Sidewalk improvements are in the works for two streets in the Town of Herndon.
Included as part of the town’s long-range capital projects planning tool — the Capital Improvement Program — the town is planning a series of sidewalk improvements on Spring and Locust streets, each of which will cost over $1 million overall.
The overall CIP uses roughly $49.6 million in grant funding to support 25 different projects — a figure that does not include $57 million for projects at Elden Street and nearly $18 million in funding for Spring Street improvements.
Both of those projects are primarily funded through grants.
“Funding for large capital projects needs a mechanism so projects can come to fruition. The FY2024-FY2029 CIP incorporates all projects despite the lack of funding,” John Vernin, who manages the town’s CIP program, said in a memo.
The CIP establishes a six-year schedule for public improvements. The town’s planning commission, which held a work session on Monday (Jan. 9), makes recommendations to the town manager prior to the town council’s consideration of the program.
So far, the town has budgeted nearly $1.4 million each for the Spring and Locust street improvements. The town plans to construct continuous, ADA-compliant, 5-foot-wide sidewalks along both sides of the streets.
The Locust Street project will extend from old Spring Street to Elden Street. It will also include curb-cuts.
For Spring Street, the project will extend from Locust Street to the new Spring Street. A project to widen a quarter-mile of East Spring Street is currently underway.
The town might construct the project in phases.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
You can boost your chances of sticking to your 2023 New Year’s resolutions by following good “goal practices.” To help you get off on the right foot, here are five tips from William Wesley Myers, assistant vice president of wellness strategies at Mather. Mather is the owner operator of The Mather, a Life Plan Community that is coming to Tysons in 2024.
“I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in terms of fitness plans that people can follow through on,” William says. “And I think the same guidelines can apply to New Year’s resolutions.”
Regardless of whether you’ve made resolutions for 2023, you can increase your chances of reaching goals by using the steps below. They are written to target fitness goals, but they apply to other areas of life as well:
- Be specific as well as realistic — “Rather than make a vague resolution to get in shape or lose weight, decide on a specific, attainable goal,” William advises. For instance, if you want to get in shape to maintain your overall health, maybe your goal could be to lose a certain amount of weight by a specific reasonable deadline… or to be able to hike two miles.
- Big goal? Break it down — It’s great to think big when it comes to fitness goals… but a lofty goal like being able to run a marathon can be daunting, and that makes it easy to abandon. Particularly for goals or resolutions about weight loss or exercise, map out a timeline of smaller milestones to help you reach the overall goal. Or schedule weekly or monthly check-ins to see how you’re doing.
- Put it on your calendar — Once you’ve decided on a specific goal and broken it down if necessary, plan when you will devote time to working toward it. “I suggest you literally put it on your calendar,” says William. “Whether you are noting an hour every morning for a brisk walk or listing when your new yoga class takes place — if you don’t make time for it at the outset, you won’t be able to work toward that goal.”
- Share your plan for added support — Imagine two scenarios: In the first, you’ve resolved to lose weight, but you don’t tell anyone because you feel self-conscious. In the second, you tell your friends and family about your goal; this allows them to support you, and help hold you accountable. “Having others who may ask about your progress, cheer your successes, or hear about your setbacks will help you stick to your goal,” says William.
- Stay resilient — With any major goal, you’re going to experience setbacks. “When you backslide a little, start the next day fresh and resolve to get back to your good habits,” says William. “It’s human nature to use one lapse as an excuse for more — but if you resolve at the outset not to let that happen to you, you’ll be ahead of the game.”
“You’ll notice that most of these steps happen before you ever lace up your running shoes or eat your first salad,” says William. “By taking some time and researching and selecting a realistic fitness goal, breaking it down into steps before you get started, and scheduling when you’ll work on it, you are making it easy to stick with good habits and make it all happen.”
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
A vehicle caught fire this morning in a parking garage on Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Crews were able to extinguish the fire before 8:30 a.m. So far, fire officials believe that asphalt work in the area had caught fire in the upper floor of the garage in the 12300 block of Sunrise Valley Drive.
The area is occupied by office buildings and located just south of the Dulles Toll Road.
No other information was immediately available.
Units on scene of a reported vehicle fire on the upper floor of a parking garage in the 12300 block of Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston. Crews arrived to find asphalt work being done that had caught fire. Fire is out. Units are returning to service shortly. #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/CraAxLRsie
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) January 11, 2023
Development Proposed in Richmond Highway Area — “Fairfax County officials are opening the Site Specific Plan Amendment process for multiple sites in the county…For Southeast Fairfax County, that could include a new use for the property where the Moon Inn sits on Richmond Highway, big changes to the Rose Hill Shopping Center and Frontier Plaza, and hundreds of new residences, including dedicated affordable units.” [Alexandria Living]
Seven Arrested in Child Solicitation Sting — “In each case, offenders used internet platforms to initiate explicit conversations and solicit sex from police officers posing as children. When each of the suspects arrived at the agreed upon locations, detectives took them into custody. The men ranged in age from 26-52 and were charged with a total of 49 felonies.” [FCPD]
Abortion Among Concerns in 35th District Election — “The debate over abortion in Virginia came through loud and clear Tuesday during a special election in Fairfax County, in which voters were choosing a candidate to replace Mark Keam, a longtime Democratic state delegate who resigned in September.” [WTOP]
New Book Examines Process of Desegregating Libraries — “In their research for the book, Chris Barbuschak and Suzanne LaPierre, librarians in Fairfax County Public Library’s Virginia Room, found that public libraries are often referred to as bastions of democracy, providing equal access to knowledge and shared resources. ‘Yet public libraries have not always been open to all,’ Barbuschak and LaPierre explain in the book.” [Patch]
Wealth Management Firm Expanding to Tysons — “Investment management firm Chevy Chase Trust Co. is opening a new office in Northern Virginia. It would be just the second brick-and-mortar location for the Bethesda company…The second office, at 8201 Greensboro Drive in Tysons will gradually open throughout this month, the company said.” [Washington Business Journal]
Applications Now Open for New Arts Grant — “The Ticket Subsidy Grants are non-matching grants to Fairfax County arts organizations to fund free and reduced-price tickets and transportation for performances, workshops, classes, and camps for people who may not have regular opportunities to experience the arts. Applicants may request up to $5,000 for activities taking place before June 30, 2023.” [ArtsFairfax]
A Deep Dive into Reston’s History — “Reston was officially born on April 10, 1964 as a planned community funded by real estate developer Robert E. Simon who had purchased 6,750 acres of land in Fairfax County after selling a notable family property, Carnegie Hall in New York City.” [Ghosts of DC]
Give Feedback on Environmental Issues Tonight — “The Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) will hold its annual public comment meeting on January 11, 2023, at 7:15 p.m. in Conference Room 4/5 of the Fairfax County Government Center…The public is encouraged to attend EQAC’s public comment meeting to share views on the state of the environment and to identify environmental issues of concern applicable to Fairfax County.” [OEEC]
It’s Wednesday — Mostly cloudy throughout the day. High of 47 and low of 34. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:07 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) A man from Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to assaulting a flight attendant and interfering with the crew on a plane that was headed to Dulles International Airport in October, federal prosecutors announced.
Cherruy Loghan Sevilla, 24, exhibited “erratic and disruptive behavior” during a United Airlines flight from Miami to Dulles on Oct. 4, at one point preventing a flight attendant from getting to her jump seat and groping her, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said.
From the news release:
About an hour into the flight, Sevilla began to exhibit disruptive and erratic behavior, including wandering around the plane, running up and down the aisle, clapping loudly near the cockpit, and yelling obscenities. Sevilla refused to remain seated and laid on the floor in the aisle of the plane, preventing a flight attendant from walking up the aisle to her jump seat to prepare for landing. Suddenly, the defendant jumped up and lunged at this flight attendant, grabbing and twisting her right breast. A passenger, another flight attendant, and an onboard law enforcement officer attempted to pull the defendant off and subdue him. The defendant resisted and, in the struggle, twisted the arm of the second flight attendant.
