Keep Gas Tax; Cut Meals Tax; Add ‘Sausage’
Proposed changes to governor’s transportation funding plan receive local support.
After a week in which news from Richmond was dominated by partisan skirmishes, Northern Virginia Del. Dave Albo (R-41) joined with other lawmakers to refocus the legislature on the state’s transportation funding crisis, presenting an alternative to a controversial plan proposed by Governor Robert McDonnell (R).
Robinson Stands Up to Cancer
Robinson DECA chapter raises Cancer awareness and $5,000.
Robinson Stands Up to Cancer, a series of events put on by students at Robinson Secondary School, reached out to the community to raise money for cancer research and treatment, while raising awareness about those in need.
Del. Bulova and Sen. Petersen Host Fairfax Town Hall Meeting
On Saturday, Feb. 2, Del. David Bulova (D-37) is holding a Town Hall meeting with Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the council chamber of Fairfax City Hall, 10455 Armstrong Street. They will provide an overview of issues that are currently before the General Assembly. All constituents are invited to share their ideas and thoughts on issues that are important to the community.
Burke Wellness Center Opens
Brings massage, acupuncture, pilates, yoga, and fitness classes.
The Wellness Center will celebrate its official grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 5276 Lyngate Court in Burke.
A Chorus of Praise
Fairfax County mentors celebrated during National Mentor Month.
Can we get an “amen?” The joyful noise coming from the David R. Pinn Center in Fairfax on Saturday wasn’t a gospel revival, but it was just as inspiring and enlightening.
Column: A Simple Question
I don’t quite know how to start this column so I’ll begin with its ending: “I’m fine.”
Nazi Commonwealth
Bipartisan team seeks compensation for victims of forced sterilization.
Nobody knows how many people are survivors of Virginia’s forced sterilization program, which targeted people with mental illness, mental retardation or epilepsy. But a bipartisan effort now under consideration in Richmond would hand each and every one of them a $50,000 check from the people of Virginia. According to one calculation, that could mean as much as $73 million.
Indoor Winter Fun with Children
Ideas for entertainment when Jack Frost appears.
Winter weather often means limited open air playtime for some children. “It is very important for children to get as much outdoor activity as possible, but there are times when it is not safe for them to be outside for an extended length of time, or any time at all, because it is too cold. ” said Shannon Melideo, chair of the Education Department at Marymount University in Arlington. “There are many other things that children can do besides sledding and ice skating.”
Winter Fun with Food
Easy and tasty ideas for winter meals.
The stove is fired-up, a sauté pan is sizzling and the thud of a steel knife blade hitting a wooden chopping block fills the air along with the woodsy aroma of fresh thyme. The temperature outside is frigid, but the kitchen feels like an inferno as Chef Kristen Robinson drives a knife though a fennel bulb, kale leaves and a tough-skinned butternut squash with staccato succession.
Classified Advertising Jan. 23, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
South County High Picks Mr. Stallion 2013
Holds Fifth Annual Male Beauty Pageant.
Ten male students from South County High School set the stage on fire at the Dale S. Rumberger Auditorium of the South County High School in Lorton, during the Fifth Annual Mr. Stallion Pageant on Thursday, Jan. 17. The event, described by Alison Andrews, one of the coordinators and class sponsors, as “a take on female pageant” and a quest for “bragging rights,” was well attended by parents and students, who kept yelling for more as participants appeared on stage.
Union Mill Holds Winter Concerts
Fifth and sixth grade band students from Union Mill Elementary performed in their Winter Band Concert on Wednesday, Jan. 16, led by band teacher Laura Seifried. First-year band students performed “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Old MacDonald Had a Band,” “Ode to Joy,” and “Hard Rock Blues.” The sixth grade band students performed “Bag ‘O Blues,” and several holiday pieces including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!”
Volunteering to Cheer
Special Olympics “Cheer Team” wows crowd with high-energy performance.
Like many girls, Jacquelyn Hoffmeier of Burke always wanted to be a cheerleader. The 25-year-old, born with Down Syndrome, finally got her chance to perform on Friday, Jan. 11. Hoffmeier, along with seven of her Special Olympics teammates, cheered and danced before a crowd of nearly 200 parents and students during halftime at the West Springfield High School girls’ basketball game.
National Day of Service Launches Inauguration
Local residents give back to their communities and pledge ongoing service.
“Our volunteers packaged food at our Vienna Pantry and delivered it to 30 clients throughout the Fairfax County area who receive supplemental food from us every two weeks for approximately four months.” Lisa Whetzel, executive director, Our Daily Bread
Jail Tours Provide Wake-Up Call for At-Risk Teens
The Sheriff’s Office runs the Teen Awareness Program (TAP).
“At-risk kids are able to see and hear first-hand the effects of making a right decision versus a wrong decision,” says Deputy Sheriff Lieutenant Steve Elbert, about the tours and presentations he leads at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. The Sheriff’s Office initiated the Teen Awareness Program (TAP) a year ago, in partnership with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, to become part of the court’s diversion program for first-time, non-violent juvenile offenders.
Area Roundups
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will host a presentation by resiliency expert Nan Henderson, “Resiliency in Action: How Families, Schools and Communities Create ‘Bounce Back’ Kids,” on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 7-8:30 p.m., in the Robinson Secondary School cafeteria. Robinson is at 5035 Sideburn Road in Fairfax.
Editorial: Expanding Medicaid Good for Virginia
Real health coverage for an additional 400,000 people is in reach.
Virginia has an opportunity to expand Medicaid in a way that could extend health coverage to more than 400,000 residents who currently have no health insurance while the Federal government picks up the tab; Virginia would pay 10 percent of the additional cost after 2020.
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.