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Ryan Dunn

Washington, D.C.
Covers:  business, dining, local news, cinema, art
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Reston Hosts Fifth Washington West Film Fest

Reston Hosts Fifth Washington West Film Fest

Connection Newspaper — From Oct. 21-27, 56 films from around the world were shown at venues including the Reston Bow Tie Cinemas, Wolf Trap Foundation For The Performing Arts, National Press Club, George Mason University, the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center, the Angelika Film Center and more. Reston Town Center’s Bow Tie Cinema hosted many key events.

Courage Wall At Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station

Courage Wall At Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station

connectionnewspapers.com — From Sept. 2 to Sept. 26, visitors at the Reston Silver Line Station are able to see an interactive art project, a chalkboard called the Courage Wall. The chalkboard has been set up along construction fencing at the Wiehle-Reston East station, and encourages the public to write in an ending to the sentence, "I wish I had the courage to...." The public art project is sponsored by Comstock Partners and Alexandria resident Nancy Belmont. "I think they chose the right location," said Mary K. Cieslak, a resident of Reston who uses the Silver Line in her commute.

Temporary Fire Station To Be Constructed In Herndon

Temporary Fire Station To Be Constructed In Herndon

connectionnewspapers.com — The vacant Horn Motor's lot on Locust Street, at the intersection of Center Street in Herndon, will soon be host to a temporary fire station. The land is being leased by Fairfax County, and is part of a renovation process for a new fire station facility which will replace the current one located on Spring Street. The original station was built in 1950 and according to fire officials cannot accommodate newer, larger-sized vehicles such as ladder trucks.

Wiehle-Reston East Opens for Metro Riders

Wiehle-Reston East Opens for Metro Riders

connectionnewspapers.com — Fairfax County held an open house at the Wiehle-Reston East Garage on July 19 to show potential Metro riders access and parking options. Attending the event were elected officials including U.S. Congressman Gerald Connolly (D-11), United States Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Peter M. Rogoff, Virginia state senator Janet D. Howell (D-32), Del. Ken R. Plum (D-36), Del. Tom D. Rust (R-86), Supervisor John W. Foust and Chairman for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Sharon Bulova.

Reston Water Mine Pool to Expand

Reston Water Mine Pool to Expand

connectionnewspapers.com — More than one million people have visited the Water Mine since it opened to the public in the summer of 1997. With a lazy river and water slides, the outdoor pool has been a great attraction for families and visitors, but size and capacity limitations have increased the waiting times for patrons. The pool is operated by Fairfax County Park Authority, which also operates the Lake Fairfax Park. On Saturday, July 12, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for the beginning of construction of the Water Mine. The water park received a $5 million dollar project to substantially increase the size of the Lake Fairfax facility.

Thousands Attend Firecracker 5K Race

Thousands Attend Firecracker 5K Race

connectionnewspapers.com — "You guys are rocking the race! Let's be sure we cheer them on," said Kelly Kavanaugh, a race announcer with Potomac River Running. Kavanaugh along with other Potomac River Running staff and volunteers helped setup and coordinate the Firecracker 5K race held at Reston Town Center the morning of July 4. The main sponsor of the race was Leidos, previously known as Science Applications International Corporation, an American defense company headquartered in Reston. The beneficiary of the event was USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore or USO-Metro.

Town Of Herndon Holds Swearing In Ceremony

Town Of Herndon Holds Swearing In Ceremony

connectionnewspapers.com — At a special ceremony held Sunday evening on June 29 at the Herndon Municipal Center, Town of Hendon Mayor Lisa C. Merkel and members of the 2014-2016 Herndon Town Council were sworn into office by the Honorable John T. Frey, clerk of the Circuit Court for Fairfax County. The Town of Herndon is the third largest town in the Commonwealth of Virginia and home to over 23,000 residents.

World Of Beer Opening In Reston

World Of Beer Opening In Reston

connectionnewspapers.com — On Monday June 2, the World of Beer restaurant at 1888 Explorer St. in Reston Town Center will have its grand opening. "I saw there was a need for a World of Beer in the area," said owner Evan Metz. Metz also owns the World of Beer (WOB) located in Ballston, which opened the summer of 2012. "It is a great area for our target audience to enjoy all the different craft beers and spirits we bring as well as our live entertainment," said Metz.

