Stories for July 2012

1,550 Backpacks Are Needed

WFCM asks community to help local students.

It’s summertime outside, but Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) is already focused on September. It’s collecting backpacks for students attending 23 elementary, middle and high schools in Centreville, Chantilly and Clifton.

At Long Last, A Traffic Solution

Braddock/Pleasant Valley intersection to be improved.

For years, Fairfax County has wanted to do something to alleviate the traffic tangle that ties up motorists during both the morning and evening rush hours at the intersection of Braddock and Pleasant Valley roads in Centreville.

‘Better Be Ready’

Animal Control in action in Fairfax County.

When the call came from dispatch late in the Tuesday July 17 shift, Animal Control Officer Kim England turned her truck towards Centreville, to respond to a suspected “hot” or rabid skunk.

Classified Advertising (July 25, 2012)

Read the lastest Classified, Employment and Home and Garden ads!

Herndon Hosts Summer Production

‘Oliver!’ features students from several local schools.

The Herndon High School Theatre Boosters will present “Oliver!” starting July 27, a summer show that will feature students from Herndon, South Lakes, Chantilly and Westfield high schools.

Three Swimmers Awarded Scholarships

Two members the Meadows Sharks Swim Team in Centreville and one member of the Foxfield Flyers in Fairfax were awarded $500 Herndon swim League Scholarships for 2012 High School graduates.

Centreville School Notes 7/25/12

Centreville School Notes

Off Leash at Rock Hill

Pet Connection Photos

Park Pleads Guilty In Centreville Murder

Killed his ex-girlfriend’s sister.

Slated for a jury trial in connection with a triple stabbing and murder inside a Centreville apartment, Man Ha Park, 54, instead pleaded guilty to crimes that could place him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Centre View Roundups 7/25/12

Centre View Roundups.

Cockrell Counts His Blessings

Chantilly choral director retires after 26 years.

For the past 26 years, the name Glenn Cockrell has been synonymous with Touch of Class Show Choir, Jazz & Pizzazz and all-around musical excellence at Chantilly High. So his colleagues there, plus students and parents, were sad to learn he planned to retire at the end of this school year.

Column: A Life Worth Living, Still

It might be my age (as in getting older), or it might be the fact that I have cancer (you think?), but my brain and the related physical and mental tasks it coordinates are not exactly working at peak efficiency.

‘Oliver!’ at Herndon High

Play features students from several local schools.

The Herndon High School Theatre Boosters will present "Oliver!" starting July 27, a summer show that will feature students from Herndon, South Lakes, Chantilly and Westfield High Schools. The production also received assistance from several local elementary and middle schools, as well as the Reston Community Players, the Alliance Theatre of Chantilly, Westfield Theatre and the Centreville Presbyterian Community Theatre.

Derek Lee, South Lakes Baseball, 1983

South Lakes slugger was drafted five times before playing for Minnesota Twins.

Derek Lee is remembered at South Lakes high school, and by those that watched him play baseball, for his ability to do one thing — swing the bat.

Taline Tahmassian, Langley Soccer, 2001

Langley star recorded 96 goals and before winning NCAA title at Santa Clara.

How good Taline Tahmassian was on the soccer field can be measured by the pages of old newspapers. Tahmassian and the Saxons could be seen celebrating in photographs while snappy headlines chronicled their victories in a week-by-week scrapbook of archived clippings.

Nate Friends, McLean Soccer, Basketball, 1991

Friends dominated the basketball court and soccer field to help McLean to several regional tournament appearances.

Chantilly coach Jim Smith was a relative unknown when he took over the reeling McLean High School boys basketball team back in 1989.

Editorial: Separate and Unequal?

If we don't believe that poor students are less innately talented, then the disparities in Northern Virginia are truly unfair.

The numbers are eye-popping. Latino students are 22 percent of Fairfax County Public Schools students, but 2.7 percent of the incoming Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology freshman class, the class of 2016. Of the 480 students, seven are black. That's 1.4 percent, while black students are 10 percent of the county school system.

Consumer Confidence on the Rise in Washington Region

Survey participants perceive regional economy better than broader national picture.

Consumer confidence is on the rise, according to results of a new survey by the Greater Washington Board of Trade.

Local Real Estate: Sold in May 2012, $650,000~$699,999

Centreville Home Sales: June, 2012

In June 2012, 97 Centreville homes sold between $1,500,000-$132,000.

