Local Leaders Praise Transportation Funding Bill
State Senator Chap Petersen wants you to curb your enthusiasm.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, and sometimes estranged ones as well. On Saturday, the last day of the Virginia General Assembly, state legislators struck a bipartisan 11th hour deal to pass a comprehensive transportation funding plan—the first long-term plan in 27 years.
A Positive Reflection
Joan Brady gives foster children needed exposure.
On Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, Joan Brady of Great Falls had just started a three-month sabbatical from her job with an Internet company. Newly-married, Brady, who was 36 years old at the time, was exhausted from 80-hour work weeks in a rigid corporate environment. She wanted time that fall to contemplate what to do next with her life. The next day provided answers and a sense of urgency. It was Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks, and the moving stories of heroism and tragedy on 9/11, indelibly left their mark. Brady, like many Americans, was inspired to do something new, to take more chances, to change direction.
Area Roundups - Springfield
Man Struck by Train in North Springfield Area, Lee High Library Accepting Donated Books, Citizens Fire and Rescue Academy, Recycle During Electric Sunday, and School Boundary Meetings Set
Lee Social Worker Wins Outstanding Mentor Award
Marcella Fulmore connects African American high school students with Springfield Elementary mentees.
When she started college at Norfolk State University in Virginia, Marcella Fulmore was an engineering major. She loved the math, but impersonal labs and the prospect of a cold, money-driven career forced her to make a decision. When considering her transition, she remembered how in high school, people would come to her with their problems. “I just thought, ‘I could help people,’” Fulmore said. “That’s it.”
‘These Are a Few of My Favorite Things’
Springfield man is starring in “The Sound of Music.”
The hills may not be alive with “The Sound of Music,” but Centreville Presbyterian Church sure will be when its community theater presents this classic, Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
Hats Off to Democratic Women of Clifton
DWC celebrates eighth anniversary in style.
Fine millinery was on full display as the Democratic Women of Clifton gathered on Sunday, Feb. 10, to celebrate its eighth anniversary in style. The theme of this year’s party was “Hats Off to Democratic Women!” and members complied by donning an assortment of colorful chapeaus—from the classic fedora, brim snapped and businesslike, to the romantic cloche and the whimsical Victorian.
Helping Parents Battle Social Media Giants
Parents demand access to son’s Facebook account after his suicide.
Ricky Rash, a self-proclaimed “country boy” and second generation Virginia dairy farmer, enjoyed his bucolic life in Nottoway County. He and his wife, Diane, a nurse, were content to raise their four children in the same house Rash grew up in. The world of social media—Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter—held little interest for the couple who considered faith and family the bedrock of their life. But after their 15-year-old son committed suicide on Jan. 20, 2011, social media became their focus.
Preserving Mental Health as People Age
Experts say diet, exercise and mental stimulation are key.
“Exercise [is] the ‘lifestyle’ factor with the strongest effect. A number of different research groups have found benefits of aerobic exercise on both brain structure and function and on cognitive performance.” — Pamela Greenwood, Ph.D., George Mason University
'Stuff the Bus’ Campaign Helps Feed the Hungry
Donations continue to increase as campaign enters third year.
Local grocery stores were packed this weekend with shoppers stocking up on Super Bowl snacks for the annual football fan party. At the Wal-Mart in Fairfax, shoppers were greeted with colorful displays of chips, dips and other party favorites. They were also greeted by volunteers from Our Daily Bread (ODB), who were handing out flyers and encouraging shoppers to donate gift cards or specific items to restock ODB’s pantry shelves. A Fairfax nonprofit for nearly 30 years, ODB provides food and other critical services to the working poor, the elderly and the disabled. More than half of ODB’s clients are local children.
Former Delegate Bob Hull Named NOVA-Annandale Community Outreach Specialist
Robert D. “Bob” Hull, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, was recently named the community outreach specialist for the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Hull began his new position Jan. 10.
Greenspring Republicans Host Pete Snyder
Last year, the Greenspring Republican Club hosted Pete Snyder as the chairman of the Virginia Victory 2012 campaign, a coordinated campaign in support of Republican candidates across the Commonwealth of Virginia. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, Snyder was invited again to speak to the Greenspring Republican Club, but this time as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Eight Scouts Honored for Heroic Deeds
Eight boys from National Capital Area Council (NCAC) Boy Scouts of America (BSA) received National Court of Honor Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Awards in 2012 for remaining calm in a crisis, making quick use of Scout training and for living up to the words “to help other people at all times,” which is part of the Scout Oath.
Springfield Rotary Supports Edison Academy
The Rotary Club of Springfield recently donated a complete video camera recording system to Edison Academy for use by students and faculty members.
Local Business Supports Operation Gratitude
Vienna, Springfield business owner promotes another opportunity for a random act of kindness.
It all started with a “tweet” from NBC News Correspondent Ann Curry last month suggesting a creative way to honor the 26 lives that were lost at a Newtown, Conn. elementary school. Why can’t we all try to perform at least 26 random acts of kindness this next year?
A Chorus of Praise
Fairfax County mentors celebrated during National Mentor Month.
Can we get an “amen?” The joyful noise coming from the David R. Pinn Center in Fairfax on Saturday wasn’t a gospel revival, but it was just as inspiring and enlightening.
Video
- FCPS Budget 3 comments