Performers and activities at this year’s annual Reston Multicultural Festival, which is set for September 28 at Lake Anne Plaza, are centered around the theme, “Discover the World in Reston.”

Reston Community Center, which organizes the yearly event, hopes the festival will honor the community’s diversity and exemplify Reston founder Bob Simon’s vision for inclusivity in Northern Virginia.

“At the Reston Multicultural Festival each year, people enjoy the fruits of that inclusive and celebratory approach to building community,” said RCC executive director Leila Gordon.

The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. with a naturalization ceremony and a performance by New Line Brass Band at 12:15. p.m. A series of performances will following the show by the band, including dance and music from countries like India, Bolivia, Japan and Ireland.

This year’s festival also features two fellows from the National Endowment for the Arts: Cajun musician Michael Doucet and African American storyteller Linda Gross. Doucet performs on the world stage from 12:45 p.m.. to 1:30 p.m. and Goss performs at the gallery stage from 1:45 to 2 p.m.

Crafts like textiles, clothing, jewelry and housewares will be available for purchase from the Global Market. Food will be available for purchase from the Global Cafe:

• A Southern Fish Fry (Food Trailer): Fried Fish, Fried Shrimp, French Fries, North Carolina Barbecue Ribs  
  
• Colonial Kettle Corn (Food Trailer): Kettle Corn, Water
• Danibelle’s Lebanese Cuisine LLC (Food Truck): Chicken Shawarma, Falafel, Kafta Sandwich, Hummus, Tabouleh Salad, Fries, Soft Drinks
• Del Sur Baked Goods: Peruvian: Peruvian Empanadas
• E-San Food and Drinks: Asian: Pad Thai, Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Lo-Mein, Chicken Teriyaki, Lemonades, Thai Ice Tea, Sugarcane Juice
• Lake Anne Plaza Market & Deli: Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas
• Lets Get Twisted Potato: Fried Twisted Potato on a Stick
• Nitro Creamery: Homemade Ice Cream and Gelato
• Reston Association: Hot Dogs, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Chips
• Taste of the World Restaurant: Fried Rice, Teriyaki Chicken, Panang Curry Chicken, Fried Tofu, Curry Puff, Beverages

Free parking is available at the upper and lower lots at Lake Anne Plaza, on North Shore Drive, and off-site at Brown’s Chapel.

The event is hosted by Lake Anne Plaza and co-sponsored by Reston Association.

Photo via RCC

Fairfax Connector bus service will be relocated from the Herndon Monroe Park and Ride to a temporary stop on Sunrise Valley Drive. The relocation of service, which begins on September 23 and ends in November, is prompted by construction on the bus loop as phase two of the Silver Line is completed next year.

Fairfax County Department of Transportation officials caution that commuters should expect delays. Updated arrival times are available on BusTracker.

Buses will be located to a temporary stop on Sunrise Valley Drive in front of the park and ride. Routes operating to and from the park and ride are 551, 924, 926, 927, 929, 937, 950, 951, 980, 981, and 983. Routes 927 and 93 will not serve the stop at Sunrise Valley Drive and Millburn Lane.

The current parking garage will remain open and the garage currently under construction will reopen in September.

For the latest information about service changes, commuters are encouraged to sign up for Fairfax Alerts.

Photo via FCDOT

Update at 9:30 a.m.: The two missing teens were found, police said.

Local police are searching for two missing teens who were last seen Wednesday morning in Reston.

Police said Renata Yearout, 15, and Damion Johnson, 16, were seen around 8 a.m. in the 1400 block of Northpoint Glen Court.

Although the Fairfax County Police Department did not establish a link between the two cases, police believe the teens are together.

The teens are considered endangered due to mental health or physical health concerns, police said.

Yearout is 5-feet-6-inches tall, weighs 130 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Johnson is 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a white long sleeve shirt.

