Fairfax County is envisioning its forthcoming COVID-19 memorial as a space for reflection — something that’s been difficult to come by since the pandemic upended life temporarily for some and more permanently for others.
The concept comes from artists Miriam Gusevich and Salvatore Pirrone, who have been chosen to design and build the memorial, ArtsFairfax announced Monday (Aug. 21).
“We need memorial spaces and artworks to help us appreciate the bonds we share as human beings,” ArtsFairfax President and CEO Linda Sullivan said. “With such artworks, engagement invites us to learn from our pain and redouble our efforts to lift up each other every day, not just in emergencies.”
A nonprofit designated as the county’s official arts agency, ArtsFairfax and the Fairfax County Arts Committee selected Gusevich and Pirrone unanimously after putting out an open call for artists earlier this year.
According to ArtsFairfax, the pair proposed “a tall and slender memorial” called “Circles of Memory” that will “protect a contemplative space” in honor of local residents who have died from COVID-19, along with the health care workers, first responders and others involved in the county’s emergency response.
The memorial will be installed in front of the county’s Public Safety Headquarters and Herrity Building at 12055 Government Center Parkway.
“The monument will be comprised of a 27-foot tall hollow concrete cone, divided by a break in the center and topped with an oculus from which to view the sky. Visitors will be invited to sit inside the structure and on the surrounding benches,” ArtsFairfax said.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed county staff in February 2022 to start planning for a memorial that will symbolize the pandemic’s impact on the local community.
Since then, Covid has ceased to be designated as an official public health emergency both locally and nationally, but the disease continues to spread, albeit at lower levels of severity than in previous years. As of yesterday (Tuesday), the Fairfax Health District had recorded 273,842 cases, 5,403 hospitalizations and 1,794 deaths, according to Virginia Department of Health data.
The county’s memorial will create a communal space for visitors to acknowledge those losses.
“We hope to provide an environment that will bring people together,” Pirrone said. “The memorial strives to be a place of reverence for the lives lost and the people who honor them.”
The design will be finalized after the artists conduct a full site review, according to ArtsFairfax Director of Communications Allison Mui.
The agency says the project will take “several months to complete,” including opportunities for members of the public to meet the artists, discuss the design concepts and “share experiences.”
“Art does not cure, yet it can help us heal. Creativity can offer renewal; through it we can nurture faith in the future,” Gusevich said.
Here’s more on Gusevich and Pirrone from the press release:
Miriam Gusevich is a Cuban American environmental artist, architect, scholar, and educator. She was a Loeb Fellow (1997) at Harvard University and received her bachelor’s degree (1975) and master’s degree (1979) in architecture from Cornell University. Her built memorial projects include the “Jane Addams Memorial” (with Louise Bourgeois) and the “Cancer Survivor’s Garden” in Grant Park (with Julie Gross), both in Chicago. “Remember Sambir,” a Holocaust memorial site in Western Ukraine that she began with Peter Miles, is under construction and on hold because of the war.
Recent international commissions include two memorial masterplans in Kyiv, Ukraine: “Constellations” a memorial for Euro-Maidan (2015) and “Yahrzeit Candles” a memorial for the victims of Babyn – Yar (2016), and the “Zenicka Kilim,” in Bosnia – Herzegovina (2019). She is a Washington, D.C. resident and was a tenured professor at the Catholic University of America from 2000-2020.
Salvatore Pirrone is an American artist, designer, and educator. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree (2007) from Parsons at The New School in New York City, and a master’s degree in architecture (2000) from the University of Florida. He has exhibited regionally at Arlington Arts Center, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Cultural DC’s Mobile Art Gallery, Sandy Spring Museum, Transformer, Arlington Project for Affordable Housing, Maryland Art Place, Hillyer Gallery, and the Dittmar House at Marymount University. He lives and works in Upper Marlboro, Md. and is a tenured associate professor of Design and Art at Marymount University in Arlington, Va.
Little remains known regarding when the $101 million redevelopment of downtown Herndon will officially begin.
Comstock Companies, the Reston-based developer leading the project with the Town of Herndon, declined to provide information on the timeline of the delayed project, including an anticipated groundbreaking — even after the company recently submitted a revised site plan.
