Fairfax County’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology retained its spot as Newsweek’s top high school in America for the third straight year.
Thomas Jefferson — TJ to locals — was also N0. 1 in Newsweek’s America’s Top High Schools in 2014 and 2015.
The school is located in Annandale, but draws from Fairfax County, as well as Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
TJ earned 100 percent ratings for college readiness, an average Advanced Placement score of 96.4; an average ACT score of 33; and an average SAT score of 2,182.
TJ also had 164 semifinalists and 34 winners in this year’s National Merit Scholarships.
The top five schools in Newsweek’s rankings (they only consider public schools) were similar magnet schools.
TJ Principal Evan Glazer said it is a honor to earn top recognition, but the real impact of a TJ education is hard to measure in ranking metrics.
“I am really proud of our students and the teachers who help them get there,” said Glazer. “Because we are a science and technology school, kids here have the opportunity to decide how they want to pursue something that is challenging and unknown. Teacher then help them explore the subject in depth. They work incredibly hard and are prepared for the more innovative work that comes after the tests.”
The Newsweek ranking points out only 2.2 percent of TJ’s student body lives in poverty. That’s been somewhat of an issue. Earlier this year. Tina Hone, a former FCPS school board member, filed a federal complaint against the school on behalf of Coalition of Silence, advocacy group, and the Fairfax chapter of the NAACP.
The complaint says there is racial inequality at the school: 2.7 percent of the student population at Thomas Jefferson is Latino, but 22 percent FCPS enrollment in Fairfax County is Latino. Also, while FCPS is about 10 percent black students, they make up 1.5 of TJ students.
The complaint alleges that Fairfax County “…essentially operates a network of separate and unequal schools,” which leaves out Latinos, blacks and disabled students. The complaint further alleges that “for decades, these students have been grossly and disproportionately underrepresented in admission to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.”
A Fairfax County Public Schools’ spokesman has said the school system has been working for years on ways to show more diversity in TJ admissions.
FCPS file photo
A man was reported inappropriately touching himself on Tuesday near the North Shore Pool, Fairfax County Police said.
The man was spotted about 4:30 p.m. by a lifeguard who was atop the Reston Association pool’s guard tower.
The suspect was described to police as white, wearing a blue shirt that covered his head and tan cargo shorts.
The suspect left the area prior to police arrival, police said.
Reston Town Center will go to a paid parking system on Sept. 12. However, chances are, you may only pay a portion (or none) of the $2-an-hour weekday fee due to the cyberspace-based validation system that is also forthcoming, Boston Properties officials say.
Stores will be outfitted with validation Bluetooth-enabled beacons. It is up to the stores to determine what they are offering for validation, says BP Property Manager Matt Bonifant.
For instance, one store or restaurant might give you two hours free if you purchase something. Another might give you an hour just for walking in the door. Still another may offer validation if you spend 15 minutes in the store or enter a dressing room. Read More
Save The Date — Rescue Reston is holding a golf tournament to help fund any additional legal expenses it may incur in the fight for open space in Reston. The event is Oct. 3 at Reston National Golf Course. [Rescue Reston]
Reston’s Economic Impact — A large percentage of 600 jobs recently created in Fairfax County came from Reston-based firms. [Fairfax County Economic Authority]
Pokemon Safe — Reston Hospital has tips on how not to get hurt playing Pokemon Go. [Reston Hospital]
Seahawks Football On The Rise? — Previewing how South Lakes High School can best last season’s 9-3 record. [Washington Post]
Fairfax County Police say four burglaries have taken place in the Reston District since Sunday night.
It is not known if the incidents were related, but two were on the same block in Great Falls Village.
A burglary was reported by a resident of the 13000 block of Park Crescent Circle in Reston at 6 a.m. Monday. The resident said that someone entered the residence and took property.
Another incident was in the 9900 block of Georgetown Pike in Great Falls. A business owner reported to police at 7 a.m. Monday that someone entered the business and took property.
There was a second business break-in on the same block of Georgetown Pike reported to police Tuesday morning, police said. A business owner reported someone entered the business and took property.
Another incident took place in the 1500 block of Kings Valley Court in Herndon. A resident reported to police on Sunday that someone entered the home and took property.
Additionally, a 2015 Mazda 3 was stolen from the 11100 block of South Lakes Drive, earlier this week.
Metro may be closing the rail system additional weekend hours in order to affect ongoing safety issues that led to the derailment of a Silver Line train near East Falls Church station on July 29, Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said Wednesday.
Metro is in the midst of a 10-month SafeTrack project to fast track needed maintenance and safety repairs. That has led to rolling Metro section shutdowns — as well as closings at midnight (weekdays) and 10 p.m. (weekends) — in order to make repairs.
But issues continue, including the July derailment, which was likely caused by faulty interlockings on the track, Metro said. There were no major injuries, but the Silver and Orange line were disrupted for several days.
