A 12 inch-by-12 inch sign reading that “Hate Has No Home Here” can stay in the Orchard Green Cluster, Reston’s Design Review Board says, despite the cluster president’s stance that it should be removed for its political nature.

During their meeting Tuesday (video), the DRB rejected an appeal of an August ruling by a three-member panel that the sign is OK for display as long as it is no bigger than one square foot. That came after the Orchard Green Cluster board had asked for a 2 foot-by-3 foot sign displaying the message to be removed.

Tuesday night, Orchard Green Cluster President Dan Pennington told the full DRB that the ruling should not have been made based on the sign’s size, but rather on the political nature of its message. According to Reston Association’s rules for small yard signs, temporary political signs up to 2 feet by 3 feet are allowed to be displayed, but must be removed “no later than one week after announcement of election results.” Orchard Green Cluster’s board voted on the sign, displayed in the yard of resident Rikki Epstein, at their June meeting and “voted to request its removal under the general RA Signs rules.”

“Fundamentally, what you’ve done for our cluster is establish a design guideline that anybody can put up a 12-by-12 [sign], regardless of content [and] regardless of quantity, [with] no limitation and no content issues,” Pennington said to the DRB said. “It’s an untenable standard going forward for our cluster. … I would say it’s a misreading of the rule.”

Pennington suggested that if this sign is allowed to remain indefinitely, another resident could put up numerous one-square-foot signs reading “Trump is President: Get Over It” with each sign displaying only one letter of the message.

“Do you have a limiting principle?” Pennington asked the DRB. “This is a political sign and it should have been adjudicated under the political-sign standard and not the 12-by-12 standard.”

DRB members, along with their legal counsel Wil Washington, said there was no misreading of the rule when the panel informed Epstein she could display a 12- by 12-inch version of the sign, as the size rule overrides the political rule. They also said Pennington’s example of numerous signs with one letter each was hyperbolic, as the rules refer to “the sign” in the singular form.

“The content [of the sign] is irrelevant — the regulations say what they say,” said Nick Georgas, landscape architect member of the DRB. “I don’t think it’s this board’s job to determine what the content of that one-square-foot sign is.”

Pennington said his cluster board is working to pass its own rule that signs of any kind not be allowed, except for home-security signs and “other minor exceptions.”

“We simply don’t want signs in our cluster,” Pennington said.

Image via Hate Has No Home Here website

A pair of local historians will tell the tale of Reston’s early days tonight at Lake Anne Plaza.

Kristina Alcorn and Chuck Veatch will present “Meant to Be: How Reston Almost Wasn’t” at 7 p.m. at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center (1909A Washington Plaza). The public program is being put on by the Reston Historic Trust and Museum.

According to information provided by the museum, the presentation will “delve into the chain of improbable events and the forks in the road that paved the way for the creation of Reston.”

Veatch was a member of Reston’s original development team, coming to the community in 1964 to work with founder Bob Simon and handle Reston’s first home sales. He is also photographer and publisher of the book “The Nature of Reston.”

Alcorn is the author of “In His Own Words: Stories from the Extraordinary Life of Reston’s Founder.” To write the book, she spent two years interviewing Simon.

The program is free, but seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. For more information or to RSVP, call 703-709-7700 or email [email protected].

Photos provided by Reston Historic Trust and Museum. Top, Chuck Veatch with Bob Simon. Bottom, Kristina Alcorn.

PRC Zoning Ordinance Amendment Info Session Tonight — Reston 20/20, Reclaim Reston and the Reston Citizens Association will present the forum tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). This is being held in advance of the fourth public meeting on the proposal, being presented Monday by Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and County Planning and Zoning staff. [Reston Now]

Site Lists Top Places to Eat in Reston — Eater’s list includes 10 locations within Reston Town Center, but it also branches out to Lake Anne, South Lakes and more. [DC Eater]

Copperhead Spotted on W&OD Trail — The venomous snake was spotted last week on the trail near the Luck Stone Quarry overlook in Ashburn, serving as a reminder to be watchful when out in nature. [Loudoun Times-Mirror]

Dulles Day Festival is This Weekend — The 25th annual open house event at the airport Saturday will include a 5K/10K on runways, a festival on the airfield, and the plane-pull competition. [Dulles International Airport]

Another Brewery Coming to Route 28 Corridor — Rocket Frog Brewing Company is looking to open in Sterling early next year. This is on the heels of Ono Brewing Company opening recently in Chantilly. [The Burn]

File photo by Audrey Lawson

A resident found a strange man standing in his kitchen in the middle of the night over the weekend.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the incident took place in the 1200 block of Cobble Pond Way, off Hunter Mill Road. At about 3 a.m. Sunday, the homeowner found “an unknown man” in his kitchen. The suspect ran away after he was spotted, and the homeowner chased him while his wife called police.

