Thursday, August 30
Vienna/McLean/Great Falls Calendar, Aug. 29-Sept. 9
On Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls, meet Native Americans from the Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Rappahannock, Tauxenent, Upper Mattaponi tribes and the Monacan Nation. Come to see dance performances, learn about early Indian skills through the dug-out canoe demonstration and event try to shoot a bow and arrow. The festival will feature crafts for sale such as pottery, jewelry, flutes and dream catchers. $5. 703-759-9018, or http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend/events.htm.
Classified Advertising Aug 29, 2012
Read the latest Classified ads here!
McLean Home Sales: July, 2012
In July 2012, 110 homes sold between $3,150,000-$93,000 in the McLean and Falls Church area.
McLean Home Sales in July, 2012
Char-a-oke Anyone?
$1 million raised for Fairfax County Public Schools Education Foundation.
Listen, baby… "Ain't no mountain high. Ain't no valley low. Ain't no river wide enough, baby. If you need me, call me. No matter where you are. No matter how far."
911's Complete Failure
Fairfax County says Verizon "failed completely" during June 29 derecho.
"It’s like the captain of the Titanic telling passengers the ship hit an iceberg when the bow is on the bottom of the ocean floor." —Steve Souder, Fairfax County 911 Director
Letter: Separate and Unequal - II
Your editorial in the titled "Separate and Unequal ?" [The Connection, July 25-31, 2012], addressed the "eye-popping" disparately low admission of Black and Latino students to Thomas Jefferson High School, and the complaint that this was "in voilation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin."
Opinion: First Day of School Coming Up
And never too early for parents to get involved.
The first day of school in most of Northern Virginia is Tuesday, Sept. 4. We don't agree with having the General Assembly dictate the first day of school, requiring the start date to be after Labor Day, but starting school after Labor Day does seem more hospitable than the Aug. 27 start in many other areas.
495 Express Lanes Tested
On Tuesday, Aug. 21, 20 test vehicles traveled the newly completed section of the 495 Express Lanes as part of an on-road test.
McLean Woman Dies Following Car Crash and McLean Teens Assaulted
Police responded to 1856 Kirby Road for the report of a crash. On Tuesday, Aug. 21 shortly before 11 a.m., 81-year-old Beverly Sargent was in her car in her driveway getting ready to head to a local service station.
Michael Weiss Foundation Presents ‘Ice Champions LIVE’
Professional figure skater's foundation brings skating world stars to Northern Virginia.
ichael Weiss, three-time U.S. National Figure Skating Champion and two-time Olympian, is celebrating the eighth annual Michael Weiss Foundation "Ice Champions LIVE" event.
McLean Boy Scout Troop Receives Summer Camp Honors
Boy Scout Troop 1130, sponsored by Charles Wesley United Methodist Church in McLean, earned the Honor Troop Award at summer camp the week of July 29–Aug. 4 at Rodney Scout Reservation in North East, Md. In achieving the award, the troop received the highest marks, camp-wide, for a clean, safe campsite and participated in a number of camp-wide competitions and events. There were many highlights over the week.
MCC Offers Variety of Programs
The McLean Community Center is offering a bounty of options for classes, trips, special events and performances for residents this fall. The Center is located at 1234 Ingleside Ave.
Letter: It’s Income, Not Values
I think the suggestions in recent letters to the editor that the imbalance in admissions at TJ is the result of differing cultural priorities are mistaken.
President’s Advisor Comes to McLean
Presidential friend and advisor Valerie Jarrett brought President Barack Obama’s pro women’s rights message to McLean.
Wednesday, August 29
Celebrating Middle Eastern Food, Culture
Holy Transfiguration Church hosts 12th annual food and culture festival on Labor Day weekend.
If you love freshly-roasted aromatic meats, rich syrupy pastries, exotic dance and music and very congenial people, you’ll love the ethnic food festival in McLean that brightens Labor Day weekend. For the 12th consecutive year, the parishioners of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church on Lewinsville Road are throwing its annual Middle Eastern Food Festival on Saturday, Sept. 1, and Sunday, Sept. 2.
