By Ryan Goff

More than 300 Reston residents, many clad in bright yellow Rescue Reston T-shirts, spent Saturday afternoon gathering support of the preservation of open space.

Rescue Reston was formed in 2012 in response to Reston National owner RN Golf’s inquiry as to the status of the golf course’s zoning. RN Golf, a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Insurance, believes it has the right to residential development there.

Fairfax County Zoning said in 2012 that the 166-acres is open/recreational space. After many postponements, RN Golf is finally getting a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. That hearing will take place Jan. 21, and Rescue Reston wants as many citizens as possible to attend.

Rescue Reston founder John Pinkman, a longtime golf course-area homeowner, says the issue affects everyone in Reston.

“The issue unites everyone,” he said. “Democratic or Republican, liberal or conservative. It doesn’t matter what your background is, but what your backyard is.”

The rally, which took place in the cafeteria of Langston Hughes Middle School, included a number of speakers presenting the reasons why the golf course needs to remain open space.

At the entrance to the cafeteria, Rescue Reston provided a variety of materials for the community — bright yellow T-shirts, flyers, yard signs, and a large land use map of Reston.

At the far end, Mack.Johnson, a local band, played the thematically fitting Big Yellow Taxi — Joni Mitchell’s anthem about paving paradise and putting up a parking lot.

The presentation began with a recap of the situation so far by Rescue Reston President Connie Hartke.

Hartke talked about the upcoming hearing, presenting the parties on each side of the debate in a “Home Team vs. Away Team” chart. The mention of Lerner Enterprises, the development company speculated to be behind the push to rezone the golf course, elicited groans and boos from the assembled crowd.

Hartke encouraged everyone to come to the hearing on the Jan. 21, wearing the yellow shirts as a show of community involvement and support. Hartke says that the community needs to “leave a lasting impression, not only now but to any future landgrabbers.” Read More

By Ryan Goff

Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston) and Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston) held their annual meeting with constituents Thursday night, where they discussed issues important to them and those that the public wants to see brought to attention in the 2015 Virginia General Assembly session that begins Wednesday in Richmond.

The event drew several dozen residents to the Reston Community Center Hunters Woods, where they listened to the legislators’ plans for the session, and were able to give feedback on several topics.

Among the topics discussed:

Gun Control — Plum advocated for “common-sense approaches” to gun safety, including the expansion of background checks to cover the “gun-show loophole,” in which gun buyers are able to bypass a background check by purchasing their firearm from an individual seller at a gun show.

Plum also addressed the challenges of passing bills regarding gun control.

“That whole arena of gun legislation is very controversial.” Plum said, “I will tell you that in the House there is a subcommittee that is made up of persons who have straight-A ratings by the NRA, and get all these bills, so it’s a hard climb to get these bills passed […] we need to bring pressure to say that we can protect people’s constitutional rights, but we can have common sense gun legislation.”

Several speakers from the community also voiced their support for Plum’s proposed gun safety measures.

Medicaid Expansion — Both Plum and Howell voiced their support for the expansion of Medicaid. Plum has drafted a bill allowing Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to proceed with the expansion of Medicaid.

“There are hundreds of thousands of Virginians today without medical insurance because of the legislature’s inability to act.” Plum said, before urging the public to contact other legislators across the state about supporting this bill.

Gerrymandering — Plum voiced his concern about the way that legislative districts are drawn by legislators, calling it “a total conflict of interest.”

Plum has once again introduced a bill calling for a non-partisan organization to handle the redrawing of district boundaries.

Howell, the former chairman of the Privileges and Elections Committee in the Senate, has introduced a similar bill.

“I have put in, like Ken has, a bill for non-partisan redistricting,” said Howell. “It was my misfortune during last redistricting to be chairing that committee in the Senate. Like Ken said, we have a lot of lawsuits, unfortunately not challenged, with the Senate redistricting. But I will tell you that process was horrible because we had to take all these political factors, and it was almost impossible to keep communities of interest together, and yet that is something we need to do.”

Reston Now is trying something new for the new year. We will now have pets available for adoption as our Pets of the Week. If the pets find a new home after our posting, the new owners will win prizes and treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care.

This week’s Reston Pet of the week is tabby cat Bernetta. Here is what her foster parents have to say about her.

Bernetta is very cute, 1-2 year old Domestic Medium Haired orange tabby BEAUTY!

