International Skating Kudos For Reston’s Melnyk — Reston figure skater Olesky Melnyk won the Junior Men’s Division in the Gardena Spring Trophy Figure Skating Event in Italy. [Gardena Spring Trophy]
Police Review Commission Has “Emotional” Meeting — The Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission, formed by Fairfax Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova in an effort to review police policies, held its first meeting Monday. [Springfield Connection]
Burglars May Be Targeting Chinese Restaurant Owners — Fairfax County Police say a series of home burglaries in Herndon and Fairfax may be related as the victims are all owners of Chinese restaurants in the area. Suspects may be looking for valuable Chinese liquor. [Washington Post]
Lake Anne Students perform “Beauty and the Beast Jr.”/Courtesy Grace Yakubisin
Take A Peep At Reston — Have you entered Chesapeake Chocolates’ “Reston in Peeps” contest? Here are some dioramas to watch. [Modern Reston]
A Double Decker I-66? — Dr. Gridlock ponders whether this would ease traffic on the constantly clogged road. [Washington Post]
South Lakes Swimmer Raising Awareness For Cerebral Palsy — South Lakes High School student Katie Grealish organized “Dollars for Daniel” swim-a-thon in honor of her cousin. [Reston Connection]
Big Honor For Sunrise Valley Teacher — Longtime Sunrise Valley ES sixth-grade teacher Mary Anne Rossbach accepted the 2015 William C. Lowry Mathematics Educator of the Year award earlier this month. [Reston Connection]
Reston Association Kids Trout Fishing Day 2015/Credit: RA via Facebook
Big Donation to Cornerstones — Herndon’s Floris United Methodist Church presented Cornerstones with a check for $40,000 to support the Rapid Rehousing program. Every Christmas Eve, Floris UMC gives away the entire Christmas Eve offering to non-profit partners, causes and special needs in the community and the world. This year Floris decided that the local beneficiary would be Cornerstones.
NoVa Restaurant Week Begins Today — Tavern 64, Morton’s and Mon Ami Gabi are among more than a dozen eateries participating. Where are you going to eat? [Reston Now]
South Lakes District Meeting Tonight — The third in a series of four Reston Association District meetings will be held Monday at RA headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. Topics include: current budget overview and Q-and-A session with RA staff; a strategic plan update; a member input activity; information on RA services; an an opportunity to cast your vote in the 2015 RA Board of Directors Election. [Reston Now]
Reston History: The Gulf Years — The Historic Trust & Reston Museum presents “The Gulf Years in Reston, 1967-78” Thursday at 7 p.m. at Reston Community Center Lake Anne. This panel presentation will feature a discussion and film clips that capture some of the stories of the era. The panel features people who were instrumental in Reston’s development during the Gulf Years: Jim Cleveland, Fran Steinbauer, Chuck Veatch and Kohann Williams.
Photo: South Lakes Girls Lacrosse, which defeated Fairfax 12-11 Thursday/Credit: David Woodward
Pipeline Work Continues in North Reston — Reston Association says pipeline work will continue off of Quail Ridge Court for another two to three weeks. [Reston Association]
Somewhere Between “Ugly Houses” and “Corporate Insanity” — Check out Reston’s location on this tongue-in-cheek map of Northern Virginia. [Judgmental Maps]
Transportation Thoughts — The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is holding a public hearing on March 25 to discuss 44 highway and transit projects. Meeting begins at 6 p.m. at NVTA headquarters in Fairfax. [NVTA]
Photo: Signs of spring in Reston/Credit: Ken Plum
County Budget Shortfall — Fairfax County Executive Ed Long says there may be a budget gap of about $90 million for fiscal year 2017. [WTOP]
New Grading Metric For FCPS? — Fairfax County is considering new grading system that would eliminate zeros. [Washington Post]
Reston Gets A Mention On West Bank — Palestinian investor working hard to develop community on Israel’s West Bank says he was inspired by Reston, Va. [NPR]
Local Students’ Work On Display — A new art installation, Emerging Visions: Reconstruction opens Friday at Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE). There will be an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Schools featured include Herndon, Oakton and South Lakes. [GRACE]
Photo: Possible rare Mandarin Duck was spotted in Reston near Lake Audubon earlier this week/Courtesy Beth Burns
Weekend Traffic Alert — Hunter Mill Road westbound exit off the Dulles Toll Road will be EZPass only from 9:30 a.m. Friday to 5:30 a.m. Monday. The cash lane will be closed for equipment repairs.
