Tuesday, June 30
July 4th Safety
From swimming to fireworks, safety precautions for a festive Independence Day.
It was a near accident at camp last summer that sparked action by one parent. Elementary school-aged campers splashed in the pool. Everyone was having fun. Then tragedy almost struck.
Editorial: Open Letter to Elected Officials and Candidates
Spend some of your campaign dollars in newspapers.
Here at the Connection, our email boxes are filling up with messages from people running for office. It’s not surprising, since in November, virtually every state and local office in the commonwealth is on the ballot.
Centre View: Local Seniors Named Apple Scholars
Graduating seniors Stephanie Dugan of Chantilly High School and Jose Orellana Martinez of Mountain View High School were honored as Apple Scholars by the Apple Federal Credit Union.
Centre View: Police Inspection Targets Commercial Trucks
Motor Carrier Safety Officers recently conducted a commercial-truck inspection at E.C. Lawrence Park in Centreville.
Centre View: Angel Fund Receives $10,000
During the June 13 Remembrance Cabaret for Westfield High grad/Virginia Tech victim Reema Samaha, New York Life presented a $10,000 grant to Angel Fund.
Letter: Celebrating Marriage Equality
Today, we rejoice in the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the federal right of same sex partners to legal marriage in the cases of Obergefell v. Hodges, Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder, Bourke v. Beshear.
Letter: 4th of July Safety
Letter to the Editor
As Fourth of July approaches, I wanted to share some important safety information.
Friday, June 26
Health Curriculum To More Closely Align with State
School Board approves recommendations from advisers, with amendments.
Though it was the second packed house in as many months, it may be early yet to call crowded Fairfax County School Board meetings a trend.
‘Always a Part of the Family’
Students graduate from Mountain View High.
Mountain View High graduations always tug at the heartstrings. That’s because the students have had to overcome so much to reach that finish line.
Behne, Brittingham Wed
USMC 1Lt Daniel Scott Behne married USMC 1Lt Jessica Brittingham on Saturday, June 20, at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel. Scott is a Centreville High School 2007 "007" graduate and a 2011 U.S. Naval Academy graduate. Scott commissioned into the Marine Corp and is currently stationed at Cherry Point Marine Air Station in N.C.
Thursday, June 25
Fairfax County: Police Release Use of Force Review
Review explained at latest Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission meeting.
Nearly a year ago, Fairfax County sought an outside opinion on its police department’s use of force. That July 2014 assignment went to the Washington, D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum.
652 Students Graduate from Chantilly High
110 students had 4.0 GPAs or higher; receive $4.9 million in scholarships.
Despite a power outage and rain storm, Chantilly High's spirited graduation ceremony at GMU's Patriot Center carried on last Thursday, June 18 without a hitch.
Chantilly: Remembering Reema in Song and Dance
8th Annual Remembrance Cabaret for Reema Samaha was June 13 at Westfield High.
In Jail: Don’t Confuse Mental Health Services with Treatment
14 mental health staff available to 1060 inmates.
A young man with ruffled hair and tired eyes peers out through the rectangular window of his single cell door.
Wednesday, June 24
Column: Gone But Always Remembered
As Father’s Day approaches, (written Thursday, June 18th) I am reminded of one of my father’s standard lines which characterize his positive attitude on life, for which I am eternally grateful – because I inherited it.
Tuesday, June 23
Call for Pet Connection Photos
The Pet Connection, a twice-yearly special edition, will publish on July 22, and photos and stories of your pets with you and your family should be submitted by July 15. Our favorite pictures include both pets and humans. We welcome short stories about how you got your pet, a noteworthy talent or anecdote about your pet, tales of the bonds between your family and your pet, plus drawings, paintings or other artwork of your pet by children or adults Please tell us a little bit about your creature, identify everyone in the photo, give a brief description what is happening in the photo, and include address and phone number (we will not publish your address or phone number, just your town name).
Editorial: Safe Planning for Independence
Talking and planning about celebrating July 4, and throughout the summer months.
Independence Day is a national celebration, and for many, that celebration includes alcohol. The summer overall and July 4 in particular are times of greater risk for drinking and driving.
Letter: Sully District Council Takes Stand on I-66 Project
Supports Alternative 2A I-66 cross section option.
The Sully District Council would like to take this opportunity to offer its comments on the proposed alternative actions associated with the Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project.
