Thursday, September 27
Classified Advertising Sept 26, 2012
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Week in Reston
Reston-based Gin Dance Company (GDC) announced the kickoff of their “Deep eMotion 7500” fundraising campaign. Under the campaign, the company will be seeking support of businesses, organizations and individuals to help raise $7500 by Oct. 25, 2012 to fund upcoming performing arts productions. Among other events planned, GDC has partnered with Barnes & Noble for a fundraising event at the Barnes & Noble in Fairfax on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Letter: No ‘Anti-defense’ Candidate
In his latest column [“Who is Running to Represent You?,” Reston Connection, Sept. 19-25, 2012] John Lovaas notes disdainfully that Chris Perkins is a defense lobbyist—as if he's the only retired colonel in this town.
Letter: Plenty of Potential for Voter Fraud
It is hard to tell from Delegate Plum's piece ["Voter Fraud at the Highest Levels," Reston Connection, Sept. 19-25, 2012] whether or not he supports Governor McDonnell's Justice Department-approved Voter ID law, whereby a Voter ID Card is sent to every registered voter (easy to vote, hard to cheat). He sees no voter fraud in Virginia and warns us, instead, to beware "fraudulent-like [sic] statements by politicians." Beware, indeed!
Buzz Aldrin Second Grader Meets Reston Founder
Bob Simon socializes at Reston Multicultural Festival.
Dana Culver, mother of Sarah Culver, age 7, who conversed with Reston founder Bob Simon on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Reston Multicultural Festival, said of Simon, “He was very kind and interested in her work…She is in second grade at Buzz Aldrin. She was so excited to meet the man who founded Reston and wouldn't stop talking about him!”
Following Tragedy, Susco 8K Race Provides Hope
Family, community come together to honor Tim Susco.
Many of the 650 participants in the Brain Aneurysm Race for Awareness, held in honor of Tim Susco, a 1999 South Lakes graduate who died suddenly in 2007 at the age of 25 from a brain aneurysm, participated in the event in memory of someone who had passed away following a brain aneurysm.
Chalking for Peace
Armstrong Elementary participates in Chalk 4 Peace.
Students at Armstrong Elementary participated in Chalk 4 Peace on Thursday and Friday. Armstrong Elementary art teacher, Jordon Citron, said this was his first year organizing Chalk 4 Peace at Armstrong, but that the school participated in the activity last year. “The kids love it,” said Citron.
Collecting ‘Bikes for the World’
Senthil Kannan, Boy Scout Troop 1983, completed his Eagle Scout Project. With the help of Yvette Hess and Keith Oberg from Bikes for the World and over 25 volunteers, a total of 77 bikes were collected.
McLean's Cordial Debate Turns Controversial
Allen, Kaine battle for Northern Virginia votes.
“I’m open to dialogue, and I don’t see how openness is something controversial.” —Tim Kaine "If you want a job, you ought to join the Allen team.” —George Allen
Fairfax County Fall Fun Calendar
Along with the seasonal changes of fall—“sweater weather,” the oft-sighted decorative pumpkin, new menus and produce, and the swath of color across the treeline in every direction—come the fall events. Apple picking, parading through town in costume and spending time enjoying fall in Fairfax County are musts. Here are some favorite events to aid and abet your celebration of the season at hand.
Wednesday, September 26
Column: My Team
Not literally, of course. Nor am I the coach or the general manager. But I do feel like an owner, in that there are people that I invest in – again not literally, but definitely emotionally.
Family of Four Found Dead in Herndon
Police make discovery during welfare check, believe husband killed family before turning gun on himself.
A Herndon family of four was found dead in their home on Point Rider Lane the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 25. Fairfax County Police responded after a co-worker of one of the family members reported that they had not been to work this week.
Lake Anne Hosts Annual Multicultural Festival
Event features day of international culture, food.
Saturday, Sept. 22 marked the first time Jesse Ekland and Alicia Morales attended the Reston Multicultural Festival as a couple, but they used it to celebrate their anniversary anyway. That’s because it served as a catalyst for their relationship.