Responding officers located a “suspicious van” in the area, and discovered it had been reported stolen. Two men who were inside the van were arrested:

• David Pugnettif, 20, of Reston was allegedly the man who had been inside the house. He was charged with burglary, and he also had an outstanding warrant for carrying a concealed weapon.
• John Kyle, 22, of Reston was charged with auto theft and driving on a revoked license.

FCPD’s Reston District Station also reported the following crimes in the past week:

LARCENIES:

11300 block of Baron Cameron Avenue, purse from vehicle

2500 block of Brenton Point Drive, license plates from vehicle

1700 block of Business Center Drive, license plate from vehicle

1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, bicycle from residence

2400 block of Centreville Road, cellphone from residence

2400 block of Centreville Road, cellphone from business

1500 block of Cornerside Boulevard, wallet from business

1000 block of Elden Street, wallet from business

2300 block of Glade Bank Way, property from residence

12200 block of Heather Way, gift cards from vehicle

2200 block of Highland Crossing Drive, merchandise from business

2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beer from business

1500 block of Reston Parkway, purse from vehicle

1600 block of Reston Parkway, merchandise from business

11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, beer from residence

11800 block of Sunset Hills Road, bicycle from residence

1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, bicycles from business

1900 block of Wintergreen Court, wallet from vehicle

STOLEN VEHICLES:

None reported

As we’ve already reported, FCPD also responded this past week to reports of a pizza delivery driver being robbed at gunpoint, and a 16-year-old being jumped and robbed by a group of assailants.

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

In Loudoun County, two Herndon residents were charged after a party and fight late Friday night in Sterling. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office says the incident took place at a warehouse in the 45000 block of Maries Road at about midnight. Several people who appeared to be underaged were drinking outside the building, police say, and they fled inside when officers arrived. LCSO was told that people inside were being held against their will. Once the scene was secured, “multiple individuals” were issued summonses for underage possession of alcohol. Several others faced additional charges, including:

• Janey Carballo-Renderos, 20, of Herndon, who was charged with false identification to law enforcement and obstruction of justice.
• Billy W. Quezada, 21, of Herndon, who was charged with public intoxication

In addition, as we reported last week, a Herndon teen was charged by LCSO with felony burglary, misdemeanor sexual assault and misdemeanor simple assault after allegedly assaulting a girl at her Sterling home.

Some pool hours that were lost in the 2017 schedule may return in 2018, after recommendations from Reston Association’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC).

During their special budget session Monday afternoon (video), the Reston Association Board of Directors voted to guide staff toward listening to PRAC’s recommendations when setting guidelines for the 2018 pool schedule.

The recommendations are to:

• Prior to Memorial Day: reinstate Monday-Friday weekday hours at the two open pools
• Memorial Day through end of school: ensure there is one pool in each district available by 10 a.m. on weekdays
• Through mid-August: reinstate the “closed day” to just once a week at most pools, as opposed to twice a week
• Mid-August through first day of school: continue to adjust operating hours at certain pools based on member feedback, and continue to reopen additional facilities for Labor Day weekend.

The suggested changes would add $2.88 to the projected assessment rate for 2018, RA staff has calculated. Restoring all of the pool hours that were cut in this year’s schedule would tack on an additional $1.60.

“The recommendation that is before you, by the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, was worked on with staff,” CEO Cate Fulkerson said, addressing a director’s question about concerns with finding seasonal workers for the pools. “Staff believes that it can achieve [these changes, but] it does not believe it can go back to the full-scale set of hours that we had in 2016.”

Members provided feedback about pool hours during listening sessions held by RA directors in May and June. In addition, member feedback on the issue was collected during a feedback session with the Board earlier this month. Fulkerson said about 25 members attended and shared their thoughts.

Director Julie Bitzer (South Lakes District) is the Board’s liaison to PRAC. She said she believes the recommended changes address the majority of comments that were received about the schedule.

