The Virginia Department of Transportation wants to warn E-ZPass users of a potential phishing scam.

VDOT and E-Z Pass Virginia say e-mails have been sent to some customers with this awkwardly worded warning: “You have not paid for driving on a toll road. This invoice is sent repeatedly. Please service your debt in the shortest possible time.”

The e-mail includes a link  to click to pay.

From E-ZPass: “Please be advised that this is not a communication from E-ZPass. It is likely a phishing scam. We advise you not to open or respond to the message. If you have questions about the validity of any message received from E-ZPass, please contact our Customer Service Center at 877-762-7824.”

E-ZPass says valid e-mails from them will have these return addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].

In other E-ZPass news, Virginia’s E-ZPass program did away with its monthly maintenance fee on transponders. In April, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed legislation that required the elimination of the monthly maintenance fees by Sept. 1, 2014. At the Governor’s direction, the Virginia Department of Transportation began implementing the change on July. 1.

Visitors to the Smithsonian’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport now have a public transportation option: taking the Metro.

After the Silver Line opens on July 26, Fairfax County Connector Route 983 will run every 20 minutes from the Wiehle-Reston East Station to the Udvar-Hazy Center.

That means Air and Space enthusiasts will be linked to both museums by public transportation. The Silver Line stop closest to the museum’s Washington location is L’Enfant Plaza, two blocks from its Independence Avenue entrance.

“Bridging the 28-mile distance between our two buildings will help us serve more people,” J.R. “Jack” Dailey, director of the museum, said in a release. “Those who depend on public transportation, including many tourists, will now be able to experience the full breadth and scope of our collection, spanning more than a century of flight. We are grateful to Fairfax County for helping to make this service possible.”

This is also good news for local residents. While admission to the Smithsonian’s museums is free, parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center is $15. Taking the bus from Wiehle-Reston East will save money.

Route 983 will also stop at the Reston Town Center Transit Station, Herndon-Monroe and Dulles International Airport. See more details on the Fairfax Connector website.

When Metro’s Silver Line project received approval for $1.9 billion in federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans last May, it seemed as though funding challenges for the line’s Phase 2 were solved.

But that money may now be in jeopardy, and Rep. Gerry Connolly is urging his fellow Congressmen to act quickly to reach a solution.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has 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. Some experts have estimated the fund needs an infusion of more than $6 billion to move forward.

“The urgency for Congress to address the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund grows with each passing day,” Connolly said late last week. “Road, bridge, and eventually mass transit improvements in every state are at risk of grinding to a halt in a matter of weeks in the heart of the summer construction season unless we act responsibly to address this challenge.”

While Phase 1 of the $5.6 billion rail line — which is slated to open July 26 — received $900 million in federal funding, Phase 2 originally received none. Many observers, including citizen advocacy group Reston 2020, predicted a large spike in tolls to make up the difference.

Tolls have risen the last three years, but with TIFIA loans in place they would remain frozen for five years, MWAA officials said last spring. Phase 2 is also slated to receive $300 million from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Phase 2 will run from Reston’s Wiehle Avenue to stations at Reston Parkway, Herndon, Route 28, Dulles International Airport and Ashburn. Phase 2 is scheduled to open in 2018.

The Silver Line’s $1.9 billion is to be largest loan in the TIFIA program’s history. Sen. Mark Warner said earlier this spring that the final approval is “great news for the future economic growth of Northern Virginia.” 

The Highway Trust Fund is financed through the federal gas tax, which is currently 18.3 cents per gallon, but that surcharge has not been adjusted since 1993 and the tax has lost nearly 40 purchasing power. In recent years, Congress has had to transfer money from the General Fund to keep the Trust Fund solvent.

The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates Trust Fund expenses will exceed revenue starting in August.  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the Trust Fund needs an infusion of $6.6 billion to meet its obligations through December.

In Virginia, nearly every mode of transportation will be negatively affected by the trust fund shortfall, said Connolly. Here are some of the other effects if the federal funds fall through, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation:

• 149 bridge replacements would be put on hold
• 175 aging buses and train cars would not be replaced
• 44 smaller transit systems would not be able to maintain service
• 350 other projects would grind to a halt
• 43,000 jobs would be lost

“Roads and bridges are crumbling in the commonwealth and in every other state,” said Connolly. “Our transportation network serves as the backbone of our economy, and it’s only a matter of time before that decay begins to negatively affect our communities and their economic competitiveness.”

Connolly recently cosponsored legislation with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) to close an offshore corporate tax loophole to replenish the Trust Fund.

This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. She writes twice weekly on Reston Now.

Lakewinds Cluster is situated on shores of Lake Thoreau in South Reston — one of the most lovely spots Reston has to offer (which is saying something).

The charming homes are located with in walking distance of South Lakes Village Center, and are a short drive to the Dulles Toll Road and Reston Metro Station.

Lakewinds consists of 93 brick and cedar townhomes, of which about 70 percent are on the lakefront. In fact, many residents have small boats or barges to take advantage of the lake. The three-level, three- and four-bedroom homes were built between 1975 and 1978.

Lakewinds is divided into two clusters, Lakewinds I and Lakewinds II. Each home has assigned parking spaces; the Lakewinds II townhomes have one carport spot.

The local schools are Terraset Elementary School, Langston Hughes Middle School, and South Lakes High School — all of which are within walking distance. Other nearby South Reston attractions are Reston National Golf Course and Walker Nature Education Center. This neighborhood is great for anyone who values spending time outdoors.

Now that the students are finally off for the summer, the real work can begin at Reston’s Terraset Elementary School.

The school at 11411 Ridge Heights Rd. is undergoing a multimillion renovation. Many classes were moved into temporary classrooms this school year as the interior work began.

Late last week, work began on demolishing the dual pedestrian bridges that lead from the kiss-and-ride area to the school, which is partially built underground.

Terraset, as well as Sunrise Valley Elementary School, will transform from a late-1970s open classroom layout to a more traditional one. The Terraset renovations will increase the school’s capacity by about 300 students.

Also among the changes for Terraset:

• 3,400-square foot administrative addition to the front entrance.
• 7,613-square-foot art and music addition
• 11,100-square-foot media and classroom addition.
• 3,919-square-foot School Age Child Care addition
• 7,521-square-foot west classroom addition
• New kiss-and-ride area
• New parking areas in various locations
• Two asphalt play areas and a soccer field at the rear of the school

Greater Reston Chamber Among Tops In Region — The Washington Business Journal recently named the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce as the fifth-largest in the region. GRCC ranks behind the Greater Washington Board of Trade, The D.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Montgomery (Md.) and Fairfax County Chambers. [Washington Business Journal]

Kudos For Fairfax County Park Authority — The Fairfax County Park Authority has been selected by the National Recreation and Park Association to receive the 2014 Kudos Marketing Award, which is presented annually to a park and recreation agency that increases the public’s awareness through marketing and communications. The Park Authority is being recognized for a campaign developed for the 2013 Partners in Preservation program, in which the agency competed against 24 other historic sites to win grant funding for historic renovations. [Fairfax County]

Text For Help — Fairfax County has launched a suicide text help hotline. [Fairfax County]

Ukulele Festival Returns to Lake Anne — Time for something a little different on the plaza. The fifth annual Ukulele Festival begins at noon Saturday. [Reston Now]

PassionFish chef Chris Clime will be on national TV Monday night as he tries to put a new spin on a favorite snack.

Clime will be a contestant on Rewrapped, a Food Network show airing at 8 p.m. in which chefs compete to put a new spin on old favorites.

PassionFish is also hosting a watch party in the bar to cheer on Clime.

Rewrapped, which began airing last spring, challenges three contestants to transform iconic snack foods. Previous episodes have taken on Twinkies, Goldfish and SpaghettiOs. First, the challengers attempt to duplicate the original item from scratch. Then, in the second round,  they reimagine the food in a completely original dish. Clime’s episode concentrates on Cheez Waffies, a snack featuring cheese spread such as Velveeta.

The show is hosted by former NSYNC member Joey Fatone.

Clime has been executive chef at PassionFish since it opened at Reston Town Center in 2008. Among accolades for Clime and PassionFish:

• Maryland Seafood Festival Crab Bisque Competition — September 2013 – First Place in “Alternative Crab Soup” for his Butternut Squash and Crab Bisque.
• American Institute of Wine & Food [AIWF] Crab Cake Competition — June 2013 — Won the coveted “People’s Choice” Award for his Crab Cakes
• Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington — 2009 — PassionFish was nominated for Best New Restaurant RAMMY Award.
• Esquire Magazine – October 2009 – Featured in Esquire Magazine’s “20 Best Restaurants of 2009;” PassionFish was selected as one of the “15 Restaurants Not to Miss.”
• Washingtonian – January 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 – PassionFish was consistently named on of the Top 100 “Best Restaurants” within the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.

It has been nearly nine months since Champps at Plaza America abruptly closed its doors.

There have been few signs of retail life there since, despite a rumor that Hooters was checking out the space for a Reston location.

The shopping plaza was sold last month to TIAA-CREF for $97.5 million.

Champps’ location is a piece of prime real estate. It is a large, two-floor restaurant space (Champps locations are all between 5,000 and 8,000 square feet, company officials said) located close to the future Wiehle-Reston East Metro and Reston Parkway.

Champps had occupied that location since Plaza America opened in 1995.

What would you like to see in the space? Tell us in the comments.

The first day of Silver Line service on July 26 will be the last day for the Sunset Hills Interim Park and Ride Lot, Metro officials said.

The lot at 12050 Sunset Hills Road has been a parking lot for commuters who took the Fairfax Connector Bus to the West Falls Church Metro.

