Wednesday, November 26
Holiday Wishes Come True in Great Falls
The Wish List Project sending 325 homeless children holiday gifts.
Because of Ginger Mahon, more than 300 homeless and foster care children and teens will wake up to presents on Christmas. The Wish List Project, which turns 15 this year, will deliver donated personalized gifts to six organizations throughout the county, playing Santa for hundreds of children.
Reston: ArcAngel, New Security App, Launches
Advanced technology pinpoints user location in an emergency.
John South, CEO of Patrocinium Systems of Reston, calls it the guardian angel of apps. The ArcAngel app, unveiled on Nov. 19, can pinpoint users during emergency situations, alerting first responders and loved ones about their minute-by-minute status.
Gifts from the HeART in Reston
Community Center partners with Cornerstones for holiday market
Lake Anne Community Center will become a holiday market to benefit charity. On Dec. 6, the annual Gifts from the HeART reception and market will feature vendors from throughout the county for adults as well as crafts and a visit from Santa for children.
Column: ‘Shrinkage’
Not exactly “like a frightened turtle” as “similed” on a long-ago Seinfeld episode by Jerry himself; this shrinkage is the good kind, the kind you hope a radiological oncologist characterizes when viewing your CT Scan (computed tomography).
Tuesday, November 25
And The “Scancer” Is…
Unknown at this date – Saturday, November 15. In fact, it will be six days from now until we’ll know the results. As it is always scheduled, a week or so after my quarterly CT Scan, we will have our usual follow-up, face-to-face appointment with my oncologist. At this meeting, I am examined, and of course, the radiologist’s report of the most recent scan is discussed, and plans for the future – stay the course and/or adjust or switch altogether – are considered.
“Shrinkage”
Not exactly “like a frightened turtle” as “similed” on a long-ago Seinfeld episode by Jerry himself; this shrinkage is the good kind, the kind you hope a radiological oncologist characterizes when viewing your CT Scan (computed tomography). Specifically, the exact kind of scan I get every three months to assess and evaluate the tumors, and fluid, in my stage IV, non-small cell cancer-affected lungs.
An Exceptional Education
Exceptional Schools Fair offers parents a chance to learn more about schools for their children with special needs.
Maureen Kleinman wandered from booth to booth, speaking with representatives from schools that cater to students who have special needs. She asked questions about each school’s resources and environment.
Encouraging Girls to Pursue STEM
Holy Child will host female speakers in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
When Trish Whitcomb’s daughter Colleen began to express an interest in engineering, she and her husband were at a loss as to how to foster her academic and career aspirations.
November Raises Awareness and Celebrates Caregivers
Resources available for people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
Mary Driver-Downs has been one of the primary caregivers for her mother-in-law, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, for the past six years. It has been a difficult journey, but one she says is well worth it.
Turkey Carving 101
Local chefs offer advice for slicing the star of the Thanksgiving table.
Few things symbolize Thanksgiving like a whole roasted turkey on a platter, but when it’s time for dinner, neatly sliced pieces of meat look even more appealing. Whether it’s sliced at the table or in kitchen, turkey carving can be a daunting task, however. A few local chefs share their favorite turkey-carving methods to create an impressive holiday platter.
Commentary: Rocket Science
With the number of rockets my high school friend, Joe Hammock and I built and launched, I am fortunate to have all my fingers and no serious injuries. Our rockets were not the hobbyist models you can buy today that use water or air pressure to launch; our rockets used black powder or a fuel we mixed ourselves.
Holiday Parade Returns to Reston Town Center
This year’s parade to be held on Friday, Nov. 28.
Reston Town Center presents the 24th annual Reston Holiday Parade, the highlight of a day filled with fun for the whole family, Friday, Nov. 28.
Column: RELAC—A Museum and Environmental Problem
Last Saturday the new owners of Reston Lake Anne Air Conditioning, RELAC, held an open house at their plant, a first in living memory.
Buzz Aldrin Elementary Named a National PTA School of Excellence
National PTA has recognized Buzz Aldrin Elementary School and the Buzz Aldrin Elementary School PTA as a National PTA School of Excellence for their achievement in building effective family-school partnerships.
Editorial: Holidays Are About Giving
Give thanks and share; tens of thousands of families around us are in need.