“Safety trumps service, now more than ever at Metro. The SafeTrack program is intended to make our tracks safe and reliable, and I have re-instructed the team to ensure we are addressing every issue out there, including interlockings,” Wiedefeld said in a statement. “I will continue to notify our riders of any service changes as quickly as possible, but we are not backing off of safety over service.”
Following the derailment at East Falls Church, Wiedefeld ordered a new round of inspections for all interlockings conducted by rail maintenance supervisors with track engineers participating. Those inspections have identified several interlockings that require work.
As a result, SafeTrack Surge No. 7 now includes a complete shutdown this weekend between Grosvenor and Shady Grove Stations so the interlocking at Twinbrook can be repaired. The track maintenance team is reviewing the remaining SafeTrack schedule and will consider additional weekend shutdowns during Surges 8-15 to address conditions identified by the latest inspections.
Metro is also taking several steps to improve track safety and will upgrade inspection procedures and training of personnel. Read about those changes on Metro’s website.
When Reston Town Center goes to a paid parking system on Sept. 12, management is hoping thousands of people will download the ParkRTC App. It’s free; one account can be used for multiple cars; it offers special safety features; and will get you ticketless, gateless payment.
But judging by reaction from many Reston Now readers on previous stories and our Facebook page, some would-be RTC visitors will refuse to do so. A few others say they have no plans to purchase a smartphone.
So let’s say your co-workers are going to happy hour at Jackson’s or you have to take your child to a birthday party at Bow Tie Cinemas (both of which have plans to offer validation) and you begrudgingly must enter the $2-an-hour paid parking zone. What to do?
Here’s what:
Boston Properties says there are four ways to pay: By the App; online at ParkRTC.com; in-person via cash or credit card at a kiosk; or by phone at 571-485-7790 (you will be asked to enter parking zone and credit card info).
If you are not using the App, once you park you car in one of the seven garages at town center, you have a 15-minute grace period to sign-in your car at one of four pay kiosks. Kiosks are in the Purple, Blue, Green and Orange garages.
When you get to a pay station: Enter your zone (that’s listed on signs near where you parked); license plate number; expected length of stay; and payment information (credit card, debit card or cash).
For cash users, the pay stations will not give change or provide refunds.
Many stores will validate (it’s high-tech and elaborate; more on that on Reston Now tomorrow), but here is something to know if you are App-less: The validation code you will get is good for your next visit to RTC and not on your current visit (App users will get the validation automatically and immediately sent to their account).
The Hillary Clinton presidential campaign’s Lake Anne Plaza office will open Aug. 23, the campaign said.
As Reston Now reported last week, the campaign will have an local office for the last months leading up to the Nov. 8 election at 1635 Washington Plaza. That’s currently a former hair salon space on Lake Anne Plaza.
There will be an opening party on Aug. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Get more details and RVSP on the Hillary Clinton website.
From HillaryClinton.com:
Please join fellow Democrats, special guests and your local organizers to celebrate the North Fairfax’s 2016 Democratic Coordinated Campaign Office Opening in Reston!
Organizers for the Hunter Mill, Dranesville and Sully Districts will be in attendance. The office is in Lake Anne Plaza.
Food, drinks and materials will be provided–just bring yourself and family and friends!
Virginia Rep. Touts Clinton Improvements — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would help fix the Memorial Bridge and the Metro system if she is elected president, said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va 8th). [ARLnow.com]
Help In An Overdose — Fairfax County will be offering lessons in how to revive someone from a drug overdose. REVIVE! is a program of the Commonwealth of Virginia that makes naloxone (Narcan®) available to anyone who takes a class to reverse opioid overdoses. Opioids include licit medications like hydrocodone and oxycodone, in addition to illicit drugs like heroin. [Fairfax County]
Nature House Pie Party — Reston Association is sponsoring a Pie Party on Thursday at the Walker Nature Education Center. This social event for 55 and older will feature selection of pies as well as games like, Sudoku and 1950s, ’60s and ’70s jeopardy. Registration and $5 fee required. [RA]
Oppressive Humidity On The Way — Fire up the air conditioning in Northern Virginia. [Capital Weather Gang]
Fairfax County Health Department officials are reassuring residents not to worry about the Zika virus if they are bitten by a mosquito here.
County officials held an online chat Monday, where they confirmed that even though 57 cases of the virus have been reported in Virginia, all cases were acquired elsewhere.
“It is understandable to be worried about Zika, but it’s important to note that currently, local transmission of Zika by mosquitoes is limited to a relatively small geographic area in south Florida,” said Andrew Lima of Fairfax County’s Disease Carrying Insects Program.
Lima said the Fairfax County Health Department has a mosquito surveillance program that collects samples of adult mosquitoes for testing at trap sites throughout the county.
“The Asian Tiger mosquito, which has the potential to transmit Zika here in Fairfax County, is not the species that is currently driving most of the transmission around the world,” he added.
