Artsplay at the library — A Wolf Trap teaching artist and library staff will share music, drama and movement to encourage self-expression and imaginative play in a series of five classes at the Herndon Fortnightly Library. Today’s class runs from 1:30-2:15 p.m. [Fairfax County]

Arbor Day — Restonians can plant native trees and shrubs in various locations around Reston, which is a certified Tree City USA. A presentation and flag-raising ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m. at the Walker Nature Center, followed by a free pizza lunch for volunteers. The event last from 9:30 a.m.-noon [Reston Association]

Open mic poetry — Author Sid Gold and poet Sally Zakariya will share their work at an open mic from 7-9 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon. [ArtSpace Herndon]

The Reston Association recently unveiled the winners of the Volunteer Reston Service Awards, which recognize people, groups and community businesses who helped serve the community through various volunteer projects each year.

Doug Britt, who has helped collect environmental data, and Cindy Metcalf, who coordinates and leads classes on how to start a garden, both nabbed the top honor as “Volunteers of the Year.”

Here are the rest of the winners for the different categories:

• 55+ Volunteer: Don Coram
• Group Volunteer Service: Southgate Community Center Advisory Council
• Community Partner of the Year: Public Affairs Support Services, Inc.
• Committee and/or Work Group Volunteer of the Year: Pony Barn Working Group

A reception on April 18 at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue) will celebrate the volunteers.

Photo via Facebook

Tai chi — Local instructor Susan Shen will lead a class from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Reston Regional Library. [Fairfax County]

RA seeking lighting standard for pool facilities — Reston Association is requesting the establishment of a lighting standard for RA-owned pool and parking lot facilities. This application will be heard at the Design Review Board meeting on April 8 at 7 p.m. [Application]

Reston Hospital Center planning Tysons ER — “The hospital is proposing a freestanding emergency department at an existing building on Route 7 in Tysons, after initiating plans in late 2017 to build a new ER on a vacant parcel about a mile away, the hospital confirmed Monday after filing a zoning application with Fairfax County.” [Washington Business Journal]

Stream restoration at Wiehle South — Reston Association has a video giving an update on the stream restoration project. [YouTube]

Photo courtesy Logan Kleinwaks

Car crash update — On Friday (March 20), “units responded to a car crash on Lawyers Road and Pegasus Lane in Reston area. Crews arrived to find two people trapped. Units were able to quickly work to free them. Both transported to area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Yoga among the books — From 5:30-6:30 p.m., adults can do yoga at the Herndon Fortnightly Library. [Fairfax County]

Parks and Rec meeting — The Reston Association’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee will meet from 6:30-8:30 at RA headquarters. [WebTrac]

“Storytime Social!” — Parents, caregivers and kids can join Scrawl Books’ storytime social hour, which includes coffee for the adults and stories for the kids. The event starts at 11 a.m. [Scrawl Books]

Reston Friends Children and Educators Book Sale — From 10 a.m.-5 pm., locals can browse and buy children’s book and teaching materials at the Reston Regional Library. [Fairfax County]

Herndon startup raised millions — Herndon-based DocASAP, which aims to streamline the process of scheduling doctor’s appointments and physician-to-physician referrals, has raised $14 million from multiple investors, which it plans to use to expand its network of healthcare providers. The health tech firm also recently partnered with the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. [DC Inno]

Darwin Martinez-Torres sentenced — The 23-year-old has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to raping and killing 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen in June 2017. [WTOP, Reston Now]

Kids’ Trout Fishing Day recap — If you missed the Reston Association’s annual event at Snakeden Stream last Saturday (March 23), this article shares details about the day. [Connection Newspapers]

Andy Sigle, the outgoing president of the Reston Association’s Board of Directors, is running for the Hunter Mill District seat on the Fairfax County School Board.

Sigle announced his decision to run on Feb. 19 on Facebook about a month after Hunter Mill District Representative Pat Hynes said that she won’t seek re-election.

