Taking the Plunge at Lake Anneconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2020/020520/Reston.pdfTaking the Plunge at...

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South Lakes Boys, Girls Win District ChampionshipSports, Page 6

Democracy Looks Like ThisNews, Page 3

Taking the Plunge at Lake AnneNews, Page 5

Participants in Camp Sunshine’s 2020 Virginia Polar Dip take the

plunge at Lake Anne.

2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ February 05-11, 2020 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Hunters Woods at TrailsEdge senior living community at 2222 Colts

Neck Road in Reston held its NewYear’s Eve Around the World OpenHouse from 3 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 30.The event was open to the public.

The community featured variousspots decorated in a theme repre-sentative of different continentsthroughout the world. CissyNickel, Executive Director of Inde-pendent Living at Hunters Woods

four levels of care in the 300,000square feet community. The state-of-the-art retirement community isnestled in a tranquil wooded set-ting near the Turquoise NatureTrail, Reston Town Center, andReston Community Center.º

For more information, contact CissyNickel, Executive Director of Indepen-dent Living Operations, Hunters Woodsat Trails Edge, at 703.429.1130 [email protected].

Hunters Woods at Trails Edge EventHighlights New Year’s Eve Traditions

New Year’sEve Around

the WorldOpen Housewas held on

Jan. 30.

News

Photo

contributed

at Trails Edge, said there was au-thentic food and beverages at eachspot.

A docent, or guide, from eachof the various regions spotlightedspoke about the cultural NewYear’s traditions and celebrationsunique to that region as well asgeneral cultural differences. Therewas also entertainment specific toeach region.

Hunter’s Woods at Trails Edgeopened in May 2019, providing

Reston Connection ❖ February 05-11, 2020 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsConnection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

Constituents in the Hunter MillDistrict of Fairfax Countyshowed up, listened up andspoke up at a Town Hall meet-

ing hosted by Fairfax County Supervisor,Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill). Held Mon-day evening, Feb. 3 at the Reston Commu-nity Center-Lake Anne, the date marked thethirty-fourth day of the supervisor’s initial,four-year term on the Board.

Supervisor Alcorn had invited all in hisdistrict to a Town Hall meeting, meant asan alternative avenue for citizens to sharetheir views with him before he and otherson the Fairfax County Board ofSupervisors considered crucialdecisions. “Town Hall meetingsare a great way for the public tointeract with me directly, notjust one-on-one, but also to hearothers’ concerns, have a com-munity discussion about issuesand exercise people’s rights,” hesaid.º

Ed Robichaud of Restonwaited for the meeting to begin.Referencing immediate pastHunter Mill Supervisor, Cathy Hudgins (D),Robichaud said,”Cathy used to do a goodjob summarizing board actions. Alcorn, he’sa very process-oriented guy.”º

With the room filling up quickly, DeborahShprentz of Reston took two seats at theedge, one for herself and one for husband,Joel. Shprentz said, “If I asked a question,it would be, what are your goals for the re-evaluation of the Fairfax County Compre-hensive Plan for Reston?” Joel Shprentz’sfocus was the direction Supervisor Alcornmight take. “I’d ask, will you continue inthe direction of Supervisor Cathy Hudginswas going or different?”

According to Mike McDermott of Reston,he was not there to ask questions. “I’m hereto learn...in particular about transportationand development,” he said. LikeMcDermott, Kathleen Maupin did not at-tend the Town Hall meeting to express herthoughts but to gather more information.“I’m here to listen to the overall meetingand the vision of development for theHunter Mill District,” she said.º

SUPERVISOR ALCORN opened the TownHall meeting, saying that this event wouldnot be his only Town Hall meeting, but in-stead, there would also be a Budget TownHall meeting and one on issues. His “per-

sonal, number one goal,” he said, was towork for civil discourse in Reston, sayinghe was confident, all could move forwardas a community and “tackle some of thesethorny issues.”

According to Alcorn, the primary reasonhe ran as the elected official for the HunterMill district was to manage growth inReston. His first board motion authorizedan amendment to the five-year-old FairfaxCounty Comprehensive Plan for Reston andinitiated a public participation process.Alcorn said he would put together a taskforce, run on an open process, where peoplecould voice their concerns. “There will belots of meetings, every other week, for abouta year,” he said.

Supervisor Alcorn’s first priority con-cerned the need to reform Fairfax County’sland policies. He sought to use policies topreserve existing housing and generatemore affordable housing. He would startwith updating policies for converting oldoffice parks and commercial centers.

