‘You Are Not Your Mistakes’
“She was one of the most disagreeable people I had ever met,” says paws4people Chairman and COO, Terry Henry, remembering his reaction to meeting Rebecca at Lakin Correctional Center, more than three years ago. Seeing her now with her earnest smile and a well-behaved puppy happily nestled in her lap, it’s hard to imagine the Rebecca he describes.
Two New Members Added to Town Council
Two new residents will join the town council in July.
Jennifer Baker and Stephen Lee Mitchell were voted into their new positions during the town election on May 6 at the community center.
Potter’s Fire Issues Holiday Challenge
Fife and Drum Corp highlight fundraising event.
Members of Herndon High School (HHS) Band participated in the American Originals Fife and Drum Corps performance in a kickoff celebration for a fundraiser sponsored by local ceramics business Potter’s Fire on May 10. The Potter’s Fire Throwdown is a contest to challenge other businesses in Herndon to decorate their storefronts for the patriotic holidays from May 10 to the 4th of July. The business with the best decorations will win a trophy designed at Potter’s Fire. Donations for the event will be divided between The Fisher House Foundation and The Pride of Herndon Marching Band. “Every dime will be going back to charity,” said Mike Faul, owner of Potter’s Fire.
Navy Band Performs at Herndon High School
Senior students have opportunity to play with U.S. Navy band.
Herndon High School hosted the United States Navy Band the evening of May 9. The band performing was the U.S. Navy Concert band, based in Washington, D.C. This is the fourth time Herndon High School (HHS) has hosted a performance with the Navy Band. “It is a wonderful opportunity that the Navy Band gives freely of their time and talent to encourage the musical growth of our children,” said Rhonda Reeves-Long, a member of the school band’s boosters group.
Supporting Baseball in Cuba
Herndon area sixth graders Jack Connell and Thomas Latham, members of Floris UMC’s Crossroads youth program, recently coordinated the donation of over 125 items of gently used baseball uniforms. The clothing—jerseys, pants and caps—will be taken by the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission to Cuba on May 22, where they will be given to local youth. The boys were told about Cubans’ love of baseball by mission team coordinator and Floris member, Aldo Gonzalez. On Opening Day, they invited their team and the CYA league to help the mission group’s efforts to support the local Cuban community.
Riding for the Fallen
More than 100 officers cycle through Virginia, for cause.
Police officers from all over the country vowed to "ride for those who died" this week. Police Unity Tour Chapter IV - also known as the Virginia chapter - challenged officers on a three day bicycle tour from Richmond to D.C. in memory for fallen officers. Before the last stop at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the group of 122 officers and loved ones of fallen police stopped for lunch at McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center Monday in Fairfax as a tribute to the county most the officers served.
Northern Virginia Family Service Holds 16th Annual Gala
Local donors and supporters recognized at event.
The evening of Friday May 9 at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, the nonprofit Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) held their 16th Annual Road to Independence Gala. The festive event gave community and business leaders an opportunity to celebrate the impact of NVFS on families and children in need. It also recognized donors and supporters dedicated to giving back to the community in which they live making NVFS services possible.
Meals Tax Possible for Fairfax County
Tax could generate $88 million in revenue.
At a public hearing on the 2015 budget, Fairfax County resident Kimberly Adams joined numerous other individuals who urged the Board of Supervisors to consider a meals tax. “To have the quality of life that we’ve come to depend on in Fairfax County, we must move the needle closer to the regional average when it comes to taxes. We must not be afraid to look for new streams of revenue, such as a meals tax for instance,” Adams told the Board of Supervisors at the budget hearings. “Never have I actually thought, well, there’s a meals tax in Alexandria, so I’ll drive 10 more minutes into Fairfax and order my pizza. I go to the place that’s convenient and where I want to eat.”
Fairfax County Honors ‘Superheroes’
22nd Annual Fairfax County Service Awards presented.
Maybe they don’t wear capes and flashy uniforms, but local volunteers are superheroes. That was the theme for the 22nd Annual Fairfax County Service Awards, where more than 100 volunteers were recognized for their work with breakfast Friday, April 25, at The Waterford in Springfield. More specifically, this year’s theme was "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact," which was reflected in the comic book-inspired table decor and introductions by master of ceremonies Jeff Goldberg, Virginia Bureau Chief for ABC7 and News Channel 8.
Artist Puts ‘Priceless Home’ on the Market
Herndon home filled with love and art.
1008 Tyler Street looks like an unassuming brick house from the front. Open the door, however, and art is everywhere. Paintings, photographs, etchings cover the walls of the three-story home.
Herndon In-town Absentee Voting Denied
Mayor, council still have more questions about details.
Authorization to establish an in-person absentee voting location for the Herndon Town Council election fell 6-1. A last-minute resolution ended up denied on Tuesday, March 25 due to the amount of questions the council still had about it so close to the May elections.
Vandalism Hits Downtown Herndon
Structures damaged in downtown Herndon.
On April 1 police from the town of Herndon were visiting locations in downtown Herndon which had been vandalized. The glass back door to the Herndon Fortnightly Library was shattered, and windows to the Herndon council chamber building were further destroyed. On Friday night, Jan. 17, large windows around the outside of the Herndon Town Council Chamber building had been smashed. Also vandalized was the historic Herndon Depot Station and the glass windows of the Herndon caboose, a local landmark.
Groundbreaking Held For Vinehaven Homes
Evergreene Homes to construct houses in downtown Herndon.
“This is the first new development in downtown Herndon in nearly a decade,” said Mayor Lisa Merkel. Merkel participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Vinehaven homes development held March 19. This development is near the W&OD Trail and is located on Vine Street, close to the ArtSpace Herndon, the local community art gallery.
Dance-A-Thon, A Cappella Concert at Floris UMC
There’s going to be music and dancing and more music this weekend at Floris UMC, as the church hosts two fundraising events to support the 2014 Feed A Child campaign. The campaign is 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. The campaign, which is taking place through a partnership with the non-profit organization Helping Children Worldwide, kicked off on Feb. 16, and will conclude on March 30. All of the money raised will go directly to feeding, educating, clothing and attending to the medical needs of children in Bo.
Oak Hill Elementary Gets Energized By Einstein
Mark Spiegel presents Einstein Alive!
How do you get a cafeteria full of kids wildly engrossed in and energized about some pretty complex scientific subject matters? You call in Albert Einstein to explain and demonstrate - that’s how. OK. Not the Albert Einstein, of course. But Marc Spiegel’s performance of Einstein Alive! did the trick.