This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By John V. Berry, Esq.
Continuous evaluation (CE) is an ongoing screening process for security clearance holders that monitors cleared employees in between periodic reinvestigations. Many government employees, military personnel, and government contractors have already been placed in the CE system over the past few years.
What is Continuous Evaluation?
Continuous Evaluation (CE) is an ongoing security screening process reviewing the background of a cleared individual. Traditionally, the government has investigated individuals with security clearances through periodic reinvestigations after 5 or 10 years, depending on the level of the individual’s clearance. This has often caused gaps where the security clearance process has not uncovered potential adverse information on individuals between investigations.
CE is an effort by the government to reform the security clearance system and increase the timeliness of potentially adverse information reviewed between periodic reinvestigations. CE employs automatic record checks to provide near real-time security risk information on an individual. CE checks utilize commercial databases, criminal databases, U.S. Government databases, public records and other available information. Presently, CE does not use social media, although there have been some test programs using social media analysis.
When an individual is enrolled in CE, the government will be alerted to any changes in a clearance holder’s eligibility. If adverse or unreported information is identified through the CE process, the system will alert the sponsoring agency. One example of CE is where a security clearance holder is arrested for a crime which is then reported to government clearance adjudicators. The agency will then review the potentially adverse information to determine if further adjudication of the security clearance is required. With CE, it is important for individuals to focus on self-reporting issues that arise before they are later discovered.
CE is a work in progress. There will be changes and updates to CE as the government makes adjustments to the security clearance process as part of reform. The ultimate goal is full Continuous Vetting (CV), which is a more comprehensive form of CE. CV will likely eventually eliminate the need for periodic reinvestigations in the future.
Contact Us
When an individual is facing security clearance concerns it is important to obtain legal advice and/or legal representation. Our law firm advises individuals in the security clearance process. We can be contacted at www.berrylegal.com or by telephone at (703) 668-0070. Additionally, our Facebook page is located here and our Twitter account is located here.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
A new data dashboard shows Fairfax County prosecutors are sometimes asking for more detainments of defendants than judges.
The Office of the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney (OCA) released a dashboard in October with data comparing how often and under what circumstances prosecutors are asking for pre-trial detainment and release to a judge’s recommendations.
“We’re trying to become a more data-driven office,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano told FFXnow. “We’re using this information that we’re collecting here for internal improvements, internal trainings, restructurings, and changing of our processes.”
He acknowledged that too often decisions in the justice system lack transparency and are done without the public’s knowledge.
“We want to let the community know what is going on in their justice system,” he said. “I think this system is a black box to many people. We want to change that.”
Courts and prosecutors diverge on when to detain defendants
The dashboard only covers bond review hearings, where a county prosecutor makes a recommendation to a judge that a defendant either be detained or released before their trial.
Descano said that involves “a small percentage of our cases,” though he was unable to provide the exact percentage compared to the total number of cases handled by the county.
The dashboard also only has data from a six-month period between Jan. 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022.
According to the provided data, decisions by the OCA don’t always neatly line up with the self-described “progressive” prosecutor reputation that Descano ran on in 2019, nor do they clearly affirm detractors’ perception of the office as “soft on crime.”
While prosecutors and courts generally align on non-violent misdemeanors and felonies, the OCA recommended detainment for violent felonies 20% more often than the courts, including cases involving cash bail. Descano called that the number one “disagreement” between his office and judges.
As the dashboard notes, the OCA and courts don’t always agree on when a perpetrator is a “danger to family or household member.” Descano said those disagreements generally relate to domestic violence cases, particularly those involving strangulation.
“We take those really seriously because data has shown that if an intimate partner strangles somebody, they’re seven times more likely to actually murder them,” Descano said.
The OCA also recommended detentions for sex offenses at higher rates than the courts. For felonies, it asked for detainment 89% of the time, while the judges recommended it 52% of the time. For misdemeanors, OCA asked for detainment 58% of the time, with judges agreeing in only 25% of cases.
“It shows me that some judges may not see the same dangerousness to those types of crimes that we do or may value it differently,” Descano said. “We’re not putting this out data to try to slam judges or anything. If anything, it shows [how] different actors in the system view different types of accusations.”
The data also shows that the OCA recommended detainment at a higher rate — meaning a lower rate of release — for non-sexual misdemeanor offenses.
