The Fairfax County Public Schools board will hear from sleep experts on Wednesday as part of a continuing effort for later start times for high school students.
In April 2013, FCPS officials commissioned a study with Children’s National Medical Center doctors to see if pushing the opening bell to 8 or even 8:30 a.m. would help sleepy teens.
The board last heard from representatives of the study — which cost FCPS $143,000 — in January. At that time, it was determined that more discussion was needed. The board said in January if any changes are implemented, it would not be until at least fall of 2015.
Fairfax County high schools begin at 7:20 a.m. — which means some students are on the bus as early as 5:45 a.m. There has been a grassroots effort the last several years to change high school start times in Fairfax. The local advocacy group Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal (SLEEP) has been very vocal, saying that 72 out of 95 Virginia counties now start at high school 8 a.m. or later. Montgomery County, Md., also is exploring later start times.
The Children’s team has proposed nine different scenarios for FCPS. Changing the high school start time would affect other schools too as elementary school and middle schools would have to adjust so high school bus routes would start later.
CNMC doctors say teens need eight hours of sleep or more for optimum health. Sleep deprivation leads to shortened attention span, decreased higher level cognitive skills, reduced ability to learn and remember new information, decreased efficiency in completing tasks, lower standardized test scores and decreased school achievement, says CNMC’s Project Smart Sleep website.
Current School Board members have made pushing back high school start times a goal since 2010. The school board passed a 2012 resolution committing to later start times. In 2009, the school board voted 10-2 against moving back high school start times. Parents and teachers were also not in favor of the plan, saying the change would affect parents’ work schedules, student activities, and child care schedules for younger students.
Also, implementing the change would cost money, something that the school system is lacking right now. The board has asked the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for $98.1 million for Fiscal Year to cover a budget gap that may be as high as $130 million.
Back to Richmond — The Virginia General Assembly will reconvene in Richmond beginning today for a special veto session. [WCYB]
RA Covenants Committee Needs You — There are two open spots on Reston Association’s Covenants Committee, which homeowners stick to the Use and Maintenance Covenants set forth in the Reston Deed of Dedication. The three-year terms are for South Lakes rep and a Lake Anne/Tall Oaks rep. [Reston Association]
More Winter Recap — Are area snowstorms getting snowier or are school systems getting wimpier? .The Capital Weather Gang does some major analysis. [Capital Weather Gang]
Air Bag Thefts On the Rise — Fairfax County Police say new hot stolen items are car air bags. A rash of air bag thefts have taken place in the Fair Oaks and Mason District. [Fairfax County Police]
Jasmine Cafe, a mainstay of the Lake Anne Plaza dining scene, has abruptly closed.
A “no trespassing” sign has been placed on the chained door.
Chef and owner Eduardo Faubert says he was just made aware of the situation Tuesday afternoon. He said he did not close the restaurant and the lock was placed by the property owner.
Faubert says he does owe the owner some money, but hopefully the situation will be settled quickly.
Jasmine Cafe had been located at Lake Anne for more than 20 years. The restaurant has a local following for Faubert and his seasonal menu, as well as outdoor seating on the plaza.
Unlike most retail centers, which are owned by one company, Lake Anne Plaza storefronts are owned by individual owners.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted to increase the real estate tax rate to $1.09 per $100 of assessed value, the biggest hike since 2007.
The vote passed 7-3 for the increase in Fiscal Year 2015. The rate was $1.085 in FY 2014.
Supervisors Pat Herrity (Springfield) , Linda Smyth (Providence), and John Cook (Braddock) voted against the rate. Formal adoption of the budget is scheduled for April 29.
Bulova said the increase was necessary as Fairfax County, like many places in the country, continues to recover from the recession.
The increase will provide an additional $10.9 million for the county and will mean an additional $25 annually in average tax, she said.
“In total, along with the FY 2015 increased based on equalization, the average annual tax bill for County homeowners increases by approximately $357,” said Bulova. “Our nation, region, and County continue to struggle during these sluggish post-recession years. The good news this year is that real estate values are beginning to rebound. The bad news is that only residential values are rising; business taxes are flat and commercial assessments are a decrease from Fiscal Year 2014.”
