Tuesday, June 30
July 4th Safety
From swimming to fireworks, safety precautions for a festive Independence Day.
It was a near accident at camp last summer that sparked action by one parent. Elementary school-aged campers splashed in the pool. Everyone was having fun. Then tragedy almost struck.
Fairfax County: Deferring to Noise
New standards will wait until after the November election.
The Board of Supervisors wants to spend more time with noise. Last Tuesday, June 23, the Board deferred action on the proposed changes to the county’s noise ordinance until Nov. 17, 2015.
Editorial: Open Letter to Elected Officials and Candidates
Spend some of your campaign dollars in newspapers.
Here at the Connection, our email boxes are filling up with messages from people running for office. It’s not surprising, since in November, virtually every state and local office in the commonwealth is on the ballot.
Friday, June 26
Health Curriculum To More Closely Align with State
School Board approves recommendations from advisers, with amendments.
Though it was the second packed house in as many months, it may be early yet to call crowded Fairfax County School Board meetings a trend.
Thursday, June 25
Fairfax County: Police Release Use of Force Review
Review explained at latest Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission meeting.
Nearly a year ago, Fairfax County sought an outside opinion on its police department’s use of force. That July 2014 assignment went to the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum.
Wednesday, June 24
Column: Gone But Always Remembered
As Father’s Day approaches, (written Thursday, June 18th) I am reminded of one of my father’s standard lines which characterize his positive attitude on life, for which I am eternally grateful – because I inherited it.
Reston Prepares For World Police and Fire Games
Volunteers sign up to assist in national sports event.
This week, staff affiliated with the Fairfax World Police and Fire Games have been greeting and authorizing the volunteers and participants in the upcoming events at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston.
Tuesday, June 23
Call for Pet Connection Photos
The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly special edition, will publish on July 22, and photos and stories of your pets with you and your family should be submitted by July 15. Our favorite pictures include both pets and humans. We welcome short stories about how you got your pet, a noteworthy talent or anecdote about your pet, tales of the bonds between your family and your pet, plus drawings, paintings or other artwork of your pet by children or adults Please tell us a little bit about your creature, identify everyone in the photo, give a brief description what is happening in the photo, and include address and phone number (we will not publish your address or phone number, just your town name).
Editorial: Safe Planning for Independence
Talking and planning about celebrating July 4, and throughout the summer months.
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.
Reston: ‘Blessed to Be a Part of It’
546 students graduated from South Lakes High School on Thursday, June 18.
English teacher Valerie Padgett sometimes consulted an urban dictionary to understand her South Lakes High School students. “You all made me laugh,” she said. “I have been blessed to be a part of it.” The senior class chose her to be the faculty member to give the commencement address at their once-in-a-lifetime commencement ceremony.
Friday, June 19
Reston Home Sales: May, 2015
In May, 2015, 111 Reston homes sold between $1,225,000-$119,000.
Reston Home Sales: May, 2015
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 19-21, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, June 18
Fairfax County: Questioning Family Life Curriculum
The Fairfax County School Board’s May 7 meeting drew a passionate and boisterous crowd that filled the Luther Jackson Middle School auditorium and spilled out into the main lobby. That night the board voted in favor of adding “gender identity” to its nondiscrimination policy for students, employees and applicants for employment.
Ideas for Summer Learning
Experts offer suggestions for avoiding summer brain drain.
While summer is opportunity for fun, it can also be a breeding ground for stagnation.
YouthQuest Runs ThinkLink
Experts say 3D printing can open a world of imagination and critical thinking.
Adonis Gonzales had always wanted to become a master electrician, but when he was asked to leave high school at 16 because of a poor attendance record, his prospects looked bleak.
Wednesday, June 17
2nd Annual Lake Anne Chalk on the Water Festival
This past weekend Reston Lake Anne Plaza hosted its second annual Lake Anne Chalk on the Water Festival. There were three categories for persons to participate in, each with cash and other prizes awarded.
Column: No Joke, But Funny Nonetheless
Not that I ever want to use my having cancer as an excuse, but you have to admit, it’s a doozy. And it’s probably the best thing about the diagnosis/prognosis. However, it’s not as if there are a number of other advantages to the disease.
Tuesday, June 16
Reston: Bring On the Plazas
In Reston master plan, emphasis on plazas, mixed use, affordability, walkability and transportation that connects people.
Bob Simon, 101, reminded the Board of Supervisors of the excitement of Reston at the beginning. “The opening in 1965 of Reston to the public involved 227 townhouses and 60 high rise units and a smattering of retail. Not a big deal,” he said before the Board of Supervisors on June 2.
Commentary: Political Prospects for Medicaid Expansion
Virginia voters in areas with contested primaries went to the polls last week to select their candidates for the Nov. 3 general election when all seats in the General Assembly are up for election as are many local offices.
Letter: What Can We Learn from Europeans?
To the Editor
When people hear the word sustainability, they often shy away from it. To some, it is about creating resilient infrastructure and systems that will last for many future generations.
Thursday, June 11
Fairfax Station: 200 Walk Burke Lake for Nepal Earthquake Victims
When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal in April this year, Madhu and Yashoda Bhandari of Lorton felt the shocks in their United States home. Both are originally from the Nuwakot district, one that was hit violently.
Supervising Public Safety
First meeting since 2011 includes packed agenda, full house.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee, chaired by Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon), met on Tuesday, June 9 for the first time since June 2011. Since then, there have been six officer-involved shootings in Fairfax County, including the August 2013 shooting death of John Geer. Police handling of the communications and investigation of that shooting led to the formation in March 2015 of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission.