Overall, there were 312 bond review hearings for non-sexual violent and non-violent misdemeanors. The OCA recommended release in 212 of them — 68% of the time — while the courts recommended release in 224 — 78% of the time.
Descano said his office could “tighten up” its approach to bond recommendations.
“I think what we’ll see is that more and more prosecutors will, when they analyze these cases, actually start to come to the conclusion rightly, I think, that some of the people that we have asked to be detained in the past actually don’t represent a danger to the community, and we would actually ask them to be released,” he said.
Since entering office more than two years ago, Descano has been criticized as overly lenient by some, including Attorney General Jason Miyares and conservative groups that have launched recall efforts against him. Other reform-minded Northern Virginia top prosecutors have faced similar charges.
“What we’re doing here is not about leniency. What we are doing here is about what works long term to build broad, long-lasting community safety,” he said. “This isn’t about being nice. This is about effective.”
Cash bail decisions “incoherent,” Descano says
In addition to detention and release rates, the bond dashboard presents information about cash bail imposed by judges. In the six-month period, judges allowed cash bail in 113 cases — more than three-quarters of them for felony charges. The most common bail amounts were $2,500 and $5,000.
As promised during his campaign, Descano ended requests for cash bail in 2020, and he maintains that, while the courts still set cash bonds in some circumstances, they “have nothing to do with community safety” and create a “two-tier system of justice.”
“It can actually lead to more dangerousness because it gives rich people an opportunity to buy their way out immediately when they present a danger, and it holds people who can’t afford it,” he said.
According to the dashboard, in one case, a man was given a $2,500 bail after being arrested for drug possession and trespassing, while someone who shot into a crowded bar was held on a $5,000 bail. How the courts arrive at those decisions “doesn’t really make sense to me” and is often “incoherent,” Descano said.
“I would guess that they got picked because they are nice round numbers,” he said on why $2,500 and $5,000 were the most common bail amounts.
The OCA plans to update its dashboard every few months. Descano says the public can expect the next update to come as soon as January with data reflecting the rest of 2022.
He acknowledged it was risky putting this information out there, opening him and his office to potential criticism, but he believes it’s the right move.
“Putting out your decision-making data is a big risk. There’s a reason prosecutors don’t do it…but I think that’s bad public service,” Descano said. “Our goal is to really have dashboards like this for every decision-making process along the line when it comes to charges, pleas, sentences. We’re looking to make sure we’re in line with the values of the community.”
The ball appears to finally be rolling on Town of Herndon’s first new mixed-use development near its Metro station ahead of its opening next week.
Developer Penzance has submitted revised plans to the town to redevelop a 4.3-acre property at 555 Herndon Parkway.
“According to the property owner, the new development plan better responds to market conditions today and that circumstance serves as the primary impetus for this revision,” a Nov. 7 staff report says.
The latest plan for the development — which was previously approved by the Herndon Town Council in 2019 — removes one residential tower, scales back the office tower’s footprint and expands a podium-level residential building.
The project would be divided into two properties and built in two phases, with the residences coming first. That departs from previous plans that called for three phases and a subdivision of three parcels.
The developer has also replaced planned podium-level parking with a parking garage. A loop road is planned along the perimeter, but a central courtyard road off of Herndon Parkway has been shifted to the west segment of the loop road.
The residential building stands around the central courtyard, while the office building is placed at the southeast corner of the site. About 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail is planned — a reduction of 2,000 square feet. Overall office space was also reduced by 125,000 square feet.
The plan also includes a two-way cycle track along roughly 378 feet of Herndon Parkway.
The town approved new zoning standards for the area in 2012 as part of an expansive review of 38 acres surrounding the Herndon Metro station. Rezoning for the property took place in 2013, followed by the approval of a development plan in March 2019. The new plan would supersede the 2019 plans.
Staff and the development team are still working through whether the review proposal can be built at the maximum capacity allowed under the town’s zoning ordinance — referred to as floor area ratio in planning jargon.
“Unless it can be demonstrated that the floor area can be physically provided for in the proposed building, the development plan should not be approved to exceed 4.1 FAR,” the report states.
(Updated at 3 p.m.) It’s official: the first train on phase two of the Silver Line extension project will take off at 1:54 p.m. from the Ashburn Metro Station on Nov. 15, Metro announced today.
The train will travel the full 11.4-mile extension from Loudoun County to Downtown Largo in Maryland.
“The start of passenger service will commence following a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting at the Washington Dulles International Airport Station to recognize this generational infrastructure investment,” Metro announced.
