Reston: 'Best City' for Political Junkies, Other Random Nutjobs

As if recent political events haven't been enough fun, Reston was just named one of the 10 best cities for political junkies by U.S. News and World Report, which apparently no longer publishes anything but top 10 lists about random cities you wouldn't be caught dead in -- except Reston, of course.

Anyhoo! Here's what they said about Reston:

If, as political scientists have found, tight-knit communities produce more interest in politics, Reston, Va., is a prime example. Located 20 miles outside of Washington, Reston is a planned community with a neighborly spirit. It stands out in Northern Virginia for its green pathways, European-style town plazas for commercial districts, and a neighborhood association that provides public services.

Hmmm. Aren't "public services" socialism, albeit earth-toned socialism?

Sadly, the article didn't mention our history of political activism, or our entertaining local elections, or our nuanced discussion of the issues, or even our political gatherings. In your face, also-ran cities like Bethesda, Md., Syracuse, N.Y., and Brookline, Mass.!

Reston: More Celebs on the Mauve Earth-Toned Carpet

Wow! After last week's thrilling sighting of archconservative Top Gun star Tim Robbins (heh) at South Lakes High School and some seedy Herndon bar, now Carlos Santana was spotted dining at Morton's in Reston Town Center last week. Several Twitterers pointed out his distinctive hat, but here's the bit of exclusive hot gossip you won't find in the trashy celebrity rags:

He had Cajun ribeye with asparagus and a hot chocolate for dessert.

Shocking!

Flashback Monday: 'Seemingly Undauntable Neo-Suburbia'

Here, of course, is a scale model of the first stage of Reston's fake downtown, which, like the final product, seems built, Disney Main Street USA-style, to 7/8 scale. But buy a thesaurus and check out this elitist New York Times article dating back to 1986 about the exciting new project:

Developers are adding a new kind of city-like high-rise Main Street to Reston's 11.5 square miles of seemingly undauntable neo-suburbia, where curing streets named Stirrup Road, Trotter Lane and Gallent Fox Court weave among timbered 'executive campuses' filled with more office space than in downtown Richmond, the state capital.

In planning an urban, straight-line street grid that seems deliberately antithetic to the pseudorustic theme set by Reston's Colt's Neck Road and Polo Fields Court, the well-financed owners of one of America's most successful 'new towns' may be setting a new national pattern for what could be called a 'new city.'

In places, a drive past the eye-catching architecture of these new workplaces... can give the motorist the illusion of threading his way across a trayful of intimidatingly oversized, high-cholesterol petits fours. Here and there, the roadside confections are interrupted by emulations of buttoned-up concrete missile launching bunkers.

We'll come up with something funny to say just as soon as we figure out what those three paragraphs mean. We did laugh, though, when the article referred to the Town Center as "Reston's Times Square," albeit with fewer hookers and polyglot hot dog vendors.

Dispatches from the Front Lines of Civility: The Reston Used Book Sale

It's the happiest long weekend of the year for closet claustrophobics and fans of frottage -- the semi-annual used books sale at the Reston Regional Library! Those of us with fond memories of being body-checked by patrons wielding enough books to make up a Ph.D. candidate's reading list, though, will be happy to know the Friends of the Reston Regional Library have made a few changes.

First, they've set aside another weekend for kids' book sales, meaning you'll no longer be able to train your kids for that upcoming trip on the Tokyo subway by pointing them to the far corner of the book-lined mosh pit room and telling them to squeeze their way through. Second, they've put up a bunch of signs telling people they'll be asked to leave if they don't follow the appropriate social norms expected for those of us who choose to venture out in public on a semi-regular basis. If you find the need to spell this out bizarre, you obviously haven't been to a book sale here before.

During our semi-annual trip to look for vintage copies of Garfield Gets Fat: Vols. 12-24, things did seem a bit more civil. There were a few monosyllabic grunts and a soupcon of body odor as we worked our way around other patrons, but overall it was a far cry from past years. We also spotted someone surreptitiously using a scanner, for who knows what nefarious purposes, but we're assuming Glenn Beck is involved in some way.

So book sale! Yay! Meanwhile, the Washington Post had a minor typo in its coverage of the sale. Turns out used trade paperbacks don't cost $10 each, but $100 each. No, wait -- that's our typo. They actually cost a buck. We can see how those tricky decimal points can trip up even experienced journalists! The sale runs through Sunday, supports a good cause, and has awesome deals if you're into that, whazzitcalled, "reading" thing, so we recommend checking it out.

Breaking: UFO Spotted Over South Lakes High School; Positively Identified as Airborne Brand Extension

Multiple eyewitnesses reported seeing the Goodyear Blimp flying over South Lakes High School this morning. Perhaps it was scouting out camera angles for the next Tour de France time trials along the new Lawyers Road velodrome, or maybe Fox News just got the date wrong for everyone's favorite spectator sport of late, the no-holds-barred town hall meeting. Awkward!

This Week in Crime: Arrests Made in 2008 Homicide

Fairfax County Police have arrested two men in the November 2008 stabbing death of 22-year-old Erika Yancey, whose body was found in her car along Sunrise Valley Drive.

