Start your July 4 off by running the Firecracker 5K, which will raise money to help our troops.

The sixth annual Firecracker 5K is sponsored by Reston-based Leidos and will benefit the USO of Metropolitan Washington.

There will be live music, American flags and the “Battle of the Branches” competition. Whichever military branch has the most registered runners will have donation to the USO made on its behalf.

Here is what you need to know:

Race is Saturday, July 4, 8 a.m. at Reston Town Center

Registration is $35 and is open online through July 2. Price jumps of $40 July 2-4. Discounts for Under 14 or Active Military.

The course goes on streets through Reston Town Center, as well as on Cameron Glen Drive, Sunset Hills Road, Reston Parkway and Town Center Parkway. Roads will not be blocked to traffic, but lanes could be blocked. The course is relatively flat.

Photo: Firecracker 5K/Credit: Potomac River Running

A Reston man was arrested on Tuesday after Fairfax County Police said he assaulted and robbed a person riding a bicycle.

The incident took place about 3:30 p.m. in the 12000 block of Greywing Square.

The suspect assaulted the victim, took property and fled, police said. The victim incurred non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers then located the suspect and arrested him. Police charged Jaime Villatoro, 21, of Reston, with robbery and drunk in public.

In other crime news from Reston District Station:

LARCENIES

2000 block of Cobblestone Lane, property from vehicle.

11400 block of Washington Plaza, property from business.

2300 block of Hunter Woods Plaza, merchandise from business.

Several homeowners near Reston National Golf Course were concerned this week when they saw red-and-white markings where their properties met the golf course.

In the wake of the recent battle between course owner RN Golf Management — which says its should have the right to develop residential — and area homeowners, the Fairfax County planning department and Reston Association, which say the course was planned as open space and should remain so, some residents feared that development plans were imminent.

The Board of Zoning appeals ruled in April that the space could be redeveloped without a comprehensive plan amendment.

But fear not, homeowners. The markings are for the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, which takes place Thursday and Friday at the public golf course.

“The tournament demonstrates that there are other interests at stake in the effort to keep RNGC perpetual open space and, specifically, a golf course,” says Laurie Ironside of the advocacy group Rescue Reston. The tournament is another reminder that there are a lot of reasons to Keep the Greens (Rescue Reston’s lawn sign). So breathe easy, everyone. The golf course isn’t going away, not now and hopefully not ever.”

Play through, golfers.

Photo of junior golfers at Reston National/Credit: Jay Szlamowicz

I recently received a “Dear Mr. Plum” letter from the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA).  Had it not been for the obvious marketing design of the envelope, I may have thought that he was writing to me about my monthly appearance outside his office as part of our End Gun Violence Vigil.

No, he was writing to invite me to become a member of the NRA! The mass marketing firm responsible for the mailing may have lost their contract after sending a letter to me.

I get many solicitations for membership and contributions in the mail, but I found this one to be particularly alarming. While it promised me an “NRA rugged duffel bag” for joining, its main pitch was to scare me and the thousands of other persons receiving it into signing a “National Petition to Protect Our Rights to Keep and Bear Arms” and joining the NRA. Signing the petition was important the letter explained because “the Obama-Biden-Bloomberg gun ban machine and their anti-gun media allies are waging all-out war on our gun rights!”

And if that was not enough, the letter went on to explain in bold type with underlining and capitalization that “They’ve vowed to fight on and never surrender…Not until they BAN tens of millions of commonly owned firearms…SHUT DOWN gun shops and shows…Impose crippling TAXES and FEES on firearms and ammunition…REGISTER gun owners…and DESTROY your right to defend yourself, your home and your loved ones.”

The tone of the letter was disturbing with its repeated references to “fight, defend, destroy, war, muscle, defeat.” All the bluster and loud noises are attempts to distract from the efforts on the part of many organizations to have common sense gun safety measures passed that leaves the Second Amendment in place but enhances safety in our homes and community. I continue to introduce a bill to close the gun show loophole as a way to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and persons who are violent.

The purpose of the signed petition is explained later in the letter again in bold type: “When NRA is fighting gun control legislation and regulations, we can point to these signed petitions and tell your Virginia politicians that there are thousands of gun owners standing ready to elect the Second Amendment’s allies and defeat her enemies!” Unfortunately this fear tactic works with too many elected officials.

The theme of our monthly vigil at NRA on the 14th of each month is “We will not forget,” and it started after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. We will not forget, for unfortunately we are reminded too often about gun violence — last week it was the pastor and eight members of a church in Charleston, SC, who died from gun violence.

Not to adopt the tactics of others, but I do fear for the future of our free society if violence like this continues.