The opening will be followed by a grand opening celebration that day. Only 100 customers will have a chance to receive a “Silver Ticket” to join Metro General Manager Randy Clarke and other officials for a preview ride before passenger service begins.
Here’s how to enter for the ticket:
Share your favorite memories with us on social media by tagging us on Twitter @wmata, Instagram @metroforward, and on Facebook @Metro Forward and use #YourMetroMemory. Customers can also email us at [email protected] with the subject line: Silver Ticket Metro Memory. Submissions must be sent by 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 10. Customers will be notified by noon, on Monday, November 14. Metro will select 50 customers plus a guest who will receive a “Silver Ticket” departing Wiehle-Reston East at 1:15 p.m. direct to Ashburn where the train will officially begin passenger service.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is expected to attend that event at 11 a.m.
New: Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg will attend the opening of the new Silver Line extension on Nov. 15, WMATA Board Chair Paul Smedberg said at the @NoVaTransit meeting last night.
The opening event at Dulles Airport station will start at 11 a.m. https://t.co/pZYoaZ32uy
— Jordan Pascale (@JWPascale) November 4, 2022
The first full-length westbound trip will depart from Downtown Largo at 12:51 p.m. to Wiehle-Reston East and the six new stations. Trains will run every 15 minutes from end-to-end.
Once the Silver Line opens, Metrobus 5A and theSilver Line Express Bus will be discontinued the next day.
While Dulles Airport will get the big ribbon-cutting, Fairfax County is planning to celebrate the Silver Line extension’s long-awaited opening next week in Reston as well.
County officials will gather at the office building at 1950 Opportunity Way, which overlooks the new Reston Town Center station, on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
“Join elected officials, business leaders and community members to celebrate the long-awaited opening of the Silver Line station at Reston Town Center,” a flyer invite to the event says.
Attendees will also be able to ride the new Reston Town Center shuttle and get information on the new Fairfax Connector bus routes that will start running that day. The new lines will run between the Reston Town Center, Herndon, and Innovation Center Metro stations.
Fatimah Waseem contributed to this report.
Fairfax County is considering having the Department of Motor Vehicles automatically file vehicle tax returns for residents, potentially saving more than 70,000 residents money.
At last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, elected officials authorized a public hearing for Dec. 6 to discuss a possible county code change that would eliminate a step for residents when registering a vehicle.
Currently, when a resident registers a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) notifies the county. Then, the county’s Department of Tax Administration (DTA) sends “a courtesy letter” to the resident reminding them to separately file a tax return within 60 days.
If the resident doesn’t register in that time, they face a 10% penalty on top of their owed personal property taxes.
Approximately 72,000 residents do not file tax returns for their vehicles in a timely fashion on an annual basis and are subject to the 10% penalty, a DTA spokesperson told FFXnow by email.
On average, that’s about 54% of residents who either bought a new vehicle or moved one into the county, they said.
If approved, the proposed change would eliminate that extra step. The DMV would automatically file the personal property tax return on the resident’s behalf within 30 days.
The amendment would also get rid of the 10% late penalty “if the vehicle is timely registered with the DMV,” notes the staff report. If approved, the change would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
“This proposed change will make it easier for taxpayers, as well as help them avoid unnecessary penalties,” the DTA spokesperson said. “Many taxpayers who buy a new vehicle or move one into the county don’t understand that they are required to separately file a personal property tax return in addition to registering it with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.”
The proposed amendment would also clarify that taxes on trailers and semi-trailers would be prorated based on when ownership changed during the calendar year.
Getting rid of the late penalty would result in a loss of about $2.4 million in revenue for the county on annual basis.
“The potential loss incurred is a small fraction of the revenues generated from the personal property tax,” the spokesperson noted.
In the current fiscal year 2023, though, the net loss would be about half of that since the change in code would not be retroactive, with January marking the halfway point of the fiscal year.
The adopted 2023 budget already reflects the potential $1.2 million loss, per the staff report.
Personal property tax assessments climbed for about 90% of local vehicle owners this year, prompting the Board of Supervisors to approve relief in the form of a 15% reduction in taxes.
