Holiday Performances at Fountain Square on Wednesday –– Enjoy musical performances on Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. at Foundation Square, including presentations by the Fairfax School Choir and the Drum and Fife Company. [Reston Town Center]
Swimmers from South Lakes High School Split Win with Langley High School — Varsity swim and dive teams from SLHS came out strong at their opening meet on Friday. The girls’ team won with 161-151 while the boys’ team lost 134-181. The team is scheduled to compete against Centreville High School on Dec. 8 at 8:30 a.m. [SLHS Swim and Dive]
Herndon Man Charged with Involuntary Slaughter in Sterling Crash — Julio Rivera, 39, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, DUI and driving on a suspended license on Friday after he hit a parked car and a townhouse on the 700 block of Colonial Avenue. A passenger in the car was taken to Reston Hospital, where he later died. [LoudounNow]
Reston Association Covenants Staff in Training — RA covenants staff will be in training today and for half-day on Tuesday. Staff will do their best to return all messages by the end of today. [Reston Association]
Photo courtesy of SLHS Swim and Dive
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. Know of other events in the area? Comment below.
- More than 50 artists will transform the Greater Reston Arts Center into a working art station at the center’s “Monster Drawing Rally” on Saturday from 1 – 5:30 p.m. Artists will turn GRACE’s gallery into a public performance theater by creating artwork on-site using various media. Audience members can purchase artwork for $75 per piece as it is created.
- Sue Fliess will read and sing her new book “We Wish for a Monster Christmas!” at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event includes monster coloring.
- Enjoy holiday performances at The Promenade in Reston Town Center this weekend. On Saturday, Tenor Timor McKee will perform at 2 p.m. Guitarist Eric Waters will perform at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
- Experience a horse-drawn carriage ride on Saturday between 4 and 9 p.m. The cost is $5 per person. Carriages will depart from Mark Street near Clyde’s.
- The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
- Terry Tempest Williams, an environmental activist, will speak about America’s national parks at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) on Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m. Williams is the author of the book, “The House of Land: A Personal Typography of America’s National Parks.”
- On Saturday, shop at ‘Gifts from the HeART,’ an event at Reston Community Center where the building will become a festive marketplace of food and gifts. Original artwork will be available for purchase. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Make winter wreaths at the Walker Nature Center on Saturday from 10:30 to noon. All ages are welcome. Registration is $25 per person.
- Take a chartered bust rip to Constitution Hall for the Holiday Music Festival to enjoy sounds of the holiday season on Sunday. All ages are welcome. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Buses will leave at 1:15 p.m. at Hunters Woods Shopping Center and 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Lake Anne Plaza.
- At Frying Pan Farm Park on Saturday, staff will be available to help children and young adults between the ages of 3 and 16 to shop in the park’s country store, which has a wide selection of unusual gifts for a child-sized budget. To register for a half-hour shopping trip, visit the park’s website. Adults must wait on the site. The cost is $2 per child.
- Participate in country western dance at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods on Sunday from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. Tickets are $5 for Reston residents and $10 for all others.
- Enjoy a mini-train ride on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Trains will leave from Market Street near Clyde’s. Proceeds will benefit Friends of Reston.
- The Walker Nature Center will host an open house on Sunday from 1 – 3 p.m. The open house includes refreshments, live holiday music and ornament-making. No registration is required.
- Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon will host a Hanukkah boutique on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Participate in a “Menorah Magic” workshop at Reston’s Home Depot (1651 Reston Parkway) on Sunday. Shifts run between 3:30 and 4:15 p.m. and between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m.
- The Lake House will also have an open house on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.
- Celebrate the holiday season with Santa at Frying Pan Farm Park on Sunday. One-hour programs include cookie decorating, games, and letter-writing to Santa. Programs begin at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. The cost is $8 per person. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Register online.
A plan to bring an assisted-living facility to11501 Sunrise Valley Drive continued to draw ire from nearby residents Thursday night.
At a public hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission, residents argued the 70-unit building, which would replace Good Beginnings School, a childcare facility, was incompatible with the surrounding residential area south of Sunrise Valley Drive.
The proposal by Kensington Senior Development calls for a two-to-three story building roughly 65,000 square feet — more than eight times larger than the current structure. The plan also includes a parking garage.
The developer’s representative, Mark Looney of Cooley LLP, said the developer scaled back the plan significantly after several iterations with Reston’s Design Review Board earlier this year. The latest plan reduces the overall mass of the project from 91,000 to 65,000 square feet, including a reduction of 21 units and 34 beds, attempts to create a more residential-style building and eliminates one floor of the building, he said.
Despite these revisions, residents said the project was too large and too overwhelming for the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive, an area they said was intended to remain largely residential and offer a hard break between high-intensity, high-density land uses in other parts of the community.
