Stories for August 2015

Newcomers Guide: Who Runs McLean?

McLean Citizens Association continues to celebrate a century of citizen activism.

Newcomers Guide: What's New in McLean

An occasional series on development and land use in McLean.

The Best of Dranesville

Supervisor Foust recommends places to see in his district.

Dranesville residents love their parks. We are fortunate to have many wonderful parks, as well as historical sites and community events to enjoy. The following are some of my favorites.

Fairfax County: Meet the Candidates for County Board

All politics is local, in Fairfax County, too: Who runs for Board of Supervisors in November?

You may be surprised – or dismayed – to learn that the 10 men and women who occupy Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wield enormous power and influence over your everyday lives.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 28-Sept. 7, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Torres Trial Date Set for December

Bond denied for former police officer charged with murdering John Geer.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Aug. 19, former Fairfax County Police officer Adam Torres entered the circuit courtroom for his arraignment, dressed in a baggy, blue-green prison jumpsuit. Torres was indicted the previous Monday by a special grand jury for killing Springfield resident John Geer in August, 2013.

Classified Advertising August 26, 2015

Read the lastest ads here!

Column: 'Bulky Boy'

Although this title invokes the nickname of one of my three male cats – Andrew, to be specific – he is in fact not the point of th is column.

Letter: Welcome from Police Chief Ed Roessler

Newcomers Guide

Dear Community Members: The Fairfax County Police Department was established on July 1, 1940 and today we have an authorized strength of 1,372 sworn law enforcement officers who protect and serve the communities of the County. On average, officers respond to over 400,000 calls for service each year.

McLean Teacher Trained to Teach About the Holocaust

Cristian Manoatl doesn’t claim the most traditional approach to his own schooling when he was a McLean High School student.

McLean: ‘Calendar Girls’ on Alden Stage

“We are a show about a sisterhood of women in a bonded group; thinking and doing what others didn’t expect,” said Diane Sams, co-producer and a featured actor in the upcoming McLean Community Players production of Tim Firth’s “Calendar Girls.”

Teen Center Hosts Block Party in McLean

Old Firehouse Teen Center’s annual event features Bands for Bikes.

This past Saturday, Langley High School students Jack Lichtenstein and Morgan Poirier hosted the second annual Bands for Bikes benefit at the Old Firehouse Teen Center’s Annual Block Party from 4-8 p.m.

Classified Advertising August 19, 2015

Read the latest ads here!

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 21-30, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Fairfax County: Policy Changes Recommended on Mental Health and Crisis Intervention

About half of the inmates in the Fairfax County Jail have a mental health illness or substance abuse disorders. The Mental Health and Crisis Intervention Team subcommittee of the Fairfax County Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission included this information from County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid in the introduction to its list of policy change recommendations to the full commission on Aug. 17.

Fairfax County: Former Police Officer Charged with John Geer Murder

Adam Torres indicted by special grand jury.

Adam Torres has been charged with murdering John Geer. Though Torres shot the unarmed man once in the chest nearly two years ago, the then-Fairfax County Police officer remained on the department’s payroll until being terminated July 31, 2015.

Great Falls: Langley’s Donaldson Returns from ACL Tear

Six-foot senior outside hitter is leader of talented Saxons.

Rising senior outside hitter Jessica Donaldson returns to the court for the Langley volleyball team after missing most of her junior year with a knee injury.

Column: Accommodate or Exacerbate

As a diagnosed-as-“terminal” cancer patient (is that better, Rebecca?), I feel I am due some accommodations. However, when offered or given, I am hesitant to accept (not always, though; I’ll be honest).

Checking the Back-to-School Healthcare Blocks

Local governments, clinics offer free immunizations for all and physical exams for the uninsured.

As the lazy days of summer wind down, beach trips, lemonade stands and lax bedtimes give way to alarm clocks, textbooks and backpacks. Public health officials say that a back-to-school list should include more than pencils and paper. For many, the first order of business is a well-child physical, a dental exam and required immunizations.

Editorial: Sea Changes in Policing?

Report offers blueprint for transforming aspects of policing, jail and services for people with mental illness.

Yesterday, for the first time in the history of Fairfax County Police Department, a Fairfax County Police officer was charged in a shooting death.

Cybersecurity Week at Marshall High

Marshall’s Cybersecurity Camp opens for the fourth summer.

An advanced group of 20 high school students learned about sequel injections and cryptography as their white computer screens illuminated the classroom. T

Vietnamese Heritage Festival Held on Tysons Plaza

Yellow ribboned Vietnamese style leaf hats specked the crowded Tysons Corner Center Plaza at the fifth annual VietFest, a celebration of Vietnamese culture featuring live performances, traditional and modern Vietnamese music, pageants, pho and much more.

Stream Team Convenes in McLean

Plans to restore Dead Run in McLean Central Park will involve removal of dozens of trees.

