Thursday, October 30
High Schools to Start Later Next Year
School Board approves later start times.
Phyllis Payne has been fighting for more sleep for a decade. On Oct. 23, it all paid off. The co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal - or SLEEP - saw the Fairfax County Public School Board approve to move high school start times ahead by 30 minutes, 11-1.
Langley High Teacher Receives National Award
Leah Puhlick a recipient of the Yale Educator of the Year Award.
Katherine Tan may have graduated from Langley High School last year, but one teacher has made an impact on her to this day. The Yale University freshman nominated her former Advance Placement [AP] chemistry teacher, Leah Puhlick, for this year’s Yale Educator of the Year award - and she was one of this year’s recipients.
Fairfax County Calendar
Your guide to entertainment in Fairfax County.
For those looking to fill their calendar with some home-brewed, Fairfax County fun stuff (read: entertainment and diversion), The Connection's Fairfax County Entertainment Calendar has many options: weekend jaunts and larks; date night inspiration; winter-to-spring fun; day-long festivals and events; art-outings; family fun-and-learning fusions; plays and shows; beyond-Small Business Saturday local shopping and bazaars; markets of handcrafted wares; music; 1Ks to marathons... the list goes on. If you know of an event not listed in our entertainment calendar, email it to south@connectionnewspapers.com for happenings in south Fairfax County or north@connectionnewspapers.com for entertainment in the northern parts of the county.
Wednesday, October 29
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.
Stage Presence
Cappies recognized among arts leaders at Arts Council awards.
After Bill Strauss first approached Judy Bowns about creating a student-driven arts awards and journalism organization 16 years ago, the ensuing creative partnership resembled a pair of cartoon characters.
Mutiny at the Debate
Final Comstock-Foust debate gets emotional as both candidates debate social issues for first time.
The final debate Sunday between Republican Barbara Comstock and Democrat John Foust was arguably the most fiery and combative debate in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R) in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.
Down to the Wire
As 10th District race heads into homestretch, Foust, Comstock continue to battle for voters.
The race to replace U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R) in Virginia’s sprawling 10th district has been exactly what political prognosticators said it would be: one of the most watched, most expensive and most contested races in the 2014 midterm elections.
Letter: ‘Gotcha’ Campaigns
To the Editor: Enough is enough! The race to succeed Rep. Frank Wolf in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District is getting uglier by the day.
Running Out of Efficacy
Not that I’m the least bit worried (actually, I’m the most bit worried), but surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis years beyond one’s original prognosis does present its own unique set of problems. Most notably, and most personally for me, they concern treatment options. Specifically, what drugs, targeted or otherwise, can be infused and/or swallowed (when in pill form, like Tarceva) and for how long, when signs of internal organ damage are indicated on regular lab tests?
Column: Running Out of Efficacy
Not that I’m the least bit worried (actually, I’m the most bit worried), but surviving a terminal cancer diagnosis years beyond one’s original prognosis does present its own unique set of problems.
Editorial: Change for the Better in Fairfax County Schools
Later start times, full-day Mondays; who knows, next maybe gifted-and-talented programs for poor students?
Who says big bureaucracies can’t make big changes? One year into the tenure of Karen Garza, we have two huge changes that between them impact almost every single student, every family with children in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Cooper Journalists Meet CNN Anchor
One hundred Cooper Middle School journalists had the opportunity to Skype with the news anchor Carl Azuz.
Letter: Astonishing Charges
To the Editor: I have been a member of the Great Falls Citizens Association Transportation Committee since 2010 when Delegate Barbara Comstock and Supervisor John Foust led a bipartisan effort, in conjunction with the GFCA and the McLean Citizens Association, to change the VDOT plan for a two-lane turn from Route 7 and a nine-lane-wide intersection at the juncture of Route 7 and Georgetown Pike.
Letter: An Honorable District Leader
To the Editor: In George Washington's Farewell Address, he implored our young nation to avoid political parties, which would fracture our unity, and instead advised us to choose leaders by exercising the virtue of neutrality - what is the candidate's merit and reputation.
The Tastes of Autumn
John Conway, Master Chef, The Old Brogue visits the Farmers Market.
There are ways we eat and tastes we know that have been with us since birth. Many of our ingrained ways of eating are not as tied to the seasons as they could be. Eating more healthy involves making changes that connect us with more seasonal specialties in tasteful ways.
Helping Lift the Burden of Student Debt
William Mullen, 15, of Great Falls interviews Sen. Mark Warner.
