Snow may still be melting, but it is time to think about the prom.
Reston Community Center will be holdings its annual Diva Central prom dress giveaway Saturday, March 8 at RCC-Lake Anne from noon to 6 p.m.
This is the 12th year RCC has hosted Diva Central. The community center spends months collected gently used dresses, shoes, jewelry, shawls and accessories from residents. Area teens can choose their favorites — all for free.
Since 2003, Diva Central’s mission has been to promote confidence and self-esteem by providing free prom dresses to area high school girls, RCC says.
“Prom is an event that many teens look forward to all year, but it is also an event that can burden families with expenses for formal wear, accessories, a meal, transportation and more,” said RCC Teen Program Director Kenny Burrowes. “Through Diva Central, RCC helps teens look forward to the prom night of their dreams, complete with the perfect dress and accessories, but without those costs.”
Photo of Diva Central shoppers courtesy of Reston Community Center
Classic Reston is a biweekly feature sponsored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce that highlights businesses, places and people with deep roots in Reston.
Before there was a widespread movement to buy local, reuse and recycle, there was Small Change Consignments.
In 1981, Susann Gerstein was a New York transplant with young children who found herself with time on her hands and an idea. Kids grow out of their toys and clothes so fast — why was there no children’s consignment store in Reston?
Gerstein teamed with two friends, and they opened Small Change at Lake Anne Plaza, unsure of what kind of reception they would find.
“This was before people even recycled newspapers,” she said. “But they knew garage sales. We were the only game in town — there was no eBay, no Reston Town Center, no discount stores.”
The store was successful from the start, says Gerstein. Thirty-two years later, the two other founding partners have moved on, the store has moved to a bigger spot at Lake Anne Plaza and the second generation of consignment shoppers and sellers are the new store regulars.
That includes Gerstein’s own now-grown children, who bring their three children by for some Grandma time among the kids’ stuff.
“It’s paradise when they come here,” she said.
Small Change is stocked — even crammed — with kids items, which are generally half of what you would pay retail. There is everything from everyday play clothes to high-end designer wear from Burberry. In winter, North Face jackets are a top seller, Gerstein says. In summer, shoppers are always looking for Keen sandals. Always in demand are pricey strollers (you can get your name on a waiting list if you are in the market for one).
Consignments (great condition only, please) are by appointment, and you can bring in about 25 items at a time. Consigners get a 50/50 split for items selling under $100; a 60/40 split for items over $100 (60 percent to the consigner). The consignment period is two months — you can shop against your credit balance or take cash at the end.
Small Change also carries new items — mostly toys and handmade goods. The store has a wide selection of Melissa and Doug wooden toys and puzzles, Bruder trucks and Guycraft toys. Local crafters make knitted dolls, baby blankets and other gift items.
Gerstein says she is eager to see what changes come to Lake Anne Plaza in the years ahead. She admits the plaza suffers from a lack of foot traffic, particularly in winter. The historic plaza won’t change much under the proposed revitalization plan, but redevelopment of nearby Crescent Apartments and the periphery of Lake Anne should bring more people to the area to live and to shop, she predicts.
“I am delighted [revitalization] is a go,” she said. “This will be a long process, though. It could take 8 to 10 years. I may still be here, but I can’t promise. But I only see positives with the changes. “
Small Change Consignments is located at 1629 Washington Plaza. The store is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make a consignment appointment, call (703) 437-7730. For more info, visit the store’s website or Facebook page.
V
oting for the 2014 Reston Association Board of Directors election is now open. There are nine candidates running for five seats. A candidates forum will be held Saturday, March 15 at Reston Association headquarters at 10 a.m.
Reston Association members will receive an election guide and ballot in the mail this week.
Reston Now will have Q & As with each candidate running daily this week and next. In the spirit of fairness, each candidate was given the same questions.
Today’s Q & A is with Gerald Volloy, who is running for the one-year At-Large seat (made available when Donna Rostant resigned last year).
Q: How long have you lived in Reston?