On Monday, September 21, Michael Thomas (pictured), 27, of 5213 Newton Street, Bladensburg, Maryland, was arrested and charged with murder. Thomas agreed to meet with detectives at the Mason District Police Station, where he was taken into custody.

On Tuesday, September 22, Marcus Williams, 28, was taken into custody in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and charged with murder. Williams was apprehended with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Task Force (Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team).

Police were called to 2320 Dulles Station Boulevard on Monday, November 17 shortly after 9 a.m. to investigate suspicious circumstances. The property manager of Camden Dulles Station reported finding what appeared to be a trail of blood leading from the parking lot to a dumpster.

An investigation led detectives to determine that a resident of the apartment complex was missing. Two days later, a patrol officer located Ericka Yancey’s vehicle around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, November 19, in the 13000 block of Sunrise Valley Drive. The officer also located the body of a deceased adult female inside. An autopsy confirmed the deceased woman was Erika Yancey. Yancey died from stab wounds to her upper body.

This Week in Crime: Home Invasions, Hate Crimes, and a Shocking Theft

Four men are being sought in connection with a genuinely spooky Sept. 12 home invasion (PDF) on St. Trinians Court in South Reston.

Four men entered a home in the 11800 block of Saint Trinians Court on Saturday, September 12 around 1:40 a.m. The suspects covered their faces with bandannas and one was armed with a shotgun. They demanded money and property from the 31-year-old victim and his 26-year-old male friend. The victims complied and the suspects left the residence. There were no injuries. The suspects were described as three black men and one white man, all appearing to be teens. They wore dark clothing and red or black bandannas with black baseball caps.

No other details about this home invasion, but it's nice to know a person involved in a similar incident in January recently pleaded guilty.

In January, Fairfax County police arrested a Centreville man in connection with a violent, home-invasion robbery in Reston. Now that man has pleaded guilty in court.

The incident occurred Jan. 24 on Reston Avenue in Reston. Robbery Det. Eric Deane presented details in a Feb. 2 affidavit. He wrote that a firearm was used "to perpetrate the robbery and assault the victim" who sustained a laceration to his head. Wrote Deane: "The blood from the victim is believed to be on the clothes of the suspect who caused this injury."

Meanwhile, a woman who parked her car overnight at the Plaza America garage was the victim of a hate crime.

A 49-year-old woman’s car was vandalized in the 11700 block of Plaza America Drive some time between 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 11 and 4 p.m. Saturday, September 12. The victim parked her car in a garage and when she returned the next day, she discovered racial slurs had been etched into the paint. The Fairfax County Police Department recognizes the potential harm that bias crimes and incidents can have in a community, and strongly encourages people to report them. All bias crimes and incidents are investigated thoroughly.

Finally, the most shocking crime you'll hear about all week, courtesy of the Twitters:

An apron was reported stolen from a business in the 11900 block of Market Street.

There are no words.

Reston Redevelopment: More 'Nooks and Crannies' Than an English Muffin?

What do Reston and a Thomas English Muffin have in common? Besides both being earth-toned, that is. According to a conversation shared by a vigilant observer during a Reston Association budget meeting this weekend, both have awesome "nooks and crannies" ripe for redevelopment:

I attended the RA budget working session Saturday morning. Near the end of the meeting Robin Smyers was talking about how much more assessment revenue RA would get from redevelopment projects in the Dulles corridor and Lake Anne. Kathleen Driscoll-McKee added that there would be more revenue coming from other redevelopment projects in "nooks and crannies" throughout Reston. Since RA won't be getting any assessment from the commercial parts of the new mixed-use buildings, it will all come from new residential units.

Mmm... hot melted butter. Sorry -- got distracted for a moment.

The same anonymous poster took exception to our description of the "Blade Runner schools" we could see after Reston becomes "another Manhattan."

I see you are skeptical about "Blade-Runner" schools and busing kids to playgrounds... This is from a document generated by Reston Assn Transportation Advisory Committee at the time vote on the Lake Anne Comprehensive Plan Amendment.

Clearly adjacent schools that will serve this enhanced village center area will need to be expanded to the extent possible. Some school boundary shifts will be required. More urban standards should be developed by Fairfax County Schools for some Reston schools allowing for multi-story buildings with greater reliance on interior recreation space when exterior space is limited or unavailable. Where possible, joint recreation facilities should be developed that serve school uses during school hours and broader community uses after school hours. Obviously, broader school and other public facility planning that includes areas as far away as the Reston Town Center area must be part of the planning process. Planning for the potential impact that all of the new development expected to take place in Reston will have on schools must begin now.

This is from the Lake Anne Comprehensive Plan Amendment (see p. 25):

A future boundary shift may be needed to ensure that the new residents in the Lake Anne Village Center area would be assigned to the same schools. Also, location of school facilities within the new mid and high-rise buildings might be considered as a means to mitigate impacts on existing schools which are likely to be at or over capacity in the future.

Sounds more like Brazil than Blade Runner.

For the record, we're in favor of some sort of redevelopment around the Lake Anne Village Center, which needs it desperately, and around the future Metro stations, which strikes us as where you actually would want high-density development in the first place. We're still uncertain that given the state of the economy and the backpedaling from high density we're already seeing in Tysons Corner, the faux-urban hellhole poster child for high-density redevelopment in Fairfax County, we're going to see anything quite this dramatic in Reston. But the fact that things like this have worked their way into county documents is a good reminder that we all need to pay close attention to what's being planned for our fair community.

