The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is joining other local chambers and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission to offer help to federal government employees and contractors if the government shuts down.
Local businesses can sign up online to offer a discount in the event Congress fails to pass a budget by this Friday, Nov. 17.
“Northern Virginia’s business community has always been generous in a time of need,” NVRC Chairman and Alexandria Council Member John Chapman said. “This effort is just one way we can let our friends and neighbors know that working together we can help those who are impacted by this unnecessary shutdown.”
Interested businesses can go online to sign up to list a discount. They must provide their location, contact information and a description of the discount offered.
So far, the chambers taking part in the initiative include Arlington, Greater Reston, Loudoun County, Prince William County and Purcellville Business Association.
NVRC is a council of 13 local governments in the Northern Virginia area. According to the organization’s senior regional demographer, Northern Virginia jurisdictions averaged 73,318 federal government jobs, as of the end of 2022, not including the region’s many federal contractors and military workers stationed at Fort Belvoir and other sites.
The federal government was on the verge of shutting down, starting Oct. 1, until lawmakers passed a last-minute, stopgap budget that would keep federal agencies and services like WIC — the program that provides food assistance to women and children — going until Nov. 17.
However, Congress still has not developed a new, longer-term plan to keep the lights on in Washington, as disagreements over emergency aid for Ukraine and Israel, among other issues, have stymied negotiations.
House Republicans unveiled a proposal on Saturday (Nov. 11) that would provide funding in two steps, covering some bills until Jan. 19 and others until Feb. 2, according to NBC News.
“Democrats in both chambers have made it abundantly clear that they hate the idea, as does the White House — all of whom want a simple extension of government funding without any gimmicks,” NBC News said. “Democrats’ unified opposition to the laddered [continuing resolution] could mean the House will ultimately have to swallow whatever clean or relatively clean CR the Senate passes.”
Teen Arrested for Hybla Valley Shooting — “Preliminarily, Major Crimes Bureau detectives determined the victim was walking to a nearby apartment. He was approached by the 14-year-old suspect who displayed a firearm and shot the victim. A nearby home was also struck by one round, where no one was injured.” The teen was taken into custody Saturday (Nov. 11) evening after his mother brought him to the Mount Vernon District Station. [FCPD]
Occoquan Dam Siren Will Go Off Tomorrow — “Fairfax Water has scheduled its annual siren system test for the Occoquan Dam on Tuesday, Nov.14, at 10 a.m. This is a routine test to ensure the siren system is functioning properly in the unlikely event of a dam failure.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
First Responders Rescue Trapped Driver in Tysons — “#FCPD officers assisted as @ffxfirerescue cut the roof off an overturned vehicle to get the trapped driver out after a crash near Anderson Rd & Chain Bridge Rd. The driver went to the hospital w/ injuries not considered to be life-threatening. Remember to drive safely.” [FCPD/Twitter, FCFRD/Twitter]
Neighbors Oppose Two New Oakton Houses — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 1 unanimously recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a rezoning and special-exception request that would result in two new houses in Oakton and preserve an existing historic structure…Several neighboring residents testified against the application,” fearing it will set a bad precedent. [Gazette Leader]
Affordable Housing Waitlists Open for Seniors — “Older adults interested in applying to affordable housing waitlists will have the opportunity to do so November 13-19, 2023 for select properties in the county.” Options include one-bedroom apartments at The Fallstead in McLean and The Belmont currently under construction near George Mason University’s Fairfax campus as part of the One University development. [FCRHA]
Fairfax Man Wins $5 Million in Lottery — “A man in Fairfax, Virginia, decided on a whim to buy a few scratch-off tickets from the lottery machine after doing some grocery shopping. And that decision paid off. Alexandr Pichshev recently won $5 million on the ‘$326,000,000 Fortune ticket’ scratch-off game at the Safeway at 3043 Nutley Street.” [WTOP]
Reston Tech Startup Raises $5 Million — “After nabbing a $5 million seed round, NoVa’s Tidal Cyber is planning to make waves in the local industry. Tidal Cyber, a 20-person startup based in Reston, was founded by CEO Rick Gordon, CTO Richard Struse and CIO Frank Duff — all MITRE veterans.” [Technical.ly]
More Art Decorates Richmond Highway — “Murals, sculptures and other forms of public art are on the increase around Richmond Highway as Fairfax County officials and placemaking experts attempt to create a greater sense of community and identity around the corridor. This past week, artist Nico Cathcart…started work on the long-awaited mural at ZIPS Cleaners on North Kings Highway near South Alex.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching a high of around 57 degrees. Monday night remains clear, with lows around 41 degrees. The southwest wind of 7 to 9 mph will shift to a northwest direction after midnight. [Weather.gov]
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko has launched a campaign for the 10th District seat in Congress (courtesy Jennifer Boysko for Congress)
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko has joined the race to replace Rep. Jennifer Wexton as Virginia’s 10th Congressional District representative.
Boysko announced her candidacy today (Thursday), just two days after winning reelection as senator for the 38th District, which encompasses Reston, Herndon, McLean and Great Falls. The district includes portions of the former 32nd District represented by State Sen. Janet Howell, who opted not to seek reelection after redistricting paired her with Boysko.
