Friday, February 26
Burke, Fairfax Station, Springfield and Mount Vernon legislators reflect on battles won, lost and tabled after General Assembly “Crossover”
Tuesday, Feb. 16 marked “crossover,” the milestone during the current session of the Virginia General Assembly session in Richmond where bills passed by the House of Delegates move to the Senate for debate and either approval or rejection, and vice versa.
Springfield Veterinary Holistic Center offers extension to conventional medicine
Bettejeanne “BJ” Hammond much prefers the term “body work” to massage. “Open wine and get out the candles, that’s what people think of massage,” she said. “They think it’s to relax, but it’s so much more than that.”
Week in Fairfax
Week in Fairfax
Fairfax: Film Studies Progress at GMU
Student media at Fairfax George Mason University.
On Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 20-21, more than 80 students and community members took part in the weekend Virginia Production Assistant Training for Film and TV co-hosted by GMU FAVS at the Harris Theatre.
Fairfax: Our Daily Bread Seeks Submission of Art Works
Fairfax-based nonprofit Our Daily Bread, Inc. is seeking submissions of art works by artists throughout the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area for its second annual juried art show and community event, Artful Living: Seeing the Beauty Within.
Fairfax: What to Do with the Paul VI Site?
Residents receive information, give comments during meeting.
Seeking a larger campus with room to expand, Paul VI High School will move from its longtime home in the City of Fairfax to a 68-acre site in Loudoun County in 2020.
Fairfax: Looking Out for Children’s Safety
Fairfax City Council adopts bike-helmet ordinance.
Bicycle-riding children in the City of Fairfax will now be a bit safer, thanks to a helmet ordinance just adopted by the Fairfax City Council.
Service Dogs are More than Just a Helping Hand
To a dog owner, there’s nothing like the greeting at the door after a long day at work.
Thursday, February 25
Art of Driving Scholarship Expands Eligibility Outside Fairfax County
After the first few years being open only to Lake Braddock Secondary School Students, the Art of Driving college scholarship in honor of Lake Braddock student Ashley Thompson expanded to all Fairfax County High Schools.
Fairfax County Schools to Close March 1 for Super Tuesday
Concerns about parking and traffic, as well as new guidance from the Virginia Department of Education caused the Fairfax County School Board to reconsider closing schools for the March 1 Presidential primaries.
Editorial: Bad Bills
General Assembly has potential to do lots of damage in a short period.
From pressing for use of a barbaric form of execution, the electric chair, to codifying discrimination, to stripping localities of the major tool for ensuring infrastructure is in place for new development, to hiding more and more critical public information from the public, the Virginia General Assembly is poised to do harm to the Commonwealth.
Wednesday, February 24
Classified Advertising February 24, 2016
Read the lastest ads here!
Tuesday, February 23
Great Falls: Langley Girls Win First Conference Title Since 1988
Saxons upset previously unbeaten Fairfax.
The Langley girls' basketball team defeated Fairfax 42-38 on Saturday to win the Conference 6 title.
Sunday, February 21
West Potomac to Face West Springfield in Conference 7 Championship Game
Coach Houston making third trip to conference final in 12 years with Wolverines.
West Potomac beat Woodson on Saturday.
Friday, February 19
County Budget Presented, About $300 More per Household
County Executive: Revenue growth is insufficient to fund all priorities. Schools still $68 million short.
County Executive Ed Long recommended a four-cent increase to the real estate tax rate.
Thursday, February 18
Week in Fairfax
Weekly happenings in Fairfax
Fairfax: For Love of Art and Companionship
Local artists and art lovers gathered in Old Town Hall Gallery for a reception hosted by the Fairfax Art League.
Fairfax: Volunteers Honor Dr. King’s Legacy
ICF International, a Fairfax-based management consulting services company, sponsored community event, in which more than 500 volunteers came out for Volunteer Fairfax’s Annual Give Together, a Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service at JCC of NoVa.
Girls on the Run Spring Registration Open
Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia is registering girls in third through eighth grade for its curriculum-based after school program. By using a curriculum that creatively integrates running with life lessons, Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia supports girls in developing the confidence and character they need to become strong, healthy women.
Fairfax: "Fantasia" at Mason
Legendary animated ‘Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert’ at Center for the Arts Feb. 27.
“If you like Disney today, you owe it to yourself to see the beginnings of what came before contemporary Disney features such as ‘Frozen’ or ‘Toy Story,’ said Rob Farr, professor, Film History, George Mason University in a recent interview.