As USA Today reported in October, the man told agents at the FBI office in Dulles that he took psilocybin — a psychedelic drug also known as “magic mushrooms” — before boarding the plane in Miami, according to an affidavit.
“This was not the first time Sevilla had consumed Psilocybin, and Sevilla said that he was not totally surprised he acted this way after consuming it,” an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. “Sevilla stated that he was sorry for his actions.”
Sevilla has been scheduled for a sentencing hearing on April 21. He could face up to 20 years in prison, though federal crimes are typically sentenced for lower than the maximum penalties, according to the Department of Justice.
Stories of unruly and combative fliers have multiplied in recent years, as air travel has recovered from the initial months of the pandemic.
Though incidents have declined since March 2022, last year still had 823 reports of unruly passengers — the second-most recorded by the Federal Aviation Administration, behind only the 1,099 incidents reported in 2021.
Photo via John McArthur/Unsplash
Parking requirements in Fairfax County — which are getting their first major overhaul since 1988 — are set for public hearings later this year.
The multi-year effort — coined Parking Reimagined — is the focus of an open house coming this week.
“Access to the internet, along with flexible telework options and convenient home delivery of goods, has decreased the need or desire to drive to shop or work,” the county says. “Growth of transit availability with the expansion of Metrorail and bus service and the movement toward compact walkable mixed-use communities has decreased the need for auto trips and parking demand.”
The county is now seeking feedback on draft recommendations related to off-street parking, loading and bicycle parking. A final draft is expected to be released later this year, with public hearings slated for the spring.
“County staff’s final recommendations will be presented at each of those public hearings,” the county says.
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of a tiered system for off-street parking requirements in the county’s specialized planning districts. The effort is intended to accommodate and encourage more modes of transportation in walkable and high-density areas.
Most of the county would be designated as tier 1, which covers low-density areas that would only see modest parking rate reductions. Tier three — the highest tier — would see the most significant changes.
The tiered system sets rates based on the development’s gross square footage instead of the number of people served:
The proposal reduces the parking rate for shopping centers by excluding interior open areas of centers under 1 million square feet from parking calculations.
For residential uses, apartment unit spaces would be reduced from 1.6 to 1.3 spaces per unit.
For townhouses, 2.7 spaces per unit are required, with 0.2 set aside for visitor or shared parking. That’s lower than a previous proposal of 0.7 in response to concerns about increases in impervious surfaces. A similar change is under consideration for stacked townhouses.
With regards to off-street parking, the county would round down instead of up when calculating the parking requirement. For example, if the tabulated parking is 3.7, only three spaces would be required instead of four.
Also, the number of required accessible spaces will be calculated using the overall baseline minimum for a particular building or use before taking into account any adjustments allowed for suburban centers and revitalization areas.
After holding a meeting last week, the county is set to hold another open house on Thursday (Jan. 12) at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion before the Board of Supervisors’ land use policy committee on Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m.
Comments should be submitted by next Monday (Jan. 16) to be reviewed by staff for inclusion in the final draft.
“It continues to be important to strike a balance between the importance of parking and the environment while maintaining shared parking opportunities,” the county says.
A Herndon man could face up to 15 years in prison for the production of child pornography, according to authorities.
Vincent Joseph Sarikey, 34, appeared in court yesterday (Monday) for allegations that he attempted to groom minors, pushed them record themselves partaking in sexual activities, and engaged in “sexually exploit discussions” with at least two people who identified themselves as minors, the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Sarikey faces at least 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are usually less than maximum penalties.
Authorities believe the suspect encouraged at least two minors to produce sexually explicit materials and send them to him. Sarikey then allegedly provided the pictures to another individual who shared an interest in the minors, according to court documents.
