Letter: ‘Works Sunday 2013’ Thanks the Community
In short, it was you, our neighbors, who made “Works Sunday” a joyful, caring and compassionate event celebrating the common humanity and vibrant diversity of our communities. And so, we of the committee wish to publicly thank all those who gave so freely of their time, talent and treasure to make this year’s “Works Sunday” the major success that it was.
Week in Reston
Fairfax County Police are investigating a fatal crash that took place on Sunrise Valley Drive near Commerce Park Drive. An 82-year-old woman was driving a 2000 Subaru Legacy when she struck the rear of a Fairfax Connector bus while she attempted to change lanes at around 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23.
Reston Founder Welcomes Newcomers
“I believe you will find you have moved to a friendly place. Your neighbors will want to get to know you no matter how old or young you are and regardless of the color of your skin or the size of your bank balance. The 50 miles of paved pathways within Reston make it possible for you to get around on foot or on a bicycle. You can meet people and make friends on the pathways and you can enjoy the natural open spaces that wind through as they connect to the five Village Centers.
Rescue Reston Protects Golf Course
Rescue Reston is a grass-roots organization comprising community volunteers who oppose redevelopment of Reston National Golf Course into residential housing or any site development other than a golf course or comparable open space.
Check Your Local Community Center
Reston Community Center enhances quality of life of those living in Reston.
New to the area? Whether you recently moved to the Reston area or are one of the thousands of employees that commute here every day for work, there’s a hidden gem in the neighborhood that you cannot afford to miss—Reston Community Center.
Obituary: Robert Irving Gould Dies
Robert Irving Gould, born Nov. 5, 1937 died Saturday, Aug. 17 from lung disease. He is survived by his wife Sandra Gould and family Patricia and Gabriel Chavez and children Victoria, Corinne and Nathan; Robert Gould and Jennifer Chung; Kevin and Cindy Gould and children Kyle and Mason; Sean Gould; and Sandra’s family Peter and Joyce Repole and children Laci and Brenden and Stephanie Repole and son Alexander. He also has a brother and two sisters, Thomas Gould, Mary Louise Hobbs and Joanne Dorrett and their spouses and families.
Get to Know Reston Non-profits
Sweet Virginia Foundation is Northern Virginia's charitable beekeeping cooperative whose mission is to promote urban/suburban beekeeping and provide educational and volunteer opportunities for adults and children. Sweet Virginia uses the fine honey it produces from local honeybee colonies to raise funds for local charities dedicated to serving the needs of those most vulnerable in our local community. Supported organizations include Homestretch, Fairfax CASA, The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, Fairfax Families4Kids and several more small scale, DC area non-profits focused on serving the most vulnerable among us.
Residents Agree: Reston Rocks
Restonians on what is so great about living in Reston.
“My family loves living in Reston. The first thing that motivated us to look for a house here were the summer concerts at the Reston Town Center. During our house-hunting trip my husband and I had dinner there, and the music and the people really appealed to us.
Column: From Weak to Week
Eight days and seven nights. Not exactly the vacation I was planning. Nevertheless, admitted to the hospital on Friday, August 2nd. Discharged on Friday, August 9th: that was my hospital “staycation.” Though I definitely improved as the post-surgical week went on, the process itself – specifically, nearly four days in S.I.C.U. (Surgical Intensive Care) with round-the-clock monitoring, nursing and doctoring – was hardly restful. In fact, if you read the following prose, you’ll presumably develop an understanding of the cons.
Every Year Is Election Year in Virginia
Northern Virginia has most two-party races on ballot.
While the Virginia governor’s race is the one getting the most attention, both nationally and in the state, Virginia’s House of Delegates race is shaping up to be the most competitive in a decade. According to an official candidate list released last month by the Virginia State Board of Elections, 57 House seats will be contested this November — marking only the second time in the last decade where at least half of the 100 House seats will have more than one name on the ballot.
What in the World Does a Supervisor Do, and Why Should We Care?
Local Government 101: Where the rubber meets the road.
