The fourth annual Reston Kids Triathlon will ride and run through South Reston on Sunday.
While registration for the event for athletes ages 6 to 14 is full, here are some things to know if you want to watch the race or need to get around Sunday while the racers are in the streets.
The race begins at 8 a.m. at Ridge Heights Pool, 11400 Ridge Heights Rd.
The bike course will travel down Ridge Heights to Seahawk Drive (younger kids) and on Ridge Heights Road, Soapstone Drive and South Lakes Drive (older kids). Roads will not be completely closed, but lanes will be blocked. Drivers should plan ahead and proceed with caution.
The running portion will take place on the Reston Association paths around Terraset Elementary, Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School. The finish line is at the west end of Langston Hughes.
On Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., Gearin’ Up Bicycles is teaming up with the Reston Kids Triathlon to hold a one-day collection of used bicycles at the Packet Pickup for the triathlon at the YMCA Fairfax County Reston. The donated bikes will be used for Earn-A-Bike and job training programs in D.C., where kids and adults will recondition the bicycles while learning mechanic skills. For more information, visit www.GearinUpBicycles.org.
The triathlon will benefit programs at the YMCA Fairfax County Reston and Reston Association.
Photo: Reston Kids Triathlon/File photo by Charlotte Geary
Reston Association’s board of directors plans to rescind a proposal to build a bocce court at Cabots Point Recreation Area after complaints from several nearby residents.
In December, RA’s Board of Directors voted to authorize construction of the lawn bowling court at the area off of South Lakes Drive. The $2,500 cost would be paid for by Friends of Reston, said South Lakes Director Richard Chew, who proposed the amenity. The design plan was approved by RA’s Design Review Board in June and $1,700 has already been donated to the project, RA documents show.
RA CEO Cate Fulkerson has now proposed taking the plan off the table and coming up with an alternate plan that may or may not include bocce for Cabots Point. The directors will vote on it at their regular monthly meeting tonight.
Fulkerson says several RA members who live near Cabots Point have contacted RA “concerned that proper notification and opportunity for public input or a hearing was not made regarding the proposed project and change in use of the recreation area.”
Bill Parker, a South Bay resident told the board in an email “we object because, as an affected party, we were not informed of the plan in advance, and because the space that would be compromised is directly in line with Reston’s concept of openness, community, and beauty. In addition, there is extremely limited parking in the area and the corner of Cabots Point Lane and South Lakes Drive is already subject to significant traffic.”
Parker said he hopes the board will listen and this unfortunately conceived and improperly implemented proposal will be overturned. By doing so, the playground and open space that is currently enjoyed informally by so many will not be transformed into a sport-specific park that could easily be placed elsewhere in Reston.”
Photo: Bocce/file photo
With music blaring, a vehicle bearing treats came rolling through some of the neighborhoods near Terraset Elementary in South Reston on Wednesday night.
But it was not the ice cream man.
It was Terraset staffer Deana Dueno, who is hoping to encourage reading for the students this summer.
Dueno was formerly a classroom teacher at Terraset, where she amassed a large collection of books for her room over the past decade. She is transferring to the library this fall, so the classroom collection needs a new home.
In previous years, the school library was open summer hours for students to come in and read and check out books. But with Terraset in the midst of a huge renovation, that is not possible this year, says Dueno.
“I need to pass these books on and kids may need something else to read,” says Dueno. “And , if they haven’t read a thing yet — maybe this help!
Dueno — in her little blue car while playing Pharrell’s “Happy,” — visited neighborhoods off of South Lakes Drive Wednesday night and reports it was a huge success. She and her helpers will be out again tonight along Ridge Heights Road, and will likely drive around next week too, so listen for the song.
Kids are invited to take a book or trade a book. And donations for more books are being accepted. If you have books your children have outgrown and want to help, put your contact info in the comments below or email [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
Photo courtesy of Deana Dueno
There is worldwide concern over the worst Ebola outbreak in history. The current outbreak has killed nearly 700 people in four African countries, according to the World Health Organization.
The hemorrhagic disease is half a world away, but when scientists study Ebola and how it spreads, they often look to Reston.
That’s right, Reston, Va. There is a strain of Ebola called “Ebola Reston,” because it was discovered here in 1990.