There have been more than 1,800 reported cases of Zika in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The virus, spread through mosquitoes and sex, is mostly harmless, but can cause microcephaly in fetuses. Pregnant women are urged not to travel to certain countries where transmission is a risk.
Still, county health official Barbara Downes says anyone traveling to a Zika-affected area (including a section of Miami), can spread the virus through local mosquitoes when they return to Virginia.
“During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in a person’s blood and can pass from an infected person to a mosquito through mosquito bites,” said Downes.
“An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people. Additionally, all travelers returning to the United States from a Zika affected area should take steps to prevent mosquito bites for three weeks upon return (even if you do not feel sick).”
See the entire chat transcript on Fairfax County’s website.
Photo: Tiger Mosquito/PROLa Veu del País Valencià via Flickr
Want to take advantage of August’s thin crowds at some of the area’s most popular restaurants? Then make plans now for Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week, which runs Aug. 15 to 22.
More than 200 restaurants in Virginia, DC and Maryland will participate. They are offering special prix-fixe, three-course meals that will be $22 for lunch and $35 at dinner.
Here are the Reston restaurants participating: The Melting Pot, Morton’s and Passion Fish.
See the entire list of participating Virginia restaurants and make reservations on Open Table or on the Restaurant Week website.
Reston Town Center’s paid parking system for visitors and some employees will go into effect on Sept. 12, Boston Properties officials said on Tuesday.
Boston Properties is encouraging visitors to download the ParkRTC App and familiarize themselves with the system now in order to make a smooth transition next month.
When the system goes into effect, visitors will pay $2 an hour (maximum $24 daily) in RTC’s seven garages and street rates of $3 an hour (free on Sundays). There will be many opportunities for validation from retailers, but that is still being finalized. Retailers who have confirmed they will offer validation include:
- Bow Tie Cinemas
- Crunch Fitness
- Barcelona Wine Bar
- Bartaco
- Community Canteen
- CVS Pharmacy
- Mon Ami Gabi
- Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge
- PassionFish
Garage parking will be free on weekends and during special events.
“We realize moving from a free to a paid parking model gives some pause,” Peter Johnston, BP’s Executive Vice President for the DC Region, said in a statement. “However, Reston Town Center leadership continually focuses on strategies to enhance customer convenience, safety and the overall quality of life. The technological integration is an enormous step in advancing both of these historical and very worthwhile goals.”
This is an op-ed by Reston resident Terry Maynard. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Reston Association (RA) is in the midst of soliciting proposals to conduct what it calls an “independent” review of its handling of the Tetra (Lake House) purchase and renovation overrun, a process that promises more of the same poor processes and politicized results Restonians have seen for 18 months.
Most importantly, there’s the matter of RA characterizing this review as “independent.” It is anything but that.
To be truly “independent,” the RA Board needs to step away completely from this process. Let the three community members named to the selection committee set the criteria for the review, let them then make the actual selection of the review firm and have them receive and approve the final report.
Further, and equally important, the RA staff should have no participation in the review other than to answer questions, provide information (including internal e-mails and discussion notes), and explain processes. Read More
Fairfax County Police arrested a 21-year-old man Sunday after he led officers on a foot chase after allegedly stealing from cars at the Stratford House condos.
A resident reported two men looking into vehicles in the parking lot in the 11700 block of Stratford House Place about 12:30 a.m.
Police responded and attempted to make contact with the suspects, who then fled on foot. One of the suspects was caught and apprehended shortly thereafter. Property was recovered. John Michael Kyle, of Reston was arrested and charged with vehicle trespass and petit larceny.
In other weekend crime news:
PEEPING — 13000 block of Hungerford Place, Aug. 5, 9:16 p.m. A resident on his balcony observed a Hispanic male looking into his first floor window. The suspect fled prior to police arrival.
LARCENIES:
2300 block of Antiqua Court, phone from residence
1600 block of Becontree Lane, bicycle from residence
2200 block of Ferdinand Porsche Drive, license plate from vehicle
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, phone from residence
1600 block of Reston Parkway, tools from vehicle
1800 block of Sycamore Valley Drive, wallet from residence
DWI PATROL
On Aug. 6, officers conducted a DWI patrol saturating areas in the Reston District. Two drivers were charged with DWI and 15 traffic summonses were issued.
FCPS Seeking Social Studies Feedback — Fairfax County Public Schools is soliciting feedback on social studies curriculum materials for all grade levels. [FCPS]
Fairfax County Police Earn National Accreditation — FCPD meets 484 public safety standards, national board said. [Connection]
Reston Company Affected By Brexit — Brexit is already having an impact here. Reston-based Maximus Inc. says it may lose up to $25 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 after the British vote to leave the European Union. [Washington Business Journal]
Popsicle Mania Today — Reston Association is giving out free Popsicles at Autumnwood Pool today at 2 p.m. [RA]
