(Updated 12/28/19) Come Jan. 1, the Fairfax County School Board will have a lot of new faces.
The 12-member board will see eight newcomers in 2020.
Half of the school board’s incumbents decided not to seek reelection, including: Ilryong Moon, Ryan McElveen, Jane Strauss, Pat Hynes, Sandy Evans and Dalia Palchik. The two Republican incumbents — Elizabeth Schultz and Thomas Wilson — lost their reelection bids.
At-Large Member Karen Keys-Gamarra won reelection, along with:
- Braddock District Representative Megan McLaughlin
- Lee District Representative Tamara Derenak Kaufax
- Mount Vernon District Representative Karen Corbett Sanders
Here is information on the new incoming members, who took their oaths of office on Thursday (Dec. 12) at Jackson Middle School.
At-Large Members Abrar Omeish and Rachna Sizemore Heizer
Omeish and Heizer, along with incumbent Karen Keys-Gamarra, beat three opponents for the At-Large seats.
Heizer has worked as a college professor, disability justice advocate and lawyer, according to her campaign website. Omeish is the co-founder of Give, a youth-led nonprofit and led the county-wide campaign for an anti-bullying campaign, according to her campaign website.
Hunter Mill District: Melanie Meren
Meren, a former U.S. Department of Education employee, beat her opponent, Laura Ramirez Drain. Meren is a parent and small business owner who has lived in Fairfax County for more than 15 years, according to Reston Now.
Dranesville District: Elaine Tholen
Tholen beat three opponents. A resident of Fairfax County for 25 years, Tholen most recently served as the director and treasurer for the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, according to her campaign website.
Mason District: Ricardy Anderson
Anderson beat opponent Tom Pafford. She has been a community volunteer, a veteran of the National Guard Army Reserve and lived in Annandale for more than 10 years, according to her campaign website.
Providence District: Karl Frisch
Frisch beat opponent Andrea Bayer in the election. Frisch has served as the executive director of consumer watchdog Allied Progress, was a small business owner and worked as a staffer for the Committee on Rules in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to his campaign website.
Springfield District: Laura Jane Cohen
Cohen beat two opponents, including Republican incumbent Elizabeth Schultz. Cohen has been a resident in the county for nearly 20 years and is a former preschool teacher, according to her campaign website.
Sully District: Stella Pekarsky
Pekarsky beat Republican incumbent Tom Wilson. She was previously an FCPS ESOL teacher, small business co-owner and trustee on the Fairfax County Board.
Come 2020, the school board seats will all be filled by Democrats.
“Corbett Sanders will remain chair of the School Board and Derenak Kaufax will remain as vice-chair,” according to FCPS. “School Board officers are elected at the first meeting in July of each year.”
The board also includes a non-voting student representative who is selected by the Student Advisory Council.
Image via FCPS/YouTube, photo via Melanie Meren website, photo via Facebook
Safety Tips for Candles — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue has advice on how to prevent fires this holiday season. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
New Tenants at Reston Station — “During 2019, Comstock Holding Companies, Inc., has announced the signing of more than 500,000 Sq. Ft. of new office leases in the Reston Station development, which covers nearly 40 acres surrounding the Wiehle-Reston East Station on Metro’s Silver Line… Most recently, Solar Winds signed a lease covering 16,349 Sq. Ft. at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza.” [GlobeNewswire]
Where to Dine Out on Christmas — Here are some restaurants that will be open on Dec. 25 around the Reston area. [Reston Patch]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
(Updated at 2 p.m.) A Vietnamese restaurant, gym and nail salon are planning to come to a new development in Reston.
Alo Vietnam will occupy a 1,746-square-foot space, according to Renaud Consulting. Other newcomers will include A+ Nails and F45, Josh Weiner, the senior vice president of the commercial real estate firm KLNB, told Reston Now.
The Faraday Park development consists of multifamily buildings with ground-floor retail at 1831 Michael Faraday Drive.
More from the consulting firm about the restaurant:
The group comprising the team of Alo Vietnam is made up of 4 partners, which includes 2 established local businessmen and 2 famous chefs from Vietnam. Together this group owns and operates 4 well-known restaurants in Saigon, Vietnam.
Alo Vietnam also has a wine and beer license pending for its Herndon location at 2321 Dulles Station Blvd, Suite C.
Photo via Alo Vietnam/Facebook
A two-car crash along Springvale Road has sent one person to the hospital with minor injuries and caused the road to close.
