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Nearly 800 Jobs Added to the Local Economy

Information technology firms and professional service companies see growth.

Information technology firms continue to do well in a sluggish economy, according to a new report from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). During the second quarter of 2012, the FCEDA provided services and resources to 33 businesses that are adding almost 800 jobs in Fairfax County. Most of these businesses are in the information technology and professional services sectors and four are foreign-based firms using a Fairfax County location to expand in North America.

Minority-Owned Businesses Prosper in Fairfax County

Companies generate more than $1 billion in revenue and provide more than 1,000 jobs.

Businesses owned by Hispanics, African-Americans and women shine in Fairfax County, according to the latest national rankings for largest or fastest-growing companies. "Fairfax County is proud to be a community in which companies of all descriptions can and do succeed to a greater extent than in the rest of the region, the state or the country," said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which supports and monitors the growth of local businesses. Eleven Fairfax County-based companies are among the 500 largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the nation based on revenue — more than the total in 40 states, according to a recent report by HispanicBusiness.com. The Fairfax County companies are among 22 from Virginia on the 2012 Hispanic Business 500 list.

Time for School

Advice on how to transition from a laid-back summer to a hectic academic year.

When Ellen Feldman’s 5-year-old son started school for last fall, one of the biggest adjustments for the single mother of two was having to adhere to a schedule. “All of a sudden we went from being able to do things on our own time frame to having to wake up and be at a certain place at a certain time,” said Feldman. “Sending my son off to school for the first time was exciting, but also difficult.”

Food, Fun And Festivities

Neighbors, firefighters and police celebrate National Night Out.

It could have been just an ordinary Tuesday night — families eating quiet dinners in their homes, behind closed doors. But instead, last Tuesday, Aug. 7, residents of Centreville’s Sully Station II community joined together in four neighborhoods for outdoor block parties.

Centreville Roundups 8/16

Roundups

‘Born to Be an Educator’

Franklin band director retires after 28 years.

Lawrence Walker was at Franklin Middle when it opened in 1984. But now, after 30 years with Fairfax County Public Schools — 28 of them at Franklin — the school’s band director has retired.

Pakistan Festival at Bull Run Park

The Pakistani-American community will celebrate the 65th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence at the Pakistan Festival on Aug. 26 at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville.

Editorial: Starting School Prepared

First day of school is Sept. 4; local nonprofits provide school supplies and weekend food.

With school beginning in a few weeks, area charitable organizations have been collecting contributions of new backpacks, calculators, other school supplies, money and gift cards and winter coats to help the tens of thousands of truly needy Northern Virginia students.

Classified Advertising Aug. 15, 2012

Read the latest Classified, Home and Garden and Employment!

Making Beautiful Music

Students participate in Franklin’s Band and Orchestra Camp.

Take 710 students, 35 teachers and musical instruments of every size and shape and you get Franklin Middle School’s Band and Orchestra Camp.

Column: A Pill a Day…

Hopefully will keep the cancer at bay. (I’d say “away,” but let’s be realistic, three and a half years past a NSCLC diagnosis, there is no way, generally speaking, that stage IV lung cancer disappears into the ether; it’s classified as stage IV for a reason.

Letter: No Enemies on TJ Admissions Front

To the Editor:

FCPS is not being honest, straightforward or holding itself accountable for the fact that too few of these disadvantaged kids are achieving as well as others relative to their populations and too few are fostered appropriately so they can be identified for and take advantage of advanced curricula, including advanced academic programs (AAP) and thence TJ and high school honors, AP and IB programs. The leaders in this system have had years to figure out how to make serious improvements, but they have hidden and spun or not even bothered to gather data and have excluded individuals and groups that could be partners in resolving this situation. Thus, we have a segregated system, as the data show.

Learning History Firsthand

Veterans tell Rocky Run students about WWII.

Each year, WWII comes alive for seventh-graders at Rocky Run Middle School. That’s because, besides what they learn about it from their textbooks, they get to hear firsthand from those who lived through it.

Realizing a Dream

Garrett begins job of deputy fire chief.

Since he was a boy, William Garrett knew he’d grow up to be a firefighter. Although he and his family have lived in Centreville six-and-a-half years, he was born and raised in Alexandria’s Gum Springs community — and that’s where the spark was ignited.

Chantilly Pain Clinic Owner Is Convicted

Oxycodone distribution, healthcare, tax fraud.

The owner and president of a pain clinic in Chantilly was convicted Friday, Aug. 3, in Federal Court of conspiring to distribute and actually distributing oxycodone, a controlled drug.

Something To Cheer About

All-star gym for competitive cheerleading opens in Chantilly.

Susan and Mark Culin and Jelaire Grillo have something to cheer about — literally. They’ve just opened Phase Cheer & Dance, an all-star gym in Chantilly where they’ll train competitive cheerleaders.

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