Thursday, February 28
Oakton Girls’ Basketball Loses in Region Semifinals
Standout Manner forced to watch with fractured thumb.
The Oakton girls' basketball team finished district runner-up, reached region final four.
Classified Advertising Feb. 27, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Wednesday, February 27
Family Pets Are Family in Vienna
Local pet parents share stories of their special family members.
Animals, from dogs and cats to chickens, rabbits and hamsters, come into the lives of humans and complete the family circle. Proud parents that they are, local residents described the attributes of their family’s pets.
Week in Vienna
The next meeting of Vienna at Your Service (VAYS) will be Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, 400 Center St. S.
Girl Scout Day at the State Capitol
Learning Virginia’s rich history.
Picking Washington’s Birthday to tour the Virginia State Capitol and learn a little about Virginia history—the birthplace of eight presidents—was perfect timing for a group of Vienna Girl Scouts.
Oakton Girls Swim & Dive Wins AAA State Championship Title
Oakton High School’s Varsity Boys and Girls Swim and Dive teams participated in the Virginia AAA State Championship Friday, Feb. 15, and Saturday, Feb. 16, at George Mason University. The girls placed first with 275 points over Yorktown (128) and McLean (119). The boys placed third with 192 points behind Robinson (218.5) and James Madison (192.5). This is the second consecutive AAA State Title for the girls’ team.
Vienna Shopping Center Donates $1,000 to Kilmer Middle School
Principal challenges students to match donation.
Vienna Shopping Center merchants donated $1,000 to Kilmer Middle School last month. Upon notification of the donation, Principal Douglas Tyson challenged students to match the donation and give the funds to a local food bank.
The Optimist Club Honors Students
“How do you let your friends know their value?” was essay topic.
The Optimist Club of Greater Vienna awarded three local high school students cash prizes for their winning essays produced for the Optimists International competition, “How do you let your friends know their value?” The presentation took place Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Optimists’ semi-monthly meeting.
Vienna Names New Police Chief
Town Manager Mercury Payton has announced the appointment of James “Jim” Morris as Vienna’s new chief of police. He will succeed Colonel Robert Carlisle, who retired on Jan. 1, after serving almost 12 years as chief of the Vienna Police Department.
State Champion
Vienna's Gray Goss, 11, wins state free throw competition.
On Feb. 16, Gray Goss made 20 of 25 shots to be named 2013 Free Throw Champion in Virginia's 11-year-old boys division in the annual state-wide competition organized by the Knights of Columbus.
Volunteers Appreciated
The Vienna Volunteer Fire Department holds their Volunteer Appreciation and Awards Banquet.
The Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (VVFD) and its Auxiliary celebrated its members at their Volunteer Appreciation and Awards Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 9. The VVFD is currently in their 110th year of service and awarded several deserving members for the year 2012.
Local Leaders Praise Transportation Funding Bill
State Senator Chap Petersen wants you to curb your enthusiasm.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, and sometimes estranged ones as well. On Saturday, the last day of the Virginia General Assembly, state legislators struck a bipartisan 11th hour deal to pass a comprehensive transportation funding plan—the first long-term plan in 27 years.
Bulova: Move in the Right Direction
Local leaders applaud General Assembly’s Transportation Funding Bill.
“This is a great step toward addressing the transportation challenges we face in Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia region."
Fairfax Library Foundation Awards Scholarships Through Continuing Education
The Fairfax Library Foundation has announced that 13 Fairfax County Public Library employees and volunteers have each been awarded continuing education scholarships to foster the professional development of the Fairfax County Public Library team.
Column: To Buy Or Not To Buy
That is my question. And though I can’t quite quote Shakespeare the way I can quote The Three Stooges: “Moe, Larry, the cheese. Moe, Larry, the cheese,” “’tis nobler” to ask it nonetheless. Still, if Hamlet had been diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, as I have, perhaps he wouldn’t have been contemplating suicide but rather allocating his monthly budget – as I do every day, with nearly every purchase. That’s my dream, “perchance” or otherwise.
Tuesday, February 26
Foundation Plans for Art Center
Community Center for the Arts possible at Turner Farm.
The Great Falls Foundation for the Arts was founded in 2007 with the goal of eventually bringing an arts center to the community. Since then, they have run a school, working studio space and a gallery space on Walker Road, all while planning for the future.
