Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station report two burglaries in recent days.
The first was Saturday, June 18 in the 11800 block of Breton Court. A resident reported to police that someone entered their home though an unlocked door and took property.
The second burglary tool place Sunday. A resident of the 1200 block of Mason Mill Court in unincorporated Herndon told police someone entered their home and took property.
In other crime news from the last week:
- LARCENIES
- 1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, wallet from business
- 2100 block of Centreville Road, bicycles from business
- 12200 block of Laurel Glade Court, bicycle from residence
- 11500 block of North Shore Drive, bicycle from residence
- 12100 block of Sandy Court, license plate from vehicle
- 12100 block of Sanibel Court, laptop computer from vehicle
- 2200 block of Springwood Drive, property from business
- 13000 block of Marcey Creek Road, radio from vehicle
- 11200 block of Crossbeam Court, check from residence
- 11500 block of Olde Tiverton Circle, bicycle from residence
- 2200 block of Cartwright Place, property from residence
- 11800 block of Fawn Ridge Lane, purse from vehicle
- 12900 block of Highland Crossing Drive, cash from residence
- 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, property from residence
- 12100 block of Sunset Hills, wallet from business
School’s Almost Out, Backpack Drives In — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is helping organize Cornerstones’ annual backpack drive. Through July 28, GRCC will be collecting backpacks to give to needy students for the next school year. [Cornerstones]
South Lakes Grad’s Startup — Meet Mykel Nahorniak, a former Restonian and the founder of Localist, a calendar event software firm. [Washington Post]
Take A Senior Survey — Fairfax County is gathering data to help to understand the transportation patterns and mobility needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities within the county and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. Take a quick survey. [Fairfax County]
ICYMI: North County Governmental Center Grand Opening — There was a celebration at the new Reston District Police Station and Hunter Mill office on Saturday. [Fairfax County]
When the Exxon Station/Circle K Convenience Store at 11854 Sunrise Valley Dr. is fully remodeled by the end of the summer, it will have something new.
The convenience store — which currently has many of its beverage coolers outside the store as the inside is renovated — will have Reston’s first Laredo Taco Company location.
Laredo Taco Company is a popular chain of fast casual Mexican restaurants found inside 480 Stripes convenience stores in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Laredo Taco bills itself as “fast, fun, friendly and delicious,” offering “generous portions of your favorite Mexican food, handmade with the freshest ingredients every day.” Its menu includes made-to-order breakfast tacos, beef enchiladas and beef fajitas, as well as a salsa bar.
There will be a couple of seats in the store, but mostly it is geared toward takeout, Exxon management said.
Laredo Taco Company has made a push to towards the East Coast recently, opening locations in gas stations in Ashburn and in Pennsylvania.
Photo: Lardeo Taco Company/Yelp
It is about six weeks until paid parking will go into effect at Reston Town Center.
Visitors will have to pay $2 an hour on weekdays — weekends will still be free — and some stores and restaurants say they will validate for at least a few hours of free parking. Still, hundreds of Reston-area residents say they will stay away just on principle.
Many store owners, particularly those who run locally owned businesses, are concerned with what a downturn in customers, combined with validated parking eating into profits, will do to the bottom line.
They should look towards Montgomery County as a cautionary tale.
Last week, downtown Rockville Town Square business owners told Rockville City Council members that parking spaces requiring payment are to blame for their declining sales. Unless something changes, “you’re going to have a lot of boarded up businesses,” the owner of the Ben & Jerry’s franchise said and Bethesda Magazine reported.
Rockville Town Square is a mixed-use destination — retail, as well as an arts center and public library, among others — that charges $2 an hour for parking seven days a week. However, stores validate for two hours of free parking with purchase. Read More
Even though it has been in operation for decades, Reston Association has not had a formal ethics policy.
That’s why it has been working for two years on implementing a formal code to outline ethics, behaviors and governing policies.
RA has been moving toward improving its system of governance since May 2014. The organization also formed a Code of Ethics Task Force and recently paid Vienna-based Quantum Governance $10,850 to help draft the code of ethics.
Says the intro to the code, from RA CEO Cate Fulkerson and RA Board President and Vice President Ellen Graves and Michael Sanio:
The Code was truly a collective effort and was drafted with substantial input from RA Board Members, Task Force Volunteers, Staff, Members and other key Reston Association stakeholders.
We trust that it will help clarify and reinforce the types of core values and ethical standards our community can be proud of as well as help them to be as effective as possible in carrying out their vital leadership responsibilities.
We also trust that, over time, this Code will continue to evolve and be improved.
The RA Board will further discuss the draft of the new code at its full board meeting on June 23.
The board may vote to finalize the code, or move to obtain member input on the draft through a focus group session facilitated by Quantum Governance (and spend up to $6,000) or move to obtain member input on the draft through an electronic poll and conduct a focus group session facilitated by Quantum Governance (for an additional expense not to exceed $14,000).
