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.
Police Identify Body Found in Creek off of Locust Street
A resident reported finding the body of an adult male in downtown Herndon.
Herndon Police determined late Friday, Jan. 17, that a body found in a creek bed at the intersection of Locust and Center streets in downtown Herndon was that of 30-year-old Damien Patrick Scanlan.
Certificates of Congratulations Given at Council Session
Pride of Herndon Marching Band and John Mosesso recognized.
“We have several presentations this evening and we are very excited about all of them because this is the stuff that makes living in Herndon the great place that it is,” said Mayor Lisa Merkel. Merkel was speaking at the Jan. 14 Herndon Town Council Public Session, and she invited town councilmember Melissa Jonas to read the official Certificate of Congratulations for the Herndon High School's “Pride of Herndon” Marching Band.
Virginia Supreme Court Opens Access to Audio Recordings of Oral Arguments
Policy change overturns blackout instituted in 2008.
Members of the Virginia Supreme Court have a New Year’s Resolution — become more transparent.
Let Sun Shine on Virginia’s Financial Disclosure Laws
State legislators turn attention to ethics in wake of McDonnell gift scandal.
As members of the Virginia General Assembly convene for the first time since last February, legislators are stampeding to introduce ethics legislation in response to the gift scandal which engulfed then Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R). The revelations last spring about numerous undisclosed gifts and purported loans from businessman Jonnie Williams to McDonnell — including a $6,500 Rolex watch engraved to the "71st Governor of Virginia" and $35,000 in gifts and catering for his daughters’ weddings — shined a spotlight on Virginia’s porous financial disclosure laws.
Herndon High Students Broadcast ‘Herndon Live’
Students begin TV program with Herndon Community Television.
In January on Friday at 5 p.m. Herndon’s non-profit, cable access PEG station Herndon Community Television (HCTV) presented the first episode of “Herndon Live” a new program showcasing events, reviews, interviews and news. Assisting the production of the first episode were Herndon residents Nancy Rose, Blake Rose, and their son, Brian Rose. “I started volunteering and using the equipment at HCTV when I was about 9 or 10,” said Brian Rose. “I am there to give the Herndon Live group what they need to do their show whether it be advice or teaching them equipment... I am there to make sure things go smoothly.”
Area Roundups
AAUW Program Kicks Off 2014—Jan. 25
January 25 at 10 a.m. is the date to mark on your calendars. That is when the American Association of University Women of Reston and Herndon jointly with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) will offer a special presentation on human sex trafficking in our communities.
Week in Herndon
Sen. Warner, Rep. Wolf to Hold Town Hall
The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) and the Professional Services Council (PSC) announced that Sen. Mark Warner and congressman Frank Wolf will participate in a town hall forum with members of the region’s technology and contracting community. During the event, Sen. Warner and Rep. Wolf will explain the budget deal and agreed-upon sequestration levels recently passed by Congress. In addition, they will discuss the impact these issues will have on the local economy. The event is schedule for Friday, Jan. 10, with registration and networking at 8 – 8:30 a.m. and the program with Sen. Warner and Rep. Wolf at 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. The event will be held at Sprint, 12524 Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston.
Reston Business Honored at Event in Centreville
The Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC) has been open two years now, making a huge difference in the lives of the day laborers it serves. And on Saturday, Dec. 7, those involved in the center’s success celebrated its anniversary. The Centreville Immigration Forum is responsible for the center’s continuing operation, and during the ceremony, CIF President Alice Foltz presented framed certificates to several people, acknowledging their contributions to the CLRC.
To Be a Jew in the Free World!
The challenges of freedom & identity in the modern era.
When the age of faith gave way to the age of reason and the modern world was launched, the Jewish people were profoundly affected. With the emergence of the United States and the enshrinement of religious freedom as a fundamental right of all citizens, the nature of Jewish life in the Diaspora entered a radically new era.
Local Leaders Eye Transportation, Development Plans in 2014
Reston to celebrate 50th anniversary, Simon’s 100th birthday in April.
Silver Line construction and future development projects top local leaders’ lists for the most pressing issues of 2014. Reston is preparing for the opening of the Wiehle – Reston East station in the second quarter of the New Year, and community members are both excited and concerned about potential congestion around the new station on Wiehle Avenue. "We need to make sure that around the stations we are developing in a way that allows for an urban community to grow while maintaining the town feel of Reston," said Reston Citizens Association (RCA) president Colin Mills.
Joy of the Season Shared At Herndon Police Station
Herndon Police host Cops & Kids outreach event.
"It is serving the community well … it is reinforcing the wholesome fabric of the town, and families are strengthened by this," said Herndon resident and Town Council member Charlie Waddel. He was referring to the Greater Herndon Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 64 Cops & Kids Program event held Saturday, Dec. 21.
ArtSpace Herndon Fine Art Photography Competition
ArtSpace Herndon invites photographers from Virginia, D.C,, Maryland, and West Virginia to participate in the 2014 ArtSpace Herndon Fine Art Photography Competition. The competition is open to fine art photographers aged 18 or older working in any medium (digital or analog, color or monochrome), and using any printing technique – they care about well-done art more than the specific medium, technique or format. Fine art photography of any subject is welcome; there is no required theme for entries.