Monday, June 30
Local Real Estate: May, 2014 Top Sales in Vienna, Oakton, Reston and Oak Hill
Local Real Estate: May, 2014 Top Sales in Vienna, Oakton, Reston and Oak Hill
Friday, June 27
Youth Suicide Prevention Training Offered Online
Interactive training helps adults deal with serious issues.
Following several incidents in the community involving youth and suicide, Laura Yager, the director of partnership and resource development for the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, said the community has recognized the need for youth suicide prevention.
Food Truck Changes Considered in Fairfax County
Public Hearings are July 30 and Sept. 9.
Instead of bringing a brown-bag lunch to work or venturing out for fast food, Fairfax County residents may soon have a different option. On June 17, the Board of Supervisors voted to move forward with a proposal to make changes to food truck regulations. The proposal will allow food trucks to operate at office buildings, construction sites, and commercial and industrial properties. Public hearings on the proposal will be held in front of the Planning Commission on July 30 and Sept. 9 in front of the Board of Supervisors.
Thursday, June 26
Classified Advertising June 25, 2014
Read the latest ads here!
Column: Preventing Gun Violence
The total number of people killed by guns, suicide and accidental deaths between Newtown and December 2013 is 12,042.
Grace Wolf appointed to state commission.
Town Council Member Grace Han Wolf was appointed to the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Seahawks Take Flight
Over 500 students graduated from South Lakes High School Wednesday, June 18.
In their signature royal blue caps and gowns and Kelly green sashes, over 500 South Lakes High School seniors crossed the Patriot Center stage and joined the ranks of high school graduates Wednesday, June 18.
Column: Gov. McAuliffe—Please, Not the Richmond Way
Let’s hope that this rare potential hero figure in a leadership role isn’t expanding health care mainly for insurance industry profit and vetoing ethics legislation only to kill sorely needed reform just so that he can somehow fit in down there by doing things “the Richmond way”!
Home Depot Builds “Cruise Bridge” for SLHS
When Home Depot paint department manager Autumn Barkley was asked the best way to create a walkway for South Lakes High School’s senior all-night graduation party, she decided the Reston store would take care of the project - and cover all the costs.
Cabaret to Brighten Herndon Summer
Summer Cabaret Series to open July 11.
This summer audiences can cozy up to a delightfully bold Summer Cabaret Series at Herndon's Industrial Strength Theatre.
Thousands Watch World Cup Match in Reston Town Center
Leidos and D.C. United viewing session.
More than 4,000 squeezed into the pavilion area Sunday evening to watch the United States play against Portugal in the FIFA World Cup game they thought was a U.S. win.
Seahawks Urged To Be Creators
South Lakes graduates 576 at Patriot Center.
Antonia Nagle urged her classmates - all 575 of them - to go out and be creators.
Wednesday, June 25
Editorial: Safe Fourth
Talking and planning are the best safety measures; SoberRide offers a safety net.
Independence Day is a national celebration, and for many, that celebration includes alcohol. The summer overall and July 4 in particular are times of greater risk for drinking and driving.
What’s Offensive about Redskins Pride?
Absolutely nothing, if you’re state Sen. Chap Petersen.
A lifelong Redskins fan, Fairfax state Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) has had it up to here with all the talk about the need to change the name of his beloved football team. He vented his frustration and indignation on his blog — Ox Road South — but said he was leery of tackling what he deemed the forces of political correctness in the "War Against the Redskins" until June 18, when the Federal Patent Office blocked the team’s Redskins trademarks, declaring that the name was "disparaging" to Native Americans at the time the trademarks were registered — as far back as 1967. That action pushed Petersen off the sidelines to lead an offensive attack.
"One Less Thing"
Forrest Gump knew when he voiced over: "Mama got the cancer and died on a Tuesday. I bought her a new hat with little flowers on it. And that’s all I have to say about that." And if you watched the movie as often as I did (it was one of my mother’s favorites), you may also recall "Mama always said you got to put the past behind you before you can move on."
County Chamber Honors Brain Injury Services
The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (Fairfax Chamber) honored Brain Injury Services with the 2014 Nonprofit of the Year award. This category was part of the 2014 Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Awards presented at the Chamber’s Annual Chairman’s Luncheon on June 17, 2014.
Monday, June 23
Call for Pet Photos & Stories
The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly special edition, will publish on July 23, and photos and stories of your pets with you and your family should be submitted by Wednesday, July 16.
Thursday, June 19
Reston Home Sales: May, 2014
In May 2014, 105 Reston homes sold between $1,575,000-$110,000.
Reston Home Sales: May, 2014
Patchwork of Approaches to Affordable Housing in Northern Virginia
Jurisdictions use a variety of strategies to prevent homelessness.