Fairfax County sent out an alert about the crash and road closure near the intersection of Parkerhouse Drive at 9:46 a.m. today (Friday).
Sgt. James Curry, a police spokesperson, told Reston Now that one person was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The road is currently closed in both directions, Curry said that it is expected to reopen soon.
Image via Google Maps
The Latest on the Silver Line Phase II — “The stations and most of the rail yard appear to be ready to go and only await some finishing touches. New train testing started Wednesday, and fixes to other switch issues should allow new Metro trains to join the testing program next month.” [WTOP]
Appalachian Music, Stories at Herndon Event — For $10, attendees can enjoy an evening of Appalachian music and original stories from the hills of Virginia told by members of the Join Shoestring Theatre Company. The event takes place at ArtsSpace from 7:30-9:30 p.m. [Eventbrite]
Reston Company Wins $43 Million Contract — “Intelligent Waves LLC, an end-to-end information technology government solutions provider, announced the Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center has awarded it a $43 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract. These contracts are part of a highly competitive U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) initiative.” [BusinessWire]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Rotary Club of Reston is soliciting donations ahead of its event to make thousands of meals for families in need.
The Reston Rotary Foundation, the fundraising and grants-making part of the Reston Rotary Club, students from South Lakes High Scool plan to pack 10,000 meals on Saturday (Jan. 11) that will get distributed in schools in poverty-stricken areas across the globe, according to a press release.
The service event through Anython will be done in partnership with Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization.
People can donate $1, $2, $5 or more to support the event.
“Initial donations made will support the efforts of the Reston Rotary Foundation’s kick-off event, and when the $10,000 goal has been met to fund the Rise Against Hunger program, additional funds will be used be support the Foundation’s ongoing community efforts,” the press release said.
The community efforts include:
- Aldrin Elementary’s Band of Brothers program
- scholarships for South Lakes High School students
- support for Reston Community Orchestra’s youth programming
- Operation Warm
Volunteers are also needed for the January event.
Photo via Rotary Club of Reston/Facebook
Fairfax County police have arrested a Reston man following a suspicious package investigation at The Spectrum yesterday (Wednesday).
Police said in an update today (Thursday) that around 3:30 p.m. a man who was previously banned from the Verizon store (11830 Spectrum Center) “set a suspicious package on the counter and indicated to an employee that it was a bomb.”
Shortly before 5 p.m. yesterday, police tweeted that several businesses were evacuated as a result of the investigation, and then around 8 p.m. that the suspicious package was determined to not be hazardous.
“Officers from the Special Operations Divisions examined the device and determined it to be a hoax,” police said today.
Police arrested Timothy Stein, 54, today and charged him with felony bomb threat, felony hoax explosive device and trespassing.
Image via Google Maps
Leidos Buys Hypersonic Weapons Contractor — “Leidos Holdings Inc. will ring in the holiday season with a new acquisition: The Reston company announced Tuesday it plans to purchase defense contractor Dynetics Inc. in a $1.65 billion cash deal.” [Washington Business Journal]
A Look at Reston’s Battle for Its Soul — “It’s been a fiasco–a rambling, wide-ranging dispute marked by bureaucratic false starts, allegations of manipulated photos, and the widespread belief that Reston as we knew it is slipping away.” [Washingtonian]
Reston Hospital Honored — “Reston Hospital Center this week earned a Top General Hospital designation from The Leapfrog Group, a watchdog organization that reviews heath care safety and quality across the U.S.” [Reston Patch]
(Updated 12/19/19) Earlier this week, the members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors were sworn in.
The 10-member board will see four new faces in the New Year, including Dalia Palchik, the new representative for Tysons.
Here is information on who will be in the seats at the board’s first meeting next year.
Chairman: Jeffrey McKay
McKay was first elected to the board in 2007, serving as the Lee District Supervisor until the end of this year, according to his county bio. Prior to joining the board, he was the chief of staff to former Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman from 1996 through 2007.
McKay beat three challengers to clinch the Democratic nomination for the county board’s chair in the June primary before defeating Republican Joseph Galdo in the November election.
Hunter Mill District: Walter Alcorn
Alcorn will fill the seat of Cathy Hudgins, who served on the board for five terms and announced her retirement at the start of this year. He beat five Democrat challengers in the primary.
Alcorn is a former Fairfax County Planning Commissioner and served on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board. He has also worked as a policy aide in the Providence District supervisor’s office and was the president of the Herndon High School PTSA. His top priorities include managing growth and infrastructure and updating Reston’s comprehensive plan.
