Reminder: Early Voting Begins — “[It’s] the first day to #voteearly in the congressional #midterms! The 8th, 10th & 11th U.S. House seats are up for election and there are three sites open for #earlyvoting on weekdays” [Office of Elections/Twitter]
Sexual Battery Trial Against Former Teacher Cut Short — “A Fairfax County, Virginia, circuit court judge has dismissed an indictment alleging aggravated sexual battery against a former music teacher who gave lessons to students out of his house. The dismissal came Monday, Sept. 12, in the midst of the jury trial of Roger McKay, according to court records obtained by WTOP.” [WTOP]
Reston Station Developer Talks Silver Line Phase II — “With the remaining Silver Line stations expected to open in the next few months and the Reston Comprehensive Plan Review in the public comment phase, this seemed like a good time to check in with the developer. Comstock’s Chief Operating Officer Tim Steffan agreed to answer a few questions…about the company’s recent acquisition and what it envisions for Reston Station’s future.” [Patch]
FCPS Sued Over Special Education Appeal Hearings — “Fairfax County Public Schools and the Virginia Department of Education have been hit with a federal class-action lawsuit claiming families of disabled children who challenge schools’ decisions about specialized education plans don’t get a fair shake.” [WTOP]
Free Student Bus Pass Program Adds Metrobus — “Fairfax County, City of Fairfax and Fairfax County Public Schools officials celebrated the Metrobus expansion of the free bus program Thursday at George C. Marshall High School…The recent expansion adds free Metrobus access to students at certain high schools.” [Patch]
Metro Safety and Budget Issues Collide — “Financial problems sparked by the pandemic, a prolonged train shortage and questions about the stability of Metro’s tracks converged Thursday as transit leaders said they will look outside the agency to help solve a growing budget gap while assuring the public the rail system is safe.” [The Washington Post]
Hilton Plans Voyage to Space — “[The] McLean hotel giant…said this week it will design astronaut facilities for a private space station called Starlab currently being developed by Denver’s Voyager Space Holdings Inc. and Bethesda’s Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT). Starlab will eventually be one of the replacements of the International Space Station” [Washington Business Journal]
Tysons Library Takes Kids to Spy School 101 — “Join us for a hybrid workshop presented by the International Spy Museum on how to be a spy! The workshop will take place in the library meeting rooms and start with an interactive group activity followed by the virtual presentation.” [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 65 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:59 am and sunset at 7:06 pm. [Weather.gov]
Get ready to dance at Reston Station on Sunday, October 9 at the first-ever Silent Dance Party!
Reston Community Center and Comstock at Reston Station are partnering to create a dance party like you’ve never heard before — in fact, only each individual dancer will be hearing the music.
Here’s how it works: DJs will spin music that you alone can hear through a headset. The community voted via Facebook in August on the genres of music — from Latin to Hip-Hop, to music from the 1960s to today.
The party will feature the top three styles that voters chose. Dancers can change from one style to another — only they will know what’s on their own personal playlist. To dance, please bring a driver’s license to exchange for the headset.
“It’s hard to say what will be more fun — dancing to music you’ve selected or watching people dance to their music without hearing a sound,” said RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon. “Comstock is excited to host this unique event at the Reston Metro Plaza. It’s fun to try something new and exciting in Reston,” noted Tracy Schar, Comstock’s SVP of Marketing.
The party runs from 5-8 p.m. on October 9 at Reston Metro Plaza (atop the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station).
Admission is free. The party will also feature family-friendly activities for all ages, so bring the kids for this special event.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
In Fairfax County, the battle for control of Congress starts tomorrow (Friday).
The county will open three early voting sites and start mailing out absentee ballots for the Nov. 8 general election, which will decide three seats in the House of Representatives as well as the Town of Herndon’s leadership.
Incumbents Don Beyer (8th Congressional District), Jennifer Wexton (10th CD) and Gerry Connolly (11th CD) are seeking reelection against
Turnout is tough to predict, but early voting and voting by mail “seem to be growing in popularity” after Virginia made both options available to all in 2020, Fairfax County Office of Elections spokesperson Brian Worthy says.
Early voting for the congressional #midterms starts tomorrow, Sept. 23! Our poll workers are getting ready for you, and you can cast your ballot at any of three #earlyvoting on weekdays. Find locations and hours: https://t.co/Oe75Nf9lJr#voteearly #Election2022 #electiontwitter pic.twitter.com/GCfTGITL94
— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) September 22, 2022
Nearly 70% of registered voters participated in the last midterm elections in 2018, but no individual House race saw a turnout over 37%, according to Worthy. Last November’s election, which anointed Glenn Youngkin as Virginia’s governor, drew a 60.2% turnout.
