Tysons Redevelopment: The Price is Gonna Wow Ya

After scaling back plans to transform bucolic Tysons Corner from its current configuration of jumbled office parks, endless seas of parking lots and sprawling car dealerships into a walkable city center, much like Paris with fewer French people, Fairfax County planners have come up with the price tag for this vision of urban bliss: a mere $15 billion. Krystal Koons will not be pleased!

Remaking Tysons Corner into the second city of Washington will take a lot more than a new Metro line and a downtown of tightly clustered buildings designed for walking. It will take almost $15 billion in new roads and public transportation.

That jaw-dropping sum, a preliminary estimate released by Fairfax County planners this week, will be crucial to a redevelopment that envisions more than twice the 44 million square feet of offices, malls and housing now in Tysons -- a commercial and residential hub intended to draw thousands of new workers who will leave their cars at home. But planners fear thousands more will drive and overwhelm the area's already clogged road network.

The costs include $2.6 billion allocated for the first leg of the Silver Line, now under construction to Wiehle Avenue in Reston. Seven billion dollars for roads, bus service and two additional rail lines would not be spent until after 2030. And it's assumed that landowners who stand to profit from dense development near the four Tysons train stations will donate property for much of a planned grid of narrow, city-like streets.

But that still leaves billions of dollars for roads, sidewalks, interchanges and new bus routes over the next 20 years that have no source of funding and are crucial to the success of what Tysons is planned to become.

In the coming months, planners expect to outline which roads would be built first -- and whether developers can start reworking Tysons before that happens.

The sheer cost of reworking the transportation network, combined with earlier talk of scaling back the ambitious plans for Tysons, make us wonder, once again, what to expect for redevelopment efforts in Reston. If the county winds up spending $15 billion there, by our count that would leave approximately $2.94 and whatever change they can find in the couches in the RA headquarters to address infrastructure improvements here. That may not sound like a lot, but at least it'll pay for an air freshener for the car you'll be endlessly sitting in!

This Week in Crime: Jewelry Bandits Strike Again

The burglars that have been targeting the homes of Indian families in search of gold and jewelry for months are at it again. On Tuesday, jewelry was stolen from four more homes, including one in Reston.

Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects of a series of burglaries that have been occurring in the Sully, Fair Oaks, Reston, and West Springfield police districts. On Tuesday, October 27, four homes were broken into; the 5300 block of Poplar Valley Court, the 12700 block of Lady Summerset Lane, the 9300 block of Cumbria Valley Drive, and the 8400 block of White Haven Circle. All the burglaries have occurred in the daytime hours and the suspects are primarily seeking gold jewelry. Other items including electronics have also been reported stolen.

There are over 20 burglary cases which have been linked to these and possibly more that police are looking for connections. Detectives are investigating several leads but remind homeowners to call police regarding any strangers going door to door or acting suspiciously in their neighborhoods.

The suspects have been described as two Hispanic or Middle Eastern men in their late 20s to early 30s and one Hispanic woman.

While police initially struggled with large caseloads in attempting to deal with the string of robberies -- not to mention having to track down a map to identify the location of India as somewhere other than the "Middle East" -- they now are reaching out to the community. Fairfax Police Chief David M. Rohrer will discuss the burglaries during a public meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at Colin Powell Elementary School in Centreville.

On the Twitters: Getting With the Program, Celebrity Sightings, and Feeling the Love

We might have to get one of those "cell telephones" everyone's talking about, because the Twitters are just scorching the airwaves with potentially cancer-causing 160-character transmissions about our beloved planned real estate development. Some of our favorites from the past week:

Someone finally got with the program. Resistance is futile, you know.

Waiting in line for swine flu shots can be frustrating, but it allows time for a refresher of basic math skills.

Another celebrity sighting! Reston's becoming the East Coast mecca for right-wing actors and asparagus-loving rockers.

Good question! Maybe we'll see a press release about this in a week or never.

We know someone who's qualified on all fronts.

Sounds like someone who has one of those fancy "jobs" we keep hearing about.

Our BFFs at scrapeware site Reston.com are feeling the love from the local media.

A play group? It's always nice to set up a time for the kids to get together and OH MY GOD THE ICON IT BURNS

This and That: A Random Pegleg Through Reston News

• Residents raised school budget concerns at a public hearing at the Reston Regional Library on Saturday, as described in a highly perceptive article called "Residents Raise School Budget Concerns." Said article did not discuss the plans to cut language immersion programs like the one at Lake Anne Elementary, full-day kindergarten, and other programs, but that's what's on the table. Another public hearing is being held tonight at 7pm in the South Lakes High School cafeteria; visit fairfaxcounty.gov/budget for details.
  
  
• Reston-Herndon is one of five sites where Fairfax County health officials are giving the swine flu vaccine, but supplies are limited. Check the Twitters all the kids are talking about for updates on availability.
  
  
• Speaking of which, you may think we have problems with the swine flu, but in the Philippines, our very own hometown pathogen, Ebola Reston, has jumped from pigs to fruit bats. PANIC
  
  
• Ten fancy low-power LED streetlights will be installed in Reston as part of a pilot project, thereby solving the energy crisis forever. As a result, part of Bluemont Street will forever be known as the Reston Demonstration Lighting Area, and future generations of school children will be forced to visit it on field trips, assuming enough oil still exists to power school buses.
  
  
• Don't get too excited about recent progress on Metro's awesome Silver Line, as some grassroots organizers developers are still trying to derail it (get it?) in court.
  
  
• The ice skating rink at Reston Town Center opens this weekend, just in time for that famous winter holiday, Halloween. Or you could celebrate All Hallow's Eve by attending another seasonally appropriate event -- the Reston Association's public hearing on its proposed 2010-11 budget at 10am this Saturday. Spills and chills promised for all!
  
  
• The Reston Community Players debut their new fully clothed play, Curtains, one of them fancy "play within a plays" that make our heads hurt. Whatever happened to crowd-pleasers like dancing cats?

On The YouTubes: Caught on Video! Reston Association Newscast Features Shocking Violation of RA Rules

We so look forward to the twice-monthly airings of Andy Sigle's soothing dulcet tones, and in that regard, this new "vi-deo" from the Reston Association doesn't disappoint. But re-airing its previous -- and terrifying -- video about deadly copperhead snakes was somewhat disappointing. It's too early in the fall for reruns! Even this filthy "web log" is still in the midst of sweeps!

However, we did notice something far more terrifying than some stupid snake upon our second viewing. Study this image from the video's B-roll footage carefully. What's wrong with this picture?

You guessed it: white stone. Ruh-roh.

But this flagrant violation of DRB regulations only scratches the surface of this bimonthly video offering! There's a "nature tip," including shots of eight verboten invasive plants, plus a short story about how South Lakes High School students are getting involved in monitoring the results of the stream deforestation restoration process in Snakeden Branch. They would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling kids!

Reston Woman Becomes County's 27th Traffic Fatality

A 79-year-old Reston woman has died from injuries sustained during an accident on Baron Cameron Avenue on Oct. 14.