Flashback Monday: A Fancy Tea Party Could Win You a Coffee Mug

My, what a fancy tea party! In celebration of the Reston Museum's grand reopening on Friday, the first person to correctly guess what's going on in this photo could win a Reston coffee mug from the museum. Clicky click here for more information.

Among the newly renovated Museum's exhibits: an arrowhead found in a Restonian's yard after a storm (meaning our favorite planned real estate development was, what, built atop an Indian burial ground?), and the "golden sledgehammer" used to drive in the final spike at the Wiehle Avenue Bridge (forget that far less consequential feat of engineering, the transcontinental railroad). "Even the bathroom is an exhibit," one account exclaims, though in ways both literal and figurative, we won't go there.

Tysons Corner Redevelopment: A Glimpse of What's To Come?

One of the most lively discussions we've seen on this filthy "web log" has cropped up over the whole issue of redevelopment. Will Reston become "another Manhattan"? Will the county raze existing developments near the proposed Metro stations and replace them with giant mixed-use monstrosities featuring rad '80s art, and bus kids from their Blade Runner-like schools to distant playgrounds for recess? Or is this NIMBYism taken to town hall-style extremes?

Frankly, we haven't a clue. But recent news about plans for "Fairfax County's Downtown," assuming you can call randomly arranged buildings filled with generic office space surrounded by auto malls a "downtown," makes us wonder:

Fairfax County planners on Wednesday will propose rules for builders in Tysons Corner that retreat from the vision local officials approved last fall, a shift some civic leaders worry will jeopardize the blueprint to remake the area into a walkable urban center.

The task force envisioned eight mini-cities springing up with a dense mix of housing, offices and stores within a half mile of four Metrorail stations under construction in Tysons, the tallest buildings located closest to the stops... But planners charged with translating the vision into zoning rules reviewed it and came to a different conclusion:

The proposed city is too urban.

"We're looking for an urban feel and urban experience," said Jim Zook, the county's planning director. "But there are cities across this country that work very well at lesser densities" than the task force proposed.

Zook and his staff have concluded that the density of what the task force envisions could be built when Tysons is fully redeveloped in about 40 years would overwhelm traffic. Planners say that would be about five times the 44 million square feet of offices, malls, condos and townhouses there now. Before developers can build high-rises, even near the Metrorail stations, planners say, the area's already clogged road network will need to expand to accommodate the extra development because many of the new residents and office workers will drive. That would require three new interchanges on the Dulles Toll Road; another lane on the Beltway between Interstate 66 and Route 7, in addition to the high-occupancy toll lanes now under construction; and wider lanes on other local roads.

So planners have devised rules that reduce by as much as one-third the building recommended by the task force... "It comes down to a difference over timing," said Walter L. Alcorn, the planning commission chairman who is leading efforts to reconcile the conflicting visions. "The staff's perspective is that we have to look at the constraints of the transportation infrastructure and how much it can take. Based on that, the densities that were recommended by the task force were too high."

From an urban planning standpoint, pretty much anything would be better than the array of dreck that makes up present-day Tysons Corner. By comparison, Reston's incredibly well planned -- if only because there actually was a master plan guiding its development, albeit one that's about to be revised. But if there's pushback on redeveloping craptastic Tysons, what does that mean for Reston's future? Discuss amongst yourselves.

With Tim Robbins Sightings, Reston Becoming Hollywood East

Well hello there, Mr. Fancy Hollywood Celebrity! TV's Tim Robbins was in Reston this past week with his "Actor's Gang," who performed some sort of play at the Reston Community Center -- apparently fully clothed -- and then held a workshop for students from South Lakes High School. Robbins was also spotted at some seedy bar over in Herndon, but we'll leave that idle chatter to the gossip rags and the Twitters.

On the YouTubes: Another 4 Minutes, 57 Seconds You'll Never Get Back

Hooray, the Reston Association's monthly "vi-deo" for the month of September has been posted on the YouTubes! Andy Sigle's soothing dulcet tones are back, as are random shots of green hard hats and something called "galvilum." But that's not all! There's talk about August's uneventful RA board meeting, newcomers night, where you can "meet your covenants staff," and something about the whazzitcalled, stream restoration, including astonishing video of a tree that wasn't cut down, but preserved by the amazing space-age technique of pouring some dirt over its exposed roots.

And is if that isn't enough, there's a bonus segment about Reston Association covenants and you. The more you know... the more you know.

Gubernatorial Race Shocker: Reston at Epicenter of Mojitogate

While we half pay attention to the ongoing gubernatorial race between, whazzit, that one guy from rural Virginia and that other dude, probably also from rural Virginia, with the forward-looking graduate thesis, little did we know that Reston has become the site of the biggest gaffe to date on the campaign trail. Read on to hear the shocking misstep State Sen. Creigh Deeds made while recently visiting the Reston Town Center:

The come-from-behind candidate, who convincingly trounced former national Democratic Party Chair Terry McAuliffe of McLean and popular former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria in the June Democratic primary, was canvassing Reston Town Center when Isaac Lewis of Springfield leaned across a bar railing and asked Deeds if he’d join him and his friends at the bar for a “Mojito,” the traditional Cuban highball long ago made popular by author Ernest Hemingway. 

