Bulletin Board (Vienna/McLean/Great Falls)
Feb. 9-16.
Community events in the Vienna, McLean, and Great Falls area.
District Wrestling Championships Set for This Weekend
Langley, unbeaten during district regular season, will be aiming for a postseason banner.
The Langley High wrestling team is set to begin the postseason portion of its schedule this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3-4, when it hosts the Liberty District Championships meet. The two-day event will begin Friday evening at 5. On Saturday, action will start up again at noon time and run throughout the day.
Cementing the Districts
Republicans try to lock in eight-to-three advantage in congressional redistricting.
Now that congressional redistricting has moved through the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate, a picture of 2012 is beginning to take shape.
Moderate Mutiny
With the sluggish economy at the forefront of voters’ minds this year, former Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine hopes to put fiscal issues at the top of his campaign to fill the seat vacated by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jim Webb. In an interview on Thursday, Jan. 19, Kaine said he hopes to promote a "talent economy" in Washington. It’s a reality the former governor says has become evident in the last few decades, when Virginia moved from being one of the lowest median income states to being one of the wealthiest.
Celebrating the Chinese New Year
Lunar Chinese New Year festivities continued this past weekend, attracting hundreds of thousands of shoppers and visitors to Fair Oaks Mall. Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the Chinese traditional calendar, based on the phases of the moon and the solar year. The year is 4710 and celebrates the dragon, which is considered the luckiest sign of the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing strength, power and good luck.
Commentary: Dulles Rail Phase II: A Common Sense Approach
This spring the Fairfax and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will be required to make a final decision to opt in or out of Phase II of the Dulles Rail project. Rail through Tysons past the airport and into Loudoun is the largest public works project in the history of the Commonwealth and it has significant financial implications to the counties, its residents and businesses, and especially to the users of the Dulles Toll Road. As the Dulles corridor and Tysons are the economic engines of the region and the Commonwealth the project also has telling implications on our future job growth.
Letter: Waste of Taxpayer Money
I recently received a "Richmond Update" from Del. Jim Le Munyon advising: "I have proposed an additional $400,000 in the state budget for the State Police to more effectively conduct background checks for individuals desiring to purchase a firearm. Recently, a constituent brought to my attention the significant delays some purchasers were experiencing in receiving the results of their background checks …"
Remembering Harry Heisler
Wife mourns husband of 28 years.
Ask Evelyn Heisler what made her husband Harry so special to her, and she answers without hesitation. "He had a razor-sharp wit and a brilliant sense of humor and he made me laugh every day," she said.
Fulfilling a Dream
Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque is almost completed.
Set back from the road, yet perched upon a hill, the mosque that will serve area members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is nearing completion in Chantilly. Just off Walney Road and Eagle Chase Circle, the 7,200-square-foot place of worship is called the Mubarak mosque which, in Islamic, means "blessed tidings."
‘We’re Really Frustrated’
Homeowner’s insurance company seeks damages from WGL.
Leaving a recent meeting of the Brookfield Civic Association, Thuan Nguyen was not a happy man. After losing his home in a December 2010 gas explosion, he and his family carried on with their lives, but never received definitive answers regarding what caused the blast.
Prayer Schedule and Message of Peace
At the new, Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Chantilly, morning prayers will start before sunrise; evening prayers are said approximately 45 minutes after sundown. And the imam will be there to lead the congregation in prayer, seven days a week.
SCC vs. WGL: What’s Next?
State and gas company disagree over report.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) determined that Washington Gas Company [WGL] committed 11 "probable violations" in regard to the December 2010 explosion in Brookfield. But the gas company believes otherwise.
Vandals Damage New Mosque in Chantilly
Windows smashed, property damaged.
The motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is "Love for all, hatred for none." Its Web site is www.MuslimsForPeace.org.
President Announces Homeowners Bill of Rights
Gives speech to crowd at James Lee Community Center in Falls Church.
Calling the continuing depression in the housing market a "make-or-break" moment for the middle class, President Barack Obama delivered a short and pointed speech this morning about his proposed Homeowner’s Bill of Rights to an audience in Falls Church.
Column: "Progression"
There’s a word – in a medical context, anyway, that you don’t hear every day. And if you’re a stage IV lung cancer survivor – like me, 35 months post-diagnosis, it’s hardly the word you ever want to hear – or see – describing the most recent CT Scan of your lungs (Mediastinum) where your malignant tumors have been in "partial stable remission" going on two-plus years now. "Progression" means growth. Growth means the relative calm under which you’ve existed for the last few years is officially over.
Letter: More In-state Opportunities
Letter to the Editor
Virginia has the best schools in the country. Regrettably the admissions process at schools like Virginia Tech, James Madison University, or University of Virginia have become so competitive for in-state students that these top tier schools seem unattainable.
SCC to Host Dating Violence Forum
Event will examine teen dating violence from multiple angles.
The McLean-based Safe Community Coalition, which primarily serves the students in the Langley and McLean High School pyramids, will host a forum which will examine the issue of teen dating violence from a number of angles. The event, titled "What’s Love Got to do With it?: Healthy Relationships and Dating," will take place at McLean High School Feb. 9.
Three McLean Boy Scouts Earn Top Award
Langley High seniors earn Eagle Scout rank.
Years of hard work paid off for three McLean Boy Scouts who were awarded their Eagle Scout rank last weekend.
New Photographic Exhibit At Katie’s by Walt Lawrence
On Monday, Jan. 30, a new exhibit of my photography of Great Falls went on display at Katie’s Coffee House.
Wellbeing: Cybercycling for Better Health
Exergaming — exercise combined with video games — might offer a greater cognitive benefit than traditional exercise alone.
The same staccato beeps and flashing graphics that keep some youth glued to video games might also boost cognitive function in senior citizens.