A. My wife and I have lived in Reston for 17 years, and live on Lake Audubon, where we can often be found enjoying dinner on our boat, enjoying the wonderful natural environment of Reston, and tying up with neighbors to sustain established relationships.
Q: What inspired you to run for the board?
A. For the last four years I’ve served on the [Reston Master Plan Special Study] Task Force planning how to accommodate and mitigate the impacts of Reston’s future growth and development and the critical challenges the Reston Association will face as a result of Metrorail. Protecting Reston’s values, its natural resources, and sense of community will require strong and informed leadership. My background as Reston Association’s past CEO, as a community, business, and military leader arm me well to meet those challenges.
Q: What are three of the biggest concerns you have for Reston?
A: 1. Reston’s future development around the Transit Station Areas at Wiehle, Reston Parkway, and Herndon Monroe will not only bring significant new commercial development, but — eventually — also about 40,000 new residents. The Reston Association will incur financial impacts from the development, which will have impacts upon Reston’s existing open space, natural areas, lakes, watershed and recreational facilities. My concern focuses on how future development and residents will be assimilated within the greater Reston community. Membership within one of our two master associations — either the Reston Association (RA) or the Reston Town Center Association (RTCA) – is essential to maintaining our community’s integrity, high standards of design and maintenance, cohesiveness, sense of community, and values. Read More
Fairfax County homeowners may see an additional tax increase in Fiscal Year 2015.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized on Tuesday the advertisement of a real estate tax rate for FY 2015 of $1.105 per $100 of assessed value. That’s an increase of from $1.085 in 2014.
County Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova warned last month, when County Executive Ed Long proposed the FY 2015 Budget, that an increase in the advertised rate may be necessary, in part, to better fund the Fairfax County Public Schools budget request.
Projecting a $130 million budget gap, the school system is asking the county for a 5.7 percent increase from FY 2014. That means an additional $63 million needs to be found to better fund schools.
The OK for the increase in the advertised rate passed 8-2, with Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity and Providence Supervisor Linda Smyth voting no.
If the increase passes in the final budget, the average homeowner will see an increase of $150 to his tax bill. This is on top of an average of $300 more that homeowners will be paying due to higher assessed home values.
Bulova said advertising an increase in the rate does not prevent the board from lowering any advertised tax rate, but a higher tax rate cannot be imposed without advertising the higher rate.
Want to make your voice heard on this subject?
A public hearing on the effective tax rate will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 3 p.m., Fairfax County Government Center Board Auditorium.
Public hearings on the proposed FY 2015 Budget, the advertised capital improvement plan (CIP) and the proposed tax rate are Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 9, at 3 p.m. and Thursday, April 10, at 3 p.m.
Those wishing to speak at a public hearing can sign up online to place their name on the speakers list, or contact the Office of the Clerk to the Board at 703-324-3151, TTY 703-324-3903. The public hearings will be held in the Board Auditorium, Fairfax County Government Center, and will be televised live on Fairfax County Government Channel 16.
Town hall meetings are also being held to get citizen input.
You can also email through mid-April to [email protected].
Wrong Way Driver — A Reston man was charged with DUI and other charges last week after he drove backwards in Fairfax. [Reston Patch]
Virginia Mental Health Director Resigns — Doug Bevelacqua, director of the state inspector general for behavioral health and developmental services, resigned Saturday citing interference with the final report on the November death of state Sen. Creigh Deeds’ son. In a letter to Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Bevleacqua said wrote that some findings were removed from his report on the incident “because they were considered speculative or too emotional.” [NBC4 Washington]
Remembering Ann Csonka — Herndon resident Ann Csonka, a dedicated environmentalist and supporter of wildlife, died last week at age 77. She worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C. and in Reston for more than 30 years. [Washington Post]
Peeking at Cherry Blossoms — There may still be snow on the ground, but the National Park Service issued its predictions for peak Cherry Blossom blooms in D.C. The NPS says April 8-12 is their best estimate. [Washington Post]
With school likely to be in session on Wednesday, Fairfax County Public Schools are asking for some help from area homeowners: If you live near a school, help shovel the walking route so the kids can get there safely.
