Author: FFXnow.com

Free Meals Available for Kids This Summer — “In Fairfax County, most summer meal programs begin June 17, offering breakfast and lunch at schools and community centers in Alexandria, Falls Church, Reston, Herndon, McLean, Springfield, Chantilly, Burke, Annandale and Vienna.” The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services is also providing meals to participants in its Camp Fairfax and Teens in Action programs. [Inside NoVA]

New Lake Accotink Studies Coming — “The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is making progress on the evaluation of Lake Accotink, Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw reports in the June edition of the Braddock Beacon.” A team of county staff and a consultant will “share the scope and timeline with the public in July before authorizing work on the feasibility study.” [Annandale Today]

Meeting to Seek Ideas for RTC North Green Space — “Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hosting a town hall meeting on Monday to begin the planning process to determine what should be done with the central green that’s included as part of the Reston Town Center North project.” The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive). [Patch]

No McLean Art Festival This Year — “MPAartfest, which each October brings throngs of visitors to McLean Central Park to view artworks and take part in children’s activities, will not be held this year because Fairfax County Park Authority renovations at the park will wrap up too close to the festival date, McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) officials announced recently.” [Gazette Leader]

Amazon Replenishes Affordable Housing Fund — “Amazon has committed an additional $1.4 billion to its Housing Equity Fund to provide more affordable housing in the National Capital region, Seattle, and Nashville.” The new funding is expected to add 35,000 homes in those areas. “The company will release more information about the funding later this summer.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

FCPD Gets New LGBTQ Liaison Officer — “We’re proud to introduce PFC Tiara Goode as our new LGBTQ Liaison Officer! Starting her journey in the McLean District, PFC Goode is a valued Honor Guard member and currently works as a detective in our recruiting section. Her role is vital in fostering inclusivity and support within the department and the community.” [FCPD/Facebook]

Reston Construction Contractor Exec Dies — “Jason Wilt, a top executive at Winmar Construction and Winmar Advisory, has died after a brief illness, according to a Monday post from the company on LinkedIn. He was 53. Wilt was a principal and vice president of operations at the Reston-based general contractor.” [Washington Business Journal]

Tysons Events Company Makes Acquistion — “On Monday, Cvent closed its third acquisition this year, buying Reposite, a New York vendor whose artificial intelligence-powered database helps match event planners with suppliers. While Cvent already has a vendor marketplace, the addition of 4-year-old Reposite will allow it to integrate things like requests for proposals and payments into its existing system, Cvent said.” [WBJ]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny conditions with a high near 88 and a gentle south wind ranging from 3 to 8 mph. For Thursday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 70 and a south wind maintaining a speed of around 7 mph. [NWS]

Geese Escorted Across I-395 — “If you were wondering about all the honking [was] on I-395 [Tuesday] morning: a gander of geese briefly took over a portion of the express lanes near Edsall Road…The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) briefly shut down two lanes of I-395 and received an escort from Virginia State Police and Safety Service Patrol.” [ALXnow]

Fundraiser Launched for Boy Killed by Train — “Eli Medrano, the Weyanoke Elementary School second-grader killed in a train crash on June 5, is remembered for his ‘larger than life personality, terrific sense of humor, and a smile that could light up the room.’ That quote is from a GoFundMe page set up by soccer coach Ben Sprague on behalf of Jeffrey Medrano.” [Annandale Today]

Blake Lane Improvements Proposed — “Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik’s office is soliciting feedback about the recently released final report from the Blake Lane Pedestrian Road Safety Audit. Members of the public can provide feedback about the report by completing an online survey.” [Patch]

Rehabilitations Planned for Historic Homes — “Several houses built in Southeast Fairfax County between the Civil War and World War II period are in the process of getting rehabilitated through preservation projects by federal and county organizations. The exterior repair and rehabilitation of the Non-Commissioned Officer’s Quarters at Fort Hunt Park is one such example.” [On the MoVe]

Clarification on Justice Alito’s Residency — “Samuel Alito lives in Fairfax County. His Fort Hunt neighborhood is about six miles from Alexandria’s city hall, about as close to that building as the Jefferson Memorial is. His taxes go to Fairfax County…And yet, in the eyes of many national outlets, Alito is an Alexandrian.” [Washingtonian]

