Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Remodeled McDonald’s in Reston Finally Reopens
- Sheetz Has Plans to Replace Office Building in Herndon
- Police Investigate Robbery at Nando’s Peri-Peri in Reston
- Apple Store in Reston Town Center to Double in Size
- As Reston Grows, Affordable Housing Challenge Grows Along With It
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Have thoughts about Reston Now’s coverage of Reston, Herndon and Great Falls? Want to share your opinions about local issues?
Reston Now welcomes letters to the editors and op-eds of specific interest to the Reston, Herndon and Great Falls community.
The key difference is that an op-ed can be an opinion piece about a local issue, while a letter to the editor responds directly to a Reston Now story.
Please email it to [email protected]. You are also welcome to contact us with your idea for feedback before submitting it.
While there is no word limit, we suggest under 1,000 words. Contributions may be edited for length, content and style/grammar.
Reston Now does not publish op-eds relating to a specific candidate running for political office — either from the candidate’s team or opponents.
Thank you to everyone who has submitted op-eds and letters to the editor already.
Love is in the air, especially today.
There are plenty of places to check out — whether it’s the typical dinner date or something different — in Reston and Herndon.
We rounded up a list of events that singles and couples can check out in the area.
Let Reston Now what your plans are for Valentine’s Day.
Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president when the entire country was in the midst of what historians term the Great Depression. His solution to the widespread economic and social challenges that existed at the time was the establishment of programs and services that became known as the New Deal.
Virginia had fallen behind in responding to many economic and social challenges until the voters in 2019 signaled with their votes that they were ready for changes. Those changes are coming in what I described in my column last week as “dazzling” speed. This week I will give many more examples. I am highlighting bills that have been passed by the House of Delegates but still must be passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor. I feel certain that there will not be major differences between the actions of the House and Senate.
Virginians supported candidates in the election that wanted to end discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation. The House responded last week by passing a bill that ends discrimination in housing, accommodations, employment, and others forms of discrimination. It is the first such bill to pass in a southern state and is one of the most comprehensive of any in the country. I was honored to be a co-patron of the bill and pleased that my bill to extend protections of the hate crime law to all persons regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity also passed.
A bill to raise the minimum wage is making its way through the House with multi-year steps to get to $15 per hour. My minimum wage bill that I have been introducing for many years was incorporated into the bill that is headed for passage. Immigrant workers that need a driver’s permit to get to work will be able to get one under a bill before the House. For the last several decades there have been a series of laws designed to make it more difficult for a woman to have access to an abortion when necessary, but those laws are being repealed. Likewise, a number of laws that have made it more cumbersome and difficult to register and vote have been repealed.
Bills to clean up our environment are passing this year including a bill I introduced to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The Governor’s goal for the state to become carbon neutral by 2050 is being incorporated into energy legislation that makes way for more solar and wind power. Some advocates called their efforts the “Green New Deal.” While the omnibus bill that incorporated their goals into a single piece of legislation did not pass as it was found impossible to determine its fiscal impact, I believe that most if not all of their goals will have been met when the many other bills with a narrower focus that have passed are considered. The advocacy of the Green New Deal members was very important in getting the many other single-purpose bills passed.
I have not exhausted the list of good bills that are passing. What is happening in Richmond this session is a really good new deal for people in the Commonwealth!
File photo
This op-ed was jointly submitted by Reston Community Center’s executive director Leila Gordon and Beverly Cosham, chair of the Board of Governors. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now. We publish articles and opinion contributions of specific interest to the Reston community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.
The Reston Community Center Board of Governors and staff want to express their appreciation to the nearly 200 people who came out on a cold and rainy February Monday to contribute their ideas about RCC’s future.
The event was designed to begin a conversation that the Board and staff will be having with and throughout the community for the next several months as we explore the development of a new strategic plan to take effect in 2021. A film by Storycatcher Productions about Reston Community Center’s past, how it fulfills its mission and what it seeks to be in the future, was screened. It will continue to be refined, and then posted to RCC’s YouTube page with other RCC video stories and Board of Governors meetings. A film summary of the February 10 “RCC: Past and Future” event will also be posted.
Following the film, Dr. Kara Fitzgibbon, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Survey Research, presented findings from RCC’s 2019 Community Survey that UVA conducted. The full report, including the data appendices, is posted on the Reston Community Center website: http://bit.ly/RCCSurveyReport
The energetic conversation in the RCC Community Room that followed the survey report-out composed the second half of an energizing evening. Yes, the noise level grew challenging and there were too frequent interruptions; but the amount of positive energy and creativity that flowed was very impressive, nonetheless. The comments shared with the Leadership Fairfax facilitators from all the people eagerly offering them will be compiled and presented to RCC Board and staff teams. More meetings with smaller groups and more individualized focus areas will take place.
