Friday, July 31
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 31-Aug. 9, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, July 30
Fairfax County Ad Hoc Commission Subcommittees Report
“It is well past time for the Fairfax County Police Department to start providing timely, honest and effective communications with everything it does.” When former director of Fairfax County public affairs Merni Fitzgerald delivered the final report and recommendations of the communications subcommittee of the Fairfax County ad hoc commission to review police practices, commissioner Joseph Cammarata responded immediately to those words in report’s introduction.
Fairfax: Special Grand Jury Begins Hearing Testimony in John Geer Case
Since shooting John Geer dead in the doorway of his Springfield home on Aug. 29, 2013, PFC Adam Torres of the Fairfax County Police Department has remained at work, albeit out of the field, but undisciplined by police and unprosecuted for any criminal wrongdoing.
Fairfax County School Board Honors Retiring Leaders, Adopts Budget Review and Audit Plan
In their last meeting of the summer, Fairfax County School Board members began by remembering former superintendent Dr. Robert Spillane, who recently died, and recognizing outgoing members of the school system’s leadership team.
Wednesday, July 29
Column: On A Tangent
Not that I live day-to-day or even month-to-month, but I do live – in my head anyway – quarter-to-quarter; that interval representing the usual and customary time between my recurring diagnostic scans. The time when the rubber hits my road.
Column: Wind Energy
Wind energy needs to be a part of the renewable mix of energy sources in Virginia and the nation.
With the federal Clean Air Act requiring higher air quality standards, many fossil-fuel power plants will be closing or converting to other fuel sources.
Column: Keeping the Lid on in Fairfax County
We continue to experience cruelty and violence in this country in ways tragically unique in modern, industrialized societies.
Wednesday, July 22
Column: 'Abyssful' Ignorance
Hopefully not. But you never know – per last week’s column, until you know. And the preferred pattern seems to be that waiting to be spoken to in person, a week or so post-scan, is the best the process can be; or at least, that’s the process that suits the doctor/HMO.
Tuesday, July 21
Reston’s Best Friends Meet at Baron Cameron Park
The Reston Dog Park located on Baron Cameron Avenue has been a favorite spot for local residents, as the location has fostered a growing community of pet owners in Northern Virginia.
Reston: Ribbon Cutting Held For Robert E. Simon, Jr. Children's Center
Robert E. Simon, Jr. Children's Center, called a "hidden treasure" in Reston, held a grand opening on Saturday, July 18, at 12005 Sunrise Valley Drive in suite 120.
Column: Traveling Abroad
While I am far from a world traveler, I find the trips I take to other countries to be relaxing, fun and educational. I agree with those who stress the value of traveling abroad to a complete education.
Monday, July 20
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 24-Aug. 2, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Editorial: What’s Special about Your Community?
Share tips in upcoming Newcomers and Community Guides.
The Connection’s annual Newcomers and Community Guides will publish Aug. 26. A bevy of interns, plus staff writers and editors, are preparing this year’s editions, but we need help from our readers.
Thursday, July 16
Reston Home Sales: June, 2015
In June, 2015, 126 Reston homes sold between $1,500,000-$165,000.
Reston Home Sales: June, 2015
Wednesday, July 15
Column: 'Scant' Know For Sure Anymore
After six years, four months and two weeks since being diagnosed with stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer (the “terminal” kind), I can say with certainty that I have no sense of what my next CT scan, scheduled for July 15th, will indicate. Previously (multiple scans over multiple years), I’ve felt something in my upper chest/lungs where the largest tumors are located and the subsequent scan showed nothing of consequence.
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 17-26, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Tuesday, July 14
Letter: A Woman I Will Never Forget In My Life
To the Editor
It began to snow in the morning. I arrived by bus at Reston Hospital for an X-ray. They told me the X-ray location was a half mile away.
Commentary: Police View from Inside a Crown Vic
Last Friday, I participated in a “ride along” with a Fairfax County Police Officer from the Reston Station during an eleven and a half hour evening shift patrolling Reston and part of Great Falls. I sat next to my officer-partner’s computer in a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser.
Commentary: Paying for Our Schools
The recent tension between the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the School Board over approval of the budget for the public schools left one big factor out of the equation for funding schools—the role of state government in financing public education in the Commonwealth. Public education as defined in the state constitution is a partnership between state and local governments.
Opinion: Chamber Promotes Reston Businesses
Why business should do business with the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.
The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) is changing the way businesses are connecting with each other.
Dulles International Airport Challenges
A demand for change at Dulles Airport.
Washington Dulles International Airport, located in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in Virginia, was once surrounded by farmland.
Ukulele Festival Held at Reston’s Lake Anne Plaza
Aloha! Ukulele festival a success in Reston.
A signature summer event of Reston is the Lake Anne annual Ukulele Festival, held this year on Saturday, July 11.
Editorial: Backpacks for All
Thousands of students will begin school this fall at a disadvantage; help now so they have the basics.
