County kicks off opioid emergency training — The county is kicking off a series of trainings on opioid overdoses and naloxone education. The series, called ‘REVIVE!’, trains attendees on how to administer naloxone. [Fairfax County Government]
Town of Vienna to celebrate Patriot Day — Vienna’s American Legion Post 180 and local leaders will celebrate Vienna Patriot Day on Sunday at 9 a.m. on the Freeman Store lawn. [Town of Vienna]
Oak Hill Manor reopens after two years — The historic Oak Hill Manor in Annandale will open on Saturday, Sept. 17 from noon to 4 p.m. after a two-year pause due to the pandemic. [Fairfax County Government]
Release of suspect in home break-in upsets local family — “A Fairfax County family is living in fear after their house was broken into while they were home… On July 6, 2022, English and his family were at their Fairfax County home when they heard a window break downstairs.” [WJLA]
Mill Street to remain closed — The portion of Mill Street between Church Street and Maple Avenue will be closed this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a special event. [Town of Vienna]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 79 and low of 64. Sunrise at 6:46 am and sunset at 7:28 pm. [Weather.gov]
Phase two of the long-awaited Silver Line is likely slated for a late fall opening.
At a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority board meeting today (Thursday), efforts are underway to complete safety and certification requirements, according to Theresa Impastato, WMATA’s executive vice president and chief safety officer.
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].
Hello again, it’s your favorite neighborhood wine merchant, Doug Rosen.
In my previous article, I stated there was one simple thing you can do that is guaranteed to heighten your enjoyment of drinking wine (or anything else)! And it’s easy.
Rule number one: thoroughly wash your glass with soap and water before using it! Why is it so important?
The culprit is the sealants used to protect every kitchen cabinet’s interior. For example, suppose you take a glass from your kitchen cabinet without the critical step of first washing your glass thoroughly before using it. In that case, you unknowingly add the flavors and aromas of your cabinets to whatever you pour into them. Allow me to prove my point.
Grab two glasses from your kitchen cabinet, take a whiff and you will immediately see what I mean. Wash only one glass thoroughly with soap and water until it smells like fresh tap water. If the glass has been in the cabinet for a prolonged period, it might take as many as five washings to get the funk out. Make the extra effort to get the glass to a pristine state. Don’t worry about chlorinated water; the wine will pour right over it. And no, using wine instead of water doesn’t work! The sealants are “water soluble” and formulated to bond with water, not wine.
Next, grab a bottle of wine you know to heighten the drama, open your libation and pour about an inch of it into each glass. Swirl, take in the aromas and then taste. I just rocked your world, didn’t I?
The culprit is the micro-particles of the sealants. I’m not a scientist, but this is how it was explained: Wood breathes, as we already know. That’s why wine is aged in barrels, not to season with the wood, like adding salt or pepper to your food but to allow the wine to experience micro-oxidation. This mico-oxidation softens the tannins, making the wine less raspy and smoother on the palate.
The respiration inside your kitchen cabinets allows microparticles of the sealants to fall into your glasses. They stick to the surface like glue, causing the glass to smell like your kitchen cabinet and impact the flavor of the wine. Now your wine smells and tastes like the cabinet! Yuck and double yuck.
Try this experiment at home and report back. I already know how it will go, and you can thank me later.
Rule number two: expect a wine to be shy within 24 hours of a storm, rain or snow, or turbulent weather. Like Willard Scott, I can tell if we will get any precipitation within 24 hours just by tasting wine. I have fascinated multitudes with my accuracy; it’s no parlor trick.
When a storm front approaches, a wine will close up or shut down, making the wine “less fruity” and much less enjoyable. Luckily there is a 1/2 remedy; open a bottle of 14.5% plus alcohol, or better still, a sparkling wine. Those wines are less affected; they will still be shy, but if you’re having a dinner party before a storm, you have an alternative, albeit an imperfect one.
