Fairfax County Fire and Rescue wants to remind locals that fire sprinklers can help save lives and decrease damage when a fire breaks out.
The fire department has been highlighting how firefighters recently responded to a call and found a dryer fire in a Herndon apartment doused by sprinklers.
The fire broke out on Sunday (March 10) in a four-story apartment building in the 2300 block of Rolling Fork Circle in Herndon. The one person who was home at the time of the fire was not injured, the fire department said.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said the fire caused about $500 in damages.
The fire department has been sharing the story of how the sprinklers calmed the fire, along with a U.S. Fire Administration video that details the multiple benefits of sprinkles.
The video says sprinklers:
- reduce fire damage by 97 percent
- increase the chance of survival by 82 percent
- give people more time to escape
- help keep firefighters safe
The video also includes an example of how sprinkles manage fires and highlights that insurance discounts may also be available.
Image via Google Maps
Herndon-based tech company Serco Inc. announced on Friday (March 8) that it would hire 200 new employees to support a new program.
Serco said in a press release that it was awarded a contract to provide field office support services to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, a federal agency that protects the retirement incomes of workers in private-sector defined benefit pension plans.
The new jobs will help Serco manage records and documents, conduct data analysis, build databases, provide customer service and more for the PBGC field offices.
Serco Inc., a subsidy of Serco Group PLC, provides technology and management services by advising, designing, integrating and delivering solutions to clients. The Herndon-headquartered company has roughly 6,000 employees, according to its website.
Image via Google Maps
U. S. citizenship prep class — Register for tonight’s prep class, which is part of a 12-week program covering the basics of U.S. history and civics. The class from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Herndon Fortnightly Library is for intermediate to advanced English learners only. [Fairfax County]
Man exonerated for 1975 Reston rape — “The Virginia Supreme Court on Thursday cleared an Indiana man of sexual assault convictions in Fairfax County from more than four decades ago… The unanimous court issued a writ of actual innocence for Winston L. Scott, 62, vacating his convictions. He was 19 when a Reston woman was attacked on July 24, 1975. He was sentenced to 14 years on convictions of rape, sodomy and statutory burglary and served about five years before he was paroled.” [The Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Herndon fire Sunday — Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the 2300 block of Rolling Fork Circle around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Heavy smoke was reported on the third floor. Crews quickly located and extinguished the fire and conducted salvage operations. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
Crash closed Herndon Parkway — Herndon Police said they were investigating a crash that closed Herndon Parkway between Crestview Drive and Ferndale Ave around 5 p.m. on Saturday. [Herndon Police Department]
Updated at 3:25 p.m. — Herndon police tweeted at 3:18 p.m. that all of the lanes are now open.
Earlier: Plan on giving yourself more time if you’re going to drive on Elden Street by the Town Hall today.
The Herndon Police Department tweeted at 9:41 a.m. that utility work in the downtown area has traffic alternating one lane on Elden Street between Spring and Center streets.
The utility work will continue until around 3 p.m., police say.
Drivers should expect delays.
UPDATE: Utility work is project to continue until about 3 pm. Updates as available. #herndonpd https://t.co/RbqtuWLZ8P
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) March 8, 2019
Image via Google Maps
Updated at 3:15 p.m. on March 8 — Corrects how many kids residents in the county may care for and the permission needed.
A home childcare center off of Frying Pan Road in Herndon wants to expand.
The childcare at 2472 Silk Court is open during regular business hours on weekdays and provides care for Reston and Herndon kids, according to county documents.
Residents in Fairfax County may care for up to four kids with a county permit, and residents who want to care for five or more kids need a state license, according to the Fairfax County Department of Family Services.
Madhuri Peddi is seeking a special exception that will allow care for up to 12 kids.
The county is expected to consider the special exemption request with a hearing on June 19.
Image via Google Maps
Updated at 9:45 — Police say the road opened back up around 9:42 a.m. Crews are on their way to treat the icy conditions on the road.
Earlier: Frying Pan Road is closed near Sunrise Valley Drive shortly after 9 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“A traffic crash with icy conditions” caused the closure, an FCPD tweet says.
Police ask locals to avoid the area and find an alternate route.
UPDATE: Frying Pan Rd is open but please use caution due to icy road conditions. Crews are in route to treat the road.
https://t.co/k7norcOeny— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 6, 2019
Images via Google Maps and Virginia 511
Locals can soon see sculptures combining cast iron and knitting. Hooked?
Artist Alyssa Imes’ solo show titled “Looming Connections” opens tomorrow (March 5) at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street).
The mixed media exhibit includes sculptures made from cast iron and other metals covered with knitted fabric, along with earthen colored drawings on raw paper.
Imes, who describes herself as a social person, explores physical bonds and emotional relationships with her artwork — a theme that carries over into her exhibit.
From the ArtSpace Herndon description:
The artist sees the yarn as time and life, and the knots as experiences we share. The looms are the places we meet people. The pieces of fabric are knitted from the sculptures themselves so the iron looms create support and help mechanically weave fabric from an individual strand of string.
A reception will be held on Saturday (March 9) from 7-9 p.m.
“Looming Connections” will run until April 6.
Photo via ArtSpace Herndon/Facebook
Mardi Gras is next week, and a celebration this weekend at a Reston restaurant wants to get locals ready for the annual carnival.
On Sunday (March 3), Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza) will hold a Mardis Gras celebration with the Reston Historic Trust and Museum.
Local band Catchin’ Toads is set to perform, and a Mardi Gras mask parade will take place around 6:30 p.m.
The event runs from 4-7 p.m. and has a suggested donation of $20, which will go to the Reston Historic Trust and Museum’s Lakeside Pharmacy Icon Preservation Project.
Tomorrow (March 2)
- Town Hall on Fiscal Year 2020 Budget (8:30-11 a.m.) — Locals in the Hunter Mill District can attend a town hall at Frying Pan Farm Park Visitor Center (2709 West Ox Road) to get more information on the proposed budget plan. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, County Executive Bryan Hill and Fairfax County Public Schools staff will give the presentations.
- Herndon Community Roundtable (9-11 a.m.) — The Town of Herndon wants residents to share their thoughts and ask questions at a community roundtable at the Herndon Municipal Center (777 Lynn Street) this Saturday (March 2).
- Spring Flea Market (9 a.m.-noon) — Looking for small appliances, books, jewelry, clothing, tools or toys? Find hidden gems to be take home at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road).
- Colvin Run Mill During Special Tour (10:30 a.m.) — Go to Great Falls for a hike around the 200-year-old working mill. The “Four Floor Tour Class” involves climbing steep stairs get to spots not seen on the regular mill tours. The tour may last up to two hours and costs $10 per person.
Sunday (March 3)
- Reston 10-Miler (8 a.m.) — Head to the South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive) for the run. Friday (March 1) is the last day for the regular pricing at $50 before it increases to $55 this weekend.
- “Through the Eye of the Needle II” (all day) — A group exhibit by the Cotting Quilters at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza) ends Sunday.
Photo via Facebook
Looking for some reading suggestions? Mascot Books has some recommendations for books by local authors.
The full-service hybrid book publishing company (620 Herndon Parkway #320) started in 2003 with a self-published book about a collegiate mascot. Since then, it has published more than 2,500 fiction, nonfiction, children’s and cookbooks since then, according to its website.
Reston Now asked Mascot Books to share some favorite books about Reston or written by local authors. Here’s what the staff recommended, along with reasons for why they are worth reading.
“Ruby Foo and the Traveling Kitchen: Finding the Foo Identity” by Tiffany Foo
Description: Ruby Foo may seem like your middle schooler, but in the kitchen, she turns into a culinary superhero called the Fantastic Foo! When a mysterious photograph leads her out of her own kitchen and into her grandfather’s, she must use her culinary skill and courage to uncover some long-hidden secrets about her family’s storied past.
