Lake Anne Proposal Deferred
New public hearing for apartment redevelopment set for Feb. 17.
The county Board of Supervisors hearing on the zoning for the future Lake Anne Crescent Apartments was deferred last week. Because of a problem with Lake Anne Development Partners LLC’s affidavit, the public hearing was moved to Feb. 17. “We will have a public hearing on the case,” said Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins. “I hope we have had enough thoroughness with the plan.”
Referendum for Land Purchase
A referendum for a parcel of land north of the Dulles Toll Road is being put forth by Reston Association. The parcel, owned by Tetra Properties, will be sold to Reston Association after a voting process that ends in May. “It seems to be a good way to get control of a property that, over time, can be subjected to a lot of pressure as the surrounding areas around it develop,” said Lake Anne-Tall Oaks Director Eve Thompson.
Fairfax Connector To Connect Even Better?
Proposal promises better connections with route changes.
Fairfax County Department of Transportation is working on a better system of buses for the Reston and Herndon area. Representatives from the county transportation team held a public hearing on route changes for the Fairfax Connector on Jan. 28 for a small audience at the Reston Community Center in Lake Anne.
Chesapeake Chocolates to Take Over Lake Anne Florist Shop
Longtime Lake Anne business owner Linda Fuller retired both herself and her shop, Lake Anne Florist, last week. The shop will reopen Saturday, Feb. 7 as an expanded Chesapeake Chocolates.
Schools to Expand by $856 Million
Capital Improvement Plan approved, rising enrollment causes concerns about classroom space.
Five more school buildings and renovations for several existing ones may be approved by 2020. The Fairfax County School Board approved the $856 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP) at the Jan. 22 meeting to set priority on the projects the school system wants done in the next five years.
Referendum for Reston Land Purchase
Former Visitor Center property could be bought back.
A referendum for a parcel of land north of the Dulles Toll Road is being put forth by Reston Association. The parcel, owned by Tetra Properties, will be sold to Reston Association after a voting process that ends in May.
Reston National Golf Stays the Course - for Now
Appeal decision to be announced April 15.
Julie Bitzer moved to a home near the Reston National Golf Course so she can indulge in her favorite past time as often as she likes. “I’m a golfer,” she said. “I was ecstatic I could live at and see the golf course and the open space.” With a home that faces the expansive greens of the 18-hole course, she felt her lifestyle and home were at risk when RN Golf - owned by Northwestern Mutual - appealed the Fairfax County Planning and Zoning staff’s decision that the course could not be converted to a residential area. She was not the only one to be concerned by the appeal.
Outlook: Reston Master Plan Takes Shape
Village Center updates, national golf course appeal mean big decisions.
Restonians may see their ideas become resolutions on paper this year. Community leaders are saying residents can look forward to new village center plans, the beginnings of a new Lake Anne Village Center and a decision on whether Reston National Golf Course wins the appeal on residential zoning.
The Dream is Alive
Reston Community Center holds annual celebration for MLK holiday.
Reston Community Center is keeping the dream alive. RCC’s annual Hunters Woods luncheon program to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and analyze current issues in racism was held on Monday, Jan. 20, with keynote speaker Anna Deavere Smith’s series of monologues showing Restonians how Americans have reclaimed grace in the face of adversity.
Howell, Plum Meet With Residents
Citizens get chance to voice concerns before General Assembly session.
This General Assembly session will be a tough year to budget, according to two local legislators. State Senator Janet Howell (D-32) and Del. Ken Plum (D-36) met with local residents Jan. 8 at Reston Community Center - Hunter Mill to talk about the upcoming session and hear what their constituents thought are the issues to focus on.
Reston to the Rescue
Rescue Reston hopes to save local golf course.
Rescue Reston wants to see a sea of yellow T-shirts on Jan. 21. The organization wants supporters to show that local residents do not want the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals to allow Reston National Golf Course to be bulldozed.
The $2.4 Billion Question
FCPS Superintendent presents next year’s budget.
Fairfax County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza is proposing a $2.4 billion budget for the 2015-16 school year. The proposed Fairfax County Public Schools’ budget includes funds for full-day Mondays, teacher compensation and later high school start times while still finding room for $55.4 million in cuts.
Looking Forward: Reston 2015
Village Center updates planned.
After an eventful year, Reston may see their ideas become resolutions on paper. Community leaders are looking forward to new village center plans, the beginnings of a new Lake Anne Village Center and a new district government center this year.
2014 in Reston: Metro Comes to Town
Metro brings change on community’s 50th anniversary.
Reston has gone through historic changes in the past year. 2014 brought Phase One of the Metro’s Silver Line and community input to redevelop all of Robert’s Simon’s village center visions on the 50th anniversary of his namesake.
County Superintendent Listens to Reston
Dr. Karen Garza’s listening tour stops at Hunters Woods Elementary.