There are five types of Ebola that can kill humans. Ebola Reston was discovered to only kill moneys, though
However, that discovery came after a serious medical investigation, chronicled in the book The Hot Zone.
Here’s what happened:
In the fall of 1989, Hazelton Laboratories had a lab at 1946 Isaac Newton Square West, where KinderCare is now located. The lab did animal experiments.
There were already about 500 macaque monkeys housed at the facility when 100 more were flown from the Philippines, according to an article in the Internet Journal of Preventative Medicine.
A month later, 29 of the 100 quarantined monkeys had died. During a necropsy, a veterinarian found one monkey’s spleen had tripled in size and hardened and there was blood in the intestines. After conducting several other necropsies he diagnosed the deaths as being caused by simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV), the Journal article said.
The Hazelton facility veterinarian then sent samples of the monkey tissues to the United States Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) for a conclusive diagnosis. Meanwhile, Hazelton lab workers began euthanizing the remaining animals, but sporadic deaths began occurring in several other rooms. Soon, 30 monkeys from a different shipment were dead.
More from the Journal: Read More
Felons’ Voting Rights Restored — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe restored the voting rights of 2,500 felons on Wednesday. After previous Gov. Bob McDonnell began the process, McAuliffe in April made the process more transparent by reducing the waiting period for offenders with more serious offenses to have their rights automatically restored. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
South Reston A No-Fly Zone? — Big portions below the Dulles Toll Road are off-limits to drones. [Restonian]
Sailing the Seas In Reston — Lake Fairfax was invaded by pirates last weekend. [Reston Connection]
Landfill’s Future — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday not to extend the life of the Lorton landfill and the 250-acre operation will close in 2018. Here are answers to some residents’ questions. [Washington Post]
Photo: Lake Anne at Night/Credit: Charlotte Geary
Western Fairfax County returns to it agricultural heritage this weekend when the 66th Annual 4-H Fair and Carnival comes to Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West Ox Rd. in Herndon.
The fair runs Thursday through Sunday and will feature 18 competitions ranging from woodworking to vegetables to sewing to baking to livestock, among others.
There will also be carnival rides, carousel rides and wagon rides. Unlimited ride tickets can be purchased for $25 or individually for $1 each (most rides are three or four tickets).
Visit the Frying Pan Park website for a ride ticket discount coupon.
Schedule Highlights
Thursday
- Carnival rides 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Cow milking demonstration in the Kidwell Barn: 4 p.m; Free
- Free Concert: Afro Bop Alliance (Afro-Cuban/Jazz) 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
- Free parking
Friday
- Carnival Rides: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Cow milking demonstration in the Kidwell Barn 4 p.m.; Free
- Big Truck Night in the Farm Yard: 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Free
- 4-H Competition in the 4-H Building: Entry drop off and walk in registration 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Stationary departments judged: 7 p.m. (Closed to the public)
- Free parking
Saturday
- 4-H Exhibits, Animal Shows and Entertainment: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Carnival Rides: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Carousel and wagon Rides: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Tractor Pull: 4 p.m.
- $7 parking (cash or check; Debit and Credit cards not accepted)
Sunday
- 4-H Exhibits, Animal Shows and Entertainment: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Carnival Rides: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Carousel and wagon Rides: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- $7 parking (cash or check; Debit and Credit cards not accepted)
Photo of Fairfax County 4-H Fair courtesy of Fairfax County
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a contract that lets building get underway on the Silver Line’s next parking structure.
The $57 million garage at the Innovation Center Metro Station will have space for approximately 2,100 cars. Innovation Center, to be built as part of Phase II of the Silver Line, will be located near the intersection of the Dulles Toll Road and Route 28.
Fairfax County committed to building the garage as part of the agreement reached three years ago to pay for the Silver Line’s second phase. The county plans to pay for the garage by selling parking revenue bonds from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.
“Fairfax County vigorously pursued public-private partnerships to help defray the cost and make Phase II of the Silver Line a reality,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova said. “I am proud to approve this agreement today and look forward to cutting the ribbon on this garage as we did on the now-open Wiehle-Reston East station garage, another public-private partnership.”
The Wiehle-Reston East garage –which has 3,300 parking spaces, as well as bus bays, kiss-and-ride lanes and a secure bike room — opened along with the Silver Line’s Phase I last Saturday. After sharing the costs to built the $90 million garage, developer Comstock will pay the county $2.9 million annually in rent in order to build the 1.5 million-square-foot Reston Station mixed use development above the garage.
