(This article was updated at 9:05 p.m. with information that the girl is believed to be a South Lakes High School student, and again at 9:45 p.m. after police confirmed the girl was from Reston.)

Police say a body found this afternoon is likely that of a Reston teenager who went missing after an overnight activity in the Herndon area, and a Sterling man is in jail facing a murder charge.

Tawny Wright, spokesperson for the Fairfax County Police Deparment, said during a media briefing that officers responded at about 4 a.m. Sunday for a report of friends who couldn’t find a member of their group. Officers initiated a search for a 17-year-old girl in the area of Dranesville Road and Woodson Drive, near an unidentified facility the teens had left.

“Our investigation has determined that she was out walking with her friends when, for some reason, they got into a dispute with a man driving a car,” Wright said. “We’re looking into the details of exactly what happened, but for some reason, the man got out of the vehicle and he assaulted one of the group.”

Wright said the girl who was assaulted was the missing teenager, whom she did not identify. After a search that was assisted by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the grisly discovery was made at about 3 p.m. Sunday.

“Remains of a female were found in a pond off of Ridgetop Circle,” Wright said. “Detectives unfortunately do believe that was our victim, but the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will confirm the remains’ identity and determine the exact cause and manner of death.”

South Lakes High School sent an email Sunday evening saying it is believed the girl was a student there. Principal Kim Retzer wrote:

“Police are investigating the death of a teen who was reported missing earlier today. It’s believed that the missing teen is one of our students and while we await further news about this very sad incident, I would also ask that you refrain from engaging in rumor and speculation on social media about today’s events.

I wanted you to be aware of these developments and to inform you that we will have crisis counselors at the school beginning tomorrow morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.”

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The Taste of Reston festival kicked off Friday afternoon, bringing delicious odors and hungry visitors to Market Street.

The 27th annual event has an increased number of restaurants to go along with its live entertainment, exhibits and much more. One of the early visitors, Andrew Kelly of Reston, said it’s a great tradition for the community.

“It’s nice to see [all the restaurants] out here,” he said. “It’s a nice day to spend out, a nice time for people to come out and enjoy the free parking at the Town Center while they get a little taste of all the different restaurants.”

Parking at the Town Center is free today and will be throughout the duration of the festival.

The event is a fundraiser for the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s INCspire Education Foundation, which helps small businesses grow through educational opportunities. Mark Ingrao, GRCC president and CEO, said there are more restaurants involved this year’s festival than in past years.

“They came out of the woodwork this year,” he said. “We’re thrilled about that.”

There are 30 restaurants at the festival, along with four stages — including three with live music — as well as a kids’ entertainment area. There is also craft beer available along with a “Wine ‘n’ Dine” area and a market.

“We’re looking forward to a great event,” Ingrao said.

Ana Michicol, of Manassas, was visiting for the first time. She said the atmosphere surrounding the festival was just as good as the food.

“You have little puppies that you can pet and everything, and there’s music going on,” she said. “I love it.”

The event is scheduled to go until 11 p.m. tonight, and from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. For the full schedule of entertainment, demonstrations and more, check out the Taste of Reston website.

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Mama Wok (12022 North Shore Drive) at Tall Oaks Village Center has officially closed its doors.

A sign on the restaurant’s front door says Thursday was its last day of operation, and the owners “thank you for all your support since 2005.” A second sign says the restaurant’s equipment, furniture and decor are up for sale.

Speaking with Reston Now earlier this month, owners Cheah and Lisa Lee said their lease was about to expire and they decided to retire. Commenters on that article said the restaurant had “the best Chinese food in the area” and that it would be “dearly missed.”

Just three restaurants now remain at Tall Oaks: Paisano’s Pizza, Vocelli Pizza and Phở Reston 75. All are in the process of planning for the future, as the redevelopment of the village center into a mostly residential area is expected to begin soon. (Paisano’s will stay at Tall Oaks, moving to the former 7-Eleven/Curves building.)