Commuter parking will now be replaced by the 3,300-space parking garage adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station at Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue.

Fairfax Connector’s Route 505 will continue to operate, taking passengers from Reston Town Center to Wiehle-Reston East.

Many other bus routes will take people from Reston stops to Wiehle-Reston East. To see the full route schedule, visit Fairfax Connector’s Reston page.

Riders can also learn more in an online chat Fairfax Connector is hosting on Wednesday, July 9. For more information, visit Ask Fairfax!

Other Silver Line news to know:

Fairfax County will hold a ribbon cutting and open house for the Wiehle-Reston East garage at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 19. The ribbon cutting will take place in the Kiss-and-Ride lot.

The Silver Line grand opening will take place Saturday, July 26 at 10 a.m. The first trains will leave the station at noon. Parking in the garage will be free, as it will all weekends.

Metro is running a sweepstakes to pick some of the first riders. There are also commemorative SmarTrip cards available for $10 (with $8 of fares loaded).

Civil Rights Archive Dedication Today — Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA 11) will mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by dedicating an oral history collection at George Mason University on Monday. More than 50 hours of recorded video interviews have been collected, as well as written testimonials and pictures that will be made available to the public through digital archives at the Library of Congress, George Mason University, the Fairfax County and Prince William County Library Systems, and Connolly’s official website. [Gerry Connolly]

New Schedule, New Issues — Eliminating Fairfax County Public Schools’ early release Mondays will have an impact on some businesses and schedules. [Washington Post]

Taking A Tough Look at SOLs — The Virginia “SOL Innovation Committee,” which has representatives from Northern Virginia school districts, is getting started in its mission to overhaul the state Standards of Learning exams. [Washington Post]

Photo: Kids at Reston Association’s “Bruno’s Barnyard Bash” at North Hills Picnic Pavilion/Credit: Colena Turner via RA

Reston Now is off today, but we hope all our readers have a safe and fun Fourth of July.

All Reston Association pools are open today until 6 p.m.

Looking for other fun and fireworks? See this guide we printed earlier in the week.

Here is a list of what is open and what is closed today.

Most Fairfax County and federal services will be closed on Friday for July 4. Here is the status of some of the major agencies:

County Government – Closed.

Courts – Closed.

Public Schools and School Offices – Closed .

Library – Closed.

Fairfax Connector – July 4 is a Saturday schedule: Routes with Saturday service operate according to the Saturday schedule. Routes without Saturday service will not operate.

Fastran – Not in service.

Park Authority – For July 4: RECenters open on regular schedule and close at 6 p.m., except George Washington RECenter, which will be closed. Nature centers open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; historic sites open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Frying Pan Farm Park open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; visitor center open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Riverbend Park visitor center open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Green Spring Gardens open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; historic house closed.

Teen and Senior Centers – Closed.

Community Centers – Closed.

County Trash and Recycling Collection – Regular collection.

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

Metro – Metrorail will be open from 7 a.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday. The trains will run on a Saturday schedule until about 2 p.m., so the service will be less frequent than on a normal Friday. After 2 p.m., as the number of people heading for the Mall increases, service will gradually increase to near rush-hour levels.

Post Offices and mail delivery – Closed.

Supermarkets – most are open but may have shorter hours.

Sridhar Ganesan has been elected as the Reston Citizens Association new president.

He replaces Colin Mills, who did not run for re-election.

Ganesan is an RCA board member from the North Point District who has been involved in many local issues and organizations the past several years.

John Hanley, Hunters Woods District director, was re-elected by the Board as RCA’s Vice President, a position that he has held for the past two years. Board Member Nick Georgas was elected as Secretary and Joe Leighton was reelected to the position of Treasurer.

Incumbent Hunters Woods District Director Constance Hartke was re-elected to the Board. Dennis Hays was elected to the Board as an At Large Director.

Hank Schonzeit joined the Board as a new Director from Town Center/Lake Anne/Tall Oaks District, while Robin Hogan also joined the board as a new Director from South Lakes District.

Online voting was open to all Small Tax District 5 (Reston) residents in June. More information on the RCA directors can be found on RCA’s website, www.rcareston.com.

The Life Time Athletic Kids Academy is open for business today, about 24 hours after it was shut down until further notice “due to unforseen circumstances.”

Life Time members received the vague e-mail on Wednesday and had many theories on what the problem could be.

It turns out a member’s child who played in the Kids Academy on Monday and Tuesday had been diagnosed with scabies, says Life Time Athletic Reston General Manager Jorge Hernandez.

Scabies is a highly contagious skin condition caused by microscopic mites, so Life Time had to call in an outside contractor to steam clean the entire childrens’ area, Hernandez said. The cleaners scoured the place Wednesday.

“I think it is cleaner today than the day we opened,” he said.

Life Time opened its 100,000+ square foot luxury facility in Reston last September.

Photo courtesy of Life Time.