Fall Fun in Reston
Oktoberfest, Homes Tour highlight annual events.
Reston Town Center will host one of the area’s signature fall events, the Reston Oktoberfest, Oct. 5 through 7. The event will feature live music, food from local vendors, a variety of fall beers and a chili cook off.
Haunted House Returns This Fall
Annual Bradley Farm event will raise money for FISH.
The Bradley Farm neighborhood in Herndon will host what has fast become an annual fall tradition, their annual haunted house. Now in its sixth year, this year’s theme will be "The Evil Around Us," a focus on local legends.
Closet Hosts Community Picnic
Thrift store kicks off fall shopping season.
The Closet Thrift Store in Herndon hosted a community picnic on Saturday, Sept. 22, paying thanks to their customers, donors and volunteers that have supported the shop during their almost 40-year mission.
Keeping Tysons Corner Moving
Event provides updates on 495 Express Lanes, Dulles Metrorail.
In the next 15 months, Tysons Corner will see almost $5 billion in new transportation projects come online.
Finding Fall Fun in Great Falls
Spooktacular, horse shows highlight fall in Great Falls.
Many of Great Falls’ signature features will be in use this fall, including the Village Green and Turner Farm. The Great Falls Village Green will be the site of this year’s annual Spooktacular, where pets, children and parents alike can show off their costumes for the whole community.
Friday, September 21
Black Chamber of Commerce to Host Candidates’ Night Mixer
With access to capital and opportunity for growth at an alarming low for black-owned businesses, the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce will shine a light on this small business crisis at the 4th Annual Candidates’ Night reception on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6-8:30 p.m. at the Springfield Hilton, 6550 Loisdale Road, Springfield. The annual nonpartisan NVBCC Candidates’ Night Mixer gives candidates and elected officials the opportunity to meet business owners face-to-face, and allows members of the African American community the chance to express their concerns about the future of Northern Virginia. Already, a dozen candidates and elected officials have been confirmed.
Area Roundups
Financial crimes detectives were alerted to the issue when they began to receive complaints that ATM cards were being used fraudulently to purchase groceries, expensive coffees, and, primarily, to get cash from other ATM machines. An alert customer spotted the skimming device on the machine and contacted hospital security who immediately called police on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
Dam Project Worries South Run Residents
South Run residents want unofficial park entryway shut down permanently.
Chris Amans and his wife, Brenda Riffe, have lived in the leafy neighborhood of South Run in Fairfax Station since the community was developed in the mid-1980s. Bordered by Lee Chapel Road, Route 123, and the Fairfax County Parkway, many of the community’s 500 homes, which sell for close to $1 million, back up to Burke Lake Park. While they love the neighborhood’s mature trees, expansive 1/2-acre lots and access to Burke Lake Park, they have never been happy with the fact that their Laketree Drive cul-de-sac has become an unofficial entrance to the popular Burke Lake trails.
County Combats Chronic Homelessness
Fairfax County joins national effort to house ‘most vulnerable.’
Fewer families experienced homelessness in Fairfax County this year, a 16 percent decline stemming largely from the County’s “housing first” focus, which rapidly identifies housing for those living on the edge. But the number of chronic homeless—the most entrenched street dwellers and vulnerable individuals—jumped 20 percent this year. According to the September report released by the Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH), 51 percent of single homeless individuals (353 people) were identified as chronically homeless in 2012, compared to 39 percent in 2011. An additional 43 adults were counted as unsheltered in 2012 over the previous year.
Classified Advertising Sept 19, 2012
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Thursday, September 20
Meet the Candidates for RCC Board
Voting begins officially on Sept. 28.
The Reston Community Center (RCC) Board of Governors announces three candidates for its 2012 Preference Poll. This year’s candidates include one incumbent, William G. Bouie, and two new candidates, Lisa Ehrhardt and Gerald Zavala. The candidates’ statements in this article are presented in alphabetical order; voters are urged to review all statements to make their best selection.