“Because the Office of Elections always prepare for high turnout, they will be ready to manage turnout greater than the recent gubernatorial election,” Worthy said.
He says the county has filled all of the 2,300 election officer positions needed for Nov. 8, but there is always a demand for bilingual poll workers, especially people who speak both Korean and English.
What’s New This Year
Voters may see different candidates than they anticipate on their ballot, thanks to last year’s redistricting process, which altered federal and state electoral boundaries in Virginia.
Polling sites will stay the same for 96% of voters in the county, but everyone should double check their district through the Virginia Department of Elections before voting in person, Worthy says. There have also been a few precinct changes unrelated to redistricting.
To limit confusion, the county elections office sent every voter a mailer with information about their legislative districts and polling place earlier this year.
“The office will be mailing voters a sample ballot with this same information, and the state is also sending a redistricting mailing to voters,” Worthy said.
In addition, Virginia will now let new voters register and cast a ballot up to and on Election Day. The General Assembly approved the change in 2020, but the law won’t take effect until Oct. 1.
While the new flexibility will be welcome for anyone who misses the Oct. 17 deadline, election officials don’t recommend waiting until the last minute to register. Voters who register Oct. 18 or later will get provisional ballots to allow “additional time to verify” their paperwork, according to WTOP.
Provisional ballots aren’t reviewed until after Election Day, and the state electoral board determines whether each of them can be counted.
“Because same day registration is a new law, the Office of Elections is uncertain of the impact, but they are prepared to manage a large number of same day registrants at early voting sites and polling places on Election Day, as well as to process these registrations,” Worthy said.
How to Vote
Starting tomorrow, in-person voting will be available on weekdays at the Fairfax County, Mount Vernon and North County government centers:
- Fairfax County Government Center: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Mount Vernon Governmental Center: 1-7 p.m.
- North County Governmental Center: 1-7 p.m.
These sites will also operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on three Saturdays (Sept. 24, Oct. 29, and Nov. 5) and from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.
An additional 13 early voting sites will open on Oct. 27 with the following hours of operation:
- Weekdays: 1-7 p.m.
- Two Saturdays (Oct. 29, Nov. 5): 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- One Sunday (Oct. 30): 1-5 p.m.
While Virginia no longer requires photo identification, voters must still present a driver’s license, utility bill, or another government document with their name and address.
Mail ballots must be requested by 5 p.m. on Oct. 28 and returned in person or postmarked by Nov. 8. Drop-off boxes will be available at all early voting sites, with a 24-hour box outside the Fairfax County Government Center.
The Candidates
- Don Beyer (D)
- Karina Lipsman (R)
- Teddy Fikre (I)
- Jennifer Wexton (D)
- Hung Cao (R)
- Gerry Connolly (D)
- Jim Myles (R)
Herndon residents also have mayoral and town council races to decide. Sample ballots can be found on the county office of elections website.
This sponsored column is written by the team at Arrowine & Cheese (4508 Cherry Hill Road in Arlington). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Experience Arrowine’s Tastings & Events. Have a question? Email [email protected].
Hello again! So, many of you participated in our cleaning the glass experiment? Shocking, isn’t it?
Now you are on your way to better-tasting, terrior-driven wine. And what do I mean by that?
Well, it’s a little complicated, but I do my best. The only reason to drink wine is for pleasure, period! And that means more than just “it tastes good.” A well-made wine is a companion, a friend, sometimes an antagonist, but always a good conversationalist. So it must speak eloquently of its birthplace. When tasting it, I need to recognize the lineage, that exact spot on the globe.
Unlike our ancestors, drinking wine today is an option, not a necessity. We don’t need wine anymore to survive. Fresh water is abundant, so wine is now optional. We don’t drink wine to live. Instead, we drink fermented beverages because they enhance our culinary experiences and please us.
What gets to me is no one talks about wines’ dirty little secrets. Sometimes, I feel like Frank Serpico; I just dated myself, but I love classic movies, so who cares? It’s a good analogy. When did speaking the truth become a liability? We are talking about wine, not national security. I don’t tolerate lazy, sloppy, or greedy winemakers. If you care, you are vigilant and proactive. We deserve a clean wine that speaks to us.
Today’s wines are cleaner and fresher than we drank forty years ago. And they should be. When you embrace science, you preserve terroir, which means uniqueness. Modern science allows a bottle of wine to reflect the exact spot it came from. So a well-made wine speaks to and talks to you like you have been there.
