Union Mill Elementary Spring Concert
Band students at Union Mill Elementary performed their Spring Concert on Wednesday, June 12. The Union Mill band, which is comprised of 120 fifth and sixth grade students, performed Chuck Elledge’s “Dr. Rock,” “Party Rock Anthem,” Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy,” Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite,” “Mickey Mouse March,” Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” and “Let’s Go Band,” by Andrew Balent. The Union Mill Elementary band is directed by Laura Seifried.
Union Mill Elementary Orchestra Spring Concert
Fourth, fifth and sixth grade strings students performed their Spring Concert on Thursday, June 13. The fourth grade students began the concert with “Hot Cross Buns,” Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy,” and Offenbach’s “Can-Can.” The fourth graders finished their portion of the program with the traditional “French Folk Song.” Next, fifth and sixth grade strings students performed “Finale from the First Symphony,” by Brahms, followed by “Classical Bash,” a medley of several famous classical pieces including Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, “Surprise Symphony” by Haydn, Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” and “Ode to Joy.” The concert concluded with a final piece in which the entire 125-student orchestra performed Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” as the audience kept the beat of the song. The Union Mill Elementary orchestra is directed by Melissa Brown.
CVHS Honors its Thespians
Actors and techs were honored June 13 during Centreville High’s 25th annual Thespie Awards ceremony; 14 students were inducted into Centreville Troupe 4510 of the International Thespian Society.
People
Lindsay Lucas and Chris Somerville Wed
Lindsay Ayers Lucas and Matthew Christopher Somerville were married at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2013 at River Farm in Alexandria, Va. The Rev. Alan Felumlee of Centreville United Methodist Church officiated.
10 Years Incarceration For Former Teacher
He was convicted of child-porn offenses.
Little more than a year ago, Oak Hill resident Robert C. Fenn was about to finish his first year of teaching at Poplar Tree Elementary, where he taught special-ed students in kindergarten through third grade. But it all ended June 12, 2012, when Fairfax County police arrested him at the school on child-pornography charges.
‘His Life Mattered’
Westfield teacher, students raise money to honor Matt Peterson.
Matt Peterson was just 16 when his father inexplicably killed him, his mother and younger brother in their Herndon home before taking his own life.
Sacred Threads: Quilt Exhibit with Meaning
Besides being beautiful to look at, handmade quilts can convey powerful messages. Such are the quilts that will be on display during Sacred Threads 2013.
Column: No Shame in Crying
Nor is it a crying shame. But something has changed, dare I say affected my tear duct production. I can’t say with certainty – or even specify a particular moment in time for sure – when the tears began to flow more easily, but I’ll guess the change occurred sometime on or around February 27, 2009, the day I first met my oncologist; the day I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), “prognosed” to live 13 months to two years. If that kind of shocking, terminal-type news doesn’t upset your apple cart – permanently, “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.” And so it has, as reflected in my frequent “salty discharge” (to quote Jerry Seinfeld).
Editorial: Ready for Your Pet’s Close-up?
The Pet Connection, a bi-annual themed edition, will publish July 24. We invite you to send us stories about your pets, photos of you and/or your family with your cats, dogs, hamsters, snakes, lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other creatures share your home or yard with you.
Paving ‘Virginia’s Road to the Future’
Transportation Authority solicits public input on first year of proposed projects.
City Hall in the City of Fairfax was the location of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) June 20 Open House and Public Hearing, seeking public opinion on proposed regional transportation projects. The Authority was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002 to provide a common voice for all Northern Virginia stakeholders on transportation and related issues. The Authority is made up of representatives from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and one representative for the towns of Herndon, Leesburg, Purcellville, Dumfries and Vienna. The group also includes several members of the Virginia Assembly, governor appointees and non-voting representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Housing’s Roaring Rebound?
Pent-up demand creates seller’s market for Northern Virginia real estate.
In February, Patricia Stack, a broker with Weichert Realtors, held an open house for a single-family home for sale in Vienna just listed for $739,000. Within three hours, more than 70 people toured the home.
Classified Advertising June 19, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
‘Mountain View Dramatically Changed My Life’
Students overcome adversity and persevere to graduate.
Student Ana-Lycia Pena was just about to sing the last word of the National Anthem during Mountain View High’s graduation last Friday at Oakton High, when the auditorium went dark.
Lobbying for Children’s Cancer Treatment
Centreville’s Crossett lobbies Congress to improve children’s cancer treatments.
It’s too late to save her own child. Meg Crossett’s daughter Rachel died of a cancer called neuroblastoma on July 3, 2001, at age 6. But she’s doing her best to improve the quality of care for other children battling the same disease that took Rachel’s life.
Cox Farms Owners Honored
Eric Cox, wife Gina Richard named Sully Lord and Lady.
In 1979 Eric Cox and his wife Gina Richard purchased 116 acres in western Fairfax County. Having founded Cox farms with his brother seven years previously, the new property was considered by some to be too remote to be successful.
Roundups
Fair Oaks Townhouse Fire Fire officials say a blaze last week at a Fair Oaks townhouse caused an estimated $50,000 damage. The single-family home is at 4815 Green Duck Lane, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Letter: Valuing Education
To the Editor:
Many of us will go great lengths in the pursuit of education. Sometimes these sacrifices may be small things for others, but big things for us. For me, it was taking a summer class when I really could use vacation time after a rough spring semester.
Real Estate Fraud: Two Years Prison
Chantilly woman is sentenced.
A Chantilly woman has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay more than half a million dollars in restitution for her part in a real-estate fraud. She is Melissa McWilliams, 35. She was among four people who pleaded guilty Feb. 19, in federal court in Alexandria to conspiring to fraudulently take over the titles of homes in Washington, D.C., without the real property owners’ knowledge, selling those homes and keeping the profit.
Bulletin Board
Centreville Bulletin Board
Editorial: Discussion Necessary to Ensure Safety
Reducing drug-and-alcohol-related fatalities.
The pages and covers of most of this week’s Connection Newspapers including the Centre View show the joy and accomplishment associated with high school graduation. The day celebrates graduates who accomplished much just by finishing, graduates headed to college and more.