A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday to kick off construction of a new parking garage at the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride, which will service the forthcoming Herndon Metro Station as part of the Silver Line extension.
Several local elected officials were on hand with shovels to make the first ceremonial dig, including Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova.
“As we celebrate the ground-breaking of this new multi-modal parking facility, we reaffirm our efforts to provide alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles, to improve mobility, and to provide greater opportunities for people to connect with the entire metro region and the rest of the world,” Bulova said in a statement.
The new garage will have spaces for 2,007 cars, as well as feature a pedestrian bridge leading from the new garage to the future Metro station, and connections for both cars and pedestrians to the existing Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride lot, which contains 1,745 parking spaces.
The new garage also will have secure bicycle storage facilities, a spot for bus pick-offs and drop-offs and a “kiss-and-ride” area.
Construction of the garage, done by Manhattan Construction Co., will cost $44.5 million, and is expected to wrap up in the spring 2019, Fairfax County officials said.
Though officially named the Herndon Metro station, the stop is technically located at 12530 Sunrise Valley Dr. in Reston, just across the street from the border with Herndon.
Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Department of Transportation
Fairfax County Preschools Will Get More Money — Virginia officials announced yesterday that the commonwealth has secured $17.5 million in federal funding for expanding access to high-quality pre-kindergarten classes for at-risk 4-year-olds. A portion of that money is earmarked for Fairfax County preschools. The U.S. Department of Education gave the preschool grants to eighteen states in total. [Virginia.gov]
Fight Over Silver Line Funding Continues — Metro Board member Corbett Price engaged in “naive political theater” when he suggested scrapping that the second phase of the Silver Line extension in order to save money, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said in a radio interview yesterday. The governor also said the board as a whole was a “joke.” [Washington Post]
Where’s the Best Place to Get a Christmas Tree Near Reston? — Besides the lot at Home Depot, Reston Patch points out a few of the closest spots to Reston where you can pick out the perfect tree for your Christmas celebration. If you prefer to go the traditional versus artificial tree route, tell us in the comments where your favorite place to get a tree is. [Reston Patch]
The Greater Reston Arts Center is slated to debut a new art show featuring the work of six visual artists next week.
In the new exhibition, dubbed “Cut,” artists Ed Bisese, Maelle Doliveux, Bhavna Mehta, Beverly Ress, Leslie Shellow and Eric Standley will showcase art that explores “spirituality, modern life, and ecological concerns through a variety of delicate and precisely crafted cut paper.”
The exhibition will open with a special reception next week on Friday, Dec. 9, from 6-8 p.m.
“Cut” is the third show in a special trilogy of exhibitions hosted by GRACE featuring “labor-intensive, hand-manipulated contemporary artworks made from humble materials traditionally associated with domestic craft.” The first two exhibitions in the trilogy were displayed in 2014 and 2015. “Stitch,” which debuted in 2014, featured contemporary art crafted through needlework. “Bead,” which came to life in 2015, focused on works of art created with beads.
“Cut” is set to open just as GRACE’s new executive director and curator, Lily Seigel, takes office on Dec. 5. Seigel is taking over for previous director, Holly Koons McCullough, who left for a position at the Arlington Arts Center earlier this year.
Greater Reston Arts Center is located at Reston Town Center, at 12001 Market St., suite 103. The gallery is typically open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Reston is set to lose a pet supply store and adoption center in Lake Anne Plaza in the coming weeks.
PetMAC at 11412 Washington Plaza West is slated to close within the next month, an employee told Reston Now today. The shop opened two years ago.
Owner Cindy Williams said in an email that she is no longer able to manage the store due to illness. Her landlord is helping her look for a new business to take over the space, allowing her to get out of her lease early.
Williams left a corporate career to open her first PetMAC location in Arlington more than 11 years ago. That store closed at the end of 2014. A PetMAC under different ownership remains in D.C. on Wisconsin Avenue NW.
Williams told Reston Now in 2014 that the lake-front location within walking distance of hundreds of dog owners was ideal for her.
At PetMAC, customers can buy pet food, toys and accessories, in addition to adopting pets. A portion of the store’s proceeds go to animal rescue groups.
