The Peruvian ceviche gastrobar that arrived in Reston Town Center this summer has a grand opening celebration coming up, just in time for end-of-the-year festivities.
The grand opening for Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar is expected to take place on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 2:30 p.m.
The 6,240-square-foot restaurant features a bar that provides an open view of the kitchen. It is located at 1871 Explorer Street for lunch and dinner, along with brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
“We extend an invitation to the Reston community to savor the flavors of Peruvian cuisine, drawing inspiration from the world’s premier ceviche establishments, offering distinctive dishes and unique cocktails,” Pisco y Nazca Regional Manager Rosa Reyes said.
Here’s a sampler of highlights from the restaurant’s menu:
- CHEF’S SIGNATURE CEVICHE — corvina, shrimp, smoked jalapeño leche de tigre, sweet potato, choclo
- LOMO SALTADO — wok seared tenderloin, soy and oyster sauce, onions, tomato petals, jasmine rice, fries
- PESCADO CROCANTE — fresh whole fried fish, spicy Asian sauce, arroz chaufa blanco
- TACU SECO DE CORDERO — braised lamb shank, cilantro sauce, ají amarillo, salsa criolla
- ARROZ CON POLLO — Peruvian style chicken and rice, huancaina sauce, salsa criolla
- CAUSA SAMPLER — Crocante, tartare, pollo
Also found in D.C. and Florida, the restaurant says its name comes from a Peruvian saying — “Entre Pisco y Nazca” — that translates to “enjoyment of libations in a social setting.” Accordingly, the bar serves signature cocktails, such as a pisco spritz that blends the Peruvian grape brandy with Aperol, lemon juice and sparkling wine.
Hours of operation are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. There are daily happy hours, and weekend brunches include build-your-own mimosas and a bottle of sparkling wine.
Holiday Gift Guide Highlights Local Artisans — “The Made in Fairfax network aims to be a one-stop shop for maker businesses and those who want to support them…This holiday season (or any time of year, really!) take ‘shop local’ to new heights by directly supporting the makers of these gift-worthy products — created right here in Fairfax County.” [Visit Fairfax]
Solar Panels Installed on Sully Community Center — “We’ve added yet another solar array on a county government building. This latest installation is in Chantilly at the Sully Community Center, which serves as the home of the Sully Senior Center and also provides a broad array of services, programs and activities for individuals of all ages and abilities.” [Fairfax County]
Filipino Chicken Restaurant Nears Opening in Chantilly — “Jollibee plans to open its fried chicken restaurant in Chantilly the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, according to signs posted on the fast food restaurant’s window. Work has been underway on the building at 4406 Chantilly Shopping Center…The site used to be a Burger King.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
McLean’s Mars Inc. Buys British Chocolatier — “McLean-based food giant Mars Inc., Greater Washington’s largest private company, said Thursday it is buying British chocolatier Hotel Chocolat for the equivalent of $662 million. Hotel Chocolat…is the only company in the U.K. that grows its cocoa on its own farm, which is located on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia.” [Washington Business Journal]
Ledo Pizza Now Open in Lorton — “The new Ledo Pizza at Liberty Market in Lorton opened its doors Oct. 30, making it the first restaurant to open in the small shop building across from Lidl supermarket…On the opposite end of the retail building, Taco Rock has yet to open its doors but likely will be the next restaurant to do so, based on an updated timeline provided by the South County Federation.” [On the MoVe]
Annual Charity Toy Drive Underway — “#FCFRD is participating in the 2023 TOYS FOR TOTS Campaign! TOYS FOR TOTS collects new unwrapped toys and distributes them to less fortunate children. Fairfax County fire stations will be accepting donations until Sunday, December 17.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Inova Adds Chantilly Urgent Care Clinic — “Fairfax and Chantilly residents seeking quick and easy medical care now have another option thanks to Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care opening a new location last Friday in the Greenbriar Town Center.” Inova and GoHealth now have 13 urgent care centers, including recent additions in Fairfax City and Seven Corners. [Patch]
McLean HS Student Won Softball World Cup — “Sitting in the dugout, looking over the field and beaming with pride, is sophomore Riley Staats. In late October, the young athlete celebrated a big win on the world stage. Staats, along with 15 other girls comprising Team USA, claimed the inaugural WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup title at Ota Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.” [FCPS]
It’s Friday — Patchy fog will clear up by 9 a.m., followed by partly sunny skies and a high of around 69 degrees. Night will bring a slight chance of showers and mostly cloudy conditions, with a low near 52 degrees. There will be a 20% chance of precipitation. [Weather.gov]
Downtown Herndon is slated for redevelopment into a mixed-use community (staff photo by Fatimah Waseem)
Town of Herndon staff are currently reviewing building permits for the stalled redevelopment of downtown Herndon.
