The weekly planner is a roundup of interesting events over the next week in the Herndon and Reston area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note. Want to submit a listing? Submit your pitch here!
Monday, Feb. 14
- Valentine’s Day at Kalypso’s — all day, with a special music performance from 6-9 p.m. — Enjoy a four-course meal for $45 per person.
Tuesday, Feb. 15
- Herndon Teen Book Club — 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — Teens discuss the next book they’ve read, “The Lie Tree.”
Wednesday, Feb. 16
- Black Inventors Scavenger Hunt — all day at Great Falls Library — Use a scavenger hunt sheet to look through the children’s area for inventions by Black inventors. Prizes will be given to those who complete the game. Repeats Thursday.
Thursday, Feb. 17
- Toddlers & Twos — 10:30-11 a.m. at Herndon Fortnightly Library — Help kids gain early literacy skills and enjoy other activities.
Friday, Feb. 18
- “Every Brilliant Thing” — 8 p.m. at NextStop Theatre — An interactive show takes audiences on a journey in which a boy looks to help his mother while she faces depression. Tickets start at $25. Show runs through March 13.
Saturday, Feb. 19
- Board Games for Adults — Noon to 5:30 p.m. at Herndon library — Play modern designer board games with other adults.
Sunday, Feb. 20
- The Miró Quartet — 3 p.m. at The Barns — A classical quartet returns to Wolf Trap to perform the works of Joseph Haydn, Kevin Puts and Maurice Ravel. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.
Art Spiegelman, the author and cartoonist of the critically acclaimed “Maus,” is speaking at the Reston Community Center later this month.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novelist will appear at the Reston Community Center’s Center Stage to present “What the %@&*! Happened to Comics,” an examination by Spiegelman himself of the value of comic books and graphic novels and why they should be celebrated, not ignored.
RCC’s Executive Director Leila Gordon offered the following statement about the issue:
“The effort to ban books is in reality an effort to suppress knowledge. It always backfires; people who try to prevent learning are people who are afraid of freedom and complexity. RCC is delighted to present Mr. Spiegelman and to offer our community his insights and inspiration. Tennessee officials did Mr. Spiegelman an enormous favor and his books great credit despite trying to withhold his work from young minds — they managed to both entice those same impressionable readers and enrich Art Spiegelman — which is a great two-fer!”
Spiegelman has been a veteran of the comics world since the mid-1960s, some of his more notable work includes his run as co-editor alongside his wife Francoise Mouly of the comics magazine Raw from 1980 to 1991 where “Maus” was originally released in a serialized format. Maus would later be collected in the graphic novel format in two parts.
In “Maus,” Spiegelman relates the story of his parents while living in 1940s Poland and surviving the Holocaust as accounted by Spiegelman’s father. The book uses anthropomorphized animals for the groups involved in the story such as mice in place of Jewish people and cats as Nazis. The book would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1992.
The controversy around the book was recently stoked due to a decision made by the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee to ban the book for “inappropriate language” and a depiction of nudity, according to the Associated Press.
The resulting ban has increased sales of the book recently taking spots in the top five sales rankings on Amazon’s Best Sellers list in the Graphic Novel category. The ban and the result of renewed interest in “Maus” has been attributed to the so-called Streisand Effect by media outlets such as CNBC.
The Streisand Effect posits that when an attempt to ban, hide, or censor information is made it has an unintended consequence of bringing attention and interest to the public. The Streisand Effect is named after noted singer/actress Barbara Streisand.
Fairfax County has its own recent history involving attempts at banning books. In September, parents called for the banning of two books with LGBTQ content from high school libraries. The books, “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison, were singled out alleging depictions of pedophilia. A review made by a school panel determined that the allegations were unwarranted and the books were allowed to return to the shelves of high school libraries.
Spiegelman’s “What the %@&*! Happened to Comics” will be held on Feb. 27 at Center Stage at the Reston Community Center at 2310 Colts Neck Road. Tickets for the event are officially sold out.
