Measles in Fairfax County — A case of measles has been confirmed in Fairfax County. Authorities say the child, who is no longer contagious, had only one of the two recommended MMR vaccinations as the child was too young for the second dose. Authorities are warning that the child was at several Fairfax County locations, possibly while contagious. [Fairfax County]
Reston Business Pairs With Airbnb — Reston-based BridgeStreet Global Hospitality has formed a partnership with Airbnb. BridgeStreet offers serviced apartments in over 60 countries, which will not become part of Airbnb Business. [Virginia Business]
More Road Improvements For Virginia — The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has received an additional $55.5 million in federal funds that was originally allocated to other states, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced. Since they did not have projects ready to go to use the funding, the Federal Highway Administration reallocated the money to Virginia and other states that have projects in the pipeline ready for work to begin. No word on which Virginia projects will be funded with the money.
Fairfax EDA Leader Honored — Gerald Gordon, President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, has been honored by the International Economic Development Council. [Virginia Business]
Reston Town Center beauty salon PR at Partners has a new location and a new name.
The salon, which has been at 11944 Market St. for about eight years, has relocated to 119o2 Democracy Dr., in the space formerly occupied by Le Shoppe Salon. Le Shoppe, an original town center tenant, closed its doors last December.
The salon’s new name is PR Freshlook. A spokeswoman for the local chain says the Reston salon will offer the same services as at the old location (color, cuts and other hair styling) but will have much more room in the larger space.
Meanwhile, Reston’s first men’s salon, Joe Grooming, has moved into the former PR Partners Market Street space. It opened for business last week.
The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is reminding Restonians (and near-Restonians) to “wear your Lederhosen — and drink beer!” in this promotional video for this weekend’s Oktoberfest Reston.
Online beer and drink ticket sales end Thursday at 5 p.m. So if you want to avoid lines, you can act now. Otherwise, tickets are available on site.
The festival runs Saturday, Oct. 10, noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Parking at Reston Town Center is free. Admission is free.
Beers on tap: Blue Moon, Miller Lite, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, Yuengling. Beers available in Oktoberfest’s Craft Beer Alley: Flying Dog, Heritage, Old Ox and Old Bust Head.
Food will be available from American Tap Room, Clyde’s of Reston, Buffalo Wing Factory, Naked Pizza, Pittsburgh Ricks, Bento House, Tavern 64 Regional Kitchen, The Big Cheese, The Melting Pot, The Sprouted Spoon, and more.
Live Entertainment from Alpine Dancers, The Low’nBrows German Band, Gonzo’s Nose, DJ Edward Daniels, Kings Park German Band, Herr Metal & Dr FU and DJ B Rok. Visit the event website to see exact schedule.
Oktoberfest will also feature the Reston Pumpkin 5K (and kids Pumpkin Dash) on Sunday morning. Runners, feel free to break out your Halloween costume for the race. Visit the Reston Pumpkin 5K site for more information and registration.
Meanwhile, the Chamber says it has an urgent need for volunteers for Oktoberfest. Volunteers receive T-shirts and 12 free food/drink tickets. You can volunteer as an individual or as a team, which is great for offices looking to increase their company profile while doing community service. Check out the volunteer shifts and position available and register online.
Fairfax County Police have arrested a man they say robbed and assaulted a woman near the parking lot of the Best Buy store at Reston’s Spectrum Wednesday night.
Police said Raul Soto, 25, of no fixed address, followed the victim, 19, from the parking lot about 11:15 p.m. The victim told police Soto blocked her path and made demands of her as she approached the tunnel that leads under Reston Parkway. He knocked her down, assaulted her, stole her phone and fled.
The victim called police, which dispatched several resources, including a helicopter and a tracking K-9 and handler.
Following leads, officers located the suspect at Embry Rucker Community Shelter nearby.
Soto was charged with robbery and transported to the Fairfax Adult Detention Center.
Photo: Raul Soto/Credit: FCPD
Fairfax County has been examining for years how best to build a Soapstone Drive connection between Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise Valley Drive.
A connector would provide an additional car and pedestrian crossing over the Dulles Toll Road, alleviating some of the traffic on Reston Parkway and Wiehle Avenues. It would also offer an additional way for pedestrians to access the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will host a public information meeting to give an update on the project on Monday, Oct. 26, at South Lakes High School, 11400 South Lakes Dr.
The meeting takes place from 6-8 p.m., with a short presentation at 7 p.m. Staff will be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions.
Authorities agree that Reston needs the additional crossing. At issue is how to pay for it.
