This is a sponsored post from Becky’s Pet Care, a professional pet care service in Northern Virginia.
Meet Starfish, a tortoiseshell & domestic short hair kitten available for adoption locally.
Here is what her friends at Little Buddies Adoption and Humane Society have to say about her:
Starfish is a beautiful tortoiseshell kitten. She is loving kitten who is everyone’s friend.
She is also a confident kitten who is not easily scared. Starfish also has lots of energy at playtime.
She is super sweet and bonds quickly with the people around her. Starfish will be about 10 weeks old the end of September.
(Note: Little Buddies has adoption events every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at Pet Valu in the North Point Village Shopping Center.)
Are you and Starfish a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and prizes.
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.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
The Uplands is the quintessential Reston neighborhood — while it is convenient to all major roads, it feels like it is miles away from everything.
As one of Reston’s older neighborhoods, and one that borders Lake Fairfax Park, the wooded areas are well-established. Uplands has a great layout with just two access points. While there is a convenient secret short cut over to Route 7, for the most part the people who travel on Ring Road live in Uplands.
The Uplands neighborhood includes both townhome clusters and single-family homes in a wide variety of styles, from ranch styles houses to large contemporary and pretty much everything in between. One of the best features of Uplands is the toddler- and young kid-oriented Uplands pool. OK, adults enjoy playing in the pool’s fountains too.
There is also a huge recreation area that includes two tennis courts, a full-sized basketball court and a baseball diamond. For those who like walking their dogs in the woods, or just going for a great hike, there is easy access into Lake Fairfax Park via the Buttermilk Creek trail. And in the winter, Uplands has the best sledding hill around.
Uplands is about a five-minute drive to Reston Town Center, and same to the Reston Metro Station. But the neighborhood is so tranquil and beautiful, you may never want to leave.
Curious Students. Expert Teachers. Endless Potential.
At BASIS Independent McLean, a PreK-12 private school in Tysons Corner, students are inspired daily to discover their passions and learn at the highest international levels. Passionate expert teachers, a curriculum built from global best practices and an array of engaging extracurriculars, all unite to foster a joyful learning culture where all students can excel.
Join BASIS Independent McLean on November 4 for the first Open House of the school year, and experience our engaging teachers, dynamic classrooms and acclaimed program inaction!
November 4 | 10 a.m.
8000 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA 22102
This is a sponsored post from Becky’s Pet Care, a professional pet care service in Northern Virginia.
This week’s Reston Pet of the Week is Kirby, a 12-year-old purebred Papillon who is a longtime Restonian.
Here is what Kirby’s owner, April, had to say about her:
Kirby is a purebred Papillon who will turn 13 on Dec. 14, but often gets mistaken for a puppy, partly due to her small size (she weighs anywhere between 7 and 8 pounds depending on what she just finished eating) and also because she’s still every bit as energetic as her younger counterparts.
She was born in Toledo, Ohio, but has been a Reston resident for nearly 10 years. She was named after the famous Kirby who won Best in Show at Westminster in 1999 (the only Papillon in history to accomplish this so far) and she has even befriended one of famous Kirby’s descendants via the Northern Virginia Papillon Owners Meetup group. (Shoutout to Chancois Nolley!)
True to her breed’s name (“Papillon” is French for “butterfly”), Kirby is a social butterfly who can often be seen walking around Reston Town Center and Lake Anne, where she enjoys patronizing the local businesses and chatting up fellow Restonians. She also enjoys accompanying her human and friends to nearby Northern Virginia wineries in her pooch purse, although she is not a wine drinker herself.
She has quite a social media presence, including nearly 100 Instagram followers. Her Instagram handle is “yappy_pappy” due to how talkative she can be. Kirby is almost never at a loss for words, especially when there’s food nearby.
Although she is very friendly and energetic, she’s also extremely protective of her home and her human and will voice displeasure if you come too close to either without her permission. Once you’re in Kirby’s Circle of Trust, though, you’re pretty much in there for life.
Kirby loves living in Reston because of how dog-friendly it is — namely its paved pathways, caring residents and high concentration of squirrels.