Lee District: Rodney Lusk
McKay’s run for the chair left the Lee District seat open. Lusk beat three Democratic challengers in the June primary.
Lusk has been a Fairfax County employee for the past 29 years — including working for then-Supervisor Gerry Connelly as a land use zoning aide and most recently as the national marketing director for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, according to his campaign website.
Providence District: Dalia Palchik
Palchik grew up in the area after immigrating with her family to the United States at an early age from Argentina. She was elected to the Fairfax County School Board in 2015 and served as the Providence District Representative.
Just days after current Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth announced in December that she wouldn’t seek election, Palchik jumped into the race and defeated four Democratic challengers in the June primary. In November, she beat Republican Eric Anthony Jones.
Sully District: Kathy Smith
First elected to the board in 2016, Smith was re-elected as Sully District Supervisor in November, beating Republican Srilekha Palle.
Previously, Smith served as the Sully District Representative to the Fairfax County School Board for 14 years, including as the chairman three times, according to her county bio. She was also a teacher for seven years and taught in her home state of New Jersey.
Mount Vernon District: Daniel Storck
Storck was first elected as Mount Vernon District Supervisor in 2015 and reelected this fall.
He has developed and owned healthcare, benefits and insurance consulting firms and was previously a school board member from 2004-2015, according to his county bio. Notable resume item: he also was an Abraham Lincoln impersonator.
Braddock District: James Walkinshaw
Walkinshaw, a former chief of staff to Rep. Gerry Connolly, announced his run for the seat to replace Republican John Cook, who retired. He beat Republican Jason Remer and independent candidate Carey Chet Campbell in November.
Walkinshaw previously volunteered as a mentor to at-risk boys through Fairfax County’s Befriend-A-Child program and joined Fairfax County’s Council to End Domestic Violence, according to his campaign website.
He serves on the Board of the Ravensworth Farm Civic Association and is a volunteer with the Friends of Lake Accotink Park, the bio says.
Dranesville District: John Foust
First elected to the board in 2007, Foust was reelected to represent McLean, Great Falls and Herndon residents on the county board. He defeated Republican Ed Martin in the November election.
Originally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Foust has been living in Northern Virginia since 1981 and in McLean since 1987, according to his county bio. Foust worked in steel mills and practiced construction law in Northern Virginia.
Mason District: Penelope Gross
In the November election, Gross was able to keep her seat, defeating Republican Gary Aiken. She was first elected to the board in 1995, according to her county bio.
Previously, she worked as a staffer in various congressional offices, served on the Board of the Lincolnia Park Civic Association and was on the Executive Board of the Mason District Council of Civic Associations, her bio says.
Springfield District: Pat Herrity
Herrity hung onto his seat, beating Democrat Linda Sperling. He was first elected to the board in 2007, according to his campaign website. Herrity’s father was a former chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
With Cook retiring, Herrity will be the only Republican on the board in 2020.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to have their first meeting in 2020 on Jan. 14.
Public schools in Fairfax County are open today (Monday). But a lot of people on social media think they shouldn’t be.
With snow and icy rain last night and this morning, several counties, including Prince William and Loudoun, in the D.C. area have closed or delayed start times today for their public schools.
FCPS announced shortly before 5 a.m. on Twitter their schools would be open and start on time today. By 9 a.m. more than 4,000 tweets were using #closefcps and the hashtag was trending in the U.S. on Twitter.
As of 9 a.m. today, #closefcps is trending on Twitter with more than 4,000 tweets pic.twitter.com/72ivY045kT
— Catherine Douglas Moran (@c_douglasmoran) December 16, 2019
Reston Now spotted many memes, frustration about FCPS not closing and elation over the hashtag’s popularity among the #closefcps tweets.
Let us know what you think about FCPS staying open today.
Hat tip to Kalina Newman
Fairfax County police are looking for four of the five suspects involved in a robbery and assault in Herndon.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 9) in the 13100 block of Parcher Avenue.
“The victim was walking home when five suspects surrounded him,” according to a police report. “They assaulted him and removed personal items.”
Police said that they found one juvenile connected to the robbery after a lookout was provided. The juvenile was charged with robbery.
“The other suspects were described as Hispanic males in their late teens,” police said.
