Reston Town Center and Washington Wine Academy are teaming up to bring a Thursday night concert series to town center’s pavilion in August.

Rock On, Reston! will happen Thursdays in August from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Admission is free, and wine and craft beer are available for $6. Rain or shine.

Schedule:

Aug. 6, My Generation – dedicated to the great bands of the 60s

Aug. 13, The Mike Leverone Duo – energetic, acoustic rock

Aug. 20, Panic for the Vibe – soulful, rocking Reggae, SKA, & Top 40

Aug. 27, The Hummingbyrds – roots rock, Americana

The Saturday Concerts on the Town continue at Reston Town Center through Labor Day Weekend.

Photo: Rock On, Reston/Courtesy Reston Town Center

Meet Cuddles, our Reston Pet of the Week. Cuddles is an older male cat in need of a home.

Here is what the people at Reston’s Little Buddies Adoption and Humane Society have to say about him:

Never was there a more handsome cat than Cuddles. Just look at all that gorgeous, silky orange and white fur.

Also, never was there a more affectionate cat. He is a total lap cat.

Because of allergies, his previous family with whom he lived for his entire life up to now, had to give him up. They say that Cuddles is cute and very well-behaved.

He loves toys. Cuddles is nine years old.

Are you and Cuddles a match? If so, Contact Little Buddies. Then let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and $100 in Becky’s Bucks.

Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?

Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet.

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.

Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.

Fairfax County Police are investigating a home burglary that took place in the 1500 block of Chatham Colony Court in Reston on Monday.

Residents of the home called police about 9:30 p.m. Monday and told them they were on the porch of their home when a suspect or suspects entered through an unlocked door, grabbed a purse, then fled on foot, police spokesman Lucy Caldwell said.

The police helicopter responded to the scene and found possible suspects in Lake Anne Park, said Caldwell.

Other FCPD resources also responded, including officers and K-9 units. Police briefly blocked streets in the area to try and isolate the suspect, who was not located.

No arrests were made but the investigation is continuing, said Caldwell.

Spend a night at the movies watching some short films about the world around us.

Reston Association is hosting a Summer Shorts Environmental Film Festival on Aug. 7, 7 to 9 p.m., at Walker Nature Education Center, 11450 Glade Dr. Admission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested.

Here is what is on the screen:

Among Giants, a 2013 film about an activist who spends more than three years disrupting the clear-cutting of a redwood grove by sitting on a tiny platform a hundred feet up in the tree canopy.

Snows of the Nile, which explores the Earth’s only equatorial glaciers in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains. The glaciers have shrunk by more than 80 percent in the last century. The film follows Dr. Neil Losin and Dr. Nate Dappen, two scientists and photographers, on an ambitious expedition to re-capture historical glacier photographs.

An Opossum’s Tale, which looks at the survival of Virginia Opossum in the outskirts of Detroit.

Popcorn, soda and beer available for purchase. All proceeds benefit Friends of Reston.
Reservations are requested by Aug. 4. Email [email protected] or call 703-476-9689.

Photo: Still from Snows of the Nile/Credit: Days Edge Productions

Fairfax County Police searched for a man who reportedly was firing a handgun into the air early Tuesday.

Police said a resident alerted them to gunfire in the 2100 block of Sugarloaf Court in unincorporated Herndon about 12:43 a.m.

The man was described as a white male with “slick” black hair.

Fairfax County’s Chopper 1 helicopter was dispatched to help look for the suspect.

The man entered an SUV and fled, police said.

In other crime news from FCPD’s Reston District Station:

LARCENIES 

• 1900 block of Crescent Park Drive, bicycles from residence.
• 1800 block of Fountain Drive, merchandise from business.
• 11700 block of Stratford House Place, bicycle from residence.
• 2900 block of Timber Wood Way, electronic equipment from vehicle.
• 11900 block of Bowman Towne Drive, merchandise from business.
• 1700 block of Business Center Drive, cash from business.
• 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, bicycles from residence.
• 2100 block of Glencourse Lane, cash from vehicle.
• 1600 block of Valencia Way, jewelry from residence.

STOLEN VEHICLES

2200 block of Castle Rock Square, 1989 Cadillac Deville.

The intense thunderstorm that rolled through Reston on Monday struck a townhouse and caused a fire, Fairfax County Fire Rescue officials said.

Units responded to a house at 11153 Lake Chapel Lane about 4:10 p.m. on Monday.

Firefighters encountered smoke coming from the four-story townhouse. Crews quickly extinguished the fire. Two people were home when the fire broke out, and escaped unharmed.

The occupants discovered the fire prior to the activation of smoke alarms. There were no injuries, officials said.

Damage is estimated at $15,000.

