<i>Send announcements to The Reston Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to
reston@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. Call Jean Card at 703-917-6437, with questions.
This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.</i>
The 2005 Miss Virginia American Coed Scholarship State Pageant is looking for contestants for the pageant taking place Aug. 11-14, in Richmond. This is an "All Natural" scholarship pageant for girls ages 3-22, which emphasizes academic and volunteerism and natural look. The pageant does not allow makeup on contestants under the age of 13. For an application e-mail contact@msvaamericancoed.com or call 804-305-4239. Visit our Web site www.msvaamericancoed.com.
RCC and Reston Association co-sponsors cookouts from July to August that feature free hamburgers, hot dogs, music and fun.
* Golf Course Island Pool, 11301 Links Drive, Friday, Aug. 12, from 5-7 p.m.
* Lake Newport Pool, 11601 Lake Newport Road, Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 5-7 p.m.
Contact the Reston Community Center at 703-476-4500, 703-476-1514 (TTY) or visit the Web Site at http://www.restoncommunitycenter.com.
Professionals who want to become teachers can quickly obtain a license in critically needed subject areas of math and the sciences through the Virginia Community College Career Switcher Program. The Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) is the local regional center for the program.
Designed for working adults with bachelor’s degrees, the Career Switcher Program allows future teachers to keep their current jobs while completing the course. The program’s instructional portion takes 16 weeks with much of the work done online. During this time, participants gain teaching experience by spending a minimum of 30 hours working with students in a classroom.
Graduates are issued a one-year license, making them eligible for employment with any Virginia school district. In the first year, new teachers receive support from trained mentors, as well as further instruction through professional development seminars. After the first year, the teacher is eligible for a regular five-year license.
Applications for the fall session will be accepted until Aug. 8. Additional information and entrance requirements are available online at www.vccs.edu/workforce/switchers/ or by contacting regional advisor Kathleen Ludlow at 703-257-6586.
The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross is seeking platelet donors. Apheresis technology available at many area Red Cross blood Donor Centers allows some donors to give only platelets, while remaining blood components are returned to the donor before the process is complete. The donation takes slightly longer than a standard whole blood donation. For questions regarding eligibility, as well as a listing of local Donor Centers, which are equipped with apheresis technology, call 1-800-272-2123 or visit
www.my-redcross.org.
The Foster and Respite Care Programs of Northern Virginia Family Service are seeking gift basket donations from Northern Virginia residents and businesses. Gift baskets will be presented for distribution at the upcoming annual Foster Care Appreciation Luncheon. Items can include seasonal items such as new gardening tools, barbecue items, outdoor games for families, or home improvement items.
Those wishing to donate new items may call Maggie at 703-219-2126. For more information on becoming an NVFS foster or respite care provider, call Ginny Snaider, 703-219-2184.
The Women’s Center is launching its new online job listing service, the Center’s latest addition to its roster of career services. The site will be accessible by logging onto www.thewomenscenter.org and going to the JobsOnline link. The site went live Monday, May 16.
User-friendly, JobsOnline will feature a full range of jobs from local businesses, including part-time positions.
Employers can list a full or part-time position for only $40 for two weeks or $65 for one calendar month and $50 for each month thereafter. Listings can be seen by more than 200 visitors per day who view the Women’s Center Web site.
For information about JobsOnline or other career services at The Women’s Center, contact Carla Walsh, Coordinator of Career Services, at 703-281-2657, extension 271 or by e-mail cwalsh@thewomenscenter.org.
For information about other Women’s Center programs, contact the Women’s Center at 703-281-2657.
The International Center for Language Studies (ICLS), which has been selected to run an ESL (English as Second Language) program for 25 high-school students from France this summer, needs families to house them during each of their two three-week sessions: July 10-July 30 and July 31-Aug. 20.
In the sixth year of this program, ICLS will provide an all-encompassing cultural experience to complement the classroom curriculum. The weekday morning classes — designed to help the students acquire speaking and listening skills in American English — will be followed by afternoon field trips that present examples of history and culture in the Washington, D.C., area. Possible destinations include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Air & Space Museum and many other historical and cultural sites in and around the city.
ICLS is now beginning to recruit families interested in hosting a student. Families will be expected to provide room and board, to help facilitate the student’s use of public transportation to travel to and from ICLS and to include them in weekend activities that will enhance their American experience. The students will have paid for the various incidental costs; a stipend will be paid to each host family.
