Police in Loudoun County say a Reston man who drives for a ride-hailing service assaulted a customer last week.
The incident took place at about 7:20 a.m. Thursday in the 45600 block of Falke Palza in Sterling, near the Country Inn & Suites off Old Ox Road. A woman told police she got into a confrontation with the driver, identified as 45-year-old Sheikh R. Lamptey. According to the woman, Lamptey grabbed her phone from her during the altercation, and struck her in the head as well.
Lamptey was handed a simple assault charge by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, the Fairfax County Police Department reported the following crimes in the past week:
LARCENIES
1700 block of Ascot Way, purse from vehicle
1800 block of Cameron Glen Drive, cellphone from school
11900 block of Democracy Drive, property from vehicle
11400 block of Commerce Park Drive, property from vehicle
11400 block of Esplanade Drive, airbag from vehicle
13400 block of Farm Crest Court, tires from vehicle
1800 block of Fountain Drive, cash from residence
2200 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, cigarettes from business
2500 block of John Eppes Road, airbag from vehicle
900 block of Locust Street, cellphone from school
1500 block of North Point Drive, cellphone from business
11600 block of Plaza America Drive, merchandise from business
10200 block of Wendover Drive, property from residence
12100 block of Windsor Hall Way, property from vehicle
STOLEN VEHICLES
None reported
Two more thefts of airbags listed in the larcenies include another in the same area south of Herndon as several such reports a few weeks ago. The other, though, was in North Reston.
FCPD also reported that a man from Georgia unlawfully entered a private school on Sunrise Valley Drive twice in recent days.
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).
The Herndon Police Department also reported in its weekly crime report a pair of malicious wounding cases.
- On Friday, a man was stabbed in the abdomen in the 1200 block of Elden Street. The victim was taken to Reston Hospital Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect in the crime, 57-year-old Pedro Quintero Gonzalez, of Herndon, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding.
- On Sunday, a man was struck in the face with a pint glass during an altercation in the 200 block of Elden Street. The suspect, 31-year-old Bakari Kamau George, of Reston, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding.
In each case, police report the victim and the suspect were acquainted.
This letter was submitted by Reston resident Alexandra Kenny South. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now. We publish article and opinion contributions of specific interest to the Reston community. Contributions may be edited for length or content.
As a working parent with young children enrolled in Reston Association’s Fit Kids After-School Program, I was deeply dismayed by the Reston Association Board of Directors’ recent decision to end the program mid-school year. I followed with interest the discussion at the Board meeting as well as the Reston Now reporting on the ruling and the comments posted online. I thought I would provide my perspective on the matter as one of the families directly affected.
I have two children who attend Reston Association’s Fit Kids After-School Program, ages 8 (3rd grade) and 5 (kindergarten). They ride the bus to the Lake House from Lake Anne Elementary School every afternoon, where they spend the next few hours engrossed in experiential learning activities, homework help, outdoor play and creative arts. Dan Merenick, Katherine Caffrey and the rest of the Fit Kids staff bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the RA Fit Kids Program, and perhaps most importantly, my husband and I know as working parents that we can trust them 1,000 percent to take excellent care of our children.
We were taken aback to hear the Board’s Hunters Woods/Dogwood District representative, Victoria White, state that, “Quite frankly, we’re a homeowners’ association. We’re not a child-care provider.” Reston Association has, in fact, long been a child-care provider, offering a wide range of summer and other school holiday educational programming which we and many other Reston families have benefitted from. The Fit Kids Program is an extension of the programming that the Reston Association has offered for years, and it is a lifeline for us as parents with two small children and two full-time demanding jobs that require a lengthy commute. It has been especially vital to us on the many days during the school year that are teacher workdays/student holidays, for which we would otherwise have to take leave. With the program now being discontinued midway through the school year (Dec. 15, we’ve since been told), we will be left high and dry, as public school-based after-care programs (SACC), which have similar costs, carry a very long waiting list, and spots at other private after-school care providers are few and far between, particularly in the middle of an existing school year. The decision obviously impacts the Fit Kids staff as well, many of whom gave up other afterschool positions to work at RA.