Fairfax: Roads and Redevelopment
City Council and staff discuss various projects and proposals.
Pedestrian and driver safety, the City/GMU charrette and various redevelopment projects were among the items discussed during the Fairfax City Council’s Jan. 12 mini-retreat at the Blenheim Interpretive Center. Also on hand were members of City staff.
Fairfax: Messages of Hope, Love at New Lamb Center
It was 19 degrees outside when about 100 people gathered Saturday afternoon at the site of the new Lamb Center for a beam-signing. But inside the building still under construction, it might as well have been 90 degrees – warmed by all the love and well wishes of those attending.
Obituary: Leah Angela Socha, 66, of Fairfax, Dies
Leah Angela Socha was born Aug. 28, 1949 in Meriden, Conn. to George Kakis and Evelyn Mitchell. She attended High School in Wethersfield, Conn. then moved to Massachusetts where she met her husband Bernie.
Lake Braddock Graduate Recognized as International Expert
Fairfax Station native and Lake Braddock Secondary School graduate Candace P. Sharkey received the Richard J. Kerr Government Award from the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) at its annual Achievement Awards ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
FCPS Open Enrollment for Two-Way and World Languages Immersion Programs
Fairfax County Public Schools' online registration for the countywide lottery for two-way and world language immersion programs will open on Monday, Feb. 22.
FCPS Students Win Awards in 2016 Scholastic Writing Competition
Fairfax County Public Schools students at 22 schools won regional awards in the 2016 Scholastic Writing Awards Competition.
Burke, Fairfax: Filler-Corn Promotes Child Care Safety in the General Assembly
In the 2016 General Assembly Session, Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41) has offered two bipartisan bills continuing her work in making child care safer in Virginia.
Fairfax Home Sales: January, 2016
In January, 2016, 55 Fairfax homes sold between $1,360,000-$169,000.
Fairfax Home Sales: January, 2016
Fairfax: Northern Virginia Youth Winds Win Dominion Rising Star Award
The Northern Virginia Youth Winds, a division of the City of Fairfax Band Association, was awarded the Dominion Rising Star Award for their work effectively bringing together arts and education.
Burke and Fairfax: Good Shepherd Players mark 35 years with “Oklahoma!”
Carol St. Germain of Burke has theater in her blood. She and her husband met working on productions at Lynchburg College, she followed him as he pursued a career in theater design and together, they’ve worked to bring shows to life with the Good Shepherd Players for the last three decades.
Fairfax County: Parents, Community Supporters Rally to ‘Invest in Kids’
Emotional independent outbursts and communal chants of “Fund our schools” and “Invest in kids” echoed through the grand amphitheater just beyond the entrance to the Fairfax County Government Center.
Tuesday, February 16
Editorial: Freedom of Information on Life Support in General Assembly?
Last week, the Assembly passed SB 202, which undid a major push eight years ago to ensure that all of our public spending was ‘online’ and searchable by ordinary citizens. This, of course, meant disclosing the salaries of public employees over a certain income level.
Editorial: Fairfax Presses Ahead with Diversion First
When police encounter someone in mental health crisis, they can transport them to Merrifield Crisis Response Center instead of jail.
Natasha McKenna died a little more than a year ago on Feb. 7, 2015.
Diversion First Program Launched
Fairfax County officials announce Diversion First program designed to help individuals get treatment not jail time.
Kevin Earley said he’s living proof that Diversion First works. Earley has been living with bipolar disorder and had his last episode in 2007.
Uncovering the Roots of Slavery
Local student creates slave index to help descendants trace family history.
A local college student is spending much of her senior year scouring the last wills and testaments of residents of Northern Virginia.
ServiceSource Helps People with Disabilities
Nonprofit ServiceSource helps people with disabilities.
In one section of the ServiceSource Chantilly Center, music therapist Myra Goodrich leads a group of budding musicians playing a cheerful song.
Touching Many Hearts
Minecraft for a Mission – Touching Heart and their “Kids on a Mission” raise funds for children in foster care.
They say that charity begins at home. Helen Yi and Taylor, the mother and daughter co-founders of Touching Heart, a nonprofit aimed at educating and inspiring children to empathize with the needs of others and to take action to assist them, have no argument with that statement.
‘Star Wars’ Fans Flock to Local Classes
Movie's popularity leaves fans wanting to feel "The Force."
Beams of neon light flash around a dark room. Young Star Wars fans from a galaxy not so far away wield light sabers and move with carefully choreographed steps.
