Send your organization's announcement to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before publication. Photos/artwork encouraged. Questions? Call Bonnie Eaton at 703-917-6449.
More than 30 local children ages 6-16 took part in a day of fishing at the Wal-Mart Kids All-American Fishing Derby at Claude Moore Park on June 28. Top award winners were: Nick Cook, winner of the Fujifilm "Big Fish" Contest, and one of two winners of the Zebco Kids Casting Contest, along with Paul Rachner; Brittany Cook, who caught the second largest fish; Hannah Staggs, who caught the smallest fish; and Mike Walden, who caught the most fish.
Kids R First held its 2nd Annual Golf Classic June 27 at South Riding Golfers' Club. The team winning First Place represented Reston Hospital Center. Julie Whitehead won Longest Drive for women and David Wallis for men. Sharon Wilkerson won Closest to the Pin for women and Zion McKinney won the same for men. Ray Mittan was the winner of the putting contest. Participating teams were from Centreville, Chantilly, Sterling, Herndon, Reston, and other parts of Loudoun and Fairfax Counties.
Golfers' prizes were donated by various businesses and individuals from the surrounding area. The tournament was a fundraising event orchestrated by the Kids R First board of directors and other volunteers, mostly retired teachers. Proceeds will help to purchase school supplies for 10,000 students from families in need, attending 57 schools in the Dulles corridor area. School supplies will be purchased at discounted prices and distributed in August.
Elizabeth A. Creamer of Sterling, assistant professor of social work at Gallaudet University, has been appointed by Gov. Mark Warner to the Advisory Board for the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.
Gov. Mark R. Warner honored nine state employees who responded to his invitation to submit ideas that will save taxpayer dollars and improve delivery of state government services. Alan Brewer, environmental health supervisor, Department of Health, suggested eliminating duplicate data entry into the Loudoun County Land Management System and again in the state Department of Health Environmental Health System. The Commonwealth of Virginia has adopted his suggestion, saving an estimated $80,000 in Loudoun County alone.
Loudoun County Special Olympics athletes were represented at the State Games held in Richmond June 13-15. Local medal winners included, for swimming, Cayce Hudson, Gold, 50 Meter Freestyle; Ryan Macmac, Silver, 50 Meter Breaststroke; Amy Loudenback, Gold, 50 Meter Butterfly; Lance Gearing, Gold, 50 Meter Backstroke and 4th Place, 50 Meter Freestyle; for bowling, Warren Carter, Silver, and David Brock, Bronze; and for power lifting, Chris Kelly, Silver, (personal best in Deadlift 150 pounds); Russell Turner, Silver, (personal best in Deadlift 310 pounds) and Tara Padgett, Gold (State record in Squat, 110 pounds, tied state record in Bench Press, 75 pounds).
Susan Weissman, program head of the Communication Design program at the Loudoun Campus of Northern Virginia Community College and a fine artist, has had two paintings accepted in a show at the Art League in Lexington, Ky. The exhibition is called "Storytellers: Artists as Authors." The two paintings "A Picture of Iris" and "The Melancholy of Departure" were exhibited in the Waddell Gallery at the Loudoun Campus, as well as at professor Weissman's recent solo show at the Washington Technology Park. The later painting was sold to a local patron. The Lexington show runs from July 16-Aug. 24.
Loudoun Cooperative Extension has hired Corey C. Childs to replace Gary Hornbaker as the Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent and to provide leadership as the director of Extension Services for the County of Loudoun. In addition, Corey will serve as the Extension appointed director to the Loudoun Soil & Water Conservation District Board. Corey will begin working in Loudoun on July 10.
He is a 1986 graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Education.
Leadership Fairfax, Inc., recently graduated four Loudoun residents from the 10-month curriculum of community issues and skill development:
Mark Delisi, of Leesburg, an employee of Computer Sciences Corp.;
Laura McNulty, of Round Hill, an employee of Equity Office Properties;
Jeffery Nulf, of Ashburn, an employee of Middleburg Bank; and
David Rohr, of Ashburn, an employee of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Leadership Fairfax, Inc. also announced the graduates of their Emerging Leaders Program, which is a 9-month program centered around skill building mentoring, community service projects and community board service. The graduates of the Emerging Leaders Program for the Loudoun area are:
Colleen Gillis-Snow, of Sterling, an employee of Holland & Knight LLP; and
Natalie Robb, of Sterling, an employee of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Sterling resident David Barnes will display his fused and kiln formed glass art in the "Etched in Time" exhibit at the Artists' Undertaking Gallery in Occoquan, Va., from Aug. 5-Sept. 1. Barnes fuses pieces of colored art glass, using bands of color, slices of glass pattern bars and semi-precious stones as additional design elements.