Supervisor John Foust’s Stream Team was scheduled to convene for its first meeting Tuesday, Aug. 18 at the McLean Community Center to discuss and potentially make decisions that will impact the McLean Central Park.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 14-23, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

McLean Football Hopes Improved Chemistry Leads to Wins

Highlanders finished 5-5 in 2014.

Entering his second year with McLean, head coach Shaun Blair expects his team’s improved chemistry and strength will help produce wins on the field.

Column: B.D. Versus A.D.

If my experiences as a cancer patient/ “terminal” “diagnosee” are at all typical, then the following generalization might in fact be true: certain situations and/or feelings that were once tolerated before diagnosis are nearly impossible to tolerate after diagnosis: traffic, waiting in lines, rudeness, compromise, sacrifice, delayed/deferred gratification, to list just a few. Life becomes so much more precious, that wasting some of it – or the perception of wasting some of it – on unpleasant, unrewarding, aggravating, stressful, menial tasks, obligations, duties, etc. becomes almost too much to bear; on a consistent basis, anyway.

2015-16 Deer Archery Program

Two information meetings about the county’s Deer Management Archery Program are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfax Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, and Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m. at Mount Vernon District Station, 2511 Parkers Lane in Alexandria, Community Room.

Herndon: 100 Bowls of Soup

The kitchen relocates from Vienna to Sunset Business Park in Herndon.

Herndon is home to more than 100 restaurants and 1,300 businesses, according to Dennis Holste, economic development manager for the Town of Herndon.

Function Meets Beauty

Wheelchair accessible bathroom doesn’t have to be utilitarian.

After Curtis Brand was diagnosed with amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS) and he could no longer climb stairs, he and his wife, Judith, had to make the difficult decision to sell their home in northwest Washington, D.C. They then purchased a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property on the 18th floor of Turnberry Tower in Arlington.

Home’s Makeover Enhances Family Life

With time constraints, Sun Design converts large, dated house into residence that satisfies everyone’s agenda.

Meet Roger Lataille, senior design consultant at Sun Design Remodeling and — more importantly — a remodeling resource homeowners turn to, and return to, whenever they need expert advice, hands-on support and commitment.

Editorial: 'Our Community Deserves Better'

Strongly worded recommendations for police on transparency and public trust; FCPD has miles to go.

Outrage over the shooting death of John Geer of Springfield on Aug. 29, 2013, by a Fairfax County Police officer led the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to form of the Ad Hoc Police Practice Review Commission, which began meeting in March 2015. The Communications Subcommittee was the first to give recommendations to the full commission, and the report pulled no punches.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Aug. 7-16, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Fairfax County Seeks Partner to Develop Training Center Property

Deadline for offers on the surplus land is Sept. 1.

Potential buyers have until September to make their offers to purchase the roughly 80 acres of property along Braddock Road where the Northern Virginia Training Center currently sits.

Young Swimmers Make Splash at Annual NVSL All-Star Meet

Watts, Cruz set NVSL records.

The NVSL recently held its annual All-Star meet.

Column: Back on Track

Having reread last week’s column a time or two now, I’ve realized that I neglected to update you regular readers – especially those of you who read my most recent pre- and post-scan columns: “Abyssful” Ignorance and Scant Know For Sure Anymore – on the previous week’s scan results. Once again, I have defied the odds – maybe statistics would be a better word?

Helping Aging Parents

Event will highlight resources available for long-term care planning.

Antonio M. Taguba says his life changed forever during a family reunion in 2006, starting with an announcement from his mother.

Teams in Training

Getting in shape while raising money for charity.

Rain poured from a gray March sky. Drenched racers wound their way through Washington, D.C. before spilling across the finish line at R.F.K. Stadium, their running shoes heavy and soaking wet.

McLean: Taking Up the Next Challenge

McLean 12U Intermediate USTA Junior tennis team wins second place in state, advances to Sectionals.

Mclean’s 12U Intermediate USTA Junior Team battled against eight other competitive tennis teams in Virginia on July 23, including “The Terminetters” of Virginia Beach, Westwood Club of Richmond and a familiar foe to the team, Herndon’s Worldgate Rascals

Sunset Party at Tysons Plaza

Little children raced to get first-choice seats on the lawn for Andy Grammer, whose hit single “Honey, I’m Good” peaked at no. 9 on Billboard Hot 100 this summer.

McLean: 'A Generation in Pain'

McLean High School senior wins national journalism award for combating depression.

McLean High School magazine journalist David Kagan didn’t know the power of depression when he started to research his article “A Generation in Pain” for McLean High School’s Highlander magazine.

Now Showing: Sensory-Friendly Films at AMC Theatres

Dancing, shouting, singing welcome at special screenings for children, families affected by autism.

July is the hottest month for Hollywood’s cavalcade of blockbuster films, as studios compete for audience dollars and crash into each other to be the first to release their tent pole films, such as Avengers, Jurassic World, Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation, and Fantastic Four.