Centreville Home Sales in June, 2012

Chantilly Home Sales: June, 2012

In June 2012, 20 homes sold between $740,000-$155,000 in the Chantilly area.

Chantilly Home Sales in June, 2012

Pedaling with Pals

Potomac Pedalers provides group rides for area cyclists.

Cyclists of all ages and ability levels can participate in group rides with the Potomac Pedalers.

Suspended Prison Sentence for Centreville Man

Former Robinson band director must register as sex offender.

When Michael Keith Cook was sentenced last week for computer solicitation of a child under age 15, he didn’t lose his freedom. But even before he set foot in the courtroom, he’d already lost something precious to him — his career as a school band director.

Centre View Business Notes 7/18/12

Centre View Business Notes

‘The Music Is Infectious’

Alliance Theatre presents “Legally Blonde, the Musical.”

Scott Olson has been a director and actor for 20 years, but he says the cast of The Alliance Theatre’s “Legally Blonde, the Musical” is something special.

‘I Like the Kind Of Man He Is’

Residents flock to Centreville High to hear President Obama speak.

They came, they waited and, more than three hours later, they entered Centreville High’s gym. Hundreds and hundreds of people from the local community, as well as from Loudoun and Prince William counties, stood in humid, 96-degree heat Saturday afternoon, July 15, to see President Barack Obama in person and hear him speak at a grassroots campaign rally.

Letter: Turn-around Expert Needed 

Opinions on Mitt Romney

Centre View Entertainment Calendar 7/18/12

Centre View Entertainment Calendar

Centre View Roundups 7/18/12

Centre View Roundups

Inaction May Cause Federal Officials to Create Health-Care Exchange for Virginia

January 2013 is the deadline for the commonwealth to create authority for exchange.

Virginia is suffering from deadline fever, although Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is calling for a second opinion.

Peak Performance VA Members Compete at Nationals

At the end of June, 13 members of the Peak Performance VA taekwondo team traveled to Dallas and Ft. Lauderdale to compete at two national championships, one under USAT and the other, AAU. These are two major organizations for amateur sports in the U.S.

Sequoia Farms Has a Busy Week

Well, if you needed something to do this week and you were a member of the Sequoia Farms swim team, you certainly were in luck. There was the “IM Tough” meet on Monday, the “Tri-Meet” on Wednesday, the “Dual Meet” on Saturday, then the “Relay Carnival” on Sunday. Or, as many families in Northern Virginia might say during this time of year, “it was all swimming — all the time.”

Franklin Glen Swim Team Maintains Winning Record

The Franklin Glen Gators swim team continued its winning ways last Saturday with a victory over Armfield Farms. The 3-1 Gators moved up to the White Division this year in the Colonial Swim League after an undefeated season in the Blue Division. In addition to some impressive wins, there have been several pool records broken.

Sully Station SSTs Improving Individual Times

The Sully Station SSTs endured some tough competition Saturday, July 14 as the Langley Wild Things stole the show, beating the SSTs, 231-189. Despite the loss, the SSTs persevered, winning 17 individual events, five relays, racking up points with 38 swimmers reaching second- and third-place finishes and 40 swimmers achieving personal-best marks.

Sully Station II has Record-Breaking Relay Carnival

The Sully Station II Piranhas had a busy week of swimming, highlighted by four record-breaking performances at the 2012 Divisional Relay Carnival on Wednesday, July 11.

Choose Different Location

To the Editor:

‘I Like the Kind of Man He Is’

Residents flock to Centreville High to hear president Obama speak.

They came, they waited and, more than three hours later, they entered Centreville High’s gym. Hundreds and hundreds of people from the local community, as well as from Loudoun and Prince William counties, stood in humid, 96-degree heat Saturday afternoon, July 15, to see President Barack Obama in person and hear him speak at a grassroots campaign rally.

Sears offers a helping hand

To the Editor:

Column: Circumstances Be Damned

If only it were as easy to actually live it as it is to write it. As much as I believe what I write, it’s still difficult to ignore certain facts (“the underlying diagnosis,” as I often refer to my diagnosis) and the feelings associated with it.

Fairfax County, VDOT File Suit Against EPA

New EPA rules will impact homeowners, developers and could cost taxpayers nearly $500 million.

Fairfax County and the state of Virginia filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, July 12, challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new storm water regulations for the Accotink watershed, claiming the agency’s requirements are costly, onerous and vastly exceed its legal authority.