Skyline Towers Homicide Suspect Arrested — “Phil Asare Darkwah turned himself in at the warrant desk. He was transported to the Adult Detention Center, where warrants for 2nd Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm were served. He was held without bond.” [FCPD]
Former County Detective Destroyed Rape Kits — “A former Fairfax County police detective improperly destroyed evidence in 10 unsolved sexual assault cases that date from the mid-90s, likely meaning the perpetrators in the crimes will never be brought to justice, an investigation by the department has found.” [The Washington Post]
Prince Edward Reportedly Visited Vienna Country Club — Prince Edward popped over to the Westwood Country Club in Vienna this past weekend for the official opening of the club’s new tennis court facility. The Earl of Wessex supposedly participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, junior court tennis clinic, black-tie gala, and a “professional exhibition on Saturday before returning to England.” [Washingtonian]
Fairfax City Mayoral Race Gets Expensive — “The race in this community of 24,500 residents — between city council member Sang H. Yi and Catherine Read, a civic engagement strategist — has attracted attention from both major political parties, as Read, a Democratic Party activist, highlights social issues while Yi, a Republican, vies to become Virginia’s first Korean American mayor.” [The Washington Post]
County Shares Plan to Address Trash Service Issues — “In response to a significant drop-off in reliable trash collection service, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) and American Disposal Services, Inc., (ADS) have established a plan to resolve the significant volume of service-related complaints DPWES has received from ADS customers.” [DPWES]
Park Authority Turned to Retirees for Lifeguards — “Nationwide, lifeguards are in short supply. The Oak Marr Rec Center team had to start thinking outside the box to address the shortfall. With that in mind, they looked to retirees – a vast new pool of potential applicants looking for part-time work.” [Fairfax County Park Authority/Facebook]
Winning Powerball Ticket Bought in Reston — “Virginia Powerball players won more than $2.1 million in Wednesday night’s drawing with a total of 188,911 tickets winning prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million. One Virginia ticket won $1 million. It was bought at the 7-Eleven at 2303 Soapstone Drive in Reston, Virginia Lottery officials reported.” [Inside NoVA]
McLean Nonprofit Looking for Volunteer Drivers — “The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church is seeking additional volunteers to support its mission of providing free transportation to seniors for medical and dental appointments or running errands to grocery stores and pharmacies.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 72 and low of 59. Sunrise at 6:44 am and sunset at 5:03 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County police car lights flashing (file photo)
A man allegedly fired gunshots outside Hutchinson Elementary School near Herndon before fleeing police and getting into a crash on the Dulles Toll Road.
Fairfax County police officers were called to the school for a report of shots being fired into the air around 4:09 p.m. today, according to Fairfax County Police Department Lt. Dan Spital.
When officers arrived at the school, they saw a group of men behind the school, one of whom ran through a wooded area — presumably the adjacent Hutchinson Park — and onto the Dulles Toll Road, police said.
“Once that man got onto the Dulles Toll Road, he was struck by a vehicle,” Spital said in a brief update around 6:30 p.m. “That vehicle remained on scene, and the patient was listed in critical condition. He was ground-transported to a local hospital, where he’s being treated for injuries that are still considered life-threatening.”
K9 officers found a firearm in the woods on the path where the foot chase took place, according to police.
FCPD Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives remain on the Dulles Toll Road, as the investigation continues.
Watch as Lieutenant Dan Spital provides an update to the community about this afternoon’s shooting at Hutchison ES. Follow our blog, https://t.co/lhGv3NDvYs, for any available updates. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/grt134nWOa
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 6, 2022
The weekend is almost here. Before you prepare to turn back the clock on Sunday (Nov. 6) or head to bed for some much-needed sleep, let’s revisit the past week of news in Fairfax County.
Here are the 10 most-read stories on FFXnow this week:
- Black bear filmed strolling by Adaire Apartments in Tysons
- Tysons black bear has also been seen in Vienna, Reston, police confirm
- JUST IN: Wegmans announces opening date for Reston location
- BREAKING: Silver Line Phase II to open in mid-November
- Developer seeks to build affordable apartments near Innovation Center Metro station
- Halloween creeps up on Tysons early with mall trick-or-treating
- Police identify suspected shooter in Skyline Towers shooting
- Business dedicated to stretching opens in North Point Village Center
- County hit with deluge of new voter registrations a week before election
- Police seek persons of interest after man fatally shot at Skyline Towers
Ideas for potential stories can be sent to [email protected] or submitted as an anonymous tip. Photos of scenes from around the county are welcome too, with credit always given to the photographer.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below. Have a great weekend, Fairfax County!
