Village Centers to Change With Master Plan
Sustainability, walkability focus with Reston’s plazas.
The village centers are all getting a makeover. County Planning and Zoning officials held a community meeting at South Lakes High School Oct. 18 to find out what residents want to change about their village centers as a part of the Master Plan Phase II planning.
Lake Anne Plan Approved
Planners envision energy efficient, pedestrian friendly plaza.
Lake Anne Plaza will become the village center of founder Robert Simon’s dreams in a decade. That’s what Reston officials and Lake Anne Development Partners LLC believe. Reston Planning and Zoning Committee approved LADP’s Lake Anne Master Plan on Monday for a four phase green efficient plan for the town’s original plaza.
Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park Opens For Fall Fishing
Reston park prepares for skateboard event.
Although the carousel is closed and construction is underway on the outdoor water pool the Water Mine, Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park still offers a number of attractions. If you love to fish for trout, you can still join in the fun of the 2014 Trout Program at Lake Fairfax Park.
Connect Four
Complete ballot of 11th District candidates faced off in Lake Ridge.
It wasn’t so much a down and dirty debate as a no-frills four-way question-and-answer session. Not that AARP and the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA), two of the sponsors of the “Meet the Candidates” series billed the Oct. 14 event as such. Tuesday’s meeting was the penultimate of seven events in the series.
Connolly to Hold Open Season Workshop for Federal Employees and Retirees
Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11) will hold his annual Open Season Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 15 to help federal employees and retirees navigate through the many changes in the 2015 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plans, dental and vision insurance programs, and flexible spending accounts. The federal government’s Open Season runs from Nov. 10 through Dec. 8.
Pileated Woodpecker Wins Reston Bird Contest
Friends of Reston have announced that out of five birds nominated to be the official bird of Reston, one has received the most votes. In an election conducted online and by paper ballot, 2,748 total votes were counted and verified.
Column: Energy Plan Moves Virginia in Right Direction
Governor Terry McAuliffe had two interesting supporters speak at his press conference on Virginia’s latest Energy Plan—the heads of the state Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. Both endorsed his update of the state’s Energy Plan as a step in the right direction.
Column: Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing
After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances.
Letter: A Common Sense Candidate
John Foust made a name for himself by serving as a Fairfax County Supervisor for the past seven years.
Fairfax Education Summit to Be Held on Oct. 25
The Fairfax County School Board will host Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) fifth annual Education Summit, Mapping Your Student’s Unique Journey: Explore the Many Choices in Fairfax County Public Schools, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8 a.m. at Edison High School.
Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing
After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances. Certainly I understand, given my column’s recurring theme, that the subjects of me and my circumstances – and the personal stories I share with you regular readers – are basically the same. Still, I never want the content to be considered important because it’s MY life that’s being profiled. Quite the contrary. If the columns were any more about me, you wouldn’t be interested.
Editorial: Yes to Fairfax Transportation Bond
$84 million for pedestrian, bike and trail improvements.
Of more than 75 projects included in the current proposal, on the ballot for Nov. 4, all but seven are designed to make Fairfax County safer and more inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Civil War Marker Unveiled
Union soldiers sought refuge in Fields of Fire.
In June 1863, thousands of Union soldiers trudged down Hunter Mill’s dusty roads during the hottest week of the year.
Reston Home Sales: September, 2014
In September 2014, 66 Reston homes sold between $980,000-$165,000.
Reston Home Sales: September, 2014
Crashing the Parties
Marc Harrold, Libertarian; Joe Galdo, Green, run for Congress.
Marc Harrold is a self-professed creature of habit. He’s been going to the same bars and restaurants near his Fairfax home for years, where the close friends he’s made there say his great sense of humor and diverse intelligence help him “hold court” and converse easily with anyone, on any subject.
Sarvis: Warner-Gillespie Debate ‘Disappointing’
Libertarian candidate says chamber’s decision to include only major-party candidates in U.S. Senate debate a “disservice” to voters.
After a full day of campaigning at Fort Belvoir on Friday, Oct. 11, Robert Sarvis talked about his campaign for U.S. Senate, and his disappointment in not being invited to participate in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Debate — a major televised debate hosted by The Fairfax Chamber at Capitol One’s convention center in McLean. “The Fairfax Chamber informed us that it was nothing other than ‘tradition’ to only invite major party candidates,” Sarvis said. “But this was after we formally requested an invitation, noted that over 145,000 Virginians voted for Robert Sarvis for governor in 2013, and sent them a petition signed by over 1,000 Virginians in support of a three-candidate debate.”
Warner, Gillespie Clash in U.S. Senate Debate
Stark distinctions on same-sex marriage, immigration, abortion and healthcare.
In front of an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie honed their attacks on each other during a sharp, wide-ranging debate Tuesday evening, Oct. 7.
Getting Children Excited for Halloween
Local experts offer advice for keeping trick-or-treating fun, not scary, for small children.
For many children, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. From Power Rangers and athletes to princesses and pirates, dressing up in their spookiest or most imaginative attire and trolling the streets in search of treats is a major part of the fun for school-age children. For younger children, however, the ghosts and goblins who are meant to entertain can cause too much of a fright.
The Private School Admissions Process
Local educators offer insider tips on how to select and get a child admitted to the perfect school.
While this school year might still feel new, some parents are already thinking next fall. Or if they’re not, they should be. For parents who are considering sending their children to one of the area’s private schools for the 2015-2016 school year, the application process should be underway.
Not in the Mood
Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy. Moreover, in spite of my best psychological efforts, generally speaking, there seems little I can do to diminish its effect. More often than not, it’s merely time; simply time passing and/or time spent trying to talk myself out-of how I feel and in-to how I haven’t failed.