One week after a crash in the Reston area, a 79-year-old woman has died. On Wednesday, October 14, Mary Stack-Dunne was driving a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire south on North Village Road around 7:25 p.m. She did not stop for the stop sign and pulled into the path of a 46-year-old woman in a 2000 Lincoln Navigator, who was driving west on Baron Cameron Avenue. The impact caused severe injuries to Stack-Dunne and she was medevaced to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she died on Wednesday, October 21. She lived in the 1500 block of Twisted Oak Drive in Reston. Speed and alcohol were not factors.

This is the 27th fatal crash in Fairfax County. Last year at this time, there were 19 fatal crashes.

Reston! The Magazine to Take on Reston! The Planned Real Estate Development

The holiday season just started a little early! Having singlehandedly redefined the direct-to-YouTube video medium, the Reston Association is now turning its attention to the magazine world, with a slick new publication which will replace the A to Z Guide and Reston Resource. But don't take our word for it:

Reston will contain the full program guide for camps, aquatics, tennis, home maintenance, events and member service news you’ve come to expect in the A to Z Guide.

PLUS

All the news and information from the Reston Resource -- profiles of people, interviews with the newsmakers, in depth reporting on issues that affect the Reston community along with volunteer opportunities.

Not only that, but the quarterly publication will replace seven issues of the other two things the RA used to fling into our mailboxes, meaning "there will be a savings on postage and the cost of producing each issue will be no more than the two publications were."

And, if the cover mockup pictured above is any indication, the inaugural cover story will be about Bob Simon's forays into skydiving. We can't wait until January!

Breaking: Woman Found Dead in Winterthur Apartment Identified

Police have identified the woman who was found dead in the Winterthur Apartment complex in South Reston on Saturday as 42-year-old Karen Deck. Though the cause of death was a gunshot wound, the case is still under investigation. From the official release:

On Saturday, October 24, officers were called to an apartment in the 11900 block of Winterthur Lane around 3:40 p.m. to check on the welfare of an adult man. They located a man sitting inside. The body of a woman was also found inside the apartment. An investigation determined the victim, Karen Deck, of 1599 Inlet Court in Reston, suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body.

Homicide detectives are still investigating. No charges have
been placed at this time.

Update: The Post has (slightly) more.

This Week in Crime: Body Found in Winterthur

A woman was found dead in the Winterthur apartment complex in South Reston on Saturday afternoon.

Police discovered the body of a woman inside a Reston apartment Saturday afternoon and are questioning a man who was there with her. The incident was reported around 3:40 p.m. at the Winterthur Apartment complex at 11900 Winterthur Ln.

Police say both are in their 40s, and the death appears to be domestic related. Police are calling this a death investigation pending the outcome of their investigation.

It's not the first time an altercation of this sort has happened in Winterthur. Maybe it's something in the water.

Also last week, cell phones were brazenly stolen from the T-Mobile store in the Reston Town Center.

Three men allegedly stole cell phones from the T-Mobile store, located at 1837 Fountain Drive. On Friday, October 16 just before noon, the men entered the store and began questioning the employee regarding prices. One of the suspects left and the other suspects grabbed a total of four cell phones. They fled in an older model sedan, possibly a Ford. There were no injuries. The suspects were described as black, in their 20s. This first suspect was described as 6 feet tall, 170 pounds with a goatee. He wore a black jacket, jeans, and sneakers. The second suspect was around 5 feet 11 inches tall, 155 pounds, and wore his hair in dreadlocks. He also wore a black jacket, jeans, and sneakers. The third suspect was about 6 feet tall, 190 pounds, and had long dreadlocks. He wore a gray pullover jacket, sweat pants, and black sneakers.

Given T-Mobile's subscriber base at this point, we'd say anyone who enters one of their stores ought to be considered suspicious right from the get-go, the end.

Hometown Hotties, Nudity, the DRB and You: The Nearly NSFW Restonian Post

It's a shame that filthy "web logs" don't have sweep weeks the way that network television does, as this post would totally rock us over the top.

First of all, Maxim, the "mens" magazine of choice for the overcompensating and/or slightly balding crowd, named "Renee," a bartender from Reston, one of its "Hometown Hotties." (Link not really NSFW, unless you work for the Taliban.) But "Renee" is more than a pretty... face! Let's learn more about her:

Favorite Sports Team: I only watch Mma

First Job: Jamba Juice!

Piercings/Tattoos (How many? Where?): Two tattoos. One starting at my right hip and going midway down my thigh, and the other up my left ribcage. Used to have quite a few piercings, just took my last one out in Oct... that one was pretty south of the border...

What fun fact, talent, or mutant superpower of yours should guys know about?: I'm a total Pc video game nerd. I can school most guys at any Fps and I'm totally addicted to World of Warcraft!

That sound you just heard was thousands of nerdy guys inhaling sharply, knocking over their half-consumed bags of Cheetos in the process. We'll spare you her thoughts on sex and the "most unusual place you've ever hooked up." (SPOILER ALERT: It wasn't while waiting in line for her RA pool pass.)

Now on to another ribald tale, this one inspired by the guy in Springfield who was recently arrested for indecent exposure in his own home. One Restonian -- who for obvious reasons wants to remain anonymous -- figured out the problem: Springfield doesn't have a DRB! Read on:

I was told by the state's attorney a few years ago that in Virginia it is legal for you to be naked in your own home. I found that out when my new neighbor was spending a lot of time up on the hill outside our bedroom window peeking in. I was worried because my husband always goes off to his shower in the buff after he drops his clothes in the hamper. I was worried the neighbor would have him arrested. But the state's attorney said the law states it is assumed you have privacy in your own home.

In Virginia, in order to be arrested for being a peeping tom, you have to have your hand on the side of the house you are peeking into. A very bizarre law.

Something is very wrong in Virginia if a guy can't be naked in his own kitchen. What's next, we'll be told to keep our clothes on when we bathe lest our neighbors should see us naked?

And my peeping tom neighbor? We went through the whole DRB process and put up a 6 ft privacy fence.

You read that right: While annoying and arbitrary, the DRB process can help keep you from being arrested for being naked in your own home. And for that, we salute you, DRB.

Some Politics are Local: A Haiku of an Endorsement

The Washington Post wasted precious little ink in endorsing incumbent Delegate Ken Plum (D-Mauve) in his race against challenger Hugh "Mac" Cannon.

Kenneth R. Plum, the conscientious, tough-minded leader of the Democratic Caucus in the House, is a 30-year veteran lawmaker, widely respected in Richmond. His Republican opponent, Hugh "Mac" Cannon, is pleasant but unschooled in state and local issues.

That's it? Next time, they should totally do it in haiku form:

Neighborhood watch chief
Dragged RA into debate spat
'Pleasant' not enough

Update: The Fairfax Times has also endorsed Plum, using just slightly more words than the Post. Bonus points though, Times, for using the phrase "down south."

School Budget Cuts Could End Language Immersion, Full-Day Kindergarten at Lake Anne Elementary and Elsewhere

Massive budget cuts under consideration by the Fairfax County School Board could mean the end of full-day kindergarten and all elementary language immersion programs, including the Spanish immersion program offered at Lake Anne Elementary. Here's what the Lake Anne PTA is telling parents:

Foreign Language instruction at the Elementary level is quite likely to be cut from the schools budget. This means NO IMMERSION PROGRAM at Lake Anne.