#MISSING ENDANGERED JUVENILE: 15 y/o Renata Yearout, last seen 8am in 1400 block of Northpoint Glen Ct. in Reston. She is 5’6”, 130 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes, unknown clothing description. Endangered due to mental and/or physical health concerns. Call 703-691-2131 w/info. pic.twitter.com/ZVNaFejoVV

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 12, 2019

#MISSING ENDANGERED JUVENILE: 16 y/o Damion Johnson, last seen 8am in 1400 block of Northpoint Glen Ct. Reston. He is 5’11”, 150 lbs, blk hair, bro eyes, blue jeans and white long sleeve shirt. Endangered due to mental and/or physical health concerns. Call 703-691-2131 w/info. pic.twitter.com/BsHeG7Uu5p

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) September 12, 2019

Photos via FCPD

Several local restaurants are offering special deals for the annual Northern Virginia Restaurant Week, which ends on Sunday (September 15).

The week, which is organized by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, features special menus and deals by local restaurants. This year’s event kicked off on Monday (September 9).

The following restaurants are participating:

• Carrabba’s Italian Grill
• Mon Ami Gabi
• Not Your Average Joe’s Kitchen & Bar
• Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
• Founding Farmers Reston Station

Restaurants will offer menus specifically designed for the event. Reservations are highly encouraged.

The event is sponsored by Boston Properties and Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

Photo courtesy Mon Ami Gabi

A new restaurant and lounge, which markets itself as “the best hangout place,” is coming soon to Herndon.

Adda Restaurant and Lounge plans to open at 2310 Woodland Crossing Drive in Herndon. A wine and beer license for the establishment, which will seat more than 150 people, is pending, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

The business has another location in Ashburn, which offers karaoke nights, Bollywood dancing and a motley of foods, including kabobs, biryani, soups, and pasta.

The owners were not immediately available for comment.

Photo via Adda Lounge & Restaurant/Facebook

Staff from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Station 25 in Reston helped Germany’s Office of Defense Administration (ODA) celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Crews showed off their fire trucks and offered tips on fall and winter fire safety at the event, which happened on September 5 in Reston. The celebration included games and activities.

FCFRD wrote the following about the event:

Crews showed off the fire trucks as well as highlighting fall and winter fire safety tips. The festivities included German cuisine as well as various games and activities.

We were honored to be presented challenge coins from the leadership of the ODA. Visitors from the superior agency in Germany were present as well.

All three shifts look forward to continuing this special shared partnership with our neighbors in Reston.

The ODA, which is located in Reston, is an agency subordinate to the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-service Support.

Photo via FCFRD

Hidden Histories Exhibit Opens Tomorrow — An opening reception and artist talk by Maremi Andreozzi is set for tomorrow (Thursday) from 6-8 p.m at the Greater Reston Arts Center’s satellite gallery at the Signature, which is located at 11850 Freedom Drive. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Great Falls Organization to Honor 9/11 Victims — A ceremony at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial will honor 9/11 victims on the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Six residents of Great Falls were killed in the attacks. The remembrance ceremony starts today at 7 p.m. [Celebrate Great Falls Foundation]

McLean-based Company Acquires Information Technology Services Contractor — “Dovel Technologies has acquired Reston, Va.-based government information technology services contractor Ace Info Solutions for an undisclosed sum in an effort to broaden market capabilities and diversify its client base.” [GovConWire]

The Maturing of Reston Town Center — “How did Reston Town Center, set some 20 miles (32 km) from the nation’s capital in the leafy suburbs of Northern Virginia, generate premium real estate values and become desirable enough to compete for the best tenants? What can be learned from the evolution of a five-block phase in 1990, to what is now over 25 blocks of high-density mixed-use development with a distinctly urban, downtown feel It is a story dating back more than 30 years, the product of critical decisions made by a host of real estate professionals, public officials, planners, and designers.” [Urban Land]

Photo by vantagehill/Flickr

Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.

1. Report: Uncle Julio’s and Boston Properties Settle Reston Town Center Parking Lawsuit
2. Maryland Men Arrested Following Robbery, Gunfire Exchange with Police and Carjacking in Herndon
3. Neustar to Move Sterling Headquarters to Comstock’s Reston Station
4. Photos: Golf Course Plaza Redevelopment Plan Heads to Planning Commission
5. The Wooden Horse at Lake Anne Plaza is Now Headless

If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.

Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.

Photo via handout/Fairfax County Government

The Fairfax County School Board is considering a plan to grant middle and high school students an excused absence for taking part in protests, rallies and walkouts.

The board’s governance committee discussed the proposal earlier this week. If approved, students would be given one excused absence from school per year to take part in “civic engagement activities by providing prior notification to the school with evidence of a sponsored/organized event or activity,” according to the draft proposal.

In a letter submitted to the board in February, board member Ryan McElveen said county schools enforced inconsistent policies when students organized walkouts in response to recent school shootings. He wrote the following in his proposal to the board:

A year ago, the devastating tragedy in Parkland galvanized students, parents, and citizens around the country to call for an end to gun violence, a powerful movement demanding action by our elected representatives that continues to this day. The Fairfax County School Board amplified this advocacy through our Resolution on Gun Violence Prevention, which became a national model for School Board resolutions around the country. School systems cannot oppose nor endorse any specific calls to action, but they are constitutionally obligated to recognize and uphold the first amendment rights of students choosing to engage in political activities that do not infringe on the rights of others or disrupt the instructional day. While FCPS provided guidance to schools about how to respond to students who wanted to walkout in support of gun violence prevention in 2018, there was inconsistent enforcement of those procedures in schools, including how schools designated excused student absences. I have spoken with many community members who would like clearer policy guidance in the event of future civic engagement activities.

The discussion is expected to continue on October 2.

At a September 4 meeting, board members sought to ensure that the proposal would not interfere with the school system’s efforts to curb chronic absenteeism. The school board is still seeking information on the absenteeism status of the county’s schools, whether or not other school districts have adopted similar proposals and the projected impact of the proposal on absenteeism.

Artist Ben Volta’s public artwork for the Colts Neck Road Underpass — which uses more than 700 drawings created by 600 people — has received its final design approval, putting the project on track for installation later this month.

The project — a partnership between Public Art Reston, Reston Association and Atlantic Realty Companies — is the second public art to be permanently installed at an underpass in Reston.

Panels with drawings of interconnected and bright pathways will be set on the exterior and interior walls of the underpass — bringing together artwork created under Volta’s supervision with local students and residents from local senior living communities.

Volta conducted eight workshops with students at Hunters Woods and Dogwood elementary school, students at Southgate Community Center’s after school program, residents of Hunters Woods Fellowship House and Hunters Woods at Trails Edge. Participants were asked to draw a path, drawing on Volta’s inspiration from Reston’s 55 miles of pathways. The Philadelphia-based artist was also inspired by poet Henry David Thoreau’s statement, “Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”

Public Art Reston wrote the following about the project:

Philadelphia artist and educator Ben Volta has been selected to create a permanent public artwork for the Reston community at the Colts Neck Road Underpass. A 2015 recipient of a Pew Fellowship in the Arts, Volta is known for his public artwork, including intricate public murals and sculptures, working within the fields of education, restorative justice, and urban planning. He has a participatory approach to making art and has worked with numerous organizations and schools. According to Volta, his practice “stands on the belief that art can be a catalyst for change, within individuals as well as the institutional structures that surround them.” Volta–who as a young artist was a member of the groundbreaking art collective “Tim Rollins and K.O.S.” (Kids of Survival), in the south Bronx section of New York City–earned his certificate in sculpture from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2002 and his BFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005.

The final design was approved after months of review, including consideration by an art selection committee and RA’s Design Review Board. A ribbon-cutting is planned for October.

Photos via Public Art Reston

The Davidson Institute for Talent Development has selected a Neeyanth Kopparapu, 17, of Herndon as a 2019 Davidson Fellows Scholarship winner.

The senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is one of 20 students across the country selected for the program, which offers scholarships between $10,000 and $50,000 for developing projects that have the potential to benefit society in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, and music.