The project will transform nearly 5 acres of land into a mixed-use community with 273 apartments and roughly 17,000 square feet of retail. A new arts center and a 726-space parking garage are also planned.
But the project — which was supposed start construction more than two years ago — is now more than a year into a two-year pause requested by Comstock last summer. That means it has to break ground by April 2024.
A Comstock spokesperson told FFXnow that the company does not have “any updates” on the project. A spokesperson for the Town of Herndon also said no information is available on the development timeline.
Comstock recently submitted a revised development plan for the project, which was put on pause last year due to what the company said were market constraints. Since then, few details have been released to the public.
The new site plan doesn’t include substantive changes from one approved by the town back in May 2019.
Anne Curtis, a spokesperson for the town, told FFXnow that the site plan revision was a necessary step for the company to update its designs to meet the current building code.
“Building permit drawings must be consistent with the site plan drawings. What was submitted was a revision of the site plan that incorporates design changes needed for compliance with the latest version of the building code,” Curtis wrote in a statement.
The town continues to roll over roughly $4 million that was previously appropriated for parking in the redevelopment, which will involve nearly 4.7 acres of land bounded by Elden, Center and Station streets. The town has continued to carry over this amount into the next fiscal year as part of the reappropriation process, Curtis said.
The Coalition for TJ is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to consider its lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s admissions policy, which was revised in 2020 with the goal of diversifying the student body.
In the petition filed Monday (Aug. 21), the advocacy group argues that the changes approved by the Fairfax County School Board discriminate against Asian students, who saw their share of the magnet school’s incoming classes drop from more than 70% to closer to 60% in the past few years.
The coalition indicated it would take the case to the country’s highest federal court after a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 in the school board’s favor on May 23.
But the fight over TJ’s admissions has grown in significance following the Supreme Court’s June 29 decision to prohibit colleges from considering race in admissions decisions. Where that case tackled policies that explicitly take race into account, the Coalition for TJ contends that race-neutral policies designed to boost underrepresented groups can still violate other students’ equal protection rights.
“The Fourth Circuit’s ruling merits this Court’s review because it presents a question of national importance that the Court has yet to answer directly,” Pacific Legal Foundation attorneys representing the coalition wrote in their petition. “Coming as it does on the heels of last Term’s decision curtailing racial discrimination in higher education admissions, this is one of several ongoing challenges to competitive K-12 admissions criteria that seek to accomplish a racial objective ‘indirectly’ because it ‘cannot be done directly.’”
Spurred by student and alumni activism, the school board overhauled the TJ admissions process after Fairfax County Public Schools reported that fewer than 10 Black students had been accepted in both 2019 and 2020.
In addition to eliminating an application fee and rigorous standardized test, the new policy bumped up the GPA requirement to 3.5, granted eligibility to the top 1.5% of eighth graders at each middle school, introduced a “portrait sheet” where students discuss their skills and write a problem-solving essay, and allows consideration of students’ economic status or involvement in English as a Second Language and special education programs.
The changes were the latest attempt to bring more Black, Hispanic and low-income students to TJ, which is often ranked among the top high schools in the U.S. but has long faced scrutiny for admissions practices that critics argued catered to families who could afford to live in certain neighborhoods and pay for private tutoring and test-preparation services.
Since the revised policy took effect in 2021, FCPS has touted increased racial, geographic and economic diversity in each of the three admitted classes, which have all included students from every Fairfax County middle school — something that hadn’t happened in the prior decade.
FCPS has argued that the changes were race-blind and benefitted all groups, including lower-income Asian students. The appeals court judges who sided with the school board said the Coalition for TJ failed to prove that Asian students were “disparately” affected and “that the Board adopted its race-neutral policy with any discriminatory intent.”
FCPS didn’t return a request for comment by press time.
In a joint statement, a collection of civil rights and community advocacy groups — including the Virginia NAACP, TJ Alumni for Racial Justice, CASA Virginia, Hispanic Federation, Hamkae Center and Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development (AALEAD) — argued that the Coalition for TJ’s lawsuit would limit, rather than expand, equal access to education.
“In essence, the plaintiff seeks to cement pre-existing inequalities by prohibiting school districts from trying to remedy any unfairness in the admissions process that may change the racial makeup of accepted students,” the groups said.
