People

View Beautiful Clifton Homes

Clifton Homes Tour is May 15.

The Clifton Homes Tour and Marketplace, sponsored by the Clifton Community Woman’s Club, will be held on May 15. Net proceeds from the Clifton Homes Tour go to the organization’s charitable trust.

Enjoy a Classic Clifton Experience

17th Annual Clifton Caboose Twilight Run is May 17.

Gary Anderson, chairman of the Clifton Caboose Twilight Run, isn’t entirely sure why the run was originally chosen to take place at twilight. It was already a twilight run when he became chairman in 2005, and he liked it that way. “It’s a classic Clifton experience and is sure to be a great time,” Anderson said. The 17th Annual Clifton Caboose Twilight Run is May 17 at 6 p.m., and features a 5K and a one-mile fun run.

South County Senior Awarded Scholarship

Christian Canales will be first in his family to attend college.

For his work as a leader in the Hispanic community, South County High School senior Christian Canales has been awarded a $1,000 from the Fairfax County Hispanic Leadership Alliance. Canales will be attending James Madison University in the fall where he will study education, and plans to be a high school teacher. “I want to help others and be a teacher, and help guide kids in the right direction. I just want to do the same for others that my teacher did for me. A lot of families don’t put education first, but I believe if you’re not educated, you won’t have a successful life,” Canales said. Canales will be the first in his family to attend college, which he says is a huge deal for him. “It’s not a weight on my shoulder, but I have to set the example,” Canales said. “I think me going to school and trying to show my cousins and other family that you need to go to school. I’m like a role model to them. I want them to go by my example and continue their education.”

Robinson Students Receive Scholarships

Claudia Torres and Carolina Castedo honored by Hispanic Leadership Alliance.

Claudia Torres, a senior at Robinson Secondary School, and Carolina Castedo, also a senior at Robinson, both moved to the United States at a young age over 10 years ago. Torres is Peruvian, and Castedo is Bolivian and Chilean. Burke residents Torres and Castedo, both 18, wrote about challenges they have overcome as newcomers to the United States, as well as reasons they wish to attend college, in an application for a Fairfax County Hispanic Leadership Alliance Scholarship. “I didn’t know how to speak English, and that was hard for me when I got here,” Castedo said.

Nurse Honored with Life Saving Award

All county nurses celebrated during Nurses Week, May 6-12.

In late February, Daryl Vasquez, a nurse with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s Community Readiness and Support Program in Springfield and a Burke resident, noticed that a CSB client having lunch was choking and could not breathe. “She managed to get her arms around him and perform the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the obstruction and most likely saving this man’s life,” Gary Ambrose, a CSB board member, told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on April 29.

Balloon Test Shows Height of Proposed Landfill Application

Landfill public hearing is on May 13.

If the EnviroSolutions application to extend the life of the landfill in Lorton is approved by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on May 13, just how tall will the debris look to those from the ground? Just how tall is 395 feet, anyway? The proposed height was demonstrated to anyone within the general Lorton area on Friday, May 2, who could catch a glimpse of the landfill off of Interstate 95 and Furnace Road when a balloon test was conducted.

Meals Tax Possible for Fairfax County

Tax could generate $88 million in revenue.

At a public hearing on the 2015 budget, Fairfax County resident Kimberly Adams joined numerous other individuals who urged the Board of Supervisors to consider a meals tax. “To have the quality of life that we’ve come to depend on in Fairfax County, we must move the needle closer to the regional average when it comes to taxes. We must not be afraid to look for new streams of revenue, such as a meals tax for instance,” Adams told the Board of Supervisors at the budget hearings. “Never have I actually thought, well, there’s a meals tax in Alexandria, so I’ll drive 10 more minutes into Fairfax and order my pizza. I go to the place that’s convenient and where I want to eat.”

Enjoy a Magical Time with ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’

Area residents shine in Northern Virginia Players spring production

Members of Northern Virginia Players are sharing their enthusiasm and love for song and dance while also raising money for an 11-year-old with a brain disorder through their spring production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” Last weekend’s shows brought fun and cheer to packed audiences, with standing ovations every show, and the good times continue May 9 and 10 at Burke Community Church.

Remembering Jeffrey By Helping Others

Angel Kisses 5K/2K is set for Mother’s Day.

Superheroes do some pretty amazing things, such as thwarting villains and saving people. In life, Chantilly’s Jeffrey Virostek only got to pretend to be a superhero; but in death, he’s become a real one. He was only 4 in September 2003 when he succumbed to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). But a fund his parents started in his name has enabled many nonprofit organizations to help other children in their battles against cancer.

Animals for Adoption In Fairfax Station

Organization rescues animals from high-kill shelters.

For Rebecca Goodhart, the most challenging part of being deputy director of Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Fairfax Station is that the need to help animals never goes away. “We do what we can for those we can help, but the need is always there,” Goodhart said. Until people recognize the importance of spaying and neutering, pet overpopulation will continue and animals will unfortunately be needlessly euthanized, she said.

Three Cheers to 20 Years

People filled the Arlington Arts Center Monday evening, May 5, to mark the Arlington Sister City Association's 20th anniversary of its first partnership, with Aachen, Germany.

Me & My Mom, Arlington

Photos submitted for Mother's Day.

New Partnership

Encore Stage & Studio has partnered with the Nauck Community Services Center of the Bonder & Amanda Johnson Community Development Corporation. The partnership provides students of the NCSC SOL tutoring program and other Nauck residents scholarships to participate in Encore Stage & Studio’s educational programs in Shirlington.

Addressing Strokes

Fashion show at Old Angler’s Inn to raise funds for hospital program.

When Sara and Mark Reges’ youngest son Charles was just 9 years old, he was hit by a car in Potomac Village. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was on life support for weeks at the Children’s National Medical Center. He was in critical care and partially paralyzed for months following the accident — but today he is a normal young man with no side effects.

Speakers Fulfill ‘Inspiration Day’

Three speakers shared their stories of challenges, life experiences and personal successes at the MoverMoms’ third annual “Inspiration Day.” The April 27 event, held at the River Falls Clubhouse was attended by about 60 women who are a combination of MoverMoms’ participants along with family and friends.

The Connection