Affordable housing means different things to different people at different times. For government officials, it's a phrase that means that a family spends no more than 30 percent of its income on housing costs, including rent or mortgage as well as taxes and utilities
Wednesday, June 18
Take a Break Concerts Return to Lake Anne Plaza
Once the rain clouds cleared last Thursday evening, the Barretones took the stage at Lake Anne Plaza to kick off the annual Take a Break concert series.
Tastes So Good
Visitors take a bite out of the town during the 24th annual Taste of Reston weekend.
Thousands of people braved high wind gusts and ominous storm clouds at Reston Town Center over the weekend.
First Chalk Festival Held In Reston
Art event showcases local talent at Lake Anne Plaza.
Reston’s Lake Anne Plaza hosted its first ever chalk festival titled Chalk on the Water, the weekend of June 7-8.
Letter: ‘Restonyzing’ Village Centers
It is much too important to leave the future of the village centers in the hands of the owners.
Meals Tax: Tasty or Revolting?
Supervisors digest task force’s final report on hot-button issue.
After hours of simmering debate, the Meals Tax Referendum Task Force’s presentation to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Tuesday was a mere amuse-bouche, whetting the appetite of board the for the group’s 170-page multi-course written report.
Column: A Bloodless Revolution
About this time of year in 1966 I wrote a letter to my hometown newspaper, The Page News and Courier, suggesting that Virginia had just undergone one of the “bloodless revolutions” that Thomas Jefferson had suggested would be good for society periodically.
AAFMAA Marks 135 Years of Protecting Military Families
On Monday, June 9, at the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA) commemorated 135 years of protecting our nation's military families.
Silver Line Opening Soon
WMATA not ready to make official announcement yet.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority isn’t ready to say when the first phase of the Silver Line will open.
Third in the World
Nysmith’s Odyssey of the Mind places third in the World Finals.
On their third consecutive trip to the World Finals, Nysmith’s Oddysey of the Mind Team came in third out of 836 teams at the competition held at Iowa State University.
Gifts for New Grads
Local tastemakers offer suggestions from the sentimental to the practical.
After the tassels have been turned and the diplomas received, it is usually time for a graduation celebration. Whether you’re shopping for someone who is heading to college or venturing out into the workforce, choosing a present for the graduate in your life can be perplexing, but local tastemakers are here to help, offering suggestions for graduation presents that range from the practical to the sentimental.
After Graduation: Dorm Room Set-Up
Local organizers show how to maximize storage in small spaces.
After graduation comes off-to-college season. Often this means parents making design choices for their children or parents and their soon-to-be-college freshmen searching for supplies that will serve dual purposes, particularly when it comes to storage. For those who find themselves in a dorm room design conundrum, local organizers offer tips and tools for creating stylish yet space-saving designs for new college students.
Editorial: More Affordable Housing Needed
Anticipated job growth to exacerbate problem.
In Northern Virginia, affordable housing means more than human services or helping those who are less fortunate. It means more than housing the chronically homeless, although that is not optional.
A Dream Come True, Sort Of
Growing up in the 60s, if you loved sports, as I did/still do, you spent hours listening to games on a transistor radio. There certainly wasn’t “Cable” television back then; heck, there wasn’t even color television, let alone “HD,” “interactive,” or whatever else television technology has evolved into. And of course, there were no “big screen” television sets either. We had a 19" Zenith black and white television and we received three channels: 4, 5 and 7 (in Boston), and as much as sports was/is important in Boston/New England, viewing options, given the limited VHF/UHF band frequencies, meant listening to games on radio – AM radio. Games were regularly televised on weekends, more so if the home team was playing on the road. As the decades have passed, so too have transistor radios, black and white televisions and limited viewing on only three channels. Between “Cable,” computers, and more recently, the introduction of hand-held devices, access to and familiarity with sports has grown exponentially. Add in the explosion of sports-talk radio and the abundance of sports-themed content on television (regardless of whether the games are at home or on the road) and one could be in his “man cave” for hours on end “channeling” his – or her – passion, for any team, in any city, at almost any time.
Friday, June 13
Me & My Dad 2014 — Father's Day Photo Gallery
My father died in 1989. At the first wedding I photographed afterwards, my son Steven who was assisting me, nudged me aside during the Father-Daughter dance. He noticed that I was weeping and that I couldn't see to focus because of the tears in my eyes. I still miss my father. My father was a quiet man, a gentle man. I never heard him raise his voice. He worked two full time jobs when I was growing up and I didn't see him very much but somehow he managed to teach me lessons I still haven't forgotten.
Thursday, June 12
School Calendar Changes Examined
Fairfax County considers ending half-day Mondays, at the cost between $4 to $7.6 Million.
Changes could be coming soon to school schedules in Fairfax County, under a new plan announced by Superintendent Karen Garza at a work session on May 28.
Wednesday, June 11
Summer Fairs and Festivals Calendar 2014
Your guide to this summer's hottest events in the area.
