Jean R. Packard Remembered at Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna
Jean Packard was Frank Roberts’ first boss. He was 13, she was 22 and the acting editor of her father Dave’s Clermont Sun newspaper in Batavia, Ohio. “I was a ‘devil’s rat,’” Roberts said, responsible for odd gofer jobs around the office. “I was trying to hide from work and she’d track me down. She was a tough boss.”
Westwood Baptist Church Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The chapel was officially organized as Westwood Baptist Church on June 7, 1964, with 95 charter members.
The first service of Westwood Baptist Chapel was held on Sept. 24, 1961 at the Washington Irving Intermediate School with 37 people attending. The local Mount Vernon Baptist Association provided assistance and the first speaker was Rev. William J. Cumbie, who served as Superintendent of Missions for that Association.
Area Scouts Participate in Fall Camporee
The Old Dominion District Fall Camporee was held Oct. 17, 18, and 19 at Sky Meadows State Park. Six hundred and seventeen Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture scouts and Scouters from Old Dominion, Colonial, and Occoquan Districts participated in this Pioneer theme campout.
Fire Chief Returns to Music Full Time
Retired Fairfax County battalion fire chief releases debut album.
On Oct. 28, retired Fairfax County Battalion Fire Chief, Glenn Bydume, released his debut album, “Late Night Hour.” His success did not come overnight, and he did not even start out with a career in music but, rather, a career in service.
HOT Topic
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue invites the media for Hands-On Training.
Rob Schoenberger is pretty good with a 15-foot extendable camera. Its built-in microphone and powerful lights come in handy, paired with a Delsar seismic sensor device, when trying to locate people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building.
Area Scouts Participate in Fall Camporee
The Old Dominion District Fall Camporee was held Oct. 17, 18, and 19 at Sky Meadows State Park. Six hundred seventeen Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture scouts and Scouters from Old Dominion, Colonial, and Occoquan Districts participated in this Pioneer theme campout.
iPads Come Into the Classroom
Sixty first and second graders at Keene Mill try out these devices during the school day.
Tablets and iPads in the hands of 6-year-olds is not such an unusual sight anymore, and now these devices are being used in the classroom. At Keene Mill Elementary School, 60 iPads are in the hands of first and second grade students, and being used to “change the time, place and pace of learning.”
Take a Hike!
Hiking group brings nature closer to Northern Virginians.
Shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, the parking lot by the softball field at Wakefield Park in Annandale filled up and several people approached Stefan Eom, of Annandale, the leader for the six-mile Wakefield to Lake Accotink hike organized by the Northern Virginia Hiking Club (NVHC).
Board Approves Bicycle Master Plan
The Fairfax County Government Center has several massive parking lots. Many hundreds of spaces. But Bruce Wright and members of the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling only needed some rack real estate in front of the building. They rode into the afternoon session of the Board of Supervisors on two wheels apiece from Reston, taking the West Ox Road Side Path.
Substance Abuse Forums to be Held Nov. 10 and 18 in FCPS
The signs and symptoms of teenage drug abuse, the actions parents can take, and where to find supportive resources will be shared at an upcoming “Protect Against Substance Abuse” community program, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, at South County High School, and Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Fairfax High School. The nonprofit Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) and its work group, PROTECT (Parents Reaching out to Educate Communities Together), will present this educational program.
Local Foundation Promotes Campus Safety
The VTV Family Outreach Foundation, a Centreville-based national non-profit campus safety advocacy organization, held their 2014 annual meeting last weekend at the Sheraton Reston Hotel. VTV was formed by the families of victims and survivors of the April 16, 2007 mass shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech.
Peace Festival Held in Ridgeview Park
The Ridgeview Park Peace Festival was held Sunday, Oct. 19 in Ridge View Estates off Franconia Road. The festivities included a park bench dedication and tree-planting ceremony with remarks by Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova.
Helping End Hunger One Step At a Time
The 22nd Annual Burke Area CROP Walk to be held Nov. 23.
Area residents can help end hunger and raise funds for disaster relief on Sunday, Nov. 23, at the 22nd Annual Burke Area CROP [Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty] Hunger Walk – a humanitarian outreach to our local, national, and international communities.
Seniors Compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze
Hundreds participate in Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.
Whack! Smack! These were the constant sounds going back and forth during the pickleball finals at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington. The pickleball games were part of the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics taking place at several venues throughout the region.
Thirty-Six FCPS Students Named to Virginia Honors Choir
Vocal musicians from 14 Fairfax County public schools have been named to the Virginia Honors Choir for 2014. This select choir is open only to the top 125 singers from around the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is the highest honor a choir student can attain during his or her high school career.