In addition, Lake Anne's Art Focus School funding, narrowly restored last year, will likely cut as well. Our students would have reduced music and music instruction, reduced time in art class and no drama classes at all. Elementary level band and strings may be eliminated completely.

Class sizes will increase by one or two pupils per class. Services by social workers and counselors will likely be curtailed. And it is a sad possibility that teachers and aides will be laid off. (Teachers and staff did not receive any increase in pay last year and do not expect to see any increase this year as well.)

We have no idea how that would play out for Lake Anne. The enrollment would be drastically reduced if the majority of students currently enrolled in Spanish Immersion returned to their boundary or base school. Our children would lose out and the school would lose as well.

Preserving full-day kindergarten is a no-brainer, especially at schools that serve needy students. But language immersion programs are one of the hidden gems of Fairfax County's schools, something few public school systems nationwide have the resources or wherewithal to offer. Losing such an innovative program would be a tragedy for a community that's home to such a diverse population of students -- and to Lake Anne Elementary, which has seen its enrollment grow as a result of offering the program.

Here's how the PTA suggests people can make their voices heard:

* Attend the budget "Dialogues" hosted by Fairfax County and FCPS. The next one close to Lake Anne will be on Saturday October 24 (this Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon at the Reston Regional Library and then another meeting on Thursday October 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The South Lakes High School cafeteria. You need to register for either or both of these events by calling 703.324.3291 or visiting www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget. Bring your spouse, your children, your support system and make your feelings known.

* Complete the BUDGET FEEDBACK FORM at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget or call and express your viewpoint at 703.324.9400.

* Letters and emails can also be directed to the School Board and to the County Board of Supervisors (our Supervisor is Catherine Hudgins (hntrmill@fairfaxcounty.gov) at 703.478.0283.

This and That: A Random Slither Through Reston News

• SHOCKER: The proposed toll increases on the Dulles Toll Road were approved by two committees and will be put to a vote by its governing board on Nov. 4, despite public comments that ran 3 to 1 in opposition of the hike. No comment from the novelty oversized pig.
  
  
• Loudoun County officials are thinking about asking the state to buy 4,100 acres of foreclosed land that was supposed to become a fancy particleboard planned community like Reston and turn it into a state park.
  
  
• Reston-based Sallie Mae turned a profit for the first time in a gazillion billion years, thanks to an improving credit market. No word on whether its potty-mouthed executives offered a joyful expletive in response.
  
  
• When does cutting door-to-door service and splitting a bus route translate into "increased coverage?" When you're talking about the Reston Internal Bus Service (RIBS). The proposed changes are supposed to reflect the elimination of Connector Route 556 and improve rush-hour efficiency, which even RIBS officials agree -- what's the word? -- "sucks."
  
  
• Based on the ongoing series of jewelry thefts that appear to be targeting Indian families, Fairfax County Police are urging people to keep an eye on their valuables. Jewelry thefts in Reston, Sully and Fair Oaks are up 55 percent from the previous year, so that's probably a good plan.
  
  
• Communications contractor Ericsson Federal Inc. is moving its headquarters -- and the extra 's' in its name -- from Texas to Reston. Expect more barbecue options to follow shortly afterwards.
  

Breathless Anticipation of Fast Food Chain Justifies Existence of Twitter

Here's why Al Gore invented the Twitters:

You'd think 160 characters, mostly typed with thumbs and elbows while people are stuck in traffic on Reston Parkway, would scarcely suffice to capture the zeitgeist of our favorite earth-toned real estate development. But you'd be wrong.

For starters, you can totally find free stuff people are just giving away!

34 Free Floppy Disks (Reston, VA): 34 previously used but now clean assorted floppy disks.

Or if you still have one of those, whazzitcalled, "jobs" and some modicum of disposable income, you can go a bit more uptown:

Tibetan Wedding Tent for Sale

Other Twitterers share valuable fashion tips:

Story of my life! RT @bkreilly i need to remember it is ALWAYS windy in reston (and therefore shouldn't wear wrap dresses), eeek!

Still others apparently catch things we totally missed:

There's a giant monster robot marching through the streets of Reston. He's going to kill us all.(im not the only one who hears this, right?)

And others are completely clueless:

Accenture has asked me if I'd be Ok with moving to Reston, VA by mid-november. Is Reston near DC?

Here's an unintentional rebuttal:

I think claiming Short Pump as Richmond is like claiming Reston as Washington DC.

Some people need to get out of Reston a bit more often:

got a kick out of the escalator just for shopping carts at the 2-level Targets near DC. Didn't have one of those in Reston! Fancy...

Other Twitterers have something resembling a conscience:

The unemployment rate for my city is less than 3% and the median income is $84,000. Just confrims: Reston VA = Living in a bubble

Others have more pressing issues to deal with:

Stepped in human poop at the gamestop in Reston....I hope that is the only time in my life I ever tweet that.

Some folks have entered the lucrative microloan business:

Sherry, Reston VA, US has given loan amount of 950 to Clementina Danian, Lagos State, Nigeria. Reason: To purchase more foodstuffs

Others get disappointed about the wrong things:

i thought you found a Nudist Colony in Reston. Damn it...’

Finally, a comment from someone we can all agree with:

Some Politics Are Local: RA-gate May Supplant Mojitogate as Election '09 Shocker

First, Mojitogate rocked the political elite from the heart of Reston Town Center, definitively shifting the momentum in Virginia's governor race. Now, an equally shocking scandal is threatening to do the same to the race between longtime state delegate Ken Plum (D-Mauve) and neighborhood watch commandant Hugh "Mac" Cannon.

It's all very confusing, but it sounds like Cannon invited Plum to another debate, and when Plum backed out, Cannon sent out a snarky press release saying that Plum was spending time at some fancy place called "Tuckahoe Plantation in Richmond" and snubbing the Reston Association's invitation to discuss the issues. Now the RA is all like, "we never were going to sponsor a debate anyway, but just offered to provide some meeting space, and maybe a dozen or so of those awesome metal folding chairs."

Here comes the smackdown, courtesy of a press release:

"We in no way wish to make this appear that Delegate Plum turned Reston Association down, because Reston Association did not organize a debate, so we could not have invited either party." [RA President] Robin Smyers reiterated. "We are non-partisan and we simply made our community meeting space available, as we would for any community group."

On the other hand, the Plum campaign has not denied the accusations that he was not present at either the Lake Anne Jazzfest or Oktoberfest and therefore should be impeached immediately, the end.

Flashback Monday: Pop Quiz!

Woe betide the "sales-man" who had to try to sell property in Reston in the mid-1960s. Besides pitching such things as townhouses in an area where there was technically no town, they apparently lived in sheer terror of Bob Simon's pop quiz.

Among the questions proffered by Dear Leader:

• "What is there in Reston for people over sixty?" (Answer: "All community activities are open to them.) Does that include key parties?
  
  
• "Estimate how many women living in Reston found employment in Reston." (Answer: 47, which seems like a pretty specific estimate.)
  
  
• "The responsibilities of Home Owners Associations." (Apparently the RA's predecessor initially charged $40 per member.)
  
  
• "Responsibilities of the individual resident to each association." ("Participate in the decisions of the associations, abide by their rules, pay annual charges assessed.") Wow, have things changed!
  