In his announcement, he wrote:

My wife, Kim, and I have put four children through the FCPS school system, the last one graduating in 2017. I am a strong advocate of student equity and access in our public schools, support of our teachers, establishment of infrastructure that keeps up with development within our community, as well as a driver for family and community engagement and sustainability initiatives. I bring to the role more than twenty five years as a manager and executive in the telecommunications industry along with a MBA from the University of Chicago. I have a proven track record of tackling difficult situations and creating positive results through a focus on asking sensible questions, holding reasonable discussions, collaboration and collegiality. Again, I know I can make a difference on our school board and I ask for your support.

Since then, Sigle has highlighted his work as the former president of the South Lakes High School PTSA board, which included organizing a series of diversity and inclusion workshops, helping to establish the school’s food pantry and moderating a discussion between Hynes and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins meant to educate the community.

Sigle’s bio says that he has turned his attention to community work after 28 years in the telecommunications industry.

Sigle first joined the RA’s Board of Directors in 2011 and was elected president last year. He also sings in The Reston Chorale, chairs the Southgate Community Center Advisory Council and is a member of the Reston Historic Trust’s Board of Directors.

Earlier this month, Sigle nabbed a new role as the chief operating officer and vice president of external relations for Leadership Fairfax, a nonprofit that aims to inspire private and public sector individuals to tackle community issues.

Laura Ramirez Drain and Melanie Meren are also running for the school board seat.

The Hunter Mill Democratic Committee is slated to host a candidate forum on Wednesday, April 10, at 8 p.m. at Lake Anne Elementary School (11510 N Shore Drive).

The committee also plans to hold an endorsement meeting on May 8 at Lake Anne ES.

Photo via Facebook

With the Reston Association’s voting deadline less than one week away, Reston Now has the latest update on the Board of Directors’ election.

The five uncontested seats each need to reach a quorum of 10 percent of eligible voters to make the election results official.

Here are the percentages of the returned votes for the third week of voting:

• At Large: 9.80 percent
• Hunters Woods/Dogwood: 8.23 percent
• Lake Anne/Tall Oaks: 8.47 percent
• North Point: 11.68 percent

The received ballots include 1,282 ones submitted electronically and 888 paper ones.

The deadline was extended from April 1 to April 3 after the association found out that a technical issue caused approximately 2,800 paper ballots to be returned as undeliverable.

Results of the election will be announced at the Annual Members’ Meeting on April 9.

Apple is bringing the beats to its Reston Town Center store tomorrow.

People can sign up to explore how to make beats in GarageBand, a digital audio workstation, on iPads. Producer Swizz Beatz and “Apple Creatives” will show participants how to create their own vibes, ranging from hip-hop to EDM to  R&B beats.

People can bring their own iPads or have one provided to them.

The event runs from 3-4:40 p.m. at 11949 Market Street.

Tomorrow (March 23)

• All Gardeners’ Meeting (10 a.m.-noon) — All users of community garden plots in Reston can attend the annual All Gardeners’ meeting at the Reston Association’s headquarters. The meeting will include discussions on soil management, gardening with return on investments and gardening tips.
• Dog Tales (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) — Kids ages 5 to 12 can read to a trained therapy dog for 15-minute sessions at the Herndon Fortnightly Library. Kids can bring their own books or choose one from the library.
• Fundamentals of Figure Drawing (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Participants can pay $200 for an eight-week drawing at ArtSpace Herndon. This week’s session, taught by John Koebert,  will focus on human figure drawing using a live model in the studio.

Sunday (March 24)

• Walk or run (8 a.m.) — The Reston Runners will go on a 3- and 6-mile walk and a 10-mile run. The group will meet at North Point Village Center.
• History of World War II (2-4 p.m.) — Harry Butowsky from George Mason University will present the second part of his six-part lecture series at the Reston Regional Library.

At his last meeting as the president of the Reston Association’s Board of Directors, Andy Sigle shared the changes he has seen in the past year and his proudest accomplishments as the association’s leader.

Sigle first joined the board in 2011 and was elected as the president last year.

“When I began the term this past spring, things were in a little bit of a tumult,” Sigle said at last night’s meeting (March 21). “We were without a permanent CEO. The CFO had recently resigned. The board was in a big transition.”

Bringing stability and positivity to the association were his personal goals as the board’s president, he said. “I think we have done that and thank you.”

