Week in Reston
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Week in Reston

THANKING RESTON'S ‘Maestro’

About 100 people gathered Sunday, June 11 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dingwall Fleary’s direction of the Reston Community Orchestra. Reston resident and Reston Association board member Kathleen Driscoll McKee hosted the surprise reception in Fleary’s honor. Ellen Graves, executive vice president of the RCO, emceed the event, which included a tribute for Fleary in words, photos and song.

A string quartet from the orchestra played background music as guests enjoyed drinks and other refreshments at McKee’s home.

RESTON MAN Arrested for Exposing Himself

An 18-year-old Reston man was arrested Saturday, June 10 for exposing himself to two 15-year-old girls.

Police charged Benjamin T. Zora of Clipstone Lane with two counts of indecent exposure Saturday after receiving a call that an exposure occurred, according to a police report. Officers learned that the two girls were walking on South Lakes Drive near Pine Cone Court around 2 p.m. on June 9 when a car pulled up next to the girls and stopped. When the girls looked toward the driver, he exposed himself and drove away, said the police report. The victims walked home and reported the incident to their parents. The police investigation led to Zora’s arrest, said the report. Zora was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

RCA SEEKS Candidates

The Reston Citizens Association is now accepting election applications for its annual elections. Three at-large seats and the South Lakes, North Point, Hunters Woods, Lake Anne district seats will be decided next month. Applications are due by June 23.

RCA elections will be held at the RCA booth during the Reston Festival on July 8-9. The booth will also allow residents to take the “Reston Issues” poll.

Potential candidates can find application forms on RCA’s Web site, www.restoncitizensassociation.org or by calling Colin Mills at 703-638-7305. Send completed applications to Colin Mills, 12012 Greywing Square, #A3, Reston, Va.

RCA focuses much of its attention on endorsing town status for Reston, but is also involved in several community issues, including affordable housing, accessibility/visitability, business development, community healthcare, multicultural assimilation, public safety, transportation and virtual infrastructure.

WOMEN'S DISTANCE Festival

Reston Runners’ will hold the annual Women's Distance Festival 5-kilometer race or fitness walk Saturday, June 24. The event begins at 8 a.m. at the Reston YMCA at 12196 Sunset Hills Road.

Hundreds of women and girls who participate in the event help raise money to support running and fitness programs in the Reston and Herndon areas. All race participants receive a commemorative T-shirt. More information, applications and registrations are online at www.restonrunners.org. Entry fees range from $22-$30 depending on date of registration. Prizes include awards for mother-daughter and grandmother-daughter-granddaughter teams.

ISLAND WALK: Project of the Year

Island Walk, owned by Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), won the 2006 Project of the Year in Northern Virginia, an award given out by the Housing Association of Non-Profit Developers (HAND). For the second year in a row, HAND has recognized CPDC for its work in affordable housing.

Island Walk, always intended for affordable housing for the workforce in and around Reston, was saved recently through a limited equity cooperative partnership with CPDC.

CPDC partnered with Fairfax County, Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority, Hudson Housing Capital, and SunTrust to create a long-term financial structure to preserve the affordable housing community. Financial assistance also came from Washington Area Housing Trust fund in the form of a predevelopment loan and from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to add elevators to six of the handicapped accessible units. Once the tax credit compliance period has been satisfied, the residents will have the opportunity to repurchase their homes.

As part of the redevelopment, the units were reconfigured and an

additional 100 square feet were added. Kitchens were opened to the

dining and living area to give a larger sense of space for the

residents. Each unit also received new mechanicals, fixtures, cabinetry, and flooring.

CPDC also created a community center with a wireless computer

infrastructure, including broadband access to the Internet, for the

residents to use. The center was recently dedicated to Dee Cotton, long-time resident and current tenant association president, who led the residents' efforts in the redevelopment process.

MEETING ON Density Cap

Supervisor Catherine Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) invites community members June 20 to hear an update on the future of residential development in Reston given an ordinance that limits density. The meeting, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Langston Hughes Middle School, will focus on the residential planned community (RPC) zoned area of Reston, roughly 6,200 acres, which includes a maximum density of 13 persons per acre. The county reported recently that Reston is nearing that density “cap,” officially calculated this month to be at 11.68 persons per acre. Fairfax County Planning and Zoning is in the process of proposing various ordinance changes that would determine how and where future residential development occurred.

RCC BUDGET Hearing

The Reston Community Center will host a budget hearing Monday, June 19 for residents of Small District 5, who pay taxes to support the center. The hearing, which will be held at the RCC-Hunters Woods, provides an opportunity for residents to voice opinions about the proposed budget. Residents can also provide written comments to the RCC Board via email at rccbog@fairfaxcounty.gov. At the hearing, individuals will be allotted two minutes to speak, while representatives of organizations will be given three minutes. To review the budget online go to www.restoncommunitycenter.com.

16TH ANNUAL Taste of the Town

With 25 vendors, three bands and Kids Korner, this year’s Taste of the Town on June 17 promises much more than food. Sponsored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, the event runs from noon until 10:30 p.m. at Reston Town Center. The 16th annual Taste of the Town will offer varieties of tastes from the region’s finest eateries. Admission and parking are free, and tastings start at $1. More than 30,000 people are expected.

Taste of the Town, Northern Virginia’s largest outdoor food festival, will feature “tastes” from restaurants such as Big Bowl, Busara, Lucia’s Italian Ristorante, Market Street Bar & Grill, Obi Sushi, Paradise Ice Cream, Whole Foods, and more. Live entertainment will be presented on the Pavilion stage, with a beer and wine garden. YMCA Fairfax County-Reston is the charity recipient of a portion of Taste of the Town proceeds.

For more information, call the GRCC at 703-707-9045 or visit www.restonchamber.org. Volunteer opportunities are available, call for registration information.