(Updated at 5:12 p.m.) While kids were off from school during winter break, Langston Hughes Middle School (11401 Ridge Heights Road) kicked off 2019 with renovations as a part of its planned expansion.

The first move of the school’s renovation took place during winter break, Principal Aimée Monticchio wrote in an email to the school community today (Jan. 4).

“We look forward to a new, modern and larger building after the renovation,” she wrote.

Originally constructed in 1979, the expanded school is set to be 189,000 square feet and serve 1,250 students, according to Hughes Group Architects.

The $39 million improvement program will be done in phases with the occupied construction project spanning five phases across three years.

The project includes a central court called the “Hall of Nations” — a collaborative and flexible space meant to serve as an auditorium, a classroom or a breakout space.

The project also includes renovating the cafeteria and adding a new dining courtyard.

With work already underway, seventh grade core classes, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Spanish classes are now housed in “Panther Town” — modular trailers on the field adjacent to Ridge Heights, Monticchio wrote.

Construction is estimated to be completed in 2021.

Images via Hughes Group Architects and Fairfax County Government

Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. Businesses Continue to Leave Reston Town Center
2. South Lakes HS Student Struck, Killed in Hit and Run
3. Vigil Sunday Night Honors South Lakes HS Teen Killed in Hit-and-Run
4. Ice House Cafe to Host New Year’s Eve Celebration Before Closing
5. Seven Restaurants Slated to Open in Reston, Herndon in 2019

If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.

Photo via Ice House Cafe/Facebook

With the first weekend of 2019 coming up, Reston Now has some suggestions for things to do around Reston and Herndon.

Tomorrow is the last chance to check out the National Parks photography exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street). The gallery features Jim Schlett’s national park photography. Most of the work was photographed during long walks through the parks around dawn or dusk.

Tomorrow (Jan. 5)

Winter bird count (7 a.m.-noon) — Get outside and take part in Reston’s winter bird count. The free event has participants meet at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) before the volunteers spread out to observe a variety of habitats around Reston. Volunteers will be provided lunch.

North Hills Pavilion run (8 a.m.) — Join Reston Runners at N. Village Road for either a 3-mile walk or 5-mile run.

Bookworms Club (11 a.m.) — Bring your young avid readers to Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) for the free “Bookworms Club.” The club explores a new theme each week with picture books, special guests and authors.

The Six Root Causes of Autoimmune Disease (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — A free workshop will be held at The Carroll Institute (11710 Plaza America Drive) by Dr. Garland Glenn called “Reversing the Cause of Autoimmune Disease.” Glenn will discuss simple steps that can reverse the root causes and provide a strategic action plan.

Chess Club (1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.) — Feeling competitive? People ages five and older can learn how to play chess from experienced instructors at the Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street).

Bach2Rock Fundraiser Showcase (6 p.m.-8 p.m.) — Multiple bands and solo artists from the B2R catalog are set to perform at the fundraising concert at ArtSpace Herndon. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $20. All of the proceeds will benefit ArtSpace Herndon.

Sunday (Jan. 6)

Reston Runners (8 a.m.)– Meet the running group for either a 3-mile walk, 6-mile walk or a 10-mile run. Starting locations vary.

Breaking the Weight Loss Plateau (4 p.m.-5 p.m.) — Already behind on your New Year’s goal to lose weight? Head to the GreenFare Organic Cafe (408 Elden Street) for a fitness class taught by Pericles Silva. Admission is $5.

Photo via ArtSpace Herndon

(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) Jerry’s Subs & Pizza is set to reopen soon after temporarily closing in the North Point Village Center.

The Reston location (1432 North Point Village Center) for the chain “closed due to a small fire-related incident that has been resolved,” according to a Facebook message from Jerry’s Subs & Pizza.

The Reston spot “will be reopening soon,” the company wrote, adding that there is no specific reopening date yet.

Do you know an avid volunteer? Nominations opened today (Jan. 4) for the Reston Association Volunteer Reston Service Awards.

Each year the awards recognize people, groups and community businesses who helped serve the community through various volunteer projects.

Nominees are not required to live in Reston, but must have volunteered for at least one year in Reston and contributed either 30 volunteer hours as an individual or 50 hours as a group during 2018, according to the guidelines.

Categories include the following:

• Youth Volunteer
• 55+ Volunteer
• Youth Group Volunteer
• Family Volunteer
• Group Volunteer Service
• Community Partner of the Year
• Committee and/or Work Group Volunteer of the Year

Locals have until 5 p.m. on Feb. 8 to submit nominations with a completed form, a narrative up to 400 words, a reference and supplemental materials. Submissions can be sent via email to [email protected] or by mail to 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive.

