| Eyesore
Gets a Black Eye |
| Unfortunately, it was predictable. |
| Even before the project got off the ground, the Herndon
Planning Commission blasted the redevelopment of the abandoned
Citgo gas station site as monstrous and not fitting into Herndon's
downtown. |
| Like the eyesore Citgo station fits into Herndon's downtown!
What in the world are the commissioners thinking about? |
| Commissioner Katherine K. Mull said, "I'm at a loss;
I don't see the historic connection between this proposal
and the downtown." |
| Please! What do we want? Another clapboard-sided building
like Jimmy's Tavern that needs painting every two years? Or
a two-story 1950s-looking building that sits kitty-corner
from the Citgo site that once housed Simply Country, then
Life-Minders.com and now stands empty with huge, neon orange
"for lease" signs in the window? |
| Adding to Ms. Mull's comments was Commissioner Robert P.
Burk who was quoted as saying, "The architecture is just
not harmonious. There's nothing about it that looks like downtown
Herndon." |
| Apparently the commissioners are not looking down the street
at the Herndon Municipal Center, built in the early 1990s,
that looks nothing like anything ever built in Herndon. Yet
it stands as a "triumph" of downtown rejuvenation. And
when did "historic downtown Herndon" have an underground
parking garage? |
| This quick denial of the site design for Elden and Station
streets by the Planning Commission is like a practical joke:
I keep waiting to hear them say, "Ha, ha. We were just
kidding." |
| We can find comfort in the fact that the Planning Commission's
opinion is only a recommendation to the Town Council, and
we can also hope that Town Council members have a better sense
of mission and the realization that 15 years of the abandoned
Citgo eyesore is long enough for Herndon to endure. |
| |
| Fumigated
Envelopes |
| The anthrax problem the post office is dealing with today
is not the first time in its history it has had to handle
similar situations. |
| In 1899, 102 years ago, there was a yellow fever outbreak
in Key West, Fla. In order to send letters from Key West to
other parts of the country, the post office punctured holes
in envelopes in order to fumigate them. |
| The practice lasted from Oct. 18, 1899, to Nov. 14, 1899. |
| Stamp collectors eagerly seek these punctured envelopes,
although only six examples from Key West are known to survive. |
| This information comes courtesy of the Florida Postal History
Society which publishes the Florida Postal History Journal. |
| |
| Geographically |
| Challenged |
| A few weeks ago CNN placed Switzerland east of Germany on
a televised map showing the Afghanistan war zone. The editors
apparently had flunked basic elementary school geography. |
| Not wanting to be outdone, CBS news, on Tuesday morning,
placed Dulles International Airport in Reston, Virginia. The
CBS editors didn't even get the county right. |
| |
| Mayor
RustStill the One |
| On Nov. 6, voters will go to the polls to vote for candidates
for a number of offices. In Herndon and parts of Sterling,
the closest election to home will be that of state delegate
for the newly formed 86th District, where Herndon Mayor Thomas
D. Rust, (R) is running against James D. Kelly (D). |
| The Observer supported Mayor Rust in the August Republican
primary, and the newspaper supports the mayor in the Nov.
6 general election over Mr. Kelly. |
| The reasons why Mayor Rust is the best man for the job are
clear: |
| He is a long-time mayor and a dedicated public servant who
will serve Republicans and Democrats alike. He will be a great
benefit for the needs of Herndon and Sterling. |
| Mayor Rust's credentials in leadership, integrity, effectiveness,
experience, and trust are strong and proven. He has the knowledge
and ability to get things done by consensus, but can also
take the leadership on an issue without bending to those who
find themselves in the opposite camp. |
| His integrity cannot be challenged. It is not by chance
that the entire Herndon Town Council and many former members
of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors all support him. |
| Effectiveness: Tom Rust knows dozens, if not hundreds, of
people in local, county and state governments, and has the
full support of U.S. Congressman Tom Davis. |
| Experience: Read the mayor's resume. It speaks for itself. |
| Vote for whomever, but vote on Nov. 6. The polls are open
from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and all 4.1 million Virginians who
were registered as of Oct. 9 are illegible to vote. |
| And that's Our Town this week. |