Recently completed bus bays near the Herndon Metro Station are officially open and awaiting the start of rail service on Nov. 15.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday (Thursday), town and Fairfax County officials gathered to celebrate the opening of the $5.9 million project, designed to give Fairfax Connector buses and cars convenient access to the Metro station.
The project also includes shelters and a neighboring signalized crosswalk.
The bus bay provides drop-off lanes in both directions along Herndon Parkway. The signalized crosswalk also allows pedestrians a “safe crossing of Herndon Parkway,” according to the town.
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko thanked the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for making the project possible.
“This project accomplishes NVTA’s goal, specifically around traffic congestion, which is our mission,” she said.
Noting that Herndon will be the only town in Virginia to have a Metro station in its town limits, Mayor Sheila Olem said the bus bay project is critical to addressing traffic congestion in the area, which has been an issue for 20 years.
“It’s gonna be great for the…safety of those using the Metro whether they’re walking, bussing or biking to the Metro,” Olem said.
Designed by Clark Nelson and built by Arthur Construction, the project began in August 2021.
The town pitched in $1.2 million for the project, along with an additional $41.5 million through general bonds. A combination of federal, regional and local grants filled the remainder of the price tag.
Phase II of the Silver Line is expected to open on Nov. 15.
Other transportation infrastructure to support the 11.4-mile extension in Loudoun County are also on the way, including changes to Fairfax Connector service.
The Town of Herndon will launch a new website in the summer of 2023 — the first major redesign since the platform was launched in 2016.
The town is working with Granicus, its current vendor, to complete the 10-month project, according to Anne Curtis, the town’s spokesperson.
The redesign effort is in its early phases, and the new website is expected to go live in the summer of next year.
“It has served town residents and businesses well, but we are looking to update design, functionality and ease of usage — therefore, this project,” Curtis wrote in a statement to FFXnow.
The town is currently courting feedback on the current site via an online survey. The survey asks respondents to assess the navigation of the site, how it is accessed, how information is organized, and the overall navigation and user experience.
Granicus was hired under a roughly $54,000 contract, Curtis said.
Search for Suspect in Fatal Mount Vernon Shooting Continues — “Officers conducted a manhunt the afternoon of Nov. 3 for a wanted person reported to be in the basement of a home in the 8700 block of Millbrook Place…A subsequent Tweet from FCPD identified the man as Kyjuan Omar Braxton Trott and said the suspect was not found in the home that was searched.” [On the MoVe]
County Finishes Processing Flood of Voter Registrations — “Thanks to 15-plus hour days by our elections staff, we’ve processed the 11,000 voter registration applications from this summer that the state delayed sending us until Monday. Notices are in the mail!” [Office of Elections/Twitter]
Emails to Governor’s School “Tip Line” Shared — “Youngkin created a national uproar just days into his administration when he launched the tip line, urging parents to report schools teaching ‘inherently divisive concepts’…One Fairfax County parent copied Youngkin on an email to local school administrators complaining about a free online tutoring program offered by the district.” [Axios D.C., NBC4]
Police Investigate Batch of Centreville Shootings — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau are currently investigating a series of overnight shootings in Centreville. The six incidents below are believed to be related. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported as a result of these shootings, despite two homes and one vehicle being struck.” [FCPD]
New Reston Steakhouse Impresses Critic — “Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse at Reston Metro Plaza, which opened November 2, indulgently caters to guests’ every whim…Save your pennies to dine here, but expect a bucket-list experience that delivers an elegant setting with masterful dining.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
McLean Office Building Adds New Tenants — “McLean Plaza, the office complex at 6862 Elm St. in McLean, has a host of new tenants, bringing it up to 95% occupancy, according to information from Newmark.” The new leases encompass 19,817 square feet of space and include Long and Foster Real Estate, a mental health counseling practice, and financial companies. [Washington Business Journal]
Junction Bistro and Bar Opens in Merrifield — “NOW OPEN! @junctionbakery is an American bistro featuring an eclectic lunch and dinner menu as well as craft cocktails. Located in between @districtdumplings & @urbanomosaic!” [Mosaic District/Twitter]
Cows Will “Race” at Frying Pan Park Today — “Get set, get ready and root for your favorite cow when Frying Pan Farm Park hosts its third NASCOW Race on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. That’s right. This Friday, the fun returns with a chance to virtually support your favorite bovine and help provide financial support for the care of all animals on the farm.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Taxi Fuel Surcharge Up for Public Hearing — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing at 4 p.m. on Dec. 6 to determine whether to authorize a new emergency surcharge for taxi rides of $1 per trip to mitigate rising fuel prices. The board has approved surcharges twice this year, first in April and again in June. If passed again, the fee would be in effect from Dec. 30 through June 30. [Sun Gazette]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 69 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:40 am and sunset at 6:06 pm. [Weather.gov]
Local police officers are using at hand-held remote device to restrain individuals from a distance of up to 25 feet.