The 2018 award winners will be unveiled at a ceremony from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 18 at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue).

Photo via Reston Association

Singer-songwriter Kevin Daniel will perform in January as part of the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston.

Based out of Brooklyn, Daniel’s music mixes Americana, country and blues. He released his second EP, “Myself Through You,” in early 2018.

The 7 p.m. show on Friday, Jan. 18, has a $10 suggested donation. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.

The sessions help cultivate the Deepwood neighborhood community and provide a platform for independent artists to showcase their music.

According to the website, the series hosts its acoustic and unplugged concerts with a variety of styles and musical genres.

RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended since space fills on a first come first serve basis and also provides the location of each concert. The events are family-friendly and attendees may bring wine and beer.

Photo via Kevin Daniel/Facebook

Herndon’s HawkEye 360 aims high — The Herndon-based company behind a space-based civil global intelligence network successfully sent its first three satellites into orbit last month. [Financial Times]

Bike ban ends — Starting next week, Metro will allow bikes on trains during rush hours, which means Metro riders can now bring their bikes onboard at any time. The ban on bikes during rush hours ends on Monday. [WMATA]

Metro crime decreases — Metro recently announced there were fewer serious crimes on the transit system in 2018 than any year since 1999. The decline was driven mostly by a 19 percent reduction in theft. Robberies decreased 6.2 percent and aggravated assaults declined at slightly 3 percent. [WMATA]

County tallies up most traffic fatalities statewide — Fairfax County had the most traffic fatalities in 2018 in Virginia with 44 deaths — an increase from 35 in 2017. On Dec. 30, a 16-year-old South Lakes High School student died after a hit-and-run in Reston. [DCist]

Activist and author DeRay Mckesson will deliver the keynote address at the 34th annual Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration.

The Reston Community Center recently added the civil rights activist to its lineup for the three-day event, which takes place from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21.

Mckesson is an organizer, activist and author of “On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope,” which debuted in September. He has focused on confronting the systems and structures behind mass incarceration and police killings of black and other minority populations, according to his bio.

He will deliver this year’s keynote address at noon on Jan. 21 at RCC Hunters Woods. Afterward, attendees can enjoy a family-style community lunch in RCC’s Community Room. Following the lunch, Mckesson will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase.

RCC’s Executive Director Leila Gordon said Mckesson’s own experiences will inspire his call for others to tackle issues “with integrity, commitment and awareness.”

“DeRay Mckesson speaks with urgency and the poignancy of his own lived experience,” Gordon said in a press release “He is among the new wave of leaders emerging to tackle the persistent issues of injustice, inequity and racial disharmony that infect and poison the American experience.”

Tickets for the lunch and keynote address cost $5 for Reston residents and employees.

Photo via Spitz

Police are looking for two men in connection with a robbery that occurred on New Year’s Day.

Around 1:30 p.m., two men began fighting with a food delivery driver who was delivering an order to an apartment at the 11600 block of Stoneview Square, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The food delivery driver stopped fighting when one of the men displayed a knife, according to the report. The two men then went through his pockets and took an undisclosed amount of cash.

“The men were described as possibly black or Hispanic, in their early 20s, wearing all dark clothing,” according to the report.

The food delivery driver was not injured, police say.

Image via Google Maps

Christmas tree disposal — Still haven’t gotten rid of your tree yet? Trees less than 8 feet can be collected outside of single-family and townhouse communities for the first two weeks in January for recycling. [Fairfax County]

Spoof musical comedy opens today — The curtain will rise tonight for NextStop Theatre Company’s “[title of show],” a musical about four friends writing a musical about four friends writing a musical. Intrigued? Tickets start at $40 for the 8 p.m. performance in Herndon. [NextStop Theatre Company]

Scandal with the synagogue — Administrators deny allegations by families saying that the Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon ignored their son’s reports of bullying and ousted them as an act of retaliation for publicly criticizing the congregation. The synagogue’s board of directors voted revoked their membership in November after an alleged confrontation that they claim occurred at the synagogue with another parent and congregant. [Fairfax County Times]

Four teenage boys robbed a man in Herndon walking home from a local restaurant on Friday night (Dec. 28).

