Collect for Kids Campaign Exceeds Goals — The annual campaign, a drive for backpacks or school supplies for students in need, raised more than $28,400 this year. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Campus Commons Moves Forward — “The Campus Commons project near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro stop is moving forward after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave the final okay. It is the latest in a rash of approvals to redevelop office parks close to the Silver Line, but this particular project has provoked a new wave of opposition against long-planned changes–like new housing and offices–in Reston.” [Greater Greater Washington]

Fun at Reston’s Halloween House — “Children three through ten years of age delighted in Reston Association’s non-ghoulish Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail at Walker Nature Center, held Oct. 25-26. Even though the association added more tickets for this year’s event, according to Katie Shaw, Nature Center Manager, advance times sold out once again before the weekend.” [The Connection]

Photo via Flickr/vantagehill

Appraisals Roadshow Set for Election Day — Bring one personal valuable and appraisal experts will offer information on what the item is worth and what can be done with the treasure. The roadshow is set for Tuesday, Nov.  5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Reston Association’s headquarters. [Reston Association]

Shop for a Cause at Scout and Molly’s Boutique — “October is shop-for-a-cause month at Scout and Molly’s boutique in Reston, Virginia. Their goal is to support local women fighting breast cancer. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Scout and Molly’s Boutique will be donating a portion of all of their proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This foundation largely supports women fighting breast cancer and breast cancer survivors.” [Local DVM]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

A recent engineering report has flagged several safety issues with Lake Thoreau pool — including cracks in the pool’s retaining wall —  prompting the Reston Association to once again reconsider the future of the nearly 40-year-old facility.

An Oct. 23 report by engineering firm Terracon found that two sections of the pool’s retaining wall were below minimum safety standards. The firm recommended that RA replace or remediate the pool’s existing timber retaining wall — a move that would likely impact the existing pool deck or shell during demolition and reconstruction efforts.

The report — which echoes similar findings by Dewberry Consultants in 2017 — also notes that the retaining wall has “slightly rotated/creeped down” towards Lake Thoreau. Cracks were also found in the pool shell and concrete deck. Dewberry, which was contracted by RA to complete a preliminary engineering assessment three years ago, recommended that RA replace the retaining wall within one to two years, noting that the pool structure “appears sound enough to restore for additional long-term service.”

At a meeting last week, RA staff suggested reimagine the future of the pool, especially given that the cost of replacing the retaining wall may be too burdensome.

“Do we look at this as the opportunity to do something perhaps more interesting and this is obviously working with the community and so forth,” said Larry Butler, RA’s Chief Operating Officer.

The pool — which staff said does not meet Fairfax County safety guidelines — may be closed for the 2020 season, according to RA.

“Generally speaking, it should not be occupied,” said Chris Schumaker, RA’s senior capital projects operations manager.

In the event the pool is closed next year, RA Board Director Julie Bitzer encouraged the corporation to accommodate members by extending hours at other community pools.

The conversation — which will include community engagement — is in its early stages and no plans have been formally proposed. In recent months, members urged RA’s board to keep the pool– which they described as a community asset and a major attraction for area neighborhoods — open.

Currently, the cost of replacing the retaining wall is unknown.

Photo via vantagehill

Reston Association Budget Hearing and Meeting is Tonight — RA’s Board of Directors will hold a special meeting today (Thursday). A draft of the budget and the meeting’s agenda — which includes information about RA’s conflict of interest policy and increases to member assessments — is available online. [Reston Association]

Author Hena Khan to Joint Girl Power! Book Club — Khan will discuss her new middle-grade novel, More to the Story, at Scrawl Books’ Girl Power! Book Club today at the bookstore. The discussion, which is open to all, starts at 7 p.m. [Scrawl Books]

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Receives Homeland Security Grants — The department has been awarded $406,000 in competitive and noncompetitive grants. The funds will be used to improve the department’s emergency preparedness, security operations, training, and equipment. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]

Photo via Flickr/vantagehill

Annual Jigsaw Puzzle Sale Kicks Off Tomorrow —  The Friends of Reston Regional Library will hold an annual jigsaw sale tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. [Reston Regional Library]

Delays on Leesburg Pike at Drainesville Road — Expect delays on Leesburg Pike at Drainesville Road this morning due to a crash. No left turns are allowed at the intersection and police encourage drivers to use caution. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Reston Association Website Back Online — The association’s website, which went down yesterday due to technical issues, is back online. The board is expected to meet tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss the budget and other issues. [Reston Association]

