Is your new best friend waiting for you at the 2016 Pet Fiesta?
The annual event sponsored by Good Dogz Inc. will feature more than a dozen rescue groups, who will bring pets in need of homes to meet potential owners at the Fiesta this Saturday at Reston Town Center.
The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will also feature fun for the whole family. Here’s what is planned:
Live Music and a dog fashion show. See live event schedule.
Tails on Trails Dog Walk — This is a scenic walk to raise money to help homeless dogs find homes. The route will take you and your furry pal around the Reston Town Center on a walk along the W&OD trail, sidewalks & footpaths. The Dog walk begins at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Cost: $20 for one dog, $5 for additional dogs, payable online.
Pet contests — including best dressed, best trick, best howl and a Frosty Paws eating competition.
Vendors — Lots of cool pet products and services will have demonstration booths.
Photo: 2015 Pet Fiesta/Gooddogz.org via Facebook
Want to buy a 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Fairfax County house designed for residents to age in place?
The house is on the market in Springfield for $935,000. Its contractors: FCPS high school students.
The house, which took 17 months to complete, was built as part of FCPS’ residential construction program.
For 45 years, FCPS has partnered with the Foundation for Applied Technical Education, Inc. (FATE). Together, they have built 23 houses. Read More
Meet River, an older dog who is this week’s Reston Pet of the Week. Here is what his friends at Homeward Trails Animal Rescue have to say about him:
River is an adorable male lab mix. Our best guess the mix includes American Bulldog. He’s estimated to be about 7 years old.
River is a gentle giant, weighing in at 70 lbs., thogh he probably could stand to shed a pound or two. River is as sweet as sweet gets. His favorite thing is belly rubs and relaxing.
As he’s an older gentleman, he’s pretty calm but he still enjoys playing with his toys! He likes to play catch with a ball and he knows basic commands like sit, come, stay. He is house trained. He’s a wonderful boy and he gets along well with other dogs and seems fine with cats.
This nice boy somehow lost his home — he was brought to a rural shelter as a stray.
River’s adoption fee is $300. If you are interested please visit Homeward Trails to fill out an adoption form at email it to [email protected]. You can also request to meet a Homeless Trail animal at an adoption event HT holds every Saturday and Sunday at the at the Homeward Trails Adoption Center, 11116 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station.
Are you and River 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.
The Reston Farmers Market opens for its 18th season at Lake Anne Plaza’s parking lot Saturday with its usual — and sometimes unusual — assortment of produce, eggs, meats, homemade baked goods, pickles, popcorn and honey.
The market, which spreads out into the craft market on the plaza, is the most robust farmers market among the 11 markets operated by Fairfax County. It was also named “Best Market in Northern Virginia for 2013” by Virginia Living Magazine.
Fairfax County markets are producer-only, meaning that all of the farmers and producers may only sell what they raise on their farms or make from scratch. The farmers and producers all come from within a 125 mile radius of Fairfax County.
Market hours are 8 a.m. to noon. There’s also a master gardener to answer questions, live music, and a variety of other goods and services — as well as people-watching — to keep you entertained.
Here’s a list of the vendors who will be set up for the 2016 season, which will run through mid-November.
- 78 Acres, Inc.
- A Bit More Sweets and Specialties
- Arnest Seafood
- Baguette Republic
- Bees ‘n Blossoms
- Blue Ridge Dairy Co.
- Breezy Meadow Farms
- Cavanna Pasta
- Cherry Glen Goat Cheese
- Colonial Kettle Corn Inc.
- Fresh Crunch
- Glascocks Produce
- Grace’s Pastries
- Hutt Produce LLC
- J & W Valley View Farm
- Jerry’s Gourmet Berries, Inc
- Kiwi Kuisine
- Ladybug Mountain Farm
- Misty Meadow Farm Creamery
- Mt Olympus Farm
- Nitro’s Creamery
- Ole Pioneer’s Kitchen
- Penn Farm
- Potomac Vegetable Farms
- Reid’s Orchard, Inc.
- Smith Family Farm
- Spring Valley Farm and Orchard
- The Farm at Sunnyside
- Toigo Orchards
- Valentine’s Country Bakery and Meats
- Virginia Vistas Greenhouses
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Budget Committee has recommended that a meals tax referendum be put to Fairfax County voters in the general election this fall.
The idea will now go to the entire Board of Supervisors for a vote.
The meals tax, which supervisors last discussed — but decided not to go to referendum — in 2014, was brought up this spring by Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins.