The teens approached the man around 3 a.m. at the 2500 block of John Eppes Road and asked him for a cigarette. Then, one of the boys kicked the man in the leg, which caused him to fall to the ground, and the teens got away with his wallet, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

The man was taken a local hospital. One of the boys, a 17-year-old, was found, and a petition was obtained for robbery.

In a separate incident, a man struck several trees in Reston after driving off of the road at the 11000 block of Glade Drive around 5:20 a.m. on Saturday (Dec. 29).

The trapped 35-year-old driver, Luke Gullekson of Herndon, was eventually removed by the fire department and taken to a local hospital for treatment. Police gave Gullekson a summons for driving while intoxicated, according to the report.

The Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station reported the following incidents in recent days:

LARCENIES:

11300 block of Baron Cameron Avenue, merchandise from vehicle

2100 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business

13400 block of Coppermine Road, jewelry from residence

1800 block of Cranberry Lane, property from vehicle

800 block of Crews Road, decorations from residence

2000 block of Hunter Mill Road, appliances from residence

2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, groceries from business

11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business

2500 block of Oakhampton Plaza, packages and mail from residence

10700 block of Oldfield Drive, wallet from vehicle

1700 block of Port Place, merchandise from residence

1900 block of Sagewood Lane, wallet from residence

11100 block of South Lakes Drive, liquor from business

12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, merchandise from business

1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, merchandise from business

STOLEN VEHICLES:

2100 block of Astoria Circle, 2003 Toyota Camry

12000 block of Greywing Square, 2003 Toyota 4Runner

10800 block of Winter Corn Lane, 2010 Ford Goldline F150XLT

Last Friday, a woman assaulted a police officer shortly before 3 a.m. at Reston Hospital after she became irate while police investigated whether or not she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of a car crash. Fairfax County police arrested and charged Elizabeth Wendt, 27, of Ashburn with assault on a law enforcement officer and driving while intoxicated, according to FCPD.

On Sunday (Dec. 30), police responded at 9:40 p.m. to residents’ reports of hearing multiple gunshots at the 2200 block of Castle Rock Square. Police searched the area and found shell casings on the ground. They are still investigating, according to the report.

Meanwhile, three commercial burglaries hit Herndon last week.

Employees at a business in the 1100 block of Elden Street noticed shortly after 6 a.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 26) that an undisclosed amount of cash was taken and that an entry appeared to have been forced through the back door. Herndon police are investigating that burglary along with one that occurred on Nov. 30.

After a different burglary, employees noticed an undisclosed amount of cash missing from the office safe around 9 a.m. last Friday in the 13000 block of Worldgate Drive. There was no sign of forced entry, according to police.

In a separate incident, employees noticed after 6 a.m. on Saturday (Dec. 29) that there was a forced entry into the business in the 1100 block of Elden Street. Police said that nothing was taken.

File photo

(Updated at 9:15 a.m.) The education technology company Blackboard Inc. announced today (Jan. 2) plans to move its global headquarters from D.C. to Reston this year.

“The new location will combine the company’s existing D.C. and Reston offices into a new modern office in the heart of Northern Virginia’s tech corridor,” according to a press release.

Blackboard, currently headquartered at 1111 19th Street NW, will relocate to the Plaza America complex (11720 Plaza America Drive), where its Reston office is already located, Washington Business Journal reported.

The company’s D.C.-area workforce is currently divided between its D.C. and Reston offices.

“We are excited to bring our Metro D.C. area workforce together into a new global headquarters in the vibrant Northern Virginia tech corridor,” Blackboard Chairman, CEO and President Bill Ballhaus said in the press release.

Ballhaus said that the new office space will offer “convenient access” to dining, shopping and transportation.

“We are delighted that Blackboard chose Fairfax County for its global headquarters and will expand its footprint here,” Catherine Riley, the interim president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said in a press release.

Riley added that Blackboard’s decision to be based in Northern Virginia’s “technology corridor” is “an additional confirmation of the value of Fairfax County for innovative companies from across the technology spectrum.”

Blackboard joins several other tech companies that have recently decided to move their headquarters to or expand in Reston, including IDEMIA, Refraction and 1901 Group.

I look forward to welcoming Blackboard's global headquarters to Reston this year! https://t.co/z9QevkLt4f @RestonNow @FairfaxEDA

— Sharon Bulova (@SharonBulova) January 3, 2019

Image via Google Maps

The Reston Community Center kicked off the more than $5 million renovation of the Reston Community Center’s Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center today (Jan. 2).

Contractor Branch & Associates started the work today on the project, which will update the 40-year-old aquatics center with two pools.