Letter: Praising Effort To Add Screening
Letter to the Editor
I would like to graciously thank everyone involved in making The Commonwealth of Virginia the 30th state to screen all newborns for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID), commonly known as the bubble boy disease.
Learning from Journalism at Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School journalism students earned the 2015 First Amendment Press Freedom Award from the Journalism Education Association.
Monday, June 22
Chantilly: Little Children, Big Vehicles
Third annual Touch A Truck was Saturday, June 13, outside the Chantilly Regional Library.
Chantilly: Sully Police Honor Compher
Recently honored as the Officer of the Month by the Sully District Police Station and its Citizens Advisory Committee was MPO Wayne Compher.
Centreville Snapshot: Restaurant Owner Honored
From left are Sal Speziale and 1st Lt. Matt Owens. Speziale, owner of Italian restaurant Ciao Osteria in Centreville’s Centrewood Plaza, was recently honored with a plaque from the Sully District Police Station.
Thursday, June 18
Chantilly Home Sales: May, 2015
In May, 2015, 26 homes sold between $772,000-$35,000 in the Chantilly area.
Chantilly Home Sales: May, 2015
Centreville Home Sales: May, 2015
In May, 2015, 120 Centreville homes sold between $1,625,100-$176,000.
Centreville Home Sales: May, 2015
Lessons from Hearing ‘Voices’
Police officers undergo Crisis Intervention Training.
Fairfax County Police officers gathered Monday, June 8, at the Criminal Justice Academy, to listen to the voices in their heads.
Fairfax County: Questioning Family Life Curriculum
The Fairfax County School Board’s May 7 meeting drew a passionate and boisterous crowd that filled the Luther Jackson Middle School auditorium and spilled out into the main lobby. That night the board voted in favor of adding “gender identity” to its nondiscrimination policy for students, employees and applicants for employment.
Ideas for Summer Learning
Experts offer suggestions for avoiding summer brain drain.
While summer is opportunity for fun, it can also be a breeding ground for stagnation.
YouthQuest Runs ThinkLink
Experts say 3D printing can open a world of imagination and critical thinking.
Adonis Gonzales had always wanted to become a master electrician, but when he was asked to leave high school at 16 because of a poor attendance record, his prospects looked bleak.
Centreville/Chantilly Weekend Fun: June 19-21
Events near Centreville and Chantilly for Father's Day weekend, June 19-21.
Wednesday, June 17
Centreville Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution
Joseph Gaskins, 25, of Centreville, pleaded guilty on June 11 to distribution of heroin, including a sale that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old Herndon man, according to Attorney General Mark R. Herring and Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh.
Centre View: Sully District Awards Two Newest Eagle Scouts.
Sully District's two newest Eagle Scouts from Troop 893 are Tyler N. Lindskoog (left} and Charles M. Berninger (right).
Centreville Stake Honors Leaders for Commitment to Families
The focus was on families during the June 6 Family Value Award Ceremony in Centreville.
Centreville: ‘It Keeps Him Alive for Us’
Family, friends raise cancer-research funds in Jimmy Breslin’s name.
A Fairfax County firefighter for 28 years, Jimmy Breslin died of cancer last year at age 55, but he’s never far from the thoughts of his friends and family.
Tuesday, June 16
Centreville: Ice Cream Race at Bull Run Park
5K Race includes 15 fun obstacles, nine different start times, and ice cream.
Get ready for summer fun as the second-annual, family-friendly 5K Ice Cream Race will take place on Saturday, June 27 at Bull Run Park in Centreville.
Letter: I-66 Quality of Life Issue
Letter to the Editor
I read with interest “Diverse Travel Choices?” as well as the letter to the editor by Jeffrey Parnes, transportation co-chair of the FCFCA — both published in the June 10 edition of Centre View. As a long-time user of I-66, what strikes me is the one-dimensionality of this debate and the considerations presented. This is not just about a “traffic problem” I would argue, but most importantly an issue of quality of life, affordability and fairness. I now regularly travel the new toll road on the Beltway towards the Cabin John bridge, and several things have become abundantly clear: it is expensive to do this on a daily basis and as a result many people stay on the non-toll part of I-495, while the exit from the toll road back onto the final non-toll segment towards the bridge has increased overall congestion, not reduced it …
Centreville: Saxe and Beckman Honored in Springfield District
Named district’s Lord and Lady Fairfax.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity honored Kyra M. Beckman, a senior at West Springfield High School, as this year’s Lady Fairfax. “She has lived around the globe as part of a Navy family and settled in Fairfax County in 2010,” said Herrity.
