Friday, July 31
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 31-Aug. 9, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, July 30
The Week in Springfield
Thomas R. Lienau, 53, of Springfield was charged on July 24 with the second degree murder of Mohammed Moshin Najim, 25, according to Fairfax County Police.
Fairfax County Ad Hoc Commission Subcommittees Report
“It is well past time for the Fairfax County Police Department to start providing timely, honest and effective communications with everything it does.” When former director of Fairfax County public affairs Merni Fitzgerald delivered the final report and recommendations of the communications subcommittee of the Fairfax County ad hoc commission to review police practices, commissioner Joseph Cammarata responded immediately to those words in report’s introduction.
Fairfax: Special Grand Jury Begins Hearing Testimony in John Geer Case
Since shooting John Geer dead in the doorway of his Springfield home on Aug. 29, 2013, PFC Adam Torres of the Fairfax County Police Department has remained at work, albeit out of the field, but undisciplined by police and unprosecuted for any criminal wrongdoing.
Fairfax County School Board Honors Retiring Leaders, Adopts Budget Review and Audit Plan
In their last meeting of the summer, Fairfax County School Board members began by remembering former superintendent Dr. Robert Spillane, who recently died, and recognizing outgoing members of the school system’s leadership team.
Wednesday, July 29
Burke: Illinois De-Commit Ohanian Faces Uncertain Future
Bishop O'Connell rising junior softball player and Burke resident Patty Maye Ohanian de-committed from the University of Illinois this summer.
Column: On A Tangent
Not that I live day-to-day or even month-to-month, but I do live – in my head anyway – quarter-to-quarter; that interval representing the usual and customary time between my recurring diagnostic scans. The time when the rubber hits my road.
Thursday, July 23
Springfield Athlete to Compete in Special Olympics World Games
Karen Dickerson has run 16 marathons, well on the way to reaching her goal of completing one in every state in America. At 29, Dickerson has been a Special Olympics athlete for 18 years.
Springfield: Cottontail Swim Team Raises Money for Haiti
Members of the Cottontail Cobias summer league swim team know that not everyone has a 25-meter pool to swim in -- much less clean water to drink.
Burke & Springfield: New Giant Draws from Virginia Farms
Last month, a new 50,000-square foot Giant Food grocery store opened in the Kings Park Shopping Center at 8970 Burke Lake Road in Springfield.
Wednesday, July 22
Burke: Lake Braddock Grad Owens Plays in Ripken League All-Star Game
Former ECU middle infielder to play at Virginia Tech.
Vienna River Dogs infielder and 2014 Lake Braddock graduate Jack Owens played in his first Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League all-star game.
Column: 'Abyssful' Ignorance
Hopefully not. But you never know – per last week’s column, until you know. And the preferred pattern seems to be that waiting to be spoken to in person, a week or so post-scan, is the best the process can be; or at least, that’s the process that suits the doctor/HMO.
Children’s Science Center Lab Opens in Fairfax
Hands on STEM experience at the mall.
The Children’s Science Center Lab opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax on Monday, July 20.
Monday, July 20
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 24-Aug. 2, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Editorial: What’s Special about Your Community?
Share tips in upcoming Newcomers and Community Guides.
The Connection’s annual Newcomers and Community Guides will publish Aug. 26. A bevy of interns, plus staff writers and editors, are preparing this year’s editions, but we need help from our readers.
Thursday, July 16
Springfield Home Sales: June, 2015
In June, 2015, 238 Springfield homes sold between $1,176,000-$160,000.
Springfield Home Sales: June, 2015
Baptist Youth Campers Repair Lorton Homes
Jeff Moten started the week with 31 teenagers on his lawn. Baptist youth from around Virginia arrived at his Lorton property around 9 a.m. on Monday, July 13. By 10, they had cleared much of the natural overgrowth in his front and back yards, begun stripping his home’s roof and removing debris from a rear room where the floor had collapsed.
Fairfax County Police Release Updated In-Car Video Program Guidelines
In a January 2015 informational video, Fairfax County Police said around 600 of the department’s cruisers, spread across all eight law enforcement districts, were equipped with in-car video recording devices.
Wednesday, July 15
Glow-in-the-Dark Miniature Golf Opens in Springfield
Glowgolf, an operator of indoor, glow-in-the-dark,miniature golf courses based in Wichita, Kan., has opened a new location at Old Keene Mill Shopping Center.
Column: 'Scant' Know For Sure Anymore
After six years, four months and two weeks since being diagnosed with stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer (the “terminal” kind), I can say with certainty that I have no sense of what my next CT scan, scheduled for July 15th, will indicate. Previously (multiple scans over multiple years), I’ve felt something in my upper chest/lungs where the largest tumors are located and the subsequent scan showed nothing of consequence.
Q&A: West Springfield’s D’Anna Committed to IUP Hoops
All-region post player enjoys country music, scary movies.
Q&A with IUP commit Maura D'Anna.
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 17-26, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Tuesday, July 14
Editorial: Backpacks for All
Thousands of students will begin school this fall at a disadvantage; help now so they have the basics.
The first day of school each year is fraught with anticipation and anxiety. Many local students will be concerned about what they wear, who they will see, what it will be like. They’ve already had multiple shopping trips, online and otherwise, to be sure they have the supplies and extras they need.
Backyard Vegetable Gardens Feed Multicultural Cuisines
In Fairfax County, tomatoes are a staple of local gardens along with peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, beans and herbs like mint, oregano and cilantro.