Passengers Restrain Man on Flight From Dulles — A United flight headed from Washington to Denver had to return to Dulles International Airport Monday after a pilot told air traffic controllers a passenger had become violent, ran toward the cockpit and had to be restrained. [WTOP]
Chorale Concert Takes You To France — Join The Reston Chorale Sunday at 4 p.m. for Chorale Splendor: Music of France. The program includes Louis Vierne’s Messe Solennelle for two organs and mixed chorus, as well as works by Duruflé, Faure, Franck and Willcocks. [Reston Chorale]
Future Fields — A Reston man has begun a petition asking Fairfax County to ban crumb rubber, the surface used in synthetic turf fields. [Change.org]
Fannie Mae Signs Big Reston Lease — Fannie Mae has inked a deal to lease an entire building at 12000 Sunrise Valley Drive. It sought out the space in part to support a commercialization platform it is developing in collaboration with Freddie Mac and to bring more of its workers closer together in Reston. [Washington Business Journal]
Save The Date For Empty Bowls Fundraiser — Reston’s Giving Circle of Hope will hold its Empty Bowls fundraiser on April 10. Eat a delicious dinner, go home with a handmade bowl and help the nonprofit. [Giving Circle of Hope]
RA Open House Thursday — Reston Association is hosting an open house on Thursday, March 19. This is a good chance to learn more RA services, amenities and programs. There will also be an opportunity to vote for Board members in the current election.Light refreshments will be available and door prizes will be awarded. [Reston Association]
Loudoun Picks Metro Station Names — Loudoun County staff says it would name its Silver Line Phase 2 stations called Ashburn and Loudoun Gateway. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will vote on the recommendations Wednesday. [Washington Business Journal]
Photo: Runners in the Lucky Leprechaun 5K at Reston Town Center Saturday/Credit: PRRacing
Raise for Fairfax County School Board? — The FCPS school board will vote in April on raising board member salaries from $20,000 to $35,000. The county Board of Supervisors also recently voted to increase their pay from $75,000 to $90,000 annually. [Washington Post]
Sculptor on CBS — Sculptor Patrick Dougherty, also known as “The Stickman,” was featured on CBS This Morning on Sunday. Dougherty has been commissioned to build an installation next month at Reston Town Center. [CBS]
Reston Native Starts Baseball Mag — Herndon High grad and local baseball coach Joey Kamide has started NOVA Baseball Magazine to serve local players and fans. [Modern Reston]
New Rules For St. Pat’s Pub Crawls — There are new rules in place in Arlington for St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawls next weekend, partly due to last year’s events, which included a Reston woman getting arrested after stripping naked and walking into the county jail. [Washington Post]
Follow The Yellow Brick Road — Hunters Woods Elementary School is gearing up for its production of The Wizard of Oz. Performances are March 19 and 20. Tickets are $5 at the door. [Hunters Woods PTA]
SLHS Track Kudos — South Lakes Junior Golden Kumi-Darfour finished fifth in the 500 meters and anchored the second-place girls 4×400 meter relay team for South Lakes High School at the VHSL 6A Indoor Track and Field Championship last week in Hampton, Va. SLHS finished 17th out of the 29 teams in the girls division while the boys were 18th out of 34 teams. Kumi-Darfour ran a season-best time of 1:17.43 in the 500. She teamed with senior Claire Nieusma and sophomores Devyn Jones and Nikayla Hoyte for a 4:04.07 in the 4×400 relay.
RCC Closed Tuesday Morning –Reston Community Center Hunters Woods will be closed on Tuesday, March 17 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. to accommodate Dominion Virginia Power scheduled equipment upgrades The building will be locked and all programs during that time have been canceled. The Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center will be open for Early Bird Swimming from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. [RCC]
FCPD Class Shows Diversity — The Fairfax County Police Department graduated 60 new officers from its police academy last month, and the class reflects the diversity of the county. [FCPD]
Photo: Hunters Woods ES students in “Wizard of Oz”/Credit: HWES
Surf Reston Offering Preseason Sale — Surf Reston Stand Up Paddleboarding is assembling its summer 2015 fleet of boards, and is offering sale prices to anyone who wants to purchase a board for themselves. [Surf Reston]
Yet Another Scam — The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office is warning of telephone scammers, identifying themselves as sheriff’s deputies, who are calling residents and threatening them with arrest unless they pay the caller a large amount of money, usually on a money card. The scammers claim they are the IRS. [Fairfax County]
FISH Fling This Weekend — Tickets are still available for the Herndon-Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) 10th Annual FISH Fling Gala & Fundraiser on Saturday at the Hyatt Dulles Hotel. FISH aids area families in need of emergency money for bills, rent, medicine and other necessities. [FISH]
New Nearby — Home Escapes and Urban Retreat, home furnishing stores formerly located at 11400 Sunset Hills Rd. in Reston, have relocated to 292 Sunset Park Dr. in Herndon, in the space formerly occupied by Gymini Gymnastics. The stores moved to make way for a mixed-use project. [Urban Retreat]
RA Backs Bill Giving Homeowners More Power — A “Homeowners’ Bill of Rights” just passed the Virginia House and Senate, and Reston Association’s CEO says RA is in favor of it. [Restonian]
Think Spring, Plant Soon — Reston Association is holding a Native Plant Sale. Purchase some shade- and sun-loving plants right from RA to put in your yard. [Reston Association]
Colvin Run Mill Gets Grant — Friend of Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls has received a $1,600 Mastenbrook Grant from the Fairfax County Park Authority to purchase flour barrels for display purposes at the mill site. The bond funded grants provide limited matching funds for projects in Fairfax County parks.
