Since 2013, Reston Now has been reporting news about the Reston and Herndon areas. Recently, we started providing additional coverage of Great Falls.
Keep up with our coverage by signing up for our email subscriptions.
The afternoon email — sent at 4 p.m. — rounds up the most recently published stories and sponsored content on our site. Our morning email is currently on a hiatus.
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We’re counting down the top 20 most-read articles of 2019 this week and next week. Kicking off the list today is #16-20.
20. A poll about Reston Town Center’s rebranding efforts had nearly 2,000 respondents. Although a representative for Boston Properties indicated some “exciting news” was expected over the summer, the news Gods remained mum for most of the year.
19. A sponsored post from 2014 continues to top the charts — with sporadic spikes in clicks throughout the year. The post, which was submitted by Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne Plaza, covers tips on how to determine when a cat is in pain.
18. Paddywax The Candle Bar announced plans to open up a new location in Reston Town Center, part of much retail movement in the town center this year.
17. In what was a familiar theme this year, Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn closed up shop in Reston Town Center, leaving two big vacancies.
16. Nonetheless, the retail scene looked blissful once again when Peet’s Coffee, DC Row, and four other businesses announced plans to open up in the town center.
Look out for the #11-15 on the countdown tomorrow.
Photo by vantagehill/Flickr
Want to get in touch with the team bringing you news about Reston, Herndon and Great Falls?
Send us your news tips, press releases and feedback to [email protected] or use our anonymous message form. Our news team does not have a phone line for inbound calls.
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For advertising inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Calling all local photographers: Reston Now is looking for your photos of Reston, Herndon and Great Falls. We’re also on the lookout for story ideas.
Whether you’re a photography pro or just love snapping pictures with your smartphone, we are always looking to include seasonal photos in our Morning Notes on weekdays or reshare pictures on our social media accounts.
To send us your photos, email us at [email protected], tag us in your photo on social media or join our Reston Now Flickr page. You will always receive credit for the photo — either with your username or actual name.
Thank you to photographers who have already sent us photos!
Remember: you can send us news tips through our website or email us directly.
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- Metro Pushes Silver Line Expansion Deadline to September
- Report: The ‘Uncivil War’ and the Battle for Reston’s Soul
- Poll: Should FCPS Be Open Today?
- New ‘Modern Gastropub’ to Replace American Tap Room in Reston Town Center
- DEVELOPING: Suspicious Package Investigation at Spectrum Shopping Center
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo via Fairfax County
Reston Now is upping its Instagram game with photos by professional photographer Jay Westcott.
Check out more of Jay’s photography on our ‘gram (@restonnow) and follow along with the news in Reston, Herndon and Great Falls.
Thank you to everyone who has liked, followed and bookmarked us on our social media accounts already!
People across the U.S. are expected to hit record levels for traveling this holiday season.
According to AAA, 115.6 million people across the U.S. will travel between this Saturday and New Year’s Day — roughly 104 million will drive while around 7 million flying and 4 million taking trains, buses or cruise ships.
For the D.C. area, AAA forecasts the worst travel day will be Thursday (Dec. 26) between 4-6 p.m.
“For the 104.8 million Americans traveling by automobile, INRIX, in collaboration with AAA, predicts only marginal delays throughout the holiday week,” according to AAA.
Let us know if and how you plan to travel this holiday season.
Since 2013, Reston Now has been reporting news about the Reston and Herndon areas. Recently, we started providing additional coverage of Great Falls.
Keep up with our coverage by signing up for our email subscriptions.
The afternoon email — sent at 4 p.m. — rounds up the most recently published stories and sponsored content on our site. Our morning email is currently on a hiatus.
You can also opt in to receive emails we send on behalf of local businesses and nonprofits. If you opt-out, you’ll still receive an occasional event or offer-related email as part of your subscription.
Note: we will never share your email address with a third-party.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up for our email subscriptions already!
Not receiving emails or want to change your subscriptions? You can re-enter your email in the subscription sign-up, which will then pop up a message saying that email is already subscribed. The message will prompt you to update your profile, which will then send you an email that will let you manage your subscriptions.
Updated 12/19/19 — Police arrested a Reston man in connection to the incident.
Earlier: Fairfax County Police are conducting a suspicious package investigation at The Spectrum at Reston Town Center.
Police said on Twitter that several businesses were evacuated as a result of the investigation. People are being asked to avoid the area.
It was not immediately clear which businesses were affected.
UPDATE: Members of our Special Operations Division are responding to assist in the investigation. Access to nearby businesses remains restricted. Please continue to avoid the area. https://t.co/I3Uhzv4fjJ
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 18, 2019
Update at 11:45 p.m. — The suspicious package was determined to not be hazardous.
Investigators determined that the suspicious package found in the 11800 block of Spectrum Center has been deemed safe with no hazardous items found. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/VMfxZSBuqS
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 19, 2019
Photo via Google Maps
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- American Tap Room in Reston Town Center May Close Later This Month
- DEVELOPING: Family Evacuates Herndon Home After Fire
- McDonald’s in Reston Expected to Reopen This Month
- Market Celebrating German, Austrian Culture to Debut in Herndon
- Op-Ed: Reston Association “Branding” or Conning?
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo by Ruben
Want to get in touch with the team bringing you news about Reston, Herndon and Great Falls?
Send us your news tips, press releases and feedback to [email protected] or use our anonymous message form. Our news team does not have a phone line for inbound calls.
You can also reach us on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For advertising inquiries, please contact [email protected].
Local nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and ridesharing app Lyft are again partnering to offer free rides during the holiday season.