MCC Budget to Be Discussed
The Governing Board of the McLean Community Center (MCC) will hold a finance committee meeting of the whole and a public hearing on the center’s proposed fiscal year 2014 budget in September. The center is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue.
McLean Area AAUW Used Book Sale on Sept. 14-16
The McLean Area American Association of University Women (AAUW) is holding its 43rd Annual Used Book Sale Sept. 14-16 at the McLean Community Center to raise money in support of AAUW’s mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Names Interim Executive Director
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) Board of Directors announced the appointment of Galen Wixson as its interim executive director through December of 2012. Galen currently serves as the executive director of The Guitar Foundation of America where he has guided the organization through a transition to a new governance and management model, leading to several new program initiatives.
FCPD Traffic Safety Efforts Recognized
The Fairfax County Police Department was recently recognized by two prestigious law enforcement organizations which evaluate police traffic safety programs across the commonwealth and the nation.
Column: Diagnosed But Not Sick
Having/being diagnosed with cancer/a terminal disease is neither fun nor funny; however, unless I find some humor or wishful thinking in how I approach this situation, I don’t suppose I’ll be approaching it much longer. To me, it’s always been mind over matter, and even though these matters are rather serious, I still don’t mind.
Tuesday, August 28
Beach Mill Bridge Postponed
Replacement of temporary bridge will begin June 2013.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has postponed the scheduled replacement of the bridge over Nichols Run on Beach Mill Road. Originally scheduled to close from Aug. 13 to December, construction has been pushed back, and will start after the 2012-13 school year lets out.
Analemma Raises Funds for Sundial
Sundial designer speaks at library on dial proposed for Observatory Park.
While most of the tools available at Observatory Park at Turner Farm are designed to look upward, there are plans for additional features on the ground as well. The Analemma Society, which hosts programs and facilities at Observatory Park, is raising funds to build a second sundial.
Teen Center Throws Block Party
Old Firehouse Teen Center hosts revamped annual event.
The Old Firehouse Teen Center in downtown McLean hosted their annual block party on Saturday, Aug. 25, opening up their center for a variety of activities. The event featured the second annual McLean Teens Got Talent variety show, contests between acts and other arts and crafts opportunities.
How To Register, Vote and Vote Early
Election Day is Nov. 6, but you can vote as early as Sept. 21.
How important is it for Virginia voters to turn out on or before Nov. 6? As a critical “battleground” state, Virginia will be key in determining who will be the next President of the United States. Who will represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate is also too close to call. Since polling shows that there are very few undecided voters in the Commonwealth, every eligible voter will want to be sure to cast a ballot.
Monday, August 27
Mount Vernon: From a Boy Scout’s Perspective
I was reading your newspaper online, and noticed your request for people to write about their experiences and interests in the community. I thought it would be interesting to write to you from the perspective of Boy Scouts in the Mount Vernon area.
Friday, August 24
North Fairfax County Calendar, Aug. 24-Sept. 2
Events to get you out and about in the area.
Breeze through the events calendar and pick up a few events to spice up and fill out your week.
Opinion: Mindless Slashing
Automatic cuts set to kick in January would harm Northern Virginia more than any other region.
While reducing the federal deficit is critical to the nation's economic health in the long run, the knee jerk, slash and burn method based only on cuts that is coming at us like a freight train will do immense damage to the economy nationally. But no place would feel the pain more intensely than Northern Virginia.
A Year in Fairfax County
A sampling of some of the cherished, annual events of the county.
A sampling of some of the cherished, annual events of the county.
Raising Wally and Polly
A McLean family finds, raises baby squirrels.
It was back in the 1970s in McLean. Coming home from school one afternoon, our two younger children, Lisa, 9, and Steven, 7, found a tiny rolled-up ball of fur lying under the maple tree out in front of our Lemon Road house. It was too big to be a baby mouse and too small to be a baby kitten. It turned out to be a baby squirrel which must have fallen out of a nest high up in the tree out in front. Bill hauled out his trusty painter’s ladder, rested it up against the trunk, climbed up and put the tiny creature back into its nest. He said there was another baby already up there.
