
Colleagues Mourn GBW Instructional Assistant
After four decades there, Agnes Gordon dies at age 79.
After 43 years at Greenbriar West Elementary (GBW), instructional assistant Agnes Gordon decided she’d retire after school ended in June. So her friends and colleagues were prepared to say goodbye to her.

‘Greatest Generation’ Visits Rocky Run Middle School
Students hear first-hand accounts from WWII veterans on D-Day festival.
Students at Rocky Run Middle School received the greatest history lesson on D-Day: first-hand accounts from the men and women who served in World War II. The “greatest generation” officers visited the school for an all-day festival where seventh graders got to hear eyewitness accounts of what happened during the war from the men and women who served there. First-hand accounts included recollections from being enemy prisoners, successful missions, air raids, and special operations. Students had the opportunity to sit down with the veterans and interview them individually. Interviews were conducted all day in the cafeteria as well as the media room.
‘Your Character Will Lead You to Success’
Westfield High graduates nearly 700 students on June 18.
Turning their tassels and tossing their caps into the air, nearly 700 Westfield High students graduated on Wednesday, June 18, in GMU’s Patriot Center.

What’s Offensive about Redskins Pride?
Absolutely nothing, if you’re state Sen. Chap Petersen.
A lifelong Redskins fan, Fairfax state Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34) has had it up to here with all the talk about the need to change the name of his beloved football team. He vented his frustration and indignation on his blog — Ox Road South — but said he was leery of tackling what he deemed the forces of political correctness in the "War Against the Redskins" until June 18, when the Federal Patent Office blocked the team’s Redskins trademarks, declaring that the name was "disparaging" to Native Americans at the time the trademarks were registered — as far back as 1967. That action pushed Petersen off the sidelines to lead an offensive attack.
Roundups for 6/18/2014
The editor presents the roundups from the week of 6/18/2014.
6/18/2014 Roundups
The editor presents the roundups from the week of 6/18/2014.

‘I Want to Make a Difference’
Centreville High senior receives scholarships from Harvard and HLA.
He’ll graduate from Centreville High on Friday, and, this fall, he’ll enter Harvard University on a scholarship.

Chantilly Students Win National Art Medals
Diana Tsoy honored for photography, Jason Ly for printmaking.
Senior Diana Tsoy won a silver medal for her photography portfolio and classmate Jason Ly won a silver medal for printmaking.

Join in 5K Ice Cream Race at Bull Run
Event on June 28 to partially benefit Special Olympics.
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. The event includes a chocolate syrup water slide, a whipped cream foam machine, a cherry juice pit, and limber limbo.

Cappies Awarded For High School Theater: Centreville and Chantilly
The 15th Annual Cappies Awards Gala for high school theater was held Sunday, June 8 at The Kennedy Center.

Eat. Drink. Pay?
Fairfax County task force debates voters’ appetite for another meals tax referendum.
It has been 22 years since Fairfax County asked voters to approve a tax on restaurant meals, an issue that ignited protests, caused deep divisions among community leaders and threatened to melt down several political careers. The reverberations of that epic failure — what many consider the third rail of county politics — continue to echo in the ears of county politicians.
Opinion: Clearing the Air on New Carbon Standards
The EPA‘s new proposal to safeguard the air we breathe and contain a primary driver of climate change by reducing carbon emissions from existing power plants is the lynchpin to reducing our carbon footprint. As co-chairs of the House Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, we welcome action on carbon pollution and look forward to working with all stakeholders in a responsible manner to advance a 21st century energy economy for America.
Roundups for 6/11/2014
The editor presents the roundups from the week of 6/11/2014.
Mom’s Quest for an Accessible Van
Ibis Espinal needs an accessible van — not for her, but for her 17-year-old son, Juwaan. A junior at Centreville High, he’s wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy.

‘He’s Not Special-Needs, But a Special Person’
Born with cerebral palsy and wheelchair-bound, Juwaan Espinal, 17, is unable to speak. But he literally squealed with delight and had a smile that wouldn’t quit, last week, when he got the surprise of his life.