ICYMI: Speed Camera Program Launches Today — Speed cameras will be installed near eight schools across Fairfax County today (Friday). For the first 30 days, drivers who go 10 mph or more over the speed limit will get a warning with no citation. After that, fines could go up to $100. [FFXnow]
How to Help Victims of Turkey Earthquake — “While our Fairfax County @VATF1 continues their efforts in #Türkiye, you may be wondering if there are ways we can help out. The Turkish Embassy is collecting donations now through Sunday!” Donations can be taken directly to the embassy in D.C., but there will also be a collection box in the Target lobby at the Mosaic District until Feb. 26. [Jeff McKay/Twitter, Dalia Palchik]
Police Seek Information About Lorton Shooting — “At 1:50 p.m. on Feb. 4, officers responded to Dixon Street and 4th Place in Lorton for the report of shots fired. Officers learned that an altercation between the occupants of a silver 4-door sedan and a gold 4-door sedan took place that led to an exchange of gunfire.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Bailey’s Crossroads Live/Work Development Gets Support — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission at its Feb. 8 meeting agreed to recommend approval of a rezoning for a second live/work project at the Skyline Center…Seldin’s project to develop live/work units at buildings 1, 2, and 3 at the Skyline Center is nearing completion. The first units are expected to be ready for occupancy in May.” [Annandale Today]
Freed Nicaraguan Prisoners Arrive at Dulles Airport — “This flight to the U.S comes just a few years after the Nicaraguan government began arresting activists and political opponents in an attempt to quell opposition. As reports of the flight’s destination, Dulles Airport, became public, dozens throughout the Nicaraguan community made their way there to welcome the freed prisoners.” [DCist]
FCPD Focuses on Richmond Highway 7-Elevens — “In the wake of numerous crimes committed at 7-Eleven convenience stores around the Richmond Highway area this past year, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) has increased its presence and engagement at area locations.” [On the MoVe]
County Collects Over 5,000 Tons of Glass — “In 2022 Fairfax County’s Purple Can Club program collected more than 5,231 tons of glass–a slight increase when compared to 2021 (approximately 63 tons). The county also received two new collection locations at Burke Virginia Railway Express and Saratoga Park and Ride — thus making 18 collection locations across Fairfax County.” [DPWES]
Reston Restaurant Group Has Big Plans — “With a projected annual growth rate of 15% to 20%, Thompson Hospitality aims to become an enterprise with revenue exceeding $1 billion within two years…Its operations in 48 states and six countries include the pact with Compass and retail brands like Matchbox, Milk and Honey, Big Buns, Wise Guys Pizza, Velocity Wings, and Makers Union.” [Black Enterprise]
Former Reston Player Now in Basketball Hall of Fame — “Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill, 50, discusses what it was like playing high school basketball in Reston and why he decided to write his autobiography.” Hill was a core part of South Lakes High School’s team before graduating and finding success at Duke University. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Friday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 68 and low of 50. Sunrise at 7:07 am and sunset at 5:41 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County is adding speed cameras to monitor drivers around schools for the first time.
The photo speed-monitoring devices will be installed near eight schools across the county tomorrow (Friday) as part of a pilot program approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in December, the county announced today.
Here is where the cameras will be located:
- Kirby Road near Chesterbrook Elementary School in McLean
- Old Keene Mill Road near Irving Middle School in West Springfield
- Franconia Road near Key Middle School in Springfield
- Stone Road near London Towne Elementary School in Centreville
- Sleepy Hollow Road near Sleepy Hollow Elementary School in Lake Barcroft
- Silver Brook Road near South County Middle School in Lorton
- Soapstone Drive near Terraset Elementary School in Reston
- Rolling Road near West Springfield High School in West Springfield
Oakton High School isn’t in the initial lineup, but a camera will be added on Blake Lane near Sutton Road in the future, the county says.
A crash that killed two of the school’s students and left a third seriously injured last June was a major factor in convincing county leaders to adopt speed cameras. Police said the driver — an 18-year-old who had just graduated from the school — was going 81 mph when he hit the students on Blake Lane at the Five Oaks Road intersection.
The pilot will also bring a speed camera to the construction work zone on Route 28 near Old Mill Road at the edge of Centreville. Crews are currently working to widen the road.