If a wine doesn’t smell and taste like fermented pure grape juice, meaning “grapey,” you have a problem! Wine is NOT supposed to smell like leather, mushrooms, wet-basement, barnyard, burnt tire, green pepper, bandaid, cloves, nail polish, green peppers, or dirt! But, if it does run, I will expand on the causes of faults in a future column.
There are tricks of the trade that remain “trade secrets,” and that’s a problem. For example, did you know your California Cabernet, Chardonnay, or Zinfandel can be technically sweet? The question I’m most frequently asked is, is it “dry?” Well, that depends, and it’s not as simple a question as you think.
Table wine should be dry unless the cuisine has a note of sweetness, which I’m sad to say is far too prevalent today. A winemaker can leave unfermented sugar in the wine to make it easier to drink — think Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, it was deliberately bottled with a slight but perceptible amount of residual sugar to make it appealing to the masses.
Classic European cooking has little, if any, sweetness. Therefore a dry wine is needed. A New World wine is in order if there is any hint of sweetness. Wines from the New World tend to be higher in alcohol from all the sun. Thus energy the vines receive. In the New World, we plant for “commercial” reasons and ensure success, so we grow grapes where we know they will ripen. If not, over-ripen.
Our ancestors weren’t so lucky. So they planted where they stood and had to figure the rest out. Unless you had well water, you couldn’t be sure the water floating downhill was pure enough to drink. Fermented beverages were necessary for survival, lucky us.
Cheers,
Doug
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
The Fairfax County Police Department is seeking the public’s help identifying suspects in three recent jewelry store robberies, two of which are believed to have been committed by the same people.
The first robbery occurred at the Prince Jewelers in Tysons Corner Center at 2:45 p.m. on Sept. 8, police said in a release last night (Wednesday).
The FCPD says its detectives believe preliminarily that the same men were also behind a Sept. 18 robbery at Fair Oaks Mall, where two men entered Henzley Jewelers at 1:06 p.m. and stole “a number of high-end watches.” The store’s display case was also destroyed, according to police.
“In each case, they used hammers to destroy the display cases and fled the scene in stolen vehicles,” the department said. “The stolen vehicles were found in nearby parking lots. Detectives continue to investigate, including an extensive review of surveillance footage.”
Police are also investigating a robbery of Sonia’s Jewelers & Boutique Inc. (6681 Backlick Road) in Springfield.
According to the FCPD, two men entered the store at 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 20):
The first man was let into the store under the guise of shopping for jewelry. Once inside he presented a handgun and instructed employees to let the second man inside. The two men used hammers to destroy the display cases and fled the scene in a black Lexus SUV with stolen license plates. The stolen vehicle in this case has not been recovered.
No injuries have been reported in any of the incidents. Detectives are still working to determine if all three cases are connected, police say.
Police describe all of the potential suspects as Black men who are about 6 feet in height. Those allegedly involved in the Tysons and Fair Oaks robberies wore gloves and masks.
The FCPD says anyone with information about these incidents or others that may be related can contact its detectives at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) and online.
County Needs More Taxing Power, McKay Says — Like other Northern Virginia leaders, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay has long pushed for Virginia to expand local authority, an uphill battle particularly under Gov. Glenn Youngkin. McKay says “he would like the option for the county to levy taxes on personal income or other services to diversify the county’s revenue, which is about 90% dependent on property taxes.” [Axios D.C.]
