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Alex McVeigh

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County Plans For Future of Senior Center

Early stages of Lewinsville Senior Center redevelopment begin.

Fairfax County held a public meeting about the proposed redevelopment of the Lewinsville Senior Center in McLean. The building was built in 1964, and Paula Sampson, director of Housing and Community Development, said this is a project the county has been looking at for years.

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McLean Chamber Welcomes New Board

Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce hosts winter gala.

The Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce welcomed their 2012 Board of Directors at their Winter Gala at the Gannett Headquarters building Friday, March 2. The 11-member board, as well as Chairman Merritt Green, First Vice-Chairman John Brough and Second Vice-Chairman Marcus Simon were sworn in by James S. Cheng, Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade.

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Telling Tales of the Rail

Historic Trusts hosts program on railroad history.

The Reston Historic Trust presented the story of the Alexandria Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad, which later became the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad at the Reston Community Center Lake Anne Thursday, Feb. 23. Local historians Ron Beavers and Paul McCray told the story of the line, which began in Alexandria in 1847.

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Reston Resident Tracks History Through Advertisements

Jay Paull runs website featuring thousands of vintage ads.

Jay Paull’s love of advertisements is practically genetic. His great-grandfather was an early publisher in West Virginia, and his daughter (Paull’s grandmother) started to collect those early publications. They’ve been passed down from generation to generation, with each one adding more advertisements to the collection.

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Riverbend Kicks Off Master Planning Process

Master Plan will serve to update plan created in 1975.

The Fairfax County Park Authority kicked off the master planning process for Riverbend Park during a public meeting Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Grange. The 411-acre park, which includes more than two miles of land along the Potomac River, has been guided by a master plan that was created in 1975.

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MPA Begins 50th Anniversary Celebration

Organization hosts "pop-up" party in downtown McLean.

Fifty years ago, the McLean Project for the Arts began as a way for local artists to get together, meet the local community and sell a few paintings while they are at it. The organization has undergone many changes since then, establishing a gallery at the McLean Community Center and putting on several signature events per year, but it remains the same at its core.

Langley Leads Recycling Efforts

School will serve as pilot program for athletic field recycling.

Langley High School will serve as a pilot program for Fairfax County when it comes to recycling on the athletic fields during sporting events. The Langley Eco School club is spearheading the initiative, collecting grant money to purchase the recycling cans to be placed next to the regular trash cans.

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Great Dogs of Great Falls Offers Variety of Services for Pets

When it came time to choose a second career, Linda Waitkus wasn’t sure what to do. After 30 years of retail experience, including managing the Bloomingdale’s at Tysons Corner, she looked in several directions. But it wasn’t until she went to a meeting of a local women’s club that she got an idea.

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MCC, Park Authority Debate New Sign

Community Center board, Park Authority have mixed feelings about MCC sign.

The McLean Community Center has been working on changing and updating the sign at McLean Central Park, at the corner of Dolley Madison Boulevard and Old Dominion Drive for the past few years. But their plan for a new sign, on property owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority, might not be in keeping with the Park Authority's future plans for the park.

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Group Finds Homes for Abandoned or Displaced Pets

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation hosts weekly adoption events.

Since 2001, volunteers from the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation have gathered every weekend all over the area with one objective: to find homes for dogs and cats in need of rescue. The foundation holds 10 events per weekend, including two at the Petsmart in Tysons Corner.

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Brightview Specifications Presented to GFCA

Land Use and Zoning committee hears information on proposed assisted living facility.

The Great Falls Citizens Association’s Land Use and Zoning committee began hearing information on architectural specifications for the proposed Brightview assisted living facility. The facility, which was approved as a special exception by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last year, will be located off Colvin Run Mill where Thelma’s was previously located.

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RCA Names Citizen of Year

Nick Brown recognized for almost four decades of volunteer work.

When he moved to Reston in 1975, Nick Brown wasted no time getting involved with his community. Thirty-seven years later, he was named the Reston Citizen Association’s Citizen of the Year during a ceremony at the Reston Community Center Monday, Feb. 20.

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Making Their Mark at McLean Project for the Arts

Artist Renee Sandell hosts weekly gatherings during current exhibit.

Artist Renee Sandell is all about making her mark. In fact, she believes most of life is about people making their marks. That’s one of the reasons she has invited the community to participate in her exhibit, "Marking and Mapping: Finding Time, Space and Place," currently on display at the McLean Project for the Arts at the McLean Community Center.

Wolf Recalls Human Rights Crusades

Book tells his experiences with human rights violations around the world.

As a public servant for more than 30 years, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10) has had his share of experiences. But it was a trip to Ethiopia in 1984 that he calls a "life changing experience," because it opened his eyes to human rights violations around the globe.

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Langley Comes Up Big for Marshes

Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) recognized Langley community for supporting student through cancer battle.

