virginia,” Northam said in a Dec. 6 statement. “From survivors of violent crimes to the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line each day to protect our Commonwealth, these resources will help ensure that all Virginians have the opportunity to thrive.”
The DCJS approved the grants at its meeting in Richmond on Thursday (Dec. 6.) The federal Violence Against Women Act and the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program allocated the funds to Virginia.
The awards include more than $4.5 million to bolster the response to crimes of violence against women and services for survivors and $1.4 million to provide equipment, technology and training.
Fairfax County received about 3.1 percent of the funding. Here is a breakdown:
- $87,205 for the Fairfax County’s Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services
- $52,993 for FCPD’s Violence Against Women’s Act project
- $39,500 for FCPD’s law enforcement training
“Each year, DCJS administers nearly 1,000 grants totaling over $250 million in state and federal funds.” Shannon Dion, the director of DCJS, said in a statement. “These grants support programs and initiatives across the criminal justice system and enable DCJS to provide extensive training and technical assistance to agencies throughout Virginia.”
File photo
Most of the Fairfax County crew and Reston Hospital Center hospital staff who treated a motorcyclist critically injured from a 2017 collision had a reunion on Wednesday at the hospital.
Crews responded to a call for a collision involving a motorcycle and a car on April 27, 2017. When they arrived on the scene, they found that Michael Hyman, the motorcyclist, was critically injured, according to a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department post.
More from the Dec. 6 post:
Our firefighters and paramedics knew time was of the essence. They exhibited excellent teamwork assessing and treating the patient. Medic 416’s time on scene was six minutes before they were off to the trauma center at Reston Hospital.
The crews thought they had done they best they could to give the young motorcyclist a chance to survive. That said, many thought the young man may not make it. As with many critical medical or trauma calls, our personnel deliver the patient to the hospital not ultimately knowing the outcome for that patient.
Hyman, the Fairfax County crew and the hospital staff went over the details of what happened to Hyman on-scene and at the trauma center, along with the treatment, recovery and physical therapy processes Hyman went through.
“He had extensive injuries that none of us had really seen before,” Liz Klemens, a nurse at the hospital, recalled in a Reston Hospital Center YouTube video.
Some of his injuries included a fractured a segment of his spine in his neck, a broken right arm, a snapped femur in his left leg, broken bones in his ankles and three to four places broken in his hip and pelvis.
Hyman now has a metal rod from his shoulder to elbow in his right arm, which he can’t move due to stretched nerves. He also cannot feel anything in his right hand.
The Dec. 5 evening ended with Hyman and his mother, Kim Hyman, thanking the firefighters, paramedics and hospital staff involved in his care.
“Reston saved my son’s life,” Kim Hyman said in the video.
The crew and units that responded on April 27, 2017:
- Engine 417, Centreville: Captain I Bobby Stricklen, Technician Gary DeFriest, Technician Eric Hoffman and Firefighter Anthony Harley
- Medic 416, Clifton: Lt. Matt Louzonis and Firefighter Greg Morton
- EMS 403: Captain II Jennifer Svites
Crews thought they had done they best they could to give the motorcyclist a chance to survive. Many thought the young man may not make it. Last night at @Reston_Hospital , most of the crew who treated that young man learned what happened to him. More: https://t.co/OMfIG492Qb pic.twitter.com/SLMqHJJuda
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) December 6, 2018
Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and screenshot via Reston Hospital Center/YouTube
Chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs are one step closer to legalized pet status in Fairfax County.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission last night (Dec. 6) approved changing the definition of commonly accepted pets to include all three.
“All those hedgehogs in Fairfax County are extremely happy tonight,” Chairman Peter Murphy, who represents the Springfield District, said after the vote.
Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter voted against the proposal, along with Vice Chairman James Hart and Mason District Commissioner Julie Strandlie.
Strandlie said that while she supports chinchillas and hermit crabs as pets, more input from professionals is necessary regarding hedgehogs.
The increasing popularity of chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs as pets in recent years spurred the proposed amendment to the county’s zoning ordinance, according to the proposal.
Arlington and Loudoun counties allow hedgehogs and chinchillas as pets, with Loudoun County also permitting hermit crabs. Fairfax City and Falls Church either do not allow or remain unclear about the legality of the three animals as pets.
The commission tackled health and safety concerns mainly around hedgehogs as pets at a public hearing last Thursday (Nov. 29), deferring a decision to last night at the request of Mary Cortina, an at-large member of the commission.
Some of the concerns that came up involved hedgehogs’ ability to spread salmonella and how well owners can care for hedgehogs, given their high levels of maintenance.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals that require space, exercise and room temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they do not start hibernating, according to the Hedgehog Welfare Society.
Hart said he concludes that hedgehogs still fall under the “exotic pet” definition based on the temperature requirements raised during the testimonies last week.
Dranesville District Commissioner John Ulfelder said he took four areas into consideration when deciding how to vote — public safety, public health, environmental impact and animal welfare.
Addressing the salmonella concerns, Ulfelder said that other animals, such turtles, can spread the bacteria.
For him, the prickliest issue concerned animal welfare. “It is true these animals are a little bit difficult to take care of,” he said. “I think for people who are up for that, they can be very nice pets.”
Strandlie praised a student from Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, who argued at the public hearing in favor of legalizing pet hedgehogs.
The student, who said he has cared for his turtle for eight years and his monitor lizard for two years, said he believes hedgehogs are easier to care for than reptiles, based on his research. If the county approves the amendment, he said he would get a hedgehog.
Even though Strandlie voted “no,” she said the student probably persuaded some of the commissioners to support the proposal.
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors authorized a public hearing at 4 p.m. on Jan. 22 to consider the controversial proposal.
