Reston Association is adopting a new approach to its collections of member assessments.
RA’s Board of Directors voted to scrap a $2.95 convenience fee that was required for online payments. The organization also launched a new online portal for paying assessments.
In a recent Reston Today video, RA noted that the new portal creates a consolidated way for members to make payments or set up payment plans. The association will no longer accept payments made through the general website or the Webtrac portal.
However, members can also make in-person payments by appointment only. Payment via credit card can also be made by calling RA’s member services department or by dropping off payments in a box outside RA’s headquarters, which are located at 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive.
This year’s assessment will go up by $10. The board decided to approve the increase by a 5-4 vote in late November.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the county is offering mental health first aid courses on virtual platforms.
In previous years, the courses — Metal Health First Aid — were offered in-person by Fairfax-Falls Church Community Service Board‘s Wellness, Health Promotion and Prevention team. The courses offer information about the warning signs and symptoms of mental health concerns.
Below is more from the county on the initiative.
In response to COVID-19, MHFA is now virtual. With updated content and information on trauma and self-care, virtual MHFA participants will continue to learn how to identify, understand, and respond to someone struggling with a mental health concern or misusing substances. The Youth MHFA version includes updated material for adults working with school age children on issues of social media, trauma and bullying. The content is gender neutral and culturally relevant.
Marla Zometsky, Manager of CSB’s Wellness, Health Promotion & Prevention team, says, “No one is immune to mental health concerns. The MHFA training helps to change the discussion around mental health and challenges the stigma associated with mental health which often stops people from getting help.”
Previous MHFA participant Sandra shared with us, “The course greatly helped me to understand how to talk to someone who is exhibiting signs of a possible mental health crisis. Prior to taking this course, I was very uncomfortable discussing these types of issues with anyone.”
Registration and online work is required before attending the courses. Participants must complete a two-hour module and take part in a nearly seven-hour, instructor-led virtual Zoom class.
The registration fee has been waived for the Tuesday, Jan. 12 training.
Depression Photo by Ben Blennerhass/Unsplash
Three men — including two Reston residents — have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the drug-related murder of Michael Cooker in 2018.
Charles Forbes, 30, of Reston, pleaded guilty late last week to using a firearm to commit a drug-related murder. Fredy Alfaro, 36, also of Reston, and Jimmie McCray, 36, of Sterling, also pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the murder and conspiring to distribute marijuana.
Alfaro worked with Cooker and others to ship marijuana from California and sell it in Northern Virginia from January through April of 2018, according to court documents.
When Alfaro and Cooker had an argument over the conspiracy’s profits, Alfaro called McCray and offer him money to physically harm Cooker. The offer came after Cooker and Alfaro argued on April 17, court documents show. McCray told Forbes about Alfaro’s offer, court documents show.
Around 6 a.m. the next day, Cooker, McCray, Forbes and another individual who has not named drove to Chantilly where McCray gives Forbes a revolver.
Forbes left in a separate car with Cooker, pulled over in a wooded area in Fairfax Station, and shot him twice in the head roughly half-an-hour after the group separated. Forbes left his body there, according to police.
Alfaro was sentenced to 21 years in prison, McCray was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Forbes faces a maximum term of life in person when he is sentenced on April 9, 2021.
Tiki Thai, a bar and restaurant, will officially open its doors at 11 a.m. today (Monday) in Reston.
The business, which combines elements of Polynesian and Thai culture, is located at 12100 Sunset Hills Road. The team behind Sense of Thai St. — a popular Thai food restaurant in One Loudoun — is also behind the latest venture in Reston.
Here’s more from the owners on what inspired the business:
While it’s fun to celebrate Polynesian culture, at TIKI THAI we also honor it.Without compromising of integrity and staying true to the history, we aim to deliver the same experience that historians like Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (aka Donn Beach) feel in love with in the early 1930s while traveling the islands of Oceania . Around the same time the kingdom of Siam transitioned to what we know as Thailand today. Thailand’s deep culinary history pays homage to neighboring country’s like Malaysia, Indonesia and India that have heavy influence within every dish.
These two cultures carry a strong heritage worthy of respect and it is our pleasure to share our passion hospitality while honoring both cultures here at TIKI THAI.
This week’s soft opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a lunch special from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and a brunch special on weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers can place orders for curbside pickup and delivery.
Photo via Tiki Thai/Facebook
Big Leasing Activity for Reston — Ranked by square footage, Microsoft Corp.’s lease for nearly 400,000 square feet of space at Reston Town Center was the largest office lease inked in the DC area so far this year. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Association Issues Candidate Call — Three seats are open on the nine-member Board of Directors. All positions are for three-year terms and the deadline for filing as a candidate is Jan. 22. [Reston Association]
What to Expect About Local Vaccinations — The county has rounded up information on what to expect what you receive your COVID-19 vaccine, including common side effects and how the vaccine works. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax Connector will begin resuming fare collection on Jan. 4 following a months-long hiatus that began in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The local bus system will also begin boarding from the front door instead of rear door entry, another move that was undertaken to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The move comes as doses of two vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer are delivered in Virginia and throughout the country to front-line health care workers and individuals in long-term care facilities.
Metro will also begin resuming the collection of bus fares on Jan. 3.
In order to maintain protect passengers and bus operators, the county has installed polycarbonate driver shields on buses. Face coverings continue to be mandatory inside buses.
Since May, staff has given 66,000 face coverings to passengers without masks. Passengers are encouraged to practice social distancing when possible, stay at home if they are sick, and wash hands often with soap and water.
Transdev, the bus systems operations continue, continues to step up cleaning and disinfecting of bus interiors and commonly used areas like door handles and handrails, according to the county.
Students at South Lakes High School will debut their seventh temporary public artwork for the Lake Thoreau spillway in early 2021.
The project, titled Part and Parcel, is made largely from repurposed materials in order to draw attention to ”companies and corporations that could have better systems of disposing unused products and materials,” according to a project description.
Students who are the SLHS STEAM team began creating public artwork for the spillway after a Lake Thoreau resident pitched the idea in 2012. Since then, Reston Association worked with Public Art Reston to launch a partnership.
Students who are part of the team and led by local artist and SLHS art teacher Marco Rando, design, develop and construct pieces of public art. Members then present the concepts to RA’s Design Review Board and Public Art Reston’s public art committee.
”By repurposing materials, we are challenging ourselves to create art out of things that would otherwise be deemed trash,” the students wrote.
Photo via Public Art Reston
Be Wary of Icy Conditions — The county is advising residents to be wary of icy patches and slippery spots on roads and sidewalks this morning until temperatures rise later today. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
New Process for Requesting Park Programs Now Available — ”The Park Authority has a new program request form that makes it easy to register for personalized programs for birthdays, scout gatherings, school enrichment and family fun in parks throughout Fairfax County.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Reston HR Services Contractor In the Spotlight — ”Golden Key Group LLC (GKG) scored a major feather in its cap Wednesday with a contract to provide the Department of Commerce’s human resources information technology services — but that’s just the start for the company, executives said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Photo by Doug Errett
Although last year’s festival was postponed and eventually canceled, organizers anticipate that the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival will be on for 2021.
The festival, which typically takes place in the spring and is hosted by the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), will take place on Sept. 10-12.
“Even with news that a nationwide roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine will be available, there is still uncertainty that an outdoor event will see a return to normalcy by May. We believe taking this proactive step will better ensure that we can safely host our annual vibrant celebration of the arts,” said Jaynelle Hazard, GRACE Executive Director and Curator.
Erica Harrison, GRACE’s associate curator and festival director, added that the same reasons that motivated the center to cancel the festival this year guided decisionmaking for 2021.
“Recent guidelines influenced this decision, including the Governor of Virginia’s modified stay-at-home orders, strongly urging all Virginia residents to limit indoor and outdoor in-person gatherings to no more than 10 people, and the Centers for Disease Control statement encouraging the continuation of social distancing and avoidance of mass gatherings and crowded places.”
Harrison said Boston Properties, its onsite partner and sponsor, could accommodate the new dates.
“The board and staff of Greater Reston Arts Center, and our community partners do not make this decision lightly, knowing how deeply this impacts our artists, our audience, and the organization. We look forward to next year, the Festival’s 30th anniversary, and delivering another culturally-enriching, successful, and safe experience for all.”
Photo via GRACE
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
In accepting the Democratic nomination for president, Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a “new deal” for the “forgotten man.” In the midst of the Great Depression the country responded to Roosevelt’s promise by electing him president four times. The ensuing legislation in the first hundred days of his administration and throughout the subsequent years as president produced a new deal that transformed the government from a laissez-faire approach to a broader role of government in the economy.
Dozens of bills over as many years set up new agencies of government including the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that put people to work on public projects, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) that provided cash subsidies to farmers while controlling the production of staple crops, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that provided cheap electricity and flood control over seven states. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) acts moved the federal government actively into monetary policy. There are many more.
Increasing concerns in recent years over climate change and economic inequality have led to a call for a “green new deal.” While there have been many statements at the national and state levels as to what constitutes a green new deal, the most comprehensive definition is a resolution introduced in Congress in 2019 that calls for transitioning the United States to use 100 percent renewable, zero-emission energy sources, including investment into electric cars and high-speed rail systems, and implementing “social cost of carbon” policies as part of addressing climate change. The resolution also addresses universal health care, increased minimum wage, and preventing monopolies as well as the needs of poor and disadvantaged people.
The Green New Deal Virginia is a coalition that includes environmental organizations as well as civil rights and social justice groups and community-based organizations. For the groups that make up the coalition as well as their objectives, go to greennewdealva.com. A recent article on the movement written by some of its leaders explains that “Virginians right now are facing a multitude of crises that Green New Deal Virginia directly addresses, including the economic downturn, racial and social inequities and the public health emergency. The Green New Deal is innovative because it is not trying to address each crisis in isolation, but instead it is building community around a collective response to these problems, and prioritizing community voices. . .”
In many ways the challenges facing our country and our state–climate change, income inequality, hunger, COVID-19 and health care generally, criminal justice reform and others are somewhat different but at the same time of a similar magnitude as those faced by President Franklin Roosevelt when he promised a new deal to the nation. I support a Green New Deal and like the first New Deal it faces many years of legislative action to be accomplished. A single omnibus bill that promises to meet all its objectives in one action will not be successful. A commitment now to recognize the problems we face and taking the multiple steps to deliver a green new deal can be successful even faster than the dozen years it took President Roosevelt to deliver on his promise.
File photo
Local police have launched an investigation after a person was found in a body of water in Herndon.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the body was found shortly after 5:30 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) in the 1300 block of Pellow Circle Court.
Preliminarily, police say the individual is a woman.
No information on the cause of death was released publicly. More details are expected this week.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances that led to this death. Preliminarily, detectives believe the victim is a woman. https://t.co/fwNi0psycl
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 17, 2020
Reston Hospital Center Staff Receive COVID-19 Vaccine — Dr. David Adler, an anesthesiologist, was first in line to receive the vaccine at Reston Hospital Center. More than 100 physicians, nurses and caregivers received the vaccine at the hospital so far. [Reston Hospital Center]
Icy Roads and Sidewalks Pose Hazards after Yesterday’s Snow — “So far, between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m., FCFRD has responded to two incidents related to people slipping and falling on ice and injuring themselves. If you must be out this morning, walk with care and caution! Walk like a penguin!” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Metrobus to Operate on Moderate Snow Plan — Metrobus will begin service on its moderate snow service plan, in which some routes will be suspended and detours will be in effect on selected routes. Metro will continue to restore conditions as conditions allow. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
FCPD Launches Community Survey on Search for New Police Chief — Fairfax County has hired POLIHIRE to lead the search for the police chief. The firm is seeking input from the community on key characteristics, skills, traits, and issues to consider. [FCPD]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Updated at 3;40 p.m. on Friday — Local police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a series of assaults and robberies that happened in the police districts of Fair Oaks and Reston.
Gerald Brevard III was arrested and charged with burglary and possession of burglarious tools, according to a statement by FCPD released today.
Police made the arrest after Brevard III was found attempting to break into a home on the 13900 block of Mansarde Avenue in Herndon. He was also charged with abduction in relation to an assault in Reston. Other charges are pending.
On Nov. 27, a woman was assaulted in the hallway of a hotel on the 13400 block of Sunrise Valley Drive.
In another incident on Dec. 3, police believe a man entered an apartment complex on the 13500 block of Virginia Randolph Avenue and robbed a woman at gunpoint.
That same day, police believe a man hit a woman as she was walking near the intersection of Centreville Road and Woodland Park Road. The suspect allegedly assaulted the woman and robbed her. She was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.
Detectives believe the offender in the above incidents is the same and is “active” in the area.
Photo via FCPD
The Town of Herndon has officially closed on its transfer of 4.7 acres of town-owned land to Comstock Holding Companies, a move that sets the redevelopment of downtown Herndon into motion.
The public-private partnership between the town of Comstock will create “the centerpiece of Herndon’s revitalization plan for its historic downtown,” according to a recent press release.
“We are excited to have completed this important part of the process and look forward to redeveloping this key piece of downtown Herndon into a vibrant mixed-use development,” said Christopher Clemente, CEO of Comstock.
The mixed-use project was officially approved by the Herndon Historic District Review Board but had been delayed by nearly a year to a number of issues, including ongoing negotiations between the town and the real estate development company.
Once completed, the new mixed-use development, which is next to Herndon’s Old Town Hall, will include 273 residential apartments, 17,300 square feet of retail and cafe space, a new arts center, three public plazas, and a 726-space parking garage.
Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel, who is ending her eight-year term this month, noted that the closing was the “culmination of years of careful planning.”
“Dynamic living spaces, retail, restaurants, the arts – all will come alive in downtown Herndon as a result of our collaboration with Comstock,” she said.
The town will pitch in $3.6 million over the course of the project while the company will be able to take advantage of $2.5 million in tax breaks through a recently established ordinance. The land was transferred at no-cost but under rules governed by a comprehensive agreement signed by both parties. The town will receive public amenities and infrastructure as part of the project.
Photo via Town of Herndon
Several boxes were on fire in the hallway of an apartment building in Herndon on Tuesday morning.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department arrived to the building, which is located in the 12900 block of Mansarde Avenue, at around 9 a.m.
The burning boxes, which had activated the building’s sprinkles, were removed from the building before the fire department arrived.
Crews worked to remove some from the first floor of the building. No injuries were reported.
Units on scene of apartment fire in the 13900 block of Mansarde Avenue in Herndon area. Several boxes on fire in hallway. Sprinklers activated. Boxes taken outside prior to arrival. Fire appears out. Crews working to remove smoke from first floor. No injuries at this time. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/9mkB8yRBBR
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) December 15, 2020