I understand, of course, the need to look at the bottom line when considering which programs to continue or not, particularly when the Lake House renovation costs were not budgeted appropriately from the start, leading to an overall loss in revenue over time. However, it’s not clear to me how RA envisions bringing in greater revenue by eliminating the Fit Kids Program at the Lake House. I would expect that any increase in revenue through special events, such as weddings, office parties, and the like, would be gained outside of the Program’s working hours (3:30-6:30 p.m. on weekdays). On the rare occasion that the Lake House was reserved during those hours, perhaps the Fit Kids Program could be moved to Brown’s Chapel or elsewhere to accommodate it.
On a more personal note, I grew up in Reston and I moved back here in 2011 in large part because I wanted my kids to experience the sense of community that RA contributes to. It saddens and disappoints me greatly that the RA Board cut such a valuable resource to our family because they don’t believe that other Restonians care to pay an additional $6-7 per household per year – paltry in comparison to the sums paid to the Reston Association for other goods and services, including use of recreational facilities. There must be another way to boost revenue that does not harm the many children that are gaining so much through their participation in RA’s Fit Kids Program.
Sincerely,
Alexandra Kenny South
Here were some of the observed low temperatures from this morning. Another chilly night is expected tonight with additional frost likely. pic.twitter.com/cJgTZW9HEw
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) October 17, 2017
As the calendar moves into the second half of October, weather forecasters are predicting a sure sign of the season.
A frost advisory will be in effect for the entire region from 1-9 a.m. Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service:
The National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington has issued a Frost Advisory, which is in effect from 1 AM to 9 AM EDT Wednesday.
* TEMPERATURES…Dropping into the mid 30s by dawn, especially away from larger bodies of water and urban areas.
* IMPACTS…A Frost Advisory means that widespread frost is expected. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.
Get ready for a chilly overnight. @NWS_BaltWash issued frost advisory. Gardeners: sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. pic.twitter.com/iWCacDGBta
— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) October 17, 2017
The Farmers Almanac provides the following tips to protect your plants from frost:
If a frost is predicted, cover your plants, both to retain as much soil heat and moisture as possible and to protect them against strong winds, which can hasten drying and cooling. You can use newspapers, baskets, tarps, straw, and other materials to cover your plants. Cover the whole plant before sunset to trap any remaining heat. Be sure to anchor lightweight coverings to prevent them from blowing away.
Keep the soil moist by watering your plants the day a frost is predicted.
The Fairfax County Police Department says a man was caught on surveillance video inside a private school outside of normal hours.
Walter Elsey, 27, of Georgia was arrested Saturday after police say he was spotted on camera inside Good Beginnings School (11501 Sunrise Valley Drive). The incident took place just before 11 a.m., and he was located by police near the school after he was seen on video.
Further investigation revealed Elsey had also unlawfully entered the building a few days earlier.
The man was taken to the county’s Adult Detention Center and charged with two counts of unlawful entry.
A new Public Art Reston freestanding exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, celebrates the community’s wide collection of outdoor sculptures and other public artworks.
“Reston: The Art of Community” opened at the museum (1639 Washington Plaza N.) on Saturday in conjunction with the 16th annual Reston Home Tour and in celebration of Public Art Reston’s 10th anniversary. It will remain on display through Sunday, Nov. 26. The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, and is free to enter.
A reception to celebrate the exhibit is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. The reception will be followed by free screenings of Peabody Award-winning director Rebekah Wingert Jabi’s “Fun, Beauty, Fantasy: Reston’s Public Art” and “A Bird in the Hand — Patrick Dougherty’s Sculptural Installation in Reston, VA” at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery of Reston Community Center Lake Anne (1609 Washington Plaza N.). A question-and-answer session will follow.
Reservations are encouraged for the exhibition reception and film screening. To RSVP, contact the Reston Historic Trust at 703-709-7700 or [email protected].
The programs are supported in part by the Reston Community Center. All proceeds benefit the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the past, informing the present, and influencing the future of Reston through its educational programming, archives and exhibitions.
