Garfield Community Remembers 9/11
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, a bright, clear day similar to memories and photos of the same day in 2001, Garfield Elementary students, staff and community members gathered for their annual Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony.
Bridging a Cultural Divide
Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield hosts Palestinian students this summer.
For many, the concept of “peace in the Middle East” is a distant dream bordering on fantasy.
Burke Centre Hosts Fall Festival
Festival-goers treated to senior flash mob and family fun.
Burke hosted its biggest block party last weekend as the community welcomed friends and neighbors of all ages for the 35th annual Burke Centre Fall Festival.
Fairfax to Host Small Business Summit
The Virginia Small Business Partnership announced that the third annual Virginia Small Business Summit will be held on Friday, Sept. 21, 2012 at the Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel in Fairfax.
Combating Speeding
McGruff leads anti-speeding effort as school year begins.
Laurel Ridge Elementary School students got a surprise Monday morning, when they were met by McGruff the Crime Dog, Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) and Officer J.T. Frey of the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) in Kings Park West. The trio was there to remind student and their parents of the importance of driving safely and especially following the posted speed limits in school zones. The outreach effort, in support of the police department’s Operation Blue Guardian, is part of Supervisor Cook’s ongoing campaign to combat speeding and unsafe driving in our communities.
County Seeks Citizen Input on Transportation
If Fairfax County is going to pay for the roads, we ought to own and control them.
This fall, residents of Fairfax County will have an unprecedented opportunity to offer input on one of the principal policy issues facing the County—whether we should assume a greater role in secondary road maintenance and construction. I urge all County residents to take advantage of this important opportunity.
‘A Morning Just Like This One’
Fairfax County pays tribute to victims of 9/11 attacks.
The mournful tone of a single bell tolling three times—once for each site that was struck on Sept. 11, 2001—echoed in the Fairfax County Government Center chambers this morning as community leaders, police, firefighters and citizens gathered to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorists attacks 11 years ago today.
Letter: Misinterpreting the President
I was sorry to see Delegate Albo jump on the bandwagon of misinterpretation for partisan ends [“‘Somebody Else’ Didn’t Come,” Connection, Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 2012].
Shopping with Sheriff
Fairfax County partners with Target to help homeless children purchase school supplies.
Nearly 30 children and their parents got the chance to "Shop with the Sheriff” on Wednesday, Aug. 29. The annual shopping spree pairs deputies and volunteers from the Fairfax County sheriff's office with local homeless children who need a little help with back-to-school supplies.
The Little Red Schoolhouse That Could
Springfield one-room schoolhouse gains historic status on National Register.
Nearly four years after deciding to shut down the popular elementary school because of shrinking enrollment, mounting parental pressure and ardent emotional appeals swayed Fairfax County’s School Board to re-open the rural community school.
Balancing Act: Between Nice-to-Have and Have-to-Have
Fairfax County needs new financial tools.
We’ve been lucky in Fairfax County. Spared the worst of the Great Recession with its mortgage crisis and unemployment, the County has still had to balance falling revenue and service delivery. Human services, libraries, and parks have all taken a hit—and our school budget, while not cut—has struggled to meet the needs of a growing student body.
Fairfax Symphony Opens its 55th Season
On Sept. 22, the Fairfax Symphony will open its season with a concert at 8 p.m. at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax. The season will mark the beginning of a new three-year focus in programming called “Mischief in Music: Wit, Insolence and Insurrection.” As explained by Maestro Christopher Zimmerman, “So often symphonic music is regarded as something abstract and emotionally unspecific. Over the next three years the orchestra will play music by a variety of composers whose message and expressive aims are deliberate, be they light-hearted, semi-provocative or completely out of the box.”
Baby Shower for Military Moms
Virginia’s First Lady, FLITE and Operation Homefront host the event at Waterford in Springfield.
It started with a phone call 28 weeks ago. What happened in between—the planning, the coordination, the logistics, the marshalling of personnel and resources, and just a lot of hard work—would have made a Pentagon strategist proud. It’s a fitting analogy since the recipients of all this effort were more than 100 expectant and new military moms, representing all branches of military service, who attended a very special group Baby Shower at The Waterford in Springfield on Aug. 21.
Opinion: ‘Somebody Else’ Didn’t Come
Starting a small business comes with some amount of risk. Even the most diligent and talented owner faces challenges that could ground a business before it takes off. I can speak to that from experience. I started my own business 20 ago. My law firm started with me and my partner and now we provide approximately 20 jobs in Virginia. I am no Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, but I am proud of what I have been able to do.
Drum Roll, Please
11th Annual Springfield BridgeWalk celebrates community support of Fort Belvoir’s soldiers.
"To me this walk symbolizes the renewal of the relationship we have with the Springfield community." --Col. Gregory Gadson, garrison commander of Fort Belvoir