Reston resident Rachel Wood loves books. She knows that Restonians love books too — and are still mourning Barnes & Noble’s departure in 2013.

That’s why Wood — who has a Master’s of Library Science and worked for more than 15 years in public libraries, including seven years for the Arlington Public Library system — plans to open an independent bookstore, Scrawl Books, later in 2015.

“After Barnes & Noble closed, I felt like there was a hole here,” says Wood. “And I know how to fill that hole.”

Wood and husband, Stephen Ahearn, a scientific consultant, moved to Reston from St. Paul nine years ago. They used to take their three children (twin boys, now 12, and a daughter, now 15), to a great children’s bookstore in Minnesota.

At the time, Reston had two large bookstores, Barnes & Noble at the Spectrum and Books-a-Million at Plaza America, as well as Reston’s Used Book Shop at Lake Anne Plaza.

“I thought ‘if there weren’t two bookstores, I could start a children’s bookstore’,” said Wood.

But, like so many dreams, there is reality. The kids began full-time school and Wood got a full-time job with ACL. She served many roles there, including children’s book buyer and materials division chief.

In the meantime, both Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million closed. This year, Wood got serious. She resigned from her job with ACPL and attended the American Booksellers Association’s Winter workshop on owning a bookstore, as well as a week-long program for prospective independent bookstore owners. She has also spent time with the children’s book buyer at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.

“I came back, ran the numbers and figured out what I can do here,” says Wood.

Next comes securing retail space. Wood envisions Scrawl Books, which will carry books for all ages, as as cozy spot — likely less than 1,800 square feet and she is “open” as to location. She says she can buy books in tune with what the community wants, which is something that is often missing at chain stores or online.

She is already keeping lists of what she thinks will sell well in Reston. Other amenities, such as coffee, will depend on the space.

“There is not a shopping center in Reston without a Starbucks,” she said.

Wood said she is already about six months ahead of where she thought she would be at this point. If all goes according to plan, she would like to be operating by the end of the year.

Wood envisions a new spot for Reston, by Reston, patronized by Restonians and helping Restonians.

“Part of the dream is not just me selling books,” she said. “We hope to be partnering with schools and with Cornerstones.”

Photos Scrawl Books and LinkedIn

‘The Price is Wrong’ — An anonymous group opposing Reston Association’s referendum on the purchase of the Tetra building has made a snarky video about it. The referendum ends Friday. [YouTube]

Shop For Prom — Marketing students from Centreville High School and Fair Oaks Classroom on the Mall will operate their Prom Dress Shop May 16 to 31 on the upper level of Fair Oaks Mall. Any FCPS student who needs prom attire is welcome to shop there at no cost. [FCPS]

News Nearby — Herndon town attorney will retire after 20 years. [Fairfax Times]

Run With Mom Sunday — The Mother’s Day 4-Miler and 1-Mile Fun Run take place at Brown’s Chapel Park in Reston Sunday. The course is open to all ages and is stroller-friendly. Proceeds will benefit race Devotion To Children, a local nonprofit aiding children from birth to age 6. [PR Races]

Photo: Dancers from Ravel Dance Studio rehearse for Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival/Credit: Kevin Danaher

More than 200 artists from all over the country will be at Reston Town Center May 16 and 17 at the 24th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

The event is the premier arts festival in Northern Virginia, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to Reston.

Here is what you need to know:

Arts festival booths will be open rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. Admission is free, but a voluntary donation of $5 is suggested (and will get you a festival map and town center dining discounts).

There will be a festival launch party on Friday, May 15 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the pavilion. Admission is $75 and will benefit Greater Reston Arts Center programs. There will be food, drinks, entertainment and a silent auction.

There will be a Family Art Park with hands-on activities such as making two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, a collaborative community art project and face painting.

There will also be music and dance entertainment on two stages.

Volunteers are still needed. Fill out this form on the Festival website to inquire.