Images courtesy Reston Historic Trust and Museum
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that Triple Canopy Inc., a Reston-based government contractor, has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle civil False Claims Act allegations that the company submitted false claims for payment to the Department of Defense for unqualified security guards stationed in Iraq.
According to a DOJ press release, the allegations stem from Triple Canopy’s one-year contract with the Joint Contracting Command in Iraq (JCC-I), an entity established to provide contracting support related to the government’s relief and reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Under the 2009 contract, Triple Canopy was required to perform a variety of security services at Al Asad Airbase, the second largest air base in Iraq.
The government’s complaint in intervention alleges that Triple Canopy knowingly billed the United States for security guards who could not pass contractually required firearms proficiency tests. The tests were designed by the Army to ensure that the guards hired to protect U.S. and allied personnel were capable of firing their assigned weapons safely and accurately. The government further alleges that Triple Canopy concealed the guards’ inability to satisfy the firearms testing requirements by creating false test scorecards that Triple Canopy was required to maintain for government review, in an effort to induce the government to pay for the unqualified guards.
“Contractors must be held accountable for their actions, especially when the safety of government personnel is at stake,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, in the release. “This settlement should remind contractors of the high value we place on safeguarding our personnel abroad.”
The government’s claims are based on a whistleblower suit initially filed by a former employee of Triple Canopy in 2011. The suit was filed in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia under a provision of the False Claims Act that allows private persons to file suit on behalf of the United States. Under the False Claims Act, the government has a period of time to investigate the allegations and decide whether to intervene in the action or to decline intervention and allow the whistleblower, also called the relator, to go forward alone. The government intervened in the suit in June 2012.
The False Claims Act also provides the whistleblower a share of the government’s recovery. As part of the resolution, the whistleblower will receive approximately $500,000.
Triple Canopy is now a Constellis company.
This is an op/ed submitted by Dennis Hays, president of the Reston Citizens Association. It does not reflect the opinions of Reston Now.
It seems like every day, a major new development project in Reston is announced. And it seems like every day, traffic gets a little worse and schools and athletic fields get a little more crowded.
Is there a connection here? Well, of course there is.
Reston, since its founding, has excelled and prospered as a planned community. And the plan has been that development and the requisite infrastructure would go hand in hand. The problem is not (always) new development; the problem is that new development calls for a corresponding investment in roads, bridges and underpasses, schools, playgrounds, storm drainage, additional open space and, yes, trees — and this isn’t happening.
Economists often point to a phenomenon called “the Tragedy of the Commons” — the observation that when individual users of a commonly held resource are free to maximize their personal benefit at the expense of the larger community, they will generally do so. The “commonly held resource” in this case being the unique and special nature of a Reston where one can Live, Work and Play in harmony with nature. In a perfect world, everyone — the County, the developers and residents of Reston alike — would work together to grow Reston while preserving those things that make this community what it is.
Sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world.
The County and the developers want to dramatically increase the population density of Reston. They are naturally driven by, and give priority to, a desire for tax revenue and profits respectively. Not bad things in themselves, of course, unless they come at the unwarranted expense of others — which, in this case, they do.
That leaves those of us who live and work here as the ones with both the most to gain and the most to lose as decisions about our future are made. In the coming weeks a number of key issues — ranging from whether to triple the density of Reston, to what kind of library we will have, to how crowded our schools will be — are to be acted upon. As individuals, we have scant ability to ensure infrastructure is given equal priority to development. But this is Reston, and Reston being Reston, we have a vast community of engaged citizens with a deep commitment to balance and fairness and a future we can proudly pass on to our posterity.
Three weeks ago, over 400 individuals turned out for the County’s fourth attempt to justify the density increase — only to have the meeting canceled because we far exceeded the room’s capacity. Now the meeting has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23 at South Lakes High Schools. The County will draw upon the full-time lawyers and urban planners we as taxpayers pay for to tell us what they say is in our best interest. On our side we have — each other. We need everyone who believes in defending the Commons to attend this meeting.
As Margaret Mead observed, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Before we head off into the weekend, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on Reston Now in recent days.
The following articles were the five most-clicked links on Reston Now this past week.
