It’s the end of the line for the Reston Summer Bucket List 2015. Looking for things to do between now and Labor Day? Here they are, all in one list (note: we did not include the one-time only events, as those are now in the past).
- Reston Town Center Frozen Treat Crawl
- Great Things in Great Falls
- Find Reston’s Hidden Art
- Sip Summer in a Glass
- Float a Lazy River
- See a Free Kids Show
- Camp Out Close to Home
- Take a Lake Anne Boat Ride (rentals extended to late September)
- Play Some Kid-Sized Tennis
- Visit the New Children’s Science Center
- Pick a Patio
- Lunch at a Food Truck
- Rock Out in Herndon
- Learn to SUP
Photo by Sean Bahrami for Reston Association
A celebration of beer and movies comes to Reston Town Center on Thursday, Sept. 10, and proceeds from the event will benefit Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB).
This is the sixth year the New Belgium Brewing Company has sponsored the Clips Beer & Film Tour road show, which is traveling to more than 20 towns this summer.
New Belgium says that 100 percent of the proceeds from beer sales benefit a local non-profit working to improve the community — in this case, FABB.
The Clips Beer & Film Tour has raised more than $520,000 for local organizations, and 75,000 people have sampled beer and watched films, the beer company says.
Here is what you need to know
When: Sept. 10, 7 to 10 p.m., Reston Town Center
Cost: Admission is free. All ages are welcome.
Beers will be sold in 3 oz. samples for $1.50 or 12 oz. pours for $6.
Beer List: Coco Mole, Eric’s Ale, Film Noir Stout, Hop Stout, Hoptober, La Folie, Long Table Farmhouse Ale, Pear Ginger, Rampant Imperial IPA, Trippel, Fat Tire, Ranger IPA, Shift, Slow Ride Session IPA and Snapshot Wheat. This list is subject to change.
About the Beers: At each tour stop, guests are invited to try New Belgium’s unique Lips of Faith series, as well as popular classics. The beer list features everything from wheat beers to IPAs. Many of these beers can be hard to come by, especially the popular barrel-aged sour offerings (La Folie and Eric’s Ale) and the “available-only-at-Clips” Film Noir, a caramel, chocolate, vanilla, milk, imperial milk stout. They call it “an epic milk dud in beer form.”
About the Films: New Belgium holds a contest that gets more than 100 submissions. The company selects about 15 five-minute films for inclusion on the tour each season.
This year’s films touch on diverse topics — outdoor adventure, environmental activism, comedy, art, craft beer, and more. All films last under five minutes. Films are produced by hobbyists as well as professional directors. Films will be shown on a giant 30-foot inflatable movie screen.
Kendra Scott, the national upscale costume jewelry store with expansion plans in the Washington, DC., area, expects to open its Reston Town Center store in early December, a store spokeswoman said.
In June, Kendra Scott filed permits at 11900 Market Street and is into the permitting and construction process.
The line launched in Texas in 2002 and is now sold at major department stores such as Nordstrom, as well at Kendra Scott stores nationwide.
The Reston store will be the third of the four area stores that will open soon, the spokeswoman said. The Bethesda Row location recently opened its doors, and a new location at the Mosaic District will open Monday.
Most pieces use brightly colored stones and natural materials for “statement necklaces” that retail for under $120. Earrings are generally in the $50 to $100 range. The store also has a Game Day Collection, where sports fans can purchase jewelry in team colors.
Photos: Kendra Scott store in Texas (top); Skylar earrings by Kendra Scott/Courtesy Kendra Scott
Pricey, Pricey DC — The Washington, DC, Metro area is the most expensive place in the country to raise a family. You need $106,000 just to get by. [WTOP]
Defending Geer’s Shooter — The head of a local police union calls Adam Torres, the former Fairfax County Police Officer charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of unarmed Geer in 2013, a “scapegoat.” [WTOP]
After Issues Found, Silver Line Work Resumes — Officials at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said crews have resumed placing some of the concrete girders that will support Silver Line Metro tracks at Dulles International Airport. [Washington Post]
Tell VDOT — The Virginia Department of Transportation is updating its regional network of bike routes and needs to measure its progress since 2004. Take a moment to take this survey to help them plan changes to the bike system [Fairfax County]
We’re trying here in the D.C. Metro area. Public transportation. Ride sharing. Telecommuting.
No matter, we’re still No. 1 — in commuting time.
A new report produced by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) shows drivers waste more than 3 billion gallons of fuel and were stuck in their cars for nearly 7 billion extra hours — 42 hours per rush hour commuter — in the last year.
Washington, D.C. tops the list of gridlocked cities, with 82 hours of delay per commuter, followed by Los Angeles (80 hours), San Francisco (78 hours), New York (74 hours), and San Jose (67 hours).
TTI says the problem has become so bad that drivers in the worst areas have to plan more than twice as much travel time as they would need to arrive on time in light traffic just to account for the effects of irregular delays such as bad weather, collisions, and construction zones. Anyone who has driven I-66 on a rainy day can attest to that.
