Candle Causes Lorton House Fire
Neighbor rescues family minutes before home collapses.
A neighbor rescued two women, one juvenile and a dog from a house fire Saturday, April 7, in Lorton, minutes before the home collapsed, according to officials with the Fairfax County Fire Department. The cause of the blaze was an unattended candle.
Fairfax County Parkway Overpass Opens
Donegal Lane access shuts down.
On Tuesday, April 10, VDOT closed Donegal Road in Springfield as part of phase III of the $23 million Fairfax County Parkway project.
Fairfax County Board Opts In for Phase 2 of Dulles Rail
Obstacles still ahead for $2.7 billion project.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday, April 10, to approve the county’s participation in Phase 2 of the $2.7 billion Dulles Metrorail Project.
Ed Long Named County Executive
Long, former deputy county executive, begins April 25.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed Edward L. Long Jr. as county executive on Tuesday, April 10. Long, who will replace Anthony H. Griffin on April 25, has more than 34 years of experience with the county, and retired as deputy county executive and chief financial officer in May 2011.
Herrity Recovering Well from Open-Heart Surgery
“Famous sense of humor” intact, friends say.
After undergoing open-heart surgery last week, Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) is recovering well, and his “famous sense of humor is intact,” according to friends and family members.
Cook Announces Braddock Citizen Governance Conference
Conference scheduled May 5.
Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock) announced plans for an all-day conference designed to turn residents into decision-makers who play a key role in determining the future of the Braddock district.
Interest in Budget Slows as Economy Picks Up
Employee compensation, human service funding compete for attention.
Rising property values, a relatively low unemployment rate, and the lack of hot-button issues — such as full-day kindergarten — have reduced public involvement in Fairfax County’s proposed $6.7 billion budget compared to recent years, according to county leaders.
Supervisor Herrity Undergoes Open-Heart Surgery
Now recovering at Inova Fairfax Hospital in ICU
Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), 52, underwent open-heart surgery today at 7 a.m., and is currently recovering in the intensive care unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital, according to a statement released by his office at approximately 3 p.m. Thursday, April 5. The surgery was conducted at Inova’s Heart and Vascular Institute by Dr. Alan Spier and Dr. Niv Ad, and the surgeons have informed the supervisor’s family that the surgery went as expected.
Eggstravaganza!
Jubilee Christian Center event features music, moon bounces and egg rolls for every age.
Ever since Dolly Madison, wife of the fourth American president, organized an egg roll down the hilly lawn of the Capitol building in 1810, egg rolls have become an Easter tradition.
Destination Smile Offers Free Clinic April 27
Journey to perfect smile begins at Destination Smile.
It was all smiles last year when Lorton dentists Kristina Biggs and Flavia Tingling celebrated the first anniversary of their dental practice by donating dental care to dozens of uninsured children in the area.
Fairfax County Overpass Opening
Donegal Lane access shuts down April 10.
On Tuesday, April 10, the Virginia Department of Transportation is permanently closing the intersection of Donegal Lane and the Fairfax County Parkway, and simultaneously opening the overpass carrying the new alignment of Rolling Road over the parkway.
Democratic Lawmakers Address Social Justice Forum in Vienna
Event hosted by SALT and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations.
Fairfax County’s Democratic lawmakers knew they were preaching to the choir – and some of the preachers - at the legislative wrap-up session hosted by Social Action Linking Together (SALT) and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organization in Vienna on Saturday.
Fasten Your Seatbelts
VDOT officials say I-495 Express Lanes will be just that.
Predictable, safe and reliable is not how most motorists would describe driving on the obstacle course known as the Capital Beltway.
Phase 1 of Dulles Metrorail 67 Percent Complete
Phase 2 hits a snag as Loudoun County Supervisors debate opting out.
VDOT officials delivered good news and bad news on the 23-mile Dulles Corridor Metrorail project during a news conference March 29 at the VDOT Virginia Megaprojects office.
City of Fairfax Council Candidates
The Connection asked all City Council and City of Fairfax mayoral candidates to provide answers to the following questions, and to limit their answers to 100 words or less. The bonus question was optional.
Mayoral Candidates
R. Scott Silverthorne and Gerald T. "Jerry" O’Dell run for office.
First elected in 2002, Robert F. Lederer, the five-term mayor of Fairfax City, announced in December that he will not run for another two-year term, and will retire in June. R. Scott Silverthorne, a current city councilman and Gerald T. "Jerry" O’Dell are vying for the seat. The Connection contacted O’Dell repeatedly, through email and phone, and he did not respond to questions. Here are Silverthorne’s responses:
Super Saturday for County GOP
Convention features former Governor George Allen; FCRC elects new president.
