Metro Board Member Suggests Canceling Silver Line Extension — Metro Board Member Corbett Price plans to pressure the agency to scrap the $5.8 billion Silver Line extension in an apparent attempt to push Virginia to pony up more money for the cash-strapped rail system. [Washington Post]
Reston Holiday Parade Coming in 5th in Nation — Reston Town Center’s annual Holiday Parade is heating up the charts in USA Today’s list of the best in the nation. Previously ranked sixth, the parade is now in the fifth spot, coming in only one slot behind Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Online voting is open through Monday at noon, and the winner will be announced Dec. 9. [USA Today]
Man Arrested After Assaulting Bus Driver, Biting Cops — A 31-year-old man was apprehended outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station yesterday morning after police said he assaulted a bus driver and a security officer before biting cops who detained him. [Reston Now]
Photo of ballet performance at Reston Town Center tree lighting on Friday courtesy of Reston Town Center
South Lakes to Host Holiday Concert — The Seahawk Chorale, Seahawk Camerata, DeReMigas, SMAC, Noteworthy and the Concert and Symphonic orchestras will perform holiday music Monday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. in the South Lakes High School Little Theatre. [South Lakes Chorus]
WMATA Pushes for New Metro Hours — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is looking to end Metro service at 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 p.m. on Sundays. [Washington Post]
Holiday Performances at Reston Town Center to Kick Off This Week — Reston Town Center will start holding regular holiday musical performances in front of the Pavilion, beginning with jazz this Friday at 6:30 p.m. See the full calendar for shows online. [Reston Town Center]
Seahawks Win Regional Semi-Finals — The South Lakes High School Seahawks varsity football team beat top-seeded Lake Braddock Secondary School to win the Region 6A semi-finals on Saturday afternoon, sending the squad to the regional finals. Defending state champion Westfield High School is up next for South Lakes Saturday. The winner of that game will travel to Hampton for the state championships. [South Lakes Athletics]
Reston Resident Climbs to Top of Mt. Everest — Reston resident Olivia Feldman wrote on Reston Patch about how she took a year off of college at University of Virginia to travel and live in Nepal, and made it to the top of Mt. Everest. [Reston Patch]
Reston Business Owners Given Big Honor After Donating to Museum — Earl and Amanda Stafford were named Washington Business Journal’s 2016 Corporate Philanthropists of the Year, after giving $2 million to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. Their names now appear on the museum’s Media Arts center. Earl Stafford founded the Reston-based Wentworth Group LLC and serves as its CEO. [Washington Business Journal]
SafeTrack Coming Back Monday — Metro’s 11th SafeTrack repair surge will bring delays to the Orange and Silver lines. Starting Monday, riders should expect 20-minute delays and “extremely crowded” train cars. [Fairfax County]
A Look at South Lakes’ Winning Football Season – The Seahawks are currently experiencing a “renaissance,” and the team will be practicing Thanksgiving morning as they prepare to face Lake Braddock in the Region 6A semi-finals on Saturday. [Washington Post]
Paid Parks & Recreation Internship Open for Spring – An internship for a graduate or undergraduate student working toward a degree in parks and recreation services is open for the spring season, from approximately Jan. 23 to May 5, 2017. The intern will offer administrative and customer service assistance to parks and recreation staff relating to a number of all-ages events to be held in the spring. A stipend is paid at the end of the season. Applications are available online. [Reston Association]
Reston Company Could Gain From Trump Presidency — Reston-based Leidos Holdings could get a boost from new defense spending under the new administration. [Washington Business Journal]
Petition Asks Fairfax Police to Consider Food Donations for Tickets — A Reston-based online petition company is proposing an idea to the Fairfax County Police Department: Let people pay their parking tickets with donations of canned food. StandUnited.org, a conservative-leaning online petition platform, is soliciting signatures in support of the idea. [StandUnited]
Santa to Ride His Harley Through Fairfax County For the Kids – Santa Claus will trade in his sleigh for a Harley Davidson during the second week of December as he collects donations of toys for kids in need. [Fairfax County Police]
Mom Helps Save Father and Daughter After Car Goes Into Lake Anne — Meet Beth Hoyos, whose quick thinking helped save the father and his 7-year-old daughter after their car ran off Wiehle Avenue and into the cold waters of Lake Anne. [WJLA]
South Lakes Seahaws Win Regional Quarterfinals, Advance to Semifinals — Congratulations to the varsity football team from South Lakes, who beat Centreville High 22-20 Friday night to win the Virginia 6A North regional quarterfinals. It was a close game, with South Lakes down 14-0 at one point, but they made a “wild” comeback in the second half. Next, the Seahawks face Lake Braddock in the semifinals on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Lake Braddock. [South Lakes Athletics]
