(Updated, 11:30 a.m. – A previous version of the story said the shooting occurred at Cedar Ridge Apartments. The correct address was at Colvin Woods Apartments)
Fairfax County Police are investigating a report that shots were fired in the 11100 block of Becontree Drive on Tuesday night.
Police were called to the area about 9:12 p.m. after reports of several people arguing in the parking lot of Colvin Woods Apartments.
While police were en route, they received several reports of gunshots at the same location. Several vehicles were seen leaving the area after the shots were heard, police said.
When officers arrived on the scene, there were no people or vehicles. One officer found an unspent round (bullet) on the ground.
Police dispatched the Fairfax 1 helicopter and a police Bloodhound to assist with the investigation. The dog tracked to an area where witnesses saw several people get into vehicles and quickly leave the area. There are no specific suspect descriptions available, but the investigation is ongoing, police said.
In other police news this week:
LARCENIES
- 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, license plates from vehicle
- 11900 block of Freedom Drive, laptop computers from business
- 2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business
- 1700 block of Business Center Drive, watch from business
- 13100 block of Curved Iron Road, cash from residence
- 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from residence
- 2500 block of James Monroe Circle, cash from residence
STOLEN VEHICLES
1800 block of Library Street, 2005 Audi A4 sedan
Vote For Small Change — Lake Anne Plaza’s Small Change Consignment is a finalist in the Red Tricycle 2016 Totally Awesome Awards (Washington DC region’s best consignment/resale stores). Cast your vote for the longtime Reston kids’ store online. [Red Tricycle]
So Long, Summer — Modern Reston has captured Summer 2016 in a great photo gallery. [Modern Reston]
Reston Makes “The Onion” — Check out the Reston dateline on this story from “The Onion.” P.S. – The story is fake but the National Association for Music Education really is located here. [The Onion]
Laptops For FCPS — Fairfax County Public Schools has a new program, FCPSOn that will, in part, provide laptops to each student at participating schools. [WTOP]
Photo: Mural at Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival/Credit: Lake Anne Plaza
A group of Reston homeowners will meet with Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins Wednesday to voice their concerns about new street lights lining Cross School Road.
Four of 10 planned light poles were installed two weeks ago as part of the renovation project at Sunrise Valley Elementary School. A Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services spokesman says the lighting is standard for all county redevelopment, including schools.
“There is increased need for lighting for pedestrian safety at elementary schools,” said DPWES spokesman Matthew Kaiser.
But the powerful lights — similar to what are installed along the Dulles Toll Road — are directly across from single-family homes on Cross School Road, and that is a bit too much lighting, residents say.
“The lights they’ve installed on this very short stretch of road between Sunrise Valley and Midsummer are in addition to several lights the county has already installed at the school — which is now very well lit,” said Cross School resident Roberta Gosling in a letter to neighbors. “As a result of multiple phone calls from the neighbors to both the county and to Cathy Hudgins’ office, when Dominion showed up to install the remaining six [of 10] lights, they got a call to put the project on hold.”
Gosling said the residents are working to have the four lights removed and the project halted. Read More
It was a business as usual at Reston’s Terraset Elementary School on Wednesday, the day after a dramatic crash of a passenger van into a wall of the school.
The crash occurred about 3:45 p.m., just prior to Terraset’s dismissal on the first day of school. The driver of the after-care van appeared to have jumped the curb that then traveled downhill before striking through the brick wall of the school’s new art room.
The school recently underwent a multi-year renovation project. Tuesday was the first day of classes at a completely renovated school.
There were no serious injuries.
Fairfax County Police are still investigating the crash. They have not yet identified the driver and said charges may be pending, said FCPD officer Don Gotthardt.
By Wednesday morning, Fairfax County Public Schools maintenance crews had boarded over the bricks.
Terraset Principal Lindsay Trout said the damage was to the art storage room, which will be blocked off until it can be completely repaired. She said the brick repair will begin within days.
“The building is structurally sound and no other electrical or other issues,” Trout said.
She also added praise for the Terraset staff and parents for keeping the students calm during a hectic dismissal that included fire trucks and other recuse vehicles on campus.
“They did an amazing job getting 550 students home safely in that situation on day one of a school year,” Trout said.
The rollout of paid parking at Reston Town Center has been put on hold until January of 2017, RTC parking spokesman Rob Weinhold said on Wednesday.
The paid parking system was slated to go into effect on Monday, Sept. 12.
RTC owners Boston Properties has invested in a ParkRTC App with LiveSafe technology, as well as electronic parking availability signs, Bluetooth-enabled validation and other high-tech systems for the 25-year-old town center, which has always had free parking.
Weinhold says the decision was made based on consumer and tenant feedback as many in the community were not embracing the technology (still more are upset at the $2-an-hour charge on weekdays and thousands have signed a petition asking Boston Properties to keep parking free).