Earlier this year, the Supervisors authorized the advertisement of a real estate tax rate for FY 2015 of $1.105 per $100 of assessed value. While the proposed increase is now a bit lower than the $1.105, homeowners will still be paying more as higher home values also have had an effect on homeowners.
Bulova pointed out some of the highlights of the Supervisors’ mark-up session:
- The increase in the tax rate from $1.085 to $1.090 is a relatively modest ½ cent. The increase represents a $25 annual increase in the average residential taxpayer’s bill. This would be on top of a $330 average increase resulting from rising assessment values.
- This additional tax revenue ($10.9 million) combined with $6 million in savings achieved on the General County side of the budget is used to increase the School Transfer by $17 million, from 2 percent in the Advertised Budget to 3 percent. With this added percent, the total increase in the School Transfer will be $51 million. An expected increase in state funding of approximately $30 million will help to fund additional School requirements.
- An additional $10.5 million in savings/reductions are taken from the General County side of the Advertised Budget and reallocated to increase compensation for employees. In this package the advertised Market Rate Adjustment of 1.29% is combined with an additional 1%.
- Step increases for Public Safety employees will resume for those who are eligible.
- This package is not balanced by drawing down one-time reserves, thus avoiding the creation of a structural imbalance that would make it more difficult to meet our fiscal needs in future years.
Herrity, who proposed a one-cent decrease along with budget cutting, is not convinced.
“This budget is an over 14 percent tax hike for our homeowners over the last three years, more than 7.25 percent in this year alone [including the storm water tax increase],” he said in a statement. “Many, including those that can least afford it, will see a much greater increase. I think this sends the wrong message to taxpayers in the year of the $30 million bank bailout and reduced tax rates in surrounding jurisdictions.”
Herrity said the increase bucks the trend of surrounding jurisdictions that have been reducing their tax rate to offset increased assessments: Prince William County – $.103 reduction; Loudoun – $.05 reduction; Arlington $.01 cent reduction.
Do you feel county real estate taxes are too high? Tell us in the comments.
Upgrading the faulty tracking control software for Metro’s Silver Line will cost $1.8 million and may take up to a year to replace, but can the train finally leave the station without it?
It remains to be seen whether Metro and Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority would delay the opening of the Silver Line — which is already months behind schedule — for that length of time. But on the other hand, the ATC system is crucial for a safe rail line. ATC failures were deemed responsible in the June 2009 Metro crash that killed the driver and eight passengers.
Officials said last week that the Silver Line may get up and running with the ATC that is in place now, but may have human operators working to ensure safety. In its approval of the contract to Alstom Signaling to provide the technology upgrade, MWAA said “WMATA (Metro) will provide “extra staffing at the Project’s expense to ensure reliability.”
MWAA officials have until next week to complete their review of Betchtel’s submission of “substantial completion” of the Silver Line’s 11-mile Phase 1. The $2.8 billion Phase 1 will run from East Falls Church to Reston’s Wiehle Avenue.
Betchel’s Dulles Transit Partners, which built the project, originally submitted for substantial completion on Feb. 7, but MWAA said there were issues in 7 of 12 areas, including the ATC system. The ATC glitches were also responsible for one of several completion delays last fall. The project was originally (but unofficially) estimated to have its first riders by December 2013; the safe estimate now is by summer.
MWAA said Alstom is the only contractor able to provide the necessary equipment for the upgrades and that the upgrades will be paid from a $23 million Silver Line contingency fund. Citizens advocacy group Reston 2020 said that estimate is oversimplified.
“Of any extra costs MWAA agrees to pay WMATA for staffing, MWAA will actually pay only 4 percent of while Dulles Toll Road users will pay half under the inequitable ‘Funding Partners’ agreement.” Reston 2020 co-chair Terry Maynard writes on the group’s blog. “The rest will be paid by Fairfax and Loudoun counties.”
Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe met with MWAA officials about the Silver Line on Tuesday, WTOP reports.
Tipsters say Robert Duvall spent Easter Sunday at Passionfish at Reston Town Center. The actor was with a small party of three, reports The Washington Post’s Reliable Source.
Duvall’s group had a seafood feast with oysters, crab cakes and soft-shell crabs.
Duvall, the 1983 Best Actor winner for Tender Mercies and star of other classics such as The Godfather and The Great Santini, lives on his horse farm in The Plains, Va.
Last week, Susan Sarandon accompanied her mother and other guests to PassionFish. Locals tell Reston Now Sarandon’s mom and sister both live in the area and she visits often.
Photo: Corbis
Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22. There is a lot we all can do every day to pay better attention to the environment, starting right here in Reston.
Here are some ideas around Reston for Earth Day and beyond.
Celebrate Earth Day Celebration at Walker Nature Center for children 18 months to 3 years. Enjoy games and activities that teach new ways to take care of the earth and the creatures that call it home. Make a recycled craft. Fee: $7/child RA members, $9/child Non-members. For more information or to register, email [email protected], or call 703-476-9689 and press 5.
Learn about public-private partnerships in creating an environmentally conscious town and how Reston might model some moving forward. USGS scientist an RA board member Rachel Muir will host a discussion Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Walker Nature Center.
Get Involved with Reston Association’s Habitat Heroes, have worked for years (formerly as Weed Warriors) to remove invasive exotic plants that have taken over the native vegetation in natural areas. Invasive plants reproduce rapidly, spread over large areas of the landscape and have few, if any, natural controls to keep them in check. Reston Association has many natural areas in need of attention. Volunteers don’t need to be plant experts. If you or your group (ie, workplace volunteers, scout project) want to get involved, contact Ha Brock, RA volunteer & community outreach coordinator, via e-mail [email protected] or 703.435-6798.
There is also the 5th Annual Virginia Invasive Plant Removal Day on May 3 from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will pull garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and other invasive plants in the woods near Snakeden Branch stream in the natural area surrounding Old Trail Drive.
Join RA’s Environmental Advisory Committee. The Environmental Advisory Committee advises the Board on the ecologically sound management of the association’s environmental resources, including its waters, natural areas and wildlife. Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Nature House at the Walker Nature Center.
Help the South Lakes High School teaching garden. Students, teachers and parent volunteers have been working since September of 2012 in growing vegetables and other plants at the school. The garden was started with a grant from the Whole Foods Foundation and is now supported with funds from the SLHS PTSA. But more donations — and well as donations of time to weed, water and perform other tasks — are always needed. Contact the school at (703) 715-4500.
Photo: Volunteers take part in a stream monitoring program in Reston on Saturday/Credit: Reston Association
Reston Friends Benefits from LEAP — As part of the Re-Energize Reston Challenge, in partnership with LEAP, a check for $1,190 was presented to Friends of Reston on April 15. The funds were used to help purchase the 50 trees Friends’ volunteers planted on Arbor Day to celebrate Reston’s 50th anniversary. The Re-Energize Challenge is a year-long activity with a goal to provide home health check-ups for 1,964 homes in Reston. Friends of Reston will receive $10 for every check-up completed. [Reenergize Reston]
Tune In With The Chamber — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce will host a free “Movie Night at the Chamber” to benefit the Washington West Film Festival on Thursday, May 1 from 6-9 p.m. They will screen the Tom Hanks’ produced award-winning film An Article of Hope, directed by DC native Dan Cohen. Cohen will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film, along with Washington West Film Festival president, Brad Russell. The screening will in the Chamber offices located at 1763 Fountain Drive. To RSVP for this event, contact Mark Ingrao at [email protected] or call 703.707.9045.
Reston Financial Planner Earns Honor — Judy Redpath, founder of Reston’s VISTA Wealth Strategies LLC, has received the Women’s Choice Award from WomenCertified. The selection is based on 17 objective criteria, including a client survey to obtain feedback regarding service and practices. [WomenCertified]
New Owner for HireStrategy — Reston-based staffing firm HireStrategy has been acquired by Chicago-based Addison Group for an undisclosed sum. HireStrategy chief executive Paul Villella, who founded the company in 2000, will continue to lead the company. [Washington Business Journal]
The CVS store at South Lakes Village Center will expand into the empty retail space next door.
The empty storefront at 11160-H South Lakes has been vacant since Footsteps running store left in March of 2013.
