Editorial: HOT-Lanes and No Metro for I-66?
Did you miss the public discussion and input? So did we.
One day when I was stuck in traffic on I-66, I was briefly entertained by the license plate of the vehicle in front of me. "66 SUCKS," it read. No question, commuting on I-66 is a bear.
Column: No Shame in Crying
Nor is it a crying shame. But something has changed, dare I say affected my tear duct production. I can’t say with certainty – or even specify a particular moment in time for sure – when the tears began to flow more easily, but I’ll guess the change occurred sometime on or around February 27, 2009, the day I first met my oncologist; the day I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), “prognosed” to live 13 months to two years. If that kind of shocking, terminal-type news doesn’t upset your apple cart – permanently, “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.” And so it has, as reflected in my frequent “salty discharge” (to quote Jerry Seinfeld).
Editorial: Ready for Your Pet’s Close-up?
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish July 24. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
Engagements
Justin Paul Robinson and Sarah Catherine James Engaged
Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Cindy Robinson of Ashburn announce the engagement of their son, Justin Paul Robinson, 24, to Sarah Catherine James, 23, daughter of Robert and Lucy of Metuchen, N.J.
Balenger Story: Walking Tall
Nick Balenger, paralyzed after a swimming accident, walks at the Lake Braddock graduation ceremony.
Every Lake Braddock senior who walked across the George Mason University Patriot Center stage for a diploma received applause and praise for 12 years of hard work. But only one student received a standing ovation for simply walking.
Viewpoints
Lake Braddock Graduates Discuss: Where are you going next and where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Lake Braddock graduates discuss their futures.
Children Dig Into Reading
Summer reading program sparks enthusiasm in area libraries.
This year’s summer reading program in Fairfax County libraries provides children and their parents with enriching opportunities they can sink their hands into.
Join the ‘Extravacatza’
In hopes of encouraging people to adopt cats and kittens, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter has designated July as “Extravacatza.” Adoptive families will receive half-off adoption fees, plus free spay and neuter, on cats and kittens. Senior cat adopters will receive gift bags.
Tuberculosis Clinic Set Up at Lee High School
Three people at the school identified as having active TB.
Following reports that as many as 430 students and faculty at Robert E. Lee High School could have been exposed to tuberculosis, Fairfax County Health Department officials set up a special clinic on Friday, June 21, to provide testing and information on the infectious disease.
Fairfax to Celebrate Independence Day
The City of Fairfax has planned a host of activities for Thursday, July 4, including a parade in historic downtown Fairfax, and music and fireworks at Fairfax High School.
True Food Kitchen Opens at Mosaic
True Food Kitchen is scheduled to open its doors to the public in summer 2014 at Mosaic in Fairfax.
Animal Shelter Fundraiser Proves Big Success
Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter held a fundraiser for the shelter, June 9, at Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton. Nearly 200 people attended the event, called “Wine, Whiskers & Wags,” and raised $6,000 for the shelter.
Postcards for Wounded Veterans
During May, for Military Appreciation Month, students at Oak View Elementary School wrote over 1,300 postcards to wounded veterans at Ft. Belvoir.
Potoman/North Sends off Talented Players
The Potomac/North U16 and U19 teams, full of Fairfax County players, both took home the Gold Medal Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23 the VA Commonwealth Games (The Virginia Olympics) for Field Hockey at the University of Virginia.
SkateFest Raises $11,500 for Children’s Hospital
Skateboarders from all over compete in Sk8 for a Cause.
Some 250 skateboarders from as far away as Missouri and Pennsylvania traveled to Wakefield Skate Park in Annandale Friday and Saturday, June 21 and 22, to compete in the seventh Annual SkateFest—Sk8 for a Cause, which raised $11,500 for Children’s National Medical Center in the district.
Meier Reflects on His Decade at Robinson
Search continues for school’s new principal.
Robinson Secondary School still hasn’t found a new principal—but then, Danny Meier is a hard act to follow. He retired recently after serving 29 years with FCPS, the last 10 as Robinson’s leader.
Week in Fairfax
Robbery and Shooting in Mantua, Countywide Transit Network Study, Chick-fil-A Seeks People to Dress as Cows.
Meier: ‘A Supporter, Leader and Listener’
Although Danny Meier’s now retired as Robinson’s principal, he left his mark on the school and his colleagues say he led it well. “He’s a great leader because he’s quick at evaluating situations and has the background to make logical decisions,” said school administrative assistant Sue Henderson. “It’s also a great loss because I’ll miss him as a friend.”
Local Artist to Exhibit Beach Series At Katie’s Coffee House
Local artist Jane Rader will be exhibiting her “Beach Series” photographs at Katie’s Coffee House at 760 Walker Road in Great Falls during the month of July. The digital images on canvas feature beach scenes in a contemporary, impressionistic style. As a painter and graphic designer, Rader’s soft focus style of photography allows the artist to paint with her camera. Her beach series was photographed in 2010 along the coast of Virginia.
Paving ‘Virginia’s Road to the Future’
Transportation Authority solicits public input on first year of proposed projects.
City Hall in the City of Fairfax was the location of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) June 20 Open House and Public Hearing, seeking public opinion on proposed regional transportation projects. The Authority was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002 to provide a common voice for all Northern Virginia stakeholders on transportation and related issues. The Authority is made up of representatives from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and one representative for the towns of Herndon, Leesburg, Purcellville, Dumfries and Vienna. The group also includes several members of the Virginia Assembly, governor appointees and non-voting representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.