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Friday Morning Notes

Colts Neck Tennis Courts Closed — Drainage work and resurfacing at the courts will have them closed for about a month. [Reston Association/Twitter]

More Work on Toll Road This Weekend — Overnight work is planned tonight through Monday between Fairfax County Parkway and Reston Parkway, as crews continue construction of the Reston Town Center Metrorail station in the median of the Dulles Access Highway. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

Free Smoothie for National Flip Flop Day — Tropical Smoothie Café (11684 Plaza America Drive) is giving a free Sunshine Smoothie to anyone who comes in wearing flip flops between 2 and 7 p.m. today. Blaire from “The Jack Diamond Morning Show” will be there as well. [Mix 107.3/Twitter]

Teen Star Talks About Growing Up in RestonJacob Sartorius says he faced a lot of bullying in school. The 14-year-old is becoming a sensation, though, with 14 million followers on the app Musical.ly, 7 million followers on Instagram and more than 2 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. [Asbury Park Press]

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Students who will be graduating from South Lakes High School next week walked familiar halls this morning to provide inspiration to the community’s youth.

In a new tradition, seniors were able to visit their elementary school alma maters and celebrate with the kids there. Schools documented via social media the occasion, which was described as a moving experience for all involved.

“This is the first year for this Graduate Walk but it went so beautifully that we hope to make it a yearly tradition,” said Emily Burrell, spokesperson for South Lakes High School. “It was an emotional experience for the soon-to-be graduates and their elementary teachers. And the elementary students were thrilled to celebrate the graduates. They even made signs in the South Lakes colors. There were tears of joy all around.”

Students who did not attend an elementary school in Reston were allowed to choose which school they visited, Burrell said.

South Lakes High School’s seniors will graduate during a ceremony Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Bank Arena on the campus of George Mason University.

Photos courtesy South Lakes High School

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Thursday Morning Notes

RA Slates Community Meeting — As a follow-up to the recently held district meetings, Reston Association will host a community-wide meeting for residents at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). Feedback from the four prior meetings will be discussed. [Reston Association]

Open At-Large Seat on School Board — A special election will be held Tuesday, Aug. 29, to fill a vacancy on the Fairfax County School Board. The At-Large seat, vacated by Jeannette Hough last month, has a remaining term through Jan. 1, 2020. The filing deadline for prospective candidates is Friday, June 30. [Fairfax County Office of Elections]

Update in Substitute Teacher Solicitation Case — John Torre, public information officer for Fairfax County Public Schools, told Reston Now that a man charged earlier this week with soliciting a young girl for sex worked as a substitute teacher for FCPS for four days at two schools, and he is no longer a FCPS employee. The alleged solicitation did not involve any FCPS students, Torre added. [Reston Now]

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(This article was updated at 9:15 a.m. after additional information was received from Fairfax Water; and at 2 p.m. after repairs were completed.)

Fountain Drive was closed this morning between Baron Cameron Avenue and Bowman Towne Drive because of an overnight water main break.

Susan Miller, public affairs officer for Fairfax Water, says the break took place in the area of 1763 Fountain Drive. That’s near The Spectrum shopping center.

“It was a broken valve that caused the break there,” Miller said.

Miller said businesses in the building that includes HSBC bank, Verizon, Doubletake Salon and The Red Door Salon & Spa are without water as utility crews are working on the situation.

“We hope it doesn’t take all day, we’re booked.” said Chai Bui from Doubletake Salon, which sits in front of where the repairs are taking place. The staff at The Red Door Salon & Spa said they had already rescheduled most of their appointments.

Fairfax Water’s website reported repairs were completed by early Thursday afternoon.

Fountain Drive is expected to be closed for the rest of the day, Miller said.

Photos by Brooke Giles, who also contributed to reporting; map via Google

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(This story was updated at 3:40 p.m. to include additional information from, and links to, the court documents that were filed Tuesday, as well as comment from Boston Properties.)

In a Tuesday ruling from the Fairfax County Circuit Court, Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge in Reston Town Center was granted a preliminary injunction against the ParkRTC system.

The injunction (view) will restrict Boston Properties from enforcing its pay-to-park system against Jackson’s guests in the Orange Garage, or otherwise interfering with Jackson’s guests’ right to park for free and without charge in the Orange Garage, according to a press release.