- Report: Wegmans Close to Agreement for Store Near Future Town Center Metro Station
- Reston Man Killed in Front Royal Plane Crash
- Op-Ed: Will Reston’s Village Centers Become Urban Centers
- A Look Inside: Bozzuto’s New Aperture Apartments at Reston Station
- Wednesday Morning Notes
The Wegmans story has really struck a chord with readers, as it has topped the clicks for two weeks straight.
The Morning Notes post from Wednesday was particularly notable for the announcement of former Vice President Joe Biden coming to Reston this weekend for a roundtable discussion on workforce development Saturday in Reston along with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam. The event at Reston Town Center is not open to the general public.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your weekend plans or anything else that’s happening locally. Have a great weekend!
Artist applications are now being accepted for the 27th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, scheduled for May 19-20, 2018 at Reston Town Center.
The festival is the largest annual fundraiser for the Greater Reston Arts Center. The competitive, juried event is consistently rated as one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country, both for the quality of the artwork presented and for its artist hospitality.
The 2017 festival raised about $275,000 for GRACE’s operating budget, executive director and curator Lily Siegel told Reston Now. It attracts an estimated 30,000 visitors a year, GRACE says.
Anyone interested in applying to submit art for the festival can do so online. Applications can be submitted in 16 different categories, including painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, glass, sculpture and more.
File photo of 2017 festival courtesy Megan Myers
Beautiful homes around the community will be on display Saturday during the 16th annual Reston Home Tour.
The tour “focuses on six homes whose owners have moved in within the last few years and whose homes have given them a new perspective on their life, their surroundings and in some cases their attitudes.” The homes on the tour include residences on Bromley Village Lane, Hemingway Drive, Orchard Lane, South Shore Road and Spyglass Cove Lane, as well as at the Stratford condominiums. In addition, Reston Association’s Lake House and Bozzuto’s Aperture apartment building will be open for tour.
Tickets remain available online today for $30. On the day of the event, they can only be purchased in person at any of the homes on the tour or at the Reston Museum and Historic Trust (1639 Washington Plaza N.). All proceeds from the event benefit the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the past, informing the present and influencing the future of Reston through its educational programming, archives and exhibitions.
There is plenty else scheduled to take place this weekend in the area as well. Take a look at our list below.
(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)
- A trail of illuminated hand-carved pumpkins is welcoming visitors to “THE GLOW: A Jack O’Lantern Experience,” now through Oct. 29 at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive). Presented by Townsquare Live Events, the “enchanting Halloween wonderland” features a third-of-a-mile trail decorated with more than 5,000 pumpkins. Tickets, which are $16 for kids ages 3-12 and $22 for adults, are available online and must be purchased in advance.
- Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 W. Ox Road, Herndon) will put on its Fall on the Farm festival this weekend. The event is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. tonight, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. In addition, Farm Harvest Days are slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
- The Children’s Fall Flea Market at Reston Community Center is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 14 at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). The price of admission is donation of one non-perishable food item, which will go to the RCC Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations will be hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Citizens are invited to meet firefighters, see the fire trucks, join in the activities and learn about fire safety. Local stations include Reston (1820 Wiehle Ave.), North Point (1117 Reston Ave.), Herndon (680 Spring St.) and Fox Mill (2610 Reston Parkway).
- Lake Anne Brew House will hold a fundraiser for the South Lakes High School band, which is raising money to travel to Pearl Harbor, from 7-9 p.m. tonight. The Brew House will donate $1 per pint or soda purchased to the band.
- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Light the Night” Walk will take place tonight at Reston Town Center. Event festivities will start at 5 p.m., with the 1.5-mile walk to go off at 7.
- The Runway to the Cure Fashion Show is scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon at the Reston Town Center pavilion. Hosted by Scout & Molly’s, RTC and Athleta, the fashion show will highlight many designer fashions. Models are volunteers and include breast cancer survivors, customers and local high school students. Suggested donation is $25. All proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
- “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
- During “Giraffe-toberfest,” celebrate fall with animals at Roer’s Zoofari (1228 Hunter Mill Road) on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can meet the zoo’s giraffe “Waffles.” Tickets are $20 and all proceeds will support giraffe conservation.