The holidays are about giving, and giving thanks. The holidays are about children and family. The holidays are about sharing, about joy. The holidays are about being thankful and about faith and appreciation. The holidays are about alleviating suffering for others. Surrounded by the bounty in so many neighborhoods in Northern Virginia, many of us see little signs of the massive unmet needs here. But in Fairfax County Public Schools, more than 52,000 of the students are poor enough to receive free or subsidized meals, a significant measure of poverty.
Season of Giving to Help Neighbors in Need
Communities come together to support neighbors in need in Reston, Herndon area.
2014 hasn’t been a good year for “Arleta” (name has been changed for anonymity) of Herndon. It started off with the loss of her husband to cancer, leaving her the single parent of twin 8-year-old boys.
Thursday, November 20
Reston Home Sales: October, 2014
In October 2014, 82 Reston homes sold between $800,000-$125,000.
Reston Home Sales: October, 2014
Lake Fairfax's Real Jonathan Swift
Kentucky native strikes gold with nonfiction pirate tale.
Robert Prather has spent years trying to figure out the real Jonathan Swift - the man behind the legends of pirates, treasure and mystery. After his most recent visit to Alexandria and Lake Fairfax - two areas that Swift called home during his time - he is piecing together the third edition of The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver.
The Soap Engineers Are a Hit at Lake Anne
Business combines science with a love for pampering.
All of Janette Lew’s and Brooke Goad’s best ideas start with wine. The two created The Soap Engineers, a local company that features high quality bath and body products, after the two chatted over happy hour about their mutual love for making handmade bath salts and fizzies.
Renovation Keeps Rolling at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria
New wing showcased at Nov. 14 ribbon-cutting.
Thomas Jefferson senior Thomas Rogers is big on the laser cutter. “You can cut anything you want,” said the McLean resident, “like exact designs on sheet metal.” Rogers was enthusiastic about the device, but wouldn’t fire it up during the Nov. 14 tour of the Science and Technology Governor’s School’s new two-story wing with 14 research spaces.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors makes two rail-facilitating moves; Arlington ends streetcar project.
As the Silver Line Metororail project progresses towards its second phase opening date of 2018, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are helping pave the way.
Wednesday, November 19
Editorial: Why Shop Small? Shop Large Locally
Small business Saturday isn’t enough; don’t wait until then, and don’t stop after that.
There is a joy to shopping in local stores at the holidays, to participating in community traditions and celebrations, to walking along a sidewalk with the streets decked out for the holidays, to being greeted by someone likely to be the owner of the store, to finding gifts that are not mass-produced.
Reston Citizens Association Reacts to Golf Course Appeal
RCA wants Reston National Golf Course preserved as open space.
The owner of the Reston National Golf Course (RNGC), RN Golf Management, LLC (RN Golf) is reactivating its appeal for rezoning the golf course. Reston Citizens Association (RCA) reiterates its position that the use of RNGC land must be preserved as a golf course.
Ready for Winter Skating Fun at Reston Town Center
Meteorologists around our region have been gleefully talking about the earlier-than-normal return of Polar Vortex-like weather for weeks, but the forecast for the Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion this past weekend was appropriately chilly, with brilliant blue skies overhead, holiday decorations all round, and buckets of fun on the ice.
Del. Plum Visits Aldrin Elementary
Virginia Del. Kenneth Plum (D-36) engages Aldrin students in discussions about Virginia government as part of National Take Your Legislator to Work Day.
Column: And The “Scancer” Is…
Unknown at this date – Saturday, November 15. In fact, it will be six days from now until we’ll know the results. As it is always scheduled, a week or so after my quarterly CT Scan, we will have our usual follow-up, face-to-face appointment with my oncologist.
Tuesday, November 18
Q&A: Herndon’s Taylor Stone Signs with Louisville
Senior named 6A North region field hockey Player of the Year.
Herndon senior Taylor Stone signed a letter of intent to play field hockey at Louisville.
Saturday, November 15
Reston Association Prepares For Winter
Snow summit held to share information and ideas.
Representatives from Reston Association, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), and Fairfax County attended the first “Snow Summit” Thursday, Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Reston Association Headquarters, 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive. The event was open to public and was held to prepare Reston Association members for the upcoming snow season.
Friday, November 14
Excuse Me
Early on during my indoctrination/assimilation into the cancer-patient world in which I now reside, I remember asking a fellow cancer patient/friend if I could use cancer as an excuse for whatever it was needed excusing (directly or indirectly related), and she said: absolutely, “blame the cancer.” Years later, after a chemotherapy infusion, I saw my oncologist walking through the Infusion Center and asked him if my thinning hair might be a result of this most recent chemotherapy drug (not all chemotherapy results in hair loss). His response was similar to what my friend had advised me in 2009. He said: “You can blame me,” (which of course, I understood to mean, cancer/the treatment of cancer) “for anything.”