On Sept. 21 Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia), who is running for re-election on Nov. 4, was interviewed by William Mullen, 15, a sophomore at St. Albans School in Washington D.C. who lives in Great Falls. Here is a short excerpt from the interview:
Art and Thanksgiving at Katie’s Coffee
Oil painter Begoña Morton returns to Katie’s Coffee in Great Falls during the month of November with her new collection of “Daily Paintings.”
Nurturing Happy Memories
For some, memories of just a few happy moments provide arsenal for enduring.
“It’s my few happy memories that keep me going,” a young woman who had grown up in foster care told me a few months ago. To be honest, today I’m a little foggy on exactly what her happy memories even were. They weren’t monumental experiences or achievements. They were simply moments in time when she felt happy.
Gail Péan Wins ‘Viewers Choice’ Award
Oil painter Gail Péan is the winner of the "Viewers Choice" Award in "A Sea of Sticks and Stones" a juried exhibit in the Art Hall of U.S. Geological Survey headquarters in Reston.
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.
Monday, October 27
Opinion: Vote ‘Yes’ on Transportation Bond
When you enter the voting booth on Nov. 4, you’ll be asked to vote Yes or No on a $100 million Fairfax County transportation bond. (Bonds are a form of long-term borrowing to finance public facilities and infrastructure and spread the costs over a long time frame. Virginia law requires that general obligation bonds be approved by voters in a referendum.)
Thursday, October 23
Dulles Now Screening for Deadly Virus
Local hospitals to treat ill passengers arriving from Africa.
Dulles International Airport was one of five airports in the nation to begin screening for Ebola last Thursday. The Center for Disease Control and Protection trained staff to check all passengers arriving from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to check for signs of illness to prevent more passengers from infecting others during their daily interactions.
Trick or Treat, Great Falls!
Spooktacular promises to be frightfully fun.
Halloween is going to be a scream at the Village Centre Green and Great Falls Shopping Center. Spooktacular, the village’s annual children’s trick or treat event, will line up local businesses armed with candy and decked out in costumes on Oct. 31 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Texting While Driving Examined at Langley
Langley High School students learn safety through simulator.
Hanna Hunt was behind the wheel, phone in hand. When a text popped up, she had a choice. Would she answer it? Hunt, a senior at Langley High School, was playing a simulated driving game during lunch, so when she “crashed” her car earlier that day, she walked away with zero consequences. The simulator was a part of the school’s theme of the year - road safety - in partnership with AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign to give students a reality check on Oct. 16 for how texting on their phone affects their driving.
Celebrating Arts in Great Falls
Great Falls artists showcase their masterpieces.
For most days, Lochini Rumburg’s home is her sanctuary, a place where she can unwind from her work day in front of her easel. Last weekend, however, was a chance for her and about 25 other artists to show off their art or craft in their space during Great Falls Studios’ annual studio tour.
Fractured Shaft Stops Colvin Run Mill
Tours and interpretations of the Great Falls historic site continue.
Grinding with the main stones at Colvin Run Mill Historic Site has come to a stop for the next few months. Miller Mason Maddox found a crack in the main axle of the site’s water wheel, which catches the water flowing through the millrace and powers the mill.
Connect Four
Complete ballot of 11th District candidates faced off in Lake Ridge.
It wasn’t so much a down and dirty debate as a no-frills four-way question-and-answer session. Not that AARP and the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area (LWVFA), two of the sponsors of the “Meet the Candidates” series billed the Oct. 14 event as such. Tuesday’s meeting was the penultimate of seven events in the series.
Andrejev Leads Langley Volleyball Team
Despite knee injury, senior totals 17 kills in loss to undefeated Madison.
Rachel Andrejev is a standout for the Langley volleyball team.
Wednesday, October 22
Camping at Wolf Trap
Area youth experience camping and the outdoors at the National Park.
Camping and camp fires are strictly prohibited on the grounds of the Wolf Trap National Park.
Letter: Changing Status Quo
Letter to the Editor
“She is a caring person.” “Barbara takes the time to address the issues that affect female veterans.” Barbara has a “personal touch.”
Letter: Not ‘Holding the Line’
Letter to the Editor
Here we are a mere two weeks away from the election for the 10th Congressional District and the mainstream press is reliably ignoring John Foust’s long tax hiking record. Since being a Supervisor in Fairfax County, John Foust has voted for every single tax hike presented to him.
Letter: A Price of Obamacare
Letter to the Editor
What's in a number? When someone throws out a number, what does that really mean? If someone says, for example, 250,000 people have had their insurance canceled on them in Virginia because of Obamacare, what does that mean?