At a Herndon Town Council meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 14), Town Manager Bill Ashton II said the review should be completed by the holidays.
“It’ll be ready to rock and roll,” Ashton said.
Reston-based developer Comstock paused the development — which is a public-private partnership with the town — in April last year, citing unfavorable market conditions. Movement on the project resumed around August when Comstock submitted a revised site plan to the town.
Once expected to break ground in 2019, the project will transform nearly 5 acres of land into a mixed-use development with 273 apartments, roughly 17,000 square feet of retail, a new arts center, and a 726-space parking garage.
Ashton told the council that he plans to meet with Comstock officials today (Thursday) after nearly three weeks.
The development pause can be in place for up to two years since it went into effect. That means the latest construction would begin is April 2024.
Updated at 3:40 p.m. — An algae bloom was spotted this morning in Lake Anne, joining blooms on Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon, Reston Association says.
“At this time, Reston Association has determined that treatment of the blooms would not be beneficial, as a mass die-off of algae after treatment would cause a dip in otherwise healthy oxygen levels, therefore posing significant risk to fish and wildlife in the lake,” the organization said, advising residents and pets to avoid contact with the affected lakes.
Earlier: Reston Association plans to let algae blooms at Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon run their natural course.
In response to concerns from the community about the blooms, RA said that treating them could disrupt oxygen levels in the lakes, putting fish and wildlife at risk.
“While we understand concerns about the algae bloom, especially this late in the season, our experts believe that leaving the bloom to run its course is more likely to result in a balanced outcome,” RA wrote in a statement on social media.
RA says it will continue to monitor the situation.
RA confirmed to FFXnow that the blooms are the same ones that emerged in mid-October. At the time, the scope of the bloom on Lake Thoreau was limited, but it contained potentially harmful cyanobacteria, leading RA to advise avoiding contact with the water.
“These blooms arrived quickly at the onset of fall turnover, which mobilizes nutrients from the bottom of the lake into the rest of the water column,” said Cara O’Donnell, RA’s director of communications and community engagement. “Typically, a fall turnover bloom like this would subside quickly, but we’ve had unseasonably warm weather this fall that is causing the bloom to linger longer than anticipated.”
Lake Audubon also had a bloom this summer that was cleared in August.
Our watershed team is closely monitoring the situation, and at this time they’ve chosen to hold off on a late-season treatment out of concern for the health of fish and wildlife in and around the lake. pic.twitter.com/h7VDn6TcIN
— Reston Association (@RestonOnline) November 15, 2023
Metro Silver Line Extension Is One Year Old — “One year ago, we opened phase two of the Silver Line Extension! [On Nov. 15], we’re celebrating 3.5 MILLION trips at the 6 new stations. Take a look back at the big day that started it all and see all the excitement!” [WMATA/Twitter]
Virginia Representatives Continue Call for Review of FBI HQ Decision — “Both U.S. senators from Virginia and nine U.S. House members called for an investigation Wednesday into how Greenbelt, Maryland, was chosen as the future site of the FBI headquarters. A letter…to the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General cites a ‘fatally flawed procurement that demands further investigation.'” [NBC4]
Fairfax Lawmaker Chosen to Lead Senate Democrats — “In separate, closed-door gatherings in Northern Virginia, Democrats elected Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) majority leader while Republicans made Sen. Ryan T. McDougle (R-Hanover) minority leader.” Surovell won over Sen. Mamie Locke from Hampton “in a hard-fought internal party battle that turned on issues of race, gender and regional power.” [Washington Post]
Solution Sought for Trash on Annandale Road — “More than 50 people removed trash, furniture, and construction debris from American Drive in Annandale on Veterans Day, reports Amy Gould, who has been organizing cleanup events along that roadway for years…Much of the construction debris was left by building contractors who don’t have reasonable alternatives for dumping it somewhere else, Gould says.” [Annandale Today]
Alcorn Gets Answers to Casino Questions — “While there is no active proposal at this time, I continue to oppose the placement of a casino in the Hunter Mill District. My hope (and bet) is that the best way for the community, my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, and our General Assembly delegation to get to this same conclusion is to maximum transparency of the process and have a thorough community vetting of the relevant facts.” [Hunter Mill District News]
Ways to Fight Hunger and Homelessness — “The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger designate the week prior to Thanksgiving as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Food insecurity impacts more than 60,000 people in Fairfax County, according to Feeding America.” This year’s point-in-time count found 1,310 unhoused people in the county. [Fairfax County Government]
State Grant Will Help Stabilize Pohick Creek — “The Commonwealth’s grant for Fairfax County will support an overall $510,000 project to evaluate and design the stabilization of a portion of Pohick Creek near the Noman M. Cole Jr. Pollution Control Plant in Lorton. County officials are concerned that future flooding and erosion might damage process facilities at the plant, impacting wastewater treatment service for Fort Belvoir and potentially resulting in the release of untreated sewage.” [On the MoVe]
Vienna Plans Lottery to Choose Holiday Displays — The Town of Vienna is inviting residents to “create their own festive holiday display” that will accompany a decorated, evergreen tree outside the Freeman Store. “Up to three displays will be selected through a lottery process, and the deadline to submit proposals is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17.” [Town of Vienna]
It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature near 66 degrees and a light variable wind that will shift to the south at around 6 mph during the morning. For Thursday night, the sky will be mostly clear as the temperature drops to around 45 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Updated at 3:15 p.m. on 11/17/2023 — The Fairfax County Planning Commission deferred the Dulles Center application indefinitely on Wednesday (Nov. 15) due to “some issues that came up at the last minute.”
A legal representative for the developer didn’t detail what those issues were but confirmed that they supported the move and would bring the plan back to the commission once the issues were resolved.
Earlier: A residential development proposed for a site in McNair, the area south of Herndon, is headed to the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
Developer Dulles Center LLC is seeking the county’s permission to build 48 stacked townhouses at the intersection of Coppermine and Centreville Road — reversing a previously approved plan for mixed-use development, including commercial, office and hotel uses.
The planning commission will hold a public hearing on the proposal today (Wednesday) during its meeting at 7:30 p.m.
A bank currently on the site at 13490 Coppermine Road near the Village Center at Dulles would remain.
According to a development plan submitted in March 2022 and last updated in October, the townhouses would be distributed over 4.7 acres and across seven separate rows of units.
While the project doesn’t fall into the county’s affordable housing program, the developer has agreed to sell 12% of the townhouses as workforce dwelling units, which will be targeted at households earning 70%, 80% and 100% of the area median income, according to a Nov. 1 county staff report.
The site contains environmentally sensitive areas and a Resource Protection Area (RPA) linked to the Horsespun Run watershed.
A proposed 8-foot-wide asphalt trail encroaches slightly on the RPA but can be exempted because it’s considered “passive recreation,” county staff said. The segment will fill a missing portion of the Merrybrook Valley Stream trail, providing a connection to the sidewalk and bus shelter along Centreville Road.
Roughly 1.8 acres of the site is set aside as open space, according to the county. That will include two 0.11-acre recreational areas designated as publicly accessible urban parkland, including a central open lawn with a gazebo and a cornhole/bocce court area and a lawn adjacent to the asphalt trail.
“The application provides a site design that incorporates quality open space, landscaping, amenities, and pedestrian connectivity throughout the site and to the surrounding area,” county staff wrote. “The applicant also proposes to provide protection to the environmentally sensitive areas on-site while also enhancing conditions through invasive species removal and reforestation, where needed.”
(Updated at 10:10 a.m. on 11/16/2023) A new ice cream destination will be up and running in Reston just as temperatures begin to climb next spring.
Ice Cream Jubilee is set to open in April, according to the company’s chief marketing officer Laura O’Shaughnessy. That keeps it on track with previous projections of an “early 2024” opening.
The business will be located at 11990 Market Street, Unit D. (A typo in the address has been corrected.)
“We have been searching for potential real estate for additional Ice Cream Jubilee scoop shops and love the community in Reston Town Center,” O’Shaughnessy told FFXnow. “Being right next to the park is a wonderful location too.”
The company, which started in 2014, has two locations in the District and one in Arlington. Its classic flavors include matcha green tea, banana bourbon caramel, cookies and cookie dough, and passionfruit guava sorbet. Other flavors like lemon bar, carrot cake, and extra virgin olive oil, are seasonal.
Permits for the Reston location are currently under review.
The ice cream shop joins Pitango Gelato and Ben & Jerry’s in the town center. Tatte Bakery & Cafe and the wine-centric restaurant Sixty Vines are slated to open soon.
Sixty Vines announced last week that its Reston location will open in December, but an exact date hasn’t been determined yet.
Photo via Ice Cream Jubilee/Facebook
New Study Shows Climate Change Risks in D.C. Area — “The latest National Climate Assessment shows the D.C. region is especially at risk of extreme weather, flooding, and sea level rise as the earth warms. The congressionally mandated assessment, released [Tuesday], also shows uneven progress in the region responding to a hotter planet.” [DCist]
FCPS Seeks to Address Chronic Absenteeism — At a school board meeting last Thursday (Nov. 9), Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid reported that the percentage of students missing 10% or more of the school year has climbed from 5.1% in 2021 to 17.1% this year. The school system “is looking at a multitiered approach to improve attendance.” [WJLA]
Lorton Nonprofit Launches Health Services Initiative — The Lorton Community Action Center’s new “All Can Be Healthy” initiative “is designed to provide expanded nutritional assistance, more accessible health services and educational programs to around 1,300 community members, according to a Nov. 9 LCAC press release.” [On the MoVe]
Virginia Expands Native Tree Pilot Program — The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) will expand its Throwing Shade VA program, which offers discounts on native trees and shrubs, to 10 retail nurseries next spring. The program launched earlier this year with a two-month pilot that included three participants, including Burke Nursery & Garden Center. [Gazette Leader]
Herndon Satellite Company Reports Growth — “BlackSky, whose small imaging satellites collect high-resolution images for government and commercial customers, saw a 26% year-over-year gain in quarterly revenue, driven by growing demand by intelligence agencies globally for its detailed imagery. The company also reported its first quarterly profit since going public.” [WTOP]
Vienna Awards Halloween Parade Floats — “The James Madison High School Crew Team emerged as the big winner in the 2023 Vienna Halloween Parade. The team’s pirate ship float took the highest honor for Best in Parade for its overall performance and costumes that tied in with this year’s theme, ‘Cartoons and Comics.'” [Town of Vienna]
Herndon Band Still Fundraising for Hawaii Trip — “The Herndon High School Band, known as ‘The Pride,’ has been selected as Virginia’s representative to the 2023 Pearl Harbor Memorial Day Parade in Hawaii. Students will have the opportunity to play at the USS Missouri and during the parade.” The band remains $5,000 short of its fundraising goal to cover equipment shipping and traveling expenses. [Patch]
Painted Benches Auctioned to Support Vienna Art — “The Vienna Arts Society’s ‘Take a Seat Vienna’ bench auction, held Nov. 11 at the Vienna Community Center, showcased the creativity of its members and raised a still-being-tabulated amount of money for the organization. Hundreds of people crowded into the community center’s new gymnasium, where all 40 benches painted by VAS members were arrayed for viewing and hoped-for purchase.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of around 57 degrees. Winds will be light and variable before shifting south at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Night will be partly cloudy, with a low of 38 degrees. [Weather.gov]
The two-year period before the arrival of Gov. Glenn Youngkin was the first time in decades that Democrats controlled both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. Come January, they’ll be back in charge.
That sets up a policymaking dynamic that hasn’t been seen in Virginia since the 1990s: A Republican governor working with a fully Democratic legislature.
Because Youngkin will still be able to veto anything the slim Democratic majorities send to his desk, it won’t be anything like the burst of legislative breakthroughs on big topics that Democrats pushed through in 2020 and 2021. With a 21-19 majority in the state Senate and a 51-49 majority in the House of Delegates, Democrats lack the supermajorities needed to override vetoes and enact new laws over Youngkin’s opposition.
After a redistricting-fueled retirement boom earlier this year, more than a third of the candidates elected to General Assembly seats last week will be new to the body, adding a new element of unpredictability to how votes might shake out.
It’s unclear what might top the state’s legislative agenda once the new legislature is seated, but here’s a look at what last Tuesday’s results could mean for a few big policy issues.
A new push for abortion rights
It wasn’t a sure bet Republicans would have had the votes to pass Youngkin’s 15-week abortion ban even if they won majorities. But new limits on abortion are now a nonstarter after Democrats won on promises to stop them.
Winning both chambers gives Democrats the chance to play offense on abortion rights, and they don’t need the governor to do it.
At a post-election news conference last week, abortion rights advocates said they want the new Democratic majorities to begin the multi-year process of amending Virginia’s constitution to protect abortion access.
“Our victory on Tuesday allows us to work with these majorities to advance a constitutional amendment that will be on Virginia’s ballot in 2026 when we keep an abortion-rights majority in 2025,” said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
Under Virginia’s system, constitutional amendments have to pass the General Assembly two years in a row, with an election in between. That means the General Assembly would have to pass an abortion rights amendment in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, with voters having the final say in the fall of 2026.
Though the Democratic-controlled Senate already passed an abortion rights amendment earlier this year that failed in the Republican-led House of Delegates, Lockhart indicated the amendment’s specifics could change now that Democrats have the ability to give it initial passage.
