Stories for October 2020

Celebrate Fairfax: Outlook Not Good

Outside or not, thousands gathered for rides, entertainment and food could be a super spreader.

Celebrate Fairfax plans in question

Preventing Falls

Physical exercise and home safety reduce risk

One of the leading causes of fatal injuries in older adults is falling.

Vienna, Herndon Mayors, Delegate Watts Honored

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized three local honorees.

Pressure Mounts on Return to School in Fairfax County

School Board members face sensitive voting items.

The week of Oct. 19 held important information for Fairfax County Public Schools families.

A Good Place for Affordable Housing in Fairfax County?

Proposal could be a step toward 5,000 unit goal.

Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw located prime real estate to create 200-250 family units of affordable housing: two parking lots of the Fairfax Government Center.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Don’t Waste Your Vote

Maybe Joe Biden was not your preferred Democratic candidate and you would rather have supported Warren, Klobuchar, Sanders or Buttigieg.

Three Reston Residents Appointed to Community Center Board

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, at the request of Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed three Reston residents to the nine-member Reston Community Center Board of Governors: William Keefe, William Penniman and Vicky Wingert.

‘Matter Closed’ on Reston Golf Course Designation

Owner ‘respectfully disagrees’ with supervisor’s findings

Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D) issued a surprise statement early Friday morning, Oct. 23, ending what he termed "a good deal of uncertainty and even anxiety" among some constituents in the Reston portion of his district.

Opinion: Commentary: Mark and John and Amendment One

When the then underdog Mark Warner, whose only experience in political life had been to chair the Democratic Party of Virginia and manage the successful campaign of Doug Wilder for governor, had the courage in 1996 to take on senior senator John Warner in his re-election bid, Mark Warner’s bumper sticker read, “Mark, not John.”

Opinion: Commentary: Don’t Be Fooled by Ballot Language in Virginia

Vote NO on the Gerrymandering Amendment

The ballot language in Amendment 1 is confusing.

Opinion: Commentary: Marathon is Over – Virginia Special Session Gavels Out

The 2020 General Assembly Special Session, which first convened on Aug. 18, recessed at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 16.

Opinion: Commentary: Make a Plan and Vote 2020

Voting is a fundamental American right and the basis of our democracy.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: We Are Not Better Off Now

Regarding this 2020 election… never mind that President Trump took children away from their parents at our southern border.

Opinion: Commentary: Project Community Connect Supports Those Struggling to Afford Basic Needs

The impact of COVID-19 has deepened the economic hardship for residents in the DMV area.

Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Voters: Heroes of the Day

I am just short of 88 years of age and have voted in sixteen elections for president.

National Book Month

Month-long celebration focuses on engaging families in reading, writing and literature

It’s a line from the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, that is at the heart of the literary philosophy of Anne Briggs, web services and communications librarian at Montgomery College Library.

U.S. Park Police Charged in Killing of McLean Resident

Family has waited for justice since November 2017 when Bijan Ghaisar was shot.

Latest: Police Officers Turn Themselves In

Opinion: Column: “I’ll Think About That Tomorrow”

What I'm thinking about – and being thankful for, today, is the disappearance of all the side effects I've been experiencing during the last four weeks or so since I began my pill regimen for my papillary thyroid cancer treatment.

In-Person Early Voting Locations Open in Fairfax County

Voters cite ballot controversy and deep divide in the country.

The need to drop their ballot into a secure drop-off box or slide it into a voting machine, spurred thousands of voters to wait in long lines on the first day of in-person early voting at satellite locations in Fairfax County on Oct. 14.

Opinion: Commentary: An Amazing Year

With more than two months remaining in 2020, I can already say that it has been an amazing year in Virginia’s history.

Opinion: Commentary: Special Session Summary #1: Criminal Justice Reform Delivered

First of three parts.

More Ways to Vote in Fairfax County

Fairfax County opened thirteen new early voting locations, giving voters more opportunities to cast their early votes ahead.

Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested in Reston

A 21-year-old Reston man is facing felony charges after a woman was assaulted on Oct. 7 in an apartment community.

Opinion: Column: “And Awaaay We Go!”

As Jackie Gleason would say as he segued from his monologue into the sketch comedy that followed on his Saturday night entertainment hour on CBS.

Hiding at the Top of the Ticket

Race for Senate features two-term incumbent versus first-time candidate.

When Mark Warner ran for governor in 2001, opponents knocked him for wanting to be governor without having ever run for office before.

Home Library Design

Designers offer ideas for spaces with style and comfort.

Once thought of as space for academics to smoke cigars and sip whiskey, the era of covid-19 has transformed home libraries into now cozy places of refuge.

Advancing Diversity and Inclusion Through Changes in TJ Admissions

Newest proposed merit lottery admissions policy fuels concern.

Top-level discussions concerning proposals by Fairfax County Public Schools leaders and School Board members to increase the population of underrepresented students of color at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) have flown fast and furious the last four weeks.