Even with the abundant creativity and breadth of feedback received on February 10, there is still a lot of discovery to come. RCC will engage with the community in meetings on each individual strategic plan pillar to delve more deeply into the topics to get greater focus on various aspects of each. Pursuit of new facilities always necessitates lengthy investigation – not only to find out if there is support for a new building, but also what the ramifications are financially, what program elements should be served, how new facilities should function and by whom they should be operated. RCC is at the beginning of that exploratory process. Similarly, new programming, pricing, communications platforms and tools – all these pillars of RCC planning will require further conversation and research.
Participants who registered for the February 10 event will be contacted if they left questions to be answered, and they will be invited to continue their involvement as RCC plans meetings for the months to come. People who want to join the conversation will be welcome – news about meetings will be posted and advertised.
The beginning of RCC’s future is off to a great start; thank you for joining the conversation.
Photo by Charlotte Geary
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Korean Fried Chicken Spot to Open in Reston
- Report: More Delays Expected for Second Phase of Silver Line
- Poll: Have You Noticed Changes in Airplane Noise in Herndon and Reston?
- The Reston Look-Alike Couch Bob Simon Would Be Proud Of
- Cafesano’s Cafe Reopens in South Lakes Village Center
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Crate and Barrel Facebook
Since 2013, Reston Now has been reporting news about the Reston and Herndon areas. Recently, we started providing additional coverage of Great Falls.
Keep up with our coverage by signing up for our email subscriptions.
The afternoon email — sent at 4 p.m. — rounds up the most recently published stories and sponsored content on our site. Our morning email is currently on a hiatus.
You can also opt in to receive emails we send on behalf of local businesses and nonprofits. If you opt-out, you’ll still receive an occasional event or offer-related email as part of your subscription.
Note: we will never share your email address with a third-party.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for our email subscriptions already!
Not receiving emails or want to change your subscriptions? You can re-enter your email in the subscription sign-up, which will then pop up a message saying that email is already subscribed. The message will prompt you to update your profile, which will then send you an email that will let you manage your subscriptions.
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Dazzling is the only word I could think of to describe the amazing work that is going on in the Virginia General Assembly this legislative session. The annual meeting of the legislature is just approaching half-time of its annual session, but already significant policy changes are being debated and adopted. There is little new to the policies that are being adopted; many are in place in other states already. But in Richmond they seem revolutionary!
I have already written about the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the early days of the session. The movement to ratify the ERA began in the early 1970s but was not successful in Virginia until nearly 50 years later! Since two ratification deadlines have already passed, the fate of the amendment with Virginia being the needed 38th state to ratify is uncertain. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is among the leaders seeking a judicial decision to validate the amendment’s ratification. Although the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote was ratified in 1920 and added to the Constitution, Virginia did not add its support to ratification until 1952!
While legislation must be passed by both houses of the legislature and signed by the governor to become law, here is a run-down on what has been approved so far by at least one house. By the time the legislature adjourns in early March this legislation is expected to be approved by both houses and sent to the governor. Numerous bills have been passed to ban discrimination against persons because of their sex; bills to protect LGBTQ+ persons would not have made it out of committee last year. Bills to ban discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment and credit applications have passed as has a bill to ban conversion therapy.
Likewise, bills to protect public safety from the misuse of guns that would never have made it out of committee previously have passed in both houses of the Assembly. My bill to require universal background checks has passed as well as bills granting localities the right to ban guns in public spaces, increasing the penalties for leaving guns unsecured around children, and requiring people to report lost or stolen guns within 24 hours. A “red flag” law that allows authorities to remove guns from individuals who have shown themselves to be a danger to themselves and to others has passed.
This week action is expected on bills that will open up the state to more solar and wind power and that will establish standards for the increased use of renewables in generating electricity. Plastic bags may be eliminated or taxed to reduce plastic pollution. I am sponsoring the Governor’s bill to advance the clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay that is getting some push-back from the farming community that would be affected by regulations to clean up stream run-off. Numerous bills have already passed to make it easier to register to vote and to vote on election day, including no-excuse absentee voting.
There is more to come. Tune in next week or follow the sessions on live-streaming at House Chamber Live Stream for more dazzling action!
File photo
Ever since the Federal Aviation Administration rolled out NextGen — a new system to modernize its air traffic control systems — communities across the country have complained about increased airplane noise in areas where it previously did not persist.
Recently, Reston, and Herndon residents have raised concerns about airplane noise on social media. It’s possible that the FAA has indeed changed flight paths, which could be leading to complaints.
