Art Show to Honor Reston’s Official Bird
Friends of Reston is hosting a Children’s Art Show at the Walker Nature Center in celebration of the new Official Bird of Reston, the Pileated Woodpecker. Deadline for art is Saturday, Jan. 31 by 1 p.m. All submitted art will be displayed inside the Walker Nature Center’s Nature House from Sunday, Feb. 1 until Saturday, Feb. 7, and posted on its Facebook page.
Fairfax Cops Block Geer Killing Investigations
Finally some of the smoke is clearing. Sixteen months after unarmed John Geer was killed standing in his doorway by an unidentified Fairfax County Police officer we are getting an explanation of the wall of silence surrounding his death. In response to an inquiry by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney (prosecutor) Raymond Morrogh revealed why he failed to complete his investigation into Mr. Geer’s killing and took the unusual step of passing the case to the U.S. Attorney (U.S. Justice Dept.) a year ago.
Redistricting Remains an Issue
Although the drawing of legislative district lines is supposed to take place each decade after the federal census, the controversy over where and how lines are drawn keeps the issues alive every year. Most recently a federal court declared the current Congressional district lines in Virginia invalid because the way the lines are drawn discriminates against minorities being able to get elected. Essentially the black population is packed into one district.
Murder Mystery at Reston Stage
Reston Community Players to present thriller “Rehearsal for Murder.”
"Be ready for a suspenseful murder mystery," said cast member Wilson Paine (Reston) describing the Reston Community Players next show, "Rehearsal for Murder." Mystery, love and being led in the wrong direction are central to what happens in this story about the search for the truth.
Letter to the Editor: Fairness for All – the Lake Anne RELAC Decision
To the Editor: As we turn the calendar to a new year, some of our Reston neighbors will be facing an important vote in January that affects their summertime comfort. Covenant 15 of the Reston Association Deed requires 343 households to use the 50+ year old Reston Lake Anne Air-Conditioning Corporation cooling system (RELAC), unless they receive an annual medical exemption -- a nightmare when the unit goes up for resale.
Letter to the Editor: Hateful Tweets Call for Action
To the Editor: I would like to applaud the Reston Connection for its coverage of FCPS Superintendent Garza's meeting with concerned parents on Dec. 3 (“County Superintendent Listens to Reston,” Connection, December 10-16, 2014).
Letter to the Editor: Taking Exception on Express Lanes
To the Editor: An article was recently published in your newspaper discussing the new I-95 express lanes (95 Express Lanes Open, The Connection, Dec. 18-24, 2014). One statement in the article read, “Construction manager for the project John Morse, of VDOT, said that the addition of a third lane will solve a number of problems and give people options other than waiting in traffic.”
Anna Deavere Smith to Highlight MLK Birthday Celebration
Anna Deavere Smith will highlight Reston Community Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Birthday celebration at the Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Hunters Woods, Reston. Events are Sunday, Jan. 18 and Monday, Jan. 19.
Collecting Toys for Tots, Donations for FISH
Reston's National Realty was again an official drop-off for the annual Toys for Tots campaign as well as donations to Herndon-Reston FISH. Both provide toys to local children.
Column: Down and Not Out, Yet
Thankfully (so far as I know, which isn’t very far), after a five-week interval between infusions, which included two additional weeks of pre-chemotherapy lab work and an out-of-the-ordinary 24-hour urine collection (“creatinine clearance”) to boot – to more accurately measure my kidney function in hopes of meeting a 1.6 threshold – muster was finally passed, and I was subsequently infused without any further adieu.
Overnight I-66 Closures in January
All lanes of Interstate 66 in one direction will close intermittently between midnight and 5 a.m. on several dates in January for the installation of gantries. Each closure will last up to 30 minutes.
Children's Connection 2014
This week, the Connection turns over its pages to the youth and students.
Column: Level Best
If I wanted to rationalize the benefit of delaying my heretofore every-three-week chemotherapy infusion from three weeks to four and now on to five, possibly six – and that’s dependent on improved results from a second/maybe even third retest upcoming (this retest a bit more involved than drawing blood) – I would say it’s only fitting that I should have a break/brake; after all, it is the holiday season when all good things; yada, yada, yada. If only it were that simple.
Column: The New Normal
Loosey goosey, I suppose. As much as one might prefer some predictability in their life (certainly a cancer patient would – I know I would), I may be entering a cycle of permanent unpredictability.
Letter: Do Fairfax County Police Act with Impunity?
Fifteen months, after the shooting of John Geer, no officer has been identified, no charges have been filed, no grand jury has been convened and no reason has been given to the family or the public.
I would like to begin by saying that I have always and still do support the police as a whole. I appreciate the job that they do and the risks they take on a daily basis in an effort to keep the public safe. The ongoing policy in Fairfax County of police self-investigation, when officers are involved in possible crimes, has to change.
Loudoun Company Donates Free Roof to Cornerstones
DryHome Roofing and Siding, a Sterling-based roofing company, has selected Cornerstones (formerly Reston Interfaith) as the recipient of a new roof through its annual Free Roof for the Holidays program.
State and Local Politics in 2015
Independent Progressive
I am happy to wave goodbye to political year 2014. It was not a good year for progressives, and a worse year for America. Defying logic, the party of no and dysfunction at the federal level and a root cause of the collapse of the middle class won broad victories in the ballyhooed midterms of 2014.
Gifts for the Home
Local shop owners offer suggestions to make holiday shopping easier.
While holiday shopping is part of the spirit of the season, for some choosing a present for everyone on their list can be overwhelming. Local small business owners come to the rescue with gift ideas for the home.
Irresistible? How Karen Garza Creates Change in Fairfax County Schools
Karen Garza is a good listener. And once she’s listened, she is, admittedly, not very patient. “If there's a real issue, I don't think it has to be debated for 10 or 15 years,” Garza said in an interview. “Either we're going to do something about it or not.”
FCPS Chief Karen Garza and Her Previous Life in Texas
“When I hired Karen in 2005,” former Superintendent of Houston Independent School District (HISD) Dr. Abelardo Saavedra said, “the position of chief academic officer had been open several months. I went looking for her. I’d never met her but I’d heard about her. There is a big difference between a mid-sized district and a larger one; the dynamics are completely different. I was taking a risk because she came from a mid-sized one of about 40,000 in Corpus Christi, and ours was much bigger. She adjusted very quickly.”