Virginia General Assembly Reaches Crossover
Bills live, die or fold into other legislation before review by the opposite chamber.
As the current meeting of the Virginia General Assembly neared the one-month mark, legislators in the House of Delegates and Senate had to finalize work on bills they would send to their counterparts for consideration.
Black History Month Celebrations
Local students learn about the history and accomplishments of African-Americans.
Fourth grade student Eli West crafted a poem this month that was modeled after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous, “I Have a Dream” speech.
Stalled Labor Market Slows County Budget
Proposed budget calls for no real estate tax rate increase, but average homeowner would pay $184 more.
Supervisor Jeff McKay pointed out an irony in County Executive Ed Long’s proposed $3.8 billion budget. Three planning positions would be eliminated from the budget even though Long suggested the county needs more efforts to raise revenue from commercial and industrial venues.
Super-Insulation Talk Attracts Homeowners in Reston
How to lower electric, gas and water bills?
The Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne in Reston was the venue for a well-attended presentation by Rich and Marian Taschler on proper home insulation and its mostly unknown benefits. The program was offered under the auspices of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at George Mason University.
Oh Deer! What Can the Matter Be?
The county Park Authority used aerial infrared surveys via fixed-wing airplanes to count the number of deer inside parks and within a small distance in the surrounding neighborhoods on Feb. 6, 2014 and Dec. 27, 2013, according to the 2014 Annual Report on the Environment for Fairfax County.
Auditions to Be Held for Metropolitan School of the Arts
Students interested in attending the Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) of Alexandria and Lorton, can audition on Sun., March 1 at MSA Lorton Campus at 9601 Ox Road. Auditions are required as part of the 2015-2016 academy registration. The MSA Academy audition is for performing arts students from sixth to 12th grade.
Good Citizenship Honored
The Daughters of the American Revolution's Thomas Lee (Fairfax) chapter, in an event held at the Army Navy Club in Fairfax, awarded their 2015 Good Citizens award to Clifton resident and Robinson senior Elizabeth Telford. The award recognizes a high school senior who stands out among their peers and possesses the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.
Town of Clifton Holds First Table Tennis Games
The Clifton Betterment Association held its first table tennis tournament on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Clifton Town Hall. The competition was the brainchild of CBA members Michelle Stein, Lynne Strang, Steve Bittner and Jim Witt. Strang said it is a way to “provide a variety of activities, have fun and get fit” during the winter.
Woodson High School Inducts 2014-2015 Hall of Fame Athletes
W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax welcomed eight new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Grand Atrium Banquet Venue in Tysons Corner. This is the third Hall of Fame “class” for Woodson. The honors program was established in conjunction with the school’s 50th anniversary in 2012.
Nagle, Arya to Address GOP Women Meeting
Chet Nagle, Naval Academy graduate, Cold War pilot, CIA agent and author will speak at the January meeting of the Republican Women of Clifton on the conflict in the Middle East and vulnerability of the US electrical grid to EMP and cyber-attacks. This topic bears on the cyber theme of Nagel’s latest book Lazarus Man, which expounds on these issues using fact-based fiction. Golala Arya, Kurdish Iranian refugee, will contribute her insights on the conflict in Iran.
MATHCOUNTS Regional Winners Announced
The Northern Virginia Regional MATHCOUNTS competitions were held on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Glasgow Middle School in Alexandria, and at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Arlington. This year, because of the exceptionally large number of students participating, the Regional competition had to be split between two venues.
Stuffing the Bus in Clifton and Lorton
For members of the South County High School JROTC program, Saturday’s “Stuff the Bus” food donation event was as much about community service as it was about “service learning.”
Uber prominent at state Sens. Marsden and Saslaw joint town hall in Falls Church.
Though over a dozen taxicabs sat in the parking lot of Sleepy Hollow Elementary School, inside it was clear everyone drove themselves.
Lake Braddock Band Goes National
Lake Braddock Secondary School Symphonic Band has been invited to perform at the 2015 Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, the nation’s most prestigious festival for school instrumental music ensemble. The 24th annual Festival will take place in Indianapolis, March 12-14.
Del. Filler-Corn’s ‘CARE Act’ Passes the House
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn’s (D–41) HB 1413 passed the full House of Delegates on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015. HB 1413 or the “CARE Act” addresses the important role of the informal and family caregivers and improved communication with them and medical providers. Specifically, the bill looks to improve healthcare and reduce preventable hospital revisits by having hospitals formally acknowledge a patient’s family caregiver at the time of admission and provide critical home care instruction before discharge.