The Fairfax County Police Department announced yesterday (Wednesday) that it is piloting the BolaWrap, which releases an 8-foot-wide tether to entangle uncooperative suspects or individuals experiencing a mental health crisis from a distance.
The device works best at a distance of between 10 and 25 feet, according to the police department, which says it is intended for situations involving individuals displaying “passive or active resistance.” The new tool is excepted to help take an individual into custody before an incident escalates.
In the news release, Major Brooke Wright, director of the county’s Criminal Justice Academy, said BolaWraps add another tool to the police department’s toolbox for taking individuals into custody.
“FCPD continues to seek the latest advancements in our profession to prepare our officers for situations they encounter,” Wright said. “Every day officers utilize verbal skills and de-escalation tactics to resolve situations peacefully. The Bolawrap device provides another potential tool for officers to safely take someone into custody when individuals present harm to themselves or others. We look forward to continuing this pilot and identifying other ways to aid our officers, keeping them and the community safe.”
Police Chief Kevin Davis told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this spring that the department had started deploying Bolawraps in April.
The department now has 30 BolaWraps throughout its district stations and its crisis intervention team. The pilot program will end in April of next year and carries a cost of $46,000, the FCPD said.
All officers using the devices will receive training from the Criminal Justice Academy before using the devices, the department says.
WRAP, the company behind BolaWrap, touts the device as effective at de-escalating situations that are “usually chaotic.”
“Instead of waiting for an encounter to unfold and escalate, the use of the BolaWrap can effectuate an arrest quickly, safely and humanely — ending the situation and facilitating a positive outcome that doesn’t result in injury or use of force,” the company’s website states.
The company suggests using the devices for emotionally disturbed individuals, passively resistant subject, mentally ill individuals, persons in crisis and people under the influence of alcohol and drugs, among other scenarios.
More than 500 police agencies across the country use the devices.
A 259-unit apartment community built in the late 1980s is getting a new owner and new name as part of multi-million-dollar effort to preserve the complex as an affordable housing project.
As anticipated, developers AHC Inc. and Insight Property Group have acquired the Colvin Woods apartments in an effort to preserve the complex. As part of the change in ownership, the community will be rebranded as Haven Reston.
“Haven is Insight Property Group’s workforce and affordable housing brand. It is normal for them to rebrand with it,” an Insight spokesperson told FFXnow.
The acquisition follows the approval of a $15 million Housing Blueprint loan in early August.
“Partnering with local jurisdictions to address the urgent need for workforce and affordable housing in the DC Metro area has proven to be something that Insight is particularly well suited for,” said Insight Group partner Mae Klinger.
While the community has historically been a market-affordable community, no rent restrictions are currently in place to preserve that affordability. The complex includes a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, a leasing office, clubhouse and swimming pool.
The new owners will institute a phased approach to ensure that 60% of the units are occupied by residents earning a maximum 60% of the area median income and 40% of the units are occupied by residents earning no more than 80% of the AMI.
“Preserving the affordable housing in this beautiful woodland area, full of nearby amenities, is central to our mission of helping residents thrive,” AHC President and CEO Paul Bernard said.
Through October 2025, current leases with residents who are in good standing will remain unaffected. But by October 2027, all units will be preserved as affordable. After 10 years, the property will be refinanced through low-income housing tax credits — supporting a rehabilitation of the overall property, according to the county.
The new team plans to upgrade the building’s facade, common areas, amenities and landscaped areas. Gates Hudson will continue to manage the property.
This sponsored column is written by the team at Arrowine & Cheese (4508 Cherry Hill Road in Arlington). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Experience Arrowine’s Tastings & Events. Have a question? Email [email protected].
I’m trying not to bore you by getting too technical. But it is critical to your enjoyment of wine to understand how straightforward yet complicated wine-making is.
