Thursday, March 31
New decision-making training meant to alter how Fairfax County police officers approach use of force
Making decisions can be instinctual, from the gut. It can also be practical and informed, coming to the best judgement considering all variables. For police officers responding to calls where there might be a threat of violence to civilians and or themselves, their decision whether to use force and which type to neutralize the situation quickly must be a hybrid.
Spontaneous Combustion Ravages Oakton House
Oil-soaked rags was cause of fire said investigators.
A fire caused approximately $652,500 in damages to a house on Windsong Drive in Oakton on Tuesday, March 30 at 1:45 p.m.
Wednesday, March 30
Editorial: Money to Treat Addiction, Mental Health Issues
Affordable Care Act could pay for help, better health for 100,000 uninsured people in Virginia with mental illness or addiction issues.
Poor people without health insurance in Virginia are being unnecessarily tortured, in some cases to death, by a General Assembly that refuses to expand Medicaid.
Commentary: Congress Must Act on the Growing Opioid Epidemic
Our nation is in the midst of an exploding opioid epidemic.
Commentary: Progress on Ad Hoc Commission Recommendations
Thoughtfulness and deliberation should not be construed as resistance or foot dragging.
A tremendous amount of progress has already taken place to implement many of these recommendations.
Fairfax Connector Considering Service Changes, Seeks Public Input
Fairfax Connector is proposing service changes for implementation in June 2016.
Sex Trafficking Young Victims in Northern Virginia
Federal funds for gang task force expire April 1.
The first article in an occasional series on human sexual trafficking in Northern Virginia.
Tuesday, March 29
Week in Vienna
Weekly happenings in Vienna
Vienna Crime Reports
Notable incidents from the Vienna Police Department from March 18-24.
Letter: Barbara Comstock Is With Us
To the Editor
As I stood at the back of a packed community hall watching the Congresswoman launch her re-election bid, I realized just why she pulls support from so many diverse northern Virginians.
Vienna: Kilmer Middle School Librarian is Region’s Librarian of the Year
Gretchen Hazlin, head librarian at Kilmer Middle, has been named the 2016 Potomac Region Librarian of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL).
Vintage Radio Plays Come to Life in Vienna
Vienna Theatre Company reproduces two mysteries with humor and hard-boiled crime-solving.
The 18-month closure of the Vienna Community Center – renovation time – precipitated some scurrying around by groups that regularly used the center for programming and special events.
Eating Smart
Profile: Jean Janssen, force behind area’s Smart Markets.
Food shoppers should take their collective hats off to Jean Janssen. She is the motivating spirit behind the area’s Smart Markets
Letter: Where is Civilian review Panel?
To the Editor
Last October, the 40 strong Ad Hoc Commission to Review Police Procedures, set up by Chairman Bulova and her Board of Supervisors (BOS), unanimously adopted a large number of recommendations, which they submitted to the BOS.
Monday, March 28
ICYMI: Multiple Bear Sightings in Vienna/Oakton
Bears sighted on March 20, 23 and 24 in Vienna/Oakton.
Friday, March 25
Celebrating Easter and Spring
Lenten and Spring activities in Vienna, McLean and Great Falls.
Wednesday, March 23
Community Foundation for Northern Virginia Awards $380,000 in Local Grants
Five of 36 grant awardees speak at “Cocktails & Conversation” event.
When Lorton residents Marcy Mager and husband David Lunter’s daughter Michell Merhige was killed in 2009, they wanted to establish a scholarship in her honor but knew handling the financial logistics would be tricky.
Editorial: Purple State
Nonpartisan redistricting could support the best interests of the population, not the politicians.
Letter: Misleading Headline
To the Editor
The March 16-22 edition of The Connection carried an “Education=Learning=Fun” column headlined “Do You Keep a Gun In Your Home?” I thought the topic a bit unusual for that column.
Connolly Announces Re-Election Campaign
More than 1,000 attend annual St. Patrick's Day event.
On Thursday night, in front of more than 1,000 supporters who packed the Kena Shriners' Temple for his 22nd Annual St. Patrick's Day event, Gerry Connolly officially announced his re-election campaign for Congress in Virginia's 11th Congressional District.