- The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
- Reston Association will hold an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.) from 10-11:30 a.m. Sunday.
- Author Karen See will discuss her book, “The Should Syndrome,” from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.).
- Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m; and Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) every Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
On Fridays, we take a moment to thank our advertisers and sponsors:
AKG Design Studio, boutique design firm specializing in kitchen, bathroom designs and cabinetry sales.
Berry & Berry, PLLC, Reston law firm specializing in federal employment, retirement, labor union, and security clearance matters.
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.
Boofie O’Gorman, Top Producer Realtor at Long & Foster Reston.
Goldfish Swim School, specializing in children’s swim lessons year-round.
Small Change Consignment, serving Reston’s kids for more than 30 years.
A Cleaning Service, professional residential and commercial cleaning.
Reston Montessori, private co-educational school for children ages 3 months to sixth grade.
Lofts at Village Walk, urban townhome condominium designs at The Village at Leesburg.
Tall Oaks Assisted Living, assisted living, memory care and more senior care services.
Edlin School, a K-8 private school that provides a unique learning environment for gifted children.
Lennar Homes, Westbury Glen is the newest single-family community in Aldie, Virginia.
Knutson Brambleton, Loudoun County urban townhomes with yards in the sky.
Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 W. Ox Road, Herndon) will put on its Fall on the Farm festival this weekend. The event is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Fall Carnival will feature games, carnival rides and food. Ride tickets are $1 each or 24 tickets for $20. (Rides cost 3-5 tickets each.) A special Sunday unlimited ride pass can be purchased in advance for $18. The price goes up to $25 after 4 p.m. Friday.
In addition, Farm Harvest Days are slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission to that event is free, but there is a charge for wagon rides ($3.50) and carousel rides ($3). Visitors will be able to watch the cider press in action, milk a goat, shell corn, meet the farm animals, see farm demonstrations and more.
The event is sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Foundation, Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park and Whole Foods.
Major upgrades to swimming pools are proposed in the budget that is under discussion by the Reston Association Board of Directors.
Expenses for work on the RA pool facilities included in the proposed 2018-2019 Capital Projects List total: $362,378 for swimming pools and $287,639 pool buildings in 2018; and $972,209 for swimming pools and $158,256 for pool buildings in 2019.
All 15 RA pool facilities have projects listed in the proposed list. By far the most expensive is work on the Lake Thoreau pool, totaling just over $1 million.
The $1.8 million in proposed work on all pool facilities equates to 26.6 percent of the $6.7 million funding allotted for the Capital Projects List. The proposed budget also allots a total of $2.9 million for the Repair and Replacement Reserve (RRR) Fund, out of the $14.3 million in total overall expenses.
Some other big ticket items on the project list include:
- $2,321,359 for lakes, ponds and dams
- $465,000 for boat docks at Lake Anne and Lake Thoreau
- $406,658 for tennis courts
- $379,318 for asphalt trails
- $313,658 for vehicles and equipment
The next opportunity for Restonians to provide feedback to RA directors about the biennial budget is this Sunday. The RA is hosting a “community drop-in” at the Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.) from 10-11:30 a.m.
The RA Board has been discussing the budget since this summer in order to reach agreement before a November deadline. Sridhar Ganesan, RA Board at-large director and treasurer, questioned the various costs of the swimming pool facility repairs during some of those discussions, including at a special budget session last month (video).
“Plumbing in one facility isn’t going to be the same costs as the other, just because of the differences in configuration and size,” Garrett Skinner, RA director of capital improvement planning and projects, said in response. “All of those numbers were also vetted through contractors. Especially the pool buildings and swimming pool members. We had contractors come out and go physically through each one of the sites, look at what we have scheduled that needs to be done and determine costs based on that.”
Skinner, who was hired in January, also emphasized that some of the repairs were not anticipated in the association’s capital reserve study the was last performed in 2015. The study tracks needed maintenance and upgrades for RA-owned facilities. Instead, the repairs on the swimming pool facilities were proposed to be done during the next two years because the systems had broken down in some way.
“We’re doing it because it wasn’t in the reserve study for example; you’re doing it because something broke down?” Ganesan asked.