The 450-unit BLVD apartments are currently under construction at Reston Station. Comstock plans two office towers, a hotel and retail space there as well.
Preliminary site work for Innovation Center, which will built as part of partnership with Rock Engineering Company and Nugget Joint Venture, is expected to begin in 2015 and construction is planned for 2016, the county said. The Silver Line’s Phase II is projected for a 2018 opening.
The county will own, operate and maintain the garage that will be a three- to six-minute walk to the Metro station’s entrance, according to the agreement. The garage will be integrated into a new, 1.6 million-square-foot mixed-use development that will feature a 190-room hotel; 104,000 square feet of retail; 501,000 square feet of office; and about 1,005 apartments spread across seven buildings.
Features of the garage include:
- A projected 2,108 parking spaces.
- Four bus bays.
- About 25 kiss-and-ride spaces that include a taxi stand, plus four motorcycle spaces.
- A secure bike room for about 100 bicycles.
The eight-level garage will have one story below ground and seven above, including rooftop parking. This top level incorporates planted trees, helping to screen parked cars from the taller, neighboring buildings.
Some of the details of the contract:
- The transaction ratifies a land swap with developers Rock Engineering Company and Nugget Joint Venture, which are developing the site together. The trade allowed the county and developers each to consolidate land holdings at the 14.68-acre site. Currently undeveloped, it sits directly south of the Toll Road where the new Metro station will be built.
- The deal gives the county a 5.5-acre spot for the garage and kiss-and-ride spaces while the developers will build out the remaining 9.1 acres.
- The county agreed to share the cost for common infrastructure needed on the 14.68-acre site, along with a pocket park and a one-acre, landscaped plaza surrounding the entrance to the Metro station. The pocket park will be used to filter and retain stormwater from the entire site.
- The county will pick up about 40 percent of these costs or about $7 million, and this cost is included in the estimated $57 million total amount that will take to design and build the garage.
Food Truck Wednesday Is Back — The monthly Food Truck Wednesdays return to Reston Town Center today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop by Reston Town Square Park and check out Crepe Love, Doug the Food Dude, Chef on Wheels, PassionFish (on their patio) and Sweetz Cheescake.
Is There A Post-Shutdown Baby Boom? — The federal government shutdown was about nine months ago. What did area residents do to pass the time off? According to some area hospitals, we may be in the midst of baby boom. [Washington Post]
Are We Headed For A Harsh Winter? — By Northern Virginia standards, this summer has been highly unusual. Tuesday’s highs in the 70s were at nearly 20 degrees cooler than what we usually find in late July. But does a cool summer mean we are headed for the other extreme — a harsh winter? [WTOP]
New Day Job For McElveen — Fairfax County Public Schools At-Large Board member Ryan McElveen has a new day job. McElveen has been appointed Assistant Director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution. [China Daily]
Photo of Reston Station Plaza by Dave Lepkowski
Fairfax County Police report that two cars were stolen at Reston Town Center in the last week.
The first one, a 2011 Toyota Corolla, was reported stolen on Friday from the 12000 block of Town Square. The second, a 2009 Honda Pilot, was stolen over the weekend.
Motor vehicle thefts have been falling in Reston in recent years. The FCPD’s Reston District Station reported 48 stolen autos in 2013, down from 59 in 2012.
In other crime news this week from the Reston District Station:
BURGLARY, 1400 block of Northgate Square, July 22. A resident reported someone entered the apartment and took property.
LARCENIES
- FarmCrest Drive/Cornelia Road, wallet from vehicle
- 11700 block of Plaza America Drive, bicycle from business
- 12500 block of Ridge Gate Drive, property from residence
- 2100 block of Salt Kettle Way, bicycle from residence
- 12000 block of Bowman Towne Drive, cell phone from residence
- 12000 block of Greywing Square, tools from vehicle
- 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, bicycle from business
- 11900 block of Market Street, cell phone from business
- 10500 block of Patrician Woods Court, items from vehicle
- 2400 block of Reston Parkway, property from business
Fairfax County Public Schools students still have a month until they return to the classroom, but the time to get ready may be this weekend.
