This week’s Reston Pet of the Week is Zeus, a 2 1/2-year-old border collie/shepherd mix.

Here is what Zeus’ people, Susanne and John, had to say about him:

We rescued Zeus when he was eight weeks old from Lost Dog and Cat Rescue. He was the quietest pup in the litter the night we rescued him, but we soon learned to find out that he has more energy than a couple of kids combined.  

Zeus enjoys many things, including but not limited to: scouring the house for any paper product he can find (tissues, TP, newspapers, napkins, it doesn’t matter, they are all tasty!), getting a new bone on Fridays for the weekend, sunbathing on the deck, playing pickle in the middle, visiting friends with fenced in yards and going to doggie day care.

Zeus also enjoys showing off his repertoire of tricks to family members and friends including high-fiving, praying and playing dead. We are sure glad that he is our “fur-child!”

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.

A cool, rainy morning didn’t dampen the spirit of the RSTA teams Saturday as swimmers across Reston demonstrated their concern for others along with their swimming skills. A towel collection for the homeless and a display of support for a grieving family showed that Reston swimmers have big hearts not only for speed and endurance but also for caring and compassion.

All nine RSTA teams participated in the Reston Aquatics Challenge to see which team could collect the most towels for donation to the Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston.  The shelter opens its doors for homeless people to take showers, but it doesn’t always have towels for them. Organized as an Eagle Scout project by Robby Cordts of Troop 1313 in Reston, the challenge collected 365 towels for the shelter.

Winning the challenge with a collection of 98 towels was the Lake Anne Stingrays.

“As swimmers we take towels for granted, however there are people in Reston to whom towels are a luxury,” said Cordts.

Compassion also was on display as several teams selected orange as their spirit theme to honor Newbridge team parent and avid volunteer Dave Tremaine and his family.

“David Tremaine very recently passed away due to colon cancer. He was Hayfield Secondary’s principal in Alexandria — school colors were orange, and a significant part of his wardrobe and persona — and his loss was significant to many in the Reston and Hayfield communities,” said Kimberly Berry of Glade.

Meet results after the jump.  Read More

Meet, Hayley, this week’s Reston Pet of the Week.

Hayley is a 4-year-old yellow lab. Here is what her owner, Caroline, has to say about her:

Here’s Hayley! She greets everyone she meets as if they were her best friend — complete with insane tail wagging and full-body shaking.

Aside from every lab’s favorite thing (meal time), Hayley’s true joys in life are tennis balls and snuggling. She’ll chase a tennis ball until she doesn’t have an ounce of energy left, and if she doesn’t have a ball to bring you, she’ll find one. We were once out exploring several acres of woods when she veered off, only to return with a tennis ball.

After she’s done catching the pesky tennis ball, all she wants to do is snuggle. She’s a 60-lb. dog who thinks she was meant to be a lapdog. Her plan of attack is always the same: approach the couch, stare at
her victim lovingly until they surrender, and then hop up and snuggle down — often using her victim’s leg as a pillow. Snuggling has become such an integral part of her being that she has earned her own hashtag
(#snuggledog), and most of her human friends refer to her as “Snuggledog” instead of “Hayley.”

Her perfect balance of playfulness, lovingness, and snuggles makes her the most wonderful dog… in my extremely unbiased opinion.

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.

Records continued to fall as the Reston Swim Team Association’s teams completed their second week of the summer season. Two league records and seven team records were set, with swimmers besting records as old as from 1993.

Many of the old records were set later in the summer, so it is remarkable that these new records are being set in only the second week of meets, said RSTA board member Andy Storch.

“RSTA coaches have been focusing early in the season on stroke development for newer swimmers, and competitive technique with experienced swimmers,” he said. “So, I think we could be seeing the results of considerable hard work — both from the swimmers and our terrific coaching staff.”

New Records Set

A new league record was set in the girls’ mixed age relay by the Lake Newport Lightning team of Vania Zeledon, Meghna Sharma, Anna Redican, Emi Redican, and Sienna Shannon (2:05.61), besting a time set last year at the All Star Meet by a North Hills relay team. The time also replaces a team record in this event set last week.

Another new league record was set by Ryan Ha of Newbridge in the 13-14 50-meter backstroke, replacing a time set in 1995 with a new time of 29.85. Ha’s time also replaces his own team record in this event set last week.