“The goal of the Speed Camera Pilot program is to improve the safety of our roads, protect pedestrians and motorists and prevent accidents,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “This program, in coordination with the Police Department and Fairfax County Public Schools, is a critical tool to deter dangerous behavior and ultimately save lives. As you drive in our neighborhoods and school zones — the message is clear, please take a moment to slow down.”
The county says thousands of drivers were seen exceeding the speed limit by over 10 mph during a survey of five school zones last year, suggesting that speeding “is prevalent” in those areas.
During the first 30 days of the pilot program, drivers caught speeding will receive a warning. After that, fines of up to $100 will start to kick in for any drivers who exceed the speed limit by 10 mph.
Traffic safety, particularly for pedestrians, has emerged as a top priority for both the county’s elected officials and the police department this year after fatalities surged in 2022. The Board of Supervisors is also pushing for Fairfax County Public Schools to install cameras on its school buses, asking earlier this week why a program hasn’t already been implemented.
“We continue to see motorists traveling at speeds well above the posted speed limit and too many crashes are occurring in our county as a result,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. “This program provides a great tool to help reduce speed, deter pedestrian crashes, and keep our communities safe.”
Local drivers got an introduction to speed cameras in Fairfax City, which launched them in school zones last year. Programs are also in the works in Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church.
Fairfax County Public Schools is spending what amounts to two full elementary school renovations per year on unexpected increases in construction costs.
Ahead of a school board meeting on the fiscal year 2024-2028 capital improvements program (CIP) tonight (Thursday), one of the major talking points has been the dramatic impact those increases in construction costs have had on the school system’s construction and renovation plans.
At a work session last month, FCPS staff opened up about how badly the construction costs have affected the district’s reserve funding — specifically a “facilities reserve” used to help fund projects.
“At the start of 2022, that balance was $31 million,” interim assistant superintendent Chuck Fanshaw said. “The current reserve balance is at $16 million…There’s an unprecedented amount of escalation [in costs] over the last year that was anticipated by no one.”
Fanshaw said upcoming construction costs are coming in at around 30% over what had been budgeted, totaling around $28 million across four projects. There will be more specific numbers, Fanshaw said, once those projects go to bid in March.
Providence District School Board Representative Karl Frisch laid out the trouble FCPS is facing with the current construction cost crisis.
“In layman’s terms: we’ve spent half of the reserve and Falls Church High School still needs another $33 million in addition to what it was bonded for, even though we only have $16 million left in the reserve, and to address this, you’re thinking of including something to address this in the next bond,” he said.
Frisch said FCPS has spent more than $50 million in unanticipated construction costs — enough to finance two school renovations.
“Typically an elementary school renovation costs $25 million,” Frisch said. “We’re talking about the ability to renovate two elementary schools that we’ve had in additional costs, not to mention the money from the reserve that was spent.”
Frisch suggested FCPS may want to slow down its construction timeline to see if the construction materials market evens out, citing reports of declining lumber prices as a sign that some relief may be ahead.
“No one wants to slow things down, but we’re shooting ourselves in the foot by pouring this money out the window instead of waiting, perhaps a year, to see if prices stabilize for construction materials,” Frisch said. “There’s not a lot we can do about prevailing wages, but where we can do something is the cost of materials for construction.”
Frisch argued that the worst-case scenario is construction slows down, but the best-case scenario is that FCPS saves $40-50 million that would have been spent on overpriced construction materials.
Fanshaw said the rate of increase will likely go down from the current spike, but it’s unlikely the cost of construction will go back to pre-pandemic levels.
“The rate will go down, so it won’t be increasing as much, but nobody sees a retreat at this point in time to the previous level,” Fanshaw said. “It’s worth monitoring and it’s going to have a huge impact. Every school system I’ve talked to is wrestling with the same question at this point in time. The reality is the dollars are what they are, we can build up to the dollars we have, which means it’s going to take longer.”
Chief Operating Officer Marty Smith said the idea of holding off on purchasing to see where the market goes holds true for school real estate as well:
The logic you’re using for brick and mortar also holds true for real estate. When you think about the environment we’re currently in for real estate, when you think about interest rates, it might be prudent for us to come together with recommendations for us to think about the timing on certain purchases so we can maximize our spending power for major land purchases down the road.
The proposed FY 2024-2028 CIP identifies funding for 25 renovation projects over the next five years, along with the Justice High School expansion and new construction on Dunn Loring and Silver Line elementary schools.