Dos, Don’ts and What-Ifs
Instinctively, I am not the most open-to-new-ideas/new-things kind of person. However, an unexpected diagnosis of stage IV, non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at age 54 and a half – along with its equally unexpected “13-month to two-year prognosis,” changes a few things. And thanks to a great friend, Rebecca Nenner, whom I have written about previously, I have/have had to become more open, and consequently, have assimilated into my life many non-Western, non-traditional alternatives (pills, supplements, super foods, activities/behaviors, etc.) with which I was totally unfamiliar (I’m a sports and chocolate kind of person), in an attempt to outlive my prognosis.
Thursday, November 13
Traveling Purses Raise Domestic Violence Awareness Around Fairfax County
“Victoria” moved to the United States eight years ago with her husband. (Her name has been changed for protective anonymity.) At the beginning, he was the perfect gentleman: holding doors, full of compliments, telling her he loved her. She quit her job to be with him, her first love. Their future in a new country seemed bright.
Jean R. Packard Remembered at Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna
Jean Packard was Frank Roberts’ first boss. He was 13, she was 22 and the acting editor of her father Dave’s Clermont Sun newspaper in Batavia, Ohio. “I was a ‘devil’s rat,’” Roberts said, responsible for odd gofer jobs around the office. “I was trying to hide from work and she’d track me down. She was a tough boss.”
Community Debates Reston Master Plan
Residents discuss Tall Oaks, Baron Cameron.
By the next Phase II community meeting, the working draft will be completed. The last Phase II master plan public comment meeting took place on Saturday, allowing community members to voice their opinions on their vision for the Baron Cameron convenience center and Tall Oaks Village Center.
Wednesday, November 12
McLean Location for 2015 DC Design House
House will benefit Children’s National Health System.
The new country estate at 956 Mackall Farm Lane in McLean will be the location for the 8th annual DC Design House, a project that raises money to benefit Children’s National Health System. The 2015 DC Design House will be held from April 11 to May 10.
New Interior Design Book Features Local Tastemakers
Interior designers offer advice on creating an elegant home.
Fall not only brings vibrantly colored leaves and pumpkins, but it also ushers in a slew of new book releases. Among those is an interior design book featuring local designers.
Editorial: Thanksgiving Help for Those in Need
Roll up those sleeves and help.
This week is the week to jump in to help the many organizations that will help needy families through the holidays. Here are a few ideas of how to help, but the opportunities are limitless. More than 236,000 people living in the area do not have access to enough food to sustain an active, healthy life for all members of their households, according to Catholic Charities. That is to say, more than a quarter of a million people, including many children, go hungry on a regular basis.
Oakton, Langley Football Reach Postseason
The Oakton and Langley football teams each earned a spot in the 6A North region playoffs. Oakton enters the postseason as the region’s No. 14 seed and will travel to face No. 3 Lake Braddock at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14.
Commentary: From Polarization to Compromise
The outcome of the most recent elections demonstrates once again how divided we are as a nation and as a state. The clearest winner is gridlock as it is hard to see how progress can be made by Congress on important issues that await resolution.
Independent Progressive: Midterm Elections — Malaise of 2014
Midterm Elections — Malaise of 2014
Obviously, Nov. 4, 2014 is a day this Progressive would like to forget. I am still trying to sort it all out to figure out why millions of people voted against their own self-interest, why Democrats failed to articulate their core principles, and why so many Americans (especially those who are the butts of conservative greed-driven policy jokes) refuse to examine public policy choices or participate in elections.
Buzz Aldrin Elementary Named a National PTA School of Excellence
National PTA has recognized Buzz Aldrin Elementary School and the Buzz Aldrin Elementary School PTA as a National PTA School of Excellence for their achievement in building effective family-school partnerships.
Column: Excuse Me
Early on during my indoctrination/assimilation into the cancer-patient world in which I now reside, I remember asking a fellow cancer patient/friend if I could use cancer as an excuse for whatever it was needed excusing (directly or indirectly related), and she said: absolutely, “blame the cancer.”
Thursday, November 6
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Clifton residents to hold open-house tour of newly remodeled homes for the benefit of local widow.