Ken Plum represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. His opinion does not necessarily reflect that of Reston Now.

The thousands of firefighters, police officers, friends and family members expected to attend the 2015 World Police & Fire Games could have a $50 million impact on the Fairfax County economy, says Barry Biggar, president and CEO of Visit Fairfax.

The World Police & Fire Games start Friday and will run until July 5 at 53 locations, mostly in Fairfax County. About 12,000 athletes from 6o countries are expected to compete.

While tickets to the events are free, the visitors have to be fed, housed and entertained, Biggar says. The economic forecast started out larger when the Games were in their planning stages, he added. But because the athletes are coming here on their “own vacation time and own dime,” the forecast has been revised to reflect lower numbers, said Biggar.

“When we were forecasting initially, we were looking at a larger amount of actual athletes coming in,” he said. “But at end of day, it is a very positive thing for the community. Whether we have 1,000 visitors or 14,000, the impact on the community is considerable and exceptionally positive.”

The most recent World Police & Fire Games were held in 2013 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Those games featured 7,000 athletes and an estimated 3,000 friends/family. The Games earned 7.3 million Euros (or about $8 million US), according to Belfast 2013 officials.

The last week of June and first week of July is usually a slow time for businesses here, said Biggar. The Games were purposely scheduled in this time frame to give a boost to the bottom line, he said.

Reston in particular should be a very busy place through July 5. Reston Town Center is the site of the Games’ Athletes Village, where participants and their family and friends can come to gather each afternoon and evening.

There will be live entertainment, social events and food trucks in the Reston Town Center pavilion and at special areas in the surface parking lot on New Dominion Drive and at President’s Park near the Hyatt Regency Reston. There are also a number of athletic events in Reston, including the triathlon, the half marathon, wrist wrestling, ice hockey and more.

“Reston is truly the gathering point for participants in these games every single afternoon and night,” Biggar said.

But it remains to be seen what kind of an impact that will have on locals who may not be able to find a parking spot, get a table at their favorite restaurant, or even get down Reston Parkway during the Games.

Officials are already telling visitors to town center that overflow parking is available at the former Sunset Hills Park and Ride lot (12050 Sunset Hills Road), a few blocks from Reston Town Center.

Fresh Take On Silver Line — Check out this map. Are you near the land of Strip Malzzzzz? [Restonian]

‘We Are Reston’ — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce has a new slogan and a new promotional video. [YouTube]

Keeping The Games Going — Meet Tony Shobe, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office Second Lieutenant and director of sports for the upcoming World Police & Fire Games. [Inside NOVA]

Comstock Hearing Tonight — Reston Association Board of Directors meeting (6 p.m.) will include public hearing on adding Comstock’s new BLVD apartments to the association, possibly at a lower assessment rate for limited membership amenities. [Reston Now].

There is another way to create a sense of place in Reston: On Snapchat.

Reston now has its own Snapchat geofilter. Users of the photo social media site can imprint their photos with a postcard-like “Reston, Virginia” logo.

Geofilters are special overlays for Snaps that can only be accessed in certain locations, therefore the Reston geofilter will only work if you are in Reston.

Snapchat, which has about 100 million daily users (most of them under age 35) recently began allowing local designers to create a geofilter design, which Snapchat staff then approves.

The Reston Geofilter was created by Reston resident Collin O’Brien. Here’s what O’Brien said to the Snapchat folks in submitting his design:

“Growing up in Reston, I have seen the transition from a small town to a booming and populated city. Money magazine ranked Reston as the No. 10 best place to live in the USA in 2014.  Known for its lakes, golf, ice skating and walking trails, Reston is only growing, as a new Metrorail system has been extended to our city.”

O’Brien said he used a fun, casual and free-flowing script font to represent Reston.

“The green represents Reston’s nature, wildlife and plant life,” he said. “The blue represents the different bodies of water/lakes.”

Photo: Reston Geofilter over picture of Lake Audubon.

Fairfax County Police said a black bear was spotted in the 1300 block of Trap Road in Vienna around 1 p.m. on Monday, but residents should not panic if they have a bear encounter.

The resident who snapped a picture of the bear close to a playground close to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (and just down the road from Reston) told police the bear posed no problems or issues. Police said this bear has likely “already moved through and not staying in the area.”

County Animal Control Officers and the Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist say it is not unusual to see black bears at this time of year and residents should not panic or feel alarmed when they see one.

From county animal control:

“Bears typically avoid humans, but in their search for food it is not uncommon to see one. Most often, bears will keep moving through an area once they fail in their attempts to find food.

