Fairfax County Police detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing person.
On Wednesday, June 22, Kenneth R. Hirsch was reported missing. He voluntarily left a residence in the 1400 block of Kingstream Drive in Herndon on Tuesday, June 21 around 4:45 pm with his dog.
Hirsch may be experiencing emotional distress and be in possession of a firearm; he should not be approached.
Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Kenneth Hirsch is asked to contact Detective Connie Morris at 703-856-8543 or the Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131 or Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS.
Nineteen area high school seniors were recently awarded scholarships by the medical staff of Reston Hospital Center.
The students, from Fairfax and Loudoun County high schools, were chosen for academic excellence and excitement for pursuing a career in healthcare, an Reston Hospital Center spokeswoman said.
“These students are well deserving of the medical staff scholarships as they begin their journeys of exploring careers in the healthcare field,” said John Deardorff, President and CEO of Reston Hospital Center. “We hope that one day they return to their roots as members of our local medical community.”
Reston Hospital Center offers $15,000 in scholarships annually. Over the past 16 years, Reston Hospital Center’s Medical Staff has awarded more than $250,000 in academic scholarships to students in Northern Virginia.
Scholarship winners for 2016:
- Alexa Binckes- Briar Woods High School
- Shanze Eshai and Izaballa Valdez – Broad Run High School
- Rebecca Yoo – Centreville High School
- Elise Mazzone and Sneha Suresh – Chantilly High School
- Sabrina Tolbert and Antonia Osei – Herndon High School
- Joyce Cheng – James Madison High School
- Julia Knepper and Nadia Malik – Langley High School
- Gilian Wright and Gulenay Saydahmat – McLean High School
- Sosan Noori – Oakton High School
- Nardin Ageeb – Potomac Falls High School
- Jenessa Lopez and Tara Vaughns – South Lakes High School
- Iqra Tariq – Westfield High School
Photo: Reston Hospital Center 2016 Scholarship Winners /Courtesy Reston Hospital Center
Just 18 months after closing his longtime Tall Oaks Village Center restaurant and relocating to Herndon, former El Manantial owner Humberto Fuentes has closed his newer restaurant, Europa.
Fuentes operated El Manantial at Tall Oaks for 11 years, bringing a high-end Mediterranean restaurant to the center. He closed El Manantial in the fall of 2014.
Fuentes told Reston Now in 2014 that he signed a five-year lease, rather than a 10-year lease, in 2009, when he noticed that Tall Oaks was losing much of its vibrancy and tenants.
“I realized this center is not going to get any better,” he said. “I want to operate in a better location.”
Fuentes then leased space on Station Street in downtown Herndon and opened under a new name.
Fuentes said early on that “business is better here than in Reston.” Locally owned Europa received mixed, but mostly positive, reviews from customers.
Europa closed on April 30, Fuentes said.
Meanwhile, Tall Oaks’ future as a retail center looks to be limited. Owners Jefferson Apartment Group will present its plan for a new residential with about 8,500 square feet of convenience retail/restaurant, to the Fairfax County Planning Commission July 14.
Photo: Europa Restaurant/Courtesy Europa
When Reston Association’s Board of Directors holds its June meeting on Thursday, there will be several more areas of discussion related to the purchase and renovation of the Lake House/Tetra property.
The Lake House has been in the news recently since RA announced it needed to cover a $430,000 cost overrun incurred since the property was purchased for $2.6 million in July 2015.
RA plans to use the 3,100-square-foot building on the shores of Lake Newport for after-school care, camps and community event rentals.
The overrun occurred due to several factors, said RA CEO Cate Fulkerson. The previous tenant, Tetra Partners, opted not to sign two six-month rent backs, so RA did not get more than $100,000 in rental payments (and had to speed up renovations in order to start earning income from the property). Renovation costs also have come in much higher than expected. Read More
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is still considering a special tax or special service district to fund $2.6 billion in transportation improvements in the Reston area in coming years.
Two ideas mentioned in a briefing to the Reston Network Analysis & Funding Plan (RNAG) Advisory Group this week include a tax district: $0.03/$100 of assessed values for commercial and industrial properties in Reston transit station areas or a service district of $0.015/$100 of assessed values for all properties in Reston transit station areas.
The suggestions will be further discussed at a community meeting Monday, 7-9 p.m., at the North County Government Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston.
The presentation uses the example of a .015 cent tax to show how it would affect homeowners. A service district homeowner with a $400,000 home would see a rise of about $60 in annual taxes. An owner with a $900,000 home would be taxed about $135 more. Read More
Congrats, SLHS Class of 2016 — Here is a recap of South Lakes High School’s graduation ceremonies. [Connection]
Founding Farmers Responds To Review — Founding Farmers, slated to open at Reston Station soon, received no stars in a recent review by Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema. Here is how the restaurant responded. [Washington Business Journal]
Kudos To SLHS Teachers — Eirik Harteis and Jim Wagner, teachers from South Lakes High School’s Social Studies Department, have been selected as National Endowment for the Humanities summer Scholars. Harteis will participate in “Philosophers of Education: Major Thinkers from the Enlightenment to the Present,” a three-week program at Boston University. Wagner will take part in “The Transcontinental Railroad: Transforming California and the Nation, “a one-week workshop conducted by the University of California-Davis.