Photo via Pengiun Random House
County Promotes Redevelopment Incentives — The county is encouraging redevelopment by offering a 10 percent reduction in site planning fees and some real estate tax abatement. The move comes in response to state enabling legislation that passed in 2017. [Sun Gazette]
Tent Community Goes Up in Reston — Over the weekend, Reston Strong, a local nonprofit organization, set up at least 100 tents along Reston Parkway to raise awareness about homelessness in the community. [WJLA]
Reston Association Seeks Volunteers — The association is seeking a volunteer to fill the North Point District seat on its covenants committee. The seat is for a three-year term and applications are due by Feb. 28. [RA]
Deadline for Annual Assessment Approaches — RA members are encouraged to pay their annual dues by March 1. Payments can be made over the phone, online or by mail. [RA]
Metro to Add More Trains — Although the transit agency is waiting to bring 60 percent of its rail car fleet back into service, Metro could add other trains. Its 7000-series cars were suspended due to a federal investigation into derailment issues. [Washington Post]
Photo by Ray Copson
Fairfax County businesses added nearly 9,000 jobs over the course of 2021, even with the uncertain environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the county’s economic development authority says.
According to a press release, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority worked with 146 businesses that added a total of 8,973 jobs to the Fairfax County economy.
The businesses came from a variety of sectors, from manufacturing and real estate to information technology and cybersecurity. They were also spread out throughout the county, including Chantilly, Reston, Fairfax, Tysons, and Herndon.
Of the 146 businesses that reported job growth, 14 were newcomers that the FCEDA had courted to come to Fairfax County. Many were attracted not just from other areas of the U.S., but from other countries.
The seafood company Starkist, which is owned by Korean-based Dongwon Group, is relocating its headquarters from Pittsburgh to Reston Town Center. Other examples include the Canadian-based Brookfield Residential Properties and Israeli aerospace and defense company D-Fend Solutions.
According to data provided by the authority, the sector that saw the most growth was information technology services, which accounted for 2,648 new jobs, or 29.5% of the new positions in the county.
Much of that growth came courtesy of Herndon-based Peraton, which added 1,200 positions in 2021. The contractor announced plans in December to move its corporate headquarters to Reston Town Center.
“We would be proud to announce almost 9,000 jobs in any new year,” FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins stated in the press release. “But very few communities can claim the kind of diversity that we have in our business community.”
FCEDA also touted that 25 of the American companies that came to the county are owned by women, minorities, or veterans.
Those businesses were found mainly in the information technology sector and include the Fairfax-based Kreative Technologies, which created 296 jobs, and Tysons-based Alpha Omega Integration, which created 154 jobs.
The nonprofit Community Foundation of Northern Virginia released a report in June 2021 showing that minority-owned businesses in Fairfax County have suffered more acutely than white-owned businesses during the pandemic.
The report stated that while the number of minority-owned businesses remained flat, revenue and staffing dramatically decreased, while unemployment insurance claims rose.
Fairfax County has worked to support local businesses during the pandemic by distributing federal relief funds through a series of grant programs, including the Fairfax RISE initiative that distributed more than $52 million in 2020 — 72% of which went to minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses.
The county awarded $16.8 million in grants last year with its PIVOT program, which focused on small businesses and the hospitality industry.
The FCEDA has been hosting virtual job fairs and other events to connect employers with workers as part of its Work in Northern Virginia initiative.
(Updated at 10 a.m. on Feb. 16) Police believe that the man who was found dead in downtown Herndon on Feb. 11 may have been killed.
Jose Giovanni Arias Velasquez, 22, died as a result of injuries to the upper body, according to the Herndon Police Department. Authorities released more details about the incident — including the name of the victim — today (Feb. 16).
UPDATE 3: The case is being investigated as a homicide. The victim, Josue Giovanni Arias Velasquez, 22, of no fixed address, died by trauma to the upper body. The investigation is ongoing. Updates as available. #HerndonPD
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) February 16, 2022
The Herndon Police Department says it received a call about a deceased man in the 1000 block of Alabama Drive around 8:30 a.m on Feb. 11.
