The Breeze Sports Bar and Restaurant in downtown Herndon is going the extra mile by adding a new venture to their popular restaurant in downtown Herndon.
Mile 20 (781 Station Street) will offer 24 taps and bottle beers for customers to try. The business, which is part of The Breeze, is located in the lower level of the restaurant in the patio area — space formerly occupied by a hair salon.
A grand opening party is set for tomorrow (Oct. 6) from noon to 11 p.m. 
The owners had the following to say about their new venture, which offers many beers from local breweries like “Optimal Wit” from Port City Brewing in Alexandria and “Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter” from Isley Brewing Company in Richmond.
Mile 20 is taking a step back from all the beer that you can get at anywhere. American light lagers are not what we are about. We are about supporting local and small breweries. There are amazing beers in your backyard, and you shouldn’t have to go far to find all of them. Mile 20 has 24 taps and dozens of bottle beers for you to try. Rotation is key so there is always something new and interesting. Whether your thing is IPAs, Sours, Porters, or anything in between; we got you covered. If you are new to the craft beer world, come on in and try a flight; specially picked out by our knowledgeable bartenders or build your own.
Photos by George Nikolopoulos
One of the hottest neighborhoods for home sales — After crunching the numbers and ranking subdivisions by the increase in median sales prices, the increase in price per square foot, and other measures, the top areas were ranked. The 2018 median sales price for Reston was $515,000 and homes remained on the market for nine days, with sale price percentage increasing by 8.4 percent. [The Washington Business Journal]
Dog days of summer — The last dog paddle of the season will take place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring your dog for a dip in the pool. Registration is $6 for Reston Association members and $8 for all others. [Reston Association]
Adapted teen tour, ride and dance today — Young adults with special needs and their buddies can take a tour of Frying Pan Farm Park, ride on a wagon and learn how to do “social dancing” at the farm. Registration is $12. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo by Wade Gilley, Sr.
As Halloween inches closer, Reston Association is looking for volunteers for its Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail.
The events are set for Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Walker Nature Center.
Participants between age 3 and above will get the chance to meet a creative cast of characters and live animals along the trail and inside the center, which will be transformed into a Halloween House that night.
The event will take place from 7:30-8:45 p.m. and includes carnival-style games, jack-o-lanterns, and light effects. Participants are encouraged to wear “non-scary” costumes, according to organizers.
“This is not a horror show or haunted house,” RA cautions.
Tickets are required for all adults and children who enter the event, although children under one can be carried in a baby carrier and do not require a ticket. Trick-or-treat bags are included in the price of admission. Tickets, which are $12 for RA members and $15 for all others, can only be purchased in advance online. If the event is sold-out, a waiting list will be available.
Those interested in volunteering should email [email protected].
Photo via Reston Association
Cafe Rio, a Mexican grill, will take up space in the former location of McDonald’s in Herndon. The fast food restaurant closed earlier this year.
According to Town of Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel, the restaurant will occupy space near the Virginia Kitchen at 330 Elden Street.
The opening date of the new restaurant is not yet known, Merkel said.
The restaurant offers burritos, salads, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos and other Mexican staples. Cafe Rio has multiple locations in Virginia, including Falls Church, Burke and Fairfax.
Photo via Yelp/Cindy K.
Not so thrilled with Metro — Real estate development icon and attorney John Hazel, 87, thinks that Metro is a political failure. Hazel plays a leading role in developing Fairfax County and Northern Virginia. [Washington Business Journal]
Meet the artist event this afternoon — Cabaret singer Beverly Cosham will perform selected songs from the Great American Songbook and other favorites. Cosham has won numerous awards for her musical performances. [Reston Community Center]
Reston Corner development under consideration — The Fairfax County Planning Commission will consider a proposal to rezone office property allow residential development on the southwest corner of Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive, along with more office space. [Fairfax County Government]
Lots to do at the library — Reston Regional Library has several events of note today, including a downsizing seminar planned for tonight and a book club for millennials.
