Guess the Mauve Bits, Pt. 4: Even More Clear than the DRB Regulations

Okay you guys, here's another ridiculously easy bit of Reston architecture, courtesy of the moon men Google satellite imagery. Squint real hard and take your best guess in the comments. As always, the first to correctly respond wins that Buick is the first to correctly respond. Good luck, and see the lucky winner in about 14 minutes!

Update: Yep, we have a winner. And at precisely the 14-minute mark to boot.

Terror, Tolls, and Politics As (Un)usual: A Random Sprint Through Reston News

• Farooque Ahmed, the Ashburn man accused of plotting to bomb a number of Virginia Metro stations, worked as a contractor at Ericsson in Reston. What's more, he was taken into custody in Herndon. That's what those of us (not) in the news business would call a "local angle two-fer."
  
  
• Here's what those of us (not) in the news business would call a "real shocker:" Dulles Toll Road tolls are going up by a quarter at the main toll booth outside of Tysons on Jan. 1. The "good" news is that ramp tolls will remain the same through 2012. Feeling ripped off? Apparently, it's still a bargain, at least to hear the airports authority explain it:

  According to the MWAA, the Dulles Toll Road still has one of the cheapest toll-per-mile rates, currently at 13 cents per mile, and it will go up to 15 and 17 cents per mile in 2011 and 2012, respectively. To compare, the Dulles Greenway is 32 cents per mile during off-peak hours, and the Beltway HOT lanes will be 43 cents per mile, according to estimates from project sponsors.

  Maybe it's just us, but comparing anything to the Greenway strikes us as an odd way to make the case that we're not getting shafted.
  
  
• Hunter Mill Road's Toll Road underpass will be closed again overnight from Nov. 1-5 as construction crews do something involving "bridge decking," or maybe just preparing to have a money fight with all those shiny new quarters they'll be getting. The same helpful detour is in place as last time.
  
  
• After reading those last two items, you're probably getting excited about someday forgetting about the whole Toll Road experience and just stone cold hopping on the Silver Line. Well, the good news is that the fancy tunnel taking the Metro under one of Tysons' most prestigious hillocks is now completed, though trains will return to the surface just in time to see the endless sea of car lots along Rt. 7. The bad news? The project is behind schedule. Blame "utility lines," whatever that means.
  
  
• So maybe riding your bike is a good idea then, right? Remember that time that Reston was in line for federal funds to build a vaguely socialist bike sharing system? Well, not so much anymore.
  
  
• Yay Reston's Fake Downtown, which just turned 20! The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently honored the real estate development "world-class urban model," along with James Cleveland, Hunter Richardson, and Jeffrey Kovach, who all played key roles in its development. Robert E. Simon and Cathy Hudgins were among the people who planted a fancy time capsule to be opened on Oct. 18, 2030. We're guessing the future denizens of the RestonWiehleTargetvilleMetroplex will be quite impressed by the cupcakes, cryogenically frozen yogurt and, whaazitcalled, "iPods."
  
  
• Nineteen-year-old Lee Wiggins was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the Easter 2009 murder of Siobhan Russell in Fox Mill.
  
  
• Following the traditional "preference poll," Beverly Cosham, William Keefe and Roger Lowen were named the selected appointees to the Reston Community Center Board of Governors. In Small Tax District #5, polls prefer you!
  
  
• Reston resident Richard Allen Beyer, currently a corporate vice president and member of the executive committee at Trimble Navigation Ltd., was named the first non-Jesuit president of Wheeling Jesuit University.
  
  
• Rockwell Collins, which is involved in, we don't know, strapping aviation electronics to dolphins, is consolidating operations in Sterling, including Reston employees who joined the company when it bought Information Technology and Applications Corp.
  
  
• TerreStar, which is involved in, we don't know, strapping dolphins to satellites, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
  
  
• We've said it before, and we'll say it again: People love puppies.
  
  
• With the elections on Tuesday, we've been remiss in covering much in terms of politics. But here, through the magic of the Twitters, are two exciting photos that capture the zeitgeist of Campaign 2010: Reston Style.
  
  
  
  Thanks to a Confidential Restonian Operative, here is an exciting cellular telephone photo of Republican Congressional candidate Patrick Murray's bus at North Point Shopping Center. We're not sure if he was there campaigning, just stopping by for ice cream, or if the bus had plowed into the red car in the foreground.
  
  And then there's the Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear, which seems like something that would be up many Restonians' alley. Is anyone going?
  
  
  
  Apparently so.
  

Mauve and Mush: We Read Reston: The Magazine So You Don't Have To

Hey, maybe we have some fans over at Issac Newton Square Sunrise Valley Drive, as the cover of the newest issue of Reston: The Magazine is just slathered with mauve. Sweet!

When the uniformed federal agent delivered this fabulous document to Restonian World Headquarters a day or so ago, we were a bit confused by the largest word on the cover -- or "display type," as those of us in the biz don't say. Mush? Was this a teaser about a new color palette approved by the DRB? Actually, no, it referred to a pretty interesting story about a Reston woman and her dog stone cold going to Alaska to run the Iditarod or something, but we still can't get the image of gruel-colored window sashes out of our head.

So what else is in this encyclopedic take on what's doin' around town? A fascinating Q&A with Andy Sigle, our favorite host of RA's fancy YouTube videos, some more Iroquois wisdom from RA President Kathleen Driscoll McKee, and the usual schedules and whatnot. But that's not what we were really looking for.

With trembling fingers, we flipped to the back of the magazine, where sure enough, we found the Covenants Word Find! Only most of the words this time around were winter-themed, as opposed to being about various window replacement requirements. Bummer. That didn't stop us from trying to fill it out, though.

Sadly, we couldn't find the word "mauve."

This Week in Crime: Police Link Two Reston Bank Robberies; Burgling Meat Salesman Amazingly Not The Fairfax County Hamburgler

What an exciting month in crime! First, we had our serial burglar, and now we have a serial bank robber, who Fairfax County Police believe is responsible for two bank robberies in Reston in the past week, as well as a third in Loudoun County.

Police are investigating two bank robberies that are linked to the same suspect. The first occurred in the Reston area on Thursday, October 21 at the Presidential Bank and the second was at the Capitol One Bank on Tuesday, October 26. Detectives are talking with Loudoun County regarding similarities to a bank robbery in their jurisdiction that occurred on Wednesday, October 6.

The suspect entered the Presidential Bank at 1675 Reston Parkway, implied a weapon and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Detectives believe the same suspect robbed the Capitol One Bank at 9883 Georgetown Pike. During this robbery, the suspect pointed a gun at tellers and demanded money. No one was injured and the suspect fled.

