Herndon Residents Discuss Possible Town Charter Changes
Town Council to decide on Nov. elections, four year terms Dec. 9.
Citizens lined up after a long night to argue for or against changing the town’s charter. The proposal to change aspects of the town election was discussed during its third public hearing at Herndon Town Council’s Nov. 25 meeting.
Voice of McLean for 100 Years
McLean Citizens Association celebrates 100th anniversary.
The oldest civil organization in the county celebrated it’s 100th anniversary, in turn celebrating the milestones McLean has achieved since 1914. The McLean Citizens Association has served as the voice of the people for 100 years and is the face behind McLean Day, Dolley Madison Library, McLean Community Center and hundreds of resolutions passed on the county level.
Holiday Wishes Come True in Great Falls
The Wish List Project sending 325 homeless children holiday gifts.
Because of Ginger Mahon, more than 300 homeless and foster care children and teens will wake up to presents on Christmas. The Wish List Project, which turns 15 this year, will deliver donated personalized gifts to six organizations throughout the county, playing Santa for hundreds of children.
Celebration of Lights in Great Falls
Traditional festival kicks off the holiday season on Dec. 6.
The village will kick off the holiday season with an age old tradition: Celebration of Lights. The festival, which includes a tree lighting by Santa and Mrs. Claus and a live nativity, will take place on the Village Green on Dec. 6 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Reston: ArcAngel, New Security App, Launches
Advanced technology pinpoints user location in an emergency.
John South, CEO of Patrocinium Systems of Reston, calls it the guardian angel of apps. The ArcAngel app, unveiled on Nov. 19, can pinpoint users during emergency situations, alerting first responders and loved ones about their minute-by-minute status.
Gifts from the HeART in Reston
Community Center partners with Cornerstones for holiday market
Lake Anne Community Center will become a holiday market to benefit charity. On Dec. 6, the annual Gifts from the HeART reception and market will feature vendors from throughout the county for adults as well as crafts and a visit from Santa for children.
Potter’s Fire of Herndon is All Fired Up for the Holidays
Business gears up for the season with special dinnerware and holiday decor sets.
Although Potter’s Fire is barely a year old, they are already veterans of the holiday season. The potters and glazers in the shop are busy creating holiday dinnerware and their popular mugs for gift givers who love to buy local.
Great Falls Residents Get Update on Toxic Plume
Only one of the three requested pumps to be installed for now.
Residents got an update about the methyl tert-butyl ether [MTBE] plume below the Georgetown Pike and Walker Road intersection last week. Officials from Kleinfelder and the Department of Environmental Quality talked about the removal of the toxic plume so far, assuring residents that their well water will remain clean throughout the cleanup efforts during a Great Falls Citizens Association Town Hall meeting on Nov. 11.
Promoting Rugby in Great Falls
Proceeds from the weekend tournament will support MedStar National Hospital’s spinal cord injury program.
About a year ago, Gary Coetzee nearly died out on the rugby field behind the Great Falls Library. A freak accident left the former professional rugby player quadriplegic on the grass during a game. On Saturday, Nov. 22, he is hosting the inaugural Great Falls Rugby Tournament to celebrate how far he has come a year after the accident and raise money for MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital’s spinal cord injury program.
Many Herndon Residents in Opposition to November Elections
Town Council holds second public hearing on possible town charter changes.
Herndon’s town council heard from another crowd of residents about proposed changes to the town’s election process. Residents for and against changes to the number of years councilmembers and the mayor serve and moving the election to November spoke out at Nov. 11 town council public hearing.
Lake Fairfax's Real Jonathan Swift
Kentucky native strikes gold with nonfiction pirate tale.
Robert Prather has spent years trying to figure out the real Jonathan Swift - the man behind the legends of pirates, treasure and mystery. After his most recent visit to Alexandria and Lake Fairfax - two areas that Swift called home during his time - he is piecing together the third edition of The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver.
The Soap Engineers Are a Hit at Lake Anne
Business combines science with a love for pampering.
