Stories for August 2013

Column: From Weak to Week

Eight days and seven nights. Not exactly the vacation I was planning. Nevertheless, admitted to the hospital on Friday, August 2nd. Discharged on Friday, August 9th: that was my hospital “staycation.” Though I definitely improved as the post-surgical week went on, the process itself – specifically, nearly four days in S.I.C.U. (Surgical Intensive Care) with round-the-clock monitoring, nursing and doctoring – was hardly restful. In fact, if you read the following prose, you’ll presumably develop an understanding of the cons.

An Insider's Guide to the Arts in Northern Virginia

A selection of upcoming arts productions, happening right where you live.

There are more artists of every stripe making art in Northern Virginia than you may realize. Populating the bedroom communities, small towns, growing cities and metropolitan areas of Fairfax County, Arlington and Alexandria are your pick of dance, theatre, choral, symphonic, visual and performance, music and fill-in-the-blank groups. Look beyond Wolf Trap and Jammin' Java to the Torpedo Art Factory, the Workhouse Arts Center, and smaller, quality groups like ArtSpace Herndon and McLean Project for the Arts to cast their creative spell (that's only to name a few). Delve in and, we dare you, let your stereotypes of an artless string of suburbs dissolve. In place you'll get something much better than stereotypes: some culture.

Newcomers and the Community Guide; Get to Know Area Non-profits

Get to know the area non-profits!

Best Educated, Most Diverse

If you are a new resident of Fairfax County, or an employee working for a company new to the county, welcome!

New Superintendent Relishes Opportunity

A fan of Baylor grad RG3 … not Cowboys

Here in Fairfax, not only do we have the talent and the expertise to solve the problems facing us in FCPS, but we are uniquely positioned to solve the most pressing issues facing public schools across the country. -Karen K. Garza, Ph.D., superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools

Arlington Home Sales: July, 2013

In July 2013, 290 Arlington homes sold between $1,825,000-$74,000.

Arlington Home Sales: July, 2013

Chamber Gives Voice to Businesses

The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (Fairfax Chamber), the Voice of Business in Northern Virginia, represents 650 member companies with nearly 500,000 employees throughout the region.

Northern Virginia Senior Olympics

Online registration for the 2013 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics is open Deadline to register online is Aug. 30. The fee is $12. Participants can register online at www.nvso.us. Events take place Sept. 7-19 at 17 venues throughout Northern Virginia. Call 703-228-4721 for more.

Chambers

Find a comprehensive online listing of county business resources at http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/business-resources.

Welcome to Fairfax County

Hello and welcome to Fairfax County!

A Year in Fairfax County

A sampling of some of the cherished, annual events of the county.

Upcoming events in the county.

Editorial: About the Connection

As your local, weekly newspaper, the Great Falls Connection’s mission is to bring the local news you need, to gather information about the best things in and near your community, to advocate for community good, to provide a forum for dialogue on local concerns, and to celebrate and record milestones and events in the community and people’s lives.

Classified Advertising August 8, 2013

Read the latest ads here!

Entertainment Calendar

What Do You Like Best About Living in Arlington?

Arlingtonians Tell Us Why They Love Their City

Viewpoints

Arlingtonians Tell Us Why They Love Their City

Senior Centers

Newcomer's Guide; OAR Creates Second Chances

Ex-offenders contribute $1 million in community services.

Get Involved

55 Years or Older?

Registry for county's senior adult programs.

55 Years or Older? Register for county’s senior adult programs.

Commentary: I Become a Tutor and Learn a Few Things

I had forgotten the geometric-shaped colors and mostly Lilliputian furniture which adorn elementary school classrooms when I entered Ashlawn Elementary as a volunteer reading tutor.

Places To Exercise Fido

County maintains eight canine areas.

Benjamin Banneker Park 1701 North Van Buren Street Lights on until 8 p.m. Fort Barnard at the corner of South Pollard Street and South Walter Reed Drive Lights on until 9 p.m. Fort Ethan Allen Park 3829 North Stafford Street Lights on until 7 p.m. Glencarlyn Park 301 South Harrison Street James Hunter Park (Closed for renovations) 1299 N. Herndon Street Shirlington Park 2601 South Arlington Mill Drive Towers Park 801 South Scott Street Lights on until 10 p.m. Utah Park 3191 South Utah Street — Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation

“Flourishing After 55”

“Flourishing After 55” from Arlington’s Office of Senior Adult Programs for Sept. 2-7.

