Tuesday, July 31
VDOT Unveils EZ-Pass Flex
New transponder will allow HOV access to 495 Express Lanes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation unveiled the EZ-Pass Flex Wednesday, July 25 in Tysons Corner. The new pass will allow users of the 495 Express Lanes, which are scheduled to open at the end of this year, to switch between tolled and toll-free (for vehicles with more than three people) use.
Friday, July 27
Weekly Entertainment (Burke/Fairfax/Fairfax Station/Springfield)
July 27-August 10.
Entertainment in Burke/Fairfax/Fairfax Station/Springfield.
Letter: Government-Controlled Healthcare
Letter to the Editor
"Leaving Millions on the Table" and "Making Care Affordable" in this week’s Connection [July 19-25, 2012] do not include important facts about government-controlled healthcare.
Children Enjoy Pony Time Classes
It is late morning on a warm and slightly muggy day in July and a half-dozen children are gathered around Allison Mills and her horse, Doc, at the Stables at Meadowood in Lorton.
Local Bowhunting Group Hosts Young Archers
On Sunday, June 3, the Appalachian Bowhunters Association (ABA), a northern Virginia group established in 1987, hosted over fifty young people during its bi-annual Youth Day held at the home of Byron and Cheryl Wates, 13212 Wates Spring Place in Clifton.
Paddle Boarding a Growing Trend at Pohick Bay
Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is the newest thing in paddle sports and is growing fast.
Firefighter of the Year
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue top brass, distinguished guests that included Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova, a swarm of firefighters, and family and friends gathered to join in the celebration as Master Technician Robert L. Upchurch was honored as the department’s 2012 Career Firefighter of the Year.
Sweet About ‘99 Percent of the Time’
Above is Jeff Redman, a native of the Fairfax Station area with his two soft coated terriers, Buddy (age 11) and Annie (age 9). The three were united when his wife reached out to a family friend in Free Union, Va. who was interested in getting rid of some dogs.
Clifton Film Fest Under the Stars
The humming of the big screen under the stars brought about a hush from the audience at the Lorton Workhouse this Saturday.
Thursday, July 26
Classified Advertising (July 25, 2012)
Read the lastest Classified, Employment and Home and Garden ads!
Wednesday, July 25
Michael Marcantonio Engaged to Cara Elizabeth
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Mash, of Abilene, have announced the engagement of their daughter, Cara Elizabeth, to Michael John Marcantonio. Mike is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Palmer Marcantonio of Virginia Beach.
Asian Culture Celebrated
The 9th Annual Asian Festival was held on the campus of George Mason University.
Column: A Life Worth Living, Still
It might be my age (as in getting older), or it might be the fact that I have cancer (you think?), but my brain and the related physical and mental tasks it coordinates are not exactly working at peak efficiency.
Tuesday, July 24
Derek Lee, South Lakes Baseball, 1983
South Lakes slugger was drafted five times before playing for Minnesota Twins.
Derek Lee is remembered at South Lakes high school, and by those that watched him play baseball, for his ability to do one thing — swing the bat.
Taline Tahmassian, Langley Soccer, 2001
Langley star recorded 96 goals and before winning NCAA title at Santa Clara.
How good Taline Tahmassian was on the soccer field can be measured by the pages of old newspapers. Tahmassian and the Saxons could be seen celebrating in photographs while snappy headlines chronicled their victories in a week-by-week scrapbook of archived clippings.
Nate Friends, McLean Soccer, Basketball, 1991
Friends dominated the basketball court and soccer field to help McLean to several regional tournament appearances.
Chantilly coach Jim Smith was a relative unknown when he took over the reeling McLean High School boys basketball team back in 1989.
Get Your OlymPet
Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s special adoption event runs through Aug. 11.
Dogs, cats, birds and other small animals will be showcased at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter's Summer OlymPETS adoption event through Saturday, Aug. 11.
Editorial: Separate and Unequal?
If we don't believe that poor students are less innately talented, then the disparities in Northern Virginia are truly unfair.