Reston Limousine will provide free shuttle bus service from the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station to Reston Town Center. The shuttle will operate from 9:45 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 9:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Passengers can board the bus on Reston Station Boulevard on the north side of the Metro station, west side of the Kiss and Ride garage entrance. The shuttle will depart every 20 minutes.

2014 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival/file photo 

Tuesday is May 5, commonly known as Cinco de Mayo.

The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

It’s also a good reason to indulge in some Latin-inspired food and drinks.

Here are some places for a great margarita and guacamole in Reston:

bartaco , Reston Town Center — Reston Town Center’s newest restaurant evokes a trip to the Hamptons. Try the fresh-squeezed juices in your margarita and a wide variety of snack-sized tacos.

Uncle Julio’s, Reston Town Center — This town center standby is always a good place for house-made tortillas and frozen margaritas.

On the Border, Spectrum Center — Avoid the town center crowds and get made-to-order guacamole at the table.

Lake Anne Market — This mini-mart at Lake Anne Plaza has a kitchen that turns out quality pupusas, tacos, and other authentic Latin American specialities.

Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food and Lucky Lounge, Reston Town Center — It’s not technically a Mexican restaurant, but Jackson’s has some of the best margaritas in town.

Photo: Uncle Julio’s swirl margarita/Credit: Uncle Julio’s

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said an improperly disposed cigarette caused a townhouse fire early Sunday on White Cornus Lane in Reston.

Units responded to the call at 2250 White Cornus about 3:25 a.m.

Firefighters encountered smoke fire coming from a second floor balcony of a three-story, middle townhouse. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and quickly brought the fire under control and kept the fire from spreading into the home.

Two adults and children were home when the fire broke out and escaped unharmed. There were no injuries.

Damage is estimated at $2,000.

Fire investigators said the fire was accidental. An improperly disposed cigarette into a flower pot on the balcony caused the fire.

Fans of Duck Donuts can now get their favorite treats in Northern Virginia.

Duck Donuts at 300A Elden St. in Herndon opened at 6 a.m. Monday.

The popular shop based out of Duck, N.C., already had lines out the door over the weekend, when it held a “soft opening” to get employees ready for crowds.

Duck Donuts specializes in made-to-order doughnuts, so you can order all kind of unique combos (chocolate and bacon, anyone? How about lemon and rainbow sprinkles?)

The Herndon opening is part of a franchise expansion. A Fairfax store will open this summer, and more locations are planned for New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia Beach and Charlottesville.

The Herndon store will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Teen Police Academy This Summer — Fairfax County Police are holding a teen police academy this summer. Students will learn about various law enforcement careers at the week long program from Aug. 3 to 8. Deadline for registration is May 15. [Fairfax County Police]

Bus Route Change — More than 20 Fairfax Connector bus routes will be changing on May 16, including several in Reston. [Fairfax County]

Water Safety Day — May is Water Safety Month. Goldfish Swim School in Reston is holding a safety day open house for families on May 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. The event wil feature water safety lessons, visits from fire rescue personnel, family swim time and other activities. [Goldfish Swim School]

Reston Association’s Pony Barn working group is looking over conceptual sketches of what the reimagined Pony Barn Recreation Area could look like.

Three renderings by Urban. Ltd. have been presented to the working group. All incorporate upgrades and elements the group determined are important, but there are slight variations and pros and cons to each (see pictures attached to this post).

The working group has been discussing upgrades at the pony barn since last summer. The group decided in December that it would move forward with renovations in 2015, but will not include a proposed memorial garden.

After several community meetings over the spring and summer, ideas for everything from an archery range to leaving it as is to building the memorial garden were considered for the quiet, wooded plot at Steeplechase Drive and Triple Crown Road in south Reston.

The space once held an actual pony barn, but since the 1980s has been mostly a picnic pavilion and swing set. The wooden-beamed picnic pavilion is badly in need of restoration or renovation.