“From the PTA to the state Senate, I’ve always brought people together to find common ground and work towards common sense solutions,” Boysko said in her campaign announcement. “In Washington, I’ll continue to build on the work of Congresswoman Wexton to bring a better future for our kids and make life better for Virginia’s workers and families. This grassroots campaign to fight for what’s right starts right here, right now. I ask for your vote.”
Boysko’s new campaign website highlights access to abortion, gun violence prevention and “economic policies that work for everyone and lift people up” as the issues central to her platform.
Boysko previously served in the House of Delegates, representing the 86th District from 2016 to 2019, when she got elected to the Senate to replace Wexton, who had just been elected to Congress in 2018.
Wexton said on Sept. 18 that she won’t seek reelection next year after getting a rare neurological disorder called Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy. Initially diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, the condition affects “body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements” and has no treatment, she said in her announcement.
Boysko’s competition for the 10th Congressional District — which covers Loudoun and Prince William counties — includes former House of Delegates speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Mike Clancy, a Loudoun County resident, lawyer and business executive, per his campaign site.
Currently representing Fairfax County from Mantua to Burke as the 41st House District delegate, Filler-Corn announced this spring that she wouldn’t seek reelection, a move that prompted speculation of a potential run for governor. She launched her bid for Wexton’s seat on Oct. 18.
Clancy previously sought a Republican nomination for the 10th District in 2022.
With the Congressional election not coming until 2024, Boysko said in a statement to FFXnow that she remains committed to serving in the state legislature for the upcoming session, citing paid family medical leave as one of her top priorities:
I’ve had a lot of my constituents that have called and asked me if I would run for Congress. They believe that I’m the right person for the job, having represented half of Loudoun County over the past five years, having been in this community for 20 years, helping solve problems. I think my constituents want to see me work at a higher level as an asset and an ally in the Commonwealth of Virginia to make sure we’re getting stuff done.
As for the state Senate, the election’s not until next year, and I look forward to serving in this 2024 General Assembly Session. There’s a lot that I want to get done. Thanks to the hard work of our candidates, we just won the majority in the House and the Senate. I want to get paid family medical leave done at the state level, and I believe that I’ll be able to do that during this session. I’m looking forward to this next year.
Boysko filed a bill during the 2023 General Assembly session that would’ve established a statewide paid family and medical leave program, starting in 2026, but the legislation was left in committee.
(Updated at 10:55 a.m. on 11/10/2023) About 40% of registered Fairfax County voters participated in this year’s general election, which decided state and local representatives who will shape policies on issues from abortion to land use in the coming years.
As of Friday (Nov. 10), 308,855 of the county’s 787,171 registered voters cast a ballot — a 39.2% turnout rate, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
(Correction: The Virginia Department of Elections results previously indicated that 382,573 ballots had been cast in the election, a 48.6% turnout rate. This story has been revised to reflect the updated numbers.)
That falls short of the 44.3% turnout and 315,836 ballots cast in 2019, when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, school board and all General Assembly seats were last up for grabs.
However, it still exceeds the turnout seen in earlier election cycles dating back to the beginning of this century, which hovered around 32% with a low of 30.3% in 2015, per county returns.
Eric Spicer, Fairfax County’s director of elections and general registrar, declined to comment on this year’s turnout numbers or speculate on “why they may differ from past years.”
The general election on Tuesday (Nov. 7) continued a trend of increased early voting that began after Virginia expanded absentee voting to all registered voters in 2020. This year, the county received 36,859 mail ballots on election night alone — more than the total number of absentee votes (36,584) in the 2019 general election.
There were 64,371 ballots cast through early voting, which ran from Sept. 22 to Saturday, Nov. 4, though the vast majority of voters still went to in-person polls on Election Day. Mail-in ballots will be counted until noon on Monday, Nov. 13, as long as they were postmarked on or before Nov. 7.
All election results, including for the still-to-be-determined Vienna Town council race, will be certified as final on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
Democrats celebrate near-sweep
The status quo largely held in Fairfax County, at least in terms of political parties, as candidates endorsed by the Democrats won every state contest and almost every local contest on the ballot.
Sheriff Stacey Kincaid and Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano were both reelected with no official challengers, though Descano’s opponent for the Democratic nomination, Ed Nuttall, endorsed a write-in campaign.
Descano’s victory was matched in Arlington by Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who also first took office in 2020 on promises of criminal justice reform. Their Loudoun County counterpart, Buta Biberaj, however, is trailing by around 1,000 votes.
“Thank you to the people of Fairfax County for choosing me to serve another four years,” Descano said in a statement highlighting his reform efforts. “…I’ve still got a lot of fight in me — and we’ve got the momentum on our side. I’m eager to keep working for the people of Fairfax, and to realize a future where safety and justice do walk hand-in-hand.”
I’ve still got a lot of fight in me — and we’ve got the momentum on our side. I’m eager to keep working for the people of Fairfax, and to realize a future where safety and justice do walk hand-in-hand.
