Reston Town Center is the place to be for an entire day of yoga and other healthy activities as the Love Your Body Yoga Festival returns for its seventh year.
The festival, organized by Reston’s Beloved Yoga, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with yoga classes, wellness information, food samples and more.
The event is free, but donations for some classes will benefit Cornerstones and the Brad Kaminsky Foundation.
The pavilion will be the site of the main stage, where teachers from local studios Beloved Yoga, Health Advantage, Sun and Moon, Lifetime Athletic and others will lead a variety of classes.
There will also be a kids tent with short, child-friendly yoga classes.
To see the full schedule, visit Love Your Body Festival’s website.
The event also launches the official start of the 8th annual Virginia Yoga Week, June 14 – 21. Area studios and independent teachers will be offering free, $5 and Karma classes all week.
“This event was born from the desire to create ease and accessibility for people to try yoga, and celebrates the diverse yoga commUNITY of Northern Virginia,” says Maryam Ovissi, co-owner of Beloved Yoga. “At Love Your Body Yoga Festival, everyone can learn about the many ways to take care of their bodies from the inside out — physically, mentally, and emotionally — to feel stronger and healthier.”
Photo: Class at Love Your Body Festival 2014/Courtesy Love Your Body Festival
Reston-based businesses from small (Capital Cuisine Caterers, Tailored Living of Reston) to large (Sheraton Reston Hotel, Leidos) are among the nominees for the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Awards for Chamber Excellence (ACE)
Each year, the Chamber gives out the awards to recognize outstanding businesses, volunteers and committees that excel through Chamber involvement and help to make the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce a successful place to do business.
GRCC will announce the ACE winners during its Awards for Chamber Excellence (ACE) and Annual Meeting Luncheon on June 17.
The keynote speaker is Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google and widely known as one of the “Fathers of the Internet.” His speech will address innovation, jobs and the evolving role of the internet. During the ACE awards the GRCC will also transition the 2014-2015 Board of Directors under Karen Cleveland of Cleveland Coaching Group to the 2015-2016 Board of Directors under Michael Bradshaw of Google.
The 2015 nominees:
Small Business of the Year
- Capital Cuisine Caterers
- Impact Business Solutions LLC
- Metro Printing Center
- Red Thinking LLC
- Restoration Church
- Silver Spoon Caterers
- Tailored Living of Northern Virginia
- Visual Impact Productions
Sign of summer: The 35th annual Herndon Festival kicks off Thursday night.
This four-day street fair is fun for the whole family, with rides, beer trucks, a wine garden, food vendors and some new special events.
Here is what you need to know:
Festival hours are Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday, to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Herndon Festival takes place in downtown Herndon, on Lynn Street and surrounding areas. There is offsite parking and shuttle buses from Herndon High School and Worldgate.
Admission is free. You need tickets ($1.50 each) for rides (most of which cost several tickets. All-you-can-ride wristbands and ticket books are available.
There are four entertainment stages with a wide variety of musical acts each day, including a Fleetwood Mac tribute band; a Simon and Garfunkel tribute band; Hip-hop; country; and more.
There will be a Kids Alley stage with entertainment such as The Unicycle Lady, The Monkey Man, and mimes and jugglers. See the full entertainment schedule on the festival website.
There will be fireworks Thursday and Saturday nights about 9:30 p.m.
Food vendors will be on hand. See a complete list on the festival website.
Also for kids: The Childrens Hands-On Art area at Station and Lynn Streets.
There will be a 5K and 10K Race on Sunday. The course goes through downtown Herndon and is open to all ages.
There will also be a video game competition on Saturday and a demonstration by the Northern Virginia Roller Derby on Thursday night.
Big Reston Bucket List — Here’s a giant checklist of (mostly family friendly) fun things to do around Reston this summer. [Modern Reston]
Airport RideSharing — Should services such as Uber and Lyft be allowed to operate at Washington-area airports? The Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority wants your feedback. [MWAA]
Welcome Home, Search Dogs — Fairfax County’s search and rescue dogs are back from Nepal. How are they going to chill out after working hard? [Washington Post]
Big Summer Savings — Lake Anne Plaza’s Small Change Consignment, will begin its summer half-price sale June 2. Everything (toys, kids clothes, maternity clothes, equipment) is 50 percent off.
A third man has been arrested following a robbery that ended with a man dead from a gunshot wound on May 17 in Reston.