“Every parent wants to know their child will not be disadvantaged in our public education system no matter their personal wealth or language abilities,” Hamkae Center Director Sookyung Oh said. “It is imperative that students from communities of color, including Asian Americans, will not be disadvantaged by an unfair admissions process and will have the same access…only previously afforded to those with the wealth and privilege to get their children into schools like TJ.”
A technology company has officially opened 10,000-square-foot offices in Herndon.
Eqlipse Technologies, a company that provides products and engineering services to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, is set to celebrate its grand opening tomorrow (Thursday) at 2350 Corporate Park Drive.
Paul Frommelt, a spokesperson for the company, said the Herndon location was chosen because of its strategic location near major roadways, including Route 28, the Dulles Access Road and Fairfax County Parkway.
“The location…allows for employees from across the D.C. Metro area to conveniently commute into the office while enjoying our hybrid work options,” Frommelt wrote in a statement. “Additionally, we were able to build out our first-floor suite, taking advantage of modern workspace amenities, like collaboration spaces, vehicle charging stations and a gym for employee health and wellness.”
The company was formed by Arlington Capital Partners, a private equity firm, in March of this year.
“Eqlipse is launching with a strong foundation built on decades of history and experience working with our customers, a growing portfolio of proprietary technologies, and a cadre of world-class subject matter experts pushing the art of the possible every day,” David Wodlinger, a managing partner of Arlington Capital Partners, said in a statement.
Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Landlord — “Brian G. Sayrs Jr., now 27, confessed to killing his Lorton, Va., landlord, Emily Lu, who was last seen alive on the night of June 3, 2021, law enforcement officials said.” Sayrs pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faces up to 32 years in prison. [Washington Post]
FCPS Bus Driver Vacancies Lead to Delays — “A school bus driver shortage is impacting students getting to school on time in Fairfax County. Fairfax County still needs 121 bus drivers to get kids to class for the new school year…In one Lincolnia neighborhood, some said buses were delayed more than 30 minutes.” [WUSA9]
Vienna Nonprofit Plans Move to Tysons — “The Women’s Center is gearing up to move 2 miles east from its longtime Vienna office to Tysons, but will continue to provide its usual offerings, the group’s leader said…The Women’s Center is among several groups being displaced from four Vienna Courts office-condominium buildings…which will be razed to make way for a residential development.” [Gazette Leader]
Stir-Fry and Salad Restaurant Coming to Mount Vernon Plaza — “Honeygrow, a create-your-own stir fry, salad and honeybar eatery, signed a lease with Federal Realty last spring, said a PR representative for the property management company.” The restaurant is expected to open in early 2024 at 7698-B Richmond Highway. [On the MoVe]
County Offers Funds for Human Services Programs — “The 2023 Innovation Fund seeks proposals from businesses and nonprofit organizations to develop creative innovative, sustainable and replicable human service programs. It will provide one-year seed funding to businesses and nonprofits to start a new social impact initiative or enhance a current initiative.” [Fairfax County]
Virginia Is Now Tracking Evictions — “After several years of attention-grabbing reports on high eviction rates in Virginia, the state has begun collecting data on the number and location of evictions that occur over the course of a year. The effort, which is being carried out by the Virginia courts…follows legislation that passed during the last General Assembly session.” [Virginia Mercury]
Metro Reports Drop in Fare Evasions With New Gates — “Higher faregates that Metro installed at several stations have reduced fare evasion by more than 70%, according to data Metro released Tuesday.” The project to retrofit all stations is “expected to take about 15 months and cost between $35 million and $40 million.” [DCist]
FCPS Kids Enjoy Lunch on First Day of School — “After a morning of introductions and instructions, this was lunchtime on the first day of school at Annandale Terrace Elementary in Fairfax County. Maybe second only to recess, lunch is the best part of the day, these kids say — a chance to reconnect with friends, exchange riddles and tell everyone how you learned to swim underwater this summer.” [Washington Post]
It’s Wednesday — The weather forecast predicts a sunny day with a high of 83°F, accompanied by a calm wind in the morning. Wednesday night will witness partly cloudy skies and a low of 66°F, as the south wind maintains a breezy 6 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]
Reston Association (file photo)
Reston Association is in the midst of finalizing a vendor to redesign its website, which has posed problems in the recent past.