A similar abortion rights constitutional amendment that passed in Ohio this week included clear language allowing abortion limits past the point of fetal viability, usually around 24 weeks. The initial amendment proposed in Virginia didn’t mention fetal viability as a valid reason to restrict abortion access, leading critics to argue it could override Virginia’s existing law banning abortion in the third trimester. During the campaign season, many Democratic candidates said they wanted to keep Virginia’s abortion laws unchanged.
A shift on education?
Youngkin has portrayed himself as being at the vanguard of a parents’ rights movement by restoring a preeminent role for parents in K-12 schools that he says have been derailed by left-wing leaders. Democrats have attacked him as an enemy of public education and accused him of stoking culture war fights over critical race theory, sexual content in books and accommodations for transgender students.
Those fights could very well continue, but the election results showed there’s a limit to the conservative pushback over the direction of public schools. Democrats can try to repeal or roll back some of Youngkin’s education policies, but the governor can still wield the veto and his appointees will continue to control the Virginia Board of Education. A stalemate on more controversial school-related issues could precede a pivot toward the more nuts-and-bolts elements of education, such as funding levels, teacher pay, testing reform and student performance.
After campaigning on more school funding and better pay for educators, Democrats and their allies hailed Tuesday’s results as a clear victory for public education.
“This means that our communities want to fully fund our public schools,” House Minority Leader Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said at an election party late Tuesday night when it became clear Democrats had won enough seats to make him the state’s first Black House speaker. “This means that our communities said, ‘don’t turn teachers against parents and [have] students snitching on teachers for teaching about our history.’ They said ‘no we don’t want that. Don’t ban books. We don’t want that.’”
Youngkin also stressed education as an ongoing priority at his post-election news conference, without dropping hints about specific areas of focus.
“Educational excellence, and making sure that our children have an opportunity to not just go to school but receive an extraordinary education, continues to be hugely important,” the governor said.
Youngkin has had mixed success pushing for more alternatives to traditional public schools, but those efforts are also likely to stall in a less-friendly legislature.
New hope for weed dispensaries
Bipartisan efforts to legalize retail sales of marijuana have failed in the last two sessions largely because the Youngkin administration’s quiet opposition has prevented the legislation from reaching his desk.
A fully Democratic General Assembly might not be as inclined to let the governor avoid the issue.
Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Fairfax, who has sponsored retail sales bills in the past, said he intends to keep pushing forward on the issue.
“It will still be an accomplishment if we can all agree on a bill,” Ebbin said in an interview.. “Whether or not we can agree on something that the governor will live with remains to be ascertained.”
Democrats legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2021 and allowed adults to grow up to four marijuana plants at home;Democratic victories last week closed the door on the possibility of Republicans rolling back those laws. The state also has a small medical marijuana industry.
Authorizing recreational sales has been a tougher puzzle to solve because of differing viewpoints on how that industry should be structured and who should be allowed to profit from it.
Democrats and some Republicans have argued that moving forward with regulated retail dispensaries is the best way to rein in the booming unregulated market for cannabis products.
JM Pedini, executive director of pro-legalization group Virginia NORML, said the election result “clears a path” for something to get to Youngkin’s desk.
“However, without the supermajority of votes required to overturn a veto, any serious adult-use retail legislation must be both pragmatic and palatable in order to succeed,” Pedini said. “The bill should be easy to read, narrow in scope, and will absolutely require bipartisan support.
Budget and tax cuts
Youngkin has gotten billions in tax relief passed in his first two years with bipartisan support, including the $200 per person rebate payments that went out just before the elections. But his more aspirational calls to cut the corporate tax rate and lower the top income tax rate are most likely dead under Democratic control.
Because the budget begins with the Youngkin administration, it will remain one of the most direct ways for the governor to lay out his priorities and make new proposals. However, any new tax-cutting plans he sends down are likely to face an even tougher reception now that Democrats are in charge of both General Assembly money committees.
Some bipartisan tax ideas — such as overhauling the state’s outdated income tax structure in which the highest bracket starts at $17,000 in income — were left on the table in the last round of budget negotiations.
There are also signs the relatively flush years for the state budget coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic are coming to an end as federal relief dollars disappear. Earlier this month, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported next year’s budget is expected to be much tighter, and that Youngkin is proposing spending cuts for some state agencies.
One of the governor’s main budgetary priorities has been overhauling the state’s struggling mental health system, a relatively apolitical issue that’s likely to continue to be a focus moving forward.
The governor is scheduled to introduce his budget proposal next month.
More gun-control bills
Though Youngkin ran as a gun-rights supporter, he hasn’t fully embraced the absolutist rhetoric of groups like the National Rifle Association.
His views might be tested in the new legislature, with Democrats promising to push forward with enhancements to the state’s red flag law and toughening laws requiring gun owners to keep firearms locked up away from children.
“The first bill I will submit in the Senate is the safe storage legislation I’ve carried in the House. We can and must do more to keep our kids safe from gun violence,” Sen.-elect Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico said on X after defeating Republican Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant. “The Governor should sign it when it passes the House and Senate.”
After a 6-year-old student shot a teacher at a Newport News Elementary School early this year, VanValkenburg introduced a bill that would’ve created criminal penalties for gun owners if their firearms are taken by minors and used to commit a crime or violence. Opponents argued the state’s existing laws already criminalized that behavior in other ways. The mother of the Newport News shooter pleaded guilty to felony child neglect in August, but her charge of endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm was set aside in court.
The recent mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine has also led Virginia Democrats to call for reinvigorating the red flag law their party passed in 2020 as part of a landmark gun-control package.
Democrats also could re-up their push to restrict the sales of assault-style weapons, but that could be a more difficult task, given their small majorities and the party’s inability to agree on the issue the last time it had control.
After realizing the legislature will not have pro-gun majorities, the gun-rights group Virginia Citizens Defense League said it’s planning to fight against gun control on multiple fronts.
“We will be using the courts to invalidate bad gun laws that we probably can’t repeal in the General Assembly as it is now configured,” VCDL President Philip Van Cleave said in a message to the group’s members.
Photo via Virginia House of Delegates/Flickr. This article was reported and written by Virginia Mercury, and has been reprinted with permission.
More changes may be on the horizon for Reston’s Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, following a brand and name change in recent years.
The institute — which was founded in 1974 as the Greater Reston Arts Center by local artists and residents — is actively fundraising for a new home in Reston as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“Armed with a clear vision of the type of space we will need to house Tephra ICA for the next 50 years, the funds we raise today will help us begin the design and procurement process when the site for that new home is identified,” Sofia Blom, Tephra’s senior manager of gallery and communications, told FFXnow by email.
The institute has launched a “Tephra ICA at 50” capital campaign to raise $300,000.
According to Blom, Tephra hasn’t determined what it will do with the current space in Reston Town Center once it moves to a new location. The existing facility at 12001 Market Street, Suite 103, is owned by the gallery and was secured 20 years ago through a condition, or proffer, from town center developer Boston Properties.
The current facility requires improvements like exterior signage to prominently identify the space, along with enhanced visibility, accessibility accommodations, and information technology and audio visual upgrades to accommodate digital, film and media artwork, according to Tephra.
“We have been creative in pushing our current facility beyond its limits to present the ambitious exhibitions and programs we have hosted the past several years,” Blom wrote. “But to reach remaining unfulfilled goals, we eventually will need a new and expanded facility that offers capacity/capability we cannot secure in our current space.”
In the long term, Tephra hopes to secure accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, a national organization that provides resources and serves as an advocacy group for museums and their workers.
To achieve that milestone, Tephra ICA will need to get a centralized, 24-hour temperature and humidity control system, UV-filtered window systems and an automated light level system that Blom says are not possible in the current space.
The timeline of the project depends on the outcome of the fundraising campaign. Discussions are underway with developers on securing a possible new space.
“We are currently planting seeds and preparing for the future but we are several years away from moving into a new facility,” Blom said.
(Updated at noon) The last day of 2023 will be the last day of operations for Mon Ami Gabi in Reston.
The business is set to close on Dec. 31 after 15 years of business at Reston Town Center.
“We’ll be open for dine-in, carryout, and delivery until then,” the company said in a notice on its website. “We hope to make the most of these last few months with you.”
Led by Chef Jason Myle, the restaurant serves French bistro classics, including lunch dinner and weekend brunch.
The website says the Reston location at 11950 Democracy Drive will close because its lease is “expiring.” A company spokesperson declined to provide additional information on why the restaurant did not renew its lease.
“The French bistro has been a part of the Reston, VA community for 15 years and it has been a pleasure to serve all of our loyal guests,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Mon Ami Gabi still has its original restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland, along with Chicago and Las Vegas locations. The business is part of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, whose other D.C. area brands include Wildfire in Tysons and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab in the District.
Boston Properties, which owns Reston Town Center, confirmed that Mon Ami Gabi’s lease is expiring and said it has “enjoyed our long-term partnership” with Lettuce Entertain You.
“An exciting new partnership and restaurant concept will be announced soon,” a Boston Properties spokesperson said.
Hat tip to @torpedostsunami. Photo via Mon Ami Gabi/Facebook
Woodson High School Officially Renamed — “The Fairfax County School Board unanimously voted to rename W.T. Woodson High School during their meeting November 9. Starting in school year 2024-25, the school will be known as Carter G. Woodson High School. The vote comes after two months of public engagement.” [FCPS]
Residents Torn Over Fort Hunt Road Safety Proposals — “Officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) held an Oct. 30 meeting with community members on proposed safety improvements at the intersection of Fort Hunt Road and Rollins Drive; however, many area residents voiced concerns or disagreement with aspects of the recommendations.” [On the MoVe]
American Legion Bridge Usability Ending — “The heavily used American Legion Bridge has about six years or so of useful life left, before it has to be replaced or completely overhauled, according to Maryland transportation leaders. The stark warning concerns the bridge known as one of the worst traffic chokepoints in the D.C. area.” [NBC4]
FCPS Cafeteria Menus Face Student Taste Test — “More than 200 Fairfax County Public School students gathered in a Westfields Marriott ballroom Monday morning, tasting and rating new food items that could appear in school cafeterias next year. For the first time, Virginia’s largest school system hosted a Future of FCPS Student Food show, which it said is part of its plan to add healthier and more diverse foods to its breakfast and lunch cafeteria menus.” [WTOP]
Lincolnia Gas Stations Robbed on Sunday — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau are investigating a series of robberies from several gas stations. Detectives believe the four robberies are connected. In each robbery, two suspects entered the stores, went behind the counter and stole money and merchandise. No weapons were seen in the robberies.” [FCPD]
Singer From McLean Competes on “The Voice” — “In 2015, Claudia B. visited WTOP to perform in the Glass Enclosed Nerve Center just before competing in Bachapalooza at Jammin’ Java in Vienna…On Monday night, the 24-year-old Virginia native makes her hometown proud by competing on the NBC singing competition ‘The Voice,’ where she’s already advanced several rounds.” [WTOP]
Park Authority Extends Farmers Market Season — “Enjoy the extended season at the Reston, Burke and McCutcheon/Mt. Vernon farmers markets. Starting Nov. 25, each market will welcome a handful of new vendors in addition to the ones you know and love. Expect new products, such as bagels, hot biscuits, pho, fresh cheese and more!” [FCPA]
New Cooling Towers Approved for FCPS HQ — “Fairfax County Public Schools’ Gatehouse Administrative Center will have its cooling towers replaced, following action Oct. 26 by the School Board. Board members approved an item on their consent agenda that awarded a $761,000 contract to Service Mechanical Inc. to perform the work at the administrative center.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny conditions with highs around 58 degrees and northwest winds at 10-13 mph, gusting up to 22 mph. Tuesday night, skies will be mostly clear with lows near 35 degrees. North winds will be around 6 mph and become calm after midnight. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Virginia’s elected leaders may not agree on issues like abortion access or education, but they remain united by the conviction that the Commonwealth would be a better host than Maryland for the FBI.
After coming together to pitch a Springfield warehouse as the best site for the law enforcement agency’s new headquarters, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Virginia’s bipartisan House delegation last Thursday (Nov. 9) to blast the federal government for awarding the facility to Prince George’s County instead.
“It was outrageous,” Warner said in a press call earlier that day. “I mean, Virginia clearly was the better case. Virginia clearly was winning the first set of criteria. The fact that political pressure was put on to try to change the criteria really stunned me.”
Their outrage was echoed by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, who has called Springfield a “no-brainer” choice for the FBI’s new headquarters.
“This is profoundly disappointing and defies common sense,” McKay said in a statement to FFXnow. “The FBI headquarters should be strategically located near the training academy in Quantico, a short VRE ride from the Springfield site. This decision will not serve the long-term needs of the FBI or its employees nearly as well as the Virginia site would.”
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced Thursday that it has selected a 61-acre site near the Greenbelt Metro station in Maryland to serve as the FBI’s new headquarters campus, confirming an initial report by the Washington Post that came out a day earlier.
“The site was the lowest cost to taxpayers, provided the greatest transportation access to FBI employees and visitors, and gave the government the most certainty on project delivery schedule,” the agency said in a press release. “It also provided the highest potential to advance sustainability and equity.”
The decision appears to have concluded a years-long effort to replace the FBI’s aging hub at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in D.C. that dragged on through four presidential administrations.
However, a previously confidential report released by the GSA showed that a site selection panel convened this summer had recommended the Springfield site — currently known as the GSA Franconia Warehouse Complex at 6808 Loisdale Road — as the one “most advantageous to the Government.”
The panel, which consisted of two GSA employees and one FBI employee, noted that the site had the advantage of already being owned by the federal government and had more capacity for an expansion than the Greenbelt site, which ranked the lowest of the three options on that criteria.