  
• "Discuss the transportation problems of a Reston resident." (Answer: crappy bus service and car pools -- but never fear, as a soon-to-be "dualized" Rt. 7 would provide "high-speed access to the Beltway.")
  
  
• "Tell what churches are now operating here." (Answer: Methodist, Baptist and "Hebrew.") Sales-men were also expected to know the names of the ministers of all three congregations.
  
  
• "Discuss the following statements: Reston is a self contained community." (No.) "Living in a New Town is different from living in a typical subdivision" (Yes.)

"Sales-men" also needed to know that square dancing was available, and that no county or state fishing license was required to troll Lake Anne for dinner, the end.

On the YouTubes: To slip the surly bonds of earth, and see the roof of the Macaroni Grill

Is there anything nerds RC enthusiasts can't do? Check out these exciting aerial videos of Reston, as videotaped from a remote-controlled airplane. Either that, or the DRB has decided to ditch its zeppelin for a slightly more fuel-efficient form of aerial enforcement:



Watch breathlessly as the RC plane hurtles along the parking lot towards the South Lakes Starbucks! Will it become airborne before it smashes into the window? SPOILER ALERT: Yes, it does.



Here an RC plane soars high over the Reston Town Center. SPOILER ALERT: You can totally see the roof of the Macaroni Grill!



Those first two videos both end with impressive landings. SPOILER ALERT: This one's got what you've been waiting for: a bitchin' crash into a lake. It's totally like NASCAR's in-car cams, only with better sound effects.

Weekend Planner: Log Cabins, Stream Napalming, and Some Kind of Pagan Festival in the Square

Too bad the weather's so crappy, as there's tons of exciting things to do around our favorite earth-toned planned community this weekend.

First up: Saturday's 8th annual Reston Home Tour, which benefits the newly renovated (and actually quite good) Reston Museum. Here's the list of homes on this year's tour, which includes, among other things, a 200-year-old log cabin. WTF?

* Lake Anne, Heron House condominium, The Suntum Home – Owned by a long-time White House staffer, this one-bedroom condo built in 1964 has been reconfigured and updated with 21st century style.

* Lake Anne townhouse, The Over Home – Located in the original model row of Reston’s first cluster, established in 1964 at Lake Anne, this home was designed by renowned architect Clothiel Woodard Smith.

* Golf Course Cluster townhouse, The Reinhardt Home – The basic brick exterior of this home belies the interesting interior and lushly landscaped back yard complete with fountain and a view of Reston National fairways.

* North Point contemporary detached home, The Greenstreet Home – This custom CP1 home with a 180-degree view of Lake Newport contains a display of fine art and craft.

* South Lakes traditional detached home, The Abbott Home – A whole new dimension has been added to this dwelling with help from the owners’ neighbor, architect Richard Newlon, and interior designer Jeanette Kelly.

* Fairfax Hunt Club – The 200-year old log “home” (pictured) has served as headquarters for the Fairfax Hunt (established 1928) since 1951. Meet the chef and enjoy his demo and complimentary tastings during the tour, and learn more about this place in Reston.

The tour day ends at The Wine Cabinet at North Point with complimentary wine tastings and appetizers from 4-6 p.m.

All we know is that that fence in front of the log cabin sure looks like an illegal party wall if we've ever seen one.

Next up: An RA-sponsored stream cleanup at Snakeden Branch, from 9am-12pm Saturday. Come stroll through the recently deforested restored stream bed, looking for the random piece of debris or errantly spared sapling! "It's amazing what a group of people can accomplish in a few hours," the announcement reads, so there you go.

Finally, there's something called "Festival on the Square" at Reston Heights, which includes Reston Interfaith's Help the Homeless Community Walk, face painting, a hay maze and an interactive Lego exhibit. The last festivities we recall being held there were oddly pagan, so don't be surprised if you see some sort of small animal sacrificed to the Goddess of Fall or whatnot.

So yay! Busy Saturday. You're on your own for Sunday, though.

With World Record Attempt, Reston Truly Going to the Dogs

If a local man has his way, Reston will become part of a world record:

At 3:30PM on Saturday, October 17, Mike Squier of Fairfax, VA will attempt to establish a new world’s record for “Most Dog Biscuits Eaten by a Human in 5 Minutes.”

The event will be held at Baron Cameron Dog Park in Reston, Virginia (www.restondogs.org) from 2:30PM to 4:00PM (Rain date: Saturday, October 24).
Squier will be accepting pledges to raise money for Save Our Siberians – Siberspace Rescue Fund (SOS-SRF, www.sos-srf.org), a 501(C) 3 charitable organization that provides funding to Siberian Husky rescue groups faced with unusual or unexpected veterinary expenses for Huskies or Husky mixes in their care that are available for adoption. Pledges can be made in advance either by mail or through the SOS-SRF website.

Dog biscuits will be provided by Tomoko Kawasumi, owner and head canine chef of Organic Doggy Kitchen of Falls Church, Virginia (www.organicdogs.com), who will also be giving out free samples to attendees who want to learn more about SOS-SRF while their dogs taste test healthy organic treats.

“To the best of our knowledge, there is no existing record for consumption of dog biscuits by a human being,” says Squier. “We will be attempting to establish one.”

Couldn't he just stop after eating one, then? If that's the case, be sure to bring a -- wait for it! -- doggy bag to take the extras home.

Thank you, thank you, we're here all week.

Reston Master Plan: RA, County, Community Groups to Have Voice in Revisions (A Confusing Blog Post About A Confusing Article About Confusing Revisions to a Confusing Document)

As the Metro Silver Line inches its way westward, Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is preparing to create a task force to revise both the Reston Master Plan and a broader plan that governs the transition to "another Manhattan" development along the Toll Road.

The special study task force she will appoint will have two jobs. One will be to make major changes to the county’s Comprehensive Plan regarding the Dulles Toll Road corridor, much of whose Reston stretch comprises the Reston Center for Industry and Government (RCIG). According to county planning theory, Metro stations, like the ones coming to the toll road corridor, can be surrounded by dense, mixed-use development, but the RCIG has allowed no residential uses and only limited commercial uses in its boundaries and is currently planned accordingly. The task force will also update Reston’s original master plan, particularly in relation to the changes coming to the toll road corridor.

The Reston Association can only be but so involved, as due to the "wisdom" of a previous board, the Reston Town Center and other actually desirable commercial properties were transfered out of its purview. So the RA held a special meeting Monday with Hudgins to figure out its role in all this exciting planning. We can't tell for sure, because this "news-paper" article has a lot of those, whazzitcalled, "words" in it and we started losing interest about halfway through, but it sounds like it got a bit contentious.

Because areas affected by the changes would include those that, like Reston Town Center, fall outside the RA’s purview, the association cannot create its own committees to guide the process. "The direction this board gave staff back in August was to find a way to facilitate and provide administrative support to the community as a whole for a grassroots review of the Reston Master Plan," board member Richard Chew said.

The association’s staff and board members had previously met with Hudgins to discuss the topic, and RA CEO Milton Matthews said they had all agreed that broad community participation was important, but Hudgins preferred that large-scale charettes be held to gather community input, while the RA wanted eight or so longstanding advisory committees, each assigned a different subject, such as housing, village centers or the environment, to help guide the process. Each committee would have a member of the task force assigned to it.