Letter: How To Save the Trees?
Letter to the Editor
Like most residents of Great Falls, I take pride in our trees. Effort has been made to identify the largest specimens of various species.
Column: Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing
After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances.
Fairfax Education Summit to Be Held on Oct. 25
The Fairfax County School Board will host Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) fifth annual Education Summit, Mapping Your Student’s Unique Journey: Explore the Many Choices in Fairfax County Public Schools, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8 a.m. at Edison High School.
Self-Indulgent or Self-Effacing
After re-reading last week’s column: “Not in the Mood,” I began wondering if that column had strayed beyond the boundaries, so to speak, and was too much about me and not enough about my circumstances. Certainly I understand, given my column’s recurring theme, that the subjects of me and my circumstances – and the personal stories I share with you regular readers – are basically the same. Still, I never want the content to be considered important because it’s MY life that’s being profiled. Quite the contrary. If the columns were any more about me, you wouldn’t be interested.
Editorial: Yes to Fairfax Transportation Bond
$84 million for pedestrian, bike and trail improvements.
Of more than 75 projects included in the current proposal, on the ballot for Nov. 4, all but seven are designed to make Fairfax County safer and more inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Tuesday, October 21
Marriage Equality in Fairfax and Beyond
County courthouse marries all couples.
Wearing matching hot pink outerwear and short, spiky hair in front of the Fairfax County Government Center on Oct. 6, Yvonne Landis and Melodie Mayo of Falls Church were the first same sex couple to say “I do” in the county.
GFCA Wants to Speed Up MTBE Cleanup
Toxic plume heads towards nearby neighborhood.
The gasoline plume under Walker Road is worse than previously thought — and is moving in the direction of a nearby neighborhood.
Local Companies Sponsor Lift Me Up! Fencing
Therapeutic riding program nearly 40 years old.
Richard Tucker gripped the reins of a prince-worthy white horse, steering it through a trail during a lesson at Lift Me Up! therapeutic horseback riding program. Sitting tall on his horse, he can be just like anyone his age.
Friday, October 17
Great Falls Home Sales: September, 2014
In September 2014, 12 Great Falls homes sold between $1,600,000-$750,000.
Great Falls Home Sales: September, 2014
Thursday, October 16
Sarvis: Warner-Gillespie Debate ‘Disappointing’
Libertarian candidate says chamber’s decision to include only major-party candidates in U.S. Senate debate a “disservice” to voters.
After a full day of campaigning at Fort Belvoir on Friday, Oct. 11, Robert Sarvis talked about his campaign for U.S. Senate, and his disappointment in not being invited to participate in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate Debate — a major televised debate hosted by The Fairfax Chamber at Capitol One’s convention center in McLean. “The Fairfax Chamber informed us that it was nothing other than ‘tradition’ to only invite major party candidates,” Sarvis said. “But this was after we formally requested an invitation, noted that over 145,000 Virginians voted for Robert Sarvis for governor in 2013, and sent them a petition signed by over 1,000 Virginians in support of a three-candidate debate.”
Warner, Gillespie Clash in U.S. Senate Debate
Stark distinctions on same-sex marriage, immigration, abortion and healthcare.
In front of an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie honed their attacks on each other during a sharp, wide-ranging debate Tuesday evening, Oct. 7.
Getting Children Excited for Halloween
Local experts offer advice for keeping trick-or-treating fun, not scary, for small children.
For many children, Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. From Power Rangers and athletes to princesses and pirates, dressing up in their spookiest or most imaginative attire and trolling the streets in search of treats is a major part of the fun for school-age children. For younger children, however, the ghosts and goblins who are meant to entertain can cause too much of a fright.
The Private School Admissions Process
Local educators offer insider tips on how to select and get a child admitted to the perfect school.
While this school year might still feel new, some parents are already thinking next fall. Or if they’re not, they should be. For parents who are considering sending their children to one of the area’s private schools for the 2015-2016 school year, the application process should be underway.
Not in the Mood
Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy. Moreover, in spite of my best psychological efforts, generally speaking, there seems little I can do to diminish its effect. More often than not, it’s merely time; simply time passing and/or time spent trying to talk myself out-of how I feel and in-to how I haven’t failed.
Editorial: Coming - Children’s Connection
During the last week of each year, The Connection devotes its entire issue to the creativity of local students and children. The results are always remarkable. It is a keepsake edition for many families.
Wednesday, October 15
Let Good Times Roll
Funny, touching look at newly empty nesters in the city in NextStop’s production of ‘Sylvia.’
