Last Day to Compete for Silver Line Tickets — The deadline to win one of 50 “Silver Tickets” to ride the first train on Metro’s extended Silver Line is 5 p.m. today. The tickets will go to 50 customers who share their favorite Metro story while tagging @wmata and using #YourMetroMemory. [WMATA/Twitter]
McLean Double Murder Conviction Vacated — A judge vacated Megan Hargan’s conviction yesterday after her attorneys alleged a juror “had inappropriately used her own rifle at home to test out evidence.” Hargan was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found her guilty of killing her mother and sister at their McLean home in 2017. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office intends to retry the case. [The Washington Post]
No Injuries in Herndon House Fire — “Lieutenant Adrian Cubbage provided a brief update on the house fire earlier today in the 800 block of Winterhaven Place in the @TownOfHerndon. No reported injuries. Fire Investigators to determine cause of fire.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Fairfax Man Sentenced in Child Porn Case — “A Fairfax man was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for attempted production of and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, Brian Scott McGalem, 24, repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with at least six minors where he attempted to persuade several of the victims to produce sexually explicit pictures of themselves and send them to him.” [DOJ]
County Board Drafts Legislative Package for General Assembly — “Education is a top priority and supervisors want the state to fully fund its public-education obligations, including ‘costs of competing’ funds in more expensive parts of the commonwealth, such as Fairfax County, Walkinshaw said. Transportation funding also is a key imperative.” [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]
Ribbon Cut on Tysons Pedestrian Bridge — “The Virginia Department of Transportation and Fairfax County celebrated a joint effort today to construct a crucial new link for bicyclists and pedestrians… ‘With the opening of the Tysons/Old Meadow Road Bridge, we are realizing our vision of a walkable and bikeable Tysons,’ said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay.” [VDOT]
Free Rec Center Admission for Veterans — “The Fairfax County Park Authority will join in the national commemoration of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, by offering free admission to the Rec Centers to those who serve and have served in the U.S. Armed Forces…That includes admission to pools, fitness rooms, gyms and racquetball courts at the county’s nine recreational facilities.” [FCPA]
Vienna Homeowner to Fix Collapsing House — The proposed demolition of a dilapidated house on Beulah Road has been indefinitely deferred after Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn shared last week that the property owner is obtaining permits “to remedy the situation.” Vacant since 2016, the house “has been deteriorating” and is “the site of illegal dumping,” county officials said. [Sun Gazette]
It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 47. Sunrise at 6:47 am and sunset at 5:00 pm. [Weather.gov]
Voting at Cunningham Park Elementary School in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
With most incumbents running away to victory, it appears that Fairfax County’s voter turnout for the general election this year will fall short of the 2018 midterms.
About 53% of registered, active county voters took part in this year’s midterm elections, per Fairfax County election officials. That’s about 16 percentage points off from the midterms four years ago. It’s also lower than last year’s gubernatorial election, which had a 60% turnout.
In total, 391,361 ballots have been counted so far in Fairfax County, election officials said.
Turnout numbers remain unofficial. Ballots put into drop boxes will be counted today, while additional mail ballots can continue to arrive until noon Monday (Nov. 14).
Absentee mail and in-person voting rose this election cycle compared to 2018, with 130,350 residents voting early this year — just under 18% of active, registered voters in the county. That’s about 44,000 more people than in 2018, when 12% of voters made their decisions early.
Last year, 174,641 county residents, or about 24% of voters, cast ballots by mail or early in person.
With Fairfax County staying reliably blue, the lack of competitive Congressional races on the ballot may have contributed to the lower turnout compared to other recent elections. Based on the preliminary results, all but one local incumbent — Herndon Town Councilmember Signe Friedrichs — appears to have held their job.
Don Beyer (D) secured victory in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District with 73% of the vote with most precincts reporting. The district includes about 282,000 residents of Fairfax County, where Beyer secured 69% of the vote — about three percentage points lower than what he got in 2018.
The re-elected Congressman tweeted out a statement just before 9 p.m. last night, thanking voters for “again putting their confidence in me.”
Grateful to voters in Northern Virginia for again putting their confidence in me to represent them in the House of Representatives. Their trust in me is humbling, and I will continue to do all I can to earn it. My statement: pic.twitter.com/mJCE2SNk03
— Don Beyer (@DonBeyerVA) November 9, 2022
In the 11th Congressional District, Gerry Connolly (D) won his eighth term in office with 66% of the vote overall, with all but two precincts reporting.
The 11th District is almost entirely in Fairfax County, covering about 585,000 residents. That includes Lorton, Burke, Fairfax, Chantilly, Vienna, Tysons, Reston, and most of Springfield and Herndon.
