Wednesday afternoon’s downpours resulted in flooding of many roads in and near Reston. A Flash Flood warning remains in effect for the entire area until 9:30 p.m.

At about 8 p.m. rescue crews had been to the scene of two swift waters rescues nearby: One at Stuart Mill Road and Birdfoot Lane, where three cars were reported stuck in high roadway flooding. One driver was on the roof of his car to avoid the floodwaters, authorities said. The other rescue was for several cars at Hunter Mill Road and Hunter Station Road.

Flooding has impacted the following areas as of 7:45 p.m.

• Hunter Mill Road is closed between Hunter Station Rd and Hunter View Road
• Lawyers Road at Hunter Mill Road closed
• Fox Mill Road at Folkstone Road is closed
• Fox Mill Road at Lake James Drive to Thoroughbred Road

Photo: Water at Reston Station/Credit: Bill Burton via Twitter

Reston founder Bob Simon told the Reston Association Board last week that they should stop listening to residents who decry traffic, expense and other issues that get in the way of progress here.

“For the past several years, Reston has been run by the NIMBYs (“Not In My Backyard”),” Simon said, recalling issues such as a tennis facility at Lake Newport and the more recent bocce court proposed for a pocket park off of South Lakes Drive.

“This is why I am here — to strengthen your resolve, all the way up to the [Fairfax County] Board of Supervisors,” the 101-year-old founder told the RA Board at its regular meeting. “A lot of attention is paid to the naysayers. It is a bloody fact when an issue comes up, people in favor stay home and NIMBYS come out to holler. A good NIMBY knows first thing you holler is traffic. It takes sophisticated analysis to know whether it will affect traffic. But that is what they use to terrify the board.”

Simon recalled several proposals that he said would have benefitted the community, but which died due to community conflict.

“There were three proposals to cover RA tennis courts,” he said. “In each case, NIMBYS prevailed. There was a proposal for Barton Hill, where they were going to cover the tennis courts and then you climb up the hill to the houses. People brought forth a 13-year-old girl to testify who told us if we covered the tennis courts she would not dare go out of the house.”

Simon said if he had the responsibility of starting bocce here, I would “have had a budget of $127 for the bocce court and would have had two stakes and bunch of balls.”

Bocce was proposed and discussed in 2013 and 2014 and met with neighbor pushback. Neighbors close to Cabots Point, where the courts were planned and approved by the RA Board, said traffic, crowds and a possible increase in crime would happen. They also did not like the way the association and then-South Lakes Director Richard Chew went about notifying residents of the possibility of bocce.

“Bocce is a lot of fun,” said Simon. “Can you imagine the traffic that would be with two old gentlemen throwing balls on the ground?”

Ultimately, after nearly a year of discussion, the board voted to revoke its approval after it determined the cost estimates would be exponentially more than originally forecast.

“I beg of you, when the happens, no matter what there will be NIMBYs there telling don’t do it,” said Simon. “You listened on Bocce. Don’t do that again.”

Simon also spoke out on village centers. He encouraged the directors to look at the future of Reston as plazas surrounded by mixed use, rather than continuing to have strip centers serve as village centers.

The Reston Master Plan amendments recently put planning in place in the event developers want to make over the existing village centers. They will not need a comprehensive plan amendment to make changes.

Simon originally planned Reston’s village centers to resemble Lake Anne Village Center. But by the time the subsequent village center’s were built, Simon was no longer involved in the project and Hunters Woods, South Lakes, North Point and Tall Oaks were built in a more traditional, suburban manner.

Bob Simon/file photo

There is another way to create a sense of place in Reston: On Snapchat.

Reston now has its own Snapchat geofilter. Users of the photo social media site can imprint their photos with a postcard-like “Reston, Virginia” logo.

Geofilters are special overlays for Snaps that can only be accessed in certain locations, therefore the Reston geofilter will only work if you are in Reston.

Snapchat, which has about 100 million daily users (most of them under age 35) recently began allowing local designers to create a geofilter design, which Snapchat staff then approves.

The Reston Geofilter was created by Reston resident Collin O’Brien. Here’s what O’Brien said to the Snapchat folks in submitting his design:

“Growing up in Reston, I have seen the transition from a small town to a booming and populated city. Money magazine ranked Reston as the No. 10 best place to live in the USA in 2014.  Known for its lakes, golf, ice skating and walking trails, Reston is only growing, as a new Metrorail system has been extended to our city.”

