One of Reston’s newest restaurants will celebrate its grand opening this month by donating a portion of sales to music programs at two local high schools.

Nando’s PERi PERi, a popular chain of South African-Portuguese casual dining restaurants known for its spicy, flame-grilled chicken, will open its 40th nationwide location at Reston Town Center-West on Monday, Nov. 13.

For its first Saturday in business, on Nov. 18th, representatives said 100 percent of sales on that day (minus sales tax and alcohol sales) will be donated to the music programs at both South Lakes High in Reston and nearby Herndon High School.

“This is all about being good neighbors, and Nando’s looks forward to becoming an integral part of the Reston community,” said Sepanta Bagherpour, Nando’s vice president of marketing. 

Representatives from South Lake High School say the school’s marching band is currently raising funds to help send students to Hawaii, where they have been invited to perform for the 2017 Pearl Harbor Memorial Day Parade next month. Herndon High is reportedly raising money to send their band to Normandy, France, where they have been invited to represent the United States in the 75th Commemoration of D-Day in 2019.

Though the two schools are traditionally rivals, Nando’s said students from the two bands are happily coming together to raise money through the fundraiser on Nov. 18.

“We are proud to support musical programs at two of the most impressive public high schools in Virginia,” Bagherour added.

Nando’s PERi PERi will be located at 12120 Sunset Hills Road.

A man was beaten and robbed by men he encountered at a Reston laundromat this week, police reported Wednesday.

According to a statement from the Reston District, the male victim was doing his laundry at a laundromat in Hunters Woods Plaza around 11 p.m. on Sunday. Police said 10 other man were in the laundromat at the time.

The victim told police one of the men approached him and challenged him to “some type of physical game.” The victim agreed and left the laundromat with the 10 men. The group reportedly went to a nearby wooded area.

While in the woods, all 10 men reportedly assaulted the victim, beating him, and then took his wallet and other personal items he had on him.

Police said an investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

We at Reston Now are very happy to share this email we recently received from Meghan and John, who say they are loving life with the new pair of cats they were inspired to adopt after seeing their photos in our weekly Pet of the Week column.

See photos of Stout and Porter above, and read what Meghan and John had to say about their new furry friends:

In debating what type of pet we should get (cat or dog), we “compromised” by agreeing to adopt “two cats and a dog,” even putting it our wedding vows.

While a dog isn’t feasible for us right now, we’ve kept our eyes out for a pair of bonded cats. Cue the “Pet of the Week” post about Werth and mention of his brother Harper. After meeting them and hearing that black cats are usually the last to be adopted, we knew we had found our cats.

We’ve had them about two weeks now and it seems like they’ve adjusted to all of the new sites and sounds (and humans) of their new home. Stout (née Harper) is energetic and the bolder of the two. His favorite activity is tumbling in the air as he plays with a feather toy. Porter (née Werth) is more subdued, but has one of the loudest purrs we’ve ever head.They both have a tiny, adorable “mew,” sounding just like little squeaky toys.

We’re so glad to have these guys – thanks for introducing us!

Meghan & John

Check out past Pet of the Week columns, with instructions on how to enter your pet to win at the bottom.

Herndon-Reston Youth Softball Opens Registration, Announces Scholarships — The Herndon Reston Youth Softball (HRYS) League has opened registration for its spring 2018 season, as well as the opportunity for qualifying families to have their participation fees waived under its new scholarship program. According to the HRYS website, female athletes living in Fairfax County or the City of Fairfax who are enrolled in grades K-12 in school and currently qualify for Free or Reduced School Lunch, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Aid for Dependent Children, Foster Care, or Medicaid may also qualify for the Fairfax County Youth Sports Scholarship Program. HRYS representatives said they will waive registration fees for these athletes. During registration, qualified families need only to check the box “I request a waiver of all fees” during registration. [Herndon-Reston Youth Softball]

Rapper, Actor ‘Common’ Dines In Reston — Of all the places he could chosen, celebrity actor and rapper Common was spotted dining with a party of eight in Reston at Passionfish restaurant, located in the Reston Town Center, this week. Common was in town for the screening of his movie “Black America Again” at the Washington West Film Festival. [Washington Post]

Meet ‘Adoptable Underdogs’ This Weekend — If you’ve been thinking about adopting a rescue dog, you may want to head over to Reston Town Center this Saturday, Nov. 4. The folks from Rural Dog Rescue will be bringing some of their favorite underdogs out to meet potential forever families. The “Home For The Holidays” event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. [Twitter/Rural Dog Rescue]

Police from the Reston District are seeking to file charges of unlawful entry for two teens who were caught breaking into Herndon High School over the weekend.

According to the police report, two students were caught inside the school at 2:40 a.m. on Sunday morning. Police said there appears to have been no property stolen or damaged in the incident.

In other local news, it appears to have been a relatively quiet Halloween in the Reston area. No major incidents have been reported; only a few larcenies, and no stolen vehicles.

LARCENIES:

1700 block of Business Center Drive, purse from vehicle

2400 block of Centreville Road, bicycle from business

10299 block of Colvin Run Road, property from residence

Anyone with information about any of the crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES (274637).

Reston Association staff posted a copy of a letter sent to Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins officially opposing the county’s proposed increase in the Planned Residential Community (PRC) District Residential Density Zoning Ordinance Amendment, following last week’s community meeting.

The amendment would increase the maximum allowed population per acre in the Reston PRC from 13 persons up to 16.

The zoning change could also open up Reston’s village centers to increased major residential development. The proposal would allow the Board of Supervisors to approve developments above 50 residential units per acre within the district’s Transit Station Areas (TSAs) — so long as the projects comply with the area’s master plan that guides development.

The letter comes in response to spirited opposition from several hundred people who attended a public meeting on Monday, Oct. 23 at Reston’s South Lakes High School. Passionate residents spoke out for roughly two hours against the proposal. The auditorium’s 600+ seats were full, with a solid perimeter of standing audience members as well, plus an overflow room nearby was full of even more people, following along on video. A video of the meeting is available to watch on RA’s YouTube channel.

The letter thanks Sup. Hudgins and the other board members for providing detailed information and holding the community meeting, which RA staff said were “crucial in order to reach an informed decision regarding whether or not to support the amendment, proposed by County staff.”

“The Community Meeting held at South Lakes High School on October 23, 2017, with well over 900 in attendance, was informative. Based on both the County staff panel discussion and the community comment, the Reston Association Board of Directors opposes the County Staff’s proposed PRC District Residential Density Zoning Ordinance Amendment,” the letter reads.

In the letter, the RA staff also asks county supervisors to hold off on any further consideration of the PRC density cap increase until RA staff and county staff together can examine the Reston Master Plan portion of the county’s Comprehensive Plan: Read More

Batman and Robin, Little Red Riding Hood, A Dragon and More — A big crowd came out for the Lake Anne Boo and Brews Festival a few days ago, with many Restonians winning awards for their impressive costumes, and many incorporating their pets into their costumes as well. See Little Red Riding Hood and The Huntsman with their dog as Grandma, Batgirl with her dog as Robin, and many more in photos. [Connection Newspapers]

Reston Food Drive Starts Today — Reston Community Center is once again partnering up with Cornerstones and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce to collect food for families in need this month, starting on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Donations of nonperishable food items can be dropped off through Nov. 20 at the community centers at Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road) and Lake Anne (1609 Washington Plaza N.), or at the Chamber of Commerce (1886 Metro Center Dr., Suite 230). A long list of other drop-off locations, along with a list of the most needed items, is available online. [Reston Community Center]

Franchise Job Fair Coming to Reston on Monday — Budding entrepreneurs who have been considering opening a franchise business are invited to the Capital Area Franchise Fair to learn all about various opportunities and learn more about the process. The fair will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Reston Association Conference Center, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. in Reston. Representatives from the Virginia Small Business Administration as well as from various franchise industries will present information and talk with attendees, and funding experts will be on hand. Tickets are $39 in advance and $49 at the door. [Capital Area Franchise Fair]

Fairfax County police detectives, together with officers from Ocala, Florida, have arrested a man on suspicion of committing sexual assaults against four women in Reston 22 years ago.