About the Connection

Newcomers and Community Guide 2013-2014

Editorial

‘Wags n’ Whiskers’ Attracts Animal Lovers

Rescue groups use event to encourage adoptions.

Wags n’ Whiskers allows shoppers and their pets to explore more than 50 onsite exhibitors, pet services and pet adoption organizations. Attendees also enjoyed live music, demonstrations and activities for children. Volunteers from K-9 Lifesavers dog rescue stand on Campbell Avenue with friendly pets looking for a home.

Bulletin Board

Email announcements to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is noon the Thursday before publication. Photos are welcome.

Back to School: Back to Lunch

Healthy lunchbox and after school snack ideas.

Healthy Lunch and Snack Ideas

Viewpoints: Schools Ready for New Beginning

Principals set goals for the new school year.

Easing into Back to School

End-of-summer tips to make the first day of school less stressful

Area experts provide advice on easing into back to school.

"Flourishing After 55"

“Flourishing After 55” from Arlington’s Office of Senior Adult Programs for Sept. 2-7.

Welcoming Students

Getting schools ready from technology to nutrition.

Getting Ready for Students

Military

Military Notes

Email announcements to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Photos are welcome.

Bulletin Board

Email announcements to arlington@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is noon the Thursday before publication. Photos are welcome.

Crime

The following incidents were reported by the Arlington Police Department.

Excerpts From King’s ‘I Have a Dream’

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the March on Washington 50 years ago next week, Aug. 28, 1963.

Excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech: “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

Shedding Sunshine on the Secret World of Regulation in Virginia

Advisory panel rejects effort to open records of the State Corporation Commission.

Ever wonder what happens during deliberations that regulate payday lending? How about the effort to oversee your health insurance?

Arlington County Schools Increasingly Crowded as Enrollment Spikes

Two new elementary school planned; more changes on the horizon.

School leaders in Arlington are struggling to accommodate about 1,000 new students in the coming school year, a crunch that's sending school officials scrambling for teachers, assistants, administrators, equipment and relocatable classrooms.

Resurrecting The Post for a New Era

The Post has two upcoming gigs in Vienna and Alexandria.

Don’t let the minor chords fool you: The Post is made up of happy people. The band, originally started by guitarist Kate Jarosik and singer/pianist Chelsea Bryan during their time at the University of Virginia, took a brief hiatus after graduation but has started up again with some new musicians in Northern Virginia. Fresh off a successful stint through a Battle of the Bands at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, The Post is getting ready for a show there next Wednesday, Aug. 28 and another at St. Elmo’s in Alexandria Sept. 20.

Yorktown’s Stewart to Attack from Different Positions

Patriots move up to 6A after VHSL’s six-class realignment.

Yorktown will open the regular season at home against Coolidge on Aug. 29.

Classified Advertising August 14. 2013

Read the lastest ad here!

Outdoor Elegance Meets Cutting Edge Technology

A design/build team explores fine architecture in weather-resistant materials.

If anything in the summer of 2013 points to still evolving homeowner expectations, it may be the frequency with which locals are integrating screen porches, patios, fire pits, and outdoor kitchens into original landscaping schemes that artfully marry the house to its setting.

Geocaching Diversifies

Urbanites embracing new game.

Geocaching usually has been portrayed as someone with hiking boots and a walking staff gazing afar from a hilltop in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not so anymore. Substantial numbers of those joining the sport are placing and hunting for caches in urban settings, and that includes Northern Virginia.

Geocaching Diversifies

Urbanites embracing new game

Geocaching usually has been portrayed as someone with hiking boots and a walking staff gazing afar from a hilltop in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not so anymore.

Soaring to the Top

Virginia Hospital Center: Winner of the 2013 Truven Top 100 Hospitals Award and Everest Award.

With the large banner shining above Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington noting it is the 2013 winner of the Truven Health Analytics Top 100 Hospitals Award coupled with the coveted 2013 Everest award, hospital personnel have reason to be proud.