In both cases, the suspect was described as a white male in his late 20s. He was 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed approximately 150 to 180 pounds. He wore a black coat, black gloves, and black sunglasses.

Meanwhile, a traveling meat salesmen arrested in connection with a burglary in the Mount Vernon area is not the serial Fairfax County Hamburglar (tm), according to police. That's right, he's not the Hamburglar, even though he is a traveling meat salesman.

Sometimes you just can't make this stuff up.

Herndon-Monroe Metro: Will Sunrise Valley Drive Become a 'Grand Green Boulevard'? Also, Polo Fields HOA Would Like The Parking Somewhere Else, Please

And you thought our Google Map annotations were amateurish! As it did with the Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway stations, the Master Plan Task Force We're Tired of Abbreviating (MPTFWTA) issued its own report on future development around the Herndon-Monroe station. That subcommittee envisions that the area will become "less dense than Reston Parkway with more local serving retail" (translation: fewer cupcakeries, more 7-11s). The subcommittee's other recommendations are to capitalize on and complement the high-end office space currently in the area, preserve the designated wetlands and create a "grand green boulevard" along Sunrise Valley Drive (as opposed to fanciful concrete bollards?) and incorporate residential projects for a better residential-commercial balance. With that, of course, would come added density -- but again, not as dense as the Fake Downtown, which as we know, could become more dense than that urban-suburban nightmare model of transit-oriented development, the Ballston Metro corridor in Arlington.

Meanwhile, the Polo Fields homeowners association, which represents the westernmost corner of Reston's residential areas and is adjacent to the future Metro station, has written the airports authority a letter asking it to not add any additional parking on the Reston side of the Toll Road.

While we are strongly in support of a metro stop being located at Herndon Monroe P&R, by this letter we want officially record our opposition to the expansion of the parking facilities on the Reston side of the Herndon Monroe metro station.This will concentrate traffic congestion in an area that is already strained with passenger vehicles and contributing to an increasing level of vehicular accidents.

Calling the placement of the station "unfortunate," the HOA suggests, among other things, limiting future access to the station from Sunrise Valley Drive to buses, while getting the town of Herndon to focus on building its own fancy garage, assuming it can divert its attention from other more entertaining matters.

"That's all well and good," you're thinking to yourself, "but what exactly does a 'grand green boulevard' look like?" Glad you asked.

Hmm. Maybe a ginormous parking garage festooned with rad '80s art isn't such a bad idea after all.

Treepocalypse Now, or at Least in November: Stream Restoration Finally Moves North of Toll Road

Hey, remember how the stream deforestation restoration process transformed Snakeden and the Glade into arid wastelands devoid of trees and life, as the blurry photo above clearly shows? Yeah, that was awesome. Well, after nearly a year, work on the Glade streambed is now complete, and the long-anticipated reign of Treepocalypse Terror (tm) work north of the Toll Road will begin in November. We learned this, as all important news should be learned, from a Facebook BFF -- the Reston Association.

* Construction is finished in The Glade. Crews are working their way out picking up the deck mats. Planting crews will be in The Glade stream valley until the end of the year planting trees and shrubs.

* Construction is scheduled to begin in Colvin Run at Forest Edge South which is located behind Uplands Pool and runs to Lake Fairfax in November. Construction activity is expected to occur until March 31, 2011.

Many of the initial concerns about the process seem to have subsided, and while the company doing the work is selling mitigation credits to developers elsewhere, Reston and various groups are seeing financial benefits as well. Groups like Save the Glade were able to mitigate some of the more dramatic clearcutting that took place in Snakeden when the tree-chompin' machinery moved over to Glade -- or at least make sure the construction equipment was parked out of sight -- so in the absence of equally well-organized watchdogs, it'll be interesting to see what Colvin Run will look like when all's said and done. WSSI has actually gone to considerable lengths to be responsive to community concerns, but if worse comes to worse, maybe some of those newly denuded streambeds can be used for Metro overflow parking. It's a win-win!

On the YouTubes: Reston Raiders Out-Ovechkin Ovechkin Goal Celebration During Caps Game, Annoy Annoying Sports Columnist

We don't "do" sports much here, but this fancy YouTubes video of the Reston Raiders volleyball hockey team doing goal celebrations during a halftime performance at a Capitals game at the futuristic Capital Center MCI Arena last week is pretty darn cool.

Like other NHL teams, the Washington Capitals host a "Mites on Ice" youth hockey mini-game during the between-periods intermission of home games.

On Tuesday night, the Reston (Va.) Raiders were selected to participate in an intra-squad mites game; and in an arena that's seen its share of boisterous goal celebrations from the likes of Alex Ovechkin, the Raiders (ages 8 years old and younger) unleashed a unique celebration of their own after each score -- dropping to the ice and, to the delight of the crowd, making snow angels.

The Caps officials were pumping up the young players, talking about how big goal celebrations are encouraged in the between-periods amusement. "They were giving examples of what they could do to celebrate, and one of them said, 'You know, nobody has ever done a snow angel before. I'd love to see a snow angel. If anybody scores and does a snow angel, you'll get the game puck,'" recalled Potter. "I think they misunderstood and they thought if anybody does a snow angel they get a game puck, not just the scorer," he said. "If you notice, a couple of players from the other team are doing it too."

The fans loved it, the players had a blast and the story had a happy ending: Despite his players having misunderstood the whole "game puck" offer, Potter said the Capitals staff went to the team dressing room and presented each Raider with his own official game-night puck to commemorate the event.

Not everybody loved it, though. This spoilsport Serious Sports Columnist decided to describe this light-hearted event with the thoughtful headline, "The Washington Capitals Are Encouraging Poor Sportsmanship In Our Youth." Really?

So that just about wraps up Restonian's official exclusive hockey coverage. If you're interested in more, please to be visiting our doppelganger up north.

(Shout out to our favorite correspondent, The Peasant from Less Sought After South Reston, and Biker Sherlock for the tip.)

This Week in Crime: A Cell Phone Caper, A Not-So-Great Nurse, and Don't Cash That Check

A 14-year-old girl had her cell phone stolen by a group of males on South Lakes Drive.

A group of males robbed a 14-year-old girl of her cell phone while she was walking in the 11400 block of South Lakes Drive around 6 p.m. on Friday, October 15. The victim was not injured.

Police also reported "63 pairs of earrings" stolen from a business on 11400 Commerce Park Drive. If it had been 64 pairs, there'd probably be a manhunt going on right now.

Police also also reported a burglary in Great Falls on Oct. 17, plus another attempted one earlier in the month. No word on whether those are being attributed to the Fairfax County Hamburgler (tm).

Meanwhile, a licensed practical nurse at Sunrise of Reston has had her license suspended after being found unconscious while on the job.