Before PetMAC closes, the shop is having a clearance sale of up to 50 percent off everything, according to its Facebook page.
Photo courtesy of PetMAC
Metro Board Member Suggests Canceling Silver Line Extension — Metro Board Member Corbett Price plans to pressure the agency to scrap the $5.8 billion Silver Line extension in an apparent attempt to push Virginia to pony up more money for the cash-strapped rail system. [Washington Post]
Reston Holiday Parade Coming in 5th in Nation — Reston Town Center’s annual Holiday Parade is heating up the charts in USA Today’s list of the best in the nation. Previously ranked sixth, the parade is now in the fifth spot, coming in only one slot behind Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Online voting is open through Monday at noon, and the winner will be announced Dec. 9. [USA Today]
Man Arrested After Assaulting Bus Driver, Biting Cops — A 31-year-old man was apprehended outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station yesterday morning after police said he assaulted a bus driver and a security officer before biting cops who detained him. [Reston Now]
Photo of ballet performance at Reston Town Center tree lighting on Friday courtesy of Reston Town Center
Telecommunications companies are looking for a new place on Crossfield Elementary School’s grounds to build a 138-foot tall cell phone tower after local officials rejected their initial location for the structure, Fairfax Connection reported.
The Hunter Mill District Land Use Committee voted 3-2 on Nov. 15 to turn down an application by Milestone Communication and Verizon Wireless to construct the tower 150 feet away from a playground on the school’s property at 2791 Fox Mill Road.
The new tower is necessary to fill in gaps in cell coverage in the areas off Lawyers Road, including Fox Mill Woods, according to Milestone.
“Sometimes the first place we select is not the best location,” Milestone President Len Forkas Jr. told Fairfax Connection. “Our goal is to always find a solution.”
Community activists, who run the website StopTheCrossfieldTower.org, attended community meetings earlier this month to point out what members of the group called “discrepancies” in the companies’ application. The activists have claimed that the tower’s proposed site was actually about 60 feet from the playground, not 150 feet as the application indicated.
The locals said the closeness of the proposed tower to the playground left them with many concerns. At Crossfield, the tower would look like an evergreen tree and carry signals from five mobile carriers. It would sit within a 2,500-square-foot area surrounded by an 8-foot fence.
“There is no definitive science proving the radiation emitted from these towers is safe. We’re not willing to risk our children’s health for $189 a month from a cell-tower owner,” they say on their website, referring to the rent Fairfax County Public Schools would reportedly receive from Milestone in exchange for placing the tower on school property.
A YouTube video by “Concerned Parent” shows Crossfield students holding cards saying they do not want to be part of a living study on the effects of long-term exposure to radiation from cell towers.
Milestone currently operates at least 20 cell phone towers on other campuses in the Fairfax County school district, including South Lakes High School in Reston.
Photo via Milestone Communications
South Lakes to Host Holiday Concert — The Seahawk Chorale, Seahawk Camerata, DeReMigas, SMAC, Noteworthy and the Concert and Symphonic orchestras will perform holiday music Monday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. in the South Lakes High School Little Theatre. [South Lakes Chorus]
WMATA Pushes for New Metro Hours — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is looking to end Metro service at 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 p.m. on Sundays. [Washington Post]
Holiday Performances at Reston Town Center to Kick Off This Week — Reston Town Center will start holding regular holiday musical performances in front of the Pavilion, beginning with jazz this Friday at 6:30 p.m. See the full calendar for shows online. [Reston Town Center]
Fairfax County officials will help unveil a new outdoor soccer court at Southgate Community Center tomorrow afternoon.
The community center at 12125 Pinecrest Road is scheduled to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its new soccer area Tuesday at 4 p.m.
“We are very excited to celebrate the opening of our new outdoor soccer court,” said Richard Cabellos, director of the Southgate Community Center, in a statement. “This has been an outstanding example of county-community engagement and participation in turning what was once a little-used tennis court into a highly-popular and exciting activity facility for kids and teens in the area.”
As Jennae Duarte of the county’s Neighborhood and Community Services explains, it was the kids that made it happen. Read More
Fewer trains, longer wait times and crowding are what’s in store for Silver and Orange Line Metro riders through next month.