Reston Community Orchestra Holds Season Finale

Reston Community Orchestra Holds Season Finale

connectionnewspapers.com — The afternoon of Sunday, May 18, at Reston Community Center CenterStage, the Reston Community Orchestra (RCO) preformed their final concert of the 2013-2014 with a performance featuring two young pianists. Pianists Mark Dang and Matthew Geier performed Haydn's "Piano Concerto in D Major." The program also included Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite #2" and selections from "Forest Gump."

Northern Virginia Family Service Holds 16th Annual Gala

Northern Virginia Family Service Holds 16th Annual Gala

connectionnewspapers.com — The evening of Friday May 9 at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, the nonprofit Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) held their 16th Annual Road to Independence Gala. The festive event gave community and business leaders an opportunity to celebrate the impact of NVFS on families and children in need. It also recognized donors and supporters dedicated to giving back to the community in which they live making NVFS services possible.

Governor McAuliffe Speaks to Business Leaders

Governor McAuliffe Speaks to Business Leaders

connectionnewspapers.com — Fairfax County Economic Development Authority hosted an evening networking session at the headquarters of the Volkswagen Group of America in Herndon on April 30. The program was titled Fairfax County: Where International Companies Do Business in the U.S. A special guest of the event was Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) who spoke about plans of attracting federal projects to Northern Virginia, and hopes regarding Virginia's education program. "This is something we do every two to three years," said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax Economic Development Authority (FCEDA).

Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc. Holds Fish Fling

Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc. Holds Fish Fling

connectionnewspapers.com — Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families meet emergencies and short-term needs, held its 9th Annual Fish Fling Gala at the Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel on Saturday, April 26, from 6 to 11 p.m. The gala was FISH's largest fundraising event to acquire the financial support for its Family Assistance Program. In 2013 FISH worked with over 1,300 area families.

Workshops Held For Herndon Metrorail

Workshops Held For Herndon Metrorail

connectionnewspapers.com — Fairfax County has begun seeking public input on bike and pedestrian access to Herndon's Silver Line Metro station. The first of two workshops was held at Herndon Middle School at Locust Street on March 26. The meeting was open to the public. "The goal is to identify and prioritize necessary pedestrian and bicycle improvements to access the Herndon metro stations," said Kris Morley-Nikfar, transportation planner with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

Vandalism Hits Downtown Herndon

Vandalism Hits Downtown Herndon

connectionnewspapers.com — On April 1, police from the town of Herndon were visiting locations in downtown Herndon which had been vandalized. The glass back door to the Herndon Fortnightly Library was shattered, and windows to the Herndon council chamber building were further destroyed. On Friday night, Jan. 17, large windows around the outside of the Herndon Town Council Chamber building had been smashed. Also vandalized was the historic Herndon Depot Station and the glass windows of the Herndon caboose, a local landmark.

First NOVA Makers Faire Held At Reston

First NOVA Makers Faire Held At Reston

connectionnewspapers.com — "This last week has been really intense, but we would say it was a success," said Brian Jacoby, a resident of Reston and founding member of NOVA Labs. Jacoby had just finished operations for the inaugural NOVA Makers Faire hosted at two locations, South Lakes Highs School and Langston Hughes Middle School in Reston. The event sold over 3,000 tickets, and more than 300 volunteers helped guide visitors to various displays related to technology and engineering.

Herndon’s First Craft Beer Brewery Opens Sept. 19

Herndon’s First Craft Beer Brewery Opens Sept. 19

connectionnewspapers.com — Hours The Aslin brewhouse normal hours will be 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 to 10 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Aslin Beer will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. On Sept. 19, Aslin Beer will open at 257 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon, and will be Herndon's first small-batch brewery or nanobrewery. The brewhouse neighbors Reston.

Capital Bikeshare To Connect Fairfax, Starting With Reston

Capital Bikeshare To Connect Fairfax, Starting With Reston

connectionnewspapers.com — The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) hosted a community meeting on the Reston Bike Share Project Thursday, Oct. 29, at Dogwood Elementary School, in Reston. It was an opportunity to meet Adam Lind, the county's new Bicycle program manager in the Capital Projects and Traffic Engineering Division.