Over the last few days, the website’s host platform “encountered an issue” that deleted the website’s navigation bar.
“The navigation bar was replaced multiple times over the weekend by RA staff, but the problem continues to occur,” RA Chief Operating Officer Peter Lusk said in a statement.
The website is now functioning. As of yesterday (Monday) afternoon, staff were continuing to restore more webpages.
The project to replace the website has been ongoing for more than a year. RA plans to launch a new website by the end of the first quarter of 2024, Lusk said.
Technological mishaps are not an anomaly for RA. Last year, Wipfli — a consulting firm hired by RA — flagged several issues, including a compromised email that resulted in $187,000 in losses, embedded malware that froze the website, and a server crash that caused an additional $26,000 in losses.
In 2020, RA’s website was abruptly taken down due to outdated technology and stability issues, including the loss of financial records and issues with backing up information. RA established the IT committee in March 2021 to review its technology services and needs.
The current website is run on a platform called Squarespace.
Dulles International Airport will soon be able to generate solar energy on its grounds.
Dominion Energy and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will break ground on a new solar energy and storage project — called Solar + Storage Project — on vacant land near airport today (Tuesday).
The venture is the largest solar energy project developed at a U.S. airport, according to MWAA.
Construction is expected to begin later this year, according to Aaron Ruby, a spokesperson with Dominion Energy. The project will wrap up by late 2026.
“This will be the largest renewable energy project ever developed at a U.S. airport. Millions of travelers flying in and out of Dulles each year will see this powerful symbol of the clean energy transition,” Ruby said.
The utility company plans to install the tens of thousands of solar panels and will build and maintain a 2 megawatt solar carports. MWAA will also have access to electric buses, electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.
Approved by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in January, the project will cover 800 acres of land and is expected to generate enough electricity to power 25,000 homes, according to the Gazette Leader. It will support both the airport and surrounding neighborhoods through Dominion’s grid.
A groundbreaking on the project is set for 11:30 a.m. Sen. Mark Warner, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and other local and state leaders are expected to attend, according to a press release.
Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Against Youngkin — “Environmental groups filed suit Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court to prevent Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) from taking Virginia out of a multistate carbon-credit market aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” The lawsuit argues that the governor doesn’t have the authority to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. [Washington Post]
Man Planned to Hit People With Van at Dulles Airport — “A Maryland man charged…with planning an Islamic State-inspired attack at [National Harbor] pleaded guilty on Monday to engaging in a separate plot to drive a stolen van into a crowd of people at a nearby airport…Henry admits that he stole a U-Haul van from a parking garage in Alexandria, Virginia, drove it to Dulles International Airport…and entered a terminal building on March 27, 2019.” [NBC4]
Fire Department Rescues Worker Injured in Tree — “#FCFRD units are working a technical rescue in the 5800 blk of Wood Laurel Ct in the Burke area. A worker suffered an injury while trimming a tree. Crews are working to lower the worker from the tree.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Lake Accotink Task Force Zeroes in on Issues to Study — “The Task Force on the Future of Lake Accotink at its most recent meeting finalized the questions to be addressed by the consultant, WSP/LimnoTech.” Considerations include “downstream impacts, the impact of a major flood or extreme storm, whether the dredge sediment could be used to build a wetland, and the future of the amenities.” [Annandale Today]
County Animal Shelter Will Waive Adoption Fees — “Join us for this year’s Clear the Shelters event! On Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26, ALL adoptions for all pets will be fee-waived!” There will be nearly 100 animals looking for a home, Fairfax County Animal Shelter Director Reasa Currier says. [FCAS/Facebook]
RASA Offers Deal for One-Year Anniversary in Merrifield — The fast-casual Indian restaurant Rasa is celebrating its first anniversary at the Mosaic District in Merrifield with $1 bowls today (Tuesday). The eatery is located at 2905 District Avenue, Suite 160, and open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. [RASA]
Annandale Gets New Computer Lab — “The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington will hold a ribbon cutting for its new Cox Innovation Lab at the Annandale Community Center on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, at 4 p.m.” The event will include an appearance by football player Malcom Mitchell, who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots. [NCS]
It’s Tuesday — The weather forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 84°F and a North wind at about 10 mph. Tuesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 63°F, and a Northeast wind around 6 mph will become calm after midnight. [Weather.gov]
A 70-year-old woman died after a single-vehicle crash in the Herndon area earlier this month.
