Stories for September 2015

Editorial: Changing Perspective on Death Penalty

Evolving standards will eclipse the death penalty entirely at some point in the future.

It’s sad to see senseless death as a response to senseless death. Alfred R. Prieto is not a sympathetic figure, a serial killer who was on death row in California when DNA connected him to murders and rapes in Reston and Arlington that took place in 1988. He is scheduled for execution this week, at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1.

1st Stage Presents 'Now Comes the Night'

Crackling dialogue, powerful ideas and well-crafted artistry describe “Now Comes the Night” written by award-winning E.M. Lewis now playing at 1st Stage.

Chantilly Volleyball Holds Off Langley in Five Sets

Saxons’ Donaldson tallies 15 kills, Shklyar has 13.

With the Chargers having gone 10 days without a match, Chantilly volleyball coach Charles Ezigbo had limited expectations entering Monday’s meeting with Langley.

Hundreds Protest as Gun Shop Opens Next to McLean Elementary School

Hundreds of people protested in McLean outside the gun shop NOVA Firearms on its opening day, Saturday, Sept. 26. Protesters were upset because the gun shop is on property that borders Franklin Sherman Elementary School.

McLean’s Color Wheel Celebrates 50 Years

Family business knows how to make a house a home.

Charlie Boswell says “To make a long story short,” several times when he told the story of his family’s store, Color Wheel. But 50 years of being in business makes it difficult to compress the history of the McLean institution located in the Langley Shopping Center.

BrightView Great Falls Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

“When you live in a retirement or assisted living community, every birthday is a reason to celebrate – so why not give three cheers to the place itself!” quipped one resident (who decided to remain nameless) of the BrightView Senior Living community in Great Falls, speaking at the facility’s one year anniversary bash

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 25-Oct. 4, 2015

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

McLean Home Sales: August, 2015

In August, 2015, 114 homes sold between $5,200,000-$188,000 in the McLean and Falls Church area.

McLean Home Sales: August, 2015

Fairfax County NAACP hosts 70th Freedom Fund Awards

‘Your Vote, Your Power’

J.E.B. Stuart High School seniors Anna Rowan, Cassie Marcotty, Marley Finley, Abby Conde and Lidia Amanuel were bothered by the Confederate legacy of their school. Inspired by a history class with teacher Keith Bropst on the Massive Resistance anti-segregation policy, the girls set out to change Stuart’s name, mascot and colors.

Fairfax NAACP To Host Rally Seeking ‘Justice for Natasha McKenna’

Fairfax County NCAAP president Shirley Ginwright announced a rally will be held Sept. 27 to demand justice for Natasha McKenna, a 37-year-old woman with mental illness who died in February after she had been held in the Adult Detention Center.

Runners, Walkers, Wheelers Cross Finish Line in McLean

5K Raises funds for Adaptive Sports Program.

Whether they wheeled, biked, walked, or ran to the finish line, participants of the Super H 5K all agreed on one thing--that last hill was hell.

Providence Players Open the Season with 'Calendar Girls'

Opening its 18th season, the Providence Players are in a heartfelt, uplifting comic mood presenting “Calendar Girls.”

McLean: Helicopter, Hikers Needed for Rescue

Fire and Rescue personnel lifted an injured hiker from Scott’s Run Park Sunday morning.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Units rescued an adult woman who fell from the rocks in Scott's Run Park in McLean at approximately 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20.

McLean Orchestra’s Splash of Emotion

Local orchestra begins its 45th season on Oct. 10 at Oakcrest School performance hall.

McLean Orchestra conductor and musical director Miriam Burns doesn’t hesitate from knowledge that she can change a life in one evening.

Column: Treatment Denied Syndrome

Natasha McKenna’s blood is on all of our hands.

Natasha McKenna did not die from excited delirium. She died from Treatment Denied Syndrome.*

Ending Bullying

Back to School: Local educators offer advice for parents on how to deal with bullying as school resumes.

When Carol Baker cried, no one heard her. She and a classmate were alone in the girls locker room, and as Baker, then an eighth grade student, tried to leave, her classmate grabbed her gym shirt and pushed her into a locker. They weren’t fighting over anything in particular and Baker didn’t sustain any physical injuries.

Help for Long-Term Caregivers

AARP Virginia and the Organization of Chinese American Women will sponsor event next week.

Those embarking on a long-term caregiving journey will have an opportunity to receive support and learn about the services available to them in Northern Virginia. AARP Virginia and the Organization of Chinese American Women will sponsor an event called, “Caregiving Wisdom from an Ancient Sage,” on Sept. 22, 7 p.m., at the Shirlington Library in Arlington and again on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7.p.m., at the George Mason Regional Library in Annandale.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 18-27

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Fairfax County: ‘Reports and Tears Are Not Enough’

Protesters demonstrate for Natasha McKenna, social justice and improved mental health services at ad hoc police review commission public hearing.