Saturday, February 23
Classified Advertising Feb. 20, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Friday, February 22
Column: Definition of “Slippery Slope”
Figuratively speaking, of course. That definition being: a late stage cancer patient/survivor previously characterized as “terminal” awaiting the results of their most recent diagnostic scan. A scan that will indicate whether the tumors have grown, moved or God forbid, appeared somewhere new. If your life hung in the balance before the scan, waiting for results of this however-many-months-interval-scan will most assuredly loosen your figurative grip on your equilibrium and your most literal grip on your sanity. This is a domain, unlike the one referred to in one of the more infamous Seinfeld episodes, that one cannot master. To invoke and slightly rework Dan Patrick’s “catch” phrase: You can’t stop it, you can only hope to contain it.
Thursday, February 21
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: January, 2013
In January 2013, 65 homes sold between $1,402,735-$184,000 in the Vienna and Oakton area.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: January, 2013
Week in Vienna
Town Council will hold two work sessions during March to discuss the Town’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget. The public is invited to attend; however, public commentary is not permitted during work sessions. The work sessions will be held at Town Hall, 127 Center Street S, on Saturday, March 9 beginning at 9 a.m. and Monday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. If necessary, a third work session will be held Monday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. A public hearing on the FY 2014 budget will be held Monday, April 1, and a public hearing on the proposed tax rate, and water and sewer rates will be held Monday, April 15 at 8 p.m. in Town Hall. The public is invited to attend and provide their input during the public hearing process. The adoption of the budget, tax rate and water and sewer rates is scheduled for Monday, May 13, at 8 p.m.
Circus Artwork Wins International Award
Applegate Gallery owner creates whimsical piece for picture-framing competition.
Sara Applegate, whose framing and art gallery sits on Church Street, won an international competition in late January for a framed artpiece. To call Applegate’s interpretation a “frame,” is akin to calling a Ferrari just a car. The piece, whimsical yet complex, features five three-dimensional circus vignettes. The individual components are mostly vintage lead collector pieces. “Once I found those, I fell completely in love,” said Applegate, who picked up several character pieces at the Frederick Antique Emporium. Two pieces were created in 1948 by Britains, a lead soldier manufacturer that produced a circus collection series. The remaining three vignettes were produced by the same company in 1998. Applegate bought those on E-Bay.
Comic Books Are No Laughing Matter
E.G. Comics in Vienna features thousands of titles, from vintage to current.
Edwin Gumel really knows his comics. His store, E.G. Comics, has served Vienna and the surrounding area since 1990. He doesn’t just sell comics and graphic novels; he grades their condition, he catalogues them, he knows what back issues are worth. Among his stock are niche collections and the more well-known ones, such as Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dark Horse Comics.
New Approach to Helping Chronic Homeless
County joins "100,000 Homes" effort as chronic homelessness on rise.
The number of chronically homeless individuals in Fairfax County is on the rise. Currently, nearly 300 individuals are considered chronically homeless, many living in cars or sleeping in tents. In an effort to find permanent homes for these individuals, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness is joining the 100,000 Homes Campaign, a national movement to find permanent homes for 100,000 chronically homeless throughout the nation.
‘Two Symphonies and a Dance’ for Area Music Lovers
Virginia Chamber Orchestra to present early Mozart and Mendelssohn works.
There has always been the debate about the role of nature and nurture in a child’s development. This is especially true in child prodigies. Mozart and Mendelssohn were from musical homes and received encouragement in musical studies. Although Gluck sang in his church choir, his interest in music was surely of his own making as he was expected to work in his family’s forestry business.
Thursday, February 14
Classified Advertising Feb. 13, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Wednesday, February 13
Oakton Boys’ Basketball Secures Concorde’s No. 2 Seed
Cougars beat Westfield in regular-season finale.
The Oakton boys' basketball team earned a first-round bye in the Concorde District tournament by beating Westfield on Feb. 8.
A Positive Reflection
Joan Brady gives foster children needed exposure.
On Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, Joan Brady of Great Falls had just started a three-month sabbatical from her job with an Internet company. Newly-married, Brady, who was 36 years old at the time, was exhausted from 80-hour work weeks in a rigid corporate environment. She wanted time that fall to contemplate what to do next with her life. The next day provided answers and a sense of urgency. It was Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks, and the moving stories of heroism and tragedy on 9/11, indelibly left their mark. Brady, like many Americans, was inspired to do something new, to take more chances, to change direction.
Editorial: On Transportation
Compromise, in the works, should include indexing the gas tax to inflation.
Virginia needs more options, not fewer, in developing revenue to pay for roads and transportation. Compromise on a plan to increase transportation revenue should not include making Virginia the only state in the nation without a gas tax. The current, ridiculously low gas tax should be indexed to inflation. The last thing the commonwealth needs is to do away with an existing, major source of money for roads.