Focusing on Plan Review, SupervisorAlcorn said they needed to first look at whatproperties had been rezoned. “There are 52of them,” he said. The second step in de-veloping a Comprehensive Plan for Zoningwas that the important thing to know about

rezoning was, “most of the density aroundthe Transit Station can not be undone,” hesaid. However, most have density in thedesign, and that’s where we can get them.”

Supervisor Alcorn’s second priority re-

lated to transportation, the Bi-cycle and Pedestrian Programs.There were several sidewalk,trail and crosswalk projects inthe pipeline, but those neededto be accelerated. Also, therewas a need to look at bettertechnology to improve pedes-trian safety, particularly at cross-walks and places with a clearsafety risk. “We have to stop de-signing all our transportationfor cars. They must be safe for

people and cyclists,” he said.One of Supervisor Alcorn’s final goals

dealt with climate change, solar panels andrunning County fleets not on gas and die-sel but electric.

Democracy Looks Like This

Answering a question about theneed for affordable housing, Su-pervisor Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill)says, “We need to grow in thetransit areas.”

Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

A show of hands indicates that nearly all attendees at the Hunter MillDistrict Supervisor Town Hall Meeting, hosted by Supervisor WalterAlcorn (D-Hunter Mill), live in Reston.

KathleenMaupin

Mike McDermottDeborah and Joel ShprentzEd Robichaud

Hunter Mill DistrictSupervisor WalterAlcorn (D)ºholdsTown Hall meeting.

Highlights of Constituents’ Concerns andAlcorn’s AnswersThe Penny for Affordable Housingfund

A: Fairfax County could potentially dedi-cate an extra penny to its affordable hous-ing penny fund. “I’m on the record for in-creasing it to two cents.”

Residents not told of construction oneasements adjoining their properties

A: “It’s a challenge...I will be happy towork with Transportation (on this).”

Price inflation for housing - the av-erage housing inflation rate is higher thanthe overall inflation rate, with the prices forhousing higher now versus 30-40 years agoº

A: Part of the problem is our economicsuccess; demand is there because we havea lot of jobs in the county. Development ofthe Transit-Oriented Core will help the

“dearth of affordable housing.

One week in the life of newlyelected Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill)

Well, my goodness. Let me look at myschedule. I met with several dozen citizengroups about land-use,ºclimate change con-cerns and affordable housing. I also metwith the Reston Association representatives,representatives from Reston Citizens Asso-ciation, with several industry representa-tives seeking approval of various develop-ment applications, and members of theReston Planning and Zoning Committee. Ialso met with Fairfax County Park Founda-tion representatives, representatives of sev-eral transportation groups, and attendedrelated meetings with county staff and re-gional officials. And that’s one week.


Opinion

By Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

State Delegate (D-36)

Dazzling is the onlyword I could think ofto describe the amaz-ing work that is go-

ing on in the Virginia General As-sembly this legislative session. Theannual meeting of the legislatureis just approaching half-time of itsannual session, but already signifi-cant policy changes are being debated andadopted. There is little new to the policies thatare being adopted; many are in place in otherstates already. But in Richmond they seemrevolutionary!

I have already written about the ratificationof the Equal Rights Amendment in the earlydays of the session. The movement to ratifythe ERA began in the early 1970s but was notsuccessful in Virginia until nearly 50 yearslater! Since two ratification deadlines have al-ready passed, the fate of the amendment withVirginia being the needed 38th state to ratify isuncertain. Virginia Attorney General MarkHerring is among the leaders seeking a judi-cial decision to validate the amendment’s rati-

fication. Although the NineteenthAmendment granting women theright to vote was ratified in 1920and added to the Constitution, Vir-ginia did not add its support toratification until 1952!

While legislation must be passedby both houses of the legislatureand signed by the governor to be-

come law, here is a run-down on what has beenapproved so far by at least one house. By thetime the legislature adjourns in early Marchthis legislation is expected to be approved byboth houses and sent to the governor. Numer-ous bills have been passed to ban discrimina-tion against persons because of their sex; billsto protect LGBTQ+ persons would not havemade it out of committee last year. Bills to bandiscrimination in housing, public accommoda-tions, employment and credit applications havepassed as has a bill to ban conversion therapy.

