Week in Great Falls
Loebig Chiropractic & Rehab and The American Red Cross will be hosting a community blood drive in Great Falls at the office of Dr. Glenn Loebig, 754 Walker Rd, Great Falls on Tuesday, April 15, 1 – 6 p.m. The need for blood locally remains constant, and donations are needed to offset recent blood shortages. People can donate a pint of blood every 56 days and each donation can help save up to three lives. Blood donations help a variety of patients, including those going through cancer treatments, surgical patients and premature babies, among many others. Donors are encouraged to eat a meal prior to giving blood and drink plenty of water. Blood donation requirements include a photo ID, a minimum weight of 115 pounds and minimum age of 17. A 16-year old may donate blood with written parental consent and there is no upper age limit for donating blood. Many health conditions and medications do not prevent someone from donating blood. Call 703-757-5817 with any questions.
Obstructing Traffic on Walker Road
To the Editor: The letter from Dudley Losselyong [“More on ‘Wrong Direction’,” Great Falls Connection, February 12-18, 2014] regarding the "unbelievable" narrowing of Walker Road suggests that the project is attributable to folks who want to "make Great Falls like the place they were moving away from" i.e. McLean, Reston, and Vienna. I think it's more like West Virginia and the abuse of tax dollars.
Great Falls Farmers Market Plans for March
The Farmers’ Almanac forecasts a very cold March. We believe. This Saturday has a forecast high of 36 degrees, for example. At a vendors meeting after the market last Saturday, the vendors unanimously agreed to pay the extra fees to rent the Grange for the month of March – pending Fairfax County Park Authority approval. We will not know their answer before this paper goes to press, so please check our website (www.GreatFallsFarmersMarket.ORG), our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/GreatFallsCommunityFarmersMarket), or our street signs, which will be updated as soon as we know where we will be.
Historic Cornwell Farm Open to the Public March 8
HBC Realty Group, Keller Williams Realty has announced that Historic Cornwell Farm will be open to the public on Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. People wanting to see the home can come on this day and take in the history and architecture all while supporting a worthy local charity. Proceeds from the day go to support LiftMeUp! Therapeutic Riding Program. For more information and questions contact Laura Smith at 571-331-7709, Info@LiftMeUp.org or Karen Briscoe at 703-734-0192, Karen@HBCRealtyGroup.com.
Molster Family Stable Awaits Special Permit Decision
Great Falls residents divided over the Molsters’ special permit application to teach horse riding lessons on their property.
When Sharon and Charles “Chip” Molster first began teaching horse riding lessons at their home on Blacks Hill Road in 2009, they found their customers loved having an opportunity to learn riding so close to home there in Great Falls.
Additional Delays Slow Handover of Silver Line to Metro
Performance issues and unmet safety testing requirements cited as reasons for the continued delay.
Phase I of the Silver Line is still not quite ready for final testing by Metro authorities, according to a Monday statement issued by Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA). With the handover of the Silver Line project to Metro authorities looming, Northern Virginia residents will have to be patient despite their readiness to hop on the train at new Tysons Corner and Reston Metro stations.
Great Falls Home Sales: January, 2014
In January 2014, 7 Great Falls homes sold between $1,322,000-$515,000.
Great Falls Home Sales: January, 2014
Winter Storm Hits Northern Virginia
Fairfax County residents took shelter as over a foot of snow shutdown power, school, and roads.
Northern Virginia residents took shelter from a snow storm that began the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 12 and lasted until the Thursday night. Fairfax County felt the lasting effects well into the weekend, with schools unable to clear parking lots and county offices closed through the weekend. Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Tuesday, Feb. 11, giving state authorities and utility companies time to prepare for the storm.
Money on the Shelves: Jurisdictions Take Variety of Approaches to Funding Libraries
Some have recovered from the recession, others are still struggling.
What is the future of the neighborhood library?
Residents Discuss Route 7 Widening, Effects on Neighborhoods
Great Falls and Reston residents discuss how Route 7 construction would impact their neighborhoods.
Great Falls and Reston residents met at The Grange in Great Falls on Tuesday, Feb. 11 to voice their concerns about the 6.9-mile project along Route 7 that will widen the road from four to six lanes. A presentation led by Great Falls Citizens Association board members went into great detail about the impending changes to each intersection along the stretch, extending from Seneca Road at the edge of Reston to Jarrett Valley Drive just before Tysons Corner.