All of Janette Lew’s and Brooke Goad’s best ideas start with wine. The two created The Soap Engineers, a local company that features high quality bath and body products, after the two chatted over happy hour about their mutual love for making handmade bath salts and fizzies.
McLean Artisans Are Ready for the Holiday Season
Shop supports national and local artists.
Shannon Denny Price has seen her shop, The Artisans, move three times in the last 25 years. As a veteran of the holiday season, the shop co-owner has already begun filling the store with holiday decor as well as gifts and stocking stuffers of all price points. Christmas trees, themed wreaths and ornaments will all be available for purchase.
State Gardens to Host Holiday Open House in Great Falls
Local business will have Christmas trees, themed wreaths and ornaments.
State Gardens is more than plants, according to co-owner Laura Murray. The shop is home to hundreds of giftables for any occasion, particularly the holidays.
Parisot Wins Republican Primary
More than 1,400 area Republicans show up to vote.
With Barbara Comstock filling in the 10th Congressional district’s seat, two candidates are closing in on her current position. Democrat Kathleen Murphy and Republican Craig Parisot, both now officially endorsed by their parties, are vying for the 34th House of Delegates seat via special election to be held Jan. 6, 2015.
Charlotte’s Story of Survival
Five time open heart surgery survivor raises funds for medical causes.
When Charlotte Woodward was born, her mother thought she was the most wonderful baby in the world. And she still thinks so. Charlotte, who is 24 today, was born with high functioning down syndrome and has been subjected to nearly a lifetime of heart problems. Despite the adversity she has faced, she is raising money through bake sales just to give back to those who have helped her.
Community Gardens for Herndon
County will hold public meeting for possible garden plots.
Barbara Welsh wants to see a community garden in Herndon. The Herndon Environmental Network (HEN) vice president has been working for the past two years to allow community garden plots in town. County Park Authority will hold a meeting on Dec. 1 to find out if the rest of the community does, too.
Brightview Opens in Great Falls
Senior community allows residents to stay close to home.
Brightview Senior Living opened with a party and a full house. As Great Falls’ first senior living community, the assisted living complex’s grand opening on Nov. 6 gave local seniors the option to stay close to their loved ones.
Community Debates Reston Master Plan
Residents discuss Tall Oaks, Baron Cameron.
By the next Phase II community meeting, the working draft will be completed. The last Phase II master plan public comment meeting took place on Saturday, allowing community members to voice their opinions on their vision for the Baron Cameron convenience center and Tall Oaks Village Center.
Great Falls’ Spooktacular Success
Traditional village event has record numbers.
The ghouls and ghosts of Great Falls took over the village green and shopping center last Friday, Oct. 31. Celebrate Great Falls’ Spooktacular, a spooky multi-decade tradition, brought out hundreds of children, pets and parents to get candy and get to know their neighbors.
Herndon's Malaria Meltdown
Local teen educates peers on the disease.
Kritika Singh wants to eradicate malaria for good - one mosquito at a time. The 16-year-old McLean resident and CEO of Malaria-Free World hosted the inaugural Malaria Meltdown conference at Nysmith School of the Gifted on Sunday to educate her generation on the dangers third world countries face with the disease.
Herndon Proposal Brings Crowd to Town Council
Town Council seeking input on election changes.
Herndon residents got a chance to voice their thoughts on possible new election procedures. Nearly 20 residents spoke about their thoughts on changing the town election to November and moving to staggered four year terms at the Oct. 28 town council meeting.
Holiday Food Drives Begin in Reston
Local companies gathering food for those in need.
Cornerstones and Reston Community Center [RCC] are working together to make sure families can have a special turkey dinner - and still eat well during school breaks - this holiday season. Their annual Thanksgiving food drives, geared towards families in Herndon and Reston, will provide hundreds of families with food baskets with enough meals for a special dinner and enough snacks for children who are on holiday breaks.
Toxic Gas Plume Moves South
Citizens association asking for two more cleanup pumps.
Mike Terpak is worried about his well becoming contaminated. Like about 80 percent of village residents, his home runs on a well system. Terpak is a resident of the Oliver Estates, a neighborhood that the gas plume concentrated near the old Exxon station with known carcinogen Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether [MTBE] is creeping towards.
Steady Flow of Voters in McLean
U.S. Senate elections bring voters out to McLean High School.
Voter lines were short to nonexistent at McLean High School on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Voters trickled steadily into the school through the early morning hours to decide who will be their U.S. Senator. “So far, as of 8:12, we have had 174 (voters),” said Chief Election Officer Vicki Ream Herrmann.
Early Turnout High in Great Falls
U.S. Congress elections bring voters out to local library.
Voters turnout kept up its pace well into work hours at Great Falls Library. Hundreds of voters turned up to vote for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives at the library Tuesday morning, Nov. 4.
Community Center Forums Set for November
Town Parks and Recreation wants input on changes.
Herndon Parks and Recreation Department wants to know what residents want changed at the community center. With the changing demographics in town, the department hopes to find out what services are needed in the next 10 years through upcoming forums.
High Schools to Start Later Next Year
School Board approves later start times.
Phyllis Payne has been fighting for more sleep for a decade. On Oct. 23, it all paid off. The co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal - or SLEEP - saw the Fairfax County Public School Board approve to move high school start times ahead by 30 minutes, 11-1.
Bocce Court Construction to Continue
Reston Association motion to rescind courts failed.
Residents at Cabots Point lost the battle against bocce ball courts for now. Reston Association voted advancing on their plans to add the game court to the park at their Oct. 23 Board of Directors meeting.
Franklin Sherman Celebrates 100 Years
Centennial bash for school with historic roots in McLean.
Kim Todd remembers how she felt at home at Franklin Sherman Elementary School in the late 1970s. Nearly 40 years later, she is serving as the school’s Parent Teacher Association centennial coordinator and has seen three of her children enter the school as she had. The school celebrated its centennial year carnival style with the community on Sunday with a petting zoo, cotton candy and fair-style rides and games.
Langley High Teacher Receives National Award
Leah Puhlick a recipient of the Yale Educator of the Year Award.
Katherine Tan may have graduated from Langley High School last year, but one teacher has made an impact on her to this day. The Yale University freshman nominated her former Advance Placement [AP] chemistry teacher, Leah Puhlick, for this year’s Yale Educator of the Year award - and she was one of this year’s recipients.
Liberty Printing House
New business finds freedom in Herndon.
The freedom of the press means more to Samer Zaiber and Ahmed Al-Sammarraie than to most. As immigrants from Iraq who have been stalked and threatened for their work with American funded projects, the owners of Liberty Printing House brought their ideas of freedom to a country that takes pride in the word.
Dulles Now Screening for Deadly Virus
Local hospitals to treat ill passengers arriving from Africa.
Dulles International Airport was one of five airports in the nation to begin screening for Ebola last Thursday. The Center for Disease Control and Protection trained staff to check all passengers arriving from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to check for signs of illness to prevent more passengers from infecting others during their daily interactions.
Village Centers to Change With Master Plan
Sustainability, walkability focus with Reston’s plazas.
The village centers are all getting a makeover. County Planning and Zoning officials held a community meeting at South Lakes High School Oct. 18 to find out what residents want to change about their village centers as a part of the Master Plan Phase II planning.
Herndon High Pumps up SAT Average
Most improved among county schools.
Herndon High School did it. The school made the biggest gains in their Scholastic Assessment Test - more commonly known as SAT - scores among all other high schools in the county.
Trick or Treat, Great Falls!
Spooktacular promises to be frightfully fun.
Halloween is going to be a scream at the Village Centre Green and Great Falls Shopping Center. Spooktacular, the village’s annual children’s trick or treat event, will line up local businesses armed with candy and decked out in costumes on Oct. 31 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Texting While Driving Examined at Langley
Langley High School students learn safety through simulator.
Hanna Hunt was behind the wheel, phone in hand. When a text popped up, she had a choice. Would she answer it? Hunt, a senior at Langley High School, was playing a simulated driving game during lunch, so when she “crashed” her car earlier that day, she walked away with zero consequences. The simulator was a part of the school’s theme of the year - road safety - in partnership with AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign to give students a reality check on Oct. 16 for how texting on their phone affects their driving.