“We are pleased with the ruling of the Fairfax County Circuit Court granting a preliminary injunction [Tuesday] and reinforcing Jackson’s view that the current ParkRTC system creates confusion and concerns for our guests,” said Jon Norton, CEO of Great American Restaurants. “Jackson’s puts its guests first and we are delighted that they will no longer be forced to use the cumbersome ParkRTC app or the current pay-to-park system in the Orange Garage.”

Neither Great American Restaurants nor Boston Properties has provided clarification on how Jackson’s patrons will be able to park without using ParkRTC. An executive at Jackson’s said Wednesday afternoon that he would not comment on the issue.

Following the lawsuit filed by Jackson’s in March, Boston Properties made several amendments to the parking regulations, allowing free garage parking after 5 p.m. and one hour of free parking on weekdays in the garages. The announcement of these changes May 31 came one day prior to the second day of evidentiary hearing in the suit, in which Jackson’s owner Great American Restaurants claims the pay-parking rules violate agreed-upon terms of their lease.

According to the lawsuit:

“Great American and Boston Properties agreed to specific lease provisions which provided that parking for Jackson’s customers in the structure on the Garage Parcel would be free, that any parking access and control system would not unduly impede Jackson’s right to ‘free parking and access,’ and that, if the landlord ever sought to implement paid parking, it would ‘at its sole cost and expense’ provide a system that allowed Jackson’s to validate tickets ‘so that parking for [Jackson’s] customers and employees shall be free and without charge at all times and in all instances.”

“From the beginning, we have asked Boston Properties to uphold our lease rights, and [Tuesday’s] ruling is a step in the right direction,” Norton said.

If Boston Properties is successful in appealing the injunction, Jackson’s would be required to pay $25,000. In the letter announcing its ruling (view), however, the Court says Boston Properties’ argument about the necessity for paid parking has been “inconsistent.”

“Boston Properties argues that if the system is enjoined, then the entire pay-to-park system will have to shut down, thus resulting in an amount likely to be many millions of dollars. That argument, however, is inconsistent with Boston Properties’ initial argument that the pay-to-park system was necessary to ensure parking spaces would be available for the tenants and their employees and customers. Boston Properties has not yet admitted that the primary motivation to install the pay-to-park system was to monetize an asset that has become more valuable as the area has become more densely populated. Thus, the Court does not consider Boston Properties’ lost revenues argument to be persuasive in determining the amount for bond.”

A trial date for the suit has been set for February 2018.

Boston Properties has previously said it is “very confident” it will prevail in legal challenges related to paid parking. In response to Tuesday’s ruling, Boston Properties says it “is reviewing the Court’s opinion and considering [our] options.”

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Input from community members on the Reston Association budget for FY2018-19 can still be submitted through June 30.

Numerous members, however, have already submitted suggestions that have been made public on the RA website. Some of the more prevalent suggestions that have been made so far include:

  • the need to dredge Lake Thoreau on schedule, which residents of the Lakewinds Cluster say needs to be “treated as a mandatory obligation, not as a discretionary matter subject to the vagaries of the RA annual budget process.”
  • restoration of pool hours, which one resident said should involve “expanding or getting more creative with recruiting efforts [of lifeguards] instead of giving up and cutting schedule entirely.”
  • the addition of permanent bathrooms at Hook Road Recreation Area and at other tennis courts, which several residents say is especially necessary for older users of the courts.
  • considering stopping maintenance of the grass in street medians, which former Board of Directors member Lucinda Shannon said “is the county’s responsibility and most of us don’t think they need to be mowed all the time.”

Check out the full list of member suggestions so far at the Reston Association website.

According to the Board of Directors’ budget development calendar, the board will hear a presentation on the survey results from Community Engagement Advisory Committee at the July 27 meeting. Budget workshops will follow in August and September, with public hearings in October and the budget to be approved in November.

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Democrat Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam stormed to victory in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary election, while Republican Ed Gillespie scratched and clawed his way to the nomination — results that showed locally as well as statewide.

About 1 in 6 registered voters in the Hunter Mill District showed up to vote on the Democratic ballot in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary election, while only about 1 in 20 did so on the Republican side.