Multicultural Festival Seeks Entertainers — The search is on for musicians, dancers, storytellers and other entertainment acts to take part in the annual Reston Multicultural Festival in September. Applications are now open for the Sept. 24 festival. [Reston Community Center]
JBG To Merge? — Developer The JBG Companies may be in talks to merge with Manhattan-based New York REIT Inc., a partnership that would open up regional prospects for JBG. JBG is based in Chevy Chase but is behind many Reston projects, including Reston Heights/VY and RTC West. [Washington Business Journal]
Friday Night Live, Finally — Herndon’s Friday Night Live starts the season May 6 with a performance by “Go Go Gadget.” [Herndon Rocks]
The driver of a pickup truck hit a electrical pole on Reston Avenue between Reston Parkway and Leesburg Pike about 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
The crash knocked over the pole and live power lines.
The road was closed as of 4:30 p.m. as law enforcement officials and Dominion Virginia Power personnel cleared the scene.
There were no injuries. Witnesses said the driver said he swerved to avoid an animal.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), Reston’s Congressional representative, said Metro’s response to the fatal smoke incident near the L’Enfant station last year was “appalling.”
Connolly’s remarks came in response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s report on the incident, which was released on Tuesday.
The report details a series of failures by the transit agency in the response to the Jan. 12, 2015 incident. Dozens of riders were injured, and one woman died.
Connolly said Metro is heading in the right direction under new General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, who “has taken commendable steps to right an agency reeling from crisis-to-crisis in his short time on the job, but he and his new safety team face a monumental task in tackling the institutional challenges that have been allowed to fester and erode not only the basic infrastructure but also rider and stakeholder confidence.”
Said Connolly in a statement:
It has been more than a year since the Yellow Line tragedy at L’Enfant Plaza, and today’s final report by the National Transportation Safety Board on its exhaustive investigation once again brings to the fore the painful and shocking memories of that day, which resulted in the death of Northern Virginia’s Carol Glover and injuries to dozens of other riders.
The NTSB’s findings show a systemic failure of Metro to instill a safety culture from its earliest days, leading to the steady march into mediocrity in which Metro now finds itself. From the lack of basic preventative maintenance to poor management of emergency response, the NTSB’s findings echo similar shortcomings uncovered by the FTA that have put at risk the safety of riders and Metro employees.
It is particularly appalling to learn Metro’s response to reports of smoke was to send trains loaded with passengers into a tunnel to investigate. I am relieved such an outrageous practice is no longer in place, but the mere fact it once existed speaks to the level of indifference to safety that had permeated the agency.
In this definitive report, NTSB has once again clearly made the compelling case that safety oversight would more appropriately be given to the Federal Rail Administration. Oversight is a three-legged stool: enforceable rules, inspections, and enforcement. I believe FRA, not FTA, can most expeditiously meet that challenge as Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia work to stand up the new Metro Safety Commission to provide more robust oversight and accountability.
Metro has been one of the National Capital Region’s greatest successes, but that investment has been allowed to stagnate. New General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has taken commendable steps to right an agency reeling from crisis-to-crisis in his short time on the job, but he and his new safety team face a monumental task in tackling the institutional challenges that have been allowed to fester and erode not only the basic infrastructure but also rider and stakeholder confidence.
It will once again take the combined effort of the local, state, and federal governments to restore Metro to a standard of safety and service for which the nation’s capital and its riders can be proud.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) also said they were “extremely disturbed” that many of the safety hazards have not yet been addressed.
“We urge Metro, the Federal Transit Administration, and regional authorities to move as urgently as possible to ensure that the problems identified in this report finally get fixed once and for all,” the senators said in a statement.
Smoke fills a Metro car on Jan. 12, 2015/Credit JRogers202 via ARLnow.com
St. Johns Wood Apartments near North Point might more than double in size in the next few years.
Developer Bozzuto has plans to turn the 250-unit garden apartment complex into 511 multi-family units and 51 townhomes.
Bozzuto and Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins will present a revised proposal for St. Johns Wood Apartments at a community meeting on Wednesday, May 4.
The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Hunter Mill District Office, 1801 Cameron Glen Dr. in Reston.
St. Johns Wood’s 14.3 acres have been through a couple of changes since first plans were shown to community members more than a year ago.
The sixth annual Be Amyazing Reston Youth Triathlon returns to Reston on Sunday. Registration for young athletes is full, but there are a few logistics to be aware of for spectators and residents.
The event begins Sunday at 8 a.m. at Ridge Heights Pool, 11400 Ridge Heights Rd.
After the swim portion, athletes will bike down Ridge Heights to South Lakes Drive, then down Seahawk Drive to the South Lakes High School stadium area.
Roads will not be shut down. However, lanes will be blocked. There will be law enforcement helping guide traffic, but please be careful of the kids (ages 6 to 15) on the course.
The running portion will take place on Reston Association paths.
See the various courses for different age groups on the Be Amyazing website.