Meanwhile, check out the draft below.
DRAFT – RA Code of Ethics Version 1.0 for Public Circulation
Manny Hershkowitz, a longtime Reston resident who was known for his active pursuits as a retiree, died last month at Ashby Ponds in Ashburn. He was 99.
Manny and his wife, Ruth, lived in Reston for more than 30 years, relocating from New York in 1974 to be near grown children.
At age 82, Manny became the oldest ball boy to work the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. That earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
He competed several times in the Virginia Senior Olympics and the National Senior Olympics and was an avid softball and bridge player. His needlepoint works were also displayed at Reston Community Center in recent years.
Manny retired twice — from the fur industry in New York and later as a furniture salesman at Bloomingdales at Tysons Corner.
“I think being so active keeps me young,” Hershkowitz told the Washington Times in 2003. “I think age is a state of mind.”
He was a World War II veteran and was married to Ruth Hershkowitz for 73 years. They had three children, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Manny is survived by his wife Ruth, children, Stephen (Louise), Jared (Fran) and Meryl (Peter); grandchildren, Rana (Mark), Jo (Steve), Arianna, Brittany and Steven; great grandchildren, James, Sean, Alan and Jason.
Donations may be made in his memory to the Ashby Pond Scholarship Fund or the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation Religious School.
Photo: Manny Hershkowitz/Legacy.com
Zika Alert — Is the Zika virus heading here? Fairfax County’s Director of Health has an update. [Fairfax County]
Relay Triathlon This Weekend — There is still time to register for this weekend’s Reston Relay Triathlon, so organize your team and sign up. [Reston Relay Triathlon]
Fox Mill Neighbors At Odds Over Pond and Cat Tails — Who is responsible for this manmade pond and the growth around it? [Fairfax Times]
Photo: Taste of Reston 2016/Credit: Reston Town Center
Monday is the first workday under Metro’s second Safety Surge.
While Surge No. 1 wrapped up single tracking that affected Silver Line trains on the route to/from Wiehle Reston East, it doesn’t mean the ride is totally clear for riders originating or disembarking in Reston. Surge No.2 — one of 15 safety projects from Metro over the next 10 months — will affect Blue Line Riders in Arlington, as well as Silver Line riders in DC. Read More
After testimony from state historic and architectural experts, the Fairfax County Planning Commission admits it did not fully investigate the historic significance of the former American Press Institute Building in Reston.
The building, which housed the API from 1974 to 2012, was designed by famous architect Marcel Breuer and is the only Breuer building in Virginia.
Breuer’s also designed UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, and buildings at New York University and Vassar College, among others.
Other advocates for rescuing the building have pointed out the historical significance for leaders in media and politics.
The Fairfax County Planning Commission heard the pleas for historic preservation — sort of. They send Sekas Homes‘ proposal for 34 townhomes and 10 condos to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Thursday with a recommendation for denial.
Many Reston residents have suggested that the county try and buy it from its current owner and repurpose the more than 48,000-square-foot building as a new Reston Regional Library. A new library is planned for the Reston Town Center North area, with $10 million of county bond money set aside to build it.
While we wait for the supervisors’ vision of what should happen to the four-acre parcel along Sunrise Valley Drive, let’s hear your ideas.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova has been named by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe as a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Mary Washington.
Board of Visitors serve a four-year term and may be appointed to an additional term. Another high-profile person from this area, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Ingrao, is on the UMW Board.
“I thank Governor McAuliffe for this appointment and am honored to serve in this capacity,” said Bulova in a release. “The University of Mary Washington is a top-notch institution and I look forward to working with board, faculty and staff members of the university. My daughter Karin graduated UMW in 1993 and has many happy memories of her years on campus.”
Said McAuliffe: “Virginia’s economic future runs through our colleges and universities, and the leaders I appointed to Boards of Visitors this year understand the imperative to strengthen our academic institutions and make them more accessible to students from all walks of life. I ask each [Board member] to use his or her knowledge and experience to foster innovation at their institutions, to keep the burden of tuition as low as possible and to emphasize access and completion for every student.”
Sharon Bulova/file photo
Reston Association’s Lake House project — under scrutiny by the community for the last several weeks after a $430,000 construction overrun was announced — is going to need some major exterior work, too.
The Lake House Working Group showed plans earlier this week for what the outside of the property would, could and should look like — and that includes a dock in Lake Newport; Americans With Disabilities Act modifications to the parking lot; park areas; and a rain garden.
The group says the parking lot closer to the lake (circle) reduction, as well as ADA spaces/grading, drainage and landscaping near cluster should get first priority in the exterior renovation schedule.
But don’t look for that work to be completed any time soon. At this point, the ideas of the working group are a de facto wish list for the exterior.