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.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
Wondering when the best time to list your home is? The answer is right now. Fall is actually a great time of year to put your house on the market. It’s not really a matter of when to do it; it’s a matter of what you need to do to prepare.
First impressions matter, so making sure your home has curb appeal is really important. I’ve had many clients refuse to look inside the house simply because they didn’t like the way the outside looked. Here are five things you can do to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers.
Power Wash Your House and Decks
Over time, your house and deck can start looking grungy. Sometimes a new coat of paint or stain is called for (you should do that every six or seven years), but often a good power washing is more than enough to make your house look brand-spanking new. Your house will look so fresh, you may wonder why you’ve never done this before!
Replace Rotted Wood
Many of the homes in Reston have wood exteriors and HOA requirements forbid any other type of siding. In our moist climate, wood will sometimes rot — especially around window casings. The good news is that fixing it may not be as costly as you think. Sure it’s not as quick a fix as planting flowers, but it will drastically boost your curb appeal.
Clean the Gutters
Cleaning the gutters really doesn’t take that long. Whether you do it yourself or pay to have it done, it will help make your house look more inviting. Something about weeds growing out of gutters just looks untidy.
Do Some Landscaping
Flowers and a nice lawn — boy, do they make a house look good. This time of year there are still flowers you can plant, and it’s not expensive. Whether they’re in flower boxes, hanging baskets or berms, they provide a huge boost to your curb appeal. Planting flowers is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to make a big impact. Then make sure you don’t have any lawn dead spots around your trees. Plant some shade-loving flowers or plants around the shady spots (hostas do particularly well here), or just mulch. You will be amazed at how clean and appealing your yard looks with these simple changes.
Upgrade the Hardware on Your Door
Another super simple upgrade is to change the hardware on your door. Styles change over time, so make sure your door looks current. Swapping out old light fixtures and mailboxes (if you have one by your door) can also add new life to your entrance.
There are many more things you can do to boost your curb appeal, but these five things will drastically improve how your house looks to potential buyers and will make them want to come in and see more.
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Plaza America that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Kimberly H. Berry
An interesting question that has arisen recently is whether Virginia employers can use non-compete agreements with independent contractors. The answer is not entirely clear. There are many potential pitfalls for both the independent contractors that sign such agreements and the employers that attempt to enforce them.
The Problems with Non-Compete Agreements for Independent Contractors
One of the main problems with requiring independent contractors to sign non-compete agreements is that independent contractors are different types of workers. An independent contractor is essentially its own business. Generally, an employer cannot compel an independent contractor, which is a separate business, to forfeit his or her business simply because it gave the independent contractor business. Independent contractors may appear similar to employees (and many employers cross the line in terms of who they think they can classify as an independent contractor), but there are different loyalties and duties. For the most part, the more that an individual becomes a part of an employer’s business or organization, such as through signing non-compete agreements and assuming duties of loyalty, the more likely that the individual can be classified an employee.
Suppose that an independent contractor is paid and taxed as an independent contractor, and then the employer has the independent contractor sign a non-compete agreement. The very existence of such an agreement arguably initiates a shift of the contractor’s status from that of an independent contractor to a misclassified employee who owes a duty of loyalty to the employer. If the independent contractor has been misclassified by the employer, then the employer may risk having an unenforceable non-compete agreement, and potentially subjects itself to serious tax, overtime, and government fine issues as a result of not paying the worker properly.
The legal issues and determinations associated with non-compete agreements for independent contractors in Virginia are in the very early stages and cannot be fully predicted. Given the large amount of government contractors in Northern Virginia alone, it appears that this issue will be further litigated. Despite the relative uncertainty, an employer can easily run afoul of Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines regarding misclassification, and end up owing significant sums to the government as well as the misclassified employee following enforcement efforts related to a non-compete agreement.
This is a sponsored post from Becky’s Pet Care, a professional pet care service in Northern Virginia.
This week’s Reston Pet of the Week is Stormy, who enjoys her life in North Reston.