“The postponement will allow additional time to educate customers,” Weinhold said. “We will continue our outreach efforts.”
Boston Properties says it still plans to instill paid parking. The company previously said it was going to to the new system to cut down on abuse by Metro commuters, who are using RTC’s seven garages as parking while they hop a shuttle to Metro’s Silver Line station at Wiehle-Reston East.
The Silver Line station at Reston Town Center is still years away from opening in early 2020.
“There is no question Reston Town Center remains committed to strategies which enhance overall customer experience,” Peter D. Johnston, Boston Properties’ Executive Vice President for the Washington, D.C. Region, said in a statement. “The digital parking and mobile safety integration is an enormous step in advancing both of these historical and very worthwhile goals. We will continue to invest in the Reston community through world-class facilities, family-oriented events, top brand attractions, innovative technologies and nonprofit donations. A safe, family-friendly environment is always our top priority.”
Meanwhile, tenants got this message from Boston Properties today:
Dear Tenants,
I hope this message finds you well. As you know, Reston Town Center is scheduled to fully activate both ParkRTC and LiveSafe, two integrated digital parking and mobile safety technology apps, next Monday, September 12th. However, after continuing to meet with tenants, listen to customer concerns and comprehensively assess the roll-out timing, we have decided to postpone paid parking activation until January 2017.
The LiveSafe app will continue to be available for free download and will be fully operational on October 1st of this year (after downloading the ParkRTC app). We encourage people to download the LiveSafe app so users are able to familiarize themselves with the innovative technology in a substantive manner.
While the postponement will not change our long-term parking policies, it will give us additional time to comprehensively educate our customers about the new technologies. To that end, Reston Town Center will continue its outreach efforts and work toward achieving a greater level of understanding and comfort among its customer base, while moving toward a seamless paid parking transition in January 2017.
There is no question Reston Town Center Management remains committed to strategies which enhance overall customer experience. The digital parking and mobile safety integration is an enormous step in advancing both of these historical and very worthwhile goals. And, we will continue to invest in the Reston community through world-class facilities, family-oriented events, top brand attractions, innovative technologies and nonprofit donations. A safe, family-friendly environment is always our top priority.
Our team will continue to proactively engage with you regarding these very important initiatives. However, if you have any immediate questions, please contact your property manager. Thank you very much for your continued partnership, patience and understanding.
Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station have charged a teen with trespassing after he used a set of apparently pilfered keys to enter the school after hours.
Police were called to the school at 700 Bennett Street in Herndon about 12:42 a.m. on Aug. 31.
FCPS Security told police it received multiple motion alarms from inside the school. Police patrol officers set up a perimeter around the outside of the school, and a K9 team responded to check the inside of the building.
The 17-year-old male was located inside the school and found to be in possession of a set of interior door keys to the school. He was placed under arrest. The youth was treated by paramedics for a dog bite from the police K9.
The suspect was released to his parents. Criminal petitions are pending, police said.
In other crime news in the last week:
BURGLARY: 2400 block of Clover Field Circle, Herndon, Aug. 31 at 3:50 a.m. A resident reported that someone entered the residence and took property. There is no suspect information.
LARCENIES
- 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, charger from residence
- 2300 block of Freetown Court, license from residence
- 11900 block of Market Street, computer from business
- 12100 block of Sunset Hills, knife from business
- 2100 block of Astoria Circle, bicycles from residence
- 2400 block of Centreville Road, wallet from business
- 1700 block of Clubhouse Road, bicycle from business
- 1400 block of Greenmont Court, cash and wallet from vehicle
- 1700 block of Ascot Way, golf cart from business
- 11100 block of Bowen Avenue, mail from residence
- 2200 block of Colts Neck Road, bicycle from residence
- 1500 block of Kingstream Circle, furniture from residence
- 1400 block of North Point Village Center, groceries from business
Bebe, a woman’s clothing store, quietly closed its doors at 11957 Market St. at Reston Town Center last week.
The store, which had been located at Reston Town Center since the South of Market addition was built in 2008, is completely shuttered, with its fixtures, merchandise and sign removed.
Need something from a Bebe store? Visit them online or at nearby locations at Fair Oaks Mall or Tysons Corner Center.
A new leaseholder for the property has not yet been announced.
RA Yard Sale This Weekend — Reston Association’s annual Community Yard Sale is Saturday, Sept. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at 12000 Sunrise Valley Dr. (across the street from Reston Association). Nearly 100 families will be selling a variety of household items. Vendor space is sold out; rain date is Sept. 11. In case of rain in the forecast, call 703-435-6577 the morning of the event, for a recorded, weather related message.
