Fairfax County Police said a women reported a man exposed himself near Colts Neck Road and Branleigh Park Court near Hunters Woods Village Center on Sunday.

The woman  told police she was walking on the sidewalk when a man exposed himself. The suspect was described as white, 35-45 years old and about 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Other incidents reported by the Reston District Station this week.

BURGLARY, 2000 block of Maleady Drive, Nov. 6.  A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

BURGLARY, 12700 block of Fantasia Drive, Nov. 6.  A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

LARCENIES

• 2100 block of Centreville Road, purse from business
• 13000 block of Elm Tree Drive, bicycle from residence.
• 1500 block of Farsta Court, jewelry from residence.
• 1800 block of Fountain Drive, purse from business.
• 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverage from business.
• 11100 block of South Lakes Drive, beverage from business.
• 900 block of Towlston Road, property from residence.
• 900 block of Cedar Chase Road, property from vehicle.
• 13000 block of Elm Tree Drive, bicycle from residence.
• 2400 block of Masons Perry Drive, wallet from residence.
• 900 block of Peacock Station Road, tools from vehicle.
• 13000 block of Worldgate Drive, jewelry and property from business.

STOLEN VEHICLES

North Shore Drive / Northgate Square, 2013 moped.

Construction workers are very busy at the site of the future Red’s Table, the locally owned restaurant that will replace the Lakeside Inn at South Lakes Village Center.

Red’s Table recently added outdoor signage and new, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Thoreau as part of the renovations.

Co-owner Ryan Tracy says the work is behind schedule. He said earlier he was hoping to be ready to open by November of December. He said on Tuesday he is eying a late January-early February opening.

The Lakeside Inn closed in October 2013 after 22 years in business.

Read more about plans for Red’s Table in this previous Reston Now story.

Local App Gets MapQuest Partnership — MapQuest has announced a partnership with Urgent.ly, an app that matches drivers who need roadside assistance with tow trucks and other service providers, Urgent.ly was developed, in part, by Reston’s Rick Robinson and Herndon’s Ric Fleisher. [Fast Company]

Pets That Give Back — Modern Reston recently tagged along with Fairfax Pets on Wheels as they offered some furry friendship to area senior citizens. [Modern Reston]

TJ Troubles For One Reston Student — Washington Post education writer Jay Mathews breaks down the story of one Reston teen as an example of how a studet can have seemingly perfect scores and still not make the cut for the super-selective Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (PS – it can also have a happy ending). [Washington Post]

Join in at The YMCA Gala — Tickets are still available for Saturday’s annual Community Gala at the YMCA Fairfax County Reston. The Black Tie Optional event benefits YMCA programs and scholarships. [YMCA Fairfax County Reston]

Reston Now is off Tuesday for Veterans Day. If you are off too, enjoy your day. And if you are a veteran, thanks for your service!

What’s open and what’s closed today.

Freebies and deals just for veterans.

Headed downtown to the Concert for Valor? Here is what you need to know.

Photo: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery/Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Tuesday, Nov. 11 is Veterans Day. It is a federal holiday, so the federal government is closed. There is no mail delivery.

Fairfax County Public Schools are open.

Here is info on Fairfax County government:

County Government – Closed.

Courts – Closed.

Public Schools and School Offices – Open.

Animal Shelter – Closed.

Library – Closed.

Fairfax Connector – Routes with holiday weekday service operate according to the weekday schedule except routes 335, 394, 395, 432, 493, 494, 495, 585, 599, 724, 734 and 985, which will not operate.

Fastran – Not in service.

Park Authority – RECenters operate on regular schedule. Historic sites are closed. Nature centers are closed. Riverbend Park’s visitor center is closed. Frying Pan Farm Park is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the visitor center is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Green Spring Gardens is open noon to 4:30 p.m.; the historic house is closed.

Teen and Senior Centers – Closed.

Community Centers – Closed.

McLean Community Center – Closed; Old Firehouse Teen Center – Open 2 to 6 p.m.