Time To Plan for Kids’ Summer Camp Adventures
Local camp fair offers sampling of summer programs.
Under a blanket of February frost, summer might seem light years away, but it’s closer than one might think.
Thursday, February 11
Burke: Friends of Sadie Blood Drive Returns on Valentine’s Day
In early 2010, friends of the Lauer family in Burke pulled together and organized an impromptu blood drive to support three-month-old Sadie Lauer, who was then diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Sadie underwent several surgeries to remove the cancerous mass in her neck, which required a large supply of replacement blood. The drive fell on Valentine’s Day.
Burke and Fairfax Station: Three couples making businesses and marriages run hand-in-hand.
Some find it harder than others to keep their work and personal lives separate. In the case of three Burke businesses, their owners have completely merged the two, and been living happily ever after.
Fairfax County: Public Safety Committee meets to discuss Ad Hoc Police Review recommendations and the Diversion First initiative
Just over a year since Natasha McKenna died following multiple shocks from a taser, while in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention center, her name was never raised during the Feb. 9 meeting of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee meeting. Two audience members stood on one side of the Government Center conference room, holding posters bearing a picture of McKenna’s face and text including “Black Lives Matter.”
Fairfax County: Training Center Residents Relocated
They’re all gone. As of August 2015, there were still 55 residents with mental or physical disabilities receiving services at the state-owned and operated Northern Virginia Training Center on Braddock Road.
Wednesday, February 10
Week in Fairfax
Weekly happenings in Fairfax.
Fairfax: Providence Elementary Presents Progress Report
Providence Elementary School (PES) principal Jesse Kraft presented his seventh State of the School report to the City of Fairfax School Board on Monday, Feb. 1.
Fairfax: Paul VI Junior Earns a Perfect Score
Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax is celebrating junior Landon Labuskes for earning a perfect score on his AP Calculus AB exam.
Fairfax: Chocolate Treats All Around
The Fairfax Chocolate Festival was Feb. 6-7.
Pictures from the Fairfax Chocolate Festival 2016.
Fairfax: Bite Me Cancer Gets New Home
Nonprofit now headquartered in AFCEA building in Fair Lakes.
When Nikki Ferraro was just 17, she was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer. Since then, she’s fought it hard while also reaching out to help other teenagers battling the same disease.
Letter: Failure to Perform
To the Editor
I am a student at Lake Braddock Secondary School and was displeased by homeowners in my community who failed to remove their cars from the streets knowing that plows would be coming through or shovel their sidewalks.
Area Roundups
Volunteers are needed to drive cancer patients to treatment for The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program in Northern Virginia.
Burke and Fairfax: House Passes Filler-Corn Legislation Helping Pediatric Cancer Survivors
Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn’s (D-41) bill, HB 475 passed the House of Delegates unanimously on Monday. The bipartisan bill requires the Department of Education to review regulations and suggest revisions to existing guidelines relating to a return to learn protocol for students who have been treated for pediatric cancer.
Classified Advertising February 10, 2016
Read the latest ads here!
Fairfax 2015 Home Sales
In 2015, 1,026 Fairfax homes sold between $1,456,000-$125,000.
Fairfax 2015 Home Sales
Tuesday, February 9
Virginia Cigarette Tax Remains Lowest in Nation
Opportunity for increase in cigarette tax blows up in smoke.
Dale Stein and the McLean Citizens Association couldn’t even raise a match before legislators in Richmond extinguished a possible increase in the cigarette tax for Fairfax County.
Editorial: Limiting Local Authority
Assembly rushes bill limiting proffers without addressing who will pay for infrastructure.
In Virginia, a Dillon Rule state, local governments have only the powers explicitly granted by the General Assembly. And what the assembly gives, the assembly can take away.
Stylish Valentine’s Day Table Settings
Flowers and candles create romantic designs.
Fresh flowers and candles are an easy way to add elegance and romance to a Valentine’s Day table. From dramatic to understated, local tastemakers offer suggestions for setting the mood for a memorable dinner.
Bringing Order to Household Chaos
Clever design solutions for hiding clutter.
Wires, cable boxes, soccer cleats, pet bowls and other items are life’s necessities, but they can be unsightly and disrupt the aesthetic of an elegant living space.
Fairfax County School Board Approves $2.67 Billion ‘No Cuts’ Budget
Calls for general salary raises and additional $40 million for teachers, lowering elementary class sizes.
