CustomInk Celebrates Grand Opening
On Friday, CustomInk, the "design online" custom T-shirt company, hosted an open house event at its new Fairfax headquarters.
A Classic Romance Comes to the Stage
Woodson High presents ‘Pride and Prejudice.’
Featuring a cast and crew of 100, Woodson High will present the classic, romantic play, "Pride and Prejudice." And there’ll be entertainment, both on and offstage.
Come, Take a Trip to 19th Century Fairfax
Civil War Day is April 26.
Antebellum Virginia will come to life during Fairfax Civil War Day. Featuring wagon rides, cannon firings, house tours and a soldier encampment, it’s set for Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Historic Blenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway in Fairfax.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities in Fairfax County.
Letter: Prohibit Fracking
Letter to the Editor
In "Residents Concerned About ‘Fracking in Our Backyard’" (Connection, April 3-9, 2014), readers may wonder how pollutants entering the Potomac River 200 miles upstream in the George Washington National Forest could still be toxic in Fairfax County.
Area Roundups
11th Congressional District Art Competition
The Workhouse Arts Center will present the 2014 High School Congressional Art Competition for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District.
Week in Fairfax
News happening in the Fairfax area.
Advocates Urge Supervisors to ‘Invest in Fairfax’
Coalition of schools, government employees, parks, libraries and human services gather at budget hearings.
“Invest in Us, Invest in Fairfax.” That was the rallying cry last week at the Fairfax County Government Center as advocates for schools, libraries, parks, government employees and other human services gathered in support of more funding in these areas.
Attorney General Speaks to Seniors about Fraud Prevention
Seniors learn tips for avoiding scams.
Senior citizens have increasingly been the victims of recent fraud and scams. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring taught seniors how they can avoid these crimes at Greenspring’s Fraud Prevention Expo on April 11 in Springfield. Herring advised seniors to be suspicious of any cold calls or direct mail solicitations, as these are often fraudulent. The attorney general’s office has a consumer protection division, which can help seniors or anyone who has a concern or dispute with a business or service.
Fairfax County Police Advocate for Pay Raise
Department is struggling to recruit and maintain officers.
Nearly 350 Fairfax County Police officers appeared at a public hearing on the Fairfax County budget on April 10, advocating for an increase in pay. The police filled the auditorium, leaving standing room only. Several police testified before the Board of Supervisors, advocating for pay raises and parity with other public safety departments, such as the firefighters, who are seeing an increase in pay this year.
Achievement Gap Addressed at Budget Hearings
Admissions to Thomas Jefferson, cuts to Summer School, later start times discussed.
Of the 487 students admitted to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, only 10 are black. Eight of these students are Hispanic. This is even though 177 black students and 214 Hispanic students applied for admission to the school. “Unless you actually believe that black and Latino children have some type of intellectual deficiency that prevents them from competing for admission to TJ, you have to believe there is a failure in the Fairfax County Public School system in terms of preparing these students to adequately compete for admission to TJ,” said Tina Hone, former school board member and founder of the Coalition of the Silence (COTS), at the FY 2015 budget public hearing on April 8.
Robinson Chorus Prepping for World Choir Games
Two ensembles from Robinson will travel to Latvia this summer.
After a Skype session with composer Sydney Guillaume, members of Robinson Secondary School’s choral group Robinson Singers were ecstatic. “It was just so exciting because he knows exactly what he wants it to sound like,” said junior Molly Wise. “It was so cool to have the composer teach us and to take the time to help us.” Guillaume is the composer of “Twa Tanbou,” one of the pieces Robinson Singers will be performing at the World Choir Games in Latvia this summer.
Families, Community Advocate For Special Education Graduates
Supporters gathered at Fairfax County budget hearing on April 10.
Diana Martin, a Fairfax Station resident, was already losing sleep thinking about how she was going to balance the post-grad needs of her daughter Kenzie with her husband’s chemo and medical care. Now, she is even more concerned as funding for the programs that help special education graduates from Fairfax County Public Schools is included on a list of possible further reductions that County Executive Ed Long presented to the Board of Supervisors on March 18.
Promoting STEM in Schools, Budget Hearings
Nifty Fifty STEM education events continue as students advocate for STEM at Fairfax public hearings.
As part of an effort to inspire students to pursue STEM careers and to spark interest in math and science, scientists visited Fairfax County Public Schools last week to talk about their careers and to provide insight on the field.
Area Writers Shine at Crime Authors Book Fair
Fairfax County residents share insight at National Crime and Punishment Museum.
For Fairfax County resident John B. Wren, writing crime novels is addictive. Creating problems, or the mystery, making people curious and creating solutions, is enjoyable for him. “It’s so much fun,” he said.
Lorton Residents ‘Ride to Conquer Cancer’
Kim and James Reno, West Springfield High School graduates, hope to raise $5,000 each.
West Springfield High School graduates and current Lorton residents Kim and James Reno are putting in long hours training for the upcoming Ride to Conquer Cancer. The two-day, 150-mile bike ride will take them through the D.C. area as they raise money and awareness for cancer research. Both Kim and James need to raise at least $2,500 dollars, but are aiming for $5,000 each.
Chess Champions
FCPS students sweep team titles at Virginia Scholastic Chess Championships.
Students from three Fairfax County public schools won team championships in all four K-12 divisions at the Virginia Scholastic Chess Championships held recently in Roanoke. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students also won individual championships in the K-3 and K-5 divisions.
Week in Vienna
Since Laurie DiRocco is the only person running for mayor in Vienna, it’s a good bet that she’ll be elected. And in the meantime, she’s getting some on-the-job training by fulfilling the unexpired term of the town’s late mayor, M. Jane Seeman, who died Feb. 23.
High-quality Preschool Helps Children Succeed
Fairfax County must expand access to Virginia Preschool Initiative.
As a retired general and the husband of an educator, I would like to highlight the importance of quality preschool as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors makes final decisions about the county budget. I am alarmed that 75 percent of all young Americans ages 17-24 are not able to serve in the military, primarily because they are too poorly educated, too overweight or have a criminal record. In Virginia, 18 percent of young people do not graduate from high school on time. In addition, one in four of Virginia's high school graduates who try to join the military cannot serve because of low scores on the military's exam for math, literacy and problem-solving.
Madison Science Olympiad Team First in Region, Third in State
James Madison Science Olympiad is a still developing group, gaining competitive recognition as the years go by. They have received fifth place in 2012, third place in 2013, and third place this year in 2014 in the state competitions. In the regional competitions they have gotten first both this year and last year. Science Olympiad is a nation-wide organization aimed to expose students to different aspects of science not introduced at the typical school level. It is similar to the Olympics in a way -- students represent their school and compete against other schools to win their event. The sixth through first place winners all receive medals. There are multitudinous events, slightly differing from middle school to high school. Events include Rocks and Minerals, Astronomy, Water Quality, and many more.