Jalan Merrill, 21, of Herndon, was taken into custody by Fairfax County Police and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Wednesday in Leesburg after a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He was charged with robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Merrill will be transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, police said.
Last week, police charged Eddie Rodriquez, 22, of Woodbridge, and South Lakes High School student Dominique May, 18, of Reston, with robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Police said all three men were at an apartment in the 11600 block of Stoneview Square on the afternoon of Sunday, May 17. Police said there was a gathering of men in an apartment, there was a robbery attempt and an altercation that ended with 24-year-old Rashad Kejuan Daye, of the Herndon area, being shot and killed.
Daye, whom acquaintances said usually went by his middle name Kejuan, was one of the visitors to the Stoneview Square apartment, police said.
Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station will be on hand to address crime concerns in the Hunters Woods area at a community meeting on Thursday.
The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods.
Crime Prevention officer Katy Defoe said the meeting was organized to address the rash of thefts from automobiles along Glade Drive, however officers will address any area crime questions.
Police held similar meetings in the spring of 2013 and 2014. At last year’s meeting, officers said they would increase visible police presence at Hunters Woods Village Center, particularly on foot and by bike. Defoe says that has had somewhat of an impact in crime awareness.
However, two recent robberies at the village center have some people on edge. On April 15, a woman was the victim of attempted robbery at knifepoint in daylight. On May 2, there was a robbery and assault at 8:30 p.m.
In December, the SunTrust bank inside the Hunters Woods Safeway was robbed — part of a string of county robberies in which the suspect has since been arrested.
Last week, a man was killed at nearby Shadowood Condos when a robbery attempt ended in gunfire. The victim knew the suspects, and two have been arrested.
The Hunters Woods patrol area has somewhat higher crime than other neighborhoods in Reston, FCPD statistics show. But it does not rank the highest. The Reston Town Center/Reston Hospital patrol area had more property crimes and crimes against society in 2014.
Hunters Woods had 442 property crimes (robbery, larceny, burglary, etc.) and 83 crimes against society (drugs, weapons, prostitution) in 2014. Cumulative stats for 2015 are not yet available, but Defoe said they would be addressed at Thursday’s meeting.
Isaac Newton Square, the aging office park at Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue, could have a future as a residential neighborhood, according to Reston Master Plan Phase 2 recommendations.
“This area represents an opportunity to create a new residential neighborhood organized around a local-serving park,” Fairfax County planners say about the office park in the Master Plan Phase 2 draft.
The complex of low-slung office buildings, which includes Reston Sport & Health, Reston Montessori and KinderCare among other offices and businesses, is in walking distance of the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station and backs up to Hidden Creek Country Club’s golf course, as well as the W & OD Trail.
According to the Master Plan Draft, which will be voted on by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on June 2, Isaac Newton Square is planned for up to 2.0 FAR (Floor Area Ratio), a mark of medium density.
Here is what the draft says about Isaac Newton Square, which was built in the 1960s and 1970s:
The opportunity exists to achieve the Residential Mixed Use goal of 75 percent residential uses for the larger area if Isaac Newton Square redevelops in accordance with Plan guidance.
It is planned for up to 2.0 FAR with a residential and hotel component on the order of 90 percent of new development (approximately 3,200 units of the 4,600 units in the Residential Mixed Use area).
In light of the older, very low-density buildings, surface parking lots and undeveloped areas in this business park, a shift to a residential focus for this area can be achieved.
Residential buildings should front on tree-lined streets and be designed with inviting street level facades. This area represents an opportunity to create a new residential neighborhood organized around a local-serving park. This area should also be considered as a potential location for an athletic field to meet the need for the TSA.
In addition, development along the W&OD trail should be oriented and designed in order to create connections to the park property. This regional asset should be assimilated as much as possible into the development pattern in order to create a more urban fabric for the park property. This would include plazas, greens and other public gathering spaces abutting the park property.
Careful attention to design is necessary to maintain safe passage for through trail users and should be coordinated with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
Isaac Newtown Square currently contains many vacancies, according to commerical real estate listings. It is managed by Lincoln Property Company. Thus far, there are no plans in the works to transform the commercial area.
Phase 2 of the Master Plan will be a guiding document for Reston’s village centers and neighborhoods as Reston grows in the future. Phase 1, which sets guidelines for high-density areas near Reston’s transit centers, was approved by the Board of Supervisors in early 2014.
