Herndon, Virginia

Herndon is the third-largest town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census.

History

Herndon was named for Commander William Lewis Herndon, American naval explorer and author of Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon. Commander Herndon captained the ill-fated steamer SS Central America, going down with his ship while helping to save over 150 of its passengers and crew. The settlement was named Herndon in 1858. In the 1870s, many Northern soldiers and their families came to settle in the area, taking advantage of moderate climate and low land prices.

Originally part of the rural surroundings of the Washington, D.C. area, the town of Herndon developed into a hub of dairy farming and vacationing for area residents, aided by its presence along the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad. When the railroad was converted into a hike-and-bike trail, Herndon capitalized on history and small-town feel (in a major metropolitan region) by converting its train station into a museum and visitors center.

On January 14, 2004, the Town of Herndon commemorated its 125th anniversary.

Day labor controversy

In the summer of 2005, controversy arose when a taxpayer-funded center for day laborers was proposed in Herndon, against the Planning Commission's vote and some town residents' wishes. The center — which would provide education and employment resources for laborers without regard to whether they are legal or illegal immigrants — would be run by private organizations but would be partially supported by county tax dollars. Most residents who objected to the creation of the day labor site did so because of their belief that public money should not be spent encouraging or abetting illegal activity (the hiring of undocumented laborers). On August 17, the town council approved the plan for the center despite the protests of some town residents. Some town residents are happy to have the gathering place removed from its previous (informal) location in their neighborhood and fully support the center, while others near the new location believe their property is now losing value. Some believe the move is motivated by a desire to beautify downtown Herndon for the Arts Center.[1]

In response to the growing controversy, a group called the Herndon Minutemen was formed. The groups claims that it will turn over photographs and license plate numbers of day laborer employers for investigation by the IRS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On September 1, 2005, Judicial Watch, a conservative advocacy group funded by Richard Mellon Scaife, filed a lawsuit on behalf of six Herndon and Fairfax residents against the Town of Herndon and Fairfax County, citing federal and state laws that prohibit the town from using public facilities and taxpayer funds for the benefit of illegal aliens. As of February 10, 2006, the presiding judge said it is not a "land issue" as claimed by the mayor and supporters of the site. The judge established both the town's general right to issue the permits in question and the plaintiffs' standing to file suit, and that the town's argument about a land-use issue was irrelevant to this suit. She has yet to rule on the specific claim of town support of illegal activity.

Project Hope and Harmony opened the Herndon Official Workers Center on December 14, 2005. In December, the average count of day laborers was reported to be 97, a small increase over the level at the former unofficial site. Day laborers have left the unofficial site behind 7-Eleven at Alabama and Elden Streets. The HOW Center matches day laborers with employers, with a self-reported record of more than half of the laborers finding work on any given day. The day labor site is one of six day labor centers in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington. Project Hope and Harmony is financed by volunteer contributions and by a grant from Fairfax County.[2]

On May 2, 2006, in a tightly contested race (52.5%-47.5%, with a 26% turnout), Mayor O'Reilly and two council members who had supported the day labor site were defeated for re-election. Steve DeBenedittis and a slate of candidates opposed to the day labor site were elected in their place. Two incumbents, one supporting and one opposing the site, were re-elected.

Geography

Location of Herndon, Virginia

Herndon is located at 38°58′17″N 77°23′19″W (38.971478, -77.388675)Template:GR.

Boundaries of Herndon as of 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 21,655 people, 6,962 households, and 4,970 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,981.3/km² (5,129.9/mi²). There were 7,190 housing units at an average density of 657.8/km² (1,703.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 57.89% White, 9.51% African American, 0.42% Native American, 13.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 12.95% from other races, and 5.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.01% of the population.

There were 6,962 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.54.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $72,912, and the median income for a family was $79,140. Males had a median income of $44,197 versus $35,548 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,941. About 4.7% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Herndon is part of the Dulles Technology Corridor, which Fortune magazine named the "Netplex" because of the presence of the headquarters of such companies as AOL, Verizon Business (formerly MCI, formerly WorldCom, originally UUNET), and Network Solutions, which began as the INTERNIC — the registry where every domain name was once administered.

Government

The town is governed by a part-time mayor and town council that is supported by a full-time professional staff headed by Town Manager Steve Owen. The Police Department is staffed by Colonel Toussaint E. Summers, Jr. and 70 sworn officers along with the assistance of the Herndon Police Citizen Support Team. The Herndon Police Department achieved national recognition on November 8, 1986 by becoming the 7th police agency in Virginia and the 42nd police agency in the United States to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Attractions

Herndon boasts a wide variety of diversions and celebrations year round. Among the community events are:

April	Taste of the Town (Herndon Council for the Arts)
May	Friday Night Live! (free concerts May-August), Farmers' market (May-October), Towne Square Singers, Big Truck Days, Public Works Forest and Meadow Wildflower Walk
June	Herndon Festival, held for four days
July	Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks
September	Labor Day Jazz Festival, Annual Motorcycle Poker Run (Fraternal Order of Police), Annual NatureFest Celebration (SEPT 17, Runnymede Park)

Herndon contains the Herndon Depot Museum, the site of "Mosby's Raid on Herndon Station". The raid was a Civil War skirmish that took place on St. Patrick's Day in 1863. Also within the town is a golf course, community center with basketball and racquetball courts, and an aquatic center. Adjacent to the community center is Bready Park, with indoor tennis courts. Additionally, every residence within the town borders is within a mile or less of a public park.

Nearby attractions include the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum (which houses the Enola Gay B-29 Superfortress, a Concorde supersonic passenger airplane, an SR-71A Blackbird plane and the Space Shuttle Enterprise), Frying Pan Park, Sully Plantation, Mount Vernon, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Colvin Run Mill, Aldie Mill, Oatlands Plantation, Manassas National Battlefield Park and the Washington and Old Dominion Trail (which runs through the town).

Education

Herndon is within the Fairfax County Public Schools district. Both Herndon High School and Westfield High School serve the town.

See also

• Judicial Watch

External links

• Town of Herndon official website: http://www.herndon-va.gov/
• U.S. Census Bureau: American Fact-Finder: Herndon, VA
• Visit Herndon
• Herndon Council for the Arts
• Elden Street Players
• Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
• Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum (Smithsonian Annex)
• Friends of the W&OD Trail
• Herndon Historical Society
• May 2, 2006 election results