Like Beyer, Connolly didn’t fare quite as well this year in Fairfax County as he did in 2018, with 66% of the vote compared to 70% four years ago.
“Representing Virginia’s 11th congressional district is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Connolly wrote in a statement to FFXnow. “I want to thank Northern Virginians for once again putting their trust in me and I will never stop fighting for our shared progressive values.”
We are Victorious! Thank you to all the voters, committees, supporters, and especially the volunteers for making the campaign this year a tremendous success in the midterms! I’m proud to represent and truly serve the people of Northern VA once again! #2022Midterms #election2022 pic.twitter.com/1qEZotMuzk
— Gerry Connolly (@ElectConnolly) November 9, 2022
The county’s closest Congressional race came in the 10th District, where Jennifer Wexton (D) got re-elected for a second term with 52.9% of the vote compared to Republican challenger Hung Cao’s 46.95%.
Wexton represents about 14,500 Fairfax County residents, mostly around Clifton, which make up only 2.5% of the district. Among that small slice of the electorate, Wexton’s victory was even tighter with her only winning 48 more votes than Cao.
Wexton previously represented more county residents, but redistricting pushed the district further south and changed that.
THANK YOU, #VA10!
Watch my remarks with #TeamWexton supporters in Ashburn here
https://t.co/BjKvmC6qsA pic.twitter.com/vwfipvM9hf
— Jennifer Wexton (@JenniferWexton) November 9, 2022
In a statement to FFXnow, Wexton said she’s “honored” for being re-elected while noting there’s a “fight ahead of us, and it’s a fight we must win.”
I chose public service because I believed I could make a difference in the lives of kids and families in my community, and I’m honored that the people of Virginia-10 have trusted me with another opportunity to continue delivering progress and positive results for our district.
After being stuck in a pandemic, with the burden of rising prices, and in what feels like an increasingly divisive political climate – we’re moving again. I’m proud that we’ve made progress to get the economy back on track and get people back to work, fight inflation and lower prices, and bring our communities together around the issues that matter most. And there’s still work to do.
We have a fight ahead of us, and it’s a fight we must win. From attacks on our fundamental freedoms to undermining our very democracy, there is real fear about the direction of our country. But seeing the passion and determination of Virginians of all backgrounds and walks of life come out during this campaign to fight for the values they believe in — the values that make this country great — I’m more confident than ever that our brightest days are ahead.
An even tighter race came in Herndon, where nine candidates jockeyed for six seats on the town council. Only 101 votes currently separate the highest vote-getter from seventh place, with incumbents Naila Alam, Cesar del Aguila, and Pradip Dhakal appearing to secure re-election.
Challengers Clark Hedrick, Keven LeBlanc Jr, and Donielle Scherff seem to have pushed out Friedrichs, though the margins are close enough that the results could change as outstanding ballots are counted.
Herndon, while results are still coming in, it appears clear that you have entrusted me with a seat on the Herndon Town Council. Thank you, I won’t let you down. Let’s bring #HerndonTogether.
— Clark Hedrick for Herndon Town Council (@HerndonTogether) November 9, 2022
Herndon also gave incumbent Sheila Olem a second term as mayor. She drew 41% of the vote, while challengers Sean Regan and Jasbinder Singh received 38% and 20%, respectively.
The election results won’t be made official and certified until after Monday next week, when all mail-in ballots are counted.
After the pandemic unearthed new needs, Friends of Reston Regional Library is offering $200,000 in grants to support literacy efforts in the community.
The organization, which supports and promote Reston Regional Library and the overall Fairfax County Public Library system, is accepting applications for grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 to nonprofits that offer hands-on programming that impacts literacy in Reston, Herndon and the county overall.
“The Friends of the Reston Regional Library was founded with the intent of supporting our local library branch, our library system, and our community,” organizers wrote in a statement. “In light of the recent increase in challenges faced by many populations, including the difficulty in accessing information and educational resources, we seek to strengthen and improve our involvement in the community at large.”
Applications for grants are due by Jan. 11.
The grant program comes after the Friends raised $200,000 this spring for FCPL.
The organization has also set aside funds for a new library planned for Reston in anticipation of challenges associated with the property. It’s likely the new facility may not provide enough space for book sale and donation processing — the primary method for the organization to raise funds.
That application is currently working its way through the county’s approval process.
More information about the grant application process is available online.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
How do you Age Well? There are so many avenues for pursuing personal wellness, it can be overwhelming. Yet it’s so fulfilling to try something — whether an exercise class or a new habit — that instantly “rings true” with you.
