Editorial: Looking to Hear from Readers in New Year
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. To succeed at any of that, we need your help.
A Year in Review, Things to Look for in 2014
Supervisor John w. Foust (D-Dranesville) reflects on most important events in McLean and Great Falls in 2013 and 2014.
Supervisor John W. Foust (D-Dranesville): *TRANSPORTATION FUNDING PLAN HB2313 - A significant event affecting the community in 2013 was the passage of HB2313 with bi-partisan support. This bill was the first comprehensive transportation plan passed in Virginia in 27 years.
Sen. Favola Shares Legislative Priorities
State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31) highlights the following legislative priority issues: *Safety Net: Retain McDonnell’s $1.6 M for extension of subsidies to foster youth and adopted youth until the age of 21. *Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) --- Index benefits to the COL Adjustment as determined by the Department of Labor (Need Budget Amendment as well). This helps women and children. Families stay an average of 3 years on TANF. The caseload has been decreasing in Virginia and $5M was shifted in the last biennium from TANF block grant dollars to funds General Fund services.
Comstock to Chair House Science And Technology Committee
Delegate Barbara Comstock (R-34) was named Chairwoman of the House Science and Technology Committee by Speaker Bill Howell (R-28). Howell said, "Barbara Comstock is one of the brightest and most energetic lawmakers in the General Assembly. She has worked tirelessly on issues important to Northern Virginia and the entire Commonwealth. For years she has been a leader on issues related to economic development and technology. This experience and knowledge will make her a great Chairwoman."
Colvin Run Elementary Students Donate Food for Those in Need
Boxes of non-perishable food that filled the trunks of eight large SUVs were donated on Monday, Dec. 16, by Colvin Run Elementary School families to a local Fairfax County elementary school.
Ground Water Cleanup Plan Presented in Great Falls
Potential contamination of local wells from a spill at former Exxon gas station discussed.
The Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA) hosted two meetings on Dec. 17, to update Great Falls residents on the plan to clean up contamination from a spill of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) that had occurred at the Exxon gas station that was located at 9901 Georgetown Pike.
Great Falls in 2013: The Most Important Issues
Eric Knudsen, President, Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA): 1) The start, and hopefully the finishing, of the Walker Road Diet project. This is the first major change to the center of town since the Safeway shopping center was put in.
Great Falls Home Sales: November, 2013
Great Falls Home Sales: November, 2013
Classified Advertising December 25, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Callaghan Leads Langley to Second Consecutive Victory
Saxons senior guard scores career-high 28 points
The Langley boys' basketball team beat Chantilly on Friday night.
Children's Connection 2013
Annual children's issue showcases artistic talent of local students.
We asked principals and teachers from local schools to encourage students to contribute their stories and artwork for our annual Children's Issue. The responses as always, was enormous. While we were unable to publish every piece we received, we did our best to put together a paper of a balanced sampling of submitted stories, poems, drawings, paintings and photographs
Letter: Parents Advocate for Class Size Caps
On Saturday, Dec. 7, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent’s (Dr. Karen Garza) conducted a "Listening Tour" meeting at Cooper Middle School in McLean. Many parents who spoke at the meeting were concerned about large class sizes in their children’s schools. This is not a problem in most FCPS schools - the average elementary school class in FCPS has only 21-22 students, and plenty of FCPS elementary schools average 20 or fewer students per class.
Teaching Love of Music in Vienna
Hyun-Mi Chung, owner of Elite Piano Academy, is announcing the third anniversary of her studio in Vienna. Chung has brought her 28 years teaching experience to Vienna to the delight of her many students who share the desire to learn. She expresses her gratitude to the students and their parents for their support during this time. Chung, a graduate of Juilliard School (B. M. & M. M.), the first woman pianist to have recorded all 35 Beethovens Sonatas, has a love of music that has been the motivation for her dedication to teaching. Since coming to Vienna, she has maintained a class of 50 students in a six day-a-week schedule. In addition, she has held two recitals per year (one per semester) for her students at the Vienna Presbyterian Church.
Dr. James Edward ‘Jay’ Manning, III, 78, Dies
Northern Virginia mourns the loss of a leader in education, former Langley High principal.
Northern Virginia has lost a towering presence in the community – an athlete, distinguished educator, and champion of every student.
Family Science Night at Colvin Run Elementary
Colvin Run Elementary School (CRES) hosted its second annual Family Science Night on Dec. 6, with hands-on experiments from the Children's Science Center's Museum Without Walls Mobile Labs.
Christmas Celebrated At Colvin Run Mill
Santa and carolers visits historic park.
At historic Colvin Run Mill Park Santa Claus made a visit to the miller’s office from 3 to 6 p.m. Despite damp, overcast weather on Saturday, spirits stayed bright as visitors came by to see Santa and hear carolers from the Virginia 49th Infantry, participate in crafts, or join in a marshmallow roasting.
Oprah Winfrey Wears Jorge Adeler ‘Rock Candy’ Ring
The cover of the January 2014 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, features a Jorge Adeler one-of-a-kind "Rock Candy" ring.
Local Lego Team Wins Grand Champions Award
A local, Great Falls-based, FIRST LEGO League Team Positive Aftermath won the 1st Place Grand Champions Award at the VADC Championship Tournament held at James Madison University, Harrisonburg on Dec. 7-8, 2013.
Join Generations of Great Falls Families for ‘Christmas Eve at the Nutcracker Club’
Performances Saturday, Dec. 21, and Sunday, Dec. 22, at the Waddell Theater on the Loudoun Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
The first cast of the "Gingerbread Cookie" dance were the youngest dancers in the company when The School of Theatrical Dance [SOTD] in Great Falls first staged "Christmas Eve at the Nutcracker Club" in 2006. Now those dancers are in the Level 8 Ballet class that SOTD Director Theresa D"Alessandro says she created, "in response to their talent and technical accomplishment." When one of those dancers, Dylan Murphy of Great Falls, was a member of the Level 7 Ballet class a couple of years ago, she said, "The Winter Show is a great tradition. The show is a lot of fun.
Backwards Thinking
Considering that I’ve been cancer-centric now for nearly five years, one would have thought I might have learned and totally embraced an alternative concept: forward living – and less thinking about past causes and their possible current effects. Certainly cancer causes physical manifestations and symptoms that are diagnosable and indicative of trouble. But it’s the unseen effects that in some cases cause as many difficulties. What I am referring to is the mental and emotional toll a terminal diagnosis and short term prognosis can have on the patient’s perspective on life and living, and what’s presumptively thought to be left of it.