Author: Mary Stachyra Lopez

Mary Stachyra Lopez is a staff reporter covering business, public safety, education, and other community issues for Local News Now. She has previously worked at Patch.com, the Arlington Catholic Herald, and The Atlantic.

Around Town

Block party season kicks off with inclusive event at Reston’s Lake Anne

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Lake Anne Plaza in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A Reston-based nonprofit will host a unique block party — billed as the first of its kind in Northern Virginia — at Lake Anne Plaza this weekend to promote inclusion between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The “All Abilities Block Party” will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 11. It will feature a bubble artist, caricaturist, DJ, roaming juggler, glitter tattoos, tent with art on display, a visit from Ms. Wheelchair Virginia, and free food with an RSVP in advance.

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Around Town

After success in Arlington, Soul Thai restaurateur expands to Centreville

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Nutthana "Nancy" Kittitaraphan inside Surreal Thai Kitchen and Bar in Centreville (photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Building on the success of her popular Thai restaurant in Arlington, a Centreville resident plans to open another restaurant this spring — this time, much closer to home.

Nutthana “Nancy” Kittitaraphan, the owner of Soul Thai Kitchen & Bar on Wilson Blvd, will open the doors of Surreal Thai Kitchen & Bar at 5653 Stone Road in Centreville’s busy Village Center shopping plaza around April 3.

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News

New Reston-based nonprofit will assist Afghan refugees

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn welcomes the Afghan Refugee Rescue Organization to Reston (courtesy Afghan Refugee Rescue Organization)

A small new nonprofit organization hopes to help the tens of thousands of Afghans who live in Virginia find employment, build stronger connections with one another, and celebrate their culture.

Volunteers gathered at the United Christian Parish in Reston on Saturday (March 21) to celebrate the opening of the Afghanistan Refugee Rescue Organization’s new U.S. branch there.

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Countywide

Regional teen detox and crisis center opens next week in Fairfax County

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center in Chantilly (photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A new center for teens struggling with addiction and their mental health has opened in Chantilly.

Government officials and community members gathered yesterday at the Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 16-bedroom facility — located 4211 Walney Road, near a county-run detox center that serves adults — will offer residential, medically managed detox services to youth patients from throughout the region beginning next Tuesday (March 24).

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Around Town

Mod Pizza to close in Greenbriar Town Center

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Mod Pizza at Greenbriar Town Center (photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

After eight years of operating in Fairfax, Mod Pizza will close its location in Greenbriar Town Center near Chantilly.

“We sincerely thank our past and present Squad members for their dedication, as well as the Fairfax community for its loyal support over the years,” a spokesperson said in a statement to FFXnow.

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News

Centreville residents still seeking answers after home explosion

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Workers inspect gas lines near the intersection of Buggy Pond Drive and Quail Pond Court in Centreville on Feb. 17 after a home explosion (photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Cami Minks was getting ready for bed in her Centreville home on a quiet Sunday night, when suddenly, her house vibrated from the sound of an enormous explosion.

“I thought it was a bomb,” Minks, a resident of the Belle Pond neighborhood, recalled. “It was that loud. It shook everything.”

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Around Town

Fairfax City Korean BBQ restaurant expanding to Greenbriar Town Center

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Meokja Meokja under construction at Greenbriar Town Center (photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A popular Korean BBQ restaurant in Fairfax City is making plans to expand to Greenbriar Town Center this year.

Construction on Meokja Meokja’s second location at 13041 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway just outside Chantilly should be completed sometime between March and May, staff told FFXnow during a recent busy dinner shift.

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News

Town of Herndon ends ‘streetery’ outdoor dining program after limited interest

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
The restaurant and sports bar Mile 20 at Mediterranean Breeze in Herndon (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Over the course of two years, only one restaurant participated in a pilot program that Herndon council members created with the hope of expanding outdoor dining options within the Town.

That lackluster response — followed by Mile 20’s decision not to obtain another permit in 2026 — led to council members’ unanimous agreement at a work session on Tuesday (Jan. 13) to let its “streetery” initiative expire.

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Around Town

How Herndon Parks and Rec plans to celebrate 50-year anniversary in 2026

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Runners pass the Herndon Community Center during one of the town's Herndon Festival races (courtesy Herndon Parks and Recreation Department)

In 1976, Jimmy Carter won the presidential election over the Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, Queen Elizabeth traveled to Virginia for the nation’s bicentennial, and “Happy Days” was appointment TV for millions of Americans.

That same year, the Town of Herndon created its Parks and Recreation Department with just one full-time staffer and one Fairfax County-owned park.

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News

Fairfax City considers hiring more forestry staff under draft plan

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
The sun sets over Stafford Drive Park in Fairfax City on Dec. 7, 2025 (photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Fairfax City could establish a new urban forestry division in the next one to five years to promote tree preservation.

A draft of the city’s new Urban Forest Master Plan, which will be presented to the planning commission today (Dec. 8), envisions two new technicians, an urban forester, and part-time administrative support dedicated to helping implement stronger conservation practices and expand its tree canopy. There would also be a shared GIS technician/analyst.

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