One option you might not have considered is the growing trend of sound wellness. Sound wellness refers to using audio — including music, acoustic resonance, and/or vibration — to boost our well-being. You might play a specific song to change your mood, take in a crystal singing bowls experience, or use a smartphone app like Endel on the Apple Watch to create a personalized, neuroscience-based playlist of sounds customized to your biofeedback and more, designed to optimize your day. All of these are examples of sound wellness.
Grounded in Science
Science has shown that sound has a profound effect on our physical health, mood, mental health and overall well-being. Much of this has to do with how our brains respond to sound, vibration and rhythm.
Developers and manufacturers are using this science to develop apps, products and programs to harness sound therapies for a variety of uses, including:
- to relieve stress
- to promote creativity or boost productivity
- to trigger rest, recovery or sleep
- to manage pain
Researchers are even studying the effects of sound on cancer cells!
Sounding It Out
Mather is a not-for-profit organization with three senior living communities and plans to open The Mather, a Life Plan Community for those 62 and better, in Tysons in 2024. Over the past year, they’ve incorporated sound wellness into some resident offerings such as workshops on rhythm and percussion. “For Active Aging Week this year, we invited residents and staff in our Life Plan Community in Tucson to try experiences that incorporated sound wellness,” says William Wesley Myers, director of Wellness Strategies for Mather. “We facilitated a nature- and sound-bathing hike in a nearby canyon (see image at top of this article) that incorporated exercise and nature immersion, followed by a guided meditation with a crystal bowl sound-bathing component.” Sound bathing uses tone and vibration to resonate with the body, and may help with stress, fatigue and depression symptoms.
From sound-bathing sessions to smartphone apps, sound wellness and its proven health benefits seem to have a lot to offer.
The Mather, projected to open in Tysons, VA, in 2024 for those 62 and better, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community that defies expectations of what senior living is supposed to be.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
The final piece of a massive mixed-used project near the Innovation Center Metro station is officially on track for approval.
At a Fairfax County Planning Commission meeting on Nov. 2, the commission unanimously gave developer DSVO Dulles approval to complete the development of just under three acres of mostly undeveloped land at 2310 Dulles Station Blvd.
The proposal is the last remaining undeveloped portion of the larger 58-acre Dulles Station development.
The applicant’s land use representative Mike Van Atta, a land use planner with the firm McGuireWoods, said the proposal was an “appropriate end-cap” for the overall development.
The plan includes a mixed-use apartment building with 510 units and seven stories. roughly 21,000 square feet of open space is proposed on the site, which would be flanked by townhouse-style units on either side of pedestrian mews. Retail is proposed on the ground floor of the building.
“It’s also the final piece of the puzzle for the completion of Dulles Station,” Van Atta said.
The developer elected to move forward with one of two separate development options for the building, which was previously approved in 2017 for either a mid-rise or high-rise building. The latest proposal favors a mid-rise building.
The approval came after discussion about the implication of the development on area schools.
Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina asked staff and the developer to examine if and how the county school system is prepared to handle students generated by the overall project, adding that the latest approval could bring at least one classroom full of elementary school students to the system.
“It would be good to know that we’ve committed to take a look at where we stand elementary school-wise,” Cortina said.
Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter also questioned why the development plan calls for single ramps instead of double ramps for pedestrians as they enter and exit the development.
Referring to challenges with pedestrian connectivity at The Boro in Tysons, Carter said that single ramps don’t do an efficient job of managing traffic.
“It sends people right out to the intersection with no regard to which way the traffic is coming,” Carter said.
He conceded that, while this was a “small point,” the overall application was “well worked out.”
Dranesville District Commissioner John Ulfelder noted that the overall application was consistent with previous approvals, the county’s zoning ordinance, and comprehensive planning documents.
“I like the straightforward applications. This one is,” he said.
