Editorial: Outlook
Many bright spots will be overshadowed in the coming budget season.
Long awaited, the opening of the Silver Line promises to bring transformation to Tysons and around the current station in Reston, with another Reston station and Herndon to come.
Delegates, State Senators Hold Springfield Town Hall Meeting
Residents bring questions for legislators.
State senators George Barker (D-39), Linda T. “Toddy” Puller (D-36), Adam P. Ebbin (D-30), Del. Mark D. Sickles (D-43), and Supervisor Jeffrey C. McKay (D-Lee District) held a town hall meeting on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Thompson Center in Alexandria. More than 40 people attended despite the overcast, drizzly weather. The panel acknowledged Puller, who announced her retirement earlier this month, and her work in the Virginia senate before talking about bills and issues they are working on during this short session of the General Assembly, which is scheduled to end Feb. 28.
Two Lee HS Students Get Full Ride to College
Yishak Desta and Sarah Neufcourt receive Posse Foundation scholarship.
Seniors Sarah Neufcourt and Yishak Desta received four-year scholarships to college from the Posse Foundation. The Robert E. Lee High School students were chosen among 16,000 students nationally. Neufcourt, 17, plans to study animal science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Desta, 17, is headed to Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and plans to study engineering.
Letter to the Editor: Urging Delegates to Vote ‘No’
To the Editor: This Friday, members of the Constitutional Law Subcommittee of the Courts of Justice in the House of Delegates will vote on HB2321 — a dangerous and unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban. My legislator, Del. Dave Albo (R-42), is the chair of this subcommittee, and his leadership and opposition to this legislation is crucial to the sanctity of a woman’s deeply personal healthcare decisions.
Rodney V. Colbert Named Deputy Fire Chief
Fire Chief Richie Bowers has selected Battalion Chief Rodney V. Colbert for promotion to deputy fire chief, effective Jan. 24. Chief Colbert will be assigned as the Chief Training Officer. Since July of 2011 he has been assigned as a field battalion chief in the Operations Bureau.
ECHO Volunteer and Springfield Resident Turns 90
Mary Stuart of Springfield has been volunteering at ECHO for over a decade. She works in the linens and housewares departments of the faith-based charity (Ecumenical Community Helping Others), putting together donated sheets, towels and bathmats for clients.
The Changing Face of Springfield
Land use (re)development highlights.
GSA: The largely vacant warehouse off Loisdale Road in Springfield is currently in the running to become the new headquarters of the FBI.
Eileen Filler-Corn Holds First Mid-Session Office Hours in Springfield
Though Del. Eileen Filler-Corn made headlines in the first week of the General Assembly for her proposed legislation on how sexual assault on college campuses is reported, she was game for any topic at her first mid-session office hours.
Fairfax County Supervisors Defer Decision on Salary Adjustment
How should a county supervisor be compensated for his or her service? That question continues to be up for discussion, as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to defer voting on a compensation adjustment that would take effect Jan. 1, 2016.
A Challenge for Garza: Excessive Homework
To the Editor: Your article “How Does She Do It” - Karen Garza’s vision: the irresistible force moving immovable object of Fairfax County Public Schools (The Connection,December 24-10, 2014) showed FCPS Superintendent Dr. Garza as a force for change. In the Fairfax County school system, students demonstrate excellence by collaborating and achieving good grades with the assistance of teachers.
Column: Traffic Caught
If I were writing this column in Massachusetts – where I was born and mostly educated (K-12), and had a thick Boston accent, that’s how court would likely be pronounced; changing a noun into a verb.
Schools to Expand by $856 Million
Capital Improvement Plan approved, rising enrollment causes concerns about classroom space.
Five more school buildings and renovations for several existing ones may be approved by 2020. The Fairfax County School Board approved the $856 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP) at the Jan. 22 meeting to set priority on the projects the school system wants done in the next five years.
Puller Will Not Seek Re-election
Just as the Virginia General Assembly kicked off its 2015 January session, state Sen. Linda T. “Toddy” Puller (D-36) announced her decision to not run for re-election later this year. “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the people of the 36th district in the Senate of Virginia,” Puller said in a Jan. 14 statement. “Now, with the encouragement, love and support of my family I have made the decision to step down.”
Editorial: Baby Steps, Not Enough
Supervisors should take action, not defer to “outside expert,” on absurd and outrageous behavior of police department.
Finally, now that the Fairfax County Police Department has taken stonewalling into the arena of the absurd, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has at least said it is time for change. It is a step, but a step that continues the appearance of obfuscation if not outright obstruction.
Fairfax County Delivers Geer Documents
Thirty days after a court order by Fairfax Circuit Court judge Randy Bellows, Fairfax County has produced documents concerning the shooting death of John Geer.
Could Fairfax County End Veteran Homelessness in 2015?
Chairman Bulova, Fairfax County take on national Mayors Challenge.
The transition from serving in the armed forces to civilian life is often not simple. While in Fairfax County there are more than 12,000 veteran-owned businesses, indicating a significant measure of success, for others the path is far more difficult.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bulova Releases 2015 State of the County Address
Despite a projected shortfall of nearly $100 million facing Fairfax County going into the FY 2016 budget, Board of Supervisors chairman Sharon Bulova remains encouraged by a 2014 that she said was full of accomplishments.
South County High School Students Perform with United States Navy Band
A dozen members of the South County High School band program got a taste of what it’s like to perform with one of the country’s premier service ensembles.
Human Trafficking Forum To Be Held at West Springfield High School
Fairfax County Police refer to the definition of teen sex trafficking as “the act of manipulating or forcing anyone under the age of 18 to engage in a sex act in exchange for anything of value (money, drugs, shelter, food, clothes, etc.).”
Letter: Volunteer for the Games
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: I love this community. There are so many ways to serve a community as diverse and as vibrant as ours. I recently competed in a special election to succeed Congresswoman Comstock. While I came up short in the vote count, largely due to the unfortunate weather on Election Day, I am as inspired to serve as I was on that day. My passion to serve others only strengthens with each pursuit.