The original estimate for exterior work at the time of 2015’s member referendum was $9,000 (but that was for the basics such as paint and wood replacement).
With plans for new grounds, expenses for the exterior would be about $1.2 million, some estimates say.
The working group is in charge of giving recommendations about what should be done at the building, which was purchased by RA in July 2015 for $2.65 million.
It will be up to the RA Board to approve where and when the money is spent. First, it has to find the money though.
Some ideas discussed the Lake House Working Group meeting Wednesday included developer proffers; funds raised by Friends of Reston; grants; and from RA assessments (though the group said it felt strongly this option should not be used).
Meanwhile, the interior of the Lake House is finished and will open for its first revenue activities June 27, RA CEO Cate Fulkerson said.
RA says it expects to bring in more than $100,000 annually from camps, after school care (starting this fall) and event rentals.
The board is also looking to convene a group to determine how the overrun occurred and to put procedures in place to ensure an error that large does not happen again. That will be discussed at the June 23 Board meeting.
Photo: Proposed changes to exterior of Lake House/RA
Reston Soccer is exploring the idea of building its own artificial turf fields in Reston.
Reston Soccer President Robert Anguizola says the league is developing a new strategic plan in order to better serve Reston’s 1,500 youth soccer players. Part of that plan includes converting two grass fields into turf fields, but the idea is still in the very early exploratory stage, he said.
The league held a town hall at Walker Nature Center on Wednesday to gauge the community’s interest in the project.
“We are very excited about our strategic plan,” said Anguizola. “We are doing a lot of things to improve player development. One thing that is a big part of that is field and facility quality.”
Reston Soccer was one of several community groups that contributed to the $2 million project to build two turf fields at South Lakes High School several years ago. While that gave Reston Soccer, which donated $150,000, more playing time on the fields, the league still needs more turf fields, which are available to teams even during rain, said Anguizola.
Reston Soccer does not own its own fields, however. Teams play on fields owned by Reston Association and the Fairfax County Park Authority.
Ideally, the league would like to convert the two grass fields at RA’s Lake Newport Soccer on Reston Parkway, says Anguizola. Anguizola is asking to speak at the July RA Board meeting to see if RA would be interested in partnering in the effort.
Anguizola also said Reston Soccer is concerned about the potential health effects of crumb rubber, which was used in Fairfax County Public School turf fields. Some studies have shown the crushed-tire material is a carcinogen. The county says there are no health risks.
Anguizola says Reston Soccer is looking into newer types of organic infill made from cork and coconut husks.
Reston Socceer has hired an architect to envision what the fields could look like. It has not yet put a dollar amount on the potential project, said Anguizola.
The Marcel Breuer-designed building in Reston will get a reprieve after some of the Fairfax County Planning Commission admitted “a major screw up” by them. The commission will send Sekas Homes rezoning application to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with a recommendation for denial.
“This was a major screw up,” said At-Large Member James Hart. “I hope this is a wake up call to us that we need to make sure something like this does not happen again.”
The building on Sunrise Valley Drive is the only Breuer-designed building in Virginia. Breuer is a famed architect of the Brutalist style of the 1960s and 1970s. The building housed the American Press Institute (API) from 1974 to 2012. It has been vacant since 2012, when API merged with the Newspaper Association of America.
Sekas Homes is planning to rezone the property to build 34 townhomes and 10 condos. A planning commission staff report earlier this year recommended the project for approval. Read More
‘Seats’ Last Day — Wells & Barnes:Seats of Power, an exhibit at Greater Reston Arts Center, will close on Saturday.
New Phone Scam in Fairfax County — Fairfax County Police are warning citizens not to fall for a call from someone claiming you have an outstanding arrest warrant. [Fairfax County Police]
Reminder: North County Governmental Center Grand Opening — Come check out the new county building, as well as police cars and a police helicopter at this open house Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new governmental center is at 1801 Cameron Glen Dr.
The people who brought paddleboarding to Reston are hoping to bring a gondola pilot project here next month.
Steve Gurney, owner of Surf Reston Stand Up Paddleboarding, has asked Reston Association for permission to offer gondola rides on Lake Anne in late July.
Gurney plans to bring a gondola (and gondolier) to Reston to see if it would be a good longterm investment here.
“A gondola at Lake Anne has the potential to be a very unique regional attraction comparable to a Reston Town Center Carriage Ride,” Gurney said in his request to RA, which must approve the idea since Lake Anne is RA property.
“There are less than 25 other gondola operations in the nation, and many report that they are consistently voted the ‘most romantic evening’ and the ‘best place to propose’ in their regions.”
The cost of the Reston rides has not yet been determined, said Gurney. Most vendors around the country charge $100-$125 for an hour-long ride for four, he said.
Gurney said he sees collaboration with the restaurants at Lake Anne (and the immediate region) to create dinner/gondola packages will provide a unique offering to drive traffic and commerce to Lake Anne. Read More