The Soapstone Connector Project was included in the Reston Comprehensive Plan Amendment, which was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in February 2014. After studying several options and obtaining community feedback for a crossing, the Supervisors in April of 2014 approved a hybrid design combining elements of two of the options.
Also in 2014, the Board of Supervisors included $2.5 million for the preliminary design of this project as part of its Six Year Transportation Project Priorities. At that time, they also put the project — estimated to cost $91.75 million — on the county’s list of high-priority projects for 2015-20.
An exact price tag won’t be known until the connector is farther along. What could be coming soon are updates estimates, an environmental impact study and preliminary engineering.
Additionally, there would be a four-way intersection with traffic signal at Sunrise Valley, as well as another four-way intersection with no signal, or perhaps a traffic roundabout, on the Sunset Hills side, planners said. Several properties would be affected, as the road will run right though buildings on Association Drive south of the toll road, as well as several buildings on the north side.
Graphic: Routes studied for Soapstone extension/Credit: Fairfax County
Reston Association’s Open House — New to Reston or want to know more about Reston? Attend Reston Association’s Open House (formerly called Newcomers Night), where reps will be on hand to offer info on recreation, services, covenants, Reston history, and navigating the new RA website. The event is tonight, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m at RA offices, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive. [Reston Association]
Mom Peeved at Dulles Staff — A woman flying from Boston to a layover Washington Dulles International Airport said she was directed by United Airlines staff to use a pet relief area for a private space to pump breast milk. [Washington Post]
FCPS Graduation Rate on Rise — Fairfax County Public Schools 92.7 percent of the class of 2015 graduated on time. That’s above the state average of 90.5 percent and an increase of 0.1 percent from the class of 2014. [FCPS]
Ritchey Receives Honor — Reston’s Joe Ritchey , and his company, Prospective, Inc., were honored at the BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America gala in New York City on Tuesday. Ritchey was honored for his commitment to public art in Reston and donations of more than $1 million over the years to arts-related non-profits. [Reston Now]
Photo: Forest Edge ES students take part in Walk to School Day 2015 on Wednesday/Courtesy Karen Raffel
A Reston woman is facing several charges after a North Reston traffic investigation led to the suspect assaulting a Fairfax County Police officer.
Officers were called to the 12000 block of Lake Newport Road about 8:10 p.m. on Tuesday to investigate a hit-and-run accident.
While there, one of the people at the scene became irate and spit in an officer’s face, police said.
Police said Jennifer Escobar Chinchilla, 21, of Reston, also attempted to kick one of the officers. She was taken into custody. Police also found drugs in her possession. Chinchilla was not the driver or the victim in the car accident, police said.
Chinchilla was charged with disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana and assault on law enforcement officer.
Fairfax County Public Schools has proposed a new addition for South Lakes High School that will add 40,000 square feet to the school, but the school is in danger of outgrowing the added space as soon as it is built.
The proposed addition will bring SLHS’ capacity to 2,500 students. That capacity appears to be needed though as current enrollment is 2,446 in a school designed for about 2,100 students.
The addition comes less than 10 years after SLHS underwent a major renovation that increased capacity by about 1,000 students.
After a sometimes-contentious redistricting process in 2006, the school, which then had about 1,400 students, soon after had more than 2,000 students. Temporary classrooms have been added to the property in the last several years to handle overcrowding as school population, reflecting an overall trend in FCPS, has continued to grow annually.
If the trend holds, SLHS may be close to 2,900 in the next several years, FCPS officials said in the most recent FCPS Capital Improvement Plan.
The South Lakes addition, which will be paid for from a 2013 school bond, is on the Fairfax County Planning Commission agenda for Oct. 15. Residents may speak at the public hearing portion of the meeting, which begins at 8:15 p.m.
Here is what is planned for SLHS, according to a county planning staff report:
A two-story, 40,000-square foot addition at the southwest corner of the building along South Lakes Drive.
The construction of the addition would expand the school to 373,750 square feet.
The addition will have classroom space to enhance the capacity of the existing school from 2,126 students to 2,500 students.
Also planned: 128 new parking spaces, which would be located along Seahawk Drive in the proximity of the school’s entrance and within the existing eastern and western parking lots, for a total of 758 parking spaces.
FCPS will provide additional stormwater management through the installation of open joint pavement blocks and five filterras (filter systems).
The staff report, which recommends approval of the plan, says “the proposed expansion has received prior approval by a public bond referendum, is included in the county’s currently adopted Capital Improvement Program, and does not significantly impact on the character of the existing facility and its compatibility with the surrounding” area.