As part of an effort to combat drunk driving, WRAP will be sponsoring free Lyft rides starting next Friday (Dec. 20).
From 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., rides up to $15 are free with the use of a promo code. The user is responsible for any costs over $15. The offer will continue until Jan. 1.
Weekly codes will be posted on the Sober Rides website at noon on Dec. 20, 27, and 31. The weekly code is only valid for one ride.
According to the Virginia Highway Safety Office, there were 621 alcohol-related crashes in Fairfax in 2017, resulting in 331 injuries and 12 fatalities.
“More than a third of all U.S. traffic fatalities during the holiday season in 2018 involved drunk drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” WRAP’s President Kurt Gregory Erickson said in the press release.
As the program is aimed at preventing alcohol related crashes, Lyft riders must be at least 21 years old to claim the offer. The code is valid for any rides inside the D.C. coverage area, which includes all of Fairfax County.
The SoberRide program operates during the December/January holiday season, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day and Halloween.
Image via Washington Regional Alcohol Program
This is an op-ed submitted by Terry Maynard, co-chair of the Reston 20/20 committee. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now.
As reported by RestonNow, the Reston Association (RA) Board of Directors held a public information meeting on December 4 to provide a briefing on its “branding” initiative. I, for one, wondered why our assessment fee-driven homeowners association (HOA) needed to have a brand or branding strategy given that we are a captive audience.
Reviewing the video of the nearly two-hour meeting shows why: RA doesn’t even know what “branding” is or, worse, it is intent on misrepresenting branding to its members.
Branding is “the promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design.” Nothing presented to Restonians related to RA advertising or design.
Instead, what the Board and Restonians heard on December 4 was a list of expensive new program ideas. In fact, the consultant laid out results for 24–yes, two dozen–new programs for the RA Board’s consideration using a flawed methodology. Of course, the survey provided no context, financial estimates, or any other information.
Among the proposals were:
- All-year weather-proof indoor swimming pools. We already have such a pool at the Reston Community Center (RCC) which we Restonians (RA and non-RA, residential and commercial) pay for through our special tax district. There are also indoor pools at local health clubs, including the YMCA.
- A performing arts center. At the community level, we already have the theater at RCC, and the county should be taking on the responsibility of a major performing arts center to serve the region–a more than $100 million effort.
- Gym-fitness center and a wellness center. There are nearly a dozen private facilities in Reston already, and the county plans to build a large Hunter Mill District recreation center in Town Center North at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. Basically all of these facilities have fitness and wellness programs, and much more.
- Airport and concert shuttle bus service. These services are provided by vendors and there is no justification for RA competing with the private sector.
- Concerts, festivals, community clubs, etc. All of these kinds of activities are provided by RCC (and some by RA) and need not duplicated (and paid for twice) by RA members.
Hank Lynch, RA’s CEO, pitched these ideas saying, “I’ve been instructed to keep assessments low and you look for ways to generate some revenue.” Well, some of these half-baked ideas might generate revenue, but they will also generate costs–millions of dollars in many cases.
As RA data indicates, costs are critical. In a special presentation to the Board in 2015, RA’s Larry Butler showed that the budgeted net overall direct recreation facility and programming cost in five key programs recovered about half their costs, adding $1,589,059 to RA members’ fees in 2016.
Along the same line, a Reston 20/20 analysis of RA’s recent budgets indicates that RA will lose $1.5 million (52% recovery rate) this year and its newly approved budgeted indicates losses of $1.7 million in 2020 and $1.8 million in 2021 (both a 50% recovery rate) over these same five program areas.
And the above analyses only consider operating and maintenance costs, not capital costs. Capital costs for indoor recreation facilities or a performing arts center could add millions–even tens of millions–to these costs. (A 2013 RCC consultant study put the cost of a new Reston recreation center at $37-$49 million depending on amenities, for example.) We simply cannot forget the reckless lesson of RA’s $2.65 million Tetra acquisition cost this quickly.
With RA recovering only about half of the operating cost of its various programs, it would be highly unlikely to generate a net positive revenue stream from any substantial new programs or facilities.
The bottom line is RA did not provide a “branding” presentation last week. It simply displayed its “wish list.” There was no effort to identify initiatives that would lower or contain RA assessments.
Restonians are smart enough to tell the difference between a legitimate proposal and a con job. This was a con job. Reject it–and let your RA Board know what you think.
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
- DEVELOPING: Fire Breaks Out at South Lakes Shopping Center
- UPDATED: After Police Pursuit, Man Arrested in Felony Hit and Run Incident
- After Fire, Cafesano’s Cafe in South Lakes Village Center Closes Until Further Notice
- New Indian Vegetarian Restaurant Opens in Herndon
- Town of Herndon Moves Forward on Free WiFi, Charging Station in Downtown Herndon
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
Photo by Jay Westcott
Have thoughts about Reston Now’s coverage of Reston, Herndon and Great Falls? Want to share your opinions about local issues?
Reston Now welcomes letters to the editors and op-eds of specific interest to the Reston, Herndon and Great Falls community.
The key difference is that an op-ed can be an opinion piece about a local issue, while a letter to the editor responds directly to a Reston Now story.
Please email it to [email protected]. You are also welcome to contact us with your idea for feedback before submitting it.
While there is no word limit, we suggest under 1,000 words. Contributions may be edited for length, content and style/grammar.
Reston Now does not publish op-eds relating to a specific candidate running for political office — either from the candidate’s team or opponents.
Thank you to everyone who has submitted op-eds and letters to the editor already.