“I think we should be allowing people if we can — if they have the ability — to have hedgehogs as pets,” Ulfelder said.
Photo via Planning Commission
County remains among the richest — the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Fairfax County ranks second as the richest county from 2013 to 2017, following Loudoun County. [U.S. Census Bureau]
It’s snow joke — With snow predictions looming, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants residents to stay safe by looking over its 2018-2019 “snow facts.” [VDOT]
Fine arts photography collection — The “La Lumiere DuBois VII” exhibit by Michael DuBois, who highlights his love of nature, opens today at the Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. The exhibit is open until Jan. 6. [Reston Community Center]
“She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition” — Watch students from the Herndon High School perform a contemporary dramatic comedy tonight at 7 p.m. Parental guidance is recommended. [Herndon High School Theatre]
Photo by Susan Berger
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors approved Woodfield Acquisitions’ redevelopment of Roland Clarke Place at its Tuesday (Dec. 4) meeting.
The redevelopment is set to replace a vacant, two-story office building at 1941 Roland Clarke Place with a 308-unit residential complex just south of the Dulles Toll Road.
The seven-story apartment building will be about a mile between the Wiehle-Reston East and Reston Town Center Metro stations. Plans for the building include two interior courtyards, an outdoor pool, seating on a third-floor patio and a 409-space, eight-level parking garage behind the building. About one-third of the new development is slated to remain as open space.
The existing office buildings on the site were constructed in the early 1980s.
The board delayed making a decision after the project’s public hearing on Nov. 20. The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously approved a series of proffers for the redevelopment on Nov. 15.
The board also greenlighted three other developments in Reston, including the Midline and the Tall Oaks Village Center, at the Tuesday meeting.
Images via Fairfax County and Fairfax County Planning Commission
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova announced today (Dec. 6) her plans to retire after her term ends Dec. 31, 2019. Her departure adds to the list of supervisors who have also decided to retire.
Supervisors Linda Smyth, for the Providence District, and John Cook, for the Braddock District, recently said that they won’t seek reelection.
Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay plans to run for the top seat, as well as Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, who faces a Democratic challenger for his district seat, The Washington Post reported. The upcoming election for the county’s Board of Supervisors will take place on Nov. 5, 2019.
Bulova, who hits the 10-year mark in February for leading the board, joined the board in 1988 as the Braddock District Supervisor.
The announcement arrived in her monthly newsletter. In one section, she wrote:
Local government is an awesome place to be. It’s the level of government closest to the people you represent. It’s the place where you can truly make a tangible difference, touch lives, and engage with the community in a personal, positive way. Deciding when to stop is just as hard as making the decision to start down the road of elective office. For me, however, that time has come.
When questioned by Tony Olivo of the Washington Post about my plans for running, I told him I was going to use the Thanksgiving holiday to think about it, and to talk to my family and friends. On Thanksgiving Day my son David arrived for dinner equipped with a large flip chart and colored stickies for voting. He titled the Chart “Family Decision Making Matrix” and separated it into “Pros” and “Cons.” It was a fun, light-hearted after dinner activity. Many of the items listed on the “Pro” side of the chart were some of the reasons that had already persuaded me to not seek another four-year term. More time with family and grandchildren, time for travel, to entertain, to smell the roses. It has been an honor to serve the Fairfax County community on the Board of Supervisors. During these past thirty years, I have been privileged to work alongside dedicated elected officials at every level of government, with talented, caring county staff and a county full of enthusiastic community volunteers. While I will not be running for re-election in 2019 I sure do have a lot to look back on with satisfaction.
Congress members representing Virginia have applauded Bulova’s leadership style and accomplishments.
“As former mayor to a city of 200,000 people, I have enormous respect for Sharon Bulova’s leadership of a county of 1.1 million,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a statement. “Over the past 30 years, Fairfax County’s population has grown by nearly half, and Sharon’s service during that time has played a major role in ensuring the prosperity and quality of life accompanying that growth.”
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who was the chairman before Bulova, said in a statement that Bulova “is a true community treasure,” whose time on the board will be remembered for decency and commitment to improving Fairfax County.
“Under her leadership, she turned the idea of the Virginia Railway Express into a reality,” Connolly said. “As Chairman, she guided the county through the worst of the Great Recession, while still maintaining the critical investments and services that Fairfax residents have come to expect.”
Reston Now reached out to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins for a comment and has not heard back.
Pat Hynes, the Hunter Mill District representative for Fairfax County Public Schools, board supervisors and Eileen Filler-Corn, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing Fairfax County, took to Twitter this afternoon:
https://twitter.com/VotePatHynes/status/1070702751565443073
Congratulations to Supervisor Linda Smyth (Providence District) on announcing her retirement at today’s Board meeting. Thank you for your years of dedication and service to Fairfax County.
— Supervisor Pat Herrity (@PatHerrity) December 4, 2018
.@SharonBulova is a great example of collaborative leadership. No one has been better at pulling together disparate views and finding consensus on difficult issues. 2/3
— John Cook (@JohnCookVA) December 6, 2018
We didn’t always agree, but @SharonBulova was a fair leader who gave everyone a fair shot. Can’t ask for more from a Board Chair. The people of @fairfaxcounty have been well served. 3/3
— John Cook (@JohnCookVA) December 6, 2018
Thank you Chairman @SharonBulova for your tireless work, first as Braddock Supervisor and then as Chairman of the @fairfaxcounty Board of Supervisors. You have been an incredible advocate for our county and an incredible mentor to me and so many women and men. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/etFn46MB54
— Eileen Filler-Corn (@EFillerCorn) December 6, 2018
Photo via Fairfax County. Second photo via Evan Michio Cantwell.
