On Fridays, we take a moment to thank Reston Now’s advertisers and sponsors.
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, the business community for the vibrant region.
Reston Station, Comstock’s mixed-use development and parking garage at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro stop.
The Avant, new luxury rentals in the heart of Reston Town Center.
Berry & Berry, PLLC, Reston law firm specializing in federal employment, retirement, labor union, and security clearance matters.
Just Cats Clinic, Reston’s first cats-only vet practice.
Reston Real Estate, Eve Thompson of Long & Foster Real Estate specializes in Reston homes.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment, bringing you the Washington Mystics season.
Reston Community Center, Serving Reston’s recreational and cultural needs.
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s School of Real Estate, where prospective Realtors can get training to become licensed.
Cindy L. Beyer Design, Reston-based interior design firm with creative ideas for residential and commercial clients.
Van Metre Homes, handcrafted homes since 1955.
Apartment Showcase, your guide to apartments for rent in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Dulles Town Center, the premier shopping and dining destination of Loudoun County.
The sounds of jazz return to Lake Anne Plaza Saturday at the 8th Annual Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival.
The free event offers fun for the whole family, with notable regional and national jazz musicians. The festival runs from 2 to 8 p.m.
There will be cornhole for the kids and beer and wine for adults, featuring Champion Missile IPA from Charlottesville and Bells Oberon Ale from Michigan.
The Initiative for Public Art Rest (IPAR) will have two displays/activities at the festival. One is a mural by Reston artist Abbie Fundling. People of all ages are invited to add their touch of color to the mural.
The other project is Before I Die by artist Candy Chang. Before I Die is an interactive temporary public art project that invites people to share their personal aspirations in public spaces.
The original wall was created in February 2011 on an abandoned house in Candy Chang’s neighborhood in New Orleans. Since then, more than 525 Before I Die walls have been created in 70 countries in over 30 languages.
This year’s musical headliner is the Adrian Duke Project. Duke is a New Orleans-influenced pianist, composer and vocalist.
Performance Schedule
- 2 p.m. — Nia Olibesi Trio
- 3 p.m. — John Lee Quartet
- 4 p.m. — Mykle Lyons Quintet
- 5 p.m. — Chip Bubeck Trio
- 6 p.m. — Sam Gunderson
- 7 p.m. — Adrian Duke Project
The festival is sponsored by Lane Anne Merchants, Friends of Lake Anne, Northern Virginia Magazine, the Reston Community Center, Reston Association and Republic Land Development.
The festival will be held rain or shine.
The cost of swimming in Reston Community Center’s indoor pool will rise next week.
“This fee increase is necessary in order for us to ensure that RCC and the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center continue to offer patrons a high-quality experience,” says RCC executive director Leila Gordon. “Rest assured that our pricing will always factor in the subsidy that Reston patrons should and can expect as a result of the Small District 5 taxes they pay to support RCC.”
Individual swim passes will rise from $4 to $4.50 for an adult Reston resident. That same daily swim rate will now be $9 for a Fairfax County resident (up from $8) and $13 for a non-resident (up from $12). Youth and senior rates will be $2.75 (formerly $2.50), $5.50 and $8.25.
A 20-visit pass will rise to $73 from $65 for Reston adults; the pass will remain at $45 for youth and senior residents.
Other new prices:
- 20-visit pass Fairfax County adult/youth or senior: $146/$90
- 12-month pass Reston adult: $425; County resident, $850; non resident: $1,275
- 12-month pass Reston youth/senior: $215; County resident, $430; non-resident, $645
The pool is currently closed until Sept. 14 for annual maintenance.
For more information, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.org or stop by the Aquatic Services Desk at RCC Hunters Woods.
Fairfax County Fire Rescue personnel will be out on the streets in Reston and the rest of Fairfax County this weekend as part of the annual Fill The Boot campaign. The fundraiser benefits the Greater Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Fairfax County has been taking part in the fundraiser for 30 years, and for the pst eight has consistently finished among the top three in the nation for amount collected during the weekend campaign. Fairfax has frequently topped such large cities as Houston and Los Angeles.
During the 2013 Labor Day weekend campaign, Fairfax County collected over $602,000 for Greater Washington MDA, which was the highest amount collected by any municipality in the US and Canada in 2013. It also was the highest amount collected at any time in the 59-year history of Fill the Boot nationwide.
Firefighters will be out with the boots from Friday to Monday at controlled intersections all over Fairfax County and the Town of Clifton.
Proceeds raised during the campaign help support MDA services and research programs in the Washington, D.C. area, including MDA’s annual camp for kids affected by neuromuscular disease and outpatient clinics for people with more than 40 neuromuscular diseases at Children’s National Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital.
