Stories for August 2012

Reston/Herndon Calendar, Aug. 29-Sept. 9

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‘I Was Born to Be an Educator’

Franklin band director retires after 28 years.

Lawrence Walker was at Franklin Middle when it opened in 1984.

Day Leads Herndon Football

Hornets amassed 3-17 record during previous two seasons.

Brian Day, a former assistant at Westfield and Centreville, is in his first season as head coach of the Herndon football team.

Classified Advertising Aug 29, 2012

Read the latest Classified ads here!

Oak Hill, Herndon Home Sales: July, 2012

In July 2012, 98 homes sold between $1,265,000-$157,500 in the Herndon and Oak Hill area.

Oak Hill, Herndon Home Sales in July, 2012

The threat of rain didn’t deter more than 100 of Primescape Solutions’ employees and their families from gathering for their third annual End of Summer Celebration at the company’s Herndon headquarters on Saturday, Aug. 25.

Herndon to Host Labor Day Festival

This year’s 24th annual Herndon Labor Day Festival will feature a wide range of live music, twelve Virginia wineries, local microbreweries, a craft show, sponsorship gallery, culinary demonstrations and a variety of food vendors. The Town of Herndon Parks and Recreation Department produces the event working in conjunction with the Herndon Woman’s Club. Partial proceeds go to scholarship programs.

Northwest Federal Credit Union Announces New CEO

The Board of Directors of Northwest Federal Credit Union has announced the selection of Chris McDonald as the successor CEO to Gerrianne D. "Winky" Burks, who will retire in mid-January after a 41-year career at NWFCU.

Week in Herndon

Deadline for Yard of the Month Nominations

Just in time for early fall gardens, the Town of Herndon Cultivating Community Initiative is accepting nominations for the October Yard of the Month Award.

Letter: ‘Work Sunday’s Thank-you

On behalf of the 20 local faith communities represented on the "Works Sunday" Committee, we write to express our heartfelt thanks to the extraordinary people of Reston and Herndon for their 17th consecutive year of wholehearted support of this unique day of charitable outreach and giving. As in years past, we can only marvel at their overwhelmingly generous response, and assure them of our gratitude, and that of the many people in whose lives they have made a real difference for the good.

Boutique Bakeshop Opens in Herndon

A new locally owned and operated bakery opens in Herndon this week, The Boutique Bakeshop, open Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays for pick-up only.

Char-a-oke Anyone?

$1 million raised for Fairfax County Public Schools Education Foundation.

Listen, baby… "Ain't no mountain high. Ain't no valley low. Ain't no river wide enough, baby. If you need me, call me. No matter where you are. No matter how far."

911's Complete Failure

Fairfax County says Verizon "failed completely" during June 29 derecho.

"It’s like the captain of the Titanic telling passengers the ship hit an iceberg when the bow is on the bottom of the ocean floor." —Steve Souder, Fairfax County 911 Director

Letter: Separate and Unequal - II

Your editorial in the titled "Separate and Unequal ?" [The Connection, July 25-31, 2012], addressed the "eye-popping" disparately low admission of Black and Latino students to Thomas Jefferson High School, and the complaint that this was "in voilation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin."

Opinion: First Day of School Coming Up

And never too early for parents to get involved.

The first day of school in most of Northern Virginia is Tuesday, Sept. 4. We don't agree with having the General Assembly dictate the first day of school, requiring the start date to be after Labor Day, but starting school after Labor Day does seem more hospitable than the Aug. 27 start in many other areas.

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Names Interim Executive Director

The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) Board of Directors announced the appointment of Galen Wixson as its interim executive director through December of 2012. Galen currently serves as the executive director of The Guitar Foundation of America where he has guided the organization through a transition to a new governance and management model, leading to several new program initiatives.

FCPD Traffic Safety Efforts Recognized

The Fairfax County Police Department was recently recognized by two prestigious law enforcement organizations which evaluate police traffic safety programs across the commonwealth and the nation.

Column: Diagnosed But Not Sick

Having/being diagnosed with cancer/a terminal disease is neither fun nor funny; however, unless I find some humor or wishful thinking in how I approach this situation, I don’t suppose I’ll be approaching it much longer. To me, it’s always been mind over matter, and even though these matters are rather serious, I still don’t mind.

Herndon Becoming Cyclist-friendly

Town will submit bicycle facilities resolution for inclusion in county’s plan.