Week in Vienna
Weekly happenings in Vienna
Vienna Teen Wins National Gold Medal in Art
Also receives $10,000 Scholarship at Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Razan Elbaba, 17, a senior at Oakton High School in Vienna, won the Gold Medal Portfolio and a $10,000 scholarship in the 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers in New York.
Vienna Crime Reports
Notable incidents from March 11-17 from the Vienna Police Department.
Spring Fun Has Sprung in Vienna
From food festivals to ViVa! Vienna! and things in between, warm weather events blossom in the Vienna area.
Some days, more than others, it appears that spring has finally sprung. Fortunately, events are planned and announced long before the last snowflake has fallen, giving the community things to look forward to …
BASIS.ed Alumni Reunite at Tysons Sheraton Premiere
School registration is underway for Tysons Corner’s new school, BASIS Independent McLean. The school will be located at 8000 Jones Branch Drive in McLean.
Classified Advertising March 23, 2016
Read the latest ads here!
Thursday, March 17
Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Springfield: Brain Injury Services honors volunteers and community partners
Maya Simbulan of Fairfax is thankful for being normal. The Lake Braddock Secondary School freshman would like to pursue work with computer graphics and plays electric wheelchair soccer.
Fairfax County Public Schools to Seek FEMA Relief Funds
Winter Storm Jonas, Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse 2.0 — no matter what it’s called, the county-crippling January 2016 blizzard cost Fairfax County Public Schools $7.2 million to pay for employee overtime compensation, additional contractors and equipment rental.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: February, 2016
In February, 2016, 63 homes sold between $1,525,000-$180,000 in the Vienna and Oakton area.
Vienna, Oakton Home Sales: February, 2016
Letter: Gerrymandering Promotes Partisanship and Polarization
To the Editor
Everywhere we turn today, the media is bombarding us with antics of the current presidential campaign.
Letter: Time to Speak Out for Quality of Life in Fairfax County
To the Editor
Fairfax County is a composite of many things that make the quality of life rich for people living here.
Caregiving
Workshops and seminars for seniors and caregivers.
Wednesday, March 16
Vienna: Oakton Girls’ Basketball Upset by Langley in State Semis
Cougars fall short at VCU for second straight season.
The Oakton girls' basketball team finished the season with a 29-1 record.
Celebrating Spring in Vienna, McLean and Great Falls
From Easter to St. Patrick's Day to the first blossoms, get ready for spring.
UVA Students to Tackle Global Health Issues
Area students among 52 scholarship recipients.
From studying honey as a wound-healing additive in Rwanda to assessing the effect of mobile banking on women in rural India, 52 University of Virginia students will use Center for Global Health scholarships this summer to address public health problems in the far-flung corners of the globe.
Oakcrest Awards Scholarships
Oakcrest School in McLean awarded scholarships to Maria Luisa Bertolini, current Oakcrest eighth grade student, and Angela Diaz-Bonilla, a homeschooled student, as the recipients of the Class of 2020 Veritas Award.
Serving Creative Wine Dinners
Profiles: Edwin Amaya and Moreno Espinoza of Wildfire.
Sometimes in life, two heads are better than one.
Week in Vienna
Weekly happenings in Vienna
Vienna Crime Reports
Notable incidents from the Town of Vienna Police Department from March 4-10.
Vienna: Presidential Must-Read
If praise from a former U.S. president, and a Foreword by another is any evidence, local author David Priess has hit the target with his first book.
Vienna: History Revisited at Thoreau Middle
At school’s Speakeasy Day students showcase projects of their choice and immerse themselves in Roaring Twenties culture.
Standing in the corner of the school’s library, Nathaniel Kurtis, a seventh-grade student at Thoreau Middle School, stood behind his poster and lego model of a truck and plane that he would soon present to his teachers and peers.
Tuesday, March 15
Vienna: Fun Things To Do in the Area on Spring Break
You don’t have to fly to have fun.
Not everyone wants to get on an aircraft during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. Fortunately, if you live in the Vienna area, there are lots of fun things to do that other Americans pay to do (hint: no hotels, no flights).
Basheer & Edgemoore Introduces New Neighborhood at Maymont
Basheer & Edgemoore has announced their final encore at the National Community of the Year, Maymont, near Tysons.
Real Food for Kids' Culinary Challenge
11 teams of middle and high school students compete in school food competition.