My business partner Shem Hassen and I were in Issy-Les-Moulineaux, a suburb of Paris, to attend a tasting of 140 wines — we only had that day. We began the tasting with the tenth wine; we looked at each other and asked ourselves, “when is it supposed to start raining?” So we had four hours to kill.
We walked into a nearby Armenian Cemetery, looked at the tombstones, and paid our respects until the rain started. When we returned to the tasting, the wines had opened and tasted as expected. True story.
Cheers,
Doug Rosen
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
More rescued beagles are coming today to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. The arrival comes after a first wave of 16 dogs arrived at the shelter in early August.
The floppy-eared, tail-wagging beagles come from Envigo research facility in Cumberland after a judge ordered the facility to relate the dogs due to their inhumane treatment. The facility bred the dogs to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation.
:Our newest ten are all boys, and they were quiet and well-behaved on the drive back. Once back at the shelter they were so happy to stretch their legs, play with each other, and get lots of attention from shelter staff,” according to the animal shelter.
Reasa Currier, the director of the animal shelter, says that the new beagles are not available yet. They will be neutered but should be available later this week.
Lovers of slow-cooked barbecue can soon turn to Herndon Centre for a meal.
Local police are urging parents to remind their teenagers about the dangers of speeding after a reckless driving incident on Tuesday.
Updated Covid Boosters Now Available — “Effective immediately, eligible residents of Virginia are able to schedule appointments with their healthcare providers to receive the new, free COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccinations, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.” The Fairfax County Health Department and Giant Food’s pharmacies have confirmed the boosters’ availability. [VDH]
It’s Flu Shot Time Too — “Flu season is approaching in Virginia, and health experts are urging everyone over 6 months, with rare exceptions, to get their flu shots. Walgreens, CVS, Giant and other pharmacies in Virginia are already scheduling appointments or offering shots on a walk-in basis as health officials worry about what a worse-than-usual flu season in the Southern Hemisphere portends for the United States.” [Patch]
Should Local Juvenile Detention Centers Consolidate? — “The number of young people detained in Virginia’s juvenile justice system has gone down dramatically over the last few years, which is leading to a potential reorganization of the system…Senator Dave Marsden is a Democrat from Fairfax County who is leading the effort to examine the possibility of consolidating some of the centers.” [WVTF]
Black Bear Spotted in McLean — “A black bear was spotted rummaging for food in a trash bin Sunday afternoon at a home near McLean Hamlet Park. The McLean resident contacted Fairfax County Police, who put the resident in touch with animal control.” [Patch]
Springfield Industrial Park Seeks Tenants — “All of [Schaeffer Industrial Park’s] nearly 10 usable acres, comprising about 42,000 square feet across five warehouse or flex buildings, recently hit the leasing market…Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), bought two commercial office lots totaling 24 acres immediately to Schaeffer’s south last year for $28 million.” [Washington Business Journal]
Annandale Man Wins $1M Lottery Prize — “Jose Flores Velasquez of Annandale was happy with winning $600 when he went to redeem his lottery ticket at the Virginia Lottery center in Woodbridge. But it turns out the ticket was worth a lot more: $1 million.” [Patch]
Scottish Play Marches on Fairfax City — “The City of Fairfax Theatre Company will be presenting William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ at the Veteran’s Amphitheater in Fairfax, Virginia beginning September 9, 2022…The title character will be played by Jef Chi who is extremely honored to be joining the CFTC cast of ‘Macbeth.'” [Maryland Theatre Guide]
Neighborhood Around Fair Lakes Shopping Center Grows — “Fair Lakes, a development west of Fairfax, Va., is like a little city. Places to live, eat and shop are within a minute’s drive — if not a minute’s walk — away. And if people are unable to find something to enjoy right in the community, residents say, other opportunities aren’t far.” [The Washington Post]
Happy National Teddy Bear Day — “Bring your teddy bear or other plush friend to learn how bears became many children’s first best friend. Have your bear or buddy join you on a teddy bear picnic in Nature Playce and make a bear craft. Children must be accompanied by an adult.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
It’s Thursday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 78 and low of 67. Sunrise at 6:45 am and sunset at 7:30 pm. [Weather.gov]
After more than 50 meetings, Fairfax County will present draft amendments to Reston’s comprehensive plan at public meetings this fall, advancing the first major update to the planning document since 2015.
