The 69th annual Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival is now underway at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox Road, Herndon).

The fun-filled festival, which kicked off Thursday morning, features dozens of fun rides for kids as well as carnival games, fair food and much more. The fair is presented by Fairfax County 4-H.

The fair goes from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Parking is free today and Friday, and it will be $8 per car Saturday and Sunday.

The fun throughout the weekend will include not just the carnival rides and games, but also a “Big Truck” event at 5 p.m. Friday, the tractor pull at 4 p.m. Saturday, and much more.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXTcqAoDUYG/?taken-by=restonmuseum

If you missed Tuesday’s deadline to register for Lake Anne’s first Cardboard Boat Regatta, scheduled for later this month, never fear. The deadline to get a craft registered for the event has been extended to Sunday, Reston Museum announced Wednesday on social media.

The museum has been sharing numerous examples of possible boat designs on its Instagram account in recent days, including a shark, a tractor, a pirate ship and more.

Participants in the event will be asked to construct and decorate their own boats, which will take to the water in timed heats. Some extraneous material can be used in building the vessel, but there are many rules and limitations to what can be utilized.

Adult and family teams can register for $100; student teams can register for $40. All the proceeds from the event will go toward the Reston Historic Trust & Museum. Awards will be given to the fastest boats in each category, as well as the “Titanic” award for the ship that sinks “most spectacularly.”

“We can’t wait to see the creativity that everyone is putting into their cardboard boats,” said Elizabeth Didiano, executive director of the Reston Historic Trust & Museum. “Some teams are designing colorful, flashy boats while others are focusing on what will help their boat float the best.”

The event is scheduled for 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. A pre-event “launch party” is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11.

For more information or to register a boat, visit the event’s webpage or contact the Reston Historic Trust at 703-709-7700 or [email protected].

The Reston Association Board of Directors will meet throughout the month of August to work toward drafting the 2018-19 biennial budgets.

Monday, RA staff will provide an overview to the board on the draft 2018-19 Capital Projects & Budget Plan, along with the Five-Year Strategic Capital Projects Plan. The following Monday, Aug. 14, the Board will receive and provide comments on CEO Cate Fulkerson’s first draft of the proposed 2018 and 2018 Operating Budgets.

At a Monday, Aug. 28 session, directors are scheduled to consider the Decision Points presented within the drafted Operating and Capital budgets. They are also to provide guidance to staff about what should and should not be included in the second draft of the budgets.

Each of the three August sessions is scheduled for 6:30-9 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).

Directors heard a presentation at their meeting last week on the results of community engagement workshops where input on budget priorities, among other issues, was provided. The Board has been asked to consider incorporating the feedback provided through the community listening sessions into its budget development process for the coming year.

Sridhar Ganesan, At-Large director, said he would like to see more such listening sessions held before the budget is finalized.

“I think we will be doing some public sessions, [and] I hope to do substantive ones so that people can actually give feedback on it,” he said. “For example, ‘These are the projects we’re proposing — how do you react to that?’ [It’s about] actually having a way to get real data back from the people.”

The process is scheduled to continue with another work session in September and the final draft presented at the Board’s Sept. 28 meeting. There will then be a pair of public hearings on the budget in late October, followed by approval of the budgets and the 2018 assessment rate at the Board’s November meeting.

Gas Line Break on Herndon Parkway — Emergency gas line repair work between Van Buren Street and Palmer Drive will keep one westbound lane closed throughout the day. [Herndon Police Department]

Still No Stop-Arm Cameras on School Buses — County supervisors have directed staff to work with Fairfax County Public Schools leadership to determine the status of the camera-installation program, and obtain a detailed timeline regarding when the equipment would be installed. Video-monitoring cameras capture images of vehicles being illegally driven past school buses that have their flashing red lights and stop-arms activated. [Inside NoVa]

Herndon Working With Comstock on Downtown Development — A comprehensive agreement on the downtown development is the town’s top priority, its new town manager says, and they hope to get it done this year. [Herndon Patch]

County Police Demonstrate ‘Pit’ Maneuver — The maneuver involves an officer using the police car’s front fender to touch the rear bumper of a suspect’s car, causing the other car to turn before coming to a complete stop. [WJLA]

The second phase of Reston Hospital Center’s master plan for expansion will begin next month, the Washington Business Journal reports.

According to Reston Hospital Center, the work will include:

• A new parking garage from of the West Wing Entrance (two levels underground and two above) to allow for more convenient parking for patients and visitors
• A new patient tower and state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit, located above the Emergency Room
• Expansion of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services
• Expansion and renovation of Women and Children’s Services, including the Level III NICU
• A second catheterization lab
• refurbishment to the lobbies, cafeteria and other patient-support areas located on the main level of the hospital, along with the addition of a new visitor corridor

The work is budgeted to cost about $72 million, the WBJ reports. These plans were announced in early 2016.