Authorities say they found “hundreds of images and video of child sexual abuse material” on Sarikey’s electronic devices.
“These exchanges took place on several social media platforms, including Telegram, Twitter, and Discord under the monikers “John Lugne,” “@JLugne,” and “triadus#9325,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in its news release.
The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the issue. It’s charged with bringing federal charges against individuals who engage in human trafficking or the exploitation of children.
Photo via Google Maps
The Virginia Attorney General’s office has launched an investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools, alleging that delays in notifying students of commendations for their preliminary SAT test scores may constitute civil rights violations.
Attorney General Jason Miyares announced yesterday that the entire school system will be subject to a review that began last week with a focus on Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ).
The expansion comes after principals at Westfield and Langley high schools reportedly informed families over the weekend that they also didn’t notify students designated as “commended students” by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) this fall.
“It’s concerning that multiple schools throughout Fairfax County withheld merit awards from students,” Miyares said in a press release. “My office will investigate the entire Fairfax County Public Schools system to find out if any students were discriminated against and if their rights were violated.”
In a letter to FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid, Miyares said his office is investigating whether the school system violated the Virginia Human Rights Act’s prohibitions of discrimination based on race, color and national origin.
Reid said she “proactively” alerted the attorney general’s office to the lack of “timely notification” for Westfield and Langley students after it was found by an independent review that the school system initiated last week, according to a message sent to the community yesterday.
“As soon as this new development was confirmed, Westfield and Langley high schools notified all impacted families and their broader respective school communities,” Reid wrote. “Please be aware that FCPS is committed to sharing information that impacts our communities as soon as possible.”
Reid said school staff have been contacting colleges where the affected students applied.
“We are sincerely sorry for this error. Each and every student, their experience and success, remain our priority,” she said.
Initially, the delay at TJ appeared to be “a unique situation due to human error,” Reid said on Wednesday (Jan. 4).
She said then that the attorney general’s investigation will include “a review” of TJ’s admissions policies, which were revised in 2020 in an effort to diversify the magnet school’s student body. A lawsuit arguing that the changes discriminate against Asian students is currently in a federal appeals court.
Notably, the delayed notifications for commended students at TJ were first reported by Asra Nomani, co-founder of the Coalition for TJ, which filed the lawsuit opposing the admissions changes.
The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes the top 50,000 scorers on the pSAT, a practice standardized test often considered by colleges. Though only a handful of actual scholarships are awarded each year, about 34,000 students get letters of commendations that go out in late September, per the website.
FCPS announced in mid-September that 238 of its students had advanced to the semi-finals. It didn’t mention how many students were commended.
In letters to the Washington Post, local public education advocate Holly Hazard and a former university admissions director argued that Miyares and Gov. Glenn Youngkin — both Republicans — have “wildly overreacted” to the delayed notices, a sentiment echoed by a couple Democratic elected officials.
Amen 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 https://t.co/0anrFR1Gev
— Senator Scott Surovell – ssurovell.bsky.social (@ssurovell) January 5, 2023
“There is nothing to investigate,” state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36) told FFXnow, noting that information about pSAT scores is available online through the College Board website.
“Fairfax County has the best public schools in Virginia and the Governor and Attorney General are trying to bring their culture war to Fairfax because they’re not willing to invest in public schools or treat our teachers like licensed professionals,” he said in an emailed statement.
The investigation precedes a General Assembly session convening Wednesday (Jan. 11) that will see consideration of a voucher program allowing public funds to be used for private school expenses, among other education-related proposals.
It also kicks off a year where all 12 seats on the Fairfax County School Board — currently held entirely by Democrats — will be up for election.
