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

You may have noticed some new faces this February around McNair Elementary School (2499 Thomas Jefferson Drive).

About 15 volunteers from Fannie Mae’s Reston office have been helping out at the school.

“As a new partner, the firm has offered to provide volunteers on a monthly basis as a way to give back to the Reston and Herndon communities,” according to Fairfax County Public Schools.

The volunteers have been busy supporting read-aloud initiatives and the school’s holiday luncheon, according to FCPS.

The school community can expect the volunteers to help through the end of the year.

Image via Google Maps

Calling all Fairfax County volunteers — nominations recently opened for the 2019 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards.

Established in 1993, the awards honor individuals, groups and organizations that have volunteered through a broad range of activities and programs that primarily benefitted the Fairfax County community.

The nominees are required to have completed their service hours in either Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, the Town of Herndon, the Town of Vienna or the City of Falls Church, unless nominated for the RSVP Competitive Award.

Individuals and groups can be nominated in one of 14 competitive categories and four non-competitive categories. Some of the categories are broken down by “youth,” “adult” and “senior” awards.

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Feb. 8, at 5 p.m.

All nominees will receive a complimentary invitation to Volunteer Fairfax’s annual county-wide volunteer recognition event, which takes place on April 24 at the Waterford in Springfield.

Photo via Volunteer Fairfax 

Do you know an avid volunteer? Nominations opened today (Jan. 4) for the Reston Association Volunteer Reston Service Awards.

Each year the awards recognize people, groups and community businesses who helped serve the community through various volunteer projects.

Nominees are not required to live in Reston, but must have volunteered for at least one year in Reston and contributed either 30 volunteer hours as an individual or 50 hours as a group during 2018, according to the guidelines.

Categories include the following:

• Youth Volunteer
• 55+ Volunteer
• Youth Group Volunteer
• Family Volunteer
• Group Volunteer Service
• Community Partner of the Year
• Committee and/or Work Group Volunteer of the Year

Locals have until 5 p.m. on Feb. 8 to submit nominations with a completed form, a narrative up to 400 words, a reference and supplemental materials. Submissions can be sent via email to [email protected] or by mail to 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive.

The 2018 award winners will be unveiled at a ceremony from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 18 at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue).

Photo via Reston Association

Herndon PD Plays Soccer with Students — In what has become an annual tradition, on Monday the Herndon Police Department took on eighth-grade students from Herndon Middle School in a soccer match. HMS led 2-0 at halftime and was able to stave off an HPD comeback effort to win, 3-2. [Herndon Police Department/Facebook]

Changes Possible for Section 8 Program — The Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development will host a listening session tonight from 6:30-8 p.m. at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) to discuss how current and future federal budget reductions are expected to have a significant impact on the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. [Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority]

‘CarFit’ Helps Seniors in Vehicles — A Fairfax County Police Department program provides a checklist to help older drivers be more comfortable and safe as they drive. In an 8-minute video, the program is explained and demonstrated. [Fairfax County Police Department/Facebook]

RSVP Seeks New Volunteers — The region’s largest volunteer network for people 55 and older will hold an orientation event for prospective volunteers on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 1:30 p.m. at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive). [RSVP Northern Virginia]

Buses Will Be on Holiday Schedule Monday — If you plan to ride the Fairfax Connector on Columbus Day, make sure you’re aware of any route changes that may be in effect. [Fairfax Connector]

Image courtesy Herndon Police Department on Facebook

2 Dead in Great Falls Crash — A 26-year-old Annandale man and a 23-year-old Great Falls woman were killed in an automobile crash at about 7 p.m. Saturday in the 10500 block of Beach Mill Road. A 15-year-old girl, reported by the Washington Post to be the woman’s sister, also suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash. The Post says the two victims were Virginia Tech students who planned to marry. [Fairfax County Police Department/Washington Post]

County Promoting Car-Free Commuting This Week — Fairfax County is encouraging residents to go car-free for a day and try an alternative to drive-alone commuting during Try Transit Week. Participants will be eligible to win prizes include SmarTrip cards and more. [Fairfax County Department of Transportation]