Photo via Josh Olalde on Unsplash
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Kara Osborne, Esq.
There are many protections in the law for employees in the workplace, specifically, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) which makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee because of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity), or national origin.
Gender Stereotyping in the Workplace
Title VII also makes it unlawful to use policies or practices that seem neutral but have a discriminatory effect against people because of the abovementioned protected classes. That being said, sex or gender stereotyping is a less obvious form of sex discrimination, and it occurs when an employer discriminates against an employee because he or she does not follow the “expected” gender stereotypes and impressions.
The pivotal case regarding Title VII gender stereotyping claims is Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 490 U.S. 228, 109 S. Ct. 1775, 104 L. Ed. 2d 268 (1989). In this case, the Supreme Court stated that evidence of an employer’s gender stereotyping could be used to prove that an employee faced unlawful sex discrimination. The Supreme Court held that “as for the legal relevance of sex stereotyping, we are beyond the day when an employer could evaluate employees by assuming or insisting that they matched the stereotype associated with their group…”
While Price Waterhouse dealt with sex stereotypes regarding women, many subsequent cases apply the standard against sexual stereotyping to men, such as patriarchal, transgender and gay stereotypes such as not “acting” how their perceived gender would act.
Treating employees adversely for not conforming to sex stereotypes of any kind, not just “femininity”, is a form of unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII. Justice Neil Gorsuch and the United States Supreme Court in 2020 (Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731, 1737 (2020), held that “an employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex.” The Supreme Court further stated that when an individual is fired because of their sexuality or gender identity, “sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.”
Although our society has come a long way in terms of equality in the workplace, there still is a pervasive issue when it comes to intrinsic stereotypes based on a person’s sex, gender, or sexual orientation.
An employer who fires an individual for being gay or transgender does so for traits that it would not have questioned in members of a different sex, just as if an employer fires a woman for acting “too aggressively” or not dressing femininely or a man for not conforming to patriarchal expectations. These limited examples show how employment decisions “because of” sex stereotyping are in direct violation of Title VII and are actionable for employees.
Contact Us
If you are an employee in need of employment law representation, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook and Twitter.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Reston native Nate Mook was honored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Tuesday (Feb. 7) for his humanitarian work around the globe.
A Restonian who attended South Lakes High School, Mook served as the former CEO for the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization founded by chef and philanthropist Jose Andres that serves chef-prepared meals to communities hit by natural disasters and other crises.
He is also a filmmaker behind movies like “Baltimore Rising,” which followed the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death in Baltimore police custody in 2015. He has made documentaries around the world, including in Somalia, Panama and Iraq, according to Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
At the meeting, Mook said his roots in Reston helped define his work.
“It truly is an honor to be here today, not only because I grew up in Reston and Fairfax County, but because as Supervisor Alcorn mentioned, it really shaped who I am today. This is a community where service to others, I think, is a central, core value,” Mook said.
It was an absolute honor to recognize Reston native and @southlakeshs grad @natemook at today’s Board meeting. His humanitarian efforts as CEO for @WCKitchen, work in Ukraine & globally are inspiring! #HunterMill pic.twitter.com/cuxxU93A2a
— Supervisor Walter Alcorn (@WalterAlcornFFX) February 7, 2023
Chairman Jeff McKay lauded Mook for his work.
“We’re so proud of you and inspired by you, and certainly wish you continued success. The need is out there, but knowing there are people like you in this world, I think we can all rest a little bit easier,” McKay said.
Mook joined World Central Kitchen in 2017 to lead food relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. He became CEO the next year and has since traveled worldwide, including several months in Ukraine. Under his leadership, the nonprofit organization has served more than 60 million meals.
He is the son of historian Sarah Larson, who founded Reston Museum.
Fairfax County officials have waited a decade now for public school buses to be outfitted with video cameras, and their patience is wearing thin.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday (Feb. 7) asking Fairfax County Public Schools to explain why it has yet to implement a school bus stop-arm camera program that staff started exploring back in 2013.
The supervisors emphasized the program’s urgency after a year of surging pedestrian fatalities, including some crashes that killed students but didn’t directly involve school buses.
“It’s inconceivable to me that the school board or school administration has ignored this opportunity to make our children safe,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said. “…You don’t have to be on the roads very long around here to see people passing school buses. Something bad is going to happen if we don’t implement this program.”
