PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID ❖ Martinsburg, WV Oak Hill Herndon PERMIT #86 Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 11-13-08 1,800 Trees News, Page 3 Classifieds, Page 13 Classifieds, ❖ Sports, Page 12 ❖ ‘Sound Real Estate, Page 11 Real Estate, ❖ Of Music’ Opinion, Page 6 At HHS News, page 3 /The Connection Veterans Continue To Serve News, Page 3 Employees from the Herndon office of Level 3 Communications helped plant 1,800 trees at Rachel Carson Middle School on Friday afternoon, Nov. 7. Photo by Mirza Kurspahic Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comNovember 12-18, 2008 ❖ Volume XXII, Number 46 Herndon Connectionwww.connectionnewspapers.com ❖ November 12-18, 2008 ❖ 1 Week in Herndon College is offering “The Nuts and Bolts of Police Seek Assistance Immigration Compliance: Does Your Com- Fairfax County Crime Solvers is asking for pany Have The Right Tools” on Friday, Nov. public’s assistance in locating Rafael 14, 9 a.m.-noon at the Northern Virginia Villagomez, 32, wanted in connection with Community College Reston Center, 1831 an attempted armed robbery and abduction Wiehle Avenue, Reston. on Oct. 4 in the Fox Mill Giant. Villagomez, Learn about the Department of Homeland of no fixed address, has outstanding war- Security’s electronic verification system (E- rants for robbery and the use of a firearm Verify), DHS’s Social Security Number No- in the commission of a felony. He is 5 feet Match rule, and general I-9 compliance. 11 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He This seminar will be taught by an I-9 com- has brown eyes and black hair and is known pliance attorney, Dawn Lurie of Greenberg to frequent Elden Street in the Town of Traurig, LLP. Herndon. Tuition is $165 per person. Register at An investigation into the crime has led to http://www.nvcc.edu/loudoun/continu- the arrest of Anthony Michael Handy, 21, ing/DCC.asp or call the Workforce Devel- of Sterling. He was transported to the opment Office at the NOVA Loudoun Cam- Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and pus at 703-450-2551. charged with robbery. Anyone with information on Villagomez’s whereabouts is asked to contact Fairfax LINK Used Winter County Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866- 411-TIPS(8477), e-mail at Coat Distribution www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text The Sterling United Methodist Church “TIP187” plus the message to will host the LINK Used Winter Coat Distri- CRIMES(274637). A $1,000 cash reward bution on Nov. 22. Donated coats can be will be paid for information that leads to dropped of at the church, 304 East Church an arrest. Callers never have to give their Road, from Nov. 16 to 22, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 names or appear in court. p.m. Coats do not need to be new, but do need to be in good condition and clean. A record 600 families have registered for this Seminar: Immigration year’s LINK Thanksgiving Food and Used Coat distribution event, comprising 1,269 Compliance adults and 1,619 children. Other winter The Dulles Corporate College in conjunc- garments are also welcome, including hats, tion with Northern Virginia Community See Week in Herndon, Page 4 Herndon/Reston 2557 John Milton Drive Fox Mill Shopping Center next to Glory Days Grill 703-391-0123 2 ❖ Herndon Connection ❖ November 12-18, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Herndon Connection Editor Steven M. Mauren News 703-917-6451 or [email protected] Koger Pleads Guilty Herndon man still /The Connection faces attempted capital murder charges. Mirza Kurspahic By Ken Moore The Connection effrey Scott Koger admitted to em- Photos by Photos bezzling approximately $3 million Legionnaires of American Legion Post 184 listen as Dave Kirby, the Post’s commander, gives thanks to from 400 homeowner associations veterans. J using 140 bank wire transfers, ac- cording to statement of facts filed Monday, Nov. 10 with his plea agreement in federal Community Observes Veterans Day court in Alexandria. Koger, 39 of Oak Hill, embezzled the money and invested funds in personal ac- bout 30 people gathered on the counts and businesses he was involved in, AHerndon Town Green on Tuesday including: $733,000 in Jordan’s 8 restau- morning, Nov. 11, to give thanks rant on Capitol Hill; $374,960 to pay a con- to all veterans who served in the United tractor to re- States military forces. The American Le- model his Oak gion, Wayne M. Kidwell, Post 184, in co- Hill house operation with the Town of Herndon, or- and the Tri- More ganized the event. Fitness, Inc. See past coverage of the Dave Kirby, the Post’s commander, also Koger investigation at facility in www.ConnectionNewspapers.com. gave a special thanks to the veterans who Annandale; are serving in the wars in Iraq and Af- $40,000 for a ghanistan. He also urged those present down payment on a 2005 