After the final open swim time ended yesterday, the process of draining the pool began.

That process starts with neutralizing the pool water for several days to allow chlorine to dissipate before slowly draining the water, ensuring that it does not erode stream banks downstream of the pool.

“Draining the water is a controlled process to avoid overwhelming any part of the surrounding environment,” RCC’s Executive Director Leila Gordon who said that the team will follow strict environmental standards throughout the process.

In addition to Gordon, the project team includes Branch Project Manager Bill Ruschaupt, RCC’s Deputy Director John Blevins and Martha Sansaver, Karen Davis and Geoff Kimmel from DPWES.

Branch & Associates was selected as the contracting firm for the project after Fairfax County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services opened a pre-bid qualification process in October.

RCC chose mosaic artist Valerie Theberge to create a mosaic artwork installation for the large wall areas adjacent to the pool overlook area.

Gordon said that the new artwork by Theberge — the artist behind the Glade Drive underpass and a mosaic water feature at Dogwood Pool — will “add to Reston’s wonderful public art collection.”

The renovated facility, designed by RRMM-Lukmire Architects, will include a 25-yard lap pool with zero-depth entry, a warm-water therapeutic pool, updated infrastructure systems and a new roof. It is slated to reopen in the fall.

During the construction period, Reston patrons can receive discounted rates, which are offered through RCCs’ partnership with the YMCA Fairfax County Reston, Reston Association and Herndon Community Center.

Renderings via Reston Community Center

Candidates interested in running for one of the five spots in the Reston Association’s 2019 Board of Directors election can attend an informational session tomorrow.

The session for prospective candidates will be at RA’s headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive) at 7 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 3).

The open seats in 2019 are the following:

• At-Large for a three-year term
• Apartment Owners for a one-year term
• Hunters Woods/Dogwood for a one-year term
• North Point seat for a three-year term
• Lake Anne/Tall Oaks seat for a three-year term

The one-year terms are due to prior mid-term resignations and the appointment of interim replacements in 2018.

Candidates must be RA members, and residents seeking a district seat must live in that district.

The Reston Association Elections Committee wants interested members to fill out a candidacy statement form and return it by 5 p.m. on Jan. 25. The committee will then validate candidates by the end of the month.

The month-long election begins on March 4, with the election results unveiled at the Annual Members’ Meeting in April.

File photo

Family and friends gathered on Sunday evening at the spot where 16-year-old Marvin Daniel Cruz Serrano was killed Saturday.

They placed a white wooden cross with “Daniel” near the intersection where the South Lakes High School sophomore was struck by a vehicle while returning home from work at Reston’s Cafesano, WJLA reported.

The memorial continues to grow with several bouquets of flowers and a stuffed animal for the teen who friends called “kind and selfless.” Serrano leaves behind his mother and a 2-year-old brother.

In a message sent to the school community Monday evening, Principal Kim Retzer said funeral arrangements are still being planned.

Fairfax County Police are still looking for the driver, who fled the scene. Detectives believe the sedan involved “may possibly be gray or silver, and it likely has significant front end damage.”

“At about 5:40, officers responded to the report of a pedestrian hit-and-run crash on South Lakes Drive and Castle Rock Square in Reston,” police said in a press release. “The teen was attempting to cross South Lakes Drive… when he was hit by a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

The fatal hit-and-run was the 44th road death in Fairfax County in 2018 — the most for any county in Virginia last year, according to DCist.

Police are asking anyone with information about the fatal hit-and-run to contact the Crash Reconstruction Unit witness phone line at 703-280-0543 or to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Solvers.

16-year-old Daniel Serrano’s grief-stricken mother nearly collapsed during the vigil for her son who was killed by a hit and run driver. This was an incredibly emotional story to cover. I broke down in tears.
Fairfax County Police are searching for the driver. pic.twitter.com/1098jCvFAD

— Victoria Sanchez (@VictoriaSanchez) December 31, 2018

The memorial for 16-year-old Daniel Serrano continues to grow. pic.twitter.com/AMVBupkGw7

— Victoria Sanchez (@VictoriaSanchez) December 31, 2018

Family & friends tell us 16yo Daniel Serrano was a cashier at a restaurant in Reston. He worked hard to help his family. They say he was coming home from work and crossing South Lakes Dr. when police say a driver hit him/didn’t stop. Serrano didn’t survive. @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/SfEelex8xP

— Evan Lambert (@EvanLambertTV) December 31, 2018

Photo via Madison Grace Shannon/Facebook