Monday, June 15
Burke: Injured Moore Helps Robinson Boys' Lacrosse Win State Title
Rams beat Chantilly in double overtime to repeat as 6A state champion.
The Robinson boys' lacrosse team defeated Chantilly 10-9 in double overtime to win the 6A state title.
Thursday, June 11
Centreville Snapshot: Support Appreciated
On Monday, June 8, Kevin Whalen (center), who lives in Centreville's Walney Glen community, presented a Police Unity Tour plaque to Centreville Glory Days manager Mark Huddleston and owner Jeff Newman, to recognize their support in raising more than $2,000 for the Police Unity Tour.
Clifton Snapshot: ‘About the Middle East’
The Republican Women of Clifton welcomed Erick Stakelbeck, investigative journalist and Middle East authority, and Sgt. Joseph Bozik, wounded warrior, to its May business meeting.
Supervising Public Safety
First meeting since 2011 includes packed agenda, full house.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee, chaired by Gerry Hyland (D-Mount Vernon), met on Tuesday, June 9 for the first time since June 2011. Since then, there have been six officer-involved shootings in Fairfax County, including the August 2013 shooting death of John Geer. Police handling of the communications and investigation of that shooting led to the formation in March 2015 of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission.
Wednesday, June 10
Column: Philosophically Speaking
Recently I attended a “Celebration of Life” event, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, created to bring attention to, and educate the public on, cancer. As a long-time cancer survivor, nearly six and a half years now – and one treated by doctors at Kaiser, I was asked, along with a cervical cancer survivor, to sit on a “survivor panel”; to share our cancer experiences, and offer, along with two oncologists and a pulmonologist, our respective insights as “treater” and “treatee.”
Burke: Robinson Girls’ Lax Advances to State Championship Game
Rams beat Centreville 15-13 in overtime in state semifinals.
The Robinson girls' lacrosse team defeated Centreville 15-13 in overtime in the 6A state semifinals on Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 9
Trending in the Garden
Local landscape architects offer suggestions for updating.
As summer gets underway, so does time spent outside. The American Society of Landscape Architects recently released the results of its 2015 Residential Landscape Architecture Survey, a list of trends in outdoor design that yields a bounty of backyard design ideas. From adding a pond to planting a garden, local landscape gurus explain how these trends can be used to transform an outdoor space into a favorite escape.
Letter: Honoring Fathers
Letters to the Editor
Soft-hearted, understanding, wise, and sacrificing are just a few out of many words to describe my father.
Letter: Mass Transit Must Be Part of I-66 Solution
Letters to the Editor
The State Legislature has established that one of the leading criteria for prioritizing VDOT projects is that the project reduces congestion. Widening I-66 outside the beltway without including a mass transit option will not make a significant long-term difference in the congestion problems of the corridor.
Letter: Use Public-Private Partnership for I-66
Letters to the Editor
As a longtime resident of western Fairfax County, I share the frustration of thousands of commuters who have sat in gridlock on I-66 for years. Improvements to this corridor are critical to the continued growth of our region — but they must be done right.
Centreville: Sports Briefs for Week of June 10, 2015
The Chantilly girls' soccer team will face Frank W. Cox in the 6A state semifinals.
Centreville: Roundups for Week of June 10, 2015
Each year, a cabaret is held in honor of Westfield High grad and Virginia Tech victim Reema Samaha. And the 8th Annual Remembrance Cabaret is this Saturday, June 13, in Westfield’s theater. It begins with a silent auction at 6 p.m., followed by a variety show at 7 p.m.
Centreville: A Time for Celebration
CPMSAC honors high school students’ academic achievements.
It was a time to celebrate. And that’s just what happened at the Chantilly Pyramid Minority Student Achievement Committee’s (CPMSAC) 30th Annual Youth Motivation and Academic Awards program.
Centreville: ‘Diverse Travel Choices?’
Residents hear I-66 improvement plans, give opinions.
VDOT plans to improve travel on the 25 miles of I-66 between Route 15 in Haymarket and the I-495/Capital Beltway. So it’s created three alternatives and will take the best elements from each — tempered by residents’ comments from several public hearings — and develop the final design.
Chantilly Baseball Falls to Madison
Chargers will face Western Branch on June 12 in state semifinals.