Photo via Flickr/Dario iparo

A Guide on How to Handle Peer Pressure — “Everyone has peers. Peers can be your friends who are about your age and have similar interests and experiences. Peers can also be other kids who are about your age and are involved in the same activities with you or are part of a community or group you belong to. You may not consider all of your peers to be friends, but they can all influence you.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

A Legacy to Live on in Reston — “Commissioned by Public Art Reston, Volta took calculated measures during the production phase of the community-inspired project finalized in 2019 to protect the mural panels against sun and element damage as well as vandalism. A few days before the Oct. 17 unveiling of the Public Artwork at Colts Neck Road Underpass, Volta shared, in a one-on-one interview, key processes and materials essential in the successful creation of the paneled mural, and safeguards he took to protect the investment.” [The Connection]

Volunteers Sought for Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail — Reston Association is looking for volunteers over 15 years of age for its annual event. An orientation Is set for today (Wednesday) from 6-7 p.m. at the Walker Nature Center. [Reston Association]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Although Flavors of Fall will not be happening this year, residents can still enjoy the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce’s Reston Pumpkin 5K and Kids Pumpkin Dash on Sunday (Oct. 13). The race kicks off at 8:15 a.m. at Reston Town Center and the pumpkin dash kicks off at 9:15 a.m.

Participants are encouraged to debut their Halloween costumes. Today (Friday) is the last day to take advantage of the early registration rate $30 per person. Prices rise to $35 per person over the weekend.

Participants in the pumpkin dash — which is open to children age 14 and under — are divided into heats based on age. Distances vary from 20 to 100 yards based on the age of participants.

Tomorrow (Oct. 12)

• Indie Author Day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) — Drop by and meet local writer sin the community at Reston Regional Library. Books will be available for sale and signing.
• ArtSplash for Adults (2-4 p.m.) — Create your own masterpiece in this workshop led by artists from Abrakadoodle Northern Virginia.

Sunday (Oct. 13)

• Bird Walks (7:30-10:30 a.m.) — Search for birds in some of Reston’s most beautiful areas at this walk, which is co-sponsored by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store.
• History of World War II (2-4 p.m.) — Harry Butowsky, a George Mason University professor, continues his six-part lecture series on the war at Reston Regional Library.
• Book Launch Party with Sen. Janet Howell (2 p.m.) — Howell and her daughter-in-law, Theresa Howell, will introduce their new book, “Leading the Way: Women in Power,” at Scrawl Books.
• Sunday Afternoon Dance (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Dancers of all skill levels are invited for an afternoon of dance at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Each session is $5 for Reston residents and $10 for all others.
• Country Western Dance (5:30-7:30 p.m.) — Western dance is the focus of this evening session at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Each session is $5 for Reston residents and $10 for all others.

Photo by Chip McCrea 

Reston Association’s 2020-2021 budget, which would increase member assessments by five percent, will likely include across-the-board salaries increases for all staff. The move, which allocates $1 million over the next two years for salary and benefit increases, comes in response to unprecedented turnover last year and ongoing concerns related to staff recruitment and retention.

Last night (Thursday), RA’s Board of Directors also voted to approve reclassifying the positions of four staff members — whose names and salaries were not disclosed — because their positions were misclassified by RA. Board member Ven Iyer — who frequently challenged matters discussed by the board throughout the meeting — was the lone dissenting vote.

The board’s decisions were guided by a compensation study authorized by RA CEO Hank Lynch and conducted by Archer Company, a South-Carolina based firm that offers human resource management.

The study provided the basis for a one-time salary increase of 2.6 percent for all employees to “offset [the] recent below market merit pool,” as well as an increase in retirement match contributions and ensuring salaries are at or above the market rate within five years of service.

In 2020, the draft budget calls for nearly $227,594 in merit increases, $166,547 for a one-time salary increase, $132,277 to elevate salaries to the market midpoint, and $74,832 to match benchmarks by adjusting 401k matches. In 2021, roughly $445,960 in salary and benefits-related increases are also planned.

The board also expressed support for a documented compensation philosophy that aims to attract talent and offer salaries and benefits that are similar to comparable entities.

Board member John Mooney said the proposed compensation philosophy was “very balanced” and ensures RA is competitive with other similar employers, including the staff in municipal or county-level government positions in Fairfax and Arlington counties.

Iyer questioned if the comparison of RA to public entities with significantly larger budgets and resources was appropriate.

He also challenged the labeling of several documents received by the board with disclaimers like “RA board’s eyes only” and “extremely confidential” — a move that he said violates members’ trust because the materials were unrelated to contractual or business matters. RA declined to release the materials referenced by Iyer to Reston Now.