Likewise, bills to protect public safety fromthe misuse of guns that would never have madeit out of committee previously have passed inboth houses of the Assembly. My bill to require

universal background checks has passed as wellas bills granting localities the right to ban gunsin public spaces, increasing the penalties forleaving guns unsecured around children, andrequiring people to report lost or stolen gunswithin 24 hours. A “red flag” law that allowsauthorities to remove guns from individualswho have shown themselves to be a danger tothemselves and to others has passed.

This week action is expected on bills that willopen up the state to more solar and wind powerand that will establish standards for the in-creased use of renewables in generating elec-tricity. Plastic bags may be eliminated or taxedto reduce plastic pollution. I am sponsoring theGovernor’s bill to advance the clean-up of theChesapeake Bay that is getting some push-backfrom the farming community that would beaffected by regulations to clean up stream run-off. Numerous bills have already passed tomake it easier to register to vote and to voteon election day, including no-excuse absenteevoting.

There is more to come. Tune in next weekor follow the sessions on live-streaming athttps://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/chamber/chamberstream.php for more daz-zling action!

Dazzling Pace of Change in RichmondCommentary

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Reston

By John Lovaas

Reston Impact Producer/Host

New Fairfax CountyHunter Mill District Su-pervisor Walter Alcorn

is off to a running start. He’s hireda staff of five—including one re-turnee from the Hudgins yearsand one of his Democratic Primaryopponents, Shyamali Hauth. Theyappear to be a competent lot. He’llneed them. In his first weeks, Walter has beeneverywhere every day it seems—very unlikehis predecessor who was low key and not onefor attending every event where there were twoor more potential constituents.

He also speaks of, and is beginning to acton, new initiatives, getting to the substance ofthe Reston Supervisor’s job. In fact, in his firstBoard of Supervisors meeting, he sought andgot approval from the Board to revisit andupdate the Comprehensive (Master) Plan forReston, all of Reston, including the Transit Sta-tions Areas (TSAs). He’s not only getting at asore spot among Restonians, but also has cho-sen an initiative which will affect us all for themedium to long term.Comp plans are supposed to be reviewed ev-ery 5 years, but rarely are. It is about 5 yearssince Reston’s current plan, a pretty contro-versial one, was approved. It took about 5 yearsto prepare this plan. Alcorn says he’ll get thisone wrapped up in 12 to 18 months (wannabet?). Crucial to putting together a plan thatmakes sense, and gets community acceptance,is assembling a working group representativeof Reston while avoiding the extremes of be-ing developer-driven or N.I.M.B.Y. (not in my

back yard) driven.The last time around the work-

ing group was developer heavy.And, the developer contingent waswell organized with goals in mind,while those selected to representthe community were citizenswanting to do the right thing butuncertain what that was and they

were not organized. With the right commu-nity leadership this time, we might get a bet-ter product. Mr. Alcorn knows this. In fact, hehas decided to chair the process himself—acourageous decision perhaps, definitely a riskyone. The responsibility for results will be quiteclear this time! If he makes it truly a commu-nity project, he can repair damage and pro-vide great benefit to Reston for a couple of gen-erations. This is potentially the defining workof his tenure.

He has announced plans for a major initia-tive to improve Reston’s pedestrian safety, amatter of concern in light of three pedestriandeaths in less than two years. Measures includemore sidewalks and crosswalks, and special-ized pedestrian signals and signage. We alsomay see pedestrian over- or underpasses sorelyneeded on major arteries such as Wiehle Av-enue for both pedestrians and bicycle riders.

Like Ms. Hudgins, Alcorn has promised tocontinue to assign high priority to affordablehousing. He cites a need to increase the af-fordable unit minimums required in newprojects and to examine old, unused officeparks and shopping centers as sites for newcreative multi-unit developments. These con-

cepts are in the early stages of planning, butIMHO merit the effort.

At a more micro, local level, a home-ownersassociation in our district recently experienceda modest revolution in its Board of Directorselection. Incumbents who’d controlled it forsome time were soundly defeated. They werereplaced with a younger contingent promis-ing to clean up the organization’s finances andaddress overdue maintenance work. As is of-ten the case in homeowner associations, trans-parency was also a major issue in the election.The new leadership is off to a good start, butit’s not over. The old guard is not giving up.It’s fascinating to see governance in action atthe HOA level and realize its similarities toother levels. This will be interesting to watch!

New Starts in the New YearIndependent Progressive

WriteThe Connection welcomes views on any

public issue.The deadline for all material is noon Friday.

Letters must be signed. Include home addressand home and business numbers. Letters are

routinely edited for libel, grammar, good tasteand factual errors.