Virginia will hold its annual back-to-school sales tax holiday Friday, Aug.1 through Sunday, Aug. 3.
During the three-day event, most school and office supplies that cost $20 or less each, as well as clothing items and pairs of shoes priced at $100 or less, will be exempt from Virginia’s 5.3 percent state and local sales tax. You will save even more in Fairfax County, where the sales tax is 6 percent.
Here is what is on the list of tax-exempt items: pens, pencils, loose leaf ruled notebook paper, scissors, binders, backpacks, construction paper, sneakers, hats, shirts, dresses, jeans, bathing suits, lunch boxes, diapers, T-shirts, choir outfits and uniforms. For a more complete list, visit the Virginia Department of Taxation’s website.
There is no requirement that the purchases be made for school purpose. All retailers who sell the exempt items are required to participate. Online purchases of qualifying items are also tax-exempt during the sales tax holiday.
“This is an event that benefits both consumers and businesses in Virginia,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in a statement. “Many families will be sending more than one child off to school soon, and this gives them an opportunity to save money on purchases that are necessary to get them ready for class.”
Photo of backpack courtesy of Target
Should the Pony Barn picnic area become a memorial garden? Should it stay just as it is?
These are some of the questions Reston Association had. Now its wants to know your thoughts and answers.
RA will be holding the first of a series of community meetings on the Pony Barn’s future Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Pony Barn (intersection of Steeplechase Drive and Triple Crown Road).
RA is also looking for volunteers to serve on a task force on the topic.
The Pony Barn Area served as an actual pony barn in Reston’s early days. It helped support the nearby equestrian center. Both are long gone.
The pony barn was torn down after a fire in the 1980s. On the site, Reston Association opened the Pony Barn Picnic Pavilion, a 2006-square foot picnic pavilion near the Glade Stream. There is also a swing set, grills and an open lawn area.
But it may be time to repurpose the Pony Barn area. Last November, the RA Board of Directors marked $30,000 in the 2014 Capital Expense Budget for renovations to the Pony Barn area.
The board will consider a variety of uses, including a memorial garden of reflection, a concept organized by Reston’s Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR) and mentioned in the recent Reston Master Plan revision.
When Reston was founded, founder Bob Simon was not a fan of the funeral industry and purposely planned the community with no cemeteries.
Fifty years later — and with many longtime Restonians dying — some community members now wish they had a place for quiet reflection and remembrance of their friends. IPAR’s vision is not a cemetery.
The IPAR Memorial Garden committee was formed in 2011 after the death of IPAR supporter Ann Rodriguez. It envisions a site with natural beauty, wooded elements, as well as walkways and benches. Once the project is awarded a site, the next steps will be to raise money to fund the project, as well as hire a landscape designer.
RA says it hopes to have a final plan for the Pony Barn’s future this fall.
File photo of RA’s Pony Barn Pavilion
The red ribbon has been cut and Phase I of Metro’s long-awaited Silver Line is now open.
Residents can now look forward to the completion of Phase II, which will take them all the way to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County. The expected completion date is in 2018.
Here are some things to know about the next next 11-mile phase, which is expected to cost $2.9 billion.
1. There will be six stops.
Silver Line Phase II will stop at Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Dulles International Airport, and Routes 606 and 772 in Loudoun County.
The Reston Parkway station, located on the Dulles Toll Road, will be a few blocks from Reston Town Center. However, future planned development for the area between the station and the existing toll road will practically bring the gateway to the town center to meet the station.
2. Phase II money problems are not completely solved.
When Metro’s Silver Line project received approval for $1.9 billion in federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans in May, it seemed as though Phase II’s money woes were solved and tolls would remain steady for the next five years. While Phase I received $900 million in federal funding, Phase 2 did not, which put the project in a precarious position the last several years.
The project has been approved for $1.9 billion in federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans, but the U.S. Department of Transportation recently notified all states that restrictions will be placed on their federal highway funds starting Aug. 1 because the Highway Trust Fund, which funds the TIFIA loans, is bordering on bankruptcy.
3. Preliminary design work is underway.
Capital Rail Constructors, a joint venture of Clark Construction Group and Kiewit Infrastructure South, are building Phase II. However, a year ago, the contractors predicting starting construction work in Spring 2014. That has not happened. Like Phase I, there will probably only be an “estimated” completion date for quite a while.
