If you’ve been needing to visit the dentist but didn’t think you could afford it, now is your chance.
Northern Virginia Orthodontics has teamed up with nonprofit Dentistry From The Heart to offer a free dental care day Saturday at their Reston office (12110 Sunset Hills Road #475). Free cleanings, fillings and extractions will be offered from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
This will be the first time Northern Virginia Orthodontics, which opened its Reston office in December, has offered such an opportunity. But it isn’t the first time the business has reached out to help others, said Casey Peterson, practice relations manager.
“We support and help so many different organizations, schools and community groups,” Peterson said of the Loudoun County-based practice, which also works in partnership with Inova Children’s Hospital on pediatric cancer efforts. “We’re centered around giving back to the community.”
Florida-based Dentistry From The Heart is a worldwide nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free dental care to those who need it but cannot afford it. It sponsors hundreds of such events nationwide each year, according to its website, helping thousands of patients and giving millions of dollars in free dental care.
“Dental health is linked to so many other full-body issues, and anything we can do to help somebody get in complete health is something we’ll try to do,” Peterson said. “We’re hopeful that there are people out there who’ll take advantage of it.”
Registration on Saturday will begin at 8:30 a.m., and care will be first come, first serve. Peterson said top dental-care providers from around the area will be part of the event, and referrals will be offered to patients if additional care is necessary.
For more information, call 703-574-2174.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has issued detainers for all four adults charged in connection with an apparent gang-related killing in Fairfax County, including an 18-year-old Reston resident.
Cindy Blanco Hernandez, 18, of Winterthur Lane in Reston, is among the 10 people ages 15-21 charged in connection with the death of 15-year-old Damaris Alexandra Reyes Rivas of Gaithersburg. Hernandez faces charges of abduction and gang participation in the case. Five of the other suspects face murder charges.
Six of the charged individuals are juveniles. Hernandez and the other three adults in the case — Wilmer A. Sanchez-Serrano, 21, of no fixed address; Aldair J. Miranda Carcamo, 18, of Springfield; and Jose Castillo Rivas, 18, of Springfield — have had detainers issued for them by ICE.
According to Carissa Cutrell, public affairs officer for the Department of Homeland Security, a detainer is issued when a person in custody is either in the United States illegally or has violated the terms of their legal status in the country.
“We issue a detainer to a local or state law enforcement agency when a person in their custody is potentially amenable to removal by ICE,” she said. “Rather than the local law enforcement agency releasing them into the community, we say we would appreciate [them] notifying us before they are released, so they can be turned over to our custody.”
Cutrell said she could not provide specific details about the case. She said in most cases, suspects are sent through the immigration court process, and a judge’s orders — potentially, removal from the United States — would be executed.
“There is a whole process that happens between us issuing that detainer and the individual being removed from the United States,” she said.
The Fairfax County Police Department is asking anyone with further information about the case to contact them at 703-691-2131, use Crime Solvers or text “TIP187” plus a message to CRIMES(274637).
Member Assessment is Due March 1 — In case you’ve forgotten, there is only a week and a half left to pay member assessments. Reston Association’s Member Services office will be open additional hours (Saturday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m.-noon; and Wednesday, March 1, from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.) if you need to take advantage of them. Fees can also be paid online. [Reston Association]
South Lakes High Track & Field Stars Advance to States — Olivia Beckner, Sean Casey, Ronak Cuthill, Mary Gregory, Sophie Halkett, Devyn Jones, Alex Loukili, Timiebi Ogobri, Aly Rayle, Peter Sepulveda, Jack Watkins and Dont’a Whitley will all represent the Seahawks at the state Indoor Track and Field Championships next weekend in Hampton. [Reston Patch]
Metro Call Center Hours Reduced Starting Next Month — Citing a five-year decline in call volume, Metro’s Customer Information Call Center will cut its hours of availability beginning March 1. Metro says fewer customers are using the call center as they rely more on sources of information including mobile apps and social media. [WMATA]
Washington’s Day Holiday Will Alter Public Transportation — Both Metro and Fairfax Connector schedules will be different Monday because of the federal holiday. [WMATA/Fairfax Connector]
Beavers have long been a part of the Glade Stream Valley, but Reston Association is working to make sure they don’t cause destruction for nearby residents in the form of damaged trees and flooding.
