Stories for December 2014

Column: Level Best

If I wanted to rationalize the benefit of delaying my heretofore every-three-week chemotherapy infusion from three weeks to four and now on to five, possibly six – and that’s dependent on improved results from a second/maybe even third retest upcoming (this retest a bit more involved than drawing blood) – I would say it’s only fitting that I should have a break/brake; after all, it is the holiday season when all good things; yada, yada, yada. If only it were that simple.

Column: The New Normal

Loosey goosey, I suppose. As much as one might prefer some predictability in their life (certainly a cancer patient would – I know I would), I may be entering a cycle of permanent unpredictability.

Letter: Do Fairfax County Police Act with Impunity?

Fifteen months, after the shooting of John Geer, no officer has been identified, no charges have been filed, no grand jury has been convened and no reason has been given to the family or the public.

I would like to begin by saying that I have always and still do support the police as a whole. I appreciate the job that they do and the risks they take on a daily basis in an effort to keep the public safe. The ongoing policy in Fairfax County of police self-investigation, when officers are involved in possible crimes, has to change.

Santa Comes to West Springfield Elementary

Fairfax County Police Dept. and the Fairfax County Sheriff Dept. arrived today at West Springfield Elementary School (WSES) accompanying Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, Frosty and the elves by motorcycle.

Week in Springfield

Weekly happenings in Springfield.

Santa is Not Going to Miss These Houses

Fairfax, Springfield houses brighten the holiday.

Being listed in Holly’s Tacky Christmas Lights website is no dubious honor. For some houses, it is an actual honor to be included in the list Holly Zell has kept up since 2001.

Letter: Taking Exception on Express Lanes

To the Editor

An article was recently published in your newspaper discussing the new I-95 express lanes (95 Express Lanes Open, The Connection, Dec. 18-24, 2014). One statement in the article read, “Construction manager for the project John Morse, of VDOT, said that the addition of a third lane will solve a number of problems and give people options other than waiting in traffic.”

Gifts for the Home

Local shop owners offer suggestions to make holiday shopping easier.

While holiday shopping is part of the spirit of the season, for some choosing a present for everyone on their list can be overwhelming. Local small business owners come to the rescue with gift ideas for the home.

Irresistible? How Karen Garza Creates Change in Fairfax County Schools

Karen Garza is a good listener. And once she’s listened, she is, admittedly, not very patient. “If there's a real issue, I don't think it has to be debated for 10 or 15 years,” Garza said in an interview. “Either we're going to do something about it or not.”

FCPS Chief Karen Garza and Her Previous Life in Texas

“When I hired Karen in 2005,” former Superintendent of Houston Independent School District (HISD) Dr. Abelardo Saavedra said, “the position of chief academic officer had been open several months. I went looking for her. I’d never met her but I’d heard about her. There is a big difference between a mid-sized district and a larger one; the dynamics are completely different. I was taking a risk because she came from a mid-sized one of about 40,000 in Corpus Christi, and ours was much bigger. She adjusted very quickly.”

Saving Historic Homes

Residents could live virtually rent-free in exchange for repairing and maintaining homes.

Fairfax County might soon breathe life into historic homes that have fallen into disrepair. If an ordinance adopted by the County Board of Supervisors last month becomes law, the county will be one step closer to establishing a resident curator program.

2015 New Year Remodeling Resolutions

Improving long-term living needs and future home value.

After all the holiday festivities have passed and the ball has dropped to ring in the New Year, many homeowners are inspired to tackle resolutions that relate to their living space. 2015 may be the year you want to remodel your home to allow for the changes occurring in your life.

Fairfax County Public Schools Needing Community’s Help

Superintendent Karen Garza begins and ends her Listening Tour meetings with a plea to those in the room — parents, teachers, employees, unions — to help her achieve what needs to be done for their school system. “I am going to need your help,” she says to audiences who voice concerns about class size, resources for special education, and teacher salaries.

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza Bio

Current Position: Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent

Timeline of Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza’s career in education.

1986-1991: Elementary School Teacher, Yoakum, Texas (1,539 students, 38% white and 50% Latino and spends about $8,000 per pupil).

Franconia Nonprofit Koinonia Engages More with Business Community

Mary Tinsley of Alexandria pushed the loaded shopping cart right out the door and into the parking lot where Marcia Reid of Woodbridge was pulling her car around. Mid-morning sun pierced through trees overlooking the parking lot behind Franconia United Methodist Church. Reid was picking up groceries for a Springfield-based client of Koinonia, a local nonprofit outreach organization.