In the Democratic race, Northam won every precinct in the district except one (McNair, who vote at McNair Elementary School in Herndon). Northam gained 7,670 votes in the district, which he won by a 62 percent to 38 percent margin over opponent Tom Perriello. Countywide, Northam won with a little over 60 percent of the vote, and he took the race overall with about 56 percent of the vote statewide.

The Republican race was much tighter, both locally and statewide. The top two candidates — former Republican National Committee chair Gillespie and Corey Stewart, former state chairman for the Donald Trump campaign — split Hunter Mill precinct wins, with Gillespie taking 14 and Stewart winning 13. Gillespie received more overall votes in Hunter Mill, taking about 44.5 percent of the 3,675 ballots cast; Stewart received 41.4 percent, and state Sen. Frank Wagner received about 14 percent.

In the county, Gillespie won with 47.7 percent of the vote; Stewart received 39 percent. Statewide, it was much closer, with Gillespie receiving only about 4,000 votes more than Stewart.

Winners in the races for lieutenant governor nominations were Jill Vogel (Republican) and Justin Fairfax (Democratic). Vogel won handily locally over two opponents; Fairfax was defeated in a handful of precincts by Susan Platt but did carry the county.

The highest turnout of Democratic voters in Reston was in the Reston No. 3 precinct, who vote at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. Nearly a quarter (24.1 percent, 532 of 2,212) of registered voters in that precinct cast a Democratic ballot.

The lowest turnout of Democratic voters in Reston was in the Cameron Glen precinct, who vote at the North County Human Services Building. Only 475 of 3,861 registered voters (12.3 percent) in that precinct voted in the Democratic primary.

The highest turnout of Republican voters in Reston, meanwhile, was in the Sunrise Valley precinct, who vote at Sunrise Valley Elementary School. In that precinct, 131 of 1,826 registered voters (7.2 percent) participated by using a GOP ballot.

The lowest turnout of Republican voters in Reston was in the Hughes precinct, who vote at Hughes Middle School. Just 2.6 percent of registered voters there (103 of 3,947) took part in the GOP primary.

You can examine countywide election results more closely by using the map on Fairfax County’s website.

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Wednesday Morning Notes

Northam, Gillespie Win Governor Nominations — Virginia’s lieutenant governor will face the former Republican National Committee chairman in November’s general election to fill the Governor’s Mansion. Their running mates will be Justin Fairfax (D) and Jill Vogel (R). [WTOP]

Herndon PD Establishes Drug Collection Station — The new unit at the Herndon Police Department (397 Herndon Parkway) will provide residents with a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medication, including controlled substances. [Herndon Police]

Former Phys-Ed Teacher Gets Principal Job — Nick Napolitano, who was a physical-education teacher at Aldrin Elementary School from 2011-2014, has been named the principal of W.C. Taylor Middle School in Warrenton. [Fauquier Now]

Diversion First Info Session Tonight — Interested in learning more about the county’s Diversion First program, which was developed to limit the number of mentally ill and disabled people in jail? A presentation is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne (1609-A Washington Plaza N.). [Reston Now]

Farmers Market, Church Have Strong Partnership — Smart Markets operates out of the parking lot at St. John Neumann Catholic Community (11900 Lawyers Road) from 3-7 p.m. each Wednesday. [Arlington Catholic Herald]

Photo courtesy Radhika Murari/RSTA

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Inquiries from a pair of candidates who came up short in the 2017 Reston Association Board of Directors election did not turn up any “voting irregularities,” RA’s Elections Committee says.

At Monday’s Board Operations Committee meeting, Elections Committee chair Ed Robichaud presented findings from an analysis of the 2017 RA Board election and its administrative procedures. Among the issues addressed were requests for voter data from Ven Iyer and Arlene Krieger, the runners-up in the At-Large and North Point District races.

According to Robichaud’s report, Iyer and Krieger requested information regarding the IP addresses and time stamps for online voting on April 3, which was the last day of voting. Iyer spoke during the member-comment portion of the May 25 Board of Directors meeting to explain his concerns, which regarded the way Reston Association handles the voting process.

