Ideaventions Academy, a new Reston private school focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) says it will open for the 2015-16 school year with 18 students in grades four through eight.
Crews are putting the finishing touches on the new space at 12340 Pinecrest Rd. Tuition is $24,500 annually.
Ideaventions founders are Juliana and Ryan Heitz, area residents and graduates of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. They said they had an unsuccessful search to find a science enrichment class for their son, so they created their own teaching science center and started Ideaventions as an extracurricular and homeschool science program in 2010.
The Heitzes say Ideaventions is the only elementary/middle school in the country to offer computer science as a core class.
A Ideaventions spokeswoman says 18 students has “filled enrollment for the 2015-2016 academic school year. ” There are 10 students enrolled in the sixth and seventh grade class and eight students enrolled in the fourth/fifth grade class. The school expects enrollment to double next year. Read More
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 Item No. 3: Lunch at Food Truck
You are not going to wait in line for the empanada in January, are you?
That’s why August is an ideal time to have lunch at a food truck. Reston has a couple of spots where you can do that.
Business Center Drive, off of Sunset Hills Road between Wiehle Avenue and Hunter Mill Road, is a popular spot for food trucks. Each weekday, about a half dozen trucks begin business about 11 a.m. The offerings change daily.
This Thursday is also Reston Town Center’s monthly Food Truck Thursday. The first Thursday of each month during the spring, summer and early fall, trucks are parked by Town Square Park (Explorer and Market Streets) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
August offerings: Tortuga, BBQ Bus, Doug the Food Dude, Captain cookie & the Milkman, and PassionFish (on their patio).
Photo: Food trucks on Business Center Drive
The task force organized by Fairfax County Public Schools has released its first draft of cost-saving measures in an effort to slash $100 million from the school system budget for 2016-17.
FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza said in June that the school system — which serves more than 180,000 students — may face that large deficit if drastic action is not taken.
The school system often faces a deficit (this year’s was $7 million), but Garza said in June that many of FCPS’ cost drivers for 2016-17 are “items outside of FCPS’ control,” like retirement and enrollment increases, and providing competitive compensation for teachers.
The system has been asking for and receiving citizen feedback on potential cuts for months.
The school system is now outlining the dollars that could be saved if certain cuts are made. The task force is made up of three dozen members, including citizens, teachers, school board appointees, union reps and others.
Some of the suggestions, with savings forecasts in parentheses:
- Raising class sizes by one student for K-12 ($26.2 million).
- Reducing late buses by one day per week ($1.3 million)
- Eliminating some sports (freshman, junior varsity and varsity sports) and cutting high school athletic trainers ($10.9 million).
- Eliminating school extracurriculars such as yearbook, It’s Academic, newspaper, debate and student council, as well as cutting supplemental funding for music and drama programs ($12.3 million).
- Reducing number of high school assistant principals ($1.2 million).
- Reducing number of custodian positions ($2.4 million),
- Reducing Central Support positions (ie, Human Resources, Instructional Services, IT) ($1.7 million to $8.4 million).
- Cut extra staffing needed to manage International Baccalaureate programs ($1.2 million).
- Reducing number of days contracted teachers and other staffers work (various).
The school system has emphasized that this is just the first of many drafts and no decisions have been made.
There will be several public meetings on the subject this fall, including one at South Lakes High School in Reston on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
Cost-Savings Ideas from FCPS Task Force
FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza/file photo
Weather Watch — It is Aug. 5 and the D.C. area has already reached its typical number of 90-degree days. How many more will we get? [Capital Weather Gang]
High Marks For Virginia Tech — The Princeton Review released its 2015 college rankings yesterday. Virginia Tech has spots in the top five in two categories. [Princeton Review]
Reston Builder Will Develop Luxury Homes in Fairfax — Reston-based NVR Inc. is planning to build a 141-unit luxury townhouse community just south of the Vienna/Fairfax GMU Metro station in Fairfax. [Washington Business Journal]
Happy Place — Fairfax County comes in at No. 3 in SmartAsset’s list of Happiest Counties. The rankings are based on physical health, financial stability, economic security, among other criteria. [WTOP]
More than 300 young athletes ages 6 to 14 hit the pools, streets and trails in south Reston Sunday for the annual Reston Kids Triathlon.
