‘How a Community Comes Together’
A progress report on the Centreville Labor Resource Center.
It still has a long way to go, but things are definitely looking up for the Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC).
Marsden Praises Centreville Immigration Forum
At a recent meeting of the Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF), state Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37) listened to a progress report on the Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC) and was pleased by what he heard.
Dollars and Sense at Labor Center
Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF) board members Terry Angelotti and Ed Duggan recently presented a report on the financial status of the Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC). They project the CIF to receive $175,000 this year from a variety of sources to keep the center running.
Replacing Walney Road Bridge
Walney Road Bridge to be replaced, rebuilt.
Built in 1980, the Walney Road Bridge over Flatlick Branch in Chantilly carries more than 21,000 vehicles a day. Trouble is, it often floods, is disintegrating structurally and surpassed its life expectancy 15 years ago.
Principal Jagels: Words of Advice
At the start of Mountain View High’s graduation ceremony, last Friday, June 15, Assistant Principal Gary Morris told the seniors, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Instead, go where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Westfield ESOL Student Thrives
Juan Castro receives School Board’s Character Award.
When Juan Castro came to the U.S. from El Salvador, six years ago, he only spoke a few words of English and was a stranger in a strange place. But he adapted well, learned quickly and worked hard at school and in his community.
Local Businesses Build Playground
Children may now play in a brand-new playground at the SYA youth sports complex, “Fields of Dreams,” off Bull Run Post Office Road in Centreville. It was built by RulyScapes Inc. of Centreville, Denison Landscaping, JK Enterprises and John Deere Landscapes, which all sponsored a recent National Hispanic Landscape Alliance National Day of Service there
Westfield Thespians Receive Cappie Medallions
Westfield High received 20 Cappie nominations for its musical, “Crazy for You.” On Wednesday, May 30, school Principal Tim Thomas and Director Susie Pike presented the Cappie medallions to the nominees.
Police Arrest Poplar Tree Teacher
Charged with possession of child pornography.
Fairfax County police have charged a special-education teacher at Poplar Tree Elementary with 10 counts of possession of child pornography. He is Robert C. Fenn, 26, of Emerald Chase Drive in Herndon.
Westfield High Garners 10 Cappie Awards
Victories include Best Musical, Actor, Choreography and Orchestra
For the second year in a row, Westfield High won 10 Cappies for a musical production at Sunday night’s 13th annual Cappie Awards Gala at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Almost Time for Tim Harmon 5K
Charity fund-raiser is June
The 13th annual Tim Harmon Memorial 5K Run/Walk is set for Saturday, June 23, at 8:30 a.m., at the Fairfax County Government Center.
Saluting Academic Achievement
CPMSAC celebrates 28 years of excellence.
Filing into Chantilly High’s gym, Saturday afternoon, the students made their way to their seats while Kool & the Gang’s classic anthem of rejoicing, “Celebration,” played in the background. They came for the Chantilly Pyramid Minority Student Achievement Committee’s (CPMSAC) 27th annual awards ceremony.
Three Decades Behind Bars
Man sentenced in killing of Centreville handyman.
When criminals targeted the home of a wealthy Centreville man, two years ago, their motive was money — they planned to rob him and leave. Murder wasn’t on the horizon. But when the homeowner’s handyman, Jose Cardona, tried to stop them, he paid with his life.
Readying for Relay for Life
Chantilly event raises money for American Cancer Society.
Bill Hamm was 10,500 feet up, elk hunting in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in 2006, when he discovered a lump on his throat. He’d thought he was healthy; but the lump was a swollen lymph node and, six months later, he was diagnosed with stage IV throat cancer.
Safety Check: ‘They’re Saving Lives Today’
Officers check commercial trucks for violations.
At first glance, it looked like a big-rig parade, with large commercial trucks lined up one behind the other in a parking lot off Route 28 in Chantilly.
Roundups for May 30
Making False Report Charged City of Fairfax police have charged a 27-year-old Centreville woman with making a false police report regarding a robbery and assault.
LeMunyon Reviews Transportation
Delegate addresses Brookfield homeowners, May 24.
Transportation was the topic last week when Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67) addressed members of the Brookfield Civic Association. And he brought good news to the residents about three area projects.
Tackling a Traffic Trouble Spot
VDOT begins study of I-66/Route 28 interchange.
The traffic-congestion problem at the I-66/Route 28 Interchange in the Centreville/Chantilly area isn’t going to be solved anytime soon. But at least it’s on VDOT’s radar.
Settlement in Home Explosion
Gas company is fined and is replacing pipes.
