D.C.-based Dance Place will present its tribute to Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On,” tonight at CenterStage in Reston.

According to information available on Dance Place’s website, the show is the troupe’s first full-length production. The artistic director of the show, which was first performed in November, is Vincent Thomas. Thomas used Gaye’s 1971 album of the same name as the show’s lifeblood.

“Taking inspiration from 1971’s inimitable What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye’s insights into life, love and social justice are given fresh perspectives with new choreography by Vincent E. Thomas, Ralph Glenmore and Sylvia Soumah. What’s Going On seeks to provoke thoughtfulness and spark conversations to ignite change in each community it touches.”

The performance features modern, jazz and West African dance. Gin Dance Company will join the show as well.

The show is scheduled for tonight at 8 p.m. at CenterStage at Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-Restonians. For more information, call Paul Douglas Michnewicz at 703-390-6167.

Photo illustration via Dance Place

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here is a sampling of what’s available in Reston:

• The Virginia Polar Dip is Saturday at Lake Anne Plaza. Registration starts at noon, with the event itself scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. All proceeds will benefit Camp Sunshine.
• Events at Reston Town Center this weekend include a handmade Valentine card workshop, a pre-Valentine cooking class at Il Fornaio, a wine tasting and more.
• A pub crawl is slated for 2-6 p.m. Saturday, beginning at World of Beer (1888 Explorer St.). The event is to support the Fairfax Boxing Club.
• An open house is scheduled for The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.) from noon-2 p.m. Sunday.
• Reston Community Center Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road) has a Sunday Afternoon Dance and a Sunday Country Western Dance both slated for this weekend.
• Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) will offer a workshop, Career in the Arts: Opportunities for Visually Creative People, Saturday evening.
• The Reston Chorale will present Camerata: Inside Out at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road) on Sunday afternoon.
• Art exhibitions “CUT” and “Springtime in Winter” remain on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) and Reston Art Gallery & Studios (11400 Washington Plaza W.), respectively.
• Tom Saputo and Friends will play at Café Montmarte tonight.
• Kalypso’s will have musical guests New Dominion Band tonight and DJ Kram on Saturday.
• Wuayra Peruvian Silver Jewelry will have a pop-up shop in collaboration with Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.) this weekend.

The Reston Community Center Board of Governors adopted their 2016-21 Strategic Plan last year, and they will discuss progress with the public next week.

The largest number of January updates to the Strategic Plan are in the section about expanding programs. In the plan, RCC identified goals that included “balanc[ing] services to neighborhoods within Reston with programming that brings the community together and fosters a sense of belonging to the community as a whole.”

Among the items listed in the update is a proposed building needs analysis to “investigate intersections feasible with Park Authority efforts related to indoor recreation facility planning for Reston and [to] seek differentiation from Reston Association efforts to date.” It also lists plans to coordinate summer programming options with Cornerstones, among other initiatives.

At the Monday night event, the RCC board also will discuss content for inclusion in their FY19 budget and capital project planning for the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center.

The public is invited to the meeting at RCC Hunter Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road), scheduled for 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, but it is requested RSVP be made to [email protected] by 4 p.m. Friday. Anyone would who like to provide input but is unable to attend is invited to contact the same email address.

Snow Forecast Disappoints — Snow that was predicted to fall overnight didn’t amount to much of anything in Fairfax County, but it will remain windy and cold today. Warmth is expected to return soon, with 60s or even low 70s possible again Sunday. [Capital Weather Gang]

Three Divas Readying for Upcoming Show — Reston’s three divas (Beverly Cosham, Menda Ahart and Felicia Kessel-Crawley) will perform Friday, Feb. 17 at Reston Community Center, Lake Anne. Though the concert is free, seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. [Reston Museum]

Notable Death: Ralph Edward Groening — Groening, a longtime Reston resident, died earlier this week at the age of 97. Groening was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, and worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for several decades. [Reston Patch]

RCC Board Seeks Community Input — The Reston Community Center Board of Governors will hold a community relations and program policy meeting Monday from 6:30-8 p.m. at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). Discussion topics will include new programming approaches and content for inclusion in RCC’s FY19 budget; capital project planning for the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center; and the board’s progress in meeting new Strategic Plan goals and objectives. [Reston Community Center]

How Can LinkedIn Work for You? — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce (1886 Metro Center Drive) will host a workshop Wednesday morning on how the social networking service can help attendees improve business development and polish their personal brand, or with a career transition. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]

Reston-Based Company May Lose Listing — Audience-measuring firm comScore, headquartered on Democracy Drive, saw its stocks plummet Monday. This happened after an announcement that it would miss a February deadline for filing financial statements, which may result in its stock being delisted by Nasdaq. [WTOP]

Thousands of Jobs Added in County — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority says 160 U.S.-based and 34 foreign-based companies worked with them to add about 7,500 jobs in 2016. [Fairfax County EDA]

Reston Association Committees Meet Next Week — The calendar for Reston Association next week includes meetings of the Board Operations Committee, Environmental Advisory Committee and Community Engagement Advisory Committee, as well as the Design Review Board panel. [Reston Association]