Area Students Excel at MATHCOUNTS Competitions
The Northern Virginia Regional MATHCOUNTS competitions were held on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria.
Volunteers Needed to Help Count Homeless
Volunteers organized by FACETS and other local nonprofits will spread out across Fairfax County to count, photograph, and get names and histories for everyone experiencing homelessness for the county’s first ever “Registry Week,” a component of the 100,000 Homes Campaign,” beginning on Monday, Feb. 25, at various locations around Fairfax County.
Week in Vienna
Experience the outdoors at night and get to know the nighttime wildlife at Northside Park (entrance by the W&OD Trail) on Sunday, Feb. 17, beginning at 4:45 p.m.
Vienna's Rahul Reddy Catches 'em All
After a full day of head-to-head Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) battles, Rahul Reddy of Vienna clinched first place in the Masters Division at the Rockville, Md., Pokémon City Championships.
Raising Puppies for Veterans
Veterans Moving Forward pairs disabled U.S. vets with therapy dogs.
Wanted: supporter of U.S. veterans, likes to be licked and take long walks, looking for a committed relationship. Reply to Michele Khol, puppy-raiser training coordinator for Vets Moving Forward, Inc. [VMF].
A Novel Idea
Vienna author focused on love story of two disabled people.
She was impetuous, passionate and a bit on the wild side, a shady past behind her. He was sensitive, introverted, a bit shy, with very little “past” behind him. Like night and day, their lives intersected briefly. Like many star-crossed lovers, they forged a relationship despite obstacles that obstructed their paths. It wasn’t religion, race, class or family feuds that thwarted intimacy. It was their disabilities. And their struggles anchor the plot of a new novel by Vienna author Robert “Bob” Rudney.
Vienna Church Publishes Lenten Devotional
The Church of the Good Shepherd, a United Methodist church in Vienna, celebrates the publishing of its 14th annual Devotions for Lent booklet. The booklet of daily devotionals written by members and friends of the congregation will be dedicated at Sunday, Feb. 10, worship services and available then as well as on the Feb. 13th Ash Wednesday service at 7:30 p.m. at the church, located at 2351 Hunter Mill Road.
Friday, February 8
Classified Advertising Feb. 6, 2013
Read the latest ad here!
Thursday, February 7
Oakton Home Renovation Wins 'Contractor of the Year'
Clever space plan and rustic interior capture kudos for Sun Design Remodeling.
Converting a previously finished lower-level into a suite custom-configured to satisfy the sometimes contrasting wishes of a five-member Oakton family recently won Sun Design Remodeling of Burke a “Contractor of the Year” Grand Award for “Best Residential Basement Interior.”
Wednesday, February 6
February Is Heart Month
Diet and fitness experts offer suggestions for maintaining a healthy heart.
When Mary Elizabeth O’Conner enters a supermarket, she is careful stay within the outer perimeters of the store. “Most grocery stores are designed so that the healthiest and non-processed food, like fresh vegetables and meat are kept on the outer edges,” she said. She looks for heart-healthy foods like whole grains and fresh fruit.
Column: A Complicated Answer
And a further explanation and corollary to last week’s column: “A Simple Question,” which attempted to sort through my reactions to being asked an extremely innocent, appropriate, well-intended and always appreciated courtesy: “How are you?” and the problem that it sometimes causes me. That problem being: a question which had it not been asked would then not require an answer. An answer that I’ll always give, but not before I’ve given it some thought, which if I hadn’t thought about, wouldn’t have bothered me in the least
Making the Difference Between Struggle and Success
Carmen Jordan of Reston has been a mentor for Fairfax Families4 Kids for six years. She is considered one of the most experienced mentors in the program. In addition to working full-time as a marquee account manager at Deltek in Herndon, Jordan makes herself available to “trouble-shoot” for the children and families she mentors. In the following column, she details her experiences with the program, and at-risk foster youth.
'Stuff the Bus’ Campaign Helps Feed the Hungry
Donations continue to increase as campaign enters third year.
Local grocery stores were packed this weekend with shoppers stocking up on Super Bowl snacks for the annual football fan party. At the Wal-Mart in Fairfax, shoppers were greeted with colorful displays of chips, dips and other party favorites. They were also greeted by volunteers from Our Daily Bread (ODB), who were handing out flyers and encouraging shoppers to donate gift cards or specific items to restock ODB’s pantry shelves. A Fairfax nonprofit for nearly 30 years, ODB provides food and other critical services to the working poor, the elderly and the disabled. More than half of ODB’s clients are local children.