Reston Community Center Hunters Woods – Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Reston Community Center Lake Anne – Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

County Trash and Recycling Collection:

• Private Collection Service Providers – Residents should contact their trash and recycling collector directly for service schedule changes due to the holiday.
• Fairfax County Collection Customers: Trash and recyclables will be collected as scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 11.  Please have your materials to the curb no later than 6 a.m. to ensure collection. Any questions may be directed to the Customer Service Center at 703-802-3322, TTY 711.

Recycling and Disposal Facilities at I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex – Open.

Dulles Toll Road users take note: work on the planned conversion of an exact change lane to an E-ZPass only lane at the eastbound main toll plaza begins tonight.

The work will affect the third lane from the left. The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority wants to remind drivers to be patient or find alternate routes this evening as work may impact traffic.

The previous lane conversion to “E-ZPass only” was recently completed along the westbound ramp from the Dulles Toll Road to the Fairfax County Parkway.

The ongoing project to convert 19 toll lanes from exact change to E-ZPass only will continue into 2015, MWAA officials said. Four lanes have been converted so far, with 15 remaining to be converted. Conversions will be done one at a time until the project is complete.

After the main plaza eastbound lane is complete, the next lane scheduled for conversion is the far right lane at Westbound Hunter Mill Road, one of the main Reston exits. To keep up with Toll Road plans, MWAA’s Dulles Toll Road page.

Photo: Main Dulles Toll Road Plaza/Reston Now file photo 

Sunday marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

On Nov. 9, 1989, thousands of German citizens tore it apart, symbolizing the end of the Cold War era that divided Berlin, Germany and in many ways, the world.

Some pieces of the wall remain in Berlin as part public art project, part monument to the era. But some portions are scattered in more than 100 spots around the world — and one stands here in Reston.

Why Reston?

The German Armed Forces Command (the Bundeswehr) has offices in a typical Reston office building at 11150 Sunrise Valley Dr.

The four-foot wide wall fragment sits just outside the front doors to the headquarters. They acquired the piece in 1990 to commemorate the reunification of Germany.

The German Armed Forces has had an office in Reston since 1991, just after the reunification of Germany. Perhaps you have seen uniformed personnel doing military fitness training exercises around the lakes in South Reston? The German troops challenge local American troops to a friendly competition annually.

The Bundeswehr also hosts an annual traditional German outdoor Christmas carnival in early December. The free Christkindlmarket has games, handmade crafts and gifts to purchase, and of course, German food and beer. Proceeds from food and gift sales are donated to Cornerstones and other local charities.

Want to to learn more about the Berlin Wall? The Goethe Insitut in Washington, DC is currently housing an exhibition “The Wall in Our Heads: American Artists and the Berlin Wall.” The exhibition will run through Dec. 5.

To read more about more than 100 other spots in 40 countries housing bits of the wall, see this Washington Post story.

Photos: Berlin Wall fragment and plaque/Credit: IPAR

The redevelopment of Crescent Apartments and the area near historic Lake Anne Plaza is back on the Fairfax County Planning Commission docket.

An amendment to the project plan is scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday night.

A county staff report shows a few changes to the plan.

The county staff report recommends the plan for approval. If recommended, it will go before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 2.

The plan, as approved in 2013, calls for a mix of uses and intensities in designated zones surrounding Lake Anne’s original village center, but leaves the historic part of the plaza untouched.

A spokesman for Lake Anne Development Partners, which was selected in 2013 by the county to develop the project, the changes only modify some of the density around within the “various Land Units to be consistent with our design as it has evolved during the pre-planning process, but it does not actually represent any material change in the overall densities or intent of the original Comprehensive Plan Amendment for Lake Anne Village Center that was initiated in 2007 and approved in March 2009.” 

The plan as already approved calls for up to 1,415 dwelling units and 219,000 square feet of non-residential uses and up to 1,535 dwelling units and 113,000 square feet of non-residential use under full consolidation.