The triathlon began in 2011, when a group of then-high school freshman (Kacey Hirshfeld, Olivia Wolfe and Hannah Becker) wanted to start an athletic event to honor their friend Amy Boyle, who succumbed to brain cancer in 2008.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation.
The event founders, now college students, were honored for their community service at the 2016 Best of Reston gala last month.
Photo courtesy Be Amyazing Reston Youth Triathlon
Reston Station is now offering free outdoor exercise classes on the plaza.
“Barefoot on the Plaza” begins May 3 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with yoga with teachers from Reston’s Beloved Yoga. Yoga will continue Tuesdays through May.
The programming continues with mat Pilates at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays this month with instructors from Reston’s Pure Joe Pilates.
Bring your own mat or borrow one from a supply there. Afterwards, stick around for some treats from Urban Pop vendors — or on Wednesdays, from the Smartmarket booths set up nearby.
Reston Station is adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station at Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road.
The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to institute a new school-year calendar that begins school prior to Labor Day.
That’s a change from the last few decades, where FCPS has started the Tuesday after Labor Day.
FCPS Superintendent Karen Garza will now draft a new school year calendar, which will be voted by the board later this fall. The new schedule would go into effect in 2017-18. The first day of school that year would be Aug. 28.
The new calendar will also end school earlier in June. The last day of school for 2015-16 is June 23.
The Code of Virginia (22.1-79.1) allows local Boards of Education to waive a state requirement to begin schools after Labor Day if a district is closed an average of eight days per year during five of the past 10 years due to weather conditions, energy shortages, power failures, or other emergencies.
FCPS qualifies for the waiver because, during five of the past 10 years, the district has averaged 8.4 days missed due to weather conditions and other events.
Based upon this current average of missed days, the waiver option will continue at least through the 2019-20 school year, FCPS said.
The school board’s decision was also based in part on results of an April survey of parents and staff. While parents were in favor of the change by a small percentage of the 41,942 responses, it was school staff members that really showed their support, with 64 percent (of the 12,105 responses) of them favoring the pre-Labor Day start.
Here is what the numbers look like:
Parents (41,942 responses)
- 52.58% Support (22,054)
- 47.42% Do not support (19,888)
Staff – (14,105 responses)
- 64.29% Support (9,068)
- 35.71% Do not support (5,037)
Police Survey Results — Fairfax County Police Surveyed 4,250 county residents to ask how the FCPD was doing. Fifteen percent responded, and said overall police were doing a good job — but with some major caveats. [Fairfax County Police]
Deal For Deon — Former SLHS football player Deon King, a Norfolk State linebacker, was not selected in the NFL Draft, but did get a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys. [Norfolk Pilot]
Teens Develop Site To Aid Volunteerism — Area brothers have developed a site to match students with volunteer opportunities. [Fairfax Times]
At The Hop — The Reston Chorale has two shows Saturday at Reston Community Center that will showcase the music of the 1950s. [Facebook]
In Virginia, more people die from heroin overdoses than car crashes each year, state officials say.
Fairfax County is no exception, where the number of drug overdoses is rapidly increasing.
Fairfax County officials said there was one day earlier this year where fire and recuse personnel was called to four overdoses in one day.
That is why Fairfax County is hosting a Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Town Hall Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. The town hall is at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. It will also be broadcast of Fairfax County Channel 16.
Heroin is a public health crisis in our community and around the nation and Fairfax County is working to address it,” Pat Herrity, Springfield Supervisor, said in a release. “The problem is in your neighborhood. It is occurring across the county, not just in “bad” neighborhoods. … Education and public awareness are important parts of combating this growing crisis. Seventy percent of heroin addicts reportedly start with prescription drugs.” Read More
A bike rack can be a work of art.
That’s the message the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR) is hoping to convey. IPAR is holding a call for artists through the end of May to design artistic bike racks for several Reston locations.
Says IPAR: “Winning bike rack designs will be both imaginative and functional, enhancing the community’s public art collection. The organizations (IPAR and Reston Association Multimodal Transportation Advisory Committee) seek to develop a series of site-specific bike racks that will represent Reston’s unique aesthetic, natural, and cultural identities. The goals of the project are to provide safe bike parking for cyclists throughout Reston and to weave art into the fabric of Reston’s infrastructure.”
Five designs will be selected, and the design should reflect the surrounding site. IPAR plans installations at Walker Nature Education Center, the Lake House, the Pony Barn, and Hunters Woods Village Center.
Artists must be from the Maryland-DC-Virginia-West Virginia area. Selected artists will receive $1,000. Winning designs will be selected by a committee and ultimately approved by IPAR.
Winning entries will be chosen in June. Installation of the racks is expected by August.
See much more information and design specifics on this Call for Entries.
Photos: Artistic bike racks in downtown DC/Credit: Golden Triangle BID
