Tuesday, June 30
July 4th Safety
From swimming to fireworks, safety precautions for a festive Independence Day.
It was a near accident at camp last summer that sparked action by one parent. Elementary school-aged campers splashed in the pool. Everyone was having fun. Then tragedy almost struck.
Fairfax County: Deferring to Noise
New standards will wait until after the November election.
The Board of Supervisors wants to spend more time with noise. Last Tuesday, June 23, the Board deferred action on the proposed changes to the county’s noise ordinance until Nov. 17, 2015.
Editorial: Open Letter to Elected Officials and Candidates
Spend some of your campaign dollars in newspapers.
Here at the Connection, our email boxes are filling up with messages from people running for office. It’s not surprising, since in November, virtually every state and local office in the commonwealth is on the ballot.
Monday, June 29
Innovative Dance Event at Workhouse ArtWalk: “Mise en Dance”
The Workhouse’s monthly “2nd Saturday ArtWalk” has been showcasing the diverse work of visual artists. “It is a unique time to meet the artists and watch them create new pieces,” said Joseph Wallen, performing arts director.
Friday, June 26
Health Curriculum To More Closely Align with State
School Board approves recommendations from advisers, with amendments.
Though it was the second packed house in as many months, it may be early yet to call crowded Fairfax County School Board meetings a trend.
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 26-28, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, June 25
Fairfax County: Police Release Use of Force Review
Review explained at latest Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission meeting.
Nearly a year ago, Fairfax County sought an outside opinion on its police department’s use of force. That July 2014 assignment went to the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum.
Springfield: West Springfield Holds 48th Commencement
First-year principal Michael Mukai commented that after his brief time with West Springfield’s graduating seniors, he wasn’t ready for them to go yet. “And your parents, after 18 years, aren’t ready for you to go yet either,” Mukai said, to a mix of applause and laughter from the audience at George Mason University’s Patriot Center.
Springfield: Edison High School Graduation held June 22
Lofty eagle imagery permeated the Thomas A. Edison High School commencement exercises. Principal Pamela Brumfield challenged graduates “to lead and soar as an eagle.” Class vice president Sara Meyer explained “Eagle Pride” as the intangibles related to working your hardest.
Police Still Looking for Springfield Student
Fairfax County detectives in the Police Department unit that handle missing persons are continuing to search for missing Robert E. Lee High School student Cesar “Steven” Boquin Zambrano of Springfield.
Springfield: New Giant Opens at Kings Park
Kings Park-area residents have been waiting for the return of their neighborhood grocery store.
Wednesday, June 24
Column: Gone But Always Remembered
As Father’s Day approaches, (written Thursday, June 18th) I am reminded of one of my father’s standard lines which characterize his positive attitude on life, for which I am eternally grateful – because I inherited it.
Mt. Vernon: Amphitheater Renamed for Retired Lee District RECenter Manager
Leon Plenty was general manager of the Lee District RECenter from 1982 until his retirement in December, 2014. At a ceremony on June 17, Plenty was recognized for his work with the renaming of Lee District’s amphitheater in his honor.
Tuesday, June 23
Call for Pet Connection Photos
The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly special edition, will publish on July 22, and photos and stories of your pets with you and your family should be submitted by July 15. Our favorite pictures include both pets and humans. We welcome short stories about how you got your pet, a noteworthy talent or anecdote about your pet, tales of the bonds between your family and your pet, plus drawings, paintings or other artwork of your pet by children or adults Please tell us a little bit about your creature, identify everyone in the photo, give a brief description what is happening in the photo, and include address and phone number (we will not publish your address or phone number, just your town name).
Editorial: Safe Planning for Independence
Talking and planning about celebrating July 4, and throughout the summer months.
Independence Day is a national celebration, and for many, that celebration includes alcohol. The summer overall and July 4 in particular are times of greater risk for drinking and driving.
