Finding New Ways to Celebrate in Vienna and McLean
Area high school graduates miss the opportunity to say bye to school, friends.
The end of the school year in high school is filled with spirit weeks, prom, and for seniors, a graduation ceremony. So, when COVID-19 caused in-person classes to stop and postponed or cancelled events like prom and graduation, many students didn’t get the opportunity to finish out the year with the typical celebrations and traditions.
George Floyd on Our Minds
While protests spread coast to coast, and local law enforcement condemn the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, data show that police use of force locally targets African Americans disproportionately.
Northern Virginia Teens Weigh in on Reopening the Region
Missing ‘normal life,’ cautious about reopening too early.
The Northern Virginia area is set to start phase one of reopening this Friday, May 29; local high school and college students weigh in on the matter, many saying they don’t think the region is ready to go back to normal.
Orange Line Stations Closing All Summer
Metro’s platform project continues; riders urged to seek other routes.
Last summer it was the blue line’s turn; this summer it’s the orange line stations closing, part of WMATA’s Platform Improvement Project. The Vienna, Dunn Loring, and both East and West Falls Church Metro Stations, as well as all Silver Line service, will be closed from May 23 through Sept. 7, WMATA said. West Falls Church Metro Station will remain open as both Silver and Orange Line trains can pass through the closed stations but will not stop at them.
New Mayor to Work for #OneVienna
Linda Jane Colbert grew up in Vienna and looks at her new position as an opportunity for all.
In a local election last week, Vienna now has a new mayor, Linda Colbert, who has deep roots in the town and a few goals in mind that surround her campaign slogan of “#OneVienna.”
Helping Combat Loneliness in Northern Virginia
Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna-Reston-Herndon adjusts its services to continue serving the elderly from a distance.
Despite COVID-19 related closures and social distancing measures, Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna-Reston-Herndon continues to serve the elderly community through a new no-contact food delivery program and virtual classes.
Organizing Boxes of Old Photos
The daunting project can be broken down into smaller tasks.
Stacks of boxes containing thousands of photographs line the walls of the basement in Alice Denson’s Fairfax home. For the past five years, the 73-year old mother and grandmother has promised herself and her family that she would begin the monumental task of sorting and organizing the photos.
Fairfax County’s Week in COVID-19
Northern Virginia will open into Phase 1 on Thursday, May 28.
OPENING NOW: Northern Virginia will open into Phase 1 on Thursday, May 28.
Opinion: Column: Time Will Have Been Told
In two days I will have completed four weeks on my low iodine diet (no chocolate, no salt, no dairy, no bread) with four days remaining until my one-night hospital admission and subsequent seven-day medical quarantine at home.
Reduced Budget For Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County School Board has approved the revised Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21) budget. The budget, revised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced the previously recommended transfer increase from Fairfax County from $85.5 million to $7.3 million and includes a reduction of $4.8 million from the state. Along with other budget cuts, the total amount of the FY 21 budget was reduced by $67.0 million.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Local TraceX Team Develops Contact Tracing App
Since late February, our small team of UVA and Notre Dame students has been working on developing an early model of a bluetooth-based contact tracing app called TraceX.
Wakefield and Lorton Farmers Markets Scheduled to Open
Two more Fairfax County Farmers Markets will open next week. The Wakefield Market in Wakefield Park will open for the season on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, and the Lorton Market at the Lorton VRE parking lot will open on Sunday, May 31, 2020.
Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Keeping Nursing Home Residents Safe
On behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), I’d like to thank all those who work in nursing facilities -- doctors, nurses, food preparers, housekeepers, and others -- for their unwavering dedication to compassionately caring for the vulnerable residents who are relying on them during the COVID-19 pandemic. These facilities have been on the front lines of the pandemic, and our hearts are with all of those who have been affected by this virus and their families.
Opinion: Column: Time Will Tell
Nearly three weeks into my low iodine diet, in preparation for my hospital overnight on May 28 when I will get my radioactive iodine therapy, to be followed immediately by a medical quarantine at home for a week, I wouldn't say I'm thriving. More like persevering. I can't really satiate eating "rabbit" food, and what culinary pleasures I can enjoy, I can only have them in small quantities and infrequently at that. I won't give you a list, but just consider what any 10-year-old likes to eat.
Fairfax County Parks Reopening Begins in Time for Memorial Day Weekend
The Park Authority has begun reopening of parking lots and parks in the park system to be open for the Memorial Day weekend. Park Authority staff will begin the process of clearing barricades and opening parking lots at all 427 parks for the community on Wednesday, May 20 through Friday, May 22. These parks will reopen for limited use in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidelines from the Virginia Governor’s office and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.