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Sterling Woman Killed in Route 7 Crash — Shirley Lee Corum, 75, was eastbound on Route 7 near the Dulles Toll Road on Monday morning when she crossed over the median into the westbound lanes and hit a guardrail. Police say Corum suffered a “medical emergency” that led to the accident. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Local Students Up for National Merit Scholarship Program — Rohan Chandra and Eshaan Sarup, of South Lakes High School, and Michael J. Barth, of Herndon High School, are among 16,000 students nationwide who are continuing in the competition for National Merit Scholarships worth a total of more than $32 million. [Reston Patch/Herndon Patch]

Dogs Die in Vienna House Fire — Crews responded to the 2000 block of Gunnell Farms Drive early Sunday morning to battle a blaze in a two-story home. The homeowners were not home, but two dogs who were inside lost their lives. The fire caused an estimated $273,750 in damages. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

New Turf Field at Herndon Park — A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place earlier this month for the new turf soccer pitch at Herndon Community Center’s Bready Park. The Town of Herndon paid $566,000 from its general fund for the project, while Fairfax County provided a $125,000 grant and Herndon Youth Soccer will pay $400,000. [Connection Newspapers]

During a special Monday afternoon session (video), the Reston Association Board of Directors voted to guide staff toward using operating reserves to pay off the remaining $2.4 million on the Lake House loan as the 2018 budget is compiled.

Sridhar Ganesan, treasurer and At-Large member, shared information with directors about what he says is a “low-risk” option that would benefit members. CEO Cate Fulkerson said staff “strongly desires” the loan be paid off this year using the reserves.

“These are things we should consider as a Board, but my own perspective is [that] if we cannot put the money to work in other areas, [then] this is like returning money back to the shareholders,” Ganesan said.

Ganesan said RA’s operating reserves have never fallen below $4 million, and that they peak at around $12 million each year as assessments are collected. Given this information, he said, there is little concern associated with funds being taken from the account and used to pay off the loan now.

Ganesan had earlier shared this information with members during a community budget workshop last week. Taking care of the loan would reduce the assessment rate by $8.66 in 2018.

Director Julie Bitzer (South Lakes District) asked whether Ganesan and staff had considered making the payoff in multiple stages instead of all at once, if the Board is “nervous” about taking so much from reserves. Ganesan said he believes there is no reason to be uncomfortable about taking the money from reserves in one lump sum.

“You have enough cashflow coming in [from assessments] in order to meet the expenses in case there is [any] problem,” he said. “[Even if] on March 1, only 50 percent of members have paid their assessments — that’s a real problem, that’s a crisis. But even then, we have collected 50 percent of assessments; that’s $7.5 million.”

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Money magazine today released its list of the best places to live in America and, once again, Reston made the cut.

The community, which was No. 7 on list in 2012 and No. 10 in 2014, came in this year at No. 29 on the Top 100. (In 2016, Reston was ranked No. 28 as part of an entry that included the entire Hunter Mill District of Fairfax County.)

Of the three Virginia communities on this year’s list, Reston ranked the highest. It is just above nearby Ashburn, which placed at No. 30; and Midlothian, located near Richmond in Chesterfield County, at No. 49.

Reston is also the highest-ranked community in the DC Metro, with the area’s only other nod coming for Rockville at No. 39.

According to the writeup from the Money magazine, which is published by Time Inc.:

Reston was once just an idea. In the early 1960s, architect and economist Robert E. Simon mapped out a vision for a community that upheld open space, recreational facilities, and aesthetic beauty.

Today, the thriving Washington, D.C., suburb offers a woodsy atmosphere that includes expanses of parks, lakes, golf courses, and bridle paths. Over 50 miles of pathways were designed to weave in and around its communities to increase pedestrian safety and to ensure that most residents’ homes were no more than a half-mile walk to village centers.

Reston Town Center, the community hub, provides an array of dining, entertainment, and shopping venues, along with headquarters for ComScore and Rolls-Royce North America; the town is also the site of a Google office and five of the largest venture capital firms in Virginia, as well as a Metro rail station for Washington commuters. Those help keep the town’s unemployment rate well below the national average. — Gabriela Fernandez

(Editor’s Note: While the writeup refers to Reston as a town, it is not an incorporated community, but rather a census-designated place.)