According to an order from the Board of Nursing, Chaunte Joy Hill Ibrahim's nursing license was suspended due to a "substantial danger to public health or safety."

A quorum of the board met by conference call on Oct. 5, it says. A formal administrative hearing before the board is scheduled for Nov. 18, according to a separate notice.

A statement of particulars says that Ibrahim, of 112 Ware Place, Winchester was working at Sunrise of Reston early in the morning on Aug. 15 when she was found "unresponsive" and taken to Reston Hospital by ambulance. A toxicology test turned up amphetamines, benzodiazepines and opiates in her system, it says.

Finally, if you get a check for $250,000 from Serco Securities, don't cash it. Through no fault of the Reston company's, it's a scam.

Receive a check you weren't expecting? Don't cash it.

One reader sent in a check from Serco Securities Inc. of Reston, Va., which included a letter stating she'd won $250,000. Serco's a real company, and it is based in Virginia. Funny, though, the letterhead on the "winning final notification" sent with the check showed the company "letterhead" featuring an Ontario address along with a Canadian phone number.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Never trust the Canadians.

Guess the Mauve Bits, Pt. 3: Now We're Just Getting Lazy

After a couple of less-than-spectacular brain-teasers using the fancy "Googles Maps" over the last few weeks, we're pretty much punting on this one. We're going to try reverse psychology and say we'll be disappointed if you don't get this one before the pixels fully burn into your fancy computer monitors.

As always, guesses in the comments. First to respond -- and we're guessing it'll be within 5 minutes or less -- wins that Buick is the first to respond.

Update: Aaannd we have a winner. But with this particular establishment, we're all winners.

Kick the Can: Excelsior Decision Delayed Again

Surprise, surprise. See you in November!

Proposed Replacement for Wiehle Park and Ride Convenient to Targetville

With construction work set to begin on the Wiehle Avenue park and ride lot in less than a month, Fairfax County is looking for a place to stick all those Loudoun drivers accommodate commuters as Metro construction continues. One proposal that's now on the books is using a parking lot near the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Town Center Parkway. If nothing else, it's certainly convenient to Targetville!

Specifically, the Board of Supervisors have filed an "application proffer condition amendment" (whatever that is) to change the current surface lot from a "temporary parking lot" to an "interim commuter lot." We're not quite sure what the difference is, but apparently this requires Planning Commission approval.

When all's said and done, the temporary interim lot will have "approximately 607" parking places and a fancy bus loop/pickup area to disgorge passengers after a soul-crushing day doing whatever it is they do in D.C. That's about 210 spaces shy of what's currently available at the Wiehle Avenue park and ride, but it's definitely better than the alternatives (pretending to have an 8 hour long fixation with craft supplies and park at Plaza America?)

What's interesting is that this parcel of land is pretty much exactly where the fancy "touchdown area" has been proposed to greet riders disembarking at the future Reston Parkway station, as the Reston Town Center extends southwards to meet it. We guess it's possible that the temporary interim lot can be dismantled and a stunning public plaza/subterranean bus/gnome area be built in the time between when the Wiehle station opens and the next phase of Metro rolls out, but... hmmm. Interesting.

A Planning Commission public hearing for the parking lot proposal is scheduled for November 18, which gives everyone involved plenty of time to look up the difference between "interim" and "temporary" in a dictionary. Meanwhile, county officials are also proposing more immediate changes to the Connector bus service to accommodate the construction. Specifically, Routes 595 and 597 would be relocated to the Reston North Park and Ride -- that thin ribbon of parking that runs along Sunset Hills -- and the number of trips on the 585 would be increased to accommodate additional passengers at the Reston South Park and Ride. (Presumably the bus routes would change again if and when what we'll call the Targetville Park and Ride is approved and configured.) A hearing on the Connector changes is slated for 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at the North County Government Center -- which, the press release helpfully points out, is served by RIBS.

This Week in Crime: Serial Hamburglar Continues Reign of Annoyance, Plus Trail Incident Sparks New Round of Rumors

The Fairfax County Hamburglar continues his reign of terror annoyance, now responsible for a whopping 123 incidents across Fairfax and Prince William counties.

Fairfax police say the burglar has not been positively identified by anyone in any of the incidents that have plagued residents since early August.

Police addressed the rash of burglaries at a community meeting Oct. 14 in Great Falls, sponsored by the Great Falls Citizens Association.

There, Capt. Deborah Burnett, commander of the Reston District station that includes Great Falls, told audience members that police do not have any description to go on.

"When we catch this guy, it will be because of a tip from someone who saw something and alerted police," said Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville), who attended the meeting.

"You're not giving us much to be able to help you with," answered Great Falls resident Rick VandeHouten.

"We are not hiding information," Burnett said. "We just have none to give you. We have no description; no car information; no one has seen this individual at their residence, no one."

Police have also posted a complete list of incidents, including the following ones in the Reston precinct, which includes much of the fancy that surrounds our beloved beige community. Here they are, from most recent to oldest:

10/12/10 5 10300 Saddle View Ct
10/12/10 5 10300 Saddle View Ct
10/12/10 5 10300 Saddle View Ct
10/12/10 5 10300 Saddle View Ct
10/12/10 5 1800 Horseback Trl.
10/12/10 5 10000 Tamarack Dr
9/18/10 5 9400 Meadow Shire Ln
9/18/10 5 9500 Locust Hill Dr
9/18/10 5 9500 Locust Hill Dr
9/18/10 5 9500 Locust Hill Dr
9/16/10 5 9200 Wood Glade Dr
9/13/10 5 11400 Woolington Road
9/7/10 5 300 Walker Rd
9/7/10 5 300 Walker Rd

Pretty unsettling. By chance, did anyone make a vaguely sexist joke during that community meeting to help lighten the mood?

"At least we know it's a man," said Great Falls resident Elizabeth Simpson. "If it were a woman she would be keeping the purses."

That'll do.

Meanwhile, police have confirmed the suspicious incident that took place on a South Reston trail earlier this month.

Here is the statement from Captain Deborah Burnett, Fairfax County Police, Reston District Office, who says her officers patrol the trails, which are generally safe.

“Based on the facts the case was classified as a suspicious person. We
checked the area and no one was found.

Although the pathways in Reston are very safe, one using the pathways could encounter intoxicated subjects, emotionally disturbed individuals, etc. Our units patrol the pathways. However with the extensive trail system in Reston we encourage citizens to be vigilant to any suspicious
persons and activity such as what occurred on Friday and call us immediately to investigate. Carrying a cell phone when in isolated portion of the pathways is strongly encouraged as well."

With a succinct explanation like this, you'd think the rumors that started circulating last spring wouldn't start back up again. Ha ha, no, you'd be wrong.