Between 2012 and 2015, the Hospital Center invested more than $40 million in the first phase of the expansion. That included a 180,000-square foot LEED-certified medical office building, expansion of the pre-op department and surgical recovery, the addition of a Pediatric Emergency Room, and more.

Reston Hospital Center says phase two of the expansion is expected to take about two years to complete.

(This article was updated at 8:15 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, with information about the third outreach session.)

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation plans to bring 10 new locations of Capital Bikeshare to Reston, including nine south of the Dulles Toll Road.

Phase II of the expansion of Capital Bikeshare to the area is intended to “increase the number of destinations within the system, while also taking advantage of new bike infrastructure in 2017 to make riding safer and more enjoyable for all,” according to FCDOT. Fifteen Capital Bikeshare locations have already been installed in Reston, all in the northern part of the community.

The proposed new locations for Capital Bikeshare stations include Baron Cameron Avenue/Hampton Avenue North, as well as nine in South Reston:

• Soapstone Drive/Sunrise Valley Drive
• Soapstone Drive/South Lakes Drive
• Campus Commons Drive
• South Lakes Village Center
• Hunters Woods Village Center
• Barton Hill Park
• Lake Audubon Pool
• Glade Pool
• Hunters Woods Park

Public outreach events to gather community input on the proposed sites are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 10 at Lake Audubon Pool (2070 Twin Branches Road) and Thursday, Aug 17 at Glade Pool (11550 Glade Drive). Both are slated for 1-5 p.m.

A third outreach session will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Reston Farmers Market in Lake Anne Plaza.

Phase II of the Bikeshare project is federally funded, with 10 new stations being paid for by a TAP grant. Because of this, they all must be located in the public right of way. Therefore, FCDOT plans to replace some of the locally funded Phase I stations that are on public rights of way with federally funded stations, and then relocate the Phase I stations to South Reston sites (Campus Commons Drive, South Lakes Village Center and Hunters Woods Village Center) where public right of way is not available.

Anyone who cannot attend an outreach session but would like to submit feedback on proposed stations can use the FCDOT comment form, email [email protected] or call 703-877-5600.

Negotiations are underway to lease 45,000 square feet of space at Boston Properties’ Discovery Town Square, which would bring the two-building complex to 98 percent capacity.

During the company’s quarterly earnings conference call Wednesday, BXP President Douglas Linde announced the negotiations to shareholders.

“There are a number of technology companies looking to expand in Reston Town Center, just as the defense contractors have begun to retreat,” Linde said.

The previous lease on the vacant space expired in June, Linde said.

Discovery Town Square consists of two nine-story office buildings at 12010 and 12012 Sunset Hills Road. Companies currently there include SAIC and Microsoft.

Linde also told investors Boston Properties is “hotly pursuing” a 600,000-square foot build-to-suit lease agreement at Reston Town Center.

“Our new transaction activity is as robust as it has been in our history,” Linde said.

BXP’s second-quarter funds from operations per share ($1.67) and total revenue ($657 million) both exceeded expectations.

Signs claiming “Hate Has No Home Here” have popped up around the community, but one has caused controversy at the Orchard Green Cluster.

Rikki Epstein, of the 11400 block of Orchard Green Court, went before a panel of Reston’s Design Review Board on Tuesday evening to appeal a ruling by her cluster association that her 24-by-18-inch sign was not appropriate for display in her yard.

Dan Pennington, president of the Orchard Green Cluster Association, provided an official written statement as an affected party in the case, saying the sign should not be permitted “based on the clear definitions of Political Signs and what is permitted under RA rules.”

Registration Open for ChalkFest — Public Art Reston, in partnership with Reston Town Center, will host its annual festival ChalkFest on Sept. 16. All are invited to participate in this annual chalk festival and transform Market Street into a street art gallery! Registration is available in three categories: Professional Artists ($20), Amateur Artists ($15) and Families & Kids ($15). [Public Art Reston]

‘Totally Trucks’ Event Friday — Reston Association will show off its trucks to kids Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Central Services Facility (12250 Sunset Hills Road). All children will receive a “Totally Trucks” construction helmet. There will be a horn-free hour, on some of the vehicles, from 9-10. Registration is not required for the rain-or-shine event. Contact a[email protected] or call 703-435-6577 for more information. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]

National Farmers Market Week Coming Up — National Farmers Market Week is Aug. 6-12. In a piece for the Connection Newspapers, John Lovaas invites all to celebrate the importance of local growers at the Reston Farmers Market in Lake Anne Plaza on Aug. 12. [Connection Newspapers]

High School Sports Football Season Starts — Practices began for Fairfax County Public Schools football teams Tuesday. WUSA9 talked to South Lakes High School coach Trey Taylor about efforts that are being made to improve safety for student-athletes. [WUSA9]

Several hundred people enjoyed lunch on the house Tuesday afternoon as Cava Mezze Grill celebrated the opening of its new Reston location at 1815 Fountain Drive.

