Reston Community Events and Notices for May 1-7, 2010

Live

Learn about Transit Oriented Development
Metro is coming to Reston. You’ve heard it and maybe you can’t wait for the day you can hop aboard a train rather than sit in traffic.

But what will Reston be like once Metro arrives? Gridlock around the stations? Asphalt and concrete replacing trees and walking paths? YOUR “Live, Work, Play and Get Involved”– gone? Not necessarily.

Learn how Metro will affect your neighborhood by attending Transit Oriented Development: A Tale of Two Counties and How a Connected Street Network Can Support a More Attractive and Walkable Reston. This discussion will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2010, from 9-11 a.m at South Lakes High School’s Seminar Room at 11400 South Lakes Drive, Reston.

You will hear how Arlington and Montgomery counties have both turned the areas around Metro stations into beautiful, tree-lined streetscapes, where people walk, bike, live and shop, where businesses thrive and how a connected street network
improves traffic and access while it prepares areas for transit oriented development.

This event is co-hosted by Supervisor Catherine Hudgins, Hunter Mill District, Dulles Corridor Rail Association and Reston Association. For more information, call 703-715-4500.

Summer Reston® Magazine Arrives
Where will you find information on the summer program designed to connect kids with activities in Reston, a trip to one of Reston’s most venerable restaurants along with full calendars and registrations for summer sports, special events and volunteer opportunities? That and more are in the summer issue of Reston® magazine. Reston is available to anyone in the community by stopping by RA Member Services, 1930 Isaac Newton Square, Reston, from 8:30–5 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m.–Noon Saturdays through July. You can also access Reston online here.

RA Headquarters is Moving
At the end of July, Reston Association will be moving its headquarters to 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. Our phone number will be the same: 703-435-6530. Join us for an Open House, Thursday, September 23, 2010. Watch the Web site for details.

Reston Bike to Work Day 2010
Join hundreds of bicycle commuters on Friday, May 21, 2010 to celebrate the annual Bike to Work Day at Reston Town Center Pavilion. Cyclists will gather from 6:30–9:30 a.m. for a free breakfast, raffles of bike-related prizes and bicycling information handouts. Hunter Mill Supervisor Catherine Hudgins will be there at 8 a.m. to greet riders.

Participants can also try out new bike routing software, and pre-registered riders will receive a free T-shirt.

Winners of the Employer Challenge, a contest that recognizes the most bike-friendly business based on nominations from participants, will receive a free catered lunch from Whole Foods Market. In 2009, Software AG won for its bicycling commuter employee accommodations, including showers, lockers and a changing facility, as well as providing bike commuting information and encouraging employees to participate in the contest.

Last year about 400 people attended the Reston event. Many people bicycle as an alternative to driving, especially for short trips to work or around town. Each mile traveled by bike instead of driving is one less pound of carbon dioxide emitted into the air — and almost half of all trips taken during the day are 3 miles or less.

Reston Bike to Work Day is organized by the Reston Town Center Association, Reston Association, Reston Bike Club, Friends of the W&OD Trail, The Bike Lane and Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling with the help of many local sponsors.

To register, please visit http://www.waba.org/events/btwd/ and select the Reston pit stop.

Free Workshop for Reinventing Your Home
As your lifestyle changes over the years, so can your home. Learn how to easily upgrade your home so that it will always work for you, your family and friends at the Universal Design Workshop and Product Fair, to be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 from 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Homeowners are invited to the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, to attend the workshop, which offers learning opportunities on home improvements that make an immediate difference. Projects include updates to bathrooms, kitchens and doorways. At any time, it may be useful to know how to make changes to your home during everyday repairs or major upgrades, even as your needs may change.

The event is sponsored by Supervisors Catherine Hudgins of Hunter Mill District, and Linda Smyth of Providence District.

Space is limited, so please register to attend by calling 703-478-0283 (Hunter Mill District) or 703-560-6946 (Providence District). If you need an accommodation to attend this event, please notify the office when you register.

Stream Walk
Saturday, May 8, 2010
9 a.m. – Noon
Location: Walker Nature Education Center, 11450 Glade Drive
Join RA on a walk of the newly restored Snakeden Branch and Glade streams. Meet at the Walker Nature Education Center and be prepared to walk paved and natural surface trails to Lake Audubon, up to Soapstone, down to The Glade stream and back to the Nature House. Please dress appropriately with hiking boots.
RSVP to Nicki@reston.org or 703-435-6560.

Take a Trip to China with the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
You are invited to travel to China with business and community colleagues for a nine day trip that combines both learning and cultural opportunities. Learn how the Chinese business system works. September 13-21, 2010. Contact the Chamber at 703-707-9045 or click here for more details. The trip is sponsored by the Reston and Arlington Chambers of Commerce.

