The Reston Historic Trust & Museum has raised $965 in three weeks with its fundraising campaign to reinstall the iconic, quirky pharmacy icons from the Lakeside Pharmacy.
The GoFundMe campaign launched on Nov. 8, Alexandra Campbell, the executive director of the Reston Historic Trust & Museum, told Reston Now.
The fundraising target of $15,000 will pay for repairs, cleaning and reinstallation of the icons in a new permanent exhibit in the plaza. The new exhibit will be unveiled during the organization’s annual Founder’s day event on April 6.
“We’ve still got a long way to go,” Campbell said. “We have some time to get to the $15,000.”
Most of the 22 donations have been small, individual donations — seven people have given $25, while others have donated amounts between $10 to $100.
The icons served as advertisements for the Lakeside Pharmacy, a legacy Lake Anne Plaza store. Designed by Chermayeff and Geismar, a New York-based graphic design firm, the icons were inspired by 1960s pop art and Reston’s founder Bob Simon’s wish for whimsical art at Lake Anne Plaza.
The Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association donated the icons to the Reston Historic Trust & Museum after they were removed in July to make way for new businesses in the pharmacy’s former location.
“We’re really glad to help preserve and keep them here,” Campbell said about the icons.
Virginia’s new members of Congress — Hear what the five lawmakers have to say about their first few weeks on Capitol Hill. [WVTF]
Winter break camp — With the holidays coming up, find out about the Reston Association’s Winter Break Camp if you need to keep your kids entertained and active. The deadline to apply is Dec. 13. [Reston Association YouTube]
Homeseller advice session — Mark Sierakowski, a realtor with Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc., will present a workshop on selling your home at 1 p.m. at the Reston Regional Library. [Fairfax County]
Photo via Ray Copson
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Williams-Sonoma in Reston Town Center to Close in January
- Planned Reston Tower Still Seeking Tenants
- Reston to Nearly Double in Size Over Next Quarter-Century
- Darwin Martinez-Torres Pleads Guilty to Murder of Nabra Hassanen
- Police: Reston Man Arrested After Firing His Handgun Into the Air
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.
Chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs face scrutiny over health and safety concerns as the county debates legalizing them as pets.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission held a public hearing last night (Nov. 29) on possibly changing the definition of commonly accepted pets to include all three.
The proposed amendment to the county’s zoning ordinance was spurred by the increasing popularity of chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs as pets in recent years, according to the proposal.
Casey Judge, a senior assistant to the county’s zoning administrator, said that care for chinchillas is similar to rabbits and care for hedgehogs is similar to ferrets in her presentation to the commission.
Judge said that research for the proposal included consultation with nearby breeders and veterinarians for exotic animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was not contacted, she said.
Arlington and Loudoun counties allow hedgehogs and chinchillas as pets, with Loudoun County also permitting hermit crabs.
Arlington County has reported two hedgehog abandonments since 2013 and no reports of any strays, the presentation said.
Fairfax City and Falls Church either do not allow or are unclear about the legality of the three animals as pets.
During public comment, local James Hart brought up concerns about hedgehogs’ ability to spread salmonella. Hedgehogs, along with cats, dogs, frogs, hamsters and many other animals, can spread the bacteria, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In response to the salmonella concerns, Judge said that a common pet — turtles — poses the same risk for spreading the bacteria, according to the CDC.
Another concern that came up involved how well owners can care for hedgehogs, given their high levels of maintenance. Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals that require space, exercise and room temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they do not start hibernating, according to the Hedgehog Welfare Society.
Judge said that it would be difficult to enforce requirements on temperature and enclosures for the animals.
Phillip Church from the county’s Animal Services Advisory Commission, which opposes the amendment, said that three vets he interviewed said hedgehogs are expensive and challenging to care for.
“I don’t think many people who are going to take home a hedgehog will give them proper care,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want to give people the opportunity to abandon or unintentionally mistreat the animals.
Judge said that breeders self-regulate for responsible pet owners and provide a plethora of resources, guides and training to ensure the animals will be safe at their new homes.