Isaac Newton Square/file photo
Reston is under a severe thunderstorm watch, along with most of the Washington, D.C. area, this evening.
The National Weather Service says the area is under the watch until 7 p.m.
Storms should begin in the area about 3 p.m. and may bring damaging wind and hail, says the NWS.
Reston Now will update this story if the watch changes to a warning.
Pinstripes, the national bowling and bocce spot that has a location in Georgetown, is getting closer to two Northern Virginia locations, its CEO says.
Dale Schwartz, Pinstripes CEO, told the Washington Business Journal the Chicago-based company is close to signing a deal for a Tysons Corner location. He also said he is looking for a Reston location.
Schwartz did not elaborate on the exact location for either Virginia Pinstripes. He also said the openings could be a few years away. He said Tysons would open in late 2017; Reston two years after that.
Pinstripes already has a deal in the works to open in the new Bethesda Pike & Rose complex in 2017.
The Georgetown Pinstripes opened in late 2013. The company said shortly afterward it would like a Tysons and/or Reston location.
The 32,000-square-foot Georgetown Pinstripes, at the old Georgetown Park site, has bowling, bocce, a full bar and restaurant, and large space for special events.
After the Fairfax County Public Schools Board last week approved a smaller-than-anticipated Fiscal Year 2016 budget, schools Superintendent Karen Garza and County Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova issued a joint statement vowing to work together for the betterment of the community.
The county transfer to the schools for 2016 is about $2 billion. That amount was a $66.7 million increase over 2015, but still about $14 million short of what FCPS says it needs for programs and teacher raises. Garza later called the supervisors “unconcerned” about FCPS’ 187,000 students.
The two county leader said on Tuesday “we acknowledge that all involved care very deeply about our community, our young people, and our schools.”
They also both acknowledged the consistent increase from the supervisors to the schools — as well as FCPS’ growing needs.
Here is the rest of the joint statement:
Over the past five years, the Board of Supervisors has consistently increased funding to our schools. We both acknowledge, however, the financial strain on FCPS as the system is faced with significant cost drivers such as enrollment growth, required increases to the state retirement system, and inequitable state funding formulas for education.
We discussed the unprecedented fiscal challenges facing both the County and FCPS in Fiscal Year 2017 (school year 2016-17). Both of our organizations are projecting significant budget shortfalls that must be addressed in the coming months.
We recognize that it is critical for FCPS and the County Board of Supervisors to continue to work together to find viable financial solutions that are in the best interest of our children and the community as a whole.
We have agreed that we need to move forward as a team to find solutions to these funding challenges. We welcome the opportunity to work together to protect Fairfax County’s quality of life and enable Fairfax County Public Schools to maintain the high quality educational programs that educate and nurture future Fairfax County citizens and employees.
Sharon Bulova (left) and Karen Garza (right)/file photos
Two burglaries on Pinecrest Road near Fox Mill early Saturday ended with the arrest of a teenager.
Residents of a home in the 12800 block of Pinecrest Road told Fairfax County Police they were awakened by noises coming from the lower level of their house about 3:29 a.m.
One of the residents yelled, causing the suspect to flee. The victims did not require medical attention, police said.
About 10 minutes later, a resident in the 12900 block of Pinecrest Road told police they heard noises from the basement of the home and called police.
After a search, officers located the suspect and arrested him in a car nearby, said police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell. The 17-year-old boy was charged with burglary, and police said they believe he is responsible for both incidents. The victims did not require medical attention, police said.
Last week, a couple on Triple Crown Road, less than a mile away, were also surprised by a burglary while they were home. The burglar got away with cash and other household items. It is not known if last week’s incident was related to the Saturday incidents.
Track Titles for SLHS — South Lakes High School successfully defended its titles in winning both the boys and girls 2015 Liberty Conference 6 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. It was the fifth consecutive title for the girls team and the second straight and seventh in the past eight years for the boys team.
National Trails Day Ribbon Cutting at Lake Fairfax — A $60,000 Fairfax County Park Foundation project to install a new fiberglass bridge, replace signage and upgrade the trail surface along the Chestnut Grove Trail in Lake Fairfax Park will have its grand opening Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. [Fairfax County]
Taste of Reston Needs Volunteers — The Taste of Reston, sponsored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, returns to Reston Town Center June 19 and 20. Volunteers are still needed to make the event a success. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]
Appeal In ’80s Murder Near Reston — Attorneys for Alfredo Prieto, on death row for the 1988 murder of two George Washington University students off of Hunter Mill Road, say he can’t be executed because he is intellectually disabled, [News Leader]
Reston Hospital Center is a getting a brand-new Pediatric Emergency Room, and the public is invited to come check it out on June 6.