Volunteers Needed for Reston Expo — Volunteers are needed to assist with setup, parking, children’s activities and more at Sept. 30’s Reston Expo. Everyone who signs up to volunteer will receive lunch, snacks, drinks and a volunteer T-shirt. To volunteer, or for more information, contact Ha Brock at [email protected] or call 703-435-7986. [Volunteer Reston]

FCPD Warns of Jury Duty Scam — Once again, the Fairfax County Police Department says, crooks are scamming money from residents through calls claiming a jury duty appearance has been missed. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Herndon Seeks Nominees for Good Neighbor Award — Residents can nominate a family members, friends or neighbors who make noteworthy contributions to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. [Town of Herndon]

The 34th annual Reston Triathlon is coming up Sunday morning, and volunteers are still needed to help make the event go smoothly.

According to information provided by event organizers:

We are looking for a few good men and women to be a part of our 34th annual Reston Triathlon race. So…join us, on September 10th, by volunteering at our local community race. Bring yourself and your spirit of volunteerism and enthusiasm to add to the excitement of the event!

Volunteers can sign up online to help in a variety of ways. Generally speaking, setup volunteers will start at about 5 a.m., swim volunteers will start around 6 a.m., bike volunteers will get to work around 7 a.m., and run volunteers will start at about 8 a.m. that morning. At the end of the event, around 11 a.m., volunteers will be needed for cleanup after the awards presentation.

Help is specifically needed along the bike course, an organizer tells Reston Now.

Registration to participate in the event is closed. Those taking part will swim 1,500 meters in Lake Audubon, bike 40 kilometers on area roadways and run 10 kilometers on Reston pathways, ending at the South Lakes High School stadium.

For more information about the event or how you can help, email [email protected].

File photo of 2016 event courtesy Christin Photography for Reston Association

For the second consecutive year, one Reston resident has gone above and beyond in the effort to remove an invasive plant from the community.

In each of the past five years, Reston Association’s Habitat Heroes program has held the Garlic Mustard Challenge to encourage the uprooting of the plant. Garlic mustard is a widespread and aggressive non-native plant species that kills off native plants, which eliminates ground cover or food sources for local animals. According to information previously provided in Reston magazine:

Because it has few enemies in Northern Virginia, garlic mustard can completely dominate a forest floor in less [than] five years by displacing hundreds of native plants, ferns and wildflowers. Garlic mustard also damages local insect populations. For example, several butterfly species lay eggs on garlic mustard because it resembles their native “host” plant, but the larvae die because they cannot eat garlic mustard.

This year, volunteers in Reston pulled 3,080 pounds of the plant during the four-month challenge. One woman, Patricia Wagner, did her part and more. Wagner was the winner of the challenge in the individual category, pulling 2,636.5 pounds of the plant. She also won the competition in 2016, when she pulled 2,360 pounds.

In the small group category, CA Technologies won for the fourth consecutive year. This year, they pulled 166.6 pounds.

In the large group category, Reston Environmental Action also was a four-year repeat winner. This year, they pulled 277 pounds.

Image via Volunteer Reston

Flash Flood Watch in Effect — The National Weather Service says multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected today with localized heavy rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible. [NWS Alert]

RA Budget Work Session Tonight — The Reston Association Board of Directors will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. at RA headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive) for a work session on the 2018-2019 Capital Projects & Budget Plan, as well as the Five-Year Strategic Capital Projects Plan. [Reston Association]

Volunteers Needed for Senior Olympics — The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics is looking for volunteers ages 16 and over to support the games, Sept. 9-20. The annual event is a celebration of fitness, camaraderie and living healthy longer. Over 50 events are scheduled at 20 venues. Anyone interested in helping should email [email protected] or call 703-403-5360. [Northern Virginia Senior Olympics]

It’s Friday and school is officially out!

To celebrate, you may want to go to the “School’s Out for Summer Party” at the Hunter Woods Recreation Area this evening. The event will take place from 4-7 p.m. and there will be a pool party and cookout.

Tomorrow, continue your celebrations by heading to Family Fun Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dulles 28 Centre (22000 Dulles Retail Plaza, Sterling). There will be music, amusement rides, balloons, inflatables and much more.

