'We Make Reston'

As part of Reston's annual 'Multicultural Festival' which took place last weekend, black and white portrait photographs were taken of many different Reston residents and these were posted in various places in the town.  The project was called 'We Make Reston' and was described as a community exhibit.

We saw the above images, the size of large posters, in the windows of a hotel being built above the new metro station in Reston.

When we visited Lake Anne last week - the first part of Reston to be built 50 years ago - more of the individual portrait posters were on display around the walls by the lake.  The Multicultural Festival was held at Lake Anne Plaza on Saturday.

Also at Lake Anne, we saw these beautiful flowers and moving tributes to Robert Simon, the founder of Reston, who had passed away the previous day at the age of 101.  Many people were coming to leave small or large flower arrangements at his life-size bronze statue which sits on a seat by the lake.

Reston is named after Robert (E) Simon and from the age of 50 it was his life's work to create a planned community in the Virginia woods which could be a place for all generations and cultures to live, work and socialize together.  He was originally from a wealthy New York family and to raise the funds to purchase the 5,750 acres on which Reston is built, he sold New York's Carnegie Hall.

A resident of Lake Anne, it was clear from the people we met that day in the Reston museum and visiting his statue that he, as the actual 'maker' of Reston was a much-loved character who will really be missed.