On The YouTubes: Proud To Be A Restonian, Where At Least I Know The Patriotic Songs Are Free

You usually have to go to flyover country the noble Heartland for insightful political commentary, but this lovely "You Tubes" MTV music video thingy was actually the brainchild of a Reston resident, presumably composed after receiving a particularly threatening missive from the DRB or something.

Conservative songwriter John Schwarzman operates a small marketing and advertising business with a partner in the Washington, D.C. area. The beating his company has taken in the last two years has had Schwarzman "very concerned about the future" and even more concerned about the direction the country is headed under its current leadership.

Schwarzman, a Reston, Va. resident, decided to write a song about it. His new single, "I'm an American," has become somewhat of an underground hit among political conservatives since its release in late August and its debut on YouTube three weeks ago. Although it speaks in-depth to the worries Schwarzman describes, he said he was careful to keep pointed political attacks out of it.

"It would have been easy to take cheap shots at particular people -- like Obama, Reid or Pelosi," Schwarzman said. "But I stayed away from that on purpose because this song represents a bigger message."

That message, Schwarzman said, is meant for America's political leaders and is being sent on behalf of the American people.

"America is a magnificent country, but it is under assault. I have two young grandchildren and want them to have the same opportunities that I have enjoyed," he said. "They won't if they are crushed under a mountain of debt and suffer a loss of the very liberties that have made such opportunities even possible."

Before long, Schwarzman found himself looking for some local musicians to help him record the song.

The song, "I'm an American," features Todd Googins as lead vocalist, the Knight Brothers as backup vocalists, Dan Leonard on guitar, Scott Ambush on bass and Mike Aubin on drums.

We'll give Schwarzman credit for taking the high ground, as opposed to many recent efforts. Throw in a bonus verse about the tyranny of paint swatches and light fixtures, and we think we have a rousing grand finale for Reston: The Opera.

Update: Reston's answer to Francis Scott Key penned a fitting final verse in the comments. We defy you to resist singing it out loud.

One of These Things Is Not Like The Others

... well, at least not yet.

(Shout out to our BFFs at Patch for "tweetering," or whatever the kids call it these days, about this gem.)

Guess the Mauve Bits, Pt. 2: A More Challenging Contest

After an entirely too easy first try, we thought we'd give this "fun" contest another shot. The rules are the same: the first person to identify this bit of Reston architecture, as seen by our alien overlords the Google machine's satellite imagery, wins a Buick is the first person to identify this bit of Reston architecture. The first person to explain it.... well, that's a different story. (And yes, that could be construed as a hint.)

So have at it, in the comments. Probably not too difficult, but hopefully it will take you guys longer than 13 minutes to get this one.

Update: Obviously, not challenging enough: the winning answer took a mere 21 minutes. The shadow was the giveway; see the comments for the solution and a more recognizable photo. You people have way too much time on your hands are awesome!

Watch Out RTC, Lake Anne Getting Fancy Cupcakery of its Own

As we all know, no self-respecting urban area is worthy of its "street cred," as the kids today don't say, without two essential things: a) a cupcakery and b) flash mobs. Well, now Lake Anne Plaza will be two for two:

Love cupcakes? We do. That’s why we’re thrilled to have the Queen of Cupcakes moving into the neighborhood. Nefertiti, aka the Cupcake Ladi, will soon be selling her amazing, decadent, and delectable creations from her shop on the Quayside. She plans to open in December. Maybe if we ask nice, she’ll open sooner…

So now the fancy Fake Downtown won't be the only place with a cupcakery. Suck on that, Unos-eaters! The Cupcake Ladi will be moving into the old Rita's Express Alterations shop, and she already has an existing Internet business -- which isn't a bad approach for a new business opening at the Plaza during the quiet winter months.

But the cupcakery isn't the only new business opening at the Plaza. A Thai restaurant is coming to the spot once occupied by Roti Grill before it moved to the pharmacy:

Singh Thai’s owners Young Lee and Chef Chai are working hard to be open by the end of October. They’re by the dock with a fantastic outdoor porch that looks out over the lake. Stop by and say hi while their finishing up construction.

And the Roti Grill, not wanting to be left out of all the culinary whimsy, is offering two fancy new dishes: something called "Kathy's Peanut Butter Pancake Sandwich" and "Sweet n Spicey Pinky Poppers."

And that's not all! A third new business has moved to the Plaza after its owner created a product to help dogs and other pets recuperate from surgery and other trauma:

Dogleggs Therapeutic Rehabilitative Products expects to have about $500,000 in sales this year, and the company expects that number to triple next year, Schon Gross said. Now expanded to an office in Reston's Lake Anne Plaza, the business designs and sells a line of dozens of pet-therapeutic products. Seventeen thousand units have been sold worldwide. Gross also has expanded into products for cats, horses, goats and even ferrets.

"Dogleggs products are revolutionary in the field of veterinary rehabilitative medicine," said veterinary orthopedic surgeon Peter Lotsikas, of the Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group in Annapolis Junction, Md. "In addition, Schon is a fantastic seamstress," he added.

He said he prescribes a Dogleggs shoulder stabilization system for every dog that undergoes rotator cuff surgery at his facility.

"It's basically a shoulder harness encompassing the legs that keeps the post-surgical patient from being able to inadvertently pull at the affected area by limiting the extension of the shoulders," he said. "Nothing like it existed before Schon developed it."

(insert lazy joke about the Plaza "going to the dogs and/or ferrets" here.)

Here We Go Again: Soapstone Slated for 'Road Diet'

Hey, remember that time Personal Injury Lawyers Road was transformed into a bike-friendly haven loved by motorists and cyclists alike? Now a similar approach is being planned for Soapstone Drive, home to endless parallel parking by tradesmen vehicles that don't meet cluster standards and a pretty rad 7-11 that attracts a quality clientele.

Plans are in the works to give Soapstone Drive between Glade Drive and South Lakes Drive a new look that would enhance safety and make it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly.

The new plans call for a "road diet" for the street, meaning it will not be widened to accommodate the new features. Instead, the current width will be reconfigured, said David Whyte of Kimley-Horn.

The east side of the road would be the first part to change, with a thru lane, a turn lane, a bike lane, drainage, a three-foot grassy section and a five-foot sidewalk. The goal is to also retain parking on asphalt along Soapstone.

Eventually, the west side of the street would have a similar configuration.

What about a special Super Big Gulp turn lane allowing drivers to zip in and out of the 7-11 parking lot and pick up their precious bodily fluids without getting out of second gear? Priorities people!

All of this started several years ago, when the idea of adding fancy "side walks" to Soapstone was first proposed. Somehow, that didn't fly, in part because of trees and the DRB, so now we're going with this more elaborate option, which provides sidewalks and parking and bike lanes and a safer, slower traffic flow. Assuming, that is, that the county can find the money to pay for it.

The makeover is is expected to be completed in two phases. Phase 1, the east side, is expected to cost $1.5 million and would not get underway until 2013, said Todd Minnix, incoming chief of transportation design for Fairfax County. Total cost of the project to complete both sides: about $3 million, he said.

Hudgins said Tuesday that the county has only about half of the funding it needs for the project.

Maybe they could levy a special Super Big Gulp tax? Charge an extra penny per ounce of carbonated corn syrup and they'd have the money to build this splendid cylowalkersdriverdrome in weeks!

The Reston Town Center of the Future: Bigger and Better -- or at Least More Dense

The hott mess pictured above illustrates the final recommendations of the Reston Town Center Committee of the Reston Master Plan Task Force We Won't Bother Attempting to Acronym Any More (RMPTFWWBAAAM). Like the Wiehle Avenue subcommittee, the group was tasked with providing a comprehensive vision for the area to reflect the coming of Metro, and their vision isn't an altogether bad one -- extending the Fake Downtown, creating a better mix of residential and commercial space, and ensuring open space throughout the area.

The Committee without exception believes the essential emphasis should be the creation of dynamic, mixed used, urban spaces that will make the Reston Town Center Metro Station (and we think that should be its name) a signature regional destination and origination station. Going forward, this will require a stronger emphasis on creating a healthier residential:non- residential balance consistent with transit-oriented development (TOD). Proper incentives will be needed to achieve these outcomes, particularly since much of this area is already built to or near existing density limits.

So yes, one of the group's recommendations is to rename the Reston Parkway Metro Station to the "Reston Town Center Metro Station," presumably because the "Long Walk Past Targetville and Classified Buildings to Eventually Get to The Reston Town Center Metro Station" wouldn't fit on the signs.

But the committee has another suggestion that might address the ungodly distance between the Metro station and the Fake Downtown -- namely, extending the "existing Town Center urban core," assuming you consider midscale retail either "urban" or a "core," all the way south to the Metro station. The key, the committee said, will be to create a "touchdown point" just north of the Metro station with an inviting urban plaza under which cars and busses and whatnot can disgorge themselves in a subterranean, Hobbit-like lair. It's an idea we agree with wholeheartedly, though we'd encourage a more generous and shadow-free approach than the other "civic plaza" currently on the books.

Likewise, as the Macaroni Grill's home, the Spectrum Center, is redeveloped, the committee calls for more dense mixed-use development organized around a "meaningful central green space or town green," as well as some consolidated government center to house the police station and other county offices. Can't say we disagree there; it's hard to imagine anything that would be worse than the area's current big-box incarnation.

Conversely, the committee was skeptical that the area adjoining the station south of the Toll Road will develop into an extension of the Fake Downtown, but still encourages a shift away from the "suburban office park paradigm" to something more dense and mixed-use-y.

The committee acknowledges that building all this won't be cheap and will require significant incentives for developers, but "feels the benefits to greater Reston of extending the urban core and creating this vibrant downtown... justify the approach we recommend."

And here's the part that will annoy some. The bribe incentive the committee recommends offering developers is increased FARs -- a fancy way of saying that more density would be allowed. The committee is recommending FARs of up to 5.0 -- which is a lot. (The Fake Downtown currently has a FAR of about 2.0, while the terrifying urban jungle mixed-use development around Ballston has one of 4.0.) The committee stresses that "good projects and not FAR limits should drive decisions," which we agree with completely. Unfortunately, there won't be one giant mega-proposal that will reshape the whole area in one fell swoop. And we've already seen how a developer can get away with less-than-optimal design when it has the county over a barrel, so it'll be a challenge to make sure that doesn't happen, over and over again, as this area gets built out, small project by small project, over the next 30 to 40 years. What could possibly go wrong?

Fortunately, Restonian Secret Operative "Seth," whose mad photoshopping skillz put our annotations to shame, has another way to address the distance between the Metro station and the Fake Downtown:

While some people are complaining that the Reston Parkway station is ill-conceived because of its lack of access to Starbucks and the Apple Store, I personally think this is a chance for Reston to once again be home to something famous. No, not a McTacoHut, the tripple crown of fast-food; we already have one of those thanks. I'm talking about something better than a bus from the metro to Reston Town Center that would only add to our congested roads. Seattle has its monorail. Venice has its gondolas and Falkirk has its wheel. What Reston needs is a sky tram! Imagine arriving in Reston via the metro and then being carried through the air with unspoiled views of Targetville, Lake Anne, and Plaza America before being deposited in Reston's Fake Downtown. After a day of shopping the tram could whisk passengers across New Dominion Parkway (effectively knocking down our "Berlin Wall") for fine dining with friends at the Macaroni Grill.

Without further ado, I present: The Mauve Line.

He had us at "mauve."

We Spoke Too Soon: Fairfax County Hamburglar (tm) May Be Back on the Scene

No sooner did we declare that the North County Fairfax County Hamburglar (tm) may have decamped for greener more particleboard-intensive pastures than Fairfax County Police sent a fancy "press release," saying they went door to door along Hunter Mill Road this morning to warn neighbors that two more incidents took place early Tuesday morning.

Police responded to a report in the 1800 block of Horseback Trail around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, October 12. The resident stated that cash was removed from her purse overnight. Following a neighborhood canvas, officers determined a burglar(s) had attempted to enter at least one other home.

Mason District police officers also canvassed the Mantua area neighborhood on Thursday, October 7 and received two reports of additional burglary attempts and one larceny from a vehicle. Detectives believe these crimes may have occurred in connection with similar incidents that took place Friday, October 1.

Once again, the Hamburglar seems to prefer McMansions on large wooded lots to our more dense development, which is apparently preferred by more garden variety creeps.

Meanwhile, along with Prince William County, similar burglary attempts may have taken place in bucolic Waterford in Loudoun County. Frankly, we think this is too much to be the work of one moppet man. At great personal expense, we used the most up-to-date criminal forensics software ever created to develop a composite of the FCH's accomplices:

You're welcome.

To Follow Hunter Mill Road Detour, Just Look for the Giant Blue Arrows

Those late night trips between those fancy McMansions along Hunter Mill Road and the Macaroni Grill will take a bit longer the rest of this week, as the portion of Hunter Mill Road that goes under the Toll Road will be closed from 11am-5pm through Oct. 15 as work continues on the bridge that will carry the Metro above it.

Fortunately, the folks at the airport authority took time away from their busy schedule of planning the Particleboard Beltway to provide this helpful map:

If the arrows are any indication, watch out for head-on collisions on the Wiehle Avenue bridge.

