Stories for July 2015

Fairfax County Ad Hoc Commission Subcommittees Report

“It is well past time for the Fairfax County Police Department to start providing timely, honest and effective communications with everything it does.” When former director of Fairfax County public affairs Merni Fitzgerald delivered the final report and recommendations of the communications subcommittee of the Fairfax County ad hoc commission to review police practices, commissioner Joseph Cammarata responded immediately to those words in report’s introduction.

Fairfax: Special Grand Jury Begins Hearing Testimony in John Geer Case

Since shooting John Geer dead in the doorway of his Springfield home on Aug. 29, 2013, PFC Adam Torres of the Fairfax County Police Department has remained at work, albeit out of the field, but undisciplined by police and unprosecuted for any criminal wrongdoing.

Fairfax County School Board Honors Retiring Leaders, Adopts Budget Review and Audit Plan

In their last meeting of the summer, Fairfax County School Board members began by remembering former superintendent Dr. Robert Spillane, who recently died, and recognizing outgoing members of the school system’s leadership team.

Chantilly: Westfield Grad Wants to Bring Back Girls’ Golf Team

Kara Moore recalls the benefits of golf during her time at Westfield.

Kara Moore was a four-time regional qualifier for the Westfield girls' golf team.

Column: On A Tangent

Not that I live day-to-day or even month-to-month, but I do live – in my head anyway – quarter-to-quarter; that interval representing the usual and customary time between my recurring diagnostic scans. The time when the rubber hits my road.

Commentary: Scrap Toll Plan

This letter [dated July 21] is to respectfully request that you terminate plans to place a toll on I-66 inside the Beltway to fund the walking trails, bike paths and other multi-modal projects inside the Beltway described in your March 12, 2015 public presentation on this subject.

Centre View: Troop 1548: Through All Kinds of Weather

Troop 1548, led by Scoutmaster Phil Quinn, is known as the All Weather Troop.

Centre View: Christopher D. Brown Attending Virginia Tech

Christopher D. Brown will be attending Virginia Tech as a member of the Corps of Cadets/Air Force ROTC and majoring in meteorology starting this fall.

Centre View: Mentored by Wynton Marsalis

Westfield student participates in Summer Jazz Academy.

Dylan Cooper, a jazz pianist from Centreville, will perform with the Summer Jazz Academy, directed by Wynton Marsalis, at the Castleton Festival this weekend.

Chantilly: A Group Gathers to Break into Guinness Book of World Records

Crime Prevention Officer Michelle Alexander and School Resource Officers Joe Woloszyn and Josh Kennon helped break a world record on Thursday, July 23 at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.

Letter: ‘Is Nothing Sacred?’

The massacre of nine African-Americans in Charleston, S.C., by a suspected domestic terrorist has left the entire nation shell-shocked and horrified.

Centreville: Homes Instead of Offices at Trinity Centre

Developer wants to build 355 apartments at the Trinity Centre.

As the area office market continues to stall, more and more land-use applications are proposing to replace planned office uses with residential communities. One of the latest proposals is at the Trinity Centre, off Route 29, in Centreville.

Centreville/Chantilly Roundups for the Week of July 29

Certified technicians from the Sully District Police Station will perform free, child safety carseat inspections Thursday, July 30, from 5-8:30 p.m., at the station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly.

Chantilly: Getting a Look At Officer Training

Residents tour county’s Criminal Justice Academy.

About 30 local residents recently got a behind-the-scenes look at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy. They learned what recruits go through to become police officers and participated in a training scenario.

Centre View: ‘Impeccable Work Ethic’

Police PFC Earl Culbertson is honored as the Officer of the Month.

Reliable, a team player and a skilled motorcycle rider — that’s how Lt. Tim Burgess describes police PFC Earl D. Culbertson. In fact, as Culbertson’s supervisor, Burgess thinks so highly of him that he nominated him for Officer of the Month.

Centre View: Crime Report for the Week of July 21

The following incidents were reported by the Fair Oaks District Police Station.

Centre View: ‘Experimental Bar’

Dominion Foundation is donating $125,000 to support the Children’s Science Center Lab’s “Experimental Bar” at Fair Oaks Mall.

Column: 'Abyssful' Ignorance

Hopefully not. But you never know – per last week’s column, until you know. And the preferred pattern seems to be that waiting to be spoken to in person, a week or so post-scan, is the best the process can be; or at least, that’s the process that suits the doctor/HMO.

Centre View Area Roundup

Centre View Area Roundups for the week of July 19.

Letter: Issues over Improving I-66

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor: The following was approved by the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations’ Executive Committee as its June 30, 2015 meeting.

Centre View: Crime Report for the Week of July 21

The following incidents were reported by the Sully District Police Station:

Centre View: Wanted: 2,300 School Backpacks

WFCM asks community to help local children in need.

Once again, Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM) is collecting new backpacks for local students in need. Its goal is to provide backpacks for 2,300 qualified, low- income children attending schools in the Centreville, Chantilly and Westfield high school pyramids.