She has a huge, puffy tail that is feather-like and soooo soft! She is currently fostered with both cats and dogs — she tolerates the cats but doesn’t interact much. Sometimes she will try to play with them, but they just ignore her. She does interact with the dogs and will play with them often.

She’s very good at entertaining herself — she loves to play, is very curious and is not afraid of anything. She likes to hide and swipe at your legs and hands as you walk by to get your attention. She doesn’t use her claws, and it’s pretty cute. She usually comes when called and enjoys being petted. She does seek out attention occasionally, but she’s pretty independent. She likes to be in the same room with her people.

Bernetta doesn’t mind being picked up, but only for short periods and then she’s off to do her own thing again! Bernetta would be great for someone who wants companionship but doesn’t necessarily want a cat who will be all over them all the time, or someone who has other pets with whom she can be friends.

See more info on Bernetta on Homeward Trails Animal Rescue’s Petfinder page.

Are you involved with a pet rescue group and would like to post a pet here? Contact us at [email protected]. Send along a few paragraphs of info about the pet, 2-3 horizontally oriented photos and contact info for interested adopters.

This is an Op-Ed by Waterview Cluster resident Dick Kennedy. Something on your mind? Write to us at [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit submissions.

If Covenant 15 is revoked RELAC costs will go up and soon RELAC will end. Then…

1. Where do you put your new outside AC unit? Where will your neighbors put their unit ? Our communities were not architecturally designed to have outside AC units. We have no good options.

2. Despite advances all AC units make noise that is compounded when they are all running.

3. Be ready to spend about $5,000 to $10,000 or more to buy and install an outside unit.

4. The new [RELAC] owners have already improved service, many users say. They have a plan to reduce rates.

Why not give them a chance?

The RELAC referendum has been brought to us legitimately by the “Free from 15” group. Much has been said about real issues on whether to keep the covenant requirement. There are pros and cons on most issues, some argued fairly and many exaggerated out of context.

RELAC costs are high but the system is quiet. A few owners say they don’t get good service but most say they are happy and service is improving. There are questions about how to maintain the individual systems and whether it has been done. There are claims about RELAC infrastructure failing. But the same happens to water, sewer and gas infrastructure. Repairs must be made from time to time.

The term “monopoly” is used with a derogatory slant. But we have monopolies for electricity and gas and RELAC. All are supervised by the State Corporation Commission [SCC] which regulates public utilities, balancing the needs of users and the utility.

Some argue RELAC adversely affects home sales, but most units sell very quickly and prices are going up to pre-recession levels. So there is much to carefully consider. Clearly, owners’ financial interest is at stake on both sides —  including those who are already off the system and don’t want to return the RELAC system when they sell.

Freedom has been much celebrated by those who want to be free to get off RELAC. But please remember you will not be free to use RELAC for long if the covenant is removed.

Please VOTE.

After students in teacher Evan Millar’s fifth-grade class at Terraset Elementary School made it into the building Tuesday, they learned a lesson in effective communication.

Forget #CLOSEFCPS, which was briefly trending on Twitter as about four inches of snow fell outside. Fairfax County Public Schools was widely criticized for its decision to start school on time despite the snow. FCPS admitted by Tuesday afternoon that they made the wrong call.

Millar went old school, instructing his students to write their opinions in well-constructed, persuasive essays — using their best vocabulary words — to FCPS Assistant Superintendent Jeffrey Platenberg, who is tasked with making the final call on snow days.

Here are a few examples of the fifth-graders’ work:

Dear Mr. Platenberg,

Today it was a snowy and freezing day. I had a rough time getting to school. I think you shouldn’t have opened school today.

I’m going to be 100% honest. When I was at the bus stop, it was very cold and my feet felt like they were going to fall off. I was late for school today because the bus was late. The bus driver was trying to be careful by driving slowly. The bus driver had to because the roads were icy and covered with snow. The bus driver could hardly see anything.

You are kind of in charge of the buses because if school were closed, the buses wouldn’t have come. The cars were slipping and sliding everywhere because of the snow and ice. It was very slippery outside. I fell when I was just walking and I fell on concrete. Read More

This is an Op-Ed by Hickory Cluster resident Blake Travis. Something on your mind? Share your thoughts by sending a letter to [email protected]. Reston Now reserves the right to edit submissions.

In the next few days, 343 homeowners in Reston will receive a ballot to vote on whether to revoke Covenant 15 (Section VI.2(b)(15)) of the Reston Association Deed, which states that:

 In any residential Cluster in which central air-conditioning service is available to the Lot line, no individual air-conditioning units of any type shall be permitted. This covenant may only be amended or revoked by at least a two-thirds vote of the Category A Members of all residential Clusters on the service.