Friday, June 19
Springfield Home Sales: May, 2015
In May, 2015, 194 Springfield homes sold between $900,000-$165,000.
Springfield Home Sales: May, 2015
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 19-21, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, June 18
Springfield: 386 Graduate from Robert E. Lee High School
As one of two “senior marshalls,” Simran Batra was responsible for guiding Robert E. Lee High School seniors to and from their seats with a two-foot wooden mace, engraved lovingly with graduating class dates back to 1987.
Fairfax: Retired Educators Award Scholarships to Aspiring Teachers
Rebecca Edmiston has had a number of inspiring music teachers in her life, including her mother Pat. They’re big reasons why Edmiston, a graduating senior from Lake Braddock Secondary School, is choosing to attend Liberty University and study to become a music teacher herself.
Springfield: Dead Fairfax Woman Found in Huntsman Lake
Police are investigating a the death of Leslie P. Brassfield, 22, of Fairfax, whose dead body was found Sunday in Huntsman Lake in the Springfield area.
Fairfax County: New Americans Take Oath
Since 2009, the Fairfax County Asian American History Project has sponsored a yearly naturalization ceremony for new Americans. At the ceremony Friday, June 12 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 100 new Americans hailing from 38 countries took an oath of allegiance.
Burke and Springfield: New Giant in Kings Park to Open June 19
Less than a week after the opening of a new Wegmans grocery store in Alexandria, the Landover, Maryland-based Giant Food is answering with an all-new store in the Kings Park Shopping Center, set to open at 6 a.m. on Friday, June 19.
Fairfax County: Questioning Family Life Curriculum
The Fairfax County School Board’s May 7 meeting drew a passionate and boisterous crowd that filled the Luther Jackson Middle School auditorium and spilled out into the main lobby. That night the board voted in favor of adding “gender identity” to its nondiscrimination policy for students, employees and applicants for employment.
Ideas for Summer Learning
Experts offer suggestions for avoiding summer brain drain.
While summer is opportunity for fun, it can also be a breeding ground for stagnation.
YouthQuest Runs ThinkLink
Experts say 3D printing can open a world of imagination and critical thinking.
Adonis Gonzales had always wanted to become a master electrician, but when he was asked to leave high school at 16 because of a poor attendance record, his prospects looked bleak.
Wednesday, June 17
Mount Vernon: New Wegmans Opens in Alexandria
Nearly 2,000 in line for June 14 opening morning.
At any other Wegmans grocery store in Virginia, Woodbridge resident Braden Cheney’s job wouldn’t exist. A 2000 graduate of W.T. Woodson High School, Cheney is manager of The Pub, a full-service restaurant and bar operating within the store.
Column: No Joke, But Funny Nonetheless
Not that I ever want to use my having cancer as an excuse, but you have to admit, it’s a doozy. And it’s probably the best thing about the diagnosis/prognosis. However, it’s not as if there are a number of other advantages to the disease.
Thursday, June 11
Springfield: Daventry Reassigned from Lee to West Springfield High School
Change scheduled to take effect for 2015-2016 school year.
Kelly Wevley’s daughter will be in middle school next year. As a Daventry subdivision resident, she will attend Washington Irving Middle School in Springfield. And under previous boundaries, she would eventually continue to ninth grade at Robert E. Lee High School while friends and classmates outside of Daventry would attend West Springfield High School.
Lake Braddock Fastest Ever: ‘They Earned That Title’
The state championship rings won by Lake Braddock Secondary School’s boys cross country team are engraved with: “Fastest ever.”
Supervising Public Safety
First meeting since 2011 includes packed agenda, full house.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee, chaired by Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon), met on Tuesday, June 9 for the first time since June 2011. Since then, there have been six officer-involved shootings in Fairfax County, including the August 2013 shooting death of John Geer. Police handling of the communications and investigation of that shooting led to the formation in March 2015 of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission.