Centreville/Chantilly: Recognizing Local Police and Firefighters

A look at Centreville High’s First Responders Support Club.

High schools offer a variety of extracurricular clubs for students, such as chess, language and robotics. But at Centreville High, students may also join the First Responders Support Club.

Centre View: Scouts Host Bicycle Rodeo

Sully District, of the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, held a Bicycle Rodeo as part of its Summertime Activities Program.

Editorial: What’s Special about Your Community?

Share tips in upcoming Newcomers and Community Guides.

The Connection’s annual Newcomers and Community Guides will publish Aug. 26. A bevy of interns, plus staff writers and editors, are preparing this year’s editions, but we need help from our readers.

Chantilly Home Sales: June, 2015

In June, 2015, 31 homes sold between $950,000-$50,000 in the Chantilly area.

Chantilly Home Sales: June, 2015

Centreville Home Sales: June, 2015

In June, 2015, 144 Centreville homes sold between $1,154,015-$154,000.

Centreville Home Sales: June, 2015

Q&A: Centreville Grad Newell To Play Lacrosse at JMU

US Lacrosse All-American fan of “Remember the Titans.”

Q&A with Centreville grad Caroline Wakefield.

Column: 'Scant' Know For Sure Anymore

After six years, four months and two weeks since being diagnosed with stage IV, non-small cell lung cancer (the “terminal” kind), I can say with certainty that I have no sense of what my next CT scan, scheduled for July 15th, will indicate. Previously (multiple scans over multiple years), I’ve felt something in my upper chest/lungs where the largest tumors are located and the subsequent scan showed nothing of consequence.

Centreville: Troop Honors New Eagle Scouts

Troop 30 of Centreville honored Devlin McDonnell and ColtonSorrells who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in an awards ceremony on June 28. Devlin, who just graduated from Westfield High School, and Colton, a rising senior at Westfield, were both recognized for their achievements and leadership in the ceremony at the troop's chartered organization, Centreville Presbyterian Church.

Chantilly: Crime Report for the Week of July 15

The following incidents were reported by the Fair Oaks District Police Station. BURGLARY, 3000 block of Saint Regents Drive, July 2. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

Centreville Roundups for Week of July 16

Meeting on Route 28 Safety Study Residents are invited to attend a public inormation meeting at Centreville Elementary School, on Monday, July 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. to learn about the results of a traffic operational and safety study to identify short-term recommendations to improve traffic operations on Route 28 (Centreville Road) from south of I-66 to Liberia Avenue. The study analyzed traffic data to identify locations where low cost improvements may be made to the corridor.

Centreville: Commendation for ‘Job Well Done’

APO Tony Gul is honored as Officer of the Month.

Auxiliary Police Officer Tauheed “Tony) Gul” was recently honored as the Sully District Police Station’s Citizens Advisory Committee Officer of the Month. And in the letter nominating him, his supervisor, Lt. Tim Burgess, explained why. “APO Gul has demonstrated strong teamwork traits, contributing significantly to community activities in the Sully District,” wrote Burgess. “He volunteered 298 hours of time in 2014, including events like Touch a Truck, DWI checkpoints and patrols.”

Centreville: Music, Laughter and a Flying Car

Alliance Theatre presents “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

When eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts rescues an old race car from a junk heap, he decides to restore it with his children’s help. Little does he know then that it has the magical ability to fly and float. And once word gets out, an evil baron tries to get the car for himself.

Letter: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor: A few weeks ago the House passed HR 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act. Sounds great, right? Wrong. The Ratepayer Protection Act is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and attacks EPA’s ability to curb climate change. Specifically, the Act goes after the Clean Power Plan, set to be finalized this summer, which would require states submit carbon reduction plans to the EPA.

Centreville: ‘She Started Shoving Me’

Kathy Smith assaulted while campaigning; woman arrested.

Add political campaigning to the list of things that can be hazardous to one’s health. At least that’s what Fairfax County Board of Supervisors hopeful Kathy Smith found out last Saturday. “I’m OK,” she said afterward. “But it was a scary situation.” So scary, in fact, that a local woman was arrested and charged with assaulting her and preventing her from making a 911 call.

Centreville: A Beginning, Not an End

School Board approves “Ignite” Strategic Plan, new chairman and vice chairman.

Citizen Michael Ducharme has lived with dyslexia since he was a student. His two daughters both have dyslexia. The father, representing the parents’ movement Decoding Dyslexia, spoke at the July 9 school board meeting in support of the proposed Fairfax County Public Schools Strategic Plan that specifically addresses challenges in the schools facing students with dyslexia. “We’re now faced with the fact tomorrow is today, the fierce urgency of now,” Ducharme said. “It’s time for vigorous and positive action in this plan.”

Editorial: Backpacks for All

Thousands of students will begin school this fall at a disadvantage; help now so they have the basics.

The first day of school each year is fraught with anticipation and anxiety. Many local students will be concerned about what they wear, who they will see, what it will be like. They’ve already had multiple shopping trips, online and otherwise, to be sure they have the supplies and extras they need.

Backyard Vegetable Gardens Feed Multicultural Cuisines

In Fairfax County, tomatoes are a staple of local gardens along with peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, beans and herbs like mint, oregano and cilantro.

There’s nothing like a juicy red tomato fresh out of the backyard garden to brighten up a summertime salad or a sandwich — or a bittermelon, aronia berries or “paradise apple,” as persimmons are known in Bulgaria. The multi-cultural population in Fairfax County has grown roots in the backyard vegetable garden.

Unscheduling Summer Play

Experts praise the benefits of free play for children.

What was once a time for catching fireflies, swimming and exploring has evolved into a period of elite day camps, academic enrichment classes and top-dollar sports clinics.

Fairfax: City of Fairfax Band Children’s Concert July 16

Each year, the City of Fairfax community band gives its youngest fans a chance to try their hand at the shiny, twisty and just plain loud instruments in the ensemble.

Q&A: UNC-Bound Wakefield Plays in All-America Game

Centreville graduate enjoys steak, Will Ferrell movies.

Q&A with Centreville grad Caroline Wakefield.

Column: My Manifesto, Sort Of

Being diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer (no, they’re not all “terminal”) is “a heck of a thing,” to extrapolate a bit from Jim Valvano’s memorable 1993 ESPY Awards speech given a few months before he succumbed to his cancer.

Commentary: Legislation Combats Sex Trafficking

On July 1, legislation that I sponsored, HB1964, went into effect. This new law is Virginia’s first stand-alone human trafficking statute and creates stricter penalties for traffickers, greater protections for sex trafficking victims, and provides needed tools for prosecutors and law enforcement to stop human trafficking in Virginia.

Letter: Celebrating Marriage Equality

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor: Today, we rejoice in the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the federal right of same sex partners to legal marriage in the cases of Obergefell v. Hodges, Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder, Bourke v. Beshear.

Letter: Questioning VDOT On I-66 Plan

Letter to the Editor

The following is a statement by the 66 Alliance at the Virginia Department of Transportation’s public information meeting on the “Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Project” at the Arlington Public Library on June 17.

Letter: Promote Freedom

Letter to the Editor

Reflecting on celebrating our nation’s independence, the question comes to mind: are we truly free?

Centreville: Local Woman Carries Special Olympics Torch

Centreville resident carries torch in Crystal City for Special Olympics World Games.

Alexis Guillett, 33, of Compton Village in Centreville had the thrill of her life when she got to participate in the Special Olympics Torch Run on May 28 in Crystal City.

Centreville/Chantilly: Frey Says, ‘It’s Been A Good Run’

Frey gives his final “State of Sully” address.

With Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) opting not to run for re-election, his recent State of Sully address may well be his last one. He gave it June 24 to the Sully District Council of Citizens Association.

Chantilly: ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ Plus Magic

Westfield Summer Stage presents “Mary Poppins.”

Featuring a cast and crew of nearly 50, Westfield Summer Stage is bringing the Disney musical, “Mary Poppins,” to life. This production also marks 15 years of summer musicals for this local, theater group.

MacDonald Receives Sole Ownership for RE/MAX Gateway

Scott MacDonald, broker/owner of RE/MAX Gateway has acquired full ownership of all RE/MAX Gateway offices.

A House by the Sea

Design ideas for beach homes.

As the sweaty days of summer slog on, many are dreaming about a home by the sea, a wistful retreat where cares flow as freely as an ocean breeze.

Editorial: Yes to Nonpartisan Redistricting

Politicians shouldn’t be choosing voters.

Virginia’s Congressional map is unconstitutional because African American voters are packed into District 3, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The problem will have to be remedied by drawing new boundaries.

Coming Home to Queen of Peace in Springfield

Residents with disabilities move into new group house on Gresham Street.

Ten months ago, the unassuming single-level house on Gresham Street in north Springfield was a private residence. Today it’s the permanent home of four individuals with disabilities, and a fifth is on the way.

Column: Quality of Life

Throughout my nearly six and a half years of cancer treatment, starting at the initial Team Lourie meeting on February 27, 2009, when my oncologist suggested I take that vacation I’ve always dreamed of (to which I exclaimed “WHAT!?”), my quality of life has always been important to him.

Centreville: Roundups for Week of 7/1

Free Carseat Inspections Certified technicians from the Sully District Police Station will perform free, child safety carseat inspections Thursday, July 16, from 5-8:30 p.m, at the station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd. in Chantilly. No appointment is necessary. But residents should install the child safety seats themselves so technicians may properly inspect and adjust them, as needed. Because of time constraints, only the first 35 vehicles arriving on each date will be inspected. That way, inspectors may have enough time to properly instruct the caregiver on the correct use of the child seat. Call 703-814-7000, ext. 5140, to confirm dates and times.

Centreville: ‘Let Your Experience Shape Your Future’

Centreville High Class of 2015 graduates.

Dave Jagels has only been Centreville High’s principal since January, but he’s already become a proud Wildcat. And his feelings were evident during the school’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 23, at GMU’s Patriot Center.