Starshine Theater Celebrates Anniversary
Starshine Theater of Great Falls is celebrating its 21st year of Performing Arts Programs for young people, with the following events:
Letter: Who Wins in Great Falls
To the Editor: (Regarding "Petition Halts Senior Housing Development at Cornwell Farm," Great Falls Connection, February 12-18, 2014).
Letter: ‘Open’ in a Snowy Night
"Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Gloom of Night…" Have you ever heard that motto before? You have if you’ve been to the New York City General Post Office. It’s not actually the official motto of the post office, but it’s engraved on the front of their building since 1896. Therefore, for the sake of this story, let’s pretend it is.
Editorial: Fundamental Freedom To Choose To Marry
Virginia is historically slow in extending rights.
In 1967, Virginia was one of 16 states that banned interracial marriage and had criminal penalties for violators. Mildred Jeter, an African-American woman, and Richard Loving a white man, married in 1958, were convicted and banished from living in Virginia for 25 years to avoid serving a one-year prison sentence. On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Loving v. Virginia, overturned the convictions of Mildred and Richard Loving, declaring the ban on interracial marriage unconstitutional.
Until Further Notice
Not to state the obvious (which I readily admit I do), but to be given a terminal diagnosis: stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer, along with a rather disappointing prognosis: "13 months to two years" is a challenging set of extremely unexpected (given my immediate family’s medical history) circumstances. I don’t want to say that I live under a dark cloud – because I don’t like the negative implication or reaction it conjures, but I definitely feel as if I have a metaphorical sword of Damocles hanging over my head; which I only refer to as an-out-of-context Three Stooges reference wherein a non-Stooge was innocently standing under a pie which Moe had thrown to the ceiling and there it stuck, hanging precariously over the character’s head. Now I still don’t know the proper historical context of the sword of Damocles, I only know the Three Stooges version, but there was some imminent danger involved (not death, mind you), but rather a falling pie which ultimately landed flush on the character’s face as she looked up to make further inquiries. Nevertheless, pie issues/references notwithstanding, having seen my oncologist today while being infused and receiving a big smile/ "you’re going great"/thumbs-up set of gestures/reactions while reclining in my Barcalounger with a chemotherapy I.V. dripping medicine into my right arm, is the kind of super-positive feedback with which I can live. Along with my every-three-week pre-chemotherapy lab work and my every-three-month CT Scan followed by my every-three-month face-to-face appointment with my oncologist, this is how I roll. Worrying about upcoming tests, waiting anxiously for results, trying not to anticipate good, bad or indifferent; living day to day and trying to appreciate my good fortune and the unexpected above-average quality of life with which I’ve been blessed – for a terminal cancer patient, that is.
How Red Is the 10th District?
Wolf’s retirement sparks crowded political stage as both parties vie for coveted Congressional seat.
U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf’s announcement in December that he would not seek reelection to an 18th term in Congress came as a surprise to both Republicans and Democrats. Wolf’s retirement notice instantly set off a feeding frenzy among politicians maneuvering to gain the Northern Virginia Congressional seat.
Envisioning a Launch Pad for Young Adults
Paws4people develops pilot for former foster children, others.
Imagine if in your childhood, it was normal for a social worker to show up unexpectedly, hand you a big black garbage bag and tell you to pack your things.
Editorial: Fundamental Freedom To Choose To Marry
Virginia is historically slow in extending rights.
In 1967, Virginia was one of 16 states that banned interracial marriage and had criminal penalties for violators. Mildred Jeter, an African-American woman, and Richard Loving a white man, married in 1958, were convicted and banished from living in Virginia for 25 years to avoid serving a one-year prison sentence
Letter: Correcting Error on Mental Health Services
Fairfax County serving more people now.
A Feb. 11 editorial by Mary Kimm, referencing reporting by Michael Pope, makes an incorrect assertion that our services to people with mental illness in Fairfax County have been “dramatically cut back.”
Historic Cornwell Farm Open to the Public
March 8, 2014 in Great Falls, VA
The Cornwell Farm residence in Great Falls, Virginia has survived as a well-preserved example of Northern Virginia antebellum plantation architecture. The property was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 1977. It is one of the area’s most significant residential properties with a Nineteenth Century Manor House, circa 1831. It is scenically important in that it is the major architectural element to be seen along the historic Georgetown Pike, the first road in the state to be designated a Virginia By-Way. The entry features a magnificent cedar tree-lined private drive arriving at a pea gravel motor court. The gently rolling land and country vistas are some of the most gorgeous this close to Washington, DC. The property features a 4 stall barn, fenced and cross fenced pasture land and run-in shed for horses.