Town Council Travels to Richmond
Herndon Mayor Michael O'Reilly, town council members Steve Mitchell, Ann Null, Harlon Reece, Darryl Smith, town attorney Richard Kaufman, and town manager Steve Owen met with Sen. Janet Howell (D-32) in Richmond during the general assembly's Legislative Day. Sponsored by VML/VaCO, Legislative Day offered the opportunity for council members to meet with Howell, Del. Tom Rust (R-86) and Virginia Municipal League officials on the status of legislation of interest to the Town of Herndon.
Herndon Presidents' Day Schedule
Town of Herndon offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 21 for the Presidents' Day holiday. Other resources' hours will be as follows:
* Herndon Municipal Center/Town Hall/Neighborhood Resource Center: Closed
* Herndon Community Center: Open, 6 a.m. -10 p.m.
* Herndon Centennial Golf Course: Open, 8 a.m. to dark.
* Trash Collection: Trash that is normally collected on Monday will be picked up on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Please do not place trash cans at the curb more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled collection.
Flag Burning Ceremony Planned for Saturday
American Legion Post 184, in cooperation with the Town of Herndon Department of Public Works, is holding a flag burning ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Herndon Public Works Complex.
Post 184 has collected more than 500 worn and unserviceable American flags in its flag depository located at the Herndon Drop-Off Recycling Center behind the police station.
The proper disposal of American Flags is an important tradition honoring not only our military servicemen and women, but also the freedoms they have fought to protect. According to the American Legion Officer's Guide and Ceremonies Manual, "An American Flag may be a flimsy bit of printed gauze, or a beautiful banner of finest silk. Its intrinsic value may be trifling or great, but is its real value is beyond price, for it is a precious symbol of al all the that we an and our comrades have worked for and lived for, and died for -- a free nation of free men and women, true to the faith of the past, devoted to the ideals and practice of Justice, Freedom and Democracy."
The Public Works Complex is located at 1479 Sterling Road adjacent to the Herndon Police Station. For more information regarding the flag burning ceremony, call David Kirby at 703-481-6189
Assistance League Membership Meeting
Assistance League of Northern Virginia will hold a multi-town membership meeting on Monday, Feb. 28, 10:15 a.m. to noon at the Chantilly branch of the Fairfax County Public Library, 4000 Stringfellow Road in Chantilly.
Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.
Assistance League of Northern Virginia is a chapter of National Assistance League, a nonprofit, nonsectarian, volunteer service organization founded in the early 1890s. Locally, Assistance League members implement its mission to promote the well being, self-esteem and education of at-risk youth and adults living in Northern Virginia through two philanthropic projects, Operation School Bell and Operation Hugs.
For more information, contact Debbie Kiessling, Membership Chairman, at 703-758-1085, or Cindy Burgess, President, at 703-758-8454. The Assistance League national web site is www.assistanceleague.org
Almost Recess at Industrial Strength
Almost Recess, an a cappella group, will perform Saturday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m. at the Industrial Strength Theatre.
The group will perform favorite tunes such as Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe," "Miles" by Vanessa Carlton, "My Girl" by the Temptations and other songs ranging from Boyz II Men to Jason Mraz.
The members of this group are able to create the sound of a band using only their voices. Admission for adults is $9 in advance or $10 at the door; children ages 12 and under are $7 in advance or $8 at the door. To order tickets, call 703-435-6868.
Town Seeks Arts Grant Proposals
The Town of Herndon is accepting grant proposals up to $5,000 this year through the Virginia Commission for the Arts Local Government Challenge Grant Program.
Non-profit arts organizations incorporated in the town must meet general policy guidelines as published by the Virginia Commission for the Arts. These guidelines are available at www.arts.virginia.gov.
The deadline to submit proposals is March 1 at noon. Proposals can be mailed to Holly Popple, Herndon Department of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 427, Herndon, Virginia 20172 or hand delivered to the Herndon Community Center located at 814 Ferndale Drive. For more information, call 703-435-6800, ext. 2120.
Children's Book Drive
Boy Scouts from Troop 1570 will be collecting children’s books — new and used — for a literacy project in the Herndon community. Donations of elementary-school-aged books will be collected at the following locations:
* Saturday, Feb. 26, 12-4 p.m.: Herndon Fortnightly Library, 768 Center St.
* Sunday, Feb. 27, 12-4 p.m.: Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive.
Look for the Boy Scouts with collection boxes at the entrances to these locations and put your gently used children’s books to a good cause. Call Aaron at 703-709-9772 with any questions.
Herndon Festival Vendors Needed
The Herndon Parks and Recreation Department is actively soliciting vendors for the 2005 Herndon Festival K9/2K Doggie Expo, taking place Saturday, June 4, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Acceptance into the event is limited with priority given to local businesses and residents. The selection of vendors will be at the discretion of the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department.
