Two months ago, Local VA, a gourmet dive bar, opened its doors at Lake Anna Plaza. The opening of the small business at 1633 Washington Plaza was marred by delays, but welcomed by customers and the Lake Anne community for its trendy aesthetic and varied menu.
But after a state order directed restaurants and other businesses to limit customers and shift to takeout and delivery, the recently-opened business is struggling to remain afloat. The owners say they’re in it for the long haul, despite financial setbacks.
When the nearly $350 billion stimulus package for small businesses launched, the owners said they immediately applied. One week later, the Small Business Administration assured them that a $10,000 forgivable loan would be on the way within three days of the receipt of a second application. The owners applied but heard nothing in return, despite multiple emails to the administration and their bank.
With federal funds exhausted for small business, Local VA is still optimistic about its future.
“Even when the pandemic forced us to switch to carry-out, your support kept us positive, enthusiastic and moving forward,” the owners wrote in a statement. “And now, we shall conquer this mountain, too. This is our room and its a livelihood for several good, caring and dedicated people.”
Local VA struggled to secure federal assistance is emblematic of other small businesses. The forgivable small business loan program quickly depleted in just under two weeks. It is possible that Congress will add additional money to the program, which was launched on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The business continues to take takeout orders.
“Be strong, be safe and let’s conquer this new world together,” the owners wrote.
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Two local residents are among 30 men arrested earlier this month during an online sting to track predators who used the internet to exploit children.
In the investigation — dubbed Operation COVID Crackdown — offenders were caught when they attempted to initiate explicit conversations and solicit sex from police officers posing as children.
When the individuals arrived at locations identified by the offenders, they were taken into custody.
“Our detectives have remained vigilant and they recognized the increased threat posed by online predators in recent weeks,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, Bureau Commander, Major Crimes. “I commend their ability to adapt during this unprecedented public health pandemic and to do so in the interest of protecting our children and bringing justice to those who commit these repugnant crimes.”
The men ranged from age 20 to 74 and were charged with a combined 68 felonies. Kirrolos Guirguis, 25, of Herndon, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties. Concepcion Gonzalez, 38, of Reston, was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties.
With distance learning in effect, police officers are encouraging parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities and use security settings to block inappropriate websites and platforms.
Here’s more from FCPD:
School closures and the implementation of distance learning have increased many children’s online presence and inadvertently placed them at higher risk of exploitation. Parents are urged to closely monitor their children’s online activities and use available security settings to prevent the use of age-inappropriate sites or platforms. Children should be encouraged to report any person engaging in inappropriate conversations or trying to coerce them into providing sexually explicit images of themselves. Additional internet safety information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can be found here.
A location tracking app helped local police find a car that was stolen in the Town of Herndon.
Police arrested Anthony Ellison, 34, of Burke, in connection with the robbery on April 17.
The Fairfax County Police Department made the arrest after the owner of the stolen 2020 Jeep Wrangler used a tracking app to locate the vehicle and the suspect.
The car was stolen earlier in the day from the Town of Herndon.
Burke was charged with grand larceny and was held without bond.
FCPS Ditches Blackboard Learn 24-7 — The school system is moving away from Blackboard Learn 24-7 as a tool for face-to-face instruction due to ongoing issues with the system. Superintendent Scott Brabrand also created a technology advisory council to resolve ongoing distance learning challenges. An outside review of distance learning rollout will be conducted by law firm Hunton Andrew Kurth LLP. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
More County COVID-19 Deaths — According to the latest state data, 59 Fairfax County residents have died from the novel coronavirus. Yesterday, 150 new cases were reported, bringing the county’s total to 1,970 confirmed cases. [Fairfax County Government]
Lake Anne Dock Project Continues — Reston Today offers an update on progress at the Lake Anne project, which includes dreading and renovations to the wooden dock in the plaza. The dock and canal pathways are expected to open on May 1. [Reston Association]
Inside the County’s Call Center — Since the county’s COVID-10 call center opened in the beginning of March, the team has fielded calls from hundreds of local residents, health care providers, and businesses. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn plans to hold another virtual town hall on the proposed budget for the next fiscal year.