Photo: Sunset after June 21 storm in Reston/Credit: LoveRunandPray via Twitter
Hundreds of triathletes will be on Reston roads and trails at the Reston Relay Triathlon on Sunday.
While roads will not be closed, some lanes will be blocked, and race officials are warning drivers to be extra careful on the course.
Here is what you need to know:
The race begins Sunday, June 26, 7 a.m. at Lake Newport Pool, 11601 Lake Newport Rd.
Race participants and spectators are asked to park at North Point Village Center nearby.
After the swim portion at Lake Newport, the bike 11.2-mile course will take place on the following roads: Reston Parkway, Wiehle Avenue and Baron Cameron Avenue. See a map of the bike course on the Reston Relay Triathlon website.
The 3.-1-mile run course takes place on pathways, but there will be two north Reston intersections where runners will be crossing: North Village and Center Harbor and at Center Harbor and Wiehle Ave.
Runners are to stay on the right because the first and third miles will have two-way traffic, race officials said.
For more information, visit the Reston Relay Triathlon website.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion on Tuesday to allow up to 5.0 FAR — a mark of high density — in 22 areas of the county close to Metro stations.
The ordinance establishes a maximum FAR of 5.0 for Transit Station Areas and a maximum FAR of 4.0 for Commercial Revitalization Districts, (CRD), Commercial Revitalization Areas (CRA), and Community Business Centers (CBC).
The board also passed an amendment introduced by Supervisor John Foust (Dranesville), that says the McLean area can only build up to a 3.0 in its revitalization and community business district areas. Foust said allowing high density building in McLean would alter the area’s traditional smaller-town character.
While the vote for increased FAR (Floor-Area Ratio) sounds like skyscrapers are on the way, it isn’t, the supervisors reiterated.
Allowing maximum density, particularly in areas close to Metro or in need of revitalization, gives future developers flexibility, said Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova.
Meet Tucker, a male Jack Russell Terrier mix who is looking for a new home.
Here is what the people at Safe Haven Puppy Rescue have to say about him:
What an AWESOME guy!!! Tucker is a 6-year-old, 12-pound, long hair Jack Russell Terrier mix. His owner surrendered him to the shelter when she started having health problems and could no longer care for Tucker.
Tucker is a very loving little boy who gets along with other dogs He loves people and is looking for a new person to call his own.
Tucker is up to date on all his shots and has been neutered. He has an adoption fee of $325 ,which includes micro-chip.
This little guy is going to bring lots of joy to some lucky family. For an adoption application, please contact the adoption coordinator, Dondra at [email protected].
Are you and Tucker a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you $100 in Becky’s Bucks, as well as some treats.
Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?
Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet.
Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.
Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va 11th) is among the Democrats taking part in a sit-in on the House of Representatives’ floor Wednesday to protest congressional inaction on gun legislation.
The sit-in is being led by Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a longtime civil rights leader who says “we have been silent for too long.”
“Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary,” said Lewis. “Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. “There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more.”
House Floor protest on no gun vote now joined by Senator Durbin of Illinois. Extraordinary event. Unprecedented — Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) June 22, 2016
Connolly, who represents Reston, said in a statement:
The violence must end. In the wake of these almost weekly tragedies, the response from Congress is as predictable as it is disappointing. We offer our thoughts and prayers. We hold a moment of silence; anything to distract from the central cause, and common instrument, of these crimes. How many more must die before Congress acts?
Today, I was proud to join Rep. John Lewis and House Democrats to once again call on Speaker Ryan to bring up a vote on the No Guns for Terrorist bill. Instead of acting, the House Majority decided to shut off the cameras to the People’s House.
Lewis wrote a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan demanding that he keep the House in session through its planned recess to debate and vote on gun control legislation.
From Newtown to Charleston… how long will it take for Congress to act? #NOMORESILENCE #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/uH4G5HCQc5
— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) June 22, 2016
“As the worst mass shooting in our nation’s history has underscored, our country cannot afford to stand by while this Congress continues to be paralyzed by politics,” wrote Lewis, according to CNN.
Other representatives joining the sit-in include Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson; Michigan Rep. Dale Kildee; Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond; Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes; and Connecticut Rep. John Larson.
Photo: Gerry Connolly/file photo
The Washington, DC area comes in second only to New York City in walkability, according to a study by The Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis at The George Washington University School of Business.
The report even gives Reston a shoutout for creating a walkable suburban area from where there was only farmland years ago.
The study looked at the 60 largest walkable urban areas — WalkUPs to the study authors — and found a trend:
“For perhaps the first time in 60 years, walkable urban places (WalkUPs) in all 30 of the largest metros are gaining market share over their drivable sub-urban competition — and showing substantially higher rental premiums,” says “Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros.”
“This research shows that metros with the highest levels of walkable urbanism are also the most educated and wealthy (as measured by GDP per capita) — and, surprisingly, the most socially equitable.”
The authors point out eight types of WalkUp categories — Downtown, Downtown Adjacent, and Innovation Centers among them.