Booth fees are as follows:
* Private Business:
Early Bird, Feb.1-March 31: $50
Regular, April 1-31: $75
Late, May 1-28: $100
* Nonprofit Organizations:
Early Bird/Regular, Feb. 1-April 31: $25
Late, May 1-28: $50
For more information, call the Herndon Community Center at 703-435-6800, Ext. 2109 or e-mail Kimberly.Wood@herndon-va.gov for an application.
Good Neighbor Award Nominations
The Town of Herndon and the Cultivating Community Committee are seeking nominations for the Good Neighbor Award by March 25.
The purpose of this award is to recognize those people who go beyond the call of duty to act as good neighbors in their respective neighborhoods: the neighbor who helps others with repairs or who takes care of common property needs; the neighbor who looks over your property while you are away; the neighbor who looks after your children and pets; the neighbor who helps you out in a crisis; the neighbor who commits helpful or charitable acts toward other neighbors; the neighbor who participates in volunteer activities and who does special things to make your neighborhood a better place.
The winner will receive recognition by Town Council at a public meeting in April. Eligibility for the Good Neighbor Award includes:
* Must be a resident of Herndon.
* Act(s) for which the person is nominated must not be performed as an element of paid employment.
* Contributions to the neighborhood may have occurred over the course of many years, but the judges will give special consideration to recent good deeds.
Residents may nominate a family member, friend or neighbor who makes noteworthy contributions to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood.
To nominate an individual for the award, please attach to a nomination form a description of why you believe that person exemplifies the qualities of a good neighbor. In 300 words or less, answer the question: "What makes this person a good neighbor?" Some of these qualities may include:
* Contributions to the community beyond the scope of normal citizen responsibilities.
* Concern for their neighbors' well-being or overall quality of life in their neighborhood. This concern may be demonstrated by care of property, helpful or charitable acts toward neighbors or participation in committees or volunteer activities that contribute to positive changes in the neighborhood.
Nominations must be made prior to March 25, forms are available on the Town of Herndon Web site, www.herndon-va.gov — click on What's New. Forms are also available at the Herndon Municipal Center and the Neighborhood Resource Center. For more information, call 703-435-6800, Ext. 2010.
Townwide Cable Construction
Verizon will be laying fiber optic cable throughout the town over the next three months. This upgrade will bring high-speed voice and data service to all residences in Herndon.
Work will be performed both in the public right of way and within prescribed easements on private property by Verizon's contractor, Ivy H. Smith. Residents will be notified by door hangers and signs when work will be performed in their neighborhood.
According to Verizon, similar upgrades have taken place successfully with minimal disruption to residents in Falls Church, Annandale, Springfield and Leesburg. For more information, call Ivy Smith at 1-800-768-8831.
Proposed Work Schedule Through February:
* Feb. 17: Jenny Ann Court, Iron Ridge Court, Third Street, Traper Crest Court, Dranesville Road.
* Feb. 21: Grant Street, Young Dairy Court, Barker Hill Road, Monroe Street, Hidden Park Place, Cooper Station Road, Dominion Lodge Lane, Grant Street.
* Feb. 23: Grant Street, Fillmore Street, Dranesville Road, Park Avenue, Tyler Street, Third Street, Moffet Forge Road.
* Feb. 25: Van Buren Street, Park Avenue, Monroe Street, Second Street, Third Street, Charlton Place, McDaniel Court.
* Feb. 28: Knight Avenue, Charles Street, Saber Lane, Queens Court, Charles Court, Knight Lane, Kings Court, Stanton Park Court, Cavalier Drive.
Budget Hearings Scheduled
The Town of Herndon is in the process of preparing the upcoming fiscal year 2006 budget, including the FY '06-11 capital improvement program (CIP). The Town Council and Planning Commission will be holding several work sessions and public hearings to give an opportunity for interested citizens to present ideas or issues for consideration while the budget is being developed. All public hearings are held in the Council Chambers; work sessions are held in the conference room, both located at 765 Lynn St.
A budget summary will be mailed to all Herndon residents during the first week in April, at which time it is anticipated that the complete recommended budget document will be available for public review. Information will be posted on the town's Web site, www.herndon-va.gov, as it becomes available. A copy of the proposed budget will be available for review at the Herndon Fortnightly Library.
The complete budget schedule is as follows:
* Monday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Planning Commission work session to discuss the CIP.
* Monday, March 7, 7:30 p.m., Planning Commission public hearing on the CIP.
* Tuesday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., Town Council work session to review proposed budget and CIP.
* Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 p.m., Town Council public hearing to allow public testimony on proposed budget and FY '06 portion of CIP.
* Tuesday, April 19, 7:30 p.m., Town Council work session to review proposed budget and FY '06 portion of CIP.
* Tuesday, April 26, 7:30 p.m., Town Council public hearing — consideration and adoption budget and entire CIP.