President Comes to the Area

Obama rallies his supporters during the campaign stop at Centreville High.

Before President Barack Obama addressed the huge crowd inside Centreville High, Saturday afternoon, Jerry Foltz of Wellspring United Church of Christ gave the invocation.

Herrity, Hugo Respond to Obama’s Visit

Both Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) and Del. Tim Hugo (R-40) held a joint press conference Saturday afternoon, speaking to local Romney supporters prior to President Obama’s campaign rally at Centreville High. Said Herrity: "It was nice to see so many people from Little Rocky Run stop by and pick up Romney signs and stand with us."

The Smoking Trail

New cigarette trafficking law aids enforcement.

Virginia has long been known as a tobacco-friendly state. Tobacco was one of the first major commercial products for New World European settlers, and the state remains one of the largest producers today. Virginia is also home to some of the cheapest cigarettes in the country.

Classified Advertising (July 18, 2012)

Read the latest Classifieds, Employment and Home and Garden ads!

Songwriter Performs Hometown Show

A.J. Smith performs with band at Lake Anne.

A few months ago, AJ Smith, a junior at NYU got an email from a professor asking him to stop by his office. As a student studying Music Composition, the Herndon native thought it might be some news about his songwriting workshop.

Moore Promoted to Lieutenant

Twelve-year veteran will serve as assistant support services commander.

Herndon police officer James Moore was promoted to lieutenant Monday, July 16. The 12-year veteran of the force will assume duties as assistant support services commander, where he will supervise criminal investigations, public information and crime prevention.

In Search of a ‘Forever Home’

Humane Society of Fairfax working for animal and human welfare.

Look up Petfinder.com on your Internet browser page. It’s a site where animal welfare groups can promote animals they have available for adoption. Type in a town or zip code. Let’s use Alexandria as an example. Check "Cat" for "Type of Animal." Hit "Search."

Childhood Hobbies: Finding the Right Fit

Experts offer suggestions for choosing extracurricular activities for the fall.

While many are still basking in the lazy days of summer, Anna Faust is planning her 5-year-old son’s after-school activity schedule for the fall.

Editorial: Leaving Millions on the Table

Virginia should embrace opportunity for more health care coverage for poor residents.

Chances are that if you are reading this, you have employer-provided health insurance. While you might worry about the young adults in your family or the lower wage workers in your organization, you also know that if you are sick, you can go to the doctor.

Losing 911

DPSC director discusses power-outage response.

When hurricane-force winds slammed into the local area two weeks ago, they felled trees and power lines and knocked out electricity to more than 1 million residents in Northern Virginia. Verizon supplied electricity and phone service to many of them, including Fairfax County’s Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC).

‘Anything Goes’ in This Production

Westfield Summer Stage presents musical.

When Lori Knickerbocker and Yvonne Henry saw the Broadway revival of the musical, “Anything Goes,” they realized it would be perfect for Westfield Summer Stage. And now, Knickerbocker’s directing and Henry’s choreographing this show for local audiences.

Centre View Entertainment Calendar 7/11/12

Center View Entertainment Calendar

Responding to Underwater Scenario

“911. What’s your emergency?” “I just saw a guy’s boat sink in the reservoir, I think he went under with it.” This fictional 911 call describes the scenario for a joint training exercise between the Fairfax County Underwater Search and Recovery Team, the Fairfax County Police Marine Patrol Unit and the Prince William County Police Underwater Search and Recovery Unit that took place on June 13 in the Occoquan Reservoir near Fountainhead Regional Park

Epic Einsteins Take Second in State

Greenbriar West sixth grade students Saiteja Bevara, Dheeraj Bandaru and Ajith Kanuri and team advisor Padmaja Bevara participated and won second place in the state level competition of the Army's eCybermission project. eCybermission is a web-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition for students in grades six through nine.

Scholarship Awards

On June 11, Scholarship Committee Chair Dr. Joyce Brotton of the Western Fairfax County Woman’s Club presented Chantilly High School seniors with a $2,000 college scholarship.

Lucas, Somerville Engaged

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lucas of Centreville are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsay Ayers Lucas to Matthew Christopher ("Chris") Somerville, son of George and Susan Somerville of Richmond.

Centre View Roundups 7/11/12

Centre View Roundups

Local Real Estate: Top Sales in May 2012

Home Remodeling 101

Experts offer suggestions for a timely and efficient renovation.

