Woman with Reston Ties Recounts Las Vegas Shooting — Courtney Robey was at the Route 91 Harvest Festival last weekend through her work with the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, based in Reston. She told her hometown news station about what she experienced the night of the tragic mass shooting there. [WAJR]
Early-Bird Tickets on Sale for Reston Home Tour — Discount-priced tickets for the 16th annual tour on Oct. 14 are on sale through Saturday for $25. The tour focuses on six homes where owners have moved within the last few years and gain and gained a new perspective. Full-price tickets are $30. [Reston Historic Trust and Museum]
Local Ghost Stories — The Herndon Historical Society shares a trio of tales about the town’s visitors from beyond. [Herndon Patch]
County Fire and Rescue Promotes Escape Plans — As part of National Fire Prevention Week, which begins Sunday, the department encourages residents to develop a home escape plan in the event of a fire. Department representatives will be available on Saturday, Oct. 14 at area fire stations, including Reston Station 25 (1820 Wiehle Ave.), to review plans and ask questions. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]
‘Cupcake Ride’ Rolls Through Herndon — Herndon Parks & Recreation put on its first “Cupcake Bike Ride” recently. About 20 riders took part in the four-mile ride, which featured stops at bakeries and businesses. [Connection Newspapers]
Local restaurants will offer up their favorite fall menus on Saturday during Flavors of Fall, a free annual festival that includes live entertainment, dancing and family activities at Reston Town Center.
The outdoor festival, formerly known as Reston Oktoberfest and run by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, will take place from noon to 11 p.m.
New to the festival this year is a cornhole tournament, which will feature regional teams who will compete for prizes, including travel and weekend getaway packages. Another addition this year is a craft beer and VIP lounge, where attendees can purchase tickets to experience 18 different craft beers.
The event, one of the largest outdoor festivals in Northern Virginia, draws around 35,000 attendees, according to Mark Ingrao, president and CEO of GRCC.
“The whole idea is two things. It’s an opportunity to give back to the community and it’s an opportunity for us to showcase our businesses and restaurants to the community,” Ingrao said.
Confirmed restaurants include Barcelona Wine Bar, Choolaah Indian Barbecue, Clyde’s of Reston, GreenFare, The Melting Pot, Mom’s Momo, Pittsburgh Rick’s and Tavern 64 Regional Kitchen.
Entertainment includes Scott Kurt & Memphis 59, The Fabulous Dialtones, and The VIPS.
The next day, attendees can debut their Halloween costumes at the Reston Pumpkin 5K and Kids’ Pumpkin Dash. Races begin at 8:15 a.m.
For more information, visit RestonFlavors.com. Admission is free.
Food tickets are $1 per ticket or $20 for 24 tickets. Tickets to taste three 5-ounce drinks from craft beer vendors are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Participants must show valid identification to drink.
Proceeds will benefit the INCspire Education Foundation, the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s 501(c)(3) education initiative, which provides a mentor network, business education and business training. The chamber represents more than 650 businesses in the Dulles Business Corridor, according to its website.
File photo of 2015 festival
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 3:25 p.m. to clarify information about when the construction will begin and how long the facility will be closed.)
Upgrades to the Reston Community Center’s aquatics center are expected to begin in early 2019.
RRMM/Lumire, an architecture firm selected by Fairfax County in July, will submit an assessment of the Terry L. Smith Aquatic Center‘s current conditions and recommendations about renovations to the county and the RCC’s Board of Governors by the end of the month.
The $5.5 million price-tag for the project includes $3.5 million for construction and roughly $2 million for permitting, architectural and engineering costs, according to RCC director Leila Gordon. The cost also includes related studies of soil conditions and other pre-existing conditions issues that will need to be examined fully before the full architectural and engineering design is accomplished, Gordon said.
Gordon previously told Reston Now the project would not impact tax rates.
The proposal calls for using the existing footprint of the center for a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool with an attached family pool, as well as a separate warm-water therapy pool.
According to information provided by Gordon, the entire calendar year of 2018 will be taken up by pre-construction activities.
“We hope, in fact, that the maintenance we did this year will allow us to remain open continuously through December 2018,” Gordon said. “The construction start date is not until January 2019.”
The project is expected to be completed around October 2019.
“We’re pleased with the process so far and the support we’re getting from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and the Department of Management and Budget,” she said. “We’re pleased with the architectural and engineering team that’s working on the project and we hope to remain pleased.”
RCC’s Board of Governors expects to discuss the architecture firm’s report this month.
Fairfax County Department of Transportation officials are seeking public input on nearly 300 transportation projects that are vying for roughly $100 million in funding.
Local residents can provide feedback on proposed projects at a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 7-9 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive). The meeting will include a formal presentation about unfunded projects and a question-and-answer session.
Residents can also take an online survey by Nov. 9 to indicate preferred projects, or mail a printed copy of the survey to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (4050 Legato Road, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22033).
Feedback will allow the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation to prioritize unfunded transportation projects in line for funding through fiscal year 2023, according to the county’s website.
Unfunded projects in Reston include those listed below:
A pair of Reston men are among four people charged in connection with a car theft and several larcenies last month in Loudoun County.
Police believe the suspects are also involved with a series of gunfire complaints and personal property thefts over the past several months in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, according to a Tuesday news release announcing the charges.
On Sept. 11, Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report about suspicious entry of cars in the Willowsford community of Ashburn. Police located and arrested Justin E. Rubianes, 21, of Reston, along with a juvenile after an extensive search of the area, according to the police department.
Further investigation led to the arrests a pair of 19-year-olds: Bryan Sandoval, of Reston and Onan Nunez, of Ashburn.
All suspects were charged with auto theft, receiving stolen property and personal property theft from a vehicle, according to the release.
Detectives with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Fairfax County Police Department have conducted several search warrants in both counties since Sept. 11, leading to the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other items police believe were stolen from cars.
The investigation is ongoing and several other arrests have been made in Fairfax County, according to the release.
The Fairfax County Police Department is holding a “Coffee with a Cop” on Wednesday in Reston as part of National Coffee with a Cop Day, a program that brings together police officers and community members over coffee.
Local police officers will be available to meet with residents at Starbucks at Reston Station (1908 Reston Metro Plaza) from 8-10:30 a.m.
Our officers want to have a cup of coffee with you! Join us Wed., Oct. 4 at 8 locations. Meet officers, ask questions or just say hi! 👮☕️ pic.twitter.com/CWqVYCWtfW
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 1, 2017
Coffee with a Cop launched in Hawthorne, California as the Hawthorne Police Department sought to effectively engaged with local residents. Since its launch in 2011, the program has been hosted nationwide as part of the framework of community policing, a strategy that aims to establish trust between the community and police.
Pfc. Katy Defoe of the Fairfax County Police Department said the program is intended to bring local residents together for a “no-agenda” discussion.
“There’s no purpose. We’re just hanging out and talking to people. It’s a fun event for us. It gets us out of our offices and puts us in a place where people are already,” Defoe said.
The police department is hosting Coffee with a Cop events at seven other locations in the county and is working on plans to organize an Ice Cream with a Cop event in the coming months, she said.
