A local coffee shop has something exciting brewing. Weird Brothers Coffee has opened a second location in Herndon (12825 Worldgate Drive). The first day of business is today (Tuesday).
The community-based and family-run coffee roaster and coffee shop is the first coffee roaster in Herndon (321 Sunset Park Drive).
Brothers Paul and Kenny Olsen, who describe themselves as “weird brothers,” first began serving fresh-roasted coffee from a mobile coffee truck along major commuter routes.
When the coffee hit off, the family opened a location at Sunset Park. Although Kenny passed away soon after the coffee bar opened at the roasting factory, the family continued the business.
Paul, an army veteran, drew his inspiration for quality coffee after traveling to Ethiopia and its ancient city of Harar.
Photo via Weird Brothers Coffee
Public Art Reston is hosting an unveiling of public art on the Colts Neck Road Underpass project — a project that is the amalgamation of hundreds of drawings by community members.
The public unveiling is set for Wednesday (October 16) from 6-7 p.m. The free event will also includes ice cream.
The underpass is accessible from Hunters Woods Village Center and from Hunters Woods at Trails Edge. Parking is available at Hunters Woods Village Center.
The piece is titled “Thoreau’s Ensemble.” Ben Volta, the Philadelphia-based artist behind the work, was inspired by poet Henry David Thoreau’s quote, “Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reference.”
Volta asked community members and residents to draw a path and add components that make Reston stimulating and worthwhile.
The final design was by approved by Reston Association’s Design Review Board earlier this year. The project is made possible through a partnership with Public Art Reston, Atlantic Realty Companies, and RA.
Photo via Public Art Reston
Hudgins Reflects on 20 Years as Supervisor — Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who has been a supervisor for 20 years, fears Reston has lost its welcoming spirit for newcomers. [Washington Business Journal]
CoreSite Announces Opening of New Data Center — “With over 100MW of expected capacity for the Reston Campus Expansion, and the multi-cloud capabilities of the CoreSite platform, we are in a position to deliver the maximum degree of scale, operational flexibility and performance throughout the entire lifecycle of customers’ digital transformation journey,” writes Juan Font, CoreSite’s senior vice president of general management. [Data Economy]
County Offers Held to Prevent Opioid Overdoses — “According to the latest statistics from the Virginia Department of Health, there were 324 fatal overdoses caused by opioids in January-March of 2019 in the commonwealth. Unfortunately, those are the highest first-quarter numbers ever recorded. Twenty-two occurred in Fairfax County.” [Fairfax County Government]
Photo by Jay Westcott
New School Board Policy on Cannabis-Derived Oil in Schools — “The Fairfax County School Board has approved a policy on the storage, dispensing, and administration of cannabidiol oil and THC-A that aligns with Virginia law that became effective on July 1. The policy states that no school nurse or employee of a local health department who is assigned to a public school can be prosecuted for possessing, storing, or distributing cannabidiol (CBD) oil or tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THC-A) oil that has been prescribed via a valid, written certification by a medical professional.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Self-driving Shuttles in Suburbs Like Reston — “A Boston-based startup called Optimus Ride has launched a new self-driving vehicle service in the Washington, DC suburb of Reston, Virginia. On Monday, I traveled to the site, a 45-minute drive from my home in the nation’s capital, to see it first-hand. Since August, the company has been ferrying passengers between a Fannie Mae office building at the site and an overflow parking lot a few minutes’ walk away. But Optimus Ride has much larger ambitions for the site.” [Ars Technica]
Development Surges Along the Silver Line — “While acknowledging the need for housing and concerns about the area’s already high cost of living, Northern Virginia business leaders see the impending arrival of the Silver Line and its surrounding development as critical for the economic future of not just Fairfax and Loudoun, but the region as a whole.” [Fairfax County Times]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
A major mixed-use development near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station is barrelling its way towards the county’s approval.
In a unanimous vote last night (Thursday), the Fairfax County Planning Commission approved TF Cornerstone’s Campus Commons project, which would redevelop 12 acres of land into two residential towers with 656 units, an office buildings, and several parks. The plan preserves two office buildings currently on the site.
The proposal — which is the last major block of developable land near the Metro station that is in the books — has attracted community concerns for its scale, impacts on traffic, compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods, and pedestrian connectivity.