So how do you deal with your commute? Take our poll and tell us more in the comments.
Every weekday in August, Reston Now will be offering suggestions for a Summer Bucket List — things to do, places to check out and activities to try in and around Reston before summer’s end.
Obviously, different ideas will appeal to different residents in different age groups.
Reston Summer Bucket List No. 18: Get to know Great Falls
We are looking again to the folks at the Fun in Fairfax VA blog, who are experts in local field trips.
We know how to get to nearby Great Falls National Park and take your basic hike and peek at the Potomac River. Fun in Fairfax has a list of “8 Great Things to Do in Great Falls,” which covers what’s beyond the park.
Fun in Fairfax suggests, of course, a hike, and they offer several routes leading to and through the park. They also say to dig into history at the Visitors Center, grab a pint at the nearby Old Brogue Pub, and playing at the playground at the Great Falls Grange.
See Fun in Fairfax VA’s entire list.
Photo: Great Falls National Park/Credit: Julie McCool
Reston Association will begin holding a series of workshops this fall aimed at offering info to homeowners.
The first workshop, The “ABC’s of DRB” will provide information on how applications are reviewed by the Design Review Board and processed by RA staff. RA will offer tips on what is required for submission of complete applications and best practices for updating cluster standards. There will also be a Q&A session.
The workshop will be held on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. All workshops will be at RA offices, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive.
Other topics later in the fall and winter include workshops for cluster boards; readying your home for winter; selecting a contractor; and landscaping, among others. Click here to download the full 2015-2016 schedule of workshops.
To register for a workshops, email [email protected]. Please provide your name, address, telephone number, email address and the workshops you plan to attend.
The owners of a five-story office building at 1950 Roland Clarke Place are considering selling the property as mixed-use development is planned all around it.
The Washington Business Journal reports that Reston-based intellectual property law firm Greenblum and Bernstein, which occupies much of the space in the building it purchased for $11.5 million in 2002, is seeking to sell the space, as well as an additional building it owns 1941 Roland Clarke Place.
The buildings, about 102,000 square feet over 6.5 acres, are located next to The JBG Companies’ Reston Heights, where work on the second phase of a large mixed-use development is slated to begin soon. The last remaining commercial tenants on the stretch of Sunrise Valley have vacated the premises and construction should begin soon, JBG reps said.
Reston Heights already includes the Sheraton Reston, the Westin Reston Heights, the Mercer Condos and offices.
The next phase, approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2013, will have a six-story residential building, a 15-story residential building, a five-story building that incorporates a parking garage with residences and retail space; and a 10-story building that mixes office space, parking and retail space.
The plan includes 145,000 square feet of above-grade retail, 100,00 square feet of below-grade retail, 428,225 square feet of office and 498 residential units.
The Roland Clarke office buildings are also adjacent to the former American Press Institute building, which has been vacant for more than three years. The owners of the Brutalist office building recently filed a rezoning application to change from industrial to residential and build 37 houses on the land.
And across the street from Roland Clarke Place is Reston National Golf Course, which has been embroiled in its own rezoning fight for several years.
The Fairfax County Board of Zoning appeals ruled in April that the 166-acre course could be redeveloped from a open and recreational space to residential without a comprehensive plan amendment. Several community groups — including Rescue Reston, Reston Association and Fairfax County, are challenging that decision in circuit court this fall.
The firm has been approached by developers in the past, and co-managing partner Neil Greenblum told the WBJ it decided to explore a possible sale now given the increased development in the Reston area.
The Wiehle-Reston East Metro station is just under a mile from Roland Clarke Place. Part of the JBG project includes enhanced pedestrian trails to connect the development with Wiehle-Reston East.
Photo: 1950 Roland Clarke Place/Credit: LoopNet
Date Change For Lake Thoreau Pipe Work — A project to replace a sewer pipe at Lake Thoreau has been postponed to next week. [Reston Association]
Office Vacancies Dragging Down Economy? — Taking a look at the changing economic makeup in Fairfax County, and how office vacancies — above 25 percent in some places — is burdening the tax base. [WAMU]
Beware The ‘Woodchuck’ — Get a knock on your door offering to trim trees? Don’t hire that crew, says Fairfax County. “Woodchucks” often target homeowners with high prices. Instead, call a licensed arborist (or two) for an estimate. [Fairfax County]
Photo: Squeals on Wheels visits Reston Association Junior Day Camp/Credit: Sean Bahrami
Every weekday in August, Reston Now will be offering suggestions for a Summer Bucket List — things to do, places to check out and activities to try in and around Reston before summer’s end.
Obviously, different ideas will appeal to different residents in different age groups. But we are open for ideas. If you have any “must-dos” of summer (even better: with a photo of you/your family participating in said event), email us at [email protected] and we will consider it.
