Ribbon Cutting For Real Estate Office — Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage will have a ceremonial ribbon cutting with the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce at its new office (11911 Freedom Drive Suite 520) at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Attendees will have the opportunity to view the new office space, and meet the broker and affiliated agents.
Broadway Night Preview — Check out this video of kids in the South Lakes High School pyramid as they prepare for rescheduled Broadway Night Saturday and Sunday at SLHS. [YouTube]
Youth Art Month At GRACE — The Greater Reston Arts Center has special events honoring youth art month in February. [Reston Connection]
Suburbs Still Strong — Don’t count out suburban office parks yet, especially in the Dulles Tech Corridor. [Bisnow]
Northern Virginia streets — and work and school schedules — are getting back to normal have the big snow of nearly two weeks ago.
So it’s a good time to take a step back and reflect about what went right and what wasn’t so right in the Fairfax County and Virginia Department of Transportation response.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova is calling for a “snow summit” at the Supervisors’ March 1 meeting.
“Compared to ‘Snowmageddon,’ [in February of 2010] where some county residents were trapped — some of them without power in their homes for up to a week — I think VDOT’s response to this storm was excellent, but there are still lessons to be learned and practices that can be improved,” she said at Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting. Read More
Crews constructing the Reston Town Center Metro station will begin a pile-driving operation later this week in the median of the Dulles Toll Road just west of Reston Parkway.
Pile driving, which pounds steel piles into the soil to support foundations for the rail station, is slated to begin Friday, Feb. 5.
Pile driving will occur during the day, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and occasionally on Saturdays, and will continue for approximately six months, says the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
Adjacent businesses and residences surrounding this work area can expect noise. Pile driving usually is done in intervals of about 15 minutes with a similar break in between activities.
In addition, drivers are asked to use caution and pay attention to signage along this section of the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles International Airport Access road.
The Reston Town Center station will be the first stop on Phase 2 of the Silver Line, which will run from Wiehle-Reston East to Dulles International Airport and into Ashburn. It is expected to open in 2020.
Photos courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
Meet this week’s Pet of the Week, Max. Max is a friendly 5-year-old who lives in Reston with his owner, Jennifer.
Here is what she has to say about him:
Don’t let Max’s young handsome face fool you! He’s about to turn a big five in march and weighs about 20 lbs.
He’s super friendly, sometimes too hyper but he knows how to show his doggy friends the best time when together.
He loves just about anything he can get his paws on and gets so grumpy when we go out in the rain and snow.
Jennifer and Max will receive $100 in Becky’s Bucks, as well as some treats, from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care.
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.
It has been about a month since Boston-based Not Your Average Joe’s opened its doors at 1845 Fountain Dr. in Reston.
We thought we would check in on what diners had to say via posts on Yelp.
Overall: NYAJ has 33 review and a four-(out of five) star rating.
The Good:
“Just tried this place for the first time with my family and we all absolutely loved it! Delicious, fresh, and unique meal options, good prices, and wonderful service. Our server, Rob, was fantastic and very helpful with suggestions on the menu. We’ll definitely be coming back for more. P.S. – their buffalo chicken pizza is SO YUMMY.” — Tara H.
“The bartender Kristian was very friendly and helpful — big fan of the stamp he put on our placemat with his name on it, it was a cool and unique touch (and probably the main reason I remember his name weeks later). Great beer selection, fun cocktail choices. We got a pitcher of sangria, mango shrimp spring rolls, and cheesesteak egg rolls. The sangria was pretty good (though a little too cinnamon-spiced for my taste). We were pretty disappointed by the lack of flavor for the mango shrimp spring rolls and did not finish them – ordered the cheesesteak egg rolls instead which were really good!” — Jenni M.