Proceeds from the event benefit programs at the Fairfax County YMCA Reston and Reston Association.
To see additional photos, visit Reston Association’s Facebook page.
To see results (no names, just by bib number), visit Amazing Race Timing.
Photos by Sean Bahrami for RA.
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 n 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.
Bucket List Item No. 3: Play in a stick house, splash in a fountain
Head on over to Town Square Park for an hour or two. The park is located at the far end of Reston Town Center, at the intersection of Explorer and Market Streets.
There, you will find public art disguised as a playground.
Artist Patrick Dougherty’s A Bird in the Hand house made of sticks was installed in April. The sculpture, built of local saplings, evokes an abode where Hansel and Gretel would have lived or maybe where Shrek would hang out.
In any case, youngsters are encouraged to run through it, play hide and seek and use their imagination.
After that, head to the other end of the block-long park, and cool off. The splash fountains are finally up and running after being closed last summer for repair.
Cap it all off with a frozen treat from Iceberry on Market Street across from the park, and then cross another trip off your summer bucket list.
Photos: Top – Splash fountain; Bottom – public art stick house
Comstock Partners has teamed with the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR) and Reston Community Center for the upcoming We Make Reston public art project.
The project will feature portraits of Restonians in order to reflect Reston’s diversity. Originally slated for display at Lake Anne Plaza in September, Comstock will also participate by providing a second location for the exhibit.
We Make Reston will now also be featured on Comstock’s 140-foot fencing wall at the Wiehle-Reston Metro Station and on a seven-story banner visible from the Dulles Toll Road, Comstock says.
All displays will open Sept. 26, in conjunction with the Reston Multicultural Festival.
Comstock will have a “street team” of photographers on the Reston Station plaza near the north entrance to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Wednesday from noon to 7 p.m.
On Tuesday, photographers will provide more info to Reston commuters and residents and invite them to add the photos to the project, says Comstock spokeswoman Maggie Parker.
On Wednesday, interested participants can return with their signed release and be photographed, said Parker.
We Make Reston is part of the INSIDE OUT project – a global initiative with 200,000 participants from more than 112 countries.
Residents are still encouraged to submit their own portraits for the project. The deadline for submission in Aug. 9. Photos must be black and white and vertical in orientation. For more submission details visit RCC’s website.
A local family is asking for help from WJLA’s “7 on Your Side” after their credit card was charged a $5,448.69 tip on a $24.97 cafe bill at Reston’s Life Time Athletic.
Pallavi Srivastava and her husband visited Life Time in April. After taking a tour of the facility, they stopped by the gym’s café, WJLA says. They ordered two black bean burgers and a chicken curry wrap. The total came out to $24.97 with tax of $1.50 and tip.
But when they saw the bill from the credit card company it noted a tip of $5,448.69.
Srivastava said Lifetime told her the server accidentally entered his employee ID in the space for the tip amount.
Here’s what happened next, according to WJLA:
Lifetime promised to correct everything, but the next day they called back saying, “Sorry we gave you back too much money.”
Lifetime asked if she would be comfortable giving them back the credit card so they could recharge the entire amount and then refund it again.
By that time she had interest and late fees and the deadline had passed to dispute the bill with their credit card company.
Then came another call from Lifetime Fitness telling her they had already closed the financial books and couldn’t process the refund.
They referred her to Lifetime’s corporate offices. Four months later she and her husband are still fighting to get the charge cleared off their credit card bill.
So she contacted 7 On Your Side.
“When we said ABC7 News is getting involved, that’s when suddenly we get a call back from this lady who says we can do it,” she says.
7 On Your Side contacted Lifetime’s management. They admitted it was human error and have taken full responsibility. They say they’ve been working with the family’s credit card company and are promising the full refund by the end of the week.
