Letter: More on Great Falls Trails
More on Great Falls Trails
Thank you for your article in the March 19-25, 2014 issue of the Great Falls Connection ("Great Falls Citizens Association Talks Ticks and Trails"). We did, however, want to clarify a few points. The presentation by Robert Mobley focused on trails, not roads, where the question of surface material has been a matter of much discussion.
Letter: Taking Exception on ‘Citizens Involvement’
I'm not sure I understand the letter from Eric Knudsen ("GFCA Appeals for Greater Citizens Involvement," Great Falls Connection, March 19-25, 2014). He seems to suggest that if more people attended the meetings of the Great Falls Citizens Association, we could have prevented the ridiculous projects such as the narrowing of Walker Road from five lanes to two, walkways to nowhere that were not shoveled all winter, or the speed-traps on Georgetown Pike. He erroneously indicates that previous letters in the Connection "complain about the lack of public notice," when in reality they reflect the futility of participation in groups that know best.
Letter: Neighbors’ Side of Story
To the Editor: Reference: Special permit application for a riding stables business at 815 Blacks Hill Road.
Cornwell Farm Tours Generate $3000 for Lift Me Up!
A beautiful warm spring day set the backdrop for a successful day of tours of Cornwell Farm on March 8. The tours of the historic home and grounds generated over $3000 for Lift Me Up’s "Good Fences" project. The Lift Me Up! door prize was won by Janice Thrush of Great Falls. Ms. Thrush won a "Winner’s Circle Package" from Lift Me Up! which includes a section of fence, a copy of Secretariat’s Meadow, a Lift Me Up! hat/t-shirt and a Lift Me Up! calendar, a $200 value.
The Fort Hunt Athletic Association Championship Game
The Fort Hunt Athletic Association fifth grade basketball championship game was played March 15 at Waynewood Elementary School between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils.
Arlington Lifestyle Blooms in the Spring
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are on the rise, and Arlington residents are ready to finally enjoy the benefits of their urban neighborhoods. After what felt like an exceptionally long winter, people throughout Arlington have paid their dues and are planning their recreational activities for the upcoming months. Longtime locals and newer transplants to the area agree that a world of opportunities opens up in Arlington as springtime weather approaches. Whether in search of an endorphin rush, or somewhere to mingle with other Arlingtonians, places to go are aplenty and the area has more luster after the snow banks melt and the air loses its bite.
The Great Falls Farmers Market is Back
Neighbors and vendors alike thoroughly enjoyed a beautiful winter season in the warm protection of the Great Falls Grange Hall. With warm apple cider, hot empanadas, artisan bakery, raw vegan, green-house, tunnel and field grown veggies and lots of music on stage, we now all share some very warm memories of a very cold and unforgiving winter.
Nurturing Talent at Forestville
As Fairfax County considers reducing the number of assistant principals, Marietta Arbach -- Assistant Principal at Forestville Elementary -- seems too busy to think about it. Her day begins at 7:15 with a walkthrough of the school. She then "greets the children with hugs and high fives," according to PTA President Jamie Finch.
Editorial: Challenging Budgets
Local Government should be able to access income taxes to give relief on real estate taxes.
Northern Virginia governments are facing shortfalls in the classic budget sense: projected revenues are less than last year’s expenditures plus increases in costs.
Another Milestone
March 30, 2014. My age 59 and a half (9/30/54 is my date of birth). The age at which money deposited into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be withdrawn without incurring a 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Not that I’m retiring. I am remembering though when this cancer-centric life of mine began.
Brief: Spring Hills Celebrates Nutrition Month
Using 21st century technology, the senior residents of Spring Hills Mount Vernon Assisted Living, 3709 Shannons Green Way in Alexandria, are celebrating National Nutrition Month by creating indoor vertical aeroponic growing systems to harvest homegrown, fruits, vegetables and herbs to serve at their dining tables for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the senior community.
New Food for Spring
When Dara Yaffe Lyubinsky was growing up in Potomac she always enjoyed cooking, whether it was with her family and friends, or for her synagogue. Today, she’s passionate about cooking fresh, seasonal meals. Lyubinsky, like many chefs and culinary enthusiasts, is looking forward to strolling through farmers markets and creating fanciful spring dishes with the season’s freshest bounty, especially as she prepares to return to D.C. from New York. However, she and other chefs are making the most of the available spring produce even if warm weather seems a like a distant dream.
’Tender Napalm’ at Signature Theater
Signature Theater is staging the Washington premiere of the violent and sexually charged “Tender Napalm” by playwright Philip Ridley now through May 11. Directed by Matthew Gardiner, the show is the story about a man and a woman at a crucial point in their relationship in the aftermath of an extraordinary loss. Using fantastical and dreamlike language, it is a multifaceted exploration of their love in scenes wrapped in allegory and metaphor. “It's a very simple love story, told in a very original way,” said Gardiner. “My hope is that the audience will be willing to open their ears and eyes to a very unique and remarkable playwright.”
Commentary: Closing Healthcare Gap
As the General Assembly attempts to complete work in Richmond on the $90 billion state budget, the looming obstacle to an agreement is how to close the health insurance gap or cover uninsured Virginians. There are an estimated one million uninsured adults in Virginia today or about one in every eight Virginians.
Chantilly High’s International Celebration
Featuring food and entertainment, Chantilly High’s International Night was Wednesday, March 19.
Mount Vernon Rec Center Offers Spring Break Camps
With Spring Break for public and private schools coming up on April 14 and April 21, the Mount Vernon Rec Center at 2017 Belle View Blvd. in Alexandria offers spring break camps, spring classes in ice skating and ice hockey and many opportunities to have fun.
‘Mount Vernon Revisited’ Captures Community’s History
Whether a history buff or a photography enthusiast, local residents will find something of interest in the newly released “Mount Vernon Revisited.” Journalists Michael K. Bohn and Jessie Biele co-authored the book which features more than 215 photographs, paintings and maps covering 340 years of Mount Vernon’s history. The book is available at Mount Vernon retailers and bookstores and online book outlets such as Amazon.com. It is also available through Acadia Publishing at 888-313-2665 or http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9781467121132/Mount-Vernon-Revisited. “Mount Vernon Revisted” is a part of Acadia Publishing’s Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series.
Roundups for 3/26/14
The editor presents the roundups for the week of 3/26/14.
Underscoring Importance of Early Education
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner visited The Child and Family Network Centers’ West End facility on March 7 to discuss President Obama’s 2015 budget proposal to invest in high quality early education for all children. Duncan, Sebelius, Moran and Warner received a tour of CFNC’s site and met with the children in their classrooms.
Let the Music Play
In support of students enrolled in music classes throughout the city, First Night Alexandria announced contributions to the music programs at three Alexandria City Public schools. During a recent pyramid concert performed by the bands, orchestras and choirs of Francis Hammond and George Washington Middle Schools and T.C. Williams High School, First Night Alexandria presented contributions totaling $3,000 to support the music programs at the three schools.