According to Money magazine, this year’s list includes communities with populations between 10,000 and 100,000. After they “eliminated any place that had more than double the national crime risk, less than 85 percent of its state’s median household income, or a lack of ethnic diversity,” the list’s creators were left with about 2,400 communities from which to choose.

To find the top 100, they “considered data on each place’s economic health, cost of living, public education, crime, ease of living, and amenities, all provided by research partner Witlytic.” Realtor.com helped compile the list by contributing data on housing market costs and growth.

Take a look at the full list, topped by the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers, and let us know what you think of the ranking.

We'd love to open there someday! You never know.

— SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) September 18, 2017

Simple social media lip service or not, this does raise some questions.

Would a Shake Shack in Reston rock your world? And while we’re at it, what other fast-food or fast-casual restaurants would you like to see here?

Recently, fast-casual spots for which some have clamored (Cava, Kung Fu Tea, King Pollo, etc.) have opened here. Still others (including Nando’s, Honeygrow and Sweet Leaf) are on the way. But some people still want more.

After we recently posted an article updating the status of a future Chick-fil-A at North Point Village Center, our Facebook commenters responded with a number of other quick-service restaurants they’d like to see in Reston. Some of the names they threw out don’t have any locations in our part of the country (In-N-Out, Jack in the Box, Del Taco), while others they mentioned (Sonic, Arby’s) are a little more likely.

Of course, if you’ve ever frequented the Reston Now comment threads, you know this guy who has a particular dream. Maybe someday he’ll get his wish.

For now, use this comment thread to let us know what you’d like to see here — and why.

ChalkFest took place this weekend on Market Street at Reston Town Center, and here are winners:

Professional Artists
1st Place: Abigail Lockhart (pictured at right, top)
2nd Place: Penny Hauffe (pictured at right, bottom)
3rd Place: Amanda Brown

Images via Public Art Reston on Facebook.

2 Dead in Great Falls Crash — A 26-year-old Annandale man and a 23-year-old Great Falls woman were killed in an automobile crash at about 7 p.m. Saturday in the 10500 block of Beach Mill Road. A 15-year-old girl, reported by the Washington Post to be the woman’s sister, also suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash. The Post says the two victims were Virginia Tech students who planned to marry. [Fairfax County Police Department/Washington Post]

County Promoting Car-Free Commuting This Week — Fairfax County is encouraging residents to go car-free for a day and try an alternative to drive-alone commuting during Try Transit Week. Participants will be eligible to win prizes include SmarTrip cards and more. [Fairfax County Department of Transportation]

Volunteers Needed for Reston Expo — Volunteers are needed to assist with setup, parking, children’s activities and more at Sept. 30’s Reston Expo. Everyone who signs up to volunteer will receive lunch, snacks, drinks and a volunteer T-shirt. To volunteer, or for more information, contact Ha Brock at [email protected] or call 703-435-7986. [Volunteer Reston]

FCPD Warns of Jury Duty Scam — Once again, the Fairfax County Police Department says, crooks are scamming money from residents through calls claiming a jury duty appearance has been missed. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Herndon Seeks Nominees for Good Neighbor Award — Residents can nominate a family members, friends or neighbors who make noteworthy contributions to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. [Town of Herndon]

(This article was updated at 6 p.m. to clarify information about interest payments on the loan.)

Speaking to members during a community budget meeting Thursday night, Reston Association’s treasurer made the argument for why the $2.4 million that remains on the Lake House loan should be paid as soon as possible.

Sridhar Ganesan explained to the small crowd at Reston Association headquarters that excess money is available in RA’s operating reserves that may be best used by taking care of the loan once and for all.

“I think the risk is pretty low [and] from a cash-flow perspective, I’m pretty comfortable [paying the loan off],” he said.

If the loan continues to be paid off through 2025, as is currently scheduled, Reston Association will be making payments of about $182,000 each year. In addition, there will be a $1.57 million balloon payment due at the end of the payments. Ganesan said interest rates are likely to increase between now and then as well, and refinancing costs would apply if RA decides to go that route.

Ganesan said that as Reston Association’s operating reserves have never fallen below $4 million — and peak at around $12 million each year as assessments are collected — funds are available to be taken from the account and used to pay off the loan now. Ganesan said interest on the loan collects at about $80,000 per year, while the idle operating reserves only gain about $59,000 in 2016.

Monthly operating spending for RA is about $1.25 million, Ganesan said.