Jane Anthony, a resident of the Wethersfield Cluster since the late 1970s, said the project was more appropriate for the Dulles Toll Road Corridor where it would not “disturb the peace” of a long-standing residential community and infringe on the privacy of a commercial convenience center near the site.
“It is shoehorned into a very small area… growth is good but not at the expense of the quality of life of residents,” she said.
Others said the project did provide adequate buffering between a townhouse community on Approach Lane that faces the site. Lynwood Patin, a resident who testified in opposition to the plan, said the plan was “intimidating and overbearing,” providing clear “visual access over privacy fences on Approach Lane.”
Looney, however, said residents have not yet accepted the developer’s offer to enhance landscaping and buffering on the street opposite of the site. He also said the privacy concern “works both ways” for nearby residents and those in the living facility.
“The applicant wants to be a good long-term neighbor to them,” he said.
Others like Stephen Cerny, president of the Wethersfield Cluster Association, said the project wholly violated the spirit of Reston’s Master Plan by overwhelming a small site in an area that he said was intended to remain a “status quo” area on the south side of Sunrise Valley Drive.
James Hart, an at-large member of the committee, however, said the plan did not contain any specific guidance that the building was too large or incompatible with the area. The county’s zoning allows the developer to seek a special exception to permit a medical care facility, which is classified as an allowed institutional use, he said.
Looney also noted that the land’s by-right uses could also allow for a more intense, high-density residential development than what Kensington Senior Development has proposed.
The Planning Commission will continue to hear the case in the upcoming weeks. A decision on the petition was deferred Thursday.
Photo via handout
Reston Grandmother Fighting For Pay Hired After Being Fired— Swartha, Tujare, 67, lost her job as a wheelchair attendant at Dulles International Airport after she participated in a strike demanding higher wages. Huntleigh Corporation, an airport contractor, fired her; but after a settlement, agreed to give Tujare her job back along with more than $4,000 in lost wages and benefits. [WUSA 9]
Barnes & Noble Kitchen Opens in Ashburn — Four years after the closure of the Barnes & Noble in Reston, the company has opened a new location in Ashburn’s One Loudoun. The new location is a Barnes & Noble Kitchen that includes an in-house restaurant. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
A 4.1 Magnitude Earthquake Rumbles D.C. Area — Shocks from an earthquake centered in Dover, Delaware were felt throughout the D.C. area, including Reston on Thursday. The location of the quake was near the Doer Air Force Base, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. [NBC Washington]
Gingerbread Man Race Takes Place at Reston Town Center — The 17th annual Gingerbread Man Mile took place last Friday. The event is sponsored by Potomac River and was featured by The Connection. [The Connection]
VY, a 385-unit apartment community with nearly 89,000 square feet of retail, will begin opening for leases in mid-December.
The residential project by JBG Smith is located on 11830 Sunrise Valley Drive and contains one, two and three-bedroom apartments with two-story lofts and a “modern aesthetic,” according to the developer’s website.
The project’s community stands for “very.” The apartment building contains a courtyard with grilling stations, a lawn designated for outdoor yoga and other activities, a pool with a sundeck, a fitness center, an outdoor dog park, bicycle storage rooms and on-site restaurants, cafes, shops and conveniences, including a 35,000-square-foot WillPower gym, according to the website.
In 2013, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved JBG Smith’s application for VY, which sits about a half-mile from the future Reston Town Center Metro station. Four other buildings are planned as part of the mixed-use development.
Twelve percent of the units at VY are to be set aside as workforce housing.
For more information, visit VY’s website.
Reston Association’s Board of Directors could be slated for a shakeup next year as four of the nine-member body’s seats are open in next year’s election.
The association has formally issued a call for candidates. An information session is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. at RA (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).
In April, the following seats will open: one at-large seat for a one-year term, two at-large seats for a three-year team and one seat for the South Lakes District for a three-year term. An orientation is set for Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.
In a video announcing the election, Caron Anton, co-chair of the elections committee, said the election is an opportunity to shape the future of Reston through the association. To qualify, candidates must be a RA member, live in a residential property tied to a Reston deed, and have no unpaid fees. Candidates must file by 5 p.m. on Jan. 26. Candidates running for the South Lakes District seat must live in the district and collect signatures from households within the district.
Filing requirements include an election statement, which details goals and qualifications, and at least 25 signatures from individuals in 25 different households. Election results will be announced on April 10 at the annual members’ meeting.
The nine-member board consists of eight directors, who are elected for three-year, staggered terms by members, and one director elected by apartment owners. Four of the eight directors are district-level representatives while others are elected by the membership at-large.
The body is responsible for ensuring RA’s goals are fulfilled by creating policies related to programming, planning, budget and personnel policies. RA’s website contains the following description of board members’ duties as whole:
For more information, email the elections committee at [email protected] or call 703-435-6530. Information is also available on RA’s website, including an elections calendar.