Think Ahead: Holiday Camp Planned Week Before Christmas — Fairfax County Public Schools are slated to let out on Dec. 16 this year, which means for working parents, it can be a scramble figuring out child care for that last week of work before the holidays. Reston Association has a number of Holiday Break Camps for children ages 5-11 years old, and registration is now open through WebTrac. [Reston Association/WebTrac]
Photo by John Menick
Metro Pulls 4000-Series Rail Cars — Metro yesterday took its 4000-series rail cars out of service due to concerns with the safety of their automatic train control systems. [WTOP]
Leading Saudi Family Helps Buy Reston Office Building — A leading family of Saudi Arabia is supporting a joint venture that has paid $60 million for the eight-story Reston Eastpointe office building at 11091 Sunset Hills Road. [Washington Business Journal]
Meetings Begin on Fairfax County Parkway Traffic Woes — Fairfax County officials this week started holding meetings on how to address traffic woes along Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286), including the stretch that flows through Reston and Herndon. Local leaders are looking to hear residents’ feedback on proposed fixes intended to ease congestion, as well as account for future population growth. [Reston Patch]
Reston Library to Host Crime Thriller Author — Award-winning author Aaron Roy Even will visit the Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Dr.) tomorrow from 2-3:30 p.m. to discuss his crime thriller, “He Comes in Fire,” which takes place in a fictitious town in central Virginia. Even’s work has appeared on several TV networks, including the National Geographic, Discovery and Smithsonian channels. [Reston Now Events]
Photo courtesy of Paul Hartke
South Lakes Student-Athletes Sign With Division I Schools — Two South Lakes High School seniors have signed letters of intent to play Division I sports in college, beginning in the fall. Taylor Newman-Farr will attend St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania, playing lacrosse. Stokes will go to Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, playing softball. [Herndon Patch]
Hunter Mill Road Project Meeting Set for Tonight — The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is scheduled to hold a public meeting in the cafeteria at Lake Anne Elementary (11510 North Shore Dr.) at 7 p.m. to discuss further alternatives to accommodate growing traffic congestion on Hunter Mill Road from Sunrise Valley Drive to the Colvin Run Bridge. The county will present its preferred option for road changes and welcome questions and feedback from residents. [Fairfax County]
Fairfax County Begins Search for New Schools Superintendent — Fairfax County Public Schools has hired recruiting firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to find candidates to replace superintendent Karen Garza, who will leave her position by Dec. 16. A new page on the school district’s website also has gone up for news about the search for Garza’s replacement. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Ways to Give Back Locally This Holiday Season — Thousands of families across Fairfax County live in poverty. If you’re looking for ways to give back this holiday season, Reston Connection has a list of local agencies looking for everything from volunteers, to monetary gifts, to food and clothing donations. [Reston Connection]
Help Habitat Heroes Rid Reston of Invasive Plants — Join the local Habitat Heroes group in keeping Reston’s nature healthy. This Saturday, the group will work to remove an aggressive shrub known as the doublefile viburnum in order to prevent it from spreading through local woods and threatening healthy plants. Work will begin along Snakeden Branch Stream near the 7-Eleven on Soapstone Drive. RSVP in advance. [Habitat Heroes/SignupGenius]
Crafting Handmade Holiday Ornaments — Learn a little bit of origami and craft some holiday ornaments with the staff at the Greater Reston Arts Center this Saturday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. All ages are welcome. Registration is $10 and includes all supplies. [Reston Arts]
Network with Local Businesses — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce presents its “Meet The Board” networking night, sponsored by BF Saul Co. Grow your business network, meet the Chamber’s Board of Directors and win prizes tonight from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Washington-Dulles. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]
Way to Go, Olivia Beckner! — Congratulations to South Lakes High School junior Olivia Beckner, who placed fourth in the Virginia High School League Cross-Country 6A Championships race and set a new personal record this past weekend. Olivia will receive All-State recognition. [South Lakes High Athletics]
South Lakes Varsity Football Advances in Playoffs — With its 55-14 win over Oakton High this past weekend, the South Lakes High School Seahawks advanced to the second round of the Division 6A North Region playoffs. The Seahawks will host the fifth-seeded Centreville High Wildcats next on Friday at 7 p.m. [South Lakes High Athletics]
(Updated at 11:15 a.m.)