Eleven teams of middle and high school students competed in the fourth annual Real Food for Kids' Culinary Challenge on Saturday, March 12 at Robinson Secondary School.
Mission: Promoting Peace
22 students or student groups receive the Student Peace Award, for their efforts to promote peace.
With causes ranging from anti-bullying efforts to human trafficking awareness to interfaith dialogue, students in Fairfax County were recognized for their peacemaking efforts at the 11th Annual Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County on March 13.
Encouraging STEM-curious Youth
Third Annual STEM Symposium draws a crowd at the Nysmith School.
“We need people in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields today, tomorrow and as far as we can envision.”
No E-Z Answers on I-66
VDOT’s Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway meeting leaves public waiting for answers.
There were also questions and comments of a financial nature.
And the Winner Is...
Wakefield Forest Elementary School student to compete at Scripps’ National Spelling Bee.
After 11 rounds of competitive play, fourth grade student Eric Kim, from Wakefield Forest Elementary School, was declared the champion for correctly spelling every word thrown at him.
Private Schools: When Leaving Unexpectedly
Spring is time to commit to one’s school of choice.
When Ashley and Clark Leonard enrolled their son in a local independent school, they were excited about the prospect of him thriving in a new, smaller academic environment.
Editorial: Homelessness on Its Way Out in Fairfax
Homelessness should be rare, brief and non-recurring; 776 fewer homeless individuals in 2016 than in 2008.
Homelessness is down in Fairfax County in every major category, a fact confirmed on Jan. 28, 2016, the annual Point in Time Count.
Legislative Wrap-Up Forum
Learn what your area legislator did during the Virginia General Assembly.
FCPL to Hold Community Forum
Fairfax County Public Libraries will hold community forums to see public opinion on what is needed in the community.
‘Do You Keep a Gun in Your Home?’
Starting conversations about gun safety can help prevent play date tragedies.
Starting the conversation felt awkward. After all, she didn’t want to offend another parent.
Monday, March 14
It Takes a Village
Campaign designed to end homelessness in Fairfax County.
When speaking with Kathy Albarado, one might not guess that she’d experienced periods of homelessness as an adolescent.
Thursday, March 10
Fairfax County: Commonwealth's Attorney Finds No Criminality in Paul Guida In-Custody Death
After a determination from the medical examiner that Falls Church resident Paul Guida, 68, died of natural causes while in the Sheriff’s custody at the Fairfax County Detention Center, Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh concluded there was no evidence of criminality associated with involved law enforcement or staff at the jail.
Commentary: A Step Backwards for Virginia
Virginia New American leaders respond to the nomination of Ken Cuccinelli for the State Supreme Court.
From immigration to contraception to climate change denial to LGBT rights, Ken Cuccinelli has built a career on extreme conservative positions that are out of step with Virginia today.
Wednesday, March 9
Great Falls: Langley Girls' Basketball Upsets Oakton in State Semifinals
Saxons hold previously unbeaten Cougars to 18 points through three quarters.
The Langley girls' basketball team will face Cosby in tonight's state championship game.
Tuesday, March 8
Commentary: Supervisor Hudgins on Proposed County Budget
“I remain committed to all our county residents and to our school system and would like to share the following information.
Volunteer Events and Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities in Fairfax County.
Letter: Lifting Stigma from Drug Users
To the Editor
I believe that your in-depth look at Northern Virginia’s heroin subculture (“Police Arrest 20 for Heroin Use in One Day,” Connection, March 2-8, 2016) ) was a step in the right direction towards helping to lift the stigma from drug users.
Letter: Questioning (Some) Rules
To the Editor
I have two children in the Fairfax County School System.
Laptop Donations in Fairfax County
Help homeless youth in Fairfax County by donating laptops and tablets. Donate a working laptop or tablet through Friday, March 11.
Washington International Horse Show Seeks Junior Committee Members
Washington International Horse Show seeks applications for the 2016 WIHS Youth Ambassador and Junior Committee programs. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 1.
Vienna and McLean: Celebrating the Persian New Year
The Nowruz Festival will be held Sunday, March 13 at Tysons Corner Center.
Following 3,000 years of customs and traditions, the colorful Nowruz Festival -- the Persian New Year celebration -- will be held on Sunday, March 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Week in Vienna
Weekly happenings in Vienna.