Photo: Accidental big bill at Life Time/Credit WJLA
The last two springs, Fairfax County Police listened to residents’ concerns about the dark stretch of path that runs behind Hunters Woods Village Center and is often a site for crime such as assault and drug activity.
Police said at a 2014 community meeting that plans were in the works to improve lighting and that Reston Association — which owns the stretch of path — would pay for it.
At a 2015 meeting, Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and FCPD Reston Station assistant commander Lance Schiable both addressed concerns about Reston’s overall lack of lighting, even though Reston was planned that way.
“With Metro here now, we have more people walking and riding bikes in Reston, and they want to do it at night,” Hudgins said. “We need to figure out how to make it safer for them. It is very dark here in Reston.”
Reston Association said in 2013 it had set aside $125,000 for the lighting project. It’s more than halfway through 2015, though, and there are no new lights. What happened?
Like many aspects of life in Fairfax County, the costs went up, RA says.
What was expected to cost RA $125,000 grew to an estimated $190,000, RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said last December. While the $125,000 carried over to the current budget, the costs grew even more.
“The actual total cost is closer to $300,000,” Fulkerson told Reston Now in December. “We have not installed pathway lighting in many years, and the original estimate used in building the 2014/2015 Capital Budgets did not account for expenses related to Dominion Power’s engineering and equipment costs, which have increased considerably since the last time the Association installed pathways lighting.”
RA is hoping that Edens, which owns Hunters Woods, will pick up a significant share of the costs. Edens reps did not return messages.
Meanwhile, RA may increase the scope of the project to improve lighting at other areas in need, not just at Hunters Woods, RA spokesman Mike Leone said. RA’s Design Review Board told RA earlier this year it wanted a comprehensive lighting guideline for the whole community.
“We set aside the money in the 2014 budget, but what has happened has become kind of a bigger project,” he said. “When RA started working with Dominion, it got more expensive, based on the police recommendation. But what also started to happen, is we started getting input from Shadowood and other [nearby] condos wanting better lighting in their area.”
Leone said what started as a one stretch of path has now turned into a “urban design guidelines that would include a pedestrian lighting plan for the community.”
Leone says RA will “engage a lighting consultant to help develop that plan, as well as look at the safety of paths and the issue of light pollution while engaging the community in the process.”
He said it is a multiyear project and the costs are not yet known.
“Once that lighting design plan is developed by a consultant, then would go to RA board and the Design Review Board to develop a comprehensive lighting plan for the whole community,” Leone said.
Leone said RA is still hoping Edens will pay for some of the lighting upgrades near Hunters Woods.
Photo: RA path near Hunters Woods Village Center/file photo
Water Mine’s New Slide — Lake Fairfax Park’s Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole opened its new slide Saturday as part of its $5.5 million expansion. Officials say the larger slide will hopefully attract more teen visitors. [WTOP]
Tonight: National Night Out — The annual event that promotes community and police unity will be observed at several places in Reston, including Southgate Community Center. [Reston Now]
Bat Hunt — Will the Northern Long-Eared Bat prevent progression of Silver Line Phase 2 progress? [Washington Post]
Special RA Land Use Meeting — Reston Association’s Board of Directors will have a special meeting Wednesday, 4 to 6 p.m., to discuss land use issues related to the redevelopment of Tall Oaks Village Center, Reston National Golf Course and Town Center North. Most of the meeting will be in executive session, but there will be a public comment period at 4 p.m. [Reston Association]
Photo: Wiehle-Reston East station/Credit: Elvert Barnes via Flickr
Residents interested in serving on Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors have until Aug. 15 to file for candidacy.
The candidate filing period opened on Aug. 1. Candidacy Statement forms are available at RCC (Hunters Woods or Lake Anne.
The nine-member Board of Governors helps guide RCC’s programming and budget. Board members also represent RCC at social, recreational, cultural and educational activities in Reston.
Three spots will be open in 2015, and candidates are selected in a Preference Poll
All residents of Small District 5 (Reston) who are 18 or over are eligible to run. Candidates must complete a Candidacy Statement in order to have their names placed on the Preference Poll ballot.