Finally, top off a wonderful weekend by going to Scrawl Books on Sunday. The shop is having a special event from noon-6 p.m. There will be storytelling, games and a distribution of summer reading challenge cards for the kids.

There are plenty more events for the Reston area this weekend. Here is just a sampling of the events you can enjoy:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series continues tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by King Teddy. Tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m., head to a free outdoor showing of “Sully” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August. (Note: To receive free parking for these events, parking tickets need to be validated by personnel on the plaza. Find the sign that reads “Parking Validation Here.”)
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series continues Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by Matuto, a Brazilian roots, rock, funk band. The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit Reston Station’s BLVD for an open house (with free mimosas!).
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Reston Town Square Park will be hosting The Uncle Devin Show as a part of their Family Fun Entertainment Series Saturday morning at 10 a.m., for a free show. It’ll be fun for all ages as Uncle Devin takes children on an interactive musical adventure.
• Reston Museum (1639 Washington Plaza N.) is hosting is “Reston Stories” exhibit through July. The Reston Historic Trust and Museum has been collecting residents’ stories and preserving them for future generations. The collection includes stories about volunteering in Reston, the Fountain at Lake Anne Plaza, the early history of Reston and the amazing connections we make in our community.
• Lake Anne is hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• This is the last weekend for “Urinetown: The Musical” at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon). Performances this weekend are tonight at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2.p.m. General admission tickets start at $40.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night, CraftHouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday form 6-10 p.m.
• Reston Town Square Park (corner of Market and Explorer streets) is hosting an “I Hear America Singing” event, with selections of music from the American Songbook, from 7-8 p.m. Sunday.
• Scout and Molly’s Fashion Boutique (11944 Market St.) is having its grand opening Saturday and Sunday. There will be refreshments, snacks and raffle prizes at the event.
• Habitat Heroes’ Slow Mile-A-Minute Weed event will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. This is a volunteer project to pull invasive species out of Reston’s parklands.
• Reston Association will host an open house for the Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.) Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.

SLHS Class of 2017 Graduates Tonight — The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Bank Arena on the campus of George Mason University. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Nationwide Vigils for Nabra Hassanen — The Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment has planned numerous vigils across the nation in honor of Nabra Hassanen, the Reston teen who was killed Sunday. Events are scheduled in DC, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and more. [WISE/Facebook]

Connolly Talks Issues — Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) held a town-hall meeting Monday night in Reston. Check out his Twitter feed to see what was discussed. [Gerry Connolly/Twitter]

Volunteers Sought for Century Ride — The 35th annual ride is scheduled for Aug. 27, and helpers are needed for planning, rest stops and cleanup. [Reston Bike Club]

Photo of Reston sunset courtesy Lizette Badillo Ryan

Over 80 Deloitte employees worked June 9 to revitalize Lake Newport Pool.

The volunteers replaced benches inside the facility, removed invasive plants around the entry of the pool, and landscaped. The work was part of the professional services firm’s Impact Day, which involves projects around the world in efforts to show their commitment to the local communities around their offices.

“Without their help, it usually staff takes a week or two, even months, to complete these projects,” said Ha Brock, Reston Association volunteer coordinator.

Deloitte making an #ImpactThatMatters here in #Reston! #LakeNewportPool #DeloitteImpactDay @Deloitte pic.twitter.com/PA20xNeaoC

— Reston Association (@RestonOnline) June 9, 2017

The event was captured through the hashtag #ImpactThatMatters on social media.

Brock says there are many ways to contribute to important work being done around Reston throughout the year, through programs like Reston’s Habitat Heroes. The group works from March through November removing invasive plants from wildlife.

Habitat Heroes meets every fourth Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon. The next event is Saturday, June 24 at South Lakes High School.

Images via Volunteer Reston on Facebook

Heat Wave Continues — It was hot over the weekend and high temperatures are expected to get into the 90s again for the next couple days. Fairfax County wants residents to be aware of the dangers of extreme heat. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Volunteers Still Needed for ‘Taste’ — Organizers of the Taste of Reston, scheduled for this weekend at Reston Town Center, say they are still in need of some volunteers for Friday and Saturday night shifts. [Taste of Reston]

Utility Work Starts Tomorrow Night — Crews will be doing utility relocation work at the main entrance to the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride, located at the intersection of Sunrise Valley Drive and Roark Street. The work is expected to be take about three weeks. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

Park Authority Unveils Web Feature — Fairfax County parks including nearby Frying Pan Farm Park and Riverbend Park are part of a new interactive webpage that includes photos, videos and more. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Running, swimming and bicycling are always big activities in Reston, but this weekend in particular they will be in the spotlight.

