Diverse Needs, Desires Drive Mobility Solutions
Seniors increasingly seek innovative plans that embrace both the present and the future.
Russ Glickman was a traditional full-service remodeler until the late 1990s when he abruptly added a host of accessibility certifications to a long list of building industry credentials. The service extension was less about opportunity than a personal call to apply what he’d learned from personal experience in helping his son, Michael, who was born with cerebral palsy.
Column: “Mor-Tality” or Less
Meaning, in my head anyway, the future and what there is left of it. More specifically, I mean life expectancy. When you’re given a “13-month to two-year” prognosis—at age 54 and a half, by a cancer doctor, your cancer doctor—the timeline between where you are and where you thought you’d be when becomes as clear as mud.
Residential Studios Put on Hold
Supervisors establish committee, plan additional public outreach.
At the recommendation of Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-At-Large) and Supervisor Michael Frey (R-Sully), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday deferred its Nov. 20 public hearing on a proposed residential studios (RSUs) amendment to conduct additional community outreach.
Now What?
Fairfax County braces for “domino effect” of federal government shutdown.
“We live in a ‘company town’ and the company is the federal government, so most of us have family and friends who are federal employees or contractors impacted by this shutdown,” Long said in a memo emailed to county employees Tuesday. Long said his biggest concern was the “domino effect” the shutdown will have on the local economy, and “the short-term uncertainty that will impact business decisions.”
Social Justice Matters
SALT forum gives candidates a chance to tell voters where they stand on social justice issues.
But one group also thinks voters should know where candidates stand on social justice issues when they go to the polls Nov. 5. “Our elected officials have a great deal of influence on the common good, so it’s reasonable that we find out where candidates stand on these issues,” said John Horejsi, founder of SALT (Social Action Linking Together), a non-partisan, faith-based advocacy group started in 1983.
Leadership Fairfax Honors Community Leaders Who Make a Difference
Leadership Fairfax (LFI) has chosen the 2013 Northern Virginia Leadership Awards (NVLA) recipients via a panel of community and business leaders evaluating nominations submitted by Leadership Fairfax alumni and the general public. The award recipients will be honored at the Northern Virginia Leadership Awards luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Westwood Country Club in Vienna.
Minority Chambers of Commerce to Host Candidates’ Forum
The recently formed alliance of Northern Virginia Minority Chambers of Commerce will give members of the fast growing minority business community the opportunity to meet with the commonwealth’s gubernatorial and statewide candidates at the first-ever joint Candidates’ Forum, Sunday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus.
On the Job and Hot on the Trail
Finding people is fun for new, police bloodhound pups.
“We’ll get them out here and acclimate them to the noises — gunfire, [vehicle] brakes and birds,” said Masood. They’ll also be exposed to airplanes, wind, rain, heat, car horns honking, plus obstacles such as fences. And they’ll learn how it feels on their paws to walk in the woods, through brush, on cement, carpet, tile floors, etc. That way, said Clarke, “When they get out on the street, when they’re almost a year old, they’ll be ready.”
Elden Street Players Reach NextStop
Herndon theatre goes professional, opens its first show.
NextStop Theater Company in Herndon began its production of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps” on Sept. 26. Adapted by Patrick Barlow, this comedic adaptation of a 1930s Alfred Hitchcock film is NextStop Theatre’s first professional production. Formerly known as Elden Street Players, the all-volunteer amateur theater group has gone professional, hiring Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffman in January. Hoffman is the director for this production.
Herndon Hosts Fall Carnival
The first ever Herndon Fall Carnival was hosted at the Station Street parking lot in downtown Herndon Thursday, Sept. 26 to Saturday, Sept. 29. This location is adjacent to the ArtSpace Herndon at 750 Center Street and the Town Green. The Herndon Rotary Club partnered with the Town of Herndon and carnival company Jolly Shows to host this event.
