IRS Data Shows Exodus in Northern Virginia — “Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax city, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County all saw more people move out in 2020 than move in — basically everything in Northern Virginia except for Loudoun County and outlying areas such as Fauquier County and Stafford County.” [Cardinal News]
Lake Accotink Celebrates Past, Prepares for Future — “The Fairfax County Park Authority hosted a 60th-anniversary celebration of Lake Accotink Park Aug. 27…The next big thing to happen at Lake Accotink Park will be a major dredging operation to prevent the lake from filling up with sediment.” [Annandale Today]
Vienna Little League Champs Honored — “The Vienna American Little League 11-year-old All-Star team is back in the spotlight! At its Monday meeting, the Vienna Town Council commended ‘The Big Red Machine’ on a stellar season and post-season titles as Virginia Champs and Tournament of State Champions winners!” [Town of Vienna/Twitter]
Regional Conservationists Seek to Save Wood Turtles — “Experts said they believe that wood turtles still thrive in roughly 30 to 40 streams in the D.C. region but lost a large portion of their habitat long ago. In Virginia, Akre said, all of their habitat along the Potomac River in parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties has nearly disappeared.” [The Washington Post]
Talks for HBCU Campus in NoVA Progress — “Since last summer, leaders with Virginia State University and Norfolk State University have discussed the idea of a physical campus in the region. Last month, discussions on locations progressed. President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Victor Hoskins said the two schools presented their basic requirements for the campus during a Northern Virginia economic alliance meeting.” [Inside NoVA]
The Five “Must Stops” in Tysons — “There are so many fun things to do when visiting TYSONS it’s hard to keep count! Here are THE 5 MUST STOPS that you just can’t miss when taking your own ZIP TRIP!” [FOX5]
Volunteer Poll Workers Sought for Elections — “The Fairfax County Office of Elections is seeking students age 16 and older to serve as pages at polling places on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 8). Participants will serve an eight-hour shift under the supervision of the chief election officer of a precinct.” [Sun Gazette]
County Commission for Women Adds Seats — “The Fairfax County Commission for Women is looking for two new representatives: one from the LGBTQ community and one transgender woman. Be the first one to fill one of these newly added roles…The Commission works on policies and initiatives to promote gender equality, eliminate violence against women, and honor women and girls in Fairfax County.” [Department of Family Services]
It’s Tuesday — Possible light rain in the evening. High of 89 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:37 am and sunset at 7:44 pm. [Weather.gov]
Put in your final requests for free at-home COVID-19 tests now, because once Labor Day weekend arrives, that will no longer be an option.
The federal government’s offer of free, at-home test kits to all households will be put on hold Friday (Sept. 2) after Congress failed to renew funding for the program, which launched in January during the pandemic’s biggest surge so far.
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston will feature the first-ever solo exhibition of figurative painter Dominic Chambers next month.
The exhibit, “What Makes the Earth Shake,” takes its inspiration from literature — especially the genre of magical realism and the symbolism of the veil. The exhibit, which runs from Sept. 10 through Nov. 20, highlights the “surreal conditions pervading black life.”
To help ease congestion, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said it will suspend work on many highway projects and lift lane restrictions on interstates and other major roads.
VDOT said in a release that Labor Day is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Past traffic data suggested the congestion is heaviest from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and intermittently throughout the holiday weekend, Monday included.
A naked man grabbed a woman at the Washington & Old Dominion Trail between Town Center Parkway and the Fairfax County Parkway in Reston on Friday (Aug. 26), according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The suspect may be connected to other indecent exposure incidents in the area, police say. Later that day, police officers in the Town of Herndon investigated an indecent exposure on the trail near Ferndale Avenue.