Whether expanding a home or just remodeling an existing interior space, building projects can be daunting, especially if the goal is to be finished by a certain date. "If you wanted to get going on a project and your goal was to be done by Thanksgiving, the planning process and permit process is probably as long as the building process, but you don’t want to rush through those aspects of it and then wish you’d done something differently," said David Vogt of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.

Clifton’s Old-Fashioned Fourth

The Town of Clifton celebrated the Fourth of July with a parade, flag ceremony and a potluck picnic in the park with moonbounces, tug-of-war, pie-eating and egg-toss competitions.

Telford in Contest to Enter Ironman

Fair Lakes resident BethAnn Telford was diagnosed with a Stage III brain tumor in 2005, and is still fighting for her life. But she works full time and, via her nonprofit fundraising organization, Team BT, she raises money for the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS).

Column: A Victim of My Own Circumstances

Outliving one’s prognosis leads to all sorts of twists and turns and treatment conundrums: the longer one lives, the fewer the treatment options.

Classified Advertising (July 11, 2012)

Read the latest Classifieds, Home and Garden and Employment ads!

Herndon Hosts July 4th Celebration

Live music, games, fireworks highlight events at Herndon Community Center.

The Herndon Community Center hosted its annual Fourth of July celebration last Wednesday, welcoming hundreds of local residents to the fields next to the community center for an afternoon and evening of live music and entertainment, followed by fireworks.

Herndon Environmental Network Hosts ‘Battle of Bottles’

Two neighborhoods to face off.

This month, two Herndon neighborhoods will be facing off in a "Battle of the Bottles," to see who can recycle more by weight. Hastings Hunt, located off Dranesville Road south of Leesburg Pike and McNair Farms Landbay2, located off Fox Mill Road, will do battle throughout July. The initiativ

Horse Attacked for Second Time

Lucinda, victim of earlier slashing, assaulted again over weekend.

Lucinda, a horse housed adjacent to Frying Pan Farm Park, was assaulted for the second time in the past three months sometime between the evening of Saturday, July 7 and the morning of Sunday, July 8.

Editorial: Every Vote in Virginia Will Count

Top presidential donor zip codes in this area show Virginia is purple; Romney or Obama to be decided on Election Day.

If you wonder if presidential politics really matters in this area, consider that Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland hold some of the top zip codes for contributions to the two major party candidates.

9th Asian Festival Celebrating the Year of the Dragon

Festival will take place July 21-22 at GMU.

This year, the 9th Asian Food and Tennis Festival is celebrating the year of dragon. The Festival is a two-day, free admission event to promote greater understanding of the Asian countries and cultures. It will be held at the George Mason University on July 21, Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on July 22, Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is open to the public.

‘Concert on the Grass’

Nativity Lutheran Church at 1300 Collingwood Road in Alexandria took advantage of its woodland location on Saturday, June 16 by hosting a free “concert on the grass” by "roots rock" singer-songwriter Janine Wilson and guitarist Max Evans.

Attending Governor’s School for Art

While many students began their summer vacations, two rising seniors at Chantilly High did something different: Yewon Kwon and Anne-Sophie Kim went to Radford University to attend the Governor’s School for Art.

Entertainment, Centre View Calendar Events 7/4/12

Calendar Events

Opinion: New Laws, Assault on Freedom?

Voting restrictions, abortion restrictions, DUI restrictions, fewer gun restrictions, more go into effect July 1.

A plethora of new laws will go into effect in the Commonwealth on July 1, including restrictive new procedures for voting, and the loosening of multiple gun regulations.

Storms Leave 2 Dead, Power Out

At least two dead in Fairfax; 285,000 residents still without power after Friday night’s hurricane force winds.

Winds of more than 70 miles per hour swept through Fairfax County Friday night. Power went out as the storm blew into the area around 10:30 p.m. with hurricane force winds sounding like a freight train.

Finding a Home for the Golden Years

Experts offer advice on choosing a retirement community.

When Jim Upp’s wife Jeannie died in 2006, the Fairfax senior citizen found himself surrounded by a lifetime of memories in the spacious home where the couple had raised three children. “We lived on a one-acre lot with plenty of trees all by ourselves,” said Upp. “I was alone, and there was a large house and an acre of land to take care of. It took me about five days to realize that wasn’t where it wanted to spend the rest of my life.”