Online and mail-in balloting and walk-in voting will be available from Sept. 11 through Oct. 2. Mail-in ballots must be received by Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.
Reston Kabob has closed its doors after 13 years at the Reston International Center’s Convenience Center off of Sunrise Valley Drive.
The local favorite’s last day was July 31. The business owners said in early June it would be closing on that date in order to make way for The JBG Companies’ new mixed-use development, which will begin construction soon.
The Shojas family, owners of Reston Kabob, will still operate their other nearby restaurant, Grill Kabob, 905 Herndon Pkwy.
Reston Kabob was the last business standing in the development. Chili’s closed late last year. A Wells Fargo bank shuttered last summer. And Reston Kabob’s neighbors, 7-Eleven and a dry cleaners, in its small strip, left a few months ago. Popeye’s, in a free-standing building across the parking lot, will remain.
The development has taken on somewhat of a ghost town quality, with large weeds springing up through the concrete in the parking lot.
A JBG representative said recently that the Chili’s building will likely be razed in the next 60 days.
JBG is planning the second phase of its Reston Heights development, which will include 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.
Read more about the development in this previous Reston Now story.
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 n 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.
Bucket List Item No. 2: Jump in all RA pools
Reston Association has 15 pools. If you are a Reston Association member, you have access to all of them.
Each of the pools is slightly different. Glade has the big slide, Lake Newport has the Olympic size space to splash.
Uplands and Hunters Woods have splashpark-like features popular with tots. Ridge Heights has shaded spots. North Shore and Lake Thoreau have hot tub spa pools. Many others are just quiet, neighborhood spots.
In any case, why not try them all in August? Or, if you are really up for a challenge, see if you can hit them all in one day.
Check the schedule on the Reston Association website before you go. Certain pools are closed on certain days, and many pools close for the season Aug. 16.
Happy swimming!
Do you want to enhance your business qualifications, develop leadership skills and make valuable connections?
Applications for Leadership Fairfax’s Signature Program and the Emerging Leaders Institute are being accepted now for the Class of 2016 (class sessions will being in September 2015).
Leadership Fairfax (LFI) is headed by Reston businesswoman Karen Cleveland, who serves as its President and CEO. It is a nonprofit corporation that finds, trains and grows leaders in Northern Virginia. Graduates represent a diverse alumni in the arts, business, education, government, health, religious and social service sectors.
The Leadership Fairfax Signature Program brings together senior leaders from all over Fairfax County in an experiential, cohort style community leadership development program. Participants work in teams to study problems and develop solutions. Program days are once a month from September through June. This program is tuition based.
The Emerging Leaders Institute is a 10-month program that brings together young professionals from the business, nonprofit and government sectors. Participants polish their leadership skills, receive individual mentoring and coaching and participate in community service projects.
There are info sessions this week for those interested in applying:
- Monday, Aug. 3, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, 1886 Metro Center Drive, #230, Reston
- Tuesday, Aug. 4, 8:00-9:30 a.m. at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, 8300 Boone Blvd., #450, Tysons Corner.
Interested in attending? RSVP to [email protected] or call 703.752.7555.
Photo: Leadership Fairfax 2014 Commencement at Reston Town Center/Credit: Chip McCrea Photography
Reston resident Walter Alcorn has been appointed by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova to the county Park Authority Board.
Alcorn fills a vacancy created by the recent resignation of Kala Quintana who left due to a government appointment. His term will expire on Dec. 31, 2017.
Alcorn served on the Fairfax County Planning Commission from 1997 to 2012. He was its vice chairman from 2007 to 2013 and also chaired several Planning Commission committees over the years including Environment, Infill, Residential Development Criteria and Tysons.
Alcorn is currently president of the Herndon High School PTSA and is currently employed as Vice President for Environmental Affairs and Industry Sustainability at the Consumer Electronics Association.
Previously, he worked at Alcorn Consulting and at SAIC from 1992 to 2003. Prior to his private sector employment Alcorn was a policy aide in the Providence District supervisor’s office.