“Unless the animal is sick or injured, or poses a threat to public safety, animal control officers do not take actions to attempt to remove bears from a neighborhood. Black bears have a natural fear of humans, and in most cases, would rather flee than encounter people.”

The Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries says residents should follow these tips to ensure bears stay away from homes:

The best way to encourage the bear not to return is to remove food sources.

Do not store household trash, or anything that smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks.

Keep your full or empty trash containers secured in a garage, shed or basement.

If you have a trash collection service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night before.

Take down your birdfeeder for 3-4 weeks after the bear visits.

Consider installing electric fencing, an inexpensive and extremely efficient proven deterrent to bears, around dumpsters, gardens, beehives, or other potential food sources.

If addressed quickly, this situation can be resolved almost immediately after you remove the food source. Sometimes, the bear may return searching for food, but after a few failed attempts to find it, will leave your property.

An anesthesiologist has been ordered by a Fairfax County judge to pay a local man $500,000 after the doctor said insulting things about the man while he was sedated for a colonoscopy at a Reston facility in 2013, The Washington Post reported.

The man, who lives in Vienna, said in his defamation and medical malpractice lawsuit that the anesthesiologist, Tiffany M. Ingham, who is apparently no longer practicing in the area, mocked him while he was asleep.

The whole thing was recorded. The man had turned his smartphone’s audio recorder on in order to make sure he accurately understood his doctor’s post-op instructions.

It turns out the whole surgery was taped. On the audio, Ingham is heard saying she wanted to punch the patient in the face; called him annoying, a wimp, and other disparaging names; and accused him of having syphilis and tuberculosis.

Listen to the audio on the link below.

After a three-day trial, the jury awarded the man $100,000 for defamation — $50,000 each for the comments about the man having syphilis and tuberculosis — and $200,000 for medical malpractice, as well as the $200,000 in punitive damages, the Post reported.

One of the jurors said the man’s attorneys had asked for $1.75 million, and that the $500,000 award was a compromise between one juror who thought the man deserved nothing and at least one who thought he deserved more.

Reston’s Giving Circle of HOPE has opened the grant cycle for 2015, and area non profits are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $7,000.

The Giving Circle, formed by four Reston women in 2003, has expanded greatly since then. The group gave away more than $73,000 to local groups doing good works in 2014. Since its inception the Giving Circle of HOPE has given out over $740,000 to organizations in Northern Virginia.

In order to be eligible for a grant, groups must be nonprofit; have an organizational budget of not more than $2 million; meet the Giving Circle’s mission to create positive change in Northern Virginia by directly benefiting people in need (such as low income, disadvantaged or under-served0; and serve populations in Northern Virginia.

Read more about grant eligibility and preferences on the Giving Circle’s website.

This year, the Giving Circle is introducing a pilot program for capacity building grants as well. To be eligible for a capacity building grant, groups must have a project in mind with specific with clear goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes; be located in Northern Virginia; and have a full project or CBE budget of no more than $70,000.

Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. Applications can be downloaded from www.givingcircleofhope.org or requested by e-mail at [email protected].

Reston Association might have some new members soon: a couple of hives full of bees.

An RA member has asked for the RA Board’s OK on keeping bees on RA land near the Golf Course Island community gardens off North Shore Road.

RA will discuss the item at its June meeting on Thursday.

RA President Ellen Graves has introduced a motion that the board approve the bee hives and enter into a maintenance covenant agreement with Martha Lappin, the resident who has made the request.

The deal is subject to legal and Design Review Board approval, and there will be a three-hour emergency removal provision. There will also be a provision for a backup beekeeper should Lappin not be available if an emergency arises.

RA says there are already privately maintained hives at Hunters Woods and Golf Course Island gardens, as well as one near Lake Anne’s community garden.

Citizens have been interested in beekeeping in those areas because the declining population of bees has affected the health and survival of many native species of plants, shrubs and trees, Graves’ motion says. More bees mean more pollination of the shrubs and trees.

The existing hives, in place for a number of years, are on the Williams Pipeline Easement and were approved under older license agreements,” says RA.

There have been no reported incidents of bee stings or other problems related to the hives.

The new hives would be managed in coordination with a local Master Bee Keeper. Some safety rules would have to be followed. Among them:

Location: An adequate distance from people and common spaces (25-50 feet radius in all directions) is recommended for the beekeeper to safely open the hive for maintenance. The proposed location for the bee hives is about 400 feet south east of the Golf Course Island Garden Plots along North Shore Drive. The hives will not be visible from the road.

Sun exposure: Colonies should receive a minimum of eight hours of direct, south-facing solar exposure to support the bees’ innate ability to communicate direction and maintain overall mood and health.

Photo: Bee hive/Credit: ladele88 via Flckr.