The numbers are eye-popping. Latino students are 22 percent of Fairfax County Public Schools students, but 2.7 percent of the incoming Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology freshman class, the class of 2016. Of the 480 students, seven are black. That's 1.4 percent, while black students are 10 percent of the county school system.
Consumer Confidence on the Rise in Washington Region
Survey participants perceive regional economy better than broader national picture.
Consumer confidence is on the rise, according to results of a new survey by the Greater Washington Board of Trade.
Friday, July 20
Local Real Estate: Sold in May 2012, $650,000~$699,999
Local Real Estate: Sold in May 2012, $650,000~$699,999
Clifton, Fairfax Station and Lorton Home Sales: June, 2012
In June 2012, 93 homes sold between $1,225,000-$135,000 in the Clifton, Fairfax Station and Lorton area.
Clifton, Fairfax Station and Lorton Home Sales in June, 2012
Heading to States
West Springfield Little League 9-10 American All-Stars Head to States.
West Springfield Little League American All-Stars win district title.
Pedaling with Pals
Potomac Pedalers provides group rides for area cyclists.
Cyclists of all ages and ability levels can participate in group rides with the Potomac Pedalers.
Fairfax Station Swims Past Fairfax
Area Swimming Report
Fairfax Station, Hunt Valley, Little Rocky Run, Burke Station win.
Thursday, July 19
Calendar (Burke/Fairfax/Lorton/Springfield)
July 19-26.
Entertainment in Burke/Fairfax/Lorton/Springfield.
Inaction May Cause Federal Officials to Create Health-Care Exchange for Virginia
January 2013 is the deadline for the commonwealth to create authority for exchange.
Virginia is suffering from deadline fever, although Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is calling for a second opinion.
Wednesday, July 18
One Fatality in Multi-Vehicle Crash in Lorton
Police are investigating a fatal crash that occurred on Tuesday, July 17, shortly after 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Lorton Road and the I95 south exit ramp.
Workhouse Arts Center: 2012 Clifton Film Fest
The top films from the 2012 Clifton Film Fest will be unveiled at the Workhouse Arts Center on Saturday, July 21. This is the fourth year for the Clifton Film Fest. It is a Northern Virginia film festival showcasing entertaining, original films made by those in the surrounding community to the Workhouse in Lorton, Virginia.
Art Out Loud 2012
While a large portion of the community was daunted by the heat on Saturday, those that did show up to Art Out Loud at the Lorton Workhouse were met with the creative styles of Mary Gallagher Stout and John Gascot.
Our Daily Bread Seeks Donations for "Back To School" Program
Fairfax-based charity Our Daily Bread (ODB) is seeking donations from the community to provide school supplies to needy children who attend school in the Fairfax County area as part of its Collect for Kids Back to School Program.
Winning Gold at Senior Games
Greenspring resident wins three medals in track & field events at the Virginia Senior Games.
Greenspring resident Dr. Dick Ernst is no stranger to local, state, and national senior games; he first attended the National Senior Games in 1999 held in Orlando, Fla. as a member of a seniors’ basketball team.
Right on Target
93-year-old Greenspring resident wins gold at Virginia Senior Games.
Not long after "The Hunger Games" blockbuster created a buzz around the sport of archery, Greenspring resident Charlie Edwards shot for gold at the Virginia Senior Games in May.
Suspended Prison Sentence for Former Band Director
Former Robinson band director must register as sex offender.
When Michael Keith Cook was sentenced last week for computer solicitation of a child under age 15, he didn’t lose his freedom. But even before he set foot in the courtroom, he’d already lost something precious to him – his career as a school band director.
Column: Circumstances Be Damned
If only it were as easy to actually live it as it is to write it. As much as I believe what I write, it’s still difficult to ignore certain facts (“the underlying diagnosis,” as I often refer to my diagnosis) and the feelings associated with it.
Fairfax County, VDOT File Suit Against EPA
New EPA rules will impact homeowners, developers and could cost taxpayers nearly $500 million.