After the mid-February storm, many Reston residents were among those who complained that children were walking in the street to get to school.
FCPS had its ninth and tenth snow days of the 2013-14 school year Monday and Tuesday, after 3-7 inches fell in most of the county.
Meanwhile, a safe walking route after snow was also a big topic at the Reston Association Board of Directors’ meeting on Thursday.
From FCPS:
Dear Parents and Guardians,
When classes resume, we hope you will keep in mind the thousands of FCPS students who walk to and from school or bus stops each day. Snow and ice-covered sidewalks can make that a treacherous journey. Neither the Virginia Department of Transportation nor the county clears snow and ice from public walkways. In addition, neither the state nor the county has any legal requirement for property owners to clear public walkways. However, while not legally obligated, residents and businesses are asked to help keep walkways safe for the community – we need your help! When possible, please clear snow off the sidewalks in front of or next to your property so that FCPS students can have a safe path to their schools.
Thank you!
This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. She writes twice weekly on Reston Now.
Bet that title made you think of green buildings, green living, green space –or really any way you can live a more environmentally sustainable life in Reston. But it’s not. After all, it’s March! So I’m wondering how green you get on March 17.
Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick’s day. Donning shamrocks and eating corned beef is fun! Reston provides plenty of opportunities for you to show the world just how green you are. And since March 17 is a Monday this year, there will be plenty of celebrating happening all weekend. Here is my run down of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s day in Reston, with a little something for everyone.
Wednesday, March 12 at 8:00 P.M.
The CenterStage at Reston Community Center
$20-$40
Phone: 703-476-4500
What better way to get into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day than listening to one of the finest traditional Irish instrumental bands touring today? Lunasa is a funny, talented, and delightful group of Irishmen that has celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with Restonians for more than 20 years. If you’ve never seen or heard them, don’t miss this opportunity. These concerts usually sell out, so get your tickets now!
Clyde’s of Reston 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party
Saturday, March 15, 2014, 9:00 AM to 11:00 P.M.
Reston Town Center at 11905 Market Street
Phone: (703) 787-6601
Clyde’s will kick off St. Paddy’s day with delicious Irish fare beginning at 9—is anything better than Irish breakfast? You can also have a Guinness, listen to Irish music and enjoy Irish folk dancing. This is a family event, so there will plenty of children’s activities, including a moon bounce and face painting, all day long.
Potomac River Running’s Lucky Leprechaun 5K
Saturday, March 15, 2014 – 8:30 a.m.
Reston Town Center, 11911 Democracy Dr.
Before you hit the Clyde’s party, put on your best Leprechaun gear and chase the rainbow in this fun 5k race that ends at Clyde’s. You may not catch the pot of gold, but you’ll certainly deserve the treats that await you at the end of the run.
Senior Social: St. Patrick’s Day Style
Thursday, March 13
Noon-2:30 p.m. Free.
Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road
Join the quarterly Reston Community Center and Reston Association social event to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—as if Reston seniors need a reason for a party. Spend the afternoon with friends while enjoying traditional Irish fare and beautiful Irish music and entertainment. Registration required. Contact [email protected] or call 703-435-6577 to register.
Washington, DC St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2014
March 16, Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Okay, so heading into DC for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade does mean leaving Reston. Trust me, it’s worth it. This parade is always fun and entertaining. Until our own metro station opens, you still need to head to Vienna or Falls Church, but this will be the last year for that! The parade goes along Constitution Avenue — 7th to 17th Streets NW. This two-and-a-half hour special event includes floats, marching bands, pipe bands, military, police, and fire departments. Look for fun stuff happening at the various Irish pubs in the neighborhood tool. This is a fun family day for those who didn’t get enough at Clyde’s.
Whatever you choose to do, have fun and be responsible! Happy St. Patrick’s day!
Did you get sticker shock when you opened your 2014 Fairfax County Real Estate Tax Assessment?
