Even though the U.S. Census apparently sees no difference between our fair communities, we've made a lot of hay pointing out the differences between Reston and Herndon, going so far as to call our neighbors to the west the anti-Reston. Now there's photographic proof, thanks to our Facebook BFFs at the Observer, who posted photos from two activities last weekend.
First, the Reston activity:
Where do you go when you want to kick back after a long week of earth-toned drudgery in Reston? Apparently, you go to Sterling for a "massage."
After a six-month investigation by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office's Vice-Narcotics Unit deputies shut down a Potomac Falls business that allegedly was operating an unlicensed massage parlor. The owner and eight others face criminal charges.Along with various and sundry employees, two men from Reston were charged with "frequenting a bawdy place." We'd run their names (which you can see by following the link above), but we think the fact that they got caught frequenting a bawdy house in Sterling -- Sterling! -- is embarrassment enough. What, did they combine their visit with a run for 24-packs of toilet paper at Costco?
The business, Green Therapy in the Cascades Marketplace, was raided during the execution of search warrant Tuesday night.
[The owner] was charged with maintaining a bawdy place and allowing massages to be performed without a valid permit.
The man collided with a Saturn sedan on Sunrise Valley Drive at Barton Hill Road about 6 p.m., said Officer Bud Walker, a police spokesman. The bicyclist was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital with life-threatening injuries, Walker said.A car crash last week claimed the life of a Sterling woman.
The cause of the crash was still under investigation, but speed and alcohol were not believed to be factors, Walker said.
On Friday, April 23 around 3:40 p.m., a 74-year-old driver of a 2009 Toyota Scion was westbound on Sunset Hills Road. Prior to the Reston Parkway, the driver may have suffered a medical emergency when she ran off the roadway and onto the sidewalk. The vehicle then reentered the westbound lanes, crossed the median, crossed the eastbound lanes and ran off the roadway. The vehicle came to rest in a drainage ditch. The driver was transported to Fairfax Hospital with life-threatening injuries.Meanwhile, catching up on the general Reston crime of the past few weeks, we have this charming incident.:
On Saturday, April 24, Mattie S. Holder of 207 E. Charlotte Street in Sterling, Virginia, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
An officer on foot patrol in the 2200 block of Colts Neck Road was approached by a 48-year-old man on Friday, April 16 who reported that he was assaulted and the victim of an attempted robbery. It happened the day before around 3 p.m. in the same area and the victim reported the suspect was nearby. An investigation led to the arrest of [a 51-year-old resident of] Stoneview Square in Reston. He was charged with attempted robbery, simple assault and possession of marijuana.Then there's this:
Two men have been arrested and charged with attempting to burglarize an acquaintance’s home in the 13100 block of Copper Brook Way around 3:38 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13. The victim, a 16-year-old boy, was home when the two adults and two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, allegedly tried to gain entry; at least one of the suspects kicked the front door repeatedly. [Two Herndon men] were charged with burglary with the intent to commit robbery. The juveniles were arrested and released to their parents; charges are pending.Awww, kids today! Maybe they should save their money and plan a road trip to Sterling to work out that teenage angst.
Here's what our filthy "web log" would have looked like back in 1996, before there were "web logs" in the first place. Be sure to turn up your computer machine's sound and scroll to the bottom for the maximum effect, kthanks.
Talk about a trial balloon -- taking those fancy enclosed tennis courts and swimming pools and whatnot everyone seems to want and kicking the can over to our friends in Fairfax County government. A secret Restonian operative shared this tidbit from a recent RA Parks and Planning Committee meeting, which sadly we missed because of those tempting Family Matters reruns. Damn you, Urkle!
Vicky Wingert and Bill Bouie of the RA Parks and Planning Committee announced their proposal for RA to turn over all of its recreational facilities to Small Tax District #5 (a wholly owned subsidiary of Fairfax County).Let's be clear that this was just a proposal from two members of the committee, not something anyone is currently acting on. But stranger things have gotten off the drawing board of late, so who knows?
So now all of the 1,000,000 citizens of Fairfax County [would] be able to use the Lake Newport pool and the Glade tennis courts without paying taxes for them! The people of Reston are just that generous to their supportive friends and neighbors in Great Falls and Oakton.
Members of several Lake Anne communities served by the awesome jet-age RELAC cooling system testified about a proposed rate increase at a State Corporation Commission hearing last week. Here's an account:
We emphasized that RELAC was liked in principle by most but was highly priced, a 56% increase was unreasonable and service for many was unacceptable. I also mentioned Richard Speir's proposal to cover hot days in April, and to establish standards to measure acceptable service. I also presented Ed Climo's analysis which shows the need for consistent and adequate volume of chilled water flow.Let's just hope May 3 is a cool day.
Reston RELAC users were very fortunate to be supported by Fairfax County staff, Steve Sinclair, Chief, Public Utilities Branch and Marilyn McHugh, Assistant County Attorney. They and staff carefully reviewed Aqua's submission and argued for a rate reduction from $185,000 to about $166,000, Based solely on the numbers; not much but something. Also Ms. McHugh cross examined Greg Odell of Aqua for about 2 hours in a low key, systematic, and professional manner bringing out fairly significant weakness of records, poor customer service and a general lack of standards that could be used to show adequate delivery of chilled water with sufficient flow to individual units..