All in all, this is a short-term pain, but maybe less so in the future if those new bridges across the Toll Road ever get built.

This Week in Crime: New Incident on Reston Paths, A Gunpoint Abduction, and the Hamburglar Heads For Greener Pastures?

As predictable as the changing of the seasons, a new report of a suspicious incident on a South Reston path surfaced on Friday.

A Reston woman told police she was chased by a man while walking her dogs on the Reston paths between Steeplchase Drive and Triple Crown Road Friday afternoon.

The woman says the man - about 5-foot 11, in his late 20s or early 30s and wearing a tan hat - first was walking toward her and she said hello to him about 2:45 p.m. A few minutes later, he was running after her, she said, and reportedly making an obscene gesture. The woman says she screamed and ran away, and the man ran the other direction. She called police and reported the incident.

Similar incidents happened last spring, which led to rumors linking the alleged suspect to the "East Coast Rapist" -- though police quickly stressed that there was no connection between the incidents. Thanks to the awesome crime-fighting tool known as Facebook, though, we have a secondhand account of the most recent incident. As with everything on Facebook, except for maybe the Farmville posts, there's no way of verifying this information, but for what it's worth:

The man was in a grey hoodie, and wearing a skullcap. He ran at her, holding his genitals, and came all the way to her, shushing her right in her face. They were inches apart, but she kept screaming and he then stopped shushing her, turned and ran back the other way. She had passed him walking, and greeted him, 3-4 minutes before he reversed direction and began running at her.

Meanwhile, a man was abducted at gunpoint by three men on Sunrise Valley Drive last Wednesday night:

A 47-year-old man was abducted by three men and held at gunpoint on Wednesday, October 6 around 10:10 p.m. in the 12000 block of Sunrise Valley Drive. An investigation determined the suspects used the victim to gain entry into a building and steal several televisions from inside. Police are investigating. The victim did not require medical attention.

Last week's regionwide roundup of illegal immigrants who had been convicted of sex crimes included "a 31-year-old Salvadoran, arrested in Reston, who had failed to register as a sex offender, as required by law. The man had been convicted of having carnal knowledge of a child between 13 and 15 years old." Can't say we'll be sorry to see him go.

Finally, it seems as if the North County Hamburglar (tm) may have moved on to greener pastures -- or at least Prince William County. While not confirming this, Fairfax Police did say in another awesome crime-fighting forum, a fancy "on-line chat" held last Friday, that the last known incident in Fairfax County was on Oct. 1. Since it was an online chat, they also didn't say that OMG, Justin Beiber was totally their BFF, LOL the end.

On the YouTubes: We Watch The Reston Association Videos So You Don't Have To

Andy Sigle kicks off this month's fancy video from the Reston Association by standing in front of the glittery, vaguely blingy public art project at the Glade tunnel underpass. There's lots of cute video of kids from Hunters Woods Elementary talking about the project, which is actually fairly heartwarming for a Monday morning.

But that warm fuzzy feeling soon fades. "Are you a senior citizen or know someone who is?" Sigle then asks, kicking off a segment on growing old, which is a hellish nightmare something we all must face with grace and dignity. Fairfax Supervisor Cathy Hudgins explains what "aging in place" means, which apparently has something to do with telling those damn kids to stay off your yard or something.

With all these intimations of mortality, "sometimes you just want to find a quiet place," Sigle then intones, kicking the narration over to RA President Kathleen Driscoll McKee, who has a "super duper surprise" for us -- one of "Reston's most hidden treasures." No, not Targetville! It's some pond, or more accurately, a stormwater retention facility called Bright Pond, which is accessible only by trail -- meaning you can't back your Escalade up to the water's edge and do some fly fishing while sitting on the tailgate. McKee promptly gets dive-bombed by a dragonfly, then warns us that swimming is strictly verboten. And that's a wrap!

Like A Bridge Over Troubled Commuters, Will The Airport Authory Be There?

The Reston Citizens Association has written a letter to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the group that occasionally oversees Dulles and Reagan National when it's not busy planning a Particleboard Beltway through Loudoun County or hiking tolls on the Toll Road, asking the authority to keep the door open for additional bridges spanning North and South Reston.

When the Dulles Access Road split Reston in two, the community suffered a body blow. The addition of the Toll Road further separated the north and the south halves of our community. With the advent of metrorail comes the possibility of increasing the number of bridges connecting north and south Reston. This is because current transportation infrastructure cannot support the increased population and number of jobs in future transportation-oriented development close to Reston’s three stations and along the Dulles corridor. Obvious ways to alleviate traffic congestion are to supply additional bridges and/or tunnels, particularly near the Reston stations.

Such bridges and tunnels, whether for pedestrians, bicycles or vehicles would serve not only the success of rail in Reston, but the re-connecting of our two halves. They are also very costly and are not likely to be funded in the near future. In the interests of optimal town planning, RCA urges MWAA not to build anything into the Dulles Rail Project that could preclude future bridges and tunnels.

Better change "tunnels" to "underpasses," lest you provoke Dear Leader's wrath!

Actually, we're somewhat shocked that RCA even needed to write this letter, as it's a given that more bridges are needed before righteous massively dense urban redevelopment can occur along both sides of the Toll Road. Otherwise, it'll take us hours to get to the new Cheesecake Factory! But the same folks who thought that building more roads in Loudoun County at the expense of mass transit is a good idea probably need a good kick in the pants common-sense reminder every now and then.

RCA also supports the idea of future "air rights" buildings constructed over the Toll Road, which isn't a bad idea at all -- assuming those buildings aren't put right where the additional bridges need to go.

Kick the Can: Fairfax Planners Postpone Excelsior Decision Yet Again

Once again, the Fairfax County Planning Commission has postponed a decision on the proposal by Excelsior LLC to build two residential buildings on the Oracle Campus on Sunset Hills Drive. You can read county staff's initial objections to the proposal, which would add as many as 457 residential units and 830 parking spaces to an area near Reston's Fake Downtown, or you could just wait until October 20th, when the Planning Commission will once again consider considering the project for consideration by the Board of Supervisors, which has its own considerations to consider, the end.

Foreclosure Mania Reaches RA Headquarters, But Don't Expect to See Its Filing Cabinets Out on the Street

Hey, remember that time the Reston Association moved its headquarters to a fancy new building, right in the middle of pool pass season? Well, turns out that building is apparently on the verge of foreclosure.

Mezzanine lender Garrison Investment is moving to take control of a struggling 514,000-square-foot office portfolio in suburban Washington.

