In Forbes’ second annual ranking of America’s Best Employers by State, several Fairfax County businesses topped the list. 

In the Virginia state ranking, Reston’s Science Applications International Corporation, or SAIC, ranked #55 (12010 Sunset Hills Road). 

Peraton, the Herndon based IT company founded in 2017, was ranked #78 (12975 Worldgate Dr.).

Reston’s Leidos, a holding company involved in defense, intelligence, civil and health markets ranked #87 (1750 Presidents St.). 

The list was compiled by surveying 80,000 Americans, according to Vicky Valet’s article on Forbes. Surveys were conducted on a rolling basis from October 2019 through May 2020.

Additionally, responses about the same employers were compared to make up for any variation before and after the onset of the coronavirus, according to Valet. 

Photo by Peraton via Google Images

Escape Room Herndon was named one of TripAdvisor’s 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award winners for Fun & Games. 

The winners are decided based on a full year of reviews and are known for constantly receiving great player feedback that places them in the top 10 percent of hospitality businesses around the world, according to a press release. 

Escape Room Herndon is located at 406 Elden St., and was also rated the #1 Escape Room in Virginia by TripAdvisor, according to their website. The business closed its doors on March 16th with the onset of COVID-19 but was able to reopen to the public on July 3rd after restrictions eased. 

The facility has put new protocols in place to ensure safety when playing, including restricting the number of groups at a time, glove and mask requirements and more time between games to clean.

“We put in a one hour gap between games so we can extensively clean as much as possible, as well as allowing the room to ‘breathe,'” said Omar Aru, the owner of Escape Room Herndon. 

Since reopening, business has been slower than in past summers, according to Aru, with numbers at about 30 percent of that of last year. Fewer players and fewer games each day contribute to the downturn. However, Aru said guests report feeling safe the whole time. 

In addition to in-person fun, Escape Room Herndon also offers an online game called Back To The Present with 5-10 minute puzzles to play from home. 

“I think it’s more important than ever to find fun and safe activities to break away from screens and the current monotony for everyday life to create positive memories we can hold onto,” said Aru. “Escape Rooms present an immersive engaging game that gives you a chance to forget about the outside world just for a little bit and have a fun shared adventure.”

Photo courtesy of Omar Aru

With the prevalence of COVID-19 and an upcoming flu season, local pharmacies are now offering the flu vaccine to preemptively reduce the number of flu cases and ease the burden on the healthcare system.    

“The convergence of COVID-19 and flu season means that flu vaccinations are critical to reduce the overall burden of respiratory illnesses on the healthcare system and help protect communities,” said Kevin Ban, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer of Walgreens, in a press release. 

Giant Food is now offering the flu shot with no appointment necessary. They recommend that customers fill out their vaccine consent form before coming in to save time. 

“COVID-19 has presented challenges that we have not encountered before, and medical professionals around the world advise that getting the annual your flu shot is of vital importance to your health and wellness during this global pandemic,” said Paul Zvaleny, the Giant Food Director of Pharmacy Operations, in a press release.  

Safeway is also offering flu shots for free with most insurances. 

Here are some of the local grocery store pharmacies offering the vaccine:

• Giant: 1450 North Point Village Center, Reston
• Safeway: 11120 S Lakes Dr., Reston 
• Safeway: 2304 Hunter’s Woods Plaza, Reston
• Safeway: 413 Elden St., Herndon
• Safeway: 9881 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls

The grocery stores, in addition to Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, are offering the flu shot for free with most insurances. 

“Throughout the pandemic, Walgreens continues to make the health and safety of its team members and customers a top priority,” said Dr. Ban in the release. “We want our patients to know that we are there to help them and are taking precautions necessary to keep our communities safe.”

Photo by the CDC via Unsplash

As Fairfax County Public Schools prepares for virtual classes, some private schools in Reston and Tysons are bringing students back into classrooms.

Four private and parochial school administrators told Reston Now a high demand for in-person instruction and their ability to socially distance students are the main reasons they are offering in-person learning.

At Ideaventions in Reston, admissions staff noticed an increase in applications over the summer that they attribute to their in-person opening. The school serves students in fourth through 12th grades. The academy gained five extra students, bringing their student population for the 2020-2021 school year to 62 students as opposed to last year’s 56, Juliana Heitz, the admissions director at Ideavations, said.

“The summer was surprising in terms of admissions,” according to Heitz.”We had to reopen admissions because so many people were looking for that in-person instruction.”

Green Hedges School in Vienna also noted an increase in enrollment interest for the 2020-21 school year, according to Jennifer Bohnen, who is the head of the school.

After initially planning for a hybrid of in-person and online classes, FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand announced in July that the public school system, which is the largest one in Virginia, would open virtually on Sept. 8 for the fall. Concerns about public health safety and staffing levels prompted the switch to fully online classes.

Unlike big public schools with larger class sizes, the private school administrators Reston Now spoke to said that they will be able to keep students spaced out.

Oakcrest School plans to move classes with 20 or more students outside, weather permitting. The school is looking to use its 23-acre campus near the Reston Presbyterian Church to keep its approximately 260 students safely spread out.

“We’re trying to implement as many safety precautions as possible without disrupting the normal rhythm of the school day,” said Miriam Buono, who heads up operations at Oakcrest.

To further ensure social distancing, Oakcrest is implementing unilateral stairways to avoid overcrowding in the halls. The school is also extending passing periods from five to 10 minutes to compensate for the stairways and to allow students to step outside for mask breaks.

In addition to figuring out how to keep students physically distanced, school administrators are also finding ways to deal with another new element: getting kids to wear face coverings for several hours.

“It’s a learning curve,” Kristen Rogers, the head of Academy of Christian Education in Reston, said. “We have little footprint stickers on the floor to remind them even when they’re lining up to go to the bathroom to stand 6 feet apart.”

To address the issue of mask fatigue, St. Joseph Catholic School in Herndon is allowing teachers and students to pull down face coverings when 6 feet apart or when alone. Additionally, the school is allowing students to remove masks while eating.

Even while many private schools in the Fairfax County area are planning for in-person learning, some are offering a virtual option for families with health concerns. The school administrators Reston Now spoke to also said that they have to remain flexible if new state guidelines or a COVID-19 surge require a switch to fully-virtual learning.

In addition to following Gov. Ralph’s Northam Phase 3 guidance, Heitz noted that Ideavations is also using Fairfax County’s COVID-19 dashboard and Harvard’s dashboard assessing COVID-19 risks levels.

Administrators want parents to know they are tracking the ongoing conditions to determine whether or not in-person classes are safe.

Photos via Oakcrest School/Facebook

Clyde’s of Reston Town Center has installed plexiglass shields around their booths to better protect customers’ safety while dining during COVID-19. 

The plexiglass shields were installed in the first week of June, according to Molly Quigley, Clyde’s Director of Communications. 

“They are an additional layer of protection,” said Quigley. She added that the restaurant is still adhering to all other required safety protocols and social distancing requirements. 

Clyde’s Restaurant Group partnered with Lion’s Wood Banquet Furniture and purchased 15,000 square feet of plexiglass in May, according to a report from the Washington Business Journal. 

The restaurant is open for outdoor dining, indoor dining, pickup and delivery on Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Molly Quigley

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project teams have completed the train control system connections for Phase 2 of the Silver Line Tie-In. 

This connects the line to the rest of the region’s transit system and is a major step towards the completion of the rail line extension from the Wiehle-Reston East Station through Dulles Airport to Ashburn in eastern Loudoun County, according to a statement from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

Rail project crews were able to complete the tie-in work at the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail while working with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The WMATA closed some Orange and Silver lines for maintenance work, according to the statement, allowing for crews to complete the Wiehle-Reston East work faster. 

“Finishing the critical tie-in this summer means 13 previously planned WMATA shutdowns that had been planned over the coming months will not be needed,” said Charles Stark, the Airports Authority senior vice president and head of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. 

There will be three additional one-day shutdowns in November and December for systems and dynamic testing. 

The project is aiming to turn over Phase 2 of the Silver Line to the WMATA around the first of the year, said the statement. Once construction and testing are complete, the Airports Authority will give authority to the WMATA. 

The first phase of the Silver Line project from East Falls Church to Wiehle-Reston East with four stations in Tysons opened in 2014, according to the statement. Completion of Phase 2 from Wiehle Ave. to Ashburn will include stops at the Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles Airport and Loudoun Gateway stations.  

Photo courtesy of Dusty Smith

The Fairfax County Park Foundation (FCPF) will honor The Friends of Riverbend Park (FORB) with the 2020 Eakin Philanthropy Award at a virtual ceremony in November for its support of Riverbend Park programs and projects.

 FORB has donated more than $85,600 through the Park Foundation, according to a statement from the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).