It was an interesting process. My general impression, based on casual talk around the court room, is that Aqua may get an increase but will be encouraged to take steps to improve service.
However, Ms McHugh and Mr Sinclair strongly recommend that as many RELAC users attend the additional hearing on May 3, 2010 at the Fairfax County Government Center [main building]at 700 PM in Coference Room 2 and 3. This is your chance to be heard on RELAC before the body that supervises Aqua Virginia. Please spread the message within your organization and to other effected clusters. We can thank Supervisor Hudgins in pushing to get this second hearing near us. Your participation may help.
The Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force We're Tired Of Mocking For Its Unweildy Long Name (RMPSSTFWTMFIWLN) meets at 7pm tonight at South Lakes High School. For us, it's another excuse to post a fanciful schematic, this one of a "water-enhanced pedestrian bridge" at the site of the new station.
Tonight's meeting will recap a community meeting which looked at the area around the Reston Town Center Metro station, which apparently is being envisioned as a "destination station." Please to be explaining:
Fairfax County senior planner Heidi Merkel said the station will be a destination station, where people will go to spend time, rather than a collector station where people will park to ride the Metro to other areas. The station will include bus loops and kiss-and-rides on each side, but no parking garages will be built.Good to know. Residents at the previous meeting pointed out that the idea of no parking garage is all well and good, but that needs to be balanced by other transportation improvements to work.
Robert Goudie, also a Task Force member... said he is in favor of no parking, helping to take more cars off the roads, but the station will require a good circulator bus system. He said there is a fear of disconnectedness between the north and south sides of the station, as well as the area between Reston Town Center and where the kiss-and-ride will be.The Reston Town Center station would not be included in the first phase of the Silver Line extension, which ends at Wiehle Avenue, so there's a little more time to hash this piece out. Of course, much of the development immediately around the station is relatively new or in the planning stages (remember JBG's Reston Heights?), so it's not clear how much of a blank slate there is to provide the awesome express moving walkway from the station to the front steps of the Macaroni Grill we've all been secretly hoping for.
Dave Edwards, also a Reston resident said the Task Force should demand that the results of the Reston Metrorail Access Group study be incorporated into the new master plan. The study, completed in 2008 outlined a number of transportation improvements that Reston could benefit from for future Metro development. Edwards said the area also needs further transportation analysis.
Reston resident Freya DeCola said there should be more open space in the development. She said what open space currently exists at Reston Town Center is not adequate. She said there should also be easy to use transit links from the station to Reston Town Center and Lake Anne. She said south of the station, toward US Geological Survey, should be more walkable and pedestrian friendly.
That was a negotiation that took place one weekend in Martha's Vineyard between my wife and my mother--I kept far away. I wanted the name to have some relationship to me, which could be an "in" joke, so to speak. I'll tell you something amusing.... Back at home they had a habit of pulling my leg by calling this thing Simon City and we all found it very wonderfully repulsive. So the PR outfit set someone up to make the presentation of the name and choice No. 1 was... Simon City. Well this is obviously repugnant, so what they came up with were my initials, R.E.S., with the small version of town--ton--at the end of it. This gives me and my family pleasure without being an insult to the people who live there.But then there was the faux pas of the time Simon met New York Times writer James Reston at some fancy cocktail party on Martha's Vineyard. Don't you just hate it when that happens!
One day in Martha's Vineyard we were invited out for cocktails. My friend is a writer and he had a pixie look on his face as I came in the door and I didn't know what was up.... As I came in there was a deathly hush and he said "Mr. Reston, meet Mr. Reston." We reacted identically. We each turned around and walked away from each other. We came back later, and since then I've seen him and he's a great guy and doesn't seem to mind.This anecdote is sure to be included in the upcoming book, Real Estate Development Snaps, Bloopers and Practical Jokes.
After deferring a decision several times, the Fairfax County Planning Commission has once again deferred a decision on the awesome Grand Canyon of the East Comstock Wiehle Metro development until this Thursday, the 29th. Unless, of course, the decision on Thursday winds up being to defer it yet again.
The county is in a bit of a bind here. Its own staff has recommended denial of the massive plan as originally submitted, but it's dependent on Comstock's participation to have an awesome parking garage built by the time the Wiehle Metro station opens. We have no knowledge of what's going on sub rosa, but here's hoping that Comstock is working behind the scenes to address the concerns raised by planners and members of the community so we can have a development we can all be proud of. Or at least a plaza that gets enough sunlight to keep the foliage from resembling an early Yes album cover.
Just keep the rad '80s art, K? Thx.
Restonian secret operative "Ryan" writes with a shocking story about how South Reston is being tallied in the 2010 Census:
I received a very unsettling surprise a few weeks ago when I received my census form in the mail. No, it was not the dreaded long form, but something much worse. As I was walking in with my mail that day, I happened to read, in detail, my address on the front of the envelope. My name, my number, my street, my unit number,… everything was kosher. Until I made it to the last line:There are no words.
Herndon, VA 20191
Herndon?! The Anti-Reston?! My surprise was so great I nearly dropped my Netflix DVD’s and my Money Mailer. Since that time, I have noticed the same results on many websites that automatically fill in city and state after you supply a ZIP code. I was wondering if any of my fellow 91’ers have noticed the same change or better yet, could provide me with some kind of explanation.