The four buildings, at an office park in Reston, Va., have seen their value plummet since Penzance Partners acquired them in July 2007 for $142 million. Washington-based Penzance started emptying out the 1980's-vintage buildings in order to plow millions of dollars into capital improvements and re-lease the space at higher rents. But the plan was stymied by the economic downturn, and the occupancy rate now stands at only about 45%.

In August, Penzance was unable to refinance a maturing $107 million senior loan from UBS and Garrison's $31.5 million mezzanine loan. Now Garrison, a New York hedge-fund shop, is seeking to seize the properties via foreclosure. A foreclosure auction has been scheduled for Nov. 1 in New York.

Awkward! To be fair, the foreclosure impacts the building owner, not the RA. And given that a long-term tenant is among the most valuable assets in the toxic swamp that is commercial real estate, it's unlikely we'll see the RA's filing cabinets strewn along Sunrise Valley Drive anytime soon.

Along with Reston Corner 1, the building that houses RA Headquarters, the other properties in the portfolio are Reston Corner 2, which is currently vacant; Parkridge Center 2, which is fully leased; and Parkridge Center 5, whose occupancy rate is about 50 percent, according to the article.

So if you've got an extra $142 million lying around that you can leverage, you might want to take the Chinatown bus to New York City on Nov. 1 and make a bid or two. Just think -- you could become the Donald Trump of Reston, minus the reality TV show and dead muskrat on the head!

Mysterious Burn Zone Near Lake Anne Dumbfounds Tens

Please to be enjoying this bizarre photo of fire damage along the hillside that (at times) successfully separates Lake Anne from Wiehle Avenue drivers. First noticed by several vigilant Restonian operatives over the weekend, its cause remains unknown -- especially given its seemingly deliberate rectangular dimensions. Was it a careless Loudoun County cut-through commuter motorist, tossing a cigarette into the tall grass? Was it a controlled burn, perhaps to eradicate the scourge of Reston paths, or maybe poison ivy? Or was it... something more sinister?

Being a responsible "web log," we will apply Occam's Razor and suggest the theory that makes the most sense: trainee UFO pilots practicing making crop circles by creating the less well-known crop rectangles. You're welcome.

Reston Parkway Metro: Fancypants Architecture Critic States the Obvious

During a talk sponsored by the Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force That Decided to Make Their Name Even Longer and More Impossible to Turn Into an Acronym (RMPSSTFTDMTNELMITIA) and the Reston Community Center, fancypants New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger stated the obvious about the upcoming Targetville Reston Parkway Metro station -- namely, that it's not really near Reston Parkway, much less Reston Town Center.

Goldberger said the development of the Reston Parkway Metro station, which will be at the intersection of the Dulles Toll Road and Reston Parkway, is the critical issue facing the Task Force.

Calling it an awkward distance from the Reston Town Center, he cautioned the audience that there could be a successful connection or it would be seen as leftover, hanging out there, something that doesn't work.

"The most urgent need and the greatest priority are making a viable connection between the station and Reston Town Center," Goldberger said.

Cough cough monorail!

Aside from addressing one of the many Metro elephants in the room, Goldberger trashed the existing village center model -- "a commercial strip is not a village," he said. He also made some excellent points about the higher density coming to Reston -- at least assuming that it's done right, which remains an open question at this point.

Moving forward, he said, Reston has the potential to be the new model, particularly around Reston Town Center. The challenge is to integrate the reality of the automobile with the qualities that make a downtown viable, as well as integrating nature and open spaces.

Goldberger agreed with Simon about how New Dominion Parkway was distressing, acting as a giant wall cutting Reston Town Center in half.

Goldberger noted several times during his question-and-answer period that what puts Reston so far ahead is the plethora of open space. He stressed the importance of building the urban core and that density was important to success.

"The denser the core the more protected is the land," he said. "What hurts land is the sprawl. Cities protect the land; sprawl is what damages it."

When an audience member expressed concern about the overall growth bringing more cars and terrible traffic, Goldberger cautioned that one look not at the number of cars but the number of car trips and usages. When it's dense at the core, the car use drops he said.

Goldberger also said that he thinks Grand Central Station is the greatest American building of all time, at least until the Wiehle Avenue Metro station opens, dazzling even the most jaded commuters with its rad '80s art. Actually, he didn't say that last part, but he probably meant to.

This and That: A Random Fall Stroll Through Reston News

• The Reston Community Center is hosting Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Goldberger tonight. Goldberger, who will talk about architecture and Reston's Master Plan process, is the only Pulitzer Prize winner in recent memory to speak in Reston, though with false modesty set aside, the author of this filthy "web log" once came in third in a 2nd grade "Write Like Dr. Seuss" contest, which is almost exactly the same thing.
  
  
• Accenture's Reston-based unit won a contract with Social Security that could be worth up to $2.8 billion. Hopefully that will give the beleaguered office's employees a little job security of their own.
  
  
• Reston could be more supportive of its senior citizens if it adopts a "village" concept, which -- much to our surprise -- apparently doesn't have a whole lot to do with watching episodes of Murder, She Wrote on big screens set up in the Tall Oaks or Hunter Mill parking lots.
  
  
• Dear Leader Bob Simon apparently loves Al Gore! Like us, he's less enthusiastic about the strip mall redevelopment of the village centers or the Fake Downtown's architecture. But he really doesn't like it when you call Reston's pedestrian underpasses tunnels. Consider yourselves warned.
  
  
• Reston resident Cindy McConnell has asked the Reston Association Board to consider banning smoking on paths. We're not exactly sure why she went to the RA, which as an organization has no ability to overreach in people's lives, right?
  
  
• Reston-based Input was acquired by a neighbor, Herndon-based Deltek, for $60 million. And Raytheon Co. acquired Reston-based Technology Associates Inc. for an undisclosed sum to help bolster its cybersecurity work, which apparently involves... we don't know, maybe strapping flash drives to dolphins or something.
  
  
• Yay, South Lakes' own Alan Webb, who left Reston last year to train in Washington state, is now engaged. Too bad the elitist New York Times called it "Webb’s most significant victory in two years," though he recently came in fourth in the Berlin Marathon (stupid print media!) some race in New York City.
  
  
• Look out, Macaroni Grill! Vapiano, another midscale Italianesque chain, is coming to Reston in 2011.
  
  
• We've said it before, and we'll say it again: people love puppies.
  
  
• Reston-based test cribbing "social learning" site Koofers.com has won $5 million in venture capital, conclusively proving once and for all that the world is run by C students.
  
  
• Time to throw away those fancy iPhones with their outdated 3G technology, as capital venture firms and other investors have given Reston-based LightSquared a total of $2 billion in equity and debt to build out a 4G network. Pretty soon, you'll be able to read items on this filthy "web log" before we even write them.
  
