Put the bocce balls down for now. The Reston Association may once again consider dropping the already-approved proposed court for Cabots Point Park and starting over.
Last December, the RA Board approved a 12-by-60-foot court in the grassy area of the neighborhood park. But the plan was voted upon by the board with little notice or a public hearing, which has had some residents, particularly of Cabots Point, South Bay and Cedar Cove clusters, crying foul ever since.
RA President Ken Knueven has a motion on the agenda for Thursday’s RA Board meeting. The motion has two parts:
Motion 1: Move to rescind the December 12, 2013 motion of the Board authorizing the construction of a bocce court at the Cabots Point Recreation area located at the corner of South Lakes Drive and Cabots Point Lane and direct staff to determine member desire and possible alternate locations for bocce facilities.
Motion 2: Move to direct staff to draft a new policy resolution that will prescribe a standard process for the Association to use when considering new facilities at established recreation areas.
Knueven said he made the suggestion after the September board meeting, where nearly two dozen RA members spoke out against the project.
A similar proposal about starting over was made by RA CEO Cate Fulkerson in July, but after remarks from South Lakes Director Richard Chew — who initiated the plan for the bocce court last year — Fulkerson’s proposal was not considered.
However, soon after, RA said it established a new development review process that will better involve residents before projects are approved.
The complaints at the September meeting ranged from concern about traffic, trash and noise to irritation over lack of notification about the project. Members have been expressing concern about the court, which would be paid for by the nonprofit Friends of Reston, since June.
Walking For Cornerstones — On Sunday, a record-breaking crowd of 300 participants walked from the Embry Rucker Community Shelter to St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and back (about two miles) in Cornerstones 11th Annual Help the Homeless Walk. The funds raised will help provide basic and essential items, such as pillows, dishes and food, for those who moved into stable housing through Cornerstones’ Rapid Re-Housing Challenge. [Cornerstones]
Reston On The Rise — Financial website Nerd Wallet says Reston is No. 10 among Cities on the Rise in Virginia. Yeah, yeah, Reston’s not a city, but it does earn kudos from the site for its population growth and high employment rate. [Nerd Wallet]
Truland Truly Was In The Red — Reston-based electrical contractor Truland Group Inc. was nearly $23.7 million in the red when it suddenly shut down nearly three months ago, according to financial data it submitted with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Alexandria late last week. [Washington Business Journal]
Skate Competition at Lake Fairfax — The A-Frame Challenge is coming to Lake Fairfax Park’s skate park Saturday. The event will test the skills of some of the area’s best skaters. Entries are open, or just watch as a spectator. [A-Frame Challenge]
This is an op-ed from Connie Hartke of Reston Citizens Association. Lake Anne Fellowship House had recently planned a redevelopment project. That recently fell through, and the affordable senior housing faces an uncertain future.
RCA feels it is urgent that the greater Reston community understands the implications of development on one of our Reston Comprehensive Plan 10 Planning Principles, which is “housing provided for all ages and incomes.”[1] Our community support is needed to ensure that land owners and potential developers respect and honor our Plan.
Who Lives at Lake Anne Fellowship House (LAFH): Folks 62 or older on limited fixed incomes and those of any age with a qualifying disability and income. A good description is at fellowshipsquare.org/fsf/who-are-we.
Who owns it: Fellowship Square Foundation (FSF), a non-profit provider of affordable housing for the elderly and disabled in the DC metropolitan area. They own and operate LAFH, Reston’s Hunters Woods Fellowship House and two others.
The FSF website does not currently post a mission statement, but we find this on page 5 of their 2013 annual report:
“We specialize in financially fragile residents. We celebrate that we make a difference in their lives and the life of the community they live in.”
The original purpose of the Foundation according to its founder Dr. John Scherzer, told to the RCA on March 13, 1970:
“The purpose of the Foundation as set forth in our Charter is to sponsor adequate retirement facilities for lower and middle income people who must depend for their livelihood upon the fixed income from civil service retirement and/or Social Security.”[2]
(Update, 6 p.m. Tuesday). Virginia Hospital Center has issued a statement about the incident. Read it on ARLnow.com.
The woman suspected of having Ebola and taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital on Friday was taken there from the Pentagon because the nearest facility, Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, refused to treat her, ARLnow.com reports.
