Week in Fairfax
A 40-year-old man died at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, after driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Little River Turnpike for several miles and striking a Fairfax County Police cruiser head-on. The officer, 28, from the Mason Police District, was en route to assist fellow officers after hearing radio traffic about the speeding vehicle in the wrong lanes. He suffered numerous injuries in the crash, was trapped in his vehicle and had to be cut out of the car before he could be transported for medical attention. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he is in a stable condition.
Empty Bowls Event Raises $18,000
Our Daily Bread’s signature fundraiser benefits Fairfax County residents living below the poverty line.
As the Fairfax Saxophone Quartet played dulcet American swing standards to an audience of 300, the atmosphere inside the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center last Thursday night struck a balance between light-hearted and serious. While outwardly entertaining, with balloon animals, face-painting, live music and close to 400 colorful handmade bowls available to take home, the fifth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser highlighted a humbling reality: the large population of working poor in the Fairfax County area.
Fairfax Author Writes Memoir on Caring for Mother
Fairfax author M. Elizabeth Sweeney published a memoir to help caregivers and aging parents. Nineteen million Americans are caring for someone over the age of 75, and Sweeney was one of them—yet she couldn't find a book about the eldercare issues she encountered with her mother. So she decided to write it.
Fairfax Residents Star in New Production
Clifton Dinner Theater presents “Murder Me Always.”
Mystery, intrigue and laughs are all on the menu when the Clifton Dinner Theater presents its new show, “Murder Me Always.” And two Fairfax residents have starring roles. Performances are slated for March 14-16, at the Clifton Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road in the Town of Clifton. Shirley’s Catering of Clifton is providing the dinner, all three nights, and wine and beer will be available.
Two Historic Measures Mark Assembly Session
Q&A with Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41).
Transportation funding was one of the big stories to come out of Richmond during the 45-day “short session,” but it wasn’t the only one. Unlike Congressional gridlock, where lobbyists, special-interest groups and political aspirations converge to slow down legislation, the pace in Virginia’s capitol is fast and furious. Legislation gets passed in the blink of an eye. It’s a pace Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn, the second-term Democrat representing nearly 90,000 residents in Burke, Fairfax and West Springfield, knows well.
Animal Shelter Seeks Senior Citizens
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is looking for people with spare time who’d like to help improve the quality of life for homeless animals. Currently, the shelter has around 100 volunteers, but it’s trying to double that number by attracting senior citizens to lend a hand.
Beware of Phone Scam
Dozens of senior citizens have been victimized by telephone scammers in recent weeks, and Fairfax County police are urging residents not to give out or verify financial information over the phone. In the latest scam, victims are receiving calls from someone pretending to be from a utility company, delivery service or sweepstakes. Residents are told their service will be discontinued unless they pay by phone immediately. Frightened at the thought of no heat, power or phone, for example, victimized seniors provide their account numbers and payment information over the phone.
Police Dispatchers Serve as Vital Links
Frequently the first, and sometimes the only, contact citizens may have with the City of Fairfax Police Department is the professional voice answering a call in the department’s Communications Center. Eight full-time and two part-time dispatchers, normally working in shifts of two, staff the center.
Unprecedented Interference With the Election Process
I am extremely upset by the recent interference of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee in the election process in Fairfax County. The term of one of the Republicans on the Electoral Board is expiring. By law, and by historical precedence, the chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee has the prerogative of requesting the Circuit Court to fill this position with a selection of his choice.
Promoting Peace Among Youth
Twelve young adults receive 2013 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County.
At a reception held at the Clifton Community Hall on Sunday, March 3, the Herndon Friends Meeting presented the 2013 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County to 12 exceptional area young adults.
Letter: We Need A Real Leader in Virginia
According to a Feb. 25 article in “Politico,” two prominent Republican CEOs lambasted GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli at the Feb. 22 meeting of the Republican Governors Association, saying his hard core socially conservative policies will make Virginia less attractive for business, and he is out of the Virginia mainstream.
Woodson Boys’ Basketball Reaches State Semifinals
Cavaliers’ season ends with loss to Henrico in Richmond.
The Woodson boys' basketball team won 25 games this season.
Column: E-male
My oncologist is a man. He has e-mail. He works for an HMO that encourages/advertises its connectivity and responsiveness – electronically, to its members. If I want to get medical answers in a reasonable amount of time – save for an emergency, typing, “mousing” and clicking is the recommended methodology. No more phone calls, preferably. Though pressing keys on a keyboard rather than pressing buttons on a phone might have felt counter-intuitive at first as a means of receiving prompt replies, it has proven over these past few years to be a fairly reliable and predictable information loop. Not in minutes necessarily, but more often than not during the same day – and almost always by the very next day. In fact, I’ve received e-mails from my oncologist as late as 9:18 p.m. (time-stamped) after a sometime-during-the-day e-mail had been sent.
Putting a Face on Homelessness
462 homeless interviewed during Registry Week, an intense effort to document Fairfax County’s chronic homeless.
"We have to step up to this question. … Are we going to walk away from this tonight and say, 'That's just the way people live?’ Well, it's not the way people should live." —Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill)
The Snowquester Hits the Area
Snowstorm’s impact downgraded, but slushy roads still a problem.
The National Weather Service Wednesday downgraded its Snowquester forecast from 8-10 inches to about 4-6 inches in the region. At 3:18 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, the NWS predicted total snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches in Fairfax County before the storm fizzles out later that night, and north winds with gusts up to 45 mph in some areas, making driving hazardous.
Robinson Reaches Region Final Four
Robinson's season ends with loss to Wakefield in region semifinals.
Wakefield Boys’ Basketball Finishes Region Runner-Up
Warriors qualify for state tournament, will travel to Richmond.
Wakefield will face Mountain View today in the state quarterfinals.
Woodson Wins Region Title with Epic Comeback
Cavaliers erase 19-point fourth-quarter deficit against Wakefield.
Woodson will face Battlefield on Friday in state quarterfinals.
Week in Fairfax
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Pat Herrity’s (R-Springfield) plan and design for a Fairfax County license plate. Besides allowing residents to show pride in their community, proceeds from the license plates’ sales will go to the World Police and Fire Games, which the county is hosting in 2015.
Riverbend Opera to Open New Season
"The music of opera takes me to beautiful places in my imagination, with swirling passions and languid times of reflection," said John Turner (McLean) in describing his love for the art form. He is one of the artistic forces behind Fairfax County's own Riverbend Opera Company. With its 2013 season, Riverbend will have a double-bill of one-act works by Giacomo Puccini. Puccini's operas are some of the most performed such as "La Bohème," "Madame Butterfly" and "Tosca." Each of the one-acts, "Il tabarro" and "Suor Angelica" has "almost achingly beautiful music" said Turner.