Editorial: On Federal Dollars in Virginia

State’s role as one of the biggest “takers.”

We received some emails and phone calls about the expansion of Medicaid in response to last week’s editorial.

Deputy Faces Murder Charges

Craig Patterson sat stonefaced in a green jumpsuit as his voice boomed from speakers in the courtroom. Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Sengel pressed a few buttons on his laptop computer, and the 911 call began playing a key piece of evidence in the case against the 44-year-old Arlington County sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Julian Dawkins, a 22-year-old Alexandria man.

Sports Roundup

Reston United 99 Blue, a U14 NCSL D5 team, is holding supplemental tryouts in August.

Snapshot: Changing Cityscape

The 35-story trophy building located at 1812 N. Moore St., Rosslyn, is due to be fully constructed in the fall.

Opinion: Issues That Matter

Mental health services discussion gives insight into real differences between candidates.

It came as somewhat of a relief to have the candidates for governor in Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli (R) and Terry McAuliffe (D), discuss an actual issue that matters to many Virginia families this week at a forum on mental health issues.

Will the Next Attorney General Defend Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage?

Republican says he will defend amendment; Democrat is not so sure.

Virginia's next attorney general will have to stand in a courtroom and make a decision about whether or not the commonwealth's constitutional ban on marriage should be defended. Republican candidate Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26) has been clear about his support for the amendment and his intention to provide a vigorous defense of marriage. Democratic candidate Sen. Mark Herring (D-33), on the other hand, has yet to take a position on whether or not he will defend the amendment.

Calender

Ongoing Food Truck Thursdays. In the surface parking lot at the corner of Crystal Drive and 18th Street. Line Dancing Class. Fridays, 10-11 a.m. Line dancing with Barbara Allen. Covers the basic steps, then combines them to music for a gentle aerobic workout. More experienced line dancers are welcome as they can assist newer dancers. At Aurora Hills Senior Center. Call 703-228-5722.

Bulletin Board

Thursday/Aug. 8 Meeting. 12:15 p.m. at La Cote d’Or, 6876 Lee Highway. The Arlington Rotary Club welcomes naval historian Tom Hone. Visit www.arlingtonrotaryclub.org. Saturday/Aug. 10 ESOL Tutor Training Workshop. James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church. Three consecutive Saturdays, Aug. 10, 17 and 24. Cost is $50 for books, materials and ongoing resources. E-mail volunteers@lcnv.org or call 703-237-0866 x111. Monday/Aug. 12 Discussion. 1:30 p.m. at Aurora Hills Senior Center, 735 18th St S. Lt. Commander Mary K Hays outlines and discusses the history of women in the military. Registration required. Call 703-228-5722.

The Median Has No Message

Political signs banished from roadsides as campaign season heats up.

Some people call them flowers of democracy. Others call them weeds of political pollution. Whatever one thinks of the campaign signs and placards that appear along the roads of Fairfax County, expect to see a lot fewer of them. Last month, county officials launched a new program in which nonviolent inmates at the county jail hit the streets four days a week to remove illegal signs. With apologies to Marshall McLuhan, the message is no longer in the median. Anger and resentment has been rising over the issue of roadside political signs for years, and campaigns frequently go to war with each other to see which side can plant or steal or deface the largest number of placards. Unlike Prince William County, which had an agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation that allows the local government to collect the signs and fine violators, Fairfax was caught in a bind. Part of the Virginia code made it illegal for the county to remove the signs in Fairfax County until after an election.

Museum Exhibit Highlights Life of Union Soldier

Artifacts from the Civil War.

The Arlington Historical Museum currently has on display an exhibit about a Union soldier from Massachusetts that was stationed in present-day Arlington County during the Civil War. The exhibit showcases items that belonged to John W. Bates of the 23rd Massachusetts Volunteers, who enlisted in August 1864. The items, which include a cannonball and bullets, were donated by Fairfax County resident M. Wesley Clark, the great-great-great grandson of Bates.

