Great Falls News

Great Falls News

Subscribe

Tease photo

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.

Tease photo

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?

Tease photo

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.

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.

Week in Great Falls

Dr. Mark W. Cannon to Speak at the Great Falls Senior Center March Event

The Great Falls Senior Center (GFSC) has announced Dr. Mark W. Cannon as a guest speaker for the March 4 event. He has lectured at more than 70 institutions in 18 countries.

More on ‘Wrong Direction’

To the Editor: I enjoyed both recent letters written to the Connection re "Development Taking Wrong Direction." I have lived in Great Falls since 1974, 40 years this coming November.

Tease photo

Petition Halts Senior Housing Development at Cornwell Farm

More than 700 people signed online petition to stop Clark Realty’s plans to build senior housing on historic property.

An outpouring of opposition from the Greats Falls community quickly halted a developer’s application to purchase and re-zone the historic Cornwell Farm Property on Monday, Feb. 3. Clark Realty had proposed building 39 senior living residences on 20 acres of land on and around the property. But in a matter of days, more than 700 community residents signed an online petition, titled “Oppose Zoning and Cluster Development of historic Cornwell Farm Property,” and the developer withdrew its application the following week.

Tease photo

Colvin Run ES Students Head Drive to ‘Stop Hunger Now’

Langley pyramid community came together to package 87,696 meals for the hungry.

The Langley pyramid community came together on Feb. 8 at Colvin Run Elementary School to “stop hunger now.” Students and families from throughout the Langley pyramid, with cooperation of Vienna-area students, packaged 87,696 meals during the 7-1/2 hour volunteer day. “Stop Hunger Now” representatives supervised the production and boarded the boxed meal-packs into the nonprofit’s trucks. “Stop Hunger Now” is an international humanitarian nonprofit engaged in global hunger relief programs and crisis response. This is the third year that Colvin Run ES headed the assembly-line packing project.

Tease photo

School Board Votes For Longer SLEEP

Money saved from annual bus route review will be earmarked for implementation of later start times.

According to SLEEP, a local group advocating for later high school start times in Fairfax County, 72 out of 92 counties in Virginia have a high school start time of 8 a.m. or later.

Tease photo

Saxon Stage Places Third in Regional One-Act Play Festival

Langley High School won its conference Jan. 25 and placed third in its first appearance in VHSL 6A North Region One Act Play Festival.

Langley High School theater students’ months of hard work paid off on Saturday, Feb. 8, when they placed third in the 2014 VHSL 6A North Region One Act Play Festival at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Langley won the Conference 6 championship on Jan. 25, securing the school’s first ever appearance in the regional competition, along with runner-up Washington-Lee High School from Arlington.

Tease photo

Art and Function

New MPA exhibit unlocks hidden beauty in everyday gadgets, contraptions, or refuse.

McLean Project for the Arts hosted a reception on Jan. 16, to celebrate the opening of its latest exhibition, “Contraptions: Reflections on the Almost Functional.” The exhibition also includes solo shows by artists, Melissa Burley, and Eric Celarier. “Contraptions: Reflections on the Almost Functional” exhibition presents a fresh look at some commonplace objects. But their usual functions have been altered or even eliminated, to allow for artistic interest or beauty.

Tease photo

Nine Candidates Vying for Attention in 8th Congressional District Democratic Primary

Race to replace Jim Moran is expected to be competitive and expensive.

It's been three weeks since longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) announced that he would not be seeking a 13th term in Congress, opening up an epic primary fight that is now starting to take shape.

Flowers, Chocolate and Romance Fundraiser in Great Falls

Come out for a fun Art Night Out with artists, art enthusiasts and the community as we raise money to support the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts (GFFTA) and GF School of Art on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature wine & chocolate tastings along with a variety of romance foods. Guests can enjoy the "Flowers, Chocolate & Romance" Exhibit in the Gallery and art demonstrations by working artists. The event will take place at Artist s' Atelier, 1144 Walker Road, 3rd Floor, Great Falls. Tickets: Guest - $75, VIP - $100 (includes 1 year GFFFTA membership), Patron - $200 (includes 1 year GFFFTA membership and special recognition), Sponsor - $500 (includes 1 year GFFFTA membership and sponsor promotion).

Tease photo

Great Falls Elementary Holds STEM Career Night

Parents teamed up with local high schools and volunteers from the Children’s Science Center for an evening full of fun.

Students packed the Great Falls Elementary gymnasium on the evening of Monday, Feb. 3, to learn the answers to questions such as "What is a polymer?" and "How is a vortex ring made?"

Tease photo

Helping Area Residents Sign Up for Health Insurance

More than 50 volunteers who are helping local residents sign up for health care insurance were recognized by state and local leadership last Saturday. To date, these Certified Application Counselors (CACs) have helped more than 500 individuals with the new Marketplace system, overcoming barriers of language, technology and understanding the new health care law. The volunteers were thanked for the commitment and service: