(Updated 6 p.m. Thursday to reflect an at-large candidate has dropped out of the race)

Seven candidates have filed to run in the 2015 Reston Association Board of Directors elections this spring.

Open seats include two three-year At-Large seats; a one-year North Point seat; and a three-year South Lakes seat.

In the South Lakes District, incumbent candidate Richard Chew will run for re-election to a second consecutive term.

Chew also served a previous three year-term from 2008-11. Directors may not hold their positions for more than two consecutive terms.

Opposing Chew in South Lakes will be two other candidates: Former At-Large Director and RA Vice President Andy Sigle, who lost a bid for re-election to Jeffrey Thomas in 2014. A third candidate, Julie Bitzer, a 34-year Reston resident, will also run for the South Lakes spot.

In North Point, Dannielle LaRosa will seek the one-year term. LaRosa was appointed by the RA Board to the North Point Director seat last fall after Tim Cohn stepped down for personal reasons. LaRosa will run against Charles Dorfeuille, who has served on the RA Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Community Engagement Advisory Committee, among others.

Two candidates will run for the two At-Large spots. At-large candidates include incumbent Michael Sanio and Ray Wedell, a Realtor and a leader with Rescue Reston, a citizens advocacy group who has been active in the fight to save open space at Reston National Golf Course.

Voting in the election begins at 5 p.m. on March 2. Results will be announced at the Annual Members’ Meeting on April 14.

Read more about the candidates in their official statements on the Reston Association website and in upcoming Reston Now articles.

Seahawks Have Talent — The South Lakes Leadership Development Class is hosting the annual  Seahawk Talent Show on Thursday, Feb.12. Students will be singing, dancing, stepping, and more. Among the judges will be current School Board Member At-Large Ryan McElveen. Tickets are $3 at the door. Silent auction begins at 6 p.m. and the show is at 7 p.m. Proceeds will go to support the leadership class programs.

Herndon Coach Pens Guide to Avoiding Injuries — Area coach Wendy LeBolt Ph.D. has published a book, “Fit 2 Finish – Keeping Your Soccer Players in the Game,” on how to keep young athletes injury free and successful on the field [Reston Connection]

Two SLHS Athletes Sign for Soccer — Soccer players Elise Andrich (Lipscomb University) and Sara Vigen (William and Mary) signed National Letters of Intent on national signing day Wednesday.

Save The Date For Dems Dinner — The Hunter Mill Democrats will host their 40th Annual Lasagna Dinner and Auction on Saturday, March 21 at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Tickets start at $50. [Hunter Mill Democrats Facebook]

Photo of Lake Audubon/Credit: Mary Dominiak via Twitter

The muti-state Powerball lottery is expected to climb above $300 million by Wednesday night’s drawing. That’s the largest jackpot in almost than a year, Powerball officials said.

Powerball estimates that Wednesday’s prize — should someone guess all the correct numbers plus the Powerball number — will be $317 million, making it the 11th-largest Powerball jackpot ever. No one has won the Powerball since early December.

Before the latest prize, Powerball’s last major jackpot was in February 2014, when it was $425 million.

You have until 9:58 p.m. Wednesday to get your ticket. But don;t quit your day job yet – the Virginia Lottery says your odds of winning it all are about 1 in 175 million.

Fairfax County officials have unveiled a new plan that will “strengthen Fairfax’s economy for the 21st Century.”

While Fairfax County boasts one of the strongest and largest economies in the region, a new strategy will ensure that that the economic climate remains strong in the 21st Century, said a release from the county. The proposed plan offers high-level policy recommendations to expand and diversify the economy. focusing on six goals to accomplish this.

“The new plan is an emphatic leadership statement that recognizes the critical importance of economic success for the county’s future,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John W. Foust, who chairs the board’s Economic Advisory Commission. “We need all of our community partners — businesses, citizens, academia, the Fairfax Economic Development Authority, county government and our regional partners — pulling in the same direction to be successful.”

