North Reston voters may soon find themselves voting in a new precinct beginning with the March 1 “Super Tuesday” presidential primaries.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Dec. 8 to consider changes to the election precincts and polling places.
Fairfax County staff is making the recommendation that Aldrin and North Point precincts, which currently have a combined roster of nearly 9,000 registered voters, divide to create a new precinct to redistribute the voters in this area.
The proposal will create a new precinct from the southern portion of North Point to be named “Armstrong,” and its polling place will be established at Armstrong Elementary School (11900 Lake Newport Road, Reston).
The northern portion of North Point combined with the northern portion of Aldrin will retain the name “North Point” and its polling place will be St. Thomas à Becket Catholic Church (1421 Wiehle Avenue, Reston).
The southern portion of Aldrin will retain the name “Aldrin” and its polling place
will remain at the Aldrin Elementary School (11375 Center Harbor Road,
Reston).
The additional polling place would cut down on lines in busy election years. Aldrin would have 2,892 registered voters; Armstrong, 3,376; and Northpoint , 2,998, county officials said.
See attached map for suggested boundaries.
Reston has been without a bookstore dedicated to new books since Barnes & Noble closed its doors in early 2013.
As of today, Reston has a bookstore again. Scrawl Books, an independently owned shop, opens Monday at Reston Station’s Urban Pop pop up stores.
Reston resident Rachel Wood, a longtime library employee, has been working on the Scrawl Books project for more than a year.
“We have had [books] coming in the last month or so, and I will have daily restocking from my vendors,” said Wood. She said the store will be at Urban Pop “until we are ready to go somewhere else.” She is still looking for longterm — and bigger — space.
Urban Pop is a row of small (about 100 square foot) retail spaces that Comstock is opening — starting today — on the Reston Station plaza. The stores will be a “curated mix of shops and artisans “that would be of benefit to commuters,” said Comstock spokeswoman Maggie Parker.
Scrawl Books will be open 3-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Wood said Scrawl will hold a “petite” grand opening on Saturday (which is also Small Business Saturday). There will be readings/book signings with Leesburg author Maria Gianferrari (Penny & Jelly: The School Show) at 11 a.m. and Retson author Terry Catasús Jennings (Sounds of the Savannah) at noon. There will also be food from Greenfare in Herndon. Visit Scrawl Books’ website for more information.
Supervisors Make New Donation Box Regulations — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted some new rules on charity drop-off boxes. [Fairfax County]
Herndon Homicide Connects to MS-13 — A man found dead in Folly Lick Park in Herndon earlier this year is connected to the MS-13 gang, which officials say has stepped up its recruiting. [Washington Post]
County Syrian Blanket Drive Continues — The last day for donations of blankets and coats for Syrian refugees is Dec. 4. Your donations of clean, gently used blankets and coats can be dropped off at any of the Board of Supervisors’ offices including the Hunter Mill Office at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive in Reston. Collection boxes are in the lobby and accessible 24/7.
South Lakes Falls in Football Playoffs — South Lakes High School’s football season ended Friday in a 24-13 loss at Westfield in a second-round Virginia 6A North Region Playoff game. South Lakes finished the season 9-3 and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Have you made plans? If you don’t want to cook on Turkey Day, there are several Reston restaurants ready to serve you.
Here are some ideas:
Red’s Table, South Lakes Village Center
Clyde’s of Reston, Reston Town Center
Il Fornaio, Reston Town Center
McCormick & Schmick’s, Reston Town Center
Morton’s The Steakhouse, Reston Town Center
Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro, Reston Heights
All of the places mentioned take reservations. Either click on the restaurant name or visit Open Table.
Photo: Red’s Table at South Lakes Village Center
When a new version of Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston VA was shown to about 500 viewers at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods on Thursday, there were more than a few tears shed by audience members touched at seeing the final story of Reston founder Bob Simon, who died in September at age 101.
Director Rebekah Wingert-Jabi has been working on the documentary for nearly five years. A previous version was shown at RCC in April of 2014 during the celebration events of Simon’s 100th birthday and Reston’s 50th anniversary.
The newer version was shown at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville earlier this month. It will likely be screened again in Reston in April, as well as in future film festivals, said Wingert-Jabi.
Some major things have happened since the spring of 2014: Metro’s Silver Line finally opened (in July 2014), linking Reston — once considered “the end of nowhere,” as someone in the movie said — with downtown DC; the development in progress spurred by the transit system; and, of course, Simon’s death.