Wednesday, June 10
Column: Philosophically Speaking
Recently I attended a “Celebration of Life” event, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, created to bring attention to, and educate the public on, cancer. As a long-time cancer survivor, nearly six and a half years now – and one treated by doctors at Kaiser, I was asked, along with a cervical cancer survivor, to sit on a “survivor panel”; to share our cancer experiences, and offer, along with two oncologists and a pulmonologist, our respective insights as “treater” and “treatee.”
Love Your Body Yoga Festival Returns June 14
Yoga studios and wellness centers of Northern Virginia will offer classes, services, and share information at Love Your Body Yoga Festival (LYBYF) on Sunday, June 14 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Ideaventions Academy to Open in Reston
Ideaventions Academy for Mathematics and Science, opening this fall, is a brand new school for gifted fourth – eighth grade students who have a special interest in science, technology, engineering and/or math (STEM).
Reston-based Prospective, Inc. Recognized for Arts Support
Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, announced that Prospective, Inc. has been named a BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America honoree for 2015.
Lake Anne Elementary Earns Eco-Schools Honor
Lake Anne Elementary School was recognized by National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program for exceptional achievement in ‘greening’ physical structure and grounds, conserving natural resources and integrating environmental education into curricula.
Taste of Reston Returns June 19-21
The Taste of Reston, produced by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, is the largest outdoor food festival in the area and was voted 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 “Northern Virginia’s Best Food Festival” by Virginia Living magazine.
Obituary: Samuel Parvez Mall, 74, Dies
Well known Washingtonian, Samuel Parvez Mall entered into eternal rest on May 22, 2015. Born Jan. 29, 1941 in Lahore, Pakistan, Mall was the son of an Anglican Priest and the youngest of four children.
Letter: Vandalism at Herndon High School
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Last weekend, vile hate speech and derogatory symbols were found defacing property at Herndon High School.
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 12-14, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Column: Family-Friendly Voting
Commentary
According to the Virginia Family Foundation, I am not a very “family-friendly” legislator. On their recently issued scorecard for 2014-2015, I scored 11 of a possible 100 points—up from my score of zero on their previous scorecards.
Letter: Reston Tall Oaks Village Center Identity Crisis
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Robert Simon envisioned Reston as being a place where people could walk to work and shopping, walk to recreation and nature without using a car.
Tuesday, June 9
Trending in the Garden
Local landscape architects offer suggestions for updating.
As summer gets underway, so does time spent outside. The American Society of Landscape Architects recently released the results of its 2015 Residential Landscape Architecture Survey, a list of trends in outdoor design that yields a bounty of backyard design ideas. From adding a pond to planting a garden, local landscape gurus explain how these trends can be used to transform an outdoor space into a favorite escape.
Aldrin Elementary Celebrates 20 Years
Buzz Aldrin himself attends elementary school celebration as a featured speaker.
Hundreds of students, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade, flooded into the auditorium of Aldrin Elementary for a special assembly this past Monday, June 8.
PetMAC Opens at Lake Anne with a Splash
Pet marketplace and adoption center comes to the Reston area.
Although Cindy Williams actually opened the doors to PetMAC, her pet supply and adoption center located in Reston’s Lake Anne, in January of this year, the official grand opening was only recently celebrated - and done so in style.
Nearly Half a Billion for Schools, Fire, Police
Reston, Merrifield fire stations would be renovated or replaced.
Voters will decide in November on nearly half a billion dollars in bond sales for schools and public safety projects.
Friday, June 5
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 5-7, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, June 4
Make a Call; Save a Life
Petersen’s “Good Samaritan Overdose Protection” law goes into effect July 1.
Accidental overdose deaths are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, exceeding even motor vehicle accidents among people ages 25 to 64, according to a recently released study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Last year, an estimated 210 heroin overdoses fatalities occurred in Virginia, with the highest number in Fairfax and Prince William counties.
Fairfax County: Recognizing Enlisted High School Seniors
Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia holds its fifth Annual Enlistee Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, June 11, at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.
Fairfax County: Moving on ‘Move Over’
Police crackdown, educate about law protecting emergency roadside vehicles and drivers.
Fairfax County Master Police Officer Joe Moore’s front and rear-mounted radar machines whistle and beep with varying frequency as cars barrel past on Interstate 66 around the Fairfax County Parkway.
Fairfax: Northern Virginia Training Center Property Put on Market
Facility for people with disabilities scheduled for March 2016 closure.
According to the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, 63 residents still live and receive treatment at the Northern Virginia Training Center, located in Fairfax alongside Braddock Road.
Wednesday, June 3
Editorial: Overdose Deaths Are Preventable
New “safe reporting” law encourages people to seek help in time.
The death rate due to heroin overdose more than doubled between 2010 through 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with an average increase of 37 percent per year in the United States.
Column: Weight For It; Wait
Given some post-chemotherapy eating challenges I’ve experienced during the past few months, and the subsequent weight loss which has occurred, my oncologist has prescribed Dronabinol, common brand name: Marinol.
Tuesday, June 2
Reston Hosts Sprint Triathlon
Community event benefits Cornerstones.
Sunday, May 31, was the date of the Ninth Annual Reston Sprint Triathlon. Proceeds from the event were donated to one of Reston's oldest, and Northern Virginia's most successful, nonprofit organizations, Cornerstones (formerly Reston Interfaith).
Swinging Into Summer in Reston
Reston Concerts on the Town kicks off Summer with Big Joe and the Dynaflows.
After 25 years, the people of Reston are still dancing about summer. Such a scene was evident at the first Reston Concerts on the Town, hosted this past Saturday.
Monday, June 1
Summer Fun, Summer Safety
Tips for averting summer danger.
It’s a familiar call. The sun beams down from mid-summer sky. Temperatures rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but safety conditions start to plummet.