This covenant prevents homeowners in several Reston clusters from installing an individual air conditioning unit (unless they have a medical exemption) to cool their home. Instead, they are bound to the nearly 50-year old air-conditioning system operated by Reston RELAC (Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning Corporation).

This system has had many well-publicized problems over the years and regularly increased rates, leading to growing base of dissatisfied customers who would prefer to have other options for cooling their homes.

There are a number of arguments that have been presented for why Covenant 15 should remain in the RA Deed. Two of the leading arguments I’ve heard are that Reston RELAC will have to raise rates if they lose customers (something RELAC claimed in a recent letter to customers) and that individual air conditioning units are loud and unsightly and will detract from our community. I do not believe these arguments carry much weight, for a number of reasons.

Read More

This is an Op-Ed by Connie Hartke of the Reston Citizens Association. Something on your mind that you want to share with the community? Email Reston Now at [email protected]. Reston Now reserves the right to edit submissions.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, some of our Reston neighbors will be facing an important vote in January that affects their summertime comfort.

Covenant 15 of the Reston Association Deed requires 343 households to use the 50+ year old Reston Lake Anne Air-Conditioning Corporation cooling system (RELAC), unless they receive an annual medical exemption — a nightmare when the unit goes up for resale.

These 343 households will have the opportunity to revoke (or not) Covenant 15 by a referendum vote. A yes vote will allow choice without ending RELAC. This system works adequately for many, but not all.

The Reston Citizens Association (RCA) supports revoking Covenant 15 (commonly called RELAC). Sridhar Ganesan, President of RCA stated: “While clearly many people around Lake Anne still like and want RELAC because it seems to serve their purposes, it is also clear that a number of people have not been happy with the system, the costs and other burdens that they feel it imposes on them. RELAC is a system as old as the Lake Anne community. Not only would the investment in that system have been fully paid for, today’s technologies have surely far surpassed RELAC’s. Many of us on the RCA Board as well as members sympathize and feel that after all these decades of using and paying for the operation of that system, those that would like to opt out of RELAC and pursue other alternatives should have the Choice to do so.”

None of us on the current RCA board live where RELAC is mandated, but we listen to Restonians who do and who live on the sunny side of Lake Anne. Read More

Resolve to move in 2015? Here are some open houses to check out this weekend.

11990 Market Street
2 BR, 2.5 BA Condo
$1,050,000
Open Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m.

11311 Lake Chapel Lane
4 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$755,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

2287 White Cornus Lane
3 BR, 1.5 BA TH
$289,900
Open Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.

11253 Silentwood Lane
2 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$334,900
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

11811 Great Owl Circle
2 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$489,900
Open Saturday and Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.

For more open houses and real estate info, check out Reston Now’s Real Estate section.

This week’s Pet of the Week is Baci, a chocolate lab with a long list of nicknames.

Here is what owner Nic has to say about him:

Baci, a 6-year-old chocolate lab affectionately known as Pumpkin, Bubs, Noodle, VP Joe ‘Bitin’,  or Joey, is a subdued lover of naps and lounging who also knows how to have fun when the time is right.

He loves all things except vacuums, and his favorite food is apples.

He came into the Querolo household at the tender age of 12 weeks and was the runt of his litter. Against all odds, he has made his way to a healthy 90 pounds and is comfortable with the way he looks.

In his free time, Baci enjoys trips to his mom’s barn to see whats going on with her horses and cats. He is infamous for once finding the first aid kit in the back of the car and ingesting the package of TUMS, tampon and battery that were inside. There were no consequences.

His life goals include once taking a 24-hour nap, and one day being able to ride a horse. He also would like to meet more people. His claim to fame is his ability to find his collar wherever it is in the house so long as somebody gives him hints. He’s a real champion.

We need Pets of the Week for 2015! Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week? Here is how to play.

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.

Merry Christmas! Reston Now is off and (hopefully) so are you.

No matter how you celebrate, have a great day. We will be back Friday.

File photo by Ken Knueven

This is a letter from Joy Myers, Reston resident and Metro commuter.

I’m a “safety first” kind of gal. I don’t eat expired food, I wait for the “walky-guy” signal at crosswalks, and I always come to a full stop when I turn right on red.