Chew said the committees’ structure and seriousness would prevent planners from dismissing their input. "If this is a well organized and well administered community effort, it will be extremely difficult not to listen to these advisory committees," he said.

However, Hudgins said she liked the process of "pollination" that occurred when people with different interests and backgrounds participated in a single discussion, rather than breaking participants up according to their areas of expertise, and she expressed concerns that such committees could exclude people and concerns that were not always heard. "I’m trying to get people who aren’t experts but have concerns about their community," she said.

Asked why she wanted the task force’s work completed by December of next year, Hudgins said this was the time to follow up on the area plan review proposals that were filed last year and that the sooner plans were rewritten, the sooner changes and redevelopment could take place.

Ultimately, she agreed to try to work community advisory committees into the planning process. "I do raise the concern that it not be the driver of the task force because the task force is appointed for a reason," she added.

As for the composition of the task force, Hudgins said each of the various community groups in Reston would appoint a primary and alternate member, and she hoped a member of the RA board would sit on the team. "The task force then can participate but really serve as listeners in the community process," she said. There are to be no more than 20 members or so, with a couple from the Dranesville District, which contains a portion of the area in question. Three or four members would be at-large, and Hudgins said she would want some members who specialized in certain areas of study.

This is good news for all those folks who participated in the Land Use College, which was created to help people become reasonably educated in development parlance to actually provide useful input to such committees -- as if a mastery of such acronyms as "PUD" will keep people from being written off as NIMBYs by pro-development forces. The RA Board will decide next month what role it will play in this process, which will probably involve insisting that the DRB be appointed the Supreme Secretariat of the Toll Road in the new master plan, the end.

Meet Your Neighbors: Resident of Homeless Encampment Just Like You and Me, If You and Me Lived in a Tent in the Woods

Though Targetville is apparently now gone, we recently learned of another homeless encampment in the woods behind the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride when it became the scene of a sexual assault earlier this month. Now thanks to the Fairfax County Times:, we've gotten to meet Hoyt Nelson Chick III, one of its residents:

As a skilled handyman performing odd jobs such as carpentry, electrical repairs and even some HVAC work, the 58-year-old hauls his tools and 6-foot ladder onto Fairfax Connector buses and comes home the same way.

Like many area residents, he mows his lawn, complains about his neighbors and roots for the Washington Capitals. What may set him apart from most county residents, however, is that his home is a series of tents located in the woods adjacent to the county-owned Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride lot where he has lived for the last six years. According to a study conducted by Fairfax County in April 2009, Chick is one of about 1,730 homeless residents living in Fairfax.

“I’m a homeless advocate,” he said in his raspy voice as he stands in his tent compound wearing Crocs, bifocals and a Washington Nationals cap. “Yeah, I’m homeless, but I don’t bum cigarettes, money, or anything else anyone could complain about, so everyone basically lets me be.”

His compound, consisting of several tents, tables and makeshift workstations, is trash-free and organized. “This is my home,” he said. “I take pride in it like anyone else.”

He uses propane tanks to both cook on a camp stove and to heat his bedroom. “I can be up in here in nothing but my drawers — with a stogie and a cocktail — on a 40-degree day, and feel nice and toasty,” he laughs.

He has a lawn mower that he uses to clear an area he calls “the front lawn.” He has occupied this current abode since early 2003, and has certainly made it his own.

A Vietnam vet, Chick became homeless in 2001. He says his tents were searched after last week's sexual assault.

On Oct. 5, while he was sleeping, someone used one of Chick’s tents to allegedly rape a 19-year-old girl. County police obtained a search warrant and searched the compound. “They were looking for a condom,” he said. “I don’t think they found it, but they took a blanket.”

A suspect turned himself in to police two days later, but Chick said he still feels invaded, the same way anyone would if someone broke into their home and committed a criminal act.

“In addition to the fact that this dude used my tent for whatever,” he said, “police came and went through all my stuff. You’re damn right I feel violated.”

Chick basically just wants a little respect -- and to be left alone.

On days he is not working, Chick utilizes Reston’s Embry Rucker Shelter to do laundry, take a shower and chat with friends. His intelligence and compassion is evident as he counsels other homeless people about programs available for their benefit, and imparts street wisdom to the younger set, giving them the benefit of his experiences.

“He certainly has the ability to become a homeless counselor,” said Aaron Sawyer, manager of the Clothes Closet in Herndon, where Chick once fixed the central air-conditioning system. “There is no shame to him. He wears his lifestyle out in front of him like a badge of honor. He could easily be the link between those in need and those on the outside trying to understand that lifestyle.”

For now, Chick just hopes his life can get back to normal after all the unwelcome attention recent events have brought upon him. “Like I said, all I want is a little respect,” he said. “And maybe something to keep skunks out of my tents.”

In conclusion, anyone who can claim the owner of Jaxx, the awesome Springfield nightclub where you can still go see 80s hair bands like Ratt, as a character witness can't be all bad, the end.

This and That: A Random Crawl Through Semi-Recent Reston News

• Lookie who got some of that sweet federal stimulus money! For once, it wasn't a bank or other needy for-profit organization, but Reston Interfaith, which will use the $424,236 to provide services to the homeless through the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. But what of the suffering stockbrokers?
  
  
• Judy Shepard, mother of gay student Alan Shepard, who was beaten to death in 1998, spoke at South Lakes High School about the importance of tolerance, ahead of the RCC's performance of "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later." Watch the You Tubes of her speech here.
  
  
• Thinking of getting a flu shot? You might reconsider after hearing what happened to one woman who got one at a Reston Safeway. Oh, and Reston Hospital has begun limiting patient visits to keep the flu from spreading. PANIC
  
  
• The GSA has renewed the lease on a 75,000-square-foot office in Reston's Parkridge Two complex. It won't disclose what shadowy agency uses the space, so we're assuming it's these guys.
  
  
• Feeling charitable? Come to a Mini-Walk at Lake Anne Plaza next Monday.
  
  
• Oktoberfest happened. It was windy.
  
  
• Meanwhile, in our tolerant neighbor to the west, there's been a big to-do about Herndon Town Council members attending one of those twee "tea parties" with their pinkies curled up and whatnot while eating crumpets, and then telling people to shut up about it. Same old, same old.

Breaking: And That Was Before They Saw How Much The Nano Cost: Reston Apple Store Robbed

It's been buzzing around on the Twitters all day, and now it's been confirmed: the fancy Apple store in Reston Town Center, which sells those "nanos" and "iPhones" and whatnot, was robbed earlier today.

Apple stores have been proven tempting targets for thieves, including the one in nearby Clarendon earlier this year. We'll provide more details as soon as some media organization does some "reporting" so we can parasitically link to it as we hear something.

Lake Anne Shocker: MS-13 Gang Graffiti Migrates North

This is one of several examples of MS-13 graffiti which appeared around Lake Anne over the weekend, this one near Hickory Cluster. Will Sought After North Reston be next?

According to a tipster, the Reston Association has already dispatched people to paint it over. That'll teach those gangs to use spray paint with the clearly unapproved color of "electric blue."