According to the Oct. 29 plan amendment:

Plan amendment 2013-III-UP1 considers changes to recommendations regarding the Millennium Bank building, heritage resources, the Full Consolidation Option and transportation. Specifically, these include:

• The current Comprehensive Plan recommends the retention of the Millennium Bank building which is located in Land Unit F. The Plan amendment considers the demolition and redevelopment of the Millennium Bank building as part of Land Unit A.

• The Full Consolidation Option is contingent upon consolidation of Land Units A, D and E. The Plan amendment considers deletion of Land Unit E from this option, which is developed with Fellowship House, while retaining the opportunity for Land Unit E to redevelop independently up to 510,000 SF of residential development or 425 MF dwelling units and 4,000 SF of non-residential uses.

• Under the Full Consolidation Option, the current Comprehensive Plan recommends that Land Unit D be developed with up to 4,000 SF of non-residential development exclusive of an existing gas station. The Plan amendment considers providing up to 48,000 SF of non-residential development in Land Unit D including redevelopment of the gas station.

Under the Full Consolidation Option in Land Units A and D, the current Comprehensive Plan recommends up to 109,000 SF of non-residential development. The Plan amendment considers increasing the total amount of non-residential development to 153,000 SF under the Full Consolidation Option in Land Units A and D.

• Potential impact of increased land use intensity under consideration for this Plan amendment on transportation is evaluated.

To see the full document and maps of Land Units A-F, see this document from Fairfax County.

Photo: Rendering of redeveloped Lake Anne area/Credit: LADP 

UCP Dedicates a Labyrinth — Reston’s United Christian Parish dedicated its new labyrinth on Sunday. The labyrinth was an Eagle Scout project by a local teen. It is open to the public for quiet prayer and reflection [UCP]

Gillespie’s Impact — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ed Gillespie formally conceded the race to Mark Warner (D) on Friday, but does the surprise near-victory signal a change for Virginia politics? [Washington Post]

Restonians Helping Combat Ebola — Parishioners at Reston’s St. Anne’s Episcopal Church have raised more than $12,000 to help combat the West African Ebola epidemic. Spurred by Rev. Anne Fredericks Cooper, who is originally from Liberia, the congregation will order medical supplies that will be shipped to the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia in a 20-foot container. The Liberian diocese will then distribute the supplies, including gloves, masks, gowns and antiseptic, to different hospitals within Liberia. [Fairfax Times]

Giving Back For The Holidays — The nonprofit Our Daily Bread is seeking volunteers to sponsor needy families and make other donations during the upcoming holiday season. [Our Daily Bread]

Photo: Mustache Mile at Reston Town Center Saturday/Credit: Potomac River Running via Flickr

Before you attend Saturday’s Reston Master Plan Phase II meeting, take a look at what residents had to say at the last meeting, on Oct. 18.

Fairfax County has taken the feedback and condensed it into a pros-and-cons packages for each of Reston’s village centers.

See the entire pros-and-cons summary here.

Fairfax County planners are in the process of obtaining community feedback about Reston’s neighborhoods and village centers. This will help guide planning in the event that Reston — which is expected to grow with the arrival of Metro — wants to expand or re-renvision its village centers and surrounding neighborhoods.

There is a “strawman” working draft as a guide, but the county welcomes community feedback before there is a final version. Fairfax County planning staff says it hopes to have the final Phase II document drafted by mid-2015.

Whatever changes — if any — are incorporated into the plan will not be a regulatory document and any structural changes will have to eventually go through the Reston Association’s Design Review Board, as well as county planning and zoning and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Saturday’s meeting, at Aldrin Elementary School at 8:45 a.m., will further discuss the village centers, particularly alternate sues for the half-empty Tall Oaks Village Center, as well as the future of the Baron Cameron retail area at Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue.

Photo: South Lakes Village Center

This is a sponsored post by veterinarian Elizabeth Arguelles, owner of Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne Plaza. She writes weekly on Reston Now.

Once you’ve determined your cat has allergies, what’s next? In this week’s article, we’ll talk about options to help treat your cat’s specific allergies, and not just treat the symptoms. By treating the root cause, you can help your cat start to feel better and even improve their quality of life.  Effective treatments include immunotherapy and environmental control.

