Cornerstones, a Reston-based nonprofit organization that offers housing stability program in Northern Virginia, has won a $125,000 grant award from Chick-fil-A.

The organization was one of 34 national winners selected for Chick-fil-A’s True Inspiration Awards. The grant will support Cornerstones’ homeless prevention, emergency shelter, and housing stability programs, including the Embry Rucker Community Shelter.

Kerrie Wilson, Cornerstones’ CEO, said her team is “incredibly honored” to receive the award.

“The foundation’s investment in our community will amplify our capacity to swift triage people struggling in our community,” she said.

The True Inspiration Awards program was created five years ago to honor the legacy of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy. The program supports nonprofit organizations that work in the areas of education, hunger and homelessness.

Larry Schwartz, chairman of Cornerstones’ Board of Directors, said the grant will help support the organization’s wrap-around services and programs “so vulnerable neighbors can rebuild stability and resiliency by securing affordable, long-term housing, provide quality education programs for their children, and obtain valuable living-wage job skills so they can go back to work in our community.”

Cornerstones’ was nominated by Larry Everett, owner and operator of the Chick-fil-A in North Point Village Center.

Photo via Cornerstones

The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch for much of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, for early Wednesday morning, forecasting a day of strange, wet weather for local residents.

The county is also under a winter weather advisory after the NWS predicted yesterday afternoon that the area will see between one and three inches of snow and sleet accumulation. That advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. today to 1 a.m. on Thursday.

According to the NWS, potential flooding could take place from 4 p.m. today through Thursday morning. The agency is projecting that the D.C. area will see one to two inches of rainfall, which could lead to isolated flooding, especially when coupled with earlier precipitation.

“You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings,” the NWS said. “Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.”

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

An exhibit featuring Chinese brush painting on silk and paper is on display at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods through Jan. 4.

The exhibit, titled “Naturescape Narrations,” features the 6,000-year-old Chinese art form with an animal-centric display.

Here’s more from artist Tracie Griffith Tso, who began painting her first brushstrokes at the age of 12 at a studio in California:

“Compositions strive to be interactive, and success is when they prompt a reaction, an emotion. Whether it be the adoration of slumbering rabbits, disgust of pesky squirrels, tranquility from a gliding fish, heartbeat of the cantering horse. Interactions are central, either between the rendered subjects or with the artwork and the viewer. Connecting with consciousness and tapping into the experience of a viewer is what drives deeper art. A story is told by ink: The flight of an insect, the posture of a bear, the glance of a bird. These tales are yours to decipher, let them flow like a brush trailing on paper,” she added.

Griffith Tso, who lives with her husband in Reston, specializes in Chinese flower-bird painting. She lectures and teaches about Chinese brush painting across the country.

The exhibit is on display through Jan. 4. Paintings are on display in the main area and masks are required in the county-run facility. The hours are 9 a.m. to 9. p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Photo via Tracie Griffith Tso

Fairfax County residents struggling to pay their water bills can now apply to Fairfax Water for payment assistance.

The not-for-profit utility provider announced yesterday (Monday) that it has received funds from a COVID-19 Municipal Utility Relief Program that Virginia set up using $120 million in federal CARES Act money.

“These are challenging times for Virginia families and businesses,” Gov. Ralph Northam said when announcing the allocation of $60 million to the program in November. “We remain committed to helping them keep the electricity on and the water running.”

Residents of Fairfax County are eligible to apply for the program based on the following criteria:

• Have water and wastewater service bills between Mar. 1 and Dec. 30 are more than 30 days past due
• Have experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Have not previously received CARES Act assistance for water or wastewater bills from any other sources, including the Rebuild Virginia Grant Fund and Fairfax County’s RISE program

To apply for relief, customers must fill out an application form on Fairfax Water’s website and send it to the utility by email, fax, or mail by Dec. 30.

Fairfax Water says it can also work with customers to develop a repayment plan that would allow them to pay their overdue balance over the next six months or longer. Service would not be disconnected as long as the payments are made within the agreed-upon timeframe.

People can call Fairfax Water’s customer service department at 703-698-5800 for more information on setting up an extended payment plan.

In addition, a number of local nonprofit community organizations are offering assistance for utility bill payments. Groups in the Tysons area include Committee for Helping Others (CHO) and Share of McLean.

Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning has also been connecting residents to social services and resources. It can be contacted on weekdays at 703-222-0880. Falls Church City residents can call the city’s Department of Housing and Human Services for assistance at 703-248-5005.

Thanks to a revised state budget signed by Northam on Nov. 18, utilities in Virginia are currently prohibited from shutting off power, water, and gas service until the state of emergency declared in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Fairfax Water has suspended all water disconnections due to nonpayment of bills since March, but it warns that that “is not sustainable indefinitely.” As a not-for-profit organization, rather than a government agency, it receives all funding for operations and system maintenance from customers.

“The Fairfax Water drinking water system and the wastewater system operated by Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church…rely on recovering all costs from the systems’ users,” Fairfax Water says. “Fairfax Water anticipates unpaid bills could soon reach a threshold that necessitates our resumption of disconnections for nonpayment.”