Metro Silver Line: Thanks to Very Special Tax District, There May Be A Reston Parkway Station After All

A big victory over the weekend for fans of track fires and the occasional derailing: A group trying to create a fancy "special tax district" to pay for the second phase of the Metro Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport and the particleboard wonderlands beyond got enough signatures to make it happen. Thank Reston Hospital, which was one of the self-taxing companies that helped push the signature count over the top. So, yay, there will be a Reston Parkway station after all, and hopefully it'll have the same rad '80s art planned for the Wiehle Avenue stop.

The Western Alliance for Rail to Dulles, a nonprofit group made up of Fairfax landowners, has recruited a majority of affected landowners to create the tax district, which would pay for $330 million in capital funding for the project. Fairfax would pitch in $90 million. Thirty-five landowners, about 57 percent of those affected, signed the group's petition.

"This is a time-consuming process to get these signatures," said Jeffrey J. Fairfield, vice president of the alliance and a lawyer representing Launders Charitable Trust, which owns 15 acres in the area. "I think in the final analysis, many of these landowners came to the conclusion that while times are hard now, it would have been unthinkable without rail."

The petition needs to be approved by the Herndon Town Council and the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. Bulova, who has made rail to Dulles a priority, said she expects the tax district to be in place by the end of the year, which would allow cash reserves to be built up to pay down bonds once they are issued. Tax rates would start at 5 cents per $100 of assessed value next year and increase to 20 cents in 2013.

U.S. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), former chairman of the Fairfax board, said the announcement was critical in ensuring that Metro extends service through Fairfax and into Loudoun County.

Connolly said that although the economic climate might have delayed creation of the tax district, an announcement last month by Science Applications International Corp. that it would move its headquarters to Tysons Corner is a sign of the region's financial health.

"The case had to be made to the business community that this was a decision that was out of self-interest for the future," he said. "You do not want to be stranded without rail service, like Georgetown."

Suck on that, Georgetown! Now that Reston Town Center will soon have a Metro stop, a Barnes & Noble and a Macaroni Grill, soon the only people who will be visiting your neck of the woods will be futon shoppers and the fake ID crowd. Come to think of it, though, that's really no different than now, is it?

Photo Phun: But Where Was That Delightful Steve Guttenberg?

Number Five is Alive! We were really hoping this photo, taken in Reston last Thursday, was a location shot from the much-anticipated remake of the 1980s comedy classic Short Circuit. Sadly it was just some SWAT Team exercise, where police officers simulated a hostage situation at a Reston church and used their robotic overlord servant to ferry some bottled water over to the "hostages." All we can say is that it's a shame that delightful Ally Sheedy wasn't available to play one of hostages.

Scam Alert: Pfraudulent Pforestry, or How the RA Covenants Process Isn't the Only Sucker's Game in Town

Our favorite correspondent, the Peasant from Less Sought After South Reston, sends us this cautionary tale about a fraudulent tree service company currently making the rounds in Reston:

Once more, the Peasant from Less Sought After South Reston is donning his Paul Revere colonial tri-corner hat to alert fellow readers of this filthy "Web-log" to a shocking scandal being perpetrated in the streets of our beloved community. We do give the perps credit for an imaginative con, even if it does involve the blasphemy of taking the name of our beloved Big Brother -- er, Reston Association -- in vain.

A neighbor relayed to the Peasant that earlier this week she was approached by one of those good ol' boy tree service companies that cruise the leafy streets of our fair community looking for work. The Peasant, whose earth-toned hovel is surrounded by towering oaks, has heard his share of come-on lines over the years from these distant relatives of Jethro Bodine and Miss Elly Mae offering their services, although he does appreciate that many of these woodsmen are honest and do a dangerous job. Anyhow, Fellow Peasant Neighbor is minding her business in her front yard when a pick-up truck with a trailer big enough to carry an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank rolls to a stop in front of her house. Out steps boss man Jimmy Bob Boy.

"Ma'am, I'm on contract with the RA, and I'm going to have to write you up for a violation because of your trees," announces Jimmy Bob Boy.

Needless to say, Fellow Peasant Neighbor has not a clue what this is all about, since her trees are regularly pruned and in excellent shape.

"Yes ma'am, your trees have large limbs that could fall. I have to make a report about this to the RA. You have to get those branches removed and the tree topped off," Jimmy Bob Boy says, pacing back and forth across her property, casting an anxious eye skyward at them doggone trees that are just waiting to heave a massive oaken limb at his head, and feverishly writing his "report" that eventually will land in one of the 3,287 file cabinets at Reston World Headquarters. Not to worry, though -- salvation is as close at hand as Jimmy Bob Boy himself. "It will cost you $850 if I do it now. But I have only 20 minutes."

Fellow Peasant Neighbor calls Jimmy Bob Boy's bluff, and eventually he leaves with his crew to seek other "violators" of this obscure DRB regulation about trees whose limbs are not aligned in perfect 90-degree angles perpendicular to the trunk or whose bark shows they are genetically predisposed to one day becoming red mulch.

When Fellow Peasant Neighbor reports this shocking pfraudulent pforestry pflim-pflam to Reston World Headquarters, she is met with a shrug of indifference, since they apparently have bigger pfish to pfry. When she calls the number listed on pflim-pflam man's business card, she is greeted with a voice of utter befuddlement: "Reston Association? What's the Reston Association?"

Pfinally, we must report the delicious irony that this esteemed company's street address is -- and we couldn't make this up if we tried -- Dog Patch Lane. Yep, Jimmy Bob Boy sure gonna make his Pappy Yokum proud!

Be aware. At the same time, we all know what happens to people who run afoul of the DRB. At a minimum, this company will be forced to reprint its business card using one of four approved earth tones.

Indoor Rec: Giant Dome to Envelop Springfield-er, Reston, Allow Indoor Tennis Until Oxygen Runs Out

Remember that time we were going to have a giant indoor rec center/juicery at Brown's Chapel Park, only a YouTube video singlehandedly kept it from happening? Yeah, that was awesome. Anyhoo, as the Reston Association moves forward on continuing to retool its plans for indoor rec, an anonymous mole sent us this nugget of information:

RA's Park & Planning committee voted tonight to recommend to the RA Board that the existing courts at Lake Newport be replaced with 5 indoor courts with seating for spectators for tournaments.

Lake Newport is the recommended site for an indoor tennis facility. Most folks think of it as adjacent to Brown Chapel. There are drawings at RA.

Questions, questions... Will they put a giant bubble dome over the courts? Wasn't that the plot of the Simpsons movie? And what of the juicery? We're still trying to figure out if that cut-rate Orange Julius franchise would be worth opening in the Tall Oaks Stucco Wasteland Village Center.

Election Shocker: Plum Challenged by Tough-on-Crime Republican Neighborhood Watch Leader

We confess. As we approach November, all the excitement about Mojitogate has eclipsed other local election "action." But for the first time in a decade, we have a competitive -- or at least a two-candidate -- race for the General Assembly, as Ken Plum (D-Mauve) is being challenged by a Republican.

Hugh "Mac" Cannon is hustling to make up for lost time. While many others running for the state legislature announced their candidacies in June, Cannon announced his intention to run as a Republican against longtime Del. Ken Plum (D-36) on Sept. 8, after the previous Republican runner backed out of the race... He grew up in Oakton and now lives in south Reston with his wife and three young children.