FCPS “is working with a vendor and the contract is in review,” a spokesperson told FFXnow, but it had no further comment on the delays or a possible timeline going forward.
Failing to stop when a school bus is loading or unloading students is prohibited in Virginia, which imposes a civil fine of $250 for violations.
After the state gave localities the authority to let their schools install video-monitoring systems in 2011, Foust led the county board in directing staff on Oct. 29, 2013 to work with FCPS on adding cameras, according Chairman Jeff McKay’s board matter.
What followed, however, was a flurry of legal questions requiring more state legislation to clarify that police departments can mail summons to violators and permit vendors access to Department of Motor Vehicles data.
Once those concerns were resolved, FCPS staff notified Foust’s office in January 2020 that a vendor had been selected and contract negotiations were underway — only for COVID-19 to put those talks on hold.
FCPS procurement staff then learned in April 2021 that their contact for the vendor had left the company, leaving them unsure whether the existing offer was still viable.
In December 2021, McKay sent a letter to then-Fairfax County School Board chair Stella Pekarsky proposing that a camera program be in place by summer 2022, but neither the school board nor FCPS responded.
After getting an “informal” update this past December, McKay says he has “lost my patience with the excuses that seem to come up from the working group repeatedly,” which he reported range from the disruptions of the pandemic to questions about the availability of police resources.
“I want to hear exactly why this hasn’t been started and hear exactly what the timeline will look like to implement this,” McKay said, noting that all the school board and community members he’s talked to support the program. “…I don’t know that I’ve ever seen something so widely supported, and yet, so miserably delayed, and it’s time to act on this.”
The board’s request comes as Fairfax County prepares to install speed cameras in school and work zones. The county has yet to announce the sites for its pilot program, but County Executive Bryan Hill said Tuesday that the cameras will be put in place next week.
Hill told the board he will talk to FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid about getting an update on the bus cameras “hopefully” in the next two weeks.
Rachna Sizemore-Heizer, an at-large school board member and the current chair, says the county can expect an update soon.
“FCPS is negotiating with the vendor and working through details with our County partners around budget implications, scope, and implementation responsibility,” she said in a statement to FFXnow. “I look forward to providing an update soon.”
Virginia school systems with bus stop-arm cameras include Falls Church City, Arlington and Newport News.
According to the National Safety Council, school bus-related crashes killed 1,252 people in the U.S. from 2011 to 2020, about 5% of them bus passengers. About 70% of those fatalities were occupants of other vehicles and 16% were pedestrians, though it’s unclear if that includes students walking to or from a bus.
Beware of Tax Scam — “Some residents may have received a ‘distraint warrant’ letter from the ‘Tax Assessment Securities.’ This scam alleges that a warrant has been issued against the recipient due to delinquent tax debt and states the Federal Tax Authorities may take enforcement action to satisfy the debt. Fairfax County did not send this letter and is not connected with it in any way.” [Department of Tax Administration]
Virginia Task Force 1 Lands in Turkey — “WHEELS DOWN: Two flights carrying @usaid search and rescue experts from @vatf1 @ffxfirerescue & @LACOFD just touched down in #Türkiye. Team members will soon be working to search for survivors of these deadly earthquakes.” [USAID/Twitter]
Auto Parts Thief Arrested in Merrifield — “Catalytic converter thief caught! Monday night, officers were called to Kings Chapel Rd in Merrifield for a man stealing a catalytic converter. Officers found & arrested the man. In his truck, they found four catalytic converters & three A/C units.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Police Seize $500K in Drugs From Huntington Man — A 28-year-old Huntington man was arrested and charged on multiple drug-related counts after Fairfax County police found marijuana and THC products in his vehicle and home. The investigation began with a traffic stop after detectives learned that he was allegedly transporting drugs from out of the state. [FCPD/Facebook]
FCPD Tests New License Plate Readers — “A new type of license plate reader technology adopted by the Fairfax County Police Department is already yielding positive results in the department’s effort to catch car thieves and solve other crimes.” The FCPD is the first police agency in the D.C. area to use the Flock Safety License Plate Readers, starting with an eight-week test period that began in November. [Patch]
Community Gardens Available at Culmore Park — “The newly developed Boyd A. and Charlotte M. Hogge Park in the Culmore area includes a large, fenced community garden with 34 raised 6-feet-by-9-feet garden beds available to rent for one year — February through November…The Hogge Park Community Garden Plots are rented at an annual cost of $80.” [FCPA]
Teens Lead After-School Arts Program in Reston — “Something very special is happening at Dogwood Elementary School in Reston. Friendships are blossoming, and kids are learning as teenagers mentor smaller kids in music and art…The Tuesday after-school program is the brainchild of Ella Kim, 15, and Emma Kim, 13 — sisters who are classically trained musicians.” [WTOP]
Tysons Corner Center Owner Reports Strong Year — “Macerich’s slice of high-end retail property is surpassing even the national mall landlord’s big expectations. The real estate investment trust said it signed nearly 975 leases last year totaling more than 3.8 million square feet, demand not seen since the Great Recession.” [CoStar News]
It’s Thursday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 66 and low of 45. Sunrise at 7:08 am and sunset at 5:40 pm. [Weather.gov]
Fairfax County and several other localities have released a draft of the Regional Fair Housing Plan that not only provides some goals for housing, but comes with a look at specific zoning changes that can be made to help achieve those goals.