Cayce Utley of Centreville said Natasha McKenna, the 37-year-old African American woman with mental illness who died in the Sheriff’s Office custody in February, must be “more than just a mistake, more than an accident. Black women aren’t your ‘Oops,’ they aren’t your teachable moments.”

Fairfax County School Board Reflects on First Day of Later Start Times

James Madison High School senior Ben Press provided firsthand testimony for the positive effect of new later start times for Fairfax County high school students. “Your investment in our health paid off, as can be seen in the better-rested faces of thousands of high school students across the county,” said Press, addressing the Fairfax County School Board in his new role as student representative at their Sept. 10 meeting.

Elected Officials Discuss Ways to Support Fairfax County’s Residents in Need

“We can’t do enough to spread the word that in the midst of affluent Fairfax County there is another, ‘hidden Fairfax’ that needs our urgent attention.” T

McLean Citizens Association: By the Numbers

On the 28th of September from 7-8:30 p.m., MCA is scheduled to host a conversation with Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Garza at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.

Fairfax County: More Open Space

Survey about parks shows more households using the parks, lower satisfaction.

Fairfax County residents say preservation of open space is the most important service that the Park Authority can provide.

NOVA’s New President Celebrates First Week in New Role

Dr. Scott Ralls officially took the helm, on Sept. 8, as the fifth president of Northern Virginia Community College. Ralls joins one of the largest community colleges in the nation after seven years as president of the 58-campus North Carolina Community College System.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 11-20

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

Vienna Stars Shine

Players from Great Falls, Vienna, McLean and beyond come together to win under-10 national championship in fast-pitch softball.

Sarah Semko and The Vienna Stars ‘04 amassed what the Washington Nationals couldn’t this 2015 season: a 43-game winning streak.

McLean: Larger Houses, Fewer Trees?

In-fill development a “hot issue” in McLean, Great Falls, as older homes and trees make way for much larger houses.

McLean and Great Falls communities are often named with roots to their natural surroundings: Langley Forest, Langley Oaks, Chesterbrook Woods, Franklin Forest, Chesterbrook Farm, McLean Hamlet, Amberwoods, Woodhaven, Woodside Estates, Summer Wood, Great Falls Glen, Bradley Oaks.

McLean: Nutrition’s the Mission

McLean High senior takes on a Girl Scout Gold Award project which spreads awareness about running nutrition.

Varsity track is notorious for being one of the most competitive sports in high school; not only are athletes constantly trying to beat their own records, but also the records of their competitors and even teammates.

McLean: Middle Eastern Food Festival Draws Hundreds

Annual Labor Day weekend event features Arabic food and sweets.

It was only a matter of minutes before the parking lot of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church on Lewinsville Road filled to overflow on Sept. 5.

‘Remodeled Home Tour’

A 3,700-square-foot, four-bedroom center hall Colonial renovated in phases over nearly two decades will be featured in a “Remodeled Home Tour” sponsored by Sun Design Remodeling.

Thinking of Downsizing?

Free seminar will focus on moving to a smaller place without sacrificing style.

Homeowners considering a move from a large home to a smaller dwelling will have an opportunity to receive expert advice on their transition later this month.

Editorial: Focusing on Suicide Prevention

Help is a phone call away.

This week is Suicide Prevention Week. Preventing suicide means paying attention to mental health and treating depression, and there is no better time to focus on that than the first week of school.

Weekend Fun in Fairfax County - Sept. 4-13

A roundup of entertaining things to do this weekend.

McLean Volleyball Finishes Runner-Up at NVVA Invitational

McLean reached the championship match of the NVVA Invitational.

Workplace Fitness

Employer-based health and wellness programs are good for business.

It’s Wednesday afternoon and a cohort of George Mason University staff, students and faculty hit the pavement. Clad in attire ranging from running shorts and brightly colored sneakers to neutral walking shoes and business suits, the group takes part in “Who’s Walking Wednesdays,” part of an initiative to get moving for health and wellness.

Editorial: How to Vote; It Matters

Voting begins in two weeks, Sept. 18.

Election Day is Nov. 3, and on that day, virtually every state and local office is on the ballot. In-person absentee voting begins Sept. 18, barely two weeks from now.

McLean: Middle Eastern Food Festival Returns for Labor Day Weekend

Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek Catholic Church in McLean hosts food and fun for families.

Labor Day weekend marks the “unofficial” end of summer and launches the football season.

McLean: Inspiring Students to Speak Up

McLean High students work with the Longfellow Middle School’s debate team and D.C.’s Stanton Elementary to improve students’ public speaking skills.

Public speaking: these two words strike fear in almost anyone, whether 6 years old or 60. McLean High School senior Michelle Ma tackles this fear one child at a time through “The Speak Up Initiative.”

Fairfax County: Historic Sites - Resident Curators?

In exchange for rehabilitating the property, the curator gains use of the property and pays no rent.

The Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation in January 2011 to ensure that local jurisdictions establish a Resident Curator Project.