More than 1,000 Republican delegates participated in the 2012 Fairfax County Republican Committee (FCRC) convention, held at West Springfield High School on Saturday, March 24.
Lehman H. Young, Sr. 1916-2012
Community remembers civic leader, WWII pilot and business owner.
It was 1958, during one of the worst blizzards to hit Northern Virginia, and Deborah Young, just five years old, remembers her father, Lehman, bundling her up and sitting her on the seat of their old blue 1951 Ford, between him and her mother, Marie.
In Bloom at Greenspring
Senior gardeners prepare green thumbs for National Garden Month.
Gardeners at Greenspring retirement community in Springfield are ready for spring.
Honoring the Past, Empowering the Future
Group reenacts Silent Sentinel protest during Women’s History Month.
Nearly 100 years ago, a group of women stood in front of The White House and launched a revolution without guns or bloodshed.
All That Glitters
The Campagna Center’s annual Toast to Fashion fundraiser sparkles with fashion, food and fun.
With glittering displays of spring’s hottest fashion trends and most coveted accessories, the ballroom of the Belle Haven Country Club was transformed into a fashion-lover’s dream during the Campagna Center’s 13th annual Toast to Fashion on Thursday, March 22.
Robinson Goes to World Choir Games
Thousands of the world’s best singers will arrive in Cincinnati for the 2012 World Choir Games this July, a competition that kicks off with Olympic-style fanfare.
A Mission of Mercy Helps Hundreds
More than 800 residents receive free dental services during two-day event.
The triage center at Saturday’s Mission of Mercy Dental health clinic resembled a modern-day MASH unit.
A Voice for Children
"Promise-keepers" advocate for Fairfax County’s abused, neglected children.
Each child who comes before Judge Thomas Mann’s Fairfax courtroom is loveable and vulnerable. There is the precocious three-year-old whose parents are drug-addicted. A seven-year-old boy whose mentally-ill mother left him home alone to care for his infant sibling.
Gov. George Allen Goes Home Again on Super Tuesday
Former Virginia Governor George Allen spoke Tuesday morning to an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Conference, then headed to Loudoun County to meet with Republican primary voters and election workers at polling places on Super Tuesday in Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties.
Congressman at Hunt Valley
Connolly reads to second-graders; reveals early dislike of pizza.
The pressure was intense, but in the end U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) got rave reviews from nearly 75 Springfield second-graders on Friday, March 2.
Sense and a Sense of Civility
Cotillion teaches etiquette and social savvy to children and teens.
Ankles demurely crossed, the 5th and 6th grade girls sit posture-perfect in their colorful party dresses, white-gloved hands resting in their laps as they await an offer to dance.
Nonprofits Awarded United Way Grants
23 local organizations receive MORE THAN $280K to continue work.
The United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA) awarded 27 grants totaling $288,013 to 23 local nonprofits during the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, March 6.
Girl Scouts Celebrate 100th Anniversary at Springfield Mall
Event draws more than 2,000 participants.
To mark the 100th anniversary of Girls Scouts of the USA, the South Central Fairfax Association of the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital (GSCNC) hosted a celebration that drew more than 2,000 participants to Springfield Mall on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Dancers Demand Right to ‘Move Like Jagger’
Fairfax Supervisors table dance hall regulations after dance fans kick up a fuss.
After dance fans protested by blog, email, Facebook and local radio, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors sidestepped discussion Tuesday of a law regulating dancing in restaurants, tossing the measure back to the planning commission for revisions.
Fairfax Supervisors Vote to Increase Advertised Tax Rate by 1 cent
Each 1 cent increase raises taxpayer bill by $45.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 6-3 Tuesday, March 6, to advertise the real estate tax rate for FY 2013 as $1.08 per $100 of assessed value. The current FY 2012 rate is $1.07.
Sense & A Sense of Civility
Cotillion teaches etiquette and social savvy to children and teens.
Ankles demurely crossed, the 5th and 6th grade girls sit posture-perfect in their colorful party dresses, white-gloved hands resting in their laps as they await an offer to dance.
Nourishing Body and Soul
Fourth annual fundraiser draws 300 attendees.