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Nature News & Tips

Need woodchips? If you happen to see a pile of woodchips on RA property and would like them for your yard, please help yourself. Clean-up work following last winter’s storm damage has left RA with piles of woodchips. There is a pile near Hunters Woods pool, too. We also have overflowing bins at our maintenance facility so come and pick them up during normal business hours. If you have a pick-up truck and call in advance we could even schedule loading.

Reston Recycles “Adopt-A-Bin”
Would you like an eco-friendly and “Restonesque” way to remember someone special or honor a tennis player? Then Adopt-A-Recycling-Bin and have it placed at the Reston Association tennis court of your choice.

For the full $500 donation, you can have an engraved plaque on the front of the sturdy, recycling bin, which is made of 100 percent recycled plastic lumber.

Bin donations are tax-deductible by making your checks payable to the “Friends of Reston.” For more details about the Reston Recycles Adopt-A-Bin program, contact CSFstaff@reston.org or call 703-437-7658.

Work

Reston Association Aquatics Department is NOW HIRING INSTRUCTORS
The Reston Association Aquatics Department is looking for instructors for our seasonal pools. American Red Cross certified Water Safety and Lifeguard Instructors can apply now at http://careers.reston.org/.

If you have questions about required certifications for the positions please call Willa at 703-435-6532 or e-mail aquaticsinfo@reston.org.

Play

Tennis Lessons
Are in full swing for all ages. Register online at www.reston.org.

Reston Team Tennis Underway
Contact: Mary Conaway 703-435-6534.
This is a fun competitive league that plays every Wednesday and Thursday evening, April through October.

Community Yard Sale
Saturday, May 1, 2010 (Rain Date, Sunday, May 2, 2010)
8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Location: Reston Association parking lot, 1930 Isaac Newton Square
Stop by to browse for great bargains at our 100 family community yard sale. This event is an opportunity to find great buys for a new home or college dorm. VENDOR SPACE IS SOLD OUT. Call 703-435-6577 for recorded information on weather related cancellations.

Curious Kids
Thursday, May 6, 2010
4–5 p.m.
Location: Walker Nature Education Center, 11450 Glade Drive
Reservations are required by May 3, 2010.
$4/RA members, $6/Non-members
For children ages 5-12 years
For reservations, call 703-476-9689 or e-mail naturalist@reston.org.
Grab a magnifying glass to view insects up-close and binoculars to see birds from far away. What can you find basking on a rock, clinging to a leaf or leaping through the air? Learn how to be a wildlife watcher.

Bicycle Safety Rodeo
Saturday, May 8, 2010
1–4 p.m. (Stop by at any time. Course takes 20 minutes to complete.)
Location: Lake Newport Pool Facility, 11601 Lake Newport Road
FREE
Ages: 5–12 years
Join the Reston Association, State Farm Insurance Co., and The Reston Bicycle Club for our Annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo. Children will complete eight safety stations to earn their bicyclist’s license. Children must bring their own bicycles and helmets. No registration required. This program will be canceled in the event of rain. Contact Ashleigh@reston.org or call 703-435-6577 for more information or weather-related cancellations. Bike Rodeo Volunteers are staffed by Common Ground Child Care Center.

Under Your Feet
Monday, May 10, 2010
Time: 10–11 a.m.
Location: Walker Nature Education Center, 11450 Glade Drive
Reservations are required by May 5, 2010.
$5/child RA members, $8/child Non-members
For children ages 18-35 mos. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For reservations, call (703) 476-9689 or e-mail naturalist@reston.org.
Look under logs to see if you can find a salamander, roly poly or Bessie beetle. Dig in the ground and see what squirms. Maybe you will even find some worms? Investigate life underground and see what is living in places that we don’t usually look.

Two Weeks to Summer Splash
Beginning May 15, the pools at Ridge Heights and North Shore both open for the summer season. The remaining Reston Association pools will open on May 29. So get your pool pass and get your “splash on.”

Washington Nationals Baseball Game Trip
Sunday, June 20, 2010
11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Bus pickup location: Reston Association, 1930 Isaac Newton Square
Fee: $30 RA members, $34 Non-members
Ages: All ages welcome. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
It’s Father’s Day — relax and enjoy door-to-door service as we travel by chartered bus to cheer the Nats to victory over the Chicago White Sox. Register online at www.reston.org. For more information, contact Ashleigh@reston.org or call 703-435-6577.

Get Involved

Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting TIME CHANGED
Thursday, May 6, 2010
7:30 – 9 p.m.
The TAC meeting originally scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 6 will begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact JT McConnell, Covenants Case Manager at 703-435-6506 or jtmcconnell@reston.org.