Why we love it: Part history, part culinary adventure (and including several kid-friendly recipes!), “Ruby Foo” is perfect for chefs of all ages — she is as smart as she is fearless and is a great role model for middle school-age kids. Tiffany Foo is a Herndon resident.
“Reston A to Z” by Watt Hamlett
Description: “Reston A to Z” takes young readers on a tour of America’s first modern planned community. Guided by Robert E. “Bob” Squirrel (reminiscent of Reston’s beloved founder, Robert E. Simon), readers will undoubtedly recognize the town’s many landmarks in the photos of the places, activities and nature that make Reston a treasure to families.
Why we love it: Reston was one of the first planned communities in the state, and “Reston A to Z” does a great job not just showing off the local sites, but also talking about the history of this great town. We particularly love the piece about the town center — it’s amazing to see how it’s changed! Hamlett is a Reston resident.
“Hoos in the Kitchen” by Melissa Palombi
Description: Inspired by the flourishing food scene and endless pride of the University of Virginia, “Hoos in the Kitchen” features more than sixty recipes from members of the UVA community. This collection is perfect for UVA fans everywhere, with recipes designed to incorporate Virginia-based ingredients to those of international origins.
Why we love it: Melissa grew up in Reston and moved to Charlottesville to work for the University of Virginia. Hoos in the Kitchen does a great job of showing the local culture and community through food. We’d love to see a “Reston Kitchen” cookbook one day, too! Palombi was raised in Reston.
Photos via Mascot Books
The Town of Herndon wants residents to share their thoughts and ask questions about anything they want at an upcoming roundtable.
The community roundtable is set to take place 9-11 a.m. at the Herndon Municipal Center (777 Lynn Street) this Saturday (March 2).
The town council members will be there to engage with residents. Sleepyheads can expect coffee.
Residents are invited to discuss any and all of their Herndon-related questions. At the Town of Herndon’s meeting last night (Feb. 26), councilmembers encouraged locals to come to the roundtable, along with asking for their input on the budget.
Image via Town of Herndon Government/Facebook
Six submissions later, a Penzance Properties development that was first submitted in 2015 moved forward at the Herndon Planning Commission meeting on Monday (Feb. 25).
The development would create an urban block with residential, office and retail space in three buildings at 555 Herndon Parkway, which is currently home to a suburban-style office building that was constructed in the early 1980s.
A high-rise office building and a high-rise residential tower with retail space and a garage would face a mid-rise residential building with retail space and above and below ground parking.
The plans include a publicly accessible plaza in the center and multi-modal streetscapes.
The development plans to have three entrances off of Herndon Parkway that will lead into a loop road surrounding the property.
The proposed development has been scrutinized at four Planning Commission and two Architectural Review Board meetings just since the start of this year, along with one community meeting. The presentation to the commission on Monday highlighted the changes that addressed concerns and suggestions from those meetings.
Some of the notable alterations include adding midblock pedestrian passages and revising the open space design. The architecture was also changed in response to comments by the ARB — new storefront designs have greater variation in the material use, texture and color and more vertical breaks and architectural elements were added to the previously monotone garage design.
While the mixed-use development hit several design snags and a zoning issue earlier this year, the project’s size and scale posed review challenges for the boards grappling with an unusually large development.
The team behind the project echoed why the project is such “a big deal for the town” — as the commission’s Chair C. Melissa Jonas described it.
“Herndon is a lot of things, but it’s not yet 275-foot-tall buildings,” Kenneth Wire, the land use attorney for the project, told the commission.
Wire said that the project will follow in the footsteps of Herndon’s unique identity by building upon the town’s streetscapes and signage. The central plaza will have a focal point, such as art or a water element, and the buildings will have decorative elements, he added.
“This has been a large process for the Town of Herndon to think about this area and what it means for our town,” Jonas said.