O’Brien said he used a fun, casual and free-flowing script font to represent Reston.

“The green represents Reston’s nature, wildlife and plant life,” he said. “The blue represents the different bodies of water/lakes.”

Photo: Reston Geofilter over picture of Lake Audubon.

An anesthesiologist has been ordered by a Fairfax County judge to pay a local man $500,000 after the doctor said insulting things about the man while he was sedated for a colonoscopy at a Reston facility in 2013, The Washington Post reported.

The man, who lives in Vienna, said in his defamation and medical malpractice lawsuit that the anesthesiologist, Tiffany M. Ingham, who is apparently no longer practicing in the area, mocked him while he was asleep.

The whole thing was recorded. The man had turned his smartphone’s audio recorder on in order to make sure he accurately understood his doctor’s post-op instructions.

It turns out the whole surgery was taped. On the audio, Ingham is heard saying she wanted to punch the patient in the face; called him annoying, a wimp, and other disparaging names; and accused him of having syphilis and tuberculosis.

Listen to the audio on the link below.

After a three-day trial, the jury awarded the man $100,000 for defamation — $50,000 each for the comments about the man having syphilis and tuberculosis — and $200,000 for medical malpractice, as well as the $200,000 in punitive damages, the Post reported.

One of the jurors said the man’s attorneys had asked for $1.75 million, and that the $500,000 award was a compromise between one juror who thought the man deserved nothing and at least one who thought he deserved more.

Updated, 1:15 p.m. Friday).

Many residents of South Reston are beginning to clean up this morning after a quick but powerful thunderstorm moved through the area Thursday night, downing trees and power lines.

The storm may have included a microburst, meteorologists said. A microburst is a very localized column of sinking air within a thunderstorm, says the National Weather Service. It can last a few seconds or a few minutes, but has the power to knock over large trees.

The Capital Weather Gang has some detailed information on how Thursday’s microburst formed over Western Fairfax County.

Fox Mill Road, which was closed at Fox View Road overnight dus to a downed tree and power lines, is reopened.

Reston Association says it is working in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Transportation to remove debris from the storm. VDOT is responsible for clearing and ensuring the safety of state streets. Secondary cleanup of the tree debris will be completed after all VDOT roadways are clear and safe, says RA.

Says RA: “Priorities for clearing hazards will be placed on compromised trees that could potentially cause harm to a person and/or damage property or infrastructure.”

The RA Central Services Facility team will also be clearing the RA paths of debris this morning.

Dominion Virginia Power said more than 2,500 Reston-area homes lost power last night. Fewer than 1,000 countywide are still without power this morning.

Show Dad some love by running with him this Father’s Day.

Potomac River Running is hosting the Run With Dad 5K Sunday, June 21 at South Lakes High School. The 5K begins at 8 a.m.; the one-mile fun run/walk is at 8:45 a.m.

Each Dad who completes the race gets a commemorative race item and all runners will receive a Run with Dad 5K short sleeve t-shirt. (Shirts may be limited for late and race day registrants, so be sure to register early)  (Youth sizes are cotton shirts).

The course goes on the SLHS track and Reston Association paths, so no roads will be affected.

This course is stroller friendly, so bring the kids. There will also be a Tot Trot — 100 meters along the SLHS track at 9 am following the 5K finish. Sign up will be morning of at the finish line area. All finishers will receive a bib.

In addition to age group medals, there will be awards for top father/child teams and intergenerational teams (three generations or more).

Advance online registration is $35 (5K) or $30 (Fun Run) through Friday at 8 p.m.

Photo: Run With Dad 5K 2014/Credit: Potomac River Running

While the Silver Line is having an impact on how younger workers get to Reston, it is not necessarily expected to attract them to live in Reston.

That is what several real estate developers said at a forum “The Future of Reston and Herndon” organized by e-news company Bisnow in Reston on Tuesday.

The Silver Line opened its first phase last July, and Wiehle-Reston East, the end of the line until Phase 2 opens in 2019, immediately became one of Metro’s highest-traveled stations. Metro officials say people are taking public transportation both to Reston and from Reston to other workplaces in Arlington, Tysons Corner and D.C.

