In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, Fairfax County Emergency Information released a list of guidelines with information on how to celebrate Thanksgiving safely.

The county emphasized it’s still vital to work to slow the spread of COVID-19. Despite the cold months and inevitable pandemic fatigue, community members can’t let their guards down now, health officials say.

The county’s seven-day average of cases is creeping up. On Nov. 2, the weekly case count was the highest since mid-June when an average of 137 cases was recorded on June 12. Now, that number has increased to nearly 134 weekly cases.

According to the guidelines, high-risk activities include:

• Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on, or after Thanksgiving,
• Participating in or spectating a crowded race.
• Attending crowded parades.
• Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside your household.

Moderate-risk activities include:

• Having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends in your community.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchids where people use hand sanitizer before touching produce, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced and people can maintain social distancing.
• Attending small outdoor sports events with safety precautions in place.

Lower risk activities include:

• Having a small dinner with people who live in your household.
• Having virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family.
• Preparing recipes for family and neighbors and delivering them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others.
• Shopping online the day after Thanksgiving, as opposed to in-person.
• Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home.

The county also advises not participating in in-person activities if you or anyone in your household has or are showing symptoms of COVID-19. They advise following the CDC’s recommendations on holiday gatherings to further lower risk. Traveling increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.

Photo via Unsplash

The Reston Community Center is working with the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Reston Association, and Cornerstones to expand its Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive this year.

The drive is introducing two “Stuff the RA Camp Van” events this month, according to a press release from the RCC, encouraging people to bring non-perishable food and other items to the RA Camp Van. The van will be open at these places and times:

• Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the SunTrust Bank parking lot at South Lakes Village Center.
• Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. next to the BB&T Bank at North Point Village Center.

The Annual Thanksgiving Drive as a whole will run through Nov. 23. There are collection boxes at RCC facilities, the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and other drop-off points, according to the release. People are encouraged to donate non-perishable food and gift cards, amongst other things. 

“The impact of COVID-19 has been profound, and the challenges faced by families struggling to meet their commitments during the pandemic are enormous,” said Leila Gordon, the RCC Executive Director. “We know that keeping our community strong and safe depends on the generosity of those who have the ability to give. We are very grateful for all the support people can offer.” 

Those looking to volunteer can sign up to be a Volunteer Loader on Nov. 24 or 25, or a Volunteer Food Sorter on Nov. 26 or 27. The events will be held with social distancing, mask-wearing, and smaller group sizes.

Photo via the RCC website

More than 30 companies in the D.C. metro area are looking to hire women for open positions in STEM-based fields at a Women in Technology Virtual Career Fair tomorrow (Thursday). Some of the companies include Amazon, Capital One, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

The career fair is sponsored by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and Capital One as part of an ongoing series of virtual career fairs that the FCEDA has supported in response to the COVID-19 crisis, according to a press release from the FCEDA.

The first three virtual fairs in the series attracted more than 2,100 attendees, the release says.

“More girls and women need to be exposed to the high-paying jobs in the technology sectors that are a major part of the economy of Fairfax County,” Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said.

Gross, who serves as vice chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, added that “efforts such as this career fair open up a wider talent pipeline for the companies that have so many job openings even during the pandemic.”

According to the release, only 26% of the jobs held by women in the workforce are computing-related jobs. The career fair on Nov. 5 will help connect technology professionals with top organizations in the D.C. metro area, seeking to help increase access to opportunity “in a field where women have been historically underrepresented.”

Participants will be able to browse companies through a virtual lobby, enter their booths, view open positions, engage in video conferencing, and talk with human resources representatives at the virtual fair.

“In Northern Virginia, we have more than 15,000 tech firms constantly hiring. In fact, tech job postings are growing more in Virginia than in California and New York,” FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins said. “We are a region that not just embraces, but pioneers diversity: women are twice as likely to work in tech in Northern Virginia than in Silicon Valley.”

Participation in the career fair is free of charge. Employers interested in promoting their job openings can contact Mike Batt, the FCEDA Director of Talent Initiative Programs at [email protected] or visit the Employer Resources page.

Photo via the FCEDA/Instagram

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Town of Herndon Architectural Review Board will be holding a virtual work session to discuss the signage of a new retail store called Herl’s Bath and Home Solutions.

Herl’s Bath and Home Solutions is a bathroom remodeling company with two locations throughout Maryland — one in Salisbury, and one in Columbia. The Herndon location will be coming soon. The business has been running since 1990, according to the company website. Reston Now did not hear back from them about an opening date. 

The store, looking to move to the Herndon Reston Industrial/Business Park (366 Victory Drive), proposed a sign with a font type and color that does not meet the standards required by the facility’s Master Sign Plan, according to a report released by the ARB. At the work session, the ARB will review their application.

The ARB will discuss the four motion alternatives: to deny the application, approve the application as submitted, approve the application with conditions, or continue the public hearing at another date, according to the report.  

After the work session, the Board can take action on the case at the Board Public Hearing on Nov. 16, according to Anne Curtis, the Chief Communications Officer for the Town of Herndon.

The work session will take place at Herndon Council Chambers Building (765 Lynn Street) tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.