Flavia Caero, a Herndon resident, died three days after she crashed on Aug. 11 on Dranesville Road.
Police said she was traveling north on Dranesville Road near Shallow Ford Road in a 2018 Toyota Corolla when she lost control of the car and struck a retaining wall.
“She was taken to the hospital and sadly passed away away three days after the crash,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release today (Monday).
Police do not believe speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.
The crash is the 10th non-pedestrian-related fatal crash in the county to date. Last year, there were 10 such total crashes.
Fairfax County health officials are monitoring a new COVID-19 variant that has gained traction in the U.S., becoming the most prevalent strain of the disease.
Since the pandemic ceased to be an official national health emergency in May, Covid has faded to the background for many, even as others struggle with long-term health issues after getting infected.
However, hospitalizations, test positivity rates and deaths have been on the rise across the country since early July, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Fairfax County’s hospitalization rate remains low at 1.8 admissions per 100,000 residents for the week of July 30 to Aug. 5 — an increase from 1.2 admissions over the previous week. There were 35 hospital admissions that week, a 45.8% increase, and the percent of emergency department visitors diagnosed with Covid has gone from 1.1% for the week of July 2 to 3.2% last week.
The increase in Covid-related hospital visits coincides with the spread of the EG.5 variant, though officials say there’s no indication so far that it has exacerbated the disease’s severity. The variant now accounts for over 17% of cases nationwide, according to the CDC.
The Fairfax County Health Department says it’s “closely” tracking the variant’s circulation, but in Northern Virginia, levels were “either below detection or unchanged for the most recent reporting period available” based on wastewater surveillance, which can be used to detect the coronavirus that causes Covid.
“While the increase in the EG.5 variant may not be considered of high concern to most people in the general population, those who are more vulnerable to serious illness are urged to take steps to prevent illness and protect their health,” the FCHD said, advising community members to watch out for symptoms and get a test if needed.
Covid testing has become more complicated since the federal state of emergency ended, prompting a suspension of the government’s free program and enabling insurers to start charging for at-home kits. Testing sites can be found through the Virginia Department of Health’s online locator.
The FCHD will still provide testing to people who have symptoms, lack access to other options, have been identified as a close contact of someone with Covid or recently returned traveling internationally. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 703-246-2411.
With Fairfax County Public Schools kicking off its new academic year today (Monday), the county health department will “work closely with FCPS on health issues that impact the student and staff populations,” FCHD spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said.
“The Virginia Department of Health provides free at-home COVID test kits to all K-12 schools and childcare facilities in Virginia, so FCPS and other school systems have testing resources available upon request,” Caldwell told FFXnow. “It is my understanding that FCPS has ordered tests and will provide them to students who appear ill with covid-like symptoms in the health rooms.”
FCPS didn’t return a request for comment on its Covid protocols for the year by press time. The school system’s dashboard showing cases reported by students and employees is no longer on its website.
As of last Tuesday (Aug. 15), the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, was averaging 61 cases per day for the past week — the highest rate since March 5, according to VDH data. Given the prevalence of at-home testing, health officials have shifted to measuring the disease’s severity instead of total case and death numbers, which haven’t been reported by the CDC since May 12.
In preparation for the colder weather and people spending more time indoors, a new Covid booster vaccine is expected to roll out this fall, as health officials hope to establish an annual schedule akin to the one for flu shots.
The new boosters were developed based on an earlier omicron variant known as XBB.1.5, but they will still provide protection for the new variant, which “is genetically similar,” according to the FCHD.
“As in other boosters over past year, it is anticipated that vaccines will be widely available in the community (medical providers/pharmacies/healthcare facilities),” Caldwell said by email. “The FCHD will also provide vaccinations for clients.”
As of Friday (Aug. 18), 80% of Fairfax Health District residents — 941,999 people — had received their initial, “primary” series of Covid vaccinations, according to FCHD data. Half of the population has gotten at least three shots, and just 25.6% have gotten the booster updated for the omicron variant, which has been available to those 6 months and older since December.
Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with a series of golf cart robberies at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston.
Police arrested an 18-year-old from Lynchburg, a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old in connection with an Aug. 16 incident.
That day, around 6:40 p.m., one of the teenagers reportedly brandished a gun when an employee approached the group of teens, who were suspected of stealing golf carts in the past. During the verbal fight, one teenager brandished a gun, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Later, around 8:06 p.m., the same group of teenagers reportedly stole a golf cart and crashed it. The group then robbed a party of golfers at gunpoint and drove away.
In both instances, police failed to find the individuals despite a helicopter-assisted search.
Police told FFXnow that three golf carts were also stolen on Aug. 13, but the management of the golf course did not seek to prosecute the case. The golf carts were recovered after a chase.
The FCPD announced yesterday (Sunday) that the individuals had been arrested and charged.
The 18-year-old faces a charge of possession of a firearm with an altered serial number. The 16-year-old was charged with possession of Schedule I/II Narcotics, and possession of a firearm while in possession of certain substances. The 14-year-old was charged with robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and underage possession of a firearm.
Four guns and suspected narcotics were discovered during the course of the investigation, police said.
Police Scooter Catches Fire at Dulles Airport — “Passengers preparing for departure were evacuated for roughly 90 minutes after a Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police scooter burst into flames inside the terminal…For reasons not yet identified, an officer’s segway began to smoke before catching fire, creating a dark cloud inside the airport and injuring two officers.” [WTOP]
“Suspicious” Flyers Reported in Fair Oaks — “Officers and detectives from the Fair Oaks District have responded to numerous reports of suspicious flyers portraying bias material over the past two days…While there is currently no specific threat within our community, we are continuing to collect additional information about this incident.” [FCPD]
Herrity Wants County to Address Panhandling — “Pat Herrity, a long-serving Republican lawmaker representing the county’s Springfield district, has said he plans on reintroducing an ordinance next month to restrict panhandling that is closely modeled after the policy adopted by neighboring Loudoun County. Loudoun’s ordinance bans the exchange of objects between roadways, and allows police officers to cite those who ignore the ordinance after multiple warnings” [DCist]
Local Teacher Gets Winnings for World Cup Bet — “Kris Benton has finally received his winnings for bets he placed through the BetMGM app after they were originally canceled due to an ‘obvious error with odds.’ The Fairfax County teacher placed bets for a total wager of more than $3,000 on the Netherlands vs. Vietnam match in the Women’s World Cup through the app.” [WUSA9]
Springfield Company Banned From Working in D.C. — The Springfield-based construction company Prestige Drywall LLC “has been barred from working in the District for five years as part of a settlement with D.C.’s attorney general over alleged wage theft. The settlement…includes nearly $360,000 in restitution to more than 200 employees who were unlawfully deprived of overtime pay and benefits.” [Washington Business Journal]
Police Encourage Safety for First Day of School — “On August 21st, coinciding with the much-anticipated first day of school in Fairfax County, FCPD aims to promote a safe and enjoyable start to the school year by encouraging parents, guardians, and community members to adopt safe transportation practices and help ensure the well-being of our young students.” [FCPD]
Route 50 Lane Closures Planned in West Falls Church — “Beginning Monday night, Aug. 21, eastbound Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) will have lane closures between Graham Road and Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) for milling and paving work…Through Monday night, Sept. 18, the single-lane closures will occur Sunday nights through Thursday nights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night.” [VDOT]
County Library Staff Win Award — “FCPL IT team members Gary Goodson and Atnaf Ameha were recently awarded the 2023 Public Library Innovator Award from the Virginia Library Association. This award recognizes public librarians or public library project teams who have made an outstanding contribution to advance the mission of a public library in Virginia through an innovative project, program or service during the nomination period (2022).” [FCPL/Facebook]
It’s Monday — The forecast for Monday indicates partly sunny conditions with a high temperature reaching around 94°F. As the evening approaches, expect increasing cloudiness and a low temperature settling around 71°F. [Weather.gov]
A new traffic pattern is in effect on Reston Parkway after a crash in July damaged two beams on the bridge over the Dulles Toll Road.