Metro’s latest SafeTrack “surge” began today and is expected to last through at least Dec. 21. Reston residents who depend on Metro for their daily commute are likely to feel the pain.
Technical problems — like the decaying rail ties that led to the Silver Line derailment over the summer — have caused a number of issues along the Metrorail system in the past year.
Metro officials are advising commuters to find other ways to get to around the D.C. Metro area as the system’s huge push to boost the system’s safety continues.
“Due to a severe reduction in service, Metro riders who have the ability to do so should consider alternate travel options and avoid traveling during rush hour if possible,” Metro’s latest announcement stated.
Here are other important facts Metro officials want riders to know during this time period:
- Silver Line Trains will be traveling approximately every 20 minutes between Reston’s Wiehle-Reston East and Maryland’s Largo Town Center East.
- Orange Line trains will run every 20 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton in Maryland.
- Crowding is expected on all Orange and Silver Line trains.
- Crowding is also expected on Blue Line trains between the Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory stations due to reduced capacity on the Orange and Silver Lines.
- Weekend service may also be impacted due to track work on various lines. Weekend service announcements are posted online.
See Metro’s full announcement online, with more details and a list of alternative travel options for commuters.
File photo
Seahawks Win Regional Semi-Finals — The South Lakes High School Seahawks varsity football team beat top-seeded Lake Braddock Secondary School to win the Region 6A semi-finals on Saturday afternoon, sending the squad to the regional finals. Defending state champion Westfield High School is up next for South Lakes Saturday. The winner of that game will travel to Hampton for the state championships. [South Lakes Athletics]
Reston Resident Climbs to Top of Mt. Everest — Reston resident Olivia Feldman wrote on Reston Patch about how she took a year off of college at University of Virginia to travel and live in Nepal, and made it to the top of Mt. Everest. [Reston Patch]
Reston Business Owners Given Big Honor After Donating to Museum — Earl and Amanda Stafford were named Washington Business Journal’s 2016 Corporate Philanthropists of the Year, after giving $2 million to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. Their names now appear on the museum’s Media Arts center. Earl Stafford founded the Reston-based Wentworth Group LLC and serves as its CEO. [Washington Business Journal]
Thanksgiving is nearly upon us.
Though that means getting together with family and friends for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, it also means closures across Reston and Fairfax County.
As a reminder, we’re taking the holiday off, too. We’ll be back with local news and events on Monday, Nov. 28.
Without further ado, here’s what’s closed around the area during Thanksgiving week:
Government:
- Reston Association offices and facilities, including the Nature House and Central Services facility, will be closed Thursday and Friday.
- Fairfax County government offices are also closed Thursday and Friday.
Public Schools:
- Fairfax County Public Schools have a two-hour early release Wednesday leading into the holiday weekend. All schools are closed Thursday and Friday and normal schedules resume Monday.
County Libraries, Recreation Centers:
- Fairfax County public libraries are closed Thursday and Friday.
- All Fairfax County RECenters except George Washington are open at their normal time on Thursday and will close early at noon. George Washington RECenter will be closed on Thursday. All RECenters are open normal hours on Friday, except for Green Spring Gardens Historic House which is closed. Special hours for parks, historic sites, nature centers, visitors centers and the like are available on the county government website.
Reston Community Centers (RCC):
- RCC Hunters Woods is open Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. The Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center is open from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. RCC Lake Anne is closed Thursday.
- On Friday, RCC Hunters Woods is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the Aquatics Center is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. RCC Lake Anne is closed Friday.
Fairfax County Courts:
- Fairfax County Circuit Courts and General District Courts will close early at noon on Wednesday and will be closed Thursday and Friday. For Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts, detention hearings will take place at 9 a.m. and court will close at noon on Wednesday; court will be closed Thursday and Friday.
WMATA/Metro:
- Metro will take a break from construction and rebuilding work from Thursday through Sunday for the holiday weekend.
- On Thursday, rail and bus services will run on a holiday schedule.
- For Metrorail, that means trains will run on a Sunday schedule, starting service at 7 a.m. and closing at midnight. Off-peak fares will be in effect all day, and parking will be free at all Metro-operated facilities.