NextStop's upcoming comedy "Sylvia" is by master American dramatist A.R. Gurney whose work has not been performed before at the Industrial Strength Theater. The comedy looks at a middle class couple, now empty-nesters, who move back into the city, leaving their comfortable suburban life. Oh what surprises are in store for them.
Trailblazers Hail Community Support
Making Great Falls a walkable area for people, horses and bikes alike.
Trails where you want to go: from your home to the Park to the Village to Turner Farm, to your child's school or just to take the dog out for a walk. This is what the Great Falls Trail Blazers group is all about: A community group, whose goals and aims are to make Great Falls a wonderful walkable area for people, horses and bikes alike.
Susan Coll, Jim Lehrer to Speak in Great Falls
The Great Falls Speaker’s Series (GFFS) kicked off last month to a capacity crowd at the Great Falls Library by welcoming its first guest speaker, New York Times best-selling author Pamela Palmer.
Donna Barnako Receives Friends Choice Award
Friends of the Great Falls Library and Great Falls Art Studio member, Donna Barnako, received a 2014 Friends Choice Award from the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
‘Artists on the Green’ Welcome Art Lovers
"Artists on the Green," a local cooperative Studio and Gallery, is located in the Great Falls Village Centre in Great Falls next to Jinny Beyer Quilts. Founded in May of 2013 by five artists — Gail Pèan, Layla Gray, Connie Costello, Tom Stack and Mary Nesbitt — the artists' studio is a cooperative workplace that provides a gallery for 12 local artists.
Jorge Adeler’s ‘Gods and Heroes' at Bergdorf Goodman NYC
The Men's Store at Bergdorf Goodman is now carrying the full line of the “Gods and Heroes” Men's Collection by fine jewelry designer Jorge Adeler of Great Falls.
Column: Not in the Mood
Sometimes, believe it or not, I’m not in the mood to be a terminal cancer patient (duh). Not that the effect is particularly tangible, but the weight of it, as well as the associated waits I’ve occasionally written about, can get awfully heavy.
Saturday, October 11
Letter to the Editor: A Common Sense Candidate
To the Editor: I recently saw John Foust's new ad on television. In it he claims to have balanced seven budgets but leaves out the big detail that he had to raise taxes to do so.
Comstock's Comfort Zone
GOP candidate Barbara Comstock believes a woman's place is in the House ... of Representatives.
It’s just weeks before Election Day, and the contest to replace retiring Republican Congressman Frank Wolf in Virginia’s 10th Congressional district has become one of the most watched, most expensive and most contentious races in the country.
Letter to the Editor: Why Foust?
To the Editor: As a two term Fairfax County supervisor from McLean, he has balanced numerous county budgets and has found ways to save millions of dollars of unnecessary spending.
Friday, October 10
Week in Great Falls
What's happening this week in Great Falls?
Letter to the Editor: Questions for Candidates
To the Editor: I'd like to ask Mrs. Comstock and Mr. Foust these questions and hope they will go "on the record" publicly with their answers.
Bio and Q&A with Gerry Connolly
Q: What do you think are your top three accomplishments in office? A: * The Silver Line. I wasn’t alone, but I'm very proud of my championship of the Silver Line and the fact that it's up and running and succeeding. It took 19 years to sort of get people to reimagine it and get it built. It was a long, tough struggle.
Children’s Studio of Great Falls
Students learn about art techniques through history.
In a cabin near Difficult Run Stream, Josie Gillespie paints a pear. She and two other girls are Karen Graham’s art students at Children’s Studio of Great Falls on Fridays, a two-year-old local business that doesn’t just teach children to make art — it teaches children to appreciate art.
350-plus Against Cluster Development
Basheer and Edgemoore rezoning proposal leads to citizen-backed petition.
There is a growing opposition to a cluster development proposal seeking rezoning in the village. After residents found out that the Brooks Farm pasture might be rezoned by developer Basheer and Edgemoore to residential estate to increase the number of homes built on the property, more than 350 of them signed a petition voicing their disapproval.
Thursday, October 9
Wednesday, October 8
Letter: Why Comstock?
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: The Keystone Pipeline has strong bipartisan support. Therefore it is telling that Democratic candidate John Foust is out in left field opposing this job-creating program that would provide more affordable energy and more tax revenue and more jobs.
Winning Art Bucks
Enter to win $1000 in prizes at Great Falls Studios 2014 Studio Tour.
The artists of Great Falls Studios will be giving away $1000 in gift certificates, each worth $50, to be used toward the purchase of art during the group’s 2014 Studio Tour.
Letter
Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations.
