Reston Town Center will have to wait a little longer than anticipated for a hotel closer to its Metro station.
The dual-branded Marriott hotel under construction in RTC Next — developer BXP’s expansion of the town center — is now expected to open its doors in January 2025, slightly later than the late 2024 completion previously projected.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene to allow the state to remove roughly 1,600 voters from its rolls that it believes are noncitizens.
The request comes after a federal appeals court unanimously upheld a federal judge’s order restoring the registrations of those 1,600 voters, whom the judge said were illegally purged from the rolls under an executive order by the state’s Republican governor.
Police Wrap Up Summer Road Safety Campaign — “The Fairfax County Police Department has successfully wrapped up the 2024 ‘Road Shark’ campaign, issuing nearly 35,000 citations and warnings to dangerous drivers on Fairfax County roadways over the last five waves.” [FCPD]
Tysons Electric Vehicle Company Unveils First Models — “Scout Motors Inc., the Tysons-based spinoff electric vehicle company from German automaker Volkswagen AG, on Thursday unveiled its first vehicles and announced it will offer plug-in hybrid options as well as full-fledged EVs… Scout aims to hit the market in 2027 with two vehicles — the Traveler SUV and pickup truck Terra.” [Washington Business Journal]
Reminder: Meeting on Future Wiehle Avenue Tonight — The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will present a revised concept for Wiehle Avenue in Reston tonight (Monday). The final community meeting on the Wiehle Avenue Study will be held at Langston Hughes Middle School (11401 Ridge Heights Road) at 7 p.m. [FCDOT]
Why McLean Is Region’s Priciest Zip Code — “With high-end houses, including historic estates, McLean has long attracted those who want easy access to D.C. but don’t want to live full time in D.C. proper… With a median home listing price of $2.95 million in September 2024, McLean’s 22101 ZIP Code has the D.C. area’s priciest residential real estate, according to Realtor.com.” [Wall Street Journal]
Plan Shared for Completion of Mason Neck Trail — “According to the preliminary design plans, the county will build a 10-foot-wide paved path along the northbound side of Gunston Road between Julia Taft Way and Pohick Bay Drive, which leads to Pohick Bay Golf Course. That approximately one-mile stretch of trail will link up to segments that were previously implemented from the golf course to Mason Neck State Park.” [On the MoVe]
Culmore Health Clinic Reports Growth — “Culmore Clinic, a health center that provides free care to disadvantaged adults, has seen explosive growth over the past year. The clinic has 900 registered patients, representing a 109 percent increase in the past year, with 30-40 new patients coming every month.” [Annandale Today]
Basketball Court Repairs Begin — Contractors are scheduled to begin construction on repairs at Tysons Pimmit Park this week, with Ridgeview Park following in the first week of November. “The basketball court improvements at both locations will include installation of new goals, crack repairs, a 2-inch overlay on the asphalt and line painting.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Reston Chalkfest Return Deemed a Success — “On October 20, the streets of the Reston Town Center were transformed by a vibrant open-air gallery of inspired chalk designs. Around 300 participants and more than 1,000 Festival attendees … enjoyed live entertainment by Bach to Rock Herndon and free face painting for the little ones.” [Public Art Reston/Tysons Today]
It’s Monday — Patchy frost will clear up by 9am, making way for sunny skies and a high of around 63°F. A calm wind will shift southeast, reaching 5-7 mph in the afternoon. Monday night will see partly cloudy conditions and a low near 44°F, accompanied by a southeast wind at around 6 mph. [NWS]
If you have a cabinet full of extraneous prescription drugs, tomorrow (Saturday) will be your chance to get rid of them.
The Fairfax County and Town of Vienna police departments will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Take Back Day by hosting sites where people can dispose of unwanted and expired prescription medications.
By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting.
Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This week’s column is sponsored and written by Mackenzie Horne of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Mackenzie at 571-594-9136.
Thinking of moving to Great Falls, Vienna, or McLean? Are you wondering what to do for fun with your kids — here is the scoop!
Great Falls Village Center, located in the heart of Great Falls, is quiet, tree-lined, and where memories are made. On the Green, kids can run freely and burn off their energy from having an ice cream at the Great Falls Creamery or after an evening meal with friends at the Old Brogue. From May to October, you can attend Concerts on the Green… bring a picnic blanket, pick up some pizza from Deli Italiano, and enjoy live music with friends and neighbors.
A few weeks ago, we were there with friends and the 5- and 6-year-olds were rocking out, dancing, cartwheeling, and even getting shoutouts from the band.
Ever notice how some kid-friendly spots don’t open until 10 a.m.? I don’t know about you, but my kiddo is up and ready for Saturday morning activities well ahead of this time frame!