The plan was put together by a team of representatives from eight localities, including Fairfax County, and a few partner groups. A 60-day public comment period is scheduled to run through March 31, allowing locals to submit their thoughts on the plan.
The plan comes as Fairfax County considers drastic measures to try to boost the supply of affordable housing countywide, including compelling developers to replace affordable housing lost in redevelopment.
The overall goals laid out in the Regional Fair Housing Plan are:
- Increase the supply of affordable housing for families earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the region — especially where there hasn’t been any.
- Change zoning and land use policies to expand access to fair housing. Increase the development, geographic distribution, and supply of affordable housing.
- Implement policies to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement of residents. Keep the same number of existing affordable rental units in our region.
- Increase the number of homeowners in the region and reduce the unequal treatment and discriminatory practices that keep members of protected classes from buying a home.
- Protect the housing rights of individuals who are part of protected groups. For example, people of color, those with disabilities and seniors.
- Increase community integration and reduce housing barriers for people with disabilities.
- Make public transit easier to access and afford for members of protected classes.
Each of the goals comes with strategies for localities to pursue. Some of the potential zoning changes, for example, involve not only reducing limitations on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), but also offering incentives to homeowners who want to build them on their properties.
The plan also lists fair housing goals and strategies for specific localities. For Fairfax County, it suggests:
- Reform the county’s for-sale workforce dwelling unit policy by lowering income requirements and creating a separate policy for high-rise condominiums outside Tysons
- Protect the housing rights of individuals in protected groups
Fairfax County has its own 231-page document in the plan outlining the current state of affordable housing, a history of affordable housing policies, and what work remains ahead. The document includes a detailed breakdown of economic stratification in the county.
According to the report, Black and white communities in Fairfax County are “moderately” segregated. In fact, the county’s white residents are more segregated from non-white residents than at any point since 1990.
According to the document:
Fairfax County’s highest priority should be to work to expand the housing choices of existing and potential new residents beyond the neighborhoods dominated by their own race or ethnicity. It needs to make African Americans aware that housing is available to them throughout Fairfax County. It needs to make Asians and Hispanics aware that housing is available to them outside enclaves in which concentrations have developed. It needs to expand the housing choices of Caucasians to include racially integrated neighborhoods. If White households do not continue to move into integrated neighborhoods, these neighborhoods inevitably resegregate.
Beyond just increasing the supply of affordable units, the plan makes policy suggestions aimed at making housing more accessible to seniors, people with disabilities, and other protected classes.
One strategy involves creating a loan fund to help tenants, nonprofit groups and local governments buy apartments and manufactured home parks that are for sale.
“Adopt design standards that require accessible units in new multifamily developments that receive public funds,” the document said. “10% of all units must be accessible to people with mobility disabilities and at least 4% for those with hearing and/or vision disabilities.”
(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Developer Foulger-Pratt‘s unsolicited proposal to redevelop Bowman Towne Court in Reston has been scrapped, Fairfax County announced today.
In a termination letter, the developer cited “significantly higher construction costs and recent interest rate hikes” as the primary reason for ending the agreement. The team also stated that a 24% increase in the project’s overall costs — which would have delayed the completion of the site.