The Arlington County Fire Department told ARLnow.com that VHC refused the woman — who at the time was thought to potentially have the deadly Ebola virus — when medics brought her to the hospital. She never left the ambulance.
“We were turned away,” said ACFD spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani. “We followed our protocol and brought the patient to the closest hospital (VHC), at which point we were rerouted to Fairfax Inova.”
The woman, who was not identified, vomited on a tour bus near the Pentagon Friday morning and set off quarantines across the region. Medical officials said late Friday the woman did not have Ebola. They also said she had not traveled to West Africa, as she first told authorities.
“Based on the public health investigation, which included the travel history of a woman who became ill this morning in a Pentagon parking lot, and on questioning of her by medical staff, medical authorities are confident that she does not have Ebola,” officials said in a statement.
However, the situation brings up questions on whether hospitals in the area — and across the United States — are prepared to handle Ebola. Earlier this month, VHC said it was prepared for Ebola patients.
Said the hospital in a statement:
“Virginia Hospital Center wants to reassure our community that the Hospital has the infrastructure and procedures already in place to screen, and if necessary, isolate, test and treat all high-risk patients. We drill and prepare for just such situations; therefore, our staff is highly trained to take appropriate precautions for a suspected and/or confirmed Ebola case.
A multi-disciplinary task force has reviewed our infection control guidelines and reinforced education of the Hospital staff to ensure it can detect a patient with Ebola Virus Disease, protect all healthcare workers so they can safely care for the patient, and respond to the patient in a timely manner.”
Witnesses told ARLnow.com there was a “heated exchange” between the emergency physician and hospital administration inside the emergency room while the patient waited in the ambulance. The tipster also claims hospital administration worried it would lose business if it came to be seen as an “Ebola hospital.”
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control on Monday issued new guidelines for health care facilities after it was determined staffers at Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas were not given proper guidance when treating Thomas Eric Duncan, a man who had recently traveled to Liberia, when he presented with Ebola symptoms. Duncan has since died, and two nurses who treated him are also being treated for the disease.
Reston Hospital Center and Inova Fairfax said last week they are taking extra precautions should an Ebola case need treatment here.
ARLnow.com reporters contributed to this article.
Fairfax County Police are investigating an armed robbery that took place last Tuesday in the parking lot of the Stratford Condominiums near the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Reston Parkway.
Police said they were called to the 1800 block of Stratford Park Place at 8 p.m. on Oct. 14. The victim told police she was approached by a man. The suspect displayed a handgun and demanded money, the victim said. The suspect took cash from the woman, who did not require medical treatment, police said.
The suspect was described by the victim as Hispanic and wearing dark clothing.
In other crime news from the Reston District Station this week:
BURGLARY, 11800 block of Fawn Ridge Lane, Oct. 16. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
LARCENIES
1500 block of Northgate Square, cash from business.
12000 block of Greywing Square, bicycle from residence.
2400 block of Pyrenees Court, property from residence.
1700 block of Seagull Court, property from residence.
230 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverages from business.
STOLEN VEHICLES
11400 block of South Lakes Drive, 2005 Scion.
Do you know a business or individual that represents the Best of Reston?
Then nominate them by Nov. 7 for the 24th annual Best of Reston Awards.
The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstones team together annually to honor those who have made an impact in the community.
The 2015 awards will take place on April 30 at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
Proceeds from the Best of Reston benefit the programs of Cornerstones, which provides affordable housing and comprehensive support services to individuals and families in need.
The Best of Reston set — and met — a goal of raising $1 million over the last two years to aid Cornerstones. That enabled the nonprofit to purchase 50 homes to add to its stock of affordable housing in the community, said Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson.
Here is the criteria for selection, which is done by committee:
Awardees will be selected for working selflessly without consideration of recognition to improve the greater Reston community/Dulles Corridor region served by the sponsoring organizations. While the awardee is not required to reside or be headquartered in Reston, the awardee’s contributions must benefit the greater Reston/Dulles area.
Additionally:
- Completed nomination forms are due Friday, Nov. 7 by 5:00 p.m. to allow selection committee review for completeness. The committee may request additional information of nominators who will have up until Nov. 21 to provide clarifying information (if needed).
