Langston Hughes Prepares for Earthquakes
Middle school participates in USGS ShakeOut drills.
Students at Langston Hughes Middle School participated in the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeOut Thursday, Oct. 18, to prepare themselves in the event of another earthquake like the one that shook a large portion of the east coast on Aug. 23, 2011.
Reston Town Center Lights the Night
Annual walk raises funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Thousands of blood cancer patients, survivors, caretakers, and family and friends of those who have passed away from the disease gathered at Reston Town Center Saturday, Oct. 20 to take part in the annual Light the Night Walk, held by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Bach to Rock Opens in Herndon
Music studio features lessons, recording equipment, DJ school.
Bach to Rock, a music school for students of all ages, has opened its newest location at Worldgate Centre in Herndon. The school features lessons for a variety of instruments, as well as recording facilities and the Beat Refinery, Bach to Rock’s instructional DJ school.
Shelter House Holds Annual Sleep Out
More than 40 people spend night outdoors to support homeless.
As she prepared to go to sleep in the front seat of her pickup truck, Jewell Mikula thought about what had led her here, to a night sleeping in her car on a cold October evening.
IPAR Recognized by County Arts Council
Arts Impact Award given for IPAR's public art outreach.
The Initiative for Public Art-Reston was recognized by the Arts Council of Fairfax County Friday, Oct. 12 with the Arts Impact Award for their commission and placement of art in public places around the community. Founded in 2007 by local civic organizations and residents, the group created a Public Art Master Plan in 2008 to guide the future of public art.
Simon Hosts Connolly Fundraiser
Reston founder welcomes congressman, supporters to his Lake Anne home.
Supporters of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) ascended to the top of Lake Anne Plaza, as Reston founder Robert Simon hosted a fundraising event Sunday, Oct. 13 at his home. Due to the 2010 redistricting, the 11th district includes Reston in its entirety.
Home Tour Shows Life on the Edge
Annual home tour features homes next to Reston's features.
This year’s Reston Homes Tour featured the usual assortment of houses featuring exceptional architecture, interior design and other unique designs, but this year’s theme also focused on the adjacent areas. “Living on the Edge,” the theme, was designed to highlight how various Reston residents are making do while living near some kind of community feature.
Reston Town Center Hosts Oktoberfest
Annual event features fall beer, food, children’s carnival.
A cold, rainy day couldn’t keep George Mitchell and his friends away from Reston’s Oktoberfest Sunday, Oct. 6.
New Downtown Herndon Mural Under Construction
Commissioned by Arts Council, Keith Naquin prepares mural on Ice House Café.
Downtown Herndon has been a bit more colorful in recent months, and artist Keith Naquin is a major reason why. Over the summer, the retired Herndon High School teacher turned the gray wall behind the NAPA Auto Parts building into a scenic, pastoral mural. Now he’s moved onto his second project, transforming the red brick wall of the Ice House Café.
County Lays Out Crescent Timeline
Office of Community Revitalization plans for redevelopment around Lake Anne.
The Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization released the latest timetable for the redevelopment of the Crescent Apartments near the Lake Anne Village Center.
Rescue Reston, RA Ramp Up Golf Course Efforts
Groups organize community response, retain legal counsel.
Donna Robuck and her husband Robert have lived in a house that overlooks the 10th hole at the Reston National Golf Course for the past 14 years. She can still recall: “I walked in the house, walked straight through to the balcony, and me and my husband thought, ‘this is it. This is the perfect house,’” she said. “The very next day my mother-in-law called and asked what the kitchen looked like, and I had no idea.” Since then, she described living in their house as a dream, but in recent months that dream has been threatened.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Students Present STEM Projects
Forward Future hosts summer program for 30 teens.
Thirty children from the Herndon and Reston areas presented a series of projects on Thursday, Aug. 23 at the Herndon United Methodist Church, a result of their summer with Forward Future, a local organization dedicated to youth mentoring.
Reston Rotary Funds Field Trips
Club pays for six schools to receive electronic field trips to Colonial Williamsburg.
The Reston Rotary Club announced the funding of electronic field trips for Dogwood, Forest Edge, Hunters Woods, Lake Anne, Terraset and Fox Mill Elementary schools this year. The trips are hosted by Colonial Williamsburg, and are a series of live internet events and television broadcasts.
Madeleine Steppel Finds Recipe for Success
Reston resident dines with president and first lady.
One night a few weeks ago, while she was at Camp Louise in Maryland, Madeleine Steppel, 9, of Reston headed to the administration building to wait for a call. Once she got to the building, known around camp as "the White House," the call came in: she had won a trip to the real White House for lunch with first lady Michelle Obama.
Herndon’s History on Display
Town’s rail history still major part of downtown.
Commander William L. Herndon, never actually set foot in the town that bears his name. The naval commander died 22 years before the town was founded, going down with his ship, the S.S. Central American, when it sank in Sept. 1957 off the coast of Cape Hatteras, loaded with three tons of gold.
Herndon Home to Many Popular Restaurants
More than 100 restaurants offer food from more than 30 cultures.
Herndon’s signature restaurant is, according to many locals, Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern. Owner Jimmy Cirrito, a native of upstate New York, signed his lease on Veterans Day, 1996, and has been a fixture of the community ever since.
Strategic Plan Looks to Further Simon’s Ideals
Reston Association plans for new properties, service needs to 2016.
When Robert Simon used the proceeds from the sale of Carnegie Hall to buy almost 7,000 acres of Virginia farmland in March 1961, he founded a community with a plan. A place where residents could live, work and play in a variety of housing types with a variety of recreational opportunities. For the community’s first 50 years, those principals guided the community’s development and governance.
Finding Recreation in Reston
Trails, tennis, pools offer variety of opportunities.
As avid outdoorsman, Larry Butler says he spends his vacations getting as far away from civilization as possible. As the director of Parks and Recreation for the Reston Association, he knows places in Reston offer something similar.
Artists Pay Tribute to Margaret’s Garden
ArtSpace exhibit features inspiration from local gardener.
Almost 50 years ago, Margaret Thomas moved to Herndon, and after the death of her husband in 1974, she began using her five-acre farm to grow irises, selling them by the bunch for 75 cents each. Since then, the gardens surrounding her house became a haven for local artists and floral enthusiasts alike, open until sundown to anyone that wanted to take a look.
Reston Youth Cheer Kicks Off Season
Youth cheerleading group performs at competitions, RYC football games.
Reston Youth Cheer, an organization that allows girls to learn how to become cheerleaders, has kicked off their latest season, with summer practices beginning Tuesday, Aug. 7. The group, which features cheerleaders as young as kindergarten age, practices at Langston Hughes Middle School.
Triathletes Swim, Bike and Run in Reston
Second annual youth triathlon raises scholarship funds.
Two hundred and fifty children spent their Sunday morning swimming, biking and running around Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School on Aug. 12 as part of the second annual Reston Children’s Triathlon, hosted by the YMCA, Fairfax County, Reston and the Reston Association.
Obama Campaign Opens in Reston
Office will coordinate volunteers for Herndon, Reston area.
Dozens of volunteers and supporters for the campaign to re-elect Barack Obama opened the new Herndon-Reston office on Reston Parkway, Saturday, Aug. 4, one of six offices opened on the president’s 51st birthday in the Northern Virginia area.
Cindy’s Legacy Hosts Golf Clinic
Herndon Centennial holds fundraiser.
The Herndon Centennial Golf Course hosted a clinic to benefit Cindy’s Legacy, a local charity dedicated to supporting families of those diagnosed with cancer, which raised more than $1,000 Friday, Aug. 3.
Ned Devine’s Hosts Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament
Annual event will feature servicemembers, benefit wounded warrior charities.
Ned Devine’s Golfing Society will host their second annual golf tournament to benefit wounded warriors Sept. 22 at the Herndon Centennial Golf Course. The society, a 501(c)7, is based out of Ned Devine’s Irish Pub in Herndon.
Saying Farewell at Stonegate
Coordinator Jackie Phan made impression on residents of all ages.
In her three-plus years as community coordinator for Stonegate Community Center in Reston, Jackie Phan impacted almost every single resident of the nearby apartment complex. Young children remember that a blue jeep meant "Ms. Jackie" was in, and the adults enjoyed working with her. Edia Bruce interned with Phan for two years, and praised Phan’s leadership style.
Pike Named to Historic Register
Virginia recognizes pike June 21, national register in progress.
In 1969, several community members came together to help preserve the Burling Tract, a 336-acre parcel of land, located just north of Georgetown Pike near the Beltway. More than 40 years later, the efforts of at least 140 local citizens have led to the road being placed in the Virginia Register of Historic Places, with the placement on the National Register soon to come.
Seeking A Sundial at Observatory Park
Analemma Society hosts lecture, fundraiser for sundial replica.
In 1371, Arab astronomer Ibn al-Shatir constructed a sundial at the Great Mosque in Damascus that was a pinnacle of scientific achievement. Almost 650 years later, members of the Analemma Society of Great Falls are hoping to bring a replica to Observatory Park at Turner Farm.
VDOT Unveils EZ-Pass Flex
New transponder will allow HOV access to 495 Express Lanes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation unveiled the EZ-Pass Flex Wednesday, July 25 in Tysons Corner. The new pass will allow users of the 495 Express Lanes, which are scheduled to open at the end of this year, to switch between tolled and toll-free (for vehicles with more than three people) use.
‘Oliver!’ at Herndon High
Play features students from several local schools.
The Herndon High School Theatre Boosters will present "Oliver!" starting July 27, a summer show that will feature students from Herndon, South Lakes, Chantilly and Westfield High Schools. The production also received assistance from several local elementary and middle schools, as well as the Reston Community Players, the Alliance Theatre of Chantilly, Westfield Theatre and the Centreville Presbyterian Community Theatre.
Envisioning ‘After the Apocalypse’
Local novelist explores future of mankind.
In a career spent working in international development, Reston resident David Anderson has seen his fair share of exotic locales and the issues they face every day. And his years of work taught him something.
More Tree Troubles for Great Falls?
Tree falls, kills one, residents concerned about others.
A tree on Georgetown Pike at Oliver’s Corner in Great Falls fell over Tuesday, July 17, killing Albert Carl Roeth III while he was driving south at around 6:30 p.m.
Turtle Recall Releases Debut Album
Local band consists of several South Lakes graduates.
It was the start of 2009 when South Lakes High School graduate John-Currie Hester made a resolution to his fellow South Lakes graduate Guido DeHoratiis: to start a band. Soon they recruited a few other South Lakes alumni to join up and they started playing covers at shows around the area.
Final Metro Span Laid in Tysons
Workers complete overhead bridges, move to laying track.
Workers from Bechtel Construction placed the final aerial span for Metrorail in Tysons Corner Tuesday morning, the last of 258 that will support trains as they make their way from Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue along Phase One of the Silver Line.
Songwriter Performs Hometown Show
A.J. Smith performs with band at Lake Anne.
A few months ago, AJ Smith, a junior at NYU got an email from a professor asking him to stop by his office. As a student studying Music Composition, the Herndon native thought it might be some news about his songwriting workshop.
Moore Promoted to Lieutenant
Twelve-year veteran will serve as assistant support services commander.
Herndon police officer James Moore was promoted to lieutenant Monday, July 16. The 12-year veteran of the force will assume duties as assistant support services commander, where he will supervise criminal investigations, public information and crime prevention.