RA’s general counsel, Anthony Champ, said the documents were provided as background information to the board and their confidentiality could be assessed if an RA member requested the materials.

The organization’s fiscal committee was not consulted about the salary and benefits increases, Iyer, who is the board’s committee liaison, also stated.

The majority of the board, however, concurred with the need to increase salaries in accordance with the Archer study’s recommendations.

Board President Cathy Baum said the proposed salary and benefits increases were “logical” — challenging Iyer’s assertion that the board was acting based on emotion, not fact.

Iyer, however, said the Archer study was not prescriptive and instead pitched broad recommendations that were subject to the scrutiny of the board.

As the budget heads for adoption in November, Lynch said he hopes RA’s new outlook on compensation and benefits will provide market-based incentives to recruit and retain top talent.

Photo via YouTube/RA

Reston Association to Hold Public Hearing on Budget — RA’s Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the 2020-2021 biennial budget on Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters. The budget is set to be approved by the board in November. [Reston Association]

Mentoring Program at South Lakes High School Kicks Off — “DIAMONDS (Determined, Intelligent, Ambitious, Motivated, Original, Nifty, Dazzling, Strength) is a mentoring program for young minority women-led by Angel Scott and Lisa Girdy. The program’s mission is to inspire, transform, and educate young ladies on how to be successful in every area of life. DIAMONDS kicked off its second year with many returning students, some new students, volunteers from the community, and dedicated South Lakes staff members who serve as mentors.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Reston-based Company partners with Leading Cloud Security Company — “FireEye, a publicly traded cybersecurity company with an office in Reston, Virginia, is partnering with cloud security company iboss to provide a joint tech solution for cloud-based cyber threat protection.” [Technical.ly]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Reston’s own Beverly Cosham, an entertainer known for her work in the local theatre and cabaret scene, returns to Reston Community Center’s stage tomorrow (Saturday).

Cosham presents her personal interpretation of the Great American Songbook at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for Reston residents and $20 for all others.

Tomorrow (Saturday)

• Hispanic Heritage Literary and Culture Fair (1-5 p.m.) — Celebrate Hispanic heritage month at this festival at Reston Regional Library, which features local authors who share selections of poetry and stories.
• STEM Club (10:30 a.m. to noon) — Children between ages 5 and 10 can enjoy hands-on engineering activities at Reston Regional Library. Registration is required online.

Sunday (Oct. 6)

• Picture This! (1-4 p.m.) — Children between ages 6 and 11 can drop in and create an illustration inspired by an excerpt provided by the library. Supplies are available at Reston Regional Library.
• History of World War II (2-4 p.m.) — Hatty Butowsky of George Mason University kicks off his six-part lecture series on the war at Reston Regional Library.
• Fall Favorites (2-3 p.m.) — Families, couples and individuals can complete hands-on activities at the Walker Nature Center. Registration is $8 for Reston Association members and $10 for all others.

Reston Newcomers’ Bus Tour Coming Soon — Reston Association will offer a bus tour for newcomers to Reston on Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event includes a tour, which is limited to new Reston Association property owners within the last year, and an open house. [Reston Association]

Bollywood Dance Fitness Tonight — Enjoy a free Bollywood dance fitness class inspired by popular music and Indian movies. No experience is necessary. The class runs from 6:30-8 p.m. at Reston Regional Library. [Reston Regional Library]

Absentee Voting Underway — In-person absentee-voting is available at various locations in the county. Several satellite locations are also available.  [Fairfax County Government]

Photo by Jay Westcott

Boat Rental Season Extended — Reston Association has extended boat rental season through Oct. 15. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays,  11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m on Oct. 14. [Reston Association]

County Seeks Comment on High School Science Resources — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is soliciting public review and comment on basal instructional resources under consideration for high school science.  A basal resource review committee composed of community members, administrators, and teachers will meet this fall to review and recommend new high school science instructional resources to the Fairfax County School Board.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Lake Thoreau Pool Structural Analysis Update — Reston Association has received preliminary findings from engineers about the pool’s concrete decking and shell. A complete analysis and recommendations is expected in October. [Reston Association]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Reston Association plans to explore ways to repurpose the Hunters Woods Ball Field using funds originally allocated for path lighting near Hunters Woods Village Center.

The field, which is located behind Reston Community Center, is no longer used by the Reston-Herndon Little League due to its distance from the nearest parking lot.

RA’s Board of Directors approved a motion to reallocate funds previously approved for pathway lighting at a meeting last Thursday (Sept. 26) to design, study and implement the project.