Members of the Fairfax County School Board have taken the next step in realizing Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza’s vision of no additional cuts in the Fiscal Year 2017 school system operating budget. T
Area Students Shine in MATHCOUNTS Competition
The Northern Virginia Regional MATHCOUNTS competition was held on Saturday, Feb. 6, at George Mason University.
Snowzilla Summit Ahead
Board names Fairfax County Animal Shelter for Michael Frey.
“What a difference a week makes,” said County Chairman Sharon Bulova (D), in case anybody had moved on from the 29.3 inches of measured snow at Dulles Airport during the recent blizzard.
Honoring Black History
Fairfax County’s Cable Network presents programs in celebration of Black History Month.
Fairfax Public Access (FPA) will air a special series of movies and documentaries throughout the month of February in recognition of Black History Month.
Proffers in Danger?
Richmond caught the attention of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week specifically with House Bill 770 (Gilbert) and Senate B 549 (Obenshain), bills Sharon Bulova says will place “significant restrictions” on development, specifically citing “unreasonable proffers.”
Thursday, February 4
Fairfax: Bulova and Petersen to Host Mid-Session Town Hall
Residents will have a chance to hear from and interact with state representatives Del. David Bulova (D-37) and Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) at a Town Hall Meeting this Saturday, Feb. 6. The meeting is scheduled for City Hall in the City of Fairfax, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Fairfax County: Election Officers Still Needed for March Primary
Cameron Sasnett has one message for people concerned about the integrity of elections -- at least from a procedure standpoint: Get involved as an election officer.
Fairfax County: In-Custody Death Investigated
Paul Guida died Oct. 17, 2015, while in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. The 68-year-old Falls Church resident was charged with violating a protective order. He had been held without bond since Oct. 1, 2015.
Combined Commissions for Women Host Human Trafficking Awareness Event in Fairfax
Thirty years ago, “Jen” was lured into a pornography ring and sexually abused by a man who initially pretended to be her friend.
Wednesday, February 3
Week in Fairfax
Weekly happenings in Fairfax.
Vietnam Combat Art Exhibit Extended Through Feb. 15
The traveling exhibition of “Vietnam Combat Art,” which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, has been extended through Feb. 15 at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 Main Street.
Fairfax: Connect or Not Connect?
Commission hears two hours of testimonies, mostly against 164-foot monopole in Fairfax neighborhood.
William Stefan asked the Fairfax County Planning Commission to pardon his nerves, evident in his voice as he talked about his Fairfax home of 23 years.
Grow Your Food, Grow Your Health
Fourth Grow Your Health Festival on March 5.
The Grow Your Health Festival will be on Saturday, March 5 at Fairfax High School, 3501 Rebel Run, Fairfax, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Fairfax: Sweet Dreams to Entice
“Romeo and Juliet” at the George Mason University Center for the Arts.
Fall in love again this Valentine’s weekend with “Romeo and Juliet.”
Fairfax’s Ober Wins 50, 100 Free
Fairfax junior Anna Ober won the 50- and 100 freestyle events at the Conference 6 championship swim and dive meet on Jan. 30 at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington.
Snowzilla Summit Ahead
Board names Fairfax County Animal Shelter for Michael Frey.
“What a difference a week makes,” said County Chairman Sharon Bulova (D), in case anybody had moved on from the 29.3 inches of measured snow at Dulles Airport during last week’s blizzard.
Racing for Cure
Project CUREage hosts Fun Run at Burke Lake Park.
Neither chilly temperatures nor snowy trails could deter nearly 100 runners who participated Sunday morning in a Fun Run at Burke Lake Park to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Area Roundups
Burke, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Lorton, Clifton and Springfield briefs.
Classified Advertising February 3, 2016
Read the latest ads here!
Tuesday, February 2
Another Opportunity to Talk About It
Super Bowl Sunday is Sunday, Feb. 7, and often more about the parties than the game.
Editorial: Economic Development in Virginia
The General Assembly prides itself in providing a pro-business climate, but refuses infusion of more than $3 billion annually.
Hundreds of bills before this year’s General Assembly session focus on “business climate,” providing incentives for businesses to locate and expand here, extending tax exemptions and tax credits, encouraging international trade, reducing regulation and many other approaches perceived as pro-business.
Marking American Heart Month
Month-long observance raises awareness about cardiovascular disease and the role of aerobic exercise in preventing it.
Music is thumping, sweat is dripping and hearts are pounding. In a packed aerobic dance studio, students move in the name of health.
Volunteer Fairfax Seeks Nominations, New Deadline Feb. 9
Awards recognize the contributions of volunteers in the community.
Nominations are open for the 2016 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards.