The end of the 2010-2012 Herndon Town Council's term is near. The seven members have served the town for two years, spending their Tuesday nights at the council chambers and spending just as much time at home reading through paperwork and plans and budgets. They've participated at school events, business ribbon cuttings, fundraisers and little league games in their official roles. I would like to thank the members of the 2010-2012 Herndon Council, including Mayor Steve DeBenedittis and council members Connie Haines Hutchinson, Lisa Merkel, Sheila Olem, Jasbinder Singh, Bill Tirrell and Grace …

No, you're not losing it! Patch looks different today. We did a quick visual nip-and-tuck to the homepage to make it more user-friendly. And we've moved a couple pieces of furniture. For those keeping score: • We tweaked some words in our navigation bar to save space (e.g., "Traffic & Gas" is now "Commute," "Places" is now "Directory") • We moved the weather icon next to the Patch branding so you can find it more quickly! • We moved, well, YOU closer to the top! (Our "shout stream" is now front and center so you can see what people are commenting on and talking about.) • And of course we …

At Herndon Patch we thought it would be interesting to share the top 10 stories of 2011, so here they are ranked from the most read.  1) LINK was hoping for a Christmas miracle when it came to this years holiday basket program.  2) Oak Hill Elementary students had the opportunity to perform for Dominion Virginia Power this holiday season.  3) Many local residents mourned with the family of Philip J. Farley, a Herndon police officer, when he passed away this year.4) People checked in for Hurricane Irene updates, but it turns out the storm was nothing more than some substantial rain. 5) A …

For more than a year Herndon Patch has been a part of the community sharing local news, events and more across Herndon. This site is meant to provide readers with news as well as a platform to share information with the community. There are many ways interact, such as commenting on articles, sharing photos and posting event information to Herndon Patch. Once again, we'd like to share some ways our readers contribute to the site. 1. Comment on an ArticleWe subscribe to the idea that "news is a conversation." Much of our reporting will emanate from what readers tell us in e-mails, comments on …

At Patch we like to highlight the positive in the community and let people know more about their neighbors, coworkers and community members.  This month we are starting a series called "Greatest Person" that simply features those doing great things in the community. It could be through their job, their volunteer work, their hobbies or any number of things YOU think they should be recognized for.  Whether it's someone who started their own business and is now giving back to the community, a parent who's there for every PTA fundraiser and event, a coach or a teacher who's making a difference in…

• Editor's note: If you've been following Herndon Patch for a while you know I don't normally write about myself, but as I discussed 9/11 with others I was encouraged to share my own experience. I woke up the day after my 16th birthday to find everyone sitting in the living room eyes wide open, staring at the television. I grew up in Michigan, but my dad, stepmother and I were visiting relatives in Phoenix before heading to California to watch my brother Andrew graduate from Marine Corps boot camp.  When he told us roughly a year before that he wanted to join the military after graduation we …

Many people remember exactly what they were doing and where they were when they heard about the 9/11 plane crashes, nearly 10 years ago. It was the day after my 16th birthday, and I was in Phoenix, AZ visiting family before heading to California to watch my brother graduate from Marine Corps bootcamp. When I woke up that morning everyone was sitting in the living room, watching the towers as they smoldered and finally collapsed. When my brother decided to join the military I was anxious and knew I would miss him, but my mother and I kept telling ourselves, "at least he's not going in during a…

Patch is excited that we are beginning a new series for our readers. “DisPatches: The Changing American Dream” will highlight stories of how local people, families, businesses and organizations are striving for the American Dream, and how that dream is changing. Through the national media we all see stories about how American families, businesses and neighbors are struggling and adjusting to the changes happening in the local, national and global economy. Things change so fast it can be dizzying—unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government, business—and it all impacts us on a local …

Get connected to the latest community news, weather, local business listings and events for your town with Patch for iPhone, just released today! Patch for iPhone lets you stay connected, engaged and mobile by delivering 24/7 coverage of your neighborhood. The app is free and allows you to keep up on what’s going on in the community, including adding comments and photos on articles. Visit the iPhone app store and search for Patch! The Patch app includes:• The Front 5, to quickly access the most relevant stories of the day• The weather report and forecast• Community news, photos, and videos• …

I couldn't resist the pull of the outdoors today and wandered around downtown Herndon taking some photos of everyone enjoying the outdoors. At a sunny, 73 degrees, the day brought out many who took advantage of the W&OD trail. Enjoy your weekend! It seems to be off to a good start.

Starting Thursday, Feb. 3, Herndon Patch will run a new weekly feature called Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off and more. You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids party places, parks and more. Stay tuned for our first list on Feb. 3. Our first list will be on events and places that …

Know a child who goes above and beyond to help those in need? How about a student who's constantly setting the bar higher day by day? Or maybe a youngster who's endured an amazing journey already in life? Herndon Patch is looking for parents, schools and organizations to nominate a student, sports team, school club member, and any other outstanding youngster for a new weekly feature, Whiz Kid. Whether they're a math whiz, a soccer whiz, a fundraiser whiz or anything in between, want want your nominations. Candidates can be anywhere from preschool to college. We want to stress that this is not…

We’re looking for members for our new Moms Council. The Moms Council will be a group of three to five parents (yes, dads are invited too), who live in Herndon, are articulate, opinionated, knowledgeable and have an inside scoop on all things Herndon. We’d like our council members to help engage parents in the community on Herndon Patch simply by commenting on articles they may find interesting, sharing parenting and family friendly news tips with us and taking part in a new feature called Moms Talk Q&A. Moms Talk Q&A will be a weekly feature starting Wednesday, Feb. 2 where our Moms Council …

Happy New Year everyone! I've never put much stock into resolutions, but I thought why not try this year. I don't want to resolve to do anything totally impractical, like make myself look good in jeggings (my legs are far too short anyway), so I've come up with a few that would perhaps make my days easier. 1. Go to bed at a decent time. I'm a night owl. I've always been a night owl. I suffered from mild insomnia by the time I was 10 years old. I remember lying in bed watching the clock hit 3 a.m., then 4 a.m., and starting to think I was seeing monsters in the shadows outside my window …

Still trying to figure out what to do for New Year's Eve? If you don't have any plans we've found a number of ways to celebrate both in and outside of Herndon. 1. ArtSpace New Year's Eve Celebrations.Artspace will hold a free bonfire from 9-10 p.m. for all ages. There will also be a Musical Café featuring Al Robertson and Friends from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The event is now free and includes an evening of music, mingling and ringing in the New Year. 2. Herndon Centennial Golf Course New Year's Eve Scramble.The Herndon golf course will host its annual scramble tournament beginning at 10 a.m. on …

Herndon Patch launched just over three months ago and we've covered a lot of local news since then. This site is meant to provide readers with news as well as a platform to share information with the community. There are many ways interact, such as commenting on articles, sharing photos and posting event information to Herndon Patch. We'd like to share some ways our readers contribute to the site. 1. Comment on an ArticleWe subscribe to the idea that "news is a conversation." Much of our reporting will emanate from what readers tell us in e-mails, comments on our sites, and in conversations …

Council Defers Decision on Campaign Finance DisclosureHerndon's Town Council voted 4-2 to defer an ordinance that would require candidates running for town elections to abide by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Campaign Finance Disclosure Act. Herndon Town Attorney Richard Kaufman said during Tuesday night's meting that the ordinance would make all town elections subject to the CFDA. The Act doesn't apply to municipalities with fewer than 25,000 residents, but they can opt into it, which was what Herndon was considering. Stats Show Homebuilding in Herndon Slowed from 2000-09The town of Herndon…

This weekend is packed with holiday events, beginning Friday night with the Towne Square Singers' Welcome Yule. Attendees can get in the holiday spirit with music from the past as well as contemporary holiday songs sung by the Towne Square Singers. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Industrial Strength Theater. Performances will also be held Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12. Also on Friday, Southview Baptist Church in Herndon will hold a Living Nativity with animals and actors. The scene will bring the Christmas story to life from 7 to 9 p.m. both …

If you missed anything this week and are just catching up, here's a recap of this week's news in Herndon. Reston East Park-and-Ride Lot to Partially Close Nov. 28The Reston East park-and-ride lot will be partially closing later this month as work on Phase I of the Dulles Rail Project delves further into Reston and workers begin construction on the first of Reston's Metro Stations. The Secret of Good Sweet PotatoesThanksgiving is will be in just a short few weeks. Our food editor tackles sweet potato recipes and our column has a great twist to it. We also want to share YOUR sweet potato …

This weekend is full of events for the entire family and perhaps a few that could result in some great early Christmas shopping. Friday The Herndon High School varsity football team is playing its last game of the season tonight at 7:30 p.m. The home game is against Westfield High School. It'll be a chilly night at the game with temperatures in the mid-40s so dress warmly and bring a stadium blanket and a cup of cocoa. Friday is Kids Night Out at Herndon Community Center. The evening is for children ages 5-11 and parents can enjoy a night out while their children participate in games, arts …