Kudos To SLHS’ Gifford — South Lakes High School marching band trombone player Samantha Gifford has been selected to be a member of the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Gifford will join an elite group of marching band members who will perform during halftime at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January at the  Alamodome in San Antonio. The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band recognizes the top 125 high school senior marching musicians and color guard members from across the country.

Transportation Bond Info Explained — Fairfax County voters will go to the polls on Nov. 4 to vote for a transportation bond issue. This video from the county easily explains what is at stake. [Fairfax County]

Reston Community Orchestra Readying — The Reston Community Orchestra will open its season Nov. 16 with “West Meets East,” featuring music of the Old West. See the whole 2014-15 lineup on the RCP website. [Reston Community Orchestra]

FCPS Will Honor Farm-To-Table — Students in Fairfax County Public Schools  will celebrate Virginia Farm to School Week Nov. 10-14 with new menu items featuring seasonal produce such as glazed butternut squash, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted cauliflower and carrots.  FCPS participates in farm to school activities along with 64 percent of school districts in Virginia. [FCPS]

Photo: Early fall produce at Smartmarket Reston

Community Theater — The Reston Community Players’ 2014 season begins Friday with the first performances of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The actor who plays Schroeder said the musical is great for kids and adults. “The characters are ageless, and the appeal is universal.” [Broadway World]

Restaurant Inspections — The Sheraton Reston Hotel and the Reston National Golf Course were recently cited for “critical violations” by the County Health Department. Records show the hotel’s dishwashing machine did not meet standards and the golf course did not keep foods at proper temperatures. [Reston Patch]

Weekend Metro Service — Silver Line trains will operate less frequently from 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday night, with trains running every 16 minutes. Normal service is every 12 minutes. [Metro]

(Updated at 9:25 a.m.) Ebola Screenings Start at Dulles — Travelers coming from ebola-affected countries will be subject to additional screening at Dulles International Airport starting Thursday. Travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will answer questions about their health, have their temperatures taken and receive information about ebola symptoms. [Fairfax County]

Disaster Survivor Actors Needed — The Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is seeking victim actors who can help trainees practice their skills. “Perfect for drama classes, students needing community service hours, retired persons, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and anyone interested in disasters.” [Fairfax County CERT blog]

World Police & Fire Games — Athletes worldwide are preparing for the police and firefighter “Olympics” coming to the area June 26 through July 5, 2015. A new video shows the route cross-country athletes will run around Lake Fairfax Park. [Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games]

Earthquake Drill at 10:16 a.m. — To be ready in the event of an earthquake, the county wants locals to “drop, cover and hold on” no matter where you are at 10:16 a.m. [Fairfax County]

Bechtel Relocating Workers to Reston — A “substantial” number of Bechtel Corporation’s 1,100 employees now in Frederick, Maryland will be transferred to Reston, The Frederick News-Post reports. Virginia gave the engineering and project management company $6.5 million in state grants in 2011 to move some operations to the area. [The Frederick News-Post]

Civil Forfeiture Spending — Fairfax County Police have used confiscated cash and funds from seized property to spend $1.3 million on weapons and protective gear, $561,00 on buildings and improvements, and $208,00 on electronic surveillance equipment, according to reports submitted to the Justice Department. [The Washington Post]

Silver Line’s Boost to Businesses Slow — Businesses have seen only a small uptick in traffic since Silver Line service began, but developers still have high hopes. [Elevation DC]

$17K in E-ZPass Fines — A man who commutes through the county was fined $17,000 for $36 in unpaid E-ZPass tolls for using the 495 express lanes, Fox 5 reports. The toll booth technology was malfunctioning though the commuter had an active account. [Fox 5]

Meet the Official Bird of Reston — The pileated woodpecker won the most votes in Friends of Reston’s poll to pick a representative bird. The red-headed bird with a laugh-like call and a 30-inch wingspan won 23 percent of votes, beating out the Eastern bluebird, American goldfinch, barred owl and great blue heron. [Friends of Reston]

Educating Unaccompanied Minors — Fairfax County could spend an estimated $14 million a year teaching children who crossed the U.S. border without their parents, County Supervisor Pat Herrity said. Unaccompanied minors number 1,775 in the county, at a per-pupil cost of $14,755 for English language learners. [The Washington Post]

‘Slow Down’ Traffic Signs — Fairfax County police are distributing yellow yard signs urging drivers to reduce their speed. “Slow Down: You Live Here. We Live Here,” is the message on the signs set to appear in neighborhoods. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Find Where You Can Volunteer — A new online tool created by the county pairs people with groups that need volunteers. The Volunteer Management System lets users search by geographic area, interests and people they want to serve. The Reston Regional Library is listed and needs a gardener and a shelf organizer. [Fairfax County]

Silver Line History — A former executive director of a group that found money to build the Silver Line wrote about its difficult history in a letter to The Washington Post. “It is a testament to all parties concerned that a way was found to put a silver lining in what could have become a very ominous cloud over our region’s future.” [The Washington Post]

Economic Development Authority’s Report Card — The county EDA is successfully retaining companies and creating jobs but needs to evaluate its costs, an auditor found. Washington Business Journal reports the county Board of Supervisors is calling for new performance measures from the authority. [Washington Business Journal]

Local SAT Scores Still High — The SAT scores of students at South Lakes High School and Herndon High School continue to beat the state and national averages. New data shows average 2014 scores in reading, math and writing exceeded last year’s scores at both schools. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

“15 Things Only People From Northern Virginia Understand” — You know you’re from Northern Virginia if you have a love/hate relationship with the Silver Line and your parents began planning your admission to Thomas Jefferson High School when you were an infant. These items and 13 more are part of a list for locals published Tuesday. What would you add to the list? [Bustle.com]

Reston by Moonlight — The lunar eclipse Tuesday night was photographed over the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. [Twitter/burtonwc]

Aerial Photos of Reston — Local photographer Alejo Pesce snaps startling photos of the area using remote-controlled drones. ModernReston.com rounded up his landscape shots plus images of the violins and other objects to which he attaches cameras. [Modern Reston]

Teach Your Kids About Fire Safety — All Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations will hold fire prevention demonstrations this Saturday. Firefighters will discuss and run activities about fires, smoke detectors and CPR from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. [Fairfax County]

New to Reston? — The Reston Association will hold a Newcomers’ Night on Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the RA office. New residents can find out how to get involved in Reston and what programs and services are available. [Reston Association]

Give Acting a Try — The Reston Community Players are seeking actors for their production of the musical “Sunset Boulevard.” Auditions will be held Nov. 10, 12 and 16. “Please prepare 32 bars of a song, preferably in the style of the show.” [Reston Community Players]

Science High School Accepting Applications — Eighth graders can now apply to attend Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Submissions can be made through Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

English Channel Swimmers Include Reston Natives — Two Reston natives swam the English Channel this month. South Lakes High School graduate Tom Bell made the more than 21-mile journey in less than 16 hours, and Bill Shipp, a graduate of Herndon High School, made it in a little more than 12 hours. [Fairfax Times]

Southgate Community Center, Rally for a Cause Highlighted — The Reston Association’s monthly video, released Saturday, features the community center’s programs and the tennis tournament. [YouTube/Reston Association]

New Reston Community Center Website — The RCC’s new website will launch Tuesday, with an aim to be easier to navigate. [Reston Community Center]