Fairfax County and the state of Virginia filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, July 12, challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new storm water regulations for the Accotink watershed, claiming the agency’s requirements are costly, onerous and vastly exceed its legal authority.
President Comes to the Area
Obama rallies his supporters during the campaign stop at Centreville High.
Before President Barack Obama addressed the huge crowd inside Centreville High, Saturday afternoon, Jerry Foltz of Wellspring United Church of Christ gave the invocation.
Herrity, Hugo Respond to Obama’s Visit
Both Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Del. Tim Hugo (R-40) held a joint press conference Saturday afternoon, speaking to local Romney supporters prior to President Obama’s campaign rally at Centreville High. Said Herrity: "It was nice to see so many people from Little Rocky Run stop by and pick up Romney signs and stand with us."
The Smoking Trail
New cigarette trafficking law aids enforcement.
Virginia has long been known as a tobacco-friendly state. Tobacco was one of the first major commercial products for New World European settlers, and the state remains one of the largest producers today. Virginia is also home to some of the cheapest cigarettes in the country.
Classified Advertising (July 18, 2012)
Read the latest Classifieds, Employment and Home and Garden ads!
Tuesday, July 17
In Search of a ‘Forever Home’
Humane Society of Fairfax working for animal and human welfare.
Look up Petfinder.com on your Internet browser page. It’s a site where animal welfare groups can promote animals they have available for adoption. Type in a town or zip code. Let’s use Alexandria as an example. Check "Cat" for "Type of Animal." Hit "Search."
Childhood Hobbies: Finding the Right Fit
Experts offer suggestions for choosing extracurricular activities for the fall.
While many are still basking in the lazy days of summer, Anna Faust is planning her 5-year-old son’s after-school activity schedule for the fall.
Editorial: Leaving Millions on the Table
Virginia should embrace opportunity for more health care coverage for poor residents.
Chances are that if you are reading this, you have employer-provided health insurance. While you might worry about the young adults in your family or the lower wage workers in your organization, you also know that if you are sick, you can go to the doctor.
Friday, July 13
Wednesday, July 11
Home Remodeling 101
Experts offer suggestions for a timely and efficient renovation.
Whether expanding a home or just remodeling an existing interior space, building projects can be daunting, especially if the goal is to be finished by a certain date. "If you wanted to get going on a project and your goal was to be done by Thanksgiving, the planning process and permit process is probably as long as the building process, but you don’t want to rush through those aspects of it and then wish you’d done something differently," said David Vogt of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.
Clifton’s Old-Fashioned Fourth
The Town of Clifton celebrated the Fourth of July with a parade, flag ceremony and a potluck picnic in the park with moonbounces, tug-of-war, pie-eating and egg-toss competitions.
Week in Fairfax
News in Fairfax.
Practicing What They Preach
Local theater teachers perform ‘Into the Woods.’
Six drama teachers headline the cast of the City of Fairfax Theatre Company’s summer production of "Into the Woods." They include Fairfax High’s Wendy Knight and Paul Rubenstein and Woodson High’s Terri Hobson.
GOP Hosts ‘Super Saturday’
Republicans rally at the Fairfax Victory Office.
Record-breaking temperatures could not keep more than 100 volunteers and supporters from gathering at the Fairfax Victory Office to participate in the Republican Party’s "Super Saturday" call-to-arms on July 7 targeting a dozen battleground states, including Virginia.
Keeping the Pressure On
Tired of paying both City of Fairfax and Falls Church water bills, one Fairfax County man becomes a vocal water activist.
Every three months, Fairfax County resident Kirk F. Randall reluctantly writes a check to the City of Fairfax for his water bill, and fumes about it.
Letter: Obtaining Solar Panels
In light of the recent storm and power outages, I began to think more about solar power. If our home had solar panels and battery storage, we may not have been able to operate the air conditioning, but we could have run fans, had lights on, charged phones, and maybe cycled the refrigerator on a few times.
Column: A Victim of My Own Circumstances
Outliving one’s prognosis leads to all sorts of twists and turns and treatment conundrums: the longer one lives, the fewer the treatment options.
