Connection Homepage

Connection Homepage

Subscribe

Brief: Storck To Host Office Hours

Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District School Board member for Fairfax County Public Schools, will host Community Office Hours at the Lorton Library in the Conference Room on Saturday, April 12, from 10 a.m.

4-Year-Olds Learn About Entrepreneurship

“Camila’s Lemonade Stand” author visits Potomac Nursery School.

“If you could start your own business — any business you wanted, what would you choose?” asked teacher Barbara Haas to her class of 4-year-olds at Potomac Nursery School. The question prompted answers from the children of “I would have a business where I could take care of animals” to “I would want to make delicious food for people.” Some wanted to become home builders, doctors or fire-fighters; others wanted to become lawyers to help other people.

Tease photo

The Seven Faces of Erin Peterson

Annual Gospel Celebration of Life is this Sunday, April 13.

Nearly seven years have passed since Centreville’s Erin Peterson — an 18-year-old freshman at Virginia Tech — was killed in a massacre there, along with 31 others. But although short, her life counted; and each year, the local community gathers to remember her. This year, the 7th Annual Erin Peterson Gospel Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, April 13, at 4 p.m., at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 6600 Old Centreville Road in Centreville. The theme is “Keeping Hope Alive: The Seven Faces of Erin – Daughter, Sister, Friend, Mentor, Visionary, Peacemaker, Inspiration.”

Tease photo

Bonsai Show Coming Up at Garden Center

Learn about, see and vote for favorite trees.

The Northern Virginia Bonsai Society will hold its Spring Show this weekend at the Merrifield Garden Center. It’s at 12101 Lee Hwy. in Fairfax and the free show runs Saturday, April 12, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Teens: Most in Need of Foster Care Homes

Virginia's largest age group in need of homes is between 16 to 18-years-old.

At 54 years old, Julie wanted to be an adoptive parent for over a decade. But it wasn't until last year that she finally brought a child home.

Halley Teachers Honored For Inclusiveness

Joni Smith and Rebecca Bailey demonstrate the importance of inclusive preschool classrooms.

Research emphasizes that strong early learning programs dictate future academic success for all students. On March 25, at Green Acres Recreational Center on Main Street in Fairfax, Halley Elementary School teachers Rebecca Bailey and Joni Smith received the Exemplary Inclusive Practice Award from Fairfax County Preschool Division of Early Childhood Education. The honor recognized their efforts to provide their preschool students with a classroom environment that meets their unique academic needs and prepares them as respectful and empathetic citizens of diverse learning communities.

Tease photo

Lorton Road to be Widened to Four Lanes

The widening of Lorton Road to four lanes will begin this spring. Construction will occur Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The project area is 2.5 miles and includes Lorton Road, Furnace Road and newly-named Workhouse Road. Lorton Road will be widened from Ox Road to the Silverbrook Road intersection. Furnace Road will be widened to the Lorton Road Intersection from north of Hooes Road.

Tease photo

Bill to Help Homeowners’ Associations

Del. Filler-Corn passes legislation to help constituent homeowners’ associations.

Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41), working with constituents, has spearheaded legislation aimed at helping many residents of her district and across Virginia. The 41st District contains several self-managed homeowners’ associations, made up of volunteers in the community working in the best interests of their shared neighborhood.

Tease photo

Bonsai Show at Garden Center

Learn about, see and vote for favorite trees.

The Northern Virginia Bonsai Society will hold its Spring Show this weekend at the Merrifield Garden Center. It’s at 12101 Lee Hwy. in Fairfax and the free show runs Saturday, April 12, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Bonsai experts will give demonstrations, and attendees may vote on the trees they believe should then compete at the Potomac Bonsai Association show at the National Arboretum.

Connection Papers Win Awards

Reporting, photography, design and editorial cartoons commended at annual Virginia Press Association meeting.

"Great work exposing serious challenges and obstacles in the way of the public's access to public information. The articles are well written and well researched, providing concrete and compelling examples of the flaws in the systems." That was what the judge said when awarding first place for In-depth or investigative reporting to Michael Lee Pope in the Arlington Connection. The Virginia Press Association announced its press awards for 2013 at the annual meeting on Saturday, April 5, in Richmond.

Tease photo

Green Lizard Lights it Up Blue for Autism Awareness Day

A good sized crowd gathered last Wednesday evening at Herndon’s Green Lizard Cycling to see the storefront lit up with blue lights. Buildings and landmarks across the country and the world turned on blue lights as well Wednesday night for Autism Speaks 4th annual “Light It Up Blue” campaign for World Autism Awareness Day.

The Italian Gourmet Celebrates 40 Years

On Monday Dec. 9, 1974, The Italian Gourmet opened in Vienna. With its gourmet Italian prepared foods and specialty hard goods, The Italian Gourmet drew customers from all over the D.C. area. Today Jeremy and Margaret Schottler own the store, and their two children can often be found "helping" in the store as well. Six days a week (the deli is closed on Sunday for family time), The Italian Gourmet serves as a deli, gourmet food shop and caterer to the Vienna community. After working as a part time high school and college employee, Jeremy bought The Italian Gourmet in 1998, shortly after graduating from James Madison University. Jeremy combined his love of food and cooking with his business degree to this Vienna mainstay.

Tease photo

Great Falls Volunteers Take Part in Watershed Clean Up

Northern Virginia residents participated in the Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup on Saturday, April 5, sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. Last year, this Potomac watershed cleanup through the region collected over 300 tons of trash. The Great Falls Citizens Association organized over a dozen volunteers this year to clean up along Difficult Run stream and worked for over three hours to pull out debris along the trails and woods along the stream, which flows into the Potomac River. Many of the volunteers were high school students.

Tease photo

Celebrating Diversity

Reston founder Robert Simon visits Langston Hughes Middle.

Langston Hughes Middle School celebrated Diversity Day in a timely way this year.Themed “The Diversity of Reston: Then and Now,” the school invited Reston founder Robert Simon and local elementary principals to talk about how diversity impacted the growth of their community on Friday.“This is community,” said Simon. “Community is the most important word I want to leave with you. It always struck me that the best way to be happy is to be surrounded by good friends and relatives.”He told the students that he built the community based on the best parts of other communities he had seen during his travels. The most important part of Reston - and indeed the first part - was to create a plaza that would serve as the community center.

Tease photo

Teens Learn about Future Careers

Madison High teens participate in job-shadow program.

Medicine, business, computer security – 16 Madison High students learned about these careers and more during a recent, job-shadow program. Sponsored by FCPS and the Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce, it enabled the students to experience various occupations firsthand. The teens listed their top three career interests and the Chamber matched them with businesses. Afterward, they shared their experiences with The Connection.