The donations have funded forest restoration and environmental field trips to Riverbend Park for the education of Title I school students. FORB has also paid for multiple summer intern awards and unfunded needs of Riverbend Park staff, as well as equipment for the park, according to the statement. 

FORB was formalized in 2018 by ratifying a Fairfax County Park Authority Friends Group Memorandum of Understanding with the Park Authority Board.

The FCPF created the Eakin Philanthropy Award in 2009 to honor the Eakin family who donated the first parcels of the parkland to the Park Authority more than 50 years ago, according to the statement.

The award is given annually to recognize individuals and organizations whose financial or in-kind contributions have supported Fairfax County parks through the foundation.

Photo via the Fairfax County Park Authority

The Virginia Department of Transportation’s project to widen Route 7 is well underway and is on track to finish by summer 2024.

The project planned to “improve almost seven miles of Route 7 between Reston Ave. and Jarrett Valley Drive,” according to Jennifer McCord, the Northern Virginia Communications Manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation. 

As of right now, there are several traffic shifts and new traffic patterns along the Route 7 Corridor as crews place temporary asphalt for the road widening as well as intersection reconstruction, according to McCord. She added that noise walls will be added later as most of the work is completed. 

At the beginning of the project, VDOT set a $313.9 million budget, and according to McCord, they are still on track to complete within that budget. 

As of June 2020, from Reston Avenue to Riva Ridge Drive making up Area 1 West, there has been continued storm sewer installation, relocated communication lines, installation of an underdrain, continued construction of a stormwater management pond and cement stabilization, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation project website. 

In Area 1 East from Baron Cameron Ave. to Carpers Farm Way, construction completed cement stabilizations, placed base asphalt, shifted eastbound Route 7 lanes towards the median, began reconstruction of Delta Glen Court pavement and built a retaining wall west of Baron Cameron Ave. 

In Area 2, the Baron Cameron Intersection, Stage 2 construction was pending right-of-way acquisition. 

In Area 3, Difficult Run Area, there was continued relocation of communication utilities. 

In Area 4, Faulkner Drive to Jarrett Valley Drive, there was the construction of a stormwater management pond, asphalt was placed for temporary pavement in the median and they completed shoulder strengthening along the eastbound lanes, according to the website. 

Since fewer people have been traveling since the pandemic, the number of allowable work hours extended because of the decrease in traffic volume. 

 “Due to the 40-60% decrease in traffic volumes in parts of March and April, VDOT was able to grant select contractor requests for extended allowable work hours,” said McCord. 

Improvements at Towlston Road were completed in October 2019, and a new triple left turn at Baron Cameron Ave. was completed early and has been open for about a year, said McCord. 

The website continues to post lane closure updates for the following week every Friday. 

Photos courtesy of Jennifer McCord

The Reston Community Center (RCC) has announced five candidates for the 2020 Preference Poll to fill three spots on its Board of Governors. 

The candidates include three incumbents and two newcomers. Community voting begins on Sept. 11. Each property in Small District 5 will receive a mail-in ballot to send back by Thursday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m., according to a statement from the RCC. Walk-in ballots are due by Friday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m.

A candidates’ forum will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). Those interested in attending can email [email protected]. 

Below is the list of candidates with excerpts from their statements.  

Incumbent William Keefe

“Given Reston’s changing demographics, along with the financial limitations placed on Fairfax County social services, RCC must continue to provide diverse programming, including multilingual and multicultural programming, at reasonable cost to its many patrons. Cooperation with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Reston Association, and Reston’s community organizations such as Cornerstones and Southgate Community Center should be emphasized,” said Keefe.

Niels W. Pemberton 

“I’d bring my advocacy skills to RCC. Here’s what I’d do: 

1. Advocate myself for more movies & shows at Center Stage (Local Jazz & rock bands etc.) There should be an event each Friday & Saturday night at Center Stage. 
2. Increase outreach to all schools. 
3. Outreach to Reston newcomers. 
4. Honor Reston Association pool passes, in RA’s off-season. 
5. Expand Small Tax District #5 to the rest of the 20190, 20191 & 20194 Zip Codes and the neighborhoods on the periphery. 
6. Be a wise spender of money,” said Pemberton. 

Incumbent William Penniman

“My goal is to help RCC continue to serve community members of all ages and income levels, while working closely with schools and other community organizations, like RA, Southgate, Cornerstones and arts organizations. RCC’s efforts must continue to evolve to meet new challenges, including growth, climate-change and Covid-19. We need a long-range vision, adaptability and a close eye on the budget,” said Penniman. 

Incumbent Vicky Wingert

“Equity in all aspects of our programming and resource allocation must remain a central goal. By working with our Opportunity Neighborhood partners, this goal is attainable. I understand that a primary role for the Board of Governors is the responsible use of tax dollars. Prudent use of funds today must be coupled with a commitment to meet the demands of tomorrow. I have spent a lifetime engaged in recreational planning and bring that experience to RCC,” said Wingert. 

Lorri Zell

“Developing community inclusiveness and a sense of belonging begins with observing and recognizing needs in your community, asking for input, developing solutions together and then executing initiatives.This has been my approach to community involvement and engagement since I observed a need for and began a toddler program 20 years ago to address an unserved population,” said Zell. 

Photos courtesy of the RCC and via the RCC Facebook Page

Herndon’s AMC Worldgate 9 will be reopening on Aug. 27 following AMC Theaters’ announcement to reopen more than 100 of its theaters last Thursday.

The movie theater chain announced the plans today, adding that AMC will celebrate its 100th anniversary by selling 15 cent tickets, mimicking prices from the 1920s. This discount will take place on Aug. 20 to locations expected to open by then.

AMC Theaters will open another 300 movie theaters in anticipation of the release of Disney’s “The New Mutants” and Warner Bros. “Tenet” on Sept. 3, according to a statement from AMC. 

Guests will be required to wear facemasks in the theaters at all times except for when eating and drinking. Auditorium capacities will also be reduced to accommodate social distancing, menus will be simplified to reduce lines and there will be fewer touchpoints. 

“We are thrilled to once again open our doors to American moviegoers who are looking for an opportunity to get out of their houses and apartments and escape into the magic of the movies,” said Adam Aron, CEO and president of AMC Theatres, according to the statement.

Bowtie Cinemas has reopened their Richmond, VA location. However, their Reston Town Center location appears to remain closed. 

Photo by Leonard Cooker/Google Maps

(Updated at 2:38 p.m.)

MeSpoke, an application created by a Reston-based entrepreneur, secured an official patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 5 after a 39-month patent process upon the announcement of Apple’s iOS 14 release. 

The app promotes user-generated shopping rather than the influencer trend seen on mainstream social media today.  

The app is based around identifying fashion and accessories from one user to another in a way that disrupts the “paid media” pattern of typical social media and emphasizes an “earned media” model, according to Sid K. Hasan, the founder of MeSpoke. 

“We believe the future of MarTech is better suited for earned media, where everyone who loves Pandora can showcase their style,” said Hasan. 

On Instagram and other social media,  it’s common to see brands scouting out ambassadors with a high follower count to post with their merchandise. Hasan wanted to eliminate that kind of “influencer marketing” trend. With MeSpoke, any user can show off their brand merchandise and still earn rewards without any kind of upfront funds or follower-based campaigning. 

When a user uploads a photo to the MeSpoke, the software recognizes the various fashion accessories in the photo and gives users the option to tag the brands worn. That tag turns into a hyperlink to the brands’ websites, with one click from the app. The tag will ideally turn into loyalty points from the brands, giving the incentive for users to post more. 

“It is us that [brands] have always relied on to do advertising,” said Hasan. “I believe creators are going to be kings again.”

The app has been on the market for over three years, and they just launched their 2.0 version in June. According to Hasan, there has been positive feedback on their new version, and it’s very “slick”. 

As a Reston-based creator, Hasan encourages the town to support the app and the entrepreneurial spirit so Reston can eventually gain a reputation as a center for innovation. 

“We need the town’s support,” said Hasan. “We really need the town to get around this idea that we could be onto something. We can cement this region as a place where innovation lives.”

Corrects wording of quotes

Images via the MeSpoke app

Fairfax County Public Schools invites the local community to a virtual town hall on Wednesday.

FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand will discuss the virtual return to school on Sep. 8 and address any questions. The event plans to run from 6-7 p.m.

People interested in viewing can watch via the livestream or on Channel 99. Questions regarding the virtual start to the school year can be sent to [email protected] or to 1-800-231-6359.

According to a recent message from Brabrand, weekly town halls will resume starting with tomorrow’s town hall.

Image via Fairfax County Public Schools

Although cancellations of many major Reston events were announced this week, Reston Community Center’s summer concerts have returned to Lake Anne Plaza and Reston Station. 