Democrats Plan Caucus for 35th District Nominee — The Fairfax County Democratic Committee announced yesterday (Wednesday) that it will hold a caucus on Oct. 8 to select its nominee to fill the seat vacated by Mark Keam. Voters in the district, which includes Tysons, Vienna, Dunn Loring and Oakton, will be able to participate at three locations, along with an early voting site at the FCDC headquarters. [Patch]
Tolling on New I-66 Express Lanes Looms — “Tolling and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) rules will begin this Saturday, Sept. 24, on the recently opened western section of 66 Express Lanes. Motorists will be able to use this nine-mile stretch of new Express Lanes from Route 29 in Gainesville to Route 28 in Centreville by paying a toll or can ride toll-free if traveling as an HOV with two or more people and an E-ZPass Flex.” [VDOT]
Man Convicted for Bailey’s Crossroads Drug Overdoses — “A Dumfries, Virginia, man was convicted Wednesday on charges that he caused the overdoses of six people in Fairfax County. One year ago, Michael Vaughn, 28, distributed cocaine laced with fentanyl at a party inside an apartment in the Skyline area of Fairfax County, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial.” [WTOP]
One Injured by Lake Barcroft House Fire — “One person was injured in a house fire Tuesday night in the Lake Barcroft area, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue…One resident was taken to the hospital for evaluation. No firefighters were injured…Damages were estimated to be around $25,000.” [Patch]
Herndon Part of Rivana Development for Sale — “Fairfax County’s portion of the gargantuan Rivana at Innovation Station mixed-use development is up for sale, meaning its owners are actively shedding the ‘at Innovation Station’ part of the project’s billing…By prevailing norms, it’s prime, transit-oriented real estate. Which makes it all the more curious that the site’s owners…are seeking to sell it. [Washington Business Journal]
Local Airports Could Add Amazon Checkout Tech — “Amazon.com Inc.’s Just Walk Out retail shopping technology, which allows customers to skip the checkout line using sensors and cameras, appears to have locked down its first third-party users in Greater Washington: Reagan National and Dulles International airports.” Both airports plan to use the tech at planned convenience stores. [WBJ]
Book Sales Galore This Weekend — The Friends of the Reston Regional Library will have over 40,000 items, albeit without kids’ books, at its Big Fall Book Sale, starting today through Sunday (Sept. 25). This weekend will also bring book sales at the Kingstowne and Patrick Henry libraries. [Fairfax County Public Library]
It’s Thursday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 78 and low of 61. Sunrise at 6:58 am and sunset at 7:07 pm. [Weather.gov]
A woman has been taken to the hospital after she was hit by a vehicle at Pike 7 Plaza in Tysons, police say.
The driver allegedly hit the woman as she was walking in the shopping center’s parking lot, according to the Fairfax County Police Department, which describes her injuries as life-threatening.
Officers are currently on the scene at 8389 Leesburg Pike. The driver remained at the site, police said in a tweet at 2:36 p.m.
Officers on scene of a pedestrian crash in the parking lot of 8389 Leesburg Pk. The victim, an adult female, was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot. The woman was taken to the hospital w/injuries considered life threatening. Driver remained on scene & detectives responding. pic.twitter.com/UIJD9QqOuX
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 21, 2022
The rehabilitation of the George Washington Memorial Parkway will bring new traffic impacts to the McLean area, starting Monday (Sept. 26).
Drivers should prepare for increased construction activities and potential delays along the parkway’s northern section between I-495 and Dolley Madison Boulevard, the National Park Service announced yesterday (Tuesday).
Advising caution in work areas, the NPS says it will “temporarily” widen the road by removing the median, creating three northbound travel lanes.
“This temporary widening will maintain a three-lane configuration during construction, allowing the contractor greater access to the roadway and reducing the time needed to complete the project,” the park service said.
The parkway’s northbound lanes may be closed between 7 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., while the southbound lanes may close between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Per the news release:
Closing some northbound and southbound lanes at the same time will shorten the project duration. At least one lane of traffic in each direction will always be open.
To allow for the temporary road widening, the NPS will remove select trees and plants. Tree locations and topography were considered in the construction planning, and every effort was made to minimize the number of trees that must be removed. The NPS will replace the trees when the project is completed.
Some lane closures are also planned on the bridges over Pimmit Run and Glebe Road in Arlington, where crews are set to start working next week.
“To avoid traffic delays on the northern section of the parkway during this time, drivers should consider alternate routes,” the NPS said.
Announced in December, the $161 million rehabilitation project broke ground in July. It’s the first major upgrade for the GW Parkway’s 7.6-mile northern stretch since it opened in 1962, promising asphalt repavings, a redesign of the Route 123 interchange, and other improvements.
As if one major road project isn’t enough, drivers in McLean have also been contending with shifting traffic patterns while the Virginia Department of Transportation widens I-495.
The NPS says it expects the parkway rehab to be completed in late 2025.
Photo via Google Maps
Fairfax County officials are exploring the possibility of promoting “home sharing” for older adults.
Home sharing lets a homeowner provide accommodation to others in exchange for rent assistance and household tasks or both. The program was discussed at the county board’s older adults committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Staff noted that several complexities must be considered before moving forward with a pilot program. Other options include leaning on the private sector, with no direct involvement from the county, and boosting awareness about homesharing possibilities.
“In the context of Fairfax County, there are complexities that must be considered before going forward,” said Jacquie Woodruff, who works for the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging for the Department of Family Services.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said he would likely lean toward pushing forward a public awareness campaign about the possibility of home sharing, which requires a special permit from the county.
“I do think the private sector clearly, according to these examples, [is] playing pretty heavy in this…but I also think we have a role to play,” McKay said.