Vienna Crime Reports
Notable incidents from the Town of Vienna Police Department from Feb. 26 to March 3.
Vienna: Umbria Olive Oil on Area Tables
From the rolling countryside of Umbria to the neighborhoods of Vienna, local oral surgeon brings the best of the best to local tables.
What do you call Washingtonian Magazine’s “Top Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon” living out his alter-ego dream in a parallel universe --- overseeing production of 100 percent pure Italian olive oil and importing the finished product to the U.S?
Vienna: Capitol Steps to Perform at Madison High
Capitol Steps – the renowned political comedy troupe -- will perform at James Madison High School auditorium on Sunday, March 13, at 4 p.m.
Vienna: Elegant Temptations
Sweet secrets of Silva’s Patisserie in Vienna.
Probably the most delightful gift comes wrapped in sugar, or chocolate or a sweet glaze.
Editorial: Making Good Choices on Saint Patrick’s Day
Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), will offer the 2016 St. Patty’s Day SoberRide program, providing free cab rides to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area next Thursday, March 17.
Editorial: Bringing Back the Electric Chair
In a world: Barbaric.
No doubt Virginia and Texas will be the last two states to continue with the death penalty until, inevitably, evolving standards of decency lead the U.S. Supreme Court to declare that the death penalty is unconstitutional.
Nanny Suites Add Value
High-end live-in quarters attract au pairs and can increase property values.
When Peggy Delinois Hamilton relocated to the Washington, D.C. area and began working full-time after spending eight years as an at-home mother of two children, childcare was one of her top concerns.
Remodeled Home Tour Set for March 12
Home evolves from center hall colonial to open plan with boldly original finishes.
To satisfy a couple's evolving lifestyle requirements, Sun Design Remodeling dramatically reconfigured the home's first level, introducing a “kitchen-centric” plan that better supports everyday uses and entertainment needs.
Buying or Selling?
A primer for doing either and avoiding pitfalls.
Here we are, once again right on the heels of the spring/summer real estate season when it seems like “For Sale” signs become the most common lawn ornament or condo window decoration.
Teen Trafficking Awareness Event in Springfield
West Springfield High School and Just Ask Prevention Project will hold an awareness night to address the issue of sex trafficking in the region on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at West Springfield High School, 6100 Rolling Road, Springfield.
FCPS Students Named to 2016 Virginia Honors Choir
High school and middle school students named to honors choir.
Vienna: Hot Start Propels Oakton to State Semifinals
Cougars open with 20-2 run against Woodbridge.
The Oakton girls' basketball team beat Woodbridge in the 6A state quarterfinals.
Thursday, March 3
Fairfax County: Commission Recognizes Outstanding Women in Government Work
Edwyna Wingo of the Chantilly area began her career with Fairfax County as a nurse in the Health Department on Sep. 1, 1965 and worked her last full day Oct. 1, 2011.
Police Arrest 20 for Heroin Use in One Day
Operation Save-a-Life offered low-level offenders the chance at recovery treatment rather than jail time.
On Wednesday, Feb. 24, Fairfax County Police served 20 arrest warrants, all for possession and or distribution of heroin.
Small Lifestyle Changes Can Have Big Impact
Researchers found that moderate weight loss improves health.
Dropping as little as five percent of one’s body weight can lead to significant health improvements, according to a new study published in the Cell Metabolism journal.
Managing Medication Can Be Challenging
“Let’s Talk about RxSM” helps seniors avoid prescription drug mishaps.
It was around 2 a.m. on a frigid winter night when Janet Russell was awakened from her sleep by the sound of woman calling for help.
Four-Cent Tax Rate Increase, with Side of Vitriol
Reconsideration hours later gives same result; board will consider putting meals tax to referendum in November.
Tuesday morning, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted for a four-cent tax rate increase, advertising a tax rate of $1.13 per $100 of assessed value.
Wednesday, March 2
Classified Advertising March 2, 2016
Read the latest ads here!
Tuesday, March 1
Vienna: Oakton Girls’ Basketball Repeats as Region Champion
Cougars will face Woodbridge in state quarterfinals.
The Oakton girls' basketball team won its second straight region title.