Photo by Pan Xiaozhen on Unsplash

The Town of Herndon is planning to shine a light on the best holiday decorations in the area this month.

The initiative, “Lights on the for the Holidays,” seeks to recognize noteworthy holiday decorations in the Town of Herndon. A walking map of festive holiday deadlines will be published once the town finishes gathering location details.

Residents and businesses can submit locations to highlight for the map. Both residential and commercial addresses will be featured in the Google Maps. Entries are due by Dec. 18.

The submission form also includes a field for information that can be publicly shared.

The Town of Herndon describes the project as a “community spirit enhancer” and not a contest. Names or contact information of participants will not be published.

Photo by Bob Ricca/Unsplash

A decision on Christ Fellowship Church, a church planned on 459 Herndon Parkway, has been delayed to late January.

The church is working with the Parkway Crossing Condominiums to sort out a pending parking issue, according to a Dec. 14 meeting with the Town of Herndon’s Planning Commission.

The church, which has been a part of the Herndon community for almost 30 years, currently has roughly 50 members. The new facility, however, would accommodate a growing congregation. If plans are approved, the church will occupy suites 7 and 8A at the condominium’s facility.

In mid-November, the condominium’s Board of Directors voted to begin a study to explore ways to relax parking restrictions on first-floor condo units. The applicant is currently working with the condominium to work through parking rate restrictions.

Currently, the condo association is working out ways to increase the ratio of parking units for first-floor units. The applicant anticipates that the parking ratios allotment will be sorted out by the commission’s Jan. 25 public hearing.

Photo via the handout/Town of Planning Commission 

After nearly four years of waiting for approvals and other planning issues, Aslin Beer Company has finally opened its location in the Town of Herndon.

“We’ve waited almost four long years to share the Herndon taproom with you and we couldn’t be more excited and proud,” the business wrote on Facebook. “Thank you so much for your patience and support over the years and we hope you love it as much as we do.”

The Herndon taproom, which opened on Monday at 767 Elden Street, has the same hours as the Alexandria location. It is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, between 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Customers are allowed to bring outside food to the Herndon location and food trucks are planned to be at the site. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the taproom is open to individuals who are 21 or above. Dogs are welcome in the beer garden.

Masks are required except when seated.

Here’s what on draft today in Herndon:

• Fragile Kind
• That Shiz Slaps
• Nope Rope
• Karate in the Garage
• Johann Needs A Bigger Broat
• Bunk Beds
• You Call That A Knife
• Triple Orange Starfish
• Sexy Time… I Like
• How Now Brown Cow
• Buku Mocha

The business also offers curbside pickup and next-day delivery in the Northern Virginia region and the District.

Photos via Aslin Beer Co./Facebook

Reston Association Phone Service Restored — After experiencing issues with inbound calls to its member services line, phone service has been restored. [RA]

Snow Days Possible During Virtual Learning — With snow expected on Wednesday and into Thursday, school officials are saying they still anticipate providing “additional approaches” for observing snow days that could include teacher-led and independent learning. Days off are also possible. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Fairfax County Shelter Offers Safe Adoption — Local police are looking into cases of puppy scams in the area. A spike in the number of pet scams has also been reported. [Reston Patch]

Search Underway for Classroom Monitors — The school system is currently looking to hire temporary classroom monitors. A job description is available online. [FCPS]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

A new Self Storage Plus has officially opened a new facility in Reston.

The company, which provides management services for storage, opened its 44th location at 1808 Michael Faraday Court earlier this month.

In a statement, Mike Anthony, the company’s executive Vice President, said the new facility includes “modern storage solutions with features including video surveillance, gate security, auto-payments and online rentals.”

“We are now open and ready to serve your storage needs,” he said.

The four-building facility in Reston has 1,100 units and is roughly half a mile from the Wiehe-Reston East Metro Station.

The property is owned by company partner Rich Whealen and Arcland Property Company, a local real estate and development company.

“We are excited to open the doors of our state-of-the-art facilities in the communities of Reston and Kensington,” said Tom Cross, VP of Construction for Arcland.

Photo via Self Storage Plus

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for most of the region, including Fairfax County, on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service says that more than five inches of snow are expected in the area. The watch is in effect from 7 a.m. on Wednesday to 4 a.m. on Thursday.

Here’s more from the alert:

* WHEN…From Wednesday morning through late Wednesday night. Snow will most likely overspread the area later Wednesday morning into Wednesday afternoon. Precipitation may mix with rain and sleet at times later Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night.

* IMPACTS…Travel could be very difficult to impossible.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

Photo by Brianna Nelson

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Reston area.

Monday (Dec. 14)

• Silent Night (10 a.m.) — Enjoy a screening of Silent Night during this free event at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. The movie features a “fact-based World War II story on Christmas Eve,” according to RCC’s website. Registration is open online.

Tuesday (Dec. 15)

• Babes in the Woods (10-11 a.m.) — Toddlers between the ages of 18 and 35 months can take part in this monthly activity. Due to COVID-19, the number of registered participants is limited.

