Fairfax County Union Officials Say Board’s Budget Fails Staff, Residents
Supervisors maintain cuts necessary to eliminate projected $169 million shortfall.
On the day the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the FY2014 budget, the leaders of Fairfax County’s four public employee unions issued a joint statement saying the budget “failed” staff and county residents.
Area Students Win Virginia History Day Awards
Students from three Fairfax County public schools earned awards at the 2013 Virginia History Day competition, held in Williamsburg.
Programming Marathon at TJ
Area high schoolers impress instructors at the 24-hour computer programming marathon.
When a voice over the loudspeaker announced, “free swag outside,” a stampede of teenagers cleared out the Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) gymnasium in less than a minute. Even after almost 20 hours of coding and programming, the students were at no loss for enthusiasm, especially for free paraphernalia decorated with the TJ Hackathon logo. Kim Holton, a volunteer whose son was participating in the hackathon, said, “They all seem really tired and they’re dragging, but they’re excited.”
Hazel Poole Receives Service Award From Volunteer Fairfax
Greenspring resident Hazel Poole was recently honored at the 2013 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards hosted by Volunteer Fairfax. The awards recognize “individuals, groups and organizations that have given outstanding volunteer service through a broad range of activities and programs” throughout the county. Poole received the award in the “Adult Volunteer 250 Hours and Over” category.
Saratoga Students Discuss Oil Spill on Earth Day
Disaster response subject matter experts from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), spoke to 100 students at Saratoga Elementary School in Springfield on Wednesday, April 17, about how NGA assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which dumped more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Grace Thomas, 82, Formerly of Springfield, Dies
Grace Thomas died on Friday, April 19, 2013, in Haverhill, Mass., of natural causes. She was 82. Thomas was born on June 13, 1930, in Saunderstown, R.I. Formerly known as Grace Lorena Matterson, she married Walter R. Thomas in 1950. They were married for 59 years.
Boxing out Boring
Free classes, spiking membership at The TITLE Boxing Club of Springfield.
Kate Carski, owner of TITLE Boxing Club of West Springfield, has been enjoying the benefits of warm weather lately.
South County Softball Sends Message to Lake Braddock
Stallions sophomore Yates has 4 hits, 4 RBIs.
The South County softball team pulled even in the loss column with Lake Braddock.
Lake Braddock Theatre Revisits ‘Rashomon’
Director and fight choreographer also worked on school’s 1994 production.
Nineteen years ago, Lake Braddock drama teacher R.L. Mirabal and local choreographer Casey Kaleba worked together on “Rashomon,” the staged version of Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 dramatic film rooted in Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Japanese folkloric stories and "In a Grove."
A Beautiful Mind
Powerful play takes students inside the mind of autistic teen.
In 1996, Bernie DeLeo was exactly where he thought he should be. A former actor-turned-film producer and writer, DeLeo was living in New York City with his wife and young son. He had an agent, and had just gotten work on a sitcom—Life’s Work—starring Michael O’Keefe. But one weekend, while he was in Los Angeles, he got a call from his wife that irrevocably changed the course of his life. Charlie, his 3-year-old son, had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism.
Art Competition Winners Announced
U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) attends ceremony at Lorton Workhouse Arts Center.
More than 200 high school students and their parents and teachers gathered at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center last week to hear U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) and judges from across Virginia’s 11th Congressional District announce the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition.
South County Soccer Club Bonds in Bermuda
While other Elite Clubs National League soccer teams took a well-deserved break, one team went on the trip of a lifetime. FC Virginia U14s traveled to Bermuda over the Easter holiday, having the opportunity to experience island life while also playing against the full Bermuda women’s national team, and a high school team from Florida.
Karen Garza Hired as Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools
FCPS Board lauds Garza’s “openness” and “willingness to engage” community.
The Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved educator Karen Garza of Texas to be the next superintendent of the 181,000 student district at its April 18 school board meeting.
Springfield Home Sales: March, 2013
In March 2013, 132 Springfield homes sold between $815,000-$124,450.
Springfield Home Sales: March, 2013
Local Real Estate: February 2013 Sales $650,000~ $699,999
Local Real Estate: February 2013 Sales $650,000~ $699,999