The budget town hall, which also took place earlier this month, is set for Friday (April 24) at 12:30 p.m.
In a newsletter, Alcorn stated that the “lunch tie discussion” will also feature Melanie Meren, the school board member for the Hunter Mill District, and Christina Jackson, director of the county’s Department and Budget.
Details on how to participate will be released soon.
The coronavirus pandemic has driven major changes in the proposed budget, including elimination of tax rate increases. The budget assumes that no net increase in the county’s revenues is expected.
The rollout of the second week of distance learning by Fairfax County Public Schools continues to be wrought by challenges.
Earlier this morning, FCPS noted that many people are still having problems logging on the Blackboard Learn, the online system used for distance learning. School officials say that updates made by Blackboard over the weekend have not corrected delays with the system.
“We are aware that some students were able to access the 24-7 system early, however as the volume increased, we received word that access was intermittent or slow, in some cases requiring multiple log-on attempts. Once inside the system, Blackboard Collaborate worked well and that resource is continuing to be used by some teachers,” FCPS wrote in a statement.
The Fairfax County School Board is expected to receive an update on the rollout of distance learning on Thursday (April 23). The virtual meeting begins at 10 a.m.
Last week, FCPS canceled distance learning because of major failures with the system. Students and teachers were unable to log on and teachers felt they were unprepared to log in.
The school system’s top leadership officials conceded that the rollout of the plan was a failure and apologized for missteps. They also noted that the school system did not implement seven recommended upgrades to the software over the last two years.
A recent Washington Post story shed light on major security problems that occurred last week. Students appeared on-screen naked and flashed weapons while other chats were hijacked by racist, homophobic and inappropriate language, according to the story.
The story also flagged delays in the rollout of distance learning, which took roughly four weeks, including spring break:
In staff meetings held in late March, teachers suggested using programs such as Zoom to facilitate face time with students, according to educators, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution. But those ideas were shot down by higher-ups, who cited concerns about security.
That anxiety was well-founded: Schools across the country have fallen prey to “Zoom bombing,” a phenomenon in which anonymous users disrupt online classes with hateful rhetoric or sexually explicit images. Nonetheless, Zoom and popular platforms like it had helped school districts, businesses and even families get connected quickly during a time of upheaval.
Fairfax settled on a solution many were less excited about: online learning tools offered by Blackboard. Caldwell said the division has a contract with Blackboard for $2.6 million in 2020, which includes an extra $150,000 per month that the division agreed to pay the firm during the shutdown.
In interviews, teachers described Blackboard as a lumbering program that they found more difficult than other technologies and more likely to malfunction. The school district was planning to switch to another online platform, Schoology, in 2021, Caldwell said.
A community petition to hold FCPS “accountable for educating our kids during [a] pandemic” has received 937 of the 1,000 needed signatures. The petition calls for an independent audit of decision making and events prior to the rollout of distance learning.
FCPS plans to continue its distance learning plan tomorrow.
Photo via FCPS
Restonians broke from a 16-year-long tradition of celebrating Founder’s Day at Lake Anne Plaza this year.
With social distancing guidelines and a stay-at-home order in effect, the Reston Historic Trust & Museum encouraged residents to find ways to celebrate the birthday of Reston’s founder Bob Simon and the community’s founding.
Alexandra Campbell, the director of the trust and museum, said she was glad the community was able to find embody one of Reston’s founding principles — to live, work and play in the neighborhood — in a new but truly Restonian way.
“While we are sad we could not hold this event on the plaza and could not connect with the community face to face, it has been a reminder that we can enjoy Reston’s history every day in our own homes. The community reflected and celebrated Reston’s unique history with us in a variety of ways,” Campbell said.
Nonetheless, residents submitted videos uploaded social media posts showing how they celebrated Founder’s Day from home.
Foley Academy of Irish Dance, which was scheduled to perform during Founder’s Day, shared a performance from members at home.
