Celebrating the Chinese New Year
Lunar Chinese New Year festivities continued this past weekend, attracting hundreds of thousands of shoppers and visitors to Fair Oaks Mall. Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the Chinese traditional calendar, based on the phases of the moon and the solar year. The year is 4710 and celebrates the dragon, which is considered the luckiest sign of the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing strength, power and good luck.
Commentary: Dulles Rail Phase II: A Common Sense Approach
This spring the Fairfax and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will be required to make a final decision to opt in or out of Phase II of the Dulles Rail project. Rail through Tysons past the airport and into Loudoun is the largest public works project in the history of the Commonwealth and it has significant financial implications to the counties, its residents and businesses, and especially to the users of the Dulles Toll Road. As the Dulles corridor and Tysons are the economic engines of the region and the Commonwealth the project also has telling implications on our future job growth.
Letter: Waste of Taxpayer Money
I recently received a "Richmond Update" from Del. Jim Le Munyon advising: "I have proposed an additional $400,000 in the state budget for the State Police to more effectively conduct background checks for individuals desiring to purchase a firearm. Recently, a constituent brought to my attention the significant delays some purchasers were experiencing in receiving the results of their background checks …"
Remembering Harry Heisler
Wife mourns husband of 28 years.
Ask Evelyn Heisler what made her husband Harry so special to her, and she answers without hesitation. "He had a razor-sharp wit and a brilliant sense of humor and he made me laugh every day," she said.
Fulfilling a Dream
Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque is almost completed.
Set back from the road, yet perched upon a hill, the mosque that will serve area members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is nearing completion in Chantilly. Just off Walney Road and Eagle Chase Circle, the 7,200-square-foot place of worship is called the Mubarak mosque which, in Islamic, means "blessed tidings."
‘We’re Really Frustrated’
Homeowner’s insurance company seeks damages from WGL.
Leaving a recent meeting of the Brookfield Civic Association, Thuan Nguyen was not a happy man. After losing his home in a December 2010 gas explosion, he and his family carried on with their lives, but never received definitive answers regarding what caused the blast.
Prayer Schedule and Message of Peace
At the new, Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Chantilly, morning prayers will start before sunrise; evening prayers are said approximately 45 minutes after sundown. And the imam will be there to lead the congregation in prayer, seven days a week.
SCC vs. WGL: What’s Next?
State and gas company disagree over report.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) determined that Washington Gas Company [WGL] committed 11 "probable violations" in regard to the December 2010 explosion in Brookfield. But the gas company believes otherwise.
Vandals Damage New Mosque in Chantilly
Windows smashed, property damaged.
The motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is "Love for all, hatred for none." Its Web site is www.MuslimsForPeace.org.
Putting Food on the Table
Food banks struggle to keep shelves stocked in winter.
n a bright winter Saturday afternoon, bus driver Lynn Temple boxed up jars of peanut butter and cans of food donated by shoppers at Giant grocery store in Lorton.
Campaign Kickoff for McConville
Jay McConville kicked off his campaign to be the next Fairfax County Republican Committee chairman last month at the Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax.
President Announces Homeowners Bill of Rights
Gives speech to crowd at James Lee Community Center in Falls Church.
Calling the continuing depression in the housing market a "make-or-break" moment for the middle class, President Barack Obama delivered a short and pointed speech this morning about his proposed Homeowner’s Bill of Rights to an audience in Falls Church.
Letter: Schools Have Too Much Power
Letter to the Editor
I just read an article by Michael Lee Pope ["Politics of Notification: Father takes his plight for increased parental notification to Richmond," Connection, Jan. 26-Feb. 1] It is simply wrong!
Officer Who Made Difference
First African American female officer retires from FCPD.
As the youngest daughter of a preacher in Oak Hill, W. Va., Annie Mack-Evans said she knew growing up that her life’s calling was to "Do all you can do and leave the outcome to God."
FACETS Starts Youth Volunteer Program
Program fills growing demand for volunteer opportunities.
FACETS, a local nonprofit that opens doors by helping families and individuals who suffer the effects of poverty in Fairfax County, has just launched a monthly youth volunteer program.
Rotarians Host Maestro Zimmerman
The Fairfax Rotary Club welcomed Fairfax Symphony Orchestra musical director Christopher Zimmerman to its Jan. 23 membership meeting.
Students Create ‘Mosby Town’
Something fascinating is happening at Mosby Woods Elementary in Fairfax.
Girl Scouts Invited to Community Celebration
This year Girl Scouts of the USA is celebrating its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the South Central Fairfax Association of the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC) is conducting a special event and opening it up to the community at Springfield Mall on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Letter: Benefits of Smaller Class Sizes
Letter to the Editor
We have a great school system in Fairfax County. Our test scores are high, our students are engaged in challenging educational curriculums, and our schools have received national recognition as being some of the best in the nation.
Column: "Progression"
There’s a word – in a medical context, anyway, that you don’t hear every day. And if you’re a stage IV lung cancer survivor – like me, 35 months post-diagnosis, it’s hardly the word you ever want to hear – or see – describing the most recent CT Scan of your lungs (Mediastinum) where your malignant tumors have been in "partial stable remission" going on two-plus years now. "Progression" means growth. Growth means the relative calm under which you’ve existed for the last few years is officially over.