"cristina and amber kissing scenes"

Making the Most out of Winter

A survival guide for indoor and outdoor enthusiasts.

We all know the type. Those chipper, cheery souls who bound out of bed in sub-zero temperatures to embrace any opportunity to get outside. But for many people, it's a challenge to stay active during the winter months.

Performing for Supervisors

Artistic group hosts open house April 22.

Members of the Traveling Players Ensemble provided classical entertainment in the form of King Lear - and some levity, in the form of artistic director Jeanne Harrison - to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week during its public hearings on the fiscal year 2013 budget.

Week in Vienna

News in Vienna.

Patriarch of Architects

Fredrick E. Sheridan retires.

Veteran and Architect Retires After Forty Years

Week in Alexandria

What happens when you mix raw emotions and firearms? Sometimes people get injured.

Area Roundups

Fairfax County college-bound students and their parents are invited to attend “The Perils of the College Drinking Culture,” an upcoming screening and panel discussion on a powerful, award-winning documentary, “HAZE,” which looks at the crisis of binge drinking and hazing on college campuses.

‘Oompa, Loompa, Doompety Doo’

“Willy Wonka Jr.” is at Rocky Run Middle.

Get ready for oompa loompas and chocolate; Rocky Run Middle is presenting “Willy Wonka Jr.” The performance dates are Thursday-Friday, April 18-19, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 20, at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door and during school lunches.

‘The Music Man’ Marches Into South County High

Cast of over 50 presents the award-winning classic musical.

Katie Murray, a South County High School senior and Fairfax Station resident, remembers vividly the first time she saw a rendition of Meredith Wilson’s classic musical “The Music Man.” Her younger self was home sick, channel surfing, and stumbled upon the 2003 film remake starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth.

New Venue; New Vibes

Taste of Potomac raises funds for Adoptions Together.

A courageous 15-year-old, Arlene Reles, addressed an audience of more than 300 at the 2013 Taste of Potomac benefit for Adoptions Together on Saturday, June 8. The teen told the story of her life before adoption and how it felt to be in foster care.

Creating a Fantasy in Pumpkins

Halloween display ranges from zombies to cartoon characters.

Halloween is next Thursday, Oct. 31, and that means more than 1,000 people will flock to Noel Dickover’s home in Centreville to see the latest fantasy pumpkins he and his crew have created.

Picasso and Einstein Meet in Vienna

Vienna Theatre Company presents “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” a Steve Martin comedy.

If you smile at Steve Martin’s humor and appreciate high-quality community theatre, you can find both at the Vienna Theatre Company upcoming production of Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Characterized as a comedy, the 90-minute one-act play incorporates thought-provoking perspectives infused with episodes of levity. In other words, it embodies the essence of Steve Martin’s humor interpretation.

Defeating Dystonia

6th annual event to raise awareness and research funds for Dystonia.

Donna Driscoll is determined to win the fight of her life — against the life-altering disorder, Dystonia. For six years, the Potomac resident and her husband Tom have organized a golf and tennis tournament dedicated to raising Dystonia awareness as well as garnering funds for research to cure and prevent the neurological syndrome and movement disorder that she was inflicted with 10 years ago.

Churchill’s Own Singer Songwriter

Mackenzie Testa pursues singing and dancing career.

Mackenzie Testa, a Churchill High School sophomore, is gearing up to make it big in the pop music industry.

On the Campaign Trail

What happens to City Councilman Rob Krupicka’s seat if he is elected to the House of Delegates next month? Fortunately for Democrats, it’s too late to have yet another special election.

Week in Alexandria

Two properties at the heart of Alexandria’s controversial waterfront plan went on the market this week, opening a new chapter in the ongoing saga about redevelopment in Old Town.

Animal Control Officer Nabs Elusive Shih Tzu

Officer’s dogged pursuit saves sly pup from life on the streets.

Just 13 pounds of matted fur and fluff, “Biscuit,” a sly shih tzu, evaded capture in the Franconia area for nearly two years, porch-surfing and stealing cats’ food to survive.

From Rail to Trail at Freeman Museum

Museum traces history of the railroad passing through Vienna in the 18th and 19th centuries.

“These are trains that used to be alive a long time ago. … Now, they’re abandoned, now they’re scrap.” —Five-year-old Charlie Wilkins, Reston

Whisked Away to the Land of Oz

Home school co-op students stage an original musical to benefit Rancho 3M Orphanage.

The Sovereign Grace Co-op Drama Club is staging The Patchwork Girl of Oz and giving ticket sales and all donations to Rancho 3M Orphanage in Guadalupe, Mexico. The production showcases the singing and acting talents of over 30 middle and high school students from Sovereign Grace Home School Co-op in Fairfax.

Alexandria Paramedic Remembered for Perpetual Optimism and Wry Humor

Joshua Weissman, 33, dies while responding to a car fire on Interstate 395.

Joshua Weissman, a popular and optimistic Alexandria paramedic with a wry sense of humor, died last week after receiving a head injury while responding to a fire on Interstate 395. He was 33.

Living Up to High Expectations

At first there was worry Equity Office Properties would not be a good community partner.