“We wanted to flesh out key moments in Reston,” Wingert-Jabi said of the revisions. “We wanted people to understand more of what happened in the years Simon wasn’t here (1967-92), about Mobil Land’s role in developing Reston Town Center.”
The final edit of the 70-minute film will make the movie more appealing to people less familiar with Reston. The previous version had many more original Restonians talking about the pioneer spirit in moving to Simon’s “new town” in the mid-60s. The point still gets across in the new version, but added is more historical and architectural context.
The film is big on historic photos and documents. There’s Simon and his sisters playing in Riverside Park in Manhattan and touring Europe, which served as the inspiration of his suburban community built around a town piazza. Read More
How about a little pre-Thanksgiving house hunting? There is a lot to see here in Reston. As always, check out Reston Now’s Real Estate section for complete real estate information.
1575 Inlet Court
5 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$584,900
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
2255 Double Eagle Court
3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB TH
$429,900
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
1322 Red Hawk Circle
5 BR, 4.5 BA SFH
$899,000
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
11775 Stratford House Place
2 BR, 2 BA Condo
$334,900
Open Sunday 2 to 4 p.m.
2130 Whisperwood Glen Lane
2 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$329,000
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
11290 Silentwood Lane
2 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$315,000
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
1558 Goldenrain Court
3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB TH
$430,000
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
10819 Cross School Road
4 BR, 2.5 BA SFH
$644,999
Open Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
Reston Association’s Board of Directors on Thursday approved a $16.9 million budget for 2016-17, which sets the member assessment rate at $657 for next year.
The $657 annual assessment is a 2-percent increase from 2015. The amount was held in check from rising closer to $700 when the board voted several weeks ago to use a surplus of $1 million to minimize the assessment fee increase.
The 2015 member assessments were $642. Overall, rates have risen $67 since 2013. See the assessment rates since 2000 on this previous Reston Now article.
The 2017 assessment rate will be determined later next year when additional budget adjustments are made. However, an additional $1 million won’t be available, so the assessments could rise closer to the $718 cap, RA treasurer Dannielle LaRosa said at a budget meeting two weeks ago.
Members can pay in one payment or in six installments. There is also a reduced rate for members whose properties are valued at $132,000 or less.
“For the first time ever, the board took the opportunity to utilize a portion of the association’s operating cash surplus to fund some of the 2016 capital projects,” RA President Ellen Graves said. “The transfer of $1 million of excess operating cash in 2016 now makes it possible for RA to move forward with all proposed capital projects with association members funding a smaller portion in 2016 than would otherwise have been possible if the operating cash surplus were not available.”
Graves outlined some of the association’s goals for 2016:
Increased monitoring and advocacy of land-use matters with a focus on new residential development projects enhanced multimodal transportation infrastructure, a comprehensive plan for pedestrian/pathway lighting, and the establishment of design guidelines for new mixed use/urban projects in Reston.
Utilizing the services of a grant-writing firm to identify funding opportunities for capital projects and recreational programming.
Investment in new technology to provide members with a greatly improved online experience for pool and tennis pass purchases, RA Camp and program registrations, financial processes and electronic document access.
Expanded mowing, trimming, weeding and curb cleaning of roadways under VDOT control in Reston. The association will be seeking reimbursement from VDOT for these services.
Maintenance and improvements to RA pools, pavilions, lakes and ponds, ball fields and tennis facilities.
The board also voted to direct Chief Executive Officer Cate Fulkerson to provide the board with a report on any proposed amendments or modifications to the 2017 Operating & Capital Budgets no later July 2016 and the direct the Chief Financial Officer to provide the board with an end-of-year 2015 cash analysis in February 2016 and a mid-year cash analysis to the board in July 2016.
RA plans more than $5 million in capital repair and replacements in 2016 and 2017, including a remodel of the Pony Barn Recreation Area; replacement of several baseball backstops; buying two buses for camp transportation; and an overhaul of the Central Services facility.
The RA Board discussed looking into a fee structure change for upcoming years to reflect property values and household income. Doing so would require a change to the Reston deed, said RA attorney Ken Chadwick.
“The higher the assessment gets the more we have to look at whether it makes sense that a 700 square-foot condo has to pay the same as a 5,000 square-foot lakefront property,” said Lake Anne/Tall Oaks Director Eve Thompson. “We just have to remain sensitive to the reality of living in a fiscally diverse environment.”
