Commentary: Yellow Line Petition, Hybrid Tax Refunds and I-495 Changes
Last week, I wrote about the status of some transportation projects in our community. Here are a few more important things.
Editorial: Virginia Proves Elections Matter
Health and economic issues are entwined.
Some people continue to assert, either with their words or by simply abstaining, that voting just doesn’t matter. Here in Virginia, nearly every day we prove that is incorrect. All of Virginia’s elected representatives who are elected by the entire state are of the same political party. They are all Democrats: Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and Virginia’s two U.S. Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
Riding for the Fallen
More than 100 officers cycle through Virginia, for cause.
Police officers from all over the country vowed to "ride for those who died" this week. Police Unity Tour Chapter IV - also known as the Virginia chapter - challenged officers on a three day bicycle tour from Richmond to D.C. in memory for fallen officers. Before the last stop at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the group of 122 officers and loved ones of fallen police stopped for lunch at McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center Monday in Fairfax as a tribute to the county most the officers served.
Northern Virginia Family Service Holds 16th Annual Gala
Local donors and supporters recognized at event.
The evening of Friday May 9 at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, the nonprofit Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) held their 16th Annual Road to Independence Gala. The festive event gave community and business leaders an opportunity to celebrate the impact of NVFS on families and children in need. It also recognized donors and supporters dedicated to giving back to the community in which they live making NVFS services possible.
Seventeen of Fantastic 50 Companies in Virginia Hail from Fairfax County
Seventeen Fairfax County companies are part of the 2014 Virginia Chamber of Commerce Fantastic 50 rankings of the 50 fastest-growing businesses in Virginia. Chantilly-based First Line Technology, which sells products to first responders and the military, received a Virginia Vanguard Award for having the highest growth rate among companies in the manufacturing category.
County Hosts Nearly 100 Outdoor Festivals
With a population of more than one million residents, it has long been known that Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction in the National Capital Region. However, what may surprise both residents and visitors is that the County is also home to nearly 100 annual outdoor festivals, most of which have very strong arts and cultural components.
Communities to Discuss School Start Times
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will hold eight community meetings—one per cluster—in May and June to gather feedback from students, parents, employees, and community members on proposed adjustments to school start times. Participants are welcome to attend the meeting that is most convenient for them.
Still Curious, But Maybe Not Dying
Although one never knows, especially if that one is living in "cancerville." And by "cancerville" I mean, euphemistically speaking, anywhere where one of us diagnosed with cancer is living. Living being the operative word. Still, as my column from a few weeks ago entitled, "Dying With Curiosity" discussed, cancer patients are often besieged by their subconscious, changing fact into fiction and manipulating feelings into inevitabilities. If only there was a switch to turn off the mind games that don’t exactly mind their "man-ners" or "women-ers" for that fact, I’d flick it in a second. Cancer creates physical problems – as we all know, but I have to tell you, it’s the mental problems that can be just as deadly.
Outdoor Entertaining
Local style gurus offer tips for alfresco soirees.
The mild temperatures that usher in late spring and early summer beckon many outdoors for alfresco parties. Whether held on a patio, deck or veranda, the necessary logistics for coordinating even a simple gathering can be daunting.
Empty-Nesters Spread Their Wings
A Springfield couple creates a personalized interior custom-suited to support everyday pleasures, using the existing footprint.
A sunny space; an uplifting view; a generous footprint that includes a sizeable breakfast zone, a food preparation island and easy access to a large back deck.
C-Section Boom in Northern Virginia
Region has some of the highest rates of cesarean-section deliveries for low-risk pregnancies.
Behind the closed doors at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church and the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, a quiet change has been taking shape over the last few decades.
Classified Advertising May 7, 2014
Read the latest ads here!
Me & My Mom 2014 — Mother’s Day Photo Gallery and My Mother: an Appreciation
"A tribute to my mother, Lorena W. Mayhew, a superb seamstress..."
Shirley M. Bailey, 84, of Burke submitted this poem “as a tribute to my mother, Lorena W. Mayhew, a superb seamstress, who kept her four children well dressed during the Depression and even later with her superb skills as a seamstress.
Help Control Invasive Plants
At a May 16 free workshop, the U.S. National Park Service will train volunteers in how to control invasive plants and protect the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s landscapes, biodiversity, native plants and local property values.
Sisters Open Tutoring Service
Above Grade Level of Northern Virginia recently opened its doors; a business born from two Northern Virginia sisters, Elizabeth Colon and Christa Huntley of Alexandria. Both new moms of infant daughters, they joined their passions for education and children.
Learning about Nature for Community Stewardship Day
TC students took part in various Earth Week activities throughout the area.
Approximately 370 students from the new International Academy at T.C. Williams High School took part in Earth Week on Friday, April 25. International Academy students broke into groups across the area to participate in Earth Week activities along the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Easing Overcrowded Roadway
A key section of Route 1 is finally getting some relief. Chronic congestion, compounded by the 2005 BRAC decision which brought an influx of nearly 13,000 new military and civilian personnel, plus a brand new hospital that can receive many more new visitors, has made commuting in this part of Fairfax County more difficult.
Bringing Spring Cheer to UCM Families
Girl Scout Troop 1838, based in the Belle View Elementary School area, spent part of their school spring break on a service project to prepare festive Easter Baskets for families in UCM’s Transitional Housing program.
Storck Sets Office Hours
Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District School Board member for Fairfax County Public Schools, will host Community Office Hours at the Lorton Library in the Conference Room on Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to noon, and at the Sherwood Regional Library, Conference Room 3, on Saturday, May 10, from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Fairfax County School Board Addressing Budget Shortfalls
Budget shortfall is $17 million.
The Fairfax County School Board is considering options to close a $17 million shortfall in their 2015 budget. Superintendent Karen Garza presented the board with possible adjustments at a work session on April 28. The school board is set to adopt their final budget on May 22. On April 29, the Board of Supervisors approved the FY 2015 budget, including a school transfer of three percent, short of Garza’s requested 5.7 percent increase.