Reston | FFXnow - Part 334

Published October 11, 2023 at 1:30PM

Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw speaks at Fairfax County's Climate Action Conference (via James Walkinshaw/Facebook)

Fairfax County residents are underutilizing publicly-funded incentives to make their homes more green. That’s according to James Walkinshaw, Fairfax County Supervisor for the Braddock District, who hosted the county’s first Climate Action Conference on Sept. 30.

Greeting a crowd of community members gathered at Lake Braddock Secondary School, Walkinshaw said the focus of the conference was to give residents “all the actionable information and the tools you need to reduce your emissions and save money.”

Countywide

D.C. area office cleaners win pay raises in contract agreement, avoiding strike

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 11, 2023 at 11:45AM

Del. Holly Seibold speaks at 32BJ SEIU's strike vote rally for Fairfax and Loudoun county office cleaners (courtesy 32BJ SEIU)

The workers who clean office buildings around Fairfax County won’t have to hit the picket lines anytime soon.

The union representing about 9,100 commercial office cleaners in the D.C. area reached a tentative agreement yesterday (Tuesday) for a new contract with property owners in the Washington Service Contractors Association (WSCA), averting a potential strike.

News

Residents told to stay out of Lake Thoreau after algae bloom appears

By Fatimah Waseem

Published October 11, 2023 at 10:15AM

A partial algae bloom is present on Lake Thoreau (Photo via Reston Association).

An algae bloom has taken over a portion of Reston’s Lake Thoreau.

In a statement released yesterday (Tuesday), Reston Association said the bloom contains “potentially harmful cyanobacteria.”

Countywide

Morning Notes

By FFXnow.com

Published October 11, 2023 at 8:15AM

A bicyclist on Merrilee Drive near the Dunn Loring Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Board of Supervisors Contenders Diverge in Views of County — “Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay (D) and his Republican challenger, Arthur Purves, politely exchanged views — with the occasional sharp elbow — during a televised Oct. 2 forum.” [Gazette Leader]

Murder Charge Filed in Woman’s Fatal Shooting — Eric Antonio Rubio, 36, of Alexandria, has been charged with second degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony for the death of Brenda Ochoa Guerro, who was found unconscious in the Inova Mount Vernon Hospital parking lot on April 13. Rubio and three others were arrested in May for concealing a dead body. [FCPD]

News

Planning underway for new Colvin Run Mill trail, but funding path unclear

By Fatimah Waseem

Published October 10, 2023 at 2:30PM

A sign for Colvin Run Mill (file photo)

Residents are calling on the Fairfax County Park Authority to ensure that a trail is constructed on the south side of a new tunnel in Colvin Run Mill Park.

Construction on the $1.5 million tunnel under Route 7 as part of the widening of Leesburg Pike is currently underway. But the project, which is managed by state officials, lacks a 1,000-foot trail to the south side of the tunnel that would allow residents to walk to the park’s sites in Great Falls, Lake Fairfax and Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail.

Reno of the Month: 5 design ideas to make your powder room sizzle

By Sponsor

Published October 10, 2023 at 12:30PM

Written by Mina Lucks, Synergy Design & Construction

It may be the smallest room in the house, but that doesn’t mean your powder room has to be boring! Actually, it’s the easiest space to get creative, making it a great conversation starter for visiting friends and family, so don’t be afraid to make a big design statement!

Countywide

Nearly 1 in 4 Fairfax County residents are food insecure, report finds

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 10, 2023 at 11:45AM

My Market is stocked with both perishable and nonperishable food (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Finding sufficient, quality food remains a challenge for many people across the D.C. area, even with the immediate economic disruptions triggered by the pandemic in the rear view mirror, the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) says in a new report.

Released last month, the nonprofit’s 2023 Hunger Report found that the region is still seeing elevated levels of food insecurity that are nearly identical to what was reported a year earlier. In Fairfax County, 24% of residents are food insecure — the exact same percentage as in 2022.

News

Reston Association proposes studying staff compensation in draft budget

By Fatimah Waseem

Published October 10, 2023 at 10:15AM | Updated October 10, 2023 at 11:29AM

Reston Association (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Reston Association is considering a 10% increase in its annual membership assessment as part of a preliminary budget draft for fiscal year 2025.

The proposal — which is the first of what will likely be several drafts — was discussed at a Sept. 28 Board of Directors meeting. As previously reported, the budget would include new positions and cover membership recreational passes in the assessment fees.

Countywide

Morning Notes

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 10, 2023 at 8:15AM

A seating area on Wilkins Plaza at George Mason University's Fairfax campus (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

GMU’s Fall for the Book Kicks Off Today — After a week of preview events, George Mason University’s annual book festival officially returns today for its 25th anniversary. The festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a talk by roller derby skater Gabe Montesanti about her new memoir and continue through Saturday (Oct. 14). [Fall for the Book]

Police Investigate Linked Thefts and Vehicle Break-Ins — “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau, Criminal Investigations Division, are investigating a series of vehicle break-ins and package thefts that occurred between October 3-4. The suspect is believed to be responsible for breaking into several vehicles and stealing items during the late-night hours in both the Fair Oaks and Reston police districts.” [FCPD]

News

Va. attorney general opposes Dulles Greenway toll increase in Northern Virginia

By Nathaniel Cline / Virginia Mercury

Published October 9, 2023 at 3:30PM

The eastern end of the Dulles Greenway near Herndon (via Google Maps)

The Office of the Virginia Attorney General is opposing a private toll road owner’s request for a rate increase.

In July, Toll Road Investors Partnership II, the owner and operator of the 14-mile Dulles Greenway that runs between Leesburg and Washington Dulles International Airport, filed a request with the State Corporation Commission to increase tolls by at least 21%.