- Applicants may nominate themselves or their own businesses/organizations.
- Selections and notifications will be completed by mid-December.
- Award recipients will be publicly announced on Jan. 8 at a joint Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstones media event.
- Honorees must be able to attend the April 30, 2015 Best of Reston Community Service Awards and be available in January-March for video production.
Click the award category below to nominate online or download the nomination form here.
- Individual/Family Community Leader(s)
- Civic/Community Group(s)/NonprofitOrganization
- Employee-Owned Company/Small Business Leader (2-100 employees)
- Corporate Business Leader (101+ employees)
- Special Award: Vade Bolton-Ann Rodriquez Legacy Award Entrusting Our Community’s Future
- Robert E. Simon Lifetime Achievement Award, which is occasionally given by the Selection Committee in honor of Reston’s founder to a previous Best of Reston award winner whose vision, spirit, compassion and belief in our community has made Reston the great place that it is, and who serves as a model of continued engagement and ongoing service.
Photo: Reston founder and Best of Reston 2014 Gala honorary chair Bob Simon/Credit: Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.
The Washington West Film Festival — which screens films with the theme “Story Can Change the World” returns to Reston and other area locations later this week.
This is the fourth annual Washington West Film Festival, which was founded by Dulles Community Church Pastor and area resident Brad Russell.
One hundred percent of the net proceeds of the film festival are donated to nonprofits benefitting children in poverty. This year’s charity is One Voice.
Here is what you need to know about some of the festival highlights:
The Feature Narrative film headliner is Revenge of the Green Dragons, produced by acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The film recently premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival. The movie, based on a true story, is about two brothers who immigrate to New York in the 1980s. The film will screen Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Bow Tie Cinemas Reston. Click here for ticket information.
The Documentary film Generosity of Eye, directed by Brad Hall and starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, will be the closing night feature on Sunday. Both Hall and wife Louis-Dreyfus have been supporters of the festival. They aired the short film Picture Paris, and participated in an audience Q-and-A, in 2012. The movie is about the vast art collection of Louis-Dreyfus’ father, William, who sells the collection to create an endowment for the Harlem Children’s Zone. Click here for ticket information.
Other Reston events at Bow Tie Cinemas:
Thursday, Oct. 23, 7:00 p.m. — Opening Night Film, Alive Inside, winner of 2014 Sundance Audience Award. Reception with special music guest Justin Trawick.
Saturday., Oct. 25, 4:30 p.m. — Behind the Scenes with Hollywood Legends. Meet Hollywood actor Ed Asner (Up, Mary Tyler Moore”) and Emmy-award winning composer W.G Snuffy Walden (“The West Wing,” Nashville, Friday Night Lights, and The Wonder Years. Walden will score scenes live for the audience.
Sunday, Oct 26, 12:00 p.m. — Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Mary Poppins.
There will also be a festival kickoff party Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at The Hamilton in Washington D.C. Los Angeles recording artist Sara Niemietz and Walden (The West Wing, Nashville, Wonder Years, Under The Dome), will perform and set the tone for the week of celebrating the power of story at the festival.
More than a dozen other films will be screened in Reston and at the Angelika Film Center in Merrifield. See the entire film lineup on the Washington West Film Festival website.
Kudos To SLHS’ Gifford — South Lakes High School marching band trombone player Samantha Gifford has been selected to be a member of the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Gifford will join an elite group of marching band members who will perform during halftime at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band recognizes the top 125 high school senior marching musicians and color guard members from across the country.
Transportation Bond Info Explained — Fairfax County voters will go to the polls on Nov. 4 to vote for a transportation bond issue. This video from the county easily explains what is at stake. [Fairfax County]
Reston Community Orchestra Readying — The Reston Community Orchestra will open its season Nov. 16 with “West Meets East,” featuring music of the Old West. See the whole 2014-15 lineup on the RCP website. [Reston Community Orchestra]
FCPS Will Honor Farm-To-Table — Students in Fairfax County Public Schools will celebrate Virginia Farm to School Week Nov. 10-14 with new menu items featuring seasonal produce such as glazed butternut squash, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted cauliflower and carrots. FCPS participates in farm to school activities along with 64 percent of school districts in Virginia. [FCPS]
Photo: Early fall produce at Smartmarket Reston
As fear over Ebola spreading in the United States has increased during the last several weeks, researchers Jerry and Nancy Jaax were reminded of another time and place: Reston in October of 1989.