Photo via the Herndon ARB

South Lakes High School’s annual Tag Day band fundraiser will officially be held virtually this year as a result of the pandemic. 

The fundraiser helps pay for musical instruction, instruments, student scholarships, uniforms and more, according to a press release from Melissa Gifford, the President of Band Boosters. Tag Day is the nonprofit’s largest SLHS fundraiser each year.

“Even though band classes are virtual right now, our staff and students are working hard on new music, and they can’t wait to play for the community!” said Gifford. 

The funds are currently being allocated to support students now and upon their eventual return to in-person learning. To support virtual learning, Band Boosters are looking to bring in additional help in the online classroom to increase the individual attention given to each student. 

Fundraising proceeds will also go towards purchasing new sheet music for smaller performing groups for an eventual return to in-person school, and to help purchase and repair instruments, according to Gifford. 

“Most people aren’t aware that many of our students use or even share school-owned instruments,” she said. “Obviously it’s important that we are able to provide a working instrument for every student at home, and sharing is now a thing of the past.”

The nonprofit has set up a crowdsourcing campaign, with information on the website about the band program and how proceeds are being used. Those interested in donating can donate online or by check payable to SLHS Band Boosters (South Lakes Band Boosters, PO Box 8561, Reston VA 20195-8561). 

“Each ear we are overwhelmed by the support of our community,” said Shannen Setlik, the Tag Day Coordinator. “We are especially grateful this year, during these difficult times.” 

Photo courtesy of Melissa Gifford

As Election Day approaches, public facilities in Fairfax County are announcing what will be closed and what will remain open on the state holiday.

Since the county opted to give most employees the day off, most Fairfax County government facilities will be closed, including the government center. However, the Office of Elections will be open, and polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.

“The right to vote is a very important, very important part of our American process,” Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill said on the “Connect with County Leaders” podcast. “The Board of Supervisors on the FYI 22 calendar added Election Day as a day off, so it made most sense on a presidential election cycle to also add it.”

“Once they added it on…the calendar year ’22, I spoke to the supervisors and asked them if they would like it also to be on November 3, 2020,” Hill added.

Students within Fairfax County Public Schools will have both Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 off of school, with today marking the end of the first quarter. Additionally, FCPS will be distributing double breakfast and lunch meals on Nov. 2 to cover both days off as a food resource for students, according to FCPS.

Virginia designated Election Day as a state holiday for the first time this year when the General Assembly passed legislation to substitute it for Lee-Jackson Day, which the Commonwealth had observed on the Friday preceding Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January since 1904.

“Voting is a fundamental right, and these new laws strengthen our democracy by making it easier to cast a ballot, not harder,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said upon signing the bill into law. “No matter who you are or where you live in Virginia, your voice deserves to be heard.”

Young readers now have virtual access to the Fairfax County Public Library through a new program created in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools.

LEAP, or Library Equity Access Pass, started on Oct. 1. The program was initially piloted in 2019 and was created to ensure student access to library materials, even without a library card or an account with the library, according to the program website.

Now, the program has been adapted to a virtual platform, making access even easier in the midst of the pandemic.

Through LEAP, students grades PreK-12 only need their name to check out materials. Additionally, the program will never charge fines or fees. Each account will allow students to check out up to three items at a time for six weeks each.

The program has been running for about three weeks and has already served students at each of the county’s branches. While the program hasn’t run long enough to collect specific usage data, LEAP customers and staff have reported questions about the program from across the community.

“Word is spreading, our marketing efforts are reaching people, and the community seems enthusiastic about LEAP,” said Ted Kavich, the administrative services division director of the FCPL.

In particular, on Oct. 20, the staff at Reston Regional Library worked with staff from Dogwood Elementary School to check out books to local families using the LEAP accounts, according to Kavich. According to the school, more than 15 families were provided with books.

For more information, students and parents can ask a teacher or librarian at their school, or call any FCPL location.

Photo via Dogwood Elementary School/Twitter

Reston Community Players has announced a special month-long concert series, ‘RCP Gives Thanks’, to show gratitude to the Reston community for its support this year. 

The virtual mini-concerts will feature some of RCP’s performers while generating donations for their organization in addition to other local non-profits in the Reston area. 

Beginning November 1 at 8 p.m., RCP will spread a message of gratitude and camaraderie with uplifting stories of gratitude and performances from memorable past performers, according to a statement from the organization. The fundraising campaign will take place via RCP’s Facebook page. 

“‘RCP Gives Thanks’ is our chance to show our gratitude and appreciation for the community that has sustained us for the past 54 years,” said Jolene Vettese, the president of RCP, in the statement.  “November is often a time to reflect on what we have in our lives that we are thankful for, and we’d like to share with our community what it is that we are thankful for.”

Donations will go towards defraying the fixed operating expenses that RCP cannot cover due to the pandemic, specifically production cancellations. 

RCP will also be staring the proceeds with Shepherd’s Center, LINKS Inc,  and Cornerstones as a means of thanking the community. Each non-profit partner will be featured for 10 days of performances and will receive half of all donations raised during those days, according to the statement. 

Those interested can visit RCP’s website for more information and the schedule of performances. 

