A man was robbed late last month while walking along the 1200 block of Herndon Parkway.
Police said two suspects stole a wallet form the man as he walked home around 11 p.m. on July 29.
The suspects were described as Hispanic males. One was wearing a mask, shorts and white sneakers and the other was wearing a mask, pants and white sneakers.
The suspects took off on foot towards Parcher Avenue after the robbery.
No injuries were reported.
It’s official: the Herndon Metro Station is nearly complete.
This week, a sign marking the station was installed by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority officials.
Town of Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel met with WMATA officials on Monday, August 5 as part of a Silver Line bus tour.
The station is expected to open in July next year.
The town is working with the county to determine new bus routes with the Fairfax Connector once Metro trains are up and running.
Photo via Town of Herndon/Facebook
Tickets Open for 2019-2010 Professional Touring Artist Series — Members of the public can now purchase tickets for Reston Community Center’s professional touring artist series, which features best-selling authors, musicians, and other notable figures. [Reston Community Center]
A Recap of Totally Trucks — Reston Association crew members encouraged children and adults to climb their smaller and mostly off-road units at the 20th annual Totally Trucks event on August 1. [The Connection]
Public Interest Registry Has a New Chief Financial Officer — The Reston-based firm hired Laurie Tarpey as its CFO. She will expand the expertise of the company’s executive team and ensure the “the measured growth of the .org domain.” [Cision]
Photo by Dario Piparo/Flickr
A small fire broke out on the roof of a business in North Point Village Center (1452 Reston Parkway) yesterday (Wednesday).
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department contained the fire, which broke out around 5:30 p.m. that day.
Two medic units were dispatched to the scene, but no injuries were reported.
The fire happened on the roof line of the former Boston Market, which closed last month.
No other information about the incident was immediately available. The cause of the incident has not yet been determined.
Photo by Alex Schneider
Local crews are tackling a gas leak on the 11500 block of Commerce Park Drive.
According to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, crews from Washington Gas have clamped the leak, which is suspected to have struck a 2” gas line.
No injuries were reported.
Local fire and rescue crews are now going in to service the area.
This story will be updated.
UPDATE gas leak in the 11500 block of Commerce Park Drive in the Reston area. @washingtongas on scene and have clamped leak. No injuries. #FCFRD units going in service. pic.twitter.com/dMTyfB92of
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 8, 2019
Photo via @ffxfirerescue/Twitter
A state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is hosting an informational seminar on accessing medical cannabis at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive).
Virginia NORML will host the event, “Accessing Medical Cannabis in Virginia” on Wednesday, August 21 from 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Organizers wrote the following about the event:
Virginia’s medical cannabis program is already accepting patient, caregiver, and practitioner registrations, and facilities will begin opening in the second half of 2019. Learn how to get a recommendation, how to register, and what the new laws mean for patients and providers.
Seating is limited and reservations can be made online.
Two resident curators presented their plans to repurpose the historic Ellmore Farmhouse as part of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s resident curator program.
Two applicants proposed uses for the property through the program, which allows individuals and organizations to secure long-term lease agreements in exchange for rehabilitating the park authority’s underutilized historic properties.
Applicants Karl and Jessie Scherm proposed to use the property as a residential home, drawing on his memories and experience of visiting Frying Pan Farm Park.
The Scherms proposed to use the property for several community uses, including hosting members of the Chantilly Bible Church and welcoming widows and their school-aged children into the home.
“Our children, much like the Ellmore and Smith children, have had the opportunity to spend time learning about farming and caring for animals through the 4-H clubs they are in,” according to the application. “Living in the Ellmore Farmhouse would allow us more time to learn and share with others about the original families and animals that lived here on this property.”
The second applicant — a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities — proposed to use the property as a gathering space for its longterm and community integration services program, which serves 15 clients.
“Our solution will maximize heritage conservation efforts for the property to benefit the Fairfax community, including Frying Pan Park visitors, adults with disabilities, and the general public,” according to the application.
The next meeting on the proposals will be held on Thursday, September 12 at 9 a.m. at the Herrity Biulding (12055 Government Center Parkway). The meeting is public but no comments will be taken.
All written comments must be submitted via email to [email protected] by Friday, September 6.
The Ellmore Farmhouse is a two-story home on West Ox Road in Herndon that was first used by William Ellmore, a prominent local politician, until 1935. The successive owners continued to operate the property as a dairy forum until it was sold in 1854. FCPA purchased the property for inclusion into Frying Pan Farm Park in 2001.
Photo via Fairfax County Government
Locals looking to diversity their workout options will soon be able to do so at Plaza America, which welcomes a new fitness business this month.
UFC Gym plans to open on August 19 at 11710 Plaza America Drive, Suite 40, a company representative told Reston Now.
The business, which joins Gold’s Gym around the corner, has 70 locations across the country.
The newest location in Reston will offer a mix of mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing glasses for individuals and groups.
UFC Gym is also located at Woodland Park Crossing at 12971 Highland Crossing Drive, Suite 6.
ElectrifyAmerica Helps Create Robotic Charging Stations — The Volkswagen subsidiary, which is based in Reston, is helping jumpstart a pilot program to create robotic charging stations for self-driving vehicles. The pilot will be based in San Francisco. [CNBC]
Reston Native Creates Denim Apparel for College Football — Caroline DeMarco, 18, of Reston, hand paints designs on denim jackets and creates tailgate staples for cooler months. Her side business took off on Instagram. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Take a Break Concert Series Tonight — Enjoy “Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet” at Lake Anne Plaza from 7-9 p.m. The concert is free and open for all ages. [Reston Community Center]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Local crews are working to replace a 25-foot section of corroded pipe after a water main break left more than 230 homes without water over the weekend.
On Saturday, August 3, a one-foot waterline that runs under Crestview Drive ruptured. Water was restored that night.
The town’s Department of Public Works said the waterline ruptured as a result of corrosion.
This week, local crews are working to replace a 25-foot section of corroded pipe and repair the section of the road that was damaged by the burst.
A smaller water main break also left 15 homes on Lisa Court without water on Tuesday.
Crews will replace a water valve on tomorrow (Thursday). Crestview Drive will be limited to one lane near Mistyvale Street, according to the Town of Herndon.
A new barbershop has opened in Herndon’s Junction Square neighborhood.
The business, called Town Barber, opened in June at 704 Elden Street, Suite A.
The business describes itself as a “modern barber shop for today’s gentleman of leisure.”
Other recently announced tenants in Junction Square include California-based chain BurgerIM and a gallery for painter Trisha Adams. An African and Caribbean grocer also opened its doors recently.
Photo via @TownBabrer1/website
Reston is under a thunderstorm watch until around 2:45 p.m. today (Wednesday).
The National Weather Service encourages residents to move to an interior room in the lowest floor of a building.
Here’s more from the alert:
At 157 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Great Falls, or over Lowes Island, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE…Radar indicated.
IMPACT…Damaging winds will cause some trees and large branches to fall. This could injure those outdoors, as well as damage homes and vehicles. Roadways may become blocked by downed trees. Localized power outages are possible.
Unsecured light objects may become projectiles.
Photo by Ed Schudel
Colvin Run Mill Historic Site’s barn will be renamed in honor of two local parks advocates.
The Fairfax County Park Authority voted on July 25 to rename the barn in honor of Robert and Marjorie Lundegard. The board described the Lundegards as advocates who were “a major influence in getting park recommendations for Colvin Run implemented.”
FCPA wrote the following about the couple:
Robert Lundegard and his wife, Marjorie, spent much of their retirement time volunteering and spearheading preservation fundraising efforts at Colvin Run Mill. After Mr. Lundegard’s death in May of this year, he was hailed as a park icon and an “amazing guy” who would be remembered for his love of parks, in particular, Colvin Run Mill Historic Site. He was known as a dedicated and visionary leader who saw the importance and value of educating the public, especially school children, about Fairfax County’s colonial and 19th Century heritage. He pushed for the restoration of the mill and miller’s house, efforts which led to today’s fully operational facilities.
The barn will officially be renamed the Marjorie and Robert J. Lundegard Education Center. Park staff will work with the Friends of Colvin Run Mill to schedule a public ceremony to celebrate the facility’s naming.
The couple raised more than $50,000 to support Colvin Run Mill’s capital improvement plan, which includes renovation of the Miller’s House on the site and the building of a planned visitor education center. They were among the first members of the Friends of Colvin Run Mill when it formed in 1997.
They also raised funds for the mill through a partnership with a local consignment shop in McLean and through Marjorie’s written work about mills in the region.
Photo via FCPA
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has finally set a projected opening day for phase two of the Silver Line project.
WTOP reports that the authority hopes to open the six-station second phase from Wiehle-Reston East to Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn on July 16, 2020. Authority officials stressed the opening date was tentative and dependent on numerous factors.
Here’s more from WTOP:
“The current date to open the system to the public is July 16, 2020. That is our goal at this point, and we’re working very hard to meet it,” said Charles Stark, airports authority senior vice president for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
“It could be a few days earlier or a few days later. Nothing in the construction world is that exact, but you gotta have a goal, and that’s ours,” Stark said in an interview.
July 16, 2020, is a Thursday, so it is more likely that if construction sticks to the new schedule projections based on a statistical analysis and discussions with the contractors and Metro, the line would open the weekend before or after that.
Thus far, the opening of phase two has been delayed several times.
Metro will take roughly two months for final testing and employee training before it assumes ownership of the rail line from the authority.
The authority is currently in negotiations with contractors to determine the details of precise safety testing checklists for new stations, tracks and rail yards. The authority hopes to allow certain tests to be done simultaneously instead of sequentially in order to shave a significant amount of time off the schedule, according to the report.
Rail yard testing is expected to begin by the end of this year.
File photo
Parents and students looking to prepare for the new school year can do so at the annual “Back 2 School Bash” next week.
The event, which is set for Saturday, Aug. 17, at South Lakes High School from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is designed to be a one-stop destination to prep for the return to school.
Local schools, government entities and non-profit provides will be on-site to provide information and resources for local community members.
The bash is co-sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools, Cornerstones, Reston Community Center, YMCA Reston and Fairfax County Neighborhood & Community Services.
The first day of school for FCPS is on Aug. 26.
File photo