The process kicked off in 2020 to determine how new development will impact the community, public infrastructure and growth-related issues. Reston has seen more than 50 rezoning applications since the last update in 2015, prompting concerns about growth management.
At a media briefing today (Wednesday), Hunter Mill District Alcorn noted that the update covers all of Reston, unlike previous plans that addressed only parts of it.
“This is one Reston. This is all of Reston,” Alcorn said.
The new plan will go to the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 2, followed by a vote by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6.
A 31-member community task force approved draft recommendations on Aug. 28 after 58 public meetings. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn convened the task force after he took office in 2020.
Some controversial topics — like granting a developer more density for providing more community benefits — remain unresolved. A county-led subgroup is studying the issue, according to Alcorn. It’s unclear if the provision will make to to the final report.
Rather than broadly limiting, restricting or expanding development, the plan makes site-specific changes to a limited number of areas.
In Town Center North, where land is jointly owned by the county and Inova, the plan suggests limiting residential development to Inova-owned property and a maximum of 1,000 residential dwelling units. In the same area, nonresidential development would be limited to 150,000 square feet. County-owned land would be reserved for civic uses with some retail.
There’s no gift like one made by hand.
That sentiment inspired Fairfax County Public Library’s new “Knitting for Charity” initiative, a pilot project launching next week that encourages community members to craft winter hats for those who will need warm clothes as temperatures drop.
“We were thinking about some type of community-driven project, and [my programming assistant] felt that this was taking giving to the next level, because we are asking people to spend time creating something that other people will use,” FCPL Program and Educational Services Director Renee Edwards said.
Starting on Monday (Sept. 12), the City of Fairfax, Chantilly, Tysons-Pimmit, Patrick Henry and John Marshall libraries will have a limited supply of yarn available for pick-up. The bags will also contain a sewing label and instructions.
However, anyone with yarn can participate. The yarn must be new, washable, and made out of wool/wool-blend or 100% acrylic, according to the FCPL website, which says to specifically avoid angora or mohair yarn since people may be allergic.
Fairfax County has issued a call for innovators to pitch solutions that work toward carbon neutrality and clean energy.
“Pitch and Pilot,” a county-led innovation challenge, aims to find and pilot new projects that improve energy efficiency, increase renewable electricity use, and encourage the use of electric vehicles.
A new fast-casual Indian restaurant is coming soon to the Town of Herndon.
Deer Archery Program Starts Saturday — Fairfax County’s Deer Management Archery Program begins Saturday (Sept. 10). and runs through Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. Part of a larger effort to “reduce and stabilize” the county’s white-tailed deer population, the program is overseen by the Fairfax County Police Department and takes place in parks and other locations throughout the county. [FCPD]
Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraud in N. Va. — “A Northern Virginia contractor has pleaded guilty to taking down-payments for patio and deck projects that were never built in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier counties, and will also soon stand trial in Stafford County…Ryan Vanover, 40, of Haymarket, pleaded guilty Tuesday to contractor fraud in Fairfax County Circuit Court, as part of a proposed plea agreement.” [WTOP]
Herndon Restaurant Delivers on All-You-Can-Eat Promise — “Getting up and serving yourself? That’s for peasants. Thalis are large platters (it’s actually the Hindi word for plate), filled with many small dishes…Jodhpur, located in the Herndon strip mall next to the town’s H Mart, is our region’s only restaurant that serves nothing but bottomless thalis.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
ArtsFairfax Doles Out Grants — “ArtsFairfax, the nonprofit designated as Fairfax County’s local arts agency, today announces over $400,000 in Operating Support Grants to 44 nonprofit arts and culture organizations based in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church.” [ArtsFairfax]