The investigation is ongoing.
UPDATE 2: Around 8:30 am HPD received a call for a deceased male who was found with trauma to the upper body. It appears his injuries were not self-inflicted. The investigation is ongoing and more details will be released as available. #HerndonPD
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) February 11, 2022
(updated at 2:20 p.m. to correct the grand opening date) Sacred Roller Skate Supply, a small business that sells roller skate gear, is opening up shop in the Town of Herndon.
Katie McDonald, who grew up in the town, said launched the small business after learning that a lease at 681 Monroe Street — next to American Carpet and Floor — was open.
“It has been a dream of mine to open a small business in a town that values community involvement and development, where I can have a tangible, positive impact on the community, and I truly feel like Herndon is the perfect location for this,” McDonald wrote in a statement to Reston Now.
Here’s how she described the business:
Sacred Roller Skate Supply is woman and LGTBQAI+ owned. In addition to providing the high quality, industry standards of roller skate gear and customized, individualized attention to the specific needs all levels of skaters, I strive to provide a safe, accepting, and judgement-free zone for members of the community. Come for the skates; stay for the comradery and good vibes!
McDonald says that Herndon was the best place to spend her childhood. She moved to Herndon when she was three years old in 1990. After moving around the country, she said she landed back in Fairfax County with her husband and two dogs.
Growing up, McDonald says she attended the Herndon Festival without missing a single year, took lessons at Herndon Community Center, and worked at a receptionist and assistant at Maude Hair Salon.
A grand opening day is set for Feb. 19 — National Skate Shop Day — what McDonald describes will be a “welcome home party.”
“I’m honored to give back to the town that helped shape me into the person I am today.”
Photo by Katie McDonald
Virginia-based artist Travis Childers’ work is on display at the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston as “Borrowed and Not Returned,” an exhibition of three recent and ongoing series.
The art is on display at the Signature gallery through June 28. The gallery — located at the Signature apartment building, 11850 Freedom Drive — is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Face masks are required to enter.
A reception and artist talk will be held Thursday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at the outdoor courtyard at the Signature Apartments.
Travis Childers’ work is concerned with our society’s extractive relationship to nature, though he often approaches the topic with humor and a healthy dose of culpability as he acknowledges his own participation. In his new Story Tellers series, Childers employs miniature, model railroad materials to create landscapes that, despite their small size, imply the depth of the earth and boundlessness of the sky. In contrast, Childers’ collage work in the Vegetation series presents opaque facades and coverings that create expansive fields of borrowed images.
Altered and constructed landscapes serve as anchors across Childers’ work, creating a common thread between a wide variety of human experiences. Underlying his practice, is the sensibility that in our human relationship to landscape, there is something borrowed and not returned.
Tephra ICA at Signature is a year-round satellite gallery. Curatorial staff select local and regional artists to feature. The gallery is in partnership with Boston Properties and Bozzuto, and supported by Reston Community Center.
Reston Olympian to Race Today — “Fans of Team USA will need to set their alarms early on Friday if they hope to catch Reston short track speedskater Maame Biney’s next race in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Biney will be competing at 6:04 a.m. (EST) on Friday in the second quarterfinal round of the Short Track Women’s 1000m.” [Patch]
Kids’ Trout Fishing Derby Returns — The Town of Herndon will restart the 17th annual kids’ trout fishing derby on March 19. Pre-registration is open through March 18. The event is open for children between the ages of 2 and 15. [Town of Herndon]
Changes Underway at Reston Tennis Courts — Two courts at Autumnwood in Reston are closed due to cracks caused by low temperatures. Reston Association is working with a contractor to repair the cracks. It’s unclear when the courts will reopen. [RA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The COVID-19 testing site at the Fairfax County Government Center has closed less than a month after its launch.