In a statement issued Monday, Fairfax County police said DNA evidence uncovered on Aug. 25th of this year confirmed a lead they had previously been pursuing in a cold case involving the sexual assault of four women in an apartment in the 11000 block of Olde Tiverton Circle in Reston back on June 6, 1995. That lead pointed them to 49-year-old Jude Joseph David Lovchik.

Police said that up until September of this year, Lovchik had been living in the 7200 block of Linden Tree Lane in Springfield, Virginia. After that, he reportedly moved to Ocala, Florida. Police reportedly tracked him there and arrested him during a traffic stop at an intersection near his home.

Lovchik is now being held in a Marion County jail in Florida while authorities await extradition orders to Fairfax County.

Lovchik is facing charges of being a fugitive from justice, armed burglary, abduction with intent to defile, and sodomy, and authorities said further charges may be filed once he is extradited back to the area.

Local officials said they are also working with the four female victims in this case, to provide them with needed moral support given this latest update in the case.

Further updates will be released if additional charges are filed.

In its most recent public hearing on the proposed budget for 2018, held on Monday evening (video here), members of the Reston Association Board of Directors proposed yet another new assessment rate of $681 for residents.

The rate would equal a decrease of $39 from the 2017 initial proposed rate of $720, which was later reduced to $692 only through the spending of around $550,000 in reserve cash.

Previously, in the first draft of the budget, the assessment rate had been proposed at $678.

On Monday evening, board treasurer and at-large director Sridhar Ganesan said a few changes had brought it back up roughly $3 to $681. Those changes included the decision to pay off the loan on the Lake House renovations using reserve cash, which shaved $8.66 off assessment rates, and changes to the RA pool schedules he said they made in response to resident feedback, which added another $2.88 back on to the rate.

“There was a lot of public request from a pool schedule request. We changed that – we brought a lot of it back to around what the 2016 levels were,” Ganesan explained.

Ganesan said other cost-saving measures had initially allowed the directors to get assessments all the way down to $670, but after the first few budget work sessions and last week’s first public hearing, more changes were made. Those included adding staff coverage for more litter clean-up and the handling of Design Review Board covenants requests, as well as the adding of an additional Parks and Recreation staff member. In addition, Ganesan said healthcare costs for some employees went up slightly with the recent annual enrollment period.

“So, with some changes up and some changes down, we ended up at $681,” he finished.

Only one resident showed up for the public hearing portion of the evening. The woman asked for more maintenance of tennis courts due to high usage, including repaving and cleaning of mold and slime from the courts, which she said are a slipping hazard. Additional lighting was also requested, particularly at courts in the south part of Reston.

Furthermore, the woman asked for a feasibility study for the addition of indoor tennis options.

“It’s something our tennis community has been wanting for a long time,” she said, pointing out that it would allow for year-round lessons and exercise opportunities for residents.

Following the public comments, the meeting was adjourned.

The final vote on the 2018 budget and assessment rate is scheduled to take place at the board’s regular meeting on Nov. 16.

The Belgian bakery and restaurant Le Pain Quotidien will celebrate its opening at the Reston Town Center this Thursday, Nov. 2.

The European cafe will serve different offerings for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, and will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, RTC staff said today.

“A morning at the bakery begins with Daily Blend smoothies, organic skillet eggs and egg dishes, in addition to a range of organic breads, pastries, yogurt, coffee and teas,” LPQ representatives said in a press release.

For brunch, lunch and dinner, the bakery will offer their signature “tartines” open-faced sandwiches, alongside savory soups, salads and quiches, and in the evening, LPQ plans to serve organic wine.

The bakery will also offer special seasonal items throughout the year. For the fall, they plan to offer treats such as a turmeric latte, spiced apple cider, Turkey Bánh Mì, a roasted pear and spinach salad, chicken “zoodle” soup and “Speculoos Tiramisu,” which LPQ describes as “a Belgian twist on the classic Italian treat.”

Le Pain Quotidien will be located at 11909 Democracy Drive in the Reston Town Center. For more information, visit their website.

Image of menu items courtesy of Le Pain Quotidien

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel, in partnership with the National Fire Protection Association, are offering a few safety tips for local families who may be heading out to parties or for trick-or-treating tonight for Halloween. Read the tips below and view the short video.

