Meet dog siblings Cheyanne and Liffey, our Reston Pets of the Week. Here is what owner Jill has to say about them:
Cheyanne (13-year-old Cattledog mix) and Liffey (4-year-old Yellow Lab mix) are both rescues.
I’ve had Cheyanne for over 10 years now and she has been a loyal companion and nurtured me through many of life’s milestones.
As Cheyanne was getting older, I wanted to provide her with a companion and I knew my home was ready for another dog. Enter Liffey. About three years ago, Liffey was found living in the woods near the point of starvation. She had never been in a home or around people or even on a leash.
Liffey needed a lot of love, TLC and training. Cheyanne is been a stellar role model and sister. She has played a pivotal role in Liffey’s transition from a skittish and timid dog to the wacky and silly girl that she is today. In turn, Liffey has given Cheyanne someone to boss around the house, which pleases her immensely.
These two provide me with endless joy, laughter and love. I truly believe that our pets come into our lives for a reason and I’m so grateful for all of the lessons these furry wonders have given me over the years.
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 by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. It does not represent the opinion of Reston Now.
The North Point area of Reston was the last place fully developed in Reston, and the homes are modern, clean, and beautiful.
Heather Knoll Cluster is no exception. Built in the early 1990s, Heather Knoll Cluster is a small community of 52 townhouses distributed among 13 buildings. These homes are perfect for young families as they’re situated on a charming cul-de-sac that provides children with a safe place to play.
Designed by Berry & Co., each home has a traditional brick front with fine detailing, classic cedar siding and elegant trim. They also each have a one-car garage — a bonus for Reston townhomes — and privacy fences separating the yards.
They are all two levels with a basement, three bedrooms, and two and half baths. And they have fireplaces! The homes come in three different styles, with variations in room sizes and overall square footage.
Heather Knoll Cluster is located on Woodbrook Court off of Woodbrook Lane and Wiehle Avenue, with close proximity to the Fairfax County Parkway and Route 7. The surrounding area has wonderful walking paths and plenty of trees and nature.
This is the perfect neighborhood for anyone who wants something slightly off the beaten path, but still wants to have all the amenities of Reston easily accessible.
This is a sponsored post by Dr. Elizabeth Arguelles, veterinarian and owner of Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne Plaza.
As concerned and loving cat parents, every one of us hates to think of our beloved little ones experiencing pain. And if that happens, we want to be ready to help them successfully manage the discomfort. The problem is that felines are incredibly good at hiding pain. Evolutionarily, predators displaying any outward signs of pain are at a disadvantage in the wild so cats instinctually hide their symptoms.
Fortunately, veterinary medicine has advanced and we are better able to detect and understand pain in cats. This, in turn, has made pain management much easier and more feasible for cat parents. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the options available to you in the event that your cat is experiencing pain.
How can you tell if your cat is in pain?
Veterinarians use a standardized pain scale assessment to help determine if your cat is in pain and if so, what their pain level is. This assessment should be taken at every examination at your vet’s office as part of a preventive care plan to ensure your cat stays pain free and subtle signs are not missed.
The scale ranges from 0 to 4 with 0 being content and comfortable and 4 being severe pain. Cats at a stage 1 pain score are more difficult to assess in clinic since the signs are so subtle and frequently are more likely noticed by an owner. Symptoms include less interested or change in normal routine, or becoming withdrawn from surroundings. Read More
Labor Day weekend has come and gone and local residents have returned from their summer vacations.
For those who run businesses in Reston, your potential customers are out there — what are you doing to reach them?
If the answer isn’t advertising on Reston’s No. 1 local news outlet, you’re missing out on an opportunity to target your message to nearly 60,000 unique visitors per month for a fraction of the cost of print advertising.
The good news is that for a limited time only, Reston Now is offering a fall ad special for new and returning advertisers. Through the end of the year, you can reach our readers with our most popular ad position for only $200 per month.
Want to learn more? Ready to dramatically increase your company’s visibility in the community? Contact Meghan McMahon at [email protected] or by calling 703-348-0583.
This is a two-bedroom condo in a prime location of Reston.
The condo — listed for $229,999 — is located in the Hunters Woods Elementary School for Arts and Sciences district.
This home is in walking distance to the Reston Community Center and all the arts, music and recreation programs it offers. It is also walking distance to Safeway and other convenient shops and restaurants at Hunters Woods Village Center.
Reston National Golf Course is just 1.2 miles away and the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station is just 2.7 miles.
This condo is less than 10 minutes from the Reston Town Center, with 50+ shops and restaurants, outdoor entertainment and special events.
