Sixteen-year-old South County Student Battles Brain Cancer, Wins $1,000
While spending a month in Philadelphia, Catherine and Serena Lommasson of Lorton found the best cheesesteak in town. Beck’s Cajun Cafe, a vendor in the train station won their favor with andouille sausage added to the iconic sandwich.
The Changing Face of Fairfax Station, Lorton and Clifton
Land use (re)development highlights.
In largely residential areas, land use officials in the offices of Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Jeff McKay (D-Lee) say to expect to see more “infill” redevelopment in the future.
Derelict Barge Remains in Belmont Bay, South of Lorton
This ship hasn’t come in: A 50-foot, steel-hulled landing craft resting about 110 feet offshore in Belmont Bay has held its position for years. The WWII-type landing craft was used as a barge to haul materials for constructing the Fairfax Yacht Club in the 1980s.
Eileen Filler-Corn Holds First Mid-Session Office Hours in Springfield
Though Del. Eileen Filler-Corn made headlines in the first week of the General Assembly for her proposed legislation on how sexual assault on college campuses is reported, she was game for any topic at her first mid-session office hours.
Fairfax County Supervisors Defer Decision on Salary Adjustment
How should a county supervisor be compensated for his or her service? That question continues to be up for discussion, as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to defer voting on a compensation adjustment that would take effect Jan. 1, 2016.
A Challenge for Garza: Excessive Homework
To the Editor: Your article “How Does She Do It” - Karen Garza’s vision: the irresistible force moving immovable object of Fairfax County Public Schools (The Connection,December 24-10, 2014) showed FCPS Superintendent Dr. Garza as a force for change. In the Fairfax County school system, students demonstrate excellence by collaborating and achieving good grades with the assistance of teachers.
Column: Traffic Caught
If I were writing this column in Massachusetts – where I was born and mostly educated (K-12), and had a thick Boston accent, that’s how court would likely be pronounced; changing a noun into a verb.
Schools to Expand by $856 Million
Capital Improvement Plan approved, rising enrollment causes concerns about classroom space.
Five more school buildings and renovations for several existing ones may be approved by 2020. The Fairfax County School Board approved the $856 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP) at the Jan. 22 meeting to set priority on the projects the school system wants done in the next five years.
Commentary: Addressing Sex Trafficking in Northern Virginia
Four years ago, I introduced my first piece of legislation to address an issue that I thought happened everywhere but here in Northern Virginia; sex trafficking. According to the Polaris Project, a leading organization in the global fight against human trafficking, over 100,000 children are victims of the sex trade in the United States each year. The Polaris Project ranks Virginia 7th in the nation in the percentage of calls received reporting human trafficking.
Puller Will Not Seek Re-election
Just as the Virginia General Assembly kicked off its 2015 January session, state Sen. Linda T. “Toddy” Puller (D-36) announced her decision to not run for re-election later this year. “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the people of the 36th district in the Senate of Virginia,” Puller said in a Jan. 14 statement. “Now, with the encouragement, love and support of my family I have made the decision to step down.”
Editorial: Baby Steps, Not Enough
Supervisors should take action, not defer to “outside expert,” on absurd and outrageous behavior of police department.
Finally, now that the Fairfax County Police Department has taken stonewalling into the arena of the absurd, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has at least said it is time for change. It is a step, but a step that continues the appearance of obfuscation if not outright obstruction.
Burke Sweethearts Take the Long Road to the Altar
Chris Rowson, Kellie McDonald engaged.
Chris Rowson, 29, and Kellie McDonald, 27, from Burke, got engaged on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Fairview Elementary School in Fairfax Station, where the couple were both students. McDonald was in shock when Rowson proposed, as she had suspected that he would do it in February during a planned trip to Florida. But despite being “taken off guard,” she said that it could not have been a more perfect time and place.
GOP Women of Clifton Support Tragedy Assistance Program
At its 2015 officer installation and annual Christmas celebration, the Republican Women of Clifton (RWC), presented a check for $3,300 to TAPS - Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors of our Fallen Heroes. The check was received by Brian Bauman, Director of Special Events, who said the money will be used to support the Grief Camp for children of fallen heroes.
Fairfax County Delivers Geer Documents
Thirty days after a court order by Fairfax Circuit Court judge Randy Bellows, Fairfax County has produced documents concerning the shooting death of John Geer.
Could Fairfax County End Veteran Homelessness in 2015?
Chairman Bulova, Fairfax County take on national Mayors Challenge.
The transition from serving in the armed forces to civilian life is often not simple. While in Fairfax County there are more than 12,000 veteran-owned businesses, indicating a significant measure of success, for others the path is far more difficult.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bulova Releases 2015 State of the County Address
Despite a projected shortfall of nearly $100 million facing Fairfax County going into the FY 2016 budget, Board of Supervisors chairman Sharon Bulova remains encouraged by a 2014 that she said was full of accomplishments.
South County High School Students Perform with United States Navy Band
A dozen members of the South County High School band program got a taste of what it’s like to perform with one of the country’s premier service ensembles.
Clifton Lions Club Donates Over $30,000 in December
The 65-member Clifton Lions Club has just about matched its headcount with donation recipients in the last year: 58.
Human Trafficking Forum To Be Held at West Springfield High School
Fairfax County Police refer to the definition of teen sex trafficking as “the act of manipulating or forcing anyone under the age of 18 to engage in a sex act in exchange for anything of value (money, drugs, shelter, food, clothes, etc.).”
Letter: Volunteer for the Games
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: I love this community. There are so many ways to serve a community as diverse and as vibrant as ours. I recently competed in a special election to succeed Congresswoman Comstock. While I came up short in the vote count, largely due to the unfortunate weather on Election Day, I am as inspired to serve as I was on that day. My passion to serve others only strengthens with each pursuit.