Roundups for 5/14/2014
The editor presents the roundups for the week of 5/14/2014.
Animal Shelter Grand Opening
The Fairfax County Animal Shelter will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Saturday, May 17, to celebrate the official completion of the shelter’s renovation and expansion project.
5K Ice Cream Race at Bull Run
The first annual 5K Ice Cream Race will be held Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville.
Editorial: Virginia Proves Elections Matter
Health and economic issues are entwined.
Some people continue to assert, either with their words or by simply abstaining, that voting just doesn’t matter. Here in Virginia, nearly every day we prove that is incorrect. All of Virginia’s elected representatives who are elected by the entire state are of the same political party. They are all Democrats: Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and Virginia’s two U.S. Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
Riding for the Fallen
More than 100 officers cycle through Virginia, for cause.
Police officers from all over the country vowed to "ride for those who died" this week. Police Unity Tour Chapter IV - also known as the Virginia chapter - challenged officers on a three day bicycle tour from Richmond to D.C. in memory for fallen officers. Before the last stop at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the group of 122 officers and loved ones of fallen police stopped for lunch at McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operations Center Monday in Fairfax as a tribute to the county most the officers served.
Northern Virginia Family Service Holds 16th Annual Gala
Local donors and supporters recognized at event.
The evening of Friday May 9 at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, the nonprofit Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) held their 16th Annual Road to Independence Gala. The festive event gave community and business leaders an opportunity to celebrate the impact of NVFS on families and children in need. It also recognized donors and supporters dedicated to giving back to the community in which they live making NVFS services possible.
Seventeen of Fantastic 50 Companies in Virginia Hail from Fairfax County
Seventeen Fairfax County companies are part of the 2014 Virginia Chamber of Commerce Fantastic 50 rankings of the 50 fastest-growing businesses in Virginia. Chantilly-based First Line Technology, which sells products to first responders and the military, received a Virginia Vanguard Award for having the highest growth rate among companies in the manufacturing category.
County Hosts Nearly 100 Outdoor Festivals
With a population of more than one million residents, it has long been known that Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction in the National Capital Region. However, what may surprise both residents and visitors is that the County is also home to nearly 100 annual outdoor festivals, most of which have very strong arts and cultural components.
Still Curious, But Maybe Not Dying
Although one never knows, especially if that one is living in "cancerville." And by "cancerville" I mean, euphemistically speaking, anywhere where one of us diagnosed with cancer is living. Living being the operative word. Still, as my column from a few weeks ago entitled, "Dying With Curiosity" discussed, cancer patients are often besieged by their subconscious, changing fact into fiction and manipulating feelings into inevitabilities. If only there was a switch to turn off the mind games that don’t exactly mind their "man-ners" or "women-ers" for that fact, I’d flick it in a second. Cancer creates physical problems – as we all know, but I have to tell you, it’s the mental problems that can be just as deadly.
Outdoor Entertaining
Local style gurus offer tips for alfresco soirees.
The mild temperatures that usher in late spring and early summer beckon many outdoors for alfresco parties. Whether held on a patio, deck or veranda, the necessary logistics for coordinating even a simple gathering can be daunting.
Empty-Nesters Spread Their Wings
A Springfield couple creates a personalized interior custom-suited to support everyday pleasures, using the existing footprint.
A sunny space; an uplifting view; a generous footprint that includes a sizeable breakfast zone, a food preparation island and easy access to a large back deck.
C-Section Boom in Northern Virginia
Region has some of the highest rates of cesarean-section deliveries for low-risk pregnancies.
Behind the closed doors at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church and the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, a quiet change has been taking shape over the last few decades.
Classified Advertising May 7, 2014
Read the latest ads here!
Me & My Mom 2014 — Mother’s Day Photo Gallery and My Mother: an Appreciation
"A tribute to my mother, Lorena W. Mayhew, a superb seamstress..."
Shirley M. Bailey, 84, of Burke submitted this poem “as a tribute to my mother, Lorena W. Mayhew, a superb seamstress, who kept her four children well dressed during the Depression and even later with her superb skills as a seamstress.
Chantilly Day: Food, Fun, Music and Astronauts
Third annual Chantilly Day celebration is May 17, 2014
Fun for the whole family is planned for the third annual Chantilly Day celebration, Saturday, May 17, at the Sully Place Shopping Center, off Route 50 West in Chantilly. There’ll be two U.S. astronauts, live music and dancing, food and children’s activities. The festival runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine, in the Kmart and Babies R Us parking lots. The day’s events will include onstage performances by the Chantilly High Jazz Ensemble and Latin Dance Club, School of Rock Centreville, a pet adoption, trackless train, robotics demonstration, business expo and awards ceremony.
Cougar Clash Victors
The Demarini Stars Prime won the first annual Cougar Clash as sponsored by Oakton High School.
‘Entertaining for Whole Family’
Chantilly presents children’s play, ‘Goldilocks on Trial.’
Somebody’s been inside the three bears’ home and eating their porridge. But did she commit a crime? That’s for the jury to decide in Chantilly High’s upcoming children’s play, “Goldilocks on Stage.” The curtain rises Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 17, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door or via www.chantillyhsdrama.com.
Meals Tax Possible for Fairfax County
Tax could generate $88 million in revenue.
At a public hearing on the 2015 budget, Fairfax County resident Kimberly Adams joined numerous other individuals who urged the Board of Supervisors to consider a meals tax. “To have the quality of life that we’ve come to depend on in Fairfax County, we must move the needle closer to the regional average when it comes to taxes. We must not be afraid to look for new streams of revenue, such as a meals tax for instance,” Adams told the Board of Supervisors at the budget hearings. “Never have I actually thought, well, there’s a meals tax in Alexandria, so I’ll drive 10 more minutes into Fairfax and order my pizza. I go to the place that’s convenient and where I want to eat.”
Remembering Jeffrey By Helping Others
Angel Kisses 5K/2K is set for Mother’s Day.
Superheroes do some pretty amazing things, such as thwarting villains and saving people. In life, Chantilly’s Jeffrey Virostek only got to pretend to be a superhero; but in death, he’s become a real one. He was only 4 in September 2003 when he succumbed to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). But a fund his parents started in his name has enabled many nonprofit organizations to help other children in their battles against cancer.
Editorial: Yes to the Meals Tax Referendum
Voters could decide on the tax in November.
Economic diversification is worthy goal. All of your eggs shouldn’t be in one basket. All of your revenue shouldn’t come from one source. In Fairfax County, adding a meals tax at the same level as Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and the City of Fairfax, 4 percent, could generate $88 million a year. The county estimates that 25-30 percent of the meals taxes collected would be paid by non-county residents. The inability to implement alternative revenue sources will mean continued dependence on one basket. The combined increase in the real estate property tax rate and home values means that most homeowners will be paying hundreds of dollars more in property taxes regardless of their ability to pay.