The Greenbelt site came out ahead of the former Landover Mall, also in Prince George’s, but it was the “least advantageous” when it came to the top criterion: proximity to other facilities critical to the FBI, including its training academy in Quantico and federal agencies in D.C. like the Justice Department.
Further raising eyebrows in Virginia, FBI Director Christopher Wray rejected the proposed relocation to Greenbelt in an Oct. 12 letter first reported by the Washington Post, stating that former GSA Commissioner of Public Buildings Nina Albert’s previous job with Metro created “unresolved” conflict-of-interest and transparency issues. Read More
(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) The planned expansion of Herndon Elementary School (630 Dranesville Road) is moving forward following voters approved a bond referendum last Tuesday (Nov. 7).
At a meeting tonight (Monday), the Herndon Planning Commission is set to consider a proposal by Fairfax County Public Schools to add roughly 25,000 square feet to the school, which has been in the school system’s renovation queue since 2009 and was built in 1969.
The school currently has an enrollment of 805 students. The proposed addition would boost the student design capacity to 1,050 students, according to materials submitted to the town.
The proposal also includes 63 additional parking spaces in an effort to “alleviate the overcrowding onsite,” according to a memo.
FCPS also plans to create two entrances for vehicles to separate school buses from student drop-offs and pick-ups. The move is intended to create a “safer” and “more efficient environment,” the memo says. The proposal would also reduce long lines that disrupt traffic along Dranesville Road.
Herndon Elementary School was last renovated in 1991. Voters approved a $4 million bond referendum in 2021 to fund planning and design for the project.
Construction on the project is expected to begin in the summer or fall of 2024, putting it on track for an anticipated completion in winter 2026, according to FCPS spokesperson Julie Moult.
In this year’s general election, 67% of voters approved the sale of $425 million in bonds to fund the renovation and building of schools, including Herndon Elementary.
“The approval of this bond referendum is a clear statement that our Fairfax County voters are committed to continued investment in the excellence of the Fairfax County Public Schools educational experience,” FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wrote in a statement.
A public hearing on the proposal is set for tonight at 7 p.m. in the Herndon Council Chambers (765 Lynn Street).
Fairfax County’s annual Stuff the Bus food drive has gone virtual, allowing people to make online donations directly to local nonprofit organizations that provide food assistance in the county.
This is the county’s 12th year partnering with local nonprofits to participate in the campaign, according to a county release. Previously, people could only make physical donations directly inside Fastran buses parked outside grocery stores or libraries.
“While that will still be offered for the Winter 2024 Stuff the Bus campaign, the virtual food drive will help prepare Fairfax County’s nonprofit food access partners for the busy holiday season,” Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) said in the release.
The campaign comes months after the Capital Area Food Bank’s 2023 Hunger Report found that 24% of county residents are food insecure — a statistic referenced in the NCS release.
“Inequitable economic recovery from the pandemic, inflation, and the end of many federal benefit programs make it difficult for families to put food on the table,” the release states.
NCS Equity Program Manager Ramona Carroll said in the release that virtual donations will open up the campaign to people who can’t donate in person.
“In addition to convenience for the donors, it helps the nonprofits receiving the contributions because they can use the funds to purchase fresh and culturally-appropriate foods for the neighborhoods they serve,” Carroll said.
Stuff the Bus was created in 2011 as a “response to a critical need to help restock the shelves of local food pantries after the holidays.” The campaign has collected more than 220 tons of food since it started.
The virtual campaign runs through Nov. 30. An in-person Stuff the Bus campaign will return on Jan. 24 at local grocery stores and other locations throughout the community. The county encourages donations of items that are high fiber, low sugar and low sodium.
The most-requested items include:
- Cooking oil
- Corn Flour Maseca
- Bag (dry) beans, peas or lentils (16 oz.)
- Rice – brown or white (5 lbs. or smaller)
- Canned fruit in light syrup or juice (20 oz. or smaller)
- Healthy hot and cold cereal (42 oz. or smaller)
- Healthy snacks (e.g. raisins, granola bars)
- Canned tuna, salmon or chicken (15 oz. or smaller)
- Canned tomatoes – low sodium, no salt added (29 oz. or smaller)
- Soup – lower sodium (19 oz. or smaller)
- Canned pasta (16 oz. or smaller)
- Macaroni and cheese
- Peanut butter (40 oz. or smaller)
- Fruit jam (32 oz. or smaller)
- Instant potatoes (16 oz. or smaller)
- Pancake mix (32 oz. or smaller) and syrup
- Canned vegetables – low sodium, no salt added (29 oz. or smaller)
- Canned beans or peas (29 oz. or smaller)
