Reston People

Creating a Beautiful Thanksgiving Table

Local designers offer suggestions for laying the perfect tablescape.

While food preparation can be all-consuming on Thanksgiving Day, the table décor also plays a major role in a Turkey Day feast. Whether your style is subdued and casual or chic and sophisticated, local designers offer ideas and inspiration for table settings that are as delectable as the meal itself.

Library’s Beta Plan: Dead on Arrival

Supervisors endorse Library Board’s recommendations to increase funding, discard beta plan.

"You can assume that the BETA Plan is dead. I will make that motion tomorrow." In her email to a concerned library patron the night before the Board of Supervisors Nov. 19 meeting, Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-at-large) put to rest speculation that the board would resuscitate the controversial beta plan aimed at streamlining the county’s library system.

South Lakes Seniors Attend STEM Diversity Symposium

Three South Lakes High School seniors—Mahrukh Chowdan, Marli Saunders and Olivia Vita were chosen by the GEMS Club Initiative to attend the first-ever STEM Diversity Symposium on Capitol Hill to discuss the accomplishments women and minorities have made in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as the importance of encouraging more women and minorities to pursue STEM studies and careers. The event took place on Nov. 13.

‘Les Miserables’ Storms the Barricades at the Reston Holiday Parade

The cast and crew of the Reston Players production of "Les Miserables" are excited to announce their participation in this year’s Reston Holiday Parade on Friday, Nov. 29.

Column: Beyond Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and your family! In previous columns on this date I have presented the historic evidence clearly establishing that the first Thanksgiving celebration took place at Berkeley Plantation in Virginia on Dec. 4, 1619—several years before the Pilgrims ever left England to come to Plymouth Colony.

Community Creates Season of Giving

Organizations and individuals step to transform ‘The Holiday Season’ into ‘The Season of Giving.’

Thursday, Thanksgiving, traditionally marks the beginning of "The Holiday Season." The Christmas Shopping Derby will kick off at midnight for many of the big retailers, and the frantic rush of decorating, card sending, gift buying, wrapping, parties, baking, cooking, preparing for visitors or preparing to travel shifts into high gear.

Lake Fairfax Still Open As End of the Year Approaches

Although Reston’s Lake Fairfax park’s outdoor Water Mine Swimmin’ Hole is closed until May 2014, the park remains open to visitors and patrons.

Reston Exhibit Shows Wildlife of Africa

Photo exhibit on display until Nov. 30.

On Nov. 14, there was an evening reception at the Reston Center for photographer Patricia Deege’s exhibit "Africa The Living Wild."

A Lesson on Thankfulness

Chanukah and Thanksgiving are deeply connected.

For the first time since 1888, and not for at least another 77,798 years, the festivals of Chanukah and Thanksgiving converge. It is a rarity that invites us to take a closer look at the underlying message of both, the common theme they both share.

Column: Invest in the Young

There is no program or service for which public dollars can be invested that will have a greater return than those invested in the care and education of young children. People who work in early childhood and day care programs have known intuitively and anecdotally for a long time that children in their programs were much more likely to be successful by a number of different measures than were children who did not have access to their programs.

Column: Election Day 2013

Some friends who work on election issues for the Democratic Party have pestered me to stand up and serve as an election officer. The last couple of elections Republican election officers substantially outnumbered Democrats working the polls—not a healthy situation. So, I bit the bullet and signed up.

Nearly Naked Mile Held at Reston Town Center

Fundraiser for Medstar Washington Hospital Center draws crowds.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Reston Town Center was filled with visitors who came to participate in the Nearly Naked Mile. Kelly Kavanaugh, a head coach at Potomac River Running, was emceeing the race.

Halloween Candy Used for a Good Cause

Dr. Tisseront's 8th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back event benefiting Children's National Medical Center and Troops overseas was held on Monday Nov. 4.

Sweet Gathering in the Sunshine

Mentors, foster children and other youth learn about bees; county needs more foster families, mentors.

On a beautiful day in late summer, a group of young people of varied backgrounds, including some youth in foster care, gathered with their adult mentors under the ongoing auspices of Fairfax Families4Kids on a field trip into the countryside.

GMU Rector Visits Penn State

Athletic program explored.

As the Pennsylvania State University community geared up for a busy home football weekend, a visitor from Fairfax was present in the stands: CDaniel Clemente, Rector of George Mason University’s Board of Visitors.

Reston Connection