“This place has become the ‘go to’ place for me and my posse of friends. Great food, great ambiance, fun vibe, friendly service!!! With a big spacious well designed bar area it’s a great sports bar option with a classy urban chic feel. Food wise the garlic olive oil dip with bread as a starter is to DIE for!! Rosemary roasted scallops entree–AWESOME!! Asian tuna lettuce wraps…..light, tasty and DELICIOUS! Then KILLER desserts! The place has been packed EVERY time I’ve been there. Well done NYAJ and welcome to Reston! — Peggy B.
The Bad:
“I had the burger with cheese and bacon , sadly the top bun was burnt and also bits of the bacon, I asked for a medium i got a medium well and that’s a big difference for a a guy that’s in to burgers like me, so the meat was a bit dry. Also had the maple bourbon Manhattan it was not a balanced drink, I think the measurements were way off. The sangria was good though.” — Andres G.
“… Overall, we spent an hour and a half in the restaurant — most of that time was waiting for our food. I ordered the sweet blue burger and she ordered steak frites (both medium). The burger was burnt and tasteless. Her steak was rare, and as she put it, “one step from inedible.” The waiter never stopped to check on us and it took so long to get our food that we were reticent to send it back, something we never have done before.
Crews are at work renovating space in the Rite Aid Pharmacy at 2260 Hunters Woods Village Center so it can hold a RediClinic.
RediClinics are Rite Aid’s walk-in clinics, which can treat a variety of medical issues. Clinics are staffed by licensed practitioners (nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants), are open seven days a week (and many evenings) and take most insurance plans.
RediClinic staff can diagnose and treat a variety of common illnesses such as colds and flu, ear infections, strep throat and urinary tract infections. They can also perform school and work physicals and give vaccinations. See a list of services on RediClinic’s website.
Several area Rite Aid’s including locations in Sterling, Falls Church and Alexandria, have RediClinics.
No opening date has been set.
Melting snow plus heavy rain could equal a big mess for Reston and the rest of Northern Virginia on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch beginning at noon Wednesday through late Wednesday night for most of the Washington, DC area.
From the NWS:
… FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM NOON EST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…
* THE COMBINATION OF MELTING SNOW AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN COULD RESULT IN FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND STREAMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN ONE HALF AND ONE INCH… WITH ISOLATED SPOTS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES POSSIBLE.
* IN ADDITION… ICE MAY BE ON SOME OF THE SMALL STREAMS WHICH COULD ENHANCE THE FLOODING POTENTIAL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.
Photo: Rain/Credit: Bahmad Farzad via Flickr
Kudos, HHS Markswoman — Herndon High senior Allison Maxwell, a Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) cadet, has been invited for the second consecutive year to compete in national marksmanship events at the annual NJROTC Service Championship Feb. 18-20 in Ohio. Maxwell, who serves as the executive officer of the Corps of Cadets and captain of the HHS rifle team, set a new school record while placing in the top three in every NJROTC Area 5 (Va., Md., and Washington, D.C.) meet that she competed in this season.
Reston Museum Docents Wanted — The Reston Historic Trust is seeking volunteer docents to welcome visitors and help with daily operations of the Reston Museum at Lake Anne Plaza. Weekend volunteers are particularly welcome. If you are interested, please call 703-709-7700, or e-mail [email protected].
Snow Budget Spent — The recent blizzard used up all of Northern Virginia’s snow removal budget for the winter. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe says more can be spent, but another project might have to wait in order to cover more removal. [WTOP]
Happy Lunar New Year — All Nippon Airlines will sponsor Lunar New Year festivities at Dulles International Airport’s main terminal this morning. [Fly Dulles]
Photo: Slushy Lake Audubon/Credit: Joy Every
The spring slate of Potomac River Running races kicks off in Reston at Sunday’s For The Love Of It 10K.
Here is what you need to know:
Race starts at 8 a.m. at South Lakes High School. The finish line is on the SLHS track.
The course runs on several nearby streets. Streets will not close, but lanes may be blocked. Affected streets include South Lakes Drive, Ridge Heights Road, Sunrise Valley Drive, Soapstone Drive and Colts Neck Road.