In response to feedback from the commission at a previous meeting and community criticism, TF Cornerstone removed roughly 86,550 square feet from an office building fronting Sunrise Valley Drive, reducing the massing of the building from 12 to seven stories. The developer shuffled most of the removed square footage to the residential towers, which sit deeper within the site. The setback along the curb of Sunrise Valley Drive was also increased to a minimum of 50 feet.
Preliminarily, TF Cornerstones is proposing to add an at-grade crosswalk at Wiehle Avenue near the off-ramps to the Dulles Toll Road — a component of the plan that residents warned poses safety concerns for pedestrians.
The developer also agreed to embark on an up-to-three-year study to explore options with the county and the Virginia Department of Transportation for a tunnel or a pedestrian bridge.
“This is the first applicant to take this on,” said Hunter Mill District Planning Commission John Carter.
Carter said the developer did a good job of amending its plans in response to feedback from the county and residents.
The plan heads to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for a vote on Tuesday (Oct. 15).
Image via Fairfax County Government/handout
Although Flavors of Fall will not be happening this year, residents can still enjoy the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s Reston Pumpkin 5K and Kids Pumpkin Dash on Sunday (Oct. 13). The race kicks off at 8:15 a.m. at Reston Town Center and the pumpkin dash kicks off at 9:15 a.m.
Participants are encouraged to debut their Halloween costumes. Today (Friday) is the last day to take advantage of the early registration rate $30 per person. Prices rise to $35 per person over the weekend.
Participants in the pumpkin dash — which is open to children age 14 and under — are divided into heats based on age. Distances vary from 20 to 100 yards based on the age of participants.
Tomorrow (Oct. 12)
- Indie Author Day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) — Drop by and meet local writer sin the community at Reston Regional Library. Books will be available for sale and signing.
- ArtSplash for Adults (2-4 p.m.) — Create your own masterpiece in this workshop led by artists from Abrakadoodle Northern Virginia.
Sunday (Oct. 13)
- Bird Walks (7:30-10:30 a.m.) — Search for birds in some of Reston’s most beautiful areas at this walk, which is co-sponsored by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store.
- History of World War II (2-4 p.m.) — Harry Butowsky, a George Mason University professor, continues his six-part lecture series on the war at Reston Regional Library.
- Book Launch Party with Sen. Janet Howell (2 p.m.) — Howell and her daughter-in-law, Theresa Howell, will introduce their new book, “Leading the Way: Women in Power,” at Scrawl Books.
- Sunday Afternoon Dance (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Dancers of all skill levels are invited for an afternoon of dance at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Each session is $5 for Reston residents and $10 for all others.
- Country Western Dance (5:30-7:30 p.m.) — Western dance is the focus of this evening session at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Each session is $5 for Reston residents and $10 for all others.
Photo by Chip McCrea
Reston Association’s 2020-2021 budget, which would increase member assessments by five percent, will likely include across-the-board salaries increases for all staff. The move, which allocates $1 million over the next two years for salary and benefit increases, comes in response to unprecedented turnover last year and ongoing concerns related to staff recruitment and retention.
Last night (Thursday), RA’s Board of Directors also voted to approve reclassifying the positions of four staff members — whose names and salaries were not disclosed — because their positions were misclassified by RA. Board member Ven Iyer — who frequently challenged matters discussed by the board throughout the meeting — was the lone dissenting vote.
The board’s decisions were guided by a compensation study authorized by RA CEO Hank Lynch and conducted by Archer Company, a South-Carolina based firm that offers human resource management.
The study provided the basis for a one-time salary increase of 2.6 percent for all employees to “offset [the] recent below market merit pool,” as well as an increase in retirement match contributions and ensuring salaries are at or above the market rate within five years of service.
In 2020, the draft budget calls for nearly $227,594 in merit increases, $166,547 for a one-time salary increase, $132,277 to elevate salaries to the market midpoint, and $74,832 to match benchmarks by adjusting 401k matches. In 2021, roughly $445,960 in salary and benefits-related increases are also planned.
The board also expressed support for a documented compensation philosophy that aims to attract talent and offer salaries and benefits that are similar to comparable entities.
Board member John Mooney said the proposed compensation philosophy was “very balanced” and ensures RA is competitive with other similar employers, including the staff in municipal or county-level government positions in Fairfax and Arlington counties.
Iyer questioned if the comparison of RA to public entities with significantly larger budgets and resources was appropriate.
He also challenged the labeling of several documents received by the board with disclaimers like “RA board’s eyes only” and “extremely confidential” — a move that he said violates members’ trust because the materials were unrelated to contractual or business matters. RA declined to release the materials referenced by Iyer to Reston Now.
RA’s general counsel, Anthony Champ, said the documents were provided as background information to the board and their confidentiality could be assessed if an RA member requested the materials.
The organization’s fiscal committee was not consulted about the salary and benefits increases, Iyer, who is the board’s committee liaison, also stated.
The majority of the board, however, concurred with the need to increase salaries in accordance with the Archer study’s recommendations.
Board President Cathy Baum said the proposed salary and benefits increases were “logical” — challenging Iyer’s assertion that the board was acting based on emotion, not fact.
Iyer, however, said the Archer study was not prescriptive and instead pitched broad recommendations that were subject to the scrutiny of the board.
As the budget heads for adoption in November, Lynch said he hopes RA’s new outlook on compensation and benefits will provide market-based incentives to recruit and retain top talent.
Photo via YouTube/RA
Reston Association to Hold Public Hearing on Budget — RA’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the 2020-2021 biennial budget on Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters. The budget is set to be approved by the board in November. [Reston Association]
Mentoring Program at South Lakes High School Kicks Off — “DIAMONDS (Determined, Intelligent, Ambitious, Motivated, Original, Nifty, Dazzling, Strength) is a mentoring program for young minority women-led by Angel Scott and Lisa Girdy. The program’s mission is to inspire, transform, and educate young ladies on how to be successful in every area of life. DIAMONDS kicked off its second year with many returning students, some new students, volunteers from the community, and dedicated South Lakes staff members who serve as mentors.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Reston-based Company partners with Leading Cloud Security Company — “FireEye, a publicly traded cybersecurity company with an office in Reston, Virginia, is partnering with cloud security company iboss to provide a joint tech solution for cloud-based cyber threat protection.” [Technical.ly]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
Parents and disability rights groups are suing Fairfax County Public Schools for allegedly improperly secluding and restraining students with disabilities, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges that the school system used practices to “silence, detain, segregate and punish students with disabilities,” according to the complaint.
One of the parents suing the school system — Jennifer Tidd — lives in Reston. Her 12-year-old son attended Kilmer Center, a public special education school operated by the county in Vienna.
“Tidd’s son was secluded on at least 745 occasions and excluded from class several hundred more times over seven years, according to court papers,” the Washington Post reported.
The Fairfax County Public School system told the following to the post:
The parents, Jennifer Tidd, Pamela Ononiwu and Ashley Thomas, are accusing the 189,000-student school system of using the practices to “silence, detain, segregate, and punish students with disabilities,” according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Fairfax school officials said they have completed a thorough and independent review of seclusion and restraint guidelines, and added staff, increased training and appointed an ombudsman for special education. The school system also created a task force to look at best practices for restraint and seclusion. The parents who filed the lawsuit lambasted that task force as a “public relations ploy.”
“We acknowledge that the use of restraint and seclusion is an especially sensitive and challenging issue and is appropriate only when less restrictive alternatives fail,” Superintendent Scott Brabrand said in statement released late Tuesday. “We will continue to base our procedures and practices on that guiding principle.”
A March investigation by WAMU found that some Fairfax County schools isolated or restrained students and failed to report the incidents to the federal government. The investigation featured the stories of parents whose children were restrained at Armstrong Elementary in Reston and other area schools.
File photo
Reston Association’s Board of Directors will discuss the 2020-2021 budget at a special meeting tonight (Thursday).
The board is considering a five percent increase in member assessments for next year — amounting to roughly $728 per year.
Agenda materials have not been released yet. In response to questions from Reston Now about staff compensation and the future of RA’s pools, a spokesperson for RA said topics related to staff compensation would be addressed at the meeting.
Agenda materials have not been released yet, but the draft agenda covers the following topics:
- Staff’s compensation philosophy
- Findings of a staff compensation report
- Sponsorship revenue plans and assumption
- Existing programs and activities
- Activities that will not happen in 2020
- Ways to modify RA’s current assessment
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at RA’s headquarters.
Photo via YouTube
The developer of a proposed 13-story apartment building near Reston Town Center has filed an appeal against the county’s decision to deny the project earlier this year.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission denied the project in June due its size and scale. NS Reston is proposing to build a 58-unit residential building on the north side of New Dominion Parkway.
The site, which is currently vacant, is next to the Paramount Condominium building and the Winwood Children’s Center, which is approved for a mixed-use building with 125 dwelling units. The county’s planning documents place a 746 unit cap on the two sites, including NS Reston’s project area.
Planning Commissioners said NS Reston’s proposal would exceed the planned density in that area, which is known in planning jargon as Reston Town Center Park 5. The site was also previously marked as a park for more than 20 years.
“There’s some density left, but not 58 units worth,” said Planning Commissioner John Carter at a June 19 meeting, adding that the proposal does not promote circulation and access in a congested area with a major intersection.
The appeal request heads to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct 15.
Renderings via NS Reston/Fairfax County Government
It’s been 50 years since humans first stepped on the surface of the moon. To celebrate the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission, the Reston Historic Trust & Museum is hosting a special exhibit until the end of the year.
The traveling exhibit, which is called Destination Moon: The Apollo Mission, features posters provided by the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibition service and developed with the National Air and Space Museum.
The exhibit features the command module Columbia — the only portion of the spacecraft to return from the mission in 1961 — as well as other mission-related objects.
Here’s more from Smithsonian about the exhibit tour:
The Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission traveling exhibition will bring the iconic Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia to four cities–its first national tour since 1970/71. The exhibition will also include one-of-a-kind artifacts from this historic mission. Organized in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission tour will launch in 2017 and will travel through 2019. Eyes will be on the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, which is slated to host the exhibition during the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing in 2019. The Museum in Washington, DC, plans to mark the historic occasion by displaying Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit–made possible through our Kickstarter campaign Reboot the Suit.
The Reston Historic Trust & Museum is open Monday through Saturday and is located at 1639 Washington Plaza-N.
The exhibit is made possible with the support of Jeff and Bezos, Joe Clark, Bruce R. McCaw Family Foundation, the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, John and Susann Norton, and Gregory D. and Jennifer Walston Joh
Photos courtesy NASA
Meet the Artist: Peter Fraize — Meet Fraize, a saxophonist and George Washington University professor, today at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage from 2:15-3:30 p.m. Fraize is best known for his freestyle jazz. [Reston Community Center]
Reston Association Board to Discuss Budget Today — RA’s Board of Directors will hold a budget workshop today at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters. The 2020-2021 budget includes a five percent assessment increase for members. [Reston Association]
County Fire Station to Host Open Houses — All Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Departments will host an open house this Saturday (Oct. 12) from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Residents can meet firefighters and learn about fire safety. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The League of Fairfax Women Voters is hosting a candidate forum on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The forums is for candidates in Senate Districts 3 and 33, as well as the representative for the Hunter Mill District on the Fairfax County School Board.
The discussion takes place at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road) from 3-5 p.m. Students interested in volunteering can sign up online. Registration for the event is encouraged, but not required.
After a moderated discussion, candidates will answer questions from the audience.
Two candidates — Laura Ramirez Drain and Melanie Meren — are running for the Hunter Mill District seat on the school board after incumbent Hunter Mill District Representative Pay Hynes said she will not seek re-election.
Photo via League of Women Voters of Fairfax County
An office building half a mile away from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station is likely to be demolished soon.
According to county permits, a developer is seeking to demolish the building on 1808 Michael Faraday Court, which is located off of Sunset Hills Road. Approvals are in progress. The project is a joint venture with Rick Whealan and Faraday Partners LLC.
The company plans to build a Faraday Court Self Storage, a storage facility with 93,700-square-feet of rentable space on the site. The site would be managed by Self Storage Plus, which has 37 locations in the Maryland, Northern Virginia and West Virginia.
Arcland, a DC-based real estate development company, anticipates completing the project in the third quarter of next year.
File photo