Matt Favero stood on the Madison High School baseball field following Friday’s 6A North region championship game and recalled the mellow mindset he possessed while returning to the mound for the top of the fourth inning.
Saturday, June 6
Vienna: Favero's Arm, Bat Lead Madison Baseball to Region Championship
Warhawks beat Chantilly 9-0 in Friday's 6A North region tournament final.
The Madison baseball team beat Chantilly 9-0 on Friday in the 6A North region championship game.
Thursday, June 4
Fairfax County: Recognizing Enlisted High School Seniors
Our Community Salutes of Northern Virginia holds its fifth Annual Enlistee Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, June 11, at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.
Centreville/Chantilly Weekend Fun: June 5-7
Events in the Centreville and Chantilly area of Fairfax County for the weekend of June 4-6.
Fairfax County: Moving on ‘Move Over’
Police crackdown, educate about law protecting emergency roadside vehicles and drivers.
Fairfax County Master Police Officer Joe Moore’s front and rear-mounted radar machines whistle and beep with varying frequency as cars barrel past on Interstate 66 around the Fairfax County Parkway.
Fairfax: Northern Virginia Training Center Property Put on Market
Facility for people with disabilities scheduled for March 2016 closure.
According to the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, 63 residents still live and receive treatment at the Northern Virginia Training Center, located in Fairfax alongside Braddock Road.
Wednesday, June 3
Editorial: Overdose Deaths Are Preventable
New “safe reporting” law encourages people to seek help in time.
The death rate due to heroin overdose more than doubled between 2010 through 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with an average increase of 37 percent per year in the United States.
Column: Weight For It; Wait
Given some post-chemotherapy eating challenges I’ve experienced during the past few months, and the subsequent weight loss which has occurred, my oncologist has prescribed Dronabinol, common brand name: Marinol.
Tuesday, June 2
Centreville/Chantilly Roundups for Week of June 3rd
Man Arrested for Burglary
Chantilly: Remembering, Honoring Reema
8th annual cabaret is Saturday, June 13.
Reema Samaha was one of the victims killed April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech, but the Westfield High graduate will always be remembered by her friends and family. And each year, a cabaret is held in her honor.
Young Players Shine in Postseason for Westfield Girls’ Lacrosse
Frosh McNamara, sophomore Markert combine for 9 goals in region semis.
The Westfield girls’ lacrosse program graduated eight seniors from its 2014 state championship team, including all-state athletes Molly O’Sullivan, Meghan Heick and Rachael Ulsh
Centreville/Chantilly: Local Schools Countdown to Cappies
Directors react to high-school theater nominations.
Celebrating the best in high-school theater, the 16th annual Cappies Gala will be held this Sunday, June 7, at 7 p.m., at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
CVHS Choral Department To Present ‘Broadway Pops’
Summer concert set for this week.
Centreville High School’s Choral Department will present its annual summer concert, “Broadway Pops”, on Thursday and Friday, June 4 and 5, in the CVHS Skip A. Maiden theatre 7:30 pm. Admission is free.
Centreville/Chantilly Sports Brief
Chantilly Boys’ Lacrosse Headed to States
The Chantilly boys’ lacrosse team qualified for the state tournament with a 9-7 win over Woodson on May 28 in the 6A North region quarterfinals.
Centreville/Chantilly: ‘Long Time Coming, But Worth the Wait’
Celebrating Stringfellow Road’s reconstruction.
As a major conduit between Chantilly and Centreville, Stringfellow Road is heavily used by area residents. It’s also the gateway to four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school, a regional library, two parks, several athletic fields, churches, shopping centers and highly populated neighborhoods.
Centreville Girls’ Lacrosse Falls to Oakton in Region Semis
Wildcats still headed to states after quarterfinal victory.
The Centreville girls’ lacrosse team is headed to the state tournament, but not in the fashion they wanted.
Centreville Girls’ Lacrosse Falls to Oakton in Region Semis
Wildcats still headed to states after quarterfinal victory.
The Centreville girls' lacrosse team lost to Oakton in overtime on Saturday.
Chantilly: Young Players Shine in Postseason for Westfield Girls’ Lacrosse
Frosh McNamara, sophomore Markert combine for 9 goals in region semis.
The Westfield girls' lacrosse team earned a state tournament berth.
Monday, June 1
Summer Fun, Summer Safety
Tips for averting summer danger.
It’s a familiar call. The sun beams down from mid-summer sky. Temperatures rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but safety conditions start to plummet.