The Virginia Department of Health shut down the Community Testing Center yesterday (Wednesday) as part of a statewide shift away from mass test sites in favor of a mobile “CTC+” initiative focused on communities with accessibility barriers.
“As the community response has decreased at the large-tent, fixed testing sites, the Virginia Department of Health is transitioning to a flexible response where the testing van can be moved and located in areas with low access to testing,” VDH COVID-19 Testing Co-Lead Suzie Trotter said by email.
The Fairfax County CTC opened on Jan. 15 in response to the omicron variant’s arrival in December, which pushed local Covid caseloads to record heights and triggered soaring demand for testing that strained limited supplies.
Trotter says the number of tests conducted at VDH’s nine CTCs “dropped off significantly over the past week,” as the latest surge in the pandemic has started to recede. The supply shortage has also eased with an increased availability of testing kits through pharmacies and other retail sites, along with the launch of a federal program that mails free at-home kits.
The Fairfax CTC conducted tests for 4,394 people over its 19 days of operations, according to Trotter, who says the closure date was determined far enough in advance to cut off appointments.
“VDH has a role to continue to support the safety net and support testing to those that either have difficulty getting to a test site or have low access to testing in their community,” Trotter said. “Mobile vans will allow access to testing in areas that have never had the opportunity to have testing nearby.”
Set to begin operations on Tuesday (Feb. 15), the CTC+ initiative consists of vans that will travel to different locations with no-cost PCR diagnostic tests based on community need, as requested by local health departments.
There will be just one van to serve the entire Northern Virginia region, but Trotter says it will “maintain a weekly presence” in the Fairfax Health District, though an official schedule has not been determined yet.
The Fairfax County Health Department will evaluate a variety of factors when choosing testing sites, such as case levels and positivity rates, the availability of existing testing resources, and accessibility, spokesperson Lucy Caldwell told FFXnow.
“This resource joins other FCHD testing resources that will continue to target communities most in need of testing,” Caldwell said by email.
Other testing options include health care providers, retail pharmacies, and FCHD clinics. The county has also restarted its mobile laboratory, which tests people with symptoms and is next scheduled to appear at the Safeway at Engleside Plaza in Mount Vernon.
Planning is underway for a memorial to commemorate Fairfax County’s COVID-19 victims and the impact of the pandemic.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay said at a meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 8) that his office has been working with county team on the creation of a memorial.
The board approved the proposal to direct staff from Facilities Management, the Park Authority and other agencies to put together, by May 1, a cost estimate, timeline and design options for a memorial to be built on county or park property.
“We started this conversation early on and staff is well on their way to bringing back some formal recommendations on a creative way that we can permanently recognize the loss of life, but also all the personal sacrifices people in and throughout this county and region have made over the last two years,” McKay said.
McKay recalled joining public health officials on March 7, 2020 to announce the first presumptive COVID-19 case in Virginia, now 23 months ago to the day of the board meeting.
“Since that time, as we know, life has not been the same,” he said.
In his board matter, he discussed how residents have embraced vaccinations, masking, physical distancing, testing, and quarantine to protect themselves and the community.
As of Feb. 1, more than 80.0% of all Fairfax County residents have received at least one vaccine dose and there are more than 300 vaccination sites across the county. Our school age kids who have received at least one vaccine dose include: 46.7% of children 5-11 years, 90.1% of those 12-15, and 94.6% of those age 16-17 years.
While this is great positive progress, we all know we still feel the impact of the significant loss of life our community has experienced throughout the pandemic. There have been more than 170,000 COVID-19 cases within the Fairfax Health District. Sadly, this has resulted in more than 4,400 hospitalizations and 1,284 deaths.
Fairfax County has seen a decline in Covid cases over the past few weeks since the omicron variant fueled a spike around Christmas.
As of yesterday, the Fairfax Health District, which includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, has recorded a total of 173,393 cases, 4,401 hospitalizations, and 1,344 deaths.
McKay emphasized that he wanted the county to do something permanent to memorialize the last two years.