“So the question is, what do we do? … Should we use that [reserve] money, that idle money, to pay off the loan?” Ganesan asked. “This is a question that we need to address, and we’d love to get comments from the public as well.”

Paying off the loan would result in RA’s projected 2018 member assessment rate decreasing by $8.66 per household, Ganesan said, and future assessment rates would benefit from having the loan off the books. The 2018 assessment was projected in the budget’s first draft at $678.

“It [would be] a use of money to pay back the members for the next 10 years,” he said.

Ganesan was asked whether he would have suggested paying for the Lake House property in full from reserve funding at the time of acquisition rather than borrowing the money. He said, if he were comfortable with the investment and the price was right, that “absolutely” would have been his suggestion.

The Lake House is projected to bring in about $143,000 in 2017, well below the $300,000 estimate that was in the budget. Ganesan said its budget projection for 2018 is $230,000 — with about $340,000 in expenses. He said RA is considering changing the way the Lake House operates in order to begin closing that gap, including possible expansion of operating hours and changing to an all-rental model (as opposed to offering programming there).

“Rentals tend to fetch a lot more money than programming,” he said. “So, should we just go to an all-rental model … in order to make sure we make as much money as we can, in order to make sure we get a payback from the investment?”

No decisions on the budget have yet been made.

The RA Board will have a special budget meeting, open to the public, Monday from noon-5 p.m. Members will also have an opportunity to discuss the budget with the Board of Directors at the Oct. 15 Lake House open house. Public hearings on the final draft of the budget will take place Oct. 26 and Oct. 30, and it is due to be finalized at the Board’s Nov. 16 meeting.

Thursday’s community meeting was recorded by Reston Association staff and will be made available on its YouTube channel soon.

A handful of local residents joined Fairfax County Department of Transportation representatives Thursday at Dogwood Elementary School to discuss how best to increase pedestrian safety in the area of the Dulles Toll Road.

FCDOT hosted the community meeting to discuss options for proposed changes to the crossing of the Fairfax County Parkway Trail over the eastbound Dulles Toll Road ramp. In that area, the crossing is around a curve as cars northbound on the parkway turn onto the ramp.

“There’s no visibility, and they have to do something about visibility if they can’t do anything about the grade,” said Steve Steiner, who said he has particular interest in safety on the trail after being struck by a car two years ago at a nearby crossing and spending four days at Inova Trauma Center. “We’re putting a really expensive and massive transportation system and we’re trying to promote the use of the trail for commuting … and you want to try to make it safe and accessible.”

FCDOT has given two options for safety improvements at the intersection in question, which was flagged as part of the Reston Metrorail Access Group (RMAG) II improvements study. It is proposing either at-grade improvements including a signalized crosswalk, or the construction of a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the ramp.

Adam Lind, FCDOT’s Bike Program manager, said neither choice was the department’s first option.

“Our original plan, actually, was a tunnel option [under the Toll Road ramp],” Lind said. “However, once we did a survey we found out there are four major utility lines and an underground stormwater tank — that pretty much nixed that option.”

The two options that remain have a vast difference in cost. The at-grade improvements would cost about $633,000 to implement, according to FCDOT, while the cost of the bridge would near $7 million.

Lind said the at-grade option focuses on improving sight distance by bringing the trail up to the shoulder of Fairfax County Parkway and creating two one-lane crossings instead of the current two-lane crossing over the ramp. He said options of stop signals for cars or the installation of a Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon to alert drivers are also being considered.

The bridge option, Lind said, would require about 700 feet of structure. It needs to be so long and high, Lind said, to allow 18 feet of clearance on the ramp below it. The result would be a bridge that travels parallel to the ramp as its elevation increases, then crosses, then decreases in height back down to the parkway.

Lind said there will be a lot of other projects similar to this one in the area as connectivity to Silver Line Phase II Metro stations is addressed; however, he said, this particular intersection doesn’t directly affect Metro access.

“While this is a big and important connection for the county and the region, it doesn’t directly serve the Metro station,” Lind said. “If you’re coming from the north, you can get off at Sunset Hills … and if you’re coming from the south, you can access via Sunrise Valley Drive.”

While it may not directly connect with the Metro, local residents Norman and Barbara Happ said the crossing is very dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists and they are happy to see it being addressed.

“I can’t imagine anything being safer than the bridge, but at least with the [at-grade crossing] you could be seen,” Norman said. “With the Bikeshare coming in on the south side, there are going to be a lot more people using this.”

