Newcomers & Community Guide

Newcomers & Community Guide

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Get To Know Elected Officials

Get To Know Elected Officials

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Potomac History by the Numbers

Potomac History by the Numbers

Get Involved: West Montgomery County Citizens Association

Potomac’s umbrella citizens association.

In 1964, the Montgomery County Council adopted the General Plan "On Wedges and Corridors." This plan established land use guidelines for the County and set the standard for local and area master plans. The General Plan "envisioned the Potomac Subregion as a low density residential wedge area, which would complement the developed I-270 corridor."

Opinion: About the Connection

Newcomers and Community Guide 2012-2013

The independent, locally owned Local Media Connection LLC publishes 15 papers serving the suburbs of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. in Northern Virginia and Potomac, Md. Our flagship paper, the Alexandria Gazette Packet, is one of the oldest continuously publishing papers in the country, beginning publication in 1784.

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Reston Insiders Perspective

What is the greatest thing about living in Reston?

Everyone knows that the best advice comes from experience--and that's true even in the small things. Newcomers and old-timers alike can find a refreshing look at what we love about Reston herein. Looking for the best place to eat? Forget yelp and find a local blog or ask a neighbor. Wondering about the places to be on the weekend? Finding an in-the-know peer can be the antidote to a all kinds of boredom. So, c'mon, you've got no excuse: do your research and get exploring.

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Vienna Insiders Perspective

What makes living in Vienna special?

Everyone knows that the best advice comes from experience--and that's true even in the small things. Newcomers and old-timers alike can find a refreshing look at what we love about Vienna herein. Looking for the best place to eat? Forget yelp and find a local blog or ask a neighbor. Wondering about the places to be on the weekend? Finding an in-the-know peer can be the antidote to a all kinds of boredom. So, c'mon, you've got no excuse: do your research and get exploring.

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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.

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Oakton Senior Loves Her Girlhood Home

86-year-old Pat Price lives in house she was raised in.

Pat Price lives in her girlhood home in Oakton. Not in the same place, but in the same house. Price is 86 years old now. Her Oakton bonds go back to before 1850 when her great-grandmother took over as Oakton School’s first teacher. A great-grandfather fought in the Civil War. Her “people,” as she refers to her ancestors, have been in the Vienna-Oakton area for more than 150 years.

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Free Fun in Vienna

There’s a bit of free something for all around town.

From free concerts on the Town Green to Civil War-era exhibitions and festivals to presentations, there are lots of free things to do in the Vienna area for every age group. Even those not-quite-free things are a bargain for what you get. The restored and newly-repainted red caboose across the street from Freeman House is maintained by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna. Children are always welcome to climb aboard, but once a month or on special occasions, the Optimists open the doors to the caboose for the public to walk through.

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Great Falls Insiders Perspective

What are the greatest things about living in Great Falls?

Everyone knows that the best advice comes from experience--and that's true even in the small things. Newcomers and old-timers alike can find a refreshing look at what we love about Great Falls herein. Looking for the best place to eat? Forget yelp and find a local blog or ask a neighbor. Wondering about the places to be on the weekend? Finding an in-the-know peer can be the antidote to a all kinds of boredom. So, c'mon, you've got no excuse: do your research and get exploring.

About the Connection

The paper you're reading, the Arlington Connection is one of 15 papers published by the independent, locally owned Local Media Connection LLC, serving the suburbs of Metropolitan Washington in Northern Virginia and Potomac, Md.

Get Involved: Volunteer in Arlington

For more details, contact Volunteer Arlington at 703-228-1760 or volunteer@arlingtonva.us.

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Small-Town Metropolis

Importance of neighborhoods.

As the squeaking of sneakers on a basketball court and the rhythmic sounds of a competitive ping-pong game played in the background among the sounds of a busy Monday evening in the Gunston Community Center, Christopher Zimmerman, a member of the Arlington County Board, stated that his favorite part about the Arlington community was that it, indeed, was a community.

Meet the Arlington School Board

The Arlington School Board has five members who serve overlapping four-year terms.

Meet the Arlington County Board

Since 1930, the county has been governed by a five-member County Board rather than a County Board of Supervisors. Board members are elected at-large for staggered four year terms, and the chairmanship rotates annually.

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