Your guide to this summer's fun festivals and events.
Letter: Where Are Your Kids?
For each of the past three gorgeous days, I’ve spent an hour or two hobbling along the pathways in my neighborhood, Lake Anne Village.
Column: A Sense of Community
As you may know, I grew up in a very rural part of Virginia—in Page County near the little town of Shenandoah in the Page Valley that is part of the grander Shenandoah Valley.
Column: Library Board and Masters Need to Rebuild Citizen Trust
Remember the uproar last year when the Fairfax Public Library administration got caught trying to introduce their “Beta Plan” for Fairfax County libraries of the future?
Week in Reston
Volunteers needed and scholarships awarded.
Reston Hospital Center Awards Scholarships to High School Seniors
In a ceremony on Thursday, June 5, Reston Hospital Center awarded 17 Northern Virginia high school seniors with scholarships in recognition of their excellence in education and passion for pursuing a career in healthcare.
Taste of Reston Returns to Town Center
Thousands expected at 24th annual event.
Get the knife and fork ready.
Reston’s Phase II Introduced
No plans made yet, said district supervisor.
Reston’s Phase II of its Master Plan is underway.
Cappies Awarded for High School Theater
The 15th Annual Cappies Awards Gala for high school theater was held Sunday, June 8 at The Kennedy Center. Nine Cappies went to West Potomac High School for “Spamalot,” including the coveted Best Musical award. The Best Play award went to Langley High School for “The Children’s Hour.” The Cappies’ show season extended from October 2013 to May 2014, and Cappies shows were attended, on average, by 45 student critics. This year’s event included 58 public and private high schools from Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Montgomery and Prince William counties, the cities of Falls Church, Alexandria and Manassas, and Washington, D.C. The event was hosted by Judy Bowns, Janie Strauss and Ed Monk.
Spring Concert at South Lakes
South Lakes Choral Department presents music skills.
Friends, families and local residents had the pleasure of hearing the South Lakes High School Choral Department perform on Tuesday, June 3 at the school’s Little Theatre.
Local Area Team Wins Third Place in Virginia State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament
In a tough competition of all the regional winners in the state tournament, the team came in third place.
Creating Private, Restful Retreat
Designers offer suggestions for decorating the perfect bedroom.
While most people crave a good night’s sleep, it remains a dream for many. A bedroom that is both chic and comfortable can help the overworked find that restful slumber.
Obituary
Marcella A. (Ridder) Urban, of Reston, Dies
Marcella A. Urban, Reston resident for more than five years, died peacefully at Sunrise Senior Living in Oakton on June 5.
Column: Something New – or Old, to Consider
And therein lies the anxiety. Although, all things considered – and as you regular readers know, I like, maybe even need, to consider all things – the medical assessment of the most recent CT scan of my upper torso and thorax/lungs showed a new object in my left lung, “approximately the size of a silver dollar,” according to my oncologist. What this object is, exactly, cannot be determined at this juncture; technology prevents such clarity, unfortunately. Nevertheless, its appearance and location are possibly cause for concern, possibly not.
Eat. Drink. Pay?
Fairfax County task force debates voters’ appetite for another meals tax referendum.
It has been 22 years since Fairfax County asked voters to approve a tax on restaurant meals, an issue that ignited protests, caused deep divisions among community leaders and threatened to melt down several political careers. The reverberations of that epic failure — what many consider the third rail of county politics — continue to echo in the ears of county politicians.
Comfort Women Memorial Highlights Human Trafficking
New Peace Garden a beacon of hope for victims.
When members of the Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues unveiled a new memorial on May 30, they also illuminated the issue of local human trafficking in Northern Virginia. Elected officials including Supervisor John Foust, Japanese and Korean representatives, and human rights activists gathered to remember the women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery during WWII. Now the memorial stands sunlit on the back lawn of the Fairfax County Government Center, as a reminder for today’s community to take a stand against these crimes against humanity in their own neighborhoods.
Why Education Needs Its Foundation
More than 100 business leaders attend luncheon.
Approximately 33 percent of Fairfax County Public Schools kindergartners are living in poverty.
100,000 Homes Fairfax Wins Blue Ribbon Partnership Award
The 100,000 Homes Fairfax campaign was presented with a Blue Ribbon Partnership award from the Fairfax County Office of Public Private Partnerships (OP3) as part of its "Celebrate Partnerships" awards ceremony held on May 29.
Opinion: Transitioning to Summer
Summer is a time of change — always welcomed by students. The break during the hottest months gives a chance for kids to de-stress and prepare for their next grade on their short path to adulthood. After five summers at FACETS, I’ve had the opportunity to watch many children make this transition. What’s fun for kids though, can be a huge struggle for their parents. Finding appropriate and affordable care, providing enough meals during the day, and incurring the extra costs of entertaining children can be an enormous challenge for families that FACETS serves.