Not that I don’t like adventure. I do take many risks, but I want to know that if I fall or fail, or if someone around me is hurt, it’s not because I’ve been careless or negligent.

The new Silver Line has been a game-changer for me. I hate to drive and I love to hike, so the mile to-and-from the Wiehle station has provided not only respite from 80 minutes of daily behind-the-wheel torture, but also taken 10 pounds off my curvy frame. Win-win, right? Wrong. Because every day, twice a day, I still have to deal with jerks in cars.

You know who you are. You are the driver who does not slow — much less stop — for pedestrians in the crosswalk on either side of the Wiehle/Sunrise Valley intersection. Some of you are turning right on to Wiehle Avenue from Sunrise Valley. Some of you are turning right on Sunrise Valley from Wiehle Avenue. No matter — you’re all jerks.

Here’s how it plays out: I’m walking to the intersection and I have the right-of-way. It’s cold –and lately, raining — and you, in your warm, dry car with your music blaring and the heat blasting, decide that your time and livelihood are more important than mine, so you just keep going. You see me. I know you see me. But you don’t care.

So I stand there on the corner, watching the lights change and the walky-guy disappear, and I begin to count the cars ignoring me. Yesterday morning, 12 of you sped by before one gentle soul stopped to let me cross to the intersection.

Look, I know you’re in a hurry. It’s Washington — we’re all in a hurry. And I know you may have forgotten about me because the boss is calling, or the kids are crying, or you’ve just spilled your coffee in your lap. But I’m here, I have the right-of-way, and it’s cold and wet, and I really just want to safely and legally cross the street.

Jerks, I challenge you to make a point today to stop and let someone cross. Just one person. That’s all I’m asking for. Count the number of seconds it takes them to walk in front of your car. I guarantee it’s less than 10. And in those 10 seconds you’ll find your redemption.

Thank you,

Joy

Photo: Reston Station Boulevard

Meet Desmond and Sawyer, Reston residents since March 2014 and this week’s Reston Pets of the Week.

Here is what their owners have to say about them.

Desmond and Sawyer, based on our favorite characters from the TV show Lost, are twin brothers we welcomed into our home in March 2014.

We met Swayer first at a rescue event, and went on to their foster home to meet them together and spend some time with them. We fell in love, a week later, they had moved in with us and we are so happy they are part of our lives.

Desmond and Sawyer are 19-month-old gray tabbies. Both know to play fetch, and it’s the cutest thing when they bring the ball for us to throw. Our friends and family are always so surprised, cats who can fetch! Desmond loves playing fetch pretty much all day long; Sawyer only plays very late at night. Sometimes we wake up and there are multiple balls on our bed.

Desmond is the outgoing, affectionate one, he has yet to meet someone he doesn’t like. Sawyer is more selective, but a sweetheart. They both spend lots of time together, playing, sleeping, watching for squirrels, chipmunks and birds in the backyard. One of their favorite thing is sitting watching all the going-ons from the windows or our front door.

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.

Have you entered Reston Now’s Gift Local Contest?

The holidays are a time for giving, and we’re giving you a weekly chance to win some great gifts from local businesses this month. Keep them for yourself or gift them to a friend, coworker or family member.

To enter the contest, free of charge, all you need to do is sign up for our daily email newsletter. The newsletter delivers Reston Now headlines to your inbox on weekday (and some weekend) afternoons. No spam, we promise.

If you’re one of our more than 1,000 existing newsletter subscribers, you’re automatically eligible to win. See our official contest rules for an alternate means of entry and other sweepstakes details.

We’ll conduct a drawing every Friday through the end of December. Today’s drawing — there’s still a few more hours to enter — will feature prizes from

• Adult Sonicare Toothbrush from Reston Serenity Smiles
• Personal Training Session from Storm Fitness 
• Gift certificate to Ted’s Bulletin restaurant from Berry & Berry, PLLC

Future prizes for the Dec. 19 and 26 drawings include:

• Apple iPad Air 16GB from RestonNow.com
• One month of free swim lessons from Goldfish Swim School
• $109 gift card for artisan flower arrangements from Bloompop
• Exercise class from The Harrison Apartments
• $150 donation to Cornerstones on your behalf from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate
• Gift card for artisan flower arrangements from Bloompop
• Two seats on a public winery tour from Reston Limousine

Please join us in supporting these and other local businesses when making your holiday shopping plans and New Year’s resolutions.

Photo: Ted’s Bulletin at Reston Town Center