Image via Reston Community Players/Facebook

Safety concerns are rising around a police reform bill blocking officers from pulling over drivers without headlights at night, part of an initiative to reform police searches when detecting marijuana in vehicles.

Senate Bill 5029, initially introduced by Senator L. Louise Lucas (D), reads that “no law-enforcement officer may lawfully stop a motor vehicle for operating without a light illuminating a license plate, with defective and unsafe equipment, without brake lights or a high mount stop light,” as well as other vehicle defects. The bill was passed by the House and Senate and is now waiting on Governor Ralph Northam to sign into action. 

However, the Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard has expressed concern over the passing of the bill because it undermines several different safety measures. 

On Oct. 14, DeBoard crafted a letter and uploaded it to Facebook via the Herndon Police Department, addressing Northam on behalf of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police on the areas of the bill they oppose and would like to see changed. 

“Our citizens expect us to protect them. This bill prevents that and will certainly lead to an increase in vehicle and pedestrian fatalities throughout the state,” said DeBoard in her letter. “We strongly encourage you to amend SB 5029 and HB 5058 to remove the amendments that negatively impact the safety of our citizens and visitors.”

According to the police department, Northam has until today to take action on the bill. 

Photo via Herndon Police Department

The Virginia Department of Transportation has announced a virtual public information meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21 regarding plans to replace the Springvale Road bridge over Piney Run with a two-lane bridge in the Great Falls area of Fairfax County. The bridge is currently single-laned and weight restricted. 

VDOT is considering two possible options for the project, according to their press release. One proposed option is to widen the bridge to two lanes with two four-foot-wide shoulders. The other option is to widen the bridge to two lanes separated by raised/splitter island medians with two two-foot-wide shoulders. 

The bridge, averaging 4,700 vehicles per day, according to the release, will also have an increased opening to better prepare for flooding. 

There is no project start date yet, but the schedule will be updated over several months as the project reaches further stages of planning or if additional funding becomes available. The replacement is aimed to improve bridge safety. 

The virtual meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., and feedback will be accepted through Nov.  2. Those interested in attending can register on the VDOT website.

Screengrab via Google Maps

Reston Dermatology & Cosmetic Center has officially moved into a new office. The cosmetic center is now located at 1800 Town Center Drive, Suite 212. 

The office held a virtual grand opening today via Facebook Live with celebrations such as a virtual tour of the new office, provider discussions, raffles and special pricing for the opening. 

A full list of special discounts is posted on the center’s website. 

According to an employee, Dr. Syed Amiry bought the new office to have his own space, as opposed to renting the previous office in the same building. The office was remodeled. 

While the grand opening was this morning, the new office has been open for appointments for about a month, according to the employee. 

The office has implemented several COVID-19 precautions to keep their office safe such as waiving fees for last-minute cancellations due to illness, cleaning all treatment rooms before and after each service, cleaning the lobby areas several times each day, and more. 

Image via Reston Dermatology/Twitter

Donations for the annual Winter Coat Closet Program have officially begun this week. 

Cornerstones 50 is working in partnership with the Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s Office this year to help operate the Winter Coat Closet Program, according to a release from the nonprofit.

The collection is asking for new or gently used coats and new hats, gloves, mittens and scarves. 

The two locations for donation dropoffs are at Cornerstones (1150 Sunset Hills Road) and the North County Government Building (1801 Cameron Glen Drive). 

Cornerstones hours are Monday through Friday from Oct. 13 through Nov. 6, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The North County Government Building is collecting Nov. 14, Dec. 12 and Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. 

The collection can accept plastic coat hangers, but not wire. For more information about the Winter Coat Closet Program, visit the Cornerstones website. 

Photo by Daniel Bowman/Unsplash

Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) community centers are scheduled to reopen beginning today (Tuesday). Reston’s Southgate Community Center is included in the nine community centers reopening. 

To visit the community center, community members must make reservations and sign a waiver in advance, according to a press release from the NCS. 

The centers will be open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., offering self-directed activities, technical support and the Parent Connect program only. Organized sports and activities will not be permitted, according to the release.

Children who are under 9 years old must be accompanied by an adult. 

The community centers will be holding temperature checks and health screenings upon arrival. They will also be requiring masks, social distancing, and will be frequently cleaning high touch surfaces. 

To make a reservation, participants can call their local NCS community center. More information is available on the reopening website. 

Image via NCS

Columbus Day, also known as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is this upcoming Monday, which means several facilities will be closed to the public to observe the holiday. Here is a look at what is available and what is not. 

Fairfax County government offices will be closed, as well as in-person early voting at the Fairfax County Government Center. Local libraries will be closed. All Fairfax County parks will be closed, with the exception of Frying Pan Farm Park’s farm and indoor areas. Additionally, all RECenters will be open. 

The Fairfax Connector will be running on its holiday service. Several routes, which are listed on the county’s website, will not operate at all. Metro, however, will be operating on normal hours. 

The Reston Community Center in Hunters Woods will be open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. The RCC in Lake Anne will be closed for the day. The Herndon Community Center will also be closed. 

Photo by Aaron Burden/Unsplash