Photo courtesy of MDA
Wendi Kaufman, an accomplished writer who lived in Fox Mill, died on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. She was 50.
Kaufman’s collection of short stories, Helen on 86th Street, is set to be published by Stillhouse Press in September.
Kaufman was a graduate of George Mason University’s MFA writing program. She was a frequent contributor to Washingtonian and The Washington Post. Her fiction writing had been published in the New Yorker, as well as many literary journals and magazines.
“I grew up in a sleepy town in the Hudson River Valley, about an hour from New York City, the kind of place Washington Irving wrote about,” Kaufman told an interviewer who used the original Helen on 86th Street story as a classroom assignment.
“I always felt it was a boring town, a place where nothing ever happened. What I didn’t realize was that the most important things were happening around me every day, the drama of daily life.”
A New York native, Kaufman was a winner of the Mary Roberts Rhinehart Award for Short Fiction and was a Breadloaf Writer’s Conference Scholar in Fiction. She also was a fellowship awardee from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Kaufman was also a voracious reader. She once gave this advice for young writers:
“Simple: Read, read, read. And, of course, keep writing. There are things that come out on the page, when pen hits paper, that you weren’t expecting, that you didn’t plan for. Those are the moments we all strive for. Writing is about possibilities, about freedom of the blank page.”
Kaufman was a member of Shoreshim of Reston. She is survived by her husband, David, and two teenage sons, Alex and Eli.
Memorial contributions can be made to Inova’s Life With Cancer Program.
Photo: Wendi Kaufman/Credit: Elizabeth Osborne
Lots of Soccer — Join the Reston Soccer Association for their Fall Kick-off Festival on Sunday, Aug. 31 at South Lakes High School. The free event is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be soccer activities and scrimmages on the new turf fields of the main stadium and practice fields nearby. The concession stand will be open. There will be Reston Soccer spirit wear for sale, as well as a gear donation and swap table. Also on hand: author Radovan Pletka, who will sign and sell his book Soccer Is a Thinking Game: A Simple Approach to Coaching Youth Soccer (Ages 5-12).
Peek At What It Is Like To Be A Cop — Fairfax County Police are inviting local teens to check out their Explorer Program, where they can get an up-close look at law enforcement. An info session will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. [Fairfax County Police]
Guidelines For Free Or Reduced Lunch — Fairfax County Public Schools has this year’s guidelines for qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Look for an application in your mailbox this week. [FCPS]
Photo: Since the school is under construction, Terraset ES teachers (and mascot) took to the streets this week to meet incoming students. Credit: Ginger Hornung
Lakeside Pharmacy, which has been operating at Lake Anne Plaza for 44 years, will shut its doors on Sept. 22.
The store was the last original store at Lake Anne. After being on and off the market for five years, the space was sold to an investor last spring. The deal closed in late May, with the hope that the store would remain in continuous operation. However, talks with a new, independent pharmacy failed to reach a deal.
Prescriptions on file at Lakeside Pharmacy will be transferred to the CVS at Plaza America, pharmacist and former owner Larry Cohn said.
Cafe Lakeside, the breakfast and lunch counter located in the pharmacy, closed in February. Owners Alfredo and Rocio Melendez, who had operated the space since 2011, said they wanted to retire since the future of the space was unknown.
The lunch counter space is being marketed for sale or lease separately, so a prospective tenant would not necessarily have to run the business inside another business.
The waterfront space that houses Lakeside Pharmacy is not slated for redevelopment as part of Lake Anne Development Partners’ (Republic Development) plan for the area.
Because the pharmacy is in the historic part of Lake Anne, it cannot undergo big changes. Nearby areas such as the current parking lot at Lake Anne Plaza, a grove of trees owned by Reston Association and Crescent Apartments are included in the plan, which includes 60,000 square feet of new retail space, up to 82,500 square feet of office space, and 1,037 residential units.
Meanwhile, other Lake Anne businesses are changing hands or have recently closed. Jasmine Cafe, a locally owned restaurant on the plaza, closed in April. The Lake Anne Coffee House is for sale. The Cupcake Ladi and New Family Naturals also recently closed.
New South Lakes High School football coach Trey Taylor knows this will be a rebuilding year for the Seahawks.
Only four players with varsity experience return to the team. But with nearly 20 years as a coach, Taylor believes he can get South Lakes where it needs to be.
“We’re in a building stage,” he said Tuesday as the Seahawks practiced in preparation for Friday’s opener against Madison. “The team graduated 25 seniors. The good part is we are learning a new system and everyone is new. The bad part is, everyone is new.”