Reston Summer Bucket List No. 17: Find Reston’s Hidden Art
We are turning over today’s bucket list item to our Reston-based friends at Fun in Fairfax VA, a local blog that has great ideas for area field trips for all ages.
Fun in Fairfax VA recently took a stroll to find some of Reston’s finest — but sometimes hard to find — public art.
Some places to check out: the kid-designed mosaic at Hunters Woods Elementary School and the Glade Underpass; the inviting and user-friendly Swing near the North Shore underpass; Lake Anne’s Sunboat; and, finally, the piece of the Berlin Wall that lives outside a Reston office building.
To read more art walk suggestions, visit Fun in Fairfax VA.
Photo: Emerge Mosaic by Glade underpass in Reston/Credit: Julie McCool
Wednesday night into Thursday morning, traffic on eastbound Route 7 between Rolling Holly Drive and Reston Avenue near Great Falls will shift into new temporary lanes as the Virginia Department of Transportation works on widening Route 7.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says the change will begin Wednesday at 9 p.m. and the lane shift should be complete by 5 p.m. Thursday.
In addition, Sugarland Road at Route 7 will be closed to traffic until late September/early October so that the intersection can be reconstructed and improved, says VDOT.
Motorists will be detoured via Fairfax County Parkway. Detour signs will be in place to direct local traffic around the closure.
The work is part of the third phase of construction for the project to widen Route 7 from four to six lanes between Rolling Holly Drive and Reston Avenue. The $34 million project is scheduled for completion in December.
A Reston homeowner said vandals burned the American flag that was flying outside her home on Wainwright Drive on Tuesday night.
Tanya Mazarowski and her significant other, Michael, were home at the time. Neighbors alerted them to the fire on the flagpole, which is attached to their townhouse, and it was extinguished by the homeowners about 8:30 p.m.
“It’s so sad and scary this could happen here,” said Mazarowski, who moved to Reston earlier this year. “We do not think we were targeted individually. No one has any kind of beef with us. However, [Michael] is a retired military veteran of three services who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a Medic transporting critically injured service members home. This is crazy. And scary.”
Fairfax County Police said they are investigating the flag burning as a destruction of property case, possibly with bias. A bias crime is when a property crime is directed at a particular person, public information officer Roger Henriquez said.
“The fact that this is a symbol of the country, and on our home means we could have simply been targeted for our nationality,” said Mazarowski.
Police said they have not identified any suspects and this is an isolated incident so far.
Photo: Burned flagpole on Wainwright Drive/Tanya Mazarowski
Three motorcycles were stolen from streets in south Reston this week, Fairfax County Police said.
Reported thefts:
- 2300 block of Branleigh Park Court, 2006 Kawasaki motorcycle.
- 11500 block of Rolling Green Court, Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle.
- 2200 block of Springwood Drive, Honda CBR 100RR motorcycle.
In other crime news, Reston District station reported:
BURGLARY, 2100 block of Astoria Circle in Herndon, Aug. 21. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
LARCENIES
- 12800 block of Fantasia Drive, property from residence.
- 2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, bicycle from business.
- 2100 block of Carrhill Road, property from residence.
- 2500 block of Centreville Road, beverage from business.
- 2000 block of Headlands Circle, property from residence.
- 12900 block of Highland Crossing Drive, merchandise and cash from business.
- 12000 block of Starboard Drive, tools and cash from vehicles.
Map: Stars represent locations of motorcycle thefts
Docs On ‘Best’ List — A long list of Reston physicians made Washingtonian magazine’s Best Doctors 2015 list. [Reston Hospital Center]
Save Date For Cornerstones Golf Tourney — Sign up now for Cornerstones’ 21st annual Embry Rucker Memorial Golf Tournament Sept. 28 at River Creek Club in Leesburg. The nonprofit’s goal is to raise $125,000 to benefit Cornerstones’ programs and outreach. [Cornerstones]
Nearly Football Season — South Lakes High School opens the 2015 football season at home against Marshall at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4. Herndon opens Sept. 4 at Fairfax; its home opener is Sept. 11 against Briar Woods. Both games are at 7:30 p.m. [South Lakes Athletics, Herndon Athletics]
The pedestrian bridge that links Reston Town Center’s Bluemont Way and the Discovery Square office buildings off Sunset Hills Road has been closed for several weeks and will likely be closed into the fall, representatives for Boston Properties said.
Pete Otteni, Boston Properties Vice President of Development, said the bridge, which takes pedestrians over the W&OD trail, suffered damage that needs to be repaired.
Boston Properties, which owns most of the buildings at Reston Town Center, also owns the bridge and the Discovery Square buildings.
“We discovered some damage to the bridge this summer that required repairs, and we believe that the damage was caused by ice-melting products used during the winters since the bridge was installed,” Otteni said in an email.
“We have already contracted to repair the bridge, materials have been ordered, and we expect the repairs to be complete at some point this fall, depending on delivery schedules and weather.”