Reston Community Players will kick off the new year with a performance featuring the story of the world before the fabled adventure of Peter Pan and Captain Hook.
The group will present Rick Elice’s “Peter and the Starcatcher” from Jan. 19 through Feb. 3 at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road).
According to information provided by Reston Community Players about the show:
Before Wendy… Before the dreaded Captain Hook… Before a boy named Peter Pan… There is a tale you may not know about; an apprentice starcatcher named Molly, a pirate named Black Stache, and a nameless orphan. Thrown together in a perilous adventure, they are about to find themselves on a life-changing journey on the high seas.
Based on the novel by humorist Dave Barry and suspense writer Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher is the swashbuckling, grownup prequel to the treasured story of Peter Pan. The winner of 5 Tony Awards in 2012, this magical and hilarious tale of fantasy will make your imagination take flight with clever wordplay, daring movement, and live music.
Shows will begin at 8 p.m. except for two shows on Feb. 27 and 28. For tickets and information, call the box office at 703-476-4500, ext. 3 or purchase tickets online.
In its 51st season, Reston Community Players is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been producing high quality theatrical productions since 1966. RCP is partially funded by grants from Fairfax County, in cooperation with the Arts Council of Fairfax County.
Photo courtesy of Reston Community Players
Nordine Salon & Day Spa is now open in Reston Station on 11389 Reston Station Blvd. after experiencing construction delays that pushed the opening date from September to Black Friday.
The spa will host an open house on Dec. 4 from 5 – 9 p.m. to celebrate the new move. The business closed its Reston Town Center location last year after 15 years of business. Spokesperson Heather Shaw Menis told Reston Now part of the decision to not re-up was because of client complaints about parking.
“For more than two decades, Nordine Salon & Spa has been the go-to resource for sophisticated, yet on-trend beauty in Northern Virginia. Our approach begins with a unique combination of timeless and modern sensibilities and continues with attentive care in a blissful environment,” she said.
According to a press release, the salon will feature eight hair stations, a color bar that seats six, three manicure and pedicure stations, and three state-of-the-art spa treatment rooms. Some of Salon Nordine’s most popular stylists from the RTC location will also be returning.
The decor of the business, fused with black and white with 20-foot high ceilings, is modeled after the Italian decor of award winning designer Marcel Wanders, according to the release.
The spa and salon has two other locations in Fairfax in the Mosaic District and another in Gainesville.
Photo courtesy of Heather Shaw Menis
Public Hearing on Assisted Living Facility on Sunrise Valley Drive Today — The Fairfax County Planning Commission will hear public testimony on the Kensington Senior Development project on 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive. The plan calls for a 91-unit assisted living facility in a space currently occupied by a child care center. To sign up to testify at the hearing, visit the commission’s website. [Fairfax County Government]
‘Monster Drawing Rally’ and Fundraiser Begins Saturday — More than 50 artists will transform the Greater Reston Arts Center into a working art station at the center’s “Monster Drawing Rally” on Saturday from 1 – 5:30 p.m. udience members can purchase artwork for $75 per piece as it is created. If there are multiple bids for the same piece, a drawing will be used to select the winner of the piece. [Greater Reston Arts Center]
Reston-based Contractor Faces More Board Departures — According to the Washington Business Journal, four members of STG Group Inc.’s board of directors have resigned. The departures come as creditors took over the subsidiary of the contractor because the company defaulted on a previous credit agreement. [Washington Business Journal]
Herndon Family Medicine Celebrates Larger Facility — The practice held a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier this week to celebrate the opening of a new, larger facility on 381 Elden Street in Herndon. Mayor Lisa Merkel and the Town Council were also present at the ceremony. [Herndon Family Medicine]
Photo courtesy of Herndon Family Medicine
Plaza America, will welcome Grill Kabob, an Afghan restaurant with other locations in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, soon. A sign announcing the arrival of the chain, which serves made-to-order kabobs and other authentic specialities, was posted in the vacant storefront yesterday.
Grill Kabob will replace Primo Italiano at 11888 Plaza America Drive. The pizza and sub restaurant, which had called the shopping center home since it opened in the 1990s, left in May 2015.
Since then, the location has remained vacant. Staples, which was located in the same shopping center at 11620 Plaza America Drive, also closed on Oct. 7. Total Wine & More, a beer, wine and spirit purveyor, plans to open by the end of the year.
A restaurant representative said it was unclear when Grill Kabob will open. The owner was unavailable for comment. The restaurant launched in 1998 with its first location in the food court at Springfield Mall and has since opened in 14 locations, including stand-alone restaurants.