Doesn’t my$491$515 a year give me the right to say I’m from Robert Simon’s modern utopia and not from the congested, tree-hating independent city to our west? Can I still use the tennis courts and pools or do I have to watch my over my shoulder for the RA Gestapo to come by and burn all of my passes? Can I still save $5 on Reston Center Stage productions!?
I mean, I know I live in South Reston, but still…
“The Man Without a CDP”
Reston Association's newly elected board members told the Fairfax Times that they're ready to tackle wide range of issues after what the fancy news-paper called a "spirited" race:
As the dust settles on the Reston Association board elections, winning candidates say they're ready to tackle issues such as neighborhood revitalization, a long-debated indoor tennis complex and redevelopment around the future Wiehle Metro station.Yep.
These topics will likely dominate discussion during the next three years, all agreed.
"We are about to experience change over which RA has no direct control. That can be an unsettling feeling, but I am determined to leverage the spirit of community and innovation that have made Reston what it is today," said North Point District winner Mike Collins, who competed in a race with the slimmest margin, scoring a victory over candidate Peter Greenberg by two votes.
"The next three years of my term, I think, are going to be the most challenging for Reston," said Lake Anne/Tall Oaks district winner Ken Knueven, who bested candidates Kevin Danaher and Guy L. Rando.
Residents living in Knueven's community are particularly concerned about the 40-year-old RELAC system, a communal water-powered air-conditioning system that serves nearly 500 residential units.
"All the clusters are deeply concerned," he said. "It was state-of-the-art in its day ... but I think we need to be realistic about it." Knueven added the system is more eco-friendly than normal air-conditioning units, but doesn't always live up to the needs of residents, who feel limited because cool air does not turn on until May and does not always circulate well.
He said residents and the RA needed to prepare for the possibility that the system's owner would pull out or impose significant rate increases to keep up the system.
Although this year's RA election was more spirited than usual, candidates insist things will be fine going forward.
"It wasn't contentious among the candidates vying for office. It was contentious among the community organizations" backing candidates, said At-large district winner Joe Leighton, the only incumbent to retain his seat. Leighton took 40 percent of the vote in a four-way race.
"Basically, we haven't gotten going yet," he said, adding that the board would meet this week and next for planning sessions on how to tackle Reston issues. "We all need to work together. RA needs to do a better job of communicating ... of notifying the neighbors. We don't always do that."
Officials building a subway line to Dulles International Airport say Metro is overcharging them for new rail cars, a budget-busting cost that they predict could delay the opening of the extension and force higher fees for Dulles Toll Road commuters.To be fair, the airports authority need the money for their awesome Particleboard Beltway.
Unless Metro agrees to eliminate a $75 million increase on 64 rail cars it is preparing to buy for the new Silver Line, the regional airports authority won't agree to the deal, the officials said.
I find myself turning to Robert Simon’s “Seven Goals for Reston” for guidance. After all, these are the foundation for our community and have served us well for going on 46 years. If you take a look at the second and third goals, they speak to the importance of being part of a community and the preservation of the dignity of each individual.
Don’t you believe maintaining those ideals are extremely important? I know I do, especially in our community of 62,000 people, where schedules overwhelm and information moves at the speed of a heartbeat. It is often easy for any of us to think only of our own “to do” list.
So, how do we as a board and a community accomplish those ideals?
I believe we have to be willing to offer and expect from one another an open exchange of ideas, thoughtful discussion, civil debate, mutual respect, personal accountability and an active concern for making our community successful for at least another five decades.
Wetlands Studies and Solutions Inc., represented by its president Michael Rolband; Holly Norris, director of environmental services Reston Hospital; Laurel Learning Center volunteer Emily Ward; Dr. Thomas Schuler and the Virginia Spine Institute; the Sheraton Reston and Westin Reston Heights hotels, represented by general manager Sami Zeitoun; the Reston Historic Trust, represented by Lynn Lilienthal and Vicky Wingert; and Imam Mohammed Magid, of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, and Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk, of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation. Also honored were Fairfax County 2009 First Responder Officers of the Year, Police Officer Eric R. Glueckert and Firemen Ronald A. McNew and Craig S. Furneisen Jr.Good on them.
Well-known civic activist Charles "Chuck" Veatch, a resident of Reston since 1968 and former Best of Reston honoree, was presented with the second Robert E. Simon Lifetime Achievement Award, which is announced at the gala.
In the summer of 2009 Ian Rappaport, the winner of the Reston Association 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award donated 180 hours of free labor to the environmental resource field crew.Accents by Design and The Thai Tennis Organization in America won the RA's corporate business sponsor award.
Then, to earn his Eagle Scout badge, Rappaport decided to help the Reston Association environmental staff again. This time, the project was to restore a natural surface trail, which is widely used by commuters, dog walkers and residents in the Glade Stream Valley. Three other Boy Scouts working on their Eagle Scout projects were nominated for the award — Daniel Albamonte, Stephen Emerick and Allen Millman.
Just weeks after Case Design and Remodeling completed Elizabeth McBride's dream kitchen, a freak electrical fire burned it and the rest of her Reston home to the ground.Tragic. The French Country style, we mean.