Kopparapu developed what the institute said is the first diagnosis system for early-stage Parkinson’s disease using an MRI scan. The Herndon resident was inspired to create the system — which is accurate nearly 97 percent of the time — after his grandfather was diagnosed with the disease at a late stage and was unable to use commonly-prescribed medication to fight the disease.

“I am incredibly grateful to the Davidson Institute for this recognition of my work in artificial intelligence,” said Kopparapu in a statement. “I am looking forward to meeting other Fellows and becoming part of the Davidson Fellows Scholarship community.”

Siona Prasad, 18, of Vienna, was also selected for the scholarship. Her work to measure and monitor greenhouse gas emissions successfully predicted an emission inventory for Washington, DC. A reception program to honor the fellows is set for Friday, September 27 in the District.

“I am incredibly grateful to the Davidson Institute for this recognition of my work in artificial intelligence,” said Kopparapu, a rising senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria. “I am looking forward to meeting other Fellows and becoming part of the Davidson Fellows Scholarship community.”

Photo via Davidson Institute for Talent Development

Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard said the two Maryland men arrested on Labor Day in connection with an armed robbery, shooting at a police officer, and a carjacking in downtown Herndon have “extensive criminal histories” and may be connected to other similar incidents in the county.

At a debriefing before the Herndon Town Council earlier this week, DeBoard released new details about the incident that happened near Locust Street. She said police officers responded quickly and effectively, even though there were only four people on duty when the incident happened at around 7:20 p.m. that day.

Edward Maul Mejia Sandoval, 22, was charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of threatening to abduct with the intent to defile. Manual Enrique Casco, 34, was charged with robbery, carjacking and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Police believe the suspects were attempting to rob a business in downtown Herndon that evening. As the incident was unfolding, one of the two women assaulted by the men spotted a police cruiser parked in the store’s security camera footage. The woman alerted the police officer — who was filling out paperwork in the cruiser and happened to be near the scene at the time — about the armed robbery. The officer — whose name has not been disclosed — immediately began to chase the suspects as they fled from the business, police said.

During the foot pursuit, one of the suspects shot at the police officer. The officer responded by shooting back. No one was injured or hit during the exchange, police said.

Sandoval was arrested with the help of two off-duty police officers and an EMT from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. After a brief search, Casco was arrested nearly thirty minutes later after police received a report of a carjacking up the street near Guapos.

The Fairfax County Police Department has taken over the criminal investigation due to the town’s limited resources, DeBoard said. The officer-involved shooting was a first for all three commanders on the scene at the time, she said.

“When you have an incident of this magnitude and this high enough of a threat, it becomes extremely dangerous and challenging,” DeBoard told the council.

The Herndon Police Department is conducting an internal affairs investigation. The county’s Commonwealth Attorney will determine if the police officer’s use of a gun was justified. Thus far, the suspects have not been charged with attempted capital murder.

The incident was captured with body camera footage. DeBoard also said the Herndon Town Council’s $25,000 investment in technology to track police cruisers helped police respond to the scene by tracking the cruiser.

Details about the business robbed by the suspects, the names of the victims, and the name of the officer will not be released for privacy and safety reasons, the police chief said. The department may release the officer’s name later this week if it determines there is no threat to safety.

As photographer Nate Larson’s work on centroid towns goes on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center later this month, the nonprofit organization is challenging students to create artwork inspired by its overarching theme and supporting concepts.

The new Emerging Visions program is part of GRACE’s efforts to take “its mission beyond the center walls” and create opportunities for students to interact with contemporary art in the classroom, according to its website.

GRACE worked with Fairfax County Public Schools to create an educators’ packet that relays the messages and themes explored by the artwork.

Larson’s upcoming exhibit — which is on display from September 28 through January 4 — explores centroid towns, which the U.S. Census Bureau classifies as the mean center of a population as it moves steadily west and south.

Students can respond to a theme by creating their own artwork in any medium. GRACE’s staff will select student artwork to be exhibited in the Emerging exhibition at GRACE from June 6 through June 27 next year. An opening reception is set for June 5.

For more information about the program, contact education and public programs manager Sarah Benz.

Photo via GRACE