The modular classrooms currently located on the future site of the addition will go away. But a series of other modular units, which house special education classroom, on the flagpole side of the school will remain.
Among the development conditions: FCPS will upgrade the existing sidewalks that are less than five feet wide along South Lakes Drive and Ridge Heights Road to five feet in width (or
provide ADA passing areas).
South Lakes may still install more modular classrooms on the property if needed to accommodate future enrollment.
Rendering courtesy of Fairfax County.
GraceFul Care, a Reston business that provides companionship and assistance for senior citizens, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a reception at Hunters Woods Fellowship House on Tuesday.
Bringing GraceFul Care and Fellowship House together highlights the need for continued and expanded services for seniors in our community, said Rev. Faye Codding, Community Outreach Coordinator for Fellowship Square.
Fellowship Square is the non-profit that subsidizes five housing facilities for low-income seniors in the Washington, D.C., area, including two in Reston (Hunters Woods and Lake Anne).
“We have 285 residents at Hunters Woods who are all over 62, extremely low income and some are disabled,” Codding said. The money raised on Tuesday will go to a fund that helps residents pay for extras such as medical supplies, food, doctor’s co-pays and other expenses that can be tough for seniors to cover, said Codding.
There is a waiting list for subsidized units at both of Reston’s Fellowship Houses, which highlights the need for affordable housing here, said Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson.
“If you look at the trends, people are aging here and housing costs are high,” she said. “Fellowship House is an important resource. We have nowhere near the level of housing for low-income seniors that we need.”
Meanwhile, GraceFul Care, which was founded by Dave and Pat Williams in 1995, has been honored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Fairfax, AARP and the Herndon-Dulles Chamber of Commerce, among others, for both their work as a successful local business and a quality agency for senior help. Their son-in-law, Dan Flavin, is now running the company.
A new pizza place is coming to Reston’s Plaza America.
MOD Pizza has filed permits to renovate the space at 11642 Plaza America, which was vacated by Vie De France in October 2014.
MOD Pizza is a Seattle-based franchise founded in 2008. It opened its first Washington, D.C.-area store earlier this year in Silver Spring, part of fast growth that the company founders hope will be 100 stores by 2016. Another Northern Virginia store is planned for Gainesville.
The restaurant is a fast-casual concept. Customers choose from a variety of speciality pizzas or create their own. The pizza is ready in about five minutes. Pizzas start at $7.47.
The usual toppings such as pepperoni, cheese and sausage are available, but so are hot buffalo sauce, siracha, feta and arugula.
Photo Courtesy of MOD Pizza
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed three Restonians to serve on the Reston Community Center Board of Governors.
Bill Bouie, Lisa Sechrest-Ehrhardt, and Gerald Zavala, all incumbents seeking another three-year term on the board, earned the most votes in the RCC Preference Poll. The results of the poll, which closed Oct. 2, are then recommended to the supervisors.
The vote tallies:
- Karol Anderson: 277
- William G. (Bill) Bouie: 1,303
- Lisa Sechrest-Ehrhardt: 1,435
- Gerald Zavala: 1,421
Dr. Richard Titus, Ph.D., withdrew his name from consideration on Sept. 17.
Since voting began before his withdrawal, voters could still select his name; he received 644 votes via mailed or online ballots.
The League of Women Voters handles ballots dropped in ballot boxes at either RCC location. There were 121 of these ballots determined to be eligible; the League of Women voters did not tabulate eligible votes for Dr. Titus.
The Board of Governors guides planning, budgeting, programming and policy for the two Reston Community Centers.
The three-year terms for Bouie, Sechrest-Ehrhardt, and Zavala begin on Nov. 2.
Bouie has served on the RCC Board since 2003, and served as the Board Chair from 2006 to 2008. He is also the current Chair of the Fairfax County Park Authority Board, and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Initiative for Public Art – Reston (IPAR). He has been a top volunteer or leader for other organizations such as Reston Little League, Wolf Trap Associates Board of Directors, Reston Hospital Board of Trustees, and the Reston YMCA Board of Management.
Sechrest-Ehrhardt has served on the RCC Board since 2012. She is a professional social worker and diversity trainer. In addition to her experience as a former RCC employee, Lisa and her family have participated in numerous RCC programs as patrons. Her experiences as an educator and communicator have focused on celebrating diversity and engaging community members of all backgrounds.
Zavala has served on the RCC Board since 2012 and currently serves as its treasurer. Zavala is an eight-year resident of Reston. His experience includes work with the Fairfax County Park Foundation, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Cornerstones, Reston Soccer, and Leadership Fairfax.