Footsteps owner Paul Zink closed the popular running store last year after 17 years at the Reston location. He said it was too hard for a small business owner to stay in business at South Lakes, which had become mostly chains and restaurants.
CVS has filed permits for remodeling. No completion date has been set.
The South Lakes Theatre Arts Department’s production of Legally Blonde opens Thursday. Now is time time to get your tickets.
Legally Blonde is a musical version of the Legally Blonde movie that starred Reese Witherspoon. It tells the story of sorority girl Elle Woods, who doesn’t take “no” for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone “serious,” Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law School. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
Leads in the show include senior Megan Desisti,who plays Elle Woods, and senior Stanley Payne, who plays her love interest, Emmett Forrest. The play is directed by SLHS Performing Arts Chair Maria Harris.
The show runs this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as May 1,2,3 at SLHS at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $8, students and seniors ($10 at the door); $10, adults ($12 at the door)
To purchase tickets online, visit the South Lakes Theatre Arts Department website.
Photo Courtesy of Sahana Arkalgud
A Washington, D.C. man has been sentenced to 30 years for his part in the deaths of three Fairfax County residents from heroin overdoses.
Eugene Asomani Williams, also known as “Shine,” 35, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on Friday for conspiring to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of this offense. Prosecutors said at least three people died in Fairfax County as a result of heroin distributed by Williams.
“Williams peddled a dangerous drug and inflicted untold damage to the victims, their families, and our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. “This case exemplifies the cooperative efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement to combat this pernicious crime.”
Williams pleaded guilty on Jan. 22 of this year to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In a statement filed with the plea agreement, Williams admitted to distributing more than one kilogram of heroin in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia between 2004 and Sept. 26, 2013.
Williams also admitted that Joshua Pearson, 33, of Fairfax County; Timothy Huffman, 23, an active duty soldier at Fort Belvoir; and Kara Schachinger, 22, of Fairfax County. all died as a result of using heroin distributed by Williams, said Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.
“I have heard firsthand from families about the devastation brought by the loss of a loved one in this wave of heroin-related deaths, and about the strain placed on law enforcement and healthcare professionals as they work to respond to it,” Herring said in a statement.
“Education, prevention and treatment will play a major part in dealing with this emerging threat, but I will also ensure that my office is doing all it can to keep these dangerous drugs, and those who distribute them, off the streets.”
Huffman, Pearson and Schachinger did not know each other, The Washington Post reported. They are linked only because they purchased drugs from Williams.
According to the Post, Williams sold throughout the D.C. area, generally charging $100 for a gram of heroin and meeting customers in the parking lots of gas stations, restaurants and churches, court records show. Schachinger and Huffman met Williams in person to buy their last doses; Pearson got his through a friend, the records show.
“Fairfax County is safer today thanks to the robust partnerships between local, state, and federal law enforcement” said Fairfax County Police Chief Colonel Edwin C. Roessler, Jr. “Today’s sentencing is proof positive these partnerships work against drug traffickers and others who set up criminal enterprises in our region.”
When the Boston Marathon gets underway today, Reston’s Julie Kimmel will be among the thousands of runners at the starting line as the race returns to normalcy after last year’s tragic bombings.
Kimmel is running with a special purpose. She will be the official sighted guide for visually impaired brother-in-law, Kyle Robidoux of Boston.
Robidoux, 38, has suffered from Retinitis Pigmentosa since childhood, and the disease has left him legally blind. Robidoux has very little usable central vision and no peripheral vision.
Running in a crowded race such as the Boston Marathon requires him to have a sighted guide to avoid running into other runners, missing turns, and tripping over potholes and other road obstructions.
Kimmel, who first ran a half marathon in Maine with Robidoux in 2010, will give verbal cues throughout the race such as advising Robidoux when someone is in front of him or when he needs to “step up” over potholes or bumps in the road.
Kimmel will run with Robidoux the first 13.1 miles in Boston. Robidoux’s brother Jayson, will guide him the final 1.31 miles.
“I’m honored that Julie will share her sight with me and we will have the opportunity to start the Boston Marathon together,” said Kyle. “My vision is at a point where I need to run with someone for my own safety and the safety of others. Having a sighted guide allows me to compete and stay active.”