The project would take place in three phases of construction. As the proposal moves forward, it is possible that the Architectural Review Board may tackle the site plan for each phase separately.
The Herndon Planning Commission recommended approval of the development plan. Before the vote, Jonas thanked the Planning Commission staff, ARB and the community for their work on “this big application.”
“There is a love of this town and there is a lot of concern for change always for anyone,” Jonas said. “[Penzance] put in a lot of hard work into thinking about what we wanted to see.”
Renderings via Herndon Planning Commission
Comstock’s newest redevelopment plans for downtown Herndon are moving forward.
Town Manager Bill Ashton told the Herndon Town Council at its public session last night (Feb. 26) that the staff has finished reviewing the fourth resubmission of the site plans. The staff began the review at the start of February.
Now, the staff is preparing to send a consolidated list of questions back to Comstock.
“It’s something we’re working on diligently, but it’s deep in the staff weeds right now,” Ashton said.
The next step will involve the Heritage Preservation Review Board, he said.
At the meeting, the Town Council approved a special exemption to increase the number of nonresidents from four to seven in a 24-hour period at a home-based business.
The change affects a hair salon at 767 Monroe Street. The salon’s website says:
The salon is located in an English basement on a private residence. Please park in the driveway. On the left side of the house you’ll see a fence gate, if it is closed please let yourself in, then follow the concrete sidewalk all the way around back where you’ll find a staircase down to the salon.
“We really want to make it easier for home-based businesses to thrive in Herndon,” Councilmember Cesar del Aguila said, urging locals to share any advice they may have.
The Town Council also approved an amendment to the town’s Comprehensive Plan to create a design concept for improvements on South Elden Street between Sterling Road and Herndon Parkway.
“I know this is the first step, and we need to secure the funding so we can get into the nitty-gritty with trash cans and raised medians,” Mayor Lisa Merkel said. “As the Metro station opens, this does need to be a more walkable and friendly area.”
A play about two women’s rivalry for the affections of a mutual lover is coming to Herndon’s NextStop Theatre (269 Sunset Park Drive) next month.
“Fallen Angels” dramatizes sexual desire and frustration as two housewives prepare to meet with an “exotic” former lover. The show originally opened in London in 1925 and was considered amusing but scandalous for its depiction of sex and adultery — both subjects that were seen as obscene and disruptive.
Ticketing in advance is recommended, as ticket prices may increase as seating fills. Tickets range from $35 to $50. The show will run Thursday-Sunday from March 14 through April 7. Student and group tickets are available at a discount.
Photo via NextStop Theatre
PM Pediatrics held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last night (Feb. 26) to celebrate its new Herndon spot.
The ceremony came about two weeks after PM Pediatrics opened at 905 Herndon Parkway on Saturday, Feb. 16, according to a Facebook post.
The after-hours urgent care center advertises itself as an alternative to the emergency room for children and young adults. The staff of pediatric emergency specialists can treat kids in urgent situations, including earaches, fevers, infections, asthma, wounds and more.
PM Pediatrics has 39 locations spanning Alaska to New York and 10 more “coming soon,” according to the website. The Herndon location is open every day until midnight.
Image via Google Maps
Reston-Herndon Toastmasters — The communication skills-building group will host an open house from 7-8:30 p.m. tonight at the Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center (1086 Elden Street). [District 29 Toastmasters]
Candid candidates — The candidates running unopposed for five seats on the Reston Association’s Board of Directors will take part in a candidates’ forum tonight at 7 p.m. Restonians who can’t make it to the RA’s headquarters can stream the debate online. [Reston Association on YouTube]
Run roundup — The Reston 10-Miler, which is coming up this Sunday (March 3), was featured in a list of six D.C.-area races this spring. [DCist]
Public input on PRC — The Reston Association is urging Restonians to stay involved in the PRC zoning ordinance debate. The Fairfax County Planning Commission recently recommended that the county’s board deny the proposal. [Reston Association on YouTube]