“I want to make sure that we don’t forget ever the lives of so many people in Fairfax County who passed away as a result of Covid, especially those very early on, when we were still learning about the importance of so many of the safety measures and the importance of vaccinations, that didn’t get a chance to even do those right things that I mentioned in my Board Matter and sadly perished,” he said.
After 31 years of business, Clyde’s of Reston is closing its doors.
In an announcement yesterday, Clyde’s Restaurant Group said the Reston Town Center will close on May 21, bringing an end to a business that has been a part of Reston’s urban core for decades.
CRG’s president John McDonnell said the company has enjoyed being a part of the community.
“From its earliest days, Clyde’s of Reston has been a part of the extraordinary Reston neighborhood as a comfortable and timeless gathering place,” says John McDonnell, CRG President. “Clyde’s has had a tremendous 31-year run in the Town Center and we are so grateful for the steadfast support of the community.”
Clyde’s lovers may not need to grieve for long, however. The company is considering opening another location in the Greater Reston area.
“We are very excited about the growth and development activity in the area and are eager to share some big news soon,” Jeff Owens, CRG’s chief financial and corporate development officer, said.
The company plans to retain its 73-member staff roster in other locations.
Boston Properties did not indicate what will replace the business once it shutters.
“Reston Town Center continues to offer a variety of restaurants to suit different tastes and budgets and we look forward to announcing some exciting new additions in the coming months,” the company’s marketing director wrote in a statement to Reston Now.
Photo courtesy of Molly Quigley
County Government to Develop COVID-19 Memorial — “Fairfax County supervisors on Feb. 8 directed staff from the county’s Facilities Management Department, Park Authority and other agencies to begin planning for a COVID-19 memorial that will be placed on property owned by the county government or its park system.” [Sun Gazette]
Reston Association to Host Candidate Forum — Residents can meet candidates running for RA’s Board of Directors election in a debate-style forum on Feb. 23. [RA]
McKay Responds to Senate Move on Mask Authority — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said that he is deeply disappointed in the state Senate’s attempt to overturn local authority to be able to require masks in schools. He says that a “one size fits all directive will only put our children and teachers at risk.” [McKay]
Photo by David Taube
(Updated at 9:30 a.m. The previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Metro was seeking the county board’s approval for the Silver Line project).
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider approval of changes to Herndon and Reston bus service to meet the needs of the Silver Line extension project.
The new bus routes would be run by the Fairfax Connector and provide enhanced service connecting routes coming from and to the new Metro stations along the new Silver Line extension.
Other plans for new connections and routes from Chantilly and Centreville into the Dulles Corridor, a route from the Loudoun campus of the Northern Virginia Community College, and from Sterling to Herndon. These connections and routes are designed to increase transit access to areas reliant for travel and employment.
Metro plans to open six new stops along the line this year. Those stops will run along the Dulles Airport Highway and its adjacent toll roads. The new stations for the line extension will be located at Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation, Loudoun Gateway, Ashburn, and will end at the Dulles International Airport.
Metro official opened phase one of its Silver Line in July 2014, stops along the line included McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill, and Wiehle-Reston East. Most of these stations are served by Fairfax Connector buses.
According to Metro, while the physical stations themselves have been completed the stops themselves are still closed to the public due to ongoing construction and safety hazards. These include the installation and testing of high-voltage electrical systems.
In preparation for the line, Fairfax County has constructed two park and ride garages at the Herndon station and the Innovation Center. There will be a total combined 3,950 parking spaces in the garages for Metro commuters to use once the second phase officially opens.
Metro plans to open the Silver Line extension in the first quarter of 2022 pending. The board will consider approval of bus service changes at its meeting on February 22.
Photo by Chuck Samuelson/Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
Updated at 2:20 p.m. — Senate Bill 739 passed 21-17, with Fairfax County Sens. Janet Howell, Dick Saslaw, and Scott Surovell joining the opponents after supporting the amendment to allow parents to opt out of school mask requirements yesterday.
