Katcham Receives McDonnell Award
Honored for his long-time community service.
Jim Katcham has been serving his community for years, so it’s only fitting that he was honored Monday night with the James D. McDonnell Award for dedicated and outstanding community service.
South County High Picks Mr. Stallion 2013
Holds Fifth Annual Male Beauty Pageant.
Ten male students from South County High School set the stage on fire at the Dale S. Rumberger Auditorium of the South County High School in Lorton, during the Fifth Annual Mr. Stallion Pageant on Thursday, Jan. 17. The event, described by Alison Andrews, one of the coordinators and class sponsors, as “a take on female pageant” and a quest for “bragging rights,” was well attended by parents and students, who kept yelling for more as participants appeared on stage.
Union Mill Holds Winter Concerts
Fifth and sixth grade band students from Union Mill Elementary performed in their Winter Band Concert on Wednesday, Jan. 16, led by band teacher Laura Seifried. First-year band students performed “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Old MacDonald Had a Band,” “Ode to Joy,” and “Hard Rock Blues.” The sixth grade band students performed “Bag ‘O Blues,” and several holiday pieces including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!”
Elevation Burger Expands in Fairfax
Elevation Burger, fast-casual restaurant, has opened two new locations in Fairfax, the first at Fair Oaks Mall, followed by one at the Turnpike Shopping Center in Fairfax City, bringing the total number to 10 Elevation Burger locations in the Washington, D.C. metro area, of which four are located in Fairfax County.
Volunteering to Cheer
Special Olympics “Cheer Team” wows crowd with high-energy performance.
Like many girls, Jacquelyn Hoffmeier of Burke always wanted to be a cheerleader. The 25-year-old, born with Down Syndrome, finally got her chance to perform on Friday, Jan. 11. Hoffmeier, along with seven of her Special Olympics teammates, cheered and danced before a crowd of nearly 200 parents and students during halftime at the West Springfield High School girls’ basketball game.
National Day of Service Launches Inauguration
Local residents give back to their communities and pledge ongoing service.
“Our volunteers packaged food at our Vienna Pantry and delivered it to 30 clients throughout the Fairfax County area who receive supplemental food from us every two weeks for approximately four months.” Lisa Whetzel, executive director, Our Daily Bread
Jail Tours Provide Wake-Up Call for At-Risk Teens
The Sheriff’s Office runs the Teen Awareness Program (TAP).
“At-risk kids are able to see and hear first-hand the effects of making a right decision versus a wrong decision,” says Deputy Sheriff Lieutenant Steve Elbert, about the tours and presentations he leads at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. The Sheriff’s Office initiated the Teen Awareness Program (TAP) a year ago, in partnership with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, to become part of the court’s diversion program for first-time, non-violent juvenile offenders.
Area Roundups
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will host a presentation by resiliency expert Nan Henderson, “Resiliency in Action: How Families, Schools and Communities Create ‘Bounce Back’ Kids,” on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 7-8:30 p.m., in the Robinson Secondary School cafeteria. Robinson is at 5035 Sideburn Road in Fairfax.
Sharing People’s Stories Is Filmmaker’s Passion
Local grad Monica Zinn working on second movie.
Monica Zinn is an independent documentary filmmaker. This Burke resident already has one successful film under her belt and is hard at work on another. She graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary School in 2011, but attended the Fairfax Academy from 2009-11, and that’s where her talent began to blossom.
Miss America to Promote STEM
At a pre-Inauguration event Sunday, Jan. 20, newly crowned Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan addressed a large audience gathered at the FAA for a “Federal Open House and Program Mentoring and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).” She spoke passionately about girls and STEM education, which along with her personal issue will be the chief cause during her reign.
Better Said Than Done Comes to Nature House
Better Said Than Done, a community of professional storytellers, will be presenting “Brrr… It's Cold Outside,” a night of storytelling about trying to stay warm in a cold, cold world.
Fine Arts Festival Set for May 17-19
More than 200 artists to participate in Reston festival.
The dates are set for the region’s longest running and largest fine arts festival—the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, produced by the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE). Celebrating its 22nd Anniversary, the premiere event for art lovers and enthusiasts will take place the weekend of May 17-19, 2013, illuminating the streets of Reston Town Center.
Addressing Gun Violence in Oakton
Over 50 people from throughout Northern Virginia attended the initial meeting of the Community Committee on Gun Violence on Thursday evening, Jan. 18, in Oakton.
Attending Inauguration
Marcia Chamblin, who attended President Barack Obama’s second inauguration with her sister Mary Kay Houck, says she arrived at the Vienna Metro station at 5:30 a.m. to avoid crowded trains.
News Briefs
As Democratic delegates fight to keep firearms further from school property, Republican Bob Marshall (D-13) is pushing legislation to bring more guns in. Marshall is the chief patron of HB 1557, which would require every school board in the state to designate one volunteer to carry a concealed weapon on school property. Training for selected volunteers would be provided by either the Virginia Center for School Safety or the NRA, of which he is a member.
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