Thursday, August 23
State Senator Shares Places-to-See
Q&A With Chap Petersen
Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen (D-34) represents central and western Fairfax in the Virginia State Senate. He grew up and lives in Fairfax City.
Wednesday, August 22
Classified Advertising Aug. 22, 2012
Read the latest Home and Garden, Employment and Classifieds here!
Column: Life in the Cancer Lane
Having been there and done that now for three and a half years certainly helps. And however familiar it may be and/or has become, it doesn’t exactly help to pass the time or affect the results, unfortunately. Cancer sucks! That much is clear. Now and in the future.
Great Falls Exxon Station to Close
Community concerned about losing one of two gas stations, TD Bank preparing application for site.
The Exxon station at the corner of Walker Road and Georgetown Pike will cease pumping gas Sept. 1, and will cease all operations by March of next year. Starting Sept. 1, the underground fuel tanks will be removed, which will cease pumping gas. The current service operator will maintain services until February 2013, then they will move to the Shell service station across the street.
Community Meets at Old Brogue
Katie’s Coffee House, Cars and Coffee, traditional Irish fare are signatures of local restaurant.
On most Saturday mornings, Matt Borland of Falls Church is up before sunrise, washing and waxing his red and white 1965 Mustang. Though Saturday is only one of two mornings during the week Borland doesn’t have to be in Washington, D.C. by 8 a.m., he doesn’t mind getting up early, he has a purpose.
Great Falls Has Development Standards
Comprehensive plan, community involvement, designed to keep semi-rural character.
With an area of just under 18 square miles and one of the lowest densities in the county, Great Falls is designed to have a semi-rural character. The Great Falls Citizens Association, a non-partisan committee made up of residents, has as a primary goal to "preserve the historic, low density semi-rural character of Great Falls and its natural resources."
Main Street Envisioned for McLean
What is in store for downtown McLean?
While Tysons Corner is where most of the attention, construction and business headquarters are located, McLean’s actual downtown is a much more traditional downtown area. Home to local businesses and nationally acclaimed restaurants, McLean’s downtown is also undergoing some improvements of its own.
A Center of Community Life
McLean Community Center offers something for everybody.
Founded in 1970, the McLean Community Center aims to connect residents of almost every age and interest. It is funded by a tax district that collects 2.2 cents for every $100 of assessed real estate value in the district.
Friday, August 17
Nearly 800 Jobs Added to the Local Economy
Information technology firms and professional service companies see growth.
Information technology firms continue to do well in a sluggish economy, according to a new report from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). During the second quarter of 2012, the FCEDA provided services and resources to 33 businesses that are adding almost 800 jobs in Fairfax County. Most of these businesses are in the information technology and professional services sectors and four are foreign-based firms using a Fairfax County location to expand in North America.
Minority-Owned Businesses Prosper in Fairfax County
Companies generate more than $1 billion in revenue and provide more than 1,000 jobs.
Businesses owned by Hispanics, African-Americans and women shine in Fairfax County, according to the latest national rankings for largest or fastest-growing companies. "Fairfax County is proud to be a community in which companies of all descriptions can and do succeed to a greater extent than in the rest of the region, the state or the country," said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which supports and monitors the growth of local businesses. Eleven Fairfax County-based companies are among the 500 largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the nation based on revenue — more than the total in 40 states, according to a recent report by HispanicBusiness.com. The Fairfax County companies are among 22 from Virginia on the 2012 Hispanic Business 500 list.
Time for School
Advice on how to transition from a laid-back summer to a hectic academic year.
When Ellen Feldman’s 5-year-old son started school for last fall, one of the biggest adjustments for the single mother of two was having to adhere to a schedule. “All of a sudden we went from being able to do things on our own time frame to having to wake up and be at a certain place at a certain time,” said Feldman. “Sending my son off to school for the first time was exciting, but also difficult.”
Thursday, August 16
Editorial: Starting School Prepared
First day of school is Sept. 4; local nonprofits provide school supplies and weekend food.