Local Mark Spisak likened hedgehogs to porcupines in his public testimony and said that demand for them as pets fuels an exotic pet trade that poses risks to animals. “I can see no advantage to wild animals being kept as pets,” Spisak said. ‘They should live their lives outside as nature intended.”
The commissioners lauded testimony from a student from Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, who argued for legalizing pet hedgehogs.
The student, who said he has cared for his turtle for eight years and his monitor lizard for two years, said that he believes hedgehogs are easier to care for than reptiles, based on his research. He also gave an overview of hedgehog breeding — since the importation of wild-caught African pygmy hedgehogs to the U.S. was banned in the 1990s, people have to go to local breeders for one.
If the county approves the amendment, he said he would get a hedgehog.
Mike Bober, president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council in Alexandria, also voiced support for hedgehogs as pets.
Mary Cortina, an at-large member of the commission, asked to delay a decision on the proposal until the meeting next Thursday (Dec. 6). The county’s Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the matter in January.
Hedgehog photo courtesy Kelly W.
If you could do anything, what would that be?
The Greater Reston Arts Center selected five artists based on their answers to that very question for an upcoming exhibit called “STRETCH.”
The exhibit, slated for Dec. 15 through Feb. 9, will present new work by James Huckenpahler, Monroe Isenberg, Katie Kehoe, Melanie Kehoss and Harry Mayer.
The website provides a glimpse into what some of the artists plan to create.
Huckenpahler, a D.C.-based artist who works mainly in digital media, will make large digital prints of a three-dimensional landscape of his X-rayed laptop.
Isenberg, a sculptor and installation artist who mostly uses wood and steel, will create an immersive installation that “investigates the relationships that become apparent in the space between the spirit world and ourselves.”
For the exhibit, Kehoss, who focuses on light boxes, plans to explore the “origins of food-related phenomena related to the history of sugar.”
While specifics for the exhibit are not available yet, the website says Kehoe is currently diving into ecological concerns in places that are expected to go underwater due to climate change. Kehoe, who works in performance, interdisciplinary sculpture and drawing, documents herself carrying or wearing hand-made life-jacket, life ring, bodyboards and buoys made from salvaged materials.
Lastly, Mayer, who draws upon mundane experiences and humor to create his sculptures from construction materials, “proposes to give the viewer a visceral experience that encourages a sense of playfulness.”
“STRETCH” is curated by Don Russell, a guest curator, and Erica Harrison, the associate curator and festival director of the art center. This exhibit marks Greater Reston Arts Center’s third biennial exhibit with a guest curator supporting local artists.
The Greater Reston Arts Center plans to host a reception — free and open to the public — from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15.
Photo via Greater Reston Arts Center website
The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved Thursday night (Nov. 29) parking and access adjustments for the Tall Oaks Village Center redevelopment.
Stanley Martin’s redevelopment would transform the Tall Oaks Village Center (12022 North Shore Drive) into a mostly residential neighborhood.
The redevelopment will create 156 residential units, which include 42 two-over-two multi-family units, 44 single units and 70 multi-family units in two residential buildings. It also plans to add nearly 8,500 square feet of retail and 5,800 square feet of office space.
The commission approved:
- a 200-square foot privacy yard requirement for single-family units
- tandem parking for the two-over-two dwelling units to count towards the off-street parking requirement for multi-family dwelling units
- a modification for the required number of loading spaces
- a modification for the transitional screening and barrier requirements
Ellen Hurley, who represents the Braddock District, abstained from the vote.
The shopping center, which was anchored by a Giant grocery store until it closed in 2007, has struggled without a stable grocer. Roughly 86 percent of the shopping center was vacant in 2016, according to the application.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved in July 2016 the owner’s plan to redevelop the retail center into a mixed-use project.
The development has been held up several times this year. Reston’s Design Review Board delayed voting on several aspects of the plan for several months. The garage size requirements stalled the redevelopment.
Another issue was the bus pad and bus service for the site. At the time of the approval, the county was planning to continue Fairfax Connector bus service through the development. The Fairfax Connector has since decided to no longer provide bus service through the development.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider the project on Tuesday (Dec. 4).
Rendering via Fairfax County Planning Commission
A new hair salon arrived in Lake Anne Plaza last week.