Dear Chairman and Board Members: The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations (the Federation) appreciates the many years of support that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) has provided to the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL). Recently, the FCPL introduced new policies that the Federation decided to examine.
Focus on Transportation
Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance presents regional priorities at 10th annual event.
“What You Need to Know about Transportation in Five Minutes or Less” was the working title of this year’s Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA) seminar and reception held on Sept. 30 at Capital One’s auditorium in McLean.
Column: Week Of, Weak On, Week Off
This column completes the three-week arc which describes what I have endured mostly successfully for approximately five years now: chemotherapy every three weeks – with one year off for good behavior (not really good behavior; the year off was to switch to a twice-daily pill, Tarceva, to be taken at home, since the previous treatment was no longer stemming the tide). It’s been my experience that these anti-cancer drugs don’t exactly work forever.
Sunday, October 5
‘A Personal Touch’
Barbara Comstock rallies veterans at Fairfax County Republican Committee Breakfast.
Barbara Comstock, the Republican candidate in the hotly-contested 10th district Congressional race, was on a tight schedule. After speaking before a crowd of military veterans on Saturday morning, her campaign staff was nudging her out the door, reminding the candidate that the breakfast was the first of several campaign events on her calendar that day.
Friday, October 3
George Mason Holds 3rd Patriot
Intercollegiate Golf Invitational
George Mason University held it’s third Annual Intercollegiate Golf Invitational on Sept. 27-29 at Laurel Hill Golf Course in Fairfax. Seventeen college teams accepted George Mason’s invitation and fielded a total of 104 players.
Community Mourns Local Girl, 16
Missing since Sunday, Cara Golias was found dead in a park.
Just a month before her 17th birthday, friends, family members and classmates from Chantilly, Centreville and Fairfax are mourning the loss of a local girl. The body of Cara Lynn Golias, 16, of the City of Fairfax, was found Monday afternoon in Hemlock Overlook Regional Park in Clifton.
Great Falls Writers Launch Speaker’s Series
Great Falls Park inspires Pamela Palmer’s Feral Warrior novels.
More than 30 people attended the first Great Falls Speaker’s Series at Great Falls Library on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to hear author and Herndon resident Pamela Palmer read from the latest book in her Feral Warrior series — “Wulfe Untamed” — and to learn about her storytelling process in a question-and-answer discussion.
Thursday, October 2
Chantilly Volleyball Beats Defending State Champ
UVa commit Young leads Chargers with 14 kills.
The Chantilly volleyball team defeated defending VHSL 6A state champion Langley.
Wednesday, October 1
Week in Great Falls
Wells Fargo Advisors presents the 2nd Annual Exotic & Classic Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show to end Type 1 Diabetes on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Brix American Bistro, Seneca Square in Great Falls.
St. Francis Episcopal Church Celebrates 50 Years in Great Falls
St. Francis Episcopal Church of Great Falls, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has announced a special “Homecoming Weekend,” scheduled for Oct. 4-5.
Great Falls Sharks Beautify Softball Field
Over the Labor Day weekend, the Great Falls Sharks travel softball organization held it's first annual "Nike Field Clean Up Day."
Great Falls Studios Art Tour Set for Oct. 17-19
Now in its 11th year, the weekend trek brings art enthusiasts nose to nose with practicing artists.
One of the simple pleasures of the Great Falls Studios art tour is its easy accessibility.
St. Francis Episcopal Church to Host ‘Homecoming Weekend’
St. Francis Episcopal Church of Great Falls will continue celebration of its 50th anniversary with a special “Homecoming Weekend” on Oct. 4-5.
Great Falls Writers Launch Speaker’s Series
Great Falls Park inspires Pamela Palmer’s Feral Warrior novels.
More than 30 people attended the first Great Falls Speaker’s Series at Great Falls Library on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to hear author and Herndon resident Pamela Palmer read from the latest book in her Feral Warrior series — “Wulfe Untamed” — and to learn about her storytelling process in a question-and-answer discussion.
New Voter Identification Requirements
There are new requirements for voter identification that voters must bring with them to the polling place.
Voting Early, Absentee
Elections 2014
Virtually every voter in Virginia is eligible to vote absentee, which includes voting in-person absentee at a variety of locations from now through Nov. 1.
Column: Pre-Chemo Peek
I realize, given last week’s column: “Post-Chemo Week,” this week’s column about the preceding week (week-of, actually) of chemotherapy might be a bit bass-ackward, but it seemed reasonable to me that if you regular readers had an interest in the week-after, perhaps you’d have a similar interest in the week-before.