‘An Evening in Paradise’
The Mayflowers anniversary party, held Sept. 13 at The Reston Town Center location, celebrated the organization’s going into its third year of success with VIPs, orchids galore, ukuleles, Passionfish hors d’oeuvres and signature Maytinis. Mayflowers also drummed up support for the Walk to End Homelessness they’re hosting on Thursday, Oct. 4 at noon in support of Reston Interfaith.
Hudgins Honored for Outstanding Service to Children
The Governing Board of the Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children has announced that Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) has been selected to receive the 2012 NVAEYC Award for Outstanding Service to Children.
Opinion: Voter Fraud at the Highest Levels
Over the last several years there has been a proliferation of bills introduced in Virginia and in many other states to prevent voter fraud. Conspicuously missing from the debate on these bills has been any specific examples of voter fraud having been committed. In fact, the greater problem with voting has not been that persons have been fraudulently voting; voter participation in Virginia and the nation has been embarrassingly low. The emphasis needs to be on getting more people to vote and not to make the process more cumbersome and bureaucratic so that it discourages voters.
Opinion: Who is Running to Represent You in Congress?
If you only get your news from the TV and the big city newspapers that still exist, you might think that we are electing only the president of the U.S. and a U.S. senator from Virginia on Nov. 6, just 47 days from now. In fact, we’ll also be electing a new representative for Reston in Congress.
New Building Approved
Hudgins: ‘Tall buildings have been a part of the very beginning of Reston.’
Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) has issued the following statement: “On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Board of Supervisors approved PRC 77-C-076—known as RTC Partnership. The building will be 23 stories, with a design reflecting one of the important Reston Principles. This “Class A” signature building will consist of approximately 413,700 square feet of office uses, 5,200 square feet of retail, with a floor area ration of 4.08.
County Launches Safety Campaign
How to participate in Fairfax County’s ‘30 Ways in 30 Days’ campaign.
In the past 12 months, Fairfax County residents have experienced an unprecedented number of emergencies, from an earthquake and a tropical storm to floods, a tornado and a derecho.
HarvestFest at Woodland Park Crossing
Woodland Park Crossing announces HarvestFest, a fun fall-themed family event on Saturday, Sept. 29 from noon until 4 p.m. All are welcome to enjoy free entertainment, including a giant walking scarecrow and DJ music, and free activities such as face painting, glitter tattoos, pumpkin painting, fitness demos, prizes and more.
Wednesday, September 19
Column: Refillable. Rechargeable. Reusable.
More like replaceable. Obviously, I want to remain positive and believe that today is not a good day to die (Worf from “Star Trek: Next Generation”) and that there will be many more tomorrows to live for and days beyond that to plan for. However, having a terminal disease has a tendency to darken up those rose-colored glasses.
Celebrating Public Art in Reston
IPAR kicks off new exhibit at Reston Museum.
In his founding principles for Reston, Robert Simon mentioned the need for public art several times. The Initiative for Public Art-Reston presented a history of public art in Reston Saturday, Sept. 15, celebrating several major art projects that form the core of Reston.
Multicultural Festival Comes to Lake Anne
Annual event features food, culture and more from variety of nations.
Lake Anne will host Reston’s annual Multicultural Festival Saturday, Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is designed to celebrate Reston’s diversity, with live performances, arts and even a book fair. A signature part of the festival the past few years has been a naturalization ceremony for recent immigrants to the United States.
Hospital Breaks Ground on New Building
Medical office building will add 180,000 square feet to campus.
The Reston Hospital Center broke ground on their new medical office building Monday, Sept. 17. The new building, which is estimated to be completed in late fall 2013, will add 180,000 square feet of physician offices and hospital services.
MWAA Releases Toll Rates to 2014
Community groups concerned about raises and effect on local traffic.
The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority has released its scheduled toll rate increases for the Dulles Toll Road up to 2015. Effective January 1, 2013, tolls at the mainline plaza will be $1.75 (up from $1.50) and the ramps will be $1.00 (up from $0.75).
Thursday, September 13
South Lakes Football Beats Rival Herndon
The South Lakes football team defeated Herndon, 21-7, on Sept. 7.
