Give blood today — INOVA’s bloodmobile will be in Reston Town Center today from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. [Reston Town Center]
RA’s winter break camp starts today — For parents who applied, the Reston Association’s begins today at 9 a.m. The campers participate in recreational activities, sports and arts and crafts. Kids should bring a packed lunch and a daily snack since the RA will offer only one daily snack. [Reston Association]
Shine bright like a … LED light — Plans are in the works for Fairfax County street lights to be converted into more energy-efficient LEDs, but it could be five years before LED light touches streets in some parts of the county. [Tysons Reporter]
Photo via Marjorie Copson
It’s the first day of winter — The odds are slim for a snowy Christmas but rain later next week and then a major blizzard may be on the horizon. [Reston Patch]
Drumroll for USA Today’s “Best Holiday Parade” rankings — At noon USA Today will unveil where Reston’s holiday parade fell on this year’s rankings, which are decided by voters. For memories, check out the video below from the Reston Association. [USA Today]
Assistant children’s librarian closes one chapter in her life — Marcia Wine, 71, retired in mid-November from her job at the Reston Regional Public Library. [Reston Connection]
People read these books the most in 2018 — Fairfax County has released the top books checked out of the county’s public libraries. John Green’s “Turtles All the Way Down” and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” made the list. [Fairfax County]
Girl Power! book club meets tonight — Younger readers between the ages of 10 to 13 can head to Scrawl Books in Reston Town Center to discuss the graphic novel “Be Prepared.” The book club starts at 7 p.m. tonight and will include trivia and games. [Scrawl Books]
The Rotary Club of Reston joins Reston Chamber of Commerce — The club held a luncheon earlier this week with an update from Mark Ingrao, the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. The club recently joined as a not-for-profit member. [Rotary Club of Reston Facebook]
Making sure everyone counts — On Tuesday, 40 people gathered in Richmond to figure out some ways to encourage Virginians to answer their U.S. Census Bureau questionnaires in 2020. The responses help determine the distribution of federal funding, which, historically, has been lower than the actual population. [The Virginian-Pilot]
Bank redesign in the works — In the final stages of acquiring Reston-based Access National Bank, Union Bank & Trust is planning to refresh its brand to avoid confusion with McLean-based United Bank. [Washington Business Journal]
Herndon police officer honored for DUI prevention — On Friday, Officer Jonathan Heavner was recognized by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program for a 2018 Law Enforcement Award of Excellence for Impaired Driving Prevention. [Herndon Police Department on Facebook]
Upcoming data security program for the U.S. Air Force — Herndon-based Peraton has secured a potential five-year, $65 million order from the U.S. Air Force to provide programmatic, engineering and technical support for a cross-domain information platform designed to ensure the security of data sharing and collaboration across agencies. It is slated to launch in 2019. [ExecutiveBiz]
Award-winning architecture — Ellucian’s Reston headquarters received the top honor in 2018 James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards for its open space in the LEED Gold building. [Ellucian]
Herndon’s Ice House Cafe set to close soon — The cafe and bar, which has been in Herndon for more than 40 years, will close its doors at 760 Elden Street. Celebrations are planned for Dec. 30 and New Year’s Eve before its Jan. 1 closing date. [Fairfax County Times]
Brookfield Properties eyes neighbors for Wegmans — The Toronto-based developer is considering different retailers for the $1.4 billion mixed-use project, which will include an 80,000-square-foot Wegmans. A bowling alley concept, movie theater, fitness center and restaurants are under consideration. [Washington Business Journal]
Man convicted for sexually assaulting four Reston roommates in 1995 — A jury found Jude Lovchik guilty on all 17 counts, including charges of sodomy, abduction and burglary. The case had gone cold until Lovchik’s ex-wife told Arlington County police that Lovchik had confessed the actions to her and had her recreate the scenes. [The Washington Post]
Clean Virginia says Dominion Energy customers pay too much — The new political action group claims that Virginians pay $254 in excess a year because of poor state oversight. [The Washington Post]