The six goals:

• Further diversifying our economy
• Creating places where people want to be
• Improving the speed, consistency, and predictability of the county’s development review process
• Investing in natural and physical infrastructure
• Achieving economic success through education and social equity
• Increasing the agility of county government

This plan was created by the 50-member, board-appointed Economic Advisory Commission, along with county staff. The group broadly sought input to craft the plan, obtaining feedback from more than 250 participants. Among those giving feedback: various members of the community, including business, community, and civic leaders, local chambers of commerce, area colleges and universities, and local residents.

Foust said the county needed refreshed economic efforts because of recent events in the DC Metro area in the last few years, including fewer federal jobs due to the recession and sequestration; slow wage growth; job recovery that focused on new employment sectors like health care; and higher office vacancy rates

The plan was delivered to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors during their meeting last week. The supervisors are expected to vote on adopting the plan on March 3.

To see more details, click on the presentation attached to this story above.

SLHS Sports Boosters: Save Date — The South Lakes High School Sports Boosters is hosting a casino night fundraiser March 13 at RCC Hunters Woods. There will be games, food, raffles and a cash bar. The organization can also use donations of items for a silent auction. [Seahawk Boosters]

Teacher Pay To Rise? — Virginia ranks in the bottom third among teacher pay, but one state report says salaries are expected to rise. [Daily Progress]

Swim School Grand Opening — Goldfish Swim School in Reston will hold a Grand Opening Party Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Stop by the pool at 12340 Pinecrest Rd. for free swimming, snacks and family fun. [Reston Now]

Stopping Teen Sex Trafficking — Fairfax County Police say Northern Virginia is one of the top five places in the United States for sex trafficking, and has had more gang-related prosecutions for that crime than any other jurisdiction in America. [Fairfax Times]

Photo: Snowy Reston National/Credit: Annika Bohn

Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station report many larcenies from homes, businesses and vehicles, as well as a stolen vehicle at Reston Town Center during the last week.

LARCENIES:

1700 block of Ascot Way, cash from residence.

2100 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business.

11500 block of Ivy Bush court, equipment from vehicle.

11900 block of Barrel Cooper Court, license plate from vehicle.

12000 block of Market Street, property from residence.

2300 block of Sycamore View Lane, property from residence.

2500 block of Centreville Road, beverage from business.

12000 block of Bowman Towne Drive, property from vehicle.

Isaac Newton Square W/Sunset Hills Road, property from business.

1400 block of North Point Village Center, beverage from business.

STOLEN VEHICLE:

11900 block of Freedom Drive, 2004 Infiniti G35.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints has filed paperwork with the Fairfax County Planning Commission to get approval to add nearly 40 spots to its parking lot at 115 Poplar Grove Dr. in North Reston.

The church wants to expand the southern end on its existing parking lot from 121 to 160 spaces and replace an existing shed. The inquiry has not yet been given a date on the planning commission calendar.

The proposal is really a continuation of a quest that began two years ago.

In 2013, the church inquired with Reston Association about buying three parcels of land on Fox Mill Road. RA did not formally consider selling the land.

RA’s Design Review Board (DRB) did, however, give the church permission in February of 2014 to expand the lot.

That decision did not sit well with neighbors in the Birchfield Woods Cluster.

Birchfield Woods residents appealed the decision, saying it will result “in a net loss of over 80 trees which serve as a buffer between the church and the Birchfield Woods Cluster.”

The DRB initially voted down the church’s proposal in November 2013, with specifics on how the church could revise their plan: reduce the number of proposed parking spaces, reduce the number of impacted trees, and produce a traffic study.

The original proposal offered adding 51 spaces new light poles and removing 117 trees.

The new plan calls for planting of replacement trees and shrubs to provide a 25-foot buffer, as well as a relocated storage shed. The church also reduced the number of additional parking spots to 39, for a total of 160 spaces in the new lot.

Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston) says that the commonwealth is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to gun control measures in Virginia.