In tandem, RA plans to install 16 lights near the village center and the ball field. The roughly $100,000 project uses $81,300 in proffer commitment funds from the developer of Hunters Woods at Trails Edge, a senior living community on Colts Neck Road. The proffer is designated specifically for path lighting and cannot be used for any other purpose.

Larry Butler, RA’s Chief Operating Officer, said staff will work with the community to brainstorm possible ideas for the ball field. The Hunters Woods Neighborhood Coalition — which has long advocated for pathway lighting to improve safety in the area —  requested that RA examine the issue.

“We could do a lot of things there,” Butler said, adding the plan is in its early phases.

In a July 19 letter, the county’s planning staff indicating the ball field is classified as open space, which is designed for scenic or recreational purposes.

Meanwhile, RA is working with Dominion Energy to develop preliminary design plans for the pathway lighting project. The latest plan — which Butler said addresses the “area of most concern” —  is a scaled-back version of a 2014 plan to install 52 lights, which faltered due to limited funding.

The cost of the study is unclear, especially because RA will likely engage with a design architect to determine constraints on the site, including utility polls, Butler said.

The preliminary design calls for 16 LED, shoebox lights likely spread out by about 80 feet. The original plans did not call for LED lights.

Once plans are in place, the project will head to RA’s Design Review Board for a discussion and a vote.

File photo

The annual Reston Multicultural Festival is set to celebrate the community’s rich diversity tomorrow (Saturday) from 11 a.m. to6 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza.

The festival offers a mix of song, food, dance and art at the plaza. It is hosted by Lake Anne Plaza and co-sponsored by Reston Association.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in their multicultural attire at the free festival. This year’s event includes a naturalization ceremony, three performance stages, family arts and crafts, a global cafe, and a global market.

More information about the event is available online.

Tomorrow (Saturday)

• Beer Run (9:45 a.m.) — Join the Lake Anne Brew House for a weekly Saturday morning beer run around Lake Anne. The lake loop is 1.5 miles and all ages and paces are welcome.
• Reston Friends Semi-Annual Book Sale (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) — The book sale continues today and tomorrow (Sunday) at Reston Regional Library. Thousands of gently-used books will be available for purchase.
• PSV Race to Make It All Better (8:30-11:30 a.m.) — Pediatric Specialists of Virginia will host their fifth annual fundraiser and 5k in Reston Town Center to support patients and families in need. The race and health fair also includes booth with giveaways, health tips, activities and prizes.

Sunday (Sept. 29)

• Walk to End Alzheimer’s (1;30-4:30 p.m..) — The Alzheimer’s Foundation hosts its annual walk, to raise funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The event is open for all and there is no fee to register. Participants are encouraged to fundraise to take part in the walk.
• Shear Madness (2-5:45 p.m.) — Enjoy a trip to see Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center. The trip begins with bus pick-up at Reston Association’s headquarters. Tickets are $51 for RA members and $56 for all others.

Photo via RCC

Members assessments could increase by five percent in 2020, according to the first budget draft reviewed by the Reston Association Board of Directors Thursday night.

The plan, which will undergo revisions before a final board vote in November, pitches increasing the rate to $728, a $35 increase from the previous year. The current assessment rate is $693, an $11 increase from the 2018 rate.

At the Thursday meeting, RA’s CEO Hank Lynch — who has been working with staff over the last several months to identify new and creative ways to manage RA’s budget — explained the changes to the fee as “an increase of less than 10 cents per day.”

Board Director Ven Iyer called Lynch’s description a “very stealthy way” to represent the assessment increase.

Lynch said the proposed budget includes roughly $390,000 in one-time capital spending, including improvements to the Lake House to increase rental revenue, the installation of a yurt as a new summer camp classroom and meeting space, “major” improvements to RA’s Lake Anne Plaza operations, and six permanent pickleball courts.

The budget would also fund five additional employees for covenants, social media IT to address a members’ request for a community app and other needs, land use, member services, and business engagement and sales to find ways to grow non-assessment revenue.

In a recent news release, Reston Association indicated that the member assessment rate would “avoid the past practice of using the association’s reserve funds to pay down the fee.” That financial practice was used by the board in over the last three years — a move that underwrote assessment rates by roughly $1.7 million in supplements.

Lynch said he hopes to find new resources of non-assessment revenue in the future in order to avoid using surplus cash to pay down fees.

In a statement on RA’s website, Lynch said that practice was unsustainable.

A working session on the budget is planned in October.

Photo via YouTube