Online registration closes Thursday at 8 p.m. Advance registration is $40.
Registration also available Feb. 5 at packet pickup and on race day; $45.
All pre-registered runners will receive a Long Sleeve For the Love of It 10K commemorative technical shirt and all runners get post-race Valentine’s Day treats.
Five Restonians will seek election to the Reston Association Board of Directors in 2016, RA announced on Tuesday.
There are three seats up for election: North Point, Lake Anne/Tall Oaks and an At-Large Seat.
Lake Anne/Tall Oaks Director Eve Thompson, the current board secretary, will run for re-election, but as an At-Large candidate. Opposing her will be newcomers John Bowman, who has been active in RA’s Transportation Advisory Committee and the Reston Citizens Association, and financial professional April Tan.
Ken Knueven, former RA Board President, currently fills the At-Large seat up for election. He cannot run again because RA Bylaws prohibit more than two consecutive three-year terms by board members.
North Point District Director Dannielle LaRosa, who was appointed to the board in summer 2014 when former North Point Director Tim Cohn resigned for health reasons. She was elected by North Point district residents in 2o15 to fill the remaining one-year of the term. She is now running unopposed for the full three-year term. LaRosa currently serves as the RA Board Treasurer.
Running unopposed for the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks District Director is Sherri Hebert, who has been active in the citizens group watching Tall Oaks redevelopment.
While two of this year’s races are uncontested, a 10-percent quorum is required to make the election official, RA says.
Voting will take place electronically and through mail in March. Results of the election will be announced at the Annual Members’ Meeting on April 12.
Look for profiles of candidates on Reston Now soon. Meanwhile, read their candidate statements.
Photo: RA Board meeting/file photo
Joe Grooming, the McLean-based maker of men’s hair and grooming products, has left its retail space at Reston Town Center — sort of.
The shop will now be known as PR Barbers and will be operated by Reg Laws, one of the owners of PR at Partners Salons.
Joe Grooming opened at 11944 Market St. in October in a storefront vacated by PR at Partners Salon, which moved to another space at RTC.
“We appreciate having the opportunity for a pop-up shop during the holiday season,” Dan Kliska, president of Joe Grooming, said in a statement.
Kliska said Joe Grooming will continue to concentrate on its online business. The pop-up shop provided the company with the opportunity to explore expanding the brand to include men’s grooming services, he added.
PR Barbers will soon have some competition. A second men’s salon, Roosters, is slated to open at 11990 Market St.
PR Barbers says Joe Grooming gift cards will be honored.
Reston will likely be getting a 135-bed assisted living and memory care facility located on Leesburg Pike.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve on Tuesday a special exception to a zoning ordinance that that will allow Singh Senior Living of Cary, NC, to build Waltonwood Reston on a 23-acre parcel at 10819 Leesburg Pike. The land is located just in front of the Ascot subdivision of homes near the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue.
Singh currently manages more than two dozen Waltonwood facilities nationwide, including one in Ashburn.
The special exception is required to build a medical care facility on land that is currently zoned residential. The land currently contains a 1,500-square-foot unoccupied house, which will be torn down, according to an October report by the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning.
The staff report recommended approval of the project, as did the Fairfax County Planning Commission at a December meeting.
The 155,150-square-foot facility is “proposed to be developed as a medical care facility consisting of assisted living and memory care units to serve the immediate area needs for senior assisted living and dementia. The facility will primarily serve the greater Reston, Great Falls, Tysons Corner and Herndon area. The future residents of the facility are projected to come from the area, or move to the area to be near their adult children who live in the vicinity of Waltonwood Reston, ” says the developer application.
The applicant says the proximity of Reston Hospital Center, about two miles away, will be a great asset to the project and offer added medical services not provided on site but that may be needed by residents.
Singh says:
There will be about 20 acres of open space on the property.