Cranes are working on the West Falls development in Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) Vienna Area Voters Elect New Delegate Today — “The special election to fill the Virginia House of Delegates 35th District seat is set for Tuesday. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m… The special election’s candidates are Democrat Holly Seibold and Republican Monique Baroudi.” [Patch]
Stolen Tractor-Trailer Holds up I-495 — “Officers from our Auto Crimes Enforcement Unit conducted a traffic stop on a stolen tractor trailer on I495 SB just past Braddock Rd. The driver is in custody and tow truck [en route]. Lanes temporarily blocked as detectives investigate.” The vehicle was stolen in Florida, police told FFXnow. [FCPD/Twitter]
Superintendent on Virginia Teacher Shooting — “The news of another school shooting in Virginia is unsettling, even more so knowing the suspect is a six year-old child. Our wishes for a full recovery are with Abby Zwerner, the first grade teacher who was injured. Our thoughts are with the entire Richneck Elementary School community as they grapple with this senseless tragedy.” [FCPS]
FCPS Revives Salad Bar Push — “In coming months, Fairfax County Public Schools…will gradually restore salad bars at elementary schools that offered them prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then begin adding salad bars at the remaining elementary schools, according to an FCPS spokesperson.” [On the MoVe]
Vienna-Based, Reston-Trained Ice Skater on Historic Feat — “If you don’t know the name Ilia Malinin already, take note. The 18-year-old champion figure skater from Vienna has jumped and spun his way into sports history, and eyes all around the world are watching to see what he will do next.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Fairfax County Gets New Deputy Police Chiefs — “Fairfax County Police Department Chief Kevin Davis announced the promotion of two deputy chiefs on Friday. Brooke D. Wright and Eli Cory have a combined 50 years of public safety experience in Fairfax County.” [FCPD]
Tech Hiring Fair Coming This Month — “Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is leading a free, two-day networking and hiring event Jan. 31- Feb. 1, 2023, welcoming talent to build a purpose-driven career in Fairfax County…Candidates will have the opportunity to network with dozens of hiring organizations from Fortune 500s to government agencies and rising start-ups.” [FCEDA]
Former Vienna Mayor Relocates to Japan — “As an empty-nester who recently had stepped down after six years as Vienna’s mayor, Laurie DiRocco last spring began a new adventure: living in Japan…DiRocco’s husband, Rob, was assigned a stint as CEO of Japan operations for technical-support firm Asurion. His time there originally was to begin in October 2021, but was delayed to last April because of the pandemic.” [Sun Gazette]
It’s Tuesday — Overcast throughout the day. High of 45 and low of 33. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:06 pm. [Weather.gov]
As the Virginia General Assembly convenes this week for its 2023 session, local lawmakers hope to pass bills highlighting campaign finance reforms, raising teacher pay, paid sick leave, and other issues.
The General Assembly will meet in Richmond on Wednesday (Jan. 11) for a 46-day session lasting until Feb. 25, though special and reconvened sessions later in the year are possible.
Members have been allowed to pre-file bills since November, and Fairfax County’s delegation held a public hearing on Saturday (Jan. 7) where community members shared their thoughts on what should be prioritized.
Members have until Wednesday morning to pre-file bills.
Facing a divided General Assembly, with Republicans controlling the House of Delegates and Democrats holding the Senate, local representatives likely won’t see all of their bills become law, but here are 12 proposals worth noting:
Campaign finance reform
- Limit political donations to $20,000: Introduced by Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34), SB 803 would prohibit individuals from making a single donation to anyone vying for state office for more than $20,000.
- Prohibit contributions from public utilities: Also filed by Petersen, SB 804 would prohibit candidates from accepting contributions from any public utility company. Petersen has introduced versions of this bill before but hasn’t succeeded in getting it passed.
- Prohibit personal use of campaign funds: The potential new law HB 1552, introduced by Del. Marcus Simon (D-53), would ban candidates from using campaign funds for personal use, something that’s already prohibited in many other states.
Education
- Alternative learning assessments in schools: SB 819, pre-filed by Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31), aims to allow each local school district “to use any nationally recognized, research-based assessment or screener” as an alternative to Virginia Department of Education-approved tests. This comes after new state-proposed history standards were rejected by the Board of Education in November. Revised draft standards were released Friday (Jan. 6).