Arlington Orange Line

Ongoing Theatre Performance. Through Saturday, Aug. 17 at American Century Theater, 2700 South Lang Street. “I Do! I Do!” is a story chronicling 50 years of marriage. $17-$40. Call 703-998-4555 or visit www.culturecapital.com. Week-long Summer Classes. Through Friday, Aug. 23, children can take art classes from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 1:30-4 p.m. at Arlington Arts Center, 3550 Wilson Blvd. Visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org for a list of classes and to register. Call 703-248-6800. Classes for Adults. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, through Aug. 29. 7-9:30 p.m. Arlington Arts Center is located at 3550 Wilson Blvd. Visit www.arlingtonartscenter.org or call 703-248-6800.

Real Estate Notes

Archstone veteran and Alexandria native Rebecca E. Snyder has joined Arlington-based developer Insight Property Group as development manager.

Business Notes

Inova has opened new Urgent and Primary Care offices at 1005 North Glebe Road, in Arlington. The Urgent Care center is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for minor illness and injury. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointment requests can be made online. The center will also offer on-site x-ray. Inova Medical Group's Primary Care practice provides personalized preventative care from a board-certified internal medicine physician. This practice offers same day appointments as well as online appointment requests. The center also offers orthopedics and sports medicine, behavioral health and OB/GYN services in the future. Visit www.inova.org/ballston.

Opinion: Issues That Matter

Mental health services discussion gives insight into real differences between candidates.

It came as somewhat of a relief to have the candidates for governor in Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli (R) and Terry McAuliffe (D), discuss an actual issue that matters to many Virginia families this week at a forum on mental health issues.

Wakefield Graduate Moore to Play for Virginia Wesleyan

Moore helped Wakefield win the 2012-13 National District title.

Candidates Agree on Amendment for Voting Rights, Disagree on Executive Order

Restoration of civil rights on the agenda for next governor.

Should nonviolent felons have their right to vote automatically restored? What exactly is a nonviolent felony? What kind of process can be considered automatic?

Editorial: Protect Children, Animals in Hot Summer Weather

In light of recent incidents around the region, Fairfax County is reminding people of dangers involving children and hot cars. The combination of summer heat and humidity can mean life-threatening conditions for children left in vehicles or other unsuitable environments, even for short time periods. Here’s advice from the Kids and Cars organization:

What Is ‘Dillon's Rule?’

Authority rests with the state.

Every so often, an issue will break out between one of the more liberal local governments in Northern Virginia and the state government in Richmond. The locals say: "We know what is best for our residents." Richmond says "As a local unit of government, you have not been given the authority to act in the way you wish."

Editorial: Identity Tips

Review Credit Reports and Avoid Ripoffs

Fairfax County police offer the following tips regarding identity theft and fraud: * Review credit reports annually; Experian: Fraud/credit history, 888-397-3742; Trans Union: Fraud, 800-680-7289; Credit history, 800-888-4213; Equifax: Fraud, 800-525-6285; Credit report, 800-685-1111. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com. * Opt out of receiving pre-approved, credit-card applications by calling 888-567-8688. * Monitor credit cards and bank accounts online for early fraud detection. * Don’t mail bills from home; use electronic banking, if possible. * Victims of identity theft should get a police report and secure a seven-year fraud alert or a credit freeze. * People 70 and older should contact the credit bureaus and obtain a credit freeze, even if they’re not currently identity-theft victims. * Never wire money to strangers online; these requests are scams.

What Is ‘Dillon's Rule?’

Authority rests with the state.

Every so often, an issue will break out between one of the more liberal local governments in Northern Virginia and the state government in Richmond. The locals say: "We know what is best for our residents." Richmond says "As a local unit of government, you have not been given the authority to act in the way you wish."

Old-Timey Music

Arlington and Falls Church residents comprise New Old-Time String Band.

In the workaday world, Andrew Acosta has been a painting contractor for 30 years. During off times, he "paints" stories using traditional music, most often as leader of the New Old-Time String Band.

Editorial: Enjoy Tax Holiday, Donate School Supplies

Good timing to help those in need.

It is debatable whether recurring tax holidays for different seasonal needs are good policy. But since this weekend is Virginia’s tax holiday on school supplies and clothing, it makes sense to take advantage of the savings, and to spread the wealth around. The savings are more significant this year with the new sales tax increases in effect as of July 1.