ICYMI: Herndon Mayor Wins Reelection — “Mayor Sheila Olem will get a second term as mayor of the Town of Herndon after securing a narrow win against council members Sean Regan and Jasbinder Singh in today’s primary election.” [FFXnow]
Georgia Election Investigation Comes to Fairfax County — “Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican who represented Georgia, is scheduled to appear in a Fairfax County courtroom Wednesday morning to fight a demand that he testify before a Georgia special grand jury investigating possible attempts in that state to manipulate the 2020 presidential election.” [The Washington Post]
Doctor Pleads Guilty to Felony Drug Distribution Charges — “A doctor who was licensed to practice medicine in both D.C. and Virginia pled guilty Tuesday after giving a man in Fairfax County drugs despite neither examining him nor having an established doctor-patient relationship. The man then died days later of an overdose.” [WUSA9]
Fairfax Man Arrested for Reported Machete Assault — City of Fairfax Police responded at 1:35 p.m. on Oct. 29 to Patient First Urgent Care after two individuals allegedly assaulted two acquaintances with machetes, injuring their heads and hands. A 39-year-old man was arrested last week and faces multiple malicious wounding charges. [Fairfax City Police/Twitter]
Dunn Loring Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Seniors — “A man who lives in Dunn Loring and Florida pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Monday in an elder fraud scam, according to federal prosecutors in Maryland…Prosecutors say Anderson and co-conspirators took at least $842,670 from 49 victims in the scheme.” [Patch]
See Election Day Blood Moon — Photographers captured an “ominous blood moon” over the D.C. area yesterday morning, a first for Election Day. “Photos from around the world showed the moon turning rusty shades of red — a phenomenon that occurs when the moon is in a total eclipse.” [The Washington Post]
Virginia Seeing Exodus of Teachers — “Virginia has more teachers leaving the workforce than newly licensed teachers entering it, according to a report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Data show that 10,900 teachers left the workforce ahead of the current school year, while only 7,208 teachers with first-time licenses were hired.” [Virginia Mercury/Inside NoVA]
Tysons Library to Host Talk About Domestic Violence — “The first step in fighting domestic violence is getting educated. Visit our Tysons-Pimmit Regional branch on Monday, Nov. 14 to learn about the dynamics of domestic violence and how to support someone in a violent relationship.” [Fairfax County Public Library/Twitter]
Local Holiday Markets Incoming — “The holidays are fast approaching, which also means it’s time to embark on your search for gifts. Luckily, Fairfax County has no shortage of holiday markets this year, from Christmas villages to traditional markets to craft shows. Here’s where to find unique items for those you love — even if they’re the person who already has everything.” [Visit Fairfax]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 56 and low of 40. Sunrise at 6:46 am and sunset at 5:01 pm. [Weather.gov]
Mayor Sheila Olem will get a second term as mayor of the Town of Herndon after securing a narrow win against council members Sean Regan and Jasbinder Singh in today’s primary election.
According to unofficial results, Olem edged out the race by a little over two percentage points over Regan. Singh received the least number of votes: 16%.
The Herndon Town Council race — which included nine candidates running for six open seats — is extremely close, as is typical in the town’s council elections.
Current members Naila Alam, Cesar del Aguila, and Pradip Dhakal retained their seats, while challengers Clark Hedrick, Keven LeBlanc Jr, and Donielle Scherff secured enough votes to beat out Councilmember Signe Friedrichs.
The following is a breakdown of unofficial election returns for the council race:
- Clark Hedrick: 3,372
- Pradip Dhakal: 3,334
- Keven LeBlanc Jr: 3,164
- Cesar del Aguila: 3,109
- Naila Alam: 3,084
- Donielle Scherff: 2,965
- Stevan Porter: 2,871
- Roland Taylor: 2,692
- Signe Friedrichs: 2,685
It’s not unusual for the outcome of town council races to change once official results are tabulated.
In 2020, for example, a data entry error dramatically changed the results of the mayoral election.
In this year’s midterm elections, Democratic incumbents representing portions of Fairfax County once again maintained a stronghold over their seats in the House of Representatives.
Democratic incumbents Don Beyer (D-8) and Gerry Connolly (D-11) clenched a decidedly confident victory over their Republican challengers: Karina Lipsman, Hung Cao and Jim Myles, according to uncertified election results.
But Jennifer Wexton’s (D-10) win over challenger Cao was significantly closer than her Democratic colleagues.
The incumbent won by a 5-point-percentage margin, with 90 percent of precincts reporting.
In Fairfax County, she led by a mere 48 votes, according to Fairfax County’s unofficial returns.
Victories for Beyer and Connolly were far less contentious, with Beyer winning nearly 77% of votes versus Lipsman’s 21% and Connolly winning 68% over Myles’s 31%.
Beyer said that he was grateful for voters’ confidence in his ability to represent them.
“I will continue to do all I can to earn their trust, and to serve my constituents,” he wrote in a statement today.
Grateful to voters in Northern Virginia for again putting their confidence in me to represent them in the House of Representatives. Their trust in me is humbling, and I will continue to do all I can to earn it. My statement: pic.twitter.com/mJCE2SNk03
— Don Beyer (@DonBeyerVA) November 9, 2022
Fairfax County hit a 45% turnout rate for the midterms, as of 3:50 p.m., but that number does not account for three hours of voting that remained at the time.
Still, the number appears shy of 2018 midterms when 59.5% of registered voters cast a ballot. In 2014, a mere 41.6% of registered voters voted.
Are nagging back issues or that sharp knee pain holding you back from your fitness goals? Schedule a Free Injury Consult with your new physical therapists in Virginia!
