Countywide

Local, state leaders still debating who should pay for future Metro service

By Scott McCaffrey
An Orange Line Metro train stops at Foggy Bottom en route to Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Regional transit leaders say six steps could help Metro stay on a viable financial footing, but they fear more of the cost could fall on local governments.

Despite recent steps in the right direction, “the fundamental long-term funding question remains unsolved,” Owen Williams, a program analyst with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), said at the organization’s board of directors meeting last Thursday (Nov. 5).

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News

Reston’s Walker Nature Center upgrades wildlife viewing equipment

By Angela Woolsey
Walker Nature Center's Nature House on a fall day in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Visitors checking out the Walker Nature Center in Reston can now try out updated equipment for viewing and identifying wildlife, thanks to a recently awarded state grant.

The education center has purchased new field guides, binoculars and other optics with a “large portion” of a $9,700 wildlife grant that the nonprofit Friends of Reston received from the Virginia Department of Wildlife, Reston Association (RA) announced last week.

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News

Residential redevelopment of longstanding Wolf Trap Nursery site approved

By Acacia James
Roadside scene with tall white SALE banners next to a dark sign that reads Wolf Trap Nursery and Bonsai, near trees and a paved road edge.
A store closing sale is underway at Wolf Trap Nursery (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Wolf Trap Nursery site on Leesburg Pike is officially set to be replaced with a residential neighborhood.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a developer’s proposal last month (Oct. 27) to build 13 single-family homes on the nearly 6.5-acre property at 9439 Leesburg Pike.

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Event

23rd Annual Holiday Gift Show

Event location

Ayr Hill Church

100 Ayr Hill Ave NE

Vienna, Virginia 22180

Add to Calendar

Bypass the mall. Skip the big-box store. Ditch the web. 🎁 The 23rd Annual Holiday Gift Show is Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at Ayr Hill Church, 100 Ayr Hill Avenue NE in Vienna. Come browse handmade bags and accessories, original watercolor, acrylic and mixed-media art, one-of-a-kind stuffed animals, dog treats and accessories, homemade baklava, stovetop potpourri and more, all from local artists and makers. Free admission, open to the public. See you there! #ViennaVA #ShopLocal #HolidayGiftShow

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Countywide

Morning Notes for November 9, 2026

By FFXnow.com
W&OD Trail users wait under fall leaves at the Maple Avenue crossing in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

State Report on License Plate Readers — “Members of the Virginia General Assembly met Thursday to review a report on misuse of automated license plate readers by law enforcement agencies and the need for stronger guardrails.” Of the 191 local law enforcement agencies that reported using the technology, as of August, 10% admitted to “unauthorized use.” [Courthouse News Service]

Weather Service Monitoring Potential Snow — “The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Weather Prediction Center (WPC) is monitoring the potential for a storm system to bring snow to portions of Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region, including much of Maryland and Virginia, late next week and into the weekend of November 13-15.” [MoCo Show]

Va.’s About-Face on Same-Sex Marriage — “Anthony LeCounte was a 17-year-old high school senior in Alexandria, gay but still in the closet, when Virginians voted by a wide margin to outlaw same-sex marriage. By the time voters scrapped that 2006 ban in a referendum Tuesday, 20 years and a cultural revolution had come and gone.” [Washington Post]

Columbia Pike Affordable Housing Advances — “The Columbia Crossroads affordable housing project got a green light from the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 4 after the developer agreed to add more parking spaces. The next step is a Board of Supervisors hearing on Dec. 8. The project, located on Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads between Radley Acura and the Alta Nova apartments, will have 160 units.” [Annandale Today]

Amazon Eyes Chantilly Data Center — “Amazon’s data center arm recently paid $99.79 million for about 23 acres of industrial land at 44146 Wade Drive in Chantilly, a few miles south of Dulles International Airport, according to Loudoun property records. The company is seeking to build a 100-foot-tall data center on the property … Loudoun supervisors are scheduled to vote Nov. 17 on an item to pause data center applications for a year.” [Washington Business Journal]

New Wolf Trap Barn Unveiled — “A new historic barn is now part of The Barns at Wolf Trap. The Virginian Barn, donated by Karen and Fred Schaufeld, was officially opened and dedicated on Tuesday.” The addition emerged out of discussions about an expansion of The Barns at Wolf Trap between Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO Arvind Manocha and board chair and donor Daniel D’Aniello and his wife, Gayle. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Veterans Day 5K Coming to Reston — “Runners and walkers will gather at Reston Town Center on Veterans Day for the second annual Run for Valor 5K, a community race benefiting a nonprofit that supports service members, veterans and their families. The race will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Reston Town Center Pavilion.” [Patch]

Progress Slow on Recognizing Native Tribes — Then-Gov. Ralph Northam established a bipartisan Tribal Code Commission, chaired by Fairfax Del. Paul Krizek, five years ago “to update inconsistent and outdated language in laws that affect” Virginia’s seven federally recognized Tribes. It’s uncertain whether six bills to update the state code, including one related to in-state college tuition, will be addressed in the General Assembly’s 2027 session. [WVTF]

It’s Monday — Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 62 and west winds at 15 to 24 mph, gusting up to 34 mph. Night will be mostly clear, with a low around 40. [NWS]

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Countywide

Fairfax County voters OK bond funding for parks, human services renovations

By Angela Woolsey
A rendering of the planned Audrey Moore REC Center renovation (via DLR Group/Fairfax County Park Authority)

The Audrey Moore REC Center and Clemyjontri Park are among the amenities set to benefit from bond funding approved by Fairfax County voters in the general election on Tuesday (Nov. 3).

According to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, a $180 million park bond and a $75 million community health and human services bond respectively were supported by 69.8% and 70% of voters, authorizing the county government to borrow money by selling bonds to fund capital improvement projects.

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Countywide

Public hearings for the NextEra-Dominion merger have begun. Here’s what you need to know.

By Shannon Heckt / Virginia Mercury
A Dominion Energy truck parked in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Public hearings in the case to decide the fate of the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy begin this week at the State Corporation Commission. The $67 billion all-stock deal would create the largest regulated utility in the world.

In the months preceding the hearings, scores of lawmakers, consumer advocates and citizens have strongly opposed the proposal, with leaders at the top level of state government pushing for more time to review the case.

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Around Town

N. Va. Christmas Market canceled, leaving small vendors scrambling to regroup

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Krissy and Wes Reynolds display products from the Sun & Spruce soap shop during the Northern Virginia Christmas Market at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. The market planned to move to a new venue in Sterling this year, but is now cancelled. (Courtesy Sun & Spruce)

For the last four years, Krissy Reynolds has loaded up her truck with colorful handmade soaps, then driven more than three hours from Roanoke to Northern Virginia, ready to greet the crowds streaming in at the Northern Virginia Christmas Market at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly.

When the Chantilly events center closed at the end of 2025 to make way for an IKEA, Events Management Group (EMG), the company that organizes the Christmas market, shifted to a new venue: the DTC Expo & Events Center, which was anticipated to open this fall at Dulles Town Center in Sterling.

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Opinion

Poll: The best bakeries in Fairfax County

By FFXnow.com

Fairfax County is home to a variety of bakeries that serve as neighborhood gathering spots and brighten customers’ days with fresh bread and pastries. This week’s Readers’ Choice poll invites residents to select the top bakery serving the community.

Here are the nominees for Best bakeries in Fairfax County as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice awards. Did we miss your favorite bakery? Write it in!

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