Most supervisors leaned toward option two — creating awareness about existing resources and services — and allowing the public to seek resources on their own.
Others like Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik felt more information may be needed to better evaluate how to move forward.
“I’m not even at the point of recommending an option,” Palchik said.
The discussion came following a June motion by Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity that directed staff to examine the feasibility of a pilot program, next steps and possible fiscal impacts.
He says he sees home sharing as potential solution of affordability for seniors to be able to remain in their homes.
The county’s zoning ordinance allows the program if the home is functioning as a single household for up to four people unrelated by blood or marriage, according to Woodruff.
There are varying ways of implementing a home share program. For example, a web-based model allows the owner and home seeker to collaborate through another online platform, limiting local coordination and case management.
Other approaches require more local involvement.
A matching service offers limited phone support or in-person case management support. These models would require background checks, social worker support, and rent agreements.
While the county is still deliberating over whether to advance a pilot and, if so, what form it should take, Woodruff said the risks of a program would be “no greater than other resident programs currently provided by the county.”
With a new school year underway, students will soon jockey for seats in Fairfax County’s prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ), even as a federal court considers whether its current admission system discriminates against Asians.
For now, thanks to an earlier ruling upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the upcoming class of 2027 will be determined by the same, much-debated process that has helped diversify the magnet school’s student body over the past two years, FCPS confirmed to FFXnow.
Launching at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, freshman student applications will consist of a student portrait sheet and a math or science-focused problem-solving essay. Other criteria include a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and consideration of a student’s English language learner, special education, or free/reduced-price lunch status — known as “experience factors.”
Those experience factors and a guarantee that all participating schools get seats equal to 1.5% of their student population are central to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of policy, which was adopted by the Fairfax County School Board in December 2020.
The revised process — which eliminated a standardized test and application fee — doesn’t explicitly consider race when evaluating students, but a lawyer for the Coalition for TJ argued to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Saturday (Sept. 17) that it was designed to boost Black and Latino representation at the expense of Asian applicants.
“That’s clear in the record from the statements that the board members and other senior staff in Fairfax County Public Schools made, that Asian American students were in the way,” Erin Wilcox said to the three-judge panel. “They needed to clear out room to increase the numbers of Black and Hispanic students.”
In February, a U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of the Coalition for TJ, agreeing that the changes amounted to “racial balancing” in violation of the Constitution’s equal protection clause, which prohibits laws from discriminating based on race.
FCPS promptly appealed the decision, maintaining that the policy is race-neutral, as stated in the school board’s adopted resolution, and backed by legal precedent. Donald Verrilli, the school board’s legal representative, cited a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that supported universities taking steps to diversify, ideally without directly looking at race.
“There are no quotas, no targets, no racial preferences of any kind, no racial classifications of any kind, and it is 100% race-blind in its administration,” he said. “No application contains any racially identifying information, so all applicants are judged on a race-blind basis.”
He noted that the number of low-income, Asian American students admitted rose from one in the year before the policy overhaul to 51 a year later — more than the 39 Black students total in a historically diverse class.
“What this plan was designed to do was to remove socioeconomic and geographic barriers that held back people of all races, including African Americans and Latinos,” Verrilli said. “So, that was one purpose, and we don’t deny it, but it benefited all races.”
Judge Allison Rushing challenged that the intentions behind a policy could still be discriminatory, even if the targeted group doesn’t see a disparate impact.
According to FCPS data, Asian students received more than half of the offers to TJ in 2021 and 2022, though they represented a smaller percentage than in previous years.
During Wilcox’s argument, judges Robert King and Toby Heytens questioned how FCPS could’ve increased Black and Latino representation at TJ — a goal that the Coalition for TJ said it supports in a deposition — without affecting other groups, given the limited number of slots offered to the school.
“You’re speaking with what they used to call back in the Indian Wars a forked tongue,” King said. “…You take a position, and then when another proposal is adopted that does pretty much what you wanted, or said you wanted, you challenge it.”
Wilcox said the coalition developed an alternative approach that it saw as a compromise. She suggested that the school board could’ve offered free test preparation, enacted a lottery — a proposal that drew parent protests — or even eliminated the magnet program.
“Any step that it takes that does not disproportionately burden a group of students because of their race would pass Constitutional muster,” she said.
Joined on a brief by 15 other states, the Commonwealth of Virginia appeared in support of the coalition. FCPS backers included the federal government, which argued that the district court’s ruling “would inappropriately freeze in place the status quo” by preventing public bodies from fixing inequities.