Wednesday (Dec. 16)

• Lake House Open House (Noon to 2 p.m.) — Join Reston Association for community time and light refreshments at the Lake House, which is located at 11450 Baron Cameron Avenue.

• COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall (7 p.m.) — Community and medical leaders. Will host a virtual downhill to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friday (Dec. 18)

• Holiday Lights on the Farm (5:30-8:30 p.m.) — Thousands of lights will line a mile-long route through Frying Pan fARM park on select evenings. Multiple dates are available.

Saturday (Dec. 19)

• Reston Market Saturdays (8 a.m. to noon) — The weekly Lane Anne Reston Farmers and Crafters Market returns to Lake Anne Plaza.

Photo via Reston Farmers Market

Fairfax County’s relief fund for small businesses and nonprofits affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has come to an end, the county announced on Dec. 11.

Established by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in May, the Fairfax Relief Initiative to Support Employers (RISE) assisted 4,809 local businesses and nonprofits by awarding $52.57 million in grants.

According to the county, RISE received 6,280 total requests for aid during the application period from June 8 through June 15. 95% of the grants went to local businesses, while the remaining 5% supported nonprofits.

More than 72% of the grant recipients identified as organizations owned by women, minorities, and/or veterans. That surpasses the county’s goal of allocating at least one-third of the available funds to businesses owned by those historically disadvantaged groups, which account for a third of the jobs in Fairfax County.

The Board of Supervisors praised the county staff and employees of the nonprofit Community Business Partnership who ran the program during an Economic Initiatives Committee meeting on Nov. 10.

“I think each of us have heard from recipients what a difference this has made,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “We’ll be paying close attention to what we hope will be future federal stimulus that will help us do even more going forward. 4,800-plus businesses is not insignificant.”

Fairfax County created RISE using money that it had been allocated by the federal CARES Act. As of November, the county had received $340.5 million in federal aid, including $200.2 million from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund, whose eligibility period ends on Dec. 30.

RISE grant funds were intended to assist with wages, rent, employee health insurance, and other fixed operating costs critical to keeping businesses alive.

Recipients needed to have a principal place of business located in Fairfax County, including the Towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton, and no more than 50 full-time employees in order to be eligible for the program.

Almost 40% of the grants went to businesses in the accommodation and food services, healthcare and social assistance, and professional services sectors. 8% of recipients were in retail trade, which joins food services and hospitality as industries hit especially hard by job losses and the pandemic’s other economic impacts.

More information about RISE and the grant recipients can be found on Fairfax County’s website and its RISE dashboard.

Image via Fairfax County government

The trajectory of COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County continues its upward climb this week.

As of today (Monday), the trailing weekly average of new cases hit 471, with an all-time high reported on Saturday when cases hit a weekly average of 505.

While the county’s caseload continues to break all local records, the acceleration of new cases reported daily seems to slow slightly.

Nonetheless, the county reported the highest number of daily cases — 725 — last week on Dec. 7. Overall, the case trajectory continues to be exponential over the last month, suggesting that community transmission is occurring.

Another measure to determine community spread — the test rate positivity — remained high this week. The county’s rate is 10.6 percent, slightly down from last week’s rate of 11.5 percent. The state’s rate is 10.9 percent.

New statewide restrictions are going into effect today that include a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., a 10-person cap on social gatherings and an emphasis on a mandatory mask requirement.

Meanwhile, the county is urging residents to celebrate the holidays with the people in their immediate household.

“We must find a way to recognize our traditions without putting ourselves and others at risk,” said Fairfax County Health Director Gloria Addo-Ayensu.

An initial shipment of the Pfizer vaccine was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration last week. Millions of doses will be shipped around the country next week.

In a recent meeting with the Herndon Town Council, town manager Bill Ashton noted that health officials believe the vaccine will be accessible to the general populace in late spring or early summer. 

Here are some shopping tips for a healthy, safe and enjoyable holiday 🛍️

Check out our recommendations for family celebrations and entertainment: https://t.co/U2eRplxu3k pic.twitter.com/CpqHqa5TR9

— FairfaxCounty Health (@fairfaxhealth) December 13, 2020

Image via Unsplash

For more than 14 years,  the Fairfax County Police Department has offered information about calls for service using a web-based mapping system. 

The latest platform — which recently took on a new name after the merger of CrimeReports.com with Motorola — is called CityProtect.

Although the platform now has a different name following the merger, FCPD Sgt. Tara Gerhard told Reston Now that the features are the same. The department’s internal reporting system connects with the website to automatically public an interactive map.

The service is free and users can sign up to receive alerts.  Users can also filter the data based on the type of incident and the date.

“CityProtect provides a convenient, web-based platform which allows us to continue to be transparent with our community by sharing local police-related information,” Gerhard said.

Incidents like domestic violence, traffic-related incidents, and homicides are not captured by the platform.

FCPD also recently launched a new data dashboard, which provides public information about arrests, citations, warnings and department training procedures and other policies.

Image via CityProtect