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Want to check out the facility and see if R2P is for you? Join Rehab 2 Perform for their Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting (tomorrow) Wednesday, November 9 at 4:30 p.m.
Be sure to RSVP and learn more here!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
The Town of Herndon is exploring the creation of a new business incubator.
The project is intended to promote e-commerce and establish the town as a tech-savvy area.
Partnerships could include George Mason University, Virginia Small Business Development Center, and Office Evolution, an office space rental agency based in Herndon. Overall, the incubator would offer education and training for entrepreneurs and small business in an effort to boost business growth and overall independence.
The project is in the early planning phases.
“The Town Council has not yet adopted a resolution authorizing the incubator project; that is anticipated to come before the council at its December meeting,” town spokesperson Anne Curtis wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
At a meeting in mid-October, the town council explored the possibility of the project.
Office Evolution would act as the incubator for the project. Mason Enterprise Center Services, a business development service affiliated with GMU, would offer programatic support, including access to its mentor team, discounts for recruiting and payroll services, and access to capstone students and interns.
The project could also include counseling and training services, along with information on marketing, sale, financing and financial management.
A new survey of Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) students shows local teens have been facing a decline in mental health over the last few years.
The Fairfax County Youth Survey is an anonymous and voluntary survey of students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. The newest survey, compiled from the 2021 school year, involved the participation of 33,479 students. There was no survey during 2020, making this the first look at student health since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
The report said FCPS students were more depressed than at any other time in the past decade.
“In 2021, the rates of feeling persistent sadness or hopelessness among Fairfax County youth were highest in the past 10 years,” the report said.
FCPS is hardly alone in this: the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report earlier this year reporting poor mental health among teens and children nationwide. While Fairfax County’s figures are high, they’re still below the national average.
The report said that every measure of depression showed a marked increase over the past few years:
The greatest increase was observed in the percentage of students with persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Overall, almost two-fifths of the students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grade (38.1%) reported feeling so sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row in the past year that they stopped doing some usual activities. More than 41% (41.6%) of 12th grade students reported such feelings, as compared to 35.0% of 8th grade students. Overall, the percentage of students reporting this level of sadness was about 8 percentage points higher than in 2019 (29.9%), reaching the highest point in the past 10 years.
The report also found that female, Hispanic, and LGBTQ students as well as students from food-insecure homes were all more likely to experience depression.
Students also reported an increase in bullying at home from parents or other adults.
“One in four students (24.8%) reported having been bullied, taunted, ridiculed, or teased by a parent or other adult in their household in the past year,” the report said, “which increased from 22.9% in 2019, and is the highest in the past 6 years.”
Around 8% of students reported experiencing physical abuse at home.
Additional highlights from the report include:
- The rates of reporting persistent feelings of sadness/hopelessness, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts increased among Fairfax County youth this year, following the national trends.
- More than 38% of the students in 8th, 10th and 12th grade reported feeling so sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row in the past year that they stopped doing some usual activities (persistently sad or hopeless). Approximately 17% reported suicidal thoughts and 6% reported suicide attempts.
- Female students were more likely to express high stress, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, consider attempting suicide and attempt suicide compared to male students.
- Students of Hispanic ethnicity and students of other/multiple races were most likely to express feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, consider suicide and attempt suicide.
- Students who identified themselves as transgender or gay/lesbian/bisexual reported higher rates of stress, feelings of sadness/hopelessness, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The data shows that they also face greater challenges that can affect their mental health including emotional and physical abuse by a parent or adult, forced sexual intercourse and sexual harassment.
- Students who reported a lack of food in their home were more likely to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than those from food-secure homes.
The full report is available online.
Photo via Christian Erfurt/Unsplash
By Nicola Caul Shelley, Synergy Design & Construction
I was recently talking to an out-of-town friend who is considering a home remodel. Although her home was built in the early 1970s, her personal aesthetic leans contemporary and she was thinking of a modern makeover for her kitchen.
We were discussing kitchen design and I off-handedly asked, “What style of cabinet doors are you thinking about?” It wasn’t a trick question but, as it turns out, it wasn’t something she’d given much thought. I realized after polling others this is a topic many people don’t really think about or pay much attention to until it comes time to pick them out — often well into the remodeling process when it’s either too overwhelming to research and/or the remodeler they are working with has limited cabinet options.
Depending on the home remodeling company or general contractor you use for your kitchen remodel, your choice of cabinetry may be very broad — or very narrow! At Synergy, we have a number of different cabinetry companies we work with and our preferred partners provide different lines of cabinets at different price points and infinite choices of color and style! We were once even able to match a kitchen cabinet color to a client’s favorite purse. With other general contractors or smaller companies, you might be limited to only three or four door styles and limited color choices. It’s worth asking the question before you sign on the dotted line to ensure you understand what your options are and if it’s the right fit for you.