With school beginning in a few weeks, area charitable organizations have been collecting contributions of new backpacks, calculators, other school supplies, money and gift cards and winter coats to help the tens of thousands of truly needy Northern Virginia students.
Classified Advertising Aug. 15, 2012
Read the latest Classified, Home and Garden and Employment!
Teaching a Love of Music
Summer Strings Camp culminates in concert.
At the Summer Strings Camp, young musicians come together to share a love of music and gain experience playing in an orchestra. Held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean, the camp runs for seven days and culminates in a concert to showcase the students’ best material.
Wednesday, August 15
Column: A Pill a Day…
Hopefully will keep the cancer at bay. (I’d say “away,” but let’s be realistic, three and a half years past a NSCLC diagnosis, there is no way, generally speaking, that stage IV lung cancer disappears into the ether; it’s classified as stage IV for a reason.
Tuesday, August 14
Langley Fork Master Plan Delayed
Park authority to conduct additional studies of 54-acre park.
The Fairfax County Park Authority has announced a delay in the master planning process for Langley Fork Park, a 54-acre site located just north of the intersection of Georgetown Pike and Dolley Madison Boulevard. The park, which contains two diamond fields, two rectangle fields, basketball courts and a fitness trail, is owned by the National Park Service.
Monday, August 13
Letter: No Enemies on TJ Admissions Front
To the Editor:
FCPS is not being honest, straightforward or holding itself accountable for the fact that too few of these disadvantaged kids are achieving as well as others relative to their populations and too few are fostered appropriately so they can be identified for and take advantage of advanced curricula, including advanced academic programs (AAP) and thence TJ and high school honors, AP and IB programs. The leaders in this system have had years to figure out how to make serious improvements, but they have hidden and spun or not even bothered to gather data and have excluded individuals and groups that could be partners in resolving this situation. Thus, we have a segregated system, as the data show.
Thursday, August 9
Classified Advertising Aug. 8, 2012
Read the lastest Classified, Employment and Home and Garden ads!
Should Virginia Compensate for Dark Days of Eugenics?
Del. Patrick Hope (D-44) asks governor and General Assembly to form a task force.
The number of victims is unknown in Virginia’s system of forced sterilization, a dark chapter that stretched from the 1920s into the 1970s.
Wednesday, August 8
Column: Derive to Survive
Now that I can taste food again, or rather have food taste like normal again, my attitude is much improved.
Promoting Art in the Community
MPA Honored by FCPS, Virginia State Senate and House and Fairfax County.
In honor of its 50 years of presenting the visual arts program to the McLean community, McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) has been honored by Fairfax County Public Schools, the Virginia State Senate and House and the County of Fairfax.
Artists Visit McLean Central Park
MPAartfest 2012 hosts orientation for artists.
MPAartfest Coordinator Amy Swaak and MPAartfest Artist Liaison chair, Molly Kelly Ryan, took some of the artists participating in this year's MPAartfest on a tour of McLean Central Park on Thursday, July 26.
Letter: Lifting People Up
Letter to the EditorTo the Editor: In response to the letter from Gina Ryan of Great Falls (“Rejecting a Fairy Tale, Connection, July 25-31, 2012), I would like her to answer a few questions: *Can she
In response to the letter from Gina Ryan of Great Falls (“Rejecting a Fairy Tale, Connection, July 25-31, 2012), I would like her to answer a few questions...
Expect Unexpected in ‘She Said, He Said’
An innovative look at musical favorites.
In a humorous musical production that bends the rules with "what if" playfulness, Falls Church's Katie Culligan joins forces with another Falls Church resident, pianist Walter (Bobby) McCoy, to give audiences a cabaret evening of "She said, He said: A Cabaret of Musical Theatre Oddities" at the Creative Cauldron on Falls Church.
Bob Alden Honored
Friends of the McLean Community Center Host ‘A Roast and Toast’ to community leader Bob Alden.
On Monday, July 30, the Friends of the McLean Community Center (MCC) honored long-time community organizer Robert Ames “Bob” Alden with “A Roast and Toast to Bob Alden” in The Alden theatre that was named after him.