The Herndon Town Council approved bicycle facilities for inclusion in the Fairfax County Bicycle Plan by a five to two vote at their Aug. 14 meeting. Fairfax County commenced planning for bicycle facilities in the comprehensive plan about a year ago. They included incorporated towns Herndon, Vienna and Clifton so there would not be gaps in the network of trails.

Students Present STEM Projects

Forward Future hosts summer program for 30 teens.

Thirty children from the Herndon and Reston areas presented a series of projects on Thursday, Aug. 23 at the Herndon United Methodist Church, a result of their summer with Forward Future, a local organization dedicated to youth mentoring.

Reston Rotary Funds Field Trips

Club pays for six schools to receive electronic field trips to Colonial Williamsburg.

The Reston Rotary Club announced the funding of electronic field trips for Dogwood, Forest Edge, Hunters Woods, Lake Anne, Terraset and Fox Mill Elementary schools this year. The trips are hosted by Colonial Williamsburg, and are a series of live internet events and television broadcasts.

How To Register, Vote and Vote Early

Election Day is Nov. 6, but you can vote as early as Sept. 21.

How important is it for Virginia voters to turn out on or before Nov. 6? As a critical “battleground” state, Virginia will be key in determining who will be the next President of the United States. Who will represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate is also too close to call. Since polling shows that there are very few undecided voters in the Commonwealth, every eligible voter will want to be sure to cast a ballot.

North Fairfax County Calendar, Aug. 24-Sept. 2

Events to get you out and about in the area.

Breeze through the events calendar and pick up a few events to spice up and fill out your week.

Opinion: Mindless Slashing

Automatic cuts set to kick in January would harm Northern Virginia more than any other region.

While reducing the federal deficit is critical to the nation's economic health in the long run, the knee jerk, slash and burn method based only on cuts that is coming at us like a freight train will do immense damage to the economy nationally. But no place would feel the pain more intensely than Northern Virginia.

A Year in Fairfax County

A sampling of some of the cherished, annual events of the county.

State Senator Shares Places-to-See

Q&A With Chap Petersen

Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen (D-34) represents central and western Fairfax in the Virginia State Senate. He grew up and lives in Fairfax City.

Classified Advertising Aug. 22, 2012

Read the latest Home and Garden, Employment and Classifieds here!

Column: Life in the Cancer Lane

Having been there and done that now for three and a half years certainly helps. And however familiar it may be and/or has become, it doesn’t exactly help to pass the time or affect the results, unfortunately. Cancer sucks! That much is clear. Now and in the future.

Madeleine Steppel Finds Recipe for Success

Reston resident dines with president and first lady.

One night a few weeks ago, while she was at Camp Louise in Maryland, Madeleine Steppel, 9, of Reston headed to the administration building to wait for a call. Once she got to the building, known around camp as "the White House," the call came in: she had won a trip to the real White House for lunch with first lady Michelle Obama.

Herndon’s History on Display

Town’s rail history still major part of downtown.

Commander William L. Herndon, never actually set foot in the town that bears his name. The naval commander died 22 years before the town was founded, going down with his ship, the S.S. Central American, when it sank in Sept. 1957 off the coast of Cape Hatteras, loaded with three tons of gold.

Herndon Home to Many Popular Restaurants

More than 100 restaurants offer food from more than 30 cultures.

Herndon’s signature restaurant is, according to many locals, Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern. Owner Jimmy Cirrito, a native of upstate New York, signed his lease on Veterans Day, 1996, and has been a fixture of the community ever since.

Strategic Plan Looks to Further Simon’s Ideals

Reston Association plans for new properties, service needs to 2016.

When Robert Simon used the proceeds from the sale of Carnegie Hall to buy almost 7,000 acres of Virginia farmland in March 1961, he founded a community with a plan. A place where residents could live, work and play in a variety of housing types with a variety of recreational opportunities. For the community’s first 50 years, those principals guided the community’s development and governance.

Finding Recreation in Reston

Trails, tennis, pools offer variety of opportunities.

As avid outdoorsman, Larry Butler says he spends his vacations getting as far away from civilization as possible. As the director of Parks and Recreation for the Reston Association, he knows places in Reston offer something similar.

Nearly 800 Jobs Added to the Local Economy

Information technology firms and professional service companies see growth.