As kitchen cabinetry will be one of the biggest line items in your renovation budget and can have a big impact on the design appeal of your home, it’s important you get what you want. With that said, here’s a quick guide of kitchen cabinets so you can make the perfect choice for your kitchen remodel.
Don’t know the difference between a home remodeling design build company and a general contractor? Then read this!
Frameless vs. Faceframe Cabinets
Let’s start with the basics: frameless or faceframe cabinets. With frameless cabinets, there is no frame around the cabinet box and the cabinet doors attach directly to the inside of the box. Although there are benefits such as ease of access and storage space, the main appeal is the seamless and more modern look frameless cabinets provide, due to their tiny ‘reveals’ (the space showing around the cabinet doors and drawer heads).
Faceframe cabinets have a frame that covers the edge of the cabinet box and the door hinges attach to the frame itself. Faceframe cabinets tend to be more adaptable to all overlay types (i.e. the way the cabinet frame shows around the doors and drawer heads) and sometimes have the added benefit of being more budget-friendly. However, this is highly dependent on the type of overlay you select (read more below).
There is no right or wrong choice and it’s all down to personal preference. The drawing below shows the difference between frameless and faceframe cabinets.
Frameless cabinets and a contemporary design. Photo courtesy Synergy Design & Construction. See more of this remodel here.
There are three different types of cabinet overlays: partial overlay, full overlay and inset. With more traditional partial overlay faceframe cabinets, you see a lot of the frame of the cabinet box. However, newer and more modern faceframe cabinets often have ‘full overlay’ doors. With new finishes and production methods, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between frameless and faceframe cabinets once installed, as seen in the examples below. Full overlay faceframe cabinets, however, are not the same as frameless cabinets. Full overlay cabinets still show approximately a ¼ inch reveal of the frame around the doors and drawers, while frameless cabinets show almost zero frame reveal.
Next comes inset doors. With inset cabinetry, the doors are not sitting in front of the faceframe of the cabinet, but rather they are sitting right inside (‘flush’ with) the frame — the entire frame of the cabinet between all the doors and drawers is exposed for a classic, artisan look. To add further detail and uniqueness to inset cabinets, they are sometimes available with decorative exposed hinges in different finishes. As a general rule of thumb, inset doors will be more expensive.
Now that you’ve made your decision on frameless or faceframe cabinets, let’s take a look at the most popular door styles.
The go-to Shaker
Shaker cabinet doors are still the go-to choice for many. Their clean lines and fuss-free look mean they are still a popular choice that stands the test of design time. Shaker cabinets fit beautifully with a more transitional design — i.e. design that blends traditional and modern design. Lately, there is a general move away from all white shaker kitchen cabinets. It started with lightly color contrasted islands, but now blue, green and wood elements are all equally at home.
Not sure what “transitional kitchen design” means? Read this!
Slab fronted cabinets
When it comes to a more contemporary look, slab-fronted cabinets are the way to go. Cabinets with slab doors are usually frameless for an ultra-sleek look. They are versatile and can be handle/pull free for an extra modern look but also work with handles and pulls. As with shaker door cabinets, slab-fronted cabinet colors can also be mixed to give contrast.
Mix n’ match
There is no rule about having to use one cabinet door style in your kitchen design. If you like the look of shaker but want a modern twist, it is possible to mix and match with slab-fronts. The key is to do all cabinet doors in one style and all drawers in another. In the examples below, a shaker style was used for cabinet doors, but with slab drawers for a more contemporary look.
Ready to work with a local home remodeling company who provides a customized kitchen design and interior designers who help you with all the decisions? Our consultations are FREE and there is never any obligation. Learn more about us!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
With Election Day 2022 now underway, more than 200,000 Fairfax County residents have already voted.
That includes approximately 130,000 residents who voted early — a 66% increase from the last midterm election in 2018 — and about 72,000 votes cast in person on Election Day, as of 10 a.m.
In total, that represents about 27.5% of registered active voters in the county.
As of this morning, we’ve had an estimated 9.8% turnout countywide in today’s #midterm election. This is only for votes cast at the polls today, and early votes account for another 18% turnout before today.#ElectionDay #ElectionDay2022 #Midterms2022 #VA08 #VA10 #VA11 #Virginia pic.twitter.com/OCLtXr1jZO
— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) November 8, 2022
That remains short, so far, of county turnout during the 2018 midterms, when 59.5% of registered voters in the county voted. That year saw a significant jump from 2014, when only 41.6% voted.