“Gun safety measures were defeated in close, almost party line, votes,” Howell said about last week in the current Virginia General Assembly in an email to constituents.

“Sadly, we continue to go backwards on reasonable gun safety measures. Closing the gun show loophole was defeated. My bill prohibiting the possession of firearms by those charged with family violence failed. Also defeated was reinstating the ‘one gun a month’ limit on gun purchases.”

“When in effect, that limitation had effectively stopped Virginia from being the gun running capital of the East Coast. A bill to allow guns on school property passed through committee. Another bill to let concealed weapons permit holders purchase lifetime permits also passed through committee. It is still possible that some of the reckless bills may be defeated during the legislative process. It is not possible that the reasonable gun safety bills (that are supported by almost 90 percent of voters) will pass.”

Howell was the chief patron on SB 909, which prohibits a person who is subject to a protective order from possessing a firearm. Under currently laws, such person is only prohibited from purchasing or transporting a firearm and such conduct is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The bill was defeated 10-4 in the Courts of Justice Committee on Jan. 26.

Said Howell: “During the debate on the gun bills we consistently heard testimony from the NRA and Citizens Defense League on one side and, on the other side, State Police, local police, Commonwealth Attorneys, police benevolent societies, victims groups, Chiefs of Police, and — poignantly — family members of victims of gun violence. Needless to say, the NRA and CDL always prevailed.” Read More

Reston-area author Kwame Alexander was honored with the prestigious 2015 Newbery Award on Monday for his recent book The Crossover.

The Crossover (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a work written in verse and told from the perspective of 12-year-old twin boys who play basketball.

The New York Times calls the middle readers book a “a beautifully measured novel.”

The Newbery is considered the highest award for children’s literature. It is named for 18th-century British bookseller John Newbery. Two other books, Two books, El Deafo by Cece Bell and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, were awarded Newbery Honors.

Alexander has written for television, the stage, and authored 14 books including the best-selling Do The Write Thing: 7 Steps to Publishing Success, And Then You Know: New & Selected Poems, and a young adult title, Crush: Love Poems. 

“When I got the call at 7:16 am today, I literally could not move,” Alexander wrote on his Facebook page. “When the man on the other end of the phone said, “I…happy…inform…Newbery…Medal…” I was like, did you just say ‘Medal? Are you sure?’ It was, and is surreal. I am wordbound. Mazy, even. Lost and found. Am I ready? Of course. Am I prepared? No. Who is ever prepared for the big sea? But, I will swim, and laugh, dive and cry, and thank my sister and brother, my father and mother, each of you for your cheers and support.”

Locally, Alexander has served on the Herndon Council for the Arts, and regularly conducts workshops and presentations at area schools. He is well known for his “Book in a Day” program that has helped created young writers at schools nationwide.

Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.

The Kwame Alexander Papers, a collection of his writings, correspondence, and other professional and personal documents is held at the George Washington University Gelman Library.

In 2015, Kwame will serve as Bank Street College of Education in New York’s first writer-in-residence.

He will still conduct a workshop at Herndon Elementary School later this month, as well as at Lake Anne Elementary School, among others, later this spring.

Photos — Top: Kwame Alexander/Credit: Bookinaday.org. Bottom: The Crossover/Credit: Houghton Mifflin

Seventh Parks Term For Bouie — Reston’s Bill Bouie has been elected chairman of the Fairfax County Park Authority Board for his seventh straight term. Bouie represents the Hunter Mill District. Providence District rep Ken Quincy was elected to serve as vice chairman. At-large member Kala Leggett Quintana will serve as secretary and Sully rep Harold Strickland will be treasurer. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

New At Reston Art Gallery — Lake Anne’s Reston Art Gallery and Studios (RAGS) has a new exhibit, “Little Gems,” which runs from Feb. 2 to March 5. There will be an artists’ reception on Sunday, Feb.8 from at 2 p.m. The gallery is located at 11400 Washington Plaza West.

