People

Listening Tour Concludes at Lake Braddock

Superintendent listens as community members voice their concerns.

Lake Braddock Secondary School hosted Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza for the final stop of her listening tour.

Q&A with Brooke Curran

After witnessing the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, Brooke Curran decided that she would embark on a mission to impact the lives of others. After recreationally running 10 miles each day, Curran made it her goal to run 50 marathons in all 50 states, seven marathons in each continent, and each of the five major marathons. Curran has successfully accomplished all these goals while raising money to fund more than 20 local charities with her Alexandria-based nonprofit, RunningBrooke.

Young Proposes $634.8 Million Budget

City Manager Rashad Young submitted his proposal for a $634.8 million General Fund Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2015 before City Council Tuesday, Feb. 25, reflecting an increase of 1.6 percent over last year's budget while maintaining current real estate and personal property tax rates. “Expenditures are growing at a faster rate than revenue,” said Young in detailing his proposed budget during a press briefing earlier in the day. “The challenge always is how to put together this big jigsaw puzzle to meet the needs of the different constituencies and stakeholder groups.”

Obituary: Thomas Edward Braswell, Jr.

Thomas Edward ("Ed") Braswell, Jr., died in Alexandria on Feb. 23, 2014, at the age of 93. Mr. Braswell served as chairman of the Alexandria Planning Commission for over 30 years, beginning in the 1960s. In that role, Mr. Braswell was a key figure in the preservation of the historic character of Old Town Alexandria, as well as its historic homes and neighborhoods. In particular, Mr. Braswell worked to defeat the "Beggs Plan," an urban renewal initiative in the 1960s that would have bulldozed several blocks of historic buildings on King Street, as well as most of historic neighborhood north of King Street in the vicinity of City Hall. Mr. Braswell assisted in the creation of Alexandria's Board of Architectural Review and the enactment of strict height limitations on new development, both of which have been instrumental in the preservation of Old Town Alexandria's historic character.

2014 African American Heritage Festival

Arlington County celebrated its African-American heritage at the 22nd annual Feel the Heritage Festival on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Carver Community Center.

Robinson High Student Attends College, Inspires Others

Rachel Keith will graduate from NOVA and Robinson this spring.

Rachel Keith, a 17-year-old Fairfax Station resident and senior at Robinson Secondary School, has been thinking about college long before many of her peers. It was this forward-thinking that led Keith to take college classes at Northern Virginia Community College as a dual-enrolled student.

Holy Yoga in Burke

Participants enjoy the physical and spiritual benefits of the class.

Tracie Willstatter of Burke is among several participants of Holy Yoga looking to combine the exercise’s physical benefits, including relaxation, with Christian prayer and worship. “I enjoy the exercise, the people and the socializing,” Willstatter said. “And especially the focus on Christ.”

‘Zipping Along and Flying on the Ice’

Two local teens competing in synchronized skating Nationals.

Emily Dillard and LaDan Nemati attend two different high schools; but on the ice rink, they’re teammates. Dillard’s a freshman at Fairfax High and Nemati’s a freshman at Paul VI. And on Feb. 27, they and Team Ashburn will compete in the Synchronized Skating National Competition in Colorado Springs.

National Tour Starts at Rocky Run MS

Bugler from Centreville begins his national tour at Rocky Run Middle School

Burke Church to Host Family Map Day

St. Stephen's United Methodist Church, 9203 Braddock Road in Burke is hosting Partnering with Families from Birth through Launch Family Map Day on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Delegate Filler-Corn Up Close and Personal

Eileen Filler-Corn meets constituents over bagels and coffee

Residents of the Burke area visiting local bagel and coffee shops may have found themselves meeting a busy state legislator over the last couple weeks. Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41) has been holding office hours at locations such as Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bagels in order to connect with constituents and listen to their concerns

Heading to Junior Olympics

Q and A with Fairfax Station resident and air rifle competitor Caitlyn Ford.

Robinson Secondary School senior Caitlyn Ford, a member of the school’s rifle team, will be heading to Colorado in April to compete in the Junior Olympics.

Superintendent Visits Twain Middle School

The stop is the next to last on Garza’s Listening Tour

The school board has already approved their FY 2015 budget, but concerned teachers and parents continue to voice their concerns as the process to receive county funding moves on. The budget was among several topics addressed at Twain Middle School on Feb. 17, a stop on Superintendent Karen Garza’s listening tour.

Snowstorm Hits the Area

School closures and road conditions among major concerns

Fairfax Station resident Lia Keith said she was lucky this year in terms of snow days. “They plowed our road early, which is unusual,” Keith said. “I was also off work and didn’t have to go in until Thursday, which was fortunate.”

Helping Those With Disabilities

Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program serves hundreds

Although it’s been bone-chillingly cold this winter, volunteers still show up for their weekly shifts at the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program in Clifton. “The horses still need to be fed, even when it snows,” said NVTRP interim executive director Kelsey Gallagher.

The Connection