Golf For A Cause — More than 160 supporters of the grassroots organization Rescue Reston turned out Monday for a golf tournament, nature walk and dinner fundraiser at Reston National Golf Course. The event raised raise awareness and will help Rescue Reston fund the ongoing legal efforts to stop development at Reston National, Reston’s public golf course. [Rescue Reston]
NAACP Calls for Fairfax County Changes — Group protested at Fairfax County Courthouse on Sunday to shed light on the death of Natasha McKenna, a mentally ill woman who died in police custody earlier this year. The NAACP also says Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh should resign. [Fairfax Times]
Poems About Parks — Kids aged 5 to 13 were asked to capture what they love about Fairfax County Parks in a poem. Several winners of the park authority’s poetry contest will read their entries at the Park Poets event at Frying Pan Park in Herndon on Saturday, Oct. 10. at 10 a.m. [Fairfax County]
Walk To School Day Today — Today is National Walk to School Day, and all Reston Elementary Schools are participating. If you are driving down the road, watch out for youngsters. If you are participating, feel free to send us a picture. [Walk to School Day]
Photo: Rescue Reston tournament at Reston National/Credit: Jacqueline Carr Photography
Fairfax County Police said two burglaries were reported on Friday.
The incidents both took place in the 11700 block of Old English Drive. Authorities did not say what was taken.
In other crime news reported by FCPD’s Reston District Station in the last week:
LARCENIES
- 11000 block of Barton Hill Court, purse from vehicle.
- 2000 block of Beacon Heights Drive, equipment from vehicle.
- 2100 block of Centreville Road, jewelry from business.
- 1600 block of Parkcrest Circle, wallet from vehicle.
- 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, wallet from vehicle.
- 2200 block of Chamblee Place, bicycle from residence.
- 11100 block of South Lakes Drive, property from business.
- 11800 block of Spectrum Center, scooter from business.
- 11400 block of Heritage Commons Drive, property from residence
- 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, property from residence
- 1300 block of Park Lake Drive, property from vehicle
STOLEN VEHICLES
- 1800 block of Wiehle Avenue, 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
- 2200 block of Coppersmith Square, 1999 Honda Civic.
Reston is going Back to the Future.
In honor of the Washington West Film Festival’s fifth birthday and the movie Back to Future’s 30th anniversary, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in July passed a resolution symbolically changing Reston’s name during the five days of the Washington West Film Festival.
The film festival, running at Reston’s Bow Tie Cinema, among other Northern Virginia locations, begins Oct. 21.
Hill Valley was the name of the town where Back to the Future hero Marty McFly lived. And the date, Oct. 21. 2015, was the exact spot on the calendar where the DeLorean deposited Marty and Doc in the movie.
Washington West will host two Back to the Future events at Bow Tie Reston: A trilogy marathon on Oct. 21, as well as a red carpet screening of Back to the Future Part 1 on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Scheduled to appear at the Oct. 25 screening: Actor Christopher Lloyd (Doc); trilogy co-writer and producer Bob Gale; Claudia Wells (Marty’s girlfriend in Part 1); and others.
Box office proceeds from the Oct. 25 red carpet screening will benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
“Back To The Future represents for us the idea of dreaming what could be, and the potential personal impact every individual can have on the future,” says Washington West Founder and President Brad Russell. “Washington West is entirely about inspiring innovative ways to change our future and our world.”
See the full lineup of events and films on Washington West’s website.
Photo: Back to the Future/Credit : Universal Pictures
Nova Labs, the Reston-based maker space, is holding an open house for its new “low-impact workspace.”
Nova Labs is opening GreenBay, a section of the shop that will house green, low-impact tools and a stand-up classroom for hands-on shop classes.
The free open house is Monday, Oct. 12 (Columbus Day holiday) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be food and beverages, open house hours, shop tours, woodworking demonstrations, and more. Tools with a green safety rating are available to anyone who completes the New Member Orientation class, which is open to all.
Nova Labs is a membership-based work space with a 10,500-square-foot facility at 1916 Isaac Newton Square. The space has classrooms, workspace, incubator offices and a shop that includes both common tools and advanced fabrication equipment.
Members enjoy 24-7 access and help teach classes, maintain equipment, and promote making in the community. Nova Labs offers classes in programming and engineering fundamentals; building and using devices such as 3D printers, drones, laser cutters, and robots; and fundamental engineering and prototyping skills such as wood working and carbon fiber mold making.
They also sponsor the NoVa Mini Maker Faire held in Reston in the spring.