There’s nothing like a juicy red tomato fresh out of the backyard garden to brighten up a summertime salad or a sandwich — or a bittermelon, aronia berries or “paradise apple,” as persimmons are known in Bulgaria. The multi-cultural population in Fairfax County has grown roots in the backyard vegetable garden.
Friday, July 10
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - July 10-19, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, July 9
Burke, Fairfax, Lorton and Springfield: Synchronized Swimmers Compete in North Carolina
Lake Braddock graduate and Springfield resident Connie Polnow has been doing synchronized swimming since she was 9 years old. Her teammate and rising West Springfield freshman Angie Borkowski has only been at it for a year. But together, they were among 29 members of the Northern Virginia Nereids squad who participated in the United States Synchronized Swimming Junior Olympics between June 29 and July 4.
Rabid Fox Found Near South Run RECenter
Less than a month after a woman was injured by a rabid raccoon, police responded to reports of a fox “acting abnormally” in the same area: the South Run/Burke Lake Trail near the South Run RECenter.
Springfield Area Roundup
Eighteen-year Fairfax County Police Department veteran MPO Damien Cichocki has been cleared of any “criminal liability” in a September 2014 incident in which he shot a charging pit bull, police announced in a July 2 statement.
Fairfax: City of Fairfax Band Children’s Concert July 16
Each year, the City of Fairfax community band gives its youngest fans a chance to try their hand at the shiny, twisty and just plain loud instruments in the ensemble.
Wednesday, July 8
Q&A: Hayfield Grad Schipper to Play Softball at Columbia University
Four-year Hawks catcher enjoys Miley Cyrus, Disney movies.
Q&A with former Hayfield catcher Bonnie Schipper.
Column: My Manifesto, Sort Of
Being diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer (no, they’re not all “terminal”) is “a heck of a thing,” to extrapolate a bit from Jim Valvano’s memorable 1993 ESPY Awards speech given a few months before he succumbed to his cancer.
Fairfax County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program Returns
Although young readers may have put down the books since leaving classrooms last month, the Fairfax County Public Library has kicked off its Summer Reading Program to nurture a love of pleasure reading during the vacation months.
Commentary: Legislation Combats Sex Trafficking
On July 1, legislation that I sponsored, HB1964, went into effect. This new law is Virginia’s first stand-alone human trafficking statute and creates stricter penalties for traffickers, greater protections for sex trafficking victims, and provides needed tools for prosecutors and law enforcement to stop human trafficking in Virginia.
Letter: Celebrating Marriage Equality
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Today, we rejoice in the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the federal right of same sex partners to legal marriage in the cases of Obergefell v. Hodges, Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder, Bourke v. Beshear.
Letter: Cooperative Spirit
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: The July 2-8, 2015 Springfield Connection article ("Coming Home to Queen of Peace") addressed an ongoing issue on how best to serve the needs of people in providing quality care services.
Tuesday, July 7
A House by the Sea
Design ideas for beach homes.
As the sweaty days of summer slog on, many are dreaming about a home by the sea, a wistful retreat where cares flow as freely as an ocean breeze.
Editorial: Yes to Nonpartisan Redistricting
Politicians shouldn’t be choosing voters.
Virginia’s Congressional map is unconstitutional because African American voters are packed into District 3, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The problem will have to be remedied by drawing new boundaries.
Thursday, July 2
Coming Home to Queen of Peace in Springfield
Residents with disabilities move into new group house on Gresham Street.
Ten months ago, the unassuming single-level house on Gresham Street in north Springfield was a private residence. Today it’s the permanent home of four individuals with disabilities, and a fifth is on the way.
The Week in Springfield
Dead man found in Kingstowne pond, Torch caused house fire, 95 Express Lanes holiday schedule.
Fairfax County Police continue to investigate the death of Kenneth Duane Bernhardt, 36, of Falls Church, who was found Saturday, June 27 in a pond on South Van Dorn Street near Kingstowne Village Parkway.
Local Farms Supply Alexandria Wegmans
Five Virginia farms are currently supplying the recently opened Wegmans grocery store in Alexandria with fresh produce.
Fourth of July Weekend Fun in Fairfax County
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend: July 3-5, 2015.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Wednesday, July 1
Column: Quality of Life
Throughout my nearly six and a half years of cancer treatment, starting at the initial Team Lourie meeting on February 27, 2009, when my oncologist suggested I take that vacation I’ve always dreamed of (to which I exclaimed “WHAT!?”), my quality of life has always been important to him.
TJ Grad Hits Bulls Eye Against Lyme Disease
As a Thomas Jefferson High School student in 2010, Temple Douglas recognized the possibility for a better Lyme Disease test. Several members of her family had Lyme disease and “I recognized the need,” she said.
Leaving Fairfax With Something to Remember
Tawny Hammond led shelter to place 95 percent of animals in adoptive homes.
At some point in life, every person should hear gratitude the way the members of the Board of Supervisors expressed theirs to Tawny Hammond.
Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Honors First Responders
Honoring first responders for their actions off-the-clock is the focus of the the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Above & Beyond Luncheon. More than 50 community members attended the luncheon on Monday to honor four service members who went above and beyond in their service to the community.
Fairfax County: Play Bridge!
Fairfax County students play card game for Alzheimer’s awareness.
Fairfax County Public School students participated in a Bridge-a-thon on Sunday, June 21 at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria. The event is part of The Longest Day, a team event to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.