Neighborhood Project in Memory of Tim Lyons

The Fair Lakes Forest community of Centreville, held a Community Day on June 9 — a culmination of 10 months of planning and work by the board and community volunteers. Last September, the community had lost one of its neighbors, Tim Lyons, to lung cancer when Patricia Tolbert heard about Fairfax County’s Neighborhood Enhancement Partnership Program which provides grants to “enhance the quality of life in neighborhoods by supporting projects and initiatives that assist in achieving the county’s vision elements.”

National Art Honor Society Officers

The Centreville High School Chapter of the National Art Honor Society elected new officers.

CES Wins National Recognition

School receives “Green Flag” status.

A ceremony celebrating Centreville Elementary School’s successful implementation of the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program and its achievements as the second school in the state and only the fifth in the country to achieve “Green Flag” status was held June 8.

‘I Had To Learn A Lot on My Own’

Westfield student wins Hispanic Leadership Alliance scholarship.

Centreville’s Joe Fletcher, 18, just graduated from Westfield High. But before he did, he won a scholarship from the Hispanic Leadership Alliance (HLA). His school counselor, Bill Sidener, wrote the recommendation for his award and, as far as he’s concerned, the HLA couldn’t have picked a better recipient.

‘Words … More Hurtful Than Fists’

Author discusses bullying with seventh-graders.

Ben Mikaelsen lives in Montana. But before the school year ended, he came all the way to Rocky Run Middle School to share with the seventh-graders his firsthand knowledge about bullying.

Sullivan Honored as Officer of Quarter

Award presented at CAC meeting.

Whether trying to outsmart a shooter or figure out where a lost child might go, Fairfax County police PFC Gerald Sullivan gives the effort his all. As a result, he was recently honored as the Sully District Station’s Officer of the Quarter.

Dangerous Weapons or Child’s Play?

Police warn public about replica firearms.

It was shortly before midnight when City of Fairfax police rushed to an apartment complex after receiving a report of a man there carrying a gun. He’d already pointed his weapon at several people when officers confronted him, had him drop the gun and arrested him. This incident happened awhile ago, and the weapon turned out to be a replica of a long-barreled, semiautomatic rifle.

Centre View Roundups- 7/4/12

Centre View Roundups

Column: Writing On!

It was June ’09 when I published my first column in the Connection Newspapers about being diagnosed with cancer. It was actually a column detailing the diagnostic steps I had taken during the first few months of the year attempting to identify the pain I had initially felt under my right-side rib cage in late December.

LINK Celebrates 40th Anniversary

A Herndon-based nonprofit aims to deliver food to those in need.

In 1972, a group of churches in Sterling and eastern Loudoun County got together with the idea of providing food for the needy, with members storing donated food in their basement. Three years later, they made inroads into Fairfax County and it was eventually chartered as a nonprofit. Forty years later, the group consists of 17 member churches in Herndon, Sterling Chantilly and Potomac Falls and has provided tens of thousands of families with assistance.

Express Care Teaches Essential Skills

Program aims to educate immigrants on health care, technology

In 1995, Naila Alam arrived to the United Stated from Pakistan to study hotel management. Soon she was diagnosed with a rare blood disease that almost proved fatal, and with her husband back in Pakistan, she had only her sister to help her navigate through a foreign country’s health care, as well as maintaining her educational studies and working.

Finding a Home for the Golden Years

Experts offer advice on choosing a retirement community.

When Jim Upp’s wife Jeannie died in 2006, the Fairfax senior citizen found himself surrounded by a lifetime of memories in the spacious home where the couple had raised three children.

Editorial: New Laws, Assault on Freedom?

oting restrictions, abortion restrictions, DUI restrictions, fewer gun restrictions, more go into effect July.

A plethora of new laws will go into effect in the Commonwealth on July 1, including restrictive new procedures for voting, and the loosening of multiple gun regulations.

Storms Leave 2 Dead, Power Out

At least two dead in Fairfax; 285,000 residents still without power after Friday night’s hurricane force winds.

Winds of more than 70 miles per hour swept through Fairfax County Friday night. Power went out as the storm blew into the area around 10:30 p.m. with hurricane force winds sounding like a freight train. The sound made some residents think a tornado was upon them, and many took refuge in basements.

Despite Failing Grade on Transparency, Law Enforcement Officials Resist Opening Access

Advocates for public access remain frustrated by persistent lack of transparency.

Back in March, Virginia received a failing grade from the State Integrity Investigation as the result of a systematic lack of transparency.