Earlier: Fairfax County Public Schools’ universal masking policy has encountered pushback from an unexpected source: its own state legislators.
Led by Sen. Chap Petersen (34th District), multiple Democratic senators representing Fairfax County joined Republicans (yesterday) to pass a bill amendment that would let parents opt their children out of school mask requirements, undercutting the still-undecided lawsuit filed by FCPS and six other local school boards.
The amendment is part of Senate Bill 739, which requires schools to provide in-person instruction. Petersen and chief sponsor Republican Siobhan Dunnavant (Henrico County) got a similar bill adopted last year, but this version contains no mention of mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
The full bill is being debated by the Senate this afternoon (Wednesday).
“Childhood is a moment. You turn around and it’s gone. A child grows up, and when a child loses two years to this, not based on science…but on somebody’s construction of science, that’s a tragedy,” Petersen said after calling mask requirements “a violation of the First Amendment” for “forcing [families] to adopt a statement that they or their family don’t believe in.”
If approved by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, the measure would turn Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s much-debated executive order into law. As written, it wouldn’t take effect until July 1, but the governor could potentially add an emergency clause to get it implemented by the end of February, according to The Washington Post.
FCPS reiterated its belief that universal masking remains necessary in a statement to FFXnow, noting that Fairfax County is still seeing a high level of Covid transmission in the community, even after a significant decline in cases over the past month.
“We recognize we are all tired of COVID-related health measures, but choosing a random date to stop that is not supported by science is not the way to keep our students and staff safe, nor our schools open for in-person learning,” FCPS said. “A roll back of any of our layered prevention measures needs to be in line with community transmission data and in line with health and scientific recommendations.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends universal masking, a stance shared by local health officials, according to FCPS.
Petersen told FFXnow that he has been talking to FCPS for the past year but expressed frustration that the school system hasn’t set a deadline for lifting its mask requirement or “shown scientific proof” that it has made a difference in limiting Covid’s spread.
County health officials explained at a virtual town hall last month that, while there are variables based on the kind of mask and how well it fits, the vast majority of evidence indicates that masks work and are most effective when worn by everyone.
“We are working with health experts to determine a safe and effective plan to scale back when it is appropriate to do so,” FCPS said. “FCPS will continue, as it has since this pandemic began, to prioritize the health and safety of all students and staff above politics and political expediency.”
Petersen says he agrees with Youngkin that face masks should be optional in schools, but he believes the decision should be made by the legislature, not the governor.
“People that want to move on [from Covid restrictions] and let kids live normal lives support it,” he told FFXnow, declining to comment on the split within Fairfax County’s Senate delegation.
Petersen’s amendment was approved 29-9, with Sens. Janet Howell, Dick Saslaw, and Scott Surovell among the supporters. George Barker, Jennifer Boysko, Barbara Favola, and Dave Marsden voted against the measure.
Howell’s office told FFXnow that she was unavailable to comment on the vote, while Saslaw did not return a request for comment by publication time.
Surovell told The Washington Post that he supported the amendment in part on the assumption that it would not take effect until July.
In an email sent to FFXnow at 10:10 p.m. yesterday, Boysko said she had been “on the phone all night with constituents and school board members who are upset about the amendment.”
“They want to be able to follow scientific data to make decisions that will protect students, school staff members and all of their families,” she wrote. “This should not be a political issue but one based in CDC guidance and would allow school boards the autonomy to look holistically to make decisions that would best suit their communities.”
Photo via Waldemar Brandt/Unsplash
It appears that a Reston staple of nearly 30 years has closed.
The Bird Feeder, a specialty shop that sells supplies for feeding and housing birds, has closed up shop at the Home Depot Center.
Located at 1675 Reston Parkway, the store was the first to call the shopping center home. It opened in the same location 28 years ago.
Over the last few months, the business held several major sales. Signs have been removed from the exterior of the building.
The business did not immediately return a request for comment.
Photo by Tom Newberry