NextGen ditches radio in favor of GPS to guide planes and digital communication. Flight paths are narrower and at lower altitudes as a result.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority tells Reston Now they’ve seen no recent rise in complaints. While we’re awaiting a response from the FAA, we’d love to hear from you.
Have you seen a change in airplane noise in your neighborhood? You can also email us at [email protected] to provide information about what’s happening in your area.
Photo via Unsplash
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
The General Assembly has shifted into high gear to get through its agenda of thousands of bills in sixty days. The old saying that you cannot be in two places at one time is disproven every day as the 140 members of the House and Senate scurry among sub-committees and standing committees on which they serve and the subcommittees and committees before which they have to present their bills. By strategically placing an assistant or intern in one meeting while the member moves quickly among several meetings, it may even appear that a member is in more than even two places at one time. The legislature is not a place for lengthy contemplation but rather is a place for action. After all, we ran on a platform of what we promised we were going to do, and the legislative session is the time of action to deliver on our promises.
With such a “meat grinder” approach can we trust the outcome of a legislative session? Consider that in order for a bill to become a law it must meet the approval of a subcommittee and full committee, passage twice in the full house on two different days, the same process in the other house of the legislature, and the signature of the governor. All that time there are hundreds of advocates, constituents, lobbyists and others looking over your shoulder and providing comments on what you are doing. Bills get intense scrutiny before they are passed. It is easier to describe how a bill does not make it than it is to tell how a bill becomes a law. Fewer than half the bills introduced become law.
Election outcomes do matter for to change the outcome of debate on important issues it may be easier to change the people in the legislature through the ballot box than it is to change the minds of incumbent legislators. A case in point is ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment that was debated for decades but approved within a week in a General Assembly made up of new members supporting the rights of women. Those same new members, joining the progressives who were already there, have even now approved sweeping new common-sense gun safety laws such as my universal background check bill that had been defeated for two decades by previous members of a subcommittee of the House. Laws that put barriers in the way of women in making choices concerning their own reproductive health are being repealed. Laws that disproportionally affected people of color are being repealed. The criminal justice system is undergoing a major shift to make it work more fairly for all people. Challenges to the environment are being met with meaningful legislation.
It is impossible to list in a short column the thousands of bills before the legislature. You can however review the full list with descriptions and status at lis.virginia.gov and for the first time this year you can see livestreaming of most full and subcommittee meetings at House Chamber Stream and Senate Chamber Stream. And you can visit the Capitol in Richmond; all meetings are open to the public. Some say the process is like making sausage. The important thing is it is doing the people’s business.
Before we head off into the weekend (and end a holiday week), let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Local Middle School Student Earns Perfect ACT Score
- Reston-based Telecommunications Company to Dissolve
- Australian Fitness Company to Open Location in Reston
- Winter Weather Advisory In Effect Tomorrow
- Small Fire Breaks Out at The Signature Apartments
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via F45
Have thoughts about Reston Now’s coverage of Reston, Herndon and Great Falls? Want to share your opinions about local issues?
Reston Now welcomes letters to the editors and op-eds of specific interest to the Reston, Herndon and Great Falls community.
The key difference is that an op-ed can be an opinion piece about a local issue, while a letter to the editor responds directly to a Reston Now story.
Please email it to [email protected]. You are also welcome to contact us with your idea for feedback before submitting it.
While there is no word limit, we suggest under 1,000 words. Contributions may be edited for length, content and style/grammar.
Reston Now does not publish op-eds relating to a specific candidate running for political office — either from the candidate’s team or opponents.
Thank you to everyone who has submitted op-eds and letters to the editor already.
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Before we head off into the weekend (and end a holiday week), let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Reston-based Telecommunications Company to Dissolve
- Local Middle School Student Earns Perfect ACT Score
- Photos: Development with Future Wegmans, Self-Driving Cars Moves Forward
- Local Food Truck-Turned-Restaurant Expands to Ashburn
- Fill This Space: Modell’s Sporting Goods in Plaza America
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Taco Zocalo
Since 2013, Reston Now has been reporting news about the Reston and Herndon areas. Recently, we started providing additional coverage of Great Falls.
Keep up with our coverage by signing up for our email subscriptions.
The afternoon email — sent at 4 p.m. — rounds up the most recently published stories and sponsored content on our site. Our morning email is currently on a hiatus.
You can also opt in to receive emails we send on behalf of local businesses and nonprofits. If you opt-out, you’ll still receive an occasional event or offer-related email as part of your subscription.
Note: we will never share your email address with a third-party.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for our email subscriptions already!
Not receiving emails or want to change your subscriptions? You can re-enter your email in the subscription sign-up, which will then pop up a message saying that email is already subscribed. The message will prompt you to update your profile, which will then send you an email that will let you manage your subscriptions.