Kristina Alcorn, author of “In His Own Words,” shared memories of her book project and friendship with Simon.
Reston Community Center also encouraged residents to enjoy a film created by Rebekah Wingert of Storycatcher Productions for Simon’s memorial in April 2016. The film was commissioned by Reston Community Center.
Nonprofit organization Cornerstones — which has been on the frontline of offering financial assistance and resources to people affected b yCOVID-10 — also wrote the following about Founder’s Day:
When Robert Simon founded Reston in 1964, his pioneering vision helped create a compassionate, thriving, and equitable community where everyone could live and work. Today, during this unprecedented economic and health crisis, our community’s resiliency and generosity remains a shining example of his legacy. We are proud to join the Reston Museum in celebrating Founder’s Day and thanking the many individuals, faith-based organizations, and community partners who have supported Cornerstones over the past 50 years. Our continued work together will help sustain neighbors hurting today and begin rebuilding stability, empowerment, and hope so everyone has a bright, healthy future in our community If you know someone who needs a hand-up, please encourage them to contact us at 571.323.9555 or visit cornerstonesva.org. We are ready to help!
Chuck Veatch, founding and current band member of the Reston Historic Trust & Museum, described this year’s founder’s day as the “most unusual” in Reston’s history. He encourages Rsetonians to continue to take part in celebrating the day.
“This is our 17th Founder’s Day and marks my 56th year living working playing and or serving in Reston. I will miss welcoming everyone in person to Founder’s Day this year but really want to see how each of us celebrates in this the most unusual Founder’s Day in our history.”
Photo via YouTube
The number of COVID-19 cases in Fairfax County is reaching the 2,000 mark.
According to state health data released this morning, there are now 1,925 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Fairfax County. The county hit a little over 1,000 cases just eight days ago.
For the last three days, the growth rate of cases has hovered between six and ten percent.
The number of cases between Sunday and today (Monday) jumped by roughly six percent, adding a total of 116 new cases. Between Saturday and Sunday, that jump was about 11 percent.
In recent days, the state has released more data on hospitalizations, deaths and outbreaks. So far, there at 8,990 cases of COVID-19 statewide and 300 people have died, including at least 30 Fairfax County residents.
The deadliest of statewide outbreaks have occurred at long term care facilities. According to state data, 915 cases have been linked to outbreaks in these facilities, leading to 77 deaths.
So far, the week of April 5 resulted in the most number of new cases (2,268). The cumulative count of cases continues to increase daily at generally faster rates than the last month.
Data via Virginia Department of Health
Reston Gallery Helps Coronavirus First Responders — The owners of ArtInsights Gallery of Film and Contemporary Art have launched a local initiative to support coronavirus first responders. The business has been in Reston Town Center since 1994. [Patch]
Coronavirus Scam Alerts — The county is alerting residents about new scams related to shopping, mortgage relief, and personal loans. More information about each of the scams is available on the county’s website. [Fairfax County Government]
COVID-19 Cases Continue to Climb — More than 1,800 people in Fairfax County have tested positive for the respiratory illness. In the state, 8,537 cases have been identified and 277 people have died. [Virginia Department of Health]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Unemployment claims due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic continue to pour in.
Nearly 14,500 Fairfax County residents filed unemployment claims on the week of April 11, according to the latest unemployment data.
Overall, the number of statewide claims between March 21 and April 11 — 410,762 — is only 67,000 fewer than the average of all initial claims filed during the last three economic recessions, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. More than 121,000 Northern Virginia residents have filed claims since business closures began.
The latest claims figure, however, represents a decrease of 42,750 statewide claims and 6,848 countywide claims from the previous week, according to data from the commission.
The commission noted that the overall 29 percent decrease in the number of claims suggests that most people filed unemployment claims during the week of April 4.
