Aug. 21, 2002
<sh>Correction
<bt>In last week's Elementary School preview issue, the dates for Back-to-School-Night festivities at Floris Elementary School were switched inadvertently. For grades one through three, and AM Kindergarten, Back-to-School-Night will be held on Sept. 24. For grades four through six, and PM Kindergarten, the program is scheduled for Sept. 26.
<sh>Meeting to Discuss Hill Jumping
<bt>Supervisor Michael Frey (R-Sully) and Del. Gary A. Reese (R-67th) will be hosting a town hall meeting to address the problem of "hill jumping." Members of the police and county and state departments of transportation will also be on hand at Navy Elementary School on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. One Fairfax County teenager was killed and another three were injured earlier this month when the car they were driving on Bennett Road in Oak Hill went out of control and slammed into a tree. Fairfax County police said the driver had been speeding and hill jumping. Neighbors have complained for years that teenagers have driven recklessly through the hilly stretch of Bennett Road near Rayjohn Lane. Navy Elementary is located at 3500 West Ox Rd. in Fairfax.
<sh>Town, Stalzer Honored
<bt>The Town of Herndon, Fairfax Deputy County Executive Robert A. Stalzer, and Town Manager John E. Moore were honored for the Neighborhood Resource Center that was created while Stalzer was the town manager. The award is the International City/County Management Association Program Excellence Award in Intergovernmental Cooperation. The award is given to programs that are created by cooperative action between the government and other organizations. The center was opened in 1999 and offers programs such as Head Start, GED classes and others.
<sh>Search Underway for New Manager
<bt>While Herndon Town Manager John E. Moore won't leave his post until Feb. 1, 2003, the search for his replacement is already underway. Moore, town manager since May 2000, announced his intention to retire. The recruiting process began on Aug. 19 and will run until Nov. 30. The town started placing ads in region and national trade publications, including the National League of Cities, National Forum of Black Public Administrators and the Virginia Association of Counties. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30, 2002. After an initial screening process, the applicant pool will be dwindled down to 15-20 applicants. The Town Council will narrow the list to six finalists and final interviews will be conducted between Oct. 7 and Oct. 25. The next town manager will be announced during the week of Nov. 7
<sh>Herndon Foot Locker Robbed
<bt>Two unidentified men held up the Foot Locker at 491 Elden St. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at around 2 p.m. and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash and merchandise, police said. While one suspect acted as a lookout, a second suspect with a handgun, approached the 27-year-old male store manager and announced the robbery, police said. According to police, the robbers then ushered the manager and a second employee to the back of the business while the robbery took place.
Suspect number one is described as a black male, 5'10", late 30s to 40s, medium build, wearing dark clothing and a black skullcap. Suspect number two is reportedly a black male, 6' to 6'2", 150 to 175 lbs., wearing dark clothing and a black skullcap. Anyone with information about this robbery or the suspects is asked to call the Herndon Police at 703-435-6846.
<sh>Rabies Alert in Herndon
<bt>Fairfax County Police responded to a home in the 2600 block of Chiswell Place, after a neighbor reported an injured raccoon in the area about 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9. The citizen, a 49-year-old Herndon area man, was reportedly concerned the raccoon had come across his dog, police said. After authorities found the raccoon, it was put to sleep and taken to the Fairfax County Health Department where it tested positive for the rabies virus. The dog was not injured.
<sh>Job Fair
<cl>The Transportation Security Administration is hosting a job fair Aug. 22-23 in Herndon. The job fair, which is open to the public, runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hyatt Dulles at 2300 Dulles Corner Blvd. Representatives and recruiters from TSA will be on hand to answer questions about the application process for becoming a TSA screener and the benefits of working for TSA. TSA security screener applicants must submit their applications and/or resumes on-line at www.tsa.gov. Applications and resumes for these positions will not be accepted at the job fair. Computers will be available at the job fair for individuals who want to apply for TSA. Fax machines will also be available for support staff applicants to send resumes. Individuals unable to complete an on-line application can call toll-free 1-877-631-5627.
<sh>Wiehle Avenue Opens for Traffic
<bt>A new section of Wiehle Avenue will open for traffic on Friday, Aug. 23. To commemorate this extension of the roadway, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on the bridge over Sugarland Run Creek. The road will be opened for traffic following the ceremony. The 3,500-foot length of new four-lane divided roadway will be opened from the Fairfax County Parkway to Dranesville Road. In addition to the new bridge over Sugarland Run Creek, this project includes two new traffic signals at the intersections of Dranesville Road and Cassia Street. This completes a four-lane divided roadway connection from Reston Avenue to Dranesville Road. Wiehle Avenue is a major east-west connector between Reston and the Town of Herndon and is the only crossing of Sugarland Run for more than three miles between Route 7 and Baron Cameron Avenue/Elden Street.
Wiehle Avenue has been on the county's Comprehensive Plan since 1969. Right-of-way was dedicated in the 1970s with the adjacent subdivisions. Funding was initially approved by the voters of Fairfax County in the April 1988 Transportation Bond Referendum. Full construction funding was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 1997. Construction cost for this section of Wiehle Avenue was $3.8 million. The total bond funding for the entire project was $15.9 million.