Send announcements to the Reston Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, send an e-mail to reston@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Thursday 5 p.m. for the following week's paper. Photos/artwork encouraged. Call Meghan Williams 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.
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter partners with Washington, D.C.'s No More Homeless Pets for the 2005 Home 4 the Holidays campaign. The shelter offers Sunday adoption hours in December prior to the holidays. To see some of the animals available for adoption visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/animals. Regular adoption hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Holiday adoption hours are Sunday, Dec. 11 and 18, 12-4 p.m. The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is located at 4500 West Ox Road, Fairfax. Each adopted pet will have his or her picture hung as an ornament on a tree at the shelter.
Racers from 15 states and the District of Columbia converged on Reston on Sunday for round seven of the $30,000 Verge Mid Atlantic Cyclocross Series. The Capital Cross Classic presented by The Bike Lane was the largest cyclocross race ever in Virginia or the Washington, D.C. area with 250 entries comprised of seven classes competing in five events.
The featured "DARCARS Chrysler International" figured to be a wide-open affair with many of the national riders deciding to skip this UCI C2 event for races in Europe or Thanksgiving at home. Stepping into the void were eager racers from as far away as Wisconsin who wanted to make a name for themselves and score some serious international points. The winner was Charlie Storm (Inland Construction/BTD).
The race benefited "Trips for Kids of Metro DC" an organization that takes urban youth on mountain bike rides to teach them about life, health and nature. Trips for Kids participants represented over half of the Junior field, with all of them in their first race. One, Antonio Phillips, persevered to finish on the podium in fifth place in the race won by Morgan Gerlak of team Alan Mid-Atlantic.
Fairfax County Park Authority increased its landholdings to 23,522 acres of parkland and open space in the Fairfax County, representing approximately 9.3 percent of its land mass. On Sept. 14, a proffer of over three acres was received from the Dulles Creek Association, LLC. The parcel is located at the corner of Coppermine Road and Sunrise Valley Drive in the Hunter Mill District.
Fairfax County Public Library now allows customers to use Visa or MasterCard credit and debit cards to pay for overdue or lost books. Credit card payments are now accepted at all library branches, but are not currently accepted for book bags, special used book sales, printing fees, or microform reader-printer machines. Reston Regional Library, 11925 Bowman Towne Drive. Call 703-689-2700.