Here’s more from the commission:
Initial claims measure emerging unemployment and the recent increase in initial claims in the Commonwealth is clearly attributable to impacts from the COVID-19 virus. The accommodation and food service industries have comprised the majority of these initial claims. Because of their prevalence in those and other affected industries like retail and health care, younger workers and female workers have been disproportionally impacted. The number of initial claims filed during the week ending April 11, 2020 was 45.6 times higher than the comparable 2019 week–an increase of 102,326 claims.
Despite a dip in the number of claims, the commission noted that claims still remain at historically high levels.
On the national level, the number of initial claims has totaled roughly 5.2 million, a decrease of 1.4 million from the previous week. During a comparable week in 2019, only 196,364 claims were filed countrywide.
A Herndon man faces multiple felony charges in connection with an early morning fire that happened at a home in Franklin Farms last week.
Fairfax County Police arrested and charged Rogerio Ribeiro, 52, with arson and setting fire to damage another’s property.
When police officers arrived at the scene, they spotted Ribeiro attempting to leave in a car at around 4 a.m. outside the home (13500 block of Coates Lane), which was engulfed in flames. The Herndon resident attempted to thwart police by pointing a gun at officers.
Ribeiro was arrested after a struggle with police officers. He is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
After further investigation, police also charged Ribeiro with aggravated malicious wounding, cruelty to animals and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.
One person was treated for injuries at a local hospital and an injured dog remains under the care of a veterinarian.
Photo via Fairfax County Police Department
Speeding Up Silver Line Extension Work — “Stay-home orders, and progress on software safety concerns, could help speed up work on the Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport, since Metro now appears to be open to a complete multiweek shutdown of the Wiehle-Reston East station.” [WTOP]
Freeze Warning This Morning — A freeze warning is in effect until 9 a.m. today for much of the reason. We’re hoping you’ve taken steps to protect plants from the cold and prevent pipes from bursting. [National Weather Service]
Herndon Yoga Center Turns to Streaming — The Health Advantage Yoga. Center on 1041 Sterling Road in Herndon is offering a wide range of classes online since it closed its doors due to the novel coronavirus. [Patch]
County Park Authority Launches Virtual Exploration Center — The Fairfax County Park Authority has launched a new online center that offers field guides, games, video workouts and fitness trackers. County officials will continue to update the website with more resources. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Town of Herndon residents and businesses now have more time to file real estate property and transient occupancy taxes.
The Herndon Town Council approved two measures at a meeting earlier this week to extend due dates due to financial hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first installment payment for real estate property taxes is due on August 28 instead of July 28. Transient occupancy taxes shifted based on the following schedule
- March 20 payments are now due on June 20
- April 20 payments are now due on July 20
- May 20 payments are due on August 20
- June 20 payments are due on August 20
If individuals are having trouble filing a meals tax return or paying the meals tax before the 20th day of the month, the town encourages residents to contact the county’s finance director at [email protected] for help.
Councilmember Cesar del Aguila voted against the extension for transient occupancy taxes, the financial burden of which he said would likely be absorbed by the parent companies of local hotels at the expense of delayed revenue for the town.
Image via Town of Herndon
Work on updating the Reston Comprehensive Plan is underway as the inaugural meeting of a planning task force kicks off next month.
The Reston Comprehensive Plan Task Force, which includes residents, business and industry professionals, and other individuals, will meet virtually on May 11.
Taskforce members are expected to be announced later this work, according to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office.
“There is a lot of work to be done so we will schedule meetings every two weeks,” according to Alcorn’s most recent newsletter.
In his first board matter in January, Alcorn initiated the public participation process to begin mulling changes to the plan, which was last updated five years ago.
Alcorn has stated that updates to the plan will need to consider the most appropriate balance between current and future development, infrastructure, and the environment.
Since the plan was last adopted, more than 30 rezoning applications have been approved by the county, including major placemaking applications in Reston transit-oriented areas.
The review and public engagement process is expected to take up to 18 months.
The plan, which guides the pace and nature of development was first adopted in July 1962 and updated periodically since then.
Handout via Fairfax County Government
Fairfax County school board members expressed major dismay over the botched rollout of the school system’s first week of distance learning, including security issues and technical problems with Blackboard’s system.
At an online meeting today (Thursday), school officials acknowledged the school’s leadership failed to ensure adequate security measures were in place when students and teachers logged on to online sessions.
Teacher-led distance learning was canceled this week due to technical issues the school system is working to resolve.
FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand told the school board today that the issues have been two-fold: capacity and load issues on Blackboard’s end and failures to implement and monitor security protocol by FCPS.
Security Issues
Sloan Presidio, the school system’s assistant superintendent for instructional services, described security issues as a “leadership failure.”
“We failed to properly train the staff,” Presidio said, adding that the school’s leadership did not communicate how teachers should properly set up online sessions and make sure security settings were in place.
In some cases, students were able to set up and run unmonitored chat sessions that were not seen by moderators. Some students were able to log on with fake names and upload inappropriate photos.
“We absolutely share the concern and the dismay at some of the behavior that was reported,” Tim Tomlinson, Blackboard’s chief product officer, said. “It’s unconscionable.”
Although instructors were given guidance on how to maintain security and set up online sessions, school officials said the information was not properly disseminated. Once school officials were made aware of security issues, additional guidance on security was provided.
School board member Megan McLaughlin said she was “shocked” the 10th largest school system in the country did not conduct load testing prior to the launch of the system.
“There is no getting around it,” McLaughlin said.
Blackboard Problems
In addition to security challenges, the system experience log-in issues on the first day of learning, following by problems associated with Blackboard’s servers. The Reston-based company is working on upgrades to the system to resolve ongoing issues.
Tomlinson said that Blackboard “had no indication that these problems would occur” and shared a statement from the company apologizing for the disruption.
“We are working with FCPS to require students to log in to the FCPS 24-7 site and authenticate their identity before they are permitted to join a virtual classroom,” according to the Blackboard statement.
Tomlinson also noted that FCPS chose not to update its software for three years to the latest system. Seven updates were publicly available but not applied, he said.
But Maribeth Luftglass, assistant superintendent of the school system’s department of information technology, noted that the school system was never told those upgrades were required for performance purposes, especially prior to the launch of distance learning. She also added that the system was due for a planned upgrade this June.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hit locally, the school system had plans in place to replace Blackboard Learn, a virtual learning environment, with Schoology, another distance learning tool operated by PowerSchool Unified Classroom, over the next two years.
The school system hopes to pilot the system in the fall.
School Board Responds
School board members also questioned why distance learning proceeded if there was indication there were technical problems prior the launch. Several of the members urged FCPS to consider learning alternatives, like resources from Google.
“If Blackboard can’t handle this, lets try Google” Laura Jane Cohen, who represents the Springfield District. “Everyone has worked too hard to make this happen.”
According to the presentation, less than half of the teachers have Google Classroom sites, which could be used as a learning supplement.
“There would be significant teacher training required and additional workload on teachers to create these sites,” the presentation said. “Additionally, Google Classroom is not linked to the student information system and teachers would have to manually create courses.”
The presentation notes that students and teachers have equal permissions on Google Meet, which could let students override teacher content, and that guest access is allowed.
“Additionally, Google engineers expressed concern about handling the volume of FCPS users,” the presentation said.
Other school board members said a two-hour delay in instructor-led learning on Wednesday was not communicated effectively to the school community.
Brabrand apologized for not making the “right call” when he called for the two-hour delay.
“We could have communicated it better,” Brabrand said, adding that his mistake “caused undue confusion for our teachers and our principals.”
Next Steps
Blackboard is currently working on software patches this week to address the capacity issues behind the login difficulties, Luftglass said.
On April 14, Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, a real-time video conferencing tool, were linked with a new feature that will only allow students enrolled in a class to join the class session and ban guest access, school officials said. Additionally, a back-up plan is being developed using Collaborate Ultra, they said.
FCPS aims to resume its synchronous learning on April 20.
Catherine Douglas Moran contributed reporting
Image via FCPS