Neighbors help each other. That's what communities have always been about. Long-time Clifton resident Bob Gallagher is rallying his friends and peers to help his neighbor Elsa Armendaris.
Holiday Food Drives Begin in Reston
Local companies gathering food for those in need.
Cornerstones and Reston Community Center [RCC] are working together to make sure families can have a special turkey dinner - and still eat well during school breaks - this holiday season. Their annual Thanksgiving food drives, geared towards families in Herndon and Reston, will provide hundreds of families with food baskets with enough meals for a special dinner and enough snacks for children who are on holiday breaks.
Natural Treatments for Anxiety
Experts say complementary medical treatments can help relieve anxiety and other mental disorders.
When 35-year-old Andrea Evenson decided to try meditation, exercise and yoga to deal with her anxiety, she had already been on a myriad of anti-anxiety medications.
Column: November Is Adoption Month
Here’s how to help find a forever family for children and teens waiting in foster care.
If you are lucky, you don't know what it's like to live in the precarious limbo that defines foster care in this country.
Commentary: Sometimes Perception Really Isn’t Reality
Fairfax County is home to one of the wealthiest populations in the country. Unbeknownst to many, the county is also home to the second largest population of homelessness in this region. In fact, more than 1,200 residents of Fairfax County are without stable and safe homes.
Herndon’s Butler, Morris Earn Regional Berth
Herndon had two strong individual performances at the Conference 5 cross country championship meet.
Wednesday, November 5
HOT Topic
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue invites the media for Hands-On Training.
Rob Schoenberger is pretty good with a 15-foot extendable camera. Its built-in microphone and powerful lights come in handy, paired with a Delsar seismic sensor device, when trying to locate people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building.
Summer Work to Support Reston Shelter
Adit and Atin Kolli, sixth graders at Forest Edge Elementary School in Reston, ran a lemonade stand last summer at the local farmers market on Saturdays.
‘Light and Color’ Exhibit of Fine Art by Joan S. Kelly
Fine works in acrylic by Joan S. Kelly will be the featured exhibit titled “Light and Color,“ on display from Nov. 7- Dec. 7 at Reston Art Gallery & Studios (RAGS), 11400 Washington Plaza, Reston, on the waterfront of Lake Anne Plaza.
Commentary: Leaving a Lasting Legacy
Events of the past couple of weeks remind me of the wonderful people in our community who tirelessly and endlessly work to ensure that others have a good quality of life. A good friend and former colleague of mine, Elizabeth Link, passed away after a bout with cancer.
Column: Dos, Don’ts and What-Ifs
Instinctively, I am not the most open-to-new-ideas/new-things kind of person. However, an unexpected diagnosis of stage IV, non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at age 54 and a half – along with its equally unexpected “13-month to two-year prognosis,” changes a few things.
Fairfax Field Hockey Advances to Region Final
Rebels beat Herndon, secure state tournament berth.
The Fairfax field hockey team defeated Herndon 2-1 on Tuesday night in the 6A North region semifinals.
Local Foundation Promotes Campus Safety, Discusses Commemorative Quilt
The VTV Family Outreach Foundation, a Centreville-based national nonprofit campus safety advocacy organization, held their 2014 annual meeting last weekend at the Sheraton Reston Hotel. VTV was formed by the families of victims and survivors of the April 16, 2007 mass shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech.
Herndon’s Butler, Morris Earn Regional Berth
Herndon harriers Lauren BHerndon harriers Lauren Butler and Jack Morris placed in the top 15 in their respective races at the Conference 5 meet on Oct. 30 at Burke Lake Park, earning each a berth in the 6A North region meet on Nov. 5.utler and Jack Morris placed in the top 15 in their respective races at the Conference 5 meet on Oct. 30 at Burke Lake Park, earning each a berth in the 6A North region meet on Nov. 5.
Tuesday, November 4
Herndon’s Palacios, Stone Sisters Thrive in Blowout Victory
Hornets throttle South County, return to region semifinals.
The Herndon field hockey team travels to face Fairfax in the 6A North region semifinals.
Steady Election Turnout in Reston and Herndon
Voters aware of new photo ID requirement.
Midterm elections were held throughout Virginia on Nov. 4, with voting stations open at locations throughout the commonwealth’s 95 counties. “There will be approximately 2,500 election officers working at the county’s 238 precincts,” stated Lisa M. Connors, public information officer for Fairfax County.