Donna Manz of Vienna has a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut, 1969; studies at Virginia Tech, MBA program, Tourism and Hospitality Management, ongoing. Donna prefers soft news, life-style news, to hard news. Particularly enjoys promoting human interest stories, especially those of the people and civic groups who make Vienna and Oakton a better place to live.
Recent Stories
Levey’s Washington Revisited in Vienna
Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna hosts Bob Levey at luncheon.
Bob Levey’s 37-year career with the Washington Post spanned the eras of Watergate, Desert Storm and the rise of Internet news reporting. For 23 years, Levey wrote Bob Levey’s Washington, a personal look at the region he loves. He shared his experiences on June 10 with guests of Shepherd Center of Oakton-Vienna’s Lunch ‘n’ Life, drawing on anecdotes and perspectives.
Shepherd Center network provides opportunities for seniors to help seniors.
Volunteering through the Shepard Center helps give Seniors a sense of fulfillment.
Kathy Tugendhat chairs the Adventures in Learning organizing committee at Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna (SCOV). She teaches conversational ESL at Patrick Henry Library, one-on-one. On Wednesdays in the summer months, Tugendhat tells stories and leads songs for youngsters on the grounds of the Little Library. She sings with the Vienna Choral Society because she loves it. “It keeps me young,” said Tugendhat. She’s also 80 years old.
Book Sale Draws Hundreds to Vienna Community Center
25,000 books and more than 70 volunteers bring two-day Historic Vienna, Inc.’s sale to life.
When the doors opened at the Vienna Community Center on June 8, welcoming buyers to the annual Historic Vienna, Inc. [HVI] book sale, more than 25,000 books awaited them. And this is one well-organized book sale. Books were arranged by genre, from mystery and novels to reference books and cookbooks. “Treasures,” those books that are rare or vintage, have their own nook.
Vienna Idol Raises $14,500
Grace Atiyeh to give her $500 prize to charities.
Six finalists waited through “The Final Countdown” to learn who would become the new Vienna Idol. From six, it came down to three in the June 7 competition.
Maplewood Grill Continues the Fine Dining Tradition
Father and son keep local restaurant part of community.
The years that Chef Paul Kuchler spent at the sides of the classical chefs who worked his father’s kitchen at Le Canard paid off. Kuchler now is co-owner and head chef of Maplewood Grill, designing the menu, perpetuating some of Le Canard’s traditional recipes, refining new signature dishes and overseeing the kitchen details of Maplewood Grill. It was Marcel Kuchler’s idea to reinvent his French restaurant as one with a contemporary American spin and his son Paul took off with the concept.
Animals Blessed in Vienna
Antioch Christian Church holds its third annual blessing for family pets.
Antioch Christian Church, the quaint white clapboard church on Beulah Road, hosted its third annual pet blessing on June 2 and pet parents came from throughout the area to have their pets blessed by Antioch’s pastor, Randy Beeman. Any family pet, of any species, was welcome.
Public Works Day Draws Hundreds to Property Yard
Children climb in heavy equipment and wear hardhats.
Every year, during National Public Works Week, the Town of Vienna opens up its property yard on Mill Street to the public. This is no ordinary “open house,” either. The equipment, from ditch diggers to garbage trucks and front loaders and everything a town needs to maintain its infrastructure, is washed clean and spiffy-ed up. The all-afternoon event on May 23 featured snacks, give-outs that kids like—from blowup balls to hardhats—popcorn, tattooing and the chance to climb into a police car without being hauled off to the police station. Kids look forward to Public Works Day all year.
Summer Fun Abounds in Vienna
Guide to special events and children’s activities.
Every Friday and Sunday evening—and summer Wednesday—free concerts liven up the Vienna Town Green. Sponsored by the Town of Vienna’s Parks and Recreation Department and local businesses and individuals, the concerts feature local musicians and special guests, including the armed forces bands.
Community Comes Together for ViVa! Vienna!
Annual three-day Rotary Club festival featured food, amusement rides, live entertainment and 300-plus vendor marketplace.
Thousands of local families, teens, seniors, preschoolers and friends thronged the historic Church Street corridor over Memorial Day weekend at ViVa! Vienna! The annual festival, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Greater Vienna, featured 30 amusement rides for children of all ages, fried food, fresh food and frozen food, live entertainment on two stages—three if you count Vienna Idol—and more than 300 vendors selling arts, crafts, goods and services.
ViVa! Vienna! Returns Memorial Day Weekend
Three-day festival features live entertainment, carnival food, rides and 300-plus vendors.
ViVa! Vienna! is back: Carnival midway, live entertainment and food vendors kick-off the three-day Memorial Day weekend festival on Saturday, May 25. And that’s just the beginning. On Sunday, more than 300 vendors—selling crafts, goods and services—converge along the historic Church Street corridor, hosting upwards of 50,000 visitors to the festival sponsored by the Rotary Club of Greater Vienna.