As expected, the overnight rain turned to snow about 7 a.m. Thursday. The latest National Weather Service forecast for Reston says 3 to 7 inches are expected. Plan for snow all day.
Here are some updates on closings and conditions:
Fairfax County Public Schools are closed. School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are closed.
The Federal Government is closed.
Fairfax County Government offices are closed. Employees are granted emergency administrative leave. Emergency service personnel should report as scheduled.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are closed.
Fairfax Connector bus service may be affected by the inclement weather. Check the Connector Web page at fairfaxconnector.com for the current operating status.
For information about FASTRAN, call 703-222-9764Call: 703-222-9764, TTY 711, or online at fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs/fastran.htm.
View the public meetings calendar for any potential cancellations of public meetings of Fairfax County government Boards, Authorities or Commissions.
Emergency information is available on Fairfax County’s website (www.fairfaxcounty.gov), Facebook (www.facebook.com/fairfaxcounty), Twitter (www.twitter.com/fairfaxcounty), Fairfax Alerts at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts or by calling the Fairfax County Emergency Information Hotline at 703-817-7771Call: 703-817-7771, TTY 711.
Reston Association offices are are also closed.
What do you plan to do on what seems like the 100th snow day this season?
Snow file photo by Robbie Nolan
Last week’s bank robbery at Reston Town Center was part of a December crime trend, says the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bank robberies in the area rise sharply in December, but there is no one reason why, the FBI said.
Last December, there were 17 bank robberies in Northern Virginia, the FBI said. The FBI said 13 of those robberies have been solved.
The FBI said last month it “is proactively working to counteract bank robberies this holiday season.”
From the FBI:
For the past two years, a quarter of all bank robberies in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia have taken place in the month of December. Additional analysis shows that the number of bank robberies committed in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia tripled during this one month of the holiday season.
Law enforcement is actively sharing information with banks and the public to create heightened awareness of this issue and warn individuals who may be inclined to rob or attempt to rob banks of law enforcement’s increased focus.
Still, there have been four bank robberies in Northern Virginia this month, including Wednesday’s at the Wells Fargo Branch on Freedom Drive. There also was a Nov. 26 robbery at the Presidential Bank on Reston Parkway at Baron Cameron.
In the Wells Fargo incident, police said a man entered the bank at 1:52 p.m. and told a teller he had a weapon. He took cash and fled.
Witnesses told police the suspect was a black man, about 6-foot-1 and in his late 20s or early 30s.
Fairfax County Police said they were trying to determine whether the most recent Reston robbery was related to two incidents in the McLean District earlier in December. In a Dec. 5 robbery of a Wells Fargo Branch in the 1100 block of Chain Bridge Road, the suspect wore a rubber Halloween mask, police do not have good description.
Photo: Security camera photo of suspect in Dec. 10 robbery of Wells Fargo Bank on Freedom Drive in Reston/Courtesy of FBI.
Reston is affluent when compared with the rest of Virginia, has a growing population and a median age of 38.6.
Those are some of the findings of the Five-Year American Community Survey, which was released last week.
The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey by the United States Census that provides data every year — giving communities the current information they need to plan investments and services.
Here are some of the basics the ACS Found. To see much more data, visit the ACS Website.
Reston By the Numbers 2009-2013
Population: 59,388 (up from 58,404 in 2010 Census)
Race
43,061 White (72.5 percent)
6,373 Asian (10.7 percent)
6,028 Black (10.2 percent)
8,555 Latino (14 percent)
Of note: While the White, Black and Asian percentages populations have stayed about the same since 2010, the Latino population has grown by 2 percent (the 2010 Census counted 7,479 Latinos or 12 percent of the population).
Income
Reston’s Median Household Income is $107,962 (Virginia median is $63, 907)
7.9 percent of individuals live at or below the poverty line (Virginia average is 11.9 percent)
The mean travel time to work is 29.9 minutes — but 6.8 percent of Restonians say they work at home.
Housing
Reston has 26,859 housing units. Sixty-two percent (16,594) of those are owned rather than rented. Median value is $436,200.
Fun fact: 161 residents say they purchased the home in which they lived in 1969 or before.