Transportation Issues Dissected
Citizens association hosts update on roadways and sidewalks.
Traffic congestion. Roadway construction. Lack of sidewalks. All these and more were among the concerns McLean residents had for the Fairfax Department of Transportation director Oct. 14 during McLean Citizen’s Association’s transportation update.
Lake Anne Plan Approved
Planners envision energy efficient, pedestrian friendly plaza.
Lake Anne Plaza will become the village center of founder Robert Simon’s dreams in a decade. That’s what Reston officials and Lake Anne Development Partners LLC believe. Reston Planning and Zoning Committee approved LADP’s Lake Anne Master Plan on Monday for a four phase green efficient plan for the town’s original plaza.
Celebrating Arts in Great Falls
Great Falls artists showcase their masterpieces.
For most days, Lochini Rumburg’s home is her sanctuary, a place where she can unwind from her work day in front of her easel. Last weekend, however, was a chance for her and about 25 other artists to show off their art or craft in their space during Great Falls Studios’ annual studio tour.
Marriage Equality in Fairfax and Beyond
County courthouse marries all couples.
Wearing matching hot pink outerwear and short, spiky hair in front of the Fairfax County Government Center on Oct. 6, Yvonne Landis and Melodie Mayo of Falls Church were the first same sex couple to say “I do” in the county.
GFCA Wants to Speed Up MTBE Cleanup
Toxic plume heads towards nearby neighborhood.
The gasoline plume under Walker Road is worse than previously thought — and is moving in the direction of a nearby neighborhood.
New Election Proposals Considered
New election schedule calls for four-year terms, November elections.
Herndon Town Council may be considering a proposal to change several aspects of their elections. The council will discuss over the next two months whether to extend councilmember terms to four years and move the May elections to November.
FCPS Audit Committee Grows, New Positions Added
Auditor general will be hired to expand audit activities.
The school system’s audit committee is growing. The Fairfax County School Board agreed to add another school board member to the committee and add an auditor general position to the budget at their Oct. 9 meeting.
Civil War Marker Unveiled
Union soldiers sought refuge in Fields of Fire.
In June 1863, thousands of Union soldiers trudged down Hunter Mill’s dusty roads during the hottest week of the year.
Local Companies Sponsor Lift Me Up! Fencing
Therapeutic riding program nearly 40 years old.
Richard Tucker gripped the reins of a prince-worthy white horse, steering it through a trail during a lesson at Lift Me Up! therapeutic horseback riding program. Sitting tall on his horse, he can be just like anyone his age.
Help the Homeless Walk Breaks Record
More than 400 people walk to end homelessness in Reston Town Center.
Just minutes before the third annual Help the Homeless walk, Cornerstones CEO Kerrie Wilson kept tearing up as she looked at the crowd around her in Reston Town Center. More than 400 people showed up during their lunch break to raise money for Cornerstones by walking from Reston Town Center to the nearest shelter on Oct. 2.
Touring the Decades
Reston Home Tour explores homes of all ages.
This year, Reston Home Tour will take visitors back through the decades. Six homes, built from the 1960s until the current decade, are participating in the Oct. 18 Reston Historic Trust and Museum Home Tour the year the town celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Tysons Rezoning Consternation
MCA debates details of proffer agreements for two businesses.
Like most McLean Citizen Association board members, President Sally Horn is concerned how new Tysons businesses will affect McLean. Members debated two Tysons rezoning resolutions on their contribution to the urban center — stating their hope that the money would be kept in Tysons.
MPA Hosts Annual ArtFest
Annual festival melds festival atmosphere and local art.
Artist Julie Lansaw has been showcasing her paintings depicting her travels on paint and canvas at McLean Project for the Arts ArtFest since its first year. The local artist said it is the best way for neighbors to socialize and buy work in the area. The eighth annual MPAArtFest attracted thousands of art and music lovers to McLean Central Park Sunday to enjoy the crisp autumn day with drawing lessons, local art and apple cider donuts.