Founded in 1742, Fairfax County was named after landowner Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

This weekend, Lord Fairfax — the 14th, to be exact — is coming back. Lord Nicholas Fairfax, a direct descendant of the county’s name-bearer, will be the guest of honor during Fairfax County’s 275th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the area of the historic Fairfax County Courthouse (4000 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax).

Lord Fairfax’s visit is just one of many items on the jam-packed schedule for the celebration. Among other items on the agenda:

• Over 80 county historical sites and organizations, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Gunston Hall, all Fairfax County Park Authority historical attractions, Fort Belvoir, the Fairfax County History Commission and the Workhouse Arts Center
• Three entertainment areas with performances and family-friendly activities
• Various living history encampments and interactive storytelling
• Historic Fairfax Courthouse tours and talks
• Children’s activity area with different craft and project opportunities
• A petting zoo
• Antique service vehicles on display from county first responder agencies
• Historical plaque dedication honoring Revolutionary War soldiers from Fairfax County

Both admission and parking at the event, which is scheduled to be held rain or shine, will be free. Food trucks will be available.

Opportunities to volunteer at the event are still available.

For more information, visit the event’s website or find it on Facebook, or email [email protected].

Melissa Romano had a memorable birthday Friday.

“It’s like the best birthday party ever,” said Romano, co-owner of Lake Anne Brew House. “There’s nothing like having the governor sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to you.”

Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s visit to Lake Anne Brew House was the end of an eventful week for the nanobrewery. Monday, they were one of only two breweries in the state to be honored with three medals at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup.

McAuliffe toured the brewpub while also shaking hands and posing for photos with the crowd that had gathered for his arrival. McAuliffe gave a short stump speech on the patio, encouraging residents to participate in Tuesday’s primary election.

Romano said McAuliffe has been a good friend of the craft-brewing industry.

“He invited all of the brewery owners in Virginia to the [Governor’s] Mansion last summer, and invited us all to bring beer for the best backyard keg party ever,” she said. “He is incredibly supportive of the craft-brewing community in the state and has done great things to help get some good legislation passed that supports breweries like ours.”

McAuliffe said he is attempting to visit every craft brewery in the state. Friday’s stop at Lake Anne put him at about 75, he said. There are close to 200 breweries statewide.

“It’s hard [to get to them all] when we’re opening one or two more a week,” McAuliffe said. “[Craft breweries] help farmers, they bring tourists in — all across the state, people love craft breweries.”

Heat Wave Continues — It was hot over the weekend and high temperatures are expected to get into the 90s again for the next couple days. Fairfax County wants residents to be aware of the dangers of extreme heat. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Volunteers Still Needed for ‘Taste’ — Organizers of the Taste of Reston, scheduled for this weekend at Reston Town Center, say they are still in need of some volunteers for Friday and Saturday night shifts. [Taste of Reston]

Utility Work Starts Tomorrow Night — Crews will be doing utility relocation work at the main entrance to the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride, located at the intersection of Sunrise Valley Drive and Roark Street. The work is expected to be take about three weeks. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

Park Authority Unveils Web Feature — Fairfax County parks including nearby Frying Pan Farm Park and Riverbend Park are part of a new interactive webpage that includes photos, videos and more. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Lake Anne is always a nice spot for a photo op, but it’s now just a little more “LOVE”-ly.

Workers from the Virginia Tourism Corporation arrived at Lake Anne Plaza on Friday afternoon with four big letters in tow. The “LOVE” display, 16 feet long and over six feet high, will be at the plaza through Wednesday. It was set up to frame the statue of Reston founder Bob Simon within the O.

Maurisa Potts, Lake Anne Plaza public relations representative, said the application from VTC she had to fill out to be considered for the display asked what makes the location special.

“It’s the birthplace of Reston, with the charm and the character, and we thought we were worthy of [the display],” Potts said. “It also ties in nicely with the Chalk on the Water festival, our big public art event.”

Chalk on the Water will be taking place Saturday and Sunday at Lake Anne Plaza. More than 200 plots are marked on the plaza’s bricks, to be filled with artwork from artists in four categories: family/elementary, family/junior and senior high school, amateur artists, and professional artists.