FCPD’s Reston District Station also reported the following incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
11700 block of Arbor Glen Way, license plate from vehicle
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, property from residence
12900 block of Centre Park Circle, purse from vehicle
12000 block of Creekbend Drive, property from residence
11800 block of Freedom Drive, camera from business
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, liquor from business
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, liquor from business
11900 block of Market Street, jewelry from residence
11600 block of Plaza America Drive, wallet from location
1000 block of Preserve Court, license plate from vehicle
12100 block of Sunset Hill Road, electronic device from business
STOLEN VEHICLES:
None reported
On Saturday, Sept. 7, a man was robbed by two men while walking home. The incident occurred in the 1700 block of Ascot Way around 12:30 a.m.
“The men were described as being in their late teens to early 20s,” police said.
File photo
Fairfax County officials’ concerns about safety dominated the county board’s latest discussions about phase two of the Silver Line project.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority reportedly wants to open the six-station second phase from Wiehle-Reston East to Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn next July.
Mark Canale from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation provided the Board of Supervisors with an update on the project today (Tuesday) at the Transportation Committee meeting.
Currently, dynamic testing and safe breaking testing are taking place for the project, he said.
Canale said that there are “four issues that are ongoing right now.” The issues include problems with concrete and leveling.
This isn’t the first time the project has run into problems. Earlier this year, defective concrete rail ties put the tracks out of alignment.
“This is a big project and an important project,” Chairman Sharon Bulova said. “I think it’s absolutely critical that when something is not getting done correctly, that we don’t brush over it and that we hold the contractors’ feet to the fire.”
Braddock District Supervisor John Cook said that the safety concerns should be taken seriously. “It will kill us,” he said.
Cook stressed that he wants transparency and honestly around the issues so that they can get fixed.
“It’s pretty bad when your concrete doesn’t work,” Cook said. “That’s a bad thing.”
In addition to the issues facing the project, Canale said that riders can expect several weekend closures at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station in the coming months as work on the Silver Line project continues.
The first closure — which has been approved already — would last from Oct. 5-7. The following month, riders can expect closures from Nov. 9-12 and Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
Photos courtesy Dusty Smith/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
A temporary fire station in Reston is almost ready for fire and rescue personnel to use while they await their new, permanent station.
Built in the early 1970s, Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25 is set to get demolished this fall and replaced with a new fire station at 1820 Wiehle Avenue.
Construction is set to begin later this year on the new fire station, which will more than double the size of the current department. The project is expected to cost $14.8 million.
“We are not planning a groundbreaking as this new permanent station is a replacement station not a new one to Fairfax County,” Ashley Hildebrandt, a fire department spokesperson, told Reston Now. “We will have a grand opening once the station is built.”
Until the new fire station is finished, fire and rescue personnel will use a temporary fire station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive near the North County Government Center.
The temporary station consists of trailers and a large tent.
“The temporary fire station is in the final stages of construction,” Hildebrandt said. “Personnel are preparing to move into the temporary station in October.”
Reston Now is upping its Instagram game with new photos by a professional photographer.
Jay Westcott recently joined Reston Now — and our sister sites ARLnow and Tysons Reporter — in September as our first full-time photojournalist.
Jay’s 15 years of professional photography experience — he previously worked locally for TBD.com, Politico and the Washington Examiner — will help bring a new visual language to our local news sites and enhance our breaking news coverage.
Check out more of Jay’s photography on our ‘gram (@restonnow).
A community meeting next week will tackle proposed Fairfax Connector changes that would impact riders in Reston and Herndon.
Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is seeking the public’s input on proposed service changes to six routes:
- Route 396: a new route servicing Backlick North Park-and-Ride to the Pentagon
- Route 306: GMU- Pentagon
- Route 395: Gambrill-Pentagon Express
- Route 640: Stone Road-Westfields Boulevard
- Route 650: Chantilly
- Route 950: Herndon-Reston
The proposed changes to the Herndon-Reston adjust the running time on Elden Street on Saturdays heading eastbound and westbound between 3-7 p.m.
FCDOT says that the proposed changes for all of the routes “will improve on-time performance.”
The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at the cafeteria at Eagle View Elementary School at 4500 Dixie Hill Road in Fairfax on Thursday, Sept. 19.
“In addition to the community meeting, Fairfax Connector staff will connect with customers, in-person throughout September, on routes that are affected by the proposed service changes,” according to FCDOT.
People can submit comments until Oct. 1. After reviewing the feedback, FCDOT plans to bring the proposed changes to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this fall.
If approved, riders can expect the changes to go into effect in January.