Send to:

Letters to the EditorThe Connection1606 King St.

Alexandria VA 22314Call: 703-917-6444.

By e-mail:[email protected]


News

By Mercia Hobson

The Connection

The water temperature in LakeAnne registered a refreshing 41degrees the day the VirginiaPolar Dip returned to Reston.

“The lake isn’t frozen this year,” said GailToth, event founder and coordinator. “Sothere’s no cutting through with a chainsaw.It’s actually a balmy day compared to someof the years we’ve had (the event),” she said.

Toth is the founder and organizer of theVirginia Polar Dip. Funds raised help sup-port Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, whichis “near and dear” to Toth and her family.Twenty-three years ago, when Toth’s daugh-ter Jennifer was a cancer patient at agethree, they attended the camp located onSebago Lake, 30 miles from Portland as aparticipant family. “We had an amazing timewith other families going through the samethings we were. We’ve returned every sum-mer as volunteers. Now, we also fundraiseso other families can experience the pro-gram. This is our 12th year,” Toth said.

According to Toth, her campaign goal forthe 2020 Virginia Polar Dip was $100,000.That would send 40 local families who hada child with a life-threatening illness toCamp Sunshine. Each participant in thePolar Dip had been asked to raise/donate aminimum of $100. As of Feb. 1, the onlineProgress Roll showed $46,474. However,donations would be accepted until the endof February.

Announcer Andy Sigle took the micro-phone. He thanked everyone for their kind-

ness and generosity. He said that since theevent first began but not including this year,1,806 individuals had participated andraised more than $760,000.

Cancer survivor Jennifer Toth is now anadult. On the afternoon of the 2020 VirginiaPolar Dip, she stood on the Lake Anne Plazadock surrounded by hundreds of spectators,volunteers and approximately 150 individu-als willing to do a little “Freezin’ for a Rea-son.” Chicken Dippers, children who wouldsit on the dock and stick their feet in thewater, huddled with family members. Polar

Dippers, those who would take the plunge,hopped up and down to keep warm. Mean-while, members of Fairfax County Fire andRescue Cold Water Dive Team treaded wa-ter close the jump-off and ladders, ready tohelp anyone who needed it.

“This cause is close to my heart both assomeone who attended Camp Sunshine andas a pediatric oncology nurse practitionerwhose patients benefit from the program,”said Jennifer Toth. “Thank you to everyonein the community who has embraced thisevent and made it such a big success. We

plan to keep this event going. Our goal isto have the VA Polar Dip raise over $1 mil-lion,” she said.

Sponsors for the 2020 Virginia Polar Dipput together a family-friendly event with ac-tivities for children and music from DannyDJ. Sponsors included Kalypso’s Sports Tav-ern, David Madison Photography, Lake AnneVillage Center, Reston Community Center,Salon Khouri, Ourisman Chantilly Toyota,Reston Association, Fairfax County Cold Wa-ter Dive Team, Manor Works Painting, LoebigChiropractic & Rehab, and Onelife Fitness.

Virginia Polar Dipreturns to raise fundsfor Camp Sunshine.

Taking the Plunge

Photos by Mercia Hobson/The Connection

Chicken Dippers at the 2020 Virginia Polar Dip tickle their toes in the icywaters of Lake Anne Reston.

After a plunge in the 41-degree water, the air tem-perature is a little much for a participant in the 2020Virginia Polar Dip to benefit Camp Sunshine.

First time Polar Dipper, Becket Cumming, 10, ofVienna, receives his wristband from Michael Katz,Executive Director of Camp Sunshine.

Fairfax CountyFire andRescue ColdWater DiveTeam arethere to lend ahand ifneeded.


Sports

With sweeping per-formances in the300 meters, polevault, shot put and

a brother-sister winning combo inthe 500 meters, the South LakesHigh School indoor track teamswon the Liberty District Champi-onship Feb. 1, 2020.

It’s the ninth straight champion-ship for the girls team and an evendozen consecutive for the boyssquad. The two-day meet tookplace at the Prince George’s Sportsand Learning Complex inLandover, Md.

The Seahawks took the top threefinishes in both the girls and boys300 meters. Senior Hannah Waller,who also won the 55 meters (7.10)and triple jump (37-10.50), led thegirls 300 domination in winningthe race in a meet record 40.04.Sophomore Jillian Howard fin-ished second in 40.67, followed byjunior Juviannadean Mullings(40.80, 3rd) and senior Mary Gre-gory (41.08, 4th). While Wallerbroke the district record set bySLHS alum Lachelle Wallace in2009, Howard and Mullings timeswere also better than the previousrecord of 40.99.