But they still can’t take Metro around Reston, which is what Millennials (people ages 18 to 35) want.

“A lot of people are saying ‘this is it’ when talking about the Silver Line,” said Greg Trimmer, Principal with The JBG Companies. “But JBG’s position is the Silver Line is not really the panacea. It is a great thing to have, but it is really a commuter line. It presents some challenges as well. People are not going to take the Metro three stops to get some lunch. We will see people taking it 5 or 6 stops to get to a job.”

JBG has four mixed use projects under development: Reston Heights, RTC West,  1831 Wiehle Ave. (in application process) and at Fairway Apartments. There are also multifamily developments either planned or under construction at Wiehle-Reston East (Comstock’s BLVD and the new Bozzuto/Charles Veatch building) and Lake Anne/Crescent (Lake Anne Development Partners), among others.

Several panelists said the residents of other recently-built residential buildings such as The Harrison and The Avant are trending older.

“We are seeing a huge boom in multifamily construction,” said Trimmer. “But the population of millennials in Reston has actually dropped. We are seeing growth in Reston in people in their 40s and 50s and retirees.”

Trimmer said if Reston properties try to compete with buildings in the District “it is not a fight Reston is going to win.”

Said Randall Scott, Principal, Coretrust Capital Partners commercial real estate: “We view Reston as a new town, edge city type place. In our experience, millennials will gravitate to an urban core such as D.C. initially. It remains to be seen whether they will stay there or be where there are open spaces and great schools eventually. Our view is we will get  terrific inflow and outflow on the Silver Line.”

The Silver Line, has, however, been a great work perk, even after just 10 months.

Reston was planned all along to be a transit-oriented community, with offices and residential, an urban-style town center and walkability. That puts it ahead of the game when it comes to Tysons Corner, said Sonny Small, CEO of Renaissance Centro, which built the recently-opened The Harrison apartments. The Harrison is also seeing older residents, many of whom are moving from other properties such as single-family homes within Reston.

“The Silver Line is a fabulous amenity,” he said. “Reston has the original bones already. The interesting part will be how neighborhoods other than Reston Town Center evolve.”

Tony Womack of Tishman Speyer commercial real estate said he has clients looking at Reston office space that were not looking here prior to the Silver Line.

“The younger workforce can get out here,” he said. “Older executives are already out here.”

Photo: The Avant apartments at Reston Town Center

Fairfax County voters will likely be asked to vote on bond referendums this fall that will have a direct impact on Reston facilities, including a fire station and South Lakes High School.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has authorized a $151 million public safety and $310 million schools bond referendum. That means they can petition the Circuit Court to order the referendums for the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

If voters pass the referendum, $51 million will be used to replace Station 25, the Fairfax County Fire-Rescue station at Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road, as well as renovate or replace Merrifield, Penn Daw, Woodlawn, and Edsall stations.

Station 25 is one of the busiest stations in the county, Fairfax County says. It was built in 1972 and last renovated in 1986.

Fairfax County’s Capital Improvement Plan says $13,000,000 is needed for replacement as the building systems and infrastructure are well beyond the end of their life cycle. The replacement would include an expansion to a four-bay station. The fire station lacks women’s accommodations to include bunk rooms, lockers and bathroom facilities to meet 50 percent of minimum shift staffing. It is also in need of a workout room, an expanded men’s locker room area and laundry facilities.

The school bond referendum will go towards an addition for South Lakes High School, as well as renovating nine elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools, along with planning for a new Northwest County-area elementary school.

South Lakes underwent a major overhaul in 2006-07, and then was part of a contentious redistricting that quickly turned the school from one of FCPS’ smallest to one that needed more space. Many classes are currently held in portable classrooms.

The school is over its capacity of 2,300 students. With population growing at nearly every FCPS school, the school district puts South Lakes capacity at 140 percent by 2017-18, according to FCPS’ 2013 Capital Improvement Plan. Projected enrollment by 2017 is 2,983, according to FCPS’ analysis.

Part of the SLHS renovations are already financed by the most recent $225 million school bond referendum, which was authorized in 2013.