Photo by Ray Copson
Three runners united by their common interests in running and art will display their work at Reston Community Center next week.
The exhibit, titled “Three Artistic Runners,” will run from Oct. 9 through Nov. 5. It features the watercolor, acrylic and crayon batik work of Jerry Lewis, Bob Lambert and Mohsen Alashmoni.
Lewis and Lambert are members of Reston Runners and have run together for more than 25 years. They have also participated in triathlons, exhibited their work at RCC open art shows, and taken art classes together over the past 15 years.
Alashmoni, who lives in Cairo and founded his own company, Maadi Runners, met Lewis at weekend running club meetings during running club events in Cairo, Egypt. Their friendship grew stronger as Lewis took part in Alashmoni’s company, which offers a platform for Egyptians and expatriates to train, social and travel to marathons.
Alashmoni and Lewis have run marathons together and had a month-long, two-man art show at RCC Hunters Woods called “Side by Side in Europe.
Photo via RCC
On Nov. 6, Town of Herndon voters will cast their ballots for the Herndon Mayoral and Herndon Town Council candidates.
A few days prior to the vote, town residents can chat with candidates on Oct. 22 from 6-8 p.m. in the lobby of the Herndon Municipal Center (777 Lynn Street).
Each candidate will have a display table on-site and will be available to answer questions.
Lisa Merkel, the town’s current mayor, is running for reelection. No other candidates are running.
Five incumbents are running for six seats on the Town Council for one-year terms. Those candidates are Jennifer Baker, Grace Cunningham, Signe Friedrichs, William McKenna and Sheila Olem.
In the race, five newcomers are hoping to challenge incumbents for their seats: Cesar Del Aguila, Pradip Dhakal, W.J. Kenis, Jr., Joseph Plummer and Roland Taylor.
The event is sponsored by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Photo via Facebook
County officials seek to proceed with construction of the Soapstone Connector, a major road extension between Sunrise Valley Drive and Sunset Hills Road, amid concerns the path of the half-mile extension would disturb potentially historically significant buildings on Association Drive.
On Sept. 25, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to support the county’s proposed route for $169 million project because buildings on Association Drive are not likely eligible a historical designation on the national register. The board’s approval responds formally to a Virginia Department of Historic Resources letter that urged the county work with the Fairfax County Architectural Review Board (ARB) to determine if the buildings on Association are historically significant.
Earlier this year, the ARB raised concerns that the 1916 Association Drive and ten office buildings on Association Drive could be eligible for National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. The county’s environmental assessment of the property did not concur with the ARB’s analysis.
Construction of the connector, which will create a new crossing over the Dulles Corridor, is not anticipated to begin until after 2023.
Tom Biesiadny, director of the county’s transportation department, said the county was ready to pitch its proposed route in January when concerns about the historical significance of the buildings arose. After direction from state officials, the department consulted with boards, agencies, property owners and developers to determine how to proceed. Two historic studies commissioned by architectural historians offered conflicting opinions on the historical significance of the buildings, which served educational associations.
If the state’s historic resources department determines the proposed route of the Soapstone Connector impacts historic resources on the site, county officials will need to mull additional alternates to avoid disturbing any historic resources. But county officials hinted the overall discussion on the impact of possibly historically significant buildings was largely moot because the entire office park is slated for potential redevelopment as a mixed-use project. Reston’s comprehensive plan was amended in 2014 to allow high-density development in the area and property owners have long expressed eagerness to proceed with redevelopment.
“I think you’re looking at an uphill climb to preserve this area as a district,” said Frank Selden, director of the Fairfax County’s Department of Planning and Zoning.
Biesiadny also said the future road connection would run through the building on 1904 Association Drive, which is not likely of historical significance. The building that is likely historically significant is 1916 Association Drive and lies on the opposite side of where the connector would run through.
The board indicated overall support of the project, which it formally approved several years ago. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said the connector was desperately needed to manage traffic generated by additional redevelopment and development.