“What’s a Mojito?” state Sen. Deeds (D-Dist. 25) asked.

Shocker! Actually, the fact that Deeds didn't know the name of one of those annoying drinks you see hipster wannabees enjoying at Reston Town Center is a point in his favor in our books. But leave it to the folks at the Fairfax County Times to weigh in with a joke:

The candidate from Bath, the second least populated Virginia county, could at least never be faulted as George Allen, former Republican governor and U.S. Senator of Virginia, was for not knowing what the word meant and then using it inappropriately in a sentence, as in: “Let’s send those Mojitos back to Cuba!”

Hahahaha. We’ll leave the “news-papering” to the “experienced journalists” if they leave the jokes to the professionals.

This Week in Crime: The Really Quite Tepid Case Unit

Fairfax County Police are focusing attention on two ongoing cases -- a robbery of a 7-11 on Leesburg Pike in August and the series of burglaries targeting Indian families.

First, the 7-11 robbery. Police have shared an image from the surveillance camera, and amazingly, the suspects have changed races.

Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating three suspects responsible for a robbery at a 7-Eleven store, located at 10508 Leesburg Pike. A 26-year-old woman was working at the store on Tuesday, August 11 around 2:30 a.m., when three men, one armed with a gun, entered the store. The armed suspect went behind the counter and began kicking the victim, demanding money. The suspects took an undisclosed amount of money and other merchandise and put it in large white sacks. They fled on foot West on Leesburg Pike. The victim was not seriously injured.

The suspects were described as black men, between 18 and 21 years old. Two suspects were around 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall. The third was about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall. All the suspects wore dark clothing.

Previous information released about the incident indicated that there were only two suspects, and they were described as Hispanic. Details!

As for the burglaries targeting Indian families, an August burglary in Springfield and two others in Loudoun County may be related... and the feds are now involved.

According to another Indian burglary victim, Raman Kumar, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has also become interested in the burglaries because passports, green cards and social security cards have been stolen in many of the burglaries. “I received a call from the FBI today and they will touch base with Lt. Paul Mitchell to see in what capacity the FBI can assist,” Kumar said on Sept. 10.

Stealing jewelry is one thing. But when you start targeting passports, as these folks allegedly have, chances are the Men in Black are going to start paying attention.

Snakes Not On a Plane: Copperheads Resume Reign of Terror in Reston

Hey, remember that time that copperhead snakes attacked three Restonians and their pets last year? Well, they're back -- and apparently they have good memories.

Recently, some residents in three Reston neighborhoods have reported seeing a few copperheads. No person or pet has been harmed. So far, the sightings have occurred in three areas:

* Woodbrook Lane-North Point
* Aldenham Lane/Thanlet Lane
* Post Oak/Ramstead Lane

In 2008, sightings occurred in the same areas. Two dogs, a cat and three people were bitten. All survived.

Not only did they return to the same areas, but to the very same streets. They're the region's only poisonous snake, and apparently they carry grudges.

Fortunately, the RA is on the job, and they've hired a consultant to take care of the problem once and for all:


This time, it's personal.

Flashback Monday: Reston in the 1980s

This exciting map shows Reston in 1980, back when the fake downtown was still a forest and Sought After North Reston was largely a bunch of muddy construction tranches and whatnot. Note the most significant architectural feature, the Great Wall of Reston, which was built at significant expense from onyx and black granite and surrounded our fair planned community -- and like its lesser counterpart in China, could be seen from outer space. Sadly, it was destroyed in the Great Sack of 1984, when the Herndonians overran the walls and looted the indescribable treasures of the Hechingers located where the Home Depot now stands.

This and That: A Random Moonwalk Through Reston News

• Hey now, Aldrin Elementary namesake Buzz Aldrin came by the school to speak to kids yesterday, and maybe brought a chunk of cheese from the moon for the kids to enjoy. Suck on that, Armstrong! In return, the kids had to do this "moon dance," starring noted NASA astronaut Snoop Dogg:
  
  
  
• Saturday's going to be an exciting day in Reston! First, swing by the community yard sale to pick up some moldy vintage clothing, then meet at the basketball courts off Hunting Horn Lane for a walk through "Reaches" 5 and 6 of the Glade stream deforestation restoration project.
  
  
• A Reston resident pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Prince William Circuit Court on last week, the result of a crash back in February.
  
  
• The ongoing feud between Reston Hospital Center parent HCA and Inova continues. After HCA's plans to build a hospital in particleboard hellhole Broadlands got rejected by Loudoun County, it said it would expand Reston Hospital Center, just to show them! Now it's proposing to build a hospital on Rt. 50 in Loudoun, and Inova is pissed. Syringe fight in 3, 2, 1...
  
  
• A 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted while jogging on the trail along Fairfax County Parkway in Franklin Farms Wednesday evening. The suspect was described as white, in his 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, and wearing all black.
  
  
• The Post finally got around to reviewing Reston Town Center burger nirvana The Counter. The takeaway: the reviewer was overwhelmed by all those crazy toppings!
  
