Jane Anthony and her husband have been residents of Reston since 1977. Anthony is a board member of Northern Virginia Training Center (NVTC) Parents & Associates and immediate past president of PAIR (Parents & Associates of the Institutionalized Retarded of Virginia). In 2000 she was elected to the Board of VOR (the Voice of the Retarded), a national organization that supports an array of residential options. Her son, Jason Kinzler, a resident at Northern Virginia Training Center, is a 1997 graduate of Kilmer Center and also attends Central Fairfax Services (CFS). Anthony has served on several Virginia advocacy task forces including her recent appointment by the governor to the Olmstead Task Advisory Board.
<lst>Name: Jane Anthony
Address: Wethersfield Court in Reston.
Age: 59
Current occupation: Parent advocate for those with mental retardation; long-time weaver and owner of a handweaving business — Handweaving By Jane Kinzler Anthony.
Previous employment:
* Senior Business Analyst with E-Systems, Melpar Division (now Raytheon) for 14 years.
* Owned own business since 1978, Handweaving by Jane Kinzler Anthony.
Education: Graduate of Barnard College in New York City.
Favorite part of your occupation: Helping families to connect to needed services.
Number of years at current address: 27 years
Community ties, activities:
* married to Robert Anthony.
* involved on the Board of Directors and Vice President of Celebrating Special Children (CSC) on the Board of Directors and Vice President. CSC is a resource guide for parents and families of children with disabilities.
* member of Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston (UUCR)
* co-chairman of the UUCR Art Committee.
* volunteer at The Closet in Herndon
* Reston Triathalon - 1986, 1988, 1989
* one of the start-up members of the Reston Bike Club
* Northern Virginia Training Center - Parents and Associates Board
* member of Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild (NVHG).
* daughter, Samantha, is a graduate of South Lakes High School, class of 1989
* enjoy the Reston Community Center theater and their other cultural events and classes
Wish for the Community: Relative to Olmstead and my advocacy work, my objectives are to work to develop and fund programs to support a continuum of services for all citizens with mental retardation wherever they reside.
One thing about your community that you enjoy that you
don't think most people know about or something
important for a newcomer to know: The layout of Reston encourages personal contact, athletics and civic activities. I especially enjoy the Reston pathways and the opportunity they afford for immersing oneself in nature. I enjoy living in this planned community and we hope to live here for many years to come.
Favorite restaurants: Pho Vietnam 75 (Tall Oaks), Jasmine Cafe (Lake Anne), Tortilla Factory (Herndon), Baja Fresh (Plaza America), Panera (Reston Town Center) and Nizams (Vienna).
Other favorite places: My favorite place to take a walk is the Reston paths — my walking partners and I walk the Reston Paths three early mornings a week. I also enjoy the Reston Community Center pool, the Reston Community theaters, and the library.
Favorite people in the community: Having lived in Reston for close to three decades I have made friends in all my endeavors. I have the utmost admiration for Del. Ken Plum and Sen. Janet Howell. Both of them have given their time, energy and talents to make Reston what it is today. I have the honor of working closely with Ken on the Celebrating Special Children Board of Directors and it is inspiring to see his commitment to our special needs children in action. Kudos to both of them for their dedication and commitment and for Reston for having the wisdom to elect them multiple times.
Tell us about a book, movie, vacation or other experience you enjoyed: This past summer my husband Bob and I went West. We spent two and a half weeks exploring starting in Rapid City S.D., continuing through the Badlands and Black Hills, hiking in the Big Horns and then onto an elderhostel (our first) that took us to Yellowstone and the Tetons. We plan to do more elderhostels and see more of this country especially the National Parks.
List your hobbies: Weaving, swimming, walking, healthclub (Fitness Authority), canoeing, biking, theater and grandchildren ...
Olmstead Task Advisory Board: I am honored to be part of the Olmstead Advisory board. I served on the Olmstead Task Force as the PAIR (Parents and Associates of the Institutionalized Retarded of Virginia) representative. In this next phase, the implementation phase, I whole heartedly support Governor's Warner's statement:
"While there will always be a need for state facilities for some Virginians with disabilities, our goal is to help every person have the opportunity to live with as much dignity and independence as possible and to live in a setting of their choice."
While it is important that we fix the community, we must be diligent that we interpret Olmstead correctly. This means offering choice and facility placement for those who qualify and choose it. I hope in the future there will be services for all those who need it whether in the community or in the facilities. The waiting list for mental retardation services in Virginia is deplorable. NVTC, where my son is, is a role model for the nation and I know our family is blessed to have this placement.
To appear in or to recommend someone for this column, call Lauren Warchol at 703-917-6449 or email reston@connectionnewspapers.com.