Wednesday, June 10
Column: Philosophically Speaking
Recently I attended a “Celebration of Life” event, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, created to bring attention to, and educate the public on, cancer. As a long-time cancer survivor, nearly six and a half years now – and one treated by doctors at Kaiser, I was asked, along with a cervical cancer survivor, to sit on a “survivor panel”; to share our cancer experiences, and offer, along with two oncologists and a pulmonologist, our respective insights as “treater” and “treatee.”
FCPS Honors Women in Sports
Laubach, Centreville HS Alum and Olympian, gives keynote address.
The Fairfax County Women in Sports Awards ceremony was held at Oakton High School on Sunday, May 31.
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 12-14, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Tuesday, June 9
Trending in the Garden
Local landscape architects offer suggestions for updating.
As summer gets underway, so does time spent outside. The American Society of Landscape Architects recently released the results of its 2015 Residential Landscape Architecture Survey, a list of trends in outdoor design that yields a bounty of backyard design ideas. From adding a pond to planting a garden, local landscape gurus explain how these trends can be used to transform an outdoor space into a favorite escape.
Friday, June 5
Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - June 5-7, 2015
A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.
A roundup of fun things to do this weekend in Fairfax county.
Thursday, June 4
Springfield 16 Year Old Missing
Cesar “Steven” Boquin Zambrano of Springfield was last seen Monday June 1 around 6:30 a.m. at Robert E Lee High School, according to Fairfax County Police.
Face-Off in 44th District Delegate Primary: Paul Krizek
I worked on the Hill for many years and participated in numerous bipartisan efforts to draft and pass legislation. Also, as a Housing Commissioner I was able to work with all of the Commissioners to work beyond partisanship on matters beneficial to the County.
Make a Call; Save a Life
Petersen’s “Good Samaritan Overdose Protection” law goes into effect July 1.
Accidental overdose deaths are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, exceeding even motor vehicle accidents among people ages 25 to 64, according to a recently released study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Last year, an estimated 210 heroin overdoses fatalities occurred in Virginia, with the highest number in Fairfax and Prince William counties.
Face-Off in 44th District Delegate Primary: Justin Brown
I’ve spent my career advocating for and working with a wide variety of individuals with different perspectives and objectives.
Week in Springfield
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said improperly discarded charcoal ashes caused a pair of fires in Springfield over the weekend.
Fairfax County: Recognizing Enlisted High School Seniors
Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia holds its fifth Annual Enlistee Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, June 11, at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.
Fairfax County: Moving on ‘Move Over’
Police crackdown, educate about law protecting emergency roadside vehicles and drivers.
Fairfax County Master Police Officer Joe Moore’s front and rear-mounted radar machines whistle and beep with varying frequency as cars barrel past on Interstate 66 around the Fairfax County Parkway.
Fairfax: Northern Virginia Training Center Property Put on Market
Facility for people with disabilities scheduled for March 2016 closure.
According to the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, 63 residents still live and receive treatment at the Northern Virginia Training Center, located in Fairfax alongside Braddock Road.
Wednesday, June 3
Editorial: Overdose Deaths Are Preventable
New “safe reporting” law encourages people to seek help in time.
The death rate due to heroin overdose more than doubled between 2010 through 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with an average increase of 37 percent per year in the United States.
A Bountiful Harvest in Springfield
Local area resident unearths unorthodox gardening method.
An unusual sight awaits those who venture into the front yard garden of Springfield resident Sandy Kester. Rather than viewing patches of soil, visitors can instead marvel at straw bale formations, each growing plants and vegetables from their tops.
Column: Weight For It; Wait
Given some post-chemotherapy eating challenges I’ve experienced during the past few months, and the subsequent weight loss which has occurred, my oncologist has prescribed Dronabinol, common brand name: Marinol.
Monday, June 1
Summer Fun, Summer Safety
Tips for averting summer danger.
It’s a familiar call. The sun beams down from mid-summer sky. Temperatures rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but safety conditions start to plummet.