“It would be hard to find a better example in Reston of a healthy, diverse, native ecosystem than the two beaver wetlands (Glade Valley and Bright Pond),” reads information provided by Claudia Thompson-Deahl, senior environmental resource manager. “Reston’s beaver wetlands are one of the few places in Reston where nature is able to thrive despite all the surrounding suburban pressures.”
Beavers, however, bring a “dramatic change” to the surrounding environment, so Reston Association has developed a beaver management policy.
According to Thompson-Deahl, additional fencing is being installed to keep Glade beavers out of residents’ yards and off wooded slopes, and many individual trees have been protected with wire mesh to safeguard the pathway.
In the long term, Reston Association staff, with input from residents and wildlife experts, has developed and implemented guidelines for beaver management in the area. The primary goal is to find methods to preserve and protect substantial portions of the stream valley from beaver activity. To do so, staff plan to divide the valley into two sections.
- Section 1, designated as a “Beaver Management Area,” will consist of stream valley that runs from Twin Branches Road to the bridge behind Leatherwood Drive that leads to the Hunting Horn Lane Tot Lot.
- Section 2, running from Hunting Horn Tot Lot to Soapstone Drive, will be managed as a wooded stream valley.
Section 1 contains residential property, utility easements and recreational facilities. With that in mind, according to Thompson-Deahl, fencing and pipes will be used to protect those areas. Three-foot wire-mesh fencing will protect and areas threatened by beaver activity, in the attempt to ensure continuous tree cover between Twin Branches Road and Soapstone Drive. In addition, over 100 Bald Cypress trees have been planted, with wire-mesh caging around each one.
In Section 2, beaver activity will be discouraged with fencing and stream gates. According to provided information, beavers in that area “will be removed” by a licensed trapper if the discouragement fails.
According to Thompson-Deahl, beavers provide positive attributes to the ecosystem including a reduction in stream erosion, reservoirs of water during period of drought and freeze, and the creation of wetlands that support a large amount of plant and other animal life.
“Both Reston’s residents and the Reston Association value encouraging a healthy, diverse community of plants and animals to thrive in Reston’s natural areas,” she writes. “Therefore, it makes sense to reach a compromise and create a beaver management plan that allows the beavers to stay in some areas while keeping them out of others.”
RA’s website offers more information about the beaver population in Reston and how it is managed. For help with issues related to beavers or other wildlife, call 703-435-6547.
(Updated 2:30 p.m. following law enforcement press conference)
Five of the 10 people charged with abduction and gang participation in relation to the killing of a Gaithersburg teen now face murder charges.
Jose Ivan Castillo Rivas, 18, of Springfield; Wilmer A. Sanchez, 21, of no fixed address; and three 17-year-olds from Alexandria, Annandale and Springfield have been charged with murder as the investigation into the death of 15-year-old Damaris Alexandra Reyes Rivas continues.
Cindy Blanco Hernandez, 18, of Wintherthur Lane in Reston, is among the five suspects who have not yet been charged with any additional crimes.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, it is believed Reyes Rivas was held against her will before she was taken to Lake Accotink Park, assaulted and killed. Police believe this happened on or around Jan. 8.
At a news conference Tuesday, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said it was a “savage, brutal killing.”
“It was horrific,” Roessler said. “It was horrible.”
Reyes Rivas had been reported missing in Montgomery County in early December. The girl’s body was found in the 7100 block of Wimsatt Road in Springfield on Saturday, and her death was ruled a homicide Monday after an autopsy.
Police believe the killing to be gang-related. The teen’s mother told NBC4 her daughter had been threatened by the gang MS-13.
At Tuesday’s news conference, law enforcement did not confirm the gang to be MS-13, but did go into detail about gang presence in the area.
“These illegal gangs are recruiting juveniles… [and] preying on those who are vulnerable, who are looking for security,” said Jay Lannom, Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force director. “We are are seeing a lot of increase in recruiting in high schools and middle schools, which is alarming to us.”