Here is what Stormy’s owner, Lisa, had to say about her:
Stormageddon the Dark Lord of All (Stormy for short) is our 4.5-year-old Ragdoll cat. My husband and I named after an obscure Doctor Who reference, but to less nerdy parties we say it was because the summer got her was the stormiest one we’ve seen. As the runt of her litter, she weighs in at a lean and mean 9 pounds with a personality that busts at the seams.
Her meow is worse than her bite. Literally. Two years ago, Stormy had to have every single last tooth removed, otherwise a degenerative gum disease was going to take her life. This small setback hasn’t stopped her from being the alpha in the house. She still bites (gums) at toys and wants no special treatment as she still eats dry food and treats.
Stormy demands belly rubs whenever she sees you, but her preference is to run away to the stair landing, flop over and receive the pets there. She is finicky and fastidious and friendly to a fault.
She spends her day perfecting the cat “trill” we all love, lounging just out of arm’s reach, and bossing around her cat brother Sokka, who is one year younger, 4 pounds bigger, but knows his place.
You can see it in her face — Stormy suffers no fools.
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.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
There is something to be said for being able to walk everywhere. That’s part of why people love living in West Market, a community across the street from Reston Town Center. In fact, West Market residents can walk to the grocery store, restaurants, the movie theater, the W&OD trail, and anything else they could need. (Even Target is walking distance.)
One of my favorite West Market amenities is the private pond that has a walking trail around it. (It’s about 1/2 mile total around the pond.) You can do the loop several times, take the trail to the W&OD trail, or sit on one of the benches and read a book on a gorgeous day. It’s peaceful and lovely.
West Market was built in the late 1990s. Five builders came together to create this architecturally diverse community. Most people first notice the rounded exteriors that are unlike anything else in Reston. Spacious common areas include a clubhouse, which includes a main hall and kitchen for meetings and gatherings, a fitness center and sauna, and an outdoor pool.
The dwelling units comprise two condo communities:
- The Lincoln Park community has 104 luxury, 2-story townhome style condos.
- Madison Park has 122 condominium units (24 of which are townhouses) within seven buildings.
West Market is a great choice for anyone wanting to live in the Reston Town Center area without actually being in Town Center.
This is a sponsored post by Anna Gibson, owner of AKG Design Studio and an award-winning, certified kitchen and bathroom designer. AKG Design Studio is a boutique design firm specializing in kitchen, bathroom designs and cabinetry sales. Contact Anna at 571-989-2541 or [email protected], and follow her work on Houzz; Pinterest; Facebook and Twitter.
Many times, we spend a lot of time and energy getting our house ready for the holidays and forget to do a quick facelift on the bathroom our guests will be using. Below are some quick fixes you can do on the weekend to get your bathroom guest-ready.
Paint — Painting the walls is an economical way to change the entire look of a bathroom. If you need help selecting a color, we suggest checking out the Sherwin-Williams ColorMix Forecast. If you do not want to paint your entire bathroom, paint the cabinets using chalk paint. A small jar from Michaels for $10 can go a long way, and no prep work needed.
Fixture — Another simple to brighten up your sink is changing the faucet. From dull and rusty to new and shiny, it will spruce up you sink in no time.
Accessories and Hardware — If you painted the cabinet, you may as well change the cabinet hardware. New, fun or just updated styles will dress up your vanity with a new look. While you are at, how about a new towel bar, towel ring and toilet paper holder that will make your guest want to change that last roll? If your accessories are still usable but look outdated, consider spray-painting the hardware for a more economical hardware update.
Mirrors — If you love your bathroom, but it just needs that little extra something, adding mirrors or a new vanity mirror may be the trick. If you are trying to update your bathroom to something more modern, choose a frameless mirror for the vanity or go for fancy frame for a chic new look.
Accessorize — Whether you take out your favorite holiday hand towels or buy new towels to be used year-round during Black Friday, a fresh towel set along with matching or complimentary shower curtain can make one feel like they are walking into a new bathroom. Moreover, while changing out the towels and shower curtains, don’t forget to pick up matching bathroom rugs that complement and pull together the entire look. If you are having quite a few parties this season, buy two matching towel sets, so you always have a backup set while the other is in the wash.