  
• Last month's town hall meeting continues to be the gift that keeps on giving! Several alert readers pointed out that the shenanigans caught the attention of the fancy elitist British magazine The Economist. Here's what they said: "Outside a town-hall meeting in Reston, Virginia, last week, a few buffoons likened Barack Obama to Hitler. But most of the protesters are sane." Hilarious, but we're more shocked that people who read this filthy "web-log" would also read The Economist, which uses lots of big words and eschews phrases like "awesome." Also, the ACLU is allegedly interested in representing the Right-Thinking Patriot whose rights were brutally suppressed by that jackbooted thug, the school security officer, the end.

9-11, RA Style

The Reston Association: Finding a way to appropriately celebrate a solemn moment in the nation's history and dispose of unsightly clutter.

Toll Road Hearing: A Pig in a Poke

We could have gone to last night's awesome public hearing on the Dulles Toll Road toll hikes, but that sounded suspiciously like something an "experienced journalist" would do. So instead, please to be enjoying this novelty photo of an oversized pig trotted around by developers opponents of the toll hikes, who now have simplified their message to the short-sighted argument that the Metro Silver Line is worth killing to save us a few extra quarters $11 at the toll plaza. We may not agree with that, but we do think Porky has a future ahead of him in national politics!

If you're not all town hall'ed out at this point, you could always go to tonight's community meeting, held by Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, about the awesome proposed development at the Wiehle Avenue Metro station. You'll get to hear Comstock Reston Station Holdings' "vision" for the plan, which includes a 2,300-space parking garage, hotel, retail, office space and some bitchin' '80s art. The meeting's at 7pm at South Lakes High School, so don't forget to wear your sunglasses at night!

Update: Coverage of the meeting is here.

A Labor Day Miracle: Tall Oaks Fresh World Resurrected from its own Stucco Ashes as Compare Foods Latino Supermarket

Just days after we learned of the demise of Fresh World in the Tall Oaks stucco wasteland Shopping Center, we've learned that another international supermarket will soon take its place:

Fresh World at Tall Oaks in Reston has closed its doors and in a few weeks Compare Foods Supermarket from New York will open in its place. The retailer describes itself as an American supermarket with international flair. Compare Foods will begin moving in on Sept. 16 and will open within 45 days.

This will be Compare's first Virginia supermarket. While Fresh World had a large selection of Asian and Middle Eastern foods, Compare Supermarkets leans more towards Latino foodstuffs. Guess we'll have to head to Lake Anne with our electrified fishin' spear if we get a hankerin' for some fresh eel.

And hey, a rare shout out to the fine folks at the Observer for putting this news on the Twitters days before their print edition hits the streets.

This Week in Crime: That's One Way to Grab a Brewski or 24

The fancy Harris Teeter in the Reston Spectrum Center was liberated of two cases of beer last Friday by a knife-weilding man.

Police responded to a robbery on Friday, August 28 at the Harris Teeter grocery store, located at 11806 Spectrum Center. A man entered the store, picked up two cases of beer and allegedly exited the store. A 38-year-old store employee confronted the suspect, who displayed a knife and fled in a vehicle.

He was described as white, about 20 years old. He was about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 150 pounds, with hazel eyes and medium-length brown hair. He wore a dark blue sweat shirt, dark jeans, a red helmet and white and black sneakers. The victim was not injured.

No word on what kind of beer was taken -- a pricey craft microbrew? A middle-of-the-road domestic lager? Some elitist import? We're about as much detectives as we are "experienced journalists," but we think that just might be the clue that cracks the case (get it?) wide open.

Treepocalypse Now: A Photo Mystery!

We know that the only thing that Restonians love more than a rousing town hall meeting or a fun stack of regulations is a good old-fashioned mystery. And do we have one for you!

Confidential informant "Kelley" shared these photos of some decidedly non-Reston-approved parking happening on the trail along Lawyers Road, near its intersection with Appaloosa Court. And it apparently maybe has something to do with the ongoing stream deforestation restoration work that's gained so many fans of late! She writes:

What the heck is a red sports car doing parked on the path off Lawyer's Road? It's in the section just east of Appaloosa Court. There's frequently a motorcycle parked there too.

I saw a guy messing with the motorcyle the other day, but haven't seen the car move for weeks -- since the trail closed. The fence at the rear of the car is to stop people from proceeding onto the trail as it is one of the access points for the stream restoration work. Maybe the guy who lives in the house at the corner got permission to park there to deter people from going through the fence, but you'd think the bright orange "TRAIL CLOSED" signs would do it? Just weird.

As of (Friday) the car is gone. BUT miraculously I saw workers there at the path for the first time in weeks. Connection? Probably, but what?

Any ideas? We'd check, but we're not "experienced journalists," as regular readers know well. Sound off in the comments.

Operation Summer Heat: The Heat Was On

Hey, remember that time Fairfax County Police decided to crack down on Reston gang activity by coming up with a kick-ass sounding name for its patrols along South Reston pathways? Well, given that Labor Day's over and everyone's going back to school, "Operation Summer Heat" is officially over, with an impressive box score: 42 arrests.