Some of the top priorities include replacing the picnic pavilion floor with a solid surface, upgrading electrical access, adding children’s play equipment and historical information about the area.

This year, RA allocated $30,000 from the 2014 Capital Improvement Budget for upgrades or changes. That will be carried forward to the 2015 budget.

The group has given some feedback on the proposals. Visit Reston Association’s website to see their pros and cons list.

There will be upcoming opportunities for public comment on the project, RA officials said.

All seven Reston elementary schools will be taking part in National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 6.

Bike to School Day is an offshoot of Walk to School Day, says the event sponsor, National Safe Routes to School. The first-ever National Bike to School Day took place in May of 2012 with 950 events in 49 states. In 2014, more than 2,200 schools participated in National Bike to School Day on May 7.

The events are held to encourage children to help the environment, take part in healthy habits and promote safety by getting to school using foot and pedal power.

Local schools each have a Bike to School Day coordinator and special events planned. To see how to get involved at your school, see this list on Bike to School Day’s website.

Photo: Terraset ES students at Bike to School Day 2014

A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to prostituting teenage girls in Reston, Herndon and other parts of Northern Virginia, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, federal authorities said.

Authorities said Lenny Paul “2 Much” Haskins, 34, had been operating in Northern Virginia for nearly a decade. He pleaded guilty to sex trafficking in U.S. District Court in Alexandria in January.

The charge Haskins pleaded to took place in Herndon last summer. Authorities said in June 2014, Haskins encountered two teens at a hotel near Sacramento, Calif. The girls, ages 15 and 17, were runaways from foster care. Haskins provided marijuana and eventually recruited them to prostitute for him. Once he recruited them, Haskins performed sex acts with the victims, officials said.

In August 2014, Haskins instructed the victims to take a bus to Herndon for the purposes of being prostituted there. Haskins arranged for advertisements to be posted on the Internet site www.Backpage.com to obtain sex customers for the juveniles.

The juveniles sent prostitution proceeds to Haskins using various money transfer businesses. The Las Vegas Police Department arrested Haskins in August 2014 but he continued to call the victims and give them directions from jail, authorities said.

Authorities said Haskins frequently provided drugs to the women and girls whom he prostituted. He instructed the women and girls whom he prostituted to call him “Daddy.” Some of the women prostituted by Haskins were tattooed with Haskins’s moniker “2 Much,” according to the FBI.

The FBI said Haskins set a monetary quota that the victims whom he prostituted were required to meet each day. For example, in some places, Haskins required these women and girls to earn $1,000 per day from prostitution, and provide him with these proceeds. After Haskins was incarcerated, he continued to run his prostitution business from jail.

Haskins had faced a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. After his 40-year sentence, he will have a life term of supervised release. The court also ordered Haskins to pay $538,250 in restitution to the victims and to forfeit $738,250 to the United States.

Haskins was also arrested in Nevada in 2012 in connection with the drowning of a child. At the time he had fugitive warrants from California for assault and parole violation, Virginia for assault and prostitution charges, and Texas for larceny charges.

Earlier this week, Haskins’ girlfriend, who was located with her 3-year-old son, was arrested at the Crowne Plaza Herndon. Geidre Ruseckaite, 24, was charged by Fairfax County Police with child neglect, prostitution and keeping a bawdy place. Federal authorities also had been looking for Ruseckaite in connection with the prostitution of the 15-year-old in Herndon.

Photo: Lenny Haskins/Credit: Las Vegas PD

Restonians came out to honor their own Thursday at the 2015 Best of Reston Awards for Community Service at the Hyatt Regency Reston.

The 24th annual event, chaired this year by developers Boston Properties, Comstock, and The JBG Companies, benefits Cornerstones, which uses the money to benefit those facing homelessness in our community.

The 2015 event raised about $540,000, which will enable Cornerstones to help those in the community facing homelessness.

The annual awards honor individuals and businesses in Reston who have made a strong contribution to Reston.