She’s listening. At the last stop of 2014 for her listening tour, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza listened to parents, students, teachers and residents about their concerns about the school system, ranging from cyberbullying to teacher pay on Saturday morning at Hunters Woods Elementary.
Holiday Wishes Come True in Great Falls
The Wish List Project sending 325 homeless children holiday gifts.
Because of Ginger Mahon, more than 300 homeless and foster care children and teens will wake up to presents on Christmas. The Wish List Project, which turns 15 this year, will deliver donated personalized gifts to six organizations throughout the county, playing Santa for hundreds of children.
Reston: ArcAngel, New Security App, Launches
Advanced technology pinpoints user location in an emergency.
John South, CEO of Patrocinium Systems of Reston, calls it the guardian angel of apps. The ArcAngel app, unveiled on Nov. 19, can pinpoint users during emergency situations, alerting first responders and loved ones about their minute-by-minute status.
Gifts from the HeART in Reston
Community Center partners with Cornerstones for holiday market
Lake Anne Community Center will become a holiday market to benefit charity. On Dec. 6, the annual Gifts from the HeART reception and market will feature vendors from throughout the county for adults as well as crafts and a visit from Santa for children.
Lake Fairfax's Real Jonathan Swift
Kentucky native strikes gold with nonfiction pirate tale.
Robert Prather has spent years trying to figure out the real Jonathan Swift - the man behind the legends of pirates, treasure and mystery. After his most recent visit to Alexandria and Lake Fairfax - two areas that Swift called home during his time - he is piecing together the third edition of The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver.
The Soap Engineers Are a Hit at Lake Anne
Business combines science with a love for pampering.
All of Janette Lew’s and Brooke Goad’s best ideas start with wine. The two created The Soap Engineers, a local company that features high quality bath and body products, after the two chatted over happy hour about their mutual love for making handmade bath salts and fizzies.
Community Debates Reston Master Plan
Residents discuss Tall Oaks, Baron Cameron.
By the next Phase II community meeting, the working draft will be completed. The last Phase II master plan public comment meeting took place on Saturday, allowing community members to voice their opinions on their vision for the Baron Cameron convenience center and Tall Oaks Village Center.
Holiday Food Drives Begin in Reston
Local companies gathering food for those in need.
Cornerstones and Reston Community Center [RCC] are working together to make sure families can have a special turkey dinner - and still eat well during school breaks - this holiday season. Their annual Thanksgiving food drives, geared towards families in Herndon and Reston, will provide hundreds of families with food baskets with enough meals for a special dinner and enough snacks for children who are on holiday breaks.
High Schools to Start Later Next Year
School Board approves later start times.
Phyllis Payne has been fighting for more sleep for a decade. On Oct. 23, it all paid off. The co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal - or SLEEP - saw the Fairfax County Public School Board approve to move high school start times ahead by 30 minutes, 11-1.
Bocce Court Construction to Continue
Reston Association motion to rescind courts failed.
Residents at Cabots Point lost the battle against bocce ball courts for now. Reston Association voted advancing on their plans to add the game court to the park at their Oct. 23 Board of Directors meeting.
Dulles Now Screening for Deadly Virus
Local hospitals to treat ill passengers arriving from Africa.
Dulles International Airport was one of five airports in the nation to begin screening for Ebola last Thursday. The Center for Disease Control and Protection trained staff to check all passengers arriving from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to check for signs of illness to prevent more passengers from infecting others during their daily interactions.
Village Centers to Change With Master Plan
Sustainability, walkability focus with Reston’s plazas.
The village centers are all getting a makeover. County Planning and Zoning officials held a community meeting at South Lakes High School Oct. 18 to find out what residents want to change about their village centers as a part of the Master Plan Phase II planning.
Lake Anne Plan Approved
Planners envision energy efficient, pedestrian friendly plaza.
Lake Anne Plaza will become the village center of founder Robert Simon’s dreams in a decade. That’s what Reston officials and Lake Anne Development Partners LLC believe. Reston Planning and Zoning Committee approved LADP’s Lake Anne Master Plan on Monday for a four phase green efficient plan for the town’s original plaza.
Civil War Marker Unveiled
Union soldiers sought refuge in Fields of Fire.
In June 1863, thousands of Union soldiers trudged down Hunter Mill’s dusty roads during the hottest week of the year.
Help the Homeless Walk Breaks Record
More than 400 people walk to end homelessness in Reston Town Center.
Just minutes before the third annual Help the Homeless walk, Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson kept tearing up as she looked at the crowd around her in Reston Town Center. More than 400 people showed up during their lunch break to raise money for Cornerstones by walking from Reston Town Center to the nearest shelter on Oct. 2.
Touring the Decades
Reston Home Tour explores homes of all ages.