Contact ICLS at 202-639-8800.
More musical pleasures are in the offing as RCC ushers in another season of its popular summer-long "Take a Break" Concerts. The "Take a Break" Concerts feature an eclectic selection of musical performances by accomplished musicians in a relaxed family atmosphere. Picnicking is encouraged.
The schedule for upcoming concerts is as follows:
July 28 Never Alone, contemporary jazz
Aug. 4 Sol Y Rumba, Latin rhythms
Aug. 11 Uptown, vocal bebop
The concerts will be held at Lake Anne Village Center every Thursday night, from 7-9 p.m., starting June 9 and continuing to Aug. 11.
Reston residents are invited to free pool side cookouts in July and August. The cookouts, which are co-sponsored with Reston Association, feature free hamburgers, hot dogs, music and fun. The cookout dates and locations are Wednesday, July 13, at Dogwood Pool, from 5-7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 12, at Golf Course Island Pool, from 5-7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Lake Newport Pool, from 5-7 p.m.
Football Officials Needed. No experience necessary. The Northern Virginia Football Officials Association (NVFOA) is seeking new members for its 2005 training class who can become on-field game officials and electronic clock operators for games at the youth, middle-school and high-school levels throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. They are the sole supplier of football officials to all high schools in the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and Fauquier. They also supply officials to numerous private schools in Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. Men and women who have reached the age of 18 and who have a desire to be a part of the scholastic game are eligible. Information and application forms are available at the Web site www.nvfoa.com or contact the commissioner, Dennis Hall, by phone at 703-532-0000 or e-mail commissioner@nvfoa.com.
MS Bands of Hope are available at Appalachian Spring in Reston Town Center. Bands can be purchased for $1 during April and May. Proceeds benefit the National MS Society, National Capital Chapter. Call 703-478-2218.
Reston Association (RA) is again offering the purchasing of pool and tennis passes via the RA Web site, www.reston.org. New this year is the season-long guest pass. This pass lasts for an entire pool season and allows any one guest of the family to use it at any given time that the pool is open. Instead of charging each guest $5 per visit, any guest can use the pass, all season long, with no limitations on pool visits, for just $20. When using the guest pass, a member of the purchasing family must accompany the guest. Call the Reston Association at 703-435-6530 or visit the RA Web site at www.reston.org and click on the pool and tennis passes icon.
The Fairfax County School Board has initiated a pilot procedure to allow citizens to sign up electronically to address the board at regular business meetings and public hearings. Although citizens may continue to call the School Board Office at 703-246-3646 to sign up to speak, they may now also sign up electronically by accessing www.fcps.edu/schlbd/requestspeak.htm and completing the required form. Specific information regarding future Board meetings are available at www.fcps.edu/schlbd/calendar.htm and guidelines for addressing the board are available at www.fcps.edu/schlbd/info.htm#mtg.
The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA) announces the publication of the 2005 edition of Facts for Voters. Published annually by the LWVFA, "Facts" is intended to be a resource for use by residents in the Fairfax Area. The brochure, though a compact 4 inches x9 inches, contains information about local, state and national elected officials plus contacts for all elected officials from the towns of Clifton, Herndon, Vienna and the City of Fairfax. It also contains information on voter registration and absentee voting plus important telephone numbers for schools, libraries and other public services and resources.
Pick up a new Facts for Voters free of charge at any Fairfax County library, Government Center, Community Center or high school.
To request a single copy, please send a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope to the LWVFA office at 4026 Hummer Road, Annandale, VA 22003. If you need multiple copies call the office at 703-658-8150.
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that promotes an active and informed participation in state, local and national government. All people of voting age are encouraged to become members of the League and participate in its activities. Call 703-658-9150. The League reminds all citizens to become informed about candidates and issues, register and vote.
The Reston Historic Trust is currently accepting donations of documents, photographs, significant letters and other memorabilia that illustrate the history of the community. Items will either become part of the Historic Trust’s permanent collection, be used as display materials at the Reston Museum or be donated to the George Mason Planned Community Archives for their exemplary collection over 300,000 pieces of Reston-related material.
Donations may be dropped off at the Reston Museum, located at Lake Anne Village Center. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12-6 p.m. Old newspapers, phone directories and other publicly distributed materials are not being accepted. Please contact Lynn Lillienthal at the Museum 703-709-7700, or at 703-966-9546 with any questions.