— Steve Descano (@SteveDescano) November 8, 2023
Chris Falcon, a deputy clerk for the Arlington Circuit Court, defeated retiring Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk John Frey’s chief deputy clerk and chosen successor, Gerarda Culipher, with nearly 63% of the vote. Falcon has pledged to make circuit court cases accessible through Virginia’s statewide case information system.
With Democrats set to control both the state Senate and House of Delegates, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee characterized the results as “a clear rejection of the radical Republican agenda” in favor of “abortion healthcare rights, public education, gun safety, voting rights, and more.” Read More
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) Fairfax County is beginning talks for a pedestrian crossing at a dangerous intersection of Wiehle Avenue at the Dulles Toll Road ramps in Reston.
As part of its plan to redevelop the Campus Commons office complex, developer TF Cornerstones has agreed to give the county $1.65 million to build an alternative crossing for the area after a study group failed to reach consensus on a preferred alternative for the site in 2021.
But before an alternative option is chosen, the county will kick off a Wiehle Avenue corridor study that will evaluate Wiehle Avenue between Sunrise Valley Drive and the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.
An in-person meeting on the study is slated for Monday, Nov. 13 from 5:30-9 p.m. in the Langston Hughes Middle School cafeteria (11401 Ridge Heights Road).
Resounding community concerns about safety at the proposed at-grade crossing prompted the formation of a study group in 2020 that evaluated three proposed options for the site.
But virtually all members voted against the three options proposed by TF Cornerstones. Instead, 71% supported a crossing with an underpass — which comes with a hefty price tag — and 59% supported an enhanced at-grade pedestrian crosswalk with more multimodal improvements.
So far, the Board of Supervisors has emphasized the need for a high-visibility, at-grade crossing in the area — and one that is considered “aesthetically pleasing,” said Freddy Serrano, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT).
A timeline for the implementation of the Campus Commons crossing has not yet been determined. Under its development conditions, TF Cornerstones doesn’t need to give the money to the county until it receives its first occupancy permit for Building C, a 27-story multi-family residential building, according to FCDOT.
“There has been no movement on this project so that timeline is unknown,” Serrano said.
Ultimately, the outcome will depend on the Wiehle Avenue corridor study.
With the study, county transportation officials will incorporate ideas from the public and work with consultant Fehr & Peers to develop three concepts to test in 2030 for the overall corridor. The models will help determine how potential changes will affect traffic operations, accessibility and pedestrian safety.
“We will take these concepts and the resulting future analysis back to the public early next year and will solicit their feedback to arrive at a preferred concept for Wiehle Avenue,” Serrano said.
TF Cornerstone plans to build two buildings with 655 apartments, more than 520,000 square feet of office space and a little over 28,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. A 24-story tower and two small towers are proposed.
Image via Google Maps
Location Chosen for New FBI HQ — “Federal officials have decided the FBI will leave its iconic but decaying headquarters in downtown Washington for the Maryland suburbs, multiple people familiar with the decision said Wednesday…An empty 61-acre plot outside the Greenbelt Metro station” will win out over another Prince George’s County site and a Springfield warehouse favored by Virginia. [Washington Post]
Departing Pandas Pass Through Fairfax County — The Smithsonian National Zoo’s three giant pandas traveled through Fairfax County yesterday (Wednesday) on their way to Dulles International Airport. With the departure of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji, the D.C. zoo will be panda-free for the first time in over 50 years. [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]
Israeli Flags Stolen From Local Home — The disappearance of two Israeli flags flown outside Fairfax resident Jarod Keren’s home since early October is being investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department as a “bias crime.” The FCPD says “10 anti-Islamic incidents have occurred this year compared to three last year and 24 anti-Jewish incidents have been reported compared to seven last year.” [WJLA]
Providence District Gets New Planning Commissioner — Jeremy Hancock was sworn in to represent Providence District on the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 1 by Deputy Clerk of the Court Gerarda Culipher. Formerly president of the Providence District Council, Hancock replaces Phil Niedzielski-Eichner, who remains on the commission as an at-large member and chairman. [Gazette Leader]
County Offices to Close for Veterans’ Day — “Fairfax County Government offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in observation of the Veterans Day holiday. However, some facilities are open, and schedules vary…Visit Fairfax has compiled a list of events in Fairfax County, neighboring counties, D.C. and elsewhere to honor our vets.” [Fairfax County Government]
Park Authority Seeks Input on Potential Fee Increases — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board is proposing fee increases at rec centers and other park facilities. Members of the public are invited to a virtual meeting on Nov. 15, 7 p.m., on the 2024 fee schedule.” [Annandale Today]
Woodlawn Wendy’s Closed for Facelift — “The Wendy’s restaurant located at Woodlawn Shopping Center closed in late October for a refresh, according to a company representative…The renovation project does not involve a full remodel, the representative told property manager Woodmont Properties, so only the exterior of the restaurant will appear updated.” [On the MoVe]
Fairfax Connector Service Changes Proposed — “Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold two virtual community meetings to share proposed June 2024 service changes to Fairfax Connector bus service on routes throughout the county to improve reliabilty, frequency and connectivity for customers.” [FCDOT]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high around 77, accompanied by south winds at 10 to 13 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Clouds will increase Thursday night as temperatures drop to around 49, with northwest winds continuing at 8 to 14 mph and gusts still reaching 20 mph. [Weather.gov]
A nonprofit dedicated to providing resources for Northern Virginia’s LGBTQ community has officially chosen Oakton for its headquarters.