"One of my neighbors said the house went up in flames like paper," said McBride, who was away on vacation with her family at the time.
Case kitchen designer April Underwood was horrified and called McBride to offer condolences. "She had designed a fabulous kitchen," McBride said. "I asked her if she could replicate it."
Blending elements of French Country with modern touches, such as chrome and stainless steel fixtures and appliances, Underwood re-created McBride's beloved kitchen -- adding in a few extras to give it timeless appeal.
Following Mike Collins' narrow 2-vote victory over Peter Greenberg in the RA Board elections announced last week, rumors began swirling about the potential impact of 24 deleted ballots from the North Point district. Adam Viener of GoReston.com attended yesterday's special RA elections committee meeting. Here's his account:
Due to an election malfunction, 24 Ballots (48 votes) were DELETED, and very little follow-up was done explain the situation and make sure that these residents were able to cast their ballots. As a result 6 of these home owners have been disenfranchised in the election.It just never ends.
The board discussed the issue in the meeting, and decided that they would allow Mr. Greenberg and others inspect the invalidated ballots, they would allow BDO, the accounting firm responsible for counting the ballots, to provide Mr. Greenberg with more detailed information surrounding the 24 deleted ballots and the 17 re-votes.
The board refused to take the further step, requested by Mr. Greenberg, of contacting the potentially disenfranchised voters, to clarify their intentions to make sure their proper votes were counted in the election.
Ken Chadwick, General Counsel for the board, advised the election committee and Mr. Greenberg that a Civil case would need to be filed and a court order would need to be rendered for any further steps to be taken in the election.
“Win or lose, I’m not out to change the election, I just want to make sure none of my neighbors were disenfranchised” said Peter Greenberg. “Issues like these go to the heart of why I ran, as neighbors we have to treat each other very well and not see the association as something separate from it’s members, the members are the association.”
“I really know a thing about voter protection and voter rights, it’s kind of become a hobby of mine” said Mike Collins, “The worse thing an entity can do is make up new procedures after the votes have been counted.”
Following a budget compromise the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors reached last week, it looks as though the massive Fairfax Connector and RIBS service cuts have been averted. At least they're in the draft budget, and given the public outcry and the folly of cutting mass transit at a time when the county is pushing transit-oriented development in Reston and elsewhere along the Metro corridor, it's unlikely they'll be on the chopping block again... at least this year.
Lookit, here's the fancy cake from last weekend's Founders Day activities! While it didn't include an edible representation of Lake Anne Plaza this year, please to be noticing the fancy Bob Simon-inspired beret at the top.
Urban planner Alexander Garvin gave a speech during the Founders Day festivities, saying Reston has met six out of seven of Simon's original goals.
AS A MEASURE of Reston’s success, Garvin said he had looked up Simon’s original seven goals for the community and determined that at least six of them had been achieved. For example, he said, the proportion of single-family, detached homes was considerably lower than average. "That’s a good deal greater variety of housing types than you would find in a conventional suburb of the United States." As for the opportunity to live and work in the same community, he said 42 percent of the jobs in Reston were held by Reston residents. "That’s an enormous number," he said.With the Metro coming, there's no doubt that's going to happen. The question, as always, is whether it will be done well, and Garvin makes a good point -- except for spotty infill development in close-in neighborhoods, which generally looks awful and doesn't match the character of the existing community, there are few examples of "second growth," meaning serious, well-planned suburban redevelopment. That's why what happens in Reston in the coming years could be as important as what happened in its first 46 years.
The one goal whose achievement was in question, Gavin said, was the community’s financial success. He noted that the Tall Oaks supermarket was again vacant, businesses were foundering at Lake Anne Plaza and the community center where he was speaking had once been a supermarket. Garvin said the business of retail had changed since Reston’s formation, with supermarkets looking for larger spaces and businesses able to sell online.
The only solution, he said, was to bring more people, "because without more customers, these stores are not going to survive." He urged the community to find sites that could be developed and to make it simple for developers to build there. "Second growth in suburban areas is something we’ve done little of in the United States because we’re a young country. But we’re going to have to," Garvin said.
Almost a year to the day after WSSI coordinated that simply awesome "March of the Hobbits" through the then soon-to-be-napalmed, er, improved, Reach 5 of the Glade, Reston's tree huggers gathered once again this past Saturday to celebrate nature. This ancient pagan ritual, also known as the annual Potomac Watershed Clean-up, brought together at the Nature House on a crisp, sunny spring morning 50 eco-hobbits -- not one of whom, surprisingly, actually arrived in a Prius. In the spirit of crusading investigative journalism for which this "filthy non-professional Web log" is justly famous, The Peasant From Less Sought After South Reston quietly infiltrated their ranks to provide on the spot coverage (and clean-up).Photos are from the Reston Association's official "Flickers-like Web site," so who knows? Maybe the Peasant is one of these grinning folken -- or maybe he was identified by a vigilant spotter and stuffed into one of those bright yellow bags. He's not telling.