The Seahawks finished 5-6 in 2013, making a return to the playoffs, where they lost to eventual state champs Centreville.
Taylor, 42, replaces Marvin Wooten, the South Lakes alum who coached the team for three seasons. Wooten resigned last spring.
Taylor is a former West Springfield and Frostburg State (Md.) player who has coached at a long list of Fairfax County Schools. Taylor was the defensive coordinator for South County last season. Prior to that, he spent two years as head coach at Robinson.
Taylor’s most successful run was five years at Woodson, going 31-23 and leading the team to the state semifinals in 2004 and the regional final in 2009.
Taylor says he sees potential in many South Lakes players, but there is some “ground to make up in the weight room.”
“Longterm, there is a very positive outlook here,” he said.
With the opener just days away, Taylor is still figuring out who should start at quarterback. Top candidates include senior Tavarius Lee, who mostly played defense but saw some time at quarterback in 2013, and former offensive tackle Matteo Rule.
South County, which averaged more that 40 points per game last year, used an up-tempo offense. Look for Taylor to incorporate that style into the Seahawks’ offensive plan.
Returning to Seahawks is Darius Hawkins, who will play both receiver and free safety.
Underclassman to watch include Damon Johnson, Chris Logan, Kevin Miles, Spencer Alstad and Noah Seneca, said Taylor.
“To be replacing nine [positions] on both sides of the ball a little unusual,” he said. “But we have some good kids coming up.”
Food Truck Wednesday Today — Food Truck Wednesday is back at Reston Town Center this week. Here’s who will be at Town Square Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Willie’s Po’ Boy, DC Empanadas, Doug the Food Dude, PassionFish on their patio and Captain Cookie and the Milk Man.
Washington Area Among the Worst. … for Drivers — Allstate has a new annual ranking of US cities by the quality of their motorists. Washington again ranks among the lowest. Out of the country’s 200 largest cities, DC was ranked 198th for the second consecutive year. [Washingtonian]
Be Prepared — Fairfax County’s Office of Emergency Management is holding meetings all over the county to discuss how citizens can be prepared for emergencies. Mark your calendars for Sept. 18 at the Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station. Participants will also have a chance to win an emergency car kit from State Farm. [Fairfax County]
FCPD Gets In On The “Ice Bucket Challenge” — Police officers do their part to raise money for ALS research. [YouTube]
Photo: Workers prep South Lakes High School’s “Senior Wall” for the Class of 2015
Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station arrested three suspects following a robbery at a convenience store in the 9900 block of Georgetown Pike early Monday.
Police said three men entered the 7-Eleven in Great Falls and took beer without paying. While fleeing, the suspects assaulted a store employee ,who was subsequently transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Responding police officers located all three suspects and took them into custody. Diego Anticona, 28, of Herndon was charged with robbery and resisting arrest. Jorge Anticona-Choy, 27, of Herndon was charged with robbery. Juan Ramos-Marroquin, 33, of Chantilly was charged with robbery.
In other crime news:
Fairfax County Police report that four break-ins occurred in Reston in the last week. In two incidents, property was stolen.
In the first incident, a resident reported an unknown man walked into a home in the 2300 block of Colts Brook Drive. The man entered through an unlocked door, police said. The suspect also entered the victim’s vehicle. Nothing was taken.
There was another attempted burglary in the 11700 block of Olde English Drive on Aug. 22 at 1:41 a.m. A resident reported an unknown man entered the residence through an unsecured door. The suspect left immediately when the he heard someone was in the home. Nothing was taken.
The resident described the suspect was described as black and approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall.
There were two burglaries reported on Aug. 21. A resident of the 1800 block of Old Reston Ave, told police someone entered the residence and took property. The other burglary was in the 11700 block of North Shore Drive. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
LARCENIES
- 1400 block of North Point Village Center, electronic equipment from business.
- 2200 block of Colts Neck Road, electronic equipment from vehicle.
- 400 block of Arnon Chapel Road, laptop computer, and purse from residence.
- 9600 block of Beach Mill Road, property from vehicle.
- 12000 block of Bowman Towne Drive, cell phone from business.
- 2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, wine from business.
- 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business.
- 2100 block of Monaghan Drive, bicycle from residence.
- 1200 block of Rowland Rive, wallet from vehicle.
- Springwood Drive/Karbon Hill Court, cell phone from vehicle.
- 11400 block of South Lakes Drive, wallet from school.
- 12000 block of Holly Leaf Court, wallet from location
- 12500 block of Thunder Chase Drive, license plate from vehicle
- 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, boxes of candies from business.