MCA Seeks More Information on Tysons
County’s ‘Strawman’ plan missing key funding details, group says.
The McLean Citizens Association has expressed displeasure with the Fairfax County Planning Commission Tysons Corner’s set of recommendations for Tysons Corner redevelopment. The recommendations, called "Strawman," were released June 13, received public comment June 21 and were re-released July 18.
Nike Field to Handle 100-year Storm
Drainage in conjunction with turf field expected to hold 100-year storm.
In addition to adding synthetic turf to Nike Field #4, the Fairfax County Department of Environmental Services will add stormwater improvements to the area, which aim to help assuage local storm water drainage issues.
Thursday, August 2
Classified Advertising (Aug. 1, 2012)
Read the lastest Employment, Home and Garden and Classified ads!
Wednesday, August 1
Shakespeare at Madeira
Traveling Players Ensemble presents ‘As You Like It.’
After two weeks of touring throughout Virginia, the Traveling Players Ensemble returns home to perform Shakespeare's "As You Like It" at the Madeira School.
No Monocle Required
The All-Star musicians of Amadeus Concerts strive to make classical music accessible to everyone.
Everyone listens to the radio, occasionally spinning the dial and losing himself in it. Music can excite, comfort, agitate, and calm. Those who play an instrument can pick out different chords and notes, and appreciate the skill of each individual sound. Those who sing recognize pitches and octaves.
Clemyjontri Park Welcomes Wounded Warriors
Yellow Ribbon Fund hosts picnic for wounded military personnel and their families.
Three days of often-heavy rainfall and a dicey forecast was cause for some concern, but as if on cue, the clouds vanished and the sun shone down on the Yellow Ribbon Fund’s picnic on Sunday, July 22, in Clemyjontri Park in McLean.
Leadership Summit at Vinson Hall
A McLean Retirement Community chosen as service project site for Pat Tillman Leadership Summit.
As part of the third annual Pat Tillman Leadership Summit, Marie Tillman, Pat Tillman Foundation Co-Founder and President, joined 20 Tillman Military Scholars participating in a service project at Vinson Hall Retirement Community on Monday, July 22.
A Pathway for Today’s Heroine
McLean’s Alianna Maren celebrates one year of ‘Unveiling: The Inner Journey.’
Last week, McLean author, Alianna Maren’s living room was filled with fascinating women. There were old friends, and new friends, several of whom edited or contributed to her recent book, "Unveiling: The Inner Journey."
Greeting Preschoolers for 40 Years
Gloria Turner celebrates a rare anniversary.
Each weekday morning for the last 40 years, Gloria Turner has greeted bleary-eyed children, ages 2 to 5, and their parents who are hesitant to leave but watchful of the clock that’s calling them to their offices.
Column: Choosing My Words, Respectively
It has been brought to my attention by some regular Kenny-column readers – who are friends, too, and whose opinions I value, that my most recent batch of “cancer columns” (as I call them) were not funny; in fact, they were more depressing and negative than anything, and not nearly as uplifting and hopeful as many of my previous columns have been.
Weekly Entertainment (Vienna/McLean/Great Falls)
Entertainment in Vienna/McLean/Great Falls.
Getting a Body Like an Olympian
Local fitness gurus offer gold medal advice for achieving a toned, muscular body.
Muscular legs, toned abs and buffed biceps are hard to miss in London this week, but is it possible for the average sports fan to achieve a body like an Olympian? Local fitness experts say "maybe."
Taking Care of One’s Teeth
American Dental Association says many Americans don’t know basic oral care.
Here’s a pop quiz: How often should a person replace their toothbrush? "Once a year," said Terrie Andrews of McLean.
Beating Bad Breath
Dental experts offer solutions for chronic halitosis.
When Amanda Welch’s boyfriend asked her to marry him last spring, she accepted his proposal on one condition: that he find a cure for his bad breath.
Editorial: Readers Respond on TJ Admissions
"Stop making smart 8th graders feel inferior because they are not admitted."
Readers responded to last week's editorial, which cited a civil rights complaint about the apparent lack of access to gifted and talented programs and admission to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.