The assembled eco-hobbits were called to order by RA junior wizards "Ken" and "Debbie", who were there to lead this merry band of eco-warriors on their trash trek. After a brief safety lecture on what to do if such dreck as needles, hazmats, dead bodies, or a latex-gloved creepo were encountered, the eco-hobbits set off from the Nature House towards the Snakeden. The first item of interest found near the Snakeden was, ironically enough...a snake. Not a venomous viper, but rather a harmless garter snake who looked mighty annoyed at having its tranquility disturbed by rowdy eco-hobbits.
Down by the ol' Snakeden, the eco-hobbits split into two groups, one heading north towards South Lakes and the other, which The Peasant joined, heading west along both sides of the Snakeden towards Soapstone. In this latter group were a few Cub Scouts of Troop 1313 from Sunrise Valley Elementary who had the great misfortune (with a troop numbered "13-13", no surprise there) to stumble across what appeared to be a used diaper that produced the expected gross-out effect that eight-year old boys have raised to an art form. Trudging alongside the burbling waters of the now-remediated Snakeden with its raised streambed, the eco-hobbits ruminated that at least no one needed worry any more about such occupational hazards as a Grand Canyon-esque fall off the once towering stream banks into the water below.
The Peasant was pleasantly surprised to find virtually no trash for most of the journey, at least not until getting within 400 foot of Soapstone. The 7-11 that anchors the luxe high-end shopping emporium there appeared to serve as the epicenter of South Reston litter, with the trash volume increasing exponentially every 100 feet closer to it. The eco-hobbits' trash haul in fact netted countless items strewn about by the 7-11's clientele, mostly packaging for the artery-clogging, diabetes-inducing haute cuisine for which this establishment is justly famous, Not a single wrapper for organic, locally grown, slow food movement-certified arugula or endive to be found anywhere!
After two hours of the slog through the bog, the eco-hobbits returned to the Nature House tired but happy, having scoured the shire and making Less Sought After South Reston slightly more sought after, at least for the next 24 hours. This year's treasure trove of trash seemed to bear out the assessment of RA junior wizards "Ken" and "Debbie" that Reston's streams are actually getting somewhat cleaner compared to previous years. All that's left to put the eco-hobbits permanently out of business, apparently, is for an errant WSSI dump truck to take that downhill curve on Soapstone a bit too fast, "accidentally" ram the 7-11, and send its splintered remnants flying into the Snakeden so that (a la Luca Brasi in The Godfather), the Big Gulps can sleep with the fishes forever more.
(Snark aside, the Potomac watershed cleanup is a worthy effort that this year involved 490 clean-up sites and nearly 4,000 volunteers who removed 107 tons of trash, including 107,000 recyclable beverage containers and such artifacts as an orange shag carpet, a Canadian flag, a gumball machine, a futon, and a Vespa motorbike. "There's complicated trash in there!", as one astute participant trenchantly observed.)
Who knew that minor controversies and cheesy Meatloaf embeds would have drummed up interest in the just-concluded Reston Association Board elections? According to the final figures released by the RA (warning: link downloads annoying Microsoft Word document, which we couldn't open on the WordPerfect software that came bundled with the TRS-80 powering Restonian World Headquarters), final turnout clocked in at 18.43 percent of the vote, the highest it's been in the past four years. Of course, turnout only edged up by about 1 or 2 percent and we're still only talking about 4,482 votes cast out of a possible 24,316 votes, so we'll just point out we've got a long way to go before we reach the 99.9 percent turnout levels consistently met by those other arbiters of austere architecture, the Soviet Union, the end.
It's "tax day," which means those of us who actually still have those "jobs" people keep talking about have to stand in line at the post office with an envelope containing various arbitrary forms, while TV reporters and DJs file breathless reports and hand out donuts and coffee to the associated wage slaves citizenry. If that's not your bag, though, you can go to a fancy tea party!
That's right, the Northern Virginia Tea Party is holding a rally from 3-5pm in the "right of way" behind Fox Mill Fire Station 31 along Reston Parkway. Good thing it's not a left of way! This sounds like great fun, especially since last year's event was a real hoot, treacherous, left-leaning umbrellas notwithstanding.
Of course, not everyone can be as thoughtful and nuanced as these right-thinking protesters. Fortunately, they have provided a helpful video guide on what to do about the plague of 21st Century America: "Leftist infiltrators."
This You Tubes claims that these "leftists" have devised a cunning plan to infiltrate these gatherings with signs that "make us look like racists or look stupid." We're not entirely sure they need any help in that regard, but we have to admit that we dig the counter-signs they've got planned to nip that lefty nonsense in the bud.
Rumor has it that Compare Foods is scheduled to open its doors at Tall Oaks Shopping Center this Friday, following months of delays and stop-work orders and whatnot. We actually walked by earlier in the week to find the doors open and tradesmen working, so hey, maybe there's some truth to this after all.
We share this, in part, to keep people informed. But mostly to have another excuse to run this commercial starring "Susie De Los Santos," and all those... well-stocked shelves.
According to the Twitters, HCA has been given the green light by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to go ahead with its planned, Ashburn-spiting expansion of Reston Hospital Center. Um, yay?
Meanwhile, the Fairfax County Planning Commission has again postponed a decision on Comstock's awesome Grand Canyon of the East at the Wiehle Avenue Metro station, this time to April 22. In the meantime, you can read this exquisitely harsh letter to the editor criticizing the project, the end.