Donors Still Needed for McLean Blood Drive — “Last call for the American Red Cross Blood Drive at the McLean Community Center on Thursday, Sept. 8! The Heart of Gold Foundation will be on site collecting donations. It’s urgent for donors of all ethnicities to support patients in need!” [McLean Community Center/Twitter]
Chantilly Students Invent Walker to Help Those With Parkinson’s — “Two Fairfax County students are aiming to treat Parkinson’s symptoms with a one-of-a-kind product they created over the last two years. Kaavya Karthikeyan and Akanksha Tibrewala are childhood best friends, neighbors, and classmates at Chantilly High School.” [ABC7]
Ribbon Cut on New Vienna Police HQ — “Vienna officials made it official on Sept. 2, holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the town’s new $14 million police headquarters, located at 215 Center St., S. Although officers won’t move in for another few weeks, the air at the event was one of celebration.” [Sun Gazette]
Vienna Cottage Houses Go on Sale — “J.D.A. Custom Homes is now accepting buyer appointments for Courthouse Cottages, Vienna’s new cottage housing community…This community of 12 duplex style cottages also includes a shared clubhouse and large outdoor common area…Estimated delivery is Spring 2023. Pricing will begin in the mid $1.2 mil range.” [Vienna Business Association]
It’s Wednesday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 76 and low of 69. Sunrise at 6:44 am and sunset at 7:31 pm. [Weather.gov]
Most booster shots against COVID-19 were put on hold over Labor Day weekend, as Fairfax County prepares for newly authorized vaccines designed to target omicron variants of the coronavirus.
Appointments for the updated boosters are expected to be available through the county’s Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) by tomorrow (Wednesday), the Fairfax County Health Department confirmed to FFXnow.
Known as bivalent vaccines, the new shots from Pfizer and Moderna contain the original strain of COVID-19 as well as a component that can be found in the two most dominant omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which authorized the vaccines on Aug. 31.
As a result, the updated boosters will “provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant,” the FDA said.
However, as part of the new authorization, the emergency use authorizations for the existing Pfizer and Moderna boosters were suspended on Friday (Sept. 2). Both vaccines can still be used for the primary two-dose regimen, and the Pfizer vaccine can be used as a booster for kids aged 5 through 11.
For people 12 and older, though, the county health department ceased administering booster doses at its offices and clinic sites on Friday.
“We had a handful of booster appointments set for the past weekend and our Call Center team contacted these individuals to let them know that they could re-schedule appointments when the bivalent boosters arrived,” FCHD spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said.
The health department has ordered 12,900 Pfizer bivalent vaccines and 8,100 Moderna shots and “plans to begin vaccinating this week,” according to Caldwell.
Pfizer’s vaccine has been authorized for people aged 12 and older, and Moderna’s is for adults 18 and up. Eligibility for the doses begins at least two months after getting the primary vaccinations or the most recent booster.
Appointments for the updated boosters won’t be required, but they are recommended, given the limited initial supply. Shots will eventually become available at private medical offices, pharmacies and other locations in the community.
“We thank everyone for their patience,” Caldwell said.
The FDA also issued an emergency use authorization last week allowing adolescents aged 12 to 17 to get the Novavax Covid vaccine, which became available to adults last month. Regardless of age, everyone is still required to make an appointment to get that vaccine, since supplies are limited.
A fall staple is returning to the Reston Farm Garden Market later this month.
Owners Lowell and Bonita Weinstein announced today (Tuesday) that the annual fall festival will return on Sept. 24 through Oct. 30, bringing activities like a petting zoo, a train, moon bounces, and seasonal produce to the farm.
Fairfax County is positioning itself to move forward with a proposal by developer Foulger-Pratt to build a new library and affordable units in Reston.
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority will hold a public hearing next week to get input on a potential agreement with Foulger-Pratt for a redevelopment project called Bowman Towne Court, an area located at the intersection of Bowman Towne Drive and Town Center Parkway.