Twenty-five years ago, the husband-and-wife researchers, then working for the United States Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), were called to Reston, where monkeys in a lab at Isaac Newton Square’s Hazleton Labs had contracted a puzzling deadly disease.
That disease is now called Ebola Reston. The Jaaxs’ contributions were chronicled in the bestselling book, The Hot Zone.
The Jaaxes were part of the team that determined how Ebola Reston was spread (contact with an infected animal), why some humans tested positive but never got sick, how to keep it from spreading and how to effectively disinfect the lab where hundreds of monkeys either died or were euthanized.
Ebola Reston remains the only one of the five forms of the disease that is not fatal to humans. Ebola Zaire is the strain that has killed close to 2,500 persons in West Africa this year.
One man, Thomas Eric Duncan, contracted the disease in Liberia. He traveled back to the U.S. and, after initially being sent home, was treated at a Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. He died on Oct. 8. Meanwhile, two nurses who treated Duncan also contracted the disease.
Jerry Jaax, who is now Kansas State University’s associate vice president for research compliance as well as a university veterinarian, says that the Dallas hospital — and all U.S. hospitals — need to be prepared for all possibilities.
“There was no real excuse for a major hospital not to have some meetings and a team of people to handle this,” he said in a phone interview on Monday. “It was inevitable that someone would walk off a plane and present at a U.S. emergency room. I would think they would at least have had a skeleton plan and basic equipment.”
Here is what else the Jaaxes had to say about Ebola Reston, Ebola in the U.S. and the future of the disease.
Q: Have things changed much in infectious disease since the late 1980s, when Ebola Reston was discovered?
Jerry Jaax: Yes and no. When the outbreak was discovered in Reston, there were only two kinds of Ebola. Zaire (the type that is affecting Africa now) and Sudan, which has a very high mortality rate. When we were called to Reston, Ebola had never been reported in monkeys.
When you look at all the angst in this county now, back then only 1 out of 1,000 people had ever even head of Ebola. There wasn’t this tremendous response. There wasn’t the media coverage, which has really ratcheted up the fear.
In retrospect, it made what we were doing a lot easier. We were able to do our thing in relative anonymity. We absolutely were not ready for anything to happen. We really had to cobble together a response in a short period of time. We had to go down [to Reston] and not get people sick.
Read More
Yogiberry shops at South Lakes Village Center and at Reston Town Center have temporarily closed. The froyo spots have been in Reston since the fall of 2012.
Reston’s Yogiberrys, part of a network of shops in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, put up a sign last week that it will be closed for the winter.
Reads the signs at both Reston locations:
Dear Yogiberry Lovers,
We’re CLOSED for the WINTER but we’ll be back in MARCH.
See you then!
Even though the owners say they will reopen, current conditions do not bode well. Yogiberry, which had 11 area locations as of last year, recently closed in College Park, Pentagon City, Olney and Friendship Heights. according to Yelp listings.
In the early 1960s, Reston founder Bob Simon and other planners got to work on what the community should look like — including village centers that would serve as the commercial and social hub of each of Reston’s villages.
Fifty years later, village centers at Hunters Woods, South Lakes, Tall Oaks and North Point generally don’t look like what was planned. Lake Anne Plaza does fit the mold better, but is also undergoing a separate revitalization process.
What ended up serving Reston were essentially suburban shopping centers, heavy on parking spots and light on common areas.
With the second phase of Reston Master Plan up for review, might it be time to revisit the original ideals and work into the comprehensive plan the ability, should a developer want to do so, to revamp the village centers?
That was the main question posed by Fairfax County planners and Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins to participants who came to South Lakes High School Saturday to talk about the future of Reston’s Village Centers.
The village centers served as the model of Simon’s planning, said Hudgins.
“Some have survived over the years, some have not,” she said. “So this text is important — how do you trigger change? It may not happen in short time frame, but we want to be able to get this input on how the community thinks it should move forward.”
Fairfax County planning staff said Saturday they hope to have the final document drafted by mid-2015. But changes could be decades away, if ever.