While most of the award winners were announced at a January ceremony, there was a surprise category on Thursday. Lynn Lilienthal was honored with the Robert E. Simon Lifetime Community Achievement Award. The Simon award has been given to a small, select few since it began in 2009.

Lilienthal and her husband, Phil, have been Reston residents since 1968. Lynn Lilienthal founded PALS child care center and has been an active volunteer and leader with the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, Cornerstones and many other organizations.

“It is important to keep giving back to the community,” said Lilienthal, who was a Best of Reston honoree in 1998. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The other 2015 honorees include:

Larry Butler — Individual Community Leader 

Butler, Reston Association’s Senior Director of Parks and Recreation, has used his passion for the outdoors in volunteer work that includes the Reston Triathlon, the Reston Sprint Triathlon and the Reston Kids Triathlon. The latter event offers scholarships to 50 kids in need to get involved in the sport.

“His can-do attitude, insight and advice, and leadership in making connections across the community create the added value in every event or activity in which Larry is involved,” the Best of Reston committee said. Read More

South Lakes High School art students are working on a follow up to last year’s popular public art installation that brought a multicolored pyramid to the Lake Thoreau spillway.

This year, the “STEAM Team,” as South Lakes art teacher Marco Rando calls the SLHS public art club that is combining science, technology, engineering, art and math into the project, is designing an iridescent double-helix sculpture.

“The double-helix is to represent the idea that we are all made from DNA and are from the same components,” the artists say in their mission statement. “In contrast, the iridescence represents the different shades through which people see themselves.”

“As Wislawa Szymborska states in her poem Nothing Twice, ‘although we’re different (we concur)/ just as two drops of water are.’ However, from the distance we are one united shimmering color. The sculpture will act as a prism to illuminate the shades through which we see ourselves.”

The group’s project was approved by the Reston Association Design Review Board last week. Rando said the project should be installed in June.

Members of the STEAM Team include  Margaret Lashley, Josh Rodriguez, Kathleen Roherty, Tehmeena Salahin,Lucy Nguyen, Carson Bush, Victoria Slaski, Leah Moyer, Samantha Malzahn, Cale Sherman, Johnathan Doctor, Ryan Monaco and Ben Paul.

In 2014, SLHS students brought the first public art to the spillway. The Pyramid of Light remained Lake Thoreau throughout the summer and received many kudos from the community.

Photos: Top — Model of 2015 double helix project/Courtesy Marco Rando; Bottom — Pyramid of Light 2014/file photo

Reston National Next Steps — The Fairfax County Zoning Administrator has formally requested a clarification of the April 15 Board of Zoning Appeals determination on the status of Reston National Golf Course. [Rescue Reston]

Big Donation For Nepal Recovery — Reston Hospital’s parent company has pledged up to $1 million for Nepal earthquake victims. [Reston Hospital]

Volunteers Needed — Volunteer Fairfax can use help packing emergency preparedness bags next week. [Volunteer Fairfax]

News Nearby — First Lady Michelle Obama and Aki Abe, wife of Japan’s prime minister, visited Great Falls Elementary this week. Great Falls is one of two nearby schools (the other is Fox Mill ES) that have a Japanese Immersion Program. [Fairfax Times]

Walk For Babies Sunday — The March of Dimes Fairfax County Walk for Babies is Sunday at Reston Town Center. Come out for family fun, a four-mile walk and to raise money to help premature infants. [March of Dimes]

Herndon High School’s spring musical Children of Eden opens Friday.

The play is a twist on the biblical book of Genesis, including the journey from Eden to Noah and his Ark.

The musical, which first premiered in the 1980s, was created by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin and Godspell)

The show also features art work by Herndon High studio art students.

Shows are Friday, Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) at Herndon High, 700 Bennett St. See the cast list and purchase tickets on the Herndon Drama website.

Photo: Children of Eden/Courtesy Herndon High