If you are Saturday morning early birds, put Katie’s Cars and Coffee on your calendar! It is a great place to walk around with the kids, grab a cup of coffee, and see some amazing vehicles. Plus, it goes on all year round (weather permitting) every Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
No matter the time of year, there is something fun to do together as a family. From the 4th of July Fireworks at Turner Farm to the Celebration of Lights in December. Keep an eye out for the Colvin Run Mill who also hosts Santa in the Mill every year!
Are you looking for some great playgrounds? Check out the Great Falls Grange, which has a fantastic playground for kids of all ages, including a merry-go-round, swings, monkey bars, and a large baseball field.
Clemyjontri Park is truly a special place, where children of all abilities can play side-by-side. This park is a place where children who use wheelchairs, walkers, or braces, or who have sensory or developmental disabilities, can have a parallel playground experience of fun and exploration. My daughter loves going on the well-maintained carousel in the summer and always tries to snag the zebra!
Some of our family’s favorite places to go with kids include Wolf Trap Performing Arts with their robust kid-friendly offerings, NOVA Wild with its drive-through safari and petting zoo, Reston Farm Garden Market which my daughter likes to call the ‘Piggy Farm’ because she loves going to see the pigs, goats and chickens that are free to visit any day of the week. There are so many amazing options to choose from!
Want to grab a cup of coffee and connect about all the things? Call me, text me, email me anytime. These kids are such powerful inspirations for living our best lives, and I am here for you as you think about finding the perfect place to call home!
New interpretative signs are headed to Riverbend Park in Great Falls and Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly next month as part of an initiative to promote poetry in Fairfax County’s park system.
Set to be unveiled next Friday, Nov. 1, the signs will showcase poems selected by outgoing Fairfax County Poet Laureate Danielle Badra for both of the locations.
Officials Celebrate Woodson HS Renaming — “Wednesday’s rededication, school officials said, served as a reminder of the previous namesake’s troubling past and an opportunity to acknowledge it and move forward.” The Fairfax County School Board voted last Nov. 9 to name the Fairfax school after historian Carter G. Woodson instead of former superintendent W.T. Woodson. [WTOP]
NASA Robot Added to Smithsonian Museum — “NASA’s retired space shuttle Discovery has been reunited with one of its last crew members. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum debuted Robonaut-2 (R2), NASA’s first dexterous humanoid robot flown into space, on Thursday (Oct. 24)… R2 is now on exhibit at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center” in Chantilly. [Collect Space]
Vienna Halloween Paradegoers Share Election Thoughts — “Wednesday night WUSA9 went to the annual Vienna Halloween parade to find a cross section of voters. As the local clubs and civic groups paraded down Maple Avenue, we found families parading around in costumes. We also found some strong political opinions.” [WUSA9]
Tennis Court Renovation Complete — “The newly renovated tennis courts at Woodley Hills Park in Mount Vernon are ‘open and ready for business,’ in the words of the Fairfax County Park Authority. The repair work to the two courts, which began this past summer, wrapped up in mid-October, according to Park Authority spokesperson Ben Boxer.” [On the MoVe]
Annandale Dunkin’ Offers Free Donuts — “The new Dunkin’ in Annandale is celebrating its Grand Opening on Saturday, Oct. 26, by offering a free donut with a beverage purchase. The shop, at 8205 Columbia Pike, is along the route of the Annandale Parade, which starts Saturday at 10 a.m.” [Annandale Today]
Pumpkin Display to Light Up Local Business — Set to return to Franconia this November, Nalls Produce & Garden Center’s annual Pumpkin IllumiNIGHT “invites pumpkin lovers and families to help light up Beulah Street following Halloween by adding their own carved pumpkins to its jack-o-lantern display. The drive-by display is expected to feature over 100 pumpkins.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Woodlawn Park Welcomes New Playground — “Join the Fairfax County Park Authority and Supervisor Rodney Lusk for an afternoon of free outdoor fun on Monday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Muddy Hole Farm Park located at 7941 Kidd St.” Activities will include the mobile Wonder Wagon and a ribbon-cutting ceremony “for the new playground at the park.” [FCPA]
It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature around 68 degrees alongside light and variable winds turning southwest at around 6 mph in the afternoon. Friday night will be partly cloudy, with lows near 54 degrees. South winds at 5 to 7 mph will shift to the west after midnight. [NWS]
There are no permanent lights on the football fields at either Flint Hill School in Oakton and the Potomac School in McLean.
Yet, because temporary lights have been installed on each gridiron at the private schools, the football teams will host separate Friday-night games on Oct. 25.
Democratic candidates maintain cash-on-hand advantages in two of three significant Northern Virginia races for the U.S. House of Representatives.
With Election Day looming on Nov. 5, the financial margin is closest in the 10th District, where Democrat and current state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam held a robust but not overwhelming cash-on-hand lead at the start of October over Republican Mike Clancy, a lawyer, according to the latest figures from the Federal Election Commission as reported by the Virginia Public Access Project.
