Floris Sixth Graders Present ‘Annie’
Students further their theatre experience in April musical.
Annie, Jr. is the fourth in a series of musicals presented by the sixth grade classes at Floris Elementary. In a tradition started four years ago, the sixth grade students produce a “junior” length Broadway musical facilitated by their classroom teachers, music teachers, and other teachers and specialists. Students designed and created props and set pieces, ran the spotlights, and managed the backstage areas. “I have always been interested in technology,” said sixth grade student Sanjana Meduri, who assisted with the production’s sound tech.
Arbor Terrace of Herndon Wins 2013 Excellence Award
Arbor Terrace of Herndon was presented with a Senior Advisor Excellence Award for receiving consistently high ratings from residents and their families in 2013. SeniorAdvisor.com is a consumer reviews web site established by A Place for Mom (APFM), the nation’s largest senior living referral service, as a way for seniors and their families to share feedback on senior living communities and services. The inaugural Senior Advisor Excellence Award identifies the top senior living communities who have received an overall average rating of at least 4.5 stars on the site. The award winners were recognized for having the best customer ratings and reviews out of more than 100,000 senior care providers currently on SeniorAdvisor.com. Winners of the Excellence Award are located all over the country and represent the top tier of independent living, assisted living, and Alzheimer’s care communities on the SeniorAdvisor.com website. This exclusive designation places the winners in the top one percent of senior living communities nationwide according to consumers.
Volunteers Honored
Voice of Washington Redskins. Larry Michael invited to talk.
Herndon made every volunteer feel like the town’s gems this week.The 30th annual Mayor’s Volunteer Appreciation Night honored more than 400 people - and three distinguished service individuals with hor d'oeuvres and a few words from guest speaker, Washington Redskins’ vice president and executive media producer, Sunday night.“It’s great to be in a room with solid people,” said guest speaker Larry Michael. “You never know when helping others will pay off three, four, five-fold.”The volunteers were invited to the event for contributing more than 100 hours of service to the community.Michael, now an eight-time Emmy Award winner, first found out what he wanted to be after college while volunteering for the University of Maryland’s college radio station.“I thought I wanted to be a lawyer,” he said. “Within a year, I was doing the radio and doing play-by-plays for basketball and football, and I knew what I wanted to do.
Floris United to Host Empty Bowls Fundraiser
Local potters give their time and talent to support Empty Bowls and help fight hunger in our area. The Reston and Herndon pottery classes at their respective Community Centers have been busy making hundreds and hundreds of ceramic bowls for an Empty Bowls fundraiser to benefit Food for Others, the largest distributor of free food in Northern Virginia and hosted by The Giving Circle of HOPE. Open to the public, the event will be held on Friday, April 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Floris United Methodist Church, 13600 Frying Pan Rd, Herndon. Pre-event tickets are $25 and will be $30 at the door. Guests will receive a simple supper of soup, bread, a beverage, dessert and a handmade bowl, which they may keep to remind them that there are those in our community that are empty. For more information go to www.givingcircleofhope.org.
Fairfax Arts Programs Receive Federal Grants
Seven local organizations involved in the arts and literature are receiving a total of $230,000 in federal grants from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) said.
Herndon High Cadets Win Spicer Cup
After four months of intense competition, Herndon High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps' (NJROTC) Rifle Team has won the Spicer Cup. The four-person team consisting of Cadets Marshall Wilkins (senior), Ashley Lightner (senior), Allison Maxwell (sophomore), and Caroline Ivie (freshman) defeated finalist West Potomac High School in the Championship Match. This is the ninth year that Herndon has won since the inception of the competition eleven years ago.
Herndon High in National Business Plan Competition
The Business Management Virtual Enterprise class at Herndon High recently placed first in best sales presentation, first in website design, second in company business card, and fifth in human resource case study during a trade show at Virginia Wesleyan College. The students created the company V-LO Chip, Inc. Their chip is the size of a stamp and can be placed on any item which would allow one to locate a lost, stolen, or misplaced object using a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. It can also be used for medical purposes to locate disoriented loved ones suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Team members include Paria Ahmadi, Daniel Cozza, Eduardo Delgado, Bobby Emmons, Bailey Hubble, Anthony Lieu, Stephanie Paendong, Nathan Petrelli, and Sam Sepassi. Team officers also played a part in the success of the competition but did not attend; they traveled to New York City on March 31, to represent Virginia in the National Business Plan competition. Officers are Steven Barbaro, Andrew Ipinza, Robert Koss, Travis Langtry, Andrew Maccini, Sara Pena, and Han Phan.