Anyone with further information about the case is asked to contact the Fairfax County police at 703-691-2131, use Crime Solvers or text “TIP187” plus a message to CRIMES(274637).
A number of restaurants and other businesses across D.C. and the nation are closed or operating on restrictions today as part of the “Day Without Immigrants.” The protest is part of an effort to show the impact immigrants have on daily lives of Americans, and was spawned out of President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies.
At least two Reston restaurants are showing their support. Sweetgreen (11935 Democracy Drive) is closed for the day, as are all of the company’s 18 locations in the Metro area.
“Our diversity is what makes this family great, and we respect our team members’ right to exercise their voice in our democracy,” reads signs posted on the restaurant’s doors Thursday. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and hope you understand our commitment to our people.”
Meanwhile, PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) says its menu options may be limited Thursday as part of the protest.
Due to today’s observance of #ADayWIthoutImmigrants, some of our menu items are limited & seating may be modified. Thanks for your suppport!
— PassionFish Reston (@PassionFishRest) February 16, 2017
A representative for PassionFish owner Passion Food Hospitality said the Reston restaurant is “not particularly affected” and “most staff” would be working Thursday.
“[Management is] supportive of their staff on whichever decision they choose,” said spokesperson Meg Malloy.
Trump Wine Flying Out the Door — As grocery chain Wegmans faces scrutiny for selling Trump Winery products, wine stores around D.C. are reporting booming sales. In Reston, The Wine Cabinet (1416 North Point Village Center) says they’ve sold more than 10 cases since Election Day — and they could have sold more, co-owner Mike Mackie said, if they hadn’t run out. [The Hill]
CrossFit Gym to Open in Herndon — CrossFit 286 (293 Sunset Park Drive) has a grand opening slated for Saturday, Feb. 25. [Herndon Patch]
Area Couple on the Road Performing Show — Sam and Susan Simon are presenting “The Actual Dance,” the true story of their journey through Susan’s breast cancer diagnosis, this weekend in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Susan Simon is the former marketing director at Tall Oaks of Reston. [Elmira Star-Gazette]
ArtSpace Herndon Kicks Off Concert Series — Guitarist-songwriter Parthenon Huxley played with indie rocker and violinist Ben Hoyt as Herndon’s arts district began its 2017 concert series last weekend. In addition to original music, the performers played love songs from ELO and the Beatles. [Reston Connection]
An 18-year-old from Reston is among those charged in connection with the killing of a Gaithersburg teen found dead over the weekend in Springfield.
Cindy Blanco Hernandez, of the 11900 block of Winterthur Lane, is among four adults and six juveniles charged with abduction and gang participation in connection with the death of 15-year-old Damaris Reyes Rivas.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, it is believed Rivas was held against her will before she was taken to Lake Accotink Park, assaulted and killed. Police believe this happened on or around Jan. 8.
Rivas had been reported missing in Montgomery County in early December. The girl’s body was found in the 7100 block of Wimsatt Road in Springfield on Saturday, and her death was ruled a homicide Monday after an autopsy.
Others charged in the case include Wilmer A. Sanchez-Serrano, 21, of no fixed address; Aldair J. Miranda Carcamo, 18, of Springfield; and Jose Castillo Rivas, 18, of Springfield. Three 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old have also been charged.
Police say additional charges are pending further investigation, and that detectives are working with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Anyone with further information about the case is asked to contact the Fairfax County police at 703-691-2131, use Crime Solvers or text “TIP187” plus a message to CRIMES(274637).
The agenda for the Feb. 21 meeting of Reston Association’s Design Review Board includes discussion of the redevelopment of a Sunrise Valley Drive property into an assisted-living facility.
Applications by Kensington Senior Development LLC to establish the facility next to the Sunrise Valley Convenience Center were accepted for Fairfax County staff review in November. The site (11501 Sunrise Valley Drive) is currently the home of the Good Beginnings Preschool, a private preschool, day care and kindergarten.