Superintendent Addresses Handling of Former Glasgow Counselor — “Fairfax County parent Staci Ali-Ibrahim sat at the end of a long table at Glasgow Middle School Thursday night, and asked Superintendent Michelle Reid why Virginia’s largest school system doesn’t have a clear plan in place to ensure they are notified by law enforcement when a staff member is arrested and charged with a crime.” [WTOP]
Springfield Students Upbeat After First Week of School — “Everyone at Forestdale seems to be having plenty of feelings this week. The prevailing one is joy at being back together again, and hope that this year — the second one back full time after pandemic lockdowns — will be even less disrupted by COVID-19 than the last one.” [DCist]
Hawk Caught in Car in Dunn Loring Area Saved — “Animal Protection Police Officer McLemore to the rescue! This morning, APPO McLemore was called to the area of I-66 and I-495 after a driver realized a hawk was caught in the grill of their car. APPO McLemore removed the hawk from the car and arranged for it to be cared for by a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Metro Launches Ridership Survey — “Through the end of November, Metrorail customers will be asked to complete ridership surveys that will help ensure future policy decisions reflect the needs of Metro customers. Metro staff in yellow vests will be handing surveys out at various stations across the system, and they will be collected from drop boxes at stations through the end of November. Surveys can also be completed online” [WMATA]
NoVA Leaders Talk Affordable Housing and More — “Northern Virginia needs to build more affordable housing, promote teleworking, support the Metrorail system (despite its ongoing woes) and ensure better education funding, top officials from five area jurisdictions said Aug. 25 at the seventh annual Northern Virginia Elected Leaders Summit.” [Sun Gazette]
Virginia Could Ban Gas Vehicles Because of California — “California’s decision to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars beginning in 2035 will also halt the sale of such vehicles in Virginia due to a 2021 law linking the commonwealth to the western state’s vehicle emissions standards, state attorneys have concluded.” [Virginia Mercury]
Woodlawn Fire Station Celebrates Diversity with Mural — “If you passed by Fire Station 24, Woodlawn, lately you may have noticed the newly completed mural on its façade featuring portrait depictions of six firefighters. Mural reflects the diversity of #FCFRD and diversity of community we serve. Mural by Artist Nicholas Zimbro.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Dulles Airport Leader on Makeover Plans — “Plans for a 14-gate concourse announced earlier this year are part of a broader modernization effort at Dulles, which has long served as the region’s international hub. Shepherding the airport through that process is Richard Golinowski, who worked in various roles at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for more than two decades.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Monday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:36 am and sunset at 7:45 pm. [Weather.gov]
Another big name in enterprise information technology is coming soon to Herndon. Iron Mountain, a Boston-based company that provides records management, data backup and recovery, document management and data centers,…
It has been one year since The Perch opened, providing a slice of publicly accessible, recreational space on Capital One’s growing Tysons campus. To celebrate the first anniversary of its…
It has been one year since The Perch opened, providing a slice of publicly accessible, recreational space on Capital One’s growing Tysons campus. To celebrate the first anniversary of its…
A nearly 40,000-square-foot space center is coming soon to Reston.
The project is the brainchild of Interstellar Dreams, a nonprofit organization by Robin McDougal, a former educator at Fairfax County Public Schools.
The organization hopes to “spark and nurture the next generation of STEM leaders with a focus on aerospace,” according to event organizers. The business also plans to open its first space center location at George Mason University’s College of Science.
(Updated at 3:50 p.m.) A man was killed in a crash on the Dulles Toll Road Wednesday night (Aug. 24), the second reported pedestrian fatality on the highway in as many months.
Chris Baidoe, 26, was hit by a vehicle around 8 p.m. in the toll road’s westbound lanes near the exit to Fairfax County Parkway in Reston, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in a statement.
Former Glasgow MS Counselor Faces New Charge — “A former counselor at a northern Virginia middle school has been charged with providing false information to the state’s sex offender registry. Virginia State Police said they arrested Darren Thornton, 50, on Thursday in Richmond. Thornton’s tenure as a counselor at Glasgow Middle School…has prompted multiple investigations.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Counselor Conviction Raises Reporting Questions — “Fairfax County leaders and Virginia’s Attorney General are calling for changes after a counselor convicted of sexually soliciting a minor stayed employed at a middle school years after his arrest.” A letter asks the General Assembly to look at “how Virginia handles information sharing regarding the arrest and conviction of people between jurisdictions within the state and across state lines.” [WUSA9]
Richmond Highway Developers Seek Help With Rising Costs — “Fairfax County has taken steps to spur more development along Richmond Highway. It modified its land use plan across a 7.5-mile stretch of the corridor in 2018 to enable more than 15M SF of potential development near transit centers…But since that time, the pandemic and inflation have made projects that would add density to the corridor much harder to pencil, developers said.” [Bisnow]
Great Falls Teen Cooks Up TikTok Following — “No one tells the story of [Matthew] Merril’s remarkable journey better than he does, and he repeats it often in zany, fast-paced cooking segments on his TikTok (@matthewinthekitchen) and Instagram (@mmerril) pages, where he demonstrates how to whip together everything from cookies to a formal Thanksgiving dinner.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Lake Accotink Park B-Day Party Starts Early — “Join our 60th Anniversary Party at 10 a.m. and enjoy an extra hour of fun at Lake Accotink Park this weekend. Due to increased community interest, anniversary activities will begin an hour earlier…The carousel and mini golf will now open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Local TV Station to Highlight Tysons — “I am so excited to join [Friday’s] Fox 5 DC Zip Trip to highlight Providence District happenings, upcoming initiatives, what makes Tysons a great place to live, work, and visit! We have a great lineup of special guests and I hope you can tune in!” [Supervisor Dalia Palchik/Twitter]
Park Authority Offers Sale on Rec Center Memberships — “Take advantage of the membership sale that starts on Sept. 1 and runs through Oct. 15, 2022. Whether you’re a new or returning member, you can save up to 15% on the purchase of an annual membership.” [FCPA]
I-395 Lane Closures Coming to Springfield — “The southbound I-395 general purpose lanes will have lane closures at Edsall Road (Route 648), weather permitting, Monday night, Aug. 29 and Tuesday night, Aug. 30 for bridge painting work…Each night, the left two lanes of southbound I-395 at Edsall Road will be closed at 10 p.m., followed by the left three lanes at 11 p.m.” [VDOT]
Notable Defense Official Buys McLean Mansion — “Gil Cisneros, a high-ranking Pentagon official, former Democratic congressman and lottery jackpot winner…and his wife, Jacki, purchased a newly constructed, 6-bedroom home in McLean for $8.037 million, according to public records. The 9,100-square-foot home…features six bathrooms, three half-baths, an in-ground swimming pool, a four-car garage and four fireplaces.” [Washington Business Journal]
Oakton Day Round Two Draws Crowd — “Some 400 local residents, community representatives and volunteers on Aug. 14 attended the second annual ‘Oakton Day in the Park,’ held in Oakton Community Park on Hunter Mill Road. With the backdrop of music from local performer Chris Devine, attendees enjoyed a wide range of activities.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Friday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 88 and low of 73. Sunrise at 6:34 am and sunset at 7:50 pm. [Weather.gov]
A study group financed by the owners of Reston National Golf Course — which has been the focus of a community quest to oppose redevelopment — is charting a new path forward for the golf course.