Skinner said Ganesan was correct, adding that the maintenance is necessary.
“Not all of these things were appropriately identified in the reserve study, but we still have to maintain them and repair them,” he said.
The first public hearing on the proposed budget will be Oct. 26 during a regular board meeting. A second hearing is scheduled Oct. 30 during a special meeting of the board. The board will vote on the budget and the annual member assessment rate Nov. 16 during a regular board meeting.
Those seeking justice for the murder of Nabra Hassanen, whose death rattled the Reston community this summer, will have their first day in court this week.
A preliminary hearing for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s prosecution of murder suspect Darwin Martinez Torres, 22, will be on Friday in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
Judge Kimberly Daniel will preside over the hearing for the court, according to Rae Ann Stein, who works for the Fairfax County Court Services Administration in records management. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations court has jurisdiction over juvenile matters, including offenses committed by adults against juveniles under the age of 18.
Torres is charged with killing 17-year-old Hassanen of Reston on June 18 in what the Fairfax County Police Department calls a deadly case of road rage. She was a sophomore at South Lakes High School.
Police say Hassanen was part of a large group of teenagers walking and biking on Dranesville Road at about 3:40 a.m. after a Ramadan service at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society. The suspect allegedly approached the group in a car and argued with a teenage boy. The group scattered, but police say Torres caught up a short time later armed with a baseball bat. Hassanen was struck and taken in the car. Her body was discovered later that day in a Sterling pond.
Torres, who is a citizen of El Salvador and was living in Sterling without legal permission, had a detainer request lodged against him by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Hassanen was laid to rest as a martyr of her Muslim community on Wednesday, June 21. Later that same day, the community packed into Lake Anne Plaza for her vigil.
Torres was incarcerated at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bail, according to police. Authorities are seeking the harshest punishment, while many in the community are calling for the murder charges to be elevated to a bias-related crime.
Calling all Halloween fanatics.
“If you have a theatrical spirit and are 16 or older, we have an opportunity for you,” Ha Brock, Volunteer Reston manager for the Reston Association, said in a new YouTube video.
The Halloween House & Trick-or-Treat Trail will be at the Walker Nature Center on Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28. Hours are 6-7:15 p.m. and 7:30-8:45 p.m., rain or shine. The gate opens 15 minutes prior to the start times along Glade Drive or at the Glade Pool. Children ages 3 and up are welcome.
All times are sold out, but the RA is registering those who wish to be added to a wait list. Tickets are $10 per RA member and $12 per non-RA member. Get on the wait list by registering online at www.restonwebtrac.org.
In the meantime, RA is looking for volunteers to help make the event fun for the kids.
“Right now, my only need is characters for Friday and Saturday,” Brock told Reston Now. “They will be dressed up.”
Costumes, makeup and props will be provided to volunteers, so Brock says they don’t need to bring anything.
“A script is also provided,” she said.
No memorization is needed. Each station inside of the house and outside on the trail will be based on a theme and volunteers will be given talking points and suggested dialogue.
“They can ad lib to set the mood with the kids and families,” Brock said. “It’s all about having fun.”
Volunteers must participate in an orientation on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the nature center from 6-7 p.m. Those interested must also pre-register by contacting Brock by email at [email protected] or by calling her at 703-435-7986.
The event is not a horror show or a haunted house, but the RA suggests families bring flashlights.
Halloween is on a school night this year, Tuesday, Oct. 31. However, neighborhoods are not limited to setting their official trick-or-treat hours, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. But the police department does have tips for trick-or-treaters. Brendan Murphy, Crime Prevention Officer with the FCPD, answered some questions during a Q-and-A about Halloween safety that are archived online.
The RA event at the nature center isn’t the only fun activity scheduled:
- Lake Anne Plaza will host its annual Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 28, beginning at 12:30 p.m. That event will include live music, a pet costume contest and more.
- For $10 per person, county residents can also enjoy a Halloween Campfire for children 3 and up at Lake Fairfax Park on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. “Enjoy a ghoulish ghost haunt and enjoy ghost stories and s’mores by the campfire,” the event registration page says. “S’mores ingredients will be provided. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult.”