“We’ve always known Reston is a place we’ve wanted to come,” said Meg Schiffman, Cava’s director of marketing, amid the crowd during the free community-lunch event, which lasted from noon to 2 p.m. “It has been the most-requested location in the history of Cava, and we’re just so thrilled to be part of the community now.”

As of about 1:15 p.m., Schiffman said about 250 people had already made their way through the line, which still extended all the way down The Spectrum shopping center’s sidewalk. Schiffman said it was one of the longest lines she had ever seen during such an opening event, which Cava hosts at each of its new locations.

“Sharing a meal is part of our culture — it’s really kind of where we came from,” Schiffman said. “It’s been something we really feel is important to introduce ourselves, but at the same time to open our doors and really have a shared experience with everybody in the community.”

The Greek and Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant is an offshoot of Rockville-based Cava Mezze restaurant, which has five locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The Reston location is the 34th Cava Mezze Grill nationwide, with plans to add several more by the end of 2017.

The restaurant will open for regular business hours, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., beginning Wednesday.

Crime reports provided by Fairfax County Police Department in the month of July, plotted in the interactive map above, show a wide variety of incidents through the Reston District Station. Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle the types of crimes displayed.

In total, FCPD’s July reports included the following breakdown of criminal incidents in the area:

• 61 larcenies
• 5 burglaries or attempted burglaries
• 1 bias incident
• 1 case of shots fired
• 1 stolen vehicle

The 61 larcenies represent an increase from May and June (49 and 46, respectively).

Fairfax County Police in July also arrested the ex-treasurer of the South Lakes High School athletics booster club, charging him with embezzling at least $60,000 while he was in his role.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

The Reston District Station of FCPD covers Reston, Great Falls and portions of Herndon and Vienna.

Fairfax County’s police reports are not comprehensive lists of every police event in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific locations, unless otherwise noted. This data was compiled using the reports released by police between July 1 and July 31, meaning some of the incidents occurred in late June.

Before its meeting tonight, Reston’s Design Review Board will have another one-hour work session with the developers of the proposed Kensington Senior Living at 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive.

Following a work session with the DRB in May, Kensington has made the following changes to its plan to reduce the project’s size:

• Eliminated an entire floor of the building, resulting in a 2-story building
• Reduced the overall mass of the project by about 30 percent, from 91,000 square feet to 65,000 square feet, resulting in an approximate FAR of 0.83
• Narrowed the width of the building toward the south of the site, resulting in an additional setback to the nearest townhomes of 20 feet
• Reduced the unit count by 23 percent from 91 to 70, and the bed count by 26 percent from 130 to 96

Previous designs for the proposal featured as many as five stories.

The facility would be at the site of the current Good Beginnings School. The property has not yet been sold, with the deal contingent upon the plan’s approval.

At the May work session, residents of the Wethersfield Cluster expressed their concerns about lowered property values, privacy and architectural compatibility. Kensington says it “has considered and is working through different architectural styles, and it “plans to present more detailed building elevations” during tonight’s session.

The documents that have been provided prior to tonight’s session are available here.

The discussion is scheduled for 6 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). The DRB’s regular meeting will begin at 7.

Image via Moseley Architects

Live Music for National Night Out — Tonight’s National Night Out activities at Lake Anne Plaza will include an acoustic performance by Alex Perez at 5:30 p.m., a DJ and the Emotion Dance and Fitness Studio from 6-8 p.m., and an 8 p.m. show from Cinema Hearts. There will also be kids’ activities and BOGO Krazy Kustard Shakes at Kustard & Co. (1631 Washington Plaza N.). [Press Release]

State of Environment Report OK’d by RA Board — The summary, produced by Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee, is part of a new effort to publish an annual report on the state and management of the environment in Reston. The working group, which is comprised of nine members, spent over 1,000 combined volunteer hours compiling data. [Reston Association]

Best Ice Cream Sandwiches in DC Area — In its list of the top gooey goodies in the region, Washingtonian magazine has a recommendation for those going to Ted’s Bulletin (11948 Market St.): ask for an ice cream sandwich made with their housemade pop-tarts. [Washingtonian]

Registration Begins Today for Fall Parks Programs — Classes at Fairfax County parks, available in numerous recreational categories, begin Sept. 5. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Is Your Pet Prepared? — Fairfax County officials want to make sure residents are not only thinking about emergency preparedness plans for the family, but for pets as well. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Adrian Hollands knew “Orca,” the 20-foot pontoon boat he bought from his Lake Chapel Lane neighbor, is longer than what is allowed on Reston’s lakes per the Reston Deed.