The left lane of the road is closed to reduce the weight placed on the damaged beams. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is working to arrange the repairs on the underside of the bridge.
“Having lost a lane of capacity on southbound Reston Parkway, a longer term pattern was put in place to regain some capacity in the form of a choice lane,” Ellen Kamilakis, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation, told FFXnow.
The truck crash happened several months ago, Kamilakis said. The left lane of the the southbound Reston Parkway over the toll road was closed on July 10.
While the left lane is still closed, the ramp to the eastbound toll road was re-striped as an exit and thru lane.
Hey Restonians! We know the left lane of SB Reston Pkwy over @dulles_toll_rd was closed after the bridge hit on 7/10. We're making a traffic pattern change to regain capacity. The left lane is still closed, but the ramp to EB DTR was restriped as an exit *and* a thru lane. pic.twitter.com/ha5ykz7AYg
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) August 16, 2023
After more than a year-long pause, the redevelopment of downtown Herndon appears to be moving again.
Reston-based developer Comstock Companies has filed a revised site plan for the long-anticipated project, which will transform nearly 5 acres of land into a mixed-use community with 273 apartments and roughly 17,000 square feet of retail. A new arts center and a 726-space parking garage are also planned.
At a Herndon Town Council meeting earlier this month, acting town manager Scott Robinson said the town received the revised site plan, which he described as a “big step” in “reworking their design to bring it up to the current code.”
The revised site plan was not immediately available for review.
Comstock declined to offer any comment on the redevelopment project, which is a public-private partnership between the company and the town.
The company elected to pause the project in July last year due to “economic conditions.” The cost of the $101 million project increased by $25 million due to issues related to materials, labor and workforce restrictions, FFXnow previously reported.
The 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.
The project was anticipated to break ground nearly two years ago.
A sign on a fence surrounding the site of the project has since said “excitement is building.”
Last Chance to Weigh in on Proposed End of Leaf Collections — “@ffxpublicworks is proposing to discontinue vacuum leaf service after the upcoming winter season. A final decision will be made by the Board of Supervisors this fall. A survey is now open through Aug. 18.” [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]
Resident Artist Shares Tysons Love With Merchandise — “As a Tysons resident, the businessman-turned artist who goes by able6 enjoyed seeing the community grow and develop. Now he believes Tysons should get some new branding — and art should be a key part of it…He’s set up an Etsy shop and has growing interest in orders of prints and tote bags.” [Patch]
Police Find Fentanyl With Seven Corners Traffic Stop — “A traffic stop for a fraudulent temporary license plate led to a drug arrest in Seven Corners on Aug. 14, the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted…A search of the vehicle netted 47 suspected blue M30 fentanyl pills, additional counterfeit temporary license plates, and evidence of narcotics distribution.” [Annandale Today]
Election Officers Wanted, Especially Republicans — “We need more election officers! We especially need people who wish to represent the Republican Party, so we have equal numbers of officers representing the two major parties on Nov. 7. Officers perform non-partisan duties, however. Apply now” [Fairfax County Office of Elections/Twitter]
Yoga Studio Celebrates Return to Fairfax — “Sun & Moon Yoga is a locally owned, community-supported school of yoga that has operated in Northern Virginia since 1994.” After closing its Fairfax City location during the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio will reopen at 3975 University Drive today (Friday) with a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting, followed by a free class and refreshments. [Fairfax City EDA/Facebook]
School Resource Officers Train for New School Year — “Fairfax County school resource officers were trained on Thursday to handle the spike in violence and drug use they’ve seen since the start of the pandemic. They spoke with News4’s Aimee Cho about what they see and what role they play in trying to help students.” [NBC4]
Fire Department Gives Out Donated School Supplies — “Shortly after 10 a.m., a few large and mid-sized SUVs started pulling into the bays of the Penn Daw Fire Station just off Route 1 in the Belle Haven area…Members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Service were putting out a different kind of fire — the stress of getting kids ready to go back to school.” [WTOP]
It’s Friday — The weather forecast for Friday is sunny with a high temperature of approximately 84 degrees. During Friday night, the sky will be clear and the temperature will drop to around 61 degrees with a northwest wind blowing 6 to 10 mph. [Weather.gov]