The “LOVE” display is part of the Virginia Is For Lovers campaign, designed to promote vacation experiences throughout the state. Visitors to any LOVE display throughout the state are encouraged to take their picture with it and share it on social media using the hashtag #LoveVA. The “LOVE” display was last in Reston in 2015, when it was set up in Fountain Square at Reston Town Center.

Potts said she is hopeful the display and the chalk festival will both shine a spotlight on what the plaza has to offer.

“We definitely want people to be aware of our independent businesses here, that have deep roots here,” Potts said. “Just show the love for the little guys, that’s what we like to say.”

Dr. Scott Brabrand began his time at Fairfax County Public Schools in a Herndon High School classroom in 1994.

Brabrand, who on Thursday was confirmed as FCPS’ new superintendent, worked five years as a social-studies teacher at HHS before moving into administration. According to FCPS, during that time Brabrand “founded a Model United Nations Club at the school, mentored new teachers and proposed a new teacher education initiative, and redesigned the county’s U.S. and Virginia government Program of Studies to align with new state and national standards.”

Brabrand then became an assistant principal at Herndon High and an associate principal at Lake Braddock Secondary School before being named principal at Fairfax High School in 2005. He was promoted to FCPS cluster assistant superintendent in 2009 before leaving to become superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools, where he has been for the past five years. He was named Region V Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents this year.

“Dr. Brabrand brings a wealth of experience in education and a broad perspective to the job of superintendent,” said Sandy Evans, Fairfax County school board chair. “His collaborative leadership style and his knowledge of Fairfax County schools will be strong assets for him as the new superintendent. We look forward to working with him as we move forward to improve salaries for our teachers and ensure our students are prepared for college and beyond when they graduate.”

Brabrand has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service; a master’s degree in education from George Washington University; and completed his doctorate in educational administration as part of Virginia Tech’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program.

Brabrand’s tenure in the position will begin July 10 and he’s been contracted through the 2020-21 school year. His starting salary is $290,000, FCPS spokesperson John Torre confirmed.

Former FCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza left the post in December, just months after getting a four-year contract extension. Dr. Steven Lockard has served as interim superintendent.

Photo courtesy Fairfax County Public Schools

Amazon Web Services will use the One Dulles Tower (13200 Woodland Park Road, Herndon) as a new East Coast corporate campus, bringing up to 1,500 new jobs to the area.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced the news Thursday. According to the FCEDA:

“The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the General Assembly’s Major Employment and Investment (MEI) Commission to secure this project for Virginia. Upon the hiring of 600 new employees, AWS will be eligible to receive $7,000 per net new job created, up to 1,500 total jobs, through a custom performance state grant approved by the governor and the MEI Commission.”

“Any community would be thrilled to have this employer and this kind of corporate presence,” said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the FCEDA. “I am delighted the county’s IT base, workforce and quality of life offer the right mix for the company.”

Also Thursday, Ellucian — a global provider of higher education software and services — announced its new corporate headquarters at 2003 Edmund Halley Drive.

“The growth of the greater Reston area is due in no small part to the innovative technology companies that make up our community,” said Del. Ken Plum (D-Fairfax) during the grand-opening ceremony. “The addition of Ellucian’s headquarters to the Dulles Technology Corridor continues this growth and brings a great value to Reston and the broader economy in Virginia. We welcome Ellucian’s expansion and thank them for their valued partnership.”

In addition, government defense contractor SAIC has announced that it will be moving its headquarters to the building it leases at 12010 Sunset Hills Road. The transition of its home base from McLean to Reston will be effective July 1.

Image at top via OneDullesTower.com; image at bottom courtesy Ellucian

Good news for swimmers: After being out of action last weekend, Lake Audubon Pool will re-open Saturday.

Mike Leone, Reston Association communications director, says Dominion Energy has finished its work to repair damage to a drainage pipe caused by a subcontractor. The damage was caused when the worker was digging a trench between junction boxes, said Laura Kowalski, Reston Association’s deputy director for recreation.