Kensington Senior Development filed a Planned Residential Community (PRC) plan concurrent with a Special Exception for an assisted-living facility on the 1.8-acre property, which is about 675 feet east of the intersection with Soapstone Drive.
A Fairfax County Planning Commission public hearing on the project is scheduled for July 19.
Kensington Senior Development operates a facility in Falls Church, and also has locations in Maryland, New Jersey, New York and California.
Map via Fairfax County
Police say a sales arrangement through Craigslist turned criminal Tuesday night at Reston Town Center.
According to a report from the Fairfax County Police Department, a Craigslist user agreed to a meeting in the 11900 block of Freedom Drive at about 7:45 p.m. to negotiate the sale of cellphones.
“The suspects arrived and as the victim was showing one suspect a cellphone, another suspect tried to steal the other phones. The victim struggled with the suspects until one of them produced a handgun and threatened the victim. The suspects fled with several phones and the victim was not injured.”
The suspects were described by police as black men, 25-30 years old. One was around 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, and they were both wearing dark clothing. The suspects left the scene in a silver Mercedes Benz sedan, according to the report.
Fairfax County police began offering a “safe zone” for Craigslist exchanges at the Sully District Station last year; at the time, police said the program “would likely expand to other police station parking lots” in the future.
The Herndon Police Station also offers a “safe zone” for such transactions.
Reston Town Center will host family-friendly events each Saturday in March, to benefit Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston.
The first such event is scheduled for March 4, from 1-4 p.m., and will include free rides on a vintage carousel, free s’mores and hot chocolate, and a performance by the Fairfax Jubil-Aires.
Future events, according to information provided by Town Center owners Boston Properties, will feature complimentary music, pet adoption, balloon artists, carriage rides, funnel cakes, RTC mascot “Resty the Dog,” mini train rides, caricature artists and more.
Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston began in October. It is part of a countywide movement that aims to identify areas of need and provide resources that will allow all children to gain a strong academic foundation, family resilience, and a culture of engagement and success. It was developed and launched by planning partners including Cornerstones, Leadership Fairfax, Reston Association, Reston Community Center, YMCA Reston/Fairfax County, Fairfax County Public Schools and various county departments.
“Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston (RestON) is about community partners working together to foster the health and wellbeing of the next generation. We are grateful to Boston Properties for choosing to support RestON through their March weekend family events at Reston Town Center,” said Toni Francis-Bowie, director of Opportunity Neighborhoods. “When we invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship.”
For additional information about Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston and these upcoming events at Reston Town Center, contact Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson at 571-323-9571 or [email protected].
Princess Aghayere is making a name for herself during her sophomore season on the University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team.
The 2015 South Lakes High School graduate was named the Ivy League Player of the Week for her performances last week on the hardcourt. She posted a career-best 21 points during a Friday victory over Columbia, and followed it up the next day with a 12-point performance in a win over Cornell.
Some of her highlights from the weekend’s action can be seen on the Ivy League Sports YouTube channel.
On the season, Aghayere is averaging 5.6 points per game, tops among the team’s non-starters.
During her career at South Lakes High School, Aghayere earned first-team All-Conference recognition three times, and was second-team All-State twice. She also lettered in cross country and volleyball.
Aghayere is enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences at Penn, on a pre-med track. In a video released by the school earlier this year, she discussed her background and her goals for the future.
The defending Ivy League champions, the Quakers are undefeated (7-0) in conference play so far this season.
Photo via Don E. Felice/PennAthletics.com
Police: Reston Woman Rammed Vehicle During Argument — Police in Herndon say 24-year-old Kimberling Serrano had her two kids in the car when she followed a man after an argument and intentionally struck his vehicle three times. [Herndon Police]
Students Honored for Musical Talents — Top Fairfax County vocal and instrumental students were recognized recently during the annual James A. Bland Music Competition, co-sponsored by the Reston Lions Club and Reston Community Center. Among the honorees was Lauren Spar from South Lakes High School. [Reston Connection]
Skydiver from Reston Hurt in Florida — Nikolay Likhachev suffered a head injury and a compound leg fracture after an accident near Daytona Beach. Likhachev had successfully completed more than 200 jumps, according to the incident report. [Daytona Beach News-Journal]
Redistricting Reform Rejected in Richmond — Bills that advocates hoped would stop gerrymandering in Virginia were voted down in committee Tuesday. One of the measures — a constitutional amendment stating that “no electoral district shall be drawn for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring any political party, incumbent legislator or member of Congress, or other individual or entity” — was sponsored by Sen. Janet Howell (D-Fairfax), of Reston. [The News Leader]
Local nanobrewery Lake Anne Brew House is partnering with beer historians to offer the frosty mugs of our ancestors.