Whatever changes 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 Board of Supervisors. Read More
Remembering Ralph Cosham Today — A memorial service will be held to celebrate the life of longtime Reston resident and acclaimed actor Ralph Cosham at the RCC CenterStage, 2310 Colts Neck Rd, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 at 7:30pm. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Heart Association in Ralph’s name.
What’s Up With Webb? — The New York Times devoted a lot of ink on Sunday to Reston native Alan Webb, who is transitioning from mile specialist to potential Olympic triathlete. [New York Times]
A Good Look At Fairfax County’s Economy — Dr. Stephen Fuller, Director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, will discuss the transition of the county economy and the development of key assets in the region at a forum on Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. [Fairfax County Chamber]
Photo: Fun at Latino Day at Southgate Community Center on Saturday/Credit: Gerry Connolly’s office
Reston Now is coming up on its one-year anniversary. Thanks to all who have followed us, read our stories and sent us news tips.
There are a few ways this site can be even better for you. Reston Now is a great place to stay updated on your area, publicize an event and talk to your neighbors.
Here are five things to know to make Reston Now work for you.
1. The Newsletter Comes Out Every Afternoon — Want the news of the day to come directly to you? Sign up for our daily newsletter. It will arrive in your inbox every weekday at about 4 p.m. Reading the afternoon newsletter is a great way to catch up on what happened that day. Go to the Reston Now’s homepage and click the envelope symbol or Newsletter on the blue bar to sign up. We won’t spam you with anything else.
2. Want News as It Happens? — Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read our stories all day long. You can leave comments and messages, and speak with editor Karen Goff directly.
3. Something on Your Mind? Let Us Know! — We have lots of ways for you to speak your mind. You can send a letter to the editor to [email protected]. You can comment on every story to engage in discussion with your neighbors. You can answer one of our poll questions. And you can send us an anonymous tip. Coming very soon: Reston Now Forums where you can discuss any topic.
4. Want to Share Your Photos of Reston? — We would love to see them and maybe use them on the site. Visit our Reston Now Flickr Page to upload your pictures, or email a few to [email protected].
5. Mark Our Calendar — Reston Now has a free events calendar, and we will gladly publish information on your fundraiser, performance or any other event around town. Just click on our events page to submit your event.
Affordable housing. Micro housing units. Improved trail connectivity. More architectural continuity and more parks and recreation space.
These are some of the community comments about the Reston Master Plan Phase II from a Sept. 13 community meeting.
Fairfax County planners are in the midst of obtaining community feedback for the next phase of Reston Master Plan changes.
There will be a second community meeting to discuss Reston’s Village Centers on 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18 at South Lakes School, 11400 South Lakes Dr.
Phase I, approved by the Board of Supervisors last winter, guides development around the Metro stations. Phase II will guide future development standards for Reston’s village centers and residential neighborhoods not located at a transit station.
Fairfax County officials say the the current comprehensive plan, last updated in 1989, requires revision because Reston no longer has a master developer to update the plan for Reston; the plan for Reston has outdated elements and with population expected to grow with the arrival of Metro later this year, Reston is evolving as a community.
Fairfax County has a strawman text, which is a work in progress for now.
Read the entire 71-page document.
The Department of Planning and Zoning will take community comments online through December.
Some of the criticisms from the community so far: confusion about the map of exactly the boundaries of Reston; the plan allows too much flexibility; the plan needs more specificity about green space; traffic concerns and traffic concerns.
See a digest of community comments on the Fairfax County website.
More:
- Looking to the Past to Plan Reston’s Future
- Reston 2020 Has Vision for Reston
- Master Plan Draft Highlights Reston’s Future
Photo: Hunters Woods Village Center/file photo
Show everyone in Reston how much you love your pets.
Reston Now has a weekly feature called Pet of the Week, which is sponsored by Becky’s Pet Care.
Want to shine the spotlight on your animal companion? Here is what to do:
Send a 2-3 paragraph bio of your pet (e.g., his name, age, what he likes to do, his favorite places to go) and at least 3-4 horizontal photos to [email protected].
To see what the post will look like, see this previous post on Reston Now.
Each week’s winner will receive dog or cat treats from Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.
Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.