The first snow of the winter of 2014-15 began as scheduled — at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, just as people everywhere were getting ready for the pre-Thanksgiving scramble.
The snow stuck to grassy areas, but was not accumulating on most roads around Reston. While some residential roads appear sloppy, major and secondary roads were clear as of about 12:30 p.m.
USA Today reports that hundreds of flights were canceled in anticipation of the storm on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Washington-area airports are reporting some delays. Check with your airlines or Flightaware.com to see where your travel plans stand.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said yesterday it has about 400 trucks staged in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties in preparation for the storm, even though it started as rain and may revert back to rain later.
VDOT urges drivers to “use extra caution, particularly on bridges, overpasses, curves, hills and ramps, which become slippery first.” Crews are not pre-treating roads since the rain would wash the treatment away.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says the weather could mean frustration for highway travelers Wednesday. Some motorists already heeded AAA’s warnings and left for the holiday on Tuesday.
That was probably a good plan.
“Wednesday can turn into a chaotic and frightening scene of events on the roadways along the East Coast,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend. “With over one million travelers in Washington, D.C., another 1.1 in Virginia, and nearly 900,000 in Maryland taking to the roads this Thanksgiving, AAA is warning motorists to heed all travel warnings and stay home until road conditions improve.”
The National Weather Service says additional snow may fall overnight and temperatures will hover around freezing. Thanksgiving Day calls for a chance of rain and snow showers, mainly between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. with a high around 40.
Photo: First snowflakes of the season at Lake Anne/Credit: Ken Knueven via Facebook
Virginia is still counting the votes for U.S. Senator, with incumbent Democrat holding a slim lead on Republican challenger Ed Gillespie. But Fairfax County’s votes have been totaled, and Warner won every precinct in Reston.
Here is a look at precinct-by-precinct Reston voting for Senate and for U.S. House. In the House 11th District, which includes Reston, incumbent Democrat Gerry Connolly won re-election, defeating first time candidate and human rights activist Suzanne Scholte.
Dogwood (Voter turnout 41.5 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 484; Warner, 1,070; Sarvis (L), 58
- House: Scholte, 529; Connolly, 1,040
Hunters Woods (59.7 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 505; Warner, 914; Sarvis, 24
- House: Scholte, 529; Connolly, 852
Reston 1 (40 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 264; Warner, 794; Sarvis, 29
- House: Scholte, 286; Connolly, 763
Reston 2 (46 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 343; Warner 968; Sarvis, 36
- House: Scholte, 367; Connolly, 927
Reston 3 (51.9 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 220; Warner, 777; Sarvis 24
- House: Scholte, 230; Connolly, 752
Glade (53.6 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 504; Warner: 1,289; Sarvis, 49
- House: Scholte, 551; Connolly, 1,226
South Lakes (50 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 565; Warner, 1,471; Sarvis, 40
- House: Scholte, 620; Connolly, 1,393
Terraset (39.9 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 373; Warner, 1,035; Sarvis, 44
- House: Scholte, 396; Connolly, 994
Sunrise Vallley (55.6 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 390; Warner, 516; Sarvis, 15
- House: Scholte, 412; Connolly, 475
North Point (46 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 797; Warner, 1,207; Sarvis, 41
- House: Scholte, 856; Connolly, 1,133
Aldrin (51 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 876; Warner, 1,320; Sarvis, 38
- House: Scholte, 946; Connolly, 1,233
Cameron Glen (40.7 percent)
- Senate: Gillespie, 514; Warner, 760; Sarvis, 29
- House: Scholte, 540; Connolly, 627
For complete Fairfax County results, see this report from the Fairfax County Board of Elections.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday in favor of the county’s first Bicycle Master Plan.
This bicycle master plan maps out 1,130 miles in recommended, new on- and off-road bike routes to form a connected network across the county, says county spokesman Tony Castrilli.
This is the first such plan adopted by the county, which shows the growing demand of getting places on two-wheels instead of four, says Kelley Westenhoff, Reston Association’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair.
The plan for more than 1,000 miles of trails and other bike connections will be a boost to the 353 miles of existing bike lanes, shared-use paths and trails already in place to form a connected network across the county.
It also represents a shift in transportation planning, considering biking as an important mode of the future.