Robidoux has completed several marathons, both with and without Kimmel. The two ran a full marathon, the Mount Desert Island Marathon in Bar Harbor in 2011, and Kimmel said she couldn’t keep up with her partner that time, watching him take off on his own around the 10th mile.
Robidoux ran on his own in December’s California International Marathon in Sacramento, where he finished in a personal-best 3 hours and 50.18 minutes.
Kimmel, a copy editor and owner of Lower Lake Editing in Reston, has also run several marathons. In March, she ran the Runners Marathon of Reston Half Marathon in 1:52, a personal best.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to run with Kyle and to experience the Boston Marathon,” she said. “His efforts as a blind athlete are inspiring, and I’m fortunate to contribute and support him in this way.”
Photo: Kyle Robidoux (l) and Julie Kimmel in Maine Half Marathon/Credit: Julie Kimmel
FISH Fling This Week — The ninth annual FISH Fling Gala to benefit Herndon Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) is this Saturday. The FISH Fling is crucial in providing over $50,000 to support FISH’s Family Assistance Program, which helps hundreds of families annually. The event also honors those volunteers and partners who have made a difference in the Herndon-Reston community. Tickets are $85 ($40 tax deductible). [Herndon Reston FISH]
Celebrate Sizanani — Reston-based Global Camps Africa will celebrate its 10th anniversary Saturday with a fundraising gala. Sizanani is a camp founded by Reston’s Phil Lilienthal for children in South Africa who have been affected by HIV and AIDS. Tickets start at $75. [Celebrate Sizanani]
DC Area Pricey For Renters — The District (and surrounding areas like Farifax County ) come in No. 2 as the most expensive rental market in the country, says the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The Washington area comes in behind Hawaii, where a person needs to make an average of $31.54 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Around here, that number is $28.25. Virginia in general comes in at No. 10 on the list. [WTOP]
Who Wants to Head the Silver Line? — Pat Nowakowski, the executive director of the Silver Line rail project, announced last week he is leaving his $257,000 a year job. With the project behind schedule, that’s a tough position, and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter says there are “big shoes to fill.” Here’s the job description. [Washington Post]
The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station report these crimes for the last two weeks:
LARCENIES
12600 block of Glen Brooke Woods Drive, license plate from vehicle
2500 block of Peter Jefferson Lane, cash from vehicle
12100 block of Pinecrest Road, wallet from business
2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business
2000 block of Golf Course, personal documents from vehicle
12700 block of Roark Court, license plate from vehicle
1700 block of Jonathan Way, license plate from vehicle
1400 block of Lake Fairfax Drive, wallet from residence
900 block of Locust Street, cell phone from location
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, wallet from business
11400 block of South Lakes Drive, headphones from school
2300 block of Woodland Crossing Drive, electronic device from business
900 block of Falls Bridge Lane, stereo from residence
1400 block of Hunter Mill Road, camera from residence
STOLEN VEHICLES
2500 block of Farm Crest Drive, 2003 Nissan Altima
Barton Hill Road/Quimby Point Lane, Plymouth Neon
If you shopped at the Michaels store in Reston last summer, your credit card information may have been at risk.
The craft store said Thursday that nearly 2.6 million customers’ information had been stolen from its point-of-sale system. The company said security firms had found that criminals broke into Michaels’s system using “highly sophisticated malware that had not been encountered previously by either of the security firms.”
The Reston store, one of eight in Northern Virginia affected, was breached from May 8, 2013 – July 29, 2013, Michaels said.
The stolen information at both stores includes credit and debit card numbers and expiration dates. Customer names, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and addresses were not affected, the company said.
Michaels said it would offer customers free credit monitoring services for one year.
“We previously informed our customers and relevant regulators that we might have experienced a data security issue,” the company said in a statement. “Since the announcement, we retained two independent, expert security firms to conduct an extensive investigation. We also have been working closely with law enforcement authorities and coordinating with banks and payment processors to determine the facts. As soon as available, we provided data about potentially affected payment cards to the relevant card brands so they could take appropriate action.”
The store chain says the problem has been fixed and it is now safe to use credit and debit cards at the store.
They are advising customers to contact their bank or credit card company if they think they might be at risk. Customers can also call Michaels at 1-877-412-7145.