  
• If you're into legitimate theater and Mae West, you're in luck! Two Reston residents -- Kathryn O'Sullivan and Paul Awad -- are involved in a play about the iconic figure at the Flashpoint Mead Theatre Lab, which apparently is in somewhere not-so Macaroni Grill-intensive in D.C.
  
  
• The Reston Chamber of Commerce is still looking for volunteers for this weekend's Oktoberfest festivities. Lederhosen is apparently not required, but it couldn't hurt.
  
  

Hey Kids! Can You Identify This Oddly Shaped Building?

Hey, did you know there's this thing the kids call "the Google," and along with helping us learn more about Reston's homicidal nudist past, it also has satellite images of our favorite beige community? You're saying to yourself, "Of course I know this, it's not 1997 and I no longer think my dial-up AOL account is 'the Internet.'"

Okay, so maybe we're slow learners, but in the tradition of the home versions of our other fine games, here is the first in a series of satellite pictures of some of Reston's finest architecture. First person to guess it correctly in the comments gets a brand new Buick the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing they've correctly identified an awesome piece of Reston's urban fabric. We think this one is a piece of cake, but be warned -- some of the future ones we've picked out are much more challenging, assuming we don't lose interest in this in about half an hour and go back to looking for new Hamburglar images to photoshop, the end.

Update: Knew this one would be too easy -- we have (multiple) winners. See the comments.

This Week in Crime: Attempted Armed Robbery, a Burgle in the Glade, and Freedom's Just Another Word For No Furniture Left to Lose

An "attempted armed robbery" took place last Wednesday along Glade Drive.

A 31-year-old man was the victim of an attempted armed robbery on Wednesday, September 29 just before 1 a.m. in the area of Freetown Court and Glade Drive. The suspect was described as Hispanic, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 230 pounds and was wearing a black T-shirt with a design on the front, black shorts and a black scarf. The victim was not injured.

We're wondering what made it an "attempted" armed robbery. The suspect was armed, right? With what, then -- withering sarcasm?

Meanwhile, there's been no update on the NCH, but a burglary reported in the 12200 block of Laurel Glade Court sounds like it matches his M.O.:

Gold, camera and cash stolen from residence

Or, with the gold, maybe the M.O. of the county's previous serial burglars. Or maybe it's completely unrelated! You can never tell these days.

And we've saved the most devastating crime for last: In the wake of last week's daring art theft, a sofa was stolen from a business in the 11900 block of Freedom Drive. Yes, Freedom's just another word for no furniture left to lose.

Enough, Already! North County Hamburgler Strikes Again, Box Score Now Up to 87 Incidents

We're actually getting tired of writing about this, but our favorite serial burglar has struck again, this time hitting three homes in the Mason police district and making another unsuccessful attempt near Fairfax last evening. Fairfax County Police say this brings the number of incidents attributed to this maybe-tall, maybe daylight-scoper-of-neighborhoods guy to 87, of which 57 are burglaries, with the remainder noise complaints and general lurking around creepiness. We hope someone catches this guy soon, as we're running out of stock images of the Hamburgler to tart up the site, the end.

Reston Real Estate: A Special Lake Anne Edition of The High-Low Game

Hey kids! It's been a while since we've played everyone's favorite game of Reston real estate wheeling and dealing, so grab the home version off the shelf, pick up your short-sale paperwork, and get ready for action!

Usually our high winner is a brick-fronted McMansion somewhere right across the Reston border, or a de-luxe penthouse apartment with breathtaking views of the Fake Downtown's attractive parking garages. But this week, we've got something a bit more exciting!

Our first gem is a rare investment opportunity for people who like cars, or maybe Slim Jims. That's right, the Lake Anne service station, which actually dates back to Reston's earliest days and is pretty interesting architecturally, for a gas station, is on the market.

GREAT INVESTMENT COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN RESTON VIRGINIA! PROFITABLE GASOLINE & SERVICE STATION,AUTO REPAIR, EMISSION,INSPECTION, & UHAUL. CORNER LOT ACROSS FROM HISTORIC LAKE ANNE WASHINGTON PLAZA, WELL ESTABLISHED & MAINTAINED. AGENTS/BROKERS/INVESTORS WELCOME TO SEE THE PROPERTY & RECORDS CONFIDENTIALLY & BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

And at a mere $7 million, you'll recoup your investment after selling just 5,426,356.5891 packages of salted pork rinds!

On the low end, we were shocked to see there are no condos under $100,000. The market's going UP UP UP UP! This isn't the absolute cheapest property on the market, but at a mere $155,000 it is the cheapest apartment in the Heron House: a fancy studio apartment with a view that can only be described as "bitchin'."

Amazing Studio in Heron House on Lake Anne. Wood flrs, 15 ft balcony over looking the Lake, a wall of windows make this 530 sq ft home feel BIG! Great location in the heart of the historic Lake Anne Plaza. Enjoy the Saturday farmers & crafter's market, shops, cafes, free summer concerts and more. Convenient to public transit. Condo Fee includes ALL utilities even basic cable!

Never mind that the condo fee is $447.15. You won't have time to notice while you're enjoying reruns of CSI on FX as you get ready for another 11-hour shift changing oil at your commercial investment across the street. Talk about Live, Work, Play and Get Involved (tm)!

That's about all the time we have for this edition of the High-Low Game, folks. Until next time, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the loan modification stars!

The Other Shoe Drops: Wiehle Park-and-Ride Lot Closures Begin in November

Ever since the awesome Wiehle Metro station development was approved, we've been anxiously counting the days until we can stroll through its canyon-like crawlspace civic plaza, enjoying the decorative mushrooms and fungus without fear of getting sunburned. At the same time, we knew that the days of the Seventh Wonder of Reston, the unending sea of cars at the Wiehle park and ride lot, were numbered.

Now we know when. The first 200 spaces at the park and ride lot will close in late November, as utility work begins on the Wiehle Metro station. Don't worry about fighting with coffee-addled Loudoun commuters fellow motorists over the remaining 620 spaces for too long, though, as they'll all be gone by March.

The construction project is expected to require closing of approximately 200 of 820 parking spaces on or about Nov. 28 for preliminary utility work.

Construction is not expected to be fully active until March 2011, at which time all 820 parking spaces will be closed until work is completed on a new 2,300-space Metrorail parking facility.

The county is actively looking for additional parking spaces and will post additional parking options on the Fairfax Connector Web site as they are confirmed.

There is discussion that when the spaces are closed, the lot may be moved to an interim location at the northeast quadrant of Sunset Hill Road and Reston Parkway. That will be a topic of a presentation by Fairfax County at the next Reston Planning & Zoning Commission meeting on Monday.

Or they could always try expanding the South Reston Park and Ride lot. Who could possibly object to that?