“For Fairfax County, it means stepping up to its rightful place in attracting young professionals and families who are biking more and driving less,” said Westenhoff.
“For Reston in particular, it means the county is dedicated to helping us connect our already great pathway system with the rest of the county. As our local and larger communities become more bike-friendly, traffic speeds will drop and the sense of connectivity will increase.”
The changes won’t happen overnight. Fairfax County says it could take up to 30 years to complete.
The county bicycle master plan has been in the works for several years, building off of the county’s 2008 bike route map and the 2010 Tysons Corner Bicycle Master Plan. While Reston has made great strides in bike connectivity, some parts of the county have a long way to go, the Master Plan says. Read More
Capt. Mike Wall, Commander of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station, said overall crime in Reston is down 14 percent when compared to this time last year.
Wall gave the station’s semi-annual “state of crime in the district” report to the Reston Association Board at its regular meeting on Thursday.
“We are very happy to have crime numbers down this year,” he said.
Some of the highlights, according to Wall:
- Robberies down 53 percent in 2014, “which is huge,” he said. There have been 15 reported so far in 2014. There were 32 at this time last year, he said.
- Larceny and theft are down 19 percent: 825 compared with 1,023 at this point in 2013.
- Burglaries are down 27 percent: 69 compared to 97.
- Destruction of property is down 19 percent, with reports of 465 compared to 574.
“The reduction is a result of proactive patrols, arrests being made, and sometimes blind luck,” said Wall. “You never know how many crimes you prevented, but we are happy to see numbers trending downward.”
One area in which numbers are rising are DUI arrests, said Wall. The Captain said DUI arrests are up 27 percent from this time in 2013. There have been 210 this year compared with 150 through October 2013.
“DUIs are always a double-edged sword,” he said. ” We are glad to see that many arrests, but sad to see that many drunks on the road and wondering how many we are missing that are out there.”
In other crime trends, Wall said the department has worked on several projects to deter crime.
Read More
There’s a new place in Reston where readers can pick up a book or share one with their neighbors.
It’s not Reston’s Used Book Shop or the return of Barnes & Noble. It’s the newest Little Free Library, located on Salt Kettle Lane in South Reston.
The Little Free Library is a movement that began five years ago. Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisc., built a model of a one room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former teacher who loved reading.
He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so hebuilt several more and gave them away, the Little Free Library website says.
The idea caught on with community folks who loved reading, and now there are several hundred nationwide, including in Northern Virginia.
Reston resident Kurt Rose thought a Little Free Library would make a great birthday gift for his wife, Dianne. He sent away last month for one of the Little Free Library kits, which come in more than a dozen styles, including a British phone booth or a Contemporary home.
Rose wanted to keep his Little Free Library in the style of his cedar-sided Colonial. He even painted the library box red with white trim like his house and checked to make sure the post was moveable in keeping with Reston Association rules.
But more important than the decor is the content, Rose says.
“Sharing books seems like such a great thing in this era where everyone is so into technology,” he said.
Rose says the main rules are “Leave a book, take a book.” So no dumping a whole crate of hardbacks in the driveway. Books for all ages are welcome.
Know of another Little Free Library in or near Reston? Tell us in the comments.
Photo of Kurt Rose and his Little Free Library on Salt Kettle Way/Credit: Kurt Rose
Reston Now is coming up on its one-year anniversary. Thanks to all who have followed us, read our stories and sent us news tips.
There are a few ways this site can be even better for you. Reston Now is a great place to stay updated on your area, publicize an event and talk to your neighbors.
Here are five things to know to make Reston Now work for you.
1. The Newsletter Comes Out Every Afternoon — Want the news of the day to come directly to you? Sign up for our daily newsletter. It will arrive in your inbox every weekday at about 4 p.m. Reading the afternoon newsletter is a great way to catch up on what happened that day. Go to the Reston Now’s homepage and click the envelope symbol or Newsletter on the blue bar to sign up. We won’t spam you with anything else.
2. Want News as It Happens? — Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read our stories all day long. You can leave comments and messages, and speak with editor Karen Goff directly.