Team records set on Saturday include:

• Darius Truong of Lake Anne set a new team record in the 11-12 50-meter Backstroke, besting a record set that had stood since 1993, with a time of 34.37.
• Emily Meilus of Lake Anne set a new team record in the 15-18 50-meter Backstroke, beating a record set in 2001 by nearly two seconds with a time of 31.24.
•  The Lake Audubon girls mixed age 200-meter freestyle relay team of Suya Haering, Sophia Sobenes, Julia Nassau, Molly Ellor, and XX broke a team record from 2007 with a new time of 2:08.96.
• Katie Storch of Lake Newport set a new team record in the 15-18 50-meter backstroke with a time of 33.33, besting a record from 2002.
• Lake Newport’s boys 8 & Under 100-meter freestyle relay team of Joseph Redican, Cameron Romero, Robbie Keys, and Sean Redican replaced a team record from 2005 with a new time of 1:22.87.

Click through to read team results. Read More

House hunting? Check out some of these Reston listings that will be open.

1357 Heritage Oak Way
3 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$594,500
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

2052 Golf Course Drive
4 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$549,900
Open Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m.

11012 Raccoon Ridge Court
4 BR, 2.5 BA SFH
$829,00
Open Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.

1342 Park Garden Way
3 BR, 3.5 BA SFH
$560,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

For complete real estate information, visit Reston Now’s Real Estate Section.

Photos: MRIS

If you are heading to the Taste of Reston this weekend, stop by Reston Now’s booth.

Reston Now editor Karen Goff and other staffers from parent company Local News Now will have a booth on Market Street near the Mercury Fountain at Reston Town Center.

We will have fun Reston trivia games and prizes to give away. Come by to play or to just say hi and tell us what you would like to see on the site.

While you are there, sign up to get our daily email blast and get the day’s headlines delivered to your inbox weekdays at 4 p.m.

See you at the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s Taste of Reston!

Read all you need to know about the Taste of Reston in this previous story on Reston Now.

Reston Swim Team Association (RSTA) saw several longtime records fall as it opened its 42nd season on Saturday.

Tyler Ellis of Glade set four new records.. He set a new league record in  the 13-14 50 Butterfly, breaking the record set by Adam Orton of Ridge Heights (27.87) that has stood since 1995, with a new time of 27.66, which also set a new Glade team  record. Ellis also set a new record in 13-14 50 Freestyle with a time of 25.88, breaking his own record from last year. His fourth new record was in the 13-14 50 Backstroke, breaking Jonathan Christensen’s record from 2005 by more than a second with a time of 30.83.

Tyler’s brother Hunter Ellis set two new records of his own. He set a new Glade team record in the 11-12 50 Backstroke with a time of 34.86, beating Jonathan Christensen’s time from 2003 of 35.18. In the 11-12 50 Butterfly, Hunter beat his brother’s record from 2012 of 33.53 with a new time of 31.86.

Other records:

• Newbridge’s Ryan Ha, set a new team record in 13-14 50 Backstroke (30.74), beating his own record set during the All-Star meet last summer.
• Lake Newport’s Girls Mixed Age Relay team of Greta Larne, Meghan Sharma, Anna Redican, Emi Redican, and Katie Storch broke a record set in 2012 with a new time of 2:08.38.

Team results:

• Lake Newport Lightning 653, Ridge Heights Sharks 465
• Lake Audubon Barracudas 622, Glade Gators 468
• North Hills Hurricanes 562, Hunters Woods Blue Marlins 471
• Newbridge Dolphins 610, Autumnwood Piranhas 412

For more information, visit the RSTA website. 

–Submitted by Lyn Fiscus; photos courtesy of RSTA

Marcella Urban, a longtime resident of Thoreau Place in Reston, died June 5.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, she made Kent, Ohio, her home for 60 years and was married to Daniel Urban (deceased). She moved to Thoreau Place six years ago and was an active part of the community there.

She passed away peacefully at Sunrise Senior Living in Oakton on Thursday, June 5,

after a short hospitalization.

She is survived by her children, Diana Urban Eichler of Reston and David Urban of Falls Church; Grandchildren, Jeremy Eichler, Meg Eichler, Katie Eichler Jones, Louis Sears, John Sears, Stephanie Urban Desai, Elizabeth Urban, Peter Morrisey and Adam Morrisey; Great-grandchildren, Sophia Jones and William Jones, of Reston.

A memorial mass will be held at St. John Neumann in Reston on Tuesday, June 10 at 10 a.m. Funeral services will be postponed and held in Kent, Ohio, where she will be interred at a date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Dana Farber Institute in her name.