Tysons Business Leader Builds McLean Mansion — Cvent Inc. co-founder and CEO Reggie Aggarwal and his wife have sold their existing McLean home and moved into a new, 19,000-square-foot mansion on Mackall Farms Lane that features “seven bedrooms, eight full-baths and three half-baths, an indoor pool and hot tub, kitchen with double island, golf simulator, indoor basketball court and fitness center, wine storage, theater with seating for at least 15, outdoor pizza oven, tennis courts and a seven-car garage.” [Washington Business Journal]

Local Author Reflects on Past With New Novel — “Author Frances Park takes you from the streets of postwar Korea to an apartment complex in Fairfax County in her sweeping historical novel, Blue Rice…The cinematic tale hits close to home for Springfield native Park, whose mother grew up in northern Korea and immigrated to the U.S. after the war.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 83 with a calm wind that shifts westward at around 5 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low temperature around 66. [NWS]

Teen Acquited of Murder in Mount Vernon Shooting — “After about six hours of deliberation, a Fairfax Circuit Court jury found Kareem Valentine, 18, not guilty of murder and felony firearm use in the Sept. 1 killing of Joshua Fieldings. Valentine was found guilty of juvenile gun possession, a misdemeanor charge that holds a maximum sentence of one year in prison.” [Washington Post]

County to Offer Free HIV Testing — “Throughout the last week of June, the Fairfax County Health Department is offering free HIV and STI testing and education at our health clinics. If needed, care and treatment support will also be offered.” The clinics will coincide with National HIV Testing Day on June 27. [FCHD]

Popular Lincolnia Pet Store Closes — “After 10 years and three different locations in Barcroft Plaza, Chico’s Natural Pet Market has closed for good. But it’s not going away forever, as the owner, Danielle Areco, is searching for a new location. Areco spent the store’s last day, Sunday, June 9, hosting an ice cream party for dogs with big markdowns on pet supplies for humans.” [Annandale Today]

Advocacy Group Questions I-495 Southside Plan — “A proposal to add express lanes, and even Metro, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is getting some pushback from the Coalition for Smarter Growth. The Coalition says that, if enacted, the Virginia Department of Transportation’s 495 Southside Study will create traffic bottlenecks.” [ALXnow]

Water Mains to Be Replaced in Fairfax Neighborhood — “Fairfax Water will replace selected water mains in an area of the Fairview neighborhood due to increased maintenance problems…Fairfax Water’s contractor, A&M Concrete Corp., is scheduled to begin work in June.” [Fairfax City]

Chantilly Contractor Buys Reston Startup — “Chantilly government contractor VTG…announced Monday that it has acquired Clear Cloud LLC, a Reston startup that, like VTG, provides technology services to U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.” Clear Cloud has between 51 and 200 employees, while VTG had 1,300 employees, as of the end of 2022. [Washington Business Journal]

The Who Singer to Rock Wolf Trap — “Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, performs live at Wolf Trap on Wednesday, June 12, with a touring band that includes Pete Townshend’s younger brother Simon Townshend.” Daltry reflects on the rock band’s origins and work through its Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1990 in an interview. [WTOP]

Name Suggestions for Former School to Be Unveiled — “Fairfax County is seeking community feedback on a new name and identity for the Original Mount Vernon High School (OMVHS) as part of the building’s ongoing renovation and adaptive reuse project.” Name and branding design options will be presented at a meeting on June 18 at the Gerry Hyland Government Center. [On the MoVe]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 77 and a gentle northwest wind at around 6 mph. As for Tuesday night, the skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will drop to around 60, with a north wind at around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. [NWS]

Families of Oakton Crash Victims Still Grieving — “Yan, his wife, and other family members joined supporters Friday afternoon at the corner of Blake Lane and Five Oaks Road in Fairfax to mark the second anniversary of the deaths of Lee Yan Hanjia and her friend, Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco.” [Patch]

Former Nats Star Leaves McLean House — Retired Washington Nationals pitcher and one-time World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg reflected on his baseball career and its challenging end “over calamari and salmon at a white-tableclothed Tysons Corner seafood restaurant.” Strasburg recently moved out of his McLean home to return to San Diego, California. [Washington Post]

