A force behind more than 150 performances at South Lakes High School’s Theatre Arts program is leaving the program. Maria Harris, the program’s theatre arts director, plans to retire after 30 years of coaching students, putting on productions, and watching the program grow over the last three decades.

Harris is now turning toward what she calls her final act: her own acting career and production company, Rising Star Productions, and spending more time with her family and aging parents.

“It’s been a good career, but it’s not over yet,” Harris said. She commutes two hours daily from her home in Loudoun County to SLHS.

After teaching for a few years in Michigan — where she was born — and two other Fairfax County schools, Harris landed a full time job at SLHS. She’s worked as the performing arts chair and taught speech, english, theatre and film — watching the program grow from two shows required per year to an around-the-year program. The job has given her the opportunity to travel with her students — including the prestigious American High School Theatre Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland where the school was selected to represent Virginia. Her students have also won two state championships in the Virginia High School League’s film competition.

Over the years, she said she has most enjoyed watching her students grow. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here at SLHS. I love, love, love my kids and I’m going to miss them the most.” Before shows, she assembles her students into a big circle and leads them through breathing exercises, passing a squeeze of good wishes down the chain of linked hands until they reach her.

Ryleigh Line, one of her students, told Reston Now that Harris has helped many students realize their full potential.

“The most important thing that she does for us is support us and she pushes us to be the best we can be by having high expectations and constructive feedback for us after every assignment and production,” Line said. “The South Lakes community will miss Mrs. Harris very much and are forever thankful for her.”

For Harris, who calls herself a “Motown girl,” the arts were ingrained in her lifestyle since she was five. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Wayne State University.

While she was working in the school’s program, she launched Rising Star Productions in Reston in order to fill the lack of “cultural theatre” in the community. For years, she worked with her team to bring African American Theatre to Reston Community Center. She has appeared in films including Broadcast News and Accidental Tourist.  Her stages roles include Addapearle in The Wiz, Bloody Mary in South Pacific, Asaka in Once on This Island, and Myrna Thorn in Ruthless! The Musical.

“I wish my students the very best, whether they take their careers into theater or whatever they endeavor to do.”

Photo via Maria Harris

Officers from the Herndon Police Department will be available for coffee and conversation on Tuesday (May 14).

The Coffee with a Cop event takes place at Starbucks on 11450 Elden Street from 8-10 a.m.

“No agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers in your neighborhood,” event organizers said.

Coffee with a Cop launched in Hawthorne, VA in 2011 in order to find better ways for police officers to interact with the community. Events are now held throughout the country as part of police departments’ “community oriented policing programs” approach.

Here’s more about the program from the national website:

Coffee with A Cop was launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011 when Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department were looking for ways to interact more successfully with the citizens they served each day.   Community policing has long been considered a framework for establishing trust between the community and the police. However, over time the character and composition of our nation’s communities have changed due to shifting demographics, more commuters, and the introduction of different communication methods such as websites and social media.   The Hawthorne Police Department hit upon a simple plan to break through the barriers that have been built over the years-a cup of coffee.   Coffee with a Cop events are now held in all 50 states and is one of the most successful community oriented policing programs across the country. The program has also expanded to outside the Unites States to Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Latin America.  The key to Coffee with a Cop’s growing success is that it opens the door for interactions outside of the crisis situations that typically bring law enforcement officers and community members together.  

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Fairfax County’s violent crime rate dipped slightly this year over last year, according to data compiled by the police department.

FCPD’s annual report finds that violence crime rates decreased between 2017 and 2018 for homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

The data, which were released Friday, show that homicide decreased from 201to 13, rape decreased from 98 to 92, and robbery decreased from 428 to 354. Aggravated assault also dipped from 283 to 260. Of FCPD’s eight police districts, the Reston District stations fell on the lower end for the number of driving while intoxicated arrests for last year.

Movement is also expected on a body worn camera pilot program that had a test run in Reston last year. FCPD Chief Edwin Roessler plans to share findings about the program — compiled in partnership with American University researchers —  with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisor this year.

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Test trains for the Silver Line are now running new tracks between Wiehle-Reston East and Ashburn.

But it’s still unclear how the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s contractor plans to fix defective concrete rail ties that have put the tracks out of alignment.

According to the WTOP, MWAA wants the rail ties to be replaced, but that process might create additional delays.

Inspectors have been monitoring work on the concrete sealant and concrete areas that hold tracks in the rail yard.

So far, MWAA has rejected the contractors’ planned construction schedules. Negotiations are currently underway on the best way to speed things up.

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Reston’s Baby Expo returns this year on Saturday, May 18 at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road).

Event exhibitors will offer information about products, enrichment opportunities, childcare resources and fun activities for families. Resources are tailored towards families living in Northern Virginia.

The expo also includes demonstrations and workshops to highlight new skills and kid-friendly activities in a children’s play area. Door prizes will also be given away throughout the event.