- 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, lighter from business.
- 2300 block of Meadow Willow circle, bicycle from residence.
Cameron Glen Care Center officially shut its doors in Reston on July 1.
The future of the facility, a 150-bed nursing and rehabilitation unit, had been known for some time. Commonwealth Care of Roanoke, the parent company of Cameron Glen, built a $22 million new facility, Potomac Falls Rehab in Sterling. Potomac Falls says 120 patients made the move from Reston to Sterling.
The facility even took its orange sign with them when they moved, leaving a tattered Cameron Glen sign in its place.
The move leaves a hole in Reston’s amenities as there is now no nursing home in Reston. Could the building be used for another residential facility such as a school or treatment center?
There is discussion that the land may be part of the plans for Reston’s Town Center North area. The 47-acre area, of which Cameron Glen is just a part, is bounded by Baron Cameron Avenue, Fountain Drive, and Town Center Parkway and Reston Parkway. The land is owned by two parties: Fairfax County and Inova.
Some possible uses that have been discussed for Town Center North include the location of a proposed new Reston Community Center indoor pool and recreation center; a hotel; residential development and parks.
Whether Town Center North includes the Cameron Glen parcel or not, it would still have to go through a master plan process, as well as county and Reston planning requirements.
What do you think should be developed in Cameron Glen’s place? Tell us in the comments.
South Lakes High School students, parents, siblings, teachers and the whole community are invited to the 5th annual Seahawk Block Party on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
The block party, which takes place in the student parking lot, is SLHS’ back-to-school carnival. There will be reps from various South Lakes student organizations and teams, Reston Association, Reston Community Center and other groups.
There will be a moon bounce and face painting for younger kids, as well as food trucks and stands including Tropical Smoothie, Honey Baked Ham, Lucia’s Italian Restaurant, Potbelly and Jerry’s Subs.
After the party, South Lakes varsity football will open the season against James Madison High School at 7:30 p.m. South Lakes has a new coach, Trey Taylor.
Block party admission is free; game admission is $5.
To see the full Seahawks football schedule, visit the South Lakes Athletics website.
The 2014-15 school year begins Tuesday, Sept. 2. Parents can take part in a meet-and-greet with counselors on Thursday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Want to mark your calendar for Back to School nights? Find info on the Fairfax County Public Schools website.
File photo of South Lakes Football 2013
Fairfax County has discovered that more than one dozen people may have voted in both Fairfax and Montgomery (Md.) counties during the 2012 General Election.
The Fairfax County Electoral Board has referred 17 names to the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia and the federal Department of Justice for investigation of possible voter fraud. The county says some of the people’s names have appeared in multiple federal elections over the last decade.
“The Electoral Board takes its responsibility to ensure election integrity seriously,” Board Secretary Brian W. Schoeneman said in a statement. “After our initial review of county voting records and a comparison to Maryland voting records, we determined that it was in the public interest to refer these individuals to law enforcement for investigation.”
Schoeneman says the people “have not been accused of a crime and are of diverse ages, genders and political affiliations.”
The issues were revealed earlier this year after a third party voter organization review. The county then requested voting records from Maryland, which were compared to Fairfax County’s records. A review of those records led the board to conclude that there was sufficient evidence to warrant referrals to law enforcement for further investigation. A statewide list was provided to the Virginia Department of Elections, Schoeneman said.
The Cupcake Ladi bakery at Lake Anne Plaza has closed its doors.
The shop opened at 11412 Washington Plaza West in 2010, when the national cupcake trend was on the rise.
The Cupcake Ladi featured cupcakes made with organic ingredients and a portion of receipts were donated to groups that helped animals, the owner said.
No word on whether The Cupcake Ladi will continue as a bakery service without a shop or what else will go in there.
Earlier this month, New Family Naturals, a locally owned health food store and juice bar located two doors down at 11414 Washington Plaza, closed after a little more that two years in business.
Crooked Lines On 66 — Virginia Department of Transportation officials worked overnight to make corrections to crooked striping on I-66 from Centreville to Gainesville. Monday morning commuters ended up following the crooked lines, which could be fully seen from a helicopter photo. VDOT has apologized to motorists who may have driven through the “very unsafe and messed up lanes right around Centreville on 66.” [WTOP]
New Face For Hornets — Herndon High football is getting ready for the 2014 season, its first under new coach Jeremiah Davis, a former Penn State lineman and former head coach at West Potomac. [Fairfax Times]
Silver Line Has Effect On Bus Line — Ridership numbers for the Fairfax Connector bus system during the second and third weeks of Silver Line service are down when compared to the same weeks last year. [Washington Post]