Top Style by Kate Noda Hair Studio offers haircuts for women, men and kids; coloring; styling; makeup; and other services. The salon opened in Reston on Thanksgiving (Nov. 22), an employee told Reston Now.
The salon updated the address on its website from a location in Tysons Corner to the one at Lake Anne Plaza — 1641 N. Washington Plaza, Unit A.
A Facebook post in June said the salon would in Tysons until September and shows a video of the Lake Anne Plaza spot under construction.
Photos via Top Style by Kate Noda/Facebook
Overcome writer’s block before NaNoWriMo ends — Join fellow locals from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Reston Regional Library to finish up the National Novel Writing Month challenge of writing a 50,000-word novel before midnight tonight. [Fairfax County]
Take a dip in the pool — Summer is long gone, but pool time isn’t. “The Family Splash” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Reston Community Center is $13 for residents. [Reston Community Center]
W&OD Trail project continues — A major 1.2-mile stretch of the trail’s bike path in Falls Church will be turned into a dual path — one for bikes and the other for pedestrians. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is providing $3.2 million for the project. The trail also faces planned construction over Wiehle Avenue. [Falls-Church News Press]
An environment-focused nonprofit has raked in funding for long-awaited community garden plots at Bruin Park.
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a funding request from the Herndon Environmental Network (HEN) for $20,000 at its Nov. 14 meeting.
HEN will use the grant money to help develop 40 garden plots on the west side of the tennis courts at the park, which is located at 415 Van Buren Street. The plan also includes adding fencing to protect the plots and accessible trails, according to a county press release.
The project’s budget totals $42,496.22 — a combination of the grant money with a $7,966.06 cash contribution and $14,530.16 of in-kind donations from HEN.
Plans for the community garden sprouted several years ago.
The Master Plan for Bruin Park was amended in January 2014 to allow for community garden plots. In April 2017, an agreement between HEN, the Town of Herndon — which owns the park — and the Park Authority authorized HEN to develop, manage and maintain community garden plots at the park, according to the press release.
HEN is set to celebrate the grant award at the monthly Bruin Park Community Garden planning meeting — free and open to the public — at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Herndon Fortnightly Library.
The Williams-Sonoma in Reston Town Center is set to close in January, a spokeswoman for the company told Reston Now.
“We plan on closing in early January, but do not have a specific date to share at this time,” the spokeswoman wrote in an email.
The store is located at 11897 Market Street. Other locations nearby include Tysons Galleria in McLean and the Mosaic District in Fairfax.
Questions have been raised about the status of the Pottery Barn, which is also operated by Williams-Sonoma Inc., at 11937 Market Street. Reston Now has not heard back yet from a representative for that store.
Image via Google Maps
Reston-based IT services provider Carahsoft will partner with Google Cloud to boost a National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative.
The partnership will provide Google Cloud services to support the NIH’s Science and Technology Research Infrastructure for Discovery, Experimentation, and Sustainability (STRIDES) Initiative, Carahsoft announced today (Nov. 29).
The initiative aims to reduce economic and technological barriers for accessing and computing on large biomedical datasets.
The NIH Institutes and Centers support researchers at more than 2,500 academic and research institutions.
The institutions’ data have traditionally been stored and made available via public repositories or at local institutions — a model that has become straining as data from research projects grows. “This makes it difficult for the research community attempting to integrate, analyze and share biomedical data sets,” according to the press release.
Carahsoft’s work with Google Cloud is meant to address those challenges by making high-value data more accessible through the cloud.
Google Cloud computing solutions will be available to the NIH and its designated recipients, and the NIH will work with the research community to develop policies utilizing the solutions.
The partnership to support the initiative will help accelerate the research institutions’ goal of enhancing health, lengthening life and reducing illness and disability, Terry Drinkwine, vice president of the Google Cloud team at Carahsoft, said in a statement.
Founded in 2004, the company is located at 1860 Michael Faraday Drive #100.
Photo via Google Maps
Reston Historic Trust & Museum has started up sales during the holiday season for commemorative bricks.
Locals have until Jan. 20 to place their orders for installation in 2019. The annual brick sales support the museum.