“This would be an additional north-south crossing of which we have two that are already congested and [are] desperately in need of an alternative,” Hudgins said. She also suggested the county and the developer could acknowledge the historical significance of the buildings through other means.
An attempt to defer the vote to the board’s next meeting failed.
“This is not something that hasn’t been vetted and worked through,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sharon Bulova.
Although the state transportation department is procuring a consultant to design the Soapstone Connector, design work cannot begin unless state officials are aware of the final road alignment.
Photo via handout/Fairfax County Government
Who represents Northern Virginians — “Loudoun County will join the Metro Compact when the Silver Line extension opens in about two years, but Loudoun, Alexandria and Arlington would frequently not have their own voting member on the panel. ” [WTOP]
Jewelry making at Reston Regional Library today — Learn the basics of jewelry making and create an original piece in this hands-on workshop for adults. Registration is required for this event and the library will provide materials. [Reston Regional Library]
Expect a notification at 2:18 p.m. — Your cell phone will go off (not on you, we hope) due to a test of the presidential emergency alert system. [U.S. Department of Homeland Security]
Nearby: Uprooted thanks to I-66 — “Nearly a dozen homeowners in Fairfax County are having their houses taken by the state in an eminent domain case. The residents being impacted live near Interstate 66 as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) plans to expand the highway and surrounding roadways.” [FOX 5]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Staff who worked and benefited from the work of Buckley Kuhn-Fricker and Scott Fricker, the Reston couple killed in their home in December last year, are organizing a memorial walk to remember the couple’s legacy.
The walk will be held Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon along a 2.5-mile loop around Lake Thoreau. Participants, who will meet at 1902 Campus Commons Drive, will gather halfway at a tree planted in their memory where they lived.
The memorial service is organized by staff at The Medical Team, which offers certified home health care services, and Buckley’s for Seniors, the company Kuhn-Fricker founded. Her organization, which provides concierge and companion-style services for people who are elderly or disabled, was adopted by the medical team when it was on the brink of closure, according to walk organizers.
The walk is not tied to any significant date or milestone, according to Steve Gurney, one of the organizers.
“Given Buckley passed during the holidays, there were many who couldn’t make it to the services. We had planned for a gathering around her birthday but when the neighbors in her old neighborhood planted a tree in her and Scotts memory we realized that we could do a nice walk around Lake Thoreau, that would be a positive opportunity to remember them.,” Gurney said.
Kuhn-Fricker, an attorney and certified geriatric care manager, founded Buckley’s for Seniors in 2005. She taught classes about aging at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale and wrote a book titled, “Elder Care: The Road to Growing Old is Not Paved.”
Here’s more about Kuhn-Fricker from the staff at Buckey’s for Seniors:
Buckley was an idealist and always looked for the good in everyone she met. She believed in equality for all and was passionate about civil rights. Buckley and her husband Scott were courageous in standing up to hateful rhetoric. Sadly, it was this courage that cost them their lives; leaving a hole within their families and the community which can never be filled.
RSVPs are requested by the walk’s organizers online.
Photo via Buckley’s for Seniors
A police officer who last worked in the Reston District Station and was charged in connection with the death of his six-month-old daughter was fired on Friday (Sept. 28).
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. fired Jason Colley, 38, following his arrest in Maryland in connection with the baby’s death, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Colley, of Monrovia, Md., turned himself in after an indictment was signed in late August by a Maryland judge. He was charged with child abuse in the first degree resulting in death, child abuse in the first degree resulting in severe physical injury and felony assault in the first degree. The baby died on in October last year.
Roessler Jr. called the charges against Colley “abhorrent.” No other information was released by the police department about the incident.
Colley was relieved of all law enforcement powers on April 20 when Fairfax County police learned he was a suspect in the care.