The 11th annual Reston Sprint Triathlon, benefiting Cornerstones, will be held at Lake Newport Pool starting at 7 a.m. Sunday. The event will last about 3 1/2 hours and will impact portions of local roads including Lake Newport Road, Reston Parkway, Wiehle Avenue and Baron Cameron Avenue. Most of the run will take place on RA pathways in the area.

There quite a lot more on the events calendar for the Reston area this weekend. Here is just a sampling of the events you can enjoy:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by Battery Lane. Tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., visit for a free outdoor showing of “Rogue One” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August.
• The Herndon Festival continues through this weekend. Events this weekend include numerous concerts on three stages, kids’ entertainment, carnival rides, food and drinks, and much more. The event takes place throughout downtown Herndon in the area of Elden and Lynn streets.
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series begins Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by former “America’s Got Talent” winner Landau Eugene Murphy. The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• Other live music at Reston Town Center this weekend will include a performance from 6-10 p.m. tonight at Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) and both tonight and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.).
• Reston Town Center businesses are organizing this summer for “Small Business Support Sundays,” which begin this weekend. For a full list of promotions available, check out their website.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• The 2017 Reston Lake Cleanup is slated for Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Meeting locations will be at Lake Audubon, Lake Anne and Lake Thoreau. Volunteers will get into their boats, as well as walking on the shorelines of each lake, to collect as much trash as possible.
• Lake Anne Brew House (11424 Washington Plaza W.) will celebrate Pride Month tonight with a special “Night Out” event.
• Bird lovers are invited to the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) on Saturday from 6:45 a.m. to noon to participate in the summer bird count.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• “Urinetown: The Musical” is being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive) through June 25. Two of this weekend’s performances are already sold out, but tickets remain available for 8 p.m. tonight and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. General admission tickets start at $40.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight at 9:30 p.m. from The Reluctors.
• Vinafera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night.

File photo via Christin Photography/Reston Association

The big event this weekend is the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, which will bring tens of thousands to Reston Town Center  beginning tonight. The kickoff party is from 6-9 p.m. tonight; tickets are $50. The event itself is the next two days, with admission a $5 suggested donation for adults. It will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

But there is plenty else going on in the area this weekend too. Here is just a sampling of what’s available to you, your family and friends in the coming days:

• Reston’s Relay for Life event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive). The luminaria ceremony is set for 9 p.m. Saturday, with the event to continue through the night and wrap up at 7 a.m. Sunday.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center. The Pink Armoire Fashion Truck will be in attendance this week.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• The Habitat Heroes program seeks volunteers to cut back the large invasive bush honeysuckle that has taken over the field edge at Sunrise Valley Rec Area (10805 Oldfield Drive), Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
• There will be a bird walk Sunday from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at Stratton Woods Park. Meet at the Polo Fields Recreation Area.
• Reston Association will host an open house at The Lake House on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.
• The 18th annual Teachers and Students Exhibit remains on display at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center-Lake Anne (1609 Washington Plaza N.) through June 5.
• Live music at Reston Town Center this weekend will include a performance from 6-10 p.m. tonight at Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) and both tonight and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.).
• Lucky Dog Animal Rescue will have an adoption event at PetSmart (11860 Spectrum Center) from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.
• This week at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive), Frying Pan Farm Park will visit Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon; and “First Ladies and Scandals in the City” will be presented Saturday from 1-3 p.m.
• The My Health Matters 5K/1-mile Walk and Free Health Fair is slated for Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the 505 Building at Herndon Square (505 Huntmar Park Drive).
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., from Medicated Sunfish. DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits Saturday night.
• Vinafera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night.
• Matt Waller will play at The Tasting Room Wine Bar (1816 Library St.) from 8-11 p.m. Saturday.