Chevrolet Cor- to acknowledge veterans. “At least once vette convertible; $60,000 for a down pay- today, hug a veteran,” said Kirby. ment on a house in New Mexico; and Former Herndon Mayor Richard $56,668 for windows and doors for his Thoesen was the guest speaker at the ob- home. servance. Thoesen is a Vietnam veteran Dave Kirby, Commander of American Legion Post 184, left, and former Koger was the former chief financial of- who served in the U.S. Army Medical Ser- Herndon Mayor Richard Thoesen lay the memorial wreaths at the ficer of his father’s real estate management vice Corps. Thoesen and Kirby together Veterans Memorial on the Herndon Town Green. See related story, firm, Koger Management Group, which filed laid wreaths at the Veterans Memorial on page 10. for bankruptcy in July 2007. Robert Koger, the Town Green and Kirby reminded the the father, reported to the Fairfax City Po- crowd to visit the Avenue of Flags at lice in November 2006 that he believed his Herndon’s Chestnut Grove Cemetery. son Jeffrey Koger had embezzled $800,000, kicking off the investigation. — Mirza Kurspahic Koger pleaded guilty Monday, Nov. 10 in federal court in Alexandria to wire fraud and income tax evasion. Koger, already jailed in Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on other charges, waived prosecution by indictment and con- sented that his plea agreement could con- tinue Monday. U.S. District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema is currently scheduled to sentence Koger in February. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, $500,000 in fines and full resti- tution, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Dave Kirby, Commander of Dana J. Boente. American Legion Post 184, “The defendant took various actions to addresses those gathered at the conceal his scheme from the homeowners’ Veterans Day Observance on Members of the Herndon High School Navy Junior ROTC posted and associations and their auditors,” according Tuesday, Nov. 11. retired the Colors at Tuesday’s observance. See Koger, Page 5 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Herndon Connection ❖ November 12-18, 2008 ❖ 3 Week in Herndon News From Page 2 mittens, scarves and sweatshirts. Contact a LINK representa- tive for more information via e-mail at HolidayFoodBasket@ LINKAgainstHunger.org. Coppermine Boundary Meetings Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will hold two town meet- ings to solicit input in determining boundaries for a new elemen- tary school under construction at the Coppermine site in Herndon, located on River Birch Drive. The new school will feature 32 class- by Photo rooms and serve students in grades K-6. Schools involved in the boundary study include Floris, Herndon, Hutchinson, McNair and Oak Hill Elementary schools. The town meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, at Carson Middle School and Mirza Kurspahic Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Franklin Middle School. FISH Collects for Holiday Food and Gift Boxes /The Connection Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc., is making an earnest appeal to the community for non-perishable food donations for the Thanksgiv- ing and December food boxes. The goal is to provide food for 650 people, about 200 families, for each of the two months. Dona- tions are also needed to buy a $10 grocery store gift certificate for each box. Gift donations are requested for children, from in- fants to teenagers, for the December food and gift boxes. Gift The trees planted at Rachel Carson Middle School will serve a variety of purposes when cards are preferable for the teens. they mature. Volunteers are welcome to help collect, sort, pack and deliver food boxes on Nov. 17-20 and Dec. 15-18 at 11484 Washington Plaza West, Room 140, in Reston. To donate food and gifts, re- quest food pickup or volunteer, contact Holiday Coordinator Robyn New Trees at Carson Kampf at 571-926-8019 or [email protected]. Tax-deductible donations can be made to Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc., 336 Vic- Partnership provides 1,800 its tree canopy goals. Taylor said FCPS would con- tory Drive, Herndon, VA 20170. Please indicate the check is for tinue to look for opportunities to conduct similar the holiday baskets. native trees for Rachel projects at other schools. Carson Middle School. THE TREES WILL also serve as an educational tool, Spirit of Giving Open House according to Beach and others involved in the Nov. 7 The annual Spirit of Giving Open House at JJ Deli to help the By Mirza Kurspahic planting. “Even though this is a corporate effort, the wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and their families at Fisher House The Connection students will learn from it,” said Taylor. “The students will take place on Sunday, Dec. 7, starting at 1 p.m. JJ Deli is will hear about it, they will talk about it,” he said.