Many county residents did. Fairfax County said some 88 percent of residential properties saw an increase from 2013 to 2103. The average increase, was about 6.5 percent, according to county data. About 9 percent of county homeowners saw no change.
In Reston, some homeowners saw a much bigger jump, leading some Realtors to say, anecdotally, that the increase in value expected with the opening of Metro’s Silver Line later this year is already happening.
That is good news if one is trying to sell, but bad news for one’s wallet if staying.
Want to appeal your assessment. Visit the Fairfax County Department of Taxation website.
More from Fairfax County:
During 2013 the residential market continued to improve in Fairfax County. This market improvement has meant fewer foreclosures, faster sales and price appreciation in most neighborhoods.
The number of days a property was listed for sale decreased from an average of 50 days in 2012, to an average of 36 days in 2013, or an improvement of 28 percent (44 percent of these properties actually sold in 10 days or less).
Sale prices also were closer to their list price than last year, selling on average at about 98% of their list price, providing another indication of the strong residential market.
Residential sales volume in the county increased over 10 percent from 2012 sales, providing staff with more than 14,000 fair market sales to analyze in determining 2014 assessments.
While foreclosures generally have a dampening effect on competitive sale prices, their influence has had much less impact on 2014 assessments due to the decline in foreclosure activity.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has dropped its inquiry to buy Reston Association land on Fox Mill Road, RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said.
The church is, however, looking to expand the 121-space parking lot at its current location at 1515 Poplar Grove Dr. in North Reston, and some neighbors at Birchfield Woods Cluster are not pleased with the environmental impact.
At a Feb. 18 meeting, Reston Association’s Design Review Board (DRB) — the committee that establishes and reviews Reston’s design standards — voted to allow allow the church to expand the lot.
Birchfield Woods residents are appealing the decision, saying it will result “in a net loss of over 80 trees which serve as a buffer between the church and the Birchfield Woods Cluster.”
The DRB voted down the church’s initial proposal in November, with specifics on how the church could revise their plan: reduce the number of proposed parking spaces, reduce the number of impacted trees, and produce a traffic study.
The original proposal offered adding 51 spaces new light poles and removing 117 tree .
“Birchfield Woods and affected parties are appealing the Feb. 18 decision as the approval directly contradicts the Design Review Boards requests in November,” says A.J. Bass, a Birchfield Woods resident. “The revised plan actually increased the number of trees being removed from a proposed 120 to over 140, and reduced the number of trees the church would replant from a proposed 80 down to only 60. The church also did not submit a traffic study as requested by the DRB. Several of the DRB members scoffed at the Affected Parties’ comments regarding the wildlife or number of trees that would be taken down and not replaced. This clearly goes against the their initial decision.”
“It’s disappointing as a resident of Reston to see the Association at odds with itself in action and word,” Bass said.
The new plan calls for planting of replacement trees and shrubs to provide a 25-foot buffer, as well as a relocated storage shed. The church also reduced the number of additional parking spots to 39, for a total of 160 spaces in the new lot.
Last year, the church approached Reston Association about purchasing three parcels of land on which to build a new church. The land — at 2639, 2641 and 2643 Fox Mill Rd. — is undeveloped , wooded common area owned by RA since the late 1960s and mid 1970s.
Monday’s snow dumped close to seven inches in Reston, according to the National Weather Service.
That has to be some kind of a record, right? No, there actually has been bigger March snowfall before, says the NWS.
Going with measurable snowfall at Dulles International Airport (which actually had an official total of 4.8 inches on Monday), there have been five Marches with more than 10 inches, says the NWS.
March 1978 — 10.3 inches
March 1969 — 10.4 inches
March 1984 — 10.8 inches
March 1999 — 14.6 inches
March 1993 — 15.5 inches (most of it in a single storm).
So with lots of March left, there is chance that March 2014 could step into the top five. However, the latest forecast has none of the white stuff for at least the next week (though record cold will be around Tuesday).
Photo courtesy of Raba Letteri.