Professional and student artists have been busy shaping and decorating nearly 500 bowls for the fourth annual Empty Bowls event, hosted by Our Daily Bread, a nonprofit that works to eliminate hunger, homelessness and poverty in Fairfax County.
Burke Presbyterian Youth Present ‘Charlie Brown’
Area youth present classic family musical.
The old gang may not be as trendy as The Simpsons, but everyone still knows and loves Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts crew.
The Art of the Deal
Lorton’s Matthew McFarland takes top spot in 5th annual Monopoly Tournament.
Matthew McFarland, 14, outplayed, outwitted and outlasted nearly 100 other Monopoly fans during the fifth annual Monopoly Tournament at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Fairfax Celebrates Dr. Brabrand Day
Former Fairfax High principal Scott Brabrand to become Lynchburg Superintendent of Schools.
Scott Brabrand, the former principal of Fairfax High School, did not need the official proclamation declaring it's "Scott Brabrand Day."
Springfield’s Immanuel Bible Church Installs New Pastor
Nearly 3,000 attend ceremony for Jesse Johnson.
Jesse Johnson, formerly Pastor for Outreach at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., was installed as Lead Teaching Pastor at Springfield’s Immanuel Bible Church during three services on Sunday, Feb. 26.
For the Love of Chocolate
For all things chocolate, plan to attend the Chocolate Lovers Festival, a two-day event that takes place each year in Old Town Fairfax. This year’s event is Saturday, March 3 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, March 4, from 12-4 p.m.
Kaine Touts ‘Talent Economy’ at Fairfax Company
In bid for U.S. Senate seat, Kaine holds economic roundtables.
During a campaign stop at a Fairfax workforce development company on Thursday, former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) emphasized the need to foster a "talent economy" that will reboot America’s drive to the top of the economic ladder.
The Bus Was Stuffed
Local food pantries receive record donations from 2nd annual Stuff the Bus campaign.
Fairfax County’s second annual Stuff the Bus campaign roared to the finish line last week, collecting more than 25,604 pounds of food and $3,483 – a 26 percent increase in food, and a 236 percent increase in cash over 2011 totals.
DeMarco Launches Bid for Fairfax City Council Seat
More than 70 people turned out to help Michael DeMarco launch his bid for the Fairfax City Council during an open house at his Mosby Woods home.
A Heartfelt Anniversary
Greenspring couple celebrates 65 years of marriage on Valentine’s Day.
At 89, Ray Wright is as quick with a quip as Jack Benny.
Snowed In
Burke preschoolers enjoy snowball fight without the cold, the wet and the mess.
>No snow? No problem. When a Burke preschool teacher saw how disappointed her students were by the lack of snow this winter, she came up with a creative way to give her children snowy fun, and give back to the community in the process.
Burke Centre Parkway Gets Facelift
Pedestrian improvements coming soon.
A $150,000 Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) grant will make it a little safer for students and pedestrians at Terra Centre Elementary School in Burke.
Schultz Requests Public Hearing on Honor Cords for Military Enlistees
After a majority (7-5) of Fairfax County School Board members resisted a uniform policy to recognize military enlistees with honor cords during graduation ceremonies at its Feb. 13 work session, Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield) launched a campaign for a public hearing on the issue.
People of Faith Gather to Support Marriage Equality
Holding red heart balloons and handing out candles and flowers, nearly 200 guests gathered in the shadow of the historic Fairfax County Courthouse to celebrate the union of a one couple on Valentine’s Day.
Honoring Grads Who Choose to Serve
Burke moms lobby school board to recognize enlistees during graduation ceremonies.
When Carolyn Kellam’s 17-year-old son, Danny, asked for permission to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps last year, she said "the mom in me was scared to death, but the citizen in me was very proud."
Pedestrian Improvements Coming Soon to the Burke Centre Parkway
A $150,000 Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) grant will make it a little safer for students and pedestrians at Terra Centre Elementary School in Burke.
Fairfax County Considers Meals Tax Referendum
Revenue would be earmarked for transportation projects.
Last week, it looked as if the Virginia General Assembly might give Fairfax County a new funding tool: the right to generate new revenue through user fees, such as tax on restaurant meals, which would drive down the County’s reliance on property taxes.
County Considers Meals Tax Referendum
>Last week, it looked as if the Virginia General Assembly might give Fairfax County something it has craved for years: the ability to generate new revenue through user fees, such as tax on restaurant meals, which would drive down the County’s reliance on property taxes.