Newly Acquired Resolute Racing Shell Christened
More than 100 rowers, crew alumnae, parents and friends gathered in the McLean High School gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 10 for the christening of the newly acquired Resolute racing shell named in honor of Ken Meade, father of Cammie and Allie Meade who rowed for the McLean High School Crew Club (MCC).
An Interview with Michael League
Following Snarky Puppy’s Jan. 26 Grammy victory for Best R&B Performance, the band’s founder, Centreville High grad Michael League, responded to the following question.
Camp Keeps Students Busy During Teacher Workdays
Herndon Community Center will hold a two-day camp on Jan. 30-31 for children ages 6-11.
The Herndon Community Center has an answer for parents wondering how to keep their children busy during the teacher workdays on Jan. 30 and 31. What youngster doesn’t love a day packed with swimming, sports, games and science experiments?
Freezin’ for a Reason Returns Feb. 1
It’s time for the mid-winter tradition when hundreds of individuals dressed in crazy costumes will converge on Lake Anne Plaza in Reston for the 7th Annual Freezin’ for a Reason Virginia Polar Dip on Saturday, Feb. 1. The event will kick off at 1 p.m. with family-friendly activities and warm-up — with the dip scheduled to take place starting at 2 p.m. Each year the event draws record crowds of both spectators and jumpers raising more than $70,000. Registered participants will take a chilly full dive or a “Chicken Dip” to raise funds for Camp Sunshine, a national year-round retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
MPA Welcomes Development Director, Board Members
McLean Project for the Arts welcomes Krista Vita as its new Development Director. Vita has worked in non-profit development for more than 10 years. She is a member of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington and manages a volunteer writing workshop for high school seniors.
Fun Winter Activities for the Family
Keep your family busy with winter fun events in Great Falls during the colder months.
It’s easy to stay in during these cold months thanks to snowy weather and the holidays, but every once in a while families need to get out of the house to enjoy themselves. Great Falls has plenty to offer for everyone, from live music and dancing to workshops about chocolate and making one’s own maple syrup.
Senior Center’s Newly Elected Board
The Great Falls Senior Center membership elected a new board of directors in December. The new board, half of whom are serving for the first time, named its officers at its Jan. 16 meeting. The new officers are David Kondner, Sr., president; Joyce Trickett, vice president; George Newman, treasurer, and Carol Blackwell, secretary. Other members of the new board are Mary Davis, Diane Drewry, Margaret Johnson, Robert Lundegard, Marietna (Mimi) Mascolo, Jackie Taylor, Sondra Taylor and Carol Wright. The board members and officers will serve for two years. Terms of the current officials run through Dec. 31, 2015.
Troop 673 Delivers Books to Walter Reed
Six Boy Scouts from Great Falls Troop 673 visited Walter Reed Medical Center on Dec. 4 and delivered 10 bags and boxes of new, donated books and movies. The Friends of the Great Falls Library had contacted the Warrior Family Coordination Cell at Walter Reed who said they would be delighted to receive the donation. The donation consisted of a variety of new books donated to the Friends for its bi-annual book sale which went unsold. The Scouts and their drivers delivered the books to Tranquility Hall, a residence for recovering warriors and families. While waiting to meet with their primary contact, Staff Sgt. Alicia Watkins gave the group a brief tour of the building. The Scouts visited the Warrior Café where Watkins showed them the POW/MIA table which is present in every military cafeteria. She explained the meaning of the various items on the table: the white tablecloth symbolizing the purity of soldiers’ motives in answering the call to duty; the rose representing the life of each missing person and his or her loved ones; a slice of lemon to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing; a pinch of salt to symbolize the tears of the missing and their families; an empty chair and other symbols.
Winter Activities in Herndon to Keep Families Active
Keep all family members busy with variety of events around Herndon during the colder months.