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority had approved an interim agreement with the developer in October to build up to 350 affordable apartments and a 40,000-square-foot Reston Regional Library on FCRHA-owned property at the intersection of Bowman Towne Drive and Town Center Parkway.
That leaves the county’s existing affordable housing at Bowman Towne Court in limbo. The construction of a new Reston Regional Library will also be delayed by several years, according to the county. Both facilities are at the end of their useful life.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said the withdrawal offers the public sector a chance to lead the redevelopment process in the future.
“The withdrawal of the unsolicited proposal under PPEA provides an opportunity for the public sector to better define the redevelopment approach for this site — instead of reacting to a developer’s ideas for highest and best use,” Alcorn wrote in a statement. “Our pressing public needs have not changed — starting with a new regional library, a new shelter, updated and more affordable housing.”
Until a future redevelopment plan is identified, the county’s housing authority will maintain its units on the site. Fairfax County Public Library is also evaluating how to meet the immediate challenges of its aging building.
“It is anticipated that a new library would be built through a public-private partnership in order to leverage a $10 million bond that voters approved in 2012. The existing library is at the end of its useful life, and a new building is urgently needed,” the county says.
Fougler-Pratt was the first to offer up the proposal to the county — a process that was publicly questioned by developer Norton Scott, which hoped to submit a competing proposal for consideration.
County housing officials anticipate that the location’s redevelopment is “inevitable,” given its proximity to the Reston Town Center Metro Station.
FCHRA will now prepare to seek redevelopment proposals for the project.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
In times of stress, a positive attitude can help you stay healthy and happy. Multiple studies have indicated that positive thinking can benefit everything from your immune system to your heart health, and even your longevity.
Evidence of this is supported in the groundbreaking Age Well Study from Mather Institute. The Institute is the research arm of Mather, the parent organization to The Mather, a Life Plan Community coming to Tysons. The Age Well Study’s findings include evidence that older adults living in Life Plan Communities who scored high in optimism reported better levels of health and less stress than others.
What if you’re not a natural “glass half full” optimist? The good news is that you can teach yourself the skills to build positive thinking into a habit — and thus, approach even unpleasant situations in a more positive and productive way.
Follow these research-based tips to practice positive thinking. If you can stick with them, you can transform your outlook:
- Take 5 for Gratitude — Set aside time every day to reflect on what you’re thankful for. Write down — or mentally list — three things from the day that make you grateful.
- Flip the Script — Be aware of your “self-talk”, or your constant stream of automatic thoughts. This is where most of us reinforce negative or positive thinking about ourselves and the world around us. Evaluate your self-talk periodically and correct negativity. Practice positive self-talk.
- Put on a Happy Face — Even if you don’t feel like smiling, doing so can physically ease your stress. Acting happy can lead to actual happiness.
- Try a Fresh Perspective — Feeling sad or angry? Concentrate on looking for a positive side to the situation. Rather than stressing about being stuck at home, appreciate your surroundings and spend some time savoring your favorite music.
- Keep Moving — Physical activity boosts your mood, reduces stress, and makes it easier to focus on the positive. Ideally, exercise for 30 minutes a day — either all at once or in 10-minute increments.
If you’re not a natural positive thinker, you won’t change overnight. However, by practicing habits like the ones above, you can reduce negativity and enhance your health as well as your ability to cope with stress constructively.
The Mather in Tysons, VA, for those 62 and better, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community that defies expectations of what senior living is supposed to be. It opens in 2024.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Nova Wild — formerly known as Roer’s Zoofari and, before that, Reston Zoo — will partially reopen this weekend with a new self-drive safari.
Customers will get the chance to experience different animals like bison, llamas, and emus from their vehicles. Tours begin Saturday, Feb. 11 and will continue every Friday through Sunday thereafter at the zoo, which is located at 1228 Hunter Mill Road. Each tour is 30 minutes.
The rebranded zoo isn’t expected to fully open until early March, Josh Reid, a spokesperson for the zoo told FFXnow. Reid said an official opening date is not yet available.
Tickets are $10 per person. Kids 3 and under are free. A cup of animal feed is available for purchase for $5.
The nonprofit is also working with Lumagica, a company that specializes in light shows, to bring a light show with more than 50,000 LED lights representing migration patterns to the zoo from Feb. 17 through April 19 to celebrate the zoo’s grand opening.