4. You will still need your walking shoes at Dulles.
There was a big battle three years ago about whether to make the airport stop an expensive underground tunnel or a more cost-effective above-ground station across the parking lot from the main terminal. The above-ground station won. Passengers will have to pass through a pedestrian tunnel with a moving sidewalk to get to the terminal. In the meantime, the Silver Line Express will carry airport-goers to Wiehle-Reston East to Dulles (and vice versa) for $5 trip.
5. You will be able to access the Reston Parkway station from both sides of the Dulles Toll Road. Here is what else is planned for Reston Parkway: Pedestrian bridge crossing; bus drop-off and Kiss-and-Ride at both entrances; 28 bicycle racks, 6 lockers on North side and 10 racks and five lockers on South side.
Photo by Jennifer Heffner, Vita Images
Reston’s first Silver Line Metro station at Wiehle-Reston East opened on Saturday with much fanfare.
The mixed-use development at Reston Station, which sits atop the seven-level underground garage adjacent to the Metro station, is still a work in progress. Eventually, there will be more than 1 million square feet of office, hotel, retail and residential space, says Comstock, the developer of the project.
One part of Reston Station is ready to go though: the 10,000-square-foot retail building (which will eventually be the hotel lobby when it is constructed).
What do you thing would make a good business (or businesses, as it can be divided) there? What could the plaza really use as its first restaurant or store?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Red Cross Needs Blood — The American Reston Cross says there is a critical blood shortage in the D.C. area. The organization is urging eligible blood donors to give if they can. [WTOP]
Computers Offline At Reston Regional Library — There will be no computer service at Reston Regional Library through Friday as the computers are being upgraded. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Virginia’s Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional Again — A federal appeals court panel on Monday upheld a decision that said Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. By a 2 to 1 vote, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond said that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed under the Constitution regardless of sexual orientation. This may pave the way for same-sex marriage to be recognized here. [Washington Post]
Solving Overcrowding in Fairfax Housing — The county seeks new ways to provide affordable housing and ease overcrowding in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets. [Washington Post]
Photo: Paddleboarding on Lake Anne/Credit: Jim Kirby
With the first rush hour in the books, Metro officials can now get a clearer picture of how daily traffic will be at the five new stations, as well as the Silver Line’s impact on existing stations.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, Wiehle-Reston East — which will be the end of the Silver Line until 2018 — was the 12th-busiest entry point to the system, says the transit agency. Metro says 4,727 riders boarded trains at Wiehle-Reston East, putting it on par with Columbia Heights and busier than Rosslyn or Ballston.
Reston is the only Silver Line station with parking, and riders made good use of the 3,300 available garage spots, as well as 300 free spots in the county-owned former Park and Ride lot on Sunset Hills Road. Wiehle-Reston East is also the new bus drop off for Fairfax and Loudoun connector buses that used to travel to Orange Line stations.
“We are off to a really good start at Wiehle,” said Metro spokesman Dan Stessel.
Stessel said there were no big surprises from the morning commute. Most commuters said their commute went smoothly once they understood new info such as where to park or where to pick up their connector bus. Read some of their stories in this Reston Now story.
“We spent a lot of time preparing for today,” said Stessel.
Metro says there were 9,715 total trips from or to a new Silver Line station Monday morning.
Here is the breakdown:
- Greensboro: 185 entries, 332 exits
- McLean: 568 entries, 442 exits
- Spring Hill: 559 entries, 432 exits
- Tysons Corner: 507 entries, 1,063 exits
Meanwhile, the drop in Orange Line riders was noticeable. Most Silver Line riders formerly took feeder buses or drove to Orange Line stations at Vienna and East and West Falls Church.
Metro said morning rush hour boardings were down 66 percent at West Falls Church.
“The last four stations of the Orange Line saw morning rush hour drop from 23,000 boardings two weeks ago to 15,000 today,” Stessel said. “Those boardings have shifted to the Silver Line.”
However, the total number of overall Metro riders did not grow much on Monday. Stessel said 240,000 rode the train in the morning, which is was within a few hundred of last Monday’s numbers.
Photo: Metro passengers at Wiehle-Reston East turnstiles Monday morning/Credit: Ken Plum