New Name For County Chamber — Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce is rebranding to gain a greater regional identity. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Hospital Center Earns Industry Kudos — HCA Virginia’s Reston Hospital Center has been recognized as a 2014 Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission – the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in the United States. This is the fourth consecutive year that the hospital has earned this recognition and is among 106 HCA Hospitals in the country to earn the status.
Football Playoffs Tonight — South Lakes travels to Westfield at 7:30 p.m. for its second-round game in the Virginia 6A North Region Football Playoffs. Admission is $7. [Reston Now]
Niche Ranks Virginia High Schools — Education site Niche.com has ranked Virginia’s top 100 public high schools. South Lakes comes in at No. 37; Herndon is No. 51. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology tops the list. [Niche]
Photo: Buck at Walker Nature Edcuation Center/Credit: Walker Nature Center via Facebook
The Fairfax County Police helicopter was circling south Reston Thursday night, leading many Reston Now readers to ask why.
Fairfax County police said a woman reported her purse was stolen in the 2200 block of Gunsmith Square about 11 p.m.
Police looked for a suspect via ground and air, but did not locate him, said FCPD Officer Shelley Broderick.
On Fridays we take a moment to thank our sponsors and advertisers.
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, the business community for the vibrant region.
The Harrison, apartments now leasing near Reston Town Center.
Berry & Berry, PLLC, Reston law firm specializing in federal employment, retirement, labor union, and security clearance matters.
Just Cats Clinic, Reston’s first cats-only vet practice.
Reston Real Estate, Eve Thompson of Long & Foster Real Estate specializes in Reston homes.
Becky’s Pet Care, offering friendly pet services in Northern Virginia.
Reston Community Center, Serving Reston’s recreational and cultural needs.
MakeOffices, shared work spaces with five area locations, including Reston.
Hunters Woods Co-Operative Preschool, registration now underway for 2015-16.
Oatlands Historic House & Gardens.
Bento House, Japanese restaurant in Reston.
Lake Anne Nursery Kindergarten, educating Reston’s young minds for more than 50 years.
Boofie O’Gorman, Top Producer Realtor at Long & Foster Reston.
Goldfish Swim School, specializing in children’s swim lessons year-round.
VITA, luxury apartments at Tysons Corner.
A Cleaning Service, professional residential and commercial cleaning.
Aspen Jewelry Designs, family owned jewelers offering personal design and customer service.
BASIS Independent McLean, Independent school for K-12 located in McLean.
Did you miss the candlelight vigil in honor of Reston founder Bob Simon on Sept. 25?
The event has been packaged into a 10-minute video featuring speeches from Reston dignitaries; kind words from friends, neighbors and citizens; and the moving sendoff lining Lake Anne Plaza.
The video tribute was produced byAround Reston’s Kat Toussaint and Mediavolution Visual Strategies LLC.
See the entire video on Mediavolution’s website.
Simon died on Sept. 21 at age 101.
Photo: Candlelight vigil on Sept. 25/Credit: Charlotte Geary of Modern Reston
Reston Association’s Board of Directors is in the midst of budget planning for 2016 and 2017 and is eying spending more than $5 million over the two years on a long list of improvements, including a revamp of the Pony Barn recreation area and the Central Services area.
The association is looking at a $2.4 million Capital Repair and Replacement Budget for next year (boosted by $98,000 from Comstock’s $650,000 developer contribution from the Tetra purchase and the addition of BLVD apartments). The proposed budget will be $2.8 in 2017, with a $48,000 influx of Comstock money.
What’s RA planning on doing with the money? Repairing aging facilities, of course, but also acquiring some new additions.
There will be a public hearing on RA’s proposed 2016-17 budget Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at RA offices, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. The RA Board — which says assessments will likely be $657 in 2016 — will vote on the biennial budget and member assessment rates by the end of the year.
Here are some of the planned spending areas:
Trails: $176,130 (2016) and $181,414 (2017) for asphalt overlays on RA trails.
Ball fields: $87,080 (2016) and $99,096 (2017) for ball field renovation and repair, including: Renovation and a new backstop at two Hook Road fields; renovation and a new backstop at Lake Newport fields; and a new backstop at Brown’s Chapel fields.
