Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Recognizes Outstanding Service
Awards given to operational and administrative staff.
VVFD Chief John Morrison and members of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary honored volunteers and career staff for outstanding and dedicated service to the department and the community at a banquet on Feb. 8. Volunteers logged in 31,000 hours in 2013.
Vienna’s Church of the Good Shepherd Celebrates Publishing Its 15th Annual Lenten Devotional
The Church of the Good Shepherd, a United Methodist church in Vienna, celebrates the publishing of its 15th annual Devotions for Lent booklet. The booklet of daily devotionals written by members and friends of the congregation will be available at the March 5 Ash Wednesday 7:30 p.m. service at the church, located at 2351 Hunter Mill Road.
Flowers, Herbs, Vegetables and More
Vienna plans to create a community learning garden.
Someday, spring will come again. And when it does, the Town of Vienna will be busy creating a new garden for its residents. Previously, the town and School Board established a 30x100-foot garden, just for school use, at Vienna Elementary. Now, the Town Council has given a thumbs-up for a new garden to be built on the same site.
Guarding against Realities of Substance Abuse
Forum slated for March 4 at Madison High.
Parents/guardians and their middle school and high school students are invited and encouraged to attend together the upcoming program, “Protecting Against the Realities of Substance Abuse.” It’s set for Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m., at Madison High, 2500 James Madison Drive, in Vienna. Madison’s PTSA is sponsoring this program in the school’s Warhawk Hall and it’s open to the community. It’s organized by Parents Reaching Out To Educate Communities Together (P.R.O.T.E.C.T.), a task force of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC).
Oakton Fire Causes $20,000 Damage
Fire officials say improperly discarded smoking materials caused an accidental fire last week in an Oakton home. Damage was estimated at $20,000. The incident occurred Monday, Feb. 10, at 2615 Hunter Mill Road.
Time to Celebrate 75 Years
Louise Archer Elementary invites community to open house.
Louise Archer Elementary and Principal Michelle Makrigiorgos are celebrating the school’s 75th anniversary and the community is invited. An open house is slated for Friday, March 7, from 6-8 p.m., at the school, 324 Nutley Street, N.W., in Vienna. Community members, local businesses, former and current staff, students and families are welcome to join in the festivities. In honor of the occasion, Archer will be transformed into a historical museum featuring founding artifacts, as well as new displays made by current students. Besides the library “museum,” activities will include student-led tours plus light refreshments.
Spelling Away at Terraset Elementary
Terraset Elementary School in Reston hosted its eighth annual Spelling Bee on Feb. 19, in the school's cafeteria. Fourteen students from grades 3-6 participated. The format followed those used by both the county and national bee programs. Sia Komba, a fourth grader, won in round nine, with the word "manufacture." Archer Oliver, a sixth grader, was runner-up. Komba will advance to compete against students from all over Fairfax County at the 2014 County Bee in March. The winner of the county contest will advance to the Scripps National Bee in Washington, D.C. Of her Spelling Bee experience, Komba said, "I liked learning new words, and I feel really good about what I did. I'm really excited!" Sarah Nieto, a fourth grade teacher and chair of the Spelling Bee Club at Terraset was pleased with the outcome this year. "We've had some competitive Bees in the past, but this one was really exciting. The kids prepared well," she said as the participants and other students congratulated Komba on their way back to their classes.
Reston Woman Trains Agility Cats
Her Abyssinians are famous in the cat world for their feats of athleticism.
Abyssinian cat trainer Lisa-Maria Padilla, 52, of Reston, is quite a fixture in the world of cats. Her performance cats called “Abys” do feats of athleticism all over the U.S. – at cat shows in Madison Square Garden, Orlando, and Las Vegas. The prize money is about $400 for the agility ring, so she does it mostly for the bragging rights.
Bulova: ‘This Will Be a Challenging Budget’
Fairfax County average homeowner will see tax bill increase $330 under County Executive’s proposed $7 billion budget.
Fairfax County Executive Edward Long, Jr. unveiled a $7 billion budget proposal Tuesday that reflects his "cautious and deliberative approach to budgeting," a result, Long said, of continuing uncertainty over federal spending and sluggish commercial tax revenues.
SingStrong for a Cause
Professional a cappella singers preform at South Lakes High School.
For three days at South Lakes High School in Reston, the music of the human voice was celebrated with the sixth annual SingStrong International Charity A Cappella Festival. This event featured five concerts, an auction, and over a dozen classes and coaching sessions from professional musicians.
Fathers Take Daughters to Dance
Fathers and daughters enjoy special night at Herndon Community Center.
The evening of Saturday, Feb. 1, Herndon Community Center was host to the 6th annual Father Daughter Dance at the gymnasium room. Operating the DJ table was Aaron Hahn, owner of Basement Media Productions. The focus of the event was dance to popular music. Songs ranging from “Cotton Eyed Joe” to “Gangnam Style” were broadcast during the night. Appetizers and drinks were also served.
Hollywood Comes to Fairfax
How to use Hollywood-style portrait techniques to photograph adoptable animals.
Animals at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter were given the celebrity treatment on Feb. 23 when a team from the non-profit Shelter Art Foundation taught shelter staff and volunteers how to use Hollywood-style portrait techniques to photograph their adoptable animals.
Giving Bianca a Second Chance
A Fairfax County Animal Shelter happy ending.
Bianca, a nine-year-old, female, German shepherd mix dog, had been living her life on the end of a chain in a rural part of Virginia. In late January, an unknown stray dog approached Bianca and attacked her. Bianca’s owner came outside and in an attempt to stop the attack he hit both dogs with a shovel, striking Bianca over the head and injuring her. Rather than pursue vet care, the owner drove Bianca to the local pound and surrendered her. For the next 36 hours, Bianca sat with no medical care, until a sympathetic staff person called the shelter’s rescue partner at the Highland County Humane Society in rural Virginia.
‘We Will Not Tolerate Unsafe Driving’
Police want motorists to get the message from their new cruiser.
There’s a new weapon in the Fairfax County Police Department’s arsenal, but this one has four tires and an engine. It’s a new cruiser covered with messages warning people not to drive impaired or distracted. It was unveiled on Friday, Feb. 21, at the Sully District Station, and the station’s commander, Capt. Ed O’Carroll, explained its significance.
Letter to the Editor: Different View on Lee
To the Editor: It is unfortunate and, I daresay, disappointing that Mayor William Euille, an otherwise serious and thoughtful African American, apparently felt compelled to issue a proclamation, on behalf of the City Council, honoring the Confederate General Robert E. Lee (opinion, Jan. 23-29). Euille should have considered the words of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who upon hearing of Lee's death in 1870, wrote: "We can scarcely take up a newspaper that is not filled with nauseating flatteries of Lee, from which it would seem … that the soldier who killed the most men in battle, even in a bad cause, is the greatest Christian, and entitled to the highest place in heaven."
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