The 2014  Reston Association Board of Directors Election season was set to kick off Monday evening with a candidates forum, but that event has been postponed due to the snow.

The forum will now take place Saturday, March 15 at 10 a.m. at Reston Association, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr.

The forum is a good chance for RA members to see where the candidates stand on various community issues.

Nine candidates have filed to run for four open seats this year. Voting opens March 3. RA members should receive an election guide in the mail this week.

Winners will be announced April 8.

Reston Now will have individual candidate profiles beginning this week.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency, an action that authorizes state agencies to be ready to assist local governments in responding to the snow and ice storm that will affect the commonwealth Monday evening and into Tuesday.

It also serves as a warning for citizens to stay off the roads and travel only if absolutely necessary.

After a cold rain feel through most of Sunday evening, the snow began falling about 3 a.m. and is expected to fall for most of the day. Most businesses and schools in and around Reston are closed.

“This storm could bring difficult travel and widespread power outages for the next few days,” said Governor McAuliffe.  “It is also going to be very cold with gusty winds across Virginia.  Please postpone travel during the storm, charge up your mobile devices so you can stay in touch, and take time to check on your neighbors in case they need help.”

In response to the storm:

• The Virginia Emergency Operations Center is at increased readiness with emergency response team members monitoring the storm and ready to coordinate the state’s response.
• The Virginia Department of Emergency Management is coordinating conference calls between the National Weather Service, state agencies and local governments.
• Virginia Department of Transportation crews have begun full preparations for a significant winter weather event expected to impact the commonwealth Monday.
• The Virginia National Guard has been authorized to bring up to 100 personnel on state active duty to support emergency response operations. Virginia Guard personnel have been alerted to begin staging and expect to be in place tonight so they are able to rapidly respond if needed.
• The Virginia State Police will extend shifts and have additional troopers on patrol to expedite response times to traffic crashes and disabled motorists.

Virginians should:

• Be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for at least 72 hours, in case roads are blocked and/or there are power outages.
• Prepare a three-day supply of food that includes a gallon of water per person per day and food that does not require electricity to prepare it.
• Have a battery powered and/or hand-crank radio and extra batteries for emergency information.  Listen to local weather forecasts and instructions from local officials.
• Always run generators outside in well-ventilated areas.  Never use a portable generator in any enclosed or partially enclosed space.
• Only travel if absolutely necessary.  Roads can become very hazardous very quickly.  Always wear a seatbelt, and know road conditions before you leave.  Road condition information is available 24/7 by calling 511 or going towww.511Virginia.org
• Have emergency supplies in your vehicle.  If you are stranded you will need water, food, blankets, flashlight and extra batteries at a minimum.
• Avoid overexertion while shoveling snow and cleaning up from the storm, no matter your age or physical condition.  Shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse.
• If you need help for an elderly or disabled person during the storm, need information on warming shelters or are concerned about an unsheltered individual or family, call 211 or visit www.211virginia.org.  When you call 211, a trained professional will suggest sources of help using one of the largest databases of health and human services in your community and statewide.
• Get winter weather preparedness information at www.ReadyVirginia.gov and download the new Ready Virginia app for iPhones and Android devices.

Photo via Dulles International Airport via Twitter.

Budget Talks — Fairfax County Executive Ed Long was featured in an online chat on Friday. Read what he had to say in response to citizens’ questions about money for Fairfax County Public Schools, a meals tax, and other financial issues [Fairfax County Government]

Flip Through Magazines, Online — Fairfax County Public Library Patrons can now browse through magazines online and for free using the Zino technology provided by the Library of Virginia. More than 50 titles, including  The Economist; Newsweek; Forbes; Good Housekeeping; National Geographic; and O, The Oprah Magazine are available. [Fairfax County Government]

Loss For South Lakes — The South Lakes High School boys basketball team ended its postseason on Friday with a 78-61 loss to Lake Braddock in the Virginia 6A North Regional Semifinals. Lake Braddock (23-4) had three players in double figures.  SLHS finishes the season 19-9 after winning seven straight leading up to the Lake Braddock game.

Herndon Falls in Overtime — The Herndon High Boys basketball team also ended the 2013-14 season on Friday. The Hornets lost 63-62 to Woodson in an exciting overtime game. Woodson went on to win the region on Saturday. [Washington Post]

Charges For Reston Man in Bomb Scare — The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Reston man after his claims of an explosive device near the sheriff’s Sterling station led police to discover a package nearby. Kenneth Couch, 60,  was charged with Drunk in Public band Manufacturing a Hoax Device by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office on Thursday [Reston Patch]

The region remains under a Winter Storm Warning through 6 p.m. Monday as the National Weather Service says 6 to 10 inches of snow may fall in Northern Virginia.