Tickets for the “Great Migration” light show are available online.
The zoo changed ownership late last year, FFXnow previously reported. Founder Tara Campbell Lussier — a real estate agent and a mom of three — says she looks forward to reinventing the zoo that she used to visit as she grew up in Reston.
“I’m excited to give local families the chance to experience wildlife firsthand, and we’re modernizing the property to create an optimal experience, both for our visitors and the animals that live here,” Campbell Lussier said.
The owners of the zoo stress the prioritization of animal welfare, education and conservation. It’s formed as a nonprofit organization with accreditation by the Zoological Association of America and American Humane.
Before the ownership changed, patrons of the zoo were offered a tram-assisted tour that brought its animals near the vehicle.
Hybla Valley Murder Case Dismissed — Fairfax County General District Court Judge Vanessa Jordan dismissed a second-degree murder case yesterday (Tuesday). Court records don’t explain the dismissal, but the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office says it plans to ask a grand jury to indict Francisco Joel Juares, who was arrested in August for the fatal shooting of D’Mari Norris. [The Washington Post]
Six New Markers Recognizing Black History Planned — “Six Historical Markers were chosen from a field of 53 submissions to honor the Black/African American Experience in the county…The next step in the process will be working with staff and members of the History Commission to refine the language of the markers, work with a vendor to create the marker and plan installations” [Fairfax County]
Vienna Man Charged for Disrupting Tobacco Store — “A Vienna man is facing multiple charges, including one for carrying a concealed weapon, after refusing to leave a business on Fairfax Boulevard last Thursday afternoon, according to the weekly crime report. Officers responded around 12:03 p.m., to the Tobacco King at 9607 Fairfax Blvd. for the report of a man…disrupting the business.” [Patch]
General Assembly Session Reaches Midpoint — “Lawmakers in the House of Delegates have reached bipartisan consensus on one major issue, gun safety: a bill to provide a tax credit for buying a gun safe…Other topics such as abortion, criminal justice and education have also produced little cooperation during a politically charged year when all 140 seats in the legislature are on the November ballot.” [The Washington Post]
County Businesses Added Over 12,000 Jobs Last Year — “Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) continued to successfully support businesses from start-ups to global companies growing in and relocating to Fairfax County. FCEDA worked with 148 businesses that announced the addition of 12,767 jobs to the Fairfax County economy in 2022.” [FCEDA]
Fridge Delays Slow Local Restaurant Openings — “Before the pandemic, it took a brisk four weeks to get [a refrigerator]. Now the wait can stretch to six months.” Affected businesses include Ellie Bird, a cafe that hoped to open in Falls Church last November but now has its fingers crossed for this month. [Washingtonian]
McLean Medical Startup Lands New Funding — “McLean’s ShiftMed LLC has raised a colossal $200 million in new funding to continue a massive expansion of its staffing platform, which connects health care provider organizations with clinical workers, to meet unrelenting demand for its services amid an industrywide labor crisis.” [Washington Business Journal]
Vienna Economic Development Director Honored — “Economic Development Director Natalie Monkou is among those named [Tuesday] as one of Northern Virginia’s 40 Under 40 honorees. The annual recognition is presented by the Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax, and it recognizes young professionals who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in their profession.” [Town of Vienna]
It’s Wednesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 44. Sunrise at 7:09 am and sunset at 5:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 11:20 a.m. on 2/8/2023) When March arrives, the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be an officially declared emergency in Fairfax County.
After honoring individuals and organizations in the community who helped the county respond to the pandemic this weekend, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today (Tuesday) to terminate the local state of emergency declaration that has been in place since March 17, 2020.
The declaration, which activated the county’s Emergency Operations Plan and allowed increased flexibility and resources to address the public health crisis, will end on March 1.
“This is a milestone,” Chairman Jeff McKay said. “We would not be here without the work of so many people in our county. We recognized our nonprofits, our county staff, really the vigilance of our community during some really difficult times, and so, it’s great that we’re able to do this.”
Fairfax County is possibly the last locality in Northern Virginia to end its emergency declaration. Loudoun County, Prince William, Alexandria, and Arlington all took that step last year.
Keeping the declaration in place gave the county “a lot of flexibility in collecting federal funds and other strategic advantages,” McKay said.