The hospital will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to noon that day to show off western Fairfax County’s only dedicated pediatric ER.
Here’s what’s in store:
- Disney’s Doc McStuffins and friends, Lambie, Hattie, and Stuffy, will have a meet and greet and photos.
- A Teddy Bear Clinic – Bring your child’s favorite stuffed friend for a check up.
- Tours of the new Pediatric ER.
- Face Painting
- Balloon Animals
- Caricature Drawings
- Child ID
- Car Seat Installation Checks
- Meet the Doc — Chat with the physicians who will care for our patients
- Ambulance and Fire Trucks
- Kid-Inspired Refreshments
Reston Hospital officials say an emergency room that cares just for children will have a big impact on their care and comfort.
“From our woodland creatures in the separate waiting area to our underwater adventure in the treatment rooms, your child will be soothed by bright and colorful atmosphere,” hospital staff says.
Here are some of the features of the new ER:
- Five dedicated pediatric treatment rooms
- Certified pediatric nursing staff
- Separate pediatric waiting area
- Devoted nurse’s station
- In-room entertainment featuring a Blu-ray movie library
- Post treatment treasure chest
The Fairfax County Public School board is preparing to vote on a new family life education curriculum that will add gender identity and sexual orientation to the lessons for students as young as middle school.
FCPS says revisions to lesson objectives include moving some objectives from Family Life Education to meet new Virginia Department of Education revised Standards of Learning for health education.
Part of the proposal includes adding discussion in eighth grade about “gender (biological gender, gender identity (includes transgender), gender role, and sexual orientation (includes heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual). The concept that sexuality is a broader spectrum will be introduced.”
Two weeks ago, the school board voted to add gender identity to its non-discrimination policy. That vote came at a raucous school board meeting where there was much opposition to the proposal.
Several parents speaking at Thursday’s school board meeting had issues with the proposed curriculum, as well as the proposal that some FLE lessons would now be considered general health lessons, which makes it more difficult to opt out.
Parents or guardians will still be able to opt their child out of any remaining objectives in Family Life Education, FCPS said.
“I ask that you keep it all ‘opt out’ ” said FCPS parent Patty Healy, representing Concerned Parents and Educators of Fairfax County. “School is not the place for social engineering.”
“This is the second time this month [that FCPS] is looking at something not based on facts and science but instead is ideologically driven.”
Another parent, Laura Hanford, said that teaching these lessons “usurps the rights of parents.”
“It is you rewriting the blueprint of your morality,” she told the school board, asking that they take a step back, take more time and truly engage families and faith communities in further discussion.
Student Sam Runner, president of West Springfield’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), said access to earlier information could have saved him much anguish.
“Currently, FCPS does not provide resources on this topic, leaving LGBT students isolated and confused,” he told the board via video. “In seventh grade, I was suspicious I may be gay and that terrified me. I did not know anything about gay people. I had years of depression and self loathing.
Runner said adding the topics in middle school will help all students.
“It will teach LGBT kids that what they are feeling is normal,” he said. “And [teach] non-LGBT that LGBT kids are still normal. That will improve morale and academic performance. I hope you take a stand and say yes to less bullying and more acceptance.”
The school board is seeking feedback to the proposed FLE outline. Parents are invited to review the changes online and submit comments via email to [email protected].
FCPS says all comments will be shared with School Board members at the conclusion of the community review process, which ends June 19. The school board will vote on the changes on June 25.
Dogs will be taking giant leaps off the dock and and into Lake Anne on Saturday as part of PetMAC’s grand opening celebration.
PetMAC actually opened at 11412 Washington Plaza in January, but this will be an organized celebration featuring the World Champion dogs from the Chesapeake Dock Diving Dog Club. These dogs compete in categories such as 
There will also be Dog Scent Work demos by Kissable Canine, cooking demonstrations by Culinaria Cooking School, face painting, music, as well as free giveaways and raffles. For more information, visit PetMAC’s website.
PetMAC is a locally owned retailer offering a wide variety of pet supplies. Owner Cindy Williams also works with rescue groups to put pets and people together.
Photo courtesy Chesapeake Dock Dogs