Other bond money will go to renovate the Franconia District Police station ($100 million); to build a new, joint animal shelter and police station in the South County area; for construction and renovation for the Police heliport, Operations Support Bureau facilities and Emergency Vehicle Operations and K9 Center.

The proposal is one of the largest school bonds in recent years. Voters approved a $365 million bond in 2007.

The county has received the highest triple A rating from Moody’s Investors, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings. The county is one of only nine states, 39 counties, and 33 cities to hold a triple-A rating from all three rating agencies, so Fairfax County’s bonds sell at relatively low interest rates compared to other tax-free bonds.

Photo: Portable classroom at South Lakes High School

Tickets are still available for Tuesday morning’s forum “The Future of Reston and Herndon,” sponsored by Bisow e-publications.

The seminar will feature several economic and commercial real estate leaders to discuss what Transit Oriented development means for Reston and Herndon now that the first phase of Metro’s Silver Line has opened.

Among the speakers are representatives from JBG, Renaissance Centro, Bechtel, Comstock, and Cushman & Wakefield.

The seminar, held at 12120 Sunrise Valley Dr., starts with breakfast and networking at 7:30 a.m. The speakers begin at 8:30 a.m. and the forum will wrap up at 10 a.m.  Tickets are $89 and can be purchased on Bisnow’s website.

A Reston man has been sentenced to 29 years in prison plus probation for life for one count of rape involving a minor.

Julio C. Saravia, 33, was sentenced Thursday in the Circuit Court of Loudoun County.

The Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney said between February 2013 and August 2013, Saravia engaged in sexual intercourse with a minor child on several occasions. In the early fall of 2013, the victim disclosed to a family member that Saravia had sex with her. The family member contacted law enforcement, who subsequently interviewed Saravia. In a recorded interview, Saravia admitted to having
sex with the victim on multiple occasions.

Saravia pleaded guilty to one count of rape last November.

In addition to the total active sentence of 29 years, Saravia will be placed on supervised probation for life and is ordered to have no contact with minors.

Saravia, a native of El Salvador, may be subject to a Federal Immigration Detainer, which would direct his removal from the United States upon his release, officials said.

Photo: Julio Saravia/Credit: Loudoun Commonwealth’s Attorney

Fairfax County Police said a more than 30 animals were recovered from a Reston home on Sunday.

Animal Control officers were called to the 2200 block of Southgate Square on Sunday when a neighbor called about a strong odor.

Police said an investigation discovered more than 30 cats and two dogs at the townhouse.

The investigation is continuing. The animals were taken to Pender Veterinary Centre for evaluation, police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said.

“One of the cats, ‘Mr. Toes,’ scratched an employee while being captured,” she said. “No other injuries were reported.”

Fairfax County Police say the man who was killed in the Sunday afternoon robbery attempt in Reston is Rashad Kejuan Daye, 24, of the Herndon area.

Daye, whom acquaintances said usually went by his middle name Kejuan, was one of the visitors to the Stoneview Square apartment.

The incident occurred in the 11600 block of Stoneview Square about 2:50 p.m. on Sunday. Police said there was a gathering of men in an apartment, there was a robbery attempt and an altercation, and Daye was a killed. Another man was injured when a bullet grazed him.

Police have arrested two men and charged them with attempted robbery and use of firearm in commission of a felony: Eddie Rodriquez, 22, of Woodbridge and Dominique May, 18, of Reston.

May is a student at South Lakes High School, FCPS officials confirmed Monday.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges may be placed in the case as detectives proceed, police said.

Police originally said the incident was a home invasion that ended in a shooting, though the suspects and victim knew one another. They later corrected it to a robbery attempt.

Photos: Top, Eddie Rodriguez; Bottom, Dominique May /Credit: FCPD

Fairfax County Police say the incident that resulted in a shooting death Sunday in Reston was not a home invasion, as they initially reported.

Detectives said the shooting, which took place about 2:50 p.m. on Sunday at the 11600 block of Stoneview Square and Shadowood Condos, took place after a gathering of men ended in a robbery attempt, an altercation and the shooting death of a 24-year-old Reston man.

Originally, police said the incident stemmed from a home invasion (though the residents and the suspect knew one another) and that they were looking for two suspects who fled the scene.

By Sunday evening, police said they were no longer looking for two additional suspects.

