‘All about Our Children’
Parents discuss three school-boundary scenarios.
The goal of the Fairfax High/Lanier Middle School boundary study is to remove 300 students from Fairfax and 150 from Lanier and send them elsewhere to relieve overcrowding at those two schools. But how best to do it has not yet been decided.
Artwork Commemorating Holocaust
Fairfax Station artist Lynn Goldstein was selected to participate in the exhibition “Resistance Through Art,” which will be on view at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV) from now until April 15. The JCCNV and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington are sponsors of the exhibit. Goldstein states, “This was an opportunity to make a piece that invites viewers to interact with the work in ways that have not been possible with the paintings that I have made in the past.”
Why Change Is Needed
Fairfax High has a building capacity of 2,412 students and a current enrollment of 2,659 — meaning a 110-percent building utilization. But if nothing changes, it’s projected to have 3,011 student bodies by the 2017-18 school year and a 125-percent building utilization.
Vercessi’s Latest Novel Highlights Local Sites
Pursuing a cold case.
Retired Navy captain and local author George Vercessi highlights the Alexandria area in his latest novel “NCIS Agent Jerzy Shore.”
Bike-N-Roll on All DASH Buses
Alexandria Transit Company mechanics and Sportworks contractors spent this past weekend installing new bike racks on the 53 DASH buses that had not been equipped with them.
Barkley Square Opens Pet Spaaah
Barkley Square Pet Spaaah has opened at the former location of Dogspaw Grooming in Falls Church.
Area Roundups
The Fairfax County Police Department is looking for vehicles in working condition that people no longer want or need and would be willing to donate. They could help their public safety community and receive a tax deduction at the same time. Every year, the department uses about 20 cars to help train and prepare officers for the rigors of police work. Donated cars could be used as a faux suspect’s get-away car, helping officers with their precision pursuit driving techniques. Later, when the car is no longer in driving condition, it will be cut up (for training on how to cut into crashed cars), blown up (providing training for Explosive Ordinance officers) or shot (used as a prop in an active-shooter scenario).
Letter to the Editor: Derry Will Be Missed
Bob Feldkamp’s very nice memorial to Frederic Wolcott (Derry) Bancroft, which appeared in the Gazette Packet – Neighborhoods – old Town (Feb. 21) was much appreciated.
Letter to the Editor: Embrace Civic Duties
I am a proud 16-year citizen of Alexandria. One of the things I love most about living here is the city’s commitment to creating a caring environment and fulfilling the needs of its citizens.
Letter to the Editor: Saluting Members Of Santa Claus’s Yacht Club
Approximately 20 years ago, members of Santa Claus’s Yacht Club entered the lives of many families who reside in the city of Alexandria.
Letter to the Editor: Worthy of Preservation?
I live on a block adjoining the one with the ramshackle building which once housed the Carver Nursery School.
Letter to the Editor: Encourage Riding Bikes
Over the last few weeks there have been several articles about registering and charging fees for bikes in the city. Given the logic and questionable application of the economic concept of free rider(s), why stop at registering just bicycles?
Letter to the Editor: Support School Construction
Right now, Alexandria is facing the same issue as many other school districts: increasing enrollment. This year, ACPS enrollment jumped 5.8 percent, but this is not an anomaly; it’s a trend.
Stearman: Helping Young and Old in Alexandria
He epitomizes spirit of volunteerism.
Lewis A. Stearman has supported Alexandria’s youth for almost 75 years. His passion for serving young people developed when, as a compassionate 16-year-old, he sent Valentine’s Day cards to patients at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Putting a Name and Face on Chronically Homeless
At 4 a.m., under a full moon, more than 200 volunteers fanned out across Fairfax County on Monday, Feb. 25, to identify the more than 300 people who are literally homeless, living in cars, on the street or in the woods around the county. Coordinated by the Fairfax-Falls Church Partnership to End Homelessness, the weeklong effort is part of the 100,000 Homes campaign, an intensive approach to identify and find homes for the chronically homeless.
$7 Billion Budget Proposal Unveiled
Typical county household would see real estate tax bill increase by $260 annually.
“We are also forced to recognize the significant yet unknown impact that is expected from federal sequestration and the continuing challenges of a slowly recovering economy.” —Fairfax County Executive Edward L. Long, Jr.
Witnesses Recount Feb. 18 Shooting
Chief Cook offers condolences to Sellers family.
Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook offered his condolences to the family of Taft Sellers in a Feb. 25 press conference that detailed the investigative process in place regarding the city's first police-related shooting since 2009.
Letter: How I Got My Dog
We had been looking for a new dog for close to 10 years—I would occasionally stop at the animal shelter or at a rescue group set-up—but I really didn't know how to pick out a dog, so I just didn't. Our previous dogs had basically just fallen into our laps by differing circumstances.
Fairfax Adult Softball Honors its Dedicated Volunteers
Fairfax Adult Softball (FAS), the largest adult ASA softball league in the country, celebrated the spirit of altruism and selfless service at Brion’s Grille in Fairfax on Sunday, Feb 10. “We run the largest adult ASA softball league in the United States,” said Christine Idip, FAS program assistant, “and we couldn’t do that without our great volunteer workforce. All of them love the game of slow-pitch softball!”
Higher Taxes, Cuts in Services
Young proposes $626.6 million budget.
An increase in property taxes along with cuts in services to Alexandria residents are part of the $626.6 million General Fund Operating Budget proposed Feb. 26 by City Manager Rashad Young for fiscal year 2014.