After operating as a pop-up for 18 months, NoVA Prism Center opened its first physical offices at 10467 White Granite Drive, Suite 322, on Nov. 1. Open by appointment from noon to 7 p.m. daily, the headquarters hosts a publicly accessible library, a clothing closet and events, along with the organization’s administrative base.
“With the public opening of NoVA Prism Center, we will give our community a place to come together, learn, and thrive with access to stories about queer lives, bodies, and history,” Executive Director Leon van der Goetz said in a statement. “While we will not stop our Library Pop-up programming, our goal is to provide access to our community year-round, because the need for connection and representation doesn’t stop at the end of June.
Founded in May 2022, NoVA Prism was created by local transgender educators and activists after book challenges in 2021 led Fairfax County Public Schools to temporarily remove Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer: A Memoir” and Jonathan Evison’s coming-of-age novel “Lawn Boy” from library shelves.
With schools and libraries across the U.S. continuing to face pressure to ban books, particularly ones that deal with race, sexuality and gender identity, NoVA Prism wants to ensure the local LGBTQ community has access to books and other resources going forward, its website says.
Prior to opening its headquarters, the nonprofit appeared at local Pride festivals and other events, including ones hosted by Fairfax County Public Library. It has also brought a pop-up library to businesses and community groups, such as Reston Museum.
The organization announced the location for its new headquarters at an inaugural “Coming Out Gay-la” fundraiser in Reston on Oct. 20.
Van der Goetz says NoVA Prism Center chose 10467 White Granite Drive as its headquarters because the building already houses several other nonprofits, including ServiceSource and the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, “whose communities frequently overlap with our own.”
“The opportunities for collaboration and connection, intentional architecture supporting the Disability community, and access to a shared community classroom and conference rooms to support our programs made the space ideal for meeting our needs,” he told FFXnow.
The nonprofit is continuing to fundraise to bring more events and resources to its new center. In addition to accepting donations through its website, it publishes a zine called The Lantern that focuses on the experiences of LGBTQ teens and adults in the D.C. area.
An information technology consulting firm based in Reston is growing faster than any other company in the D.C. area, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Goldschmitt and Associates topped the newspaper’s 2023 ranking of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the region, as determined by the average percentage of revenue growth it saw from 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022.
Headquartered at 11601 Quail Ridge Court, Goldschmitt and Associates reported $115.81 million in revenue last year — a whopping 573.4% increase, on average, from $5 million in 2020 and $10.1 million in 2021.
Though aware that the company has been evolving recently, its leaders say they were still shocked to come out on top when the WBJ announced the list at an awards dinner held at The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons on Oct. 20.
“It’s been so busy given our recent growth that we honestly had no idea where we would be in the ranking,” Laura Kelmelis, director of special programs and security, said by email. “Every time another group was announced we were completely shocked…To be #1 is a huge honor, and one we are extremely proud of.”
Kelmelis and Vice President of Finance Nancy Jones attended the dinner and live-texted their reactions to President and CEO Marc Goldschmitt and Chief Operating Officer Rachel Sutler. The messages escalated throughout the evening from “Our name hasn’t been called yet” to “We are in the top 10!” and culminating at “#1!!!, Omg,” according to Goldschmitt.
Founded in 1998, Goldschmitt and Associates provides computer programming, business management, data analytics, system training and other IT services to government, educational, private and nonprofit clients, according to its website. It has 206 employees and an office in Leesburg in addition to its Reston headquarters.
The firm has also been ranked among the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. by the Inc. 5000 three years in a row. For the 2023 list, it came in at no. 34 overall, no. 1 among Virginia companies and no. 2 in the IT services category.
“We had a lot of help and guidance to enable our growth,” Goldschmitt said. “As we continue to grow, it’s important that we pay it forward and help other small and emerging companies to learn from both our successes and mistakes.”
Including Goldschmitt and Associates, a total of 19 Fairfax County-based companies made the WBJ’s list of the area’s 50 fastest-growing companies in 2023, an accomplishment highlighted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority in a newsletter on Friday (Nov. 3).
4. Shiftmed (Tysons)
5. Turn2Partners (Herndon)
12. Shirley Luu and Associates (Tysons)
13. Metaphase Consulting (Reston)
17. Modus Create (Reston)
22. IT Concepts (Tysons)
23. Trustar Bank (Great Falls)
24. PBG Consulting (Tysons)
29. Vika Cos. (Tysons)
30. Inalab Consulting (Fair Oaks)
33. The Alliance Group (Tysons)
34. Omega World Travel (Fairfax)
36. Hive Group (Tysons)
39. Avertra (Herndon)
42. Unissant (Herndon)
44. Bogart Wealth (Tysons)
47. Steampunk (Tysons)
50. Hitt Contracting (West Falls Church)
To be eligible for the ranking, companies had to be private and independently owned. They also had to have a local headquarters and “sustained revenue growth for three years in a row,” making at least $2 million in 2020 and at least $10 million in 2022, according to the WBJ.