FCDOT will continue to collect comments on the project through Friday, Sept. 29. Those comments can be made online; by writing the FCDOT Bicycle Program at 4050 Legato Road, Suite 4050, Fairfax, VA 22033; or by calling 703-877-5600.

Things are going to get colorful this weekend at Reston Town Center.

Public Art Reston’s fourth annual ChalkFest kicks off today with professional artists beginning their work, but the big day for the event is Saturday. That’s when, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the event is open to artists of all ages and talents.

Categories for participants are amateur ($15 registration fee), families and kids ($15), and professional ($20). Registration can be done online through today, or at the event Saturday morning.

That’s just one of many events going on around the area this weekend, though. This is officially the last weekend of summer, as the autumnal equinox comes a week from today and brings with it the fall season. The weather forecast calls for plenty of sun and temperatures in the 80s all weekend, though there are chances of a few afternoon showers.

Have fun out there!

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• The JamBrew series continues tonight in Herndon. Aslin Beer Co. will be pouring frosty mugs, Weird Brothers Coffee will be offering tasty drinks, Nordic Knot Pretzels will provide tasty snacks, and there will be much more. Live music will be offered from DJ Ragz, The DuskWhales and JUXT. The free event is slated for 6-10 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.).
• Speaking of Aslin Beer Co., it will be celebrating its two-year anniversary Saturday at 771 Elden St., which will become its permanent home in the coming months. The event, slated for noon to 6 p.m., will feature dozens of guest breweries along with food trucks, live music and much more. General admission is $35, which includes an anniversary glass and five 6-ounce pours.
• There will be an improv show, presented by Reflex Improv, tonight from 8-9:30 p.m. at Café Montmartre (1625 Washington Plaza).
• Traditional music trio Lulu’s Fate will perform Saturday from 4-6 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.). Tickets are $15.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• The Herndon Kids Triathlon is scheduled for Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Herndon Community Center (814 Ferndale Ave.). Registration for the event is full; however, volunteers are still needed to help.
• The Susco 8K and 2K fun run, to promote brain aneurysm and organ donation awareness, will take place Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m. at South Lakes High School. Registration ($40 for the 8K, $25 for the 2K) can be done the morning of the event.
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will host Kevin Patti from Clara Barton National Historic Site (National Parks Service) from 2-4 p.m. Saturday. He will present “Between the Bullet and the Hospital,” using photos from the Civil War era to explore the dangers Barton faced and the accomplishments she achieved.
• Explore the history of Lake Audubon on a guided canoe/kayak exploration from 4-5:30 p.m. Saturday. No experience is necessary, and all equipment (including canoes and kayaks) will be provided. Cost is $10 for RA members and $12 for non-members.
• Curiosity Day at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.), Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include an appearance by Curious George himself, story time, crafts and more.
• Pulitzer Prize-winner display “Disgraced,” exploring Muslim assimilation and identity in America, will be performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) tonight at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; and at a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets range in price from $17.50 to $55. A package experience for the Sunday matinee that includes brunch at PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) is available.
• Floris United Methodist Church (13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon) will present a concert of Christian music through the decades from 5-8 p.m. Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in an outfit from their favorite decade.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from Rusty Cage tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits during those hours Saturday night.
• Musician Patty Reese will be performing Saturday from 8-11 p.m. at The Tasting Room Wine Bar and Shop (1816 Library St.).

Toll Road Traffic To Be Affected by Weekend Work — Westbound traffic will be rerouted this weekend as to allow crews to set pedestrian bridges that will provide access over the westbound highways to the Silver Line’s future Herndon station. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

Volunteers Needed for Watershed Cleanup — Help is needed Saturday at parks around Fairfax County, including locally at Lake Fairfax Park and Frying Pan Farm Park. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

FCPD Officer Pleads No Contest — Officer Pshko Siteki was heading to a call for a disorderly conduct incident in February when his speeding cruiser struck a minivan in the Seven Corners area. [Washington Post]

An Unexpected Stint in the NFL — Thirty years ago this month, South Lakes High School’s wrestling coach became a temporary member of the Washington Redskins during the National Football League players’ strike. John Cowne, who later would become an assistant coach for the SLHS Seahawks football team, remembered that once-in-a-lifetime experience in a recent interview. [Inside NoVa]