“Did you know that anyone can contact RA claiming that they lost their paper or email ballot, and RA will provide them with a username and password to vote?” Iyer said. “It is easy for an entity to spoof several identities to collect usernames and passwords, and then on the final day, bulk vote for a favorable outcome.”

Iyer finished second in a six-candidate race for the At-Large seat, 117 votes behind Eric Carr in a race that saw 8,534 votes counted. Krieger was defeated by John Mooney by a vote of 1,384 votes to 1,069.

The Elections Committee agreed there was a higher-than-normal voter turnout on the day in question, but attributed it to a direct email reminder to voters that was sent that day. The committee did, however, agree to request the information from Intelliscan Inc., RA’s appointed counting agent for the election.

While Intelliscan does not capture IP addresses, it was able to provide time stamps of votes cast throughout the entire voting period. The Elections Committee reviewed the data and determined:

“The April 3 volume and timing of voting is consistent with other dates when reminder emails were sent. At the conclusion of its due diligence, the Elections Committee has determined that there is no credible evidence of online voting irregularities.”

In regard to the possible loophole Iyer mentioned, the Elections Committee is asking the Board to consider an amendment to the Elections and Referenda Resolutions. The new code would read that “[b]efore issuing a replacement paper ballot or the username and password to an electronic ballot, the Assistant Secretary shall verify the identity of the Member using one or more identity verification questions including but not limited to their property’s development name, RA voting District, and/or billing and correspondence addresses on file with the Association.”

Graph via Reston Association Elections Committee

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Deon King, a 2011 graduate of South Lakes High School, is once again on an NFL roster.

King signed a free-agent contract Monday with the Cleveland Browns. A linebacker, King joins the Browns for their veteran minicamp, which begins today in Berea, Ohio.

Undrafted out of Norfolk State, where he won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player at that collegiate level, King signed last year with the Dallas Cowboys. He was released from the Cowboys during final cuts, and he was later picked up by the San Diego Chargers. After playing two games with the Chargers, he was let go. The Indianapolis Colts added him to their roster off the waiver wire, and he appeared in four more games with them.

King recorded two tackles in the six NFL games he played in his rookie season. He was released by the Colts last month.

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Tuesday Morning Notes

Polls Open for Primary Election — You can vote between now and 7 p.m. in the gubernatorial primary election, choosing the candidates who will face off in November. If you aren’t sure where your polling place is, check out the Virginia Department of Elections website. [Washington Post]

Record-High Temperatures Continue — Yesterday’s high of 95 tied the record, and today may be even hotter. [Washington Post/National Weather Service]

Reston Native Has Success as Baseball Coach — Troy Allen, a 1994 graduate of South Lakes High School, led the State College HS Little Lions on a deep run in the Pennsylvania state baseball playoffs this year. Allen was a basketball and baseball star at SLHS and played collegiately at George Washington University. [Centre Daily Times]

Nominations Still Open for Business Awards — We continue to accept submissions for our 2017 Best Reston Business Awards. Look over the 17 categories and get your business on the list of nominees. [Reston Now]

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The annual Chalk on the Water festival this weekend at Lake Anne Plaza brought out a bevy of artists, young and old, to color bricks with public art.

About 150 participants gathered on the plaza Saturday and Sunday to be a part of the annual event. Artists participated in four categories: family/elementary, family/junior and senior high school, amateur artists, and professional artists. Cash prizes were awarded in each category.

Winners at the festival were:

Professional Artists
1st Place: Ben Morse
2nd Place: Penny Hauffe
3rd Place: Phil Erickson

Amateur Artists
1st Place: Bruce Wright
2nd Place: April Komar
3rd Place: Maria Dorodnitsyna

Family/Junior and Senior High
1st Place: Nadya Steare
2nd Place: Charlotte Cottrell
3rd Place: Ian Henry

Family/Elementary
1st Place: Savannah Beard
2nd Place: Sofia Kortanek
3rd Place: Kim Stavio

All of the artwork from the weekend’s festival will remain visible on the plaza until it wears off naturally.

Photos courtesy Public Art Reston

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