Herndon development is slated to attract larger employers — Fairfax County approved an increase to the density for part of the Center for Innovative Technology site that falls within the county for 3.8 million square feet of office space along with a hotel and retail. The campus, which is just off of the Dulles Toll Road, was once part of the county’s larger bid for Amazon’s second headquarters. [Washington Business Journal]
An architect behind Reston’s design died on Nov. 22 — William J. Conklin, who died at the age of 95, helped design the core of Lake Anne Village Center. He also worked on projects in New York, D.C. and Baltimore. [The New York Times]
Nose to toes yoga — Young kids can try out yoga poses movement while enjoying book and songs with a children’s yoga instructor from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at the Reston Regional Library. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Reston Regional Library. [Reston Regional Library]
Town of Herndon employees honored last week — The town’s annual employee luncheon on Thursday (Dec. 13) honored John Johnson and Dave Higgins from the Department of Public Works, Jessica Bynaker from Information Technology and Erika Rodriguez from the Herndon Police Department, along with the Department of Finance. [Town of Herndon]
Reston resident sentenced to 30 years for rape — Joseph Coffinberger, a 33-year-old from Reston, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping a 13-year-old boy, according to the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office. [WBFF Fox45]
Candle making workshop for kids — Bring your kids to the Walker Nature Center to learn where wax comes from and how to dip a pair of candles. Kids can decorate their candles while parents enjoy music and food. The event goes from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.and costs $12 for Reston Association members/$16 for non-members [Reston Association]
Free Reston and Fairfax Encore Chorales concert — The two chorales will perform holiday classics and seasonal favorites at United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive) tonight at 7:30 p.m. [Encore Creativity for Older Adults]
Looking to donate to some local organizations? — This roundup has more than three dozen suggestions for Northern Virginia nonprofits to donate to, including Cornerstones in Reston and Touching Heart in Herndon. [Connection Newspapers]
Nigerian American sues Dulles Internal Airport, Reston Hospital Center — Ikechukwu “Ike” Owunna alleges he was subjected to more than 12 hours of alleged racial profiling, false imprisonment and other violations at the airport and battery and medical neglect en route to Reston Hospital Center. The hospital was dismissed in November, but the hospital employees could remain defendants in the battery allegations. [The Washington Post]
Photo via Marjorie Copson
Tinsel ‘n Tinis — Don your cocktail or business attire and head to the Signature at Reston Town Center tonight from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the annual holiday celebration, which will include food, martinis, casino entertainment and a raffle. A portion of the casino proceeds will benefit an educational foundation. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]
FABB holiday party — The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling (FABB) is hosting a party at 7 p.m. at The Bike Lane (11150 Sunset Hills Road). Expect finger food and a cash bar. Bike Lane Brewing will donate $1 from every beer sold during the event. [Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling Facebook]
More problems for the Silver Line’s second phase — Hundreds of concrete rail ties installed at track crossovers along the second phase of the Silver Line are flawed, according to officials. The problem could further delay the project, which is already 13 months behind schedule. [The Washington Post]
Reston company didn’t land Marine Corps contract — The Marine Corps chose BAE Systems as the amphibious combat vehicles (ACV) prime contractor over competitor Science Applications International Corporation. Both companies had received separate contracts worth a combined $225 million in late 2015 to develop prototypes. [GovCon Wire]
Watch the ghosts from Christmas Past, Present and Future — Join the Reston Association on a chartered bus trip at 12:45 p.m. to see the performance of “A Christmas Carol” at Ford’s Theatre. RA members pay $60, while non-members pay $70. [Reston Association]
Town hall with Del. Ken Plum and Sen. Janet Howell — The two politicians will host a town hall from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. [Del. Ken Plum]
Herndon real estate startup aims to be the “Credit Karma of homes” — UpsideDoor decided to trash the brokerage model it launched in 2015 and instead gather data about homeowners to help match them with companies providing home services. The company is also embarking on a new fundraising effort. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Hospital Center acquires second Mazor X System — The Virginia Institute of Robotic Surgery at Reston Hospital Center is the first in the nation to have two of these robotic spine surgery systems at one hospital location. [Reston Hospital Center]
