People

Open Door, Open Hearts at Rising Hope in Alexandria

Homeless and needy come in from the cold for a Merry Christmas

“We had a spectacular Christmas!” declared the Rev. Keary Kincannon of Rising Hope United Methodist Church, which serves the homeless and needy along the Route 1 corridor.

Celebrating Life of Aldo Leopold in Alexandria

The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust sponsored a Read-a-Thon in honor of the 128th birthday of environmentalist Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 10.

Alexandria: Amazing Grace

APD mourns loss of first female police K-9.

For more than a year, it looked as if she would defy the odds, but on Christmas Eve, Gracie, Alexandria’s first female police K-9, lost her battle with kidney cancer. “Gracie was not only an outstanding police dog, she was a great family dog,” said APD K-9 officer Steven Escobar.

A Taste of Europe in Herndon

New location means a growth in clientele for Europa restaurant owners.

Europa isn’t new. It’s just new to Herndon. The Mediterranean restaurant, operated by the Fuentes family, moved from Tall Oaks Village Center and found a home on Station Street.

Vienna Theatre Company Presents ‘Be My Baby’

Vienna Theatre Company will present Ken Ludwig's “Be My Baby,” directed by Suzanne Maloney, opening on Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. “Be My Baby” is a romantic comedy that tells the story of John, an irascible Scotsman and an uptight English woman, Maud, and how they're brought together when his ward marries her niece and the young couple decides to adopt a newborn baby.

Troop 55 Boy Scouts Earn President’s Medal

“To encourage more individuals to embody the spirit of volunteerism that makes this country so great” is the goal of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Jeff Ye, a Patrol Advisor with Boy Scout Troop 55 from Great Falls, worked with the Troop 55 leadership and introduced the award to the Boy Scouts this past Fall.

Vienna Business Association Honors Park and Recreation Department

At its Friday, Jan. 9 breakfast meeting, the Vienna Business Association (VBA) paid tribute to the Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation Department for their support and contribution to the community in providing services and equipment to the various functions in partnership with the VBA.

Renovation, expansion include new gym and fitness center.

On Jan. 10 elected officials, County staff, contractors and members of the community celebrated the completed expansion and renovations of Spring Hill RECenter with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The RECenter is located at Lewinsville Road and Spring Hill Road in McLean.

Weichert, Realtors’ Recognizes McLean/Old Dominion Office, Top Associate

Bruce L. Green, regional vice president of Weichert, Realtors, announced the McLean/Old Dominion office was recognized for outstanding performance in December. The office led the region, which comprises offices throughout Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier and Delaware counties, for resale dollar volume.

Blurred Lines

McLean doctor writes about what he knows.

The unassuming house right off Chain Bridge Road in McLean has a small sign bearing Dr. Robert Comunale’s name in the front yard. For passersby or the mailman, it is just a sign to indicate who lives in the house.

Children Collect Food for Cornerstone Food Bank

Lake Anne Elementary donated over 20 boxes of food to Cornerstone Food Bank/Cornerstones Housing Corporation. The school selected this food drive because of the Cornerstone work with Reston Interfaith that helps the school community.

Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna Donates to Local Charities

For the last 16 years, the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna (SCOV) has been hosting their Community Thanksgiving Service along with participating congregations. The money raised from the service offering is then distributed to two local charities. This year’s recipients were Our Daily Bread Fairfax and The Committee for Helping Others.

Nysmith Students Meet Cyber Defense Challenge

Two teams of middle school students from The Nysmith School of Herndon recently finished second and 12th out of 200 U.S. and Canadian teams participating in the seventh Annual CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

Amy Brass and Michael Macintyre to Wed April 2015

Mrs. Renee Brass and Mr. and Mrs. Steve Macintyre of Reston are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, Amy Brass and Michael Macintyre. Both grew up in Reston and graduated from South Lakes High School.

James Paul Rainey, 84, Dies

James Paul Rainey passed away peacefully on Dec. 31, 2014 at the age of 84. At the time of death, Jim was living in Great Falls, having recently moved there from Naples, Fla. Born in Weirton, W. Va., Jim’s family moved to Pennsylvania and Ohio where he graduated from Lakewood High School in 1948.

The Connection