His covenants appeal that was brought before the Reston Association Board of Directors last week (video) failed after a lengthy discussion that delved into conversation about how closely the Board should adhere to the Deed.

“The Deed was written so many years ago that every now and again, we should probably be looking through the Deed and saying, ‘What doesn’t make sense anymore?'” Board President Sherri Hebert said. “[But] it’s not as easy as just taking a vote to change our Deed and change those rules. It’s a pretty complicated process.”

CEO Cate Fulkerson said that in 2003, the section of the Deed regarding boats was considered in advance of the referendum to amend the Deed, which took place in 2006.

“As opposed to eliminating this particular covenant, it was actually strengthened to include the width of the boats,” Fulkerson said. “That was considered and put to community comment.”

Section VI.2(b)(9) of the Reston Deed states that “[e]xcept for emergencies or Association authorized maintenance, no boats greater than eighteen feet in overall length and ten feet in overall width and no boats powered by or equipped with internal combustion engines shall be allowed on the lakes.”

In 2008, seven property owners whose boats were longer than 18 feet were issued nontransferable grandfather exemptions. When Hollands purchased “Orca” from his neighbor, the Covenants Committee said, the exemption for that boat was invalidated.

Hollands, who said the cost of modifying the boat for compliance would be more than $5,000, provided the Board with 36 signed petitions from Lake Audubon neighbors who had no issue with his boat being 20 feet in length. Hollands said while no one seems sure why the Deed sets the limit at 18 feet, he has heard it comes from 18-foot townhouse widths on Lake Anne.

“Suffice it to say that I don’t know how Reston Association or RHOA at the time came up with this rule,” Hollands said in a written comment provided to the Board, “but as with many rules, laws and regulations, they are well intended but not necessarily the right course of action.”

RA member Irwin Flashman addressed the Board and said he feared that if it begins picking and choosing which parts of the Deed to follow and to ignore based on convenience, it would lose all credibility and legal standing.

“If you fail to enforce your covenants, you risk the next time you go to court, having the court say, ‘Oh, but you don’t enforce it yourself and you’re asking the court to do that?” he said. “It would undercut the Reston Association’s authority and this Board’s authority.”

Each Board director spoke on the issue, most agreeing that while Hollands’ plight is unfortunate and he made good points, it is important to abide by the rules set in the Deed and not become a “court.”

“I hate this, because it’s a dumb, arbitrary number,” said At-Large Director Eric Carr. “[But] it would take us down a slippery slope, where when somebody doesn’t want to enforce something, they’re going to say ‘You chose not to enforce this in the past because you thought it was dumb.'”

At-Large Director Ray Wedell, however, said what should be of the most importance to everybody is to “adhere [to] common sense and what’s in the best interest in the community.”

“To say that somehow we have to be the guardians of this strict rule written 50-some-odd years ago on each and every issue or else … is opening us up to incredible bureaucracy,” he said. “I think we use the Deed as a crutch to never do anything sometimes.”

The covenants appeal was denied by a vote of 8-1, with Wedell casting the lone dissenting vote.

“I’m proud to be the one,” he said at the conclusion of the vote.

The Board took legal counsel in executive session to further discuss the process of considering changes to the Deed.

Image via Reston Association

Silver Line Struggling to Maintain Riders — Phase 1 of Metro’s Silver Line expansion fueled an unprecedented building boom in areas adjacent to its five stations, the Washington Post reports. However, the line has struggled to attract riders in the three years since it opened. Only the Wiehle-Metro East station is even close to projected ridership numbers. [Washington Post]

Remembering Bob Simon — In a piece for an English-language Indian newspaper, Manish Nandy remembers the stories Bob Simon told him during daily walks around Lake Anne. [The Statesman]

‘White Liberals Give Themselves Too Much Credit’ — In an opinion piece for an “intersectional feminist” magazine, a Restonian looks back on the death of Nabra Hassanen, saying that hate lives here and everywhere. [Wear Your Voice]

Work Today at Park & Ride — The access road to the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride will have daytime lane closures for paving from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. Drivers should watch for flaggers, who will help direct traffic around the lane closures. [Fairfax County]

Teavana Stores Shutting Down — Starbucks announced last week will close all 379 of its Teavana stores, which it says have been underperforming. This will include the store in Reston Town Center (1826 Library St.). [CNN Money]

Get Ready for Terraset — All rising Terraset kindergarteners are invited to the Terraset playground from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in August to meet classmates and play on the new Terraset playground. The August kindergarten play dates are sponsored by Terraset Elementary School and Terraset Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Representatives from the PTO will be on hand Aug. 2 and Aug. 9 to answer parent questions. No RSVP is required. [Terraset Parent Teacher Organization]