They break down the suburbs as Suburban Town Centers (formerly older small towns that became part of the suburbs), Redeveloped Drivable Suburban (such as Tysons Corner), and finally, Greenfield or Brownfield, where WalkUPs developed on undeveloped land or reclaimed land (such as Reston Town Center, which was once, indeed, a green field).
The study points out that in two of the top-three-ranked walkable urban metros, Boston and Washington, DC, half of the occupied WalkUP space is located in suburban jurisdictions.
“This development pattern makes Boston and Washington, DC, more likely models for future walkable urban development,” the study says.
The DC area also comes in second to New York in the study’s social equity ranking, meaning “metro areas with the highest walkable urban rankings have the highest social equity performance, as measured by moderate-income household spending on housing and transportation and access to employment. “
“Of the top-ten metro regions ranked by social equity, eight also ranked in the the top ten for current walkable urbanism,” say the study authors. “The most walkable urban metros also have the most social equity.”
“Moderate-income households in the high-ranked walkable urban metros have (1) the lowest transportation costs due to having less expensive alternatives to evermore-costly cars and trucks, and (2) have greater employment accessibility due to increased density and transit accessibility to these jobs. These two measures balance the higher costs of housing in the most walkable urban metros.”
See the entire report on Smart Growth America’s website.
Kudos For RCC’s Gordon — Reston Community Center Executive Director Leila Gordon has been named a Northern Virginian of the Year by Northern Virginia Magazine. [Northern Virginia Mag]
Supervisors OK Policing Changes — In the wake of the 2013 fatal police shooting of John Geer, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved police training and response policy changes, but the issues over body cameras remain. [Washington Post]
Breuer’s Legacy Lives, For Now — Architect magazine reflects on the saga of the Marcel Breuer-designed former American Press Institute Building in Reston. [Architect]
SLHS Records Fall at Track Nationals — South Lakes High School runners broke two school records and tied an 18-year mark last weekend at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals track and field meet in North Carolina. Junior Devyn Jones ran a 14.52 in the preliminaries of the 100 meter hurdles, breaking her own mark set last month. The 4×800 meter relay team of Sophie Halkett, Sarah Wolfe, Olivia Beckner and Golden Kumi-Darfour broke the school record they set in May with a 9:15.79 for 12th place in the Championship Division.
Photo courtesy RSTA
Reston saw all the weather Tuesday afternoon — from a few showers about 2 p.m. to a severe downpour by 6 p.m. to a hailstorm at 7 and a rainbow at 7:30 p.m.
Whew. Today calls for much calmer skies. But here is what Restonians had to say while the skies opened.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to authorize the addition of bond questions to the Nov. 8 General Election ballot.
If approved, part of the $312 million in bonds will go for various county improvements, including a contribution for Metro equipment and the replacement of the Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston.
Building a new shelter is already in the plans for the Reston Town Center North Area. A new shelter is likely to be located close to where the current one is located on Bowman Townr Drive. The bond money would provide $48 million for Embry Rucker, as well as several other county shelters.
Voters will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on three bond questions totaling $312 million for transportation, parks and human services.
The supervisors’ vote allows the county to petition the Circuit Court to order the referendums. Under state law, the county must petition the court to put a referendum on the ballot.
If approved by Fairfax County voters, the money is intended to provide:
- Metro boost: $120 million to help pay for the county’s share to Metro’s capital improvement program that includes safety and system maintenance projects, new rail cars and power upgrades for running eight car trains, additional buses for operating Priority Corridor Networks, and rail station improvements to increase the capacity of the system’s infrastructure.
- Parks improvements: $107 million to fund priority needs identified in the county Park Authority’s needs assessment ($94.7 million) and sustain the county’s capital contribution to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority for another four years ($12.3 million). Reston-area parks such as Lake Fairfax Park would benefit from the general countywide improvements.
- Social Services: $85 million to replace the Sully Senior Center and a new Lorton Community Center ($37 million) and renovate, expand or replace the Patrick Henry, Embry Rucker, Eleanor Kennedy, and Bailey’s emergency shelters for people who are homeless ($48 million).
Two weeks ago, the supervisors authorized a meals tax question to be added to the General Election ballot.
Fairfax County voters will be asked to authorize a 4-percent meals tax for county areas that do no currently have one (including Reston). A meals tax is expected to add about $100 million to the county annually, about 70 percent of which would go to Fairfax County Public Schools.
Is the Herndon Metro Station area moving towards development of the mixed-use amenities that are expected to be built nearby?
The Washington Business Journal reports that commercial real estate broker Colliers International recently began seeking buyers for 575 Herndon Parkway, a 4.8-acre office building site immediately adjacent to the future Herndon Metro station.
Herndon Station, which will be located near the current Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride, is part of Metro’s Silver Line Phase 2. It is expected to open in 2020.
There is a 135,000-square-foot building now on the site. The site has an anchor tenant: Booz Allen Hamilton. However,the property could yield roughly 906,400 square feet of additional mixed-use development. Booz Allen’s lease expires in four years, says the WBJ. Read More