Preschool Open House — United Christian Parish Preschool is holding an open house Feb, 4, 5, and 6 from 9:30-11:00 am. Priority registration for the 2015-16 school year is due by noon on February 6; Community registration is due Feb. 10. [United Christian Parish]

Two RCC Staffers Earn Credentials — RCC staff members Karen Brutsché and Debbie Heron recently attained the status of Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP) as governed by the National Certification Board (NCB) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

The 15-story Reston International Center, one of Reston’s first high-rise office buildings, has been sold in a joint venture for $35 million.

American Real Estate Partners and Square Mile Capital Management LLC announced on Monday they have acquired the property from JBG Companies.

The property is a 179,000 square foot office building located at 11800 Sunrise Valley Dr. In recent years, mixed-use development has taken place around the office tower, including JBG’s Reston Heights.

Reston Heights includes The Mercer Condos, The Westin Reston Heights Hotel and office space. It is also about to undergo an expansion that will add about 400 more residential units and 95,000 square feet of retail to the development.

The International Center and Reston Heights is located within walking distance of the new Wiehle-Reston East Metro station as well as the future Reston Town Center Metro station.

“Reston International Center presents American Real Estate Partners with a remarkable opportunity to renovate and reposition an iconic asset at the epicenter of one of the most vital mixed-use communities being developed along the Toll Road,” American Real Estate Partners President Brian Katz said in a statement.

“Reston, fueled by the coming completion of the Silver Line stations through Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, will continue to be a magnet for growing companies that value access to highly educated employees, exceptional transportation options and all of the amenities and infrastructure of Reston Heights and nearby Reston Town Center.”

The partners said it will embark on a $10 million renovation of Reston International Center, including the addition of a 3 1/2-story parking deck, as well as interior renovations.

Photo: Reston International Center/Credit: American Real Estate Partners

Fairfax Water is warning customers to be aware of scammers that have targeted area residents.

The water company says it has received reports of people showing up on doorsteps or calling on the phone offering discounts or to pay the bill.

From Fairfax Water:

If you receive a call offering “discounts” or requesting account information or offering to pay your bill — this is a scam. Fairfax Water does not call asking for your account information nor do we offer discounts for service.

Fairfax Water employees have photo identification with them at all times when they are on the job. Our vehicles and field staff’s clothing bear our logo (see above). During the summer months there may be Fairfax Water summer interns in your neighborhood who do not wear uniforms, however each one will have a Fairfax Water photo identification displayed prominently.

If someone comes to your door and identifies themselves as a Fairfax Water employee, please ask for their identification or call 703-698-5800, TTY 711 to verify before letting them into your home.

Fairfax Water employees do not receive or accept any form of payments during service calls and we do not collect water-service fees door-to-door.

Most water meters are located outside of a customer’s home. Therefore Fairfax Water employees typically DO NOT require access to a customer’s home to read a meter.

If you have any questions about our service or employees, do not hesitate to call us at 703-698-5800, TTY 711.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are considering a request from Lake Anne Development Partners to reduce by nearly 500 the number of parking spots that will be available in the area after the redevelopment of the 24.3 acres of Crescent Apartments and the surrounding area is completed.

The county has parking standards for suburban development, but since the Crescent redevelopment is being planned in a more urban style, the developers have asked for the reduction.

A reduction in parking will have a positive impact on traffic levels and walkability, among other reasons. Some of the reasons, according to county documents:

The project has proffered a comprehensive transportation plan with specific goals and strategies targeted to reduce auto‐ownership among future residents as well as reducing parking supply.

The project has proffered an overall 25-percent trip reduction goal for the resident and office users, which corresponds to a strategy that reduces the parking supply.

Managing parking by reducing supply helps to reduce the undesirable impacts of parking demand on local and regional traffic levels and the resulting impacts on community livability.

The project seeks to promote a vibrant community where people can live, play and work providing opportunities to limit auto‐ownership among residents; single occupancy vehicle trips.