Police Warn Public of “Inheritance Scam”
Fairfax County Police (FCPD) has received numerous reports from residents across the U.S. involving a phony inheritance proclamation.
McLean High Musicians Dominate Northern Virginia Competition
McLean High School symphonic and concert band musicians dominated a recent county organized individual performance competition, taking 66 chairs or alternate positions in the All-Disrict Band.
McLean Author Launches New Book
Rebecca Shambaugh shows how organizations can harness the collective strengths of both men and women to create stronger businesses.
Try functioning without half of your brain. You might not be able to remember anything. You might not be able to drive. You might not be able to walk or talk. Now imagine a business that operates using only half its brainpower. It’s destined to fail.
McDonald’s Supports County Schools
The McDonald’s Family Restaurants of Greater Washington, D.C., presented Fairfax County Public Schools with a check for $4,200 on Friday, Jan. 18.
A Pleasing Romantic Comedy
1st Stage presents ‘Italian American Reconciliation.’
The pedigree of playwright John Patrick Shanley is top notch; he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his play "Doubt" and won an Oscar for the screen play for "Moonstruck." His "Italian American Reconciliation," now playing at 1st Stage in Tysons, will not disappoint.
Week in Vienna
Renovations at Town Hall began on Monday, Jan. 14, and will include upgrading the building’s HVAC system, installing new windows, carpet, lighting and ceilings, and upgrading the building’s security system. Renovations are expected to last through the end of October 2013.
Letter: Questioning Bus Route 432
An open letter to Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) and Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman.
I just received an email regarding the proposed Bus route 432 that will come through Old Courthouse Road to Trap then Wolf Trap.
Ritz-Carlton to the Rescue
Tysons Corner hotel leaves “Footprints” in community.
It’s not uncommon for Vienna-McLean businesses—from defense industry contractors to hospitality providers—to make themselves good neighbors, vital partners in the community in which their presence is known. They come into schools, they mentor, they support wounded warrior programs. They embrace the community spirit envisioned by their company’s corporate philosophy. Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner goes beyond McLean and Tysons, extending its hand to local service clubs, nonprofit and humanitarian projects, and to the hotel’s dedicated project, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Fairfax County Region [Fairfax BGCGW Club].
Vienna Veteran Campaigns for Commander of American Legion
Mardi Gras fundraiser benefits Dan Dellinger’s campaign.
Other than time he spent in the service of the U.S. Army, Dan Dellinger lived most of his life in Vienna. He went through Vienna schools, as his children did. He served as a Vienna Town Council member and as an officer of Vienna’s American Legion Post 180. He’s active in local civic clubs. Now, Dellinger is stepping out into the national spotlight, traversing the country in his campaign to be elected the American Legion’s next national commander.
Beloved Teacher’s Legacy of Innovation Lives On
Candace Leyton Innovation Learning Lab opens at Wolftrap Elementary.
Talk about a lasting impression—and the impact that a great teacher can leave behind as her legacy. Chris Shumway didn’t keep in touch with Candace Leyton, his third grade math teacher from Wolftrap Elementary School in Vienna, who passed away from breast cancer in 2003, but nearly 40 years later, Shumway was back at school to dedicate the Candace Leyton Innovation Learning Lab in honor of the woman whom he says “believed that I could be so much more.”
Eight Scouts Honored for Heroic Deeds
Eight boys from National Capital Area Council (NCAC) Boy Scouts of America (BSA) received National Court of Honor Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Awards in 2012 for remaining calm in a crisis, making quick use of Scout training and for living up to the words “to help other people at all times,” which is part of the Scout Oath.
Colvin Run Elementary Gives to the Needy
Children of Colvin Run Elementary School gathered in the school sport auditorium on Monday, Feb. 4, to mark the beginning of the school’s food donation program.
Fairfax Softball and Special Olympics Raise Funds Bowling
Participants, family, friends and supporters of Fairfax Adult Softball, Inc. (FAS) came together on Sunday, Jan. 27, for the 13th Annual Bowling Tournament to benefit Northern Virginia Special Olympics and Fairfax County Park Authority field improvements.
Tuesday, February 5
Fairfax Connector Proposes New Routes
Public input meeting held to solicit feedback on new bus routes.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation kicked off the public input process for their new bus routes in McLean Thursday, Feb. 1. The Fairfax Connector routes will be altered to take advantage of the opening of Metrorail stations in Tysons Corner and Reston in December, with the new routes expected to begin the same day as the stations open.
Marshall Boys’ Basketball: Doormat to District Contender
Statesmen have more wins this season than previous two combined.
The Marshall boys' basketball team is in second place in the Liberty District.