On the boys side, sophomoreJoshua Gregory led the sweep ofthe boys 300 meters with a win-ning time of 35.93. SophomoreTyler Benett was second (37.23)and senior Jackson Cooley fin-ished third (37.46). Cooley alsowon the long jump (22-00.00),triple jump (42-05.50) and fin-ished second in the 55 meters(6.55). Benett was second in thetriple jump (42-01.50) and third

South Lakes Boys, Girls WinDistrict Championship

Photos by Joseph Stidman

From left: South Lakes Joshua Gregory,Tyler Benett,Jackson Cooley In 300 Meters at Liberty District Champi-onship Feb.1, 2020.

From left — South Lakes Mary Gregory, Jillian Howard,Hannah Waller, Juviannadean Mullings In 300 Meters atLiberty District Championship Feb/ 1, 2020.

South Lakes High Jumper Senior MiraCuthill at Liberty District ChampionshipFeb.1, 2020.

The Seahawks started the meet winning the firstrunning event of the championships. Lannen, seniorCaitlyn Morris, sophomore Annika Yu and freshmanAnnalise Williams won the girls 4x800 meter relayin 9:48.92. Morris (5:20.80, 2nd) and Williams(5:22.89, 4th) also scored in the 1,600 meters as didLannen (3:07.47, 3rd) and Yu (3:11.70, 4th) in the1,000 meters.

SLHS placed in either the girls, boys and/or bothdivisions in every event.

in the long jump (20-09.25).In the 500 meters, it was all about the Gregorys.Mary, who was fifth in the pole vault (7-00.00),

started things off by winning the girls division in1:17.15. Mullings ran 1:18.74 for third and seniorEmily Lannen was fourth (1:20.14). To keep it a fam-ily affair, little brother Joshua ran a 1:07.90 to winthe boys 500. Senior teammate David Ramirez fin-ished fourth (1:10.3).

SLHS’ events sweep began on Day 1 with the boyspole vault. Junior Tommy Allison cleared 12-00.00to win the event while senior Gabe Simmons finishedsecond (10-00.00) and sophomore Matthew Ryanwas third (9-06.00). The field event sweep continueon Day 2 when senior Caleb Miller successfully de-fended his district shot put title (49-02.50) and wasfollowed by sophomores Jeremy Semelfort (39-04.50, 2nd) and Adam Hvitfeldt-Matthews (38-03.25, 3rd). Senior Sarah Jane Brown also repeatedas Liberty District shot put champion (33-01.15).Junior Molly Shapiro finished second (27-11.50) andalso fourth in the pole vault (7-06.00).

Senior Mira Cuthill was the sole Seahawk in thegirls high jump but she was all the team needed.She won the event with a personal best jump of 5-04.00. Her previous PR: 5-00.00.


Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

From cancer to toilet paper. Is that ‘off’ enough? My reason for writing this column might be because I need a diversion (see last week’s column), and because, as is so happened recently, I needed to replenish our toilet paper supply. (It had nothing to do with a winter advisory in the forecast.) As the consumer in the house, I am keen and motivated to spend our money wisely. I look for sales, I use paper coupons, I use digital coupons and of course, I peruse the advertising circulars, in print and online (if necessary) regularly. In addition, I have a number of plastic bonus cards hanging on my keychain. In short, I am prepared and ready for any retail or wholesale opportunity that might present itself.

With respect to toilet paper, I believe us regular users have been victimized by the

-cally to the increase in the size of the actual roll itself; from single to double to triple to jumbo to mega and now super mega. Since the manufacturers can’t exactly increase de-mand, they’ve devised a strategy to increase supply - in our homes. And though using myself as an example is hardly empirical evidence, I will nonetheless continue to do so in an effort to justify my accusation.

If you’re like me, you probably like to have an ample supply of toilet paper in the house, just in case (it happened once in college; not good). And to that end, the toilet paper manufacturers have offered up multipacks equivalent to as high as 96 rolls, if I’m not mistaken, to address this potential shortage. However, my beef is not with the number of rolls in these multipacks, my beef, as I’ve said, is with the size of the rolls. In these cases, size does matter.