Quality features of this condo include:
- Vaulted ceilings
- Gas fireplace
- Elegant separate dining room
- Updated kitchen with Corian counters and stainless steel appliances
- Master bedroom walk-in closet
- Wall-to-wall carpeting and laminate flooring
- Large windows throughout bringing in natural light
- Washer and dryer in the unit
- Storage room off of the balcony
- Two parking spaces with two visitor spots
- Over 1,000 square feet of space
The building is FHA and VA approved. The condo fees are $335.99 per month, which includes all utilities except electric & cable.
The address is 11807 Breton Ct, Unit 21D, Reston, VA 20191.
Directions to get there are to follow I-66 W and VA-267 W to Reston Pkwy in Reston. Take exit 12 to Reston Pkwy, Turn left onto State Rte 4721, Turn left onto Breton Ct, condo is at the end on your right.
Open Houses:
Thursday evening, Sept. 10 from 6 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12 from 2 – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 13 from 2 – 4 p.m.
For more information, call Jennifer Powell at 571-239-0333 or email at [email protected].
The preceding was written and sponsored by Jennifer Powell of Keller Williams.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
There is every type of dwelling available in Reston — from single family home to condos, from large to small… and everything in between.
Despite the fact I live in a condo, I always associate Reston with townhomes. Perhaps that is because we have such diverse townhome communities — we have close to a 140 separate townhouse clusters. That’s a lot.
Many people who move to Reston have never considered living in a townhome. They perceive them as dark and small with little privacy from neighbors. Then they visit some of the townhome communities and change their minds.
Our townhome clusters are wildly varied from the comfortable and modest to over-the-top luxurious. Many are on our lakes or golf course. All have beautiful, well-kept common areas.
So is a Reston townhome right for you? Reston townhomes offer a wide range of housing options for almost every price point. You’ll often find neighborhoods that are a combination of young families, singles, or couples who have downsized. It’s a wonderful, eclectic mix. And for busy professionals, you have the bonus of a lovely neighborhood that you don’t have to care for — your cluster will maintain the common property!
If you’ve never considered townhome living because you’re worried about the size, the light or living in such close proximity, maybe you should reconsider, there is a lot of upside to this housing style. And no place does it as well as Reston.
Calling all pet owners: Enter our Pet of the Week contest and win prizes this fall.
Reston Now has a weekly feature called Pet of the Week, which is sponsored by Becky’s Pet Care. We are ready for the summer round of our contest, so send in your entries.
Here is what to do:
Send a two to three paragraph bio of your pet (e.g., his name, age, what he likes to do, his favorite places to go) and at least 3-4 horizontal photos to [email protected].
To see what the post will look like, see this previous post on Reston Now.
Each week’s winner will receive dog or cat treats from 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 column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Reston Town Center that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement, and private sector employee matters.
On June 16, 2015, the California Labor Commission ruled in Uber v. Berwick that an Uber driver was an employee and not an independent contractor. There have been a number of new concerns for employers and independent contractors alike since the California Labor Commission issued this decision.
One of the most important aspects of the Uber decision is not its direct applicability to independent contractors in Virginia, but rather the direction that these types of classification decisions are headed. Specifically, there is a clear trend towards governmental agencies finding that independent contractors have been misclassified and are actually employees. When this kind of misclassification occurs, it becomes costly for employers and causes confusion for employees.
The Costs of Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors
The major differences between an independent contractor and employee of a company largely involve taxes and benefits. Employees pay less in taxes and receive more benefits than independent contractors. If an employer classifies an individual as an independent contractor, the employer does not need to pay benefits to the contractor and saves on taxes because the employer does not pay its portion of Social Security, Medicare, or state unemployment taxes. However, if an employer incorrectly classifies an employee as an independent contractor and the employer is audited or sued, there can be serious consequences for the employer.
In particular, an employer found to have misclassified an individual as an independent contractor can be held liable for back taxes, tax penalties, benefits and wages (e.g. overtime).
The Uber Decision
While the Uber decision is being appealed, it is important to understand why the California Labor Commission ruled that the Uber driver was an employee and not an independent contractor. The Uber decision focuses on a number of issues.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Whenever you see an article about Reston, the planned community or Reston appears in a history book, you will likely also see a picture of Waterview Cluster. It is perhaps the most iconic Reston neighborhood.
Built in 1965, many of the 75 two- and three-story townhouses on Lake Anne have beautiful water views with the remaining situated on lushly landscaped wooded lots.
Award-winning architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith designed Waterview Cluster to feel like a French fishing village, and the exterior bricks painted in soft pastels and the charming balconies really do make it feel European.
The townhouses in this beautiful community have a charming mid-century-modern- meets-cottage vibe. They are light and airy, with very inviting interior spaces.