Early voting ended Saturday (Nov. 5), and about 130,000 county residents had voted by then, either by mail or in person, Fairfax County General Registrar Eric Spicer told FFXnow in an email. Overall, that represents about 18% of the 736,000 active registered voters in the county.
That’s about 44,000 more people than 2018. Since that time, however, early voting rules and habits have changed significantly. Virginia introduced no-excuse absentee voting in 2020, leading the county to add more early voting sites with longer hours, and permanently approved ballot drop boxes last year.
In 2020, 414,000 residents voted early due to traditional high turnout related to a presidential election and the ongoing pandemic. Last year, about 170,000 residents cast a ballot early in the House of Delegates and gubernatorial elections.
This year’s early voting numbers suggest the shift in voting behavior from the last midterm election cycle has continued.
We're preparing so that after the polls close we can count the about 82,000 early in-person votes cast before today. Under public observation, election workers are pulling this data from the voting machines used for early voting.#Vote #GoVote #ElectionDay #IVoted #Midterms2022 pic.twitter.com/wL3NnaDV19
— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) November 8, 2022
In Fairfax County, 76,000 vote-by-mail ballots were requested, close to 10% of registered voters, Spicer said. About 67% of those ballots, or 48,000, were returned by the end of early voting.
Residents can continue to return their mail-in ballots at a drop box at any polling place.
While Fairfax County doesn’t have any races attracting significant national attention like 2021’s gubernatorial race, every seat in the House of Representatives is on the ballot this year.
The county has three congressional districts: the 8th, 10th, and 11th.
The 11th Congressional District includes 586,000 Fairfax County residents, the most of any of the districts. The 8th has 282,000 residents in the county while the 10th only holds 14,500 residents.
Incumbents Don Beyer, Jennifer Wexton, and Gerry Connolly are all Democrats and all favored to win against their respective Republican challengers, Karina Lipsman, Hung Cao, and Jim Myles.
The Town of Herndon is seeing competitive races, though, for mayor and town council. Incumbent Mayor Shelia Olem is running against councilmembers Sean Regan and Jasbinder Singh.
Election officers told FFXnow that, anecdotally, voting has gone smoothly so far this morning with precincts getting steady streams of voters.
However, the lead-up to Election Day saw a few hiccups. Late last month, voters in Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna got a letter directing them to an incorrect voting location. The county blamed the state for the error with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors calling for an investigation into what happened.
Last week, the county received approximately 11,000 voter registrations that were delayed in being sent over by the state. This was on top of nearly 12,000 other delayed registrations that were finally sent over at the beginning of October.
The county’s elections office said on Nov. 3 that it had successfully processed all of the registrations.
Fairfax County has a new ambassador for poetry.
Danielle Badra will serve as the second Fairfax Poet Laureate through 2024, leading a program to bring poetry-related activities to local parks, ArtsFairfax shared yesterday.
Introduced by the arts agency in 2020, the poet laureate is intended to celebrate poetry and promote the art form to new audiences through a community service project and events. The title was first bestowed on “How to Prove a Theory” author Nicole Tong for the inaugural 2020-2022 term.
“The Fairfax Poet Laureate is a remarkable example of how support to a single artist can impact the whole County,” ArtsFairfax President and CEO Linda S. Sullivan said in the news release. “Danielle’s vision to bring poetry to the parks is inspired, and we’re as excited to learn from her as we are thrilled to share her work with the Greater Fairfax community.”
Badra was selected by a six-person panel of Tong, Maryland Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri, Poetry Daily Managing Editor Gregg Wilhelm, Beltway Poetry Quarterly Editor Kim Roberts, Fall for the Book Festival Director Kara Oakleaf, and Anya Creightney, a programs specialist for the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center.
The panel considered applicants’ proposed community projects, their professional activities, and the artistic merit and impact of their work, according to Arts Fairfax.
“Grace Cavalieri emphasized that Dani’s style of poetry and delivery allows her to be vulnerable, warm, friendly, and accessible, which in turn helps her meet people where they are in their poetry journey whether they are new to the form or avid fans,” the agency told FFXnow.
A Clifton resident who works as a technical writer for the county’s Land Development Services, Badra sees the poet laureate position as an opportunity to share her love of poetry with the community.
“Poetry is one of those subjects that a lot of people learn in school and never want to learn again. And I want to change that,” she told FFXnow by email. “Poetry is inspirational, it is healing, it is empowering. I want to share that with the community.”
An ArtsFairfax spokesperson says that while the selection panel was aware that Badra had a county government job, it “was not a factor in their selection,” though they saw a “potential benefit of having representation of a poet who does not work in academia.”
Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Badra has published two collections: “Dialogue with the Dead,” which was published in 2015 and dealt with the loss of her sister, and “Like We Still Speak,” which won the 2021 Etel Adnan Poetry Prize, according to her website.
The $1,000 prize is awarded annually by the University of Arkansas to a writer of Arab heritage for their first or second book of poetry in English. Badra is of Syrian and Lebanese heritage.
She obtained a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Kalamazoo College and a master’s of fine arts degree from George Mason University. The latter program also counts Tong as an alum.
Badra told GMU that her “Poetry in the Parks” project reflects her enthusiasm for the outdoors and nature — a source of “poetic inspiration” for her.
“Poetry in the Parks looks to not only provide inspiration for creative expression but to also advocate for environmental stewardship,” Badra told FFXnow.
Her plans for the next two years include poetry readings, workshops, a “Poetry Beneath the Stars” event, and “poetry plaques” that will display a poem and prompt at scenic stops around local parks.
The plaques will specifically appear at Riverbend Park, Huntley Meadows Park, Burke Lake, and Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. A QR code will let visitors upload their own writings.
Readings during National Poetry Month, which comes in April, will likely be held at Ellanor C. Lawrence in Chantilly, she said.
“My experiences in life and in the literary world directly inspire my vision for the next two years as Fairfax Poet Laureate,” Badra said in a statement to ArtsFairfax. “Through poetry workshops, readings, and activities in the Parks, I want to illuminate how language and our natural environment can be a source of comfort and creativity.”
A man who reportedly fired shots near an elementary school in Herndon may have been drunk, police said in an update yesterday.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the man fired a handgun at Hutchinson Elementary School, where “a community event” was taking place.
“A man wearing a black jacket and blue jeans was reported to have discharged a handgun in the air and appeared to be intoxicated,” the FCPD said.
When police arrived at the scene shortly after 4 p.m., the man ran into the woods towards the Dulles Toll Road and was hit by a car. The man’s injuries are no longer life threatening, police said.
The driver of the 2015 Lexus that hit the man stayed on the scene of the incident. Police do not believe alcohol was a factor for the driver, but it does appear to be a factor for the man.
So far, police have obtained warrants for felony reckless discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school and possessing a firearm on school grounds. The man’s name and mugshot will be released once warrants are served, the police department said.
The incident prompted the closure of the westbound lanes of the toll road. The FCPD’s canine unit found a handgun “in the wooded area along the path” where the man fled from police.
An administrative investigation is also underway by the FCPD’s internal affairs bureau.
What to Know for Election Day — “Three congressional races and the Town of Herndon council and mayor are one the ballot. Every polling place will be open on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m…Before you vote, double-check your registration status, polling place and congressional district.” [Fairfax County Government]
Fairfax City School Board Could Be All-Female — “All five seats on the Fairfax City school board are up for election this November and for possibly the first time, all elected members will be women. Those women — Stacy Hall, Amit Hickman, Sarah Kelsey, Rachel McQuillen and Carolyn Pitches — are uncontested candidates running for the board” [The Washington Post]
Regional Airports See Record High Temperatures — “The record for IAD was 76 degrees set in 2020 and the record for BWI was 77 set in 2020,1975, and 1938. The record high temperatures have already been broken at all three major airports as of noon [Monday]!” [National Weather Service/Twitter]
Missing Teen Found Dead on Halloween — “A missing 18-year-old from Fairfax County was found dead more than three hours away in Gloucester County…Investigators determined that the victim had been killed somewhere else and his body was left at the scene. An autopsy performed by the Tidewater Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Norfolk, Virginia, confirmed that the victim’s death was a homicide.” [WUSA9]
Fire Department Open for Toy Donations — “The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) will be participating in the Annual National Capital Region Fire and EMS Departments’ 2022 TOYS FOR TOTS Campaign. The intent of the campaign is to ‘bring holiday joy and deliver a message of hope to children.’ Stations will accept donations now through Sunday, December 11, 2022.” [FCFRD]
Winner of Frying Pan Cow Race Revealed — “Iris won the 2022 NASCOW sponsored by the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park this past Friday, Nov. 4. Iris is an Angus/Hereford cross born on Easter in 2021. Proceeds from the event will help feed the animals, build new fences, and improve the game bird enclosure at the farm.” [Fairfax County Park Authority/Facebook]
New Metro GM Gets High Marks — “When the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board* hired Randy Clarke as WMATA’s new General Manager in spring 2022, it signaled a clear desire for a new direction for Metro. Just over 100 days in, has Clarke steered the agency into the right turn that WMATA needed? We graded him!” [Greater Greater Washington]
It’s Tuesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 60 and low of 45. Sunrise at 6:45 am and sunset at 5:02 pm. [Weather.gov]