For years, we’ve been buying 4-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 24-, 36- and even 48-roll multipacks, some single and some double to stock the bathroom linen closets, so we’re used to

inventory. Now the rolls are double or even triple the size we had grown accustomed to having as back-ups. But we’re still, in spite

super mega rolls, wanting to have the same number of rolls in the closet as we’ve always had (I do, anyway). Sort of a comfort level, you might say. The problem is that having the same number of super mega rolls in inventory as previously one had as single or double rolls gives one way more toilet paper in the house than you ever had. In effect, we have over-purchased. The toilet paper manufacturers have used our predispositions against us in order to take a greater share of our household budget previously allocated for toilet paper.

I don’t need six super mega rolls in our bathroom. But I do want to see at least six rolls in reserve (aid and comfort you might say). If the six rolls in reserve were single or doubles, their size would be irrelevant. The number of rolls was more important - in my head. And now, because of the toilet paper manufacturer’s insistence that size matters, I am forced to buy these spare-tire, donut-sized rolls that I can’t possibly use no matter what “snowmageddon” might hit us. But I can’t stock my shelves with reason-ably-sized rolls because their unit cost is prohibitive compared to the big roll multi-packs. As the consumer I am, I am loathe to overpay for such household necessities. So I buy in bulk, stuff my shelves with ply and go about my business. I just wish I had more than a hand in their decision-making.

Off Topic,Way OffSubmit civic/community announcements at

ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

THURSDAY/FEB. 6Coffee & Contracting: GovCon Networking.

8-9:30 a.m. At Greater Reston Chamber ofCommerce, 1886 Metro Center Drive, Suite 150,Reston. Cost is $10 for members/ $20 for futuremembers/guests. Join in Coffee and Contracting,an informal networking breakfast with a shorteducational program for governmentcontractors.

NOW THRU FEB. 18Herndon Accepting Arts Grants Proposals.

The Town of Herndon is accepting grantproposals up to $4,500 through the VirginiaCommission for the Arts (VCA) CreativeCommunities Partnership Grant for projects tobe implemented in FY 2020. For informationabout this program and other grantopportunities, review the 2020 Guidelines forFunding which are available at http://www.arts.virginia.gov/grants_guidelines.html.Nonprofit arts organizations incorporated in theTown of Herndon must meet general policyguidelines as published by the VCA. TheCommission’s Guidelines for Funding and otherresources are available on the website atwww.arts.virginia.gov. Applicants shouldprovide full documentation of projected budget,program planning, and a detailed description ofthe implementation of the project. Organizationswho intend to apply for grant funding mustsubmit their proposals by 5 p.m. on Tuesday,Feb. 18 to the Performing Arts Supervisor at theTown of Herndon Department of Parks andRecreation. Proposals may be mailed to HerndonParks and Recreation Department, 777 LynnStreet, Herndon, VA 20170, hand delivered tothe Herndon Community Center, 814 FerndaleAve, Herndon, VA, 20170, or sent electronicallyto [email protected]. Applicants areencouraged to confirm receipt by thedepartment prior to the deadline. To learn moreabout the Town of Herndon Parks andRecreation Department, visit Herndon-va.gov/recreation or call 703-787-7300.

TUESDAY/FEB. 18DMV2GO at the Library. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at

Herndon Fortnightly Library, 768 Center St.,Herndon. The wireless office on wheels offers allDMV services: driver’s license and ID cardapplications and renewals, driving records,vehicle titles, license plates, decals, orderdisabled plates, and more. Information on allservices available at dmv.virginia.gov/general/#dmv_2go.

SUPPORT GROUPSParent Support Partners, a service of the

Healthy Minds Fairfax initiative, are all parentswho have received training and are qualitied tooffer education, support and assistance at nocost to families or caregivers. They providereliable information that families can use indecision-making and are familiar with servicesand resources that can help families in distress.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/healthymindsfairfax or www.nami-northernvirginia.org/parent-peer-support.html.

ONGOINGSTEM Professionals Needed. Volunteers are

needed to assist K-12 STEM teachers in northernVirginia as part of the American Association forthe Advancement of Science’s STEM VolunteerProgram, stemvolunteers.org, during the 2019-20 school year.Contact Don Rea at 571-551-2488 or [email protected].