Herndon High Senior to Go to London and Paris
Han Phan, Herndon High School senior and outstanding Career and Technical Education student, was selected to accompany an educational trip to London and Paris. The trip is provided by Education First Educational Tours and will have stops in England and France. The 10-day trip will begin on July 8, in London and will move through multiple locations before ending in Paris on July 18. Phan has been enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses for all four years, including Advanced Information Systems, Accounting, Design Multimedia Web Tech, Entrepreneurship 1 and 2, and Business Management and Virtual Enterprise.
Metrorail Workshop Held at McNair
Hunter Mill District residents express concern for safety.
About a dozen bikers and walkers from the Hunter Mill district helped to pinpoint possible trails that will become a yellow brick road for locals hoping to visit D.C. or head to Dulles Airport.Concern for pedestrian and cyclist accessibility to the Silver Line Metrorail stations coming to Herndon fueled a public workshop at McNair Elementary on April 7.Herndon residents living in the Dranesville district previously met at Herndon Middle School on March 26.“We need to make some investments in the bicycle and pedestrian areas right now,” said Kris Morley-Nikfar, Fairfax County Department of Transportation planner and Herndon Metrorail Station Access Management Study project manager.The proposal maps presented ways for cyclists to access the Herndon Metro Station or the Innovation Center Metro Station within three miles and pedestrians access within one mile. However, Fairfax County wants to improve the trails via upgraded crosswalks, improved and extended trails and road diets.“We’re building them for people dressed in business clothes or dressed in casual clothes,” said team lead David Whyte.
ArtSpace Herndon Hosts Americas Ensemble Concert
Audience learns about rhythm and musicians’ life journeys.
“This is a perfect example of how the arts in Herndon has both an educational and entertaining mission to bridge cultures in our local community,” said Scott Mayhugh. Mayhugh was attending the Saturday evening music performance hosted at ArtSpace Herndon featuring artists of a group named Americas Ensemble.
Herndon Community Center Celebrates 35 Years
Celebration held at Herndon community center .
“It is the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department and the Herndon Community Center staff’s honor to provide engaging, healthy and recreational programs and events,” said Abby Kimble, marketing specialist for the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department. On Tuesday, March 26, the Herndon Community Center celebrated its 35th anniversary. Throughout the day visitors enjoyed free admission to the Herndon community center and there were demonstrations and activities for all ages.
Week in Herndon
MOMS Club to Host Egg Hunt
The MOMS Club of Herndon will host its Annual Egg Hunt on Thursday, April 17, from 10 – 11:30 am. at Stanton Park (910 3rd St, Herndon). All Herndon (zip codes 20170 and 20171) stay at home mothers are encouraged to join and meet other at-home mothers. Grab a basket and head over to Annual Egg Hunt with your little one. The kids will scramble around Stanton Park to search for hidden eggs while the moms indulge in complimentary coffee. This event is free and open to all stay at home mothers in the Herndon area.
Chess Champions
FCPS students sweep team titles at Virginia Scholastic Chess Championships.
Students from three Fairfax County public schools won team championships in all four K-12 divisions at the Virginia Scholastic Chess Championships held recently in Roanoke. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students also won individual championships in the K-3 and K-5 divisions. The K-3 individual champion was Pranav Prem of Hutchison Elementary School. The K-3 team from Greenbriar West Elementary School won the team title in its age group; team members are Siddhaarth Balamuthaiya, Alice Cao-Dao, Richa Misra, Kaavya Karthik, Jason Seo, Aditya Vasantharao, Rakendu Malladi, Ganesh Rayavarapu, Nikhil Vallikat, James Tress, and Vasudha Koneru. McNair Elementary School won second place in the K-3 team competition, and Floris Elementary School captured third place.
Dance-A Thon, Concert to Help Feed a Child
Over 150 people of all ages attended a two hour A Cappella concert last Saturday, March 29, at Floris UMC to benefit the Feed A Child campaign. Attendees were entertained by three groups performing a range of music, from pop to rock to gospel. The evening was MC’d by Floris UMC members Anna Lopynski and Kathryn Berlin. The Feed A Child campaign was a youth initiative by area students under 25 years old to raise $20,000 in support of the children of the Child Rescue Centre and patients of Mercy Hospital, both located in Bo, Sierra Leone. It kicked off on Feb. 16 and concluded March 30. The $20,000 fundraising goal was exceeded, and all of the money raised will go directly to feeding, educating, clothing and attending to the medical needs of children in Bo.
Workshops Held For Herndon Metrorail
Meetings held to gain input on pedestrian and bike facility improvements.
With the incoming Metrorail Silver Line, 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.