Classified Advertising (July 11, 2012)
Read the latest Classifieds, Home and Garden and Employment ads!
Tuesday, July 10
Editorial: Every Vote in Virginia Will Count
Top presidential donor zip codes in this area show Virginia is purple; Romney or Obama to be decided on Election Day.
If you wonder if presidential politics really matters in this area, consider that Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland hold some of the top zip codes for contributions to the two major party candidates.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms Can Help Prevent More Tragedies
To the Editor:
Appreciation for Bulova
To the Editor:
Monday, July 9
Pushed to the Limit
Food pantries seek help for county’s most vulnerable residents.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 7, it’s already 103 degrees in Reston - the 10th straight day temperatures hover near or above 100 degrees after a derecho storm swept through the region on July 29, causing extensive power outages.
9th Asian Festival Celebrating the Year of the Dragon
Festival will take place July 21-22 at GMU.
This year, the 9th Asian Food and Tennis Festival is celebrating the year of dragon. The Festival is a two-day, free admission event to promote greater understanding of the Asian countries and cultures. It will be held at the George Mason University on July 21, Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on July 22, Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is open to the public.
Thursday, July 5
Weekly Entertainment (Burke/Springfield/Fairfax/Lorton)
July 7-20.
Entertainment in Burke/Springfield/Fairfax/Lorton.
Wednesday, July 4
Coach Garza Leaves Mount Vernon for Robinson
Led Majors boys’ soccer for nine years.
Robert Garza takes over as head coach of the Robinson boys' soccer program after nine seasons with Mount Vernon.
Column: Writing On!
It was June ’09 when I published my first column in the Connection Newspapers about being diagnosed with cancer. It was actually a column detailing the diagnostic steps I had taken during the first few months of the year attempting to identify the pain I had initially felt under my right-side rib cage in late December.
Tuesday, July 3
After the Storm
Area residents cope with no power, no air-conditioning and soaring temperatures.
More than 80,000 residents were still struggling with power outages and triple-digit temperatures Monday after a wave of violent thunderstorms slammed the region Friday, June 29, packing hurricane-force winds that uprooted trees, downed power lines and knocked out power to more than 1 million homes.
Local Bowhunting Group Hosts Young Archers
On Sunday, June 3, the Appalachian Bowhunters Association (ABA), a northern Virginia group established in 1987, hosted over fifty young people during its bi-annual Youth Day held at the home of Byron and Cheryl Wates, 13212 Wates Spring Place in Clifton. Seventeen ABA members volunteered their time to produce the event.
DAR Recognizes Local Area Students
Anna Maria Fitzhugh Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, recently presented several awards at local schools.
Robinson Students Place Second in the Nation
A team from James W. Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, recently placed second in the Nation in Systems Control Technology. The competition was held in Nashville, Tenn., at the Gaylord Resort on June 24.
Finding a Home for the Golden Years
Experts offer advice on choosing a retirement community.
When Jim Upp’s wife Jeannie died in 2006, the Fairfax senior citizen found himself surrounded by a lifetime of memories in the spacious home where the couple had raised three children.
Editorial: New Laws, Assault on Freedom?
oting restrictions, abortion restrictions, DUI restrictions, fewer gun restrictions, more go into effect July.
A plethora of new laws will go into effect in the Commonwealth on July 1, including restrictive new procedures for voting, and the loosening of multiple gun regulations.
Monday, July 2
Storms Leave 2 Dead, Power Out
At least two dead in Fairfax; 285,000 residents still without power after Friday night’s hurricane force winds.
Winds of more than 70 miles per hour swept through Fairfax County Friday night. Power went out as the storm blew into the area around 10:30 p.m. with hurricane force winds sounding like a freight train. The sound made some residents think a tornado was upon them, and many took refuge in basements.
Despite Failing Grade on Transparency, Law Enforcement Officials Resist Opening Access
Advocates for public access remain frustrated by persistent lack of transparency.
Back in March, Virginia received a failing grade from the State Integrity Investigation as the result of a systematic lack of transparency.