As fears of a surge in Covid cases akin to last winter’s omicron wave have dissipated, the county says that the time is right to end the declaration.
“The Declaration of Local Emergency has been an extremely valuable tool for us throughout the pandemic,” County Executive Bryan Hill said in a statement. “It gave us greater flexibility and authority to purchase supplies, find resources, move to virtual operations and meetings, support the business community, and protect the health and safety of our community. I commend our employees who have done an impressive job of reinventing how we deliver services to Fairfax County residents.”
At this point, the move won’t affect the daily lives of most community members. Since the county’s mass vaccine clinics shut down in December, there will be “no direct impact” on the health department’s approach to Covid.
The Health Department will continue to share important updates and resources concerning COVID-19 on its webpage and social media channels…Vaccines continue to be widely available throughout our community and at Health Department District Offices by appointment. Residents who are unable to access vaccines or boosters may call the Health Department Call Center at 703-267-3511 for assistance.
The end of the declaration is most notable for starting the clock on the county’s relaxed regulations for outdoor dining and other activities, such as the use of speakers during outdoor religious services, to use an example cited by Department of Planning and Development Director Tracy Strunk.
Any businesses with an emergency waiver will be allowed to continue using it until March 1, 2024 — 12 months after the declaration ends.
Strunk said county staff will present options for allowing outdoor dining in parking lots to continue on a universal basis this spring, as requested by the board at a land use policy committee meeting in October.
“I know there are a number of locations in my district where we see more outdoor dining that didn’t have it before — not necessarily right now, but certainly when the weather’s just a little bit warmer,” Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross said. “We need to make sure they all understand what happens and how some of those things will go forward.”
The county’s Covid community level is low, as of Thursday (Feb. 2). The Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, is currently averaging 119 cases and 4.6 deaths per day for the past week, according to county health department data.
There have been 265,428 Covid cases, 5,307 hospitalizations and 1,775 deaths in the district.
Loyal Companion is letting out one final howl before permanently shuttering all of its stores in Fairfax County.
Independent Pet Partners, the pet wellness chain’s parent company, announced yesterday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to close all its stores outside of Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
That includes Loyal Companion’s stores in Vienna, Tysons, Herndon, Merrifield’s Mosaic District, and Pender shopping mall in the Fair Oaks area. The closure announcement was first reported by Patch.
All stores will close after Feb. 28, according to a message on the company’s website.
To our Loyal Companion community,
With a heavy heart, we want to inform you that we’ve made the tough decision to close our Loyal Companion stores. We have loved serving the community and supporting you on your pet wellness journey.
Our stores will be open through the end of February. We will be offering liquidation discounts and we encourage you to take advantage of these great offers to get all the supplies you need.
While it’s hard to say goodbye, it’s easy to say thank you. Thank you for being part of our family. Thank you for caring about pet wellness. And thank you for supporting your local community.
We’ve enjoyed all the hugs and belly rubs along the way.
~ Your Loyal Companion Team
All products are now 10 to 30% off at the closing stores. Furniture and equipment is also for sale, per signs posted at the Mosaic District location.
Loyal Companion launched in 2019 with a massive, coordinated opening of 52 new stores. The business prides itself on a focus on nutrition and the availability of holistic services, including food, grooming, veterinarian care, training and pet day care.
“We are confident we can use the chapter 11 process to emerge as a stronger, more focused business, and better able to serve our customers,” Independent Pet Partners said in a press release. “For those stores that are closing, and for markets we will no longer serve, we will do everything possible to try to find buyers for these locations so our pet parents can continue to be served.”
Loyal Companion says it’s no longer accepting returns, but refunds will be offered until the stores officially close.
Herndon’s Arrowbrook Centre (2340 Silver Way) is rapidly building out its 28-acre mixed use community.
South Asian grocery store Hello2India has signed a lease at mixed-use project, which is located off the Dulles Toll Road.
According to a report by Northern Virginia Magazine, roughly 50% of retail space has been leased.
The grocery store will take up roughly 13,000 square feet of space at the development.
The residential component of the project includes 274 affordable apartments, along with a dog park, soccer field, tennis courts, playground and picnic pavilion.
Additional development is also planned at the campus.
Ornery Beer Company Public House has also signed a lease at the site. It’s expected to open in the third or fourth quarter of the year.
The grocery and developer did not return requests for comment from FFXnow.