The NWS says there will be hazardous travel due to ice and snow on Monday, with power outages possible if ice forms on power lines.

As a result, most things are closed Monday, including:

• Fairfax County Government
• Fairfax County Public Schools
• Federal Government
• Reston Association offices
• Reston Community Center
• Reston YMCA

The Virginia Department of Transportation says drivers should stay off the roads on Monday. VDOT says 4,000 trucks were ready to work as of Sunday night to clear interstates, major roads and neighborhood streets in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties.

Want to know if a plow is heading your way? Input your address at www.vdotplows.org to see the status of plowing in their neighborhood.

Also from VDOT:

• Park in your driveway or on the odd-numbered side of the street to allow plows room to pass.
• When shoveling, leave the last few feet at the curb until the street is plowed, as the truck will push some snow back. Shovel to the right facing the road.
• Chemicals are not used in subdivisions, but crews sand hills, curves and intersections to provide traction. For most storms, one snowplow pass, about eight to ten feet wide, is made.

Photo courtesy of VDOT.

Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station reports the following larcenies for the week ending Feb. 27:

11100 block of Beaver Trail Court, laptop computer from vehicle

7900 block of Community Drive, cell phone from business

8900 block of Leesburg Pike, purse from vehicle

11400 block of South Lakes Drive, cell phone from location

2100 block of Freda Drive, credit cards from location

1700 block of Lake Shore Crest Drive, cash from residence

11900 block of Market Street, merchandise from business

13300 block of Parcher Avenue, items from vehicle

1600 block of Washington Plaza, laptop computer from business

1600 block of Bachan Court, wallet from location

STOLEN VEHICLES:

2400 block of Masons Ferry Drive, Ford Escort

Reston Association board election season kicks off Monday with a candidates forum at RA Headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr., at 7 p.m.

RA members are invited to hear what the candidates have to say on various issues during the question-and-answer session.

Eight candidates have filed to run for three of the four open seats on the Reston Association Board of Directors this year. Read more about the candidates here.

The candidate for the fourth seat – the Apartment Owners Representative position – is Ellen A. Graves, who is running unopposed.

Voting in the election begins at 5 p.m. on March 3. Results will be announced at the Annual Members’ Meeting on April 8.

Reston Now will have more detailed candidate profiles beginning next week.

Herndon-Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) has hired the first fulltime executive director in its 45-year history.

Christine Poward comes to FISH with more than two decades of leading health care and nonprofit organizations.

Prior to joining Herndon Reston FISH, Christine served as the Interim Division Director for Marketing and Development for NeighborWorks America, a $250 million non-governmental organization aimed at affordable housing and community development.

Poward holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland.

“I am excited to be joining Herndon-Reston FISH during this exciting time in their growth,” she says. “FISH has been an integral part of the Herndon Reston communities for 45 years, and I look forward to being part of this great organization and the work they do.”

FISH responds to local residents’ emergency requests for rent, transportation, utilities, medical prescriptions and other needs.

Photo by Jennifer Heffner.

As winter continues its grip on Northern Virginia, snow was on the mind of Reston Association’s Board of Directors on Thursday. Specifically, how to remove it after a big storm.

RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said she has heard from many citizens since more than a foot fell here two weeks ago. While RA is responsible for plowing its 55 miles of paths and RA-owned property, many citizens want to know if there is something the association can do to ensure that walkways and sidewalks are clear, especially near schools.

Many sidewalks were still snow covered days after the storm, causing students to walk or wait for the bus in the street.

“There has been lots of concern and I have gotten lots lots of calls about lack of accessibility,” said Fulkerson. “We take seriously clearing pathways and moving people moving from one part of community to another. We decided it was important to look at what we can do as a community.”

Fairfax County Supervisor Sharon Bulova said at this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting that the county will also look at its snow removal policies. Currently, Fairfax has no ordinance that says residents must remove snow from sidewalks near their property.”

RA will undertake three things in the snow removal area:

* Discuss with the county whether RA could use its equipment to plow sidewalks and walkways crucial to connectivity in Reston, particularly near Metro’s Wiehle-Reston East station. This would not be all the “miles and miles of” sidewalks in Reston, says RA Parks and Recreation Director Larry Butler, but rather a series of walkways on streets such as Sunrise Valley Drive and Wiehle Avenue.

RA would not charge the county for the service and it would involve minimal labor, said Butler.

However, there would be legal implications in these good intentions, said RA attorney David Chadwick.

“Virginia is a very strong private property state,” he said. “You cannot do something on someone else’s property without permission. Going on someone’s property can create a legal liability, and that automatically puts you at risk.”