If his children hadn’t insisted on looking at Christmas lights on their way home from dinner, Thuan Nguyen, his wife and their two sons might well have died in the Dec. 19, 2010, gas explosion and fire that demolished their Chantilly home.
Encore Presents “Dancin’ Fool” at NOVA
Premiering their new show here before taking it to Greece this summer are the singers and dancers of Encore Theatrical Art Project. They’ll perform “Dancin’ Fool” on Saturday, June 9, at 4 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 10, at 1 and 4 p.m.
Rocky Run Girl Power
Seventh-grade eCybermission team is second in Virginia.
The boys on Rocky Run Middle School’s eighth-grade eCybermission team won the Virginia state championship, but the girls of the seventh-grade team are no slouches, either. They, too, did their school proud, finishing second in the state.
Broadway Comes to Town
Centreville High’s choral concert is June 7-8.
Centreville High School’s Choral Department will present “Broadway Pops,” its final concert of the year, Thursday-Friday, June 7- 8, at 7:30 p.m., in the school’s Skip Maiden Theater. Tickets are $5 for adults at the door; students are free.
Centreville Man Indicted: Mortgage-Fraud Scheme
A Centreville man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged part in a $1.5 million mortgage-fraud scheme. He is Jea Min Lee, 34.
Roundups for May 24
Cabaret in Reema’s Honor The Remembrance Cabaret for Reema Samaha is this Saturday, May 26, at Westfield High. The show starts at 7 p.m., but the doors open at 6 p.m. for a bake sale and silent auction. It’s an evening of songs, dances and comedy sketches in memory of Westfield High grad and Virginia Tech victim Samaha.
Children’s Play at Chantilly High
‘Cinderella and the Substitute Fairy Godmother’
Leave it to Chantilly High to take a classic fairytale, turn it on its head and come up with something hilarious. And that’s just what the school has done with its upcoming children’s show, “Cinderella and the Substitute Fairy Godmother.”
Brighter Future for Labor Center
More workers participating and CIF receives $20,000 grant.
Not only is the Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF) running a successful labor-resource center, but it’s just received the 2012 Meyer Foundation Grant for $20,000.
Art Student Wins Gold Key Award
Hamin “Paul” Chung liked to draw ever since he was a child. But he wasn’t serious about his artwork until he was in high school and started thinking about what he wanted to do after graduation.
Spotlight Shines on Three Local Schools
Westfield receives 20 Cappie nominations.
The Cappie nominations for outstanding high-school theater were just announced and, all together, Centreville, Chantilly and Westfield received 30 nominations. The awards to the winners will be presented Sunday, June 10, at the annual Cappies Gala at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Hats off to Centreville High
Newsweek ranks it sixth in Virginia
Newsweek has just published its rankings of America’s Best High Schools for 2012, and Centreville High is ranked sixth in Virginia and 246th out of 1,000 schools surveyed in the U.S.
Chantilly Day: Coming Together as a Community
Thousands enjoyed the first-ever Chantilly Day, Saturday, May 12, in the Sully Place Shopping Center.
Clifton Caboose 5K Raises $10,000
The Town of Clifton’s 15th annual Clifton Caboose Twilight Run raised an estimated $10,000. It was held Saturday, May 12, and 581 people participated — 474 in the 5K and 107 in the 1-mile fun run/walk. Said Race Chairman Gary Anderson: “We had a great race this year with a strong turnout.”
Happy 30th Birthday to Walney Visitor Center
In a nod to yesteryear, children were churning butter and hand-cranking ice cream, Saturday morning, in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly. But it wasn’t because the electricity was out — these activities were part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Walney Visitor Center.
E.C. Lawrence Park To Gain Pilot Project
Looking at area residents having fun at E.C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly — and seeing its lush, green forest — it’s not immediately apparent that anything needs fixing. But the experts know better, and they’re doing something about it.
Teen Charged with Damaging Mosque
In January, members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community — whose motto is “Love for all, hatred for none” — were looking forward to the completion of construction of their new mosque in Chantilly.
Centre View Roundups for May 17
More MathCounts Success Coached by Rocky Run Middle School’s MathCounts coach, teacher Melanie Roller, Virginia’s MathCounts team came in fifth last week in national competition. And one of the team members, Rocky Run eighth-grader Robin Park, was ranked 11th in the U.S. in the individual standings. In March, Rocky Run’s MathCounts team won the state championship, and Robin, the team captain, finished second in the state. So he got to compete on Virginia’s team in Nationals, May 10-11, in Orlando, Fla., with the other three highest scorers in the state, and Roller coached them.