The Observer is reporting, via the Twitters, that Joe Leighton, Mike Collins and Ken Knueven are the winners of the not-at-all contentious RA Board elections. All three are presumably enjoying refreshments at the RA party/meeting at the Sheraton.
For the skeptics keeping score at home, only Collins was elected from the Gang of Three mentioned in the Snowgate non-endorsement, while Leighton and Knueven were both endorsed by the Save Brown's Chapel crowd. So, um... 2-1? Or your typical split ticket that's a precursor to gridlock? As IBM once said, you make the call.
Shout-out to the Observer for the on-the-spot update. Now "tweet" something about the refreshments so we know if they served punch or something a bit stronger.
Update: If the vote tally posted by one of our intrepid informants is right, Collins won by a whopping two votes. Regardless of who you supported, that's a stunning argument for how a 13-22 percent turnout, depending on the race, just isn't enough.
Also, nice gloaty music embed on the Save Brown's Chapel site. And, thanks to the reporting of another informant, we now know that apparently they had some awesome wraps and whatnot at the RA party. Yay citizen journalism.
This community is going through profound changes. But, this I believe. No matter how busy we get, how stressed out we are, or how we may not always agree, Reston will continue to thrive, succeed, and continue to be a great place to live, work, play and get involved... Finally to all Restonians, just remember, volunteering is easy. All it takes is someone to tap you on the shoulder, and ask you to give some time. Or maybe you are already involved. Why not ask someone you know to join in and give back? It has truly been a humbling and fulfilling experience for me; one that I hope many of you will consider trying. Whether you have a couple of hours to give, or many, get involved, give back, and make a difference. After all, this community is rich with talent and so much good happens in Reston every day!Well put. Whoever winds up winning, we wish the upcoming RA Board the best of luck, at least until they announce plans to build an awesome giant floating rec center in the middle of Lake Anne and convert the existing village center into a parking lot. Seriously, we thank all the candidates for their willingness to serve under what are now demonstrably thankless circumstances.
The whole time the people are being interviewed the cameraman is zooming in on the businesses, like GAP, Victoria's Secret and Chico's... is there a reason for this? How are close-ups of (especially) those types of businesses relevant in the discussion?Exactly.
Nothing funny at all about this.
A 2 1/2 -year-old toddler was killed Saturday in Reston when he fell out of a third-story townhouse window in what appeared to be a "tragic accident," Fairfax County police said.
The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. in the 11000 block of Heritage Oak Court.
The window was open but covered by a screen, said county police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell.
She said a sibling and a parent were home at the time. The boy lived at the house, Caldwell said.
Police were still investigating Saturday night, Caldwell said.
Sorry, no wacky fun-time video this week. Talk about Founder's Day cakes, your favorite good-time eatery, or whatever strikes your earth-toned fancy. And be excellent to each other.
Pssst! Don't tell the DRB, but a Reston resident was one of the winners in Meadows Farms Nurseries' Ugliest Landscaping in DC contest. But he doesn't deserve all the credit -- VDOT did a lot of the dirty work for him! Here's the heart-rending account submitted by a Mr. Stephen Murphy of South Reston:
Twenty-plus years of gardening were demolished in the February storms. Over a dozen trees cracked and crashed to the ground or had trunks snapped off 20 to 30 feet up in the air. During the height of the blizzard we chain-sawed a small gap through the fallen trunks and boughs so that a plow or an emergency vehicle could at least make its way down Glade Drive in Reston. As the storm ended, VDOT came through at night with front-end loaders and threw the huge mass of debris back up onto the landscaped berm separating my backyard from Glade Drive. Under that crushing logjam were rhododendrons, boxwoods, hydrangeas, oak, hickory, and maple saplings, etc. That mountainous mess is gone now, and with it everything around it and under it. I've got a garden of wounded stumps, ripped-up root systems, cracked trunks and raw earth. I spread whole and mulched leaves just to hide the gashes and gouges-it hurt to look at it.The judges were so moved by this tragic tale of betrayal by our state transportation department that they named Murphy's treepocalypse-strewn yard a "runner-up," earning him a $500 gift certificate in the process. That's almost enough to pay his Reston Association dues for one year!
Apparently, unlike most of the other entrants whose neglected landscaping approximated the countryside surrounding Chernobyl circa 1986, Mr. Murphy actually had a nice garden, but first this winter and then VDOT took care of that in short order.Speaking of the other entrants, this entry is notable for the world's most annoying use of canned music in a fancy "slide show" presentation since man climbed down from the trees and plugged their clubs into a router, the end.
Don't forget Saturday is Founder's Day!
Founder’s Day begins with an illustrated presentation by urban planner, educator, and author, Alex Garvin from 12 noon until approximately 2 p.m. Garvin will focus on Lake Anne developments and James Rossant, who died last December. Rossant was the designer of the internationally recognized Lake Anne Village Center, the historical heart of the planned community of Reston, established in 1964. Garvin’s presentation will take place at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center, Lake Anne, 1609A Washington Plaza. Afterwards, Founder’s Day attendees are invited to view the newest commemorative bricks in Reston’s “Walk of Fame” on the plaza, then on to Reston Museum for a reception, celebration, and cake in honor of the 96th birthday of Reston founder, Robert E. Simon Jr., born April 10, 1914.We can only hope that this year's cake is as awesome as last year's (pictured above). We're hoping for a lifelike representation of the new RA Headquarters, complete with child labor cubbies.
