Fern and Otter Come to ‘Work’
“My dogs Fern and Otter, both adopted from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. They love to come to work with me at the shelter.
People and Pets Love Stories
t’s that time of year again! Nope, not a holiday - although perhaps it should be! It’s that anticipated edition when the Connection Newspapers celebrate the furry, or finned or feathered or scaled or clawed creatures that make themselves a cherished part of the family. Although Reston and Herndon probably number as many pets as people in their populations, sadly we’ve only got room to introduce you to a few – so here we go!
McLean Student’s Artwork Featured at the Smithsonian
High school senior would like to use art to help others.
Maya Chung, of McLean, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), is the youngest of 56 artists selected to have their art displayed in the “Artists at Work” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center in Washington, D.C. Chung’s black ink drawing titled “Redbay (Persea borbonia)” was inspired by a botanical sample collected in the museum’s butterfly garden, and is in the style of a scientific drawing.
Letter: Supporting Deer Management
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Thank you for the excellent article on deer management in Fairfax County (“A Time to Hunt?” - Connection, February 18-24, 2015). One deer can carry 1,000 ticks, and approximately 25 percent of ticks in our county carry an infectious agent.
Priceless Puppies, Future Service Dogs
Photographer Joan Brady of Great Falls volunteers with a nonprofit called paws4people.org which raises and trains service dogs, including psychiatric assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD and assistance dogs for children with disabilities. Brady documents the dogs from birth.
Celebrating Black History Month
This week in Reston.
Letter: Survey, Video Document Deer Challenge
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Ken Moore's article on the impact of growing deer herds on our local forests (“A Time to Hunt?” - Connection, February 18-24, 2015) was a good overview of the issues facing our community and a description of some of the ways in which residents can help ensure that our local forests remain for the next generation.
When Sam Met Frodo
“Sam and Frodo are both rescue cats. Frodo, the big orange guy with the furry feet, came from Home Alone Feline Rescue in 2011. He is part Maine Coon and part American bobtail. Lou and I had been thinking about getting a second cat as a companion for Frodo when I ran into Lee District School Board member Tammy Koufax at a community event in Springfield in August 2013..."
Letter: Del. Rust’s Votes Against Herndon
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Unfathomably, Del. Tom Rust (R-86), The Town of Herndon’s representative in the Virginia General Assembly (GA), voted against the Town’s bill to change the language in our town charter to reflect Town elections to occur in November instead of May.
Commentary: Efficiency Over Effectiveness
At the time of this writing, the General Assembly seems to be on course for an earlier than scheduled Feb. 28 adjournment date. For a part-time legislature that in recent years has found it difficult to stay within its 60-day session in the even-numbered years and 45-day session in the odd-numbered years, finishing work ahead of schedule would be unprecedented.
Wise Investor Group Raises More than $21,000 for Hopecam
The Wise Investor Group at Robert W. Baird & Co., a team of financial professionals offering financial planning, portfolio management, investment analysis and account services, announced that their Annual Seminar raised more than $21,000 for Reston-based nonprofit Hopecam.
Herndon Forbidden to Govern Itself?
Virginia House squashes Town’s move to November elections.
The Virginia House of Delegates blocked the Town of Herndon’s plan to move town elections from May to November. The change would have begun in 2016. Despite passage through the Virginia Senate with a unanimous 39-0 vote on Jan. 26, the House of Delegates never voted on Herndon’s bill. After the bill cleared the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns, the House voted to sent it to the Committee on Privileges and Elections on Feb. 20.
Rio Comes Back from College
Tory Cheshire, of Great Falls, on her horse, Rio, who is meeting her family’s german shepherd puppy, Hunter at the barn. Cheshire loved her horse so much that he went with her to college and lived at a barn near Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., for four years.
Best Friends of Great Falls
The late British-American writer Christopher Hitchens once wrote, "Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods."
Honored for Optimism
The Optimist Club of Greater Vienna recently hosted a communication contest for deaf and hard of hearing children with three neighboring clubs on Feb. 4 at P.J. Skidoos restaurant in Fairfax. Four hearing impaired students from Canterbury Woods Elementary school made a presentation on "How My Optimism Will Help Me Press on to Greater Achievements in the Future" utilizing the Optimist International contest guidelines.
Vienna Woman Raising Puppy for Canine Companions for Independence
Canine Companions for Independence – a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, is proud to announce that Vienna resident Barbara Weigand recently began raising an assistance dog in-training for Canine Companions for Independence.
Yes, Cats Can Be Trained Too
Reston cat trainer Lisa-Maria Padilla gives techniques to train feline friends to do tricks.
Lisa-Maria Padilla, 53, of Reston was recently in Del Mar, Calif., close to San Diego, for the largest cat show in the West coast, called the San Diego Cat Fancier's Show, which featured more than 400 cats. She took her cat named Racy Mooner, a blue Abyssinian ("Abys") who has a Facebook page, there to do cat tricks and introduce people to training techniques.
McLean Loves its Pets
Pets connect owners to the wild world around them.
When it comes to pets, McLean is much like other communities. Our pets are pampered, doted on, and loved. And with good reason. According to these McLean pet owners, the unconditional love they give in return is immeasurable.
McLean High Crew Wins Top Honors
McLean High School rowers won a total of seven gold medals, two silver medals and four bronze medals at the 2015 MidAtlantic Erg Sprints, hosted by TC Williams High School on Jan. 31. Many of McLean High medalists are now headed to Boston to compete in the C.R.A.S.H -B Sprints on March 1st. (http://www.crash-b.org)