Amazon will bring $15 billion and 62,000 jobs by 2030 — A study by the Virginia Chamber Foundation predicts that Amazon’s second headquarters in Crystal City will bring a huge economic impact to Northern Virginia and D.C. [Reston Patch]
Design & Wine — Head to ArtSpace Herndon to sketch and paint unique winter villages with artist Melanie Z Stanley from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. [ArtSpace Herndon]
New MetroAlerts and real-time parking unveiled– Metro introduced yesterday a new MetroAlerts system to allow Metrorail and Metrobus riders to customize the alerts they receive by day and time, along with adding multiple email addresses or phone numbers on one account. In a separate improvement, real-time parking status is now shown on wmata.com. [WMATA]
Reston Association’s Design Review Board meets tonight — The Wendy’s at 1701 Bracknell Drive is on the agenda for the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. [Reston Association]
Vote for Reston as “Best Holiday Parade” — Voting closes at noon today for USA Today’s holiday parade contest. Last year, Reston landed in sixth place on the list. [USA Today]
Faulty work on Silver Line — A man who admitted faking records to hide faulty Silver Line concrete panels was sentenced Friday to prison time. [WTOP]
New zoning rules for artisan manufacturers — Fairfax County recently adopted new zoning rules to help more small-scale production businesses. [Fairfax County]
County remains among the richest — the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Fairfax County ranks second as the richest county from 2013 to 2017, following Loudoun County. [U.S. Census Bureau]
It’s snow joke — With snow predictions looming, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants residents to stay safe by looking over its 2018-2019 “snow facts.” [VDOT]
Fine arts photography collection — The “La Lumiere DuBois VII” exhibit by Michael DuBois, who highlights his love of nature, opens today at the Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. The exhibit is open until Jan. 6. [Reston Community Center]
“She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition” — Watch students from the Herndon High School perform a contemporary dramatic comedy tonight at 7 p.m. Parental guidance is recommended. [Herndon High School Theatre]
Photo by Susan Berger
Warm up with a run — Join the Reston Runners tonight at 6:30 p.m. for a 50-minute run/walk starting at Reston Town Center. [Reston Runners]
Holiday book sale — The Reston Friends Holiday Book Sale starts today at 10 a.m. and continues through the weekend at the Reston Regional Library. [Reston Library Friends]
Reston executive is a winner — Jay Shah, the executive vice president for healthcare and commerce for Octo Consulting Group, was recognized as a 2019 FedHealthIT 100 award winner, marking his second time receiving the award. The FedHealthIT 100 honors individuals recognized for driving change and advancement in the Federal Health Information Technology Market. [Business Wire]
Measles reported in Virginia — As cases of measles increase across the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that Virginia is one of 26 states hit. [Reston Patch]
Opening night for “The Nutcracker” — The Conservatory Ballet begins performances tonight of the holiday classic at 7 p.m. at CenterStage. [Reston Community Center]
Deadline pushed for Silver Line project contractors — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority extended the deadline yesterday for proposals to accommodate the vendors interested in operating the extension of the Metrorail Silver Line to March 18. [WMATA]
Reston-based technology developer is raking in the money — OpenLegacy has raised $30 million in funding. Silverhorn Investment Advisors led the round. [OpenLegacy]
Snow possible this weekend — Get your snow boots out. Forecasters say a chance of wintery storms could hit Reston over the weekend. [Reston Patch]
Photo via Marjorie Copson
Virginia’s new members of Congress — Hear what the five lawmakers have to say about their first few weeks on Capitol Hill. [WVTF]
Winter break camp — With the holidays coming up, find out about the Reston Association’s Winter Break Camp if you need to keep your kids entertained and active. The deadline to apply is Dec. 13. [Reston Association YouTube]
Homeseller advice session — Mark Sierakowski, a realtor with Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc., will present a workshop on selling your home at 1 p.m. at the Reston Regional Library. [Fairfax County]
Photo via Ray Copson