Just to review, when your cat is allergic to something, it means that its immune system has become sensitive to that substance. Common allergens can include dust mites, storage mites, fleas, pollen, cleaning agents and plants.

 What is immunotherapy?

One of the best and most effective ways to treat allergies is immunotherapy. In fact, many veterinarians believe it’s the only true way to treat the condition because it targets the root causes instead of just treating the symptoms.

Immunotherapy works by gradually changing the immune system’s reaction to the allergens. It works by increasing the amounts and concentrations of the allergies with each dose administered. Immunotherapy can be given as subcutaneous injections or as oral drops.

How does the vet determine what allergies your cat has?

Determining what your cat is allergic to is best assessed through the environmental allergy panel we’ve discussed in previous articles. The blood work specifically measures the allergen specific IgE to determine which environmental components your cat is sensitive to. Just like with people, skin testing and exposure to allergens can be done in cats, but typically the blood sample is easier for your furry friend and typically more accurate. Read More

Reston Association has been considering making some changes to what a small number of homeowners pay in annual assessments. But one change that will not be coming soon is pro-rated amounts that vary according to property value (in the same manner as property tax).

RA CEO Cate Fulkerson says the current structure — where the vast majority of members pay a flat annual assessment (slated to be $642 in 2015) that goes toward paths, pools, parks and recreational programs, among other amenities — is written into the deed. Changing it to a pro-rated amount would require a member referendum.

“The board can’t act independently on how assessments are determined,” says Fulkerson.

Meanwhile, at its next meeting on Nov. 20, the RA Board of Directors will consider setting a 50-percent assessment rate reduction for members who receive real estate tax relief from Fairfax County. Comments from members are welcome at the public hearing portion of the meeting.

This action was discussed at the board planning meeting earlier this week. Many members of citizen advocacy group Reston 2020 attended the planning meeting to voice their concerns.

RA says reductions in annual assessment fees for residents who qualify for real estate tax relief have always existed within RA, says Fulkerson. However, no specific percentage rate for those reductions is stated in the Reston Deed, even though those reductions have been around 50 percent in recent years.

RA says about 450 out of the 17,000 residential units in Reston are projected to receive county tax relief in 2015 and would qualify for the 50 percent reduction.

RA is also allows assessments of 0.5 percent of property value (instead of the flat rate) for homes with values of less than $128,000. That is about 120 units in Reston, says RA.

Residents that live in state- or federally subsidized housing units or elderly housing or assisted living are also given a $10 break on assessments.

RA expects to collect more than $13 million in assessments in 2015. Total estimated revenue for the year comes in at more than $16 million, according to RA, with $5.4 million spent on management and headquarters costs; $2.7 million spent on recreation services; and $2.1 million spent on park maintenance.

While the increase from 2014 to 2015 is only $8, the rate rose 7.45 percent from 2013 to 214, and has risen by $127 annually in the last five years.

Save the Date: Israeli Art Festival — Reston’s Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation is hosting its third Israeli Art Festival on Nov. 15 and 16. NVHC will be transformed into an artists’ colony, with the work of 15-20 Israeli artists from Safed and beyond whose livelihoodswere impacted by the Gaza conflict this summer. Works for sale include paintings, Judaica, handmade Jewelry, tallits, handwoven ritual items, photography, stained glass, silks, and woodwork. [NVHC]

Eagle Update — Sadly, the injured American Bald Eagle rescued by a Fairfax County Animal Control officer earlier this week, had to be euthanized after veterinarians at the Wildlife Center of Virginia determined the injuries were too severe. [Fairfax County Police]

Kickstarter For SLHS Grads’ Game Project — South Lakes High School grads Michael Savage-Benoist and Ben Cohn have started a Kickstarter fundraising page to raise $3,000 to develop “Flamberge” a role-playing video game project.  Savage-Benoist is the developer and Cohn has composed the music. [Kickstarter]

Photo: Fall leaves in Reston/Credit: Jonathan via Flickr