“Lake Audubon Pool has been repaired and will open [Saturday] on its regular schedule,” Leone said Friday morning. “Dominion Energy and their contractors repaired the damage and the bathhouse will be cleaned and sanitized today so it’s ready for member use tomorrow.”

The problem was first discovered when standing water was found in the bathhouse last week. A blockage in the drainage pipe was later cleared by Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service, but a crack in the pipe was found that forced the pool to be closed until repairs were completed.

The work was done at no cost to Reston Association, Leone said.

The pool will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Boston Properties’ plans for a 28-acre site between the W&OD Trail and Sunset Hills Road would provide a connection between the Reston Town Center Metro station and RTC itself.

According to the latest edition of The Fairfax Newsletter, the 3.94 million-square feet of mixed-use development that is proposed for the site would include up to 1.69 million square feet of residential space, up to 1.67 million square feet of office space, up to 509,000 square feet of hotel space, and up to 185,400 square feet of retail/restaurant space. Construction would take place on nine blocks, in two phases. A 1.56-acre central area — designed to “invoke the successes” of places like the Mosaic District — is also proposed for the property.

A pedestrian bridge is proposed over Sunset Hills Road to connect the property to the future Metro station, with a “Gateway Plaza” that may include retail and a “noteworthy restaurant.” In addition, extension of Library Street from Reston Town Center to Reston Gateway is proposed; however, that would require approval from both the county and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, as it would cross the W&OD Trail.

The property currently is the home of two office buildings, Reston Corporate Center I and II, which would be demolished to make room for the new development.

The site, a portion of which is currently being used as a parking area for Metro construction, is part of the Reston Planned Residential Community (PRC) District. Under a proposed amendment to the PRC zoning ordinance, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors could approve the development to include population density in excess of 50 dwelling units per acre, which is the current cap.

The plans for the property call for between 1,502 and 1,688 units.

Images via Boston Properties

(Note: This is an update to a story that appeared Monday on Reston Now.)

Hoarding at a home in South Reston exacerbated a fire over the weekend, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue says.

The fire at 2288 Dosinia Court started just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday. Fire officials say the blaze was the “result of the ignition of cooking oil spilled on the propane burner in use inside of the garage,” and it “quickly spread to nearby cardboard boxes.”

A fire department press release says “hoarding conditions found on all levels of the home” hindered efforts to put out the fire. A neighbor told Reston Now on Monday that she believed rooms in the home were being rented out and there were sometimes as many as a dozen cars in the cul-de-sac. A Google Street View image of the address, taken in September 2014, shows six cars outside the home.

According to a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue press release:

“The fire was discovered by one of the occupants who was cooking on a propane fueled burner in the garage. She alerted the remaining sleeping occupants, exited the structure, and called 911. All other occupants safely evacuated the home prior to fire department arrival. The home was equipped with one battery operated smoke alarm on each level. All of the smoke alarms, except the one in the basement, were found to be disabled (battery removed).”

One occupant was transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and no firefighters were injured. Red Cross assistance was offered to the residents, but it was declined.

Damages as a result of the fire were estimated to be approximately $120,000.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave its seal of approval to plans to widen Leesburg Pike (Route 7) from Reston to Tysons.

The Virginia Department of Transportation project will involve nearly seven miles of Route 7, between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive, which is just before the Dulles Toll Road interchange. Supervisors approved the plan, with two minor amendments, as it was presented at a public hearing in November. (View information shared and discussed at that meeting here.)

“[This has been] a long-awaited case,” Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said at the meeting prior to the vote.

This is the latest stage of VDOT’s work to add two lanes to the heavily traveled highway, bringing it to six overall. They also plan to add facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and make “substantial intersection and other improvements” along the corridor. Those improvements, according to VDOT, will include constructing a partial interchange at Baron Cameron Avenue to reduce congestion.

A rendering provided by VDOT shows the Baron Cameron interchange will have the eastbound lanes of Route 7 traveling under the road, connected via ramps. Westbound lanes will continue to face a stoplight at the intersection.

According to 2011 traffic counts provided by VDOT, the stretch of Route 7 carries between 46,000 and 54,000 vehicles per day. That number is expected to increase to 73,000 to 86,000 by 2040, VDOT says.