The 2020 Summer Concert series is free to the public and features two different recurring concert series. The Take a Break series is held at Lake Anne Plaza on Thursdays from 7-8:30 p.m. The Summerbration Fab Fridays series is held at Reston Station on Fridays from 7-8:30 p.m, according to the Reston Community Center website. 

The dates and performances for Take a Break include:

• July 30: Cheick Hamala Diabate
• Aug. 6: Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet
• Aug. 13: Mambo Combo
• Aug. 27: Alfredo Mojica & Friends
• Sep. 3: David Bach Consort

The dates and performances for Summerbration Fab Fridays include:

• July 31: Far Away
• Aug. 7: King Teddy
• Aug. 14: Cristian Perez Band
• Aug. 21: Seth Kibel Band
• Aug. 28: Swingin’ Swamis
• Sep. 4: Tobago Bay

RCC will be mandating social distancing protocol and masks to ensure COVID-19 safety at the venue, according to the website.  Additionally, patrons are requested to bring their own chairs or blankets for seating, and capacity will be limited due to social distancing. 

Photo via the Reston Community Center website

Fairfax County Public Schools’ superintendent said he is committed to tackling racism in the public school system during a town hall last night.

The Fairfax County NAACP met with FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand to talk about how to address systemic racism going into the 2020-2021 school year.

The discussion between Sujatha Hampton, the Fairfax County NAACP’s education chair, and Brabrand, along with several other guests, focused on a list of priorities from Fairfax County NAACP to address equity.

Brabrand repeated throughout the town hall that he was ready to be held accountable for making change. “We need to be more comfortable feeling uncomfortable,” Brabrand said at the end of the meeting.

The town hall began with a discussion on COVID-19 and the status of reopening schools. On July 21, Brabrand announced that schools would be opening virtually on Sept. 8. Hampton made it clear that it will be essential to address the inequities that online learning presents in minority communities.

What would an anti-racist school system look like and how can FCPS strive for that? Hampton had several proposals.

One would address the scope of the chief equity officer position within the county, with Hampton noting the importance of hiring someone with “anti-racist” policies versus a traditional hire for the position.

Hampton’s proposed job description included conveying “transformational leadership” and having “successful experience as a change agent.”

“Anti-racism is a fairly new thing for systems to be considering,” said Hampton when emphasizing the importance of radical change with leadership.

Another priority is creating an anti-racist curriculum. FCPS Social Studies Coordinator Colleen Eddy said that they are already in the process of auditing the existing curriculum.

A major topic of discussion was the disproportionate discipline statistics in the county’s schools. Hampton presented a series of data points showcasing the high number of Black students receiving referrals for “disruptive behavior” versus their peers. FCPS Deputy Superintendent Frances Ivey agreed that it’s time to reinforce positive behavior rather than disciplining students.

Hampton also discussed the lack of Black teachers and principles within the school system and emphasized the importance of creating a data-driven plan to hire more Black teachers in a transparent way. She said the culture of a school stems from a principal, and it is “criminal” to give kids a racist principal.

“I want everyone to remember that these are actual children’s lives,” Hampton said.

Photo via Sam Balye/Unsplash

CORE Foundation is releasing a DIY race kit to replace Reston’s annual Youth Superhero Splash and Dash due to COVID-19. 

Participants will complete activities for the event kit on their own timeline and in an area of their choice. Everyone is still eligible to receive medals and other gear they would receive in a live experience, according to their Facebook page. 

CORE Foundation is providing all of the tools necessary to complete a race from home to maintain the event’s authenticity. The kits include a superhero cape, a medal, finish line tape, and superhero crafts.

The virtual event features a “swim-run-fun” format, according to the page, for ages 5 to 15. Those without a pool can substitute the swim feature for any physical activity of choice, from bicycling to hopscotch. 

Participants can pick any day between Aug. 22 and Sep. 8 to designate as their “event day,” in which they will complete the swim-run-fun challenge. The event emphasizes “participation rather than competition” to the children. 

The kit is $35 if participants register before Aug. 6 and $40 after Aug. 7. The first 50 registrants will receive a BOCA 2019 Splash and Dash trucker hat, according to the page. 

Kits can be picked up from Chick-fil-A North Point Village on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m., or can be mailed for an additional fee. 

Those who are in need of a scholarship to participate can email [email protected]. The organization is pairing with the USA Triathalon foundation to offer the experience free of charge.

Photo via CORE Foundation