Between snow days and teacher workdays, it’s easy to worry that your family may spend the day indoors with nothing to do. Luckily, the town has a variety of classes and children’s activities to offer at the Herndon Community Center, live music at downtown restaurants, and plays to be seen performed by the town’s own professional acting company. Here are some ideas to get started for winter fun plans:
Winter Food, Fun and Entertainment in McLean
Stay active with a variety of events around McLean during the colder months.
It’s easy to stay in during the colder months, but every once in a while families need to get out and have fun. McLean has plenty to offer, with plays and musicals, teen dances, and even a few chances to get out of town with neighbors to ski resorts and museums. Here are some ideas to get you started for your winter fun plans:
Writers Group Crafts Publishing Workshop
The Writers Group to host a panel of publishing and marketing professionals.
For any writers living near Great Falls who have wondered what it takes to get their short stories or book ideas published, the next meeting of the Great Falls Writers Group may be able to help. On Thursday, Feb. 6, the Writers Group will meet at Great Falls Public Library for a publishing workshop, complete with a panel of published writers and self-marketing experts.
Vienna-Oakton Moms Run This Town
Local women’s running group has 600-plus members and growing
While most of local life was inside trying to stay toasty-warm during January’s big freeze, one group of Vienna-Oakton women braved the frigid temps, the snow, the ice, to maintain their daily runs. Vienna-Oakton Moms Run This Town, a group of 600-plus “moms,” ran as many as 18 miles in a single day. Sarah Talley founded the Vienna-Oakton group, an arm of the free-to-join international network of Moms Run This Town. “The power of a group is motivating,” said Talley, who belongs to several running groups. “We are having fun. Because if you’re not having fun, why do it?”
Centreville High School Graduate Wins Grammy
R&B Performance: Michael League and band Snarky Puppy.
Sometimes, good guys do finish first — and Centreville High grad Michael League and his band Snarky Puppy are proof. Besides making music, they pass on their knowledge to young musicians worldwide. And Sunday, Jan. 26, they won a Grammy award for Best R&B Performance.
STITCH Art Exhibit Opens at Reston GRACE
New exhibit displays the art of needlework.
“I am really thrilled with the level of artists we were able to bring to this exhibition,” said Holly McCullough, executive director and curator of exhibitions at the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE). “The work is such varied interpretations of needlework that it makes you rethink your preconceptions of what needlework is … the artists reverse our expectations of the medium.” The exhibit STITCH is a group exhibition of needlework and its incorporation into forms of contemporary art. On Thursday, Jan. 16, an opening reception at the GRACE art gallery was attended by many of the exhibiting artists. “Negative space often plays a role in my work,” said Pam Rogers, a resident of Bethesda, Md. “I make my paint out of soil in minerals in my art work … often I sew into the work, creating new planes, repairing embellishing the images.”
Town Buys De-Icing Salt, OKs Drainage Contract
The many times snow has fallen this winter has prompted the Vienna Town Council to order nearly $60,000 worth of road de-icing salt to keep the local roads as safe as possible in inclement weather. “The past light winters lulled us into a false sense of complacency about the need for salt,” Director of Public Works Dennis Johnson told the Council during its Monday night, Jan. 27, meeting. As a result, he didn’t bring a request to the Town Council to fund this item in its budget. Otherwise, it would have been a routine renewal of the contract.
Wexton Supporters Ensure Victory Despite Weather
Voters brave bad weather in state senate election.
By 12:20 p.m. more than 680 votes had been cast at Herndon Elementary School. “The turnout has been medium, fairly steady” said Robert Walker, chief election officer at the Herndon Elementary School. “One of the touch screens was acting up, so we took it out, it did not have any votes on it.”
CVHS Choral Cabaret Nears
Event includes music, silent auction, raffle and desserts.
Featuring young, musical talent and homemade desserts in a cozy, intimate atmosphere, Centreville High presents its 10th annual Choral Cabaret.
Letter: Bonuses for All County Employees
To the Editor
Letter: Restore and Destroy?
To the Editor