Seniors Invited to See ‘Age of Love’ — Reston Community Center will host a showing of “Age of Love” for people 55 and up next Friday. The film is described as “comic and poignant.” Dessert and a discussion will follow. [Reston Community Center]

Polar Plunge is Next Weekend — Don’t forget, the 10th annual “Freezin’ for a Reason” Virginia Polar Dip is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11 at Lake Anne Plaza. There is still time to get involved, or to just make plans to attend. [Lake Anne Plaza]

This article was submitted to Reston Now by Dave Ryan of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

No matter how much some readers may yell at certain pesky geese to stop blocking Reston roadways and pooping on its sidewalks, some of these wildlife neighbors never seem to get the message that they should fly away or migrate to more natural areas.

Why is this? Katherine Edwards knows.

In a Jan. 18 presentation to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Reston Community Center Lake Anne, Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist Dr. Katherine Edwards explained that there are two distinct populations of Canada geese that inhabit Fairfax County — migratory and resident. Present-day resident geese originated from captured migratory ones that decades ago had their flight feathers clipped, and were then largely used as live hunting decoys.

Even when these captive birds were released or escaped and no longer had their flight inhibited, they did not resume their ancestral migratory patterns. The reason: For a goose to migrate, it must be taught the flight path by its parents or flock.

Successive generations of geese never learned to migrate. Over time, the birds and their descendants, while able to fly, lost the instinct and need to migrate — so they’re blissfully happy taking up permanent residence right here in Reston.

According to Edwards, communities like Reston provide an abundance of ideal nesting and foraging habitat for geese in the form of lawns, sports fields, golf courses, parks and ponds. With relatively few predators around, goose populations are safe to expand in suburban areas. However, this increase in goose numbers often leads to conflicts with humans in terms of overgrazed lawns, accumulated droppings, molted feathers and roadway hazards.

Edwards added that the county uses a variety of methods to manage resident geese, including habitat modification and egg oiling to reduce flock growth.

For more information about wildlife in Fairfax County, visit the Fairfax County website. For more information about how the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University provides educational, social and cultural opportunities to citizens of Northern Virginia, visit its website.

Photos courtesy David Ryan/OLLI

RA Summer Camp Registration Starts Soon — In its latest “Reston Today” video, Reston Association reminds residents that summer camp signups begin next week. [Reston Association/YouTube]

Foreign Policy to Be Topic of Community Library Event — The Reston Regional Library invites anyone with an interest in current events and U.S.-foreign relationships to take part in a roundtable discussion Friday. The topic of the day’s activities, which will also include a film, is “The Future of Europe.” [Fairfax County Public Library]

‘Party Time! Excellent!’ — It has been 25 years since “Wayne’s World” hit the big screens. Now, Wayne and Garth will be back in select theaters across the nation for two nights only, Feb. 7-8. Bowtie Cinemas at Reston Town Center will be among those showing the film, along a special introduction and a discussion among the film’s stars, on Feb. 8. [WaynesWorld25.com]

Hitchcock Classic to Be Shown at RCC — If “Wayne’s World” isn’t your idea of a classic, perhaps you’d be interested in an upcoming film presentation at Reston Community Center’s CenterStage instead. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film “Rear Window” will be shown at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, preceded by a free continental breakfast. [Reston Community Center]

Summer may seem far in the distance, but the time to think about it — especially for kids — has arrived.

Reston Community Center will host its fourth annual Reston Camp Expo on Saturday. The event is an opportunity for parents and children to learn about all the opportunities available to them in the area once school is out, said Eileen Boone, RCC learning and leisure director.

“It’s nonprofit organizations and government agenices, so there’s a strong emphasis on programs that provide scholarships, transportation options, and even congregrate lunches and snacks for children,” she said. “There is definitely an emphasis on making sure that every child this summer will have an opportunity to stay engaged and active, even if they may not necessarily have the funds.”

Boone said the expo was originally the idea of Reston founder Bob Simon.

“He wanted to get all of the different rec agencies and community organizations together and he wanted us to really talk to each other and figure out where there were gaps in programming, wait lists in some camps,” she said. “[He wanted us] to share that information and try to help these kids get into camps in the area.”

In addition to RCC, many other organizations will be present at the expo to share their summertime offerings. Exhibitors will include Reston Association, Fairfax County Public Schools, the county Parks Authority, the county Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, Reston Regional Library, YMCA Fairfax County Reston and more.

On top of that, Boone said, representatives from area nonprofit youth sports organizations including Reston Soccer, Great Falls Youth Rugby Club, Herndon-Reston Youth Field Hockey and others will be at Saturday’s event.

“We’ve expanded it a little bit to try to feature other programs and organizations,” she said. “It’s just to let the parents and kids know what else is out there.”

Boone said many regional summer camps and clubs will begin enrollment soon, and they often fill up quickly.

“[This expo] is really like a one-stop shop,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to see all of the different camp programs and learn all about the various scholarships and fee waivers that exist.”