Operation Summer Heat, a four-week enforcement campaign designed to address and deter criminal gang activity that kicked off in July, netted 42 arrests with a total of 52 charges ranging from gang participation to larceny to prostitution. A 12-person team of uniformed and plain-clothes officers along with officers on bicycles patrolled targeted areas of the Reston Police District with the goal of maintaining the safety of the district’s trails and pathways.

Prostitution... in Reston? Really? Talk about putting the "party" into "party walls."

In addition to crime-fighting patrols, Crime Prevention Officers partnered with other county agencies on National Night Out to engage and educate residents about criminal street gangs. Members of the Fairfax County Human Services Department passed out flyers to parents to share how after-school activities can prevent children from getting involved in gangs. Curfew checks were also conducted with the assistance of the Juvenile Probation Unit.

Captain Deborah Burnett, Commander of the Reston District Station said there was a noticeable decline in the number of criminal violations observed during Operation Summer Heat. “The word on the street was out and may have contributed to the fact that no gang assaults, street robberies or malicious woundings occurred in areas where gang activity is known to be higher.”

No malicious woundings? Win! Wouldn't it have been embarrassing, though, to be a malicious wounder, about to go on a malicious wounding spree, and the bicycle brigade stopped it before you could either be malicious or wound?

First Lieutenant T.J. Rogers, Assistant Commander, noted that “there was one attempted malicious wounding, but Summer Heat officers were nearby and quickly intervened to protect the victim and arrest the suspect.”

Awkward!

Both commanders feel Operation Summer Heat was successful in sending the message that the police are out and criminal activity will not be tolerated.

Awesome. Coming up next: Operation Harvest Heat?

Comment of the Week: Getting Schooled

Our most popular commenter ("Anonymous"), from the thread on the Reston Land Use College:

Land Use College sounds fun, can't wait. But will there be a section on why inside-the-Beltway planning has produced places like Clarendon Ballroom and Four Courts that attract hot 25 year old chicks, while Town Center hangouts like Jackson's and Il Fornaio are filled with dudes talking about their jobs?

"Anonymous," take a bow. You win a faded rust orange color swatch from the DRB collection.

R.I.P.: Tall Oaks Fresh World: 2008-09

This sad photo of the Tall Oaks Shopping Center stucco wasteland off North Shore tells the whole story: Fresh World, the Easter miracle that graced Tall Oaks after Giant departed and bleach-intensive Bloom passed, is no more.

We saw this coming, of course. The store opened to booming business, but over time, the parking lot became less and less full. Then signs popped up proclaiming new ownership, as well as vague promises that a better selection of foodstuffs was on its way. Now just a sad sign reading "CLOSED" and various people wandering in and out to do final inventory remain.

We're sad because we no longer have a place to get fresh eel, sushi-grade salmon, and seaweed by the sheet. But we're wondering what happens to the entire shopping center now, especially since there were rumors predating Fresh World that the owners were basically just waiting for it to fail so they could build something awesomely Manhattan-y in its place. Only in this economic climate, those rumors seem less likely to happen now.

Or maybe we've found the perfect space for the new RA headquarters! They could put the child labor cubbies back behind the produce section.

Is This Proposed Museum Too Edgy For Reston Town Center?

Restonian reader "Joshua" was at an institution of higher education, or maybe the Alexandria campus of NOVA, when he stumbled across this scale model of something called the "Reston Town Center Museum of Contemporary Art." Fancy! Who doesn't want to stand behind chicken-wire fencing to look at art, while a menacing oversized binder clip looms outside, apparently suspended from a passing 747?

We're pretty sure this was a student project, but weirder things were included in one of the original scale models of our favorite Fake Downtown, so who knows? Maybe it'll be the future home of the Macaroni Grill once it falls to the wrecking ball.

If it's just a project, though, the student definitely did her homework, judging by one of the bulleted items in the display below:

"A museum gift shop will be located on North First Street as to become part of the shopping activity of Reston Town Center."

Now that's the Reston Town Center we know and love!

In conclusion, this thing is all kinds of awesome, but it anyone ever attempted to build it in Reston, the DRB would clean it out faster than Targetville, the end.

(Thanks to Restonian reader "Joshua.")

This and That: A Random Hop, Skip and Jump Through Reston News

• Now that Brown’s Chapel is no longer slated to become a rec center/juicery, the Save Brown’s Chapel folks are holding a picnic to celebrate from 4-6 p.m. this Sunday. Bring your own smoothies.
  
  
• For those who haven’t tired of the hilarious yet soul-crushing videos of last week’s town hall, here’s one more. The next time this guy needs a routine physical, he’s going to be brought before the death panel for sure.
  
  
• Want a piece of art "worth many times the ticket price?" Be sure to participate in the GRACE Collectors Choice exhibition and raffle by Sept. 20, but bear in mind that each ticket costs $150.
  
  
• Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds spent a little time last weekend chillin' at the Reston Town Center, where he "shook hands with area residents, answered questions and posed for pictures." But did he go to the awesome new Apple store?
  
  
• We’re #96! Or maybe #4,263! Please to be enjoying this list of vibrant Reston companies on Inc. Magazine’s list of 5,000 fastest growing private companies for 2009.
  