Burke Church Volunteers Assemble Birth Kits for Haiti

Meg Hanrahan of Burke and Melinda Engelbrektsson of Fairfax Station have each faced life-threatening complications with childbirth. Thanks to the medical resources available to them and “the grace of God,” said Engelbrektsson, they and their children survived. Many women in third world countries including Haiti don’t have the same opportunity.

Editorial: Merry Christmas

A message of peace and joy.

Merry Christmas. It’s a magical time of year, and perhaps Connection Newspapers has over indulged in displaying the many rituals of Christmas on our pages in the past few weeks. In events around the area, a sense of community has infused holiday parades, Christmas tree lightings, menorah lightings, choral performances, singing of carols and other traditional events with warmth and joy.

When Dad (or Mom) Is High School Sports Coach

Local coaches and athletes share their feelings about the relationship between parent/coach and child/athlete.

95 Express Lanes Open

Transportation project culminates after a decade and four governors.

The 95 express lanes opened on Sunday, Dec. 14, after a decade of planning and since breaking ground almost two years ago. Gov. Terry McAuliffe--joined by Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, members of the Fairfax, Prince William, and Stafford counties board of supervisors, and representatives from VDOT and Transurban--cut the ribbon on Wednesday, Dec. 10 in Alexandria.

Letter to the Editor: New Level of Accountability

To the Editor: As a Christian, I believe we are all made in the image of God - and that means every life matters. However, our justice system is currently sending black people the message that their lives do not matter the same way that others do.

Springfield's Doodlehopper Sells Toys that Enlighten

For toys, books, and baby and toddler gifts that tend to enlighten the child this holiday season, be sure to check out Doodlehopper 4 Kids, located in the Huntsman Square Shopping Center off of the Fairfax County Parkway in Springfield.

Virginia Railway Express Riders Donate Toys for Tots

Virginia Railway Express riders gave from their hearts and wallets and donated a truck full of toys and nearly $19,000 in the commuter rail agency’s annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign.

Santa Lives in Springfield

Greenspring resident starts a new career impersonating St. Nick.

He may be retired, but Jim Weedon still wears a suit…a Santa suit! A resident of Greenspring retirement community in Springfield, Weedon recently started a new career impersonating St. Nick.

Cappies Review: Thought-provoking and Inspirational

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at Robert E. Lee High School.

R.P. McMurphy has always been the bull goose of wherever she goes. She is the wildest, lustiest, strongest woman in the world and, as long as she’s stuck in this cuckoo’s nest, the craziest too, the unquestioned bull goose loony. But when she finds herself butting heads with Nurse Ratched and his relentless iron fist of control, it’s not just fun and games anymore.

Bringing Smiles to Military Families in Lorton

Operation Homefront, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, held a Holiday Toy Party for children of enlisted soldiers in Lorton. Five hundred families registered online to be part of the festivities on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Springfield Home Sales: November, 2014

In November 2014, 94 Springfield homes sold between $860,000-$155,000.

Springfield Home Sales: November, 2014

Column: A Level That’s Anything But

This is not a home improvement reference, but this is most definitely a do-it-yourself column.

An Essay To Remember

Local educators offer advice on acing independent school admission essays and interviews.

While many are knee-deep in wrapping paper and eggnog, some students are holed up with computer keyboards and books of quotations. In addition to driving to the mall for holiday shopping, some parents are throwing rapid-fire questions at their children to make sure they are fast on their feet.

Commentary: Helping People without Homes

The weather has turned colder and the holidays are in full swing, which means it’s the time of year when people ask “what can we do for the homeless now that it’s so cold?” Or “how can we help the homeless have a good Christmas?”

Editorial: Holidays Are for Giving

In the scramble to finish Christmas shopping, remember tens of thousands of local children are short of food as well as presents.

The holidays are for giving. Christmas and Hanukkah are about children and family, about sharing, about joy, about being thankful and about faith and appreciation. Here in Northern Virginia, many of us see few signs of families in need as we go about our daily lives and holiday shopping. Our neighborhoods are largely segregated economically; we mostly see the people who are most like ourselves economically.

‘Hour of Code’ at Keene Mill

Elementary school students write lines of code during the school day.

With the increasing demand for software developers in today’s job market, and what some say is a decreasing interest in computer science at the college level, schools around the country and world worked to peak students’ interest in computer science during a weeklong learning initiative called the “Hour of Code.”

95 Express Lanes, a Preview

All signs point to getting an EZ Pass.

Like a long-awaited summer blockbuster, signs on billboards along Route 1 and banners hanging on bridges that cross I-95, tease commuters about the coming of the nine-mile extension of the 95 express lanes.

Lake Accotink Park in Springfield Features Horse-drawn Hayrides and Santa

One day a year, Jim Hickey does a different kind of volunteering at Lake Accotink Park. The Springfield resident works at the Merrifield Post Office and gives a lot of his time to the park as a member of the Friends of Lake Accotink Park organization. For 20 years he’s done various things, and currently does announcing for the popular Braddock Nights summer concert series, as well as the cardboard boat regatta.

Looking for Gifts in Springfield?

Games Workshop, 6810 Bland St, Springfield, offers The Hobbit game starter package, Dark Vengeance starter package, Warhammer starter package $110-$125.

Burke Community Church Christmas Program is About High Energy

Imagine Randy Travis singing “Away in a Manger,” re-imagined as reggae. Darren Brown can’t, either, but he’s practicing it anyway for an interactive portion of the Burke Community Church Christmas program on Dec. 13. The West Springfield resident was formerly the music director and is now executive pastor and worship pastor.

Editorial: Make a Plan, Talk About It

Here is help in keeping impaired drivers off the roads.

The holiday party season is upon us, and with it an increase in drinking and driving. It’s up to you to make a plan to get home safely.

Column: ‘Quality of Life’

If I’ve heard it once – from my oncologist – I’ve probably heard it a dozen times over the last nearly-six years.

Nai-Tetteh's Defense Leads Robinson to Comeback Win over Lake Braddock

Senior's two steals, 14 fourth-quarter points propel Rams to victory.

Robinson beat Lake Braddock 65-59 Monday.

Lee High, South Lakes Compete on ‘It’s Academic’

Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, and South Lakes High School in Reston competed on the 54th season of “It’s Academic.”

Geer Lawyer Expects Hearing Before New Year On Springfield Shooting

Out of 128 requests for the production of documents made by the Geer family lawyer Michael Lieberman, all but two have been denied by Fairfax County.

Small Business Springfield

Local stores offer expertise, exclusivity and community.

When Jahangir Raja moved to Springfield over a decade ago, it wasn’t a favorable time for a heavily bearded Muslim native of Pakistan to find a job in America. He came shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Burke United Methodist Church begins Christmas season celebration.

A tuba-playing shepherd broke from playing Christmas carols to snap cell phone pictures of a tall sheep and two young girl-sized shepherds. The “Selfie” station with biblical-themed costumes was the first stop for Edie, Olive and Tommy Webster of Fairfax at the Burke United Methodist Family Advent Celebration.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Signs On for $403 Million Loan

Low-interest federal loan will help finance Phase 2 of Silver Line.

Phase two of the Silver Line construction got a boost towards its 2018 estimated completion date. After nearly a year of discussion, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize a federal loan agreement to the tune of $403 million.

Fairfax County Facing More Budget Strain

County Executive and FCPS Superintendent present adverse forecasts.

Days before the traditional loosening of belts for Thanksgiving, Fairfax County officials discussed the need for tightening theirs.

Lake Braddock XC Sends Two Harriers to Nike Nationals

Corbett, Murphy place fifth in respective SE regional races.

Lake Braddock's Alex Corbett and Kate Murphy will compete at Nike nationals on Dec. 6 in Portland, Ore.

Letter to the Editor: Two Ideas to Address Rape

To the Editor: As many of us recoil from the recent UVA sexual assault article in Rolling Stone, tremendous accusations are being thrown at the university and others like it across the country. While UVA is not innocent and its infamous privileged “party culture” is partly to blame, there are two clear pieces of the story that no one seems to be addressing.

Editorial: Be Part of Children's Connection 2014

Annual edition showcases youth art and writing.

During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.

Column: Since It Ain’t Broken...

Apparently, at least in the near term, we’re (meaning my oncologist) not going to fix it. And by fix it, I am referring to my chemotherapy infusion, which will continue to be every three weeks, as it has been for almost six years; save for a year or so when I was able to take pills at home, and on-site infusions were not necessary.