D.C. Area Among Top For Newbies — The website NerdWallet has ranked the Washington area No.2 for both starting salaries (an average of over $52,000) and job opportunities. NerdWallet ranked among the best overall cities for job seekers based on more than a dozen criteria, including number of job openings, employment growth, industry variety, healthcare coverage, cost of living, taxes and starting salaries. No.1 was Fort Worth. [Washington Business Journal]
Find Snow Shoveling Help Here — Can’t shovel out your steps? New D.C.-area website snowcrew.org matches those who can’t shovel with those willing to pitch in. [WTOP]
Help The SLHS All-Night Grad Party — South Lakes High School is holding a fundraiser Wednesday, March 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Reston Chick-fil-A on Sunset Hills Road. They are donating 25 percent of all proceeds. Mention the ANGP before you place your order.
Photo by Beth Horwatt Marks via Facebook.
It’s Tuesday. It’s March. It’s 1 degree as of 7:26 a.m.
Now that that is out of the way, here is what you need to know:
Fairfax County Public Schools are closed.
The federal government is on a two-hour delay.
The Fairfax County Government is open.
Fairfax County recreation centers and libraries may be affected by the weather. Call before you go.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says roads are still “pretty rough” in some places. Watch out for black ice.
Metrobus is running, but some detours are in effect.
D.C.-area airports are open but there are still many delays and cancellations. Check with your airline.
In better news, IHOP is offering free pancakes today in honor of Fat Tuesday and International Pancake Day. Proceeds will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Help out your Reston neighbors. Tell us about local road conditions in the comments.
Fairfax County public schools will be closed on Tuesday, March 4 as the area continues to dig out from Monday’s snowfall. Offices will be open with an unscheduled leave policy in effect.
This is the tenth snow day this school year, and the FCPS school calendar will likely be extended to June 24 (three extra days), according to the school board.
The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:
• extracurricular activities
• interscholastic contests
• team practices
• field trips
• middle school after-school programs
• professional learning and training courses
• all adult and community education classes
• recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are closed.
Welcome to Snow Day No. 9 and, most likely tomorrow, No. 10 for Fairfax County Public Schools students.
By any measurement, it has been a rough winter in Fairfax County, with the most snow days taken since the “snowpocalypse” season of 2009-10.
To make up snow days, FCPS students have already given up Presidents Day and will attend school on April 7, a scheduled teacher workday.
According to the school year calendar, two of the snow days will be added to the end of the school year (June 23 and 24), though the school board must formally adopt the plan.
The good news? If Tuesday is a snow day, that one gets a free pass and won’t have to be made up. But if there are 11 or more this season, those days will also be added to the end of the year or possibly added in as extra time in the school day, says FCPS calendar info.
Virginia law requires public schools to provide at least 180 days or 990 hours of instructional time annually. But it also allows the state Board of Education to waive the requirement if districts shut down in the aftermath of a state of emergency declared by the governor.
Monday’s snowstorm was a state of emergency in the commonwealth. The snowstorm in mid-February was also a statewide state of emergency.
School board at-large member Ryan McElveen says a waiver request will likely be in the works.
“The school board hasn’t formally talked about requesting a waiver yet, but I think it would be wise to do so,” he said on Monday. ” I’m sure we’ll have that discussion in the coming weeks. Both this storm and the previous storm were ‘states of emergency,’ so these days could all be considered for the waiver.”
FCPS was last granted a waiver from the requirement in 2010 following the nearly two-feet of snow that fell in back-to-back February storms. The district needed to schedule five make-up days, but only found time for four in the spring calendar. The board waived the requirement for the fifth make up day.
Many Reston residents who live in the South Lakes/Ridge Heights/Soapstone area reporting power outages as of about 3 p.m. on Monday.
Dominion Virginia Power reports 1,293 customers are without power in Fairfax County, with the highest concentration of outages reported in Reston.
Despite the large snowfall on Monday, the power generally stayed on in Fairfax County, Dominion reports.
No word yet on when the problem will be fixed.
