Editorial: What’s Special about Your Community?
Share tips in upcoming Newcomers and Community Guides.
The Connection’s annual Newcomers and Community Guides will publish Aug. 26. A bevy of interns, plus staff writers and editors, are preparing this year’s editions, but we need help from our readers.
Chantilly Home Sales: June, 2015
In June, 2015, 31 homes sold between $950,000-$50,000 in the Chantilly area.
Chantilly Home Sales: June, 2015
Centreville Home Sales: June, 2015
In June, 2015, 144 Centreville homes sold between $1,154,015-$154,000.
Centreville Home Sales: June, 2015
Q&A: Centreville Grad Newell To Play Lacrosse at JMU
US Lacrosse All-American fan of “Remember the Titans.”
Q&A with Centreville grad Caroline Wakefield.
Column: 'Scant' Know For Sure Anymore
After six years, four months and two weeks since being diagnosed with stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer (the “terminal” kind), I can say with certainty that I have no sense of what my next CT scan, scheduled for July 15th, will indicate. Previously (multiple scans over multiple years), I’ve felt something in my upper chest/lungs where the largest tumors are located and the subsequent scan showed nothing of consequence.
Centreville: Troop Honors New Eagle Scouts
Troop 30 of Centreville honored Devlin McDonnell and ColtonSorrells who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in an awards ceremony on June 28. Devlin, who just graduated from Westfield High School, and Colton, a rising senior at Westfield, were both recognized for their achievements and leadership in the ceremony at the troop's chartered organization, Centreville Presbyterian Church.
Chantilly: Crime Report for the Week of July 15
The following incidents were reported by the Fair Oaks District Police Station. BURGLARY, 3000 block of Saint Regents Drive, July 2. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
Centreville Roundups for Week of July 16
Meeting on Route 28 Safety Study Residents are invited to attend a public inormation meeting at Centreville Elementary School, on Monday, July 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. to learn about the results of a traffic operational and safety study to identify short-term recommendations to improve traffic operations on Route 28 (Centreville Road) from south of I-66 to Liberia Avenue. The study analyzed traffic data to identify locations where low cost improvements may be made to the corridor.
Centreville: Commendation for ‘Job Well Done’
APO Tony Gul is honored as Officer of the Month.
Auxiliary Police Officer Tauheed “Tony) Gul” was recently honored as the Sully District Police Station’s Citizens Advisory Committee Officer of the Month. And in the letter nominating him, his supervisor, Lt. Tim Burgess, explained why. “APO Gul has demonstrated strong teamwork traits, contributing significantly to community activities in the Sully District,” wrote Burgess. “He volunteered 298 hours of time in 2014, including events like Touch a Truck, DWI checkpoints and patrols.”
Centreville: Music, Laughter and a Flying Car
Alliance Theatre presents “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
When eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts rescues an old race car from a junk heap, he decides to restore it with his children’s help. Little does he know then that it has the magical ability to fly and float. And once word gets out, an evil baron tries to get the car for himself.
Letter: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: A few weeks ago the House passed HR 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act. Sounds great, right? Wrong. The Ratepayer Protection Act is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and attacks EPA’s ability to curb climate change. Specifically, the Act goes after the Clean Power Plan, set to be finalized this summer, which would require states submit carbon reduction plans to the EPA.
Centreville: ‘She Started Shoving Me’
Kathy Smith assaulted while campaigning; woman arrested.
Add political campaigning to the list of things that can be hazardous to one’s health. At least that’s what Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hopeful Kathy Smith found out last Saturday. “I’m OK,” she said afterward. “But it was a scary situation.” So scary, in fact, that a local woman was arrested and charged with assaulting her and preventing her from making a 911 call.
Centreville: A Beginning, Not an End
School Board approves “Ignite” Strategic Plan, new chairman and vice chairman.
Citizen Michael Ducharme has lived with dyslexia since he was a student. His two daughters both have dyslexia. The father, representing the parents’ movement Decoding Dyslexia, spoke at the July 9 school board meeting in support of the proposed Fairfax County Public Schools Strategic Plan that specifically addresses challenges in the schools facing students with dyslexia. “We’re now faced with the fact tomorrow is today, the fierce urgency of now,” Ducharme said. “It’s time for vigorous and positive action in this plan.”
Editorial: Backpacks for All
Thousands of students will begin school this fall at a disadvantage; help now so they have the basics.
The first day of school each year is fraught with anticipation and anxiety. Many local students will be concerned about what they wear, who they will see, what it will be like. They’ve already had multiple shopping trips, online and otherwise, to be sure they have the supplies and extras they need.
Backyard Vegetable Gardens Feed Multicultural Cuisines
In Fairfax County, tomatoes are a staple of local gardens along with peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, beans and herbs like mint, oregano and cilantro.
There’s nothing like a juicy red tomato fresh out of the backyard garden to brighten up a summertime salad or a sandwich — or a bittermelon, aronia berries or “paradise apple,” as persimmons are known in Bulgaria. The multi-cultural population in Fairfax County has grown roots in the backyard vegetable garden.
Unscheduling Summer Play
Experts praise the benefits of free play for children.
What was once a time for catching fireflies, swimming and exploring has evolved into a period of elite day camps, academic enrichment classes and top-dollar sports clinics.
Fairfax: City of Fairfax Band Children’s Concert July 16
Each year, the City of Fairfax community band gives its youngest fans a chance to try their hand at the shiny, twisty and just plain loud instruments in the ensemble.
Q&A: UNC-Bound Wakefield Plays in All-America Game
Centreville graduate enjoys steak, Will Ferrell movies.
Q&A with Centreville grad Caroline Wakefield.
Column: My Manifesto, Sort Of
Being diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer (no, they’re not all “terminal”) is “a heck of a thing,” to extrapolate a bit from Jim Valvano’s memorable 1993 ESPY Awards speech given a few months before he succumbed to his cancer.
Commentary: Legislation Combats Sex Trafficking
On July 1, legislation that I sponsored, HB1964, went into effect. This new law is Virginia’s first stand-alone human trafficking statute and creates stricter penalties for traffickers, greater protections for sex trafficking victims, and provides needed tools for prosecutors and law enforcement to stop human trafficking in Virginia.