Stories for October 2015

Stories for October 2015

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Friday, October 30

SoberRide for Halloween

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program will provide free cab rides to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington Metropolitan area on Halloween evening, this Saturday, Oct. 31.

Thursday, October 29

Editorial: Vote Nov. 3

Read Election coverage at www.ConnectionNewspapers.com.

If you live in a district with a hotly contested race, you definitely know from the contents of your mailbox that there is an Election coming up.

Fairfax County: School Bond Referendum Tops $300 Million

The Nov. 3 election ballot will include a Fairfax County Public Schools bond referendum, featuring school improvement projects totaling $350,000,000.

Fairfax County Public Schools To Relocate 500 Staff

Fairfax County Public Schools has signed a 13-year lease at the Willow Oaks Corporate Center in Merrifield to relocated 500 support staff from the Fairfax Ridge Administration Center, where its lease it set to expire in March 2016.

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Herrity: Fairfax County Board Made Decisions Not to Disclose Geer Information

Springfield supervisor speaks up on transparency at first committee meeting to review 140+ recommendations from ad hoc police commission.

While Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh was held up as one source of stalling the release information regarding the 2013 shooting death of Springfield man John Geer by then-Fairfax County police officer Adam Torres, Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) offered that “decisions we made” on the Board of Supervisors, on the counsel of the Fairfax County attorney, were also responsible for Torres’ name, discrepancies in the investigation and other details of the incident being withheld from the public and Geer’s family until a lawsuit finally forced the police department to release everything.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Sully: Kathy Smith (D)

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Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Sully: John Guevara (R)

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Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Mason: Mollie Loeffler (I)

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Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Mason: Penelope A. “Penny” Gross (D)

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School Board-Mason: Sandy Evans

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Fairfax County: School Board Promotes Dyslexia Awareness

And adopts two-hour delay for March Primary.

Nine-year-old Maxwell Gebharts stood confidently on a step-stool to address the Fairfax County School Board Oct. 22. “My old school didn’t know I was dyslexic,” he said. “I was very sad and felt like I wasn’t keeping up with everybody.”

Vienna Police Highlights

Incidents from Oct. 16-22

Incidents from Oct. 16-22

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Vienna Mayor Receives the Community Builders Award

On Tuesday, Oct. 20 a ceremony took place at the Freemason Concord Lodge #307 to present Mayor Laurie DiRocco with the Community Builders Award.

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Candlelight Cemetery Tour in Oakton

100 people attend tour of Flint Hill and Oakton Church of the Brethren Cemeteries.

Carrying lanterns and flashlights, about 100 people attended a Candlelight Cemetery Tour of Flint Hill and Oakton Church of the Brethren cemeteries, presented by local historian and author Jim Lewis, on Saturday, Oct. 24, near the corner of Courthouse and Chain Bridge Roads in Oakton.

Week in Vienna

Weekly happenings in Vienna

Wednesday, October 28

Halloween and Weekend Events in Vienna, McLean and Great Falls

Things to do this weekend.

Halloween and weekend events in your neighborhood

Adam Lind is Fairfax County’s New Bicycle Program Manager

Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) Director Tom Biesiadny announced the selection of Adam Lind as the county’s new Bicycle Program Manager in the Capital Projects and Traffic Engineering Division.

Letter: Murphy Opposes Tolls on I-66

To the Editor

Delegate Kathleen Murphy opposes tolls on I-66. She made an unequivocal statement at the McLean Community Center debate on Oct. 18 that she is opposed to tolls on I-66--and has always been opposed to such tolls.

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‘Preferred Alternative’ Unveiled at Oakton High School

VDOT presents Plan for I-66 Outside the Beltway Transformation.

Susan Shaw, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Megaprojects director, described the presentation of plans for the transformation of I-66 outside the Beltway as the “pencils down” version of the project.

Classified Advertising October 28 , 2015

Read the lastest ads here!

State Senate-District 39: Joe Murray (R)

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State Senate-District 39: George Lincoln Barker (D)

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State Senate-District 37: Dave Marsden (D)

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State Senate-District 37: Dave Bergman (R)

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State Senate-District 36: Scott A. Surovell (D)

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State Senate-District 36: Gerald “Jerry” Foreman (R)

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State Senate-District 35: Terrence Modglin (I)

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State Senate-District 34: J.C. “Chap” Petersen (D)

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Letter: Spreading False Information

To the Editor

It is unfortunate that Graig Parisot, a newcomer to Fairfax County politics is reaching out to new lows of credibility in making false statements about Delegate Kathleen Murphy’s position on I-66 tolls.

State Senate-District 33: Jennifer Wexton (D)

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State Senate-District 32: Janet Howell (D)

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State Senate-District 31: George V. Forakis (R)

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State Senate-District 30: Adam P. Ebbin (D)

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Tuesday, October 27

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Helping Homeless Build New Lives

Cardinal Bank and George Mason Mortgage donate $10,000 to HomeAid Northern Virginia.

Cardinal Bank (NASDAQ: CFNL) announced that the Cardinal Community Fund and George Mason Mortgage, LLC, have awarded $10,000 to HomeAid Northern Virginia.

Monday, October 26

School Board-Fairfax County Sully: Tom Wilson

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School Board-Fairfax County Sully: Karen Keys-Gamarra

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School Board-Fairfax County Providence: Dalia Palchik

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School Board-Fairfax County Providence: Patty Reed

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School Board-Fairfax County Mount Vernon: Anthony Stacy

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School Board-Fairfax County Mount Vernon: Karen Corbett Sanders

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School Board-Fairfax County Lee District: Tamara Derenak Kaufax

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School Board-Fairfax County Hunter Mill: Mark Wilkinson

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School Board-Fairfax County Hunter Mill: Pat Hynes

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School Board-Fairfax County Dranesville: Pete Kurzenhauser

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School Board-Fairfax County Braddock: Megan O. McLaughlin

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School Board-Fairfax County At Large: Ryan McElveen

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School Board-Fairfax County At Large: Jeanette Hough

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School Board-Fairfax County At Large: Dr. R. E. ”Bob” Copeland

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School Board-Fairfax County At Large: Theodore J. “Ted” Velkoff

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School Board-Fairfax County At Large: Ilryong Moon

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School Board-Fairfax County At-Large: Burnette G. Scarboro

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School Board-Fairfax County At-Large: Omar Fateh

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School Board-Fairfax County At-Large: Manar Jean-Jacques

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House of Delegates-District 53: Marcus B. Simon (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 48: Rip Sullivan (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 47: Patrick A. Hope (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 46: Charniele L. Herring (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 43: Anna Urman (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 42: David Albo (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 41: Eileen Filler-Corn (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 40: Timothy D. Hugo (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 40: Jerry Foltz (D)

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House of Delegates-District 37: David Bulova (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 37: Sang Yi (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 34: Kathleen Murphy (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates-District 34: Craig A. Parisot (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 43: Mark Sickles (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 43: Paul J. McIlvaine (I)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 44: Paul Krizek (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 46: Sean Lenehan (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 49: Alfonso Lopez (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 67: Jim LeMunyon (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 86: Danny Vargas (R)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 36: Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 86: Jennifer Boysko (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

House of Delegates–District 39: Vivian Watts (D)

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A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates Q&A

Saturday, October 24

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Arlington: Running Back Young Helps Wakefield Fend Off Improving Marshall

Warriors win sixth straight, take sole possession of first place in Conference 13.

The Wakefield football team defeated Marshall 33-19 on Friday.

Friday, October 23

State Senate–District 31: Barbara Favola (D)

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State Senate–District 35: Richard “Dick” Saslaw (D)

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Board of Supervisors–Chairman: Arthur Purves (R)

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Board of Supervisors–Chairman: Glenda Gail Parker (IG)

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Board of Supervisors–Chairman: Sharon Bulova (D)

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Letter: Tainted Endorsement?

A national group designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-muslim and anti-gay hate group has been involved in Fairfax County Public Schools politics since April, and now has endorsed a slate of candidates for School Board.

Thursday, October 22

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Fairfax County: League of Women Voters hosts Forum for Board of Supervisors Chairman and At-Large School Board

Chairman Candidates Debate Economy, Police, Schools

Continuing their series of meet the candidates events, the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax area gave citizens another opportunity at James Madison High School in Vienna to ask questions and visit with hopefuls for both Board of Supervisors chairman and Fairfax County School Board at-large member.

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Fairfax County: Board of Supervisors Accepts Final Report from Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission

Civilian Oversight Board Proposed, Debated

Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission chairman Michael Hershman was clear about what his group was, and was not tasked to do.

Wednesday, October 21

Classified Advertising October 21 , 2015

Read the latest ads here!

Monday, October 19

School Board–Dranesville District: Pete Kurzenhauser

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School Board Candidate for Dranesville District

School Board–Dranesville District: Janie Strauss

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Janie Strauss is a candidate for the Dranesville School Board.

Saturday, October 17

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Vienna: Ebersole's Big Night Helps Madison Beat South Lakes

Warhawks win sixth straight, improve to 4-0 in Conference 6.

The Madison football team defeated South Lakes 38-6 on Friday.

Friday, October 16

Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: September, 2015

In September, 2015, 98 homes sold between $2,230,000-$235,000 in the Vienna and Oakton area.

Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: September, 2015

Thursday, October 15

Halloween Events in Vienna, McLean and Great Falls

Spooky, scary in Vienna, McLean and Great Falls.

Weekend in Vienna, McLean, Great Falls

So many fun things to do, so little time. It's the weekend in your neighborhood.

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Fairfax Station: First Decoding Dyslexia 5K Held at Burke Lake

Raising awareness, advocating for more services in schools

When Fairfax resident Calvin Rizek was in first grade, he remembers not being able to read along with the class, but “just flipping pages, like everyone else.”

Fairfax County: Sexual Violence Task Force Presents Recommendations

A Fairfax County task force established in March to review the state of sexual violence education and awareness presented a set of recommendations to the Board of Supervisors at their Sept. 29 meeting.

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Fairfax County: School Board To Discuss Delay for Presidential Primary

To alleviate congestion and chaos at 165 of the 196 Fairfax County schools and centers that double as polling places, the Fairfax County Board of Elections requested the School Board look at delaying school two hours on March 1, 2016 for the presidential primary.

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Fairfax County: Police Commission Calls for Auditor, Civilian Review Board

Unanimous recommendations head to supervisors in wake of John Geer shooting, transparency missteps.

After six months of meetings, the Ad Hoc commission created by Board of Supervisors chairman Sharon Bulova to review police practices has concluded its primary work. Chair of the commission’s Independent Oversight and Investigations subcommittee Jack Johnson presented that group’s final recommendations to the full commission on Oct. 8.

Editorial: Closer Look at School Spending

Report: Local schools spend less to educate more challenging students.

Since Fiscal Year 2009, Alexandria Public Schools has reduced per pupil spending by 13.3 percent, adjusted for inflation.

Wednesday, October 14

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A Hero in Vienna

Vienna’s Agrawal is one of CNN’s Top Ten Heroes of 2015.

What is the difference between a stray animal and a human being?

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Chairman Candidates Offer Stark Differences

Anti-taxer Arthur Purves challenging incumbent Chairman Sharon Bulova.

Sharon Bulova is exactly where she wants to be. “I believe in local government. It’s where the rubber hits the road, and where you’re closest to your constituents,” said Bulova, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, the top elected official in Fairfax County.

Classified Advertising October 14 , 2015

Read the latest ads here!

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Vienna/Reston: Madison Football to Host South Lakes in Battle of 5-1 Teams

Seahawks beat rival Herndon Friday, Warhawks beat Marshall.

The Madison football team will host South Lakes on Oct. 9.

Monday, October 12

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Animals Lead Blessed Lives in Vienna

Blessing of the animals resume after bad weather.

The blessing of the animals at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna took place on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Week in Vienna

Weekly happenings in Vienna

Vienna Police Highlights

Incidents from Oct. 2-8

Incidents from Oct. 2-8

Volunteer Events & Opportunities

Volunteer opportunities.

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$75 Billion Global Cybersecurity Market

Northern Virginia is “hotbed for cyber security entrepreneurship.”

With all its sophistication and intricacies, cybersecurity starts with a simple premise.

Thursday, October 8

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“They’re Not Alone”

New domestic violence victims screening tool launches in Fairfax County.

Fairfax County is taking a step forward to reduce the deaths among victims of domestic violence. According to the police department, county domestic violence hotlines receive over 240 calls each month.

Wednesday, October 7

Classified Advertising October 7 , 2015

Read the latest ads here!

Tuesday, October 6

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Kitchen Remodeling, Dining for Two in Oak Hill

There's no doubt that the concept of a family kitchen has been radically altered in the past few decades.

More than 800 Compete in Northern Virginia Senior Olympics

Pickleball closes out two-weeks of Olympic events

With more than 40 events ranging from Scrabble to shotput, the Senior Olympics was conducted across Northern Virginia at two dozen locations ranging from Loudoun Country to Arlington and around Fairfax; 819 Northern Virginia seniors participated in this year’s games.

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Overcoming downsizing decorating dilemmas

Downsizing can present some furnishings and decorating dilemmas? What do we keep? What will work in new spaces? How do I make some rooms multi-functional? And what about all that memorabilia?

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It Takes a Village

Local groups help seniors socialize, manage everyday tasks.

When Penelope Roberts, 73, of Alexandria, Virginia, had knee replacement surgery last month, she knew she would be out of commission for several weeks.

Editorial: Vote Now to Avoid the Earthquake

Early voting available for most voters now; vote by Nov. 3.

The news is all about Donald, Hilary, Bernie, Carlie, Joe and Jeb. That’s next year, November 2016. The election in less than a month matters here in Northern Virginia. What are your priorities?

Bulova Welcomes Leadership Fairfax ’s Class of 2016

Leadership Fairfax’s 10-month LFI Signature Program started off the year with two inspiring opening days at Reston Association on Sept. 25 and 26.

McLean Community Center Helps Residents with Retirement

This fall, McLean Community Center (MCC) has put together a five-part series called “Are You Ready for the Rest of Your Life?”

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St. Mark Catholic School Receives Blue Ribbon Award

St. Mark Catholic School, in Vienna, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to receive the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award.

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Oktoberfest Vienna Draws Crowds

In spite of the remnants of rain from Hurricane Joaquin, the crowds were large at the Town of Vienna's annual Oktoberfest celebration last Saturday, Oct. 3

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Television and Big-Screen Comic Comes to Vienna

Comedian and inspirational speaker Mack Dryden headlines benefit for Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna.

When the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna (SCPV) hosts a fundraiser, it does so big-time, pulling in professional artists esteemed in their fields.

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In Vienna - the Show Must Go On

Despite renovation woes, The Vienna Theatre Company presents an evening of one-acts.

Although their home at the Vienna Community Center may be under construction, the Vienna Theatre Company is as active as ever.

Friday, October 2

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Hats for Ellie

Local organization collects hats for children with cancer.

When the school year began in 2013, Jay Coakley, a physical education teacher at Woodburn Elementary School in Falls Church noticed that one of his kindergarten students had an affinity for brightly colored hats.

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Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Oct. 2-11, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Thursday, October 1

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Fairfax County: Candidates Meet on Fairfax Public Access

Clerk, Sheriff and Soil & Water incumbents and challengers answer questions.

Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid wasted no time in bringing up the in-custody death of Natasha McKenna during her opening remarks. Kincaid said the loss of life, which occurred in February following an incident where a team of Sheriff’s deputies was attempting to transport McKenna to Alexandria police and deployed a taser on her four times, continues to weigh heavily on her.

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146 Fairfax County Schools Energy Star-Certified

New Auditor General also appointed at Sept. 24 meeting

In the last year and a half, Fairfax County Public Schools have been able to reduce the energy consumption in their buildings by 15 percent. That cut down resulted in savings of $4.5 million, according to a release Sept. 25 by the school system.

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Fairfax County: West Nile Cases Even with Five-Year Average

There have been just three documented cases of West Nile Virus in Fairfax County so far in 2015, equaling the previous five-year average, according to Fairfax County Health Department public safety information officer John Silcox.