Chantilly Student Wins Heroes Essay Contest
Teachers can have lifelong impacts on their students and, in Briana Neuberger’s case, memories of an elementary-school teacher helped her win first prize in an essay contest. She also won a $1,000 scholarship.
Remembrance Cabaret for Reema is May 26
When many of her friends and relatives recall Reema Samaha, they picture her on a stage performing. She acted in Westfield High theatrical productions, but was especially known for her beautiful and graceful dancing.
Pramstaller Leaving Chantilly High
Chantilly High choral teacher Sarah Pramstaller is the lead choreographer for Jazz & Pizzazz, aided by Glenn Cockrell, Drew Ross and Assistant Band Director Chris Singleton. And while she’ll love watching the students perform the dances she choreographed for them, she’ll also have mixed feelings.
Chantilly High Presents 26th Annual Jazz & Pizzazz
When it comes to rousing, high-octane, simply dazzling entertainment, it’s hard to beat Chantilly High’s annual Jazz & Pizzazz show. Starring the Touch of Class Show Choir, Chantilly Jazz Band and Chantilly Combo, it’s a colorful kaleidoscope of music, costumes, lights and sound.
Centreville High Raising Funds for Artificial-turf Fields
Brick by brick, Centreville High is raising money to install two, artificial-turf, athletic fields to replace the school’s existing grassy ones. It’s nearing its goal, but still needs more funds to bring its plan to fruition.
Rocky Run Against the World
Robowiz team develops groundbreaking research.
With food safety being of vital importance these days, a group of students mainly from Rocky Run Middle School created a way to prevent e coli from forming in reusable grocery bags. For their efforts, they took second place in a state championship and third in the world.
Shall We Dance?
Special-ed students have fun at day prom.
Proms in the daytime can be just as much fun as those in the evening. And the special-ed students attending the FCPS Day Prom, last Thursday morning, May 3, at the Waterford in Fair Oaks had a great time.
Roundups for May 9
Worker Dies on the Job A Herndon man working on a job in Chantilly died Sunday after an accident involving heavy equipment. Fairfax County police identified him as Gerardo Santiago Paulette Ruiz, 47. The tragedy occurred May 6, shortly before 3 p.m., at a business in the 4100 block of Lafayette Center Drive. Police say Ruiz was operating a forklift in the warehouse area and “apparently attempted to pass through a doorway when the forklift struck an overhead beam.” The beam then dislodged and fell on him. Ruiz was pronounced dead at the scene.
Local Man Pleads Guilty to Murder
He killed his father in Centreville.
Gbassay “Omar” Koroma was slated to stand trial for murder, May 7, in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Instead, he pleaded guilty in March and will be sentenced next month.
Clifton Rolls Out the Welcome Mat
It’s the 40th annual Spring Homes Tour.
French chandeliers, antique furnishings, original paintings and whimsical collections are among the delights awaiting all those attending the 40th annual Clifton Spring Homes Tour. It’s slated for Thursday, May 17, from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and includes a marketplace, silent auction and raffle, from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Paradise Springs Winery.
Saturday Is Chantilly Day
Parade, food, music, cars, children’s activities.
Grab the children, comfy shoes and sunscreen — and come to the Sully Place Shopping Center, this Saturday, May 12, for the first-ever Chantilly Day celebration. It’s free and open to everyone, no matter where they live, and promises to be a day of fun and entertainment.
Murder Case Goes to Grand Jury
Testimony heard about Centreville woman’s death.
Dressed in the green outfit of a Fairfax County prisoner, Benjamin Luke Walker listened in court last week while others testified during his preliminary hearing. When they were done, Judge Michael Cassidy sent Walker back to jail and certified the murder case against him to the grand jury.
‘Glimmer of Hope for the Future’
Local man in May 5 VisionWalk.
Centreville’s John McKeown has never seen his children’s faces and he always pictures his wife as being 28. That’s because retinitis pigmentosa (RP) — a genetic condition causing degeneration of the retina and eventual vision loss — caused him to go blind.
Social Change Expands Charitable Giving
After hosting a 7th bake sale in two years and raising over $10,000 for Cookies for Kids Cancer, Centreville resident Julie Sussman decided that it was time to turn the table, so to speak, on her generous and loyal bake sale friends, and allow them to raise money for something they believed in.
Kim Gets Three Years Probation for Marriage Fraud
Centreville resident Yong Hyon Kim, 50, was sentenced in federal court to probation following his conviction for conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and making false statements to federal agents.