Bus changes — Some of Reston’s Fairfax Connector routes (RIBS 1 and RIBS 3) will be affected by the 2015 World Police and Fire Games beginning Wednesday. Buses will bypass Cameron Glen Drive stops near the Fairfax County Human Services Center with alternate daily service available at stops along Town Center Parkway (Route 950) or Bowman Towne Drive.

‘Chicago Fire’ Star to Emcee Games — Chicago Fire star Joe Minoso will be the emcee at the World Police & Fire Opening Ceremonies Friday at RFK Stadium in DC. Tickets are free. [NBC4]

No More Confederate Flag on VA Plates? — In the wake of the mass shooting in Charleston, SC, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants the confederate flag removed from state license plates. [USA9]

Photo: Lake Audubon after Tuesday storm/Credit: Joy Every

A Reston woman surprised a burglar in her home Friday night, Fairfax County Police said.

The woman said she was at her home in the 1500 block of Inlet Court, about 10 p.m. when she discovered a man in the basement. The then suspect fled, police said.

The suspect was described as black, about 6 feet tall, thin build, wearing a white short-sleeve T-shirt and dark-colored pants.

The woman was unharmed. Police did not say whether any items were stolen from the home.

On June 17, police caught a man suspected of breaking into an apartment in the 11600 block of Stoneview Square.

A resident called police about 11 p.m. after an unknown man walked into her home through an unlocked door, police said.

Officers then located the man and arrested him. Philip A. Anderson, 30, of Reston, was charged with trespassing and entering property to damage.

In other crime news from the Reston District Station:

LARCENIES

9900 block of Deerfield Pond, property from residence.

2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, phone from business.

11100 block of South Lakes Drive, merchandise from business.

12100 block of Stirrup Road, bicycle from residence.

2200 block of Springwood Drive, property from business.

 13100 block of Parcher Avenue, merchandise from business.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Northern Virginia through 11 p.m. Tuesday.

A watch means conditions are favorable for a severe thunderstorm. Heavy rain, strong wind and hail are all possible.

After a day of near-record heat and a heat advisory (which will remain in effect until 7 p.m.), storms are expected to to hit Reston between 4 and 7 p.m., forecasters said.

With the humidity today, the heat index made it feel around 105 degrees outside.

The owner of the Reston Zoo, who was named in an animal cruelty complaint last week at the Florida zoo that he also owns, has a long history of controversy.

The most recent Department of Agriculture complaint is against Mogensen and his daughter Meghan, the former Reston Zoo director. Meghan Mogensen was convicted in Fairfax County on an animal cruelty charge after euthanizing an injured wallaby by drowning him in a bucket in in 2012. She now serves as the director at the Gulf Breeze Zoo near Pensacola.

The complaint against the Gulf Breeze Zoo, filed Friday, alleges the Mogensens shot an animal to euthanize it, failed to control and supervise animals (one of which it a child) and possessed drugs without authorization, among other issues.

The Mogensens have been under scrutiny before, at all their facilities:  Reston Zoo, the Virginia Safari Park and Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia; and at Gulf Breeze in Florida.

“It should come as no surprise that the U.S. Department of Agriculture needed 18 pages to document the abuses perpetuated at all three roadside zoos operated by Eric Mogensen and his daughter Meghan,” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation Deputy Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet said in a statement Monday.

“The USDA found that the facility was denying animals basic care to treat and prevent painful lameness, parasites, mastitis, stillbirths, and eye and skin disease. … The way to protect animals from roadside zoos is clear — steer families elsewhere.”

In May, federal regulators filed complaints against the Virginia Safari Park and Virginia Zoo, claiming a spider monkey named Jethro died after receiving improper veterinary care for frostbite, the Roanoke Times reported.

USDA officials also allege that the Virginia Safari Park failed to keep its enclosures in good repair, raising the risk of injury or escape for its golden lion tamarins. The complaint also says that in addition to the death of the Wallaby in early 2012, a porcupine named Mr. Quills died of hypothermia after being held outdoors in sub-freezing temperatures in January 2014, according to the complaint.

The owners have “on multiple occasions demonstrated a lack of concern for the welfare of the animals in their custody,” the complaint said.

Because the three facilities all are operated by the Virginia Safari Park corporation under one license, the complaint covers all three Virginia zoos owned by the Mogensen family.

Earlier this year, complaints against the Natural Bridge Zoo delayed the zoo’s spring opening. Natural Bridge Zoo officials corrected the 44 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act that were revealed on an inspection, the Roanoke Times reported.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries cited the federal agency’s findings when it decided in March to suspend the zoo’s permit to exhibit wild animals. Read More