* Try and mobilize citizens to pitch in and shovel the routes near their homes. RA will engage the Pedestrian and Bicycling Advisory Committee (PBAC), the Communications  Advisory Committee and the Neighborhoods Advisory Committee in this effort.

After the record snowfall of February 2010, RA encouraged members to volunteer to shovel, and many of them did, helping clear routes in and around Reston schools.

One caveat: Most homes are not on main streets in Reston, pointed out South Lakes director Richard Chew. No homes are located on Ridge Heights Road, for instance, where sidewalks lead to three schools. Even if you mobilized people to shovel in their own clusters, would that help the school routes?

* Send a letter written by the PBAC to the Northern Regional Park Authority to encourage better plowing and de-icing of the W & OD Trail, which runs through Reston.

“For Reston residents, the W&OD is more than just a recreational facility — it is the backbone of the network of roads and paths that connects Reston to other destinations in the region and makes cycling a viable means of transportation,” the letter states.

Photo: Snow-covered sidewalk on Ridge Heights Road near Terraset Elementary School.

World Police And Fire Games An Economic Engine — The World Police and Fire Games are coming to Fairfax County in summer 2015, and are expected to attract more than 30,000 visitors and boost the area economy by about $100 million. [Fairfax Times]

Boosting NoVa Roads — Virginia’s new transportation funding law has delivered $146 million to a regional commission for road and transit projects through the first eight months of this fiscal year. [Washington Business Journal]

Public Art Coming to Silver Line Stations — Metro offers a sneak peek at the public art selections for the Silver Line stations, including stained glass panels for Wiehle-Reston East by New York artist David Wilson [Reston Connection]

Interested in what is happening in Fairfax County’s Hunter Mill District.

Then plan to attend the Hunter Mill District Community Summit Saturday at Herndon’s Frying Pan Park, 2709 West Ox Road.

Here are the highlights:

* Summit runs from 8 a.m. to noon and will feature presentations by Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and others.

* 9 a.m. — Hunter Mill virtual field trip.

* 10 a.m. — Budget presentation by County executive Ed Long; County priorities talk by Board of Supervisors chair Sharon Bulova; Schools report from Hunter Mill School Board rep Pat Hynes.

* 10:45 a.m. — “Hunter Mill Huddle,” a scrum of ideas from leading policy makers in the Hunter Mill District on such topics as human services, parks, planning, police, schools and transportation.

* 12 p.m. — Q & A and wrap up.

Representatives from the Fairfax County Department of Taxation will also be on hand to help citizens in tax consultations or to answer questions about real estate tax.

RSVP by email to [email protected] or call the Hunter Mill District Office at 703-478-0283.

Cornerstones, the Reston-based nonprofit that aids families in need of affordable housing, has set a goal this year of doubling its stock of available units it makes available.

This week, Cornerstones, formerly Reston Interfaith, showed off a newly renovated townhouse in Herndon, its 53rd property. The organization owns townhouses in Herndon, Reston and Chantilly. Working with partners such as HomeAid of Northern Virginia, The Container Store and Graceful Spaces, Cornerstones renovates and furnished the units and rents them to families that need housing.

The townhomes are rented at affordable rates to residents who earn half or less than the area’s median income — most of whom are transitioning out of homelessness, says Cornerstones.

“Because of the support of partners like HomeAid of Northern Virginia, The Container Store and Graceful Spaces, Cornerstones has been able to help families and individuals for more than 40 years now by providing a variety of affordable housing options in our area,” says Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson. “The loss of housing vouchers, however, makes it increasingly more difficult for working families to find housing within their budget.”

Cornerstones had three homes for rent when the first Best of Reston awards were held 23 years ago. HomeAid is among the 2014 awardees for their good work in the community, and Graceful Spaces was honored two years ago.

To help meet the goal of doubling the stock — a challenge issued by Reston founder and Best of Reston 2014 co-chair Bob Simon — Cornerstones and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce have launched the “I Stand with Bob” fundraising campaign.

Local artist David Adamusko has created a bronze bust of Simon, which has been traveling to events in Reston. Patrons can get their picture taken with it for a donation to Cornerstones. Simon turns 100 years old in April.

The Best of Reston Awards gala is April 10 at the Hyatt Regency Reston.

Photos courtesy of Cornerstones.

The contractor responsible for building the Silver Line Metro extension could face large fines if the work is not completed by April.

Dulles Transit Partners told the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Feb. 7 that it had reached “substantial completion” on Phase 1 of the Silver Line, which will run from East Falls Church to Reston’s Wiehle Avenue.

However, MWAA completed a 15-day review last week and found issues in 7 of 12 areas, ranging from leaks to problems with the automatic train control system. DTP is correcting the issues. It is not known how long that will take, but it is likely to delay the project’s turnover to Metro, which will in turn delay the rail’s opening date for the third time in the last few months.