Shocking news from "Star Bucks," the fancy upscale coffee store that inexplicably sold all those Norah Jones CDs that everyone kept talking about back in the 1990s, a decade which was... a decade ago. Yeah.
Anyhoo, turns out the Starbucks in the North Point Giant has folded, as grocery shoppers somehow managed to keep their impulse control in check for the 35 seconds it took to walk over to the standlone North Point Starbucks -- an arduous 75-foot journey that Starbucks corporate planners apparently assumed people wouldn't undertake without at least a "skinny" mocha latte chai under their belts to tide them over until they went for the gusto and got the tall, or grande, or whatever their Big Gulp-sized coffee cup is called. Go figure!
If a Starbucks located in the shadow of another Starbucks can't survive economically in these challenging times, are any of us safe?
The Observer is reporting that a deal is close to being finalized to bring a new restaurant to Lake Anne Village Center:
The space formerly occupied by Tavern on the Lake at Lake Anne Village Center will soon reopen as Kalypso's Sports Tavern.Hopefully, some good news for the Plaza. We weren't fond of the microwaved tapas served by the spot's former tenant, but we love the space, and it was a shame to have it sit vacant for more than a year.
The deal is in the works to be settled by the end of this week. The restaurant and tavern, being purchased by Vicki Hadjikyriadou, will offer Italian and Greek food. Opening is anticipated this spring.
Now that we've gotten our obligatory '80s pun out of the way, let's revisit everyone's favorite "alternative" cooling system, which pipes tepid Lake Anne water through tubes to "cool" various Lake Anne homes, much like that other passing fad, "air conditioning." But hey -- it's silent, which means you can sweat in peace and quiet!
Anyhoo! Aqua Virginia, the cleverly named company that runs the series of tubes, has applied to the State Regulatory Commission for a 56 percent rate increase. People in the clusters surrounding the lake are not happy, and the Reston Association facilitated a public meeting a week or so back for affected residents. Here's what they learned:
The average increase Aqua is asking for RELAC customers is about 56% over existing tariffs, which have not been changed since Aqua bought the company. The documents filed with the SCC indicate that RELAC is steadily losing money and a significant increase is needed to keep RELAC solvent. We were aware of their intent to file for an increase, as the General Manager of Aqua VA, Greg O'Dell, had met several times with a group of affected cluster presidents during the past year and mentioned that they were planning to request a “long overdue” rate increase.A different cluster board had this to say:
We plan to appeal on the basis that the 56% increase is unreasonable for service that is less that satisfactory. The County will present technical objections to the financial aspects of Aqua's case. There will be a hearing before the Commission in Richmond at 1000 AM on April 20, 2010 and then, nearby thanks to our Supervisor, Cathy Hudgins, at the Government Center on May 3, 2010 at 700 PM.With its well-intentioned attempt to revolutionize a basic amenity, RELAC is classic '60s Reston, idealistic if not always practical. While many grumble about its lack of efficiency, or actual ability to cool buildings, some people truly like the fact that they can sit out on their decks in the summer without hearing the drone of dozens of air conditioning units. Still others find ways to get medical waivers and put in classy window A/C units and whatnot.
I will report that I got two hours of "half-sleep" last night. Our house was 88 degrees with all the windows open and fans on upstairs and downstairs. I was joking with my wife that we should go "tea party," install some window units, and see if a court would enforce a covenant that makes it illegal to air condition your home on a 93 degree day. (And even if they did, hey, we'd have a comfortable house for a few weeks while the lawyers fought about it:)Awesome. Can't wait for that cool sludge to get flowing!
Again, that was just a household joke, but this week makes it clearer than ever we need new alternatives. This situation is untenable, and the huge pending rate increase just adds insult to injury.
[snip]
I am close to certain that the contract states that in instances where the temperature is 80 or above for three days in a row, they will turn it on. That being said, they have rarely done so in my 11.5 years here.
[snip]
I'm not sure Aqua could turn the system on early this year. I just walked by their plant near North Shore (on my way somewhere else, I wasn't planning sabotage ;) and they have a back-hoe working near the water intact area dredging that area out. From my observations, they tend to do work like this before the start of each cooling season and it lasts several days.
While we wait breathlessly for the winners of the not-at-all contentious RA Board elections to be announced (at a fancy party next week at the Reston Sheraton, no less!), we can at least report that the RA received quorum in all three races, if just barely in one.
Election rules require a 10 percent quorum in each race. According to preliminary unofficial counts smuggled out of the Reston Association's warren of filing cabinets at great risk to life and limb, just shy of 13 percent of ballots were returned in the North Point Lake Anne race; while around 16 percent were returned for the at-large election and 22 percent were returned for the Lake Anne North Point race. That sounds impressive, until you realize that in one case just 840 out of more than 6,500 eligible ballots decided one of the races.
It's a shame that so few people voted in such an important -- and actually contested -- election. Did the negative tone turn people off, or is this pretty much par for the course?
The Reston Association has sent the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors a letter criticizing the proposed cuts to most Fairfax Connector service in Reston, suggesting fee hikes and reduced service as an alternative.