The Reston Baby Expo is free and open to all.

Photo via Reston Community Center

A Recap of Reston Association’s Volunteer Awards — “In Reston there is more than live, work and play. “Its volunteers are the backbone of Reston,” said Hank Lynch, Reston Association CEO. In a celebration of Reston Association’s outstanding volunteers from 2018, its board of directors and staff extended their appreciation and thanks to the more than 1,423 volunteers, businesses and community partners who gave of their time to make a positive impact on the community.” [The Connection]

55+ Bike Ride Around Old Town Alexandria — Join RA for a multi-modal ride from Reston to Old Town Alexandria tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. [Reston Association]

Transportation Committee Seeks Members — Reston Association’s Multimodal Transportation Advisory Committee seeks new members to help shape transportation in Reston. Applications can be submitted online to RA’s Board of Directors. [Reston Association]

Flick pool photo by vantagehill

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

1. ‘McTacoHut’ Marks the End of An Era in Reston
2. Setting the Record Straight on the RTC Falcon Naming
3. Names Revealed for Reston Town Center’s Peregrine Falcons
4. Weather Alert: Tornado Warning In Effect for Fairfax County
5. City Lab Editor: Reston is a ‘Radical Suburb’

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 by Fatimah Waseem

Book lovers can get their hands on thousands of used books at the Friends of the Reston Regional Library’s semi-annual sale this weekend.

Although the spring sale started on Thursday for the public, the event continues today through 5 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive).

No children’s books will be offered at the sale. The next book sale is in mid-August right before the next school year begins.

Tomorrow (May 4)

• Reston Pet Fiesta (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) — Dogs and their owners can enjoy this outdoor festival at Reston Town Center. The free event brings together businesses, rescue groups and pet owners for activities, demonstrations and entertainment.
• Spring Festival (1-5 p.m.) — Enjoy entertainment, animals, craft making for kids, and displays from local environmental groups at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive). An animal show, interactive performance and puppet show are also planned.
• Tapestry of Peace and Justice (4-7:30 p.m.) — This “mixed-art” performance and exhibit combines music and images from artists of The Reston Art Gallery & Studios and League of Reston Artists, as well as poems from The Poetry Society of Virginia. Tickets are $25 for adults.
• Crescent Community Yard Sale (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) — If you missed Reston Association’s big community yard sale last weekend, now is your chance to comb through items at the Crescent Apartments’ sale (1572 Cameron Crescent Drive).

Sunday (May 5)

• Hopecam 19th Annual 5k Run/Walk (9:15 a.m.) — Hopecam’s annual event helps children with cancer. The race begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony and post-race celebration at 1890 Preston White Drive.
• Sunday Country Western Dance (5:30-8 p.m.) — Swing the night away to popular western tunes played by Reston Community Center’s DJ. The monthly event takes place at RCC Hunters Woods. Dancers must be 18 years or older.
• HGRTC Marketplace (noon to 5 p.m.) — Reston Town Center will host a home and garden marketplace for all plant lovers. The event is the first of its kind in the town center.

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A solo exhibition featured the world of Maryland-based Douglas Moulden is on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center’s satellite gallery at the Signature apartments (11850 Freedom Drive) through August 29.

The exhibit, “A Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination,” features a series of large-scale acrylic paintings on panels. The work is inspired by Moulden’s memories of woods near his Frederick, Md. home and the outskirts of the DC area.

GRACE said the following about the exhibit:

Calling on his expertise as a sculptor he makes his plywood panels, often utilizing non-traditional shapes, and then applies his paint in a unique fashion. His approach to research could be referred to as coddiwomple (v.), an obscure English slang word that gained popularity with globetrotters, meaning to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination. 

This is not the first time Greater Reston Arts Center has featured Moulden’s work. In the 2009 exhibition The Empty Landscape, curated by Joanne Bauer, Moulden presented a large body of paintings and sculptures, different from the ones seen here. Since then, he has lost the ability to use his signature technique of using a paint-filled syringe to draw, similar to pointillism, and build up the painting’s complex surface.

This set-back has affected the way in which Moulden creates his work but his deep appreciation for nature and the joy found in making beautifully crafted objects is still his driving force. In this exhibition, GRACE presents three new works,Things Are Looking Up, Puzzle, and Globe Thistle, the first of this artist’s transition from one method to another to capture the abstract and mysterious beauty in our area landscapes.

A curator’s talk is set for August 8 from noon to 1 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Photo via GRACE

Calling all local photographers: Reston Now is looking for your photos of Reston, Herndon and Great Falls.

Whether you’re a photography pro or just love snapping pictures with your smartphone, we are always looking to include seasonal photos in our Morning Notes on weekdays or reshare pictures on our social media accounts.

To send us your photos, email us at [email protected], tag us in your photo on social media or join our Reston Now Flickr page.

You will always receive credit for the photo — either with your username or actual name.