- Higher teacher compensation: Del. Kaye Kory (D-38) is co-introducing HB 1497, which calls for state funding to be used to compensate public school teachers at or above the national average. Currently, the average pay for teachers in Virginia is about $7,000 below the national average.
Gun Control
- Unattended firearms in motor vehicles: SB 901, introduced by Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), would make it illegal to leave a firearm unattended in a motor vehicle unless it’s locked up in its own compartment or container.
Health care
- Prohibit warrants for menstrual health data: SB 852 would prohibit the issuing of warrants for the search and seizure of any device containing digital information related to menstrual health data. Filed by Favola, the bill addresses fears from some that period-tracking apps could be used against someone considering an abortion.
- Paid sick leave for health care and grocery store workers: Introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), SB 886 would require health care and grocery store employers to provide paid sick leave. As noted in the bill, current law only requires paid sick leave for some home health care workers. A version of this bill passed the Senate last year but failed in the House.
- Treatment for “problem gambling“: With sports gambling now legal in Virginia, Del. Paul Krizek (D-44) is proposing HB 1465, which would establish a committee to help “reduce the negative effects of problem gambling.”
Rights
- Bars insurrectionists from holding public official: Del. Dan Helmer (D-40) is introducing HB 1562 to bar those “convicted of participating in an insurrection” from ever holding a position of “public trust.”
- ASL interpreters in courtrooms: Surovell’s SB 814 lets the court appoint a certified American Sign Language interpreter itself for the courtroom.
- No arrest for assault on law enforcement in mental health emergency: HB 1561 from Del. Vivian Watts (D-39) exempts individuals from being arrested or prosecuted for assaulting a law enforcement officer if they’re experiencing a mental health emergency. A study done last year showed that about 10% of those charged with assault on law enforcement officers had a history of mental illness.
Transportation
- Pedestrian signals apply to bicycles and scooters: Favola’s SB 847 calls for pedestrian control signals to also apply to those riding bicycles, mopeds, electric bikes, scooters, and all other forms of electric motor transportation. A companion bill is being filed by Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48) in the House.
Photo via Doug Kerr/Flickr
The development team behind four parcels of land on Rock Hill Road in Herndon want to see more housing on the nearly 24-acre site near the Innovation Center Metro station.
DWC Holdings and Origami RE Growth GP have filed a Site-Specific Plan Amendment (SSPA) — an ongoing process for exploring changes to Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan — to increase the amount of housing on the site.
“Given the uncertain future of the office market, the proposed amendment is essential to ensuring the development of the property in a manner that achieves important county goals and capitalizes on the region’s substantial investment in the Silver Line,” the Oct. 21 application said.
Currently, the county’s plan calls for one of two options for the site: either a mixed-use development with housing, offices, hotel and retail uses, or a project with all of the above except residential uses.
The applicants want to go with the first option, increasing the site’s development intensity. That would up the floor area ratio (FAR) within a quarter-mile of the Metro station from 2.8 to 5.0 and 1.6 to 2.5 FAR within a half-mile of the station. In total, the change would mean a 3.75 FAR for the property.
The development team also wants eliminate the county’s desired proportions for the mix of uses on the site — a move they argue is “critical” to enhance the “flexibility” of the property and maintain a development that encourages rail ridership.
“The proposed amendment will not only support the County’s important place-making and transit ridership goals, but also provide additional, much needed housing opportunities,” the application states.
The proposal suggests that county and Virginia Department of Transportation officials explore vacating their existing Innovation Avenue right-of-way to “seamlessly” integrate the development into the Metro station.
The proposal also says a “significant” but unspecified number of affordable or workforce dwelling units would be included.
The proposal is one of several moving through the SSPA process. The county plans to host a series of community meetings on the applications.
Of the 75 proposals the county received in the fall, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors selected 70 to move to the screening phase.