Opinion: Clearing the Air on New Carbon Standards
The EPA‘s new proposal to safeguard the air we breathe and contain a primary driver of climate change by reducing carbon emissions from existing power plants is the lynchpin to reducing our carbon footprint. As co-chairs of the House Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, we welcome action on carbon pollution and look forward to working with all stakeholders in a responsible manner to advance a 21st century energy economy for America.
Fairfax County is Home to 10 Companies on 2014 Fortune 500 List
Ten Fairfax County-based companies, in industries ranging from defense and technology consulting to financial services and hospitality, hold spots in Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States. The 2014 Fortune 500 is available online.
Monday, June 9
Empire Strikes Back: Establishment Beats Tea Party at Republican Convention
Party insider Ed Gillespie seizes nomination at convention in Roanoke.
When conservative preacher E.W. Jackson took the stage at the Roanoke Civic Center to introduce Tea Party favorite Shak Hill at the Republican convention last weekend, hundreds of conservatives from across Virginia took to their feet. They waved placards.
Thursday, June 5
Classified Advertising June 4, 2014
Read the latest ads here!
Poverty in the Classroom: Low-Income Students Scattered Through Northern Virginia
Where are the region's highest poverty schools?
When Carla Castro-Claure was approaching the age when she would soon attend Kindergarten, her mother became increasingly concerned about Hybla Valley Elementary School.
Wednesday, June 4
Column: Garden Magic
The General Assembly has been in recess since early March when a special session was called by the Governor to pass a biennial budget that had failed to pass in the regular session.
Dulles Corridor Virtual Tour
Local business leaders get a peek into the future.
A boom in both housing and population is expected as the Metrorail Silver Line stations begin to open.
Week in Reston
Reston Master Plan Phase II Open House and Film Exhibition
Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) and the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning are hosting an open house on the Reston Master Plan Study Phase II.
Biggest Virginia Pine Becomes ‘Tree Cookie’
Possible tree competition for county.
Most cookies are done after baking for15 minutes. Not a tree cookie, however.
Tour de Cure Held in Reston
Cyclists bike to raise funds for American Diabetes Association.
Thousands of persons went to Reston Town Center on Sunday, June 1, to participate in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure Race.
Dean Klein To Be Awarded
Three county employees win Onthank award.
Dean Klein truly believes homelessness can be eradicated.
Love Your Body Yoga Festival Comes to Reston Town Center
Yoga studios and wellness centers of Northern Virginia will offer classes, services, and share information at Love Your Body Yoga Festival on Sunday, June 8 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston.
South Lakes High School Holds Spring Concert
Reston band students display their music skills.
On May 29, the South Lakes High School symphonic band and wind ensemble performed at the school’s Little Theater.
South Lakes High Student Wins State Competition
Sarah Quan, senior at South Lakes High School in Reston, won first place in the instrumental category of the Virginia State James A. Bland competition May 16.
Reston Concerts on the Town Kick Off New Season
Reston Concerts on the Town, the weekly summer concert series at Reston Town Center, will kick off its summer season on June 7 with Beatles tribute band Hard Day’s Night.
Healthy Cooking with Children
Local foodies say cooking with children can establish a lifetime of healthy habits.
From creating dough for freshly baked bread to squeezing lemons for a neighborhood lemonade stand, Michael Roll enjoys spending time in the kitchen with his children transforming ordinary food into nutritious culinary creations, particularly during the summer. He says that when parents cook healthy meals with their children they model behavior that can last a lifetime.
Saluting the Seniors
Ceremony in Fairfax recognizes high school seniors who are enlisting in the military.
As high school nears its end for the many seniors of Fairfax, Loudon and Prince William counties, students are faced with countless options of what will be their next step in life.
Team On Going
In anticipation of my next face-to-face appointment with my oncologist, the first in three months (as per usual) and considering a breathing issue I’ve been experiencing the last month or so, my wife, Dina (original Team Lourie member) asked if I wanted my brother, Richard (the other original Team Lourie member), to attend. Not that he wouldn’t attend if asked (he’s local); it’s more that I’m wondering if he really needs to attend, as in whether there will be life-changing, cancer-related decisions where all hands need be on deck. Of course, a week before the appointment I have no legitimate clue – nor have I received any suggestions from my oncologist – that anything of substance/recent changes that have occurred (I have also recently completed my quarterly diagnostic scans and am awaiting those results as well) will be discussed; and that’s the point of this column: how frequently, how/when does the patient/survivor know when team members should be present at these appointments?
Editorial: On Voting in the 8th
Vote this week at your convenience in person absentee, or be sure to vote on Tuesday.
Chances are that if you are a registered voter in the 8th Congressional District, your mailbox has been letting you know that many candidates are running in next week’s Democratic primary.