Game On
George Mason University students develop video games aimed at curtailing gang recruitment in Virginia.
Law enforcement officials now have two unlikely weapons in the fight against gang activity in Virginia: video games and college students.
Presidential Visit to Washington-Lee
President Barack Obama made his first visit to Washington-Lee High School on Friday, May 4.
Northern Virginia Bill Signing Puts Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence in Spotlight
A rare moment of bipartisanship between Republican governor and Democratic legislators.
Strangulation will be punished more aggressively to combat violence against women. Campus police will work with other police agencies to crack down on domestic violence of unmarried couples. And the telephone number for a human trafficking hotline will be placed in the restrooms at strip clubs across Virginia.
Great Falls Talks Turf
The Leo Santaballa turf-field debate continues.
In a Great Falls Land Use and Zoning Committee (LUZ) meeting in October of 2010, the Great Falls Lacrosse Association (GFLA) announced plans to install a synthetic turf-field at Leo Santaballa Park.
Seniors Group Plans First Events
Ecumenical Council members join with group, seek county charter.
The Great Falls Citizens Association’s Seniors Group hosted their meeting with new membership Wednesday, May 2, as group mainstays were joined by representatives from local churches and Fairfax County. The group, which was founded last year and has been seeking input from local residents, started planning their first event and laid out plans for a year’s worth of events, starting this September.
Volunteer Fire Department Celebrates 70 Years
New firehouse hosts anniversary celebration.
Milburn Sanders, 90, joined the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department (then known as the Forestville Fire Department) seven days after it opened on May 5, 1952. Seventy years later, he was part of the celebration at a new building, with generations of volunteer and career firefighters that came after him.
Great Falls Artist Earns Honorable Mention in Watercolor Exhibition
The Charles H. Taylor Art Center in Hampton, Va. is currently hosting the 33rd annual Virginia Watercolor Societies Exhibition. Juried and judged by N.C. artist, Dan Smith, with 494 entries by 175 artists across the state, the work of Great Falls artist, Betty Ganley, a painting capturing the "mood" of a misty morning in a Maine boatyard, was awarded an Honorable Mention and has been hailed by the judge as "a traditional boat composition, docked for repair … I found the virtuosity of the watercolor application remarkable."
Housing Discrimination Alert
Officials step up education, outreach efforts to reach immigrant communities about "fair housing" rights.
Housing discrimination cases have been on the rise in Fairfax County in the past few years. And the Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs (OHREP), the agency that enforces fair housing laws in the county, is shining a spotlight on the problem through seminars for housing providers, realtors, community groups and other interested parties. "Sadly, housing discrimination is alive and well and we’ve seen an uptick in complaints during the past six years," said Kenneth Saunders, executive director of OHREP.
Local Safety Net Clinics Seek a Few Good Doctors
Specialty care physicians and other medical professionals needed to serve low income, uninsured patients.
When Marie Markey of Alexandria retired from U.S. Air Force as a physical therapist, she rolled up her sleeves and went to work helping those in need. Markey works as a volunteer twice each week at the Arlington Free Clinic, offering physical therapy to the clinic’s low income and uninsured patients.
Value of Volunteer Hours: $4.5 million
Legacy of Community Service? Priceless.
"Volunteers aren't paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless." Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous sentiment was echoed by numerous community and civic leaders who gathered at the Waterford in Springfield Friday, April 27, to celebrate 118 Fairfax County volunteers during the 20th annual Volunteer Service Awards hosted by Volunteer Fairfax.
Volunteers Honored for Efforts
Four locals receive Community Champions Awards for Health Care and Social Services to the Community.
Four Northern Virginia volunteers were honored for their charitable efforts recently. Edward Shahin of McLean, Marie Markey of Alexandria and Mattie Palmore and Kari Warren of Mt. Vernon received the Molina Healthcare Community Champions Award during a ceremony at the at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax.
Great Falls Farmers Market Highlights Local Produce
Local farmers and vendors from Great Falls make up nearly half the vendors.
From honey to honey buns, from produce to pickles, the newly located Great Falls Farmers Market has it all. They go beyond many other local farmers markets because they are able to offer many products that are grown and produced in the village of Great Falls, taking local a step further.
Great Falls Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale
The Great Falls Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. In addition to the Plant Sale, the Great Falls Garden Club will be hosting a Small Standard Flower Show from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Great Falls Library at 9830 Georgetown Pike. One can see, in the Horticulture Division, what beautiful flowers can be grown in the Great Falls area. Everyone is invited.
A Big Accomplishment for a Sixth Grader
Kayley McPhail of Great Falls who is 11 years old and in 6th grade, recently scored 11th in the Nation on the High School National French Examination.
Growing Up in a Virtual World
The effects of today’s technologies on the lives of teenagers.
Until recently, we didn’t know that the average teenage girl sends or receives a staggering 4,050 text messages per month. That boils down to at least one message every seven minutes during her waking hours. This is a problem, said Dr. Leonard Sax, well-known author and psychologist, not just because of the amount of time spent, but because this and other research findings show that today’s teenage girl is hyper-connected to her peers; and she is more disconnected than ever from herself.