Thank you to photographers who have already sent us photos.

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Producing artistic director Evan Hoffmann says that NextStop Theatre Company’s upcoming season brings the “most diverse and ambitious programming yet” to the community.

“The only thing more exciting than next season’s shows are the artists we will be welcoming into the theatre to help guide and create them,” said Hoffmann. “Through a mixture of past collaborators and new faces, we are proud to report that 50 percent of the season’s directors are women, and 50 percent are artists of color. Those percentages will be even higher for the performers.”

The season kicks off with “Beehive: The 60’s Musical,” a tribute musical about the women of 1960s rock, pop and soul music. In the fall, the company reinvents Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” with a new script by Kate Hamill. Megan Behm, who directed last year’s production of “45 Plays for 45 Presidents,” will direct the show.

In time for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Kevin McAllister reimagines the story of Dr. King in which he is visited by a young maid who can “unveil the humanity and vulnerability of America’s larger than life icon.”

In February and March, the company presents “Ordinary Days,” a story about four young New Yorkers that illustrates how the smallest of acts can have a profound impact on life. Jay Brock, who directed “Assassins” in 2017, will lead this musical by Adam Gwon.

In the spring of 2020, Hoffman directs “Noises Off,” a play-within-a-play that includes on- and off-stage antics as they work through a disastrous performance.

The season closes with “In the Heights,” an original hop-hop musical by the creator of “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda. The story, which is directed by Elena Velasco, dives into the heartbeat of a community through “infection Latin and hip-hop beats,” according to NextStop.

In addition to the main productions, NextStop plans three productions for young audiences. Details are expected over the summer.

Season packages are on sale now, with prices started at $119 for all six productions. The complete schedule is available online.

Photo via NextStop Theatre Company

After concerns about stormwater management and driving access between a neighboring property, Fairfax County Planning Commission delayed a vote on JBG Smith’s proposal to remove 215,000 square feet of office space from its Reston Heights development Wednesday night.

The mixed-use development at 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive is currently developed with the 385-unit VY apartment community, the Reston International Center office building, and a parking lot. JBG Smith wants to remove planned office space as well as 3,600 square feet of retail on the 10-acre parcel.

Mary Cortina, an at-large commission member, said JBG Smith should consider stormwater management on the site — even though its latest plans do not remove any pervious surface.

“The reason I bring this up is that we have continued to make this case to the public and to others that as we redevelop these large parking lots and put in more mixed use that we’re actually improving the environment,” she said.

Hunter Mill District Planning Commissioner John Carter said the plan should include more trees, which are depicted in project renderings.

“I want the street trees,” Carter said. “This area of Sunrise Valley Drive is completely barren on all of the projects that have been done in the past. We must fix that.”

The owners of 7-Eleven, which owns the Exxon gas station neighboring the site, also raised concerns about lack of access to a shared driveway to the site, leaving large trucks and cars to maneuver dangerously tight curves to get onto Sunrise Valley Drive. Otto Konrad, 7-Eleven’s attorney, said that talks between the property owners have stalled.

Shane Murphy, JGB Smith’s legal representative, said JBG Smith is willing to work with the owners of 7-Eleven to secure access to an easement.

Carter said maintaining access between the two parcels is critical. “It’s the whole secret of this so-called grid of streets to work,” he said.

It’s not the first time development plans for the site have changed. Reston Heights was first approved for 498 residential units, 245,000 square feet of retail and 430,000 square feet of office space. Since then, the number of buildings has been scaled back.

The Planning Commission votes on the project on May 8.

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Hunter Mill District Supervisor Candidates Discuss Plans — Candidates running for the seat of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins answered questions posed by Greater Greater Washington. Topics explored include transportation, diversifying housing stock and affordable housing. [Greater Greater Washington]

Volunteers Needed for Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — The Greater Reston Arts Center is looking for around 500 volunteers to help organize the festival, which takes place next weekend on May 17 through May 19. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Les Miserables Performances Continue This Weekend — South Lakes High School’s theatre group continues performances through Saturday at the school’s auditorium. Shows today and tomorrow start at 7 p.m. [South Lakes High School]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Construction on new upgrades to make South Lakes Village Center more of a local destination are planned for this summer.

Thomas Regnell, president and CEO of Chevy Chase Land Company, told Reston Now that construction is expected to start over the next several weeks. Planned upgrades, which include an amphitheater, a bike rack and repair station, and a fire pit, are intended to help turn the aging commercial center into an attractive destination that brings local residents together.

Regnell said it was too early to indicate when upgrades will be completed, but the construction process will take eight weeks.

Some features of the plan — which originally included ping pong tables — were removed at the request of Reston Association’s Design Review Board, which approved the project in June. Citizen groups and nearby residents sounded off against the plans, which they said would attract noise, vandalism, and too much activity.

The project is expected to cost between $300,000 and $400,000, Regnell said.

Photos via Chevy Chase Land Company