Mahmoud Mahdjoub, a journalist in Afghanistan, immigrated to the United States, joining his two cousins who fled Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war in 1980. The chain’s website describes Grill Kabob as one of the largest kabob chains in the country.
The restaurant in Reston is just under 4 miles away from another location in Herndon. Other nearby restaurants are located in Dulles Town Center, Tysons Corner Mall and Manassas Mall. Its menu includes an assortment of kabobs, sandwiches, gyros, salads, falafel platters and more.
Festival of Lights and Carols Set for Saturday — The festival, which will take place at Old Town Square on Saturday, includes a pancake breakfast with Santa, a Holiday market, visits with Santa, performances by Lanier Middle School and more. [Fairfax County Government]
Whitney, Bradley & Brown, Inc. Acquired by H.I.G. Capital — The Reston-based firm, which provides program management and consulting services to federal agencies, was acquired by the private equity firm, H.I.G. Capital. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition is H.I.G.’s second major government market acquisition this year. It recently acquired IT contractor NCI Inc. through a $283 million deal. [Washington Exec]
Reston Lab Provides Clues on Murder Investigation from 31 Years Ago — The battered body of Roberta Walls was found on a baseball field in Virginia Beach more than two decades ago. Now, a lab in Reston has created two composite sketches of a person of interest that provide new hope in the case. [The Virginian-Pilot]
Fairfax County police are investigating a stabbing that took place Friday afternoon in the Hunters Woods Plaza.
According to a Fairfax County Police Department spokesperson, a male juvenile was stabbed on Friday. Police responded to a call at 4:43 p.m. on Friday indicating someone had been stabbed.
INCIDENT ADVISORY: Officers investigating stabbing in 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza (Reston). One victim, non-life-threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/hAxL8f0TTK
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 24, 2017
The victim was found in the 2300 block of the plaza with a non-life threatening wound to the upper body. He was taken to the hospital and is recovering, the spokesperson said.
Police do not have any updates on the investigation at this time. Anyone with information about crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).
Early Education Discussed in ‘Connecting with Supervisor Hudgins’ Show — In this month’s Channel 16 program, Cathy Hudgins discusses the importance of pre-K programs to help children get a head start in school. [Channel 16]
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Creates Reston Profile — The organization created a profile for Reston, which lists the community as the second-largest commercial market in Fairfax County and indicates 66 percent of the population has a bachelor’s degree or higher. Major employers in the area include Fortune 500 firms like Leidos and NVR. [Fairfax County EDA]
Herndon Restaurant Fire Caused By Unattended Cooking — A fire on Saturday in the late afternoon on the 1000 block of Eldon St. in Herndon was caused by unattended cooking. A wok filled with cooking oil was left on the stove. A violation notice was issued for the restaurant’s commercial fire suppression system. Crews from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue responded to the scene. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Herndon High School and Herndon Middle School Partner to Provide Thanksgiving and Holiday Meals — The schools are partnering to raise money for 210 meals for students who struggle with food insecurity. A goal of $10,500 has been set for the initiative, which is run through a partnership with Food For Neighbors. Donations can be made online. [Food for Neighbors]
Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
Progress to bring a 91-unit assisted-living facility to 11501 Sunrise Valley Drive continues as Kensington Senior Development goes before Fairfax County’s Planning Commission this week.
A public hearing on the project, which has been reworked over the last several months, is scheduled for Thursday at 8:15 p.m. in the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway).
The assisted living facility would replace a 7,600-square foot building currently used as a child care center by Good Beginnings School. The building was built in 1978.
The latest plans include significant alterations from previous versions, including a reduction from five stories to either two or three stories. The facility will include up to 105 beds and up to 75 rooms. The plan also includes 67 parking garage spaces and recreations and amenity space for residents on the ground floor patio.
In a staff report, the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning recommended approval of the plan, which was submitted last year.
To sign up to testify at the hearing, visit the commission’s website. For more information, call the commission’s office 703-324-2865 or by email.
Photo via handout
More than 50 artists will transform the Greater Reston Arts Center into a working art station at the center’s “Monster Drawing Rally” on Saturday from 1 – 5:30 p.m.
Artists will turn GRACE’s gallery into a public performance theater by creating artwork on-site using various media. The event is designed as a fundraiser for the center. Audience members can purchase artwork for $75 per piece as it is created. If there are multiple bids for the same piece, a drawing wll be used to select the winner of the piece.
The event will also include a monster rally for children in a separate area. Children can create their own artwork and hang it for public display. A cash bar for attendees 21 years and older will also be on on-site.
Participated artists include Sondra Arkin, Timothy Devenney and Josh Whipkey. Admission is free, but RSVPS are requested online.
For more information, visit GRACE’s website. Volunteers can also sign-up online.
Photo courtesy of Southern Exposure via GRACE