- Metrobuses will also operate on a Sunday schedule, and riders should check their individual lines’ schedules for operating times.
- MetroAccess Paratransit service will operate during the same hours as Metrorail and Metrobus. Subscription trips will be cancelled on Thanksgiving Day unless the MetroAccess customer specifically requests to travel on the holiday.
- On Friday, all bus and rail systems will run on their usual weekday schedule with normal ride and parking fees in effect.
Connector Buses and Fastran:
- Fairfax Connector Buses: Buses will run a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day, and a Holiday Weekday schedule for Friday. See details of all routes online.
- Fastran: All neighborhood and community service transportation programs will be closed Thursday and Friday.
Trash and Recycling:
- Residents should contact their individual service providers to find out their Thanksgiving week collection schedules. Information about various providers throughout the county are available on the government website.
Have a happy holiday!
SafeTrack Coming Back Monday — Metro’s 11th SafeTrack repair surge will bring delays to the Orange and Silver lines. Starting Monday, riders should expect 20-minute delays and “extremely crowded” train cars. [Fairfax County]
A Look at South Lakes’ Winning Football Season – The Seahawks are currently experiencing a “renaissance,” and the team will be practicing Thanksgiving morning as they prepare to face Lake Braddock in the Region 6A semi-finals on Saturday. [Washington Post]
Paid Parks & Recreation Internship Open for Spring – An internship for a graduate or undergraduate student working toward a degree in parks and recreation services is open for the spring season, from approximately Jan. 23 to May 5, 2017. The intern will offer administrative and customer service assistance to parks and recreation staff relating to a number of all-ages events to be held in the spring. A stipend is paid at the end of the season. Applications are available online. [Reston Association]
A new pop-up store at Reston Town Center is selling Gucci, Chanel and Dior clothing for less than original retail price.
Ella-Rue, a Georgetown-based “boutique consignment shop,” opened a temporary store at 11862 Market St. earlier this month. The pop-up is part of the Market Street Pop-Ups series.
The store gets its stock by buying from customers. People who have designer clothing, handbags and jewelry still in good quality can make an appointment with an Ella-Rue buyer and sell their possessions to the store on consignment.
Ella-Rue representatives said the company’s items sell for an average of 50 to 70 percent off the usual retail price.
Just next door to Ella-Rue at the town center is another new pop-up shop, Scrawl bookstore.
All Market Street Pop-Ups are open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
A new Reston program has picked up an accolade for the assistance it brings to local senior citizens.
Reston Community Center’s “RCC Rides” program recently won the award for Best New Program at the 62nd Annual Conference of the Virginia Recreation and Park Society, held earlier this month in Roanoke.
RCC Rides offers door-to-door rides to senior citizens age 55 and older who live within the Reston limits. Local seniors can request rides to everything from doctor’s appointments to shopping or to RCC social events and enrichment activities.
Rides are offered free-of-charge by local volunteers, whom RCC staff praised as they accepted their award earlier this month.
“We are honored to receive this award, but we would not be successful without our volunteer drivers,” Eileen Boone, RCC’s leisure and learning director, said in a statement. “Our volunteers are the heroes of this program and we thank them for their commitment and passion.”
Since the program launched in July of 2015, more than 1,000 rides have been offered to local seniors, according to RCC staff. The program now includes more than 147 regular riders and 43 drivers.
Local seniors can find out more information about RCC Rides online.
Local drivers who would like to volunteer to a driver for RCC Rides can sign up online.
Photo courtesy of Reston Community Center
Reston Company Could Gain From Trump Presidency — Reston-based Leidos Holdings could get a boost from new defense spending under the new administration. [Washington Business Journal]
Petition Asks Fairfax Police to Consider Food Donations for Tickets — A Reston-based online petition company is proposing an idea to the Fairfax County Police Department: Let people pay their parking tickets with donations of canned food. StandUnited.org, a conservative-leaning online petition platform, is soliciting signatures in support of the idea. [StandUnited]
Santa to Ride His Harley Through Fairfax County For the Kids – Santa Claus will trade in his sleigh for a Harley Davidson during the second week of December as he collects donations of toys for kids in need. [Fairfax County Police]
