News Briefs
As Democratic delegates fight to keep firearms further from school property, Republican Bob Marshall (D-13) is pushing legislation to bring more guns in. Marshall is the chief patron of HB 1557, which would require every school board in the state to designate one volunteer to carry a concealed weapon on school property. Training for selected volunteers would be provided by either the Virginia Center for School Safety or the NRA, of which he is a member.
Four Northern Virginia Senators Targeted
Redistricting effort puts Fairfax County seats in the spotlight.
Four Northern Virginia state Senators are targets of a Republican-led effort to draw new districts — Sen. George Barker (D-39), Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37), Sen. Toddy Puller (D-36) and Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34). Democrats say the redistricting effort is a cynical attempt to take advantage of the absence of Sen. Henry Marsh (D-16), a prominent civil rights veteran, who was in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration on Monday. But state Sen. John Watkins (R-10) of Powhatan defended the effort as a way to create a sixth majority black Senate district in Southside. It passed the Senate on a 20-to-19 vote.
Making Schools Safer
Two Northern Virginia Democrats take part in panel to consider school security.
Do Virginia schools need more guns? That question is at the heart of a debate that’s now reaching a fever pitch in the commonwealth, especially after a man with a Bushmaster assault rifle blasted his way into a Connecticut elementary school and killed 20 children and six adults before killing himself. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell responded to the tragedy by creating a School Safety Task Force, which is considering a proposal for every school in Virginia to have an armed school resource officer.
Fairfax Families4Kids
Fostering bonds with children.
Nationwide, more than 463,000 children live in foster care. In many states, including Virginia, the number of foster youth has tripled in the last 25 years. As of Sept. 30, 2011, nearly 5,000 youth were in foster care in Virginia, according to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. Physical abuse is the most common reason children enter foster, but it’s not the only reason. Often there’s emotional abuse, sexual abuse and the parent or caretaker’s inability to provide a safe environment due to substance abuse.
A Family Made Whole
After a tragic loss, Reston couple creates a family through adoption.
The Granvilles look like a made-for-TV family. On a bright October afternoon, Chris, a computer engineer, is teasing his teenage son, Kenny, about what kind of pet to adopt, while Tiffany sits on a sofa, cradling Elijah, Kenny’s baby brother, who has just woken up from an afternoon nap. “Fish? No way,” Kenny, 15, says. “They just go ‘round and ‘round in a bowl.” Kenny is lobbying hard for a dog or—at the very least—a guinea pig or hamster.
New York Life Names Vienna Resident 2012 Council Vice President
New York Life has named Jim Adkins, of Vienna, as its 2012 council vice president.
McLean Orchestra to Perform for Alternative House Children
On Sunday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m., the McLean Orchestra and the McLean Youth Orchestra will do a first ever “side-by-side” concert.
MPA Announces New Board Members and Officers
The board of McLean Project for the Arts has selected new officers and four new members.
Cooper Middle Students Visit Pine Spring Elementary
On Wednesday Dec. 19, 40 Cooper Middle School students visited their sister school, Pine Spring Elementary, and threw a holiday party.
Traveling Down A Familiar Road
Transportation funding, education top agenda at town hall with Sen. Petersen, Del. Keam.
“The biggest example of ‘tragic mismatch’ since I wore madras slacks and white socks in 1980 to my first middle school dance.” That’s how Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) described Republican Governor Robert McDonnell’s transportation funding plan, which calls for an increase in the sales tax and eliminates the $17.5 cents per gallon gas tax.
District Orchestras Perform at Langley High
Langley High hosts District XII Junior and Senior Orchestras.
One hundred and sixty-five students from 11 middle schools and 14 high schools participated in District XII Junior and Senior Orchestras Jan. 4-5 at Langley High School. Guest conductors worked with the students for two days and presented a superb concert.
Letter: A Vote to Remember
I was interested to read Supervisor John Foust's column about the challenges facing Fairfax County in 2013, and especially his comments about the financial challenges the county faces [Challenges Facing Dranesville in 2013, Connection, Jan. 2-8, 2013].
Letter: Doing the Right Thing on Guns
The issue of gun control has been in the news lately, with everyone from President Obama to a British TV host voicing their opinion since the tragic shooting in Newton, Conn.
Group Protests at CIA Headquarters
Anti-torture organization fasts, blocks off entrance.
The Dolley Madison Boulevard entrance to CIA Headquarters was rendered impassable the morning of Saturday, Jan. 12, as more than three dozen people in orange prison jumpsuits and black hoods over their heads lined up to protest actions taken by the intelligence agency in recent years.
Parents Plead for Delay in Training Center Closing
Timeframe for closure puts disabled adults at risk, advocates say.
When it was Kenneth Gans’ turn to speak to the panel of Virginia state legislators, the 78-year-old father of a severely-disabled son kept his remarks brief.