Week in Reston
How many people travel on bikes or on foot in Reston? That's the subject of an upcoming project to count bicyclists and pedestrians. You may see volunteers at intersections watching as cyclists and walkers pass by.
Local Real Estate: July 2012 Top Sales in Great Falls, McLean, Oak Hill, Reston, Oakton and Vienna
Local Real Estate: July 2012 Top Sales in Great Falls, McLean, Oak Hill, Reston, Oakton and Vienna
Reston Lions Club Helps Residents of Lake Anne Fellowship House
The Reston Lions Club gave out Giant Food Gift Cards to victims of the derecho storms on Friday, Aug. 31. Residents of the Lake Anne Fellowship House were able to replenish food lost during a five day power outage.
Reston Homes on Display
11th Annual Reston Home Tour to be held on Saturday, Oct, 13, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Visit five outstanding private homes located in Reston’s renowned neighborhoods and clusters on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the 11th annual Reston Home Tour. Presented by Reston Historic Trust, this self-conducted tour offers exclusive viewing of “wow factor” destinations showing inspiring interior design, architecture, unique ideas, art collections, and renovation successes. Reston Home Tour ticket proceeds benefit Reston Museum, which is operated by Reston Historic Trust.
Global InfoTek, Inc. One of Six Primes on $300 Million
Global InfoTek, Inc. (GITI), of Reston, is one of six companies selected as a prime contractor by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide innovative revolutionary cybersecurity research, development and demonstration services. The aim of this Agile Cyber Technology (ACT) effort is to give the Air Force cyber space superiority in alignment with the national security cyber strategy.
Tolls Must Have Limits
The notion that the user of a public service should be the one to pay for it makes sense in theory. But when the service is a roadway and the payments are tolls, the system can feel a bit unfair and clearly needs limits. It made sense when I voted to approve an authority in the early 1980s to build a toll road in the Dulles Corridor to provide traffic congestion relief for western Fairfax County and to open the area for economic development. Using the toll method of financing meant that we got the road and expanded it decades before it would have been considered through the usual methods of road financing. It even made some sense that toll collections be used as a percentage of financing for the extension of Metrorail in the corridor, since the mass transit system would help relieve future traffic congestion on the Toll Road. But there has to be limits on the use of tolls, and clearly the level of tolls proposed for the Dulles Toll Road is too high.
Tornado-Like Storm Strikes Lake Anne Area
It felt like déjà vu on South Shore Drive near Lake Anne in Reston. A powerful wind and rain storm hit the area around 3:30 Saturday afternoon. The majority of the storm damage was concentrated, almost in a straight line, from North Shore Drive near Fairway Apartments to Weihle Avenue.
Plane Pull on Sept. 22 to Benefit Special Olympics
Superheroes Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor regularly come together to fight crime. Although humans don’t naturally possess super powers, you would be amazed at what a group of individuals can do when they put their minds—and muscles—together to accomplish a goal.
Wednesday, September 12
Classified Advertising Sept. 12, 2012
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Column: Trip Without a Fall
Recently, for the first time in nearly two years, I took a trip without having my car. Significant to me in that not “having my car” meant not being able to transport/have all my cancer things.
Tuesday, September 11
Pike Named to National Historic Register
Designation includes stretch of original road, now Dolley Madison Boulevard and Chain Bridge Road.
Georgetown Pike was named to the National Register of Historic Places Wednesday Aug. 22, giving the 14.4 miles of road from the Virginia-Washington, D.C. border to Leesburg Pike the recognition that many locals feel it deserves.
Thursday, September 6
Classified Advertising Sept. 5, 2012
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Wednesday, September 5
Week in Reston
The annual Tag Day fundraiser for the South Lakes High School Band is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8. Tag Day is the band’s largest fundraiser and supplements funding provided by Fairfax County Public Schools. The band members will fan across the South Lakes Community, knocking on doors and asking for your donations.
