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.
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.
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]
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.
Though the Virginia General Assembly won’t convene for another six months, Reston Association is starting to lay the groundwork for a major advocacy push.
The homeowners’ association recently issued a request for proposals seeking research and communications firms that could assist it in lobbying state lawmakers, particularly regarding the expected return of legislation to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino.
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]
Fairfax County’s population is older, more diverse, and wealthier than it was a year ago.
After a pandemic-induced slump in population and the economy, Fairfax County is showing signs of recovery with increases in population, wages, and housing production, according to a the county’s 2023 demographic report. However, the cost of buying and renting a home continues to rise.
Northern Virginia Magazine has unveiled the results of an extensive reader poll to determine the best spots for dining, shopping and entertainment in the region.
Fairfax County establishments came out on top in several categories, claiming the region’s best barbecue, Chinese and Korean food, water park, outdoor shopping district and more, according to the annual poll. The results were published online yesterday (Monday) after first appearing in print in the magazine’s June issue.
Fairfax County Public Schools teachers and other workers have elected a union to represent them in forthcoming labor contract negotiations.
The Fairfax Education Unions (FEU), a team-up of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) and the Fairfax Education Association (FEA), announced yesterday (Monday) that it will represent over 27,500 FCPS employees in their first collective bargaining effort since they secured that right in March 2023.
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]