Anticipated cost of the project is $234 million. VDOT is expected to put out its request for proposals on the project later this year. Work is planned to start in late 2020 and last until 2025.

Rendering and map courtesy Virginia Department of Transportation

Reston’s only brewery represented the community well at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup earlier this week.

Lake Anne Brew House was honored with three awards during the event Monday in Richmond, presented by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. The nanobrewery earned a first-place award for best Belgian ale with its New Year’s Golden Ale; a second-place award for best brown British ale for its Beer Run Recovery Ale; and a third-place award for best British pale ale for its Lord Fairfax English Pale Ale.

“We were one of only two breweries in the state to win three medals, which is kind of cool,” said Melissa Romano, the brew house’s co-owner. “We were super-excited about our medals.”

The beers will be showcased in the brew house in the weeks and months to come, Romano said. Their New Year’s Golden Ale (aka 2017 Golden Strong Ale) had been meant as a New Year’s Eve one-off, she said, but they are now re-arranging their brewing schedule to bring it back. The golden ale will also be served at the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest in August, and Romano said they are considering entering it in the Great American Beer Festival.

“It will make its return to the taproom, much to the delight of everyone who thought they weren’t going to get it again until next winter,” Romano said.

A total of 356 beers across 24 categories were considered for the awards. A team of 40 judges selected the honorees, and a full list of winners is available here.

These are not the first awards for Lake Anne Brew House. Its Lord Fairfax EPA and Reston Red Ale were honored with second- and third-place awards in the 2016 Craft Beer Cup, just months after the brew house opened that spring.

“We set out in this business to just make really high-quality beer, not to be too crazy and experimental, not to do too many trendy things,” Romano said. “Jason [Romano, Melissa’s husband and brew house co-owner] is a fantastic brewer, and our assistant brewers are also incredibly skilled. … They know what they’re doing. They’re trying to nail the style standards, and I guess they’re succeeding.”

Lake Anne Brew House was also recently honored by readers of Virginia Living magazine as Northern Virginia’s best local craft brewery. Romano said the brewery’s customer base has been incredibly supportive from day one.

“We love them and they love us,” she said. “I’m glad to know that we’re making people happy.”

For more information on Lake Anne Brew House, check out its website or find it on Facebook.

Photo courtesy Lake Anne Brew House/Facebook

Students who attend Herndon High School will be seeing some big changes in the fall — including more outdoor classrooms and fewer parking spaces.

Construction to expand the school is scheduled to begin during the late fall or early winter. The first phase — which will add an additional wing to the rear of the building and an addition to the front of the building where the new library, main office, and administrative and counseling offices will be situated — is expected to take about two years.

According to information distributed by the school earlier this week, they are already preparing for that first phase of construction, including by adding 46 new duplex and quad trailers that will be used to house displaced classrooms. There were already 27 trailers on campus to accommodate overall student growth, meaning the total number of trailers next school year will represent “more outdoor classrooms than indoor ones.” An outdoor restroom facility is also being brought in.

“Though construction will not actually be in full swing until December or January, staff will be packing up for the big move at the end of this school year. Our goal is to minimize disruptions throughout the next school year, so students will start the school year in the assigned trailers,” the school says in the statement. “While we cannot promise some immediate room changes will not happen occasionally throughout the renovation, we are working to reduce the impact of these changes as much as we can.”

The parking situation at the school will also be seriously impacted by the construction work, the school says. The number of available parking spaces for students will be slashed by three-quarters, from 377 to 90. A lottery system will accommodate student parking requests, with applications available beginning next week.

“Seniors will be chosen first based on parking availability on the school campus before this school year ends,” the statement reads. “In August, a second lottery will take place based on additional spaces acquired through our [community partnerships]. Juniors will be selected once all seniors have a space.”

Students are also reminded in the statement that parking on neighborhood streets is off-limits unless special arrangements have been made by the school. In addition, the school says, carpooling will be “strongly recommended” for athletic events, concerts and other major school activities.