This site is served by existing established Fairfax Connector and RIBs bus routes along North Shore Drive.

The site is located entirely within 1.65 miles of the Wiehle‐Reston East Silver Line Metro station providing a mass transit commuter option in the nearby proximity.

Most importantly, the project has proffered a comprehensive TDM and Parking Management Plan that will monitor and measure the project’s traffic and parking reduction goals. If the parking reductions are not achieved in the East Side, a plan to provide additional spaces has been proffered.

It has been requested that 477 fewer parking spaces serve the project. That is a parking reduction of 18 percent. A minimum total 2,167 spaces is proposed at full build-out to serve the East and West Sides of the project.

When it is completed, the project will have 1,037 new residential units (including replacement of the 181 affordable units at Crescent); 60,000 square feet of retail; a 15,800-square-foot grocery store; and 78,000 square feet of office space. 

“We worked with the County developing features insuring the walkability of the Lake Anne redevelopment,” said Stacy Hornstein, Senior Vice President and Director of Acquisition and Development for Republic, the parent company of Lake Anne Development Partners.

“In the area around Lake Anne commercial center we developed shared parking program that is based upon the model developed by Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). Parking in a mixed use environment has peaks and valleys and the ITE model creates a balance of parking needs at various times during the day and night. On the Crescent property we have requested a parking reduction due partly from the walkability of the community but also the efforts we have proffered to reduce the reliance on automobiles.“

The County Executive recommends that the Board approve the 18 percent parking reduction. The county also says parking should include at least 1,031 parking spaces on the west side of the development and a minimum of 1,136 parking spaces on the east side for a total of 2,167 total spaces when the project is fully developed.

At full build-out, a minimum of 388 garage parking spaces shall be maintained to serve the West Side residential dwelling units, the county executive said.

The project also calls for a 120-space parking garage to be built on a parcel of land adjacent to the current Lake Anne Plaza. That land, formerly owned by Reston Association, was the subject of a controversial land swap in late 2o13.

The board will also conduct public hearings on several Lake Anne-area topics. The public hearings were deferred from the Supervisors’ Jan. 27 meeting. The three separate topics all have to due with density and development conditions, as well as stormwater management, to allow the project to finally proceed.

The Supervisors will vote on the issue at their Feb. 17 meeting. The Supervisors will also conduct a public hearing and vote on Feb. 17 whether to move the entire Lake Anne-area plan forward.

The project was recommended for approval by the Fairfax County Planning Commission last week.

Rendering of Lake Anne/Crescent project/Credit: Lake Anne Development Partners

The dedicated bike room at Wiehle-Reston East’s Silver Line Metro station is getting a new name. The facility will be named in honor of Charlie Strunk, Fairfax County’s first Bicycle Program Manager who retired from the post last month.

The honor was suggested by Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins at the county Board of Supervisors Meeting Jan. 12. and unanimously approved by the supervisors.

The station’s bike room was the first such secure bike facility in the county. Hudgins said Strunk led not only the design efforts, but coordinated with other county departments, stakeholders, and advocacy groups to ensure all voices and concerns were heard.

The Wiehle Reston-East Bike Room currently has 300 members and is the prototype for other rooms being planned at the Stringfellow Park-and-Ride Lot, the Rolling Road VRE Station, Route 1 Transit Center; as well as the Herndon and Innovation Center Metrorail Stations.

Strunk was named county bike coordinator in 2006 and received the Fairfax Advocates for Better Biking Award of Recognition in 2012. He also received the 2009 Transportation Achievement Award from the Transportation Advisory Commission.

Some of Strunk’s impact on the Fairfax County bike program include bike racks on the front of all Fairfax Connector buses; bike storage lockers at several park-and-ride lots; and a bike map with on- and off-road routes across the county.

He was also instrumental in organizing the county’s first bike master plan, which was approved by the supervisors in October.

The supervisors will dedicate a plaque renaming the bike room at a future date.

Photo: Charlie Strunk/Credit: Fairfax County