Week in Herndon
Columbus Day Holiday Schedule
Town of Herndon government offices and services will be impacted by the Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 14 holiday as follows: *Town offices—Closed Monday, Oct. 14. *Refuse collection—Refuse will not be collected. Refuse normally collected on Monday will be collected on Tuesday, Oct. 15. *Herndon Community Center—Open, 6 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Class schedules for Oct. 12-14 may be changed due to the Harvest Moon Swim Meet Oct. 12 and 13, and the holiday; check with the class instructor or call the HCC at 703-787-7300. The Indoor Tennis Bubble is open regular hours and classes will be held. *Herndon Centennial Golf Course—Open, 7 a.m.-dark. *The town-wide Fall Clean-up will be held Oct. 7–11. Pick-up is on your trash day only.
Learning About Polluted Runoff
To the Editor: My name is Benji Prickett, I attend Kilmer Middle School. Lately we have been learning about the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the dangers of runoff. Runoff can carry sediments, rocks, pollutants and also fertilizers and pesticides. Fertilizers and pesticides especially can be very dangerous; they can kill the wildlife in the bay and can also stop recreational activities like fishing, boating and swimming, just to name a few. I hope that we can cut back on using spray pesticides on our lawns. My family has been doing this for many years and our lawns look fine. Currently our bay is very polluted, but if we where to cut back on pesticides our bay would be so much better for everyone and every thing.
Vote Early
This year's Virginia elections are critical, with candidates representing starkly different policies and approaches. The results will have long-lasting ramifications for all Virginians. It's therefore critical that everyone get out and vote. One easy way to do this is to take advantage of In-Person Absentee Voting, which means that citizens can vote early, ahead of Nov. 5. In this way, one doesn't have to worry about unexpected illness, traffic and/or work concerns, difficult weather, or longer Election Day lines. In order to vote in-person absentee, a voter must state that he or she satisfies one of 15 requirements. Most voters will find that they do, in fact, satisfy one of these reasons for voting early.
The Taste of Fall
Local chefs and nutritionists offer healthy recipes for tasty fall dishes using seasonal ingredients.
When the temperature starts to drop and leaves begin to turn red and orange, you can often find chef Susan Limb meandering through local farmers markets, sorting through rough-textured, knotty sweet potatoes; tough, waxy butternut squash; and dusty, rose-colored apples.
Town Releases Annual Report
Manager reports “exceptional period.”
Herndon Town Manager Art Anselene presented the annual report for Fiscal Year 2013 to the Town Council Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Multicultural Festival Comes to Reston
Annual multicultural festival held at Lake Anne.
Nearly 50 years ago, Robert Simon founded Reston with several goals, and one of them was diversity. For the past 12 years, the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association, Reston Community Center and Reston Association have hosted a tribute to that goal, the Reston Multicultural Festival.
Reston Sport & Health Renovates
Location kicks off new features after $1.5 million renovation.
Sport & Health Clubs celebrated a $1.5 million renovation to their Reston location with a ribbon cutting and casino night Thursday, Sept. 26. The renovation of the club, located at Isaac Newton Sqaure, stretched to almost every aspect of the facility.
Commentary: In Search of Affordable Housing
Challenges for Residential Studio Units and the need to address them.
Fairfax County’s Planning Commission will hold two workshops on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 to expand the discussion about the proposed residential studio unit (RSU) amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. There will be a staff presentation on Sept. 25, and questions submitted online by citizens to the Planning Department will be answered in the second workshop on Oct 2. The plan is for both workshops to be televised on the county’s cable station.
Editorial: Vote
It will matter who is elected governor.
To vote on Election Day, you must be registered at your current address no later than Oct. 15, 2013. You can check your registration status online by visiting the State Board of Elections website at www.sbe.virginia.gov. There you can also download a voter registration form and mail or fax it to your elections office address.
Column: A Study in Contrasts
The decision for yours truly to participate in a Phase 1 Study at N.I.H. or Johns Hopkins (depending upon availability and qualifications) discussed in last week’s column has been put on hold, temporarily. It seems that my oncologist was thinking about me over the holiday weekend and called me on Wednesday following Labor Day to say he had a diagnostic idea concerning me: a 24-hour urine collection (a “Creatinine Clearance Study”) which would provide a more accurate reading (than the regular lab work I have; from blood) of my kidney function.