They range in size from 1,500 to 2,800 square feet. Residents affectionately call the homes “tall skinnies” or “short fats.”
The mix of size and styles make for a unique and charming neighborhood. Waterview Cluster residents are unwavering in their affection for their neighborhood — they share a collective recognition that they live some place unique.
Like most of Reston, Waterview Cluster is very walkable, with paved walkways leading to Lake Anne Village Center and Reston Town Center.
This is a sponsored post by Elizabeth Arguelles, veterinarian and owner of Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne Plaza.
Picking the right cat to bring into your house is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The new kitty will become another member of your family for the subsequent 10 to 20 years. You will be responsible for its food, health and overall care for the rest of its life.
The problem, of course, is that there are so many different cats out there to choose from. Cats of different breeds, different ages and different personalities each mesh differently with different families and function well in different situations. In this article, we’ll discuss how to identify the type of kitty that is the best match for you and your family.
Should you get a kitten or adult cat?
One of the first things to consider is the age of the cat that you will adopt. A lot of this boils down to your individual lifestyle.
Younger cats tend to be more energetic and require more attention and stimulation. Most kittens are curious, playful and often mischievous. They require careful supervision to keep them out of trouble. So if you are out long hours for work or travel often, a kitten may not be the best fit for you.
Adult cats require less supervision but definitely still require play and environmental stimulation like cat trees and access to windows. If you tend to be gone longer hours during the day, an adult cat may be a better option for you.
Senior cats can be a great fit for people who work from home or retirees. These cats need play, but do still need environmental stimulation to stay active. Additionally, you’ll want to think about the cost potentially associated with senior cat care, disease management, or end of life care. When you adopt a senior cat, you’re helping them live the rest of their lives in comfort and love — and surely there’s no better reward than that.
What kind of personality should you look for?
Choosing the right cat personality is very important when you’re looking for a new furry family member. No two cats are exactly alike, even if they are from the same breed or come from the same litter. As a result, each one will react differently to living in a new household in a different way.
Lake Anne Nursery Kindergarten (LANK) opened its doors more than 50 years ago, offering preschool classes for Reston’s youngest children at a time when kindergarten was the norm.
Being on the cutting edge of education is just part of what LANK is all about — and this year is no exception. Starting this fall, the preschool and kindergarten will highlight STEAM in the school’s curriculum, and to celebrate this they have themed the year: Full STEAM Ahead!
STEAM is an educational model that focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics as a whole, not as separate subjects to be taught in isolation. Learning is enhanced through projects where children use their problem solving skills to come up with solutions to various scenarios. This blended approach fosters more effective learning through collaboration, communication and creativity.
The incorporation of the STEAM initiative continues as a natural fit for LANK, Reston’s first preschool. LANK believes in a total approach to early childhood education, which allows each child to grow intellectually, physically and socially in order to continue to be successful well after they graduate.
LANK strives to make learning enjoyable for children by incorporating a “learning through play” philosophy that provides for constructive, directed play corresponding with educational instruction. Children are encouraged to interact, build, ask questions and explore, thereby stimulating their natural curiosity and desire to learn. Their teachers work with your child individually to assure that your child’s preschool years are joyful and rich in self-discovery.
If you’re interested in being a part of this exciting year, LANK has openings in their 2015-16 programs for preschoolers (ages 2-4) in their afternoon sessions and in their full-day kindergarten. To meet the staff, tour the school and enroll: 703-437-0035 or [email protected].
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Summer is almost over, but it’s not gone yet. While many of the Reston pools have closed for the season, there is plenty of water fun to be had.
Take advantage of the next few weekends to get on the water!
Paddleboarding in Reston
Standup paddleboarding (SUP) is taking the water sports world by storm. Called Hoe he’e nalu in the Hawaiian language (which is just a fun fact to know), paddle boarding started as an offshoot of surfing… only much, much easier. The concept is simple — you stand on a surf-style board and use a long paddle to move across the water. You can do it on flat water, like the Reston lakes, or in the open water. It’s a fun sport anyone can enjoy.
And we are lucky in Reston to have a company that offers SUP workshops on our Reston lakes — Surf Reston Standup Paddleboarding. They offer workshops at Lake Anne, Lake Audubon, Lake Thoreau and Lake Newport. The company started as a way to build a community of individuals who enjoy paddling; they teach how to paddle responsibly and safely and give their customers the opportunities to connect with other enthusiasts. Sign up for one of their workshops today!
Better yet, get a group of friends to do it together. It’s a blast.
Kayak and Canoe Rental
Until Labor Day weekend, you can enjoy a leisurely paddle around Lake Anne. Reston Association provides kayak, canoe, and paddle boat rentals by the hour. It’s a fun way to spend a summer evening. You can purchase tickets at Reston’s Used Book Shop, 1623 Washington Plaza (near the fountain). Contact the book shop by calling 703-435-9772. The cost is $6 per boat for a one-hour rental.
Hours of Operation are: Thursdays, 4 – 8 p.m.; Fridays, 4 – 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Enjoy these last few weeks of summer break. Maybe I’ll see you out on the lakes!
Photo Courtesy Surf Reston
Congrats to Penny, our Pet of the Week. Penny is an active puppy who love chase geese at Reston National Golf Course. Here is what her owner Katie has to say about her:
This is Penny girl. She is the sweetest girl! Penny is a Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix, we like to call her a Shiranian. Her birthday is Oct. 9, 2014. She is almost 11 months old.
Her favorite toys are tennis balls, bones, and chewing on squeaky toys! She loves to find golf balls too whenever she can.
She loves to snuggle and give lots of kisses. She plays all day long with just about any kind of pet. She has had fun with toads, cats, and lots of different kinds of dogs. She loves chasing the geese out on Reston National (sorry golfers, that is my bad dog out there). She has her neighbor dog, Molly, who is her best friend. They play every day for hours.
When we got her it was during the winter and she loved the snow. She would run in circles pretty much rototilling our lawn for us. Summer came and she seems to like summer just as much.
Penny and Katie will get $100 in Becky’s Bucks, as well as some dog treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care.
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 by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
There’s no two ways about it — Reston real estate marketing is feeling sluggish.
We currently have 389 active listings. The sluggishness is demonstrated in the Pending Sales, which are sitting at 89. Our pending sales usually run between 115 and 120, so this is a pretty significant drop in activity.
It’s interesting to note that our volume of sales compared to last year is actually up both in dollar volume (up 17.7 percent), and in the number of houses sold (up 20 percent).
The other critical number that is way up is “days on market,” which is up a whopping 71 percent! The average days on market before getting a contract is now 48 days.
For sellers, it is crucial to get in front of the pack. That means being the best-priced, best-presented property in your category. For buyers, the trick is going to be keeping an eye on interest rates which are still amazing but are expected to start trending up.
Here are some of the new listings in Reston:
1696 CHIMNEY HOUSE RD. 3BR, 2.5BA. List Price: $679,000 OPEN SUNDAY
11924 ESCALANTE CT. 3BR, 2.5 BA. List Price: $379,000 OPEN SUNDAY
11202 WEDGE DR 3BR 3.5BA. List Price: $689,999 OPEN SUNDAY
11622 OLD BROOKVILLE CT. 3BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $725,000
2516 FARRIER LN. 5BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $849,000
11580 LAKE NEWPORT RD. 4BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $1,550,000
Visit Reston Real Estate for more home listings and sale information.
Reston Children’s Center is child care center described by parents and staff as a community and a “home away from home.”
Reston Children’s Center provides infant and toddler care; preschool education; before- and after-school enrichment for children in kindergarten through sixth grade; private kindergarten; and summer camp for school age children in a safe, fun environment for kids to learn and play.
The center’s motto is “helping kids to know, grow and care,” and it is one that the staff works to uphold daily.
One parent wrote in an online testimonial, “We selected RCC because it was highly recommended by many families. We stayed at RCC for 12 years because the teachers, leadership, and staff demonstrated their dedication to our daughters and our family every day by teaching our kids to share, to have fun learning, and to have compassion and empathy.”
Many of the children in the center start as infants and, as they grow, move through the various programs. One RCC parent wrote “We were initially drawn to the program for the gentle rocking of the babies at the infant center and have stayed for the continued hands-on involvement with the after school program. […] We couldn’t have imagined such rich rewards from the beginning and are very fortunate to have chosen this community. RCC has helped our three boys, from birth to school-age, be polite, empathetic, and confident. The caring, solid, and experienced staff always knows how to deal with each individual personality, while emphasizing learning, friendship, and fun. “
Reston Children’s Center is going into its 50th year serving families in the Reston community, and for good reason. This parent cooperative is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National After School Association. It is also a star rated center according to the Virginia Star Quality Initiative.
Of course, it is important to consider the people who will work with and care for your children every day. RCC recognizes this, and has worked hard to cultivate a staff who are dedicated, highly qualified educators and caregivers, more than half of whom have been working at the Center for over 10 years. They truly enjoy working with their colleagues and the children and the unparalleled support from parents.
Many enthusiastic testimonials on RCC’s website capture what is best about the center, more than simply describing it ever could. Many parents refer lovingly to Reston Children’s Center as more like a family than a school, and are proud to be part of a place that takes great care of their children as they grow.
The preceding article was written by RestonNow.com and sponsored by Reston Children’s Center.
