Countywide

Juneteenth is just under a week away, but in many places around Fairfax County, the celebrations will start this weekend.

Officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, it is observed annually on June 19, the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to liberate some 250,000 enslaved people who had not been freed despite President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.


News

Fairfax County leaders have opened the door for a supportive housing project in the Fair Oaks area proposed by Cornerstones, a Reston-based organization that provides housing, food and other services to people in need.

During a meeting on Tuesday (June 11), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan that would allow affordable housing on the 1.12 acres of land along the northwest intersection of Route 50 and West Ox Road interchange.


Around Town

One half of a paired ice cream parlor and coffee shop in the Reston-Herndon Business Park has arrived.

Moo Thru opened an anticipated storefront for its Herndon franchise at 317 Spring Street last Friday, June 7, roughly a year after the Virginia-based ice cream maker rolled into town with a food truck.


Countywide
Route 50 in Chantilly at sunset (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

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]


Around Town

Good Wednesday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jun 12, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday throughout the county, from our event calendar.

☀️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect mainly sunny skies with a high temperature close to 89 degrees and a gentle southward breeze of 3 to 8 mph during the day. The night will be partly cloudy, cooling down to about 70 degrees, while the southerly wind remains steady at around 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.


News

Work on an overhaul of Dominion Energy’s electric transmission line between Vienna and Idylwood is expected to start next month, the utility says.

The project will replace the wires — known as a reconductor — that run parallel to a 3.9-mile section of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, connecting the Clark substation at 375 Center Street near Caboose Tavern in Vienna and the Idylwood substation at 7701 Shreve Road.


News

A Reston-based national food brand and multiple nonprofits are distributing thousands of pounds of food to combat food insecurity in Fairfax County and the broader Northern Virginia region.

Last week, the American canned seafood company StarKist, the D.C.-based nonprofit Feed the Children and Reston nonprofit Cornerstones announced they collected over 100,000 pounds of food during their third annual Summer Food Rally on June 6 in Sterling.


News

The march toward improvements to the walking, cycling and driving experience along about 2.9 miles of Route 29 continued at a virtual public meeting last Wednesday (June 5).

County staff is looking to boost pedestrian comfort at intersections, reduce the level of traffic stress for bikers and shorten wait times for cars on the roadway between Buckleys Gate Drive and Jermantown Road in the Fairfax Center area.


Around Town

Lewinsville Park will soon come alive with the sound of music, as The Alden kicks off its Summer Sunday Concerts in the Park this Sunday (June 16).

Typically held at McLean Central Park, the annual free concert series has moved south to the park at 1659 Chain Bridge Road this year to accommodate ongoing construction at its usual location, according to the McLean Community Center, which operates The Alden.