Something to keep in mind: remember, in grade school, the three reading groups? Accelerated, on-par, and the group needing extra encouragement and or attention? Let’s say you were born in the Village of Pommard. Of its 300 souls, the vast majority have something to do with the wine trade. If you are lucky enough to be landed and the offspring of a wine-producing family, guess what you will do as a career?
Now go back to my grade school reading group illustration and think about it. Wine-making is one of the world’s most complex occupations, and if “Jean-Claude” isn’t in the accelerated reading group, Mom and Dad may start to worry. They might decide to sell the Domaine. But there goes the “family legacy.” A legacy can be a burden.
Now back to decisions that must be made, often on the fly and under duress. The growing season determines everything. First, do you inoculate with a select strain of laboratory-cultivated yeast (a sure thing, but it imparts a “flavor profile”) or use the indigenous yeast from your vineyard?
If you work organically or biodynamically, you have been cultivating your native yeast population to the point that it should be healthy enough to carry the fermentation to complete dryness. But there are no guarantees. I think native yeast is more transparent and yields a more complex wine. If you bottle and have unresolved sugar, the wine could become “sparkling wine,” or the bottles might explode!
The all-important maceration time with juice on the grape skins isn’t something you can look up on Wikipedia. You have to make the call: too much extraction and the wine is coarse, too little, and it’s wimpy. So you want to pull the wine off and press at the sweet spot. Then off to your barrels.
New wood is expensive, as much as $1,200 or more per barrel. Most of my folks are at a 20-33% rotation, meaning you replace that percentage of your barrels yearly. And not all barrels are the same. The forest dictates the kind of oak, the tightness of the grain, the porosity, and the actual “flavor” profile. You can even request a certain toasting level or degree of internal char. Decisions, decisions.
Most winemakers experiment with anywhere from two to five or more barrel makers until they are satisfied with the mix and the results. And you better be friendly with your barrel maker or broker, or you could end up with the barrels that were going to go to Outer Mongolia.
Once the wine is in the barrel, you monitor its progress through alcohol (we are talking about a fine wine here) and then malolactic fermentation. I will explain the difference at a latter-date.
So let’s see, you have many barrels in the cellar, 200? Guess what you will be doing? Tasting, topping off every barrel regularly, and being vigilant. You watch every barrel like a hawk, tasting, smelling, and testing for and fixing any problems.
Wine of the week, you asked for an Autumnal suggestion, and boy, do I have a delicious one.
- 2021 Domaine Serol Eclat de Granite Côte Roannaise — $24.99
I adore this wine, and it will surely be on my Thanksgiving Table! With 1/2 hour of air, Eclat exhibits a super-sexy silkiness. Its 100 Gamay is an absolute joy to drink. It pumps out ultra-pure flavors of raspberries, strawberries, and mineral spice with a long palate cleansing finish. It’s brilliant!
Cheers,
Doug
Photo (top) by Vince Veras on Unsplash
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Two pedestrian and bicyclist improvements on Bluemont Way and Green Range Drive in Reston were among more than a dozen projects granted funding earlier this week. by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors earlier this week.
At a meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 1), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved $5 million for active transportation and maintenance projects, including $2.7 million for two crosswalk improvement projects in each magisterial district.
The projects were identified based on their feasibility within the public right-of-way and the scope of land acquisition needs, design challenges or utility impacts, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.
“The Board set a goal to identify $100 million over a six-year period and directed the Department of Transportation to compile a list of potential projects and develop a prioritization process for implementation,” the department said in a news release.
At the meeting, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn emphasized that more opportunities would be available for additional projects.
“This is the beginning of this process…If you don’t see your project in here, don’t worry about it,” Alcorn said, providing the only discussion on the matter.
In the Hunter Mill District, a refuge and ramps will be installed at the intersection of Bluemont Way and Explorer Street in Reston Town Center. Ramps and a marked crosswalk will also be installed on Green Range Drive’s intersection at Pyrenees Court.
The Dranesville District projects include a refuge and ramps on Georgetown Pike near Bucks Lane by the Great Falls Library. The facilities will go on the west side of the driveway for El Tio Tex-Mex Grill.
A complete list of all the projects is available online.
The funding package also includes $1 million to maintain trails currently managed by the county and a another $1 million for trails maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority.
The board also approved a $200,000 local grant match that is required to accept state funding for a safety project at Bush Hill Elementary School in Rose Hill and $100,000 for the police department to buy speed display signs that will be utilized throughout the county.
Photo via Fairfax County