Some organizations will be registering campers at the expo, Boone said. Attendees do not have to register on-site, however, as they will receive an updated Camp Resource Guide to help them research their decision for summertime fun.

The expo will be at RCC’s Hunters Woods location (2310 Colts Neck Road) beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. For more information, call Boone at 703-390-6162.

Police Seek Person Who Shot at Cruiser — Someone shot at a police car last night on Georgetown Pike, and law enforcement is seeking the culprit. The incident happened around midnight in the area of Walker Road. The suspect’s vehicle may have been a white Toyota or Mazda from the late 1990s or early 2000s, with black molding on the doors. The passenger-side window may have been shattered. The car was last seen traveling westbound on Georgetown Pike in the Great Falls area. [NBC Washington]

Herndon Family of Six Displaced By House Fire — Fire officials say a passerby alerted a Herndon family to a fire in their Van Buren Street home Friday afternoon. Apparently, the home’s smoke detectors were not equipped with batteries. The fire, the source of which was electrical, caused almost $70,000 in damage. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Reston Community Players Show Has Successful Opening — “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” opened Friday on the CenterStage at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). A reviewer says the show, which runs through Feb. 4, is a “fine production” with an “excellent cast.” [DC Metro Theater Arts]

Prom season is quickly approaching, and for many, that means stress.

There’s the stress of finding a date and the stress of planning for the big day, among others. But for some, the stress could be in figuring out how to afford one of the night’s most important features — the dress.

To help alleviate that for as many girls as possible, Reston Community Center is once again rolling out its Diva Central Dress Drive.

Donations of dresses that are less than five years old can be made at Reston Community Center’s Hunters Woods or Lake Anne locations between Jan. 30 and Feb. 28. In addition to dresses, donations of prom accessories — including shoes, jewelry, handbags, scarves and shawls — will also be accepted.

Donated items must be in good condition, and it is requested that dresses be dry-cleaned if possible.

Reston Town Center will also accept donations in its building lobbies beginning next week.

For more information about the drive, contact Ali Clements at [email protected] or 703-390-6177.

Photo via Reston Town Center

If you enjoy the sounds of strings, you may want to be at the Reston Community Center’s CenterStage next Sunday.

String group Taarka is scheduled to perform a live show at 3 p.m. Jan. 22. The band posted on Facebook that it is excited for the opportunity to entertain here.

“We are really looking forward to this matinee concert at the Reston Community Center,” the post reads. “It’s been over a year in the making.”

According to the band’s website:

“Taarka’s live shows strike a balance between well-crafted songs and spirited instrumentals these days, expanding on its beginnings as a purely instrumental string band putting a modern spin on Gypsy and Eastern European folk music. Taarka has drawn from wide-ranging influences over the past 10 years. Sophisticated listeners would be able to distill flavors of Western and Eastern folk traditions, jazz, rock, bluegrass, old-time, gypsy, Indian, and Celtic music all in a string band setting.”

Tickets for the show are $15 for Reston residents and $20 for non-residents.

Two Hanukkah-themed events will take place in Reston in the coming days.

Chabad of Reston-Herndon is hosting its annual Hanukkah celebration at Reston Community Center Lake Anne (1609-A Washington Plaza) on Tuesday, Dec. 27 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

That event is set to include “the hilarious pirate magic of Captain Silly Bones, lighting of our giant cupcake Menorah, face-painting, balloon shaping, mac and cheese dinner, chocolate coins, dreidles, latekes,” and other holiday activities, organizers said.

Chabad is also hosting a “Chanukah On Ice” event with food and merriment at the Reston Town Center’s ice skating rink (11900 Market Street) from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 25.

According to Chabad, that event will have “ice-skating to lively Chanukah music with family and friends a Grand Menorah lighting, hot latkes and donuts, dreidels and chocolate gelt for all.”

Photo: Chanukah on Ice/Chabad

Metro Aware of Track Problems Before Silver Line Derailment, NTSB Says — Metro was aware of track issues that could cause cause a derailment before a Silver Line train went off the tracks outside of the East Falls Church Metro station in July, according to the he National Transportation Safety Board. [Washington Post]

Reston Chorale and Symphonic Brass to Hold Holiday Concert This Weekend — The Washington Symphonic Brass is set once again to join the Reston Chorale for their annual holiday concert. The performance is scheduled for Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at CenterStage at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors 62 and older. Military personnel and children 17 years old and younger are free. [Reston Community Center]

South Lakes to Face Westfield in Finals Saturday — South Lakes High School’s varsity football team is set take on defending state champion Westfield High School tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Region 6A Finals. The winner of this game will go on to the state finals in Hampton. South Lakes is currently ranked No. 5, and Westfield is ranked No. 10. [Washington Post]

Holiday Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides Begin This Weekend — Reston Town Center will start having horse-drawn carriage rides this Saturday. They generally will run from 4 to 9 p.m. Pickup is in front of Clyde’s on Market Street. A donation of $5 per person, to benefit local charities, is asked of any riders age 5 and older. [Reston Town Center]

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