3. Something on Your Mind? Let Us Know! — We have lots of ways for you to speak your mind. You can send a letter to the editor to [email protected]. You can comment on every story to engage in discussion with your neighbors. You can answer one of our poll questions. And you can send us an anonymous tip. Coming very soon: Reston Now Forums where you can discuss any topic.
4. Want to Share Your Photos of Reston? — We would love to see them and maybe use them on the site. Visit our Reston Now Flickr Page to upload your pictures, or email a few to [email protected].
5. Mark Our Calendar — Reston Now has a free events calendar, and we will gladly publish information on your fundraiser, performance or any other event around town. Just click on our events page to submit your event.
Thrillist, a travel and restaurant site, issued its first DC Metro Restaurant Map on Wednesday. The map picks a restaurant “within a couple of miles, but often much closer,” for every Metro stop on D.C.’s entire Metrorail system.
The restaurant pick for Wiehle-Reston East: The newly named Mandoohouse, which Reston Now wrote about last week.
Late last week, we gave Mandoohouse a try. We liked it, with some caveats, as its former self, Myknonos. As Mandoohouse, a Greek/Korean mashup? Not so much. At 7 p.m. on a Friday night we were the only customers, and they still were not ready for us. They were out of one menu item we ordered, and the rest of the meal was just OK.
Mandhoohouse, at 1810 Michael Faraday Dr., is most likely the closest restaurant to the station, not counting McTaco Hut, which was also pretty snarkily touted in City Paper last summer.
So, should Mandoohouse be the pick to ride alongside Tysons Corner’s Nostos and America East Tavern and DC’s Little Serow and Central Michel Richard?
Is there somewhere else in the vicinity of South Reston that is more deserving to represent? Tell us in the comments.
It is International Walk to School Day on Oct. 8, and all Reston elementary schools are encouraging participation in the annual event.
This is the third straight year Reston schools, plus Langston Hughes Middle School, have engaged in the friendly competition to see who can get the most kids to school on two feet.
Fairfax County Public Schools in general are encouraging students to participate “as an effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools.”
The percentage of students walking and bicycling to school declined from 48 percent in1 969 to 13 percent in 2009, says the non-profit Safe Routes to School, which organizes the event. The increased number of Kiss & Ride users has clogged traffic conditions around many schools and has made it more difficult for student walkers and bicyclist to get to school, the group said.
Want to get involved at your school? Visit the Reston page on Walk to School Day’s website to see who is coordinating your neighborhood route.
Photo: Bike to School Day in Reston/file photo
Put down your $14 craft cocktail and listen up: Reston is one of the best places for the rich and single.
That is a subcategory of Money Magazine’s 2014 “Best Places to Live” list, on which Reston was ranked No. 10 on Monday. Reston made the list two years ago as well, when it came in at No. 7. Money picks the best places with populations of 50,000 to 300,000 based on a strong economy, access to good jobs and recreational amenities, among others.
Money’s subset of Best Places to Be Rich and Single includes “a disproportionate number of wealthy people who aren’t yet paired off. To create this list, we considered all places where singles represent at least 30 percent of the population, then ranked the cities by median income. (NOTE: We make no promises about youth or attractiveness.)”
Reston comes in at No. 5, behind Brookline, Mass., Lower Merion, Pa., Newton, Mass., and our neighbor to the east, Arlington, Va.
Money says 31 percent of Reston’s population of 61,000 is single. The median family income in Reston is $142,404.
Says the magazine:
Reston, which is No. 10 on our Best Places list, prides itself on being the country’s first modern planned community. Because the city was designed around its five residential “villages,” it doesn’t have a traditional downtown, but that’s not so say that there’s nowhere for singles to mingle. Reston Town Center is the city’s main gathering spot, and offers socializing opportunities ranging from evening painting classes and classic film screenings to running workshops and wine tastings.
Lake Anne Plaza is another popular spot for shopping, snacking or just hanging out by the lake enjoying the free Wi-Fi.
For more serious nightlife — or to commute to their high-paying jobs — many residents make the trek to Washington, D.C., a trip that’s gotten quicker and easier with the new D.C. metro extension. Now, you can take the Silver Line from Reston to the capital in about 40 minutes.
Reston has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the 2014 Best Places to Live.
