Fairfax County School Board Discusses New AAP Center at Poplar Tree
Board seeks more community feedback before taking action.
Greenbriar West Elementary School is far from the only Fairfax County Public School with an overcrowding problem.
A Powerful Musical on Reston Stage
Reston Community Players producing “Sunset Boulevard.”
“It is a huge production, but at the very heart it is an intimate story of people in conflict,” said Mark Hidalgo, director of the Reston Community Players’ upcoming musical “Sunset Boulevard.” “The characters are all struggling with the impinging outside world.”
Reston Home Sales: January, 2015
In January, 2015, 50 Reston homes sold between $1,700,000-$120,000.
Reston Home Sales: January, 2015
Reston Lions Honor Bland Contest Winners
Winners of the James A. Bland Music Competition, co-sponsored by the Reston Lions Club and the Reston Community Center, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, were as follows: Vocal competition: Cecelia Steffen McKinley, first place; Nicole Marie Frank, second place; and Allison Gabrielle Engel, third place. Instrument competition: Gabrielle Li, first place; Jasper de Boor, second place; and Angela Anting Xu, third place.
Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Honors Volunteers
To thank the multitude of community volunteers who contributed 29,000 hours of service in 2014 to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department [VVFD], the department hosted an “appreciation” banquet on Feb. 7 in the station’s Flame Room. More than 160 guests came to support award-winners, volunteers and new elected officials as they were sworn in by Vienna vice-mayor Edythe Kelleher.
Column: Staying Ahead of the Feds
The federal government is not always wrong. At the same time, the state government is not always right.
The Virginia House and the Senate have penned similar but competing mid-point versions to the 2014-2016 biennial budget.
Column: Come to the NoVA Mini Maker Faire March 15
Recently I had the great pleasure of meeting several people who are energizers and organizers of the NoVA Mini Maker Faire coming to Reston on March 15. The first question many of you may have is likely: What is a Mini Maker Faire? I’ve heard it best explained as a bringing together of “an amazing collection of tech enthusiasts, engineers, woodworkers, artists,…craftspeople” and would-be inventors to show and tell what they are making.
Black History Month Celebrations
Local students learn about the history and accomplishments of African-Americans.
Fourth grade student Eli West crafted a poem this month that was modeled after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous, “I Have a Dream” speech.
Stalled Labor Market Slows County Budget
Proposed budget calls for no real estate tax rate increase, but average homeowner would pay $184 more.
Supervisor Jeff McKay pointed out an irony in County Executive Ed Long’s proposed $3.8 billion budget. Three planning positions would be eliminated from the budget even though Long suggested the county needs more efforts to raise revenue from commercial and industrial venues.
Super-Insulation Talk Attracts Homeowners in Reston
How to lower electric, gas and water bills?
The Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne in Reston was the venue for a well-attended presentation by Rich and Marian Taschler on proper home insulation and its mostly unknown benefits. The program was offered under the auspices of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University.
Oh Deer! What Can the Matter Be?
The county Park Authority used aerial infrared surveys via fixed-wing airplanes to count the number of deer inside parks and within a small distance in the surrounding neighborhoods on Feb. 6, 2014 and Dec. 27, 2013, according to the 2014 Annual Report on the Environment for Fairfax County.
Bradford C. Smith of Oak Hill Dies
Bradford C. Smith of Oak Hill passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 4, 2015. He was the beloved husband of Maria E. Smith and devoted father of Melina Smith and Silvana Smith.
Column: Real-Time, Really Late
I’m not a night owl. More of an early bird, worms notwithstanding. But given the contents of last week’s column, “Scantsy,” I find it difficult to write about anything else while waiting for the results of my CT Scan.
Matthew Charged In West Potomac Alumna Hannah Graham Murder
Suspect faces life in prison.
Nearly five months after the disappearance of University of Virginia sophomore and West Potomac High School alumna Hannah Graham, the primary suspect in her death investigation has been indicted by a grand jury in Albemarle County.
Combining Health and Mental Health
Community Services Board provides emergency services, prevention and treatment.
One teenager who attempted suicide revealed that if anyone had asked him beforehand whether he was thinking of hurting himself, he would have said yes.
Fairfax County Judge Orders More John Geer Materials Released
Family’s lawyer’s motions supported.
Though extensive, the thousands of pages of documents, dozens of audio files and handful of videos released last month by Fairfax County, documenting the shooting death of Springfield resident John Geer, aren’t exhaustive.
Letter: Failing in Their Duties
Letter to the Editor
I applaud your editorial on the Geer murder (“No Justification for Secrecy, Delay on Geer Shooting,” Connection, February 4-10, 2015). The Connection has done yeoman’s work in keeping this tragedy in front of the public, unlike other newspapers which are johnnie-come-latelies.
Editorial: Not the First or Only Time
Secrecy around police shootings has been a problem for at least a decade.
The official position of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the need for changes in policy after the shooting of John Geer by police in Springfield in August of 2013 appears to be that this is the first time police policies have been a problem: “Policies for handling police-involved incidents, which served us well for decades, were inadequate in this complicated situation.”
Freezin' for a Reason at Lake Anne
Some flipped. Some jumped. Some flopped. Many yawped. Most shivered. And all 400 jumpers braved Lake Anne's 33 degree icy water Saturday, Feb. 7, to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a national year-round retreat for families with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Celebrating Valentine’s with Classical Ballet
On Feb. 13, at the Reston Community Center, Classical Ballet Theatre (CBT) will be presenting “An Evening with Classical Ballet Theatre.” For the last 25 years, CBT has been educating and inspiring children through the art of classical ballet in Northern Virginia, thanks to the vision, commitment, and dedication of its founder and Executive Director, Cynthia Donavin.