• Watch for long, billowing costumes: The fabric can create a trip-and-fall hazard, as well as a potential fire hazard.
• Costumes with masks: Make sure the eye holes are large enough to be able to see sufficiently, especially for kids’ costumes.
• Portable lighting: Especially when trick-or-treating or walking dark streets, make sure everyone is armed with a flashlight or glow stick–it not only helps you see, but helps drivers see you.
• Watch for flammable decorations or costume parts: Things like crepe streamers, hay, corn stalks and dried flowers are all highly flammable. Keep these types of things far away from open flames and heating sources, including jack-o-lanterns, light bulbs and heaters.
• Lighting up your jack-o-lanterns or walkways: It is much safer to use battery-operated lights in your pumpkins than open flames. Take extreme caution if you choose to use a real candle–make sure you watch children who get near the pumpkin at all times, and place the pumpkin an area that does not see high foot traffic, when someone can accidentally knock it over. In addition, opt for battery-operated decorations rather than flame-lit tiki torches or candles–costumes can brush up against them and potentially catch fire. Decorations are the first thing to ignite in 1,000 reported home fires each year.
• Review fire safety with children: Be sure to practice “stop, drop and roll” with kids so they know what to do if they accidentally catch fire.
• Have an emergency evacuation plan: If you and/or your children are heading to a Halloween party in a building or home, make sure you scope out various exits and have a plan in place for quick and safe evacuation in case of an emergency.

For more safety tips, visit the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue website, or the NFPA website.

GoCanvas to Host Halloween Extravaganza Today — Reston-based GoCanvas will host a Halloween Extravaganza this afternoon from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Reston Town Center Pavilion, and local businesses and residents are invited. There will be a pumpkin decorating contest with gift cards to local restaurants as the prizes, and a special surprise at 12:30. [GoCanvas]

Chamber Invites All to Prospective Member Breakfast — Members of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce invite all local business persons to its Fall Prospective Member Breakfast this Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Hunters Woods Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road. In addition to information about the Chamber itself and how to join, keynote speeches from representatives of local companies like Canvas, Refraction and the Reston Hospital Center will be presented. This event is free for prospective members. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]

Pick Up Your Free Reflective Flasher For Walking and Cycling at Dark — As Daylight Saving Time approaches this weekend, morning and evening rush hours are likely to get darker and foggier, limiting visibility for people who ride their bikes or wait at bus stops. Recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates 75 percent of all fatal crashes occur just before dawn and just after dusk. Therefore Fairfax Connector will be handing out free reflective flashers at a number of locations through Nov. 9, including Reston Town Center. For more information, visit the Fairfax Connector page of the county website. [Fairfax County Government]

A man has died from his injuries after police say he fell from a parking garage at Reston Town Center Friday evening.

Officers from the Reston Police District issued a statement Monday evening indicating that the incident is under investigation.

Police said officers responded to the 11900 block of Freedom Drive Friday evening after it was reported that an 18-year-old man had accidentally fallen off a parking structure where he was hanging out with a friend.

The man, identified as Robin Buritica Carvajal of Woodbridge, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He later died from those injuries on Sunday.

Representatives from the Northern Virginia Stream Restoration Bank (NVSRB), which include wetland experts and staff from the Reston Association (RA), have issued updates over the past week, informing residents of the status of various local stream restoration projects, and warning of new projects set to begin in November.

Currently, restoration of the streams at Brown’s Chapel Park and Vantage Hill is underway, and RA staff said the areas will be under construction through the end of the year. Staff posted on the RA website last week reminding local residents that the areas are closed during working hours, and asked everyone not to cross the gates or safety fences.

Construction at Brown’s Chapel Park is expected to be completed in December, and at Vantage Hill in January.

In November, restoration of Lake Anne East, near Inlet Cluster, and Lake Anne West, near Waterview Cluster, is set to begin.

Restoration of the Buttermilk and Tall Oaks streams are scheduled for early 2018.

RA staff said they expect construction of all stream channels to be completed by fall of 2018.

RA staff said that they expect all wood acquired for the project will be used in the construction of thestreams themselves, but that any wood that is left over will be split into firewood and will be made available to Reston residents at Brown’s Chapel Park in the lot near the upper ball fields.

Once all restoration construction is complete, RA staff said hundreds of new trees will be planted along Reston’s streams. Read More