Craft Your Own Thanksgiving Decor — Craft four napkin rings and a Thanksgiving centerpiece for your holiday table out of local materials at Walker Nature Center on Saturday, Nov. 19. Mulled cider and treats, as well as all craft supplies, are included for residents ($20) and non-residents ($25). Reservations are required. [Reston Association]
Reston Works to Keep Kids Fit — Learn more about Reston Association-supported programs that help keep children in shape, such as Fit Kids and various after-school programs. [YouTube/Reston Today]
Don’t Use Twitter? Get Fire Department Updates Anyway — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department has partnered with Fast Follow, allowing locals to get texts for the same updates the agency posts on Twitter. Users can unsubscribe at any time. [Fairfax Fire and Rescue]
Police Remind Locals Not to Feed Deer – Fairfax County police on Wednesday reminded Reston residents not to feed local deer. Police said it can contribute to the spread of wildlife diseases, damage deer habitats and make the animals less afraid of people. [Fairfax County Police]
Post-Election Yoga Planned – The staff at Reston’s BelovedYoga (12001 Sunrise Valley Road) invite all to join in the spirit of “commUNITY” and “relieve the issues that may be in your tissues” with a special day of activities entitled “Post Election Trauma Recovery” this Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy thoughtful dialogue, creative art projects and enjoy contemplative yoga practice. [BelovedYoga]
Just Two Chances Left to See ‘Gypsy’ – Reston Community Players’ latest production of the classic musical closes in just two days. The last two performances are this weekend on Friday and Saturday the 11th and 12th at 8 p.m. [Reston Players]
*Editor’s Note – RestonNow will not be publishing this Friday in observance of Veterans Day. We’ll be back as usual on Monday morning. We hope all our readers have a great weekend.
South Lakes Varsity Football Finishes Fourth in Region 6A North Standings – South Lakes breezed past winless Fairfax High School Friday night, beating them 56-0 and finishing at No. 4 in Conference 6 as they approach the playoffs. [South Lakes High Athletics]
Dine Out to Support Friends of Reston – Friends of Reston will hold a dine-out fundraiser at Not Your Average Joe’s restaurant (1845 Fountain Dr.) todat. Fifteen percent of all sales will benefit the local nonprofit’s Helping Homes program, which assists elderly, disabled and financially challenged residents with home repairs. [Reston Association]
Sign the Kids Up Now for the Gingerbread Man Mile – For the 16th year in a row, the Gingerbread Man Mile for Kids will take place at the Reston Town Center. The $10 registration fee benefits Children’s National Medical Center, and gets every kid who runs the mile-long course around the Town Center a shirt and a gingerbread cookie. [Potomac River Running]
Find Your Polling Place, Preview Your Ballot — By this point, it’s doubtful that you don’t know what today is. But if you need to find your polling place before you head out to vote, just enter your name, birth date and Social Security number on the Virginia Department of Elections website. You also can even preview your full ballot. [Virginia Department of Elections]
Don’t Feel Like Cooking on Thanksgiving? — Reservations are now available for the full Thanksgiving dinner buffet at Reston Town Center’s Tavern64. The meal costs $54 per person, $27 for children 12 years old and younger. [Tavern64]
Mark Your Calendar for the Reston Fun Run – Whether you’re a beginner or a competitive runner, the Reston Runners and the Potomac River Running Store is looking for you to come out for a low-key run, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. The roughly 50-minute fun run will start and end at the store (11911 Democracy Dr.) and follow a portion of the W&OD Trail. [Potomac River Running Store]
Reston’s Cafesano Restaurant Expanding, Adding New Location – Due to the immense success of the restaurant’s South Lakes Village location in Reston, Cafestano owners say they’ve opened a second location at the Dulles Town Center. Management says the new location has a similar dining room, plus a covered patio, lounge and two fire pits. [Reston Patch]
Get Your DMV2Go at Reston Town Center – Reston residents can visit the DMV2Go wireless office on wheels this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the town center’s pavilion. The mobile offices lets locals apply or renew an ID card or driver’s license, get driving records, obtain vehicle titles, plates or decals and order disabled plates. [Reston Town Center]
Art Show Featured at GRACE – The Greater Reston Arts Center is hosting an exhibition by multimedia artist Shih Chieh Huang. The show features interactive elements created from a variety of materials including LED lights, motion sensors, computer parts, screens and everyday plastic bags and storage containers. “Synthetic Transformations” is on display through Nov. 19. [Greater Reston Arts Center]