Kids Trout Fishing Day — RA is hosting its annual Kids Trout Fishing Day on March 21. Snakeden Branch Stream (off of Soapstone near Glade) will be stocked with trout for the free event, Equipment will be provided. The Town of Herndon is also hosting a similar event March 14. [Reston Association]
Photo: Groundhog at Reston National Golf Course/Credit: Trish Strat
Herndon Track and Field Kudos — Herndon High’s Jessica Keys won the VHSL State Championship in Pole Vault and teammate LeClare Beres placed second.
Beware Phishing Scam — Attorney General Mark R. Herring said Virginia residents should be on the lookout for a major, ongoing “phishing” scam involving emails, phone calls, and social media messages purporting to be from the Attorney General and his office. The emails claim to be a “Final Legal Notification” from Attorney General Herring or his staff regarding debt owed to “Cash Advance, Inc.” [Virginia Attorney General’s office]
Garza Listens To Parents Again — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza heard from parents about class size, the upcoming budget and other concerns at the last stop on her listening tour. [Fairfax Times]
FCPD Still Investigating In-Custody Death — Fairfax County Police Chief Ed Roessler says the investigation into the death of Natasha McKenna, who died in custody after being tasered by county sheriffs, is ongoing. [FCPD]
A Prize Prom Date — South Lakes High School junior Jenna Boyer wants Tom Wilson of the Washington Caps to escort her to the prom. [Washington Post]
County Budget Town Halls — There are a series of upcoming budgets to discuss the 2016 Advertised Budget. [Fairfax County]
New Nearby –– Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Finnegan’s at Woodland Crossing in Herndon has a new owner and new name. P.J. Mulligans Public House opened its doors over the weekend. [P.J. Mulligans]
Snow Days, Woe Days — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza offered some insight into how FCPS decides to close for snow, and said the system is considering using a system that closes schools by area, rather than the school system as a whole. [Washington Post]
Photo: Lake Anne in evening/Credit: Ken Knueven
Silver Line Status — Greater, Greater Washington has a breakdown of Silver Line usage and points out that Wiehle-Reston East is not only a busy departure point but also is the largest single commuting destination on the Silver Line. [Greater Greater Washington]
Cybersecurity Suit — Reston-based FS-ISAC (Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center) has joined Microsoft in a civil lawsuit targeting the criminal group behind the “Ramnit botnet,” a global web of interconnected computers used to steal cash and personal information. [Washington Business Journal]
Kaine in Herndon Saturday — Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine will speak at Saturday’s 2015 K-12 STEM Symposium in Herndon, where more than 2,000 students, parents, and leaders in business and government will celebrate the importance of a strong Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.
Plow Rollover — A snow plow skidded off Sunset Hills Road and flipped over during Thursday’s snowstorm. [NBC4]
Photo: Wiehle Avenue pedestrian bridge in snow/Credit: Chris Hannas via Twitter
Honors For Hunters Woods Teacher — Ji Ahn, a resource teacher at Hunters Woods Elementary, was named one of two second place finishers in the Sally Ride-Deloitte 2014-15 Award for Teaching Innovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) competition. Ahn developed a program to introduce female students to the engineering design process via hands-on design challenges. Ahn earned a $2,500 cash prize and a Sally Ride STEM license for her school that will provide professional development for teachers, eBooks, teacher guides, and technical support.
Supervisors Give Themselves A Raise — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to raise their salaries. Board members now will earn $95,000 annually. The county is facing a $90 million revenue gap. [Washington Post]
County Tax Rate To Remain Steady — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors took the possibility of a real estate tax rate hike off the table Tuesday. The board voted to advertise a tax rate of $1.09 per $100 of assessed value, which is the current rate, in advance of next month’s public hearings on the proposed county budget. This means that the board can reduce the tax rate but cannot increase it. [Fairfax Times]