Information technology firms continue to do well in a sluggish economy, according to a new report from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). During the second quarter of 2012, the FCEDA provided services and resources to 33 businesses that are adding almost 800 jobs in Fairfax County. Most of these businesses are in the information technology and professional services sectors and four are foreign-based firms using a Fairfax County location to expand in North America.

Minority-Owned Businesses Prosper in Fairfax County

Companies generate more than $1 billion in revenue and provide more than 1,000 jobs.

Businesses owned by Hispanics, African-Americans and women shine in Fairfax County, according to the latest national rankings for largest or fastest-growing companies. "Fairfax County is proud to be a community in which companies of all descriptions can and do succeed to a greater extent than in the rest of the region, the state or the country," said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which supports and monitors the growth of local businesses. Eleven Fairfax County-based companies are among the 500 largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the nation based on revenue — more than the total in 40 states, according to a recent report by HispanicBusiness.com. The Fairfax County companies are among 22 from Virginia on the 2012 Hispanic Business 500 list.

Time for School

Advice on how to transition from a laid-back summer to a hectic academic year.

When Ellen Feldman’s 5-year-old son started school for last fall, one of the biggest adjustments for the single mother of two was having to adhere to a schedule. “All of a sudden we went from being able to do things on our own time frame to having to wake up and be at a certain place at a certain time,” said Feldman. “Sending my son off to school for the first time was exciting, but also difficult.”

‘Born to Be an Educator’

Franklin band director retires after 28 years.

Lawrence Walker was at Franklin Middle when it opened in 1984. But now, after 30 years with Fairfax County Public Schools — 28 of them at Franklin — the school’s band director has retired.

Editorial: Starting School Prepared

First day of school is Sept. 4; local nonprofits provide school supplies and weekend food.

With school beginning in a few weeks, area charitable organizations have been collecting contributions of new backpacks, calculators, other school supplies, money and gift cards and winter coats to help the tens of thousands of truly needy Northern Virginia students.

Classified Advertising Aug. 15, 2012

Read the latest Classified, Home and Garden and Employment!

2012 Best Buddies Challenge

The 2012 Best Buddies Challenge Little Rascals Team members invite you to their All-Afternoon Music Jam FUNdraiser, Sunday, Aug. 26th from noon to 6 p.m. at Sully's Restaurant.

Making Beautiful Music

Students participate in Franklin’s Band and Orchestra Camp.

Take 710 students, 35 teachers and musical instruments of every size and shape and you get Franklin Middle School’s Band and Orchestra Camp.

Fighting Crime, Discretely

App offers discrete method of sending tips to police.

Herndon native and chief executive officer of CrimePush, Shayan Pahlevani, is considering donating the CrimePush app, which allows users to discretely report crime, to the Herndon Police Department.

Column: A Pill a Day…

Hopefully will keep the cancer at bay. (I’d say “away,” but let’s be realistic, three and a half years past a NSCLC diagnosis, there is no way, generally speaking, that stage IV lung cancer disappears into the ether; it’s classified as stage IV for a reason.

Artists Pay Tribute to Margaret’s Garden

ArtSpace exhibit features inspiration from local gardener.

Almost 50 years ago, Margaret Thomas moved to Herndon, and after the death of her husband in 1974, she began using her five-acre farm to grow irises, selling them by the bunch for 75 cents each. Since then, the gardens surrounding her house became a haven for local artists and floral enthusiasts alike, open until sundown to anyone that wanted to take a look.

Reston Youth Cheer Kicks Off Season

Youth cheerleading group performs at competitions, RYC football games.

Reston Youth Cheer, an organization that allows girls to learn how to become cheerleaders, has kicked off their latest season, with summer practices beginning Tuesday, Aug. 7. The group, which features cheerleaders as young as kindergarten age, practices at Langston Hughes Middle School.

Triathletes Swim, Bike and Run in Reston

Second annual youth triathlon raises scholarship funds.

Two hundred and fifty children spent their Sunday morning swimming, biking and running around Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School on Aug. 12 as part of the second annual Reston Children’s Triathlon, hosted by the YMCA, Fairfax County, Reston and the Reston Association.

Letter: No Enemies on TJ Admissions Front

To the Editor:

FCPS is not being honest, straightforward or holding itself accountable for the fact that too few of these disadvantaged kids are achieving as well as others relative to their populations and too few are fostered appropriately so they can be identified for and take advantage of advanced curricula, including advanced academic programs (AAP) and thence TJ and high school honors, AP and IB programs. The leaders in this system have had years to figure out how to make serious improvements, but they have hidden and spun or not even bothered to gather data and have excluded individuals and groups that could be partners in resolving this situation. Thus, we have a segregated system, as the data show.