Sigle shared his top three accomplishments:

• co-leading the charge against a proposed density increase for the Planned Residential Community (PRC)
• passing the RA’s budget
• hiring the new Chief Executive Officer Hank Lynch

The new board is set to select its new president after the elections for five uncontested seats end in early April.

The Reston Association’s Board of Directors are set to discuss truncating its biennial budget processes at its meeting tonight (March 21).

Treasurer Eric Carr and Chief Executive Officer Hank Lynch are scheduled to present a proposal that would shift the Reston Association to an annual budget cycle.

Currently, RA’s budget process has an intense first year that calls for community projects, benchmarking programs and more the budget gets developed in the second year.

Carr and Lynch will tell the board that the current process does not provide RA the flexibility to make changes to the budget on an annual basis, according to their presentation.

A new timeline would propose the following:

• June: RA Board has budget conversations for next year’s priorities
• July: Staff presents the first draft of the budget, and RA sends the accepted draft to the Fiscal Committee
• November: Staff presents the final draft of the budget

Ultimately, the proposed change aims to free up more time for other issues by tightening the budget process. The presentation notes, however, that the board will have to be disciplined and fully engaged in order to succeed.

The meeting is set to start at 6:30 p.m. at RA’s headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive).

The draft agenda for the meeting is available online.

The Reston Association is giving Restonians a few extra days to vote in the Board of Directors’ election after a technical issue caused approximately 2,800 paper ballots to be returned to RA as undeliverable.

The RA Elections Committee became aware of the issue last Friday (March 15), RA said in a press release yesterday (March 20).

The association then told Intelliscan, an independent vendor that provides election and survey services, to resend the ballots to the correct addresses and extend the voting period to 5 p.m. on April 3.

“The original deadline of April 1 was changed in order to accommodate some voters who did not receive their ballots when expected earlier this month,” the press release says.

The five uncontested seats each need to reach a quorum of 10 percent of eligible voters to make the election results official.

Three candidates are incumbents:

• Catherine Baum for a one-year term as the Apartment Owners Representative
• Caren Anton for a one-year term as the Hunters Woods/Dogwood Representative
• John Mooney for a three-year term as the North Point Representative

Tom Mulkerin, a residential real estate agent who has served on the board of the Lakewinds II Cluster Association, is running for a three-year-term At-Large seat.

Aaron Webb, who has served on the board of the Lakeside Cluster, is running for a three-year term for the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks Representative, which is currently filled by Sherri Herbert.

Results of the election will be announced at the Annual Members’ Meeting on April 9.

Spring Break Camp — Want to learn more about Reston Association’s Spring Break Camp for kids? There’s a video. [Reston Association/YouTube]

Dollars and Sense — The free monthly group at Reston Regional Library focuses on business leaders and markets. Tonight’s 7 p.m. discussion will be about “Antifragile” by Nassim Taleb. [Fairfax County]

Crash on Sunset Hills Road — A car crash shortly around 7:21 a.m. at Isaac Newton Square closed Sunset Hills Road for about an hour. The road is now open. [Fairfax Fire and Rescue]

Civic engagement prize — Reston-based Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation’s Rebuilding Democracy Project is among the recipients of the 2018-19 Lippman Kanfer Prize For Applied Jewish Wisdom. [Lippman Kanfer Prize]

Flood Watch — It will be a rainy day. The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch for Fairfax County and surrounding areas for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Locals can expect between 1-2 inches of rain. [NWS]

Photo courtesy Andrea Avila 

After a year-long hiatus, the Reston Association’s Pedestrian Lighting Working Group made a comeback at the Design Review Board’s meeting last night (March 19).

Working group members Larry Butler, Rick Landers and Bill Burton presented a progress report as a first step toward developing specific lighting guidelines for RA properties and pathways.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins’ recent call for more streetlights around Reston and some criticism of the lighting at the Sekas development along Sunrise Valley Drive renewed the focus on the lighting, Butler said.

“Lighting is going to be at the forefront for some time to come,” Butler said.

The report highlighted two main goals:

• development of “contextual application guidelines” for lighting
• prioritization of pedestrian lighting in the community — common areas including pathways and recreational amenities, transit station areas and clusters

Butler said that the working group is also adopting some guidelines from the Reston Annual State of the Environment Report (RASER).