Robot to Assist in Spine Surgeries
Renaissance™, Mazor Robotics’ surgical guidance system, is the latest addition to Reston Hospital Center’s Institute for Robotic and Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery. Reston Hospital Center is the first, and only, hospital in the Mid-Atlantic region to offer Renaissance guided spine surgeries.
Letter: Logical Step in Evolution of Reston
Bob Simon has more company than he may expect in supporting the 23-story office building at Bowman Drive and Reston Parkway ["Supporting 23-story Building," Reston Connection, Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2012]. I support this project as, in 1978, I did for the five-story building it will replace.
Letter: Defenseless Before Developers
Bob Simon may cling to the notion of seven village centers each with multiple high-rise buildings, but nearly all the rest of us realize that this was, and is, a ludicrous idea on many counts. For one, the inadequate road system Simon created struggles to accommodate existing traffic.
Sustaining Virginia’s Future
Of all the sources of information I cite in my weekly columns, none is quoted as frequently as The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org). The institute is an independent staff of professionals who do analyses of state public policies with particular attention to the impacts on low and moderate income persons. Their July 2012 report, Frozen in Time: Virginia’s Revenue System Can’t Pull its Weight, provides the documentation for this column.
Fairfax Fumbles Master Plan, Reston Future-Part 2
As the Progressive reported last time, Fairfax Supervisor Cathy Hudgins’ Reston Master Plan Task Force has stalled, failing to complete Phase 1 of its work—i.e., plans for development in the rail corridor. With the train arriving next year and no plan in sight, the County caved and is now telling developers not to worry about a plan, just bring in their plans so construction can proceed. If you wondered why Reston should become a self-governing town, watch as the County turns planning as well as building over to developers.
Annual Lake Thoreau Boat Party
Lake Thoreau’s Boat Party, on Sunday, Aug. 26 consisted of various boats from the Lake Thoreau community tied up in the middle of the lake for a social gathering with friends and neighbors.
Reston Photographer Wins National Honor
Reston won another national honor, thanks to the talents of a local professional photographer. Two weeks ago, CNN Money Magazine listed Reston as one of the top ten "Best Places to Live."
Reston Concert for Camp Sizanani
The Reston-based Global Camps Africa (GCA) hosts an evening of music and a chance to meet some of the people of Camp Sizanani, GCA’s residential camp for HIV/AIDS affected children in South Africa.
An Excited, Nervous Start at Lake Anne Elementary
Five-year-old "excited, but shy," mom "happy and scared" on first day of school.
"I think this school year will be great. We have a great school community." --Blake Kohn, President, Lake Anne PTA
Column: Symptoms or just Sometimes
Making the best of a bad situation, that’s how I roll (I’m a Red Sox fan after all). Some days are easier than others, some symptoms/treatments/results are better than others. And some columns make more sense than others. But that’s cancer for you: an equal opportunity “screwer-upper.”
ArtSpace Hosts Paint Herndon
Local adult, teen and youth painters take to streets Saturday.
Hannah Cameron Cadenazzi came into this year’s Paint Herndon with some big shoes to fill. Her sister Mhairi won the youth competition last year, and Hannah aimed to do the same thing: spend Saturday, Sept. 1, painting her entry for the annual art contest.
Students GIVE Back in Big Way
Student-run educational nonprofit celebrates third year, expansion of services.
During his freshman year at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Kevin Cao had the opportunity to volunteer at Belvedere Elementary School in Falls Church. What he learned there is having impact around the Fairfax County School system to this day.
Future of Golf Course Up for Grabs?
Reston Association, Reston Citizens Association speak out, Rescue Reston group formed.
While Reston National Golf Course is a destination throughout the region and recognized around the country for its Nike Golf Learning Center, its future has become a topic of concern for local residents. The owners of the course, RN Golf Management, requested information from Fairfax County earlier this year on the exact zoning regulations for the property on which the 166-acre course sits.
Saturday, September 1
Seahawks Off to Strong Start
South Lakes Field Hockey wins 3 of 4 at “Under the Lights” tournament.
Jessica Dowd is in her second season coaching the South Lakes field hockey team.