Assistance League of Northern Virginia is anall-volunteer nonprofit organization that feeds,clothes and educates children in need.Assistance League’s philanthropic programstouch the lives of thousands of children,including those at 11 Title 1 elementary schoolsin Fairfax and Prince William counties and theCity of Alexandria. There are many volunteeropportunities for community members tocontribute to helping those in need throughWeekend Food for Kids, tutoring programs andproviding new clothing and layettes. To learnmore, email: [email protected], or visitwww.alnv.org

Bulletin


Submit entertainment announcements atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/Calendar/.The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGAARP Tax-Aide Program. Feb. 1 to April 14. At

RCC Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. Tuesdays: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Thursdays:4:30 p.m./– 8:30 p.m.; and Saturdays: 9 a.m./–3 p.m. Free. For taxpayers with low andmoderate incomes with special attention tothose 60 and older. AARP’s Tax-Aide programwas created nearly 40 years ago to assist olderadults as well as persons with low and middleincomes in successfully navigating the tax code.All tax preparation is free and confidential. Formore information, contact the Lifelong LearningProgram Director, Casmera Lebron at 703-390-6157.

RCC Collecting Dresses and Accessories.Feb. 1-29. Reston Community Center isaccepting donations of gently used dresses andaccessories for its 18th annual Diva CentralDress Drive. From Feb. 1 – 29, RCC will becollecting the items at its Hunters Woods andLake Anne locations. In addition to dresses, RCCneeds donations of shoes, jewelry, handbags andshawls. Donations are tax-deductible and maybe dropped off Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9p.m.; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays. Donations willbenefit middle and high school students inReston and surrounding areas, who can outfitthemselves for prom and spring dances for free.This year’s dress and accessories giveaway eventis planned for Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m. at RCC Lake Anne, 1609-A WashingtonPlaza in Reston. All local middle and high schoolstudents are invited to attend and “shop” fordresses, shoes and other accessories for free.There will also be door prizes and refreshments.Registration is not required.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 5DIY Club — Jewelry Making. 6:30 p.m. At

Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston.Learn the basics of jewelry making andcreate an original piece in this hands-onworkshop. Adults, Teens.

THURSDAY/FEB. 6Millennials Book Club. 7 p.m. At Reston

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston.Title is “The Satanic Verses”, by SalmanRushdie. Check out a library copy or pick up acopy of your own. Adults from early 20s to early30s.

FRIDAY/FEB. 7Baby & Me Yoga. 10:30 a.m. At Reston Library,

11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Bring yourbaby for a nurturing yoga workshop designedfor the two of you. No experience needed.Bring a mat or blanket. Co-sponsored FRRL. Age6 weeks—16 months with adult.

SATURDAY/FEB. 8Sing! Books with Miss Emily. 10:30 a.m. At

Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. Join Miss Emily for singing storytimewith illustrated songs. Co-sponsored by theFRRL Age 2-5 with adult.

Handmade Valentine Workshop. 1-2:30 p.m.At GRACE, 12001 Market Street, #103, Reston.Create one-of-a-kind Valentines in a workshopled by GRACE staff. All ages. Registration atevent sponsor’s website,restoncommunitycenter.com. Call 703-471-9242or visit www.restonarts.org.

Aesop’s Fables. 2 p.m. At Reston Library, 11925Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Aesop was anAfrican storyteller whose famous fables are stillcelebrated today. Join us for a selection offables performed by Bright Star Children’sTheatre. Cosponsored by the FRRL. All Ages.

Old Fashioned Taffy Pull. 3-4:15 p.m. At FryingPan Park, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon. Makecandy and sample refreshments from the oldendays. Historic farm interpreters will lead aprogram that includes exhibits of an early 20th-century farmhouse, a brief history of candy-making, and an outdoor, wood-burning stovedemonstration, weather permitting. This event isdesigned for participants ages 10 to adult. Thecost is $10 per person. The program is notrecommended for those with allergies to nuts ordairy. Call 703-437-9101 or visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park.

Geocaching Workshop. 3-5 p.m. At Lake FairfaxPark, 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston. Set off ona search for hidden treasure at Lake Fairfax Parkafter learning how to put your GlobalPositioning System (GPS) unit to work. Studentsages 8 to adult will learn how to enter latitudeand longitude coordinates into a GPS. Treasurehunters will then follow the coordinates to finda hidden object, container or unique geologicalfeature in the park. Cost is $22 per person.Please bring your own GPS; a limited numberwill be available to borrow from the instructor atclass. Call 703-471-5414 or visit

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lake-fairfax.Casino Night. At Herndon High School, 700

Bennett Street, Herndon. A fundraiser for the2020 All-Night Grad Party. Buy your $72 ticketstoday! You can also purchase your casino night/silent auction ticket directly at:www.herndonang.org