The Reston Museum is operated by the Reston Historic Trust (RHT). The Trust was founded in 1996 to sustain the unique history of the award-winning, innovative planned community of Reston. The RHT serves the dual role of preserving a sense of community and addressing change. Through displays and programs at the Reston Museum, the RHT is using the past to understand the present and plan for the future. Call 703-709-7700 or visit www.restonmuseum.org.
The Aspect Foundation, a high-school exchange student program, has been awarded grants for the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program and the Partnership for Learning Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program.
The goal of FLEX and YES is to provide an opportunity for international high-school students from Eurasia, the Middle East and Asia to experience life in a democratic society and learn about volunteerism and free enterprise.
Foreign exchange students who participate in the two programs come to Northern Virginia to live with host families, attend school, and engage in activities to learn about American society and values. They, in turn, educate Americans about their own countries and cultures.
The FLEX program is funded by Congress under the Freedom Support Act and administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. FLEX participants are high-school students, ages 15-18 who come from the countries of the former Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
The Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs also fund the Yes program. The program provides full scholarships for a year or semester of living and studying in the U.S. to a select group of young people, ages 15-18 from Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, and Yemen.
The Aspect Foundation is also looking to find families to host regular exchange students for the upcoming school year in the United States. These students come from Western Europe, South and Central America and Asia.
Contact Robert Rawls at 703-409-9776 cell, 703-433-0362 or by e-mail at coyote1437@yahoo.com.
The American Red Cross has issued an urgent national appeal for blood donations as national blood inventory levels continue to decline following the July Fourth holiday. As a result, the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac (GC&P) Blood Services Region is strongly encouraging local blood donors to schedule an appointment to donate blood.
Donors must be in generally good health, at least 17 years old, weigh no less than 110 pounds; have not received a tattoo within the past year; have not donated whole blood within the past 56 days.
Eligible blood donors can call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule a donation appointment. All blood types, as well as blood platelets, are needed. Platelet donors can call 1-800-272-2123 to schedule an appointment. Any groups interested in scheduling a blood drive or obtaining further information is asked to call 1-800-787-9282, Ext. 4925.
More information about local blood drives, donor centers, and eligibility requirements can be found at www.my-redcross.org.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins announces the Reston District Station's pedestrian safety campaign, in response to her request to maintain and enhance the safety conditions for pedestrians and cyclists in the Reston area.
The enhanced enforcement will be directed at locations, which have been identified by constituents as problem areas, and be will conducted in several different waves through Sept. 10. Police will enforce both state and local traffic laws with the goal of gaining voluntary compliance from the community. Drivers will be ticketed for failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks, stopping in and blocking pedestrian crosswalks and for violating any other applicable laws.
Officers will conduct the campaign along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail and the intersections of Wiehle Avenue, Sunset Hills Road and Sunrise Valley Drive. They will also concentrate efforts on Sunset Hills Road between Isaac Newton Square Drive West and Wiehle Avenue.
The Women’s Center of Vienna Virginia will be offering a number of classes and workshops designed to help naviparation and divorce, starting in April and continuing through August at various locations in Vienna, Fairfax and McLean.
Some of the assorted programs topics include Divorce Through Mediation, Divorce Without Litigation, Dollars and Sense of Divorce, Financial Planning for Separation and Divorce, Helping Your Child Cope With Separation and Divorce, Legal Aspects of Child Support and Understanding Your Right To Marital Assets and others.
Visit the Women’s Center Web site at www.thewomenscenter.org or call 703-281-2657.
For more than 35 years, Herndon-Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) has been helping local families in crisis meet emergencies and short-term needs.
FISH is built on the “neighbor helping neighbor” concept. However, according to Di Trapani, FISH is currently in need of more donations.
Trapani thanked Elizabeth Glennon, FISH president 2001– 2005, and expressed gratitude for her leadership in the period following 9/11 and the post-tech bubble. Trapani and the new FISH Officers and Executive Board assumed their new responsibilities at the July 18 Board of Directors meeting.
FISH is an all-volunteer, nonsectarian, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, which not only operates a hot line, assisting more than 21,500 callers per year, but also provides round-trip rides for the elderly and other needy persons to their medical appointments. In addition they operate The Bargain Loft, 336 Victory Drive, Herndon, a thrift store that accepts and sells many items including used furniture, household items, books, and toys. The Bargain Loft is completely run by volunteers. For more information about FISH, to volunteer or make a donation, call 703-437-0600.