Oak Hill/Herndon Local

Oak Hill/Herndon Local

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Savor the Audacious

NextStop's unexpected take on Shakespeare's "Richard III."

A daring performance of Shakespeare's "Richard III" is coming to Herndon. "This is something that has never been done and an amazing opportunity to bring Shakespeare back to Herndon in a bold new way ... It will be an experience that is not to be missed,” Evan Hoffman said, artistic director of NextStop Theatre's production of "Richard III." "Our work has so often been about pushing the envelope and being just as bold with the classics as we are with newer works," Hoffman said. In this instance, he is describing a production that will feature a deaf actor in the lead role of Richard, one of the Bard's most charming bad boy villains.

ArtSpace Hires New Executive Director

Lawrence Verbiest has been named executive director of ArtSpace Herndon. On Jan. 8, the Herndon Foundation for the Cultural Arts’ board of directors voted to offer the position to Verbiest. He accepted the position and began work on Jan. 21.

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Camp Keeps Students Busy During Teacher Workdays

Herndon Community Center will hold a two-day camp on Jan. 30-31 for children ages 6-11.

The Herndon Community Center has an answer for parents wondering how to keep their children busy during the teacher workdays on Jan. 30 and 31. What youngster doesn’t love a day packed with swimming, sports, games and science experiments?

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Winter Activities in Herndon to Keep Families Active

Keep all family members busy with variety of events around Herndon during the colder months.

Between snow days and teacher workdays, it’s easy to worry that your family may spend the day indoors with nothing to do. Luckily, the town has a variety of classes and children’s activities to offer at the Herndon Community Center, live music at downtown restaurants, and plays to be seen performed by the town’s own professional acting company. Here are some ideas to get started for winter fun plans:

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Wexton Supporters Ensure Victory Despite Weather

Voters brave bad weather in state senate election.

By 12:20 p.m. more than 680 votes had been cast at Herndon Elementary School. “The turnout has been medium, fairly steady” said Robert Walker, chief election officer at the Herndon Elementary School. “One of the touch screens was acting up, so we took it out, it did not have any votes on it.”

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Quilt Exhibit on Display at ArtSpace Herndon

”Something Blue” on exhibit until March 2.

Fine textile art with quilts of many shapes and designs are showcased in the exhibit “Something Blue” at ArtSpace Herndon. The show features 75 pieces of quilt art, and it was organized with the help of Dorry Emmer and Sarah Entsminger. Twenty-three quilters have lent their work to be hung on display at this exhibit, which will continue until March 2. “I do believe that there is now an increase in interest in learning textile arts as compared to the 1980s and ‘90s,” said Dorry Emmer, a resident of Great Falls. “Within quilting a subsection has sprung up called ‘modern quilting’ and this is attracting younger people as they see it being more contemporary. But really, modern quilting has more similarities to traditional quilting than differences.”

Holidays Are Over, But Need Still Exists

Commentary

We live in a community comprised of people from many diverse backgrounds. What a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. We are able to live in culturally vibrant communities, teach our children how to live in a multicultural world and we are able to learn tolerance and respect for others. God wants every individual to know that he is loved and valued. Jesus said in Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with your entire mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

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Chili Bowl Cook Off Held at Herndon Trinity Presbyterian

Eighth annual chili bowl competition brings community together.

The 8th Annual Chili Bowl Cook Off was held Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Fellowship Hall in Herndon’s Trinity Presbyterian Church. This year there were 12 contestants who brought their homemade chili, in addition to other guests and congregants who brought items including cornbreads and salads. “Every year it has gotten a little bigger, and competition grows, but it is also a lot of fun,” said Pastor Stephen Smith-Cobbs, a resident of Herndon.

Herndon Gymnast Bradley Knocks Off Rust

Freshman wins all-around at Jan. 16 home meet.

The Herndon gymnastics team placed second at a home meet on Jan. 16.

‘Broadway Magic’ To Be Shown at Herndon High

A “crazy colorful, an explosion of fun” show.

“When you guys land, land on the balls of your feet, don’t land with your feet flat. Then pivot on right foot, but sing the melody,” Dana Van Slyke said. Herndon High School’s Choral Director Van Slyke was speaking to students in the school auditorium practicing choreography for a song from the musical “South Pacific.” The cast and crew conducted a weekend recital to prepare for the annual cabaret show. “The cabaret show is about an hour and a half production of songs from classical musicals all the way to contemporary shows,” Van Slyke said.

Floris United Methodist Opens Doors to Area Homeless

Members of Floris United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Herndon have participated in programs assisting the area’s homeless for years, mostly through food and clothing donations and by volunteering to serve meals at shelters and seasonal food pantries and kitchens. Last year a number of the congregation who have given their time to those efforts decided to see if FUMC would take their involvement to the next level by agreeing to literally open the church doors for one week as part of the annual Hypothermia Prevention and Response program coordinated by local non-profit FACETS. The response by FUMC leadership and worshipers alike was overwhelmingly positive.

Herndon High Cadets Head to National Championship

Herndon High’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets did not let a cold and dreary day stand in the way of their pursuit of the February 2014 Orienteering National Championship. As one of only two corps with five teams to have completed their courses successfully, the Herndon NJROTC secured an overall 4th place finish in the highly competitive Area Five Orienteering Championship.

Music Loft Distributes Donated Instruments For Students

Teachers collect instruments at Music Loft.

On Friday, Jan. 17, school music teachers collected instruments at the Music Loft in Herndon. These musical instruments had been collected by the Council for the Arts of Herndon Play it Forward instrument drive. “We start the Play it Forward Campaign again in April,” said Laura Readyoff, who is on the board of directors for the council and the co-owner of the Music Loft.

‘Helping Hungry Kids’

Saturday food drives at Herndon and Reston grocery stores provide weekends meals for area students.

Every Saturday leading up to Feb. 17, customers walking into the Fox Mill and North Point shopping center Giant grocery stores will be able to provide food for hungry elementary school children in Herndon and Reston. The Helping Hungry Kids program kicked off its Stuff the Bus food collection program Jan. 18, at area grocery stores, complete with shopping carts and a stack of food ready to be purchased for generous customers. Volunteers at the front of the store handed out flyers to customers and asked them to help by purchasing $11 bags filled with child-sized portions of items like macaroni and cheese, granola bars and sugar-free applesauce. “A lot of the people who come here just take the bag and prepare it themselves,” said Colleen Cavitz, a Chantilly resident who has been volunteering each month for three years.

Vandal Damages Windows of Council Chamber Building

Police arrived at the Herndon Town Council Chamber building Friday night, Jan. 17, to find that several large windows around the outside of the building had been smashed. Witnesses reported seeing a tall black male throw an object at the Council Chamber building in downtown Herndon at 10:45 p.m. before taking off running toward Grace Street.