This year, Reston Home Tour will take visitors back through the decades. Six homes, built from the 1960s until the current decade, are participating in the Oct. 18 Reston Historic Trust and Museum Home Tour the year the town celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Lake Anne to Host Multicultural Festival on Sept. 27
Reston residents will be able to travel the globe in their own backyard this weekend. The 14th annual Reston Multicultural Festival will bring the community’s founding principle - to be open to all - to Lake Anne Plaza on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a celebration of culture.
GRACE, Macintyres to Receive County Art Awards
Arts Council of Fairfax County presenting annual Art Awards in October.
Two Reston art organizations will be recognized by the Arts Council of Fairfax County next month. The council will present their annual Art Awards to Patricia and Steve Macintyre - owners of Reston Art Gallery and Studios - and Greater Reston Arts Center on Oct. 24 for their work with the community.
Local Group Gives Scholarships to Women
Great Falls Friends and Neighbors gave out $10,000 in scholarships to college women to kick off the start of the school year. Six women from George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, ranging in ages and opportunities, were presented scholarships during a luncheon at Riverbend Country Club on Friday, Sept 19.
Students, Parents and Teachers Plea for Later Start Times
Students, parents and advocacy groups flooded the School Board’s public comment period with pleas to approve later start times for students next year during Sept. 19 meeting.
Portrait of a Graduate Approved
The Portrait of a Graduate has been drawn. This “portrait” - a part of the plans for the proposed strategic plan - was passed unanimously at Thursday’s Fairfax County School Board meeting after the board discussed it for more than an hour.
Lake Anne Fellowship House Revitalization Halted
Fellowship Square Foundation Board claims county did not support plans.
After two years of stalled plans, Norvus Residences is indefinitely deferring the revitalization of Lake Anne Fellowship House. According to a letter sent from the Fellowship Square Foundation Board of Directors, it was because the proposal did not have county support.
Reston Master Plan Debated
Residents discuss neighborhoods and convenience centers.
Reston residents met with Fairfax County officials Saturday morning to discuss the future of their neighborhoods.
Full Day Monday Challenges Discussed
The implementation of “full day Mondays” has been anything but easy for area elementary schools. The challenges that Fairfax County Public Schools faced to bring more hours to elementary students’ school year was addressed by Superintendent Karen Garza and several board members during a school board meeting on Sept. 4 at Jackson Middle School.
Portrait of a Graduate Discussed
The heart of the school system’s new strategic plan is closer to being approved. The Fairfax County School Board discussed the five component Portrait of a Graduate - with some asking for a component emphasizing a caring quality - at Monday’s work session.
Reston Triathlon Attracts Hundreds
Despite having spent the morning swimming, biking and running, Neil Medoff wasn’t impressed with himself. The Reston resident is one of two triathletes who has competed in the Reston Triathlon all 31 years it has been an event, but he said Sunday’s race was not a personal best.
Lake Anne Hosts Jazz and Blues Festival
New Orleans came to Reston on Saturday. The 8th annual Lake Anne Jazz and Blues festival raked in some of the biggest crowds it’s seen yet on Saturday, Aug. 30, as people came in from all over the D.C. metropolitan region for a taste of the area’s best music.
Making change: Some DTR Lanes Converting to E-ZPass
Nineteen exact change lanes on the Dulles Toll Road are going to be converted to E-ZPass lanes over the next year.
Community Leaders Tackle Reston’s Hot Issues
In the next five years, community leaders hope to ensure the Wiehle-Reston East Station is successful, build and endorse a system of trails to get people there, build the Soapstone Connector, update the community - including the plazas - and work on keeping housing affordable in the rising economic market.
A Summer Snow Day at Town Center
Hundreds of happy pups got to frolic in the snow last weekend at Reston Town Center. Petco hauled 20 tons of snow to the town center plaza to give local pets and pet owners a Summer Snow Day to give back to the community and raise awareness for local animal shelters.
Lake Anne Jazz Festival on Aug. 30
Lake Anne’s Jazz and Blues festival has grown a lot since it started eight years ago. The free festival, which features D.C. - area world class musicians, local wine and beer as well as temporary public art, will take place Aug. 30 from 2 to 8 p.m.
‘Happy’ Books Come to Neighborhood
Terraset Elementary school book mobile gives out free books.
Several times this summer, a blue Mazda brimming with books has circled Reston’s neighborhoods.
Pick Reston’s Official Bird!
Residents can choose between five birds by Sept. 30.
Residents will have until the end of September to choose Reston’s official bird.
New RA Board Member Chosen
Dannielle LaRosa is temp North Point director.
A longtime Reston resident was chosen to be the temporary North Point director at Reston Association’s last board meeting.
Serving Families For 90 Years
Pushing the boundaries has led to success, says Northern Virginia Family Services CEO.
An organization does not thrive for 90 years by chance. Northern Virginia Family Services, a county institution, has impacted families throughout the region for nearly a century with no sign of slowing down.
Shiver Me Timbers!
First Pirate Fest a success.
The event was set up like a port town. Even the games had to be paid in doubloons rather than with cash.
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