Fairfax County Supervisors Seek Outside Help with Transparency
“Independent expertise” to advise on information disclosure policies.
Eight days after offering the public the first of any kind of official explanation for officer-involved shooting of Springfield resident John Geer, the Board of Supervisors took another step.
The $2.4 Billion Question
FCPS Superintendent presents next year’s budget.
Fairfax County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza is proposing a $2.4 billion budget for the 2015-16 school year. The proposed Fairfax County Public Schools’ budget includes funds for full-day Mondays, teacher compensation and later high school start times while still finding room for $55.4 million in cuts.
Troop 55 Boy Scouts Earn President’s Medal
“To encourage more individuals to embody the spirit of volunteerism that makes this country so great” is the goal of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Jeff Ye, a Patrol Advisor with Boy Scout Troop 55 from Great Falls, worked with the Troop 55 leadership and introduced the award to the Boy Scouts this past Fall.
Fun in the Snow
Churchill Road second graders enjoyed some fun in the snow just after winter break. George Gaulding made snow angels while classmates Sydney Diao and Annalee Borden prepared to make snowmen.
Great Falls Trailblazers Win State Gardens Christmas Tree Decorating Contest
The theme tree was decorated with a silver and blue trail around the tree which had several animals hiding in the branches. The answer to the question How many animals can you find along the trail was 8: one squirrel, two snowy owls two chipmunks, two fawns with a cardinal for the tree top.
Backyard Dreaming
Local tastemakers say winter is the best time to plan an idyllic backyard retreat.
Spring may seem light years away from the frigid January temperatures, and lounging in your backyard is probably the last thing you want to do at the moment, but landscape designers say now is the time to start planning a summer retreat.
Column: $32.99 Plus Shipping
For one box of 54 petite Belgian waffle cookies in three delicious flavors: milk chocolate, dark chocolate and vanilla; an extravagance to be sure, available during the holidays; this recipient (actually, my wife, Dina, was the recipient) very happy to oblige and indulge.
James Paul Rainey, 84, Dies
James Paul Rainey passed away peacefully on Dec. 31, 2014 at the age of 84. At the time of death, Jim was living in Great Falls, having recently moved there from Naples, Fla. Born in Weirton, W. Va., Jim’s family moved to Pennsylvania and Ohio where he graduated from Lakewood High School in 1948.
Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department Wins Holiday Decorating Contest
Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department won $200 as the Celebrate Great Falls Holiday Decorating Contest winner
Editorial: Happy New Year
Focused on community.
Happy New Year. We need your help in 2015. As local, weekly newspapers, the Connection’s mission is to deliver news readers need close to home, to help readers enjoy great local places and events, to advocate for community good, to call attention to unmet needs, to provide a forum for dialogue on local concerns, and to celebrate and record milestones and events in community and people’s lives.
Bollywood Bistro Finds Home in Great Falls
Restaurant adds spice to shopping center.
Great Falls loves lamb - at least according to Bollywood Bistro owner Pankaj Sharma. The restaurant has been open for two months and already has regular clientele, he said.
Looking Forward: Great Falls 2015
Plans to work with county on Route 7, curatorship program.
Great Falls has a lot to look forward to this year. Community leaders said the biggest topics the village will discuss this year include deer management, the Route 7 expansion and possible Independence Day fireworks.
Comstock's Character Honored in McLean
In 1997, Barbara Comstock gave the first Character Does Count Award to The Honorable Ed Meese. At the time, Comstock was the first President of the Patriot Republican Women’s Club. Fast forward to the present, and Barbara Comstock, Congresswoman-Elect for Virginia’s 10th District, was herself honored with this year’s 2014 Character Does Count Award.
Column: Down and Not Out, Yet
Thankfully (so far as I know, which isn’t very far), after a five-week interval between infusions, which included two additional weeks of pre-chemotherapy lab work and an out-of-the-ordinary 24-hour urine collection (“creatinine clearance”) to boot – to more accurately measure my kidney function in hopes of meeting a 1.6 threshold – muster was finally passed, and I was subsequently infused without any further adieu.
Overnight I-66 Closures in January
All lanes of Interstate 66 in one direction will close intermittently between midnight and 5 a.m. on several dates in January for the installation of gantries. Each closure will last up to 30 minutes.
Letter to the Editor: A Wonderful Article
To the Editor: What a wonderful article you wrote, Kareese (“How I Left…” by Kareese Akinloba, grade 8, Irving Middle School, Children’s Connection, January 1-7, 2015). Your writing ability is beyond your years.
Kathleen Murphy wins 34th District
Voters turn up despite snow storm.
Kathleen Murphy was greeted with cheers by more than a hundred supporters as she entered her victory party at McLean Community Center. The democrat won the 34th District seat of the state House of Delegates, 6,406 to 6,082, on Tuesday after Republican Craig Parisot conceded the race.
Children's Connection 2014
This week, the Connection turns over its pages to the youth and students.
Column: Level Best
If I wanted to rationalize the benefit of delaying my heretofore every-three-week chemotherapy infusion from three weeks to four and now on to five, possibly six – and that’s dependent on improved results from a second/maybe even third retest upcoming (this retest a bit more involved than drawing blood) – I would say it’s only fitting that I should have a break/brake; after all, it is the holiday season when all good things; yada, yada, yada. If only it were that simple.
Potomac’s Arden Courts Celebrates 20 Years
A facility for memory care.
Arden Courts in Potomac, the first community built by Manor Care dedicated to those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Nov. 5. More than 200 healthcare professionals, government officials, resident families and local businesses in the community came out in support.