Saturday is SLHS Band Tag Day — Members of the South Lakes High School Marching Band will be knocking on doors Saturday, Sept. 10 for the band’s annual Tag Day fundraiser. They will be asking you to support the band boosters’ goal of raising funds for new instruments, student scholarships, and musical instruction. The band has a goal of raising $30,000, and donations are also accepted online. [South Lakes Band]
RA Holding Lake House Open Houses — There will be open houses at Reston Association’s Lake House on Sept. 17 and 18. Visitors can see how the property is set up for parties and special events, as well as check out RA’s afterschool offerings and wellness classes at the newly refurbished property on the shore of Lake Newport. [Reston Association]
Photo: Lake Thoreau Loop/Courtesy Ken Plum
A van carrying children to after-school care crashed into the side of Terraset Elementary School on Tuesday, narrowly missing youngsters leaving the school at dismissal.
The crash occurred about 3:45 p.m. as the school was dismissing students on the first day of the 2016-17 school year.
The commuter van driver apparently lost control of the van or lost braking ability, careening into the brick wall from the school’s bus lane. The van’s nose went through the wall and into the school’s kiln room.
“It sounded like an explosion,” said Terraset parent Peter Crowe, who was at the school to pick up his daughter.
Tuesday was Terraset students’ first day at the completely renovated school. The school, built in 1977, recently finished a multi-year, multimillion renovation project.
The van driver was treated for non-life threatening injuries. The three young children riding in the van were also evaluated by paramedics but appeared uninjured.
A man who died in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center over the weekend has been identified as a 53-year-old Herndon man.
Fairfax County Police Detectives from the Major Crimes Division said the man who died on Saturday was Kelly Maurice Scott, 53, of Herndon.
Scott had been incarcerated since his arrest on Sept. 15, 2015. Police said they could not comment on what charges Scott was facing.
Scott was found unresponsive in his cell about 6:40 a.m. on Saturday. Sheriff’s deputies immediately initiated CPR, police said. Rescue personnel arrived at 6:45, and additional police personnel arrived at 6:53. Scott was pronounced dead after extensive efforts to revive him inmate were unsuccessful, police said.
Scott was assigned to a Direct Supervision Unit, where inmates are routinely checked every 30 minutes. Police said nothing appeared to be suspicious.
An autopsy was completed on Monday by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; the cause and manner of death will be included in their formal report.
If the Washington Redskins relocate to Virginia, they will most likely play near, but not in, Reston.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in early August that the commonwealth was in “very serious” negotiations to build a new NFL stadium somewhere along the Silver Line. He mentioned Tysons, Reston and points west in Loudoun.
But with no suitable space for that size project in Reston, McAuliffe was likely generalizing. A Washington Post report last week said the most likely spot for the new stadium would be in Loudoun County close to Dulles International Airport.
“If Virginia beats out the District and Maryland to get the new stadium, Loudoun appears to be the only county that has enough undeveloped space near a Metro station to accommodate it,” the Post story said.
Fairfax County apparently does not want the project, anyway. At a summit of Northern Virginia leaders last week, representatives from Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties and the city of Alexandria were unanimous in saying that they wouldn’t want the team in their own jurisdictions. Read More
Salon Nordine & Day Spa, a high-end beauty salon at Reston Town Center, will close its doors on Sept. 10, employees said.
The salon has been located in a two-story space at 11955 Freedom Dr. for about 15 years.
Many of the stylists have already departed for other salons, and the once-bustling location was empty over the weekend. A salon spokesman said regular customers should have been contacted by their stylist as to where they would be relocating.
The Reston location’s merchandise and fixtures are being moved to Salon Nordine’s other locations in Fairfax and Gainesville.
There have been no permits filed yet for a new business to take over the space.
New Look For FCPS Site — Today is the first day of school for Fairfax County Public Schools students. To go with the new year, FCPS has a new website. Check it out for your school info needs. [FCPS]
South Lakes Football Pummels Marshall — The Seahawks opened the 2016 football season with a 49-8 drubbing of Marshall at home last Friday. Next up: at Briar Woods this Friday. [South Lakes Athletics]
Reston Station Starbucks Should Open Soon — Reston Station says its new Starbucks (Reston’s seventh store, not including a few inside grocery stores) should open by Sept. 30. [Twitter]
Photo: Sunset over Lake Anne/Credit: John Melnick
Reston Now is off for Labor Day. We will be back tomorrow with news as usual. If you are off today, enjoy!
Meanwhile, here is what is open and closed today.
And here is a fun festival in nearby Herndon.
It is also the last day for most remaining Reston Association pools.
Monday, Sept. 5 is Labor Day. Here is a look at some of the area closings for the holiday:
Most Fairfax County Parks are open. Frying Pan Park is open but the visitors center is closed.
Reston Community Centers at Hunters Woods and Lake Anne are closed.
Fairfax County Public Libraries are closed Sunday and Monday
Fairfax County courts are closed.
To see more county services, visit Fairfax County’s holiday schedule page.
Banks and the U.S. Post Office are closed.
Reston Association offices are closed.
Reston Association pools are on a holiday schedule (and it is the last day for all but Ridge Heights and North Shore Pools). See pool hours on RA’s website.