  
• Remember how Dogwood Elementary got put on double secret probation for having one subgroup of students fail to meet what educators call “AYP” on fancy state standardized tests? Turns out that it was exactly three kids that made the difference between the school “making the list” or not, as other subgroups recorded impressive gains that would make even Bratz-hating parents turn green with envy. Dogwood has this school year to turn things around, and since it lost funding for its innovative year-round program, what could possibly go wrong?
  

Targetville No More? Homeless Encampment Along Sunset Hills 'Cleaned Out'

We've seen it from the road. We've seen it from outer space. Now Targetville, the homeless encampment along Sunset Hills near the Target, is apparently no more.

Vigilant observer "Matthew" shared this update about the action Monday evening:

About 50 trash bags were lined up along Sunset Hills last night across from the office buildings at the intersection of Town Center Pkwy.

Not satisfied to traffic in mere rumor and innuendo, we jumped into action at Restonian World Headquarters, dispatching a vehicle (sans official license plate, sadly) to check out the report. And it's true -- the distinctively non-earth toned tarps and tents that once basked in the glow of the Target parking lot are now gone, as are the trash bags.

It wouldn't be the first time an encampment of homeless people has had to shift locales -- before locating near Target, another group frequented a now-condofied patch of woods near the library.

Anyone know what happened? Or where Targetville's denizens have moved on to? Given their proclivity for big-box retail, could there now be a K-martville in Herndon?

Another Public Hearing on Toll Road Hikes. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

As construction on Metro's awesome Silver Line extends out of the hellhole urban oasis of Tysons Corner and onto the Toll Road, you may have thought to yourself, "Gee, those endless rows of orange cones must have cost a bundle. Wonder who's going to pay for them?"

Who, exactly. Better dig out that jar of change.

Currently MWAA plans to increase the main toll plaza by 25 cents each year for three consecutive years, resulting in a total increase of 75 cents by 2012. It would also increase the on- and off-ramp tolls from 50 cents to 75 cents beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

The Reston Association has already voted to support the toll hikes. But some people are not happy! Among them, the Dulles Corridor Users Group, which was established in 2005 by Chris Walker, who developed Cascades Business Center and Parkridge Business Park closer to home in Reston. In August, his group sued to stop the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority from collecting tolls as a means of funding the Silver Line extension. While that little chestnut wends its way through the legal system, the MWAA is holding a series of public meetings on the toll hikes, including one next from 5-8pm next Wednesday, September 9, at South Lakes High School.

Yay! A public hearing, right here in Reston! The last one of those went so well, after all. For some reason, though, throwing a bunch of quarters into a filthy basket on an off-ramp hasn't engendered as much of an outcry as death panels and stabbing grannies in the back. At the first of these hearings in Ashburn, fewer than 50 people attended, and many of those that did complained about the format. Apparently they weren't excited about seeing the "exhibits about the Metrorail project, including details about the cost and financing of the rail project, details about the Dulles Toll Road, planned improvements, revenue projections under the toll increase scenario and information on how the money raised from tolls is to be spent." Maybe they should jazz those exhibits up with some, you know, rad '80s art.

Here's part of what the Dulles Corridor Users Group is saying on its "web-site," including a claim that tolls will eventually reach as high as $11 and change by 2047. Which is silly, since by then there will be no oil and society will have crumbled and we'll all be hiding in the post-apocalyptic rubble from our evil cyborg masters. But anyhoo!

Most local residents are unaware that Dulles Rail total costs include not only the estimated $5.3 BILLION CAPITAL COST but $18 BILLION or more in FINANCING COSTS to be paid by DTR users. Additionally, $8 BILLION or more in OPERATING COST DEFICITS could result from Dulles Rail operations during the next 40 years.

Under MWAA plans, unless financial structure changes are made, DTR toll revenues will increase from $65 million in 2009 to $110 million in 2012. The financing plan projects future tolls of $220 million in 2020 and over $500 million annually in the 2040’s with further toll increases likely to cover long overdue improvement and repair costs. As a result, you can expect to pay $11 or more in tolls each way from Herndon and Reston to Tysons Corner, even more if you are Dulles Greenway user.

The MWAA toll increase public hearing process is designed to prevent the public from learning about widespread opposition to planned toll increases.. A recent poll showed that over 90% of those voting claim present tolls are high enough already. Most Dulles Corridor residents and workers believe that DTR tolls collected during the last 25 years should be used to end tolling as occurred elsewhere in Virginia.

Can't find the time to painstakingly hand-letter an angry sign or block out a play in time for next Wednesday's hearing? You can learn more about the hearing process or comment here.

This Week in Crime: The Not-So-Cold Case Unit

Hey, remember that time that a series of burglaries in Reston and elsewhere were targeting homes with Indian religious symbols, only the police called them "Middle Eastern" symbols and then no one was sure how many homes were actually involved?

Yeah, that was awesome. Well, turns out people aren't happy about how the case has been handled, and things remain about as clear as mud.

According to both Fairfax County government and police officials, large caseloads and insufficient staffing may be responsible for an investigation in which the facts given to the public seem to routinely change, and in which the use of federal resources is being questioned.

On Aug. 26, nearly 100 people attended a community meeting hosted by Del. Tim Hugo (R-Centreville) at Colin Powell Elementary School in Centreville. The meeting was held to address a series of burglaries that have seemingly targeted members of the Indian community in Fairfax County for the last eight months.