In addition to the fatality, another man was injured when he was grazed by a bullet, police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said. His injuries are not life-threatening.

Police have recovered the weapons, said Caldwell. She said multiple shots were fired.

Police are still investigating. They have not released the name of the man who was killed or identified whether anyone has been charged.

There has not been a homicide in Reston since 2013. There were two that year, but both stemmed from domestic incidents.

Photo: Police tape at Stoneview Square crime scene Sunday.

Update, 7 p.m. Sunday — Fairfax County Police say one man was killed and another injured in a home invasion robbery on Stoneview Square in Shadowood Condos on Sunday afternoon.

Police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said police are no longer pursuing two male suspects who they originally thought fled the scene.

“Some people came forward that may have been involved,” said Caldwell. “Police are not actively driving around looking for suspects. But anyone who has information, we would like to talk to you.”

Caldwell said police believe the incident was not random and “at least one of the persons in the home knew the people at the door.”

Initial reports indicated that five men entered an apartment and engaged in some sort of disagreement, police said. There were at least two men at home in the apartment.

Police have recovered the weapons, said Caldwell. She said multiple shots were fired. The injured person was grazed by a bullet and is being treated for non life-threatening injuries, she added.

“We are still trying to determine who shot whom and what the circumstances were,” she said.

Original story, Sunday 5:30 p.m. — Fairfax County Police are searching for two suspects in a Sunday afternoon home invasion in Reston that ended with a fatal shooting.

The incident occurred in the 11600 block of Stoneview Square about 3 p.m., police said.

Police spokesman Lucy Caldwell said the incident did not appear random and the suspect and victims knew one another. The homeowner was not harmed, police said.

Police said one of the suspects was killed and one captured. Two suspects remained at large as of 5 p.m.

The suspects at large are described as two black males between 19-25 years old, police said. One was wearing a red/white/blue hat. The other had a medium afro.

The fatality will be Reston’s first homicide since 2013.

Police have not identified the deceased or the captured suspect.

Reston Now will have more details as they occur.

Reston resident Rachel Wood loves books. She knows that Restonians love books too — and are still mourning Barnes & Noble’s departure in 2013.

That’s why Wood — who has a Master’s of Library Science and worked for more than 15 years in public libraries, including seven years for the Arlington Public Library system — plans to open an independent bookstore, Scrawl Books, later in 2015.

“After Barnes & Noble closed, I felt like there was a hole here,” says Wood. “And I know how to fill that hole.”

Wood and husband, Stephen Ahearn, a scientific consultant, moved to Reston from St. Paul nine years ago. They used to take their three children (twin boys, now 12, and a daughter, now 15), to a great children’s bookstore in Minnesota.

At the time, Reston had two large bookstores, Barnes & Noble at the Spectrum and Books-a-Million at Plaza America, as well as Reston’s Used Book Shop at Lake Anne Plaza.

“I thought ‘if there weren’t two bookstores, I could start a children’s bookstore’,” said Wood.

But, like so many dreams, there is reality. The kids began full-time school and Wood got a full-time job with ACL. She served many roles there, including children’s book buyer and materials division chief.

In the meantime, both Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million closed. This year, Wood got serious. She resigned from her job with ACPL and attended the American Booksellers Association’s Winter workshop on owning a bookstore, as well as a week-long program for prospective independent bookstore owners. She has also spent time with the children’s book buyer at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.

“I came back, ran the numbers and figured out what I can do here,” says Wood.

Next comes securing retail space. Wood envisions Scrawl Books, which will carry books for all ages, as as cozy spot — likely less than 1,800 square feet and she is “open” as to location. She says she can buy books in tune with what the community wants, which is something that is often missing at chain stores or online.

She is already keeping lists of what she thinks will sell well in Reston. Other amenities, such as coffee, will depend on the space.

“There is not a shopping center in Reston without a Starbucks,” she said.

Wood said she is already about six months ahead of where she thought she would be at this point. If all goes according to plan, she would like to be operating by the end of the year.

Wood envisions a new spot for Reston, by Reston, patronized by Restonians and helping Restonians.

“Part of the dream is not just me selling books,” she said. “We hope to be partnering with schools and with Cornerstones.”

Photos Scrawl Books and LinkedIn