Sadly, the RA didn't make fun of the proposed Particleboard Beltway, which, to be fair, is the awesome idea from the brilliant minds at the airport authority, not the county. Instead, in the letter, RA President Robin Smyers makes the same point we've made before: that cutting mass transit in areas slated for higher density goes against the purpose for the higher density in the first place.
The Reston community has been working closely with the County in preparing for the advent of rail to the Dulles Corridor and associated transit-oriented development at three stations – Wiehle Avenue, Reston Town Center, and Herndon/Monroe. As you are aware, building bus ridership before, during and after construction of rail is essential to the success of the transit-oriented, urban commerce centers planned throughout the Dulles Corridor, and to the overall mass transit system of Fairfax County. The upward momentum in bus ridership that has been achieved over the years may be severely thwarted by cutbacks that would inherently limit commuters’ choices and ability to meet their travel needs. Once this momentum is lost, it may take years to rebuild. Efficient and effective bus service is essential to Fairfax County being able to accommodate burgeoning growth in travel demands in the future, particularly in communities such as Reston.Rather than eliminate routes outright, the RA is recommending that rates go up, frequency go down, and that fees be instituted at the park and ride lots to help keep the buses rolling.
Businesses continue to come and go at the Lake Anne Village Center, but fear not. With warm weather coming, the planned accordion and ukelele festivals are going to really pack the customers in. No, really:
Part of the merchants association’s plan to bring people to the plaza this spring and summer is an accordion festival, scheduled for May 22, and a ukulele festival, whose date has not yet been pinned down, Thompson said. The children’s concerts and “Take a Break” concert series will continue this summer, and last year’s Family Fun Nights, hosted by Washington Plaza Baptist Church, will be repeated. This weekend, auditions will take place for street performers, or buskers. Thompson said she was hoping to find acts like magicians and jugglers, as well as musicians.Sweet! Maybe the roving gangs of mimes can scare away the spraypaint-wielding thugs the next time they want to tag the statue of Dear Leader.
The association is also working on improving storefront appearances and building a new Web site, and a new Lake Anne logo was just approved last week, Thompson said. Security cameras are also being installed in the wake of January’s purple graffiti spree.
Jiang “Kenny” Gangmiao said business at his newly opened sushi takeout and delivery business at Lake Anne Plaza had been slow thus far, but he was hopeful that it would pick up as warmer weather brought more people to the plaza.And of course, the pharmacy is still for sale.
“My sushi is very good, but my business is not doing too good,” said Gangmiao, who opened G. Sushi next to the Reston Museum at the beginning of February. Marked by record snowfalls, though, last month was a difficult one for most businesses, and Gangmiao said business had improved this month.
Properties on the plaza continue to change hands, with Rita’s Express Alterations and Dry Cleaning opening at the beginning of the month in one of the two properties that comprised the former dry cleaners, at the same time that Salon Chakra, next door to G. Sushi, moved out.
“They had an ongoing dispute with their landlord, so that’s not a surprise,” said Eve Thompson, president of the merchant’s association, of the salon’s departure.
She said the potential buyer for the former Tavern on the Lake had been attending merchants’ meetings at the plaza, but a deal on the property had not yet been finalized.
Reston, Va., April 1, 2010 (PRNewswired) — The Reston Association has announced an agreement in principle with Restonian Worldwide Blog and Plastic Extrusion Manufacturing Inc. to purchase all intellectual property associated with “Restonian.org,” a Web blog that provides news about Virginia’s premiere community to Live, Work and Play (tm). Purchase terms were not disclosed.
“By acquiring this well-regarded on-line Web blog on the Internet, the Reston Association will be able to ‘get the word out’ about all the exciting things that are happening in Reston,” said RA CEO Matthew Milton. “Reston residents will have ‘one-click’ access to the latest news about our exciting election process and projects like our upcoming move to a new headquarters building, which will provide Reston residents with immediate access to pool passes.”
The Reston Association is planning a variety of new features and enhancements to the Web blog, including a 24-hour live Webcam of the statue of Reston founder Robert E. Simon at the architecturally renowned Lake Anne Village Center, an interactive response form to report neighbors’ Design Review Board violations, official campaign slates, and a full Pantone-certified palette of approved trim colors.
Restonian founder and CEO Earl Hoffert -- who had remained anonymous until the acquisition was made public -- was unavailable for comment, but said in a statement that he is moving to the planned community of Columbia, Maryland, where he will start a new Web blog entitled “Columbian” with the proceeds from the acquisition, which are believed to be in the low two figures, as well as amnesty from 20-plus years of covenant violations. “Get that damn microphone out of my face,” Hoffert told reporters congregating around Restonian World Headquarters Thursday morning.
RA President Robin Myers emphasizes the site’s ability to enhance two way communications with Reston residents, through an advanced commenting system which will be monitored 24 hours a day by Reston Association convenant specialists. “Our new Web blog presence on the Internet’s World Wide Web will focus on positive news, much like that which is shared by ‘professional journalists,’” she said.
(View the image that went with this hilarious fun-time April Fool's prank here.)
Flashbacks: A look at Reston's past.
The RNGC Caddyshackpocalypse
Bollards! Reston's mixed-use future.