Investigators said the fire started when the lighting struck a natural gas line and entered a wall inside the home, causing the fire.

Around the same time Monday, lightning struck the visitors center and boathouse at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston. There was no fire and no injuries.

Totally Trucks, one of Reston Association’s most popular summer events, returns on Aug. 7.

At Totally Trucks, RA lets kids climb on all the big construction equipment, as well as a fire truck, ambulance and other public safety vehicles.

Totally Trucks is 9:30 a.m. to noon on Aug. 7 at RA’s Central Services Facility (12250 Sunset Hills Rd). Admission is free and the event takes place rain or shine.

A Reston company has developed a tablet computer that can link inmates with the outside world while still maintaining the kind of security a prison system demands.

Global Tel*Link (GTL)’s Inspire inmate tablets have telephone, educational materials, and streaming music capabilities, which provide secure communication and educational materials, among other benefits. It also can prevent fights over using the public phones, jail personnel say. The tablets do not have general Internet access.

“We believe that the Inspire devices are the future of inmate communications, education and entertainment,” Anthony Bambocci, GTL’s Chief Marketing Officer, said in a release. “They improve a facility’s operational efficiencies by reducing costs and conflicts over access to phones, and have nearly limitless educational possibilities. … Our devices have been inspected, reviewed and tested by corrections security staff and other experts in the field, making us confident they adhere to the strictest correctional security standards.”

GTL, which provides a number of telcom products for correctional institutions, says the tablets benefit both inmates and correctional facilities. For the facilities, using them will save paper and streamline administrative tasks. The facility can also load the tablets with educational content, which could include prison rules and guidelines, training manuals for inmate jobs, life skills educational materials and more.

The Reston company says that entertainment options such as streaming music have the potential to help inmates to better cope with their circumstances and promote positive mood. The combinations of these apps can better prepare inmates for life upon release, with the intent to reduce recidivism, they said.

The tablet is being tested at several facilities nationwide. In Alameda County, Calif., inmates are able to use the device to place calls of up to four hours long in the privacy and comfort of their own cell. That offers increased communication with friends and family, which may also reduce recidivism, officials there said. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Detention and Corrections Unit has also provided educational content on the tablets.

“Using the Inspire tablets has allowed us to provide valuable educational content to our inmates, helping them to prepare for productive lives once they are released,” said Gregory Ahern, Alameda County Sheriff. “In addition, providing tablets to individuals has lessened conflicts surrounding the use of traditional inmate phones and given inmates productive ways to spend their time.”

The fifth annual Reston Kids Triathlon is Sunday, and its organizers could use some volunteer help.

The event, sponsored by Reston Association and the YMCA Fairfax County Reston runs from 8 to 11 a.m. The swim portion is at Ridge Heights Pool. The bike race runs down Ridge Heights Road and Soapstone Drive. The run is on paths around South Lakes High School.

The event is intended to be a fun opportunity for youngsters to stay active through the summer and learn about the fast-growing sport of triathlon. All net proceeds from this event will be used for The Y and RA youth scholarship programs.

Volunteers receive a T-shirt and breakfast.

Some of the volunteer areas: Race set-up; food and water; course marshals; transition area; swim officials; and more. See the more details and sign up on the Reston Kids Tri website.

Reston Association brought in more than $12 million in membership assessments and paid out more than $8 million in salaries, other compensation and benefits in 2014.

These are some of the details made public in the association’s 2014 tax return.

The returns are made public and will be reviewed at Thursday’s monthly board of directors meeting as RA prepares for the upcoming budget cycle.

Among the details:

The association earned $15.8 million in program services revenue, slightly up from the previous year.

RA has $30.8 million in total assets, including property.

Top base salaries at RA were paid to CEO Cate Fulkerson ($180,000); Senior Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Larry Butler ($129,076); CFO David Harirs ($116,846) and Director of Communications Kirsten Carr ($108,039). Harris and Carr both left the association in 2015.

The highest paid contractors were Chadwick Washington (legal): $430,683; KTL Solutions (IT): $233,808; Brittenford Systems (IT): $207,143; Odin, Feldman & Pittleman (legal) $139,731; and Millennium Pool Services: $205,853.

RA earned $15.8 million in program service revenue, including $12.8 million from memberships, $1.1 million from recreational programs, $1,064,546 from management and staff services and $711,467 from operating programs. RA’s investment income was $24,248.

RA’s total expenses were $14.8 million. Among them:

• Salaries: $6.5 million
• Grants: $27,772
• Payroll taxes: $541,404
• Legal fees: $645,448
• Accounting: $45,576
• Investment management fees: $18,129
• Advertising: $12,576
• Office expenses: $1,090,605
• IT: $118,179
• Occupancy: $825,736
• Travel: $136,638
• Insurance: $375,833
• Program supplies: $306,688
• Equipment: $593,884
• Bad debt: $85,000

Fairfax County Judge Gets Nod  — Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Jane Marum Roush was appointed Monday to the Virginia Supreme Court by Gov. Terry McAuliffe in a recess appointment that bypassed the General Assembly. [Washington Post]

Bears, Ticks And Other County Wildlife — Katherine Edwards, Wildlife Management Specialist with the Fairfax County Police Department, Animal Services Division, held an online chat to talk to residents about bear sightings and other animal hazards. [Fairfax County]

RA Will Survey 2,500 Members — Randomly selected Reston Association members will receive a survey in the mail later this month. RA is gauging opinion on its parks and rec programs and facilities. [Reston Association]

Lightning struck several times at Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park during Monday’s quick-but-strong thunderstorm.

Park managers said the visitors center, the boathouse and a tree all appeared to be hit by lightning when the storms rolled through about 4 p.m.

Children in the after-camp program were in the building at the time but were evacuated to the locker rooms at The Water Mine, managers said. The Water Mine also closed for the day when the storms came.

Fairfax County emergency crews were called and it was determined there were no injuries and no significant damage other than a damaged tree.

Photo: Emergency crews at Lake Fairfax Park/Credit: Paul Boyum

Lake Anne Plaza, the site of a Jazz & Blues Festival for the last nine years, will now have an entire week devoted to the genre.

Lake Anne Jazz Week (Aug. 30 to Sept. 5) will feature a variety of jazz-themed events, including  live music, merchant activities, an outdoor movie and, of course, the Jazz & Blues Festival.

The Jazz & Blues Festival is a free, family friendly, all-day event on Sept. 5 from 1 to 8 p.m. It will showcase a variety of talented regional and national jazz & blues artists.

Here’s what the rest of Jazz Week will include:

Restaurant Activities 

• Aug. 30 (sundown) – Summer Film Festival Series Movie “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” (1959 Classic)
• Sept. 1 (7-10 p.m.) – The Red Tree Solo (Café Montmartre)
• Sept. 1 (8 p.m.) – Jazz Trivia Night (Kalypso’s Sports Tavern)
• Sept. 1 (6-9 p.m.) – Mykle Lyons Trio (Plaza)
• Sept. 2 (8-10 p.m.) – The Caterpillars Duet (Café Montmartre)
• Sept. 2 (9:30 p.m.) – Jazz Karaoke Night (Kalypso’s Sports Tavern)
• Sept. 3 (7-9 p.m.) – Take A Break Concert Series featuring the Chris Vadala Quartet (Plaza)
• Sept. 4 (7:30-10:30 p.m.) – Cabernet (Café Montmartre)
• Sept. 4 (6:30-8:30 p.m.) – The Jason Kearse Trio (Plaza)
• Sept. 5 (9:30 p.m.) – Post Festival Late Night with Sam Gunderson (Kalypso’s Sports Tavern)

Merchant Activities

• Chesapeake Chocolates – Special Edition chocolate musical notes and instruments. Wine Tasting, Sept. 3,  5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Reston’s Used Book Shop – 50 percent off all books about music
• Small Change Kids Consignment Shop – Melissa & Doug musical toys 50 percent off
• The Reston Museum – Music sale on local jazz performers Beverly Cosham, Menda Ahart and Felicia Crowley

Jazz & Blues Festival, Sept. 5

Adrian Duke is this year’s headliner. Duke leads the New Orleans sounds of the Adrian Duke Project. Although he has found a home as a Blues artist, by blurring the lines between Blues, Funk, R&B, and Jazz, he has found critical acclaim, audience acceptance, and artistic peer recognition.

Lineup:

• 1:00 p.m. – Ted Garber
• 2:00 p.m. – Cissa Paz
• 3:00 p.m. –  Integriti Reeves
• 4:00 p.m. –  Nia Olabesi
• 5:00 p.m. –  Mykle Lyons
• 6:00 p.m. – Texas Chainsaw
• 7:00 p.m. – Adrian Duke

The festival is sponsored by Lane Anne Merchants, Friends of Lake Anne, the Reston Community Center, and Reston Association. For the full schedule of events/times, visit www.lakeanneplaza.com.

Happy first birthday to Metro’s Silver Line, which transported its first passengers on July 26, 2014.

Since then, Wiehle-Reston East has become the most popular station on the young line, spurring development — as well as a few traffic headaches — nearby. Metro, meanwhile, is about to start airing TV commercial (see above) starring “Alan,” whose life was changed by rail service here.

Take our poll and tell us whether rail in Reston has impacted you a little, a lot or not at all.