Fire Hero Honored
The Town of Farmville has passed a resolution commending the actions of Herndon-area resident Michael Cocrane for his role in saving three people in a fatal house fire earlier this year, according to town officials.
Cocrane, 21, a student at Longwood University in Farmville, about 65 miles southwest of Richmond, had been taking walk in the early morning hours of March 3 when he noticed the fire at a friend's residence. Cocrane ran into the house in an effort to rescue the people inside.
Suffering burns to his hands and face, Cocrane succeeded in waking up three of the house's five occupants, who escaped through windows to safety. Two friends of his, Ed Cunningham Byron Jamerson, were later found dead in the home.
"I want people to know that it's not about me being a hero as much as it's about celebrating the lives of the two great people I knew," he said in a March interview with The Connection. "I just want to get the point out to everyone that they were great people."
Cocrane is a former student of Oakton High School and was studying math at Longwood University.
Street Paving Scheduled
Annual repaving of designated Town of Herndon streets is set for the week of June 18, according to a release from the town. The repaving project will focus on the Bluemont, Cuttermill, Westfield and Four Seasons subdivisions of Herndon, as well as segments of Monroe Street, the release stated.
Residents in the neighborhoods are asked to park cars off of streets during the two-week course of the project, as some may be towed if they are in the way of repaving efforts, it added. Residents who may need special exceptions are asked to contact Herndon's Department of Public Works at 703-435-6860.
Citizens to Oversee Chestnut Grove
The Town of Herndon has issued a request for three new citizen volunteers to serve on its Chestnut Grove Cemetery Advisory Committee.
The committee, which stretches back to 1997 and consists of six Herndon residents and one staff member, is looking to replace three retiring members, according to Town of Herndon staff.
The committee's task is to "foster future developments and operations for the historic cemetery and to maintain and update the property," according to a press release from the Town of Herndon. The committee will meet on an as-needed basis.
Interested residents can apply for the committee by filling out a Talent Bank Application available at the town's Web site under the "Town Council" and "Boards and Commissions" link at www.herndon-va.gov. Applications for the positions will be reviewed by the office of the town manager, according to Herndon officials.
Chamber Sees Rise in Membership
The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, which also acts as the Herndon and Centreville Chambers of Commerce, is now the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region's seventh largest, according to a recent Washington Business Journal survey.
The group, which changed its name from the Herndon-Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce last year, now encompasses more than 890 businesses, according to a chamber release. Their size rank has risen from 11th during that time, the release added.
The chamber regularly sponsors both community and regional events, include Herndon's Friday Night Live summer concert series and the chamber's annual February gala.