Declutter — The most inexpensive upgrade is to declutter your bathroom counters. Remove and toss any makeup that is older than six months, then go shopping Black Friday for new makeup for yourself! If you have creams, lotions and bubble bath sets you have never opened, ’tis the season to regift. Have a bunch of unused or barely used hotel toiletries? Bag them up and drop them off at your local homeless shelter.
Deep Clean — You may wipe down your bathroom weekly, but go in and wipe down the walls and baseboards, wipe inside the base of the of the vanities and cabinets. Clean underneath the sink and don’t forget that hard-to-reach area behind the toilet. A quick cleaning tip: Hang a bag with a mix of water and vinegar around the shower head and leave it overnight. It will dissolve all mineral deposits and leave it shiny as new.
Have questions or comments? Share them! If you have implemented any of the ideas in the article, share them on AKG Design Studio’s Facebook page.
This is a sponsored post from Becky’s Pet Care, a professional pet care service in Northern Virginia.
This week’s Reston Pet of the Week is Cheese, the newly adopted sister of a memorable Pet of the Week from earlier this year, Kevin.
Here is what Cheese’s owner, Mark, had to say about her:
When we first found Cheese, I wanted to name her “Oriole.” I wanted to give something positive — anything positive — to my other cat, Kevin, an Orioles fan, after the dumpster fire of a season they had this year. I figured giving her a sister whose coat matched the flames of the Orioles’ season might somehow give Kevin some solace.
But then my fiancée vetoed that idea (she prefers the Nats), and after Googling “orange things,” I found a picture of Old Bay Cheese Puffs. Close enough. And so, Cheese inherited her name.
Cheese is more like a dog; she plays all the time, she cuddles excessively, and she loves to lick your skin. My fiancée, a “dog person” at heart, has developed a special bond with Cheese, and the two can often be found napping about the house together. After a few days of posturing and bouts of hissing, Kevin warmed up too, and the two are often heard scampering around the house together.
It feels like home with those two kitties. It feels happy. It feels complete for now. We are very lucky to have added Cheese to the family. To many more laps around the house, Cheese!
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.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
The Hook Road neighborhood off Fairway Drive is a sweet little pocket of homes built in the 1960s. In case the road names don’t give it away, this small community backs up to the Hidden Creek Country Club golf course. Those are some very nice views from back decks.
The Hook Road homes are classic contemporary style, most with three or four bedrooms; are typically two-story; and many have brick exteriors.
The homes line only one side of the street. The inner space of the horseshoe houses a baseball diamond for Little League, RA tennis courts and a basketball court that provide entertainment all summer. And there is plenty of room among that green space to lay out a blanket for a family picnic.
But that may change.
Reston Association is currently assessing how the Hook Road Recreation Area could be improved, and the time for community input is now (specifically Oct. 16 and Nov. 2). RA’s goal is to present a proposal to the RA Board of Directors early next year.
The Hook Road Recreation Area was originally developed in 1965 with tennis and basketball amenities added in 1973. Since that time, the recreation area has remained relatively unchanged.
In 2016, the RA board approved a new capital project methodology called “Full Facility Enhancements,” which focuses on revitalizing facilities as a singular unit instead of replacing individual amenities. If you use the recreation area, or just want to know what the plan is, attend the meetings. You can find out the locations on the RA website. You can also sign up to for updates about the project by emailing [email protected].
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Plaza America that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Kimberly H. Berry
It can be very difficult for an employee to be called into a supervisor’s office or to the human resources office unexpectedly and be informed that his/her employment has been terminated. Following the notice of termination, usually the employee is escorted out of the building and is faced with a sense of shock and loss.
It is important to know that termination proceedings in Virginia are at will, which generally leaves significant discretion to employers in decisions to hire and fire employees.
However, if the employer has violated a state or federal law in terminating the employee (e.g., discrimination, whistleblowing, retaliation), the termination can be considered wrongful and potential avenues to challenge the termination may be available.
One step that a Virginia employee can do following an involuntary termination is to make an appointment with a Virginia employment attorney to review the issues related to the termination action in order to determine whether it can be considered a wrongful termination.
An attorney can also help evaluate what steps may be taken to minimize the career damage that has just occurred and whether the action taken may be appealable.