This year’s list had 51 companies total as a result of a tie between Hitt Contracting and Largo, Maryland-based Apex Petroleum Group for the final spot.
“Making it any place on the List is a big accomplishment,” the WBJ said in its announcement. “And some of this year’s winners have fought especially hard over the past few years to recover from the pandemic, including several from the hospitality and restaurant industry.”
Propelled by a near-sweep of races in Northern Virginia, Democrats have retaken control of the Virginia House of Delegates and retained control of the state Senate.
With a few races still to be called early Wednesday, Democrats appear to have won at least 51 seats in the 100-member House and 21 seats in the 40-member state Senate, according to results compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. This will mark the third consecutive election that control of the House has shifted — Democrats wrested it away from Republicans in 2019 but lost it in 2021.
The final makeup of the Senate appears likely to remain very similar as Democrats currently hold a 22-18 majority. Late Tuesday night, only one Senate race was in doubt – in the Tidewater area’s 24th District. In that race, Republican Danny Diggs led incumbent Sen. Monty Mason by only 51 votes out of more than 60,000 cast — a margin that, if it holds, means the race is probably headed to a recount.
The House, meanwhile, will flip from a 52-48 Republican majority to at least a 51-49 Democratic majority, based on Tuesday’s unofficial results. Three House races, primarily in the Richmond and Tidewater areas, remained to be called early Wednesday morning.
The results are a repudiation to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, whose Spirit of Virginia PAC poured millions of dollars into key races in an effort to hold the House and win control of the Senate. Youngkin hoped that control of both houses of the General Assembly would allow him to further his legislative agenda, including banning abortions after 15 weeks, except in certain cases.
Many national observers also thought that GOP victories Tuesday could lead Youngkin to make a late entry into the 2024 presidential election.
Emphasizing the importance of the Northern Virginia suburbs, Youngkin wrapped up the campaign with a rally in Leesburg on Monday night and an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning from Manassas.
Redistricting following the 2020 Census moved more seats to rapidly growing Northern Virginia, although nearly a third of legislators statewide retired or decided not to seek reelection because they were placed into districts with fellow legislators. State and national Democrats also poured millions of dollars into the campaigns, which were the most expensive in Virginia history.
As was expected, Democrats won all the General Assembly seats in Fairfax and Arlington counties and the city of Alexandria, along with those in eastern Prince William County and eastern Loudoun County, which have become more Democratic in recent years.
Democrats also picked up two competitive Senate seats in the western suburbs – the 30th District in Prince William, won by Del. Danica Roem, and the 31st District in Loudoun and Fauquier counties, captured by former CIA officer and prosecutor Russet Perry. Winning at least one of those seats was considered critical to GOP efforts to take the Senate.
On the House side, meanwhile, most of the highly competitive races were downstate, but the parties split two open western Prince William seats — with Democrat Josh Thomas capturing the 21st District and Republican Ian Lovejoy the 22nd District. Lovejoy and Del.-elect Geary Higgins of western Loudoun’s 30th District will be the only Republicans in the region’s legislative delegation.
Democrats also retained control of county boards of supervisors in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, and in the tightest board chair race, in Prince William, Democrat Deshundra Jefferson defeated Republican Jeanine Lawson. Democratic board chairs in Loudoun and Fairfax won reelection.
The Democrats’ win in the House means that Del. Don Scott of Portsmouth will probably become the first Black speaker of the House.
“We’ve been telling you all since day one that Democrats had the message, the candidates and the momentum to put a stop to the extreme Republicans’ agenda. And that’s what we did tonight,” Scott said, according to a statement released by the party. “Our candidates reflect the future of the commonwealth. They are products of the communities they’ll be representing. They are trusted community leaders.”
House Democratic Caucus Chair Charniele Herring of Alexandria said in the statement, “This victory shows that Virginia is ready for leaders looking to move our commonwealth forward and not backwards.”
Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax, who led the Democratic caucus campaign committee, said the group raised over $17 million for candidates. “This win sends a message to Governor Youngkin and to MAGA Republicans across the nation that there is no place for their extreme agenda in Virginia,” Helmer added.
This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Reston’s Hunters Woods ballfield has finished its transformation from an underutilized baseball diamond into a park with walking paths, new trees and other features is now complete.
Construction on the redevelopment started on Aug. 11 and wrapped up last week, coming in not only four months ahead of schedule, but also about 10% under approximately $400,000 budget, according to Reston Association, which owns the park.
Chris Schumaker, RA’s director of capital projects, attributes the speedy timeline and cost efficiency to “good weather” and an absence of unexpected site issues that could’ve caused delays.
“This redevelopment project gives new life to valuable greenspace in Reston,” Schumaker said. “We’re thrilled to be able to work directly with the community to create a space that is beneficial to the surrounding neighborhoods. It’s really a win-win effort.”
RA approved a concept plan to repurpose the ballfield in 2020 at the request of the Hunters Woods Neighborhood Coalition. Though once used by Reston-Herndon Little League, the facility’s lack of parking and locked-in location near Breton Court behind the Hunters Woods Village Center made it difficult to access and inhospitable to larger gatherings, like a ball game.
While the new park still doesn’t have parking, it was designed to serve pedestrians and the immediate neighborhood instead of drivers, with footpaths and seating areas that encourage walking and other forms of passive recreation.
“We want people to travel there on foot, so that’s definitely doable with the walkways we added and the connection points to other pathways in the area for sure,” Schumaker told FFXnow.
The roughly 1-acre site is now encircled by a broad asphalt walkway, and a concrete path divides a new rain garden and a meadow reseeded with native plants, though they mostly won’t emerge until the spring. To emphasize the nature-focused setting, the concrete has been stamped with leaves from native trees.
Other amenities include benches, trash receptacles and a Little Free Library Nearby residents started to stock the green box with books as soon as fences around the site came down, according to Schumaker.
In addition to hopefully encouraging more usage, the new park designed by the architecture and landscaping firm Kimley Horn brings environmental and stormwater benefits, RA says.
The rain garden will control and filter runoff from the park and adjacent houses that previously just flowed into streams, Schumaker said. The project also led to 12 new trees getting planted on the site and preserved several existing, mature trees.
“It’s kind of just a nice place to look at right now,” Schumaker said. “I think once the meadow area…kind of grows in through the winter and early spring, it’ll really kind of add a big pop of color and a nice place to walk around and kind of see all the birds and the insects and things of that nature that will traverse the area now versus before.”
After the meadow grows out next spring, RA plans to host a formal ceremony celebrating the new Hunters Woods park.
FCPD Touts License Plate Reader Tech — “Fairfax County Police launched its license plate readers in November 2022 using technology from Flock Safety and Axon to help solve crimes and find missing persons. According to police department data, 335 cases have involved license plate reader technology in the first year of the program.” [Patch]
Urgent Care Center Coming to Penn Daw — “The South Alex mixed-use development in Penn Daw has landed its second retail tenant with the signing of a lease earlier this year between Combined Properties and Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care. The urgent care center will occupy a vacant space near the Aldi supermarket, which opened this past March.” [On the MoVe]
Proposals for New I-495 Toll Lanes Questioned — “The Virginia Dept. of Transportation is mulling expanding the Express Lanes system to a section of I-495 from Fairfax County across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and into Maryland. The city of Alexandria, however, is skeptical of the current plans, as many of the alternatives come down to adding traffic lanes.” [ALXnow]
McLean Police Shooting Crops Up in D.C. Police Chief Confirmation — The D.C. City Council was expected to give acting police chief Pamela Smith the Metropolitan Police Department’s top job yesterday (Tuesday), but the former U.S. Park Police head still faces some challenges. Among them is her “handling of the Bijan Ghaisar case, in which Park Police officers shot and killed an unarmed man on the George Washington Parkway in 2018.” [Washington City Paper]
Metro Watchdog Leader Resigns — “Metro’s inspector general resigned Tuesday after being told the transit agency’s board planned to replace him, according to a letter he sent to Metro board members and elected leaders. The move comes one day after his office released an audit critical of the board for not giving Inspector General Rene Febles and his staff more autonomy, as required by a law Congress passed last year.” [Washington Post]
Task Force Considers What It’ll Take to Save Lake Accotink — “The Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink is looking at a broad array of issues…as it develops a recommendation on how much of the lake should be saved…At the task force’s Nov. 6 meeting, there was some discussion about the need to gather more data, but chair Sharon Bulova expressed concerns about delays in getting the work done to stabilize the lake.” [Annandale Today]
Vienna Police Share Drug Take-Back Results — “The Vienna Police Department on Oct. 28 teamed up with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for the 25th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative. During this event, Vienna police gathered and properly disposed of 228 pounds of expired or unneeded medications that local residents voluntarily turned in.” [Gazette Leader]
Vienna Fire Department Renovates Event Hall — The Vienna Volunteer Fire Department will hold a grand opening next Tuesday (Nov. 14) to celebrate its newly renovated event hall, which “has been transformed into a lovely event space fit for weddings, birthdays, and celebrations of all levels.” The event will showcase local hospitality businesses and offer snacks, drinks and wine tastings. [Vienna Business Association]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny skies and a high of 61 degrees, accompanied by a north wind at 6 mph, later becoming light and variable. For Wednesday night, the sky will be partly cloudy with a low temperature around 49 degrees and a southeast wind at 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 12:35 a.m. on 11/8/2023) The Democratic Party’s hold in Fairfax County remains strong, despite Republican efforts to make headway by centering issues from high taxes and “parental rights” in public education to highway tolls.
Preliminary general election results show that candidates supported by the Democrats, either officially or through endorsements, are in line to win every seat on this year’s lengthy ballot — except for Springfield District supervisor.
Seeking a fifth term on the Board of Supervisors, incumbent Pat Herrity is beating Democratic challenger Albert Vega by roughly 14 percentage points, or around 5,000 votes, as of 10:30 p.m. That would be a more comfortable victory than the one Herrity had in 2019, when he edged out Linda Sperling by just 439 votes.
If the current results hold, Herrity will once again be the only Republican on the 10-seat Board of Supervisors, and all 12 Fairfax County School Board seats, along with the county’s entire General Assembly delegation, will be held by Democrats.
Sheriff Stacey Kincaid and Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano are on track for reelection, though about 22% of the ballots cast for the county’s top prosecutor are write-ins. While the results don’t show the names that voters put forward, a write-in campaign for Ed Nuttall — Descano’s opponent in the June Democratic primary — got endorsed by him and the Fairfax County Republican Committee.
In addition, Democrat Chris Falcon, currently the deputy court clerk in Arlington, won the circuit court clerk race with 62% of the vote, even after Republican Gerarda Culipher got endorsed by current Clerk John Frey, who’s retiring after 32 years.
The three open seats on the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District‘s five-person board of directors will also go to candidates endorsed by the Democrats. Voters also approved a $435 million school bond referendum that will fund construction and renovation projects and the installation of security vestibules.
With nearly all precincts reporting, here are the apparent winners of this year’s general election:
Board of Supervisors
- Chairman: Jeff McKay
- Braddock District: James Walkinshaw
- Dranesville District: Jimmy Bierman
- Franconia District: Rodney Lusk
- Hunter Mill District: Walter Alcorn
- Mason District: Andres Jimenez
- Mount Vernon District: Dan Storck
- Providence District: Dalia Palchik
- Springfield District: Pat Herrity
- Sully District: Kathy Smith
School Board
- At Large: Ilryong Moon, Ryan McElveen, Kyle McDaniel
- Braddock District: Rachna Sizemore Heizer
- Dranesville District: Robyn Lady
- Franconia District: Marcia St. John-Cunning
- Hunter Mill District: Melanie Meren
- Mason District: Ricardy Anderson
- Mount Vernon District: Mateo Dunne
- Providence District: Karl Frisch
- Springfield District: Sandra Anderson
- Sully District: Seema Dixit
State Senate
- District 33: Jennifer Carroll Foy
- District 34: Scott Surovell
- District 35: Dave Marsden
- District 36: Stella Pekarsky
- District 37: Saddam Salim
- District 38: Jennifer Boysko
- District 39: Adam Ebbin
House of Delegates
- District 4: Charniele Herring (uncontested)
- District 6: Rip Sullivan
- District 7: Karen Keys-Gamarra
- District 8: Irene Shin
- District 9: Karrie Delaney
- District 10: Dan Helmer
- District 11: David Bulova
- District 12: Holly Seibold (uncontested)
- District 13: Marcus Simon
- District 14: Vivian Watts
- District 15: Laura Jane Cohen
- District 16: Paul Krizek (uncontested)
- District 17: Mark Sickles (uncontested)
- District 18: Kathy Tran
- District 19: Rozia Henson Jr. (uncontested)
Other
- Circuit Court Clerk: Chris Falcon
- Commonwealth’s Attorney: Steve Descano
- Sheriff: Stacey Kincaid
- Soil and Water Conservation: Dana Barakat, Rhonda Bitterli, Chris Koerner
A restaurant with five dozen wines on tap is on track to fill the void left by Clyde’s of Reston before the end of this year.
Sixty Vines, a Texas-based concept that pitches itself as a “wine lover’s restaurant,” will open its first Virginia location in 11905 Market Street at Reston Town Center this December, though an exact launch date remains to be determined.
“We’re looking forward to opening our first location in Reston, especially so close to Virginia’s own wine country,” Sixty Vines CEO Jeff Carcara said in a press release. “With Sixty Vines’ pinkies down approach to wine culture, our new Reston location offers a wine country adventure nestled next to the Town Center pavilion.”
The 12,857-square-foot restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor seating with a full bar and a private events space. The space has been vacant since Clyde’s shuttered in May 2022 after 31 years at the town center.
The restaurant group behind Clyde’s is sticking around Reston with a new concept called Ebbitt House — a spin-off of D.C.’s seafood-focused Old Ebbitt Grill — coming to Reston Row near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
Part of the restaurant group FB Society, Sixty Vines opened its first location in 2016 in Plano, Texas, according to the Washington Business Journal, which originally reported the Reston Town Center lease last summer.
The restaurant now has eight locations in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina, but the Reston opening will kick off plans for a nationwide expansion, with four more sites anticipated next year, per the press release.
In addition to wine, Sixty Vines serves cocktails and beer. Its menu includes sandwiches, pasta, pizza, salads, and main courses of seafood and meat.
Here’s more on what to expect in Reston:
The inventive global menu celebrates seasonal flavors made with local, fresh ingredients. When stepping through the doors of Sixty Vines, guests can expect to be transported to wine country through a selection of reds, rosés, sparklings, and whites as sourced exclusively from iconic winemakers, along with a variety of cocktails and mocktails.
Sixty Vines prides itself on its innovative and sustainable approach to serving wine. Each keg holds 26 bottles and can be reused around 1,500 times over its refillable lifetime. This eco-friendly tap system not only reduces waste and protects the planet, but also offers the closest ‘from the barrel’ tasting experience for guests to discover the finest pours…
…Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant brings fresh, shared plates that perfectly pair with each glass. Featuring communal style dining, the experience is designed to take guests on a journey through food and drink as they taste and sip their way through seasonally sourced offerings. Highlights include custom charcuterie boards, fresh salads, wood-fired pizzas such as Fig and Prosciutto, Spicy Sausage, and Mushroom and Kale, homemade pasta dishes, and vibrant seafood entrées like Atlantic Salmon and Grilled Swordfish.
The restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner and Saturday and Sunday brunch.
Reston Association hopes to start a new holiday tradition this year with its first-ever Winterfest.
The three-day “holiday extravaganza” will take place at the Brown’s Chapel Park recreation area (1575 Browns Chapel Road) from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, RA announced in its weekly “Reston Today” newsletter on Friday (Nov. 3).
“Stroll through a self-guided walk as we Light up the Park,” the event description says. “Join us for festive music, vendors for holiday shopping, bonfires and smores, drinks and a pop-up bar and food options. In addition, we are hosting a Santa Experience inside the Lake House.”
There will also be an “Enchanted Forest” featuring “decorated trees from the community,” according to RA.
The overall event is free for RA members, but the “Light Up the Park” walk costs $18 for non-members, with a discount of $8 for anyone aged 3 to 17. All attendees must register in advance for a one-hour time slot between 5-9 p.m.
Registration for the Santa Experience is separate and includes an opportunity to make a holiday craft and write a letter to Santa, who will also be present at the event. There’s a fee of $20 for RA members and $25 for non-members, though kids under 2 can get in for free.
Cara O’Donnell, RA’s new communications director, says the organization is “VERY excited about this event.”
“The idea for it came about before I joined RA…but I know there was a genuine desire to do a big holiday event — something the entire community can enjoy and one that hopefully will become an annual tradition,” O’Donnell said to FFXnow. “I think it’s going to be really fun.”
In other wintry Reston news, Reston Town Center’s ice skating rink opened at the renovated pavilion on Friday. The town center’s annual holiday parade and tree lighting is scheduled for Nov. 24, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The woman who oversaw ArtsFairfax’s transformation from an events programmer into the top advocate for Fairfax County’s arts and culture community will soon step down as leader of the nonprofit.
Linda Sullivan announced her plan to retire after 14 years as president and CEO on Oct. 26 at the 2023 ArtsFairfax Awards, an annual celebration and fundraiser that she established to honor notable local artists, arts and cultural organizations and their supporters.
At the awards ceremony, which was held at Capital One Hall in Tysons and raised $175,000, Sullivan said she was “very proud” of her tenure leading the county’s official arts agency.
“It has been a privilege to work with all the elected officials, community leaders, board members, and staff members as we met our strategic goals and grew both the organization and the strength of its services,” Sullivan said. “Serving and supporting the arts in Fairfax County has been a labor of love and joy.”
When Sullivan first joined as a consultant in 2009, ArtsFairfax was still named the Arts Council of Fairfax County and most known for producing the annual International Children’s Festival hosted by Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts from 1971 to 2011, according to the organization.
Even as the county government made deep budget cuts in the wake of the 2008 recession that included eliminating the children’s festival, ArtsFairfax sought to pivot and expand its mission from programming events to actively working with the county and providing support services to local artists and arts organizations.
John Mason, a former Fairfax City mayor who chaired the arts council’s board of directors at the time, says hiring Sullivan in 2010 to lead the organization through that transition as its president and CEO is “the best thing that I did as chairman.”
“Her term led to a more dynamic, engaged board and staff,” Mason said. “Commendable initiatives included engaging Fairfax County and contributing to its Comprehensive Plan with a strong arts program and, importantly, a comprehensive arts facilities plan for the next decade or so. Additionally, she initiated the challenge of engaging arts organizations and helping to ‘market’ them.”
An arts management consultant with prior experience leading museums and art centers, Sullivan told FFXnow in an interview that she remains proud of the council’s rebranding as ArtsFairfax. Since then, the nonprofit raised its profile and doubled both its budget and the amount of grants it offers to arts organizations.
Recipients of the most recent round of operating support grants, for instance, ranged from theater companies and dance troupes to orchestras and George Mason University’s Fall for the Book Festival.
Other highlights of Sullivan’s 14-year tenure include the development of two strategic plans and a countywide master arts plan with recommendations for future facilities, the introduction of artist residences and a poet laureate, and a partnership with Capital One Hall that ensures local groups have access to the venue.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished,” Sullivan said. “I’m really proud that we’ve moved this organization in so many ways to a stronger, more professional organization that is a solid local arts agency for the county.”
Eager to travel “while I still can,” Sullivan says she felt the time was right to step back and let a new leader guide ArtsFairfax into its next phase. She anticipates making her retirement effective on Dec. 31 but will stay longer if needed until the new president and CEO is chosen.
ArtsFairfax’s latest strategic plan, which was crafted during the pandemic and lays out priorities through 2026, includes commitments to making the arts “more accessible, diverse, equitable, and inclusive” and using public art, civic partnerships and placemaking to enhance the community.
“I think the next 10 years or so in the county are going to be an exciting time for the arts, and so, it’s going to be a rewarding job for the next person too,” Sullivan said. “I’ve enjoyed my time and I certainly am proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to now just being a patron of the arts and coming to the Arts Awards as a guest.”