Classified Advertising Aug. 8, 2012

Read the lastest Classified, Employment and Home and Garden ads!

Should Virginia Compensate for Dark Days of Eugenics?

Del. Patrick Hope (D-44) asks governor and General Assembly to form a task force.

The number of victims is unknown in Virginia’s system of forced sterilization, a dark chapter that stretched from the 1920s into the 1970s.

Letter: No Enemies on TJ Admissions Front

Letter to the Editor

I’m writing about the complaint filed by the Coalition of the Silence regarding the lack of representation of Black, Latino, poor, and disabled kids at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and about why this issue is worthy of immediate community action, regardless of the complaint’s final disposition.

MoveOn Delivers Petition to Wolf

The MoveOn Council of Northern Virginia delivered the petition to the U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf requesting that he support extending the tax cut for the lower 98 percent.

Column: Derive to Survive

Now that I can taste food again, or rather have food taste like normal again, my attitude is much improved.

Obama Campaign Opens in Reston

Office will coordinate volunteers for Herndon, Reston area.

Dozens of volunteers and supporters for the campaign to re-elect Barack Obama opened the new Herndon-Reston office on Reston Parkway, Saturday, Aug. 4, one of six offices opened on the president’s 51st birthday in the Northern Virginia area.

Cindy’s Legacy Hosts Golf Clinic

Herndon Centennial holds fundraiser.

The Herndon Centennial Golf Course hosted a clinic to benefit Cindy’s Legacy, a local charity dedicated to supporting families of those diagnosed with cancer, which raised more than $1,000 Friday, Aug. 3.

Week in Herndon

4-H Fair Returns to Frying Pan Park

This August, the Fairfax County 4-H is again collaborating with Fairfax County Park Authority to host the 64th Annual Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Farm Show.

Week in Herndon

Bomb Scare at Herndon Business

On Thursday, July 26 at approximately 11 a.m., an unknown female confronted a teller at the Cambio de Cheque, located at 1100 Elden Street, Suite F, in Herndon and demanded money.

Scholarship Winners

The Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter (FCAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. awarded six scholarships in the amount of $10,000 during its 2012 May Week program.

‘76 Trombones Lead the Big Parade’…

Floris UMC presents ‘The Music Man.’

Professor Harold Hill is coming to town, and River City will never be the same.

Bach to Rock Moves To Worldgate Centre

Bach to Rock (B2R), America’s music school for students of all ages, announced on July 18 it will re-locate its current school in Herndon, located at 465 Herndon Parkway, to a larger facility at Worldgate Centre located 13009 Worldgate Drive later this year.

Practicing Economy at Oak Hill

Summer camp teaches elementary school students challenges of real-life economy.

What says summertime like lazy days by the pool, barbecues and the law of supply and demand?

Classified Advertising (Aug. 1, 2012)

Read the lastest Employment, Home and Garden and Classified ads!

Column: Choosing My Words, Respectively

It has been brought to my attention by some regular Kenny-column readers – who are friends, too, and whose opinions I value, that my most recent batch of “cancer columns” (as I call them) were not funny; in fact, they were more depressing and negative than anything, and not nearly as uplifting and hopeful as many of my previous columns have been.

Weekly Entertainment (Reston/Herndon)

Entertainment in Reston/Herndon.

Getting a Body Like an Olympian

Local fitness gurus offer gold medal advice for achieving a toned, muscular body.

Muscular legs, toned abs and buffed biceps are hard to miss in London this week, but is it possible for the average sports fan to achieve a body like an Olympian? Local fitness experts say "maybe."

Taking Care of One’s Teeth

American Dental Association says many Americans don’t know basic oral care.

Here’s a pop quiz: How often should a person replace their toothbrush? "Once a year," said Terrie Andrews of McLean.

Beating Bad Breath

Dental experts offer solutions for chronic halitosis.

When Amanda Welch’s boyfriend asked her to marry him last spring, she accepted his proposal on one condition: that he find a cure for his bad breath.

Editorial: Readers Respond on TJ Admissions

"Stop making smart 8th graders feel inferior because they are not admitted."

Readers responded to last week's editorial, which cited a civil rights complaint about the apparent lack of access to gifted and talented programs and admission to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.