Employees often have more options following a termination action than is apparent to them on the day of termination. The employer may have broken federal or Virginia laws with respect to the termination action.
If so, then it may be possible to negotiate a resolution, such as through a separation or severance agreement, on behalf of the employee with the employer. This generally happens when the employee retains an attorney to contact the employer about the inappropriate nature of the employee’s termination in violation of applicable employment laws.
Following an employee’s termination, many Virginia employees ask our firm whether they should also apply for unemployment compensation. The answer as to whether an employee should apply for unemployment compensation depends on the factual circumstances of the termination.
Even if an employer terminates an employee in Virginia for alleged misconduct, the employee may still be able to seek and obtain unemployment compensation.
In addition, in Virginia the employer has the burden of proof if they want to argue that the employee was terminated for misconduct. The employer essentially has to prove that the employee violated a significant company rule (and it usually must be a clear rule).
In addition, it is often the case that an employee, through wrongful discharge negotiations, may obtain a resolution where the employer agrees not to contest unemployment.
Finally, an employee should keep in mind that if the employee is terminated for poor performance, as opposed to misconduct, unemployment compensation is generally granted. However, any separation or severance compensation received by the employee will typically delay receipt of unemployment compensation.
This is a sponsored post from Becky’s Pet Care, a professional pet care service in Northern Virginia.
Meet Pipley, a white and brown cat available for adoption locally.
Here is what his friends at Little Buddies Adoption and Humane Society have to say about him:
Pipley is amazingly affectionate and playful. He was the runt of the litter, but don’t let his size fool you — he leads the crew. He’s our little greeter.
Consider adopting him with his sister Petunia.
(Note: Little Buddies has adoption events every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at Pet Valu in the North Point Village Shopping Center.)
Are you and Pipley (or Petunia) a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and prizes.
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.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
Here are some Reston homes that changed hands recently:
1703 Ascot Way, 2 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $259,900.
2237 Castle Rock Square, 3 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $208,000.
2264 Cedar Cove Court, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. Sale Price: $800,000.
2203 Coppersmith Square, 2 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $299,500.
11887 Fawn Ridge Lane, 4 BR, 4 BA. Sale Price: $712,500.
1645 Fieldthorn Drive, 2 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $377,000.
12108 Kinsley Place, 2 BR, 3 BA. Sale Price: $730,000.
1567 Inlet Court, 4 BR, 2.5 BA. Sale Price: $540,000.
11572 Lake Newport Road, 4 BR, 5 BA. Sale Price: $1.19 million.
1930 Lakeport Way, 3 BR, 4 BA. Sale Price: $690,000.
12001 Market St., 1 BR, 1 BA. Sale Price: $260,000.
11415 Orchard Green Court, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. Sale Price: $522,500.
1615 Purple Sage Drive, 2 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $315,000.
2065 Royal Fern Court, 2 BR, 1 BA. Sale Price: $215,000.
2314 Southgate Square, 3 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $299,000.
11119 Timberhead Court, 3 BR, 2.5 BA. Sale Price: $530,000.
11605 Vantage Hill Road, 3 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $160,000.
1300 Windleaf Drive, 3 BR, 2 BA. Sale Price: $385,000.
Celebrate the transformative power of film with the Washington West Film Festival, an annual showcase of the best new films and talented filmmakers from around the globe.
Create your own fest experience — reserve your favorites from over 40 films we’ll be screening in Reston and Arlington from October 25-30, with a limited time offer to RestonNow community a 30% discount off our popular The Fest Experience.
And the best part is you can feel good about Fest-binging. 100% of our net box office proceeds go to our charity partner each year that works to help alleviate childhood hunger, illness and poor education.
Purchase Today’s Deal Now
Discount Code: RESTNowDeal17 has been applied for you
WHEN: October 25-30, 2017
WHERE: Multiple locations in Arlington and Reston
WHAT: Enjoy the best a film festival has to offer. By purchasing this pass, you will have the opportunity to explore the variety of film options and styles showcased at the festival — a documentary film, a narrative film, two shorts programs and the Pavilion party.
Story Can Change The World. Learn more about the Washington West Film Festival