At an earlier August meeting in Reston hosted by Del. Tom Rust (R-Herndon), police initially said that since January, there had been 20 residential break-ins throughout Fairfax County in which jewelry or electronics were stolen.

“I’ve been living here about 30 years and I haven’t even locked my house. Now it is not safe,” Rajesh Varkhedkar, a McNair Farms resident, said after that meeting.

Varkhedkar arrived at his house around noon June 4 to find someone breaking into his basement door. The would-be thieves got away, but Varkhedkar was able to provide a description to the police. He described the vehicle that he saw suspects escape in as a Silver Toyota RAV4.

Shortly after the Reston meeting, police said they were looking for a young woman and two men who were linked to 16 daytime burglaries. “They seem to be targeting gold jewelry, along with passports, electronics and other personal documents,” said police spokeswoman Tawny Wright at the time.

At the Aug. 26 meeting in Centreville, Detective Paul Mitchell of the county’s Criminal Investigations Bureau said there were actually “only 10 incidents that may be related” and that police were looking for a white Jeep Cherokee.

When meeting attendees asked Mitchell for other specific details on the burglaries, he responded that he did not have his notes with him. “I wasn’t surprised. When he first came up, he said he had 58 active cases and didn’t have a lot of time to address this one,” Centreville resident Joseph Fusari later said.

Apparently, because passports have been taken in some of the burglaries, the FBI might be interested in pursuing the case. Also, people are forming their own e-mail network to share details about the crimes. We'd say more, but we don't have our notes with us.

License to Annoy II: Annoy Harder

While the rest of us rabble anxiously await the release of the "official" Reston license plate from the DMV, one enterprising Realtor(tm) came up with one of his/her own:

Awesome. When you're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Rt. 7, nothing says "you -- yes you! -- want to buy an earth-toned townhouse in a planned real estate development with bizarre rules about party walls" quite like that plate. In fact, we're reaching for our checkbooks now!

(Thanks to Twitterer "Andrew" for forwarding the pic.)

This Week in Crime: And That Was Before He Saw How Much the Monster Cables Cost

The Radio Shack in Fox Mill Shopping Center in South Reston was robbed on Monday afternoon.

An employee of the Radio Shack store, located at 2539 John Milton Drive, was robbed on Monday, August 31. A man entered the store around 2:50 p.m., implied a weapon and demanded money. The 22-year-old man working at the register gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash and he fled on foot. There were no injuries.

The suspect was described as black, in his 30s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, around 215 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt and blue jeans.

As usual, contact Crime Solvers if you have any information. In case you're keeping score at home, this is the first incident at Fox Mill since last October's attempted robbery of the Giant, which was foiled by, of all things, an annoying ringtone. No such luck this time around.

Reston Land Use College: Now With Cliff's Notes

While we wait for South Lakes High School to be defumigated following last week's infestation, it's time to think about a different back-to-school event: the awesome Reston Land Use College.

Following a fun-filled introductory session/mixer/kegger this summer, three "classes" are scheduled for September:

The classes will be held on 3 consecutive Tuesdays - September 15, 22 and 29 at South Lakes High School, 11400 South Lakes Drive, in the cafeteria. The topics for the upcoming sessions are:

* September 15 - Land Use Concepts and Terminology

* September 22 - Understanding the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan and the Reston Master Plan
- How the Comprehensive Plan guides development decisions in Reston
- How the Comprehensive Plan is amended
- What is the Reston Master Plan
- How the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan and Reston Master Plan relate to each other
- What issues will be considered in the Reston Master Plan Special Study

* September 29 - Understanding Reston's Zoning
- An overview of the Planned Residential Community zoning district (also referred to as the PRC district)
- How the PRC district is different from the conventional zoning used in much of the rest of Fairfax County
- The purpose of development plans in the PRC district
- The review process for applications for new development in Reston and how the PRC zoning designation impacts the development of property in Reston.

Wow. Sounds heavy. Fortunately, Fairfax County has provided its own version of the Cliff's Notes that got us people we know through college: a fun-filled glossary! (PDF) You'll learn such fun terms as euclidean zoning (watch out for rhombus-shaped parcels of land), how to use your slide rule to calculate F.A.R. ratios, and the difference between TMAs and TDM. And yes, there will be a test.

Besides the keggers and showing up that crusty old dean, why should you care about the land use college? Here's one argument, as posted on another filthy "web log":

Why should we care about the revision of the Master Plan for Reston? Perhaps it’s because the county wants to change the essential character of our town. County Supervisor Hudgins wants to transform Reston into a city. That’s why the Board of Supervisors increased our residential density cap a couple of years back. From what I can tell the plans have been in the works since the late 1990s. There’s a small Achilles’ heel in the plans though. And that would be Cathy Hudgins herself. She’s an elected official. She was elected. She has a constituency. I wonder how many of her supporters want Reston turned into a big city? How many neighborhoods are on the chopping block? Leila Gordon of the Reston Community Center when making the case for the new indoor rec center at Brown’s Chapel said revenues from Small Tax District 5 would triple in the next few years. That’s a tripling of residences and businesses in Reston.

Whoa. That's more of a buzzkill than a 7 a.m. calculus class.