The Fairfax County Park Authority is going to need a bigger budget to handle its running bamboo.
The agency has requested an additional $500,000 and a new, full-time staff position for an ecologist to help manage bamboo removal projects now that the county requires property owners to contain the species.
A new bank is slated to open soon at The Spectrum Center at Reston Town Center.
PNC Bank plans to open at 11842 Spectrum Center this year, according to the center’s website.
Electric bicycles with a brand-new look will dock at select Capital Bikeshare stations in Fairfax County this spring.
The rental bicycle-sharing service is rolling out 850 new e-bikes across the D.C. area, more than doubling its current stock and bringing its total fleet close to 7,000 bicycles, according to the Washington Post.
Metro Adds Trains to Speed Up Service — “Metro is ramping up service across much of the rail system starting [Monday], promising ‘an infusion of trains.’ This comes as ridership has been on the upswing, hitting new post-pandemic records, and as the transit system has been allowed to bring back more 7000-series railcars.” [DCist]
County Launches Fund for Tech Startups — “The Fairfax Founders Fund (FFF), a grant and technical assistance program providing funds to early-stage Fairfax County-based startups, will begin accepting applications on April 10. FFF will provide up to $50,000 in capital to help start-ups develop their business and prepare for later-stage investment.” [Department of Economic Initiatives]
Len Forkas, a Reston-based businessman, is skiing to the North Pole in a few weeks to break the ice on support for kids with cancer.
The 63-year-old — who is described as an “ultra-endurance athlete” — plans to ski 60 miles to the North Pole in order to raise money for Hopecam, a nonprofit organization he founded that connects children undergoing cancer treatment with their friends.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors got a first look last week at a new plan that it hopes can help turn the county into a hub for the arts.
At an economic initiatives committee meeting on March 14, Fairfax County Arts Committee Chair Leila Gordon said the new Master Arts Plan shows that some of the county’s revitalization zones — like the one in the works for downtown McLean — need to do more to prioritize the arts and add more supporting facilities.
A traveling exhibition looking at the ins and outs of Prohibition in Virginia is coming this month to Reston Museum.
The Library of Virginia’s Teetotalers & Moonshiners exhibit will be on view between tomorrow (March 21) and April 29. Reston Museum will also showcase artifacts from its own collection of Bowman Distillery items.
Developers Seek to Add More Housing in Fair Lakes — “Proposed updates to Fairfax County’s land use regulations, preliminarily earmarked for the county staff’s highest priority, signal that the sea-changing real estate market wants to see Fair Lakes, like elsewhere in the county, shift away from suburban office and toward new residential development.” [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Fire Station Introduces New Engine — “Thursday, Station 25. Reston, A-Shift placed new Engine 425 in service. A ‘push In’ ceremony was conducted by the shift. This tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn equipment when firefighters had to push the equipment back into the station. E425 responded on its first call, an outside fire, a short time later.” [FCFRD/Facebook]
Voting for Reston Association’s Board of Directors’ election closes on March 31.
This year, 10 candidates are vying for five seats on the nine-member board. The results of the election will be announced at the annual members’ meeting in April.
Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This recurring column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.
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