Contractors for the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority have been slow to repair post-Operational Readiness issues for Metro’s Silver Line, and that could slow progress in getting the rail extension ready to open.
“DTP [Dulles Transit Partners] and Bechtel are behind schedule on half the items,” Metro deputy general manager Rob Troup said in a conference call with reporters on Monday. “We expected them to be further along.”
MWAA, which built the $5.6 billion rail extension that will run from East Falls Church to Reston’s Wiehle Avenue, and Metro agreed in April to allow the airports authority extra time to complete some punch list items, even after Metro took control of the project.
Metro took over the project on May 27, and as of last week it was saying things were progressing on track towards an expected summer opening.
While the Silver Line is more than six months behind schedule, an opening date for service has never been set. WAMU, citing transit union sources, reported on Monday that the Silver Line would conduct simulated service the week of July 20 and begin passenger service a week later. Troup dismissed that information, however.
“We did not set any specific date,” he said. “That date is TBD.”
Some of the items that have been fixed are fencing, a faulty elevator at the Tysons Corner station and equipment at Wiehle-Reston East that will prevent work equipment from rolling on to the track, said Troup. An audit of the re-installed station speakers is now being conducted.
One of the items that needs attention before service can begin include painting of a tunnel handrail “that we are concerned about the effort,” said Troup. Also of concern: ponding and drainage issues in some stations have not been fixed.
“We don’t want to start service and then be out there regrading platforms,” said Troup. “It is not unusual to have to go back and do some re-work on some items. Bechtel is a good contractor, it is just a matter of getting focus and getting the work completed.”
A Bechtel spokeswoman said the contractor continues “to work diligently in collaboration” with the MWAA and Metro and that “good progress is being made.”
Meanwhile, at Thursday’s Metro Board of Directors meeting, the board will vote on authorizing general manager Richard Sarles the authority to set the Silver Line’s opening date.
Dozens of artists took chalk to brick Saturday and Sunday at the inaugural Chalk on the Water festival at Lake Anne Plaza.
The event, organized by the Initiative for Public Art Reston, attracted professional artists and amateur artists of all ages. Participants paid to reserve space on the bricks on which to create the frescos.
There were storybook characters and abstract designs, portraits and animals, among other renderings.
How long the murals remain on the plaza will depend on predicted rain this week.
Prizes were awarded to winners:
Professional Artist
- First — Erica Fallin
- Second — Penny Hauffe
- Third — Milagros Pongo
Middle/High School
- First — Kara Brownback
- Second — Hanna Wilson Black
- Third — Jordon Ismaiel
Elementary School
- First — Kerry Wennnet
- Second — Riley and Gabby
- Third — Viv Schoening
To see works from the winners, visit Lake Anne Plaza’s Facebook page.
Reston residents and community leaders came to United Christian Parish on Saturday to see what Fairfax County planners may have in store for Reston as the community undertakes Phase II of the Reston Master Plan Special Study.
What they found: mostly information about the process, which will rely heavily on input from the people who live or own businesses here.
As Reston embarks on its second 50 years, there needs to be a plan in place for redevelopment, whether that happens next year or in 30 years, says Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins.
“Whether we develop today or in the future, we need to determine what the county’s role will be in that plan and what the plan should be,” she said. “Phase I changed the rules. Here, we are not changing the rules.”
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.
After four years of task force meetings, Phase I of the Reston Master Plan Special Study was approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors earlier this year. Phase I maps out how development should proceed in the area surrounding Reston’s eventual three Silver Line Metro stations. Much of that area, particularly Wiehle-Reston East (scheduled to open this summer), previously had little residential development.
Phase II will mainly look at Reston’s village and convenience centers. It will also be done under Fairfax County’s new “Fairfax Forward” method of comprehensive plan review, which will rely on greater community engagement.
Reston founder Bob Simon, for one, says Reston could have fewer village centers. When Reston was planned in the early 1960s, supermarkets were about 15,000 square feet, he said. Today, they are more than 100,000 square feet.
“Since we were planning for 80,000 people, we planned for seven village centers and one town center,” said Simon. “We don’t need all of them. But I do think each village center should have a plaza.” Read More
Student Helping Students — South Lakes High School junior Sahana Arkalgud, raised $5,000 for the second straight year to fund the school’s Avidity Scholarship. Arkalgud began the Avidity Scholarship last year as part of her International Baccalaureate Middle Years Project. The award is given to a SLHS senior with high academic standing, a drive to learn and capacity to excel. The 2014 award was given to Tyler Liboro, who will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall.
Bathroom Break — Metro’s new Silver Line stations will have something that existing stations do not: easy-to-find bathrooms. [Washington Post]
Number Of Homeless People Declining In Virginia — Virginia Gov. Terry McAullife says the number of homeless people in the commonwealth has declined 8 percent in the last year. [WTOP]
Say Hello To The Connolly Trail — At a Saturday ceremony in Lorton, the Fairfax County Park Authority officially renamed the 40-mile Cross County Trail the “Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail.” The name change was in recognition of Rep. Connolly’s strong support for open space and parkland during his tenure on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors took action last year to rename the trail after Connolly.
Now rising from the lawn at Hyatt Park in front of the Hyatt Regency Reston: three 18-foot curved pieces of steel in a new permanent art installation from the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR).
The public art project has been in the works for several years. Baltimore artist Mary Ann Mears was chosen in 2011 as the winner of an open call for artists. There was a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Hyatt Park spot in June 2013.
Mears has been working on the aluminum structure for nearly three years. She said she tried to keep Reston’s relationship with nature in mind when designing the work.
“There is a challenge with the asthetic and feeling of Reston Town Center,” Mears said when the project was presented to IPAR supporters in 2011. “It seemed to me, to put a piece of sculpture there, it should have a dialogue with the architecture. You want to create a sense of anticipation of [walking into the Town Center]”
A long-empty space at the Home Depot Shopping Center at Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue will finally have a tenant.
Western Federal Credit Union is moving into 1675 Reston Parkway, where Express 7 convenience store was formerly located.
The storefront has been vacant since Express 7 left the shopping center more than two years ago.
Contractors are currently renovating the space to make it more suitable for a bank.
This will be Western Credit Union’s first Northern Virginia location.
Reston Resident To Earn County Honor — Dean Klein, Director of the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, will be one of Fairfax County’s A. Heath Onthank award winners. [Reston Connection]
Free Donut Day — Dunkin’ Donuts is offering free donuts today (with purchase of a beverage) in honor of National Donut Day. [Dunkin’ Donuts]
Sweet Surprise For Promgoers — A couple of couples headed to South Lakes High School’s prom last week got a nice treat from a fellow diner at Vienna’s Pizzeria Orso. [South Lakes Sentinel]
Tree Lives On At RA — Virginia’s tallest pine in the state, located in Reston, toppled last year. But a piece of it will live on as a “tree cookie” at Reston Association. [Reston Connection]
Lord and Lady Fairfax Honored — Baba Foster Freeman, a Reston pioneer, and Michael Amouri, owner of Cafe Amouri in Vienna, were honored as Hunter Mill’s Lord and Lady Fairfax. The annual designations for each of the Fairfax County districts are given annually to a man and a woman for community service contributions. [Celebrate Fairfax!]
South Lakes and Herndon High School pyramid schools will be under new leadership beginning this summer.
Douglas Tyson, a former South Lakes assistant principal who has served as assistant superintendent for Cluster 3 since August 2013, has been named assistant superintendent for Region 1, where he will be responsible for schools in the Langley, Madison, Herndon, South Lakes, and Oakton pyramids.
Tyson joined FCPS in 2004 as an assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) and later was named subschool principal at SLHS.
In 2009, Tyson was named principal of Kilmer Middle School, where he worked until being named assistant superintendent for Cluster 3.
The moves come as part of a restructuring of Fairfax County Public Schools administration. Instead of eight clusters, there will now be five regions, each with about 36,000 students, FCPS superintendent Karen Garza announced last month.
Reston-area schools used to be in Cluster 8 under the direction of Fabio Zuluaga. Zuluaga has been named assistant superintendent for Region 2, where he will be responsible for schools in the McLean, Marshall, Stuart, Falls Church, and Annandale pyramids, and TJHSST.
Other assistant superintendent assignments after the jump. Read More
Restonians will get a chance to see the rough cut of Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA, on Saturday.
The film will be screened Saturday at United Christian Parish (11508 N. Shore Dr.) following a community open house to discuss the Reston Master Plan Special Study Phase II. The community open house will feature Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and will run from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The film, formerly titled The Reston Story, was screened for a select audience at Reston Community Center as part of Reston founder Robert E. Simon’s birthday 100th birthday celebrations in April.
The 70-minute film directed by Peabody Award winner Rebekah Wingert-Jabi looks at Reston’s founding in 1964 as an inclusive community “in the middle of nowhere,” to the vibrant place it is today.
Wingert-Jabi and producer Suzi Jones hope to enter the movie into film festivals.
County planners are beginning Phase II of the Reston Master Plan Special Study about two years behind schedule.
Phase I, which looked at the how development should proceed in the areas surrounding Reston’s upcoming Metro stations, was completed late last year and approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in January.
Phase II will look at what kind of changes — if any — should happen to Reston’s neighborhoods, village centers and convenience centers, as well as some areas adjacent to Reston. Lake Anne Plaza, which underwent is own rezoning and revitalization process from 2006-09, will not be part of the study.
The Reston Town Center pavilion will be full of people stretching, moving and doing sun salutations as the sixth annual Love Your Body Yoga Festival takes place Sunday.
Love Your Body — founded by Reston resident and Beloved Yoga co-owner Maryam Ovissi — is a chance to try yoga and take part in a wide variety of health and wellness activities for the whole family.
“This is truly an event for everyone — young and old, yogis, and those who have never tried yoga before,” says Ovissi. “At Love Your Body Yoga Festival, everyone can learn about the many ways to take care of their bodies from the inside out — physically, mentally, and emotionally — to feel stronger and healthier.”
The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations for participation on specific classes will benefit Cornerstones.
Love Your Body Yoga Festival also launches the official start of Virginia Yoga Week 2014.
Love Your Body Yoga Festival Schedule and Highlights
(To see full class descriptions and list of performers, visit the Love Your Body Day Yoga Festival website)
Main Stage: Presentations begin with Beloved Yoga’s opening class and live music at 10 a.m.; followed by a variety of classes for all levels of yoga from various local studios. Classes are 20 to 25 minutes in length. Day will end with a Closing Circle Celebration from 2:40 until 3 p.m.
Bhakti Tent: Live music through the day, and indulgence in the art of devotion through mantra and sound.
Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda Tent: 10- to 15-minute talks about various topics and how to utilize the tools of yoga to find wellbeing and balance. Ayurvedic services will be available, and practitioners will answer questions.
Kids Tent: Scheduled activities for all ages include storytelling, hula hooping, dance, and laughter yoga, as well as yoga especially for kids.
Photo: Love Your Body Yoga Festival 2013/Courtesy Love Your Body Yoga Festival
Herndon Police Return Stolen Signs — Officers from the Herndon Police took a trip to Connecticut to return stolen playground signs to the families of children killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. A Herndon man was arrested in connection with the thefts last month. [NBC4 Washington]
Silver Line’s Impact On The Rest Of Metro — When Metro’s Silver Line opens this summer, it will change the pattern of other commuters on Blue, Orange, Yellow lines. [WJLA]
Finding God In Jail — Inmates at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center have been taking a college-level theology course. [Fairfax Times]
June ExtravaCATza At Animal Shelter — The entire month of June will be “ExtravaCATza” at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, where adoption fees on all cats and kittens are just $10. Visit any Saturday in June to meet with a cat expert. [Fairfax County]
Major League Soccer’s D.C. United will host “Celebrate Soccer,” a World Cup party at Reston Town Center on June 22.
The free party will take place in the pavilion and on Market Street, where fans of all ages will have a chance to meet and mingle with D.C. United players.
The fun begins Sunday, June 22 at noon, with the live broadcast of USA vs. Portugal from Brazil at 6 p.m. The party will go until 9 p.m.
There will be two giant screen TVs, as well as food, drinks, giveaways and activities for kids.
D.C. United’s major sponsor, Leidos, is located at Reston Town Center.
A Reston man was arrested in Pittsburgh earlier this week after authorities said he traveled there to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex.
On Monday, agents from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section received information that the teen from East Deer Township had been chatting with Joshua Munoz, 23, through a teen chat website.
According to the criminal complaint, Munoz and the child met online on May 31 and began private messaging each other and exchanging text messages, which included conversations about discussing meeting each other for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity, including anal intercourse.
Undercover agents posed as the teen online on Monday. They contacted Munoz to arrange a meeting for later the same day. Munoz was taken into custody when he arrived at a prearranged meeting location in Pittsburgh.
He is charged with two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of criminal attempt, one count of criminal attempt indecent assault and one count of criminal use of a communication facility, the Attorney General’s Office said.
Munoz is currently in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting a preliminary arraignment. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m., June 11.
Munoz’ attorney, David Shrager, told a Pittsburgh TV station that Munoz is a dance major at Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
Photo: Joshua Munoz/Credit: Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office
Fairfax County Police are investigating a break-in that occurred Saturday at about 5:58 p.m.
A resident in the 2400 block of Freetown Drive called police after seeing individuals breaking into a vacant home, police said.
Responding officers took four juveniles into custody. Nothing was taken.
In other crime news for the week ending June 3:
BURGLARY, 11400 block of Tanbark Drive, May 27. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
LARCENIES
1600 block of Becontree Lane, computer from residence
13300 block of Coppermine Road, airbag from vehicle
2500 block of James Madison Circle, equipment from vehicle
12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, wallet from vehicle
1400 block of North Point Village Center, cash from location
11800 block of Market Street, merchandise from business
11800 block of Abercorn Court, property from vehicle
2400 block of Centreville Road, money from business
12200 block of Laurel Glade Court, cell phone from business
1800 block of Presidents Street, purse from business
1400 block of Reston Parkway, money from business
11600 block of Stoneview Square, medication from business
12000 block of Bowman Towne Drive, license plate from vehicle
2900 block of West Ox Road, checks from residence
Reston Association is investigating what maybe causing hundreds of fish to turn up dead in Lake Thoreau.
In the last several days, RA staff has picked up 110 dead fish and residents have reported another 100, says RA Watershed manager Nikki Bellezza.
“I would say there are about 200 fish that have shown up dead at Lake Thoreau since the first report on Thursday, May 29,” Bellezza said. “The fish were primarily panfish like blue gills, but we also found largemouth bass, catfish, and black crappie.”
RA is working with Aquatic Environmental Consultants, Inc. (AEC), which has been helping the association solve lake issues for the last 15 years, said Bellezza.
AEC visits Reston lakes each month in the summer and have a good baseline knowledge of lake conditions, Bellezza said. While Thoreau is the only Reston lake experiencing a fish kill, AEC staff says it has seen similar fish kills in other area lakes.
RA does not believe toxins are responsible for the fish kill at Lake Thoreau, said Bellezza.
Bellezza said that AEC suggested it might be Columnaris Disease, which comes about when there is a lot of stress on the fish at this time of year.
The recent 90-degree weather, followed by a cold spell and heavy rains, as well as stress from spawning at this time of year, could be the cause of the kill, according to AEC.
