July 26, 2002
Dear Newcomers:
When I was asked to write this letter, I was honored. I felt this way for two reasons: First, everyone in town reads the Connection, and, second, I knew that this was my opportunity to really look back upon my hometown one last time before I make the big jump into the real world.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Toby Quaranta, and I’ve lived in Herndon since I was four. I have attended public schools all my life, and I graduated from Herndon High this past year. At Herndon High, I was president of the International Thespian Society Troupe and Drama Club, and I was a member of the National Honor Society. With a Fairfax County Public School education at my back, I will be attending Virginia Tech this fall.
Being active in the theater, I was honored to get to know members of the community as they supported us time and time again. The local stores always allowed us to put up signs, and the people were always genuinely interested in how things were up at the school. Many people without family at the high school came to the shows just to show their support for our department. The same goes for sports at the school — you can’t be in the town of Herndon on a Friday night in September without hearing the drums and the horns touting our team’s scores. Getting dressed in red and rooting for the home team is one of the most exciting activities that one can attend in the fall. The adults in this town really took care of us kids. And we were always trying to give back to our community as well. The high school has always had an active student body, with groups like the Keyettes, the Keys and the National Honor Society always getting out into the community, and activities like the LINK canned food drive and the EXCELL tutoring program. That’s something that you newcomers can look forward to — our strong caring for each other.
In my time living in Herndon, I’ve seen a lot of our area’s features change; North Point and Reston Towne Center became major attractions for Herndonites, and the Fairfax County Parkway allowed us to get around quicker, without clogging up downtown. We even have a new drive-through Starbucks by the clock tower near the Chuck E. Cheese. I would imagine that more changes will come to our landscape — Wiehle finally will connect Herndon to Reston, and, in a few years, Metro might make stops nearby. Even the people change — Herndon is becoming an increasingly more diverse town. But that one thing that seems to stay the same is the community feel that this place has.
So, newcomers to Herndon, welcome. You have found one of the East Coast’s greatest not-so-secret treasures. Raise your kids here, or grow old with your partner — whatever you do, enjoy your neighbors, and take advantage of the location that this place has to offer. Just 30 minutes from the Nation’s Capital, right next-door to the "Silicon Valley of the East," and Herndon still manages to remain the biggest small town you can find. I know that I’ll probably end up coming back here — I hope to see you then.
Tobias "Toby" Quaranta
Herndon High School alumnus class of 2002