The full renovation of the school, which is to include 138,558 square feet of additions and modifications that will expand the school to 431,000 square feet with a capacity for 2,500 students, will include:

• Phase 1: Add an additional wing to the rear of the building. Add an addition to the front of the building where the new library, main office, and administrative and counseling offices will be situated.
• Phase 2: Renovate locker rooms, art rooms and Gourmet Foods room. Expand the main gym and renovate the auxiliary gym.
• Phase 3: Create new wrestling/gymnastics room, renovate music rooms and the auditorium. Update baseball and softball structures.
• Phase 4: Modify the cafeteria, creating a “food court” design, renovate the stadium press box and complete tennis courts.

The addition was approved as part of the Fairfax County Public Schools Fiscal Year 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Program.

Rendering via Fairfax County Public Schools

Backpacks Checked Out at Festival — Herndon Police say abandoned backpacks Friday and Saturday at the Herndon Festival brought out the department’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. No threat was found in either case. [Herndon Police Department]

SLHS Student-Athletes Honored — Spring sports players at South Lakes High School were honored Monday night for their performances on and off the field. [South Lakes Athletics]

Official Name Change for RTC Street — The private street at Reston Town Center that is home to The Avant, CVS, Barcelona and Bartaco is officially known as Town Square. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, as an administrative item, approved a name change to Town Square Street. [Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]

Area Player to Go High in MLB Draft — Ashburn’s J.B. Bukauskas, a Stone Bridge High School grad and a star pitcher at the University of North Carolina, is projected to be picked in the Top 7 of next week’s Major League Baseball Draft. [EIN Presswire]

(This article was updated at 1:45 p.m. after additional information was provided by Fairfax County Fire & Rescue.) 

A firefighter battling a townhouse blaze at Lake Anne early Wednesday morning is OK after falling through a collapsed floor.

Crews responded to the scene in the 1600 block of Greenbriar Court at approximately 5:07 a.m., where a three-story unit had fire showing from the rear. After an aggressive 20 minutes, the fire was brought under control, and no extension was found.

Via Twitter, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue reported one firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening injury. The firefighter, who was examined at the hospital for minor injuries and has since been released, fell through a floor while working the incident. One adult male and one adult female were displaced as a result of the fire.

Update 1600 Greenbriar Ct: firefighter who was injured checked out and released from hospital. pic.twitter.com/AxvweUawdm

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 7, 2017

Fairfax Fire and Rescue reported the cause of the fire to be accidental, from a junction box supplying electrical power to a recessed light above the basement ceiling.

Damages from the fire are estimated to cost about $125,000.

Photos courtesy Suzanne Zurn and Fairfax County Fire & Rescue 

Lake Audubon Pool was closed last weekend, and it remains unknown when it will again be available for fun in the sun.

A broken drainage pipe discovered last week resulted in the facility being shut down until further notice. Laura Kowalski, Reston Association’s deputy director for recreation, says a subcontractor of Dominion Energy caused the damage while digging a trench between junction boxes.

“Dominion is working toward getting that piece remedied, so that we can open the facility,” Kowalski said, adding that recent rain will likely delay the effort.

The Lake Audubon Swim Team has been relocated to another pool, Kowalski said. According to its website, all practices will be at Newbridge Pool “until further notice.” Kowalski said the facility may change again in the future.

No re-open date for Lake Audubon Pool is yet available, Kowalski said, but there has been “regular contact” with the power company to try to push the work forward.

In addition, last weekend the pools at Golf Course Island, North Hills and Uplands went down due to maintenance issues. Kowalski said those problems have been attended to and the pools will be reopened next weekend for regularly scheduled hours.

“With any organization that has outdoor facilities, there are issues that arise as a result of not being in operation over the winter months,” Kowalski said. “A lot of those things are detected early and they are taken care of before the pool is even open, that’s wave one. Wave two is once the facility has people and staff, then other issues arise, and that’s pretty normal for each year.”

Kowalski said there are 33 bodies of water at Reston Association facilities — pools, spas and spray features. Backup motors for each type of facility are kept in stock and replenished as necessary.

For more information about available Reston Association pools, check the 2017 pool schedule.

“There are so many facilities in Reston for people to go to,” Kowalski said. “There really is something else very close by [if there is a pool closure].”