Weller Development Co. and War Horse Cities, the golf course’s owners, hired New City Enterprises to launch the study group more than a year ago in order to assess the current and future conditions of the golf course area.
This sponsored column is written by the team at Arrowine & Cheese (4508 Cherry Hill Road in Arlington). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Experience Arrowine’s Tastings & Events. Have a question? Email [email protected].
Few subjects provoke more angst than wine. For many, wine is a great mystery, a secret handshake, or a password. It doesn’t need to be.
My job with this bi-weekly column is to help you safely navigate the complex world of wine without intimidation or nonsense. You are in control.
If you take a moment and read my musings, hopefully you find them valuable, educational, practical and perhaps even entertaining. I will be trying to get you to engage and ask questions, make requests for future articles and reach out. I’m listening but know I’m an excruciatingly bad typist and have learned to use the fewest words possible for practicality’s sake.
Let me begin with a little about myself. I am 64 years old and have been in the wine biz since, and I hate to say it since 1977; I began my career in the very spot that Arrowine currently occupies. In those days, you “old-timers” out there might remember the “old” Cheese and Bottle.
I’m not just a fine wine retailer but also an importer within the confines of the laws of the State of Virginia. I have traveled extensively throughout France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, The New Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Israel, South Africa and Argentina in search of the best wines these places have to offer. I also hunt for “new-growers” whose work has yet to be discovered or who are not currently represented in Virginia or our region.
I proudly support Virginia’s Wine Industry. Did you know we are now the fifth largest producer of wine in the USA? Virginia Wine is no longer an oddity; we produce the best wine on the East Coast. And many Virginia wineries are “World Class!”
I have extensively traveled throughout Oregon. I’m long overdue for a California and Washington State road trip, but I have a store to run. Pre-COVID, I usually took six buying trips a year. That’s a lot of miles, moving daily, staying in small hotels with no elevator or A/C. And despite what people might think, crappy food. So I usually travel to the countryside, and there aren’t many resources in the middle of nowhere.
All that said, I wouldn’t change a thing. You need to go where the wine is! I’ve met many humble, hard-working families, men and women who are genuinely jack-of-all-trades; they grow grapes, transform the juice into something delicious, and then market it in many cases worldwide. They only get to practice their craft 40 or so times in a lifetime! So you have to be a quick study. How many occupations are this demanding?
I am the ambassador of these families. My job is to tell their stories and, when appropriate, convey how much risk there is at every step. A career in agriculture is like walking on a tightrope without a net. There is so much out of your control, precocious flowering and then a late frost that can wipe out your entire harvest, hail damage, too much rain or not enough, excessive cold or heat, insect infestations, wood diseases and the list goes on and on.
And then you have to ferment the juice and try to get it into the bottle without screwing it up. Sell it and hopefully get paid. Making wine from your own grapes is not for the faint of heart. Trust me!
Congratulations if you made it to the end of my ramblings, I have a secret to share with you. It is the one simple thing guaranteed to heighten your pleasure of drinking wine or anything else.
Never and I mean never, use glass without thoroughly washing with soap and water before using it! I’ll explain why in two weeks and give you a little experiment to perform at home.
Cheers,
Doug
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Just days before allegedly raping a woman at her apartment in Reston, Anthony Agee had been released from police custody on bond after being arrested on a felony drug charge, Fairfax County court records show.
Though only 22 years old, Agee has been in county courts on a variety of charges dating back to a Feb. 21, 2017 traffic violation for failing to obey a highway sign, where he paid a $30 fine, according to the General District Court’s online information system.