Burton showed the Design Review Board the Reston lighting map that was created by overlaying existing pathway lights on a new land use map. Burton said that the working group members walked or biked Reston pathways and corridors to note areas of no, low, medium or high lighting.

The map has four main zones:

• zone 0: areas with no existing lighting for areas where RA wants to preserve darkness
• zone 1: traditional residential areas — most of the Planned Residential Community — that may want additional lighting
• zone 2: village centers, brightly lit schools and athletic fields that will need future lighting replacements
• zone 3: transportation corridor and Reston Town Center

In addition to marking the traditional RA pathways, the map also notes travel corridors along certain roads that bicyclists and pedestrians might frequently use.

The map is meant to serve as a template for the Design Review Board’s review of lighting requests, he said.

Identifying areas that need more lighting is just one step.

“We want to do it right,” Butler said, mentioning LED lights on timers.

Landers added that the technological advances in LED lights provide more options for dimmer or brighter lighting, along with being more energy-efficient.

Vice Chair and Architect Member W. Neal Roseberry praised the three working group members for their effort, which has broad appeal to Restonians. “I think this is really pretty common sense,” he said.

While the Design Review Board supported the map and expressed a desire in making a future action item around lighting, Richard Newlon, the board’s chairman, questioned how much detail should get decided around lighting while still creating an enforceable guideline.

In addition to the progress report, Butler also gave the board a preview on other actions the working group is taking.

A pathway lighting project in Hunters Woods that the Design Review Board approved three years ago now has renewed interest because of a proffer commitment from Atlantic Realty — the developer behind the Hunters Woods at Trail Edge senior living facility — to add new pathway lighting

“We’re working with Fairfax County to get an interpretation on that proffer as to whether or not that money can be joined with our project, our current funding so that we can do lighting down there, because we don’t have enough money to do the whole project,” Butler said.

Butler said that he expects the working group to come back to the Design Review Board in April or May with information on the $81,300 promised in the proffer.

“The face of Reston is changing,” Butler said. “We want to make sure the lighting keeps up.”

Images via Reston Association/YouTube

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) The Reston Association recently released the results of the first two weeks of the Board of Directors elections, which are currently in progress until April 1.

Here are the percentages of the returned votes for the first two weeks:

• At Large: 6.38 percent
• Hunters Woods/Dogwood: 5.23 percent
• Lake Anne/Tall Oaks: 5.32 percent
• North Point: 7.64 percent

“Although this year’s five seats are uncontested, a quorum of 10 percent of eligible voters needs to be reached to make the election results official, so it’s important that all members vote,” Mike Leone, RA’s director of communications and community engagement, told Reston Now.

The received ballots include 984 ones submitted electronically and 425 paper ones.

Leone said that he was not surprised by the results so far. “Week one and two results represent mostly those members who cast their vote electronically. Over the next few weeks we will also see paper ballots returned along with more electronic votes,” he said.

Three candidates are incumbents:

• Catherine Baum for a one-year term as the Apartment Owners Representative
• Caren Anton for a one-year term as the Hunters Woods/Dogwood Representative
• John Mooney for a three-year term as the North Point Representative

Tom Mulkerin, a residential real estate agent who has served on the board of the Lakewinds II Cluster Association, is running for a three-year-term At-Large seat.

Aaron Webb, who has served on the board of the Lakeside Cluster, is running for a three-year term for the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks Representative, which is currently filled by Sherri Herbert.

The results will get announced at the Annual Members’ Meeting in April.

“Fallen Angels” starts — NextStop Theatre Company’s production of the Noel Coward comedy hits the stage tonight. [NextStop Theatre Company]

Checkmate — McNair Elementary School finished second in the K-5 category of the Virginia Scholastic Chess Championships. The McNair also placed third in the K-8 category. [FCPS]

Lake Audubon dredging update — The dredging project is still on track for completion in April. [Reston Association/YouTube]

Girl Power! Book Club tonight — Middle-grade readers can head to Scrawl Books at 7 p.m. to talk about “Front Desk.” [Scrawl Books]