Commentary: Dollars and Sense—Stewardship of FCPS
As many have become aware, the Fairfax County School Board’s budget discussions for the 2015 fiscal year have begun early. It is unfortunate that it has taken a combination of a $140 million deficit and demonstrable efforts by FCPS’ new Superintendent Karen Garza to bring full attention of the stakeholders, including the School Board, to education policy and funding.
Fundraiser for the Homeless at McLean Project for the Arts
Housing and Community Services of Northern Virginia raises $45,000 during event.
The McLean Project for the Arts welcomed Housing and Community Services of Northern Virginia for a fundraiser at the art venue Thursday, Oct. 24.
Morrissette Haunted Maze Benefits Echo
On the grounds of Morrissette, off in a spooky warehouse owned by Interstate Moving, Relocation and Logistics, is a maze of Halloween fun to benefit Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO) this coming Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26, at 8601 Morrissette Drive, Springfield.
Burke Presbyterian Church Hires Husband and Wife Pastors
Reverends Jarrett and Meg Peery McLaughlin are first new pastors in almost three decades.
When Rev. Dr. Beth Braxton decided to leave Burke Presbyterian Church two years ago, after 27 years of service, replacing her was no easy task. The church Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) convened for 15 months, considered roughly 150 applications and worked with two different interim pastors.
All Smiles at Burke Lake
Kids Sending Smiles organizes 5K run to fight breast cancer.
Kids Sending Smiles (KSS), the 501c3 non-profit established and run by a group of elementary school girls from the Springfield and Alexandria areas, successfully completed their most ambitious charitable event to date on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Burke Lake Park.
Classified Advertising October 23, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Editorial: Halloween Party Safety Net
Make plans for a safe celebration; SoberRide safety net for those over 21.
Halloween is now a major holiday for adults, especially young adults, and also one of the major holidays each year that involve partying with alcohol and the risks of drinking and driving.
Forum Highlights Domestic Violence
Cook holds gathering to “Stop the Silence—End the Violence.”
Oct. 17. The back patio at Kilroy’s Restaurant and Sports Bar on Port Royal Road in Springfield was the scene of a gathering described by host Fairfax County Supervisor John C. Cook (R- Braddock), as “part of an effort to shine the light on the oft-hidden and denied blight on our families … of domestic violence.” Cook was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in February to be their liaison to the Domestic Violence Prevention, Policy and Coordinating Council. “The name may be a mouthful,” admitted Cook in an interview during the event, “but the people you need to get things done are all right in the room,” he said. “This group gets things done.”
Lake Braddock QB Henderson Receives All-American Jersey
Henderson will attend the University of North Carolina.
Denim Do-gooders Help Put Zip on Homelessness
Deltek hosts “challenge breakfast” to turn $5 into $25,000.
Casual Friday got a twist on Friday, Oct. 18, as thousands of employees throughout Fairfax County became denim do-gooders by throwing on a pair of jeans to help prevent and end homelessness. Deltek, Inc., the Herndon-based global software and information solutions company, kicked off the third annual Jeans Day in Fairfax County by hosting a fundraising breakfast. The company, founded in 1983 by Don deLaski and his son Kenneth, hosted one of the first Jeans Day events in Fairfax County. “We were excited to see Deltek host this challenge breakfast that welcomed businesses, nonprofits and other community leaders interested in helping to make jeans day a huge success this year,” said Dean Klein, director of Fairfax County’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH). “Even though we continue to have great support from longtime supporters, we also saw so much energy and enthusiasm from new partners.”
Sheltering Animals & Families Together
Initiative promotes domestic violence shelters that accept pets.
Did you know that approximately 2.3 million people, primarily women, are victims of partner violence? Did you know that over 62 percent of the American households have, at least, one pet? Approximately 48 percent of abused women do not leave an abusive situation because they will not leave their pets behind. Pets are likely to be victimized by the household abuser. The abuser’s animal cruelty is used to force compliance from the victims. “What I do to the dog is what I can do to you” is the message the abuser sends, according to Allie Phillips, founder of Sheltering Animals & Families Together [SAF-T]. “As a prosecutor in Michigan, I saw women who stayed with their abusers to protect their pets,” said Phillips. “If they leave, the abuser will turn his anger on the pet. The pet usually is the primary target used to control the victim. “I created the safety program to help get these women out of their abusive homes.”
Creating a Spooky Halloween Dinner
Local culinary experts offer ideas for turning an ordinary meal into a ghoulish adventure.
Halloween dinner in Christine Wisnewski’s Vienna home is often a balancing act between healthy and sugary. On the sweetest holiday of the year, for example, the mother and culinary instructor at Culinaria Cooking School, also in Vienna, prepares a wholesome dinner for her eager trick-or-treaters, managing candy-induced sugar highs and inevitable post-confection lows.
Springfield Home Sales: September, 2013
In September 2013, 132 Springfield homes sold between $750,000-$180,000.
Springfield Home Sales: September, 2013
Editorial: Don’t Let Negatives Keep You From Voting
Choices are stark; think about what principles should guide governance in Virginia for the next four years.
Every Virginia voter will have the option to cast a ballot for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and their member of the Virginia House of Delegates. While much of the coverage and advertising at the top of the ticket has been negative in the extreme, it will still matter who is governor. Don’t turn up your nose, hold your nose if necessary, and go vote. You can vote on Nov. 5; most likely you can vote before that.
Classified Advertising October 16, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Kids Sending Smiles Around the World
Youth non-profit to hold 5K Run/Walk for Breast Cancer at Burke Lake Park.
The Court of the 2013 Lee District Lady Fairfax was in session, but there were no royal activities underway. Instead, 11-year-old Samantha Underwood and her friends were busy reminiscing about past events and planning future ones for Kids Sending Smiles (KSS)—the charitable organization they established when a friend of Philippine ancestry told Samantha about the conditions and the poverty, especially among young girls, in the native country of her family.
Westminster at Lake Ridge Celebrates 20th Anniversary
The 20th anniversary of the founding of Westminster at Lake Ridge, a continuing care non-profit community, was held on Saturday, Oct. 5 near historic Occoquan.
Springfield Teacher Honored in Richmond
Governor McDonnell congratulates Melissa Porfirio, 2014 Virginia Teacher of the Year.
Governor Bob McDonnell congratulated Fairfax County teacher Melissa A. Porfirio for her selection as Virginia’s 2014 Virginia Teacher of the Year. Porfirio teaches first grade at Crestwood Elementary School in Springfield. Her selection was announced Friday evening, Oct. 11, in Richmond.
Week in Springfield
Week in Springfield
Fairfax County Police are investigating a fatal crash that took place on Franconia Road near the on-ramp for I395/I95 just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Preliminary investigation reveals that an adult woman was crossing Franconia Road, not in a crosswalk, when a 2002 Ford pickup truck struck and killed the pedestrian.
Pierson-El Leads West Potomac Past West Springfield
Wolverines quarterback throws 3 TDs, runs for 3.
West Potomac improved to 2-4.