At 13, the Hunter Mill District has the most accepted proposals, most of which expand residential development in transit-oriented areas.
Residents can also submit comments online.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission will review the nominations in public workshops next month and in March. The nominations will move forward for formal study in a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program.
A board vote is anticipated in the spring.
Winter Restaurant Week is scheduled to kick off next week, and over 20 eateries across Fairfax County are signed up to offer special offerings as part of the event.
During Restaurant Week — a bi-annual event sponsored by Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) — participating restaurants in the D.C. region offer special menus to encourage locals to try new locations around the area.
“Participating restaurants will offer multi-course brunch and lunch menus for $25 per person, and multi-course dinner menus for $40 or $55 per person for on-premises dining,” RAMW said in a release. “Many restaurants will also offer RW-To-Go dinner meals and cocktail pairings, giving more variety for diners wanting to partake in the program. RW-To-Go dinner packages will be available at two price points: $70 or $100 for two people and $140 or $200 for four people.”
The following restaurants around Fairfax have signed up for Restaurant Week this year:
- 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive) — French cuisine in Falls Church
- Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Drive) — Greek/Mediterranean/Turkish in Tysons
- Alta Strada Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — Italian food in the Mosaic District
- American Prime (1420 Spring Hill Road) — Steakhouse in McLean
- B Side (8298 Glass Alley) — American food in the Mosaic District
- Bellissimo Restaurant (10403 Main Street) — Italian food in Fairfax City
- Big Buns (Herndon, Reston, Vienna, Fairfax City locations) — American food chain with locations across Fairfax
- Circa at The Boro (1675 Silver Hill Drive) — American food in Tysons
- Founding Farmers (Tysons and Reston locations) — locally sourced food and bar
- Hamrock’s Restaurant (3950 Chain Bridge Road) — Southern cuisine in Fairfax City
- Makers Union (1811 Library Street) — Gastropub in Reston
- Matchbox (Mosaic District and Reston locations) — American bistro
- Morton’s (11956 Market Street) — Steakhouse in Reston
- North Italia (Reston and Tysons locations) — Italian cuisine
- PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) — Seafood restaurant in Reston
- The Capital Grille (Fair Lakes and Tysons locations) — A steakhouse and seafood restaurant
- TRIO Grill (8100 Lee Hwy) — American food in Falls Church
- Wildfire (2001 International Drive) — Steak and seafood in Tysons Galleria
- Wren (1825 Capital One Drive South) — Japanese restaurant in Tysons
- Zenola (132 Branch Road) — Lebanese restaurant in Vienna
A Reston man has been arrested and charged in connection with a June 11 shooting of three people in Sterling.
Isaias Lainez-Alvarado, 19, was arrested at a home in Reston on Thursday (Jan. 5), according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
He has been charged with three counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony and three counts of malicious wounding in connection with the shooting on North Fillmore Avenue.
The suspect is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.
Another teen under the age of 18 was arrested and charged in connection with the incident in June. That individual faces one count of attempted aggravated murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m. on June 11, a woman was shot several times, and two other individuals also had minor injuries after returning to the crime scene following the involvement of police, according to the sheriff’s office.
All three victims were released from the hospital.
LSCO worked with the Fairfax County Police Department to arrest Lainez-Alvarado.
TikTok Video of Fake Fairfax Bus Sign Goes Viral — “The City of Fairfax does not want you to run over jaywalking pedestrians in order to teach them a lesson…A video posted to TikTok by the user @hamandgreenpepperomelette shows the back of a Fairfax City CUE bus with a bogus sign that reads: ‘Don’t stop for pedestrians if they jaywalk. Let them learn a lesson.'” [Patch]
Route 28 South Closure in Centreville Tomorrow — “Overhead sign installation on Route 28 South approaching I-66 will require overnight closures of the Route 28 South collector-distributor lane, the ramp from Braddock Road/Walney Road to Route 28 South and I-66 East, and the ramp from I-66 West to Route 28 South nightly, Tuesday, January 10, through Thursday, January 12.” [VDOT]
Police Issued Over 600 Traffic Tickets Last Month — “Our Safe December Squad, comprised of 11 officers and two supervisors, helped remove dangerous drivers from our roadways. These officers made 750 traffic stops which resulted in 41 arrests for driving while intoxicated, 5 arrests for driving while under the influence of drugs and over 600 tickets being issued.” [FCPD/Facebook]
Annandale Food Festival Returns — “After a two and a-half-year break, the Taste of Annandale will be back in 2023. The family-friendly community festival is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., along Tom Davis Drive in the center of Annandale.” [Annandale Today]
New History Education Standards Released — “The Virginia State Superintendent of Public Instruction is out with another revision of the standards of learning for history and social science…When the proposed revisions first came out last fall, there was a lot of criticism, with some saying it was them whitewashing history.” [WTOP]
The Story Behind Herndon’s Beanstalk Farms — “A farm replacing a data center in Northern Virginia — is that even possible? This reversal of development trends happened in September, when Beanstalk Farms, the brainchild of Alexandria brothers Mike and Jack Ross, opened at what was an abandoned data center in downtown Herndon.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
What to Expect From the Park Authority This Year — Linwood Gorham, who represents Mount Vernon District on the Fairfax County Park Authority board, says his priorities for this year include an initiative to improve park access and equity. Notable projects include Overlook Ridge Park at the old Lorton Landfill, the North Hill Park along Richmond Highway, and new garden plots at the NIKE Site. [On the MoVe]
Dulles Airport Visitors Share Memories — “Once derided as a ‘white elephant’ and nicknamed ‘Lonesome Acres,’ Dulles International has grown into one of the nation’s largest airports over its six decades…As Dulles marked its 60th anniversary in November, we asked readers to share their most memorable moments of Dulles through the years.” [The Washington Post]
It’s Monday — Possible drizzle in the morning. High of 45 and low of 37. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 5:05 pm. [Weather.gov]
A West Coast company has officially leased data center space at 12100 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston.
According to the Washington Business Journal, which first reported the deal, Backblaze, a San Mateo-based company, is occupying part of space that owned and run by CoreSite, a information technology company that’s based in Denver.
Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, says the lease offers further “validation” that the county is a choice location for strategic data center use.
“Data centers are choosing Fairfax County for great reasons — real estate availability, power availability, technical talent pipeline, proximity to customers, and our pro-business approach,” he told FFXnow. “The diversity of our business base, which includes data centers, is one of our greatest strengths and has a direct impact on our thriving and stable economy here in Fairfax County.”
CoreSite’s Reston data center is part of a campus with more than 1.3 million square feet of colocation space at full build-out, according to the company.
The campus can reportedly provide access to “any cloud, network or managed service providers you need to support your digital transformation journey in the U.S. and abroad.” It’s being marketed as an attractive alternative to Ashburn with tax incentives and commute options.
Here’s more from WBJ on the lease:
Backblaze started storing live customer data at the Reston data center on Dec. 7, said Gleb Budman, the company’s chair, co-founder and CEO. He said in an interview that his company had been eyeing an expansion into Northern Virginia because “it’s often considered the heart of the internet.”
Neither Backblaze nor CoreSite would disclose how much space Backblaze is occupying or any other terms of their agreement. Budman said only that the lease is a “multiyear” deal.
Backblaze typically uses third-party data centers and co-location facilities to store its customers’ information. One of its key services is allowing its customers to store data at one regional site and access it at another, and the Reston facility provides a closer option for Backblaze’s East Coast customers as well as a replication option for customers elsewhere, Budman said.
“When it’s full…we’ll have over an exabyte of customer data,” Budman said. (An exabyte is equal to one billion gigabytes. To put that into perspective, the average smartphone can store 64 gigabytes of data.)
Photo via Jordan Harrison/Unsplash