We see them at just about every community event. They manage a budget larger than the budgets of four states, and rule over a county with a diverse, well-educated population of more than a million people. The 10 members of the Fairfax County Supervisors have an intense, time-consuming, insanely detailed job, one that comes with enormous power and even more responsibilities. They impact our lives in large and small ways, allocating money and resources in ways that can propel our community forward—or cost us our first-rate status in education, livability and culture. Yet most of us, media included, are so focused on politics at the state and national level that we overlook the decision-makers in our own backyard.
Obsessed With Politics? Fairfax County Welcomes You!
What newcomers need to know to be politically-savvy insiders.
Fairfax County may be physically separated from Washington, D.C.—the ground-zero of All Things Political—but residents here are a politically-savvy bunch. We know who Larry Sabato is—a prominent University of Virginia political analyst—and we pay attention to Not Larry Sabato—a Virginia politics blog by Ben Tribbett, a Fairfax County resident and self-described “vicious campaign insultant.” We follow our politicians on Twitter and Facebook.
Supervisors Give Us Their Best “Insider” Tips
Fairfax County has a fantastic park and library system, with tons of activities to enjoy. One of my personal favorites is the Cardboard Boat Regatta at Lake Accotink Park every summer.
An Insider's Guide to the Arts in Northern Virginia
A selection of upcoming arts productions, happening right where you live.
There are more artists of every stripe making art in Northern Virginia than you may realize. Populating the bedroom communities, small towns, growing cities and metropolitan areas of Fairfax County, Arlington and Alexandria are your pick of dance, theatre, choral, symphonic, visual and performance, music and fill-in-the-blank groups. Look beyond Wolf Trap and Jammin' Java to the Torpedo Art Factory, the Workhouse Arts Center, and smaller, quality groups like ArtSpace Herndon and McLean Project for the Arts to cast their creative spell (that's only to name a few). Delve in and, we dare you, let your stereotypes of an artless string of suburbs dissolve. In place you'll get something much better than stereotypes: some culture.
Magic of Lake Anne Mornings
Every day I marvel at the magic, waking up to a different lake each morning with the changes of the seasons and years.
Lake Anne has always been the heart of Reston for me. We moved to our townhouse on the lake in the winter of 2002 and as we hauled the last box in, it started to snow. Tired and hungry, we wandered down to the plaza and settled ourselves into a corner seat by the window at one of Lake Anne’s special restaurants. As the sun set we ordered the seafood soup and looked out onto the plaza and the lake and watched the snow fall gently—magical...
Dancing to Lift Spirits
Gin Dance Company to perform in Reston.
"Dance is an amazing art form that you can deliver stories, ideas, meanings and emotions through body language. It’s a very powerful thing," said Shu-Chen Cuff, artistic director of the Fairfax County-based Gin Dance Company. The company will be performing in the coming weeks at Reston's CenterStage and then at the Reston Multicultural Festival.
Commentary: Plenty of Money
Reading a letter Governor McDonnell sent to state employees or listening to a speech he gave to the General Assembly money committees last week you could conclude that Virginia state government has plenty of money. He told both, “For the fourth straight year the commonwealth will enjoy a budget surplus! We concluded Fiscal Year 2013 with a total budget surplus of $585 million, the largest since 2005. Over the full four years of my term, Virginia has enjoyed a cumulative surplus of nearly $2 billion—the highest cumulative surplus of any single administration.”
Column: County Rushing “Dysfunctional” Master Plan?
A bit over four years ago, the Hunter Mill District supervisor announced the formation of a community Task force to prepare a new Reston Master Plan to shape Reston, complete with rail service, for a generation. The supervisor said it was a vital mission, top priority, to be completed during 2010. Then, she left the room—and the planning process. Fast forward—the train is about to arrive and the task force has yet to complete even the first half of its work—the comprehensive plan for three new rail station areas.
Dulles Day Festival, Plane Pull Returns Sept. 14
The event benefits Special Olympics Virginia.
Whether you’re pulling the plane, cheering from the sidelines or racing down the runway in tennis shoes at this year’s first-ever 5K, there's something for everyone at the Dulles Day Festival and Plane Pull, benefiting Special Olympics Virginia. Grab your family, friends and co-workers and put your muscles to the test Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dulles International Airport.
Newcomers and the Community Guide; Get to Know Area Non-profits
Get to know the area non-profits!