Money biennially ranks the 50 best small cities (with populations between 50,000 and 300,000) in the country, looking at such things as “great jobs, strong economies, affordable homes, excellent schools,” and more. It starts out with 781 candidates.
Reston’s rank is No. 10. Two years ago, Reston also made the magazine’s list, coming in at No. 7.
Here is what the magazine has to say about Reston:
Reston was the first modern planned community in the country, and the vision of its founder (who still lives there) has held up beautifully.
The city is made up of five woodsy “villages,” which encompass a range of lakes, pools, shopping areas, golf courses, and more. Fifty-five miles of paths wind through these communities, ensuring that most homes are within a half-mile walk of a village center.
The city’s de facto downtown is the lively if generic Reston Town Center mall, which has the usual assortment of shops and eateries, plus a pavilion that hosts concerts and, in winter, ice-skating.
The headquarters of ComScore and Rolls-Royce North America are also located in Town Center, along with a Google office.
Traffic in the area can be brutal, but things are looking up for folks who don’t work in town: An extension of the D.C. Metro opened in July, and it whisks Restonians to the center of Washington in a speedy 40 minutes.
(Mistake alert: Money has a nice picture of a paddleboarder on a Reston lake. Caption credit says “City of Reston.” If you live here you know that Reston is not a city, but that is for a whole other discussion).
Money points out some Reston stats such as a population of 61,177, a median family income of $142,404, median home price of $395,550 and projected job growth of 1.8 percent.
Here’s Money’s 2014 list:
1. McKinney, Texas
2. Maple Grove, Minnesota
3. Carmel, Indiana
4. Castle Rock, Colorado
5. Kirkland, Washington
6. Columbia and Ellicott City, Maryland
7. Clarkstown, New York
8. Ames, Iowa
9. Rochester Hills, Michigan
10. Reston, Virginia
A Reston man has been charged with aggravated assault and tampering with evidence after a stabbing near Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Police said that William “Tony” Rivera, 21, of Reston, a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was a passenger in a car driven by Giovanni Brown, also 21, about 5:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Robert Muir, Rivera’s attorney, said his client acted in self defense. He told the Associated Press that Rivera, who was released on $5,000 bond, has withdrawn from school and has returned home to live in Reston with his parents.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more details of the incident:
Brown told officers he was leaning into the driver’s door of a vehicle that stopped in the entrance of Monroe Muffler when he was stabbed, according to a criminal complaint filed by Indiana Borough police.
Police interviewed a man to whom the vehicle is registered later that evening. He said his friend “Tony” Rivera, who was in the back passenger seat, pulled the knife and stabbed Mr. Brown, the complaint continues.
A second man in that vehicle told police the same story. Both said that three men then drove away and washed the blood from the driver’s side door before Rivera threw the knife outside an apartment on Carter Avenue.
Police wrote that Mr. Rivera told them a folding knife with a red handle “was thrown from the suspect vehicle on a gravel alley” near Carter. Officers recovered it that day.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2.
Photo: William “Tony” Rivera/Credit: Indiana Gazette
Fairfax County Police said they charged three drivers with driving while intoxicated during a sobriety checkpoint at Fairfax County Parkway and North Walnut Branch Road Friday night.
Six-hundred-four vehicles passed through the checkpoint, police said. Police issued three summonses were issued and made one criminal arrest.
FCPS officers from the Sully, Reston and Fair Oaks Police districts also participated in a directed patrol on Friday, charging three with DWI and issuing 49 summonses.
In other crime news for the week ending Sept. 15:
BURGLARY
- 13000 block of Poener Place, Sept. 14. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
LARCENIES
- 11900 block of Freedom Drive, laptop computer and electronic device from vehicle.
- 11700 block of Ledura Court, bicycle from residence.
- 1800 block of Explorer Street, wallet from business.
- 1800 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverages from business.
- 1400 block of North Point Village Center, merchandise from business.
- 13100 block of Parcher Avenue, beverages from business.
- 1700 block of Port Place, wallet from business.
- 1600 block of Becontree Lane, purse from vehicle.
- 600 block of Brockman Court, wallet and phone from business.
- 2100 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business.
- 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, beverages from business.
- 9000 block of Weant Drive, cash and property from residence.