The first day of school each year is fraught with anticipation and anxiety. Many local students will be concerned about what they wear, who they will see, what it will be like. They’ve already had multiple shopping trips, online and otherwise, to be sure they have the supplies and extras they need.
Backyard Vegetable Gardens Feed Multicultural Cuisines
In Fairfax County, tomatoes are a staple of local gardens along with peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, beans and herbs like mint, oregano and cilantro.
There’s nothing like a juicy red tomato fresh out of the backyard garden to brighten up a summertime salad or a sandwich — or a bittermelon, aronia berries or “paradise apple,” as persimmons are known in Bulgaria. The multi-cultural population in Fairfax County has grown roots in the backyard vegetable garden.
Unscheduling Summer Play
Experts praise the benefits of free play for children.
What was once a time for catching fireflies, swimming and exploring has evolved into a period of elite day camps, academic enrichment classes and top-dollar sports clinics.
Friday, July 10
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 10-19, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, July 9
Fairfax: City of Fairfax Band Children’s Concert July 16
Each year, the City of Fairfax community band gives its youngest fans a chance to try their hand at the shiny, twisty and just plain loud instruments in the ensemble.
Wednesday, July 8
Column: My Manifesto, Sort Of
Being diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer (no, they’re not all “terminal”) is “a heck of a thing,” to extrapolate a bit from Jim Valvano’s memorable 1993 ESPY Awards speech given a few months before he succumbed to his cancer.
Commentary: Legislation Combats Sex Trafficking
On July 1, legislation that I sponsored, HB1964, went into effect. This new law is Virginia’s first stand-alone human trafficking statute and creates stricter penalties for traffickers, greater protections for sex trafficking victims, and provides needed tools for prosecutors and law enforcement to stop human trafficking in Virginia.
Letter: Celebrating Marriage Equality
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Today, we rejoice in the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the federal right of same sex partners to legal marriage in the cases of Obergefell v. Hodges, Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder, Bourke v. Beshear.
World Police and Fire Games In Reston
Weekend events near Reston Town Center
Rain which lasted throughout Saturday, June 27 cancelled several outdoor events in the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games. Yet a sunnier Sunday permitted competitions continue in Fairfax County.
Tuesday, July 7
Fairfax County: Making Summer Reading Fun
Children who meet a reading challenge receive a prize.
Summer days are great for lounging by the pool, laying in the sun and relaxing with a good book. The Fairfax County Public Library is helping to make reading even more fun for families through the Summer Reading Program.
Reston: Vigil Held for Investigator Silva
Sympathy and solidarity after athlete’s death.
A competitor in the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games Investigator Carlos Silva of Brazil was killed and two other bicyclists were seriously injured Thursday, July 2 after a front tire blowout caused a chain reaction crash at Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Va.
Suspects Identified and Charged in Recent School Vandalisms in Reston & Herndon
Detectives investigating two school vandalisms identified and charged four suspects – two adults and two juveniles.
A House by the Sea
Design ideas for beach homes.
As the sweaty days of summer slog on, many are dreaming about a home by the sea, a wistful retreat where cares flow as freely as an ocean breeze.
Editorial: Yes to Nonpartisan Redistricting
Politicians shouldn’t be choosing voters.
Virginia’s Congressional map is unconstitutional because African American voters are packed into District 3, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The problem will have to be remedied by drawing new boundaries.
Thursday, July 2
Coming Home to Queen of Peace in Springfield
Residents with disabilities move into new group house on Gresham Street.
Ten months ago, the unassuming single-level house on Gresham Street in north Springfield was a private residence. Today it’s the permanent home of four individuals with disabilities, and a fifth is on the way.
Fourth of July Weekend Fun in Fairfax County
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend: July 3-5, 2015.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Wednesday, July 1
Column: Quality of Life
Throughout my nearly six and a half years of cancer treatment, starting at the initial Team Lourie meeting on February 27, 2009, when my oncologist suggested I take that vacation I’ve always dreamed of (to which I exclaimed “WHAT!?”), my quality of life has always been important to him.
Opinion: Many Reasons to ‘Keep the Greens’
In the last few days, homeowners abutting Reston National Golf Course have been alarmed to find red and white markings along the edges of their properties.
Column: Happy Fourth!
Our federal holiday the Fourth of July, or Independence Day, is known for fireworks, parades, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions and of course retail sales.
Column: Democrats Unable to Field Team in Virginia
When it comes to winning control of the state legislature in Virginia, the Democratic Party of Virginia are the major league equivalent of a cellar-dweller, a last place finisher. At present, Democrats are unable to field a full team to even play the game.
Reston Area Restaurants Closing And Opening
New dining in the Reston area.
Spring brought several new restaurants to Reston Town Center, including the NEYLA Mediterranean Bistro which replaced Paulo’s Ristorante, and Barcelona Wine Bar, a Spanish tapas restaurant known for its wine list. Bartaco, a restaurant with a beachy vibe and cuisine rooted in Mexican tradition opened at 12021 Town Square St., and has received over one hundred reviews on review site Yelp.