— Submitted by Katie Jones

Do you want to submit an obituary to Reston Now? Send to [email protected]. Obituaries are free of charge.

Looking for a new home? Check out some of these open houses in Reston.

12001 Market Street
1 BR, 1 BA Condo
$339,900
Open Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.
 

1426 Yellowwood Court
3 BR, 2.5 BA SFH
$459,900
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

1703 Red Oak Circle
3 BR, 3.5 BA SFH
$850,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

2107 Owls Cove Lane
3 BR, 3 BA SFH
$650,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

2210 Southgate Square
3 BR, 1 FB, 2 HB TH
$299,999
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

1659 Sierra Woods Court
3 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$349,999
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

11441 Washington Plaza West
3 BR, 2.5 BA TH
$585,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

1577 Autumn Ridge Circle
3 BR, 3.5 BA TH
$439,900
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 pm.
 

2026 Beacon Place
3 BR, 4.5 BA SFH
$925,000
Open Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
 

1323 Garden Wall Court
2 BR, 1 BA Condo
$289,900
Open Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.
 

For more open houses and real estate information, visit Reston Now’s Real Estate section.

This Saturday, June 7, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Fairfax County will hold an Open House at the United Christian Parish church (11508 North Shore Drive) to explain the goals and process for Phase 2 of the Reston Master Plan (RMP).

Phase 2 covers suburban Reston, virtually all of it covered by the Reston Association Deed. It will address the future of our neighborhoods, our village centers (excluding Lake Anne), and other selected Reston areas (convenience centers, the business area just north of Baron Cameron Avenue, and more) not covered in the just-completed Phase 1, which replanned the Metrorail station areas.

We know little about what the county will do, even those of us who have been deeply involved in the Phase 1 process.  The County’s new process — “Fast Forward” — is designed to streamline updating of the County’s Comprehensive Plan, including Reston’s Master Plan.

In the version that is being used for RMP Phase 2, there will be no task force, charrette, or other efforts to join the community’s stakeholders — residences, businesses, landowners, and more — in a discussion about what the community should become.

Instead, we have been asked to submit comments–but only on specific development proposals, per County staff–before July 11 with only the information provided at the Open House this Saturday.  It is very important for Reston’s residents to turn out in force at this walk-through event–where County staff will discuss the plan’s goals and process. 

Read More

Twenty-five athletes from the South Lakes High School track team will compete in the 6A State Outdoor Track and Field Championship June 6-7 in Newport News, Va.

The girls team will be paced by senior Danielle Hale, who won the region title in the long jump and will be competing in that event as well as the triple jump and 4×100 meter relay. Senior Grace Gillen, juniors Claire Nieusma, Delaney Wickman and sophomore Golden Kumi-Darfour ran a season best 3:54.35 en route to the 4×400 meter relay region title at the 6A North Regional meet at Robinson Secondary School May 29-30. That relay team is ranked third in the state going into the state championships and helped SLHS to finish fourth out of 26 schools at the region meet.

SLHS girls’ state-bound team also includes both in the 4×100 (freshman Nikayla Hoyte, Ozioma Chinaka, Jordan Lozama, Hale) and 4×800 (Gillen, Kumi-Darfour, senior Abby Reinhold, junior Augusta Durham) relay teams. The Seahawks will also be represented in individual events:

• 100 meter hurdles: freshman Devyn Jones (4th at Region championship)
• 200 meters: Wickman (3rd at Region championship)
• 300 meter hurdles: Nieusma (6th at Region championship)
• 400 meters: Wickman (2nd at Region championship)
• 800 meters: Kumi-Darfour (4th at Region championship)

Senior Khayri Denny, the Region champion in the long jump, will compete in that event as well as the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay. As with the girls’ team, both the 4×400 (seniors Michael Kerr, Luis Rivas, Daniel Johnsen, junior Sam Arpee) and 4×800 (Kerr, Rivas, junior Andrew McCool, sophomore  John LeBerre) meter relay teams will compete at the state competition.

Kerr and Rivas will also compete in the 800 meters.  Johnsen will also run the 400 meters. Eric Kirlew finished fourth at the region meet in the triple jump and is the state’s top ranked sophomore in that event. Seniors Ben O’Connor and Anthony Mayo will team with Denny and junior Brandon Terry or sophomore Skander Ballard on the 4×100.

— Submitted by Valerie Lister

Photo: SLHS boys 4×800 relay is headed to the state 6A meet/Credit: Ed Lull