When Langley High School volleyball player Maureen Marsh began experiencing knee pain her freshman year, doctors told her it was just growing pains. But the pain persisted, and trainers eventually found a small lump on her knee. A bone biopsy on Oct. 15, 2009 confirmed something else: a rare form of bone cancer known as osteosarcoma.

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Fashion Walks on the Wild Side at Langley High

Langley High School hosts annual fashion show.

The Langley High School auditorium was transformed into a scene from "The Jungle Book" Saturday night, as they hosted their annual fashion show, "Walk Into the Wild." Students, faculty and families strode on the runway showing the latest in jungle-themed fashions.

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Forum Examines Teen Dating Violence

Program addresses role of students, parents, bystanders.

Teenagers are often given statistics and lectures about what constitutes dating abuse, but the Feb. 9 program "What’s Love Got to do With it: Healthy Relationships and Dating" at McLean High School addressed the problem from a number of different angles.

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Romney Addresses Technology Council

Presidential hopeful speaks on importance of innovation.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council welcomed Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney Friday, Feb. 10 at the Hyatt Regency Reston. The former Massachusetts governor spoke about his experiences in the world of business and the importance of allowing innovation to flourish.

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Center Seeks Donated Dresses

RCC collects for annual Diva Central dress drive.

The Reston Community Center is collecting gently used formal dresses, shoes, jewelry, handbags and other accessories for students who would otherwise be unable to afford prom attire as part of their annual Diva Central dress drive.

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County Opens Proposal Process for Crescent Apartments

Requests for proposals are aimed to enhance affordable housing, aid in Lake Anne revitalization.

Fairfax County has started exploring opportunities to redevelop the Crescent Apartments, a 181-unit complex located just northeast of Lake Anne. The county began accepting Requests for Proposals Feb. 9.

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UPS Store Helps With Costs of Learning

Store presents $10,000 worth of books to local schools and learning centers.

There were piles of extra packages around the UPS Store in the South Lakes Village Center Friday, Feb. 10. The stacked white boxes weren’t being shipped around the country, instead they were filled with books destined for local learning centers.

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Best of Reston Named

Reston Interfaith, Chamber name annual award winners.

Four individuals and four organizations were named Best of Reston for 2012 at Google’s Reston headquarters Thursday. Feb. 2. The annual awards, which are awarded to those who serve their community, will be given at the 21st Best of Reston Awards April 12.

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Great Falls Seniors Group Seeks Input

Group looks for feedback from seniors with needs, interested volunteers.

The Great Falls Citizens Association’s Seniors Group is seeking input from the community’s senior population, as well as those who might be interested in volunteering to provide services to seniors. The group, which hosted a town hall meeting last year, hopes to work with community organizations such as the Great Falls Ecumenical Council, Share, Inc and other nonprofits.

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Extra Space Breaks Ground in Downtown McLean

Personal storage facility will be in office-like building, will contribute to downtown revitalization.

Fairfax County officials joined with members of the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, the McLean Planning Committee and the McLean Revitalization Corporation to break ground on a new personal storage facility Wednesday, Feb. 1.

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Great Falls Plans for Future of Resources

Grange, Forestville Schoolhouse, Riverbend Park to be discussed at meetings this month.

As Great Falls prepares for its future, two meetings this month will help the community decide what the next generation holds for several major landmarks.

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Colvin Run Uses Service Learning

Volunteers package more than 25,000 meals at Stop Hunger Now event.

Colvin Run Elementary School Principal Stephen Hockett thought everything was all set for the school’s Stop Hunger Now event Saturday. Friday evening he was putting the finishing touches on the setup in the gym when the alert came out: Fairfax County Public Schools were closed Saturday.

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Great Falls Looks Ahead to 2012

Great Falls Looks Ahead to 2012

Last year saw progress on several issues around Great Falls, issues that will affect residents for generations to come.

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Fire Station Holds Onto History

Firefighters repair historic bell in front of station.

For more than 50 years, the original Great Falls fire station housed the men and women of the Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department.

Great Falls Honors Those Who Serve

Freedom Memorial hosts annual Memorial Day Ceremony.

Langley senior Matthew Goudreau knows all about being in a military family. His mother was in the Navy and his brother is currently serving in the Marines on the USS Enterprise. So when the Thomas a Beckett Youth Choir and Ensemble, of which Goudreau is a member, was asked to perform at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial for Memorial Day, he was more than willing.

Swimmers Take to Lake Audubon

Reston Masters Swim Team hosts 24th annual lake swim.

For 24 years, the Reston Masters Swim Team has hosted a lake swim Memorial Day weekend, 22 of them taking place at Lake Audubon. The event is one of the only times each year that swimming is allowed in the lake. Shirley Loftus-Charley has participated in every one of those swims, dating back to her time living in Reston. Despite her decades of experience, this year was a first for her.

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