In a separate incident, a man was robbed on Friday while walking near Hunters Woods Shopping Center at around 1:30 p.m. The suspect assaulted the victim and stole personal items from him when he said he did not have any money. Police described the suspect as a white male approximately 5’11” – 6’2″ and about 150 to 180 pounds.
Sometime between Sept. 18 and 26, a man was found sleeping inside a vacant house on the 12000 block of Kinsley Place. The owner of the house discovered a man in his 20s who appeared to be sleeping inside the home as it underwent repairs, according to police.
FCPD also reported the following incidents in recent days:
LARCENIES:
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from location
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from location
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, liquor from business
2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, liquor from business
2500 block of John Eppes Road, steering wheel and airbags from vehicle
1400 block of North Point Village Center, cash from business
12900 block of Park Crescent Circle, airbag from vehicle
2000 block of Royal Fern Court, wallet from location
South Lakes Drive/Pinecrest Road, wallet from vehicle
1800 block of Town Center Parkway, ring from location
13500 block of Virginia Randolph Avenue, airbag from vehicle
STOLEN VEHICLES:
None reported
Photo via FCPD
Flavors of Fall set for Oct. 6 — The fall festival at Reston Town Center will take place from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday. Although the event is free, tickets are available online for samplings from restaurants. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]
New farmers market continues — Enjoy a temporary farmers market in Reston Town Center today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The last farmers market in RTC is set for Oct. 23. [Reston Town Center]
A declining golf course or a new park — In this opinion piece, the writer argues that a new park with new housing is a viable and product use of Hidden Creek Country Club. [Greater Greater Washington]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Reston Association is offering bike riders to ride along with the 55+ bike riders for a “multi-modal” ride to Capitol Hill and surrounding areas.
The ride is set for Oct. 10 (Wednesday) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Bikers will meet at the Wiehle-Reston Metro Station and take the Metro into the city.
Attendees should bring a bike in good repair, a Metro pass, money for lunch and a lock. Helmets are mandatory and must be worn during the ride.
The ride is roughly 15 miles. Anyone with questions should email [email protected] or call 703-435-6577.
Registration is $8 for RA members and $10 for all others.
File photo
A proposal to build 145 multi-family units and offices is headed to the Fairfax County Planning Commission for approval on Thursday (Oct. 4).
An affiliate of Angelo, Gordon & Co. hopes to rezone office property to build the residential development on 4.3 acres of land on the southwest corner of Reston Parkway and Sunrise Valley Drive. A second application is under consideration by the same developer to increase the density of 9.9 acres of adjacent land as part of the same proposal.
The site of the project, called Reston Corner, is currently an office park. The developer hopes to create “a new urban neighborhood” with a seven-story residential building and an 85-foot office building.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department has requested $10,000 from the developer to install one traffic signal preemption device in order to “meet response time goals to emergency incidents,” according to a staff report.
The county estimates the development will generate 16 new students. The developer will contribute $12,262 for each student.
Other features of the plan include the following:
- A four-level garage with a maximum height of 40 feet.
- The garage will be screened from view from Reston Parkway by existing office buildings and the residential project.
- 12 percent of the residential building will be set aside as workforce housing.
- The developer seeks special exception to increase density across the existing office uses.
- Outside seating on the western edge of the residential building for “gathering and relaxation.”
A date before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has not yet been set.
Photos via handout/Fairfax County Government
Reston Association’s Board of Directors approved process changes to its design review guidelines Thursday night. The changes, under discussion for just under two years, are aimed to expedite application processing and boost efficiency.
Overall, review of cluster standard applications would jump from review by the Design Review Board’s panel to consultation-level review with two DRB members. Additionally, other applications would move from consultation-level review to staff-level review only.
A complete list of the approved changes is available online. No content changes to the design guidelines are in effect as a result of Thursday’s approval.
Anna Varone, RA’s director of covenants administration, said the changes will help “streamline the process to allow quicker processing.” The DRB held a public hearing on the changes in July.
Members can still request appeals of applications, including those now delegated to staff-level review.
Photo via YouTube/Reston Association