Lakes: $319,300 for repairs and replacement of the Lake Anne dock. Partial payment for the Lake Anne Dam ($480,583); a Lake Anne Outlet Riser ($266,602); a Lake Anne Outlet Barrel ($24,175) and $313,600 for Lake Newport dredging.
Central Services: $1.6 million over the two years for renovations at the Central Services facility.
Pony Barn: $175,000 each year for renovations at the Pony Barn. This project began with RA setting aside $30,000 to add lighting and a new floor in the aging picnic pavilion. Community and citizen committee recommendations, however, morphed the approved project into one with new play equipment, better accessibility for those with disabilities and kiosks with historical info, among other amenities.
Fleet: $223,304 in 2016 for vehicle maintenance and additions; $108,000 to purchase two camp buses. RA currently leases vans in summer for camper transportation.
Miscellaneous: $15,000 for improved path lighting in 2016 and $95,352 for an improved telephone call management system.
See the entire proposal draft on RA’s website.
Graphic: Pony Barn improvement rendering/Credit: RA
Fairfax County Police said three burglaries were reported in apartment complexes near Hunters Woods Village Center on Wednesday.
Two incidents were in the 11900 block of Winterthur Lane. A resident told police someone entered their apartment bout 2:30 p.m. It is unknown at this time if anything was taken, police said.
A resident of the same block told police someone entered their residence and took property shortly before 8 p.m.
Earlier in the day, at 12:30 p.m., a resident in the 12000 block of Greywing Square reported someone entered the residence and took property.
Last week, burglaries were reported in the 12000 block of Greywing Square and in the 2300 block of Freetown Court.
South Lakes High School’s Theatre Arts Department opens its fall production Thursday night. The students will present Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple — with a twist.
The classic comedy of sloppy sportswriter Oscar Madison and persnickety Felix Ungar as unlikely roommates will also be presented as the tale of Florence Ungar and Olive Madison in a female adaptation for some of the SLHS performances.
Here’s the performance schedule:
Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. – Female
Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. – Male
Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. – Female
Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. – Male
Performances are in SLHS’ Little Theatre
Tickets:
There is a two-pack special that gives you one for each version:
$16 – Student/Senior
$20 – Adult
Individual tickets for a single performance are also available:
$10 – Student/Senior
$12 – Adult
Tickets are available at the box office prior to the show or on the South Lakes Theatre Arts website.
Should Fairfax County be open to resettling Syrian refugees?
Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova said the acceptance of refugees remains a federal decision — but she hopes if people do relocate here they will be treated with compassion and support.
“The acceptance or banning of refugees in local and state jurisdictions is a federal decision,” Bulova said in an email. “It is important for the federal government to ensure the safety of the American people through security and background checks to the greatest extent possible.”
“Refugees are human beings — families and children — fleeing from dangerous and tragic situations. Syrian refugees who may be relocated to Fairfax County should be treated with compassion and received with the support Fairfax County is known for. ”
Arlington County officials said this week they are ready and willing to accept refugees. That’s one side of the divisive issue that is polarizing many elected officials thousands of miles away from the civil war in Syria.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said earlier this week he would not join with more than two dozen governors, mostly Republicans, to attempt to block Syrian refugees from seeking asylum in the Commonwealth.
However, several state legislators said they will legislation in the upcoming 2016 General Assembly session that would block an influx of refugees fleeing Syria’s civil war.
The statements came in response to last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris, which killed more than 100 people.
“This legislation is being proposed in response to recent terrorist attacks in France, as we have seen radicals use the refugee crisis as a means to enter other countries,” Del. Timothy D. Hugo, (R-Fairfax), said in a statement. “Before we can allow further resettlement in Virginia, we must have full confidence in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its procedures. Virginia is a welcoming state, but our first priority is the safety of our citizens.”
Other lawmakers backing the measure are Dels. C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), Gregory D. Habeeb (R-Salem), and G. Manoli Loupassi (R-Richmond).
Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston, says the issue is “representing the worst of politics of division and fear.”
“As a state, we should be focusing on domestic terrorism — access to guns,” said Plum.
Plum said he has not thought about introducing state legislation advocating for housing refugees (which really falls under federal responsibility anyway). He said if Hugo’s bill advances in the January session, he may “say something,” however.
President Barack Obama has said the United States should accept up to 10,000 displaced Syrians. However, last week’s terrorist attack in Paris has caused new concern about Islamic radicals being allowed into other countries. Read More