Up to three inscribed lines with a maximum of 15 characters each cost $100, while up to six lines cost $250. The inscription has white text level with the surface of the brick.
The inscription guidelines do not allow for the phrase “In Memory Of” and dates commemorative a person’s lifespan. The inscription also cannot contain profanity, offensive language, logos, taglines, telephone numbers or advertising. Religious or political content or symbols are also banned.
Bricks are ordered and installed once a year, according to the museum’s website. It takes up to two months to finish the bricks after they are bought each February.
Usually, the bricks get displayed at the Reston Museum during the Founder’s Day celebrations in April and are then installed in Lake Anne Plaza.
Photo via Reston Museum/Facebook
“O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree” — If you’re looking for a place to get a tree this holiday season, this roundup lists nearby Christmas tree farms. [Reston Patch]
Dollars and Sense — The free monthly group at Reston Regional Library focuses on business leaders and markets. Tonight’s 7 p.m. discussion will be about Mel Lindauer ‘s book “The Bogleheads’: Guide to Investing.” [Fairfax County]
Tackling Reston’s housing inclusiveness — Richard Rothstein, author of “Color of Law: The Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America,” will lead a discussion on how housing policy impacts equitability and inclusiveness in Northern Virginia communities. An interactive panel discussion with local community experts will follow. The event takes place tonight at the Reston Community Center at 5 p.m. [Reston Community Center]
Investigating how the media impacts victims of crime — Karen Bune, a criminology professor at George Mason University, will dive into the news media’s role related to crime victims and ways to disseminate news without negatively impacting victims, survivors, confidentiality and ongoing investigations. The event is at 7 p.m. at the Herndon Fortnightly Library. [Fairfax County]
Photo via Ray Copson
A construction worker from Herndon died the day before Thanksgiving after succumbing to injuries from a fall in the Ashburn area, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
At 10:20 a.m. last Wednesday (Nov. 21), deputies discovered Jose Escalante, 49, had fallen between 10 to 29 feet to the ground from a ladder. He had been doing construction work at a residence on the 22000 block of Dolomite Hills Drive, police said.
“All indications are this was an accident,” a spokesman for the sheriff’s office told Reston Now.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also responded to the scene, according to police.
Escalante succumbed to his injuries after being taken to a local hospital, police said.
Map via Google Maps
As crews continue construction for the second phase of the Metrorail Silver Line project, road closures and detours will be along the Dulles Toll Road this week.
Most of the closures avoid prime rush hour times.
The lane, shoulder and road closures started on Monday (Nov. 26) and are scheduled to last until Sunday (Dec. 2), according to a post from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
The post reminds drivers to use caution; remain attentive to all signage, barricades and speed limits; and obey all police and flagger instructions. Work is subject to weather changes.
Eastbound on Dulles Toll Road has right and left lane closures of varying lengths from west of the Route 28 overpass to the Reston Parkway overpass.
The schedule for this is:
- Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
There are also three left lane closures with stops every 20 minutes from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. Those closures are less than half of a mile west of Centreville Road to the east end of Herndon Station.
Starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, traffic eastbound on Dulles Toll Road near the toll plaza by Route 28 will be detoured to the right lane of the eastbound Dulles International Airport Access Highway. A second right lane will be closed as a safety buffer. Directly after the Centreville Road overpass, traffic will be allowed to re-enter the toll road lanes. This will last until 6 a.m. on Saturday.
Meanwhile, westbound on Dulles Toll Road there are alternating right and left lane closures of varying lengths between the Route 28 and Reston Parkway overpasses.
These will be in effect:
- Monday to Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Drivers heading westbound on the road will also experience three left lane closures with 20-minute stops from almost a quarter of a mile west of Van Buren Street to the west end of Innovation Center Station at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Herndon Parkway East has a right lane closed 1,000 feet east of Van Buren Street to 800 feet west of Exchange Place. This takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Tuesday until Thursday and then from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.
Other roads affected include the Dulles International Airport Access Highway, Autopilot Drive, Dulles Greenway, eastbound on Sunset Hills Road East, westbound on Sunrise Valley Drive and southbound on Moran Road.