Opinion: Independent Progressive: Fall in 2020, the Lost Year

Ah, October! It is one of my very favorite months of the year with the clearing and cooling air, and the trees showing their fall colors.

Opinion: Commentary: Vote Yes on Amendment #1

In a campaign that promises “fair maps” by voting yes for Amendment #1 on the ballot this election cycle and the opposition that promises “fair districts” by voting no, there is little wonder that there would be confusion in the minds of voters.

Restaurant Review: New Exotic Treat Served in Reston

Bonchon opens in Plaza America

Locals can now celebrate the reopening of area restaurants, and for Reston residents, a big culinary—and exotic—treat has opened in Plaza America, a few doors down from Whole Foods.

Opinion: Column: An Update About Some Down Time

Not that I want to give you a blow-by-blow concerning my treatment switch over to thyroid cancer from lung cancer, but the last two columns were written four weeks ago in the same week in expectation of a weekend away, so these observations will be new-ish in that they will be hot off the press, so to speak.

Creating a Spooky and Safe Halloween in the Age of COVID-19

Ideas for frightful revelry abound even amid coronavirus concerns.

Cartoon character Marshall from Paw Patrol will be searching for chocolate while a tiny pop star tracks down toys as Arlington mother and teacher Becky Beach and her family celebrate the spookiest day of the year.

Free Meals to All Children 18 and Under in Fairfax County

FCPS has distributed more than 3.1 million grab and go meals since schools closed in March.

Behavioral Health Teams to Join Police on Mental Health Calls in Virginia

Marcus alert bill passes House and Senate, moves to Northam’s desk

Opinion: Commentary: We Need a Better Redistricting Amendment

Along with eliminating the Electoral College and reversing corporate contributions green-lighted by the Citizens United case, I consider the drawing of elected officials’ district lines to be one of the most significant, fundamental problems in American Democracy today.

Woman Killed in Reston Shooting Identified

Homicide detectives were able to confirm the identity of the victim in the Reston shooting as Iris Ponce Garcia, 19, of Reston, during an autopsy at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Fairfax County Public Schools Staff Uncomfortable With In-Person School Plan

Fairfax County Federation of Teachers releases survey results.

Staff at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are overwhelmingly uncomfortable with returning for in-person instruction, given the incomplete information about the implementation that has been currently shared, according to a report released by the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) on Oct. 6 during a press conference.

Life Hangs in the Box Checked in Fairfax County

HR for County Schools tells staff to make a decision.

Tia Williams is an instructional assistant with diabetes and severe asthma at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Gathering Hundreds of Ideas for Police Reform in Fairfax County

Public input session part of effort to create more transparency in public safety.

In retirement, Randy Sayles, former Marine, former Denver police detective, former DEA special agent undercover in the U.S., Pakistan and Brazil, won a lifetime achievement award from Fairfax County for his efforts to make this county’s police force and policies more equitable for all residents.

Deer Hunting in Fairfax County Controls Herd Populations

Bow hunting program nets hundreds of deer each year.

Deer hunting

Opinion: Commentary: Keeping Tabs on State Government

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) conducts program evaluation, policy analysis, and oversight of state agencies on behalf of the Virginia General Assembly as authorized by the Code of Virginia.

Limiting Neck Restraints

Lawmakers negotiate behind closed doors on how to curb police use of chokeholds.

When lawmakers began their special session on criminal justice reform in August, hopes were high that the General Assembly would send the governor a bill that banned police from using chokeholds. But now that the protesters have gone home and the lawmakers have moved behind closed doors to negotiate in a secret closed-door conference committee, advocates for criminal-justice reform are worried about what will emerge in the conference report that will be presented to the House and Senate.

Local Scouts Honor Distinguished Citizen

Opinion: Commentary: Collective Bargaining Means a Seat at the Table so Fairfax County Employees Can Improve Services, Jobs

The pandemic is showing just how much we depend on each other -- no matter who we are, where we’re from or the color of our skin.

Opinion: Commentary: Reform at America’s #1 High School Is Good for All, Including Asian Americans

As part of the proposed 2020 budget for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor Northam charged all academic year governor’s schools to set diversity goals and develop a plan to meet them.

Opinion: Commentary: Welcome, We’re Lucky to Call Fairfax County Home

Welcome to Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Covid Cases

As of Saturday, Sept. 26, the Virginia Department of Health and Fairfax County Department of Health reported that 20,687 Fairfax County residents have tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 586 have died.

Where to Give Locally To Help with Pandemic Hunger and Beyond

Any quest to talk about the issues in Northern Virginia right now seems to lead to talk about the pandemic, and the economic crisis that follows in its wake.

Fairfax County Public Schools Offers Free Meals to All Children 18 and Under

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Office of Food and Nutrition Services is offering healthy meals at locations throughout Fairfax County this school year under the USDA Summer Food Service Program and the At-Risk Afterschool Meals component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.