Praize the Maize, which will be tapped Thursday evening at the pub (11424 Washington Plaza West), has been brewed using the 1912 recipe of a German immigrant brewer — with ingredients that have been sourced from the locations called for in the recipe as well.
“We’re just really excited about it,” said Melissa Romano, the brew house’s co-owner. “We’re going to be doing a whole series of these recipes over the coming year — or years, who knows?”
The Heritage Lager series is a partnership between Lake Anne Brew House and Lost Lagers, the team of beer historians Michael Stein and Peter Jones, whose mission is to recreate the beers of days gone by.
“[They were] able to take this recipe, translate it into English, and then we were able to work on sourcing period-accurate ingredients,” Romano said. According to information provided by Lost Lagers, that involved tracking down appropriate hops from New York and California.
Romano said the recipe for Praize the Maize, as well as the other beers that will be brewed as the series continues, came from the notebooks of a brewer who arrived in the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century. A distant relative of the brewer is a friend of Romano and has done graphic design work for the brewpub. The recipe books, family heirlooms, have been loaned to the brew house for the project.
According to Lost Lagers’ research, Praize the Maize was likely — in its past life — a beer called Erlanger Light by Philadelphia’s Weger Brothers Brewery. Romano said it is “light” and “fresh,” with “a little bit of sweetness” and “some nice herbal qualities.”
“I think [customers] are going to really like it,” Romano said. “I think it’s going to be a very approachable and easy-drinking beer.”
The beer will be tapped and ready for consumption at 7 p.m. Thursday. Stein and Jones from Lost Lagers will be present, along with the family that provided the recipes, to answer any questions from visitors and to discuss the process.
“It’s a really unique recipe,” Romano said. “It’s just going to be kind of a cool thing, I think.”
Pheast Food Group will bring a new Southern-style restaurant to Reston Town Center.
The subsidiary of Thompson Hospitality has posted on its website that it is seeking a general manager for a restaurant called Hen Penny. The job is also cross-listed on websites including Indeed, where the listing includes a bit more information about the restaurant:
Pheast Food Group has another new concept coming to town!
Hen Penny is our quick-service version of our full service concept, Hen Quarter.
And we need a General Manager to lead our very first location opening in the Reston Town Center!
Southern-style Hen Quarter restaurants in Alexandria and Silver Spring were opened last year by Pheast, both in former locations of Tex-Mex restaurant Austin Grill. The restaurant is described by Pheast as “an ode to the best of Southern fare and classic cocktails” with “dishes full of flavors that can only come from the best in farm to table design.”
A third location is scheduled to open in D.C.’s Penn Quarter — again, in a former Austin Grill space — later this year.
The new Reston Town Center restaurant will be located at 1820 Discovery St., according to a permit processed last week in Fairfax County. That’s the former location of burger restaurant BRB, which was closed last month by Pheast. Signage on the storefront indicated “another exciting concept” would be coming soon.
Calls to Pheast for comment about the new restaurant have not been not returned.
Pheast also manages The American Tap Room, which has a Reston Town Center location. It was announced this week that The American Tap Room location near Richmond would be renovated and re-opened as Addie Mae’s Southern Cuisine and Raw Bar.
While no information is available about the future status of The American Tap Room at Reston Town Center, Pheast’s website reads that it manages “The American Tap Room, Austin Grill, Willie T’s Lobster Shack and Be Right Burger holdings and will be updating those concepts in 2017.”