The Washington Post reports that DTP’s contract states the contractor must finish the work within seven months of the agreed upon completion date of Sept. 9, 2013 — or face fines in the millions.

If the work is not finished within that time, starting roughly April 10, DTP would face a $25,000-a-day penalty until the work is done, the Post reports. If the project is not completed 92 days after that April date, the contractor would have to pay roughly $2.3 million in fines, plus an additional $75,000 a day.

Ultimately, if the project is delayed more than six months from that April date, DTP could be required to pay more than $9 million total. Under the terms of the contract, the payments are capped at $60 million.

Also in the contract, a financial incentive: Had DTP completed the project earlier than scheduled, it could have earned up to $10 million in rewards.

When MWAA certifies that the issues are repaired, the project will be turned over to Metro, which has 90 days to complete its own testing.

The latest delay is one of several, though Metro and MWAA officials have never given a firm opening date for the Silver Line. It is now expected that the Silver Line will not open until summer 2014.

When the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced earlier this week that the Silver Line still has issues to fix and would not be turned over to Metro just yet, it marked the third such delay in the last several months.

While there has never been an exact opening date announced for Phase 1 of the rail extension, which will run from East Falls Church through Tysons Corner to Reston’s Wiehle Avenue, it now looks like the first riders will not be aboard until at least this summer.

Original estimates speculated the Silver Line would open in late 2013 or January of 2014.

With many businesses and real estate markets counting on rail to Reston, does this affect anyone’s plans?

Maggie Parker, spokesman for Comstock, which is developing (along with Fairfax County) the seven-level parking garage at Wiehle-Reston East, as well as the mixed-use Reston Station development above the garage. The garage is ready to open. Construction of the plaza where retail will be located is finished, and construction on the luxury apartment building just got underway.

But so far, no Metro means no tenants.

“The delay does slow things down,” says Parker. “Interest in Reston Station has increased dramatically since the track work has been finished and trains have been testing. But the real impact will be felt once we have train service here.”

“Meanwhile, we have 3,300 lonely parking spots,” she added. “If the Metro were open now, we would certainly be much farther along [in leasing space].”

Andy Klaff, executive vice president of Colliers International commercial real estate services, says most clients are thinking long term. In the big picture, a delay of a few months should not affect the commercial real estate market.

“The Silver Line delays should not affect business from Tysons to Reston,” he said. “Businesses are relocating to metro accessible projects for the long term benefit. Companies, like Intelsat and CVENT, have already signed so that they can attract and retain their employees that will utilize public transportation.”

Similarly, residential customers are being patient as well, says one Reston Realtor. The Reston area has been waiting for Metro service for decades.

“Everyone knows Metro is coming,” said Marnie Schaar of Long & Foster’s Reston North Hills office. “The weather this winter is what has had the biggest impact on buyers.”

Fairfax County real estate tax assessments went out this week, and the county says 88 percent of homeowners saw an increase in their home value due factors such as a strong economy. It is hard to say whether Reston-area values are impacted yet by proximity to Metro, something that has been predicted for years.

Bonnie Haukness of Long & Foster’s Reston office says that prices are already reflecting Metro’s impending arrival.

“I have heard of a few sellers who are waiting with the thought that once the metro station in Reston is opened, prices will climb,” she said.  “In my opinion, there has already been an increase in the prices, especially on those properties that are “walkable.” Buyers, on the other hand, should be trying to purchase prior to the opening of the Silver Line, and possible further escalation.”

Photo of Reston Station by David Madison Photography.

Ride The ‘Silver Tsunami’ — Do you know about The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (also known as OLLI)? The partnership with George Mason University offers more than 100 classes for senior citizens at three Northern Virginia locations, including Reston. Popular topics include history, politics, art, current events — pretty much everything you never had the time to take while a full time student way back. [George Mason University]

Is Pot Harmless Or A Gateway Drug? — The Unified Prevention Coalition will help parents separate fact from fiction at a seminar “Marijuana Harmless: Think Again?” on March 27 at 7 p.m. at Providence Presbyterian Church,9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax. Register by March 26. [Unified Prevention Coalition]

Who Is Ready To Hit The Barre? — Pure Barre exercise studio is set to open at Reston Town Center soon. A Washingtonian writer recently visited the Bethesda location and described her sore legs as shaking like Jell-O. [Washingtonian]

Reston Association Needs Design Review Volunteers — Interested in keeping up Reston’s design standards? RA’s Design Review Board can use you. Three positions, including two design professionals (architect, land planner, or landscape architect) and one lay member, are needed to serve three-year terms. The DRB interprets, administers, and renders decisions involving the design covenants. Apply by May 2. [Reston Association]

Photo courtesy of Reston Association.