Plans include 110 assisted living and 25 memory care units, plus a single staff/visitor unit, and 113 parking spots.
There will be a continuous retaining wall along the majority of the frontage, enabling preservation of a large portion of the existing hedgerow Leesburg Pike and a complete screen of the parking areas visible from Leesburg Pike.
The building will be designed in a courtyard configuration. It will include additional common areas, including: a common dining room, hair salon, convenience store and cafe, library, hobbies & crafts room, movie theatre and assorted lounge areas. A complete, state-of-the-art physical therapy and exercise area is also planned. Read More
A Reston man has been charged with assault after he allegedly attacked a fellow passenger and two flight attendants on a Sunday flight from Washington to Jacksonville, Fla., federal authorities said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville said Joseph Michael Sharkey, 36, was a passenger on Jet Blue Flight 715 when he verbally assaulted another passenger and then placed that passenger in a headlock.
He also tried to open the plane door in flight, according to a criminal complaint.
“When ordered by a flight attendant to return to his seat, Sharkey at first complied but then assaulted the flight attendant and made an effort exit the airplane through an exit door,” according to the federal criminal complaint.
“Sharkey was stopped by another flight attendant, but then fought with him, kneeing him in the groin. The flight attendants enlisted the help of volunteers and subdued Sharkey, placing him in flex cuffs for the remainder of the flight. “
When the flight landed safely in Jacksonville, Sharkey was removed from the flight by airport police.
Sharkey is being held in Jacksonville and will have a formal hearing on Wednesday.
According to the criminal complaint, Sharkey had four alcoholic drinks during the flight.
Sharkey has been in similar trouble before. In 2012, when he was a resident of Woodbridge, he was accused of stealing a truck through a security fence there while under the influence of alcohol, according to news reports.
In that incident, he was charged with burglary, grand larceny auto, destruction of property, driving under the influence of alcohol (his third offense in 10 years), refusal to submit to a breath test and driving on a revoked license.
Jet Blue plane/file photo
Looking Into The Future — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum “The Changing Future of Reston” Feb. 11 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston. Local developers and government officials will give an overview of changes to transportation and development coming to Reston and how it will transform the Dulles Toll Road corridor. [GRCC]
Geico’s Lake Anne Commercial — Remember the Geico commercial filmed at Lake Anne last May? It’s finally airing on TV. Sadly, the second version featuring late Reston founder Bob Simon is not being used. [YouTube]
New Reston Location For IT Company –Vectrus Systems Corporation, a global government services company, has opened a new office in Reston. The office at 11730 Plaza America Dr. will serve as the company’s IT & Network Communication Operations Center and will support the company’s pursuit of additional business in this market. [Reuters]
That’s Cold — Capital Weather Gang explains the pros and cons of living in one of the DC-area’s “colder” suburbs, which includes Reston. [Capital Weather Gang]
Photo: Snowy Sunset in Reston/Credit: Douglas H. Errett
After the snow comes the inevitable potholes.
Rather than getting mad, get active — as in tell the Virginia Department of Transportation (or whomever is responsible for the street) the pothole’s location and get on the fix-it list.
First, determine who is responsible for the road. Most of the major arteries in Fairfax County are in VDOT’s jurisdiction, but check out this map that will show you who maintains every street in the county. Fairfax County itself is not responsible for pothole fixes.
You can then access VDOT’s new online reporting tool, which makes it easier to pinpoint exactly where you see a pothole. You can also report potholes directly from your mobile device and include images (but don’t try this while driving, of course).
You can also call VDOT at 800-FOR-ROAD to report potholes or ask who maintains a road.
So which roads in Reston are not VDOT roads?
- Dulles Toll Road, contact the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority.
- Many private roads are maintained by businesses, apartment/condo complexes, homeowner/civic associations or residents. If you know there’s a pothole on a road that’s privately maintained, contact your HOA or the business that’s responsible.
Photo: pothole/file photo