As a delegate, he said, his priorities would be cracking down on crime, reducing traffic congestion, maintaining a healthy environment for business and managing the funding and implications of Rail to Dulles.

Like Plum, Cannon supports the Metro extension, but worries about the crime implications. Fortunately, Cannon has extensive experience in crime prevention, as head of his South Reston neighborhood watch:

When Cannon moved into his neighborhood in the Deepwood area, he said, drug deals were going on under the neighbors’ noses. He worked with police to alleviate the problem and now heads his neighborhood watch. "We don’t want the gangs in our neighborhoods," he said, noting that gang "tagging" was still common in the area. "If they’re tagging, they’re there."

Sweet! Anyhoo, Plum and Cannon just had a nice debate about transportation, and guess what? They're both for it!

WHEN THE CANDIDATES were asked to name a few ways to reduce congestion, other than Rail to Dulles, that they wanted to see funded once money was available, Plum said he wanted the timing of traffic signals adjusted. "We get a whole lot of bang for our buck when we improve intersections so that traffic does not get held up," he said. Also, Plum said he wanted to see a rail extension on Interstate 66 and an increase in telecommuting and flexible work schedules, as well as a mass-transit feeder system to get people to the future Metro stations without cars.

Cannon agreed with the idea of mass transit around the rail stations, but said he also wanted to see the road grid improved in those areas, because many people would drive to the stations to park. He also said the Fairfax County Parkway needed to be completed and Reston Parkway widened, and he said he wanted to make sure that businesses paying extra taxes to fund the rail would benefit most from its arrival.

When it was mentioned that some residents of the area disagreed with the funding structure for Rail to Dulles, according to which, more than half the funding is to come from increased tolls on the Dulles Toll Road, Plum pointed out that users of the toll road would benefit from reductions in congestion that would result from the presence of rail. However, he added that he intended to seek additional federal funding through "green"-oriented stimulus money and the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act. He noted that federal funding had covered about 80 percent of the construction of the downtown Metro system and said he thought the federal government should be footing more than about a quarter of the bill for the rail that would take visitors from the airport to the nation’s capital.

Cannon said he supported the rail but was concerned about people who were being taxed multiple times over to pay for it, as well as the fact that construction was split into two phases, with no guarantee that it would reach Reston Town Center.

Where there was disagreement, however, was on the long-dormant issue of Reston becoming a Res-TOWN.

When he was asked whether he would support a local vote on whether Reston wanted to become a town, Cannon said he would do so if it seemed warranted and that he would sponsor a bill seeking self-governance for the community if a majority of residents supported it. "I think it’s important that the people of Reston have a voice and have it heard and don’t have that voice given away to partisan politics," he said.

"With the urban county forming of government, stepping back to a town would be a step backwards," Plum said. But he said local governance had become "out of kilter" and needed to be reexamined. For example, he said he represented about 70,000 people, while his county supervisor represented about 100,000. "Local government ought to be closer to the people," Plum said. He said the county should look at new forms of governance that would allow people more representation and more say at the local level.

Terrific. Because what we all need is more local government coming up with great ideas like this.

Breaking: Arrest Made in Sunrise Valley Sex Assault

A Reston man turned himself into police and was arrested following Monday's sexual assault of a 19-year-old near the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride on Sunrise Valley Drive.

A Children's Treasury of Out-Of-Context Photos from the Reston Multicultural Festival

Please to be enjoying some pictures from Reston's 2009 Multicultural Festival, held Sept. 26 at the Lake Anne Village Center:

Multiculturalism and acceptance at its finest! Clearly this chap hearkens from somewhere "out west" where they don't cotton to no one tellin' them what color to paint their party walls.

Along with their zeppelin, this is the DRB's new secret weapon.

Grass skirts and dancing... does this mean everyone got lei'd? Hahahaha, we kill ourselves. Everyone, print this page out and give it to your favorite middle schooler.

Dear Leader watches as his clandestine army of martial arts experts demonstrates what happens to people who oppose redeveloping Lake Anne Village Center. FINISH HIM!

After the town hall a month or so back, apparently someone thought any public gathering in Reston had the potential to get out of control.

This Week in Crime: Sexual Assault Near Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride

A 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted near the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride garage on Monday afternoon.

A 19-year-old female was sexually assaulted near 12530 Sunrise Valley Drive on Monday, October 5. Around 4 p.m., the victim was with a man she met through an acquaintance. Near the commuter lot, the man convinced her to enter some nearby woods. Once inside the woods, the man sexually assaulted the victim. The suspect fled and the victim summoned police. The victim was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital with minor injuries.

Neither victim or suspect were commuters.

The suspect was described as black, in his 20s, wearing a tan shirt, blue jeans, and a camouflage hat. He was riding a silver bicycle.

Police have since been talking to homeless people who live in the same wooded area (shades of Targetville of yore), though they stress that neither the victim nor the suspect is homeless:

Officers say the public should be concerned because the assault happened at a time when the facility is at its busiest.

"We definitely need folks to tell us..... If he's willing to do it here in the daylight at a commuter lot," said Officer Bud Walker, Fairfax County Police Department. 'We have to be worried about where he might strike next."

The wooded area where the woman was allegedly assaulted is adjacent to the parking garage. Sources say a number of homeless people have made a makeshift camp in the area.

"We don't believe the suspect was part of the homeless camp... And the victim is not part of the homeless camp," said Officer Bud Walker, Fairfax County Police Department.

Authorities spent the night searching the woods and talking to homeless people who may assist them in locating the suspect.

Terrorists to Attack Bus at Reston Town Center in Hilarious Sequel to "Speed;" Keanu Reeves Not Appearing in This Film

Try not to panic, but terrorists will be planting a bomb on a bus at the Reston Town Center bright and early this morning, all part of a video being produced by the FBI.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, the FBI and Rocket Media Group will be using a Fairfax Connector bus to film a training video. The taping, which is scheduled to last eight hours, will take place in the Reston Town Center area in front of the parking garage complex on Freedom Drive.

In the scene being filmed, a terrorist will plant a simulated bomb on a transit bus. The video aims to illustrate how security cameras can be used to help bring such individuals to justice.

The Town Center will remain open to the public during the filming, according to Andy Silverstein of Rocket Media Group.

A simulated terrorist attack during the height of the morning rush hour near a busy office/retail complex? What could possibly go wrong?

On the YouTubes: Actual "News" Reported In Reston Association Video; Indoor Recreation and Yard Debris Now Public Enemies #1 and #2

Okay, so maybe these fabulous Reston Association videos are perfect fodder for insomniacs, with the possible exception of the graphic and disturbing one about the deadly killer snakes. But this most recent offering we found on the "You Tubes" actually contained something resembling actual news! Knock us over with a feather.

In his usual soothing dulcet tones, announcer Andy Sigle declares that "the numbers have been crunched" on indoor recreation, by which he means that someone managed to dig through all those filing cabinets we keep hearing about and compile the feedback from those uneventful summer community meetings about the now-scuttled rec center/juicery at Brown's Chapel Park. Sadly, they didn't show a clip from this video, but that's probably for the best.