SUNDAY/FEB. 9Gustafer Yellowgold. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. At

Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road,Reston. Cost is $10 Reston/$20 Non-Reston

With pancake lunch. Since his creation by MorganTaylor, Gustafer Yellowgold has become aninternational phenomenon. Take a ride withYellowgold, who is living an explorer’s life in aslightly psychedelic version of the Minnesotawoods. Tickets include a “build your own”pancake lunch from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Carolina Blue. 7 p.m. At Bluegrass Barn at FryingPan Farm Park, 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon.Cost is $18/advance; $20/door. New this seasonis the Half Season Pass — four shows andreserved seats for $68. Food and drinks,including beer and wine, are available forpurchase at the performances. Tickets can bepurchased online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/frying-pan-park/ or by phone at 703-222-4664 or 703-437-9101.

MONDAY/FEB. 10Baby Lapsit. 10:30 a.m. At Reston Library, 11925

Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. A cozy time toenjoy nursery rhymes and songs while buildingearly literacy skills for your child. For age birthto 11 months with adult.

RCC’s 40th Anniversary. 6:30 p.m. At RCCHunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston.Restonians are invited to mark RestonCommunity Center’s 40th anniversary and planfor its future. The agenda of this special annualjoint Community Relations and Program/PolicyCommittees meeting includes a screening of ashort film about RCC’s first 40 years; apresentation on the results of the 2019 RCCCommunity Survey; facilitated discussion onfour important RCC strategic planning pillars(Facilities, Community Building, Programs andCommunications); and a summary of thosediscussions. To encourage communityattendance, RCC will be serving dinner,providing translation support (Chinese, Arabic,Spanish and Russian) and offering childcaresupport for busy families with children ages 6 to12. RSVP at [email protected]. Toregister, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com.

MONDAYS/FEB. 10, 24Preschool Storytime — Love Stories. 2 p.m.

At Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. This month we will foster your littleone’s love of reading with stories, songs, andcrafts focused on relationships … the differentpeople (and pets) we love and who love us. Age3-5 with adult.

TUESDAY/FEB. 11, 18, 25Spanchats. 7 p.m. At Reston Library, 11925

Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Join the ongoingSpanish conversation group. All levels frombeginner to fluent are welcome. Adults.

TUESDAY/FEB. 11Bollywood Dance Fitness. 6:30 p.m. At Reston

Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Joinin a fun Bollywood dance fitness class inspiredby music and movies of India. No experiencenecessary. Adults, Teens.

Read to the Dog. 7 p.m. At Reston Library,11925 Bowman Towne Dr., Reston. Read aloudto a trained therapy dog. Bring your own bookor choose one from the Library. First come, firstserved - one 15 minute session per child. Age 5-11.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 12Wednesday Morning Book Club. 10:30 a.m. At

Reston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. This month’s title is “ The Last Days ofNight “ by Graham Moore.

Memory Depot Orientation. 10:30 a.m. AtReston Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Dr.,Reston. Let them introduce you to our MemoryDepot station, a do-it-yourself location forscanning your slides, negatives and photos andto transfer your VHS or audio cassettes todigital formats.

FRIDAY/FEB. 14Valentine’s Night Out. 6-9:30 p.m. At Herndon

Community Center 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon.Herndon Parks and Recreation Staff willsupervise and entertain children on Valentine’sDay so that parents/guardians can enjoy a nightout. Event participants will make crafts, playgames and socialize with other children. Visitthe Town’s website at herndon-va.gov/recreation or call 703-787-7300.

Calendar

Retro Game NightRetro Game Night will be held Feb. 28 at the Reston Museum.

FRIDAY/FEB. 28Retro Game Night. 6-9 p.m. At Reston Museum, 1639 Washington Plaza, Reston. Grab your friends and

play board games in the museum after hours. Choose from over a dozen games provided by StaringPlayer Pop-up. Feel free to bring your own games and grab some of the provided snacks. Space islimited so come early to grab a spot! Everyone who attends will receive a poster of “The Game ofReston.” Visit the website: https://www.restonmuseum.org/

RocknocerosRocknoceros will appear at the Herndon Community Center on Monday,Feb. 17.

MONDAY/FEB. 17Rocknoceros. 10:30-11:15 a.m. At Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Coach

Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie perform wildly popular award-winning music for thewhole family. Rocknoceros has dominated the DC children’s music scene for many years. Visit herndon-va.gov/recreation, or call 703-787-7300.

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