Residents Plan Legal Action to Keep Pickleball Courts — “Residents of the Broyhill Crest community in Annandale who’ve been fighting to retain the pickleball courts at Kendale Woods Park have lost their battle to retain them — at least for the time being. The Park Authority announced it will begin removing pickleball from the park this coming week…The fight isn’t over, however. The pickleball players plan to file a legal injunction to stop the work.” [Annandale Today]

McLean Wins State Baseball Championship — “In the Virginia Class 6 championship game at Deep Run High, McLean rolled to a 15-5 victory over South Lakes to capture the first state championship in program history. The Highlanders (19-10) were rarely threatened Saturday, but the road to this stage wasn’t straight.” [Washington Post]

McLean Groups Supports Workforce Housing Changes — “McLean Citizens Association board members approved a letter June 5 in support of a proposed Fairfax County comprehensive-plan amendment for policies and programs related to for-sale workforce-dwelling units (WDUs).” The county is considering changing the targeted income levels and “expanding the policy’s availability to new parts of the county.” [Gazette Leader]

Memorial Garden Added to Fort Hunt Farm — “A private dedication ceremony was held June 7 for the newly installed Clara B. Plein Memorial Garden at River Farm, the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) headquarters along the Potomac River. Donated by AHS Board Chair Scott Plein in memory of his grandmother, the garden…is an example of sustainable landscaping with around 68% native plants and 32% native cultivars.” [On the MoVe]

Free Little Art Galleries Pop Up in Reston — “There is a small wooden hutch located just off the Turquoise Trail in Reston. Inside is a magical scene, a miniature art gallery replete with small resin characters and scads of ever-changing art. Wanderers are free to take a piece of art, leave a piece of art, or do both. This is the Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) in the Woods, one of four FLAGs in Reston.” [Fairfax County Times]

It’s Monday — Expect increasing clouds and a high near 78 accompanied by a northwest wind at 6 to 9 mph. Monday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 59 and a northwest wind at about 7 mph. [NWS]

Traffic Shift to New I-495 Bridge Coming — “If you plan on traveling through the Tysons area in Northern Virginia this weekend, be prepared for a major traffic shift on the Capital Beltway. It starts Friday night when crews shift traffic onto a new Interstate 495 North bridge over the eastbound Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) ramp.” [WTOP]

Clean-up of Fort Belvoir Fuel Spill Continues — “Two months after the jet fuel spill near Fort Belvoir’s Davison Army Airfield, the garrison is continuing to address the environmental impacts. According to Fort Belvoir’s Public Affairs Office (PAO), the seven to 10 inches of contaminated topsoil at the spill site has yet to be removed.” [On the MoVe]

D.C. Area Sees Exodus for Rural Communities — “Residents moving from D.C. and its surrounding suburbs are relocating further away than they have in the past, part of a national trend of remote workers leaving metropolitan cities for small rural communities,” according to a new analysis by University of Virginia researchers. [WTOP]

Speed Cameras Lead to 36K Citations — “Since all of the speed cameras went live in eight school zones in Fairfax County last year, 36,234 citations have been mailed. New data obtained by WUSA9 from the Fairfax Co. Police Department showed a wide range in the number of fines, but one camera stood out the most.” [WUSA9]

Students Unveil New Art for Lake Thoreau — “A new piece of public art will soon find its home on Reston’s Lake Thoreau. This towering, angular tree sculpture is called Arboris, and it’s the work of the South Lakes High School STEAM Team, which designed and built the concept from scratch.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Dulles Airport Hits 2M Silver Line Riders — “Since the grand opening in November 2022, the Dulles Airport Metro station has served over two million passengers! We were proud to cut the ribbon alongside @wmata, @MWAAHQ and other regional partners, celebrating our investment in Silver Line Phase II and better connectivity for our community.” [Northern Virginia Transportation Authority/Twitter]

Free Composting Bins at Farmers Markets — “Don’t miss out on our free countertop compost bin giveaway June 12-16! During this time, farmers market customers who dispose of food scraps at any of our 10 Farmers Markets may receive a free compost bin. Supplies are limited and open to shoppers who have not received a bin in previous years.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

It’s Friday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with a high near 83 and west winds between 5 to 10 mph. For Friday night, it will be mostly clear with a low around 60 and west winds at 6 to 9 mph. [NWS]