Anyhoo! According to the video, two-thirds of the people involved in the community meetings ranked "preserving open space" as their #1 priority. Sadly, the lack of juiceries in Reston didn't come up, but those surveyed were evenly divided on whether the RA should partner with another group like the RCC, and about one-third said the cost of a proposed indoor rec center was the biggest issue.

Using those "crunched numbers," the RA's parks and planning committee will draft a report and present recommendations to the RA board by February.

So that's that. Oh, and watch on if you want to learn why "yard waste" is the greatest scourge since the Black Plague and should be incinerated immediately, preferably with the earth-toned equivalent of Agent Orange, the end.

Problem Solved! Fairway Apartments Redevelopment Comes Before P&Z Tonight With 11 New Parking Spaces

Hey, remember that time that The JBG Companies was going to raze the Fairway Apartments and redevelop the property to look like Manhattan include a mix of retail and high-density residential properties? Yeah, that was awesome. Over the summer, the Reston Planning & Zoning Committee asked JBG to come back with a less "intense" plan for the redevelopment project, which they will present during the P&Z meeting tonight (PDF). Here's what's currently on the table:

The present Fairway apartments consist of 346 units on 19 acres of land off North Shore Drive. The proposal calls for 940 apartment units to be phased in over an, as yet, undetermined period. The proposal is divided into two sections: the western section overlooks the nearby golf course. Construction proposed is as follows: Building A – 10 stories, 180 units; Building B – 10 stories, 215 units; Building C – 4 stories, 144 units. Garage private street; 266 parking spaces are proposed for Building C, the 4 story building, and a parking for building A is 288 spaces; for B 344 spaces except for 3 on the retail store operation with all but 27 of the spaces in a garage. In addition, a proposed 8000 sq. ft. retail operation is also proposed. Of the 266 spaces mentioned above, 35 are dedicated to the retail operation. In addition in the western section, 31 townhouses are proposed with a total of 85 parking spaces assigned to them. In the eastern part of the proposal, there will be two 4 story buildings (Buildings D & E), Building D will contain 153 units with 215 parking spaces. Building E will contain 217 apartment units with 348 parking spaces. All parking will be in garages except for 11 spaces on the private street.

Eleven spaces? Consider the potential parking problems solved.

Also tonight, the P&Z will hear about Reston Hospital's proposed 350,000-sqaure-foot addition, all to spite those folks in Loudoun County who spurned them. In your face!

This Week in Crime: Was There an Attempted Abduction at Baron Cameron Park? Depends What E-Mail You Got (Updated)

The Reston Soccer Association has alerted parents about a potential abduction at Baron Cameron Park. The suspect matches the description of a man recently involved in a similar situation at a field in Arlington:

There was a recent incident of a man trying to lure children from area sports parks. This one was close to home, Baron Cameron Park. Police are not sure if the incident is related to the Arlington event last weekend (below), but the descriptions of the man/car are similar. As such, with the safety of our players in mind, please note the following:

We had an incident in which a stranger approached a player leaving the field in what might have been an attempted kidnapping. There were parents/coaches around and the attempt was immediately thwarted but the individual fled the area. We have subsequently learned that an individual with a similar description had approached a player at the field earlier in the day. We have filed a report with the Fairfax County Police and they are investigating. For your information the description is a white male, 5'6' - 5'7', about 150 lbs, between 40 and 45 years of age. He drove away in a black Volvo or Mercedes. We wanted to make sure that everyone had this info in case the individual is visiting multiple ball fields.

RSA is tightening security measures at its games and practices.

Update: Minutes after this post, Fairfax County Police issued a lengthy clarification of the incidents:

Fairfax County Police are aware of information in the community being circulated mainly through email. This information is in reference to an alleged "attempted kidnapping" of either a little league player or unspecified child. Police are unaware of any such crime occurring within Fairfax County within the last several weeks. Police urge anyone with direct knowledge of any such incident to contact us at 703-691-2131.

This information may be related to an event that occurred on Saturday, September 19 at Bucknell Elementary School where a man, operating a remote controlled car, talked to some children and picked up a child. The man did not grab the boy or attempt to leave the area with him; he picked the boy up and without prompting, he put the boy down and left. While this is suspicious behavior, it is unknown what the intent of the man was.

While no actual crime has occurred, police would be interested in speaking with this man. The man was described as white, in his 50s to 60s, 6 feet tall, with grey hair, and driving a dark Volvo or Mercedes.

And here's the Reston connection:

On September 30, a citizen reported to police that on September 10 she saw a suspicious man at Baron Cameron Park in Reston. The citizen reported that the man was operating a remote controlled toy and speaking with a child. The man never touched the child and no crime occurred. He was described as white, in his 40s, 5 feet 9 inches tall, and driving a silver vehicle. It is unknown if this man is the same individual reported on in the Bucknell school event.

Weirder and weirder.

Update #2: RSA weighs in with its own clarifications:

Earlier this week email traffic alleged one or two recent possible “attempted kidnapping”s at Alexandria Potomac Little League, and then later this week another email thread alleged another incident of “a man trying to lure children” from Baron Cameron Park. These are serious allegations which we forwarded. Based on what we now know, these allegations appear to be a false alarm.

Since forwarding this information, Reston Soccer has learned the following:

1. Fairfax County Police Department is reporting that both incidents are unsubstantiated rumors. The full text of their press release is below, and available online at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/news-releases/2009/100209baroncameronupdate.htm

2. The event at Baron Cameron occurred on Sept. 10, 2009 and was reported 20 days later on Sept. 30. Fairfax Police have determined that no crime was committed.

3. In a phone conversation earlier today, Fairfax County Police PFC Bud Walker stated that the “attempted kidnapping” at Alexandria Potomac Little League is unsubstantiated and that FCPD’s calls to Alexandria Potomac Little League have not been returned.

4. Reston Soccer’s calls to the Alexandria Police Department’s Media Services Unit have also not been returned.

All in all, a great lesson about believing forwarded e-mails -- and about keeping an eye on your kids. While this appears to have been a false alarm, past incidents have been all too real. Happy Friday, everyone, and enjoy those weekend soccer games!

Snakes Not on a Plane II: This Time It's Personal -- and in Our Favorite Earth-Toned Development

Having failed to excite Reston's apathetic, YouTube-obsessed audience with thrilling videos about party walls and covenants, the Reston Association is going for pure shock value in this latest video about Reston's deadliest, if only, predator: the copperhead snake. Don't believe us? Check out the creepy, ground-level camerawork at around 1:32, and make note of this sinister quote: "We are not saying not to have a garden or a woodpile."

Double negatives? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

This Week in Crime: Awkward!

A Reston man who happens to work as a police officer at the U.S. Capitol is in a bit of hot water:

A U.S. Capitol Police officer was arrested Sunday morning in Arlington County when a woman came home and found him passed out drunk in her bed, police said. The two had never met.

The officer was charged with unlawful entry. Police say they are perplexed as to why he picked the apartment, in the 1000 block of North Randolph Street, to sleep. He lives in Reston.

"I don't know if it looks similar to his apartment in Reston or what," said Arlington police spokeswoman Crystal Nosal.

Commenters on this site have expressed concern that redevelopment projects might turn Reston, if not into another Manhattan, at least another Arlington. Perhaps we should consider this a cautionary tale.