To volunteer for the following events, contact: Ha Brock, RA community outreach specialist, via e-mail habrock@reston.org or call 703-435-7986.

Organize Volunteers to Help with Invasive Species Infestations in Virginia’s Parks and Natural Areas
The Virginia Master Naturalists and the Virginia Native Plant Society invite organizations to plan volunteer events for the second-annual, statewide Invasive Plant Removal Day. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

Potential organizers for local events include Virginia Master Naturalist chapters, Virginia Native Plant Society chapters, neighborhood organizations, local parks and recreation departments, non-profits, nature centers, state and national parks, and other community groups.

With the permission of the landowner, you can host an event and post it on our Web site by visiting www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/invasives to enter information about the location, time, volunteer needs and target species. Your event will be posted on the Invasive Plant Removal Day Web site and publicized statewide.

Join Reston Association in the Statewide Invasive Exotic Removal Day
Saturday, May 1, 2010
9 a.m.–Noon
Location: Meet at Glade Pool parking lot at the corner of Glade and Soapstone Drives
We will journey down the asphalt path heading toward Snakeden Branch, a recently restored stream. Our goal will be to remove as much Garlic Mustard as possible by pulling the plant by the roots. To volunteer, contact Ha Brock, RA Community Outreach Specialist II, at habrock@reston.org or 703-435-7986.

In 2009, local organizations hosted 41 invasive plant removal events across Virginia. More than 400 volunteers, including Master Naturalists, scouting and other youth groups, neighborhood associations and other community volunteers came to assist the effort. Together, they contributed more than 1,300 hours of service and removed more than 250 bags of invasive plants. Their service, in addition to in-kind donations, are valued at more than $27,000.

Invasive species are non-native species that cause ecological or economic harm. They are widely recognized as a costly and leading threat to healthy ecosystems, as they out-compete native species for the same resources, eventually harming trees, wildlife and water quality. Invasive plants have taken a firm foothold in many parts of the Virginia, and the Plant Removal Day is an opportunity to engage community members in reclaiming our natural areas.

Orientation Set for Invasive Plant Management Leaders
Lead volunteers are needed for the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) program. This project will allow the Park Authority to locate and remove extremely invasive plant species before they gain a significant foothold within the parks. This program is an essential component in restoring the native ecology. EDRR Orientation Expeditions to be held on Thursday, May 20, 2010 and Thursday, June 17, 2010 at two different locations.

During the orientations, volunteers will learn how to lead, organize and manage a group of volunteers to conduct a systematic survey of designated parkland, identify targeted plant species, mark their location via hand-held GPS units and log data into an established Web site.

Space is limited to six volunteers per orientation session. For more information about the EDRR program, scheduled excursions or how to become involved, contact Kathy Frederick, Invasive Management Area Volunteer Coordinator, at 703-324-8681 or email katherine.frederick@fairfaxcounty.gov. Visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resources/ima for more about the IMA program.

Volunteer for the Reston Weed Warriors Project
Saturday, May 22, 2010
10 a.m.–Noon
Location: Wainwright Drive, near the recreational field
Remove fast-growing invasive plants that harm the ecosystem in the Reston community. We will battle Garlic Mustard, one of the many invasive exotic plants taking over the Wainwright natural area. Reston needs as many hands as possible to pull Garlic Mustard from the forest floor to help create space for native plants to grow.

Please wear long sleeves and long pants if you are allergic to poison ivy, as it is present at this site. RA will provide tools, gloves, snacks and water. Adults and youth ages 10 and up are welcome to attend. Young volunteers are encouraged to come with adult chaperones. This project fulfills community service requirements.

MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS

Pet Fiesta – Exhibition and Pet Adoption
Saturday May 1, 2010, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Reston Town Center
Free.
All ages.
A celebration for pets and pet lovers! Includes a Tails on Trails dog walk, super pet adoption, pet contests, a Doghouse of Style fashion show, 80+ exhibitors of pet products, resources, organizations and rescue groups and more! Presented by and benefiting GoodDogz.org. On-leash pets of all kinds are welcome. www.PetFiesta.org.

“Beautiful”: Virginia Women Artists and the Body at GRACE
Through June 11
Location: Reston Town Center
The statewide Minds Wide Open program celebrates Virginia Women in the Arts. “Beautiful” features four Virginia artists: Elissa Farrow Savos, Elizabeth Menges, Victoria Gaitán, Bernis von zur Muehlen. For more information, visit www.restonarts.org or call 703-471-9242.

The Art of John Alvin at ArtInsights
Through May 31, 2010
Location: Reston Town Center
“Lord of the Rings,” “Star Wars,” “Aladdin,” “Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid” and more represented in this worldwide exclusive. For more information, visit www.restonarts.org or call 703-478-0778.